Log #43J Puerto Rico - Part One

Panama City, Florida, March 24, 2007

We anchored in Mayaguez at 0630 March 5 after a 155 mile, 36 hour slog across the Mona Passage and had an hour's sleep before going ashore at the ferry dock to do our check in with customs and immigration. By the time we went over alongside the large bulbous ship fenders and climbed up to the dock, the ferry had been in for an hour or more and we were asked to wait until they had processed all the ferry passengers. Had we gone over at 0800 or earlier before the ferry, the check in would have been much more efficient. However, the officials were quite cordial and had us fill out the necessary forms. Only two minor aspects cropped up. One was that our garbage had to be double bagged and brought ashore for incineration and we were asked to not land any other foreign garbage while in Puerto Rico. The second was we needed a cruising permit available at the Customs House over town for a small fee of only $19.00. One of the agents gave Judy a ride over and back, as he did not want her walking through that part of the city. We left after an early lunch for Boqueron, a few miles down the west coast, as Mayaguez has no place for dinghies ashore and, as an open bay, is not a good cruiser location.

[Continued April 24/07]

Boqueron (18 01.41N, 067 11.83W) is a large sheltered bay with good holding, a small town with a large beach area and national park. We filled up with diesel and gas at the local gas station across from the yacht club (The gas station also runs the yacht club gas dock, and if no one is at the dock the boaters have to go across the road to get the attendant to operate the dockside pumps.) We enjoyed the seafood, especially empanadillas, shrimp filled pastries we got at Schamar, a take-out and restaurant at the end of the town dinghy dock. It is a lazy college party town in season, with a luxurious gated condo development in a channel on the east side of town linked to the lovely wide sandy public beach strip. We spent only one day there as we were trying to get to Antigua for mid March and a flight back to Panama City to help Judy's dad drive back to Toronto. It might be an area we would like to explore with more time. Maybe next year?

On we went next afternoon (March 6) 8 miles down to anchor off the mangroves of Cabo Rojo, the southwesterly tip of Puerto Rico (17 56.48N, 067 11.83W) to get an early start eastward along the south coast. We left shortly after midnight, hoping the night and early morning easterly winds would be lighter. Ha! We left in force 4 ESE and motored east for the rest of the morning into force 5 (20 knot) and force 6 (25 knot) winds, a couple of miles offshore to be clear of outlying reefs. About 0300 a fast launch came up behind us and flashed a spotlight on us, then doused it and took off, with no navigation lights showing. We later found out this was one of the coast guard or homeland security patrols checking out vessels at night. At 0825 after 35 miles, we anchored off the Ponce (pronounced Pon-Say) Yacht Club (17 57.92N, 066 37.06W) and after a couple of hours sleep, went ashore to pay our $10.00 each for yacht club privileges (although it is a lovely facility with bars, restaurants and swimming pools, we only used their showers). Another boat that came in just before us did not bother to register and did not use any club facilities other than landing their dinghy to go ashore for supplies.

It was a long walk out the gate and across a large park area to a chandlery and a large discount grocery supply store, the "Cash and Carry". We stocked up on many non-perishables and bought a North American propane tank and regulator, as getting our "camping gaz" containers from Europe filled was becoming difficult. We were able to hook up the new container and regulator into our existing hoses with no problems. If or when it runs out, we can reattach a "camping gaz" regulator and gas bottle to use until we get our North American one refilled.

We left again shortly after midnight March 9 hoping again for lighter night and morning winds. Ha! Into force 5's outside the harbour, when the easterly winds settled down to lighter force 4 (12 knot) winds, OTN, before picking up to force 6 before dawn. We were again flashed by an unlit motor launch about 0200. On we pounded, motoring between the mainland of PR and the off lying shoals and islands, making good use of our computer mapping system and GPS in the dark, for 25 miles to anchor (17 55.52N, 066 13.09W) inside of Boca del Inferno (Mouth of Hell) at 0530, just before dawn. We didn't want to trust going into more open waters with increasing easterly winds. We were getting very tired of plowing into the easterly winds trying to get back upwind another 500 miles to Antigua within 10 days for our flight to Panama City. However a couple of other yachts were anchored there and were enjoying the heavy winds with their windsurfers and parasailing surfboards. That's what cruising should be about - taking your time and enjoying the anchorages visited, rather than plowing onward to meet a time line!



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