Log #46b Roosevelt Roads Mount Hartman Bay, Grenada August 3, 2008 March 15, we were on a mooring buoy just off the marina at "Rosie Roads" (18 14.02N 065 37.65W) and made arrangements for Veleda to remain there while we were to be away from March 25 to May 4. A local boater, Sam Jones, vouched for us and took me out fishing one day in his new twin 120 horsepower sports fisherman craft. It was great whizzing along at 25 knots about 30 miles south to a reef for marlin. We didn't have too much luck, as we threw back a couple of barracuda, lost a good sized dolphin fish, and landed a 30 inch mackerel. The highlight of the trip was trying to land a large marlin. Sam put me in the chair and helped with the playing of the line, and even outfitting me in a harness to position the rod on my stomach so I could move off the chair to play the rod around the stern area as it dived from one side of the boat to the other. After about 15 minutes of diving deep, and streaming the line out the reel at fantastic speeds, being hauled in again, and veering from side to side, it dove under the boat to the opposite side, breaking the line and ending the battle. It broke the surface once, displaying its length and agility. Sam even had the tag to register and release the fish if landed. But it was not to be! However it was quite a thrilling time trying to land that magnificent specimen. The power with which it could take out the line was impressive. I had never experienced such a struggle in fishing before. Thanks Sam! The Base Hector, the marina manager, was quite pleasant and helpful. The marina has excellent facilities, minimally used as the base is in a close-down mode with minimal personnel about. However, the free laundry and showers are operational, the fuel depot available, the mooring buoys in good condition, and the concrete jetties and finger docks in good repair and serviced with water and electricity. The mini marina store has economical duty free booze, and a few supplies The base itself has been in a close-down mode for several years, and rumours abound about its breakup to various government and civic organizations. In the meantime there are less than 200 personnel, mostly nonmilitary, maintaining the electrical and water services, landscaping, and security. There is some local militia activity periodically. The only person living on base is the base commander, Commander Kolal, with everyone else day or shift workers. It is a forlorn sight to see the hundreds of modern apartments, and homes, as well as shopping centres, gas stations, bus shelters, schools, bowling alleys, churches, and all the infrastructure of a small suburban city, in good condition but deserted. The base was established in 1943, named after Secretary of Defense (later President) Franklin D. Roosevelt who initially recommended the site near the town of Ceiba on the east coast of Puerto Rico in 1917. Variously nicknamed Roosy or Rosie Roads, it developed quickly as the main U.S. base in the Caribbean with over 100 miles of paved roads, 30 military commands, 1300 buildings and over 7000 personnel. It is located on Ensenada Honda, a large deep water bay 1½ miles long and 2 miles wide. It has three major piers, a 450 foot fuel pier, a 400 foot submarine pier, and a 1200 foot aircraft carrier pier. It also developed a 2000 foot pier over on the north coast of Vieques, its purpose to accommodate Royal Navy ships if Britain were to be overrun by Germany in WW II. However, events quickly changed and within a year it was reduced to a maintenance base, being closed and reactivated eight times between 1944 and 1957. Its last major active status was as a supply and command base for naval gunnery and air bombardment training, using the east part of Vieques as the target area. This function led to much animosity by the locals. There are still large areas of Vieques under control of the military as demolition of unexploded ordnance is ongoing, and many of the beaches remain out of bounds. Last year, when anchored off the east end of the island we were hailed at 0700 in the morning by range control, and advised to leave as they were doing ordnance clearing in the area, and didn't want to accidentally blow us up. Puerto Rico The island of Puerto Rico is a. U.S. possession, ceded by Spain in the Treaty of Paris ending the Spanish American War in 1898. In 1917 the inhabitants became U.S. citizens and the country is considered a U.S. commonwealth, with no federal representation other than an adviser to congress, and paying no federal tax. It is a mountainous island, 110 miles long and about 35 miles wide, with a population of 3.6 million, mostly Spanish speaking. There are presently three political options and movements; for total independence, for statehood, and for the status quo. An interesting anecdote is that the original name for the island was San Juan (Saint John), and the main port was called Puerto Rico (rich port). Some flunky in the early Spanish bureaucracy made a mistake and inadvertently switched the names on a cargo manifest and thus changed the logical original nomenclature. By the time the error was noticed it would have been too embarrassing to change back and thus the wrong names stayed. Return to Toronto We rented a car for a couple of days before leaving, to get supplies from the local West Marine in Fajardo including a new 45 pound claw anchor. We planned to leave the car at the airport in San Juan, as we did last year. No problems, except when we returned the car our bill was not for the $60.00 a day from Ceiba, but $100.00 a day from the airport for the two day period. Unknown to us, the clerk in Ceiba made out the agreement wrong, and one of the many items on the form indicated place of return. She mistakenly put Ceiba instead of San Juan, and thus we were charged San Juan airport rates when we returned it there. Aaarrgghh! Oh well, if you can't take a joke.... We flew to Panama City, Florida March 25 to spend a week with Judy's dad and her sister's family before flying back with him to Toronto March 31. I commented to Judy several times that I missed the change of seasons, having been in the Caribbean for 2½ years now, and wanted to see snow. In Toronto, most of the snow was gone but we went 300 miles up north to Sudbury and the north shore of Lake Huron to visit family and friends. Sure enough, we caused the last blizzard of the season, and I enjoyed a lovely winter's walk in the freshly fallen snow. Judy stayed inside. I had my enjoyable taste of winter up there, and a week later in Toronto the first bluebells of spring were poking their flowers up. It was nice to experience the change of seasons. We planned to leave Toronto May 4, but stayed another six weeks as I was able to schedule cataract eye surgery for June 17. It was quite successful, and we left June 25 to happily return to Veleda. Three months was too long! An anxiety we lived with for those last six weeks was our cruising permit time limit. As mentioned in the last log we made the time limit in March only for a few months, but were not sure if three or four months. If four, we were O.K. and would return before the time was up. If three, we would be returning 10 days after it had expired. I was prepared for the minimal risk of overextending and not being caught, but Judy was quite anxious, especially concerning the hassle we had last New Years entering at Ponce in Puerto Rico, and the earlier than regulation entry we made in Culebra in March. It was O.K. as when we returned we found we had made the limit for six months. Whew! We had clean bills of health from our doctors and dentist, and my left eye is now 20/20. However I strained the tendons in my left foot, and have plantar fasciitis, a long term damage to the tendons, causing me considerable discomfort. I have ordered insole supports to reduce the strain, but have to live with the sore tendons for several months if not life long. We were glad to get back aboard Veleda! Next log