Puerto Rico Explorers

Alibi underway to La Parguera

We left Boqueron on Thursday at 3 AM to make a smooth passage around the SW corner of Puerto Rico.  The trip went very well until the last hour – then we started doing the Puerto Rico Two-Step:  two steps forward and one step back!  We made it just as the trade winds were beginning to get cranked up.  The people of PR are so nice!  We went looking for the pharmacy the other day and got rides both going and coming back.  The ride coming back was a very interesting local – introduced us to half the town!  He is a boat captain, retired USAF, and has rental properties in La Parguera.  Antonio (nickname Splendid 24/7) was a hoot! 

We have been traveling with a boat named Dream Walker a 36 ft Islander.  Stan and Elizabeth are the couple on board.  We went snorkeling here (looking for dinner) and enjoyed the reefs.  We have enjoyed meals on their boat and ours.  Roxy is sure enjoying their company – their dog died on this trip (Staniel Cay) and they have a lot of loving to give her, LOL. 

We are hoping that a boat named Celtic Rover can catch up to us.  We met Bruce and Jan first in the Turks and Caicos area and have traveled with them off and on.  They sail a 41 ft Morgan.  Both boats are good travel companions because they sail at approximately the same speed as we do.  We sure are enjoying having a dinghy motor back again! 

We are trying to get to Salinas, PR by the first week of May to rejoin with another boat we were traveling with, Azaya.  They have gone ahead to Virgin Gorda in the BVI’s to put their boat on the hard and return home to Alaska for a few months.  I’m not sure if Mother Nature is going to cooperate with our deadline.  The trade winds have increased to the 20+ knot range and we’re not sure if we want to battle the increased waves that go with that much wind.

Hopefully, the next stop or the one after that holds a lot of shopping opportunities.  Ponce is the second largest city in Puerto Rico and has all the stores that we are used to in the US for major provisioning stops.  I could use a Wal-Mart shopping spree and Darrell has a list for NAPA or some marine/auto parts type place.  I will say, though that we have done really well with the stores that we purchased before we left.  AND it has been fun trying new things along the way.  I would like to find a market that has local fruits and vegetables though because mangoes and avocadoes are supposed to be plentiful here.