Vieques and Culebra

On Sunday at Sal Pa Dentro there is a Mexican Train Domino's afternoon arranged by Dick and Jane and a lot of the boats in the harbor attend. As we love to play Mexican Train we attended too and had a wonderful afternoon. Afterward Bill and Maureen came to Moosetracks for drinks and we had a lovely last evening with them as they are headed home to the USA and we continue east.


Herman & Anne

Domino's

We spent our last day in Salinas chasing down our care package from Walmart. We were running low on soda steam syrup and needed some more so we had to order it on line as it is not stocked in Puerto Rico in any traditional stores that have it in the USA, like Walmart. So after a bit of a running round we found the postman had attempted delivery but no one was at the bar to sign for it. We collected the delivery card and started walking to the Post Office, on the way we saw the Post Office truck and made sure we were on the right route and it so happens he still had our package on his truck so we signed for it after showing the delivery card and ID. So we saved ourselves a couple of miles walking and had 12 bottles of syrup so Rum and Coke is saved for the future!

Horse riders in Salinas

Fisherman's statue in town square

We spent our last night appropriately with Herman from Whitewing coming over for dinner on Moosetracks. We had a lovely evening recalling our shared past in St Pete and the details of our trips and friends we have made on our respective journeys. The approach is so different with Herman staying in places for months at a time and us moving after short stays. It just goes to show you make your own choices for your cruising and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Herman managed to find his way back to Whitewing and as we didn’t hear any large splashes or cussing so he made it back OK in the dark.

The next morning we were headed off to another cove on Puerto Rico for the night before continuing, but half way there decided as we had to motor due to very light winds we would go all the way to Vieques and anchor on the east end at Green Bay. We got there just after lunch and settled down in a lovely quiet anchorage which, as the sun set, we had all to ourselves. The next day we had a lazy breakfast and then walked the beaches. There is unexploded ordinance behind the beaches due to US military use, so we stayed firmly on the beach. After walking north and south we were quite hot and had planned to snorkeled the reefs after the beach for a cool down. We left from the beach and saw some lovely reef and coral as well as some great fish, just sorry we forgot the underwater video camera.

Devin testing the tree comfort factor

Moosetracks in Green Bay

The next day we moved to Esperanza one of the larger towns on Vieques and on the south side. We wanted to stay a day and explore the town as it was around here they filmed Lord of the Flies and apparently it’s a small but interesting town. Well we were one of four boats when we arrived and by 5pm we were on our own, normally a great thing. However this time folks seem to get off work around 5pm and play in the harbor and we were the only thing of interest, so all the jet skiers decide to do loops around us! It was dark before they all settled down and peace was regained. We didn’t realize the short nature of the reprieve however as the locals retreated only as far as the BBQ and their ghetto blasters. To add to this the swell came into the anchorage and just kept coming all night from the SE and gave us a rather unpleasant place to stay. We decided we like our towns a bit quieter so we picked up anchor and moved along the coast a little further.

The anchorage at Ensanada Honda could fit a whole fleet so it’s a great spot and we had it all to ourselves! There are surrounding reefs and mangroves so the swell doesn’t get in here at all. The wind forecast was for 15-20 gusting 25 from the East and we never saw more than a ripple on the water. We kept fairly far from the mangroves in 25’ of water and held perfectly and never even saw a mosquito! On our third day we had a visitor and after a dinghy around the little mangrove bays we decided to see who they were. The boat was s/v Viking Spirit with Arild & Lis Beth from Kristiansand, Norway aboard and they were such nice hosts. They sail between Norway where they keep there first boat and St Thomas, USVI where they keep Viking Spirit. We had a lovely chat over coffee while they shared some of their favorite anchorages between here and the BVI.

Dinghy trip in the mangroves

Moosetracks in Ensenada Honda, Vieques

The next morning we had lighter winds forecast and from ESE so we decided to head for Culebra which once around the east end of Vieques is due north so a great DOWNWIND sail of 10 miles! Moosetracks loves downwind so in 12-14 knots we took off and had over 7 knots most of the way to Culebra so we got there before lunch and settled in. We saw several friends in the anchorage but they were not aboard Changes, Music or Little Wing so we left our dinghy up and relaxed for the afternoon. Sadly in the morning Music was gone so we’ll catch them down island.

Beam reaching into Ensenada Honda, Culebra

The Harbor at Dewey

The next day on the Magellan Net Amanda told us they knew the boat behind us, s/v Goldcrest. It turns out they are an English boat from Bristol, so we have to introduce ourselves. Alas again they are not on board, so we see Little Wing and dinghy over. They are just raising anchor so we say hello and goodbye as happens occasionally. As we approach the dinghy dock we see a couple and call over and it just happens they are David and Lindsay from Goldcrest.  We spend the morning with them discovering the little town of Dewey and having lunch at the appropriately named “Dinghy Dock”. The beer is just what we needed and the food is fabulous and as much as most of us could eat. There were a few locals feeding fish as the bar is literally a dock as well and the tarpon are huge here and come right to the dock to feed off scraps.

The famous bridge at Dewey

Moosetracks at rest in the gorgeous harbor

Color everywhere

Mamacitas

Hand painted advertising

We think Liz found one her favorite “loos” as the ladies room had a window right over the water.

A room with a view

We had drinks on Goldcrest for their last night in Culebra as they are headed West and we are off East, again just the way it works sometimes, sorry to miss these folks but glad we made the effort to make new friends.

Our last day in Culebra we decided to walk over to Flamingo beach which is rated among the top beaches in the Caribbean so a must see. It's a fair walk so we started early to miss the mid-day sun and it took around 40 minutes. We must say it's a very nice beach with very fine and soft sand and crystal clear water. We walked the beach and discovered the 2 army tanks abandoned by the US military after their use of the island. We also met a couple who had camped at the park behind the beach and were touring the island on folding bikes they had brought as hand luggage on their flight from Miami, another interesting way to do the Caribbean we thought. We took a mid-day swim in the ocean and between us could not recall the last time we had sat on a beach reading and relaxing then swam in the ocean from a beach rather than off our dinghy or Moosetracks!

Flamingo Beach a great place to swim

One of the two US tanks on the beach

The other tank

Just great for relaxing

On our return we managed to catch a ride with a Chinese couple on a golf cart so it was a nice relief in the hot afternoon sun. We returned to Moosetracks and had a light lunch and settled in to book reading again. We were visited later by SSCA friends Jim and Donna on s/v Moonraker who arrived later in the day.

Location, Location & great food at the Dinghy Dock Restaurant

So we think we are off to Culibrita in the morning and then the US Virgin Islands after that. So we hope you are all fully into spring and your life is warming up too.