| First part of our adventure ended yesterday at 6:30 AM (EST) as we pulled into Puerto Del Rey Marina in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. We were six nights and seven days at sea and had fallen into a nice routine of watch, play and sleep. The weather was not what we had hoped for as there were no glassy calm days but we did manage one day of relatively calm seas that afforded us the opportunity to accomplish some chores and be outside without receiving a salt water shower. The highlight of the day was a lunch of cheeseburgers on the grill accompanied by Jimmy Buffet tunes. The sea conditions were generally 5-7 Ft with a few 10s to remind us who was boss!! Winds were fairly consistent at 17 – 22 kts , The boat performed very well with the exception of a power issue which we discovered prior to our departure. The new inverter installation somehow impaired our ability to run a full load on the generator so we needed to split the load using the inverters for 110 and the generator for the air conditioning. We shut down the air to use the galley appliances and washer and dryer. We will have this problem addressed while in Puerto Rico. Our crew, Andy and Doug, were great. They both took to life on the Seabird from day one and made the voyage a lot of fun for Steven and me. Our fishing poles came out for the first time in 6 years as they decided if we were going to travel at 8 kts we might as well troll for fish. We put in our request for Tuna and I had the wasabi ready for an evening of sushi and sake. Our one lure lasted an hour before a “giant tuna” got away. Next cruise our tackle box will be better equipped for our ambitious crew. As one day lead to another the methods of entertainment became more creative. Steven had received a very special inscribed bottle breaker as a retirement gift and a couple of empty Corona bottles were the perfect subjects for trial breaking. Having perfected the breaking technique it was then time to bring the competition to a new level. Doug and Andy decided to compete in the first annual Puerto Rico Trench Race. The winner was the one whose bottomless bottle reached the bottom of the trench first. It is important to note that the trench is 29000 feet deep and the winner has yet to be declared!! We had planned on a rendezvous at sea with Milt and Judy Baker aboard Bluewater, a 47ft Nordhavn en-route from Beaufort, NC. We adjusted the rendezvous point several times before conceding that the seas and our speed were not cooperating for a timely meeting so we continued on our way and were the welcoming committee for Milt, Judy, Dean and our new four legged friend Katie the day after our arrival. As we approached the North East corner of Puerto Rico all hands were on deck to relish the moment as well as the sunrise. It was a great trip and we are grateful to our friends for making the passage and hope to have them aboard again. Next stop, the US and British Virgin Islands! | |