Category: Atlantic Circuit 2023/24

My last stop in Puerto Rico before going on to the Dominican Republic. I was expecting it to be a bit rough especially around Cabo Rojo, the southwestern Cape. I weighed anchor at 0730. I could sail away from the anchor again. The wind was around force 5-6 gusting to around force 8. A weird combination of wind from astern and waves from abeam made this a very uncomfortable trip. Behind the cape the waves became much smaller but the wind did not let off. 

Checking in with customs was a breeze with my fabulous US cruising license. I took a 10km walk into the town of Ponce along a highway in the incredible heat. The walk itself wasn’t very nice but Ponce is very beautiful and the effort was definitely worth it. After that I went halfway back to a huge supermarket, went shopping and got a SIM card. I shlepped everything home along the highway to the boat. At the Fishermans Marina I had a beer and watched some pelicans.

I weighed anchor early with just the sails and very little wind. But it was great to glide across this totally still lagoon with a knot and a half. There would be more wind later and I would hopefully arrive early enough after the 25M trip. There should have been manatees again and when I saw some black lumps on the water and heard some snorting sounds I was all excited. But those things were dolphins in the lagoon and they were having fun with Amy and I was enjoying them a lot. Exiting the lagoon the Australians passed me and were soon almost out of sight.

I got underway for the 18 mile trip to the Bahia de Jobos. An anchorage that is enclosed by coral reefs and mangroves on all sides and supposed to be very quiet. The wind and waves were much stronger than forecast and I decided against the first entrance to the reef. I could see waves breaking everywhere and it was very scary looking. It was also downwind so there would be no going back. 

There were many reefs along the way and I was a bit anxious to navigate around them during the night but the chart said there would be lit buoys. So I was relieved to find those buoys in place and being lit. There was very little wind but I didn’t want to motor and I needed to spend at least 12 hours for the trip anyway so that I would arrive in the light. There were almost no waves so the trip went very smooth and easy. 

I weighed anchor under sail and had another wing on wing sailing day with light winds and a well working spinnaker boom. I went by some nasty reefs and “Sail Rock”. I imagined that all these reefs and the rock must have been here when Columbus and the first explorers came.