Well we left Luperon a little less than two days ago. Two other boats left around the same time (Sol Magique and Mi-Lady) so we kept in touch while we were underway. As we approached the Samana peninsula on the DR's east coast, we caught up with several other boats who had left Luperon a few days before and so we all trucked along across the Mona Passage, keeping in touch via VHF and SSB radio. We have never really traveled in a group with other boats before, usually we do these crossings solo, so it was nice for a change to keep in touch with other boaters as the nights passed.
We had some great luck with sea life on the passage. First, Kevin caught a 20 lb mahi-mahi. This time we were smart: while it was still fighting in the water, we dug out the fish scale so we could weigh it. Kevin also did a fantastic job of filleting and flaying it so very little of the fish was wasted -- we should be eating lots of fish in the coming weeks. Man, cleaning a fish that size sure makes a mess on the deck. Ick. After we'd cleaned up we noticed some humpback whales cavorting off on the horizon. They were slapping their tails and jumping clean out of the water. It was too far away to get any great photos, but Kevin did manage to catch some of the action with his telephoto lens - we'll see how good those pics turn out. And just before sunset a big pod of dolphins came racing through the waves to ride our bow wake. They were in such a hurry to get to our boat they were getting their entire bodies airborne like torpedoes.
We crossed the Mona Passage early this morning and conditions were very calm. We had heard this could be a rough crossing so we specifically chose a window with very light wind and waves. We were both able to get some good sleep and when the sun rose we could see Isla Desecheo (a part of Puerto Rico) towering above the water. Around 10 am a big US Coast Guard cutter came up on the boat behind us (Mi-Lady). After some discussion they sent a boarding party, armed of course. Jim on Mi-Lady said that they were very courteous and it was just a routine boarding inspection. He didn't even have to slow down or change course. We later heard that several boats had also been boarded this morning, so it sounds like the coast of Puerto Rico is well-patrolled.
Anyway, we are in Boqueron (boke-eh-ROAN) which is on the southwest coast of PR. We are pretty tired but we have to run into Mayaguez (a nearby town) to check in with Immigration. More later.
Where we are:
Location=Boqueron, Puerto Rico
Lat=18 01.194
Lon=67 10.746
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