Once FedEx had delivered, April the autopilot's American "face-lift" operation was quick and painless, and she was ready for action by 1530 compete with brand new control unit. It then only took one quick phone call to US Customs to clear out and we were on our way, escorted by the very friendly San Juan pilot.
The weekend's heavy swell was still causing a large sea, so Elizabeth and I had been taking Stugeron since the morning to try to stave off the inevitable queasiness. I supplemented mine with Dramamine and fortunately both of us were fine. We both enjoyed our steak sandwiches for supper.
The coastal waters of Puerto Rico were thick green for some miles offshore with a sharp line separating the nutrient-rich and coral-poor urban run-off waters from the deep indigo Atlantic Ocean. It is a relief to return to such clear waters after a week in the city. It was also beguiling to see the phosphorescence in the water once again. There is a bay off Vieques to the east of Puerto Rico where the phosphorescence is said to be the brightest in the world.
Overnight, I slept fitfully. I relieved James at 2300 but woke him inadvertently at 0245 by swearing as the now fickle wind caused a noisy but trivial gybe. We rigged the preventer and I left him on watch for another three hours before returning at 0645. Unfortunately, as the day grew brighter, the clouds burned back and the wind dropped, leaving us to motor by noon - an unexpected pleasure after being forced to pure sail by race regulations in previous ocean passages.
We are now north of the Dominican Republic but some hundred miles offshore, over the Puerto Rican trench. This subduction zone between the Atlantic and Caribbean tectonic plates is one of the deepest areas of ocean on the planet with depths of nearly 9000m. The plan is to run WNW just inside the Navidad and Silver Banks towards the southern edge of Turks and Caicos, thereafter up the middle of the Bahamas. The forecast is for lightening winds and we expect to have to motor tomorrow, but then the breeze stiffens as another front passes, but we should be in the shelter of the Bahamas by then.
Sounds as if all is going well. I was able to track you yesterday to the mouth of San Juan harbour but since then no signal. Lots of love Dad XOXOXOXO
ReplyDeleteHello Gordon, which AIS service are you using? I've signed up to a freebie but it's really inconsistent with it's rate of update, often telling me CdG is somewhere long after this blog has broadcast the location. Much that it pains me I might be forced to shell out some dollars!
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DeleteHi Tony, I use http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=9&olddate=lastknown&oldmmsi=235058637
DeleteThe coverage is patchy and I won't pick them up again until they are close to Nassau. I should then be able to follow them to the American coast. I shall lose them once they are on the return transat. At this moment it still has them at the mouth of Sab Juan harbour where they disappeared two days ago.
At last I have managed to track down a very good map of the Caribbean to enjoy plotting your route. Wish for you all favourable conditions all the way. Love H
ReplyDeleteJames, Amazon is back in the Wahroonga(ish) locale after her sojourn in St Georges Basin. The trip back was not uneventful as the trailer threw a tyre, necessitating a tilt-tray tow, overnight couriered replacement, and then 2nd attempt from just south of Wollongong. Not quite your league but oh the joys of boat ownership. Now looking forward to jaunts with Angus in the shelter of the Hawkesbury and Pittwater
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