Casa, Sweet Casa

 

Sunset in Salinas

There are many things that Bill and I have enjoyed experiencing during our travels in the Caribbean.  Trying new foods in the grocery stores and restaurants, exploring white and black sand beaches, collecting interesting shells (Ok, that's just me), meeting new people and learning about their lives, and, of course, seeing the sights and experiencing new ways to get there (check out my posts on Haiti to see how we got around with several unique modes of transportation) have all been things that we really enjoyed.

   We are continuing to do all these things in Puerto Rico but, since Puerto Rice is a U.S. territory, we have the added bonus of a few "comforts of home".  Now, don't get me wrong.  We aren't the sort of people to demand or "need" a particular band of product or service and we certainly don't think that the only place to live is in the States.  It is simply icing on the cake, if you will, that we are still able to experience all that a new country has to offer while simultaneously being able to take an Uber to the local Wal-Mart and pick up fresh milk (Say what you will but, powdered or UHT milk does NOT taste the same).    

Monument to fishermen in Salinas

   For the past couple of weeks, we have been making short hops around the south side of Puerto Rico.  I must say that this has been a very welcome change to the numerous over-nighters or multi-nighters that we were pulling before we reached U.S. waters again.  Because Puerto Rico is a relatively small island with lots of little "hidey holes", we can simply sail/motor for a few hours or so, drop anchor, and move on once we've seen the sights and the weather is good.

   Currently, we are in Salinas, less than seventy miles from Culebra (where we plan on hanging out for the remainder of hurricane season). Salinas is relatively small town that has a little more than the basics; a grocery store, Wallgreens, hardware store and a few restaurants are all within walking distance.  One of the marinas here, known for its friendliness to cruisers, allows those of us that are anchored out to use their facilities free of charge and is run with a definite level of trust.  After filling up our diesel cans today, we payed and mentioned that we would need more later.  The gentleman that ran the card said that we should have told him before we paid.  "Next time", he said, "we'll just keep a tab running for you".  


So, how did we get here?  What did we do along the way? Allow me to show you . . .
 

The Massa Cafe

Our first meal out in Puerto Rico - a traditional beef stew,
beans and rice, and veggies

   Our first stop was in Mayaguez.  This was a nice place to recoup after the crossing from the Dominican Republic. A well-stocked grocery store and a Wal-mart allowed us to re-provision.  Friendly locals offered advice and directions.  The local children even added to our experience.  Upon returning from Wal-Mart, we found a bunch of children playing in our dinghy.  Once we, with the help of a rather talkative English-speaking boy, explained that they were sort of playing in our "car", they not only got our but, after asking a few questions about us living on our boat (the only one in the harbor), helped us safely get the dinghy away from the dock.


 





   Boqueron was next. This was a pretty cool place to just roam around.  It was a touristy area but, not uncomfortably so (albeit the music was a bit loud on the weekends). We got a few laughs out of watching the locals ride the "double banana" squealing and, at times, toppling into the waters. Colorful buildings decorate a beautiful stretch of beach. There are plenty of restaurants and shops to explore. We couldn't stay for too long, however, because the only place for groceries was a convenience store.  

The "double banana" is on the left

Prosciutto Pizza?  Yes, please! 

 

   After Boqueron, we anchored out overnight at La Parguera; not much here, just a place to rest.  Then it was on to Ponce.  So far, this has been my favorite stop in Puerto Rico.  If you can't find something that piques your interest here, you might need to make sure that your travel bug didn't fly out of it's cage.  This place has something for everyone.  What to just roam and check out the view?  No problem; There's plenty to see.  Craving some cheap, delicious eats? Take your pick.  What to learn something new? How about a museum?  What to see something truly unique? Check out the fire station (I'll explain).

  On a day trip through Ponce we did our best to soak up some local color.  There are two main squares here and all of the sights seem to be woven into the streets surrounding these squares.  The area is quite appropriately known as "Las Delicias".

 

Hmmm . . . colorful, knitted, tree sweaters?

   First on the list was the fountain. This Fountain of Lions is one of the many odes to Ponce de Leon (the city's namesake).  the leon (lion) is EVERYWHERE.  The fountain happens to be one of the oldest and, in my opinion, more tasteful tributes.  It was actually purchased at the 1939 New York World's Fair, shipped to Ponce, and reassembled in the square.

   Just off of the fountain, is that fire station I mentioned in the Parque de Bombas (Park of Pumps).  The station built in 1883 (spurred on by the Governor after a series of devastating local fires) was built of wood and painted in red and black stripes to match the cities flag.There are even lions inside the building; they were painted by local artists, each representing a different aspect of Ponce's culture.

Grand staircase in the station 

Portraits of some of the men that served here

Colorfully painted lions

Notice the stained glass

 

The original door

   One of the things that I definitely wanted to see was a museum.  Unfortunately, the art museum and the music museum were closed on the day we were there.  So after grabbing some tasty tacos at a place called Jalapenos and some ice cream at King's Creamery (a local legend). We headed to the Ponce History Museum.  The museum is housed in the former residence of a local government official from the turn of the century.  The house was a wedding present to his wife and, as a loving tribute from the community, when the home was altered/restored as a museum, the original door and surrounding stained glass was preserved.  

Original blue print for the house

An old Linotype - used to set type
and print news articles

These boys were the sons of the owners of the house -
there are small tributes to the family throughout the house

We've seen these little Sunfish all over Puerto Rico -
The kids love to practice

   After Ponce we pulled into Salinas. We have been here for about a week and are enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

  In case you're concerned about the fact that it's almost July and there could potentially be a hurricane or two trying to brew up . . . I thought I'd put your minds at ease; we have a plan.  As I mentioned earlier, we plan on staying in Culebra for the summer.  This is a great hurricane hole (should one arrise) just off of the east coast of Puerto Rico. There is supposed to be plenty to see and do there but, there is also another motive for staying close to the island.

  I have decided to start teaching English part-time.  Now don't get worried that we're going to stop traveling because we're not.  The job is online teaching children one-on-one in China.  So, I will be teaching in another country but, my commute will consist of walking from stern to midships. There are plenty of little islands and spits to visit on day sails. I simply, for a little while anyway, need to be close to a strong internet connection. Besides we'd have to stop somewhere for hurricane season.

Simeon says, "Thank you", too

Thanks to everyone who keeps checking in on us.  So long for now . . . BTW, if you're interested in an online education job and are a certified teacher you can check out VIPKID and if you're interested in applying, please click here for a referral. That way we both win! :)


 




   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

We're Back . . . And Almost Gone

   After a several month, unofficial hiatus, yes, we're back on the blog.  "Where'd we go?", you might ask . . . "What happened?", you might wonder . . . Allow me, if you will, to sum up our absence.

"Where have you  been?" . . . 

   In short, life got in the way; a large wave of whiplash-inducing, "Now what?"-producing, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" sort of life. . . We've all been there at some point so I won't use up your time or mine hashing it all out.  The good news is that we're back and are literally about a week from leaving the States. Yep, you read that correctly . . . We're back on track!

   Now, even though we were sidelined for a while, we didn't spend our time lying around feeling sorry for ourselves; we continued to try to move forward.  Taking jobs, buying a car, and paying monthly slip fees are just a few of the things we never expected to be doing when we were towed into the area about a year and a half ago. However, we were able to do a good bit of work on the boat, allowing her to be all the more blue-water ready. I've probably forgotten quite a bit but, these are the major improvements that I can remember:




Fixed the engine!!!

One of the new panels on the bimini

Replaced :

• House and starting batteries, switch, and charger
• Solar panels
• Sump pump and bilge pump
• Old glass in hatches with new lexan and reseated one of the hatches
• Forward lazarette
• Old rigging with sta-set x (and did the splicing and whipping ourselves)
• Lifelines
• A lot of the lighting (inside and out)
• Speakers in the aft cabin and the salon
• Electronics for navigation
• Latches for v-birth storage
• Aft cabin head and faucet (soon to do the same for forward cabin)
• Life sling
• EPIRB

• 

  new electronics at the helm

  Lazy jack system

Installed:

• Controller for air conditioner
• SSB radio and antenna tuner
• Regulator for refrigerator
• Solar panel controller

This actually shows the port side with a new speaker,
lee cloth, cushions, and shelf covers

Made:

• Salon cushions
• Lee cloths
• Aft cabin cushion
• Shelf covers
• Stack pack
• Dodger
• Anchor bridal

Bought a generator

Patched a few tears in the Genoa

new stack pack for main sail

Removed old wind generator

   This doesn't include all of the countless little purchases and upgrades that we've done as we were able but, . . . I'm sure you get the idea. . .

   After spending our entire time here in the Miami area in a marina, we finally untied the lines again.  So, for the last few weeks, we've been on the hook in a lake right behind the West Marine where Bill and I were working. Our last official day was this past Saturday.

new dodger

We've had LOTS of well wishes from customers, coworkers, and friends.  Offers of help haven't been rare either.  Questions about and general enthusiasm for our lifestyle and journey have definitely become a big topic around here.  We appreciate all of it.  So, to everyone who's offered a phone number/email, asked to check out this blog, given a helping hand, or just lets us know that what we're doing is pretty awesome, thank you!

On the way to the lake

In the lake

Final checkup at the vet . . .
Silas actually doesn't mind giving the vet a helping hand 

There you are . . . 

   I will be updating the other pages on the blog soon and will continue to post as I did when we were out and about (about once a week).  Please keep checking in on us; we're happy to have you along for the ride.

   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

Shopping Like a Cruiser

   I bet you have never given much thought to your trips to the grocery store.  Sure, you probably make a list or clip coupons.  You might even go so far as to plan your meals (or at least a few) around those buy one, get one free deals.  You'll probably get creative and wing a few meals during the week.  If you realize you forgot something, no big deal, just hop in the car; those peas are only a few minutes away.

This Mother Duck and Her Chicks Follow Us Around on Our Walk

These Guys Showed Up On Our Last Grocery Run

   However, a quick run to the store or a "just figure it out" approach to our grocery shopping just isn't possible or practical for us.  Like many cruisers, we find that just the transportation to and from the store (or any other place of interest for that matter) takes quite a bit of thought.  With no vehicle, we have to rely on other methods.  This normally means the world's oldest mode of transportation, walking.  We also make use of the local bus system when walking isn't doable and, on rare occasions, we have called a taxi (not very wallet-friendly, though).  Sometimes friends offer to drop us somewhere or ask if we want to tag along.  These are welcomed offers and aren't often turned down.

   Even here in Florida, we find that walking is the best option.  Before we moved the boat to our current marina, the bus was the best, although certainly not the most comfortable, way to get around.  Now, since we are a bit further away from the main bus route, walking is pretty much the only way to make our food runs.

  Transportation is certainly not the only consideration.  Before we even thing about setting out to buy our food stuffs, there has to be a plan of attack.  For us, this means planning a week's (or so) worth of meals.  There are a million different ways we could choose to do this but, there is one resource we rely on all the time, allrecipes.com.  A great tool - this allows us to create/find recipes, add these recipes to menus, and turn it all into shopping lists.  We can even use it as a digital checklist on our phones. So, we just check the items off as we go, Cool, huh?

Me With The "Stroller"

   Ok. So, Once we know what we need to buy and how we are getting there, the next step is to go . . . with the proper tools of course.  Just what might those tools be, you ask . . . Well, since we will be spending time outside, we consider the weather and bring hats, umbrellas, or (in this Florida heat) water bottles.  We also bring reusable bags, both regular and insulated.  Many people use these because they are trying to cut down on their carbon footprint.  For us, they are simply necessary.  The last thing we have in tow is our foldable shopping cart.  This thing is awesome.  We bought it back when we were in Marathon and it has well earned its keep.  It holds an amazing amount of groceries and has saved us countless sore muscles from carrying overstuffed, heavy bags.  The only "problem" with the cart is that is looks an awful lot like a baby stroller.  So, we hear a lot of jokes from our friends . . . one (on seeing it for the first time), gave me a funny look and asked, "Do you have something you want to tell me . . . ?" and inquired if I was "practicing" for a baby . . .

   Once in the store, we go from aisle to aisle, checking off items from our digital list as we go.  After everything is picked up, we head to the checkout counter.  I break out the reusable bags and work with the bagger to make sure that the "cold stuff" goes into the insulated bags, the shelf-stable stuff goes into the other bags, and the larger items (paper towels, cat litter, etc.) go into the cart on their own.  Bill works to get the items onto the conveyor and pays the cashier.  After the cart is loaded up, we push the cart all the way back to the marina.

Everything Is Ready To Be
Loaded Onto The Boat

   *Now, allow me to interject a note here.  If we happen to be making a grocery run while at anchor (like when we were in the Bahamas), another element is added to this ordeal - the dinghy.  We load everything into the dinghy to go to and back from the store.  In order to use the dinghy, we not only have to allow time for us to lower the dinghy into the water but, we also have to get the outboard onto the dinghy and get it started . . . considerably more time-consuming . . . *

   In order to get the groceries onto the boat, I hand Bill the bags, one ate a time, as he sets them on the deck (when using the dinghy, our roles are reversed because it takes much more muscle to lift the bags strait up to the deck from the water line).  Then I climb onto the deck and down the hatch so that Bill can hand the bags down to me (You didn't realize a grocery run on a boat was such a work out, did you?).  Now, you might think the rest would be easy; just put it all away.  Well. yes, in theory, you'd be right.  However, storing food on a boat (just like anything else) takes a little thought and time,  Things can't simply be shoved into the fridge or a cupboard.  Canned goods go behind the settee or under the seat in the v-berth.  Meats need to be separated and bagged into individual portions and (if necessary) labeled with the name of the meal they were bought for.  Everything packaged in cardboard must be stored in something else and the cardboard itself thrown away; Keeping cardboard on the boat is a good way to discover how many cockroaches your boat can handle.  The bags and cart also need to go back to their storage spots: the cart hangs behind our head (bathroom) door and the bags actually go under the settee cushions (they are out of sight and offer a little extra padding).  

Everything Corralled on The Top of The Dinghy  

 

Meat Is Packed Into Freezer Baggies

The Cart is Stored On The Door

The last step?  . . . relax . . . have a beer and a snack.  Finally, the weekly grocery run is done . . .  all of this may sound like a real pain and, honestly, it can be but, this ordeal does have its good points.  The meal planning, while admittedly a bit stringent, means that we don't buy anything that we won't use (this definitely saves money), we don't have to fight for a parking spot or make sure we have enough gas to get there, and the walk is good for our bodies. Overall, I am very proud of our little grocery system . . . even if people do see us walking down the street and wonder where our baby went . . .


   By the way, just an  update on the local weather situation . . . We made all the preparations for then Tropical Storm Erika, including stocking up on food, filling all our tanks and fully charging the batteries. Now that Erika has dissipated, we're expecting just some strong winds and LOTS of rain. It may get inconvenient to get around due to local flooding, but we don't expect any problems on board.

 


   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

A Marathon to Marathon

This Was Just One Of A Few Dinghy Loads Of Provisions

   So, we left Key West on Thursday.  We said our goodbyes to Rain Dog, finished all of our provisioning and stowing (whew),  and headed for Marathon.  The trip was rockier than predicted (surprise, surprise) and, as is characteristic of these waters, we couldn't tie up to our mooring ball without some sort of hitch.  This time it was our genoa (For those of you non-sailors, this is the large sail at the bow of our boat).

  

   Other than the day's sail being more "rolly" than preferred, our trip hadn't been too bad.  We had made it all the way to the beginning of our turn to the marina when our genoa decided to misbehave.  As we were furling it (rolling it in), Bill turned the winch handle as I led.  All of the sudden, the line stopped turning on the winch.  Bill pulled harder.  He succeeded in making the winch squeak quite a bit but, the lines on the genoa wouldn't budge.  Stuck!  The lines themselves weren't stuck but, since the jam was in the furling mechanism and it wouldn't furl any more, the lines weren't moving either. Great.  Just when we needed to not sail, the boat wasn't cooperating. 

   We couldn't just sail into to marina because the entrance was too narrow and we would be coming in waaay too fast.  We had to motor to the mooring ball.  We tried to troubleshoot.  Trying to switch and furl the sail in on the other side did nothing.  We tried letting out the sail completely and then bringing it back in again.  Nope.  Still stuck in the same place. The only thing left to do was to take the entire sail down.  So, with me at the helm, Bill made his way up to the bow and pulled down the sail, folding as he went so that we didn't lose it to the wind or waves. Once the sail was tacked down to the deck, I could climb over it to get to the bowsprit (holding the boat hook) and grab onto the mooring ball as we made our way into the marina.

Pulling Up To The Marina Office (Notice The Tiki Hut)

   Once secured to the ball and checked in, we set to fixing our sail issue.  It seems that the line in the furling mechanism had jammed.  Bill smoothed out the line and we were able to hoist the sail and furl it in like normal.  One more problem averted.

One Of The Two Very Full Dinghy Docks

       Now, safe and sound on the ball, we are waiting out the weather. There are several other Bahamas-bound boats here that we have been talking with. So far, the cumulative thought is that next Tuesday will be the start of a weather window that will allow us to make it to Bimini and then on to the Berry Islands. While we're waiting, we'll check out the town a bit more, work on our project list, and hang out with our new boater friends.  In fact, tomorrow, we're planning on taking a day trip by bus with a few couples to Key West.  Yes, we just left there but, there were certainly things that we didn't get a chance to do or see and, since Brian and Erika (Rain Dog) are still there, we'll try to catch up with them. 

Boat From My Hometown

      The marina offers quite a few amenities here.  The people are some of the most welcoming and easy going we've met.  We found a local (and cheap) breakfast spot that we wouldn't mind visiting again and we are even moored right across from a trawler that hails from my little bitty hometown.  What are the odds?  So, we may not like the fact that we have to cool our heels here for a while but, we figure if we have to be waiting somewhere, this isn't a bad place to be.

   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

Boat Food 101

   So, I just thought I'd fill everyone in on something that Bill left out, provisioning and cooking. 

  For the past few weeks we have been creating menus, and, once all the necessary items were picked up at the store, finding a place to put all of it.  For those of you who have never tried to provision a boat, I want to try to paint an accurate picture of how this provisioning thing works.  First, one must consider what sorts of foods to buy.  This means stocking up on favorite items or things that you fear might be hard to find or too expensive elsewhere.  It also means planning what's for dinner in advance, waaay in advance; as in, "We need to buy 10 cans of tomato paste because we have planned to make pizza sauce 10 times in the next few months". 

   Then, a place must be found where all of your purchases can be stored. We'll start with the fresh items.  We have a refrigerator/freezer on board but, it is not by any means close to the size of a home fridge.  I think my refrigerator in college had more room than this one.  So, anything that can be stored elsewhere is, and the things that can't are just made to fit.  As for dry/canned goods, that's where creativity and ingenuity come in handy.  Not only can these items be stored in the small spaces in the galley but, they can also go behind settees; under cushions, floor boards, or beds; even under the air conditioning unit (yes, there is usable space there). 

  After all of the food is stored, there comes the challenge of cooking.  Cooking in a galley has challenges in and of itself.  However, when you factor in all of the preparation that must be done before cooking, the challenge is something worthy of a Food Network show.   Once we have decided what to cook for the up-coming meal, we make sure we gather EVERTHING needed for the preparation of that meal.  Our reasoning for this is two-fold: the main work surface is actually the top of the refrigerator and there are cans, cookware, etc. in multiple places.  Before we moved on board, I never thought that I would have to make sure that I got the chicken out before I started cutting onions because if I didn't, I'd run the risk of spilling the onions all over the counter to try and retrieve the chicken. 

   In all honesty, we have enjoyed the new experience and the challenge of cooking aboard.  We have found that with little adjustments here and there to old cooking routines, we can cook successfully in our tiny galley.  I enjoy making  lots of different soups and stews; something I got to do a lot of this past week, as I made several batches for something quick to heat up underway. Bill likes making juicy burgers, breads of all sorts, and  pizza cooked on our pizza stone. 

   So, if any of you are looking for a way to spice up dinner, try cooking on a boat.  It will certainly be a challenge.  It will offer a new perspective to preparing a meal.  Who knows?  It might even make you grateful for that not so small, landlubber-style kitchen of yours.



Here's our galley with the work space/refrigerator