THE BAHAMAS, part one

 14th May  – 17th May 2011
The Out Islands : Mayaguana, Plana Cays & Rum Cay.
MAYAGUANA.
There is an old saying in sailing circles that you should never leave port on a Friday and especially  if you are bound for another country. The downside to this is that you usually incur overtime charges when you arrive at your next destination during a weekend. Well, some of us cruising folk are a suspicious lot so we sat tight all day Friday and left the Turks and Caicos Islands first thing Saturday morning. The 65 mile sail up to our first Bahamian island, Mayagauana, was a dream run under a full main and screecher. We arrived  at Abraham’s Bay around mid afternoon and  while Liam and Toni babysat the boats out the front of the shallow eastern entrance to the lagoon, Bruce and I dinghyed ashore in search of  the local authorities. The small immigration office  just up from the jetty  was closed, so we decided to walk a little way into town to enquire if it was possible to see an immigration officer.
    

We didn’t really want to stay untill Monday but we’d heard of fellow cruisers’ getting a wrap over the knuckles for bypassing an official port of entry and not checking in.
The friendly folk in the grocery store gave us directions to the home of the administrators secretary who they felt would be able to help us. A few minutes later the bush telegraph was in full swing. The word was being passed along the street, well shouted actually, that two whities,( we did stand out a bit)  were looking for the secretary's house.The next thing we knew was that the local police van pulled up along side us and offered us a ride. The nice policeman gave us a tour of the town that took at least 5 minutes and then drove us rather erratically, while talking on his cell phone to the address we’d been looking for. After a couple of quick  phone  calls everything was sorted. The main man, the island’s administrator, was having lunch with his family but had said that he would be down to help us soon.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
The policeman dropped us back at the  jetty office where shortly after the administrator and his secretary arrived to do the paper work. The process was relatively painless except for the $300 plus overtime fees that we were relieved off so that we could cruise the Bahamian waters for the next couple of weeks! So far our Bahamian experience was off to a good start, sans fees of course. The townsfolk had been helpful and friendly and the officials very obliging. Pretty soon we were back on  our boats and heading off to anchor for the evening  just past the now  disused US missile tracking station in Russell Bay.

                                                          **********************
PLANA CAYS.
Continuing on  through what are known as The Out Islands, we arrived at the uninhabited  Plana Cays, some 32 miles north of Mayaguana. This little group is made up of two small islands and we stopped at east Plana which looked great for a lunch stop and snorkel. The sun was out and the waters warm so jumping in was not a problem. The reef area was small with lots of rocky ledges, the perfect spot  for finding lobsters. It wasn’t long before Bruce had spotted a couple of the lurking crustaceans and he was on to them. With in a few minutes they were destined for the dinner table.


The ever curios and menacing  Barracudas provided us with an unwanted escort service whilst we swam, until they were shooed  away by the threat of the spear gun. They definitely had a penchant for Liam's bright yellow swimming fins.
Having spent a relaxing afternoon lazing around, at 1700 with a light breeze we set the spinnaker and headed out for our overnight passage to Rum Cay, 75 miles further on. That evening as the sun set, we once again saw the fabled “green flash”, the perfect end to a perfect day.
                                                                                           


    


                                                                  *********************
RUM CAY.
Arriving just after breakfast we tucked up inside the reef and anchored in St George Bay  in about 12 feet of clear water.
 
The guide book spoke of some good reef and wreck diving not far offshore, so Liam and I hopped in the dinghy and went into the rather small marina to ask if they knew the location of the 1860 wreck of HMS Conqueror. The local dive instructor was due in shortly so we hung about till she arrived. We gladly accepted a small map and although she hadn’t dived on the wreck she assured us that it was only a short way out off the headland resting in 30 to 40  feet of water. All enthused we tore back to GWTW loaded up our  scuba gear and took off in the direction indicated on the map. Threading our way through the numerous reefs we searched the area for about an hour and then gave up and went back to the mother ship. Oh well, maybe we would have better luck finding Kaye’s cafe for lunch. Our friends Daryl and Annie  from “ No Rehearsal” had dinned  there a few weeks earlier and had said for us not to miss it, so off we went.
    
On the other side of the bay, Kaye’s wasn’t hard to find. The small purple building just up from the jetty  was pretty much the only one there. It wasn’t  quite the type of cafe we had in mind,  though there was an outside area under the trees. We ventured inside to find Kaye chatting with two patrons at the bar.That day Kaye was wearing the dual hats of bar tender and chief cook  and she cooked us up a lovely lunch of fish, rice and veggies. She was quite the character and still going strong at the ripe age of 70 plus. Something to be said for the unrushed pace of island life I guess.
With the breeze freshening from the south and the anchorage becoming a little lumpy we decided to move GWTW to Flaminco bay on the western shore and  catch  up with  friends on Remi De.They were planning to head further up the island chain and we weren’t sure when or where  we’d see them again. The next morning we said goodbye to the Remi’s and then had a quick snorkel on a wrecked coaster that had come to it’s end one stormy night quite some years back. The hull was pretty much rusted away but there were a few eerie remains of clothing  scattered about on the sea floor.

Our friend Pete from Sydney was due to fly in to Georgetown on Great Exuma island the following day so it was time to move on once again.
                     **************************************
Cruiser info: Formalities. Customs / Immigration on Mayaguana at Abraham’s Bay Settlement in the small yellow building a short walk from the town jetty. Opening hours are 0900 – 1700, Monday – Friday. Saturday on request, Sunday closed.   Fees: $300 usd for cruising permit if over $35 ft or $150 if under 35ft, supposedly valid for one year. Visa and fishing license included in the fee. ASK for the maximum allowable visa duration. Overtime fees are $30 usd on Saturdays.                                                                                                                                                          Supermarkets and Supplies: None, stock up in Puerto Rico or the BVIs’ if you intend to cruise these three out islands of the Bahamas.     

THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

3rd – 14th May 2011

Not so long ago  if  anyone had asked  us where the Turks and Caicos Islands  were they would have most definitely been met with  rather  blank looks on our faces.To be quite honest we’d never  even heard of this little group of Islands. As Liam says had  someone  told us that they were just north of Antarctica we probably would have believed them . So to put the record straight these remote islands lie  around 350 miles to the north west of Puerto Rico and almost due north of The Dominican Republic . The seven Islands  and numerous cays  that make up the group are a diving mecca.

The capital, Cockburn Town, is situated on Grand Turk Island and this is where we  completed our check–in formalities. Arriving at the anchorage we were greeted by the beautiful aqua waters and pure white sand beaches for which the Turks and Caicos are renowned. To date these are  the most stunning aqua waters we’ve seen and as you would know  from reading our blog  we’ve seen our fair share of holiday brochure blue water since arriving in the Caribbean.                                 

Once ashore it didn’t take us long to locate the customs office, mind you, we did walk past it the first time. We’re  so used to seeing signs pointing the way but as you can see from the picture  on the left and the one above the office looks more like a shed attached to a big garage. The customs officer was most polite and was gob smacked when we told her that we’d sailed from Australia and that we’d gone the long way via the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Having two Aussie boats  check-in on the same day,‘Remi De’ and GWTW  was just too much for her.  I guess the majority of  her customers are from yachts  that come down from the USA.

After completing our arrival  paperwork we decided to move the two  boats over to a small              uninhabited island named Long Cay. There have been very few pilot books written about  the T&C’s as when it comes to nautical charts,  much of it still  remains unsurveyed. Of  the books  that have been published, they warn of the many dangerous reefs  that surround these islands and of the numerous coral heads that dot the seabed, sometimes lurking  just a few inches below the water’s surface. Most of the time it is eyeball navigation and this is one place that is  definitely NOT for the reef-phobic's of the cruising world.  Staying focused  and wearing polarized sunglasses is the name of the game here.  Moving slowly  through the reefs and keeping a good eye on the depth sounder as we went (it also helped having Remi De in front of us), we made our way across the  shallows  to our anchorage for the night. The water colour was so intoxicating that within half an hour of dropping the hook we were all in the water snorkeling around the bommies ( coral heads) and enjoying the warm-as-a-bath-water temps.

The little cay was just perfect for sundowners on the beach and Bruce and Remi made a wonderful father/daughter team as they piled driftwood together to make a beach bonfire. Needless to say the lure of the open fire saw us stay on the  beach for a long time after the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon, all that was missing were the marshmallows to toast.

 

The following day we headed  back across the reef and over to Salt Cay where Liam and Bruce donned their scuba gear and hit the water for a wall dive. Most of the diving spots in the T& C’s are wall dives due to the immense depths. Thousands of feet of water surround these islands up to a mere half a mile from the shoreline.  Many free mooring balls are available for the purpose of diving so both Remi De and us picked one up. The balls are  provided by the islands’ national park service and by using them we help preserve the fragile coral from being decimated by boats on the anchor. The wall dive sites, located on the edges of the reefs,  plunge down thousands of feet into the abyss. For me it was a bit scary really but the boys, undaunted by the drop off, descended  to depths of around 100ft /30m.  During their dive Bruce spotted a shark about 5ft long, which he thought had it’s head stuck in the wall. Liam reckons it was just having a snooze, but the story we girls were told was that Bruce grabbed the shark’s  tail, gave it a good shake and pulled it out of the hole ! The fish in question then  turned it’s head, took one look at it’s assailant and was off like a rocket, thankfully never to be seen again.

 

Having had  a good night’s sleep at Cotton cay and after Liam made a quick trip up the mast to tighten a loose light fitting  (glad he took the camera up with him)  we were off for a  lovely downwind sail under spinnaker across the  22 mile Turks channel . Arriving at our destination in the  early afternoon, I joined  Liam and Bruce for a quick dive on the reef, sadly my regulator sprung a terminal leak so that was the end of diving for me until the reg could be repaired. Where we stopped  was just on the edge of the Caicos Banks, a 60 mile stretch of turquoise water with depths of between 10 – 15 feet the entire way. If the light was good  i.e. no cloud cover, we’d planned to traverse the banks  following day.

Around 8am Remi De and GWTW very slowly and carefully  tippy toed our way out of our  anchorage, the depth was only 7ft, yikkes! With the light cloud cover starting to dissipate and the sun climbing higher everything look good for a safe passage across the banks. The author of one of our guide books says that this area of water, because of it’s incredible colour, can be seen from space and it quite possibly is true. The water colour grew lighter and lighter and we nearly had to pinch ourselves to make sure that we weren’t dreaming. The contrast of the white sand seabed and the dark shadows of the coral heads made navigating  the banks a piece of cake. Bruce and Remi were spotted sitting up on their first set of spreaders taking in the view while Toni  took photos of them from the deck below. We’d set course for French Cay  some 38 miles into the banks and stopped there for a spot of lunch and a snorkel before continuing on to West Caicos Island for the night. The transit of the Caicos Banks  will  probably become one of the most memorable passages of this years cruising season. Words just can’t describe how beautiful it was.

 

 

Having   recently purchased an underwater camera, our stopover at French Cay seemed the perfect opportunity to give it a test run while we snorkeled. Still in the learning stages and quite unfamiliar with all the bells and whistles ,the first few pictures weren’t all bad, just got to get the fish to stay still while I focus the camera!   

                                            

                                

We moved on to a few other lovely anchorages around West Caicos Island and did more snorkeling and diving over the next couple of days before arriving at the main tourist island of Providenciales.  We entered via the Leeward Cut which is a small passage through the reefs. Motoring up the channel past sandbanks, wetlands and mangroves we anchored in the shallow waters outside a lovely near-deserted  resort and a beautiful unfinished  Marina.The anchorage here is classed as a hurricane hole so it is far removed from any swell and the added bonus is that it’s not too far from town. Our time in the T&C’s was coming to an end so together with Toni, Bruce and young Remi, we hired a car, did a whirlwind tour of the island, a bit of quick provisioning at the rather pricy IGA supermarket, and checked out with customs all in one afternoon. It is so laid back  and accommodating  here, that the local customs officer drove from his office on the south side of the island to the Turtle Cove Marina on the north side where he completed our check-out without even getting out of his car. He had already  stamped our clearance papers when he gave them to us and that was before we’d filled them in!. That had to be  fastest customs service we’ve encountered in any country so far.

As always, the  time to leave these beautiful places comes around way too fast, but move on we must. More adventures lay ahead and with only 50 miles to sail across to the the Bahamas a new country and all new experiences are  just around the corner.

                                                   *********************************

CRUISER INFO:

 Formalities: Check-In by dinghy at South Dock, Grand Turk. Fees : Check-In  $15usd /Check-Out  $15usd. Seven days free cruising without permit. After seven days permit will cost $75usd, valid for three months.

Provisions : Small supermarkets on most of the islands. Large IGA Supermarkets x 2, Rental cars, Hardware stores and Dive shops on Providenciales.

General : Lots of reefs so be cautious! Wall dives abound. Free mooring balls at dive sites when not in use by commercial craft.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

3rd – 14th May

Not so long ago  if  anyone had asked  us where the Turks and Caicos Islands  were they would have most definitely been met with  rather  blank looks on our faces.To be quite honest we’d never  even heard of this little group of Islands. As Liam says had  someone  told us that they were just north of Antarctica we probably would have believed them . So to put the record straight these remote islands lie  around 350 miles to the north west of Puerto Rico and almost due north of The Dominican Republic . The seven Islands  and numerous cays  that make up the group are a diving mecca.

The capital, Cockburn Town, is situated on Grand Turk Island and this is where we  completed our check–in formalities. Arriving at the anchorage we were greeted by the beautiful aqua waters and pure white sand beaches for which the Turks and Caicos are renowned. To date these are  the most stunning aqua waters we’ve seen and as you would know  from reading our blog  we’ve seen our fair share of holiday brochure blue water since arriving in the Caribbean.                                 

Once ashore it didn’t take us long to locate the customs office, mind you, we did walk past it the first time. We’re  so used to seeing signs pointing the way but as you can see from the picture  on the left and the one above the office looks more like a shed attached to a big garage. The customs officer was most polite and was gob smacked when we told her that we’d sailed from Australia and that we’d gone the long way via the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Having two Aussie boats  check-in on the same day,‘Remi De’ and GWTW  was just too much for her.  I guess the majority of  her customers are from yachts  that come down from the USA.

After completing our arrival  paperwork we decided to move the two  boats over to a small              uninhabited island named Long Cay. There have been very few pilot books written about  the T&C’s as when it comes to nautical charts,  much of it still  remains unsurveyed. Of  the books  that have been published, they warn of the many dangerous reefs  that surround these islands and of the numerous coral heads that dot the seabed, sometimes lurking  just a few inches below the water’s surface. Most of the time it is eyeball navigation and this is one place that is  definitely NOT for the reef-phobic's of the cruising world.  Staying focused  and wearing polarized sunglasses is the name of the game here.  Moving slowly  through the  reefs  and keeping a good eye on the depth sounder as we went (it also helped having Remi De in front of us), we made our way across the  shallows  to our anchorage for the night. The water colour  was so intoxicating  that within half an hour of dropping the hook we were all in the water snorkeling around the bommies ( coral heads) and enjoying the warm-as-a-bath-water temps.

The little cay was just perfect for sundowners on the beach and Bruce and Remi made a wonderful father/daughter team as they piled driftwood together to make a beach bonfire. Needless to say the lure of the open fire saw us stay on the  beach for a long time after the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon, all that was missing were the marshmallows to toast

 

The following day we headed  back across the reef and over to Salt Cay where Liam and Bruce donned their scuba gear  and hit the water for a wall dive. Most of the diving spots  in the T& C’s are wall dives due to the immense depth, thousands of feet of water that surround these islands up to  half a mile from the shoreline.  Many free mooring balls are available throughout the islands for the purpose of diving so both boats  picked one up. The balls are  provided by the islands’ national park service and by using them we  help  preserve the fragile coral from being decimated by boats on the anchor. The walls, on the edges of the reefs,  plunge down thousands of feet into the  abyss , bit scary really, but the boys, undaunted by the drop off, descended  to depths of around 100ft /30m.  During their dive Bruce spotted a shark about 5ft long, which he thought had it’s head stuck in the wall. Liam reckons it was just having a snooze, but the story we girls were told was that Bruce grabbed the shark’s  tail, gave it a good shake and pulled it out of the hole ! The fish in question then  turned it’s head, took one look at it’s assailant and was off like a rocket, thankfully never to be seen again.

 

Having had  good night’s sleep at Cotton cay and after Liam made a quick trip up the mast to tighten a loose light fitting  (glad he took the camera up with him)  we were off for a  lovely downwind  sail under spinnaker across the  22 mile Turks channel . Arriving at our destination in the  early afternoon, Annie joined  Liam and Bruce for a quick dive on the reef, sadly Annie’s regulator sprung a terminal leak so that was the end of her  diving until the reg could be repaired. Where we had stopped  for the night was just on the edge of the Caicos Banks, a 50 mile stretch of turquoise water with depths of between 10 – 15ft the entire way. If the light was good  i.e. no cloud cover, we’d planned to traverse the banks  following day.

Around 8am Remi De and GWTW very slowly and carefully  tippy toed our way out of our  anchorage, the depth was only 7ft, yikkes! With the light cloud cover starting to dissipate and the sun climbing higher everything look good for a safe passage across the banks. The author of one of our guide books says that this area of water, because of it’s incredible colour, can be seen from space, and it quite possibly is true. The water colour grew lighter and lighter and we nearly had to pinch ourselves to make sure that we weren’t dreaming. The contrast of the white sand seabed and the dark shadows of the coral heads made navigating  the banks a piece of cake. Bruce and Remi were spotted sitting up on their first set of spreaders taking in the view while Toni  took photos of them from the deck below. We’d set course for French Cay  some 38 miles into the banks and stopped there for a spot of lunch and a snorkel before continuing on to West Caicos Island for the night. The transit of the Caicos Banks  will  probably become one of the most memorable passages of this years cruising season. Words just can’t describe how beautiful it was.

 

 

Having   recently purchased an underwater camera, our stopover at French Cay seemed the perfect opportunity to give it a test run while we snorkeled. Still in the learning stages and quite unfamiliar with all the bells and whistles,the first few pictures weren’t all bad, just got to get the fish to stay still while i focus the camera.   

                                            

                                

We moved on to a few other lovely anchorages around West Caicos Island and did more snorkeling and diving over the next couple of days before arriving at the main tourist island of Providenciales. Here we took the Leeward Cut, a small passage through the reef and motored up the channel past sandbanks, wetlands and mangroves and anchored in the shallow waters outside a lovely  near-deserted  resort and a beautiful unfinished Leeward Marina.The anchorage here is classed as a hurricane hole so it is far removed from any swell and the added bonus is that it’s not too far from town. Our time in the T&C’s was coming to an end so together with Toni, Bruce and young Remi, we hired a car, did a whirlwind tour of the island, a bit of quick provisioning at the rather pricy IGA supermarket, and checked out with customs all in one afternoon. It is so laid back  and accommodating  here, that the local customs officer drove from his office on the south side of the island to the Turtle Cove Marina on the north side where he completed our check-out without even getting out of his car. He had pre  stamped our clearance papers when he gave them to us  before we’d filled them in!. That had to be  fastest customs service we’ve encounted in any country so far.

As always, the  time to leave these beautiful places comes around way too fast, but move on we must. More adventures lay ahead and with only 50 miles to sail across to the the Bahamas a new country and all new experiences are  just around the corner.

                                                   *********************************

CRUISER INFO:

 Formalities: Check-In by dinghy at South Dock, Grand Turk. Fees : Check-In  $15usd /Check-Out  $15usd. Seven days free cruising without permit. After seven days permit will cost $75usd, valid for three months.

Provisions : Small supermarkets on most of the islands. Large IGA Supermarkets x 2, Rental cars, Hardware stores and Dive shops on Providenciales.

General : Lots of reefs so be cautious! Wall dives abound. Free mooring balls at dive sites when not in use by commercial craft.

THE SPANISH VIRGIN ISLANDS & PUERTO RICO

 The Spanish Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico

 Isla Culebrita, Isla Culebra,Isla Palominos

28th April- 1st May 2011

 
After a short but brisk  32 mile sail across from the BVI’s we arrived at the white sand flanked, uninhabited and  nameless northern bay on Isla Culebrita. I say nameless as neither of my  two guide books had a name for it, although on our Max Sea navigation chart it was called Montiecito. Our first stop in the Spanish Virgin Islands (SVI’s) proved to be a cracker. The bay was tranquil,  the water clear and there were a couple of free mooring balls to pick up. We were sailing in company with Remi De who had Aussie friends Steve and Chris aboard. who’d  we’d met briefly back in the BVI’s. Arriving early into an anchorage is always a bonus and as it was just after lunch we all decided to walk over to the other side of the island to investigate  the sea pools known as “the jacuzzis”. It was a hot day and a swim in the bubbling pools was just what we needed. There are a couple of pools over there but the best one was the deeper, more lively pool on the ocean side. It sure lived up to it’s name and with in minutes of clambering down the rock ledge and into the pool the sea came crashing in on us, turning the water into a caldron of bubbles. After a half hour we decided to move on back to the beach. The more energetic members of our troop made rumblings that we should walk up the hill to the old lighthouse, thank heavens that idea didn’t get up, it was just too hot. So a swim off the back of the boats got the green light instead.


                                                                         
The  crescent shaped beach was the perfect venue for sundowners, so at the appropriate time we hopped into the dinghy and headed over to the soft white sand. The Remi De’s had already set up camp when we arrived. Steve had constructed a  make-shift hors d’oeuvres table from a few rocks and some driftwood, we’re a resourceful lot we cruisers. It’s always fun to go ashore  and  chat with new friends, and  as the hours  slipped by  we  enjoyed the setting, the company,and  the sunset  and oh, and  as  is so often the case, we also overindulged on the nibbles. Needless to say dinner that night was a non event .
         
  Isla Culebra                                                                                
The following morning we moved the boats over to the  sleepy town of Dewey on the main island of Culebra. After negotiating the various reefs along the way and those  at the entrance, we anchored in the bay of Esanda Honda to complete arrival formalities, with the view to move to the  more pleasant anchorage of Dakity Harbour bay later in the day.
The Spanish Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico both come under the umbrella of being a protectorate of the USA and therefore, when clearing in with customs, you are doing so in accordance with all the rules, regulations and efficiency  of the USA itself. Before stepping ashore we decided to call the local Coast Guard, who we’d heard  quite often  on the airwaves over the last 24hrs, and ask them where we had to go to check-in, but that was a  dead end as they didn’t answer our call. Oh well, on to plan B. Our pilot book stated that there was an immigration office out at the local airport so armed with this knowledge we gathered our boat papers, donned out walking shoes and set off to the shore to complete our formalities. Once on the dock we were greeted by a large sign telling us that we must immediately report in to CBP (Customs & Boarder Patrol) by calling the telephone numbers listed on the sign. Ok, small problem, we did not have a USA cell phone  and our trusty phone that we’d used everywhere else on the planet was not compatible with the USA mobile network. So now there really was no alternative, it was the airport or bust. So off we trudged to the airport, a good 30min hot walk away. Arriving there we were thankful for the air conditioned  customs office. The CPB officer was extremely friendly and  very surprised that we’d just “turned up” in his office without checking in by phone first. A tad concerned  that we had infiltrated security and arrived into what essentially is the fortress of the USA  unannounced, he lent us his  phone to call the all important phone number so that we would be legal, and so that he wouldn’t get the blame i suspect, before he processed us into the system. About 40 mins later we were all done  and dusted. We’d paid our  fee of $19 and had our permit to cruise in any  USA waters for the next 12months.
It was hard work all this check- in business so on the way back we stopped at the aptly named Dinghy Dock restaurant for a quick thirst quencher and a chance to meet some of the locals  before moving down to the delightful reef anchorage of Dakity Harbour, where we would spend the night.  
                                                                                         

                                                                                     
The rain and wind that had been forecast arrived on cue and  the weather began to  deteriorate  as we approached the western Puerto Rican coast. A change of plan was in order, we would now stop at Isla Palominos for the night and continue on to San Juan the following day. The tiny island of Palominos is just a few miles from Puerto Rico. Again,  free mooring balls were on offer so we picked one up and hunkered down for the rest of a very relaxing  rainy afternoon.
The squalls came and went  and often the coast which lay only 4 miles away was completely obscured from sight. So much for watching the sun set over the famous tropical rainforest of El Yunque. Whilst we read books, watched DVD's, tinkered and caught water, the decks got a lovely and well needed wash down thanks to  mother nature.The next morning we made an  early start for San Juan. Unfortunately we had  to by pass the island of Vieques and its Bio luminescent caves due to the adverse weather and the wind direction


 San Juan, Puerto Rico
1st - 4th May


Rounding the cliff face on the approaches to San Juan Harbour the familiar sight of a Spanish fort sat proudly on the headland. The Spanish of yesteryear certainly had the art of fort building down pat and they  built them to last.

  From reading the lonely planet, the Fuerte San Felipe Del Morro has watched over the harbour since 1539. The 140ft high walls, which are 15ft thick in places, certainly would have done a great job of keeping out any would be conquerors.  Along the side wall  which faces the harbour a large red door / gate, the Puerta de San Juan is still visible. This  is one of the three remaining entrances to Old San Juan through which all the colonists and supplies were brought into the town  from ships at anchor.

Following the directions from our guide book and charts, we were surprised to find  that the yacht anchorage was located next to the cruise ship dock and  that it was flanked by a small airport. On the opposite side of the small anchorage was  a beautiful large  dark blue motor yacht complete with a 60ft  dark blue sailing yacht and a large, dark blue of course, power boat tied down on her deck, obviously the owners toys! The wealth of some people on this planet just keeps on astounding us time and time again.

         
We stayed in San Juan for only a couple of days but boy did we cram a lot in, shopping wise that is. Having been away from a major provisioning center for what seemed like forever, there was lots to catch up on and no time to waste. The list was long with  priority  being given to  the purchase of a new phone, so that we could make those vital calls to the United States CBP, and an underwater camera to take pics at our next few destinations, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. From a mall and specialty shop standpoint we were in the USA and there wasn’t much we couldn’t buy. Lucky for us we were with two veteran shoppers,Toni and Bruce. Back in their water skiing days they had lived for many years in Florida and it seemed that San Juan shopping was like Florida re visited. So they took us to all the huge electronic stores, malls and supermarkets over the next few days. We pretty much shopped till we could shop no more. Steve and Crissy, who’d been staying on Remi De, headed back to Oz and it was sad to see them go. Our last afternoon was spent  doing a whirlwind trip around the old city. The small cobblestone streets and enticing tapas bars and restaurants made us wish that we had more time to stay.
        
                 
What little we saw of the old city we really liked, and  vowed to go back  to Puerto Rico and the SVI’s again next year, but for now it was time for us and our sailing buddies Remi De, to head off for more adventures in the Turks and Caicos islands.                                          
        
CRUISER INFO : Formalities: SVI’s, Entry port is Isla Culebra: check-in via telephone on 1 877 529 6840 (Puerto Rico)  or 1 787 742 3531 (Culebra at airport) or try calling United States Coast Guard Puerto Rico on VHF 16 and they should arrange  to contact CBP for your arrival, or if all that fails, walk out to the airport and check in there. Airport office hours 0800 -1700, 7days.The airport is small  so ring first  to check that the officer is in attendance. The cost of your cruising permit if your last port of call was the BVI’s is $19usd OR if your last port of call was in the USV’s it will cost you $37usd. No one can tell us why it is more expensive if you arrive via the USVI’s.
Supermarkets : small ones in Dewey Town and Veggie van on the road to the airport opposite post office.
Puerto Rico: No check in required just call the 1 877 529 6840, check out at Customs House in Old San Juan, go to the “carrier department” and ask for a clearance paper( free) to your next destination.
Anchorage San Juan Harbour, co- ordinates:  018.27.60 N / 066.05.58 W
Supermarkets and shops: Most a car drive away. Best Buy is great for all electronics, West Marine for boating gear, Wal - Mart or Sams ( need to join their club) for food and veg. Ask for directions from the marina office at the head of the San Juan anchorage. Car hire is from a small booth across from the Hilton Hotel a short walk from the anchorage. Ask at marina office for directions. 
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