Rob recently pointed out that for a sailing blog, I write very little about actually sailing. This is a fair point, but it is true what they say—sailing is boredom punctuated by terror. Most of the time we are just staring off at the vast seas and occasionally trimming the sails. But it doesn’t take much–a rogue wave, a squall, an engine pitch change, a pod of dolphins, a fish on the line—and things get exciting fast.
Category: Puerto Rico
You Can Call Me Captain: Getting our OUPV License in Puerto Rico
We knew we needed something to keep ourselves busy this hurricane season. There’s only so much beach paddle ball we could play. So, in addition to knocking out some boat projects and chasing waterfalls, we started working towards our OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel) licenses. Also known as the 6-pak license, the OUPV license allows the holder to captain uninspected vessels up to 100 gross tons with up to 6 paying passengers. We don’t have any grand plans for using the licenses, but it’s something that might come in handy in the future.
Returning to the Cruising Lifestyle
We had a great time living in San Juan, PR over hurricane season, but we were itching to get back on the boat and continue our journey south. Last season, we quickly learned that cruising can be like a roller coaster ride with amazing highs and frustrating lows. And this season has started off the exact same way.
Tomorrow is the Day: Goodbye Puerto Rico, Hello Adventure
Tomorrow is the day we’ve been counting down to all hurricane season. Tomorrow we’ll wake up with the sun, set sail, and start Part 2 of our sailing adventure. To say that we’re excited is an understatement. We’ve been busting our butts and knocking out boat project after boat project the last two weeks to prepare us for this moment. We’re exhausted, but we know how rejuvenating the seas can be and tomorrow all our hard work will pay off.
8 Reasons Your Next Vacation Should Be in Puerto Rico
If you can’t tell, I’m having a love affair with Puerto Rico. We’ve been fortunate enough to spend the last 3 months here and I’m amazed at how much this territory has to offer. The island is only 100 miles by 40 miles, which is one tenth the size of my home state (Indiana), but it has everything from pristine beaches to tropical rainforests. The only thing it’s missing is some snowy peaks.
A Hike, a Waterfall, and a Swimming Hole: Exploring Inland Puerto Rico
It is now low season in Puerto Rico. Tourism season is from November to May. This actually works out great for us, because we often get to enjoy even the most popular Puerto Rico attractions all to ourselves. We recently discovered that we can rent a car from the Enterprise down the street for just $16 a day (all fees included). When we rent cars from marinas, we typically spend around $40 a day, so this is a bargain. Of course the price will go up in November. But since renting a set of wheels is so affordable right now, we’ve been exploring inland in search for rivers, waterfalls, and more.
El Yunque National Forest: Jurassic Park Sans Dinosaurs
With the power out all over the island, many Puerto Ricans woke up Thursday (9/22) morning in the smothering heat without air conditioning. Since most businesses were closed, people had the day off and needed to find a way to cool off. So everyone flocked to the beach, but Rob and I had different plans. We’ve been wanting to visit El Yunque National Forest since we arrived in Puerto Rico. What better way to beat the heat than to hike up into the clouds and swim under waterfalls?
Life as Landlubbers in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Part 2)
In yesterday’s post, I discussed how life in San Juan, Puerto Rico is similar to life in any other US city. While Puerto Rico is part of the United States, its history and culture make it unique. Here are a few differences we’ve noticed during our stay.
Life as Landlubbers in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Part 1)
Although I grew up in a small Indiana town, I’m no stranger to living in a city. Both Rob and I have spent our adult years living in cities, from Chicago to Pittsburgh to Denver. While we enjoy escaping to the outdoors for isolation, we also love all of the conveniences of city life: easy access to an airport, walkability, music and art scenes, public transportation, restaurants, and nightlife.
Discovering Puerto Rico’s History in Charming Old San Juan
Old San Juan is a town you WANT to get lost in. You can wander the cobblestone streets among the bright, colorful houses for hours without getting bored. There are historical landmarks, amazing restaurants, and great shopping around every corner. Animal lovers can’t help but notice the hundreds of healthy stray cats that roam the city adding to its charming ambiance. Old San Juan is an incredibly romantic place and a trip to Puerto Rico isn’t complete without a visit to this historical city.
Utuado: Exploring Inland Puerto Rico
With nearly 300 miles of gorgeous beaches, it’s no wonder why many people visiting Puerto Rico never leave the coast. Even though the coastline is breathtaking, there’s also a lot of beauty to explore inland. Puerto Rico is only a third of the size of Massachusetts, but it has several different ecosystems, including tropical rain forests, tropical dry forests, coastal mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and coastal plains. We rented a car last week and after checking on Kairos (she’s doing great by the way), we decided to head inland to explore the mountainous forests in Utuado.
Amazing Street Art in San Juan
Cities are proof that people need to be together. Sure there’s pollution and grime, but cities also inspire creativity. Among littered streets and run-down buildings, you’ll find some of the most amazing artwork. There’s no need to visit a museum, these incredible pieces of art can be viewed just walking the streets of San Juan. The street art is as colorful and vibrant as the Puerto Rican culture and we are happy to share it.
The Pet Import Process: Our Experience So Far
Before starting this adventure, we were a little nervous about sailing with our two pooches. It wasn’t living in a small space or on water that worried us. We knew our pups would adapt to their new home with us by their sides. It was navigating the pet import process in each country that made me uneasy. We researched and worked with our vet prior to setting sail to ensure we had our ducks in a row. We gathered the following paper work:
Hauling Out is Hard to Do
Our first sailing season has ended and Kairos is sleeping safely on land in the Puerto Del Rey boat yard. She’ll get some much needed rest here and some TLC over the next four months before she splashes back into the water in early November. I was dreading haul out day. The amount of work required to prep a boat for storage can be overwhelming. I knew it would be hard work and I was right. However, with a little up front planning and organization, the process can be smoothly executed.
Looking Back at Our First Sailing Season: Our Five Favorite Places
After 5 months at sea, our first season sailing is winding down. As we finish prepping Kairos for storage on the hard in Puerto Rico, we reflect on all of the gorgeous places we’ve visited. We’ve loved almost all of the 50 plus anchorages that we have visited over the last 150 days. We’ve seen pristine sandy beaches, inviting turquoise water, breathtaking mountains, and lush forests. We’ve met some crazy cruisers and some incredibly sweet locals. We’ve hiked, swam, fished, lobstered, and snorkeled our hearts out. We’ve experienced a lot, but for one reason or another these locations stand out as our top five favorite anchorages. They are listed below in chronological order.
Adios Puerto Rico
We spent a fabulous four weeks in Puerto Rico filled with street food, lighthouses, sandy beaches, and amazing snorkeling. Puerto Rico really has it all and we are looking forward to returning in a month for hurricane season. After our weekend get-a-way in San Juan, we were ready to leave Salinas behind and sail to Culebra, PR. However, mother nature had a different plan for us. The trade winds were blowing strong, creating the choppiest seas we’ve seen yet. So instead of a 75 mile sail to Culebra, we broke the journey up into three legs, stopping in Puerto Patillas and Palmas Del Mar.
From Isolation to the Big City: Coffin Island and San Juan
Coffin Island
Leaving the party towns of Boqueron and La Parguera, we set out for Isla Caja de Muertos (translation: Coffin Island) on May 8th. It was Mother’s Day, so we both called our moms while in route despite the choppy seas.
Celebrating in Puerto Rico: Boqueron and La Parguera
Boqueron
We were back on US soil after surviving an electrifying Mona Passage and it was time to celebrate. Many cruisers stop in Mayaguez to provision after the Mona, but it was Saturday and we heard that Boqueron was the place to be on the weekends. Although we were sleep deprived and exhausted, we quickly perked up when we went to shore. The streets were full of artists, food vendors, and musicians. We spent the day sampling everything Boqueron had to offer. Oysters, meat on a stick, empanadas, tacos, chicken wings—no street food went undevoured.