CAPTAIN'S LOG

9 May 2022: Move It or Lose It

DATE

9 May 2022

Departure point

Puerto Patillas, Puerto Rico

arrival point

Sun Bay Beach, Vieques, Spanish Virgin Islands

distance (NM)

36 NM

Cumulative Mileage (NM)

2,926 NM

Crew on Board

CALLY

Skipper, first mate, chef, entertainment and more; I guess that is solo sailing for you!

GENERAL WEATHER OBSERVATIONS

WIND

14 knots upwind!

CLOUD COVER

Not a cloud in sight!

TEMPERATURE

Balmy for this time of year

PRECIPITATION

Dry, thank goodness!

Log

I let myself sleep in a little bit since I was so tired and had a much shorter sail ahead of me today.  

Jay was already gone, departed for Fajardo.   And I was headed to the Vieques, an island in the Spanish Virgin Islands (still technically Puerto Rico, do not be confused).  

Anchor and mainsail were both up by 8:30am, it was a wide open anchorage so I pulled up the mainsail before finishing the anchor retrieval, and I was on the move.   

I had no issues with the engine all day (I worried about the seaweed mats I was powering through but never had an issue) and apart from setting myself up for a nice tack leaving the anchorage I managed to get to my destination on one tack.   There was one squall that caught me by surprise with a full jib out and once I got it sorted I vowed to pay closer attention to squall potential.   But I never encountered another one.  

I arrived well before sundown and dropped my anchor.  It did not set first time and I wanted a swim so I jumped in and dug it into the weeds myself.  I swam to the neighbors for a quick hello as they were in the water scrubbing their hull in preparation for crossing to Bermuda soon.   And then I climbed back aboard to back down and snub and cover the sails.   Once I was happy with the set, I rinsed the salt off and wrapped my wet hair in a towel and went straight to bed.  I did not even stay up until sunset or have dinner.  I was in bed and asleep as soon as humanly possible!

“She loves the serene brutality of the ocean, loves the electric power she felt with each breath of wet, briny air.”

 – Holly Black

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