June 2. Playa Santa

Cabo Rojo must be one of those places that don't exist or where rare things are happening: Shooting stars falling into the sparkling sea and the following day just before sundown a dolphin family swam up to Paradise. I think they went to inspect our flopper-stopper. The first dolphin passing it closely came jumping out of the water, the whole buddy was out of the water before he dove in again. Then the second did the same. The third had his flukes way up in the air and splashed it several times into the water, another copied him and then the ultimate. One came have way out of the water, his head slightly turned towards me and swimming backwards looking at me. Then a mom with baby came by and all swam off towards Welsh Rover. This was better than at Seaworld and I didn't have to pay for it either, wow. Earlier that day Stacey and I decided to go ashore to see the wild monkeys and to walk up to the pretty light house. As we approached shore and tried to get out of the dinghy our ankles disappeared in a slimy, yucky mud. So we tried another area, but he same, plus the dinghy got stuck over and over and we had to push us off with our ankles in the yucky mud. After several attempts going ashore we both decided that it wasn't that important to see the monkeys after all and kept our feet inside the dinghy as we drove to the mangroves where we saw baby spotted eagle rays. We had a good night sleep as the wind slowed down we found out the next day through Toni. He said that the wind finally slowed town to 8 knots at 2 am. So we lifted anchor and left at 6.30 am for as long as the weather permitted us to go. It was a bit rocky getting around Cabo Rojo but tolerable. The favorable condition didn't last all too long as the wind picked up again and blew 15 plus. The sea instantly turned into a washing machine again and we were just hobby horsing around. As Sid says the Caribbean two step, two forward, one back. It's not the wind or waves that are the problem it's heading into it and just as soon as we picked up speed to 4.5 knots some weird combination of waves turn into a speed bump and bring us to a full stop and this over and over again. The prop would cavitate, making weird noses and of course working over time. It was pretty uncomfortable and so we decided to cut it short and head in at Playa Santa, 13 miles further east. This coast is another thorn in the Thorny Passage and the weather guru tells us that it will worsen towards Sunday, great. Later that day Stacey and I went a shore to buy provisions as we are pretty much out of fresh stuff. We found two little stores with just barley the essentials, I think we have more on board then they do. But by the dock where we tide up our dinghy was a little office, we thought was the marina office selling ice. As we walked in the room we saw a scale hanging off the ceiling in the middle of the room surrounded by giant freezers. We didn't just leave with ice, but also with lobster and king crab, what a great dinner. Later on we had Welsh Rover over for cocktail and crab and we made more war plans for the next day. One thing is sure, we will leave Playa Santa tomorrow as it is a rolly anchorage, no problem for us using the flopper-stopper but for Welsh Rover it is.