2023-12-31 Perfect way to end the year - we have arrived in Puerto Rico

Well, it was a 5 day slog, but we made it.   It wasn't a bad trip overall.

We stayed in Cat Island for a few more days.  Took a nice hike up the hermitage.  Built in 1939.   The Hermitage

Had to avoid this guy sunning himself in the road

New little goats - cut and fun to watch

At the base of the road to the Hermitage

Fun to explore

Was not built for Dean size people

Steep walk up to the top of the hill

We were thinking we would be heading out soon to make the Caribbean passage, so Kris started doing some small cleanup to get the boat ready and everything stored.   We have a small storage bag under the doorway to the main salon that had ripped, so she wanted to replace that.  Everything came out, and then she noticed something that looked like it had fallen out of the bag and slid down along the hull.   Had to remove some cabinet framing, but retrieved the item.  - YES   It was the missing brushes that we had for our watermaker.  We had searched the boat multiple times for them last year when our watermaker motor brushes had failed, and we spent a month or more dealing with that.   We knew we had ordered them - but could not find them anywhere.  Now we know what happened to them.

Kris digging into the storage area

The missing parts - finally found.

We had a nice Christmas, relaxing on the boat.  We were the only boat in the anchorage - so was very quiet and peaceful.   Ate chips with dip, and apple pie for dinner.  YUM

Tuesday after Christmas we took a nice walk on the beach.  Nice sunny day

Charm at anchor at Cat Island

Walking the beach

Nice large starfish in the surf

We looked at the weather one last time, and decided to go for it.  Upped anchor at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday the 26th and set sail.  First night and next day was not that pleasant, as winds were supposed to be SSW, but were SSE instead, so bit of a bumpy lumpy slamming trip to weather with choppy seas, but then the wind died down a bit, and the seas settled.  Winds were south, but since they were light - 10 knots and under, we decided to motor sail close to the wind, and head southeast for a while more.

The rest of the trip was pretty much a motor sail, heading SE as much as possible until we got past the Turks and Caicos, then we headed more easterly. 

That is about when we ran out of fresh water.  YIKES  Our freshwater pump had been acting a little odd, and it decided to come on and pump our tank dry, and fill the bilge with fresh water.    About 75 gallons of fresh water was gone. We did not hear the freshwater pump, or bilge, as the engine was on.  No worries, got out the spare fresh water pump we carry, installed it, and made water.  Crisis averted. 😅

Saturday night was the big night when we started heading almost due south to Puerto Rico.  The winds were east, but clocking NE, so Saturday night and all day Sunday had a nice run.

Pretty much this was the view for 5 days - water and sky and nothing else

Had some pretty sunrises

Only had one ship get within visual range the entire trip

Dean on watch

Had about 8 hours of glassy seas where we just motored

Land Ho - Puerto Rico

Out of the 120 hours, we had about 48 that were less than pleasant, with lumpy bumpy ick, but the rest were not bad.  We had 75 hours of motor time, about 32 for each engine.  We knew the winds would be light, and expected to have to motor a lot, but still got tired of listening to the engines.   Nice to sail into Puerto Rico on Sunday - great way to end the year.