Sunday, April 10, 2016

Ponce, Puerto Rico

One of the really cool things about living on a boat is that you can pull up to the water front in some of the most beautiful places, drop the anchor, go ashore, and have that silly grin on your face that comes from out-smarting 'the system'.  Everyone else staying there is paying big $$ for accommodations, but you are swing on the hook for FREE!  It just appeals to the cheapskate Yankee that resided deep inside me.  It comes from being raised by parents who lived through the depression, and having grandparents who asked 'are you really going to use that WHOLE paper towel?'
Ponce, Puerto Rico, is one of the destination resort towns where everything, including the air itself, has a price tag.  However, the mooring balls in the harbor are free which is a good thing because the water is over 30' deep and it is crowded (read impossible to put down an anchor).

The really cool thing for David is that where were LOTS of other little people his size just itching to have some fun.  Including some fun in things like fast plastic wheel-chairs that had me wishing I weighted 50lbs but with the arms of a gorilla.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Instant friends at Camuy Caves, Puerto Rico

I just love how David makes instant friends.  We normally avoid expensive tourist destinations, but in this particular case, we just had to visit the Camuy Caves in the mountains of Puerto Rico.  So we rented a car from the Marina at Puerto Real and drove several hours into the heart of the mountainous region of the island.

It is hard to get an idea of the size of Puerto Rico.  It is not a small island, but is only 35x100 miles in extent, so you can circumnavigate the island in a day.  So, I guess you would call it a medium sized island.  One odd result of that size is that everyone is within a few hours drive of home, so there are NO hotel/motels to speak of.  The only options are the resort palaces in San Juan ($$$$) or the hourly rental room, complete with "love machines".. just gotta wonder about that.

So, we paid our fees, then waited in the queue for the guided tour complete with audio players.  It didn't take David long to find just someone his size.  Instant friends.  No language barrier here, just shared fun.  We adults can learn some lessons.  Sincere friendship is a powerful force and only the most hardened could resist.



Of course there has to be one picture from the bottom of the sink hole (some 400' deep).  I am amazed at the pictures I am able to capture with the panorama mode on the smart phone.  Here is a 90 degree panorama looking straight forward to straight up.

David saves the day

Yesterday, David decided to empty his quarter berth to play "bus" transferring the entire contents of the quarter bert into the forward berth which is the admirals and captains bedroom.  Being the understanding parents we are, we did not want to interrupt the play understanding that David can clean up after himself pretty well these days.

So, when the berth was completely empty, dad decided to take the opportunity presented to open some hatches and inspect a part of the bilge we don't normally see everyday.

Its a good thing God looks after fools and children, because we are loaded with both.  What dad found sent shivers.

The connecting plate between the transmission and the drive shaft was MISSING three out of the four necessary bolts!




That one bolt was the last straw ready to break the next time we used the engine.  Thank God we found it while still at the marina in Puerto Real and not trying to round Cape Rojo without an auxiliary engine direct upwind...

WHewww..