USVIs to Puerto Rico via the SVIs – There is never enough time and weather to see everything

It was very sad to be saying goodbye to all the company we have had.  Both the BVIs and the USVIs were great for entertaining:

*both had anchorages right at the airports,

*they had lots of stops and anchorages all a short hop apart,

*a mixture of seclusion and touristy areas,

*we found ‘reasonably’ priced laundry and groceries in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas,

*’reasonably’ priced groceries  at Gun Creek, Virgin Gorda.

But the ‘easy’ sailing is over and it is time to get ‘a move on’ North.  We have a lot of miles to cover to get to the East coast of the United States before hurricane season starts.

We still decided to stop in the Spanish Virgin Islands (SVIs) along the way to Puerto Rico.

Unfortunately some ‘unsettled’ weather moved in, and we got lots of showers following us along.

We sailed from CHARLOTTE AMALIE, ST.THOMAS, USVIs to CULEBRA, ISLA de CULEBRA, SVIs.

Isla de Culebra, along with its big sister Vieques, is really part of Puerto Rico, and therefore American territory.  But it’s long history as one of Spain’s strongholds in the Caribbean Islands, means it has a distinctively Spanish flare, giving these island the ‘nick name’ the Spanish Virgin Islands.

There is an ‘easy’ and ‘even easier’ entrance through the outer reefs into the main harbour in Culebra.  Here there is plenty of space to anchor right off the main town.

Customs, immigration, post office, shops and restaurants are all at your door step in Culebra.

There are no beaches in the harbour for me to run about on, but there is a canal that runs through the island to the other side.

You just dingy under the lifting bridge.

There is a nice beach on the other side for swimming and running about.

The SVIs are much less touristy then the other Virgin Islands and you will find a multitude of bays to anchor up in.  Unfortunately unsettled weather stuck with us.  With a break in the rain we moved a short distance away to one of Don Streets favourite anchorages,  BAHIA de ALMODOVAR.

We have learned to question some of Don Streets suggestions (see Thatch Island, BVIs), but this anchorage was very protected in the strong winds.

It is not as popular as DAKITY (on the SE corner of the main harbour), but we were promised, by Don Street, that we would find a beach here.  Wrong!

OK, maybe not completely wrong.  There was a tiny beach off one of the island.  But tiny really is the magical word here.

He promised the snorkelling was very good on the outside of the reef, but the strong winds kept us inside where we found only a sandy grass bottom.  I had to amuse the humans with collecting conch in the shallows.

We had wanted to visit the south coast of the ISLA de VIEQUES, especially the bio-luminescent bays, but the seas eased with a fresh SE wind that promised us an easy passage NW.

We are a sail boat, so we took the winds NW to the ‘big island’ of PUERTO RICO.

As it is a longer trip, we split it in half.

We sailed the first leg from ISLA de CULEBRA through the Sonda de Vieques over to the East coast of PUERTO RICO and tucked in behind a tiny island and it’s reef called ISLETA MARINA.

Anchored here, we were surrounded, not by 1 or 2 marinas, but instead five of them!

Even so the anchorage was protected, secure and quiet.  Well except the tiny ferry drivers that passed back and forth from the marina every 10 minutes.  These guys get quite ‘irate’ if you block their direct passage in any way.  If you find your on his route, just move.  Other boats there warned us, they do not give up harassing you if you do not.  They also told us the marina furthest North, on the mainland, allows you to moor your dingy and use their internet for free.

We were not hanging about now we had good weather and fair winds.

We sailed up the east coast of Puerto Rico with fair winds and seas.

As we rounded the point to the north coast of Puerto Rico the landscape dramatically changed to large deserted beaches backed by dramatic rain forested mountains.

I had read that 80% of Puerto Rico’s population live in and directly around the capital of San Juan.

I should not have been surprised when we hit the urban sprawl of the city but, honestly, I was not prepared for it.  There are no cities of this ‘magnitude’ in the southern Caribbean.

As we approached the harbour and the more historic district of the city we became excited……..

…..and nervous!   Why you ask.

You see, we were not completely sure that their was an anchorage inside the harbour.

None of the guides we had ‘downloaded’, or  Don Street’s guide, seemed to be clear if you were still allowed to anchor near the two marinas in the back corner of the harbour.

We really did not want to have to take a Marina berth (It would ruin our 16 month straight record of anchoring) or have to sail through the night to the next port on the north coast.

We were very lucky!!!

There was a tiny area to anchor just before the marinas, and we got in just as the sun was setting.

 ANCHORAGE in SAN JUAN BAY

Now I am a little ‘torn’ as to weather or not to tell everyone about this anchorage.  It is a bit of a ‘hidden jem’.

Nestled between the two marinas at the foot of one arm of the harbour and the cargo and cruise ship docks is a tiny section of the harbour left for anchoring.  Much of the tiny area is filled with local vessels on mooring balls, but there are areas around them to sink the hook.

It is not perfect.  San Juan is a very busy port and the harbour is a ‘proper’ industrial area’ with ferries and cargo ships coming, going and turning round.  It is not much of a view, unless you are into that kind of stuff.

If you anchor in the wrong spot, there is a friendly pilot boat captain, who will help you find a safer spot.  He will also offer to drive you to the local Walmart to pick up groceries cheap.

Despite being an industrial dock it is surprisingly quiet, especially at night.

The holding is good.  The end of the bay opens back up to the sea, so their is good water movement (All the locals swim here, but I am unsure).  There is a safe dingy dock to tie your dingy in San Juan Bay Marina.

Club Nautical, on the other side, will also ‘give you’ water if you are buying any fuel.

Why would you want to anchor in SAN JUAN HARBOUR?

Location, location, location.

You are now within steps of all the you could want from a big city including things you would not expect.

I will go into more detail in the next few blogs, but to give you a quick taster.

You can take the number 7 bus (75 cents), right outside the marina, to the heart of Old Town.

Or you can cross the road and hang out on any of the urban beaches.

Being in the heart of the city you have every amenity at your finger tips, or at least a ride on the number 7 bus away.

Now we are safely anchored…..time to explore the place!