Technically Tuesday, at 1:00am the wind piped up from the west. Of course this was un-forecast and meant we were on a lee shore. I was up for about an hour before the wind mellowed enough for me to be comfortable to fall asleep. Of course the residual waves lasted much longer but Strikhedonia and the other three boats stay fast on their ground tackle.
I must have been exhausted because I slept in until 6:40am, unusual for me. After a quick breakfast we headed for shore, Jack and Teresa to snorkel and Vicki and I to hike. Vicki and I went to the south beach and while not as nice as the main beach the trail/hike were worth the trip. We also got a chance to check out how the rain washed away soil and eroded the path in spots. Craziness.
Wanting to get sailing north we hustled back to make for a 9:30am departure. Not ten minutes into the trip we unfurled the screecher and moved along at a fast clip with the engine quietly sitting unused. Of course this lasted only five minutes before the apparent wind speed shot above 15 and we had to hustle to furl the sail. Out came the jib, and while our speed dropped it was a relaxing sail. Not one to learn, we cycled four more times between sails with the second to last time bringing a bit of drama as the 19 knots of wind made the furling a challenge, ultimately requiring a turn downwind and jerking the sheets to get a smooth furl. Overall the passage was slow but enjoyable, made more so by sailing the entire way.
Arriving in San Juanico, I was shocked to see the anchorage devoid of boats. Weird. But nice that we could anchor in a spot that would safely hold us with the SW winds the next couple of days. In the afternoon a trip to the cruiser’s tree and then a hike to La Ramada beach. Crazy timing brought us to the beach just as the kayaking group we met in Santa Domingo a week ago paddled in. They had a great trip and enjoyed the light show put on by mother nature last night. As a bonus they had a bottle of wine and one beer for their last night so I didn’t have to feel guilty for not delivering them cold beers to help them celebrate a successful trip. With that we said goodbye and we finished our hike.
In the evening Teresa made a favorite, chicken picata and we watch a favorite movie that Teresa brought down (RV with Robin Williams). Movie, popcorn, and somehow I managed to stay awake. Not to worry I was still in bed by 8:30.
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