March 4, 2016
Friday morning after getting up too early to see how to exit the marina, I decided to wait and start the engine at sunrise. When I started it the alarm didn't stop buzzing so I stopped the engine and went below to find the problem. My pretty, red almost new engine was now covered in oil. I had changed the oil the night before and I didn't notice the new filter was defective. When the engine started the filter blew off and I lost a gallon of oil on the engine and bilge. I only had one quart of oil extra and one more filter, when I asked my neighbors for oil, Steve reminded me of the the oil I removed at the change so reinstalled it. Not good but on these islands you can't go to the corner auto zone to get more oil. I will change again in PR.
As we were leaving the bay a couple of whales surfaced to send us off into a gorgeous morning. We had a decent motorsail down to the Northeastern tip and then had to go out to avoid some large treacherous shoals called the hourglass, from their shape. The shoals are where the strong ocean current 5,000 ft deep run into rock cliffs 200 ft deep. The effect is an ocean in turmoil. It was after 2000 hrs when we were skirting the north edge of it in 700 - 900 ft of water when I noticed a very large fishing boat on our course. I tried to ease closer to the shoals the get south of him but he changed course too. Each time I turned even a few degrees the waves got much worse, breaking over the bow. After about 30 minutes of this dance I turned due north and let the larger boat win. It continued into the shoals and in his spot lights I could see a huge net trailing him so we went another mile out before turning southeast toward PR.
As we turned to head into Pasceveria Marina four of five more whales surfaced to greet us and a pod of porpoises dove under the bow but we too quick for me to get any pics of them. One of the whales turned on its back and clapped flippers. The marina was having a regatta and we had to motor through it, making sure not to interfere with the race. The USCG helicopter did a flyover of the starting line.
pics whales at Puerta Bahia, whales midway down D.R., whales in PR slapping fins, regatta
whales....whales
Regatta at Cabo Rojo
drying the laundry at Bahia Mar luxury hotel.yes really
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