After my dad met me in Tortola, BVIs, we decided to go from there directly to Turks and Caicos. We left at noon on Monday, preparing for 2 or 3 days (and nights) of navigation. But the first night proved more difficult than planned. There wasn’t that much wind, and swell was about 2 meters (6 feet). Waves came from behind so it wasn’t that uncomfortable
But… we couldn’t use the motor, because it started beeping, alarming us of an overheating issue. But salt water cooling system is running smoothly. And cooling fluid is there and no leaks… Not sure what it is… Other problem: the autopilot wasn’t working either. So with no motor and no autopilot, the night was long and tiring. We therefore decided to stop in Puerto Rico the next day, knowing also that big winds were coming and without a motor, we wouldn’t be able to arrive in Turks before them…
We now are in beautiful Boqueron on the West coast of Puerto Rico. We managed to have a mechanics who will come and check the motor on Monday morning. We also hopefully fixed the autopilot. And swells are going to go up to 6 meters (18 feet), so very happy to be nicely tucked in a beautiful bay. See for yourself.
Morning:
Evening:
Looks great Natalie…crazy to think you’re there and I’ve been seeing your family here for music lessons! They are all tan and gorgeous! Hope things are going well.
Thanks for your sweet comments Cathy! Yes, it is crazy… so many different worlds out there… Although I am having a blast, I cannot wait to be back with my little tribe…
Nathalie! Your adventures thus far look wonderful! Glad you were able to stop by in Puerto Rico. We’ve just been hit with some snow here in Portland, so we’re experiencing a bit of a winter wonderland with snow-covered evergreen branches & bright blue skies.
Are you still checking your @ PDX email? I have a brief question for you, but wasn’t sure what was the best way to reach you!