Birthday Island

When I left Culebra last week I intended on bouncing around and then along the south coast of PR while I awaited my part to arrive.  I did not get very far.  It turned out the first stop I made drew me in for a full week.  It was a tiny island which I will not even name in the hopes that it will stay as little discovered and explored as I found it.  Those familiar with the area or diligent enough can figure it out but I will still leave it to them to discover.  I picked up a mooring ball there and looked around at the perfect beach with a lone palm tree and the incredible colors of water breaking on the outer reef and knew I would be there for a bit.  That night a girl I met in Culebra sailed over on her 25′ boat and we walked up to the lighthouse to catch the sunset.  I spent the next few days hiking, fishing, collecting coconuts and getting some important boat projects done.  As my birthday approached I realized I would just stay there.  If I hiked half way up to the lighthouse, or ‘the office’, I got a cell signal so I could check on my autopilot and check in with the family and friends.  We chased a lobster for three straight days as I modified my lobster snare and he finally eluded me.  I was better with fish.  Spearfishing was not productive, but fishing on the bottom with the small soldier crabs I would gather in the day proved worth it.  I caught a snapper, a nice grouper, and a big porgy.  On my birthday Lori and I went to the lighthouse for sunrise and I got a call from Chris and Leila on Cigana telling me they were sailing from St John and would be there in early afternoon.  I was so happy to hear that.  I gathered a bunch of cocos and set up a small ‘bar’ on the beach using driftwood and shells.  I should point out that throughout the week there were never more than a few people on the island.   Cigana sailed in at 1:30 and I was lounging on my floaty with a rum filled coco in my lap.  I had a few of those that day.  When they rowed ashore they were given their own coco’s and we all had a great day.  I went to the office and talked to fam (with all my nieces singing for me) and friends and returned to Seneca and caught a big fish.  We all went to the top of the old lighthouse for sunset and then had a great dinner on the biggest boat in the harbor.  I must point out that this was probably the first and last time that there were three boats in the harbor and SENECA was the largest (Cigana is a 27 Bristol and Sil*** is a 25 Catalina)! The dinner was complete with Tacos, tequila provided by the crew of Cigana and a cake baked on a solar oven on Sil.  The next day we all sailed our boats back to Culebra, where I now sit and wait for my part.  Not a bad day, or week, or….