Patillas, Puerto Rico

Blog post January, 2014

Since August, 2012 until February, 2013 we lived on our sailboat in Salinas, PR.  We went home for Christmas, 2012 for 3 weeks.  Then in February we moved.   The story below:

Plane to Sea is in Patillas, Puerto Rico.  Don and I bought a vacation home on the ocean, on the South side of PR back in late February, 2013.  We had not planned to buy a casa in the Caribbean anywhere. Plans changed and so do people.

While in Salinas, PR working on our boat, we met some very nice people from PR.  They took us all over the place.  One day we were driving on Hwy 3 and ended up at Kevin’s Bar and Grill to have a cold one, which is located by the ocean in Patillas.  When we left we went down the road beside the bar to see the ocean.  Low and behold here was this house right on the water (literally).  It had a big for sale sign and guess what?????  The bank, who owned the house and the Realtor were standing out front.  Our 2^ndmost fortunate day in the past year.  The month was October, 2012.  They let us see inside and we liked what we saw.  They told us that someone else had already placed a bid with the bank, but we could place one too, if we liked.  So we did right there on the spot.  Nothing happened between October and January, so we had virtually forgotten about it all.  Then late January, 2013 the realtor called and ask us if we were still interested in the Patillas property, we say WHAT?  Then as they explained we remembered and said of course we are.  The realtor told us the bank would be calling us that afternoon with details.  Two days later we were in Ponce putting our down payment on the table.  Two weeks later in February we owed a casa in Puerto Rico.

Much work was to be done on the outside and inside.  So we began by bringing our boat to Puerto Patillas bay.  It has one big reef and two smaller ones, so it is a great place to anchor our boat right outside our back door.  Another blessing!!!!

The Work Began!!!

Friends from sailing stopped by and they helped us off and on for several weeks.  This was such a fun time being with them and starting a new adventure and chapter in our lives.  Dave and Linda were starting a new adventure as well, as they were on there way back to California to be landlubbers once again and to arrive with a new grand baby (daughter) to spoil.

Until next time,

Don and Janis

Plane to Sea

January 21, 2013

Dear Bloggers:

"WOW time flies and I walk."  A very good friend of ours once said this to a teacher in my high school in Whitewright, and  if I remember correctly he was marched to the office.  But how true this is in our lives.  We have to enjoy every second, because time is just gone and you cant find it again.  Don and I have been in Puerto Rico since April 13th and it has truly been a blessing, but boy, time has flown by. 

As we finish up our boat, we have been talking a lot about all that we have been fortunate to see here in Puerto Rico.  It is a great small country and the people seem to be proud that they live here.  They seem truly happy! And they have wanted to know how our experience has been in the PR.  We went to a festival yesterday and so many people stopped us and ask, "how do you like PR and what do you think of our festival". They really care.  It has been a real pleasure to have visited PR and I hope if you haven't been here, that you will make an effort to visit this lovely country.  No passport needed!!!!!!!! If you think I'm promoting the PR, well I am!  Free and clear! And when you visit here, remember you are on Island Time and you will do just fine.

A few weeks ago we drove down to a little town called Patillas.  We had heard they had a beautiful little lake and we wanted to see it.  It was so quaint and pretty, no boats allowed, no swimming allowed, because it is where the water comes from for the small town.  We drove into the mountains and on the way back down we picked up a young boy and girl that were walking to town.  About 7 miles.  They didn't speak any English, so I used my IPad to translate my English into Spanish and then she used it to translate back.  They were such sweet kids, around 15 years old.  I can't imagine having to walk back home, it would be straight up hill. 

  

Well, I'll close for now.

Until next time......

Don and Janis

s/v Plane to Sea

December 10,2012

Hi bloggers,  we made it to TEXAS!  So glad to be home with family. Have already seen:  brother, (Joe and Jan); my nephew and wife and one great nephew (Brandon, Wendy and Clint); our son and wife (Justin and Brandi); our son (Jeremy) and two grandsons (Collin and Hunter) and Justin's daughter(our granddaughter Makensey) Our daughter and son n law and 2 granddaughters will be here Sunday for a week. What fun!  We even had a snow dusting Sunday night, just to welcome us home. We will be going back to our boat in Salinas on December 31st. Stay posted for sailing adventures to come.

October 28, 2012

Hi bloggers:  welcome back to P2S Adventures. Since the last post we have been working, swimming and shopping! Mostly all FUN. Yes, we are still in Salinas, PR. Our dodger, Bimini, and 2nd Bimini are all finished. Now it's on to the sail cover and screens. I talked to Maryann ( our cushions ) and she said they would be ready this week. She finished two of the small for a sneak peak. Love them!  

October 1, 2012

Dear Bloggers,

Welcome back to “Plane to Sea” Adventures.

What a great couple of weeks.  We got our window covers made and installed.  Oh how we love them!  The dodger frame was completed and the dodger cover was made and installed.  The dodger window pattern was made and is now ready to install the isinglass.  Bimini will be next.

Also, Maryann the lady making our new outdoor cushions came to make the pattern for our seating.  We are using white vinyl and black sunbrella.  I made the design for the top of each cushion.  Can’t wait!

We are moving along very nicely on the remodel of our boat.  I painted our countertops and they look refreshed.  We also laid new flooring in the head. 

See our Manatee?  His name is Baby and he visits us every day at our boat, his favorite food is lettuce.

See ya next time,

Don and Janis s/v Plane to Sea

We are hoping for an early November departure, headed to Vieques and Culebra.  We need to be in St. Thomas no later than December 12^th to fly to Texas for Christmas.  But you know how plans are on a sailboat. “They don’t exist.”

September 12, 2012

Hi Bloggers:

I forgot to post pictures of setting the mast, so below take a look.

September 7, 2012

Dear Blog Readers:

Glad you are back.

Well, we got our mast set on Tuesday, September 4, exactly 4 weeks to the day that we anchored in Salinas.  We waited 3 ½ hours on the man, but other than that it all went perfect. (He did buy our lunch while we waited)  Everything fit just like Don wanted.  He was worried about all the cables being cut too short, which would have been his fault.  But after measuring and measuring, I knew he had it right and he did.  Success!  We put the boom on yesterday (Wednesday).  Today he is working with the welder on the traveler’s frame, which is built, but the hard work of getting it all lined up with the boom and the right angle. Everything just takes time and there is no need to be in a hurry, because that won’t help either.  Don is learning some very valuable patience.  This has all been a learning experience for both of us and it has been very helpful.

A couple of weeks ago we had another awful thing happen to us, that just almost thru us overboard again!!!!!  The man that we are on his dock and he is helping Don, (we bought the mast from him) and his name is Tommy, WELL, he was welding on his roof top and the droppings fell on our main sail.  Burned a hole all the way thru.  It was folded nicely in to about a 4 by 4 and when the dropping fell the fold caused it to burn many holes.  We have had 2 experts look at the sail and it could not be fixed.  The sail was only 1 year old.  The company that made it for us is making us a new one immediately. Tommy is paying for it.  We feel badly, but he felt worse.  We all cried, but I told him “Thank God it didn’t catch his house on fire”.  So again, we move forward and don’t look back.  We only have today!  Right? 

One of our buddy boats, Wayward Wind is visiting home in California this week.  Linda called and we visited for over an hour catching up.  We met them last summer in the Chesapeake Bay.  We sailed with them all thru the Bahamas this year.  They are in Grenada and they are making semi plans for the near future.

Until next time,

Don and Janis s/v Plane to Sea