‘Cruising Life’ Archives
Preparing for a long voyage at sea
CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler hfdiebler@gmail.com Before I continue taking you south through the Caribbean Island chain to the North Coast of South America, I would like to discuss some of the requirements I consider necessary to prepare yourself and your boat for such a long trip aboard. First and foremost, from my perspective [...]
Reflections of life at sea
CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler hfdiebler@gmail.com After writing several pleasant articles about our life at sea, I began to miss some of the things that made life both more pleasant and more frustrating at the same time. I know that this statement is a contradiction within itself. When we all write letters or tell stories about our [...]
Plans and preparations for long term sailing
CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler hfdiebler@gmail.com Rather than continuing writing on our journey from Connecticut to South America, I think it is time to address your need for planning, i.e. what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Each cruiser has many of the same responsibilities and many have very different issues. One essential task [...]
Christmas in the Caribbean
Frances Diebler hfdiebler@gmail.com Holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas are celebrated all around the world and it makes no difference if you celebrate at home or at sea. We have experienced both and, each time, we had friends and family who celebrated with us wherever we were at sea or at home. Each celebration was joyous, warm, [...]
LIFE ABOARD GRENDEL – FARJARDO, PUERTO RICO, part II
By Frances Diebler hfdiebler@gmail.com We had been gone for two and a half months and we were out of many staples. Fortunately, we had friends, Wally and Linda, who were living aboard their boat, TIRE SWING, long term and had their van shipped to Puerto Rico from Texas. It would have been cheaper for them to have bought an old car here. [...]
LIFE ABOARD GRENDEL – FARJARDO, PUERTO RICO
Frances Diebler We arrived at last. No more movement up and down or side to side. We were securely tied up at a dock in order to prepare the boat for when we go back to the states for a visit with our family for a few months. We had to prepare Grendel so she could be hauled out and put “on the hard,” as it is called, while we are away. That [...]
OFF TO PUERTO RICO
Frances Diebler After spending a long time in the Dominican Republic, it was time to move on to our next port of call: Boqueron, Puerto Rico, which is on the west coast. Ah, Puerto Rico at last! As always, you had to clear in and out of each country or island nation that you visit. Always check ahead of time just what the requirements are for [...]
Enjoying the islands’ cuisines, part II
Frances Diebler The islands of the Caribbean may be close together and share a certain amount of similarities, but for the most part they are each quite different from one another. The islands were settled by varying nations and took on many of the customs of their mother countries. The European influences are mostly English, Spanish, [...]
Enjoying the islands’ cuisines
Frances Diebler Before we visit the many more islands of the Caribbean, I would like to introduce you to the many exciting and unusual foods and recipes that are popular and different from island to island. Many kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and fish are common to each island. The differences are in how each country combines and [...]
The Dominican Coast offshore to Puerto Rico
Frances Diebler As much as we wanted to explore more of the Dominican Republic, it was time to move on from the DR and make our way to Puerto Rico. Every morning the trade winds pipe up between 8AM and10AM and subside in the evening from the effects of the land. While in Luperon, the winds blew harder than usual in the harbor with 18-24 [...]
