Puerto Rico here we come!
Shelena
Phil Scourfield
Sat 14 May 2016 04:31
14th May, 2016
We left Nanny Cay with new bow thruster installed at 0630 on 14th May. We
were heading for San Juan which was about 86Nm, so a day sail provided we
had fair winds. We did. But not before the marina staff had closed for the
day. Fortunately, I knew from my pilot book that we could anchor just
outside the marina which is what we did, and had a comfortable night before
calling the marina at 0800 next day to give us a pontoon.
This was our first visit to US soil. Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth country
of the US and its citizens are US citizens although they are self-governing
and as such do not vote for Congress. Sounds a bit like Guernsey. This was
an important step because it represented the end of a long process to
satisfy bureaucracy for admittance to the US. The fact is that we all travel
from the UK to the US on commercial flights taking the benefit of the Visa
waiver program meaning that formal application for a US visa is not required
by British passport holders. Not so if arriving in the US by private yacht.
We had to spend quite a few hours completing an application form on line for
our visas. We then had to appear in person at an American Embassy to be
interviewed and have our finger-prints taken. For this we had chosen to go
to the US embassy in Barbados because it is near our St Lucia base. We spent
5 days there. After the interview our passports are held to enter the visa
which means we could go nowhere until their return. But for sailing the
coveted B1 and B2 visas is the start. We next need a Cruising Licence for US
water. Our application was made successfully in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I
must say that I felt proud to receive my licence that allows cruising in the
US over a 12 month period with multiple entry and re-entry. The US officials
were nothing short of welcoming and most helpful. There is more admin still
to do, but that is enough on that for now.
As to San Juan, we were moored next to a small run way where small aircraft
would leave from 0600 until late. And I do mean immediately next to the
runway. We recall that our friend Pete Norey and wife Pat lived in Puerto
Rico many years ago and I believe he learned to fly whilst there. We thought
of Pete every time we heard an aircraft!That apart the old part of San Juan
is a World Heritage site. The old part was strategic for world trade in the
1500's. Spain occupied the island and built formidable defences which they
held for 400 years. Rebuffing attacks from Sir Francis Drake, the Dutch and
others only to fall to the mighty US at around 1898. Interestingly, the US
at that time supported the uprising in Cuba that was then also controlled by
the Spanish. The uprising was successful and independence granted to Cuba by
the victorious US. The US also decided to take Spain on in Puerto Rico and
so, as they say, the rest is history. The old Spanish fortifications were no
match four centuries later for the US power. That is why Puerto Rico is
under US control. All very interesting but we need to move on to Dominica
Republic. 280Nm, so 36 hours sail.