The early morning start was good. We enjoy seeing the first streaks of light in the sky. Here that is around 5am. It was still dark as we left and we had the fishing balls to avoid so David was on helm steering our inbound course and I was lashed to the foredeck with a torch in each hand on the look out for ones that had moved in the night. In this context lashed should more correctly read as wearing my lifejacket and hooked on to the boat with a lifeline. I was more in danger of being overcome by exhaust fumes than falling overboard as there was little wind to take the fumes away or to whip the sea into a boiling frenzy. Four other boats followed us out and we all came through safely.
We had a tremendous run up the Vieques passage passing PR to our left and heading up to Culebra. This was a momentous day. We caught and landed our first fish!!! Hurrah. Another kingfish and a spanish mackerel followed this. Our luck ran out when 2 barracuda leapt on the line. Big fish that smell horrible. The cockpit stunk until we could scrub it down when we reached port. The smell is a nasty metallic, somewhat reminiscent of blood. These aren't good eating fish so had to be thrown back. There was a small problem of the lethal gnashers wrapped around the hook. David (certainly not me) used heavy gloves, pliers to remove the hook and a towel to pick it up and throw back into the water.
Arrived in Culebra, Spanish Virgins (and part of PR) late afternoon. Good sheltered anchorage. R'Pelican is alongside and Indemnity a little way off.
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