Puerto Rico hangouts Lindsay McRory December 17, 1996 Unlike boating in most of the U.S., customs and immigration in Puerto Rico are two completely separate things. The official port of entry on the west coast is Mayaguez, a commercial harbor for large ships, completely exposed to northerly ground swells. We crossed the Mona passage on a Friday. Customs would be closed until Monday, so rather than spend three days anchored in a washing machine we decided to sail to Boqueron. On Monday we rented a van with seven other boaters who were in the same predicament and went to Mayaguez to clear customs, immigration, and plead for forgiveness. After a bit of explaining, everything went well, although it took nearly a whole day. Boqueron is a beach hangout for university students, a fun place that makes you wish you were still in school. Street vendors sell raw clams and oysters, complete with hot sauce. A variety of kabobs and empanadas can also be readily found. Beer is available everywhere. It's a party town morning till morning, seven days a week. The local police are understanding and tend to look the other way. Boqueron is also a major boating hang out. Some people have been here for several hurricane seasons; a nearby mangrove basin offers good protection from the fierce storms. Puerto Rico is a poor place to practice speaking Spanish. Most Puerto Ricans speak fluent English. Even the odd person who isn't fluent can speak English a lot better than our gringo level of Spanish. Boqueron was a nice stop but a little on the noisy side. After an early morning start we headed for Guanica on the south coast. Puerto Rico is a battleground for the war on drugs. During a typical day we see at least two Coast Guard cutters, a naval war ship, and two Coast Guard helicopters. The Coast Guard also operates an unmanned blimp, loaded with radar and other electronics for detecting the movement of boats. U. S. Coast Guard After rounding Cabo Rojo, we noticed a Coast Guard cutter off our starboard beam approaching us at high speed. The cutter stayed on our stern for 15 or 20 minutes before asking us a few questions over the radio. They decided not to board us and left as quickly as they came. Later that day, just 10 miles away from us, the Coast Guard caught a high-speed boat carrying $2.5 million worth of drugs. Guancia had the peace and quiet we were looking for. Two completely sheltered bays join a small industrial harbor. The town of Guancia is a charming insight into the Puerto Rican lifestyle outside the big cities and the tourist areas. Ponce was our next stop. Ponce is the second biggest city in Puerto Rico. It's a busy working town. There are no protected bays or marinas. The Ponce Yacht club allows boats to anchor in front of their docks, and for $5 a day you can use all their facilities. The people and the facilities are great. Despite Ponce being a working town, the residents, like most Puerto Ricans, love to party. The yacht club and the nearby city wharf is Ponce's party center. For three nights we were right in the middle of three bands that played loudly until three in the morning. Compared to Canada, U.S., and the Bahamas, the charts and sailing guides here are terrible. We have both the DMA and the Imray charts. Some of the areas were last surveyed more than 50 years ago. The Imray charts show lights that were taken out more than 10 years ago, customs offices that were never there, even though the charts have been corrected to June 1995. For cruising guides, we have Street's Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean, by Donald Street, and Passages South, by Bruce Van Sant. Passages South only covers portions of the south coast, but it's a lot more accurate and informative than Street's cruising guide has been. Cruising sailors hold Street's Cruising Guides for the Caribbean Islands and Venezuela in high regard. I don't think he's ever been to the south coast of Puerto Rico. If he was, he was in a hurry. Not only is information missing, there is a lot of misinformation. Between Boqeron and Salinas there is enough cruising to keep one busy for months. Unspoiled reefs, secluded bays, and uninhabited islands. It would be a great project for someone to come out and spend six months exploring every nook and cranny to write a cruising guide.