Keeping Busy in Culebra

This is simply the "more photos of Culebra" post. Stuff we left off on the first one but we wanted to include.

The area where we were moored looked good for kiteboarding when the wind was right. Our timing and the wind rarely cooperate but Andy managed to figure out how to launch from the dinghy and teach me how to assist. Here he is inflating the kite with Tangent in the background.

And he's up and going! The wind was a little too light so it was an exercise in getting going then plopping back in the water. But it was good to just get out there and do it. We tried again on Father's Day with the kids "helping" but that didn't work out so well.

There was a street food festival going one weekend during our stay. But we couldn't find any food beyond the usual empanadillas. And this cool old timey betting game. 

There was a fun band and a few good dancers. But no food. We eat in so much that eating out is a treat. when it turns into a night of food disasters (feathery chicken wings, frozen on the inside, burned on the outside egg rolls) it's super disappointing. 

One of our batteries wasn't holding its charge. Andy did a bunch of tests and realized we needed a new one. 

We were all suffering a bit of Culebra cabin fever so we turned the battery replacement expedition into a family field trip. We boarded the early morning ferry to Fajardo and took a cab to West Marine. We had just enough time to do a little window shopping and grab lunch before returning on the afternoon ferry.

This is a nice photo except for the guy behind us with his entire fist in his mouth.

Fishing off the boat is always a fun after school activity. And as we know, you have to be in your underpants to catch anything.

There was plenty of time to get creative with comic book writing and preparations for a birthday party for Sugar, the world's most obnoxious stuffed animal.

There were a few different places to enjoy paddling. We didn't get pictures of the spontaneous paddles to the mangroves where we'd sometimes jump in to snorkel. We saw a lot of small fish, brittle stars, eels, a baby shark and rays. 

This was part of Andy's father day treat. The kids and I followed him in the dinghy but the wind totally died just past this point. 

Schools of these Jack hung out under our boat all the time. They like action in the water so as soon as we jumped in they surrounded us. Or nibbled our toes when we dangled our feet off the stern. Eeeek!

A big system came through and brought this major squall. Just beforehand Andy had gone over to check the lines on the giant abandoned house boat moored upwind of us. He got back just in time but not in time for us to raise the dinghy. So we had to just watch it popping up and over the waves. This was probably the second strongest blow we've ridden out. We saw almost 50 knots at anchor overnight in Cape Henlopen. Here was saw gusts in the mid-40s. Drew and I ran around securing and stowing everything as fast as we could while Evelyn ran around panicking. It's sometimes hard for little kids to understand that all of the frenzied movement, serious voices and loud talking isn't the same as fear. Poor thing was so frightened!

As we got closer to leaving our little universe it was time for some grooming to make ourselves more presentable.