Das Boot
Non-sailing friends often ask basic questions about Sakura and I do a pretty poor job of providing a non-geeky description, so I’ll try here.
Sakura is an Alubat OVNI 435, a 12.9m (43’) Aluminum sailboat, built in France specifically for rugged, reliable ocean sailing in very demanding conditions. This type is sometimes known as an expedition yacht and is very different from a fibreglass production boat intended for coastal sailing or chartering, (even though both look like ‘sailboats’). OVNIs are sometimes called the 4x4 of yachts, meaning they can go anywhere. (and, hopefully return!). One of the unique features of the OVNI series and similar types, is that keel and rudder both retract, allowing access to very shallow waters.
This size of boat is the largest I feel I can manage single handed (whether I sail solo or not) while being big enough to be comfortable and fast (ish) sailing offshore, and as a compact home for two and occasional guests. This size permits 3 double cabins for crew and large tanks to carry sufficient fuel, water and provisions for extended travel. OVNIs are very nicely finished and well appointed below, though from outside they are ‘all business’, as I prefer. Being French, Sakura has a large, well equipped galley, but is otherwise biased for sailing offshore more than lounging in marinas or accommodating 10 charter guests for a week.
Sakura is currently (September 2025) on the hard in Curacao, and will be ready to sail at the close of the 2025 hurricane season, (June 1 to November 30.)
Planning a sailing route involves exploiting the prevailing winds, which, at Caribbean latitudes generally blow north easterly to easterly at15-25kts. (see below) These are known as the ‘trade winds’ because they are strong and constant, and defined trade routes in the days of sail.
The intention is for Sakura to join the legions who cruise and charter in the lesser Antilles ( the smaller islands, running north-south from British Virgin Islands to Trinidad) between December and May, with visits from friends and family. These islands are popular winter tourist destinations for obvious reasons, but this area is a winter sailing playground specifically because the winds now fuel the tourist trade - sailors who enjoy straightforward sailing between islands that are usually within sight, and are a day's sail of each other.
At the moment though (Sept 2025), Sakura is nearly 500 NM south and west of the Lesser Antilles. This means that initially, Sakura must be delivered from Curacao, upwind, somewhat against the trade winds, to make landfall somewhere near the north end of the island chain.
The draft timeline as of Sept 2025 is as follows:
November 2025
Fly to Curacao Oct 27 to complete refit of Sakura through November, ideally launch, (update survey and insurance) and first sea trial mid November.Early December 2025
Mike and Mark fly to Curacao Nov 29.
Curacao>Klein Curacao>PR>BVI
The Curacao to BVI trip comprises three stages - first is a 20NM shakedown to Klein Curacao, and from there north for 400NM, to Puerto Rico., then a day to windward to the BVI.
Klein Curacao is a half-day hop from Curacao. This provides an opportunity to test the boat and and confirm that all systems are working properly, and will provide the opportunity for any revisions or fine tuning that might be required, and an easy run back to Willemstad should any major issues become evident. Depending on weather and circumstances, we could spend two nights at anchor, with a day's circumnavigation of the island as a test sail, however much depends on the weather forecast.
Passage NE from KC to PR (400 NM)
Depending on conditions, KC to PR this would be a 3.5-5 day passage.
East from PR to BVI (80 NM)
From my father:
From Ronnie R, a Puerto Rican sailor who has done the route north from Curacao>PR many times.
Heading N, a weather window for me is a minimum 3@4 days of decent E (or SE, S) wind speed between 10 and 16 kts, maybe 17.
The 45nm trip from Curacao to Bonaire is a nice one day sail (no power) avoiding sailing close to the SE tip of Curacao as your friend recommended.
Besides the current, the waves are usually big and from all directions.
On my way to Bonaire, I usually stop overnight at Klein C, something I recommend if you haven’t been in that beautiful island.
[Ronnie then shares that while Bonaire is is a Bucket list destination for divers, it an expensive and limiting sailing destination, where anchoring is prohibited. Little is gained by sailing there if the intention is to sail North, and that any easting gained is of little consequence. ]
You will be able to sail straight to the BVIs only with SE winds, very improbable in November, but possible since it happened to me two yeas ago in my fastest ever crossing, a 42 hr incredible pleasant dream. [Ronnie has a catamaran, so his average sailing speeds are higher]
But, that is not a big issue because once in PR, it is quite easy to get to the BVIs.
I will send you an article I helped the author, Don Street, to publish in some nautical newspapers.
Usually, the trips takes me around 50 hours.
I remember 4 or 5 that were 46hrs and the longest, 66 with light NE winds that took me to the Mona passage.
From there I motor sailed 11 hours to Salinas.
The article referred to above is excerpted below, and explains the south coast of PR in some detail.
Sailing Eastward Along Puerto Rico’s South Coast
Puerto Real to Vieques
by Don Street
Are you among the sailors who plan to come from the east coast of North America to
the Caribbean in the fall via the “Thornless Path” rather than sailing offshore directly to
the Lesser Antilles? Here is some advice to make the trip easier and more enjoyable.
This article is based on numerous exploratory trips along Puerto Rico’s south coast, on
Iolaire and Li’l Iolaire from the early ’80s to 2002. Experienced Puerto Rican yachtsman
Ronnie Ramos checked the article for accuracy, updated information where necessary,
and added numerous important bits of information.
Just a few days before I started writing this article I skimmed through my 1966
Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles; the piloting and sailing directions are just as true
today as they were in 1966. The 2001 edition is available from Amazon.com.
Having fought your way eastward through the Bahamas or along the north coast of
Hispaniola, you’ll arrive at the western end of Puerto Rico. Clear in at Marina
Pescaderia (https://marinapescaderia.com), relax, and then spend a few days enjoying
their facilities and exploring the village of Puerto Real to get a flavor of the wonderful
Puerto Rican hospitality.
You might be dreading the next leg: to Vieques in the “Spanish Virgins,” the ideal
jumping-off spot for the short sail onward to the US Virgin islands. It can be a 110-mile
slog to windward against the westward-flowing equatorial current along the south coast
of Puerto Rico. However, if you take advantage of the land and sea breezes, you can
sail from one anchorage to another with no long hard beats.
Start early for favorable winds
The south coast of Puerto Rico has built-in air conditioning — the katabatic winds.
The hills are so high that as soon as the sun sets the air cools and falls down off the
mountains, counteracting the tradewinds and producing a light northerly breeze that
continues at dawn. Then, after the sun warms the hills in the morning, the breeze will
switch to northeasterly then easterly and sometimes southeasterly. If it goessoutheasterly it allows a long starboard tack along the shore, with occasional short port
tacks when getting too close to shore.
The key to sailing eastward on Puerto Rico’s south coast is getting an early start. In
1993, the engineless 46-foot yawl Iolaire left Boquerón, just south of Puerto Real, at
about the same time as a group of four yachts cruising in company that was also
heading east. Almost every morning Iolaire was underway at the crack of dawn, taking
advantage of the light northerly, which would slowly switch to northeasterly than
easterly, increasing as the day went on. By 11:00AM we had a nice fresh easterly or
southeasterly. By noon, when the wind was on the nose and really increasing, we were
sailing into an anchorage. About 4:00 or 5:00PM our friends would come staggering in
with tales of battling 20- to 25-knot easterlies.
Lobster pots and fish traps
While heading eastward in the early morning, careful navigation is necessary as the
sun is low and ahead, making eyeball navigation difficult but possible. Your chart plotter
and GPS are useful instruments but eyeball navigation is more important, glancing at
the chart plotter and GPS now and then. Lobster pots and fish traps, often marked by
nothing but a Clorox bottle, must be spotted and avoided. (It is no use for the lookout to
say “lobster pot ahead” as a warning. Rather, if under sail say, “lobster pot spotted, hold
course,” or “head up,” or “bear off,” as the case may be. If under power say, “come to
starboard” or “come to port.”)
Charts
I suggest using the Imray Iolaire charts A11, 12, 13 and 131. I made these based on
NOAA’s published charts, an unpublished US Navy survey of 1902, and a copy of a
DMA chart of the eastern half of Vieques unavailable to the public, as Vieques was then
a naval base. Sales of these paper charts have dropped off as Puerto Rican sailors
evidently rely on electronic charts, so Imray no longer corrects them. However, two
years ago I carefully reviewed the updated NOAA charts against the Imray Iolaire
charts. Buoy characteristics have changed, the deep-water channel to Ponce and the
turning basin in the harbor have been dredged, and Sunbay Marina has been
established north of Fajardo, but everything else seems to be the same as on the Imray
Iolaire charts.
Sailing directions
From Puerto Real head south two and a half miles to Boquerón. Enter the harbor via
Canal Norte, thus avoiding the Bajo Enmedio shoal. Head for the northeast corner of
the harbor, avoiding Roca Velásquez and also the two five-foot coral heads that are on
the Imray Iolaire chart. Explore the pleasant town of Boquerón for a couple of days.
The following day you do not have to start dawn as you do not want to be at the
eastern end of sheltered water and leaving through the gap at the north end of Arrecife
Laurel before 11:00AM, when the sun is high. Leave Boquerón about 9:00 through
Canal Sur. You’ll be sailing dead downwind, a so rig a main boom foreguy preventer so
you do not have an unexpected gybe.
When the harbor is cleared, head south along the coast but watch the fathometer.
Stay in two fathoms of water to avoid shoals off Punta Aguila. Once clear of the shoals,half a mile south of Punta Aguila is a isolated shoal which should be well to the east of
you when you head for Cabo Rojo.
Once you have rounded Cabo Rojo immediately head close inshore, right up on the
beach. It will now be about 11:00. The wind has probably switched to the east, but even
if it’s blowing hard you’ll be in sheltered water and should only have a small chop. Work
your way eastwards, passing inside all the reefs and favoring the shore, as it is easier to
pick out shoal water rather than the isolated coral heads near the reefs. As you
approach the gap at the north end of Arrecife Laurel, start the engine and motorsail
through the gap.
LA PARGUERA
Work your way eastwards until you find the buoyed channel into La Parguera.
Anchor and enjoy; the village, offshore islands and cays are within easy dinghy
exploring distance. You can also visit the bioluminescent bay — considered one of the
best places in the world to see bioluminescence — in your dinghy. This is best done on
a night when there is no moon. Overnight anchorage in the bioluminescent bay is not
recommended because of tourist boats and mosquitoes.
You can have another lazy morning at La Parguera, as exiting the reefs before the
sun is high is not a good idea. Get underway at midday and work your way eastward
inside the reefs, and then exit the sheltered water through the gap in the reef east of
Arrecife Enmedio.
CALETA SALINAS
Your next anchorage will be at Caleta Salinas, off the white hotel. This is a rolly
anchorage so anchor bow and stern facing into the swell. It gives you an excellent early
departure point for a choice of points east: Caña Gorda, the anchorage east of Punta
San Jacinto, or Ponce.
Leave Caleta Salinas at first light. Go far enough south to clear Arrecife Baúl.
CANA GORDA
Then continue east until your longitude is approaching 63°53. Look inshore and find
a hotel with peaked-roof buildings: Copamarina Beach Resort at Caña Gorda. Bring the
buildings to bear 017° magnetic. Run in on this bearing, threading your way through the
reef and coral heads, and dodging one isolated coral head once you have passed
through the reef. Anchor off the hotel, which in the past has been most hospitable.
ANCHORAGE EAST OF PUNTA SAN JACINTO
Alternatively, proceed just a bit farther, and east of Punta San Jacinto there is an
excellent sheltered anchorage with good holding and a good beach to leeward. In the
southeast corner of the harbor in among the islands is a wonderful beach loaded with
tourists over the weekends, but fairly deserted in midweek. It is well worth a visit in the
dinghy. It would also provide a nighttime anchorage but being in among the mangroves I
suspect might be rather buggy.
PONCE
Or instead of stopping as above, continue on another 14 miles to Ponce. Stay
inshore to stay out on the westward-flowing current. Off Guayanilla on the inshore tack
keep a good lookout for reefs. As you approach Ponce you can pass inside Cayo
Arenas, tacking through and eyeballing for the deepest water. When we sailed Iolaire
through here in ’93 the fathometer showed 11 feet.
In the harbor of Ponce there are two shoals that are difficult to spot: Cayo Viejo and
Las Hojitas. Take bearings on the big crane on the pier in the commercial harbor to
keep track of your position to avoid the two shoals.
Work your way into the southeast corner of the harbor and anchor off Ponce Yacht &
Fishing Club (Club Náutico de Ponce). Be forewarned, the bottom is soft, gooey mud
with poor holding. Once sure you are not dragging, go ashore and introduce yourself to
the yacht club manager. Organize guest cards for yourself and crew, and ascertain if
there is space in the marina for your boat. Ponce YC is reputedly the most hospitable
yacht club in Eastern Caribbean.
There is also an excellent anchorage in two fathoms northwest of Buoy 7, which is
just west of the northwest corner of the commercial pier.
PONCE TO SALINAS
It is 18 miles from Ponce to Salinas. If you make a dawn departure you have a very
good chance of reaching Salinas with almost all the trip made in a light northerly or
northeasterly. Even if the easterly comes in, it will not be blowing hard by the time you
reach Salinas. Stay inshore, right up on the beach.
There is a reef off Punta Petrona. The chart shows a narrow channel with a sevenfoot
depth. If the sun is high enough and the light good enough for eyeball navigation
and you draw six feet or less, this channel can be used motor sailing with the jib rolled
up. This will keep you out of the sea, in shore, with a better chance of holding the earlymorning
offshore breeze.
Alternately, depart at 8:00 or 9:00AM and sail seven miles southeast to Isla Caja de
Muertos, pick up one of their free moorings, and enjoy a day ashore. The next day
make an early morning departure and sail 12 miles to Salinas, which you should reach
before the offshore breeze dies out.
SALINAS
Salinas is an excellent harbor with an easy entrance. The controlling depth of the
channel is seven feet all. Deep draft boats should proceed slowly so if you accidentally
“park” you can back off. The channel into Salinas and the bay is all soft mud and sand.
Within the harbor the general depth seems to be about ten feet. There is an excellent an
excellent anchorage in 12 feet of water immediately west of Punta Arenas. This
anchorage is within easy dinghy distance of Marina de Salinas.
Marina de Salinas (www.marinadesalinas.com) is an excellent marina offering all the
facilities one has come to expect. The staff will be able to tell you what is available in the
area.
From Salinas take a dawn departure, as it is 18 miles to the anchorage just west of
Punta Viento, an anchorage that must be eyeballed.
When leaving Salinas, head southeast, noting the buoys while continuing east,
exiting at Boca del Infierno. Then continue east hugging the shore and hoping that since
you left at dawn you are sailing or motor sailing on a light northerly or northeasterly.
WARNING: Four miles east northeast of Boca del Infierno you will see the buoys
marking the entrance to the commercial harbor of Las Mareas. The shoal Arrecife
Mareas extends one and a half miles eastward from these buoys.
Once clear of the eastern end of the reef continue close inshore, passing inside the
five-foot spot 0.6 miles due south of Punta Barrancas. Also pass inshore of Arrecife
Algarrobo, which should be easy to spot, and Arrecife Corona, which may be difficult to
spot. Pass inside Arrecife Guayama and continue east inshore to the eastern corner of
Puerto Patillas.
PUERTO PATILLAS
NOTE: What follows are the sailing directions we were given in 1993. They worked
fine then but the marks have probably changed. Hopefully someone can come up with
better piloting directions to the inner cove where we anchored. We found ten feet with
the white splotch of paint on the retaining wall bearing 030° magnetic with the southeast
of the point of the harbor bearing 125° magnetic. Exploring with the dinghy rediscovered
that only 50 yards to the south east of us the water shoaled.
The sea hooks around the point and sets a swell into the bay. We left our yawl’s
mizzen up to minimize the roll. Sloops should anchor bow and stern facing into the
swell.
From Punta Patillas, you have a number of choices for your next anchorage. You
can stop at the Yacht Club marina at Palmas del Mar (www.theyachtclubmarina.com),
but it is only 32 miles from Punta Patillas to a good anchorage on western end Vieques,
with its numerous harbors and coves to explore.
AFTER PUNTA PATILLAS
Leave the anchorage at first light, heading north toward shore, then west into you
feel you can turn south and clear the reefs to the south. Once clear of them, turn east.
Hug the shore 12 miles to Punta Yeguas then try and hold a course of approximately
080° magnetic to an anchorage south of Punta Boca Quebrada with its beautiful white
sand beach.
VIEQUES
Five miles to the east of Punta Boca Quebrada is the town of Esperanza on
Vieques.
When entering Esperanza harbor leave Cayo Real to port and enter in the center of
the channel. (Unless you draw five feet or less do not try to pass between Cayo Real
and Vieques as there is no more than six feet of water.) There is roughly eight feet of
water in the channel and in the majority of the basin.
Puerto Mosquito just to the east has excellent phosphorescence and a perfect
anchorage at the mouth of the harbor. You are behind the reef, perfectly sheltered from
the sea but cooled by the breeze. There is good snorkeling and a white sand beach all
within swimming distance, so no need to launch the dinghy.
From Vieques to Marina Puerto del Rey (https://puertodelrey.com) on the east coast
of Puerto Rico is easy course to sail — approximately north for 13 miles. The marina is
huge and has all the services one would expect, including a major hauling facility. If you
have crew departing or arriving, transportation to San Juan airport can easily be
organized.
Heading north you can pass inside or outside Isla Piñeros. If passing inside consult
the back of Imray Iolaire chart A141 for the sailing directions for Pasaje Medio Mundo.
Iolaire has successfully used this passage, twice southbound, twice northbound, by
paying strict attention to these directions.
Detailed piloting and sailing directions are in Street’s Guide to Puerto Rico, Spanish,
US and British Virgin Islands (1995) available as a print-on-demand facsimile edition at
iuniverse.com or as secondhand originals from Amazon.
See “Eastern Puerto Rico: Stop Over or Stay” by Joan Conover in the May 2021
issue of Caribbean Compass at www.caribbeancompass.com/online/
may21compass_online.pdf
Mid-Dec 2025 to January 2026
We will leave Sakura in Puerto Rico or the BVI, and return home for the holidays, and then fly back again, hopefully with one or more family members in tow for New Years' eve and early January.
This from Ronnie in response to my question regarding the ideal location for a Christmas layover:
Buenos días Dave!
Considering your crew will fly to Curacao Nov 29, most probable you will be sailing N around the first two week of Dic.
During winter, the odds of getting a weather window with SE winds are very slim.
That said, most probable you will be sailing somewhere to the S coast of PR.
Don’t know if you have been in PR before; but if not, I strongly suggest to your the Island at least one week.
Ah, don’t forget to pre fill your departure from Curazao and entry to PR using the SailClear app.
OK, now to the main topic: Where to leave your boat during your 10 days holidays.
If you can afford around $1,500 to leave your boat in a marina, that will be my first recommendation. But the main issue is not economical, but to find a slip in any marina.Try first Marina de Salinas, which is next to our property or Ponce Yacht & Fishing Club (PYFC).
An alternative will be to anchor your boat in Salinas and ideally to pay somebody to check it periodically.
And as said before, once in PR, it is easy to make your way East to the VIs.
NOTE:
There are about 4@5 marinas in the E side of PR but they are more expensive and more difficult to get a slip.
If you are lucky to get a SE wind for the crossing N and end up in the VIs, there are more than half a dozen marinas there.
I will never leave my boat anchored there.
Sailing E from PR (including Culebra and Vieques) to the USVIs, you DON’ T have to check out NOR check in!
Hope all this info helps!
Cruising the BVI
The BVI are a bustling sailing destination, and quiet, secluded anchorages are not its main attraction. Bellamy Cay is adjacent to the Airport, and a handy spot for coming and going, Nanny Cay marina and Sopers Hole marina are options at increasing cost.
Moorings are reserved with an app called "boatyball"..
Jan 2026
BVI and then to Angulla, St Martin, etc...
Departing the BVI would likely involve the longest (but still short) passage in the Antilles, at around 90NM. 
And after that?
Meander South, enjoying the gaining of sailing experience, the comings and goings of friends and family, and the people and culture of the islands.
At the end of the Caribbean sailing season, May 2026, decisions must be made, as Sakura must be out of the path of hurricanes.
.
Meander south.
To be continued.
https://shell-storm.org/repo/Sailing/Pilot-Charts/atlantique-nord/
