Hiiiiiiiiiii.
Guess what day it is??? Yup, Tuesday! But not just any old Tuesday, it’s Tuesday the 12th. And that means today I am leaving on a jet plane. A Jetblue plane that is. Headed to Florida!!!!! For a week or two to visit family!
Can you tell I’m a little excited? ;))
I am so insanely psyched it is not even funny. And although I’m totally trying to play it super cool, in my head I am secretly freaking out and very strategically outlining every place I must visit while home. Scary, but true. You know, there’s the very important nail salon, Trader Joe’s, Pei Wei, Chipotle, Target. The list goes on and on. I’ll probably need to make a quick pit stop at Anthropologie and maybe even Lululemon too. Why not, right? And am I remembering correctly that August is the month Starbuck’s brings back the pumpkin spice latte??????? If that is true (and I really hope it is), I might seriously overdose on Starbuck’s while in Florida.
I’m not joking.
Yeah yeah, I know we’ve only been gone less than five months, but five months is a long time on a boat.
Oh and I’m also equally psyched about actually seeing my family and friends, and staying at my parents’ and sisters’ homes, all of which are equipped with glorious fridge ice makers, regular flush toilets, real beds, and private showers. Life’s little luxuries. ;))
Poor (but not really) Jereme will be staying in Puerto Rico and keeping Oliver company while I do the tour-o-Florida and make a visit to both of my sisters (I’ve been dying to see all of my cutie nieces and nephews) and then my parents, and finally head to Naples for a few photo sessions while I’m home. I’m basically making a big huge loop around the state since all of my family is located strategically around the coast. But don’t worry about Jer…I’ll be back before he even has time to miss me, and besides, he’s got a little fun of his own in store later this month!
On another note, have I mentioned that my iPhone totally crapped out the other day as we were gearing up for Tropical Storm Bertha? Perfect timing. Not! Just what you want, no working cell phone when a storm is headed your way and you have to leave the dock to go hunker down out in the open water. So instead of having no cell phone aboard, Jereme and I booked it to AT&T at the Mayaguez Mall in Puerto Rico to get me a replacement the night before the storm was to hit. And since I’m not due for a new phone until December, that replacement ended up being a cheapy Nokia phone. This girl is sure as hell not paying $750 for a new iPhone. Not even in sneaky installments (like AT&T tries to get you to do).
And speaking of my new Nokia phone, can someone please explain to me why the VSCO app is not available on it? I’m dying over here. Is there anything comparable for quick editing of phone pics for instagram on a Windows based phone?
That’s it for me this Tuesday. See ya on the flip side!
In F-L-O-R-I-D-A!!!!!!!!!!
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Caribbean. …Learn more about us and our sailing + cruising adventures.
(Puerto Real, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico)
Life in Puerto Real is pretty great! And easy. And I like that.
Maybe that’s because we are happily docked at Marina Pescaderia just loving life…and shore power (i.e. air conditioning)…and free water. ;)) Who knows? But it’s so great, that we may in fact be growing roots.
We thought we’d only be in Puerto Real (at the dock) for a day or two when we rolled in from the Dominican. But, it’s just so awesome here, why rush to leave? And since I’m flying home to Florida this week to visit family, we might as well stick around a bit longer.
Our days in PR are beginning to blend into one another because they are so lovely and simple. Seriously, my favorite kind of days. There’s lots of sleeping in (yay!!!). Free wifi. Strolls to the town bakery for guava donuts. Hanging with the marina locals we have come to know and love. Enjoying the awesome tapas restaurant here too. Taking Oliver for walks around town. A little boat work here and there. Tons of reading, photo taking, and even more music listening. Cheap drinks. Fun dinghy excursions. And just an easy, simple life. What more could you want, really?
And honestly, if it were up to me, I could easily fill up half my days with photo editing and be a very happy camper. While, I’m quite positive Jereme could probably do the same with random boat projects. This week alone, he’s been tending to our exterior teak and “helping” it go gray by removing the varnish with our heat gun.
In any case, we are soaking up our time here in Puerto Rico while we wait out hurricane season and finding tons of free time to explore the little fishing village that is Puerto Real, Cabo Rojo.
Just the other day we were in the mood to get off the boat and go exploring. And since it was incredibly calm in the harbor (after an afternoon storm had passed) we decided to bust out our standup paddle board and go for a spin around the neighborhood. We love our inflatable Tower SUP because we can easily keep it stowed on the boat and break it out whenever we are in the mood to paddle.
But since we only have one inflatable SUP, we usually dinghy-tow the board somewhere fun and take turns using it while the other one of us hangs in the dinghy with Oliver (although he too takes his turn on the board!). It works out perfectly because I love capturing these moments on film and having one of us safely in the dinghy with my very non-waterproof camera is the way to go.
^^getting out the SUP and towing it to some cool spot to paddle is super simple, although we also just jump on it right from the boat from time to time too.^^
This time, we brought the paddle board out to the mangrove coastline of Puerto Real to explore the crystal clear shallow waters. Jer was up first as I manned the dinghy and followed him around snapping a few photos!
Oliver joined him after a bit and basically just walked from the front to the back of the board while Jer paddled around. It was pretty darn cute! Oliver *always* stays on full alert ready and waiting for any ‘creatures’ to pop out of the water. Thankfully, this is not prime dolphin territory or anything!
The area we paddled in the other day has a thick seagrass bottom with TONS of red starfish littering the seafloor. I mean, TONS! I’m talking starfish breeding grounds for sure. Although the water was insanely crystal clear and glass-like after that storm, I didn’t see a whole lot else.
Nearby is a very coral-rich area that would be perfect for snorkeling and maybe even some lobster hunting! We’ll have to come back and check that spot out again with our snork gear in tow!
I’ll say, Jereme has become pretty proficient on the paddle board. I, on the other hand, always fall off at least once. It’s a given. I might as well just jump off as soon as I get on the board because it’s bound to happen sooner or later.
Oliver hasn’t decided if he loves SUPing or hates it, but he is content just being with one of us (no matter what crazy activity that may entail).
After a fun afternoon on the SUP, we headed back to the marina just as the sun was setting. How insanely gorgeous are nights like these? We spent the evening enjoying some tapas at the Vaiven, the marina restaurant, and then relaxing back at the boat.
And that’s pretty much a day in the life here in Puerto Real, Cabo Rojo. You won’t hear any complaints here. :))
Just a little FYI, I clicked over to the Tower SUP website a little earlier and it looks like the inflatable SUP we have from Tower is actually on sale right now!!! Might be a good time to grab one if you’ve been in the market for awhile.
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Caribbean. …Learn more about us and our sailing + cruising adventures.
Posted in Boat Dog, Boat Life, Other, Puerto Rico, Sailing Blog, Sailing LoveTags: Cabo Rojo, Caribbean, Cruising, Dogs on Boats, LahoWind, Liveaboards, Paddle Boards, Puerto Real, Puerto Rico, Sailboat, Sailing Blog, SUP, Tower, Young Couple
Having lots of expensive camera gear while being constantly surrounded by massive bodies of water and gritty sand beaches can be quite the cause for concern. But heck, that never stopped me as a professional photographer (when I had lots of beach photo sessions in Naples where I would literally be covered in wet sand from head to toe by the end of the day) so why should it stop me now?
I can only think of one or two actual scares I’ve had on the trip so far (like the time I called my sister freaking out from Staniel Cay in the Exumas because my camera would only turn on, but wouldn’t do anything else — turns out it was actually overheated from a long hot dinghy ride in the dry bag and eventually fixed itself once it cooled down), but regardless I am always (Jer too) overly cautious with my gear so we don’t risk ruining any of it.
And speaking of caring for my camera gear, it sounded like some of you really wanted to know what precautions I take to keep it all protected while moving from the boat to land; as well as, how I keep my camera clean and corrosion-free.
^^I literally made Jereme pull over the other day as we were driving to Rincon to go horse backing riding so I could snap a quick photo of this amazing view.^^
Safe Storage + Transport
Dry bags, dry bags, dry bags. That is my mantra when it comes to transporting any of my expensive gear from the sailboat, via dinghy, to shore. And I still get minor heart palpitations every time I pass the dry bag over the edge of the boat to Jereme waiting in the dinghy. So far, we haven’t had any accidents. And I’d like to keep it that way.
^^our usual mode of transportation to and from the boat. it’s always open air and often very very wet. which is why I rely on dry bags.^^
We started this trip with three functioning dry bags. About a month or less into the trip, one broke. A week or two after that, we noticed a hole in another. And holes in dry bags kinda defeat the purpose, wouldn’t you say? ;)) So for the past three months, we have been religiously using our third dry bag as our primary transportation device for moving anything of value from boat to shore. I will typically use my regular Epiphanie camera bag as my main equipment carrier, and then just put the entire camera bag into the dry bag while we dinghy to shore.
I’m also kinda lame and stick my camera/lens in a huge ziploc bag, and place that inside my camera bag, and then again inside the dry bag. Not that I think the ziploc is going to act as a total barrier to water or anything, but it does help keep bag-dust away.
Now that we’ve been in Puerto Rico for a few weeks, we recently ordered a new backup dry bag/back-pack that is a little easier to tote around than the one we had been using. And this awesome and much more rugged camera backpack is on my wish list at the moment. :))
As for regular boat storage, I keep my big camera and the smaller G12 in separate ziploc bags inside my regular camera bag. I keep my primary 24-70mm f/2.8L lens attached to the 7D body with the lens cap always on. I keep the camera bag in an airy part of the main cabin where there is minimal moisture build-up. I keep my other lenses in their respective cases/bags and also tucked inside my camera bag.
Camera Cleaning
There are tons and tons of camera cleaning tutorials out there on the web. And lots of photographers use different methods to clean their cameras. If you are looking for some super-detailed info with lots of different specialized brushes and blowers you can purchase, just google camera cleaning. I however, am not going to lie and act like I follow all those crazy steps every time I need to clean my camera. In reality, here’s what I do on the regular to keep my camera/lenses clean:
- When (and I undoubtedly always do) get a few grains of sand on my lens or my camera hood, I first always try to carefully blow them away from the lens with a quick puff of air. Whatever you do, do not try and buff the front of the lens until you have removed any grit or sand, otherwise you might end up scratching that expensive glass!!!
- After I am sure there are not any particles on the lens glass, I always use a soft (micro fiber type) cloth to carefully wipe the lens free of any smudges or fingerprints.
- When necessary, I use a q-tip to clean the viewfinder or to remove other smudges.
- I wipe down the entire camera body as needed to keep it free from salt spray or dirt.
And that’s really it. Pretty simple, right?
^^when you are toting the big camera around to snap photos like this, you are bound to pick up a few grains of sand.^^
Corrosion Combat
Now the dreaded “corrosion” factor for us liveaboards is another issue entirely. Living on a boat, while awesome in its own right, is not so awesome for lots of our “stuff.” The humidity, salty air, and basically perma-wetness that exists on the boat, is not really the most ideal condition for expensive metal gadgets and gizmos. We’ve already lost a few zippers (i.e they cease up) from corrosion. Which is why I have been a little worried that some of my important camera components might corrode from just being kept on a boat all the time.
Luckily, by keeping my “big” camera constantly clean (wiping it off regularly) while also using it pretty much every single day, I have been able to keep it corrosion-free! I really think some of the “use it or lose it” mentality comes into play here. It’s like my camera doesn’t even have the chance to get corroded because I use it too often.
My waterproof GoPro on the other hand has had much more exposure to salt water and way less regular cleanings, and it is just beginning to show a few signs of corrosion on the housing buttons.
^^the GoPro is constantly getting submerged in saltwater which is probably why we are seeing some very minor corrosion popping up. but it is oh so worth it when you are meeting cute little beach piglets like this.^^
I am trying to combat that minor corrosion by more regularly rinsing the entire GoPro (while in its housing) with fresh water and towel drying it off before stowing it away on the boat. I also don’t use the GoPro nearly as much as the big camera, so that might be part of my problem too. And come to think of it, my GoPro is the only piece of equipment that I do not keep in a ziploc bag. Could my ziploc habit actually be helping prevent corrosion? Hmmmm… ;))
There you have it! …How I clean and transport my camera without ruining it. Yet, that is. :))
What other photo questions do you have??? Be sure to send them my way!
Happy Friday!
*I’ve started a regular “PHOTO FRIDAY” series on the blog. You can find all of my photography series posts here.
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Caribbean. …Learn more about us and our sailing + cruising adventures.
Posted in Photography, Sailing BlogTags: Camera Corrosion, Canon, Caribbean, Cleaning a Camera, Cruising, LahoWind, Photo Friday, Photography, Safe transport of camera gear, Sailing Blog, Travel
Our dinghy has pretty much been our main link to land while cruising the Bahamas + Caribbean over the past few months. And until we recently sailed into Puerto Rico, we had been spending about 99% of our time at anchor…so without our trusty dinghy, we’d be stuck on the boat all the time. And where’s the fun in that?
Needless to say, we would like to make sure that dinghy stays in proper working condition.
Luckily when we bought our boat, she came with an Avon by West Marine brand dinghy. A great dinghy for sure!
But our Avon dinghy, even though it’s a rigid bottom variety, is actually the kind with a wood transom back as opposed to a full fiberglass transom. I suppose the real original intent of our dinghy was for it to be foldable so it could be easily stowed on deck.
Too bad we never fold ours down. Ever. We always tie it off fully inflated. So much for that great feature.
Anyways, over time, the painted wood back on the dinghy has taken a beating from constant exposure to such a harsh salt water, tropical, and humid environment. The paint has begun to chip off and water has begun to penetrate the back, which will eventually (if left untreated) cause the wood to rot and deteriorate. And since we only have one dinghy, we definitely can’t let that happen!
This project has been on Jer’s to-do list for awhile now. But we really needed to wait until we were stationed at a dock for several days in a row so that he would have the time needed to complete this little project. Basically, we needed enough consecutive days (without using or having the dinghy in the water) so that we could scrape off the old paint, clean the exposed wood, repaint the transom with multiple coats of paint, and let it all dry well.
And guess what? Being docked here in Puerto Real, Cabo Rojo is the perfect time!!!
Jereme used a paint scraper blade type tool to scrape off all of the big chunks of old paint. It took about 30 minutes of work to scrape the old paint.
Then, he sanded the wood transom using 80-grit sandpaper. That took him another hour or so to completely sand the dinghy. After sanding, he cleaned the dinghy by hosing it off, but had to wait for the wood to dry, which added another day or two of wait time to the project timeline.
^^wet wood. not rotted wood.^^
The final step of the project involved repainting the dinghy with an oil based enamel paint (we used a white one — real creative around here). We actually found the paint at the local hardware store here in Puerto Real, and it only cost us about $4 a can. Pretty good find if you ask me! Jereme gave the dinghy three coats of paint over the course of three days. And turns out, we only used one full can of paint.
And of course, now that we have ^^this^^ dinghy project done, we think we might have another leak. Lol. It’s always something, isn’t it?
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Caribbean. …Learn more about us and our sailing + cruising adventures.
Posted in Boat Life, Boat Projects, Puerto Rico, Sailing BlogTags: Avon by West Marine, Boat Life, Boat Projects, Caribbean, Cruising, Dinghy, LahoWind, Painting, Repaint, Sailboat, Sailing Blog, Wood Transom
(Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico)
It’s really all about the views at the Cabo Rojo Los Morillos Lighthouse in Puerto Rico!!!
I mean, just look at this view of Playa Sucia from the lighthouse…
And this view…of the limestone cliffs that the lighthouse sits upon…
So I guess this will mostly be just a picture post. And I’m okay with that. :))
After picking up our week-long sporty (aka tiny) rental car from the Enterprise in Mayagüez, we spent one awesome afternoon last week checking out the views at the famous lighthouse. We also hit up the fun little beach town of Boqueron the same day (but I haven’t even begun to edit those photos yet).
And shoot, just driving to the lighthouse was pretty darn interesting. The drive along Route 301 takes you past miles of salt flats. It was quite the sight to see with all the dump trucks and excavators actively removing the sea salt from the area. Jereme says this was his favorite part of the day. And why am I not surprised?
But anyhoo, back to the lighthouse.
Built in 1881 by the Spanish government and located on top of 200-foot limestone cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse marks the southwest tip of Puerto Rico. The lighthouse has been renovated over the years, and is still operational, helping ships navigate safely through the Mona Passage.
Now, making your way up to the lighthouse is a bit of a trek. It was insanely crowded the day we went, but we somehow managed to grab a spot in the nearest parking lot (that is, after chatting with some very friendly Puerto Rican police officers who, at first, were blocking the entrance to the so-called “full” lot and then decided to basically escort us to the best parking lot there is!). Once we snagged a spot in the closest lot, it was still quite a hike to the actual lighthouse. We walked over to Playa Sucia first (where most of the parking lot crowd could be found) and then hiked our way up the hillside to check out the lighthouse and cliff views.
Though the lighthouse was interesting in itself, the surrounding limestone cliffs on which the lighthouse is perched are really the main attraction I would say! And quite breathtaking.
I honestly couldn’t believe how exposed lighthouse visitors are able to get to the cliff edge. I guess it’s one of those see-at-your-own-risk types of places. And for someone who isn’t the biggest fan of heights, I still managed to get close enough to take in the full experience (and of course snap a few photos) without risking anything too crazy. I mean, one slip and you’re definitely a goner. :((
I’d say our first full day with the rental car in Puerto Rico was a success! We didn’t get lost or in an accident, and found a few awesome spots to visit in Cabo Rojo! The rest of our week was spent checking out more of Puerto Rico’s west coast and preparing for stupid Tropical Storm Bertha. But more on that later.
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Caribbean. …Learn more about us and our sailing + cruising adventures.
Posted in Puerto Rico, Sailing Blog, TravelTags: Cabo Rojo, Caribbean, Cliffs, Cruising, LahoWind, Lighthouse, Los Morillos Lighthouse, Playa Sucia, Puerto Rico, Renting a car in Puerto Rico, Sailing Blog, Things to Do, Travel
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Try the Aviary app. It’s no VSCO but should get you by. You’ll probably want to buy a filter pack, because the default ones aren’t great. I had to use an android phone during a similar iphone fiasco – such a bummer!
[…] folks, I’ll be headed down to Naples in the next day or two where I have quite the lineup of photo sessions to tackle when I get there! I am so so so excited to get behind the camera lens for my awesome […]