REPORTS FROM THE RIP: Nice end to our season

Scott with his first dorado

At the end of every season we, as the crew begin to get anxious to get home. This travel season was a tad longer than normal. We should be home right now! But Hurricane Mathew is holding us up. We are no where near the storm. But a monster of a storm like Mathew has far reaching effects. The swell generated by Mathew alone is being felt 400 miles away from its center. At Present, The Blue Heaven is sitting in Cap Cana Marina, Dominican Republic ( eastern tip of the island). We will be here for at least two days before the weather dies down around the south side of the Island. At that point, we will bring the boat to Casa De Campo marina and leave it there for the winter.

Last week, we brought the boat from St Thomas to Puerto Rico. We visited a boat yard there in Fajardo to have the bottom painted and have some work done on the boat. . We used Island Marine services at Puerto Del Rey marina. They came highly recommended and rightfully so. They are a very professional boat yard and were on spot with timing and everything we asked them to do. I highly recommend Ken and Rick there at Island Marine.

While the boat was on the hard ( dry land) in Fajardo, Dan and I did a bit of exploring. I spent a few years living on that part of Puerto Rico when I was in my teens. It was cool to see it all these years later. We explored the rainforest of El Yunque and hiked for hours to water falls. the lush dark green jungle is indescribably beautiful. The waterfall are all very picturesque. On on of our trips to the rainforest Dan and I were hiking and at about 2500 feet when the clouds rolled in. The entire forest was shrouded in a dense mist. We were literally in the clouds. As we walked further, It began to rain and lightening and thunder. The sound of all the rain and weather mixed with the tree frogs and waterfalls we were hiking to was amazing. I think we saw about 7 major falls. But my favorite was Juan Pablo Falls. It is very near the Big tree trail and the popular La Mina falls. ( normally loaded with tourist) But this waterfall is deserted. Mainly because it is not really marked and has a tiny path leading to it. Once at each of the falls The water invited us to swim. It was sooooo cold. But refreshing. We left the beaten path one other time to go to a kind of locals only waterfall. Its called Hippi falls. We followed some locals directions and found a wonderfull waterfall with about ten locals relaxing and swimming. On one side of the pool below the falls was a rope swing that a few of the local kids were swinging out over the pond and jumping off of. To me it looked quite dangerous. But Dan being the dare devil, Walked over and grabbed the rope. He pushed himself to the furthest back on the approach as he could. All the locals kind of stopped what they were doing and collectively watched as the gringo was probably going to splatter himself on the rocks. Dan pushed off and swung on the rope out over the pool about 30 feet off the water. at the end of the arc he released and did a perfect full flip into the pond. He got just short of a standing ovation from the locals. After a bit he walked over to swing again. This time he was told by the local kid that it was dans last time. I guess he did not like getting shown up by a non local.

We departed Puerto Rico yesterday and made for the Dominican Republic. We had a buddy of ours Scott Burgess fly in to ride along. Scott Had never been Blue marlin fishing before. On our way across the Mona Passage ( the area between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic ) we began trolling. We found it to be very grassy to start, But after a few Mahi mahi Dan saw something on the left rigger bait. He fed the bait to the fish and the fight was on. Scott did a great job of catching his first Blue marlin. Congrats Scott.