A Boat Thanksgiving, Round 2

by Paula
At anchor, Salinas, Puerto Rico

Daystar's 8:30AM arrival at the island of Caja de Muertos

We are very thankful to have celebrated our second Thanksgiving aboard Daystar. Last year, we celebrated in the chilly temperatures we had traditionally experienced on this holiday; this year was a whole new story.



We woke at 4 AM to drink some coffee and ready the boat for our early-morning departure. The kids rolled out of bed thirty minutes later, and we hauled anchor to start our passage to Caja de Muertos, an island off the south coast of Puerto Rico. Caja de Muertos means Coffin Island; it is named for its shape, which is reminiscent of a prone figure covered by a shroud (somewhat of a stretch). This tiny island is a state park, normally uninhabited, but visited by boaters and beach-goers during the weekend.

Daystar nestled in the Caja de Muertos anchorage,
seen from the highest point of the island

After a pleasant motor-sail in winds around 6 knots, we arrived at Caja at 8:30, with the full Thanksgiving day ahead of us. No ferries this day, so we had the island to ourselves. The weather was spectacular: sunny skies, temperature in the mid 80s, and a light, cool breeze.

not enough room on the table for it all

our Thanksgiving meal

the hairy tuber

I cooked a beef roast, our new tiny-oven tradition for holiday meals. Along with it were mashed potatoes, cucumber
salad, and roasted red peppers and carrots. We also tried a new root vegetable whose name we cannot remember. We have come to refer to it as the hairy tuber. A bit starchier than a potato, its flavor was more interesting too. The anchorage here is a bit rolly, so cooking and eating required attention to gravity. Well worth it, though, given our surroundings. 

our rolly meal:

we are thankful for so much

After our mid-day meal, we played Cities and Knights, a new (to us) variant of Settlers of Catan, a fantastic board game that we highly recommend (Cash won).  We relaxed, talked to family, and enjoyed a glorious sunset. There’s no question about it: we have so much to be thankful for.