| The eighty mile stretch of sea between the island of
Hispaniola and Puerto Rico is one of the most difficult
passages encountered in the Caribbean. It is fraught with
tidal currents of strange twists and turns that are
created by those two big islands on either side of it and
by sand banks that extend out for many miles from both
coasts. Most cruising boaters entering the Caribbean from
the north do so via a stop at Samana in the northeastern
part of the Dominican Republic, then continuing more than
150 miles across the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico without
stopping. Under sail it means an even longer distance
because of having to "tack" a zig-zag course
into the easterly trade winds. Add this to the twisted
currents and seas encountered while crossing and a haze
in the air in this region which often blocks visibility
until only a few miles from land, and you come up with a
never ending array of hair raising stories from just
about every boater you can talk with who has made the
crossing. Mona Island lies almost exactly in the middle of the Mona Passage and it would make an ideal resting place to split up the passage for vessels coming from Samana if it were only farther to the north. But for boaters wishing to take advantage of the island to break up the crossing into two more manageable pieces, they need to depart from the south coast of Hispaniola rather than the north. Currents are also less treacherous to deal with along the southern route. At the pleasant stop of Saona Island on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic, boaters can sit and wait for a lull in the trade winds when seas are down to start their eastward crossing. This is an advantage which is not possible when departing from Samana. It is only about 40 miles from Isla Saona to the protected anchorage inside the barrier coral reef on the west coast of Mona Island. And from there it is another 40 miles to the popular and spacious cruising anchorage at Boqueron in Puerto Rico. |
| Mona Island is a part of the commonwealth of Puerto
Rico. It is small, being only about five miles in
diameter and with many steep and inhospitable looking
cliffs which rise from the sea to a high plateau. The
best anchorage is on the west coast north of Punta
Arenas. This is Sardinero anchorage and it is protected
by a barrier coral reef which has a narrow break of about
30 feet width. There is a pier just inside the opening on
which there is one of a pair of range markers. This range
was not exactly the way it was described in the guide
books I had with me, but was clearly identifiable none
the less, and once the two markers are aligned, the
course for the opening in the reef is directly ahead.
Under normal circumstances this is a well protected and
peaceful, although small anchorage in clear water with a
maximum depth of about eight feet. Ashore, the whole island is crisscrossed with underground caves made by the erosion of coral limestone. The caves are full of stalactites, stalagmites and paintings made by the early native inhabitants. Pirates took over the island from the natives and used it as a base from which to launch raids on early treasure ships heading through the Mona Passage on a northerly route back to Europe. Today, Mona is a wildlife preserve with an air strip and ranger headquarters at Punta Arenas. There are wild pigs and iguanas roaming the island and a nice campground for visitors among the palm trees right near Sardinero anchorage. * * * |
|
Sketch of Sardinero anchorage
on the west coast of Mona Island, Puerto Rico.
3D topographical map showing southwestern coast of Puerto Rico from Boqueron Bay in the foreground north to Punta Higuero beyond Mayaguez. Boqueron Bay , Puerto Rico. Anchorage, looking north. Boqueron Bay, Puerto Rico. Beach looking south. |
