Spanish Fort at the mouth of San Juan Harbor
We were back aboard for a late dinner, and at about 11 p.m. the Golden Princess cast off her ropes and pushed away from the pier. I'm not sure exactly how long the Golden Princess is, but it's about a city block or so. She's 16 decks high, and the entrance and exit at pier-level is on deck 4. So it's a LONG way from the upper deck to the water! Watching her leave a berth at the end of the day quickly became one of my favorite pastimes. I'm so glad I didn't have to pilot this houseboat! Side-thrusters fore and aft would move her away from the pier, then the main engines would move her forward or back. Frequently she was so long that she'd have to back into or out of a harbor, because she was too big to turn around inside the harbor area.
By midnight we were gliding past the headland and into the Caribbean sea. The night was still and warm. The old fort was lit at the harbor entrance, and a lighthouse located on its far edge sent slow beams of light sweeping across the harbor.