And they're off, again...

Santa Marta was difficult in that we are required to hire an agent to get us checked in to Columbia and then checked out for San Blas. Cost us $163 thru a professional agent named Dino: Iikable local indian looking guy who spoke passable English and had our backs. Our mistake was stopping in a port hat had Customs and Irritation facilities; should have put in elsewhere and bluffed our way through like Manaure and the Army "cutter". Oh, we'll...live and learn. Topped off the tanks at $4.20 per gallon. No break here: do they charge Americans American prices? Venezuela is just around and across the boarder.

After listening to Mrs. Parker's son for weather routing and looking on the internet, we decided to go straight to the mouth (5 nm off, that is) of the Magdelana River which is the largest and longest in Columbia. One has to be that far off because of the current and traffic both in vessels as well as flotsam (animals, trees, logs, etc.). Right now the seas have picked up from 1' when we left under power and little wind to 10' seas with wind abaft (behind) the beam (side) at 15-18 knots. A little rolls as the seas are also running with the wind. Skys are blue and clear. Hopefully this'll last 'till late this afternoon and we'll be snugged in at Puerto Valero. 17 nm to the rivers mouth, up wind and wave admittedly, and no trash or brown water yet. We're 5 nm away and the water has turned. Looks like we're sailing off the E coast of Florida: same yellow, pale green and brown mixed together. Talk about run-off.

Not a cow, tree, or anything. Just rolly poly dirty water. We forgot to turn off the watermaker's so I'll, probably, have to change the filters. Duh!

Kinda rough out there.

Too hazy for pictures of the marina at Puerto Valero which shows up on the chart at the point of the sand spit that looks like a deflated penis. Actually it is half a mile closer to shore than shown. The chart depiction is short by nearly half a mile which would have been a major disaster had we come in at night.

Good bye Puerto Valero where the Costagardia came aboard to check us out. Very little English and a newbee who wanted to see everything and then some: engine serial numbersxscdxwcscfy; second ID; etc. even had me sign the document he filled out in Espanol and print in my FL driver's license number. My US passport number wasn't enough!

Got a shower, drink, great enchilada dinner, and 9 hrs. rack time. Woke to clear ( again) skies and little wind. After bacon, egg, hash browns, and coffee, we raised the main, pulled up the anchor at around 0915 and headed WSW (248*) for San Blas some 30+ (we hope -) hours away. Winds and seas so far (it's barely 1000) are light at under 10 kts and 1'. By noon seas are up to 3-4' and winds are10-12 kts. OK motor sail 'cause we need to make the 262 nm trip in under 32 hours to arrive in the light. That means we have to maintain an average speed above 7.5 kts/hr.

If you are interested in AIS and autopilot read on. Otherwise skip the next two sections.

AIS, Automatic Identification System, is an international vessel identification system that transmits vessel information over the VHF radio band. It reaches out from the vessel about 30 miles. It gives other vessels who have receivers particulars about the vessel such as name, type of vessel, cargo, direction, speed, destinations, etc. All vessels 100 tones and over are required to have and use them. Vessels show up on our chart plotter as green triangles which when "clicked" on give us all this myriad of info including Closest Approach in miles and time. What a wonderful thing to have especially at night or when they are below our horizon (only approx. 7-8 miles away) and when they're multiple "targets".

Also see the targets in the left corner in Cartagena Harbour
The autopilot is another helper that needs constant monitoring. When set to follow a course, it is constantly influenced by the wind (direction and strength) and currents. This is shown by the Off Course reading on the chart plotter as the bow swings left and right. One has to adjust it, seems like, every few minutes to get back within the 600' corridor on either side of the track where we like to be. Being off course on either side means a longer passage.

1600: The wind just gusted to 30 knots turning us into the wind. Sail boats do this as a safety measure: the stern is pushed around by the main overcoming the rudders. Given that the winds are expected to rise even further, we rolled up the jib snd turned fully into the wind and brought the main down while we crashed over the 10+' waves. It came down easily and folding nicely into the sail pack. I didn't get fully drenched, but wet enough pulling her down at the base of the mast. Back towards our course (we went off 0.6 nm off to the right (starboard and N)) and are still making good time: over 7.5 nm/hr average with just the jib back up.

0845, 2/22/2014: "Security, Security, Security! This is warship 04 at (position) preparing for live gunnery practice...." Oops...blundered into a firing range? After some consultation with warship 04 on the VHF we exchanged positions and an acknowledgement that they "saw" and "plotted" us 20 nm N of their position. They promised to try not to shell us given their course and aiming direction which should be behind us. Seas 5-7'; winds 11-14 knots abaft the beam; sunny with clouds; jib only 'till,after breakfast.

Most waves out here at the western end of the Caribbean Sea are doubles, a large wave followed in 4-6 seconds by another slightly smaller one. Both are followed by another big set 4 or 5 seconds later. This makes for a twisty, bumpy ride when combined with the wavelets that are created by the wind. Also, there is a cross wave pattern created by the currents (?) that juggles the whole thing into what a fellow cruiser called a "washing machine". For a catamaran with two hulls it's not so bad. But, for mono-maran, ouch. Things and people get a good tossing/bashing.

San Blas, Panama 30 hours after we left Puerto Valero. We managed to stay below the nasty weather just NNW of us which is there basically year round. It is supposed to be the World's third worst, on a par with Cape Horn. We did get a taste of it two nights ago, but here we skirted past. We did do it motor sailing to make it here in daylight having left Valero at around 0900. Simple, straight forward passage thru the reefs, hung a right then a left, and BINGO Nargana and Southern Comfort with Rob and Lauren blowing the horn celebrating our arrival.

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Aloha, Aruba

 

Good bye to the dust and mud it creates. Good bye to the one way streets and the circles they create. Good bye to the green grass (I hope) growing on the sugar scoop steps. We're off... All the repairs that could be made have been. The auto pilot is holding, so far and we haven't run into anything.

The Oranjestad tram that runs from the cruise terminal to old town.

We left the Renaissance Marina at around 1230. We cast off the dock lines holding us to windward on another boat in the slip next door and pulled into the basin just in front of us with the engines. Linda pulled in the dock lines while I steered. Once we were in front of our neighbor, I put her ( that's Kuhela, not Linda) tin neutral, ran forward and pulled up the anchor. We turned into the wind and Linda, now at the helm, kept us going forward as the chain rolled in. Anchor's away, Linda turns us, and we head out the channel for Barcadera: up wind and wave (East). It's blowing 20+ and the seas crashing over the bow are 5-6 ft. Barcadera is where we have to come along side the commercial pier to go into Customs and Irritation to check out, captain only, no Commadores allowed. Takes about 20 minutes filling out papers that I did checking in (no copier, I guess) and we're released to our next port: Cartagena, Columbia.

From a women's point of view: Harry didn't mention that our neighbors in the Marina were over million dollar boats and 90 feet long. With the wind blowing 20 (great for sailing) it wasn't such an easy task getting out of the slip. Fortunately, we only came as close as about 4 feet. The big plus was having our Aruban mechanic (and now friend) helping us cast off the lines. And now, about customs - if you read the last blog you may remember I did not do so well climbing out of the dingy onto the dock. There were huge tires I had to climb with the waves crashing into the side of the dingy and I was slammed against the tires as the dingy flew out from under my feet . It wasn't a pretty sight. Picture a 65 year old hanging on and trying to pull herself up 5 feet over the tires onto the dock - not graceful!! So, after 4 weeks in Aruba, my rib cage has recovered and the pain is gone so you can imagine how I felt going again to customs. Oh, but of course, this time we would be on the boat and I could step onto the dock. HAH!!!! Too far to even jump, as I would have to hang onto the top set of tires and climb over. SO. I told Harry to tell them to come to me if they wanted to see me. Turns out they didn't even care.

We make our 1400 est. departure, haul up the main sail, turn starboard (left), and head out for the high seas. Not so high, thankfully, as we were lead to believe by the grib (wifi weather files) files: 1-3ft. seas and 10-16 knot winds. We sail down wind, wing and wing (that's the main out to starboard and the jib - that' the smaller sail at the bow - polled out to port. Dolphins follow us in our bow wave for a good half hour, breaking off when we pass two tankers transferring cargo right in the middle of our course (rumb line) for Bahia Honda, our first rest stop in Columbia. We'll stop there early tomorrow morning (looks like 0530 as we're making much better time than we planned: 6.9 v. 6 knots); or if we aren't pooped, continue on to Manaure another 58 nautical miles further on. We'll see tomorrow.

The sun is setting and we will arrive at some islets, Monjes del Este, at around 2200. Yah, after dark: lousy planning I'd say. I learned why my auto pilot, Mona, makes so much noise - from the start, even. Seems the bit.h had a leak in a hydraulic line or two. With my trusty, dusty little adjustable wrench, I gave her a tweak 'cause we had noticed that in addition to her moaning she was loosing fluid, not much, but some. Now she's quiet and keeping her fluid to her self. Oh, joy and rupture!

Dawn: COLUMBIA! Wow, how under impressive: flat, dersert-like Aruba-' few lights, one ship anchored at Badia de Portete probably to load coal from the largest open pit in South America (Columbia, anyway). Winds are under 10 with a following 2' sea. Definately unexpected and forecasted: winds 20-25, seas 6'+. Happy days are here again!

We bypassed Bahia Honda and re-routed for Manaure, important for its salt flats and propane fields. Woo-woo. We should get there at around 1500, drop sail, and anchor. It's a run of 160 nm and 25 hours. Pretty good we think for our first leg.

"What in the world do you do while underway? " you might ask. Fix things that break is number 1. As this is a boat in a very caustic environment, s..t happens with some regularity; maybe it's just another way to set the sails, like learning how to use the whisker pole: a telescoping pole attached to the mast that clips on to the in halyard and holds the jib out over the side keeping it from collapsing. Standing watches and looking for flotsam and other vessels; adjusting the course due to changes in wind direction and currents; keeping an eye on the depth sounder when we're in shallow (less than 50') waters, and a lot of reading both easy as well as educational (weather forecasting, storm tactics, cruising guides, etc.). And playing Spider and backgammon (Harry) on our computers which for Harry is an idiot player. Beats being a couch potatoe by just a little.

Manaure, Columbia is a salt shipment "pier" and conveyor/shoot off the beach. Nothing else but a few isolated houses. Arrived here, it's a lee shore, at 1500, put down the anchor, and that's it. No place to land even if we wanted to. What a terrible anchorage even for the fishermen who have to swim out to their boats morning and night. Winds were 20+ knots with a 2-3' chop bouncing us around most of the night.

Salt conveyor in background on a surprisingly calm morning after.

Manaure Playa (beach) with the fishing boats anchored off. This morning was clam with a light breeze which aided in putting the baton (a stiffening rod running fore and aft sewn into a pocket in the main) back in the main sail.

The best was yet to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The morning of the second day is warm with blue sky's, some puffy white coluds, wind 10-12 knots and virtually flat seas; like yesterday. We're off at 1100 heading for Bahia de el Rodadera some 120 nm further down the coast and just past Santa Marta. The headland just before Santa Marta has a reputation for some serious winds and seas. We'll be taking it very early in the morning tomorrow. Hopefully it's reputation will not survive the wee hours. I'm at the helm (driving, steering sorta) watching for Manaurian fishermen and dodging the two oil drilling (or maybe just pumping now) platforms named Chuchupa A & B some 17 mn ahead. We'll pass just left of them thru a restricted corridor which shows up on the chart as two, red dotted lines.

I can't believe I'm COLD! All afternoon while sitting at the helm with a 17-29 knot wind running over me and the thermometer showing 79* and I'm cold. Linda says she's cold, too, so I' apparently not coming down with anything. Wow: long pants and fleece jacket and definately in order.

It's 0140 on Wednesday the 19th, our second overnight passage. Linda has gone down below for a well deserved rest. We're off Cabo San Juan de Guie which is the beginning of the headland E of Santa Marta in the Tayrona National Part. This is the area noted for its huge seas and high winds that we are every apprehensive about. So far, knock on wood, following seas are 7-8' and winds are 17-20 knots off the shore to the port (S). We are running with only the main up trying to slow down so we don't get to our next anchorage, Bahia de el Rodadero, before dawn.

What a difference 2 hours and 14 nm makes: gusts to 41+ knots, seas to 10', and a wind shift. The boat was over powered and turned into the wind which it's supposed to do. Managed to get the sail down - thankfully the jib was already rolled on - and regained control with the engines. We were far enough off the coast that at least we didn't end up there. The short hop around Isla de Aguja saw us to calmer waters until we got past Santa Marta where the winds went back to 30+ knots. We turned around and beat a hasty retreat back to Santa Marta where we had to do circles for 2 hours before we got a port clearance to enter. We got fuel at the marina and had to check-in. Rob and Lauren lucked out bluffing their way thru without checking in. Here, not so.

 

Here's the Army dude that boarded us near Manaure. Very friendly with a smattering of English. Took pictures of everything even under my wall-hung tool chest?????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And his cutter...

 

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Holly Cow...Aruba, still

"Here we sit all broken hearted, paid to" fix "but only" paid, paid paid...

Making repairs in exotic places at exotic prices has taken on an almost new meaning. We are now into our 4th week here trying to get the steering fixed (we think it's done having put in a new helm pump) and the generator rebuilt after it injested sea water. The generator problem also came with a broken bearing in the raw water cooling pump which, of curse, needed to be replaced. Thankfully we were able to impose on Rob Dehaan's, Southers Comfort, Port Supply (wholesale branch of West Marine) account connection to purchase the pumps. FedEx shipped the first pump thru Curaçao (apparently didn't know where Aruba is) taking a full week to get to us. The parts for the rebuild came in 4 days. Hopefully the new cooling pump will come a little faster now that they have some current, geographic experience.

So, here we sit on the downwind side of a semi-arid (too little sand inland to consider it a desert) island. Reminds we of living in Albuquerque, NM back in the 60's after I flunked out of Oregon State and before I joined the Army. Kuhela is covered in dust as we are: you wouldn't believe how brown a white wash cloth gets when you take a shower. In fact with the one or two short showers, and it mean SHORT, most of it is now mud. Sad, 'cause this really is an interesting place with sunny, warm temps (80's) tempered by the (damn) winds. People are very friendly and speak English better and more universally than in Puerto Rico. Lots of good restaurants at more reasonable prices than Orlando or Honolulu. By the way we changed our home port (printed over out engine hatches) to Honolulu and Hawaii from Monroe, NC. You should hear the comments from a constant flow of people passing by on the dock where we are Med-moored (anchor out front and backed in to nearly touching the dock) and tied off to the dock.

Yup, cruise ship, but only one, in the background. Usually there's two with another out of sight behind this one.

We went to the NW end of the island called Palm Beach where the hotels and condos are on the beach (as opposed to Eagle Beach where the high rise hotels and condos are behind the beach). We had Happy Hour drinks on the beach and then dinner (thrice) at some very good places. Yes, a good time was had by all...

We are toying with the idea of leaving here - yes it will happen - and heading straight for San Blas, Panama skipping Cartagena which we saw 18 years ago on a NCL cruise. But, after more research and a blog from Adina we have decided to hug the coast to Cartagena and then cross to San Blas. The wind and waves on a more direct route are not so good, especially off of Santa Marta with her gale force winds.

 

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Aruba II

We've been here nearly two weeks. So far we have diagnosed, we believe, the steering problem and the reason the generator quit. The steering required a new helm pump for $900+; the generator a rebuild with parts for about the same price. Add the labor to this at $40/hr. And we're in it up to our necks, even before tax season. Ya, ya, we're living the life, but paying I for it, too.

Our view of the downtown and cruise terminal at Oranjestad. Next to us are Tom and Susan on Adina from London, UK. They are waiting for parts and a weather window for Cartagena, too.

We had a joke with Sand Groper in Culebra that they could check out but couldn't leave. Now the shoe is on the other foot with Hotel California here.

California Lighthouse

Looking for the green flats (none: too hazy) from the restaurant (great but pricy) at the lighthouse.

Here are a few scenes from the north side (windward) of Aruba: 25 mph winds, very rough seas and desolate with no trees, few cacti and thorny shrubs. The roads are all dirt with one place that was covered by deep sand. Of course, we got stuck and had to beg help from a passing Canadian (Mannatoba) to bodily push us out(small car, T.G.). And this is the famous Aruban natural bridge (now collapsed). It's at the and on the dirt road that started at the California Lighthouse and wound down the rugged north coast past the gold smelter/refinery (also defunct).

 

 

That's the top of the x-bridge in the center, left of the red car and at the end of the asphalt.

Incredible winf and WAVES.

 

This a shot SW towards Oranjestad and Santa Cruz from the highest point on Aruba (Jamanota) near the Arikok National Park. Isn't high enough to capture the clouds, thus very little rain on this semi desert island

.

Highest point with Linda next to car.

The marina has worked a deal with the Renaissance Beach Hotel for us to use the hotel's private island (and all other amenities) located a little east of here at the foot of the international airport.

Yup, flamingos!

View from the private island back towards Oranjestad. The hotel and marina are just off the ship's bow and past the white cruise terminal building. The airport is hard right over the mangroves.

This is Niki Beach between the hotel and the airport. It's where cruisers are told they can anchor after they clear in at Barcadera two miles further east past the smoldering (looks like a lava flow at night), smokey eye-sore dump.




We've ordered the generator parts. They'll have to be ordered by Mastry in Florida from Yanmar USA (could take as short a time as a week depending on weather conditions in Atlanta), then another week by FedEx from FL who doesn't know where Aruba is. Took them a week to find us last time (helm pump). So, we'll be here awhile. Anyone interested in getting away from the weather "up north"? COME ON DOWN!!!

 

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Aruba

On 1/9/14 we left Curaçao for Aruba to stage for Columbia just 96 nm away. The overnight sail was without incident save the continuing rudder/steering problems. Once here, I changed out the starboard rudder ram hoping that would take care of all our problems. Well, NOT! as we soon learned. Linda injured her ribs climbing up the truck tires suspended over the edge of the 7 ft. high pier at Barcadera where we had to present ourselves with boat papers and passports to Customs and Irritation. The pain really set in the next day, so I hope that means nothing broken, just torn. The pain is subsiding daily to where today she reports, "Better, thank you."

So, back to the steering. Last Thursday, we took off in a pretty good weather window for Bahia Honda, Columbia. 20 minutes out and it was obvious that the rudders were not fixed. We bid "Adieu" to Rob and Lauren on Southers Comfort and turned tail and fled back to Rennaissance Marina at Oranjestad where we hoped to find a pro to fix the problem once and for all. Well, I think we did. At lease we noodled the problem away from the rams to a leaking master cylinder at the helm. Seems the part that "never" fails, FAILED. It's a plastic (go figure) plug than with a spring holds a ball bearing in place above the delivery line port. And there are two of them. Because they never fail, they are not available from the manufacturer or even their repair center. The repair center in Jacksonville, FL is trying to scrounge two up from a junked unit and will let us know (today?) if we have to buy a new pump for $1,000+ from West Marine who'll ship it here for the princely sum of just $196.00. Repairs in exotic places at exotic prices: oh, joy and rupture.

In the mean time, Rob and Lauren decided to sail straight thru to Cartagena by the most direct route (staying off shore instead of hugging it.) WRONG!!! Seems the winds (upwards to 33 kts.) and seas (upwards to15+ ft.) we're horrific, beating them nearly senseless. Topping this was poor and errored navigation data which nearly ran them aground at Puerto Velero: they saw the breakers and the shallows in time to start the engine and run back out. The point was nearly a mile too short on the chart. Two other boats, Alibi and Celtic Rover, both got hammered, too, with CR taking a huge wave over the bow that swept into the cockpit and down the companionway into the salon. Both arrived in Cartagena alive and afloat. Rob's advise is stay on the 100 ft. depth line hugging the coast and pull in most every night to rest. The Columbian Coast Guard is very friendly when they see your papers are in order: a zarpe (a ticket out of the country you were just in), passports, and your registration. DO THE TRIP IN 3-4 days, NOT STRAIGHT THRU. Of course, we'll follow his advise explicitly.

Just waiting to get the H... out of here! You can checkout, but you can't leave.




 

Med moored at Rennaissance. They pushed us in against the wind with a dingy and tied us up to the dock stern in.

Oranjestad looking W towards the cruise ship terminal (on the left).

 

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It Starts - Curaçao

We started The Great Adventure II ( TGA II) only to have the auto pilot go on the fritz 5 miles from the start. So, we turned tail and went West to Sunbay Marina in Fajardo for repairs. It turned out to be fortuitous in that we sold on eBay our old Volvo Penta engines to a guy in Florida. Getting them there is turning into another story because the shipper has classified them as dangerous/hazardous cargo: diesel and oil, ya know. We're working our way thru this and hopefully they'll wend their way to FL next week.

We spent New Years in Culebra (we took the ferry over from Fajardo: as "seniors" it's $2 round trip each!) with fellow cruisers Roni and James Redman on their catamaran Harlequinn on a ball behind the reef at Dakity. We went to Susie's for a lovely dinner together with another cruising Australian couple, Bruce and Gina on Wyuna, and then toured downtown Dewey with at least 2,000+\- Puerto Ricans who came over for the week. Loud, loud, loud... I guess we are getting too old to appreciate the pressing crowds and blaring music. We took the fast ferry at 1 pm back to Sunbay to do the final prep for our departure.

January 2, 2014, 3 pm marks the real beginning of TGA II when we pulled out of the Sunbay slip, having said our "Adios" to Doña Olga, and headed SW for Curaçao 420 nm and, as it turned out, 60 hours away. We motored to the entrance of Roosevelt Roads, turned into the wind (25 kts) in 4 ft seas, put the main up bumping up and down, turned to course 206 ( SW) and out ran the wind within a half hour. We poked along as the sun set in the West, chasing a rain squall that came off Viegues. The wind finally picked up towards morning along with the seas. They remained generally 20-25 kts and 6-8 ft with spurts up to 35 kts and down to 6 kts (infrequently, I might add). It was a lumpy, bumpy sail most of the way.

Sailing at night with no moon is a little spooky and tricky when all you can see is the bow and the stars. We run the radar sweep at 36 miles and the AIS (Automatic Ident. System) which tracks ships (required if over 100 tons) that have it. Linda likes to sit at the helm watching the read-outs: radar, AIS, course, boat speed, and wind speed. There is a possibility she'll see lights, but not likely. My watch consists of checking everything, then setting the kitchen (galley) timer for 30 minutes and then snoozing on the settee sitting up. When the timer goes off, I come back to the helm, chech everything to include a look for lights and sail trim, then back down again for another 30 minutes.

Two days in and the starboard (right) rudder worked its way out of alignment. What this meant is that when the wind gusted Kuhela would turn East into the wind and stall. What I did was to run the port engine to pusher around and back onto course. This along with reefing the jib (rolling it in a foot or so) and letting the main out helped to keep us going more or less on our track. At 2 am we saw the light from Bonaire and at 3 am the smaller light on our port side from Oostpunt, the Eastern point of Curaçao. We took down the sails and motored into the sunrise (good timing, what!) for Spanish Waters and Southern Comfort who had left a week before us). An armada of boats was coming at us, so much so that we turned away from the coast to get out of the partyrush eastwards. Unbeknownst to us there was a First Sunday on the New Year jamboree at Fulkbaai (bay) where most Curasaowins hang out drinking in the shallows, listening to two rated bands, and just having a goot time. Most of the boats were quite small (under 20 ft) stuffed with people all dressed in bright red life jackets. There couldn't have been 4" of freeboard. In fact we saw one boat swamped when a large trawler hammered them with its prodigious wake. Just like PR, and the US, few "sailors" have any sailing knowledge or training. The partygoers were all fine.

We motored in the narrow changed flonked by a large, squat restore with a pier along the short on one side and a brown and bushy hill on the other. The streaming of boats never diminished as they went around us and the Antillean Coast Guard boat skulking in mid channel. Hard to starboard at the head of the channel, and there was Southern Comfort hailing us on the VHF (radio)! Pulled in close by on Rob's advise and splashed 125 ft of anchor rhode in 30 ft of water. Backed down hard to set the anchor for the prevailing winds (gusting to 35 kts) and "Bob's your uncle": end of leg one.

Monday morning with Rob and Lauren as guides - they had spent a Huricane Season here two years ago - we boarded the 9 am bus for Willemstaad and Customs and Irritation which went smoothly but slowly: now we're legal, but must check out with both when we leave.

Speaking of leaving, seems when our generator was put in an anti-siphon loop wasn't installed. So, when I cranked the engine two weeks ago and it didn't start I sucked salt water into the cylinders. Kaput! We'll be here two more weeks to have the engine repaired at $55/hr. Rob and Lauren will leave Saturday night for Aruba to stage for Cartegna.

On the plus side of the ledger, we repaired the chain stripper on the anchor windlass, repaired the sat phone antenna lead, re-wired the A/C side of the panel (new buss bars for positive, neutral, and ground), had the generator motor repaired and a new solenoid attached, and re-fueled. Did I say we live in a caustic environment? But, we do get to make these repairs in exotic places at exotic prices!

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Flamingo Bay, St. Thomas, USVI

We arrived off Water Island at around 2:30 pm after an uneventful, somewhat bouncy ride from Culebra, PR. Yes, the hydraulic steering ram leaked making steering by hand a little difficult and the autopilot didn't function properly: yup, it's a boat. Will work on them this afternoon.

This is our $1 million view while we're here!

I'm trying out our Spot, a GPS/wifi tool that sends messages and our position to a list of people I've programmed in. If you got a message, please let me know what you think of it.

We're here in Charlotte Amalie to stock-up on booze at duty-free prices for both us and Southern Comfort who's going on "the hard" at Puerto Del Rey Marina this morning for a good bottom scraping and painting preparatory to our leaving for Curaçao. They are delighted to report that all their systems are finally working including their very old, troublesome engine. Obviously Rob was able to noodle through all it's vagaries.

We are both fine (as is the weather) and looking forward to leaving on The Great Adventure II.

 

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Update: Still in Puerto Rico

Our dearest Aunty Sally (Arnold) Lowrey, 98 3/4 years old, finally reached her 30+year goal of joining her dear husband, Bob, and son, David. She died quietly at Arcadia (her assisted living facility for the past 30+ years) in Honolulu, Hawaii. She and my Dad moved to Hawaii with their parents in 1919.

 

Can you believe this woman is 98 years old I n this picture!!!!!!!!!???????

It is said that "Cruising is making repairs at exotic prices in exotic places." That coupled with B o a t meaning "Bring On Another Thousand" and I think you get the picture. Oh, let's not forget that each job takes three times as long IF you have done it before. Otherwise... By mid day my "Work" T-shirt is completely soaked as my shorts are half way down from my svelt waist. Linda, on the other hand is inboard with a little "glow" on her forehead and her sexy upper lip. She gets the inside duties which are not to be underestimated: cooking (X3), dishes (again X3 or more), coffee at O'dark 30, washing and hanging my sweat dried shirts, sewing cushions for the salon and cockpit, correspondence (email and voice), trying to keep me (and she) happy, etc. My day consists of fixing and/or replacing things that have broken or reached their useful live span: God bless American built in obsolesence and Chinese slave labor technology. You might not believe the mess I can make learning and relearning plumbing (water, raw and fresh; waste; piping, plastic/rigid, and flexible hose for both; breaking Chinese hose clamps that drain away all our fresh water and wipe out the pressure pump); pumps for bilge and water making; electrical both 110 volt and 12 volt including generation (solar, wind, diesel and inversion (12v to 110v), mechanics, mechanical systems, engines (both diesel and gas), etc. And I used to say I could sail. Yup, it's a long, hot day everyday. But, every night we have $1 million views, sunsets, and neighbors. And if we don't, we move. Life is good.

Linda has modified (with my permission, of course: NOT!) our sail (yah, the easy part) plan, to whit we will make single destination goals and decide after we arrive each time if we will continue on. So, after our trip to Florida the week (10 days) of October 14th to see friends, Mother Millie, grand kids, kids, doctor check ups, etc. we will probably head out the second week of November for Curaçao, a 2 1/2 day sail South and a little West of PR. How long we'll stay in the area and when we'll leave will be worked out after we arrive. We hope to cruise in company with Rob and Lauren Dehaan aboard Southern Comfort: there's pirates in them thar waters...AARGGG!

 

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Great Day in the Morning!

It was a hot, bright blue, clear day when we did our sea trial with the Yanmar engineer, Charlie, Bob Lamire of Applied Marine (FJ Propeller) who did the install, and our good cruising friend Gabriel Rivera of Good Timing. It went, pardon the pun, swimmingly. Everything worked to every ones satisfaction and Charlie signed off on the installation. Kuhela did 8.5 knots at 3,100 RPM and cruised along at 7.5 knots at 2,500 RPM, her cruising RPM's. After 8 weeks of twists and turns, wet and dry, ups and downs we have a beautiful renovated home with a new propulsion system that should keep us moving from one $1 million view to another in comfort and style. But, we spent our children's inheritance and a little more to "get 'er done".

Putting everything back that was taken off for the painting has been a hard, hot job here at dock side. We are having an insurance survey in the middle of all this which has driven Linda up a tree trying to clean and put everything away. We have two cabins full of seat foam which will be shortly turned into cushions and mattresses. This hasn't made the "putting away" easy at all. The third is full of projects: new dingy windlass set up; new TV dish; flooring; shelving; new cockpit enclosure; etc. But, she did a yeoman's job and "got 'er done".

Linda and I are well and looking forward to getting back to our haunt, Culebra, and our cruising neighbors. We'll be there making minor repairs and minor improvements thru October when we plan to start our trip with five other boats to Australia via the Panama Canal and the South Pacific some time in late February next year: the next Great Adventure. We will be back to central Florida before we leave to say good by and do our annual doctor and dentist visits.

More later with pictures...

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Splash!!!

Looks like we'll go back in the water this Thursday. A final glitch turned out to be the propeller mounting assembly which one would thing came with the sail drive. Not! It had to be ordered from Florida on Friday and FedEx'd to be here Monday. One did come with the wrongly geared drives that we were able to sell to a cat in the BVI. Unfortunately Yanmar said they don't do this and as a result it was wrong for our replacement (2.49 : 1.00 geared) drives. Florida is splitting the cost with us 'cause of the Yanmar HQ intervention several weeks ago. Now we'll wait and see if this kit actually fits/works. More after we are "in".

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On the Hard

The hulls have been AwlGripped to the level of the deck: water level up outside and under. Unfortunately another weather wave is forecast for tomorrow and Monday; then the 4th and another $65 without work/progress: boo-hoo! Anyway we are progressing and it still looks like 6 weeks total.

Let me relate the story of the engines and sail drives. We ordered two Yanmar 4JH5E Angie's with sail drives from a distributor in Florida recommended by our good friend Rob Dehaan on Southern Comfort. This was May 10. The purchase was shipped in error to St. Thomas, USVI by the retailer in Miami designated by the distributor. He says the it was because the warehouse people were morons, and then ducked for cover and out of sight. The distributor was no help, either, and Linda had to find a shipper in St. Thomas and have the "package" re-shipped to San Juan, of course at out expense. Linda and I drove our contractors panel truck to old San Juan, loaded the engines and sail drives up, and brought them back to Puerto Del Rey Marina where Kuhela sits high and dry getting her new paint job. There the contractor, Bob Lamire, discovered the gear ratio in the proves was wrong as to the size and weighted the boat. Seems the distributor forgot to look at the information I sent on his form and that this year there were to gear ratios for the sail drives. He'd sent what he had in stock. When so informed, he said there was nothing he could do: neither take them back and exchange them for the proper ones, or find new gears to put in, or anything else. He basically ran for cover. I then begged him for safety reasons to help us out, and because we are paying $65/day to be out of the water, and he relented. At the same time we went to the local PR dealer to buy spare parts and I asked if there were and gear parts to be had there. As the SD60 sail drives are so new, there is nothing in the computers as yet. So, in comes the Yanmar engineer to see what he can do. When he hears our story of woe, he lets Yanmar Atlanta know what is happening. And, low and behold, our distributor is falling all over himself trying to straighten this out. Suddenly two correct sail drives are located in NJ, and a buyer for our wrong ones is located in the BVI. This all happened Friday last during a sales trip to the Keys while fielding on the road hundreds of calls and emails. So, as is stands today, I must wire transfer $8,000+ to the FL distributor to get him to authorize the shipment to PR and sell the wrong drives. If all goes perfectly, the drives will leave NJ Thursday, arrive San Juan Monday or Tuesday next (weather permitting), and be installed by a week from this Friday. While all of this is going on, I'll be negotiating with a guy in Texas to buy my "wrong" ones. I'll let you know.

 

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More adventures!

I am working on my next update! The adventures continue...stay tuned!

 

We're BAAAAACK!!!!!

Sue Klumb (s/v Orion) came over today and figured out what I did wrong (see previous Blog entry below). So, hopefully that's behind me. By using a new iPad program, Blogsy, I hope to resurrect "The Adventures..." Plus, my mentor and nemesis, Rob Dehaan, sold s/v Arita, hasn't made a blog entry since December, and has been consumed and distracted by his new purchase and renovation of s/v Southern Comfort. Really his blog (to my knowledge he has not created a new one (Cruising on Southern Comfort ?) as yet: stay tuned as it will be a smashing one when he does.

A lot has transpired since last I wrote. We are still in Culebra, Puerto Rico and are still in the throws of olde, abused Volvo engines. A year ago we tried to head for the Classic Boat Race again in Antigua, but only made it to St. Thomas, USVI, 17 miles E as our port engine over-heated and cr..ped out. $2,000 Later we came back to Culebra, went to Fajardo on the mainland, returned half way and lost the port engine again. So, brilliant me decides to have it rebuilt; best place according to the worldwide web is in Maine, so off she goes. Turns out the head was warped again as were the cylinders: $12,000 to rebuild. Back to square two and find a used one on eBay for $4,500. Won the bid (I was the only bidder; should have told me something) and began the wait for the engine to start in CA. After 6 weeks we decided we'd been more than patient, cancelled the order, and decided to buy new Yanmar diesels with new sail drives. Ouch!!! Anyway given we plan to sail via Panama and Galapagos to Australia, having new, dependable, worry free engines makes the most sense: duh! Now we wait for the Miami dealer to deliver the engines to Puerta del Rey so we can haul-out and have them installed. While there, what the heck, let's paint the bottom, paint the top side, lengthen the sugar scoops on the stern, and do other various and sundry goodies.

Here we sit in paradise waiting, waiting... More next time.

at old ferry dock with engine on stern

Port engine out and on stern

 

We're Back and Playing Catch-up

Because I wrote the last few blogs in Word and copied them to the blogspot program, they all failed to print out: just the titles showed as you have seen.  Rather that going back and trying to reconstruct them, I'll summarize here.

We've been hanging aroung Culebra and Fajardo, PR dodging two TS, only one of which turned into a hurricane right over our hidyhole in the mangroves.  The winds at the top of the mast (67 feet up) got into the high 50s, but down where were never above 25 knots.  We were fine.  Dewey (a mile down wind/path) on the other hand got whacked.

Back in mid October we got a call from Jessica Fine - Ned (deceased) and Suzy (my sister) Von Geldern's daughter and step daughter, respectively - that Suzy was in Straub Hospital in Honolulu and not expected to recover.  She had redeveloped scoliosis from one of  two spinal fractures, a failed spinal surgery, partially repaired shoulder cuff surgery,extreme pain (neck, back and shoulder) resulting in alcohol and pain medication addiction, etc.  Her spirits were good, notwithstanding.  She realized her situation and decided that DNR was in her best interest.  We immediately booked tickets to Hawaii arriving Wednesday night, October 26.  We had a good visit.  Hospics was called in and Suzy was transferred to a facility in Kaneohe.  On November 9, with family at her side and under a hoku moon (Hawaiian full moon with a circle around it) Suzy left us for her soul mate, Ned.  Because the Death Certificate couldn't be produced for 10 days and because the Von Gelderns and Fines needed to return to the Mainland (business, family, etc. duties) we decided to have a memorial service at Suzy's request on January 14th.  So we returned to Orlando where we had already plannecd Thanksgiving. 
We checked with our friends Sue and Steve Pinhey, Loose Change, in Culebra to see if they would watch our boat which we had moored at SunBay Marina in Fajardo for $1/foot/day.  Steve offered to save us a round trip and move Kuhela for us plus keep an eye on her.  So, we hung out in Orlando nursing our dear friend Jackie Williams (1/6 of the SixPac: Jim and Jane Caltrider, the Arnolds and DuaneWilliams) who had broken her ankle.  We had Thanksgiving and Christmas with the whole family for the first tmes in a few years.  Linda's mom, Mildred "Millie" Welsh, had two strokes a week before Christmas, so with all that was going on, Linda was kept hopping. Millie in slowly recovering her speach and number comprehension: thankfully no paralysis.
Back to Hawaii on January 11 for the memorial service on the 14th with our daughters, one son-in-law (Mark), and five grandchildren.   Little did we know that the Sony Invitational (FKA Hawaiian Open) was on the same day a block down the road.  Kahala Beach Park is across the street from where Suzy, Johnny and I grew up.  Suzy wanted her ashes scattered off the park and beyond the reef.  Jessica made it all happen.  Family rode a sailing canoe out beyond the reef  on a mill pond calm sea where we dropped her li leaf urn over the side in 20 feet of water.  We were able to see her all the way to the bottom, it was that clean.  A honu (turtle) popped its head out of the sea just yards from us as if to say its goodbye, too. What a perfect time.  We then repaired to the Outrigger Club (guess who has a membership: ya Jessica) for a service with all of Suzy's friends and family.  After the service, three whales breached off shore to the delight oif everyone.  Usually whales are sighted between Maui and Lanai and not so much off Oahu.
By the time we god home, we'd been gone three months less a week.  Wow, way too long!  Now we sit and getting over miserable colds we picked up in the virus pool we'd been living in so long.  Cough, cough; runny, runny; itchy, itchy; pooped.
I've managed to reinstall the repaired watermaker so we are back up to half full.  The center console for the dingy is on hold for another part: motor conversion kit from Mi-jami.  I'm cleaning out the tool room, rearranging, putting away and cleaning.  We're both reconnecting with all of our cruising friends in the area.  For those who have sailed on, we'll see you later.

X-Tropical Storm Maria

It's 7 a.m. in the mangroves at Ensenada Honda, Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico with mostly  cloudy (high) skies and no wind: calm!  Maria really did fell apart from the wind sheer that started yesterday.  Last night was to be her debut, but she was, thankfully, wanting having changed her mind and turned farther N than predicted even as late as yesterday morning.  Today's prediction is for her to change her mind again, reform, and head out above the Bahamas and E of the U.S. coast as she grows in strength over the last week or two of her life.  But, fear not, another bunch of storms (so far) are right behind her headed this way (N of us?  S of us?  Who the H... knows?)  So here we sit with balmy skies and Trade Winds waiting for Tuesday and our next go around with presents from Africa.  I am living me dream!

Would you believe - yes, you would - the port engine is still on the fritz.  Mister "Muskles" managed to over tighten the hold down bolt on #3 injector stripping out the aluminum threads with the metal 10mm X 1.5 bolt: see, I am learning all about diesel mechanics, even metric stuffs.  So, I'll Helicoil (put in new 10mm X 1.5 threads) it and try again to seat the currently leaking injector.  If that doesn't work, I'll have to tap (cut in new threads) it to 11mm for a new bolt.

And, not to be out done, the water maker died.  Leaks not only water from the piston,  but also oil (from the gear box).  So, I'll now learn all about desalination.  You know, high pressure pumps, 12 volt electric motors to drive same, and osmotic membranes to filter sea water. Thank God I have the basic assembly knowledge and piping from the first one.   The one good thing is that I'll up fresh water production from 6 gallons per hour to 40 g.p.h.  Man, with production like that I can wash the boat with fresh water any time and sell the remainder to my fellow cruisers.  Nothing like a little side job for extra income.

I doubled (double up) all the lines into the mangroves so I could just pull them back on board with out having to climb back in again.  Smart!!  Not only did it make it easy to untie, but also doubled the strength holding us in.

Culebra Continued

The sun is out and we are making electricity!!!  30+ amps/hour, NET!  Zowie!

Cat 3 Irene is over Eleuthra and Rum Cay Bahamas with TS winds out 225 miles...look out FL as even a near miss is going to be WET if not windy.  Keep an eye on Wunderground.com's blog by Dr. Masters.  He seems to have one of the best handles on it.  Good luck and keep thinking NORTH today and tomorrow and then EAST for the weekend.

Culebra, Puerto Rico

When we saw that Tropical Depression Irene was headed our way, we decided to bug to Culebra. We were still on one engine as I was unable to get the injector tubes connected, even though Fernando: The Boat Doctor had put the "new" injector pump and left the hook-up for ich. Irene was supposedly headed below St. Croix to our SE, then NE from there to the western tip of Puerto Rico and on to the W towards Hispaniola. Culebra is ENE of Fajardo and seemed to be a good place to hide out. Well as you know, the predicted course was just an intelligent guess and the ichtbay did her own thing and turned north faster than expected. Once we saw that we headed for the mangroves where our friend Jim Alimi on Zoya catamaran guided us to a shallow, narrow arm where we nosed in to a stand of mangrove roots. One small, shallow-draft sloop, Meander, beat us in and another sloop and a "stink pot" trawler, Mombo. , followed behind. We pulled the anchor into the root system and tied on five more lines to the larger trunks. From the beams and stern cleats we tied four more lines to more mangrove trunks. After lashing the sail to the boom and adding two more lines to augment the mail sheet, I spread the jib lines out to the mid-beam cleats to prevent the jib from moving. All of this took about three mosquito-less, dry hours in cooling breezes…man, what unbelievable luck. The only hard part was pumping the heads with the sulfur laden mangrove water. On reflection and further discussions with Jim, we should have put our no less than double the amount of lines we did: minimum of 20. Thankfully it turned out OK with the highest wind gusts in the early hours of Monday, 8/22/11, at 44 kph 67 feet above us. Down where we were snuggled in I doubt it got above 25 kph: a great spot with a hill to the E of us. Heavy rain filled but didn't swamp our new dingy. Dewey on Culebra 1.5 miles W of us saw sustained 67 kph winds, lost power, telephones, and water all due to poor planning and engineering: typical Puerto Rican as I'm told. Even the Post Office closed down for two days. What happened to "Neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night…"? We came out to the lake in front of our canal unscathed at 3 pm (high tide) on Monday and anchored in the higher, cooling breezes, but still sheltered from the E and S winds and waves. On Tuesday we moved one bay closer to the entrance of Bahia Ensenada and across from Dakity where we normally hook up to a mooring ball. Still a little breezy and rough from Irene's bands: she's over Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas now! Huge! Monster! Hope she doesn't pull any more pranks and turn W again and hit FL.

One of the things we got done in the mangroves was to hook up the pressure and return lines to the injectors on the port engine. Hallelujah the engine started. BUT, the injectors leak so we can only maintain about 1,500 rpms. BUT, again, we can maneuver!!! What a wonderful feeling to be back in almost complete control.

We'll hang here under cloudy , wet skies 'till Thursday to hopefully pick up our mail and packages. Then back to SunBay in Fajardo to have The Boat Doctor remedy the leaking injectors, Papo install an injector on the outboard, and have the old injector pump rebuilt for a spare. So, come one, come all starting next Monday when we'll be in San Juan for a pickup: we gots da space.

Fajardo and Salinas, Puerto Rico

Over the past month we have had both daughters (sans husbands, unfortunately),  four grand kids, and Kathy and Lee Maidenberg (dear friends from Clearwater, FL) stay with us.  Kathy and Lee had the pleasure of riding out tropical storm Emily at Yobos just E of Salinas.  Lee was most helpful helping me survey the nooks and crannies for a snug hiding spot in the mangroves. Thankfully we didn't have to "repair" to them and the skeeters as Emily never quite got up to speed as she passed to the S and W of us.  One early morning of high winds and torrential rains and she was gone over Hispaniola.  We made it to the bioluminescent bay at Las Carobas near Fajardo with Aimee and the g-children, and Mosquito Lagoon, Viequez with Marnie and the boys. Now that's a sight to be seen: light blue "fire" as you cut through the water with hand or paddle.  The boys had to try peeing, but without success as the dinoflagilates were under the surface a few inches.

Our port engine has been out the whole time.  We finally believe it is the injector pump that needs to be rebuilt.  I have been trying to get out, but have had to tap and spray (Blaster: it really works, but slowly) because of the corrosion caused by the raw water pump's (it's situated over the engine so when it failed several years ago, it sprayed the entire engine with sea water) failure.  Anyway I'm down to one more nut which should come off this morning.  Then I'll put in a pump I got with the purchase from the local Volvo dealer of another engine for its parts.  We HOPE this will do the trick.  The Boat Doctor, Fernando, has been immensely helpful through all of this.

So hear we sit at SunBay Marina monitoring the weather every morning watching the waves pour off Africa waiting for the engine to be fixed and debating whether nor not to flee back to Salinas and Yobos, a days sail (10 hours) S and W of Fajardo.  It rains on and off so we have the AC going at night in our cabin and endure the heat in the salon as we button up periodically.  Truly is isn't as big a deal as I make it sound.

Oh, let me bring you up to date on the dingy.  After a call to West Marine HQ in California I got not only satisfaction but a new, upgraded RIB 350 for a nominal price.  Yes, it comes with a five year warranty which should outlast the glue as, yes, it is still a Zodiac.  Much better boat which is a foot longer with a seat, oars and oarlocks, and a forward, built-in locker.  Only downside is the self-bailer which leaks like a sieve.  I'll call WM to see what their "fix" is.  I must say that when HQ learned what was going on, they stepped up and did the right thing without any hesitation.  Let's hear it for West Marine and Port Supply!

Fajardo, Puerto Rico

We got back to PR and Culebra June 10. Our tip to central Florida - we stayed with Jackie and Duane Williams - was successful: doctor appointments seemed to work for both of us; money was well spent at West Marine and Harbor Freight; the kids were all fine as were the g-kids and mother-in-law; the "Hood" was open-armed and gracious; and the weather was mostly good. As some like to say, "A good time was had by all." While we were lounging around, Jim Alimi, Zoya, was refinishing our interior saloon woodwork. He did such a great job we hired him to redo our saloon cushions, too. Wow, what a difference. You'll love the sight if you ever stop by.

After our return we waited a week trying to fix the dingy which has sprung the seams that glue the pontoons to the hard bottom. In other words the glue failed and it leaks water, not air, like a sieve. No amount of 5200 (sealant that dries in 24 hrs.) seems to do, so I found the 5-year guarantee (thank God!) and took the collapsed sinker in to the repair shop in Carolina (San Juan) in a rental pickup. Of course this necessitated sailing back to Fajardo on a lovely downhill run in squally weather, where we took up residence again in SunBay Marina. We were greeted as long lost family by Doña Olga, the owner and manager. What a place: single slip pricing (we usually have to pay 1.5X or 2X 'cause our 28' beam takes up more than a single slip), free water, free electricity, free Wi-Fi and Cable, and patrolling security: almost too good to be true.

Debbie and Rick Lehto, Miss Heidi, came back with us, but are staying at Puerto del Ray Marina S of us by a few miles: much more expensive and far less friendly and secure. They are having warranty work done, too, on their transmission. Seems when the new one was put in no one looked – and who would – to see that the drain plug was put in correctly. We've also made a few runs to dinner, Wal-Mart and COSTCO together since.

We have been thru three tropical waves (basically windy rain storms lasting less than 24 hours) to date and have not made up our minds what we'll do for the rest of the season: stay put in PR; sail around PR, SVI, USVI, and BVI; or head back S slowly towards Grenada. We want to be close to Salinas in case we have to duck into the mangroves at Lobos 'cause of a hurricane alert. I think we can make it back in plenty of time from the Leewards or Windwards which are basically "full" and no good places to hide left. Linda feels they're too far off. We both agree that the PR, SVI, USVI, BVI sail plan is doable. We'll keep talking.

While waiting for Zodiac to make up their minds – fix or replace, and we're sure it'll be fix and a 1 year warranty – we've been doing projects. We installed a HDTV, Dri-Decked the cockpit in Kuhela green, set up a wireless network with a 1 terabyte (remember 16 byte computers from Texas Instruments?) wireless hard drive, put in a security camera, ordered more paintballs and cayenne pepper balls with 200 round hopper for my long barrel paintball pistol, ordered an ozone generator, and cleaned, straightened, cleaned, straightened, cleaned...

At Sea: May 4, 2011

It has been a very long time since I last wrote…I have been bowled over by Lauren and Rob Dehaan's aritacruising.blogspot.com. I have been so out classed by them that I got into a blog funk. But, I realized that there a few people that simply want to know where Linda and I are, so, here goes again. BUT, PLEASE do go to Rob's BLOG for details missed here and Lauren's PICTURES! He and she have the gift…fabulous!!

Since last I wrote back in P.R., we buddied up with Debbie and Rick Lehto of Miss Heidi and set sail for parts unknown to us, but not to them. Via St. Thomas and the northern BVI to gain an edge on the mostly easterly wind, we headed SE to Majors Bay, St. Kitts. This was a long and arduous over-night trip where we couldn't keep our course because the wind veered a little SSE forcing our course further S. We crossed the Saba Bank – a shallow area which pushes up the wave heights – at night in 5-6' choppy seas ending up 38 nm S of our target anchorage. The book said we should make the first tack the longest, but not how to compute the next tack. Anyway we motored into the wind the final leg to Majors Bay where we met up with Miss Heidi and spent the night. Next morning we sailed windward of Nevis and Montserrat down to Deshaies, Guadeloupe. Montserrat is stunning with its perpetual steam vents and mud flows that buried an entire town. In Deshaies we rented a very expensive car and went S to Basse Terre where we had a very French lunch overlooking The Saintes. On March 23 we checked in to Antigua at English Harbour to await the arrival of the Vaughn family (Marnie & Mark and our grandkids, Kyler, Dalton, and Parke)r. We had a fun time with them for 9 days of fishing, snorkeling, sailing and their favorite, swimming with the stingrays. We stayed for the Classic Race week after they left and then the following week's just plain old races, "come one come all". We also had the boat hauled at North Sound Marina for a bottom job and work on the port rudder which had developed a wobble: seems the key had either slipped out or had not been replaced when we had work done on it in P.R. We also took a side trip N to Barbuda, a flat and uninteresting place famous for its frigate rookery: woo, woo!

Today we are headed back to Culebra completing a wobbly circle. We have just passed windward of steaming Montserrat and Redonda. I can see Nevis with St. Kitts behind. Once again we are heading for Majors Bay for sundowners (G&T for Linda; R&T for me), dinner and some sleep. From there it is a 165.6 nm shot past Saba (missing the bank this time) to Dakity, Culebra, Puerto Rico. At 5 knots we should get there in 30+ hours.

We are planning a trip back to the good olde U.S. of A. on the 16^th so we can share a car to the aeropuerto with Debbie and Rick. We could be in Orlando for up to 2 months if Linda has her knee worked on. It's been giving her trouble for a couple of years and has now progressed to the "maybe it's time" stage. Only the doctor (and Blue Cross) can tell. We'll be staying with our dear friends Jackie and Duane Williams who have offered to nurse Linda if need be. We'll activate our phone again: (772) 559-9375.

Waiting…again…

We're still in Dakity, Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands E of Puerto Rico. This anchorage is nearly perfect with its barrier reef, clear blue waters, and hilly, green backdrop. We'll be here probably another week even though we have (or will as it got sent Thursday) get our mail from the Caltriders in Florida. We've been doing maintenance and projects when we're not reading, socializing, or playing Spider solitaire on the computer: yah, loads of fun. The winter weather (winds) have started. They're off and on 25+ knots mostly from the E and NE. Makes for great sleeping (mid-70's). The sun still shines and there is little rain which makes it more than bearable given the North American alternative. We heard the groundhog came out and thumbed his nosed at Al Gore. Given our nightly display with Jupiter at our stern, Venus at our bow, the Milky Way, and thousands of stars to include around dawn the Southern Cross, we truly don't have it so bad.

Our friends on Arita, Aussie Rob and Jacksonville Lauren Dehaan, are having a ball according to their blog, aritacruising.blogspot.com, which you shouldn't miss. You'll see why when you get there. They are headed down Islands ahead of us and we hope to catch up before we get to Granada or Tobago. I don't think we'll sail all the way to Trinidad for the Carnival in March, rather take a ferry. We hear that the oil rigs around the Gulf of Paria near Port of Spain are rife with fishermen/pirates waiting to pounce of us cruisers. It's just too close to Venezuela and senior chavez (yes, lowercase, ze leet'l plik) to take any chances, especially after talking with a couple who were boarded, terrorized and burgled a month or so ago. A terrible, terrible experience which they thankfully lived through is spite of the pirates' plan to torch the boat. Poverty sure is a bitch.

We're off to COSTCO, West Marine, Wally World, Homo Depot (yah, we saw tee shirt in Key West at Fantasy Fest), etc. on Monday with Zoya, Albanian Jim and Chicago Debbie Alimi, to provision. This entails taking the 6:30 ferry to Fajardo, renting a $25 car (with $25 for insurance from our AmEx card), driving 75 miles, and taking the 5:00 p.m. ferry back to Culebra. It is mitigated by being able to BUY, BUY, BUY!! all of our favorite things, plus the essentials.

Behold and lo, Thursday's Priority Mail arrived before noon, and fortunately West Marine dropped one of the orders, the in-line fuel (gas) filter for the outboard. Oh, well, Monday for that is probably better as there are two necessary fittings not included in the package. I did install the new Hellamarine port light (red). Unfortunately, it was just ever so slightly smaller than the original. Otherwise, I could have just put the new lens cover on and been done with it. The dingy navigation lights (bow: red and green; stern: white) did arrive and now work perfectly. I even put dielectric grease on the AAA battery ends hoping that it will protect the circuits/workings from the leaking batteries that destroyed the previous light set we had.

Awaiting our Next Jump-off

Since I last wrote we have been sailing with our dear friends (and hopefully someday co-owning live-boards) Betty and Byrle Raper to St. Thomas, St. Croix, Vieques, and back to Fajardo and SunBay Marina.  St. Croix was the most fun.  We sailed down on a beam reach (wind blowing on our Port (left side looking forward) with winds gusting to 26 kph and seas 3-5’…”we be smoking!”... averaging over 8 knots the whole way.  The weather helm (tendency for the sails to turn us into the wind) was strong so we put in a reef (made the sail shorter) and still flew.

Sea plane

Cops at Frederiksted parade

Christiansted was lovely and we went into a marina, (Jones Maritime for $55/night) just across from the seaplane commuter terminal.  There are multiple flights daily between Christiansted and Charlotte Amalie, St. John.  We rented a car and toured the island absorbing its Danish heritage.  We went to the Estate Whim Plantation (museum) and were regaled as to the sugar/rum history of the island.  We visited the Cruzan Rum distillery and found some Danes we had befriended on the way to the car rental agency on Centerline Rd. who told us to forget the tour and just see if we could have a rum drink instead.  Low and behold, for a dollar less ($4) we could drink all day sampling their various rums: banana, pineapple, cream, amngo black cherry, etc., a great deal without the walk. 

Christiansted Marina from fort

Christiansted Government

 Frederiksted was holding the last of the Christmas parades consisting of two flatbed 16-wheelers decked out in huge boom-boxes and dancing people plus crowds of marchers also dancing fore and aft of each truck.  We stayed as long as possible (about 45 minutes) and had to turn the car back in. 

St. Croix rain forest

Los Palominos

From there we motor/sailed to Puerto Ferro, Vieques in calm seas with light winds.  This “luminescent” bay turned out to be a bust even on a night with no moon.  Very few luminescent critters even in the toilets (we flush with salt water): quite disappointing for all of us.  From there we sailed back to Fajardo and took the Rapers back to the aero Puerto via El Junque, the PR rainforest.

Los Palominitos

From there we took Kūhela back to Salinas on the south coast to rent a car to go back to the aero Puerto to pick up Steve Pinhey who had taken us there when we returned to Florida at Thanksgiving.  On the way to pick him up we stopped not only at Fuddruckers and COSTCO, but also at the Arecibo Observatory.  Wow, what an interesting place.  Their Visitors’ Center is a two story affair that is spell bindingly full of fascinating displays of the planets, solar system, galaxy and beyond.  Well worth the hike up from the parking lot to the rim of the huge sink hole they constructed it over.  It’s a definite “Don’t miss”.  I finally got Volvo aboard to fix the oil leak from the oil sensor when we got back to SunBay.  It took them 5 days to do a one day job, but at least they did it right.  Also had the zipper replaced on the sail cover as it had slipped a tooth and broken off trying to re-seat it.

Linda and Betty at Los Palominos

We are back in Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands waiting for the playoff football games this afternoon (nah, really the weather).  Our plan is to head for St. Maarten (the French side as they have their entry procedures down pat compared to the Dutch side) to catch up with Arita on her way down islands to carnival at Trinidad in the first week of March.  After that we will probably come back up the islands to Antigua for Classic Race week where classic wooden sail boats congregate in April to race each other.