March 21, 2006
Underway again
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been gone from Trinidad nearly a month now. Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will leave Curacao and the Eastern Caribbean, where we spent nearly a year. We have been waiting here for good weather to the west, which means winds of 25 knots or less and waves less than 10 feet. The stretch of water in our path is infamous for difficult conditions; friends of ours who sailed around the world said it was the worst weather on their trip. The strong easterly trades from the Atlantic collide with winds rushing down from the Andes, and an east flowing current near shore. So, it’s worth it to wait a bit.
We’ll sail around the northern tip of Colombia, then west to the San Blas Islands off Panama’s south coast before making for Colon and the Panama Canal. The San Blas are also well known among cruisers as lovely and mostly undeveloped. They are a remote, semi autonomous region in Panama, governed by the Kuna Indians who live there. Lots of lovely anchorages, snorkeling and maybe a lobster or 2... The remoteness means we’ll be out of touch for 3 weeks or so, but I should have plenty of time to write once in Colon, as the wait to transit the Canal is 3 weeks or so.
Hope you are well and spring is arriving on schedule!
David and Susanne
May 2, 2006
We spent over 3 weeks in the San Blas Islands, east of Colon and the Panama Canal. I had been planning on about 2 weeks, as spring is coming on and we want to be in the South Pacific for as much of the summer cruising season as possible. But I am very glad we extended our stay. The San Blas are the nicest place we have yet visited on our trip, and we spent a real vacation there. There are over 300 islands in the archipelago, which stretches down to the Colombian border. You could compare it politically with the US Indian reservation system, but it is very different in that it is their land which they fought to defend in 1925. Backing from the US ensured a higher degree of self governance than that enjoyed by other Native American groups in Panama.
Many Kunas live in families, in thatched huts of tightly woven bamboo. Most of them live in villages on islands or on the mainland, a few, such as the Flores family that I met, live on separate islands but are still connected to a village. Although the villages can be quite crowded, they are very clean, if a bit smoky from the woodfires still widely used for cooking. Bits of modernity have crept in, Kunas in the western San Blas are in reach of cell towers and some have cell phones. Villages have generators and solar powered payphones, and some huts had propane powered refrigerators, stoves, and/or TVs. Most families have at least one ulu, dugout canoe, that is the car. During morning rush hour, groups of ulus paddle or sail off to fishing spots or to family farm plots on the mainland, returning in the afternoon. All the land belongs to somebody, although the sea appeared to be a common resource.
The most well know thing about the Kunas are their molas. These are works of embroidery, normally about 12 x 18 inches, that Kuna women make in similar, but not identical, pairs and wear as part of their blouses. I found it hard to appreciate them till I began to look at them closely. A traditional mola is an intricate geometric pattern cut from yellow, orange, burgundy and/or black cloth in layers and stitched together. The sizing of the components is ideally regular, and the stitching is very fine and in the same color as the layer, rendering it nearly invisible. The patterns are usually abstractions of trees, mountains, or the elements of a family. More recently, other colours have come into use, and more representational images show up. Sometimes these are of things in the Kuna world, and sometimes copied from outside. I saw a Pokemon mola, and one of the RCA dog listening to “his master’s voice” on the gramophone!
In most anchorages, mola ladies visited the boat with their wares to entice me to buy, although a smiling denial of “no compramos ahora, gracias,” was well received. I visited several villages known for good molas, once as part of a small group which was fun and leveraged our buying power. It was easier to negotiate prices when we were buying several, and could split pairs.
We visited 20 anchorages, 2 twice, mostly away from villages. We would get up, listen to the daily radio net, do a boat project, snorkel, eat lunch, maybe move the boat a few miles, snorkel, and prepare dinner to a lovely sunset. Sometimes we met up with other cruisers but mostly we relaxed on our own. I was glad to have brought lots of groceries as there is not much available in the San Blas. Fresh produce are available irregularly, when small freighters from Colombia or western Panama cruise through, and Kunas make a tasty bread that is like a baby baguette, but a little denser.
Snorkelling in the shallows around the islands was generally good, and fabulous when we could find a nice drop off on a sunny day. The colors of the corals, sponges and fish were like an animated stained glass window, and the more I looked the more I saw. Corals were usually soft earth tones, pale yellow, umber, sage green, soft lavender, in a wild variety of shapes: brain coral, helmets, stag branches, elk horns and fan branches. Sponges were sci fi tubes and odd shapes, in bright yellows, oranges and purples. Fish were every color, often shifting as they swam through the light as though they were made of Thai silk. It was always interesting to see what looked like a vividly patterned, visible fish swim into a coral outcropping or even drop to the bottom, and blend in so well you would not have known he was there. We saw squid (they liked hanging out under Cheshire), nurse and reef sharks, a tiny seahorse, sting rays and, (my favorite) eagle rays, cruising by majestically with a pilot fish riding along. Unfortunately we also saw 2 Portuguese man o war jellyfish towards the end of our stay, which almost scared me out of the water.
The only disappointment was that David was hoping to catch crabs and lobsters. Unfortunately they went out of season just as we arrived; we noticed that they seemed to be molting. This didn’t stop visits from Kunas trying to sell them to us, as well as fish. Also he did not see as many crustaceans as he would have expected, and those were small. The Kunas go after them pretty aggressively and sell them to buyers for restaurants. But David did manage to catch several tasty fish, usually just as we were getting ready to anchor.
When we arrived, we met a band of young Chilean musicians making their way home from an extended tour which included Seattle! They were nice lads, performing at night at the restaurant while waiting to find a boat to take them and their manager, aka their dog Aurelio, towards Colombia and home. We gave them a ride onwards 20 miles, their first sailboat trip, and everyone, with the possible exception of Aurelio who seemed a bit anxious, had a good time.
Finally it came time to leave the San Blas, westwards towards Colon and the Canal. We stopped overnight in the town of Portobello, lovely port, named by Cristobal Colon himself and one of the former depots for the annual Spanish treasure fleet. This resulted in several forts around the bay and visits from worthies such as Sir Francis Drake, who is reported to have been buried at sea just outside the harbor, near Drake Island. As we looked for a place to anchor, David saw a familiar Cal 34 with burgundy trim, and sure enough we read Merinda, Olympia on the side. It was our former Martin Marina neighbor Don Marcy, who sailed south over 10 years ago and had been in Panama for 2 years. We spent an enjoyable evening catching up over pizza before continuing in opposite directions; he to Cartagena, we on into Colon harbor.
We traveled to Colon in company with 2 other boats: Jean, a Moorings Leopard 38 and Moonshadow. We gave them an hour head start and passed them before sailing through the harbour breakwater. You can take the racer cruising, but you can’t take the racing out of the cruiser, I guess...
May 5, 2006
Yahoo, we are going through the Canal!
Our transit date was moved up to May 8, thanks to a timely phone call to the Canal Authority from yours truly to snag a vacant spot, a whole week earlier than originally scheduled. This means that Mark, David’s brother who is visiting us, will be able to do the transit with us. We will also have as crew Breeze and Debbie Filina, from Blue Sky.
Since a transit is a 2 day affair, we’ll start Monday evening and complete it Tuesday afternoon. There are 2 webcams on the Canal, one at Gatun and one at Miraflores. We will lock up at Gatun at night, and it will be difficult to predict when and to see us. We should pass through Miraflores sometime after 1 on Tuesday, so try to watch for us then.
We have done one transit on our friend’s boat, so have an idea of what to expect. It will be a little scarier on our own boat but we are looking forward to it and to be out of Colon and back into the home waters of the Pacific.
We’ll be joined by Cindy Mullins on May 17 in Panama City for the trip to the Galapagos. Then it’s on to the S. Pacific!! I'll write more after the transit. Wish us luck!
May 15, 2006
Through the Canal and into the Pacific
We’ve now been in Balboa, Panama nearly a week after a pleasantly uneventful transit of the Panama Canal. The week leading up to it, however, was anything but uneventful. Since it is necessary to have four line handlers in addition to the skipper on the boat, plus advisors supplied by the Canal, many of us cruisers line handle for each other, usually before we go on our own boats. This not only saves money, hiring them can cost up to $140 each, but is a good way to get insight into how it works before it is your turn on your boat.
We line handled for our friend Tim on Midnight Blue on April 29-30, then spent the next day checking out Panama City (grocery stores, chandleries and a good Chinese restaurant), before heading back on the bus to Colon. David’s brother Mark was due to show up the next day, but as we feared his journey to the boat did not go quite as planned, and he did not arrive till May 3. In the mean time, the people who had promised to line handle for us backed out, so we needed to recruit 3 line handlers for our own transit. After a day plus of dinghying around the anchorage and knocking on hulls: “Hi, I’m Susanne from Cheshire, are you available to line handle for us?” Boy, did that get old fast. I was getting despondent, and David and Mark really wanted to escape Colon for some R&R: read fishing. Fortunately some new boats showed up, and I was off like a flash with David to sign them up first! Then, our transit date got moved up to May 8, and Mark could go with us, so all of a sudden we were set.
We were able to get out of Colon and go a few miles down the coast to the Rio Chagres, a lovely jungle river complete with alligators, toucans and some boat friends from the San Blas. David and Mark had fun chasing and catch two fishes, but we were seduced by lobster soup with our friends on Australia 31 for dinner. We also enjoyed a nice hike on an abandoned railroad grade before heading back Colon-ward, one day to go to the transit!
May 8 went by in a flash with groceries and other final errands, then we ferried our line handlers Debbie and Breeze of Blue Sky to Cheshire. We knew they would fit right in when Breeze started singing along to David’s latest Frank Zappa album! Jimmy Wong, our first advisor, showed up around 6:00 PM and requested an early dinner as we were scheduled to begin locking up in Gatun at 7. We were rafted with Manukai and Zeferin on the outside, as we had the smallest motor at 25 HP. We had met Zeferin, Sandy and Joan, in Trinidad, and Manukai, Harley and Jennifer, joined us to line handle on Midnight Blue, so we were in good and friendly company. All went smoothly as we rose the 80 feet up to Lake Gatun, bidding farewell to the Caribbean which has been our home for 1 day shy of a year. We tied to a mooring ball in the Lake, and the boys went off to celebrate with the other boats while I faceplanted after 1 glass of wine; just like after O-My-God races…
Next morning David and Mark got in a quick fishing trip, and caught one rainbow bass. While I jumped in for a refreshing dip, first looking around for alligators! Just before our next advisor Ruben arrived. Jimmy had successfully passed along our request for ice for the cooler, as it can get very hot. Ruben brought so much that we shared with Zeferin and Manukai. Ruben spoke excellent English and was the most outgoing advisor we met, holding forth on the state of affairs in the canal zone, how the ship traffic was managed, etc. Unfortunately I was galley slaving most of the time so just caught bits, but the 30 mile trip to Pedro Miguel lock went very quickly. The down locks at Pedro Miguel and Miraflores went just as smoothly as the up locks had. The only bummer was that we were too far back in the Miraflores locks for the web cam to see us! Oh well.
By 3 PM Cheshire’s hulls were in our home ocean of the Pacific, and Ruben let me do a little happy dance on the foredeck, which I was forbidden earlier as it might have jinxed the remainder of the trip. Off we went to the Balboa Yacht Club where we took a mooring, and saw off Debbie and Breeze. That night we joined Harley and Jennifer for a delicious dinner in the old quarter to celebrate their anniversary and Mark’s departure the next day, although once again I was fighting the desire to face plant. It was amazing how tired I got even though I didn’t physically do a lot or even feel too stressed.
In the week since, we have been tackling boat chores in preparation for the trip to the Galapagos and French Polynesia. We will be joined on the 17th by our friend Cindy Mullins for the Galapagos leg and hope to leave Panama by the 19th. Friends on boats ahead warn of windless conditions and adverse current for the first part of the trip, so I suspect we will motor for the first few days. Every time we prepare for a trip, it always seems a bit scary, but gets a little easier as we get more used to the routine.
We are facing some big decisions soon that will determine our itinerary for the next 18 months, the critical issue being where we go to avoid next winter’s South Pacific Cyclone season. The 2 main choices are New Zealand or the Marshall islands. We’ve found that the following things are important to us:
- Not going to too many places and feeling rushed
- Going to places that are best or only visited by boat
- Getting off the cruiser highway to where there are fewer boats
- Having time to get to know local places and people
- Doing routes that are a little challenging but that don’t stress us or Cheshire too much
At the moment, we are leaning towards entering French Polynesia via the Gambier islands, at the end of the Tuomotu archipelago; rather than the Marquesas islands, to which most cruisers go to as their first landfall. The Gambiers are more remote and less visited, and would also be hard to get back to later in the trip. It will add about 2 days overall as going to the Marquesas, but it seems like it might be worth it. Next, we will want to be near Papeete during Bastille day festivities in mid July, which feature lots of local events such as dance competitions.
So many lovely Pacific islands to visit, and we are finally getting closer!
Love, David and Susanne
Balboa, Panama
June 9, 2006
We made it to the Galapagos Islands!
We are anchored in Wreck Bay, on Isla San Cristobal in the Galapagos after a 10 day passage from the Perlas Islands in Panama. This was a fairly difficult passage as it was upwind, and during the first half we had either little to no wind or occaionally too much as we made our way through the doldrums and squalls. We celebrated my birthday on June 5, and our equatorial crossing on June 6, with cake and champagne, pouring a little over the side to keep Neptune happy. We arrived here on June 7.
We’re not sure yet how long we’ll stay as we need to fix a few things. This passage is quite hard on boats; several we know broke backstays and forestays, and one ripped a sail. From here, we’ll sail to French Polynesia. At this point we are interested in going to the Gambier Islands, at the SE end of the Tuamotu archipelago, rather than to the traditional destination of the Marquesas, because it is less visited and would be difficult to go to from anywhere else. We would then cruise through part of the Tuamotus to Tahiti and Moorea, and on west from there.
Cindy flew down to join us in Panama, but we were delayed too long for her to make the passage with us. This may have been for the best because that was one of the worst passages we've had - contrary winds, unpleasant seas, the possibility of scary pirates around Isla Malpelo..
I will write more soon about the passage from Panama, and about the Galapagos which promises to be a very interesting visit.
Hasta la proxima ves
Susanne y David
June 20, 2006
Galapagos Update
The Galapagos islands are volcanic, with sparse, scrubby vegetation. It’s a bit like the area around Bend in Eastern Oregon. We’ve walked to the interpretative center and the Loberia, or sea lion beach. Yesterday we joined Ann from Bogtrotter in a tour of the island with Darwin, a local taxi driver. We walked around the crater of El Junco, an inactive volcano with a small lake in its crater and visited the Galapagueria, a reserve for breeding the local tortoise species in captivity. There are an estimated 1500 tortoises left here, and the young are vulnerable to predation by hawks as well as from many of the introduced species such as rats and feral cats. I haven’t seen turtle soup on any menus, so I assume the threat from humans is less than it used to be. Whalers used to stop in the islands and fill their holds with turtles, who can live for months without food and water. As a result, three of the fourteen species that used to exist in the islands are extinct, and Lonesome George is the last member of another species on Santa Cruz.
These tortoises were smaller than the leatherbacks we saw in Trinidad, but still quite formidable. They can reach 80 pounds and live as long as 150 years. The breeding program is recently successful. Genesis is the first turtle born there and is now just over a year old, with a shell about 9 inches across. Since then 10 more juveniles have hatched and are waiting to grow large enough to safely roam outside their pens.
On our walk to the sea lion beach, we also saw large black iguanas. They are well camouflaged, looking as though someone animated the boulders that they like to bask upon. We saw one when he moved, then another, then five, then fourteen! photo They spit when we got too close.
The sea lions, on the other hand, appear pretty fearless. There are a number in the harbor, and just like their cousins in the Pacific Northwest, they love to bask on boats. Like several other cruisers, we returned one day to find one stretched out on the transom! Fortunately he, or she, left when requested. Our friends on Saudade were not so lucky. Their visitors hissed at them when we returned from dinner, forcing them to climb on the other side of the boat! We notice that many local boats are adorned with barbed wire to keep them off.
Although we are ready to move on, we have had a very pleasant stay here. Restaurants have been plentiful and cheap, although they mostly serve the same 4-5 items. The climate is cool and dry, with occasional showers but short in duration. We have had a large swell for the last few days, probably from a storm somewhere to the south, which got so large that the water taxis stopped running before we returned to Cheshire. Fortunately we were able to bum a ride with a tender from a tour boat. We prepared Cheshire for a hasty exit if necessary, but rode out the night OK.
From here, we will go to Puerto Ayora, aka Academy Bay, on Santa Cruz for a day or two, to see the Darwin Institute and a few other sights. We also hope to find a few things, such as aluminum plate to reinforce the solar panel brackets, since that is the largest town in the islands. Our last stop here will be Puerto Vilamil on Isla Islabela. From there, we begin the longest passage of our trip so far: 2900+ miles SW to the Gambier Islands on the SE end of the Tuamotu archipelago, in French Polynesia. Most boats go to the Marquesas islands, nearly the same distance at 3000 miles. However the trip to the Marquesas is attractive because there is usually more downwind sailing, and the Marquesas are about 150 miles closer to Tahiti with more possible stops between.
We had originally planned to go the the Marquesas, and may still if we find the trip to the Gambiers more upwind than we prefer. However the Gambiers are appealing for two reasons: they are off the “Coconut Milk Highway”, with fewer visitors; and we will likely visit the Marquesas when it comes time to sail back to the Pacific NW, so why go twice?
Now that we are approaching the South Pacific cruising grounds, it’s easier to think about how to plan our itinerary. The wind and cyclone season dictate where and how we can travel. The tradewinds here below the equator are from the SE, sometimes more S, sometimes more E. This means that as one moves west, it is pretty tough to get back east because you have to fight the prevailing winds. We’re now thinking about going to NZ instead of the Marshalls this winter. Although the passage there can be difficult, we will need to do some more boatwork, and fellow travelers have been seducing David with tales of large and wily brown trout to be found in the South Islands.
To get to New Zealand from the Gambiers, we’re thinking as follows for an itinerary: Tahiti, possibly with stops in the S Tuamotus although presently we have very little chart detail of these areas; the other society islands: Moorea, Bora Bora, etc; one or more of the Southern Cook Islands; the island nation of Niue; and Tonga. This feels fairly doable in the months that we have left before the end of the year, which is when the South Pacific cyclone season begins.
But there are so many other islands, especially in the western Pacific which is also somewhat off the Coconut Milk Highway! So if finances permit, we may stay out another year and explore Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomons, the Marshalls, Tuvalu and/or Kiribati. Then in 2008 we’d head south again, probably stopping in New Zealand, and seek the westerlies that lie below 30 degrees south in order to wail back towards the Americas and home. This is a challenging passage: windy, long, cold and with no stops before the Austral Islands of French Polynesia. Then we’d cruise up through Tahiti, the northern Tuamotus and the Marquesas before the trip to Hawaii and then home to WA, in the fall.
It seems like so much time, four years versus our original two, but we have come to appreciate how much time one needs for these trips even when things go as planned; which is rare. And while we are out, I’d like to explore as much of the area as possible, especially less frequented islands such as those in Micronesia. We may come this way again, but I know not to count on it, and if we do, why then we will have a better sense of where we want to go.
For Dick and Jane, and others interested in our progress, our final waypoint off the Gambiers is 23 20 S, 134 50 W. I am trying to subscribe to Yotreps, which can provide near daily reports on our progress, and if I am successful I will let you know how to find us. I hope you are ready for a great summer.
Happy Fathers Day from David and Susanne!
Friday, August 28, 2009
French Polynesia and Aitutaki
Here we are in Tahiti
Hello all! I apologize for the long silence. We have been enjoying, most days, our travels from the Galapagos to and through French Polynesia. So much has happened since I last wrote that I will cover our latest adventures in several installments.
Our last stop in the Galapagos was Isla Isabela, largest of the islands, where we spent 10 days anchored off Puerto Vilamil. This was our favorite place. The town is small but had everything we needed, and several nice little restaurants. A lovely white sand beach extends west of the town for several miles, and there are nearby swamps where flamingoes come to feed at sunset. A nice little trail runs through the swamp to the ubiquitous galapagueria: turtle nursery. The anchorage is a short walk from town, in a little bay protected by reefs and small islands; a good place to finish off boat projects. As usual Cheshire's hulls attracted marine visitors, including a group of small penguins who entertained us with their antics. Kayaking and snorkelling was nice, though the water is chilly. Other wildlife included seals, marine iguanas, blue footed boobies, frigate birds, and sea turtles. We were also pleased to find the port captain much easier to deal with than his counterpart in San Cristobal!
We were joined by about 10 other boats while we were there, most going to French Polynesia too. We did an inland tour (on horses) to the Sierra Negra Volcano, and a boat trip to some lava tubes with Hub, Rose, Saraya and Trish of Pathfinder. Henry, owner of the small shoreside bar Club Nautico and his wife provided 2 tasty barbeques to our group. During the passage from the Galapagos, 5 of us with single sideband radios talked daily each morning, comparing progress, damage reports, fish stories, recipes, etc. We called ourselves “The Stragglers” as we are late in the annual migration to the South Pacific; our buddies included Bogtrotter, Pathfinder, Mustang Sally, and Eagles Wings. The others went to the more traditional destination of the Marquesas, just about the same distance as our passage to Gambiers, but not so far south and more down wind. It seemed to take all of us 2.5-3 weeks, with reasonably consistent east to SE winds.
We reached the Gambier archipelago on July 22, 2 fish, 3000 miles, and 19 days almost to the hour from when we left the Galapagos. It is still exciting to watch an island emerge from the horizon, and a bit of a thrill to begin navigation in shallow water and confined spaces again. The Gambiers are the southeasternmost island groups in French Polynesia, 1000 miles southeast of Tahitit and about 300 miles west of Pitcairn island, which was colonized by Fletcher Christian and other Bounty mutineers. The northwest entrance to the islands is well marked and the channel clear. We joined about a dozen boats in the anchorage, mostly French, some of whom we had met before in our travels. Next morning, we were invited to Delfiro for a birthday party, a great way to celebrate our landfall. Our French cruiser neighbors of course contributed great food and wine, including fresh fish, cakes, and other tasty snacks.
We stayed in the Gambiers 2 weeks, doing boat projects, of course, and a little exploring, on foot and with Cheshire. We climbed Mt. Neuf, the westernmost of 2 peaks at the south end of Mangareva, the main island. The views were great, and the trail could easily have been in the Pacific NW, through pine trees and ferns. The last bit was a bit exposed and steep as we had to climb a ridge to reach the peak. We also walked around the island on the road, about 11 miles and 5 hours. We took Cheshire out to an anchorage near the airport at the north end of the archipelago, and had a nice snorkel. Unfortunately just as we were ready to leave, two depressions traveled right over us, bringing several days of rain, squalls and high winds from the direction we wanted to travel, NW, and delaying our departure for 5 more days.
Love D+S
Anchored off Marina Taina, Tahiti
September 16, 2006
Polynesia - Next chapter
We left the Gambier islands on August 9, eager to do a little exploring in the Tuamotus before reaching Tahiti. As we were running short of funds and fresh produce was limited in the stores, we foraged for local produce. Bananas on the stalk, soursop (prickly pear) pamplemousse, limes, and breadfruit were all available for the asking from people’s gardens or farms, and we collected coconuts aplenty when we visited the outer atoll of Totegeguie.
Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit; the Polynesian variety was brought from SE Asia and is sweeter and tastier than any I’ve ever had. Soursop was another pleasant surprise. It appears to be a relative of the cherimoyas we enjoyed in Portugal, with a white, custardy interior laced with fat black seeds. Breadfruits are famous as the reason for the Bounty expedition; Captain Bligh was supposed to bring them back to the Caribbean to plant as a cheap and easy to grow source of starch for the slaves. They are pretty common but I haven’t seen people eating them. We were told to eat them before they ripen. I cut off the peel, dice the insides and steam or fry like a potato. I think you can eat them ripe too if they haven’t gotten too soft. They taste like a mild version of sweet potato, and go well with butter :).
We had hoped for southerly winds to permit us to head on course, northwest towards Tahiti. But the winds stayed west, forcing us to sail north, and combining with lumpy seas to make progress slow and us queasy, even “iron stomach” Captain David! After 2 days we reached Reao atoll, and circled it longing looking for a pass or an anchorage off the reef. There were some houses and a quay on the north side, but we didn’t feel comfortable tying up or with any other option. Fortunately the winds had backed so we could head west towards Amanu atoll.
This atoll is just north of Hao, which is the regional center and also the base from which the French nuclear testing was conducted. We were told that testing was discontinued, Hao was considered, and, I think, selected, as an alternate landing site for the space shuttle. This required lots of reinforcement of the already long and spacious runway.
Amanu is another lovely atoll, its palm fringed shores beckoning as we approached in the afternoon sun. However, it was 5 PM by the time we reached Fafameru Pass on the west side, well after the recommended midday timeframe for checking out new anchorages in coral country. The settled weather meant that another night at sea would not have been a hardship, but the pass looked navigable so we decided to go in. We cleared the pass, and headed for the indicated anchorage just south of the village.
The chart indicated a gradually rising depth from about 60 feet to the shore coral reef. Our depthsounder said that it was 80 feet all the way to the reef, which we could not see completely as it was to our west, and sunset was imminent. We crept shoreward, hoping to find a slightly shallower spot. Just as I was about to release the anchor, I saw coral under the trampoline. Yikes! Then I felt the port daggerboard hit the reef. David had the boat in full reverse, and using the whiskerpole to push, we managed to get the boat off the reef. Alas, the port rudder had also found the reef, and was jammed up against the hull, so we could not steer. Somehow we backed ourselves away from the reef, found an 80 spot, dropped the anchor and all 150 feet of chain, plus some rode, and hoped it would hold. Not our most stylin’ entrance!
Next morning, after a damage assessment, David decided to drop the port rudder and straighten the shaft. So we went into the village, where the backhoe driver had a collection of steel pipes available for loan. We were assisted in our quest by the charming Daniel, an older man who had left Amanu for Tahiti at the beginning of the nuclear testing program, and had returned to retire. Many other Amanuans did the same, which is why at least 1/3 of the buildings are abandoned. Because the village is so small, older children must leave and live on Hao for the secondary school term. Daniel tried to teach us Paumotu, the local language which is similar to Maori and has more consonants than Tahitian Polynesian, and told us many stories.
After a couple of days, we got the rudder post straightened and back on, and went off for a celebratory snorkel. When leaving we discovered that our chain had fouled in a coral head, so raising the anchor took over 2 hours, several dives by the captain, and some abuse of the windlass. Our antics were monitored by our onshore friends, who had offered to look up a local diver to help us. Just as we freed the anchor, we saw a man wading out towards us with a mask and snorkel. We waved and motored forward to show we were OK, then set off towards the pass with many farewell waves for our friends. We would have loved to spend more time there, but needed to keep pressing on towards Tahiti.
September 26, 2006
Tahanea and Tahiti
Needless to say, we were much more cautious as we approached our next atoll, Tahanea. We set a course that took us around several other atolls, which looked good until we realized we’d be in channels less than 10 miles wide in the dark. This may sound like a lot of room but lee shores can come up quickly, especially when squalls move in and the wind shifts. But all went well and we made a textbook landfall and anchorage in a lovely lagoon just west of the pass.
Unfortunately, the passage of a low pressure system, followed by reinforced trades, known locally as maramus, brought 48 hours of strong winds and waves, gusting into the 30s for the day after we arrived and confining us to the boat. The reinforced trades are often caused by a high pressure system to the south, a bit like the Christmas winds in the Caribbean. We got out and explored the nearby island, a nature reserve, stocking up on coconuts and seeing some interesting crabs and moray eels in the low tide area. Black tipped reef sharks. Too soon, it was time to leave for our final approach to Tahiti.
We chose to spend a night on the remote SE coast of Tahiti Iti, the peninsula that is almost separate from it’s bigger sister, Tahiti Nui where Pape’ete is. Watching the dramatically steep mountains emerge from the clouds, and become densely green as we got closer, is still thrilling. Despite breakers on both sides, Aurorua Pass was straightforward, and the coral reefs inside were well marked. We chose a lovely bay north of the pass to set the anchor, then after lunch headed out to snorkel and explore. The anchorage was so still it was almost eerie, as though the boat had grounded!
The next day, we motored most of the way to Pape’ete, then around to the popular anchorage off Maeva Beach, on the NW side. This involved passing near both ends of the runway to the airport, for which you needed VHF clearance. I am glad we were not there when a jumbo jet was due, though maybe David would have preferred that!
A month has passed remarkably fast as we repaired the boat, and shopped for provisions and other necessary or desirable items that would be hard to find until New Zealand. David was able to fix the slow leak in the port side that had resulted from our reef encounter in Amanu, and refair the daggerboard. I restocked our non perishables, did some cleaning and took care of electronic business with the wifi internet connection available through the marina.
With our friends Rae and Sharon from Mustang Sally, another catamaran who hails from nearby Vancouver, we drove around Tahiti Nui on day. With our guide, we visit museums, maraes, and waterfalls. Paddling is very popular here; there seems to be a canoe club about every 100 yards on the shore. Some were just out having fun, while others were clearly training seriously for the big races that are held periodically.
Pape’ete would seem small in comparison to many cities, but felt large to us after several months in more sauvage places. Buildings such as the Catholic Church, the town hall, and the Chinese temple are testimony to the mix of cultures found here. Everything we really needed could be found, but usually at prices 1.5 to 5 times what we might have paid at home or in Panama. The groceries stocked a grand array of goods, mostly European, and with a big price gap between subsidized essentials, eg the house brand of canned tomatoes, and luxury goods such as cheese, lots and lots of good cheese. I had to hike several times to the small Wing Khong grocery to track down Thai curry paste, but fortunately it was a good place to buy other oriental treats too. We tried fei, a local banana relative that is red; it is somewhere between a banana and a plantain in sweetness. Restaurants were expensive, but we did visit the more affordable roulottes at the downtown quay. These are vans or trucks with small kitchens inside, and tables outside for patrons. My favorite, the Red Balloon, served large and tasty savory and sweet crepes.
We met up again with our friends from the Galapagos, with whom we had a great book swap and hors d’oeuvres party. It was bittersweet, since some of them were heading towards Australia on a different route. So this was possibly our last meeting with Pathfinder, Medusa and Champagne Traveller. We enjoyed their company and stories of their adventures in the Marquesas and northern Tuamotus, and wished them well on their way.
Now we are in lovely, calmer Moorea, the backdrop for movies such as South Pacific and Mutiny on the Bounty. The snorkelling here is the best since the San Blas, with lovely pink coral and clear water, and hiking is dramatic and accessible. In a few days, we will sail over to the Leeward group of the Society Islands, and hope to visit Huahine, Raiatea and Bora Bora before leaving on our next passage to Niue and Tonga. So many islands, so little time, guess we will have to come back some day!
Hope you are enjoying a lovely fall wherever you are,
Love D+S
October 16, 2006
Leaving French Polynesia
We are presently in Bora Bora, hoping to leave French Polynesia tomorrow or sometime this week for points west. The current plan is to head for the tiny island nation of Niue, 1000 miles away and bypassing the Cook islands, and then the Vava’u group of Tonga.
I’ll have more to tell you about our travels in the Leeward islands, mostly good. Happy Halloween, many treats and no tricks for you!
David and Susanne
October 27, 2006
Pit stop in Aitutaki
Coming in to Aitutaki is a bit tricky. The pass is very narrow and there was a strong outflowing current; we were very glad for the extra power in our 25 horsepower outboard! The anchorage here is small and we could not get our faithful Delta anchor to bite, so we pulled up to a local fishing boat to raft. We tracked down the owner who doesn’t mind our presence for a couple of days.
People here are very friendly. We were visited yesterday by 2 charming young ladies, Tina and a girl whose name sounds like Mary but isn’t. Like our visitors from St. Lucia, they found the boat and our travels very interesting, and swam off the back. Last night there was a birthday party and dance show at the local cafe, so we went up after dinner and enjoyed it for a while before a delicious full night’s sleep. The local language is a Polynesian dialect. “Hello” is “Kiaorana”, very similar to Tahitian. But everyone speaks Kiwi accented English; our first English landfall since Trinidad! This is quite nice, especially for David. The countryside is pleasantly green and rolling, and little things such as different styles of boats and shop products remind us that we have finally left French Polynesia.
While we are here, we hope to explore a little bit, and maybe attend one of the church services which are renowned for beautiful singing. We hope to be able to leave mid day Sunday and push on to Niue, which is not quite 600 miles away. With good winds this should take us about 4 days. We heard that a Canadian boat, Ume, just went up on a reef on the east side of the island and is a total loss. Fortunately the crew are OK. So we will want to take good care to approach in daylight!
Love
David, Susanne, and Cheshire the cat
Monday, November 06, 2006
Now in Niue
We left Aitutaki on Monday, October 30, which meant we had to check in for 1 day! It was a great stop and we could easily have spent twice the time there. The island is only 7 square miles, so it is easy to walk almost everywhere, but there are enough roads to make for a variety of hikes. With Johanna and Patrick of Vidora, I hiked up Mt. Piraki, maybe 1000 feet, for a nice view of the lagoon, then around the top of the island. Delicious fresh produce was available at Tauono’s gardens, who, it turns out, has visited Olympia and knows someone I had met in the Park Service. Small world, indeed!
Patrick and Johanna arranged a special tour for us on the glass bottom boat run by Lawton, who had guided them into the harbor. He took us to the giant clam and oyster breeding areas, about which he is pretty knowledgeable since his brother is the fisheries officer. We snorkelled a bit, observing several new species of fish. Then we went off to Maina or Little Girl island where red tailed tropic birds nest, and Tapuaeta’i or One Foot island. The lagoon is large and shallow and coral heads were everywhere, so we were happy to leave Cheshire safely at the dock and let Lawton do the driving.
For you Survivor fans, this is where the Cook Islands episodes was filmed. Now the same location is being used by a British variation called Shipwreck. Over three months, contestants come one at a time and stay in turn at two islands, who compete to have them join their “tribe”. At the end, the tribe with the most members wins. It sounds a lot more positive than the elimination approach of Survivor; maybe I will have to catch an episode in NZ. These projects have brought much welcome business to Aitutaki; many of the boaters have been hired and kept busy for weeks.
We saw several dance groups, which consisted of both adults and kids. The kids were the most fun to watch; some were quite good and the rest made up their lack of technical skill with enthusiasm. On Sunday, Susanne and Johanna walked up to the Cook Islands Congregational Church, the oldest church on the Cook Islands. Our arrival occurred on Gospel Day, the anniversary of the arrival of the missionary John Williams in 1821 on Aitutaki, which ensured a four day holiday and a special feast after the church service. The famous singing was quite enjoyable, though it seemed to take a few ”imine” (hymns), for the congregation to warm up and really get into it. Everyone has their own hymnbook, which only contains the words in Cook Island dialect; everyone knows the tunes and their parts in the 3 or 4 part harmonies by heart. I sat next to an older gentleman named Ricky, who allowed me to share his hymnal. The tunes were not hard to follow along, so I sang with them; it was great fun. Ricky says I did quite well for a visitor! They use a call and response pattern reminiscent of traditional African singing, with the men leading.
But it was time to press on to Niue, so off we went. Sea conditions had improved but the winds had lightened a bit, so it looked like 5 days instead of four for a while for our 600 mile passage. But the winds built over our last 2 days, and so did the waves. We had considered slowing down to ensure a daylight landfall but decided to go for it, since we confirmed with another boat that it was possible to come in at night, and we wanted to see our friends Rudi and Andi of Uhuru before they left. On Friday the winds were in excess of 20 knots, it’s hard to tell exactly when it is from behind, and the waves were 12-15 feet. With our genoa poled out and full mainsail, Cheshire romped along. David saw the GPS register 18.2 knots while I was driving, and the knotmeter showed peaks of 13-15. This enabled us to cover 198 miles over 24 hours, and reach Alofi harbor about 4 in the afternoon. We were directed to check in immediately, so our helpful neighbors got us onto a mooring and swept David off to the docks, and we did not have to inflate our dinghy. I got busy slicing potatoes as there was to be a potluck in an hour on shore. Phew, a whirlwind arrival! But it was great to arrive in time for another party, and a hi/bye with Uhuru who left the next day.
Niue, (pronounced Noo-way) is similar to Aitutaki in many ways. The population is the same size, about 1800, with many expatriates primarily in Australia and NZ. Sadly, this has left many empty houses. Everyone waves on the road, I suspect most people are related to each other, and is friendly and helpful. While Niue is internally self governing, like the Cooks it is politically affiliated with New Zealand which manages external matters such as defense, food and materials. Both Niueans and Cook Islanders have New Zealand citizenship, and the New Zealand dollar is used.
A number of years ago, the Niue Yacht Club began to put down moorings in the harbor, which together with free internet and the nice atmosphere has made this a popular stop for yachts. Since there is no protected place to leave a dinghy, one hoists it in the air with a small crane onto the quay. Free hot water showers are available with a key deposit, in the nicest such facility I have seen since Trinidad. Tomorrow I shall do laundry at 20% of the price I paid in Bora Bora, while enjoying delicious ice cream and Wifi at Mamata’s cafe.
We plan to rent a motorcycle and spend a couple of days exploring. We also hope to help Trish and Dean of Ume, the wooden boat that hit the reef a week or two ago, as they are still moving stuff from the boat to storage. They are Canadian neighbors from Vancouver, and have sailed most of the way from the Galapagos without an engine. Theirs died 800 miles out. Some local fishermen will try to get Umeoff the reef in the next few days, and if so she may well be repairable as the damage appears to be in a small area near the keel. It’s interesting that this is the second boat we have encountered this season that has run onto a reef, under similar circumstances: a night approach from the east, probably due to skipper navigational error.
Well, I have gone on at some length, but I wanted to share these two delightful places with you while they are still fresh in our memory. If you are looking for a nice relaxed Pacific vacation, either of these places would be a treat.
Love
David, Susanne, and Cheshire the cat
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Trinidad and Bonaire
More to come soon - take care till next time!
David and Susanne
Postcard from Trinidad
David has been upgrading our tired, leaking plastic salon vents to metal ones. Later he will build dorade boxes for them so they can continue to ventilate even when we are sailing. Dorades are those funny horn looking things that stick out of boats’ decks - they are designed to provide airflow to the boat’s interior even when the deck is awash. Next, he will work on the leak in the port hull between decking and topsides, which looks like an old repair that may have worked loose.
We have also been investigating canvas and upholstery upgrades. The local tailor is highly recommended, especially for coming up with ways to make things better than they were before. He is a quiet, kind, busy man - also named David! So he is working up an estimate to replace our funky old mattresses and ancient vinyl salon cushions. We also want to add some awnings to reduce the solar heat load on the boat (imagine that, Washingtonians!). We started today with a good old silver tarp which covers the cockpit and middle of the boat, and is already providing very effective heat relief.
Upon our arrival, we made contact with fellow Olympia expat Ken Kleinhoff, who arrived here on Sangreal via the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and South Africa. In the latter place he met and married his delightful wife Gail, who makes a mean Bloody Mary and helped us get the proper antifungal cream for David’s feet (she is a nurse). We have also been hanging out with a couple of American solo sailors, Mike and Larry, who are sadly going back to the states for the summer and leaving their boats here. But I don’t think we will lack for company, there is a pretty active cruising community here.
Every day except Sunday there is a radio “net” at 8 AM for about 20 minutes, to exchange information about goings on. On our first day here I got drafted to host the net on Wednesdays, and I will start next week. I feel a bit underqualified, but I figure it will be a good way to learn about things here. I’m also organizing a workshop with the internet café to help get those of us new to wireless more familiar with how it works, and I’m looking into starting up a yoga class if I can figure out a way to charge for it legally. Trinidad is pretty strict about limiting visitors’ ability to sell products (eg excess boat gear) and services. So we will see what can be done.
We joined Mike and Larry last Sunday in attending a local jazz concert, billed as the artist Anthony Woodruffe and his friends. Anthony began with a nice rendition of the national anthem on his sax. The next several pieces were somewhat high school talent show, and we weren’t sure about staying past intermission. But then the pros came on - a great pan (steel drum) player named Ray Holcom; pianist Clive Sander, who also sang terrific scat; and several others. They were able to galvanize the other players and raise the performance to a much higher level. Several calypso pieces became audience sing alongs, which we joined in on the chorus. It was great - a totally different experience than you’d have in the states. I am looking forward to some upcoming concerts in the “panyards” where the bands that play in Carnival are based.
To get David’s foot cream, we had to go to a local mall, which I enjoyed more than I expected. They had good stores, including 2 real bookstores, and some scrumptious chocolate hazelnut ice cream. I have generally been able to accommodate my voracious reading appetite with novels from book swaps, but I might need to treat myself to a few new books before we leave!
Today we went into to the big open market downtown. It goes on for several blocks, and has a meat and fish section as well as produce, clothing and canned items. Our allotted hour went by quickly, but we made sure to catch our ride back as he had arranged for a discount at the local grocery store. So we stocked up on soda water, beer and other items, and were dropped off right at the dock. Now we are set for a while. It is very convenient to eat ashore, as food is cheap and cooking is hot, but we try to do this no more than once per day or less. However since Trinidad has a large East Indian population, I am looking forward to our next trip to town to search out some palak paneer and other tasty dishes. Till next time - staying cool in the airconditioned Internet café!
David and Susanne
It's been kind of exciting down here…
This morning, we had a brush with Tropical Storm/Hurricane (Evil) Emily. The sailing community has been anxiously tracking her progress over the last 48 hours. Despite a forecast that predicted that she would head towards Dominica or St. Lucia, her position remained at 11 degrees north as she moved westward - less than 30 miles north from here. This was very similar to what happened with Ivan last year, as the several survivors pointed out repeatedly. Tuesday night she was assessed as a hurricane.We moved around the corner to a more protected anchorage yesterday and began hurricane preparations. We stripped the sails and other things from the deck, set 2 anchors and organized the interior including an emergency grab bag with key documents. Emily was downgraded back to a tropical storm, and began finally moving north, so we didn't take the final step of stripping the solar panels. It was raining, cloudy and a little windy in the PM and night, but not bad. We stood anchor watches most of the night. The wind built in earnest just before daylight as Trinidad was lashed by Emily's "tail", reaching 42 kt around 6:30 AM with rain in sheets. It came from the opposite direction than we expected (east) so we were concerned as to whether the anchor would hold - but it did. We are VERY glad we invested in this new larger anchor (a 44 lb Delta) and 150 feet of chain - we used about 120 feet. I do not think the old set up would have held although we had it ready as a reserve. By 9 AM, the winds decreased, and we could go inside and eat breakfast. We have spent most of the rest of the day tidying up, and also checking out another possible hidey hole nearby (unfortunately there is an underwater wastewater pipe right down the middle). One boat did drag onto the beach (don't know who yet) but everyone seems to be OK. There was a lot of flooding in Trinidad, and loss of power for several hours. I think Grenada received the brunt of the storm, which was upgraded again to hurricane status (100 mph winds), and there was some onshore damage. Fewer boats were affected because there were a lot fewer there to begin with (and Emily was Category 1). The funny thing was, I had scheduled a talk on hurricane preparation for Wednesday, which I cancelled since we were all busy with the real thing. We may reschedule it again though, as for many of us this was our first brush with this kind of weather, and we got off fairly lightly. So far so good - but we all know that it is probably that more storms and maybe worse will hit here again this summer and fall. It will definitely affect our planning as to where and when we move. Otherwise things here are good. We went on a great turtle watch on Tuesday, where we saw both baby leatherbacks hatch AND mama leatherbacks lay eggs. It was fun even though we were starting to stress about Emily. I'll write more about that soon. Now it is time for an early night!
Cheers from a damp Trinidad
David and Susanne
So, what do you do for fun in Trinidad?
One of the most popular things to do here is to go on a “turtle watch“. Several beaches on the north and east coasts of Trinidad are nesting areas for the endangered leatherback turtle. On Tuesday July 12, we drove 2 hours across the island to Matura Beach, access to which is restricted during 6 months each year for turtle nesting. A permit is required and strict rules must be followed, or one faces a large fine and jail time.
Leatherbacks are huge (around 800 lbs) and long lived. The age of the female we observed was estimated at 80 years. They begin laying at 20-25 and continue for the rest of their life. The turtles who come to Matura are tagged and tracked through a microchip implanted on their shoulder. One was tracked diving to over 4000 feet, probably to escape a killer whale, one of their few predators (besides man). They breathe oxygen but can store it very efficiently, limiting their need to surface. They mainly eat jellyfish, and unfortunately sometimes mistake plastic bags for them. Leatherbacks swim amazing distances - they travel from the edge of icebergs, down the coast of Europe, and across the Atlantic.
While she might not return to exactly the same beach, a female will come back to the same area year after year to lay her eggs. She mates with several males, then comes in to the beach to lay several clutches of up to 100 eggs, about every 10 days or so (sounds exhausting to me). She lays at night, crawling out of the ocean to dig a hole with her rear flippers, and throws sand across her back, to try to camouflage herself. 60 days after they are laid, the baby turtles hatch, also at night for camouflage (triggered by temperature). Eggs laid in a warmer spot produce more females, in a cooler spot (eg near tree cover) more males. They climb over each other, out of the nest and head straight for the water, normally the brightest thing around. They swim straight out to sea, sustained for 2 weeks by yolk retained in their bellies. Less than 5 percent survive to adulthood as they make tasty snacks for fish, birds, etc.
This was a great trip, marred only by the approach of Hurricane Emily, which was moving steadily closer and ricocheting back and forth between tropical storm and hurricane status. Since hurricanes draw all the moisture and weather in the area to them, it made for a beautifully clear night for the turtle watch. But in hindsight, it was not the wisest choice especially since we had not been through the fire drill of preparing for a hurricane before. We got back after 2 AM, and were up again at 6:30 for the weather forecast and to move the boat to a more protected spot. Fortunately we were able to complete our preparations and even take naps before we got the blow, but it was stressful.
It took us a couple of days to unwind and get ourselves back to normal, especially since we were also settling into a new location. Our new anchorage is a bit removed from the center of Chaguaramas, but it has a workshop and will cost about ½ of our moorage last month. We are back to working on various boat projects, though not at breakneck pace (a bad idea in the heat). I have been checking our finances and getting charts for the next part of our journey. David has gotten us another watermaker, a reconditioned PUR 40 which will hopefully actually work. In a couple of days we will get our lovely new salon cushions (I can’t wait!). David will soon begin work on our new, integral gasoline tanks, so we can stow or get rid of the jerry cans that occupy almost half of the cockpit.
Big decisions that are still hanging out include a new outboard for the boat, one for the dinghy, and a new dinghy. Other projects, such as a mainsail cover, await us although some could be done elsewhere (like in a lovely secluded anchorage where we could actually swim off the boat).
That’s all for now, and probably enough! Hope you have plenty of time to enjoy summer where you are,
David and Susanne
No, we haven't been swept away by Hurricane Katrina...
Wow! It’s September already. Here in the land of eternal summer, this still means it is back to school for little Trinidadians, with the usual sales. Since my 4 pairs of shorts and 6 T shirts are getting a little tired, I indulged in a little shopping today, which also meant air conditioned splendor for most of the day. I also treated myself to Mira Mehta’s latest book, Yoga Explained, as I did not bring any of my yoga books with me. It is nicely organized, with philosophical references as well as good pose guides. I took a class with her a few years ago and was very impressed - she is someone who has spent her life studying and teaching yoga, and still finds new things to share.
But life here is not much about trips to the mall. I have been waiting to write until we had reached a decision regarding the purchase of a new, larger 25 hp engine, which we initiated Monday past. At US$3800, it is our largest single investment so far, thus the deliberations of a month before decision. There are several complicating factors:
1) This is a pretty unusual outboard engine because it is high thrust and low power. Therefore locating a dealer was a challenge - one person David talked to told him Yamaha did not make one (even though it is on the web page).
2) We needed some dimensions to see if it would fit in the cockpit. Yamaha pretty much doesn’t deal directly with customers, and when we were finally able to get some specs, we got 2 different measurements for what appeared to be the same section. So, we created a purchase agreement that requires the engine to be measured before it is sent to ensure we don’t get something that won’t fit.
3) Installing it pretty much requires a haul out. Not every yard here can haul us (due to our 20’ width) and most of those that can are booked. We will also want to redo our bottom, as the paint we applied in Portugal has worn off and the rear sections of the hulls are sitting low in the water (yep, our butts are too heavy…). Our shipper has offices in Curacao and Panama , so we could have the engine shipped there, but haven’t yet gotten a solid recommendation on yards in either of those places. It’s also possible we could get the engine and go somewhere else to install it, but at 200 lbs and 53” it’s a bit awkward to stow.
We also debated whether we needed it. We think it will give us another knot of speed, and greater ability to punch through adverse conditions (such as entering an atoll with perpetual current against us). We have heard a few stories of pirate attacks off of Panama’s west coast, so having a larger engine will also mean greater ability to get away from them if there is no wind. We will keep the current engine, which we could use if something happened to the new one that we could not immediately fix. We expect to continue to sail most of the time, but engines are handy for the beginnings and ends of trips, and getting through doldrums or away from nasty weather as well as dubious people. So, as they say here, “there ya go.”
We remain anchored off TTSA, about a mile from the main yachtie/cruiser center of Chaguaramas. This means a near daily walk or bike ride for our errands, which is good exercise. It’s a bit scary at night, so most of the time we spend US$0.30 for a maxi taxi. I’m still doing my weekly stint as net controller, and have started sharing weather reporting duties with another cruiser. This means I get up early to listen to the NOAA forecast for the region, as reported on a ham radio net, then summarize it for our area. Naturally we were all very interested in Hurricane Katrina, even though it was thankfully never a threat to us. This next month is the peak of hurricane season, so we are watching the Atlantic weather very closely and keeping our stores topped off in case one comes this way and we have to go to a safer anchorage to hide.
David is still working on building our new fuel tanks, and is about to begin demolition in advance of reconstruction. I have procured paper charts for us from here all the way to Fiji . We still don’t know yet if we will go further west than that, although David is in favor of spending our next hurricane season in the Marshall Islands so he can see the places he was not able to visit when he went there on Capricorn Cat a couple years ago. I have some copies of electronic charts too, but am planning to rely for now on the paper as it does not require power to operate. We are doing other little projects, and making sure to play as well as work.
Last week we did a joint tour of a pan (steel drum) workshop and the Angostura Bitters factory. The workshop is run by Rory Pascal, who makes steel drums by hand for local and international use. He gave us a detailed overview of how steel drums have evolved, and how they are constructed and tuned. Tuning is an art form and quite individual, as it is possible to bring out different levels of overtones in the drums. Different bands have different sounds, determined by how their pans are tuned.
The bitters factory was on a whole different scale - a very large, modern facility with an excellent guide. The center of the operation is the secret mixing room. Only 5 people know the secret formula for the bitters, and periodically they go into the room to mix up the herbs that are it’s basis. The herbs are then steeped in alcohol and distilled before bottling. We were allowed to see and smell a batch of the herbs that had been steeped. I could identify cinnamon, cloves and lavender - I noted with some concern some dead bees lying on top and hope that they are not part of the formula! The tour concluded with a sampling of Angostura products at their bar. They bottle a number of different rums, punch mixes, and as well as gin and vodka. An incentive to go on the tour was the availability of Bounty rum in the gift shop for a little over US$3, so we purchased some to try. Rum is generally less cheap here than we had hoped, probably due in large part to high government tariffs.
Yesterday was Trinidad’s 43rd anniversary of independence, marked in the usual way with parades and fireworks. We made it in to Port of Spain for a picnic before the fireworks, which were quite nice, and our intrepid driver managed to skate through the side streets to get us back on the single main road before the rush.
We wish we could say when we will be moving on, as the islands off Venezuela and further west sound lovely (snorkeling, fishing, no overpowered Hindi or Soca bands serenading us from the cars on the beaches…). It will be a few weeks yet, I think. In the mean time, I hope that you have thoroughly enjoyed your summer and even the beginning of fall!
David and Susanne
Back on the sander, again
My goodness. I started this e-mail over a month ago, when we scheduled our second haul out. Time flies when you’re … sanding? Well anyways, here we are at Peake’s boatyard, still in Trinidad. We hauled out September 19, in the hopes of receiving the new Yamaha in a few days. It actually arrived last Friday, October 7. Not that we were bored, mind you. There were the twice daily calls or visits to the shipper, and the sanding. Most of the paint below the waterline that we applied in Portugal is now off, as we found a number of little, and a couple big, blisters when we hauled. We got a quote from the boatyard to remove the paint, but decided buy a sander to do it ourselves. It’ll only take a week or so, right? Three weeks later, I’m down to the dagger boards, which I think have gotten bigger since the last time I did this. We have treated ourselves to the rental of an air conditioner, which has made it bearable, and in fact cool enough at night that I usually need a blanket as well as a sheet! But David sleeps comfortably, so it’s worth it.
Susanne
Merry Christmas - still in Tdad
Most important, we have made many friends and learned a great deal from them to prepare us for the journey ahead. In fact, our decision to stay longer and do more work in Trinidad was in part due to advice from others who had gone through the Caribbean and Pacific, and counseled us to take care of all major needs here. In the yard, we inspected the rudder posts and chain plates to the extent possible. We will inspect all the other major boat systems, repair and maintain elements as needed, and acquire or order spares for retrieval in Panama before we leave here.
The record setting hurricane season continued through November with the development of tropical storm Epsilon, the 26th named tropical system this year. Some of our friends, who left in early November, were anchored north of Grenada and had TS Gamma form on top of them, making for very unpleasant conditions! So it is not necessarily bad to be sitting here in Trinidad, out of the way. We hope to continue to avoid nasty weather as we begin to make our way west.
We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with other cruisers, mixing traditional dishes with new favorites. For New Years, we plan to finally head out to our favorite local anchorage of Chacachacare, a former leper colony. This will allow me to test out the single sideband radio, and do a little swimming and hiking. The weather here has improved; it is noticeably cooler and dryer, and thus much more comfortable.
Looking ahead, we have been getting reports from other boats who left before us, to help our planning for the passage to Panama. While we haven’t settled on a firm itinerary yet, we will probably not stop often before the San Blas Islands, off Panama’s Caribbean coast. We’ve been hearing and reading about these islands for years. They are supposed to be one of if not the nicest destination in the Caribbean, and we hope to stay about a month there before proceeding to the Canal.
I haven’t been very conscientious about photographing things here. But I have taken a few parting shots to share with you. The first is with Ken and Gail Kleinhoff, to whom we bid a tearful adieu to in November as they head up island and eventually to Europe. Then there is my four footed girlfriend Princess, one of the dogs in the yard who came to regard us as family. She would escort me around the yard and around Chaguaramas, waiting patiently outside establishments where she was not welcome. She has an unfortunate tendency to run in front of cars in the yard, so we don't expect her to survive terribly long.
David and Susanne
We are finally leaving Trinidad!!
Probably Wednesday or Thursday. We are taking care of last little jobs now, like putting together things to be sent to us in Panama. It is definitely bittersweet. After more than 8 months here, we are really ready to go sailing and other cruising stuff like swimming off the boat. But we have gotten to know some great people here, including some of you, both fellow cruisers and Trinidadians. While we have no definite plans to return, I would very much like to someday.
From here we plan to sail to Bonaire, a trip of a little over 400 miles, probably 3-4 days. We’ll spend several days there as there is supposed to be great diving, then head to Curacao and Panama’s San Blas islands before going to the Canal.
I will write more, including some of the Carnival activity we have been squeezing in between boat projects, but may not be able to send it off till Bonaire. Hope those of you in the US are staying warm and dry, and those of you in the Caribbean are in lovely protected anchorages.
SusanneMarch 6, 2006
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We’ve spent a week in Bonaire, mostly relaxing. Apart from friendly residents and a history of colonization by a European country, Bonaire has little in common with Trinidad. There are only 14,000 residents, so the arrival of 2,000 tourists on a cruise ship, which happens about 2x week, is noticeable. Most residents speak at least 2 languages, the local Papiamento dialect and Dutch, the official language. Spanish is also widely spoken, and those who deal with tourists speak good English and sometimes French, German and/or Italian. Papiamento appears to be influenced by Spanish, Dutch, and local Indian and African dialects. It is spoken and written throughout the ABCs: Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
So here are 2 friendships which developed at the end of our Trinidad stay: Fanny Ray, aka Miss Fanny, works at KNJ Yacht Services at Peake’s, overseeing contractors working on client boats. She is a Venezuelana, and lives on the sailboat Santa Rita with husband Billy, who is American and runs his own business, Billy’s Rigging, with their daughter Iliana. I had the good fortune to get to know Fanny through Chris and Duff of Sudiki, and was invited to join her on trips to the downtown market. This is no mean commitment as she likes to leave at 5:30 AM! We would spend a couple hours, first in the fish and meat section, then browsing the fruits and vegetables, looking for the best deals in price and quality. She showed me the best herb lady, tucked in the back of the market, who always has fresh dill, yum, and the best egg lady, whose eggs have rich, bright yellow yolks. We would round out our shopping at the HiLo supermarket, and I would be set for groceries for more than a week by 10 AM. We’d gossip about Peake’s and the people there, and talk about lots of things. I grew to look forward to these trips and Fanny’s pleasant company.
Micheal Gianetti manages the travelift crew at Peake’s and can usually be found driving the hydraulic trailer. He’s been there since Peake’s opened, and says that he has never gone a day without completing the work scheduled, even though he and his crew have had to work late into the night. I first got to talking with him after thanking him for reblocking our boat during a particularly busy week. In many ways the challenges he faces are similar to those in my old job, even though the circumstances are quite different: competing demands on short time frames, keeping employees performing, high expectations, hearing about it when you don’t meet them and being expected to continue to perform miracles without always getting thanks. One day he took me for a spin in his immaculate silver Lancer through the Tucker Valley, in the park near Chaguaramas, at high speed. Very fun! His father worked for the park, and their family lived there within walking distance of a beach, and many trails into the hills. By his own admission, he isn’t the easiest person to get to know, but I am very glad I did. Hopefully this lengthy email compensates a bit for our lack of communication over the last few months! Stay tuned for more news of our adventures as we head to Curacao and Panama’s San Blas Islands. Love, David and Susanne
