That is probably overstating it. Last night we were resting comfortably in the cabin, watching a movie, when we heard some knocking on the side of the boat. After ascertaining it was not a criminal trying to get aboard, we recognized Jean-Pascal, the crewman on board one of our neighbors. He showed us that this big powerboat, Princess Nicole, was about to run right into us. He got aboard that boat (I got on the radio but the owner or captain or other responsible party could not be located) and managed to slow it down (it was dragging its anchor) by letting out some more of its anchor chain. In the mean time, we decided we needed to pull up our anchor and move, just in case Her Highness Princess Nicole decided to keep moving around.
So I took the helm, but Mike was having problems with the anchor - actually with the clutch of the anchor windlass - and there was also a lot of wind. The wind blows the boat around in a circle, and it is hard to keep a boat pointed the right direction when it is supposed to be standing still. You need movement to maintain steerage. Plus of course we have no depth sounder, which means we don't know how deep it is. (Although this is not quite such a big deal in an anchorage like this - we can tell which boats have drafts similar to ours.) Mike needed to have the spreader lights on to work on the clutch, which was a problem for me at the helm as I could not see past the light around the boat, like looking past a campfire. I just had to hope there was no one in front of me, as I would not see them until I was right on them. And of course to make matters worse, the anchor was sort of hanging down, but not set. But we managed. Mike fixed the problem, made some improvements so the situation would not happen like that again, and we finished watching the movie and went to bed. Thank goodness for Mike's skills - he is good at keeping this vessel afloat.
Then this morning, I was sitting here at the computer when we were hit by a huge wave (at least it seemed that way). Everything went flying, and I am careful to keep things well secured even at anchor because I know what can happen. A jar of instant coffee flew off the counter and opened and instant coffee went everywhere. Along with a big glass of water, so imagine the mess. Even though I have vacuumed and washed the floor it still smells like Starbuck's in here! I suppose that could certainly be worse. Today we plan to ride around in the dinghy, see the local sights along the waterway, and then go to the grocery store.
We are more and more certain we are winning the war of attrition against these roaches. And the geckos are still alive, at least two of them.
So that will do it for today. Tonight there is a ceviche party at a local restaurant, we may go or we may not. We'll see what our mood is when the time comes.
"Next to music beer was best." (Carson McCullers)
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sailors take your mark, get set . . .
We finally have all the wheels in place and the ball is rolling and every other relevant cliche I can think of for our repair and maintenance of Magda Jean. We have all the broken parts sent off for repair or replacement, other parts and various and sundry items are on order and on their way to our mail forwarding service in Florida, and we have an address here to receive our packages and mail. We also have quotes for our haul out to paint the bottom, and have discovered while it is no bargain, it is not prohibitive either. We are really happy. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can hang out in the islands. I like it here, right off Panama City, but it is after all a big commercial area so I can't just jump off the boat and swim. Actually, if anyone in this anchorage could do it, we could. We are anchored about as far out as one can go, so there is quite a bit of flushing. I did go in a couple days ago but not by design - I was getting out of the dinghy, and it was pretty rough. As I was stepping on to the boat, a big swell came along at the exact wrong moment and over I went. I might add the water is nice and cool and it is hot and humid here. Mike just pulled me into the dinghy. I swear no alcohol was involved.
Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot of news. We watched yesterday as two boats that were rafted up together were boarded and apparently searched by the police. It was all very interesting. One of the boats is a real wreck, and has been tied up to another, more normal looking boat since we got there. After the cops left, the wreck of a boat left the anchorage and we have not seen it since. The more normal boat is still there.
And the other big news - drum roll and all that - is that I got a tattoo. A nice gecko on my upper thigh. I am quite pleased with it. (I better be, since a) it is not going to come off and b) it hurt when I got it.) I know some of you don't approve of this, and all I have to say is since I am 57 years old I can do what I want. Anyway, here it is!
Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot of news. We watched yesterday as two boats that were rafted up together were boarded and apparently searched by the police. It was all very interesting. One of the boats is a real wreck, and has been tied up to another, more normal looking boat since we got there. After the cops left, the wreck of a boat left the anchorage and we have not seen it since. The more normal boat is still there.
And the other big news - drum roll and all that - is that I got a tattoo. A nice gecko on my upper thigh. I am quite pleased with it. (I better be, since a) it is not going to come off and b) it hurt when I got it.) I know some of you don't approve of this, and all I have to say is since I am 57 years old I can do what I want. Anyway, here it is!
While I hadn't really planned on having one this big, I decided "in for a penny, in for a pound."
So that is what happens when you have a lot of time on you hands and meet up with a young Nova Scotian named Pam who happens to be a tattoo artist. We had to rent a hotel rooms as the boats were too bouncy. She is with a lot of other kids on a boat heading to Polynesia. There are a lot of kids here, looking to join up with boats headed to various places. It takes some courage to take off like that, I think. I admire them.
Oh - I forgot to mention - we designed and built our own roach traps and they are working beautifully. We discovered (by happy accident) the the roaches seemed to like the glue on the back of out all purpose duct-type tape. So we started setting up tape with the sticky parts up and each morning, there are lots of roaches stuck to it. Between that, the intense cleaning, and of course the geckos (we have audio confirmation there are at least two of them alive and going strong) we appear to have more than just the upper hand, the roaches appear to be on the run.
Anyway, I have to get going and make breakfast. If I wait any longer, we'll be having lunch.
"Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature." (Tom Robbins)
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
More Canal Pictures
We got some new pictures downloaded, and here are some examples of what we saw as we went through the Panama Canal. I am still sort of amazed at myself that I have gone through one of the most wondrous piece of engineering that man has done so far.
Here is what it looks like when you first enter the lock and the door closes.
Here is what it looks like when the water has lowered some.
And here is what it looks like when it has gone deeper.
And here was a beautiful little yellow bird, taking advantage of waterfront real estate.
Here is what it looks like when you first enter the lock and the door closes.
Here is what it looks like when the water has lowered some.
And here is what it looks like when it has gone deeper.
These two ships were with us in the line for the locks. They look a lot bigger from the deck of the boat we were on.
This one was right behind us and looked even bigger, especially when he got really close.
And of course, we got to see some really gorgeous stuff as we motored along in Lake Gatun. Here is the shoreline - and we heard howler monkeys all evening long.
And here was a beautiful little yellow bird, taking advantage of waterfront real estate.
Right now we are sitting aboard Magda Jean, just being lazy. We are awaiting the final instructions for shipping out our broken stuff, and getting new stuff sent in. We have figured out the haul out for new bottom paint will not be any kind of a south of the border bargain, but not prohibitive or completely out of line. At least we can tell ourselves that because the bottom desperately needs new paint and we have to get it done.
A lot of the cruisers here have left, and we may have to move to a different anchorage as the weather starts to change. I like this anchorage better, but it will, according to all the long time Panama people, become untenable as the waves shift to the southwest. Oh well - I hope we can time it with our haul out, which we want to time to coincide with the arrival of either repaired or new electronics, etc etc and so on and so on. So far we have not had any rain really - just enough sprinkling to require the hatches be closed (with the resultant heating up of the cabin) and the decks to get all muddy looking. I know that soon enough things will change - the old timers and handing out advice about avoiding lightning strikes. It really isn't possible - if it is going to hit you it is going to hit you - but taking precautions makes me feel a touch more in control.
Tonight is ceviche night - we all meet at this ceviche restaurant and eat ceviche and drink beer. Sounds good to me.
"Everyone suffers at least one bad betrayal in their lifetime. It’s what unites us. The trick is not to let it destroy your trust in others when that happens. Don’t let them take that from you." (Sherrilyn Kenyon)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Through the Canal!!!!!
It was a really amazing experience. The canal is so big, and so many ships are going through it 24/7 - it is hard to absorb. Here is how it went, difficulties and all. We were to be "line handlers." When you pass through the canal, you need to have at least four people on the boat to act as line handlers, as well as one person who is captain. Then you have an advisor, who is a canal employee, with you on the boat the entire time, telling you how to do everything.
First, in order to pass through the canal, you have to make arrangements with the canal authorities, pay money, and get a time assigned. Since it was not our boat, we did not have to worry about all that. All we had to do was show up on our friends' boat. So all is well - or so we think. After loading up me, Mike, and Pam (the third line handler), we waited only to be told that we had been cancelled, and would have to leave the following day instead. No big deal for us, but it was disappointing for the owners of the boat. But the next day we actually got to leave.
The canal crossing is usually a two day process. The first day, we went through like we had done it every day of our lives. We entered the first lock, threw our lines to the tug we were tied up to, and then sat as the water rose in the lock. It is strange because you can't feel it - you just look up and see the guys on the walls getting further and further above you. We did this twice, and then we found ourselves in Lake Gatun, which very well maybe the biggest man made lake in the world. We tied up to this big red buoy, and spent the night, but not after having an awesome fresh water swim. Our friends, D'Arcy and Isabelle, were the most incredible hosts, feeding us well, and providing a better bed than we have on board! (Their boat is fancier and I admit to a moment of envy.)
The second day did not go as smoothly, to say the least. We had a different advisor, and we thought the first one was a lot better. We were scheduled to leave at 8 am, but after waiting for the advisor until well past that time, discovered they had changed our time until 2 pm. So we spent the time swimming in the lake. By the way, you are not supposed to swim in the lake. I asked our advisor about that, and he said the reason for the rule was only to make the canal authority's collective life easier by avoiding any possible problems with people drowning. So we swam anyway as there was no one to stop us. The water was a perfect temperature - not too warm and not too cold.
Anyway, when we entered the first lock, the guys on the tug we were supposed to tie up to did not grab the lines as they should, and the boat swung around like crazy. It took quite awhile to get it back on track, and in the process, a small light (like a turn indicator on a car) hit the side of the tug and got broken. Once we finally got straightened out, we went down this time (you go up from the Pacific to Lake Gatun and then up from Lake Gatun to the Caribbean) and entered the second lock. This time it was worse, except nothing got broken. The wind came up, and this time the boat got turned around backwards and could not be straightened out. One of the things about a sailboat is the difficulty in steering if you are not going very fast. There are times when you simply cannot get the rudder to respond. I am not explaining it well, but it happens. I have had trouble when we are going very slowly with our boat getting completely turned around. It is not that big a problem in open seas - you can turn on the engine and just speed up and get yourself back on track. But there is limited room in the lock to turn around, and the engine was already on, and there is no way to build up speed. So we ended up tying up to the tug backwards. When the doors to the locks opened, D'Arcy had to back is boat out. Backing a sailboat is also difficult - it tends to want to veer to one side or another, and does not back like a car or a powerboat. But D'Arcy did a fabulous job. We wonder if we were the first to back out!
After all of that, we motored on to the marina, got the boat docked, and had a wonderful time eating, drinking, decompressing, and debriefing. Mike, Pam, and I then took the bus back to Panama City from Colon. All in all it was a wonderful trip and I am so glad I got a chance to do it.
Here are some pictures of the Grand Crossing:
There are more pictures that have not yet been downloaded, and also some video I shot. I will try to get some video posted.
So anyway, we are now back in Panama City, happily aboard Magda Jean, and looking to get all of our problems solved so we can move on. Logistics are always a bit of a problem, but it is easier here than in El Salvador. Mike and I were a little discouraged after trying all day yesterday to deal with the watermaker that decided to stay broken after all. We contacted the maker via email, and he walked us through some trouble shooting, and the upshot is he is sending us a valve rebuild kit. We are hoping against hope that will do the trick. It is disappointing to have it break down so soon - there are only about 250 hours on the motor - but the company (Cruise RO Water) has excellent customer service and I am optimistic that we will in the end have a functioning watermaker. The depth sounder and AIS will have to be returned to Simrad and hopefully they will be fixed. (Interestingly, we discovered that the Simrad repair facility is in San Diego. Might be a good time for a trip if we can find some way to secure the boat while we are gone. That is just my idea and has not been discussed.) If not, and we have to replace them, it will cost a small fortune and I really really really hope that does not happen. As much as I like it here, I want to move on to the islands and then head to Ecuador. There is talk of continuing down to Peru, and I would like to go to Chile. I have a lot of research to do first!
So that is all for now. Adios for now from Panama City!
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." (J.K. Rowling)
First, in order to pass through the canal, you have to make arrangements with the canal authorities, pay money, and get a time assigned. Since it was not our boat, we did not have to worry about all that. All we had to do was show up on our friends' boat. So all is well - or so we think. After loading up me, Mike, and Pam (the third line handler), we waited only to be told that we had been cancelled, and would have to leave the following day instead. No big deal for us, but it was disappointing for the owners of the boat. But the next day we actually got to leave.
The canal crossing is usually a two day process. The first day, we went through like we had done it every day of our lives. We entered the first lock, threw our lines to the tug we were tied up to, and then sat as the water rose in the lock. It is strange because you can't feel it - you just look up and see the guys on the walls getting further and further above you. We did this twice, and then we found ourselves in Lake Gatun, which very well maybe the biggest man made lake in the world. We tied up to this big red buoy, and spent the night, but not after having an awesome fresh water swim. Our friends, D'Arcy and Isabelle, were the most incredible hosts, feeding us well, and providing a better bed than we have on board! (Their boat is fancier and I admit to a moment of envy.)
The second day did not go as smoothly, to say the least. We had a different advisor, and we thought the first one was a lot better. We were scheduled to leave at 8 am, but after waiting for the advisor until well past that time, discovered they had changed our time until 2 pm. So we spent the time swimming in the lake. By the way, you are not supposed to swim in the lake. I asked our advisor about that, and he said the reason for the rule was only to make the canal authority's collective life easier by avoiding any possible problems with people drowning. So we swam anyway as there was no one to stop us. The water was a perfect temperature - not too warm and not too cold.
Anyway, when we entered the first lock, the guys on the tug we were supposed to tie up to did not grab the lines as they should, and the boat swung around like crazy. It took quite awhile to get it back on track, and in the process, a small light (like a turn indicator on a car) hit the side of the tug and got broken. Once we finally got straightened out, we went down this time (you go up from the Pacific to Lake Gatun and then up from Lake Gatun to the Caribbean) and entered the second lock. This time it was worse, except nothing got broken. The wind came up, and this time the boat got turned around backwards and could not be straightened out. One of the things about a sailboat is the difficulty in steering if you are not going very fast. There are times when you simply cannot get the rudder to respond. I am not explaining it well, but it happens. I have had trouble when we are going very slowly with our boat getting completely turned around. It is not that big a problem in open seas - you can turn on the engine and just speed up and get yourself back on track. But there is limited room in the lock to turn around, and the engine was already on, and there is no way to build up speed. So we ended up tying up to the tug backwards. When the doors to the locks opened, D'Arcy had to back is boat out. Backing a sailboat is also difficult - it tends to want to veer to one side or another, and does not back like a car or a powerboat. But D'Arcy did a fabulous job. We wonder if we were the first to back out!
After all of that, we motored on to the marina, got the boat docked, and had a wonderful time eating, drinking, decompressing, and debriefing. Mike, Pam, and I then took the bus back to Panama City from Colon. All in all it was a wonderful trip and I am so glad I got a chance to do it.
Here are some pictures of the Grand Crossing:
As the lock opens
The tug we tied up to
Isabelle, the advisor, the tug, and a huge boat behind us
Mike tossing a line to the tug
The Tugboat Crew
Getting ready to tie up in Lake Gatun
The Crew of Ideal 1
D'Arcy, Mike, Isabelle, Pam, Kate
There are more pictures that have not yet been downloaded, and also some video I shot. I will try to get some video posted.
So anyway, we are now back in Panama City, happily aboard Magda Jean, and looking to get all of our problems solved so we can move on. Logistics are always a bit of a problem, but it is easier here than in El Salvador. Mike and I were a little discouraged after trying all day yesterday to deal with the watermaker that decided to stay broken after all. We contacted the maker via email, and he walked us through some trouble shooting, and the upshot is he is sending us a valve rebuild kit. We are hoping against hope that will do the trick. It is disappointing to have it break down so soon - there are only about 250 hours on the motor - but the company (Cruise RO Water) has excellent customer service and I am optimistic that we will in the end have a functioning watermaker. The depth sounder and AIS will have to be returned to Simrad and hopefully they will be fixed. (Interestingly, we discovered that the Simrad repair facility is in San Diego. Might be a good time for a trip if we can find some way to secure the boat while we are gone. That is just my idea and has not been discussed.) If not, and we have to replace them, it will cost a small fortune and I really really really hope that does not happen. As much as I like it here, I want to move on to the islands and then head to Ecuador. There is talk of continuing down to Peru, and I would like to go to Chile. I have a lot of research to do first!
So that is all for now. Adios for now from Panama City!
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." (J.K. Rowling)
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Not in Kansas Anymore!
OK, what I really mean is I am not in El Salvador anymore. Not even San Salvador. Panama City is a real city. Big skyscrapers, everything you can think of (except of course specialized marine products) available. No need to spend $100 to spend an entire day driving just to grocery shop. I was in the biggest mall I have ever been in the other day! We were able to replace our broken camera (with an upgrade, no less!), found the brand of outdoor clothing we like, found new shoes (Keens) for Mike, found the new feather bed we need to replace the old one that started sending feathers loose throughout the boat, you name it. Amazing!!!!!
And another great thing about this place - as I sit here anchored in La Playita, just off Panama City, a mere 20-30 miles away are the Las Perlas Islands, which are beautiful, with clear water and white sands. A mere day sail away, depending on winds. We can go there an anchor until we run out of beer and vegetables, then go back, reprovision, and go again.
Of course we can't go there until we get the depth sounder fixed, or at least find a functional alternative. It would be foolish to try and anchor without being able to determine your depth. Here, there are plenty of boats, so you know exactly where to go, and there are other people within yards of your boat who can tell you what is underneath your hull. SO no islands until we get this fixed. I find it highly suspicious that BOTH the depth sounder and the AIS (our ship tracking gizmo) would go out at the same time, but Mike insists there are no connections between them that would cause them, and only them, to go our together. I believe that these things are some sort of somewhat integrated system, nor do I believe in mechanical coincidences. My unprofessional, but firm opinion is that this was all caused by a direct lightning strike to a boat very close to us. We know it happened to them (we were on an overnight to San Salvador) and we were only about 25 yards away from them. When we got back, the display on our inverter (the device that shows what power is coming and and what is going out) was acting haywire, flashing random letters and numbers, until Mike reset it and then it was fine. No reason for it to do that. But back to the depth sounder and AIS - I do not know if Mike is going to try to repair them or if he is just going to replace them.
There are a lot of other boats here, from all over the world. It is not just US and Canada anymore, but people from all over. There are a lot of European boats here that have come through the canal, and other boats waiting to go through. I thought I was pretty used to dealing with big ships since I learned to sail with the Navy ships in San Diego, but for sheer numbers, Panama has got San Diego beat. There are always huge ships coming and going from the canal, and many boats anchored awaiting their turns. When I first got out of college, I had a job working for a container leasing company in San Francisco. That was a long time ago, and seeing the names of these companies - NedLloyd, Hapag Lloyd, Maersk, Sealand - it brought me back.
We are not taking Magda Jean through the canal, but we are going through with some friends of ours on their boat as line handlers. I am really excited about doing it - and it will be more fun on someone else's boat because it is less stressful. (My big fear is always damage and the ensuing costs, not drowning.) It should be a lot of fun and really interesting.
Anyway, I need to get going and make brunch for us (too late to be called breakfast). I told Mike I am in no hurry to leave here.
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." (Marthe Troly-Curtin)
And another great thing about this place - as I sit here anchored in La Playita, just off Panama City, a mere 20-30 miles away are the Las Perlas Islands, which are beautiful, with clear water and white sands. A mere day sail away, depending on winds. We can go there an anchor until we run out of beer and vegetables, then go back, reprovision, and go again.
Of course we can't go there until we get the depth sounder fixed, or at least find a functional alternative. It would be foolish to try and anchor without being able to determine your depth. Here, there are plenty of boats, so you know exactly where to go, and there are other people within yards of your boat who can tell you what is underneath your hull. SO no islands until we get this fixed. I find it highly suspicious that BOTH the depth sounder and the AIS (our ship tracking gizmo) would go out at the same time, but Mike insists there are no connections between them that would cause them, and only them, to go our together. I believe that these things are some sort of somewhat integrated system, nor do I believe in mechanical coincidences. My unprofessional, but firm opinion is that this was all caused by a direct lightning strike to a boat very close to us. We know it happened to them (we were on an overnight to San Salvador) and we were only about 25 yards away from them. When we got back, the display on our inverter (the device that shows what power is coming and and what is going out) was acting haywire, flashing random letters and numbers, until Mike reset it and then it was fine. No reason for it to do that. But back to the depth sounder and AIS - I do not know if Mike is going to try to repair them or if he is just going to replace them.
There are a lot of other boats here, from all over the world. It is not just US and Canada anymore, but people from all over. There are a lot of European boats here that have come through the canal, and other boats waiting to go through. I thought I was pretty used to dealing with big ships since I learned to sail with the Navy ships in San Diego, but for sheer numbers, Panama has got San Diego beat. There are always huge ships coming and going from the canal, and many boats anchored awaiting their turns. When I first got out of college, I had a job working for a container leasing company in San Francisco. That was a long time ago, and seeing the names of these companies - NedLloyd, Hapag Lloyd, Maersk, Sealand - it brought me back.
We are not taking Magda Jean through the canal, but we are going through with some friends of ours on their boat as line handlers. I am really excited about doing it - and it will be more fun on someone else's boat because it is less stressful. (My big fear is always damage and the ensuing costs, not drowning.) It should be a lot of fun and really interesting.
Anyway, I need to get going and make brunch for us (too late to be called breakfast). I told Mike I am in no hurry to leave here.
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." (Marthe Troly-Curtin)
Monday, April 1, 2013
No More Punta Mala
Our weather window arrived. We left Ensenada Naranja yesterday (Easter Sunday) and sailed through the night, rounding the point early this afternoon. After all the drama we had before, having to turn back and lose an entire days worth of progress, we just sailed nicely past the bugaboo. It was really nice to get that behind us. At this point, we are about 90 miles from Panama City, where we plan to stop and anchor while figuring out our next move.
There are several things we have to take care of. First and foremost, we need to take care of our taxes. For that we need internet access. I wish we could do them earlier, but there is one document that never arrives until mid March or so, and there is nothing to be done about that. We have to get our documents scanned from our mail drop, print them out (we have a printer) and then do the figuring. This year it should only take an hour or so - it is exactly the same as last year but with slightly different figures. So we just plug in new numbers and off we go. But as it is already April 1, we are pushing it a bit.
The next thing we have to do is get some of our equipment fixed - most importantly, our depth sounder, without which anchoring is a dicey business. Magda Jean desperately needs bottom paint, and we also need to get a new water pump. I am almost embarrassed to write this - some of you must be thinking this boat is an absolute piece of crap, with things breaking every two minutes. But that is just the way things are. I do not know any cruisers, either with old or brand new boats, that do not have the same problems. It is the harsh marine environment. Just when you thin you have everything under control, the thing you fixed two years ago breaks. And you start all over again. I will admit, it can get a person down if you let it.
The sailing on this trip has been pretty good, all in all. All morning, there was a shearwater that flew all around the boat, looking it over. He landed (I was napping and missed this) and spent quite some time climbing all over the boat, checking it out. THen he returned to his mate, who was in the water nearby. This happened a couple of times. Mike suspects he was looking for a nesting site. We have also seen huge rays jumping out of the water in the mornings and evenings, jumping high into the air and twisting in summersaults. I already told the story of the lost pole.
Right now the wind has dropped, and the small amount that is left can't make its mind up as to what direction it wants to blow. So we furl in the big job (to keep it from banging around) and wait for the decision. It seems like there is a period like this almost every day - usually in the afternoon. It's funny - on Thursday we were forced b back due to crazy high seas and winds - now it is like drifting in a bathtub. Were it not for the jellyfish, we could stop the boat and have a swim call.
We are out of fresh produce. It only lasts so long, even in the fridge. Now we are reduced to canned veggies but I think we can deal with it. I made an excellent chicken dish last night, using chicken breasts, leftover rice, canned peppers, and canned tomatoes. It was surprisingly good. I baked bread, and again, it came out beautifully. I make small loaves, because it doesn't keep that well. No preservatives, after all. TOmorrow I may thaw some dough and try my hand at pita, since we have cans of hummos and baba ganoush. A nice little Greek feast, minus the feta.
That is really it for today - we are simply sailing along, slowly but surely, towards civilisation and cold beer. I can hardly wait.
"Oh who can tell, save he who hath tried,
And danced in triumph o'er the waters wide,
The exulting sense - the pulse's maddening play,
That thrills the wanderer of that trackless way?"
(Lord Byron)
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There are several things we have to take care of. First and foremost, we need to take care of our taxes. For that we need internet access. I wish we could do them earlier, but there is one document that never arrives until mid March or so, and there is nothing to be done about that. We have to get our documents scanned from our mail drop, print them out (we have a printer) and then do the figuring. This year it should only take an hour or so - it is exactly the same as last year but with slightly different figures. So we just plug in new numbers and off we go. But as it is already April 1, we are pushing it a bit.
The next thing we have to do is get some of our equipment fixed - most importantly, our depth sounder, without which anchoring is a dicey business. Magda Jean desperately needs bottom paint, and we also need to get a new water pump. I am almost embarrassed to write this - some of you must be thinking this boat is an absolute piece of crap, with things breaking every two minutes. But that is just the way things are. I do not know any cruisers, either with old or brand new boats, that do not have the same problems. It is the harsh marine environment. Just when you thin you have everything under control, the thing you fixed two years ago breaks. And you start all over again. I will admit, it can get a person down if you let it.
The sailing on this trip has been pretty good, all in all. All morning, there was a shearwater that flew all around the boat, looking it over. He landed (I was napping and missed this) and spent quite some time climbing all over the boat, checking it out. THen he returned to his mate, who was in the water nearby. This happened a couple of times. Mike suspects he was looking for a nesting site. We have also seen huge rays jumping out of the water in the mornings and evenings, jumping high into the air and twisting in summersaults. I already told the story of the lost pole.
Right now the wind has dropped, and the small amount that is left can't make its mind up as to what direction it wants to blow. So we furl in the big job (to keep it from banging around) and wait for the decision. It seems like there is a period like this almost every day - usually in the afternoon. It's funny - on Thursday we were forced b back due to crazy high seas and winds - now it is like drifting in a bathtub. Were it not for the jellyfish, we could stop the boat and have a swim call.
We are out of fresh produce. It only lasts so long, even in the fridge. Now we are reduced to canned veggies but I think we can deal with it. I made an excellent chicken dish last night, using chicken breasts, leftover rice, canned peppers, and canned tomatoes. It was surprisingly good. I baked bread, and again, it came out beautifully. I make small loaves, because it doesn't keep that well. No preservatives, after all. TOmorrow I may thaw some dough and try my hand at pita, since we have cans of hummos and baba ganoush. A nice little Greek feast, minus the feta.
That is really it for today - we are simply sailing along, slowly but surely, towards civilisation and cold beer. I can hardly wait.
"Oh who can tell, save he who hath tried,
And danced in triumph o'er the waters wide,
The exulting sense - the pulse's maddening play,
That thrills the wanderer of that trackless way?"
(Lord Byron)
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Friday, March 29, 2013
Waiting for a Weather Window
That's what we call it when we are sitting somewhere, ready to leave, but prevented from doing so by bad weather ahead of us. We are anchored at a place in the middle of Panama called Ensenada Naranjo. I have no idea why it is called that because there are no oranges that I can see and nothing colored orange, either. (Naranjo means orange in Spanish.)
Over the past few days, we have encountered some weather issues. Our original plan when leaving Isla Jicaron was to stop here. But when we were sailing towards here, we ended up in a squall that was blowing so hard from this very direction that we were prevented from entering. (We also learned that collecting rainwater during a squall is a good idea, but not necessarily when you are underway. We took a wave over the bow when the water tanks were open and now our water has a bit of salt water in it. It isn't enough to make it undrinkable, in fact I can't even taste it. But Mike checked with our water checking device and discovered it. So from now on our collecting rain will be limited to when the boat is not moving.) So we decided to just keep on sailing directly for the Bay of Panama. That also was not to be.
In order to enter the Bay of Panama, one has to sail around something called Punta Mala, which means Bad Point and trust me, it is aptly named. We were unable to even get close to it, as the wind and waves were against us, blowing so hard and kicking up such high seas that even with our engine we could not make any headway. It was like running in place, or swimming laps in one of those current pools. As we were struggling with it, a boat came from the direction we were trying to go. They had the wind and waves in their favor, but were still getting beat up. They called us on the radio and told us it was only going to get worse the further we went. So we turned tail and headed back the way we came. After an entire day of sailing, we ended up here after all. This time the weather allowed us to enter. It is a nice anchorage, and well protected from the waves and swells. It isn't strong winds that cause most of the problem in anchorages, it is the waves or swells. Wind makes noise and makes things uncomfortable, but waves and swells that are too big will cause the anchor to come unset and then you will drift. Usually into rocks. That is what happened with our second anchorage here in Panama, Isla Montuosa. The swells were so large the boat was rocking rather violently from side to side, making it impossible for us to even lie in bed without rolling around. And the anchorage itself was surrounded by large rocky reefs, and if we had come loose, there was a good chance we could be driven onto the rocks.
So here we sit. We got on the SSB radio and downloaded some weather information that indicates this current pattern of high winds and swells is not going to lie down until Monday. Funny, we are only about 24 miles from the problem area, but there is nothing here. It would be so tempting to give it another try, but we know better. We might be able to leave late Sunday afternoon, we will just have to keep checking the weather reports. It is pointless to go out, wasting our time, energy, emotional well-being, not to mention diesel fuel, just to have to turn back again. When you have to do that, you end up losing days of time. It is frustrating, but there is nothing to be done about it. We are using the time to good advantage - we went through our food cupboards again and cleaned and cleaned, making sure there were no open packages of food that the roaches could live off. You would be surprised how often the packages just come undone - a problem with third world groceries. But I think we are winning the battle - between us and our geckos, we will keep fighting until the end. I have never hated anything so much as I hate those roaches. I mean it.
While we were sailing along on our way to this anchorage, we had fishing poles out, trolling along. We know when a fish hits because Mike sets the lines so they make a clicking noise as the line spools out. SO here we were, eating dinner in the cockpit, enjoying a nice evening, when all of a sudden, with no warning whatsoever, the entire fishing pole AND the rod holder itself flew off the boat and disappeared into the water. It happened so fast and so hard that it left the boat before even spooling any line. The metal rod holder was sheared off. We can only imagine the size of the fish that took the pole. Too bad, it was an expensive pole and Torino reel. We do have more poles and reels, so it is not the end of the world. I am pretty glad we didn't have to deal with that fish!
THere are two other boats here in the anchorage with us. One of them has three men from Chile on it. We met them last night and shared the last of our beer with them. I felt like that was a good way to use up the last of it, rather than hoarding it and rationing it. We had a great visit. Two of them did not speak any English, but Carlos did, and between his English and my Spanish we were able to communicate no problem by just mixing the languages. Later that evening they came by again and invited us to dinner, but we had already eaten, unfortunately for us! But they had been spear fishing and gave us a fish, which MIke promptly cleaned and filleted and will be our dinner tonight. We are not sure what kind of a fish it is - maybe some variety of trigger fish, which we ate in Mexico in the Sea of Cortez.
As I was sitting here writing this, we heard a dinghy pulling up, and there were our new friends with another fish for us! This looks like a tuna variety or a jack of some sort - I guess we have two nights worth of dinner now!!!!
We discovered a new way to shower to save water. We wet ourselves down in the shower, then turn off the water and soap and shampoo up. Then, covered with soap and shampoo, we run from the bathroom to the cockpit and then jump into the ocean and rinse off. THen we get back in the shower for a quick fresh water rinse. It does save a lot of water, as rinsing the soap off is what uses the most. Especially with hair as long and thick as mine. Plus it is fun.
I do have one thing to ask here: If either of my sisters reads this, would you please send me an email at WDF5496@sailmail.com? I didn't bother to write down your email addresses, just having them in the google gmail address book, which is inaccessible to me as I have no internet and just work off the SSB radio. I have a favor I need to ask, so I am hoping to hear from one of you. Thank you in advance!
So that is it for today. Although we have plenty to do here to keep ourselves busy, I am hoping that the weather data we are looking at is right and we will be able to head out Monday. Once we get past Punta Mala, it is only a day or so to the Panama City area. Then we can start to fix the stuff that has crapped out on us. I am so tired of things breaking and so is Mike. But that is a post for another day.
(No quote for today, I am too lazy to look one up.)
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Over the past few days, we have encountered some weather issues. Our original plan when leaving Isla Jicaron was to stop here. But when we were sailing towards here, we ended up in a squall that was blowing so hard from this very direction that we were prevented from entering. (We also learned that collecting rainwater during a squall is a good idea, but not necessarily when you are underway. We took a wave over the bow when the water tanks were open and now our water has a bit of salt water in it. It isn't enough to make it undrinkable, in fact I can't even taste it. But Mike checked with our water checking device and discovered it. So from now on our collecting rain will be limited to when the boat is not moving.) So we decided to just keep on sailing directly for the Bay of Panama. That also was not to be.
In order to enter the Bay of Panama, one has to sail around something called Punta Mala, which means Bad Point and trust me, it is aptly named. We were unable to even get close to it, as the wind and waves were against us, blowing so hard and kicking up such high seas that even with our engine we could not make any headway. It was like running in place, or swimming laps in one of those current pools. As we were struggling with it, a boat came from the direction we were trying to go. They had the wind and waves in their favor, but were still getting beat up. They called us on the radio and told us it was only going to get worse the further we went. So we turned tail and headed back the way we came. After an entire day of sailing, we ended up here after all. This time the weather allowed us to enter. It is a nice anchorage, and well protected from the waves and swells. It isn't strong winds that cause most of the problem in anchorages, it is the waves or swells. Wind makes noise and makes things uncomfortable, but waves and swells that are too big will cause the anchor to come unset and then you will drift. Usually into rocks. That is what happened with our second anchorage here in Panama, Isla Montuosa. The swells were so large the boat was rocking rather violently from side to side, making it impossible for us to even lie in bed without rolling around. And the anchorage itself was surrounded by large rocky reefs, and if we had come loose, there was a good chance we could be driven onto the rocks.
So here we sit. We got on the SSB radio and downloaded some weather information that indicates this current pattern of high winds and swells is not going to lie down until Monday. Funny, we are only about 24 miles from the problem area, but there is nothing here. It would be so tempting to give it another try, but we know better. We might be able to leave late Sunday afternoon, we will just have to keep checking the weather reports. It is pointless to go out, wasting our time, energy, emotional well-being, not to mention diesel fuel, just to have to turn back again. When you have to do that, you end up losing days of time. It is frustrating, but there is nothing to be done about it. We are using the time to good advantage - we went through our food cupboards again and cleaned and cleaned, making sure there were no open packages of food that the roaches could live off. You would be surprised how often the packages just come undone - a problem with third world groceries. But I think we are winning the battle - between us and our geckos, we will keep fighting until the end. I have never hated anything so much as I hate those roaches. I mean it.
While we were sailing along on our way to this anchorage, we had fishing poles out, trolling along. We know when a fish hits because Mike sets the lines so they make a clicking noise as the line spools out. SO here we were, eating dinner in the cockpit, enjoying a nice evening, when all of a sudden, with no warning whatsoever, the entire fishing pole AND the rod holder itself flew off the boat and disappeared into the water. It happened so fast and so hard that it left the boat before even spooling any line. The metal rod holder was sheared off. We can only imagine the size of the fish that took the pole. Too bad, it was an expensive pole and Torino reel. We do have more poles and reels, so it is not the end of the world. I am pretty glad we didn't have to deal with that fish!
THere are two other boats here in the anchorage with us. One of them has three men from Chile on it. We met them last night and shared the last of our beer with them. I felt like that was a good way to use up the last of it, rather than hoarding it and rationing it. We had a great visit. Two of them did not speak any English, but Carlos did, and between his English and my Spanish we were able to communicate no problem by just mixing the languages. Later that evening they came by again and invited us to dinner, but we had already eaten, unfortunately for us! But they had been spear fishing and gave us a fish, which MIke promptly cleaned and filleted and will be our dinner tonight. We are not sure what kind of a fish it is - maybe some variety of trigger fish, which we ate in Mexico in the Sea of Cortez.
As I was sitting here writing this, we heard a dinghy pulling up, and there were our new friends with another fish for us! This looks like a tuna variety or a jack of some sort - I guess we have two nights worth of dinner now!!!!
We discovered a new way to shower to save water. We wet ourselves down in the shower, then turn off the water and soap and shampoo up. Then, covered with soap and shampoo, we run from the bathroom to the cockpit and then jump into the ocean and rinse off. THen we get back in the shower for a quick fresh water rinse. It does save a lot of water, as rinsing the soap off is what uses the most. Especially with hair as long and thick as mine. Plus it is fun.
I do have one thing to ask here: If either of my sisters reads this, would you please send me an email at WDF5496@sailmail.com? I didn't bother to write down your email addresses, just having them in the google gmail address book, which is inaccessible to me as I have no internet and just work off the SSB radio. I have a favor I need to ask, so I am hoping to hear from one of you. Thank you in advance!
So that is it for today. Although we have plenty to do here to keep ourselves busy, I am hoping that the weather data we are looking at is right and we will be able to head out Monday. Once we get past Punta Mala, it is only a day or so to the Panama City area. Then we can start to fix the stuff that has crapped out on us. I am so tired of things breaking and so is Mike. But that is a post for another day.
(No quote for today, I am too lazy to look one up.)
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