Saturday, November 17, 2012

Captain's Corner - 'A few repairs and ongoing maintenance' Colombia


This is it! The last piece of the Caribbean before we go through the Panama Canal, and get squeezed out into the Pacific…….Australia bound! The year to date has been extremely different to our past cruising lifestyle, in fact we have only sailed, or motored, about 8 days.
You've seen this before.....Forest Gump??

....and the skaters, Californication??

We started with a stopover in LA, or Santa Monica to be exact. Remember Californication, yep that’s the one. Riding bicycles down the beach to Venice, cycling around the canals, watching the skaters. It was just like you see on tv. A couple of days saw us take in New Years Eve, some great lobster and truffle sauce ravioli (twice), and the obligatory LA sightseeing tour! All whilst being jet lagged but we did have a great apartment across from the beach with a huge bed, bathroom and a little kitchen – perfect.
Willemstad, Curacao, the rest is so so!
Pablo and Picasso - kept the spirits up!

Our arrival in Curacao was a step back into reality. The work that was scheduled to be done to Zenna upon our return to Curacao was carried out by the boatyard, Curacao Marine, while we were in Australia, against our instruction. This had led to considerable damage to Zenna thereby requiring our schedule of work, and costs, to be revised. No point in crying over it, we found a great place to stay for a couple of months, The Ritz, at a good rate until we could move onto the boat. We then adopted a 5 day work week with occasional overtime, and knuckled into it. Our visas, which could not be extended at the time, were valid for only 3 months so our time to get repairs done and the boat in the water was limited, not assisted by the reluctance of Curacao Marine to make good the damage or compensation for Zenna despite our numerous letters and discussions. The matter is still not resolved. Unfortunately the whole ordeal tainted our view of Curacao, though we did manage to meet a couple of nice people which made the time, a week short of 3 months, bearable. This was also helped by ‘Pablo and Picasso’ (who painted Zenna) providing some calm amongst the storm at Curacao Marine.
Marion's birthday lunch at 'It Rains Fishes', Bonaire
Bonaire sunset.

After our troubled time in Curacao, and an overnight stop on a deserted island Klein Curacao it was great to pick up a mooring in Bonaire. We had heard the diving was good so we bought some ex-rental gear and dusted off our old face masks. It was great and for nearly 3 months we dived every other day or so during the week for a bit of exercise, sometimes straight off the back of the boat. We soon realised we were getting enough exercise by just doing the shopping which saw our trusty Brompton cycles come into action once again. Lots of good, if not excellent, supermarkets and restaurants saw us relax into this quiet little island. A few fantastic sunsets and meeting up with new friends led to some excellent sundowners.
Mark getting a few last minute pointers!

Bonaire yacht club dock.
 
One of our Sunday lunches saw us ride over to the windward side of the island as we had heard their burger specials and atmosphere was not to be missed. We were not disappointed, not so much about the burgers, but the location was amazing. A reef about a quarter of a mile off the shore meant the wind was constant with the lagoon inside the reef having smooth water being no more than 3 foot deep! Excellent conditions for windsurfing, with rows and rows of windsurfers for rent by the burger place. We vowed to return and windsurf, which i did twice, riding our trusty Bromptons to get there. The pink flamingos along the way made the one and half hour cycle each way all the more worth it. It was sad to leave Bonaire, but after a few repairs and ongoing maintenance, we knew it was time to move on.

Our short stop back in Curacao to pick up the new outboard for ‘Abi’ (a new AB Inflatable dinghy) was highlighted by a real live Miami Vice episode. The coast guard in numerous vessels had chased, fired upon, and caught all but one of the four jet ski lads on the run with 182kg of cocaine in large plastic wrapped bricks stashed inside. Front page stuff. It was quite surreal being that close to the action! It just wraps up the type of island Curacao is however, so, time to pick up the new outboard and ‘get outta ere’ I say.

Our crossing from Curacao to Colombia was our first real sail for some time. Winds were at times favourable though became quite blustery around the infamous Cabo de Vela. Oh, and that’s right, this is where there is a 6m deep patch right in the middle of the sea…yeah, we found it and went straight over it with Marion poking her head up from the nav table saying, “I wondered why the sea was a bit rough there”. We planned to go around it with a 2m swell and our 2m draft!..... We had a pod of dolphins follow us for a couple of hours one morning performing great air-o-batics, excellent!
Aerobatic dolphins, always a good show!

Marion and I have agreed a piece of our hearts will be left in Santa Marta, Colombia. We heard the music coming from Santa Marta when we were 5 miles out to sea, before we saw the light from the lighthouse for Santa Marta at 2 miles! We docked gently, with the assistance and welcome by the marina staff at midnight. As our luck would have it the marina had an event on, a new up and coming DJ ‘Paris’. This suited us fine as after a crossing a few beers, snacks and rums is always obligatory so the dancing on the back deck lasted till we dropped shortly after. This was a top class marina being right in the middle of the old town. With again good supermarkets, fantastic restaurants and great people we explored all Santa Marta and its surroundings had to offer. We had a special rate at the marina so without a chandlery nearby we experienced some of the most affordable living we have done on Zenna! We took a long weekend holiday and caught a bus to Cartegena for some time off from, “few repairs and ongoing maintenance”. It was all very touristy in Cartagena but nice to get off the boat and out of the marina for a change. We managed to get berthed next to some Aussies, Paul and Kate on Iolea, and Brits, Andy and Sue on Spruce, which ensured we never had a dull moment in the marina. Thanks Sue for all your help with the guitar!
Santa Marta marina, Sierra Nevada in the background.

Not sure what he thought of this! 

We managed a further 10 days out of the marina anchoring in the nearby Tayrona National Park which saw the boat whipped around by ferocious winds, though never really pulling on the anchor chain as they were more like mini tornados. We did manage to rip an eyelet on our forward canopy/rain catcher, which has now been hand sewn back on. On our way back to the marina from the park we stopped a couple of nights in the up and coming bohemium Taganga (reminiscent of the Escobar era!). A few rough edges once you got off the waterfront street; we were warned by numerous people to be back on the waterfront by 4.00pm – it wasn’t safe. We took this seriously and were back on the boat by 5pm! (The advice was confirmed the day before we left Santa Marta with a boat being boarded by armed assailants, the captain was bashed requiring 18 stitches to his head, and the boat ransacked). There is a strong police presence in Santa Marta with one on every street with AK47’s and after our departing chat with the marina manager I believe Taganga will rid itself of these undesirables. A ‘few more repairs and ongoing maintenance’ were completed before our day out to Cascada de Valencia to cool down. A great series of cascades down a hill in the jungle was fantastic. If you didn’t like the pool you were in, or there were people around, walk up to the next one, brilliant. Our visas were running out and although we were able to extend we knew we had to keep going or we would miss our slot through the canal. We had a quick look at our landfall south of the San Blas in Panama and prepared to stock up the boat for provisions for our time there. It was time to head off, though not without saying a few teary goodbyes.

The crossing from Santa Marta to Panama provided some of the most interesting sailing we have done to date. There was little wind so it was motor all the way with the sail up to help steady the boat, and provide a bit more speed. It all started when we saw dark clouds either side in front of us on our first evening. Lightening began so no point in hanging around, we upped the revs and got old Zenna going, straight through the gap. As we got to the other side the lightening could be seen coming down and spider webbing under the clouds, which were now going in our direction. Keep the revs up and get some distance between us I said. A few minutes later we encountered counter currents causing unusual wave and swell motions, which hampered our speed but we managed to stay in front of the formation to calm our nerves. You hear about it but never really know what it is like until you are out on a flat sea with serious lightening and thunder clapping going on…….and you are sitting at the bottom of a lightening pole, being the mast (not very smart I would say!).

A sharp eye was kept on this storm during the first night watches. I managed to get an ear infection while cleaning the hull before our departure so Marion took the first watch. My watch saw a dark sky but the storms abated. About 3 hours into my watch, well, my eyes were mostly open, I saw the largest lightening strike I have ever seen. You know those series of posters, ‘Natures Wonders’ or something, where there is a yacht at sea with huge billowing clouds above and a huge lightening strike ahead….that was it! Well my eyes widened quickly enough and put the boat 90 degrees to starboard. Exciting yes, but I am not that bloody stupid! I chased around the edge of this storm cell for about 2 hours till Marion finally surfaced. Marion checked the track on the plotter and yelled up, “you are way off course”. I asked if she would like to join me up in the cockpit, she soon understood. We got out of this one but an hour later, just before I was going to get some kip, we got hit with a storm, 30 knots on the nose. We had two reefs in already but no time to put in another, we pulled off the wind a bit and let Zenna take over. Like a mare to the stables! The rain was driving in, I was drenched holding on, Marion was dry below, and Zenna was picking up speed charging through the wind over tide seas at 7 knots. An hour later, with a severe chill causing the onset of a man cold, it abated. We mopped up and settled back down to business. I now had the ear infection, and a cold!

The next night saw me have the first kip again taking over from Marion around 11pm. I was not feeling too well but the storm cells were in the distance and I promised to wake Marion up should the need arise. I really wasn’t well for within the first half hour saw me visit the head to have a rear end cleansing experience followed by a head in bucket job in the cockpit. I still don’t know how Marion slept through it all. So now, ear infection, cold, and food poisoning! All this coupled with the tense pressure of dodging the storm cells meant I was really beginning to enjoy this. Marion awoke around 4am and relieved me quickly, I have never slept so well on passage. I awoke a few hours later to see Panama on the horizon.
National Geographic San Blas.

A quick and uneventful, except for my gingerly stomach, check into Panama near the border of Colombia in the south west of the Caribbean and off we went to anchor in Puerto Perme, 2 hours motor away. Not many cruisers get this far south so it is a real treat to meet the indigenous Kuna Yala people, both for them and us. Not the easiest of bays to get into with us drifting slowly in to navigate the rocky outcrops which could only be seen by the reduced depths on our instruments, we had to reverse a couple of times! The whole ordeal was made worse by the fact there was a Colombian trading boat already anchored inside the sheltered bay, which was no bigger than two football fields! In the morning we could see the rock outcrops and were amazed we had made it without incident. It was Sunday morning and the trading boat was in so all the Kuna from the village were out in their little hand made canoes to barter for what they could get. One of them, Andres came over with his two sons after Marion gave a polite wave. “Great” I said, I haven’t even had breakfast yet and here they are scrambling on the boat! Usually we would be concerned about a boarding like this but violence and criminality is not known by these people, they were just being inquisitive and took Marion’s wave as an offer to join us.

Inquisitive Kuna family.
So, a quarter piece of toast each and a few introductions led to some interesting conversation with the atlas coming out to explain how big an island Australia is, Andres had never seen where or what it is! I went downstairs to get a magazine to show them and before we knew it they were inside the boat…looking everywhere! Now, I am one who is extremely careful not to influence indigenous locals (as the son of Virginia McKenna’s (Born Free) son will confirm after my debate with him about bringing pygmies from the Amazon to the UK to drink pints of beer was not the best way to protect their lifestyle and rainforest!) but it is a very fine line. Just by being there we are changing their culture; the youngsters are seeing what we have and are now curious as to why they don’t have electricity, a bowl to eat out of, or a mattress to sleep on. We have decided to stop entry to our boat by these curious locals, but I can’t say the same for those cruisers following us. It will happen, they will change,…..and it will all be lost forever!
$4US a lb, take your pick!
First Kuna village, tricky bay!

I must stop here, we are on the move again, back into island hopping while dodging coral heads, eating fresh lobsters at US$4/lb, and trying not to influence the locals too much…..and not forgetting the all important ‘few repairs and ongoing maintenance’.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

What do you do all day?


When cruisers get together we always amuse ourselves with tales of the most frequently asked question.  Our answers are routinely uniform – customs, immigration, currency, finding shops, shopping,  finding transport for heavy items, loading up the dinghy, getting things on board, finding space to stow it and if you’re lucky a swim before lunch to reduce your skyrocketing temperature.  Then there’s the afternoon...
Shopping bags still going strong - Anne

... and I still have to get in

Some dinghy docks are better
... than others

Trusty bromptons
So I thought I’d actually recount one of our days to give you a flavour of what all that involves.  Take last Friday.
 
I have tried to do some stretching before breakfast since we left the boatyard but not today.  So it was our typical midweek breakfast of muesli and fruit and a cup of tea.  Cooked breakfasts are saved for the weekend and even then we’ve reduced the amount of bacon and eggs we have.  More like beans on toast (Heinz beans becoming a bit of a luxury since we are in the Dutch islands).  Then it’s on with the day’s chores. 
 
There is always a bit of a tussle over who’s getting the wifi stick.  Having internet on the boat makes such a difference that we’ve now accepted it’s worth paying a bit more for it.  Saves trudging around town with sheaves of paper/computers to get things done and never being sure how secure the sites are. 
 
Today I’ve got to order some whipping twine (not as exciting as it sounds..)  The lacing that holds the leather steering wheel cover in place has been coming undone ever since we crossed the Atlantic and I’m only now getting round to replacing it.  I managed to get some beige twine to match the steering wheel and with two needles you have to weave a cross stitch in and out of the leather cover.  There are 5 sections and I’ve managed to do 2 so far and am about to run out of the beige twine.  Of course after searching the local chandlery and various internet sites I discover no one is selling the beige anymore. 

So I end up skyping the manufacturer in the UK (‘All Hail Skype’ it has transformed our lives) where I discover it is still made and I need to get a retailer to send it to me.  The trouble talking to the retailer is that they have a minimum order of 12 rolls and beige it seems is not a big seller.  However, I persuade him I will take 2 and there may be a rush on the other 10 as beige is so hard to find at the moment...  I’m still waiting for confirmation that they have put their order in and how much it will be for them to send it to the Marina in Bonaire near where we are currently moored.  Then the real tension sets in as we anxiously wait for something to arrive knowing we can’t leave until it’s here.  Not so bad at the moment as we plan to spend some time in Bonaire but we are on a 90 day cruisers visa and we have already used up 45 days. 


We had planned to go for a dive this morning but time is ticking away.  Mark is working on the emergency tiller housing which has developed a good rust crust.  So far he has taken it ashore to sand down and paint with ospho which helps to eradicate rust – well as much as you can.   Rob the guy who has helped us out with second hand dive gear has also let him use the garden of the dive shop to paint on the hammerite rust protection paint to avoid paint tins rolling around on deck and the dust that is blown endlessly onto the boat from shore. 

What has to come out of the locker
So Mark can get in to work on the tiller




























Meanwhile I finish off masking up the final bit of teak deck to be caulked.  You may remember I did approx 400 meters of caulking last year and this is the last bit to be done around the teak on our forward locker hatch.  Once this is completed I can delete caulking from my to do list.  As it’s been on there since May 2010 I’m pretty excited at getting it done.  The sun is baking down now so I’m wearing my Tilly hat – looks pretty ridiculous but it stops sunstroke.  Pat and Carole a couple we met in the boatyard stop by to see if we want to go diving with them today and we agree after lunch would be good.

Some nice hat harry


The whole island of Bonaire is a marine park and they have successfully cultivated an amazing range of coral, fish and sea life.  We have often talked about getting our own dive gear but were never in the right place at the right time.  In Curacao a fellow cruiser gave us a dive tank which we thought would be good for emergencies, and once we got to Bonaire there are so many dive shops they are happy to sell their old gear.  So now we have our own wet suits, regulators and BCDs all for the price it would have cost us to rent for 3 weeks.  This means we can now jump off the back or head off in the dingy to one of the 60+ dive sites in the bay.

Cool gear


Today we are going to a site called 18 palms which is sheltered from the strongish wind that is blowing.  Once Mark is back from his painting and we’ve had lunch, we load up the dingy and head off on the half hour journey to the south of the bay.  Pat and Carole get there in a quarter of the time with their much faster engine...  We have a bigger one on order but it still hadn’t arrived in Curacao by the end of March when we left (despite being assured it would be there by the end of Feb).  So we putter down with our 3.5hp Tohatsu we call Tommy.

Fish
Fish and Coral

Fish

Fish and Coral

More fish

Screensaver cutie

Spectacular dive with sightings of huge tarpon, a couple of barracuda, a Lionfish and heaps of other reef fish.  We are down for about an hour and by the time we get back to Zenna it’s already 4 o’clock,  We had provisionally said we would meet Pat, Carole and another couple at City Cafe a happy hour bar at 5 o’clock.  But before we do that we have to clean the boat which is our Friday ritual so we have a nice clean boat for the weekend.  The locals are doing lots of roadwork which means everything inside and out gets covered in a fine dust which is constantly blowing off the island.  We’ve worked out by cleaning the boat on a Friday it stays cleaner longer as they don’t work weekends. 

 Plus we still have to finish the caulking.  It was masked this morning but now we need to squeeze the caulk in and then remove the tape.  Mark is questioning whether we should be doing it at all, but I’m determined to get it finished today.  Apart from anything else, if it rains tonight, then the taping will all peel off and I will have wasted the morning.  So we start caulking.  A tube we had open has hardened and is no good.  A second tube I get out is also no good, so I go to get another type that we bought right at the beginning of the project and thankfully it’s still ok – but it is a different type from the one we have been using and is a lot more gooey.  Finally it’s all caulked and sealed and we prepare to remove the tape – but the caulk isn’t curing.  Sh...!  We decide to leave it and hopefully it will have gone off by the morning.

About 3 hours of masking taping

Another 3 hours worth

























It’s now 5 thirty, Mark still has to take the dive bottles into be refilled but at least the cleaning and caulking are done.  I jump in the shower whilst he goes ashore.  As I’m getting dried I’m surprised to hear strange voices and people boarding the boat.  Mark has bumped into a couple we keep meeting who have been fascinated by the fact we are cruising and has invited them back for a drink.  Once I cover my modesty, I hand round beers while Mark has his shower.  The couple are from New York.  He is a fireman and she is an occupational therapist and they both love diving which is why they are on Bonaire. 
 
The meet up with Carole, Pat and the others goes out the window as we are invited for a return drink on shore.  There is a local evening market in the town square and we watch some hilarious local dancing by 4 of the most aesthetically challenged girls on the island.  Pantomime dames meet Hattie Jacques – Strictly need not worry.  We also try some fried fish which is delicious although we are alarmed at watching the deep fryer almost burn its way through the plastic table it’s sitting on.

Not the ones we saw
 It’s now 8 o’clock and we know this is when restaurants start to close their kitchens so we head off in search of somewhere good, not too touristy and not too Dutch.  ‘ Appetite’  is very swish and Mark goes for a surprise menu of three courses which the chef chooses for you.  He is allowed to say what he can’t eat which in Mark’s case is anything vegetarian.  I opt for a goat’s cheese starter and veal main.  We are rather surprised when Mark’s dishes arrive and are goat’s cheese and veal...  Differently prepared from mine and less generous servings so I end up eating his and vice verse.


With our late start ashore and more involved meal than normal we are still out at 11pm.  A first since we got to Bonaire about 6 weeks ago.  We are normally in bed by 8 or 9pm or occasionally 7pm.  After we have cooked onboard and washed up there’s not much to do but go to bed and read a book.  We now have LED bedside lights which means we don’t have to worry about running down the batteries.  But tonight we can finally sample the local night life.  As we are moored about ¼ of a mile away from the town centre we endure the karaoke and dance bars until 4am.  Now we actually get to see what goes on.  Tourists and locals all out on the pick up.  All pretty dull really but we throw in some Ceroc moves (makes us look like real old fogies) and down a couple of rum and cokes.


OK so the day I’ve chosen was a bit more action packed than most and certainly involved meeting up with more people than normal.  And it was a Friday which is the night we most often eat ashore.  But otherwise that’s a normal cruising day – particularly all the little frustrating jobs that rarely go smoothly ...  Not a customs house, shop, bank or bus in sight!


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Caribbean Sea Crossing


Finishing Cuba and heading back into the wind to DR, which we sneaked out of  (never checked out with immigration and customs) as we couldn’t stand anymore extortion, and on to Puerto Rico for a rest up at Gilligans Island. Off then to Vieques where we spent some time partying and visiting the bio-fluoresent lakes. A great sail and kingfish gudgeons lunch onto St Croix listening to old flashback 70’s music station to pick up crew for the Caribbean Sea crossing south to Bonaire, and then to haul out at Curacao while we headed back to Aus.



Steve, our crew for the crossing, we met in St Maarten a few months prior, was lined up and our dates set for the crossing as a return flight from Curacao was booked.  Steve arrived a couple of days prior to intended departure for a drive around St Croix, with the obligatory visit to the Cruzan Rum factory on the ‘don’t hurry island’…..island time again. It is said you don’t get a hangover with Cruzan Rum due to the amount of filtering during distillation, which I think we agree with.

 








Boat provisioned, a few bottles of Cruzan bought, pick up the anchor and off we go. Steve made the first meal, turkey chilli, which was great and lasted well throughout the crossing. Steve had been on plenty of boats before, though not many sailing, and we were leaving on the back of a front that moved through to ensure we got some wind heading south.
 We only just left the shores of St Croix and after the meal was made Steve needed to put his head down. He soon recovered to pull in a great Dorado!...and later to have huge one ‘get away’! Steve put up a good fight and at times I wasn’t sure who was going to land who, but the line gave way and both fighters returned to their corners.  It was a steady crossing with the occasional squall, which always seem to come through while I am downstairs and remaining so in the dry. I did hand up a dry towel!
 
 



Our entry to Bonaire was spectacular with us rounding the island to find a great storm cell with lightning engrossing a tanker not too far in the distance. Reduce sails and engine on, we needed to get in before this hit us. There was not a lot to worry about as we rounded the next point and heading straight for the marina. Following every crossing a marina for a day or two is a blessing; comfort and safety, no anchor, no dinghy, easy access to refreshments and plenty of local information. We packed up and washed the boat, cleaned the fridge, and settled in for a nice big breakfast with the obligatory spicy Bloody Mary with clamato juice, mixed by Steve the New Yorker.

We stopped in Bonaire for a few days to have a look around, amazing clear blue water and being a protected zone plenty of sea life right at the shore and around the mooring. We found some nice steak and Steve’s culinary skills came to the fore again with a pepper pistachio (left over from the 2kg bag from New York) crusted steak done on the bbq.

It was sad to leave Bonaire as we had to get Steve to Curacao for his flight. Marion and I have vowed to come back for some diving as soon as we return from Aus. The trip to Curacao was a pleasant day sail into Spanish Water which is a wonderful anchorage. Marion checked us in with the authorities, Steve packed his bags, and I rested due to an injury (yes John, those damn canvas clips ripped open my foot!)
 



Another crossing, taking in three nights, generator and main engine impeller replacements, occasional squalls (I don’t really see the big deal in a little rain) enough fish….and the one that got away! Our crew and new friend, Steve, was great who was on hand at all times and had great boat etiquette cleaning regularly and being proactive with meals.