Jules
30/05/2009, 11 19'N:56 56'W, Trinidad

Well, we had a good party for my birthday. And I got the most amazing, and much appreciated, present . 40 tonnes of water! Mike had been trying to organise it most of the day and, after a few delays a boat, the Kathryn M, came alongside - just as the party guests were arriving. It took about an hour to fill up all the tanks and we ended up having to pay for just the water and not the boat, which was a real result and was definitely better than having to go into the dock.

I managed to get a little drunk but didn't fall down or disgrace myself. It doesn't do to have too much of a hangover anyway, not in this heat. Needless to say we had a very quiet day after.

Since then we don't seem to have done a great deal, although I'm sure we have. I know we had two really disturbed nights thanks to the mozzies. We haven't had too much of a problem with them since we've been here, just the odd few bites, but for some reason they seem to be attacking with a vengeance. We had to resort to using our WMD (weapon of mozzie destruction), that we were given by Ken and Gail in Las Palmas. It's an electrified swatter that looks a bit like a small tennis racket. It doesn't always get them but when it does there's a more than satisfying crackle, hiss and white flash as they are instantly destroyed. The problem comes though when you're half asleep and waving these things around, and then the excitement of actually getting a mozzie wakes you up completely.

Mike played bridge again on Thursday, another five hour marathon. I'm almost at the point of joining in but the rules are somewhat complicated and some of the players are mighty serious. Several couples we've met are adamant that they'll never play with their wives/husbands as partners as it would almost certainly lead to divorce.

We haven't had rain now for several weeks but apparently the rainy season is due to start, you can feel more humidity in the air and there's definitely a change coming. Sometimes it's so still you can't see the horizon and the boats just seem to float in the air.

There's been a really big drilling platform anchored about half a mile off us. It's on its way from the builders in Singapore to the Gulf of Mexico. The number of lights on board is quite something and at night it looked like a giant Christmas tree. There's also another rig that's just come in, in fact there's always new boats coming and going and things to see. A 115ft two-masted, South African, yacht moored by us the other day and last night we went aboard to meet them. It's quite a boat, with wonderful teak-work throughout. They're on their way to Portugal to sell her as a charter boat.

It was really good to talk to the owner's wife, Liz, who also came over to visit the Buzzard. They've got all sorts of crew problems, and mechanical problems, and electronic problems, and problems getting fuel and weren't even supposed to be in Trinidad but ran low on water and had to make a detour . it's nice to know we're not the only ones for whom things don't always go as planned.

Talking of which . we contacted the Canadian registry only to find out that they were still waiting for the original tonnage measurement to be sent. We spoke to Bastien and, guess what, he hasn't even sent it yet. Given that we can't leave until we have the new registration documents we're back to 'hurrying up and waiting'.

The two Indonesian guys who were supposed to be coming to work for us for a few days didn't turn up but Mike's keeping busy doing some wheeler-dealing and ratching for treasurers on the sunken boats. He spotted a wooden mast which apparently is ideal and needed by the South African boat so no doubt is now planning to go into the mid-night salvage business!

Love to all .

PS Thanks to everyone for their birthday wishes.

Comments [5]

Jules
25/05/2009, Trinidad

Not a great deal to report over the last week. I guess we're just getting used to being on our own on the boat again; the first time in ... I can't remember! (Have to make the most of it too as on Thursday we're getting a couple of Indonesian workers for a week who will be staying on board and, hopefully, finishing off all the chipping and banging.)

We had a few days without doing much at all. On Thursday Mike played bridge with the 'oldies', he was the youngest of them by quite a few years. While he was playing (for four and a half hours!) I sat and watched the wildlife: the pelicans dive-bombing the fish in the dock and two iguanas climbing a coconut tree and taking birds' eggs. I was also shown this local bug (body about three to four inches long) which our tonnage measurer had found on a boat he was working on. It has with the most amazing patterned and coloured body which is smooth and feels just like velvet. Luckily it was dead but completely intact, luckily it wasn't alive and on our boat.

One of the couples Mike played with, Dick and Jane, came out to see the Buzzard. They're both in their 80s, have been married for 62 years, took up sailing 20 years ago and have been all round the world. Unfortunately, although they're both relatively fit and definitely feisty, they're getting to the point where it's becoming increasingly difficult for them to sail on their own (although Jane's more than up for it) and they've made the decision to sell their boat.

They had a slight problem getting on and off the Buzzard, especially as Jane has a false hip and heart trouble, but they made it without having to use Mike's proffered fireman's lift. They were really pleased they'd made the effort and very impressed with all we've done ... and they're coming back tomorrow night as we're having a party on board. (It'll be my 49th birthday and Mike's organising a grand start to my 50th year ... a year of peace, contentment, adventure, fun - and a wedding!)

We've taken Toby swimming quite a bit, a couple of times to a cove just across from where we're anchored. It seems to be the repository for boats in various stages of wreckage, amongst which is an old fishing boat from Hull (Stordoy). Nellie is doing well, eating plenty of fish and seeking out the coolest spots on the boat, namely the shower and toilet (not really photo material I'm afraid).

Over the weekend we managed to finish prepping and the painting the last of the decks, which are all looking really good now. And we've had quite a few early nights, like lights out at 8.30 p.m. - Maybe we're getting old ...or maybe just saving our energy for tomorrow night!

Hopefully by tomorrow we'll also have more water. Mike's negotiating (i.e. liming with the bros. and drinking beer) with various of the water carrying boats, Thistle, Pickle and Tweed. It's worked out well as I was slightly concerned about having to go to dock to get water, two people and lots of yachts in way ... not an ideal situation.

Lots of love for now ....

PS Many thanks to all those (few) who send comments ... to everyone else, it would be great to hear from you!

PPS Sorry ... apparently the photos have't uploaded, I'll try and do it next time.

Comments [9]

Jules
20/05/2009, Trinidad

Andrea and Marina left on Monday and bless them they worked right up to the last minute. On Saturday we all put in a mammoth effort to finish off the top deck and worked eight hours, which is pretty good going (or some would say mad!) in this heat. We only stopped for half an hour at lunch time for ice-cream and then in the evening we went to play boules with Taffy and Shirley all we ended up having for supper was chips and some beer ... not a diet I'd recommend on a regular basis but it was ok for the day.

Sunday, apart from Mike getting up early and finishing the undercoat on the top deck, we all had a day off. Mike and I went out on John's catamaran with a few of his friends, and it was wonderful. There was a slight breeze and we sailed for an hour or so and then anchored up in a bay on one of the islands where they have a holiday home. Cutters (snacks/nibbles) were served, lunch was cooked, beer and rum were drunk, and everyone went noodling (lounging in the water with the aid of a long about 4ft by 3" dia foam "noodle"). Liz, one of the other guests, noodled in style with a baseball cap on, a beer in one hand and cigarette in the other. When asked what the best part of it had been for me I had to admit it was probably the fact that is wasn't our boat; there was no stress, nothing to worry about, nothing to be responsible for, just having to sit back and enjoy ... bliss!

We got back to the Buzzard late afternoon tired but happy and the plan had been to have a last night of pina coladas with Andrea and Marina. However they had friends on board who were supposed to be leaving at six but didn't, mainly because there should have been a guy joining them (who apparently worked on Trini time) and it wasn't until 9.30 that he finally called and said he wasn't coming after all. Toby had a great time as there were kids on board who spent all the time playing and dancing with him, and the kids were good too, until the young boy Jordan started throwing up over the side. So it ended up not being quite the last night with Andrea and Marina we'd anticipated, although it was fun and Marina gave Mike a pedicure which meant that for, oh at least all of an hour, his feet were actually clean.

Talking of Trini time ... the fuel-polisher didn't show on Friday but turned up unannounced on Monday midday and with a rather large man to help. This man was like an over-weight sumo wrestler (if you can get such a thing), it was a wonder he managed to get on the boat and absolutely no way he could get downstairs. And it did worry me when he wanted to use the washroom and asked for toilet paper, I had this vision (I have to admit not one I particularly wanted!) of him getting stuck or at the very least cracking the bowl when he sat down.

They arrived just after Andrea and Marina had taken the launch to deliver their bags to the new boat and we'd literally just finished putting the final coat on the top deck and had decided to sit down and spend some time working out our next move. The next move turned out to be Mike spending two hours in the sauna trying to get the fuel machine to work and then baby-sitting it until 4.30 a.m. the next morning to check the filters weren't clogging up. And still we didn't manage to process it all and have several thousand litres still pump out before we can clean the tank.

Anyway ... when Andrea and Marina left it was quite emotional and I really don't think they wanted to go. Andrea wrote us a farewell message in the visitors book which made me cry (he also typed it out to put on this blog). We talked about all the things Marina (soldier/sailor Jane) had learnt on the Buzzard which includes driving the crane, the dinghy, the boat, eating raw fish and using chopsticks. And then we saw them again the next day as we had to meet at the immigration office to officially hand them over to the new skipper. We were actually on time for once but their new skipper (Peter) wasn't and we ended up waiting for two hours and then going for a beer.

Last night we had Bastien (the tonnage measurer), his wife Sabina and their two young children over for supper. I was a little worried about the youngest who is only 15 months old slipping or tripping and falling on the decks, and in the end it was me that went flying over Toby and ended up banging my knees quite badly ... and I wasn't even drunk!

Today has been our first day on our own and we're planning to slow down a little. We lifted the Zodiac and the launch out as it seems a bit daft having three tenders in the water when there's only the two of us. I'm still not quite confident with the blue dinghy on my own but I CAN DO IT! I had a bit of a panic this morning when I thought we were going to hit another boat but I managed to get us back ok.

We went ashore early to get doubles, again, only the stall wasn't there, again (we seem to be having some trouble with the doubles). We then went to Skype my sis and my mum and Tony, Mike's bro; didn't get to speak to any of them. So not a wonderfully productive day so far, but that's alright. We got a long email from Marie and Mic. They are in Colombia and having a good time although unfortunately Marie had her camera stolen which had in the memory literally hundreds of their photos. They travelled the whole of Venezuela from east to west in three days and are now staying with friends.

Well ... I guess that's all for now. The internet where we post the blog is next to the pub and it's almost time for a sun-downer.

Lots of love ...

A message from Andrea and Marina ...

Only people that have a dream can live really the life
and even more intense to reach the dream is
living well the journey that we follow to reach it.
Yours is a beautiful dream and a fantastic trip.
Leave! but don't leave the dream.
Look around: most of them are ordinary people. You are not ordinary, we are not ordinary. This is the reason for what we have ridden the waves together in a part of our life-trip.
The Flying Buzzard with all its oddities and peculiarities, this crazy and romance boat, we will miss, but also our journey continues.
We have spended three special months, lived in a different way.
There have been times when we were very good and few other less but everyone is different (this is great gift of the life) and, potatoes aside, the English-Julie/Mike style is great and fascinating.
We hope, with all our heart, you will realize your dream in and you will overcome every difficulty with courage and strength... you can do it!
God bless you and the Flying Buzzard
Keep in touch
Maybe we will meet in another where and in another when... why not?

Andrea & Marina

Comments [3]