Wednesday 19 February 2025

We were having such a good sail on Monday after leaving Bocas with a
long rolling swell and light wind that was good for a full sail six to
seven knots with helpful current. This turned to custard about 0130
with squalls that continued until just before arrival into Limon Bay
about 0700. We then drifted around in circles for an hour until
Shelter Bay could work us in - busy place.

Sunday

Lots done in three days besides socializing with mates. Momentum
continues.

Wednesday

Egad! Keep getting stuff done. Don't know how it happens. Hope it
doesn't become habitual. Re-bedded and re-gasketed leaking hatches -
tested with hose and no leaks, but heavy rain and pounding sea may
bring that a cropper. Aft AC operating after buying and installing
cheap cooling pump, rewiring pump relay and jury rigging fan connection
until new board arrives. New wind generator diversion load installed
in water heater, which turned into a goat rope for various reasons, so
again making amps. Broken genoa car removed and new units ordered.
Oil change pump disassembled and new impeller ordered. New genoa
furling line bought and replaced. Aft cockpit table mounts replaced.
Outboard impeller on order. Cleaned crud from bottom of dinghy then
washed, sanded acetoned and fifty two hundreded (3M sealant, verbed)
seam where Hypalon no longer attached to aluminum bottom. Old petrol
removed from Yamaha 1 kW generator and carburetor cleaned for
interested buyer (main jet broke in process, new on order... oops).

Listing these projects is grindingly tedious, but freakishly uncommon
events like, for another example, a politician who is not a spineless
weasel deserve to be publicized.

Meantime, besides all the other duties Jan manages, she's working her
fingers to a nub sewing our and everyone else's suboptimum canvas
stitching on a heavy duty Reliable Barracuda - just as good as a
Sailrite at half the price.

At this rate of improvement and the prodigal use of the kid's
inheritance we should be in top shape within the decade when we'll be
too tired to care.

Friday 7 March

Apparently someone is already too tired to care as this should have
been sent out eight days ago. Well, here goes. Worth the wait,
right?... Right???

Jack & Jan

Sunday 9 February 2025

Fast sail to Providencia arriving early Saturday. Went ashore in blustery conditions at 1430 for appointment with clearance agent. Not much there except five super mercados (markets) and two restaurants - people gotta eat. About five thousand on island. Damage still extensive from hurricane Iota in 2020. Even trails not cleared to passable.

Dinner of fish at one restaurant. Other had pizza.

Aussie mates, not seen for a couple of months, arrived today from Grand Cayman. Everyone over for snacks and celebratory beer, wine and spirits in generous dosages. Mellowness prevailed.

Monday

Wanting to visit San Andres (seventy eight thousand) and learning that a full clearance including full cost would be required for both (162 USD each boat), friends decided to continue past Providencia (population five thousand). Although allowed to stay until tomorrow morning, they remained aboard respective boats. US Anthem crew, desirous of spreading love to entirety of island ate pizza.

Tuesday

Everyone away on beam reach in brisk conditions - them to San Andres and us to Bocas del Toro.

Wednesday

Beam-on two plus meter sea and strong wind made for lively passage, heavily reefed to slow for arrival after daylight Thursday. Generator fuel flow required cajolery followed by threats, but finally allowed topping up battery and water. Expect to replace hoses and clamps in Shelter Bay along with, unfortunately, a plethora of other projects. Boat work is almost, just about, nearly, beginning to seem like work.

Thursday

Wind went aft and died overnight, so last bit required use of fifteen thousand hour stinkpot. Waves eased somewhat, but roll escalated without stabilizing sails. Arrrrrrgh! (pirate lingo)

Sent notice of arrival to Panama with all requested information. Received reply with bank data and email address to send proof of payment for cruising permit without saying how much. Secondary source indicates $185 (Bolivar tied at par with USD). Assume they won't shoot if we wait.

Arrived Bocas Town 0800. Now cooling heels aboard for official's arrival at 1300. Meantime Jan cleaning ten lobsters bought for $30 from guy in canoe. Rest of crew trying to dry and cool after soaking from panga wake incurred while dinking ashore to arrange clearance.

Friday

Grueling ten minute walk to airport following yesterday's inspection (pre-arrival data transmission waste of effort) for immigration stamp led inexorably to stop by Tequila Republic where obliged to force down multiple eponymous beverages and dine on Mexican fare. This activity engendered return to boat for naps until bedtime began just before sunset which preceded subsequent sleep-in.

Awaiting wind for overnight sail of 150 nm to Shelter Bay where fifteen year odyssey on hiatus for perhaps two months of spirited partying and relentless boat work before returning north.

Jack & Jan

Tuesday 4 February 2025

Wandered around town yesterday buying fruits and veggies with new
friends Greg and Dieu. They're just starting out with a beautiful
Kelly Peterson 46. May go with us to Panama. We otherwise did as
planned, i.e. that favorite deadly sin that isn't gluttony or lust.
Did not even think about blog.

Mama P provided breakfast and we said our goodbyes with promise to text
her when we got to Panama. Now 0945 waiting for lift driver who was to
be here at 0900.

Finally splashed about 1100. No leaks; engine started and ran; rudder
made boat go left, right and round & round; autopilot did all proper
autopilot things; crew relieved. On dock, ready to leave.

Went to The Zaca bar (named for Errol Flynn's schooner) to celebrate
with assorted adult refreshment and wraps. Bulgarian friend, who
speaks almost no English, Greg & Dieu and we enjoyed long overdue
mellowing for a couple of hours. Back in our own bed after almost two
weeks. Ahhhhhhh!

Wednesday

Customs and immigration did not show up as scheduled yesterday
afternoon, so have to wait until today. Wanted to leave early to
ensure Providencia, Colombia, before dark Saturday. Still should be
able with good wind all the way and anyway appears easy arrival after
sunset into well protected harbor.

Very frisky departure at 1100 into anticipated two+ meter sea and
twenty+ knot wind. Sucks to be beat up starting out, but conditions
same for next two weeks. Finally came around enough to sail although
conditions still pretty uncomfortable. Past end of Jamaica turned to
downwind wing and wing. Ride somewhat better with two meter wave
induced roll. Probably be like this for three more days. Could be
worse.

Jack & Jan

Thursday 30 January 2025

Rain today. Delay to rudder fiberglassing until tomorrow. No worries, that may be better... assuming you trust weather forecast.

Friday

Today Cory was in Kingston until late. Delay to rudder fiberglassing until tomorrow.

Saturday

Rudder actually delivered. Not pretty, but appears serviceable. Cory and buddy helped install it in shaft aperture, which would not have been possible had it been half a centimeter longer. Boat tilted bum down on stands and yard surface hard, so couldn't dig a trench. Sometimes things just work out. Barely. Yowzer!

As the thing weighs upward of fifty kilos, aligning and pulling it up via rope and winch to connect top and bottom bearings took rest of day, but she's in and set. Most of steering gear reconnected. More yowzer!

Sunday

All preparation to go back in water completed today, but can't splash until Tuesday as lift operator off until then. Above mentioned small delays can be frustrating, but getting temporary rudder fabricated and installed here in ten days is nearly miraculous. Final yowzer!

Would go to Grand Cayman if mates still there when we could arrive - unlikely to happen. They expect departure same time we leave here. May rendezvous in Isla des San Andres, off Nicaragua, owned by Colombia. Plan thereafter is sail to Bocas del Toro, west side Panama. Better angle than to Colon.

Not only is boat ready to go, but laundry is done. Tomorrow is for groceries and lying about slothing for recovery. Sounds like a new reality show and more fun than last week or so.

This rudder thing has gotten horribly boring. Please feel free, if fortunate enough to have missed last ten days of entries, to not go back.

Jack & Jan

Tuesday 28 January 2025

After being "hung down, brung down, hung up, and all kinds of mean nasty ugly things" (if you haven't heard Arlo Gutherie's Alice's Restaurant Massacree, go listen immediately) attitudinal improvement is manifest.

Rudder framing complete. Fine job by Maxie, who welded it together with galvanized steel. Not appropriate to survive twenty three years like original, but cheaper and stronger for four to five day passage. Cory will begin fiberglassing tomorrow. May be ready for departure next week. Confidence runs stratospherically above original expectation. Anti-fouling to cover new appliance would require trip to Kingston, which may be a bridge too far for value obtained. Bottom still well protected, thanks to Shawn in St. Maarten, and temporary rudder, however fouled, will come out for replacement. Still contemplating.

Aussie mates arrived Grand Cayman from Cayo Largo, Cuba, today. They expect departure to reach Shelter Bay, Panama, by mid February, about when we aspire to get there. Hey, it's all possible until it's not.

Wednesday

Happy Lunar New Year.

Mama P will make early breakfast for us this morning. The more discriminating crew get eggs, bacon and toast. The rest have requested gruel - Jan refers to this as porridge. Whatever. Expect to arrive boat early to discuss with Cory how to finish rudder.

Walls in guest house don't require much insulation for temperature and thus have little to block sound. Besides people in hallway talking and slamming doors, caterwauling felines entertain us during the night, dogs bark and cocks crow incessantly, not just in the morning. Apparently roosters are very territorial so probably too many for the available area. Once thought they cocked their doodle-do to attract hens, but no chicken could be that horny. Some of us mostly sleep through, others are more sensitive.

Jack & Jan

Monday 27 January 2025

Every night delivers hard rain that doesn't stop until mid morning followed by partly sunny rest of day. This initially provides excuse to malinger in guest house before going to work. Regrettably, work can proceed thereafter. Some of crew prefer malingering.

Components integral to boat structure have been cleaned and remounted, ready for rudder installation. Maxie well into welding framework, doing fine job. Expect completion tomorrow or Wednesday. Minor adjustments to be ironed out in the morning... following, of course, a wee bit of procrastination over breakfast. Kitchen available in guest house with boat stores of eggs, bacon, avocado & toast.

Trying to locate proper oil filter in Port Antonio proves a wee bit more difficult than expected - no universal brands to cross reference. Found one that is right specification, but may not have correct threads. Will check in the morning. Ought to be a standard as single thread size could adapt to virtually every application. Are we being screwed?

As a lazy sod, have had difficulty remembering maintenance items that require attention when unavoidable work has been completed. Periodically think of something, but seldom write this down and subsequently forget (memory of a three year old). This self-serving attention deficit wonderfully reduces stress until such time as associated fecal matter strikes air movement device. Resulting crisis never seems to be instructive.

Jack & Jan

Saturday 25 January 2025

Finally got blankety-blank (may use more expressive words appropriate to situation as desired) rudder out. Very different setup than shown by instructions sent from Queen Long Yard. Somewhat unobvious procedure using pipe wrench on minimal flange necessary to unscrew upper bearing from main post. Even with two thirds missing the rascal is mighty heavy. As it came out, notwithstanding safety rope, just missed squashing Presley, the lovely fellow who is helping. Spent some of afternoon cleaning scum, barnacles and calcified crust off for pickup by welder. Used time after that to decompress with two Guinness and peas & rice at marina watering hole. Fiberglasser ready to start once frame done. Anticipate completion in two weeks. Hey, quit laughing jaded non-believers. It's possible!

Above mentioned Elvis namesake has cleaned topsides, now in process of sanding bottom for anti-fouling refreshment. May just add one coat as boat will be pulled in Panama to fit rudder ordered from Taiwan. Not that its cost will destitute us, but we're getting a taste for catfood. While hauled at Shelter Bay, probably also get value survey for insurance and replacement of two more thru-hulls. Boat work is my middle name, but only when it's unavoidable.

Sunday

Utilizing negligible engineering skill, designed rudder framework for welder, Maxie. He had a few good ideas when he came by to have a look today and will pick up tomorrow. The fix is in.

As working on a boat is insufficiently effortful, spent much of day disassembling rear bike hub due gear cassette not ratcheting onto wheel. This was a bad idea as bearings are not captured, so putting them back in with heavy grease after finding ones that escaped took a fair bit of time and was unnecessary. Liberal doses of WD-40 on inner cassette got ratchet freed. Also cleaned derailer, oiled chains on both bikes and repaired flat. Now feeling wonderfully fulfilled.

Mama Ps Corner Store is her home next to our guest house. Mama does meals on her covered front porch and prepared dinner for us tonight with a roast we brought from boat. About as wide as tall, she's a delightful lady with a wonderful demeanor and infectious laugh. She'll be one of those people we particularly remember.

Jack & Jan

Tuesday 21 January 2025

Frisky night hard on nearly thirty knot blustery apparent trying to lay course around east end of Cuba. Auto pilot unable to maintain consistent course in swirling wind and current. We were taking heavy sea over the bow and across top of bimini. Conditions finally eased somewhat around sunrise as we began turning off through the Windward Passage and true wind dropped slightly. By noon, of course, there was barely enough breeze to sail.

However, during the heavy bit, boat became even more difficult to steer. Rudder had lost authority. Checked quadrant to confirm post was moving properly, so concluded either shaft had broken free inside rudder or we lost most of the rudder, probably due heavy weather and/or grounding in Bahamas. Had just enough authority left to have minimal steerage, but auto pilot eventually unable to hold course even with full turns lock to lock.

Installed Hydrovane auxiliary rudder for help, but that requires locked boat rudder to maintain balance. Eventually locked it in place straight ahead for stability and as sea calmed steering became easier for awhile. That lasted part of the night, then sea again increased to a meter and a half. Aggressive hand steering kept us going in general direction of Port Antonio, Jamaica, closest destination with a yard that wasn't Cuba or Haiti.

Wednesday

Arrived this afternoon after constant hand steering an erratic course with just enough rudder to get on dock for the night. Set up for haul out in the morning.

Thursday

Bottom of rudder broken off exactly the way it had in Mozambique Channel going into Richard's Bay, South Africa. New one fabricated there, but expect this time to pay big bucks to have OEM unit shipped from Taiwan. Two pipe braces from upper remaining rudder into lower missing bit broke at weld. Of course, Chinese New Year just began so the month lead time to fabricate new (they no longer build 46s on spec) won't begin until 2 February. Contemplating options.

Friday

Spent yesterday afternoon and all today trying to remove rudder. Detailed instructions from Queen Long Yard don't match our installation in important ways. Hylas engineer in Ft. Lauderdale not helpful. Will continue working it tomorrow. Have determined that a serviceable rudder can be fabricated with local talent to get us to Panama where new unit can be shipped. Had planned staying there until at least end of March, so perhaps enough time to get delivery.

Seem to remember from a recent installment of this blog about how everyone would be out cruising except for a few niggling issues... this is one of those.

Jack & Jan

Monday 20 January 2025

A magnificent sail for north tip of Long Island Saturday with clear sky and perfect temperature to anchor in a wide sand bay of gin clear water. If every day of cruising were like this everyone would be doing it. Well, except for boat maintenance, constant difficulty performing nearly any task that's so much easier on land and a few other niggling complications: seasickness, country officialdom, bad weather, etc... except for those.

With possible heavy weather descending on Caymans Friday night into Saturday decided to take off yesterday, figuring to motor into light wind all first day. Well color me orange and call me a pumpkin, wind veered and filled in NE for sailing principle portion of it. Motored a bit overnight until 0400 then rest of day listened only to wind and waves. Too bad we're not going in right direction. Weather weasels claim backing wind will draw us east to allow rounding end of Cuba tomorrow morning. We'll just see about that.

Elon is apparently distracted by all the ceremoniousness (real word) of Inauguration Day. Our regular Starlink still operating far offshore. Normally a premium of two USD/gig required after more than about twelve miles out - cost adds up quicker than you might suspect.

In going over scuba gear the other day, besides regulators, one of us could use new shorty wetsuit to replace thirty year old jobbie. This time will get one that zips in front like Jan's. Don't know why previous standard was in back, which often required shoulder dislocating contortions or two sets of hands. Wetsuits, washing machines and bras - all more convenient as front loaders.

Jack & Jan

Wednesday 15 January 2025

While birthdays (womb emancipation anniversary days - thanks Dusty) have no intrinsic significance, people tend to treat them as important, probably to encourage gifts and to justify raucous partying. Governments collude in this by alcohol restrictions, various social engineering projects, retirement manipulations, etc. In fact, however, they're just days like any other. They have been of little consequence to me since gaining majority allowing minimal legal interference in many desired stupid activities. A friend (who for some inscrutable reason misspells his name Geoff) was expecting a birthday entry on the fourteenth. This again evokes the lost age of thirty four, peak studliness, the year before wheels began to come off. Current age would only be important if concept to start back down after sixty five had actually worked out - didn't. Still exploring modes of failure and possible revival.

Speaking of my 'special' day spent it, after Jan treated us to breakfast at Copia, The Peace & Plenty restaurant, cleaning off barnacles and replacing zinc anodes, which were almost, but not quite, used up. Installed new in St. Maarten last spring after which water too cold for this little wood duck to replace until now. Usually attach hookah, long hose to tank on deck, but used occasion to check out full scuba gear. Octopuses had been serviced in USVI, but all regulators had leaks. Jan's unusable. Mine good enough to do the job. Age of both thirty years or so with some internal corrosion. Wouldn't want to rely on down at thirty meters. Time for new.

Saturday

Yesterday finished last items before departing Bahamas: groceries, petrol, clearance (three hundred to come in; seventy five to get out) and Chat 'N' Chill Bar 'N' Grill with friends who just arrived Georgetown. May see them again in Cancun around April. Could have stayed until Sunday except in-town customs not open Saturday and only twenty four hour grace to leave. Probably would have finessed that, but today wind turned better for Long Island, where we'll await weather window south beginning Monday. Expect reasonable sail all the way to Grand Cayman taking five days without stop.

And finally favorite words of wisdom from Groucho Marx to enlighten your day: "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana".

Jack & Jan