Your destiny, is a result of your actions.
Live by a code of conduct that will secure supreme hapiness
and worldy joys; which are usually the little things.
This is a side story about our crew for the canal passage. The circumstances that brought us together and the connection to our South African friends on Gilana make our time with them very special. Learning about them and their story compels me to share the little I learned while we were together.
It is not every day you run into a family that lives on a 30 meter sailing yacht that is 173 years old; yes I said 173 years; "Rafael Verdera" was launched on April 15th 1841 and is the oldest registered boat in the Spanish fleet that is still in use.
Mikel originally was going to purchase "Rafael Verdera" with some partners, restore it and then put it into charter service in the Med. The partners backed out at the last minute and Mikel put the deal together with the help of his family. I understand that Mikel was not a shipwright when he purchased "Rafael Verdera", he certainly is now.
He has owned the boat for 20 plus years. He and his wife, Nuria, have raised their two children on the boat while running their charter business. He described to me some of the very extensive renovations he has gone through putting the boat back together. He explained to me that he found a yard somewhere in Spain that is an old wooded boat building yard. The yard was barely surviving when he found it and he was able to make a deal to use the yard and to restore the ship there. The cool thing was that they had all the old school special wood-working equipment you need to restore a ship like "Rafael Verdera". In addition to utilizing expertise and learning from the old school shipwrights at the yard, he could also do his own work.
Over the years he has worked his way replacing every wood plank on the boat and the hull. He told me that he replaced the old iron nails that originally held the planks in place with stainless steel screws. Each screw and each board has been numbered so that during future hall outs he can remove a screw and inspect it for water penetration. With this method he has been able to re-plank the hull as needed. I can't even find my screwdriver; I can't imagine mapping and numbering each screw and each board!!!
One of the stories I found fascinating is Mikel's description of the diesel engine that was in the boat when he purchased it and one that he worked with for the first few years he owned it. It was a 1934 Volund single cylinder 65 hp two-stroke "hot head ". The video attached is a similar Volund but only a 25 hp twin cylinder. You can see how big that diesel engine is; just imagine the size of a 65hp single cylinder. He told me it was as big as I am; that's big!! In the video you see them using a torch to preheat the diesel. Mikel told me that he would also preheat the diesel then he would hand crank the huge fly wheel to get the piston into the correct position just before full compression. Then he described to me how he would set off the "charge". I understand the charge to be something like a shotgun cartridge. Somehow he would ignite the charge and it would get the piston through the preheated compression stroke and then it should start to run. I am trying to visualize this process and then running to the helm to operate the boat. I did not ask him if it has some sort of transmission?? Oh yeah, if you want to go into reverse you have to stop the engine and do the whole process in the opposite direction. I can't imagine the approach to the dock!!!
After living with that engine for a few years he decided to donate it to a museum. The next engine was an Otto Deuz two-cylinder 40 hp. In light of the fact that the yacht currently does daily charter excursions; the current set up which was done in 1989 are twin Cummings 200 hp engines. With this set up he can get his charter people back in good speed.
I am very appreciative of Mikel and his family taking a part in Karma's story in the Panama Cannel. I know that Mikel, his family, and their very unusual home, sailing vessel Rafael Verdera, have many more stores to tell. I am just grateful that they were able to share with Reina and I what they did and that they could be a part of Karma's adventure into the Pacific for the first time.
We've been working towards this for almost 10 years. It has been a dream with many challenges, all of which have made it more worth while. We are so grateful and excited to start this next chapter!
Extra:
Twenty years fom now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things that you did do. So sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails,
EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER.
-Mark Twain
Getting ready for the big day! We moved Karma from her home of two years (WPB mooring) to Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart. Packed up the rest of our "crap", the stuff not coming with us & took it to Texas. After a nice visit with Reina's parents it was back to Stuart to get down & dirty & get Karma ready...
Your destiny, is a result of your actions.
Live by a code of conduct that will secure supreme hapiness
and worldy joys; which are usually the little things.