Butterfly adventures

28 August 2016 | Marina Papagayo
06 August 2016 | Papagayo
20 April 2016 | Golfito
27 January 2016 | Isla Taboga Panama
22 January 2016
18 January 2016 | Isla Taboga Panama
02 May 2015 | Isla Taboga
21 April 2015 | Isla Taboga
04 April 2015 | Isla Taboga
03 April 2015 | Isla Taboga
22 January 2015 | 7 29.457'N:81 13.350'W, Isla Cebaco Panama
21 January 2015 | 7 45.159'N:81 32.381'W, Bahia Honda Panama
20 January 2015 | 7 45.159'N:81 32.381'W, Bahia Honda Panama
19 January 2015 | 7 45.159'N:81 32.381'W, Bahia Honda Panama
17 January 2015 | Golfito CR
15 January 2015 | Golfito CR
14 January 2015 | Golfito CR
01 January 2015 | Marina Papagayo, Bahia Culebra, Costa Rica
01 December 2014 | Marina Papagayo, Bahia Culebra, Costa Rica
18 November 2014 | Marina Papagayo, Bahia Culebra, Costa Rica

Well that didn't go as planned

06 August 2016 | Papagayo
Dan, hot and tropical
The mantra of the cruising sailor- "plans are written in the sand at low tide" is apt for so many situations. Adapting to change is what makes us successful at what we attempt.

Point in case- our Hobie Mirage Outback kayaks are damn cool. But "they really aren't made for the tropics"- that is an exact quote from their tech support by the way- and they have a tendency to break in masterful fashion. This seasons breakage, and mind you this is in the last month, consists of two broken drive chains, a hull crack from nowhere and a complete failure of the steering mechanism.

Repair methods are what we can figure out on our own, with no product support at all.

So- hull crack- not in a stressed area and we have no plastic rod for a decent repair- lightly scuff and use aluminum tape in a couple of layers.

Drive chain failures- this happened on both of our drives and of course they are different generations, but they are bicycle chain based (stainless but that is probably why they break) so an hour and a half drive to a bike shop in town and we are repaired- for now.

The steering failure was a bit more of a challenge, but a handful of small blocks, some decent cordage and dockside engineering gives me a completely different steering system, but it works!

So two ready to go kayaks for touring the bay and getting a little exercise as well! Things are looking good, the marina is letting us use a work float next to our finger pier as toy storage and it is a lot lower to the water than the concrete floats. Kelly gets into hers with little drama as I hold her kayak in place and off she goes, my turn now. Nice morning with a little breeze, air temp about 80, water temp about the same. Wait- water temp? Why should that matter? I am so used to getting in from a higher position, just dropping into the seat, that I have a bit of a struggle and gravity wins.

Nice comfortable water temp.....so important when the kayak flips you out. And what was going through my mind as I surfaced next to the overturned kayak? Yep- "well that didn't go as planned". I used the opportunity to practice getting into a kayak from the water- never let a chance to learn something escape!

It did end in a great yak trip -at one point sitting about 50 meters from the shore as small waves lapped with that whoosh, listening to the sounds of the jungle coming across the water.

Yeah, plans are not what they are cracked up to be.
Comments
Vessel Name: Papillon
Vessel Make/Model: Slocum 43
Hailing Port: Seattle WA
Crew: Dan and Kelly Freeman
Papillon's Photos - Main
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
2 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
two different trips
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
El Sal
3 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
surf area El Salvador
18 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
road trip!
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
underway
40 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
underway
No Photos
Created 1 January 2015
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
No Photos
Created 1 January 2015
easter
5 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
Poulsbo
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
Poulsbo
10 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
Everett WA
20 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
16 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
xmas pics
2 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
Aug 2007
40 Photos
Created 1 January 2015
up in the cloud forest
11 Photos
Created 5 November 2014
just a few pics from CR
6 Photos
Created 5 November 2014
some shots from underway and on arrival
8 Photos
Created 5 November 2014
When cruising friends depart before you do
15 Photos
Created 5 November 2014
exiting Estuario de Jaltepeque
2 Photos
Created 22 October 2014
Treadmaster project
20 Photos
Created 21 January 2014
Yard to the water
10 Photos
Created 5 December 2013
All things pc and network
1 Photo
Created 7 February 2013
panel install
6 Photos
Created 31 January 2013
cruiserowater
3 Photos
Created 25 January 2013
La Paz
1 Photo
Created 8 April 2012
Mark Mulligan show
7 Photos
Created 14 March 2012
treble and bass
6 Photos
Created 11 March 2012
hwy 19 to 1 loop
38 Photos
Created 5 March 2012
La Paz pics
1 Photo
Created 26 February 2012
folks from the marina
11 Photos
Created 22 February 2012
random
13 Photos
Created 18 February 2012
Various projects
6 Photos
Created 12 February 2012
randoms
25 Photos
Created 11 February 2012
the journey continues (begins?)
21 Photos
Created 9 November 2011
Just a big stack of boat pics
35 Photos
Created 12 October 2011