SailBlog

Cetacea in Australia

12 September 2023
Tony Wessendorff
In March 2023, we flew back to Cetacea in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. We had a bottom job (new paint on the bottom) done in the shipyard. We left PNG in May sailing to Indonesia. Half way there, we had a generator heat exchanger go out, so we ended up sailing to Darwin, Australia, which was the closest place we could get repairs made. We found that we got water in our fuel (in PNG) and it caused other problems as well. We got the engine and generator problems fixed and took off for Indonesia again, only to have more problems. So we boomeranged back to Darwin. We have been in Darwin for almost 4 months now, fixing one thing, only to have another thing break, fixing that thing, only to have something else break. And, each time, it takes weeks to get the parts shipped in. But, we have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Darwin!

Finally, we think we are ready to leave again, scheduled for Friday September 13th, crossing our fingers! We do not keep up with this blog site any longer. We do sporadic email blogs now. If you would like to get on the email blog list, just send me an email (GailCorriganW@gmail.com). But, I will update our position and add at least an annual note on where we are on this blog site.

More Later, much later
G&T
Vessel Name: Cetacea
Vessel Make/Model: Cheoy Lee 53' Motorsailor
Hailing Port: Houston, Texas, USA
Crew: Tony Wessendorff & Gail Corrigan
About:
After 25 fun filled years as an environmental consulting firm owner, Gail sold her company and she and her husband, Tony the CFO, retired to go sailing on their boat Cetacea (see photo gallery). Cetacea was in St. [...]
Extra: P.S. Cetacea is the higher order biological name for whales and dolphins. Whales and dolphins are cetaceans. And our boat is a big fat whale of a boat, hence the name Cetacea! Not to mention that Tony & Gail, like all sailors, love whales.
Cetacea's Photos - Carti Sugdup & The Kuna Museum
Photos 1 to 15 of 15 | Main
1
View of Carti Sugdup and the crowded huts.
Carti Sugdup is 8-9 acres in size with a population of 2,000 people.
View of the other side of Carti Sugdup with all the ulu and panda boats.  Note outhouses hanging over the sea.
The museum curator, Davies, with Gail.  All Kunas are small in stature.
Tony walking in "town".
The main path on Carti Sugdup.
Inside the museum, which was in a typical Kuna hut, you can see the palm tree poles used to frame the structure like a cross for "protection".
Self-cleaning commode over the sea.  As a result, they can not swim in the water at these populated islands.
Typical Kuna dress with a mola sewn into the blouse, wrap-around skirt, head scarf and glass beads on the arms and legs.
A traditional mola depicting the cross.
Diagram of a burial site with the body suspended in a hammock.
Grave site after the burial with articles left for the person to take to the "other side".
Each Kuna Indian has a "Nuchu", which is a carved wooded figure, that is their spiritual protector for life.
A "Nele", or medicine man, that is chanting to a sick person in a hammock.
All cooking and eating utensils are made from gourds.  The largest round gourd is used for luggage.
 
1