29 October 2016 | Georgia, USA
29 October 2016 | Georgia, USA
08 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
07 October 2016 | Hotel on West Side of Hwy I-95, Brunswick, GA, USA
07 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
06 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
05 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
04 October 2016 | Photo off Outer Banks near Cape Lookout, North Carolina.
27 September 2016 | Piankatank River, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, USA
22 September 2016 | Current Position - Sassafras River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA
16 September 2016 | Orient, Long Island, New York, USA
11 September 2016 | Ebenecook Harbor near Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA
07 September 2016 | Penobscot Bay, Maine, USA
05 September 2016 | Penobscot Bay, Maine, USA
04 September 2016 | North Haven, Vinalhaven, Maine, USA
28 August 2016 | Castine, Maine, USA
27 August 2016 | Belfast, Maine, USA
12 August 2016 | Mount Washington, New Hampshire, USA
06 August 2016 | Canada/USA Border Crossing
04 August 2016 | La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada
Hauled Out
02 May 2013 | Marina Chavon, Casa de Campo, La Romana, Dominican Republic
Vicki – 30C/90F, Cloud 6/8, Wind 15kn E
Maynard decided to have antifouling done and our anodes and stern seals replaced by the IBC Shipyard in the DR instead of going to Colombia after weighing up all the pros and cons. The Italian engineers seemed very competent in the yard and we have written firm quotes. Within an hour of being hauled out, Vanish was surrounded by workers who had already put blocks underneath and others who were sanding off the old antifoul ready for its new coats. Pepe inspected the job and decided he needed to make a special tool for taking off the old seals and by the end of the day, the first seal was replaced. It has been very efficient so far. The 2nd seal…..not so much. Blow torch and hydraulic thinga-me-bobs were brought in. Work will continue tomorrow so please cross your fingers. The only reason we decided to change these seals which had a very small leak, was that the manufacturer said there was a known fault with that particular seal and they would replace it with a new better designed seal at no cost for the part. Since we were coming out of the water anyway, we thought we’d have a go at it. Time will tell.
We were not allowed to stay on board at all during the haul out so we’ve checked into the Escuela de Vela (Sailing School) which provides 8 rooms to students learning to sail during the year. It is situated on the Rio Chavon (Chavon River) right next door to our marina and hard stand and is very comfy and convenient and easy for Maynard to act as Project Manager. We’re hoping to be back in the water next week if all goes well, ready for our next leg to .....well, who knows ……but we’ll look at weather and timing and decide. We’ve re-checked our insurance and have been told that Cartagena, Colombia is within the Hurricane No Go Zone for insurance which has really put a spanner in the works, I can tell you! It sits at 10 24.901’N so it’s 24 miles north of the insurance safety margin so we need to find a home by July 1 below 10 degrees North or above 30 degrees North. Panama or Maine both look good but time is ticking.
A shocking thing happened last night while we ate dinner at the Mexican Restaurant at the Casa de Campo Marina. A golf cart with 5 people came whizzing past and one of the young women riding on the back lost her balance and came flying off the cart and landed with a sickening thud hitting the back of her head on the concrete right at the base of Maynard’s chair. I didn’t know I could scream that loud but the girl on the ground was silent. No one moved for several seconds as everyone was stunned at what just happened. I raced around to her and knelt on the ground as her eyes were wide, she was holding her breath, but not moving. I asked her if she spoke English and she softly answered “yes” in a Scottish accent so I reassured her she would be ok and saw that she could move her hands and feet. I held 2 fingers above her and asked her how many fingers? (Hey, I’ve watched enough episodes of House to nearly be a Doctor!!!). Anyway, she answered correctly as I looked for signs of concussion or broken bits and blood but thankfully there were no major problems although she was definitely winded and will have many bruises today. This is the first motor vehicle accident we’ve seen and it was right behind Maynard’s chair. How weird is that.