tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2059263715992954142024-03-13T20:32:55.545-07:00Team TiburonManichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05626113576879208150noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-79040441172212639032011-04-30T16:59:00.000-07:002011-04-30T18:20:20.837-07:00Rio Dulce<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCWGtC-nVSBI5iWvj1dmtydw-XK9ZMU05qn54BSICTrkf5NNFLX2eeFx7QvbsntTHqw-sBa_ms0li8iDN3dN4_j-c98DEStXQG4FN43cV2ET9hCUw8UdJ2GLnS1Tw2csOpDvCCMR89Q/s1600/P4020763.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCWGtC-nVSBI5iWvj1dmtydw-XK9ZMU05qn54BSICTrkf5NNFLX2eeFx7QvbsntTHqw-sBa_ms0li8iDN3dN4_j-c98DEStXQG4FN43cV2ET9hCUw8UdJ2GLnS1Tw2csOpDvCCMR89Q/s400/P4020763.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601545436819194610" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">At daybreak we hauled anchor and made our way towards the mouth of the Rio Dulce. There is a notorious mud bank at the entrance of the river that is only 7 ft deep at high tide. We’d waited for high tide of course, but as our draft is 6 ½ feet, it was questionable whether we would make it without a tow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I had envisioned that the mud bank was rather narrow, and that we would definitely know when we had passed it. In fact it was actually quite wide so our keel skidded along the bottom for at least half an hour before we finally got stuck. We pulled the jib out to see if we couldn’t lean over a bit to lessen our draft, but it wasn’t working. After fifteen minutes with no forward progress, a panga (they call them lanchas here) came out to ask if we needed a tow. Yes, yes we did. $30? Fine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Just as we were about to throw them our halyard, we noticed El Tiburon had moved forward an inch. We waited, and sure enough she moved forward another inch. Soon we had broken free of the mud. Hooray!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then we motored forward about twenty yards and anchored, where the water was still 7ft deep. We hoisted our yellow quarantine flag and waited for the authorities at Livingston to board our boat and check us into Guatemala.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We had an hour to kill while they completed the paperwork, so we took a panga to shore and had some breakfast. Livingston was a charming little Caribbean town with cobblestone streets and good food. The people were remarkably warm and friendly and every person we encountered was eager to be of assistance.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLOsP4qDyy_XM6Qc020Rm5-54BfYuEW0D8YtaQc5fc_mUHuLTdvh6eSxsMIj6I2wlZ3e6GCBPlw5LJF4Y1BXrQR9fG7iBZp4qI6eThATBXTkvFR5CP5p5HvxgN92YyukK0gmU4Ua8MQ/s1600/P4020767.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLOsP4qDyy_XM6Qc020Rm5-54BfYuEW0D8YtaQc5fc_mUHuLTdvh6eSxsMIj6I2wlZ3e6GCBPlw5LJF4Y1BXrQR9fG7iBZp4qI6eThATBXTkvFR5CP5p5HvxgN92YyukK0gmU4Ua8MQ/s400/P4020767.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601538804326884482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Lanchas in Livingston</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupmodLXkwDvh9u7Cx86pR5TvT-mipCFRJlcLN8SFvWYQngkrdThm1P6ft0s9drjm2mqB7y09Tphkqp-LbsIdo0E3Ik9YYT2MaCetyy0owHdQZ1zS6fo3qYVed2zP6qToNPlQxq68U0w/s1600/P4020766.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupmodLXkwDvh9u7Cx86pR5TvT-mipCFRJlcLN8SFvWYQngkrdThm1P6ft0s9drjm2mqB7y09Tphkqp-LbsIdo0E3Ik9YYT2MaCetyy0owHdQZ1zS6fo3qYVed2zP6qToNPlQxq68U0w/s1600/P4020766.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupmodLXkwDvh9u7Cx86pR5TvT-mipCFRJlcLN8SFvWYQngkrdThm1P6ft0s9drjm2mqB7y09Tphkqp-LbsIdo0E3Ik9YYT2MaCetyy0owHdQZ1zS6fo3qYVed2zP6qToNPlQxq68U0w/s400/P4020766.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601539697301805298" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Laundromat in Livingston</span></div></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Around 10:00AM we began our inland voyage at a steady pace of six knots. The first part of the river snakes through an incredible narrow gorge with thick rainforest blanketing the steep walls on both sides. Birds and butterflies abound, and in the eddies children fish in dugout canoes. “Rio Dulce” means “Sweet River,” which may be due to the fact that it has a distinctively sweet smell, at times almost floral.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLypaO_5acR-9MhcSCuNa0Ibif0_LAaEvp3hC4eZ3Jjs7ZcKmDxbTTq4WvjlDG8_S3jIhOtunUFtJc9mstvIRdby9wUsoJAObXIkEHnyAeQcv6WLhQ5uRp3L_ho5jLwBRqCf_DIyMfrw/s1600/IMG_2069.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLypaO_5acR-9MhcSCuNa0Ibif0_LAaEvp3hC4eZ3Jjs7ZcKmDxbTTq4WvjlDG8_S3jIhOtunUFtJc9mstvIRdby9wUsoJAObXIkEHnyAeQcv6WLhQ5uRp3L_ho5jLwBRqCf_DIyMfrw/s400/IMG_2069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601542447806871746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Aside from the occasional riverfront property, the river feels positively prehistoric. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness came to mind, as well as its progeny Apocalypse Now.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1u-HJnru0t8sUA8oF1AmJt_rzv_nIdCWhb3q8zYFoBT85NUNedmVILNf3F4ygBMYxU0p1e09TT9lDU_1zPOWBa0L2U2V3j1epzGNsO0o4VPZsszIlN4DsMtANeDwsQGNzBw7vKj7WQ/s1600/IMG_2077.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1u-HJnru0t8sUA8oF1AmJt_rzv_nIdCWhb3q8zYFoBT85NUNedmVILNf3F4ygBMYxU0p1e09TT9lDU_1zPOWBa0L2U2V3j1epzGNsO0o4VPZsszIlN4DsMtANeDwsQGNzBw7vKj7WQ/s400/IMG_2077.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601541168739671010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUIy7hUl4wZtR9uaSI10eOA1IwW4ohYFq7v3GgLNcw80P1Nijv9zKVfzmW1FmBLtoAEpPDfBhgBOacqEZDFINfMn3wVCc2NbpLbKKZzUIibIl8FYeH9U3V52bNtuWERVIoMrLfOpfvA/s1600/IMG_2070.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUIy7hUl4wZtR9uaSI10eOA1IwW4ohYFq7v3GgLNcw80P1Nijv9zKVfzmW1FmBLtoAEpPDfBhgBOacqEZDFINfMn3wVCc2NbpLbKKZzUIibIl8FYeH9U3V52bNtuWERVIoMrLfOpfvA/s400/IMG_2070.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601543537826750066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Most of the river is about 20ft deep although I saw the depth meter range from 80ft all the way down to just 4. Navigation of the waterway requires keeping one eye on where you are going, one eye on the depth meter, and one eye on the natural beauty surrounding you.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRUrWFAFnUX2z6boqFYc6ACzya0C9hiI6iwyV_QzWoKMHSpUHcW85sH_-7Uot2GVvu37bsWIjz_ygCOKvLjl9iNECu7BpwllHbP_7THAGgCh4pKd2GYcrIs26BpJpM2vVx8IYHDvRDQ/s1600/IMG_2062.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRUrWFAFnUX2z6boqFYc6ACzya0C9hiI6iwyV_QzWoKMHSpUHcW85sH_-7Uot2GVvu37bsWIjz_ygCOKvLjl9iNECu7BpwllHbP_7THAGgCh4pKd2GYcrIs26BpJpM2vVx8IYHDvRDQ/s400/IMG_2062.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601541636898072930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Four hours later we arrived in the town of Rio Dulce/Fronteras. After scouting out our marina options we chose Hacienda Tijax. Both a marina and “jungle lodge,” Tijax sits on the water across from town and features wooden plank walkways throughout the entire complex. It is a beautiful place run by lovely people. Neither the setting nor the staff can be beat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPSZ02W7Wz7bP7xhwfbwsMgR-KaoAjyUqjGREFEdtZ1T0yW_8Lpkqh_grZD_DqZysYghhdXcffn_By50GuiYF4THbXsqX3bRmR9thHnh76-Q1PxSxOGKw7HxU7PQatw69QSKkuNatYA/s1600/IMG_2208.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPSZ02W7Wz7bP7xhwfbwsMgR-KaoAjyUqjGREFEdtZ1T0yW_8Lpkqh_grZD_DqZysYghhdXcffn_By50GuiYF4THbXsqX3bRmR9thHnh76-Q1PxSxOGKw7HxU7PQatw69QSKkuNatYA/s400/IMG_2208.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601544578740588482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO5rqW0miZTlg6Eq4iO6TSBxoklRBumspzuUV-mhy-0PIkAgAKuxXnRDL6WKIvdfVXP2YKc1bMM41oUwdVRsKZ0v8zhjqKJmqqz6B0s3yUtv_harC5KTLJeMw9VBbU8RqdjsOXCBsLQ/s1600/IMG_2217.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO5rqW0miZTlg6Eq4iO6TSBxoklRBumspzuUV-mhy-0PIkAgAKuxXnRDL6WKIvdfVXP2YKc1bMM41oUwdVRsKZ0v8zhjqKJmqqz6B0s3yUtv_harC5KTLJeMw9VBbU8RqdjsOXCBsLQ/s400/IMG_2217.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601545075028882946" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">El Tiburon needs her floors varnished and her teak decks replaced, both of which she will have done while waiting out the hurricane season in Rio Dulce.</span></span></p><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-25935515630321008992011-04-26T10:45:00.000-07:002011-04-26T13:55:06.159-07:00Rounding the Honduran Hump<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1WQ60VSpM1ZhePPqcWqpAMV4YTgyrDXCJkeaz1RQoKf0SQ0vwp0lRNef7qFqD4_3eO43DWkelO226pNKRYw9RgbjbgF3NHDerFRWksjwDzqymVDZ2lfVJH0b3TwoSFJBBbH7BL-zLA/s1600/P3310755.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1WQ60VSpM1ZhePPqcWqpAMV4YTgyrDXCJkeaz1RQoKf0SQ0vwp0lRNef7qFqD4_3eO43DWkelO226pNKRYw9RgbjbgF3NHDerFRWksjwDzqymVDZ2lfVJH0b3TwoSFJBBbH7BL-zLA/s400/P3310755.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599962079898154610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The leg from Providencia to Guatemala had some of the best sailing of the entire trip. We’d had time to acclimate to the washing machine turbulence of the Caribbean Sea, so all of us were up and about to enjoy the fantastic wind. Even though Perky was in top shape from her recent overhaul, we barely had any occasion to run her. For three days the wind averaged 15 to 20 knots and was mostly right behind us. We flew both the symmetric and asymmetric spinnakers, and poled out the jib for some wing-on-wing action.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5auCaiarf0uTSAMFMOuv9BARYzKHZn0_UMSUbsEKqFS086qjNsfuJWxF-MnuwYKZhZ5cB7es04yrhj-zm-6ANccnheCfX8akxjYaGgOdR1XIsfAFGUef3-XzK-nvHNE8KKFq7SXR87A/s1600/P3300746.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5auCaiarf0uTSAMFMOuv9BARYzKHZn0_UMSUbsEKqFS086qjNsfuJWxF-MnuwYKZhZ5cB7es04yrhj-zm-6ANccnheCfX8akxjYaGgOdR1XIsfAFGUef3-XzK-nvHNE8KKFq7SXR87A/s400/P3300746.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599957755352000914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Boats must be careful when rounding the Honduran hump because a shallow bank of coral heads and tiny islands extends about 50nm off the northern coast of Nicaragua. It is generally safer to stay well offshore when making this passage.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Our dock neighbor from Shelter Bay had given us the waypoints for taking a shortcut through the Moskito Bank via the Edinburgh Channel, which saved us about a day and a half of travel time. We expected to see some very small – and therefore very scary – numbers on our depth sounder, but the shallowest it got was about 70ft.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The shallow waters seemed to cut the swell down dramatically, which made sailing through the Edinburgh channel utterly delightful. With calm waters and a steady 20kt wind from behind, our speed meter got all the way up to 9kts.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One afternoon we got a visit from this little bird. We were at least 10 miles offshore and he must have been very tired of flapping his wings. He sat on our lifeline and let us feed him and even rub his belly before he finally flew away.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3otJLUOO_WDWezS_dInBHdwMH01XWqKgR1cZ2G2pnvlaO1vOx56lOK8adkXEUW4B_japccnvJj9OTsJ-vLNQQA54l9zpvml9rxUMYUGrq8vUysRQ-4Fc3YaWC_pJDR5U2429haO8bQ/s1600/P3300744.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3otJLUOO_WDWezS_dInBHdwMH01XWqKgR1cZ2G2pnvlaO1vOx56lOK8adkXEUW4B_japccnvJj9OTsJ-vLNQQA54l9zpvml9rxUMYUGrq8vUysRQ-4Fc3YaWC_pJDR5U2429haO8bQ/s400/P3300744.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599967730029042514" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rTwP4tA3-9NIU8xeYv5tfm1PWE96QeMIYZ2-kp1fQs74vKiI3IxxTw2vMEsYu41WSxbOrWgr_l8kb1rSTxxEfloELfvK49tnagctBGtaTxPgbhlPzpF9yUClh3ew7bDT59oufOi5Qw/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rTwP4tA3-9NIU8xeYv5tfm1PWE96QeMIYZ2-kp1fQs74vKiI3IxxTw2vMEsYu41WSxbOrWgr_l8kb1rSTxxEfloELfvK49tnagctBGtaTxPgbhlPzpF9yUClh3ew7bDT59oufOi5Qw/s400/IMG_1950.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599958369022156466" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sadly the calm seas were not to last and as we rounded Cabo Gracias a Dios the waves picked up and the boat started rolling once more. We were lucky our autopilot had performed reliably so far, despite some serious waves when we left Panama, and it seemed to be handling this new swell with equal capability. So it was quite a surprise to discover one morning that the most important part of it (the paddle) had completely fallen off. With no paddle there was no way to repair it.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiG1nNf6lVZvQDqpHEIbwERtmyioILYpcRfQm1AFFB9tJEGaW0_ZDwPpi0Hk2_D1e5PVZvL0RmTttxH6VeV3_qiMV6b8Is9dbs9mbiW3rUT7CHaE97GXkZ6gXmmWs8-H3r-qXCJ9_iw/s1600/IMG_1958.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiG1nNf6lVZvQDqpHEIbwERtmyioILYpcRfQm1AFFB9tJEGaW0_ZDwPpi0Hk2_D1e5PVZvL0RmTttxH6VeV3_qiMV6b8Is9dbs9mbiW3rUT7CHaE97GXkZ6gXmmWs8-H3r-qXCJ9_iw/s400/IMG_1958.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599959044659254834" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This was an unwelcome discovery. Without an autopilot we were once again subjected to the tyranny of the helm. We had two more days of sailing left before arrival in Livingston, Guatemala, every minute of which would require somebody to be at the helm maintaining our compass heading. Steering a sailboat with a 20kt wind is nothing like steering a car. It necessitates actual physical effort to fight the wind and the waves and keep the boat aimed in a specific direction. But you don't have to stay between the lines and you can also steer with your feet.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWXbGkeGh73mCk7TOSy_v0icwGEZsmcKqNq7uWVGzhOENZISkj6ci048HweWpUz0klal2dueVOsghM5nj8nijpHrQhsj_DG7kUoULzfFO74Kt9FnfZGoozVajYT41LsFMA762zhyNMg/s1600/P3290735.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWXbGkeGh73mCk7TOSy_v0icwGEZsmcKqNq7uWVGzhOENZISkj6ci048HweWpUz0klal2dueVOsghM5nj8nijpHrQhsj_DG7kUoULzfFO74Kt9FnfZGoozVajYT41LsFMA762zhyNMg/s400/P3290735.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599959549380193186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By the afternoon John had come up with the clever idea of pulling out our emergency rudder and rigging it to function as an autopilot. After a few hours of tinkering, we had a new autopilot that worked just as well (if not better) than the original.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcZiZ3UNHOqSjgozGUZy-XmndE8p3d0tDy9mWATVVWiRMK1uA1jajkb-qbInkAqjpu0XWamiM1vW08dkK9bPJnSZoeAN52hPM3lE4rz7KOcAqVLhqkCZ_2_0P9Iwiww9tJQnj5q-teg/s1600/IMG_1965.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcZiZ3UNHOqSjgozGUZy-XmndE8p3d0tDy9mWATVVWiRMK1uA1jajkb-qbInkAqjpu0XWamiM1vW08dkK9bPJnSZoeAN52hPM3lE4rz7KOcAqVLhqkCZ_2_0P9Iwiww9tJQnj5q-teg/s400/IMG_1965.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599960189470338978" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We flew the spinnaker all the way to Bahia Amatique without having to adjust it once, which meant the remainder of the journey was quite enjoyable. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As it was dark when we arrived at the mouth of the Rio Dulce, we anchored and waited for daylight to commence the 25 mile trek up river.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-68709912711282312042011-04-07T14:38:00.000-07:002011-04-07T15:47:33.148-07:00Providencia, Columbia<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbSKFwpLiCKZ2byrsC5whAnYm7edG0htlpOmrw_CAEDQE2i1prQeLHj_id4jlnubUrKN6y5YHE6SZz-PWbrW6eYfyEI_bi1fyPQKXYxeCg7pkLOFUeQebyExezua8GP3R7VPDZ9y4Xg/s400/P3280676.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592973917465093522" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx3Q4vZJR8pYx512ZsCZLMN-QfzHY8W6PSuQQfeFVIf7_dNrqIgL9Qp_7aTpv5q9m1fSF8IyKftxrbVexzvKBhB7GfEGnu5qHhrCS4u8fmK3p_kjNj5El-F742qGGBYyyKVfcw8Q-cQ/s1600/IMG_2054.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We said goodbye to our friends at Shelter Bay and shoved off. The waves were nothing like they’d been a week earlier, but they were still pretty serious compared to what we’d experienced in the Pacific. (They don’t call it “the Pacific” for nothing.) Andrew and I felt fine (thanks to some Dramamine for me) but John and Kitty were down for the count – which is unusual for both of them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Despite the rolling seas we had some awesome wind. We flew all three sails on a beam reach to the island of Providencia and made about 7 knots. We can only make about 5 to 6 knots motoring with our current prop. To harness a consistent wind and move faster than you can with an engine is pure pleasure. When the engine isn't running all you hear is the sibilance of the wind, the splatter of the waves on the bow, the slush of the water moving past the hull, and the occasional ruffling of the sails. If only sailing were always like this!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">It took two full days to get to Providencia. We anchored early in the morning and then immediately crashed for a three-hour nap. Sailing is much more fun than motoring, but it is also much more work. Managing the sail trim all night is exhausting.</span></p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4D5p_nxI2qF3LsxRUQTH0OcZyjfuXmlDopNelZYxBtd5t5nT3TCu8EtPgK20k_a0AGntU7mdQwZSxb7ta5E91eD9kwL_4jlJZ6N5XNy0v7aFptAivI_5iqhyphenhyphenDn0ePDhy7F6y6R8KUg/s400/IMG_2037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592962110529641090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Land Ho!</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIrLG2m-PILPmLkCJZp3EkpTt3-gAxBhJSJPr2VIindVjhepWzXkrpMxXnhvZatB58TW3S6qM8kgCJqz-riYvo7jZjEI1DD8Sucu_whj4kFP1r7B_bb-6zNeTntURgbsBTs2aDRW0Yw/s1600/IMG_2043.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIrLG2m-PILPmLkCJZp3EkpTt3-gAxBhJSJPr2VIindVjhepWzXkrpMxXnhvZatB58TW3S6qM8kgCJqz-riYvo7jZjEI1DD8Sucu_whj4kFP1r7B_bb-6zNeTntURgbsBTs2aDRW0Yw/s1600/IMG_2043.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIrLG2m-PILPmLkCJZp3EkpTt3-gAxBhJSJPr2VIindVjhepWzXkrpMxXnhvZatB58TW3S6qM8kgCJqz-riYvo7jZjEI1DD8Sucu_whj4kFP1r7B_bb-6zNeTntURgbsBTs2aDRW0Yw/s400/IMG_2043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592967887784665474" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Having recharged our batteries, we hopped into the new hard-bottomed dinghy with 15hp outboard motor we picked up while we were in Shelter Bay. It is a big step up from our little inflatable and 8hp outboard and has totally transformed the dinghy experience.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrj-V7MGPou2zRMs3cHAQIKPti-tbPDy7DYEeLdet9feiU-eXBgXg6nVdjfcdKBKwtdtkqbhEuyaNgv2BAOMAdvahRR6B6LrMRbMUZ80QvvGqDmH1uhCzpa-Gm6rVxaYl6GnwUeVq7bw/s1600/P3280646.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrj-V7MGPou2zRMs3cHAQIKPti-tbPDy7DYEeLdet9feiU-eXBgXg6nVdjfcdKBKwtdtkqbhEuyaNgv2BAOMAdvahRR6B6LrMRbMUZ80QvvGqDmH1uhCzpa-Gm6rVxaYl6GnwUeVq7bw/s400/P3280646.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592971895698268978" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Check out our wake!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We went to town to find an internet café, but the connection was so slow that it was in effect unusable. Wandering through the dusty little town we found it to be surprisingly bustling for such a remote Caribbean island. Navigational hazards included mopeds zipping about the narrow streets with notable speed, stray dogs lurking around with unknown levels of aggression, and the occasional rogue horse gone walkabout.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2IL-DrOqCdBJrXSinKGLUOJqZdGf2FOwVNUSn07w6nubQIYXNRMwT5up5RtjZJEUcgPQJn277C42wCmMNX7MRSB5uas-BMvFdv9RmSPD7YqywoLVeN2J9m1d1B68miDAbS0W8dE3QQ/s400/P3280645.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592971107332437602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Having failed in our search for an internet connection that moved at anything more than a glacial pace, we gave up looking for a link to the outside world and went snorkeling instead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxpYw_JriFvf9f8nyUtvxWAUpL5U7jbSujXg8QxbHMKQjEi9xEAR8_Gg8SMnAbZPPL58TY9vD5jXXKJrXHeli0-FggCPlmKFZa_LYWaF_Gd9jCwJW-pJ1tUOnTfVukb0Jh1-NLWTQaA/s1600/IMG_2053.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxpYw_JriFvf9f8nyUtvxWAUpL5U7jbSujXg8QxbHMKQjEi9xEAR8_Gg8SMnAbZPPL58TY9vD5jXXKJrXHeli0-FggCPlmKFZa_LYWaF_Gd9jCwJW-pJ1tUOnTfVukb0Jh1-NLWTQaA/s400/IMG_2053.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592974520211159442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx3Q4vZJR8pYx512ZsCZLMN-QfzHY8W6PSuQQfeFVIf7_dNrqIgL9Qp_7aTpv5q9m1fSF8IyKftxrbVexzvKBhB7GfEGnu5qHhrCS4u8fmK3p_kjNj5El-F742qGGBYyyKVfcw8Q-cQ/s1600/IMG_2054.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx3Q4vZJR8pYx512ZsCZLMN-QfzHY8W6PSuQQfeFVIf7_dNrqIgL9Qp_7aTpv5q9m1fSF8IyKftxrbVexzvKBhB7GfEGnu5qHhrCS4u8fmK3p_kjNj5El-F742qGGBYyyKVfcw8Q-cQ/s400/IMG_2054.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592975121363152498" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdHBn8381TpONBeEiDuS93_VQDCTL-MkDVJHCvXjr6u-QtiGiVO3xSLlrpVXl5M1Q8zzcGe8sfiwhWoawhTtTAxtSTzx_XFtxyjZsuxvNpVcXGn1VXKiybqXRjcNMCS9K1ct4X4gpNA/s1600/P3280655.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdHBn8381TpONBeEiDuS93_VQDCTL-MkDVJHCvXjr6u-QtiGiVO3xSLlrpVXl5M1Q8zzcGe8sfiwhWoawhTtTAxtSTzx_XFtxyjZsuxvNpVcXGn1VXKiybqXRjcNMCS9K1ct4X4gpNA/s400/P3280655.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592972460173132706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TJVYjqb8Q0ajGa8wvBM9rTCsxNfS0_Azkh1GQxnANxpRsdkIBWXS0qexvHFfwMbEO1rV_k95F4A_Ow3nhbkndD_W3J9F23OeESf2cGd8iE2iCUlrcj_SxukATsuAbmYa_AwPepYscw/s1600/P3280656.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TJVYjqb8Q0ajGa8wvBM9rTCsxNfS0_Azkh1GQxnANxpRsdkIBWXS0qexvHFfwMbEO1rV_k95F4A_Ow3nhbkndD_W3J9F23OeESf2cGd8iE2iCUlrcj_SxukATsuAbmYa_AwPepYscw/s400/P3280656.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592972720821662706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkuu9sP5lQ-vRoCxGpjqJuS9r7p5zz2P-q-vyzgl4g484ELZQPfKxvmEX5_x_r_lm5UrX5wwR6Qh8Wnx60BZ6LfBWn-d5HyrJedzAjEsfU_WUbEjroR_AjVD_p00mIU8LL4NF3HlPRA/s1600/P3280673.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkuu9sP5lQ-vRoCxGpjqJuS9r7p5zz2P-q-vyzgl4g484ELZQPfKxvmEX5_x_r_lm5UrX5wwR6Qh8Wnx60BZ6LfBWn-d5HyrJedzAjEsfU_WUbEjroR_AjVD_p00mIU8LL4NF3HlPRA/s400/P3280673.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592973081548992146" /></a><div><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Early the next morning we weighed anchor and set off for a four day crossing to the Rio Dulce in Guatemala. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-63815970014214477012011-04-06T11:06:00.000-07:002011-04-07T14:37:57.761-07:00Panama, Take Two<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After a few days of exploring our options, we decided to stay in Shelter Bay and rebuild our engine. You've already seen from John's slideshow what a job it was. The guys took it apart as much as they could while it was still in the bilge, then we used a block and tackle to haul it up out of the bilge and onto the floor. The men dismantled the engine piece by piece while I labeled little plastic baggies for the bots, nuts, washers, and miscellaneous small pieces: “Bell Housing Bolts,” “Transmission Bolts,” “Manual Oil Pump,” etc… Everything was covered in a layer of shiny black grease that made for a dirty job. Oh, and did I mention that this all took place in the middle of our kitchen?</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnBK9DbraSodSgG6fXLL-44MGptuQ_xI9bSCVhh6mo9-BTMBeAeUobO7gGJN091wtu2egS6hjxz87totRG2kSZ05m_hkslasZNNT2bqnllfZT6SlwyoSFrc0FYd6s4ZiacYDvxlfQrA/s1600/IMG_1833.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnBK9DbraSodSgG6fXLL-44MGptuQ_xI9bSCVhh6mo9-BTMBeAeUobO7gGJN091wtu2egS6hjxz87totRG2kSZ05m_hkslasZNNT2bqnllfZT6SlwyoSFrc0FYd6s4ZiacYDvxlfQrA/s400/IMG_1833.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592537408774229730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-family:arial;font-size:small;"></span></a><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">That's the oven in the background.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once it was sufficiently disassembled, we enlisted the help of three dock neighbors (one of whom was a linebacker for Joe Montana’s 49ers) to get the thing up and out of the boat. Dang that engine was heavy! Even with all that help, we still had to use a system of 2x4s and pulleys and remove our lifelines in order to get the engine block onto the dock.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAEC3D0UE9brocvph4mOHoPU1Euj0eHM28bc6lhKf9CI6woRiL0tryfVNcZox000_pxuk9i1Va_Nqa39jV-4JWRLDyk-_hlmvF5e7IuMNT_VxZVLoOiRJON57nmMkaqgMrx8NDpKgJQ/s1600/P2250503.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAEC3D0UE9brocvph4mOHoPU1Euj0eHM28bc6lhKf9CI6woRiL0tryfVNcZox000_pxuk9i1Va_Nqa39jV-4JWRLDyk-_hlmvF5e7IuMNT_VxZVLoOiRJON57nmMkaqgMrx8NDpKgJQ/s400/P2250503.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592538996624465826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We took the engine to Taller Alfreddo in Panama City to have them clean it up and repair the bearings, while we painted the bilge, cleaned the bolts and treated them for rust, fixed the wiring and the radar, etc, etc, etc...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">All in all, Shelter Bay wasn’t such a bad place to be stuck. It’s on the other side of the Panama Canal from Colon – a bustling city known for drug violence – so a walk into town wasn’t really an option. We rented a car and drove into Panama City a few times, which is on the Pacific coast, and the drive usually only took about an hour and a half. The shopping in Panama City is great, especially compared to the rest of Central America. One can find pretty much anything there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The marina is a half hour drive through jungle from Colon on an old US Army base called Fort Sherman. We went exploring in the jungle behind the marina and found all kinds of old bunkers and concrete structures slowly being consumed by foliage.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWNa0mHiM93sU9GGM9VTw4d7epgDKxFlW1dVptHD9Gx7nHHzQpbhf_p2XdQJtz8nIhgGry2dZzBnz1E4KDEo_Dwyo_7T2IcgD7GEMmt3lat9SjCzNOofw3RbXJcToQQ-qZDafy01eTA/s1600/IMG_1811.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWNa0mHiM93sU9GGM9VTw4d7epgDKxFlW1dVptHD9Gx7nHHzQpbhf_p2XdQJtz8nIhgGry2dZzBnz1E4KDEo_Dwyo_7T2IcgD7GEMmt3lat9SjCzNOofw3RbXJcToQQ-qZDafy01eTA/s400/IMG_1811.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592540856361567570" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ig-Xd_85461LScC10048HfbBhUgIISqJWr2xMOcwm4GPkw3rddqkW_3CaiIRHF_16xtdSUiFbveqtuJd9J8cYk9SkhJAixrcwpiKn7Etm7EME-cYJFKsPQImDJxxUSknkhugOG_4-g/s1600/IMG_1805.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ig-Xd_85461LScC10048HfbBhUgIISqJWr2xMOcwm4GPkw3rddqkW_3CaiIRHF_16xtdSUiFbveqtuJd9J8cYk9SkhJAixrcwpiKn7Etm7EME-cYJFKsPQImDJxxUSknkhugOG_4-g/s400/IMG_1805.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592544395505613170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbemFEBNi9BBKZ0YaJOerpC0b1Sv7kmR9eeBknM1ODsAeTWWfOQjKT8ikx1gQiA_RsXFWb8Zu8yv59KWgp6G7JZXR_HKyYGjfAdxJrexGOnCXGC5nQV4Z0ETwsrYIyk9YEdklZYVM_zQ/s1600/IMG_1848.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbemFEBNi9BBKZ0YaJOerpC0b1Sv7kmR9eeBknM1ODsAeTWWfOQjKT8ikx1gQiA_RsXFWb8Zu8yv59KWgp6G7JZXR_HKyYGjfAdxJrexGOnCXGC5nQV4Z0ETwsrYIyk9YEdklZYVM_zQ/s400/IMG_1848.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592544724314013298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On our trips into the jungle we saw both capuchin and howler monkeys, toucans, a sloth, agoutis, tree-cutter ants and even a giant hermit crab scuttling around on the jungle floor. There are butterflies flitting around everywhere you look, including the famous big blue morpho butterflies. The best time to see wildlife is early in the morning or in the evening, when the temperature isn’t too hot and the animals are active. We have been told by many locals not to go walking around alone or at night because there have been many jaguar sightings. Apparently the Baird’s Tapir is also common in this area, although we didn't get the opportunity to spot one.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iEx1KhPJ4tVe6oj6ncPbITyiCsbDmCN7ZEp4IBaaLQiT99sO4dUTP9qT1gz73WzuRcJeV1xJWUTuadP-o__lUYr7sDZ_BSbQ1oqyjXQWp4CpRWtlSBuFlQ9JrrKIY8xZOwDvnkNayw/s1600/IMG_2005.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iEx1KhPJ4tVe6oj6ncPbITyiCsbDmCN7ZEp4IBaaLQiT99sO4dUTP9qT1gz73WzuRcJeV1xJWUTuadP-o__lUYr7sDZ_BSbQ1oqyjXQWp4CpRWtlSBuFlQ9JrrKIY8xZOwDvnkNayw/s400/IMG_2005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592540253537421586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><br /></u></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iEx1KhPJ4tVe6oj6ncPbITyiCsbDmCN7ZEp4IBaaLQiT99sO4dUTP9qT1gz73WzuRcJeV1xJWUTuadP-o__lUYr7sDZ_BSbQ1oqyjXQWp4CpRWtlSBuFlQ9JrrKIY8xZOwDvnkNayw/s1600/IMG_2005.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Not far from Shelter Bay marina is Fort San Lorenzo, a centuries-old structure that the pirate Henry Morgan famously captured and from where he staged his invasion of Panama City. We took a break from engine work to visit it one morning and had the whole place to ourselves:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIFPqVK7dRbehcPhHepSi-ZTsP9oReKm_Mr9m2gLnz6XXtOGYryn2Fn23XaHTgXUnmLLlyyVflghq9SKOakwUS9ICDQbvoZCmE0hyphenhyphenFwcBQ54Api7xqUEV72XowklECuGBPsWEkRiY4Q/s1600/IMG_1934.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIFPqVK7dRbehcPhHepSi-ZTsP9oReKm_Mr9m2gLnz6XXtOGYryn2Fn23XaHTgXUnmLLlyyVflghq9SKOakwUS9ICDQbvoZCmE0hyphenhyphenFwcBQ54Api7xqUEV72XowklECuGBPsWEkRiY4Q/s400/IMG_1934.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592546792812198546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UFYvpRFafB5nz8_I2LfJzZmoXFa4lGrheQLgRSacYNHC3p42PSRvAbjk3GpFg1ygAb3tTuuyaSbwSydFIDgKRc2aM6VWit7wIbRA3hyphenhyphenyykIasOCaunlM-88zt9EKKvvceWshJlXpUw/s1600/P3170607.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UFYvpRFafB5nz8_I2LfJzZmoXFa4lGrheQLgRSacYNHC3p42PSRvAbjk3GpFg1ygAb3tTuuyaSbwSydFIDgKRc2aM6VWit7wIbRA3hyphenhyphenyykIasOCaunlM-88zt9EKKvvceWshJlXpUw/s400/P3170607.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592546592574675970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /><div><div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKz4DbPaEKhF62HgRmV1aYyIHND2cQ8MCcOy3qnzvx8sBSbrYi8d63T05sXxVyhTTgd0IuUp32d24Qb01MPD55up14DvMgRSZUQQOxICymWrY_7jUQ5gt71D4gE0D6HNHxFpAr206hYQ/s1600/IMG_1930.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKz4DbPaEKhF62HgRmV1aYyIHND2cQ8MCcOy3qnzvx8sBSbrYi8d63T05sXxVyhTTgd0IuUp32d24Qb01MPD55up14DvMgRSZUQQOxICymWrY_7jUQ5gt71D4gE0D6HNHxFpAr206hYQ/s400/IMG_1930.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592547051405195490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Near the fort there were these interesting birds that made hanging nests in the trees and they had a very peculiar call:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjU_uV9ogTvb4JZwqFFhElx3lx_M19jKicBpqmfrn7bB1q9_IN7nzl1qeFWUVwcP97RDWyE5Xqqz79Ip0hyphenhyphen84bvryhI-CZWxEH1h5Cw4mI3KgVwLkKprllxwl6PfQqeFdacXuYr5UKyQ/s1600/IMG_1975.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjU_uV9ogTvb4JZwqFFhElx3lx_M19jKicBpqmfrn7bB1q9_IN7nzl1qeFWUVwcP97RDWyE5Xqqz79Ip0hyphenhyphen84bvryhI-CZWxEH1h5Cw4mI3KgVwLkKprllxwl6PfQqeFdacXuYr5UKyQ/s400/IMG_1975.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592557075061406130" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzefuh_Hi54yFLnVcTGGlMx783GHWhxSPS6JCkVPBVg-rb6pZ326afSWiXKMuTCS_qkuoh7LevYOexuoYpeGA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When the engine block came back from Taller Alfreddo the guys rebuilt it in just three days. By this time we’d been in Shelter Bay for a month and were itching to get on our way, but the sea was not cooperative. We took El Tiburon out in the bay for a sea trial and watched huge bursts of white spray crash over the breakwater. We were relatively protected from the swell in the harbor, but as we approached the entrance, the magnitude of the waves became all too apparent. Even just the few waves that snuck through the opening in the breakwater were so big and steep that El Tiburon’s prop came out of the water. We promptly turned around and went back to the marina.</span></span></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Passageweather.com indicated we’d have to wait another five days for a decent sea-state, so we rented a car and drove to the Pacific side to go surfing. After six hours in the car, we came to the tiny town of Santa Catalina. We stayed at a little hotel called Surfer’s Paradise that was own by a Brazilian guy named Italo and his son, Diego Salgado, who is Panama’s national surf champ. The break was right outside our door:</span></span></p></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJluMnN40bYx3s4PlFeBGgyDZsgq1SQ9uEuDdAREGBTJemM9iJzBVuFiKs3Wsc3TdguWG8pL0H0NC83ttvxzEGVg9oKxXzNGc3UiiTOAYgzKhh-ASztPPKGf_2fIQz6nfcFVIJuDnXw/s1600/IMG_2021.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJluMnN40bYx3s4PlFeBGgyDZsgq1SQ9uEuDdAREGBTJemM9iJzBVuFiKs3Wsc3TdguWG8pL0H0NC83ttvxzEGVg9oKxXzNGc3UiiTOAYgzKhh-ASztPPKGf_2fIQz6nfcFVIJuDnXw/s400/IMG_2021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592548706239319538" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There we met Ellis and Taylor, a fun couple from Virginia who’d been traveling around Peru for a few months. Ellis was like a Crocodile Hunter with a southern accent. Following him around at night we found land crabs and a coral snake, and went spider hunting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There was a steep grassy hill near the restaurant that had hundreds of little holes burrowed into the side of it. We had assumed there were little crabs living in the holes but Ellis showed us how wrong we were.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Here are his instructions:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1)</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Stand on the top of the hill at night with a flashlight. Hold the flashlight close to your face, so the beam is as close to your line of sight as possible.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2)</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Slowly skim the top of the grassy hill with your light.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">3)</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Look for little tiny beads of light on the grass. Those are spider eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">4)</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Keeping your light on the spider eyes, approach the spider slowly, being careful not to make the ground vibrate too much.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">5)</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If you are lucky you’ll get close enough to see the entire huge hairy spider hanging out in the grass before it runs back into its hole.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">6)</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If the spider runs back into its hole, shine your light in after it and sometimes you can still see one or two thick, jointed, hairy legs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">John and I found one spider in such a condition, just two fat legs hanging out at the bottom of the hole. I found a piece of dried vegetation – a long stem with a dried bulbous flower on the end – and moved the flower around gently by his hole to see what he would do. No reaction from Spidey prompted me to stick the flower into the hole and wiggle it around some more. Within seconds the piece of grass was jerked from my fingers with remarkable force as the spider had determined he’d had enough of my teasing. I leapt backwards and shook off my heebie-jeebies, then decided I was done spider hunting for the evening.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When we got back to Shelter Bay three days later, the weather was perfect for our long-awaited venture into the Caribbean Sea.</span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-29485892189147938302011-03-20T13:55:00.000-07:002011-03-22T07:05:02.130-07:00Perky's Eulogy<div class="MsoNormal">It is with heavy heart that I report Perky’s passing. I didn’t go down like I had envisioned – just a puff of smoke at the start, the slow rumble and gentle mechanical tapping of an easy 1800 RPM fading off into the setting sun. The real ending couldn’t have been further from the dream.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Diesel engines of this vintage are built wickedly heavy and like the rest of El Tiburon – solid as a brick shit house. Properly maintained, they will give decades of reliable service, and only require three basic necessities – clean air, clean fuel and clean oil. And even these simple demands are sometime negotiable for short periods of time - rarely causing permanent damage. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So which part of the bargain did we fail to meet? Oil.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And when I say oil, I’m not talking about dirty oil, low oil, old oil, or generic, no-name oil. I’m talking about NO oil.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I know many of you are cringing while you read this, knowing the inevitable outcome. But it’s true. We ran her out of oil – totally bone dry. She tried her best to keep turning over, but in the end, she couldn’t overcome her own internal friction, and ground to a definitive halt.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">How it happened is pretty straightforward, and will hopefully serve as a cautionary tale to future boaters – or anyone else who happens to drive a car, run a lawn mower or any other device that’s powered by internal combustion. We had just finished transiting the Panama Canal (with Vince and Marge!), arriving on the Atlantic side for the first time in the life of El Tiburon. Getting ready to leave Panama for Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula would be a pretty routine operation. Just another run to the supermercado for groceries, a topping of the tanks with diesel fuel and lastly, a routine oil change. During oil changes, it’s standard practice to swap a new oil filter for the old one. This is a very easy thing to do and takes just a few minutes. Simply unscrew the old one from the engine block, and screw on a new one. The oil filter makes a seal with the engine on a smoothed metal surface with a rubber gasket in between. Each oil filter comes out of the box with a new gasket standing at the ready. Unfortunately, when the old filter was removed and thrown away, the old gasket hung in place on the engine block like a stowaway. Doesn’t sound too sinister, does it?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When the new filter was installed and screwed home, we now had not one, but TWO gaskets between the engine and the filter. By now, most of you have figured out the rest of the story – it was leak city. The oil pressure generated by the running engine pushed all the oil between those 2 gaskets, and right into the bilge. Should this have happened to a car, the problem would gave been quite obvious, spilling oil all over the ground. All mechanics know that the last thing you do after an oil change is to run the engine and look for any signs of leaks. Engines do not like to lose their oil.</div><div class="MsoNormal">In Perky’s case, she lives under the cabin sole and does most of her work in the darkness of the bilge. Unless someone takes the effort to lift the floorboards and aim a flashlight underneath the engine and peer into the dark confines of the bilge, a leak will go completely unnoticed. Furthermore, it’s especially difficult to spot “new” oil in the black bilge of a chronic oil leaker like Perky. As it turns out, it’s not just our Perky that leaks oil, but nearly every one of the thousands of vintage Perkins diesel engines running today.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Where Perky actually died, you already know from April's post. I will tell you it was a hair raising experience.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Options regarding what to do with Perky, and El Tiburon ran the gamut from – replace the engine with a new one shipped from the States, find a locally rebuilt engine, or rebuild Perky here, in Panama. The first two options seemed very expensive, and rebuilding Perky locally seemed out of the question once we started inquiring with our sailing neighbors in the marina. It seemed that reliable, quality diesel boat mechanics in Panama were rare to mythological. Of course, finding a good mechanic in Panama would not be too difficult, but finding one to leave the shop and come to your boat is another story altogether. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After mulling over the choices, it occurred to us that we had yet another option for getting back to the States - sail El Tiburon back to the Florida without any engine at all! How romantic we thought. Sailing as they had done for centuries, without the use of internal combustion. Just the stars above, a gentle breeze pushing us along and the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean. After a check of the weather and some discussions with other sailors in the marina - our romantic vision imploded. The reality would be more like 20-30+ knot winds, 12 foot waves coming from every direction and reefy lee shores trying their best to suck us to a watery grave. Basically, it would be a suicide mission. Or, as April’s father put it – “the next episode of ‘Jack Ass’!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just when we were about to give up hope for a local, reliable, timely and not prohibitively expensive solution, we stumbled onto Kenny Breazeale, and expat from Mississippi and self-proclaimed red neck who grew up building hot rod cars in the south. Yes, we’re talking NASCAR country. The land where parents are thoughtful enough to bless boys with two first names, or at the very least, put a ‘y’ at the end. Kenny has rebuilt several marine diesel engines in Panama and knows the one machine shop in the country that would be up to the task. And best of all, he doesn’t mind having us do all the work while he periodically checks in to see how we’re progressing. This is the way Team Tiburon likes to roll with big projects – just the right amount of supervision to keep us on track and away from pitfalls.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Perky will live again! Step #1 – get Perky off the boat and deliver her to the machine shop in Panama City. Question #1 - how to move a 450 pound engine from the depths of the bilge, into the cabin, out the companionway, over the rail and onto the dock?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since pictures say it much better, I’m going to send you now to a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7347335@N05/sets/72157626187310883/show/">slideshow presentation</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All the best to you and stay tuned. Team Tiburon will ride again!</div>Manichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05626113576879208150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-62514110013088382332011-03-16T10:34:00.000-07:002011-03-22T08:52:48.836-07:00Perky Strikes Back<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">We spent two days in Shelter Bay marina during which we prepared for our passage to Grand Cayman by provisioning the boat, analyzing weather patterns, and discussing our defense strategy should we be approached by pirates (of the Caribbean). The general consensus at the marina is that it is better to not have any firearms onboard, and to just give the intruders anything they ask for – with a smile on your face, if possible. Apparently it is not uncommon for men to approach your vessel in fishing pangas when miles and miles off shore, simply to ask for water or food. It would certainly be a tragedy to overreact with a weapon in such a case. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Armed with food, water, and a flare gun, we began our first endeavor into Caribbean waters with a stop at the fuel dock. The wind was blowing a nice 10 knots in the marina, so we knew the conditions were good for sailing, if less than ideal for pulling out of our slip. El Tiburon had been parked in the innermost slip, right next to the concrete wall of the marina’s maleçon. Extracting her from her slip meant backing up into the wind far enough so that her bow would clear the stern of our neighbor’s boat when we made a forward left turn, but not so far as to ram El Tiburon’s stern into the concrete wall behind us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">It was dicey, but with the help of many pairs of hands pushing off various parts of the boat, we managed to get her out without any serious damage. Over at the fuel dock, the adrenaline level sank back to normal while we filled our tanks and changed the fuel filter. We like to take good care of Perky (our Perkins 4.108) because she takes care of us, and because we blamed her for our power problem for so long when it was really the prop’s fault the whole time.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">With everyone calm and ready to go, El Tiburon headed out into the channel and into the mouth of the Panama Canal. The wind picked up to 15-20 knots as we left Shelter Bay and we could see waves lapping at the hulls of the anchored tankers waiting to transit. We were pulling our fenders in when from the helm Luke called, “Guys, we have a problem.” Perky was losing power - fast. There was something seriously wrong.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Luke turned the engine off while Andrew and John ran to the bow to throw out the anchor. We weren’t out of the channel yet and with the wind still blowing as it was, our major concern was running aground. A palm tree lined white sand beach lay about a hundred yards to our starboard side, but a reef protruded about sixty yards out into the water in front of it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">The bottom of the channel is mud, so our anchor dragged a bit before it finally took hold – about thirty yards away from the reef. Once the anchor was secured the guys began to investigate our loss of power. The bilge was full of oil and the problem was not hard to figure out. There’d been an oil leak and the engine had at least partially seized. An engine does not recover from a seizure without professional help and a trip to the hospital.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">The source of the leak was quickly determined. The fuel filter is shaped like a coffee can, with a gasket on the bottom end where it fits into the engine. When the old filter was removed, the gasket came off and stuck to the engine and then a new filter was attached on top of the old one. The two gaskets together didn’t form a seal, and all the oil went out into the bilge instead of into the engine. With no oil to lubricate the engine’s moving parts, friction increased and power decreased – quickly and dramatically.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">If we were to continue with our trip as planned, our only hope was that the engine had only seized partially, and that by replacing the oil we might be able get it moving again. The engine was too hot to work on so we snacked on cheese and crackers in the cockpit and discussed the possibilities while we waited for it to cool down. A military boat came by to tell us we couldn’t anchor in the channel (duh!) but didn’t offer to help us move when we told them of our problem. We were just outside of the buoys, which meant we weren’t right out in the center of traffic, but close enough to get pounded by the wakes of the big boats that were passing through.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">About an hour later the engine was cool enough to work on and we threw all our extra oil at it. We turned the starter and it made a terrible screeching noise, but the engine at least had some life left. The guys added some more oil to the air intake and turned the main house bank breaker over to the engine to give the starter some more cranking power. We tried the starter again. It still sounded like it was going to hack up a lung. Perky was in bad shape. We radioed the marina to call for a tow, but were told the tow guys were busy and we’d have to wait for help.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Just as the floorboards were about to go back down, Andrew ran up to the cockpit and said, “I’m just going to give it one last try.” Peering down the companionway, Andrew turned the key while John and Luke watched the engine from the galley. It chugged and heaved (“I think I can, I think I can!”) and sounded like it might break free. Our eyes flew open and locked with each other in a wide-eyed gaze of surprise and anticipation. Finally, the engine caught and Perky was humming again. Andrew let go of the key and threw his fists up in a triumphant V. Victory!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">We let her run for a while to make sure she wasn’t going to die on us before we hauled the anchor. Perky sounded great and seemed to have made a full recovery. All our extra oil had been used in bringing her back to life and we knew we might need more during our passage, so we decided to go back to the marina to pick some up. Motoring back to the dock posed no problem and we were relieved that we’d be able to continue the trip as planned.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Twenty minutes later we were motoring back out into the channel when we lost power again, and in the exact same place. Again we threw out our anchor but this time it took longer to hold. We dragged closer and closer to the reef, while I pumped furiously at our inflatable dinghy and the guys got the outboard motor out of the lazarette. We radioed for help. There was no time for talking as we all rushed to take the necessary steps to ensure our boat didn’t get smashed on the reef.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">El Tiburon stopped drifting about a boat length away from the waves breaking on the reef – much too close for comfort. Rick and Marsha from She Wolf heard our call for help on the radio and arrived in their dinghy just as we were getting ours into the water. With a bow line and a stern line, we tied the dinghies to either side of El Tiburon at midships. Instructions were yelled back and forth for immediacy and also in order to be heard over the wind. When both dinghies were secured, they revved their engines at the same time. Relief washed over us as the distance between El Tiburon and the reef increased. Slowly we moved back to the marina and to safety, and eased into the closest available slip under dinghy power alone.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Later inspection of the engine would prove that the damage was terminal. Holding a stethoscope against the oil pan revealed a loud rattling noise that indicated the bearings were toast, and the oil filter was full of sparkly little metal flakes (pieces that had been scraped off the engine parts during that terrible screeching noise). Perky would have to be rebuilt or replaced. We wouldn’t be going to Grand Cayman anytime soon.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-87977553329372988972011-03-04T09:37:00.000-08:002011-03-05T08:42:53.666-08:00Transiting the Panama Canal<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRH6N7TH_dwrdDCd53ups4gjljpLVtO5nQXLfchEtdtwwcIfpVHrVLI1nNomOll33jm4iQgUMGPTm50HFDF422miNbPAme3HU8tJiTjOHfRTGR1A35-d6kCM5VQsf1tC-eTgc0_XFlA/s400/IMG_1716.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580630839307401890" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At 5AM on February 14</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, everyone aboard El Tiburon was awake and excited. John’s parents, Vince and Margie, arrived with their luggage in tow, planning to get in a cab and make a flight home just as soon as we tied up on the Caribbean side of Panama. Our line-handler, Ricardo, arrived with his shoulders laden with yards and yards of rope for us to use during our transit. It was still dark out as we motored out of marina Flamenco and over to buoy #3 outside the entrance to the canal. We watched the sunrise and drank Pete’s coffee as we waited for our canal advisor to arrive. Soon a tugboat with a black rubber rim approached us and nuzzled up to our stern. Our canal advisor, Julio, hopped aboard and we headed over towards the Bridge of the Americas, which marks the entrance to the canal.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8e9ePvshg27SjWRDWAlEOLSTr142PsVmWYqPXF7Pl8GyGx5ALo4feNAdeWVPJ7M0db92990Lyf0YxS8bavh4IqW5AKlsbGT4CFfbJdWv3WYXCriLCefioctzLnGKIiCdrZDendbIvA/s1600/IMG_1667.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8e9ePvshg27SjWRDWAlEOLSTr142PsVmWYqPXF7Pl8GyGx5ALo4feNAdeWVPJ7M0db92990Lyf0YxS8bavh4IqW5AKlsbGT4CFfbJdWv3WYXCriLCefioctzLnGKIiCdrZDendbIvA/s400/IMG_1667.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580281296218318530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Vince at the helm passing under the Bridge of the Americas</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Transiting the Panama Canal is serious business. One must follow all the requisite procedures and be punctual for all appointments in order to pass through, and no guarantees can be made about whether it will take you one day or two to get to the Caribbean. Big ships transiting the canal pay from $100,000 to $400,000 or more to transit, whereas it only costs a few thousand for a sailing yacht. As a result, getting sailboats through the canal is not top priority for the Canal Authority – tankers come first. As far as I know sailboats never go through the locks alone. They will usually go through with a big ship that is not quite as long as the length of each lock, so there is room for a sailboat to fit in there with it. Before we went through Miraflores locks we had to wait for our buddy ship to arrive and pass us, then we ducked into line behind it.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWolU1QlFIuQ30d749Jr3dVwkIbBAM0AuPbY2WDNA26SQgbheWjY-JGJylplHLrXWyy4F4t6WdbwdZhfk_18C7_wLEAYGmdXb9TTFfhXfEoM_bDzV8fMiP73CjaB2wQJ8zHXULF-1z9g/s1600/IMG_1675.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWolU1QlFIuQ30d749Jr3dVwkIbBAM0AuPbY2WDNA26SQgbheWjY-JGJylplHLrXWyy4F4t6WdbwdZhfk_18C7_wLEAYGmdXb9TTFfhXfEoM_bDzV8fMiP73CjaB2wQJ8zHXULF-1z9g/s400/IMG_1675.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580282228996818322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We had to wait here for our buddy ship</span></div></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Slowly the tanker in front of us pulled into the narrow lock while a tugboat pushed on its stern to help it get in straight. It moved very slowly and nudged up close to the forward gate of the lock.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m4cZOGapj64ENaRSsylK0EN_UUH_qv-Av6txV8OuiAUixCuOCC-ivyFw06S3kVpSHO2gGqvskew1dcyUXNd4vcZ7VuuLRNWPOwMlDEeo6HaE4JrhNoKa_FnjnN3bfEaTZMn9ARq8ig/s1600/IMG_1681.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m4cZOGapj64ENaRSsylK0EN_UUH_qv-Av6txV8OuiAUixCuOCC-ivyFw06S3kVpSHO2gGqvskew1dcyUXNd4vcZ7VuuLRNWPOwMlDEeo6HaE4JrhNoKa_FnjnN3bfEaTZMn9ARq8ig/s400/IMG_1681.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580283172123405922" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Once the tanker was secured with lines, the tugboat tied up to the side of the lock behind the tanker and waited for us.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_t2ifrRzzFxNQU6nw7dRqzob3eUbvpO8DCQQy3DMPdyOetxbGjPkupnTQzXYBNLB8WZIVEJish9m_11H_x7TwbmKpeD5UhCzjQT2oG7xDU8Lqjkkt_-4C48iZSieuaoaAAZJltBDyQ/s1600/IMG_1684.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_t2ifrRzzFxNQU6nw7dRqzob3eUbvpO8DCQQy3DMPdyOetxbGjPkupnTQzXYBNLB8WZIVEJish9m_11H_x7TwbmKpeD5UhCzjQT2oG7xDU8Lqjkkt_-4C48iZSieuaoaAAZJltBDyQ/s400/IMG_1684.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580284032656201074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLDq3v0BQnfipZXkwVFiIg2JFiLRKDovDsyTaKh0OkbdpFd_SHdgvvqS-siWWSTiQEyfGsma8-M4Cil8XEmxO4JeKmsoJrCWsjsy-OBiDlu4g6VdfhjYgfnAFU6mmU0pqEv6IXKAkng/s1600/IMG_1688.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLDq3v0BQnfipZXkwVFiIg2JFiLRKDovDsyTaKh0OkbdpFd_SHdgvvqS-siWWSTiQEyfGsma8-M4Cil8XEmxO4JeKmsoJrCWsjsy-OBiDlu4g6VdfhjYgfnAFU6mmU0pqEv6IXKAkng/s400/IMG_1688.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580284775822379682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBpZrFJ6tuoLsn_qj5PV2nzNy4gYxM7O_nlZ3yhQqmBnfY4N7RvEfzJMyCXO8cVTorztx433VZQxNVlCx9wIt6pQ5xoTK57JBLhAQeSiISC6CssgEHQkGsbV5TOZ8XSs8Tqr757NsSg/s1600/IMG_1689.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBpZrFJ6tuoLsn_qj5PV2nzNy4gYxM7O_nlZ3yhQqmBnfY4N7RvEfzJMyCXO8cVTorztx433VZQxNVlCx9wIt6pQ5xoTK57JBLhAQeSiISC6CssgEHQkGsbV5TOZ8XSs8Tqr757NsSg/s400/IMG_1689.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580285686214249522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We motored up to the tugboat and threw them our lines: a bow line, a stern line, and one amidships. Our port and starboard beams were heavy with big white fenders to protect our hull from damage. Once we were secured alongside the tugboat, an alarm sounded and the powerful steel gates behind us began to close.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnkEoDmzJ1lOvNO44SeJ_nwi8zxXBu-cxKk8lziTiQiwZEZhzqdkOxhKkUCNa0H5XE_3kWiyDO1CLaNUQIv8KA9Ji-q5r3AnCyz6MW3hyphenhyphensmmeM1sen7QwERe0fCyo2tAI5Vx7KiBPgA/s1600/IMG_1692.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnkEoDmzJ1lOvNO44SeJ_nwi8zxXBu-cxKk8lziTiQiwZEZhzqdkOxhKkUCNa0H5XE_3kWiyDO1CLaNUQIv8KA9Ji-q5r3AnCyz6MW3hyphenhyphensmmeM1sen7QwERe0fCyo2tAI5Vx7KiBPgA/s400/IMG_1692.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580286616606739442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKR1DAsTkkzuSEnmDC-iP_YLQ0U1AeaZ2L1fpDZNEBf9MZocGsizI9-mvx_qwBX7h8mMJB7NsUUZrLDtrbqUBpiI68E9WCREQgYDLt0Rt9b-ecxkfOh0TaGPL-G-sToEvrwa_QOyNwg/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKR1DAsTkkzuSEnmDC-iP_YLQ0U1AeaZ2L1fpDZNEBf9MZocGsizI9-mvx_qwBX7h8mMJB7NsUUZrLDtrbqUBpiI68E9WCREQgYDLt0Rt9b-ecxkfOh0TaGPL-G-sToEvrwa_QOyNwg/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKR1DAsTkkzuSEnmDC-iP_YLQ0U1AeaZ2L1fpDZNEBf9MZocGsizI9-mvx_qwBX7h8mMJB7NsUUZrLDtrbqUBpiI68E9WCREQgYDLt0Rt9b-ecxkfOh0TaGPL-G-sToEvrwa_QOyNwg/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG"></a><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKR1DAsTkkzuSEnmDC-iP_YLQ0U1AeaZ2L1fpDZNEBf9MZocGsizI9-mvx_qwBX7h8mMJB7NsUUZrLDtrbqUBpiI68E9WCREQgYDLt0Rt9b-ecxkfOh0TaGPL-G-sToEvrwa_QOyNwg/s400/IMG_1693.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580587089611535074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVbLNDgCvdjptkhD1a6wx1OuF7ECd35VDZpl9SN_Q2qIbXRER55fukawCyeMqs9LqYPofeNRBt49AEY63-bwqmFhP2L5zO9Nf1E1nut_pxE-FlhvCfSH2YxSwrDQtIBbJiCszmoraGw/s400/IMG_1698.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580588388423944898" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Slowly the water level began to rise. In ten minutes the concrete walls had disappeared and we were level with the ground.</span></span></p></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW33GF_rvzYEopgtPxd5tWoH40M5RybdLN3JylI3tpOXAWQ5E3b1oKjsF69nXUpR52kRDebKc_l9-02YfMBdQXY8ClLp6niWqeSytP9D8auOu7zyjTMt_NhN94sTwj8Wo3-8lvEMC9sg/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW33GF_rvzYEopgtPxd5tWoH40M5RybdLN3JylI3tpOXAWQ5E3b1oKjsF69nXUpR52kRDebKc_l9-02YfMBdQXY8ClLp6niWqeSytP9D8auOu7zyjTMt_NhN94sTwj8Wo3-8lvEMC9sg/s400/IMG_1700.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580623791911108578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpFocljynMFfJMv8zGiytDD7QFzTAqylpdhWYgWdMdbh_ZM2434-5R7hw-uq7jNluADHGjVN1h6qZIfXmLTqq5YnUQ9HHyM-O8Edik-Xmj2TEdP6Elu-EQmhVEyo8f3_Qy-yrkmv_Kg/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpFocljynMFfJMv8zGiytDD7QFzTAqylpdhWYgWdMdbh_ZM2434-5R7hw-uq7jNluADHGjVN1h6qZIfXmLTqq5YnUQ9HHyM-O8Edik-Xmj2TEdP6Elu-EQmhVEyo8f3_Qy-yrkmv_Kg/s400/IMG_1704.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580624796116402498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When the front gate opened, the tanker started its engine and began to move forward into the next lock.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNgZXkL-u2W7CBFpvKaDuJJyKMVtznEZ4Rnj0uTlE1xVm9MKGDUzoAbAVcmv4fK5WGxxjz-cF6Fw2M6dQMau6IvTqhnVdC59KSY6gIRIh543r47tHZw4tqe9ij-c3YQ4PyasarGMyeA/s1600/IMG_1708.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNgZXkL-u2W7CBFpvKaDuJJyKMVtznEZ4Rnj0uTlE1xVm9MKGDUzoAbAVcmv4fK5WGxxjz-cF6Fw2M6dQMau6IvTqhnVdC59KSY6gIRIh543r47tHZw4tqe9ij-c3YQ4PyasarGMyeA/s400/IMG_1708.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580593232704963810" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This was the scariest part of transiting the canal. We were in a narrow concrete channel and caught in the prop wash of a huge ship. The tugboat threw back our lines and moved ahead, resuming the same position behind the tanker in the next lock. Somehow John managed to keep control of El Tiburon and we reached the tugboat safely. We repeated the process, this time in front of the observation building we had visited just a few days earlier.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fAubIpRo3jkffRX_pORb0lbIPbV3MZvnkZP3NWfVF1FdfbyMbX0-gtSxw3_xBr5R02xR4_mBGAXG8BMxxhSYBZQVAsNGLfYrTJoGfKWxqT6Pez-78IUVjn84hSgCssivRA7DWbb9rA/s1600/IMG_1715.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fAubIpRo3jkffRX_pORb0lbIPbV3MZvnkZP3NWfVF1FdfbyMbX0-gtSxw3_xBr5R02xR4_mBGAXG8BMxxhSYBZQVAsNGLfYrTJoGfKWxqT6Pez-78IUVjn84hSgCssivRA7DWbb9rA/s400/IMG_1715.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580626955590171730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zD8txr4HfrjcTIMGc2Q9VBSco40OZxeEa6tPReZp4RQJlUs5es9fabIzQWp0yc-OYnmFtjdI50fY8BKHxhvlL-oqgeGgoRAYUBlYLY0hmQSlzQYtqe3m9JkD5P7GnOKdR7Yo-cuwGw/s1600/IMG_1714.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zD8txr4HfrjcTIMGc2Q9VBSco40OZxeEa6tPReZp4RQJlUs5es9fabIzQWp0yc-OYnmFtjdI50fY8BKHxhvlL-oqgeGgoRAYUBlYLY0hmQSlzQYtqe3m9JkD5P7GnOKdR7Yo-cuwGw/s400/IMG_1714.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580628594665731410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We watched a ship pass through the canal from this observatory just a few days earlier</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After the first few locks we motored through a narrow channel on our way towards Gatun Lake. Margie and I made lunch for the crew: pan-seared Dorado (we’d caught it on our way into Panama Bay), rice and steamed broccoli. We were trying to make good time while we motored, because we had to make our appointment to transit the Gatun locks on the other side of the lake. Our transit time had been calculated based on a speed of 5 1/2 knots so we were watching our knot meter and aiming for 6kts. But disappointingly, Julio got a call from the canal authority during lunch and they told us there was too much traffic coming from the Caribbean so they were going to close Gatun locks to northbound traffic until morning. We would have to spend the night in the lake. I went down below and made some chocolate chip cookies that I hoped would cheer everyone up.</span></span></div><div><div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Untouched jungle covered the islands and the shore surrounding us in Gatun lake, and a nice stiff wind rippled over the water. Another call from the canal authority was cause for some hope. If we could make it to Gatun locks by the time the last ship was ready to leave, then we could go through with them. We hoisted our sails flew across the water at 7 ½ - 8 knots, close to record speed for us. How nice it was to sail on a lake! There was no swell or chop to distract us from our objective, and our enthusiasm had been rekindled.</span></span></p></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeSEwJo1FN_IjEKxs37KQTxRNrVk3uUC-sPlRmIr_aQzlytYUQLLNOAGhICzBKdcd-DF7C-txM9QjkFsDOe7oqGY5trnt6KiPv5nX2wVRTCRceQLe_25pHbcMfKNcEYXbOrxB67jOBQ/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeSEwJo1FN_IjEKxs37KQTxRNrVk3uUC-sPlRmIr_aQzlytYUQLLNOAGhICzBKdcd-DF7C-txM9QjkFsDOe7oqGY5trnt6KiPv5nX2wVRTCRceQLe_25pHbcMfKNcEYXbOrxB67jOBQ/s400/IMG_1724.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580595099216553602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">John at the helm sailing on Gatun lake</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsYjWKWRnKcGRvj4AbeE1KDcfj4TkQKx3Rjo9DnSWcW6WCrU38jVOjTfSPRdD3aSAz6MdQVQH_baGq6a7GqDGP1ZvOUj_qm4TmsrE8c5moLVoRI_thu4ILftVow1kaooFxAeLTTxyOw/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsYjWKWRnKcGRvj4AbeE1KDcfj4TkQKx3Rjo9DnSWcW6WCrU38jVOjTfSPRdD3aSAz6MdQVQH_baGq6a7GqDGP1ZvOUj_qm4TmsrE8c5moLVoRI_thu4ILftVow1kaooFxAeLTTxyOw/s400/IMG_1725.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580596471543902114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ricardo and Julio monitoring our speed</span></span></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As we approached the locks we were required to turn into the wind and our forward progress was seriously impeded. From a distance we watched our buddy ship approach the lock as we labored at four knots to catch up. We were encouraged to remember that it takes a long time to position such a large tanker in the narrow lock. Very slowly the ship moved forward into the necessary position and we got closer and closer. At about ten minutes away we were sure we would make it and were already rejoicing at the accomplishment of completing the canal in one day. But then Julio got another call. The lines on the tanker were secured and the gates were ready to close. We would not be able to go through with the tanker, even though we were only a few minutes away. The Panama Canal waits for no man.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-tQOIq-JqkMNgtLGuvqofYIREei6vzSlUVzPAJiSyv2RQorci3lk_N6ZybUNJaWA7QyByFw2dGvrjw-JQCNN7IXfRRGS6KLZ3xQmNgDf4m7KXlCDD6s9tw4NymviHWoAarWcMkYrUw/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-tQOIq-JqkMNgtLGuvqofYIREei6vzSlUVzPAJiSyv2RQorci3lk_N6ZybUNJaWA7QyByFw2dGvrjw-JQCNN7IXfRRGS6KLZ3xQmNgDf4m7KXlCDD6s9tw4NymviHWoAarWcMkYrUw/s400/IMG_1732.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580601324813661954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This is how close we came to making it through the canal in one day</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We made a 90 degree turn and headed for some mooring balls near the shore. A canal boat came to pick up Julio, but the rest of us weren’t allowed to leave the boat, except to jump into the water for a swim. However, even that was discouraged due to the presence of a large male crocodile known to hang out in those waters. John jumped in for a dip anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We had roasted chicken with coleslaw and rice for dinner, then settled into our beds and went to sleep. A new advisor was delivered to us in the morning and we made it through Gatun lock without a hitch. </span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ4fEf7U9xLnoeTKco0rzH5CvgWbIcNsxuybJ-P24Lp0ESrS9hm4GnHcnjOVKWQ3oFF72sB3ViCkMTCzxHgqvZk5N0peSuYy_zTSYmiVC7BRFCpJNZFEpO4cNWXo7J609eS1vsaT38A/s1600/IMG_1755.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ4fEf7U9xLnoeTKco0rzH5CvgWbIcNsxuybJ-P24Lp0ESrS9hm4GnHcnjOVKWQ3oFF72sB3ViCkMTCzxHgqvZk5N0peSuYy_zTSYmiVC7BRFCpJNZFEpO4cNWXo7J609eS1vsaT38A/s400/IMG_1755.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580632880026002226" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Going through Gatun locks and our first glimpse of the Caribbean</span></span></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After exiting the canal we motored into Shelter Bay Marina, on the other side of the canal from Colon, to fill up our water tanks and rest for a few days before we would set sail for Grand Cayman.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-28021979593318429462011-02-24T09:08:00.000-08:002011-03-03T05:18:18.167-08:00Panama!<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We crossed the Costa Rica/Panama border during daylight and we knew it because there was a very clear landmark: deforestation. The lush rainforest in Costa Rica ended abruptly at the Panama border, leaving no question about where we were. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We kept sailing and arrived in Panama City during the night. The lights across the skyline suggested that Panama City was huge, stretching across the length the northern shore of the bay of Panama.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For some reason I was particularly awake that night so I told John to go back to sleep when he came to relieve me of my watch. I turned up my iPod and held my own private midnight dance party on deck, pausing in between songs to examine our surroundings with the binoculars and look for navigational beacons. I was scanning the horizon when I noticed that the lights of the city were clumped together in neat bundles, with distinct lines of black unlit skyline separating them. These lights weren’t those of Panama City, they were ships! Hundreds of ships gathered near the shore, waiting their turn to transit the canal.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A few hours later it was all hands on deck as we navigated through the shipping anchorage. Massive tankers with their decks lit up loomed above us like sleeping giants as we glided past them in the night. Over forty ships were crowded together on the screen of our AIS. Finally we slipped into the fuel dock at Isla Flamenco marina and went to bed around 3AM.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the morning it became clear we were in the most developed country in Central America. This place was hustling and bustling. The marina was full of expensive powerboats, and workers were everywhere cleaning the boats, repairing them, or just lounging around on them blasting club music. In the daylight, the skyline of Panama City was impressive. It looked like Manhattan!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">John’s parents, Vince and Margie, came down to visit and transit the canal with us. We met up with them at the coffee shop in the marina and Kitty and Margie fell in love. Later our day Tina, our agent, set us up with a driver to take us on a tour of the city. Our driver, Mario, took us to the Miraflores Lock in the Panama Canal so we could watch a ship going through.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFbU40-7mOsKzyP-7we_TMcJIOJK5Kdt5taC0bPSA2uvAN_putkuOZCmM4zGRPoqbE58c8FHHkXHrtoRbzzqviEfo3JyNubacCqqIePpcTTCQPey6rs-pd2r37_ONIPXsLhv1BN11uw/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFbU40-7mOsKzyP-7we_TMcJIOJK5Kdt5taC0bPSA2uvAN_putkuOZCmM4zGRPoqbE58c8FHHkXHrtoRbzzqviEfo3JyNubacCqqIePpcTTCQPey6rs-pd2r37_ONIPXsLhv1BN11uw/s400/IMG_1648.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577305036339198466" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Looking toward the Pacific from Miraflores Lock.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTDpgJwd7ERnyW6G1czACmKnZ4ym2CA-YpNIZEFyvWmrYXndCjd_A1czyAEPSEbdRhiPwLk3Dujx0HZlX83fM96qcou2zrI-lrth0VD6ybtIgxU2pFZXvpKPeAhHGA79SvRjBXsVtvg/s1600/IMG_1649.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTDpgJwd7ERnyW6G1czACmKnZ4ym2CA-YpNIZEFyvWmrYXndCjd_A1czyAEPSEbdRhiPwLk3Dujx0HZlX83fM96qcou2zrI-lrth0VD6ybtIgxU2pFZXvpKPeAhHGA79SvRjBXsVtvg/s400/IMG_1649.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577312902396322898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A ship coming south, from the Atlantic towards the Pacific.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURj5wl6cY9f4oaBqI3ZZMDLfoTfdBGR5MBgBIl5b98qApvqtyFRI9_-ysPJGR9L2kqfSrYy58bqKLgYAQQczTLCY98gbdcJGqMw66dulKPcW0emNUe19Wo_aQtOWEfv7fK214ybFZZA/s1600/IMG_1653.JPG"></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURj5wl6cY9f4oaBqI3ZZMDLfoTfdBGR5MBgBIl5b98qApvqtyFRI9_-ysPJGR9L2kqfSrYy58bqKLgYAQQczTLCY98gbdcJGqMw66dulKPcW0emNUe19Wo_aQtOWEfv7fK214ybFZZA/s1600/IMG_1653.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURj5wl6cY9f4oaBqI3ZZMDLfoTfdBGR5MBgBIl5b98qApvqtyFRI9_-ysPJGR9L2kqfSrYy58bqKLgYAQQczTLCY98gbdcJGqMw66dulKPcW0emNUe19Wo_aQtOWEfv7fK214ybFZZA/s400/IMG_1653.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577314400911628658" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTj4cx7Z18VgeXTclxDJwHmgRPCi1hMSmiyClGVG2PMtB7bgIb6Yc5v57v8PgU5m7OtbBOH1mvDtJ6Ob8DuUAVD49a_wmH0t9bHZyrbGq4SkFutZtrcAdYMut7AK2mb3krymr9RYowA/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTj4cx7Z18VgeXTclxDJwHmgRPCi1hMSmiyClGVG2PMtB7bgIb6Yc5v57v8PgU5m7OtbBOH1mvDtJ6Ob8DuUAVD49a_wmH0t9bHZyrbGq4SkFutZtrcAdYMut7AK2mb3krymr9RYowA/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTj4cx7Z18VgeXTclxDJwHmgRPCi1hMSmiyClGVG2PMtB7bgIb6Yc5v57v8PgU5m7OtbBOH1mvDtJ6Ob8DuUAVD49a_wmH0t9bHZyrbGq4SkFutZtrcAdYMut7AK2mb3krymr9RYowA/s400/IMG_1654.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577315108729599010" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WRaLj3J6LyZu5Y4EhXxTCoLrpOLgZOZmQO9rL1MYZC6b3LXxE3XIUuqfW5Mr_N4RjrSsK9hAC9md9AHjUyb1xdOr9XQJt1Ya4TXFctf8Kp_Y29UwfK-lv6djXasfYaYkGQ5QiA6TvA/s1600/IMG_1656.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WRaLj3J6LyZu5Y4EhXxTCoLrpOLgZOZmQO9rL1MYZC6b3LXxE3XIUuqfW5Mr_N4RjrSsK9hAC9md9AHjUyb1xdOr9XQJt1Ya4TXFctf8Kp_Y29UwfK-lv6djXasfYaYkGQ5QiA6TvA/s400/IMG_1656.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577315734414807106" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then we toured the French Quarter and saw the Palace of the President. It was a charming area of town, with interesting architecture that reminded me of the French Quarter in New Orleans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAp6GMDIZlzGkYz5BIWu7MFPpOKvVKQxZE6A99Uf0bDYzx3HS9OcqtkMfVgcVcpETOg6FW3adjjwpmnShkihRdDtFj4mNKtfpc_pLxiO2wR0olH5vkrhfTv3Mck74brDVSymPVmzMgw/s1600/IMG_1659.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAp6GMDIZlzGkYz5BIWu7MFPpOKvVKQxZE6A99Uf0bDYzx3HS9OcqtkMfVgcVcpETOg6FW3adjjwpmnShkihRdDtFj4mNKtfpc_pLxiO2wR0olH5vkrhfTv3Mck74brDVSymPVmzMgw/s400/IMG_1659.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577316495221861394" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div></div></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjski2fEZuz9VNhjQRWyQg_V3BcZLioKH74u4I1ySqkB2QHVHnkA3ffjn1d4xZy6snFhqyoFU4PEIhFC6pu6Mt9_-VKSTNc8phF0mj5CHavi6Cy-fQBKbC1pX1nkS8BelxaA05sXLTuYA/s1600/IMG_1662.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjski2fEZuz9VNhjQRWyQg_V3BcZLioKH74u4I1ySqkB2QHVHnkA3ffjn1d4xZy6snFhqyoFU4PEIhFC6pu6Mt9_-VKSTNc8phF0mj5CHavi6Cy-fQBKbC1pX1nkS8BelxaA05sXLTuYA/s400/IMG_1662.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578037180010945042" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To get to the French Quarter, however, we had to drive through the ghetto. It was quite dilapidated and seedy and apparently exceedingly dangerous. All taxi drivers we had while we were there told us to lock our doors and they drove like wildmen through the narrow streets, stopping for nothing and nobody. Mario, our driver, was a nice man who was a Seventh Day Adventist and told us all about what his life was like living in the ghetto. The drug dealers leave him alone because he is religious, and they call him “the pastor,” but he does his best to stay out of their business. His life depends on it.</span></span></p><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe5aZGHxgHezlebwpxFe4kX6eMLaLGhU7GOa4pHborI0sty8OejFwJPKoGKRDQqQPbsY2-UpLxgBizPUADZ4785mfs3zKP61ne4dI8TOpUil8MavJge98b1yZ1DpGDY6UOHFOzRQFeA/s1600/IMG_1666.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe5aZGHxgHezlebwpxFe4kX6eMLaLGhU7GOa4pHborI0sty8OejFwJPKoGKRDQqQPbsY2-UpLxgBizPUADZ4785mfs3zKP61ne4dI8TOpUil8MavJge98b1yZ1DpGDY6UOHFOzRQFeA/s400/IMG_1666.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578030211702378962" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></p><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mario took his job as tour guide very seriously. He took us to his friend’s pizza restaurant for dinner. It was a family place with delicious Italian food and it was super cheap. Dinner for seven people came out to around $50. The only oddity about the place was that there was a security guard out front that we tipped as we left for ensuring us a safe dining experience.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mario kept wanting to show us more and more of Panama City, even though it was getting later and later. He drove us around downtown, through the wealthy sections of town, and by the new Trump hotel whose architecture was inspired by sailboats. While the city skyline was impressive during the day, at night it was downright eerie. One would expect the buildings to be lit up like they are in US cities, but they were mostly dark. Some skyscrapers were completely unlit, indicating their vacancy, while others had lights on in only a small fraction of the rooms. When Mario insisted on finding us an ice cream shop even though we were nodding off in the car, we finally had to vehemently tell him to take us back to the marina as we were all exhausted. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We found ways to amuse ourselves while we waited for our canal transit date to be determined. One day I took a sojourn to Albrook mall and was blown away by its immensity. It was enormous! The biggest mall I’ve ever been in, bigger even the Mall of America in Minneapolis, I think. It was filled with people and everything was so cheap! After months of living on a boat in under-developed countries, the consumerism was an incredible culture shock. I spent about $20 and came home with a new boat wardrobe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Finally we found out we’d be transiting the Panama Canal on February 14</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, Valentine’s Day.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-81220479200738234772011-02-22T09:41:00.000-08:002011-02-23T09:17:32.339-08:00El Golfo Dulce<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our next stop was Bahia Ballena, a beautiful bay with a little fishing community on the east-facing side of the Nicoya Peninsula. We spent two nights at anchor there, enjoying the internet access and blended fruit drinks at the yacht club. John took the long board out and caught a few waves, even though it's not an ideal surf spot. After two nights at anchor we headed south for Quepos, where we hoped to clear out of the country.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXateyccydv5N8Zf7gwFiwL810XG2G5VqyPcSFI7_5kMJ0GcdKbRGRaHF0U0pedopyQCVCW2jxruPPUgXeWsLgfHukDYSCAMPZz_LlPG6lJbuWKqpMa2CmnphJutO-Ghkz-SN66Zfo-Q/s1600/IMG_1639.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXateyccydv5N8Zf7gwFiwL810XG2G5VqyPcSFI7_5kMJ0GcdKbRGRaHF0U0pedopyQCVCW2jxruPPUgXeWsLgfHukDYSCAMPZz_LlPG6lJbuWKqpMa2CmnphJutO-Ghkz-SN66Zfo-Q/s400/IMG_1639.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576571857591551138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Bird-covered tuna boat off the coast of Costa Rica.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We got to Marina Pez Vela in Quepos around 8PM and although we’d tried calling them by phone earlier in the day, and again by VHF as we approached, nobody had answered the phone or the radio. Two security guards met us at the fuel dock and told us we may not be able to stay in the marina because we didn’t have a reservation, even though the place was mostly empty. Twenty minutes of deliberation and phone calls to superiors – spoken in both Spanish and English – concluded with the definitive verdict that we had to leave the marina. It was dark out and had started to rain. This was the first time we encountered a situation like this and we’ve come into a number of marinas during the night or after marina office hours. The marina manager, Perry, was extremely rude, unhelpful, and condescending. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It was a miserable experience. T</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">hat night we headed straight for the Osa peninsula planning to check out of Costa Rica in Golfito. After such inhospitality in Quepos, we didn’t feel they deserved any of our business.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It was just as well because our experience in Golfito was wonderful. The Osa peninsula is the most untouched part of Costa Rica. Everywhere you look, the dense and verdant rainforest cascades over the hills to meet the emerald waters of the Golfo Dulce. From the boat we could hear the roar of the jungle: a vibrant medley of cicadas, birds and howler monkeys.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut55GKkJPEiLfBG41V5IDLtrfk5e7LhRJq1RjKFvayQkaeBECgBng531fQIykLc_oGRxvJ0DeW5mEVsqgtZDtv8zvTcAFAj-iCvIp_itWAat3j9gXlfgaS7BEGTMmWrDM6hPvTiUrSA/s1600/IMG_1645.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut55GKkJPEiLfBG41V5IDLtrfk5e7LhRJq1RjKFvayQkaeBECgBng531fQIykLc_oGRxvJ0DeW5mEVsqgtZDtv8zvTcAFAj-iCvIp_itWAat3j9gXlfgaS7BEGTMmWrDM6hPvTiUrSA/s400/IMG_1645.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576575832350057810" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:small;">Cabo Matapalo</span></div></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Golfito itself is a slightly run-down town shaped like a green bean that lies along the northern shore of the Gulfo Dulce. The marina consisted of a funky wooden house built on stilts over the water and a tiny dock with room for one big boat and a few dinghies to tie up. We left El Tiburon at anchor and dinghied over to the “yacht club.”</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVoE7zPX6LSNZoa4N3op4ld9pjpDexRN6Wy49ClSLpB9JcFUwjgoWIPMPszToIGbjX3l2QEfls2tv83YAwFITzPRaEw0S1nLHPbslHmQ58Kz56bgeTYC2hRaU748aKSAjBj5Yfo-Cfg/s1600/IMG_1646.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVoE7zPX6LSNZoa4N3op4ld9pjpDexRN6Wy49ClSLpB9JcFUwjgoWIPMPszToIGbjX3l2QEfls2tv83YAwFITzPRaEw0S1nLHPbslHmQ58Kz56bgeTYC2hRaU748aKSAjBj5Yfo-Cfg/s400/IMG_1646.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576576804451629474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:small;">Marina in Golfito</span></div></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The owners had about five dogs that Kitty made fast friends with. They all seemed to get along well except for a miniature pincher with a spiked collar named Vinny, who would emit a low rumbling sound whenever Kitty got too close to him. The atmosphere at Land Sea Marina was relaxed and friendly. Cruisers could help themselves to a book and a beverage and settle into one of the padded chairs in the outdoor living/dining room of the club, maybe with a dog at their feet or on their lap. The exchange library and beverage cooler were regulated by the honor system, and the temperature under the thatched roof was always perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One night there was a potluck dinner party in the yacht club, and all six dogs were running around sniffing and begging for scraps of fish taco and bacon wrapped figs. Just as one of the party guests was commenting on how well the dogs were getting along, Kitty and the big male boxer named Riley got into a tussle. There was a struggle with snarling and scuffling and I shouted commandingly for the dogs to stop. Kitty is a docile creature who I've never seen manifest a shred of aggression, so I was frightened about what might become of her in the grip of this unfamiliar muscular boxer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Soon the brawl came to an abrupt halt. Kitty loomed calmly over the boxer with her paw placed rigidly on his cheek, pressing his head firmly to the floor. The dogs held their positions for a few seconds, as if waiting for an inaudible count of three to call the pin. Only then did Kitty release her hold on Riley. He scampered off to the other side of the deck, crawled up on the bench next to his owner and somehow managed to nestle all his bulk into her lap. I examined Kitty for damage but aside from some saliva on the ruff of fur around her neck, she was fine. I was so proud.</span></span></p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCcPabSPo8JeiJYD0dnTBSpeWAZIts_x_FoVqdeudjo39kUpYAahLsyHnyCUwl5DS1CgsIjtHkmiQezzaiBuo4oYQPuKpqQBazcJ1gxHA703XjgCXtlSi79Sql0qmYfeQh1LUy_2v5w/s1600/IMG_1570.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCcPabSPo8JeiJYD0dnTBSpeWAZIts_x_FoVqdeudjo39kUpYAahLsyHnyCUwl5DS1CgsIjtHkmiQezzaiBuo4oYQPuKpqQBazcJ1gxHA703XjgCXtlSi79Sql0qmYfeQh1LUy_2v5w/s400/IMG_1570.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576578694940040578" /></a><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Don't mess with Kitty.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We stayed in Golfito for a few days, made a trip to some of the nearby surf spots and took care of our exit paperwork. With our zarpe in hand, we set sail for a four-day passage to Panama City, Panama.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-10880475895656912042011-02-17T13:01:00.001-08:002011-02-17T15:13:11.429-08:00Costa Rica<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When we arrived at Ollie’s Point, in the remote Santa Rosa national park, there were a few other boats there with surfers in the water. After some deliberation we decided to anchor in the bay overnight and in the morning we had the surf break all to ourselves. I took the paddleboard ashore and walked the length of the deserted beach. It was extraordinary.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5PvMlTYsRfPZY1ZoXLOQmfhXJOMEDI1JI_u8rCGQCOFsAMYgAnbV3o-Xc0Pqy3vEARXuoqTICt2SsaEjLm8rj62cT1x9c5VFrDFGFvuPEfnKuWoENCnUCNRbYuSea5MdxHMFWVgi9g/s1600/IMG_1578.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5PvMlTYsRfPZY1ZoXLOQmfhXJOMEDI1JI_u8rCGQCOFsAMYgAnbV3o-Xc0Pqy3vEARXuoqTICt2SsaEjLm8rj62cT1x9c5VFrDFGFvuPEfnKuWoENCnUCNRbYuSea5MdxHMFWVgi9g/s400/IMG_1578.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574769097120314306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After the morning surf session we weighed anchor and sailed across the gulf of Papagayo for Marina Papagayo. As we approached the arid, sparsely settled gulf, a large three-masted ship was the most notable feature of the shore. At first we thought it was the Maltese Falcon, but as we got closer we saw that it was the Eos. The Eos belongs to Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg and is the world’s largest private sailing yacht if you’re talking about length over all. The Maltese Falcon, owned by Tom Perkins, is the largest private sailing yacht if you don't include the bowsprit. The Eos was enormous and made the mega yacht behind it, the Utopia (one of America's largest motor yachts) look somewhat dinky.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-gAtJodDb1H5l06d43NTxh_TvSCRcpsvSUCpCRAtgi9WhqGkT_H1JFMvgglNxlIKJNhpoblRt79xgEnk0Ji7ybEuM-64mIq4cFLnHZasDwMkrOg8FhCA8wDrIY9lEiwkQVsx6FqCbQ/s1600/IMG_1683.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-gAtJodDb1H5l06d43NTxh_TvSCRcpsvSUCpCRAtgi9WhqGkT_H1JFMvgglNxlIKJNhpoblRt79xgEnk0Ji7ybEuM-64mIq4cFLnHZasDwMkrOg8FhCA8wDrIY9lEiwkQVsx6FqCbQ/s400/IMG_1683.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574771392711016866" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYB_KnEkB7MlHSpLf_j-P04vkr2NQaG23NLGAZqtu9_Bhw2X7TU4gxQxMIjp6aTXh9mbTbaXyJ-9qiyRBrZRiTPW69QBb-v2FLs2KRDVA0e7KGeEA6gWysbxm0zaDBN_HrK1maMxpbeA/s1600/IMG_1686.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYB_KnEkB7MlHSpLf_j-P04vkr2NQaG23NLGAZqtu9_Bhw2X7TU4gxQxMIjp6aTXh9mbTbaXyJ-9qiyRBrZRiTPW69QBb-v2FLs2KRDVA0e7KGeEA6gWysbxm0zaDBN_HrK1maMxpbeA/s400/IMG_1686.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574772047318737826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The next day we drove up the steep and bumpy unpaved road to the Monteverde/Santa Elena cloud forest reserve. At Selvaturas we walked across the “tree top walkway,” a series of eight suspension bridges hanging high about the jungle floor. It was a rare cloudless day in the cloud forest, so the visibility was great although we didn’t see any rainforest creatures besides a few birds and insects. Later in the hummingbird garden we saw some tourists feeding a Coati, a raccoon-like creature with a pointy nose and long tail it used for balance. It was very pushy about getting its meal, and even began to root around in the tourist’s backpack looking for more goodies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The best part was the butterfly garden, a large greenhouse filled with thousands of colorful butterflies fluttering all over and landing on our shoulders. All the chrysalises were collected and pinned up in a box. We watched as butterflies escaped their cocoons, then waited for their wrinkly wet wings to dry and flapped to speed up the process.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUCGA_SJBSIRMzGZU1f37mlIvv8imYwhkZ7Km2ogVq9N6HcDQn1KfyFEHHei64AxYt3GVvACQkWacKG_djJZITn3Yo0qqgkYGGwJAhrsYdNCCbMzGZD3E0UqEWNj1O9x4inL997OCQA/s1600/IMG_1729.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUCGA_SJBSIRMzGZU1f37mlIvv8imYwhkZ7Km2ogVq9N6HcDQn1KfyFEHHei64AxYt3GVvACQkWacKG_djJZITn3Yo0qqgkYGGwJAhrsYdNCCbMzGZD3E0UqEWNj1O9x4inL997OCQA/s400/IMG_1729.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574793298428785618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOaCVbZ7QJN__QF8ZfZsxnunzaAGXTa0a_ynSDhQ9XHgYX_eHc8T25pxDUFIquoowJVwzv7uw1QaQOoOivd9AW2JA__4nW9k3ZSXkPh4BQMz1Ead4b6ZyvbJ86EuUv7otfui7endspw/s1600/IMG_1728.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOaCVbZ7QJN__QF8ZfZsxnunzaAGXTa0a_ynSDhQ9XHgYX_eHc8T25pxDUFIquoowJVwzv7uw1QaQOoOivd9AW2JA__4nW9k3ZSXkPh4BQMz1Ead4b6ZyvbJ86EuUv7otfui7endspw/s400/IMG_1728.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574796382646382354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dwo7lh5Qo1Z5MNxKOUTkPbxcHGZ6gvufNBAuH2fNi8goyO1bZzFaG-SnCtF9G3CpSa_Sp-xQ4WpAZnuixrxPkm37g0caLbofcl_gmqywqO3Uje8cEaOUZ1t8TfYGxpVE8XS7k9UWCw/s1600/IMG_1737.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dwo7lh5Qo1Z5MNxKOUTkPbxcHGZ6gvufNBAuH2fNi8goyO1bZzFaG-SnCtF9G3CpSa_Sp-xQ4WpAZnuixrxPkm37g0caLbofcl_gmqywqO3Uje8cEaOUZ1t8TfYGxpVE8XS7k9UWCw/s400/IMG_1737.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574797451244240626" /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Later that night we saw some of the beautiful endemic rainforest frogs at the ranarium.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ-J0j6e_tXs66v0ZIWQNMwMHH7t3lxkC04UdhSs2JOn3tMdTj97fBNJyHODk-toR256BiExdu-DuDOQ8-pmRsryECo-yT_SU_1y9qd6zwlmsh0qw5wq-DXkuRx5lgcdT6JL1gLQCJA/s1600/IMG_1612.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ-J0j6e_tXs66v0ZIWQNMwMHH7t3lxkC04UdhSs2JOn3tMdTj97fBNJyHODk-toR256BiExdu-DuDOQ8-pmRsryECo-yT_SU_1y9qd6zwlmsh0qw5wq-DXkuRx5lgcdT6JL1gLQCJA/s400/IMG_1612.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574773521601828770" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOqgqwiupksqS3dCDc_sqWGhp8NfRQ1rKzcZth8PvYg4Yk3uK_KxsVduJ2GgoojvDN8QQAFSs0tRJ2HFzYVbgBNCvzIrSiqMQh7exRMf_uK1KlN8uNQQejXZd8lIOP2JTk9Ttn7sjOw/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOqgqwiupksqS3dCDc_sqWGhp8NfRQ1rKzcZth8PvYg4Yk3uK_KxsVduJ2GgoojvDN8QQAFSs0tRJ2HFzYVbgBNCvzIrSiqMQh7exRMf_uK1KlN8uNQQejXZd8lIOP2JTk9Ttn7sjOw/s400/IMG_1693.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574774023024087474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-x1OfcIxuMTXIjrk8Orx8D_356xmCA2SaQtyml6enriD4S7W2kxswP83gfbrqJ-aMtPJ6bEDlJKDlbyXXcrei5r6iZTmmJpBZrJXgL_alB1KEDyRwLmyt0WkiLryyS2FTc1k2IkI7g/s1600/IMG_1628.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-x1OfcIxuMTXIjrk8Orx8D_356xmCA2SaQtyml6enriD4S7W2kxswP83gfbrqJ-aMtPJ6bEDlJKDlbyXXcrei5r6iZTmmJpBZrJXgL_alB1KEDyRwLmyt0WkiLryyS2FTc1k2IkI7g/s400/IMG_1628.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574774407984825778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When we got back to the marina the clear water was filled with these crazy looking jellies:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5G4YEa_6FArPgj1x9mb8w8PjwOQUgjAnfOMBz5ZEyxdJ-so_aahZ2i7-vzsLtNNkMwRBI6VidM9pyAkDFZVZTkiJgZnSNFDqHk4DzY9M6C90lcXJDKDrocDHT0mlGixo-fnrUeBXJw/s1600/IMG_1585.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5G4YEa_6FArPgj1x9mb8w8PjwOQUgjAnfOMBz5ZEyxdJ-so_aahZ2i7-vzsLtNNkMwRBI6VidM9pyAkDFZVZTkiJgZnSNFDqHk4DzY9M6C90lcXJDKDrocDHT0mlGixo-fnrUeBXJw/s400/IMG_1585.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574790593246783602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They were stuck to each other in these long cords, but each little bulb was its own creature.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUw638G30dCyBKHZsaBY_5hZx6GPVAbNeL3lk3zEjYfd0CYFmGeas-UU-t5fVNb8yHLm2i7MeUZ9oBbf2xMPl6utWgcIgA3h4qBy5nSb2KaFrnvndznbbtICt5dzYT-A0ZAF0DgGWKg/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG"></a></span></span><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUw638G30dCyBKHZsaBY_5hZx6GPVAbNeL3lk3zEjYfd0CYFmGeas-UU-t5fVNb8yHLm2i7MeUZ9oBbf2xMPl6utWgcIgA3h4qBy5nSb2KaFrnvndznbbtICt5dzYT-A0ZAF0DgGWKg/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUw638G30dCyBKHZsaBY_5hZx6GPVAbNeL3lk3zEjYfd0CYFmGeas-UU-t5fVNb8yHLm2i7MeUZ9oBbf2xMPl6utWgcIgA3h4qBy5nSb2KaFrnvndznbbtICt5dzYT-A0ZAF0DgGWKg/s400/IMG_1586.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574791437812070706" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They were absolutely everywhere and causing trouble for the bigger boats because they were clogging up the intake valves on their air-conditioners. Mysteriously, the next day they were all gone.</span></span></p></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUuLQKZOIdWh952cdfaE2bZ2CAEURz4zD6_UMBWY7Hm_aeaVxLOityBou5uUGvNo-kn3YKZmtMldYlDm6ipDLAhhyphenhyphenSRwlh5DNeedRomLPLFCEfCmynUe4oXoYr86nT1sLGcc8xChj4Q/s1600/IMG_1587.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUuLQKZOIdWh952cdfaE2bZ2CAEURz4zD6_UMBWY7Hm_aeaVxLOityBou5uUGvNo-kn3YKZmtMldYlDm6ipDLAhhyphenhyphenSRwlh5DNeedRomLPLFCEfCmynUe4oXoYr86nT1sLGcc8xChj4Q/s400/IMG_1587.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574792103511529858" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We left Marina Papagayo and headed for the Osa peninsula, the most remote and untouched part of Costa Rica.</span></span><br /><div><br /><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-19428248548182058742011-02-15T14:08:00.000-08:002011-02-15T19:53:09.310-08:00NicaraguaThe trip to Nicaragua was both scenic and eventful. The distant coast was littered with active volcanoes that could be seen smoking in the distance, and the beaches were lined with palm trees and interesting rock formations.<div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIwh-Gk8n8_ZrOyCVnRNm_Z_hMHeUjvP47JxjX4VdY9i4O4M7R3lxHKomv-40esC6czSant5fEuoJ3YJwYJixFuemBsrXPZY0fwz-uA9hHSmaFhwPpkNKp5_A-1t1Qn99I2EzLzmvpA/s1600/IMG_1559.JPG"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIwh-Gk8n8_ZrOyCVnRNm_Z_hMHeUjvP47JxjX4VdY9i4O4M7R3lxHKomv-40esC6czSant5fEuoJ3YJwYJixFuemBsrXPZY0fwz-uA9hHSmaFhwPpkNKp5_A-1t1Qn99I2EzLzmvpA/s1600/IMG_1559.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIwh-Gk8n8_ZrOyCVnRNm_Z_hMHeUjvP47JxjX4VdY9i4O4M7R3lxHKomv-40esC6czSant5fEuoJ3YJwYJixFuemBsrXPZY0fwz-uA9hHSmaFhwPpkNKp5_A-1t1Qn99I2EzLzmvpA/s400/IMG_1559.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574063801337760226" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Smoking volcano</span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOiGIIxpBCapvjTPJ-BpyJ-SJ355NEDf1vqXC8arBJiWmfphM49vHwXAP4qO23HLoUYFzFpQZT0rNg0pqtAv0Q4KjCP3iQ1t2UYCWExDbHtO402IYkcpltK_0I7EICFVVkiK1rPPS8g/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOiGIIxpBCapvjTPJ-BpyJ-SJ355NEDf1vqXC8arBJiWmfphM49vHwXAP4qO23HLoUYFzFpQZT0rNg0pqtAv0Q4KjCP3iQ1t2UYCWExDbHtO402IYkcpltK_0I7EICFVVkiK1rPPS8g/s400/IMG_1565.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574098662232009298" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cave near a surf break</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>And everyone rushed to the stern of the boat when we caught a new species on our fishing line. Every fish we’ve reeled in so far has been caught on one lure. A sparkly green faux squid has brought us Big Eye Tuna, Mahi Mahi, and Sailfish, as well as a Barracuda and countless Jacks. On our way to Nicaragua it caught us a bird! Like all the rest of El Tiburon’s victims, an unsuspecting sea bird was duped by our squid decoy, went in for a meal and came out with a mouth full of metal.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6E8TCvB2afOP9Oz_Qh-JLeLKGwQ35V129mB0URS8qVY76eSU4jHbr6sgTR4VbRLzF6n85IEXJ6D1C5AWPKv20WskUjD3wvm-L5-1FGJajrHL239nofb1TvD5q1svejOK84huA4uXLw/s1600/IMG_1545.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6E8TCvB2afOP9Oz_Qh-JLeLKGwQ35V129mB0URS8qVY76eSU4jHbr6sgTR4VbRLzF6n85IEXJ6D1C5AWPKv20WskUjD3wvm-L5-1FGJajrHL239nofb1TvD5q1svejOK84huA4uXLw/s400/IMG_1545.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574057633512501074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">This poor bird had the hook caught right in the center of his upper mandible. As we reeled him in he got a gullet full of water and we thought for sure he’d be drowned, but the creature was alive and flapping when we got him on board. He was remarkably calm while the guys extracted the hook from his beak, and seemed to comprehend that we meant to help him. The bird was a little stunned, but appeared to make it through the operation with a high probability for a full recovery.</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQPH1VY1WLE02XJ79CTPH9KOmTScG-3ysUEHhv_9piEY_8ZspHL0NVeYE0EPe_6NTfqwBenGYlIr1robOC1YN-DkO94kZB4Jpcv2yMDu49Fn6oCn82qUZy6ZbKix5mBBXl6XE6xkgjw/s1600/IMG_1546.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQPH1VY1WLE02XJ79CTPH9KOmTScG-3ysUEHhv_9piEY_8ZspHL0NVeYE0EPe_6NTfqwBenGYlIr1robOC1YN-DkO94kZB4Jpcv2yMDu49Fn6oCn82qUZy6ZbKix5mBBXl6XE6xkgjw/s400/IMG_1546.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574058455667184194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NlHo8jK2Y4toRooWUfK1eko_bUOc1j_zjSfOMHIPzIgUc1frjejZy_52_v55A2qAELQLe_UCiKRO1_GAG4UsoX55_kb8jUvUdA7WOQXLZcwv0I_aqKtKj787wPuntgV6dJC6cevLmg/s1600/IMG_1547.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NlHo8jK2Y4toRooWUfK1eko_bUOc1j_zjSfOMHIPzIgUc1frjejZy_52_v55A2qAELQLe_UCiKRO1_GAG4UsoX55_kb8jUvUdA7WOQXLZcwv0I_aqKtKj787wPuntgV6dJC6cevLmg/s400/IMG_1547.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574065039672544482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He sat in the water for awhile, then flew away.</span></div><div><div><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We’d chosen marina Puesta del Sol as our entry point in Nicaragua. It lay in a secluded lagoon near Chinandega and housed only a handful of boats, two of which belonged to the marina’s owner. The marina had an infinity pool and a waterfront palapa café with luscious batidos (blended fruit drinks). But the best part was that there were two unoccupied surf breaks right at the mouth of the lagoon. It was probably the nicest place we’d stayed in so far, particularly because we had it practically all to ourselves.</p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyj0yvUpTS40MQbstihg9cL88yPeixSMHkgl0M1x1_kT8t6bXfOGbeBpAhlzLsIfxxiYemImyOKvw4b-vuMK4_qQGyUpEWj1uT9iPiMd3Z-HgLdJWKk8lLvbEB591pCWA0Eepr31kaWA/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyj0yvUpTS40MQbstihg9cL88yPeixSMHkgl0M1x1_kT8t6bXfOGbeBpAhlzLsIfxxiYemImyOKvw4b-vuMK4_qQGyUpEWj1uT9iPiMd3Z-HgLdJWKk8lLvbEB591pCWA0Eepr31kaWA/s400/IMG_1648.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574060938697335826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The marina.</span></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OAx7iYNz6Rq_kmiPWSPCDedD4HUC-zQ8-8JefKdQK3UScuJ4wHezqvrsel4ZTKeB19eAxU4uCS6argZyKxY5a0QsZEPHVF5Q4wNpsndnQzi5Wf_mKK8tboQO6Qhjoax-wvWGGWOUvw/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OAx7iYNz6Rq_kmiPWSPCDedD4HUC-zQ8-8JefKdQK3UScuJ4wHezqvrsel4ZTKeB19eAxU4uCS6argZyKxY5a0QsZEPHVF5Q4wNpsndnQzi5Wf_mKK8tboQO6Qhjoax-wvWGGWOUvw/s400/IMG_1654.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574066695541802034" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Palapa cafe.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ENZkD-PVJUNP5G5mrsrvIyosh973ZaXxEk0pwFl14a8mwDgJhMJPrzXWWR4jknXBpfIvWIuB6L3hwpK5kwhXHn5H2hshYt_scjyI08ssP5W1inpbjTZSc2ISAmZs-Bg1FB8MF74XTw/s1600/IMG_1657.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ENZkD-PVJUNP5G5mrsrvIyosh973ZaXxEk0pwFl14a8mwDgJhMJPrzXWWR4jknXBpfIvWIuB6L3hwpK5kwhXHn5H2hshYt_scjyI08ssP5W1inpbjTZSc2ISAmZs-Bg1FB8MF74XTw/s400/IMG_1657.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574073541211048866" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The pool with El Tiburon in the background.</span></div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As lovely as Puesta del Sol was, one particularly unpleasant event happened there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">On our last night in Puesta del Sol, Kitty disappeared for about fifteen minutes. I ran all over the marina calling for her, clapping, and whistling, wondering why she would have ran off and where she could possibly have gone. No one was around, it was pitch black out, and the only light was from my headlamp. All of a sudden I heard something running towards me on the dock, <i>badump badump badump badump,</i><span style="font-style: normal; "> but my headlamp caught only its retinas as it barreled towards me. After a few seconds I realized it was my dog but she was covered in dirt and smelled like burnt fecal matter.<span> </span>What happened to her was a complete mystery, but it was obvious that she needed a bath. Andrew and John helped me give her a late night dock shower but the pungent odor refused to dissipate. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: normal; ">The security guard came by and told us she’d had a run in with a “zorro mion,” which means “spraying fox.” She didn’t smell like a skunk but she definitely smelled like she’d been sprayed by something. Kitty slept in the cockpit that night and was given another bath in the morning, but this time with vinegar and Dawn dish soap. She smelled terrible for at least a week afterwards.</span></p></div></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW93eVyEFa0LeKDLGexlX_VsHGyoP179WJOCxN71z-_1D5vPEN7k-UeBOlnz9CQpFKLJb-cOhymJE7fWsiPa1GA4ofEHzCnsPqvDqVVapYmzCVQYKtCvdi4noEcRXZnhIuVPU87nP4w/s1600/IMG_1643.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW93eVyEFa0LeKDLGexlX_VsHGyoP179WJOCxN71z-_1D5vPEN7k-UeBOlnz9CQpFKLJb-cOhymJE7fWsiPa1GA4ofEHzCnsPqvDqVVapYmzCVQYKtCvdi4noEcRXZnhIuVPU87nP4w/s400/IMG_1643.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574075972988040146" /></a><br /><br />We checked out of Nicaragua from the same marina and headed south across the Gulf of Fonseca (keeping an eye out for Honduran pirates) towards Costa Rica. Our destination was the remote Parque National Santa Rosa where the famous surf break Ollie's Point is accessible only by boat (or maybe by seaplane too, but not by car).<div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-10169222975036642582011-01-31T05:33:00.000-08:002011-01-31T09:55:18.421-08:00Tehuantepec & El Salvador<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A day later we got to the charming town of Huatulco. It was a small town with friendly people, stunning beaches, and a charming town center. Best of all, it’s in the state of Oaxaca, which means mole sauce and lots of it. Yum.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUoHWs7o9Zv9UCROfD08832aFqEgs9ZPIatUaIbFPm_LDpfUOK9CYqzqBD6rje3IK3mb2o5wUC3TnIMEDy0a84LAIJTu1ETm7bitrXCXkptuaUPX6y1JQDvo3bKNWtL43QTZYTFg2DQ/s1600/IMG_1532.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUoHWs7o9Zv9UCROfD08832aFqEgs9ZPIatUaIbFPm_LDpfUOK9CYqzqBD6rje3IK3mb2o5wUC3TnIMEDy0a84LAIJTu1ETm7bitrXCXkptuaUPX6y1JQDvo3bKNWtL43QTZYTFg2DQ/s400/IMG_1532.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568398867796394338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdUTYozdKUCZqSGvUQHNt5ffEWHj4MUydjXFP9yZeSWwGtgS9cHBa9kvFxWg9GUS3yI78uBH9jR_hkPvAugVKobwhFvVbhlym_9zbF1P32FweggFZ9r3g0Og9Zj9cldV3ZRFOdL1tyA/s1600/IMG_1535.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdUTYozdKUCZqSGvUQHNt5ffEWHj4MUydjXFP9yZeSWwGtgS9cHBa9kvFxWg9GUS3yI78uBH9jR_hkPvAugVKobwhFvVbhlym_9zbF1P32FweggFZ9r3g0Og9Zj9cldV3ZRFOdL1tyA/s400/IMG_1535.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568400269480393042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Again we rented a car and this time drove north to Puerto Escondido, a surfing town Andrew and I had visited in the summer almost four years earlier. It was largely the same, except the waves were smaller this time of year, and more of the main road along the beach had been paved. I went for a long walk on the beach and came across a crowd of people staring at the sand – baby sea turtles had just hatched and were trying to make their way to the ocean!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Huatulco was the last stop before we had to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec on our way south. The Tehuantepec is famous for it's windy weather pattern, where the narrow land isthmus, the Sierra Madre mountains, and the differences in air temperature all combine to create gale and storm force winds on the Pacific side. For most of the year the weather pattern looks like this:</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQT-G0YTlvOrYQE2Mb4amojX3YHlkIdCnxg2_vZGWIhEqILHSM1jBLog-EVQAyNM4wIxvxl9smVLDqq61BucwqMa74cpIE_4GUBJ9hC-m-roC2WKEb9oOOBwioRMp5q6sd1QrFmU3Dw/s1600/gtehuantepec-qscat.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQT-G0YTlvOrYQE2Mb4amojX3YHlkIdCnxg2_vZGWIhEqILHSM1jBLog-EVQAyNM4wIxvxl9smVLDqq61BucwqMa74cpIE_4GUBJ9hC-m-roC2WKEb9oOOBwioRMp5q6sd1QrFmU3Dw/s400/gtehuantepec-qscat.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568400465955348946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 288px; " /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The advice given to boats crossing this gulf is to stay as close to shore as possible to avoid getting caught in the massive windstorm. “Keep one foot on the beach” or “drag a hand in the sand” are the familiar expressions. So we waited for a weather window and sailed to the 16</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">parallel, then followed the coast south past Guatemala. After all the discussion and planning, the crossing was largely uneventful. The wind was minimal and we motored almost the whole way. We even got a little bored and Andrew attempted to wakeboard with the paddle board.</span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5k72SMSQzZyXuYhnztXPld9EgbD-ZgIBQ7E13cQd8vOKd3o2tw8MJk3aegtIyYsKhHH0bj_MEj1JVGsWmqMw224E7WGD5GqxZJftXoJs7r0FsAQOYfxd7K2jyHAR_9UqIE0jX3O7Ddg/s1600/IMG_1542.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5k72SMSQzZyXuYhnztXPld9EgbD-ZgIBQ7E13cQd8vOKd3o2tw8MJk3aegtIyYsKhHH0bj_MEj1JVGsWmqMw224E7WGD5GqxZJftXoJs7r0FsAQOYfxd7K2jyHAR_9UqIE0jX3O7Ddg/s400/IMG_1542.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568400988058873986" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But we are a sailboat, after all, without a speedboat engine so even the wakeboarding got a little boring.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsglxQeAWBTq-UsIuKhmFCz9Z0axJ1GXLJgXuf3us2eIoyFhS_RapKbwwJAKjSsHviLyOxpAgTSPBNRKgn2CCLokQRLoCUNTucbOf98eDBpqqKo2HYH5eyBgCyYrQzU1TAMgmvE7iBA/s1600/IMG_1543.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsglxQeAWBTq-UsIuKhmFCz9Z0axJ1GXLJgXuf3us2eIoyFhS_RapKbwwJAKjSsHviLyOxpAgTSPBNRKgn2CCLokQRLoCUNTucbOf98eDBpqqKo2HYH5eyBgCyYrQzU1TAMgmvE7iBA/s400/IMG_1543.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568405569021729282" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We were motoring along the coast of El Salvador when John mentioned that we were near a surf break with delicious pizza that he had visited before. Craving some brick-oven-baked thin crust, we anchored off a little town called Tunco. After setting the hook, we threw some clothes in a dry bag backpack, got on our boards and paddled to shore. As this was a surf spot and not an anchorage, we were the only boat out there. Consequently, the beachgoers seemed quite interested in our arrival (and probably also because we came ashore with a dog in a neon orange life vest). We walked a short ways up the beach to stash our stuff at John’s friend’s hotel, then moseyed over to the open-air palapa café where surfers lounged around in their board shorts, waiting for the next surf session. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">How nice it was to go ashore without the hassle of having to check in with immigration and customs! We were minor celebrities for the evening, as everyone we met had seen our boat anchored off the break and wanted to know all about it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Some great Australians befriended us and we followed them to a local beachside bar where it was ladies’ night. Kitty came along too and of course, she was the most popular lady there. A few free rum and cokes later we paddled back to the boat around midnight, in 85 degree water and under a full moon. After rinsing off in the cockpit we weighed anchor and set sail for Nicaragua.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-76657567369323698642011-01-24T13:58:00.000-08:002011-01-24T18:21:51.128-08:00<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">From Ixtapa we sailed south to Acapulco, which was two days at sea. You’d think a stint like that might get boring but we had one of our fullest days 35 miles offshore. First thing in the morning, we caught a Jack. As a rule, we don’t eat Jacks aboard El Tiburon, from previous unpleasant experiences, so we threw it back. Then around 10 AM we saw a bunch of splashing going on in the water about 100 yards away and not thirty minutes later there was a brisk zing on our fishing pole. The creature on the other end jumped and flailed. We'd caught a sailfish!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Out came the video camera to document the whole thing:</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw1soXgqUjLQXDHcp2EUGVeMXRFDVvXoq0-0DLOy9ejaougVJ5gXBb5c-0yAKRCpBxtVYrxF7uBACHDUrqKiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Look closely and you’ll see that although it looks brown, the fish is indeed sort of, like, </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">purple</span></span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So we caught two big sailfish that morning and just when we thought the excitement was done for the day a huge ray came over to see what all the commotion was about. John got in the water to swim with it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A few hours later we noticed we were passing first a few, and then many sea turtles, all floating serenely at the surface, unperturbed by our intrusion. We slowed down to observe them and noticed that the water was swarming with little jellyfish, upon which the turtles were feasting. The guys got in to swim with the friendly, ancient creatures.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlXSMcuhQZKnVbpbUL_bRoixV7RcbP6_FfKpO4Dsreg-2UICiWw6iVKltdt2q5I_7qo7Ir9umT63x6p02F-qKuP6npuhRSgjylofjr6MV7N1rsDl4Fq_2wY3IPKk6rFsrIOOsoh3ECA/s1600/IMG_1538.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlXSMcuhQZKnVbpbUL_bRoixV7RcbP6_FfKpO4Dsreg-2UICiWw6iVKltdt2q5I_7qo7Ir9umT63x6p02F-qKuP6npuhRSgjylofjr6MV7N1rsDl4Fq_2wY3IPKk6rFsrIOOsoh3ECA/s400/IMG_1538.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565900816429479970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Later in the day </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">we were swarmed by hundreds (not an exaggeration) of dolphins. We’d never seen so many dolphins around our boat at one time. There were at least thirty of them crammed at our bow, each one trying to surf our wake. Their high-pitched conversations were so loud I could hear them through the hull when I took a shower. Kitty was enthralled by them.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center; "><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy5RfrDN7JW7xkQPUEudsb6PWHBUWpKj_iTWy0JYBKSHHhH2d5009QBziCyKBz8cH0HY_Pnm1w3acu2gqBzvQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That night we discovered a little baby squid on the bathmat in the head. It was anyone’s guess how it got there. Maybe it had been caught in somebody’s board shorts?</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">All day on the open ocean and not an hour went by when something interesting wasn’t going on. It was a banner day.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After sailing into Acapulco bay, we got a creepy feeling about the place. It was overly developed with plenty of abandoned buildings, there were all kinds of debris floating everywhere in the water (including a rotting sailfish head), and the harbor was full of dilapidated boats. The place gave us the heebie jeebies, so we turned around and headed south for Huatulco.</span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh421qj4xPcuCP7_JK3pYVHMYo3rpy9mFCV1UHb7lPB-gjsoafRFShzPVrGW4fdbqCADjmzARQunpPwVUC7zc9US3FTxWqPjluK03n-IEaCkACFxiajqqsSW7pVBMb44XQ5iJ0FOGY2Ag/s400/IMG_1505.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565875970875557266" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div></div><div><br /></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-59228621705451438312011-01-23T07:53:00.000-08:002011-01-24T18:26:33.027-08:00Barra de Navidad, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Troncones & Saladita<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We left La Cruz and sailed south across Banderas Bay, heading for Barra de Navidad. The trip was uneventful except for a pod of three whales that crossed our path. The most forward one spouted of our starboard beam and it was LOUD! It was so close I could have sworn its head was under our stern.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Two days later we arrived in Barra de Navidad, a charming little town alive and bustling with beach-goers. The marina is part of a beautiful five star resort with pools, tennis courts, and yoga on the beach every day.</span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-YuI0f114X6Ad1xsLutJ0Ot1npqRQoBaTI1jzDD4gaz591_e3RpJJ27EFaaAfeaTHxXKSCCRAUNq86C9O36FIjaFfk-qvp_e3moQVQ3SgyR2ZwygUOz0Fd1249Vc1ogGOAA7S2n0Vg/s1600/IMG_1442.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-YuI0f114X6Ad1xsLutJ0Ot1npqRQoBaTI1jzDD4gaz591_e3RpJJ27EFaaAfeaTHxXKSCCRAUNq86C9O36FIjaFfk-qvp_e3moQVQ3SgyR2ZwygUOz0Fd1249Vc1ogGOAA7S2n0Vg/s400/IMG_1442.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565410643792045650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfVR4WO9LgvYyMG8utkqkBdRYU4amr-Wk7XpKtJemZ8CJyf4KpKj1ChtxRlRVLvGy4eT3GZ5J3P0soqDLBUPyoxwxS96jwmrjBxyfXYe6g6r6AOxqskYlICCsIHS0CdgvjF-OG4ISvw/s1600/IMG_1453.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfVR4WO9LgvYyMG8utkqkBdRYU4amr-Wk7XpKtJemZ8CJyf4KpKj1ChtxRlRVLvGy4eT3GZ5J3P0soqDLBUPyoxwxS96jwmrjBxyfXYe6g6r6AOxqskYlICCsIHS0CdgvjF-OG4ISvw/s400/IMG_1453.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565411208249345058" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The town is separated from the resort by the narrow mouth of a large placid lagoon, so going to town necessitates the service of a water taxi. Just call them up on VHF 22: “Taxi Aquatico, Taxi Aquatico, this is El Tiburon,” and a panga will pick you up in ten minutes. And you can’t beat the price: ten pesos per person each way.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8tGqETNtAEg7qgsN86RYYNNIX6MSZMwFLHIvrmCZXDDTr7CXq00XWJqer-Z2d-RwtjzPqVKIeYC_OI4DTpGw1RbOCVAkuXW5nBR5XVILJOVeZFSwn0lZgWtBe5300AroCHcFh0z9EA/s1600/IMG_1458.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8tGqETNtAEg7qgsN86RYYNNIX6MSZMwFLHIvrmCZXDDTr7CXq00XWJqer-Z2d-RwtjzPqVKIeYC_OI4DTpGw1RbOCVAkuXW5nBR5XVILJOVeZFSwn0lZgWtBe5300AroCHcFh0z9EA/s400/IMG_1458.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565413542605467602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Water taxi dock in Barra de Navidad</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The French Baker can be reached on VHF 23 and he’ll come to your boat to deliver fresh buttery croissants and crunchy baguettes. Be sure to let him know in advance if you want a ham and cheese croissant with béchamel, as they sell out first. What service!</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswnY62izZ9-Q0rEldX1bh1ecCFi10s00ZVjG83lMdkHtPO7CSmYHVsfQER3ZMzlBH4qEyVku0jV1prmjOd01slgXQ1g2XFwk2eNwnktuMQbFMwdGGrkqqRbGq0yz20EEEf-2S3-8pAw/s1600/IMG_1537.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswnY62izZ9-Q0rEldX1bh1ecCFi10s00ZVjG83lMdkHtPO7CSmYHVsfQER3ZMzlBH4qEyVku0jV1prmjOd01slgXQ1g2XFwk2eNwnktuMQbFMwdGGrkqqRbGq0yz20EEEf-2S3-8pAw/s400/IMG_1537.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565413113198586050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We rang in the new year with our friends Maja, Laurent, and John from Windsong in a biker bar in town and watched the massive fireworks display.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-5WJpV7Mn3buura9SMeGV7Q_33V42ugJE9Bcjdsu0Rsb_BW9R90jFN5yaKmY4qfR3FrYTvLZCAfI4sxKJjM9-CWWY5W9rFyQEJ2X5e8LYqMICwdBTnSQwOdWpo2DSiawKlVsDVN84g/s1600/IMG_1461.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-5WJpV7Mn3buura9SMeGV7Q_33V42ugJE9Bcjdsu0Rsb_BW9R90jFN5yaKmY4qfR3FrYTvLZCAfI4sxKJjM9-CWWY5W9rFyQEJ2X5e8LYqMICwdBTnSQwOdWpo2DSiawKlVsDVN84g/s400/IMG_1461.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565416127051529250" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCCdbRdWPEI2goq7XX2-bBI150hOwavVTGoIFCy9qzmH7eOQIabXkuHpWThCDmyaX6bvIPt5uY2frY9Wi4mZ1FefeQ0Q91HnnJfhhXOxYXMcnrA9HhZP6y-d6tax2UDUQCAJ5KhKbwQ/s1600/IMG_1460.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCCdbRdWPEI2goq7XX2-bBI150hOwavVTGoIFCy9qzmH7eOQIabXkuHpWThCDmyaX6bvIPt5uY2frY9Wi4mZ1FefeQ0Q91HnnJfhhXOxYXMcnrA9HhZP6y-d6tax2UDUQCAJ5KhKbwQ/s400/IMG_1460.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565414467047007650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6clhqsi6NaJDl6WoKQ-nooQcOTxN1Ii7oyh-_csluAgS7zjVUce-8wm1ls2NIGyrh5Brfh6eWJ5dZPN5ThiO90XWd4k4U6Dl_KuFRGcXjSmar0Ts0GpJJIdQB3XBvPKqH8bzfI5SIRQ/s1600/IMG_1465.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6clhqsi6NaJDl6WoKQ-nooQcOTxN1Ii7oyh-_csluAgS7zjVUce-8wm1ls2NIGyrh5Brfh6eWJ5dZPN5ThiO90XWd4k4U6Dl_KuFRGcXjSmar0Ts0GpJJIdQB3XBvPKqH8bzfI5SIRQ/s400/IMG_1465.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565417625260196322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our next stop was Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. We stayed in the marina in Ixtapa and it was unremarkable except for the large crocodile I saw swimming along serenely next to the dock. Kitty was kept on a </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">very</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> short leash after that and we walked only in the middle of the dock.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Sadly, Andrew had to fly home for a conference and his flight was out of Acapulco. We rented a car and prepared for a three-hour drive south. It turned out to be a five-hour drive on a rural two-lane highway, with vicious speed bumps at every little pueblo and dirt dappled children who stood on the speed bumps selling candies or bags of peanuts.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Eventually we got to Acapulco but had to drive through the sprawling crowded city to get to the airport on the other side and of course, we didn’t know how to get there. Waiting at a stoplight, we motioned to a gentleman to roll down his window and asked him how to get to the airport. He responded with a rapid string of Spanish words we could barely understand except I thought I heard him say “Sigame,” and for some reason I thought that might have meant “Follow me.” We followed him for a number of hectic blocks before we started to doubt that “sigame” meant “follow me” or that he’d even said “sigame” at all, and we attempted to make a left turn. The two of our cars were stopped in traffic at a diagonal from one another when I glanced back and saw our guide looking at me and motioning vigorously with both arms, jabbing his pointed fingers towards his steering wheel. I took that to mean he meant us to keep following him. We made an awkward three-point turn and were once again behind our kindly leader.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">At this point, it was about forty minutes before Andrew’s international flight was scheduled to leave, and because he’d thought he’d be at the airport by now, he had set up an important conference call. He had to take it. Oh, and did I mention that he was also the one driving? And the car was a stick shift. As John was in the passenger seat, he assisted Andrew by alternately holding the phone next to his ear and shifting the gears, all while we were trying to follow a nimble and expeditious Mexican driver through the packed streets of Acapulco. Soon we began to see signs for the airport and were relieved to find our guide had not led us astray. Andrew wrapped us his call as we pulled into departures, now with only fifteen minutes before takeoff. He ran to check in and check his baggage (our broken propeller) and made the flight. What a feat it was!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While Andrew was gone, John, Luke, and I drove north of Zihuatanejo to a surf town called Troncones, then stayed in a comfy beachside house in Saladita where the waves were perfect. That night we had a massive feast of roadside chicken and beef tacos for a total of six dollars. I woke up in the morning to find this guy staring at me right outside my window:</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAYfBWbd2AUPK8aAv4xaI8lpQIhw6A104k1D5iL0jevTM22nwb4iIF0cumNwatxdrzvUwBieHHhpADoKH_sY_WPnnUgVI7IEUeh2JT364jNnx788LV28mbvK9dDWg7YakR5oK3Gdlng/s1600/IMG_1501.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAYfBWbd2AUPK8aAv4xaI8lpQIhw6A104k1D5iL0jevTM22nwb4iIF0cumNwatxdrzvUwBieHHhpADoKH_sY_WPnnUgVI7IEUeh2JT364jNnx788LV28mbvK9dDWg7YakR5oK3Gdlng/s400/IMG_1501.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565418108534751826" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-65887700587651627112011-01-12T09:14:00.000-08:002011-01-12T19:13:19.756-08:00Punta Mita, Sayulita, and La Cruz<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSaMQ08c_akoqjHuCP3eH5vXWE5-VSEkzG8URL5ldCe3hd8PNi0NCcDWV-VZtCfGPb3lzJLay-S5GEvsCjIf29OpTOhzLArWNhkGzc93tqvHIOCseVkk3aQpwlvV3Rs0jEuYWOrv3OQ/s400/IMG_1525.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561356694136579666" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We left Paradise Village and motored over to La Cruz shipyard and marina to take a look at our propeller, thinking maybe there was some fishing line wrapped around it that we couldn’t see underwater. When the boat came out of the water the prop looked perfect! If John and Luke hadn’t decided to dismantle it and put it back together, they never would have determined that the locking mechanism was broken and an over-pitched prop had been our problem all along. Hallelujah we solved our engine problem! And as my father pointed out, Perky had been maligned. Proppy had been the culprit the whole time.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81Wpg-hGXYt027cXNxaG6eKDdu2wtYEHXBfvLCQpyA2a74FVXK-wJKwG8zazCgvaNibMezbQ8d0pB8q8MQeJe6Eig2nWPtv8vN5n2Fna3XD_x6h07LqDPx8bHvH3vtYOqhrM4FI1xNg/s1600/IMG_1509.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81Wpg-hGXYt027cXNxaG6eKDdu2wtYEHXBfvLCQpyA2a74FVXK-wJKwG8zazCgvaNibMezbQ8d0pB8q8MQeJe6Eig2nWPtv8vN5n2Fna3XD_x6h07LqDPx8bHvH3vtYOqhrM4FI1xNg/s400/IMG_1509.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561492423976994530" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">With our problem solved, we rented a car so we could explore the surrounding area. Some friends of John’s, Kate and Simone, were holidaying at the Four Seasons in Punta Mita, so we went to visit them for a day. The resort was at the end of a private road and the grounds were exquisitely manicured. It was noted that the place was so exclusive that it didn’t feel exclusive because the excluded people were so far away one was hardly even aware of them. We spent the day lounging on the beach (with no vendors to bother us), enjoying complimentary ice water, chilled towels, and ice cream brought round by friendly waiters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When we got hungry we went to the hotel’s café and savored a fine lunch by the beach while whales breached all across the bay. As tasty as our salads and sandwiches were, they were hardly worth the $300 bill that landed on our table when we’d finished eating. Yes, that was in dollars, not pesos. Shocking really, considering we had been able to stuff ourselves with outstanding food only thirty minutes away for less than $2 a person. But it was a lovely day all the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Later that week we drove north to the town of Sayulita. It’s a small bay with a long surfable wave, ideal for beginners, so the town was pretty well populated with visiting, as well as expat, gringos. The expats were easily differentiated from the visitors because Sayulita appears to be a sort of bohemian mecca, with much of the resident population fitting that description. It is the kind of place where you might see two white people with dreadlocks in one day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Heavy rains during the summer had caused the river in Sayulita to flood, taking out many small buildings along its banks. This was not much of a problem for us until Luke went to use the men’s room . . .</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguXeK4j5D6xU8aWWWeKRcm-wnnhMgF228BvY9nRF7Mwj2EirmYLgODgDg5vURI6DSLqbUqXNynwhDebDdhjcUkQ830duRHjcDhB2tiDVoJpth0eog8tCds2IFE2pO1frqOIlWuPJazQ/s1600/IMG_1406.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguXeK4j5D6xU8aWWWeKRcm-wnnhMgF228BvY9nRF7Mwj2EirmYLgODgDg5vURI6DSLqbUqXNynwhDebDdhjcUkQ830duRHjcDhB2tiDVoJpth0eog8tCds2IFE2pO1frqOIlWuPJazQ/s400/IMG_1406.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561351172848910194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. . . and was dismayed to find it out of order.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD-BNVXGxr3awXucjmA2yADS0iZrmB12CEMA0sHWEVwT9gjlg-dXamF2nPd4pk7YN55n1Ri6uKe8GdfashY4wQMCgTBWlUD9jiEr5r4Sg9mLACVcrbJMmp2XvTRzuiByrOYA_CJFYwA/s1600/IMG_1407.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD-BNVXGxr3awXucjmA2yADS0iZrmB12CEMA0sHWEVwT9gjlg-dXamF2nPd4pk7YN55n1Ri6uKe8GdfashY4wQMCgTBWlUD9jiEr5r4Sg9mLACVcrbJMmp2XvTRzuiByrOYA_CJFYwA/s400/IMG_1407.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561351978540324850" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">On the beach we found an umbrella and chairs to occupy while we soaked in the sun and the local beach scene, which was a far cry from that of the serene Four Seasons. John tried out three different chairs before he found one that wasn’t broken. He finally settled himself into it with his book when, after a hopeful five seconds, it collapsed. I had to take a picture.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7Xcjxtwaxnc-NbUIhd9-YZ7fjgNEALi3iYLjjhNsgYDwftEHGCHAGLmeQZHZTrlwkqqjjvTyvoWcb2BVzeTR9kbxNBEpIzHh3_uF0gjIlshkqFzXcxad4AgIKjiXlxNvpgzrmXCz6g/s1600/IMG_1409.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7Xcjxtwaxnc-NbUIhd9-YZ7fjgNEALi3iYLjjhNsgYDwftEHGCHAGLmeQZHZTrlwkqqjjvTyvoWcb2BVzeTR9kbxNBEpIzHh3_uF0gjIlshkqFzXcxad4AgIKjiXlxNvpgzrmXCz6g/s400/IMG_1409.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561352638742800514" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Later we had some yummy fish tacos in the center of town (dinner for four was less than $20) and wended our way through the crowded streets looking for a good place to have a margarita. People of all ages were out enjoying the night; the open-air restaurants were all full and delicious smells wafted from roadside trucks serving tacos or churros or diced chilled fruit. It was a charming place to visit.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-42461830582450678642011-01-10T09:12:00.000-08:002011-01-10T09:49:57.660-08:00Paradise Village, Nuevo Vallarta<div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8gJbDEvfyyARAmgIv_JIJ0rvfYZ3V1-2zQKMpdjQPmk9ePl6Y0n7znJiReWHLhgHVkySeE0Fxdv398Tt0l11wwJo2gYrK2TZnV89vV41tIB9k13QHTHGiqtw1MzHQ-zBCqhHS2rRvg/s400/IMG_1429.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560607742882458946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Paradise Village is an extensive resort complex in Nuevo Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta in the eastern most part of Banderas Bay. It has a marina and yacht club with access to all resort facilities, and even a shopping mall complete with a grocery store, gelato shop, and a Starbucks. It was a nice place to stop after a long trip from Mazatlan, even if it was a little inauthentic (ok, a lot inauthentic).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlP1imngWjzKPjpFVF_43Qnc27SVaJwGSS1wbNEUCqq3TM0HbXXWmwvY3seENBYv-iMYWjBUwCj8bwFdBqSXUr7QwIjo8YRd7c2af6rvFOrgkPAdYBasZFgnVlpNHcqCp-oYnGd751g/s1600/IMG_1430.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlP1imngWjzKPjpFVF_43Qnc27SVaJwGSS1wbNEUCqq3TM0HbXXWmwvY3seENBYv-iMYWjBUwCj8bwFdBqSXUr7QwIjo8YRd7c2af6rvFOrgkPAdYBasZFgnVlpNHcqCp-oYnGd751g/s400/IMG_1430.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560610327817515090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The bathrooms were cleverly disguised in this replica pyramid.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As Andrew and I took Kitty for a walk around the complex we came across a bird enclosure housing beautiful macaws. Kitty was very interested in the birds and they were likewise interested in her. Two of them clawed their way down the chicken-wire to her level to get a better look at her, squawking ‘hello, hello’ all the while. After a few sniffs she turned her attention to a cage behind us and froze in her tracks. I wasn’t sure why she’d stopped until I caught a glimpse of orange on the other side of the fence. She was about a foot away from a huge tiger!</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-ROY3lwQnOUXsO5W_lY3kv-vWKDZ8jpIpU7pCUMoYbp8mZtH0-405JfhE0NmP4TvAFVAYWw4I4nxEfx5y0nCCSwz9hhkm5LUlW2SLQXA89_DjpehO42yRA-JqvLLyVwM9OuugdkHuA/s1600/IMG_1426.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-ROY3lwQnOUXsO5W_lY3kv-vWKDZ8jpIpU7pCUMoYbp8mZtH0-405JfhE0NmP4TvAFVAYWw4I4nxEfx5y0nCCSwz9hhkm5LUlW2SLQXA89_DjpehO42yRA-JqvLLyVwM9OuugdkHuA/s400/IMG_1426.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560608534520016290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the next cage another tiger was napping peacefully along the wall of its pen when Andrew decided to try to touch it. Don’t ask me why. I was not happy about it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCPAn1cow4ZNrcxl5WIS017tY3gIFqMad3f1Mw3jKeqfI6wS9sodmwkbWGtmNplW1EJ76CvN89OsonFEsXj6Coe1oX9CPZf5k0XjXZ0pq5B6cNtUt_2PXtkw_meKGuFpQx6uHZV4JfQ/s1600/IMG_1428.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCPAn1cow4ZNrcxl5WIS017tY3gIFqMad3f1Mw3jKeqfI6wS9sodmwkbWGtmNplW1EJ76CvN89OsonFEsXj6Coe1oX9CPZf5k0XjXZ0pq5B6cNtUt_2PXtkw_meKGuFpQx6uHZV4JfQ/s400/IMG_1428.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560609312548161138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">He poked a finger through the fence, brushing the top of the tiger’s head and the beast snapped his head up and gave Andrew a stern look. Since I don’t know why Andrew tried to touch the tiger in the first place, I definitely can’t explain to you why he tried to touch it a second time. Again he poked a finger through the fence and again, managed to touch the tiger’s head. All I could think about were those dumb kids at the SF zoo who were messing with the tiger there (from a much further distance away and with a moat separating them) and the thing broke loose and tracked them down and killed one of them, so I hurried off with the dog, mumbling expletives all the way. From around the corner I heard the tiger give a loud warning hiss and Andrew caught up to me shortly after that. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A few days later I walked by the tiger cages again and noticed some new signs:</span></span></p></div></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBuSarWqmB4sSV1FOcYK2v-RCIAgCkq4vQktsU2MpRXm4_ZF0jB085e47FRXLF0RCweg0mSTPyPLjAaHFczRKzxfpdIWOzCyOQhYNuj0QqG5_7ioXewPvzfvWgCQ73PELlTVG-r_UbQ/s400/IMG_1422.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560612047691946418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBzSypPye2VhMRTD7fdD8hWpw6EEqlGkj42Qnwsl1JvsC80DSypPko5qtEwIZc3sNmzZ0a1mICAWtUxKRgEKBr9DhSIsG8mqBtMKFvIJeF030mDTY0XCp9O6xlAYS3tZvo_ALElnuFA/s1600/IMG_1424.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBzSypPye2VhMRTD7fdD8hWpw6EEqlGkj42Qnwsl1JvsC80DSypPko5qtEwIZc3sNmzZ0a1mICAWtUxKRgEKBr9DhSIsG8mqBtMKFvIJeF030mDTY0XCp9O6xlAYS3tZvo_ALElnuFA/s400/IMG_1424.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560613707914824306" /></a><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While enjoying beachfront margaritas and guacamole one night in Paradise Village, we met two delightful girls, Stacy and Jill, and became fast friends with them. As it had been a long time since any of us had been around women, we invited them to dinner at Il Pescatore, the resort’s Italian restaurant, and enjoyed their company if not the food. We dined with them regularly over the next week and I even got to have some much-needed girl time with them at the spa and shopping mall. What a treat it was to have some estrogen around!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After Andrew returned from the US with a new fuel pump, the guys spent a whole day replacing it, only to discover that the problem with the engine still wasn't fixed. The next day we left Paradise Village to haul out at La Cruz shipyard in the northern part of Banderas Bay.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div></div></div></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-3635154703670548562011-01-08T06:45:00.000-08:002011-01-08T07:40:30.202-08:00Isla Isabella<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0py3NOPhpXzoRBnfu35LyXkkAt3sUmSUW_yFho-8D9Mcb17-tM0X-CV_jWeH6LsG0PqEyi6HY3pM4FUfHIZpOHxfVzwC9tqHqGFj1p3vbJZZIjlYOHoSy3d9SL3h2U5mLuPPlrQIcmw/s1600/IMG_1460.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0py3NOPhpXzoRBnfu35LyXkkAt3sUmSUW_yFho-8D9Mcb17-tM0X-CV_jWeH6LsG0PqEyi6HY3pM4FUfHIZpOHxfVzwC9tqHqGFj1p3vbJZZIjlYOHoSy3d9SL3h2U5mLuPPlrQIcmw/s400/IMG_1460.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559840145866445282" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On our trip down to Isabella we were treated to a visit from two whales. I’d been napping on deck when their spouting woke me, and there they were just ten yards off our starboard beam! We watched their dorsal ridges arc gracefully out of the water a few times before they revealed their massive forked tails. About a hundred yards away another whale breached, jumping clear out of the water and landing with a colossal splash.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Soon we arrived at Isla Isabella, a small rocky wildlife reserve in the middle of the ocean. It was swarming with large black frigate birds and was reminiscent of something out of a Hitchcock movie (namely, The Birds). The smell of the guano-encrusted rocks hit our noses even before we dropped the anchor.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvy_NB2ak5QeCT2uJJgeUI23FKQsty5rfnReUdjBo_61DE5aolwO5YNPvpAIrf6onuf9SKiNy7xOUO2wGvTIp4CQdsAjMllQfDUvW197NEj0lnUvMvFVOGSsuMKxqRzERl3G3kkfa4Q/s1600/IMG_1435.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvy_NB2ak5QeCT2uJJgeUI23FKQsty5rfnReUdjBo_61DE5aolwO5YNPvpAIrf6onuf9SKiNy7xOUO2wGvTIp4CQdsAjMllQfDUvW197NEj0lnUvMvFVOGSsuMKxqRzERl3G3kkfa4Q/s400/IMG_1435.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559830159287645986" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We rowed ashore and beached the dinghy near a small makeshift fishing village, then proceeded to look for a hiking path. Every branch of every tree drooped with the weight of at least three birds.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXJeyXS8H_EwQpylBhgBIZj3U_k31gGBKsaNL_PRKinnQwUykKPkEtbB82zJ3OSzyBG-hiyJ83IXUY-YRXjzB4Ur77W8FdY9MjCCRsQzBAKcPcSeYWvCuFg-svqCRK2llwy3ceXMUwQ/s1600/IMG_1433.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXJeyXS8H_EwQpylBhgBIZj3U_k31gGBKsaNL_PRKinnQwUykKPkEtbB82zJ3OSzyBG-hiyJ83IXUY-YRXjzB4Ur77W8FdY9MjCCRsQzBAKcPcSeYWvCuFg-svqCRK2llwy3ceXMUwQ/s400/IMG_1433.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559836175322783330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As we walked along the island started to look like one of those “After People” shows on the Discovery Channel that depict what would happen to human creations after our extinction. Abundant white streaking indicated the birds had made good use of this dilapidated basketball hoop.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HIbw6SFmSG5s5W6xRPGcLbrI_V3xyEq9GHIDDFvwstbwb5o-W2xGKd3DfsT0rFUexy7ZXKZOBG72NIqcB7aPCgl9wj1L7eyuWZ52u63R5tWmRs39sDHsTIuxcfRxKbpS8TsKeYHA2Q/s1600/IMG_1446.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HIbw6SFmSG5s5W6xRPGcLbrI_V3xyEq9GHIDDFvwstbwb5o-W2xGKd3DfsT0rFUexy7ZXKZOBG72NIqcB7aPCgl9wj1L7eyuWZ52u63R5tWmRs39sDHsTIuxcfRxKbpS8TsKeYHA2Q/s400/IMG_1446.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559837008360170402" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And after walking along staring at the birds we realized we ought to pay more attention to where we put our feet, as the ground was covered with iguanas, frozen in place and waiting for the sun to warm them.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0DqM8eDayN1UhCPu1wtqWqEGOV87QrKu6yttPVuZrew2x6S0pkb7O-Nm26oC867l9nXEn4LvASlnmJKnDh1L5eCmfHFhlWmLxd7qfsqyS3em4F62aiifLj7HKcBNLFMlww8gdiucdQ/s1600/IMG_1445.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0DqM8eDayN1UhCPu1wtqWqEGOV87QrKu6yttPVuZrew2x6S0pkb7O-Nm26oC867l9nXEn4LvASlnmJKnDh1L5eCmfHFhlWmLxd7qfsqyS3em4F62aiifLj7HKcBNLFMlww8gdiucdQ/s400/IMG_1445.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559837633750111682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">How many iguanas can you spot in this photo?</span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">John and Luke hiked to the top of the island where the view was beautiful, and they saw some rare birds.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEonHeRPxZXWSwS15W8KkqGzwu1X1zK04AsU_iY0gjnDCNZHIA-tvG_Umt10O9mJMaG96Er9OEFGi-eqzBRL_P0PnuGDxzK5b466oqDvu9OSBI_wsH6DMQDgqkezdyRskXJhB_msVUQ/s1600/IMG_1463.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEonHeRPxZXWSwS15W8KkqGzwu1X1zK04AsU_iY0gjnDCNZHIA-tvG_Umt10O9mJMaG96Er9OEFGi-eqzBRL_P0PnuGDxzK5b466oqDvu9OSBI_wsH6DMQDgqkezdyRskXJhB_msVUQ/s400/IMG_1463.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559839521340198882" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">We knew there were both blue and yellow-footed Boobies on this island, but this particular bird appeared to be a green-footed hybrid.</span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23Ck_OOyGhvcQbngC01XhA2o7rG-axZYYmSK5Cn3om3aojz0hvQ2-TVbyn397mli4RGNoIn-2RV9c1t3Vyv0bCYq29rYfL49-g2SZZwoJFAobhi2H4JLis53ARjcX3ggS72B75IArkw/s1600/IMG_1472.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23Ck_OOyGhvcQbngC01XhA2o7rG-axZYYmSK5Cn3om3aojz0hvQ2-TVbyn397mli4RGNoIn-2RV9c1t3Vyv0bCYq29rYfL49-g2SZZwoJFAobhi2H4JLis53ARjcX3ggS72B75IArkw/s400/IMG_1472.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559838221134831234" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Next stop was Banderas Bay and Nuevo Vallarta.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-69678515780533137702010-12-27T16:06:00.000-08:002010-12-28T07:07:10.153-08:00Perky's Redemption<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I wasn’t so damn happy about finally getting to the bottom of the problem with Perky, I might be slapping myself around for not listening to many of you who submitted comments suggesting that we consider the propeller as the source of the power loss. But since experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want, we’re all now a bit more savy regarding diesel engine diagnosis and repair. And what about poor Perky? He’s probably suffered the most from this ordeal - having to deal with our repeated dockside testing, parts replacing, fluid changing, rewiring, dismantling, laboratory testing, forced introductions to probing “specialists” and our generally disparaging comments aimed pointedly at the heart of this little chugger. He quietly took all the blows and unquestionably sprang to life every time we turned the key. Perky is the real hero in this episode of Team Tiburon.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So why was I so adamant that it couldn’t be the prop? Well, first I have to say that these MaxProps appear to be quite complicated at first introduction. In a basic boat propulsion setup, the diesel engine has pistons which pump up and down like a road biker’s legs, turning a crankshaft in a circle. The turning crankshaft (with a transmission operating as a “middle man”) spins the propeller shaft which extends thru the back of the boat, thru the hull and into the water. The business end of that spinning steel shaft is the propeller. As the propeller spins round and round, the individual blades function like a kayak or canoe paddle, biting into the water. Feathering, or angling the paddle, allows for more or less bite depending on the level of effort you want to expend and the amount of propulsion you want. If the blade angle is too sharp, too much bite ensues and the engine gets overloaded. Too much feathering (too little angle) and the blade slices thru the water with little to no bite, allowing the shaft to spin easily at the expense of weak propulsion. That’s why it’s so important to match the correct propeller blade angle (pitch) with the individual boat, engine and transmission. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And when one reads the installation manual, it’s obvious that there are many gears and meshing teeth involved in setting the correct blade angle. Furthermore, changing the blade angle requires a full dismantling of the propeller - which includes at least 10 heavy-duty components (see photo). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq7Of29oHDTepUKIzrZJOfWNQ3d7r8-CTslrEfOPnRB5C-JidLYKHadUVTjiWxv6z3MkcCKjN8M25GI2rsg0xEec6O2Zs9bR4d_hV1kOEvk3Z2XZ_twNHmKOUTcDp9Z7L05THLAdMbIc/s1600/mp3bcfig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq7Of29oHDTepUKIzrZJOfWNQ3d7r8-CTslrEfOPnRB5C-JidLYKHadUVTjiWxv6z3MkcCKjN8M25GI2rsg0xEec6O2Zs9bR4d_hV1kOEvk3Z2XZ_twNHmKOUTcDp9Z7L05THLAdMbIc/s320/mp3bcfig3.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I called MaxProp in Lynnwood, Washington a few days ago and described our poor engine power, the representative assured me that it would be impossible to have the pitch angle on the blades spontaneously change without a catastrophic and obvious failure to the inner workings of the propeller. And every time I went overboard with a dive mask to inspect the prop, all three blades smoothly feathered and were devoid of any obvious damage.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But after changing the fuel injection pump (an all-day affair) did nothing to improve the performance of Perky, we finally decided to spend the money and haul the boat just to prove, once and for all, that there’s nothing wrong with the Goddamn Prop! The plan was to firmly establish that the prop blades were angled correctly for our boat (20 degrees) and that nothing was impeding the rotation of the prop shaft. I was convinced it would be waste of time and money, but since Luke had continued to insist that the problem must be the prop, Andrew and I finally acquiesced, and agreed to haul her out. With that, we drove the boat over to the boatyard in La Cruz. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VxPFgBc1ACJMPZtNOSeYgo9zSwhwiZPw1qaLFd9yckFQG62LU0AFGKo4cpqt5y9FU3c6cCpvKpJycqHloaNelIppAhYLPP72Yux-TzVKkxG6LOU41WbO7vAjlEqqvZw5qHiFWlhPezE/s1600/IMG_1506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VxPFgBc1ACJMPZtNOSeYgo9zSwhwiZPw1qaLFd9yckFQG62LU0AFGKo4cpqt5y9FU3c6cCpvKpJycqHloaNelIppAhYLPP72Yux-TzVKkxG6LOU41WbO7vAjlEqqvZw5qHiFWlhPezE/s320/IMG_1506.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hauling out in La Cruz</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A few hours after hanging El Tiburon from the slings and dismantling the prop, it finally dawned on me that the manual we had on board, was NOT the correct manual for our prop. The manual we had on board described an older style of prop, in which changing the pitch of the blades requires a full dismantling. Our newer style prop has a nifty mechanism for quick pitch changes which according to the <b>online </b>manual (a very helpful document) can be “accomplished easily by a diver.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6L76xJubnRQFvGxI93PviuviB8egg2_NbPB_5vTykJ5kAEkWWkP6F7KDNAxOFnSHXgbKjBIIpiSFKuGIdGUcNeZ5ntImEIwCXYkdfNGyYsOhB5zYrn3Ah_h4G5HGSvZzH51y7iqirr-c/s1600/IMG_1518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6L76xJubnRQFvGxI93PviuviB8egg2_NbPB_5vTykJ5kAEkWWkP6F7KDNAxOFnSHXgbKjBIIpiSFKuGIdGUcNeZ5ntImEIwCXYkdfNGyYsOhB5zYrn3Ah_h4G5HGSvZzH51y7iqirr-c/s320/IMG_1518.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM-QUtjfvmAhLKC8u-xzJ5Wue39nn8mzRUnNLqkKKSzWl4LZBIJuhFn0cmCfIcZxcpXAkwOqpH_wGbLIj78Q1VsgT-VUU6XEgWbjj-GfwCTznl5TnMaxvJUsAgjVPmS17IDLbAvbK_3g/s1600/IMG_1521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM-QUtjfvmAhLKC8u-xzJ5Wue39nn8mzRUnNLqkKKSzWl4LZBIJuhFn0cmCfIcZxcpXAkwOqpH_wGbLIj78Q1VsgT-VUU6XEgWbjj-GfwCTznl5TnMaxvJUsAgjVPmS17IDLbAvbK_3g/s320/IMG_1521.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The broken part</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Once I had the correct manual for our prop, it quickly became apparent that the pitch changing device was not working correctly. The hub shown above is supposed to have a mechanism which allows the correct blade angle to be dialed and then locked in place. The inner teeth on the hub must have fatally sheared and therefore the blade angle was no longer locked, but rather opened to the fully pitched position in both forward and reverse. Whereas we should have had 20 degrees blade angle, we actually were biting the water at 30 degrees, which was just too much load for Perky. With hindsight in view, this explains many of the symptoms we were experiencing - such as mild over-heating, increased smoke at full throttle and 6 knots at just 1400 RPM. It's as if you were forced to drive a manual transmission car in city traffic using only 3rd gear. Very sluggish off the line, but once you hit cruising speed, it does just fine.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Having finally gotten to the root of the problem, we pulled the prop and packed it in a box for shipping back to MaxProp and installed a older prop we picked up from a fellow cruiser. It's a 2-bladed folding prop at 19" diameter. We cruised with it yesterday and Perkie had no troubles spinning this one at 2400 RPM. This replacement has a wimpy pitch (we only do 5 knots at 2000 RPM) but at least it gives us safe maneuverability in the marinas - something we didn't have with the broken MaxProp.<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bottom line, it really pays to know your boat. If I had known about the dial mechanism on the prop, I would have checked it much sooner. Well, at least we know our prop now, and our engine, too!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Humbly submitted,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">John</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvYJiZt0-RaMe60q1YArTEOWL3EhZOrWiAQncgVRENIzICLlcJ4G41MyZmbbgm4Li3CmTNw2tdgNnQquALzaYuqAQ4_Tu4ZG5XZHkcXMaC8Z3JskMiHgWGIoTKBvAZnpGd7XjEUC606U/s1600/IMG_1491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvYJiZt0-RaMe60q1YArTEOWL3EhZOrWiAQncgVRENIzICLlcJ4G41MyZmbbgm4Li3CmTNw2tdgNnQquALzaYuqAQ4_Tu4ZG5XZHkcXMaC8Z3JskMiHgWGIoTKBvAZnpGd7XjEUC606U/s320/IMG_1491.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April channeling positive energy to our broken stereo.<br />
Unfortunately, it didn't work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Manichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05626113576879208150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-72573958977245368742010-12-22T21:34:00.000-08:002010-12-22T21:37:16.880-08:00Perky's Perplexity Part 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm going to let the video speak for itself. Stay tuned for the final update. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxkh9iM0YimRLWhRKnxfIoBlaULU_3aUAprfm_JsjBr4M8LB8l38BRKUXz6w4n4_Dbc84eJZmGkBxwDKCVqhw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Manichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05626113576879208150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-50818921282705715232010-12-21T20:43:00.000-08:002010-12-21T20:47:59.117-08:00Perky's Perplexity Part 4<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Greetings to all from Puerta Vallarta! A number of our friends have asked us, “What’s up with Perkie? Have you fixed the problem yet? Do you have any brain cells still functioning?"</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wish I could report success, but I must admit in spite of our best efforts, and help from many of you, we haven’t solved the problem. Now, we’re really scratching our heads! Perky has proven himself to be quite an enigma, and we seem to be circling back and re-checking our prior attempts at making a diagnosis. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Allow me to update you on the latest events. As usual, a stern warning to those not interested in diesel engines - read no further! I promise I won’t take it personally.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ok, here we go…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’d like to remind you of the basic problem with Perky – a lack of power (i.e. failure to obtain desired RPM) when engaged in gear – equally poor in forward and reverse. In neutral, we can rev the engine to 3000 RPM and it sounds great, but in gear, we cannot exceed 1400. Engine always starts right away and idles smoothly without knocking. No excessive smoke production at the exhaust and minimal oil consumption. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since our last communiqué, we had convinced ourselves that the problem stemmed from a dying fuel injection pump. Since this is an expensive part, and replacing it requires a significant amount of upside-down engine wrenching and body contorting due to the low placement in the bilge/engine compartment, we did our best to exclude every other possible source of our engine troubles before honing in on this one. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We also entertained many and varied opinions which seemed to point us in several directions. More than a few of you have suggested that the prop is the source of the problem. By our logic, since this same prop had been working just fine before the onset of our troubles, and nothing on it had been altered since the problem began, we simply refused to believe it could be the prop. Certainly an over-pitched propeller could lead to engine overload and poor performance, but the folks at MaxProp have assured me that there is NO way the prop could have slipped its pitch setting without a catastrophic and obvious failure. I dove (again) on the boat and spun the prop to observe the blades feather in forward and reverse – still silky smooth. I’m sticking to my guns on this issue – it’s not the prop. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Monday, Andrew adeptly smuggled a new High-Pressure Fuel Injection Pump thru the Puerta Vallarta airport after spending the previous week in NYC. With a couple of borrowed tools and some creative tool creation, I was able to install this new pump without too much difficulty. Fortunately for me, many of you had given me some good advice on the procedure. After nearly a day of working in the bilge, hunkered over Perkie, the new fuel pump was installed and fuel lines bled. After cranking the engine for about 30 seconds, while the last bits of air purged from the high-pressure lines, the engine miraculously sprang to life! It sounded so good to our ears that we were convinced we had finally solved the problem! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alas, there was no joy that day. The engine stilled refused to achieve an RPM above 1200 while tied to the dock in forward gear.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here’s what we’ve done so far (breaking it down by engine systems).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Fuel Supply<o:p></o:p></b></div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Changed both RACOR primary and engine mounted secondary filters</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Removed all four injector nozzles and had them cleaned and inspected by a locally respected diesel laboratory in La Paz.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Installed new lift pump</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Removed and inspected all rigid fuel lines (including injector lines)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Installed new High-Pressure Fuel Injection Pump</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Ran the engine from a 5 gallon Jerry Jug connected to the RACOR to rule out a clogged tank pick-up or fuel supply line.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Removed return fuel line and measured rate of fuel return at various engine RPM’s and found the rate to be a consistent 100 mL/minute. This step ensured an adequately functioning lift pump.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Measured fuel consumption at 0.7 gallons per hour while motoring at 1400 RPM and 5+ knots. This differs from our prior consumption rate of 1.1 gallons per hour at 2000 RPM and 6-7 knots boat speed.</li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Engine Load<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">1<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Disconnected propeller shaft from transmission and operated the engine dockside. In both neutral and forward gear. Engine came up to speed without difficulty. 3000 RPM, no problem</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">2<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Inspected transmission. Clear pink fluid at appropriate level. No evidence of metal particles or flakes. Gear shifter operates thru appropriate range on the gearbox shift lever.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">3<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Ran engine test without the Large Frame Balmar Alternator loaded. No change in engine power.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">4<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Inspected Max Prop in the water. No obvious damage to prop blades and smooth feathering in forward and reverse. Shaft turns easily by hand.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Exhaust System<o:p></o:p></b></div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;">Tapped exhaust manifold with a 1/8” NPT fitting to measure back-pressure during operation. See video of this test. Results are below:</li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="border: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.7in;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Transmission Setting<o:p></o:p></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>RPM<o:p></o:p></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.25in;" valign="top" width="162"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fluid Height (Inches H20)<o:p></o:p></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 113.4pt;" valign="top" width="113"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pressure (PSI)<o:p></o:p></b></div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.7in;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Neutral<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1000<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.25in;" valign="top" width="162"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">31<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 113.4pt;" valign="top" width="113"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1.2<o:p></o:p></div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.7in;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Neutral<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1500<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.25in;" valign="top" width="162"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">47<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 113.4pt;" valign="top" width="113"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1.7<o:p></o:p></div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.7in;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Neutral<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2000<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.25in;" valign="top" width="162"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">69<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 113.4pt;" valign="top" width="113"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2.5<o:p></o:p></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 6.8pt;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.7in;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Forward<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1000<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.25in;" valign="top" width="162"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">33<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 113.4pt;" valign="top" width="113"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1.2<o:p></o:p></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 6.8pt;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext .5pt; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.7in;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Forward<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.0pt;" valign="top" width="45"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1200<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.25in;" valign="top" width="162"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">39<o:p></o:p></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext .5pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext .5pt; border-top: none; height: 6.8pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 113.4pt;" valign="top" width="113"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1.3<o:p></o:p></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwuu-d-uLomUA5oqXN1gpZLfVR8u4XLPvUsRq8E-mbT-CyZFSBju1sDkdrIZP9nwPde31scORE-0GBlzuIm_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By Nigel Calder's book on Marine Diesel Engines, this back pressure is too high. Agreed. However, it's basically the same back pressure in forward gear as it is in neutral (RPM matched). So I don't see excessive back pressure as causing our problem.<br />
<br />
At this point, we’re totally confused! Not only are we a little disappointed that our new, $750 Injection Pump didn’t make a bit of difference (although I am a bit proud that I was able to install this baby!) we’re also at a loss regarding the next obvious step.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We’re presently considering:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Removing the cover on the transmission to more closely examine the internal gearing. We’d also take a sample of the tranny fluid to the local lab for examination and put a timing light on the prop shaft to ensure a 2:1 reduction ration coming thru the tranny.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Hauling out at Marina La Cruz (near Puerta Vallarta) to fully inspect the prop and shaft. We don’t know the exact pitch settings and we should confirm that the prop is pitched appropriately for this motor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Removing the injectors again and have them inspected a second time. We will ask for specific measurable parameters such as pop-off pressure and spray pattern.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Leaving the boat in Puerta Vallarta and traveling Mexico by bus! We’ll go much farther, faster and considerable cheaper!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Keep your suggestions coming! Maybe we can solve it before the New Year!</div>Manichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05626113576879208150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-91312548087433736262010-12-17T11:15:00.000-08:002010-12-17T14:33:20.048-08:00Mazatlan<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The trip across the Gulf of California was a pleasant one. Our dolphin friends returned to our bow to escort us for part of the way, but other than that it was pretty uneventful. The autopilot worked marvelously for the entirety of the passage and the wind was fair, if a bit gentle. We averaged a good 6 knots per hour.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyuEsS0XInf4-czyHA_eZk01QyyZf0YfqrS-sfzL7eD_DJchC4GnU8x1IJ1x5mtIu7x6f91n_oBl6tiivP5-w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When we got to Mazatlan we had to anchor outside the marina in the lee of “Dear Island” while we waited for the workers who were dredging the channel to take a break. This was El Tiburon’s first visit to mainland Mexico and from here it was clear just how special Baja had been. The waters in Mazatlan were a mucky brownish green, instead of the clear blue of Baja, and in the air above the buildings hung a pale cloud of similar color.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFdv6BPJkaJ6xQE6W6xGAxVg23STmJGYphhZiNL1VZqclcw2JGQyUqvUSPyEsexTD6aQWBK3_hBkpjHc2G1Ye3aqr_P3f1acREgjZEisaTemSIlHSrmHxZ5w3N6nHJ0Wnd91qU-uoeg/s1600/IMG_1396.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFdv6BPJkaJ6xQE6W6xGAxVg23STmJGYphhZiNL1VZqclcw2JGQyUqvUSPyEsexTD6aQWBK3_hBkpjHc2G1Ye3aqr_P3f1acREgjZEisaTemSIlHSrmHxZ5w3N6nHJ0Wnd91qU-uoeg/s320/IMG_1396.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551744544435123042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mazatlan</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When we finally got into the marina it was a bustling place with a resort, charter boats coming in and out, and loud music blaring from the booze cruises. As we pulled up to the fuel dock in marina El Cid we were delighted to see Windsong, the Skookum 53 belonging to our friends Laurent and Maja, tied up on the other side. Kitty jumped off our boat and ran to theirs looking for her friends Touline and Mocha, the two puppies that live aboard.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98T-XCvuyB7dkL8mGiZ2gqH0xTujXGevyxpY-8bzAcR92TlZgAgckJEf6x3hXFpueRpJCsc9IXRvRrdcJeuWTawCzaI8FYwqGInJXhLFsDOJxs_GZL6gLRDsoIPlLgAq_YRArLi41bQ/s1600/IMG_1394.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98T-XCvuyB7dkL8mGiZ2gqH0xTujXGevyxpY-8bzAcR92TlZgAgckJEf6x3hXFpueRpJCsc9IXRvRrdcJeuWTawCzaI8FYwqGInJXhLFsDOJxs_GZL6gLRDsoIPlLgAq_YRArLi41bQ/s320/IMG_1394.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551760375098097794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Marina El Cid entrance.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We spent a few days in Marina Mazatlan, just a short dinghy trip away from El Cid. While Marina Palmira in La Paz had clear waters with vibrant schools of fish swimming around all day, the water in this marina was muddy and brown, but also extremely phosphorescent. This luminous property was discovered when someone hawked a loogie off the dock and noticed with awe that each rippling concentric circle glowed a radio-active green. Soon we were all hawking loogies together and enjoying the light show.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckeXyuQ13NCPl3G9P7FndkxR5unsqkj2p1uCPvM5-8A-nUBNGyV4a4BI5KUxC-fiBoyNAQw0zlYvGH9rtnJeCrj9Mr9SntWUQFiCkTKACUeo6MbElR_-fSg1yIRlP5IrQGPiF7r8ocw/s1600/IMG_1378.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckeXyuQ13NCPl3G9P7FndkxR5unsqkj2p1uCPvM5-8A-nUBNGyV4a4BI5KUxC-fiBoyNAQw0zlYvGH9rtnJeCrj9Mr9SntWUQFiCkTKACUeo6MbElR_-fSg1yIRlP5IrQGPiF7r8ocw/s320/IMG_1378.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551741951953827906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Clear waters in Marina Palmira, La Paz.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Later, when we took our dinghy over to El Cid we saw that our wake glowed brilliantly behind us. Perhaps the dinghy pilot that night (who shall remain nameless) had been entranced by the phosphorescence when he lost control of the tiller and sent one of us overboard while soaking the rest of us. Nobody was hurt, immediately at least, but I understand the effects of radiation exposure can often take a long time to manifest.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The next day we decided to leave Mazatlan and head for Isla Isabella, a small island on the way to Puerto Vallarta often called the “Mexican Galapagos” on account of its wildlife.</span></span></p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-36355370583613852622010-12-16T09:46:00.000-08:002010-12-16T10:04:09.859-08:00Espiritu Santo<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnT57VkDyMjZmP5b64w4j_L7xt_3IZ6zwydspS8Pb_nqVe3NJH1QtFShO_rxjuocD9mH4NkgFB-n-TPWvmfexkxfp40owR_jWrkhnHS4cp6gAVNtkvahnHs3bJ6HgnFsJTqbkGV5zDHw/s320/155751_1660331301077_1021004755_1810072_7152775_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551338301970013090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After saying goodbye to our friends at Marina Palmira, we left La Paz on our way to Mazatlan with a stop at Espiritu Santo in between. Espiritu Santo is about seven miles long and features a series of promontories on her western coast that stick out into the sea like fingers. Between each pair there is a narrow crescent bay with a sliver of white sand beach. We found the bay our chart book listed as the best anchorage and dropped anchor among a handful of other boats.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We took the dinghy ashore, crossing 300 yards of crystal clear water and watching puffer fish scurry out away from the boat. After a short walk around the shore we met some wonderful people on the beach from the other boats near us: Camelot, Red Sky, Perfect Wave and Phambili. We would get to know them better during “Progressive Cocktails and Appetizers” when everyone hopped in their dinghies with their beverages of choice and motored to someone’s boat for snacks, then moved onto the next boat for more snacks and more drinks. It was a lot of fun and we met some really interesting people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The next day Luke and John went for a hike to the top of the island while I explored the shore. The views from the top were amazing, as you can see from these pictures.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qIyTj8DWxWIw8CSazeW76wn9UwnOm7Wrj9OLJbAweovgDITl2LV_x5UA0StGkX0eJ7kK6cNfrAH5DEJklmjP7LWfsBc4JYbARXAWIPUexLEybTmgukme4Fwd7nEIqOcTVV-sipd2VA/s1600/39428_1660332501107_1021004755_1810076_1286403_n.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qIyTj8DWxWIw8CSazeW76wn9UwnOm7Wrj9OLJbAweovgDITl2LV_x5UA0StGkX0eJ7kK6cNfrAH5DEJklmjP7LWfsBc4JYbARXAWIPUexLEybTmgukme4Fwd7nEIqOcTVV-sipd2VA/s1600/39428_1660332501107_1021004755_1810076_1286403_n.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qIyTj8DWxWIw8CSazeW76wn9UwnOm7Wrj9OLJbAweovgDITl2LV_x5UA0StGkX0eJ7kK6cNfrAH5DEJklmjP7LWfsBc4JYbARXAWIPUexLEybTmgukme4Fwd7nEIqOcTVV-sipd2VA/s1600/39428_1660332501107_1021004755_1810076_1286403_n.jpg"></a><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qIyTj8DWxWIw8CSazeW76wn9UwnOm7Wrj9OLJbAweovgDITl2LV_x5UA0StGkX0eJ7kK6cNfrAH5DEJklmjP7LWfsBc4JYbARXAWIPUexLEybTmgukme4Fwd7nEIqOcTVV-sipd2VA/s320/39428_1660332501107_1021004755_1810076_1286403_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551339078954660738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGI8V_gB8PurrAechxVSnn0INEAMksU1cW1nK7fNz213XqVUf7LXUsTf1ThWsyU7YsEm21omcxnGMJfukjyTZW66vJ5aRUPLSOGXtZqT_2l10rgTYTBj8sz6k-yEBCwiLxbTHWgiUdg/s1600/74680_1660331821090_1021004755_1810073_488253_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGI8V_gB8PurrAechxVSnn0INEAMksU1cW1nK7fNz213XqVUf7LXUsTf1ThWsyU7YsEm21omcxnGMJfukjyTZW66vJ5aRUPLSOGXtZqT_2l10rgTYTBj8sz6k-yEBCwiLxbTHWgiUdg/s320/74680_1660331821090_1021004755_1810073_488253_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551339515490146530" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A few hours later they came back and told me about the incredible cave formations they found and the sweet strawberry-kiwi taste of cactus fruit.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvswuOp2NFpplJV3FBNds8hlid_Entf7eJutFmrcRBeCRiTy1bnNxAgxGrZ9JQI3cSQHnPc6QC6FH7UVPq5IxtEBoGkJrvAD6h5SlsvVwb8BIZF-soSRCX-cTSaZoQZLkVxN5wC8sS9g/s1600/63665_1660333301127_1021004755_1810079_5129279_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvswuOp2NFpplJV3FBNds8hlid_Entf7eJutFmrcRBeCRiTy1bnNxAgxGrZ9JQI3cSQHnPc6QC6FH7UVPq5IxtEBoGkJrvAD6h5SlsvVwb8BIZF-soSRCX-cTSaZoQZLkVxN5wC8sS9g/s320/63665_1660333301127_1021004755_1810079_5129279_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551340057428508594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphe_kd0PH-u8N4anOyCuJKwK-bPIcEKNjoqkuibc8BGGMqDABJFbXTisqXAth4quBO2EgmH86D3urVMPVAnJUgfLUUBiMg1p9QPZcePjiQ6Np0hx9CHob7T_PaPkR7xVNAHQ4KIHQwg/s1600/154971_1660333181124_1021004755_1810078_3091901_n.jpg"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphe_kd0PH-u8N4anOyCuJKwK-bPIcEKNjoqkuibc8BGGMqDABJFbXTisqXAth4quBO2EgmH86D3urVMPVAnJUgfLUUBiMg1p9QPZcePjiQ6Np0hx9CHob7T_PaPkR7xVNAHQ4KIHQwg/s1600/154971_1660333181124_1021004755_1810078_3091901_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphe_kd0PH-u8N4anOyCuJKwK-bPIcEKNjoqkuibc8BGGMqDABJFbXTisqXAth4quBO2EgmH86D3urVMPVAnJUgfLUUBiMg1p9QPZcePjiQ6Np0hx9CHob7T_PaPkR7xVNAHQ4KIHQwg/s320/154971_1660333181124_1021004755_1810078_3091901_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551340795261968098" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdDvFAZE_8GVbLVNszmaXlCPe2_Uz9O_3gNBJKv7oAcDTkDhnMo2Cz5Garyi89tpx0YZL1G5TOjFijgQyKmZ64lPUXAuNOZtQsnJWmG-ova3r3tN0ucqQZyXdoAQfSm8ny0nzHHjmCg/s1600/68294_1660332901117_1021004755_1810077_356796_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdDvFAZE_8GVbLVNszmaXlCPe2_Uz9O_3gNBJKv7oAcDTkDhnMo2Cz5Garyi89tpx0YZL1G5TOjFijgQyKmZ64lPUXAuNOZtQsnJWmG-ova3r3tN0ucqQZyXdoAQfSm8ny0nzHHjmCg/s320/68294_1660332901117_1021004755_1810077_356796_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551341975998845474" /></a><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In the time they were gone the tide had receded dramatically, so that we had to carry the dinghy for a hundred yards through a few inches of water before we could get in it and return to El Tiburon.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3OKiIF9ewb0uATKht3hyphenhyphenCyqvhhYslROb-zjf9wKHOyjWgrnBS6-9MkC77xASgAgjbL7Wkg06LKQVbn9qcwfILDQ3zS_mAf-edmVNJOzCJtD3d2S6KulX_szoyQq5dEX_WxGTtq2O6Q/s1600/39440_1660329821040_1021004755_1810066_1809171_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3OKiIF9ewb0uATKht3hyphenhyphenCyqvhhYslROb-zjf9wKHOyjWgrnBS6-9MkC77xASgAgjbL7Wkg06LKQVbn9qcwfILDQ3zS_mAf-edmVNJOzCJtD3d2S6KulX_szoyQq5dEX_WxGTtq2O6Q/s320/39440_1660329821040_1021004755_1810066_1809171_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551341523510755906" /></a><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Snorkeling later that afternoon revealed the water was full of thousands colorful fish and an abundance of rays. Espiritu Santo was truly a magical place.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-45681156897524741732010-12-07T16:21:00.000-08:002010-12-07T16:25:00.388-08:00Perky's Perplexity Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAM2YxIgwKOGwNm_x5b7qLW1tG8Iwvxcaot3F55sgPnaonLU1-hCck5D68n0GsTQYb4O6DQmHu_HZ-ZX45-a8b83JBb-l4f5Qk_wP76577-mbWVjNsk02H3HCqQ2EJ86b7PvHXpRRhFN4/s1600/IMG_1402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAM2YxIgwKOGwNm_x5b7qLW1tG8Iwvxcaot3F55sgPnaonLU1-hCck5D68n0GsTQYb4O6DQmHu_HZ-ZX45-a8b83JBb-l4f5Qk_wP76577-mbWVjNsk02H3HCqQ2EJ86b7PvHXpRRhFN4/s320/IMG_1402.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Hey all! We've just arrived in Mazatlan after a 36 hour passage across the Sea of Cortez. We had very nice weather for the crossing and at mid-point, were a whopping 90 miles away from the nearest land! Unfortunately, the waters off Mazatlan just can't compare with those off La Paz and the neighboring islands. The pic above was taken at Isla Espiritu Santos. April's update will soon follow with more pics!<br />
<br />
Okay, I'm going to give a quick update to the diesel jockeys out there regarding the engine troubles. Yes, we're still having them - but I think we're closing in on the perpetrator. <br />
<br />
Since our last visit, I've replaced the lift pump - pretty straightforward. Afterwards, I measured the rate of return fuel flow at various engine speeds - both in gear, and in neutral. Regardless of engine load or RPM, the return fuel flow rate was identical at 250 mL in 2 minutes, 35 seconds. My apologies for April for destroying her nice silicone measuring flask. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't scrub the diesel smell from the flask. I think she is silently protesting because she hasn't baked a loaf of her delicious cinnamon walnut bread since!<br />
<br />
That last test was done at the suggestion of Tom Davison. We both believe that we have now verified that everything in the fuel supply up to (but not including) the high-pressure injection pump is working fine. I also pulled off the rigid fuel lines running between the secondary fuel filter and the injection pump to verify that the line was clean. It was.<br />
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I addition, I dragged myself behind the boat at 6 knots (nearly lost my trunks on that one) to watch the Max prop in action. In both forward, neutral and reverse gear, the prop feathered easily and spun freely. The blade pitch has not been changed since we bought the boat in July. I know many of you have suggested it, but please believe me - as God as my witness, IT'S NOT THE PROP! Sorry, I had to get that out of my system.<br />
<br />
Shortly after arriving in Mazatlan today, we pulled alongside the fuel dock and took on fuel in both tanks. This time, I used a pre-filter (purchased from West Marine back in Cali) before pouring any suspicious Mexi fuel into our tanks. Knowing how much fuel it took to top off the tanks, and dividing that number by the engine hours run, I calculated a fuel consumption rate. And the number is...... 0.75 gallons per hour. This is a significantly lower rate of fuel consumption than we experienced during our trip south from San Diego (before the engine problem started). Back then, it was slightly over 1.1 gallons per hour.<br />
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I think this confirms that the engine is not getting enough fuel! And the only thing left on the supply side that we haven't touched is the Injection Pump and the Governor. My money is on the injection pump. Now all we have to do is get our hands on one and change it out. This will not be a trivial project given the cramped nature of the engine compartment, but I'm sure that we'll manage.<br />
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Until then, thanks for all of your suggestions and good wishes. We miss all of you and will post again soon!<br />
<br />
Peace.<br />
<br />
JohnManichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05626113576879208150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-34963210404830246002010-12-02T07:19:00.000-08:002010-12-02T21:35:20.750-08:00Swimming with Sharks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJdplk1Su2vQFfBPjCgcjW7yfSnqQabpb2ctAjB_bwm88DdCHBMn8yNr2wJ2OhomGMxrBUrHi8AksL_60XU9SlLQ2kAHqeiRblsibBvFgvlcsuO5lJhnT6Dj6yYSToWtBkQKqm_bSOw/s1600/PB270158.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJdplk1Su2vQFfBPjCgcjW7yfSnqQabpb2ctAjB_bwm88DdCHBMn8yNr2wJ2OhomGMxrBUrHi8AksL_60XU9SlLQ2kAHqeiRblsibBvFgvlcsuO5lJhnT6Dj6yYSToWtBkQKqm_bSOw/s320/PB270158.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546117601070198610" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Luke and John went home for Thanksgiving, which left all 42 feet of El Tiburon to me, Andrew and Kitty. All of a sudden the boat felt spacious! But Luke and John were sorely missed, especially when Andrew and I spent three whole days scrubbing the boat. We bought some Oxalic acid with which to clean our teak decks and the transformation was amazing! After Andrew applied the gentle acid and used a bristle brush on the wood, a muddy mixture oozed off the teak into the scuppers. Previously the teak decks had been a dingy gray color but they are now a lovely shade of tan. Then I scrubbed all the scuff marks off the fiberglass with boat soap and a nubby sponge until she was gleaming white. El Tiburon had quite the makeover and she looked like a new boat! We wondered if John and Luke would recognize her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For a break we went snorkeling with the whale sharks in La Paz bay. A skiff picked us up at the end of our dock and we traveled 10 minutes away to a spot near El Magote (sandy island in the middle of the bay) where hoards of whale sharks congregate to feed on the plankton there. These creatures are huge. HUGE.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwuSN8UVO7o53mGa1OqvFLSpVFqa_Go8KlCEd4NjEU710f4jToiNKM-Gu57FLWSilyn1f4KED8IEQOEU4TZHr6lT8RudzkRwOe-DBGJtmx2KCJLs7nXPIJ4o8OXoCdHu0AE0OEpLahg/s1600/PB270161.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwuSN8UVO7o53mGa1OqvFLSpVFqa_Go8KlCEd4NjEU710f4jToiNKM-Gu57FLWSilyn1f4KED8IEQOEU4TZHr6lT8RudzkRwOe-DBGJtmx2KCJLs7nXPIJ4o8OXoCdHu0AE0OEpLahg/s320/PB270161.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546114405308911202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When they aren’t swimming, they float perpendicularly in the water with their huge mouths agape, waiting for plankton to swarm in.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NzLfjDwwEoZ2BuXxR3Y1IwhCb2k78LQr07nN84zx0YgmgVbb5cwJNNgdc8kEqk31OPhlqyjep2jLHR5LFpRx-UUrn469yybLP80YwfWDH9BeM3JOtoPgA43ro-CSKm2064EgR-sEYg/s1600/PB270205.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NzLfjDwwEoZ2BuXxR3Y1IwhCb2k78LQr07nN84zx0YgmgVbb5cwJNNgdc8kEqk31OPhlqyjep2jLHR5LFpRx-UUrn469yybLP80YwfWDH9BeM3JOtoPgA43ro-CSKm2064EgR-sEYg/s320/PB270205.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546112817227988578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Swimming with them is incredible. They are docile and tolerant of snorkelers, but watch out for that tail! If they feel pestered they may whack you with it as they swim off.</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJ7MOewjXQnZwe4c11tx0VBxep1b3-mussr5TJC6rrArdFHT4lSVsROkDy25PH8dxTdXFBQ9y1BUo4dg-jDAEERHoWBwYWZML9WQaESa_hsS8lrlDsWPB2sSZ5mpWz6EJlBM1a7Z0yA/s1600/PB270211.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJ7MOewjXQnZwe4c11tx0VBxep1b3-mussr5TJC6rrArdFHT4lSVsROkDy25PH8dxTdXFBQ9y1BUo4dg-jDAEERHoWBwYWZML9WQaESa_hsS8lrlDsWPB2sSZ5mpWz6EJlBM1a7Z0yA/s320/PB270211.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546111038016833986" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Andrew turned out to be a veritable shark whisperer, as the sharks seemed to like him best and even seek him out. A few of us watched from the boat as he swam beside one big shark, taking underwater photos of his spots. From above, we could see another whale shark coming right towards him, but with all the plankton in the water we knew he wouldn’t be able to see it approaching. When the second shark was maybe a foot away we watched his whole body jerk in startled reaction to discovering a giant shark mouth opened at his torso. Swimming with these massive fish was definitely a peak experience, and not to be missed.</span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBKWxLsh8pdswKKTwJtgTuwWNN5pBTV0vBi_EUpcwvMmEq0_AV89TzSJ-OMesm-YVXzvnZSUkawCyDZPR1YIKR8KFHTWa8qI5T7joFqoy1xpCCQ0A1Saxhcce16gIxbGSbLQWy8pvqg/s1600/PB270166.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBKWxLsh8pdswKKTwJtgTuwWNN5pBTV0vBi_EUpcwvMmEq0_AV89TzSJ-OMesm-YVXzvnZSUkawCyDZPR1YIKR8KFHTWa8qI5T7joFqoy1xpCCQ0A1Saxhcce16gIxbGSbLQWy8pvqg/s320/PB270166.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546114972221785762" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205926371599295414.post-73470447484091215332010-12-01T09:26:00.000-08:002010-12-02T21:37:08.489-08:00Copper Canyon, Part Three<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyPVRHwQobEh_UdTnNjkVgW5ISDlq59SraRG4dwAcILFy_tqp6JV21angqbQb3Q1PbDozTf7Qc4-syEsQPiRg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After our hike, we retreated to the Mirador to enjoy the view as we lunched on quesadillas and read our books. In conversation with our favorite waiter, Lupe, we learned that he was from El Fuerte and he told us about all kinds of things we had missed while we were there, including a set of petroglyphs by the river. So we decided to return to El Fuerte for a day on our way back to La Paz.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dinner that night at Cabanas Diaz started with a small bowl of aromatic lentil soup with onions and garlic, followed by a large bowl of chicken soup with carrots and zucchini, accompanied by rice. The meal concluded with a bowl of sliced banana floating in a soupy sweet yogurt for dessert. Small Diaz children ran around the living room and peeked over our shoulders as we ate.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the morning there was frost on the ground and our breath steamed in front of our faces. After another half day of hiking we went to the train station to catch El Chepe back to El Fuerte. This train had come from Chihuahua and was packed with local people traveling for work or to see their families, carrying their belongings in handled mesh bags. We were told there’d be no seats for the first three hours so John rolled out his yoga mat and we sat on the floor in the snack car.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Upon our nighttime arrival in El Fuerte a car met us to take us to our hotel with a sign that said “Jhon.” Hotel Rio Vista was a creatively decorated building that sat on the hill overlooking the El Fuerte River. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the morning we had breakfast on the veranda surrounded by bougainvillea and hummingbirds.</span></span></p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWhkZo9O1GCYzljJG7WptGYedJAPNnOcL7CE6dzQDrHZD6E6c-lqWI01KBWSXAhnhVTNsX8jRfNjHQaj3EOw4IWoyEy3OH537OSxy-c0inLnYciYDJzRoa-l9iecCUwqV1El3_wsJhQ/s320/IMG_1364.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545772977925036210" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrytmuGh41K3TSQInsi-JYM2vzjClhNXNBhrAWaKINwkeDp4aYP4c5ZkbdWO_5YnsopPrCWuE1RAubeesyWNmrjPwIYr6a6_x2evNUn8-OB9FYwLNShTeL5MR3YJXadtNFV8kiMvk_A/s400/IMG_1362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545773401082453266" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This crazy mural was painted outside our room. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We then explored the rest of the town that we had missed the first time around. We visited the fort (el fuerte) of El Fuerte, which is now a museum.</span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Stzsh1HNsmVVxKz-pLsmKt41u7aAq0o4TpR4BH_5ZeW9jp_H7wI7S3LnW-7v4CWgZanhiOLFYaM6C3ZCU9eWR1tzlcDdSYmK02ptoLml8xUYhx5aJNwzODsQCoU1pFKQm7Wm3K72Sw/s1600/IMG_1365.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Stzsh1HNsmVVxKz-pLsmKt41u7aAq0o4TpR4BH_5ZeW9jp_H7wI7S3LnW-7v4CWgZanhiOLFYaM6C3ZCU9eWR1tzlcDdSYmK02ptoLml8xUYhx5aJNwzODsQCoU1pFKQm7Wm3K72Sw/s320/IMG_1365.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545775262222761010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A whole wing of the fort was devoted to “Miss El Fuerte,” and featured photos of women wearing extravagant gowns and posing in odd places (like a barren cornfield) and with weird props like this lovely gem:</span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFI2m6hsZ4Z8n_PETtHnOEdBUJUq-ZCujSv4JBnxn3nAPXnR_1Iu5axGRfXPd3NiVFvRQ0uaVKe7foHncSHv2QCSdOBKGVodqqeHQZEP-1tMU8P9Lbk2rkkqzyaJzpLd2ogbTxBs-iw/s1600/IMG_1369.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFI2m6hsZ4Z8n_PETtHnOEdBUJUq-ZCujSv4JBnxn3nAPXnR_1Iu5axGRfXPd3NiVFvRQ0uaVKe7foHncSHv2QCSdOBKGVodqqeHQZEP-1tMU8P9Lbk2rkkqzyaJzpLd2ogbTxBs-iw/s320/IMG_1369.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545774010776387906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Check out this guy's hat. I have no idea what's going on in this photo.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A hike to see the petroglyphs took us down the hill to the river, across a suspension bridge, up a walkway on the other side, and up another hill on a dirt road covered in cow patties. There were cows standing and lying around everywhere. One big bull with an intimidating set of horns stood near the path and bellowed threateningly, but he ultimately let us pass unharmed. We never found the petroglyphs, but it was a nice hike all the same - except for the biting flies we ran into by the river. They swarmed us and left angry red welts on our arms and legs that itched for days.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When we got back to town we ran into the owner of our hotel and asked him where we could find a good pizza. He showed us where to find the better of two options, a tiny restaurant that served only one kind of pizza: a la Mexicana. We would have to wait for our pizza to find out what that meant. Because they didn’t serve beer, the lady of the house told John to just go buy some and bring it back. He asked a guy on the street where he could find beer and the guy offered to drive him the six blocks to the liquor store. He refused to accept payment or tip for his helpfulness. So we enjoyed our pizza a la Mexicana (topped with slices of hot dog and salsa) with icy Negra Modelos.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Later, we took a taxi to the ferry station in Topolobampo where we had to wait until 11PM for the ferry to leave. Luke had the bright idea of getting a cabin on the ferry and it was a godsend. Much like a cruise ship cabin, it had four cozy bunks, a bathroom with shower, and a little desk with bottles of water. We promptly fell asleep and only woke up when the ferry docked in Pichilingue at 6AM. Visiting the Copper Canyon was quite a journey, but well worth the effort. </span></span></p></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191448775783537197noreply@blogger.com0