Our journey from Cabo San Lucas, known as the Baja Bash, was just that.
Not all bash, there were a smooth day or two inbetween as well. We made
slow progress up the Mexican coast, and the last port before we crossed
the border to the States was Ensenada. We were running a bit low on
provisions, and I decided to do a touch and go at Ensenada. A touch and go
is when you arrive, do what you have to do, and depart the same day, which
is exactly what we did. We arrived at about 1pm. Also took the time to get
a passageweather report, downloaded the images, and at 4pm we were on our
way again. We did take some time to stretch our legs a bit, walking to the
supermarket, back to the boat, and then to another part of town. There we
found a really relaxing little art gallery, coffee shop and clothing
store. The ambiance was magic, and we could sit back for a while and soak
up all the good energy that was in the air. A place called the Spirit
Lounge.
The next day we were motorsailing past San Diego, and could see by all the
lights at night that we were now in the States. A lot of warship activity
in the area. I used to think of them as navy ships, but they identified
themselves as Warship 04 or Warship 108, or whatever the ships number was.
They often radioed on VHF16, warning to stay clear of them as they were
busy with man overboard exercises, flare exercises, and also live
ammunition exercises. Sad to think of ships as warships, but this seems to
be the American way. The land of the brave and free, yet always at war.
Navy ships sounds better to me, protecting your coastline etc, but warship
is an active word, an act of war. Not to protect, but to attact. To jump
the gun a bit, at our last stop I met an American called Zak. Nice and
friendly, well travelled and he invited us for supper. We also befriended
each other on facebook. The first posting I saw on his page was a picture
of probably about 30 different brands of automatic personal assault rifles,
and the caption of the picture read which one of these would you want in a
real life situation. Really ??? America sounds more like the land of fear
and greed. Is this what the Declaration of Independence comes down to. What
about liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I guess it is. For the few. And
the rest are just slaves to the system. The local radio station we listened
to for a few days also made it pretty clear. You can get credit, and buy
what you like, they will make a plan for you. It is a trap, living on
credit. Strange ads, some of them. Divorce lawyers having ads on radio to
make sure you don't get screwed. Vultures, the lawyers and all the credit
offerings. And yet, the few Americans I met were warm people, very
welcoming. I feel sorry for them though, in this country where an image of
an eagle soaring is exactly the opposite of what I see around me. Consume,
consume, consume, as much as you can. There is an endless supply of
whatever you want. It will only cost you your soul. With respect, I think
in America God must be a McDonald junkie. The land where God is nicely
boxed and sold to the masses. Anyways, real life situations ....still I
love America and the Americans. And I wish you only and all the best, as I
do for every other nation and citizen of this world.
Back to our little boat we named Infinity, this trip sometimes feel like an
eternity. Guess we chose the right name :-) Sailing past Los Angeles, there
was a huge fleet of sailing vessels on the water. Old classic yachts, new
ones, big ones, small ones. That was on Easter Sunday, the weather was
good, and we went straight through the middle of what I think was a
regatta. Them sailing with sails full of wind on the beam, and us
motorsailing straight into headwinds. How my heart ached at seeing a
sailing vessel sailing, with no motor running. Haven't done that in quite a
while :) At the same time we had US Coast Guard on the VHF every hour or so
warning of gale winds and big seas expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Advising all mariners to seek safe shelter before then. We decided to heed
their advice, and on Sunday last we arrived at Channel Islands Marina, just
west of Port Hueneme at about 11am. We docked at the marina office dock and
contacted immigration from there. We were then requested to stay aboard
until we hace been cleared by immigration. They were busy with a cuiseliner
in Santa Barbara and it will take a few hours for them to sort us out. Four
hours later the officers arrived, and we were legally cleared into America.
The marina allocated us a berth at their visitors dock, and by 4pm we were
safely tied up. Shops about ten minutes walk away, ablutions with hot
showers just a minute away, and we were sorted. I was once again amazed at
the size of the marinas in the States. This particular marina also had
quite a few apartments on an island, each one with their own mooring. What
a lifestyle. And as mentioned earlier, warm showers. I judge any marina or
yacht club firstly by their showers :) It was really hard to sit and wait
for a storm to pass over when we could not see the storm from where we
were. But we used our time at the marina to dry our sails, service the
motors, clean the engine rooms, clean our bilges and so on.
Everyday we would go to the local Starbucks for a cappuchino, and also
because we had free wifi there. We could skype, download the freshest
weather reports, did some research on google, google earthed our route from
here to San Francisco and so on. The first two days we also did the
American thing and had burgers the first two days, and then we were over
it. But we also got some fresh provisions, and stocked up on whatever we
thought we may need for the next few days. Also nice to have a Westmarine
store just on our doorstep. I could find racor filters and oil for
servicing the motors. Racor filters are what we use to seperate whatever
water is in our diesel, and also to filter the diesel before it gets to the
injectors in the motor. Nice to know that we did all we possibly could to
have the boat in top shape before we take on the last 300nm.
Yesterday morning as planned we departed. The weather does not look all
that good, or all that bad. There is no way that we can avoid some strong
weather before we get to our final destination. And to sit a marina,
waiting for the weather, and maybe waiting longer, is really not easy for
us. And if we wait longer, and the calm weather predicted goes bad on us
again, it would really be frustrating. All the time whilst sitting at the
marina I had this feeling in my stomach that we should have pushed on
through. We are used to fairly strong winds and big seas. On the other side
it was also good to make sure everything on our boat is in top working
order. These delays, some of them I don't understand. One of the positive
spin-offs of our delayd trip up the Mexican mainland coast was that we were
in a perfect position to see the moon eclipse a week or two ago. The skies
were crystal clear, and it really was astounding watching the moon being
covered from one side, and watch it being covered until it was completely
eclipsed. And a red glow was clearly visible, the so called bloodmoon. And
living so close to the elements for so long, it was a huge occasion to
watch Sista Moon as we call her do her thing :0. The very next day the
weather turned foul and we could hardly see a star for a few days. So for
some obscure reason, we were at the right time at the right place. We learn
so much from the moon, and it has such an enormous effect on our planet.
Patience is one thing I learn from this beautiful body in the sky.
Patiently she will wait for her time to shine, to wax, to wane, doing the
cosmic dance with all the other planets, stars, galaxies and other heavenly
bodies. The infinite timelessness of it all, we are close to that. the
cycle of life and death. And although we thik it all moves in a huge big
circle, it actually moves in a huge big spiral. So we are not just
mindlessly and aimlessly turning around and around in a big circle, we are
actually moving in a direction. On 21/12/12 our planet reached her
furtherest point from the centre of the Milky Way as we named this belt of
bright stellar line of galaxies and everything that is in it. And now Gaia,
or planet earth is spiralling back towards the centre, towards the light.
And we, who are part of and made of stardust, is also once again awakening
to a deeper understanding of what it is to be human.
For a few weeks I was listening to a song by Gnarls Barkley, Just a
Thought. A strange song, and some of the words goes that he tried
everything but suicide, but just a thought, he is fine. I am not and have
never been suicidal. I don't ever underestimate depression or any other
reason why someone would commit suicide. And a few days ago I learned that
someone I knew well committed suicide. It left me feeling empty,
despondent, and feeling sorry for the ones he left behind. Just strange
that this song came to me, and a few weeks later this sad thing happened.
In this big cycle of life and death, and why fear either. Neither we can
avoid, but life is there to live.
This morning at 6am we rounded Pt. Conception, and a few hours later
Pt.Arguello. These were areas we dreaded, and we timed our arrival to be
when the weather was expected to ease off a bit, which it did. We are
however expecting heavier weather again later today, and throughout the
night. Tomorrow afternoon we should be through the heavy stuff and expect
to arrive at San Francisco on Monday. We are going quite a bit faster than
expected, and hopefully we can get up high enough to miss some of the
heavier weather. Only time will tell. On board we are all well. Thibault is
looking hugely forward to seeing his lady Helen who will be flying in to
San Francisco to join him. I am also hugely looking forward to see my
family and friends again back in SA. And Stuart, well he turned out to be
much better than expected, and I expected a lot. And I know he is also
looking forward to sit in the shadow of Table Mountain, that most beautiful
beacon of strength around which Cape Town and surroundings have formed. A
trip like this requires a lot of mental strength, and I am glad to say
Stuart has that in abundance. Thibault and myself have done some hard
deliveries together before, so I knew what to expect from him. Stuart being
only 22 years old, it is sometimes hard for young people to have the
patience required to be at sea for months and not loose it. But glad to
say, he is not addicted to tv or computer games and things like that. He is
far more focused on real stuff. And always willing to lend a hand, to
learn, to share, improving himself all the time. I have offered him a
position on my next delivery, which will be on a Leopard 46 from Durban to
the Seychelles. All three of us get on very well. We respect each other
immensely, and although we are physically a bit tired, we are up for the
last stretch.
And the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. This trip is not over,
but we have been through some really good times and some really tough
times. Once we arrive at the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, we will
be elated. But we won't let our guard down until we are safely tied up at
our designated dock. And who knows, just maybe I will post one more blog.
Share some insights into the fractal nature of our existence and our
experience. Part of a little poem I wrote, just for kicks :)
Death sits in my shadow
Smiling at me all the time
A friend of mine I guess
That maketh the dark light shine
And in the blinding light
Dwells my soul's delight
A knowing of a knowing
Of a never ending flowing
An ocean I must cross
A mountain I must climb
I see it all around me
Footprints of the divine
And life she calls
And heed the call I must
A life I choose to live
A shadow I choose to cast
The day will come I know
And my shadow will be no more
And I will be ready
To pass through that sacred door
Friday, April 25, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
Mexico to San Francisco
We were delayed for a few days in Cabo Lucas, Mexico. Clearing in and out
even with the assistance from an agent took longer than expected, but
eventually we were fuelled up and departed again on Thursday morning. Cabo
Lucas turned out to be a fairly modern place with an ultra modern marina.
Most of the boats here are big sportfishing boats, as Cabo Lucas also
hosts the richest fishing competition in the world. My first impressions
of the Mexicans is that they are warm and friendly people. Hola amigo to
everyone. We also provisioned again for the final leg. While we were at
Cabo Lucas we also serviced our motors and saildrives, checked the
rigging, washed our boat down from top to bottom, and continued with our
preventative maintenance program. The most awesome experience I had there
was being able to get a good skype session in with my princess back home.
She was totally blown away by the huge Mexican hat I bought her :))) And a
few other gifts as well. Skype can be ultra frustrating when it is not
working properly, but just before we left we got a uninterrupted session
in.
Our first two days out were ideal. Flat seas and light headwinds and we
were making good miles to San Francisco. As expected the weather turned
colder, the sea bigger and the wind much stronger. Last night we were
battling in 40kts of headwinds, and progress was seriously slow. This
morning the weather eased a bit and we were once again doing well. By
noon the wind started building, and an hour later we were once again stuck
in 40kts of headwinds, and the wave period is quite short. Which means we
go up and down and not really making progress or building momentum
forward. Instead of hammering through another night of going nowhere
slowly, I decided to anchor in a sheltered bay for the night. Our three
hourly weather forecast predicts that the wind will abate early tomorrow
morning, the swell will also spread out a bit. From 7sec swells to 10sec
swells means a much better ride for us.
We will thus head out again at first light and round the point towards Pt.
Eugenia. Currently we are anchored in a small bay called Abreojos,
sheltered from the seas for a while. On Wednesday we expect seriously
strong winds further up north, ranging between 40-50kts. We are thus
slowing down just a little to avoid the brunt of the storm that will reach
San Diego on Wednesday. Further down south it looks a little bit better
for us. Rounding Pt. Eugenia we will head north to north east to get
closer to land. We find a bit closer inshore the sea is flatter and we
also get some good currents in our favour. And if the weather really
becomes impossible, we can always find a safe anchorage. From all the
Baja Bash guides it seems that this is the best way to do it, run while
you can and take shelter when you have to. We are used to big seas and
strong winds, but making excruciatingly slow progress is not necessary. We
are only wasting fuel and stressing the boat unnecessary. We did not make
the boat show, so we did not win the race :( Our focus is now on
finishing the race, still as fast as conditions will allow, but no need to
push the limits too far.
About 800nm to go to San Francisco, so near and so far. It is a very
interesting challenge, on so many levels. Physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual to name a few. And we have to make the most of the currents, the
winds, the wave height, and of course the weather predictions we are
getting. Throw all these factors together and brace ourselves. And at the
end, there is the Golden Gate that we will sail under as we enter San
Francisco. Not completely the end, the end being once we are safely tied up
at our final destination.
Please take care and hope to touch base again soon.
even with the assistance from an agent took longer than expected, but
eventually we were fuelled up and departed again on Thursday morning. Cabo
Lucas turned out to be a fairly modern place with an ultra modern marina.
Most of the boats here are big sportfishing boats, as Cabo Lucas also
hosts the richest fishing competition in the world. My first impressions
of the Mexicans is that they are warm and friendly people. Hola amigo to
everyone. We also provisioned again for the final leg. While we were at
Cabo Lucas we also serviced our motors and saildrives, checked the
rigging, washed our boat down from top to bottom, and continued with our
preventative maintenance program. The most awesome experience I had there
was being able to get a good skype session in with my princess back home.
She was totally blown away by the huge Mexican hat I bought her :))) And a
few other gifts as well. Skype can be ultra frustrating when it is not
working properly, but just before we left we got a uninterrupted session
in.
Our first two days out were ideal. Flat seas and light headwinds and we
were making good miles to San Francisco. As expected the weather turned
colder, the sea bigger and the wind much stronger. Last night we were
battling in 40kts of headwinds, and progress was seriously slow. This
morning the weather eased a bit and we were once again doing well. By
noon the wind started building, and an hour later we were once again stuck
in 40kts of headwinds, and the wave period is quite short. Which means we
go up and down and not really making progress or building momentum
forward. Instead of hammering through another night of going nowhere
slowly, I decided to anchor in a sheltered bay for the night. Our three
hourly weather forecast predicts that the wind will abate early tomorrow
morning, the swell will also spread out a bit. From 7sec swells to 10sec
swells means a much better ride for us.
We will thus head out again at first light and round the point towards Pt.
Eugenia. Currently we are anchored in a small bay called Abreojos,
sheltered from the seas for a while. On Wednesday we expect seriously
strong winds further up north, ranging between 40-50kts. We are thus
slowing down just a little to avoid the brunt of the storm that will reach
San Diego on Wednesday. Further down south it looks a little bit better
for us. Rounding Pt. Eugenia we will head north to north east to get
closer to land. We find a bit closer inshore the sea is flatter and we
also get some good currents in our favour. And if the weather really
becomes impossible, we can always find a safe anchorage. From all the
Baja Bash guides it seems that this is the best way to do it, run while
you can and take shelter when you have to. We are used to big seas and
strong winds, but making excruciatingly slow progress is not necessary. We
are only wasting fuel and stressing the boat unnecessary. We did not make
the boat show, so we did not win the race :( Our focus is now on
finishing the race, still as fast as conditions will allow, but no need to
push the limits too far.
About 800nm to go to San Francisco, so near and so far. It is a very
interesting challenge, on so many levels. Physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual to name a few. And we have to make the most of the currents, the
winds, the wave height, and of course the weather predictions we are
getting. Throw all these factors together and brace ourselves. And at the
end, there is the Golden Gate that we will sail under as we enter San
Francisco. Not completely the end, the end being once we are safely tied up
at our final destination.
Please take care and hope to touch base again soon.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Poco Loco ala Mexico
Poco Loco in Spanish means a little crazy. And that is how things have
been here with us of late. At times we are sailing smooth and fast, and at
times we are going slow and rough. The sea life has been nothing short of
amazing. Dolphins every day, and we never tire of appreciating their
little visits, day and night. There is a saying, that when the dolphins
come to play, trouble is on the way. And in a way, I can vouch for that. A
few days ago we saw hundreds of dolphins and birds in a feeding frenzy.
And the next two days were seriously rough. 40 kts of wind blowing our
socks of, in a manner of speaking. We have been running both motors
simultaneously for quite a few days to try and make up some time, but
yesterday we had to accept that we won't be in time the boat show. We only
have 1500nm to go, so very near and so very far at the same time. When the
wind was really blowing hard, it would push us back south if we run just
one engine. The waves are fairly big then, and at short intervals. We
would pick up a bit of momentum, and going up a wave, and slow down to
nearly nothing as we bash into the next oncoming wave. We then slow down
the engines a bit, and find a way to keep going at the best possible
speed. We also have some mainsail up during these conditions as it helps
us to keep on a straight lie with the wind. Once the angle of the wind
changes a bit, the main sail also generates a little speed for us. The
worst run we've had was 26nm for 12 hours during the night. We did more in
four hours during the same day. That should give you some idea of being
truly optimistic, and then being truly challenged.
My darling daughter, Maryna, bestowed some beautiful pearls of wisdom to
her daddy, at the very young age of nearly 11. I phoned her and told her
that the going is rough and tough at the moment, and we are going very
slowly. She then said that the most important thing is just to keep on
going. When she was 5 she sailed with me from Cape Town to Belize, so she
knows the score. Those few words, coming from her from the other side of
the world, meant the world to me. Made me strong beyond what I could
muster. And we did just that, we kept on going through the rough weather,
and the rough weather eventually subsided. She scored 92% for maths for
her last term, so who am I to argue :)
Our next stop will be San Lucas, right on the southern tip of Baja
California. We need to fill up our fuel tanks, get some fresh provisions,
fill our water tanks and brace ourselves for what is known as the Baja
Bash. After a few days of rough, I decided to tack west last night to work
an angle back up north to San Lucas. We motorsailed and the sailing was
smooth for a change. We all had a much needed rest from the preceding few
rough days. It was heavenly. This morning at 6 as planned we tacked again
and sailing north at the moment, into the Gulf of California, and the
entrance to the Cortez Sea. Jean Jacques Cousteau, the famous French
explorer, called it the biggest natural aquarium in the world. Over 900
different species of fish here alone, and a famous breeding ground for all
types of whales, including the biggest animal on the planet, the blue
whale. Thibault's sister Melanie studied marine biology, and this is the
one place on the planet that she would love most to visit. We will be
somewhat protected from the relentless northwesterlies and the Pacific
swell, and we are looking forward to some smooth sailing once again. We
are doing about 4kts at the moment, which is not too bad, and the
conditions are also relatively calm. We plan to sail a bit into the Gulf,
and once we get a sailable angle to San Lucas, will tack west again. When
I say sailable, I should say motorsailable, as we are sailing very close
to the wind and motoring. As we won't make it in time for the boat show,
we are now just running one motor at a time.
Thibault also had a great mishap a few days ago. e had a little spell of
rain, and decided it was a great time to catch a shower in the rain. Do
some raindancing. We were having a really great time, and as usual, Thib
thought to capture it on his GoPro, less he forgets these times. We were
finished showering and busy drying ourselves, when he wanted to take one
more little video of himself with the sun breaking through the clouds in
the background. He rested his camera on the coachroof of the boat. And as
you have guessed by now, the boat swayed a bit over a swell, and he
watched in horror as his GoPro, slid off the coachroof, bounced on the
deck, onto the safety rails, and into the ocean. He was paralized from
shock as he watched his camera falling and bouncing and dropping into the
ocean. He was hugely upset, and I will not repeat the words that came out
of his mouth, as it was choice French curses and swear words. We were
motoring at the time with no wind, and he feels if he acted fast enough he
could have jumped into the ocean and had a change of saving his GoPro. He
was inconsolable and could hardly eat two bites of his supper. As with any
accident, things happen in slow motion, and he replayed it over and over
in his head, trying to figure out why he did not jump in after the camera.
We could have easily turned the boat around and fetched him again. He was
livid with himself. Nothing Stuart or myself could say or do, so we just
kept quiet and carried on with the usual runnings of a boat. Thibault went
to sleep, and probably wished that he would wake up the next morning and
realize it was all just a bad dream as we all do at times like this. He
wrote the incident down in his diary, and helped himself get over it. The
next day he shared his great loss, his dismay, his disappointment in
himself with his love Helene in France, and her reply was a great
consolation to him. He translated and said they should rather not talk
about it, and rather focus on their planned trip to the States once we
arrive. Focus on something more positive. She is planning to fly to San
Francisco, and together they will do a tour of San Francisco, L.A., Las
Vegas etc. That cheered him up tremendously. She has already sourced a
good price for a GoPro in San Francisco, being a champion organizer. Also
smiling that she wants to come with just about an empty suitcase, and buy
some nice clothes in San Francisco. And there are some very interesting
clothing shop in the Bay. A Lonely Planet guide for San Francisco she also
sourced for T has some beautiful pictures and lots of info for a tourist.
Really looks like an awesome place to spend some time in.
A day or two after Thib lost his GoPro the water was once again as flat as
a mirror, and there were quite a few turtles around. As we were just
motoring, I decided to slowly approach one . Thibault had my camera in his
hand ready to take a few pics. And yes, it was strapped around his wrist
:) My camera is also a high quality waterproof camera, and when we got
close, I asked Thib if he wanted to go and swim with the turtle and take
some underwater pics. He was elated and did not hesitate to jump in.
Stuart jumped in as well, and the two of them really enjoyed some turtle
time. The turtle was not phased at all, and they are quite curious
creatures. I drifted the boat off a bit, and after about ten minutes and
heaps of fun, went in closer to fetch them again. It was a tremendous
treat for both my crew, and they were feeling on top of the world again,
swimming in the big blue Pacific with a turtle, even stroking his shell
lightly. We could not wait to download the pics, and the pics were great.
I laughed when Thibault wrote and shared his experience with Helene, and
in his next mail told her again about his wonderful experience. She told
him that he has already mentioned it in his previous mail and that he must
focus :) He is a little absent minded at times I guess :)
Stuart is taking every day as it comes, tending to his dreadlocks, now and
then playing his didgereedo. My spelling is probably way wrong, but it is
the blow instrument the Aborigines from Australia play. We found a piece
of pvc pipe in Panama and cut it to size, and he gets some interesting
sounds out of it. He is also studying French a lot, writing words and
phrases in his book. I have the French Rocket course on my tab, Stuart on
his cellphone, and Thib who bluetoothed it for us from his Apple Mac.
And so here we are, looking forward to San Lucas. We are in great shape,
our spirits are high, and we are fully motivated to get Infinity to San
Francisco in great shape too. Our ETA I will guess to be 20 April, give or
take a few days. Until next time, once again, take care.
Over and out
been here with us of late. At times we are sailing smooth and fast, and at
times we are going slow and rough. The sea life has been nothing short of
amazing. Dolphins every day, and we never tire of appreciating their
little visits, day and night. There is a saying, that when the dolphins
come to play, trouble is on the way. And in a way, I can vouch for that. A
few days ago we saw hundreds of dolphins and birds in a feeding frenzy.
And the next two days were seriously rough. 40 kts of wind blowing our
socks of, in a manner of speaking. We have been running both motors
simultaneously for quite a few days to try and make up some time, but
yesterday we had to accept that we won't be in time the boat show. We only
have 1500nm to go, so very near and so very far at the same time. When the
wind was really blowing hard, it would push us back south if we run just
one engine. The waves are fairly big then, and at short intervals. We
would pick up a bit of momentum, and going up a wave, and slow down to
nearly nothing as we bash into the next oncoming wave. We then slow down
the engines a bit, and find a way to keep going at the best possible
speed. We also have some mainsail up during these conditions as it helps
us to keep on a straight lie with the wind. Once the angle of the wind
changes a bit, the main sail also generates a little speed for us. The
worst run we've had was 26nm for 12 hours during the night. We did more in
four hours during the same day. That should give you some idea of being
truly optimistic, and then being truly challenged.
My darling daughter, Maryna, bestowed some beautiful pearls of wisdom to
her daddy, at the very young age of nearly 11. I phoned her and told her
that the going is rough and tough at the moment, and we are going very
slowly. She then said that the most important thing is just to keep on
going. When she was 5 she sailed with me from Cape Town to Belize, so she
knows the score. Those few words, coming from her from the other side of
the world, meant the world to me. Made me strong beyond what I could
muster. And we did just that, we kept on going through the rough weather,
and the rough weather eventually subsided. She scored 92% for maths for
her last term, so who am I to argue :)
Our next stop will be San Lucas, right on the southern tip of Baja
California. We need to fill up our fuel tanks, get some fresh provisions,
fill our water tanks and brace ourselves for what is known as the Baja
Bash. After a few days of rough, I decided to tack west last night to work
an angle back up north to San Lucas. We motorsailed and the sailing was
smooth for a change. We all had a much needed rest from the preceding few
rough days. It was heavenly. This morning at 6 as planned we tacked again
and sailing north at the moment, into the Gulf of California, and the
entrance to the Cortez Sea. Jean Jacques Cousteau, the famous French
explorer, called it the biggest natural aquarium in the world. Over 900
different species of fish here alone, and a famous breeding ground for all
types of whales, including the biggest animal on the planet, the blue
whale. Thibault's sister Melanie studied marine biology, and this is the
one place on the planet that she would love most to visit. We will be
somewhat protected from the relentless northwesterlies and the Pacific
swell, and we are looking forward to some smooth sailing once again. We
are doing about 4kts at the moment, which is not too bad, and the
conditions are also relatively calm. We plan to sail a bit into the Gulf,
and once we get a sailable angle to San Lucas, will tack west again. When
I say sailable, I should say motorsailable, as we are sailing very close
to the wind and motoring. As we won't make it in time for the boat show,
we are now just running one motor at a time.
Thibault also had a great mishap a few days ago. e had a little spell of
rain, and decided it was a great time to catch a shower in the rain. Do
some raindancing. We were having a really great time, and as usual, Thib
thought to capture it on his GoPro, less he forgets these times. We were
finished showering and busy drying ourselves, when he wanted to take one
more little video of himself with the sun breaking through the clouds in
the background. He rested his camera on the coachroof of the boat. And as
you have guessed by now, the boat swayed a bit over a swell, and he
watched in horror as his GoPro, slid off the coachroof, bounced on the
deck, onto the safety rails, and into the ocean. He was paralized from
shock as he watched his camera falling and bouncing and dropping into the
ocean. He was hugely upset, and I will not repeat the words that came out
of his mouth, as it was choice French curses and swear words. We were
motoring at the time with no wind, and he feels if he acted fast enough he
could have jumped into the ocean and had a change of saving his GoPro. He
was inconsolable and could hardly eat two bites of his supper. As with any
accident, things happen in slow motion, and he replayed it over and over
in his head, trying to figure out why he did not jump in after the camera.
We could have easily turned the boat around and fetched him again. He was
livid with himself. Nothing Stuart or myself could say or do, so we just
kept quiet and carried on with the usual runnings of a boat. Thibault went
to sleep, and probably wished that he would wake up the next morning and
realize it was all just a bad dream as we all do at times like this. He
wrote the incident down in his diary, and helped himself get over it. The
next day he shared his great loss, his dismay, his disappointment in
himself with his love Helene in France, and her reply was a great
consolation to him. He translated and said they should rather not talk
about it, and rather focus on their planned trip to the States once we
arrive. Focus on something more positive. She is planning to fly to San
Francisco, and together they will do a tour of San Francisco, L.A., Las
Vegas etc. That cheered him up tremendously. She has already sourced a
good price for a GoPro in San Francisco, being a champion organizer. Also
smiling that she wants to come with just about an empty suitcase, and buy
some nice clothes in San Francisco. And there are some very interesting
clothing shop in the Bay. A Lonely Planet guide for San Francisco she also
sourced for T has some beautiful pictures and lots of info for a tourist.
Really looks like an awesome place to spend some time in.
A day or two after Thib lost his GoPro the water was once again as flat as
a mirror, and there were quite a few turtles around. As we were just
motoring, I decided to slowly approach one . Thibault had my camera in his
hand ready to take a few pics. And yes, it was strapped around his wrist
:) My camera is also a high quality waterproof camera, and when we got
close, I asked Thib if he wanted to go and swim with the turtle and take
some underwater pics. He was elated and did not hesitate to jump in.
Stuart jumped in as well, and the two of them really enjoyed some turtle
time. The turtle was not phased at all, and they are quite curious
creatures. I drifted the boat off a bit, and after about ten minutes and
heaps of fun, went in closer to fetch them again. It was a tremendous
treat for both my crew, and they were feeling on top of the world again,
swimming in the big blue Pacific with a turtle, even stroking his shell
lightly. We could not wait to download the pics, and the pics were great.
I laughed when Thibault wrote and shared his experience with Helene, and
in his next mail told her again about his wonderful experience. She told
him that he has already mentioned it in his previous mail and that he must
focus :) He is a little absent minded at times I guess :)
Stuart is taking every day as it comes, tending to his dreadlocks, now and
then playing his didgereedo. My spelling is probably way wrong, but it is
the blow instrument the Aborigines from Australia play. We found a piece
of pvc pipe in Panama and cut it to size, and he gets some interesting
sounds out of it. He is also studying French a lot, writing words and
phrases in his book. I have the French Rocket course on my tab, Stuart on
his cellphone, and Thib who bluetoothed it for us from his Apple Mac.
And so here we are, looking forward to San Lucas. We are in great shape,
our spirits are high, and we are fully motivated to get Infinity to San
Francisco in great shape too. Our ETA I will guess to be 20 April, give or
take a few days. Until next time, once again, take care.
Over and out
Poco Loco ala Mexico
Poco Loco in Spanish means a little crazy. And that is how things have
been here with us of late. At times we are sailing smooth and fast, and at
times we are going slow and rough. The sea life has been nothing short of
amazing. Dolphins every day, and we never tire of appreciating their
little visits, day and night. There is a saying, that when the dolphins
come to play, trouble is on the way. And in a way, I can vouch for that. A
few days ago we saw hundreds of dolphins and birds in a feeding frenzy.
And the next two days were seriously rough. 40 kts of wind blowing our
socks of, in a manner of speaking. We have been running both motors
simultaneously for quite a few days to try and make up some time, but
yesterday we had to accept that we won't be in time the boat show. We only
have 1500nm to go, so very near and so very far at the same time. When the
wind was really blowing hard, it would push us back south if we run just
one engine. The waves are fairly big then, and at short intervals. We
would pick up a bit of momentum, and going up a wave, and slow down to
nearly nothing as we bash into the next oncoming wave. We then slow down
the engines a bit, and find a way to keep going at the best possible
speed. We also have some mainsail up during these conditions as it helps
us to keep on a straight lie with the wind. Once the angle of the wind
changes a bit, the main sail also generates a little speed for us. The
worst run we've had was 26nm for 12 hours during the night. We did more in
four hours during the same day. That should give you some idea of being
truly optimistic, and then being truly challenged.
My darling daughter, Maryna, bestowed some beautiful pearls of wisdom to
her daddy, at the very young age of nearly 11. I phoned her and told her
that the going is rough and tough at the moment, and we are going very
slowly. She then said that the most important thing is just to keep on
going. When she was 5 she sailed with me from Cape Town to Belize, so she
knows the score. Those few words, coming from her from the other side of
the world, meant the world to me. Made me strong beyond what I could
muster. And we did just that, we kept on going through the rough weather,
and the rough weather eventually subsided. She scored 92% for maths for
her last term, so who am I to argue :)
Our next stop will be San Lucas, right on the southern tip of Baja
California. We need to fill up our fuel tanks, get some fresh provisions,
fill our water tanks and brace ourselves for what is known as the Baja
Bash. After a few days of rough, I decided to tack west last night to work
an angle back up north to San Lucas. We motorsailed and the sailing was
smooth for a change. We all had a much needed rest from the preceding few
rough days. It was heavenly. This morning at 6 as planned we tacked again
and sailing north at the moment, into the Gulf of California, and the
entrance to the Cortez Sea. Jean Jacques Cousteau, the famous French
explorer, called it the biggest natural aquarium in the world. Over 900
different species of fish here alone, and a famous breeding ground for all
types of whales, including the biggest animal on the planet, the blue
whale. Thibault's sister Melanie studied marine biology, and this is the
one place on the planet that she would love most to visit. We will be
somewhat protected from the relentless northwesterlies and the Pacific
swell, and we are looking forward to some smooth sailing once again. We
are doing about 4kts at the moment, which is not too bad, and the
conditions are also relatively calm. We plan to sail a bit into the Gulf,
and once we get a sailable angle to San Lucas, will tack west again. When
I say sailable, I should say motorsailable, as we are sailing very close
to the wind and motoring. As we won't make it in time for the boat show,
we are now just running one motor at a time.
Thibault also had a great mishap a few days ago. e had a little spell of
rain, and decided it was a great time to catch a shower in the rain. Do
some raindancing. We were having a really great time, and as usual, Thib
thought to capture it on his GoPro, less he forgets these times. We were
finished showering and busy drying ourselves, when he wanted to take one
more little video of himself with the sun breaking through the clouds in
the background. He rested his camera on the coachroof of the boat. And as
you have guessed by now, the boat swayed a bit over a swell, and he
watched in horror as his GoPro, slid off the coachroof, bounced on the
deck, onto the safety rails, and into the ocean. He was paralized from
shock as he watched his camera falling and bouncing and dropping into the
ocean. He was hugely upset, and I will not repeat the words that came out
of his mouth, as it was choice French curses and swear words. We were
motoring at the time with no wind, and he feels if he acted fast enough he
could have jumped into the ocean and had a change of saving his GoPro. He
was inconsolable and could hardly eat two bites of his supper. As with any
accident, things happen in slow motion, and he replayed it over and over
in his head, trying to figure out why he did not jump in after the camera.
We could have easily turned the boat around and fetched him again. He was
livid with himself. Nothing Stuart or myself could say or do, so we just
kept quiet and carried on with the usual runnings of a boat. Thibault went
to sleep, and probably wished that he would wake up the next morning and
realize it was all just a bad dream as we all do at times like this. He
wrote the incident down in his diary, and helped himself get over it. The
next day he shared his great loss, his dismay, his disappointment in
himself with his love Helene in France, and her reply was a great
consolation to him. He translated and said they should rather not talk
about it, and rather focus on their planned trip to the States once we
arrive. Focus on something more positive. She is planning to fly to San
Francisco, and together they will do a tour of San Francisco, L.A., Las
Vegas etc. That cheered him up tremendously. She has already sourced a
good price for a GoPro in San Francisco, being a champion organizer. Also
smiling that she wants to come with just about an empty suitcase, and buy
some nice clothes in San Francisco. And there are some very interesting
clothing shop in the Bay. A Lonely Planet guide for San Francisco she also
sourced for T has some beautiful pictures and lots of info for a tourist.
Really looks like an awesome place to spend some time in.
A day or two after Thib lost his GoPro the water was once again as flat as
a mirror, and there were quite a few turtles around. As we were just
motoring, I decided to slowly approach one . Thibault had my camera in his
hand ready to take a few pics. And yes, it was strapped around his wrist
:) My camera is also a high quality waterproof camera, and when we got
close, I asked Thib if he wanted to go and swim with the turtle and take
some underwater pics. He was elated and did not hesitate to jump in.
Stuart jumped in as well, and the two of them really enjoyed some turtle
time. The turtle was not phased at all, and they are quite curious
creatures. I drifted the boat off a bit, and after about ten minutes and
heaps of fun, went in closer to fetch them again. It was a tremendous
treat for both my crew, and they were feeling on top of the world again,
swimming in the big blue Pacific with a turtle, even stroking his shell
lightly. We could not wait to download the pics, and the pics were great.
I laughed when Thibault wrote and shared his experience with Helene, and
in his next mail told her again about his wonderful experience. She told
him that he has already mentioned it in his previous mail and that he must
focus :) He is a little absent minded at times I guess :)
Stuart is taking every day as it comes, tending to his dreadlocks, now and
then playing his didgereedo. My spelling is probably way wrong, but it is
the blow instrument the Aborigines from Australia play. We found a piece
of pvc pipe in Panama and cut it to size, and he gets some interesting
sounds out of it. He is also studying French a lot, writing words and
phrases in his book. I have the French Rocket course on my tab, Stuart on
his cellphone, and Thib who bluetoothed it for us from his Apple Mac.
And so here we are, looking forward to San Lucas. We are in great shape,
our spirits are high, and we are fully motivated to get Infinity to San
Francisco in great shape too. Our ETA I will guess to be 20 April, give or
take a few days. Until next time, once again, take care.
Over and out
been here with us of late. At times we are sailing smooth and fast, and at
times we are going slow and rough. The sea life has been nothing short of
amazing. Dolphins every day, and we never tire of appreciating their
little visits, day and night. There is a saying, that when the dolphins
come to play, trouble is on the way. And in a way, I can vouch for that. A
few days ago we saw hundreds of dolphins and birds in a feeding frenzy.
And the next two days were seriously rough. 40 kts of wind blowing our
socks of, in a manner of speaking. We have been running both motors
simultaneously for quite a few days to try and make up some time, but
yesterday we had to accept that we won't be in time the boat show. We only
have 1500nm to go, so very near and so very far at the same time. When the
wind was really blowing hard, it would push us back south if we run just
one engine. The waves are fairly big then, and at short intervals. We
would pick up a bit of momentum, and going up a wave, and slow down to
nearly nothing as we bash into the next oncoming wave. We then slow down
the engines a bit, and find a way to keep going at the best possible
speed. We also have some mainsail up during these conditions as it helps
us to keep on a straight lie with the wind. Once the angle of the wind
changes a bit, the main sail also generates a little speed for us. The
worst run we've had was 26nm for 12 hours during the night. We did more in
four hours during the same day. That should give you some idea of being
truly optimistic, and then being truly challenged.
My darling daughter, Maryna, bestowed some beautiful pearls of wisdom to
her daddy, at the very young age of nearly 11. I phoned her and told her
that the going is rough and tough at the moment, and we are going very
slowly. She then said that the most important thing is just to keep on
going. When she was 5 she sailed with me from Cape Town to Belize, so she
knows the score. Those few words, coming from her from the other side of
the world, meant the world to me. Made me strong beyond what I could
muster. And we did just that, we kept on going through the rough weather,
and the rough weather eventually subsided. She scored 92% for maths for
her last term, so who am I to argue :)
Our next stop will be San Lucas, right on the southern tip of Baja
California. We need to fill up our fuel tanks, get some fresh provisions,
fill our water tanks and brace ourselves for what is known as the Baja
Bash. After a few days of rough, I decided to tack west last night to work
an angle back up north to San Lucas. We motorsailed and the sailing was
smooth for a change. We all had a much needed rest from the preceding few
rough days. It was heavenly. This morning at 6 as planned we tacked again
and sailing north at the moment, into the Gulf of California, and the
entrance to the Cortez Sea. Jean Jacques Cousteau, the famous French
explorer, called it the biggest natural aquarium in the world. Over 900
different species of fish here alone, and a famous breeding ground for all
types of whales, including the biggest animal on the planet, the blue
whale. Thibault's sister Melanie studied marine biology, and this is the
one place on the planet that she would love most to visit. We will be
somewhat protected from the relentless northwesterlies and the Pacific
swell, and we are looking forward to some smooth sailing once again. We
are doing about 4kts at the moment, which is not too bad, and the
conditions are also relatively calm. We plan to sail a bit into the Gulf,
and once we get a sailable angle to San Lucas, will tack west again. When
I say sailable, I should say motorsailable, as we are sailing very close
to the wind and motoring. As we won't make it in time for the boat show,
we are now just running one motor at a time.
Thibault also had a great mishap a few days ago. e had a little spell of
rain, and decided it was a great time to catch a shower in the rain. Do
some raindancing. We were having a really great time, and as usual, Thib
thought to capture it on his GoPro, less he forgets these times. We were
finished showering and busy drying ourselves, when he wanted to take one
more little video of himself with the sun breaking through the clouds in
the background. He rested his camera on the coachroof of the boat. And as
you have guessed by now, the boat swayed a bit over a swell, and he
watched in horror as his GoPro, slid off the coachroof, bounced on the
deck, onto the safety rails, and into the ocean. He was paralized from
shock as he watched his camera falling and bouncing and dropping into the
ocean. He was hugely upset, and I will not repeat the words that came out
of his mouth, as it was choice French curses and swear words. We were
motoring at the time with no wind, and he feels if he acted fast enough he
could have jumped into the ocean and had a change of saving his GoPro. He
was inconsolable and could hardly eat two bites of his supper. As with any
accident, things happen in slow motion, and he replayed it over and over
in his head, trying to figure out why he did not jump in after the camera.
We could have easily turned the boat around and fetched him again. He was
livid with himself. Nothing Stuart or myself could say or do, so we just
kept quiet and carried on with the usual runnings of a boat. Thibault went
to sleep, and probably wished that he would wake up the next morning and
realize it was all just a bad dream as we all do at times like this. He
wrote the incident down in his diary, and helped himself get over it. The
next day he shared his great loss, his dismay, his disappointment in
himself with his love Helene in France, and her reply was a great
consolation to him. He translated and said they should rather not talk
about it, and rather focus on their planned trip to the States once we
arrive. Focus on something more positive. She is planning to fly to San
Francisco, and together they will do a tour of San Francisco, L.A., Las
Vegas etc. That cheered him up tremendously. She has already sourced a
good price for a GoPro in San Francisco, being a champion organizer. Also
smiling that she wants to come with just about an empty suitcase, and buy
some nice clothes in San Francisco. And there are some very interesting
clothing shop in the Bay. A Lonely Planet guide for San Francisco she also
sourced for T has some beautiful pictures and lots of info for a tourist.
Really looks like an awesome place to spend some time in.
A day or two after Thib lost his GoPro the water was once again as flat as
a mirror, and there were quite a few turtles around. As we were just
motoring, I decided to slowly approach one . Thibault had my camera in his
hand ready to take a few pics. And yes, it was strapped around his wrist
:) My camera is also a high quality waterproof camera, and when we got
close, I asked Thib if he wanted to go and swim with the turtle and take
some underwater pics. He was elated and did not hesitate to jump in.
Stuart jumped in as well, and the two of them really enjoyed some turtle
time. The turtle was not phased at all, and they are quite curious
creatures. I drifted the boat off a bit, and after about ten minutes and
heaps of fun, went in closer to fetch them again. It was a tremendous
treat for both my crew, and they were feeling on top of the world again,
swimming in the big blue Pacific with a turtle, even stroking his shell
lightly. We could not wait to download the pics, and the pics were great.
I laughed when Thibault wrote and shared his experience with Helene, and
in his next mail told her again about his wonderful experience. She told
him that he has already mentioned it in his previous mail and that he must
focus :) He is a little absent minded at times I guess :)
Stuart is taking every day as it comes, tending to his dreadlocks, now and
then playing his didgereedo. My spelling is probably way wrong, but it is
the blow instrument the Aborigines from Australia play. We found a piece
of pvc pipe in Panama and cut it to size, and he gets some interesting
sounds out of it. He is also studying French a lot, writing words and
phrases in his book. I have the French Rocket course on my tab, Stuart on
his cellphone, and Thib who bluetoothed it for us from his Apple Mac.
And so here we are, looking forward to San Lucas. We are in great shape,
our spirits are high, and we are fully motivated to get Infinity to San
Francisco in great shape too. Our ETA I will guess to be 20 April, give or
take a few days. Until next time, once again, take care.
Over and out
Poco Loco ala Mexico
Poco Loco in Spanish means a little crazy. And that is how things have
been here with us of late. At times we are sailing smooth and fast, and at
times we are going slow and rough. The sea life has been nothing short of
amazing. Dolphins every day, and we never tire of appreciating their
little visits, day and night. There is a saying, that when the dolphins
come to play, trouble is on the way. And in a way, I can vouch for that. A
few days ago we saw hundreds of dolphins and birds in a feeding frenzy.
And the next two days were seriously rough. 40 kts of wind blowing our
socks of, in a manner of speaking. We have been running both motors
simultaneously for quite a few days to try and make up some time, but
yesterday we had to accept that we won't be in time the boat show. We only
have 1500nm to go, so very near and so very far at the same time. When the
wind was really blowing hard, it would push us back south if we run just
one engine. The waves are fairly big then, and at short intervals. We
would pick up a bit of momentum, and going up a wave, and slow down to
nearly nothing as we bash into the next oncoming wave. We then slow down
the engines a bit, and find a way to keep going at the best possible
speed. We also have some mainsail up during these conditions as it helps
us to keep on a straight lie with the wind. Once the angle of the wind
changes a bit, the main sail also generates a little speed for us. The
worst run we've had was 26nm for 12 hours during the night. We did more in
four hours during the same day. That should give you some idea of being
truly optimistic, and then being truly challenged.
My darling daughter, Maryna, bestowed some beautiful pearls of wisdom to
her daddy, at the very young age of nearly 11. I phoned her and told her
that the going is rough and tough at the moment, and we are going very
slowly. She then said that the most important thing is just to keep on
going. When she was 5 she sailed with me from Cape Town to Belize, so she
knows the score. Those few words, coming from her from the other side of
the world, meant the world to me. Made me strong beyond what I could
muster. And we did just that, we kept on going through the rough weather,
and the rough weather eventually subsided. She scored 92% for maths for
her last term, so who am I to argue :)
Our next stop will be San Lucas, right on the southern tip of Baja
California. We need to fill up our fuel tanks, get some fresh provisions,
fill our water tanks and brace ourselves for what is known as the Baja
Bash. After a few days of rough, I decided to tack west last night to work
an angle back up north to San Lucas. We motorsailed and the sailing was
smooth for a change. We all had a much needed rest from the preceding few
rough days. It was heavenly. This morning at 6 as planned we tacked again
and sailing north at the moment, into the Gulf of California, and the
entrance to the Cortez Sea. Jean Jacques Cousteau, the famous French
explorer, called it the biggest natural aquarium in the world. Over 900
different species of fish here alone, and a famous breeding ground for all
types of whales, including the biggest animal on the planet, the blue
whale. Thibault's sister Melanie studied marine biology, and this is the
one place on the planet that she would love most to visit. We will be
somewhat protected from the relentless northwesterlies and the Pacific
swell, and we are looking forward to some smooth sailing once again. We
are doing about 4kts at the moment, which is not too bad, and the
conditions are also relatively calm. We plan to sail a bit into the Gulf,
and once we get a sailable angle to San Lucas, will tack west again. When
I say sailable, I should say motorsailable, as we are sailing very close
to the wind and motoring. As we won't make it in time for the boat show,
we are now just running one motor at a time.
Thibault also had a great mishap a few days ago. e had a little spell of
rain, and decided it was a great time to catch a shower in the rain. Do
some raindancing. We were having a really great time, and as usual, Thib
thought to capture it on his GoPro, less he forgets these times. We were
finished showering and busy drying ourselves, when he wanted to take one
more little video of himself with the sun breaking through the clouds in
the background. He rested his camera on the coachroof of the boat. And as
you have guessed by now, the boat swayed a bit over a swell, and he
watched in horror as his GoPro, slid off the coachroof, bounced on the
deck, onto the safety rails, and into the ocean. He was paralized from
shock as he watched his camera falling and bouncing and dropping into the
ocean. He was hugely upset, and I will not repeat the words that came out
of his mouth, as it was choice French curses and swear words. We were
motoring at the time with no wind, and he feels if he acted fast enough he
could have jumped into the ocean and had a change of saving his GoPro. He
was inconsolable and could hardly eat two bites of his supper. As with any
accident, things happen in slow motion, and he replayed it over and over
in his head, trying to figure out why he did not jump in after the camera.
We could have easily turned the boat around and fetched him again. He was
livid with himself. Nothing Stuart or myself could say or do, so we just
kept quiet and carried on with the usual runnings of a boat. Thibault went
to sleep, and probably wished that he would wake up the next morning and
realize it was all just a bad dream as we all do at times like this. He
wrote the incident down in his diary, and helped himself get over it. The
next day he shared his great loss, his dismay, his disappointment in
himself with his love Helene in France, and her reply was a great
consolation to him. He translated and said they should rather not talk
about it, and rather focus on their planned trip to the States once we
arrive. Focus on something more positive. She is planning to fly to San
Francisco, and together they will do a tour of San Francisco, L.A., Las
Vegas etc. That cheered him up tremendously. She has already sourced a
good price for a GoPro in San Francisco, being a champion organizer. Also
smiling that she wants to come with just about an empty suitcase, and buy
some nice clothes in San Francisco. And there are some very interesting
clothing shop in the Bay. A Lonely Planet guide for San Francisco she also
sourced for T has some beautiful pictures and lots of info for a tourist.
Really looks like an awesome place to spend some time in.
A day or two after Thib lost his GoPro the water was once again as flat as
a mirror, and there were quite a few turtles around. As we were just
motoring, I decided to slowly approach one . Thibault had my camera in his
hand ready to take a few pics. And yes, it was strapped around his wrist
:) My camera is also a high quality waterproof camera, and when we got
close, I asked Thib if he wanted to go and swim with the turtle and take
some underwater pics. He was elated and did not hesitate to jump in.
Stuart jumped in as well, and the two of them really enjoyed some turtle
time. The turtle was not phased at all, and they are quite curious
creatures. I drifted the boat off a bit, and after about ten minutes and
heaps of fun, went in closer to fetch them again. It was a tremendous
treat for both my crew, and they were feeling on top of the world again,
swimming in the big blue Pacific with a turtle, even stroking his shell
lightly. We could not wait to download the pics, and the pics were great.
I laughed when Thibault wrote and shared his experience with Helene, and
in his next mail told her again about his wonderful experience. She told
him that he has already mentioned it in his previous mail and that he must
focus :) He is a little absent minded at times I guess :)
Stuart is taking every day as it comes, tending to his dreadlocks, now and
then playing his didgereedo. My spelling is probably way wrong, but it is
the blow instrument the Aborigines from Australia play. We found a piece
of pvc pipe in Panama and cut it to size, and he gets some interesting
sounds out of it. He is also studying French a lot, writing words and
phrases in his book. I have the French Rocket course on my tab, Stuart on
his cellphone, and Thib who bluetoothed it for us from his Apple Mac.
And so here we are, looking forward to San Lucas. We are in great shape,
our spirits are high, and we are fully motivated to get Infinity to San
Francisco in great shape too. Our ETA I will guess to be 20 April, give or
take a few days. Until next time, once again, take care.
Over and out
been here with us of late. At times we are sailing smooth and fast, and at
times we are going slow and rough. The sea life has been nothing short of
amazing. Dolphins every day, and we never tire of appreciating their
little visits, day and night. There is a saying, that when the dolphins
come to play, trouble is on the way. And in a way, I can vouch for that. A
few days ago we saw hundreds of dolphins and birds in a feeding frenzy.
And the next two days were seriously rough. 40 kts of wind blowing our
socks of, in a manner of speaking. We have been running both motors
simultaneously for quite a few days to try and make up some time, but
yesterday we had to accept that we won't be in time the boat show. We only
have 1500nm to go, so very near and so very far at the same time. When the
wind was really blowing hard, it would push us back south if we run just
one engine. The waves are fairly big then, and at short intervals. We
would pick up a bit of momentum, and going up a wave, and slow down to
nearly nothing as we bash into the next oncoming wave. We then slow down
the engines a bit, and find a way to keep going at the best possible
speed. We also have some mainsail up during these conditions as it helps
us to keep on a straight lie with the wind. Once the angle of the wind
changes a bit, the main sail also generates a little speed for us. The
worst run we've had was 26nm for 12 hours during the night. We did more in
four hours during the same day. That should give you some idea of being
truly optimistic, and then being truly challenged.
My darling daughter, Maryna, bestowed some beautiful pearls of wisdom to
her daddy, at the very young age of nearly 11. I phoned her and told her
that the going is rough and tough at the moment, and we are going very
slowly. She then said that the most important thing is just to keep on
going. When she was 5 she sailed with me from Cape Town to Belize, so she
knows the score. Those few words, coming from her from the other side of
the world, meant the world to me. Made me strong beyond what I could
muster. And we did just that, we kept on going through the rough weather,
and the rough weather eventually subsided. She scored 92% for maths for
her last term, so who am I to argue :)
Our next stop will be San Lucas, right on the southern tip of Baja
California. We need to fill up our fuel tanks, get some fresh provisions,
fill our water tanks and brace ourselves for what is known as the Baja
Bash. After a few days of rough, I decided to tack west last night to work
an angle back up north to San Lucas. We motorsailed and the sailing was
smooth for a change. We all had a much needed rest from the preceding few
rough days. It was heavenly. This morning at 6 as planned we tacked again
and sailing north at the moment, into the Gulf of California, and the
entrance to the Cortez Sea. Jean Jacques Cousteau, the famous French
explorer, called it the biggest natural aquarium in the world. Over 900
different species of fish here alone, and a famous breeding ground for all
types of whales, including the biggest animal on the planet, the blue
whale. Thibault's sister Melanie studied marine biology, and this is the
one place on the planet that she would love most to visit. We will be
somewhat protected from the relentless northwesterlies and the Pacific
swell, and we are looking forward to some smooth sailing once again. We
are doing about 4kts at the moment, which is not too bad, and the
conditions are also relatively calm. We plan to sail a bit into the Gulf,
and once we get a sailable angle to San Lucas, will tack west again. When
I say sailable, I should say motorsailable, as we are sailing very close
to the wind and motoring. As we won't make it in time for the boat show,
we are now just running one motor at a time.
Thibault also had a great mishap a few days ago. e had a little spell of
rain, and decided it was a great time to catch a shower in the rain. Do
some raindancing. We were having a really great time, and as usual, Thib
thought to capture it on his GoPro, less he forgets these times. We were
finished showering and busy drying ourselves, when he wanted to take one
more little video of himself with the sun breaking through the clouds in
the background. He rested his camera on the coachroof of the boat. And as
you have guessed by now, the boat swayed a bit over a swell, and he
watched in horror as his GoPro, slid off the coachroof, bounced on the
deck, onto the safety rails, and into the ocean. He was paralized from
shock as he watched his camera falling and bouncing and dropping into the
ocean. He was hugely upset, and I will not repeat the words that came out
of his mouth, as it was choice French curses and swear words. We were
motoring at the time with no wind, and he feels if he acted fast enough he
could have jumped into the ocean and had a change of saving his GoPro. He
was inconsolable and could hardly eat two bites of his supper. As with any
accident, things happen in slow motion, and he replayed it over and over
in his head, trying to figure out why he did not jump in after the camera.
We could have easily turned the boat around and fetched him again. He was
livid with himself. Nothing Stuart or myself could say or do, so we just
kept quiet and carried on with the usual runnings of a boat. Thibault went
to sleep, and probably wished that he would wake up the next morning and
realize it was all just a bad dream as we all do at times like this. He
wrote the incident down in his diary, and helped himself get over it. The
next day he shared his great loss, his dismay, his disappointment in
himself with his love Helene in France, and her reply was a great
consolation to him. He translated and said they should rather not talk
about it, and rather focus on their planned trip to the States once we
arrive. Focus on something more positive. She is planning to fly to San
Francisco, and together they will do a tour of San Francisco, L.A., Las
Vegas etc. That cheered him up tremendously. She has already sourced a
good price for a GoPro in San Francisco, being a champion organizer. Also
smiling that she wants to come with just about an empty suitcase, and buy
some nice clothes in San Francisco. And there are some very interesting
clothing shop in the Bay. A Lonely Planet guide for San Francisco she also
sourced for T has some beautiful pictures and lots of info for a tourist.
Really looks like an awesome place to spend some time in.
A day or two after Thib lost his GoPro the water was once again as flat as
a mirror, and there were quite a few turtles around. As we were just
motoring, I decided to slowly approach one . Thibault had my camera in his
hand ready to take a few pics. And yes, it was strapped around his wrist
:) My camera is also a high quality waterproof camera, and when we got
close, I asked Thib if he wanted to go and swim with the turtle and take
some underwater pics. He was elated and did not hesitate to jump in.
Stuart jumped in as well, and the two of them really enjoyed some turtle
time. The turtle was not phased at all, and they are quite curious
creatures. I drifted the boat off a bit, and after about ten minutes and
heaps of fun, went in closer to fetch them again. It was a tremendous
treat for both my crew, and they were feeling on top of the world again,
swimming in the big blue Pacific with a turtle, even stroking his shell
lightly. We could not wait to download the pics, and the pics were great.
I laughed when Thibault wrote and shared his experience with Helene, and
in his next mail told her again about his wonderful experience. She told
him that he has already mentioned it in his previous mail and that he must
focus :) He is a little absent minded at times I guess :)
Stuart is taking every day as it comes, tending to his dreadlocks, now and
then playing his didgereedo. My spelling is probably way wrong, but it is
the blow instrument the Aborigines from Australia play. We found a piece
of pvc pipe in Panama and cut it to size, and he gets some interesting
sounds out of it. He is also studying French a lot, writing words and
phrases in his book. I have the French Rocket course on my tab, Stuart on
his cellphone, and Thib who bluetoothed it for us from his Apple Mac.
And so here we are, looking forward to San Lucas. We are in great shape,
our spirits are high, and we are fully motivated to get Infinity to San
Francisco in great shape too. Our ETA I will guess to be 20 April, give or
take a few days. Until next time, once again, take care.
Over and out
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Show Must Go On
It's been a while since I placed some words on paper :) We have been
working hard to get up north, as we expected some favourable current from
9*N upwards, called the North Equatorial Current, which runs in more or
less a westerly direction. First we had to sail quite far out west to work
an angle to get up north, as the predominant wind is right where we want
to go, northwest. And having land in our way to go up north, noped us to
carry on going west. Then we tack back north east for a while, and the
wind shifts again and we go back west. Excruciatingly slow progress,
having wind and current against us, relentlessly. The sea however is
fairly smooth, sometimes looking more than a placid lake than an ocean.
Which is probably why it is called the Pacific Ocean, very placid at
times. Tacking this way and that way, and making really slow progress,
sometimes feeling like we are not getting anywhere. Then you have to dig
deep, and stay motivated, and stay focused. And know , that as always,
things will change. And change they did, albeit slowly. Once we had enough
ocean to work with we could tack up northeast, and come close to land. We
would come within ten nautical miles of land and then tack back west
again. I am sure the gods of the winds were having a good chuckle at us,
and the gods of the currents too.
Our first plan of action was to go out wide, and then I decided it may be
better to stay right close to land and hug the coast as we do in South
Africa. Some counter currently we will apparently find there, as well as
plenty of fishing boats and fishing lines. We are open ocean long distance
sailors, and we feel safest when we have a lot of searoom to run into if
we have to. And just when I decide that is what we will do, things change
again and we start making good progress in a good direction. At last we
made it up far enough north and was elated as we saw the current letting
us go and start working in our favour. And the wind also shifted a bit
more northeast and made for an excellent sailing angle. And all the time,
day and night, we keep on working and adjusting sail and direction to
maximise whatever comes our way. From despair to elated, sailing can
sometimes be so emotional. Yes, we put heart, body and soul into what we
do. We give it our all, all the time. And then when we experience our
first blast of strong winds funnelling through the valleys, a little fear
also creeps in as the sea works up, from flat to four meters within an
hour. And once again, we set our sails according, and go with flow, and
breath a sigh of relieve as the wind stops getting stronger and stronger
and settles at just over thirty knots. A taste of things to come.
Further up the coast, between Mexico and Guatemala, there is a huge valley
called Tehuantepec, and the wind that funnels through there can get up to
hurricane strength. It can last for a few hours up to a few days. Close
inshore one would seek a safe anchorage. It works the sea up as well quite
quick, but fortunately blows towards the sea. The effect of this wind can
be felt a hundred or two miles offshore, and that is where we prefer to
be. At least two hundred miles offshore. The colder ocean and the hot
desert, and the huge continental valley, all comes together to create this
beast of a wind. In the Med the Mistrals are similar winds. Cold air
trapped and when it gets hot, it blows out at speed. And if you are not
careful and expect it, it will take you out. And we plan to arrive alive,
with everything intact. Arriving on time for the boat show is a dream that
is busy fading, but who knows, perhaps we can do a few demo sails for
prospective buyers. Hugely disappointing, but on the other side, a few demo
sails might be even better than a boat that gets trampled at a boat show.
So yes, we are hugely motivated for the challenges that lies ahead, and
challenged we will be. I just counted my seamiles, and I have now sailed
eight times around the world. And yet, I am in humble submission for what
the ocean can throw at me. Always ready to learn, and if necessary, to
fight, as we sometimes have to when the going gets rough. I am fortunate to
have two excellent fellow mariners with me on board, and couldn't wish for
better crew. We are having fun out here, even though it is super stressful
at times. Our team in Cape Town is also the best one can wish for. Always
urging us to do our best, to stay safe, to stay real, and to enjoy. And our
boat Infinity, what a lovely lass she is turning out to be.
Last night we had a booby bird perched on top of our spreaders. The night
before we had one right on top of the mast, which was not so cool. Our wind
instruments and VHF aerial is also up there. Trying to chase the bird away,
we shook the shrouds. That's the strong cables that holds the mast up. We
blew the foghorn trying to make a huge racket, but the bird would not
budge. Even thought of hurling oranges at the poor bird, but then we may
damage our instruments ourselves. We did try an egg each. I missed by a
mile, Stuart was a bit closer, and Thibault's egg landed right on deck.
Stuart's hatch was open, and I was standing right above his hatch when the
egg dropped straight down onto me. Thinking it may fall into Stuart's
cabin. I tried to catch the egg or at least divert it a bit. The result was
a nice yellow splash just next to Stuart's hatch, with a few drops of raw
egg falling into his cabin. Back to our bird passenger last night, when
Stuart came up for his watch, he climbed on deck to look at the spectacular
starry skies. I had all the lights off and the instruments covered to make
it as dark as possible. The bird blessed Stuart with a nice wet spray of
bird poo :) This morning I was not so impressed with the bird, as his poo
was also all over the mainsail and deck. Thibault and myself did our best
to point into the wind, and scrub the sail as we gradually lowered it. Got
most of it off, but we will have to try again once we are in San Francisco.
What was also awesome last night was a few dolphins that came around and
lit up the water with their antics. The bioluminiscence profiled their
bodies perfectly, and to see these torpedo shaped bodies playing in our bow
wake was unforgettable. The sea was flat once again, so flat that the stars
reflected brightly on the ocean surface. The light from above and the light
from below was, as I said, unforgettable.
So yes, just another day at the office for us. Another week or two. And we
will be in San Francisco. Interesting city, in very many ways. Never really
thought I wanted to visit for any particular reason, but once again my
sailing adventures are taking me to new destinations. And once again I am
so excited, and so happy to be alive. And so happy to share a little bit of
what we do out here with you.
Until next time, go you exceedingly well.
working hard to get up north, as we expected some favourable current from
9*N upwards, called the North Equatorial Current, which runs in more or
less a westerly direction. First we had to sail quite far out west to work
an angle to get up north, as the predominant wind is right where we want
to go, northwest. And having land in our way to go up north, noped us to
carry on going west. Then we tack back north east for a while, and the
wind shifts again and we go back west. Excruciatingly slow progress,
having wind and current against us, relentlessly. The sea however is
fairly smooth, sometimes looking more than a placid lake than an ocean.
Which is probably why it is called the Pacific Ocean, very placid at
times. Tacking this way and that way, and making really slow progress,
sometimes feeling like we are not getting anywhere. Then you have to dig
deep, and stay motivated, and stay focused. And know , that as always,
things will change. And change they did, albeit slowly. Once we had enough
ocean to work with we could tack up northeast, and come close to land. We
would come within ten nautical miles of land and then tack back west
again. I am sure the gods of the winds were having a good chuckle at us,
and the gods of the currents too.
Our first plan of action was to go out wide, and then I decided it may be
better to stay right close to land and hug the coast as we do in South
Africa. Some counter currently we will apparently find there, as well as
plenty of fishing boats and fishing lines. We are open ocean long distance
sailors, and we feel safest when we have a lot of searoom to run into if
we have to. And just when I decide that is what we will do, things change
again and we start making good progress in a good direction. At last we
made it up far enough north and was elated as we saw the current letting
us go and start working in our favour. And the wind also shifted a bit
more northeast and made for an excellent sailing angle. And all the time,
day and night, we keep on working and adjusting sail and direction to
maximise whatever comes our way. From despair to elated, sailing can
sometimes be so emotional. Yes, we put heart, body and soul into what we
do. We give it our all, all the time. And then when we experience our
first blast of strong winds funnelling through the valleys, a little fear
also creeps in as the sea works up, from flat to four meters within an
hour. And once again, we set our sails according, and go with flow, and
breath a sigh of relieve as the wind stops getting stronger and stronger
and settles at just over thirty knots. A taste of things to come.
Further up the coast, between Mexico and Guatemala, there is a huge valley
called Tehuantepec, and the wind that funnels through there can get up to
hurricane strength. It can last for a few hours up to a few days. Close
inshore one would seek a safe anchorage. It works the sea up as well quite
quick, but fortunately blows towards the sea. The effect of this wind can
be felt a hundred or two miles offshore, and that is where we prefer to
be. At least two hundred miles offshore. The colder ocean and the hot
desert, and the huge continental valley, all comes together to create this
beast of a wind. In the Med the Mistrals are similar winds. Cold air
trapped and when it gets hot, it blows out at speed. And if you are not
careful and expect it, it will take you out. And we plan to arrive alive,
with everything intact. Arriving on time for the boat show is a dream that
is busy fading, but who knows, perhaps we can do a few demo sails for
prospective buyers. Hugely disappointing, but on the other side, a few demo
sails might be even better than a boat that gets trampled at a boat show.
So yes, we are hugely motivated for the challenges that lies ahead, and
challenged we will be. I just counted my seamiles, and I have now sailed
eight times around the world. And yet, I am in humble submission for what
the ocean can throw at me. Always ready to learn, and if necessary, to
fight, as we sometimes have to when the going gets rough. I am fortunate to
have two excellent fellow mariners with me on board, and couldn't wish for
better crew. We are having fun out here, even though it is super stressful
at times. Our team in Cape Town is also the best one can wish for. Always
urging us to do our best, to stay safe, to stay real, and to enjoy. And our
boat Infinity, what a lovely lass she is turning out to be.
Last night we had a booby bird perched on top of our spreaders. The night
before we had one right on top of the mast, which was not so cool. Our wind
instruments and VHF aerial is also up there. Trying to chase the bird away,
we shook the shrouds. That's the strong cables that holds the mast up. We
blew the foghorn trying to make a huge racket, but the bird would not
budge. Even thought of hurling oranges at the poor bird, but then we may
damage our instruments ourselves. We did try an egg each. I missed by a
mile, Stuart was a bit closer, and Thibault's egg landed right on deck.
Stuart's hatch was open, and I was standing right above his hatch when the
egg dropped straight down onto me. Thinking it may fall into Stuart's
cabin. I tried to catch the egg or at least divert it a bit. The result was
a nice yellow splash just next to Stuart's hatch, with a few drops of raw
egg falling into his cabin. Back to our bird passenger last night, when
Stuart came up for his watch, he climbed on deck to look at the spectacular
starry skies. I had all the lights off and the instruments covered to make
it as dark as possible. The bird blessed Stuart with a nice wet spray of
bird poo :) This morning I was not so impressed with the bird, as his poo
was also all over the mainsail and deck. Thibault and myself did our best
to point into the wind, and scrub the sail as we gradually lowered it. Got
most of it off, but we will have to try again once we are in San Francisco.
What was also awesome last night was a few dolphins that came around and
lit up the water with their antics. The bioluminiscence profiled their
bodies perfectly, and to see these torpedo shaped bodies playing in our bow
wake was unforgettable. The sea was flat once again, so flat that the stars
reflected brightly on the ocean surface. The light from above and the light
from below was, as I said, unforgettable.
So yes, just another day at the office for us. Another week or two. And we
will be in San Francisco. Interesting city, in very many ways. Never really
thought I wanted to visit for any particular reason, but once again my
sailing adventures are taking me to new destinations. And once again I am
so excited, and so happy to be alive. And so happy to share a little bit of
what we do out here with you.
Until next time, go you exceedingly well.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Pacific Blues
Our transit through Panama Canal went smooth, although we would have loved
to do it one day. We were however informed that we would do one lock on
day one, and the next set of locks on the second day. Nothing we could do
about that. The Panama Canal is celebrating 100 years of operation this
year. Hard to believe that ships already started to cross from the
Atlantic to the Pacific here a hundred years ago. The second locks we also
went through and arrived at Balboa Yacht Club on the Pacific side just
before sunset. After a long day I decided it is safer to anchor for the
night before we set sail for San Francisco.
On Tuesday morning we started our final leg. And as expected, a very slow
start. Against the currents and against the wind. Not strong currents and
winds, but strong enough to slow us down quite a bit. Our first day out
was quite interesting, with the wind doing a complete 360 on us. And as
the wind slowly shifted, we threw whatever sail angle and sail we had at
it to maximise our efforts. We made fair progress running a motor all the
time as well. Yesterday was a bit slower, with the wind and current
staying against us, and no matter which way we tack, slow is how we go.
Today is basically the same. The sea is flat as a lake, just a breeze
against us. Most of the wind we are creating with a motor running. Lots of
ships the first few days as expected, but as we are heading further away
from land, the ships are getting less and less.
We expected the first five days to be slow. Two more days to go and then
we hopefully will get more workable current and wind. And the meantime,
the clock is ticking. We are hoping to reach San Francisco on 6 April, and
we are still hopeful that conditions will improve vastly. Not impossible,
yet.
Stuart has had some good fortune catching a bonny and yesterday a yellow
fin tuna. It is hot out here, 31*C. And frustrating going so slow, but it
is all part of sailing. We also had the good fortune of meeting Doug and
Michelle in Panama. They have a power vessel named Grey Goose, and they
followed us out of Panama. We left a few hours before they left, and they
caught up with us in the afternoon. Came in a bit closer and took some
photos of us on Infinity. www.greygooseadventures.blogspot.com is their
blog address. We hope to stay in touch with them via email. Their next
stop is a few days further in Mexico.
Hanging in and hoping for the best, we appreciate the good wishes and
encouragement. Hopefully will post a bit more upbeat post next time. Until
then, take good care.
to do it one day. We were however informed that we would do one lock on
day one, and the next set of locks on the second day. Nothing we could do
about that. The Panama Canal is celebrating 100 years of operation this
year. Hard to believe that ships already started to cross from the
Atlantic to the Pacific here a hundred years ago. The second locks we also
went through and arrived at Balboa Yacht Club on the Pacific side just
before sunset. After a long day I decided it is safer to anchor for the
night before we set sail for San Francisco.
On Tuesday morning we started our final leg. And as expected, a very slow
start. Against the currents and against the wind. Not strong currents and
winds, but strong enough to slow us down quite a bit. Our first day out
was quite interesting, with the wind doing a complete 360 on us. And as
the wind slowly shifted, we threw whatever sail angle and sail we had at
it to maximise our efforts. We made fair progress running a motor all the
time as well. Yesterday was a bit slower, with the wind and current
staying against us, and no matter which way we tack, slow is how we go.
Today is basically the same. The sea is flat as a lake, just a breeze
against us. Most of the wind we are creating with a motor running. Lots of
ships the first few days as expected, but as we are heading further away
from land, the ships are getting less and less.
We expected the first five days to be slow. Two more days to go and then
we hopefully will get more workable current and wind. And the meantime,
the clock is ticking. We are hoping to reach San Francisco on 6 April, and
we are still hopeful that conditions will improve vastly. Not impossible,
yet.
Stuart has had some good fortune catching a bonny and yesterday a yellow
fin tuna. It is hot out here, 31*C. And frustrating going so slow, but it
is all part of sailing. We also had the good fortune of meeting Doug and
Michelle in Panama. They have a power vessel named Grey Goose, and they
followed us out of Panama. We left a few hours before they left, and they
caught up with us in the afternoon. Came in a bit closer and took some
photos of us on Infinity. www.greygooseadventures.blogspot.com is their
blog address. We hope to stay in touch with them via email. Their next
stop is a few days further in Mexico.
Hanging in and hoping for the best, we appreciate the good wishes and
encouragement. Hopefully will post a bit more upbeat post next time. Until
then, take good care.
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