Zihuatanejo

May 19, 2009
anchored off Isla Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo Bay
17 40.788N,101 39.403W

We've had a great time revisiting our old haunts and familiarizing ourselves again with Zihuatanejo. The central mercado still runs alive and well every day, you can still buy bags of jamaica juice at every corner and on Sunday night the families and vendors still turn out in the square to enjoy a little get together. A very few familiar faces are still here that we know such as the friendly Port Captain, Victor and our favorite best hamburger man in the world. Due to the fact that high travel and sailing season are over and the fear of swine flu is still in effect, it feels much like a ghost town around here. The only tourists to visit the beaches are the locals and they are having great fun with it. The parasails and banana boats still manage to have quite a business running circles around us at anchor. The food has been fantastic and we have stuffed our insides with all the guacamole, roasted peppers and arrachera we can handle.

We spent a good week anchored just around the corner here in Isla Ixtapa. A little island that is used only during the day time and accessed only by boat. We have the peaceful anchorage all to ourselves in the evenings and spent each morning and afternoon with fun family surf sessions just a dinghy ride away. School and boat projects as usual in between down time. We've even attempted the sad task of beginning to clean and pack the boat up for when it goes on the hard: what goes home, what get's given away to locals and what simply get's tossed out. When the boat is on the hard, many items won't endure the heat. Many items, such as cooking utensils, will get left on though for when we come back to work on her in the spring and potentially move her somewhere new.

Monday the 18th brought the arrival of our friends Tim, Cole and Blake Mason from back home in Port Orchard, Washington for a visit! We are so excited to have them aboard for a couple weeks as we work our way up the coast toward Puerto Vallarta. Only few days on the boat so far and they have proven themselves as very worthy crew! We gave them a day to rest up and then took them on an overnight passage. With 15-20 knots of wind against us it has been a slow and bumpy ride and they are taking it all in stride! We would keep them as crew anytime!

Closed the circle - Completed Circumnavigation

May 6, 2009 9:55 am
Zihuatanejo, Mexico
coordinates 17 37.552N,101 35.457W

Under blue skies, a light breeze out of the SSE, a perfect 80 degrees with turtles dotting the water, we have officially closed the circle and completed our circumnavigation! We quietly snuck out of the bay in the early morning hours on March 28, 2006 and we glided back in just as peacefully. After so many years of each day bringing us something brand new, it is rather refreshing to see something familiar. It has been a remarkable journey and thankfully one that doesn't have to stop here. Thanks for coming along.

Abundant Life

May 1, 2009
departing Costa Rica waters
coordinates 13 40.709N,093 31.777W

We have rounded out our stay in Costa Rican waters and still are amazed each day with the abundance of sea life and creatures that we observed. With our extra crew aboard for 17 days, Lisa's sister Krista, her husband Jeffrey and their two boys Indiana age 13 and Lucian age 5 3/4, we explored both the water and the rain forest. Each day we were treated to a collection of rays and turtles, fish and birds. Sights we had never seen before such as clusters of rays, a hundred at a time, would be huddled together in layers just under the surface of the water. We still aren't sure of the nature of the event, be it a mating process or safety in numbers. Then, if we were to spot one turtle, we were guaranteed to see half a dozen in minutes. It didn't matter if we were 2 or 20 miles off shore they would pass us on every side. If any other location in the world is experiencing a turtle shortage, it is only because they have all moved here. One of my favorite events is still to watch the rays leaping out of the water. As we rounded Punta Mala one morning at sunrise, there were easily hundreds of smaller rays leaping to meet the morning like popcorn. One at a time or by the dozen they continued for an hour, jumping for joy.

After Matapala, we made stops along the Osa Peninsula, home to one of it's many many national parks. Ashore we had the chance to hike and ride a horse up the hill side to visit our their property. Tucked neatly inland, they are working to build themselves a peaceful retreat and help to regrow the natural forest that has been destroyed in years past. You could hear the howler monkey's roar in the distance and watch pairs of scarlet macaw fly over head. The hill sides are dotted with bananas, mangos, papayas, and towering trees along the river are strung with vines. After the hot hike a quick dip in the fresh water river was just what we needed.

Next stop was Isla del Canos. We took a quick snorkel and spied many a fish including parrot fish, tangs, angel fish, spotted box fish and a few unique puffer fish in their yellow transition states. One quick evening snorkel to cool off provided a zen moment with a turtle. Unafraid of people it allowed me to just hang out with him, nose to nose, fin to finger, for as long as I desired, watching him continue to move within the swell, chewing on grasses on the ocean floor and rising for air every so often. On the swim back to the boat I thought how wonderful it would be to see a spotted eagle ray and one appeared. I couldn't believe my luck and wished for a octopus, instead a small white tipped shark glided below me. Deciding not to push my luck, I quit my wishing and paddled back to the boat in a continuous praise for the abundance of gifts I've been given in life.

We continued daily to hop and stop along the way at Malpais, Quepos, Tamarindo, and Playa del Coco. There was fun in the water for everyone with friendly surf breaks that the both families could ride, all at the same time. A highlight for all had to be a stop at Roca Bruja (witches rock) and Ollies. Two surf spots made famous by the movie Endless Summer II. The Papagayo winds were living up to their name and blowing 30+ knots as we made our way there and continued for 2-3 days but that didn't deter us. Averaging single overhead, we had the wave all to ourselves in the morning and evening hours before day trip boats appeared.

Our new crew had really grown their sea legs but their time with us was drawing to a close. Daily swims, shared meals and giggles will be precious memories we hold forever. Their energy and enthusiasm was infectious, ready to experience everything that life aboard a boat could show them. We were excited to share our world with them and see this lifestyle through fresh new eyes. Including the stubbed toes, bumped noggins, spit showers and hand pumped toilets that accompany life aboard a boat, they took to it like fish.

Currently we are under way for our next destination, Mexico. We are getting a bit behind in the season and must make it to safer waters before hurricane season sets in. So we have by passed Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala this time, in hopes to return and explore more someday. We get the occasional buzz by a coast guard or navy plane searching for drug runners and the occasional container ship on the horizon but not much other company. We had a bit of sailing the first 36 hours with 30+ knot winds but as of late it has been a hot motor boat ride. Nightly squalls with lightning have spiced up the journey. It is amazing to think that we are only a few days and a few hundred miles from closing our circle around the world.
pura vida

Cruising Surprises in Panama

April 6, 2009
coordinates 08 06.573N,082 58.445W
sailing along the coast of Panama

Now that we have broken free of the anchorage near Panama City, life is a little more peaceful and familiar. We were a bit surprised to see the teeming sea life each day such as flipping dolphins, flying manta rays, sea snakes and moon jelly's. The birds perpetually dive bomb for their day's catch as the little critters leap for their lives from bigger prey below. It is nice to be back in the gentle roll of the Pacific swell. No more confused seas and choppy waves, at least until the Papagayo winds decide to pick up. We have had a bit of current flowing both ways at various times to work with but very pleasant conditions for day sails. One overnight passage and we found ourselves nestled in a comfortable spot, Ensenada Benao for a couple of nights. We anchored in 20 feet at low tide and just a hop away from the surf! We have to watch the tides a bit more carefully now that we are back in the Pacific since they can range anywhere from 6 to 20 feet depending on the moon at the time. A twelve foot exchange here with the new moon.

We were so happy to get back in the water and get some serious and fun exercise paddling together. It is strange to see only US boats now that all of our foreign com padres are heading in other directions. And the few boats we do see are heading south, opposite direction of us. We pass on info regarding each travelers needed direction and head on our way. Next stop was Punta Naranjo. A comfortable and flat anchorage we hear. The last one was a bit rolly but that is what one gets when they want to be near to the surf. Swell equals good surf and a rolly anchorage. We'll take it!

The next great surprise was our dear friend Natalie. A sweet young adventurous soul that we met when arrived in Puerto Vallarta nearly 4 years ago. A fluent Spanish speaking American living abroad for a time befriended us and we've been connected ever since knowing our paths would cross again someday. As luck would have it, she happened to be traveling in Central America as we are passing through. She managed to catch a flight into San Jose, Costa Rica, then an 8 hour bus to David, Panama, then a who knows how long a bus ride to Sona, then an interesting night sleep in an interesting hotel, to catch another bus to some tiny coastal town of Santa Catalina, where we found her standing on a beach, picked her up in our dinghy, doused her with sea water and we were reunited. We have been blessed by this renewed friendship and a traveling companion for a week. We've continued to island and anchorage hop our way up the last bit of Panama with her, from Morro Negro to Isla Cavada. We have introduced her to the lifestyle of a boater, she has brought amazing joy and energy to us. Together we have been discovering some of Panama's treasures along the way.

A less desirable surprise was in Puerto Armuelles. Again, the best laid plans... We timed our arrival into the final port of Panama for a Sunday night. Intending to check out on Monday and then be on our way. We had not even finished setting the anchor when the Port Capitan, the Immigration and Quarantine Officers appeared at our boat and boarded us. This does not happen often but is not entirely out of the realm of possibilities when entering a new Port. The unfortunate part is that they insisted we had to check in at THAT moment, which of course on a Sunday meant overtime for them and a lot more money. Even with Natalie's fluent and very persuasive interpreting we were not able to sway the officials to letting us check in the following day as we had planned. Long story short and a quick trip to town, a $36 dollar check out of the country process now cost us $136 and left us with a bitter taste in our mouth. One more official on shore sensing this displeasure didn't want us to leave his country unhappy and offered us a quaint little wooden replica of the "Mayflower" boat as a peace offering. We're touched, though we would rather have our $100 back.

This morning we are back underway and rounding the final point or Punta Burica in Panama and heading for Costa Rica. With great anticipation, we are awaiting the arrival of our newest crew members. Lisa's sister Krista with her whole family are coming for a visit to sail, surf and play with us on the sail boat in Costa Rica. They boys are most excited to visit with their cousins whom they haven't seen for a very, very, very long time!

Panama City and Flamigo Island Anchorage

March 28, 2009
Flamingo Island anchorage
coordinates 08 54.606N,079 31.474W

We let you know what an experience transiting the Panama Canal was but we wanted to give you a bit more insight into the great bits of info our advisors had passed on to us. There are approximately 80 advisors that ride along with each vessel as they transit. If your vessel is over 65 feet long you need to carry an actual pilot captain. These men that join the smaller boats all have primary jobs, most of them within the canal system and do this "advising" on their off days. The ones we spoke with actually prefer this to their real jobs. It's a great chance for them to meet new people, break away from their usual work and make some extra cash. We were blessed with two great characters. And right of the bat we learned of just how great the Panamanian Foreign exchange program is. At age 13, many children of Panama get the opportunity to study for 3 months abroad in the United States. It was obviously a great start and opportunity for our guides as their English was spectacular, their knowledge of world politics, etc. as good if not better than our own. They gave us many insights on life in Panama and the city. One of our advisors primary jobs was supervisor of the security forces that patrol the waters on the Pacific side of the canal entrance. A few of his men passed us many times that day in their patrol boats and we were able to benefit from his position with the free delivery of buckets of ice right to our boat while under way. Nice treat in the heat!

The canal which was built under President Roosevelt was given back to the people of Panama December 31, 1999. From what we gather, when it was run by the US Military, it was run as a government institution not necessarily as a business and at the end of each fiscal year, they would plug whatever funds were left over back into the canal. Each department needed to find ways to put that money back into the canal, new paint or carpet for the buildings, etc. The military that oversaw the running and protection of the canal lived and stayed in the area, bringing peace, security and money back into the communities. There have been pros and cons they say to the US pulling out. That security and peace has definitely diminished especially in the outer areas such as Colon, the poor Cinderella step child to the greater Panama City. The money is no longer being put back into those communities as well. But while being run as a company, the Canal has managed to increase the amount of ships that transit, and therefore increase their net profit to the tune of $800 million last year. How that money get's put back into the country we are not sure.

They are busily expanding the canals with an additional mega lock at both the Pacific and Caribbean end, as well to accommodate the PanMax ships. Displays in the visitors center show how the new water pumping systems will be even more efficient. We hear that increases in the transit fees will help to pay for that expansion. Our transit fees ran us around $650, including using the assistance of Tito. The cheapest transit fee ever paid was 37 cents by an English man I believe who swam the entire canal. The most expensive fee paid these days is $250,000 for the larger container ships 250,000, the average freighter pays $180,000.

Just outside the Panama Canal on the Pacific side you have two immediate options for places to keep the boat. The Balboa Yacht club offers moorings for a fee or you can anchor for free in the protection of the Flamingo Island with 50 other like minded sailors. A few of them have been there for quite a while and they know their way around the place. The radio net in the morning will cover all you needs. If you can get your hands on one of the maps they provide you will surely find everything you need. Again the anchorage was comfortable enough despite day trip boats that parade past you daily, we were anchored in 20 feet of thick gooey mud. Again as in Colon, a dirty anchorage as the pollution level of Panama City declines with the continuous burning of something we know not what. We simply know the boats are consistently covered in ash, morning, noon and night. Across the bay Panama City shows an impressive skyline and malls to rival any major US town.

Ashore we were easily able to get our provisioning done with taxis that are always at the ready for you. Directly behind the Playita Marina Yacht club there is a Natural Reserve park of sorts that is home to a family of 3 toed sloths. We spent the week completing a few boat projects such as a new antenna for our radio that Bruce placed atop the mast, replacing spark plugs in the outboard, replacing belts on the engine. We treated ourselves to the tasty tamales that the locals sell outside each store. There is nothing as good as local flavor. We took a quick trip back to the Miraflores Locks to view them from the observation deck on land and cheered the Kelly's and crew on as they passed through the locks themselves. The boys were able to spend to spend some last great days playing with their pals, Alice, Will and Edward from s/v Vagabond Heart. They along with a dozen or more vessels are preparing for the own Pacific Ocean crossing where they are starting to head back toward their homelands of Australia and New Zealand. We had been traveling with quite a large batch of them through the canal and it was time to bid them farewell and send them on their way, as we head closer to home as well.

Port Colon and Cristobal

March 17, 2009
anchored in the flats Port Colon
coordinates 09 20.686N,079 54.529

We just rounded out our stay in Panama City and have to say the time spent here and in Colon was very interesting. Over all, despite the crime and pollution of the areas, Panama gets a thumbs up from us. First some thoughts on Colon.

We had some wonderful day sails as we left the San Blas Islands getting to the Port of Colon and Cristobal. They have created a new channel through the break water that allows smaller boats to enter the Caribbean side of the entrance to the Panama Canal shipping channel. This way we do not have to compete with the big boys. The enormous ships are stacked up inside and outside, anchoring everywhere while either beginning or ending their transit. It was remarkable that just anyone could motor on in there. They see you coming but didn't have anything to do with you. We wove our way through the big boys and anchored in the "flats" as the anchorage is called. It sits on the southern side of the channel right next to the loading dock for the container ships. A safe and comfortable enough anchorage, it did tend to get very dirty out at the boat since the ships closest to us were perpetually emptying themselves of some sort of gravel load. We gave up cleaning for the week and learned to keep the hatches shut. Rubbish and or tire fires burn perpetually, thankfully down wind of us. But the rosy glow they give on the horizon at night is a constant reminder of what is helping to cause the thick grey sky.

The Panama Canal Yacht Club (PCYC) or PanCan as they affectionately refer to themselves is situated up inside the loading docks for these large ships. You dinghy right past the container ships on your way in and can nearly slap the hulls if you felt so inclined. The land is owned by the shipping companies which brings us to the dilemma. The PCYC is unfortunately no longer allowed to keep their business and marina open on this land and were to relocate by April 1st. Three weeks prior to that date, starting at 3am, the shipping company took matters in their own hands with a bull dozer and began to tear the buildings down. By the time we arrived the marina docks where still standing with boats tied to them. Water was unavailable at the dock and power was precariously being wired in. The employees of PCYC were working out of a shipping container and they had fashioned an internet location out of a chain link fence with a tin roof and fake grass. While I sat there one day "connecting" to the internet, the bull dozer continued to tear down buildings only 20 feet away from me. They have stacked two giant shipping containers a top each other at the entrance so no cars may come or go. This left only space for a person at a time to squeeze though with difficulty. A container as well blocks the boat ramp that no boats may enter or exit the waters.

First and foremost we have to say that we have no knowledge of the reasoning nor the order of events that have led to the end of the current PCYC. The land does belong to the shipping company though it does look like things could be handled much more professionally. We do know that they are still currently trying to work on a compromise. What we do know it that all the crew and employees of the PCYC were the most professional, considerate and helpful bunch ever. Not once did they complain about their situation to us while they continued to work diligently, in very difficult environment, with the lack of knowledge regarding their own security and future of their jobs. Not once did they slander or disparage the opposing forces whom they were dealing with. They took fast and efficient care of us and all our needs. And there was a lot of us. With news of this port closing as of April 1st the rush of dozens and dozens of boats would have overwhelmed the most organized of marina's, let alone one that was barely standing on it's own two feet. I must say I was very ashamed though many times at the behavior of many of the other cruisers and their own lack of patience and poor treatment of this staff. This port is the only place on the Caribbean side where one can currently do all the work it takes to prepare for a canal transit. This includes stops to many offices, banks, copy shops, getting your boat measured, gathering tires and 4 100ft long lines for boat handling. Enter Tito. As we hit shore the first day, we had the pleasure of making his acquaintance. He is the go to guy. Instantly he scooped us up in his car along with the Kelly's and drove us everywhere we needed to go and in a matter of moments the process had begun, for what we felt was a reasonable fee. We were scheduled for our measurement, we were checked into Panama, he guided us carefully through the whole process and even treated us to some freshly squeezed o.j.

Watching him in action warms the heart as he takes the concept of community service to an all new level. We are sure nearly all of our $50 that we paid to him for his services were dispersed immediately back into his community. He willingly hands the money right back to his "neighbors" for school supplies, new shoes, lunch, what ever their needs are. He takes the young men of the community and employs them all in assisting with preparing the tires for the cruisers like us coming through. The tires are all ready wrapped in plastic and tied up with lines ready to go for us. A job that we reluctantly thought we were going to have to find a way to do ourselves. When they have shown him enough responsibility he assists them in getting jobs as line handlers for the canal and then jobs within the canal system itself. Anything to keep them off the amazingly dangerous streets of Colon. Unfortunately, not always successful he told sad stories of two young boys he had already lost this year. One just two weeks prior had been shot 8 times after stepping in to rescue a friend from being beat up.

And unfortunately, it really was that dangerous there. The staff of PCYC could not impress upon us all enough just how dangerous it was outside the chain link fence surrounding the shipping port and marina. You can see the bus stop only a block or two away from the gate and yet during our stay, there were two muggings as people walked to it. One in broad daylight where they stripped the rings right off the woman's fingers and her pack off her back. Kelly boy and Bruce were waved off one street and redirected by a gentleman one day as they walked around down town unaware of just how serious it was. It turned out he was waiving them to head a different direction and likely saved them from the same fate. It was difficult to imagine people living in such a situation since it was not just us obvious newbies that were subject to the violence. Everyone there is a target, evidenced by the armed guards that stand outside nearly every store front. If you want to enter a business they knock on the glass door, which is then unlocked to allow you to enter and then locked again behind you while you shop. Yet the people of Colon look as happy and relaxed as you would in your own neighborhood. We personally never felt in any danger due to everyone being so cheerful. I can't imagine the level of desensitization that would have to take place to keep any piece of mind and sanity.

We have not heard yet what is to become of the PCYC and what their next step will be. Shelter Bay Marina is still functioning on the north side of the channel. We have no doubts though that they will come up with some method to keep the process going to help other sailors on the transits through the Panama Canal.

Panama Canal Tranist MOVED UP! March 18!

Wednesday March 18, 2009
Ohana Kai has a new date to transit the canal. We are transiting the first set of Gatun Locks at approximately 7 pm local time or 5 pm Pacific time. We will pick up a mooring in the Gatun lake for the night and then proceed to the second set of Miraflores locks and transit on Thursday the 19th at approximately noon local time or 10 AM Pacific time. We are rounding up our tires for extra fenders on the boat currently, our last load of laundry and our last provisioning run yesterday and we're ready to go. The Kelly's from Moorea will be joining us for extra line handlers so we're in good hands!
Here is the link for the Panama Canal Live Video cameras
http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html
See you there!
your Ohana Kai crew

The last of the Carib

February 27, 2009
Holandes Cays, San Blas, Pamana
coordinates 09 34.930N,078 40.769W

We've departed the Caribbean Islands and left the good ole' liming lifestyle behind. Liming is the mentality of "relaxing, hanging out, or doing what you love". The origins of the word are thought to have come from the nickname the locals gave to the foreign sailors who used to hang out on the docks just to watch the ships while they chewed on citrus fruits. a.k.a Liming

We made quick stops in Bonaire and Curacao. Entering Bonaire, their Navy helicopter pilots put on quite a show for us. They were out doing drills as we rounded the southern tip of the island so they decided to do a fly by and give us a buzz, and then a water show as they lowered themselves so near to us they showered us with sea water. Two squealing and cheering boys was all these mavericks needed for encouragement and we actually had to put the cameras away before they got too wet. The entire
coastline of Bonaire is protected as a national water park with crystal clears waters. All boats are tied to moorings, no anchoring here. Right off the back of the boat you could dive to see small schools of fish and corals enjoying their new ecosystem growing on the moorings blocks. We also had the chance to spy "Octopus" the fabulous mega motor vessel owned by Paul Allen. After seeing the Maltese Falcon, it's like big boat bingo out here.

The anchorage in Spanish Water on the island of Curacao is a unique channel naturally cut into the island. Well protected from any swell, the expat community is strong here. Free bus shuttles take you to find every amenity you may need during your stay. The hike to customs and immigration has to be one of the longest ones yet, but with a little charm and a smile, the procedures are relatively smooth. We did have the opportunity to watch the parades for carnival. All the colorful costumes, friendly
faces and lively music you can take. The islands of the Netherlands Antilles are an interesting mix of Dutch, meets Spanish, meets Carib. Papiamento is the language that results from combining the three and we have to say though listening to them is a joy, communicating can be difficult. The brightly painted buildings of downtown Willamstead we were told were reminiscent of Amsterdam. Our stay was short and sweet. Unfortunately we had to move on before the final hurrah on Tuesday, but when the
weather window opens one must go through.

With the winds at our back we made a quick run right past Aruba. Though we can't speak to what the setting may be like on land, from the water point of view, the southern tip of the island was so polluted and stinky with smoke and discharge from their industrial stacks that you couldn't even see the land. It was amazing. A dozen ships anchored off we believe waiting for their shipments of fuel or oil. A dozen more ships have been passing us on our journey towards the canal no doubt with their
own transits to complete.

Our next destination is the San Blas islands just south east of the Panama Canal. The winds and seas are notorious for being viciously strong and tumultuous around the corner of Cartengena, Colombia but our weather gribs were showing good potential for us to have decent run at it. So we took it along with 4 other boats. A perfectly consistent 25-35 knots of wind out of the east and we whipped our way through the waters. Double reef in the main and an itsy bitsy piece of the jib out, we were still
trying to slow down, covering the 650 miles in 4 days. We made made landfall in the Hollandes Cays at sunrise on my birthday the 27th.

We are really looking forward to spending some time here to visit just a few of the 365 islands and experience the Kuna Indians of the Kuna Yala Nation. One of the largest indigenous American Indian group left, they live largely untouched by civilization. A matrilineal society, the women are in charge of bringing in most of the money with their famous molas. Colorful clothes sewen and embroidered by hand. When men marry in a family, they move to the woman's household bringing their few clothes
and machete. The men are in charge of fishing, tending to the simple gardens and care of coconuts. By law, the land belongs to "all" Kuna's so not a coconut nor shell fish may be taken. They understand the concept that this world is to be co-owned and cared for by all.

Los Roques

February 10, 2009
Caya de Agua, Los Roques, Venezuela
coordinates 11 50.386N,066 55.623W

We've just rounded out an incredibly peaceful week in the islands of Los Roques, Venezuela. Without any true guidebooks and charts that were measuring a consistent 1/2 of a mile off to the north, the navigation was interesting but worth the effort. We entered the archipelago at the southeast entrance and snug ourselves in behind the reef at the Sebastapol anchorage. Small spits of soft white fine sand surrounded by old piles of coral and light blue waters. You can walk forever in the water up
to only your knees. No palm trees to be seen but green patches of salt wort, a low lying succulent of sorts, cover parts of the tiny island bits. Piles of conch shells are left behind with the distinctive hole cut into their side where others have made a tasty meal out of them. Shelled creatures of the smaller size, specifically hermit crabs o' plenty here. Once you sat on the beach and let your eyes adjust, you would see the entire sandscape come alive as the hundreds of tiny critters were busily
going about their business, walking to and fro across their own horizons. The only other living creatures we spied were the occasional day trip boats coming out to view the islands and then head back to the main island of Gran Roque. We spent 4 wonderful days there filling our mornings with school and boat projects and afternoons with swimming, exploring and hermit crab races. The ideal spot with calm flat shallow waters, consistent 15-20 knots of winds, made this location perfect for kite boarding.
Our challenge for the moment was a misbehaving alternator we thought. We changed it out with the back up only to find out it is the regulator instead. Changed it out again with the back up to the back up that happens to have it's own built in regulator. Though not as efficient, for now it will do fine. The great winds and bright sunshine are keeping the batteries topped off nicely, but no rain to speak of.

Since we are officially checked out of Venezuela, we are technically treading illegally in Venezuelan waters. They have created a system that makes it nearly impossible for sailors such as ourselves to visit these islands legally. The only place to check out of the country is back at the mainland and to sail back there would be too great of a challenge. So people do as we are and simply avoid the main island of Gran Roques just a stones throw away. The locals we have met thus far have been very
friendly and cordial, letting us know that we are safe to continue on as we go. Very rarely the coast guard will do a sweep of the islands at which time we would likely have to pay a fine and head on our way. So until then, we continue to play ignorant and apologize after.

Next stop was the island of Francisqui in the northeast corner just beside Gran Roque. The few happy tourists that are visiting here are brought over in water taxi's each day to enjoy the same shallow waters and simple beach. Again a great location for kite boarding though we are spoiled now with having the anchorage all to ourselves and perfectly flat waters. We lasted only two nights here before moving on. Further west, the island of Crasqui was our next stop for one night. Anchored in 10 feet
of sand we spent the time watching the pelicans scoop up their fair share of the plentiful fish. Sometimes soaring from high above to dive bomb and capture their prey but just as often, here they simply sit in the water, dunk their heads in and scoop up a mouthful. We have also noticed the green cloud phenomenon that we've seen on one or two other occasions. As the low cumulous clouds roll over the widespread shallow light blue waters and green islands, they reflect the green colors off their bottom,
giving your green clouds as plain as St. Patty's day.

Last stop, Caya de Agua, the farthest point west in Los Roques. Again, anchoring in only 10' of sand after negotiating our way around some coral reefs. This island seems to be home to hundreds of small black and brown lizards and to the thriving population of Brown Boobie birds. Dozens of their nests dot the shoreline set back up in the grasses. The mommies are all protectively sitting on their clutches of 4 or so eggs. No babies have hatched yet that we can see. After our experience in Isla
Isabella, Mexico, we know that you don't mess with a Bobbie mama and her babies. They'll chase you and go straight for your toes and ankles to keep you away.

A lovely anchorage, we stayed 3 nights. The waters here are a bit more choppy and rolly, and the waters not quite to clear close to shore. We took a quick snorkle at a nearby reef to find little coral and a few fun fish but not much else. The locals seems to come up with some great goods of lobsters, large fish and conch shells every time they go down. We'll have to see if we can go with them next time.

Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Saturday January 31, 2009
Porlamar, Isla Margarita, Venezuela
coordinates 10 57.075N,063 49.916W

We had more motoring than sailing on our way to Venezuela than we had hoped, so now we really did need to stop for fuel. We were understandably unsure and apprehensive about staying long at this destination due to the overwhelming reports that came out regarding the increased physical violence along with the armed robberies that had been occurring here. The bay itself does not have a lot of redeeming values to it though the water is clean enough to swim in. The skyline of shore is surprisingly
tall with hotels and office buildings. We did not expect that. The shoreline itself has much the feel of a very run down barrio and the down town feels like a bustling once upon a time tourist destination. The taxi cab drivers we met were extremely helpful, friendly and were happy to let us know that they loved living there, it was better than the main land. Safer for them but not for tourists, too many guns. That little hand signal for gun is universal. According to all of them Chavez is crazy
and Obama is great.

We timed our arrival for sunrise Monday morning, hoping that we could check in, get fuel and check out potentially in a days time. Oh well. There are 50+ boats anchored there at any given time and some look like they have been there for 50 years. It is a good place to "lose" yourself if so desired. Try to explain that concept to your kids. Though we never felt threatened ourselves, we never felt relaxed either, especially at night. It is recommended that you lock yourself in and bring all items
inside that might grow feet. Not in our entire travels have we ever been told to "lock yourself in". Usually we sleep with all the doors and windows open. On shore you can meet Juan of Marina Juan. Full of information and well spoken he offers a wide variety of services from propane on tue/thur, laundry 5 bolivars/kg, free shuttle mon/wed to town for a shopping experience and provisioning. There is a huge selection of books for trade and he'll gladly do your check in/out for you for a fee.
Approximately $290 Bolivars in/ $250 Bolivars out for the four of us. Or you can do it yourself at the Coast Guard just down the beach for much less. We checked in with him and then realized we could check out on our own saved about $120. Taxi cab rides are 12-15 bolivars and they'll take you right down town for your shopping or money exchanging needs. At the bank the exchange rate is 2.5 Bolivars to 1 USD. At the little clothing store "Ellos" across the street from the BP fuel station you can
safely get the black market exchange rate of 5 Bolivars to 1 USD, which everyone recommends you do. Don't change money on the street by solicitors as they will likely run off with your money. Following everyone's advise we went to the clothing store to get the most bang for our buck but are still have questionable feelings as to whether or not we just contributed to some underground drug ring.

We did eventually get our fuel. Though we made appointments for him to come Monday afternoon, then Tuesday morning, how about Tuesday afternoon, he finally appeared Wed at 4pm. That is island time. Happy to help, he drove his panga (fishing boat) up beside us and let his partner hand crank the 300 liters into out tanks. It was worth the wait at 40 cents/gallon. As Bruce says, what fuel crisis.

Lastly, no trip to Venezuela would be complete with out some discussion of the booming plastics industry. A whole new lesson in anatomy, it is apparently very common and very cheap to have breast augmentation done here. We heard stories that it can be a right of passage for many 16 year old girls. Easy to say we have never seen so many big boobies in all our days. Grandma, mom, daughter, right on down the line, everyone was wearing them. The boys seem remarkably unaffected by the anatomy lesson,
mom and dad were still flabbergasted. We debated, fuel ??? new boobs ??? fuel ??? new boobs ???. OK, this time we needed fuel more.

Happy to have the company of the pelicans and frigate birds again we are moving on to more remote waters. Currently under sail and half way to our next destination of the atolls and islands of Los Roques and Aves before heading onto the ABC's. Though it was tough to unplug from the internet we are very excited to seek some more peaceful settings and get our feet wet.

until next time,
your Ohana Kai crew
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Please remember to delete old messages first when replying to emails, THANKS

Merry Merry Christmas!

December 25th, 2008

Holiday greetings and love to all. We truly hope that you are surrounded by all the love and warmth you can handle this day, enjoying all the gifts that life can give.

Christmas in Martinique is unique thus far. It is certainly tropical and green for a good reason. Refreshing rain showers and squalls run through about every hour. You can see them coming, wash over you and roll on their way in minutes. It is much like being in an automated car wash. It helps a lot to break up the humidity and heat. The energy and livelihood of the people rings through even in their Christmas music. We've only gone ashore so far really for grocery shopping and a bit of internet.

Christmas Eve we had a fun get together with our two pal American boats, Don and Anna on s/v Redwood Coast II and the Kelly's on s/v Moorea. It is always fun to see how resourceful people out here can be with home made gifts and impromptu pot lucks. Generosity abounds. Santa found his way the boat between rain showers and the family has enjoyed a quiet and comfy Christmas morning. The boys are already engrossed in a crystal making set, pirate costumes, new books and a game boy game. Oh yes,
and there's plenty of chocolate to keep us going for a while.

Christams day activities include our continued tradition of cleaning all the goose neck barnacles that hitched a ride across the Atlantic on the bottom of the boat.

Blessings to you on this joyous day, remebering the reason for the season. The truest gift of all, life everlasting.

Racing Santa to the Finish Line!

December 22, 2008 7:30 pm local time
coordinates 14 26.127N,060 53.238W

WE MADE IT! 22 days and 4 hours but whose counting. The wind filled in fantastically for us on the last four days. Ohana Kai really hit her stride and we flew in just under the radar to beat Santa to the finish line. We dropped the anchor in St. Anne's Bay, Martinique, just as the sun was setting. Picture Perfect. The anchorage is chock full of boats coming from all directions. The land looks lovely, very green and lush from the water. The hillsides are dotted with cows. It smells like a
warm summer day after the lawn has been mowed, with a dose of sea weed mixed in. The shallow waters around the southern tip of the island are canvased in fishing nets marked only by clear and small water bottles. Friends ahead warned us of these traps but even as we were looking for them it took all our concentration to dodge them. Best to stay in deeper waters.

Tomorrow we'll head to town to check in to the country. Martinique is governed by the French, so it is a little funny to hear yet another new language on the radio. We'll stretch our legs on shore, look into laundry, produce, internet, chandleries and begin to clean up Ohana Kai.

Christmas is coming, the crew are sleepy heads, pleased to sleep the whole night through in their "not moving" beds. (Must sing that last line with a melodious tune)

Most of all, thanks so much to everyone for all the words of encouragement, positive thoughts and prayers. They help more than you know. We aren't doing this alone.

500 Miles to Go!

December 19, 2008 2:51 AM
coordinates 14 32.314N,052 22.933W

Being able to click off another hundred miles each day is the best Advent calendar we could ask for. It is extremely slow going right now but any progress is good progress.

Day 16 - Another day of bright blue skies we decided to take advantage of it and send Tristan up the mast. Matthew helped tail lines and also managed to do a bit of photo journaling of the event. We had a leader line threaded through the mast previously in case we ever needed to run another halyard. We put him in his harness, strapped him tightly to the front roller furling and hoisted him away. It was quite a task at hand as the boat with no sails up now, pitches to and fro with greater force
when there's nothing to stabilize it against the swell. In addition, he had to pull the line out, wrap it around his arm and cut the line. What's that old saying about not running with scissors, what decent mother would send her child up 52 feet into the air with scissors. Mission accomplished with amazing strength and fortitude, alas the halyard is not run to fit our needs for the head sail or spinnaker. In the process though, we do discover that the genoa halyard, since not in use do to the
torn sail, will fit the bill. We have been flying the spinnaker successfully ever since with little to no chaffing. We pull it down every 5 hours to assess it's strength and hoist it right back up again. We are like a finely tuned Indi pit crew at this point in our routine. At night we motored due to the unpredictable winds and squalls so the water tanks are full and the batteries are topped off.

Day 17 - Under grey skies we hoist the spinnaker again at sunrise and fly it until sunset. We had a consistent 20 knots of wind and made great time. Again in the evenings, the winds drop too much to sail with the main and staysail but too unpredictable for the spinnaker, motor on. After one quick wet squall and the moon had broken through the clouds, Bruce woke us up to show us something we had never seen before - a moon rainbow. Complete half circle across the horizon ahead of us was a shining
white moonbow.

Day 18 - Sunny skies and VERY light winds. 5-10 knots out of the E-SE and we are making speeds of 3-4 knots accordingly. It is forecasted to continue this way for the next 24-48 hours. We have only 4 days worth of fuel left at least 6 left to get there at this pace, so we are trying to avoid starting the motor at all costs. The seas are nice and calm with the lack of wind and not a squall in sight. So we are taking our chances and flying the spinnaker all night. Our course is a little off at
this point and it looks like we're heading for Barbados rather than Martinique on the charts. When the winds fill back in on Monday, we'll get back on track then.

We have officially passed the mark as well for the longest time we've spent out on the water. It took us 18 days to cross the Pacific. We still feel very lucky to have only 5 or 6 days left to go out here. We know quite a few people who spent the better part of a week bobbing around. So let's sail on!

Wear and Tear

December 16, 2008 3:30
coordinates 15 11.128N,046 37.446W

It is nothing if not exciting out here. The last two out of three days have been continually plagued by squalls and ever changing winds. We have a new cheer, Reach to the left, Reach to the right, Up wind, Down wind, Fight, Fight, Fight, Gooooooo Ohana Kai!
We were beginning to think the little black rain cloud was following us. If you look on radar you don't see it anywhere else.

Day 13 - The Wear: As our morning was beginning to roll along we heard an enormous snap and the unmistakable sound of line zinging through it's holds. We jumped above to assess the damage and found that a shackle had snapped in two on one of the primary blocks for the sheet on the main sail. It holds the main sail in place so without it, the boom had now swung wide to the starboard side. Without the battens in it the sail had wrapped itself around the spreader like a wet hanky. We were able to
recover the sail and much to our amazement, we didn't rip off a spreader and there were no tears or further damage to the sail. We spent the next couple of hours shifting pieces and parts around the boat managed to find a replacement and get things back in action. Voila, back on track. It was amazing to see how much wear on the metal finally just caused it to fail.

Day 14 - The Tear : Again as our morning was getting under way, Bruce had just finished the morning radio net, was brushing his teeth in hopes of a long mid day nap when he peeked up at the head sail and noticed a 6-12" tear horizontally in the upper third of the sail. We flew up top to roll in the sail. Again it happened in relatively light winds and calm seas as all our sail damage does. We decided to take advantage of the light winds and bring the sail down to see if we could repair it. Let's
just say, by the time we were done with it, it wasn't a simple 6-12" tear anymore. The fabric has grown so fragile that the tear continued on into the shape of a T or X and now likely at least a 6-12" in each direction. We haven't actually had the heart to unroll it yet and assess the damage yet. We can't say that it was unexpected. We had been carefully watching, waiting and babying the sail with possibly false hopes that it would make the crossing. The winds had since picked up and the rains
set in, so with the storm sail and the main we were still making progress. From there we have lost track of how many squalls have passed us by and from what direction. We kept moving the sails around until 2pm and were even able to take showers in the rain the down pour was so strong.

Day 15 - Oh happy day, sunshine! With light winds, we flew the spinnaker for the better part of the day. When we took it down this evening, we found a spot on the halyard where it nearly wore through. Had we not caught that one in likely another half hour we would have been fishing the spinnaker out of the water with any luck. It is a little too difficult for us to sail the spinnaker at night with these unpredictable winds and we need to find a way to address the spot causing the wear on the
halyard, so we will be forced to motor overnight. Hopefully the stronger winds will fill back in soon. We have a new neighbor tonight. s/v Gillarooo from Ireland is visible on the horizon. www.gillarooo.co.uk (I'll have to check on the spelling of that one)

There are a few silver linings to what we thought was our perpetual wet black cloud: it did decide to not rain on us during both wear and tear events, it is at least warm weather now not freezing cold rain so if one has to shower in the rain this is the place to do it, and the events happened during relatively calm and daylight hours. For all the things that could have really gone wrong, they didn't. We have been blessed.

So, here's to silver linings, Goooooooo Ohana Kai!

Water, Water Everywhere!

Saturday December 13, 2008 3:30AM

The last 48 hours have brought us plenty of rain. The squalls continue to march across the sky coming up out of the SW and heading NE. It is interesting to watch those black lines bear down on you. Luckily they have brought nice winds which keep us moving toward our goal but once they pass we are back to wallowing on our own. With all the power washing we have been receiving, it is fair to say there isn't a speck of Sahara sand left on us.

The biggest change is the noise, or lack there of. We finally took the battens out of the main sail. They are flat long fiberglass stays that slide into the main sail giving it a bit more form and rigidity. That is a great help when we are sailing up wind but it has been murder on our nerves with this rolling around. With each swell the sail would fill and unfill with a noisy crack, sending the reverberations down the mast and throughout the whole boat. With each whip, our nerves would fray
a little more at the thought of the potential damage we were doing to the sail, not to mention disturbing the precious sleep of the mate of duty. Removing them has brought an end to that noise. The extra weight that they provided in the sail actually was helping them to flog around a bit so they are even a bit more stable now on this down wind run. Best of all, that equates to better sleep, at least for Lisa. Poor Bruce is still plagued with nothing but disruptions on his daytime naps. Hopefully
that changes a bit tonight.

Day 11 brought consistent squalls, Day 12 brought something new every hour. Winds from the North, the South, the West and finally back out of the East. The final squall came around 3pm on Friday with a whopping 35 knots of wind and a torrential down pour, then they seemed to have blown them selves out for a while. We have actually settled into a steady 25-20 knots out of the ESE and are clipping right along the rhumb line toward our destination.

Spending half your nights awake and half you days asleep sort of causes the days to run together. Luckily we have our stellar crew of Tristan and Matthew to keep things in order. After school work they have started taking on new projects. Matthew entered the galley today and cooked up some delicious coconut chocolate chip cookie bars for us all by himself, and Tristan is diligently sewing some very special Christmas presents. The Christmas chain is starting to grow nicely as we count our days
out at sea. I have to say that it is much more fun to count down the last half than it is to count up the first half.
We hear that some significant weather is heading your way for many of you, so if you get the opportunity, throw a snowball or two for us.
until next time,
Your Ohana Kai crew

Half Way!!!

December 11, 2008 6AM
coordinates 16 24.750N,036 03.405W

By the time you read this, we will have officially crossed the half way point on our Atlantic journey. Roughly 1350 nm down and 1350 to go. 11 Days so far. The last 4 days have brought us quite a mixed bag of weather. The majority of which held little to no winds and we were struggling with flogging sails and restless spirits, clocking only an average of 115 mile days. At this speed we will just make it in by Christmas Eve, but no guarantees. With the boys weather book, we are practicing our
forecasting skills. We are getting rather competent at judging highs/lows and reading the clouds and barometer, not mention very familiar now with relative vs. absolute humidity!

Day 7 Light winds off and on out of the east, thunder and lightning storms at night that make for a beautiful show. When the clouds part the stars shine bright. Orion is standing guard directly above us and marching on his way to the horizon. The moon is growing great and Jupiter is brighter than we've ever seen.

Day 8 No wind and we break down for a fairly full day of motoring. The up side to motoring means the running the water maker and filling the tanks up with hot water for showers! There was even enough power and water left over to make extra for a couple loads of laundry. Of course, doing laundry out here has much the same affect as washing your car at home, in comes the rain.

Day 9 Off again, on again, we are still struggling with light winds and are starting to see the wear and tear appear as we do our daily inspections after trying to reef and make sail changes in the dark. A few new tears found in some reinforced areas of the main reef points. Not critical, but add it to the list. Secondly, the boom where it attaches to the mast have begun to grind against each other. We aren't sure what has caused the extra wiggle room to allow the grinding, or what caused the
grinding to allow the wiggle room. Again not critical, for now we've reinforced the bottom point with a washer and will do the real investigating once we've reached land and can fully remove the boom to inspect.

Day 10 The winds, though light, were consistent enough out of the ESE all day to fly the spinnaker. A ten hour run with our colors up will lift any spirits. Not to mention the forecast for stronger winds to fill in within the next day. Busy, busy night with great winds and lots of rainy squalls. As long as there is wind with it we don't care what falls out of the sky.

One of our neighbors out here, s/v Redwood Coast II has crossed our path within a mile 2 or 3 times now. That's rather remarkable when you are 1300 miles from anywhere. Nearly every boat out here as well has cast their lines to the water with the almost instant gratification of Dorado on the line. Knowing we still have a freezer full of meat, we can't quite rationalize catching more food, tasty though it may be. Truth be told, we still struggle a lot will killing the beautiful creatures. There
is nothing quite like seeing their wildly vivid blue, green and yellow colors literally drain from their body as they stop fighting. We on the other hand have kept our lines neatly on board and continued to catch our daily quota of unsuspecting flying fish. If they have the fortune of landing in the cockpit at night, they have a fighting chance of being returned to the sea, but if they land anywhere forward of the dodger, I'm afraid they are on their own.

The Kelly's on s/v Moorea gave us a half way crossing gift before we left. When the boys wake up I'm sure that's the first thing on their minds. I'll let you know what it was. Our pals Tom and Amy from s/v Sandpiper who just departed out of Las Palmas themselves have posted some footage of our departure. I hear they have quite a few great You Tube clips, check it out: sandpiper38.blogspot.com

So, though the butter never officially melted, it was soft enough for us. We're making our way west, have changed a couple time zones and are hoping that the trade winds fill in and the next ten days are going to be faster than the last.

Less than 2000 to go!

December 7, 2008 1:45 am
coordinates 18 43.7758N,028 03.706W

Day 5 sunrise brought us the answer to the grey haze we seem to be living in. These easterly winds we realized are bringing loads of Sahara Sand. The particles hold the moisture and make for a real gray day. No wonder we had been sneezing in the middle of the ocean. Meanwhile, we are covered in the red stuff. The wind is holding steady as well as the barometer. Keep on, keeping on.

Day 6, we tried to start the water maker but no pressure. Not a good sign and a brief moment of anxiety. We fiddled around with it for a while and managed to get it working. It doesn't like to be run without the motor on and often builds a strange pressure up in it. Then that afternoon, the winds began to die as forecasted. We started up the motor only to hear it lug down and struggle. Bruce changed out a filter and then the engine died completely. She too likes to be used more frequently
and doesn't appreciate having to sit and wait her turn with all this wind. Changed a second filter and she too was happy. It was the second moment that day though that we briefly thought we were going to have to divert to Cape Verde. Now would be the best time to do that as well if needed because we are almost too far past it and any return would involve a lot of beating into weather. Never a fun chore.

The wind, thankfully, filled back in but is keeping us on our toes, with frequent 40 degree shifts. Blowing now at 10 to 20 knots rather than the 20 to 30 range, we have put more sail up and we continue to move right along. By 12 noon on the 6th we have pulled the last reef out of the main and are sailing with the jib, full main sail and stay sail. A new one for Ohana Kai. The sea state has lessened considerably but the swells still can't seem to make up their mind about which direction they would
like to come from. We did end up putting the reef back into the main sail only to quiet down the slapping. Light winds can actually do more damage sometimes than the big winds, when things start slopping around. Not to mention how difficult it makes it to take naps with the noise.

The butter may nearly be melting, we are down to t shirts and shorts during the daytime and blue sky is making longer and longer appearances.

Today we celebrate as well, because as of 2:30 am on the 6th, we crossed a magic line. 700 miles down and less than 2000 to go! Woo hoo! Celebrate all the victories, even the little ones.

Rolling, rolling, rolling!

Day 4 & 5
December 5, 2008 5:09AM
coordinates 20 54.325N,024 22.205W

48 more hours of 20-30 knot winds out of the ESE have given us a couple of 155 nm per day. That's pretty good considering we are still running with the same tiny sail configurations of the staysail and a double reefed main. The sea state continues to be big or bigger, fluctuating with no apparent rhyme or reason. The sun has made a brief appearance for a few minutes each day but the majority of the time it has been an eerie solid gray sky from horizon to horizon.

Day 3 we crossed the 23rd latitude, the Tropic of Cancer. Amazing to think that many of the worlds deserts sit upon that line. We have been able to shed a layer. We are now down to a fleece vest and warm socks while on night watches instead of the complete fleece jacket and additional blanket, but the butter isn't melting yet. We've taken a few good waves into the cockpit, which managed to sneak their way into the boys cabin window and douse a comforter or two but not too badly. In the galley,
we managed to launched a pot of boiling potatoes but thankfully no casualties human or otherwise. The most difficult aspect of the situation so far is the incessant rocking and rolling, jerking and lurching of the boat. With the confused sea state, and the swells that continue to break upon the boat, the noise and inability to predict just which way to lean next is exhausting. Off watch naps are heavenly to get away from all the over stimulation.

Just how does one sleep on Mr. Toads Wild Ride anyway? There are a few methods. First there is the starfish technique. Lay face up or down, your preference, with your arms and legs spread wide to give you leverage. No matter which way the boat heels you are covered. But never fail, the boat will lean more frequently to the open side of the bed in which you will eventually slide off. You can put up a lee cloth to stop you but again, eventually you end up balled in the cloth and lose your starfish
advantage. Next technique, and most helpful on Ohana Kai, the mummy. With lee cloth in place, wedge large cushions and pillows all around you. Wrap yourself tight in your blanket and try to rest as now only your innards sway too and fro with the swell. Though it limits you wiggle room while you sleep, you are finally able to relax enough for a few hours and will gladly take any stiffness that may accompany this position. The third and less utilized tactic is the fetal position, perpendicular
to the bed. This position is helpful on single overnight when sleep is less critical and the swell far less active. The other essential item with any of these routines are ear plugs. Amazing little devices that, as they slowly expand to fill your ears, fade away the sounds of the world. No more rush of the water along the hull, the whirring of the wind generator, the water bombs that crash into the hull, the creaking of the mast, boom, sails and any other accessory rigging, the knocking and sliding
around of any item left not bolted to the ground. Remarkable, your ears are still tuned to hear the call of your crew members when things go wrong and they need your help.

Though it's difficult to get much accomplished with all the motion, we managed to put up our little Christmas tree and the boys have begun to decorate their room with snowflakes. Tomorrow's goal is to chop up our melon before it goes bad and maybe brave making some candied nuts. And we certainly haven't seemed to have lost our appetites either. We've managed to feast on hamburgers, hot dogs, spaghetti, and pork chops thus far. Though you get a great core workout trying to maintain any upright
position, we will atrophy everywhere else and watch our back sides spread out from all this fine feasting and sitting.

Rolling Right Along!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 2:30am
coordinates 24 06.453N,019 47.877W

All is well here just over two days into our crossing. Right now all we see is water but it is strange to think that the Sahara Desert is only 150 miles off the left side of the boat. We ended up having some nice wind to sail us out of Las Palmas which was a nice treat. That lasted about 8 hours then became a motor boat ride for nearly the next day. The winds were forecasted to be filling in nicely so we waited, and fill in they have. We have seen winds from about 15 to 35 knots but averaging
around 20 out of the ENE for the last 24 hours, and we're averaging about 6.5 knots. It feels much like Santa's Sleigh ride, swooping up one side of the waves and racing down the other. Unfortunately boats don't go very straight when the swell and waves come from a variety of directions. So it feel a bit more like being on a tilt-a-whirl. Add that with Santa's sleigh and you have Mr. Toads Wild Ride. Originally we had full canvas up but have settled back down to a double reef in the main and
the storm sail set up wing-on-wing. This means that the head sail is pulled out to the left with a pole and the main sail off to the right. We look a bit like an uneven butterfly. It helps to lower our center of gravity and cutting down a little bit on the roll and keeps us prepared if the winds pick up suddenly. only supposed to last a few days before going light again so we are trying to get as far as we can on it. We couldn't as for a nicer start.

It is currently 2:30am, Bruce and the boys are asleep and I, Lisa, am on watch. Every boat out here has a slightly different watch schedule depending on their needs. We have settled in on a bit longer watches than most. I sleep from 8pm to 1am while Bruce is on watch, then Bruce sleeps from 1am to 6am while I am on watch. We swap and do it all over again. There are a few hours during the day when we are both awake, especially around dinner. The boys do school in the morning by themselves until
I wake up and then we try to do the rest together. Every night we eat dinner together and watch a movie. We are on to our Christmas traditions now which means a new Christmas movie every night. Matthew is making a red and green Christmas chain this year but instead of ripping off each day, he adds a new one on for the crossing. It helps us keep track of the days at sea and we'll be nicely decorated when we arrive, hopefully before Christmas. On their down time, the boys get two hours of screen
time, be it computer, game boy or video game. The rest of their down time is reading or playing games like cards, chess, legos, battleship, etc. Every so many days we get to take a shower while sitting on the back of the boat. If we run the engine, we get warm water but the wind cools you down quick.

The Kelly's on s/v Moorea are just about 60nm behind us. Along with a motor vessel named Kosmos and a trimaran named Redwood Coast that we have met, also from US, are just about to scoot past us out there somewhere to the west. And much to my surprise another s/v that has been keeping good pace with us named Sun Chaser from Sweden just hailed me on the VHF to wish me a quiet night shift. Lastly, an Australian boat that we met back in Gibraltar are about 590 miles south of us as they just departed
out of Cape Verde. We are all trying to make landfall somewhere around Port Marin, Martinique. I mention all these boats only because they are our small link to other humans voices right now. We hold radio nets each morning and evening to check in on each other. We exchange our coordinates, discuss what the movie and meal dujour are. If anyone is in need, then there are at least of few of us out here to help. If any one at home happens to be a Hammy let us know. Maybe we can set up a time
to chat!

So we're settling in nicely to the routine. Everyone is feeling great and watching the days click by.

Go One, Go All!

Sunday November 30th, 2008
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

The day of departure for our Atlantic crossing has finally come. We have filled every nook and cranny with food, topped up on fuel, finished the last load of laundry, repaired, replaced or rendered every project that needed to be done. The exception for that would be the new head sail. That project never came to fruition so we'll roll along with our newly 13 patched marvel, attach the storm sail and hope for a nice down wind run. Though there is visibly no wind around here at the moment, we may have to motor out a day before it fills in. Then according to our weather faxes it's filling in nicely out of the NNE. Just the way we like it. As the old sailing adage goes, "Sail south until the butter melts, then head west". This is supposed to be the best way to find the trade winds that are to take you off to the Caribbean. Again though, according to our weather faxes, it ain't quite filling in yet. The risk of waiting too long is that we might not make landfall before Christmas and we would like to avoid that. If we get stuck in the doldrums it could take a really long time. 2700 miles to go and we carry enough fuel to make it roughly 160 motoring hours, or about 7 days, so we certainly want to conserve that as much as we can.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends tomorrow. 2008 proved to be a record breaker as the weather officials had predicted. For the first time on record, six consecutive tropical cyclones (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike) made landfall on the US mainland and a record three major hurricanes (Gustav, Ike and Paloma) struck Cuba. This is also the first Atlantic season to have a major hurricane (Category 3) form in five consecutive months (July: Bertha, August: Gustav, September: Ike, October: Omar, November: Paloma). Now that it's over on paper, let's just hope mother nature realizes this and doesn't throw in a late in the game hit like 2005 which delivered one after Christmas. We always pray for wind, but now we're going to be specific, not too much, not too little. Picky aren't we.

Go one, go all! So there are many ways to get across on ocean or around the world. You can single hand it like the competitors in the Vendee Globe Challenge. They solo sail their 60 ft. beauties easterly around the world. They departed from France in November, with their newest technologies and designs they are even trying to set records of making it around the world in 80 days! Then there is the mass exodus of the ARC or Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. A rally, as the name suggests, promotes strength in numbers. Numbers they certainly have, 240 of them. We wished them well and waved them off as they departed out of Gran Canaria last Sunday for their own Atlantic crossing. What a zoo that was. For many it is their first ocean crossing, for some, repeat offenders. We are sure we'll be seeing many of them once we have reached the other side.

For us, this crossing is the beginning of the end in some ways. Our last major puddle jump. We can hardly believe that 8 months ago we were working our way across the Indian Ocean and in 8 months time we are likely to be back at home. 4 years in the blink of an eye. It is a dream journey to be on. We will be sending out regular journal entries to this mail list and the blog site. You can also track our daily position from the tracking link on the front page of our web site. With all this time on our hands, hopefully we will catch up the web site and upload the last few countries at our next internet connection. Time will certainly be on our side, lets hope the wind and waves play along.

So that's it. Feel free to write us any time. We love to stay connected. We'll be thinking of you all while you chop down those Christmas trees and shop till you drop. See you on the other side!

Won't you join us and ... Sail on!