Last week while spending some time onshore, opting to take a break from the rollers that had been going on for the past week.. Generally it was just a normal back and forth rolling motion with some pitching, but every once and a while a roller of some significance would come through the anchorage… These rollers will dump any loose stuff on the countertops, throw me off my balance, but I am getting better, roll me back and forth on the 24 inch wide bunk all night… I chose to sleep in the main salon while at anchorage, especially in bad weather … It is located mid-ship and has the least motion, but primarily I sleep there because of it’s close proximity to my anchor watch alarm I have set on the GPS unit, at the navigation station, at all times while at anchor where I am able to more easily hear it should my anchor start dragging, which is not a good thing, especially in the middle of the night…
While standing on the Malecon, looking out to sea Stuart pointed out some Humpback whales out at sea rising up out of the water and crashing back into the sea… Now that woulda been a picture!!
The weather is not forecasted to be very pleasant over the next few days, and I may assemble my Fortress anchor and set it up for quick deployment off the bow should my primary decide to skip…
Friday, March 06, 2009
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Letter from Esperanza, March 5, 2009
It is into the second day of a front coming through… Yesterday I went ashore and began work on some graphics for Stuart and Natalya’s new bar and pizza restaurant , Lazy Jack’s… We cut the plywood as part of this project and primed it, but could go no further when the primer was still tacky… Instead Stuart started on the next phase needed before selling pizzas, actually figuring out how to make a pizza and actually making one… The most important part of any good pizza is it’s crust and Stuart was insisting on a crispy thin crust… The first batch of dough, using yeast and proofing was less than successful, although the pizza was beautiful it was firmly stuck to the pan and the dough wasn’t acceptable… We tried various fixes and finally Stuart tossed it and started a non leavened dough, adding spices to the dough, not following any recipe, deleting the yeast and Voila! A very good pizza, the crust wafer thin and nice and crisp… By the time he had finished his 6th or 7th pizza, each one going faster in prep and quality, The weather had started going weird and the boats, including mine, were pointed to the West, the winds has shifted 180 degrees and was now coming from the direction of a front heading east towards us… This helped explain the dead air and high humidity, which normally proceeds an incoming front … We are forecasted for several days of rain, which is great, my decks need a fresh water rinse and hopefully I will be able to gather some water in my tanks… When it started a light drizzle I decided time to head back to the boat while I still had a chance of getting there somewhat dry… As the winds were now coming from the West my dinghy had been blown under the dock, as my dinghy’s anchor was in my hands, just recently recovered after being stolen a few days ago, kids on the docks can’t help themselves I am told… Of course my dinghy, now under the dock would be more like Stuart’s dinghy next to me, well away from the dock with a stern anchor, which I now held in my hand along with a heavy rucksack full of groceries… Sitting down and removing my backpack, which I placed next to the anchor on the dock and started trying to pull the dinghy from under the dock in the twilight hours, just after sunset with rain… As I was to find out there was a concrete footing running parallel with the dock just under the surface as the tide was out… Pulling on the dinghy, against the wind and waves I managed to get the bow out from under the dock far enough to try and step down into the dinghy… Although I have done it under all conditions countless times, once committed to dropping down into the dinghy there is not a second try… Landing on the boat I gained my balance just as a wave surged under me kicking the dinghy under the dock and, not being prepared was hit by the dock in the chest and knocked backwards over the side into the water… I hit my back on the concrete footing just under the surface, which would become more painful later that night , but was hardly even noticed as I now had the dinghy on top of me , with my dock line and cable I lock the boat and motor with tangled around my right foot keeping me from getting out from under the dinghy that was rocking and rolling over the top of me in the surging water… I could see the tangle and was able to release it with little trouble and get out from under the dinghy, while in the water I pulled it out from under the dock, the job complicated by the surge, and the concrete footing just under the surface which was allowing the hull, but not the motor to pass over it, I waded under the dock and worked the boat out and away from the dock… Once clear, I pulled myself up into the dinghy, fumbling with the outboard motors key I finally started the motor just as I was heading back under the dock and was able to catch the dock long enough to clear my dock lines and hold the dinghy off, but was too far away from my backpack and anchor to grab them… I backed away and around from the dock, reproaching slowly, cutting the engine and sliding towards the dock stopping the dinghy from going under the dock and now able to reach my bag and anchor from the dock…., running back to the motor and backing away before another surge, pushing me towards the dock… So much for staying dry, being cautious I always carry my phone, wallet and camera inside a zip lock plastic bag to protect them from saltwater, just in case… Rinsing off with my swim platform shower and hanging my wet cloths to a lifeline so they will get the salt rinsed out of them when it rains, I went below and put on another dry swimsuit… It was an interesting day…
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Passing thoughts in Vieques 2009 Vol. 3
A Mile In My Flip Flops
Today I awoke at about 3:30 AM to the refrigeration short cycling on and off, attempting to ignore it, I tried to go back to sleep telling myself way to early…. At 3:45 AM I decided I wasn’t going back to sleep and crawled out of my bunk to a gently rolling boat with very light Trades out of the NE… I checked my batteries and the power meter told me everything should be okay, however the recycling refrigeration was telling me otherwise… I plugged in the power cord which is plugged into my battery charging system and started my portable generator, problem solved… I gotta quit spending so much time on the computer, but needed it for some graphics I have been doing… Going below I rinsed out the old coffee grounds out of my coffee press/carafe… I use water I have made from seawater using my onboard reverse osmosis water maker I installed a few years ago for cooking and drinking water as it is cleaner than bottled water sold in stores and makes delicious coffee…. I have been making about 2 gals a day stretching out my onboard storage tanks… Of course I have started painting again requiring me to make even more… I have an on deck catchments system using a garden hose , but we have had very little rain, just windy not wet…
Getting back out of the marina has been a period of many adjustments to the changes which must be adjusted to… There is the constant rocking back and forth… This can be accompanied with some short periods of increased rolling… This is accompanied with the constant background of groans and creaks which come with any vessel… This background noise remains in the background and generally goes unnoticed until something unusual happens and a noise out of the ordinary happens, immediately getting my attention… I have been on cruises and it would drive my mates crazy with how I could tell, when even in the deepest sleep and how quickly I was awake and climbing out of my bunk and coming up on deck for whatever was causing this change… More than a few times I have come on deck to a owner leaning into his wheel as though pulling it hard against its rudder stop is going to miraculously cause the back-filled genoa powered bow to go against the laws of physics and wind and turn in the course he was trying to take… When coming on deck I was generally told “It’s okay, I got it”, or “The wind shifted”, once “Marvin I don’t know what happened” which was the worse and of course a couple of times to his being sound asleep… One moonless night I was greeted with “The wind keeps shifting” and after looking at the compass I replied, “if you are trying to sail back to Puerto Rico then you have it on a perfect course…..”
I remember watching a couple motoring out to their boat in a very rough anchorage next to me… The dinghy was expertly motored up to the swim step across the stern of the boat, drifting to a stop under difficult conditions… He stepped past his companion and expertly stepped up on the bow tube and stepping across open water onto the sailboat, almost with the grace of a ballet star, without looking back went forward and down below… His crew however, who was holding the dinghy, was now finding herself slowly being stretched between the sailboat, firmly in her grip and her feet which were now securely planted onto the dinghy bow and was slowly being stretched out over open, rocking water… She finally gave up and let go… Of course he had tied off the painter so there was no chance of the dinghy drifting away…
The hardest part of adjusting is the physical part, easier to adjust to far fewer showers or a clean change of clothes everyday… You learn to become self balancing on the constant motion of the boat… If you see someone rocking back and forth while standing they live on a boat… Part of life aboard, besides always having to climb up and down a ladder every time I go up to the cockpit, is getting in and out of the dinghy… I will refer to the process of getting in and out of the dinghy as “mounting the tender” or “popping the tube”… Tying your dinghy to the dock can test your balancing skills… Pulling into a dock with the waves surging past and hitting the shore nearby, slowing down going forward and tying off the dock line all while standing on the raised deck as the surge raised me and pushed me with equal force sideways trying to slide under the dock… Once secured throwing out an anchor line from the stern to keep the boat from banging on the dock, tying it off to the stern, finally I use a special cable I had made up to lock the motor, and gas can to the dock… Now, with trash bags tossed up on the dock, backpack and anything else I am taking with me ashore I climb up on the bow tube and grip onto the dock waiting for the wave to lift the dinghy so I can hopefully exit my dinghy and pull myself ashore without making it look to awkward… To get into the dinghy, usually under reduced conditions at night with no moon, same surge, a wee bit too much to drink… and most importantly no one around to watch the graceful ease I exhibit climbing down/falling/jumping into the dinghy from above, undoing all the tangle of lines resulting from the dinghy’s swinging/me drinking… After finally unlocking the lock while standing in the dinghy then pulling up the anchor all the while the surge rocking you back and forth in a sweeping circular motion in all directions, finally untying and passing on the temptation to smite it with my rigging knife while at the same time swearing oaths to the skies above, the mystery knot I so expertly tied in daylight/sober… Under the massive power of my 5 hp outboard I head out into the dark seas directed by my anchor light which I thought to turn on most of the time when I am leaving the boat to go ashore, knowing how easily I can be corrupted and how short trips to buy a couple of things and quickly check up on Stuart and Natalya can turn into after dark often late at night dinghy trips back to the boat, tying the dinghy securely to the transom then tossing any bags of stuff I picked up onboard, then hopefully step across the dinghy bow to swim step without any mishaps, in other words, going below in dry clothes… At least at night you have less of a chance being seen..
I have been staying on the boat working on a couple of postcard size paintings… I can apply the same skills learned on larger paintings, with all the same challenges but done quicker and looser… The rocking and rolling aboard with the weather we have been getting has forced me to keep it loose, especially with the smaller format…That has been a fault of mine on much of my artwork, too much control… What a surprise,,, Painting in a smaller scale will become my method of choosing which I might want to do in a bit larger scale… I am thinking of having the ones I am happiest with printed into Geeclee post card 5”X7” prints and sold in Vieques Yacht Club… I don’t know I might be really shooting for the stars on this one… If you are interested in seeing them I posted them on my website so click here then go to the bottom of the page to see the postcards… Tomorrow I will go ashore with camera in hand.. The coastline west of the Malecon has some fairly unusual rock formations along the reef and around the rocky point is some uninhabited beach full of palm trees, should get me something interesting there to paint, scout it out for some outdoor painting… The problems with painting outdoors is that people keep stopping and wanting to talk to you… Once while in Puerto Vallarta on the beach front watching several fishermen on the spray washed rocks fishing the surf I took some watercolors, that I had taken with me on my walk that day and sat down to paint it… I had been working around 15 minutes when for some reason I turned around towards the street behind me.. Standing there was about 15-18 Mexicans standing very quietly watching me work, never saying a word… When I turned I kinda jumped back when I saw all the people which, in turn, got mostly a smile from the people when they saw my reaction… It wasn’t a very good painting…
It is now Sunday morning and I am charging batteries and making water while updating… Being the 1st of the month I will go through my monthly maintenance routine which includes exercising the through hull sea cocks, running the diesel for 20 minutes or so, walking around deck and check stuff… Always something to be done…
I have decided to start eating Puerto Rican cuisine for all my onboard meals prepared in my galley, all 4 square feet of deck slace and 6 square feet of cluttered countertop… My reasons are simple, it is what is mostly available in the markets… I have some chicken which I will be making into a Arroz con Pollo a big favorite in Central and South America, including the Caribbean, especially the parts that were once Spanish… It will be my Sunday dinner, made in my pressure cooker, uses far less fuel and really turns out moist chicken and rice…. Of course I am pretty sure I will really be sick and tired of it by the time I get to the bottom of the pot… The markets (2) are little stores with a really poor selection of food but you won’t starve, however their ice cream selection is absolutely superb as is their pastries which include Honey Buns…
More Later….
Today I awoke at about 3:30 AM to the refrigeration short cycling on and off, attempting to ignore it, I tried to go back to sleep telling myself way to early…. At 3:45 AM I decided I wasn’t going back to sleep and crawled out of my bunk to a gently rolling boat with very light Trades out of the NE… I checked my batteries and the power meter told me everything should be okay, however the recycling refrigeration was telling me otherwise… I plugged in the power cord which is plugged into my battery charging system and started my portable generator, problem solved… I gotta quit spending so much time on the computer, but needed it for some graphics I have been doing… Going below I rinsed out the old coffee grounds out of my coffee press/carafe… I use water I have made from seawater using my onboard reverse osmosis water maker I installed a few years ago for cooking and drinking water as it is cleaner than bottled water sold in stores and makes delicious coffee…. I have been making about 2 gals a day stretching out my onboard storage tanks… Of course I have started painting again requiring me to make even more… I have an on deck catchments system using a garden hose , but we have had very little rain, just windy not wet…
Getting back out of the marina has been a period of many adjustments to the changes which must be adjusted to… There is the constant rocking back and forth… This can be accompanied with some short periods of increased rolling… This is accompanied with the constant background of groans and creaks which come with any vessel… This background noise remains in the background and generally goes unnoticed until something unusual happens and a noise out of the ordinary happens, immediately getting my attention… I have been on cruises and it would drive my mates crazy with how I could tell, when even in the deepest sleep and how quickly I was awake and climbing out of my bunk and coming up on deck for whatever was causing this change… More than a few times I have come on deck to a owner leaning into his wheel as though pulling it hard against its rudder stop is going to miraculously cause the back-filled genoa powered bow to go against the laws of physics and wind and turn in the course he was trying to take… When coming on deck I was generally told “It’s okay, I got it”, or “The wind shifted”, once “Marvin I don’t know what happened” which was the worse and of course a couple of times to his being sound asleep… One moonless night I was greeted with “The wind keeps shifting” and after looking at the compass I replied, “if you are trying to sail back to Puerto Rico then you have it on a perfect course…..”
I remember watching a couple motoring out to their boat in a very rough anchorage next to me… The dinghy was expertly motored up to the swim step across the stern of the boat, drifting to a stop under difficult conditions… He stepped past his companion and expertly stepped up on the bow tube and stepping across open water onto the sailboat, almost with the grace of a ballet star, without looking back went forward and down below… His crew however, who was holding the dinghy, was now finding herself slowly being stretched between the sailboat, firmly in her grip and her feet which were now securely planted onto the dinghy bow and was slowly being stretched out over open, rocking water… She finally gave up and let go… Of course he had tied off the painter so there was no chance of the dinghy drifting away…
The hardest part of adjusting is the physical part, easier to adjust to far fewer showers or a clean change of clothes everyday… You learn to become self balancing on the constant motion of the boat… If you see someone rocking back and forth while standing they live on a boat… Part of life aboard, besides always having to climb up and down a ladder every time I go up to the cockpit, is getting in and out of the dinghy… I will refer to the process of getting in and out of the dinghy as “mounting the tender” or “popping the tube”… Tying your dinghy to the dock can test your balancing skills… Pulling into a dock with the waves surging past and hitting the shore nearby, slowing down going forward and tying off the dock line all while standing on the raised deck as the surge raised me and pushed me with equal force sideways trying to slide under the dock… Once secured throwing out an anchor line from the stern to keep the boat from banging on the dock, tying it off to the stern, finally I use a special cable I had made up to lock the motor, and gas can to the dock… Now, with trash bags tossed up on the dock, backpack and anything else I am taking with me ashore I climb up on the bow tube and grip onto the dock waiting for the wave to lift the dinghy so I can hopefully exit my dinghy and pull myself ashore without making it look to awkward… To get into the dinghy, usually under reduced conditions at night with no moon, same surge, a wee bit too much to drink… and most importantly no one around to watch the graceful ease I exhibit climbing down/falling/jumping into the dinghy from above, undoing all the tangle of lines resulting from the dinghy’s swinging/me drinking… After finally unlocking the lock while standing in the dinghy then pulling up the anchor all the while the surge rocking you back and forth in a sweeping circular motion in all directions, finally untying and passing on the temptation to smite it with my rigging knife while at the same time swearing oaths to the skies above, the mystery knot I so expertly tied in daylight/sober… Under the massive power of my 5 hp outboard I head out into the dark seas directed by my anchor light which I thought to turn on most of the time when I am leaving the boat to go ashore, knowing how easily I can be corrupted and how short trips to buy a couple of things and quickly check up on Stuart and Natalya can turn into after dark often late at night dinghy trips back to the boat, tying the dinghy securely to the transom then tossing any bags of stuff I picked up onboard, then hopefully step across the dinghy bow to swim step without any mishaps, in other words, going below in dry clothes… At least at night you have less of a chance being seen..
I have been staying on the boat working on a couple of postcard size paintings… I can apply the same skills learned on larger paintings, with all the same challenges but done quicker and looser… The rocking and rolling aboard with the weather we have been getting has forced me to keep it loose, especially with the smaller format…That has been a fault of mine on much of my artwork, too much control… What a surprise,,, Painting in a smaller scale will become my method of choosing which I might want to do in a bit larger scale… I am thinking of having the ones I am happiest with printed into Geeclee post card 5”X7” prints and sold in Vieques Yacht Club… I don’t know I might be really shooting for the stars on this one… If you are interested in seeing them I posted them on my website so click here then go to the bottom of the page to see the postcards… Tomorrow I will go ashore with camera in hand.. The coastline west of the Malecon has some fairly unusual rock formations along the reef and around the rocky point is some uninhabited beach full of palm trees, should get me something interesting there to paint, scout it out for some outdoor painting… The problems with painting outdoors is that people keep stopping and wanting to talk to you… Once while in Puerto Vallarta on the beach front watching several fishermen on the spray washed rocks fishing the surf I took some watercolors, that I had taken with me on my walk that day and sat down to paint it… I had been working around 15 minutes when for some reason I turned around towards the street behind me.. Standing there was about 15-18 Mexicans standing very quietly watching me work, never saying a word… When I turned I kinda jumped back when I saw all the people which, in turn, got mostly a smile from the people when they saw my reaction… It wasn’t a very good painting…
It is now Sunday morning and I am charging batteries and making water while updating… Being the 1st of the month I will go through my monthly maintenance routine which includes exercising the through hull sea cocks, running the diesel for 20 minutes or so, walking around deck and check stuff… Always something to be done…
I have decided to start eating Puerto Rican cuisine for all my onboard meals prepared in my galley, all 4 square feet of deck slace and 6 square feet of cluttered countertop… My reasons are simple, it is what is mostly available in the markets… I have some chicken which I will be making into a Arroz con Pollo a big favorite in Central and South America, including the Caribbean, especially the parts that were once Spanish… It will be my Sunday dinner, made in my pressure cooker, uses far less fuel and really turns out moist chicken and rice…. Of course I am pretty sure I will really be sick and tired of it by the time I get to the bottom of the pot… The markets (2) are little stores with a really poor selection of food but you won’t starve, however their ice cream selection is absolutely superb as is their pastries which include Honey Buns…
More Later….
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