It was the day before Christmas

It looks like the weather has decided that we will spend Christmas in St. Croix, that’s fine with us; we will go to our own special restaurant (because it’s the only one who has internet) and have a nice dinner. It still is for me not really a Christmas feeling, sitting outside in the sun and warm water around you and your wish is to go to Buck Island to have a snorkel trip.  

We have about 24 Christmas songs on the iPod and I am playing them like crazy (Jacques is still holding up, but is getting close to throwing the whole iPod overboard), I have bought a battery driven string of colored lights that looks really cool in the dark! But as a northern person the white and the cold are part of the whole Christmas feeling. So we are creating a whole new and different Christmas time and it is in fact wonderful that we are still flexible enough to do that!! And when we are even older and cannot do this anymore, I probably would wish for a nice snorkeling on Christmas.

We are in good spirits and we hope all of you feel the same, lots of love and Christmas spirits where ever you celebrate!

Merry Christmas!!!

Revoking

I am sorry to say this, but I had to revoke Jacques title of certified headmaster.
He gets one more go at it today, the febreze is ready!!!!!!!!

Ria

The "Head" Master

On a boat the toilet is called a head. In one hull we had an electric one. It did not work all that perfect and used power, of which we need to be very careful with. So we bought on old fashioned one in Puerto Rico and installed it a few days ago. After a few days it started to show difficulties in the pumping department (I would say the most important job of a toilet). 

Yesterday we wanted to attack the problem; the booklet (yes I cannot live without booklets) gave as a solution: the joker valve!!! Okay!! But my mate thought he knew what it was, unscrewing the pump showed the valve was flipped back, so we were very happy for such an easy solution, but….it was not the problem. 

Now it got complicated, we disconnected the hose from the toilet, which started immediately a little bit of an odor problem; the “Febreze” had to work overtime, it had a hard time living up to his promise “it will eliminate all odors and leave a breath of fresh air.”

Then Jacques wanted to take the hose of the plastic pipe leading into the holding tank and then the fitting broke. I, yes me!, had the great idea of using a rubber hose that would go over the outside of the elbow fitting. But for that needed some stuff. Dinghy down, walking to a hardware store and we found a perfect rubber sleeve that would go precisely over the elbow and for the connection to the hose Jacques had a bunch of fittings from older plumbing leftovers that had the same size as the rubber hose. 

Then we took the task of flushing out the sh@!#t from the area with a small pump hang into the water outside the boat and a hose to pump seawater into the bilge. After that we used the pump the other way round to pump the sh@#!t back into the sea.

At five we tried it out and see: everything was working with no leaks. This really called for a super big and sweaty high five and for a coke with rum to flush the bad smell down. Now Jacques is promoted to certified head master but I hope he will never need to use these skills again.

Ria

St. Croix, Christiansted sooo scary!!!!

We had hoped to be able to sail with spinnaker to St. Croix, but there was no wind at all, therefore we had the most quiet crossing of our whole trip. I could take a long shower on the back of the boat, what normally is impossible when you’re crossing part of the ocean. And Murphy ’s Law came true again, you can have the whole day no wind and close to the harbor it started blowing. 

This time it came from a big cloud over Christiansted. We slowed down till the rain was gone and we could safely see all the buoys to get into the harbor. There was not much place to anchor here, so after 2 hours driving around and discussing we ended up near the entrance on a mooring ball. Not very protected and it started really blowing in the night. I was up at four and went to look outside, everything seemed fine, but I had in my head a plan for when something went wrong.

Jacques got up at six and checked, still everything okay, but 6:15 there came a big cry for RIA!!!!!!! I could hear something was very wrong, the line from the mooring had broken and we started to drift, the motors were running in no time and while Jacques started to get all the ropes on board, I steered the boat away from other boats and the wall, but the steering wheel did not move very much, so I steered with motors and looked backwards and saw that the rudder crossbar was attached with two ropes because the rudders were moving in the waves. I had them loose very quickly (broke half of my nails) and the boat was under control!

We put the anchor out and went first for some much deserved coffee. The rest of the day we stayed on the boat while it was blowing 25+ knots. Later in the afternoon Jacques swam out to check the anchor but couldn’t see anything because of the sand whirled up in the water. At least the entire area was sand ground so we were confident that with over a hundred feet of chain in about 10 feet of water under the keel we had a good feeling.

Christiansted seems to be a very nice place from the boat so today we will go on land and hope to do some chores. As a Dutch saying goes:  “Luck is with the fools” we are thankful that we are fools.

Talk to you later, Ria

St. Thomas

We are now more than a week in St. Thomas and this is a very busy harbor. There are daily arriving at least 3 big, big cruise ships, several small ferry boats bringing people somewhere are drifting by and then we have the noise of the street; the cars do not have much space to let the police pass, so the emergency vehicles are constantly driving with their loudest equipment on. 

Having said all the negatives first, this is a very nice and roomy harbor, every boat has a lot of space and there good dinghy docks. Our first trip to land was to downtown, is old and very cute but only made for the tourists. It has really very nice old buildings, but it is a watch store, a jewelry, a liquor, a watch, a jewelry etc.

So the next day we went to another part of town, where everyone else lives and works and there were normal grocery stores, all in short walking distance to the dinghy dock. We are being lazy, doing one thing a day and reading: Jacques has discovered reading this time and is already busy with his fifth book!!!!!!!!

Wednesday there will be north wind and we intend to go to St. Croix, it is a little bit out of the way so we hope to find a more quiet  spot.

We will report again from St. Croix.

Ria

David and Goliath

We have visitors, this cruise ship did not got the turn right and snuggled up to us, we went a little bit further away.

Ready for new waters

It is Saturday morning in the sun bay marine (is that for sure every where!) in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and we are getting ready to go to St. Thomas in the American Virgin Islands.

After the last chapter in this story we went for a few days to Culebra (now all the swimmers will be jealous, because in one bay I went snorkeling and saw 4 sea turtles!!!!! fantastic), and then with some pretty rough waves back to the mainland. 

We have been working hard on the boat, the water pump from the port motor was leaking, so we installed a new one, the real Jacques and Ria way. Jacques was hanging half over the open space where the motor is and I perched in a small corner to shine the light. We both were sweating and stinking, it would have been a nice little film about how to perceive closeness in a marriage!!!!!!!! 

Jacques's comments during these situations are always coming out as questions: "how the f... can a designer put a screw over there?" (but then in dutch) and even after 46 years and the knowledge he does not expect an answer, I am trying to come up with a somewhat technical response. "If you could shine the light where  my hands are!!" I cannot see his hands because I am crouched half behind him, but somehow it works and after half an hour the new pump is installed and does not leak. We climb backwards out of the space and the thing ends as always with a big hi-five! So we are doing just fine.

Then of course a lot of shopping, I never really liked grocery shopping, but now I officially hate it! We bought new carpet for the cabin and installed it, looks really good, a new toilet, will be installed on the road and a new boats hook, the other one wanted to be a flying fish and sailed over board. So the last cleanup and in 2 or 3 hours we will be on the road again, very good feeling.

Have all a good time and talk to you later, Ria

Dinghy and little piece of Paradise

If you read the title you would think they belong together, but nothing is further from the truth. The Dinghy Union must have heard me complain one time too much and have pretty sure told our small boat named Alexander (after our master dinghy captain Alex van Heijningen) not to take it any longer and do something about it!!! So after we had a very nice thanksgiving dinner, in our best clothes and even the home made silver jewelry, we returned to Lady Hawk and just like that Alexander dumped me without any warning in the water!!

Luckily only lost my sunglasses. I had them so very cool on top of my head (hip, cool and boating is not the best combination!) I am now the proud owner of a painful but wonderful colored upper arm. But the war is on and I am going to fight with that dinghy every day for at least half an hour till he knows I AM THE BOSS!!!!!!!!! I think the deeper problem is jealousy, because I had three glasses of wine with the dinner and he had to wait, chained to the dock.

 

Today we went a few blocks further on our road and landed per accident in a little piece of paradise, we saw the Baja from afar and it looked really good, so we turned left and arrived in a very clear, wonderful little bay, surrounded by sand and beautiful rock formations, and nobody there! We felt great. And to make everything perfect, when we went for a swim we discovered a small reef full of the most fantastic fishes, I think they were all there, even Lion fishes. We know they are dangerous, but they looked beautiful. We had a great, great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Love to all, Ria

Esperanza and camera

We are already a few days in Esperanza. The trip was a little bumpy, but as soon as we were under the coast, it became much quieter. We feel like home here. It is our third visit and it is still my favorite spot. I have also already visited my snorkel spot.

As a birthday present I got a video camera for under water and yesterday was the big try out. After one more reading of the instruction booklet, I was ready to go, I thought. Putting on my bathing suit, snorkel and mask, took the camera and I went. "Push the button and go slowly back and forth," the booklet had said and that was exactly what I did. 

I gave the camera to Jacques while I full of excitement climbed on board. And, and......well I see nothing, was Jacques's response. I was somewhat disappointed and after drying myself, went back to the booklet. I had done everything right, so I figured perhaps the camera shut down, if you wait too long and it did (was very proud of my technical understanding!) This time I was completely ready to go before I switched the camera on. 

When I came out of the water and looked, I saw ten times my face with goggles!!!!!!!! Did I really called this blog "old and WISE"! To make a long story short, I am now the proud owner of a minute film with sea grass, sea grass, my foot, more sea grass, the swim ladder and more....................... I don't think the discovery channel will be knocking on my door anytime soon.

But I liked the swimming. Till next time, Ria

First anchorage

We are now really on our way. The first trip was only two hours, but we are anchored at a beautiful spot, with only one other boat. The naked swimming will have to wait till dark, but that is already here at six. This is the first blog I will try to send with my phone. Been on it for more than two hours, so it better work!!!!!!!!!

Ria

Isla del Encanta

This is the name on license plates in Puerto Rico. The island is a little confusing to me, the distances are in km and the speed is in miles, gasoline in liters, water in gallons. The cars must be made different here, they don't have handles to show a change of direction, but the horn is very centrally located, you use it to show when you are unhappy with the other drivers and to thank another one, because you give him right of way, when you are too slow, too fast, the wrong direction etc.

The music is loud and sounds happy, but the people do not make the most happy impression. It must have something to do with the intertwinement with America. Nobody can clearly explain to me the exact connection, I have tried to ask so many people, but it is still unclear to me.

The boating scene is something else, there must be an official rule: the smaller the boat, the bigger the motors and even bigger the sound installation, you hear the things before you can even see them !!!!!!!!! Especially Saturday nights are horrible, they think they have the god sent duty to entertain the whole world with their music.

But we are still very happy to share their beautiful country.

Ria

Getting there

We are on the road! The alarm clock went off at 3:00, was very early, and discovered first that the fridge had been dripping water all night, I was at least immediately right awake! The big bag was still too heavy (I don’t know if we had expected that that would change overnight), so we transferred some stuff in our hand luggage, we are now dragging four pretty heavy bags around the airport. 

We had expected all kind of scrutiny with the “no-water, coats off and shoes in the bin” control, but we just flew through, with that we had lots of time to get a very good breakfast. In the waiting area were a couple of guys very loud discussing the elections and politics, I was so hoping not to hear anything about this for a long time!!!!!!!!!! 

After an uneventful flight we arrived around two in San Juan and were soon on the way to Salinas. The Lady Hawk was peacefully floating in the water and we were happy to see her. It was a little messy inside so the thought occurred that the launch had probably not gone very smoothly. But suddenly we missed the bikes and two toolboxes and an emergency light, there had been a break-in! Jacques sent some choice dutch words out to all the people of Puerto Rico, we all know the sound of that.

After the first clean-up we took a good drink on our arrival and even with the stolen goods we are very happy to start our third season on our Lady Hawk. 

Ria

Drying out

Still at home

We are slowly getting in the mood for our third winter on Lady Hawk.

Ria

The queen in stride