“In
the beginning they could not understand my insistence on getting away from the
compass, that god of the West. But in exchange, they began to hear the why and
sea talking with the boat. And when the blue tinted land appeared on the
horizon, looking as it did to the mariners of old, all nimbed
with mystery, a few of them felt that our rigorous techniques should leave a
door open to those gods which the modern world tries so hard to exclude.”
-
Bernard Moitessier, The Long Way.
-
2007.03.05
(day 163)
Now my laptop stopped
working, so I’m typing the yacht-log subsequently in an Internet café.
“I
have almost forgot the taste of fears;
The
time has been, my senses would have cool’d
To
hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hair
Would
at a dismal treatise rouse and stir
As
life were in’t: I have supp’d full with horrors;
Direness,
familiar to my slaughterous thoughts
Cannot
once start me.”
….
“I
dare do all that may become a man;
Who
dares do more is none.”
….
(The Hungarian
text quotes a translation by the poet Lõrincz Szabó/tr)
Generally
my breakfast, lunch and dinner are salami on bread, because I still have salami
left from what I got from the Hungarian teams in
In
the morning re-installed the already glued solar panel in its place. Had it in the cabin during the night because it was raining.
Went to sleep with not very pleasant smells.
I
couldn’t get the frozen sparkplug out of the engine, now trying a wrench,
borrowed from a neighboring ship that a German loaned to me. Even that didn’t
work, possibly a more serious problem, will call for service next port.
Breakfast
and lunch: chicken with rice in an eatery at the marketplace, it was delicious!
Then Interneted in town a little, but it wasn’t too simple, there was no net in
town until 10 in the morning…
Spent my remaining Carib dollars at
Hoisted the jib after motoring a half an hour, because it’s
sufficient in easterly Bf.5 wind. (My standing rigging still isn’t taut
enough, will fix it next port, need new turnbuckles).
Destination:
Afternoon
sewed my shorts and my satchel (done it a 100 times already J)
The
evening passed calmly, getting up to check the ship, sails and traffic every 15
minutes. Didn’t see any ships, the wind sometimes increases to 21 knots.
Because of this I’m tired and in a bad mood by morning J
2007.03.06
(day 164)
Couldn’t turn on the computer.
In
it are my maps (
There’s
a French ship in the bay, I wave, they come over in a
dinghy. They’re very kind and helpful, took me to their ship where I could draw
a map of the next island (
Afternoon:
diving, I was in the water more than an hour. There are very beautiful coral
deposits, and many, many schools of fishes. More beautiful than
Later,
while sewing the main sail on deck, comes the Coast Guard, and invites me over
to the next bay, where the village is and the Coast Guard Office. (I must
register officially into the country and the island).
Evening:
I motored over to the next bay while there was still daylight.
A
fisherman suggested that I tie up at their wooden pier. I tried it too.
Maneuvered next to it but there wasn’t enough room also another larger ship was
too close…Unfortunately my port railing broke, the weak aluminum mounting and a
screw L
Finally
I anchored and swam ashore with my papers and clothes in a plastic bag. (There
isn’t enough room for a dinghy on the ship).
The
village is very small, about 60-70 thousand inhabitants, the Coast Guard Office
was perhaps at the end of the 10th building. I got there at
Swam back to Carina in the dark, bucking large waves with a
heavy bag held above my head.
My
watch, which I bought in the
After a little rest departed for
Again used just a jib all night in easterly Bf5 winds.
It
was a difficult and tiring night checking the ship and traffic every 15 minutes
(They
used to torture Mindszenty in the ‘50s in
Saw
2 ships at night 2-3nm away, heading for
2007.03.07
(day 165)
The
wind has slightly weakened to Bf.4 at 7 in the morning, so hoisted the main
sail. Sighted Margarita before
There
was a cell-phone network there, so I wrote SMS to Dad, who sent me a few
positions from
The
color of the water is green, because the rivers aren’t clear near the
Venezuelan coast…
Lowered the main sail early in the forenoon because the wind
has strengthened to Bf.5 again.
Temperature:
31° (measured 41° a few days ago…)
Barometer:
1020
Visibility:
3 (you can see max 5nm)
There
is a 1 knot westerly current in this area (continuance of the Canary current).
Evening: the wind further increases to Bf.6.
The
night passed calmly, but it’s harder to get up every 15 minutes, I’m increasingly
more tired.
2007.03.08
(day 166)
The
approach isn’t simple, must be done very carefully, the whole area is full of
shoals. (I see a beached catamaran, they didn’t make it). Proceeding
slowly in a great arc.
Walking on the beach. A quiet
fishing village and a small airport in this westerly sheltered bay. Next
to the airport is a restaurant also an Internet café, though there is no cell
phone network.
József Varsányi found only a small fishing village here in 1994, a lot has changed in 13 years!!
Got
acquainted with the crew of a sailboat which came from
Many-many
seagulls and flying fish entertain me along the way…
Lunch:
grits
Dinner:
soup
There
was no great ship-traffic during the night, at
At
night in the cabin a flying fish flew to the head portion of my bunk, luckily I
wasn’t asleep
Threw it back in the sea.
2007.03.09
(day 167)
Sailed by an oil-drilling platform in the morning. It’s good
that I didn’t encounter it at night, the ship traffic
was enough for me to handle.
Afternoon
a motor yacht went by me, I thought they gazed at me…
Evening
After
Saw
only 2 ships tonight in the distance. Not sleeping much, rather keeping watch, I’m
very tired already!
A
wave sloshed into the cabin, got about 80 liters of salt water!! Sleeping bag, blanket, everything is wet…
2007.03.10
(day 168)
The
wind has weakened some to Bf.5-6 in the morning
Around
But
to my luck, I have a second, spare forestay since the
I
ran forward and tried to lower the jib. Managed with great difficulty, so eased
the pressure on the mast
Then took down the antenna and the two afterstays so I could
pull the mast in again.
These
kept getting caught in the wind generator, I worried
that they’ll tear it down.
Secured
another forestay and tightened it as much as I could, so now the ship is
temporarily OK again.
10nm
to go to the port, so I rather used the engine all the way, didn’t want to
force the mast in Bf.5-6 winds.
The
engine was OK now, able to make full revs…
Tied
up near a fishing boat, they helped me. Customs and immigration are only
formalities here.
Ebb
tide is about 2 feet.
Sewed
sails in the evening, then emptied the water from the
engine compartment and the other places.
Dried
the toolboxes and wiped the tools…
In
the evening the fishermen fried some fish and invited me, it was excellent
tuna.
Then
went into town, because there is partying here Friday and Saturday night! There
was an orchestra in the square, entertaining the people with local music,
everybody was drinking of course.
Went
to sleep at