The Sailor of Sailors dreams of Remote Horizons. (Centkieviez) 



My Yacht-log 2007.03.11-20

"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 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' CLOSE WINDOW

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My laptop is not working again, therefore I'm sitting in an internet café and typing. No accents again!

2007.03.11. (Day 169)
In the morning I was surfing on the Internet, it's very expensive, but I must do it: I can't switch on the laptop.
Then Henk took me on his car to buy fuel, what is quite expensive here! Henk's the owner of the marina.

Morning:
1. Fixing with plastic (at the cabin door, guard rail and the damages of the firework at Cape Island)
2. Washing
3. Clean-up

Unfortunately I can't fill here the gas bottle, due to the standards. If it would be important, I could fill in Curacao (Willmstad), but it's not as important.
In the evening I could switch on the laptop, so I could make a route plan:
Route to Cartagena (Colombia):
passing Curacao north (WP1: 12-24N, 069-09,3W) - Distance: 53,6tmf, Direction: 285
passing Aruba north (WP2: 12-38N,070-03W)
from here my direction is 230 (WP3: 12-34N, 071-40W)
near by Santa Marta (WP4: 11-21N, 074-17W)
near by Punta Canoas (WP5: 10-34,2N, 075-32,0W)

Dinner in the town at a take-away place: usually I eat chicken and pork at the marina, rearly beef.
Nearby fishermen were singing whole night, it didn't bother me, I slept deeply and pleasantly.

2007.03.12. (Day 170)

I got up early, around 6:30 am.
At 7, I went to Henk, we had coffee and breakfast together.
His house is in front of the port, of course overlooking to the marina and the sea.
Little after 7 Tibi called me, he is the Hungarian programme's riporter at the Bucarest Radio (Romania). We had a nice talk. I'm very glad that people will hear about Carina and me in Transylvania.
Then my family called...
Henk's a great man, I'm happy to meet him.
If there were more people like him, our world would be better.
Curiously I meet many great men lately, perhaps our world is improving...

After 8 I uploaded my photos at Mike, he's the owner of one of the internet cafés.
It's funny that there are 2 webcasters on the island, so due to the "big" race both are slow and trustless.

Finally, after 11, I have time to fix my boat:
1. I've changed the coax-cable on the dipole-antenna (tomorrow I'll test)
2. Washing
3. Arranging ropes
4. Changing the forstag curbing

Then I went to the sailor's shop to buy a new spanner to the left side-shroud.
Reason: the left side-shroud elongated a bit and the original spanner can't strain it enough. So I have to find a shorter spanner. Unfortunately I didn't find a fitting one, but I bought poliester (barely left from the home one) and special silicone.
I bought 2 spanners to strain the lower point of the saling, those were also loose. Original spanners could be strained only halfly, the 30-year-old threads are not perfect

I walked around the town, tried in 3 more shops, but I couldn't find the appropriate spanner. I'll buy in Panama, or solve it other way.

Lunch: fishermen invited me for a fine fish-soup. It was delicious.
After lunch I gave them Hungarian spirit, and of course they took out marijuana...

Then in the swelter I was diving, it's a paradise for divers! Many people comes here just for diving.
In the evening I was setting the standing rigging.

2007.03.13. (Day 171)
I got up at 6 am, fishermen made their engine start for some reason.
I did the shopping for the journey: 2kg bread, 12 eggs, vegetable (paprika, tomate, onion), fruit (banana).
Then took 30 l fresh water.
Then: testing antenna and standing rigging fixation
8 am, I went to customs and to police to managing papers.
After the usual 2 hours of net-surfing I went to Henk, because this time the Petofi Radio (Hungary) is gonna call me (Szabolcs Varró).
I ate clam for lunch with the fishermen.
In the afternoon, I went for diving, Henk's brother suggested a good place around here. It was really beautiful. Corals and many-many fishes!
I don't understand: whole day my back hurt, I could barely live, although I didn't load it.

4 pm, I leave with engine.
At 4.30 pm, engine off and setting all sails (fock and mainsail)
Direction: 290
Speed: 4 kn
Temperature: 31
Barometer: 1016
Visibility: 5
Sea state: 3
Stream: 1 kn west
Wind: Bf.4, E-SE
Fuel: 36 l
Water: 150 l

9 pm I can already see the lights of Curacao.
Night was calm, I saw some ships far away, but no closer encounter.

2007.03.14. (Day 172)

At dawn it was raining. Everything's wet, I don't like radioing like this, but I must!
Radio: 6:30-7:20 am, I heard Karesz, Tibi, Laci.

Breakfast: banana
Lunch: bread with salami

My backache disappeared.
In the daytime boat-traffic densifies, more and more ships.

Carina:
Direction: 290
Speed: 4,5 kn
Temperature: 30
Barometer: 1016
Visibility: 4
Sea state: 4
Stream: 1 kn west
Wind: Bf.5, E

18:00 (12-36N, 070-00W)
In the evening I passed Aruba.
At night I sail close to Golfo de Venezuela.
No dinner.

I get up in every 20 minutes to check the traffic.
At 1 am, I had an exciting encounter with a ship, it came closely (appr. 1 nm) and lit my boat. It didn't understand, what my boat could be.

2007.03.15. (Day 173)

Happy birthday Csilla!

I got up early with neck-pain (no place for comfortable sleep).

6:30 Radioing with Tibi, Karesz and Alex
(12-48N, 070-52W)
I could barely hear them. Noise level was 6!
Breakfast: bread with salami and banana
Lunch: fried eggs with onion
(Log's not working since Afrika, the problem could be in the sensor.)

Carina:
Direction: 260
Speed: 4,5 kn (all sails)
Temperature: 31
Barometer: 1018
Visibility: 3
Sea state: 4
Stream: 1 kn W
Wind: Bf.5, E then NE

Some boats 5-10 nm far during the day.

In the afternoon I arrived in Colombia, Peninsula de la Guajira.
Sewing the fock, 3 tears last night.

No dinner.
9 pm, wind's stiffening, I took down the mainsail.
Night: 20 minutes sleeps, but calm. Once a boat came very close, I was scared :-)

2007.03.16. (Day 174)
Yesterday a new record: 122 nm/day in good direction!!! Reason: strong stream and perfect wind.
6:30 am(12-16N, 072-39W)
Radio: with Tibi and Alex.
08:00 am: Wind's weakening. I set the mainsail.

Breakfast: bread with salami
Lunch, dinner: scrambled eggs with letcho

4:30 pm, wind's stiffening, mainsail down.

9 pm, a big wave splashed in the cabin, appr. 80 l water. Everything's wet! I sleep in wet sleeping-bag and used wet blanket.
Lightning all night.

Carina:
Direction: 250
Speed: 5 kn (all sails)
Temperature: 30
Barometer: 1012
Visibility: 3
Sea state: 4
Stream: 1 kn W
Wind: Bf.5-6 NE

2007.03.17. (Day 175)

In the morning radioing with Tibi.
6:30 (11-39N, 073-54W)

Breakfast: bread with salami, banana
Then a big boat came 500 m-close.

Morning: sewing fock
I saw a whale 100 m far. I made a video and took photos.
All morning drying my clothes, sleeping bag and blanket.

During the day I made an inventory:

Storage list (food and bottled water)

Storages:
Right first:
0,9 kg muesli
1,2 kg (corn-)grits
3 kg rice
2,5 kg flour
biofood for 3 weeks
4,5 l bottled water

Right second:
400 g milk-powder (tinned)
850 g corn (tinned)
800 g carrots, peas (tinned)
700 g sauce
1,5 kg spaghetti pasta
biofood for 4 weeks
10 l bottled water

Left first:
12 pcs of frankfurter (tinned)
880 g peas (tinned)
400 g (tinned)
3 pcs 340 g tomatoes (tinned)
3 kg rice
340 g peanut-butter
2 pcs 400 g chocolate-cream
biofood for 3 weeks
toilet paper, napkins

Left second:
1 kg coffee
2 kg semolina
2 kg corn-(grits)
4,5 l bottled water

First double locker:
Hardtack: 21 pcs 220 g, 3 pcs 150 g, 1 pc 300 g, 2 pcs 250 g, 1 pc 260 g, 1 pcs 225 g and home-made toast for 15 weeks
Biscuit: 1 pc 920 g, 4 pcs 800 g, 4 pcs 300 g
0,5 kg lentil
2,5 kg millet
0,4 kg chickpea
1,2 kg spaghetti pasta
1,5 kg cornflakes
320 g Protein snack
1,25 l bottled water

Barrels:
1.
11 pcs paste
4 pcs salmon-fillet

5 pcs mackerel-fillet
7 pcs cod-liver paste
1 pc tuna
6 pcs sardine
1 pc smoked sprat
5 pcs instant soup
2 pcs rice pudding
1 pc suce
2 pcs tinned pea, carrot (800g)
1 pc Stuffed cabbage Kunság style (special Hungarian dish)
3 pcs Layered cabbage Körös style (special Hungarian dish)
12 pcs Meatballs in tomato sauce

2.
25 pcs paste
3 pcs tuna
15 pcs sardine
3 pcs smoked sprat
1 pc tomato (400g)
3 pcs pork
1 pc baked bean
1 pc Meatballs in tomato sauce
4 pcs Stuffed cabbage Kunság style (special Hungarian dish)
1 pc Layered Cabbage
4 pcs Meat-stew with vegetables
3 pcs Dish of lentils with sausage
1 pc instant cheese-soup

3. 3 biofood for 3 weeks

Carina:
Direction: 260
Speed: 3 kn (all sails)
Temperature: 31
Barometer: 1012
Visibility: 4
Sea state: 3
Stream: 0,8 kn N
Wind: Bf.3-4 NE

Dinner: pasta with vegetables and salami
In the evening I saw the lights of Santa Marta.

11:30 pm encounter with a big ship. It crossed the way behind me. It was close!!

2007.03.18. (Day 176)

6:30 (11-17N, 075-00W)
Radioing in the morning with Alex and Tibi.
Spreading was very bad, I could hear just voice-snatches.

Made-up and finished the inventory.

Lunch: bread with salami

All day slight boat-traffic and weak visibility (1-2 nm!).
I sailed by Cabo Augusta.

Wind: Bf.5-6 NE
Carina:
Direction: 220
Speed: 4 kn

WP0 (10-23,4N, 075-34,2W) is the location of the green and red buoy, I couldn't find it, later I realized I've already sailed over them.

2 am: I anchored in the gulf of Cartagena
(I found the anchoring area hard and accidently. I could move very slowly in the strong wind and the cargoship-traffic is active even at night! Following the buoy-system is also complicated... unfortunately I didn't have exact information about the port!)

2007.03.19. (Day 177)

I got up around 7:30 am.
When I stepped out of the cabin I've spotted the marina 1 nm far on the coast.
I waved to a sailorman, who was hanging around in his dingi.
I told him that I wanna dock in the marina. 15 minutes later he got back, said OK, I have place. Moreover he showed the way.

Everyone is nice in the port. I had coffee with some sailormen...
I found a mechanic, who could remove the incorrect spark plug (with a special spray), I payed him with French wine. :-)
Then I chatted with Jefferson, who is a 21-year-old sailor on an old wood-boat.
He mentioned that a big fiesta would be in the city!
The port (Cartagena Marina Nautico) is well-equipped: 2 TVs, snooker and dayroom...
Forenoon I do the shopping, afternoon I'm surfing on the net in the restaurant (my laptop is working now, I'm using WLAN).
In the day I'm speaking with other sailors, I have a great time here! Nice place!
I was invited for dinner to the adjacent boat. I ate a stew-like dish with Viktoria, Alex and the captain.
In the evening I went to the town with Alex to drink and party, finally we were talking till 5 am.
Alex is a 34-year-old English traveller. He's been travelling around the world for 1,5 year. He toured South-America. He was an IT-engineer in his previous life. (We had common topics.)
Prices: beer is 1 USD, but at the local pubs only 0.7

2007.03.20. (Day 178)
After 2,5 hours of sleeping I got up, because gas-filling was scheduled to 8 am. I managed to send the gas-bottle, unfortunately it can't be filled up here. My bottle is European-standard, they didn't had a connecting adapter here!
Then I walked into the town, bought 3 new spark plugs and 2 tubes of silicone.
I also visited the castle, but I didn't go in: the fee is 12 USD, currently that's too expensive for me...
Today my laptop is working again and I can use Internet(WLAN) in the pub of the port, but of course it is not so simple to use, I can just connect after 1-2 hours of suffering.
That's why I dismiss the talking with Bogi (my girlfriend), it's really hard for her to accept this...
In the afternoon I went in the city, walked around the old-town and the new business quarter, then I went to the beach. I had dinner on the street (appr. 1 USD).
They have motorbike-taxis here and take the passengers for 0.5 USD. I haven't tried :-)
The 2 days expired fast.
I changed the 2 spark plugs in the engine and cleaned the last one.
I went to the petrol station on foot and bought 6 gallon (21 l) fuel for appr. 16 USD! Very cheap!
Unfortunately I couldn't switch on the laptop in the evening, it would have been good to write yacht-log.
I had a nice talk with Alex in the evening, but after 10 pm I went to sleep.