My Yacht Log  04.20 – 24, 2007 –

Preparing for the Pacific Ocean

 

 

"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'.

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04.20.2007 (Day 209)

 

Weather information site I use these days: https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/PUBLIC/index.html.

Also use Skype now (mederaron), some say it is better than MSN (aron@meder.hu).  Of course, I can use it only in the harbor, not on the ship.

 

Got a. multifunction mp3 player from the Qpsi-s (can play video too).  It will entertain me on the ocean JJ.

 

Up early morning, arranged things on the ship.  There is a lot of work on a ship!

 

Visited the La Payita bar in the afternoon (Islas Flamenco) because Géza (www.rotorman.hu) left a CD for me there about the mooring places of the Pacific Ocean.  Unfortunately the waiters did not know about it…. L.  I met some Swedes.

 

After this I took a bus to the 'Happy Tours' office where was expecting my FedEx package to arrive, but was not there yet. Have to go to the airport too for one of my packages, the other one hopefully will arrive at the office.


Early dinner: soup for USD 1.

 

Evening: fuel purchase (3 gallons) in the Fuel Dock, then filled 20 liters of water in the cans.

 

Evening dinner: sweet-stuff.

Went to shore because wanted to get on the net.  It was a concert today and the audio technician used all available 110 volt power, so I could get on only for a short time till the people could endure (2 hours).  The manager of the Balboa Yacht Club played on mouth-organ.

 

Sat down to the Bray's table, he is a 47-year old boatman who is sailing to Australia with crew. Found 4 Swedish young guys with whom he shares the food and the fuel cost.  Here it is customary that the crew contribute to the expenses, but sometimes they do not.

Sipped beer together for awhile, then abut 23 hours went to sleep (reading a little Harry Potter too in the ship – thank you Hugi!).

 

 

04.21.2007 (Day 210)

Got up at 06:10 in the morning and went by bus to the FedEx office of Tocumen airport for my package, 1-1/2 hours of travel, 2 buses through the city.  As it turned out, this was unnecessary -

the packages were shipped to the office of Happy Tours, there were some contradictory talks L.

Return trip was 2 hours. The office was closed at 11:30 already, despite the official time of 12:00. Another unnecessary trip L.

Lunch in the city: fried chicken with fried yucca for USD 1.50.

 

Again, went to the La Playita bar (Islas Flamenco) hoping that the 2nd shift employees will remember my CD, but looks like it got lost L.  Met with acquaintances in the bar: Mike and some Norwegian boys. Purchased silicon, acetone and epoxy in the nearby store in the afternoon for ship repairs.

Mark came in the afternoon with his dinghy and took me to Nomadlife. Graham invited me for a drink (rum and cola).  They arrived today from the Canal, came fast (7 knots all-the-way, so they arrived at
13:00 already.)  Then Mark came over to my ship for a little talk, gave me a few good tips concerning ship repairs.

Radio:  The antenna halyard broke already in
Colon, made it impossible to erect the dipole antenna, but temporarily I use the main sail secondary rope instead.  Heard AA7UY (László) Fredi in Nevada, but he just faintly on 21.373 kHz at 23:00UTC.  NV9R RobiChicago, 5-9,

Furthermore Gyuri (PU2KER, Saő Carlos), Gyula (N0FHP, Arizona), Pali (N6DMV, Los Angeles), Károly (PY2KSZ, Saő Paulo) – unfortunately very weakly heard each other L. This frequency is used by the International Hungarian Amateur Radio Club (IHARC), in Hungarian: Nemzetközi Magyar Amatőr Rádió Klub, NMARK) established by Hungarians in America more than a decade ago.  .

 

Thereafter at 7 o'clock tuned in 14.287 kHz at 00:00UTC – heard some Spanish amateurs too, besides AA7UY László (Fredi), Nevada: 5-8; NV9R Robi, Chicago: 5-9.

 

Have some fundamental problem: my transmission is breaking up, makes it difficult to understand.  Task: check the whole radio, clean the contacts.

 

Dinner: coffee in the ship. Then went ashore neting (there is a free one in the bar of Balboa Marina) till early morning 01:30.  Could talk on Skype with acquaintances.


 

04.22.2007 (Day 211)

Radio: Got in contact with Géza (www.rotorman.hu) at
06:30 on 7080 kHz.  HA5RTR: 5-9, is sailing near Ecuador.  Could not go back to sleep after this, did some chores around the ship.

 

Ship repair plan:

 

1.  Replace the steering retaining screw with a longer one, gluing with epoxy (the polyester stuff is not strong enough) – later;
2.  Re-installation of the motor separator (every shelf was open during the canal transit to allow fast access to repairs);
3.  Antenna suspension – tomorrow;

4.  Mast adjustment – later;

5.  Checking the radar reflector – ok

6.  Handrail gluing with epoxy

 

Additional tasks:

 

1.  Water disinfecting (put in 0.1% chlorine, this way the water will be good for several months) – ok;

2.  Troubleshoot the High Frequency radio (I am breaking up) – was a problem again with the

      antenna, exchange it for a new litze-type antenna;

3.   Stowing away the two anchors – ok;

4.   Testing the new sail – later;

5.   Checking the bottom of the ship – later;

6.   Solar panel gluing then assembly into the rear of the ship – ok;

7.   Trip planning – unpack the maps, load Wp into the GPS – tomorrow;

8.   Purchasing banana, eggs, hot dogs and bread – before start.

Breakfast-lunch: scrambled eggs.


Weather:

http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hifi.txt
http://www.wunderground.com/

 

Most people traversing the Pacific Ocean start out from Panama city (fewer go around the Horn these days).  The first part of the "usual" route reaches Galapagos.  It is at a distance of 900nm from Panama and the lack of wind raises problems for the sailboats.  Isla de Malpelo (Columbia) is located in-between but can not moor there.  The majority of people use diesel motor but I can not do that due to the limited fuel I carry.  So I am sailing and waiting for the wind.  It could be a long trip.

 

Past Panama City there are several small islands: Isla Otoque, Isla Bona, Archipelago de Las Perlas.  Will not stop at any.  There are some who start out South and go to Ecuador first, and only after to Galapagos. (This route is a bit longer.)

 

Main islands of Galapagos: Pinta, Marchena, Isabela, Espanola, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Fernandina, San Salvador.  Like to go to the main island San Cristobal (Moreno).  A 1 knot counter-current may be present near the island, one has to consider this for the more accurate trip planning.

On the radio from now on:

23:00UTC 21.373 MHz Laci, Pali, Gyuri;

00:00UTC        14.287 MHz Laci, Pali, Robi.

Not breaking up now with my new antenna!!

Was on the net till late evening and talked with my acquaintances in the bar.
 

 

04.23.2007 (Day 212)

Got up early morning and positioned Carina next to Nomadlife, using its mast to allow me to feed the antenna suspending rope through the pulley – Carina's mast could not support my weight.  Got it done in a jiffy, was an interesting maneuver.  The antenna support rope broke back in Colon – thanks Graham, Judit and Herbert.

Went ashore at 9 because expected a call from Petőfi Club, but could talk only with Sylvie.  After this the usual getting on the internet. Talked with friends and acquaintances on Skype and on MSN.


Thereafter went shopping in the boat store – epoxy and silicon spray, then to Happy Tours office.  Finally got my Waterlog (the drinking water machine: http://www.watermakers.ws) and also an autopilot.  Back at the ship started to study the Watermaker, it is not simple to attach it to the ship.

 

Late lunch: scrambled eggs.

 

Radio:

23:00UTC 21.373 MHz Laci, Gyuri 5-7, (did not hear AA7UY Laci);
00:00UTC 14.278 MHz Laci (AA7UY) – 5-5.

Then went ashore to talk with Nomadlife.  Herbert invited us to an Arab restaurant, at least something a little different J.  Late night interneting

 

 

04.24.2007 (Day 213)

 

Got up in the morning tired, then at 9 went to the marina, because I gave the office the number of Radio Petőfi.  Then back to the ship.

Batteries:  used the backup battery for the past 10 days for radioing, now started charging it.  Stowed away the backup battery – from now on will use only the main batteries.

Works:

- make deck plan and carry out the rearrangement;

- tied down the old sails and a new one on the first deck (packaged) plus 2 empty water tanks;

- rudder anchor attaching (with epoxy, then with transfering bolt);

- test erection of the new sails – getting acquainted with the sail stiffener slats;

- make order in the cabin;

- cleaning the deck connector of the autopilot (the copper got oxidized already, generally after 1

   month....  spraying with silicon;

- assembly of the Waterlog – not completely.

 

Lunch: scrambled eggs.

 

Radio:

20:00UTC 21.373 MHz, HA8RD LaciKiskőrös; HA5CAR Karesz - Budapest, 1-4;
20:10UTC 14.290 MHz, HA8RD LaciKiskőrös; HA5CAR Karesz -
Budapest, 1-4;

Was good to hear Karesz and Laci, hope the rest of them are ok (Alex, Tibi…).

23:00UTC 21.373 MHz, Gyuri 5-5, unfortunately heard Laci (Fredi) AA7UY only weakly (signal strength below 1);    
00:00UTC 14.278 MHz, Laci AA7UY, 4-4, (changed the frequencies: 14.292 MHz was better;

14.070MHz: my laptop got discharged after 10 minutes in the middle of the PSK test, so don't know if he got my message.

Unfortunately there is a problem running the laptop from the main batteries but the problem can be solved.

Dinner: omelet.  After that I went ashore to internet – the signals are so strong here that could have worked from my anchor point.

Start tomorrow!

 Last quotation before starting (somebody sent it):

 

John's 11:25,26:

Jesus told him: I am the resurrection and life.  He, who believes me will live even if he is dead, and all who lives and believes in me, will never die.

 

According to you Dear Reader, what is the meaning of this?
                                                                                                            Translated by Pali / N6DMV.