Phyllisrapp’s Weblog

July 2, 2008, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela

Yeah, we’re still here. Fixing things that can’t be found in this country. Like batteries. The ones we need are $400 each in this country if you can find them and we need 12. We did get our bilge pump from France without incident. That was a surprise. When workers say they’ll show up, they frequently don’t. Manana doesn’t mean tomorrow, it means “not now”.
I’m driven the craziest by the fact that its difficult to move around in this town. It’s too dangerous to walk outside the marina so we have to take a taxi if we want to go anywhere. It’s especially dangerous for a woman to walk around the town alone. We’ve removed all of our jewelry including our wedding rings so we don’t get any fingers chopped off during a robbery. Other than that, it’s a nice enough place . We’ve had some great meals at the restaurants and the people are friendly (the ones that don’t rob you). So far, we haven’t had any cockroaches on the boat but some have joined me in the marina showers. I’m going to kill the hotel’s parrots because they screech all day long. I already have a reputation for murdering parrots. We use the hotel/ marina pool everyday, except on weekends when its full of running, screaming, urinating Venezuelan children . Weekends also include unbearably loud Spanish disco music from nearby restaurants until 3 in the morning and the wake from passing motor yachts knock us off our feet. Other than that, it’s a nice enough place.
As my friend Michelle used to say, “Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah”.
But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Sunday we leave for Buenas Aires! Yeah! Then to Iguazu falls in Argentina . And then to Peru to visit Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. I’m bringing an extra duffle bag for shopping. Maybe I can talk Jeff into Tango lessons.

P.S.  I think that my friend Louise and I have amebic  dysentery  .  Other  than that , its’s a nice enough place.

Andy from Uruguay and crew on the boat next to us at Aquavi

“Lulu” an Oyster 63 looking great after her haul-out Owners Gary and Louise

Party boat on the canal….these Venies love to party

“Dream Images” Painting done from pen and ink drawing

Drawing for “Dream Images” Pen and Ink

“Just for Fun” Pen and Ink

“Iguana” Pen and Ink

Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
10∞ 12.1’ North
64∞ 39.8’ West
June 7, 2008
3:30 PM VST
Hola!

You observant ones may have noticed that I entered a time for the first time. VST stands for Venezuela Stupid Time, which is 30 minutes behind Atlantic Standard Time, which everyone else in this part of the world observes. Our friend Hugo Chavez created his own time zone just to be different, thus further screwing up his country.
We got here to Venezuela proper yesterday, after making a stop at an offshore island called La Blanquilla. It was a 450 mile straight shot across the Caribbean from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, our first long passage for this trip. Mostly, it was OK. We ran into a local wind phenomenon south of Isla Margarita where the prevailing winds went from 23 knots to over 30 sustained, gusting to over 40. Other than the admiral asking me every 5 minutes if we were going to die, we did well (we didn’t die). Antares was reefed way down, and didn’t even notice.
If anyone ever gets a chance to go, St. Croix is very nice, and different than the other Virgins. It’s 30 miles away, which probably explains some of it. It’s also big, and was mostly Danish until recently. A pleasant surprise. St. John is beautiful, mostly pristine (much of it is a park donated by the Rockefellers), but somehow unreal, like a movie set. We did get to eat and drink at Skinny Legs bar, rated as one of the best in the Caribbean.
As we approached La Blanquilla, a voice boomed out on the radio “Antares, Antares”. It was the first voice we’d heard in a long while, as most people don’t approach Venezuela from that route, and, as we had been sailing for almost 3 days, was startling. There were 2 boats at this very remote anchorage, and, apparently, they had been anticipating our arrival (it’s a long storey). As it turns out, we were just around the point of the island, so they couldn’t see us. Five minutes later, we came into sight, flying all our sails at nearly 10 knots, looking good. It’s always a hoot to impress the locals. The movie rights are for sale.
We spent the next couple of days with “Silver Sea” and “Panda” in Blanquilla. One day, we had gone ashore to a beautiful beach, where we found mucho poopo of unknown origin, about which we had a great time speculating. Later that day, over sundowners, we noticed several white donkeys on the beach (definitely not native to La Blanquilla, which is nearly uninhabited). Naturally, the donkeys and the poop started a long conversation about the Democratic party, which is second only to the above named Presidente in screwing up (other than the Republicans of course; I have to remember that many readers are from Northern California, and I wouldn’t want to appear to be showing favorites in the screwing up area).
We’re at Marina Aqua Vi (very nice, with internet, TV, pool, restaurants, and a horrible slum outside the gates) run by our old friend Victor, who worked on our previous Amel “Lily Marie” over 20 years ago, and who claims to remember Phyllis (these Latins are such charmers). The town is larger, more expensive (but still pretty cheap), and a little more run down than I remembered (but then, so am I). Plans, such as they are, are to get some stuff done, put the boat to sleep, then leave for Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and maybe Brazil by the end of June, through end August, for a land trip. Previously, we were going to leave Venezuela shortly thereafter, mostly because of security concerns, and head for Las Roques, Aves (my favorite place last time), ABC’s, Columbia, Panama, Roatan, Belize, Yucatan, then the Florida Keys and Ft. Lauderdale. However, seeing as how we haven’t been killed yet, and it actually seems quite nice here, we may stay in Venezuela a while when we return from our land trip. Quien sabe?

Puerto Rican Salsa

Morning, starboard tack

Skinny Legs Bar and Grill in Coral Bay, St. John. Definitely worth the hamburgers and atmosphere.

Our arrival at Christainsted Harbor, St. Croix. From St. John it was a 35 mile close reach.

Cafe in Christainsted. We both agreed that St. Croix was our favorite Virgin Island.

Christainsted sidewalk

El Morro waterways of Puerto La Cruz. This was just being built when we were here 20 years ago.

Aqua Vi Marina

Stern to the dock is preferred .

Antares has her own gangplank.  Note the message on the life ring. It’s a going away present from my students.

Dewey, Isla Culebra
Puerto Rico
18∞ 17.33¢ North
65∞ 16.35¢ West
May 12, 2008

I like to be in A-mer-i-ca
OK by me in A-mer-i-ca
West Side Storey

We didn’t spend a lot of time in the Dominican Republic. Motoring to windward against the tradewinds sucks, so you have to pick a good “weather window’ (which, ironically for a sailboat) means as little wind as possible. We had an unusually long period of light winds, so we had to go for it. We made it across the dreaded Mona Passage, between DR and PR, relatively unscathed, arriving in Boqueron, PR, where we hooked up with “Jule”, our traveling companion. Now, we feel like we’ve climbed the mountain, as most of the hard stuff is behind us. We only have a few more miles (with lots of frequent stops in cool places), before we get to hang a right, and sail to Venezuela. We may even sell the motor (which, by the way, has been wonderful, due in part to the engineer’s frequent attentions).
What we saw of the DR was nice. It’s like King Kong’s Island, especially after the flat Bahamas: large, green and mountainous. We stayed in Ocean World Marina for a few days. It’s a very well done place, near Puerto Plata, that has a Marine World and nightclub as part of the complex. One can swim with the dolphins in the daytime, then pick one to eat in the restaurant at night. We picked up 2 new crew there (see picture). I told her she has to take off the hat on the boat. (Just kidding about the dolphins.)
Puerto Rico is a surprise. It’s pretty with nice people, has great cruising areas (especially the “Spanish Virgins” of Culebra and Vieques) yet has all the usual American conveniences, like free cell phone calls, mega-stores, malls, etc. We’ll use the time in Ponce as a pit stop, to re-provision, do boat work, etc. We’ll also meet our niece Lara and Aaron, who are spending two weeks with us.
We stopped at Cayos de Cana Gorda, otherwise known as Gilligan’s Island. There’s a storey of how that got started, but I can’t remember it. However, it’s a beautiful place with great diving and snorkeling. I also got to fulfill a lifelong dream by meeting Ginger (“the movie star”), who I’ve been in love with since I’ve been a little kid. Of course, she’s about 102 years old now, and doesn’t look so good, but neither do I.
We hooked up with niece Lara and Aaron in Ponce, where I was made an honorary member of the Ponce Yacht Club. After an insane day of shopping (Sam’s Club, Sears, and all the other exotic Puerto Rican stores), we took of for short hops along the south coast of Puerto Rico. Then, we actually sailed again to Vieques, one of the “Spanish Virgins” Vieques and Culebra are just like the Virgin Islands were 20 years ago, which is to say less crowded, more interesting and more attractive. Vieques in particular was, until 3 years ago, used as a bombing range for the Navy. More than half the island is “restricted” because of unexploded ordinance, and therefore, completely empty and pristine (except for the occasional unexploded bomb and craters). Most important, no people and plenty of sea life. We caught our first lobster there. We also had to send a snorkler into the water (me) when anchoring, to make sure we didn’t drop the anchor on a bomb, which would have been a bad way to end the day. I saw a bomb in the water, but I didn’t try to spear it.
In a few days, we’ll go to Fajardo, on the East coast of the “mainland”, drop off Lara and Aaron, visit El Yunque (the only tropical rain forest in N. America),. then come back to Culebra to se the rest of it (and, hopefully, get more lobsters). Then to St. John, and St. Croix, where we’ll wait for weather for our straight shot across the Caribbean to Venezuela.

This is our new crew from Dominican Republic. Jeff picked out the uniforms

Dominican fishing boat

Our niece, Lara and Aaron join us for 2 weeks cruising in Puerto Rico

I think they call this a rear entry

Oops,unsuccessful rear entry

Aaron tries next

Success!

First Lobster

Not a lobster but almost as large……what is it?

Culebra, one of the Spanish Virgin Island….So far our favorite

New painting by local artist purchased for Antares

Aaron catches a barracuda

A visit to El Yunque Carribean National Forest. The only tropical rainforest in North America

Sunrise in Salinas, Puerto Rico

Ocean World Marina
Dominican Republic
Latitude 1949.67 N
Longitude 7043.79 W                                        April 18, 2008

Out of Dodge

We finally escaped the tender trap of George Town. The weather, visitors and boat projects kept us there weeks longer than we intended. It’s a great place for snowbird sailors who come down every year for the winter, but it can get rather tedious. We’re now thoroughly tired of volleyball, basket weaving classes, Pilates groups, bridge, wife swapping clubs and beach church (‘non denominational Christian”). If it weren’t for the weekly meeting of the AA (Alcohol Appreciation) Society, we’d be fried. Several projects were completed while we were in George Town, including installing a new hot water heater, fixing the generator, the autopilot, and the water maker. Pretty good for a retired Jewish doctor.
The thing we’ll remember most fondly about the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos was the brilliantly blue, gin clear water.
We made it to the Dominican Republic (DR) by way of Conception Island, Mayaguana Island and several stops in the Turks and Caicos, including Provo. We’ve been traveling in company with 2 boats, “Jule” (an Island Packet) and “Sojourn” (a Hans Christian).
It’s tough to go east against the trade winds, but we picked good weather windows, in part due to regular weather reports on the SSB radio from our gay weather guru, Chris Parker. All we have to do now is make our way east along the north shore of the DR, then cross the dreaded Mona Passage to Puerto Rico. There, we’ll meet up with our niece Lara and her boyfriend Aaron. Then, a 3 to 4 day crossing of the Caribbean due south to Venezuela, where Hugo Chavez promises to give us free fuel. This should, finally, turn out to be a sailboat trip, rather than a motorboat trip. After that, no more sailing to windward ever (never say ever).
Anatares is a delight to live aboard. She’s comfortable and spacious, and even sails well. Phyllis particularly loves the barbie doll dishwasher and washier/drier. Jeff likes the water maker.

Jeff checks the anchor

The last swim in Bombay gin

“Jule” motoring in Turks and Caicos

Ocean World Marina

Sketch done while sailing   “Flying Fish and Turtle”

“26 down”  Painting inspired from section of a photo taken by good friend and previous crew mate, Rick Tang

The blog has been strangely deficient lately. Mostly, it’s because I’ve been too “busy” (read drunk) to type. I’ll try to catch up.
We went “home” to the States for 3 weeks. We saw many of our friends and family, which was great. Special thanks to Steve and Janet, Charlie, Jordy and Cindy, Bruce and Sandy, Marie and John, who put us up, despite my obsessive need to “get everything done”. Next time, we’ll have more time to play, We saw Phyllis’ family in Sacto, and Jeff’s in Fort Lauderdale. We got to see “number one son” Jack in the Haight. We even ate at (ready for a blast from the past) Magnolia’s, which was called Magnolia Thunderpussy and had better food, back in the day. If anyone can tell me the name of Magnolia’s most famous dessert then, they get a special prize from me the next time we se each other (Lyle is eliminated because he knows the prize, and Jack because I’ve already told him the answer).
We went skiing for a week (a vacation from the vacation [eat your hearts out, you working stiffs]). We got to see a lot of Lyle and Shannon, (which was wonderful). We even skied together. Thanks so much to Charlie, for putting on a wonderful party for us at his beautiful house in Healdsburg, where we got to see a lot of the old gang from Ukiah Valley ER. Ditto to the Carneys, where we saw many old Healdsburg friends; Lastly, and only after much soul searching, we went to see Dante at our old (and his current) home in Healdsburg. He looks great, seems very happy, and is sporting a rhinestone collar (on a pit bull!). Thanks so much, George and Jerry for all you’ve done. I’m still willing to convert, but to paraphrase Groucho, I shouldn’t be allowed to join an organization that would accept me as a member..
The trip back and forth was a long story in itself (the moral is fly Bahamas Air if you want to be treated as a real person, but you also want to loose everything). We came back with a ton of boat stuff, which I am just now installing.
Anatares was amazingly intact when we got “home”. Things have changed here in George Town. People are leaving in droves (most heading north to French Canada, [a suburb of a country which isn’t real], but some heading “south” to mysterious places.)
Our plan is to head south. Before doing that, we have to get the boat ready. Mostly, she’s already ready, but we have been convinced by the obsessive/compulsive gods of the seas (that’s you, Joel), that we have more to do. For example:
I have spent the last two days fixing the generator, and installing a new hot water heater. After 2 days of sheer agony, I have fixed the generator (which now actually generates electricity), and have installed the new hot water heater, (which actually makes hot water). The old hot water heater looked nothing like the new one, but I’m sure the new one is better, because Joel (the god of such things) and Ray (the facilitator of such things) told me so.
Because of my extraordinary efforts to comply, it was necessary for me to take large doses of ibubrofen last night, in order to simply be able to get out of bed to pee, another unfortunate necessity of old age. Every time I fix something important on the boat, I do a little jig (think Elaine on Seinfeld, but worse dancing). It makes me feel good, but embar assesses Phyllis.
There’s another front coming through tomorrow. After that, we hope to leave for the Turks and Caicos, the Domican Republic, maybe Puerto Rico, then across the Caribbean to Bonaire or Venezuela. My niece Lara and Aaron plan to join us.
More to come (please send ibuprofen).

This is a photo of our chart plotter as we entered the “third hole” where we stored our boat during a visit to the states. Note: all the areas that aren’t white are “too shallow” for Antares. Also the dashed black and white line is our route (think Hansel and Gretel and breadcrumbs). The scrambled part is where we ran aground.

Mahjong on the beach

Sea sick again

Coming Home Phyllis Entry: February 2008

We said goodbye to the last of our guests before we leave to fly home. Alissa ,our niece and Keith came for about four days. Everyday we tried to entertain them with something different. One day we went sailing around Stocking Island, the next day snorkeling on reefs and then one day of shelling on the ocean side of the island. Keith must have been a sailor in a previous life because he adapted surprisingly well to the sailing life. That, along with Alissa’s love for adventure made them pleasant guests to have aboard.
I’m growing a bit homesick and looking forward to coming home for a few weeks. I don’t know why I call it home because we no longer have a house home but I guess I’ll always think of California as home.
We’ve decided to “can” the idea of sailing to Europe this year and instead sail south to Venezuela. We’ll leave the boat in a secure place and do some inland traveling. We’re thinking of Peru and Ecuador . Then back to the boat in the fall for a sail to Martinique. There we will check out the price to have the boat shipped to Europe. Jeff thinks that idea is “punking out”. I think it’s a great idea! However, it may not fit in our budget. If that doesn’t work out we’ll sail to the western Carribean and Central America.
In the meantime, I can’t wait to see all of you when we come home for a visit. We’ll be in Healdburg the first week of March.

Morning Miami River

Coconuts

Lyle and Shannon

Anchorage Stocking Island

Changing a light bulb is risky business

Tis the “Hour of the Swallow”

Keith and Alissa

Keith

We just put Lyle and Shannon on a water taxi. They’re going home after a nearly two-week visit. It was great fun, although the weather wasn’t always so great (thank God we had the entire run of Seinfeld on DVD for them to watch on bad [and even good] days).

Last night a stalled norther spun off a huge squall during the night, lasting several hours, with 35 knots of wind and a deluge of rain. Antares dragged about 200 feet, right into the shipping channel, so we had to re-anchor at 1AM (that was fun). Today, of course, it’s gorgeous.

I was right about the water in the engine problem. It was not coming from the engine heat exchanger (goodbye several thousand dollars, hello brand new heat exchanger), but from the hot water heater. I fixed it by isolating the hot water heater from the engine with a $2.00 hose splice. We still get hot water electrically from running the generator, or shore power.

The interesting thing is that the antifreeze (a deadly kidney toxin) was mixing with the fresh water system, and thus, we were drinking it. Luckily, the antidote for antifreeze (ethylene glycol) poisoning is ethyl alcohol (otherwise known as Bombay Safire Gin), which is generally consumed in considerable quantities aboard Antares. We lived to tell the tale, except that now, I have to pee sitting down, and Phyllis standing up.

We had to rush down here to meet Lyle and Shannon, who had long standing reservations. We made it the day before they arrived. So much for long range planning, which is never easy on a boat.

Ray Eaton (who’s picture painted by Phyllis appears in the blog) has been our mechanical and spiritual guru. He’s been extraordinarily helpful in getting us through some mechanical jams from afar. He’s an Aussie who doesn’t drink (probably the only one) who says things like “how are things aboard your fine vessel?” (in Aussie, of course). Thanks, Ray.

George Town, where we spent quite a bit of time 20 years ago, is sort of the cruising hub of the southern Bahamas. There are currently about 140 boats here, with many more to come as the season progresses. Many simply stay here for the whole winter, so a floating little community has developed. Each morning, there is a VHF radio net, where announcements of events, weather, etc, are made. Such activities as basket weaving, bible studies, wife swapping, etc., are constantly going on. It’s a bit much for us; we’re looking forward to the first opportunity to get away, probably to Cat Island (great diving), as soon as we (which generally means Phyllis, who is still a wonderful clean freak), get the boat back in order, after Lyle’s tour of destruction and mayhem.

We’ve booked a trip back to the States for about 3 weeks starting late February. The first thing on the agenda is to get cold, so we’re going skiing at Heavenly (we need the vacation from the vacation). We hope to see many of you then.

Getting the internet is not easy. Jeff looks like he’s trying to contact alien’s from outer space.

Shannon’s birthday on the boat

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Painting on the boat…..I comb my hair ….sometimes

Shannon and Lyle on Stocking Island

Lyle

Sunset in Great Exuma

Seven Year Apples….why….because its takes seven years to forget what they tasted like

Curly tailed lizard on Warderick Wells Cay

Yellow Finches

On a mooring in Warderick Wells Cay. Warderick wells is the most popular cay in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. The park is protected from poaching

We arrive in Nassau the day after Christmas. Stayed at the Hurricane Hole Marina for a couple of days. Ate dinner at one of the restaurant in the Atlantis Hotel.

No name harbor

Miami River, a bit of old Miami

Miami river

Bascule bridges on the Miami river

Arrived in Miami sailed the whole way from Ft. Lauderdale. It took about 5 hours.

Abstract photos of Christmas boat parade

Christmas boat parade

Boat Parade at Key Biscayne

Merry Christmas from Antares

Cape Florida Lighthouse……off to the Bahamas