Tuesday April 3, 2012
It’s now 2:40 in the wee hours of the morning. We are under way and Fred is sleeping, I am being responsible. Got my harness on in case I fall off the boat, I will still be attached. I have the timer set to take a quick look every 20 minutes but I assure you, It hasn’t gone off yet because I am always looking then I reset it. Guess that’s just in case I too fall asleep. Someone has to man the boat, right?
Fred finally got his partial adjusted and walked out happy. She gave him an RX to use in his mouth instead of Listerine. It won’t hurt like Listerine does, she said. We went straight to the pharmacy but they didn’t have it. All the stores and shops were closed for siesta because it was after 12 noon by then. We had to settle for an icecream instead. I got a Magnum bar, one of my favorite ice cream on a stick. I was surprised they had it. I had it nearly eaten by the time Fred paid for it. It was hot and I was not willing to let any of it drip off. Fred waited at the corner and I walked to out favorite bakery to get a few dozen pan de Agua and some Dominican corn bread along with some salt to put in mour salt grinder. They were closed. I knocked, just in case but it was silent. Gues they really sleep during siesta here but I thought I would give it a try just in case. We found this tiny shop open down the street and bought some bananas, cheese, salami, 2 pineapples and headed to immigrations. It was hot. Really hot with barely a breeze. We paid them money and then had to walk to the top of this steep hill to the comendante’s office to fill out more papers and pay more money. He said once we should go to the bank which Fred wanted to do to change pur peso’s back to American dollars for the Bahamas. The breeze at the top of the hill was wonderful and the thought of walking back into town was something I was not up to. When we got to the bottom of the hill I said “Fred, why don’t you take a moto-concho to the bank and I will stay here. I walked back to immigrations, where everyone was sitting unter the tree to stay cool and asked if one of them would take Fred ro the bank. This guy in a uniform (looked like a camouflaged uniform to me) stood up and said “Si” I yelled back to Fred and said I got a ride for him. Off they went while I joined the immigration people under the tree with them, trying to stay cool. I got to play around with one of the guy’s sons, talk to Israel and got cooled off with my Coke Lite I bought at the grocery earlier. Of coarse, I had to share it with the little boy. He was such a darling! Finally after 30 minutes or so, here comes Fred riding on the back of the moto-concho. I asked if he got cooled off riding it and if he enjoyed the ride. He gave me “the look”. I thought, uh oh and was afraid to ask but did anyway. Although he didn’t go into detail, he said they had to come to a few screeching halts and rolled his eyes. That was enough for me. They are doing a lot of road work here and the roads are covered with tiny pebbles on top of tar. I knew what he was talking about. It is even hard to walk on the roads now without getting tar on your crocks. Israel whistled up the hill a few times until he got the comandante’s attention. You see, they have to come out to our boat to make sure we are not smuggeling anything illegal out of the country. It’s a given and they come when they are ready, so no sense in setting a time of departure. You leave when they let you go. Our last trip down the government dock to the dink was bittersweet. Although the security guy didn’t speak a work of English and we, a handful of words in Spanish, we chatted and smiled all the way. We finally loaded the dink up with provisions and I climbed in and we held onto the dock to they (there were two of them) could climb into the dink with us and come to Casa Mare’. He smiled and handed Fred the departure inspection papers and communicated that we should take the papers and he was saying good bye to us at the dinghy dock. He motioned tears coming out of his eyes and motioned to come back someday. WOW! I couldn’t believe they did not come to the boat. We smiled waved and waved again. He was still standing at the dock waving as he went out of site. Guess it pays to be friendly every day to these people or they felt they knew us or we just didn’t fit the description of criminals. Whichever...it was still sad leaving. We made it back to the boat, Fred put the dink on the davots and I did what was needed securing the inside and then going up to help Fred finish his stuff. We were off. I got on the Radio as we were leaving the mouth of the harbor and said goodbye to all and thanked them for the great friendships and hospitality. Many came back with all kinds of nice farewells and safe travels. It made my heart hurt when I heard Bruce Van SAnt say foodbye to Fred and Patti because I know we will probably not see him again. He is very sick. Rosa said he may not last 6 months. I said a silent prayer for him as we left. Fred confidently got us out of that very very narrow harbor and I saw my friend Evlynne on the hill jumping up and down waving. She said she was going there and taking a picture of us leaving. I waved and had tears in my eyes until she was out of sight. It was truly a most endering farewell we have ever had. I will miss Evelyn, who is from Canada but I know she will be in Wilmington some day to visit. I know it!
This sail ended up being a motor, main, jib sail. We are averaging a little over 6 knots, on my watch anyway. The seas are as smooth as glass, as we barely almost silently cut through the sea. It is vast, lit only by the moon and stars. I see a thunderhead in the distance on our Port side but doubt we will get it because of wind direction. It is so cal and peaceful...except for the motor. When we first left port, I was sick within the half hour. I had already
taken a stergen pill and the sicker I was feeling, I talked myself into pitting on a seasick patch also. Too late. I was down for the count. I had not started dinner yet and tried my best to make it...stew was the plan, a one pot meal and as it ended up after I browned the meat, peeled the potatoes and carrots, added an envelope of onion soup and water, I couldn’t do one more thing. I had to come topside. Fred looked at me and asked what he could do to help. Bless his heart. I gave him a few instructions, like onions and spices and how to put the pressure cooker together and he had it under control. He is so sweet to me and of coarse, hungry! I tried to lay down in the cockpit, sitting up made it worse, believe it or not and ended up going down below to lie down. They say that is the worse you can do but it’s really the only position that works for me. Myst be the way my inner ears are out together. I slept, finally for hours. Got up about 10, Fred had already eaten and I tried to eat a bit. By 11:30 I asked Fred if he would go below and get some rest. I was feeling much better by then and he did. He has been sleeping for 4 hours now, it’s 3 50 am...I bet the sunrise will be something! It’s getting getting windy and a little rough, so I am going to take a break from this computer and put it away for now.
10:40 am
I couldn’t stay awake any longer. At 5:30 or so I woke Fred up and asked him to take the helm. I slept. By the time I got up the seas were still smooth and the sun was shining it’s glory into Casa Mare’ thru the hatches. ‘Hark...there sails another vessel ahead of us starboard!’ We thought it was Hippo, who left two hours ahead of us only later to find out it wasn’t. They have a canoe stern so we have no idea who it is. Coffee was brewing in no time and Fred was in the cockpit trying to pick up Chris Parker on hs SSB receiver. He charted and programmed the mighty GPS and later told me after he decided to go to West Cacaos' instead. We should get there about 4 this afternoon. We plan to sleep and go on to Mayaguana tomorrow morning. If we went straight there, it would get us there about 1 in the morning. Night sailing around islands and reefs make me really nervous. Fred need the sleep anyway. I got more than him because I was sea sick from the beginning. Wonder if that counts or not. I was getting better and I did take the helm for about 6 hours.
The water is blue….dark blue and it is a welcoming site for tired eyes. We haven’t seen blue water for 6 weeks, which is about the length of stay in Luperon. It’s good to be on the move again. I learned a lot in Luperon! It will forever occupy a very special place in my heart. So will that bucket! Fred advised me that the head is still not working properly so I refused to use it choosing the buck-it and chuck-it method. He said he needs to replace the hose. It’s a hard and messy job and I am willing to use that method until we get home if need be. It’s not going to be a one man job so I think he was giving me some bit of information so I will be prepared. I kept my thoughts to myself. I would rather pay for a plumber! Either way it will take another gallon of bleach and I am most likely the “solo cleaning committee”. It’s the least I can do...right? I am sure every gal I know would jump at the chance of cleaning “stuff” up! I am so grateful to be on this trip. To me, it beats big cruise ships hands down, broken head and all! “TGFB’s!! Do I hear an Amen? Thought not! I’ll do an extra few for the books in case you ever get this opportunity!” Time to think about lunch!
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