Bryan and the repaired radiator hose

Log 37 Abreojos to Turtle Bay

You just never know when you might need that crazy spare part you're carrying around!

After setting the hook in Abrejos and rolling into our berth around 3 AM, Bryan slept like a log and didn't roll out until 11 AM that morning when there was chatter on the VHF between Paul, Leonard, and Joe.  Leonard was antsy to take advantage of the southerly breeze we were getting and make our way to Hipolito, 27 miles north.  Salty Dog, Godspeed, and Casablanca weighed anchor at noon.  Katy Kat has decided not to leave until after dinner.

    From the log: 2 PM, same day.  First attemt no good.  Too rough.  Back on the hook by 2 PM. Clocked 29 knots in the anchorage this afternoon.  11:45 PM  Second attempt.  Katy Kat went first and said all is well, so the rest of us followed.

    Underway from Abreojos to Asuncion.  Slow going - really strong current.  Cold, cold night.

April 20, 2007

At 7 AM today I was awakened from a little nap I was taking by Bryan saying, "Honey, I need your help!  We've got issues!"  Uh-oh.  In a matter of seconds, I watched from the companionway as he opened the starboard lazzarette,  took off the radiator cap, and lots of hot, smelly air came rushing out.  Bryan said, "I need water, lots of water!"  Something was seriously wrong with the radiator.  It was bone dry, and all the bottles and bottles of water we would put in it just kept disappearing.  The problem was that we couldn't figure out where it was going.  We called Godspeed and agreed both boats would make way to the anchorage at Hipolito. 

In the meantime, Leonard and Bryan both felt the oil needed to be checked to make sure that the water wasn't going into the motor.  Bryan can't easily get to the dip stick, buried deep in the port lazzarette, and it would be especially difficult underway.  So, I crawled in the lazzarette myself, kind of wedged myself between the battery boxes and the fuel tank, knees tucked to my chest, and checked the oil.  Thankfully, it looked fine.  So, we decided to fire up the engine again and try to make some headway toward Hipolito, all the way filling the radiator reservoir with 32 ounce bottles of water every 8-10 minutes.  We did this for about 4 hours, until we finally got to Hipolito.

    About noon, anchor set in Hipolito, with Godspeed and Katy Kat.  Nothing here except a few seasonal fishermen's huts.  Certainly no boat supplies.

Bob Bitchin, the publisher of Latitudes and Attitudes magazine, is well known for saying, "Cruising is just fixing your boat in exotic places."  Boy, isn't that the truth!

We got the anchor set, pulled all the stuff out of the lazzarettes - sail bags, cushions, ditch bag, etc - and began trouble shooting our problem.  Again I did boat yoga to get down to the engine where Bryan can't fit, all the while getting greasy and getting my hair stuck on little pieces of fiberglass mesh.  Fun.  But, it all paid off because we found the problem.  A radiator hose had been rubbing against the motor - who knows for how long - and had a puncture in it.  Basically, the water we put in the radiator came out that spot as though a faucet was on.  We removed the hose and Bryan took it over to Leonard, who pulled from his endless supply of very necessary boat repair parts exactly what we needed to fix our busted radiator hose.

Now, some people are just naturally gifted when it comes to improvising creative solutions to problems, especially mechanical problems.  My husband is gifted like this, but in Leonard he has met his match.  In fact, in Leonard he has met his idol.  Additionally, we all know someone who is a  pack rats to the extreme, and we wish we could help those people purge some of the clutter from their lives.  As it turns out, our dear friend Leonard is a pack rat, but after the fix he was able to pull off in Hipolito, I will NEVER criticize him for all the stuff he totes around with him in the bowels of his boat.

Bryan and Leonard cut out the bad piece of the hose, and then Leonard cut a piece of bicycle seat post (yes, you read that right!) about 3 inches long with a hacksaw to replace the part they removed.  About why he had a bicycle seat post aboard, he said (and I quote), "It had some good steel, and you just never know when it might come in handy."  Uh, you mean like today?! Back on Salty Dog, Bryan and I shimmied and wiggled into our various impossible positions to re-fit the hose.  After a few adjustments to the length, we got it.  We filled up the radiator- again - and fired up the engine.  No drips.  No disappearing water.  Yea!!  I think we really fixed it.  Thank you, Leonard, for being a pack rat!

April 20, 2007

After leaving Hipolito last night around midnight, we arrived in Asuncion today at 6 AM.  We set the hook, waited until Godspeed was set, and then went to bed.  We lazed around the boat all day, trying to rest and stay warm, and then departed for Turtle Bay at 11 PM. 

April 21, 2007

With much relief and gratitude, we arrived in Turtle Bay around 11 AM.  Within the hour, we had the anchor set and had taken on 54 gallons of diesel from Ruben of "Anabel's Service,"  who delivers fuel in his panga and pumps it into the tanks of appreciative mariners with a high pressure pump.  His ability to do this saves boaters from having to med-tie to the pier in Turtle Bay.  If you've seen the pier here, you know that this is no easy undertaking.

We went to shore with the gang and had lunch and Coronas at Maria's, the little restaurant overlooking the bay.  The food was marginal, but at least we didn't have to cook or clean up!  We went to the market in town for provisions, which was as exciting as Christmas!  Diet Coke, bread, tortillas, fruit, cereal, chips, and candy.  Hooray!!  Back on the boat, we talked to our parents on the cell phone (another hooray experience) and napped off and on until 1 AM, when we raised the anchors and headed north.

April 22, 2007

    From the log:  6 AM.  Back in Turtle Bay.  Got outside and after about 2 1/2 hours turned back because of 25 knots on the nose and super large seas.  A strong current had us doing only about 2 knots.  This sucks.

Bryan, Carrie, Leonard, Beth, Paul, Joe, Kathy at Maria's in Turtle Bay