Speedwell of Hong Kong

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Archive for the ‘Brazil’ Category

Natal to Îles du Salut

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

Monday, 18 June 2012

I was up at first light (5am) to start raising the anchors. The tide would be in my favour until 8 am. After a bit of sweating and swearing I managed to raise the kedge. A quick coffee break and check around to make sure everything was ready – dinghy on deck and cleaned, sun awning down, Navik connected, engine started just to be safe, and all the other little odds and ends that I ought to have a checklist for. Main anchor up and we just made it before the tide turned. A cool, cloudy day with a useful 5-10 knot SE breeze. We were on our way.

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Passing Redinha on the way out

As soon as I was out of the channel and in open water I set up the Navik MkII, twiddled it for the desired course, and with some trepidation, sat back to see how it behaved. Perfect! Better than MkI. Soon we were in calmer water beyond the reef and I was able to relax a little. Some small adjustments to the sail. The repaired boom looking fine.

We are doing a steady 5-6 knots and the sun is shining. Sinbad caught a big flying fish that crash-landed on the deck last night, so that’s his food for the day taken care of.

Friday, 22 June 2012

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Cruising along

We crossed the equator at dawn this morning. Still racing along with just three panels up. I decided to hold the champagne till we arrived at Îles du Salut and settled for a celebratory toasted cheese and tomato sandwich for breakfast.

Sunday, 24 June 2012

For five days we rushed along doing an exhilarating 6-7 knots. I suspect that at least 2 of those knots were due to the current that runs up the coast, so it was reasonably comfortable. To add to my ease and peace of mind the AIS was working at last which meant I was able to get a bit more sleep than usual. I had the zoom set at 32nm and each time a ship crossed the 16nm radius circle the alarm would go off. Loud enough to wake me, even minus hearing aids. Very reassuring. ‘Thanks’ to those who encouraged me to persevere with it.

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Sinbad's comfort zone

Apart from the occasional flying fish there had been very little evidence of life around us until Friday night when a small flock of about 8 or 10 birds decided to use us as an overnight stop. They were roughly pigeon-sized but with the long sharp beak and pointy wings of a tern. Not white but an all over charcoal grey. I wasn’t too keen to put them up for the night as there was already evidence that they had not been house trained. But they were determined and no amount of shouting or hand clapping could scare them off. Sinbad was on the alert but wary of those business like beaks. One chancer settled himself on top of the compass. The only way I could move him was to carefully pick him up and carry him to a more suitable berth. Where he stayed, after an indignant squawk. The rest were distributed about on the lifelines, solar panel, dinghy and dodger. All pointing accurately into the wind. All contentedly settling down for a good night’s sleep. Sinbad looked disgusted and retreated below to his hammock. Just before sunrise there was a concentrated half hour of preening and stirring about and one by one they soon took off, heading SE, on the road again.

Monday, 25 June 2012

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The last two to leave

Last night another group of the black terns arrived. According to my ‘Birds of North America’, they are Black Noddies. This bunch were more troublesome than the previous lot, as for some reason they targetted the Navik vane and the solar panel as the most desirable perches. After much squabbling, three of them settled down on the solar panel but another was doggedly determined to roost on the windvane which would have had us going around in confused circles with sail gybing and sheets getting tangled around everything. (I know all about this, it’s happened before. ) I had to discourage the idiot at all costs. Waving the boat hook around to scare him off had hardly any effect. Eventually I found that copying their loud squawking cries with some swear words thrown in was the best deterrant. At last he retreated to the spraydodger. I like birds, but really, this lot are just too pushy. When all had quietened down, Sinbad sneaked out on deck and joined them peaceably on the coach roof, in the moonlight, nose to windward. An eerie sight.

As it had been cloudy most of the day I decided to run the engine for a while to give the battery a boost. to my disgust I found that water had come in the exhaust again – I hadn’t bothered to put the bung in and I suppose the following seas for the first few wild days must have worked their way in. Nothing for it but to drain the sump and replace with clean oil. What a pain. Luckily I had spare oil. It’s still a bit of a mystery why this is happening as I haven’t changed anything to do with the exhaust and it never happened for the first eight years after installing the new engine. Something will have to be done. Well, after the oil change the engine ran quite happily again and I took the opportunity to test the dried out Tillerpilot which seems to have made a complete recovery after its soaking.

Today we are about 100nm offshore from the mouth of the Amazon with about 340 nm to go. The sun is shining, a gentle breeze is keeping us moving steadily along, it doesn’t get much better.

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

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A ketch passing in the distance

I saw three ships today. The first was a big ketch which I spotted coming up from astern early in the morning. It passed too far off for me to recognise, but it didn’t look familiar.  I might see them again when I stop. Next was a small fishing boat which chugged up and passed quite close by giving me a bit of a start as I was engrossed in my book, sitting in the altogether in the cockpit. They gave me a cheerful wave. Later I was woken from a little snooze by the AIS alarm. A big ship had just entered the 16 nm circle. So much action! I tracked it as it approached and it eventually passed about a mile to starboard.

Weatherwise it’s been a slow day, hot with a flukey wind only barely enough to fill the sail. But we have been able to keep moving. Only 200 miles to go now and the colour of the water has changed from a brilliantly clear dark sapphire blue to a murkier shade, probably due to mud from the Amazon delta.

Thursday, 28 June 2012

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Iles du Salut at dawn

Two frustratingly slow days with the wind alternately dying completely or hammering us with a quick and dirty squall. The poor Navik is battling to hold any sort of course and we are effectively just drifting at 2 knots with the current. I have been trying to edge in closer to the coast whenever there is a bit of usable wind. At about 10pm I started motoring. There was a helpful half moon and the sea was flat calm. Brilliant phosphorescence in our wake.

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Towering rainclouds

We were still surrounded by towering rainclouds but they seemed to be keeping out of our path. At last I could see the loom of the lights of Cayenne and Kourou which gave me something positive to steer by. I had resorted to hand steering to be sure of staying awake as we approached the coast.

Friday, 29 June 2012

At first light this morning the little Îles du Salut archipelago formed a dark silhouette on the horizon. Two lights flashing their bright beams. The air was filled with the rich tropical smell of the jungle. Sinbad popped up to check it out. I passed round the southern end of Île Saint Joseph and anchored in 4m in the Baie des Cocotiers in the lee of Île Royale.

Tags: AIS, Black Noddies, cruising, sailing
Posted in Brazil, Cruising, French Guiana | 1 Comment »

Still in Natal

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

The colourful fishing harbour

Yesterday I had to reset the stern anchor. The wind had picked up and with the incoming tide we had swung too far over. When I set it originally the tide had also been rising making it difficult to position the kedge far enough aft. I waited for the tide to turn and let out the main anchor chain to get closer to the stern anchor. I thought it would be a quick job. How wrong can you be? It was windy, (15 knots?) and by now the tide was running out fast. The Fortress anchor seemed impossibly difficult to raise even using the windlass. At last it was visible and I could see what the problem was – it was horribly tangled in the heavy chain of the main anchor. Not possible to simply unwind it. It would be dark soon and I wanted to reset it before the tide turned again. I worked at it from the dinghy but everything was immovably jammed. I had to tie a line lower down to the main chain and try to raise it to take the tension off the snarled up mess. Without a windlass it would have been impossible for me to do. Eventually this ploy was successful but it was slow going and by the time I’d sorted it all out it was dark and I was utterly exhausted, but happy to still have all my fingers intact. There are times when it would be useful to have a bit more muscle power.

Looking down from the bridge

While wrestling with ropes and chain I felt grateful that I had opted to sail north from Buenos Aires and not south to my preferred destination of Tierra del Fuego. I doubt if I have the stamina for singlehandedly rowing four lines ashore, battling against williwaws in freezing temperatures, each time I needed to anchor in the fiords. And then having to reverse the process when leaving. And all done quite smartly before the anchor drags. Not on my own. No. At least here it’s warm and the situation is merely inconvenient rather than dangerous.

Monday, 11 June 2012

Zeca returned the repaired boom on Friday and I spent a day fiddling about and painting it. It looks good for another 10,000 miles or more. I decided to take a break on Sunday as it had stopped raining. A chance to do some sightseeing.

The press found me

I had suddenly become famous, as the local newspaper had printed a prominent feature about me and my travels. I didn’t feel comfortable being the focus of so much attention.

I set out fairly early and walked across the peninsula to the beach leading to the old Portuguese fort. A cool onshore breeze kept things comfortable. The beach was packed. A heaving, screaming, eating mass of humanity, roasting in the sun or sheltering under an almost solid forest of beach umbrellas. The safe, sheltered lagoon, bobbing with colourful inflatable toys with children attached. Music blasting from a thousand portable sound systems. People were enjoying a relaxing Sunday at the seashore.

I picked my way carefully through the throng, paddling along at the water’s edge. Beyond the reef streaming white horses were being whipped up by the fresh breeze. At last the crowds were thinning out. Too far to walk from the parking lot carrying all the equipment for the day. Now it was just the occasional fisherman.

Fort at the end of the reef

The massive fort sprawls threateningly as it looms out of the light haze at the far end of the lagoon. The tide was running out making it possible to approach across the wet sand. It has a magnificent situation at the end of the reef, guarding the entrance to the protected anchorage in the Rio Potengi.

I continued along the official approach to the fort, which would be the only access at high tide, but heading back up river towards the high bridge that swoops across to Redinha on the opposite bank. I wanted to walk across and look down on the scene.

The footpath on the bridge

It was a bit of a slog, but worth the effort. I could see the tiny speck that was Speedwell anchored with the small cluster of other boats at the club. A large Navy base takes up most of the space at the entrance. Anchoring off the base is prohibited.

When I reached the other side I carried on walking to the pier and riverside beachfront at Redinha. If I’d thought the fort side was crowded, this was in another dimension. At times the music was painfully loud. By now I was getting thirsty. No shortage of beach bars and restaurants here. Only problem was finding an empty table. At last I found a likely spot where the decibel level of the music was bearable and settled down to watch the promenaders while sipping away at a ‘cerveja bem gelada’. Most of the bodies being paraded were on the fleshy side.

I had a delicious plate of fish and crispy macaxeira chips. A starchy root vegetable which is better than the local potatoes. Feeling mellow but a bit weary I decided to catch a bus back to the other side.

Icy cold beer in Redinha

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

I’ve just finished re-rigging the sail. It was a slow job getting it all together again on Speedwell’s narrow and windswept deck. Frequent rain showers meant that it took me nearly three days to do it. Now it’s all together again, the boom looks healthy and I feel more comfortable having a seaworthy boat again. Weather permitting, I hope to leave at the weekend.

Tags: cruising
Posted in Brazil, Cruising | 1 Comment »

Patching things up in Natal

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

Sunday, 27 May 2012

Tanker passing close by..

 

The anchorage off the Yacht Club of Natal is quite tight and with the strong tidal current it’s necessary to put out two anchors. There’s no room to swing as big ships come rumbling up the channel with attendant tugs. The club people are friendly but at R$50 a day it’s a bit pricey. I’m hoping to negotiate a long-term deal.

I emailed Brian in Jacaré explaining my predicament. To my delight he replied that he had a second-hand Navik paddle in his ‘jumble’. How lucky is that?! The boom repair should also be no problem. So next week I’ll take the bus down to Jacaré to fetch the stuff and we should soon be on our way again.

Sinbad taking advantage of the bundled up sail

I spent Friday morning getting the sail off and removing the boom. It was sunny and dry so I was able to fold up the sail and stow it below. As things were drying out so nicely I decided to check the tiller pilot to see if it had recovered. When I plugged it in it started squealing again and refused to cooperate. Nothing for it but drastic surgery. Against all bold-type warnings in the instruction manual I got out my screwdriver and opened it up. As it came apart, water literally poured out. It wasn’t just damp. No wonder it was complaining. I tasted the water. Hmmm… not salty…maybe it will be alright. I dried it off as well as I could and left it out in the sunny breeze with its innards exposed, bringing it back inside for the night. Next day I checked very carefully for signs of crusty dried out salt using a magnifying glass but it looked clean. So I put it together again taking great care with the sealing gasket. Plugged in, and it’s back to normal. I’ll have to remember to put a plastic bag over it next time.

Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Some interesting old buildings..

On Monday I took a long sightseeing stroll through town aiming to end up at the bus terminus to find out about getting to João Pessoa the next day. Brian had said he would be able to help me. It was a long walk but I took it slowly meandering up interesting side streets, stopping here and there for a refreshing cóco gelada. Mostly a bit run down but also some interestingly restored buildings. Small green praças with stalls selling baskets and fruit. As I approached the rodoviaria it became more industrial. Garages and repair shops, paint and hardware. All rather attention grabbing. I bought a new screw-on weight for my pressure cooker. At last I reached the big bus terminus and found out that there would be a bus to João Pessoa every two hours starting from 05:30.

Regimented coconut trees from the bus window

Next day I made an early start. The 3 hour bus trip was interesting enough, but mostly farmlands – coconut and sugar cane plantations stretching to the horizon. One enormous ploughed field with an army of workers scattering seed by hand.

When I reached João Pessoa I walked over to the train station as I thought it would be easier getting to Jacaré by train carrying the bulky remains of the Navik, but sadly the railway workers were on strike. So a slow hot trudge to the bus stop. I slightly guiltily made use of the convenient seat on the bus reserved for old folk and the physically challenged.

Brian doing wizardly things with his lathe

When I eventually reached Jacaré after walking from the bus stop at Intermares, Brian showed me the paddle that he had found and it was definitely usable. Sylvia joined us for a quick lunch and then we set to work planning a rebuild to make the gear fit Speedwell. It was decided to replace the shaft which was too long. I had brought the complicated fitting that attaches to the top section and after cleaning off the ragged remnants of the old one it would be possible to weld the new shaft to it.

Early next morning the driver was sent off to João Pessoa with a shopping list and came back with the necessary odds and ends to put it all together again. Amazing things were done with lathe and welding machine. I watched in wonder. Brian was unstoppable in between constant cell phone interruptions by other needy souls. With help from his faithful team of workers it was ready to go by 3pm and a speedy drive to João Pessoa got me and my gear to the 3:30 bus back to Natal with 6 minutes to spare.

It was dark by the time we reached the Rodoviaria on the outskirts of Natal so I indulged in the luxury of a taxi to get me back to the yacht club. Sinbad was relieved to see me again as his bowl of tuna was long gone and the kibble was getting low. Drinking water had not been a problem as I’d set up the rain catcher to run directly into a bucket which was already full of rainwater. He likes the macho touch of lapping straight from the bucket.

Saturday, 2 June 2012

Next day I had to go through the rigmarole of clearing back into Brazil, at the club’s insistence. Customs, Immigration, Port Captain. The immigration (Policia Federal) office is a long way from the port, but they sent an official with his uniform, clipboard and date-stamp to process me at the club, which was very helpful. All very simpático.

Monday, 4 June 2012

This morning Zeca, who is repairing my boom, drove me to his workshop in Redinha on the other side of the Potengi river. Looking down from the dizzy height of the spectacular bridge as we drove across, I had a wonderful view of the fort at the entrance to the port and the protected lagoon behind the reef. I must find time to do some exploring before I leave.

The boom repair was progressing well and I had brought the cleats for the lazy jacks with me which need to be reattached. The patch still needs to be riveted on to prevent the same thing happening as did with my repair attempt.

The precious new paddle

Back on Speedwell I carried on painting and beautifying the precious new paddle. Also fashioned a new support for the Tillerpilot as the old one had developed a bad wobble.
Also repaired the solar panel regulator which had shorted out. Again I wondered how people on big complicated boats coped with the ongoing maintenance.

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

I’ve just spent a sweaty and frustrating hour battling to get the split pin that holds the paddle to the shaft properly fixed in and bent back to allow the paddle to rotate freely. Just a tiny space to work on it which made it nearly impossible to grab it properly with a pliers. I had to take a short break at one point to let off steam. At last it was done. Now we are ready for sea trials. Quite amazing!

Tags: Boat maintenance, cruising, Natal
Posted in Brazil, Cruising | No Comments »

Jacaré to Natal

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

Thursday, 24 May 2012

The fishing fleet in Tambaú

 

I was ready to leave. I had made a last little sightseeing trip to Tambaú. The boat was fully provisioned. Water tanks topped up. Loads of diesel. The plan was to head directly to Iles du Salut in French Guiana about 1400 nm away. New horizons beckoned. All the weather forecasts and grib files looked good. Days and days of steady 10 to 15 knot SE winds. No reason to wait any longer.

On Tuesday I headed out with the tide enjoying a smooth sail down the river. I wondered when, or if ever, I would see Cabedelo or Jacaré again. Many fond memories attached to these places. But for now, on on.

Leaving Cabedelo

When I reached the buoyed channel through the reef the tide was on the turn. Slack water. So for once a smooth sail. We were on our way. I raised another panel and headed NE. Wind on the beam. It was looking good. Sinbad seemed happy enough. At this rate we should be in French Guiana in 2 weeks. But of course it’s never that easy.

There was no moon and soon the stars also went out, hidden behind black clouds. The darkness was complete. Then the rain started. Solid water. OK. Just a squall. It can’t last. The Navik was doing a great job and there was no need to get wet. I switched on the AIS hoping that it would help me to spot ships. It was a good opportunity to test the new antenna. Sure enough, a short while later two dots appeared on the screen. About 8 miles away. One either side of me. I looked out and could see nothing. The AIS told me it was waiting for more data. 10 minutes later one of the dots disappeared. Another wait, another un-identifiable dot. Ahh, that one has a name! But what is its heading? To cut a long story short, this farce went on for half the night. At one point I looked out and an enormous ship was passing us close on the starboard side. It had not been picked up by the AIS. I decided to switch off the infernal gadget and revert to my old system of the 20 minute kitchen-timer alarm and a good lookout.

Oh no! Not again!

Now the wind was really picking up. I reefed down to three panels and we were speeding comfortably along at 5 to 6 knots. But the Navik seemed to be struggling. I needed to keep adjusting the position of the chain on the tiller to keep us on track. The rain had really set in now and I was trying to avoid getting soaked. The beautiful, state-of-the-art foul weather gear that I’d bought in the US still looked beautiful but was behaving more like a wetsuit than a waterproof. Still pitch black out there. I was getting tired. The wind was getting stronger and the rain wetter. For the first time in months I was actually feeling chilly. Steering was becoming a problem. By now we were a safe distance offshore so I decided to heave to until the rain stopped and get some rest and something to eat.

Where the paddle sheared off

At last there was a glimmer of early morning light and the rain had eased off. I clipped on, as the sea had picked up a bit and went aft to try to find out why the Navik had been misbehaving. Oh dear. Well, that explains it: the entire paddle/trim-tab assembly had simply fallen off and was no longer with us. Hmmmm… It seemed like a good idea to turn around and head directly back to Jacaré for a replacement. Hand steering all the way to French Guyana was not an option at this point. However, getting back to Jacaré proved to be wishful thinking. The strong current that had been helping us along was now working against us. As was the wind. And it was raining again. I got the engine going and hooked up the electric tiller pilot. We were able to make slightly better progress but at the speed we were doing it could take 4 or 5 days to get there. A sudden very heavy downpour sent me scuttling below. When it cleared I came back out to find that the Tiller Pilot had got swamped and given up. It was emitting an indignant, high pitched electronic squeal and the boat was heading off where it would. I bundled the poor wet thing thing up and stowed it below. Back on deck I tried to get us heading in the right direction again. But the recent floundering about had caused the beautiful repair to the boom that I did in Santo Andre last year, to come adrift and it was bent at right angles. I hove to again to have a little think and tidy things up. It was still raining. I was very wet.

Jangada leaving Port of Natal

It was time for a good strong caffeine fix. I got the espresso pot fired up. Had a look at my new android chartplotter gadget. Which had been a great success. I had put it in a well sealed, clear plastic box to keep it dry. As I gazed at it, wondering at the marvels of technology and watching the little arrow that represented our small world making its way across the chart, I was amazed to see that we were drifting on a direct course to the port of Natal. Normally when hove to we make slow but perceptible progress to windward. And the boat was pointing to windward but we were reversing crabwise to Natal at a rate of 2 knots. If it stayed this way we would be there at dawn tomorrow. Perfect. No need to get cold and wet hand steering. I could stay below and let Speedwell take care of things in her own steady way. I poked my head out at regular intervals to check for traffic but things had quietened down. I was able to get some sleep. Sinbad was looking more relaxed. The Jacaré option was scratched out.

Peaceful anchorage

By 2 in the morning we were about 10 nm off and had slowed down to less than a knot. Obviously less current in the shallower water. The tide would start running out of the entrance to the port at 6:10. It was still dark but if I started motoring now we should arrive there at about 5 and have light and tide to help us in. And the plan came together.

I had never been to Natal before and the little tablet chartplotter made it really easy to approach. Once there the channel is well marked with lit buoys. An enormous bridge crosses the river close to the entrance. It must be quite new as it doesn’t appear on my charts. Or on Google maps. As we passed the breakwater three or four jangadas were making their way out under sail. I took a picture of them and they waved. A bright and sunny morning. How quickly things change.

 

Tags: cruising, Natal, Navik
Posted in Brazil, Cruising, Junk Rig | 6 Comments »

Boat maintenance in Jacaré

Monday, May 7th, 2012

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Main street - Jacaré village

Just got through the Easter weekend. On Saturday the astonishingly loud music carried on till 8 on Sunday morning. More than an hour after sunrise. I marvel at the energy and endurance of the crowd. From a distance, the music seems boringly repetitive, very loud and with an almost unvarying pounding rhythm. It mostly comes from an establishment called ‘Jacaré Pop’ which is an enclosed venue about one block back from the river. All the surrounding houses have hopeful For Sale signs on display.

Sinbad keeping out of the way

 

I have been busily working away on Speedwell, taking full advantage of the convenience of our marina berth. A major effort has been made to get rid of all the unnecessary paraphernalia that I have been carrying around with me. It would have been great if someone had been organising a boat jumble, but I managed to hand on a few of the more usable items and placed the rest in big bags next to the rubbish bin where I hope they might have been salvaged by someone. Old clothes, books, magazines, interesting rocks and shells, unreadably blotchy xeroxed charts, an old camping mattress, etc. Strangely, I can hardly notice the difference.

When the chain and anchor were taken off I noticed that the nylon rollers that the chain runs on were badly worn. In a day or two Brian was able to have two beautiful new ones turned for me on the lathe in his workshop. Very impressive.
Theo has helped me with a computer problem and I’ve had a chance to fix a long list of nagging little inconveniences. Not to mention a major spring clean with the help of the super powerful vacuum cleaner I bought in Buenos Aires. It normally stays hidden in the fore peak, unusable without shore power. But now it has come triumphantly into its own for a while. The boat hums with activity. Sinbad watches with mild interest from his hammock.

All those awkward diagonal stripes..

 

I spent a full day putting together a new South African flag. The old one had finally given up and was beyond repair. It’s not the easiest flag to sew. All those tricky diagonal stripes and six different colours. Why couldn’t the powers that be have dreamed up something more cruiser-friendly like the French, Dutch or Italians? To my amazement it turned out quite well.

I have even succumbed to the lure of using ice to keep Sinbad’s meat cool enough to last for two days in my small portable icebox. A kiosk in the village sells recycled plastic bottles of ice. This works well as there is no awful mess as the ice melts. The spinoff is a cold can of beer in the evening.

Monday, 16 April 2012

Two swallows on mooring line

Sunset on the river. Jurandy has finished playing his nightly rendition of the Bolero and the bands have taken over the responsibility of providing the non-stop background music. Just a gentle breeze to keep things cool. The water a darkly iridescent blue with rose reflections of the sky. Each evening two swallows arrive and perch companionably together on one of the mooring lines of the boat next door. They don’t seem to be looking out for food. Just sitting there enjoying the cool of the evening like everyone else. The weekend is over so there is no destructive powerboat traffic. In  a small boat, three fishermen are working their usual evening fishing spot. Not trying too hard by the looks of it. It’s been a hot day.

Coco gelada stall - Intermares

I escaped the heat by taking a bus to the shopping district in Tambaú and cruising the air-conditioned malls. It was like being on a strangely chilly and glittering new planet. I had dressed for the part in my best shorts and snappy yellow top. The shopping was unexpectedly successful. I spotted a neat little Samsung tablet with GPS capabilities (not to mention wifi, camera, etc.) I can download the Navionics charts to it and it effectively becomes a very economical chartplotter. Very much more convenient than my attempt to use a laptop for the purpose.

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

I had hoped to get the chain back yesterday but when Brian went to collect it he found that they had botched it up and a lot of the links had become fused together. It will have to be done again. So we will be in the marina for a bit longer. It might be an idea to repaint the deck which is looking seriously scruffy.

Monday, 7 May 2012

The beach at Intermares

 

 

Nearly ready to set off once more. The chain was eventually returned and looks respectable again. So respectable in fact that it made the deck look quite disreputable in comparison. I made a trip through to João Pessoa and managed to locate some good polyurethane paint. A new coat of white on the deck plus repairs to the toe rail and repainted stripes. It’s not perfect but looks much better and will last till we get to Trinidad for the planned refit.

Tags: Brazil, Jacaré
Posted in Brazil, Cruising | No Comments »

Jacaré

Thursday, April 5th, 2012

Monday, 2 April 2012

Sinbad keeping watch on the foredeck

Being tied to a marina dock is very different to my usual situation anchored a fair distance away from everyone. Sinbad totally approves and I have to admit that it does have certain advantages. Having a proper shower every day is definitely one of them. No luxuries here..there is only cold water, but after a typical hot and sweaty day, cold is what I want. Four small frogs also appreciate the cool, wet environment of the shower cubicle and gave me a bit of a start the first time they started hopping about when I turned the spray on. Now we have learnt to amicably share the showery delights.

Wildlife next to the road to Intermares

The boat next to me belongs to a retired couple who only come down at weekends, usually bringing friends and family for a Sunday sail. A Portuguese and a Scottish boat across the way are the only other foreign boats in this marina which seems more designed for local motor boats than cruising yachts. A short walk away, Phillipe’s marina attracts most of the French boats that arrive here plus a few Swiss and Germans. It’s a place to get a cold beer in the evening and meet other boat people.

A scattering of boats on the river

For most it is their first time in Brazil, having either arrived from Cape Town via St Helena as part of a circumnavigation, or from Cape Verde after starting out from Europe. Most plan to head north from here to visit the Caribbean and this will be their only experience of Brazil.

A bit further up the river Brian Stevens is still building boats and helping to solve any number of problems for cruisers, but no longer provides showers, moorings, etc.

Like new again

I spent a few days last week refurbishing the dinghy. I found a can of red paint in the bilge which needed to be used before it rusted through, so now Bokkom has a new colour scheme and looks rather smart.

Every afternoon from about 4 till sunset crowds of people arrive from the nearby city of João Pessoa for a happy hour at one or other of the riverside bars.

Arriving for the sunset show

Big double-decker house-boats with room for dancing also make their way to Jacaré loaded with fun-seekers to watch the sunset and listen to ‘Jurandy do Sax’ play Ravel’s Bolero, dressed in flowing white robes, standing in a canoa being paddled slowly up and down the river, saxophone glinting in the low sun. The climax of the music perfectly timed to coincide with the last rays of the sunset. Have a look at http://jurandydosax.com.br

After sunset the music really picks up and at weekends Jacaré comes reverberatingly alive with competing dance bands raving on till sunrise. Those with more sensitive hearing have been known to move downriver and take refuge in quieter anchorages behind Ilha Restinga till Monday morning. Which is a quiet time of gentle recovery after the rigours of the weekend.

Tags: Boat maintenance, Brian Stevens, cruising
Posted in Brazil, Cruising | 1 Comment »

Maceió to Jacaré

Sunday, March 25th, 2012

Thursday, 22 March 2012

Boat maintenance on the beach

I spent a week in Maceió moored close to the busy, colourful fishing boats. There was always someone eager to give me a hand dragging or carrying the dinghy up the beach to the club gate. At low tide it’s quite a long haul on the wet sand. Lots of boat maintenance happening all around.

A short walk after turning right outside the club gates took me to a green and shady path along the shore.

Waiting for customers

The reefs form an enormous natural swimming pool and rows of jangadas wait on the beach to take tourists out for a sail. The two looming cruise ships provided plenty of customers. The jangadas look like little more than a raft with some boxes for sitting on and a small sail. They can sometimes be seen quite far out to sea – not with tourists but busy fishing.

Interesting street art

Walking in the opposite direction would take me into town. A partially restored historical area with eye catching street art. The town itself has a busy shopping area with crowded pedestrian malls. I tried unsuccessfully to find a replacement for my defunct inverter. No luck. Stopped for a coco gelada in a shady square.

Oops..

One morning, while sipping my first and most important caffeine-fix in the cockpit I noticed an enormous house-boat-type catamaran that seemed to be aground on the beach. It looked very low in the water. The tide was falling and it was later revealed as the Leão do Mar which I had seen launched a few years ago in Jacaré. It had started taking in water while pushing on hard into the wind from Salvador. Later that day they managed to refloat it.

Jangadas in the distance

After topping up the water and buying some groceries there was nothing much to keep me in Maceió so I set off again heading for Jacaré, about 200nm further up the coast. I took a long southerly tack to get offshore and then was able to lay the course for an easy fast sail to Cabedelo.

It was a strange feeling making my way through the reef and into the Rio Paraíba. I couldn’t help comparing it to the first time I came here after 2 weeks at sea from Ascension Island in 2002. Then I had battled to find the entrance. Utterly exhausted after having had no sleep for 36 hours. The boat leaking badly. Engine unusable. Cat protesting loudly. I had to tack upriver and only arrived at the anchorage after dark. This time it went smoothly and soon I found a good place to anchor. Not too many other boats around.

Saturday, 24 March 2012

Sinbad relaxing in his hammock after the voyage

Yesterday I moved Speedwell into a berth at Peter’s marina, Centro Nautico Jacaré. Sinbad was delighted and leapt ashore to do some scouting around. I had moved in so that I could have the chain and anchor sent off to Recife for re-galvanising. 60m of 8mm chain plus the anchor weighs about 100kg so it was quite a job getting it off the boat and up to the road. Some marinheiros helped with a wheelbarrow.

I don’t really like being cooped up in a marina but having shore power for a while will give me a chance to do a lot of necessary maintenance jobs. Maybe put a new coat of paint on the deck. And the dinghy needs attention. It’s going to be a busy time.

Tags: cruising
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Once More Maceió

Sunday, March 11th, 2012

Sunday, 4 March 2012

I’ve been at sea since early on Thursday morning, making another brave attempt to reach Maceió.

Restless Ron speeding past Salvador

Ron left a short while after me and was soon passing me heading directly for French Guiana and then on to make a pile of money producing gourmet pizzas.

This time the weather has been kinder and after a slow start I am now half way there. A grand total of 145 nm in 3 1/2 days. The knowledge gained is that one must somehow get at least 15 to 20 miles offshore before attempting to work your way north as a ferocious current runs against you closer in. It’s all very well flopping about in light-to-non-existent airs but to be drifting inexorably backwards as well is more than my patience can bear. So the engine was resorted to.

Another lovely sunset at sea

Chugging along, only able to maintain 2 knots against the current. Well eventually we got out of it and right now things are going more to plan. With a gentle SE breeze just forward of the beam we are doing a comfortable 3.5 knots. Sinbad has perked up and stopped looking disbelievingly at me.

The sail is working well and looking a bit more respectable now that I can almost completely raise the bottom panel. Before leaving Itaparica I had a chance to play about with it and found that moving the boom forward a few inches made a big difference. When I stop next I’ll try moving it forward a smidgeon more which should get rid of a few more creases.

Tuesday, 6th March 2012

Rain clouds threatening off Maceió

Yesterday was a slow day with alternating calms and sudden squally rain showers. The wind constantly shifting. The sea looking as though a giant hand was fooling about with an egg-whisk. The Navik was threatening to opt out. Hand steering was required. But at least we were lurching fairly steadily along. There was an alarming number of big ships and a scattering of oil rigs that had to be negotiated. Not much opportunity to sleep. My kitchen timer, that I have used for years to wake me up every 20 minutes to have a lookout, had died.

Speedwell tucked in behind the fishing boats

When I sail I remove my hearing aids to protect them from the damp salty air so I need a loud alarm. The iPod provided a perfect solution. With one earbud plugged In to a naked ear I could set it’s timer-app and be reliably woken by a deafening alarm. It made a big difference as I was able to relax and drift off, confident that I could depend on being startled awake.

The timing worked out well and at about 10 this morning I was on the final approach to Maceió. A cruise ship looking like a floating block of flats passed close by, also on it’s way in. Heavy rain clouds were threatening and it was a race to get in before them. I glanced at the fish finder to check the depth and just then it gave out a tired little ‘peep’ and went blank. Oh dear. Well there didn’t seem to be any immediate dangers. Soon I was looking for a place to anchor. Lots of fishing boats and a handful of yachts on moorings. I tested the depth with a lead on a string and anchored a little way off in 5m. It was half tide so that was fine. Just had time to put the cockpit awning up when the cloudburst happened. Absolutely solid water for about 20 minutes. Excellent timing.

It’s exactly 10 years ago today that I sailed away from Port Owen heading for St Helena.

Tags: cruising
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Maragojipe

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

Friday, 10 February 2012

I picked up the new hearing aids last Friday and they are wonderful. It’s very much easier now to understand what people are saying and I was surprised to realise how much Sinbad has to say for himself. I can listen to music again. Very happy.

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Yesterday Ron came with me to Bom Despache. I did a major shop and paid for a taxi back. Just waiting for the right weather to leave now. A few boats will be heading up to Maragojipe for carnival. I might go along. Still feeling a bit washed out from my cold.

Friday, 17 February 2012

Maragojipe street scene

I sailed up to Maragojipe yesterday. So lovely coming up the river again. Only two other boats here when I arrived. My cold is lingering frustratingly on. I spend a few hours each day refurbishing my wooden oars. Much prefer them to the aluminium ones especially in a fresh breeze.

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Carnival has been happening noisily on shore and I have stayed aboard. With my new hearing aids I can hear the music quite well and my cold refuses to admit defeat.

The kerosene depot

On Saturday I went shopping for kerosene and after much wandering about the crowded winding streets and asking in every likely looking shop, someone at last gave me decent directions and wrote down the name of the place to find. When I eventually found it I wasn’t surprised that it had been so difficult. No name or sign displayed outside and a run down sort of warehouse near the red bridge. It didn’t look very promising but they had kero. And only R$6 per litre. I bought 5l. While I was waiting for them to fill a jerry can for me I watched the donkeys outside tethered to a post on the corner. Basket panniers. Quietly standing waiting. Crowds of people. Not many cars. Once I had my precious kero safely stowed in my backpack I crossed the road to the fishmarket and bought a nice looking plump red fish to share with Sinbad for dinner. I waited while it was cleaned and trimmed of head, tail and fins.

I rambled slowly back to the dock. The town colourfully decorated for the carnival. Massive trio electrico trucks in strategic places. I wasn’t sure when the action was due to start.

Back at the boat the rain that had been threatening started rattling down. That night, despite the deluge the party began. A bright searchlight raking the sky. Thumping drums. I was tempted to go ashore, but the long row in wind and rain put me off.

The monster dragger cat

About 10 I was in bed. Later I was woken by a powerful thud on the boat. Went out to investigate and the massive French catamaran that had anchored too close had swung over with the tide and was right on top of me. I had to fend it off as it slowly moved right around me to the other side, wrapped around my chain. Miraculously not damaging the Navik or solar panel. I shouted to try to wake up the owners who were still fast asleep. Eventually he appeared on deck. I couldn’t hear anything without my ears but, in any case, he only spoke confused French. I suggested that he get some fenders out as I could no longer hold the boats apart. Soon Madame also emerged and got busy with the fenders. Sinbad jumped across to explore the interesting big boat. Monsieur started the engine and managed to reverse off, unwinding from Speedwell. They moved well clear and put out a stern anchor to prevent it from happening again. A cup of coffee and back to sleep.

The Spanish boat with Juan and Jane had arrived and next morning I went over to have coffee with them. Jane has put her back out and can’t walk. So no carnival for them. They went back to Itaparica early on Monday morning.

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

A quiet little street bar

Well the carnival seems to be over. I ventured ashore today to dump my garbage and stretch my legs. The place was making an effort to pull itself together after 5 days and nights of wild revelry. Only grocery stores and banks were open so no Internet opportunity. The place is growing on me. It takes a bit of getting used to with it’s rather rough attitude. But there is friendliness and gentle consideration under all the bluster.

The ferryboat captain takes care of my dinghy when I leave it tied to the dock to go into town, moving it and re-tying it as necessary when the local boats come crowding in. I took an empty jerry can with me to take further advantage of the kerosene supply that I had discovered. When I arrived at the ramshackle shop they remembered me and were happy to oblige. While I waited I enjoyed watching a donkey standing in the sun and rubbing its jaw for a good scratch against the post that it was tethered to on the pavement outside. An old blind man wearing dark glasses, leaned contentedly against the counter being looked after by a skinny dreadlocked friend who made sure that his beer glass was kept full. Some dogs scratched and yawned. A scraggly old woman tried to strike up a conversation but I struggled to understand. I felt strangely at ease with this motley crew.

Back outside, the street teemed with a crazily varied mixture of humanity. A carefree carnival spirit still seemed to linger in the aftermath. Many donkeys heavily loaded with stuff. Some, beautifully cared for with fancy decorated bridles. Pedestrians stroll in the middle of the narrow cobbled streets casually moving aside for the odd car or motorcycle.

Monday, 27 February 2012

Still no useful southerly wind in the forecast.

Like something from outer space...

I returned to Itaparica to take advantage of the easier Internet access and fill up with water again. All the usual boats were still there.

On the way back there, sailing very slowly down the river I had noticed some enormous jelly fish cruising about. Mmmm.. Not so sure about swimming now.

Tags: Bahia, cruising, Todos os Santos
Posted in Brazil, Cruising | 1 Comment »

Aratu

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Saturday, 28 January 2012

I left the anchorage at Salvador early the next morning. A nice day with a gentle breeze making it possible for me to sail slowly all the way to the narrow section of the channel going into the bay of Aratu. There were a few fishermen about and one or two sleek yachts motoring determinedly to their weekend destinations.

Big industry along the channel

The Aratu channel is clearly marked with red and green buoys for the big ships using it. It must have been a magical place before heavy industry moved in and brutalised it. Now the once delightful jungly coves along the narrow channel have been invaded by monstrous factories and extended car parks. In the narrowest part a big ship was being manoeuvred into a tight berth with the help of two tugs. I got the engine going and kept out of their way.

The bay of Aratu itself is relatively unspoiled and if you cast your gaze selectively it’s possible to imagine it as it was in the old days when it is said to have been a favourite hideaway for pirates and buccaneers. Now it is a popular place for Salvadoreans to keep their yachts.
Hundreds of boats swing to their moorings at the Aratu yacht club. There is still plenty of room to anchor although it’s a long row to the floating dinghy dock at the club.

..a more commercial sort of place

I had chosen to anchor off the more commercial-looking Aratu Marina with a few big ships in various states of dilapidation. It looked the sort of place that would just let you get on with doing your own thing. There are some handy workshops ashore and it’s possible to get fuel and water. I noticed the big old ferry boat that used to do the run up to Maragojipe, now retired and settled in the mud at low tide. There is a nice little restaurant at the beach where I can land the dinghy for the odd cold beer or something to eat. Very convenient. A good place. I might hang out here until the weather looks better for another try at moving north.

The old Maragojipe ferry

Meanwhile, It also seemed like a good opportunity to do some shopping in the city and possibly get new hearing aids. I moved across to the yacht club for the day and went ashore there as it’s the closest point to the bus terminus at Ilha São João. The bus took about an hour to reach the shopping district. Strings of monstrous malls. Many, many fashionable clothing boutiques and shoe shops. All the right sporting gear. Giant flat TV screens. I was harshly reminded of the motivating forces ruling most peoples lives. The din in the food-court at lunch time was overwhelming even to a deaf old bat.

A nice little restaurant near the marina

I was able to find most of the things I was looking for and then serendipitously found myself in front of a place advertising hearing aids. They thought they might be able to repair the old ones but I would need to return in two days to find out. OK.

The bus was crowded and hot on the way back and it was nearly sundowner time when I eventually got back to the peaceful sanity of Speedwell. Sinbad was pleased to see me and especially appreciative of his thinly sliced ‘milanesa’ steak.

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

I returned hopefully to the hearing aid people only to be told that my old ‘aparelhos’ were beyond repair. But.. they would be delighted to supply me with new ones. It’s really good to be able to hear what goes on around me so I decided to increase the mortgage and go ahead with their plan. I was pleasantly impressed with the sophisticated equipment and soon they had me sorted out. I would need to return in a few days to pick up the new gadgets.

So back to the busses for the return trip to Aratu. I had also done a load of shopping so was struggling a bit with my very heavy backpack. The afternoon sun beat down sending the temperature soaring. My water bottle was nearly empty. The bus stop was crowded with commuters. Plenty of busses going to many different destinations. The trick was to spot the right one, wave at it to stop and clamber on before it roared off again. All those mysterious places..Iguatemi, Paripe, Ilha São João, Simões Filhoes… that one looked promising. I hopped on. I was lucky enough to get a seat. But then, oh dear, it turned off the main drag and headed for the Atlantic coast. Wrong bus. Still it was a pretty route. I sat back and let it unroll, planning to get off at the end of the line and work my way back. I was a tourist after all.
When we reached the outskirts of Simões Filhoes I asked the person next to me where I could get a bus to Aratu. Blessing the fact that by now I can actually make myself understood in Portuguese. The young chap was marvellously helpful and when we got to the right stop he hustled me off and flagged down the bus to Aratu which had just started moving off. Happy day. Soon I was walking the last kilometre or so down to the marina. Really happy day! A truck stopped and offered me a lift. When I was dropped off at the marina I made a stop at the restaurant/bar for a well-deserved icy cold beer.

Saturday, 4 February 2012

On Thursday I moved back to Itaparica. It was an interesting little sail. I started off optimistically with a gentle downwind breeze. Unfortunately, although there was no traffic in the channel, there was also no wind. That plus a slight contrary current forced me to do some motoring. As soon as we were in more open water again we were able to sail the rest of the way. It was a squally day with big black rainclouds looming. I hoped we might be able to stay ahead of them but they advanced with grim determination. The wind started to pick up. Should I bother to reef? It was only a passing squall. Let’s see how it goes. The passing squall was slow in passing. I soon had to start helping the Navik to keep us on course. It can’t last much longer… My arms were getting tired although it was quite exhillarating skimming along at 6.5 knots. Oh well, it’s a junk rig after all, drop a few panels. What a difference that made. The Navik was happy again. 10 minutes later the wind disappeared. Sail up again. We still had about 10 miles to go. It was peaceful for a while. Not many other boats about. Then the next rain squall was upon us. This one came up fast and furious. Torrential rain had me scrambling into full foul weather gear. The umbrella simply wasn’t up to it. It became quite impossible to see where we were going. I came up into the wind and hove to to let it pass. It didn’t last long and soon we were approaching the anchorage at Itaparica. Not so many boats there now. It was easy to find a good place to stop.

Tags: cruising
Posted in Brazil, Cruising | No Comments »

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