I can’t believe it’s September already! That means the Canadian National Exhibition ends this weekend, school starts and the leaves back home will soon change colour. I can’t believe how short the summer in Canada was this year.
This morning after our “walk and talk” we had a quick breakfast and took our dirty laundry to the marina. I prefer to wash it myself but until we receive our new membrane for the watermaker we are running it on only one pump. This gives us about 7 GPH, which is not enough to keep up to the numerous showers we take and laundry. We also told the marina we would be here for the month of September and paid for our mooring and bought some fuel.
Our next stop was Budget Marine. The good news was that our membrane was in. It had arrived a couple of days ago. When I asked why they hadn’t called to let us know it was in, they said they had been unable to find the box of cleaning chemicals I ordered. We opened the membrane box and the chemicals were inside. Oh well, I guess I could have done my own laundry.
We picked up a few groceries and returned to the boat for lunch and a siesta. Everyone has been having a siesta the last few days as it’s been very hot with almost no wind.
In the afternoon I baked a pile of chicken wings. Since we are not working on boat projects while we wait for parts, the boat remains together. While it’s not pulled apart is the best time to have people over. Judy and Bud (Gonzo II) came for Happy Hour tonight. We had a beautiful almost purple sunset and a very enjoyable evening.
Some days everything just seems to go well. We both awoke early and had time for a coffee before our power walk. Prior to leaving, I took everything out of the freezer, put the frozen things in a cooler bag and turned the fridge off. By the time we returned to the boat after our walk and finished breakfast, the fridge was ready to clean and turn back on. When I turned it back on things were as I expected. For some reason we were low on freon again. It’s been almost 6 months since this has happened but for some reason it needed to be topped up again. First we wanted to go into town. Rick needed a couple of wrenches, which we were able to purchase at Napa. We then stopped at Budget Marine and paid them for the cleaning chemicals that were shipped with the new watermaker membrane.
When we returned to the boat I recharged the fridge while Rick worked on installing a new switch for the water maker feed pumps. Everything seemed good with the fridge so the gauges and tank of R134 was put away. I love the switch that Rick installed for the feed pumps. I can now run one or the other pump for the water maker and then switch to both pumps easily. This is wonderful when running a two-pump watermaker because each pump must be primed separately. Now it was time for the big job. We had to install the new watermaker membrane. It was a snap and there were absolutely no leaks when we were finished. We ran the system and the pressure was much improved. While we were working on the water maker Judy and Bud (Gonzo II) came by and delivered a UPS package to us from the marina. The package contained replacement parts for the head that we had ordered. We hadn’t expected them to arrive yet so it was a treat having them delivered right to our boat.
Every job went well today so Rick didn’t want to push his luck. He decided to do the head repairs tomorrow.
In the afternoon, Tony and Benta (Side By Side) came by to ask if we would like to join a group of cruisers that were going to Casablanca for dinner this evening. We declined their invitation as we had already been there a couple of times and our budget was currently being stretched (Rod are you taking note of this). The gang that was going for dinner quickly grew as shortly after Tony and Benta left our boat we heard Odetta, Cop Out and Sylvester on the radio. They were on their way into Bonaire. Cop Out and Sylvester joined the Casablanca group but Don (Odetta) wasn’t feeling well.
We had a lovely dinner on board and went to bed early.
We were up in time to have a coffee before our morning walk. There was a nice breeze this morning so the walk was a little easier.
When we finished breakfast Rick wanted to get right to work on the head. While he was busy with that I worked at getting things caught up in the computer. His job went well, and we finished in time to have some lunch before going into town.
We went to the post office and the internet café. We wanted to have a look at Tropical Storm Ivan. Ivan is quite a ways out but he is a little further south than normal so everyone is keeping a close eye on him. When we left the internet café I went and bought a new pair of walking shoes. Trying to power walk in Teva sandals is difficult. I now own a pair of Nikes and we’ll see tomorrow morning whether they help me keep up with Karen.
We saw our friend Don (Odetta) who did not look well. He went to the clinic in the morning and they did some tests but they want him to fly to Curacao tomorrow for additional tests.
We had Happy Hour and dinner onboard and then spent the evening relaxing and reading.
This is a very busy holiday weekend in Bonaire. Last night we heard the rumbling of over 300 motorcycles (many were Harleys). It’s the Bonaire Bikers Motorcycle Tour. Bikers with their bikes came from other islands to participate. It started Thursday evening and will continue through Monday. In addition to the bikers there are fishermen. Granted the fishermen are much quieter. Sunday is the Bonaire Fishing Tournament. Anyone can enter but you can only fish from a Bonaire registered boat. Monday is Bonaire Day with lots of celebrations happening at the north end of the island.
After our extremely fast walk (with my new shoes) we returned to the boat for breakfast and then to the marina to pick up the clean laundry. We just dumped the bag of laundry in the cockpit and went into town for some groceries. Everything is always closed on Sunday afternoon and because of the holiday everything will be closed Monday. It was time to stock up.
The next stop after groceries was the internet café for weather. We were able to listen to the weather this morning (because I walked so quickly) but I wanted to see the satellite pictures of Ivan and it’s faster and easier to look at them on the internet than it is to download them over the SSB. Satisfied that we were ok for at least a couple of days we returned to the boat.
I promised Rick that I would do a couple of eye splices for him on some 5/8 line. This was to replace the snubber that he allowed to chafe in Tortuga and to provide him with a spare in case he allowed it to happen again. I did it, but he had to use his muscles to help me pull the splices into place.
We were just settling into our Happy Hour when Bill and Sharon (Makai) came by. They had checked the weather again and stopped by to give us an update. They came aboard for a while until we could all smell the ribs cooking at Bobbejan’s, which is open again. We all decided it was time to start preparing dinner.
Last night was so bad….How bad was it? It was a Saturday night which means in Kralendijk it’s normally a little noisy with all the live bands and music that goes on well into the morning hours. We’ re use to that and although it wakes us up once in a while we usually drift right back to sleep. This weekend the hundreds of motorcycles revving their engines added greatly to the noise but even that wasn’t to bad because we expected a little rumble during their rally. The real culprit was the wind. Initially there was a lack of wind, which caused a bit of a roll in the anchorage. By 3AM when the jerry cans that had not been secured on our deck were sliding around and a bottle of rum left on the counter went crashing into the sink we knew we had a bit of a wind reversal. It wasn’t a dangerous one and it hadn’t been forecast but it certainly was uncomfortable. We looked out and all of the masts were tipping side to side. There were cabin lights on in almost every boat. Rick and I joked that it was so uncomfortable we were beginning to feel a little seasick. Well when we were the only ones that showed up at 6:30AM for our power walk we assumed that things had been a little rough on Sylvia K as well. We later learned that they were so rough that Karen had taken a seasick pill and Susan on Cop Out had done the same.
Since it was Sunday it was a good excuse to just laze around most of the day. We walked into town and bought some bread and then headed over to the internet café. We finally have a place for cruisers to gather in Bonaire. They were all at the internet today. Everyone is following Hurricane Ivan very closely. It is projected to pass almost 300 miles to the north of us. If it takes the projected track then all we have to worry about will be the wind reversal.
The bike rally had a parade along the waterfront. We thought we had missed it while we were in town because we could hear and see parts of it. We learned later that the same parade with all of the bikes and antique cars travelled the same route about 4 times during the day so we were able to see it a few times.
The one job Rick wanted to do was to empty the aft cockpit locker. We have a man coming Tuesday morning to survey the installation of the autopilot and he will need access through that locker. When everything was piled on deck it was amazing to see how much we are able to store in the one locker. Rick wrapped and lashed everything on deck just in case we have another rolly night.
Gonzo asked if we wanted to go to Bobbejan’s tonight for dinner. This was their first time there. Although we’re trying not to eat out as often we gave in and agreed to join them. Rick still insists he prefers the ribs that I cook so we ordered chicken sate. It was very good and inexpensive.
The sleeping conditions last night were wonderful. There was a cool light breeze, no roll, no rumble and the sound of music faded before midnight. We were up just in time for our walk. As soon as we returned to the dinghy dock we rushed back to the boat for the morning weather report rather than staying for our talk time with Allen.
Although Ivan is projected to pass through the island chain near St. Lucia there are still Tropical storm warnings for Grenada and Trinidad. We decided to go into the internet café before they closed at noon (holiday hours). Everyone was there again and making plans. Some boats are now talking about heading to Curacao and tucking into Spanish Waters, others are talking about making a run for Venezuela. Then there are others, which include ourselves who are planning more for a wind reversal than an actual hurricane. Our current plan is to move into the marina if necessary.
I spent the afternoon doing laundry and reading. We checked the SSB and HAM weather reports during the day but for the most part just relaxed. I made pizza for dinner.
We were up and out early this morning. The Netherlands Antilles Government has declared a hurricane watch for the ABC islands. We moved the boat into the marina in the morning and half of the boats from the moorings followed. The other half headed for Spanish Waters a large bay in Curacao. We heard the boats in Las Aves talking about moving to the coast of Venezuela.
We listened to weather throughout the day and also checked weather at the internet café.
Things got worse as the day progressed. Grenada got a direct hit with major damage from Ivan. The coast guard upgraded our watch to a warning just before we went to bed. Although we did a lot to prepare the boat today, if there is time in the morning we’ll do more.
Rick and I were up and preparing the boat as best we could for Ivan.
The weather reports indicate that conditions are worsening. Ivan has not
turned and seems to refuse to track to the Northwest, as he should.
Here’s what we did to prepare Wind-Borne III to be as hurricane ready as possible:
We tied lines to and from every available cleat on the boat and then doubled or duplicated the same lines with brand new line tied just a little looser to an alternative cleat on the dock. If one should snap there will be another to take it’s place. We also tied two lines from our boat to the boat beside us.
Every fender we own and some that are the large flat fenders are tied along the boat next to the dock. The round fenders may fly up in the wind but the flat ones are secured so they shouldn’t.
We removed the headsails, bimini, dodger, solar panels and even the rubber
matting from the cockpit floor. Anything at all that could possibly fly
was removed or secured.
Rick spent almost an hour raising and securing the dinghy into the davits so that it couldn’t move but we still didn’t feel comfortable with the windage it created. Walt (Cop Out) had the same concerns so he asked the marina if we could take the dinghies ashore and secure them in between some of the condo buildings in the resort. We were given the ok and it took no time to lower the dinghies and get them ashore, tucked in and secured.
There are a couple of large mooring balls behind us for large boats that like to dock stern-to the condo wall. We had a boater down the dock who still had his dinghy in the water, tie a line from our stern to one of the mooring balls.
Down below everything was stored away. The cockpit cushions, mats, mops etc. were all stored in the aft cabin. The solar panels were tied upright to the table. Sails and canvas were stored in the bathtub. The radar reflector and barbecue were on the floor between the table and the settee.
By noon everything that we could do to prepare was done. I even had our
passports, cash, credit cards, camera and computer in a ditch bag ready to
abandon ship. We stopped for lunch and then I went ashore for a shower (my
bathtub is full of sails and canvas). It was starting to rain a little
when I returned to the boat. Rick went a little later had a second rinse
on his way back to the boat after his shower as the rain had become heavier.
We both decided to have a siesta and wait for Ivan to make his appearance. The Island turned off all of the electricity at 12PM and there was an Island wide curfew in effect at 2PM. No one was to be on the streets including tourists who had to return to their hotel rooms.
We had a few squalls in the afternoon but nothing to uncomfortable. The 2PM forecast indicated that we would feel the worst of Ivan at about 6:30PM. At that time the eye would be about 80 miles to the north of us. This was good news because the lighter winds of Ivan are in the southern quadrant. Our winds are now forecast to be around 60 knots which is an improvement from the last couple of forecasts. Ivan is now a category four hurricane with winds up to 150 MPH.
All of the cruisers were helping each other prepare and it was a very jovial atmosphere but everyone was quite scared after hearing about the devastation in Grenada. With the storm getting closer and being in the marina with a lot of electrical interference it was very difficult to hear any weather reports on the SSB/HAM radio. It was also impossible to send email.
Just after 6:30PM the winds started to pick up and soon they were howling but Wind-Borne III seemed to be sitting quite comfortably at the dock. We’re tucked into a corner of the marina with concrete condos all around us blocking the wind. The roofs are heavy tile and with the less than 60 knot winds they should not be a problem.
By a little after 7PM I was feeling comfortable enough that I finally dozed off to sleep. I had not slept very well last night and I made up for it tonight during the hurricane. Every few hours either Rick or I would wake and look out the companionway to check conditions and each time everything was fine.
We survived Hurricane Ivan!!
We were extremely lucky in Bonaire. The eye of the hurricane passed 97
miles to the Northeast of us. As far as we know the island sustained very
little if any damage. Just after daylight there was a helicopter flying
low checking along the shore.
We began our day with bacon, eggs and champagne. We were definitely in a celebratory mood. The SSB had much less interference this morning so we were able to talk to the boats that went to Curacao. They were fine and did not have any tales of terror. The boats than ran to Venezuela were also fine but they had encountered 20 foot seas on the passage. Our friends Gary and Sharon (Elusive) were in Grenada and thought they had lost their boat but it had been sighted this morning in the mangroves. It may be salvageable.
Everyone started reassembling their boats today. No one complained
because we were still all aware of how well we faired and just grateful that we
have still have a boat to reassemble.
The extra lines were all removed, washed with fresh water and laid in the sun to dry. The solar panels were reinstalled. The dinghy bottom was scrubbed and dinghy launched. The dodger and bimini were washed and put back up. The only chore we weren’t able to finish was to raise the sails. The wind was a little too strong all day for that so we’ll try and get them up tomorrow.
It’s too bad we didn’t realize that the marina had free cable TV. We could have watched CNN or the Weather Channel yesterday for our weather updates. It’s nice to have it now that we’re ready to relax a little. We’re still keeping an eye on Ivan. He seems to be going to all places that hurricanes don’t normally go. Jamaica is preparing for him now.
I roasted a chicken and some potatoes for dinner. We relaxed and
watched TV during the evening.
Rick and I were on deck raising the sails before the wind got too strong. Normally early in the morning there is very little wind but that wasn’t the case today. Our bow was facing into the wind so it wasn’t too difficult. With that job done we stopped for breakfast.
I spent the morning doing laundry while Rick reassembled some smaller items and cleaned the barbecue. We had a leather trim on the dodger and bimini. The leather on the dodger had started to deteriorate with the sun and salt so I decided to remove it. Although I was trying to be careful I ripped the fabric. I dug out my scraps of Sunbrella and found that I had a large enough piece to put a new sacrificial strip of fabric the width of the dodger. It took a while but by early afternoon I had it cut and pinned in place. I dug out the sewing machine and found that I had too many layers of fabric for my little machine. Rick wanted to go for a walk so we took the dodger to the sail and canvas store. She might be able to have it stitch for us by Tuesday.
We continued on our walk and headed to the shore to see if the swell had diminished. Some of the boaters had wanted to leave the marina and return to the moorings in the morning but the harbour master had said no. The moorings had to be checked and the swell had to come down a bit before he would allow the boats on the moorings. We still may receive a few squalls from the feeder bands of Ivan. It was an interesting walk. The winds and waves from Ivan had been a lot stronger than we had realised. All of the docks along shore were all ripped apart. Club Nautico and the fishermen’s docks sustained the worst damage. The salt spray had damaged the trees on the opposite side of the street and there was coral and sand strewn across the road. The surf or surge must have been worse than the wind because the roofs that were made of palm fronds were still in place.
We arrived at the City Café, which is a good walk from the marina and Rick was anxious for a beer. The stores, restaurants and bars had all closed at 2PM Wednesday. Thursday and even today not many of the business’s had reopened. This was partially because of the hurricane but as well today was the referendum in Bonaire. No liquor can be sold the day before and the day of a vote. We both had a cold drink and continued our walk back to the boat.
The sun is much too hot to have no cover over the cockpit for 4 days so Rick put up the boom tent in place of the dodger. When he finished we went below and turned on the weather channel to check on Ivan. Ivan was just moving in on Jamaica.
We turned on the TV and watched for Ivan updates. The weather channel is pretty good but I think there is more information available on the internet.
Most of the boats have returned to the moorings and we heard boats arriving from Venezuela and returning from Curacao this morning. We’ve received almost all of the parts for our new autopilot so Rick decided that the installation would be a lot easier at dock so we’re not moving yet. The major problem with staying in the marina is the number of mosquitoes at night especially after all the rain we received during Ivan. We make sure that the screen doors are closed by 5:30PM, we have been burning mosquito coils and dousing ourselves with Eau de Off but even still I am awakened in the middle of the night with the sound of a mosquito on the attack. The moorings are far enough from shore that we have a breeze and very few mosquitoes.
This morning I did some more laundry and finally attempted a splice Rick has been asking me to do. It was a tough one. I had to make an eye splice with 5/8” braided line through 3/8 BBB chain. It took a while but with a bit of muscle from Rick I got it done. Rick checked our friend’s boat (Odetta) and fed Tigger the cat. Don is in the hospital again in Curacao for some surgery. Don is a single hander and he fell down his companionway when he was in Las Aves and received serious bruising and loss of blood. He has not been well since so hopefully the surgery will solve the problem.
Dinner was on board and I made a Maple-Mustard Glazed Pork Roast. I have no idea what cut of meat it was because the labels are always in Dutch. What ever it was we both found it melt in the mouth tender and tasty. Hopefully I’ll recognize it again at the butcher.
We were up in time to listen to the SSB nets in this morning but we still haven’t been able to obtain much information on all our friends in Grenada. We finished breakfast and went into town to pick up some groceries and spend some time at the internet café. We checked a few web sites and finally found one that gave us the information we were looking for. We learned that some of our friends have had their boats severely damaged only one so far has sunk. Some are on a reef or ashore but we think that everyone we know is safe and sound. Things are in a very sad state in Grenada and it will take them a long time to recover.
Here, the Club Nautico docks have been partially repaired. They have replaced almost all of the boards and in some places used plywood to make the docks safe. The pedestals with the electrical and water connections are still missing but at least the docks can be used again.
We had a siesta in the afternoon and leftovers for dinner.
First think in the morning we walked over to the marina office to see if our final parts for the autopilot had arrived. They had so we immediately called Lelle, the man who was to help us with the installation. He agreed to come by the boat and get started tomorrow afternoon.
Having anticipated this, we were reasonably caught up on all the boat chores. I did a little more laundry, which is down to the point of washing the throw rugs. We would have liked to gone snorkelling but the sea was a little rough. I think we found the perfect solution. We haven’t been able to have our Happy Hour in the cockpit since being in the marina as the mosquitoes would have carried us off. After lunch and a very short siesta, we took our ice bucket, rum, a bottle of Canada Dry Ginger Ale and glasses to the pool. At 2:30 in the afternoon with no one else in the pool, Rick and I sat on the underwater benches in the shade with our drinks. We watched the comings and goings of the marina and just plain relaxed as the warm water and cold drinks reminded us that life is still pretty good down here in our little paradise.
We emptied everything from under the aft and starboard cockpit locker. Then we removed the mattress from the aft cabin. Everything was ready to start the autopilot installation.
Rick and I went to town in the morning and picked up some groceries. While we were there we stopped at the salon (De Kapper) and had our haircut. The return dinghy ride back to the marina took a while because we had to stop and talk to all of our friends who had just arrived back from Curacao.
We waited all afternoon but Lelle never arrived. We’ll call him again tomorrow morning and see when he will come.
There was not a breath of air overnight and because we have the aft cabin mattress on top of the bed in the forward cabin we slept in the main salon which doesn’t get as much of a breeze as the forward cabin. It was warm.
In the morning Susan and Walt (Cop Out) came over for a visit. When they left we walked to the Canvas shop and picked up our repaired dodger. It was an extremely hot day with still no breeze. Having the dodger back up helped to cool the cockpit and cabin a little. It was over 102° F (39° C) in the shade and well over 106° F (41°C) in the sun.
Lelle arrived at 1:30PM and he and Rick both climbed below and started putting things in place for the installation of the autopilot. Lelle took some parts away with him to fabricate some things in his workshop. Rick went into Budget marine and picked up the wire we needed. He and I will fish and run the wire but I asked that we do it early tomorrow morning when the cabin should be a little cooler.
At Rick’s suggestion we went out for Happy Hour and dinner. Happy Hour was at the City Café where we met our local friends. We went to “It Rains Fishes” for dinner. The last time we had dinner at this restaurant it was extremely enjoyable but the servings were huge. This time we asked if it would be ok if Rick and I shared a meal. They didn’t mind at all. I hate to say what we had to eat in the journal because people will start drooling but it was so enjoyable I don’t want to forget it. We ordered the special of the evening. Our appetizer (remember we shared a meal) was a huge platter of Carpaccio served with a nice olive oil, lime and some shredded lettuce. The main entrée was fresh baby spinach served with very large grilled shrimps, a salad and French fries. The desert was vanilla ice cream served in a crepe with peaches and Marscapone cream. I had an espresso to finish off while Rick just sipped on a glass of water. There was no way that one of us could have eaten the whole meal so I’m glad we were able to share.
The cabin didn’t feel that much cooler when we awoke but it was the best we were going to get today. Right after breakfast we started fishing and pulling in the new wire required for the autopilot. The worst we had to pull was some 8 gauge wire for the motor all of the other wires were just 14 gauge and signal wires to the rudder sensor, the fluxgate compass, the display, and the clutch on the drive back to the computer. The pain of it was that the autopilot computer was installed under the Nav, which is midship close to the electrical panel. It could not be mounted near the engine, had to be in a dry area where it would not get knocked around or kicked. The drive and the rudder sensor had to be installed under the cockpit floor attached to the rudder shaft. The fluxgate compass could not be installed near electrical wires or radios so it we placed midship in the forward cabin. The locations of the piece parts meant that we had to fish and pull wire every different direction within the boat. I finished my portion of the work which other than puller I was mainly gopher. Rick kept working and finished all of the terminations by 2PM. There are a couple more wires that need to be run but we’re not quite ready for them. Lelle came and delivered our tiller arm with a new keyway and key he had cut. The mount for the display unit with an appropriate hole cut in it for the display and he also brought a heavy aluminum box he had fabricated for the drive unit. He took the box back to weld it together and apply some epoxy paint. He will return tomorrow.
It was about 3PM when Rick and I took refuge in the pool with our ice bucket and drinks again. The pool jets were running full blast and the water was so warm that it felt like a Jacuzzi. We were in the pool quite a while by ourselves when a young boy came and asked if he could join us. He was the cutest little guy who was 8 years old. We spent the rest of the afternoon having a wonderful conversation with him. His name is Ors, which in some language is a star in the Big Dipper. I didn’t get a chance to ask him which language because he was so busy telling us about other things. He was born in the Canary Islands, he speaks Papiamentu, Dutch, Swiss, German, French and English. His family’s boat the Hiedi Hi (not sure of the spelling) is currently in Guatemala. Friends of theirs that own a very large wooden Chinese junk in Bonaire named Samur asked them to help with some restoration work on the boat so that it could be put into charter. So they flew to Bonaire where they are currently living in a house and working on the boat. Ors normally receives home schooling but since they are on the island for quite a while he is attending one of the local schools. That’s as far as we got into our conversation when Ors mother arrived and told him it was time to get ready to go to a birthday party.
It was just a little while later and many people started to arrive at the pool for a dip. We stayed a while longer and then went for a quick shower and returned to our boat.
It was a POP (plain ordinary pasta) night because with no breeze at all I wasn’t prepared to turn on the oven.
We watched TV and went to bed smothered with our Eau de Off. I have no idea how the mosquitoes and no-see-ums are getting in but they are. I think they sneak in during the day when the companionway doors are open. When we close the doors at night they then come out of their hiding place and attack. Tomorrow afternoon if we go to the pool I think we’ll close up and burn a mosquito coil.
There was no rush this morning as all of our work was done. We took our time and had a leisurely pancake breakfast. When Lelle arrived in the afternoon it should have been just a matter of assembling everything. He arrived on time but explained that his generator had not been running last night, which meant he couldn’t weld the aluminum box. He’ll return tomorrow.
It was hot with no wind again so Rick and I went into town. The other boaters that we stopped to talk to on our way into town let us know that it was just as hot, they had just as many mosquitoes out on the moorings but in addition they were rolling enough to be sea sick. So I guess we won’t complain about the conditions in the marina.
We stopped in at immigration to see if they would give us an extension to stay a little longer. They took the information and said to return next Friday and they would let us know. We picked up some groceries and returned to the boat.
Dinner tonight was striploin steaks marinated and cooked on the barbecue with roast potatoes and sour cream. We had picked up some fresh baby spinach and although it was not at like the spinach we’re use to back home it was very good.
We had great hopes that the autopilot installation would be finished today. When Lelle hadn’t shown by 11AM we phoned him to see if he was still coming. He was but not until later in the afternoon. So we waited and finally he showed up a little after 3PM. The almost final installation went well but a few adjustments were required to the mounting block for the drive unit. Since the next day was Sunday he said he would return Monday morning.
It was a little late for our pool time Happy Hour but armed with our bottle of bug repellent we went for it anyway. What a difference a couple of hours can make. Walt and Susan (Cop Out) joined us but so did a half a dozen young children and a few other adults. It was not our normal relaxing time in the pool as we were ducking splashes most of the time.
Dinner on board was chicken sate with rice.
The last autopilot wire to be pulled in was for the control unit. Rick started to remove the stainless steel binnacle guards in order to mount the housing. This was easier said, than done. The guards were extremely well secured and didn’t want to come loose. We both decided that life would be much better if we just mounted the control unit on the starboard side of the cockpit near the combing. Mounting the unit and fishing the wires were done just after lunchtime. While Rick had been busy terminating the wires, I made a huge bowl of potato salad. He devoured almost all of it during lunch. We went for a very peaceful Happy Hour in the pool. The only distraction was the parakeets fighting amongst themselves over all of the sea grapes weighing down the branches of the trees around the pool.
This was one of those days that would have been much better had we gone back to bed after waking up. Since we didn’t, things started out bad and went downhill from there. When we first awoke we noticed the refrigerator was acting up again. Our ice cubes were not frozen. Rick was pretty sure he finally found the leak so we called a refrigeration man in to see if it could be fixed. Meanwhile, Lelle showed up at the boat to work on the autopilot before I even had a chance to brush my teeth. While he was down in the cockpit locker fitting everything in place, the refrigeration man arrived. He checked the evaporator plate where Rick thought the leak was and agreed on the location of the leak but that we would have to remove the plate if he was to weld it. We told him we would remove it and call him after lunch when he could come by to pick it up. Lelle had finished the mount for the linear drive unit and left it with us to be painted with epoxy. Shortly after he left we noticed we had no shore power on the boat. At first we thought the power was off on the dock but it wasn’t. Rick climbed into the cockpit locker and eventually traced a wire that had become disconnected. We had power again. John, the refrigeration man returned within minutes after Rick calling him and picked up the evaporator. I painted the mount for the autopilot and Rick finished off with a little more wiring.
In the afternoon, totally exhausted with the heat and the chaos of jobs going on at the boat we took refuge in the pool again. In fact we spent a few hours there. We returned to the boat had a quick dinner and went to bed.
We thought today started out better than yesterday. Never mind time to brush my teeth, Lelle arrived before we had a chance to make or eat breakfast. I don’t think he had eaten either as he had a cup of coffee with us. John brought our evaporator back before lunch (really it was while we were eating lunch) and asked us to call him when we had it reinstalled. We did and he returned within the hour. He did a few fancy things to remove all of the air from the system with a vacuum then put in a little Freon. Then he vacuum it out again. Once he had put in a little more Freon he told us to go ahead and turn the fridge on. We did but nothing happened. The rest of the afternoon was spent trouble shooting the problem. By dinnertime, John and Rick had made no progress and everyone was becoming frustrated. We decided to leave it until tomorrow morning at which time Rick would call Stone Cold (Jeff) the manufacturer in Trinidad and ask for advice.
It was too late to go to the pool and we were too tired so our last piece of frozen meat that had to be used was lomito (filet of beef). Rick turned the on barbecue and whipped up a nice dinner of lomito with barbecued potatoes. We had one package of frozen vegetables left so it got eaten as well.
After breakfast we did a little more of the setup on the autopilot before going into town. The rudder sensor was still not quite in the correct location and needed a little more adjustment. Rick felt the rod between the sensor and the rudder had been cut a little too short so we wanted to buy another rod and start fresh. We went into town with Carol and Tom (Moonrise) and called Nau-T-Kol (Stone Cold Refrigeration) in Trinidad. Jeff, the owner asked us to make one more test and call him back before determining if we needed a new electronic box or compressor for our refrigeration system. We were pretty sure it was the electronic box, which was what Tom and Carol needed as well. The problem was that Jeff had a shipment on order from Miami, which was two weeks overdue because of all the storms and he had none in stock. We agreed to complete the test and call him back in the afternoon. Meanwhile he would keep us posted on the arrival of his shipment.
Tom and Carol wanted to buy a small muffin fan to install above the compressor for their fridge. We took them to one of the computer stores and the man there said they didn’t sell fans but he took one out of an old computer and gave it to them for free. Their day was off to a good start.
We parted and they went grocery shopping while we went to the hardware. It was about 11:45AM when we arrived at the hardware and they didn’t have the size of rod we needed. We literally ran to the Caribbean Fastener store, which is a good distance and closes (like all other stores at noon). They had exactly what we needed. On our way back to the boat we stopped at Cultimara to pick up a few groceries. While we were there they were serving spit-roasted chicken in their little snack area so we stopped for lunch of chicken and salad.
Back at the boat we finished the last trouble shooting test on the refrigerator and called Jeff in Trinidad. He agreed that the compressor appeared to be ok and it was the electronic box that we needed. Just in case, I ordered a new evaporator and thermostat. Since all of these problems seemed to start after the patch on the evaporator. The thermostat was a just in case item. The cost of shipping is extremely high regardless of the size of the item so it is safer to order a few extra pieces rather than have to have a second shipment.
WWe accepted the fact that we are going to be using ice in place of our refrigerator for at least the next week so Rick went to the store and lugged 2 large bags back. I put most of it in the bottom of the refrigerator and the rest in our ice bucket as we prepared our retreat to the pool. The pool has become a necessary part of our day as a therapeutic aid. No joke! We were both getting a very bad heat rash all down our arms and on our back. Especially in the marina, it is extremely hot and doesn’t really cool down much at night. The couple of hours we have been spending in the pool each day has helped reduce the heat rash.
We were up and on the dock with our morning coffee to help Walt and Susan (Cop Out) leave. They were on their way to Curacao to spend some time with our friend Don (Odetta). Don is still in the hospital and has been moved back into intensive care. Susan and Walt are going to stay in Curacao with him until his family arrives.
We did not have to rush for any reason today so we settled down to a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs. Rick then went into town to pick up a few things at the hardware before tackling the autopilot again. I finally did some laundry, which I have been neglecting lately. /p>
In the afternoon we went to the pool for our quality time. A new boat arrived, Tiamo. They had been in Grenada when hurricane Ivan hit and were one of the few boats that survived with just cosmetic damage. The officials in Grenada asked them to leave to ease the burden on the relief efforts.
IIn the evening we joined Carol and Tom (Moonrise) for Happy Hour at City Café and then dinner at Casablanca. It was their first time there so we chuckled when their mixed grill arrived and they looked at the size of the platter in amazement.
We went to immigration this morning to pick up our extension papers. They were ready and waiting for us when we arrived so we are now approved to stay until Jan 01,2005. Not that we plan to stay that long but our other papers expired October 1st and at the rate we’re going it doesn’t appear that we will be ready to leave by then. This way we can hang in here for the Regatta which is held the first week in October.
After picking up a few groceries we returned to the boat and did a few more chores. At pool time in the afternoon we found Bob, arylynn and their girls, Allison, Mackenzie and Isabel (Aleluya) already in the pool. When they left and Jerry and Sally from Ti Amo joined us. We spent a couple of hours in the pool together and they invited us to join them grocery shopping with their rental car tomorrow morning.
WWe had dinner on board and watched TV in the evening.
We met Jerry and Sally at 9AM and started our shopping spree at The Warehouse Store. Rick and I couldn’t stock up on perishables because of our lack of refrigeration but we were able to buy a lot of canned and dry goods that are heavy to carry when we don’t have access to a car. I was so excited when I found some large 5 lb. bags of Basmati rice. I bought 2 bags as I had been searching for it almost since we arrived on the island. It was expensive but I’ve learned that on an island when you find something you want, you have to buy it. Things go quickly and they may not have another shipment of that item for months. When we arrived at Tropical Flamingo, another grocery store, just inside the entrance we found a big display of another brand of Basmati rice in 15 lb. bags at a much better price than I had just paid. It seems that it’s feast or famine.
Normally there are many different brands of cream cheese available in all of the grocery stores. Today because a shipment of bagels had arrived there was not an ounce of cream cheese to be found anywhere. We went to 3 of the 4 grocery stores and since none of us had anything remaining on our list we returned to the boat. /p>
In the afternoon, Rick went by dinghy to visit Tom on Moonrise who wanted company while he tried to troubleshoot an electrical problem they had on board. I took our refreshments and headed for the pool as Rick promised he would be no longer than an hour. Our pool afternoons have caught on. Aleluya and Ti Amo joined us there. It was one of those days that we were into discussing and solving all world problems. The views were fun and unique. Jerry from Ti Amo lived in Texas and retired from IBM Marketing. Bob and Marylynn from Aleluya are school teachers from Alaska who taught public school in Venezuela for three years. Then of course there was our Canadian viewpoint of things.
WWhen there were no issues left to discuss and it was almost time for dinner we returned to the boat. Earlier I had simmered a couple of racks of ribs so Rick cooked them up for dinner on the barbecue.
I awoke to a rumbling sound of thunder at 6AM. It was daylight so I poked my head out and looked around. We had huge dark cumulous clouds all around us and rain looked imminent. It hadn’t rained in Bonaire since hurricane Ivan. We closed all the ports and hatches and waited.
Eventually we opened everything up again not having received even a drop of rain. When I had just finished cooking the bacon for breakfast and was about to take care of the toast and eggs, the sky darkened again and the thunder and lightening returned with a vengeance. We quickly closed up again, only to again open up without a drop of rain falling. Finally when we had finished with breakfast it did begin to rain. The boats on the moorings were experiencing a wind reversal yet to us the rain appeared to be falling straight down with no wind at all. I was a little worried thinking that we might have to cancel pool time but although the sun didn’t break through the heavy layer of clouds, the rain stopped just in time for our regular dip. The water was nice and cool for a change, not the sun heated jacuzzi water.
Rick disappeared down the dock just after 8AM with Gary to discuss water maker installations. He returned in time for us to head into town. We arrived ready to surf the net and make a few phone calls but there was no power. We killed time for a while and ran into Carol and Tom (Moonrise) who were doing much the same thing. We had arranged to meet Dave and Terry (Sylvester) at the Lost Penguin. It’s been three weeks and the Lost Penguin was open again. We were not only craving one of their hamburgers, I wanted to hear about their vacation. Renada said it was a vacation from hell. The cruise ship that they were to leave on did not arrive in Miami because of hurricane Frances. They were supposed to have sailed to Jamaica but because of hurricane Ivan they ended up hopping from motel to motel in Florida. The hamburgers were great and we’re glad they returned safely.
We left the Penguin and went to the Internet Café again. The power was back on but only for a short time. This time we remained and waited for it to come back on again. /p>
WWe finished everything we had to do and then returned to the boat just in time for a regular but late dip in the pool.
Our new black box arrived in the marina just after breakfast. We picked it up but had some running around in town to do before we could return to the boat and install it. When we did, it was a little disappointing because the compressor still would not run. We made another call to Trinidad and one to John our refrigeration man on the island. We asked him to come tomorrow and made a quick retreat into the pool. It was such an extremely hot day everyone was there and we all sipped and enjoyed the cooling affects of the pool.
John arrived in the morning and hooked the vacuum up to the refrigerator (compressor). We let it run all day to ensure the system was totally evacuated. Meanwhile we continued with our regular boat chores until it was pool time. When we returned from the pool we turned off the vacuum to see if the compressor could be coaxed to run just a little. No such luck. We’ll wait until John arrives tomorrow morning but we have really accepted the fact that we might have to bite the bullet and purchase a new system (minus the black box). If we start to order refrigeration parts one at a time, we’ll end up paying more for shipping than anything else.
Dave (Sylvester) called us on the VHF at dinnertime. He heard from Walt (Cop Out) that Don’s (Odetta) sons who are staying in a hotel in Curacao would like to have Don’s boat there as a place to stay while visiting with their Dad in the hospital. The hotel rooms in Curacao are quite expensive and they’ve been there quite a while. Don’s son whose name is also Don will come to Bonaire and sail to Curacao with Rick and Dave. It’s an interesting crew. Don does not sail at all, Dave (Sylvester) has only ever sailed on a catamaran and Rick who will be the captain always gets seasick. They should have a fun time. We’ll check out everything on the boat tomorrow and make sure all the tanks are full for a Friday departure.
This morning before calling John (the refrigeration man), we tried turning on the refrigerator one last time. Low and behold we could feel a small vibration in the compressor. John could hear the excitement in our voice when we called but we told him we needed to go to town in the morning and asked if he could come by in the afternoon. We rushed to town to check the ferry schedule between Bonaire and Curacao as well as the airline rates and schedule. While we were at it we also picked up a copy of the regatta schedule from the tourist office and purchased a couple of regatta T-shirts.
We returned to the marina and waited for John. Yes, after charging up the system again the compressor was running and the evaporator was frosting up. The only remaining problem was the thermostat that was no longer working. We were starting to feel much better though because down the dock were Gary and Vicky (Pau ana) whose head was not working and he had it totally pulled apart on the dock. Next to him were Bob and MaryLynn and their three girls (Aleluya) with a cracked starter on their engine block. Next to us was Tim (Camissa) who has been waiting for months for new batteries. Across from us, Jerry and Sally (Ti Amo) whose boat was damaged in the hurricane and needs fiberglass and stainless work done. They also have a freezer that hasn’t worked for months. So the bottom line is that we’re not doing too badly at all.
SSince the fridge was full of ice cubes there was no rush to get it cleaned and running today so we joined Ti Amo and headed for the pool.
