|
Home Port Our Logs The Crew Calendar Favorite Links The Boat Photo Album Route and Charts Miscellaneous Stuff |
Larry's LogAfter we got set, with docklines, electrical cord, hose, etc. Jerome gave us a ride via dinghy to Centro Marino de Oriente (CMO) so we could talk to Louis Sanchez about hauling the boat there. CMO was the place Mima had hauled and had so much work done the year before. Tom and Steph had been very happy with the yard itself and the work. Jerome was hauling there also but leaving the boat for a few months. We got there and met Senor Sanchez, who greeted us very well and was very happy to talk about the yard and the work they do. He spoke English very well and was obviously very proud of the yard and its reputation. They also had, however, a reputation for being somewhat expensive and weren't really geared for the do-it-yourselfer. We did though have them do the check in for us, since we were technically, still "illegal" in Venezuela. The cost for that was cheaper than Bahia Redonda. We also saw "Sotavento", Giulio's boat that is docked at CMO. We would finally meet him this weekend. After Louis took us on a tour of the yard and there were some very impressive boats there, for example, the family that owned Polar Beer, the largest selling in Venezuela, kept their yacht there, as did the man who owned the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the country. Louis was clearly used to dealing with people who had money. We went away impressed but not sure if we could haul there since we wanted to do our own work. Louis arranged for the CMO dockmaster to drive us back to Bahia Redonda after we got the prices etc. They seemed lower than Trinidad but we needed to look at them closer since everything was in Spanish but quoted in USD. When we got back to our marina, we walked over to the Dinghy Hospital, where an ex-employee of Caribe owns a small shop that fixes dinghies and sells new ones. Linda owns the place and can get the best prices on Caribe dinghies in the Caribbean and we wanted to see what the situation was. She wasn't there but her helper, Kiki, was and he spoke pretty good English also and we got our information from him. We had already looked at several models in Trinidad but they were much more expensive there. We finally went back to the boat, went swimming in the nice pool in the marina and had dinner. The next day, we needed to do some errands and so took the bus into downtown Puerto La Cruz, which cost the equivalent of 14 cents in the US. We walked around a bit and finally found a bank that would exchange US Dollars into Bolivars (Bs). It was harder than any place else we had been but Venezuela was experiencing a drastic downturn in their currency exchange. The exchange rate that day was about 1250 Bs to the dollar where just a year prior, it was closer to 750 Bs. It was obviously good for us but not for the local people. We later found out that anybody who is able keeps their bank accounts denominated in US Dollars rather than Bs for that reason. Many boating businesses also quote prices in USD to avoid the exchange. After success at the bank, we looked for a paint store. In Venezuela, paint stores sell all kinds of paint, including antifouling. Many cruisers who typically buy boating supplies from a chandlery do not know this fact. There are a few chandleries around PLC but their prices are, naturally, much higher (it's for a boat, it MUST be more expensive). But the paint stores typically sell the same paint for less and I needed to find paint specifically for the prop. The only problem was describing the right paint. We finally found a place that had what I needed and we got some prices. Walking around, we came across a cyber cafe and went inside. A Puerto Rican now living in PLC ran it, but his connection was down. He asked us to wait a bit (in very good English) since he thought it would be back soon. The store was air-conditioned and it was hot outside so we waited a while and had a drink. Finally, his connection came back and I checked our other email accounts and some financial stuff. We then went to the large chandlery in town, Xanadu Marine, and spoke to the salespeople there (who did speak English). After that we took a cab back to the boat and just relaxed and went to the pool. On Thursday, we started getting ready for our trip home. Diane did some laundry and I dug out the bags and such. The dinghy was still on deck so I put on the cover and then measured the length of the first reef line by removing the old one while reeving a messenger line. We also walked over to the Dinghy Hospital and ordered a new Caribe C10X. We finally decided to buy a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) so we wouldn't get so wet riding in the dinghy. Linda's prices were good and we gave her a deposit in Bs and would pay the rest in Bs when we got back. That afternoon we went swimming and met a German couple who had hauled at CMO but had an unpleasant experience. It got us thinking about where to leave the boat or to haul at all, but we had to make a decision soon. The next day we had made our decision not to haul the boat but to leave it in the water at Bahia Redonda. Our friends on Plenum, Janice and Weedie kindly agreed to watch it and check every few days inside for any problems. We continued getting ready though, putting up the awning, etc. I contacted the guy who does the re-galvanizing and he asked that if we were going to do it that we give it to him now since he was going to the place it is done in Caracas that weekend and he only had a half load at the moment. I said OK and proceeded to empty all the chain from the chain locker, disconnect the anchor, cut the splice on the rode and dig out the chain from under the v-berth and the bilge. Then I had to dig out the 45 pound CQR from the starboard cockpit locker. It took about 90 minutes to get it all together and ready, although his crew helped. George also said to throw in any shackles, dinghy chain or dinghy anchors; that he would do those for free. By mid-morning, the boat was considerably lighter without 2 large anchors and 250 feet of 3/8" chain on board. That afternoon, we just verified that the new dinghy would be available at the price we agreed on and that they would put the towing straps on when we got back. The next day we finally got to meet Giulio and his family. We had been emailing each other now for about 2 years. He had introduced himself through an email after I had said on an email cruising list that we were going cruising and probably going to visit Venezuela. He was an ex-university professor and, at least through his emails, a very nice guy. We finally met that morning, along with his wife, Giancarla and son Luca, aged 15 months. They came by around 9am after calling on the radio and we all went to the pool to sit and talk for a while. We discussed our plans to go home and he offered, again, to let us stay in his furnished rental apartment. We gratefully accepted since this would save us from either paying for a hotel room or doing the 5 hour bus trip to get to the airport the same day as our flight home. He also drove us to the bus depot to pick up our tickets for Monday. Afterward, they dropped us off at our marina and went back to their boat for a while. We made plans to get together for dinner later. Back at the boat, I continued preparations; flushed the engine with fresh water, got the gas from the outboard out and then gathered some of the books I wanted to bring home to go into storage. We then met Giulio again at the pool for drinks and snacks and then went back to their boat for dinner - they explained it would be easier for them with the baby. So after a very nice dinner of steak, chicken and a local chorizo sausage, and Spanish champagne after, Giulio drove us back to Bahia Redonda. He said they would stop by briefly tomorrow to say goodbye before they left. The next day, they did stop by and came on the boat briefly, leaving after about 30-40 minutes, and we said we would see them tomorrow, and again thanked them for their generosity. After they left, we continued our preparations. Diane was a bit hung-over from the night before but I was fine and fixed the port side dodger window cover since the snaps had pulled out. Once fixed, I used some beeswax to keep them lubricated. Once we finished packing, we asked Weedie and Janice over for some drinks and munchies so we could show them the boat. Weedie was going to check the boat periodically and I showed him where everything was that he might need to find and that I was going to close all the sea-cocks except for the cockpit drains, and that everything should be OK. Diane gave Janice some food that we couldn't use since I was also going to turn off the refrigerator. We just relaxed and made some last minute lists that evening. The next day was really hectic. We made some last minute preparations like emptying the water tanks, making sure the awning was tied down well and putting out the DampRid containers. This stuff pulls moisture from the air and it had helped keep the mildew problem to a minimum when we used it in Trinidad last year. Unfortunately, the collection part needs to be emptied periodically, but the liquid is corrosive so I had asked Weedie to put it in a bucket and then dump it overboard. I was going to close the sea-cock for the drain anyway. Getting the bags off the boat and down to the gate was an experience, they were very heavy and it was very hot. We finally got everything to the gate and tried to get a taxi. We finally got one but we couldn't get him to understand we wanted to bus depot near the ferry terminal. The guard from the marina helped explain where we wanted to go and we finally got to the bus station with plenty of time, but I was already exhausted from lugging the bags. |