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Larry's LogThe next day we continued getting ready to leave on Friday (sometimes you just can't be superstitious, especially with a wife who's birthday is on the 13th, our anniversary is the 13th and besides, who believes in that stuff anyway?). I went to the cyber café again and downloaded some financial stuff, did email and uploaded some updates to Joe's web site. Diane filled the water bottles and starboard tank and when I got back, we got more fuel. We got 110 liters and paid 5,900 Bs - which works out to $.04 US / liter or about $.15 US per gallon. I don't ever remember paying that for gas in the States. Anyway, we got more today and filled up the main tank and kept 2 full jugs on deck. Orient Canvas brought our settee cushions back and they were done nicely although they did smell of the glue used to put the foam together. They did forgett to bring back the gas tank cover though but they said they would come back tomorrow with that. Since it was Wednesday, we went to the Maremares cocktail party again and it was still very nice although more crowded as many more boats had come in during the previous week. Thursday we lost power early in the morning, about 4am, but it was on again by 9am. Even though it was still early, without the air conditioning on, it started getting hot in the boat. We were both glad it came back quickly. Diane went to pay our marina bill, since we were still planning to leave tomorrow. She also got our zarpe (clearance) for Tortuga. We were going to Laguna Grande first, in El Golfo de Cariaco, but we didn't think it would be a problem. While she did that, I went to update our web site but the internet place was completely occupied so I came back to the boat and continued getting ready. Diane then went on one last shopping run and while she was gone, I did some odd jobs around the boat. When she got back and put the food away, we went to get some more dinghy gas-the new engine really burns gas. After that, we tried various spots to tie down the old dinghy in its bag. It fit behind the mast but I didn't think it would stay there very well so I eventually tied it to the side deck, using the toe rail to anchor it and put away the cover we had used for the it. Then we hoisted the new dinghy engine onto the stern, I took the 'stuff' out of the boat and hoisted it up the way we usually did, horizontally, and placed it on the deck. Trying to flip it upside down though was impossible, it was too heavy to turn on deck - Diane didn't have the strength. So I attached lines to the towing bridle rings and we hoisted it vertical, turned it around and lowered it down on deck that way. We would have to do it that way from now on. I tied it down, and then went back to the cyber café, updated our web site and checked email again. When I got back, we then took down the awning. By the time that was done, it was just too late and we were too tired to take down the air conditioner. Everything else, except some minor stuff was done. Diane did some last minute vacuum sealing of the meat she had bought and frozen so we would have good meals in the days ahead. The a/c would wait until morning. So, early Friday morning, about 5:30, we got up and I started taking down the a/c while Diane filled the port water tank. She then helped with the a/c unit and we got it below in about an hour - resting on the port side settee since it wouldn't fit in the aft cabin easily. We ate breakfast, took showers and got under way at 8:25, with Weedie and Janice helping with our lines. At first, it was very light but the wind picked up from the ENE, to 12 knots at first but then to 15 and finally to about 20-22 once we got into the Gulf of Cariaco. Once past Cumana, the ride became very bumpy due to the chop and it really increased to about 25 knots from the East. It took us until 5pm to get to the entrance to Laguna Grande and then another 30 minutes to get the anchor down. Overall, the trip wasn't bad except for the last 2 hours when I had to rev the engine to 2800 just to get moving into the wind and chop. The boat got covered in salt - I got a good deal of spray myself. We saw Mima and Survival in the last cove at the extreme eastern end of the lagoon, although there were about 5-6 other boats anchored in various other coves. One boat we recognized was Picasso, with Claude and Dianne, whom we had met in CrewsInn. There was only room for 2-3 boats in our little bay though, and it was very comfortable in there. When our anchor was down and we were set, Tom came over and brought us back to Mima and we all had drinks and dinner there. It was a wonderful reunion and a great evening among good friends. I got up early next morning and cleaned the stainless and hatches with a rag. The dew was very heavy and I wiped them off just to get rid of all the salt. I looked around in the early morning light and the bay was really fantastic, and looked more like it belonged in the American Southwest than tropical Venezuela. The hills and mountains were different shades of brown, red and gray, and the light made it simply beautiful. Doing my usual check after a passage, I discovered that I accidentally left the switch on for the voltage regulator so I turned it off. The regulator uses about 1 amp so it consumed about 12 AH overnight but, more importantly, I hope leaving it on like that didn't damage the alternator or the regulator. Diane got up and we had breakfast while listening to the nets and then we launched the dinghy, put the engine on and I put on the new plastic cover (made from a milk container) over the Racor filter - it worked well. Steph (Mima) and Judy (Survival) invited us to go snorkeling but we just wanted to relax a bit. Some local kids rowed by in a small boat asking for food. They also went to Survival and Mima and we gave them some things, like Nutrigrain bars which we don't eat anyway. Steph said they come by, almost everyday, doing their "shopping." We know though that they are hungry and it took a lot of energy just to get to us since they rowed from the other end of the bay, about a mile away. As it turned out though, that was the last time we saw them. Later on after lunch, I attached the new plastic drink holders (free) that I had brought back from the Newport Boat Show. We then went on a dinghy cruise around Laguna Grande. The wind was up but we managed fine with the new dinghy and engine. We also stopped at Picasso, who we had met first in Trinidad at CrewsInn. Claude and Diane invited us on board and we talked for a while until we had to leave to take showers since Mima and Survival were coming to our boat for dinner. We took showers, raised the dinghy and everyone came over at around 5. We had drinks and talked and then Diane made dinner, boys in the cockpit and girls below. It was a very enjoyable evening. |