tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78966108963435551752024-03-13T16:27:15.324-07:00Benners AdriftAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.comBlogger525125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-70017589573928761922017-11-23T06:20:00.000-08:002017-11-23T06:20:52.981-08:00T Mobile is Not a Good Data Service for Sailors and the Company treats Non Americans in Dreadful Fashion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">23/11/2017</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vero Beach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year the Budget Committee approved the expense of a cellular data line while we were cruising down the Eastern Seaboard. We were interested in using the internet to obtain weather information while underway</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We chose T Mobile as the rates were good and, according to the office in New Bern NC, coverage was great.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well ... coverage is not great. If our boat was actually in a city we had some connection to the T Mobile network but if we were only 4 miles offshore even of a large centre there was no connection at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our experience is that T Mobile has effectively no coverage in coastal North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia and only spotty coverage in north Florida. Now that we are in Vero Beach at the municipal marina we have service but only 2 bars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was not the phone. We use two phones including an old Alcatel which has our Canadian service on it. This second phone uses the AT&T network when we are in the USA. The second phone almost always had service. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So our recommendation is not to use T Mobile on the Eastern Seaboard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>XENOPHOBES RUN THE ACTIVATION CENTRE AT T MOBILE</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This month the local T Mobile office suggested we upgrade to a two line system for old people. They call it their "Over 55" plan. We all know what they mean.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The problem was that the local office could not get my credit approved. Non American ID is unacceptable. Even my Nexus Card which is issued by the US Federal Government was unacceptable, I assume because they had figured out I was NOT AMERICAN.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At one point T Mobile staff asked if I had ever used any of a list of names instead of my given name. I had not and have not and answered accordingly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My credit approval was put in abeyance. When I called T Mobile Customer Service to find out why I was hung up on by the staff person. Calling back and a trifle irritated at this point<b> I was informed that my request had been refused because I had lied in answering the questions</b> about my use of other names. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So instead of upgrading our service with T Mobile we have switched service to Consumer Cellular. So far the system is easy, I have four bars of service and I do not have to deal with people who either hate foreigners or are too stupid to know how.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-37347698816329363722017-11-23T05:52:00.001-08:002017-11-23T05:52:44.884-08:00Significant Improvements by US Customs and Border Protection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
22/11/2017<br />
Vero Beach, FL<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recent experiences with the American Customs and Border Protection Agency leave both The Budget Committee and me impressed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Staff the Morehead City NC office were helpful and caring in dealing with our needs and in offering advice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Staff at the Ft Pierce Airport office, which cruisers must visit if they are in Ft Pierce or Vero Beach area, showed the same high degree of knowledge and of attention to getting done what was needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We left both offices encouraged and with positive attitudes towards American authorities. Dealing with another country's rules and regs can be daunting. Most of us want to follow the rules but the process can still be tension filled. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both the Beaufort NC and Ft Pierce FL offices made it easy for us to do what needed to be done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks guys. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-19504039711239043252016-09-16T17:10:00.000-07:002016-09-16T17:10:34.918-07:00Sailors Do Two Things in Lake Worth: They Clear In and then They Clear Out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
16 09 2016<br />
Lake Worth (West Palm Beach) FL<br />
<br />
I come not to bury Lake Worth but to Praise it.<br />
<br />
At first glance you would be inclined to think Lake Worth was named on Opposite Day. It does much to commend itself to that view.<br />
<br />
HOWEVER<br />
<br />
As a sailor from a foreign land (foreign to the USA that is) we need, on entering that vast frightened country to clear customs and immigration. We need to obtain clearance to operate our boats in their blessed waters. Rules must be followed and obeisances observed.<br />
<br />
Often immigration and customs officials are outright jerks. Small minds filled with tiny bureaucratic authority can create nightmares for people who just need the paperwork done, who wish the USA no ill and who resent having to kiss the ring of some uniformed ego who never quite graduated from high school. Yes I am a bit of an elitist.<br />
<br />
Lake Worth is not like this. If you have customs and immigration paperwork that needs doing we strongly RECOMMEND you do it here. The immigration and customs office is easy to access from an anchorage, the staff have never been other than polite, knowledgeable and efficient. <br />
<br />
For sailors it is important too that the inlet to Lake Worth is easy access. We do not recommend you try it against the tide, not in your little 40 hp 40 foot cutter rig but if you are sensible and even sort of get Canute's meaning when he was demonstrating his inability to order back the tide then the entry and egress of this inlet is easy peasy.<br />
<br />
This year our dinghy would not float. It had two deflated and uninflatable tubes and a six inch rent where the bow fabric had separated. So we could swim to Homeland Security or take a slip in a marina and walk. <br />
<br />
Hence our only visit ever to Riviera Beach Marina. Now look. This place is for credit card captains. Or as the Budget Committee, who is both Dutch and sort of accountant like and therefore hates change, calls them Cheque Book Captains: those guys who have a cheque to write for every problem that ever beset them or their boat. <br />
<br />
Located close to Homeland Security offices this place is grand. Staff are plentiful and, God can testify they help you. They catch lines; they insist on tying up your boat. It would be really really annoying if the staff were not so damn nice about it. Insistent even. <br />
<br />
From the RBM you can catch a Number One bus on the local bus system. Fare is $5 for an all day pass or $3.50 if you are a senior citizen. The bus ride is a hoot. The driver knows all the passengers and the passengers know each other. There is joking and laughing and a great deal of camaraderie. <br />
<br />
The number one bus takes you to the Publix where you can buy everything in air conditioned splendor. <br />
<br />
However normally we cannot afford or justify the Riviera Beach Marina. It cost $91 US which is a bloody fortune in Canadian money. <br />
<br />
So for normal unbeset sailors our recommendation is simple:<br />
<br />
Come to Lake Worth Inlet, anchor and dinghy to Riviera Beach Marina. Pay the $15 landing fee and walk to customs. Clear in.<br />
<br />
That done just Clear Out.<br />
<br />
But do not condemn that which you do not know (or like most of us, will not pay for). <br />
<br />
The bus by the way is almost exclusively black and Mexican. They let us on anyway and treated us like we belonged. This is a great place. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-43675365380244348792014-07-19T08:39:00.001-07:002014-07-19T08:42:56.373-07:00The Icefields Highway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2014 07 19</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Victoria, BC</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let me tell you, in a brief thousand words, why you should pack up the car and drive four thousand kilometres across Canada to look at what could be described as a bunch of old rocks. Here is why:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bCJbmvgmktI/U8qMnaso8tI/AAAAAAAADLo/W-y3ceol12w/s1600/IMAG0486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bCJbmvgmktI/U8qMnaso8tI/AAAAAAAADLo/W-y3ceol12w/s1600/IMAG0486.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The icefields Highway runs from Jasper, Alberta south through the Rocky Mountains following for most of its length the Athabasca River. It is one of those things you should do before you die. If you are a Canadian well...where the heck have you been?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We did not take many photographs. There was no need. This trip will not be lightly forgotten and the photographs are such a tepid representation of what this is all about that they do nothing to rekindle the memory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are the few we took:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Icefields</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xfXl9ereLg/U8qMqoBqLFI/AAAAAAAADMQ/BgUy5m37omc/s1600/IMAG0494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xfXl9ereLg/U8qMqoBqLFI/AAAAAAAADMQ/BgUy5m37omc/s1600/IMAG0494.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Athabasca River in the Foreground, Glaciers to the Read</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aHMFKyKuLhU/U8qMrwIrheI/AAAAAAAADMk/YS6mnFjEvpU/s1600/IMAG0500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aHMFKyKuLhU/U8qMrwIrheI/AAAAAAAADMk/YS6mnFjEvpU/s1600/IMAG0500.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pDYIYpPzWEk/U8qMsxh7M0I/AAAAAAAADMw/Lti-reUkMyc/s1600/IMAG0501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pDYIYpPzWEk/U8qMsxh7M0I/AAAAAAAADMw/Lti-reUkMyc/s1600/IMAG0501.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Waterfalls Well A Very Few of Them Anyway</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asjyg3h-XhA/U8qMpn_ByNI/AAAAAAAADMM/yh-vGb82B5M/s1600/IMAG0492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asjyg3h-XhA/U8qMpn_ByNI/AAAAAAAADMM/yh-vGb82B5M/s1600/IMAG0492.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2ZAwDDdasU/U8qMoyss8WI/AAAAAAAADMA/rJ-gH7ppMNc/s1600/IMAG0490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2ZAwDDdasU/U8qMoyss8WI/AAAAAAAADMA/rJ-gH7ppMNc/s1600/IMAG0490.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yNepsR1oaik/U8qMrDSnmMI/AAAAAAAADMc/HLZTRjp_Bc4/s1600/IMAG0499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yNepsR1oaik/U8qMrDSnmMI/AAAAAAAADMc/HLZTRjp_Bc4/s1600/IMAG0499.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Wildlife - We Stopped to Watchfully (for Momma Bear) Take a Quick Look</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jo1Wz2FipVI/U8qMtgxaaCI/AAAAAAAADMs/0PXUquEUm2w/s1600/IMAG0503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jo1Wz2FipVI/U8qMtgxaaCI/AAAAAAAADMs/0PXUquEUm2w/s1600/IMAG0503.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Bear Just Fooling Around on the Side of the Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You cannot imagine what we did not photograph and we could never impart what we felt. Rock your boat. Disturb the tranquility and come here. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-72234712406336105122014-07-16T13:29:00.002-07:002014-07-16T17:37:27.866-07:00How to Make Your New Windows 8 Computer Bearable - Short of Loading Linux<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2014 07 16<br />
Victoria BC<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Connie and I are in Victoria visiting with our daughter and lazing about in Canada's LaLaLand. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yesterday I purchased a new (to me) laptop. Might not. The computer came loaded with Windows 8.1. AAAARGH. Finally I had to face this plague and pestilence which has been visited on humanity by Steve Ballmer and the Microsoft demonology.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Immediately I started to "fix" the problems that, after only two program installations were driving me nuts. Just as I had heard from others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are ways to lessen the pain. Here are two fast and easy fixes that will turn your computer back in time to the easy sensible days of Windows 7. You still run Windows 8 but it works a lot more like Windows 7 which we all know and love. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These tips are not original but are among the best and first "fixes" anyone new to Win 8 should consider.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>First</b>: <b>Rid yourself of the need to "login" every time you start your computer</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you eliminate the annoying and seemingly mandatory login inflicted on you every time you reboot your computer you also do not have to create an account or register with Microsoft and you avoid having to create an email account with those NSA loving miscreants. So doing you help, in a small way granted, thwart the data monsters from owning your thoughts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. To get the stupid logon prompt from forcing you to sign up with Microsoft and logon every time you turn the laptop on do this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Go to the "Search" Charm (really, the microsoft morons call it a "charm", I guess because they want you to think it is magic as opposed to, say, programming. I half expect a leprechuan to jump up and prance around my screen for goodness sake.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the box provided type in "netplwiz" just like this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLuJg_Vyf6Q/U8bZDd-1DCI/AAAAAAAADK8/wCXjQtysVaI/s1600/Netplwiz1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLuJg_Vyf6Q/U8bZDd-1DCI/AAAAAAAADK8/wCXjQtysVaI/s1600/Netplwiz1.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hit Enter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A new menu will pop up. Uncheck the box labelled "users must enter a user name and password..." like this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MVMY0_703Y/U8bZE2IRmkI/AAAAAAAADLQ/Gc6fH_n48AI/s1600/Netplwiz2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MVMY0_703Y/U8bZE2IRmkI/AAAAAAAADLQ/Gc6fH_n48AI/s1600/Netplwiz2.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Click on OK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A new window will open up and ask for your password. (I know, I know. This is what you want to banish but trust me this is the very last time you will have to do this). Type your old existing password into the boxes in the window both times (insult to injury but Steve Balmar does not give up without drawing blood) like this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z3IZb3oNUwQ/U8bZEgSCafI/AAAAAAAADLM/6gymlZ6sU50/s1600/Netplwiz3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z3IZb3oNUwQ/U8bZEgSCafI/AAAAAAAADLM/6gymlZ6sU50/s1600/Netplwiz3.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Click on OK again and keep doing that until all the windows close. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Congratulations. You have now eliminated one of the most annoying interferences with your daily life. And now to slay the next.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Second: Go Back to the Old Windows 7 Start Screen and Start Menu</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It took but a day for me to realize that I was never going to get along with Win 8 and its "magic" approach to an operating system. Magic and spells and charms belong in church with the rest of the voodoo hokem. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some bright and generous programmers have provided a program for Windows Operating System called Classic Shell. The program is free and can be found here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://www.classicshell.net.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Download it, double click on the .exe file and wait a while. It may seem like a long while. Then, after a minute or two, move your cursor to the lower left corner of your screen and click the window pane there. You will be given a choice of how you want your Windows 8 to be serviced up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Choose Classic Startup. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That is it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With both fixes installed you can reboot your computer and it will automatically start with the windows desktop, just like win 7 - AND THERE WILL BE A CLASSIC START MENU.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just like the old days when Windows still worked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>More Microsoft Perfidy - UEFI and Booting Live USBs</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Actually by the time I had found and loaded the fixes I was several hours into my Win 8 ownership. It was nonsense I sorted out. This was when I decided to try a version of Linux I really like called "Bodhi". It used to be easy to load Bodhi on a USB stick and boot your computer from the USB. This allowed you to test the Linux software without having to partition your hard drive and install the new OS as a second boot option. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh, but Microsoft has been losing a lot of customers to Linux. Too many I guess because with Win 8 comes a new boot system that makes booting from a live USB just about impossible. Sadly for poor Steve Balmar all this did was make me desire even more a complete wipe of the hard drive and elimination of frustrating impossible Windows 8, a program written by the company that lead the charge to selling out their customers to the NSA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This blog was posted via Linux from my newly wiped laptop. Not too shabby, eh?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-19271802101785631452014-07-10T16:11:00.001-07:002014-07-10T16:11:08.531-07:00Starting Over<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10 07 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">London, ON</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Blog is changing and will be unavailable for a bit. Actually it may be out of action for a few weeks. We are concentrating on our daughter's wedding in London, Ontario and some other great family events. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We intend, Insha'Allah, to sail a chunk of Newfoundland in the summer of 2015, and the blog will be up and running long before this. If you are interested please contact us and we can do a flotilla. Believe us when we tell you the St. Lawrence River is unparalled sailing. The Gaspesie is home to fantastic sailing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Connie spends her time </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">wrestling some first rate recipes into "doable on a boat" form. Here's hoping her efforts pay out. So far even the failures have been spectacular in a good way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bob has discovered the Arduino and the Raspberry PI and has disappeared into his "Library" where he is prototyping a host of new devices to aid in running or monitoring the boat. At least that is how he explains the cloud of burning phenol board hovering around the door. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like the explosion of new life that presaged the human race Bob expects most of his creations to fall afoul of some subsection or other of Darwin's immutable law but if even one survives ... (not coming from Texas we accept evolution as a valid theory of how some things are explained. We figure that God might well have chosen the evolution system to achieve his goals. Assuming God exists of course. Which he doesn't. But let's not confuse the fundamentalists. They carry guns.) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If anyone has questions on the old blog or wants information on any topic previously published please contact us, Bob and Connie at bennersadrift.runbox.com. We love to chat.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-40486966452384295102014-04-17T11:37:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:23.598-07:00Eustatius to Samana, DR <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2014 04 17</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">London, ON</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was a quiet day and night out of St Eustatius, us motoring in no wind. There were no problems with the diesel nor have there been any since the Antiguan departure.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dawn saw us coming up on the BVIs. Our intention was to motor straight through this charter boat haven, hopefully managing to avoid contact with any errant credit card captains. The country is a small one and an hour of concerted motoring saw us in and out of the closely grouped mountain tops that comprise this </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Caribbean nation.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since leaving Antigua we had been augmenting our daily download of the grib weather files from sailmail by listening to Chris Parker who maintains a daily Monday to Saturday voice weather forecast. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our plan had been to sail from BVIs to Turks and Caicos and then run up the east side of the Bahamas before cutting west to find Florida. The BVI gribs suggested this was a bad idea with strong adverse wind and huge waves due to hit Turks and Caicos just about the time we would. Chris Parker's forecast supported our assessment as did the NAVTEX broadcast out of Puerto RIco. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Reluctant to give up a very good plan we hedged our bets. Leaving BVIs we sailed more west that we otherwise would have making distance along the north coast of Puerto Rico. The forecast did not improve so it was obvious that our plan was dead. Time for a new plan.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Already halfway across Puerto Rico we decided to commit to the Bay of Samana, Dominican Republic. We had to cross the Mona Passage, a reputedly hazardous body of water separating the islands of PR and DR and if all went well we would be into safe waters of Samana the night before the strong northerly winds and waves would hit.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Mona Passage was a non event. Luck was with us and with no weather briefing at all we hit the perfect day for a crossing. Sundown saw us motoring into the bay in front of the town of Samana. Our hook was down and we were enjoying a cockpit cocktail before dark settled like a blanket around us. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It would be three days before we stuck our nose out of the Bay.</span><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-11971662239962621892014-04-17T11:11:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:23.619-07:00Seems Like Bad News... But on the Other Hand...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> March 30, 2014</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lake Worth Inlet, Florida</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Antigua did not allow much room for relaxation. Full of boat repairs, lack of ready built materials or modern equipment hampered our efforts to contract repairs. Much of our time was spent in project management: finding materials, scheduling the various trades, monitoring work being done. We considered ourselves to be very lucky to have found such experienced workmen and the cost of the job was no more than it would have been in North America.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This "seems like bad news but on the other hand..." phenomenon followed us all the way to Ontario from Antigua.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The day after repairs were completed to Meredith we reluctantly made our farewells to Stephen and Nancy who travel on Fairwyn, a 52 year old wooden sailboat and made our departure. Leaving Jolly Harbour we were met midway by a dinghy carrying Holly and Alan from the Australian boat "Summerwind". Holly had made cranberry scones and <b>they were still warm</b>. Needless to say the scones did not survive to the end of the exit channel.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Motorsailing in nonexistent winds our diesel ran only fitfully. Somehow we had developed an air leak in the fuel system. Diesels do not run with air in the fuel system so every couple of hours the engine would quit and I would have to bleed a hot diesel so we could get underway. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On one such stoppage I also found a massive engine oil leak caused when an oil filter gasket tore and failed to seal against the engine. Had the engine not quit due to the air leak we would have missed the oil leak. The oil leak would have been fatal had it not been found in time. Our Beta diesel has an oil pressure alarm and shutoff designed to save the diesel in such circumstances but I hate to rely on mechanical systems.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Searching for the air leak I dropped a one of a kind retaining bolt, the one that holds the top on the fuel filter, into the bilge. The bilge which had just had all that engine oil spewed into it. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The part was brass so the magnetic pickup did not work. The oil rendered the liquid in the bilge worse than opaque.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Connie and I spent eight frustrating hours working together to find the darn bolt in our deep almost inaccessible bilge. The boat sailed itself during this period as we were both deep in the bilge, one in the lazarette and one over the diesel while we disassembled the drive shaft, removed the bilge pump and the hoses that reside in the bilge and scooped a year's worth of oily muck out of that deep, dark, uncooperative, murky bilge. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The part was found and the air leak in the fuel system was also found. We had been sailing at 2 knots for almost a full day out of Antigua except for a few hours when the diesel ran. This put us close to the island of Eustatius and we put in to the mooring field at Orangestaadt for rest and relaxation. Also for some more lubricating oil, as we had used all of ours due to the leak.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Eustatius was a a treat. Orangestaadt was a lovely polite clean orderly town that stocked absolutely no lube oil for diesel engines, at least none that we could find. Finally we asked local fishermen who very concernedly sold us a lot of diesel oil which had to be decanted from one of their fifty gallon drums. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Eustatius is an island we would never have visited had it not been for the air and oil leaks.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What a lovely place. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A night's sleep on the mooring ball and it was dinghy on deck and us away still heading for Florida at full speed. Or so we thought.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-15169933679741532702014-03-08T05:35:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.664-07:00Finishing the Bowsprit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2014 03 08<br />Last Day in Jolly Harbour, Antigua<br />We Leave Tomorrow. What a Relief<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS11R0L9yyk/UxsY3ebzhKI/AAAAAAAADHw/sUeoP_ZG-Ro/s1600/DSCF2691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS11R0L9yyk/UxsY3ebzhKI/AAAAAAAADHw/sUeoP_ZG-Ro/s1600/DSCF2691.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James George, Harbour Wood Shop, Jolly Harbour</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Above you see one of the best finds a yachtsman could ever make: James George, a shipwright with twenty years experience, a knack with wood and a love of his job.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z6xSUFenNoM/UxsY2A2RPSI/AAAAAAAADHg/rIGbVTGlgN8/s1600/DSCF2688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z6xSUFenNoM/UxsY2A2RPSI/AAAAAAAADHg/rIGbVTGlgN8/s1600/DSCF2688.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">James and his helper Colin pictured here took on the job of reaffixing the bowsprit to Meredith once the repairs to the wood and fibreglass had been effected.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Originally Tony, of Tony's Fibreglass, was to have done this end phase. Tony did a great job of removing the old rotted pads and epoxying new pads in place. His work was impeccable. Unfortunately when the job was half done Tony asked to be paid to date and we were happy to accommodate him. We never saw him again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">James is a different kind of craftsman and a very conscientious man.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The result is a lovely bowsprit gracing the clipper bow of our dear Meredith, secure against the tensions and pressures imposed on her by the rigging, all insults to her integrity repaired with care and great attention, new deck pads of much greater strength than those with which Meredith left the factory. We are satisfied.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A list of recommended shops in Antigua:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>James George at Harbour Wood Shop</b> in Jolly Harbour - carpenter and shipwright</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Chippy Woodshop </b>in Falmouth - good work but expensive and they falter on the paperwork</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">T<b>ony of Tony Fibreglass</b>, Jolly Harbour - knows his stuff and does good work. Do not pay him until the job is done.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Trevor the Machinist at Antigua Slipway</b>, English Harbour. Another man who loves his work and who produces metal that is as much art as it is useful building components</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Antigua Slipway, English Harbour</b>: The only chandler in Antigua worth the name. You can get everything from electronics to stainless rod to bulk epoxy and all the stuff in between. I even found some empty cans. Sounds weird to buy empty cans but when painting you can transfer paint from the large container to the smaller empty can and save wear and tear on the paint. Their competition, Budget Marine, is expensive and I found kind of snooty, at least in Jolly Harbour. The Budget Marine in Falmouth has much better customer service but their prices are still high.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-60243969497184612612014-03-05T12:12:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.687-07:00Kudos to Carrie Graham and TD Bank Lucan Ontario Canada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2014 03 05<br />Jolly Harbour, Antigua<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With respect to the theft of our money by CIBC International Banking subsidiary First Caribbean Bank we are pleased to report that TD Bank, Lucan, Ontario Canada has saved us harmless.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Carrie Graham branch manager reported today by email that she had completed an inquiry into the actions of CIBC First Caribbean Bank and that money wrongly taken from us by CIBC First Caribbean was being returned to us. Initially Ms. Graham thought the inquiry would take weeks but I think she turned on the afterburners.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We used an ATM maintained by CIBC FIrst Caribbean in Jolly Harbour Antigua. We requested $2,000 EC but the machine gave us no money. The bank, CIBC First Caribbean did, however, take the sum of $2,000 EC from our bank account. When approached CIBC First Caribbean told us they had no responsibility and any relief would have to come from our home bank. Odd since CIBC First Caribbean had taken the funds.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One CIBC First Caribbean representative even told us it was illegal for them to give us our money back. Can you imagine?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lucky for us the tough ladies at the TD Bank in Lucan, Ontario are more than a match for a bunch of overfed pompous bank staff in Antigua. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our thanks to Carrie Graham and her staff. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-13935249001074494162014-03-05T10:37:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.722-07:00Fixing Your Boat in Exotic Places<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2014 03 05<br />Jolly Harbour, Antigua<br /><br /><img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" /><img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Above is Jolly Harbour, Antigua a pretty decent place to end a transatlantic. Especially if you need work done to your boat. As it turned out we needed a lot of work done.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We spent twelve days under sustained high winds, at least they were high for us: winds of 30 to 45 knots apparent carried us quickly but uncomfortably from Canaries to Cape Verdes islands and then very uncomfortably from Cape Verdes towards Antigua.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The winds refused to conform to the grib weather forecasts and rather than winds off our stern we had beam on winds and so we had beam on waves - tossing the boat wildly from side to side. Our tactic is to reduce sail dramatically in winds of 30 knots or more and we were making 4 knots for most of the first week and a half out of Cape Verdes. While it may seem silly to go so slow in bad weather we find the slow speed reduces wear and tear on both the boat and ourselves.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One morning on the usual rounds we discovered small cracks in a pad on our bow to which the bowsprit was attached. We reduced sail even further and took down all foresail. This was precautionary only as we did not consider the slight cracking in the gelcoat to be significant. It was of course and under the sustained onslaught of wind and wave the cracks grew. The growth was infinitesmal but undeniable. It was also disturbing. Under the sustained beating the rig was taking the bowsprit was moving, not something a bowsprit is ever supposed to do.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is what we found on arrival Antigua:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edNsf1gObvk/UxdpWT3nJcI/AAAAAAAADFM/U4I42VZLk3s/s1600/Pads+-+Cracks+in+the+Pads+Another+View.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edNsf1gObvk/UxdpWT3nJcI/AAAAAAAADFM/U4I42VZLk3s/s1600/Pads+-+Cracks+in+the+Pads+Another+View.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O9fwhDkPOTo/UxdpWUtCUgI/AAAAAAAADFY/3PS-cR2LlXQ/s1600/PADS+-+Cracks+in+the+Pads+-+Aft+Pad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O9fwhDkPOTo/UxdpWUtCUgI/AAAAAAAADFY/3PS-cR2LlXQ/s1600/PADS+-+Cracks+in+the+Pads+-+Aft+Pad.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aft Pad</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJVFoiJRpFM/UxdpWUzJSDI/AAAAAAAADFQ/agyVny4UYDk/s1600/Pads+-+Cracks+in+the+Pads+-+Forward+Pad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJVFoiJRpFM/UxdpWUzJSDI/AAAAAAAADFQ/agyVny4UYDk/s1600/Pads+-+Cracks+in+the+Pads+-+Forward+Pad.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forward Pad</td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The bowsprit was showing some damage from water incursion:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48yeifXIJ7c/UxdqHcIo0aI/AAAAAAAADFk/M5rmjLpYLmI/s1600/Bowsprit+-+Rot+in+Bowsprit+Bolt+Holes+Forward+Holes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48yeifXIJ7c/UxdqHcIo0aI/AAAAAAAADFk/M5rmjLpYLmI/s1600/Bowsprit+-+Rot+in+Bowsprit+Bolt+Holes+Forward+Holes.jpg" height="200" width="117" /></span></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HFus2aCj1kM/UxdqHQEJTDI/AAAAAAAADFo/FBu7CsiglXg/s1600/Bowsprit+Rot+-+Aft+Boltholes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HFus2aCj1kM/UxdqHQEJTDI/AAAAAAAADFo/FBu7CsiglXg/s1600/Bowsprit+Rot+-+Aft+Boltholes.jpg" height="400" width="235" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The holes are supposed to be round not oval.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because the pads were full of water and rotted the stainless steel bolts which held the bowsprit in place had corroded to the point of uselessness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEH670kGg-I/Uxdq7rB6eRI/AAAAAAAADF4/neUJWBTtg1A/s1600/Bolts+-+Corroded+Bolt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEH670kGg-I/Uxdq7rB6eRI/AAAAAAAADF4/neUJWBTtg1A/s1600/Bolts+-+Corroded+Bolt.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All in all we were very lucky. Of course we travelled for ten days on a triple reefed main with every halyard and piece of usable line tied to the masthead and then to a forward cleat. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because we were in Antigua we were lucky. Antigua is one of the best refit and maintenance destinations we have ever visited. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7LvZkHx99cg/Uxdrq0RJJ9I/AAAAAAAADGA/LrvxhTHUQFQ/s1600/Chippy+Woodworking+Shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7LvZkHx99cg/Uxdrq0RJJ9I/AAAAAAAADGA/LrvxhTHUQFQ/s1600/Chippy+Woodworking+Shop.jpg" height="117" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A trip to Chippy the woodworking shop produced some professional repairs to the bowsprit itself:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-413y94L5SHg/UxdsCfMdOuI/AAAAAAAADGI/FLCT-_sViSg/s1600/Bowsprit+Repair+-Aft+Boltholes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-413y94L5SHg/UxdsCfMdOuI/AAAAAAAADGI/FLCT-_sViSg/s1600/Bowsprit+Repair+-Aft+Boltholes.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The usual repair: rot drilled out and <br />new teak dowel glued in place </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CoNrEFpibsE/UxdsEOvjYfI/AAAAAAAADGY/u5bRhH4xoFM/s1600/Bowsprit+Repair+Forward+Bolt+Holes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CoNrEFpibsE/UxdsEOvjYfI/AAAAAAAADGY/u5bRhH4xoFM/s1600/Bowsprit+Repair+Forward+Bolt+Holes.jpg" height="320" width="188" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damage to the foreward boltholes was so severe<br />it required a double dowel to replace the rot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FFmxrDoAr0c/UxdsDdOcc1I/AAAAAAAADGQ/f3CAiRujyvg/s1600/Bowsprit+Repair+Underside+A+New+Piece+of+Teak+was+used+to+Replace+some+Rot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FFmxrDoAr0c/UxdsDdOcc1I/AAAAAAAADGQ/f3CAiRujyvg/s1600/Bowsprit+Repair+Underside+A+New+Piece+of+Teak+was+used+to+Replace+some+Rot.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The square patch was dug out and new teak glued in place<br />for a tight strong fit</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Getting ten inch long half inch bolts was not going to be a picnic but without them the whole exercise was for naught. Trevor Machine shop machined new bolts for us out of 3/4 inch stainless stock the closest diameter we could obtain on the island.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ai9hcFGU7Y/UxdtEVVZZyI/AAAAAAAADGg/xB2shaZm6AQ/s1600/Trevor+the+Machinist+Antigua+Slipway+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ai9hcFGU7Y/UxdtEVVZZyI/AAAAAAAADGg/xB2shaZm6AQ/s1600/Trevor+the+Machinist+Antigua+Slipway+2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trevor in His Shop.<br />And He does not fix lawnmowers</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally we used Tony Fibreglass to remove the damaged deck pads, remove the wet core and reglass new pads without plywood core. The factory used plywood, we used laminated fibreglass peaces. Our luck held and the water in the plywood core of the pads had not migrated to the deck coring. Had it done so we would have been removing and replacing soft decking. You gotta know what constitutes a win and we won big. We had the whole deck sounded by George of Jolly Harbour Woodworking and got a clean bill. The survey from two years ago was also clean.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E7JAFSZxr5Y/UxdtwNOkujI/AAAAAAAADHI/4ytHsIQiZKs/s1600/Pads+-+Tony+Fibreglass+at+Work.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E7JAFSZxr5Y/UxdtwNOkujI/AAAAAAAADHI/4ytHsIQiZKs/s1600/Pads+-+Tony+Fibreglass+at+Work.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Fibreglass at Work</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Gop4etY2e0/Uxdttwy-yDI/AAAAAAAADG0/4vUDSEjLhhs/s1600/Pads+-+Cutting+out+the+Plywood+Core.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Gop4etY2e0/Uxdttwy-yDI/AAAAAAAADG0/4vUDSEjLhhs/s1600/Pads+-+Cutting+out+the+Plywood+Core.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removing the old core - soaking wet plywood</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qadsvPWsMA4/UxdttFofMrI/AAAAAAAADGo/jMa6Gfp6TQQ/s1600/Pads+-+Cutting+Out+the+Rot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qadsvPWsMA4/UxdttFofMrI/AAAAAAAADGo/jMa6Gfp6TQQ/s1600/Pads+-+Cutting+Out+the+Rot.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Strikes a Blow for Freedom and a Sound Boat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IxiJwxoug90/UxdttjUD7NI/AAAAAAAADGs/7Q7UI79RQz4/s1600/Pads+-+Fibreglass+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IxiJwxoug90/UxdttjUD7NI/AAAAAAAADGs/7Q7UI79RQz4/s1600/Pads+-+Fibreglass+3.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Job</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xA1GXOgue0o/UxdtvEayC7I/AAAAAAAADHA/qNnhkdHR9-c/s1600/Pads+-+Fibreglass+New+Pad+In+Place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xA1GXOgue0o/UxdtvEayC7I/AAAAAAAADHA/qNnhkdHR9-c/s1600/Pads+-+Fibreglass+New+Pad+In+Place.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Job 2 - Nice Toenails</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-17192929766085615512014-03-04T09:34:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.771-07:00Sailing the Atlantic from Canaries to Antigua - The Jaded View<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2014 03 04<br />Jolly Harbour, Antigua<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is the abbreviated version:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5K_JWF0q88/UxYNntAFHjI/AAAAAAAADE0/Lv3bEdvWXgg/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5K_JWF0q88/UxYNntAFHjI/AAAAAAAADE0/Lv3bEdvWXgg/s1600/Untitled.png" height="213" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Map Legend:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Diamonds are actual position at about 1700 UTC each day. Blue dots are the planned route.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bad Weather - Wind over 30 knots for an extended period in any day. Winds not off the stern and waves from anywhere the wind damn well pleased. In our case every night the wind was 30 plus from dark to dawn, most nights 35 and 40. Maybe not life threatening but very unpleasant, wet and cold.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mindelo bites. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Good Weather: steady winds of 25 to 30 knots off the stern. Waves behaving and off the stern quarter. By the time we got to good weather and settled winds we were too tired to give a damn.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Antigua: yeah well...pretty well fungible with any Caribbean Island. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-66784950228092195082014-03-03T04:35:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.791-07:00A (Short) Tale of Two Cities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2014 02 27</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jolly Harbour, Antigua</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, was the best of places:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2sQxq_bEBc/UxRu9DQbILI/AAAAAAAADDE/7Mqz56SJoy4/s1600/Santa+Cruz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2sQxq_bEBc/UxRu9DQbILI/AAAAAAAADDE/7Mqz56SJoy4/s1600/Santa+Cruz.jpg" height="235" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Cruz de Tenerife viewed from the Wifi deck of the marina</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The other, Mindelo, in the Cape Verdes, was the worst of places:</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LsN4AxPXVfE/UxOTuTOc8MI/AAAAAAAADCY/tAghifdF_zk/s1600/IMG_00000128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LsN4AxPXVfE/UxOTuTOc8MI/AAAAAAAADCY/tAghifdF_zk/s1600/IMG_00000128.jpg" height="224" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a Regular Day in Mindelo. A blanket of Saharan sand, camel dung, <br />dengue fever virus particles and whatever other obscenities <br />Africa sees fit to spew into the atmosphere obscures a mountain only half a mile away</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Leaving Mindelo was a pleasure, the first time we had experienced such emotions in Europe or Africa. Our departure, as Dickens suggested was a far far better thing we did than we had done before.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Culture</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Santa Cruz has a local waterfront Opera House served by its own local opera company.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mX906Nf0L0M/UxRuFu2zCqI/AAAAAAAADC0/14CI5aolzZ4/s1600/Santa+Cruz+Opera+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mX906Nf0L0M/UxRuFu2zCqI/AAAAAAAADC0/14CI5aolzZ4/s1600/Santa+Cruz+Opera+House.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mindelo offers this on its waterfront, an eagle I think poised to take flight from a pile of ... well mud is the charitable thought:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n00ruGvsERQ/UxRubP5RboI/AAAAAAAADC8/dtwjS58AqAo/s1600/IMG_00000141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n00ruGvsERQ/UxRubP5RboI/AAAAAAAADC8/dtwjS58AqAo/s1600/IMG_00000141.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />It has long been our view that the best part of our tour of the Mediterranean has been the Atlantic Islands: the Azores, Madeira, the Canaries. Arriving at the safe refuge of the Canarian island of Graciosa in strong winds and just ahead of a three day blow we quiMckly came to appreciate the benefits, not only of the islands but of the people who inhabit them. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Parts of the island chain are massively touristic, several towns consist solely of overbuilt Russian quality mass housing for the Euro mass consumer market. You just avoid those places. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We chose Santa Cruz de Tenerife, capital city of this island protectorate, on the recommendation of friends Stephen and Nancy on Fairwyn. What a joy it was. Clean air, beautiful mountains, half a dozen well stocked chandlers, urbane lifestyle.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This city is one we will revisit. A winter apartment in Santa Cruz would be a joy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bm-ijur4jnU/UxRyZu81YsI/AAAAAAAADDQ/Ia-QL4ZAkoE/s1600/IMAG0418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bm-ijur4jnU/UxRyZu81YsI/AAAAAAAADDQ/Ia-QL4ZAkoE/s1600/IMAG0418.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie Accessing Email on the Wifi Deck</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PGnvBVQ9mN0/UxRyfSFa3eI/AAAAAAAADDg/MrlCvsGo1yM/s1600/IMAG0419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PGnvBVQ9mN0/UxRyfSFa3eI/AAAAAAAADDg/MrlCvsGo1yM/s1600/IMAG0419.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Sunny Day in Santa Cruz</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mindelo offers much less. One of the claims to tourist fame offered by the Cape Verdean government is that six islands in the island chain are uninhabited. The government suggests this makes them perfect places to enjoy some quiet sailing. My view is that the six islands are uninhabited because they are uninhabitable. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hiking is big on the list of people who enjoy their stay in Cape Verdes. CIty dwellers and consumers of culture will be less favourably affected. That one or two islands might be great refuges for the lulu lemoned among us is not a big selling point in the book of moi.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here the wind blows at 35 knots all the time, the air is nearly unbreathable on most daysfilled as it is with saharan dust and byproducts flung into the atmosphere by Africa and carried hundreds of kilometres out to sea. The marina has a hellish surge and broken dock lines are the norm. There is a grocery store but prices are not terribly good and there is no cafe culture whatsoever.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cape Verdes has no extradition treaty with the USA and this accounts for some of its popularity. I figure the US government takes the view that any white collar criminal who holes up in CV has exiled himself to near prison like conditions so why punish the poor bugger any more. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The nicest bit of Mindelo were the colourful fishing boats which lined the shore:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5N5wdRtI8RM/UxR1bEVcqsI/AAAAAAAADD4/gPKI9FnGqDc/s1600/IMG_00000125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5N5wdRtI8RM/UxR1bEVcqsI/AAAAAAAADD4/gPKI9FnGqDc/s1600/IMG_00000125.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DObSB6Q0xVI/UxR1bEevwYI/AAAAAAAADDw/-Nvas7KKrIc/s1600/IMG_00000126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DObSB6Q0xVI/UxR1bEevwYI/AAAAAAAADDw/-Nvas7KKrIc/s1600/IMG_00000126.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jbH0039kqCU/UxR1jAEUUAI/AAAAAAAADEE/KMy-tjY1bzk/s1600/IMG_00000129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jbH0039kqCU/UxR1jAEUUAI/AAAAAAAADEE/KMy-tjY1bzk/s1600/IMG_00000129.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLN1OajFFaY/UxR1jQqsG2I/AAAAAAAADEI/HiTKaWOGjQg/s1600/IMG_00000137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLN1OajFFaY/UxR1jQqsG2I/AAAAAAAADEI/HiTKaWOGjQg/s1600/IMG_00000137.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waterfront grocer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJNgNckJbPc/UxR1j6OTfaI/AAAAAAAADEQ/lTg-ccnh-Aw/s1600/IMG_00000144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJNgNckJbPc/UxR1j6OTfaI/AAAAAAAADEQ/lTg-ccnh-Aw/s1600/IMG_00000144.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Marina at Mindelo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tazkIvrpUfQ/UxR1ojqtUII/AAAAAAAADEc/f2HWlC8MWPM/s1600/IMG_00000146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tazkIvrpUfQ/UxR1ojqtUII/AAAAAAAADEc/f2HWlC8MWPM/s1600/IMG_00000146.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Marina Bar at Mindelo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uNl1kN1jh8U/UxR1pwQ9_aI/AAAAAAAADEk/neMlNglR5Qc/s1600/IMG_00000147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uNl1kN1jh8U/UxR1pwQ9_aI/AAAAAAAADEk/neMlNglR5Qc/s1600/IMG_00000147.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie Gives a Canadian Flag to the Marina Bar for Display</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-18601721969027185512014-02-28T03:51:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.826-07:00Antiguan Bank Scam - First Caribbean Bank Steals Our Money<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">28 02 2014</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jolly Harbour, Antigua</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Until now we have used the system of ATMs around the world to obtain local currency from our Canadian based bank accounts. No need to bring large amounts of cash when we traveled; we just hit the local ATM and withdrew funds as we needed. The exchange rate was pretty decent too, much better than the VISA card fees.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yesterday we had $2,000 EC stolen from us by First Caribbean bank. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We used the First Caribbean Bank ATM at the Epicurean Market in Jolly Harbour to obtain cash to settle accounts we had with local tradesmen. The ATM processed a $2,000 charge against our bank account <b>but it did not give us the cash</b>. The machine kept it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We contacted the bank immediately and were informed by them that they would do nothing about it but maybe my bank in Canada would do something. According to the Antiguan bank representative <b>"it is illegal for us to pay you the money we have kept from you. Even if we went to the machine and found your claim was correct we could and would do nothing."</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In Canada the law says stealing my money is a crime. In Antigua the law says that a ban<b>k </b>that steals a foreigner's money is forbidden to return it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We are working with our bank in Canada to try to obtain some kind of relief but this is a months long process and success is not guaranteed. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In Antigua the banks are the biggest crooks and they always get away with it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-23866629033760996792014-02-24T04:18:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.858-07:00Universal Constants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">24 02 2014<br />Jolly Harbour, Antigua<br /><br />Meredith is once again a North American boat. De facto not just on paper.<br /><br />A couple of articles are due and are coming.<br /><br />It was a crossing we are glad is over. <br /><br />Arriving Antigua we chose a marina wihich offered "Free WIFI" pronounced W eye F eye over here and not the much smoother but wimpy W ee F ee used in Europe.<br /><br />It is a fact that every bar and coffee shop and every ten year old boy with a jug of water on his back slugging glasses of H2O to weary caravans at 2 cents a glass can provide fast,efficient working internet to their customers.<br /><br />No marina anywhere on planet earth, regardless of how much they charge for rent, can provide any internet of aerny kind for any period of time. They do however maintain a list of excuses that similarly are universal. Insults such as:<br /><b><br /></b><b>It is working.</b> (this one works short term. Soon people start showing up with their laptops and tablets in the marina office. When this Tppens the staff move to this:<br /><br /><b>The guy is coming to work on it this afternoon. </b>This works for about a week and then staff move to excuse number 3:<br /><br /><b>It is not us, it is the ISP</b> or its less frequent variant <b>We are changing services and there will be a brief outage.</b><br /><b><br /></b>So we sit in peace and quiet and calm, protected by marinas from any contact with the rude and annoying outer world. <br /><br />Time for another beer. I will check messages tomorrow.<br /><b><br /></b><b><br /></b></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-60119863882331069752013-12-25T17:02:00.000-08:002016-08-03T06:09:23.873-07:00Changing Your Mind: Never an Easy Process<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2013 12 25<br />London, ON Canada<br /><br />Here I sit before a nice gas fireplace, my tummy filled adequately with the best of all possible Christmas meals. The comfort and sense of well being is enhanced by the collateral sounds of a successful family get together; my wife finishing up the cleaning of the house after dinner and the children and in laws all typing madly away at their laptops.<br /><br />How easy it was to put ourselves here. Once we understood.<br /><br />On November 20, 2013 Connie and I left Santa Cruz de Tenerife headed for North America on our beloved sailboat Meredith. Plan was to land in the Caribbean in time to be home for Christmas. That plan did not succeed.<br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our weather forecast was best described as indifferent and unfortunately it played out badly. For the first eight days we had wind for only 36 hours. Virtual calm held the remaining 156 hours in a narcotic pall. After 8 days our progress was but 500 miles; on one of those days our distance made good was a mere seven nautical miles. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our eighth day began, as every day began, with the download of a new 8 day GRIB weather forecast. Reviewing the forecast brought no warm comfy feeling. Wind was indeed to come but from the wrong direction. A lot of wind and no way to avoid the consequences.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consequences we knew were not life threatening but did involve our struggling to make adequate headway and the struggle was maintained only with a tremendous outlay of physical exertion both from handling the boat in high wind and seas and in handling the rough motion created by that wind and those seas. Checking our calendar it was clear that we would not be anywhere near the Caribbean in time to arrange a flight to Canada for Christmas.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While the implications of the weather forecast were clear it still took the remainder of a daylight day, granted only seven or eight hours at this time of year, to understand that not making it home for Christmas was unacceptable to us. The thought process was fettered by native stubbornness. We do not quit.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This time however it was vastly more important to us to be home for Christmas than to get across the Atlantic so we turned about. It seems odd to us now that it took almost eight hours for us to see what was completely obvious. In fairness we both did see it at different times during the day but we just never held the same view at the same time. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">During the day of dithering we did not make much forward way. Day eight produced the same light winds we had enjoyed for much of the previous seven.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once we both admitted to ourselves that we must abandon our plan it did not take long to act. We swung the boat around and headed for the island of Tenerife.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As so often happens nature weighed in and commented on the correctness of what we were doing. Concomitant with our turning about the wind picked up. In minutes the daylong calm picked up to blow 15 then 20 then 25 and finally 30 on our stern. This wind was on our stern but had we not turned about that wind would have been on our nose. So too would the wind driven waves that quickly rose to accompany the wind.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was bizarre. After eight days sitting motionless on a dead ocean we were now furling our headsail, dropping our main and finally putting a reef in the staysail. Once again we were a sailboat and a pretty lively one at that.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">in the end we needed only four days to retrace the five hundred miles back to Tenerife. We arrived in rain and fog with the wind still blowing twenty plus on our stern. We were met on the docks by friends Stephen and Nancy Carlman from the Canadian yacht Fairwyn. Life was good again.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In one day we had arranged long term stay at the marina and our flight home was booked. We enjoyed a few days of cafe life and exploring the island of Tenerife. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nancy and Stephen were stalwarts and a mainstay of our short sojourn in the Canaries.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Later, we were party to a Ham Radio conversation in which our decision to return was discussed. No one knew we were the people who had turned back. The group agreed that what had befallen us was "tragic". This determination was a bit shocking to us. It seemed more comedy than tragedy to us and really the whole thing fell under the category of good decision making in our books. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Good decisions are not without costs; they are good in spite of them. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We may be slow but we have few regrets.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-29927331792363302182013-10-12T07:30:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:23.891-07:00It's About Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2013 10 11<br />Marina Bouregreg, Sale, Morocco<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2r8j-P6h_jM/Ul52GACpouI/AAAAAAAAC7M/KrO_5IooTYY/s1600/MAINSTREET+RABAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2r8j-P6h_jM/Ul52GACpouI/AAAAAAAAC7M/KrO_5IooTYY/s400/MAINSTREET+RABAT.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every French Designed Capital City has a Champs Elysee Clone:<br />a beautiful wide boulevard, palm lined flanked with<br />shops and cafes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For our first five days in Morocco our clocks and watches were an hour out of sync with the rest of Morocco. This was not our fault. I blame it on the arrogance of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Here is how it came upon us:</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ramadan, a period of special religious observance in the Mohammedan religion, loosely akin to Christians' Lent, requires that the faithful fast during daylight hours. No food, no water. This year Ramadan, which is a moveable observance, fell in the dead heat of summer. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">King of Morocco, King Mohammed VI, and his advisors knew the heavy toll that would be exacted from the population during Ramadan. The King, Mohammed V, did what he could to alleviate suffering.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He suspended Daylight Savings Time in the Kingdom for the duration of Ramadan. All during Ramadan the people could maintain strict observance during a working day that held one hour less daylight than would otherwise be the case. It shortened the time his subjects need endure the privation of Ramadan.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A pretty decent act. </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kvl6lhJPOG4/Ul52Fv33-RI/AAAAAAAAC7I/SQXdvdi-frM/s1600/FACE+OF+MOROCCO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kvl6lhJPOG4/Ul52Fv33-RI/AAAAAAAAC7I/SQXdvdi-frM/s320/FACE+OF+MOROCCO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Loyal Subjects. Child of the Sale Souk<br />She saw me taking pictures with my tablet and was curious.<br />I took one of her and she squealed with delight when she saw it.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">However Morocco is an economy that needs the benefits normally attributed to Daylight Savings Time. Ramadan being over, King Mohammed then extended DST to include the month of October. Seems reasonable enough but...</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ajLA6qFt_2w/Ul52GU4-nuI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/BMK89uAJ8KM/s1600/WHERE+MOROCCO+LIVES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ajLA6qFt_2w/Ul52GU4-nuI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/BMK89uAJ8KM/s320/WHERE+MOROCCO+LIVES.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Loyal Subject lives with her parents, sister and brother<br />in these quarters, third door on the left.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We cruisers all rely on our computers and their automatic time and date functions to keep track of where we are and what time it is. Well our computer programs, apple and microsoft and google all got. and still get, the time wrong in Morocco. Every computer on board every boat is an hour out. And will be until the end of October.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At first there were comical coincidences that masked our error and lulled us into the belief that there was no problem. We caught the train to Casa at the time the schedule said. Or so we thought. Trains to Casa run every hour so we were actually catching the 0700 train when we thought we were catching the 0800. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This explains the somewhat exasperated look on the conductor's face when he checked our tickets. Tickets are issues for a specific train, denominated by time of departure and we were unwittingly on the wrong train. Polite to a fault the Moroccan officials realized there was room enough on the train and said nothing to the idiot tourists who got on the wrong train. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We missed trains, showed up early for doctor's appointments and were generally irresponsible until we figured it out. Than we all had a good laugh. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcRFrPCIBOs/Ul52HLHH99I/AAAAAAAAC7g/7pffyiZprDc/s1600/HOW+YOU+KNOW+YOU+ARE+IN+MOROCCO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcRFrPCIBOs/Ul52HLHH99I/AAAAAAAAC7g/7pffyiZprDc/s400/HOW+YOU+KNOW+YOU+ARE+IN+MOROCCO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You Know You are Morocco 'Cause of All the<br />Big Golden Ms. <br />McDonalds ad on the new tram the M bracketing <br />a Moroccan woman in traditional dress </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-65750145177942148612013-10-06T03:43:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:23.913-07:00Sailing to Rabat; A Tale of Non Existent Hazards<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2013 10 02 </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bouregreg Marina, Sale, Morocco</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIJbtzlgxBI/UlE5FYMO-wI/AAAAAAAAC6o/fQMZiUJADVs/s1600/Entrance+to+Rio+Bou+Regreg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIJbtzlgxBI/UlE5FYMO-wI/AAAAAAAAC6o/fQMZiUJADVs/s400/Entrance+to+Rio+Bou+Regreg.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It only looks scary. Easy entry if you follow the simple rules.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Depths are in Feet. Look Just above and Below the word Puerto in</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Puerto de Rabat</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Prior to setting sail for Rabat in Morocco we were regaled with concerns of other sailors who had been or who had friends who had been to this much maligned port. It gave us pause. Luckily for us we decided to visit anyway. Our experience suggests that the concerns are misfounded. There is no conceivable reason not to visit Morocco at Rabat and many reasons you should.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X6L4nw25eJg/UlE5B7UTKzI/AAAAAAAAC5c/nkr1uLxJeTg/s1600/ENTERING+RABAT+2+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X6L4nw25eJg/UlE5B7UTKzI/AAAAAAAAC5c/nkr1uLxJeTg/s200/ENTERING+RABAT+2+-+Copy.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Breakwater Extending</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Southward at Rio Bouregreg</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A summary:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. We found no fishing net hazard along the coast,</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. The river you must negotiate to get to the marina has been dredged and the dredging seems to be continuous. Entry is controlled by the marina and the marina makes a pilot boat available to ensure sailboats do not run afou.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Most boaters think, and we agree, it is a good idea to time your arrival for a rising tide. Great planning but I rarely arrive at a destination on the day I plan let alone the exact hour. Boats have been brought up the river in all conditions, depending on their keel depth and motoring capacity. The marina gives good advice to everyone. If entry is impossible they will tell you so and direct you to Mohammedia, about thirty miles south, where the entry is protected. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the end result entry is as easy as that of any marina you enter for the very first time,</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. The officials here are efficient, friendly and even humorous. No corruption, no baksheesh, no arbitrary barking of orders, just a friendly welcome. Reports to the contrary are just not fact based and raise concerns about the veracity of people making the reports.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are the details of our trip:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The sail from La Linea in Spain to Rabat, Morocco was boisterous and the first twelve hours was undertaken in winds of 35 G 40. A fast twelve hours.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had been warned of vast networks of fishing nets rendering the coast nearly impassible. Those nets did not exist, not where we sailed anyway.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No Fishing Net Hazard Found</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>We travelled two miles offshore the entire journey to Rabat. In that distance we encountered one fishing net, well marked and easily avoided. There were many fishing boats sailing late into the night but grouped mainly around the main fishing ports, again marked and easily avoided.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our travelling companions travelled about five miles off the Moroccan coast and both caught nets in their keels or, worse for one, his saildrive.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It might have just been luck that kept us out of harms way but it also be that travelling two miles off the land avoids most fishing nets. We assume the latter.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ox4htGl6AGs/UlE5Cxep_3I/AAAAAAAAC6A/X3giuNuBCYs/s1600/ENTERING+RABAT+5+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ox4htGl6AGs/UlE5Cxep_3I/AAAAAAAAC6A/X3giuNuBCYs/s320/ENTERING+RABAT+5+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once in the River You will find a few weirs like this one</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">which act to protect riverine areas and beaches</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">full of swimmers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbphTDTzlzo/UlE5BFKuKEI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/MHru0Oq8vaI/s1600/ENTERING+RABAT+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbphTDTzlzo/UlE5BFKuKEI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/MHru0Oq8vaI/s320/ENTERING+RABAT+13.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the Colourful Fishing Boats</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">you will pass.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ylHeD5GserA/UlE5Bb2xbpI/AAAAAAAAC5k/4wTllOV2BCQ/s1600/ENTERING+RABAT+11+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ylHeD5GserA/UlE5Bb2xbpI/AAAAAAAAC5k/4wTllOV2BCQ/s320/ENTERING+RABAT+11+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the River Hazards:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Traditional Ferry piloted by a standing man with two oars.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This guy got between us and the Pilot Boat.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You sit and wait politely: guy's making a living after all</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Contact Was Immediate on FIrst Call to the Marina</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although we planned arrival at Rabat for an hour or two before high tide we arrived an <span style="text-align: right;">hour and a bit after low. We also arrived a day late but who is counting.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: right;"> About a mile from the entrance to the river, achieved through </span></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R-kr98IfSYI/UlE5C3rtcZI/AAAAAAAAC58/Y7Bbry_IJJ4/s1600/ENTERING+RABAT+3+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R-kr98IfSYI/UlE5C3rtcZI/AAAAAAAAC58/Y7Bbry_IJJ4/s320/ENTERING+RABAT+3+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">OK Maybe There Were a Few Hairy Bits</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Or Maybe I just worry too much.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">two big breakwaters, we called Marina Bouregreg on VHF channel 10 and requested a pilot boat. It was dispensed immediately and it appeared within fifteen minutes. Verifying our keel depth the pilot lead us to customs.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some boats have reported that marina did not answer their calls. This has not been the experience of any boat we have spoken to while here at the marina and it is not our experience. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No Bar at Rabat</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although the marina Bouregreg had assured us the river leading to their berths had been dredged </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">dredged we were cautious. There was no need. Arriving at the mouth of the Rio Bouregreg about an hour and a half after low tide we never saw less than eleven feet of water - while following the pilot boat. <b>We strongly recommend following the pilot boat.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pleasant Efficient Officials</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gIAGuQTkcN4/UlE5EQ0cUuI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/lVztgl9Y4gQ/s1600/ENTERING+RABAT+6+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gIAGuQTkcN4/UlE5EQ0cUuI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/lVztgl9Y4gQ/s320/ENTERING+RABAT+6+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is the Dredging Machine Moored </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">on the Rabat Sideof the River</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had read some older unflattering reports about officials in Rabat. Not true. The police and customs guys were helpful, friendly and in good humour. No hint of corruption of any kind. The experience was so pleasant as to call into question the veracity of the reporters.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And on this I do not accept that times have changed. We have entered Morocco before and it has always been friendly and corruption free although not always so efficient as it was at Rabat. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b><b>The Avoidable Possibility of a Pooping in Easterly Swell</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our charts show the depth of the water inside the breakwater to be 0.5 feet. There are two problems here: First, half a foot of water is not much when your boat draws 5 feet and secondly the water immediately oceanside of the shall entrance is very deep. One skipper entered the breakwater to wait for the pilot boat. He dropped his sails and then he dropped his guard and went below. An errant wave struck the sharply shallowing river entrance, rose to breaking wave and pooped the man's boat causing serious damage. Bad luck to be sure but no black mark on Rabat.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh, for those who wrote to ask how you avoid the hazard I suggest when you arrive at Rabat you wait well outside the breakwater in deep water. That way you need not fear the occasional errant wave. This is no criticism of the poor guy who suffered damage. He had no reason to expect there would be any unusual wave pattern and he knew the harbour well. Sometimes bad things happen.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once you are at the marina you tie up at the fuel dock and clear customs and immigration. This is effortless but there are a lot of forms. The officials help with this.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once tied up you find yourself in a modern bustling political capital city of a thriving country. Everyone is working, building, studying, learning, building, moving materials, After some time spent in the south of Europe it is just so refreshing.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because you are in a capital city you have access to unparalleled communications and transportation resources. You can see all of Morocco from here. More on this later.</span><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-17197492508327766712013-10-05T07:12:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:23.935-07:00Out of the Crashing First World Into the Emerging Second: Great to be in Morocco<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2013 10 05<br />Marina Bouregreg, Sale, Morocco<br /><br />What is the first thing you do when you pull into the marina in Morocco after 34 hours of nonstop sailing? Well if you travel with the Budget Committee you haggle for swordfish at the market.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fnTax4QfbTU/UlAbZvLMn_I/AAAAAAAAC4k/d5XG0mCEN1E/s1600/BUYING+FISH+FIRST+YOU+HAGGLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fnTax4QfbTU/UlAbZvLMn_I/AAAAAAAAC4k/d5XG0mCEN1E/s400/BUYING+FISH+FIRST+YOU+HAGGLE.jpg" width="400" /></a>First you Haggle. This is one of my wife's purposes in life. The poor vendor is making his final appeal to Burger who remains impassive knowing full well Connie has him in a pair of visegrips.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GtX5725GFGc/UlAbhILDbAI/AAAAAAAAC4s/o-etjDFIe9w/s1600/BUYING+FISH+THEN+IT+IS+WEIGHED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GtX5725GFGc/UlAbhILDbAI/AAAAAAAAC4s/o-etjDFIe9w/s320/BUYING+FISH+THEN+IT+IS+WEIGHED.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Then the fish is cut. Catch the cigarette in the corner of the mouth. A classic, you gotta admit.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYt0Gtirbfs/UlAdByTovyI/AAAAAAAAC5A/u_K8pTKYqZE/s1600/THEN+YOU+CUT+IT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYt0Gtirbfs/UlAdByTovyI/AAAAAAAAC5A/u_K8pTKYqZE/s320/THEN+YOU+CUT+IT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And Weighed. Not a single spark lost from the cigarette.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJP5XDv7so4/UlAbkdwzaAI/AAAAAAAAC40/9wEYXVZSQT0/s1600/BUYING+FISH+RHEN+IT+IS+TRIMMED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJP5XDv7so4/UlAbkdwzaAI/AAAAAAAAC40/9wEYXVZSQT0/s320/BUYING+FISH+RHEN+IT+IS+TRIMMED.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Finally and only after the weighing is the swordfish trimmed and portioned. Burger in the foreground bought two filets from the BC. I think our fish was free.<br /><br />And fresh. It has to be. No one has refrigeration.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-59380379263991596972013-10-05T03:55:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:23.960-07:00Knowing What Constitutes a Win<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2013 10 05<br />Marina Bouregreg, Sale, Morocco<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For years now it has been obvious aboard Meredith that what seems like a loss or a failure at first instance is so often a win if you have the right perspective. Now this is not a counsel of always looking on the bright side of life, that is just pathetic, although quite humorous when done by Monty Python. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is just that a little perspective rapidly changes a loss to a win. Our recent experience stands as an example.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thirteen days ago I lost the sight in my left eye. Connie and I were walking around Casablanca with friends when large dark circles first appeared and then totally obscured my vision. It turned out that I had a detached retina in that eye, a correctable problem but one which needed immediate expert attention if sight were to be preserved.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Knowing not what was wrong, only that it was something serious, we went in search of an ophthalmologist. Luckily our boat was docked in Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. Services were available that may not have been at Wahim's Saharan Tent Park. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Knowing no one in the city we went first to the toniest pharmacy we could find and asked for a recommendation for an ophthalmologist. That in hand, and willingly given by the pharmacist, we headed for the most expensive looking optician shop we could find and repeated our request. We had a match on the recommendation and an appointment was made for the following day. How lucky for us there was an opening that soon.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After being examined by the ophthalmologist the man gave the diagnosis: detached retina. He did not practice retinal surgery but referred us with urgency to a colleague who did. This colleague saw us at once. She scheduled surgery at once. Seeing her on Thursday she arranged surgery for the following Wednesday, the soonest she could arrange delivery of the materials she needed to repair the detachment. This woman Dr. Nadia Essakalli, had experience, skills and clout. How lucky for us.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dr. Essakallialso prescribed a strict and very uncomfortable position in which I had to lie continuously for the entire time I was out of her office. This position actually helped correct the displacement of the retina and prevented worsening of the condition. More than unpleasant it was near hell in the heat of Morocco to lie still with my head blocked by two pillows and the rest of me immobile, but it was a lot better than going blind. Prescribed early enough further damage to the eye was prevented and the "position" actually restored some vision. Once again, luck was on my side. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The clinique where the surgery was peformed was only one block from the marina. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dr. Essakalli's office where all examinations were performed was a hundred feet from her tram stop, our marina was a hundred meters from ours. No change in trams required. Lucky? You have no idea when your overtaxed wife is dragging her one eyed dopey husband around a foreign city.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A small hitch arose when the necessary materials were not delivered in time and surgery was delayed one day. This was used by Dr. Essakali to take more extensive maps of the retina and macula and better plan the re attachment.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With that delay surgery was on schedule, fast and efficient. A three hour operation followed by a day in the private clinique and I am now home. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The surgeon was first rate and personable. And boy was she competent. She is Paris trained, a full professor of Opthalmology at the King Muhammed V/VI University at Rabat and has performed retinal surgery since 1996. I think she may have introduced the procedures to Morocco.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The clinic where surgery was conducted was staffed with pleasant efficient helpful individuals who smiled every time they entered my private room.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The initial results of the surgery are extremely optimistic and it looks as though the reconstruction will be as close to perfect as any reconstruction can be. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The cost was one twentieth what it would have been in Canada and one hundredth of what it would have been in the Excited States. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Had the detachment had happened while we were at sea there was nothing could be done. I would be blind in one eye without recourse.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />I tally this one under the BIG WIN category.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My thanks to Dr. Nadia Essakalli and the staff at Clinique Beausejour. I am in your debt.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-42471278400920054822013-09-20T11:53:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:23.985-07:00Last Sausage B4 Africa...or beyond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2013 09 19<br />La Linea, Spain (beside Gibraltar)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wokaiR-I3GE/UjxF2F8D9rI/AAAAAAAAC3M/AXHlTmV5o2I/s1600/Meredith+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wokaiR-I3GE/UjxF2F8D9rI/AAAAAAAAC3M/AXHlTmV5o2I/s320/Meredith+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Meredith at Dockside in La Linea, Spain</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Gibraltar in the background</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We have been lying low in La Linea at €15 a night waiting for the past week of ferocious west wind to quit blowing through the Straits of Gibraltar. Today is calm and the gribs promise lukewarm wind tomorrow, ten knots or so, but out of the east. Looks like we will depart on Saturday. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The week at La Linea has been put to good use and six hours a day are devoted by both Connie and me to inspecting the boat, replacing and refitting parts on the boat and provisioning the boat. With an ocean crossing in the immediate future checking systems never grows tiresome.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-OxTHLGdJ4/UjyW-N2a9BI/AAAAAAAAC38/rileqiMTqfc/s1600/Hose+Clamp.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-OxTHLGdJ4/UjyW-N2a9BI/AAAAAAAAC38/rileqiMTqfc/s200/Hose+Clamp.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gibraltar being duty free<br />the Cigars, Five Cohiba Siglo IIs <br />cost a mere<br />$50. Score.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here is one reason you check systems. Thinking our fresh water pump sounded a bit different in tone I checked it out. Luck was with us because the pump seals had failed and the pump had filled its little cupboard with water. The pump would have failed completely in a matter of hours or minutes. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Connie dried and labelled all the wet cans while I installed our spare pump. As soon as we fired up the system with the new pump we had problems. New pump meant different pressures on all the connections. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This little beggar let go, just let go. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The hose clamp fell off the cold water faucet in our head allowing the hose it secured to disengage. Water flowed at full pump pressure for five minutes before we isolated the leak and got it stopped. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Poke it, twist it, prod it. If it is going to fail you want to fail in controlled circumstances. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Trip Planning</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Four elements govern our departure plans: a change in the strong west winds which have been blowing through the Straits of Gibraltar for the past week, timing of High Water at Gibraltar, timing of Low Water at Rabat, our destination, and lastly hazards underway.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Wind:</b> Not leaving in strong (thirty plus knots at times) winds on the nose is obvious. Today is calm and tomorrow should be mildly in our favour. Looks like a motor job.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Tide Gibraltar:</b> Tides are in our favour for departure. High Water Gibraltar on Saturday is about 0500 am so an 0800 departure exposes us to as favourable current through the Straits as one could expect. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Tide Rabat</b>: This element in the puzzle is a bit more worrisome. High water at Rabat is about 1600. We must arrive Rabat on a rising tide. The marina there will send a guide boat out to guide us over the bar that blocks the river entrance to the marina. They will only do so, however, on a rising tide. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is 155 miles or so from La Linea to Rabat which is a 31 hour trip if we can hie to a 5 knot planned speed. An 0800 departure Saturday puts us at Rabat at about 1400. Not much room for error so we will have to be very careful. On the upside the marina informs us the river has been dredged so we may not have to worry about the bar. Until we verify it is gone we worry about the bar.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Hazards Underway: </b></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sailing the west coast of Morocco is best done well offshore, at least 15 nm. Local fishermen string endless miles of net closer to shore than this and such things are well avoided.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pirates. Spanish pirates. Actually irrationally angry Spanish fishermen make life miserable for sailors all around Gibraltar. The fishermen believe that sailboats disturb the fish. They take their anger out in unconstrained acts of violence committed against innocent sailors.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">IInbound to Gibraltar with a companion boat we were attacked by a Spanish fishing boat. The Spanish skipper crossed our bow a boatlength in front of us with his massive nets in the water. Just clearing our bowsprit the moron cut all power to his diesel and left us, with all of forty feet of water clearance. We were at speed. While we managed not to become ensnared in his nets it was bone rattling and disconcerting.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Done with us, and he having not created a collision at sea, the Spanish idiot repeated the action against Fabuloso, the catamaran travelling with us. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Welcome to Spain. In this country anything is possible. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">La Linea is a nice Spanish town and much maligned by many cruisers. We find the cafe life of a Spanish city vastly preferred to that of the tourism of Gibraltar. Gibraltar's claim to fame is her tax free status. Our experience however is that merchant greed and British pricing have eaten up any potential cost reductions for most goods.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Connie and I feel ready to cross the Atlantic back to North America. By now we are anxious to get underway but of course we must wait until midNovember when the trade winds begin to blow. Until then we will tour Morocco and the Canaries and then spend more time that we originally planned in what is rapidly growing in our minds into a great cruising ground: the Cape Verdes.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />So, like the sign at the Wurst House says</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8O95mILySXs/UjyW5sUyzhI/AAAAAAAAC30/VFgQQmvqd34/s1600/Sausage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8O95mILySXs/UjyW5sUyzhI/AAAAAAAAC30/VFgQQmvqd34/s400/Sausage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Time to stock up.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-89433515478494119232013-09-17T03:30:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:24.002-07:00For Those of You Who Might Think I Am Inclined to Exaggerate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2013 09 17<br />La Linea, Spanish port beside Gibraltar<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Friends wrote to see if we had ever received our solar panels ordered in Almerimar and the answer is a resounding no. The panels were to be in Almerimar ten days ago, on a Friday. I agreed to pay €15 for express delivery which meant three days delivery time from a warehouse twenty kilometers away.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The promised panels never came. I attended at the chandler twice on the Friday and both times was completely ignored by the staff. This is the Spanish way of telling you they have bad news. They really hate to disappoint you so they just ignore you and hope you go away. That way they do not have to feel bad. As for you...well no one in Spain really gives a damn.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Monday following the Friday delivery date Connie again went to the Chandler and again was completely ignored. We left town without paying the special delivery fee.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, for those of you who might believe we are just reaping the rewards of our own ill treatment of Spanish retailers I enclose this: a note received this morning from fellow cruisers two docks over from us in La Linea. They have been trying for two weeks to buy a part for their movable keel. First the wrong part was sent by a UK retailer. It took a week to arrive and had to be returned. The cruisers then ordered from a French dealer who promised he had the correct part. That was a week ago and they paid for overnight delivery. This morning I asked (intending for it to be a friendly inquiry) whether they were now in possession of the correct part. Here was the response...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>No no, we still don't have the part. Why are we not surprised? Do you have the stomach for the story?</i></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Nothing new, we've all been thru this before:</i></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We agreed to paying 95 EUR !! last Thursday for what was supposed to be overnight delivery with something called France Express. We tried to contact France Express yesterday only to learn they sent it *courier* instead. It would have arrived yesterday except, according to the Tracker info, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">*courier*</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> didn't have the full, correct address !!! </span></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The package went from their office to Nice, somewhere else in France, then Koeln Germany, then Madrid, then Seville. It's still stuck in Seville, and the address UPS has is Cadiz. The UPS tracker note says they were trying to determine the correct address yesterday, and they sent a postcard !!!! to the Recipient. Now what address would that recipient be, since we are the recipient and they don't have our address to deliver the package?!!!!! Why wouldn't </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">*courier*</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> try to contact the Sender instead?!!!!!!!</span></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I was able to Skype the French gal Sylvie I've been corresponding with this morning, and she sounded rather helpless (hapless?). Told her she had to contact </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">*courier*</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> and give them the correct address. Said she'd have her colleague "look into it" and get back to us. Sigh.</span></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span></i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In meantime I sent a message to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">*courier*</span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i> and am now trying to call their French headquarters, the only phone listed. Wish us luck</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ps added Tuesday: The story ended today when the part was finally delivered. The part had in fact been shipped using the French Courier. For €95, the express delivery fee, the French Courier picked up the parcel and drove it two blocks to a different courier where they left it to be delivered. They gave the second courier the wrong delivery address.</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today the email writer received a self congratulatory email from the French Courier touting its ONTIME DELIVERY of their package. ????? </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-64865303295101785742013-09-06T10:44:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:24.017-07:00Trees As They Relate to Spanish Economics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2013 09 06</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FRIDAY (this is important as you will see if you keep reading)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Almerimar, Andalucia, Spain</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An actual discussion leading to a contract entered into between myself, as buyer, and a local chandler:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: I want to order that solar panel we talked about this morning. When can you get it in?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seller: It will be here Friday. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have four other panels coming from the same supplier and they will all be here Friday. I can add your panel to the order if we act right now.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: Guaranteed by Friday?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seller: Guaranteed. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: Good. Order the panel for me. I will pick it up on Friday. We leave on Saturday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seller: That will be a problem!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: What kind of problem?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seller: The order might not get here by Friday. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seller: If you want it here for sure by Friday you will have to pay a €15 fast delivery fee. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: Sighhhhhhhh. Good enough. Place the order, I will pay the €15 fee.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seller picks up the phone in my presence and orders the panel with courier delivery.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>It is now Friday at 2000. No solar panels. </b> This is how business is done in Spain. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So where do the trees come in? </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Spain is the only country in the world where "I was Sleeping Under a Tree" constitutes a valid legal defence to any criminal or civil action. Fail to show up for jury duty? Just tell the judge you were sleeping under a tree. Automatic get out of jail free card. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just not doing something is not considered objectionable here. Not doing something for a foreigner is, I think, a plus one.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This country is pretty much screwed. It should be.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-37349755740154971012013-08-31T01:02:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:24.036-07:00Stumblin' - Late Night Cafe Life Stumble Inn Style<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2013 08 31<br />Almerimar, Spain<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No, really. We do not like this place, this this English pub in the middle of what is clearly not England.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our waitress is the Teutonic stereotype: six foot something, blonde, English as a second language, humourless drill sergeant. She does not take your order rather she orders you to order and then stands at near attention glaring until you comply. She has the evil eye of every Disney villainess ever drawn on cellophane. All she is missing is the wart.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She comes armed with a Wagnerian bosom, resembling the business end of a battleship rather than anything alluring, and she ships the full German sense of humour. The electron microscope was developed as part of the search for the German sense of humour. So far as I know the search continues. A couple of the Higgs Bosun researchers are getting involved in an effort to accelerate the effort (no German would find humour in that).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So why do we find ourselves drinking overpriced alcohol and eating forgettable food at the Stumble Inn? After all we have suggested our friends avoid this cafe. Backtracking to the food for a second it should be stated not that the food is forgettable but that we wish it were. Rumour has it that last year two people were hospitalized by the food here. Loss of memory might stand as an aid to digestion and allow slumber undisturbed </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So what brings us to this gem of an outpost of British hooliganism set in the middle of Andalucian Almerimar? </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, it is close to the boat. Only steps away actually.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And the staff are a hoot: a German speaking teutonic dominatrix waiting tables in a British pub set in Andalucia aided by two Spaniard whirlwinds who are so busy they can never get anything done, at least not done right, and a kitchen staffed with what Anthony Burgess could only term a Vellochek intent on a little of the old ultra violence. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But the real draw of the Stumble Inn is the live music. Every Friday and Saturday two wandering minstrels, never the same two, set up a small amplifier and speaker and play their guitars and belt out some hoary old cover songs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not to overstate the ability of the unkempt, ragged vagabonds, men and women, who grace the three by three foot stage at the Stumble I would note that a week ago there was not actually any playing or singing going on. It was all lip sync and air guitar. But the players were really into it and played their parts to the max.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The magic of lip sync almost worked on our table until the guitarist took a solo set and launched into Pink Floyd's "We Don't Need No Education". He then purported to sing the chorus - all fifty young english voices heavily accented. This stretched the suspension of disbelief beyond the breaking point. As a comedy set it was a big hit.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last night we had two unilingual German minstrels who played a full panoply of 1970s American Rock music. "Playing" is perhaps the wrong word. What took place on the stage more resembled the scene in Hud where the ranchers all gather round the pit full of infected cattle and start shooting.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In fairness perhaps you like the ukelele. However perhaps the ukelele is not exactly suitable for BB King's Thrill is Gone. Or maybe it would be if the artist could have fingered more than a single chord.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another comedy night and more fun that we could ever have contrived on our own. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Paying our cheque we strolled arm in arm into the gentle night only to find good friends, firends we had warned about the charms of the Stumble Inn, seated at a table on the other side of the playing stage. We sat with them for the third set.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Which was when the fun really began.</span><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7896610896343555175.post-10041001335479167362013-08-25T03:12:00.000-07:002016-08-03T06:09:24.050-07:00Family as it Affects Cruising; Cruising as it Affects Family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Almerimar, Spain</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2013 08 25</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As the drunken crow flies we have just covered 1,700 nautical miles since leaving Venice. This drunken crow had to fly to the south of Italy and then back to Messina, the north of Sicily and then to Bizerte, Mahon and finally Almerimar. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />We are recovering in the welcoming environment of Almerimar, a favourite place of ours. As we do this the world develops around us.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our son leaves for college next week. This is a major event for him. We will not be there to see him off.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our elder daughter and son in law hope to join us for the crossing from the Canaries to Caribbean. Now that we access to internet we hope to be able to work out a plan to facilitate this. A</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> normal life puts all manner of obstacle in the way of young people taking time off work "for a month or two, I am not sure". Work, career development, family, need for money all get in the way of the simple life available to senior citizens. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As much as we would enjoy their company on the return crossing we do not want to put any more pressure on these fine young people than is absolutely necessary. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yesterday we we informed by email that our younger daughter is getting married. This is cause for celebration. Our family, the people with whom we would celebrate, are all in North America. After a wonderful skype call with the newly intended, no video because Spanish wifi sucks, Connie and I shared a couple bottles of Cava. As we drank we also shared the gamut of bittersweet memories that come to mind in every parent as of their precious children announces they are stepping out of the nest on their own. Last night we were keenly aware of where we were. </span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And where we weren't.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886013720859787765noreply@blogger.com0