For the first time since I’ve owned Splendid I’m starting to feel like my old self.
I don’t know if you remember my blog from Tahiti when I saw the blue steal boat and decided I needed a bigger boat and more complicated life, blah, blah, blah (July, 18, 07), but it all changed that day. From that day to this day I’ve been on a “more complicated” path. I sold and delivered Namaste across the Pacific. I finished my 2nd. film in Tokyo, I bought a new boat and pulled a 1973 ketch from her grave, fell in Love, lost love, and spent the better part of a year dealing with that loss. Well I guess I did exactly what I wanted to do, I complicate everything! It was all worth it! :) Well 4 years have passed since that day in Tahiti and I’ve learned a few things. I’m just better on my own, I am a solo sailor, its who I am.
I’ve realized in the past weeks, I’m centered, focused, and on my sailing path again. I feel enormously content. I’m wearing time like a loose fitting white linen shirt. For the first time since I saw that blue boat in Tahiti I walk through this world slower than the people around me. It feels really good. Time seems to pass like clouds viewed from a hammock on a beautiful spring day.
I feel confident Splendid will be ready to cross the Pacific again next March. Not because I will or wont have a water maker, refrigerator, Kubota or anything else, crossing an ocean isn’t about stuff. Its a personal relationship with your boat (sound) and the sea, and I want it! My goal is to continue my path towards the Pacific while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
All I feel I truly “need” for my 2nd. journey across the Pacific is a drifter (sail), I just don’t like handling my spinnaker. I did promise myself last time I would have a wind vane for my next crossing and I do.
In the past few weeks I’ve stripped the aft cabin house and removed the headliner in the aft cabin. I’m taking off 4 layers of paint with a heat gun and stripping the surface down to either bare fiberglass or the original gel coat. I’ve removed all the hardware and I’m over drilling all the holes, filling them with epoxy, and re-drilling them to ensure I don’t get any water intrusion into the deck. I have taken my main sheet off of the mizzen and installed two standing blocks (one with a becket) on the cabin house. This was a critical modification I had to make before going anywhere. The old mainsheet system had the main trying to pull the mizzen mast off of the cabin house, not good!
At this pace I should have Splendid all re-beded, and painted up by November. Hopefully I’ll be in San Blas making and saving a few bucks for the Canal and my crossing. If I don’t have the money for the canal, provisioning, and a little cruising kitty for crossing the Pacific I’ll put my trip off one more year and charter/run backpackers from Colombia and back. There is good money to be made here. It’s not really what i want to do but the reality is i will need the money and will make the best of it. Life could be worse eah?
I don’t know if you remember but my camera died after the Marquesas on my last trip across the Pacific and i couldn’t shoot the film I wanted to. I spent over $1400 on a video camera before I left Panama last time that had “moisture” issues and SONY wouldn’t cover it (manufactures warrantee) , amazing, I never got a drop of water on that camera. I vowed never to buy another SONY product! This time I’ll be going with a digital SLR, no moving parts, not as susceptible to 
“moisture”, and better image quality.
Well, that’s it for today. I met a nice couple on a BEAUTIFUL 65ish foot steal schooner and I have dinner plans tonight.
More sanding, chipping, and fairing this Sunday.
The picture is of the first c oat of primer on Splendid’s stern.
Cheers
Sail far and live slowly.
– alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
Well I didn’t feel like chipping or sanding. After I finished my blog I noticed the sun was out and no wind. A good time to try out my new HVLP gun!
I lifted anchor and moved Splendid to a nearby secluded spot, it’s AWESOME!!! If the bugs don’t kill me tonight this will be my new favorite spot :)
Anyway after I dropped the hook , I wiped the transom down with acetone and mixed up some primer (gray), and started shooting. There is no over-spray from the gun. I can shoot two inches away from a port and not get any paint on the glass, it’s fantastic! I’m using my 12v sea breath as the compressor.
Anyway i had about half the transom painted when I smelled the rain :(
I decided to paint till the rain came so I can test how the moisture effects the paint, I painted just up until the first drop hit…
Well All I can say is the primer dries so fast I think its all good? No bubbles or orange peal. I’ll give it till tomorrow to see?
cheers.
reading this log makes me feel guilty, i complain about working on my 26 footer with west marine and boat owners wh down the street and you are doing it anchored in a jungle. you rule man
Glenn,
What are you talking about, working what up?, buying what $hit…, bitching? You hitting a crack pipe?
My fossil fuel consumption is quite low, I would say I lead a pretty “green” lifestyle. With the bike now its gone up a little maybe I consume 12 – 15 gallons of gas/diesel a month. I pretty much live off of solar.
Do me a favor and try to use better verbiage, I don’t like having to edit remarks.
Whats the name of your boat? Where are you cruising?
for someone that wants to be green, you buy more $hit than a normal person, I am glad to see you are back on track and hope you stop bitching about everythingI have been crusing same area as you for past year, and haven’t had any problems, just good times. Maybe you are just working it up for readers.
Hey Alex!!David and I were just talking about Namaste and thinking about cruising. Sounds like life is good for you right now. Come see us when you get back to the states – would love to have you here with us again – we’ll eat Mexican and have margaritas :-).
alex ….ignore the jerk….i’ve been there and am amazed that you are doing all those repairs in linton and san blas..as far as the love thing goes , hell i miss guinny…now if you just paint the boat a light color i will be in shock an awe. go fishing…………….g
Cindy,
I’d like to have you guys out here, lets cruise to Mexico for food and margs ;) Hope you guys are digg’n the new house (with dock) :)
Gary,
We had some good times here eah? Gary owned “Plan B” if you look in the gallery you’ll see Namaste and Plan B transiting the Panama canal (side tied) together.
Gary, in the back, back, back, back of my head I might paint a “white” if I don’t like the black, and only after I test the paint on the stern. A boat “IMSUM” just arrived that has the most beautiful white hull. I will ask what kind of paint but I don’t know that I could match it. A big part of the black hull is having a dryer/less moldie boat for my asthma. I miss Guin too. When I build my pram I’m planning on naming it “Guinevere”.
I just got back from dinner on “Sara G”, an amazing steel schooner, really great people.
My tolerance for bad karma/vibe people has gone the way of the doe-doe. It’s all probably all me though. Truthfully I don’t understand most people and have a hard time relating to them.
I just lit off a spot so if you check the current position on the website you might be able to see the little hole I’m anchored in. There is only room for one boat here and it doesn’t seem to be too bugie. I can shower on deck, play my music as loud as I want, and work without anybody bothering, or slamming into me.The closest boat is about 100 yards away. The only downside I could see is if anyone wanted to rob a dink or something I’m be the probable choice. I also don’t have much scope out 4-1 ish, maybe 5, but I did put down a second anchor to keep Splendid out of the channel, and if I did drag all I could really hit is soft sand & mud. I’m pretty protected in here.
I like the seclusion :)
Well I had a bit of a hard nights sleep.
The bugs weren’t so bad but WOW, there are a lot of fish! During the night fish would flop in the water and hit the hull. I got up this morning before the light and sat in the cockpit watching dolphin circle around Splendid having breakfast as I drank my coffee. Also the water here is flat, flat, flat, kind of feels like being in a house unless a local buzzes by in a launcha.
If its a nice day today I’m going to shoot some paint, blast some music, and do some swimming. I recently came into a light action fishing rod (ugly stick) that was given to me by a friend. It needed some repair (new guides) and the reel had/has some issues but after a bit of time, love, and attention its ready for action. I’ll have to put it to work today and see what I can put in the pot. The locals come up in this hole to do a lot of fishing and cast netting in the shallow spots. The water isn’t so clear but perhaps the fishing will be worth it :)
Happy 4th of July, here is some history about our independence day:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(United_States)
Hey I was just bsing with you, I really like your website and read it weekly. I am in Puerto Rico right now and heading to ABC isalnds for some diving.
You do a good job with the website, I can’t even seem to keep up a log. Some days a crack pipe wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The Sara G is a beautiful boat, glad you had a chance to meet up with our friends.