Donny Brown
I hope your the guy that needed this charter the most, congratulations. I’ll send you an email in case you don’t read this, we’ll work out the details :) I hope you like fish!
Man I had a weird dream last night!
I went for a swim off of Splendid and the water was as clear as air, I could see fish for miles. The bottom was littered by rusty anchors and the chains of the boats anchored around us. When I found my manson (The Doctor) it was in the process of being hauled up by Splendid herself, without me, I quickly swam for the surface so as to not “miss the boat”.
I think Splendid (my sub-conscious) thinks its time to go somewhere?
I don’t get my second payment (direct deposit) from my job until the twentieth when I will order my refrigerator compressor. Between now and then I will buy primer, paints, scuba tanks, some tools (Jig saw, 4′ orbital sander, router), and finish plumbing my Pneumatic / scuba rig so I can shoot some paint. Man its going to be a pain in the ass to try to paint during the wet season! I also need to rebuild my refrigerator box as I’m going to add three inches of foam around the whole thing (inside) and make my freezer compartment smaller (about three cubic feet). My box is well insulated now but just to big at nearly 15 Cubic Feet. I’m shooting for 8 to 10 CF for the refrigerator, 3 in the freezer. Unfortunately I’ll have to order the blue board foam from the states, shipping will not be cheap.
I’m still searching ebay for a VHF with loudhailer and foghorn.
I’m going to work on Splendid until my money is almost gone then go to the San Blas and hang out at Por Vaneer fishing for charters, and fish. I’m also going to put up flyers in some of the local hostels and hotels. Man I don’t want to go work for someone else any time soon!
I’d like to pull off sailing across the Pacific in 8 months, However it might be a “pipe dream”? I still need to get my h2o maker going, and get a drifter. I need to re-rig a few things and a buddy of mine told me where I can salvage some good stainless plate from a wreck to make hull-mounted chain plates. I was going to pass on the project as the material would cost around $400.00, but getting free material sounds pretty good to me. I’ll have a machine shop drill the holes and make the bends. I don’t like the way my threw deck chain plates are designed, not to mention the fact they leek.
In about 4 weeks I’m thinking to stage Splendid in the Chagras river which is about 10 miles from Colon where I would have access to numerous hardware & paint stores as well as a quick two and a half hour bus ride to Panama city. There is a small anchorage there (Ugly) and a $5.00 a day dingy dock (safe) where I could hang for a few days when needed. The Chagres river is supposed to be spectacular (wild life) but the water littered with crocks, I don’t think I’ll be spear fishing?The mosquito content might be high but I think I’ll find the least wind during the day to shoot paint. A friend also told me where I could find some shelter from the trades for painting in the San Blas. If I feel comfortable that I have all my supplies that would be a better option.
Who knows, as always with me I may change my mind (sailors prerogative) tomorrow. I may change my plan of attack , but this makes sense to me this morning :)
I’m bummed my iphone is starting to wig-out. I’m contemplating weather or not I’m going to get another one. I see 8GB 3G’s are going for around $ 180.00 – 200 on ebay. It really is a fantastic tool. I was surprised to see so many people already had ipads on the plane, out of the entire plane I counted 9 people working on ipads, I haven’t used one but they look really cool, my buddy David swears by his. It’s the computer Capt. Pikard used on Star Trek, but real…, man technology is zooming!!!! I upgraded the hard drive in my macbook and I must say, having my first mac I don’t think I could ever buy another windows based system.
Splendid is a wreck. I’ve pulled all my tools out and I’m editing, giving away, and throwing out. I’ve got 3 large trash bags of unwanted stuff off the boat in as many days. Less is more!!!! I had three speed squares and two levels. One speed square and no levels on a boat make sense to me. I also have way too many screw drivers, wrenches and other stuff I really don’t need.
I’ve met some nice new people since I’ve been back. I got my buddy Paul a huge bottle of rum for taking care of Splendid during my absence. He will be transiting the canal soon and as always in the cruisers life we say goodbye to friends and make new ones. Sometimes its sad but the way it is.
Sail far and live slow
-alex