The Holstee manifesto.
I’ve never heard about it and don’t know how popular it is. As you know I don’t read papers, watch the news, or keep up on current events as I live in my own life and time.
Someone mentioned this manifesto in the last blog and I just had to post it as it is such an eloquent way of putting my philosophy into words.
I suggest you click on the manifesto to enlarge it, then right click, download, and place these words on your desktop, print them, make copies, share them with friends, and put it where you can read them often.
We only have one life to live! Let these words saturate your soul and penetrate the deepest corners of your consciousness, and more importantly, your unconsciousness, “Getting lost will help you find yourself”, I promise!
I know I’ve been quiet the last week but there has been so much going on. Carla’s mom and step-dad came for a 4 day visit. All I can say is what lovely people! They are from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The had never been to a Caribbean place such as this nor had they ever put on a mask, snorkel, and swam in such clear and warm water.
They were really excited to swim with some fish 
Carla had to translate the entire four days which I’m sure was tiring, however we all understood each other and got along famously. The only unfortunate part that was Carla, her mom and myself caught some kind of bug and were battling a fever the entire time. 
I can truly say I wish they had stayed a bit longer!
Good people are surrounded by good people, and I’m honored to have them in my life.
The day I had to bring them to the airport I had an enlightening experience.
We were all having coffee in a restaurant ashore and they were about to cut down an almond tree that had a root entering the restaurant’s patio. 
The tree must have stood 75 feet tall and had obviously been there for quite some time providing food, shelter to animals, oxygen, and beauty. The cruisers would park their dinghies beneath it for shade, and I have eaten the raw almonds on more than one occasion. It was so beautiful!
A man with a chainsaw tore down this beautiful goliath in less than a minute, he didn’t even have the decency to use an axe. When it fell, tears welled in Carla’s eyes and I got angry to the point of chewing out the owner of the restaurant. I suppose I did because they were all cheering when it fell.
Killing this tree was such a crime. Why is it that man just has no idea how to live 
peacefully with nature? The tree gives us air to breath and food, how can we be so careless to kill it for nothing? If it were to fall on its own it would have fell into the sea, it posed threat to no one.
I just don’t understand.
We are going to take a few days to relax and get back into our routine of living peacefully and healthy. I’m excited to get back to my film, and Carla to her music.
Please take the time to open your eyes and see nature for what it is. It is the power that is greater than us. It deserves our respect, love, kindness, and consideration.
I am such a lucky man!
Peace, Love, and nature.
Sail far and live slowly.
– alex
Alex and Carla,
Glad to see ya’ll are having a great time. I like the Holstee Manifesto, words to live by if you can………..
What’s next? You gonna do some sailin? or cruisin somewhere?
What’s your next project? Got the exterior looking great, still modifyin the interior to fit ya’ll’s needs?
Just curious, like to hear about your projects.
I have lots to do still on Moon Pearl. New boat to us, and new projects to work on. Watermaker is driving me nuts at this time, it’s workin, but smells like “onions”. Not sure the contractors didn’t put the wrong stuff in it for pickling. One thing tho, it’s not as stinky as when we bought the boat. Soon after we took it to the marina, the smell started.
Had to flush it a few times to get the “nasty pungent” smell outta here, but now the smell is in the water we’re makin…………..blahhhh!!!!
Plans? I try not to have any :)
Carla and I were sick for about 10 days and I’m wondering if we got some bad water?
My buddy gave me a 110 water maker about a year ago and I put it in the closet.
Well I’ve pulled it out and if I can find a 12v clutch to fit the cat pump and a membrane I should be able to convert it to engine driven and produce 18GPH of clean water. I’m giving it a little attention. As I’m making the film I’m trying to get my big “must do’s” checked off my list.
I got a new EPIRB coming, you can see the logo for ACR on the left. I still need a drifter, bottom job, and a few other odds & ends before I take off.
On the short term we will go back to San Blas. I wanted to go to Patagonia in November with Carla (going to see her sister) but can’t pull it off so will stay and work on the boat.
Thoughts of transiting the canal are going through my head as well as dreams of returning to the S. Pacific :)
Maybe you need a new membrane for the H20 maker too ?
28 west sail for sail :)
With trailer ????
sailingtexas.com/201201/swestsail28101.html
Speaking of boats for sale. I was in love with a CT65 down here 9 years ago that couldnt have ben had for 300k. The owner ran it into the ground and just heard it could be had for 30k. So sad :(
VALHALA?
Gary yup. You can buy Valhalla for 30k
BTW,
Carla just posted a nice blog.
if you add a few drops of clorox per gallon to your drinking water it should kill any nasties. Also, I wonder if you have malaria…………?
Valker.
I’ve had malaria and if you have it, trust me, you know it.
I would never put bleach in my drinking water, I’d rather run the risk of getting a bug every once in a while.
I have a uv water filter that came with the old H20 maker my buddie gave me. I’m going to hook it up to a special drinking water tap.
I lived on a small sailboat – a Flicka – for two years and captured most of my drinking water from rain. My cruising bible for most things domestic was Lin Pardy’s “The Care and Feeding of the Offshore Crew”. I was following her advice when I decided to add a couple drops of bleach to my water. The tradeoff is possible amoebic dysentary. The Pardy’s are purists but also realists. Rain water is lovely and soft but drinking it untreated does carry risks. However, I sincerely hope that you stay well and determine whatever it was that caused you to get ill…… and may the wind be at your back.
Calmer
I used to put bleach in my water to purify, it’s just not healthy. Europein countries use h202 (hydrogen peroxide) which is water with an extra molecule of oxygen, it’s also a naturally occurring compound in nature. If I were to do anything I’d go that route but feel better doing nothing as many of my cruising friends do. I will use a UV light filter if water is suspect but after I get the watermaker it’s all moot. BTW rainwater is good just the way it is here :)
I don’t like to over sterilize or purify anything. Getting sick is good for you and the development of your immunine system. If you travel all the time like I do it becomes important. I also do t believe in treating fever unless it is life threatening, or taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary.
Just my humble opinion on how I treat my own body. My way is not the best way, just my way.
The bug we had passed and we are feeling great these days. I also chew up a raw clove of garlic daily, yummy :)
Peace.
Rainwater is not good Alex.
Huge ships burning bunker fuel which is the most polluting fuel on the planet are going thru the canal day and night. And as far as that goes you would have to find a truly remote place to find rain water without pollutants and heavy metals today.The water you are swimming in is filled with human sewage right? No pump out where you are correct? You seem to get sick often as a result. Being careful with food prep and water safety would reduce that. Just saying.
Paradise parrot,
Just about every cruiser I know along with millions of islanders and Panamians, colombians, Coasta Ricans, and people from all over the world collect and drink rain water my friend. Heavy metals, and exaust don’t evaporate. Rain water has no minerals and can be used in your batteries as a result.
It blows my mind that people are so disconnected from nature they think one can’t drink rain water, or water from a mountain stream. If you really want to contaminate your water with bleach, go for it. Why not add Floride while your at it?
You seem to have a very ugly view of the world by the comments you have posted in the past few days. The sea is not a raw sewage dump and nature is still healthy to live in.
Where do you live?
Do you really think pump out is the answer to clean the sea? There is a natural system in place to clean organic waste. What do you think lobsters, crabs, And all the other filter fish thrive on? The water here is beautiful M8.
If you think I’m drinking unclean water and swimming in shit you have a very polluted view of life here :(
Over read all the comments you have posted in various blogs over the last week and they seem a bit bitter to me.
There was wonderful streams where I grew up. Acid rain filled them with aluminum and other stuff and the government told us not to eat the fish. They sued the utilities in Ohio in the supreme court because they had turned off the scrubbers because Bush fired all the inspectors and no one was watching. So if there isn’t anything in the water what was poisoning the fish? And what was turning the trees brown?
They find PCB’s in Artic rainwater.So living next to the canal with the hundreds of tons of
Bunker fuel being burnt near you daily…well it speaks for itself. Certainly rainwater is among the best choices as is making your own water.But to tell people it is pure is misinformation. A 5 dollar charcoal filter/.5 micron will solve much of it for drinking water.
That place had much less population density than where you are right now and is a water shed area.
Nature absorbs a lot of our poison. And I know you live in a wonderful area. So do I. But I still filter the water. Active Charcoal takes out the chlorine I dont drink it either. One filter is good for a year.
I didnt say you were swimming in shit Alex.
I said there was untreated sewage in the water. Lobster waste wont make you sick with any normal quanities. BUT a small amount of infected human waste will. I can see the other boats around you in the pictures and I know how the shore side waste is dealt with. Given very minor precautions are needed to prevent issues why would you ignore them? I applaud your mindset which is why I have followed your blog for many years under several names.
Only reason I mentioned it at all is it seems you and the others on the boat get sick much more than I ever did in my life
There is a floating island twice the size of Texas in the Pacific filled with Plastic 600 ft deep.
IT kills 1 MILLION sea birds every year.
You will see it for yourself. It’s not my view alex…I will be following in your footstep as soon as I am done taking care of my mother who has stage 4 cancer. And I hope to see many wonderful things and meet many wonderful people…But mankind has filled the planet with garbage and has no interest in stopping.They will cut down the last tree, eat the last fish and fill there stomachs with Soylent Green. I wish they didn’t but thats the current path. I fought it all my life with my money , time and actions. The next generation has to put down there Ipods and take up the fight. I am retired from fighting.
kids.mongabay.com/elementary/501.html
I don’t want to preach anymore. Anyone can look if they are interested.
Fair Winds
Pparrot,
Have you spent much time traveling? I have a sediment filter as do most boats. All the boats, and homes in the caribbean, central and south America, the pacific islands catch beautiful clean rainwater M8. They also use wells and drink water from the streams and wells. The salt water here is not poluted with human waste which is one of the reasons the local fish farm (American company) decided to grow their hatchlings in this bay. They have 5/6 scientists in the facility on the mainland here.
Sorry about you mother. I went through that when I was 20 and lost my mother very young.
Lobsters process waste (human and other), it’s natures way of dealing with it.
I agree with you, mankind will cut the last tree. But we must see the Forrest also. There are many clean beautiful places left and we must focus on the positive and preserving them.
Good luck with your cruising planes and with your mom.