Here are John and Christine (aboard their catamaran Time and Tide) - from Whitby - who were to prove a major influence on the next stage of our adventure:
2 February
To: "wiksberg" <john.kirkus@kolumbus.fi>
Subject: Trini
X-MID: 1209_m0jrk
X-Type: Email; Outmail
Date: 02 Feb 2004 17:01:01 -0000
X-From: m0jrk
X-Status: Sent
X-Via: HF.WG3G
X-Date: 2004/02/02 17:01:02
Hello Flower
Have sent a circular to all the children to try to update all sms and e-mail. I suspect Ruth's new provider has no Trini agreement.
Glad all well down on the farm. Devastated to miss the Paddaisten Party.
Now surrounded by four other Finnish boats.(One named Venla)
About to go ahead with watermaker. (Price went up by 300US today but I get old price in the sinking dollars. Actually a very good deal with the Euro so high.)
Anneli has talked us into sharing a maxi to another pan yard tonight. The "Taste of Carnival" is on Weds with free shuttle from Jess.
Thereafter I have booked in for four things and Time and Tide have asked me to go with them to j'ouvert the mud and paint thing starting 0300. Don't know if I'll manage. Cats o'tarn.
Off to get a shower and see if I have any replies from Venez.
Lots of love
pn
And I had replies from marinas in Venezuela.......Puerto la Cruz seems absolute favourite.
Pan yard was good but constant trips away from boat take up a lot of the limited time available.
3,4 February
Work for the watermaker started....major work in forepeak (pressure vessel) and heads (filters piping)
Evening of 4th Wednesday Taste of Carnival, splendid with amazing costumes:
5-13 February
Continuous work on watermaker plumbing and a start on electrics.
14 February
Major meeting of boats planning to visit Venezuela.
The principal concern is piracy along the wild and mountainous Venezuelan coast. Boats who have done this trip before suggest we should try for as large a fleet as possible and to head northwestwards towards the group of Los Testigos which lie about 40 miles offshore and about 100nm from Chaguaramas.
About 20 boats were interested.
Richard (Hula) arrived yesterday but will not join our fleet.
17 February
Date: 17 Feb 2004 22:48:24 -0000
X-From: m0jrk
X-Status: Sent
X-Via: HF.WG3G
X-Date: 2004/02/17 22:48:26
.........................................
The boat is a total tip but out of the salt has come sweetness!
Tomorrow I shall start to restore a little order.
I am getting pretty fed-up with all the mess and being stuck on the boat for days on end, except for short trips to Echo Marine.
Thursday is my next trip out....Limbo and Calypso finals,- with Sula. Then Panorama - pan finals. Then Mon. morning Jouvert with Time and Tide followed by a day of parades with Hula.
However it all does seem a bit pointless with you so far away.
I`ll see what Venezuela comes up with and then have a bit of a long think.
We intend to go North first towards the oil rig and then West to Testigos. Then down to Marguerita and thereafter down to Puerto la Cruz where I have reserved a berth.
I must try to get into Port of Spain and send off some cards to mm Yvonne this week. Evidently post from Venezuela doesn`t work. Hopefully winlink will work but anyway Hotmail will function. Security in P la C seems very similar to Kemer --- boats are left unlocked etc. Katsotaan.
Spring must be on its way because the sunset has already moved four fingers to the right since you were here.
I do hope your teeth recover.......dental services in Venez are said to be excellent and cheap!
Keep cheerful
love
pn
Two more days of provisioning and finalising the water-maker installation. This stay in Chaguaramas will have been the last major equipment installation for the entire circumnavigation.
20 February
A quite remarkable day.....
It started quietly, laundry collected, dinghy cleaned, checked navigation lights, serviced anchor winch etc..
In the evening a minibus full of us went to Calypso and Limbo dancing - which was quite excellent - and how they got into those positions was difficult to imagine.
BUT I sat behind a couple on the return journey ....
They were also members of the BBC Yacht Club...
Adrian had been a student of mine at the BBC Training Department...
His brother Ed had been an assistant lecturer with me in our early days and he had married the girl who had taken the Yacht Master course with me on the BBC yacht Ariel skippered by Rosanne Leigh, our Commodore!!!!!
21 February
Spent a long coffee break aboard Quadrille with Adrian Hartley and Christine from last night. Maybe the world is slightly smaller than we thought . What a really happy meeting.
They will not be joining our "fleet" at the month end.
Nor will Richard on Hula ....he also had been a student of mine and one weekend had helped lay the concrete flooring of Orchard Cottage in Brockhampton.
It seems that we shall be five boats, hoping to leave on Ash Wednesday. There is a fair amount of paranoia about the pirates along the Venezuelan coast. But better to be over cautious - especially single handed.
22 February
Carnival Sunday. Parades bands and dancers all day long. And a comparative early bed because tomorrow begins at around 0430 with J´Overt the official start of Carnival.
23 February
A really joyful day, entirely friendly - no pick-pockets, cameras watches cash etc totally safe.
24 February
Final preparations..... but it seems that not everyone will be able to leave tomorrow.
And some very alarming news from Germany, so perhaps I will return to Europe as soon as Bluesipp can get to a secure mooring.
25 February - 27 February
Awning off, wind generator stowed, jack-stay rigged, log impeller cleaned, lazy jacks rigged etc etc
etc.
28 February.
Dingy up and griped down, cover on.
(Checked out yesterday to avoid overtime !)
1530......Aweigh and away.
29 February.
To: "wiksberg" <john.kirkus@kolumbus.fi>
Subject: underway
X-MID: 1229_m0jrk
X-Type: Email; Outmail
Date: 29 Feb 2004 05:52:28 -0000
X-From: m0jrk
X-Status: Sent
X-Via: HF.ZF1GC
X-Date: 2004/02/29 05:52:30
Greetings from the pirate coast!!
60nm done,44 to go. Two cats and Bluesipp all within half mile.
Following breeze and a bit rolly. Poled genny, no main - I broke the traveller! Still I seem to cope with these cats.
Hope I can send this and pick up yours.
Also hope your fever is gone.
Lots of love
pn
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| Steering well clear of the pirates on our way to the tiny Testigos group |
