Fleetwoods Circumnavigation

My previous blog was written on April 23^rd one week before my departure, from my Atlantic Home Port in Cape Charles, to Amsterdam.

From the day I arrived back on the boat, the weather has been sunny warm days and cool nights, but the rain has returned and I am locked in the cabin with long underwear and my wool watch cap. It is hard to imagine the difference with my 1^st Home Port in the Pacific Northwest where a record breaking heatwave with 100 plus Fahrenheit (38 Centigrade) has hit for already one week.

But tomorrow’s forecast will bring the summer back here.

On May 7^th  I lost my friend Annemarie Fakkeldij. I wrote about our first meeting, on Opening Day of the  boating season in April last year at my Yacht Club, on my blog of June 17^th 2024.

The second time I ran into her at my parish church. She had the debilitating handicap of Aphasia but managed yet to be a dear friend.  I had dinner with her the day before she passed away. During her career with KLM she had travelled extensively and had collected an impressive art collection. In the six month of my winter absence her wings had become weaker. She wanted to be with the Lord and spread her wings again.

This picture was taken on May 26^th last year at the Urbanus Church near Amsterdam. This was on the first Sunday that the Diocese had arranged to close my parish to consolidate several of the area churches. But so far, so good, we have managed to stay rooted. Jolly Nguyen, in this picture, and her husband are parish friends. She sang the Ave Maria of Caccini at the 150^th anniversary of the Urbanus Church on May 25^th .

L.R. Jolly Nguyen, ?, Annemarie, I, Iwan te Meij Jolly’s husband and video producer.

Last Sunday we were treated to a Spirited Pentecostal mass with one of the church’s choirs, where I used to sing in the tenor section. This was the first time that the choir was directed from the organ bench. A multitasked musician. After the dis-mis-sal he played a short organ virtuosa that made the walls tremble and the applause burst out. Veni Sanctus Spiritu. This is a one minute video of parts of the Kyrie and Gloria of the Missa Brevis by Gounod.https://www.facebook.com/jackvanommen/videos/724641079955096

Even if I had been able to practice with the choir I would not have been able to sing. I even have trouble speaking. On the 28^th of May I had two broken off teeth pulled and one next to it, standing but with hidden defects, just like in the next paragraph. So a temporary bridge has been anchored on the one good tooth to make me look better, but it was a brutal slaughter and very painful because of an infection in one of the stumps. The tongue has gone through several different colors. Every movement of the tongue is painful. Last Wednesday I went to a specialist who prescribed antibiotics and that seems to be helping. When I was quoted a price to fill the gap, the first tooth had left, I gagged and decided to keep a stiff lower lip.

Now, I can only imagine what I spent on the temporary alone, until the bill comes in. Let’s keep my heirs ignorant for a while longer.

But it might get me off my lazy ass and get this boat sold and sail with #4 to Turkey or Vietnam. Just like I did in 2010. When I left Fleetwood # 1 here in Amsterdam and spent January through March touring Indo China. I had a molder crowned in Saigon in January and when I was in Nhatrang in March I went to an Emergency Room to drain an abscess under the crown and take antibiotics. When I got back to Amsterdam, in May, I had the crown removed and a temporary filling put in. I got the blessings of the dentist to have the permanent crown put in in Turkey, which was done in October 2011. I remember when I got the bill in Marmaris, I thought it was for the initial visit, if I recollect it correctly it was around $300.00 but it turned out to be for the entire process. And it was done well. So, that’s the molder that was worked on in three different countries.

Just before I left here to return home for Thanksgiving, I discovered another boat problem. I noticed a screw that was loose in the foot of the pulpit. It turned out to be another rot spot. I kept it covered under the tarpaulin for the winter and got to work on it. The picture show again the deception of the seller. Again his trade mark red-brown epoxy stuffed against the rot. This is an essential structural part of the bow and the beam dad lost it’s integrity with the ends being rotted out. He knew this. The pulpit had been removed for a repair, badly done, to rot close to the headstay. I used the leftover as a pattern to make the new lamination. I am doing this in two parts to make it easier to bend. You see the first part in place, my job yesterday. Tomorrow with better weather the rest will be laminated to it.

Discovery

The Trademark of Deception

Using the left over to bend my laminations

Look Ma! No screws!

The lawyer will have the papers served in the next days for a court hearing. Wish me luck, please.

As soon as I wrap up my current project I expect to do my first sailing, the sails are bent on. I need to add some photos and video of her moving. Response to the ads have been disappointing. It is a buyers’ market and my exposing the discoveries here is not helping either. But I truly believe that I will have relaced all the structural issues. And I am not planning to sell her in desperation. I can afford the moorage here at the YC membership rate and may end up sailing her the European summers and # IV in the Caribbean in the winter.

Now here is an opportunity to lease the boat and see Holland from the water and sail coastal, drop the mast and cruise through France. Only for good friends and boat qualified. See the pictures in my ad on this page bottom r/h column 

At least for a year or two and then appraise my options. So, the Beat Goes On………….

For the uninitiated the Port of Gold is Cape Charles, Virginia on the Eastern Shores peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay. This name was given to Cape Charles by Thelma Peterson-Jarvis, see “Jack Come Back” . 

This became my second home port after Gig Harbor in 2017. I literally washed up on the Eastern Shore at the end of June 2017, in my second of the three shipwrecks. I spent a year repairing the damage and in that period made lots of lasting friendships here. I had planned for a longer stay here but the delays since the December 17th purchase of “Fleetwood IV” has shrunk it to a week. I made arrangements for Number IV to be stored on the hard at Cape Charles Yard Center until I return from Europe. And then a decision will be made for the continuation of my adventures.  The way the new boat performed from Rio Dulce and Cuba and sitting here listening to her slide through the waves in a 15 knot downwind run, doing over 5 knots in a 15 knot downwind breeze, with triple reefed main and shortened furled head sail, I realize that few things can make me more excited than planning another long voyage.

Since my last blog on April 11, I started out on the ICW from Fort Lauderdale and exited at Fort Pierce for an overnight sail to Port Canaveral. I had just a short window, because all hell was supposed to break loose on the Atlantic the next evening. Back on the ICW. Slow travelling with often strong currents and having to put the anchor down for the night with few choices because the Intra Coastal Waterway is a for the most part a channel dug through shallow lagoons/swamps. This means that there still might be daylight to take advantage off, but no spots to anchor.

So, instead of storing the boat in Cape Charles, I decided to head for Green Cove Springs on the St. John’s River in Northern Florida. I have hauled out there for bottom painting, etc., four times, since 2008. I was all set to arrive there on Good Friday. I knew they took the Saturday and Easter Sunday off. But then I learned that they were also closed on Monday. That meant I’d be lucky to make it to Cape Charles by today. So, when I arrived at the St. John’s Rubicon I checked the weather forecast, it looked good and I turned right instead of left. I have had some of my best sailing since Friday on the Atlantic but had to motor, for lack of wind, for 24 hours since Sunday afternoon. I ended up in the Gulf Stream on the 2nd day and was doing as much as 9 knots/hour. I did not realize that it was that close to the coast. And for a short while, yesterday evening, while motoring near Cape Hatteras, I hit a patch of strong favorable current and saw a momentary flash of 10,5 knots.

Full Moon at my 1st anchorage on April 11.

Sunset on Monday April 21

I missed participating with my brothers and sisters in the Holy Week. On previous similar occasions at sea, I’d often be able to listen to international senders on FM or shortwave radio.

The crooked seller of F.W. #3 has not reacted to a suggestion for a settlement and we are going to court in the Netherlands. He messed with the wrong (once) Dutchman.

I came here in Fort Lauderdale on the 11^th of March, to install my AIS transponder and repair the Anchor Windlass.

But both ended up driving me to the edge of depression. Nothing worked right. And it is difficult to get expert help to the boat where I was moored and row from shore.

My moorage in the Fort’s moat. 3rd from Left.

I was handicapped to get around. I have no folding bike yet (Rhon a good sailor friend in Kinsale, Va., is gifting me  his) and relied on walking and the bus. But the busses are very infrequent and walking has become painful and slow for me. Thank God for bicycles. This all due to the back injury and surgery in 2017. The grocery and hardware stores are far away from this part of the city. A week after I arrived here it was Spring Break and lots of loud parties on and near the beach. My boat was a block away from the beach. Last week the Tortugas attracted large crowds to the beach with their country music.

In the last couple weeks I have been blessed to reconnect with a sailor family from Seattle who moved here 3 years ago. I met Ken Wickman on a flight from Chicago to Dulles D.C., in 2014. We share the same Faith and passion in marine activities. This picture was taken on March 30 after attending St. Anthony church together.

L.R. McKenna, me, Danette Mrs.W, Gabi, Ken

My April 30 flight to Amsterdam is only 19 days away and I will probably end up storing the boat in Green Cove Spring on the St. John River near Saint Augustine in North Florida. And try still spend a few days with friends and family in Virginia.

I will have my ”InReach” satellite responder show my progress. This will also be the first time that you cannot shut me up while out of internet reach now that I have my Mini Star Link wherever I venture.

The April issue of “Latitude-38” sailing magazine contains a detailed introduction to “Fleetwood IV” and a reflection of my 20 year sailing adventure, wild plans and lots of good pictures.

Tomorrow’s Full Moon

I can see the high rises of Ft. Lauderdale. A familiar place, the first day I landed here was in 2009 on April 1st. That was after my 2008/2009 North Caribbean winter. Greg and Marlys Clark gave me my red West Marine folding bike for my birthday. My first folding bike was stolen on my 72^nd birthday in Puerto Rico. The first folding bike was a gift from Bob Ellsworth in the summer of 2007. The red bike ended up in the first shipwreck in November 2013. It saw 22 European countries. By coincidence, I finished my round the world cruise on April 1st, again, in 2017. “Everybody knows a fool, no exception to the rule”.

This is the capital of the Marine Industry business. I hope to fix my Aries wind vane here and find a life raft.

This will probably be my fastest cruise ever. Lots of wind and the Gulf Stream. I left Key West just before 9 on the 8^th and expect to be in port within the hour 27 hours with a distance of 171 nautical miles. That is an average of over 6 knots. I saw over 9 knots on the odometer and most of it  was an average of 6 plus knots. But I also had some motoring at 6 knots for about 3 hours when the wind died. And I dragged a lobster pot for a half hour, but managed to get rid of it by dropping sails and running the engine in reverse. I could not sail in a straight line because the wind for a good part was dead aft and I need a narrower angle to the wind. I miscalculated the angle when I had to jibe once I turned the corner below Miami. I went way too far and did not give the push from the Gulf Stream enough consideration. Instead of doing the last jibe into Ft. Lauderdale earlier I ended up hard to the wind instead of just some space off the aft wind.

On the sail from Cuba to Key West I had the advantage of being pushed sideways to the correct angle instead of having to tack to make up for the unfavorable wind direction.  Now that I am starting to leave the Gulf Stream I’ll end up with room to spare and can ease the sheets.

Since my last blog, I celebrated my 88^th birthday in the Hemmingway Marina. My 2022 hosts after my shipwreck Miralys and Osmany and the two ladies. Valena and Lady, in the harbormaster’s office were a big help. The son of my ’22 hosts brought a friend to play his guitar and show up in his Mexican Mariachi outfit. We ended up with 16 guests, 11 of them cruising crew from six different countries. You can get a good idea of the party on a you tube video/slide show at: www.youtube.be/ow4rp_OdiLM.

On March 1^st I finally found out where “Fleetwood II” ended up after the March 3^rd 2022 shipwreck. Jorge, a haberdasher in, for one, used marine gear who spends a good part of his time at the marina, told me the story. Several says after the boat was removed from the reef he was offered parts from my boat. And he confirmed where the boat ended up with what my guess was, in Bahia Honda, where I anchored right next to a junk yard, awaiting better weather conditions to enter the hazardous entry to Hemingway marina. He told me that everything has been parted out.

Jorge took me and Sylwia from “Sommer Wind” and Mike from “Slainte” to reprovision. He knew all the good places. On Sunday I hopped on the wawa taxis to go to Havana and to the mass at the Cathedral of O.L. of the Immaculate Conception. The city is for a good part a sad looking slum but it also still maintains some of its historic glory.

On Sunday, March 3rd, I took the wWa-Wa taxis to the Big City of Havana and went to mass at the Cathedral of O.L. of the Immaculate Conception.

I ended up leaving Hemingway Marina on Monday morning, March 3rd when I, at last, had a good weather window. But that turned out not to be accurate and it was a tough hard on the wind sail, with as much as three reefs in the main. But it also had a good smoother part. On arrival at Key West, I discovered that the anchor winch did not work again, so I had to hand lower the super heavy anchor. When I checked the fuse, which turned out to be the problem when the electrician in Cuba worked on it. It turned out that he had wrapped thin wire around the two poles of the breaker fuse. It worked just fine but I thought that he had replaced the 5 amp fuse.

Back in the fifties

On pulling the anchor, on Saturday, it became an hour’s effort. Using rope ties to the chain and cranking with the help of my headsail winch. Once the anchor was loose, I floated around the anchorage trying avoid other boats and watching my depth sounder.

It turned out that the anchorages at Key West are too far and the currents too strong to attempt rowing there. I put a call for a ride on the local cruisers FB page. Not a chance. This anchored crowd here is the opposite of the community in places like Rio Dulce. I am told a good part are druggies and permanent live-aboards. So, I was in isolation from Tuesday until Friday when I was starting to crawl up the walls and running out of food. Two French boats anchored close enough to hail “Caribou” with Sebastien and his wife, from Montpellier. And his neighbor Jean Pierre? A catamaran. They both spent time in Rio Dulce and knew my French friends I made there. Sebastien dropped me in town and I spent Friday afternoon clearing customs, shop and blend in with the tourist crowd. I had a beer at Jimmy Buffet’s Margarita Ville. A great place and everyone having a good time. The two French boats left shortly after me and I arranged with Sebastien to sail by, his boat is much faster than mine, and take a picture of me and the boat. And I managed to get a few good shots of their boat.

Near Key West Photo by Sebastien of “Caribou”

Caribou

So, thank God and my luck, I happen to be on the only available mooring ball here in Ft. Lauderdale, in the same spot of my two earlier visits in 2009 and 2017. In 2020, the end of April, the mooring balls were quarantined because of Covid. Anchoring in the confined waters would have been a challenge.

Captain Ron, a Quebecois, my neighbor, helped me with his dinghy because it would have been a two crew job. The spot has a dinghy dock now. I shall get my first ride in the dinghy I purchased in Rio Dulce and try out my 12 volt pump. Another Quebecois, Roger, came by and offered to give me a ride to the stores. I remember that they were a ways from this spot. My priority chore is to try fix the sudden loss of wi-fi and GPS on my laptop and wi-fi on my tablet. It all worked several days before I left Cuba. I have exhausted all the Google searches on the only wi-fi I have on my cellphone. I had to send text and photos for an upcoming article in Latitude-38 and had to use Bluetooth and upload to Google Drive.

UPDATE: I posted this on the 11th and today, March 14, I finally ended up connecting to the internet on my Starlink. So, I can rattle away again on my laptop. It was an half hour one way walk to the repair shop and I did this 16 laps or 8 hours. Coul I qualify for the Guiness book of records as oldest speedwalker? I might be here longer than expected. I purchased an AIS transponder throught the USPS and it has not shown up on the tracking yet. I also need to get the power problem solved on the anchor windlass and GPS restored to the plotter. I hope to find someone that can checkout the old Aries Windvane. Apparently Amsterdam is the place to get the parts.

My time is running short if I still wish to use my March 27^th return portion of my flight Amsterdam-SeaTac. Last year I was able to change the departure of the same roundtrip from SeaTac to Dulles.

I may end up doing this again and trying to extend it to a later date in April. Possibly celebrate Easter with my brothers and sisters at Saint Charles of Borromeo in Cape Charles. I am having 2^nd thoughts to consider pursuing the attempt to flatter myself with becoming the oldest solo round the world sailor. After checking out Rio Dulce, I consider this to be a possible winter’s refuge after a grow up. I still have this long time wish to sail to Cartagena, Colombia and get on the bus for a backpack tour of the South American Pacific Coast. I might hang on to “Fleetwood III” a little longer and use it this summer in Europe for short visits in and near Holland and rent a car to visit friends in Western  Europe who I have neglected too long. And put #4 on the hard until this upcoming winter season.

UPDATE February 26th Ash Wednesday: On doing an early morning check on the weather, I decided to postpone my departure. The wind is dead on the nose, and the North winds will stay that way until the usual Eastern Trade wind returns on Monday. I prefer to pay 4 days moorage here and hav e a nice beam reach to Key West instead of beating my brains out against this northerly. So, you are all invited to the Big Party here on the 28th.

Carnival on the eve of Ash Wednesday have been a historic part of Cuba’s festivities. But Fidel put a demper on it and religion. No Joy here anymore. Since my last blog on the 15th., I have managed to get the critical repairs done. On Tuesday the Anchor winch was fixed, a broken fuse. On Saturday the auto-pilot was working again. I am not alltogether sure, but I believe it was just understanding the many different switches that had to be coordinated. Nothing broken. Each fix cost me $20, try that elsewhere. I had hoped to find someone to fix the Aries Wind Vane, but that will have to wait until Florida.

I was in the starting blocks this morning but smarter sailors than me, talked me out of it. Because of the weather conditions. And it would not have happened anyway because my $423 bill for my ten days here is still in limbo. But for sure, tomorrow morning, if I can get more evidence from the ABN-Amro that my bill has been paid. I wrote that that I had lost my Euro Credit card. I figured that I had enough cash $ to pay my bill. No, not really. So, what to do? They may chain my boat to the dock and send me to Gitmo (the USA lock-up on the Guatanamo Navy Base. ) But, lucky Jack, was able to wire transfer the bill in Euros from his Dutch ABN-Amro account. But the comrades have not been able to verify it yet. Just everybody count your blessings that most of you, unless you live in Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, North Korea, China, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Russia, do not have to put up with these robots. We, in the USA have narrowly escaped this for at least the next 8 years.

I will turn on my Tracker after clearing customs tomorrow morning. You know the link in the upper right corner of this blog. You may again see some weird tacks against the wind but eventually I should put tdown the anchor in Key West.

I left off on the last blog on Saturday the 15th. The next Sunday I missed my routine mass service. I was unable to find the schedule for the nearest church in Santa Fe. To go to the city of Havana with a 50/60 $ roundtrip taxi was beyond my sence of duty towards my faith. On Monday, without my trusty folding bike, I was going to walk the 8 miles to Santa Fe to get some vegetables, fruit and meat, but I managed to hitch a taxi ride with 5 other passengers for $1.50 and the same coming back. There were a few buses running, jampacked.

On the 21st., I invited my friends, Miralys Perez and Osmany, the couple I lodged with in their Casa Particular after my February 3rd 2022 shipwreck,  to dinner on the boat. This turned out to be another sample of the communists robots. I had to get pictures of their id’s and obtain passes for them. They had to be outof the marina gates by 5 pm. But, anyway, it was a good time as you can see by the pictures and video. I squeezed in some Nopalitos, fresh from the marina property. These are the young shoots on the large cacti. Very popular in Mexico. Some of you might remember that I survived on them and Porcini on Ibiza in 2013.

Miralys and Osmany

On Sunday my friends came to get me for the 9 am service in the O.L. of the Assumption church in Baracoa, where they live. The original church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-Cathedral_of_Baracoa  was built in 1810 and because of the suppresion of religion under the communists it is now in a small parish church. But the cathedral building is still standing, waiting for a revival. The majority of the congregation were the students at the enormous campus of the Medical University of the Americas in Baracoa. Most of the attending students were from Africa. The choir in this picture sang in French, Spanish the Gloria in English and the Sanctus in Latin.

The African Choir

The Cuban priest

There were just a handful of local parishioners. I was introduced to one of them, Jose Cruz. This is another one for my “Small World” experiences novella: He had studied engineering in the United States. His best friend, who also studied in the U.S. and stayed there, began in a seminary and switched to pediatrics. He asked me where I was from and I told him that I was from the North West and it turned out that his friend lives in Puyallup. That is my current mailing address where my oldest daughter moved a year ago. His friends name is Quidio Penaliv (?) One of his five sons is the current president of The Seattle University. The first lay person to head the Jesuit university. Our Lisa studied at the S.U. I will probably get some reaction from my N.W. friends that they recognize the name. And when I visit Lisa next I will bring him Jose’s greetings.

I am save and bruised in Havana, and after a shower, a shave, and a Cuba Libra, feeling privileged and blessed. After three years fixing a boat, sailing is like skating, the same tricks can be applied not just on wooden boats. But for the ones of you who tracked me on Garmin In Reach, seeing the wild movements, no, there was no alcohol aboard. The very last strange move into Hemingway is due to the fact that I had intended to enter the marina Thursday night, but learned that that was a No-no and that the channel markers were not lit. So I decided to sail back to open waters under minimal headsail and get some sleep. It continues to be a learning progress. And I learned some on this maiden voyage, the bruised way. I should have listened  to my friend Thelma and done a few trial sails on the big lake in Rio Dulce. But how I was Med-moored in my marina spot, it takes a bit of work to cast off from the bow line anchors and reset the mooring process. Once the tardy iron mongers were finished installing the Aries windvane frame, I was all set to take off on Wednesday the 5^th. But when I tested the built in mechanical Ray Marine auto pilot it did not respond. It most likely was caused by the installation of the wind vane frame on the transom, right next to the auto pilot. The wires appeared undisturbed, but there was some heavy hammering done on the new frame. I wished I had this fixed before take off but I decided to use the back-up tiller pilot until I got to Florida. But it finally gave up the spirit in strong winds last Wednesday. Because it limited me to sail to the highest point of sail due to overreact to weather and falling in to “irons” when I was down below and unable to react in time. This meant tacking at the large angles you saw on Saturday against the highly unusual N.E. winds. But Sunday brought a welcome lift to a straight shot towards Cozumel and lighter winds and seas. The dolphins did a morning show and this turned out to be one  memorable sailing day to make up for the previous days. Going back to Wednesday. I anchored just before the gorge that brings you to the Caribbean Sea. A wonderful spot in a cove with a number of other stopover boats. I managed to use someone else’s Star Link wi-fi. But in the morning, hauling the anchor, there was load bang when the anchor came up to the roller and the anchor went right back down. Turned out that this anchor was meant to serve on a USN carrier and not fit for my muscle power which has always served me well on a one foot shorter boat. I had to tie a mooring line to the chain and bring it up with my Genova winch. I had to anchor out on the roads of Livingston to clear out from Guatemala and to wait for the highest tide to try clear the bar into the Caribbean Sea. Just to drop it down on the shallow bottom was enough to hold the boat in place. I intend to replace this spade monster with a Rohcna of half the weight. The previous owners happen to be on the south coast of Cuba and I hope to get his expertise on fixing the auto-pilot, tiller pilot and anchor winch. I already have several offers here from local mechanics. A video of part of the trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOl13mEdNPM

So, in a nutshell: the unusual wind direction the near gale force parts and rough seas and my getting used to the new systems, the breakdowns were a negative but there was some great sailing, the full moon and the boat is a delight to handle. Exceptionally well balanced. When the tiller pilot broke down, right around the S.E. corner of Cuba, I was faced with hand steering the three day sail to the Lake Okeechobee canal and I must have hit a strong negative current because I ended up covering about 10 miles the entire night. But then I got a wind lift and discovered that the tiller pilot still was an asset without power to it. I could adjust the length of the pushrod by turning it to get the right rudder angle. I had used this trick on my previous boats but it usual was only good for a quick dip into the cabin, before the boat would go off course. But this worked so well that I managed to get some sleep without touching the helm. As a matter of fact it ran in a straighter line than the constant adjustment made to the compass setting when under battery power. But I remained limited to a lower wind angle. But it does speak highly of the boat’s design.

This is the first boat for me with roller furling. I have resisted it, but have become a believer. With the frequent wind strength changes it beats changing head sails with pulling a string in and out.

The chart plotter was a God sent to enter the tricky entrance channel into the Hemingway marina.

Being able to steer the boat with the GPS location on the cockpit bulkhead instead of my previous limitations with having my laptop on the chart table. A cellphone screen is a less desirable option. In 2022 on entering this same channel in nasty sea condition I ended up straying on the reef and had some nasty moments until a good wave set me free again.

I have one nasty problem now with my Garmin In Reach tracker. The border guards taped it up while I am here (cell phone and Star Trek us is also Verboten) now I am listening to the annoying warning signal until it runs out of charge. I have had this problem before where there is no way to figure out how to shut the damned thing off. The last instructions I remember are that I need to hold the “on” button at the same time with “X” button. That does not work any longer. In the mean time I am charged for the actual usage. Why can’t they come up with a stop button?

My dear friends, the hosts at the Casa Particular, where I stayed while licking my wounds after the last shipwreck here in 2022, were the first to greet me here yesterday on arrival. They come to get me at 9 am. Miralys and her husband were of great help in the aftermath of my loss of Fleetwood #2. Like all the Cubans they live in very hard conditions. I was able to sent them some of the very essentials they cannot get here and I helped their son cross legally into the USA and become their “remittance” aid in Florida. I pray that our new government will do the right thing and back our close neighbors from this festering wound and injustice and back their desire to become a real Cuba Libre again. Remove the (Chinese?) Trojan Horse from our shores, at the same time. Venezuela and Nicaragua next.

With all the delays I may not be able to arrive in time to celebrate my 88^th birthday with my Cape Charles friends.

The Hemingway Marina is still the same rundown place with the remaining signs of the glory days.

But there are more boat guests. Including the 3 masted Brigantine Schooner? Windjammer “Regina Maris” flying the ensign of my home town Amsterdam. Probably a story for my next edition. Another visitor is Mike from Missouri on a 27 foot Cape Dory. Another single handed sailor and I sense another good friend. Mike offered me to use his Star Link access, when I was on my way for the long walk to the Hotel, where I used to do my on line affairs. When I mentioned the “verboten” order for the Star Link, he shrugged his shoulders and told me that this was not enforced in the marina, he offered to help me set up mine. But, Halleluia, I figured out mine and you are the first beneficiaries of the skills of our voluntary Vice President. My wind shade from the trade winds is my neighbor, the “Mahoa” a huge Lagoon catamaran that departed from Manglar Marina before I did. The owner is from Burgundy.

There is a “Dollar” store here, where you can purchase with only non US credit cards. But unfortunately I have lost my Euro credit card. My Euro debit card is not accepted. But I have enough cash US $ to shop there but there is no change for my $20 bills. So, I have to shop mathematically.

It is now late afternoon and I was the guest of my former Host and Hostess Miralys and Osmany Perez. Osmany traded his Suzuki motor bike for a 1975 Argentinian Fiat Cocinella ? This picture is for my sweet niece Mariken de Ruiter who drives an older Italian version in Lombardia.

The Argentine Fiat Cocinella

I had  a long conversation with Miralys on their roof top in Baracoa about the emergency the Cubans are in. They have bad vibes on Marco Rubio. I conveyed my expectations that he might turn out to be their salvation. That he and Trump will deal with a shame of our foreign policy towards our nearest neighbors that the previous administration had no clue on. The seriousness of their plight has been totally ignored and without some courageous action on our part will be a shame we do not want. Electricity was on today for 4 hours and then will be off for the next thirty hours. They have a small gas fired generator but are unable to purchase gasoline. Osmany is a retired Police Chief with a pension of $8 month. A teacher’s salary is $10 a month. There is no milk nor eggs, children will grow  up with severe deficiencies. They are unable to attract customers for their B&B = Casa Particular because tourist stay away from a country where there is no food to buy, the public transportation has no fuel. Three years ago I could get to Havana on the bus for about 75 cents. Now, a taxi, who still have some fuel access, is like $30 to Havana from the Hemingway Marina. The Cubans are in general a better educated with a rich Spanish and North American heritage than the rest of Latin America. There is little crime, addiction and homelessness. Please, pray and act with your USA representatives to focus our resources on a good neighbor instead of pouring out our resources on our adversaries.

I wish all a great weekend and thank you for your prayers for my safety. Love to all.

And a belated Happy Valentinas Day to all the Girls I love.

The title (Tomorrow is for Ever) has a double meaning in this blog. A popular song and current Mexican video novella. Firstly it is about my struggle to get going North.

Wasting away again in Margaritaville. Juice in the blender. As long as you can adapt to the Mañana attitude you should be able to surrender. I am retired, why the anxiety? But my Anglo/Saxon pre-Boomer Calvinist upbringing struggles with being promised by my Guatemaltecos iron mongers to start the installation of my Aries Windvane on January 17 and so far they have put in a few hours on Friday night. But it may all turn out just fine, as always. I still would like to make a stop at the Hemingway Marina in Cuba, but just like my failed effort in 2017, the trade winds have been right on the nose. But there is a good window with mild northerlies between February 10 and 12. Which I should be able to catch if these iron mongers can be converted to my way of perfection. I would need to leave Livingston, my Guatemala check out port, by February 6^th.

I am super anxious to hit the trail again with my Fleetwood IV.

Yesterday, I managed to learn the intricacies of bending on the mainsail with lazy jacks. I never had these luxuries, nor the 12 V fridge with juice in the blender and being able to keep my vegetables/meat fresh for much longer, the mechanical anchor winch, roller furling an so on. I also went to the bright side of satellite communications, I bought a Starlink Mini enabling me to stay in contact with you from the middle of the ocean and check the weather. Please, do not use my email address for long emails, once I am underway. The roaming charge is stiff and I plan to use it sparingly.

I will turn on my Garmin-Vesper Satellite tracker when I leave Rio Dulce and you can follow my progress at: https://share.garmin.com/JackvanOmmen   It is also shown in the upper right corner of my web site.

With a little luck I hope to celebrate my twin brother’s 88^th birthday in Cape Charles, Va. on February 28. I have lost track of my adjusted age according to the formula where I go back one year for every year sailing the oceans. It has been a while since I did any serious passages. Matter of fact, it is exactly three years today since my sailing came to a full stop on the North Coast of Cuba, on my way to Rio Dulce. And instead of pulling sheets and a hand on the tiller, I spent three summers replacing rotted plywood on “FleetWood III” in Amsterdam.

I received some good news on the attempt to recover a good part of my costs on the repair from the crooked seller. My lawyer discovered that it looks like he is the son of the marina owner where I bought the boat. I thought he was just a hired harbor master. I count on all of you to join me in a January 6, 2021 (peaceful) like march, with our red hats, on the marina, if he does not pay the damages.

My interrupted sail from Havana on February 3^rd 2022 was meant to check out Rio Dulce as a possible winter home when I grow up and quit crossing oceans. I will never manage to save enough to own a home, since my 2000 bankruptcy. Though my home port is in the Pacific Northwest, I have no appetite to live there on a boat in the winter. Mexico would be great but not in the summers and the voyage back north is next to impossible for a small sailboat, because of the prevailing north wind and current. The Atlantic Coast is a much better choice to move with the seasons. I definitely consider Rio Dulce now an attractive choice, I had a good time here and felt at home with the kind of cruisers I met here.

The second interpretation of the title has today with Rose Marie. Today is also the 57th. birthday of our 2^nd oldest daughter Rose Marie. She passed away, suddenly on June 2^nd 2019 from a Pulmonary Embolism. We all miss her very much. She was an exceptional woman. And she left us with many wonderful memories. But the best is that she left us her contact address where anyone can meet up with her again. Through God’s unending mercy, I happened to have a phone call with her two months before her death, I called from Virginia to her in Washington state. Her first news, with some excitement, was: ”Dad, I am praying again”. My response was: “Rose Marie that is the biggest gift you could ever give me!” She was raised in a Christian environment and parochial grade school. Married in the church. Addictions of her husband (since, thank God recovered) broke up the marriage and she dropped attending church. If I had never had that one phone call, it would have been an enormous loss to carry. Now I have a reason and another reunion to look forward to. God is Good.

Here are a few scenes of my Rio Dulce Visit:

From bridge looking north.

The “lanchas” terminal. For many shoreline spots there is no road access

The Egrets returning to the River for breakfast

The one month courtship with my new ELANgant lady friend is working out well. We are getting ready for the Honeymoon. I have decided that her name will be “Fleetwood IV”. The name has been used for several models of Cadillacs and Pontiacs my first car was a 1950 Chevrolet “Fleetline”. Fleetwood is a well-known travel trailer. It is an English family name and towns in England, Canada and the USA. I almost forgot Mac’s pop band named after my boat.

I moved from the Happy Iguana marina, 6 days after I arrived there, to the Manglar Marina. The only way to get to town from the Iguana was by lancha (water taxi). I slept in town for 3 nights and when my transfer money cleared, on to the boat. The shopping area with supermarket and hardware stores is just outside the gate of the Marina Manglar. I call it my Frog Pond.

View towards Manglar west side of the bridge

sunrise from the bow

BBQ in the Frog Pond. I’m at the far end

The harbor master is Jean Claude Danois and most of the customers are French. I feel very comfortable here, like a fish in his favorite environment. Jean Claude organizes barbecues for the guests, we bring the ingredients and the tableware. And often other French sailors in the neighborhood come to join us here.

There is an active morning VHF radio check in with weather report, activities, buy & sell, etc. Every Tuesday morning there is flea market, “Pass it on” where sailors deposit there surplus items and purchase these treasures. It is well run by volunteers and the proceeds go to local charities. I checked out a Karaoke and Marguerita evening. The last time I dipped my toe in this was in a very similar setting in 2009 in Luperon on Hispaniola, another hurricane hole with also a sizable semi-permanent fleet. I had put the lyrics of “La Malaguena” on my phone, but they had it on their screen, part of the verses were not what I know. But it worked o.k. I had learned it when I took guitar lessons from a Spaniard in Los Angeles in 1957. The Kingston Trio made it popular in the early sixties. I retained nothing of the few cords I learned on the guitar. I gave it one more try in 2006 when I was in the Philippines where they have excellent guitar builders. It did not work anymore. Instead of staring for hours over the same horizon, I could be singing and stringing from the cockpit to the moon and the dolphins.

I have found a RC church a 10 minute walk away. St Antonio Marie Claret church.

My first visit was an experience. The first 20 minutes I was standing up with everyone singing as if I had ended up in an Evangelical or Pentecostal  service. Hand clapping, arm waving. Obviously an adjustment made to compete with the growing  protestant type of services. Check:  https://youtu.be/Wehii4Zxeb4

On the Sunday after Christmas “Feast of the Holy Family” A one minute 15 second video.

After my recent experience of empty churches in the Netherlands to witness this joyful event, with young families is proof of the importance of the Family integrity.

My shopping list is down to a folding bike and a life raft. I have  my rowing inflatable, and a 2^nd hand Aries pendulum wind vane. A harness, jack lines, bosun chair, some tools, table ware, bedding etc.

I found a local metal worker to make the frame to mount the wind vane to the transom. He has a job to finish but I should have it in a week or so. In the mean time I have repaired the blade of the wind vane to keep sea water from soaking into the foam core. I am very familiar working with epoxy but that only comes in two quarts. So, I used polyester resin and glass cloth. Which is available in small quantities. I am impressed with the one hardware store that mixes colors from bulk in two part urethanes/catalyst and reducer. I needed less than 10 ounces. The same for some blue paint that I need as background under the white lettered decals I have for the boat name, web site, home port. I never expected to purchase a white fiberglass hull.

The Paint Artist

On popular demand, I made a 9 minute YouTube video of a walk through the boat.

As soon as the wind vane is installed I plan to take off. I will try to make a short stop in the Hemmingway Marina on Cuba. About a 4 day sail from here. But this will depend on the trade wind strength and direction. I tried this in March 2017 but gave up and peeled off to the north. But the trade winds are not quite as strong a month earlier. I’d like to try and see if I can find any leftovers of “Fleetwood II”.

I wanted to share with you that the Los Angeles fire catastrophe hit hard home for me and my 1st wife. Our very first home we moved in to after  our (another) honeymoon in June 1959 on 503 W. Terrace Street, Altadena is gone up in smoke and ashes. As you can see the Street View picture is nearly identical to the one taken more than 60 years earlier. A rare treat that the occupants were still as satisfied as we were. The three Birch trees I planted are missing.

503 W Terrace Altadena January 1961

 

Google Street View. 503 W. Terrace

West Terrace Street, Left Center. right after the EATON Fire

In the upper left corner of this picture you see part of the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) division of the CalTech university. The Moon walkers. My wife Joan worked here as a data processor on the Mercury project when we lived on Terrace street. I was drafted in January 1961 and sent to Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Wa. Joan ended up working at Boeing in their Aero Space department. The JPL campus escaped the Eaton Fire.

Stay tuned. I will turn my Satellite tracker back on once I start moving. You can find the directions to find me in the right upper corner of this web site.

Rio Dulce, Guatemala, December 17.

The deal was done this morning. I have a new home to replace “Fleetwood III”, which is up for sale in Amsterdam  https://cometosea.us/?page_id=7922  The particulars and pictures of the new boat can be found in the advertisement: https://www.boats.com/sailing-boats/1986-elan-boats-31-9609788/   

I spent many hours poring over the ads for a replacement on the Pacific and Atlantic coast as well in Europe. Rio Dulce is not very accessible to the average hull kickers and the sellers had the same advantage by purchasing their larger replacement at a lower price than elsewhere. She is not a Spring chicken, but, just like myself, well maintained and well equipped. This boat has an Icom SSB radio and a Pactor modem, just like I had on “Fleetwood I”, if I can recall the complicated procedures, I would be able to update my blogs, text only, from anywhere again and send and receive e-mails. The sellers, are Staša and Bostjan Paradiž, a Slovenian couple. Bostjan grew up with the boat he took over from his father. They already have an  impressive blue water distance on the boat but decided to get a larger boat for the rest of their circumnavigation.

This is la lifechanging experience to go from wood to polyester. I carry a set of identical decals of my previous two “Fleetwoods”. But that might be dishonest and a bad ommen. I’m considering “WreckJack”. Any other suggestions? Since most marine insurers have the fear of God for the American ambulance chasers, I will most likely change the Slovenian ensign to a more convenient flag. Poland has been suggested. I’m keeping the decals, just in case I find a proper wooden boat on the east side of the Atlantic. My new boat will be easier to sell in Europe where this model is better known and it is set up for 220 volt AC.

My plans from here are still in the planning stage. I’d love to head north to the spot I have had on my wish list for a long time to visit Cartagena and do some bus travel further south. But I will most likely head for the Chesapeake. I still have not been able to penetrate the fortified access to the Microsoft monopoly to recover my e-mail address and content. I did not manage to reach the lady who has that magic telephone number, I used to own, to obtain a passcode to access my account. And coordinating a way to use her to arrange an exchange is impossible from here.

Next, would be the beginning of an attempt to make that second circumnavigation in an easterly direction. With a stop in Holland to pick up items I have on “Fleetwood III” and find her a new home. And recover all or most of my expenses from the crooked seller of this boat in Holland.

Since my last blog of November 30, I left on Sunday last week from the North West and travelled by train to Sacramento, California and by air to Las Vegas. I made a stop in Eugene to visit my long time friend Evert Slijper and his wife Judy and to visit my youngest son Seth and his wife Carly in Roseburg, Oregon.

My favorite step granddaughters L. Elizabeth R. Tabitha at my oldest son, John’s home in Las Vegas. Their grandfather is 1st Dutch -US generation van den Berg. My great grandmother was a van den Berg and her mother a van Ommen. So, when I familiarized John’s fiancee with this, she quipped: “Oh, John, we can’t get married”

On Thursday 12 December, I had no clue where to go after my stay in Las Vegas on December 14. And where I would be for Christmas. Later that day I discovered the ad for my new senior floating independent living address. And a spot for my heavy backpack with winter and summer clothes I have been lugging through 8 airports, numerous train stations, a long bus ride and last on the water taxi and lanchas.

I was on my way to Rio Dulce on February 3^rd 2022, from Havana when I had my third shipwreck. I wanted to check it out for when I grow up. It sounds like a place I can afford on my social security and royalties and socialize with similar folks and get rid of my long underwear.

I ended up missing my flight out of Las Vegas on Saturday that connected with the flight from Houston to Belize City. The TSA (Transportation Security Agency) was terribly disorganized and sloppy. Over half of all the carry on baggage was double checked. My laptop went through the scanner three times and then all my stuff ended up on a different track and I finally discovered it for the third check. It took nearly one hour to get from the check in counter to the departure gate. So, my checked baggage went to Belize. But, thanks to United’s generosity, I had a free overnight and meal coupons in Houston. The short taxi ride from the Belize Airport to the bus cost more than the 9 ½ hour bus ride to Punta Gorda on the shores of the Rio Dulce delta. The bus was just ready to depart. My lucky Sunday, the next bus would have arrived near midnight instead of 21.30 My butt still hurts from the hard seat and bumpy roads and the fast ride on the water taxi and lanchas on the Rio Dulce. The 3 hour stop in Livingston, to clear into Guatemala, was an experience into a totally different world, I had become acquainted with on my sail south in 2017 to the Panama Canal. The diminutive Mayan Indians in their colorful wear, the noise, smell, good food and dismal poverty.

In Livingston, Guatemala

Psalm 33-12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

A prancing Great Egret in Livingston

the ride from Livingston on the Rio Dulce

I had a very upsetting experience yesterday morning at the “Happy Iguana” marina and hotel after I concluded my purchase of the boat. The broker for the boat had made a reservation for me at the hotel for Monday night. I gasped when I found out that the room was going to cost me $117 for the night. The Texan owner wanted me to pay up front in either Pay Pal or Zelle, no VISA. So, I paid with Zelle. And since he appeared so suspicious of me, I e-mailed him a Screenshot of my bank’s confirmation. In the morning he came to the boat while I was inspecting it and told me that I had not paid and that I intended to defraud him by sending just the confirmation that only showed him being added to my payee address list. Which turned out to be correct and I had not fully finished the transaction. I still have a heck of a time working my cellphone for this. So, when I was done with the purchase and wanted to check on the payment, he had locked my access to the room and my laptop. And his Texan Buddy Guard came up to me and said: “Gary is nicer than me, if you don’t pay I’ll knock you in the water!” It was a very nice room with two double beds and a bunkbed. But the room I’m staying now, in town, for $38 has a table and chair and a TV and I do not need to use my headlamp to write this. The $117 room did not and had no storage. The place needs a more appropriate name instead of the Happy Iguana.

I’m excited about the new adventure of “Alone at Sea with God and Social Security” and grateful that I can afford to own two boats.

Wishing all a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We have lots to be grateful for. This year it was one of the smallest gatherings other than during some of my ocean crossings. On Wednesday we grew from two to three with the addition of one of Lisa’s best friends whose husband was on duty on Thanksgiving. We usually have a much bigger gathering.

Lisa and Roberta

But it reminded me of 1971 when Lisa was 7 years old and the two of us went skiing that Thanksgiving weekend at Whistler Mountain, in British Columbia. I got sick on top of the mountain and had to take the chairlift down. This is one of the scariest memories. To sit in the double chair seats with only the bar keeping you from sliding out into the deep abyss of the downhill view to the valley, with a seven year old next to me. Going up mountain you can almost touch the nearest part of the earth. I immediately went under the sheets in the cabin and Lisa will never forget her 1971 Thanksgiving meal which consisted of a few crackers.

I arrived back in the Pacific N.W. on November 15th. Lisa, my oldest daughter, is my hostess once again. In my last blog of September 13th, I reported that I was going to be homeless from October 1st, since that is the end of the summer season at the Y.C. in Amsterdam where I am moored. I booked for the month of October in a marina where I was allowed to live aboard, north of Amsterdam. But just before my departure, the club sanctioned my stay aboard until November 1st. I stayed those last two weeks mostly with my sister.

The mast was reset on November 5th. I managed to clean the boat up of all the tools, paints and expoxies to be able to add some pictures to my For Sale add. Take a look. https://cometosea.us/?page_id=7922 The price is right. This your opportunity to have your own home for that trip you planned for years, to see all of Europe, from the water at your leasure. Enough room for a family of five and share it with another family for the rest of the season.  I saw more than 20 European countries that way in 2010-2013. Read all about it on this blog for those years. I am selling the boat because it is not fit to cross oceans but perfect for the Dutch inland waters and European coastal and Med summer sailing. Moorage is paid up through March 31st. I plan to be back on March 28th to take your money and give you the key.

I have found an excellent lawyer to help recover all or at least a good part of the expense of the three summers hard work to repair the hidden defects. If any enthusiast of my forced labor efforts is interested in the pictures of my accomplishment and the extent of the deceipt I can send you the google drive link to the three slide shows of the three summers work. I made these and have a crate of monsters in case it comes to a court hearing. If the seller were smart he’d avoid this but I wonder how anyone, in a sane mind, could expect to get away with this crime.

The search is on for “Fleetwood IV” I plan to check a few boats this week, now that I finally have a phone number here again, as of today. But most likely the East Coast will be where I’ll end up with # IV. More hoice for the type of boat I’m looking for. My first choice is another NAJA like my first and 2nd Fleetwood. There are two of the 4 Naja kits I imported in in 1980 unaccounted for. #3 was last seen, a few years ago, in  the Pender Harbour area on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. #4 was built by a Sacramento School teacher, who, I was told, sold it to a San Diego sheriff around 1990. But this week I happened to come across an old post from the, apparent, real second owner in the Sacramento area, by the name Ronaldo. But so far no further trace found. I may have to prostitute my self and the Fleetwood title and join the grownup sailors on tupperware boats.

Last Saturday I was able to meet up with my Cate-Ring friends who served their last 160 plus meals at the Night Watch shelter in Seattle. Cate and Gabe Lichten and their helpers are continuing their 5 Star meal service in Tacoma, which is closer to home.

I anticipate to be visiting friends in Northern Washington State and the Vancouver area. If I can make the appoitments on short notice, now that I finally have my telephone service. Next to see my friends in Eugene, son in Roseburg, Oregon and Las Vegas. I might be back to where I am now, after Christmas, with a possibility to use Lisa’s condo while she visits her daughter and family in Warsaw. Then, depending on the boat shopping prospects, I’ll fly to Virginia to spend time with family and friends until my departure to Amsterdam on March 27th.

If you are on my mailing list that I will, as usual, send out today as well, you will have my new US telephone number. If you are not on the mailing list and want the number send me an e-mail to vanommenjack@gmail.com   For Whatsapp, please, continue to use my Dutch number starting with 31-649……

Now, I can start trying to recover my Outlook e-mails that disappeared into a black hole on June 5th. There is still one problem that I had not foreseen. In order to re-open the account Micro Soft needs to send a code to my old cell phone number that I should have been able to re-open on arrival on November 15. After many phone calls and bad directions from the the two previous services, I discovered, by calling my old number on Sype that it was recently reassigned to someone else. Wish me luck that I can change my old to the new phone number.