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It was
very windy and there was a rough sea with 3-4 meter waves. We got the wind abeam
and were rolling (quite) a lot. While I was inside the engine room(/compartment)
the others took turns throwing up(/vomitting) and they came to the agreement
that that it would be for the better if we found a bight(/cove) and anchored so
we could continue the next day.
The engine was still hot and we were only able to go at low turns(/revolutions).
The radiator was bubbling and there was "sludge water" on the dipstick and the
oil cover(/lid) and the (cylinder) gasket head or cylinder head is cracked.
On(/Along) our way the bilge pump suddenly refused to operate. And Eric kept
"pulling pumps out of his hat". He had (already) checked(/inspected) all of them
and they (all) worked!!! (Well, edit,) they could rotate(/whirl), but it
appeared(/came to show) that none of them could(/were able to) lift(/remove)
water. So we got the hand pump started(/up and running), after replacing the
hoses with new ones that is. After about fifteen minutes that (too) stopped
working. The rubber valve had deteriorated and fell to pieces(/apart). I got
(/managed to get)the salt water intake rigged to make the engine suck from the
bottom. This required someone who could hardly keep up cleaning the emergency
filter at the end of the hose. They took turns and all (of them) needed a bucket
down there. It(/This) is probably the worst place(/location) to be, when
suffering from seasickness. We got the genoa rigged(/set) and (just) seconds
after, it pulled the block out of the deck and tore off the drum. Everything was
mounted with screws and the woodwork is crumbling. I crossed and then we pulled
the block out on the deck on that side also(/too). Then we forgot
about(/dropped) the sail and went on by engine alone. The boat was containing so
much water that it reached(/hit) the engine and soon the strap for the
generator/water pump snapped(/tore apart), so Eric brought me a whole bundle. We
had to lie still(/be at a stand-still) for two hours until we got(/had managed
to get) the water level (down) below the engine. And while at it, the new strap
also burst(ed). With the third strap in place we were able to continue to
the(/our) anchorage.
We called at Porto Bello at around 9 p.m. in pitch dark(ness), without any light
(on board, edit) since that too didn't work. The GPS, a Garmin 50 had
died(/departed this life), probably around the turn of the century. (So) the
last(/remaining) miles were "exciting". Bart made (us) a fantastic(/spectacular)
spaghetti bolognese and we drank all the beers and were quite cheerful(/in high
spirits). We did a few repairs and changed the oil. And one by one we
all(/everyone) fell asleep(/went to bed) except Eric, who kept(/managed to keep)
us floating by changing(/replacing) pumps and finding alternative ways of
getting rid of the water without the pumps having to lift it too high. One took
the water to the toilet (which constantly had to be pumped!!), another managed
to lift it up in the sink.
The next day we sailed (up) to a bay, where an Austrian has(/owns) a small
marina. But the boat draws(/sinks) too deep for us to go through the reef and we
had to anchor (*just) outside.
David and Mette wanted to go back to Colon after their car and I wanted to come
along to check on Trojka that was anchored (there). There only is one bus
departure a day and that is at 05.30 a.m. However, the Austrian found us a lift
departing at 10 p.m. It turned out two Austrian brothers, one of which had had
his boat there for four years and they were just on trip(visit) to check on it.
On their circumnavigation (of the globe) the(/his) wife had gotten pregnant and
they went home for her to give birth. But before the baby was a year old it
happened again and now his wife didn't wan't to sail any longer. They were both
"legal" drug dealers. They owned a number of(/several) hash cafés and a hash
factory and we heard a lot of good stories, among other things that they had
tried to start sort of a delivery service, where the customer just made a phone
call and then the delivery (man) came with a "collection". It turned out to be a
success and soon they had five delivery men working (for them). But it caused a
lot of trouble and they had to stop it after a short while. Hash can be bought
and smoked in Austria, since it is an alternative medicine bla.bla.bla.
Back home at the marina again we had a bunch of beers and a lot more stories and
finished it by smoking some local, which the two "drug dealers" judged as
"pretty good". I have never been driving under the influence. When it comes to
rowing I can't say the same thing any longer. |