...and other times, not so much.
We let go of our mooring ball in Baquerizo 2 mornings ago, with a brisk 15 knot wind blowing. Perfect direction, perfect speed, everything was perfect EXCEPT for the fact that it was Friday. In the book of Sailors' Superstitions, ranking close to #1 is to never set off on a passage on a Friday. We were planning to put this to test.
Within an hour, we were blazing along at a respectable 6.5 knots, a speed which was unheard of heading south along the Pacific coast, and one that we averaged until the wind stopped altogether, around 1:30am. Our trip from Isla San Cristobal to Isla Isabela was approximately 95 miles from start to finish, so we were hoping to arrive just at daybreak the following morning. With dead air, we of course turned to the trusty engine in order to push us onwards. It was also a crew change, and I gratefully headed down below, but sleep was tough due to the fact that there seemed to be an unknown rumble coming from underneath the bed. The Captain didn't want to acknowledge it directly, but 15 minutes later, I heard the engine get turned off, and a summons to come topsides. Seems the engine was getting a bit hot, and Ron determined that a new impeller was needed in the water pump. Nothing like doing emergency repairs while underway, in the middle of the night. We might have just waited but we were only 5 miles off Isla Tortuga, a crescent-shaped island that is the mostly submerged top of a volcano. It's pretty cool, but we didn't want to get any closer, hence the repair.
An hour later we were underway again, and with no wind whatsoever, we slowly made our way into the reef and rock strewn port at Puerto Villamil on Isla Isabela.
Now this is what I always envisioned the Galapagos to be. Its much quieter and a quick wander through town showed dirt streets, and everyone on bicycles. We had heard that the islands in the west were quieter and less developed, and we've seen for ourselves that this is true.
We had been having head problems. Not too bad, just seemed like the hoses were a bit clogged as the "outgo" wasn't quite keeping up with the inflow. Another boat project....which I announced yesterday that I was tackling. I believe I saw Ron rolling his eyes in disbelief. Now in cruiser's parlance, there seems to be Blue jobs, and Pink jobs. Pink jobs are usually galley related, and keeping clothes, dishes, and boat generally clean. Blue jobs are....pretty much everything else. Ron is a bit squeamish with anything poo related, and as a woman, I certainly have my fair share of "gross" to deal with and while I wouldn't say that its my favourite job, its easier for me to do. Several hours later, with a gallon or two of sweat dispensed, I announced that the job was done, with nary a leak to be found. 3 hoses, a vent and a y-valve, clean as a whistle. Which also meant that the cleanup also included the entire bathroom - BONUS.
For the first time in a year or so, this morning I saw the sunrise. Early mornings aren't my strong suit, but the boat was bumping up against the mooring ball, and around 5:30am we were up. Not only did we see the sun come up, but we also saw our first penguins swimming around the boat. Who knew they were so fast?! Another tick in our "what did we see in Galapagos?" book.
When we find an internet signal, I'll post some photos, but for now this update is being brought to you via single sideband
Aside from the flies (of which there seem to be an unending supply of), we like it here!
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