Jan. 11, 2009 Of power take offs and other progress....(a short note from M)

No, I'm not talking about airplane take offs....We got our bracket back a few days ago from Metalica Perez (they've been wonderful to work with) and I've been busy fitting and modifying it to adapt our reefer compressor and large case Balmar alternator to fit. Most of the holes and support plates were fine, with a few exceptions, but nothing we can't drill out or deal with. Now consider, I have to crawl into the engine room on my right side, lift the half horsepower Tecumseh compressor with its attached refrigerant hoses over my head one handed to sit on the surface plate of the bracket, then lift the 165A alternator one handed to its new sliding foot support bracket in order to secure it with its half inch bolt...not the easiest of positions or work. When that was all done, it was obvious that the double pulley on the crankshaft would have to move forward to align with the alternator double pulley. Hmmm. By a process of guesswork and internet search, I found what appeared to be similar to what we have on our Perkins - a PTO (Power Take Off) extension to the crankshaft. Getting it off took several hours, as it had probably been on the engine forever. I couldn't reach the bolts without first removing everything! I had to (again) remove the alternator and compressor, then take out the bracket. Perseverence prevailed, as well as sweat and a few choice words. The tapered collar was then separated off the double pulley and shaft, and I'll clean, prime and paint everything tomorrow before reinstalling the PTO. We'll be able to align the pulleys properly and figure out the tensioning arms for the belts, get them fabricated and welded onto the bracket, then clean, prime and paint everything before final installation. Believe it or not, we're making progress! Baby steps! Everyone keeps asking when we're leaving! I don't know if they're sick of us (just kidding) or just intrigued with our modifications, but we answer them "When we're ready!!­" Actually, we're hoping to depart for the Galapagos by the end of January but we're not keeping to a schedule, and you can appreciate what's going on aboard by the above discussion. So, now we all know what a PTO is, and it's certainly one of those things I never knew about, yet alone considered taking apart, before we departed to go cruising! Guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Our best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010! We've spent 2009 in Panama, have enjoyed many wonderful places from the San Blas Islands to the Perlas Islands, and have met many other cruisers as well as expats who live here. Slowing down and engaging with people is one of the reasons we mosey along in our slow way as we learn so much from these interactions with others. Of course, there is always boat work to do! Sometimes there are major projects, but most of the time it's about upkeep and preventive maintenance stuff. We're thankful for all the help we've received along the way, and are learning many of the arcane details which allow one to successfully cruise long term. We're particularly thankful for our families, and although we don't see them very often, they're always in our hearts and thoughts. We've also been fortunate to enjoy good health, with infrequent setbacks, which allows us to continue to meet the demands of the cruising lifestyle. So as 2010 unfolds, we'd like to share our prayers and blessings with all of you and appreciate your support of our endeavors as we prepare for crossing the Pacific and visiting those places that have, up to now, been dreams to us. May your dreams come true and may your hard work result in satisfaction and contentment. Our best to all, Michael & Susan

Dec. 20, 2009 Bluey

We found a squatter on our hipped dinghy when we went to use it to reinstall our starboard upper shroud chainplate. The blue footed booby (sulu nebouxii) was using it as a perch to fish from. I was thrilled to get an up close and personal visit. He didn't move when we launched the dinghy, moved it around to the starboard side and started working...until he saw a fish to dive after. One of the joys of cruising for me is to be so close to nature and I've always held a special fondness for our aviary friends. Those webbed feet are an unusual blue, and each talon, or toe has a hooked nail on the end of it. They can dive from a sitting position on the water surface, or plunge from 80 feet in the air. Their wing span can be nearly 5ft (1.5m). What a sight...they're so much more streamlined and skilled then the pelicans I'm used to seeing. Their thick necks, streamlined bodies, long strong beak and webbed feet make them great sea hunters.

Progress......Dec. 11, 2009

There's a nice big mess aboard Infini...Michael is deep in the project of rewiring and simplifying our electrical system to better reflect our full time live aboard demands. I made a quick trip to Florida to pick up a new large capacity Balmar alternator,
(a 94-165-12-IG Dual Delta Stator model), Balmar MC-612-H regulator and various other stuff. This trip coincided with the expiration of my Panama 90 day tourist visa, and to top it off I had a chance to visit with kids and grand kids! I also drove up to visit my sister in Georgia...no moss growing under these shoes! (sandals). We make progress every day, but the scope of revamping is huge, and we're both looking forward to sea trials in the near future. The evenings have been pleasantly cool, and there's been no significant rain to talk of.

Nov. 1, 2009

We're back at the Balboa Yacht Club after spending the night at Contadora where the only other boat anchored was a friend we had met in Cartegena! Paul has been to Costa Rica and down to Peru in the last year. He has a fast catamaran.....some folks move around a lot....others like us take our time! Paul was one of the three single handers (all bald!) we did our one night of 'clubbing' with. It was good to see him at Contadora and swap stories. As to Infini,we've installed an aluminum 'rain frame' around two of our solar panels that will work as a rain catcher. The rain awning we use now over the foredeck can only be used when the dinghy isn't stored there, so this can be used anytime. We've still got a work list, but things are coming along...Michael has a dentist appointment to get his permanent crown put in; Sue will get an MRI of her knee, which is feeling a bit better but the stability/strength isn't there. She misses swinging from the rigging. We need to sew the leech of the roller furling jib as the sacrificial cover needs restitching from sun exposure. We'll get some advice on our engine driven refrigeration unit which is a bit low on freon and has moisture in the system. We've not been running it much lately, and it hasn't been really inspected/gone thru since we put it in over 4yrs. ago. The weather has been wonderfully pleasant....cool nights with partly sunny days and occasional rain.

October 9, 2009

Life at BYC has been interesting! The windlass has been completely taken apart, rebuilt and reinstalled. We've had our routine dentist and dermatologist visits, and finished our dodger-bimini rain 'window'. M is still working on the refridgerator condenser blockage. We've decided to spend more time in Panama then Ecuador, so we'll get back out to the Perlas Is. for another visit. We've also updated our Picassa web album pictures.

Sept. 23, 2009

We moved to a mooring at the Balboa Yacht Club after one night at the anchorage, where we dragged in a squall. Michael was not feeling well, and Sue was going to be in FL for a week....hence the move to a 'new' place for us. The mooring field is close to the Bridge of the America's and about a couple of hundred yards off the canal. The shipping traffic is constant, as are the work/ACP pilot boats. Not the most calm place, but convenient to taxi or bus to town. They don't have a dinghy dock, but provide a launcha service to pick up or drop you off at your boat. Sue went to Miami to pick up our extended stay visas for French Polynesia, but being so close to kids, made a trip to Orlando and New Port Richey. Michael tackled a list of projects....even completing a few! We've met more expats who are willing to share local knowledge and show us around....time is flying by.
(Infini is by the stern of the freighter)
For info on BYC: http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Panama/Balboa

Rio Cacique, Isla Del Rey Aug. 27, 2009

We're tucked into a beautiful bay nearby the mouth of the Cacique River at Isla Del Rey. We actually got to sail over here from Isla Pedro Gonzalez, where we had anchored in a very protected spot with no roll under the lee of Point Zacarilla. Fishing has been good; we caught another beautiful Spanish mackeral on the cedar plug, which has been the most useful lure we have. The scenery has been varied and beautiful; sandy beaches, deserted islands, red colored bluffs, large boulders and rock formations uncovered at low tide. The surf is pounding in the background as the frigates soar overhead. We're enjoying the solitude, as there have been no other boats to share an anchorage with for a while now. Single sideband radio transmissions have been difficult to get here, and there's no cell phone service available.
N08deg18min, W078deg54min.

We're in the Pacific!! Aug. 8, 2009

It was a tenuous start to a wonderful transit, as a leak in our manual fuel pump started when we were underway with our adviser Hector to our first set of locks at Gatun. (M says the copper fuel rail snapped off right at the junction of the exit nut of the pump. Michael(Captain McGyver)and David did a fast repair so we were able to make our 1530 time slot. Our first three locks going up we side tied to a bouy tender,(smaller then us!) so Fleur and Sue had it easy. We were behind a small freighter and a fishing seiner from Cartegena. It was great to be locking during daylight, and at our mooring doughnut in Lake Gatun by 7pm. It was a beautiful cool night and we had a pleasant sleep in the Lake. Victor, our new advisor, arrived to a ready crew at 6:45am. The weather was great for our 5 hour motor across the isthmus, and we center tied for the three locks down; with Fleur and Sue on the bow lines, and Art and Dave on the stern lines. (And a big thank you to Dar for taking the pictures!) We were behind two tour boats, so Infini's image is on many a camera. A bottle of champagne was popped when we were safely through and in the Pacific...a double celebration, as it is our 28th wedding anniversary also! A proper libation to Neptune was offered before we all toasted Infini and our successful transit. Right now we're safely anchored (we won't even discuss the white out squall conditions that greeted us just as we were ready to anchor - we waited it out) on the north side of the Amador Causeway (N08deg55min,W079deg39 min), Las Brisas, and are one of about 40 different types of vessels here. We went ashore to celebrate with a meal at the 'Wine Bar', and our friends from the sv Rose of Sharon, Joe & Sharon, joined us. A happy, satisfied and tired crew!

July 18 2009

Well we did play pack mule for our four 50lb. bags....plus we shipped 3 big boxes! We're joined by our dear friend David (our 4th son); who was recently laid off from his architect job. He's volunteered to help us with our many projects and to line handle when we go through the canal. How lucky are we? Our three boxes also made it here. We picked them up.....but are still wondering where it will all go! For now the boat is torn up again; tools everywhere. The prop and shaft are out----and the engine hoses are all getting replaced. Life on the hard is not easy, as we can't use the head or sinks....and schleping our gear up and down the ladder constantly; but hopefully things will go smoothly and we'll be back in the water soon.

May 1, 2009 Shelter Bay Marina

We're on the hard in Shelter Bay Marina (Colon, Panama) where we'll leave Infini for a few months while we go back to the States, celebrate two college graduations, and visit family. The haul out went very smoothly and there's been lots of prep work to do before departure. We're hauling back four fifty pound bags of "stuff" and expect to ship other stuff back to Panama by commercial shipper instead of playing pack mule. We continue to meet lots of interesting people and see some amazing boats here. One notable personality we visited with (and came through the breakwater at the same time) was Webb Chiles. He's completing his fifth (!) circumnavigation and, as you can imagine, has lots of stories. Great fun! So, for now, we're off to do some land cruising, and don't expect to make any blog entries until our return mid July. Hope everyone has a great summer and we'll update this Blog in a few months. Ciao!

Jan. 4, 2009 Feliz Ano Nuevo from Shelter Bay Marina!

We're back aboard after an uneventful flight to Panama City. We stayed overnight at La Estancia, a small, personal type hotel (old officers quarters) 0n Ancon Hill we enjoyed, albeit very briefly. Our 200 lbs of luggage, and two large backpacks, including our new alternator and stainless steel pipe for the exhaust system, made it back to the boat just fine, and the exhaust system has been repaired already. We had a cruiser potluck this afternoon, as Bruce, the haul out yard manager and his family (April, Kendall & Quincy along with their adopted sloth) are leaving here after a stay of two years. We'll all miss his genuine caring, professionalism and help. There are lots of new boats here, and some old friends who have returned as well. For now, everyday has a project list, and we'll keep everyone informed when we leave here.

Guanaja- 2/13/2008

The winds had calmed after gusting on and off 25-35knts. during the night. We motorsailed with Soggy Paws to Guanaja. They'll wait here for a weather window to go on 'around the corner', and we'll play and explore until we have to get back to Roatan to pick up our batteries. Michael's cousin Alan keeps threatening to come join us ....we hope so! Guanaja is the second largest of the Bay Islands, (and highest), but the mainland is only slightly developed. Bonaca Town is on a cay (island), that serves as the main hub. We'll explore that another day. We took a mooring at Josh's Cay, on the outer reef. What a cute resort here! Graham (from Cayman Is.) has been here 14 yrs. and has made a unique spot. (And that's after hurricane Mitch wiped him completely out!) Getting off the dinghy you see the fish/lobster/sharks/goliath grouper/turtles in natural pens along the protected reef. He has a big selection of our feather friends also...even homing pigeons and different dove species- from Cayman Is. also. We can get fresh water (jerry can it), free ice and wifi, bar/resturant (24/7)...it's a nice spot to wait for weather going east or west!