Hauled out at Apataki Carenage - As Flat As It Gets

For a couple of days, the weather in Apataki was beautiful; the sun shining brightly in the blue sky and the waves of the lagoon lapping gently on the coral beach. Then, the wind shifted to the north again and arrived with a vengeance. The lagoon water churned up, the wind chop grew, the waves produced foam while crashing on shore and it was blowing a steady 30+ knots, with squalls bringing 40-50 knots! The big sailboats on the moorings pitched wildly. Luckily, Mark and I were safely on the blocks and stands by then, “barely” noticing the mayhem inside the atoll. The boat didn’t move at all; we were safely “anchored” on terra firma. It was actually fun to see our wind meter climb higher and higher to wind speeds it had never registered before.

A crazy lagoon in north winds, making hauling and launching a real challenge…

Two days prior, we were promised a morning haulout. By the time their machine was fixed and the boat ramp was cleared of all the coral rubble, which washes up constantly, and taking the long lunch break into account, the day had mostly passed. Initially, we were very relaxed about it, but when 2pm arrived, all the waiting around did get us a bit antsy to get going. Around 4pm, we were instructed to approach the carenage (boat yard), following a path in between coral heads, and once we were close enough to shore (too close for comfort in any other situation), lines held Irie in place, about 5 feet from the beach. The whole lifting us out of the water was a sight to behold, involving a few people, a tractor, and a trailer with soft pads supporting our bridge deck. Alfred worked the controls, son Tony was in the water inspecting and instructing, Alfred’s wife Pauline gave mental support and stood by in case of emergency or language barriers and Nini took care of all the other odds and ends. Alfred’s dad Assam was present as well.

Irie close to shore, with the trailer coming underneath

By the time we were installed on the trailer and pulled higher up the boat ramp, it was 5pm and the work day was over, so we spent the first night on the machine. Another step closer to being hauled and being able to start our projects! And, a first introduction to the massive population of mosquitoes and the hot nights, being sideways to the breeze (our hatches face forward for ventilation). The following morning, we were assigned our own working space and that is where Irie comfortably rested for about a week. Alfred put us in a “nice spot”, next to some trees which would provide shade early afternoon, so we “could keep the work up without being too hot”…

Our home for about a week

Not a bad thought, if it weren’t for a few minor inconveniences: the trees totally blocked our wind generator, so while the heavy weather brought all the electricity needed just in wind alone, we received none; being faced southeast, the breeze rarely entered the boat, so it was hot inside at all times; and just imagine what falls out of trees when it is windy... I’ll just say that we couldn’t collect any of the rain because of natural debris landing and staying on our roof, that our ant population multiplied and thrived on the dead bugs falling out of the sky and that our gecko population tripled as well. And, that mosquitoes LOVE shady areas, so they kept us company from dawn till dusk, cheerfully ignoring the mosquito spray we applied and the coils we lighted.

This Lagoon 450 catamaran was too heavy to get hauled, so they had to fix their problem on the lifted trailer in the water

All that being sad, our stay in Apataki Carenage was one of best haulout experiences we have had in seven years of sailing. And believe me, we have hauled out plenty of times, probably beating the record in the cruising community with an average of 1-2 shore visits a year! Do the math… The climate outside was just about perfect; none of that super-hot and sticky summer weather of the Caribbean. Of course it is beneficial to have a catamaran and work intermittently on the shady sides. The Lau family is very friendly, helpful, accommodating and professional. They have their act together, especially considering this place in the Tuamotus is fairly remote. The usual facilities of a boatyard are absent: the toilet barely works, there is no shower, there is no running water (so no pressurized hoses), every boat receives a big barrel of well water to use for cleaning and rinsing (it gets filled regularly), there are no trash containers (your garbage gets picked up by Nini once in a while) and there is no electricity. You can rent a generator or use your own.

Saildrives are a lot of work, especially when you are meticulous about them

Apataki Carenage is truly a do-it-yourself, bring-it-yourself boatyard. Come prepared! Tony can be hired to do boat work, you are allowed to borrow some tools and they have selected marine items for sale, but it is best to ask ahead of time about particularities and order your bottom paint. They are very responsive by email, but speak limited English. Being able to communicate in French is advised and very helpful. The location is unique, with the clear water of the lagoon a few feet away and the palm trees offering sweet coconut water. Fresh eggs can be bought from grandma and the family offers taxi service to the village. 16 tons is the maximum boat weight they allow and 2 meters the maximum draft, but they are very accommodating if there are special needs. All you need to do is ask.

Rinsing the boat with cups of water – very inconvenient and time-consuming!

How did we and Irie do during our week on the hard? Well, we decided to take it easier than other times and that actually worked. We seem to have gotten more done than ever without losing our moods and being too frustrated. The lack of rain showers helped and we focused on inside and underneath projects on the crappiest day. We spread out the work over time and between us – as usual working as a “well-oiled” team - and realized that a lot can be done when your day starts at 7am and you go to bed at 8pm. More often than not, the work ended around 5pm, with a cocktail on the dock overlooking the lagoon. Yes, we managed to buy a bottle of rum from another cruising couple who left the US not so long ago. J

My favorite boat yard chore: removing the tape after painting

Irie is cleaned, scraped, sanded, washed, painted and waxed. She is stain- and scum-free and “as good as new”. The sail drives underwent the same procedure with different paint and had their seals and thru hulls replaced, and the rudders received new bushings. We were lucky to have another cruiser fix a rip in our jib (which, unfortunately needs replacing) and even managed to bake bread (there is no food on this island) and do laundry. And right now, we are back in the water, relieved about our successful haulout and our shorter project list, and … we are ready to see and enjoy some of these Tuamotus, also called “the dangerous archipelago”!

Getting “settled” close to shore before getting on the trailer

Irie getting pulled out of the water by the tractor

Being moved to “our shady spot”

Hermit crabs abound – we have never seen or avoided stepping on so many of them (especially at night)!

The “cocktail pier” during nice and mellow weather

Anaho keeping us company and being cute next to one of our rudders

Nini shoveling the coral to clear the boat ramp

As good as new and almost ready… And very pretty! J

Rudders back in place. Now we are ready to splash (launch)!

Irie getting back in the water (photo by Pauline Lau)

Good overview of the haulout facility – yes, those black spots are shallow reefs (photo by Pauline Lau)

There we go! Irie back in the water where she belongs… (Photo by Pauline Lau)

Last Weeks in Kuna Yala

Loyal It’s Irie blog readers might have noticed that there was a bit of a time gap between New Year and canal blogs, earlier this month. Mark and I were so busy with a family visit, boat projects and canal preparations, that – before we knew it – the date of our transit came and went. And, afterwards, I had to report about it, of course. J So, let’s back up about a month, back to the time we spent our last weeks (ever?) in the gorgeous San Blas islands. This time, my cousin and her husband got to enjoy it with us.

Griet and Wim arrived on Irie from Belgium on January 4^th and were in for a very diverse and special Panama vacation. The first ten days of their holiday, they received a good taste of the San Blas islands, followed by a great sail to mainland Panama, a short stay in Portobelo, and a totally different “chores” stop in Colon Harbor, with a side trip to the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo and its marvelous view over the Chagres River. Then, they transited the canal with us, to conclude their vacation with two days Panama City. We called their experience the “Best of Panama”!

In Kuna Yala we sailed around and stayed in different anchorages between sandy islands dotted with palm trees. Our guests arrived in the East Lemmons, where they explored three of the four islands. A record amount of over 30 anchored boats made us leave the following day. Yansaladup had us remove and re-install one of the emergency hatches (thanks for helping us clean all the old caulk of, guys!) while in 5 feet of water, and do laundry on shore with water from the well. We also managed to relax one afternoon in the hammock and have a fire on the beach, accompanied by drinks and snacks, a gecko and our German friend Stefan, who we had to say “goodbye” to.

A highlight for many visitors to the San Blas islands, is the river tour with Lisa, a – locally – famous master mola maker and transvestite. Mark and I had never done this daytrip before and figured that having family over was a good opportunity to go. We were accompanied by Vicky and Larry from SV Rocinante. Lisa and a helper picked us up in the anchorage of Salardup for a day of fun. With her motorized boat we drove up a pretty river, where we disembarked into the jungle. She showed us her Kuna family’s traditional cemetery and led us through the dense rainforest, crossing the river a couple of times. While she charged ahead, we - the tourists - lagged behind to have a good look at fauna (Griet, Mark and I spotted some howler monkeys) and flora.

After an hour or so and a short climb, we reached a pretty waterfall with refreshing pools underneath. We all jumped into the gorge, some from a bit higher up than others, and had a chilly swim around. After lunch, it was time to really get wet. Walking stick in hand, stumbling over and – sometimes – falling onto the slippery rocks, we followed the river for a good way back to the jungle trail. Once in a while a jump off a cliff, a short swim, or a slide through the water was needed. It was an interesting and enjoyable experience!

Irie’s freshwater tank was empty, so we stopped briefly in Rio Azucar, to fill up with fresh water from the mountains and to buy a few odds and ends, like freshly baked bread. It was Griet and Wim’s first encounter with an authentic Kuna village. The process went quicker than expected and we managed to sail all the way to the Coco Bandero Cays – another pretty setting of four palmy and balmy islands - the same day. More beaches were explored and refreshing swims were had. The wind had picked up a lot, and so had the amount of visiting sailboats. As a result, we had to skip two favorite anchorages and the morning turned into one of sailing and motoring instead of relaxing and snorkeling. We stopped in the East Lemmons again, where we did have a wonderful snorkeling experience on the reefs in the afternoon.

Then, we started planning our trip to the mainland, so we headed for the Chichime Cays. The first night, we anchored “inside” behind the impressively breaking reefs in 10 feet of incredibly clear water. Diving in was a delight; as if you were in a swimming pool, but with over a knot of current. Showering was a bit challenging to say the least, but we had fun being swept towards the beach, snorkel mask on our heads, then walking back past Irie on the beach and floating back again. The island we were anchored off also had an easy trail, a beautiful beach and some kind of bar. Griet collected many shells and sea beans. The 16 foot waves in the ocean might have been the cause of all the extra flotsam and jetsam.  

Our last night was spent on the “outside” of Chichime, from where we staged ourselves for the 55 mile sail to Portobelo, mainland Panama. We had our last Kuna Yala snorkel and our last cocktail in our – so far – favorite island group. To make the evening even better, Becky and Denny from SV Kokomo joined us in the anchorage and for dinner, drinks and great stories. More friends we had to say goodbye to. L And then, we moved west… to keep moving west!

Griet and Wim filled their suitcase with Belgian goodies for us!

Fixing the emergency hatch: Mark inside, me outside in 4.5 feet of water

Doing laundry with well water on Yansaladup

Pretty surroundings of the East Lemmons

 
Carrying Mark across the river to keep his shoes dry!

Lisa shows us her family's cemetery

Lunch near the waterfall, before we follow the river back

Sometimes walking, sometimes swimming, sometimes jumping and sometimes sliding...

And sometimes falling...

I finally used my hammock, the way it is supposed to be used! :-)

Heavy Haulout

From December 10^th to December 21^st, 2012, Irie was hauled out of the water in Shelter Bay Marina, near Colon. This is the place where many cruisers leave their boat over the summer when they go home, where they do boat projects or have work done, where they store their boat in the yard or where they have their floating home hauled, prepped, polished and painted. Mark and I first visited this secluded area in the jungle in 2005, when we needed a place to spend the night in our camper. Back then, the boat yard was being built and the marina only counted a few boats. The modern, roomy showers were a highlight and they still are…

Irie being a catamaran does not leave us any alternatives for being hauled in Panama, so we had to go for the recommended, but pricey Shelter Bay marina. Just the use of the travelift cost twice as much as in the Eastern Caribbean and every night Irie spent on the stands, $55 left our bank account. Needless to say, Mark and I were determined and committed to work hard and to spend as little time as possible in the boat yard. It was a time of emotional rollercoasters and physical exhaustion. Our fridge turned into an ice box and our toilet was unusable. Biting bugs were taken in stride and trips to the bathrooms were quick. The niceties of the place - like pool, gym, lounge room and jungle walks - were never utilized, because of our lack of time, energy or dry weather.

Our hope was to stay “out’ for about 5-7 days, but in the end, we needed eleven to get all the work done and to deal with a bunch of unexpected events. Our work schedule ran from about 7am to 6pm every day, with a few projects to be done at 9pm some days. In between, I needed to do many loads of laundry, we had to fit in an emergency room visit and a couple of bus trips to the store, and do our cooking and washing up. Being exhausted, I messed up our fridge system – which was not hooked up - by turning the breaker on, thinking it was the water pump. After taking one of the engines apart – and removing and re-installing the saildrive (with help from our Aussie friend John from “Five Islands”) – Mark put a part back the wrong way… Figuring out what the newly appeared engine problem was, going through the removal and repositioning of the saildrive once again (thank you John – again - and Red from “Shiver”) and fixing the problem took a lot of extra time and strain on Mark’s bad wrist.

New problems kept showing up and our “splash” date postponed. The Kiwi Grip paint for our back steps, to make them anti-slip, finally showed up after ordering it months ago and Marine Warehouse messing up the order each and every time. When we wanted to apply the (water based) paint during our last stretch on the hard, it rained another two days in a row. Mark and I rigged up tarps and got the job done. The paint needed sunlight to dry, but all we got was humidity and rain showers during the day and heavy rain at night – us worrying about leaks in the plastic bags and tarps. Fingers crossed, we finished up the other projects and managed to get back in the water before the weekend. It was our longest, most frustrating, stressful and expensive haulout ever.

Once floating, more issues arose, which we are now dealing with: day by day, project by project. Owning a boat is not always a joy, but we will try to make the best of it – as always – and hope a short vacation in the San Blas islands will be the reward!

(Pictures will follow later. Impossible to do from where we are right now... :-))