The World Is Beautiful - [Continued]
PREPARTION: CONTINUED….
Captain
Burt Of the best investments that we have made for this
voyage (not counting the new Yanmar 38hp 3JH) is a new Furuno Radar System.
If you don’t have a radar, Get one! It will be your eyes when
you most need it. The radar was an easy install and very user friendly. Debi
and I were able to master the operations within a matter of minutes. Especially
for nite passages the radar earns it keep. Our first nite out crossing the Sea
of Cortez I was very tired (our autopilot with south the very first day). I
decided to get some rest and turned on several alternate lights, programmed
the Radar to alarm and went below and slept for about three hours while we drifted.
The radar kept watch for us. If a vessel came within ten miles it would sound
an alarm. When encountering vessels from commercial tankers, cruise ships, fishing
trawlers, pangas and crossing many shipping lanes the radar takes away the guess
work. When storms approach you can see the disturbance on the water and know
the distance.
Portal
Trawlers With this info you can determine what course
to take. Straight ahead, speed up, slow down or go around.
Another worth while investment was a Lewmar windlass. When I first purchased Madwenowe it had a beautiful brass manual windlass that complimented the style and age of the boat, however hauling 200 hundred feet of rode and 120 feet of anchor chain by hand is very exhausting. There have been several times while in a cove that I have had to relocate and reset the anchor. The windlass makes this possible. Another big factor in the upgrade to a power windlass is, if something were to happen to me where I could not haul in the anchor, Debi does not have the strength. The new windlass makes it possible for her to operate just by a push of a button. It was well worth the expense. There are many other things that I did to prepare for the journey but these mentioned were necessities.
How to keep things cool? This was a big question for us also. Refrigeration on a sailboat is a “6 a 1 or ½ dozen of the other” trade off.. Whether one has a gen-set system, portable generator, solar panels, wind generator, battery power is necessary to keep things cool. Eventually one has to start the engine to recharge the system. We chose to go with redoing the ice box to increase the R-Factor. We have an ice box that will keep a large block of ice for about 5-6days. This keeps the veggies fresh, beer, sodas, juices, water bottles cool enough to enjoy. (Although now, the further south we travel, block ice is becoming difficult to find).
FOOD PREPARATION: A big question is how much grub do we pack
and what types. We base our decision on how long we will be out to sea. We usually
go no longer than 80 hrs before we pull into port somewhere. The reason for
this is No Auto Pilot and Debi has to get to an internet to plug in and take
care of her clients. (Debi is my computer geek-ett. She has a successful
business called Webtillerdesigns.com. Manages websites, design, logo, shopping
carts and what ever else her clients needs may be, she can do it. In fact she
is responsible for design and setup of this great looking website.) Also,
after 80 hours we are ready for some rest. What foods to prepare? I can sum
it up in 4 words. Beans, Rice, , Jalapeños, Tortillas. Just kidding. However,
it has become a main stay since moving to Mexico. And hardly a day goes by without
my fix of jalapeños peppers. Debi is an expert at food preparation. Infact I
would classify her as a gourmet chef in this area.
Gourmet
Dish Before we set out on a leg of our journey she will
prepare various dishes such as fried chicken, pastas, salsas. Dishes that are
easy fixing while at sea. It also eliminates the need to reheat the food. When the
sea is to ruff to go below to fire up the L/P stove for cooking preparing in
advance is the smart thing to do. Getting back to the beans, rice and tortillas,
jalapenos. These items can be found in any store in Mexico. The frijoles come
in various size canned portions. Like wise with the small cans of jalapenos.
We like to get the cans with the flip top tabs so no need to use the can opener.
There are many other canned goods that we stock up on; tuna, canned tomatoes,
corn, all kinds of sauces and salas. These are just a few of the items on our
menu based on availability. We store these items in the hold or bottom most
part of the boat in the keel area. In there they don’t rattle or roll around
and I don’t worry about them ending up on the floor eventually. Also because
of being in cans if they get wet they do not perish. The further south we travel
it is getting more difficult to find fresh tortillas. Likewise our diet is changing
with each stopover we make. For example: We are currently in Bahia del Sol,
El Salvador. One of the local dishes is Pupusas, a very thick corn torilla heated
on the grill with cheese, some veggies stuffed inside. You can also order it
with meat, pork. Usually served with rice. Pico Pica is their version of hot
spicy sauce. Never the less, taste buds adapted to the change in menu and we
are becoming more and more of a vegetarian, although I am about 175 lbs, down
from 189 lbs when we started out.
Do we eat a lot of fish? Yes we do. Have I caught a lot of fish? No I haven’t.
Although the attempt has been made for many a mile my expertise in fishing needs
improvement. I have lost a couple of big ones, How big were they? They were
………..this…………big! I also snagged a sea turtle by accident. I hooked it on one
of his front fins. As I was pulling him up to the side of the boat he looked
up at me and gave me a “Please mister, don’t eat me..” kind of look. I had no
intentions of keeping him. From what I understand they are a protected species.
His hide was so thick and tough that the hook did not break the skin at all.
Once I released pressure from the hook he was free to go. He was such a hugh
creature compared to the very small ones we released in Zihuatanejo. We also eat a lot of eggs. They are very plentiful everywhere we have been. Side
Note: (Did you know there is no need to keep the eggs refrigerated? Only
in the States do you find the eggs in the coolers in the supper markets. Not
in Mexico, El Salvador or any other place south of the border. If eggs have
not been refrigerated they don’t need to be kept cool.
Sunrise
Panga It is only after they have been refrigerated that
you need to keep them refrigged. Every where south of the border eggs are shipped
without refrigeration and they do not spoil. In the mercados they are stack
miles high in the isles without refrigeration.) That being said, the only
reason we put eggs in the ice box is because of lack of space else where. Plus
they don’t sit around long enough to spoil. We keep a good supply of fresh filtered
water in 5 gallon jugs. This is how they are found in the markets. I have a
rule. If the locals drink filtered water, so do I. Cost range from 50 cents
to 2 bucks to refill or replace. We usually consume about 6 gallons between
us every three days. (Side Note: “They” say that your are suppose to drink
xxxx amount of water per-day etc…..The fact is ,there has never been a scientific
study, government research, or any kind of analysis done on this subject anywhere
I would venture to guess though, that if you were to apply for grant money to
research it, funds are probably available. So who are “They?” No one knows.)
Just drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.
Currently in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador. Thanks for signing in.
BSMcK.