WE HAVE ARRIVED :))))))))
Day 6: Saturday 2/9/2013
Position: 0 53 S by 89 36 W San Cristobal Galapagos
Traveled: 960 nm (probably 70 nm diversion to get to the equator during the day, but still arrived about 6 hours ahead of plan…..luv that current :))))
Time: Right at 5 days or 120.5 hours to anchorage and 121 hours to anchor set!
We have arrived safe and sound…..Hi fives all around. We got to the anchorage around 9:00 am and found the anchorage full of boats…..must be 10 live aboards here. We found a spot, got the anchor down next to Spruce, a British sailboat that we know from the Caribe, and then a BAB (Big Ass Boat) Daphne comes and anchors forward and right between us and proceeds to let out 200’+ of chain……they ended up 40+ yards but if we swing they will probably hit Spruce first or maybe us. I talked with the Captain (please pass the grey poupon kind of close) and he was very nonchalant and said “no problema”. Then Spruce started and more words were had. Sure enough an hour later when the winds shifted they came 20-30’ from Spruce….finally they moved. Some of the worst seamanship we have ever encountered by a Commercial Captain. I just hope this is not indicative of the native attitude in the Galapagos.
Bolivar, our agent, arrived around 10:30 am, took all our papers and said he would be back at 2:00 pm to complete the check-in process. In the meantime take a siesta……you don’t have to tell me twice :)))
And we have internet wifi in the anchorage……sweet!
And, it’s still manaville…..Bolivar came about 5:45 pm and said manana to check in….too much rain….maybe ~10:00 am he will bring all the officials…..we shall see.
And, it is still raining…..it looks like the Pacific Northwest…..all misty and fogged in and everything is green but in the 70’s…..not what we had pictured but still a sight to behold…..if you can take your eyes off all the sea lions….Kathy did put fenders on our swim transom so as of yet we’ve had no critters taking a snooze/crap :)))
Day 5: Friday 2/8/2013
OK…..who sent the sat phone gremlins to Mystic Moon…..what can I say….. The sat phone is NOT working……AGAIN…….arghhhhhh!!!! It worked great the whole trip until around 6:00 tonight, and then has not worked the last 3 hours.
Good news – we are almost to San Cristobal. It is 9:00 pm on Friday as I write this and we have about 90 nm to go…..should be there around 9:00 am EST, which is 8:00 CST here in the Galapagos…..we get an hour back!!!!!!!!
Unless the Sat phone decides to be part of the team again, then who knows when we will get to send this Log. We hope to be able to get wifi in the anchorage, or go get a cell modem w/data and/or find an Internet café.
How did the day go……well, not too bad, I had 3 naps albeit short ones and Kathy cleaned and putzed all day….I find it quite remarkable the cleaning energy she has.
Not much luck on fishing either….well, we did hook another sailfish or marlin……spooled the entire reel….splashing and tail walking the whole time then broke the line…it made so much splash we could not see what it was…..a very spectacular show indeed…..so, I‘ve caught 5 fish and lost 5 lures……what does that say about my $/pound of fish??????
So, how do we feel after the longest passage we’ve done……well, tired and a little bit brain dead/foggy…..they say we were to get into a rhythm after the 3rd day and I suppose we did, but only getting 4-6 hours of sleep/day has made me a little on edge. If we were to do this long of passage with just the two of us again we might go to 6 hour watches so we both can get a longer sleep.
3:00 am: back on watch – very sleepy today: But do you see me doing the Sat Phone Happy Dance….it is back working!!!!!! Hmmmm……why o why…..maybe we were in a satellite dead zone last night?????
AND, it is raining….WTH…..it stared when Kathy came on watch at 10:00…..just a slow steady drizzle/rain…..Mystic is getting a good rinsing….YES!!!!!
I have read where sailors who have been at sea a long time, could smell land 1-2 days before sighting….like maybe 100-200 miles out…..well, I did smell land….it’s like when you dig a hole and get that musty, dirt smell…..it finally stopped raining long enough for me to go out on the Portuguese bridge…..and the first thing I noticed was the smell…..whoa!!!!….of course it was 10 miles out for me :)))
Saturday 2/9 7:00 EST or 1200 UTC (118.5 hours):
Position: S 0 5 W 89 2
Traveled: 935 nm; 16 nm to go; ETA to San Cristobal Galapagos still Saturday 9:00 am 2/9
Speed: Current speed is 7.3 SOG (1300 rpm), avg SOG is 8.14 kts, boat speed is 6.5 kts @ 1200 rpm and favorable current is still close to 1.0+ kts….
Boat Sightings: Zero today until we got close to San Cristobal; so two in last 99 hours
Winds: 6-8 kts SW but grew to 8-10 kts as we approached San Cristobol
Waves: Wind chop of 1-2’ dead on…..not bad…..stabs are off…..no sign of a swell!!
Fishing: no catching :((((; lost 1 more lure
Fuel burn: still 2.25 nmpg – that’s a 0.5 nmpg gain from the favorable current….luv it :))))
