Canada day was long! The start of the month meant we needed to be out of our house. We had set the goal of finishing all carpentry work so the boat could go to our fibreglass friend’s shop. After the 3 consecutive 16 hour days of work session we still were not finished. Fortunately our eternal supporters at Honduras.com who were moving into our house suggested we stay a little longer to finish.
The procession of the 2 hulls and all materials headed out after lunch. It was a huge relief. With clean up and moving we didn’t get to sit down until after 9pm. There were fire works in the distance, it could have been some fellow Canadian, some kids playing.. or gun fire.
Today we hoped to fiberglass the top of the main hull with the though that we might be done early. We ran out of resin and at still weren’t done at 9pm. No more needs to be said then DETAILS.
Soy Zenia, la persona que estoy asesorando a estos jovenes para que sea un mejor resultado y el trabajo sea todo un exito, espero que su aventura sea de lo mejor.
I´m Zenia, the person advising these kids so that their boat is the best and all the work is a success. I hope that their adventure is the best!
Jeremy’s 29th birthday did not leave breaking from our ‘the day after next we can get the boat in the water’ goal. We spent the day glassing the sides of the boat. As most things involved in constructed a boat, I had no idea how much fiberglass work would have to be done. It is sticky and leaves you feeling like glass is stuck everywhere in your body. We are lucky to be in the fiberglass shop with a woman, Zenia, who is quite good, helping us along and making sure we have a pretty boat. It is a fun place in the La Ceiba hood with whole extended family running around.
So we ran out of there to meet with some good friends for a birthday dinner. While waiting for the food to show up, the conversation naturally turned to the boat. It took a dirty turn tonight though. Some things were said and decided that make me question the trip with the Crane brothers. It had been predetermined from previous debates with our friends Tony and Hope that I would be the best one to eat if we found ourselves in a desperate situation. Apparently, Jeremy and Dave are just too skinny and any meat they have would just be too tough. I was chosen the one with the most meat and the best meat as a mostly healthy vegetarian eater. The decision was made official by our friend David, who made us draw straws. I drew the short one…
So it has been a constant theme of our work on this boat to say ¨the day after tommorrow we will be sailing.¨ It began with ¨in two days from today¨ fading down to one and today we hope that our words come true. Dave and Jeremy are out at the Shipyard putting the finally touchs on. I just picked up a heavy 2 x 6 and carried down the street to the mall, where I am waiting for a cell phone shop to open (the first one didn´t survive the first test in the water). We will then call all our anxiously awaiting friends to come out and see how she does. Our friends, Joe and Michelle, will be watching out for us this afternoon from boats, planes, and helicopters. By the way, can someone pick up a couple lifejackets??
It is late in the afternoon, later then desired as always, and we are preparing our vessel for the water. We have given up testing the sail today and settled on a motor and water test in the harbour.
Gathered at the La Ceiba Shipyards with us are several friends whos opinions of us vary from ‘crazy fools’ to ‘insperational’. Among the ranks are our constant supporters Joe and Michelle Haller, fountain of advice Tony Stone and friends Ricardo Flores and Carlos Martinez.
At the launch ramp, a few hundred meters from our work area, I am preparing the outrigger (ama and yakas) for the launch. Watching with a mixture of interest, disbelief and scorn are a group of fisherman from the other boats in the area. Their opinions that are mostly shared amongst their group in Gariffuna, but frequently peak to questions about the exact purpose of mission or the origins of our design. I can only imagin that they vaguely recognize the main hull as the type of cayuco they sailed at their home villages, and the ama as the small fishing vessel they use for lobster fishing.
With all the lashing in place, Arturo slowly backs the traller with the main hull into the water as we support the attached yakas and ama. When the boat starts to float, Dave and I climb abord. Anna ops to let us take it out first this time. Her first experience has left her with a little more caution.
The boat moves easily away from the ramp with paddles, but I am eger to try our newly repaired and mounted motor. After a few more pulls then I apprechiated, and a few jeers from the shore, it starts!
After picking up Anna, Joe and Michelle at the dock, we have a highly successful cruze around the harbour, venturing as far as the edge of the breakwater. Due to the number of passengers and the stinging rain, we decided against exiting into the waves at this point.
While we only ran the motor at low speed due to it’s recent overhaul, it performed very well. We may need to get a larger propeller, but we will do some more testing first. Stay tuned for photos of the journey!
Yesterday we prepared everything to go sailing this morning. David finished a new rudder, I rigged the sail, Anna mounted the Bow Spurt.. all that´s missing is the water.
¡VAMOS!
The harbour water is said to be dirty. Probably because people like us always end up swimming in it.
We’re messing around on the docks waiting for Atruro to return so the four of us can take the boat out and test it in the waves. The wind is raging. It’s too big to test our sail for the first time, but motoring in the waves should be exciting. If all goes well, we’ll head out tomorrow mornng’s early glassy water, hoist the sail and wait for wind. If all doesn’t go well, we’ll be fabricating the rest of our blogs.
The boat-building is still going well, but slow as mashed beans. We’re doing our first sail-test tomorrow in the early-morning calm. It gets crazy windy here in the afternoon. That means we’re still in Ceiba and unfortunately haven’t yet had the opportunity to taste Guatemalan prisons. But, I do have ringworm, yaaaaargh!
Leaving a sad crew and a hungover afternoon in her wake Hope has returned to Chicago. Her diversions from boat-building and jive-talk will be missed by all. Ok, most.
The gallion shown above, formerly known as Princess Anna, will henceforth be known as Lady Puchica. It’s official. Please update your address book. Fueled by the wildly successful test run on Friday, we worked all weekend on suping up our ride. We built a new stronger mast for mad wind, longer bowsprit for speed, moved the motor forward to plane faster, hatches on the outrigger, windows in the main cabin, ground effects, sex lights, etc.
More photos of Friday’s first test with the sail:
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