Where is Asperida ???

UpkI'm beginning to write this the evening of January 21st but will just add to it as days pass until it's uploaded once we reach Ile a Vache. 

I have to wonder what those who have followed Asperida on AIS must be thinking?  It was supposed to be a multiple 3 day/night non stop sail from Great Inagua Island to Ile a' Vache, Haiti to get Candace to her group in Les Cayes.  About 30 miles south of Great Inagua Island after checking out of the Bahama's in Mathew Town, Walter noticed problems with the engine.  It was discovered the engine was overheated and we shut it down.  It has overheated badly and it now uses a lot of oil.  There is a slight leak from the transmission as well but very minor.  Based on a 1999 copywrite cruising guide, it was decided we best head to a fairly close 'Port of Entry on 'the forbidden island' to assess, repair the engine situation.. We would have returned to Mathew Town on Great Inagua Island but it's completely exposed to all be settled east winds.  There was talk of even going to Miami so Candace could still catch the flight on the 23rd with her group.  A quick look at the chart and we knew that was not an option.. Perhaps Candace could catch a flight to Port au Prince from the forbidden island?  Anyway as we made our way to Bara??? on the island we ran into a few rain squalls but the winds weren't too strong.  In fact the sailing was really slow all day and it got dark before we arrived.  We should have rolled up the main sail as it's no easy task if the wind is strong with no engine but we wanted to sail as fast as we could.  Of course just as we were getting somewhat close and after dark we got hit with a strong squall and we just sailed up and down the shore.  Gusts were to 30 knots on that one.  It let up some but was still better sailing than it was all day.  We continued to Bara??? and wouldn't you know it we got hit with more strong winds.  We approached the entrance to the bay but just could not roll down the mainsail.  We had to turn away and try sailing up and down hoping it would let up.. 

So there we were on a lee shore in a 52' sailboat with a mainsail we could not reef and an engine that we could only use for a brief period like entering the bay had we been able to lower the mainsail or to help tack the boat .. We needed to use the engine briefly a couple times to help tack.  At some point we realized this wind was going to last a while so we struggled up the coast way way too close all night long.  I think a westerly moving current was helpful as we were heading west.. It was a stressful night but by morning we had reached a westerly bend of the coastline and the winds became more favorable.  It was then we looked up and found another port of entry (according to the 1999 cruising guide) we could make the next morning with one more overnight.  It seemed to me the idea was now to get Candace to Haiti via flight to Port au Prince from the forbidden island and Walter and I would deal with the engine.  Perhaps heading to  Miami or at least the USA?.  At any rate much of this was more an assumption on my part.  During the day after the stressful and dangerous night Walter did some work in the engine room and discovered the impeller on the water pump for the cooling system had disintegrated so the cause of the overheating engine was found.  He replaced the waterpump impeller and would let the thread lock stuff set overnight before testing it.  It was a pleasant sail during that next night and we saw a lot of freighters.  Asperida has AIS so they see us.  The navigation computer stopped working.  We have been using my iPad with Navionics since leaving Great Inagua Island I think?  Or was it sooner?   

The next morning with the engine overheating problem solved Walter decides we can still get Candace to Haiti as even though the engine now uses oil he has a couple extra gallons on board.  We end up using the oil at a higher rate than anticipated so we do our best to sail and it goes good until a change in the wind then not so good.. It also seemed the westerly moving current was now fighting us.  Now I admit I was sleep deprived and I'm having trouble remembering how much we sailed that final night of the 5 nights and how much we used the engine.  It was very strange and the sailing just wasn't working in the direction we needed.  We would shut off the engine and attempt to just sail while the oil level was checked and topped up.. The boat only wanted to sail west back the way we came or south toward shore so I just kept it hard to starboard and watched us move slowly west a knot of less until the engine was going again.  

All this time we thought once we got to that same turn of the shore we would have a good wind to sail SE toward Bara??? but when we got quite a ways east past that point we still could not sail toward Bara???.  Once when the wind had let up we decided to motor into the wind and roll down the mainsail and try just the misen and a jib.   It was very rough and an exhausting ordeal but it felt great to get the main down and the jib raised.  We used harness and tethers and I've not really done much of that sort of thing.  

Efforts to sail with our rig failed perhaps because of that current against us?  Even after turning that corner where we assumed we could sail ... We had to motor and the wind really picked up.  Gusts were 25 knots.  It was very difficult moving around on the boat in the waves.  I should mention that during the night based on the rate of the engine using oil going on to Haiti was not an option and Bara??? was again our emergency destination.  We were not even sure we would make it there on the oil we had.  Walter even dug into his cockpit locker where he keeps paints, varnish, adhesives, solvents etc...and various partial quart bottles of engine oil.  That last 25 miles or so we did not shut the engine down to check and add he just added a bit every now and then while underway.. About 3 PM we finally motor sailed into the bay at Bara??? and dropped the jib and misen with all kinds of people watching us arrive.  Not a single cruising sailboat in the little bay.  Just a few fishing boats.  We anchored and were promptly visited by local officials telling us we can not stop here it is not a port of entry..  We struggle with a language barrier to communicate it is an emergency stop and we can not leave without at least a good quantity of engine oil.  They are not happy with us being here.  Later they brought out a local doctor wearing a white lab coat and latex gloves to question us concerning our state if health and off course as is the norm now..have we any symptoms of Ebola or have we visited any west African countries?  

Granted we were here due to an engine emergency but had hoped to clear into the country and go ashore and find a shower and dinner somewhere in town...and Internet perhaps.  It did rain just before dark so we all took a shower in the rain on deck...in our swimsuits of course.  It was off to badly needed sleep at 7 PM and then we got a call on the radio.. Asperida Asperida Asperida (some name I couldn't understand) calling.  I answered back as the radio is near my berth.  He wanted to know what we need to get us on our way .. I said mechanic and engine oil.  He says he will call back.. which he did 20 minutes later with the answer no mechanic no engine oil in Bara??? we need to go to Santi??? De C???.  We tell him the captain is sleeping and to call back in the morning.  He does call back 12 hours later but it's still much to early.  It's now the 21st of January.  Walter talks to him a few times and they send someone to drive 200 mountainous miles to Santi??? for the oil.. We are getting 10 gallons and are hopeful we will be on our way to Ile a Vache tomorrow.??.  Yesterday, the 21st, after getting things squared away concerning our qwest for oil we decide to use the dinghy with just oars to set out a stern anchor to face us into the swell that comes in the opening of the bay.  As Walter and I are paddling the dinghy out to drop the anchor Asperida received frantic radio calls from multiple sources.  Candace tells them we are not going ashore only setting a stern anchor.  By the time we are back to Asperida with the anchor line and get out of the dinghy a boat with a couple 'officials' has paddled out.   The boat they use is an old wooden boat that is sculled out with a single oar used as a paddle from a guy in the very bow.  We used the same sculling technique as them as we lost one oar some days ago and were using an extra that did not fit the oar lock on the dinghy.  I sculled from the bow as Walter untangled and played out the line.  We are definitely being watched by more than one official?  It's such a different experience than last winter when I helped a guy sail from Marathon Florida to Mexico and spent 3 weeks on the forbidden island.  I sure wish this place was still a port of entry.  It's hot and humid during the day and it rained again last night.  I guess that means it's the 22nd now.  It becomes much cooler right as the sun is getting low.  This town looks pretty cool from the boat.  I wish we could have checked it out.  It's very scenic and mountainous.  Unfortunately we are quarantined to the boat.  

It's now 1/22 about 9:30 AM and no word from the guy about the oil?   We spent the day on the boat and decided to rig up a tarp to collect rainwater to fill the tank which we have only added 30 gallons too in Georgetown.  It was last filled in Palm Beach at the marina doing repairs on the driveshaft.  It is a 500 gallon tank of course but there are 3 of use using it for nearly 2 month.  Anyway the first tarp was too big and before it even rained it got windy so we put it away.  Then we rigged up the mainsail cover to the starboard Genoa sheet and tied it on with pieces of parachute coard along the side with oval holes for the twisting knobs on the opposite side.  With no easy way to tie the twist knob side 2 of us were going to hold it out taught and one would direct the bottom end to the funnel on the opening.  It finally did rain after dark and we all ran out in swimsuits to gather water until we were cold.. Then we gave that up and tried to bath but of course the rain stopped and final rinsing was with water from the bay in a bucket.. It still felt good to bath and wash the hair..  Then we went to sleep only to finally get another radio call about 10:45 PM.. Asperida Asperida Asperida (some name I couldn't understand) calling.  I answered and he said " oil come maybe tomorrow morning.. 10 o'clock.

Candace was supposed to meet her group in Haiti on the 23rd...which is today.  It's apparent we will not be leaving today and it's a two overnighter run from Baracoa to Ile a Vache.   At 11 AM or so a fishing boat load of officials came to the boat.. This was many of those who had been telling us we are not to leave our boat.  There was also a C??? woman with a lovely smile who's name I can not remember.  She was from the marina in Santi??? De C??? and had driven with the oil for us.  Despite not being cleared in officially much info from our passports and boat documentation were taken this time.  Prior to this visit no one wanted to even tie up to Asperida let alone come aboard.  There were still 4 guys on the boat acting as boat fenders and another 4 who had come aboard including the town doctor wearing the same latex gloves and lab coat.  Today, those with uniforms had complete uniforms for this visit.  Earlier visits it was like they just threw on a shirt to come out and quickly tell us it's not a port of entry.  Even the woman who came from the marina with the oil had a nice uniform.  It was great to finally have someone who could translate our situation as most simply could not understand how we took 5 days to come from Great Inagua Island to Bara??? due to engine emergency?  It should only take a day or less in there minds.  Plus our boat had been spotted well west of Bara??? and then we turned east to come back.. Of course they wanted us to leave pronto.. We preferred an early morning departure as we could then make the 30 miles to the end of C??? before the trades crank up.. Thanks to now having an interpreter were were easily granted another night..."but leave early!!"

Below is a screen save from my Navionics App of a route I added to roughly show the convoluted back and forth travels we had due over 5 days and nights since leaving the south end of Long Island...  

I DECIDED TO REMOVE THE NAVIONICS IMMAGE SHOWING WHERE WE ARE.. 

The approximate mileage traveled over these days was 380 NM.  Ignore where it says 166.6 NM.  We have 219 nautical miles or so to Ile a Vache.  It should take about 2 days...48 hours depending on how fast we can sail as we only received 5 gallons of oil not the 10 gallons we switched our request to later.. It took 3 gallons to get from where we turned around at waypoint 11 to return to Bara???.  In other words we will only be motoring when we have too.  If we get good easterly trades the sail from the east end of C??? to the west end of Haiti's southern point should go well.   The first 30 miles to the end of C??? and the final part heading east to Ile a Vache could be a headwind and against a current.

We will be leaving early in the morning so I'll not write anymore on this multi day post.  I'll upload it as soon as I can at Ile a Vache.  As it turns out we ended up being quarantined to our boat 4 nights in the little bay at Bara???, C???.  

Haha... I've written a more recent multiway ongoing post on the iPhone .  

And the latest is as of February 1st, we are now heading to Rio Dulce Guatemala.

I had 2 other posts written on my iPhone but I can't log in with it here so I'll next be posting from Rio Dulce, Guatemala!  It's been a grand adventure in my book.. Don't anyone dare feel sorry for me.