11:48.852N 64:35.740W Blanquilla

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Got up at 11.30pm, Wednesday, and it was midnight once I had the anchor up and set off out of Juangriego headed for Blanquilla.  Puddle Jumper and Bluewater Cat were going to follow at 5.30am so that we would arrive together and before dark.  Well, that was the plan.

There was no wind, and as it was on the nose, that was a good thing - what is a NW wind doing here?

It was motoring again and another catalogue of problems.

The radar stopped working, the main GPS was still not working, but the GPS on the chart plotter was giving me information; although the chart plotter still has to be co-erced into starting.  The fridge cut out again, I hope this is just overheating which I can deal with.  I do not know when the mooring and deck lights ceased to work, perhaps when the wind arrow flew off the top of the mast.  The watermaker needs thicker cable as the switch is still getting hot.  All these are annoying, they are not serious yet, but will have to be looked at.

The only other thing was the coolant, it was in the bilge.  I had noticed a small amount the day before, but just thought I had overfilled it.  The header tank was empty, I hope it was just the top not screwed on the heat exchanger properly.  I filled the tank with water as an emergency measure and will look at it all when I am settled.

I scrubbed the deck on the way and that was good, but getting the water was difficult.  Either you get a dribble in the bottom of the bucket or the bucket gets filled and is hard to drag back aboard.  I think the dancing bucket may have roused the interest of a couple of dolphins who came by briefly to check me out.  One had a nasty bite out of its back, normally that would be a shark, but I don’t know if that is what it would be here.

There were also small birds drifting by on pieces of floating wood, it saves them flying all the way.  Puddle Jumper had a little bird that came right in to the boat, it even went downstairs and checked out the cabins.

2pm I arrived in Blanquilla.  I circled for quite some time with the anchor just off the bottom, when I got to the patch of sand I was looking for it was a quick drop and the anchor held in just the right spot.  I snorkeled the anchor and it seems to be well in.

3.15 Puddle Jumper arrived with Bluewater Cat shortly after.  They could not get their anchors to hold as they only found sand over coral and so moved to the next anchorage, but the Guardacosta or military waved them out.  They looked at the next anchorage and did not like that one.  They ended up about 4 miles round the corner.  This leaves me on my own for the night, which is a bit dodgy, but I did not know if they would like the last anchorage or if there was room for me.  It will be dark soon, so it is too late and I am too tired to move now so I will have to move in the morning.

Debi and Bob, Passat, are round there with some other boats.  

It is a bit rough and rolly here, but although I do not like it I know it is the safest option. 

Friday, September 26, 2008

11:50.285N 64:38.799W La Blanquilla

Apart from the roll the night was ok and when it was light I moved round to the anchorage on the west end of the island.  There was coral, but lots of sand in less than 10 metres of water.  The water is crystal clear.  We went snorkeling and to the beach.  It is picture postcard stuff – white sand with two palm trees and water from clear to beautiful shades of blue with sailing boats bobbing out at anchor.

I did not get any jobs done, by the time I had done some baking it was 2pm, dominoes time.  I did not get back to the boat until just before dark and so everything can wait until tomorrow.