Nautibuoytoo

Exstatic about arriving to Brasil  after crossing the Atlantic Ocean.Over half of my circumnavigation around the world and getting better.  Anchored in  the River Paraíba, the peace of the day get broken by live music along the shore at dusk.

Brazil is a country that you can’t do justice with a short visit.  The place I stopped (Joao Pessoa) where the port of Cabedelo lays at the entrance of the river Paraíba, is one of the oldest cities in Brazil. The main attraction of this country is the relax way of life where “MANANA” lives well.

Everything closes between 12.00 and 14.00 and night life start at 9.00 every day for these people addicted to music and dance.

I felt welcome and unthreatened by locals that can’t understand why  I  am sailing instead of flying as a way of travel.

A part of my research I indulged in most of the local customs which involved tasting of their national drink, caipirinha or the deluxe version, caiprioska, hugging beautiful Brazilian women and chatting up female police.

Interesting, the more Caipirinha I drunk the better I spoke and understood Brasileiro. There must be something in it, that unlocks the negative part of the brain.  I am surprise medical science has not looked into it.

Demands from other part of the world forced my departure from Brazil to Trinidad and Tobago only 2000 miles north and then Venezuela, a place full of pirates where a good friend of mine ( Chaves) is the chief pirate.

I just hope he is no dead (he’s very sick last I hear)

I am ready to look what will stimulate the brain in those countries???

I write this blog while crossing the Equator for the third time and will share a beer and fresh fish with God Neptune and will give him some useless coins I keep accumulating for these occasions.

Cheers

Ascension Island is another lump of rock in the middle of  Ocean that is basically a military base for the American air force and British RAF.

Originally discovered by the Portuguese in 1501, was left untouched and ships would stop there to collect turtles that provided fresh meat for the sailors.

In 1815, the British built a naval garrison to fend off a possible attack by the French trying to liberate Napoleon from St Helena.

The Americans built an airport during WWII and NASA built-in the 60’s the communication base for the Apollo missions.

It was the main support base during the Falklands war and today still remains a military and communication centre.

Big turtles swim from Brazil to lay and hatch their eggs on the sandy beaches.

The scenery is stunning, changing from arid volcanic hills to lush tropical vegetation.

The only supermarket is not bigger than a 7/11 deli and a drinking venue that can accommodate 1000 thirsty drinkers that got stuck to the music of Bob Marley and Jimmy Hendricks.

The last section was 1300 miles from Ascension to Cabedelo and Jacare in the Northern part of Brazil. It’s been good to have constant wind through all the crossing and although the wind angle was not the best, at times the boundaries were pushed to new areas

Hooked and lost Billfish every day and just as well, as they were enormous. The display as they took the hook and broke the line was well worth the loss of the rig..

Since Darwin , many moons ago I had the privilege to share the god and the bad with Colin and Sarah from SV Moonbeam, and St Helena was the place we said  good byes as “they had their fun” and I going to continue having it (sorry Colin) you are miles ahead of me “ha-ha..

I have a special bond to them.

As I finish this blog, (started early morning) with the euphoria of arrival to Brazil after a couple of Jagermasters  with my espresso and a bottle of red for lunch  I am ready (probably a hangover tomorrow).

Talking about character building, I have learnt enough about character building in this passage to claim title to a doctorate in psychology. This comment is made after a bottle of plonk so doesn’t take it to close to your heart.

I used to get uptight when thing stop working on board, and the degree of upset was mainly driven by importance equipment.. If the plotter stop working that is major shit (talk about loosing the plot) it means for a learner sailor like me, that I don’t have a clue where I am., but the good thing is if you maintain course you eventually will hit land so it is not a huge issue. If the autopilot goes south, well, that is a major drama, because who is going to get the boat there, you know there, where there suppose to be in a piece of paper.  If you get to stressed by that you need some Paco’s Spiced rum..

I am not biased about this recommendation because it works. Once you drink a liter of it you will think Columbus was drinking the same rum.

To sum it all, the South Atlantic Ocean has been a wonderful experience and makes up for the crap of the Indian Ocean. Did I say Indian??>??????? Mum is word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We left Namibia on a Full Moon and the wind and the sea follow us all the way to St Helena.  The Moon was shy and kept hiding behind the clouds, every now and then peeking through as if to check that we where still there.

Life on board during a passage is not as boring as non sailors would believe. Daily routines such as  ongoing maintenance and cleaning, watch keeping, cooking, fishing, fixing things that stop working ( on a boat it happens all the time) interrupted by reading, napping, some daydreaming, planning and more reading and napping making time irrelevant.

The passage was like a roller coaster, waiting for the next wave to pick you up and surf for a few seconds until the next one.

Laying half way between Africa and South America  St Helena is possible the remotest place on earth and has an interesting history since its discovery by the Portuguese in 1502.

The most famous and better known visitor to the island was Napoleon Bonaparte when he was taken prisoner by the British and exiled there along with his imperial entourage until he died six years later.  The French maintain that he was murdered by the British, mixing arsenic with his food. The daily  food supply for this entourage amongst other were 40 kilos of meat,9 chickens, and 17 bottles of wine  excluding spirits and champagne. No wonder!!!!!!!

It also became a concentration camp during the Boer war in 1900, where they kept over 6000 prisoners.  So the English invent them and the Germans improved them!!!!!

Today’s populations of around 4000 are a crossbreed of Portuguese, Dutch, English, Malay, Goanese, Madagascan, East Indian, African, Chinese, Boers, American whalers and most likely Napoleon entourage to name a few. What a blend!

Without an airport this volcanic island can only be accessed by sea, with a supply ship service every six weeks that brings critical delivery of items for survival such as beer and a few tourists from  Ascension Island and Cape Town.

The waters are so clear that visibility is excellent at 30 meters with a great abundance of fish. Local customs are predominantly English and some American influence which explain the lack of creativity where food is concerned.

Trip to Etosha National Park

Namibia is a country with a vast variety of landscapes within a small distance of each other.  Unfortunately this time of the year is not the best to see wild life due to the abundance of feed and water. Animals don’t need to hang around water holes as they do in the dry season.

The Walvis Bay Yacht Club is a club without yachts but is a good watering hole by the harbor where everybody wants to hear cruising stories and the hardship of the sailing life.

This is what I saw !!!!!!  

The passage to Walvis Bay was fast and had the chance of looking at handling the water with the new mod to the bows. They work perfect.

Crossing the border

Very comfortable

It is time to leave, and must say ZA is a beautiful country  and had a special experience the time I spent here.

After the most needed work on Nautibuoytoo I am ready for the next challenge of crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

The departure party was only among friends, me and the local seagulls. Now you can also say  “as pissed as a seagull ” as well “as drunk as a skunk” as they shared a loaf of wholemeal

 bread soaked with a liter of good Malagasy rum. they became so friendly you could walk to them and touch them. Welcome to my world!!!!!

Many thanks to Gerhard of SMG Multihulls for the professional work they did to Nautibuoytoo. It is like the female version of having breast implants.

Ready to go

It is always good to come back home. Nothing much has changed since I was back last time, besides everyone is getting older. Me, I am getting younger!!!!!!!!!, physically and mentally, no bull!!!!!!.

Enjoying Australia day

Acting Australian

 

 

Dressed for work

 

Like father, like son

In another front Andrew and Pilar decided to become parents and, wolla!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! at my young tender age I am a grandfather.  I rushed to dye my hair and grow a stubble to look the part and joined the Grandfathers  Club.

 

Griffin does not look impressed

 

He looks better without the grandfather in the picture

While all of this was happening,  back in South Africa a delicate operation was being done to Nautibuoytoo. It is a secret weapon of mass destruction. He can shove it up pirates and crooked immigration and  customs  officials.  Viva South Africa and Arriba Nautibuoytoo Erectus.

Undergoing surgery

 

 

WOMD Installed

Blast and leak proof weapon locker