Well, first off, we started by loading up the four motorbikes.
This was of the same format as last time I did the crossing...
There was lots of man-handling to get the bikes from the dock into a launch and then ropes were tied on and the bikes were hauled up the side of the yacht (using the windlasses on the mast that are for hauling up sails etc.
For me, having done it before it was no big deal, but the other riders were new to the "procedure" and were each understandably a little concerned when it was "their baby" that was swinging in the air.
All went well and the bikes were arranged about the deck in assorted places... It turned out (through no particular planning on my part) that my bike got the best spot for the voyage... It was laid partly over on its side resting on a pile of spare sails across the rear-most deck space of the yacht. In this spot it got the least movement/scratching as well as the least amount of salt water splashing.
The other guys bikes were secured well but they did get a certain amount of splashing... as expected. My last time, I did not prepare the bike well enough and the corrosion it got from the salt water has been a problem ever since... But I tried to help the other guys out as much as I could with some advice ... Its tricky telling other guys what to do to their machines without triggering ego related competency posturing... But they listened and Im sure their bikes are much better off for it than mine was on my first voyage ... they liberally coated the mechanicals of the bikes with chain lube and engine oil before loading them (access is difficult after they are on board)... and I was adamant about not using WD40 as a protectant... Its a "water displacer" (hence the WD) and not a lubricant or protectant!...
A little advice can be a huge help... If only Id had someone to give it to me on my first voyage!
OK, so the bikes were loaded and we eventually had all the people food, bikes, water, luggage, diesel, equipment, captain and dog on board (24hr later than planned) and off we went...
The first day of sailing was in open sea and we were expecting pretty rough conditions... But it was only for one day and we would then anchor in the San Blass islands and be in sheltered waters for a couple of days.
At the captains suggestion, most of the passengers did not take any motion sickness pills so they could find out if they would get sick on this short section of the trip and then only have to do things differently on the long crossing section of the trip if they had too. I however paid him no heed at all and happily downed a "dramamine" tablet since I knew from last time that I am definitely subject to sea sickness!... and it paid off handsomely :) Everyone but Sebastian myself and the captain had a "bad ride" and I think four of them felt the effects strongly enough to ensure that the fish were "well fed" on that leg of the voyage... I was only able to save one of the passengers with advice on this point and got them to take a pill... It was soon enough to stop them having to "heave" but not soon enough to make it a pleasant ride for the first couple of hours (it takes about an hour to take effect it seems)
But the "fun" was not over once we got to calmer waters that day... The head winds were strong, the waves were big, and we set out later than planned (this would turn out to be quite the "theme" for the rest of the voyage too!) and we arrived at anchorage well into the night (the plan had been to get there before sunset!)... Should be no real problem, but the ships GPS and autoHelm had been destroyed about a month before by lightening and that meant we had no "tracks" to follow into safe anchorage. And without daylight or even much moon light, and with a complicated group of tiny islands with complex reef formations.... Well, lets just say the skipper was "Having Kittens" about it all... Lots of verbal self-flagelation, anxiousness, loud cursing etc... very entertaining :)))
And it was all a bit disturbing for the passengers too I must say (strangely, I felt unconcerned by it all and I thought about the very real consequences if we did hit a reef ... and actually, I was fine with it!) That seemed rather unprofessional of the skipper to me but at that stage I didnt really know his personality. Now, after the fact it seems like "normal form".
But, the skipper came through in the end and with some careful manoeuvring and passengers with eagle eyes at the bow, the island in question was found and we successfully manoeuvred through the reef and dropped anchor late at night.... Much Relief all round :))
So, then we slept and relaxed for the next two days in the San Blass islands which are definitely "idyllic"... So much so that the captain says most trips one or other passenger refers to it as "paradise" when they first arrive... But, two days later, the most common refrain he says he hears is "when are we leaving" :))
It seems we people from the developed world really dont have much clue about what we want... We swallow what we are told we want by all the advertising and media and we dont really think about it... And when we are given that image of what we want, we quickly find that its not actually what makes us happy!
And the San Blass islands dont make us happy because we frenetic "developed world" people cant sit still, and our "short attention span minds" need to be "entertained". But here, there are no conveniences, and every day is the same day, and you have to be your own entertainment or learn to just do without... Not most peoples "cup of tea!"
But we had a good time for a couple of days.
We relaxed in the sun, and we went ashore and played volley ball and cooked a meal with some of the locals, and a good time was had by all :))
We also moved anchorage and again set out too late, arrived after dark, and had difficulty finding anchorage with the usual performances by the skipper (Ive started noticing a trend now!). I offered my GPS to try to help and it did help too, but the local charts are quite inaccurate and even if you have a waypoint marked in the GPS, if its in the wrong spot its useless, and what you really need is a "route"(ie an old track that you piloted along in the daylight and that you know is safe) not a point... so it was only of limited value.
So, then we set off on the big crossing! All of about 150 nautical miles... Itd take about three hours to ride on the bike if there was a road!
And the seas were mostly quite rough, and the wind was mostly between 20 and 35 knots but we did get upto about 50kts for an hour or so there!
And we tore two sails... and it was good
and we got rained on... and it was good
and we got a few really good splashes with salt water in the big waves... and it was very good
and people were seasick (though less so now with some time on the water and the astute allocation of the spare motion sickness tablets that the captain and I had between us.
and we ran for the shelter of an island in the strong winds... and got there after dark, and had the usual dramatics from the captain... but arrived safely and anchored OK as usual... and it was good too :))
But we sailed, and it was good :)))
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And then we made it to the port of Cartegena and after a bit of manoeuvring to avoid container ships and a cruise around the crowded mooring area followed by the coast guard in a very sleek and aggressive looking "navy grey" pursuit boat (they were apparently looking for a "christmas gift" (euphemism for a bribe) from the boats skipper!) we anchored and then, in short order, found ourselves and our gear sitting on a small dock on the edge of the city!
The bikes would have to wait till Monday to clear customs but we were free to get a hotel and have a shower and a meal... You didnt need to say that twice!, so off we all went still wobbling along the pavements with our "sea legs" :)))
