Weds 25 Jan – at sea off N.W Columbia

Last night, before the early morning clouds rolled in, the stars were good enough to make out individual reds and blues and to see the full majestic sweep of the Milky Way. Today, having again spent the night rolling about under genoa only, its the 2nd last day at sea and a party atmosphere has already started. The spanish phrase books are out. Mike did baked plantain on tortilla for breakfast, so that will stop us all eating for the next few days, or may start us doing something else. Tom is back keeping his watch. Close encounters with 800 ft long tankers are becoming more common as we are now only 150 miles out from Panama. Felicity J has active AIS which we have found excellent for being seen and getting out of the way.  By the way, the main port city at the left bank is Colon, a bit of a dodhgy place we hear, and we are thinking of having t-shirts printed saying ‘Welcome to Colon – great place for passing through’ or some such. Apart from tiny flying fish, absolutely no wildlife for 2 days, but we are looking forward to monkeys, sloths, parrots, alligators, and turtles in Panama. Perhaps other darker forms of wildlife as well. Heard today that WorldARC rally is also passing through the only entrance marina at the same time as us so there may not be a spare berth. Could mean anchoring out in the bay which certainly would be a pain in the colon all right.
MB looks like a hairy scarecrow, sporting Rasta beads and armlet and no haircut for 4 months. Standards are falling fast.  Exciting days ahead, particularly if we get the chance of doing a Panama Canal transit before we have to fly back to our various places. Tootle Pip folks.

Mike B of Raparee (Doing Panama delivery on Felicity J)

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22-23 Jan. Felicity J mid-ocean

Well, what can I say? Still rolling along on a heaving sea. Wind a more or less steady 20 knots but the swell is confused giving us that familiar washing machine feeling. Nothing stays in place. We are living in a fiendishly unpredictable anti-gravity machine.
Some unfriendly dolphins today.  Privately educated I should imagine as they saw the cut of our jib and shied away. Tried playing Celine Dion but they certainly didn’t like that. One friendly young gannet entertained us with his flying fish catching.
We’ve just crossed the 75 degree line so time for clocks back one hour. Also 600 miles down and half way (to Panama) today, so Sunday roast and a beer each planned for this evening.  Merry has been feeding us well....too well. I’m now 35 stone and have to use the dinghy davits to get out of bed.
Young Tom has been ill for a couple of days with very bad tonsilitis and after sat-phoning a doctor we have him confined to bed with a course of penicyllin (or something else with a similar spelling).
Had major heads episode last night. Total blockage of the brown variety. As the only holder of a diploma in sh*t management on board I spent 2 hours sweltering in a sea of stuff someone else had eaten. Finally fixed it in darkness while on our ear.Good job I have a strong stomach.
We are staying far out from the coast so as to avoid the big winds that hang around the top corner of S America. These are the result of a big mountain (5800m) squeezing the trade winds into a narrow belt along the top of Columbia.
Today, Monday, we carried out our main gybe inwards towards Panama. Now shifting along on a bouncy broad reach, well reefed down, but taking wet stuff on board in 3 metre swell. This Caribbean sea is NOT a quiet place. Our ETA off Panama still looks about late Thursday or early Friday. Got our stained and crumpled linen suits and dodgy moustaches ready. Anyway must go as we are down one and looking forward to another long night of 2 hour watches.
Miguel de los Buogies

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Sent by satellite phone from onboard 'Felicity J'

 

18-20 Jan Panama bound on Felicity J

After a frantic few days of making lists Raparee has been switched off for the first time in 4 months and left quietly to herself alongside at Rodney Bay.  Our wayward travels have been switched to Australian yacht Felicity J, a Dufour 385, which needs to get to the Panama Canal in time to meet the weather windows for her Pacific passage to Australia.
After waiting for a front to pass through and the swell to drop, we departed Rodney Bay at 1600 on Wednesday 18th. I am acting skipper for the owners wife, Merry Houghton from Sydney, and her two crew, Tom Ellyatt from Devon, and Ian Smith from New Zealand.  Our trip to Panama will take about 10 days but once there we may need to wait several days before a transit slot becomes available.
Passage so far has been pretty good trade-wind sailing. Boomed out and preventered rolling along at 6 knots in a 17 knot breeze.  We are constantly on the lookout for squall clouds on the horizon as these can send the wind up to 30 knots very quickly. Spinnaker up sometimes if not too rolly. Yesterday got a twist upon lowering and took until after dark to unsnarl. Broke spinnaker pole end in the process. Poled out again today with jury rigged pole. Visited by playful dolphins this morning, first for a long time, while a large slick of seaweed had Merry shouting ‘Whales!’ this afternoon.  
This Caribbean sea is a huge place. We are now 275 miles west of St Lucia and there is nothing within 100’s of miles around us. No islands, ships, rocks, planes, fish. Even the sea bed is 5000 metres below.
Australian sailing food is very good and Merry has us well looked after, so diets required when we get in.
Still trying for fish. We had a big bite today, big enough for the line to burn Tom’s fingers, but the bugger got away with the trace.
Thats it for the mo. Nothing more exciting. Back later. Cap’n Miguel O’Buggins.

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Sent by satellite phone from onboard 'Felicity J'

Sun 15th - Slight change in plan...and yet more apologies

Yet another apology I'm afraid. I seem to run from excuse to excuse. I had hoped to sit down and do a bit of a travelogue thingy on RAPAREE's trip southwards to the land of pirates and turtles. I will do it when I can, but for now no time spare, and the internet here is extremely slow.
The problem now, you see, is that I've been captured by the crew of an ex-ARC Australian boat, a Dufour 385, who need a driver for a couple of weeks. Their OIC fell down and broke his leg, poor chap. He has now been reglued but has to sit still amongst his sheep back in Oz until he can stand up again. So I have now become the delivery skipper for their leg to Panama, and its been a busy little job prepping the boat and nav up for it. I've also got to properly lay up and secure RAPAREE for 3 weeks and do all the usual travel and admin planning for that and for getting back from Panama (2 day trip via Miami).
Its a very long ocean passage across the Caribbean Sea (over 1200 miles) and through some rough waters. The top of Columbia is known as 'the 5th Great Cape' because it is often stormy around it, so the boat has to be A1. I was up her mast today eyeballing every wire and pin.  THere also be pirates and other strange goings on in those waters.
Admin for Panama and the Canal is time consuming mind-numbingly bureucratic and so not sure yet if I will have time to go through the canal myself...that depends on the slots available during the week we arrive in Panama. I may try to go as a spectator on another boat if we can't go through ourselves. 

Felicity J will leave Rodney Bay St Lucia this coming Wednesday morning and our ETA is about 10 days later on Thursday 26th at Shelter Bay marina on the starboard bank of the estuary at the mouth of the canal, opposite the city of Colon. Where possible I will try and post the odd bloggette, although they will only be pseudo-Raparee.

All the best for now folks and apologies for the gaps in my transmissions.

Mike B
(Bleary eyed at 2 AM)

8 Jan: Raparee back in St Lucia for R&R & maintenance

Just a quick update posting. Raparee arrived back from a 12 daysouthward  trip and entered Rodney Bay Marina in St Lucia last night. The Bell family left today by air for UK. Now alongside berth G12 for a solo 2 week maintenance period after a fairly intensive time away. Hope to be able to do some blogs on key places visited and photos if I can find reasonable WiFi somewhere.

Rgds to all. Mike B