After our war with the mosquitos, everyone was pretty hyped up to move to a clear anchorage, one with wind and no bogies (I'll come back to this one). In the morning, the bugs were still around and we did a schooling session, and pulled up the anchor to move to the other side of Tortuga.

Before departing, we met a really nice cruiser from none other than Portsmouth, RI. He was quite seasoned in VZ ins-and-outs. He gave us the "warm and fuzzy" and off we motored to our next spot. Digital charts were useless for Laguna el Carenero, so it was all visual navigation. There were only 2 other boats and one very small open-sided thatched fisherman's shack. After anchoring in 7 feet of water, it was lunchtime, curried chicken salad and homemade wheat bread. The bugs were there, but no swarms, so very manageable.

At 5:00a, Tom was awake and soon was I. After donning the standard uniform, a bathing suit, sunscreen and bug spray, I slowly drove Zen back out through the shallow cut. Once in open water, we made a beeline for Puerta La Cruz. Oddly, we still don't have the trade winds blowing, so it was going to be a motorboat ride. In boat-speak that means turn on the watermaker (desalinator) and charge every kid-toy-device in sight since the batteries will be charged to the hilt.

All was good, we'd arrive in PLC around 1:30p, our fishing trolling lines were set and everyone onboard was reading or replying to emails rec'd over the satellite email. After studying some Spanish phrase books in the forward cockpit, I came in the salon to see the navigation screen. Tom was very busy, brow creased and the nautical slide rule was out along with the calculator. What's he up to? I wondered. There's an 800-foot tanker that's on a collision course w/us. Joy.

I inform him, upon glancing aft, ooooh, fish on! We slow down the boat, it's caught our shorter hand line. Within 10 minutes Tom's got it at our stern, de-hooked it, and I'm holding a nice dorado in my big fish-bag. Dinner! My mind already has a marinade churning inside it. Tom's back at the nav station, negotiating our intersection w/the tanker. I am now back on the stern, clipped in with my harness, and a newly sharpened knife in my hand.

Not 2 minutes later, Cole looks aft and says, "Hey that is totally cool! What are those 2 things?" We are in an area of political unrest, for a split second, I was thinking like my 9-year-old son, those are ICBMs bound for some unknown bogey! Sailor-brain kicked back on and I screamed, "Waterspouts!!!" And twin spouts no less! I have never sailed through one nor do I want to. They are like tornadoes. Water and wind from the cloud reaches down to the ocean and gathers water and energy from below.

Looking through the binoculars at them, you could swear you are seeing a tornado with that cloud of debris swirling around the bottom. Tom came out, saw them and said calmly, "Go quickly w/the fish." I hadn't even gotten the 2 fillets on the back deck when he floored the engines. I thought the kids would enjoy watching me scurf with my cutting board off Zen (see kids' blogs). The fish is now marinating, the storm passed behind us and we are going to arrive in about 1 hour. So much for a dull 5 hours of motoring.

COMMENTS:

Nonna

Wow! Your experiences are endless and your writing skills bring me right into the cockpit! You defiinitely need to write a book about these adventures! Where are these wonderful recipes coming from and how are you managing to have all the marinade ingredients onboard? I always thought I made something when I delivered you, but you are totally off the charts!!!! By the way, do not like to hear that you are in unsafe, political unrest waters...that is a little bit of too much information. And thank you, Cole for spotting the water spouts! You guys are having the adventure of your life! Love and kisses to crew, Nonna

11 Oct 2008