Part 2...Pics

The beautiful vessel underway is the Sean Paquito...headed to Lisbon. Sorry the seawall shot is sideways...everyone here paints something on the wall...I mean everyone. Some designs are fabulous art, others just a "Killroy was here."

There's no flame like propane!

I promised to get an early start on Monday after arriving at the supermarket Sunday after it closed. Before dawn a storm blew in. Wind whistled through all the rigging, the boats rocked and thumped against each other. I rolled over and tried to warm up. First time I was cold on board. When I looked out at 8 a.m., it was grey and rainy but not as bad as it sounded. Other people's boats don't amplify the sound as much as Grateful Red. Freya's boat is like a tiny doll house, packed end to end with her every possession. The storm doesn't even penetrate. GR is like a drum. Every noise rebounds. I think when she's full of bodies, the sounds will be absorbed.

I put on foul weather gear...big mistake. It was wet, but humid and I was over dressed. At the market I fiddled with the "trolley" (shopping cart) until I found out it takes a euro to unlock it. You get it back when you chain it back up. The simplest things take so much time. I filled that cart to the brim and called a cab. We filled his trunk and he drove me right up to the boat...though remember, I am rafted out 3 of 4 boats. When the tide is out the first step is dangerous. ..several feet out and down. I sit on my butt, lean out, grab with my toes and hoist myself onto the first boat. This time I had to chuck all my groceries bag at a time over the life lines and onto the deck. I did pretty well...only lost one can of tomatoes. When I chucked a 10-pound bag of potatoes they swung around the life line and almost went in the drink. A few potatoes hung up and held the entire bag onto the lifeline. It was crazy but I didn't lose them.

I chopped and cooked, chopped and cooked. I made spaghetti (10 gallon bags full) and pea/ham soup. Today I made a chicken, pea, celery, almond and rice dish, enough for 4 meals for 6 people. As I cook, I fill and seal qt or gal bags with this vacuum appliance. It works OK. If I was near the store where this one was purchased I'd take it back and get another one. It worked 100% the first day, but already has some issues. Today I made a shrimp curry. Tomorrow it's beef stew. All the milk, cereal, pancake stuff is on board. I am saving bread, eggs and beer for last.

I got another fix it from Ken/Cindy...when I get back to the boat I am going to try and hook up with the sat phone technical support. We can call out but can't receive calls. It's always something. I have no problems calling the US on my cell phone (though I think I'll have a HUGE bill when I get home) but I can't call locally. So far I am getting all my information from other sailors.

Simon (Boo) and Kat have left on Doris for the UK. Freya came over and chopped onions and potatoes for me. Tonight Bryce and Jason arrived, so there's plenty of action. I'll be glad when my cooking is complete. Rudy and Hnak, the two Netherlanders who met me at the harbor masters the very first night and carried my luggage for me want to rent mopeds and circle the island. I am up for some sight seeing. There's not much but the same hills, cows, red tiles and BLUE hydrangas ( do I sound obsessed with BLUE hydrangas???).

Today the weather was splendid...bright sun, low clouds. The next island rises like Mt. Fujii out of the clouds. The slanting sun about 8 p.m. makes the harbor postcard perfect. Then here I am red-faced, sweating like a fishwife, lugging a backpack full of food to the ice cream parlor. Not a pretty sight. Certainly not a turn on for the youngsters. My reputation as a cook is getting around, however. A couple of boats have asked if I do it for hire....wow...a new career in the making.

Gotta go before the power shuts of...computer is on battery only. Love to you all. Wish EVERYONE (and you know who you are!!!) was here to enjoy this beauty and just the plane thrill of being somewhere else for a while. I think about my father a lot. I know he's happy for me. Let's just hope the sailing gods are kind. Many boats are painting with an eye on the bow to ward off the storms. Always a good idea. KISSES.

4th of July Weekend Where Everyone is Slave to the Wind

Being a type A personality has it's ups and downs. It's what got me here but makes getting things done very trying. For the past three days I have organized my next five days work. I have power on the boat, changed out from 110 v to 220 v. I have a working refer. I have propane (though it will have to be refilled before we go. I have secured freezer space from Petter's Bar (best sailors' bar in Horta) and shopped the one supermarket for groceries. It's tough shopping for food based on the aisle it's in and what it resembles. Everything is in Portuguese but pasta is pasta. What's tough is figuring out if milk (in cartons that don't need refer) is whole, 1%, 2%, etc. Cheeses are a gamble. Bread is mostly bakery type, rolls, etc...nothing like dense whole wheat. Eggs are £4 a dozen, which is about 6 USD. Makes me crazy. But on a long hike yesterday I found a small shop where eggs are £1.75. That news pleased Freya as well. I am using her laptop right now. The boat's computer is charging...I ran it down last night preparing this post and lost it.

I also walked about 6 miles yesterday, over to the next small village, taking pictures along the way. I won't be doing much more of that once I start cooking, bagging, freezing and storing the supplies. There's nothing much else to do...listen to music, read (almost done with Cloud Atlas, so Freya says I can visit her library) and wATch boats in the harbor. There's an unending parade of beautiful boats from all over the world. So many sailors here are from Norway, France, Italy, but also from the US and Africa. The closest analogy to harbors like this one is the space bar in Star Wars...strange creatures with strange languages. Mostly old leathery salts, but lots of dreadlocks and beer swilling youngsters.

Sleeping aboard is getting more normal. I am comfortable, relatively dry considering the humidity, but not used to the long days. The light lasts until 10 p.m., so I am not getting to bed until 2-3 a.m. This means I sleep until 11-noon. Can't do that anymore. Store opens at 8:30 and I will be making chicken soup for 6 times three nights. Then on to a variety of stews, goulashes, other soups, etc. All done on two small propane burners...made a lovely sauce today with spicy pork, onions, mushrooms, whole tomatoes and capers. Freya, (on the double-ender Otahi) and Simon and Kat (from Doris) are eating with me. Kat and Simon due to leave as soon as the wind is not on their nose. They prepped today, just getting to the store before it closed.

I can't get travelog about this. There's not much really going on. I'll leave you with mental image of a scrawny black cat, shreading a lizard for lunch. The lava walls are thick with the things and BLUE BLUE BLUE hydrangas grow everywhere. Azore blue hydrangas as blue as mine are pink. I guess volcanic soil is acidic. I must really be boosting the alkali content of my soil with coffee grounds, which I though was doing the BLUE spell on them. Whatever. BLUE is here.

Days 2, 3, 4 Wed, Thur and Fri

Travel by plane...is overrated. I was so tired in SF, after fussing about what I was taking, that at 3 a.m., I forgot to pick up my boarding pass and got all the way through the security line without it. Had to go back...stupid...I kept to myself to Philly. Then sat next to a young Dutch African girl, Raisa. She and I will hook up in Amsterdam and bike or go to a concert. Next f--k up in Amsterdam. Set my watch wrong and spent too much time searching for a waterproof case for iPod. Got to the plane in what I though was time to board and was last seated...yikes. Did get something to save iPod from water and spray though. Ruined my first one in Florida...so worth it even for the scare. Two dumb assed booboos but made it. By Horta I was trashed. Slept in the waiting room. I figured if I missed the plane, I´d swim...only 800 miles.

Just like Fred said...You scared???? You are not afraid of talking to people...so he was right. Went right to the bar in the marina...two beautiful guys drinking coffee, working on computer...crew for a schooner...oh wait, they are going to read this...hey Innis, Kevin...but I digress...they charged my iPod and phone, and Innis really liked the aps, Dono...smooth move to make me get the Fluid, the Lighter, the Cocktail guide, the Knot guide...way funny. Anyway, everyone is friendly, helpful. They left today on the beautiful Sean Paquito. I found Simon´s blog...Yacht Doris before I left Stockton and found him in person today...not 50 yards away. Met Freya, a single girl waiting for crew to get back to UK...crew is in big demand. If you want to see the world learn to sail. Chatted with Norwegians rafted alongside. Loaned Norma my cookbook, since they leave in a few days. Loaned Simon the charts for Florida since that´s where he´s going next. Everyone lives "out of everyone else´s pocket."

Went shopping...not buying...just pricing...beer will be €144 (maybe that´s the sign for euro) for 9 cases. A shower is €2, a load of laundry €8 to wash and dry. Money floats away. Eating soup and dried fruit till the guys come. Part of crew on Tues. Ken two days before we take off. Got shore power on, refer fixed and on, gotta locate a place to freeze meals and I can start cooking.

Very tidy island, terraced like Switzerland. They say if Hawaii and Switzerland had a baby...it would be Azores. Mild weather, 70s. Rained last night. I didn´t care. Slept like a dead man. Already feeling wet and sticky...very humid here. Basically that´s life for the next month.

So everybody, so far so good. I know this isn´t really bloggy, more like a group email...just know I´m safe, happy...think rum...getting down to the real work of cooking...or at least thinking about cooking. Love you all. Love the people I haven´t met yet!

Day Before Departure 6-30-09

Friends think my summer plans idyllic...sailing conjures blue skies, fresh breezes, white decks awash with salt spray. My adventure starts with a 36 hour flight from San Francisco to the Azores with stops in Philadelphia, Amsterdam and Lisbon. When I arrive in Horta, at the marina on the island of Faial, my to-do list includes setting up shore power (snaking cable and switching on breakers), filling the propane tank, repairing the refrigerator pump (with marina services help!), and oiling the teak companionway, salt-encrusted from the 2000 nautical mile journey from Bermuda just last week.

Then I begin scouting the local markets and restaurants for Azorean cuisine. Over the next week, I'll cook on a two burner propane stove. Bag the meals with a vacuum sealer and freeze them...after convincing a marina bar or cafe to "lease" me some freezer space. When the crew of 5 arrive over the first two weeks of July, we'll continue to provision the C&C 121, 42-foot Grateful Red, for her voyage to Amsterdam.

Packing has been difficult. Sailing in Key West and the Bahamas means plenty of shorts and T-shirts. This adventure will take us to latitudes similar to Seattle. The boat will need to skirt the edge of weather systems for good wind, so that means lots of layers and especially warm clothes at night. My captain suggested several pairs of thermals and "watch" caps. On GR's last leg, the crew got wet, stayed wet, and expects the same this leg.