Goodbye South America - Hello Caribbean

Noel
Checking out our washing machine 

We left Suriname on October 24^th with our friends on Argosea, Tony and Anne.  It was a bittersweet departure as we felt comfortable and welcome in Suriname.  We have to send out a special thank you to Noel, owner and developer of Waterland Marina and Resort for being the best host one could imagine.  

Beautiful Waterland Marina
Suriname

His warmth and care for us as guests went so far beyond anything we have ever experienced.  To say farewell, Noel and his wife Rika prepared two pots of delicious local crabs, spiced to perfection.  By 8:00 AM the tide/current of the Suriname River was ebbing and flow was in our favor.  We rode the tide 35 miles to the Atlantic and began our four day sail north back to the Caribbean. 

It is hard to describe what passage making is like in a 44-foot sailboat.  The idea of it seems a bit romantic.  

In fact it is challenging even in the best of conditions.  Long hours with watch changes every 4 hours.  When or if you are able to sleep, it is only for four hours and then it is your turn to take another watch.  Someone is ALWAYS on duty. You might think that there is nothing to watch for when you’re 100 miles off shore in the middle of the night.  You would be mistaken.  One night at about 3:30 we were contacted by three ships doing seismic research asking us to alter our course and stay 6 miles off to their east.  You cross paths with tankers and cargo ships and yes, occasionally another yacht. The boat has to be run and sails adjusted in the dark so safely becomes a primary concern.  We wear life jackets at night and “tie in” whenever we leave the cockpit.  It’s a rule that no one leaves the cockpit at night without someone else having eyes on them.  

Drinks on the deck at Waterland

People do like to play dominos in this part of the world

Sunday Brunch with our friends from S/V Argosea

Kay and Elaine

Richard and Don

Dinner to be - thanks Noel

Rika and Noel prepared a great crab fest for our goodbye dinner

Our trip north found mild winds and moderate seas.  At times there was not enough wind to steady the boat from waves coming in on the beam.  This resulted in some hours with excessive rolling and an uncomfortable ride.  We sailed offshore about 75 miles to where the sea reaches a depth of 300 feet to in order to maximize any benefit from the equatorial current.  This moved us along nicely as we passed Suriname, British Guyana, Venezuela, and finally Trinidad.  We rounded the north shore of Trinidad and headed for the NW corner to enter a 5-mile Boca and enter our final port of call at sunrise.

After four days of 4-hour watches, we were tired.  When the boat is tossing about, everything is a challenge:  spending time below deck can wreck havoc with a queasy stomach. Cooking with food sliding across the counter, showering while keeping your balance, and even brushing your teeth is a trial. There is great beauty in the open sea and plenty to occupy your mind, but it is not the same as a weekend cruise to a favorite cove.  It is, however, one of those life experiences we wouldn’t trade. 

The plan is to stay in Trinidad for a few weeks, haul the boat and head back to the States for a month of family and visits.  

We will post again in 2015 when we are once again on the move - to where we do not know.

Richard and Kay

Off the Path

Our month in Suriname has passed so quickly but we’re feeling the itch to move on. It’s time to prepare for our next leg of this journey.

From this point, we will be moving northward and progressively closer to the US.  Suriname and French Guiana mark the southern-most point for us on this multi-year adventure so we made it to 4º.  Suriname should by all accounts be a destination for travelers but is not yet on the map of most journeymen.  Atalanta is berthed at the Waterland Marina, owned and operated by Noel, who has been the most amazing host.  In fact we nominated him for a TripAdvisor award! Not only is he building a lovely garden-like small eco-resort, he has been more helpful and kind than one could imagine.

Our berth at Waterland for the past month

 Upon our arrival, he chauffeured us in his van to acquaint us with area.  He suggested places to visit and events to attend and if we were unsure how to get there, he personally escorted us.

Kay on her way to provision

In the Butterfly Garden

When we had our 4-day rainforest excursion, he took Murray home and returned him 5 pounds heavier claiming that Murray now loves Surinamese food.  We can’t thank Noel enough for his support and friendship. He has even started calling those of us docked here his “floating family.”

Wednesday evening we attended a concert by Sabrina Stark in Paramaribo. A Surinamese-Dutch singer/songwriter, she presented a tribute to American soul legend Bill Withers. We attended with Tony, Anne, John & Deb and all enjoyed a “cultural” night out.

Just a short drive from Paramaribo in Lelydorp is the Neotropical Butterfly Park founded in 1996 by Amira and Ewout Eriks. In addition to a guided tour enabling us to view the wondrous process of butterfly metamorphosis in their nursery, we visited an insect museum, a beautifully painted 360º panorama room, turtle and red-tailed boa breeding areas, the Butterfly Garden, and finally lunched at Kaperka Cafe. Twenty different species of Surinamese butterflies are grown from egg to caterpillar to pupae at which point they are packed and exported to Europe and North America. My favorite area was the Butterfly Garden where we walked along narrow paths among fragrant, flowering plants surrounded by dozens of fluttering butterflies.

Paramaribo

We will spend next week preparing for the next part of the trip . . . either to Trinidad or Tobago. It was a long, challenging 6-day trip to get here against the Guyana Current, but we anticipate that favorable winds and that same current will send us back in the opposite direction in only 4 days. 

To prepare we will:

1.     Re-provision

2.     Prepare meals in advance since cooking at sea can involve   chasing flying items around the galley 
3.     Assure mechanical systems are working

4.     Check bilge for leaks, clean salt water strainers

5.     Top off fuel tanks, fill jerry cans

6.     Fill water tanks

7.     Change filters in water-maker

8.     Check safety equipment (jack lines, life jackets, flares, etc.)

9.     Plot course on chart plotter and iPad, Share sail plan with fellow sailors

10. Review weather charts and GRIB files

11. Check sails and lines

12. Check engine and generator

13. Secure boat for rough conditions

Stay tuned for more as we return to Trinidad and Tobago.  Thanks for following. 

Richard and Kay

Misc. Pics form our time in Suriname

Frank
Our Guide

Maroon village house on Maroni River

Tony and Ann off for a ride up the Suriname River

“There’s a small problem . . .” (our journey into Suriname's interior)

Along with good friends Tony and Anne, we boarded a bus that looked a bit suspecttravelled two hours on paved roads and three hours on a dirt road used by gold miners offering enough bumps and undulations to thoroughly rattle our tailbones and enough dust to cover everything in fine, red dust until our guide Stephan announced, “There’s a small problem.” A broken fan belt halted the bus but Stephan arranged a ride for us with a passing van driven by a cellphone-talking speed demon.

With frayed nerves and covered in red dust, we transferred our supplies to a 38-foot dugout canoe powered by the ubiquitous Yamaha and sped up the Marowijne River for two and a half hours. The motor sputtered and died. “There’s a small problem,” Edmond, the cook said.

We were able to drift the final 200 yards to camp. Our accommodations, on an island on the Marowijne River, were rustic but lovely. Each couple had a thatched roof cabin with two beds and small porch.

Our home away from home

Stephan and two other staff had stayed behind to cope with the bus and as we settled in, Edmond said, “There’s a small problem. I have never been here before and Stephan won’t arrive until tomorrow.”  The problem was solved when Frank, the ‘boatsman’, assisted opening up the camp while Edmond prepared dinner.  It was early to bed with the sounds of the jungle as background music. 

After breakfast, we set out in the longboat with Edmond to visit a Maroon village. Edmond taps me on the shoulder, “There is a small problem. I have no money and we need to give the captain of the village a bottle of rum.”  Problem solved as the boatsman intervened and agreed to provide the rum. 

The Maroons in Suriname are descendants of escaped slaves who set up independent communities beyond the colonists’ control. The Maroons support themselves with small-scale agriculture, fishing, hunting, and running boats on the river.  They live in matrilineal a society where men are allowed multiple wives as long as he provides each one with a house, a boat, and a cleared plot of land for her garden. It is hard to visit without feeling that you are intruding.  We walked about and visited the school scheduled to reopen the beginning of October.

Then Frank brought us to the sula (rapids) where we swam with his 7-year-old nephew, Daniel, and enjoyed the refreshing surge of water.  Daniel fearlessly swam underwater and through the rapids. Frank said piranha are present but not the ones that bite hard.

Daniel and Tony at the sula

We were fascinated by longboats and the boatsmen who steer them. Longboats are made from a dug out log with sides that extend the freeboard to about 2 feet above the waterline.  They ALL have Yamaha engines from 15 hp - 250 hp. Everything on the river moves via these boats:  people, fuel, food, building supplies, and even earth moving equipment for goldmining.  The captains of these boats run the river skillfully avoiding rocks and shallows that only they can see.

Our ride up the river

Edmond and the "boys"

We awakened early with the jungle on day three. Eating breakfast as the toucans called, we took a longboat 45-minutes up a tributary of the river and then hiked two and a half hours on a barely-trodden trail that meandered through dense forest, across streams, and over hilly terrain. The cacophonous sounds of birds and insects suggests an environment teeming with wildlife, but actually spotting anything apparently requires more ability and luck than we possess.  Enormous hungry flies ignored the fact that we wore long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and were doused in DEET. Dripping with sweat and plodding on tired feet, the forest opened up and we spotted recently discovered Minas Falls.  A beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly welcomed us as we quickly jumped into the refreshing pool below the falls. Edmond prepared dinner that included rice cooked with coconut milk and black beans, curried chicken, and aubergine baked with onion, garlic and butter. Arrangements had been made to have cold Parbo beer delivered and all in all it was a spectacular day.

Anne enjoying the river

On our way to the Falls

Sadly, at 10:00 on day four we closed up the camp and loaded our gear on a 53-foot longboat powered by an 85hp Yamaha. Our glimpse into the lives of those who live along the Marowjine River and the opportunity to witness the beauty the jungle in Suriname is unforgettable. Although we didn’t spot monkeys, caiman, or jaguar we know they are here, alive and well for the time being.  All of our small problems were easily solved; however, there is a much greater problem facing the rainforest.  The need to protect this area is critical as loggers, miners, tourists and others present challenges to the preservation of this invaluable rainforest.

Thanks for following our travels and we would love to hear your comments.  

Richard and Kay

some more pics:

Frank loading his boat

Daniel 

Gold mining

Heading to the Falls

Steven helping us get through a shallow spot

Ann and Daniel