Jacare to Trinidad - update

Our stay in Jacare was a very hot one. Even our fridge hated the place and decided to stop working. The marina got hold of a technician who turned out to be a very friendly guy - and he was at home on shore leave from his job on an offshore multi -purpose vessel (oil related). So we had a long chat on working conditions in Brazil's oilfields. The pay was getting worse every year - and Joelson (as his name was) was considering giving up his job, as working full time as a service engineer as this was more rewarding than what he made on his 28 days offshore.
He managed to get the fridge started - by checking for freon content and leaks. He replaced the old freon with new and replaced the thermostat.

We decided to have a nights vaccation from the boat. A night at a hotel with aircondition and a great meal was what we had in mind. We found a hotel online - booked the room and off we went with the local taxi driver Bernardo.
The food and the stay was very nice. We had a room on the top floor of a beach side hotel in a large beach just outside Joao Pessoa.

Our trip to Ubatuba unfortunatly had to be cancelled. We could not check in with the immigration untill after the carnival. And we could not travell without beeing checked in. As our time schedule is very tight we had to make this sad decission.

Nicola from the marina picked us up at the hotel the next day - and we went to immigration where we were checked in and out - as we were departing 2 days later.

Sunday morning 1. march we left at high tide.
The day before had been spent at a big Carrefour supermarket - where last provissions was purchased.
Our taxi driver Bernardo was very helpfull insisted on
carriyng all to the boat and even to lift it onboard.

Our trip started well with ample sailing wind which gave us good speed. Our destination was Iles du Salut (Saviours Islands) off the coast of French Guyana. Most people may have read the book or seen the movie Papilon. The island is the site of an old french prison for high security prisoners.
It was in operation from 1880 to late 1950's.
Now it's a museum and open to the public who find their way to the islands.
The trip up here has been very hot and at times tiresome. After the first 1-2 days with sailing wind - we were becalmed and ran the engine every day to help progress. Luckily we had 355 liters of diesel when we left. We have stopped a few times to have a swim, which was very nice - but water temperature is almost 30C. After we had a short rinse with fresh water on the out door shower.
Radio system has worked fine. We have been able to send and receive emails via the Winlink system and hopefully you have been able to follow our position changes that has been added daily.
The sad thing is that there has been no long range conditions that has allowed us to talk to HAM radio friends in Norway.

We have had contact with other boats sailing the same route as us - and been able to share information on weather and choice of route.

We are now on day 11 out of Jacare, it's wednesday and we will arrive the islands early friday morning.
Our plan is to stay at anchor there until sunday and then motor into the nearest town, Kourou to fill up with diesel and fresh water. We also need to buy bottled water, some fresh bread and green stuff.

From Kourou we will sail to Trinidad where we need to have some job done on the boat. Our toilet is blocked again and the manual pump broken.

The fridge - gave up on us, 2 days out of Jacare,
but we managed to get it going and it keep a temp of 9-10 degrees, We have sent an email to try get a portable backup fridge to keep our drinking water atc. Opening the main fridge several times a day doesn't help keeping the temperature low.

The voyage up to Trinidad is 6 days to arrive at the 23rd of March. We hope to get the jobs done within a few days. After Trinidad we wil start our voyage up the Carribean islands. More on that later Today we had confirmation from the yard in Chageuramas to be hauled out 24. and back out the 29th. march.

Latest news on Corona virus worries us. Not the virus itself, but the consequences in trade and available provisions as we go along. Luckily we are very well stocked - but need more drinking water and diesel. We'll just have to see how this thing pans out.


Grete & Geir