Our First Video Production—The San Blas Islands

Here is the first video production of our adventure through the San Blas Islands last week!  Given the Wi-Fi services, I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able post these types of videos (since this one took me six hours to upload).  However, I'll probably keep plugging along and making them because they are a lot of fun to create and watch down the road.      
  
Tomorrow, Martin, Lily and I are off to Panama City (about an hour and a half away) to attend church and then walk around the city.  We are trying to make the most of this wonderful time together in this amazing part of the world.

Just a quick update...  Monday we are set to leave and go through the Panama Canal at 1pm.  We are more than happy to have been slated for Monday and even more excited that this is finally happening.  More on that tomorrow...

Until then, enjoy our first video!

P.S. Check your pc's volume before playing.

Carti Sagdup Island—San Blas Islands Continued...

Monday morning, Martin and David took the tender in to clear us through Panamanian immigration so that we could go and visit some of the islands in the San Blas.  There are over 120 small islands in this area, and most of them are uninhabited.  There are four main islands (yet small) that a lot of the Kuna Indians call home. 

With Martin and David at customs, Sue and I got busy cleaning up the boat.  After six days at sea, there were linens to be changed, floors to be cleaned and showers to be scrubbed.  I have found my kindred spirit in cleaning, as Sue loves a good scrubbed sink as much as I do.  We were all too happy to get Amara back to her lovely self again.  After we had done some laundry and were getting ready for lunch, Martin and David returned.  We promptly pulled up anchor and headed for the island, Carti Sagdup.

Passing through a house to get to the
main street from the dock.

Now, I don’t mean to sound naïve, but I was preparing myself to go to a bunch of stores on Carti Sagdup to buy the local handicrafts.  What I wasn’t prepared for, until we set foot on the island, was how primitive it was.  

There, we were met by “John” who was an older fellow who said he once helped in the building of the Panama canal back in the forties.  John was also a snide entrepreneur because the minute he saw us driving up in our tender, he ran out to welcome us to the island and “invite” us to his home.  While walking from the dock (which was hardly a dock) we had to walk through someone’s home to get to the main street.  John turned us left, and then right, and then left again.  Winding us down alleys until we finally made our way to his home. 

John's home.  This is a typical Kuna family home.  Sand floors, little to no furniture with hammocks.  The roofs are made of palm fronds and keep the hut dry even in the harshest of tropical storms.

Purchasing  traditional "Molas" from John's wife.

I was in a bit of a shock when we got to his home to see that he and his family were actually living on a dirt floor with hammocks as beds.  I was more than happy to purchase some Molas from his wife as well as some long-strand beads that the women use to wrap their legs in daily.  John was very proud of his large and spacious home and even pointed out his satellite television to us.  I let him give me a tour, still in shock at how primitive these people still live. 

The Kuna's have a matriarchal society, where the woman handle the money and the men move into their wife's home.  Most of the women in the village were dressed in traditional Kuna Indian clothing.  They take the Mola’s and fashion them into shirts and wear a colorful sarong around their waists with the beads around their legs and feet.  Of course, I was mesmerized by the fashion of these women.  I had just come from a swim in the ocean and was still in my tank top and shorts and felt severely underdressed standing next to them.

Walking the dirt alleys of this island called Carti Sagdup was very humbling, yet what I noticed was that the kids were just kids having fun in the streets.  Mothers were reading to their children in their huts.  Children were attending school and everyone was going about their daily lives.  

The local school where the classroom was
outside as well as smaller classes being held inside.

Children playing in the streets.

Of course, Lily in her stroller was a big attraction to the local women and children.  Everywhere we went, the children would run up to Lily and say, “Hola!” and then I would tell the children in Spanish that Lily couldn’t walk or talk.  They were very silent as they just stared at her.  We would then go on to the next house to see the handicrafts and then come back out to see even more children had gathered to see the little girl being pushed in a stroller.  

Three little girls especially loved seeing Lily in her stroller.  We watched them as they eyed her and looked at the specifics of Lily's stroller.  Then they disappeared.  Sue and I thought that maybe they were so interested because they had never seen a stroller.  However, we were tickled when they came running around the corner with their baby doll in her stroller!  Then they started laughing as they came over to me and pushed their baby as I pushed mine, all the while smiling and laughing.

We walked all around the island and went from house to house looking at their crafts.  Sue and I purchased several Molas as well as some purses made from a Mola pattern.  

Pretty soon we were “Mola-ed out” and decided it was time to start heading back to our tender.  The problem was that we had twisted and turned so many times that every time we thought that we had found our way to the dock, we would end up in someone’s living room.  I know it’s hard for most to understand how we would end up in someone’s living room.  However, most of the homes were part of the ally as well.  

The bathroom cabinet.  

One point, I ended up at one of the many outhouses that the Kuna’s use to bathe and use as a restroom.  I really was set back by the filth on the outskirts of the island, but found the people trying their best to keep their homes as clean as possible when living on a tropical island with a dirt floors.   It was very humbling for me as it would be for anyone that came to visit these people.

Traditional dugout canoes "pangas" and behind
them are the local outhouses.

When we returned to the boat, I told Martin that I was sold on our new cruising lifestyle.  I loved our little adventure and only wished that more of my family and friends could have been with us to share in this experience.

I am sure that through the course of our journey and through this blog, I am going to say over and over again about how blessed we are.  However, let me make it clear that being “blessed” can be relative.  For example, some people are blessed with health.  Others are blessed with healthy children, and others are blessed with the opportunity to have the kind of experience that Martin and I had today.  I believe that the Kuna’s are blessed because everyone we saw, old and young, appeared to be happy, surrounded by family, and were very proud of their heritage.   It was such an amazing experience for all of us.

San Blas Islands Passage From St. Maarten

Amara leaving St. Maarten

On Sunday, April 20th, we finally made it to San Blas islands after six days at sea!  I haven’t had access to the internet, and I am currently sitting in a little cafe at the marina sucking up their wi-fi before they close up shop for the evening.  I have to type fast!

Arriving in the San Blas islands was a long haul (at least for me).  We covered over 1000 miles in 6 days.  It was so nice to finally leave St. Maarten behind us and head out into the great big ocean.  It was my maiden voyage on Amara and I was so excited to finally start sailing!

We had planned to leave that Sunday, but as luck would have it, Martin and David were doing a routine check of the boat and went snorkeling under the hulls and noticed a missing cover that led into the generator compartment.  It was a problem that had been fixed in France, but the plate covering the hole had fallen off somewhere between France and St. Maarten.  The hole wasn’t going to sink the boat but it could have shorted out all of our electrical equipment.  So, erring on side of caution, they decided to go back into St. Maarten where David found an aluminum plate (which was a small miracle) to cover the hole.  Then Martin and David spent the better part of the day in a dinghy under the catamaran gluing the plate into place.

As I have been saying all along, plans can change quickly while sailing, so we postponed our departure until Monday. 

Martin and David working under Amara.

We finally set off on Monday of last week.  I can say now that the passage was actually a lot of fun, however, there were a few days there where I was a little, “touch and go.”  The sea was angry there for awhile, and I wasn’t sure that a sailor’s life was for me.  More on that later…

Our  Crew Watch Schedule

Each member of the crew (which includes me) had to cover one, 4-hour watch and one, 3-hour watch (except me, since I had to watch Lily during the day.)  My 3-hour watch was from 6-9:00 pm.  I actually enjoyed that time alone under the stars listening to music and getting lost in my thoughts.  All the while looking out for any ships that were getting within a certain distance from Amara.  Martin and I also had a lot of time to spend with each other, since our night watches were back-to-back.  Martin’s night watch started at 9:00 pm and lasted until 12:00 am.  So, he would come up to relieve me and we would end up sitting under the moonlight for about an hour and just talk and enjoy one another’s company.   We are lucky that we not only really love each other, but we also really like each other.  We have some wonderful memories now of us just sitting under the stars in the middle of the ocean.

I have to admit, there were two days during the passage that I would have paid anything to get off Amara.  ANYTHING!  The passage was relatively easy other than Thursday and Friday where we were in 25-30 knot winds in a cross current.  The boat rocked relentlessly during those two days.  Every time a wave would hit the hulls it would make this LOUD crashing and knocking sound.  I didn't sleep at night during this time because the hulls were so loud that it sounded like someone was rolling a bowling ball up and down our bedroom all night.  I finally found peace when I put on my eye shades and noise-cancelling headphones.  Finally got a good night's sleep.

A self-portrait while blindfolded is
apparently a little difficult to center the photo.

There was a moment during this time, when I felt so sick that I asked Martin if he could call in a chopper for me to get me off the boat!  I was standing in the hallway with my feet firmly on each side of the aisles with my hands holding onto the doorway.  I yelled to Martin, “I feel like I am in the belly of the whale!  I gotta get outta here!”  It was a minor meltdown that lasted all of 1 minute, but during that minute I was scheming up all kinds of plans to get me off that bobbing boat!  

During those two days, the boat was rocking and rolling around so much that all I could do was stay in bed.  I spent the majority of those two days holding on to Lily’s leg.  It was all I could do when Martin was on watch to make sure she didn’t fall off the bed while I just tried to sleep and have my dreams take me far, far away from Amara.  Luckily, Martin watched her for the most part during that time so that I could just recoup.  Just when I would think that I was starting to get better, I'd look over and read the title of a book and then feel a rush of nausea coming back over me.

Speaking of Lily, she’s a natural.  So far, she has had the time of her life sitting at the helm with her dad and with me, or just playing in the cockpit with all her toys.  She seems to be adapting to being a sailor quite well.  And yes, she is still stuffing herself with all of Sue’s epicurean creations.

Lily is a natural.  She loved the rocking 
and rolling and found it quite fun!

Lily loved hanging out with dad.

...and playing outside in the cockpit.

By Saturday, the winds had calmed down and the rest of the passage was enjoyable.  I was back to wanting to be a sailor again. Whew!  Martin assured me that those were the two roughest days on the water even for him since he set foot on Amara.  I am kind of proud of myself for enduring those two days, but I am so glad they are a faint memory now. 

One day during our passage, we were quite entertained by a pelican that came and visited us for about an hour in the middle of the ocean.  He (assuming he was a HE) would fly in front of the boat, land on the water and then let Amara pass over him.  Then, once he was behind the boat, he would fly to the front and do it all over again.  He did this over and over.  In the end, he finally flew onto the boat and sat there balancing on Amara’s lifelines. The pelican would just sit there and pose for me as I snapped away taking photos.  I have a feeling I wasn’t the first person to take his picture as he seemed quite sure of himself.   

Examining Lily's bedroom hatch.

At one point while I was taking pictures of him, I saw him zeroing in on the open hatch right over Lily’s room.  Realizing what he might be thinking, I ran out of the salon and started yelling and shooing him from the deck like a crazy lady.  All I could think of was that pelican flying into Lily’s bedroom hatch and wrecking havoc in her room while she was sleeping.  I turn into an angry mama bear when my cub’s safety is at stake.  Let's just say that Mr. Pelican met his first bear that day. 

Our first catch!  A mahi mahi.

Fresh sashimi straight from the sea.

Another highlight was catching fish!  I never knew how much fun reeling in fish would be.  Every time the lines would start making the slightest of noise, I would run out to see what the sea might be offering up to us.  The second morning of the voyage, at about 6 in the morning, I heard the lines peeling off the reel and I ran out to see that Martin and David had caught a mahi mahi (which we promptly ate for lunch and dinner that night).  We caught a few more fish during the week but somehow they managed to wiggle away from our lines.  I was getting a bit discouraged as the score was about: Sea-5 and Amara-1.  Not to be discouraged, on Sunday, Martin and David caught a yellow fin tuna.  We made fresh sashimi for lunch and had seared tuna that evening for dinner.  

Pulling into the San Blas Islands custom's office.

We hadn't even put down our anchor yet and the Kuna Indian women were floating up to our boat to sell us "Molas".

When we got into the San Blas islands on Sunday evening.  While putting down our anchor, the local Kuna Indian women promptly rowed up to our boat and met us wanting to sell us their handicrafts.  In the San Blas, the Kuna Indians make something called a “Mola” which is a process of stacking material on top of one another and then sewing a design within the stacked material.  It is usually in a geometric shape but lately they are doing animals and boats (for the tourists).  It is an important part in maintaining the Kuna economy.  They are so beautiful once you realize all the stitching and handwork that went into creating them.  

Sue looking at all the colorful Molas and making her selection.

Sue was kind enough to purchase from the Kuna women that rowed out to our boat.  I held off until the next day knowing that we were going to go into one of the islands (Carti Sagdup) and would be able to do a little local shopping there.

To be continued...

Meet Our Crew

When searching for a crew, Martin and I decided early on that we not only needed a captain, but that we would also need a "cook."  It would be easier for me to not have to prepare the daily meals on the boat for a crew since Lily would be taking up most of my time and efforts.  We just thought it would be too hard for me to provision and cook while taking care of Lily who is disabled and needs my constant attention.  At home, I could manage cooking and watching Lily because Martin was always around to lend a hand.  However, while sailing, there is a lot more that needs Martin's attention and I just didn't want to rely on him having a second to play with Lily while I cooked.  Plus, I also want to try my hand at sailing and I didn't know how I was going to fit it all in having to worry about "what's for dinner."  So, we decided that we wanted a couple; A qualified captain and, if we were lucky, a cook.   What we got was the pot at the end of the rainbow!  These two are better than gold!

Sue and David, our new crew, come to us directly from 'down und-ah' (they're probably tired of that expression by now) where they call Melbourne, Australia their home.  They have been married for 24 years.  22 of those 24 years, they have been working together on the water as David serving as the ship's captain and Sue being the boat's chef/mate.  When talking with both of them, I am amazed as they mentioned where they have traveled to by boat.  For example: Egypt, Thailand, Israel, Singapore, Panama, Sri Lanka, the South and North Pacific, the Mediterranean, and through both the Panama and Suez canals.  Just a few months prior to 9/11, they were even in New York harbor, crewing a yacht for 6 months.

Martin and I have really enjoyed getting to know them better these past two weeks and have loved the skills and expertise that they have brought with them.

Taken this morning in the midst of the hustle and bustle of getting Amara ready to leave the harbor.  We really love these two!

David is a captain that touts over 20+ years of experience.  He has sailed over 100,000 miles as a captain; first on his own boat and then for other yacht owners.  He has captained up to 100' vessels, so captaining Amara shouldn't be a problem for David since she is only a 56-footer.  David and his father built their first boat back in 1985.  It was a 42' Oceanic yacht called, "Arenda" that they built from hull and deck up—meaning, they built it from the bare bones reinstalling the plumbing, engine work, reinstalling the deck hardware, as well as, all the internal woodwork.  David and his father sailed their boat, Arenda, for the next two years through the North and South Pacific.

These past two weeks have involved long hours of fixing and managing all the moving parts as well as the electronics on Amara.  Martin is constantly amazed at the skills that David has in fixing and maintaining almost everything along with his keen capability to troubleshoot foreseeable problems that could easily arise when we least expect it.  David "expects" it and we are grateful for all the time and effort that he has already put in to getting Amara ready to sail... again.

Martin and David discussing the "eternal" spare parts list.  Martin obviously doesn't want to forget buying another alternator belt (notice his fancy necklace).

When Sue met David, she was hardly a sailor at that point but agreed to take off with David and his father upon the completion of Arenda. Together, they sailed around the South Pacific for the next three months.  After the trip was over Sue said that she was, "in love" and decided to join David as a member of his crew and then eventually as his wife.  She continued on with David and his father for the next few years where she honed her skills as a chef and mate.  Sue considers herself a "foodie."  However, I would consider her an amazing and accomplished gourmet chef.  Every night she cooks up an amazing creation—Salmon with puff pastry and soft cheese dripping down the sides with bread pudding served as dessert.  Grouper with a mango chutney or sautéed leeks with spaghetti (sounds so simple but it truly melted in our mouths.)   The list of dishes goes on and on and Martin and I are certainly eating like kings with Sue in the kitchen.  We both REALLY look forward to dinner these days.  ...This could come back to bite me!

One thing that I took very seriously when packing for Amara was to provide our chef with a fully stocked (maybe too stocked) kitchen.  I wanted to provide whoever was going to take over as "cook" with the tools that they would need to make food preparation a little easier and "up to snuff" with their culinary expectations.  I honestly think that a spoon and a bowl would have worked for Sue as she seems to prepare these dishes with ease and what looks to be with little effort on her part.  However, I'm smart enough to know that it's the 20 years of experience that Sue has had that makes her a master at what she is able to do.

One of the toughest critics of food that I know, is Lily.  She is picky, picky, picky!  Yet Sue is quickly plumping her up as Lily can't resist her cooking either.  Every night Lily can't get enough, and as a mother, it brings me great satisfaction seeing her enjoying these amazing dishes as well.

Provisions.  This is one load of about 20 loads of shopping that Sue has already done in provisioning for our trip to Panama.

As we continue this journey, I am going to take photos of some of Sue's dishes, because you won't believe the presentation of each meal, let alone how it tastes.  It really is magical.

Martin and I wanted to let Sue and David have the night off tonight so Martin and I went to a nearby restaurant to have a quick bite.  Throughout the meal we were like groaning teenagers.  All we could say was, "Sue would have made this so much better." Or, "Sue would be able to tell what ingredients are in this."  Then the conversation would turn to talking about David.  All we could keep saying was, "We are so lucky to have David!"  Martin and I kept discussing how lucky we were to have been able to find such a qualified crew, as well as, we enjoy their company!  All we could use were words like, "Lucky", "Blessed", again "Lucky" and the all too common sentence in the course of our conversation, "How did we luck out in finding them?"

We were so nervous to see Patrice leave us, and although he is a top-notch sailor, we are so grateful that David was able to easily slip in at the helm and be able to make the transition from one captain to another captain a seamless effort.  We are also grateful for our noted chef, Sue, who is on board and able to join us.  She took over the kitchen the minute she walked on board, and I was easily able to hand it over to her.

Again, "How did we get so lucky?"

Note:  In the future, I will be more prepared to take photos of Sue's dishes.  Right now it has been the awe and amazement of feelings only felt on Christmas morning when seeing her dishes.  I'll try to compose myself for dinner tonight and take a few for you to enjoy.

If any of you readers are looking for crew for your boat (we have quite a few cruisers reading our blog now), we went through Palm Beach Yachts International  and worked with Donna McPhail.  She was obviously a welcomed resource in helping match our needs with a qualified crew.

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Saturday, April 13

Today we plan on leaving St. Martin and taking the 11:00 am bridge opening that will set us out on our journey to the San Blas islands and then on to Panama.  It should take us about 6 days to get to the San Blas islands.  I have a little itinerary of things that I would like to do when we get there.  Two months ago Condé Nast Traveler magazine did a highlight on the San Blas islands and talked about some fabulous places to visit, dive and restaurants to eat at while visiting.  We plan on staying there for a few days and then make our way to Panama where we plan to go through the Panama canal.  I will be able to post a little along the way, but it will be through our ships satellite phone, which will make it tricky since I tend to write my posts in 10 minutes and then spend another day editing them.  So, stay with me even if these are a little harder than normal to post.   

You don't know how excited I am to be finally leaving St. Maarten and be heading to Panama!

What's Inside?

I finally got my act together and organized some photos of Amara.  It really has been a fun, yet exhausting experience.  I started the planning and preparation almost 4 months ago with the goal of making this boat feel like home for our family.  I am glad that it's basically done and I am quite pleased with the finished product.

Now, for the tour inside Amara.

First, the galley, salon and navigation station.  In non-boater terms: the kitchen, dining room and the captain's area.

THE GALLEY

Lily, our model, showing us the galley.  This is a fully stocked kitchen with 3 refrigerators and 2 large freezers.  It has a full oven and stove top, along with a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer.  We are hardly roughing it.

THE SALON

This is where most of the events are happening these days.  Because the boat has air-conditioning, we are taking advantage of the cool air that this area offers.  We are currently staying indoors to eat most of our meals until we start our passage.  Then, I'm sure, we'll be taking our meals in the cockpit area.

THE NAVIGATION STATION

The navigation station provides all of the electronics for the boat.  It has an auto-pilot, radar system, chart plotter and the ship's computer (MaxSea computer) in this area.  The "Nav" station also maintains the electronic management for the water makers and generator controls.  We also have a satellite phone and VHF radios located in this area.  Along with this nav station, we also have all these same controls up on the fly bridge.  That way we can steer and manage the boat from both areas.

LILY'S PLAY STATION

This little girl is thrilled to have an area where she can play with her toys and have some room to spread out, roll around and stretch her little legs.

THE OWNER'S CABIN

The picture above, gives you an overview of mine and Martin's cabin.  The vanity and shower are located just outside our bedroom area and the "head" (toilet) is separate and in a closed area just behind my desk (not seen in this photo).

We really love the space and storage that our cabin provides.

*Note:  I wasn't going to do framed pictures in each of the cabins because I was unsure of the dimensions (as they varied from room to room) and I knew that I'd have to bring the framed pictures with me on the plane; which I wasn't mentally prepared to do (more lifting!).  Then about 2 weeks before I left Utah, I knew that I would scold myself daily for not doing the pictures and framing prior to coming to St. Martin.  So, I found a few photographers that I have used in the past and had them do photos for each of the cabins.  I guessed at the dimensions just over the bed frame for each cabin and had the pictures custom framed according to my "guesstimates."  Then I lugged all 9 framed photos on the plane with me from Utah to St. Martin.  I have to say that I am quite pleased with their end result in spite of them being a bit of a stress and headache for me.

Martin's side of the bed along with a view of our storage space and closets.

My little corner and where I do most of my blog updates.

Here is a better view of our vanity and shower.  The bathroom has plenty of storage and ample room to spread things out a bit.

LILY'S CABIN

I wanted Lily's room to be bright and cheery and done just right for our little piece of sunshine.  What you don't see is that Lily's bunk is about 3 feet off the ground (which makes for a hard fall if she were to roll off her bed).  So, after much detail, diagrams and discussions on Martin's part, he was able to come up with a master plan to keep her from rolling off the bed.  

BRILLIANT!

Martin and David were able to rig up netting all along Lily's bed.

THE END RESULT...

ONE HAPPY LITTLE GIRL!

I took this of Lily just waking up this morning enjoying her new and very safe bed.  I can sleep easier knowing that she won't roll off.

The netting and poles can easily come off and Lily's room can be used for guests if the boat fills up with friends and family.

THE CREW CABIN

This is one of the rooms for our crew, David and Sue.  Their cabin has a completely separate entrance than the 3 cabins just off the main salon.  That way it gives them a little more privacy and they can shut their cabin's door and be done with the Frey family for the evening.

A quick photo of their head (although I didn't take a picture of the actual head).  You can at least get an idea of how large this area is.

We also have a fourth cabin, but I have only hung the pictures at this point.  I wanted to wait to set this room up for when our guests come.  I want the linens and towels to be fresh upon their arrival, so I chose to wait.  I'll make sure to snap a photo and post when it is all set up and ready for guests.

*Note:  Each room has it's own desk, head, full shower and a library area.

THE COCKPIT

Lastly, our cockpit area.  This is a covered "patio" just outside the salon.  I'm sure we will spend plenty of evenings sitting around this table talking and laughing with old and new friends.  In fact, we have already hosted a dinner with a few friends that I had met online through a cruiser's forum last year.  We found out that they were in St. Martin, found their boat and, of course, invited them over for dinner.  It was really fun to meet them in person and I hope that our paths will cross again in the future.

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Today, we had a great surprise.  My brother, Clay, and his wife, Stephanie, are on a Caribbean cruise and were coming to St. Martin.  Clay called me on Monday to see if we were still in St. Martin.  We were thrilled to meet them at the cruise ship's dock and show them around St. Martin and give them a tour of Amara.

Clay at the helm on the flybridge of Amara. 

We took them to Friar's Bay for lunch, which is a little restaurant on the sand just by the water.  It's a beautiful little beach.  So beautiful, that Stephanie couldn't resist the lure of the water any longer and got up in the middle of lunch and took a swim in the ocean.  Now, that's living!

I am so glad that we were able to have a lovely day visiting with Clay and Stephanie and that we were able to show them around Amara.  Hopefully, after seeing Amara in person, they'll come visit us somewhere in the South Pacific.  (hint. hint.)