Happy New Year!

Wishing everybody a happy and healthy new year when it comes :) 

Thank You

As this year is coming to an end we say a big thank you to our children. We could not live our dream without them being happy for us...they truly set us free and let us be the way we want to be! 

We love you so very much Jeanette, Michelle, and Jessica, Julia, and Michael...we are so very proud of you for the wonderful persons you are. It is so good to know that you are there for each other as we are there for you...each one of you is a present from God and we could not be more blessed! 

Awaiting the New Year

First of all here is my recipe for Grog, a nice comforting drink, especially around the Holiday Season :) It is also great for curing a sore throat...something I can attest to! 

Okay...now then...we have a new battery for the windlass on order...should arrive next week :) We decided to hang out at our mooring over New Year's...the anchorages are becoming busy with boat traffic from the mainland as is the case every year here in Culebra...our little bay is tucked away from this traffic, so we stay put, enjoy, and relax until next year, hahaha...so far away and yet so near ;) We also just heard from some friends who will be coming to Culebra on Thursday...they are from Germany, used to live in PR, and we have not seen them in many years! So it will be fun in the sun with them and some friends from Ponce next week for two days :)

My captain got our water tanks filled by schlepping our five gallon water containers to and from Dingy Dock Restaurant...they sell water there from the tap...so a few dinghy rides back and forth later and some muscle power to lift the tanks ORION is ready to ride the high seas with us again soon! Things will become a lot easier when we get the new water maker...then we can make our own potable water without any schlepping involved :). 

Whilst Rick took care of the water I took care of the laundry...he dropped me and the dirty washing off near the laundromat in town and picked me and the clean washing up again two hours later...perfect timing and two things accomplished before the new year :) We may get a small washing machine when the water maker is up and running! Our friends Gabriel and Wanda on SV Good Timing bought one from Walmart that fits in their boat and only uses around 5 gallons of water for a medium load...we checked it out on their boat and it looks feasible for ORION as well...exciting I tell ya! Anyways...one thing at a time...stay tuned please. 

Since we are sticking around for a few days longer we are making the best of it as usual ;) Discovered a great little restaurant called Barbara Rosa's and went there for dinner yesterday evening...what an outstanding food experience...home cooked dishes made by Barbara Rosa herself...a somewhat rustic setting with a down home feeling...I had Mahi Mahi filet with rice and beans and salad and Rick had fish and chips with coleslaw...key lime pie rounded off the evening...we could even bring our own bottle of wine and have it with our dinner! The food was so good we talked about it even today...we shall be back at Barbara Rosa's for sure :)

To round things off we went for a nice long walk the other day and found this picturesque small water dam in the woods by the road! Who would have thought? Until soon again...Happy New Year when it comes...maybe I'll fit in another post before then... 

It's a Boat!

Made a short trip on ORION yesterday to anchor near town in order to get water, because we want to sail again now that the Christmas Winds have calmed down. Discovered that our electric windlass was as dead as a door nail...ugh! So we turned around and headed for a nice anchorage behind a reef called Dakity where there are lots of public moorings, and to our delight we found a free one :) Making the best of the situation we grabbed the mooring ball and stayed for the night...snorkeled in the crystal clear water where the sandy bottom is covered with hundreds of starfish...will get photos another time when we have the camera with us. 

Rick checked the windlass and found a dead battery...ah well...could have been worse...after all...it's a boat and cruising means to repair your boat in tropical locations ;)...so we need a new battery and will also get a small solar trickle charger for that battery to keep it topped up. Our windlass battery is on its own circuit, so this will be the best solution :) You see, we don't use the windlass very often around here, because there are moorings available almost everywhere...and of course we have our own mooring to come back to. 

We left Dakity this morning, and are now back on our own mooring ball. My captain went off in the dinghy to fetch some water and maybe he will be able to buy a new battery in town...that would save us a ferry trip to Fajardo tomorrow. We will still go to Fajardo for the trickle charger, but we can do that next week. I need some nylon line to make new mooring bridles and we can do everything at the same time then...and get ready to sail again :)

In the meantime I made two bottles of my very own soda water again...so nice to be able to never run out of the stuff...the 5 lb cylinder should last us for a long long time :) That's it for today...will be sailing again very soon...stay tuned and enjoy the ride please!

Christmas Lunch on ORION

Today we had a Christmas lunch on ORION...we invited two solo sailors (single handers), Larry and Phil, to join us. Larry is a good friend whom we met a few years ago in Salinas. Phil just spent the past hurricane season in Salinas...both their boats are anchored in our little bay here in Culebra at the moment. We had a great time...and even the weather turned out great...the rainy clouds from a few days ago disappeared and made space for the sun to come shining through again :) We should have known that the rain would stop as soon as we put our rain gutters up to try and collect water for the water tanks...ah well...

Since we could not have our kids here for Christmas we were with them in spirit...knowing that we will get together in the new year makes it a little easier, and we are looking forward to a reunion :) We are very proud of our children and thank them for being happy for us, thereby setting us free to live our dream...we could not do it without their support! 

So back to the Christmas lunch! We had boneless pork chops with onions and garlic, baked potatoes with butter and rosemary, baby carrots in a cream sauce, brown rice casserole with diced zucchini, and a salad made of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes...it was a feast :) I used "Oshra" twice for baking on the stovetop...the baked potatoes came out perfectly and so did the brown rice casserole. The carrots I cooked in the pressure cooker (5 minutes and they were done!) and then smothered them in a white sauce...everybody enjoyed everything amd that's how it should be :) For desert we had Stollen, which is a traditional German Christmas cake! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! And thank you Larry and Phil for joining us :)

Christmas Quiche on Stove Top

Made a zucchini/pumpkin quiche tonight in our stove top wonder pot...so easy to bake with this marvelous invention that has been around for a very long time and was used in the sixties in Israel! I call my wonder pot oven "Oshra" after the man who sold it to me from Israel via ebay! After my initial fear of using it I am now very confident and bake all sorts of things in it...cakes, casseroles, quiche, even bread...I don't know how I survived without it really! Oshra is perfect for a boat galley...baking on the stove top is great, as it does not heat up the whole kitchen (and therefore the whole main cabin) and it uses very little gas...the flame only needs to be on low for it to work :) Best of all...the finished product is just as if you baked it in the oven!

For detailed info please go to wikipedia...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Pot#cite_note-hole-1

Here is a short explanation copied from Wikipedia:

How it works

The Wonder Pot is effective at baking on top of the stove for three reasons: its aluminium material, its hole, and the metal disc which separates it from the flame. The aluminium material allows heat to spread uniformly. The center hole of the pot focuses the flame and creates heat dispersion around the inside of the cake. The metal disc lifts the pot off the fire, reducing and focusing the flame. Baking in the Wonder Pot without the metal disc will produce a cake that is dry on the bottom and thick and wobbly in the center. The metal disc is sold in different thicknesses and diameters to accommodate different baking times and larger flames. The lid of the Wonder Pot is perforated with small holes to release steam. Baking time in a Wonder Pot varies from 40 to 50 minutes.

The Wonder Pot produces high and airy cakes. In addition to baking, the Wonder Pot is an effective medium for cooking vegetables, legumes, and rice in layers. It can also be used to cook kugels, casseroles, pasta dishes, meat, and chicken.

There you have it! As said...I love the thing :)

So my captain and I celebrated Christmas Eve with quiche and Mimosas (Champagne and orange juice)...just the two sweeties on ORION :) Peace on Earth!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...almost

We had a spectacular sunset tonight. A welcome sight after the Christmas Trade Winds have been roaring all day and are continuing through the night...18-20 knots with squalls of 30-40 knots in our usually protected bay (!)...seas are running up to 9 feet with 6 second intervals...all in all a pretty messy affair if you have to be "out there"! Luckily we do not have to be "out there"...we are tucked in nicely on our mooring ball and let the winds roar! 

So here is a glimpse of what the sky looked like earlier on...a glimpse, because one can never really capture the intense colors and the beauty of a Caribbean sunset! In between are the Christmas decorations on the deck of ORION...just a few pretty ones :) 

Celebrating the Season

This morning we were invited to a Christmas breakfast aboard SV Kuhela...our cruiser friends Harry and Linda do this every year with their friends, and we feel honored to have been invited! Everybody brought a little something, but the main dish was magically created by the hosts :) from watching them we could tell that they are indeed an experienced team...EGGS BENEDICT A LA KUHELA was yet another feast to be enjoyed in good company aboard their beautiful Catamaran! Thank You Harry and Linda...we had a great time and wish you all the best on your upcoming journey to Curaçao and maybe beyond! Happy Sailing...we hope our wakes will cross again!

A girls' day out

Today I had a luncheon with my girl friends, who are fellow cruisers also...Linda (SV Kuhela), Lauren (SV Southern Comfort), Molly (SV Bendecida). We went into town ( Dewey) and walked to El Batey, a rustic place by the sea that sells Puerto Rican food! I had fried pork with tostones (fried plantain chips), and everybody else had Hamburger and curly fries...all very yummy :) In a little while we will all go errr sail different ways, so this was a nice get together for all of us...we'll keep in contact through the internet and maybe our wakes will meet again in the future...until then we wish each other happy sailing wherever we go :)

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

Chili Night on SV ORION

To round up the party spirit we had an impromptu get together on our boat...we set up our big cockpit table, so we could all squeeze around it ;) I made a big pot of chili with lentils and all sorts of ingredients and for desert we had some real German Christmas cake called a Stollen...we all had fun! Thank you Harry and Linda (SV Kuhela)...Bob and Lauren (SV Southern Comfort)...Gabriel and Wanda (SV Perfect Timing) and their little dog "Lady" who totally behaved like a lady :) We enjoyed your company and had a great time!

Last but not least here is a photo of the calm before the storm in the cockpit of ORION ;)

Thanksgiving Feast on SV Kuhela

Thanksgiving this year was a glorious affair aboard Harry and Linda's catamaran Kuhela and we enjoyed the company of old and new found cruiser friends! There was Harry and Linda of course...Rob and Lauren (SV Southern Comfort)...Bob, Molly, John, and Catherine (SV Bendecida)...and us! It was a very nice Thanksgiving with Bob leading a small prayer circle just before the feast began...Rob captured the moment perfectly and although he is not in the picture we all know that his spirit is shining through all of us...thanks Rob!

We missed Gabriel and Wanda (SV Good Timing) and Rick and Debbie (SV Miss Heidi)...we were with them in thoughts...and hey...we had more to eat that way...just kidding ;)

We were also thinking of our cruiser friends Bob and Judy, who invited us last year to their Thanksgiving feast aboard SV Adastra...they are way south in the Caribbean right now. We shall meet them again on their way back up :)

And of course we missed our kids and family, but were with them in spirit for sure!

Party on SV Southern Comfort

Our cruiser friends Rob and Lauren recently had a party on their yacht Southern Comfort and we had the pleasure of participating :) Rob and Lauren are in the final stages of preparing to leave for a long journey that will bring them to Australia...God willing! Another cruiser couple Harry and Linda on their catamaran Kuhela are planning on sailing with them for part of the journey...and since we are all good friends the celebration was a hasta la vista of sorts...fun was had by all and we wish them happy sailing and following seas whenever the plans will become reality in the not too distant future :)

An update on updating our blog!

Wow...this year is almost over! I have to catch up on a few stories yet and will do so soon...I promise! Luckily I discovered that there is an app for the iPhone to update our blog...woohoo :) I did it on the iPad with Blogsy, but it does not work with the iPhone:/  Since obtaining an iPhone all my photos are on that of course and it proved extremely cumbersome to try and transfer them all to the iPad just for the blog :/ But no more worries :) The free app is here for blogger and it already makes my life easier in terms of updating from the iPhone :) 

It will be much easier from now on for me to do short blog updates on the go using my iPhone...I know that especially Grandpa Harvey Klumb will appreciate this! So here is a photo of our little Christmas tree on ORION and the spirit of peace and joy will continue with more frequent blog posts from the crew of ORION :) God Bless!

Making our own Seltzer

We just finished making our home made Seltzer water :)...here is how it works and why it is better for us to have this set up instead of the pre-manufactured ones with the tiny cartridges! After all...we live on a boat and need to be self sufficient :)
http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2012-06/how-make-your-own-home-carbonation-system
We got the whole set up from The Keg Outlet on the internet, a home brewing equipment company we highly recommend...delivery was fast and the customer service outstanding!

Culebra the Beautiful

Back in Culebra we have been exploring our adopted home. Culebra has so much to offer that we will never run out of new places to go...or so it seems! We love the variety of beaches and coves and even islands surrounding Culebra...and we love the people of Culebra with their somewhat reserved friendliness but big hearts! We also love the variety of restaurants in Dewey...each one specializes in different food and each one has a unique ambiance...we've been busy eating at some and hope to hit them all...little by little...it is part of the wonderful cruising life we have chosen...and a nice change from cooking onboard!

For us full time cruisers there are two sides to Culebra...the weekend and holiday uber-tourism and the otherwise laid-back side. We learned fast to avoid Dakity and Culebrita on weekends and to never even think of going there on holidays! Why? Because of the multitude of motor boats and yachts that invade especially those two places...mostly boaters from the mainland Puerto Rico spend their free time here and the mood is definitely party mood with loud stereos, lots of laughter, lots of water activities, good food and good drinks...all very nice for those who love partying on the beach :) So on weekends and holidays we will usually be found somewhere else! Call us party poopers...maybe...but that is how the cookie crumbles on our boat ;) We prefer the quiet anchorages and luckily there are many of those here...that's the beauty of Culebra...there is something for everybody!

In the following picture collages I have tried to capture the spirit of Culebra as I see it...there is a touch of beauty in everything here...even in unexpected places...like an electric meter that I discovered with a sailboat made out of corks lovingly glued to the concrete wall...or another one painted with colorful miniature pictures all over...or the little garden at Colmado Genesis that is adorned with plants planted in hand-cut tire pieces painted purple...it is this kind of whimsical art that I love so much and that makes Culebra so special!

So we are celebrating our time here and enjoy every day :)

 

 

More Vieques

We did quite a bit of sailing within the past few months...exploring Vieques is fun and we will sail there again. Vieques is a sister island of Puerto Rico with a variety of beaches that are absolutely stunning! Vieques was used as a training bombing range and closed off to the public for a long time. Here is an excerpt from wikipedia:

"Vieques is best known internationally as the site of a series of protests against the United States Navy's use of the island as a bombing range and testing ground, which led to the navy's departure in 2003. Today the former navy land is a national wildlife refuge, with numerous beaches that still retain the names given by the navy, including Red Beach, Blue Beach, Green Beach and others. The beaches are commonly listed among the top beaches in the Caribbean for their azure-colored waters and white sands."

Last time we explored Bahia Icacos on the north coast. This time we explored the south coast of Vieques...starting with Ensenada Honda, which is a huge mangrove area with canals...a great hurricane hole...surrounded by reefs! We loved it there...fabulous nature, total quietness enveloped only by birds singing and calling...we had the place to ourselves!

From Ensenada Honda we sailed to La Chiva or Blue Beach...another spot of extreme beauty surrounded by a reef...La Chiva is more equipped for beach-goers...it has small wooden huts nestled under the trees surrounding the white sand beach that seems to go on forever. La Chiva also has trash cans placed by the huts, which was a welcoming site for us, as we were able to dispose of our garbage! Snorkeling around the rocky areas at La Chiva was interesting...we saw quite a few fish and even a spotted eagle ray.

From La Chiva we sailed downwind to Esperanza where we met my friend Ann, who lives there. Ann and her husband Tom have a small charter business with their sailboat "Caribbean Lady". I knew Ann only from cyberspace where we became friends in one of the women sailor groups on Facebook! So now we are friends in the real world also :) We had a fun afternoon with Ann and will be visiting her again...next time we'll meet her husband Tom also! Rick and I rented a car for two days and drove all over the island, learning much in the process. Of note were the many horses that roamed around virtually everywhere...seemingly happy! We visited the more than 300 year old Great Kapok Tree that made us feel like dwarfs! We explored Isabel Segunda where the big ferries come in. We also were able to do our laundry there and visited a lady I had met earlier in Esperanza...she has a boutique in Isabel Segunda...I purchased some very nice tie-dye dresses from her :) During our stay in Esperanza we walked the malecon (board walk) quite a bit and tried out the different restaurants...we enjoyed the variety of choices so close together...some of the highlights were "El Quenepo", a fine dining upscale restaurant and "Duffys", a place where we kept coming back to because of excellent fish and chips and other dishes served in an atmosphere of casual dining, affordable prices, and super fast service with a view of the ocean and in our case "ORION" :)

We left Esperanza for Sun Bay which is the next bay to the east...anchored ORION and enjoyed walking along the white sand beach for hours! There are sea turtle nests right amongst beach-goers zoned off by yellow crime tape (works great)...beautiful clear water...and horses everywhere...quite an eclectic mix...

From Sun Bay we sailed upwind to La Chiva (Blue Beach) where we stayed a few days again before sailing back to Culebra...Puerto Rico has so much to offer...we love Culebra and Vieques and will spend more time exploring both islands...Culebra is our chosen "home" for now and we are grateful to be accepted here :)

 

The Volky goes to Florida

We were not only busy on ORION these past few months...we also accomplished a few non boat related tasks that had been put on the backburner for a while! We are happy to report that our last piece of equipment from being land lubbers is at long last with its rightful owner (our daughter Julia in Florida)...rendering the two sweeties on ORION truly free of all land-based possessions! I am talking about our 1970 Volkswagen Beetle, lovingly called "Volky" in Puerto Rico...Volky took our three kids through High School and beyond...Jessica, Julia, and Michael all learned driving in Volky, which gave all three of them the advantage of knowing how to drive a "stick shift" or manual transmission :) When the last one left for college we sold our house and put Volky into storage...we will be forever grateful to our friend Richard Lisch for providing a space for Volky in a hurricane-safe hangar for as long as we needed it...thank you Richard...you are the best!

To make a long story short...we gave Volky as a gift to Julia when she graduated from college with the promise to ship it to her whenever she was ready to receive it...and at long last the time came this year! Many friends helped us in the process of getting the Volky ready for its new life and we thank them all from the bottom of our hearts...there is "the old man" in Ponce, who owns a Volky repair place and never ever let us down when we needed his help over the past 10 years...he has become a true friend...there is Richard and his wife Mercedes whom I mentioned earlier...there is Angel, our mechanic in Salinas, who helped get Volky ready when we were living at the marina on ORION...there is Don Miguel and Thomas of Marina de Salinas, as well as the staff there, who all helped in their own ways and kept an eye on Volky when it was parked there...a big thank you also to "Berto" in Ponce, who advised us on all the paperwork needed for shipment and who transported the Volky to San Juan after all the paperwork was finished...and also to the Police Department in Ponce, whose officers helped us tremendously in getting additional paperwork done for verification of engine number and approval for the shipment of this 1970 VW Beetle...and also many thanks to "Laurita's Mom" for rendering attorney services for Julia at short to almost no notice in advance (yes, it was a hectic few days)...and of course there is Ruth, Julia's best friend from Ponce, who kept Julia sane in all the huzzle and buzzle of running to different agencies by being with her for moral support and assisting wherever she could in legalities...Ruth will be a great lawyer when she finishes her studies!...special thank you goes to two friends in Culebra, Paul and Suzie Moran for inviting us to dinner and an overnight in their beautiful home, so we could catch the ferry to Fajardo early in the morning...and last but not least there are our wonderful wonderful friends Claudia Procko and her husband "Pochi", who were the ones responding to our initial quest...without "Pochi" and his professional connections we would still be sitting here trying to figure out how to ship the Volky...we cannot thank them enough!

I hope I have covered the most instrumental players in this orchestra of friends and acquaintances, who helped make it a reality...we could not have done it without you!

We had dinner with some of our good friends in Ponce to celebrate...and of course we are happy that Julia's boyfriend Max was able to accompany her on this visit to Puerto Rico and that we were able to fit in a few sightseeing trips for the two of them :)

Now the Volky is living happily at its new home in Florida...and already made friends with another Volky...all's well that ends well :)