Been in Cartagena de Indias for almost two months. Arrived from San Blas / Kuna Yala on my first solo oceanic crossing. 40 hours and 7 minutes from Callos Holandeses to Boca Grande.
My boat is on land. Dismantled.
Dry dock maintenance is exhausting. Working plenty, organizing several tasks at the same time and making sure everything gets done properly.
Long and heavy days.
I bike to work. Love it! Only for those who bike in heavy traffic. The road here can be a bit of a mess.
At the moment my boat needs a little bit more structural work done. Then seal the boat: deck work and window.
Once that is done it is rust removal in the interior and primer + epoxy. I am going for Sika Coaltar. This is a tar + epoxy mix, that from logic and understanding, is more flexible.
The list of taks is quite long: cables and electric panel, windlass, building the fridce / freezer, rebuilding the interior. Two rooms, work table, dining table, kicthen, toliet, cupboards...
Added to this are some modifications I want to do to the boat.
My plan is to set sail in May towards the Azores, Portugal. Skip Canarias. Maybe a quick stop at one of the islands and make land in Morocco, Africa!
Cross back to Cabo Verde and make land in Brazil. Do the coast south: Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
The horn.
The fiords in Chile. Maybe Easter Island and go towards Polinesia. Marquesas, Tomuatu, Vanuatu, Fidji, Tonga, Cook Islands.... Lots of them :-)
Get lost in South East Asia. Make it to the Philipines and decide from there.
Dry dock maintenance is getting the boat ready for the sailing adventure to come.
Worked in San Blas / Kuna Yala last season island hopping and snorkellling. Sailing in Paradise visiting white sand beaches and deserted islands.
The goal is to fix the boat and go back to San Blas / Kuna Yala for the 2023 season.
Hopefully full boat of backpackers and people keen to sail. Cartagena back to San Blas! Take a crew with me from Colombia sailing to Panama.
At the moment dealing with the manager for the shipyard. Quite common in the third world, less common in civilized countries.
My initial budget, the rate for steel structural work, has doubled.
Getting ripped off. Having to deal with it with little I can do.
Looking forward to having the baot in the water again and working in a better environment.
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