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American Spirit II - Day 41; Arrival at San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos; Thursday, February 13, 2014



At 12:44 AM we passed a gigantic rock called Roca Pateadora. 'Roca' means rock. By gigantic, I mean the size of giant asteroid a couple of hundred feet tall. If it was a 'small' rock, it wouldn't have been given a name. We've actually seen and been on islands that were smaller than this roca. Our electronic chart plotter had us in a depth of over 600 feet and 2 miles off shore from this rock. We were quite surprised, then, when our depth meter registered 49 feet. Bummer! We made a course change of 20 degrees,putting us further away from 'the rock.' If the depth had been 4 feet instead of 49, we'd have hit the underwater rocks (we draw a little over 5 feet), and we would have damaged the boat. If unlucky, we could have holed the boat and sunk. Now we were really awake! Kind of like how you feel when driving a car and almost have an accident. The adrenalin really starts flowing.

As we got closer and closer to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, rain squalls started firing at us off the land one after another, pelting us with light rain and obstructing our view of the land, which was getting closer and closer. The rain itself appeared to be created by the 'land effect.' Meaning, the higher temperature of the land itself in relation to the atmospheric temperature, was creating this mini weather system.

Two miles from the finish line (each leg is actually a race between Rally boats), we radioed Rally Control to report our imminent finish. Much to our surprise, Rally Control answered our call. It was a little before 1:00 AM local time. Galapagos is in the Central Time Zone, so we changed our watches and ship clocks back one hour. At 1:14 AM we finished.

As we rolled up the main sail and headed for the port, something interesting and disturbing occurred. Our chart plotter and my IPhad with Navionics navigation software installed, disagreed as to our position in relation to an important channel marker and position in the waters leading into the port. When something like this happens, the first thing we do is SLOW DOWN! No reason to rush into a problem. Doing so gives us more time to sort thru options. Since I'm typing this log, you obviously know we made it in safely.

Once in the anchorage, there were already 15 or so Rally boasts anchored, plus other boats and ships. The town itself ringed the port, with a stadium like ring of houses and apartments elevated on small hills around the port. Each boat anchored there had an anchor light on. (An anchor light is a white light. On a sail boat it is on top of the mast). We picked a spot to anchor, did so, and then decided that we were too close to another Rally boat so we weighed anchor again and then re-anchored, this time successfully. It was now around 2:30 AM. After anchoring we heard many sea lions in the distance and around us. Welcome to the Galapagos! Lights out at 3:00 AM.

Since we had to 'clear in' to the Galapagos, we got up at 8:30 AM. After contacting Rally Control, we were advised that 8 government officials would inspect our boat before noon. They would be accompanied by an Agent arranged for by the World Cruising Club. At 10:30 AM the entourage arrived. I answered many questions, produced ship's documentation, filled out forms, etc. Of special interest to the officials was when we had our boat's bottom paint put on. I produced a receipt from the yard that had done the bottom job. It was done 10 weeks previously. Unbeknownst to us, this line of questioning was the most critical of the inspection. We found out later that had the government officials suspected that our bottom was harboring foreign organisms, we would have been in deep dodo. I'll explain more on that subject tomorrow. The theme of the inspection was very eco-intensive. Very.

After being cleared to enter the country, we doused our yellow quarantine flag. FYI: every time a boat or ship enters the waters of another country, a yellow quarantine flag must be flown. One of the stipulations when doing so is that only the Captain can leave the vessel to clear in a boat. Crew can not step foot on land. When entering another country, it is also customary (and mandatory) to fly the flag of the country you're visiting from a starboard line run up 20 feet or so up your mast. That flag must be in place until we leave the country.

We hailed a 'water taxi' to go into town. These were small motor boats, painted yellow with canvas covers over the top of them. The cost for transport to or from the town was $1.00 per person. Pretty cheap price if you ask me. We disembarked at the pier, and right away saw that the area was overrun with sea lions. In the water, on the rocks and laying on the stairs. Cute, but smelly. With the sea lions on the rocks were numerous bright red crabs. I've never seen a more colorful specie of crab in my life. They looked other worldly.

Once in town, we ate lunch and then found a hair salon called Ivonna's, where I and Darlene both got hair cuts. My cost was $10.00, and included a razor shave. It's a little disconcerting getting a haircut when the barber and you don't speak the same language. The barber was Ivonna herself, the proprietor. What a relief! Once done, I saw a cat in a window, looking out at passer by's. I took a picture of this cat. His pose is the most unusual I've ever seen a cat do.

At 5:00 PM happy hour was called by Rally Control at the Monica hotel. Upstairs and open air to the water. About an hour later I produced our passports to the Port Captain, and they were stamped. Why this hadn't been done during our inspection is anyone's guess.

Back at the boat at 10:00 PM. While reading in the cockpit, the smell of sea lion became much stronger. Then I heard a noise behind the boat. Peering over the transom, a large sea lion was lying on our transom, asleep. He must have heard me, because he looked up, snorted, then laid his head back down and went to sleep. Tough life.

Brian Fox


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