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Lydia - Lydia's Blog. 26 Feb - 3 Mar 2016. Santa Cruz to Start Leg 4.



Friday 26 Feb 2016.

We arrived the evening before at Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz and capital of the Galapagos and anchored with the rest of the World ARC yachts stern to the little harbour with bow and stern anchors. The water taxis were plentiful and we could see immediately it was a much larger town with a population of 5,000 than the main ports of San Cristobal and Isabela and clearly much going on.



We sallied forth to the town with Alvaro and Nigel charged with restocking our provisions for the month or so crossing of the Pacific to the Marquesas. If you have little experience in provisioning for this type of passage you only know if you have stocked suffient if the crew do not go hungry with weeks to a landfall and then start eying you up for the pot. To avoid this situation we bought 36 tins mainly of veg and fruit and hope all will be well. Interestingly the meat, chicken etc that we first bought deep frozen in St Lucia is lasting remarkably well and the restocking of these items we did in Panama means that our freezer is still pretty full and might last us to Tahiti.



In the meantime we booked an excursion to the Highlands of Santa Cruz for Saturday and Nigel book two dives for himself for the Sunday but required a medical. Alas no one else on the crew had done sub-aqua to join him. That evening we sampled the culinary delights of Santa Cruz going to a back street behind the main esplanade where there are many restaurants. Consequently the street has been closed to traffic and all the tables and chairs are arranged to suit customers in the middle of the street opposite the restaurant the customer chose. It was a very friendly atmosphere where we met up with many other crews from the World ARC and joined tables.



Saturday 27 Feb 2016.

We went ashore early in order to go to the Saturday Fruit and Veg market in town which opens at 4am and sells everything in season. Alas oranges and mangos were not in season which makes one realise how spoilt we are with Waitrose. On returning to Lydia we found Ben from Wishanger 2, who is an electronic genius, helping Donald to repair the Bow Thruster which had inadvertently been previously soaked in sea water. This had worried Donald for many days but Ben found the answer which was a relief and pleased Donald greatly.



That afternoon Donald, Steve and Nigel took a tour with a guide to the interior of the island. Alvaro had met up with an old school friend from Spain, Jaime, so they went elsewhere. Our first stop was to view the small but impressive volcano craters in the centre of the island. Our guide explained that there were many like these all over the island. It was possible to walk round the edges which had sheer drops of about 300 feet. Birds were everywhere to be seen including Galapagos doves, at least 4 species of Galapagos finches of which there are about 13 species still extant on the islands. Santa Cruz island has the largest number of different species of finch each with its specially adapted beak for the particular food they eat. The forests surrounding the craters had sceleosis trees indigenous to the Galapagos. They grow from 5 to 15 meters tall and have litchen like growths hanging from their branches. The trees gave the impression of being part of a primeval forest of the dynasaur age. Unfortunately these trees are now in danger of being lost to the islands owing to a very invasive bramble which bears no fruit which has been inadvertantly imported. Great efforts are being made to irradiate this pest but it is proving and uphill struggle. From there we drove through an isolated village down a dirt track until we eventually arrived at the giant tortoise sanctuary. The tortoises here were not enclosed but free to wander although fed when required. We saw several giant tortoises including the shells of two enormous tortoises. Our guide explained that the goverment was doing what it can to curb the predators of tortoises such as wild dogs, goats, pigs, donkeys and rats. In several islands wild dogs, goats and pigs have been destroyed to heighten tortoise survival. At present it is estimated Santa Cruz has about 1,200 tortoises in the wild and Isabela and San Cristobal about 800 each. Our last stop on the tour was a lava tunnel about 400 metres long with one point so narrow that you had to crawled through either on hands and knees or on your stomach. Our guide said that in the north of the island there were lava tunnels which went on for 3 miles but for health and safety reasons they were not open to the public. Needless to say unlike our limestone caves these tunnels had not stalactites or stalagmites.



On our way back our guide passed on his understanding, (later corroborated by another previous guide), that the Ecudorian government is planning to increase the tourist tax on landing in the Galapagos Islands from US$120.00 per person to US$2,000 possibly as early as June this year. Currently we came across many back packers and others staying in inexpensive accommodation all of whom may not be able to afford this swinging new tax if indeed it is introduced.

The rationale is that the Ecuadorian government is facing economic difficulties with the price of oil so low and wishes to increase its revenue from tourists but still restricting tourist numbers. In future it is thus possible if all this comes to pass that visiting the Galapagos will be only for the very wealthy and at the same time may kill off many small businesses here.



Sunday 28 Feb 2016.

While Steve and Alvaro went off to Tortuga Beach, probably the finest stretch of white sandy beach on the island and I went diving, our skipper Donald, leading from the front, stayed aboard and cleaned Lydia from top to bottom. His idle crew felt duly chastened.



Nigel's diving excursion to the island of Floreana just to the south of Santa Cruz, took about an hour and half to arrive at by high speed launch with eight other divers on board. At the first dive site we all jumped into the water split between 4 and one instructor including me and 5 experienced divers and the other instructor. At 16 meters we saw rays, even a manta ray, angel fish, damsel fish a stone fish and even a white tipped shark but no hammerheads. There were countless other interesting, colourful fish and starfish all of which our instructor took photos and video footage. When we surfaced someone noticed that Nigel was bleeding from his right ear which had been painful while trying to equalise pressure. Our second dive which was a drift dive along a sheer volcanic rock wall, Nigel elected to snorkel and follow the divers below in crystal clear water. We saw many of the same fish but also a very large lobster and sealions who wanted to play. At one point one of the divers stopped and lay down with another diver beside her with both passing written messages on an underwater marker board. The whole dive stopped and gathered round. I became concerned especially when the two divers took out their demand valves and I thought were about to perform mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Nigel feared something serious might had gone wrong and was about to summon the dive boat. However, the two divers kissed, there was much back slapping and the dive continued. When we all surfaced and got back to the dive boat we learnt that the middle aged Canadian couple whom I had met earlier, were not married and what we all witnessed was the man's pre planned marriage proposal to her of which she knew nothing previously, and her joyous acceptance!



That evening when Steve, Alvaro and Nigel rejoined Donald on Lydia, we invited the crew of Wishanger 2 to join us for a Rum Punch on board (a la Matthew!) and an excellent time was had by all. Afterwards we then all trooped ashore to join forces with others in the "Restaurant Street" for supper.



Monday 29 Feb 2016.

Alvaro kindly accompanied me to the local doctor and explained about my ear problem. I learnt that the ear drum was not perforated but infected so antibiotics were prescribed.

Alvaro and Steve went off to Tortuga Beach. I went off to meet Steve Feast and Belinda Beatty for lunch who we had first met when they were crewing on Belafonte. The owners of Belafonte had decided they wished to sail the Pacific as a couple on their own so Steve and Belinda were flying to Maquesas and hoped to meet up with us in due course.



At 5pm I accompanied Donald to the Skippers' Briefing for Leg 4 of the Rally from the Galapagos to the Marquesas, a journey of a minumum of 4 weeks. We were given instructions about the Start on Wednesday midday, advice about the winds and weather to expect plus radio broadcasting. We then went on to join Steve and Alvaro at the restaurant where Rally Control had their base to be given a drink and then presentation of prizes for Leg 3 from Las Perlas to San Cristobal. Alas because we ran out of wind and had to motor the last 36 hours our penalty points were such that we had no chance of winning a prize. After this event all World ARC crews went off to attend an World ARC sponsored full sit down dinner. We split up as much as we could since half the fun of such events is getting to know other crew members on the rally. We teamed up with Sally and Jane from "Alcedo" and Kathryn from "Into the Blue". All three ladies were excellent company and had all led such interesting lives. The evening was most enjoyable in every way and was one of the social highlights of our visit to the Galapagos Islands.



Tuesday 1 March 2016.

Steve and I go off last minute fruit and vege shopping. I checked in with the doctor again who said things were going to plan and the antibiotics were working. After this I went off to visit the Charles Dawin Centre (CDC) on the outskirts of Puerto Ayora. Unfortunately the main exhibition centre was being redeveloped but I saw the rare Red land igunanas, learnt about the considerable international research that is being undertaken to conserve as many of the indigenous plants and animals as possible.

The finches are being attacked by a particular kind of fly that lays eggs in fledgling nests causing the young birds to be deformed and often die. I also saw another tortoise and turtle conservation/breeding centre. When the renovation work is done the CDC will be well worth visiting but at present it was underwhelming. Afterwards I went off to meet Steve Feast and Belinda Beatty for lunch who we had first met when they were crewing on Belafonte. The owners of Belafonte had decided they wished to sail the Pacific as a couple on their own so Steve and Belinda were flying to Maquesas and hoped to meet up with us in due course.



Alvaro had spent the day visiting 3 islands for snorkelling with his friend Jaime. He said they saw hammerhead sharks, white tip sharks, penguins, manta rays etc. The Galapagos is undoubtedly a perfect place for anyone interested in aquatic tropical wild life as well as the indigenouos giant tortoises, bird life and iguanas.



That evening Lydia's crew joined up with the crew of Into the Blue for a final night ashore before the great "Off" on the morrow. One of the plus points of the World ARC is the interesting and very pleasant people you meet participating with you.



Wednesday 2 March.

All crews on the World ARC are required to gain clearance from the Galapagos Immigration authorities so we are all walk up to their office near the main market from 7am onwards. On the way back we bought some last minute provisions before weighing anchor at 11.30 and setting off from the Start Line just outside the harbour at midday.



To begin with there was a reasonable land breeze so we tramped along sailing at 7 knots South West with full main, yankee and staysail. Alas by 4pm in company with Into the Blue the wind had dropped and we both called it a day and took down the Crusing Chute we had hoisted in the early afternoon.

However there was some compensation. We suddenly saw close to a large whale surface lazily about 100 yards off our starboard bow. Shortly after we saw one or more horned rays breaking the surface. Probably the same whale surfaced some minutes later well astern of us spouting before plunging to  the deep again. For the rest of that evening and night the whole World ARC fleet spread out over 20 miles were all motoring South West to try and find the South Easterly trade winds round about 5 degrees south of the equator.



Thursday 3 March 2016.

A pleasant but uneventful day steadily motoring at 5 knots South West but by then with only two or three other yachts in sight. In our first 24hrs we did 136 miles.



Friday 4 March 2016.

We had some rain in the early hours of the morning and learnt that those few yachts ahead of us had found a little wind from the South East and were beginning to sail. In our second 24 hours against a head wind at time only made 111 miles.


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