S/V Aphrodite

We are bobbing along. Wind, no wind, variable direction wind, not the expected trade winds. Light wind expected tomorrow as well. Getting lots of books read, good meals made, and Margi made cinnamon buns today, yum! We have completed 1100 of the 2800 KM. The dogs use the trampolines for their constitutional so we’ve taken to calling call them the “poop-deck.” We continue posting our position report but skip the text updates unless we have something better to say.

Day 4 crossing the Atlantic and all continues to be well.

The winds have increased to 13-15 kts., keeping our sails full and forward progress strong and steady. We have had opportunities to use both the full spinnaker and the asymmetrical spinnaker.

Meals are still gourmet and plentiful. Last night we had a standing rib roast, baked potatoes, roasted beets, flat green beans and freshly baked bread. Tonight we are having swordfish with that luscious candied ginger sour cream and cream cheese sauce and pesto pasta. This morning Margi made home made biscuits with sausage gravy.

The dogs are getting a little restless. With 4 of us onboard they aren’t allowed too much rough housing. We encountered a pod of dolphins yesterday and Brisa went nuts! She ran from the front of the boat to the rear trying to figure out how to join them. At one point she was at the back of the boat, on the lowest step closest to the water with the dolphins right then, just a leap away. She knows the word dolphin after seeing them only twice, amazing. I made the mistake of telling her “go find
the dolphins” and she ran right out to the bow, then back to the stern, forward again on and on with the little guy flying behind her. At one point they started sliding and I was afraid they were going to slide right off the boat! Costa does amazing well on the boat. With most issues he defers to Brisa except their shared eating bowl, especially when there are bones in there. Then he gathers up everything and hoards them, growling at her every time she tries to get in there to get her share.
Once she gets her’s she runs up to the front of the boat or on top of the roof where he can’t get to.

Our watch schedule is wonderful, allowing plenty of time for sleep.

We are hoping the rest of the trip will continue to be as enjoyable.

We have made 330 NM in 48 hrs with light winds. Currently flying the large asymmetrical spinnaker and making 7-8 knots. Tomorrow the winds are expected to increase a bit. Michael M won 2 Scrabble games but lost badly at rummy 500. Margi baked bread and Jeri made homemade soup, prime rib and pesto pasta for dinner. The dogs are wondering if the humans will eat all the food. Michael M says “help me, help me, they are roasting beets what kind of a hell ship are we on?” We are on a Swedish watch
system with 4 hour watches during the day and 3 hours at night which rotates us around the clock and gives us time to hang together and get plenty of rest.

With a brief “prayer” for our safe journey, we departed Las Palmas, Grand Canaria at 4 PM on Nov 15th. After an hour of motoring the winds filled in to 14 kts and we sailed until 8 AM on the 16th, then the winds died and we started motoring. We are starting to get enough wind to motor sail although the dogs need rougher weather to settle down. Our 4 PM position is 165 M SW of the Grand Canaries at 26.19N, 16.36W making 8.0kts on heading 249 M. Everyone seems to be adjusting to life at sea with
good food and great company. Let the games begin!

Michael Morazadeh joined us in the Canaries. Margi Sells arrives tomorrow. Our spinnaker has been repaired and the engine mechanic comes Friday. It is likely that we will depart Saturday for St Lucia. We will post our log as we are sailing.

Madeira is part of an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, 300m off the north western coast of Africa and about 600m from Europe.  It was discovered by the Portuguese in 1418 and like all things Portuguese, in our opinion, it is a jewel.  The island is small, 35m long and 13m wide, but mighty in its strength of character, lush vegetation and majestic scenery.  The steep mountainous relief is stunning as the patch work plots of terraced land clings and drops directly into the sea.  During our time here we have been graced with daily showers which have given rise to countless rainbows shinning thru the mist hovering over the top of the mountains.

The island is referred to as The Garden Island; a better description could not be bestowed upon this lovely place.  In addition to the abundance of tropical plants and flowers flowing naturally all over the island there are gorgeous parks and fountains springing up all over the city.  If you have been to Victoria, BC than you have an idea of the abundance of beauty and charm which can be found here.  One of the most unique and charming characteristic of Portugal are the patterned inlaid stone mosaic sidewalks found everywhere, not just in the old city areas.   My favorite ones are of the oldest style and found extensively in the multitude of parks and gardens where they take on the appearance of pathways rather than sidewalks.  Each smooth stone is carefully and artistically placed on its side, not flat, bumpered up against its neighboring stone, in intricate patterns which are only discernable by close inspection and appreciation.

We have been here much longer than expected but I have loved every minute of it.   We are anchored in a lovely harbor with easy access to a dinghy dock and many shopping areas within walking distance.  There is a beach for the dogs, and many fresh water fountains for them to rinse the salt water off along our regularly walked paths.  The Portuguese are wonderful people.  I know I have said that many times before.  We cannot be in a better place to have Michael’s ankle fracture repaired and adequate time for healing.   They are loving, tolerant and welcoming.  Michael is extremely pleased with the medical care he has received, with few if any of the common complexities and cost characteristic in the US.  We rented a car for 2 days so we could see more of the island without putting undue stress on Michael’s leg.

Now, for a “doggy” update:

 Costa is everything Brisa is not.  He is calm, undemanding, content and generally a big ole bundle of love with soft fluffy hair.  Brisa is still Brisa, incredibly smart, bossy and in need of nearly constant challenge, either physically or intellectually.  I have a few really funny Brisa stories.   One day I left both dogs in the kennel for a few hours to go visit Michael in the hospital.  When I got back to the boat I let the dogs out of the kennel but continued doing the laundry instead of paying attention to the dogs.  Brisa wanted to go to the beach.  When she didn’t feel like waiting any longer she jumped into the floating dinghy and started barking at me.  I thought she was barking because the dinghy had drifted a little too far from the boat preventing her from leaping back onto the boat, but no, she wanted to go for a boat ride, to the beach!   I continued with the laundry and a few minutes later when I was finishing up I looked back and Costa had joined her in the dinghy but she dove into the water and was swimming around, just letting me know that she was indeed ready to go play!

Another time I purposely put both of them outside and closed the sliding glass door.  Usually Brisa hops up onto the bench under the window and lays her front paws thru the opening barking at me.  I closed the window.  A few minutes later she found the lanyard of the ship’s bell and started ringing the bell! 

Yesterday I was rewarding Costa with hugs and attention after he trotted up to the trampolines to go potty all by himself, without being directed to do so.  Well, Brisa felt left out.  She can be a really spiteful bitch at times.  A few minutes later I found 2 perfectly laid turds just inside the door!

The stories go on and on.  I am shocked at how much I love having both onboard.  Costa has been a terrific addition and as soon as he is old enough to really chase Brisa around on the beach and compete with retrieving the ball in the water I think we will have a much better way to manage the exercise demands of Number 1.

Today is Sunday, Nov. 2.  We will be departing for the Canary Islands as soon as we post this update and take one last look at the weather prediction.   This passage should only take 40 hours.   We will meet Mike and Margi within the next week or so.  They will join us to cross the Atlantic Ocean.  Most likely we will sail from the Canary Islands, after Nov. 15^th, to the Cape Verde Islands which will give us a more favorable jumping off place to find the trade winds.  Landfall is planned for St. Lucia about 10 days following our departure from Cape Verde.  We should be back on your side of the Atlantic Ocean early in December.

We are in Portugal now, the southern coastal region known as The Algarve, in Lagos where Brisa came from.  We have been spending time with her family, both her mother’s side and her father’s side.   Surprisingly, neither her mother nor sister recognized her, nor she them.  Having only experienced the relationships of Kali, Lily and Oso as examples I didn’t know what to expect.  But, when we visited her father’s house, where she spent the first 3 months of her life, she recognized both the property and her “human” mother who loved and cared for her during that time. 

It has been thrilling and heartwarming watching her interact with all, and I mean ALL, of these dogs.  The house of her father has 9 Portuguese Water Dogs!  She got her first semi-professional hair cut there and looks adorable now.  A noticeable transition has taken place in Brisa since being here with all of these dogs.  She has gone from timid, slightly fearful of other dogs, to a full spirited, extroverted dog.  One day Rodrigo, her mother’s owner, spent the morning teaching her how to dive.  Her breeders are so proud of her, very touching really.  Both breeders currently have a litter, one set just 10 days old and the other 3 months so we have been in puppy heaven surrounded by either “piles of puppies” (the newborns) or the romping, rolling playful 3 month olds.

One of the 3 month old males found Michael on one of our visits and it was love at first sight!  I have never been a proponent of 2 dogs so I was more than skeptical about the idea, but alas, Costa won both of our hearts and is now with us on Aphrodite.  He is a wonderfully tempered dog, calmer and more contented than Brisa, already very brave in the water and seems to love us as well as Brisa.  Brisa accepted him amazingly well, transitioning from a bully to a gentle playmate within just a few days.  Our plan is to breed them once we return to the States, introducing a new champion blood line.

It’s already the middle of Oct. and time for us to head to the Canary Islands.  The winter storms and cooler weather are starting to arrive.  Our plan is to take the next weather window, perhaps as soon as tomorrow, and sail to the island of Madeira and, then from there to the Canary Islands.  We have two friends, Mike Moradzadeh and Margi Sells who will join us there for the trans-Atlantic portion of the sail to St. Lucia.  We hope to depart the Canary Islands mid November, putting us back in Caribbean waters by early December.

According to legend we have been following many portions of Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, as we sail through this area of the world.   The Ionian Islands are frequently mentioned in The Odyssey.  Ithaca is generally accepted as the homeland of Odysseus, to which he was returning after the Trojan War.  Other areas sited in the epic are The Straits of Messina, Sicily, and The Aeolian Islands where we currently are. Unfortunately my memory of The Odyssey is limited and I am only now piecing together parts of the stories as we sail through these legendary waters.  Still, it has been quite exciting to follow as closely as we have some of the voyage and see some of the sites described in the epic.  The following are verses from The Odyssey which resonate specifically within me.

Always keep Ithaca in mind
Arriving there is your destiny.
not expecting Ithaca to make you wealthy.
But do not hurry the journey in any way.
Better that it lasts for years,
so you are old when you reach the island,
enriched by all you have gained along the way,

Unfortunately we are here in July-August, the busiest months of the year, with all of the Greeks, Italians and other Europeans who take the entire month of Aug off for holiday. In general we found the Ionian Islands less compelling than the Greek Islands in the Adriatic.  I wonder if part of this impression is drawn from the crowds and that sailing, or motoring as the case often seems to be here in the Med., through its waters likens a Sunday afternoon boat ride on Lake Geneva.  In a different month I might have parted with a different opinion.  We are experiencing the same congestion in the waters and islands around Sicily where we are right now but are finding them to be stunning and inspiring despite the crowds.

The Aeolian Island chain, just north of Sicily, is an archipelago of imposingly rugged black volcanic islands jetting skyward in irregular and severe patterns.  The black-sand beaches surrounded by shiny black obsidian rock makes them very unique.  Two of the islands still have active volcanoes; one island, Stromboli, gives nightly light shows resembling fireworks as the fiery lava spurts high into the black night sky.  Last night we anchored right beneath the firestorm and were blown away by the deep and powerful “whoosh” which sounded, almost even felt, just before she blew.  The other truly amazing thing about these islands is discovering just how long they have been inhabited.  The most ancient human settlements of the islands date back to 5000 BC, mind boggling don’t you think?  The obsidian volcanic glass was greatly sought after and exported all over the western Mediterranean, before the age of metals, in order to make light cutting instruments.  Evidence of the earliest settlers has been unearthed by archeologists within the natural fortress of Castle Rock on the island of Lipari, another Aeolian Island which has been continuously inhabited for 6000 years.

Departing Greece and Turkey means leaving the most delicious yogurt behind.  Our culinary experiences are both important and memorable aspects of our journey.  In Tunisia we ate roots, lots and lots of roots: beets, carrots, potatoes, fennel which was new to both of us, turnips and rutabaga.  In addition we had months and months of sweet mandarins, dates, lamb and couscous.  I developed a true love of olives while in Morocco, especially their ‘not too salty’ mauve olives.  Greece brought heavenly yogurt, Greek salads with vine ripened tomatoes, Kalamata olives and cucumbers, all topped with a slice of goat cheese sprinkled with oregano, stuffed grapevine leaves and cheese and spinach pies.  For Michael there was an abundance of octopus and squid/calamari.  Fish is not plentiful in the Mediterranean and is therefore expensive.  While in Turkey we ate mazes of eggplant, tomato, zucchini, onions and red peppers and potatoes.  Michael would choose roasted goat whenever possible.  We don’t really eat out much because of the cost and the fact that I find cooking both creative and relaxing as well as fact that what I make on board is usually better than what we can find in most restaurants.  However, my options of meals are completely dependent on what is coming out o the garden at the current time.  It is quite unlike being able to go to one of the beautiful Whole Foods stores and choosing whatever vegetable I feel like eating that evening.  Now that we are back in Italy the goat cheeses are replaced by hard pecorino type cheese and soft balls of mozzarella and pasta in every imaginable color type and flavor is available.  Alcohol also changes its flavors from country to county.  Turkey has Raki, Greece has Ouzo and Italy has Grappa, all giving the same quality of headache.

Our current schedule includes southern Sardinia next, followed by the Spanish Balearic Islands and then Portugal where Brisa came from.  We decided that since we have the time we want to return to her birth place so she can spend some time with her family and we can learn some of the training activities specific to Portuguese Water Dogs, like diving below water level to retrieve things.  She is an incredibly strong swimmer, extending her distances whenever given the chance but has not shown any natural instinct to plunge her head under water.   We are thinking about breeding her when we return to the States so we are going to be investigating that too.  We are awaiting her first period of ‘heat’ right now and will have to reserve that decision until after we discover just how challenging it will be to have a dog in heat on a boat. She is displaying some very challenging changes of behavior which are not at all endearing and I am beginning to wondering if dogs experience PMS.  Any knowledge on this subject???

We arrived 8/17/2008 in southern Sardinia yesterday after a hellacious passage.  It was supposed to be a quick and easy 250 nautical miles, or a day and a half.  Instead we had one of those ugly passages requiring an additional 100 nautical miles of tacking back and forth, where everything got tossed to the floor, we got beat up, ate little and slept less, well, especially Michael because the conditions were so icky that I had to call him to take over one of my shifts.  Both Brisa and I got sick and no one had fun.  But, alas, we are here and the boat is back in order.