Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Fin
at 8:12 PM
Monday, March 28, 2011
Back in Poland
As many of you may know, my family is from Poland. Although I was born in Virginia, my parents were born in Poland and moved to the US in 1976. Almost all of our extended family lives in Poland - spread across the cities of Gdansk, Kielce, Wroclaw, and more. EYE of the World's stop in Poland was a chance to meet up with many of my family and friends who live there.
at 8:35 AM
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
S/V Quest
Note: I had written this before the tragic events that befell the crew of the Quest.
at 1:11 AM
Saturday, January 29, 2011
My Thoughts of Sri Lanka
One of the things that makes traveling by sailboat so unique is that when you arrive in a country, you don't just get to play tourist. Oftentimes you have to interact with government officials and the local economy on a professional level. Whether it be buying fuel, obtaining port clearance, or hiring the services of a mechanic, you often get a very different glimpse of the country you are in. You get a sense of how easy/hard it is to do business, and how simple/complicated the bureaucracy is.
Past Examples:
Australia has some of the strictest immigration and importation requirements; however a very efficient system was set up in which the procedure was done very quickly.
Panama Canal transit is a complicated process; obtaining clearance through not only takes a fair bit of money, but several days worth of visiting many different offices throughout the city of Colon.
Dominican Republic clearance is rather benign, however officials there were very keen on extorting money and gifts or at least making life difficult for those who wouldn't bribe.
Indonesian clearance was complicated, expensive (in terms of costs and gifts), and most of the leg work has to be performed on your own (rides into town to visit many offices).
Sri Lanka is very unique (compared to the places we've been so far). Every official who boards your boat asks for gifts, but we found it easy to say no. I would venture to say that the country is relatively bribe-free. However, the bureaucracy there is incredibly stifling.
Examples:
- Mailing a package from the post office in Galle to the United States took about three hours (and none of this was spent waiting in line). Seemingly endless amounts of paperwork, signatures, and approval stamps were required just to be able to pay the required postage.
- We had to ship some transmission parts from the US to Sri Lanka (they were unavailable domestically). The parts cost about $70, not including shipping. It took four days for them to reach Colombo, the capital. DHL then informed me that the package was being held by customs for an unforeseeable amount of time. They told me the fastest way to get the parts was for me to travel to the airport in Colombo and pay the import duties myself. After a three hour train ride and two hour bus ride, I arrived at the cargo terminal of Bandaranaike International Airport. Approximately three hours later, with visits to the offices of DHL and many government officials, I was allowed to leave with the package (it was really just an envelope with two transmission pressure plates in it). The taxes and fees paid amounted to about $60 USD.
- While attempting to repair the transmission, we employed the services of a mechanic who worked for a ships-services company in Galle Harbor. This individual's main job is to maintain his company's two 30' motor launches. He came and spent some time on our boat helping with our transmission problems, but every time he walked from his end of the harbor to ours, we had to obtain a letter of approval with signatures from our port agent, the head of port security, and the harbormaster. (I heard the phrase "You have to make a letter" far too many times).
The people of Sri Lanka are generally friendly and helpful, and it is indeed a beautiful country (just check out Matt's posts about his travels!). However, the bureaucracy is unbearably stifling, forcing most people to work in the informal economy. Import regulations make sure that almost all goods are produced in Sri Lanka, but this also means that you can't purchase good, cheap things from other countries. (The 50cc Yamaha motorbike is ever-present throughout the developing world - except in Sri Lanka).
I can give the country a bit of credit - they are still recovering from a very long and painful civil war (the motivations for which are still unsettled). However, I believe an easing of business and trade restrictions would be a small step that would do a whole lot of good.
at 6:41 PM
Friday, January 21, 2011
Onwards
These are the other sailboats that will be transiting the western Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea this season. We count many of them as very good friends. Some we met here in Sri Lanka, others in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Tonga, and even Panama. Everyone has been travelling on a similar route, and it is always a pleasure to pull into a port, find old friends, and share stories.
This community of cruisers has helped each other through mechanical, routing, and culinary problems throughout their journey. A circumnavigation tends to self-select sailors that are strong-willed, brave, intelligent, and friendly. Through the course of unexpected challenges, these positive traits are refined. Here in the Indian Ocean, after sailing through most of the world, these sailors are at their very best.
As we on the WTP have decided to discontinue our journey by sailboat, there's one thing that weighs heaviest on my mind. It's not that we won't be pulling into Hampton, Virginia in June and proving to myself that the world is indeed round. It's not that we won't see Egypt, the Suez Canal, or the Mediterranean by sailboat. It's not even knowing that my days aboard the WTP are numbered.
What I'm saddest about, is leaving this strong community of sailors. As they untie their lines next week and sail for their next port, I will no longer be counted among them. I'm also worried for their safety.
We've decided not to face the chance of a hijacking in the Indian Ocean. If we left here today, we would enter pirate waters in four days, and then face a serious threat to our lives and livelihoods daily until we passed Saleef in the Red Sea, nearly a month from now. That's something we don't want to deal with.
Every other sailboat in the harbor is aware of the piracy threat. Most are nervous, some are resigned, and a few are naive. We can't make decisions for them. However, as they sail forward I sincerely wish the very best for them. One month from now, I would be happiest if every sailboat made it through without any threat, thus proving our fears unfounded. I don't want to feel justified in our decision to stop by hearing that another sailboat had been captured.
On Sunday, due to visa restrictions, Matt and Amanda are flying to Istanbul. I will remain behind in Galle until the transmission is fixed and the boat is ready for its return to Malaysia. Our last holdover is an envelope of transmission parts currently being held by Sri Lanka Customs in Colombo. When everything here is finished, I will shoulder my pack, hop on a plane, and rejoin the crew in Europe.
I might be saying farewell, but it's not the end. Onwards.
at 12:12 AM
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
And The Oscar Goes To ...
at 2:04 PM
Monday, December 27, 2010
An Expanding Skill Set
Living on a boat requires a certain broader know-how. Our starter seized up in Vanuatu and fixing it required a day spent with various mechanics and machinists. Luckily, we had easy access to knowledgeable resources (and a vehicle). Special thanks to our friends at Trans Atlantic Diesels in Virginia who guided us through the repair process via e-mail.
While coming into Galle, we ran into another problem. As we approached the narrow entrance to the harbor, with 20 feet separating us from a wall of jagged rocks, our transmission failed. We used momentum, wind, and quick thinking to successfully moor off the proper dock (as well as giving the Navy officers onboard a frightening shock).
This repair is proving to be more complicated than our starter repair. We've determined that the splines on the female portion of our drive/damper plate have been stripped. Fixing it is requiring a much broader skill set, including:
1) Mechanic (of course guided once more by our good friends at Trans Atlantic Diesels).
2) Contortionist - the space around our engine is very small, and we wouldn't be able to work on the engine if we hadn't lost weight on our last crossing.
3) Translator - many people here speak English. Some do not, specifically a mechanic we've employed to help us. So far I think we've been able to communicate the fact that we live on a sailboat.
4) Negotiator - there are many locals seeking to provide services to the few yachts in the harbor. The unfortunate assumption made by all is that since we're Americans, we're millionaires. I wish it were the case, but it is in fact not true. We spend a lot of time telling people 'No, we don't want to go buy gems at the jewelry store.'
5) Writer - every step of the repair process has resulted in a flurry of e-mails to Trans Atlantic Diesels. We appreciate all their help, even going out of their way to help us on Christmas Day.
If any of you at home have wise bits of wisdom on how to work around our current snafu, send them along to crew@eyeotw.org. All will be appreciated!
at 3:39 AM