January 16, 2024
Updates about my stay in Cartagena and BEHEMOTH’s preparations were interrupted abruptly. The main reason, there wasn’t much to report, only my frustration with the whole situation. The boatyard had almost a year to complete a series or jobs, the most important fixing BEHEMOTH engine. Before I took the plane to Cartagena they had confirmed things were ready and yet they weren’t.
My plan was to stay at the boatyard for just a few days, then move BEHEMOTH to a marina and get her ready to sail to Panama while waiting for my daughter Marina. Instead, I spent 12 nights (Dec 4-13 and 16-17) living on the hard and didn’t sail anywhere. The nights of December 14 and 15 I stayed in a hotel in old-Cartagena. I had reserved a room so that Marina wouldn’t have to experience life in a boatyard. At the end, Marina couldn’t make it on those days, so I went back to the yard for two extra nights.
She finally arrived on the 18th and we stayed at Hotel Cinco Quintas in downtown until December 21st – highly recommended. Having Marina in Cartagena was therapeutic. I would still get up early to do some work, then have a copious breakfast with her at Buena Vida, one of the best sea food restaurants in the old city (the hotel’s restaurant wasn’t operational yet so they made an agreement with Buena Vida which is just a few meters away, by the corner). In the morning Marina would help me with boat related stuff, but in the afternoons and nights we went out, walked through the city, did some shopping, and eventually settled down for drinks and dinner. Alquimico became the bar we would visit daily (also highly recommended).
On the morning of the 21st we flew to Ecuador to spend Christmas and New Years with my mother, father, siblings, their partners and descendants. Natalia, Sofia, and my mother-in-law also came, only Woland was missing. It was good to spend time with the family though things are very different now that my mother is ill. After Christmas day, the girls, Natalia, her mother and I drove to Casa Blanca and settled into our usual routine; beach, books, movies, chess, sea food, gin and bloody marys, cavas & wines.
BEHEMOTH stayed at marina Club de Pesca. Yes, Marina and I were able to move her there the day after she arrived, but under tow. And not without difficulties. While nearing the slip that had been assigned to us, the tow boat got a line wrapped on the outboard’s propeller. For a few very long minutes, while the tow boat’s captain tried to figure out what to do until he finally cut the line, the wind was pushing BEHEMOTH towards a catamaran that was refueling. We were able to regain control and avert the impact but just barely.
While BEHEMOTH was at the boatyard, on the hard, the mechanics were able to start the engine. To do so, they connected the water pump directly to a jerry can of water and the fuel pump to a jerry can of diesel (something I should have asked the previous owner to do before buying the boat). But the wood floors over the engine would not close properly because it was too high on its base. It took a couple of days to fix this. Then, when BEHEMOTH went on the water the day before Marina’s arrival, the mechanics turned on the engine, now connected to the fuel tanks and the boat water’s pump, but realized there was no oil pressure. Apparently, there was problem with the oil pump and finding a replacement would take time. The boat generator was also not working. Back in January 2023 I had asked for a general check-up of the generator so that there wouldn’t be last minute surprises, but it was only a few days after my arrival that they started working on it. Apparently, somebody had declared that it was not possible to work on the generator without first opening a hole in the fiber glass aft of the cockpit, where it resides. Nonsense.
It was then when I decided to tow the boat and continue the repairs at the marina. Alexander, who is the owner of the company that works with diesel engines, is a great guy and he has been very helpful. He and his team continued to work at the marina on the engine, while another team of mechanics worked on the generator. Knowing that soon I would have to leave and that several jobs were pending, I started to look for someone who could take care of BEHEMOTH during my absence. I had hired someone to do a survey of the rigging for the insurance company – at least one piece of good is that the rigging is in perfect conditions –, and he recommended me to Hector Murillo who so far has done a very good job.
Hector visits the boat every other day, checks everything is ok, cleans inside and outside every two weeks, and coordinates all the work that needs to be done. Other than the engine and generator, the to do list includes checking the fridge and freezer (compressor and gas); disassembling and cleaning a couple of winches; reupholstering the cushions around the dining table and the starboard settee; and making a new dodger.
After Ecuador, I came back to Bangkok with a stopover in Paris to visit Sofia. I landed last Wednesday, and Friday Natalia, her mother, Woland and I drove to Hua Hin. The main motivation was Woland, who hadn’t had a chance to run at the beach in over two months. We all enjoyed our time there but, reluctantly, had to come back to BKK today. While at the beach, I got a message from Alexander informing me that, unfortunately, the engine had to be taken out of the boat and go back to the shop. They had found a new oil pump, but the installation and other repairs couldn’t be done at the boat. Today I learned that a similar faith awaits the generator.
I was wondering how the engine extraction would take place with BEHEMOTH in her slip. Well, they managed to do it using as levers a metal bar going through the portholes and then the boom. The operation was completed yesterday (see pics). One of the externalities of having the engine out is that Hector was able to do a major cleaning of the aft bilge, removing oil and random items that had fallen down there. They were suppose to do this at the boatyard, but the job was very sloppy. In any case, I expect that when the blue monster is back inside BEHEMOTH, it will run like new. Same with the generator. I am scheduled to go back to Cartagena on February 16. All jobs should be completed by then.
I hope the the new year will bring health, love, and new discoveries to you all !
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{Caption: most pictures are self-explanatory. BEHEMOTH on the water at the boatyard; a night living there (drinks at the cockpit then cooking dinner); having lunch and drinks at Buena Vida; breakfast at Buena Vida; drinks at Alquimico; dinner at an unknown Italian restaurant ; Starlink (very happy with it); on the way to marina Club de Pesca under tow; lunch at the marina; the blue monster out (for the second time); BEHEMOTH on her slip; Cartagena; Casa Blanca; trees (guayacanes), bananas, and chicks growing at the finca}
Sailing to the Pacific 