All entries under 2041 Yacht

After many days of calm seas and no wind, an engine and fridge breakdown, a crewmember with a ruptured ear drum, delicious fresh fish; sushi, beer battered and grilled, dress up on deck, Acapulco taxi rides, Nicaraguan beaches, stifling heat, big swell, dolphins, sea turtles and whales, trash pick up, and epic sunsets we have almost made it to Panama. A day to go in the half way point of this journey and as we pass the islands dotting the Panamanian coast our excitement for what lies ahead is apparent. Such an incredible opportunity for us all lies in delivering the boat through the Panama Canal. A feat of mankind that truly changed the scope of the world our little boat (in comparison to the massive freighters we will ride alongside) promoting cleaner energy will make its way through the locks hopefully opening eyes and inspiring some along the way.

To the locks we go….
Hannah Huntley
2041 Cook

Thank you Rob and thank you Anne,
Fair well for now my friends:

4 Months, 6500 nautical miles, 1000 gallons of veggie oil, countless great minds and enough fond memories to last a life time, it is now time for me to say good bye… Great memories of beautiful Seattle and the bridges of Portland with Voodoo Doughnuts and the Rogue Brewery, Sailing in the snow at the Columbia River bar, the people and Students of the Monarch School in San Diego… So many memories I could go on for hours and hours. It has been an AMAZING journey to be a part of. It’s now time for my voyage to continue and Panama will be the last port for me on this one. Where next who knows, the wind will steer my sails and the stars and satellites of the night sky will guide me, all I know is more fond memories and great friendships will follow. Thank you to all the 2041 staff and crew past and present you all have been amazing people to work with and I’m sure that your personal commitment to making a difference will never go unnoticed, continue on with your great work. I hope our paths will all get to cross again in this little world. And to you ‘2041’ my beautiful sailing friend my you continue on as solid and strong as ever and may the winds and seas you encounter be fair to you. You have been my rock and inspiration and a stimulus for my dreams. Our time together will always remain fondly in my thoughts.

My love to all
Brent Taylor
brenttaylor80 (at) hotmail (dot) com

With a crewmember sick we decided to pull into Marina Puesta Del Sol in Nicaragua so that she could see a doctor. The marina is nestled into the mangroves in a sheltered lagoon with the tallest mountain of the country on the horizon. It’s protected from the elements of the sea but not the mosquitoes. Considering the color scheme at sea is a broad range of blues the lush greenery of the coconut palms and mango trees was a bit of tropical paradise. We pulled into this sleepy marina and Celia immediately sought out a doctor. As she left with Captain Homer the rest of us washed the boat and got to talking with some of the other cruisers. Turns out Celia had an incredibly painful ruptured eardrum- luckily one of the cruisers was a nurse and she was able to ease Celia’s worries about the prescribed shot she came back from the doctor’s with.

Thanks again John and Lela! We decided to wait her pain out- doctor’s orders! This beautiful country and its incredibly kind people have left a lasting impression on us all. From Jake showing some local kids the world map and explaining, in broken Spanish, what the voyage was all about to Ruth, the gracious receptionist that took an affinity to us all and can’t wait for our return one day. Nicaragua was an incredible place to be stuck for 2 days. Waking up and hearing the roosters crowing, the birds singing and crickets chirping, hearing the homes of the local fishermen waking up with the fresh smell of tortillas and fried plantains; I think we will all come back here one day. With smiles and gratitude we left Nicaragua. Should be 4 days to Panama now…..no more layovers, we have a schedule to keep!

Muchos gracias Nicaragua….
Hannah Huntley
2041 cook

Sounds like a flashy sports car but no…it was the sudden arrival of a tropical depression that caused our true wind to increase by nearly 30 knots in a matter of seconds. We crossed the Mexico/Guatemala border today and it was another oppressively hot day out at sea. So calm that you could see turtle shells polka-dotting the ocean as far the eye can see. No clouds above just the brewing weather front developing closer to shore. As the sun began to set and my dinner making duties were calling, all our hopes for a sushi dinner were set aside for tomorrow as we have not caught fish since Acapulco. I went into the galley where the heat is stagnant- no ocean breeze down there- and I started making pizza. As soon as the pizzas were put into the oven I heard the rest of the crew scrambling around on deck chattering like kids in a candy store. I went to see what the fuss was and their hair was flying in the wind and the waves were crashing over the bow. Wind in the hair and the waves splashing our faces…sounds cliché but we were giddy. Having goosebumps after days of a perpetual sweat shine was a very welcome feeling!

Motoring through the days of doldrums the consensus on deck was…let’s do some sailing! Out came the headsail and when we turned around the fishing line was bouncing. Go figure….The pizzas were fresh from the oven. We ate the pizzas as appetizers then I whipped up some sushi rolls and we feasted in 30 knot winds. As soon as it started it passed but we had about an hour of excitement and reprieve from the sweltering heat.

In good spirits…
Hannah Huntley
2041 cook

After being ‘stuck’ in Acapulco for a week we are all ready to head back out to sea. The fridge is fixed…we hope and the engine seems to be ‘shipshape’ (pardon the pun). Running around Acapulco in the sweltering heat trying to find parts, go grocery shopping and taking a minute to explore the funky community was tiring but rejuvenating all at the same time. It’s easy to get around considering there are thousands of blue and white Volkswagen bugs zipping around trying to find a taxi fare. We eventually came to prefer the bus rides- 50 cents for a ride in a school bus turned monster truck with a graffiti paint job and mariachi music. It added to the cultural experience. We played the part of tourist and went and saw the infamous cliff jumpers one evening. Right around sunset 7 guys of all ages dive off a cliff into a tiny inlet that can be calm or treacherous depending on the swell. The little guys dive as high as their courage has gotten them and the old timers go straight to the at least 100 ft. peak. Pretty courageous stuff.

So here we are now, heading back out to sea. The weather is calm and the heat is blistering but we have cold drinks to ease the oppressive humidity. It’s all good and we are back on track after a week long hiccup. Farewell Acapulco.

Hannah Huntley 2041 Cook

Can you spot the diver? He is the blurry blob silhouetting the sunset.

We were at sea for a week when the fridge went out. As it progressively climbed to 70 degrees, still much cooler than the outside temperature, we realized that another week at sea without refrigeration would be doable but not ideal. We pulled into Acapulco under a tropical downpour, a much welcome one at that, and for our first night on land….we fell asleep exhausted. Next day we got to working and Brent got down into the engine to give her an oil change…lo and behold….the oil had turned to tar. He reckons it’s the consistency of his favorite Australian condiment, vegemite. Now the refrigeration problem is solved and there were cold cervezas to drink while the issue of the engine was contemplated. The folks at the yacht club have been extremely gracious and have helped us in every way…from driving me to customs, finding a fridge mechanic, and directing us to their favorite local eateries (El Nopalitos…yummy). Now, it’s sit and wait time. The fridge mechanic called his engine mechanic friend and they have been working nonstop (except for siesta time) to clean her up. So, as we pass the days with fresh tortillas and sunshine we are hoping to be back at sea in a few days time and then it’s onward to Panama. With a fair share of walking to the market and beaches each day we have gotten our land legs back but we are ready to break in our sea legs again.

Here’s hoping to a happy engine and winds in our favor.

Hannah