Spit Shine and Ready for Blue Water
Friday, 03.14.2008

The Maggie B remains tied up at the Centro Maritimo do Bahia marina at 12° 58S, 38° 31W. We have made progress on almost all fronts. We have extended our Brazilian visas (trip to the airport and wait for two hours), refilled our cooking gas bottles, fixed the generator, maybe fixed our autopilot, fixed the galley sink pumpout, fixed the vacuum cleaner, done laundry, got the Maggie’s hull cleaned and polished, gotten proper documentation from the Naval HQ and the Federal Police, and seen the sights. All this in very hot and muggy conditions that causes one to take four showers a day and mostly focus on sitting in the shade and drinking cold beer.

We have also said sad farewells to Genevieve and Janet.

We are now carefully counting the days and distances to Antigua via Fernando de Noronha, so that we arrive punctually on April 12th for registration for the Antigua Classic. It is 669 NM to F de N, or about four days and 2135 NM from F de N to Antigua or about two weeks. So we have about 18 days of sailing and 11 days of stopping. If we spend three days in F de N (Lonely Planet says that it is “one of the most stunning places in Brazil, if not the entire world”), and perhaps three in Tous Saintes in Guadalupe, which is one of my favorites, then we have only five more days in Bahia. Hannah and Curtis are going inland to Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina. Frank and Thomas will head across the Bahia de Totos Santos to Itaparica island. Then we will reconvene at Centro Nautico, load up on supplies and head for Blue Water!

All is well.