Update from Dolce Vita

I decided to take time out from my busy schedule to update you with my blog.....RIGHT.....

I am in El Salvador again where I spent the hurricane season three years ago as I headed south. How time flies. I find myself disappointed this time as I find few cruisers here. Last time there were a number of us to enjoy each others company and stories as well as many afternoons around the pool during happy hour. As I write this, there is one other boat with people on board. They are Bill and Jean who sponsor and manage the annual Rally to El Salvador. They are fun people and we are enjoying each others company around the pool during happy hour. Who said you need a large number of people to have fun? On a very sad note, we cruisers were introduced to a wonderful man three years ago who we employed to take us on tours around Central America. He spoke very good english, wonderful humor and had a wealth of knowledge about the history of El Salvador and the bordering countries. Sadly he passed away after a fatal heart attack two years ago. He touched many peoples lives, both Salvadorans and cruises from around the world that visited the country.He is and always will be missed. He leaves behind a wife and young son who I had the pleasure of meeting during my last visit here.

I already have made a few trips in San Salvador to pick up supplies, but otherwise I am catching up on a few jobs on the boat that I have put off for all too long. Then I sit and relax reading every book I can put my hands on. I am running dangerously close to running out of books and I might finally admit that I must catch up with technology and buy a Kindle when I get back to California for a visit.

My trip from Panama here with a short stop in Costa Rica was filled with boredom and fright. This is a common description given by many cruisers. On the boring side I had to motor most of the seven days to get here as there was little or no wind. One the other side of the scale I experienced by first knockdown during a thunderstorm. A knock down is when the boat is hit with a VERY strong gust of wind that can last a few seconds or a  number of minutes. What happens next is you find the boat and yourself, if you haven't been thrown overboard, on its side with the sails in the water and water spilling into the cockpit. I was down below when this happened, desperately trying to climb sideways to get topside so I could release the lines controlling the sails. This takes the pressure off of the sails and the boat then begins to right itself. This I did and as expected, the boat came back up with the keel below the boat rather than beside it. All was ok and the fact that I am writing this, the boat and I survived without any damage to either one of us. Thus is the life and adventure of sailing around the globe.

I am flying home to the States at the end of the month to make my annual pilgrimage to visit family and friends. I then return here in mid August to ready the boat for my return to Mexico where I again will enjoy the best food I have experienced on my voyage to date. I am looking for crew and invitations are open to any and all that want to enjoy the adventures ahead. Knock downs will not be experienced again....I promise.

Well that should do it for now. In the meantime be safe out there.

Denny