The new year, new boat and new BABY!!!!

Again, im sorry for the lack of updates going on....

Just to let everyone know we are safe and sound and are in South Carolina on our new boat. Im just in the middle of setting up a new blog site so ill save the link on here - for those who are interested.

Last trip out on Quartermoon and we see Dolphins.



Theres been loads of changes going on!!! After selling our beautiful Quartermoon to Sammy and Mike, we fly to the states to have a look at our new boat. As soon as we see her we fall in love, and put a deposit down straight away!!! Talk about being impulsive and rushing into things...but thats the way we have always been i suppose.We rush into everything and think of the consequences later!!

After lots stress and trouble with the banks we have to personally fly back to Britain to sign paperwork in order for them to release my money to pay for our new boat....

We spend a good month at home visting everyone at christmas and see all my family and friends in Wales and then over for a week with Syms family in Birmingham to spend New Years Eve...totally different from last year when we spent it out at sea on the Atlantic Crossing!! But it was soo lush to see everyone!

Me and Little lils



Little Lelya and mummy abs



Syms Daughter Lauren and her boyfriend Lewis (looking all grown up)



And yes we have a new baby on the way for those who dont know...IM PREGNANT!! and we are both mega happy. Christmas was a very weird one for me to say the least...and it was the first time ever i have woke up without a hangover on christmas day..and no im not like other people who say - dont you find it funny when your sober and everyone is drunk...This is not funny at all - in fact quite the opposite!! its quite painful to say the least and you realise how bloody ridiculuos everyone is, aswell as how much crap people talk when there drunk!!
haha!!!

Although very sober, we all had a awesome time and im glad my sym won joint first prize in the fancy dress competition - it went towards the 120 pound he spent on his costume....I was angry for weeks.

Check out these pics..





We were really lucky to have so much snow when we were back home...but after a while we were praying for warmer whether...

Baby Jenson in the snow



How quick Sym lost his lovely tan -

Quartermoon Sold

After a week or so of stress and trouble with our first buyer we finally accepted a deposit on her...Very Sad but very exciting at the same time.

Basically the guy who said he wanted her from the start...asked if we would deliver it to costa rica for him. After organising all the paperwork, paying over a thousand dollars and getting her booked in the cheeky git...EMAILS...not phones and says to to finacial reasons he has to pull out...and check this out..this was on the morning we were due to to leave for the canal and we even had all the tyres on the boat and the lines ready... to top it off Debs and Alex had flown in the night before to help us be line handlers..

We were soo gutted, but at least we had a deposit kept by the brokerage and emails stating that any monies we paid for the canal were to be given to us in the unlikely event that he pulled out. WELL WHAT A LAUGH THAT IS...its now the new year and after months of dispute and us scanning the offical receipts of monies paid he has basically said no...what a twat??? the brokerage cannot realease the money to anyone unless this dispute is resolved.... his argument is we could of forged the receipt...even though it has the agent offical stamps all over it..Anyway enough of that...

The happy side is that a lovely British couple flew over to Panama staight away once they found she was back on the market , put a depoit down on her and arranged to pick her up from Shelter Bay Marina on the 19th November!!!

Quartermoon with her new owners Sammy and Mike ... they plan to take Quartermoon to Australia this year, so im sure they'll have a blog to follow, when i get it , ill post it on her...Me and sym were so chuffed and we could not of wished for her to go to a nicer couple. Congrats guys.

Shelter Bay Marina, Colon

We booked to have Quartermoon taken out the water the day after we arrived there. We were not at all happy when they made us sign some paperwork saying they take no responsibility for the boat if any damage is caused during the lift out. What the hell is that all about, thats the first marina we have ever heard of with such a thiing. Obviously we had no choice in the matter and so the whole time i felt like i could not watch....i was so worried of her falling out the cradle and crashing on the floor.
Oh well, thank god that did not happen..

Check out these pics of Quartermoon being hauled and lifted.







Sym spent the next few days sanding and preping the hull ready for the sprayer to come and spray her...

Quartermoon with her new paint job



When she was put back in the water me and Symi speant a whole day making her look dreamy. Symi spent the day before in Colon at a car graphics shop designing her go faster strips....

Check out Quartermoon in her new livery...

Finally an Update !!!

Hi everyone, really sorry for the rubbish and lack of updates going on. Hi to everyone else who was wondering where we are. We are safe and we are currently in Shelter Bay Marina, in Colon Panama.The last few months we have been so busy with working and selling Quartermoon i have no had much time to keep you all entertainted.
Any hows life is still brillant and we ve seen and done loads, so here goes the last couple of months:

Boco De Torro

The 100 odd mile sail ended up taking us 2 while days, can you beileve that...it was a complete diaster..we had two - two and a half knots of current the whole journey and there were head winds all the way. We were maiking about 3 knots and nailing it flat out under engine.At one stage in the night we went down to 1.7 knots...it was so painfully slow. Of course the winds were not forecast and current this strong was never mentioned in any pilot guide.

A little bird that flew out to Quartermoon and slept on the bbq all night long until sun rise.



We finally arrived and Boco which was definately a cool place but very touristy. There were lots of restarants and bars all on the sea front. We docked up in the marina for the first time in since europe which felt so weird being tied to a pontoon after being at anchor for so long.

We had some good nights out and were gutted when we had to leave because it would of been nice to spent a few weeks there and go round some of the anchorages. Alan and his business partner came and viewed her and speant all bloody weekend on the boat.They were going to buy her for chartering out of their hotel that was being built in Costa Rica. We took them out for a sea trail and it all went well, but i had a really gut feeling about them that they were messing us around. They said they would get back to us to let us know, so we sailed back to Shelter Bay Marina a tadge gutted to do some maintenace and take her out the water....we decided it was time to re spray her as the hull and get her looking tip top

Back in Cartagena

Nights out in Cartagena

Sym with his new ginger hair do, courtesy of Debs



Back in Club Nautico we checked our mail and we had three people wanting to come and view Quartermoon around the same time, so this guy Alan was first so he wanted us to take Quartermoon to Boco Del Torro where he could view her. He made us a good offer and said that he definately wanted her he just needed to check her over and go for a sea trail. We were really chuffed as you can imagine so we planned to do our last backpacker run to Pamana and then sail the two days to the Bocos for them to have a look.

In the meantime in Cartagena, Al proposes to Debs...Congrats you guys.It was brillant, me and Sym winch them up the top of the mast on Quartermoon and then he pops the question, haha...it was so funny, cos debs was not really sure whether she wanted to go up or not and half way up she was saying, oh i dont like it guys,get me down and me and sym were like, no way get on with it...Hilarious really. But she said yes and they live happy ever after where they plan to get married back home next year after their trip.

The Happy Couple....



Debs and Al finally depart and the next day we leave for Panama with a group of five Aussie lads and a American girl.

Another squall with lots rain and thunder and lightening



after a wicked few days we drop them off and head to Bocos...and what a bloody nightmare that turned out to be



The guys bought this sea snail from the Kunas, its was possibly the sickest thing known to man kind. They all had a bit and nearly puked.I wisely opted out

Sailing with our new crew Part Two

It was so nice to have our mates on the boat and they were loving it too. We chilled in the beautiful San Blas islands for a few days where we went snorkelling swimming , had bbqs and drank loads of clos ( Clos for those who dont know is the best wine we have found yet. Its only 2 dollars and 15 cent a litre and its good tasting. We stocked up on a load in the city as the wine in Cartagena is pretty pricy.

One tree island: As you can see , we are very imaginitive with the names,



The boys spent a whole afternoon snorkelling with their spear guns and nets trying to be hunters and catch some fresh fish for the ladies,unfortunatly they took lots of wine with them in the dingy and came back with nothing apart from red clown lips, tipsey and no fish.



This resulted in buying a freshly caught King Crab from the Kuna Indians for only 5 bucks.





We then sailed the 200 miles back to Cartagena, Columbia. The trip was going really well and debs and Al both got their sea legs..Alex even cooking lunch for us on the way which was wicked, cos even now after all these miles i still can feel quesy down below if its rough!!I decided to have the first watch and go down below. Come 2 ish in the morning i come up to relieve Sym so he can get to sleep and a big squall comes in. 50 knots winds with thunder and lightening that went on for over an hour. It was quite scary to say the least, so Captain Frank took the helm and Me and Alex tried to stay dry under the cockpit. Debs popped her head up now and again worrying that we had hot a rock and were going to sink ( it was the thunder which was so close i shit myself). She told me later she kept thinking not to worry we would all be laughing about it when it was over. Lol. I can imagine though, it was bad enough for me yet alone some one who has never been on a boat before.



Anyhow it only lasted an hour or so and the rest of the trip was fine. These bloody squalls at this time of year are quite hairy to say the least, but we arrive that day safe and sound in the crowded anchoarge of Cartagena.

San Blas and Cartagena with Dirty debs and Baby Frank

This seems like a life time ago but our friends back home from Wales are currently on a voyage back packing around the world and informed us they were in Costa Rica. We planned to meet up with them and they could come and stay for a few weeks on the boat. It was absolutley lush to see them, the last time being at our wedding over a year ago. We decided to leave the boat in Puerto Lindo for the night and get the bus to go and meet them in Panama City.
Panama City rcoks, it was wicked. In all fairness we did not get to see much of it
(sight seeing wise) as we were having too much of a party. Can you beilve the first night away from Quartermoon in over a year(hoping for something speacial accomodation wise) and debs goes and books us a hostel where we have to share the room with six other people. Oh well, it did not really matter as were we wasted by early evening and cant really remember much of it. We met up with some other friends, Oliver, and Ricky Martin and Makayler to celebrate olivers birthday.
Me and debs ended the night in the shared toilet being sick from too much booze and sym and alex ended up partying without us till five o clock in the morning. Alex on the first night nick named Sym Frank the Tank ( all will know if you have seen the movie Old School ) if you have not , thats not a bad things, cos i am extremtly gutted to be married to a middle aged, unfit loser - like off the movie. Anyhow the nick name stayed and i have gorwn to love it.

Some pics of our first night in the city



Frank and Baby Frank giving Oliver the birthday bumps:



After a rough hangover we had to go and get the bus back from Panama city to Puerto Lindo which was bad enought the day before when we were feeling good. It took over 3 hours being squished on the chicken bus , including a stop off to get another one. We decided it was well worth the 70 bucks to share a taxi home between the four of us and god how much we appreciated the air con.

The following day we decided to take them to monkey island. There was no way i was going back on there after the last time, so i waited in the dingy while the rest went ashore. Can you believe it, but the sly little buggers were so sweet. (And alot smaller than the last time in remember ) They were eating out of everyones hand!!! I am so jealous...but i still did not trust their tempermental attitude!!

Alex getting ready to leg it after hearing our stories about these ferocious beasts!!lol



Moral of the story , never ever trust monkeys!!!

Quartermoon in the San Blas

Puerto Lindo, Panama.

We drop of the lads and go and have a beer in the local restaurant, which is so cheap. 75 cents for a bottle of beer, how good is that. Even better the owner Hans and his wife have a Toucan called ‘Toucey’. It is amazing and so tame it’s unbelievable. It basically is free to fly off in the rainforest whenever it likes as the cage is open, but it chooses to stay in the restaurant most of the time, where he is feed fruit and rice. He is wicked!! But a bit of a piece of work and like to peck on your hand, twisting his mouth with all his strength – but it does not hurt whatsoever.





We chilled out for a few days there and went to go and register with Hostel Wunderbar. Within a couple of days Silvia had found us some backpackers to come back to Columbia with. We had 5 in all, one couple called Bart and Mary Ann from Holland and a Canadian women called Steph and her to children called Ariel and Jordon.
We had a couple of days to chill out and get the boat ready before our departure date so mistakably we went to go and visit the uninhabited island of Monkey Island



Attack of the monkeys…

I don’t know what it is with animals lately but they seem not to like us very much. Anyway Sym persuaded me to come to visit this island of Monkeys, so we took a bag of cornflakes with us so we could feed them. Sym filled my mind with false images of little monkeys sitting on my shoulder (like baboo off Aladdin) was how he described them ...............................

Well we tie the dingy up to the dock and go onto the island, within two minutes we had three monkeys swing down from the tree( full teeth / LARGE teeth showing) hissing at us. One monkey comes up from behind me and he comes to my shoulders in height!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





I crapped myself to say the least, they looked so bloody aggressive… baboo my ass!!

I backed off slowly edging myself back towards the safety of my dingy. Sym on the other hand thought he was well hard and at one with nature and told me to chick over the food, he then kneels down and starts to feed them (I actually just got goose bumps when writing this remembering how frightened I was). Then the monkeys gather round closely and trying to grab the bag of him, showing them their teeth and waving their arms at him. Sym chucks the bag and within a couple of seconds he has two monkeys dangling off his arms biting into him. JESUS CHRIST… all I heard was Sym screaming and then he starting to make monkey noises back at them! He shouted to me to run, but I don’t think he needed to…I was already legging it as fast as I could…I jumped a mage distance. Something I did not think I was capable of (way over 15 ft) and landed into the dingy with such sheer force I had friction burns up all my arms and legs! Sym makes it in just after me and the bloody vicious monkeys had bitten his thumb down to the bone.

Picture of them starting to get a bit heavy!!!





Biten to the bone!!



We were quite worried, of course not knowing what diseases there were carrying and so we went to find a doctor. Bearing in mind we were in the middle of no where. Hans told us there a type – of nurse (not sure what qualifications that would entail) in the local village. He was drunk as it was Sunday and apparently everyone gets drunk of a Sunday! Anyway we were very grateful to here that the monkeys did not have any infectious diseases like Rabies and he gave Sym a jab – free of charge, can you believe that!

Anyway, I would highly recommend no one visits that island ever again

Trip to San Blas

When the weather passed we left the anchorage in Cartagena and motored out to sea. The guys we all pretty excited and no of them had done much sailing before. The sea state for the two days was as flat as a pancake with no wind so we have to motor the whole way to the San Blas. To top it off we were going into about 1.5 knots of current the whole way ( hence it taking two days to get there) as we were only averaging about 4 knots, which is mega slow for us. Anyhow it was so nice and we had plenty of time to cook good food and relax. The guys one by one were a bit sea sick for the first part( apart from one of them ) – but by day two they were all fine!!



We saw some dolphins on the trip and managed to catch a fish. When we finally reeled it in, it was a bloody shark, only a baby one about 2 ft, but Sym said it was so strong and holding him down was really difficult. We or should I say Sym (I was standing well back on deck - you should of seen the size of his teeth – they were like a great white) managed to get the hook out of his mouth, chuck him back in the sea - Unharmed!! We also stopped the boat in the middle of the sea (2000 metres) while everyone dived off and went for a swim. I stayed aboard gladly!! There is something about swimming in such mega deep water that makes me feel a tadge uneasy…I was on shark patrol!
We also saw what we think were a pod of fin whales. Sym decided to follow but when they turned around and came towards us...sym legged it!!!



We finally arrived in the San Blas and went into our first anchorage called Swimming pool bay and BBQ Island. Wow, it was amazing. The islands are by far the best we have ever been to, and what was so great and unique about them was there were only a few boats there.



We spent the last few days hopping around different islands, swimming and snorkelling. We found this amazing wreck on Dog island which was the best ever. The ship sank in the fifties and the Captain tried to beach the boat in order to save the cargo, but hit a reef near shore and sank. The wreck is so shallow you can stand up at the bow of the ship. It’s fantastic.



We bought some Molars (traditional hand stitched overlaid pieces of material to create intricate patterns and pictures) off some of the Kuna Indians who paddled out to our boat in their traditional dug out canoes made form one tree. They also sold us some fresh fish and lobsters for very cheap prices!





The Kuna Indians are an ancient tribe of people who have managed to live on these Islands throughout the years without having to change too much. They have no main water or electricity supply. Or that is what we are led to believe!!The amusing thing was they came over and asked if we could re charge their mobile phone in exchange for a coconut!!! CAN YOU BEILEVE THIS!! I was gutted, they live in huts and live off rice and fish and yet they have a bloody mobile phone!! Jesus! LOL



We went to check into customs and spent an afternoon on inhabited islands of porveiner where the Kuna Indians live. What an amazing place. It’s not beautiful to say the least, lots of rubbish and sticks a bit etc but definitely a good cultural experience.

Some of the huts they live in



A pic of the school



We sailed up the Panamanian coast to Linton the last day where we hit a 50 knot squall with thunder and lightening.
I used to be so scared of sailing when I saw lightening in the distance, but now I am so desensitized to it. Its so common in this area…so many nights we have woke up to a crackling of lightening, looked out the hatch and we can see the bolt of lighting a couple of hundred metres from the boat! Quite frightening to say the least. We have even put all the electronics in the microwave it was so close one evening. So I have learnt not to worry about it now cos there is no point!!
We stopped for an evening in Isla Grande and then moved a mile to Linton the following morning when we dropped the guys off. What a wicked bunch of lads, they were really cool guys and it was a pleasure to have them on the boat!! Good luck with the rest of your travels and hope you find some good waves soon.

More Columbia

After a few days of partying with our friends, we had a few quiet nights on Aliisa and Quartermoon….. Yeah right!!







We were just about to head to the marina to sort out our new business, making up some cards and going to the hostels when we met four blokes from Australia who were looking for a ride to San Blas and Panama. How Convenient!! They wanted to leave within a two days so it left us with only a day to sort stuff out.
Firstly we had to sort out the boat, as it was a bit of a mess after all the sailing and try to make some space for all the food. Then it was to the supermarket to stock up with all the food and drink - as the San Blas islands are mostly uninhabited although the local Kuna Indians come around offering fish, crabs and Lobster for a wicked price!! After refilling with Diesel and stocking up the water tanks we were all fit and ready to make a move. The last job was to meet up with Manfred (our agent) the day before to check us all out of the country with Customs and Immigration.

The charter includes a five day trip - two of which are sailing non stop 200 miles to the San Blas Islands. Then the guests have two / three days sailing around the San Blas before dropping them off in Linton, Panama. The price includes all fees for clearance and food and drink for the five days!! What a wicked job a???

We left on the 26 the June and set sail for San Blas. A squall came in just before we left with heavy rain and thunder and lightening and once again there was a fair amount of boats that dragged in the anchorage. (Not us thank god!!)
We have never known an anchorage like this. One American guy we met in the yacht club who has been living here for a few years said that a few times a month in hurricane season you get some bad squalls and as soon as you feel the air go cold run back to your boat. We were like whatever (we’ve been anchored in 40 odd knots winds b4 and she has not budged!! BUT the grounding in this anchorage is soooo poor and the bottom is a soft mud so many anchors just slide right through when the wind picks up. A bit of digression but,anyway one day we were in the bar when we saw a squall coming in and everyone legging it back to their boats. The following evening some plonker had anchored right next to us, way too close and his tender was actually touching our boat. Anyhow we thought we better go back and low and behold this idiot has dragged and was smashing his boat into the boats at the marina. He had just missed us thank god, but we could hear these people from their boats screaming at the captain because he was banging into their boats- they all had their fenders out trying to prevent the damage and he was walking around the boat so slowly without a care in the world! Obviously it takes a lot for this guy to pick up his pace. Anyhow it takes him so long to turn on his motor and bring his anchor up that he ends up getting ropes from the boats in the marina wrapped around his props( both of them – it was a cat) and we then have to move our boat as he needs to be towed off and help re anchor by a fishing boat from the marina. Good entertainment though I must admit!! That day 12 boats dragged anchor – they were popping out like flies.