Ship's Crew Colin Reedy . Bob Friedman . Ryan Jannenga

Last month in a special Escape From America issue, we introduced you to Colin, Bob, and Ryan - three Americans who dropped everything to sail halfway around the world. In case you missed that issue, we introduce them to you once again, and then move on in order to catch up to the boat. This will be just about as live as you can get thanks to Colin who brought his laptop along. Every few days or so, Colin wades ashore,  laptop held high above his head. From the nearest internet cafe he sends us his most recent dispatches from the blue waters. . Three guys, a 41-foot sailboat, and enough gear and equipment to wrap half way around the world...which is exactly what we hope to do.  Sailing south from California...along Central America to Costa Rica ...then west across the South Pacific...Australia...Asia...India. We've dropped everything in our lives for this global wander.  We quit jobs, rented houses, sold cars, left girlfriends, and gave away everything that won't fit on the boat.  That was the first challenge.  Then we left on an overloaded 20-year old boat with countless problems and half the knowledge to fix them.  However, time, good judgement, and a bit of luck should balance it all out. We expect to learn to sail across oceans, read wind and weather, catch fish, fix things with limited resources, hassle with custom officials, explore new countries, get sick and scared and maybe hurt, and possibly lose valuable belongings to nature and thieves. Why? To learn and experience the world first hand, and challenge ourselves against the vast unkown. To escape the daily routines that blur one week into the next. To shirk steady secure careers now, in favor of amazing memories that last forever. And to return with great stories, photos, and confidence in ourselves.  This website will keep track of our journey.  Please feel free to contact us, we enjoy the feedback. To Contact Colin Reedy and the Crew of the Yacht Barraveigh  - Click Here - Background - Captain And Crew We've all passed our exams for a Captain's license with the US Coast Guard, so technically, we are all "Captains" ...but Bob owns the boat and secretly reads many books about leadership, so more often than not he assumes the role.  I met Bob in 1991 motorcycling thru the Mediterranean. After camping thru Greece and Crete, I was on my way to Egypt via Israel to see the pyramids. Bob was about the only other Gringo on the boat to Haifa. I convinced him to skip working at a kibbutz and join me to Egypt. Great adventures followed and we've been good friends ever since. Bob is the visionary hero here for making this whole trip happen. He's reorganized his life and spent the last year focusing toward this adventure. He's also the team cheerleader keeping our spirits high and our efforts on target. He's great about safety and efficiency issues on the boat, but unfortunately not troubled much by aesthetics or clutter. I'm working on that.

Ryan is Bob's cousin and managed to cover some serious ground in his 26 years. Originally from Phoenix, he's worked and wandered thru Mexico, Thailand, Hawaii, and spent the last few years driving sport fishing boats off San Diego. He's our fishing guy and rapidly becoming the electricity expert by untangling and rewiring most of the power systems on the boat. His yoga tempered patience and attention to detail make up for his cooking and Country music. I'm the "materials and design" guy. They look to me for functional and efficient improvements anywhere on the boat. Nothing is more fun. With a background in Industrial Design and years spent making furniture and interiors, I know how things are made, fixed.... or can be quickly rigged up in an emergency. I imagine we'll all have these abilities in the coming months. I'm also the one to organize much of the boat for storage and access.  I know where everything is and why.  Originally, I was also the "engine guy" in charge of learning and trouble shooting the diesel engine. But I think we all have assumed a partial role on that. My other useful qualities include photography, first aid, cooking, and the ability to fumble thru Spanish, French, and Italian. If you missed Colin's December Logs click here. To skip ahead to January - March, continue reading 31 JAN - 2 FEB 06 Caleto de Campos - Nexpa  Kayak surfing. Nice to be back on the boat. The little annoying issues that made me happy to be off for a long week are yet to return...or put in perspective. I brought back a few important boat parts, new books and music, kitchen gear, and pounds of good coffee. You'd think these coffee growing countries would make great coffee, but it's mostly old bland pre-ground stuff and Nescafe. Yuck. I even drank tea for a couple weeks...whatever that is. Now, we have an emergency stainless coffee press in case the main glass one breaks. Redundancy and back-up systems on a boat are essential.  Caleta de Campos is a half day hop from Pilchilinquillo where I returned to the boat. Tight spot, but 4 boats managed to anchor the first night. The town is nice, but the big draw is Nexpa, a surf spot about 10 miles north. Bob was eager and I wanted to support his enthusiasm...so I agreed to haul a board to check it out. I still don't get this surfing thing. I've tried it. I can maybe understand a long board. But so much work and time spent...for so little return. Skiing, snowboarding, white water kayaking, sailing, and most other 'ride' sports give you way more fun for your effort. Surfing is sitting around waiting, or paddling thru breakers, or carrying your board long distances...all in hopes that the conditions will be good enough for a few second ride. I'm sure millions of people and the glossy magazines that follow it are onto something, but I think the allure of surfing is the beach lifestyle. If not, then we'd see more surfing in Alaska and Tierra del Fuego. I agree with the sun, sand, beer and bikinis part...but skip the surfing thing.  We quickly hitched our way to and from Nexpa. Piling three guys and two boards into the back of an old Mexican's pickup to get there, and returning in a van driven by a father and daughter from Alberta. More extremely nice Canadians. They planned to stay overnight in Caleta and even offered to take us back to Nexpa the next day. Bob was excited to give surf lessons to the daughter. Next day, I decided to bring the small red kayak which tied on top of the van. What a difference a kayak makes. I can paddle thru breakers and jump into waves faster than the surfers. With this speed, I can decide at the last minute which waves to take...and I easily get twice as many waves with far less effort. I can even ride them all the way to the beach if I want. I also get to sit higher with a good view and stash a camera in the small hatch. I did this for hours. Great fun...good exercise...why would anyone mess around with a surfboard?

3-10 FEB 06 
Zihuatenejo 

...where did a week go?  I've heard only good reports about Zihuat and I agree.  Not too overdeveloped or too big.  Maybe some day?  Good markets, restaurants, and even a good outdoor bar with cheap beer and a wide screen TV to watch the Super bowl.  That's as developed as I ever want.  Often, I miss the Superbowl altogether...but Seattle was playing.  Unfortunately, the best part: the commercials...were not broadcast. 

Ryan fell into two days of love with a tall blonde girl before she flew home to Seattle.  Lucky guy.  She was nice and left us with some good reading material.  Bob and I hitched a ride the first two days with the Canadian father-daughter team.  We all went to a beach past Ixtapa, Playa Azul, to surf and kayak.

Chance would have it, but this was the weekend of Sailfest...sponsored (i think) by Latitudes and Attitudes magazine.  Dozens of boats anchored in the large harbor and several events, seminars, and boat parties lasted into the following week.  We met people we knew and others we'll see down the line.  Great way to exchange info. 

Spendy restaurants took the front rows off the beach and boulevard.  Rustic markets and taquerias a few blocks inland offered great food at much cheaper prices...although the site of three dead, skinned cows piled on the floor near your table tests the stomach.  The butchers can slice meat so thin, you can see light thru it.  Then they hang it and let it dry in the open air.  Amazingly enough....flies don't swarm.  on several occasions, I sat at a picnic table, eating elbow to elbow with locals, spooning salsa and spicy condiments on my tacos, while 3-4 butchers hacked and chopped away. I think...this puts you touch with your food. 

Boat projects also took up much of Zihuat time.  I managed to replace the dinghy valve with a new one I brought back...same for the swivel connections on both bow anchors (all stainless now).  I drilled, mounted, and rigged the davit to raise the outboard motor...a part we've been carrying since Mini's in Newport Beach.  Finally, I installed the oil pressure gauge...my eternal challenge.  We have a warning light, but we want a gauge.  So many attempts...foiled by either a mechanical or electrical issue...grounding, wiring...this boat's electrics are so screwed up, it's anybody's guess...but i'm closer than ever! 

10 Feb 06  Route Planning

About Colin Reedy Designs: In his prize winning furniture designs Colin innovated a way of using recycled plastics and other materials, including used coffee grounds, recycled HDPE plastic, recycled rubber, steel and aluminum. The proper disposal of solid waste is a concern worldwide.  Efforts have been made to encourage everyone to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink the products they are consuming.  Here is someone who is doing exactly that and creating something useful and beautiful at the same time.  Colin's design philosophy is: "reduce, reuse, recycle, relax."  His highly innovative creations demonstrate an excellent use of recycled materials; reduction of landfill waste, and the production of absolutely stunning furniture.  "Plastic has many nice characteristics," says Colin.  His tables, chairs, and benches twist and arch, taking advantage of plastic's bending character.  He has created everything from playground equipment for city parks, to highly sophisticated art forms which decorate the houses of the rich and famous. . Acapulco - better the first time   Hitching A Ride To A Surf Beach Total Azul

The last day in Zihuatenejo we attended a south-bound cruiser's meeting in a beach restaurant owned by a man who had worked for Jacques Cousteau. Free beer and great food...fresh dorado tacos, chicken, buckets of guacamole...excellent. We need to plan our route more specifically now as there are fewer spots to stop and some weather hazards ahead. This meeting introduced us to many people with good experience.  Our next stop will be a Puerto Escondido. a legendary surf spot, then Huatulco just before crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Many cruisers go only as far as Huatulco and turn back...fearing Tehuantepec. This is the narrowest part of Mexico and very flat all the way across to the Caribbean. Winds originating in the Caribbean blow across the land and blast the Gulf of Tehuantepec with high winds and steep waves for hundreds of miles offshore. While the rest of Pacific Mexico is in a very calm season now, Tehuantepec is in it's prime nasty. Two theories of crossing exist: hug the coast and hope to minimize it, or go far offshore and try to avoid it altogether. We've heard equal advice, but we plan to hug the shore. Special weather stations and broadcasts set up by the US exist to inform those considering a crossing. We'll just wait in Huatulco for a good weather window, tie everything down... and go for it. Preferably joined by a few other boats.  Once across, there is not much Mexico left...The Gulf of Tehuantepec is the price of passage into Guatemalan waters. Can't wait. But we'll actually sail past Guatemala without stopping and anchor in El Salvador. Guatemala offers few anchorages and they are reputed to be expensive and less than secure. We want to leave the boat for a week or so and go exploring inland....Guatemalan highlands, Mayan ruins....Tikal especially. A marina in El Salvador supposedly has a secure spot to leave the boat. Then we'll cross back into Guatemala by land for the jungle wandering. We should be in El Salvador before the end of the month.    12-13 Feb 06  Acapulco - better the first time.  Exactly 20 years ago next month, I arrived in Acapulco the first time. With a college friend, I took an extended Spring Break and drove my little Mazda RX-7 all the way from central Illinois. Over two thousand miles one way. We'd told our parents we were headed to Texas...and we DID technically go to Texas....we just kept going. We wanted to see the pyramids near Mexico City and other archeological wanderings, then find a beach. While our classmates crammed into overpriced Florida hotel rooms and spent their days seeking wet t-shirt contests, we exposed ourselves to the Mexican countryside and culture. The trip taught us some useful survival techniques such as sleeping in a 2-seat sports car, food and water choices, basic security, bribing police, and how to avoid numerous opportunities for road accidents. The following year, I seemed to forget that last skill and crashed a Honda Prelude near La Paz...but that's another story. This time I arrived in Acapulco by boat at mid-morning. Shortly after sunrise, I hear a call from above decks and step up to see the largest pod of dolphins yet. Heading toward us off the port bow and constantly leaping. The water boiled with them for a hundred yards long and fifty wide... At any one time, at least 25-30 were fully out of the water in a graceful leap...with some spinning around before crashing back. Why were they so excited? They sped past us and into the distance. One day later, I am ready to leave Acapulco. We just spent a week in Zihuatenejo, so I'm more interested in small isolated villages, sailing, and Mayan ruins. Acapulco is a huge teeming resort town with glitzy hotel towers, avenues clogged with buses and VW beetle taxis, neon lit American fast food restaurants, and the usual desperate fringe population that feeds off the edges. We anchored near the old Spanish fort and did a walking tour of it, the main square, and the famous cliff divers. That's it, ready to go. In major towns like this, we can't swim off the boat as the water is filthy...we even use our fresh water supplies to wash dishes. We waited an hour in the beating sun to get fuel, only to be told we had to report to some office and get papers or receipts...or something. Just for fuel. I wandered up to the office, sweaty and annoyed, and put in my best confusion effort....which means politely asking questions, seeming eager to comply, and finally walking away as if i'm totally clear on the matter. then I told the workers at the dock that the 'heffe' (boss) will be over in 20 minutes with the paperwork. less than 10 minutes later, we waved 'adios', full of fuel, and went to anchor. no harm done. now get me outta here. 13 Feb 06  Good Gear... ...always going thru my stuff...what do I need?  really need...what can i get rid of?  Took back many things on trip to the US last month.  Brought back mostly boat hardware and books.  My belongings divide roughly between four categories: Clothes, Tools, Gear, and Books.  Less and less clothes...same pairs of shorts..a few t-shirts.  Many days we'll never even put on a shirt...or shoes.  no socks or underwear anymore...or sweaters..or jackets.  sometimes a baseball hat or my Kiwi cowboy hat.  Shoes are a big deal to me.  Flip flops are the norm.  Usually, just leave them in the dinghy or strapped to the kayak.  And, as needed...sport sandals, canvas sneakers, running shoes, light reef shoes, and the coolest:  full-sole water shoes by Teva.  Designed as 'paddle shoes', I can scramble up a cliff, run roads or trails, and wander sharp tidal areas with these shoes.  My invincible shoes...makes you feel like Spiderman just wearing them.  Tools are my department.  In my room, I keep the cordless and other drills, grinders, heat gun, jig saw, sanders, and a full assortment of hand tools for normal and specific tasks.  Files, scrapers, chisels, and even nice Japanese pull saws...in case we have no power..or for careful finishing work.  I brought fiberglass tools, resin, matting, hole saws, heavy-duty adhesives and tape, rivets and gun, soldering irons, a leather punch, and several clear plastic boxes of stainless steel hardware.  I spray the metal tools with WD-40 to keep moisture off, and wrap the power tools in plastic bags with silicon water absorbers.  So far so good.  Gear is the most interesting category.  Too much to list...from kayaks and climbing equipment to LED headlamps and GPS units.... and computer and camera accessories.   But the latest is the machete I bought in Zihuatenejo.  Gotta have one!  For cutting open coconuts...hacking thru brush...waving at pirates..or mutiny.  Then I bought a scrap of leather and made a case for it...much cooler than the fancy ones in the market.  Soaked it, pressed it, stitched it,...with a shoulder strap from a climbing rope.  Taped to my wall are two lists to check before i go ashore.  Primary:  money, key, sunglasses, shoes, sunscreen.  Secondary: camera, water, radio, light, ....and now MACHETE!  cool.

BOAT LIFE - cooking and food. FEB 2006 

When I visited Bobby the first time in 1993, his fridge held little more than a huge container of French's yellow mustard and some Budweiser. Since I'd be staying there a week, I did the dishes and introduced coffee to the house. How little has changed since. 

Back in December 2005, when we left San Diego, we started off taking turns cooking. Bob suggested that the cook should also do the dishes...to discourage making too big a mess. That's great if your idea of cooking is mustard laced sandwiches, instant noodles, or sugar frosted flakes. Bob even bought a pressure cooker thinking it would be faster to just dump all the ingredients inside and blast them into something edible....using just one pot. In my opinion, the thing melts vegetables and doesn't allow time for spices or juices to work into meats. Might as well grind everything in a blender...then microwave it. So far, he's made about three meals that he's called 'goulash'. 

Ryan will probably be a good cook someday, he has patience and attention to detail, but now he avoids cooking by simply eating sweet breakfast cereal or plain tortillas...then, of course, he's not really hungry enough to cook. However, if someone else cooks, he's interested to eat. I keep a secret stash of cereal in my room, and maybe soon tortillas.

I like to cook because I like to eat. Nothing fancy, but playing with ingredients and trying to recreate things I've eaten elsewhere is fun. Travel makes you a better cook as you discover new foods, and because you miss certain foods from home which you try and make with local ingredients. I like to talk with the women who run the fresh produce markets...asking questions about weird things I've never seen and how to cook them. So many peppers and chiles...green, yellow, red, purple.

Because I can usually whip up a variety of meals with a minimum of effort and resources, I've become the de facto cook. What's so difficult about dicing a few veggies and scrambling them with eggs, cheese, thyme, pepper, garlic? Then rolling it into warm tortillas with a piece of fruit on the side...nada. But even if I left the ingredients on the counter, they'd reach past it to the cereal. Sometimes, I wait until they've gorged themselves on frosted sugar pops...then I make a couple quick seared fish tacos with sliced avocados and tomatoes...and watch their faces drop. 

Living in Italy left me with a decent grasp of pasta sauces, so I often go that route and add local peppers and chiles. Quick and filling. Currently, I'm into baked pasta dishes with layers of low fat fresh local cheese, veggies, and meat. The other day, with almost no food on the boat, I made a pasta sauce that brought good crew reviews....with only half an onion, two cans of V8, a handful of antique ground beef, and spices. Tonight was one of the better: a Thai-inspired beef dish with a peanut ginger coconut milk sauce...with zucchini, onions, peppers...over butterfly pasta. Followed by sweet chilled coconut rice for desert. 

This morning, I saw freshly caught swordfish on the beach and followed as a man dragged one to a rough wooden table. The Mexicans normally cut everything, beef or fish, into thin slices for frying...but if you go early, you can buy big fat chunks of fish before they slice them. Swordfish, dorado, snapper, and many smaller varieties I don't recognize. I bought a kilo (2.2 lbs) of fresh swordfish for five US dollars. I did the same thing two days ago in Puerto Escondido and simply seared it with garlic and onions...slightly pink inside...delicious...with curry rice and Mexican beer. 

I think Mexico invented corn, no? Then why can't I find decent polenta? Maybe, like excellent coffee which also grows here, the Italians do it best. 

THE DAY: wake early on boat, make coffee and pack a light backpack: tent, sleeping bag, camera, binoculars, shirt, shoes and flops, bit of rope, machete, compass, head lamp, first aid kit, 2 water bottles...hike up to bus at 10am.......50 minutes by bus to Rio Grande....20 by taxi to Zapatolita on the east shore of a large lagoon...the Chacahua Lagoon...then...hop in a small speed boat across lagoon and thru mangrove tunnels....zoom out to two islands full of large white birds...watch pink flamingo-like birds with flat 'spoon' beaks landing...drop off at rickety dock and beginning of a rough road...ride bumpy 16km on a wood bench tied to the bed of a pickup...long winding dirt road....arrive at fishing village of Chacahua...5 more minutes across river mouth to beach on far side...then hike all day on sand...find cool things washed up on sand...observe strange plants...pull sharp plants from soles of feet...walk past hundreds of craters left by sea turtle hatchlings...egg shells litter sand...tracks from mother turtles disappear into the waves....desolate mexican beach....get thirsty...cross to lagoon 1km away...climb palms and hack open 4 coconuts with machete...pour liquid all over self....drink some...eat some....get lost in palm and cactus shrubs going back to beach...see some kind of weird big cat with baby....but no crocodiles this time....use compass and listen for crashing waves to find way...pitch tent on beach....make fire...eat fruit...gaze at stars before falling asleep...wake up at 2am to search for turtles...find none, but run around chasing chubby crabs on wet sand...wake at sunrise...hike back to lagoon and help some kid search for iguanas...find none big enough to eat...more coconuts...ride home in back of truck...wind and sun in face....sleep 12 hours back on boat. 

02-24 
Mexican Navy surprise! 

Motoring a couple hours past dark....we decided to stop at Puerto Angelita...instead of arriving at our original destination at 2am. We're headed to the Bays of Huatulco. Roughly fifteen miles of rugged coast and small bays located 70 miles south of Puerto Escondido. And the last stop before the challenging crossing of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Puerto Angelito sounded convenient as we could get a decent night's sleep at anchor, check out another town, then arrive in the first of Huatulco's bays in daylight. Not a fun place to negotiate at night...few lights and many rocks.

Suddenly, out of the black of the moonless night, a large unlit vessel crossed our path...very close off the bow... and blasted us with a search light. Our VHF radio crackled with an announcement by the Mexican Navy....in garbled Spanish, then English. They made a wide circle around us as we tried to communicate, but our radio may have been overwhelmed by too much power at close range.

The Navy boat pulled alongside....probably 50 feet long, sleek, and grey. This is a significant drug smuggling region and we expected to be boarded and searched. We were ready for it...make tea, maybe put the bible out in view, get the necessary documents ready. Finally, we managed to communicate...no search...they just wanted us to know they were out there...and if we needed anything to call them. Sure, guys...muchas gracias. The boat sped forward, again cutting close across our bow and giving us their wake waves...then zoomed back into the night ....totally black. 

... amazing what a uniform, a gun, or a speed boat can do to the sense of self-importance and attitude of small Latin men...when in doubt, go macho! 

02-26 
Morning Paddle - coffee, chasing whales. 

FULL DAY...went to bed at 2:30am after writing and reading...woke up at 7:30am...filled a thermos with coffee and paddled off to take photos and play around rocks. We're in an empty little bay at the beginning of a string of bays that make up Las Bahias de Huatulco. Seems like another kayak playground with clusters of offshore rocks, crashing waves, and tight passages to dare to shoot thru....carefully time the swells...only fall out three times with minor scrapes....good shoes save the day...land on an empty beach...follow animal footprints...and hundreds of large hermit crabs clattering over rocks...return to take nap on fine white sand....slightly sunburn stomach. Later, while paddling back, spot a whale breaching about a mile away...paddle hard to intercept...bob around in small waves nervously knowing a huge beast may surface anywhere near you...watch 8-10 full body breachings and numerous fluke waves from two whales....closest at about 30 yards...fail to time any photos to catch the best moments....paddle one more rocky channel and take a wave in the face....but remain in kayak...then head back to sailboat for late breakfast of seared fresh swordfish tacos...spend rest of day snorkeling coral reefs and napping. 

02-26 
Turtle Poachers.... 

Beautiful little anchorage. One of our best...dramatic rock clusters offshore with colonies of frigate birds and boobies swarming about...idyllic little beach deep into the cove...coral reefs here and there...sandy bottom anchorage. But difficult to identify from our charts, even at close range. We had multiple GPS units confirming our location and big binoculars searching for specific landmarks, but we didn't see it until we were almost on top of it.

With less than two hours of sunlight left, we all jumped into some activity to explore the area. Ryan and I dropped the kayaks in and headed off to explore the offshore rocks, while Bob and Megan swam to the beach. From the seat of a kayak, I could see colorful reef fish and cream colored coral heads below...should be good snorkeling tomorrow. We managed a few 'gauntlet' runs thru narrow rock passes... riding on the wave surges...nicely scratching my kayaks. I fell out once but stayed off the rocks. The goal is to be the first one to navigate a new run...then you get to name it. I launched myself into one we later called the 'washing machine'...twice i made it thru just before a big wave sucked out the water revealing walls of barnacles and urchins...then crashed in with a foaming white surge...shooting me out the other side. Afterwards, we circled the bird colony and headed for a small beach. 

Only about 200 yards wide, the beach was strewn with tons of small coral pieces. Hundreds of sizable hermit crabs wandered about, snapping into their shells as we got near. Looking around, we found them wandering into the bushes and high up on dry rocks, making tiny rustling sounds as they walked over leaves or dragged their shells across the stone. A single cluster of about 200-300 scattered from the carcass of a small fish when we approached. 

12:45am...up late writing...everyone else asleep...walk on deck to stretch my back and look at the stars. In the water around the boat I see flashes of light... phosphorescent algae...twinkling like stars. Fish below the boat dart about leaving lighted trails like muted sparklers...amazing. I watched for a few minutes until I heard the sound of a boat motor approaching. Weird so late...and running with no lights....hmmm. Getting closer...are they coming for us? Officials?...probably not. Thieves?...hope not.           I watched the small boat's bow waves and wake glow from the phosphorescence and trace its path about 20 yards off our port side. They zoom past us and up to the beach, avoiding the rocks and wide reef...as if they'd maybe done this before. Turtle poachers. I can see their lights sweeping the beach. This explains the two large shells from recently killed turtles we found earlier...and the digging we saw. They probably check this beach and others regularly for turtles and eggs. I hate that...what can I do?...at this moment? I think about sneaking up on the beach by kayak and scaring the hell out of them...but the possibility of the situation going badly out weighs my anger to act. Besides, I'd just be slightly postponing what will eventually happen again soon...on every beach along the coast. damn.

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