BOATBUMMS LOG: HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Cindy called me on the 23^thof December, she needed to bring Christmas presents to her employee Santo’s kids and ask me if I would go with her as Reed wasn’t feeling well. Would I, but of course! She came to pick me up and when I saw my ride, her quad runner with a huge red Santa Bag strapped on the back I was rolling on the floor. She put a Santa hat on my head and we both put our sunglasses on and off we went on the tropical Santa sleigh. We looked funny. Driving out the gate and towards the village we both laughed our asses off. Going around the first corner in the village the women in that house came running out with cooking ladles in their hands, pointing at us and screaming their lungs off in laughter. The whole village was coming out of their doors or popping their heads out the windows grinning at us. Santos was sitting in front of his house with his family. The kids were absolutely jazzed to see Aunty Cindy pull up and their eyes widened when she pulled that big red Santa bag off the bike. While she was handing out the presents every kid in the neighborhood came to see what was happening and of course everybody wanted a present as well. Cindy felt bad so we headed to the little tienda to buy some candy for the kids but unfortunately that was closed. This was really fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the Santa sleigh ride to the village.

It was going to be a very quite Christmas, nobody made plans for a potluck, which usually was held at Binnie’s. I didn’t mind a bit as I like Christmas more quite anyway. I thought to invite Deb and Reg and Pete and Renee. Deb and Reg already had dinner plans with Margo and Herb who were staying at one of Binnie’s apartments but they said they would to stop by for cocktail. Right after Deb and I had planned this I ran into Margo who also wanted to do cocktails with us and while talking to her Cindy called to say she had presents to deliver to everybody here at Summerplace so the cocktails for 6 turned into a fun Christmas Eve hors’doeufre party for everybody living in the Summer Place compound. The champagne was flowing, presents were exchange and everybody had a wonderful time.

Reg, Pete and Herb

Renee, Cindy and Margo

Binnie, Sid and Debbie

After everybody had left for their dinner, Pete and Renee sat down with us for a a Swiss Christmas Meal. It was a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Gschnetzlets, Spätzli, traditional dehydrated green beans, Bechamel baked vegetables and US Tipsy Sweet Potatoes

Gschnetzlets, green beans

Baked veggies and tipsy Sweet Potatoes

On Christmas day we were invited at Pat and Jesse’s. We feel very special that we had been included into their family Christmas as Eric is in the Military and does not get to spend much time at home. As always Pat went all out with her gourmet skills. The huge turkey was juicy, tender and tasty, the gravy out of this world and her pumpkin pie the best ever. It was a wonderful and relaxed Christmas. That night we spent in her Chocolate house. We were barley out on the patio with our morning coffee when several toucans flew into the near tree and foraged for food. This is such a beautiful and tranquil place.

a litte taste of moonshine

Eric, Sid and Jesse

Eric carving the Turkey

For New Years Jim and Heather invited everybody to their property for a BBQ. They had 4 families with kids, a total of 16 people visiting for 10 days. It was a fun party and as the sun set behind the hill and darkness took over the stars fell from the sky and twinkled on the lawn. The lightning bugs here are just amazing. They are quite a bit smaller than the ones in the States but they sparkle just as bright. At midnight Jim lit a bonfire where we toasted in the New Year with a few bottles of bubbly and some fireworks. It was a fun, fun night.

Drive up to Jim and Heather's

Kids are amazing they sleep just about anywhere

We received an email from Phill and Nell(Moon Dancer) that they were underway from Aruba to Sherlter Bay Marina in Panama and Nell had a few questions. They needed their main repaired and wanted to know if there was anyone in Pamama to do the job, if not they would stop in Cartagena. I had no idea there was a sail repair guy right in this bay. I let her know and 6 days later Moon Dancer pulled into the anchorage and Roman the sail repair guy had the sail an hour later. That was too easy. Phill and Nell had only a short window to spend here in Puerto Lindo, as they were underway to Shelter Bay and from there heading to the States for a couple of weeks. We had a few fun days with them and their crew and she even found someone to redo their upholstery on the boat. Can’t wait to see them again when they are back from the States.

Nell looooves Dooger

My little buddy

Beer Butt Chicken

Langostinos

Mike and Jason

Nell and Phil

Bill and Sarah arranged another fun game day:

Lisa and Silvy

Sid and Bill at Horse Shoe

Nice Ringer Sid!!

Bocca Ball

On our drive home from the party we saw Dooger's brother slowly crawling across the road. Denny our driver slammed the breaks, Sid dashed out of the car and ran back to where the sloth was and brought him to safety. Good timing as 4 speeding cars came around the corner and would have made minced meat out of the critter. By the way it was a male just a little bigger than Dooger.

The Domino Divas celebrated another Birthday. It was Katrin's turn and she was so surprised that we would have a party for her:

Pat's beautiful Cake

Katrin showing off her presents

The Christmas Winds are in full blow, we waited for a weather window to bring the new hard dodger out to the boat and a few boaters were on standby. Just as we thought we had a break a Gale started off the coast of Cartagena, bringing yet more wind and waves rolling into the anchorage and keeping us all waiting again. Then we had a good day but the truck was not here, Cindy offered her’s but oops it was broken, so we waited once more.

We finally did have a perfect day and within an hour everybody was ashore helping us getting the dodger out to Paradise. It was an exciting moment. The funniest was Jack and Leo holding the dodge which was lifted up on the truck and walking behind the truck, behind him Stephany, Denny and I followed with Sid driving out the gate, down the road and to the beach. It looked like a funeral.

If this does not like a funeral?!!!

There Reg, Owen, Pete and Renee were waiting. We loaded the dodger on top of Reg’s dinghy which looked like it was built for, it fit perfectly. Reg and Denny sat under the dodger to keep it in place, Sid towed them, Renee and Pete headed out to the boat and Owen drove me out.

Owen

Reg and Denny

Renee and Pete

Sid had rigged a crane with the spinnaker- and whisker pool and with the help from everybody the dodger was smoothly brought into place on the boat. Yeah finally!!!

Sid's setup

Everybody noticed that the once so huge looking dodger up at Binnie’s shed looked pretty small now on the boat. It looks great and adds class to the boat. Sid did an incredible job. While the dodger was on Reg’s dinghy I told Sid that I wanted one like this for our dinghy. I don’t think so was his responds. There was a lot more to the dodger than Sid had thought, so don’t think we’ll ever have a hard Bimini LOL.

It was time to start my sewing project the windows, an intimidating job. It took us several trips back and forth for the two side pieces a day each to sew together. Two pieces done and still 3 to go plus a cover for the deck box.

Sid also took the davits down and we found a stainless steel guy in Colon that lengthened them by 15 inches. This will able us to hoist the dingy higher out of the water plus the new solar panels will be mounted directly onto the davits, eliminating the rack the old solar panels were on. We have a good 2 months left on work before we can move back on the boat.

Here a few daily life photos:

This one is how we open our house door: