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ShipHappens
  • SaltyHairWeDontCare
  • Tomas Polach
  • SaltyHairWeDontCare
  • Tomas Polach

ShipHappens

A 150-day adventure by SaltyHairWeDontCare & Tomas Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 2, 2023
  • ShipHappens

    Tobago

    November 4, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    After 2 days, we finally reached Tobago, where we will stay for 2 nights in a guesthouse before moving to our boat Zenia. 🤩

  • ShipHappens

    Getting Zenia ready

    November 4, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Our first night in our new home was magical. 🥰 Then, our first dip in the cool waters. A dream come true! Unfortunately, we're facing an issue with the power supply as the batteries are no longer charging properly. We'll try to get new ones in Martinique.Read more

  • ShipHappens

    Almost ready to go

    November 7, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Yesterday, we spent half a day at the immigration and customs office for clearance out. Here in Tobago, everything takes a little longer...

    Today, we wanted to set sail for Carriacou, which is a 15-hour sailing journey. But our plan did not work out. We had to fix some things on the boat.
    The radio isn't working properly, and we're still experiencing issues with the power supply. Our bilge pump is not working, and there is some oil in the water. In Martinique, we will try to repair the pump and investigate the source of the oil.    Read more

  • ShipHappens

    Carriacou

    November 8, 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Our overnight sail to Carriacou was nothing short of an adventure. The wind proved to be quite capricious, and initially, the autopilot was off the table due to a challenging power supply. Tomas, however, managed to resolve the issue. We arrived in Carriacou feeling rather exhausted. The island offered us the opportunity to restock our supplies and refuel.

    We stumbled upon a community of retired English folks here. For lunch, we were treated to an English-Indian curry that was nothing short of sensational. Mmmmh, it was delightful!    Read more

  • ShipHappens
    2

    Carriacou - Sandy Island

    November 10, 2023 in Grenada ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Anchored here for two nights, we're savoring the turquoise blue waters and the pristine white dream beach. Tomas utilized the time to mend a few things onboard. Today, the winds are quite strong—overnight, we experienced gusts exceeding 35 knots. It was quite a rocking night, but fortunately, the anchor held up well.Read more

  • ShipHappens

    Smooth Sailing Finally

    November 14, 2023 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    After a few days of strong winds and rough seas, today was a bit calmer with gusts maxing out at 25 knots. 😎 We were too exhausted to sail directly to Martinique, so we made an overnight stop in St. Lucia. Travis hooked us up with chicken, fish, and fries – a stroke of luck! 🍀Read more

  • ShipHappens

    Easy peasy, weekend in St Anne

    Nov 18–20, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    what's better then a Shakshuka in the morning? TWO shakshuka 🙌 - we had to give the first one to the fish, because the eggs where fishy...

    we anchored our adventures in the quiet village of St. Anne, a hidden gem in Martinique's Le Marin region. anchoring with batteries is sooo much nicer than handling the chain manually 😁 next week we will get to the marina, to do some last outstanding work on standing rigging 🤞Read more

  • ShipHappens

    More Work🙈

    November 23, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The Misadventures of Boat Repairs

    Didier, our savior electrician, greeted us with, "And you thought you'd spend your time sailing in the Caribbean 😂." Finding skilled craftsmen here is a challenge, especially if French isn't your forte, plus spare parts cost a fortune. Yet, with a new alternator, fresh batteries, and a rigging check, our boat's almost brand new. Tomas switched all lights to LED, I tackled cleaning – now, fingers crossed, we'll be carefree setting sail north on Tuesday. 💪😎Read more

  • ShipHappens

    rigging fixed 🙌

    November 29, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    we got all of out standing rigging checked, fixed and tuned 🛠️

    "standing rigging" = anything holding the mast & lifewires. "running rigging" = anything holding the sails

    standing rigging is crucial for security: any failure could result in demastation - a horror scenario for all sailors 😱 we better made sure it's all up to date and "ready for crossing the atlantic"Read more

  • ShipHappens
    31

    Waiting

    December 5, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Ahoy there! Today's adventure unfolds as we twiddle our thumbs, awaiting tomorrow's mechanic magic on our saildrive. While logic suggests hauling the boat out, the marina's dry dock dance card is fully booked until next week. Fear not, for a submerged superhero—a.k.a. a diver with an air bell—will perform the aquatic repair ballet. The suspense is real; how exactly does this underwater wizardry unfold?

    Meanwhile, in the realm of sweet idleness, I revel in the art of doing nothing. As for Tomas, well, duty calls, and work beckons. Stay tuned as we navigate the delicate balance between boat bother and blissful repose. Cheers to the unpredictable tides of travel! 🌊    Read more

  • ShipHappens
    2

    Work Ethic in Martinique…

    December 7, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    The mechanic didn't show up yesterday and was unreachable. In the evening, he finally got in touch, promising to come tomorrow. We're getting used to it and decided to make the most of the day 😁."

  • ShipHappens

    Autopilot MacGyvering

    December 9, 2023 in Martinique ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    Christophe, our diver, finally arrived to fix the saildrive. Using an air chamber, he tackled everything underwater, replacing seals and changing the oil. Unfortunately, he discovered minor material damage to the drive shaft, possibly the cause of the issue. We'll see how long until water seeps in again...

    Heading towards Dominica, we realized something was amiss with the autopilot. Anchoring off the north of Martinique for the night, Tomas found a broken screw in the autopilot. No problem, shoelaces served the same purpose... 😎    Read more

  • ShipHappens

    Zenia's Turbo Sail

    December 10, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    The next morning, we sailed on to Dominica, and guess what? The autopilot decided to cooperate! According to Navionics, the journey should've taken 7 hours, but we breezed through it in 5 1/2 hours. 😁💪 Oh, and Zenia hit a whopping 10.6 knots! Finally, back to the joy of sailing!Read more

  • ShipHappens

    Bubble Bliss

    December 11, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Today was finally a day without boat repairs and cleaning. We were picked up by Seacat at 2, who first took us to the customs office for clearance. Then, he drove us to our snorkeling destination, Champagne Bay, named for the visible underwater volcanic activity. The water was bubbling! Additionally, there's a stunning reef there. To warm up after the long snorkeling adventure, we headed to Soufrière Bay, where I lay in the warm, volcanically heated, bubbling sea. 🥰Read more

  • ShipHappens

    RainRainforestRain

    December 12, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Today, we giggled our way through the rainforest en route to Trafalgar Falls. The nature around here is truly mystical!

    Later, we splashed around joyfully in Titou Gorge. Racing against the rain, we had to hurry as the water levels were on the rise. To warm up, we treated ourselves to a round of rum punch.Read more

  • ShipHappens

    Indian River

    December 13, 2023 in Dominica ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Today, we sailed from Roseau to Portsmouth in the north of Dominica. Our adventure included a boat tour along the Indian River, where Calypso's hut from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest stands.

    In the evening, we joined a barbecue and connected with a vibrant sailing community. Their tales were full of excitement. Interestingly, we opted for poulet instead of fish today, as the fishermen wisely avoided the sea with 28-knot winds – unlike us! 😂🙈    Read more

  • ShipHappens

    At Last, Holiday Vibes

    December 15, 2023 in Guadeloupe ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Sailing from Dominica to Guadeloupe: Tomas worked on the computer below deck while I navigated. That went quite well.
    The next day we enjoyed a leisurely day in Terre-de-Haut. We went snorkeling in the bay of Plage de l'Anse, observing various fish in the crystal-clear water. Afterward, we took the dinghy to stroll and shop in the charming town. We were told the BVI is quite expensive, so we stocked up on supplies here. Storing our purchases in the dinghy, we treated ourselves to delicious fish for dinner. Luckily, Tomas had bought a powerful new headlamp, which proved invaluable as we navigated home in complete darkness.Read more

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