Tsunami, Sashimi, and Sea-towing

We are in the paradise of the Galapagos on the island of Santa Cruz. Words can't describe what a glorious place this is for a naturalist. I can post pictures, once I get a decent internet connection. All I can say that this is a place one should put on his/her bucket list of places to visit. We stood where Darwin made landfall and changed the nature of our scientific understandings of the marvelous animals with which we share this world. The Galapagos isles are, for the most part, harsh in their landscape, yet beautiful with the mysteries they hold.

Much has happened since my last blog, so I will update you all while keeping it short and sweet and not putting you to sleep.

First, we are all happy to say that the Captain is on the mend from his unfortunate mishap in La Libertad and wearing his arm brace religiously which is pretty amazing given it keeps him out of the water and from swimming with the sharks (much larger than us), sea lions, penguins, marine iguanas and the myriad other beasties that abound here. He has, however, shown himself to be quite the spotter of the gigantic, yet elusive, Galapagos tortoises. With a little more exercise, he will be a s fast as them, too. His injury has unfortunately not allowed him to partake in some of the activities we have experienced in this archipelago of some many marvels. He understands any compounding of his injury would affect the trip for us all so he is being a good patient which is pretty amazing since we all know how physicians tend to be lacking in this quality. His injury, though giving him pain, has not tarnished his ability to Captain a vessel nor keep to the primary code of the sea: help a vessel in distress. While en route from La Libertad, Ecuador to the Galapagos archipelago he ordered all of his scalawags to remain in visual contact and hourly communication with another World Arc vessel, "Dreamcatcher" whose motor had failed. Winds were virtually non-existent putting the crew of that vessel in a very compromised position. As we neared our primary destination in the Galapagos, the current started pushing "Dreamcatcher" toward the island of San Cristobal. Our Captain gave orders to alter our course and to intercept her and we towed her safely into port in the dark of night. It was a very rewarding experience. After a 20 mile tow at 4 knots, the good crew of that boat invited us aboard to celebrate with drinks. The celebration of getting them safely to port was not long-lived. It was with sadness when we heard days later that after "Dreamcatcher" had moved to Puerto Ayora to repair the engine that she was directly affected by the rage of the tsunami caused by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Chile. Water levels dropped and rose 10 meters [editors note: he must intend to say 10 feet here, not meters] in about ten minutes time in our present port of Puerto Ayora, breaking her anchor free, turning her 720 degrees instantaneously resulting in her striking another boat. The estimated combined damage to both boats is no less than 30,000 dollars and may be as high as 100,000 dollars. As sailors know, problems tend to compound each other. Our heartfelt sympathies to these good people for the tremendously bad luck they have experienced in the last weeks and their ability to ruck up and smile among it all.

On a happier note, we landed a nice 30 lb. yellow fin tuna and ate fatty sashimi, until our hearts were content. We would have caught another but a shark beat us to the dinner table and cut through 400 lb. mono filament line. That's no easy feat and though, we didn't see the glorious thief, cutting through 400 lb mono fishing line is remarkable, unless of course you are one big, bruiser of a shark..."Quint, I think we're going to need a bigger boat." [editors note: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkl3eXAHTRM]

Mom will be flying back to Vero in a couple days and will be sorely missed. She has proved herself to be quite the birder here and loves those crazy blue-footed booby's. How couldn't you? Of all the crew, I think she's the one with the brains by avoiding this next leg. On Saturday, we begin the big push for the Marquesas, a sail which should last no less than three weeks without the sight of land. This will be a crucible as I find landfall to be a rather nice thing after a six day sail. Three weeks at sea. Three weeks at sea. I hope our fishing lines remain taught because trying to have an intelligent conversation with the terns and gulls that land on our mast while at sea has become a futile operation. What worries me about this next leg is that they may actually start talking back. As always, love and miss you all.

"Brown-Eyed Girl" out... Jared