An American in America

Guest entry by Alissa Anne Czasonis.

Alissa by the William E. Gordon telescope, Arecibo. 

I have recently returned to New York City ripe from an overdose of sunshine, swimming, Medella Light, and the Norwegian language.

Back in the autumn of 2013 my good friend Sebastian shared that he was potentially planning to join a sailing voyage across the Atlantic. Little did I know then that a few months later I would be taking a week off work to fly down to Puerto Rico to hop on board for a visit with him and his friends for a taste of the Caribbean life.

Arriving after a short 4-hr flight and a customs-free airport experience (US territories have their perks) the boys picked me up in a rental car after having spent the afternoon exploring Old San Juan. We drove east to the seaside town of Fajardo, hopped aboard the dinghy (the first of my many “firsts” of the week) and headed for CoCo. We enjoyed a taco dinner in the 29C degree air with Bon Iver playing in the background; how could I have any complaints?

Alissa at the helm.

As an earlier blog post describes, the next morning we drove to Arecibo in the rural highlands of the island to see the Observatory, but not before stopping by Martin’s BBQ for a, shall we say, surprising PR-style take on BBQ. The next two days were spent adjusting to waking up leisurely (with no alarm clock!), taking a morning dip in the ocean and laying in the afternoon sun trying to avoid a sunburn. It also involved a lot of my pointing to some feature on the boat and asking “What’s this for?” This was my first time on a sailing yacht, after all.

Halfway through the week two more visitors joined us which brought the total on board to six. with Karl and Fredrik. Outnumbered 5 to 1, my new hobby was learning how to correctly pronounce “Snakk Engelsk!”

On the way to the beach. From left: Alissa, Peter, Henrik, Fredrik, Karl, Sebastian.

Early Sunday afternoon we set sail for Culebra, a smaller island about a 4-hr ride east of Fajardo. I experienced two more firsts: real sailing and steering a boat, which lasted for all of 20 seconds before I gave up after unintentionally almost tacking (according to Sebastian’s account). The next day after wandered through the canal-dissected little town to find ice and beer before heading to Flamenco Beach which ranks on the lists of world’s top beaches. While the boys spent much of the afternoon “body surfing” I mostly just watched on and laughed. We closed off the afternoon with some volleyball but not before exploring the graffitied tanks left ashore by the US Navy when they used the island for bombing practice between the ‘40s-‘60s.

Flamenco Beach. From left: Henrik, Alissa, Peter.

My last full day on CoCo, we anchored up the west side of Culebra and swam and snorkeled for a few leisurely hours at a rather remote part of the island before enjoying a smooth ride back west to the main island. Returning to Fajardo in time to make my flight out from Ponce proved quite a fiasco. It turns out one cannot order a nearly 1.75hr taxi ride for a 2am pickup to Mercedita Airport. After a few frustrating hours and Henrik and Peter’s googling help, I booked a new flight to depart from San Juan the following afternoon and the boys were kind enough to drive me the airport in a rental car the following afternoon.

Overall I had a tremendous experience aboard S/Y CoCo and am incredibly grateful for its generous and welcoming crew. Henrik, Peter and Sebastian, I wish you guys all the best on your return journey across the ocean in the upcoming weeks.

Thank you!

We Are Tourists Now

The last couple of days CoCo has been anchored outside the city of Fajardo on the north east corner of Puerto Rico. Because Puerto Rico is almost rectangular it is OK to say that the island has a corner. Fajardo is an important centre for yachting, sheltered from high seas by reefs and atolls, with the virgin islands close-by.

Alissa Czasonis, a girl from New England of polish decent, joined the rest of the crew on our second day here for a week in the Caribbean. Hopefully the main crew will be able to provide a nice vacation before she has to return to her fast-paced job in finance on Manhattan.

Alissa and Peter in the dinghy outside Fajardo.

Before picking Alissa up at San Juan airport, the guys decided to check out San Juan’s old town. Old San Juan was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de León on a peninsula sticking out in the ocean. The first settlement was originally called Caparra and the city got the name San Juan in 1521 after John the Baptist. The crew of CoCo found the old town to be an idyllic and colourful neighbourhood, full of small shops and cafes. The neighbourhood is one of the top attractions for tourists in Puerto Rico. In fact there were no less than three cruise ships docked on the peninsula while we were there.

The peninsula forms part of a natural harbour, which makes this location ideal for a large port and a prosperous city. The old town itself is surrounded by a wall more than three metres thick and additional protection is provided by two forts; Fort San Felipe del Morro to the west and Castillo de San Cristobal to the east.

Typical Old San Juan street.

Peter outside the oldest Starbucks in the new world (?).

Living the bench life in the old town.

Castillo de San Cristobal.

The following day we took our rental car for a drive westwards to Arecibo. Up in the hills 30 mins away from the city an awe-inspiring sight awaited – The Arecibo Observatory. The main attraction of the observatory is the William E. Gordon Telescope, named for the observatory’s founder. The Telescope does not look like what most people would consider a telescope, because it is a radio telescope and therefore looks like a gigantic “dish-style” antenna (I was tempted to write “parabolic antenna” but that would be incorrect, because the dish is actually spherical in shape).

The Arecibo dish is built in a valley and has a diameter of 305 metres. This makes it the largest single-aperture telescope in the world. A platform weighing 900 tons is suspended by wires between three concrete towers over the dish. On this platform there are two receivers: a linear antenna used for atmospheric studies, and a gregorian receiver used for radar- and radio astronomic studies.

The Arecibo Observatory was originally managed by Cornell University, but today it is a joint venture between SRI International (Stanford Research Institute), USRA (Universities Space Research Association) and Universidad Metropolitana. In 1993 Russel Alan Hulse and Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr. won the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of a new type of pulsar star, using the William E. Gordon telescope. A movie lover will recognise the telescope from the motion pictures Goldeneye and Contact.

Arecibo Observatory, aerial view.

The Crew of CoCo with renewed interest in the atmosphere after a visit to the Arecibo Observatory.

Welcome Back to the Caribbean

Sorry for not keeping you updated lately, dear fans. That happens when the Internet is something quite illusive and we are trying our best to hide away from civilisation.

After our rather terrible encounter with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency we felt like we needed to get away from it all for a while. Therefore, in Ponce, we stacked up on a lot of provisions and anchored in what on the map seemed like somewhere that nobody would be. We were right! Among the mangroves on the southern coast of Puerto Rico we found calm water and a seabed that excellently clung to our anchor. Fortune smiled upon us ever so sweetly… We even caught some fish on the way there, which enables us to hide away for two more days than expected.

This anchorage proved an apt opportunity to explore the mangroves. Mangroves are a strange kind of trees or shrubbery that appear to be getting by on saline water. That is very interesting! Saline water usually kills everything… They actually have these long tendrils hanging down from the tops of their foliage which suck the sea water up, cleaning it on the way. On the down side, mangroves tend to leave a lot of plant material in the sea, which makes the water a bit filthy. The crew of S/Y CoCo set out on an expedition to learn more about the mangrove. Regrettably, of the three of us that embarked on this expedition, only three made it back.

Hardcore exploration

The rest of us also wore hats.

After spending some of our most relaxing days at this place, we eventually decided that it was time to head back to a place inhabited by something more than plants. Or perhaps we were running out of beer. I don’t really remember. Whatever the reason, we sooner or later set sail for the island of Vieques. Here we have been able to do some long overdue maintenance, like put new strings on the guitar.

Dinghy dock in Vieques.

Tourists

Victim of a Hurricane?

Esperanza, Vieques.

Captain Peter on a typical Viequan street corner.

Trouble with the US Customs and Border Protection Agency

or how Sebastian celebrated his birthday.

The only picture taken in the last couple of days. Just before all hell broke loose on the way from Casa de Campo. Sebastian at the helm.

Sebastian awoke on his birthday the 10th of March to a lot of yelling in a language that he chose to call “Spanglish” on the VHF (Very High Frequency) radio, after a good three hours of sleep. It was around eight o’clock in the morning and CoCo was off the coast of Puerto en route to the island of Vieques. Approximately two days before, S/Y CoCo had left port in Casa de Campo. Conditions had been rough with waves up to 3 m (10 ft) and wind well above 20 knots. Both wind and waves were coming from the east, in the opposite direction that CoCo was going. Needless to say, sleep had been sparse. The crew had even decided to make an emergency stop in a bay behind a reef to get a few hours of decent sleep.

After a brief mind battle with his fatigue, Sebastian eventually got dressed and climbed the ladder up on deck to find the source of the radio ruckus. A Puerto Rican police boat was bouncing in the waves on CoCo’s starboard side. It was difficult to make out any of the Spanglish, but it was evident that they wanted us to change course towards the shore. The police boat escorted us into a bay that would have been quite lovely if not for a giant concrete pier and a bulk carrier feeding system. We were asked to make fast our vessel to a tug boat which was docked there. Aboard this tug boat were no less than a dozen policemen and other civil officers waiting for us.

The entire crew was detained on the deck of the tug after the officer-in-charge of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), had inspected our passports. We were informed that we did not have visas to visit the United States or its territories and therefore was going to be fined $ 5000. What!? Norwegian citizens does not need visas to visit the US. It appears that there were exceptions to this rule. If you come to the US aboard a private boat, you DO need a visa. Moreover, we were charged with entering US territory illegally the day before (the few hours of decent sleep mentioned above).

How were we going to get out of this one? Peter, the highly esteemed captain of S/Y CoCo, calmly (holding his anger and frustration contained) explained to the chief that he had contacted the US Coast Guard before entering Puerto Rican waters and that he had been referred to an office of the CBP. When we dropped anchor Peter immediately rang up the CBP office to say that they we had arrived. We were informed that we could anchor where we were but we were not allowed to go ashore before clearing in properly. Considering this information, how could we have done anything if not in good faith?

The chief promptly rang up the CBP office in question to confirm our story and we were informed that we had not entered Puerto Rican water illegally, as we had been incorrectly informed. Consequently, the CBP officer that Peter spoke with on the phone the day before was fired immediately. If he was prosecuted or not, we do not know.

Following a thorough questioning of the crew on the deck of the tug, CoCo was inspected. The CBP crew opened up any compartment they could find and made quite a mess of the yacht’s interior. As a final touch, a canine was brought onboard. After a good couple of hours we were informed that the officers did not find anything illegal, and neither did the canine smell anything it shouldn’t smell. Taking our good cooperation and the results of inspection into consideration, the chief chose to show us some mercy by allowing us a once-in-a-lifetime visa waiver for a cost of $ 585 per person. The catch was that we had to proceed to Ponce that same day.

Having no choice, the crew got aboard CoCo again, quickly tidied up the CBD mess and proceeded sailed westwards as fast as CoColy possible (which can be quite fast). We arrived in Ponce around five o’clock in the afternoon and docked on the customs dock. The wind was incredibly strong and the swell in the harbour was like nothing we had ever experienced before. The chief and one of his subordinates was waiting for us on the dock and we were informed that we had to do the process the next morning at ten o’clock instead because the office was not willing to pay the officers overtime. Not a minute too soon! Almost at that precise moment our bowline snapped and CoCo was flying uncontrollably around. Peter quickly jumped aboard with Sebastian while Henrik stayed ashore to remove all other tethers. Unscathed, but with Henrik left on the dock, CoCo proceeded further out in the harbour.

Luckily, we came in contact with the skipper of Infinity Beta, another sailing yacht close-by at anchor. He said he was willing to fetch us our stranded deckhand in his dinghy. The rest of the crew aboard CoCo quickly responded in the affirmative with great thanks and praise.

After six tries, the anchor finally found good hold. Peter took the dinghy ashore and returned with take-away! Thusly, Sebastian’s birthday was celebrated in front of the TV with quesadillas and caramel pudding.

The next morning, CoCo proceeded to dock at the nearby yacht club and four hours waited her crew at the local CBD office with further questioning, the taking of fingerprints and forms that needed to be filled out. The result? A $ 585 stamp in our passports.

Putting Wheels on a Sailing Yacht

We have been trying for some time to get CoCo up on dry land to redo the bottom paint. The flora and fauna of the Caribbean Sea is a bit different from what CoCo and her crew is used to back home in Europe. Consequently all kinds of crazy things has been growing on the hull beneath the waterline. A good antifouling paint, or bottom paint, should keep such uninvited guests away, but the language of our European paint is obviously different from the one that the Caribbean sea dwellers speak.

We first checked with IGY Shipyard in Rodney Bay in St. Lucia, but found the estimate for the job a bit on the outrageously expensive side. Additionally, we didn’t have much time before we needed to be at the ABC Islands.

The next option for hauling CoCo proved to be Varadero just outside Oranjestad on Aruba. We had scheduled an appointment with the marina manager, but as we were in approach we ran ashore! CoCo’s draught of 2.8m (9 ft) was too much for this place. The seabed consisted of mud and sand – no permanent harm to our keel.

Finally, we made it to a place where all conditions seemed perfect. CoCo is now on shore in Casa de Campo, IBC Shipyard, and the crew is spending a few days sightseeing in Santo Domingo.

Casa de Campo: a Playground for Wealthy Americans

After two days of some of the roughest sailing yet, northwards across the Caribbean Sea from Aruba to The Dominican Republic, we arrived in Casa de Campo Marina. We first thought we might have taken a wrong turn at some point, because on approach the marina looked more like something you might expect to see on the French Riviera. Upon further investigation, the marina turned out to be part of a much larger complex; in fact one of the largest resorts in the world.

Piazza Portofino, Casa de Campo Marina.

Caso de Campo used to be the site of a sugar mill owned by the Gulf+Western conglomerate, a company perhaps best known for it’s movie studio subsidiary known as Paramount Pictures today. In 1975 Gulf+Western founder and CEO, Charles Bluhdorn a.k.a. The Mad Austrian of Wall Street, developed this 7000 acre (28 sq. km) La Romana lot into the Casa de Campo (country house) resort. Famous golf course architect Pete Dye was hired to design the now well-renowned “Teeth of the Dog” golf course, while famous designer and close friend of Bluhdorn, Oscar de la Renta, did the interior of the first hotel. Today the complex includes more than 1700 private villas, four (!) 18-hole golf courses, a shooting range, several tennis courts, three polo fields and it’s own international airport.

A Casa de Campo villa of average size.

The marina, where S/Y CoCo is currently berthed, has been designed by Italian architects to look like the Italian fishing village of Portofino. The marina has more than 400 berths and around 70 boutiques and eateries. What is more, former Paramount Pictures set designer, Robert Copa, was hired to design a medieval-style village, overlooking the Chavon river on the eastern edge of the resort. Here one can find a large amphitheatre, a school of design, several art studios, restaurants, night clubs and a monastery.

Altos de Chavon, medieval mountain village replica.

One of the most interesting aspects of Casa de Campo, and a testimony to it’s size, is that everyone drives golf carts in order to get around. From the main entrance of the resort to the marina, where I am sitting now and sipping an ice cold Presidente beer while watching the sport fishers arrive with their catch of the day, it is almost 10 km! You could (and we have!) spend a whole day just driving around in a golf cart trying to get your bearings. Along the way you will pass hundreds and hundreds of the largest and most lavish villas imaginable. Luckily, the marina office was nice enough to supply us with a map.

Speeding about in a golf cart, sipping Presidente. We are far from home, but we’re so happy.

Charles Bluhdorn is considered the inventor of tourism in the Domincan Republic. We have yet to see more of the Dominican Republic, but Casa de Campo is a world of itself; a playground for wealthy americans.

Peter brushing up on the affairs of the world after a 60 minute massage at the Casa de Campo Spa centre.

Family Reunion

A guest letter from the Hartmann family.

Norwegians have their “hyttebok”; a kind of hard copy blog for the cabin, where guests describe their stay and express their admiration of the host, the cabin and the surroundings.
For the impatient of you who are only looking for the conclusion: Peter, Sebastian and Henrik are a clever and very nice team, S/Y CoCo is a great and comfortable sailing yacht, and the Caribbean ocean and the Dutch Antilles are beautiful! For those further interested, we have made a more thorough report below.

Our trip to the ABC Islands (minus A) as guest crew aboard S/Y was our first visit to the Caribbean. Ever! We brought with us a long list of expectations gathered from dreamy pictures of this holiday destination (and some brown cheese, of course). Was it possible to meet all the high expectations?
We flew directly to Curaçao with KLM from Amsterdam, ready to spend one week finding out how it really is to live aboard a sailing boat in Caribbean sea. Arriving in the afternoon after a cab ride, we quickly embarked on S/Y CoCo, which was anchored in a bay called Spanish Water. Ten minutes later we jumped into the sea. 28 degree Celsius. Check!

The unnaturally tanned crew served chilled, colourful drinks with rum, and started preparations for a grand dinner. Having read the previous blog entries, we had high expectations, and the crew did not disappoint. In addition to perfectly grilled beef and chicken, we also got fresh tuna caught by another group of Norwegians anchored next to us. Check!

Joyful reunion of mother and son. From left: Henrik, Anne.

The crew was eager to return to Bonaire, so the next day was spent in the capitol of Curaçao, Willemstad, to carry out the paper work with the immigration and custom offices. This also also gave us a chance to do some sightseeing. The city was charming with colourful houses in Dutch style. Check! Many of the locals spoke Dutch, in addition to English, though the local language remains a mystery. We quickly learned how to order the horrendously small bottles of Polar, the local very-easy-to-drink beer. By now we were set for some real sailing.

The passage to Bonaire took seven hours with steady wind. Check! The crew demonstrated a high level of team cooperation. Upon arrival an available buoy was calling – just outside Karel’s bar and restaurant – entertainment with a Caribbean rhythm every night. Here was also the most clearest sea water we had ever seen. Check!

Outside Karel’s. From left: Anne, Carl. S/Y CoCo in the background to the right.

Sebastian and Peter went on two days of diving, while the Hartmann family made their own plans. With rented bikes we travelled swiftly across the flat landscapes containing cacti, flamingos, geckos, and parrots, towards the coolest and relaxing beach and surf club. Almost perfect, unfortunately missing the wind for windsurfing. This was the first day in three years without enough wind for windsurfing on Bonaire, according to local sources.

Andreas upon arrival in Jibe City.

The next day we went on an expedition with the S/Y CoCo tender to Klein Bonaire experiencing beautiful white beaches and amazing snorkelling with colourful fish and corals. Check!
The three days at Bonaire has been filled with much beauty. The slow pace of life and the friendly locals at the island contributed in making the days nice and relaxing. Eventually it was time for another day at sea; sailing in light breeze back to Curaçao and the Spanish Water. On the way there we caught fish, resulting in grilled barracuda for dinner the last evening. Check!!

The CoCo Tender beached on Klein Bonaire. From left: Henrik, Andreas.

In complete honesty, and in order to make our reporting trustworthy we have to mention some of the drawbacks as well: warm nights, a few Mosquitos, sunburns, seasickness, and karaoke (as bad as everywhere else). However, compared to the ups, the lows are negligible.

Anne on Klein Bonaire.

Our dreams and expectations have been fulfilled, and we feel lucky to have been invited to join CoCo for a week. Peter, Sebastian and Henrik have taken care of us and made their outmost to make our stay fantastic. You have succeeded. CHECK!!

VLOG Episode 06: A Land-based Adventure!

A Letter from Our Number One Fan

Guest entry by Elise Møvik.

Ever since the guys left home to go on this trip, I’ve been looking forward to visiting them just after the Atlantic crossing. I landed on St. Lucia the 15th of December, five days after the guys had crossed the finish line and just in time to join the cheering crowd when the crew learned that CoCo won the ARC’s cruising class A.

Peter and Elise on the Beach in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia.

I arrived at Hewanorra International Airport . On my customs sheet I wrote down one thing – caramel cheese from Norway. I found myself to get surprisingly nervous when we had to write down if we were bringing any food in to the country, so I figured I’d just write it down, although it felt a bit weird to think of the eccentric, brown, Norwegian cheese as something to clear through customs.

Dinghy ride ashore.

When I arrived in Marigot Bay a few hours later, I immediately recognised someone that I had been waiting to see for about three months. Peter showed me down to the bay, where CoCo was moored just next to a charming restaurant. This beautiful little bay, with its palm trees and blue waters, astonished me. We went inside the boat where I was greeted by Sebastian and Henrik who was working on a failing water pump. I would later learn that one cannot be anything but incredibly impressed by the skills shown by these three guys, when it comes to fixing whatever problem that presents itself on board. I would also learn that Peter has the coolest friends, and that this crew works well together. Henrik and Sebastian is also two guys that has patience enough to let me learn and join in when we are sailing around, and the two of them plus Peter has taught me a lot about sailing. I can hardly wait until the next sailing vacation! After a nice dinner in Marigot Bay we sailed north to Rodney Bay, where the price-giving ceremony and celebrations would take place. The guys met up with some of the crews they knew from the ARC and I was introduced to some truly wonderful people. The whole night different people came up to the guys, congratulating them and telling them how impressed they were. I couldn’t do anything but smile from ear to ear the whole night, as I was so insanely proud of the CoCo crew. It was really cool to be there.

Elise showed tremendous skill as a deckhand and managed to perform her duties with exceptional grace.

After having spent the first week on St. Lucia, we were looking forward to setting sails towards Bequia, where we would spend Christmas. Taking a morning bath in the warm ocean and sunbathing on the deck didn’t exactly give us the Christmas spirit like were all use to. Nevertheless, I found it very exciting to experience something new, and one couldn’t pick a better place, or greater people to spend this time with away from home. We spent Christmas Eve on a beach with our feet in the sand, and were served delicious food, wine and even GLØGG, as the owner of the restaurant was Swedish. After Christmas, we set sail for towards Tobago Cays. I have never seen such clear water and white sand in my life. Here we snorkelled with turtles, and we also saw a huge stingray and some beautiful fish near the great coral reefs. Additionally, Peter prepared a feast for us in the evening, with fresh lobsters on the grill. I almost had to pinch my arm to realise that I got to have this amazing experience.

The mandatory Wallilabou coffin pose.

After having spent the second week around the Grenadines, we made our way back to St. Lucia to pick up a friend of Sebastian, Hanna, who would be joining us for the next twelve days. After quickly getting to know Hanna – she is one lovely, sociable and outgoing person! – CoCo set its course towards Martinique to celebrate the coming new year. Here we got to see a great fireworks show, we went to a concert in town and had a delightful three course dinner with the crew of Spinnvill at what is most likely the slowest restaurant in town. The spirit on board was as always very high, and after celebrating New Year’s we were ready to see some more of Martinique. For almost two more weeks we sailed around seeing bays like Anse Noire and Grande Anse d’Arlet. Here we snorkelled, drank beer, laughed and simply enjoyed life. As visitors, Hanna and I discussed how we never wanted to leave this paradise, as it is just incredible to be here together with the guys. When the time came for Hanna to leave for home, I realised that I was leaving in a week myself. Never has a vacation gone faster, even if this one actually was five weeks long. This last week included having ice cream in Wallilabou bay, where some of the scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean films were shot. And as a big sucker for these things, I naturally loved this place, and I do believe the guys also enjoyed it. We then went back to Bequia, where we enjoyed sundowners out of holed-out pineapples. From there we headed back to St. Lucia where I went on a final adventure with Peter, zip-lining through the jungle. Needless to say, this was a cool experience to finish off this trip with, and I now feel that I have been through everything that I could’ve hope for on this five week voyage in the Caribbean.

Docked in Wallilabou. Elise looks excited.

All thanks to Sebastian, Henrik and Peter for putting such an effort into every day, sailing to the best bays, telling thrilling stories, playing music to set the good mood, making the best-ever-tasting drinks for our own happy hour on board, and in general making me feel as part of the crew. This vacation has truly been the most magnificent and enjoyable one yet! I wish the guys all the best, and a fantastic trip further on. Safe sailing! Elise.

The underwater ballet.

VLOG Episode 04: Cruising in the Caribbean