2 days ago i had a phone call with Gary. His chief technicians Maiker found the cause of the breaking of the parts after a run time is only about 10 h instead of several thousand. The pulleys of the diesel motor and the generator are disaligned by about 2 – 3 mm in axial…

As agreed upon last Friday, Gary send his 2 technician today. Generator is disassembled and removed. Back home in their workshop they will replace the parts, test it, and re-install it in few days. During these days, I need to clean the remaining covers. I’ll take the chance to treat the rusty spots with phosphoric…

On Friday, Gary another technician came with his staff and we decided his 2 people come on Monday to repair the generator. Yesterday, a sailor friend came and told me that Wikus the first technician who worked on MaRe, will also come on Monday to fix the engine and the sail drive. His father, who…

Not only does the technician not come to do the work for which he doesn’t need to get the spare part he tries to get, there is not even information on the possible schedule. I got information about another technician and contacted him on Friday. Here I’m depending again on someone to reply to my…

The not moving things are the spare parts for the Volvo engine. Wikus, the technician, ordered the needed parts but could not get one. There is the also genset work to be done for which all spare parts are on board. But Wikus’ father and scheduler doesn’t understand such a parallel working. It’s simply nerve…

Returned from Cartagena yesterday and have now the permission to stay another 3 month in Panama. Next time I’ll sail from San Blas Archipelago to Santa Marta. I had to bake bread and get some vegetables and fruits from the lady who sells most days a week her produce in the marina. And then a…

Planning in Panama is really difficult. It’s very strongly influenced by the Spanish “manana”, although this word is not used. During the last month demonstrations in Panama against the rising prices and living conditions in general caused a lot of delays. Technicians could not come to the marina/shipyard. If I’m lucky the technician can come…

Schedule for haul out: 1. Thursday shifted to 2. Friday, shifted to 3. Saturday shifted to 4 Next Wednesday Reason for shift to Wednesday: Need to purchase wood to put MaRe on her hulls to have the keels free for some coppercoat painting. I use the time to organize things and work on an IT…

MaRe is in Shelter Bay Marina. ALW left on the 4th to meet and travel with friends arriving in Panama City. I followed up names, meet with persons to decide who can do which work because I can’t do all myself. Beside the boat work, I am working on an IT task for OBM’s company…

Last night in morning hours watch I was thinking that the weak wind we had at that time is just right for entering the narrow and shallow passage into Rio Chagres. Feeling hungry, I went in the galley to fix me something, when I suddenly felt a lot of wind hitting MaRe. Within minutes a…