-----Original Message-----

Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 12:42 PM

Subject: On to the Galapagos!

0900 EST Monday, April 12, 2004; N 08 deg 56' / W 079 deg 33'.

We are anchored this morning in a lovely little cove on the north side of Taboga, a hilly, lush and very fragrant island eight miles from Balboa. We departed Balboa at 1345 on Saturday, April 10. We have spent two nights here, anchored beside our new sailboat friends, the Cummings, on Island Spirit, a spacious 50' former charter boat the family purchased in the Caribbean to begin their two + year sail to the South Pacific. We met the crew of this "kid boat" (cruiser lingo for a boat with kids aboard) by chance at the Balboa Yacht Club. They are from Wenatchee, Washington State, and include a couple about our ages -- Mike and Jean (Mike is even a lawyer!), Mike's father Bob who's about 70 and is a small plane pilot and former part time commercial fisherman and very handy mechanically, son Ian -- almost 7 and daughter Mara -- just 9. They are headed more or less the same route we are and we hope we'll see more of them, possibly as early as tonight. We plan to leave in a few minutes to sail (or more likely motor, considering the general absence of wind) to Isla de San Jose, in the Las Perlas Islands, which are about 45 nm south of here in the Gulf of Panama. We may spend two nights there before we depart, finally, for the Galapagos.

Our delay in beginning this next big passage has stemmed from a few factors, in addition to our genuinely having fallen in love with Panama. We have been working hard to provision and prepare the boat, buying and stowing fresh and dry or canned food as well as charts; doing additional caulking; installing a new fitting enabling us to stow the whisker pole vertically on the mast; adding additional 5 gallon jugs of diesel (2), gasoline (1) and water (1); and performing various minor repairs. We still have to install more bungies below to keep drawers, books, etc. from becoming missiles in rough seas; I'll work on that while underway today.

We have also dragged our feet a bit so as to have more time with Island Spirit. We have already enjoyed two dinners aboard her plus their daughter Mara's 9th birthday party (Eliza and Abigail were the only kid guests). The Cummings are very generous folks. Our girls have had a ball and we have thoroughly enjoyed their parents' and granddad's company.

The weather has also made us reluctant to hurry our departure from Panama. An atypical few days of moderately strong SW winds that finally ended two days ago would have been right on our nose. And the general forecasts for the area -- very light to no winds between Panama and the Galapagos -- have meant we'd just be motoring for days. There are hopeful indications now that the Eastern Pacific high may be building up, which would invigorate the SE trade winds and move them further to the north. In planning our route to the Galapagos, we are considering taking a longer but, we hope, faster path by heading more south at first to reach the SE trades sooner, and, as soon as we find them, turning west toward the Galapagos. We'll see how it goes.

It is very exciting to be underway again!

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 11:39 AM

Subject: 785 miles to the Galapagos

0850 EST Wednesday, April 14, 2004, N 06 deg 56', W 79 deg 47'

We just passed Punta Mala to our west and have exited the Gulf of Panama. Our rhumb line (most direct route) to San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands is now 753 nautical miles at 231 deg True. We have plotted a slightly longer route, however (785 nautical miles), that takes us east and south of Isla de Malpelo, a Colombian Island, in search of more consistent winds. We are monitoring something called the Panama Pacific Net, on 8.143 Mhz at 0900 EST daily to learn what the other sailboats ahead of us en route to the Galapagos are experiencing for wind direction and speed. Also, at about 0915 to 0920 on this SSB net an amateur weather forecaster named Don, who is cruising on his own sailboat not far from here and checks various weather faxes and other weather info sources every day, gives a run down on the weather along the Central American coast as far south as Ecuador and as far west as the Galapagos. His promising news this morning is that the SE Pacific high appears to be building up, which should charge up the SE tradewinds. We anticipate these tradewinds carrying us across the South Pacific all the way to Fiji; we just don't know where we'll first find them. It's like a treasure hunt. Because the Galapagos lie just about on the equator, however, we will have to get lucky to enjoy any sustained benefit from the SE trades during this passage to the Galapagos. Some boats have reported finding the SE trades between Panama and the Galapagos, and we'll be looking and keeping our fingers crossed. More likely, though, we will experience generally light winds from variable directions and also periods of intense convection marked by powerful rain squalls with and without significant wind. Last night was our first at sea in nearly a month. What a contrast it was to our bumpy, wet nights in the central and western Caribbean sailing from the Bahamas to Colon, Panama. We mostly motored in light to no wind after departing Isla de San Jose in Las Perlas Islands, from 2:30 PM until about 9 PM. Then wind filled in from behind us at 15 to 20 kts and we've been sailing ever since. We are now on a starboard tack with a single reefed main and the genoa yankee jib held out to starboard with the whisker pole. There is a lot of swell and the ride is rolly, causing the jib to collapse and "pop" full again every minute or so. This is disconcerting and is hard on the jib's sailcloth, but we need to fly the jib to keep our speed up. As it is, the wind seems to be gradually diminishing, now 8 to 10 kts, and our boat speed has dropped to about 4 kts. It's time to shake out the reef in the main. It might even be a good time to try our cruising spinnaker. We don't have a lot of experience with this sail, though, and I think I'll wait until Kyle is on watch again before hauling this on deck and looking at it. Here is the new and improved watch schedule we have just adopted: 7AM to 11AM -- Doug, 11AM to 3PM -- Kyle, 3PM to 6PM -- Doug, 6PM to 9PM -- Kyle, 9PM to 2AM -- Doug, 2AM to 7AM -- Kyle. Kyle saw a whale surface and blow noisily about 20' from the side of us at dawn this morning. What a wonderful way to start the day -- our second whale sighting in as many days. We have found the Pacific to be full of sea life since leaving Balboa. Two days ago, en route from Taboga to Isla de San Jose we caught two small tunas ("little tunnys") trolling. One we steaked and barbecued that night and the other is marinating as ceviche for lunch today. The girls are not yet fish eaters, to their parents dismay. But we figure two girls sailing across the So. Pacific will eventually learn to enjoy eating fish. That's it for now. -- Doug

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 12:09 PM

Subject: Fwd: Message for Doug Hopkins from Environmental Defense

(e.d. The following is a segment from Estrela’s email to Liz and Paula at EDF)

…Our current position is N 3 deg 20', W 81 deg 25'. We are about 550 miles from our intended landfall at Wreck Bay, San Cristobal island, Galapagos. Amazingly, we have been sailing steadily for more than 24 hours with NE winds of 12 to 22 kts through an area that typically has light to no winds this time of year. It'll be several days, however, before we can expect to encounter the SE tradewind.

Doug

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 11:50 AM

Subject: log entry en route to Galapagos

1000 EST Sunday, April 18, 2004; N 01 deg 27' / W 085 deg 06'.

300 nautical miles from our intended landfall at Wreck Bay, San Cristobal, Galapagos. 555 NM from Panama City, where this passage began. And 300 miles from Ecuador. The last four days we have had 24 hr runs of 116, 112, 130 and 123 miles. We are now sailing a course of 244 degrees True at about 5 kts. Wind is out of south at 17 to 21 kts. We are making good 5 kts over the ground flying the main with a single reef, the full staysail and the genoa/yankee furled about half way in. We had been sailing in just about the same wind but with no reefs from 9 PM last night until about 3 AM. But Estrela was heeling way over and really working hard -- lots of creaks and groans. Since we are in this for the long haul and cannot run over to West Marine easily to buy spare parts if we break something we decided to slow down a little and take some of the strain off the boat. Surprisingly we only gave up about 3/4 of a knot in speed after putting in the reefs. This wind should gradually move more to the SE. Abruptly early yesterday evening we reached the tradewinds; they just aren't quite SE yet. But these are definitely the trades, the winds that have blown hundreds and hundreds of merchant ships, explorers, whalers, pirates and cruising sailboats across the South Pacific.

Homeschool is underway this morning. The girls are coping with the heat and finding comfortable corners to brace themselves against the heeling and lurching, while reading and writing. We are reading aloud C. S. Lewis' "Prince Caspian," Book 4 of 7 in the Chronicles of Narnia, during breaks and in the afternoon, including on the foredeck late yesterday. The girls also finished yesterday listening to the unabridged "Little Princess" on tape. Eliza is knitting like a mad child, making a long blanket for one of her dolls, and has just started reading Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Abigail has been working on her needle point. The last couple days Abigail and Eliza made two doll skirts and a vest for Abigail's rag doll, Clara, and Eliza's Cassandra, out of some old blue jean material rescued from the rag box. Thank goodness the girls like reading, listening, their dolls and working with their hands.

Kyle is thankful for her new Sturgeron seasickness pills and battery powered Relief Band, both acquired while in Panama. She has become a true master of the care and feeding of the offshore sailing crew. We have been eating very well aboard Estrela. She too has caught the knitting bug -- ancient hands rekindling youthful pleasures.

I found a large flying fish on deck about 2 AM, dead, unfortunately, but a reminder that the sea is very much alive, despite its monotonous surface. We fished all afternoon yesterday -- trolling a couple different lures -- but no action. Since leaving the Gulf of Panama we have seen the occasional seabird but not many, and no more whales or dolphins. The water is still warm (80 to 82 degrees) and very clear and blue -- some but not a lot of plankton evident near the surface. Once we reach the colder water of the Humboldt Current, a big reason the Galapagos have such rich and varied sea life -- we are likely to see more fish, mammals, birds, etc.

All the best from Estrela. -- Doug

PS -- Happy Birthday Pop (Tony Holt)!

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 3:09 AM

Subject: Estrela log entry -- Crossed Equator!

2330 EST Tuesday, April 20, 2004; S 00 deg 28' / W 089 deg 13'.

Big day -- we crossed the equator at 7:30 AM local time (which, until we reach the Galapagos, happens to be Eastern Standard Time)! Estrela marked the event with a bottle of chilled sparkling cider, non-alcoholic so all four of us could drink it, and loaves of delicious fresh bread Kyle had just baked. As the only crew member who had previously crossed the equator at sea I presided over appropriate ceremonial frivolity. Then Kyle led us in a more uplifting giving of thanks. We tried to video the whole experience; it'll be one of those classic home movie segments that anyone but those in the video will find excruciating to watch. Meanwhile the whole scene was very eerie. Nearly dead calm, with patchy fog surrounding us. And believe it or not it was actually cold; we all had goose bumps. On watch the night before I had worn a fleece cap and sweater. It's the cool Humboldt Current -- we check the surface water temperature frequently with a dip thermometer and it's dropped about 8 to 10 degrees over the last couple days, reducing the air temperature as well. It has been in the mid to upper 70's even during the day, a big change from mid to upper 80's and low 90's. Who would have figured our most pleasant and coolest weather since the Bahamas would be smack on the equator?

We are a little more than thirty nautical miles from Wreck Bay (Puerto Baquerizo Moreno) on San Cristobal Island, the government center of the Galapagos and one of two official ports of entry. We've been slowing our speed all day so as to time our arrival for daylight Wednesday (tomorrow) morning. The tricky currents, intermittent fog, dearth of navigational aids and incompatibility of paper charts with GPS chart datum -- all would make a nighttime approach into Wreck Bay nervewracking. So instead, depowering Estrela by reefing sails, we enjoyed a lazy sail in light SE tradewinds. All in all, a just about perfect day.

In anticipation of arrival in civilization again, Kyle had foredeck spa today with the girls as attendants. She took a saltwater bucket bath with leg shaving and hair washing, followed by a fresh water rinse with the "sun shower," a clear bladder with a hose and spray nozzle that heats a gallon or so of water in the sun and is hung from the boom gallows over the cockpit at shower time. Heroically, Kyle even had her hair styled; first Eliza wielded the shears, then Kyle with a mirror. The results are spectacular.

The other port of entry for the Galapagos is Academy Bay on Santa Cruz Island. We may visit Academy Bay, where the Charles Darwin Research Center is, but we chose to stop first at Wreck Bay because it's less developed as a tourist and cruise ship center and reportedly has more character. We are about to get a crash course in organized Galapagos tourism. Experiencing the natural flora and fauna of these islands, what draws so many here from around the world, is apparently very expensive and tightly managed by Ecuador. To visit any of the National Park areas costs $100 per adult and $50 per child under 12 per day as the park entrance fee, plus the cost of any tour. We will be researching quickly to learn the best park tour options, looking for what's geared for families with kids. Unfortunately, it is prohibitively expensive and complicated to travel to national park areas at other Galapagos Islands in one's own boat. It would cost us $200 per person per day, plus a daily fee for a licensed private guide. And we would need two different cruising permits, one from the Navy and one from the Ministry of Agriculture. Ecuador really wants sailboat cruisers to utilize the conventional tourism system here. This is a very special and uniquely vulnerable place. Unregulated visitors here over the last few centuries, even many well meaning naturalists and amateur researchers, have done terrible damage to plant and animal life. So I am happy to follow Ecuador's rules if that means the Galapagos may have a chance of remaining unchanged* for Eliza's and Abigail's grandchildren to experience someday.

Good night from Estrela -- Doug

* Unchanged subject to continuing "natural" natural selection and evolution, of course.

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 11:28 PM

Subject: Estrela log entry -- Galapagos arrival

0730 (1330 GMT) Tuesday, April 21, 2004; S 00 deg 53.718' / W 089 deg 36.733' Wreck Bay, Isla de San Cristobal, Galapagos.

We made it! We're at anchor in flat calm in cooling, low morning mist that swirls up the sides of the volcanic cone which looms above the town of Wreck Bay (Puerto Baquerizo Moreno). A snuffling sea lion seems to be casing our perimeter to force an unwanted boarding during the breakfast hour and a very exotic long-billed bird just used our starboard pin rail for a resting spot. We have already been immersed in Galapagos magic ashore, wading through sullen but fearless iguanas and sitting quietly by the side of nursing sea lions on the beach. What a spot. We are so happy we decided to come here. We may go on a grand tour of other islands with a local guide we met yesterday. We're having a half day tour today on San Cristobal with cruisers from other boats that have become our friends: Island Spirit (our "kid-boat" buddies whose transom platform was just boarded by a pair of sea lions), Aliesha, Tapagia, and another we haven't met. Then this afternoon we and Island Spirit meet another guide named Gustafo at his shop for a "briefing" and discussion about a possible more extended tour. We're trying to discern what would work best for kids as well as adults. The kids are on fire and their parents are not far behind. More soon. -- Doug