Spirit of Free Radical Speaks Out....January 30th 2009

When I first met my new owners I was in quite a state. Nobody ever really cared about me, not really. But the last few years I had really fallen into a state – exposed year after year to wind, sun and rain after awhile I just didn’t care anymore and I’m afraid I started letting myself go.

All my hatches were leaking, I was full of water and people had come and stripped me of anything of value. I was all hot and dirty from being up on land for so many years. I felt like a garage, with a car parked under me and no mast. I couldn’t even see out of my windows so every day seemed like the next to me.

But one hot day some people came and started touching me and looking me over. I was so excited but at the same time I could understand why they wouldn’t want me. I tried to look as best as I possibly could. Anyway, they went away and I never saw them for almost a year. I lapsed into my deep depression again – thinking never again would I see the ocean, swing at anchor and run with the wind.

Suddenly things started happening. I didn’t know at the time, but my new people had been working to buy me all this time! Other people started coming around. My bottom got cleaned and they drilled some holes in (that hurt a little) to let all the rain water drain. Then a new coat of epoxy was put on my bottom and antifouling. They worked on my engines and put up my mast. I must be gong somewhere!

Some men came and put me in the water using a huge crane. I coughed and choked but I made it across from La Ceiba to Roatan – 45 of the longest miles I have ever done. I was taken to a marina and then a couple of months later to the beautiful clean harbour of Port Royal where I was tied to a nice dock. I met my new owners and they talked about how they were going to make me beautiful again.

So for a whole year and a half, I have had all kinds of attention lavished on me. It felt great. I got drier, cleaner and whiter with each passing week. Well, I think you have probably read what they did to me on their website.

I first got to meet Free Radical when our owners took us to Calabash Bight when a hurricane was threatening. I was pretty nervous about meeting such a legend. Free Radical is smaller than me but much stronger and more experienced, having sailed all the way around he world.

It turned out she was nice to me and we have been sharing a dock these last 10 months. It’s nice to have someone to talk to – a sister actually, since I do carry her name. I have never had a sister before.

Just this past month I have had the time of my life. My owner’s son came to visit and I got to take care of the family just like I used to do in my old life of chartering. I have tried to do the best I can. My owners already did a website article about this so I won’t talk about it again except to say I miss Brad sleeping in my forward cabin.

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We had two more guests arrive while Brad was still here – John & Cassie. John used to help Ed & Julie run the fishing lodge where I was first being worked on. Cassie is his girlfriend, and they are both great people. I am taking care of them in my other forward cabin.

Since the kids have been here, we have sailed all over the place. Ed is fixing little things and every day I get better and better. Julie & Cassie have been cleaning me and I look quite respectable now.

We have been to the West End, where Brad had to say goodbye and go back to Canada. We spent a few days in Port Royal and had a happy reunion with the people there who only know me when I was dirty and ugly. My owners got to practice anchoring and picking up moorings. Lots of things still weren’t quite right but a lot of things were just great.

The weather has been great for me to practice with my new sails – light winds and no waves. Ed even jumped in the dinghy (which Free Radical had very generously loaned to me) and got some great photos of me under sail. Returning to the dock at Calabash Bight, we spent a few days getting my batteries recharged, cleaning, restocking, refueling and getting ready for the next cruise. Ed got my VHF and Ham radios going so I am now able to communicate!

Free Radical was happy to see us return, and Luven came by with the starter motor for her. Now we are both mobile.

We had almost a week of rain and drizzle so there wasn’t much to do. Luven showed up with a piece of steel which he had welded up so that my chain doesn’t get all tangled up when I try to pull it up. It wasn’t a very good fit but Ed got out the grinder and modified it so it works perfect.

Finally we got a break in the weather and I took my people over to Port Royal. It was still pretty drizzly but the seas were way down and there was no wind. My owners and guests spent the day visiting. The plan was to wait for north wind so we could sail over to Guanaja – an island about 20 miles to the east.

It was a great day for me – light winds and flat seas. We came through the wide cut at Pond Cay and made for Graham’s Place – a beautiful sand and palm tree little islet set in clear turquoise water. There are no longer any moorings there, so we anchored – no problem, we were getting good at it by now.

After a couple of days of hanging out, my owners decided to move me. They call me a manure spreader but I’m sure they are just joking. We dropped my anchor just across the channel at a place called Savannah Bight, where there is a little settlement.

Ed and I waited in the anchorage while Julie & John & Cassie hiked over to Mangrove Bight on the only road in Guanaja. One hour each way. They said that the people everywhere were very friendly and the place beautiful and clean.

When they came back John jumped in the water – he reported that we were anchored right on top of a beautiful coral head! I should have told my owners but I didn’t realize it was such a bad thing. Now I know. I apologized to the coral head though hoping  I hadn't hurt it .

We motored over to another anchorage called El Bight so we could reprovision a bit. We all got settled and then the people took the dinghy to town. I was happy to hang out with the 14 or so other boats in the anchorage. They returned with a dinghy full of veggies and other supplies and everyone settled down to life aboard – happy hour, cooking dinner, and watching a movie before bed.

The next day was horrible and rainy with high winds and squalls. I was mortified when I started dragging my anchor. I don’t know what happened, I guess I just let go. Anyway, no harm done – my people got right on it and moved us further up inside the Bight.

Finally it was time to leave Guanaja and with light east wind we took off back to Roatan, stopping first at Port Royal for a cruiser pot luck party at Casa Gusto, and then returning to Calabash Bight for then it was off to French Harbour for more provisioning and my first ‘offshore’ passage to the Cayos Cochinos, a group of pristine islands in a marine park about 20 miles from Roatan.

My owners thought it could be pretty wavy out there so decided to put the dinghy Sea Calf up on my deck for safety. But that plan didn’t work very well. They attached my spinnaker halyard to the Sea Calf and when they started hoisting, the rope jammed in my pulley way up at the top of my mast. So poor Sea Calf was hanging half in half out of the water, crying and very scared.

Ed had to cut the ropes to free her up. So Sea Calf took up her position behind me. When we got going, I was doing 8 knots, and poor little Sea Calf was filling up with water. So they took down some sail and slowed me down so we wouldn’t drown the dinghy.

The Cayos Cochinos were all they were supposed to be - clear water, reefs and lots of fish. There is one resort there and only one or two of the tiny little islands are inhabited. I waited at my mooring while my people took Sea Calf out to see the other little islands, and do some snorkeling.

After a couple of days we all decided that we would get back to Roatan and so we got organized and set sail for the West End. There was hardly any wind but we were in no hurry. We just drifted along and arrived at West End in time to pick up the last of the moorings in the marine park there. Unfortunately we only had one night there because the weather was supposed to turn bad, with winds strong from the north.

So once again we made a move. This time the wind was supposed to be from the north but it turned out to be right on the nose, and strong. I tried to sail but my mainsail just kept flapping and it wasn't working.

So I turned on both my engines and just powered into the wind and waves. It was a long and noisy day. We made it back 'home' to Calabash Bight where it was pretty windy docking. But my captain did a great job of steering me onto the dock and my able crew jumped off and tied me up in my place behind Free Rad. She was glad to see us home too because she had nobody to talk to. I filled her in on our trip and she gave me the all the local gossip.