_______________________________________________

Captain´s Diary #2, 8/29/02, by Paul Harmon

We sailed very close to the mouth of the strait of Tiquina. Then the wind shifted and we had to drop anchor to keep from losing the ground that we made. Then the wind started blowing really hard and the anchor did not hold. We lost all the ground we made up. Friday morning we got even closer to the strait. But once again, as if laughing at us, the wind shifted strongly. We again dropped anchor, and again the anchor did not hold. We lost all the ground we made. - We have nicknamed the mouth of the strait "The End of the Rainbow" because you can never reach it.

Finally Friday night, 9:00 pm, we got really strong wind at our back. We raised the sails quickly and were really flying. The winds had to be over 20 knots as white caps became waves. It became apparent that fast that the boat could not handle the wind. One mast almost fell. Both rudders came apart, and one of the dagger boards came loose.
Worst of all, one of the ropes that ties the two bodies of the boat together ripped apart. The fear is that this could start the whole boat to come apart.
We had to drop the sails immediately, and for the next hour, Kenji and I tried to make repairs.

We finally went to sleep, but I awoke to the sound of crushing waves. I stepped out of the tarp to see us headed for rocks. The anchor once again did not hold. I woke Kenji and we and we finally got control.

Finally, Saturday 31, we were forced to be towed to Tiquina. The boat could sail no more. Now we are going to get a different boat builder, not Paulino, to come and finish the boat right so we can continue the trip. The most dangerous part is yet to come.