Back Onboard S/V Nomad

I’m back.  I didn’t think I could miss Puerto Lindo – but that’s what a week in Panama City will do to a man.

Truth is, I really don’t care for Panama City, at all.  I thought it was interesting when I first got there, but I can’t think of any reason that it’s special.  It’s just another big, Central American city.  Dirty, smelly, noisy.  No real culture to speak of.  Nothing particularly original.

But I did get a few days of A/C, and when I wasn’t running around looking for prescription drugs, arguing with doctors, and searching for decent street food (which I did find alot of); I was running a serious Netflix marathon.  I love Netflix marathons.  So it wasn’t all bad.

The only movie-bummer is that I didn’t catch up on Game of Thrones.  That show is addicting, in a serious way.

 

Back Onboard S/V Nomad

Yesterday I managed to get my SUV started (this is getting harder), get out of Panama City, do some basic provisioning, wrap my dinghy prop in my own rope (rookie move), clean out the cesspool that had become my fridge, and finally get into some clean clothes/shave my face.  I was looking and smelling like a hobo in Panama City, as I only brought a single change of clothes.

Anyways – I’ve been getting alot of “sorry you’re having such a rough time” emails/texts/etc.  While I appreciate the sentiment, this is par for the course.  Let me remind you, two months ago:  I didn’t know how to sail, had never bought a boat, had never worked on a diesel engine, and hadn’t the slightest idea what cruising was really about.  It was just a dream.

That’s changed, and I’ve done most of it by myself in a foreign country, where I don’t speak the language and I don’t know folks.  I like to think that’s pretty good progress.  There are going to be bumps when someone makes a big leap like this.  But last night I was treated to a heck of dinner by Harry and his wife (they’re anchorage-neighbors on a 45 ft cat nearby), and then sat onboard my Lagoon 380 and watched the sunset over the horizon – with no sounds but the howler monkeys and the surf.  It was nice.

So – thanks for the concern (really, I’m not being cheeky), but I’m doing just fine.

This isn’t supposed to be easy – it’s supposed to be an adventure.

 

Finger Update

My finger is pretty gnarly.  Once I’m sure it’s mycobacterium marinum (fish-handler’s disease) I’ll post some pictures, share some info, share my antibiotic regimen, etc.  Hopefully this’ll help somebody diagnose and treat this nasty disease more quickly.  I can tell you – 99% of doctors aren’t familiar with it, most antibiotics don’t work, it’s very painful, and it’s hard to diagnose.  It also takes months (sometimes over a year) to clear up.

Anyways, I woke up this morning and the finger looked better.  Noticeably so.  While it’s still oozing and totally disgusting, the swelling has gone down so much I can see (large) stretch marks on the skin.  The pain is almost non-existent (except when I bump it closing a hatch in the middle of the night), and the redness is decreasing.  There are no signs of anything becoming worse – no fever, no chills, no streaking, no lymph-node swelling.  So I think I’ve got this under control.

That said, I’m headed back to the States.  Not just because of the finger though.  I needed a trip back before I take off across the Pacific, I need a ton of boat gear, I want to see my dog and my family/friends.  So, the timing is because of the finger – but the trip home needed to happen in the next couple of months.  It’s rainy season in Panama, so I’m not missing much.

I’m planning to spend a week or two in Austin, coming back to the boat around/before Sept 1.  While there I’m going to see a specialist and confirm my belief that it’s myco marinum. I’m also going to ride my BMW S100RR, which is what any sane human being would do (Aldo/Derrick/Jim, if you read this – we’re riding).  I can safely say that’s the only possession I’ve missed.

Taking On Crew

I’ve been waiting for friends or family to come visit (some have said they were, nobody has).  So I haven’t taken on any crew – despite the fact that I could really use another set of hands down here.  I’ve decided they’re being indecisive, so I’m going to be decisive.  I hate indecision.  Not making a decision is a conscious decision to do nothing, and it’s chickenshit.  I used to have a mentor that would tell me: “You can’t fix chickenshit.”  He’s right.

Bottom line:  I’m going to bring on some help.  I need another set of hands for basic boatwork (“hand me that wrench”), some help provisioning/shopping/cooking (free me up to work on the boat), and some help documenting the trip (being the captain, the mechanic, the provisioner, the cook, and the cleaner is leaving me with little mental energy to photo/video).

If you’re reading this and you want to lend a hand and sail through:  San Blas, Columbia, the Panama Canal, or around the Pacific side of Panama in the near future – let me know.  I’ve posted ads in the typical places as well.   You can split expenses or we can agree on a day rate.  Shoot me an email by clicking here.  To be clear, this won’t be a vacation, if you want that – charter a catamaran.  It’ll be working on the boat, mixed in with some sailing/diving/kayaking/fishing/exploring.  People with skills that relate to sailing/boatwork have a decided advantage.

 

Finger-Purgatory

Since I’m now out of  oh-shit-I-might-lose-my-finger mode, I’m starting to realize that recovery is going to be exactly zero fun.  I can’t drink (meds), despite having a nice bottle of Scotch onboard. I can’t dive (despite there being some tasty blue-runner under the boat as I type).  And I can’t sail (single-handing with a single hand is no fun).  I can do a little basic boatwork, but even that is tough as I’m always banging the finger (and that’s  painful).  I also can’t get the finger, with an open wound, in the seawater here.  That’s a constant struggle.

The plan is to line up some repairs, start shipping boat parts to mi casa in the States, and relax/take care of the finger.  That does leave me with some time to kill, though – so I’m going to dig into Nietzsche (I love this guy), read up on more cruising info, and some options-trading material.  Let me reiterate – I love Nietzsche.  Guy’s a genius.

Hopefully I’ll at least expand my mind a bit.

Back Onboard S/V Nomad