Movie part 2

      Mar 27 ‘13 0730hrs

Greetings,

Well, we didn’t end up being a filming platform this weekend. The movie people are very disorganized and, after we told them we couldn’t prep Second Star for the trip until we had a commitment in writing, and we needed at least two day to prep, they finally emailed us an agreement on Wednesday. We read it over, made a few small changes, and sent it back. A few hours later they called to say they had to cancel for Saturday. (We heard later that the guy they had called in to be the surf double for the scene couldn’t surf). 
The next day we got a call asking if we would do a trip on Sunday for a few of the top people to have a fun day off. We told them we could but again we said we’d need an agreement in writing by the next day to be ready for Sunday. By Friday afternoon they said that they wanted to do it and so we reworded the original agreement and sent it over. It was 8:00 in the evening before we got the call that they wanted us to come to the office to sign the agreement. By 9:30 Friday night we were done with the preliminary stuff and we were ready to start prepping the boat for up to 14 people to be aboard on Sunday. 
We had asked our friends, Shay and Jessie, who are professional yacht crew people, to come help crew for the trip. They came Saturday morning and cleaned the boat while Capt Johne and I went into town to get provisions (what a shopping trip). We spent Saturday evening prepping food for up-to-14. 
They had said they would call with a final head count and time of arrival (they had left it vague somewhere between 1000 and noon). Late Saturday evening the call came, 7-10 people arriving at 12:00. Good for us. Over prepped is better than under prepped.
Sunday morning Shay and Jessie got here early to help finish getting everything ready for the guests. At noon we all in uniform waiting to greet our guests. We got a call a few minutes later to say they were on their way. 4 guests would be arriving in about 10 minutes. (ONLY 4. WOW! This should be easy.)
It was easy. The people who came were the producer, his wife and two of the actors (the younger of the two male stars and a young French woman).  They were all very down-to-earth, polite and friendly. We took them on a beautiful cruise through the archipelago, fed them lots, anchored so they could enjoy a snorkel and showed them a very good time finishing with a lovely sunset. It was a gorgeous day and I think they had a wonderful time. (Yea! Success!) 

It was a long couple of days but it turned out very well and I’m glad we got this opportunity and experience… 

In the movies

Mar 17 ‘13 1000hrs

Greetings,

We have a new interesting adventure we’re getting ready for aboard Second Star. There is a movie being filmed here in Bocas. It will be called “Paradise Lost” and it’s about Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar. About 10 days ago some people from the movie came to the boat. At first I thought that they were going to ask if Second Star could be in the background of a shot. But as it turned out they need to shoot a surf scene at water level, and they want to film from our wet deck. 
The first people that came by were just on a scouting mission. They asked if we’d be interested and said they’d bring the higher-ups by to check it out and talk about details.
When they came back we said we’d need to see the sites where they wanted to film so we could let them know if Second Star could do what they wanted. Again they said they’d get back to us. Then we didn’t hear anything for a few days, so we emailed to let them know that, if we were going to participate, we’d need enough notice to see the filming sites and get the boat ready.
The next we heard from them was that they wanted us to do it, but the filming of this scene had been postponed for a week. A few days later they scheduled with us to go check out the site which is just a little outside the cut into the protected waters of the archipelago. It’s been pretty windy and rough out there lately, and that day was no exception. The waves were running a solid 6ft with a few bigger ones thrown in. Where they want to film is plenty deep for Second Star and we told them, if conditions were no worse than that we could do it.
The next day they brought the cinematographer to see the boat and he was very happy with what he has to work with. So, this coming Saturday, we’re supposed to be taking 14 people (directors, camera crew, actor, makeup person, etc.) out to shot this scene. 
At the moment (knock wood), the weather looks like it will be a bit calmer that day than it was last week. But the forcast this far out is always suspect. I’ll let you know how it went…

What excites cruisers

Mar 5 ‘13 1315hrs

Greetings,

Today I have a couple of fun the-things-we-cruisers-get-excited-about stories to share.

First let me say, there are certain things you get use to having but can’t always find when you’re cruising. So, before you leave “civilization” , you stock up. But, even if you stock up a lot, eventually you still run out. For me, one of those things is un-stinky laundry detergent. In Latin America all the laundry detergent is heavily perfumed. And, before we left Mexico, I was running out of my “free and clear”. I found some detergent in Isla Mujeres that only stunk a little. It wasn’t my preference, but I could live with it. But now I’ve run out of that and everything they have here reeks. So, last week, when a  friend and fellow cruiser was going to the city and asked if there was anything I needed her to bring me, I said if she saw any detergent with no perfume that would be great. 
I hadn’t thought about it again until I got back to the boat after welcoming her back and visiting about her trip. While we were chatting she had said “I have a little something for you. I don’t know where it is. When I unpack I’ll give it to you.” That’s nice, I thought at the time. But sitting back on Second Star I remembered asking for the detergent. I got so excited. Could she have found it? Then I had to laugh at myself (really, you’re that excited about laundry detergent?) and admonish myself (it might not be the detergent. Don’t get too excited.) But sure enough, I have a bottle of Purex free and clear and (you can laugh if you want) it’s really exciting.

The other funny thing was; There is a pair of sisters in David that have a delivery service here. We’ve used them to get argon for Johnes welding. Today we were meeting the truck to exchange argon bottles. Just before the ferry was pulling into the dock the cruisers started to gather. When the truck pulled off the ferry they clustered around the back of it, waiting to get their deliveries. Watching them, looking so eager, made me think (sing along with me here) “Oh ho the Wells Fargo wagon is a comin’ down the street. Oh please let it be for me.” 

Maybe I can combine these exciting things and get the truck to bring me more laundry detergent. Ah, dare to dream.

Susie aeon

As the boat breaks

Mar 1 ‘13 1900hrs

Greetings,

It’s been over two months since I’ve written any updates. This is partly because we’ve been very busy, and partly because I get lazy about it. But enough excuses…we have a lot to catch up on.

Since Christmas, we’ve had lots of company,  I made a trip to FL, Johne’s gotten quite a bit of work and is getting more all the time, the water maker has gone down twice, one inverter stopped working, one alternator stopped working, the welder stopped working, the TV stopped working(that may have been before X-mas), the desk top computer stopped working…If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

On Dec 29th our friends Saverio and Rosanna came to spend New Years with us. We had a wonderful time showing them around the Archipelago. They left on the 2nd  and I left for FL on the 6th.

I was up there for almost three weeks working, gathering supplies to bring back (150lbs worth) and visiting with friends. It was a successful, if somewhat stressful, trip.

The day after I got back my sister and brother arrived for a visit. Danile could only stay eight days, but Darrin had three weeks to play. While Danile was here we managed one dive and a couple of snorkels, a chocolate plantation tour, a couple of nature walks that included one sloth sighting and some good visiting. After she left, Darrin and I got several more snorkels and an other dive in, and a road trip which included getting the inverter fixed and zip-lining.

Darrin left on the 17th and we had a few days with just the two of us before Daryl and Marcy arrived with lots of heavy luggage bringing new alternators (that true friendship). They could only stay four days but we packed in lots of fun (as well as replacing an alternator and taking the desk top tower to a computer guy who said he didn‘t have the parts to fix it, but when Johne hooked it back up it started working again. YEA!!!).

Daryl and Marcy left early Wed. morning and since then Johne’s been trouble shooting the welder problem. He’s gotten it to weld again although it’s still not right. But at least he can continue with the job he’s in the middle of. Maybe when we get to Panama City it can see a specialist and be all better. In the mean time we’re back to just us (next company in mid April) and waiting to see what’s going to stop working next.

I’ll try not to take so long before the next installment of “As the boat breaks”. Until then…

Live your dreams,
Susie aeon