Off The Charts In Guyana - The Beginning

See the area just below the arrow?  No chart - literally off the chart

Dec 16th 2016

We have dubbed this adventure Off The Charts In Guyana for a couple of reasons.

1. Guyana is not a "regular tourist” destination you hear average people bring up at cocktail parties.  “Hey, how was your holiday in Guyana?”  Many people don't even know where Guyana is or what continent it is on.  Hint - S American.
2.  Guyana is not a destination frequented by the average cruiser sailing the eastern Caribbean. 
3. As such, there is limited information:  Guidebook is pretty thin.  New waypoints and information are passed on from cruiser to cruiser.
4. The biggest reason for the name?  We are literally Off-The-Charts!  Our group is anchored off Baganara Resort, approximately 4 miles south of Bartica.  All of the electronic charts (in our chartplotters, iPads, PC's) end right after Bartica.  Therefore we are exploring Off-The-Charts,, again, literally.  For those of  you that sail or boat.....when was the last time you went sailing/boating without your precious electronic charts - hum?  FYI - Our Garmin chartplotters tell us that the mapped information is from a Captain CM Gibson O.B.E.R.N surveyed 1925-1927 under the direction of the Harbor Board British Guiana, with additions and corrections from surveys and information supplied by the Transportation and Harbours Department of Guyana, to1971.  There is also updated information from 2013.
5. It is a better name than the “Don’t Drink The Koolaide Tour.”  Yes, the Jonestown massacre happened in Guyana in the 70’s.  No, we don’t plan to bring this up or ask.  I have seen very little about it in the Guyana trip planning info.  My guess is that the country is trying to forget that so we will too.
6. We feel a bit like Captains Cook and Bligh exploring.  And we too like breadfruit!
7. Every good adventure tale needs a clever name.  

FYI - Just to reiterate....being off the charts is a weird feeling.  And as an added bonus, there are various shoals and rocks awash that show up only at low tide.  Gulp!  Definitely a new adventure for us!

Guyana - Passage Notes

Passage cookies - yum!

Dec 12th - 15th 2016

In no particular order

 

Tom happy to be on passage with passage cookies

How is it our cockpit cushions seem harder this season?

Sailing to windward at times makes me cranky.

Cruisers that do the thorny patch are crazy.

I miss friends that have unfriended me on Facebook.

I hope friends that have unfriended me on Facebook will friend me again once the election is over.

How did we get here – election wise?

Flying fish fly an amazingly far distance.

No offense to Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore, but there really is no way to capture the true blue shades of the deep blue ocean.

If I took out enough seawater to fill a big swimming pool, would it have at least a little of this blue color?  Probably not.  Light reflection and all.

Passage cookies are good.  Especially when someone else makes them.  Thank you Jackson!

It makes me sad when all the passage cookies are gone and yet the passage is still going.  

Double rainbow.  Can you see it?

Do triple rainbows exist?  I have never seen one in real life or pics, so…..probably not. 

I like that I have smart friends that I can ask about triple rainbows.  They are like Google and Wikipedia but way more entertaining. 

Living with younger people makes you lazy when it comes to finding information.  They can look up anything online – like your own personal Google.

Lands end - NE tip of Trinidad.  Next stop Guyana

 

Doubles sound good right now.

Dolphins are amazing creatures.

We haven’t seen another ship or vessel in nearly 24 hrs.

Such a huge ocean, however it always amazes me that after seeing no other vessel, I now have a serious crossing situation with a big ship – passing within 1 mile and only because we have altered course.  Really!

Off watch

Alive and Well

Dec 8, 2016
Hi.  Remember us?  Yes, we are in fact alive and all is well on sv Honey Ryder.  Since October 11, 2016 we have sailed to Guyana and 45 miles up the Essequibo River.  We have been having a grand time exploring.  No, we have not forgotten you dear readers.  We do not have access to wifi and therefore our only internet is data via our cell phones.  We try to save that for pulling down weather, important emails and such.  Fear not however, I/we have been blogging drafts - lots of them....all about our adventures here in Guyana.  When we get to a place with good wifi (probably Carriacou), then I will publish them.....ALL of them.  Consider yourself warned.....did I mention there are a lot of drafts?  Hey, it is our first time in Guyana and our first time in South America.  Additionally, Guyana is very different than the Caribbean we have experienced so far.  All that means lots of blogs and lots of pics.  Okay - hugs and kisses for now.