Salvador Journal

Sat 29 May
Filled Water Depart 13h00 Wind SSE 15 Kts Course 290 M Great circle route leg one of seven. Speed 5.3 kts.
Had to clear island by 20 miles before wind settled down to a certain direction.

Sun 30 May
Very rough Reefed Genoa, 5.8 Kts 117 miles

Monday 31 May
Changed heading to reduce rolling. Caught Dorado, Fantastic eating!!
123 miles

Tues 1 June
Put up second genoa for balance set back clock one hour 117 miles.

Wed 2 June
Must tell Nick to balance his wind generator blades, this thing wants to self destruct at certain speeds. Raining Made contact with Teresa PT2TF a Brazilian ham. Nice person, full of helpful advice. 125 miles

Thurs 3 June
Now were going! 6.9 kts most of the time 136 miles 
Motor tanker Arosa passes 3 miles stbd. Motor tanker Haju Maru passes 3 mi to port, half an hour apart !! hee hee this is like dodgems.

Friday 4 June
Try to get election news from SA, no luck. BBC only gives Macro view.
Off course skipped waypoint, so what. 123 miles

Sat 5 June
Its great to keep in touch via radio to Bruce and Deon (ZS1AFU) also "Easy Rider" from Cape Town keeps getting through. 134 miles

Sun 6 June
Halfway through Diesel, transferred to fill main tank. motorsailed for 4 hours speed at that point 1.9 kts, sails slapping around. 105 miles.

Mon 7 June 
Wind back again, put up main, 121 miles

Tues 8 June
This is more like it 131 miles.

Wed 9 June
Hey, Whoa! here we go Set back clocks one hour, Laura says in logbook"My knees did knock together" BIG seas, 8-10 kts with not much sail up, 166 miles

Thu 10 June
Just hang in there, 146 miles

Fri 11 June
And again. 165 miles

Sat 12 June
112 miles to Salvador, hmmmm, never make it in daylight, decide to motorsail, sheet in tight, Main Mizzen and full Genoa, with engine, average speed about 7 kts.

Made landfall lunchtime, long way around the shoals off Salvador, Sea turned green. We decided to go to the brand new Bahia Marina as the yacht club was deserted, all the yachts were in the marina expecting the bad weather we had just sailed in. 

14 days and 1 hour 1937 miles..... take that!

The new marina has a lot of potential. The location is good and conveniently located. Check prices before arranging anything, we didnt and landed up paying R$ 145.00 for a load of laundry (About R538.00) Makes me sick, anyway one lives and learns. We had our electric freezer circulating pump rewound here, ha! another mistake cost US$95.00 and it didnt work because they use 60 Hz electricity here and the rewinders dont know about 50Hz stuff. The Price for the Marina is R$38.50 per day, for a 50 footer. There arent any facilities as yet, but we were tired, and needed the rest, the security (theft is a problem here), and the shore power to carry out certain repairs.

Its now thursday evening and about 28 deg C again, I am preparing to go to town to an iCafe tomorrow to send this to Andrew (who's site you are at right now) We intend to do some cruising around the Bahia Todos os Santos Leaving on Saturday. We will send more when we have it.

Tips for cruisers:
If Salvador is your first port in Brazil
Go to the Policia Federal FIRST and wear Trousers.
All persons (crew) must go there.
They have ZEEERO sense of humour TOTALLY NADA!!
It is about 5 Km down the urinal (road), a taxi costs R$14.00
Go to Customs SECOND they are along the road that is at the back of the wharfside buildings between warehouse 1 and 2. Take your own pen, not to fill in forms, but to write letters home, about two hours.
Go to Capetaineo dos portos (Phonetically spelt) Last. It is the Brazilian Navy actually, Dont climb over the low fence, armed guards everywhere, use the entrance closest to the elevator. Ask for Elison, he speaks English.
Only change money in the Banco do Brazil that you passed near the customs. It is the main branch and they only charge US$10.00 for commission. Everywhere else it is 20. (You can also change informally)
Rate at present is R$1.75=US$1.00 
Do not drink the water, Cooldrink is cheap!
Do not eat exposed foods.
Hide ALL signs of wealth (which is a relative term in this case)

Brazil is a country of contrasts, Incredible wealth is face to face with incredible poverty, Million Dollar polished Granite penthouses with private funiculars to the beach look over houses made of cardboard and huge messes of garbage and open sewers, and, nobody complains!!