shipping cargo
Chaser 2
Yvonne Chapman
Tue 1 Sep 2009 23:04
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Here in South America we needed to buy some 8 inch
tubes, 15 of them, also some timber planks and many other items. We located them
in a nearby town, about 5 hours by boat, so we sailed off on a buying
mission.
We arrived later that day to the marina, we hooked
up the power, put on the air con and grabbed a cab to the manufacturers of the
tube. The staff were very helpful, we paid for the tubes and told them we would
be back sometime to collect after we arranged transport. The next stop was the
timber merchants, similarly we bought and paid for the wood, but they said they
would deliver it for us because they were going that way anyway. So not only did
we get free transport, we got a ride back to the marina.
Last time we were here we met a guy (an ex
venezuelan windsurf champion who had some boards for sale, we asked him to keep
a lookout for a particular board for us. We rang him on arrival and he said he
has the board, sails, everything and would drop it along to us. When he arrived,
apart from buying the board we told him of our cargo and he said he would
send his truck to collect the tubes. Everyone we have met here has been so
helpful. So to cut a long story short everything was delivered to the marina.
Next day, early to avoid the heat, we loaded all aboard, our boom is nearly
7 metres long so we decided to put half a dozen tubes on top with the remaning 9
on deck on top of our dinghy. Timber planks etc went on our arch or down below
decks, it was hot work even at 0600 hrs, am in the morning! The windsurfer
was stowed along the rail with the mast and sail below.
We left the following day after a bit of more
relaxed retail therapy. On the way back the weather was perfect for sailing,
which of course we could not do because of the cargo, so we motored for 4 or 5
hours back to the anchorage, but it was a nice trip. Our only problem was how to
unload, everything was too big for our dinghy even if we could get to it, so we
called a friend, and he arranged for some local help. They were on their dock
waiting as we arrived and by the time we dropped anchor they were alongside. It
took a few trips but withing 45 mins it was all unloaded.
We then had access to our dinghy, so after a quick
drink we dropped dinghy into the ag, put on the motor and went ashore. We
wouldn't normally go ashore so quickly but the sea was calm, not a breath of
wind by this time and we were only 100 metres away from the beach.
That night though back aboard we had a great
peaceful relaxing meal, wine, a drop of rum and ice, then laid back to watch the
stars from the cockpit of Chaser ll and sleeeep!
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