Lucho's Log
Will Eickholt's Intro
His name is Luis Vasconez but while he
was crewing aboard Stardate and while he was in Seattle we all called him
Lucho. He had come from his native Equador where he had worked aboard sightseeing
boats in the Galapagos Islands. Learning English as a Second Language
was his goal. It would enable him to communicate with the tourists on his
boats like no other crew in the Galapagos. Lucho was driven but in the most
delightful way. I took a big liking to him when we first met and offered him
a job working on the yachts in our Seattle marina...
He was a joy to work with. Always in a good mood, a dedicated worker and a
good friend.
When we planned to deliver an FD12 called Stardate to England he was excited
to be asked to crew on the voyage of a lifetime.
I asked Luis, who is now back in the Galapagos skippering a tourist boat,
to contribute his recollection of that trip. What follows is the story of
Lucho's experience aboard s/v Stardate
written in his own "Spanglish"
Foreword by Willem Eickholt-Alias Don Guillermo (as Lucho used to call me)
LUCHO'S LOG
Lucho's Stories [posted 2006 05 09 ]
In August of 1986 I travel to Seattle Washington USA for the first time and
my purpose was to learn English. So with help of a girlfriend I joined the
English As A second Language Institute at the University Of Washington. While
I was there also as a seaman I started to search some jobs related to my profession.
So suddenly I started to met people related to the sea. First I met a fellow
who owned a Small wooden sail vessel that he need help to make maintenance
in a place call Shilshow bay a big Marina. So we got along very well in fact
he invited me for sailing in the bay of Puget Sound. I really enjoyed my self,
and I started what I really liked. So this person named Kent he was talking
that he knows one friend that he might need some body to work with and his
name is Willem Ilkholt. So I was waiting to met this person, and one day a
met him. So the first time when I met him I spoke for a while and I felt a
hope that we are going to be good friends, and yes indeed we became very good
friends. I started to work with him on board the sailing vessels Stardate
and Sybil a Ferro cement vessel. By that time I did not speak much of English.
I remember that on board of that vessel an other filo was living on board
and one of those night at the Wind Jumer Bar he got in love with a waiter
and she use to remained on board. So one day ones I was working on deck I
hear an arguing be twin them. I did not pay to much of attention first of
all because I did not understand to much of English, but suddenly I sow a
TV flight out thru the cot pit and the filo left the vessel for while and
then after a while he came back on board. For the time been the TV it was
floating around the vessel. Because it did nit sink I decide to pick it up
and to rinse of with fresh water. So I took the fresh water hose and I started
to rinse of. On mean while people was walking by on the sleep and some of
them just looked at me and they were laughing, others did not resist to ask
me what I was doing, my answer was washing the TV! .After that my friend wile
as I use to call him he rote an small article and he staked it at the board
on the ally of the restaurant.
After a while with the Ferro cement vessel, I stated to take care and work
o/b the motor sail vessel the NEW CUTER FD 12 “FLIHGT DOCHMAN”
a beauty that for a while was my home. I really enjoyed this vessel.
To make a short story from my friend don Guillermo. When I met him I noticed
that he was one of those really seaman with a lot of passion to the sea. On
his life he had been sailing around the world and of course with a lot of
experience as seaman. He was very patient person, also he was one of those
persons that love the poor countries like Cuba and Nicaragua. He had an invaluable
passion for these parts of the world. And he had an extremely devotion in
order go there and if is possible to help them. Don Guillermo was part of
the design of the particular FD 12 and as far that I know he built 25 units
of this well tested as tender smooth sail vessels and of them was the STARDATE.
After a while of working with him and because he belong to an organisation
call PEACE MAKER we start to talk about a trip to Australia. So in fact I
got really exited about this trip that don Guillermo mentioned for more than
ones. The Peace Maker organisation had a sailing vessel sailing around the
world making a kind of manifestation against nuclear weapons or some thing,
and the trip ended in Australia. So the vessel remained there, and after a
while this vessel was donated to Nicaragua. So the Idea was to go to Australia
to join this vessel and sail to the Caribbean sea and than sail the San
Juan River to the lake of Nicaragua. But by that time the relation EEUU-
Nicaragua was not good. Nicaragua had communist government and into the country
it self the situation was not good nether. There was the guerrillas’
against the government and there was a some caind of help from EEUU to the
guerrillas parties in order to become against to the Nicaragua government
Daniel Ortega. All this situation was very difficult for Americans to go there
and therefore our trip to sail there was frustrate, but the sail vessel was
shipped to there to Port Corintios at the Pacific ocean cost and Don Guillermo
was working in order to put this vessel on the Nicaraguan lake. Always I was
wishing to join this trip but for any reasons was not possible.
I have to mention that as much I worked for Don Guillermo I was like part
of his team in the casualty of any trip that it might happen.
After a while I started to work o/b of this particular vessel FD 12. At the
beginning her name was in discussion, Don Guillermo was looking for a name.
I advise to name her YAYITA, but after a while her name was STARDATE. Since
that Don Guillermo became a broker he was advertising more than one vessel,
three of his own and any other who ever was willing to sell. So a British
person become interested on the Satardate, Don Guillermo was in charge to
delivery to South Anton England.
The first trip o/b the Stardate was to Vancouver Canada to register under
the British flag in order to sail to England. So the sail back and forth from
Canada I really enjoyed and than we started to prepare for the sail to England.
This took for a while we had to stall a new heater and all the rest of the
equipment ready to sail on the open ocean.
After a while of preparing finally the Crew was decided. I remember that we
were four guys included my self. Bill as a Captain, big Ed and Peter a zuicheland
guy. Ones that we new that this trip is going to be thru we got much exited.
So in my case I put on sale my car as big Ed did as well. To make it short
was on February 12 of 1989 at Shilshow bay marina just at winter time when
it was cold and freezing. we spend the hold day preparing and late in the
afternoon we went to the windjammer bar to have our leaving toast. The bartender
I do not remember his name, but he knew to all of us so he prepared a pitch
of kamikazes and he offer to us on the house, so we had our leaving drink.
By late in the afternoon we finale loose the mooring lines and every body
of us we were exited and screaming saying good bay to Seattle. I remember
that Bill’s friend courted us out to the bay on the power bout and Peter,
big Ed and the guy in the power boat were mooning each other I meant they
were quite drunks Imagine after a couple pitches of kamikazes. So I decide
to accommodate some of the stuff that it were all over in the salon and the
rest of my partners they remind on deck trying to hoist the sails and prepare
for the night of sail. For the time been we just were crossing the ferry way
and suddenly I hear big blast of a ship warning us. After that I felt like
we were in a big swell and I came out to the deck and yes indeed I sow a big
ship just passing by and we were balancing back and forth on the waves that
the big ship does. I remember that I felt not scare but I was talking my self
why and how we were so close to this monster that just passes by. I thought
that after of what it happen every body was carefully. I remember that after
that incident the rest of the night it was just fine.
After this first portion of sail and after all what it happens so far we were
doing just fine even though the night was very cold and snowing, every thing
was under control. So if I am not wrong the first stop was in Port Thousand.
For the time been we had already on deck 12” of snow, before it frozen
we had to scoop it out. So we spend a day there before to get to the open
ocean. Also I remember that some people in Seattle at Shill show were talking
that we must be crazy to leave by that time of the year, but also we thought
that we have a great vessel and every it must be fine I meant we felt ourselves
brabe sailors and we were so positives on the trip that we were programming
for a while before the departure.
Ones we got to the open ocean there it started the real dance, all of us we
got exited we were lessening as music Lee Oscar a and blues from Robert Cray,
inside the vessel was quite a nice temperature with the diesel heater that
we installed just for this trip and of course for the rest of the vessel’s
time in South Anton in England were the final stop suppose to bee. While we
were entering in the open ocean the seas also were more and more wrought with
big swell and strong winds. We have to reduce the sails in fact, in order
to keep a safe sail. Fore me was the first time in such wrought seas, but
I trust on the rest of my partners so I was just fine. Just in case they rented
survival safety units. I did not have many for that so I had a wet sweet that
in case of any emergency it was my survival safety unit. My partners were
talking that in this type of seas even with the survival sets we will not
survival to long. Any way I was just lessening to them. For me the hart time
was night time because I was not able to see much, lots of sea water were
splashing all over the deck and the side of the vessel must of the time were
under water. Some times the swell was big and strong that were banging the
hull that I thought that suddenly the vessel it might brake. Because of the
rough sea we sail out of the coast for about sixty NM thinking that it might
be less rough but was not. So one day we decided to make a tack toward the
coast, every body we got ready with rain gear and the harnesses in order to
work on deck. So captain Bill started the engine but the moment to put the
gear on forward the engine stop, he tried again and it stopped ageing I decide
to go down and check it and I order to started ageing and same situation.
I came out to deck and told to the captain that the propeller might coat some
rope or some thing while the sail. So I started to check all the ropes from
deck and yes indeed one rope from the main sail was raging and ones the engine
was put the gear on the propeller coat the line and it was like a guitar string.
So I went down to take a knife and cut the rope was not other choose. But
the line did not loose it up from the propeller. After a while we decide to
try to tack it was very hard but we got successfully. So after that all of
us we were down to warm up because the could was very strong image winter
time. We kept sailing under automatic pilot. But then start the most harder
part because embiromental damper from the heater exploted inside the vessel
and it was black smoke all over the accommodation and a terrible smell to
diesel. For a while it was really hard to support it. I was seasick already
but not to much but with that smell I got really seasick and big Ed as well
was seasic. I use to perform my watches just there in the coutpit. Even though
the weather was terrible but it was the comfortable spot for me. Well we kept
sailing toward the coast and one day the auto pilot broke it down and that
was even hard because we have steer by hand the auto pilot definitely came
out of service. So the captain decided to call to the coast guard and let
them know what it happen and the porpoise was to search information about
the distance and the entrance to the closes port. In fact we were lucky because
the seas calm down and we were able to steer the vessel under a nice sail
with all the sails hoisted. So all night every hour we have to report to the
coast guard about our situation. In the morning of the second day of what
it happen, a helicopter from the coast guard flayed toward us id order to
guided us to the entrance to the harbour of New Port if I am not wrong, ones
we were close to the coast a coast guard vessel came to us in order to guided
us to the fair way. Ones in the harbour we were inspected by the coast guard,
but everything was fine in fact we were assigned a sleep for the vessel. So
ones there the captain got to dive in order to take the rope out of the propeller.
So ones there were visited for my friend Don Guillermo. And he took the auto
pilot in order to repair. Few days after we decide to leave that Port and
continue the trip to south as originally was planned. Ageing we were coat
by very rough seas but this time little les than before. If I am not wrong
four or five days later we arrive to Cuss Bay. In this Port I remember that
also we spent quite a while. Peter signed of I did not got along very well
with him any way. Each of these stops we have to work on some thing. But after
Cuss Bay we were lucky, the seas were calm no more seasickness we motored
all the way down the coast until San Diego. I remember that we were wishing
to get into San Francisco, but also we were thinking that we better take advantage
of the weather and we rather to continue sailing south. Actually right there
started the fun. We really enjoyed the trip. In San Diego we spent a week,
after that we continued to south till Cabo San Lucas Mexico. I remember that
the seas were very calm, and there fore one day we decide to hoist the spinnaker
a big sail it was one of my favourites I got exited but also was quite hard
to keep it steady. For a while it was fine but there was a moment of worries.
My friend Don Guillermo was steering and suddenly the spinnaker flapped side
ways abruptly and I was inside and I hear and strong sound that I thought
that we ground but it was a gust that for a minute was difficult to control
the vessel and my friend Don Guillermo step on a plastic glass that fall of
and he got an injure in one of his feet. But after that it was just fine.
So we spent one week in Cabo than we sail to Acapulco, lots of calm seas that
some times we were playing with the sails in order to coat some wind, and
we also spent there one week, I remember there we were trying to cheat to
a Mexican girl. Actually they were advertising nice houses and, they were
telling that if we have credit card we can join a breakfast and get a bottle
of tequila and a t-shirt and yes we joined the breakfast. It was one of these
promotions. The main point was that every where we really enjoyed. The most
exited place was ones we got to Nicaragua. It was very cheap easy going and
very enjoyable, there we met friends that were helping us, we were invited
to sail with one of them in the bay of San Juan Del Sur a fisher town. We
also went to the lake of Nicaragua and sail on board the sailing vessel that
was donated by Peace Maker Organization. This place it is a paradise. The
only place in the world that exist fresh water sharks. We sail around, the
weather was just fabulous full of small islands and on each island was a family
leaving there. After this excursion in the lake we returned back to the port
of San Juan Del Sur and I found a snake on board how this snake got on board
I do not know. After to spend several days in Nicaragua we decide to continue
the trip to Panama an other place that we enjoyed I remember that we met good
friend there we baptism him as black cristo. He owned a very old taxi and
he use to take us to the town of Panama he also joined us to cruise the canal
from the Pacific side to the Caribbean side. On the Caribbean Sea we got a
very nice sail we hoist all the sails up and strait to Grand Caiman. Beautiful
place, but very expensed. We had fun there, the Caribbean music it is very
exited, I remember that I met a Canadian lady in one of the bars that we stop
but she got pistof because suddenly big Ed appear with other girls and we
went back on board in order to show them the vessel. Ones I went back to the
bar the Canadian lady was pistof. That night all of us were drunks. I remember
that we had the small boat right there in the beach. So ones we decide to
go back on board we took the boat in the water and we were going in circles
we could not go strait but finally we got on board. Tow days we spent there
and we left to Jamaica to Montigo Bay. Another exited place. I remember there
that ones I was along in the town I decide to buy mangos, delicious mangos,
so I was holding the mango a black guy offer me a knife to peel of the mango,
but after I was scare because he was following me asking for money, even though
that I try to call to the police he was really pusher asking for money. Also
the cheap Charlie was trying to sale us a wooden hand carving snake.
Other exited place was Cuba; in the way to Cuba Bill decided to take out his
gun and practice shooting to the sea, some body from us told him that was
not a good idea to keep guns on board so he decided to throw it to the sea.
The first place was Santiago de Cuba. We got there just when the help from
Russia was the end and Cuba had to face other economical problem. I remember
that Cuba since many years ago it have one of these places in the world that
it suffered several political situations for several decades, the Cubans develops
a special culture of live stile according their way of living, the kindness,
the generosity to their visitors it is just amazing. Ones I was there I experienced
things that ever before like the dollar stores. Supposedly was only for tourist.
But under the table the Cubans also were using. I use the black marked on
the money exchange. And after a while they in charge me all the dollars that
they got in order to buy stuff like clothes and the personal at the store
they knew what is going on. By that time the official currency exchange
was one American dollar per 0, 80 cents of local peso and it was call Intur
dollar. While in the black market was 8 local pesos per American dollar, the
difference was big compare with the official change. So I use to work in the
black market, but for me was easy because I am quite like Cuban. I got some
friends that they use to help me. Even the transport like the taxis was different
for tourist it was the Intur taxi. For Cubans was forbidden to get in touch
with visitors the Castro police was very jealous they were chasing them all
the time and if it happens they were arrested. I remember that I got in touch
with beautiful girl and we were getting together but in places that no police
were around, in order to walk in the city she use to walk in opposite side
walk of the street ones in a while looking each other to see if we are going
in the right direction that we suppose to met each other. Even thought it
was so enjoyable, memorable, it was the experience of my life.
After Santiago we sail to Baracoa a very Cuban town. it was a place that not
very often use to come tourist I think that we were the only ones. Same the
people were so kind and helpful. I remember that we had a problem with our
engine and we looked for help at one of the mechanical shops and yes indeed
they help us, it was a weekend and even thought in the weekend that they not
use to work they help us. When we try to pay they refuse to take the money,
they did not accept even the tip that we offer. Where in the world can happen
this only in Cuba. After Baracoa our next stop was Varadero a very tourist
town. On the way to Varadero one night I delivered my watch to big Ed and
after a while I hear that he started to be up and down from deck to the accommodation
and it cause me curiosity, so I went up to deck to see what it is going. It
was a nice smooth sail, nice breeze we were doing about 6-7 KTS per hour,
suddenly I hear the sound of a swell that the brakes goes to the beach
and disappear, so I scream to big Ed to turn hard to STB side that we are
going to ground. He stared the engine and turned hard to starboard with all
the sails hoisted up, so ones the direction of the wind change for the sails
it abruptly flapped really strong to the other side. we were lucky that it
did not brake anything. So I scram him to adjust the sheet from the Genova
but he did a wrong loose of sheets, the sheets and the Genova it were flapping
really strong that was impossible to hold it, in order to avoid the beatings
from the loosing sheets I have to lay down to the deck. After a while we have
everything under control. But for the time been, we have a big ball of messy
sheets. To loose it up we have to put the Genova down. After a while every
thing was under control again, we continued sailing to Varadero. This place
other paradise of the world, many people call this place one of the nicest
beach. In some ways I believe that most of the waters in the Caribbean it
is clear, worm, full of tropical colourful flora and fauna. We remained there
for over a week, Don Guillermo and Bill they went to Havana by bus, definitely
Cuba it is one of these places that every body would like to know.
After Cuba we cruise to Miami. A short passage, that it is why many Cubans
try to cruise to USA using several rustic home made embarkations. On the way
to Forth Larudale Miami we have to eat, drink all products from Cuba accordingly
to the USA Costumes it was forbidden to ingress to USA with any Cuban stuff.
So to the arrival we have to be clear any Cuban products. Ones along side
we call to costumes in order to get the clearance. We wait for over one hour
and costumes did not appear, so after a while they appeared with dogs to sniff
the vessel. The first thing that they asked were the last port of call, one
we mention Cuba they asked where the cigars are, or answer was according to
our knowledge we were not allowed to bring anything from Cuba. The costumes
replayed, if you came directly from Cuba we could bring about 50 cigars units
per person. I remember that Bill it spread black pepper all over inside the
vessel to disturb to the dogs. I do not know if they noticed or not. I signed
of the vessel due to that the owner need time in order to continue the trip
till England and the vessel need maintenance. So Don Guillermo and big Ed
returned to Seattle. I took a different course to England but by plane.
The entire time from Seattle to Miami it took for about 6 month a really memorable
trip. For me was ones of my first experience on international waters, I have
to mention that till now I keep as treasure these memories of that trip. I
have to thanks to my friend Don Guillermo. My particular gratitude to Mr.
Bill that rest in peace, to big Ed that hope one day to hear from him. Especial
thanks to don Guillermo for all the help, his generosity while I spend in
Seattle. With not knowing him I could not know what I know now.
Thank you very much Don Guillermo, I deeply keep in my hart all those beautiful
memories from you, from Seattle, from that wonderful trip after that the world
it have different for me. Thank you so much.
Sincerely
Luis Vasconez
El pirata ecuatoriano