MEET THE FLEET: SV GARGOYLE

Kevin & Carla

From the moment Kevin and Carla departed Vancouver BC on May 31, 2019, their first “real” goal was to be in Barra de Navidad in time for the 2019 Panama Posse kickoff meeting at the end of November. That first five months and 4,000 + NM set the tone for the crew of SV Gargoyle, a 2011 Beneteau Oceanis 50. Kevin, Carla, along with their two cats, Sam and Dean, have been sailing proudly under a Posse banner of one flavor or another ever since.

Posse in Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua...on COVID lockdown

2020 highlights included being locked down in Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua with a number of other posse members. Once they were allowed to leave, Gargoyle beat upwind for nine days to the Galapagos to be one of the first yachts post-COVID to be allowed into these magical islands. After two months in paradise with the islands to themselves, it was time to head East for their first Panama Canal transit and a planned May 2021 Atlantic transit. Insert the Omnicom variant into the story and with Portugal telling them they wouldn’t be allowed into the Azores; they made a 180 degree turn back to Panama for canal transit number two. The decision was now to go the other way to the Med, via the Pacific!

Departing from Marina Papagayo in March 2022 with Dietmar wishing us fair winds from the dock, Gargoyle made a 30-day passage to Nuku Hiva, followed by a season cruising French Polynesia and Fiji. Spending cyclone season in New Zealand, they experienced not one but two cyclones. Leary of the Red Sea they decided to ship Gargoyle with Posse Partner Sevenstar Yacht Transport from Auckland to Cork Ireland in May 2023.

SV GARGOYLE on the Transport through the Panama Canal for the third time.

After Gargoyle made her 3^rd Panama Canal transit, albeit without her crew, what followed was a magical summer in Ireland and Scotland before a late summer run to Spain, Portugal and then the Med. A winter in Tunisia followed by this season’s cruising in Malta, Sicily, Italy, up to Venice, Greece and now where they sit anchored off Bodrum, Turkey. 24 countries, 40,000NM and yes, Sam and Dean are still rocking it with their human crew.

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sv_gargoyle/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/svgargoyle50

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOihVJ744XS4CoB71HixcFw/

Kevin and Carla are always available as well for a call or email exchange with their fellow cruisers. sailinggargoyle@gmail.com

SV GARGOYLE 🇨🇦 Kevin & Carla - Beneteau Oceanis 50

THANK YOU KEVIN & CARLA FOR BEING A PART OF THE POSSE FOR SO MANY YEARS!

by EDITOR

BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP

Beach clean up crew in Bocas del Torro, Panama

Stewardship in action: So much plastic we find on the beaches we visit is floating in from somewhere else. Local people appreciate all the help we can give to keep their beaches clean.

Report from Maison de Sante:

We had a nice group of Posse boats and local residents here in Bocas Del Toro, Panama who came out this morning for clean up on Red Frog beach. Many pounds of plastic garbage was collected 😊. The strangest items collected included a bicycle mud flap, a scuba purge valve, and a diaper🤢. Some people had to leave early so not everyone is pictured. Stay tuned for a future date where we can ALL participate in beach clean up wherever you are located!

SY BISOU 🇦🇺 Robin and Tad - Fountaine Pajot 44′ & SY MAISON DE SANTÉ 🇺🇸 Nicole & Keenan - Cal 46'

THANK YOU FOR BEING STEWARDS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT!

by EDITOR

MUST SEE: LAUREL FOREST IN SAO VICENTE, MADEIRA 🇵🇹 PORTUGAL

MUST SEE: LAUREL FOREST IN SAO VICENTE,

MADEIRA 🇵🇹 PORTUGAL

Portugal's Madeira Island is an island in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. Madeira itself is a sight to behold. The volcanic island erupted in the Ocean during the Miocene Epoch about twenty million years ago. After the lava cooled and erosion shaped the island.

The highest point on the island stands at 1,862 metres (6,109 feet) and the distance to Madeira’s submerged base at the bottom of the Atlantic is just over 6,000 metres (about 20,000 feet).

Madeira is a volcanic island of basalt rock, perpendicular cliffs reaching out of the ocean, and an east-west backbone of sheer mountains.

The spectacular landscape of the Laurisilva Forest is a strongly scented, integral part of Madeira Island's landscape. Its lush vegetation hides the fascinating indigenous laurel forest, recognized by UNESCO in 1999 as Natural Heritage of Humanity. The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relic of a previously widespread laurel forest type. Historians believe that forty million years ago up until the last Ice Age there were great swaths of Laurisilva forest covering much of southern Europe. However, today this ecosystem is mostly confined to the three Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira, Azores, and the Canaries.

Healthy Laurel Tree shrouded in the mist, teaming with life, and history.

The Laurisilva Forest of Madeira is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90% primary forest meaning the trees in this forest have never been cut down. This forest area dates back to the dinosaurs and has somehow survived almost six hundred years of human habitation. The forest contains a unique suite of plants and animals, including many endemic species such as the Madeiran long-toed pigeon. Madeira is … World Heritage

The Laurisilva Forest is not only a UNESCO site preserved for it's unique beauty and as an example of primary forest; this forest is also it is a precious mass of fertile forest that plays an increasingly important role in maintaining the island’s hydrological balance and biological diversity.

The Laurisilva Forest of Madeira has long played and important role to the islanders. Much of the forest is criss-crossed by a network of irrigation channels known as Ievadas which carry water from the fertile north to the more arid regions on the south side of the island.

Laboriously cut from the sturdy mountain rock to transport water to the island’s plantations and hydro-electric power stations, the levadas date right back to the island’s very first settlers in the early 15^th century.

Today, the the levadas still play an essential role in the cultivation of a variety of crops, including bananas, grapes (used for making Madeira wine), sugar cane and passion fruit, that grow in abundance all over the island.

Levada carrying water out of the forest. Photo credit: Visit Madeira

Interested in learning more of the history of this special place, click this link:

https://viajealpatrimonio.com/listing/laurisilva-de-madeira/

by EDITOR

CRUISING GREECE: AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY FROM ATHENS TO CHAKIDA, GREECE

CRUISING GREECE:

AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY FROM ATHENS TO CHALKIDA, GREECE

Karen and Darren Simpson aboard SV SMALL WORLD III 🌎 are part of the Atlantic (OCEAN) Posse currently cruising in and around Greece. This week they left the comforts and pleasure of a marina in Athens to cruise to Chalkida, Greece. Here they share some of their journey:

Karen & Darren aboard SV SMALL WORLD III

Twin Sails filled sailing to Chalkida, Greece

The Old Bridge of Chalkida spanning the Euripus Strait also known as the bridge between two lands and two seas

Chalkida, (is) a city perched amphitheatrically in central Evia. Chalkida straddles the beguiling Strait of Evripos, bridging the coast of Evia and Boeotian mainland. A modern metropolis pulsating with history, Chalkida embraces its maritime heritage and hospitable spirit. The city's allure lies in its unique dance with nature—the captivating tidal spectacle of the Gulf of Evia.

The one thing Chalkida is world-famous for is the peculiar tidal currents that flow interchangeably north-to-south and south-to-north through the Euripus Strait between the island and the mainland. It is this phenomenon that has given the city the nickname: Crazy Waters.

Reversing tidal currents are caused by the moon’s gravity and occur in all straits worldwide, but they are mostly imperceptible by the human senses. It is the distinct geography of Chalkida’s strait—its double-funnel shape among other factors—that make the local currents particularly strong.

The flow peaks at an astounding speed of 12 km per hour, which, for context, is comparable to torrents during floods. For most of the month, the current changes direction about every six hours with a clock’s regularity. But for a few days around the half-moons, it loses its pattern altogether, moving back and forth in chaotic ways.

The 38-meters-wide strait is spanned by an 8-meter-tall bridge, which, constructed in 1963, is the latest of a long succession of bridges dating back to antiquity. The bridge is withdrawn usually once every evening to allow for large vessels to traverse the strait. Given the powerful stream with its notorious vortexes, it requires skillful maneuvering to sail through. It is quite an impressive spectacle to behold. Due to the unpredictability of the currents, the bridge’s opening times are not standard. Estimations are stated on a screen on the spot and live views of the bridge can be seen here.

If you’re now thinking that it’d be great fun to jump from the bridge, you are totally right. But it is unfortunately illegal. However, this detail wouldn’t stop us when we were kids… Free-falling for a short distance, we’d then be engulfed and drifted around by the currents, losing every sense of direction within this dark whirlpool of pressing liquid, for up to half a minute. By the time we’d reach the surface, we could be more than 50 meters away from the bridge, laughing and waving at the coastguards who were always a little too late to stop us.

Jan and Karen enjoying the evening in Chalkida

Anchored in Paros. Med ties in the foreground

SV SMALL WORLD III 🇻🇮 Karen & Darren - Bristol 47

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURE

by EDITOR

AND THE WINNER IS....

The Ocean Posse sends a HUGE thank you out to all people who participated in our survey earlier this month. Our goal is to improve our posse and our benefits and it is happening! As promised one lucky survey responder has won a $250 gift card.

AND THE WINNER IS...

HEATHER JOHNSON

Lucky Winner raises her courtesy flag aboard her 1986 *Endeavour 42.*

Heather has graciously accepted her $250 gift card that she plans to use to transfer boats parts from her Amazon wishlist to her cart. Describing herself she writes:

My husband and I own SV Consort, a 1986 Endeavour 42, a slight upgrade from our 19' Flying Scot that we sailed and raced in Central Illinois. We originally became interested in sailing while on a vacation in St. Maarten when we took a snorkeling tour aboard a catamaran. While everyone was sitting in the back getting seasick I was sitting on the trampoline laughing and having a blast as we crashed through the waves, catching air, and getting covered in salt! The next day, while sitting poolside I commented to my husband that I'd like to learn how to sail. So, when we returned to Central IL, (I know, not exactly a place known for great sailing) we found a local sailing club and signed up for a Learn to Sail class. We enjoyed it so much we started sailing Lasers, Sunfish, Thistles, Flying Scots, and any boat we could crew on. Unfortunately, the sailing season in Illinois is rather short, as were the boats we were sailing on. We thought that maybe it was time for an upgrade. While we were in Florida for a Flying Scot regatta we decided to start looking at cruising vessels that would offer us a warm, winter retreat. I'd been watching listings on all the sites trying to study the market and find the boat that met our list of wants, needs, and must haves. Since we were in Florida it seemed reasonable to start looking at boats in person but we were NOT ready to buy yet...so we thought. We were in Cocoa Beach and getting ready to depart for a long, boring drive back to cold, wintery, Illinois when my husband said, "It's too bad that boat Consort isn't still for sale." Well, it WAS still for sale and the price had just dropped so instead of driving to IL we turned South and drove to Ft. Lauderdale where we saw SV Consort in person after salivating over her online for a couple months.

Yes, we had no intention of buying a boat yet but the moment we saw Consort we knew she was our boat. She checked all the boxes and it just felt right. We spent the next two days driving back to Illinois trying to talk ourselves out of buying her but in the end, we knew it was the right choice. Five and a half years later, we still love her as much and I'm grateful we listened to our guts.

We've been cruising between the Bahamas and South Florida for the past 5 years. Many people ask why we don't go further South but we have absolutely fallen in love with the islands of the Bahamas and the people there. We have friends we visit on different islands every year and are always greeted with "Welcome Home" and we are treated like family. After sailing the islands for five years we're still discovering new islands, finding remote anchorages, meeting new people, and we look forward to visiting every year.

Heather taking in the view from the top of the mast

by EDITOR

SAFETY ALERT: RAINY SEASON IS DENGUE SEASON

About Dengue:

Mosquitoes Spread Dengue. Dengue is caused by any one of four related viruses (dengue virus 1, 2, 3, and 4). The same type of mosquitoes can also spread chikungunya, Zika, and other viruses. If a person is infected with different dengue viruses during their life, it increases the chance of severe disease. Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Mosquitoes come out to feed around sunrise and sunset, but people can be bitten by an infected mosquito at any time. Aedes mosquitoes often like to rest in closets or other indoor locations near humans. Aedes mosquitoes typically lay eggs in containers with standing water, like buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flowerpots, and vases. During the rainy season mosquitoes have many many places to lay eggs and reproduce which is why Rainy season often sees a higher incidence of Dengue. Presently, all members in locations experiencing the rainy season are wise to be aware and cautious. Avoid mosquito bites by whatever means works for you.

Avoiding Dengue:

Wear repellent to reduce mosquito bites. Repellents with DEET or picaridin give the longest protection, but there are many less toxic and non toxic effective options available.
Mosquitos are most active in the morning and in the afternoon/early evening when the sun is on the horizon. Be more vigilant during these hours.
Remove standing water where mosquitos may lay eggs, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers. Check indoors items that hold water, such as vases or flowerpot saucers.
Close windows and doors or install screens. Consider using an indoor insecticide if you have mosquitoes in your home.

Dengue Symptoms and Warning Signs

Infection with dengue virus can result in no symptoms, mild, or severe illness. Severe dengue can be life-threatening within a few hours and requires care at a hospital although this is very rare.
The most common symptom of dengue is fever with any of the following: nausea, vomiting, rash, aches, and pains (including muscle, joint, or bone pain or eye pain, typically behind the eyes). There is no specific medicine to treat dengue virus infection.
About one in 20 people who get sick with dengue will develop severe dengue. Severe dengue can result in shock, internal bleeding, and even death. If you have had dengue in the past, you are more likely to develop severe dengue when re-infected with a different serotype, though severe disease can also occur on the first infection. Infants and pregnant women are at higher risk of developing severe dengue.
Watch for signs and symptoms of severe dengue. Warning signs usually begin in the 24-48 hours after your fever has gone away. Immediately seek medical evaluation if you have any of the following symptoms: belly pain or tenderness, vomiting (at least three times in 24 hours), bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood, blood in your stool, or feeling tired, restless, or irritable. Do not delay seeking medical attention.

dengue symptoms in the body

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THIS LINK:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue

by EDITOR

ATLANTIC POSSE

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OVER THEN NEXT FEW MONTHS BUT FOR NOW
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by oceanpossecom