"Arctracer" Letters

Update 3 - St. Helena 12 February 2013

Hello!

As I type this it is Tuesday, February 12 at 6pm. We are now two time zones closer to BROOKLYN! (It is 1pm there now.)

We have made it to the island of St. Helena and I finally know how to pronounce it like the locals. I'm saying it aloud now, but that probably doesn't help you. Shrug!

I have not been sick since my last note to you and the water where we've parked the boat is the calmest I've experienced thus far, so hoping it's over at least until we leave. The wind died down in the last few days, which made for much more comfortable (if slower) sailing. We even managed to sit, relax, and play a few games of Shanghai Rummy (a family favorite).

It was really exciting to see land for the first time in 11.5 days before going to bed last night and then to see it close-up when I awoke. When we arrived just after sunrise this morning, we were greeted by a school of dolphins. We then had to "check in." A boat brought folks from harbor control, customs, and immigration to us. They boarded Arctracer, gave us necessary forms, and checked our passports. My mother offered them fresh banana bread baked this morning. They declined, but then one man's face lit up and he said "You're Americans? Do you have the recipe for those cookies?" I asked if he meant chocolate chip. He said yes and we proceeded to give him the Nestle Tollhouse recipe. :) If I make them in the next couple days (I might) I will bring some to him. I know where his office is.

That wasn't the end, though of dealing with all those offices, though. In order to gain access to the island, we need to all have health insurance and evacuation insurance. We were instructed to go ashore and:
1. Go to the bank to exchange dollars for sterling. (You can't pay for anything with anything but cash.)
2. Go to Solomon's and get proper insurance.
3. Go to immigration, show them proof of insurance and get our passports stamped.
4. Go to the harbor master to pay a harbor fee.

I don't have health insurance. Know how much it cost me to get it here? Less than $3/day. Perhaps I should move here...

In order to go ashore, I had to put shoes on. I've been shoeless since Namibia! I believe this is the longest I've ever gone without them.

After going ashore and completing those tasks, we bought a few postcards and some bread and went to a place called Anne's for lunch. I had a mediocre burger (probably should have had fish!) with what seemed like the best Coca-Cola in the history of the world.

The stores weren't very well stocked, BUT the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) arrived this afternoon. I watched & filmed it. It delivers containers filled with supplies to St. Helena on a regular basis. Regular as in every 4 weeks, as far as I understand from a conversation I had with a man at the dock.

SO! Word has it that tomorrow and Thursday will be shopping days and everyone will be flocking to the stores to gather all the best stuff. Some folks from another sailboat advised us to get over there by 9 if we want in on the action. I can't imagine needing anything that badly right now, but I do want to be there and see what it's like. I imagine and hope that it's more civilized than, say, Black Friday at Wal-Mart.

Another plus with the RMS timing is that mail will go out soon. A sign at the post office said to have it there by noon Thursday so that it can travel to Ascension by ship and then from there by air. So the FEW people getting postcards MIGHT get them before I return!

Oh, yeah. There's no airport on the island. BUT there should be one by 2015/16-ish. Pack your bags!

I'm on Arctracer now, pre-typing this to send out (hopefully) from expensive & slow wifi in town tomorrow. As I type, the sun is half an hour away from setting and is casting a beautiful glow on St. Helena. Fish are jumping. Red-billed Tropicbirds (that's for you, Brendan) are flitting about.

Can't really complain.

I want to give you the noon location readings, but the logbook has disappeared and Mom & Jerry have gone to bed. I'll try to include them next time.

You're probably wishing I was seasick again so I'd stop blabbing! Okay, okay.

Ack! 2 more things. I missed a green flash, but I WILL see one. AND we caught our first fish - a mahi-mahi. From ocean to fork in an hour. Yum! More, please.

Love ya & stuff!

Sailor Hilary