one month project in grenada

Big group hug for James as he leaves the Micalvi Yacht Club for the Guardiamarina Zañartu Airport.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (enero de 2016)

The kids said goodbye to James at the end of January as he departed Navarino Island for a one-month job in the Caribbean refitting a 62' Chuck Payne aluminium monohull called Smoke - a beautiful vessel, perfect for sailing in the Chilean channels.  The owner is preparing the boat for sale and using Anasazi Ltda / with James as the central listing agent. James' management of the refit project was an ideal situation for him to know the complete inner workings & current status of the vessel.

Tough decision to take the job, as this 34-day strech was the longest he will have been apart from the three kids, but the project would bring in the final funds needed to pay off the remaining balance due on our replacement rig. It has been sitting, ready to ship since December 2014, at Ballenger Spars in Watsonville, California. Thanks to Buzz Ballenger for his patience and all his hard work to get us sorted with this project.

Our next next hurdle will be to organize the logistics & raise the funds for transport/shipping, and any misc. bits and pieces needed to step the rig.

For me, James' job away meant solo parenting of my three wild ones:  on Navarino Island for two weeks, then two weeks with them on the mainland.  As part of government health control, all pregnant women living on Isla Navarino are required to leave six weeks before their due date. There are no doctors, midwives, or medical staff/facilities for birthing on the island. This control reduces health risks for both mother & child and avoids a possible medical evac by helicopter.

My job in February was to pack up the family, shut down Anasazi Girl, and move us to the mainland to the city of Punta Arenas - 30 hours, 300 nm by ferry through the Beagle Channel and Straights of Magellan.

Our plan was to meet up with James in Punta Arenas at the beginning of March and then travel 3 hours north to the small mountain town of Puerto Natales for the birth of #4.

Big year for us - becoming a family of six and making big progress with our Chilean business, Anasazi Ltda. to bring us closer to getting Anasazi Girl back up and sailing.