cap’n alex 06 March 2012 | off coast of Brazil When at sea on a multiday passage Monday and Tuesday quickly fade to shower day (the one day on passage each crew gets a fresh water shower), half way day (the day we reach the the half way point to our intended destination, usually celebrated[…]
cap’n alex 09 March 2012 | Belem, Brazil Diego woke me up at 5 am to alert me we were approaching the first sand bars of the mouth of the mighty Amazon River. I had split the night watches into 20 miles shifts instead of the normal time allotment so that I could be fully[…]
cap’n alex 10 March 2012 | Belem, Brazil Belem (population 1.5 million) is the gateway to the Amazon with all international traffic flowing in or out the river passing through this bustling port city. We were made aware of this at 5 am when we were hit by a group of rowers. Being too hot[…]
cap’n alex 12 March 2012 | Guama River, Brazil We gathered together the six crew (myself Diego, Steve, Molly, Dave and Elias) for departure just in time to get to the boat and have to wait 4 hours for the tide to switch. The current was strong against us at five knots. Even though we[…]
cap’n alex 13 March 2012 | Capim River, Brazil One of the reasons for sailing up the Amazon was to find the Pororoca (if you have internet, you tube ‘pororoca’ to see) and to surf it. We were extremely lucky to not only be here when the waves came (there are only three waves per[…]
cap’n alex 18 March 2012 | Belem, Brazil On our way back down the Capim River we were approached by the local school boat, full up with pororoca partiers. The Mayor of Sao Domingo, wearing a speedo, was waving at the bow as we rafted up. I invited him aboard and as soon as he[…]
cap’n alex 18 March 2012 | Para River, Brazil With an outward flow 10 times that of the Mississippi River and containing one fifth of the earth’s fresh water, the Amazon river is HUGE. By far the world’s largest river, its basin drains an area as large as Australia with the world’s fifth and sixth[…]
cap’n alex 20 March 2012 | Amazonia, Brazil We are now in a labyrinth of rivers trying to make our way around Marajo Island (largest freshwater island in the world and bigger than 70 of the world’s contries) to get to the Amazon River (even though in Amazon waters the river itself is still days[…]
cap’n alex 21 March 2012 | Xingu River, Brazil Now motoring 24/7 to cover as much river as possible we split into two teams handling 8 hour alternating shifts. The debris is so much in the bigger of the rivers that a bow watch is constantly needed. A perpetual game of frogger is played zig[…]
cap’n alex 28 March 2012 | Amazon River, Brazil In the middle of a much needed rest between shifts I was awoken the loud cry of the Bubbles horn. I rushed on deck to see what all the commotion was about to Deigo and Steves announcement of our arrival to the Amazon River. After 4[…]