It is hootin' in Kuna Yala. For the last several days we've had lots and lots of wind. It's hard to get things done when it's blowing so hard and so consistently. In these low islands, there isn't much protection from the wind - though the reefs certainly keep the swells and waves at bay. The wind generator keeps overheating in the heavier winds - its seems at a steady 25 knots after 10 minutes it goes into overheat mode - spinning and making a high pitched noise. We try to catch it and turn it off prior to that point - but usually we're too late! We want to take advantage of the wind to charge up the batteries, make RO water and just generally keep things charged - so it's bad when we have to turn off the wind generator because of too much wind. Michael is still trying to hunt out a battery issue and at this point we're hoping for some wiring problem rather than bad batteries. Replacing a wire is much cheaper than replacing a bank of batteries.
Snorkeling is also difficult in the heavy winds. It kicks up silt and the water's visibility drops substantially. Plus, getting out to the reefs in the breeze and anchoring the dinghy can be challenging.
The wind has us a bit boat bound - but we've still managed to socialize quite a lot. We had Honore and Walt from Will of the Wisp over for dinner; then went to their boat for a really scrumptious lobster pasta feast and dominos; and tonight we're heading for sundowners on Sapphire with Bob and Sandy.
Luckily a veggie boat came by yesterday and we stocked up on some fresh stuff. Being boat bound means we've also been doing a lot of baking - with some bread challenges. Running low on flour though … so we may have to resort to Bisquick biscuits…
Just a note for those who have sent us notes via winlink or sailmail. It seems we've had some that aren't coming through. So if we don't respond to you in a few days - resend it! Sorry if you're mail has been lost in the air in Kuna Yala someplace. We love getting notes and don't want anyone to think we're ignoring you!
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