What does Trafficated mean?

 

     Long long time ago Kjell started talking about this crazy plan to buy a boat on the other side of the world, Trinidad.. I was also planning a trip on my own and he wondered if i wanted to join him as a crew on S/Y Spetakkel.. After many hours,days,weeks of thinking i decided to continue my plan as a backpacker and we hoped to meet somewhere along the line.

 

     I left months before him and really enjoyed life.. We still kept contact over email and phone.. After he left, Easter last year we found out that Panama might be the only place we could catch up... At that time I was backpacking New Zealand before heading to Fiji and the states... Central America was my last target.. I didn't want to rush cause there was so many places I wanted to see, so I thought: What happens, happens..

 

     After going trough all countries in Central America I had my last stop in Boca del Toro north in Panama, before heading to panama City.. Two days before I was supposed to leave I received an email from Kjell that they had arrived Colon before entering the Panama Canal.. I was so exited, and could wait to meet him again. The next day I booked my flight to panama City and hired a taxi to take me to Colon.. The plan was to meet in the Yacht Club there...

 

     The first face I saw when I came there was him. A bit more skinny than last time we met back in Norway but still his smiling face and lovely laughter... Finally, here I was.. Ready to enter a sailboat and sail where ever the wind took us.. At that time I was running out of time, and money, so I said to my self, maybe a week. Maximum 2. What I first realized was: If you are sailing, you need TIME. Time to wait, time to sign papers, time to get the boat ready, time to go shopping and time to plan things .. To go trough the Canal was a great experience, see all the people waving at entering the Pacific side..

 

Then I had already been on the boat for six days and the captain was sick.. Or maybe he just pretended so I could do some work together with Darryl on the boat..hehe

 

     We finally got away and raised our sails. What a great feeling. Just the noise of the waves crashing in the side of the boat.. Weather was shit with loads of storms and rain. But I didn't care.. This was great.. 3 (already) good friends sitting in a small boat in the middle of the ocean with storms, thunders all over the place.. We made great food, did fishing  (pic on the rihght) played music, singing with the tunes of Darryl playing the guitar. So relaxed and so fantastic..

 

     We arrived Esmeralda's, Ecuador after I don't know how many days. Had a shave all three of us.. Started to look like real sailors... Spent a few days there with great people. I was still a bit worried cause I should already have been home at that time.. But I didn't want to miss my dream, The Galapagos Islands. Thinking of flying to save time,  but I just couldn't leave the boat..

 

6 days of sailing with the boat leaning 40 degrees in MY side.. Yepp, my bed was on starboard side and it was just so comfy sleeping there hearing Darryl and Kjell swearing cause the where in the front and back of the boat, and the boat bounced a lot.. Happy days..

 

The moment we crossed the equator was great. I Think actually we crossed it five times (the same number as Liverpool had won the Champions League) all laughing and drinking speaking about if we could actually see "the line"..

 

Arrived Galapagos in the Dark and could finally put our feet on land again. Honest to god, I've never ever felt so drunk before in my life. Even though I wasn't!. The process of the boat on an angle like that for so many days made all of our bodies just wanted to go left.. Managed to crawl in to a restaurant and chill out. We made it. Teamwork...

 

Had a wicked time on the Islands. Not gonna mention that now cause it's already been in the letters. But:  All good things have to come to an end and it was a bit sad the day I had to wave goodbye to both of them..

 

   

Final Words:

     To be on the boat was so much more than expected.. From maximum 2 weeks to almost 2 months. Will never ever forget the time I had with them.. Have promised my self I will join the crew someday again.. You will know when the toilet picture is on the front page again...

 

Thanks for all you gave me on Spetakkel.

You will never sail alone...

 

-joar-

 

!  In the letters from panama and Galapagos there are more letters from Joar. we also made a few funny movies.