It’s been a busy week. Moving homes between countries can be like that. We found a storage spot not far from my mom’s house, dropped the bus off, threw some cardboard in the windows, some covers on the tires, and called it good.
Two days later Ali dropped me off at the airport and I was on my way. Decent flights to Aruba from Tucson are not easy to find. Ali and the kids were flying down on Saturday, which had pretty good options, but for me to get down there a few days ahead of them meant a middle of the night arrival in Atlanta, followed by an early morning flight to Aruba. About twenty-four hours in all. ATL baggage claim at midnight is a sight to behold. I’m not here to argue with the ‘Merica is #1 crowd, but spend a few hours here and you can’t help but realize just how many problems there are with our country.
I woke up just in time to see Gonâve Island as we passed over Haiti.
Then woke again as we touched down right alongside Bumfuzzle.
I was happy to learn upon my arrival that in just the past few hours Aruba had begun accepting the paper CDC vaccination cards and I wouldn’t need to get tested. With my health inspection done, I wheeled my cardboard box and plastic bin out through customs. Customs here in Aruba is the same every time. You stroll past the x-ray machine and spot four or five customs officers standing around talking and having a laugh in the corner. They are used to nothing but tourists with wheelie bags and neck pillows, so they hardly bother to pay attention. There must have been a lull in the joke telling this time, though, as one lady glanced over at me and waved me over.
“What’s in the box?”
“Oh, that’s a toilet.”
“Toi… Toilet?”
“Yeah, a ceramic toilet.”
“Uhhhhhh… what’s in the other one?”
“Oh, that one is mostly my little boys’ sharp weapons. There’s a hatchet and a couple of knives.”
Kidding, I didn’t tell her about the sharp stuff. I just told her it was normal household stuff. I explained I lived on my boat and was just returning from a trip to the States to move back aboard. She asked how much the toilet cost. I estimated to the best of my very poor recollection, knowing that either way she was not going to win an argument with me over paying duties for a toilet. Fortunately, she just waved me on, no doubt returning to her group to tell her about the guy who just showed up with a toilet in his luggage. Hell, I didn’t even try to hide it. The picture and description of the toilet was right on the side of the box.
The workyard had cleared out quite a bit since I was last here. I found a ladder and climbed aboard. The boat looked great. They must have gotten enough rain to keep the outside clean, and the inside of the boat looked like the day I had left it. Not a problem to be found.
The only casualty, a bead necklace that left one million tiny beads scattered across the floor.
The swim platform had really fallen apart the last cruising season. The teak from the 80s had worn so thin that I had begun to bust through it. We got a quote from a local guy to build a new one, but it hadn’t seemed great, and we had zero idea if he had any real ability to build it. As luck would have it though, there is a company in the States that specializes in building these. They had built replacements for Grand Banks before, so after confirming the dimensions it was a simple matter to have another one made, and shipping to Aruba, while expensive, was still a better deal than having a new one built by a stranger.
And yes, in addition to the swim platform, the transom and signboards are in desperate need of some varnishing love.
This had been sitting in the storage shed for a few months, so it was a relief to find it unscathed. How beautiful is that thing? And at 1 1/2 inches thick, I won’t be putting my foot through it anytime soon.
I had one day to get this on before getting put back in the water. I quickly sanded the support brackets and slapped two coats of paint on them, then slid it into place. Perfect fit.
If I’d had more time I would have sunk the bolts and put teak plugs over them, but for now this will have to do.
Our railings had a fresh coating of epoxy varnish on them when we bought the boat a few years ago. That held up surprisingly well for a couple of years, then started to crack. In Guatemala we had them touched up where they had cracked, but by last year the varnish was a goner. Stripping that epoxy type varnish was a job I did not want to tackle. The guys here in Aruba got them clean. As much as I like the varnish look, I know full well that we will never find the time to keep it up, so we’ll be letting these go gray like the lower rail. It’s not nearly as pretty, but in the tropics, it’s just more realistic.
Time to go back in.
Back in the water and all is well with the world once again. The shafts were dripping like they always do until they get soaked a bit, and everything else was keeping the water on the outside. The engines fired instantly, as if they had been run just yesterday. Water was flowing smooth out of the exhaust. Overall, everything appeared to be in good shape.
Time to tackle the toilet project.
Being the party boy that I am I headed out to the grocery store on Friday night. There were a dozen free sample stands mostly serving different alcohols, and a guy rocking the steel drum music live for the crowd.
And on Saturday, right on time, the rest of my crew arrived.
20 Comments on “All Aboard Aruba”
Welcome Back to floating life all !!
Excellent work, Pat, do you think you’ll ever go back to a sailboat? Your Grand Banks looks very roomy compared to your yacht.
We were just talking about that. 😉
Woop Woop “Happy Sails to you!” Ha.
Looking fwd to the adventures of cruising kids!
There is absolutely nothing which compares with the boating life. Best wishes and God’s Speed on your upcoming adventures.
Thanks, Rex.
Welcome back to the beautiful Caribbean. Smooth sailing and best wishes.
Thanks, Patsy.
That swim step looks fantastic. I agree that it’s highly unlikely a local guy could accomplish that. Bon voyage!
Hey Pat, I’ve been using Semco on my teak for 10 years. It’s like a Danish oil finish. When the teak starts to get a bit of gray, I wash it down with a green scrubbie, rinse, then put on 2 coats with a chip brush, wait 10 min, wipe off any excess with a rag. It’s a matte finish but keeps the teak color and takes me about an hour every 4-6 months. To get the grey to the same color you’d have to use the 2 part cleaner first. I only have handrails and teak cockpit seats, so your time may vary. Enjoy, swim platform looks awesome!
We did that for a bit as well. I think it wasn’t lasting as long in the Caribbean sun…I cannot remember why Pat stopped. https://www.bumfuzzle.com/key-west-lighthouse/
Good news! Happy cruising!
Thanks!
I’m sure it will be wonderful to be back on the beautiful blue waters. Have a wonderful season. Looking forward to reading about your adventures. Mike and I will head back to CT in early May. May we all stay healthy!
Mike and Lorraine Burokas
Coventry, CT
I’m sure you are excited to get back North for the summer. And yes, you and Mike stay healthy!
Fuel stabilizer in the bus tank? I swear by it in my winter stored cars. I’m also a firm believer in storing vehicles with full fuel tank, helps prevent condensation & rust in metal tanks. Run engine for a while with stabilizer to get it into the carb. Condensation might not be a problem in AZ.
We didn’t do much…she is 57 years old, and has survived this long with many previous owners. And don’t think condensation will be a problem but the 120 degree heat might.
Love your new step Pat. Mine is slowly falling apart as well. I have epoxied the heck out of it but will need to pony up in a few years if not sooner. Can I ask where you got yours? I’d like to see if they make them for my boat. Happy your boat was found in such great shape. I think “gray” is cool. Enjoy!
After the first broken board, it just kept on breaking. And Pat said when he returned it was really bad, like kindling. On a Grand Banks forum owners were mentioning these guys as the go to: https://butlermarine.com – got a quote from the president, and he even worked with us to have it shipped off to Aruba (which was a bit of a hassle). Good people! Price was $3015 (shipping not included).
Is it weird that I felt instantly at home when you pictured the cabin?? So happy to follow along with your travels!