Legally boarded - "regalos" paid

Friday April 24th 2009...The sail up the west side of Isla Margarita was not really a sail...this is Delphinus with the Isla Margarita Lighthouse (southwest end of the island) in the background....do notice how low her bow is now... This is the highest mountain on Isla Margarita and Paul has renamed it the "cloud-maker" mountain after watching the clouds form over it from the cockpit a few days ago. The wind just wasn't strong enough to sail so we motored and equalized the batteries. Over 80 amp hours back! When we made the turn at the north end of the island the wind finally had developed so we were able to sail the remaining 10 miles into Juan Griego. P&J had had a water leak issue and had lost all of their fresh water. Looking at the town from the water-side we thought it was a cute little town. We were told by others in Porlamar that the sea water here in Juan Greigo was VERY dirty (and the things floating here confirmed the fact) so none of us were thinking of going into the water (such a shame)! We were anchored along side and close enough that with a little help (the line on the winch) we were close enough to give them some of our water we had made on the way. So I made a salad and we were relaxing down below before eating it and Paul grilling a steak...when we hear "Lady H...Lady H...Delphinus"...Up I went...and saw that they were being boarded by the Venezuela Guarda Costa...four men. I asked on "our" channel if they were okay..."yes for now"... Then Paul and I went topside and watched as one of these men went forward on their boat and checked out their dingy and how it was tied on board...looked at the dingy engine...and three went down below...I was not pleased. I wanted to call over (on our chosen channel)...Paul said no...so we watched. One man was above...three below with P&J...we could see nothing! Finally J came up and hung a towel on the rail...I told Paul "that could be a sign"!!! We continued to watch. I could stand no more and called...all was okay...BUT P said the Guarda Costa would be coming over to us! I asked Paul what to do with the shotgun...he said for me to hide it in our hiding spot...I did. For a moment we thought they were not going to bother us, as they left. But, they came back...they had dropped one man ashore...there were three of them. They did not ask to board the boat...but I guess in Venezuela it is a given... (although a note...in Porlamar just a few days prior the Guarda Costa came by in a boat never boarded but asked to see our boat papers...I went below got them...showed them...they said that was all...very nice...respectful). I found it very interesting that one of the men was smoking when he came aboard the Lady H...I promptly told him "no fume por favor"...he threw the cigaratte overboard. Then one man was trying to tie the heavy Penaro to the Lady H railing...I told him no...tie it to the cleat...he didn't know how...I watched him fumble with it for a moment then I asked if he wanted me to help...what I took to be el hefe was still in the Penaro and told me no. Now remember none of these men spoke English...and my Spanish, well, when I am not stressed I can put sentences together using facile palabras y muy despaciao. I was hoping to keep them in the cockpit as Paul had put our papers above (he was hoping to keep them above as well)...but before I knew it Paul and the el hefe of the group had gone below...then before I went below...Paul had gone with one of the men and gotten the shotgun!!! (I asked myself...why did I hide it...now at least one Venezuelan Guarda Costa knows where we hide it!!) We began a conversation about the shotgun...he asked why it was not declared on the papers. I told him I didn't know why...Paul ALWAYS tells people that we have it (if he is asked) just like he told you (Paul had been asked)!! I kept repeating to him that we told him...we told the man that we used to check in for us...we don't know why it was not on the papers. So he asked to see some other check in papers from other countries (to prove what I was saying)...Paul looked frantically but could not find any. Meanwhile the one man that had stayed above (I was keeping an eye on him) came below as well. They began going through the bilge storage...yes, jugo and licor. They were looking for anything that did not have the red stripe that Venezuelans put on their licor...there were a few...I felt Paul cringe as they pulled out the only bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin (his favorite for a martini)...they put it back and took the largest bottle out which was the Kahalua. They wanted a taste...so I got a cup out...took the one out of the cabinet that was already open and they each had a sip. Then el hefe took the shotgun opened it up and began to load it!!! "NO NO NO" I stated!!! They laughed...he did stop! At this point I began to worry a little more...what control would I have if these men wanted more to drink and got drunk aboard? They began going through the saloon cupboards recklessly...found both cameras...took them out and asked about them...found the cell phones and took them out...asked about them...I told them they would only work in the U.S....they tried to turn them on but the batteries were dead so they put them back. Thankfully they did not find mine which is a world phone so all it would need is a Venezuelan sim card...I was telling them the truth...the two they found were no good to them. (This reminded me of when I was robbed in my condo in Mexico...but here I was standing watching these guys decide if it was "worth" taking!!! It seemed these guys were looking for certain things usable by them...like in Mexico they left the computer...took the cell phone...el ladron in Mexico took simple things...that they could use.) So about this time I started to get...well, as my friend Melinda would put it "pissy"! They found the M&M's and began eating them (was I to say no??) and one of the other men started going through the tunnel cupboards (I was keeping an eye on him too). THEN...yes, remember my blog of last year...Bequia...the 12 guage shotgun shells that I asked Paul to get rid of and for whatever reason he didn't...well, there they were in the hands of this guy!! THEN too came a hurried discussion of "where was the other gun"!!! I made the guy amused by telling him that the other gun belonged to un otra mujer that lived on the boat before me and she had taken it with her...he smiled, looked at Paul, believed me and THAT excitement ended, especially after Paul in his "oh-no" moment of them finding it told el hefe to "take it" and the wonderful sign language he used to indicate that!!! Meanwhile Paul and el hefe were having what discussions they could (Paul uses great sign language and can somehow get his point across even with no espanol or maybe not...I'm not sure...I wasn't looking or listening to what el hefe was saying). With one man in the tunnel I was watching...the other man went back into the aft cabin...I told him "no" that I needed to be with him for him to be back there...remember I was starting to get "pissy"...and to my suprise he stopped and came into the tunnel until I accompanied him back. Then I opened all of the cabinets...and...of course...there was the safe. He wanted it opened. I told him I did not know where the key was so el hefe was told of this "find" and Paul was summoned to open it. Paul had: Francs, Euros, EC, and Canadian dinero...BUT NO U.S.D...(for this very reason U.S.D's are NOT kept in the safe). The amount totalled maybe $40.00 U.S. but was of no interest...they were looking for U.S. dollars (remember the black market). I went back into the saloon, continued to watch the man in the tunnel while having a discussion with the third man about the fact that the gun was staying on the boat for security and that they were NOT going to take it. He insisted they were going to take it...I insisted they were not and was insisting that he go get his el hefe and return with him to the boat. It was now well after 6:00pm and I had my doubts as to if the real el hefe would approve of what these boys were doing. I decided to change the subject and began asking them how old they were (two were 18...el hefe was 24) and bringing up my own children to try to soften their feelings toward us. When Paul and El hefe returned from the aft cabin...this el hefe began filling out paperwork...took the shotgun and shells (that were for it) and put it back into the tunnel...he then turned to me and asked for regalos...he wanted tres regalos, since there were three of them...I said no...uno regalo...he decided to take the big bottle of Kaluhua and the 24 rounds of 12 guage shells for his regalo. They left! We were so upset that we could only eat the salad...and only after a little while had gone by...I had a difficult time getting to sleep as well!
All of us were up early. Our sail out of Juan Greigo was again mostly a motor...wind too light. By 10 o'clock or so the wind had picked up and we were motorsailing...we put the fishing pole in AND...a 47" female Mahi Mahi! Wes we caught it on YOUR lure!! Thank you!!! She gave Paul no trouble getting her up to the boat...but once we had her in the boat...all you know what broke loose...we alcoholed her gills and all was over except the filleting. Once we got underway again the wind had picked up and we were doing 7 knots under sail alone! We decided not to keep the fishing line in until we get more line...this line is all we have (until we get to Bonaire - we had lost all 500 yards of 60 lb test line and a lure on a BIG fish sailing down the coast of Grenada) and with 7 knots under sail if a BIG fish hit again (they seem to like us going fast) we could lose it and the line!Plus, this was a lot of fish to put in the freezer! P&J continued to fish...and just out of Isla Blanquilla they caught a 48" female! They wanted to gloat over the 1"...but we reminded them that the record is 60" held by...yes...none other than the Captain and chef of the Lady H...Paul!!! Over a wonderful "surf and turf" dinner (some of our mahi mahi and a Sam's Club sirloin cut of beef - it is so nice to have two big freezers) cooked by Paul, J and I discussed our feelings of being quite helpless...in this Venezuela Guarda Costa situation. We both were outraged that they treated us in the reckless and disrespectful manner in which they did and yet we could do nothing about it. In this Guarda Costa situation there was the potential for??? Yet...we had to be thankful that we were able to have only lost our quiet solitude for the approximately 4 hours that it lasted...and that it only took cigarettes from Delphinus, Kaluhua and those 12 guage shotgun shells (halleluia they are gone) from Lady H to "escape"!!!