Sailing with Obelix

Ya ya.. will be nice! Let's go sailing man... bring some girls, some beers, ... , will be awesome out there!!!
Marcelo's famous last words... * Out there! *
Indeed it was a beautiful sunny day, so the plan was on, sailing Obelix- 27 foot sloop. Maria came to meet us with her 2 friends and also our friend Renata, a total crew of 6.
So we all met in Urca where Obelix is anchored.The girls brought a dozen beers. It was a hot day, so we went to get more...
We borrowed * Gringo's dingy * a local / Uruguayan fisherman to shuttle the girls and gear.
All aboard, sailed away with Obelix - no engine, so fully manual sailing ("roots style" Marcelo says...) -
Beer time... so we all had a beer, relaxing and story telling while cruising out of Guanabara Bay. " Lets go to this island" , pointing out an island not too far away at the horizon, but not in sailing speed distance.... far enough.
The compass was pointing south, the wind was a good 5 knots and it was time for a second round of beers...
It was amazing to see rio from the sea, major shipping cargos going in and out the bay, Sugarloaf mountain rising at the end of the peninsula, wrapped around by white sandy beaches, Morro do Corcovado with Statue of Christo overlooking the city and the colorful scattered favelas. Granite mountains growing out of rain forest jungle. It is truly an incredible landscape blend in with concrete.
As we got out more into open water, the swell got bigger, which meant the boat was *rocking* the island seemed not to be getting any closer, " At least an hour more," Marcelo told us. The drinking had turned into water shots, the taste for cold beer was vanishing, the sun was warm until without noticed, the clouds where accumulating over the mountains then it started to get chilly at sea. We decided to skip the island and start making our way back as it was also getting late. Marcelo thought it would be a good idea to put up the spinnaker sail to come back with more wind. So he and Maria went to work setting up the sail while I held the rudder and snap a few photos. The wind picked up in the spinnaker and made the job difficult to set up the spinnaker pole, meanwhile the boat is rocking on a good size swell, the girls are quietly sitting at the stern while Marcelo and I are fitting to fit the pole into place." ohhh, don't feel so good right now..." The wind is too strong, Marcelo tells me... " I'm feeling sea sick! " I'm really felling like shit" - Oh great I tell myself, not felling that much better in my stomach, my legs were getting a little jellowy. " Let's take this thing down!" so we decide to just take it down. Grab the front!!! grab the sail - don't let it fall in the water!! Marcelo is giving me the captain orders while I'm standing in front of the boat trying to not loose the sail or myself overboard pulling in the Spinnaker sail without letting fall in the water. I nearly eat shit, but made it. The wind stopped as the sail went down finally the boat rocking calmed down, we were back down wind making our way towards Rio.
By this time, everyone was very quiet, trying not to get the sea bug, Marcelo is hanging off the side of the boat looking a bit pale, while he expels his last beer and peanuts and here I am trying to keep it together, but after eating a few bite of dried raisins, it didn't take long for my body to reject them overboard and onto the back deck. The only 2 guys on board are puking on side of the boat. Maria is the only strong one to take captain control. The others are just sitting, hoping not to get the sea fever... but Renata... she was the only one eating peanuts and drinking beer! - Thinking in her head.. " whats wrong with you guys???"
Marcelo Loves sailing, but like many sailors... he also can get sea sick when the swell is big. As we got closer to Guanabara Bay, the city was already light up as the sun was long gone behind the thick clouds.
It never rained, even if it did look threatening, Marcelo was feeling better by now, especially after getting rid of his last 2 beers. We sat with Obelix for the next hour chilling in the bay, watching the city scene from water, Sugarloaf gondola going up and down, police sirens, horns, fire crackers (or gun shot!) Thinking how peaceful it was out there, out at sea.
Now we had plenty of beers to drink, but for some reason, no one wanted any??? actually - Renata did!
we missioned back to shore to test out our jelly legs and went straight for the food buffet down the road.
Some missions... just don't go well with beer.
So now, we have lots of beer left for when we get back ...
Out There...
,
Captain Marcelo, paddling the dingy to Obelix.






Morro do Corcovado and Cristo Redentor

Copacabana under water.

Maria - trying to set the spinnaker sail.

Military air show flying over Rio.

Approaching civilization...

Going back to flat land...