I have added a few new pictures from this month to the blog. The weather has finally cooled down so I feel like getting stuff done. My kids are working hard at school and that takes up most of our time. I have been keeping the boat clean and ready as I have a few people coming down to check her out. Still haven't figured out my engine problem but need to get some batteries charged up so I can turn it over when the mechanic comes. Not much else but having fun. If anyone needs to contact me about Vltava, my email is sunbreakeducation@yahoo.com or you can contact Shelly or Mike at lapazyachts@aol.com. Thanks, Allison

It's been over a month since I last wrote and things have calmed down here a lot. The leak got stopped with the help from Kevin(Sunbreak), Tom (Callisto), Mike (Tehani) and me. We've had two blissful weeks with NO water coming in! The problem ended up being a bung, which got loose, and water started to come in around the fastener. The water coming in was never a real problem, it's my bad batteries and lack of pumps which make it a pain. I have had some inquiries about the boat and have met one couple, who fell in love with her on site. They are trying to get the money together. I have some other people who want to come down in the beginning of November and are talking haul out. I would love to see Vltava out of the water. She has to be impressive.
The kids have started school, so that is taking up most of our day. I have been sailing with my friend Mike (Tehani) out to the islands for a few days and on Wednesdays. It has been great, as his boat is a 28 foot Herschoff ketch and all the lines are "my" size. He has been teaching me a lot and is hoping to get me comfortable enough to sail on my own. So, things are good here in Baja. I will try to be better at posting, especially as things with the sale unwind. Allison

It has been about a month since we have returned. it is getting hot down here which makes it hard to want to work during the day. I try to find stuff that needs to be done inside during the heat of the day. I have been chasing leaks around for the past few weeks. they seem to be getting stronger and I find myself needing to pump the bilges twice or three times a day. hard to get away! Vltava really needs a haul out soon. i am worried the leaks will get to be more than I can handle. I have a friend, Gwen, in Delaware who is willing to try to get my non profit going in the states. this is a huge task and I so much appreciate her assistance and enthusiasium!! If I can get a non profit status then i can try to get some grants to help with the upkeep of Vltava and keep the school program afloat. I also have her for sale as I can't stand trying to keep her afloat until she is no longer worth saving. that would break my heart! Vltava needs to be saved. her history and her sea-worthiness are reasons alone to keep her sailing. So there is a lot of emotion tied up with Vltava and what will become of her in the next few years. My dream would be to continue my school program while upgrading Vltava to be ready to do some of the Tallship events in the future. I am only dreaming now but I am here on this beautiful boat and it seems so real. Time to go pump. Allison

Well, I am finally back from the states. we had a good time visiting family, taking Sam to look at boarding schools, eating and hanging in the Pocono Mountains. Isabelle and I arrived home three days ago(24 hours late), Sam is in Washington, with our great friends off of Flying fish, having a blast(he heads to Hawaii in about a week), and Will is being fluid and working his way west to Start Evergreen in the fall. Vltava looks beautiful, except for the layer of dust on EVERY SINGLE surface! Matt arrives today and i already have a list of things he can help me with to get really ready for Hurricane season. I guess the boat was leaking heavier than when we left and Kevin and the Toms on Callisto and Seazure kept her dry for the most part and even repaired some places that needed it. Thanks to those guys I did not arrive here and have to jump directly into the bilge! Vltava needs a serious haul out ASAP or I am afraid of what might happen. that is another blog post, though. I am adding some pictures of my trip to the east coast. Allison

Hi Everybody,I have been on the east coast of the United States for about 3 weeks now. We are visiting family, running Sam around to look at boarding schools, getting Will ready for college, and, of course, shopping. I have been lucky enough to be able to work with my cousin, Lisa. at her catering buisiness to make some much needed cash and have some fun. I think I may have found the one job harder than working in the bilge and it is catering! lol! Very physical and demanding. There is never a dull moment! I got to, not only wash dishes and help with the parties, but also got cook with a good friend who is Lisa's partner and chef.. What a trip to whip up food for 130!!!! I will send some pictures of me in the kitchen soon. For the people who know me, they will be impressed, as kitchens and cooking aren't my strong points. We will be back in Mexico in the middle of July, just in time(or a little late) for hurricane season. As of right now Vltava is being checked on by neighbors as Tim had to head back to Southern California at the beginning of June. We had a small scare the other day when one friend, while dinging past Vltava, Heard the bilge alarm going off. We have had some problems with leaking this past year and really need to get on top of it soon. everything is okay and the problem is under control but it brings up the issue of having to get work done on Vltava ASAP or we will find ourselves in a bad situation. If anyone out there has any creative ideas on how we can raise the cash to get a haulout and save Vltava I would love to hear it! We have estimated we need at least 20,000.00 dollars to work on Vltava's bottom. She hasn't been hauled out in about 6 years, and anyone who knows wood boats, knows how bad that can be. We have Iron sickness around some of the fasteners and they have been the source of most of our problems. I actually listed Vltava with the yacht brokers in La Paz. I don't want to have to sell her but she needs a lot of work and I haven't been able to figure out how to make that happen. I would hate to hold on to her, dreaming, and wait to long for it to be feasable to fix her up. Please send ideas, talk to friends who may want to donate to our cause, people who may be interested in investing in Vltava and/or our school program. I am willing to listen to any creative ideas and suggestions. Thanks, Allison

P.S. After the first post there are more pictures so just go back about 5 or 6 posts and you will come to the beginning. Sorry. This is all getting very confusing. ugh! Allison

I realized that I sent the last two posts wrong. You need to go past all the last post and then some pictures to get to the first part of my post. sorry, still getting used to this. Allison

As I wrote in the last entry we had an amazing time in San Evaristo! After our four days of science experiments and our fabulous day sail we were exhausted but thrilled about all that had happened. Our last day at the school was a celebration of the kids. It was Dia del ninos (kids day) in Mexico and all the kids had been making pinatas for the big party at the school on Friday. We arrived early and immediately started the party with relay races and food. The kids had fun doing sack races,playing freeze, and dancing. We had a strange breakfast of pasta salad and hot dogs, we had brought the supplies for a lunch party but it worked great for breakfast too, so no one was disappointed. We ended the party with the pinatas and all the kids loved grabbing for candy and gifts that fell out of the pinatas after they had been broken open. The teacher in San Evaristo had an awards ceremony for all of us who participated in the week long science extravaganza and we were all touched and impressed with our certificates from the state of Baja California Sur. It was a real honor to receive these certificates of thanks and recognition and made each one of us proud of what we had accomplished. We spent a few more days in San Evaristo to wind down and to get ready to head home. The saddest part about leaving was having to say good bye to Nick and Sydney, from IWELD, as their family was planning on heading north. We left San Evaristo under full sail, but not before we were able to sail by IWELD and give them our, now famous, Vltava "salute". IWELD surprised us by "saluting" back which made everyone laugh. The trip home was supposed to be slow and relaxing but the boat had other plans. As we were arriving at the first anchorage we had planned on spending the night at, we realized we had water coming from the engine. Because of this we couldn't get the engine started and Matt, the captain, and I decided we should scrap the plan to stop for the night and just keep heading to La Paz. We were worried that if we anchored somewhere we might have problems leaving, with no engine, so we just kept going. The wind slowly started getting light and we realized we would not be able to get to La Paz before dark and none of us wanted to try to navigate the channel, with no engine in the dark, so we hove too and flopped around all night trying to make some leeway and stay away from land. the wind had other ideas for us and stopped blowing all together as night approached. To make a long story short we ended up rolling around all night, sitting watches and trying to get comfortable. When the sun came up in the morning we were five miles back from where we started as the current was pushing us back to San Evaristo. We flopped around all morning, spying wind that just seemed to be an arms length out of reach. We were able to contact Kevin, in La Paz, and let him know what was happening. We realized, that the way things were going on this second day, we would probably not be able to make it into La Paz in the day light and none of us wanted another night of flogging around with no wind. Kevin, graciously, said he would come save us and help us get in somewhere,anywhere, for the night. he was able to convince a good friend, Nick on JESSE MARIE, to head out and try to tow us in. They made it out to us in good time and were able to tow us into Lobos anchorage before dark. We had a good night of much needed rest and got up the next morning ready to get home. The tow home was easy and we had no problems getting back to the anchorage. After assessing the engine we figured that we must have blown some seal when we first over heated the engine and the water was coming from there. We had a hard time saying good bye to the crew when we got into town. I think none of us really wanted the trip to end! Jack, Matt, and I have already met for dinner to talk about our trip for next year. Jack, who had first stated that this was a one time deal for him has changed his mind and seems to be on board for another exciting trip next year. We even talked about going to more than one school and expanding the curriculum to include projects with boats and learning about wind, water displacement,and buoyancy. I think the best compliment I received was when talking to Jack he told me that this trip, and everything leading up to it, was one of the most memorable experiences he's ever had. Well, that's all for now. I will try to keep writing. At this time the kids and I are in the states for a month to see Will, my oldest, graduate from high school, and then back to La Paz to work on Vltava and get ready for hurricane season. I want to thank everyone who helped make this trip happen. The support and love we feel from our community is amazing and inspiring and we could not have been able to accomplish all that we did with out all of you. THANK YOU!!!!!! Allison

We have been back a week and we are frantically getting ready to leave the boat for a few months to head up to the states to visit family and watch Will graduate from Choate. The trip was more than i could have dreamed of! In the last post we were getting ready for our sea trial and everything seemed to be running smoothly. We headed out of the bay on time but realized, quickly, that the exhaust hose used on the new riser could not handle the heat from the exhaust and the hose started to bubble and swell. We immediately slowed down and turned around, and for the first of many times I thought the trip may be off. Before we could even get the boat turned around our friend on IWELD, who is a welder, organized a plan and we came back to the anchorage with Dean organizing the repair! this was Saturday and if I had had to find a welder to do this job it could have meant a week to organize and accomplish. With Dean in charge we came in and tied to his 36 foot boat while he jumped around grabbing supplies and getting the job done. Within an hour we were off and running again and heading to Lobos. It was really amazing!!!! We arrived in Lobos with no more incidents and were able to sail close enough to the committee boat, for the race, that we could all give them a full Vltava salute!!!! Eight shiny hineys waving hello. We had a great night in Lobos with the racers and then headed back to La Paz, the next day, after a big breakfast. We were able to sail all the way down the channel and had a lot of people taking pictures from the shore. We know we looked good and it felt great to be moving again! When we got anchored we knew we had about 3 days to get the last of the things done before leaving for San Evaristo. I was my regular frantic self but Matt and the crew helped keep me focused and laughing so all was great. our biggest stumbling block was going to be getting the diesel and food we needed for the trip. We would be going 100 miles over all and there were eight crew coming to help. We knew we were going to be gone for at least 10, probably two weeks. I figured we needed 400.00 dollars, minimum, to get the fuel and some of the food we would need. it got to the day before we were supposed to leave and I still didn't have any of the money that we needed. I was very disappointed and couldn't believe we could get this far, and now we wouldn't be able to take Vltava. Between meltdowns I contacted the teacher in San Evaristo and told him we would need a ride in his car to get there because I didn't have enough money to stock the boat. He was very sympathetic and warned us the ride is about five hours long over some pretty rough roads but he thought he could get us there. I started contacting the crew to let them know the boat trip was off and that we needed to work on trying to borrow a car or two that could get all the supplies and people that had planned on going on Vltava. My friend, Maureen, our only non-boat person in our crew, started making calls to Mexican friends of hers, explained what we were trying to do and what we needed, and within an hour she had gotten all the diesel donated and even some money towards food!!!! The trip was back on and we all decided that we could live off of rice, if we had to, but we had to make this trip on Vltava. We got everyone on board and headed out on the 22nd of April. The crew consisted of Nick and Sydney, from IWELD, Sam and Isabelle, from SUNBREAK/VLTAVA, Larry, from ROSALITA, Maureen Ryan, from land, and Matt and I. the excitement level was high and we couldn't wait to get to our first anchorage for the night. We were heading to Partida cove out in the islands closest to La Paz. Everything was running smoothly until we noticed steam coming out of the engine room. the gauge for the water had pegged it self and the engine was running really hot. We immediately shut her down and proceeded to assess the problem. It seems our fresh water pipe to the engine had sprung a leak and once again our trip seemed to be off. We put up sails and decided to limp back into town when from over the horizon a dingy appears and who could it be but Dean, off of IWED.(He and his wife had left earlier in their boat and we had shang-hied their kids). We explained to him what had happened and that we needed to go back to La Paz but he wouldn't hear of it! He jumped down into the bilge and worked his magic. The old metal pipe was removed and exhaust hose was put in place. We started up the engine and all was great!!!!! After turning around once again(and wiping the tears from my eyes) we slowly brought the engine up to speed and were on our way. We had a wonderful 4 days getting to San Evaristo, with time to play everyday on a new beach. Some of the highlights were being able to spend time with our good friends, off of SMILES TO GO, including Jayne, Adam's mother from England, and a self proclaimed land- lubber. We finally made it to San Evaristo and were pleasently surprised to find six boats waiting for us. We all got together on Vltava, that night, to eat some food and go over with Jack what we were hoping to get accomplished. Everyone was enthusiastic and excited about the next day so we got to bed early because school started at 8 am! The next day we headed up to the school with supplies for the days experiments, lunch for the crew, water and cameras. the three days we spent at the school were magical! Jack, on WATERDOG, is an amazing teacher and with in 5 minutes had the kids relaxed and excited about what they were going to do. We started each day with an experiment. The kids had to write in their science notebooks the title of the experiment, the concept they would be learning about, their hypothesis and any diagrams or charts they would need. Jack would then have them work either individually or in pairs to do the experiment and then they would discuss their results and write in their notebooks. The experiments included learning about force, preasure, gravity, fire and oxygen, velocity, just to name a few. We would then stop for breakfast and an exciting game of soccer before we would head back in the classroom for another lesson. Since the end of the week was Dia Del Ninos(kids day), we ended each day making our own personal pinatas for the party on Friday. Our first night in town we also brought out some telescopes and binoculars and spent a few hours on the beach looking at the moon a a few stars. Every one loved seeing the details in the moon and we had truck loads of people arriving just to look in the big telescope! Each day the kids and Jack got more comfortable with each other and the energy in the classroom was electric! The kids really loved the experiments and enjoyed all the hands-on stuff Jack had planned. On our last day at the school we took about 25 people(most of the boys from the school, and some of the older girls from town)and some of our friends on the boats around us and went out for a day sail on Vltava. Everyone loved the ride and we even got some good wind to sail by. When the kids were asked who wanted to go all the way to La Paz all hands were raised. When we got back to town we all agreed the week had been amazing. We were all looking forward to our party at the school in the morning and a few kids were even dreaming of their own sail boats. I am going to stop here as I have to do laundry but will finish the story tonight when I have the time. Keep posted for chapter two. Allison

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Sails coming down

San Evaristo

Allison at the wheel

Sam and Nick working hard

Isabelle up the mast

Special friends in Ensenada Grande

Vltava at anchor in Ensenada Grande

Sydney furling the sail

Dolphins along for the ride