The Jungle Medic

The following is a reprint from our article in Sounding Magazine. Enjoy.

Cruising does not always mean boisterous passages or cocktails on the aft deck at sunset. To the contrary, much of our time is spent exploring the country side and getting to know the local people. This approach for my wife Susan and I has enriched the experience far beyond what we expected when we moved aboard Sea Trek, our Mariner 40, and started the cruising life almost 18 years ago. Beginning in mid April of 2005 the passage from the Florida Keys, down the coast of Mexico, and wandering through the many Cays in Belize had been wonderful. But that did not compare to our fantastic experience upon arriving on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala.

We had heard from many sources, of the wonderful work done here by Bryan Buchanan and his wife Riechelle. Bryan is a certified paramedic and has done a residency here with a family practitioner and he has also done some dental training. Both he and Riechelle have been Missionaries in third world countries for several years, the last few here in Guatemala. They primarily travel to remote villages that do not have access to medical care and set up their clinic for the day, but they will offer care and medication to anyone that might need it, including the local cruising community. Bryan and Riechelle are known locally on the river as The Jungle Medic.

 

Each morning on the river at 07:30 there is a cruisers net on VHF channel 69. So when the call went out for volunteers for one of Bryan’s clinics we jumped at the chance, and so did several others. Crew from Nueva Vida, Dragonet, Island Time, Anon, T.O. Sea, Morenga, Balance, Rose of Sharon, Bold Venture, Pegasus and of course our own Sea Trek answered the call. Arrangements were made by Bryan to pick up the individuals at the various Marinas in his van on Wednesday and we all met at Bryan's home just outside of town. The turnout was great and we had 25 volunteers for our "team". Bryan instructed us as to what to expect and how to set up for the clinic. We were all also issued scrubs for the purpose of showing the villagers that we were part of the team and there to help them as opposed to just a group of Gringos. Bryan also noted that this was a very large village by comparison to others he regularly visits and it was also a very sick village. Because he had needed to assemble a large enough group, but until now had been unable, the village had not been visited for almost a year. He generally tries to return every few months to the areas he has covered.

The next morning at 08:00 we set out in two vehicles. Bryan's van with a trailer in tow, carrying all the medical supplies, and a Jeep loaned to us by one of the local Marinas. The village was approximately 45 miles away. Once we had left the main paved road the going was considerably slower. After about an hour we reached the village and began to set up tables and the supplies on the front "porch" of two buildings of the school. Immediately after our arrival the villagers began to line up for what proved to be a long day. It had rained that morning and all of the grounds were muddy and it continued to rain off and on several times that day. We all received thorough instructions on just what our assignments were and exactly how to perform them. Once everything was ready and we were sure of what to do the first villagers started down the line.

 

This is not a true Medical Clinic in the sense that most might normally consider. There are no Doctors here most of the time. We had one other certified paramedic and two experienced nurses as part of the group. No one tries to diagnose serious illnesses or treat those that should see a doctor or be treated in a hospital. Those people are told they must go to one of the larger cities for appropriate treatment and Bryan frequently assists them by providing transportation. Our purpose there was to treat the most common problems related to the lifestyles and environment in which these people live. The most significant issues are infections that needed antibiotics, treatment of various types of worms that affected most of the children, and getting everyone some type of nutritional supplement since the local diets are very poor and lacking even the basics. This is indeed simply putting a band aid on a wound but as we saw it does make a difference in their lives and they do respond to it.

This was a local village of the Kek'chi Mayan Indians. That does present somewhat of a language barrier since none speak any English and most do not even speak Spanish. And add to this the fact that there are over 20 different dialects. The few that spoke Spanish served as interpreters including the village Chief who helped in translating and keeping order as the day progressed. We could usually get the message across using some crude sign language. This village was very near a local tourist attraction so they were somewhat used to interacting with outsiders.

Each family was seen as group and at least one parent had to accompany any children. One thing that struck us right off was the lack of men waiting in line. We later found out that they usually won't come because it is not macho to stand in line with the women and children or to admit that you are sick. Many are also out working during the day. The line was very long and there were many children including some very young girls, only teens themselves, with three, four, and five children. These were the ones we were especially there to help. Riechelle kept control of the line and assigned numbers to each individual, but as a family group. The number was written on the back their hands so we could keep track.

Their first stop was at the table of either Bryan or the other paramedic, Mark. They determined the specific needs and wrote that down on a piece of paper with the number that coordinated to the one on their hand. They then moved to the next table, or station, and we would check their paper to see if they needed anything from our station. The paper needed to match the number on their hand since many mothers carried the papers for all their children. Most of the children required worm medicine which was liquid given orally. Next the children and adults were given vitamin supplements. They had been given instructions at the paramedic’s station by the interpreter as to when and how to take the pills or capsules. Next stop was for skin problems as well as eyes, and ears. Any needed antibiotics were applied by the team members. Their last stop was the pharmacy station. Each of the two pharmacy stations were manned by one of the two nurses on the team along with one helper that could at least speak Spanish. Since Susan speaks pretty good Spanish she was assigned to one of the pharmacy stations. Most of the items passed out there were some form of oral antibiotics to treat the infections diagnosed by the paramedics. There was a station set up in the middle of the school grounds at the town water pump. This station was to wash and treat the hair of the children infected with lice. We saw women and children from infants to ages I did not even want to guess.

We had started early in the morning and except for a quick lunch break finished up by mid afternoon. We saw, in all, almost 500 people. Several of us had brought along our digital cameras to photograph our experiences. The children were delighted to have us take their picture and then show them the results on the cameras LCD screen. Except for reflections in the water most had never seen an image of themselves. It was indeed a moving experience and we will jump at the chance to go again. At the end of the day we all had a good feeling inside and knew that we had made a difference in these peoples lives however small it might be. It also showed them that there were people out there that cared about their welfare. This was an experience that we will never forget. And the small space here really can not give it proper understanding.

At the end of the day we were all pretty tired but Bryan's offer to take us to the local tourist attraction, which happened to be a nearby waterfall, was too good to resist. We packed up everything in the vans and headed out. The waterfall is just across the river and a little up stream from the village. It originates from a hot spring on a cliff above that has a constant temperature of about 120 degrees. Pools at the top are better than any hot tub. The water fall tumbles into the very cool river below and the temperature difference leaves a mist on the water. You can swim from the very cool water in the river to the heated water as it runs down the waterfall. It is a great experience and we know why the tourists like to come here. This was the perfect end to an unforgettable day. As we were leaving the falls it rained again and we had a very cool drive back to our Marinas. We went to bed that night exhausted but satisfied that we had been able to give something back to these people that allowed us to share some of their beautiful country.

Bryan's clinics are not always conducted by layman. He has a group of Doctors from outside the country that participates on a regular basis and it is not unusual for him to have medical teams booked for a year in advance. He spends some time each year in the US speaking at various venues and is constantly finding medical folks willing to donate their time to this great cause. His funding comes from many private donations from folks that know of the good work he and Riechelle do, as well as a few churches that regularly donate to the cause. But funds are always needed and appreciated. Also many individuals as well as drug companies in the US regularly send donated medicines and vitamins. At the writing of this article Bryan is in the field with a full medical team for ten days.

Bryan and Riechelle also have a completely converted and fitted medical bus outfitted in the US and brought to Guatemala by the US Air Force. It has complete diagnostic, treatment and lab equipment as well as examining rooms. The bus will greatly improve the quality of care that Bryan and his teams will be able to provide these wonderful people. The United States Air Force graciously agreed to fly the bus down on a military transport. You can find out more about the work that Bryan and Riechelle do and see some wonderful photos from some of the villages they have visited. The website is http://www.junglemedicmissions.org and should not be missed. If anyone ever has the opportunity to come and visit here and participate in Bryan's clinic we highly recommend you do so. It might just be the experience of a lifetime. And you can sure bank a bunch of good karma. Chuck and Susan

A Trawler Makeover

With all of the reality TV shows bordering on the ridiculous this might not be a bad idea. We certainly are delighted with the progress on Beach House and the compliments pour in from everyone that sees her. Especially those that have seen her prior to our taking ownership. The transformation has been amazing and when we walk down the dock we sometimes have to stop and admire our handy work. We are still a long way from being cruising ready since most of our efforts have been on the exterior and redoing and improving the teak, paint and canvas. Electrical and electronics have been slow going and we have only completed what needs to be done to keep her safe and keep the on board equipment working. With the heat of the summer bearing down on us hard, it might be time to work on interior projects in the air conditioning.



As of now Beach House is official with her name on the stern and documentation number permanently affixed. We have been putting this off because the hull, although in decent condition, will be in need of a new paint job in the next couple of years. We didn't want to spend the time and money to paint or have vinyl made up for the stern and then take it all off for painting, so before the name went on, the stern needed to be done. In between two weeks of rain off and on, we were able to get three coats of AwlGrip 545 primer on and three coats of AwlGrip Cloud White. As is our usual practice we were able to roll the paint on without tipping and it looks as if it has been sprayed. We know that because the owner of the local yard came by and ask how we sprayed it in the water. We had the vinyl lettering made up by Speedysigns, http://www.speedysigns.com/ , and they did a fantastic job, shipped them to us quickly and were exactly as we ordered. They have a great web page, http://www.speedysigns.com/lettering/lettering_tool.asp , that allows you to try out the different fonts and colors. They do graphics and all kinds of lettering and banners, so they can handle almost any request. The installation was easy. The surface needs to be clean and the graphics taped in place and marked with a pencil. There is an applicator kit available and we recommend it. Once you are satisfied with the placement, the graphics are folded back half way and the backing paper is removed leaving them on a clear vinyl covering. The applicator fluid is sprayed on the area and the graphics are lined up with the pencil marks you have made. The entire surface is squeegeed to remove all air bubbles and then the clear vinyl covering is removed leaving only the graphics. A final squeegee is all that is needed and you are done. With one half done, the process is repeated for the other half. The results look fantastic and we have found in the past the vinyl is more durable and longer lasting than paint. And the cost is about 1/10th of what it would have cost us to have someone come to the boat and paint the name on.

We are also replacing all of the old canvas. Much of it is aged and worn and showing signs of severe wear and tear. So far we have made window covers for the lower helm station, screens for the port and starboard opening windows, a cover for the forward hatch that we just refinished, and the biggest project of all, a new bimini top. This was a week long project in itself and this is only the second bimini we have ever made. It was quite a while ago since the last one so it was a learning experience all over again. Several years ago we spent the money and bought a good Sailrite sewing machine. They are expensive but this was some of the best money we have ever spent. Being able to do our own canvas work has saved us thousands of dollars over the cost of the machine. To make the window and hatch covers, as well as the screens, we made patterns out of heavy brown paper and transferred them on to the fabric. But with the bimini, we measured the width we wanted it to be, calculated the length based on the stainless frame and add about ten inches to each end. Using 54 inch material we sewed the center for the two panels and then sewed the hems down both sides. Once this was completed we set up the frame using packing tape to hold it in the position it would be with the bimini up. Then the new material was laid over the frame and clamped in place with upholstery clamps. The ends were marked to follow the shapes and curves of the frame and allowing the extra material to overhang the ends. this would be used for the end pockets with zippers. The position of each bow of the frame was marked with chalk on the underside. Then the material was removed, placed flat on the floor and the ends cut as marked. The end pockets for the zippers and the pockets for all of the bows of the frame were cut, hemmed, and the zippers added. We also put some additional stainless supports on the frame to eliminate the need for straps to hold the ends tight. After it was finished and placed on the frame it looks great. By doing this ourselves we probably saved about $2,000.00 or more if we did not count our own labor. We are by no means professional canvas makers, but our results have been pretty good and we are very satisfied. Progress is being made and we have more canvas work to do. Painting of the fly bridge and finishing the flybridge teak is now at the top of the list. We have purchased two bench seat that are designed for pontoon boats and mounted them on the flybridge. They look good and give us more storage space, which was our biggest consideration for this purchase. We purchased them from http://www.pontoonstuff.com/ and are very pleased with the product and their fast shipping. They arrived in about three days and took all of 15 minutes to assemble. All of our projects should go that easily! So that is how the makeover has gone so far. We will keep posting as things progress and we hope you enjoy the information and find some of it useful.

For Many of Our Cruising Reports

Please do drop by our site for our sailboat Sea Trek at http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/ to read our detailed reports on our cruises to Cuba, Central America as well as our coastal trip from Houston, Texas to Beaufort, South Carolina. You will also find lots of information on our cruising equipment and preparations. Enjoy.

Refinishing The Hatches

We have not slowed down on the projects we just haven't posted because we have been so busy. The teak on the exterior is just about finished, leaving the flybridge yet to be done. For the last couple of weeks we have been repairing and refinishing the forward hatch and the hatch and entrance to the aft cabin. Both of these have leaked quite a bit requiring us to keep a sheet of plastic over the hatch under the canvas covers. Once we had them off it was quite apparent why. The forward hatch had two pieces of glass in it that was set in a grove with the edges exposed and held in with caulk. The caulk was old and in spots broke down and the water was able to get in around the edges. Once the wood was thoroughly sanded and the old caulk removed, we recaulked with 3M 4200 and put a nice teak trim over the edge of the glass and overlapped the wood. With the caulking underneath sealing everything it is now water tight. A good thunderstorm this afternoon affirmed that we had indeed solved that problem. A few seams that had opened up were also sealed with West System Epoxy. As with all of the exterior wood we had to sand off all of the deck stain the previous owner had applied. We did find a product at the local hardware store that was for removing deck stain and it did make the job much easier. Both the inside and outside of the hatch needed to be stripped and sanded.



Our preference for the exterior as usual has been Sikkens Cetol. All areas had three coats of the "Natural" which is the newer color that leaves the wood looking like teak without the brown or yellow hue like others we have tried. It takes 24 hours between coats but we like the Sikkens because as long as the next coat goes on within 24 hours there is no need to sand between coats. Once the 3 coats are completed and dry we apply 3 coats of the "Clear Gloss" to give it that varnished shine and to further protect the wood. We have used just the base coat but found it not as UV resistant as adding the gloss. Once again, 24 hours between coats with no need to sand. The results are a high gloss beautiful finish that everyone give us great compliments on.

The interior is not as exposed to the elements so for that we use the same high gloss coating we use on other areas of the interior. For this, we chose to use a product called "Ultimate Sole" (unfortunately, they are out of business) which is designed to refinish the floors but is excellent for any areas that a tough high gloss is desired. This generally also takes 3 coats and does require sanding between coats. It flows on with the consistency of water and is applied with a foam brush. The results are stunning and the finish is very durable. On the cabin sole this finish is no where near as slippery as more traditional finishes. We even use it inside the shower on the teak grates and trim.

The aft hatch was quite a bit more work. The hatch originally was a plywood core with teak slats overlaid and teak around the sides. Over the years the slats on top had leaked and damaged the plywood core. Someone at some point removed some of the plywood and stuffed foam in its place. Some of the teak slats had been damaged and repaired with Bondo. The whole mess was covered with deck stain. The first task was to take as much apart as possible without having to do a total rebuild, remove the foam and replace the missing plywood. While doing this everything was sealed completely with West System Epoxy. Once the core was repaired we acquired some old pieces of teak decking that was a perfect fit to replace the damaged pieces on the top. These too were epoxied into place in addition to screwing them down and putting bungs in the screw holes. Once the repairs were completed the entire hatch was sanded and any problem seams sealed with West System. The teak slats were caulked with Sikaflex, which is my preference for caulking decks. With the repairs completed the Sikkens was applied the same as the forward hatch.

Once all of the finishes had completely dried, all of the hardware was reattached and the hatches and doors reinstalled. Theses are the last two major areas on the lower decks and with their completion the boat is really looking good. Everyone that passes comments on how great the teak looks. We will soon begin the teak on the flybridge and have decided that we will also paint the entire bridge at the same time. We have also completed the paint on the stern and will begin putting that all back together and finally get the name on the boat. We are also working on replacing the old canvas covers including a new bimini. But that is for another post.

Product Safety Recall: Garmin® BlueChart g2 and g2 Vision v2009

Product Safety Recall: Garmin® BlueChart g2 and g2 Vision v2009

Posted June 4, 2009 | 09:17 AM in Marine | Permalink

CAYMAN ISLANDS/June 4, 2009/Business Wire – Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that the company is conducting a voluntary product safety recall of the 2009 version of its marine cartography data card known as BlueChart® g2 and g2 Vision. The affected data cards have been sold between April 8, 2009 and June 3, 2009.

In certain waters, the data card provides inaccurate indications of the depth of the water. This creates a risk of boats going aground, which could result in damage to the boat and/or personal injury.

While Garmin has only received reports of data cards giving inaccurate depth indications in the waters along the coast of Sweden and Denmark, out of an abundance of caution, Garmin has voluntarily chosen to globally recall all 2009 versions of the BlueChart g2 and g2 Vision cards. Garmin has notified relevant authorities about this issue and is working closely with them. No other products are affected by this recall.
Affected products are the 2009 version of the BlueChart g2 in Garmin proprietary card format, BlueChart g2 in microSD/SD card format and BlueChart g2 Vision in microSD/SD card format. Customers are being advised not to use these data cards for navigation.
Affected customers will be provided with a free replacement BlueChart or BlueChart g2 Vision v2008.5. When the 2009 version has been corrected Garmin intends to make it available free of charge to those customers. For more information on the recall and to determine if their cards are affected and eligible for a free replacement, go to www.garmin.com/bluechartrecall.

Check Your EPIRB Registration

We posted earlier about what happens when you activate your EPIRB. Now comes a notice that perhaps there is a problem with the EPIRB registration at NOAA.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - APRIL 23, 2009 - Cobham Life Support, ACR Products, the world's leader in safety and survival technologies, is urging all EPIRB and PLB owners to double check their 15-character identification code registration.

According to a recent Marine Board of Investigation inquiry, which is looking into the sinking of the scallop boat Lady Mary on March 24th, there was a discrepancy in the EPIRB's identification number, marked on a decal that the boat's owner had received from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after he registered the EPIRB.

In the case of the Lady Mary, the emergency signal initially received by authorities was regarded as unregistered which may have led to delays in response time while emergency center controllers waited for additional satellite passes to fix a location. Had the controllers been able to pull the Lady Mary's registration data, they could have contacted emergency contacts to confirm the status of the boat and its general location prior to a satellite fix.

"Because this situation came to light, we are urging all beacon owners to compare their 15-character identification code printed on the beacon with the registration sticker they receive from NOAA just to ensure they both match," said Chris Wahler, Marketing Manager for Cobham Life Support, ACR Products. "If there is a discrepancy, we urge the owner to contact NOAA immediately to correct the information."

An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) or PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a satellite-signaling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self-rescue have been exhausted and where the situation is deemed to be grave and imminent, and the loss of life, limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance. All US beacons must be registered with NOAA following purchase. Registration, including the beacon's unique 15-character identification code, often is made online at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov.

Despite the requirement to register all EPIRBs and PLBs, some reports show that up to 40 percent of EPIRB activations are from unregistered beacons, a possible deadly mistake when minutes can make the difference between life and death.

In an emergency, the EPIRBs and PLBs transmit on 406 MHz via the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system with the sender's unique, registered, digitally coded distress signal. The code allows emergency officials monitoring the system to tell who is sending the signal (thanks to the coding and registration data). Once the emergency is confirmed and location data is received from the satellites, a search can be authorized.

Wahler said proper registration is vital in the early minutes of an emergency so rescue center officials can obtain critical data about a boat's owner, home port, emergency contacts and other information to begin a search even before a satellite gets a fix on a beacon's location.

See our previous post on http://thebeachdwelling.blogspot.com/search/label/You%20activated%20your%20EPIRB...%20now%20what%3F