Legacy: Transoceanic Expedition 2005

“Indi, run, come on, come on, drop everything!” shouts Nuno, the captain, from the cockpit. You should have seen how Jose Pañalver (that is, Indi) left the Ranger kitchen. Well, Indi and myself, of course. He was chopping vegetables to freeze in bags. I, across the room, was watching him while writing this journal, of … Read more

Sole threw herself back into the water today to continue the cleaning of the hull and to take a few photos of its current state. Nuno, our captain, gave her precise instructions about the area and parts to check. “Today I asked here to examine in detail the mileage log, a tiny propeller that records … Read more

Nuño Ramos is the captain of the Oceana Ranger. His connection with Oceana is the result of years of engagement in environmental causes and, more specifically, with the marine environment. Also, of course, because of his friendship with Xavier Pastor. A few years ago Nuño was one of his collaborators in the founding of MarViva, … Read more

The Ranger has been docked for the past few weeks at Harbour Towne Marina, in Florida, and the crew, captained by Nuno Ramos, is toiling to bring the work to a close. Everything must be in perfect condition before the Atlantic crossing, headed to the European coast. Amidst everything, Ricardo Aguilar, Director of Research and … Read more

While our diving mates were enjoying their non-vacation, Nuño, Carlos, David and I were working on fixing up the catamaran. Trim the rigging, change the halyards, check the sailing gear, shopping list, inventories, check communications … We began preparing the Ranger for crossing the Atlantic, and the closest passage to the Bahamas. Now we have … Read more

April 1st. Finally we reached Fort Lauderdale! After more than two months aboard the ship, the diving crew – Mar, Houssine and I – got permission to take a short one-week vacation to rest. After several attempts to get a reasonably-priced flight to Jamaica, Puerto Rico or Cuba, we ended up deciding to drive to … Read more

The night watches are peaceful; however, today we saw more boats around us than ever, most of them much bigger than the Ranger. A cruise ship passed close by us at full speed and we could clearly see all the deck lights and its passengers dancing in the disco; it may have benn heading for … Read more

At dawn we can see in the distance a line that sketches, through the morning fog, Cuba’s silhouette. The night has been calm and the morning begins the same. This allows us to observe from the Ranger’s deck that between the floating sargassum we can see the small fish that take refuge underneath. Others blend … Read more

Finally we are able to leave Isla Mujeres. We head to Florida with the hope of stopping along the way at least once to dive. One of the things that has surprised me the most on this trip is that, contrary to what I had thought, in this area of the planet the ocean is … Read more

Still we cannot leave Isla Mujeres. We use the time to buy groceries and prepare tortillas de patatas (potato quiche). During the meal we laugh, remembering a few choice moments of the days past at Cayos Cochinos. For example, when we had completed the study of salinity, etc., and were returning to the base, all … Read more