Our Boat: Sulidae
This sail boat was built 104 years ago in Norway and modified over the years to serve as a tour boat in the Galapagos Island National Park. It looks like a small pirate ship right out of the Treasure Island, and its previous Captain looked just like the pirate “Black Beard”, according to our expedition head Pierre. Sadly, a few years ago, in a drunken feud over a woman, the Blackbeard fell off a cliff and died shortly after from the injuries. His ex-wife then sold the vessel to a German fellow who also owns a hotel in the area.
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Personally, I think it is the most authentic looking boat sailing the park. Other ones look like mini cruse boats and have much less character then the Sulidae. It is also the only boat Pierre used thirteen years ago and still uses when he decides to take a group out to the Islands. This does not happen very often. We are very lucky to have “landed” on him. The only reason he actually had room is due to a route change. He had a different route in the beginning (see map) and the unscrupulous park authorities didn’t approve it.
On the boat (beside us):
Pierre Constant - French adventurer, diver, and writer who published “Marine Life of the Galapagos”. Fluently speaks five languages: French, English, Spanish, German, and Mandarin.
Kirin - his 17 year old son that lives in Japan with his mother and Pierre’s second son Shinto.
Vivien - Pierre’s girlfriend (we think) NAUI diving instructor from Hong Kong. Self described as BBC - British Born Chinese. (I guess that makes Chinese Americans ABCs)
Monica - German living in Zurich, working for a Swiss airline.
Raymond - A 71 year young French Lady who kept talking to everybody in French with great passion even though the only ones who knew the language where Pierre and Monica. Plant biology teacher. Took a 3-week road-trip through Russia in 1961 with her husband.
Clint (32) & Chelsea (25) - a couple from New Zealand who’s been traveling through South America for a few months now (Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and now Ecuador). Planning to spend the next couple of years living and working in London to earn enough money to travel Europe.
Myles (27) & Rachel (25) - Newlyweds from Houston, Texas. Rachel is a material science engineer who is on leave of absence from work for 6 months. Myles was “in business” working for HP, but decided to switch careers and become a doctor. He got accepted to a Med School in Galveston, Texas but deferred admission for a year. They’ve been traveling for two months now (4 ore to go) through Mexico and Ecuador.
The Crew (who loved playing soccer with the locals in those rare times that the locals were other then sea lions):
Capitan.
Duncan - Level 2 Naturalist.
Guapo - 2nd officer, an excellent Panga (small motor boat) driver. The Panga was used for every wet/dry landing, and to go diving and snorkeling.
Leo - The awesome cook who made wonders with his 3’x5’ kitchen, cooking us 4 different meals every day.
Lucho - The divemaster.
Henry - The steward.
Nestor - The mechanic.
More Pictures
Personally, I think it is the most authentic looking boat sailing the park. Other ones look like mini cruse boats and have much less character then the Sulidae. It is also the only boat Pierre used thirteen years ago and still uses when he decides to take a group out to the Islands. This does not happen very often. We are very lucky to have “landed” on him. The only reason he actually had room is due to a route change. He had a different route in the beginning (see map) and the unscrupulous park authorities didn’t approve it.
On the boat (beside us):
Pierre Constant - French adventurer, diver, and writer who published “Marine Life of the Galapagos”. Fluently speaks five languages: French, English, Spanish, German, and Mandarin.
Kirin - his 17 year old son that lives in Japan with his mother and Pierre’s second son Shinto.
Vivien - Pierre’s girlfriend (we think) NAUI diving instructor from Hong Kong. Self described as BBC - British Born Chinese. (I guess that makes Chinese Americans ABCs)
Monica - German living in Zurich, working for a Swiss airline.
Raymond - A 71 year young French Lady who kept talking to everybody in French with great passion even though the only ones who knew the language where Pierre and Monica. Plant biology teacher. Took a 3-week road-trip through Russia in 1961 with her husband.
Clint (32) & Chelsea (25) - a couple from New Zealand who’s been traveling through South America for a few months now (Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and now Ecuador). Planning to spend the next couple of years living and working in London to earn enough money to travel Europe.
Myles (27) & Rachel (25) - Newlyweds from Houston, Texas. Rachel is a material science engineer who is on leave of absence from work for 6 months. Myles was “in business” working for HP, but decided to switch careers and become a doctor. He got accepted to a Med School in Galveston, Texas but deferred admission for a year. They’ve been traveling for two months now (4 ore to go) through Mexico and Ecuador.
The Crew (who loved playing soccer with the locals in those rare times that the locals were other then sea lions):
Capitan.
Duncan - Level 2 Naturalist.
Guapo - 2nd officer, an excellent Panga (small motor boat) driver. The Panga was used for every wet/dry landing, and to go diving and snorkeling.
Leo - The awesome cook who made wonders with his 3’x5’ kitchen, cooking us 4 different meals every day.
Lucho - The divemaster.
Henry - The steward.
Nestor - The mechanic.