Maiden voyage

Although just 2 hulls connected by wooden beams and without its deck, mast, sails and sunroofs we could not resist laying down a piece of plywood to make a temporary platform, hanging the 4-stroke (less polluting) outboard motor in its well and going for a cruise.
Although this boat is from the Huckleberry Finn school of funky boat design everything seemed to be working fine and holding together as we made our way around la laguna under motor power stopping at one beach for swimming and a game of frisbee and another to eat stuffed platanos.
On the return voyage to our dock the wind kicked up and it was exciting to imagine how this craft will be when we can raise the sails and turn off the motor using only the breeze for power.

A special thanks goes to ex-volunteer Hannes who was with us for a year back in 2007 when we lived near Cusco.  Back then he helped me teach woodcarving to youngsters and made the decision to enter a 3 year cabinet-making program on his return to Germany.  On graduation he crossed the Atlantic on a sailboat and worked for several months as a yacht carpenter in various Caribbean boatyards.  Now he is here in Sauce and has worked with me in our house under construction making this beautiful hand rail

and he has really helped me move the catamaran project forward using his carpentry and yachtsman knowhow.  The outboard motor at first did not want to start having been stored unused for almost 2 years, but finally Hannes gave the rope one last tug and it roared into life

Greetings from Sauce Peru

Lourdes and myself along with volunteers Christina, Corinna and Inti have been hard at work this month creating our new permanent headquarters for Estrella del Sur.  We have put in an enclosed garden, built an access bridge for the front and found funds to pay for local workers to build walls and start the roof.  Thanks again to friends who have contributed to this endeavor.

When finished this Waldorf-based  and UNESCO-recognized community education center will have one large classroom, two small multi-purpose rooms, a bathroom, outdoor covered kitchen and area for woodworking and other crafts.  The idea is for this center to act as a pilot project for bringing the Waldorf approach out into the developing world.  It is not a school, rather an after school enrichment program whereby children and teens can explore creative educational pursuits including arts, crafts as well as academic subjects that they do not receive in their public schooling.  We also host a weekly club for seniors which is very well attended as there is nothing similar in this community.

Now we are looking for funds to finish the project, an estimated $4000 US minimum.  Once we have this money we should be able to get the center up and running in about a month.  It will be great to move out of our present small building and into this much larger facility.  Please contact me at  martinstevens@juno.com  if you would like to donate to this project.

                                          Inti and friends start work on front access ramp

                                                   almost done......(you can't have too many drills!)

                          maestro Simon chops grass to mix with mud for walls of 'kincha'
                          traditional amazonian earthwall-building method

                          helpers apply mixture of mud and grass to prepared bamboo substrate

                              Christina and Corinna about to prepare our new garden for planting