Back to Mazatlan

Wednesday, April 1.
Happy April Fools’ Day everyone!!! No fools here!!!!!

We woke up to clouds this morning and they never burned off. It even looked like it was going to rain. I wouldn’t mind a good downpour to wash the headsail and the boat.

Today is the street market and Dave and I thought we would walk up the street and see what they had and also see if we could get a better copy of the movie Valkarie. I also need to pick up some vegetables. So after I had some coffee, read a little bit of the book I started, and Dave and I had something to eat, we were off. Dave wanted to get the walk in before it got too hot. Once there we looked at what they had and it was about the same as it was a couple of weeks ago. Dave did find a copy of the movie Valkarie but they wouldn’t let him open it to check to see if it was scratched. Oh well. It’s only a buck or two. Dave also bought another movie called Taking Chance. I picked up a couple of vegetables but most of their stuff didn’t look good. After that Dave and I were trying to find the restaurant Black Forest. We had a little disagreement on where it was. I thought it was one way and Dave thought it was in the opposite direction. So I was so sure I knew where it was I told him I would walk up the street to find it. He didn’t want to walk with me so I told him I would meet him back at the market. I walked a couple of blocks and the building I thought was it-----wasn’t. Well then I said to myself---“I hate it when he is right”!!!! So I walked back to the market but I didn’t find Dave. I thought that maybe he had walked down to the other end of the street so I walked that way too. I walked all the way to the end of the street and there was no Black Forest restaurant or Dave. So we were both wrong. But I do remember Dave saying, as we were walking to the market, that it was a street before the market. Hmmm. I walked back to the market and saw Dave. I got close enough to call him and when he turned around I told him it wasn’t in either direction. That’s when he said he thought it was one more street over. So we walked toward that street and we couldn’t tell if it was there or not because we couldn’t find a sign but we would look on the map when we got back to the boat. When we got on the boat we looked it up, and saw it is across from the plaza. Right where Dave said it was. So I had to tell Dave I was wrong and apologize!!!!! Mumble! mumble! mumble! Damn I hate it when I have to do that!!!!!! Oh well. No big deal.

I had the wonderful task facing me of putting all the groceries away I got at Costco. Another one of my favorite things. NOT!!! I got my provisioning list that I had from before and was going to go through all of it and then I decided it would take too long so I started just making notes where I put everything. I actually reorganized a lot of the food stuff and I think put things in better locations. Mostly I changed what was stowed in our cabin and the main salon and the seat I stow dry goods in. This evolution took about 2 to 3 hours. Dave asked me how it was going a couple of times and the last time I said eh!! Meaning I wish I was done. I only had a little more to do anyway. Dave made some comment and I asked him if he would like to do it and of course he said no way!! Its one thing to get the food but trying to stow it all is a challenge. But I did it. I will update my list I think after I make one more Costco run. I got it all stowed, which I felt good about, and pretty darn proud!! I’m allowed to pat myself on the back a couple of times at least, ya think? Some people just breeze through knowing how much to buy and all that kind of stuff. For me it is a real challenge. The more I do it the better I will be when it comes to provisioning for a month when we cross the Pacific. It is all a learning experience.

Now that I am finished with that little project, I made Dave and I lunch then gathered the computer and headed for the lounge to work on the blog. I was there for a while proof reading and making corrections. It was going to be awhile before I got to putting pictures in. Trying to read when there are a couple of people carrying on conversations on their cell phone and skype on their computer makes it hard for me to concentrate so I packed up and left. All the time I was busy with my stuff Dave was researching stuff on the computer about solar panels and other kinds of boat stuff and also playing his sub game. To relax he plays that or different types of solitaire.

It stayed cloudy all day but didn’t rain. It was still pretty warm though. I started fixing dinner and when it was done we sat down and ate. Then I cleaned up and went outside with a glass of wine and a cigar and enjoyed them both while I sat in my chair on the deck. I was beginning to see some stars in the sky so I figured it would be a nice day tomorrow. The breeze came up and believe it or not it got a little chilly so I finished my cigar and went back inside. I asked Dave if he wanted to watch the movie, Taking Chance and he said sure. So I made popcorn and we sat down and watched it. We both cried through most of the movie. It is a really good movie but is a tear jerker. All I will say is it is about bringing home soldiers who have died in combat, with respect and honor. After the movie we went to bed.

Thursday, April 2.
Today we woke to a warm sunny day. The breeze came up around 10:00am or so. It is really nice when that happens as it makes the boat stay cool.

I didn’t have much get up and go today so I decided I would work on the blog so I can get March posted. That meant I would have to go to the cruisers lounge with my computer. I drank my coffee and read a little of my book. Dave said he was going to check online about solar panels. He also got a reply from Hunter and told him that the fake window needed to be taken out to remove the screw, then put the cover back on again and put a new screw in. Dave had a couple of questions so he emailed them back and asked them. They had misunderstood. From the outside there are a couple of black oval shaped windows on both sides of the hull making it look like there are dark windows there but there isn’t. They were put there to make it look like windows to make the boat look better. Dave found out that the plexiglas window is glued onto the fiberglass of the boat which makes it strong. The Hunter guy didn’t think it was attached to anything and if we got hit by a wave it could bust that section out leaving a gaping hole. After Dave explained it to him, the guy said it was alright and we could just take off the plexiglas fake window and take out the broken off screw and glue the plexiglas back to the boat and put a new screw there. So I think we will have that done when we get back to Mazatlan. There is a boat yard close to the marina and there are guys that know how to do that type of stuff.

So after all that I went to the lounge and worked all afternoon. I proofed the blog and got the pictures in. It is getting late in the afternoon so I will finish it hopefully tomorrow or the next day. I packed up the computer and went back to the boat and fixed Dave and me a screw driver. While we were enjoying our beverage, Kim Hoyt, Brownsville Marine and Deli co-owner, sent Dave a text message. She, her husband Mike, and their kids are vacationing close to where we are and they want to get together with us tomorrow night. So we called and talked to Kim and asked what they were doing tomorrow night. We had made reservations to see and hear a flamingo musician play at the Black Forest restaurant. That was why we needed to know where it was. Kim said they were busy so we said we would get together Saturday evening. It will be fun and I am looking forward to seeing them. It sounds like they are having a great time. They are staying between the small town of Bucerias and Nuevo Vallarta.

It was time to get dinner on the table so that is what I did. Afterwards I cleaned up and then decided to write for the April blog. So that is what I am doing now. The wind has picked up. Usually there isn’t much at night. Hmmm. A weather system must be coming in. It was hot in the boat so Dave turned the air conditioner on for a while to cool it down. Now it is comfortable. With the wind blowing it will keep it cool. Well here all this time I thought the wind was blowing but you know what I was hearing? Dave was playing his submarine game and I was hearing the sound effects. Nice!!! I went outside and it is dead calm. That rascal!!!!

Earlier before it got dark, I put covers on the two fenders that didn’t have them on. I’m getting ready for tomorrow when we move the boat over to the other slip beside us to wash and wax the port side of the hull. We decided to do it ourselves. We did a great job. So that is what is planned for the morning time after coffee and breakfast. Oh yea!!!!

Friday, April 3.
It was cloudy this morning when we got up but started to burn off. The breeze was starting to blow so I thought we would need to move the boat soon. I had to walk up and use the facilities and when I returned, Deb in s/v Black Dog, said she was going to make my day. She had gotten some of the hard water spot remover and showed me where she cleaned on her hull. It took all those nasty dry spots away. So Dave said that instead of washing and waxing the boat, which it already had a good wax job before we left Mazatlan, we would go to the marine store in Puerto Vallarta and get some. Deb asked if we could get another one for her too and we said of course. Then another one of our friendly cruising friends happen to be standing there and said he needed the diapers to wipe up oil and such in the boat. So we said we could pick some up for him as well. So off we went. We also decided to go to Mega on the way back and get some groceries and then next week I would go by myself and get the rest of the stuff I need. I think we will probably leave La Cruz a week from tomorrow. I need to get some sightseeing done and picture taking. Off we went to catch the bus at the main road. We only had to wait about 5 minutes before a bus came. We got off the bus across the street from the marine store and crossed the street and did our shopping. Then we caught a bus to Mega in Bucerias. I checked our bags and grabbed a cart and off I went. Dave went to the ATM to get more cash. I shopped as quickly as I could because I know how Dave hates to walk around doing nothing. He was really good about it though. I was almost done when he said he would go out to where the benches are and sit and wait for me. I remembered I needed to get some vitamins and junior aspirin so I hurried to the pharmacy area and picked them up then got in line to check out. The line I was in had a new checker. It looked to me as though most of the lines were moving at the same rate. Slow - so I stayed put. This time I didn’t have a problem with the debit card. Of course I didn’t spend nearly the amount here as I did at Costco. When the bill was finally paid I got my bag from the checkout counter and we walked outside and hailed a cab. It only cost us 60 pesos which is cheaper than I thought it was going to be. When we got to the marina and walked inside the gate to get a dock cart it was gone. So we had to prop the door open while we carried the groceries from the cab to inside the gate. Dave paid the driver and we proceeded to gather what we could carry to the boat. A nice Mexican worker came to help and we were able to carry all of the groceries between the three of us to the boat. Dave paid him a few pesos for his help and I went below to put things away. I actually was really hunger. All I have had all day so far was a couple pieces of banana bread. So I fixed Dave and me a sandwich. I ate mine and put Dave’s in the refrigerator as he was delivering the diapers (oil pads) to our friend Mark. I gave Deb her bottle of spot remover and she was a happy camper. After I ate my sandwich I booted up the computer because I remembered I hadn’t written about putting all the Costco groceries away. So I did that and then Dave came back. He was surprised the groceries hadn’t been put away. He said he stayed away a little longer so he wouldn’t be in my way. Nice guy eh?! I told him his sandwich was in the refrigerator so he got it and went and sat at his computer at the chart table. He was out of my way so I put the groceries away and vacuum packed a few things. I ran out of steam toward the last part of stowing and decided I would put the rest away tomorrow. I wanted to write about today before we got dressed to go to dinner at the Black Forest restaurant. I think it will be a fun night. John and Sandy will be there with friends of theirs. It will be good to see John and Sandy again. I have to see if they are going to make another Costco run before they leave because then we could hitch a ride with them. They are leaving the first part of the week. Well I have to go get ready for dinner. When I come back I will tell you about our evening. By the way---it clouded up again. No rain though. It is just strange. Oh well. Dave and Christy from s/v Kailani are leaving tonight about midnight to get around Cabo Corrientes by 5:00am. They are headed for South America. I wish them a really safe trip. We have had a lot of fun. During our travels so far we have met some really neat people. Eventually we meet again and then like Christy and Dave, we may never see them again. But that is the beauty of it all. It has enriched our lives to have met these people.

Dinner was absolutely delicious. I had a salad that had a sample of all the salads they serve. It was pretty good. I ordered Chicken breast India which was sliced chicken breast in curry mango sauce. It was to die for. There wasn’t a heavy curry taste. Dave and I are not curry lovers but this was good. Dave had a taste and he said it was good. He ordered stroganoff and said it was delicious. A glass of wine was kind of expensive and the bottled wine was too so we decided to order a large margarita. They were perfect as they lasted way beyond the meal. While we were eating a couple walked in with guitars strapped on their backs. They were the flamingo entertainment. They got all set up and then they started to play. At first you couldn’t hear them well due to all the talking going on, but after their first song was finished and people clapped, then everyone started to listen and talk less. They were really good. Some people got up and danced and there were a couple of ladies at another table that really liked to whistle. I’m talking the kind of whistling you do in a sports arena where it is loud. After a while she quit whistling. Thank goodness. When we had finished our dinner, the dessert menu came up. Dave and I both ordered the warmed apple strudel served with ice cream topped with chocolate sauce. Yum!!!! We finished our margaritas and a little later ordered coffee. We sat and watched the performers play and people dance and have a good time. They even formed a conga line. This is a small restaurant so they couldn’t conga very much. It was fun to watch them have fun. About 8:30pm the performers stopped and people started leaving. We bought a CD and will have fun listening to it without all the noise in the background. We saw Sandy and John with their friends and our table was right next to theirs. We had a great time and after the music stopped we said goodbye to everyone and walked back to the boat. John and Sandy had their car with them and Sandy was the designated driver. John had two large margaritas!! They said they will let us know when they do another Costco run. That will be super.

We are so full we are just vegging. I got an email from Dani, our daughter-in-law and she said her and the baby are doing just fine. Oh yeah. We are going to be grandparents again. Michael will come home in August and settle back into a routine and then that routine will change again after the baby is born. Yeehaw!!! Both parents are excited. So I answered her email and then I wrote an email to Michael. Now I am going to read my book. Good night.

Saturday, April 4.
It is cloudy again today. I thought we were going to move the boat over to the other slip but we didn’t. Neither one of us really wanted to exert that much energy. I was tired and Dave wanted to make a bridle for the anchor chain which meant he needed to get some rope and splice the ends to the bridle. I put what was left of the groceries I got yesterday away and added them to my provision list of where items are stowed. Then I read my book. What I really wanted to do is take a nap but decided not to succumb. I remembered I wanted to cut off one of my long dresses and hem it so that is what I did. I was almost finished with hemming when we heard someone call to us from outside. It was a little boy telling me his mom had our laundered clothes and she could deliver them. I asked if the clothes were up at the cruising lounge lobby and he said yes so I told him I would get them. I walked up there with cart in hand and paid her for doing our laundry and bringing it back and then I returned to the boat. I didn’t feel like putting them away right then so I just set them off to the side out of the way and went back and finished hemming the dress. Now I have 2 short dresses I can wear.

Dave and I were wondering if we would hear from Kim and Mike and soon after we said something about it we got a text message from Kim wanting to know when we would get together. After Dave and Kim spent some time texting back and forth, we decided to meet them at their resort hotel, Samba Pueblo Bonito. It is really close to the Mega grocery store in Bucerias. If we took a bus we would have to get off at the Mega store and then catch a cab to the resort area. To make things easier we got a cab at the marina that would take us directly to the hotel. When we got there and walked into the lobby Mike was waiting for us. Kim was on her way. We said our hellos and then we sat down and talked a little bit. Then we took off in a cab to Bucerias to have dinner. They left the kids at the hotel. We arrived in the central part of Bucerias and got out of the cab. The driver was paid then we walked to the plaza. We were getting hungry and we told Mike and Kim about Michael Angel restaurant where we had eaten the last time we came to Bucerias. Before we got there we stopped in the plaza and looked at the Huichol jewelry and art work. Kim was looking for gifts to take back with her. She found one thing and bought it and I got bought a bracelet. Then we went to dinner. We had a nice time. We ordered our margaritas and then ordered dinner. As we were waiting for dinner to show up, Kim communed with the parrots. They like her. I tried to talk to them and they would walk away. Oh well. Once we finished our dinner Kim and I headed out to the shops while the guys paid the bill. She was still looking for gifts. She ended up getting a couple more things but she was also looking for aprons. Unfortunately the aprons we found had a male appendage under a flap. I don’t think that would go over to well at the Brownsville Deli. So we kept looking and walking toward the bar that we visited the last time where our friend Tom sang karaoke. The waiter was sitting in the doorway and I walked up to him and said hello. He recognized me and shook my hand and then he saw Dave. We talked to him a little bit and introduced Mike and Kim. Then we said goodbye and walked on. Most of the shops were starting to close so Kim would have to find the rest of her gifts tomorrow or at the airport on Monday. We finally ended up at the Bucerias Garden bar and restaurant where the band was going to play. We know one of the band members as he had his boat towed in by the port captain and tied to a dock in the marina. His anchor chain broke and his boat was floating around in the anchorage dangerously close to other boats. We talked to him after his boat was tied up and that is how we found out about the anchor chain breaking. So we went into the courtyard and found a table and sat down and ordered beer and margaritas. We visited and then the band members started to show up and set up their equipment. They travel around to different towns. They play at a restaurant and bar on Tuesday and Wednesdays in La Cruz, then for the weekend they play at the Bucerias Gardens. We danced a little and you could tell Kim was having a good time. I think Mike was too, but he confessed later that he hated to dance. The music was good and the waitress was entertaining as she played a tambourine and danced on top of the bar. Dave and I ended up closing down the place and Mike and Kim left just before they closed. Mike had had enough to drink and needed to go to bed. So we said goodbye and told them to come and visit us tomorrow. They said they would. They got a cab back to their hotel and we sat and listened some more to the band and ordered another beer and a tequila shot. When the band took a break, Nicholas, from the band and the guy that owned the boat that the anchor chain broke on, came over and started talking. Then after the band was done and the bar announced they were closing, Nicholas said he and one of the other band members would take us back to the marina. Sweet!!!! That saved us a cab fare. They dropped us by our gate and we said goodbye and thanked them for the ride. We got to the boat and got ready for bed. It was a fun evening.

Sunday, April 5.
We hung around the boat waiting to hear from Kim and Mike to find out when they would be coming out. Later that afternoon we got a text message from Kim saying they would leave after Mike played soccer with Matt. So they finally arrived around 4 or 5. I made them a Mexican margarita and I was in the galley making a snack when Kim came down to visit. We ended up talking about Mexican recipes and I shared my Mexican cookbook with her. She found a couple of recipes and copied them then Mike and Dave came down from the cockpit and we sat and talked for a little bit. Then we took them on a tour of the marina. It was dinner time so we walked into town to see if our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Cava, was open and it was. So we had a nice meal and visit. After dinner they had to leave so we walked them to the main street where they caught a cab back to their hotel. It was sure good to see them and have some time to spend with them. The Wednesday night dinner at the deli is going to be Mexican and I’m sure it will be delicious. She is bringing back a little of Mexico with her to share with everyone. Awesome!!

Dave and I walked back to the boat and just relaxed.

Monday, April 6.
It’s another beautiful day with a nice breeze. Today we are making a trip to Costco. We will take the bus to Nuevo Vallarta and meet Sandy there and then go to Costco. I wanted to get some more big items that I wasn’t sure if we could get at the other stores. Not many Costco stores down here. You see a lot of Sam’s Clubs. I think we will end up getting a membership to Sam’s Club in addition to Costco. After we got our groceries, we went to renew our membership but they couldn’t renew the one in the states but they signed us up for a Mexico membership which works out to be about the same as we pay in the States and we can even use it in the States. So once that was all taken care of, Sandy had already put her stuff in the van and came back and asked if we wanted to join her for a hot dog. We said yes as we were starting to get hungry. After that we left Costco and loaded our groceries into Sandy’s van and off we went. Sandy needed to stop at the bus station to check times for getting a bus back from Mazatlan. Her and John are taking the van to El Cid Marina in Mazatlan, come back via bus and then take the boat up. After the bus station we stopped in Bucerias and went to the Mega store. We got a few things there and then Sandy drove us back to our marina and we off loaded all the groceries. Then she was out of there heading back home. We really appreciated her taking us around. Plus we get a chance to visit with her too.

Someone had taken the dock cart again so I walked down to the boat and got my little cart and brought it back to the gate where we loaded it up with the first load and took it down to the boat. Then came back and got the rest. Then I put everything away and added to my lists. The boat is pretty full right now. I will still need to get some other things in Mazatlan and finally in La Paz but for now, I’m good for a while. I am still having difficulty trying to figure out what to have on board to make stuff when we are in the Sea. Dave did point out that it is going to be way too hot to cook down below. It will be in the hundreds and so it is going to be quite warm in the boat at it is. We can eat a lot of salads, but you need fresh ingredients for some of them. Fresh vegetables and fruits don’t last long in the heat. So I figured I will do what I did before we left home, and that is make a few meals so all I have to do is warm them up in the microwave or on the stove, using little heat. That is the only way to do it I think and make sure I’m going to have enough food. We will be in the Sea for 6 months. There are very few places to get food so that is why I have to make sure I will have enough before we leave La Paz. Like I say---it’s an adventure. It will be a lot of prepping for the meals and vacuum packing, but it will pay off in the long run.

We really didn’t do much for the rest of the afternoon. I did finish the book I was reading and now I can take it up to the lobby and put it with the other cruising book collection for others to read.

The guy, Charlie on s/v Tika-Too, stopped by to say goodbye. His other crew member had arrived and he was ready to cruise south to Panama. So we said our goodbyes and wished him, the boat, and the crew well. We watched him leave and then we went below.

I made dinner and heated up the boat pretty good. Dave ended up turning the air conditioner on. I took my cushion on the top deck and sat out there for a while with my container of water. The breeze felt nice and with the moon and stars shining up above, it was perfect.

I went back down into the boat and opened a bottle of wine and poured Dave and me a glass. He was playing his submarine game and still trying to figure where all the controls are and what is what, and I answered and sent emails to those back home. After that I started to read a new book by Dan Brown, but really couldn’t get into it so I decided to play some solitaire. That is what I did for an hour or so then I went to bed and read a chapter in the book and then turned off the light. Dave went to bed shortly thereafter.

Tuesday, April 7.
It’s a sunny day and the breeze is blowing pretty well. It feels good to have the breeze come through the hatches and refresh down below. By 2:00pm the boat was starting to heat up a little bit so I turned the main salon fan on to help circulate the air.

Last night Dave noticed the grill in front of the refrigerator and freezer compressors were getting clogged with dust so I told him I would clean it today. After I had my coffee and a banana, I got the swiffer dust rag out and dusted what I could off the grill. It is hard to get to because it is under the table and the compressors are under the middle seat. There is a wood panel with 3 slits in it that is the only air flow that it has. So it ends up sucking up the dust that collects on the floor. When you take the cushion off the seat and open the access latch and look down, you see the two compressors. I dusted them off, but the really bad thing is they are so close to the wood front panel that you can’t get anything between the panel and compressors. So then you have to try and find something small enough that will fit between the slats and try to remove the dust that way. The swiffer worked pretty well but I still had some globs of dust on either end of the grill. So I got a skinny tooth brush and gently wiped up and down and was able to remove some of the globs. Then I got the wet/dry vacuum out and vacuumed whatever dust I could out. It looked much better. Now both the refrigerator and freezer should work better and more efficiently. When I got done with that, since I had the vacuum out, I went ahead and vacuumed the floor. I took the rugs outside and shook them then brought them back in and put them in place. I cleaned out the vacuum then put it away.

Dave was outside trying to find out what kind of light bulb was in the bow light. So he had to climb out over the bow and stand on the anchor to remove the cover and get the light bulb out. He is still trying to see if the LED lights we bought will work. So he tried the two new ones we had and neither one worked. He had ordered the wrong ones. He was on the phone the last couple of days with West Marine trying to find out what lights he should have. He is still searching for the right ones. Anyway, he put the old light back in since it still works and came down below and got on the computer in search of the correct lights. I helped him when he needed it and then I fixed us lunch. I noticed the refrigerator needed to be defrosted. I just defrosted the freezer yesterday. So after lunch I took stuff out of the refrigerator and took the top shelf out so I could get to the unit and take the cover off. Then I stood there and defrosted it with a hair dryer. I do that with the freezer too. Works like a charm. It does heat the area up, but if you get everything back in place and the food back in and leave the door shut, it will cool down before too long and nothing gets ruined.

After that excitement I cut up the bell peppers I had in the refrigerator and vacuum packed them and stuck them in the freezer. They freeze very well and they don’t take up a lot of space. When that little chore was finished I took a break and started catching up my journal for this month. Then I took the computer to the lounge and finished fine tuning it and then posted the blog. Now everyone can read it.

We have nothing planned for tonight. We are just going to hang around. I needed to get a walk in so I decided to take a walk. Dave wanted to know where I was going and I said probably to the beach and then walk the malecón and back. I asked if he wanted to go with me and he said he didn’t want to go to the beach. So we walked the malecón. The sun was going down and it was turning into a beautiful evening. We strolled along saying hola to the Mexican people walking past us. Being it is Easter week there are a lot of families on vacation since the kids are out of school. So we see a lot of the Mexican people down at the marina. Some have boats and take family out and others go to the beach and have a good time. It was dark when we got back to the boat. It was a nice evening and I got some exercise in.

Wednesday, April 8.
I didn’t have much energy today. It must be the heat. It is getting warmer and more humid. In a couple of months it will be their rainy season. No thanks!!! While I was in the lounge yesterday, a man was unloading all kinds of books from his boat to add to the cruisers book collection. I mentioned something to Dave about seeing if there was a Janet Evanovich book there and the man over heard me and asked if I read those books. I said yes and he tossed one over to me. He said it belonged to his ex-wife. She was Italian and her family was just like Stephanie Plums family in the books. That must have been interesting!!! So I am reading that book now because I will finish it in a couple of days and then return it to the cruisers lounge for someone else to enjoy.

I had sat long enough today so I decide to go on a walkabout. I told Dave I was going to walk on the beach and see where all the music was coming from. So I walked on the beach a ways and saw further down the beach umbrellas and lots of Mexican people having a great time in the sun. There was a panga boat pulling a banana boat behind it filled with kids screaming and having a great time. I decided not to go any further down the beach and walked back toward the marina then took a side street into town. I took a back street. It was a nice street and I passed some nice homes and a man lying in a hammock resting. I said hola to him and he said Buenas tardes, for good afternoon. I said it back to him and he smiled. I kept walking passing a field where a coach and kids were practicing soccer. I walked up a couple more blocks then turned to go into the town. The market people were packing up to go home and I walked toward the marina to go back to the boat. I saw food booths had been set up so they were getting ready to celebrate Easter. I wanted to see the church so I walked through the plaza and headed toward the church. I was surprised to see the gate was locked. The doors were open to the church and you could see the altar and pews. It was nice inside. It wasn’t like the other places I have been where they open the church to anyone that wants to come and pray during the day or night. Hmmm. Interesting! I would have thought it would be open especially since this is Holy Week. Oh well. I walked past the church and took a back street that went by the Port Captains office and then to the malecón. I caught Dave walking toward the beach area and thought he might be looking for me so I called to him and he turned around. He said he was just walking so we walked to the store and got some fresh baked multigrain bread then some ice cream and went outside and ate the ice cream. We saw a panga go by and there were a lot of frigate birds following it so I had to go and investigate. Sure enough the panga must have been filled with fish because the birds were flying just above the boat. I thought it wouldn’t be so nice if the birds decided to poop on them. Sorry. When you see a lot of birds together like that you think that way. Matter of fact Dave looked up to the mast with his binoculars this morning and saw that the frigates that landed there the other day took a crap so now the mast is covered. Oh yea!!!! Dam birds anyway!!!

After we finished our ice cream we returned to the boat. We enjoyed a cocktail and then I fixed dinner. We had leftovers with some of the bread we just bought. After dinner I did dishes and then I sent an Easter e card to my youngest grandson. Then I sent one to E.J. and Eian. They should see them this weekend. I can’t send cards in the mail I sure can send them via email!!!!

While I was doing that Dave went up and took a shower. I fixed us a rum and coke when he returned and I we sat outside for a while smoking cigars. It was starting to get a little damp, but not as bad as it was last night. There is just a little humidity in the air. There was music going on at the Plaza and people out walking the malecón and having a good time. I wanted to go and check out the plaza but decided I wouldn’t. Maybe I will do that tomorrow night. I eventually went down below and read some more of my book. I should be done with it tomorrow. Dave as playing his sub game and then all of a sudden got booted out for no reason. He was on my computer and he said a few words under his breath. It didn’t give him a chance to save where he was either. He said it always happens when he is winning. Go figure!!! The computer knows!!!! It was about 11:30pm so I got ready for bed and then said goodnight. Dave stayed up to work some more on his sub game.

Thursday, April 9.
Today is laundry day. I thought I had to have the clothes at the lounge at 11:00am, but Dave said he thought it was 12:00pm. I told him I was going to take them up anyway just to be sure they get out today. We are leaving on Tuesday and so I want as much of our clothes to be clean as possible. If I wait and have clothes done tomorrow, I may not get them back on Saturday due to it being so close to Easter. I just didn’t want to take a chance.

I had more energy today. It started out cool and it started to get a little warm and then the wind came up and it was blowing pretty well. I cooled the boat so I figured it would be a good time to prepare dinner for tonight now. I did the chopping, made rice, cooked the bacon then sautéed the onions and green peppers. I’m making Shrimp Creole with Rice. I got everything cooked and stirred together then I put it in the refrigerator until time to heat it up for dinner. I heated up the galley just a little so I turned on the fan that blows across the galley and things cooled down a bit. I let the fan blow for about an hour or so then turned it off and let the wind take care of the rest. I defrosted the freezer. I’ll probably need to do it one more time before we leave. I’m looking forward to moving again. It’s time to go.

I checked the water in the bow thruster battery that is under our bunk and it looked pretty good. I added just a little more water. Then I put everything back together and made the bed.

My next chore that I needed to get done is find a good safe cool place for the wine we bought. When we went to Costco we bought 24 bottles of red wine. The price was 2for 1 so we got lots. Since we like to drink wine, we want to stock up on it as much as we can because either you can’t get it in the Sea of Cortez or it will cost an arm and leg. So I want to get as much as we can. I took all 24 bottles off E.J.’s bunk and put them under Eian’s bunk. So at least they won’t be rolling around. I want to get more but don’t know where I will put them and keep them cool and safe. I will figure it out though.

Dave and I cleaned the engine strainer then Dave cleaned the generator strainer. I couldn’t help with that one due to its location. Dave had a devil of a time trying to get it unscrewed so he could take it off. I guess it had a huge air lock in it. He ended up using vise grips. Well those jobs are done. The boat is filthy again, but I’m not going to wash it until Sunday or Monday. No sense cleaning it now because with the construction going on at the breakwater and the wind blowing the dirt, it would be dirty before the next day. Well you do what you can.

I finished the Janet Evanovich book so I will take it with me when I go up to take a shower. After that I sat outside for a little bit and drank my beer. Dave drank a beer then took a nap.

I went down below and checked email and answered one and then I started updating my journal. I got a couple of days behind so I needed to catch up. Dave was out visiting with our neighbors. He came back to the boat after a while and wanted to know what I was going. I told him I was updating my journal and he thought that maybe I was napping. Nope. Not this time. It’s too hot outside to be out all day long. Majority of the cruisers stay inside their boats or in the shade of their cockpit and read or just relax. They work on their boats in the morning when it is cooler then quit when it gets too hot.

Dave and I had the Shrimp Creole I made earlier for dinner and I have to say it was delicious. It is a new recipe but I think I will use it again. After dinner I cleaned up then I went up and took a shower. When I returned I opened a bottle of wine and we are sitting back and relaxing. Dave went outside to smoke a cigar. Now he is playing solitaire on his computer. I bet as soon as I’m off my computer he will play his sub game. Teehee!!! I picked up a book at the cruisers book exchange when I went up to take a shower. It is the story about Rose Red, the mansion built on a hill in Seattle owned by John Rimbauer. He was an oil tycoon. It is about the house in Seattle that was haunted. I saw the movie but I bet the book is much better. I’ve always been interested and intrigued with haunted houses and ghosts. I bet it won’t take me long to get through this book. This is the most reading I have done since ever. I love it.

Here is to a full moonlit night, and warm breezes.

Friday, April 10.
No more cloudy days. We get some high clouds but that is it. There has been refreshing breezes all day and it stops around 6:00-6:30pm.

I cleaned the bathrooms while I waited for 12:00pm to come around. That is when I can go to the lobby and pickup my laundry and pay the lady. Dave had been up there while I was doing my thing and when he came back he said the laundry lady was waiting for me. She is early. I got my cart and walked up there. I was her only customer. That was interesting because usually there are quite a few people having their laundry done. Well that was o.k. by me as I now have clean clothes. I will rinse out any soiled clothes from now until we leave. When I returned to the boat I set the clean clothes aside for now and finished cleaning. Then I put the clothes away.

I needed to get a few groceries but I didn’t want to take the bus to Mega. So I made a list of the things I will need to have on our trip to Mazatlan and then I walked into town to find the mini super market. Dave walked with me on his way to the fuel dock to see what the price is. We will need to fill up on Tuesday before we head out.

I found most of the items I needed at the mini super market except orange juice. I can get that at the deli store. After I left there I walked to the Octopus Garden restaurant and bar. They have a Huichol art display in the back of the restaurant. I went there to get a nice Huichol blouse. I found the one I wanted, paid and then walked toward the main part of the town. I wanted to see what was at the plaza since we have been hearing music coming from there every night. There wasn’t much except some food booths were set up but not opened. Some of the stores were closed due to it being Good Friday. The activities at the plaza start at night. So I went back to the boat and put the groceries away.

Then I sat down and started to read Rose Red. Dave has been working at getting solar panels ordered and figuring out how to get them down here from San Diego. He has spent about three days on this now. He has contacted the company and the guy in San Diego to find our costs. It isn’t going to be cheap that is for sure. Having to pay duty is a large part of that.

We walked to about the middle of the malecón where there is an amphitheatre. There is a performance by a band we have seen before but the name escapes me at the present moment. They are good. There is also going to be an art show. We thought that might be fun to see and hear. We watched the band set up and test their instruments, and the artists set up their wares. Some of the stuff was pretty interesting and whimsical. Some was just plain weird. It was nothing less than what you would see in an art gallery in Seattle. The wind was blowing pretty hard so the people setting up had to hold down a lot of their things with rocks from the other side of the malecón. One artist had a book for sale. She had solo circumnavigated around the world and wrote about it. I didn’t want to pay the money so I passed on it. I’m sure I will find it somewhere along the way at some marina where someone has traded it for another book. Now she is living in Puerto Vallarta and paints. It was pretty interesting. We stayed and listened to one set of music and then they took a break. It was a Mexican 10 minute break that lasted at least 30 minutes. The sun was setting and it was getting a little chilly. It was cooling down and the wind was subsiding. I was also getting hungry so we decided to leave and come back to the boat to have dinner. The band was starting to come back on stage but we needed food. When we returned to the boat I heated up leftovers and we had a nice dinner. I had baked a cake this morning so we have that for dessert. It is pineapple upside down cake, but the pineapple is in the cake mix. Dave was disappointed that there wasn’t pineapple on top. Oh well. I was having a sweet tooth for a couple of days so since the wind was blowing and it was cool enough I baked. After dinner when the dishes were done, Dave and I just relaxed. We watched the movie Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood as the main character. It was a really good movie. Then Dave played his sub game on my computer and I read a little bit before going to bed. You could hear music playing at the plaza and a bunch of kids running around. A lot of people were walking the malecón. The wind had stopped blowing and it was quite pleasant outside. I decided to call it a night and went to bed and left Dave still playing his game. He is more of a night owl then I am.

Saturday, April 11.
It’s going to be a hot one today. There was a breeze earlier but it has almost stopped.

I washed out some dirty clothes and a pillow cover then hung them out to dry. I hung the pillow in the cockpit to air.

Since there isn’t anyone working on the beach cutting up an old rusted barge, making dust, I decided to wash the inside of the hatches since they are really dusty. Since all the hatches are open, I washed them from outside. That way I didn’t have to mess with taking the screens out. When I finished with that little chore I came down below and dusted the furniture then took the duster to the screens to remove dust from them. Now I am finished and I can catch up the journal. After that I am going to sit outside in the cockpit and read. Not much going on at the marina as people are getting ready for Easter tomorrow. I bet we see a lot of families going to the restaurant here at the marina for breakfast tomorrow morning.

It’s a beautiful evening. The wind died down and there is just a little breeze. It is comfortable. I sat in the cockpit smoking a cigar with Dave. We could hear the kids having a good time in a bounce house and then the church bells rang for mass. After church was over the band started to play at the plaza. Since they started around 10:00pm I suspect it will go on for quite a while.

Dave went to bed and I sat up and finished Rose Red. That was a very interesting story. I don’t know if anyone else has lived in that place. After I finished the book I went online to read the parts of the diary the author felt she couldn’t put in the book. Then I went to bed. The band was still playing and quite loudly. I wonder how much sleep I will get tonight and how long the music will last. You never know here.

I have found that all this week it has been more like waiting for Christmas than Easter. At home Lent was a solemn time, a time to grow closer to God. Here it is more of a celebration for the whole week. It is interesting. It’s their vacation time.

Sunday, April 12.
Happy Easter!!!! I didn’t sleep much. Dave said the band quit playing around 3:00-3:30am. I did dose off but never got a sound sleep. I guess Dave didn’t get much sleep either. I do know that fireworks were shot off around 12:00am. Then a little later there were more. Yeehaw!!! We finally got to sleep and then I woke up about 6:00-6:30am with kids talking and dogs barking. Sheesh!! I got back to sleep and got up about 8:45am. Dave had been up for a while and listened to the net and let them know we were leaving on Tuesday to go back to Mazatlan. That way they can keep tabs on us.

It was cloudy when we got up this morning but it didn’t last long. I was thinking it was great to have the cloud cover since today was boat washing day. But the sun came out and the wind picked up which made it a little more bearable working in the sun. The weather forecast said it was going to be windy conditions today and tomorrow and then calm for the rest of the week. So when we leave on Tuesday we probably won’t have much wind. Par for the course. We aren’t going very far that day anyway. We are stopping at Punta de Mita which is just before you round the corner of Banderas Bay to go north. We will probably anchor there overnight. Depending on conditions, if calm enough, we might stay a couple of days. Otherwise we will head to Mantenchen Bay at San Blas. Then from there we make the overnight run to Mazatlan.

Well I rinsed the boat down. It was absolutely filthy. I started at the bow and worked my way to the aft. Then I rinsed the dodger on top and the screens. It was a muddy river coming off the screens. Next were the bimini and the rest of the screens. Dave helped with the back part of the boat. Then when the outside was done I went into the cockpit and hosed down the screens from the inside out. Just to make sure all the dirt was off them. Then I rinsed the cockpit and cushions. So everything is clean again. Oh yeah---when I got done with everything, the wind really picked up and started to blow the beach sand our way. I’m so excited I could cry. Actually I’m not excited I’m pissed!! You just can’t win keeping the boat clean. Well at least it is better than it was and when we leave we will be getting salt water on it. Go figure. Well I suppose if that is all I have to complain about----life is pretty darn good eh? I know I’m not Canadian, but I love saying eh.

I looked at my email and saw that the grandboys (all 5 of them) got the Easter e cards I sent. That is good. At least they know we are thinking of them. Dave took a nap in the cockpit and I answered and sent some emails. We ate lunch and now it is time to chill. The day has gone by quickly. I defrosted the freezer so that won’t have to be done again until we get to Mazatlan, hopefully. I will check the refrigerator tomorrow to make sure it isn’t iced over.

It is pretty quiet at the marina today. Not many local people walking around here. I thought a bunch would go to breakfast at the marina restaurant, but I was wrong. It isn’t like in the States where families go out to eat on holidays.

Everything will be back to normal around here since vacation time will be over and kids go back to school and parents go to work.

I did some research on the internet about how Mexican people celebrate Easter. It’s not with the Easter Bunnies and all that stuff. They celebrate the two weeks before Easter, with kids and parents out of school and work for a two week vacation time. It is about relaxing and having fun and partying. They recognize the same days as we do during Holy Week but this is a time for them to vacation with their family. It was interesting.

Not much going on tonight. It is pretty quiet. I think Dave and I will get a good night sleep. Dave and I sat outside after dinner and finished our wine. We had BBQ chicken breasts with baked potato, and a green salad.

We are just chilling. I am back to reading a Dan Brown book titled Digital Fortress. It looks like it will be a good book. I’m going to play a little solitaire on the computer and maybe we might watch a documentary on Curt Cobain and Courtney. One of our neighbors loaned it to us.

We watched the documentary on Curt Cobain and Courtney. It was interesting but I wouldn’t want to rush out and buy it. It left more questions than answers.

Monday, April 13.
Today we fill the forward water tank and two diesel jerry cans as we are leaving tomorrow morning early. Dave checked out with the Port Captain and the office. Tomorrow morning we will stop at the fuel dock and top off our tank and then be on our way.

We planned on stopping over night at Punta de Mita anchorage but the winds are going to be blowing from the south east which puts them blowing right into the anchorage and it will be really rocky and rolly. No thanks. So we are going to go to Mantenchen Bay at San Blas for a couple of days. Then the next move will be the overnighter to Mazatlan.

I updated my provisioning list and printed and replaced the old pages with the new. I defrosted the refrigerator and made ice. I also got things stowed in the boat to where they won’t be rolling around or coming off shelves if we get into some rough waves. It is suppose to be nice weather and seas tomorrow. But like everything else, you just never know.

I printed out the rest of the journal pages to put in my journal. I write my journal, well in this case type it, print the pages and put them in my journal book. That way I have a copy in my book and in my computer. Then I am ready when the time comes to get it into the blog. So basically I am doing stuff I should have done a while ago but just didn’t want to. Now I have to otherwise it will get out of control.

It has been pretty quiet here today. I washed clothes and hung them out on the life lines and that is about it for the day.

The rest of the evening we will be preparing to leave in the morning. Need to put the knot meter back in the water, the strainers have been cleaned and batteries checked. We will have to close the through hauls before we take off so we don’t get air bubbles in the air conditioning unit or the water maker unit. Not good when that happens.

A lot of people will be leaving tomorrow we’ve been told. Cruisers working their way north to either leave the boat and go home or go into the Sea of Cortez.

It’s time to get going here and do some last minute stuff.

Tuesday, April 14. La Cruz to Mantenchen Bay.
We left our slip at La Cruz at about 7:00am and drove to the fuel dock to top off the tank. We left there around 7:20am and we were on our way to Mantenchen Bay, San Blas. There wasn’t much wind until we rounded Punta de Mita and turned north. Then we had wind and current on our nose. The current was so strong that we were only going about 5.5 knots which for us is slow. We average about 6.5 knots. So we got off to a slow start. It didn’t get better either. We slowed to down to about 4.8 knots. At this rate we wouldn’t make it to Mantenchen Bay until dark or close to it. We put the head sail out, while still motoring, to help us go a little faster. We didn’t pick up much speed because the wind died shortly thereafter. So we rolled it up and continued to motor. The waves were about 2 to 3 feet high and they rolled us back and forth. I went down below to get Dave and me some water and when I came back up I didn’t feel good. I came close to losing my cookies. Once my stomach settled down, I ate an apple. I had to get something in my stomach. A little later I was hungry so I got a protein bar. I felt pretty good after that as long as I had wind in my face. Later it was lunch time so I made a peanut butter and jam sandwich and cut it in half and gave half to Dave. I ate that and drank some water and then I REALLY didn’t feel good. So I just sat where the wind was in my face and kept a look out. Dave this time was fine. Go figure!!! As we were going along, I saw what looked like a seal head and then it disappeared. So I kept looking to see if it would pop up again and low and behold there was a large turtle swimming along the side of the boat. It was awesome. Never did see another one. That was the largest turtle I have seen so far.

We got to Jaltemba (the place we stopped on the way down where our anchor never dug in) and the wind increased enough where we could put the head sail out again. This time we were able to leave it out and motor sail all the way to Mantenchen Bay. We went from 5.0 knots to eventually 6.3 knots. The wind had increased to 11.2 knots as we approached the bay. It was great to make up time, and with the boat moving so quickly over the waves I didn’t feel the motion so much.

As we passed Jaltemba, we kept seeing what we thought was kelp but it ended up being either palm tree leaves or some kind of plant. Almost every one we spotted had a little bird on them. They were surfing the waves on their plant raft!!!! It was pretty interesting to see. I guess they got tired of flying and decided they would hitch a ride.

Everything was going good and then the depth sounder started to freeze up on us. When we hit thermals the depth sounder will read last and blink the last depth recorded. That isn’t unusual, but when it blinks continuously there is something wrong. Dave pushed the reset button a few times and it would snap out of it, but eventually end up doing the same thing again. Dave ended up having to turn the instruments off and then back on again to get it to reset. It seemed to behave itself until we were approaching Mantenchen Bay. Then all of a sudden it did it again and this time Dave couldn’t get it to read correctly. We were in a pickle as the critical time to know your depth was coming up in the bay. Well Dave tried everything he could think of and nothing worked so we had to wing it. We rolled in the head sail as we got closer to the anchorage and cut back our speed. There were three boats already at anchor so we let them guide us to how deep it was. As we were getting closer to the anchorage we noticed dark clouds on the horizon and it appeared it was raining. It was sunny all the way up here. Then the sun disappeared behind the clouds and I looked south of us and it was black and the clouds were moving in fast. Pretty soon it was clouded over and Dave said we were going to get rained on. We got to the anchorage and settled on a spot and Dave said we were in about 15 feet of water. We dropped the hook but according to the depth sounder it was still reading funky. Like 20-30 feet. We knew that wasn’t the case. Once hooked and the engine was turned off, we kept the instruments on just to see what the depth sounder would read. Low and behold it seemed to be reading true depth. Dave wonders if the malfunction is connected with having the depth showing on the computer chart program. He doesn’t think he displayed the depth on the chart the last time. Maybe having it show on the computer chart like that interfers with the GPS. It is sort of like the time we were trying to calibrate the compass at Turtle Bay and found out that when he turned something off on the computer chart program, we were able to calibrate. Go figure. Well I sure hope that is all it is because without a depth sounder it gets kind of scary. We wouldn’t be able to get a new one until we got to Mazatlan. Always something!! Well at least we made it safe and sound with little mishaps.
LOG: 59.8nm
TRIP: 6035.1nm
ARRIVAL: 6:30pm

Wednesday, April 15.
We had opened all the hatches last night to cool the boat down for sleeping. We figured if it rains we will just get up and close them. Well at about 2:00am Dave got up to close the hatches because we both heard thunder. He went outside to find no clouds and lots of stars. We figured it had to be in the mountains. So we left the hatches open. So Dave came back to bed. We didn’t sleep really soundly as when you are at anchor the first night you hear all kinds of noises and wonder what they are. When we first got into bed we heard squeaking. We laid there for a while and Dave finally said that was going to drive him nuts. Of course he doesn’t have far to go but that is beside the point. It really wasn’t bothering me. He said it was like the cricket we had on board at Jaltemba on our way down to La Cruz. I like crickets so that is comforting to me. So I got up and went outside to see where it was coming from. I tightened up the sheet lines that were wrapped around the head sail and when I did the head sail creaked a little. I looked over the edge of both sides of the hull into the water to see if there was a piece of styrofoam or something that would cause a squeaking sound. Nope. Nothing. So I told him I didn’t know where the sound was coming from and came back inside. Dave was out of bed standing at the end of it listening. He said he could still hear it. I couldn’t. Quite frankly I think the sound was etched into his ears. Then he didn’t hear anything anymore so we went to bed. Yeesh!!! Well we managed to get through the night without any major problems.

We awoke to a beautiful sunny warm day. The breeze is coming up now which will keep the boat cool down below. There is one sail boat left still anchored from yesterday. Another sailboat is approaching and it happens to be s/v Denali with John and his sweetheart onboard. Both Denali and the other sailboat are heading for Mazatlan Saturday. It is suppose to be quite windy today through Friday then subside by Friday night. The seas will be sloppy but there won’t be any wind to speak of. No sailing winds. It will be good to have the company on the way back to Mazatlan. Always nice to know there is someone out there to help you if you run into trouble. With our engine getting a little warm, we don’t know what will happen. Dave says the heat exchanger needs cleaning and that is what is causing the temperature to climb up a little. He is going to try to see if he can get some vinegar in there to clean some of the gunk out. But he isn’t quite sure how he is going to do that. That is one of the projects to have done when we get to Mazatlan. We also need to have a cover made to fit over the bow to shade it from the sun. Then we need another cover that will reflect the sun off the side of the hull to cover the area on the port side where the refrigerator and freezer are on. Since the hull is blue it heats up and stays warm. We will hopefully get the solar panels and get them installed and also get the one fake window repaired. There will be a lot of projects going on along with washing, waxing, and treating the stainless steel. There is never a dull moment. And of course there has to be time for the pool and hot tub!!! I might as well take advantage of them.

So far today I have boiled eggs, baked potatoes in the microwave for a new potato salad recipe. I washed dishes. I am trying to conserve water as we only have the forward water tank full and not much in the port tanks and nothing in the starboard tanks. The water has not been conducive to making water so we will have to wait and maybe do it on our way to Mazatlan. So I am trying to use as little water as I can. The toilets take a lot of water when you flush them, as they are the vacu flush type, and then I have to have water for drinking and coffee. Wash. I got the paper plates and bowls out to use so I won’t have many dishes to wash.

Dave washed the outside window to the dodger and dried it to see if the crystallized spots from the hard water would come off. Nope they didn’t. Darn! After he finished with that he put the windshield cover on. What a big difference that makes for cooling off down below!! I made the salad and then put it in the refrigerator for tonight. We will have that and brauts for dinner.

Dave ran the generator to charge batteries, use the microwave, charge my computer, and defrost the freezer.

Now it is time to do some reading and enjoy the weather. Dave is on the VHF with Norm in San Blas getting the run down on things happening here.

I read for a while and then fixed lunch. After lunch I read some more and then got really sleepy so I took a nap. Dave did the same. We must have been tired because it was about 3 hours later we woke up. It was already 5:00pm. The wind is starting to die down. It was hooting there for a little while. The boat is riding nicely on the anchor. Dave put on the new anchor bridle and it seems to be working well.

The banana boat came by with kids sitting on it having fun. Then it tipped over and everyone was in the water. It took the driver of the panga a few minutes to right the banana boat and gather up the people. Then they were off again with the kids screaming and bouncing around. It was a pretty afternoon and very peaceful. Dave isn’t sure if he wants to go into the marina for a night or two so he could try and clean out the heat exchanger. He’ll decide tomorrow. The bar is hard to cross to get into the estuary when the wind is blowing like it was today. It is suppose to blow again tomorrow. So we will see.

When Dave had the conversation with Norm this morning I asked how Brandon, his dog was. He told us he has cancer and he is being treated. He will go to the dog hospital on Friday to have an I V put in to treat the cancer. He is a young dog and as you saw from the pictures I took a very pretty one at that. I sure hope the treatment works so he will have a long life.

Dave is checking email on the sail mail account. I am going to play a game on my computer and then wash dishes and go back to reading my book. We have lit the bug coils in the cockpit since when the sun goes down they come out in force. Dave sat outside last night and ended up having to put bug juice on to keep them at bay. I just came down into the cabin. It’s not too bad though.

Thursday, April 16.
Dave didn’t sleep much last night. The anchor chain kept clunking. As long as I knew that was what was making the noise I could sleep. Dave ended up taking the bridle off and putting the snubber line back on. It did quiet down a little. Dave came back to bed and then a little later he was up again. His stomach was bothering him. So he ended up taking some medicine and then got a blanket and went outside to sleep, as the anchor was still clunking a little. I had the bed all to myself and I could stretch out. Yeehaw!!!! Dave still didn’t feel great this morning when the sun came up, but he isn’t any worse. He was up with the sun as he was in the cockpit and I still slept. He listened to the net, made coffee and then sat outside for a bit. After I got up and had enough coffee to wake me, Dave decided he was not happy with where the anchor was as the line wasn’t straightening out like it should. He thinks it is on a bed of rocks and when the chain slackens it drags on them. So we decided we would pull anchor and move back a bit. When we did the anchor chain responded like it is suppose to and Dave was happy with it. The next thing he wants to check is the sea strainer to the engine. Maybe that was clogged which would make the temperature rise. Sure enough it had been slimed. We cleaned that off but before we put it back on Dave wanted to see if he could get the hose off the intake unit to be able to suck some vinegar into that hose with the engine running. He couldn’t get it undone and we were both afraid that if he forced it the plastic fitting that is attached to the unit might break. So I told him we should just wait until we get to Mazatlan to work with it. It would not be a good thing to break something and then we would have to be towed to Mazatlan. That would not be a good thing at all. So what we did instead was put vinegar into the reservoir with the strainer inside and filled it with vinegar then attached it back to the unit and ran the engine. That way it would suck up the vinegar and at least get that little bit into the hose. Unfortunately we had a devil of a time getting the reservoir back on straight. Some days it goes on straight and then there are days like this when you have to keep trying to get it straight. You don’t want it leaking because it doesn’t create a vacuum that way and there won’t be enough water to cool the engine like it should. We finally got it on straight and now it is looking good. I hope the temperature is more normal when we head out on Saturday with no overheating. All we can do is pray that it will behave.

I believe we are not going to go into the marina. I’m glad. I like being on the hook. It’s peaceful and the sunsets are beautiful and you get the nice breeze. Since we just cleaned the strainer for the engine, I don’t want to go into the marina where it is shallow in spots and suck up more gunk. It just seems more trouble than what it is worth. There isn’t any power at the docks yet so why go in? Plus there isn’t any hot water so there would be cold showers. So we are staying put.

John from s/v Denali came by in his dingy and asked if we wanted to go ashore with him and Gloria. We said sure. It might be fun to see what is going on. So he left our boat to visit the other boat close to us at anchor and then he went back to his boat to get Gloria. I better get my crocks on. It was about 10 minutes later John and Gloria were back to pick us up. We got to shore but we didn’t move fast enough pulling the dinghy up and we all got wet on the incoming wave. Oh well. We will dry. The other couple, Pam and Tom off of s/v Whataya came in their dinghy behind us and we all got together to go to town. After the dinghies were secured and we washed off our feet and changed shoes, we headed toward town. We thought there was a taxi but it was for someone else. So we just walked until we got to the main road. A taxi was taking another person to town and he could take 3 more people so Pam and her husband Tom and Gloria road in the taxi. As soon as they left we hailed the first truck that came around the corner. We asked for a ride and he stopped and we climbed in. There was a woman lying on the bed of the truck drunker than drunk. Her male friend was a little better off than she was but they were friendly. So we rode into town with them. The guy didn’t speak much English but we were able to understand what he was saying. His girlfriend was just out of it. She shook hands with everyone but she was wasted. As soon as we got to town, the driver pulled over to let them out. We had to help her out of the truck. And get this, he gave her another beer. Oh THAT will help her a lot!!!! She made it out of the truck o.k. and they started to walk into town. They had been at the beach I guess all night and were just getting back. They weren’t young kids either. She had a swimsuit on with pedal pushers over it but they were falling off her. Needless to say she was a mess. But it was an interesting experience. As we got closer to the plaza, the driver pulled over in front of the bank and we thanked him for the ride. We tried to give him money but he wouldn’t take it. So we walked the rest of the way to the plaza and met up with Gloria, John, Tom, and Pam. We said we would meet back at the plaza around 2:00 which was about an hour and a half from now. So Dave and I took off to the Port Captain’s office to check in and everyone else went their way. After we got the paperwork done at the Port Captain’s office, we took off toward the marina. We knew a couple with their 3 kids that were staying there so we wanted to stop and say hello. We did that and visited for a little bit then we had to go. We walked back to the plaza and met with the other couples and went to lunch at a restaurant in the plaza. It was good. We had a couple of beers with lunch and then we paid the bill and left. Gloria and John needed to pick up a few groceries so we went with them as they were our ride back to the boat. We bought some orange juice and that was it. We got back to Ismael’s and had another beer with chips and salsa. Ismael was kind enough to take a picture of all of us. We enjoyed watching the people on the beach and Ismael and his family sitting down to lunch and having some fun.

The last time we were here the beach was empty. But people are still on vacation until Sunday so there were lots of people out and about. It was great to see. We asked Ismael about the shirts he promised us if we came back in April, but he didn’t have them with him. So he said if we come back tomorrow he will have them. That will be awesome. He doesn’t charge anything for them. He gives them away to the people who come for Spring Break. So we will have to make another trip in tomorrow. I think John and Gloria are going to go early tomorrow to take the jungle trip. Then they said later they would go back in if we wanted to. So we will see. It was a fun afternoon. Gloria doesn’t speak a lot of English but we had a good time. She is a nice lady. John is taking the boat back to San Diego and is working on getting Gloria a visa so she can come with him. They make a cute couple. After we had our beers John and Gloria took us back to our boat in their dinghy. We didn’t get wet this time. Once on the boat I had to rinse off our shoes and the backpack since they were muddy and wet from this morning. No worries. We had fun and that is the important thing.

We are running the generator now to charge the batteries and Dave is taking a siesta. I don’t think we are going to have dinner tonight. We are pretty full. We had a macaroon piece of cake at Ismael’s that was really good and filling.

We are just going to relax tonight. I think Dave will sleep better tonight.

Friday, April 17.
Dave did sleep better last night and so did I. Dave was up early to listen to the net for weather but remembered Don doesn’t do weather on Friday mornings. We’ll have to wait until this evening instead. It is a beautiful sunny morning. I plan to do some reading. I am trying to finish Dan Browns book named Digital Fortress. It’s a good book. Dave did some splicing of a line that was badly frayed from using it as a dock line. It used to be 10 feet, now it is 6. We can use it somewhere. We are looking forward to getting underway tomorrow morning for Mazatlan. There was a power boat named Arron Sawyer here at anchor that left around 4:00pm for the trip to Mazatlan. They will be in El Cid when we get there. Dave talked with Gladis a couple of days ago to find out if we could come in on Sunday the 19th instead of Monday and she said yes. We get our old slip back, B13. We’ll again be right across from Captain George and Jackie Kracky. Yep!!! That is their last name. I’m not making that up!!

Dave ran the generator and made water to fill the port water tanks. We are doing well on water but for assurance sake it is nice to have extra. If it is going to be a little choppy heading to Mazatlan we won’t be able to make water as the thru haul is in close to the bow. So we decided to do it today. Everything went well. The breeze came up and made for a nice day. Dave and I sat in the cockpit most of the afternoon reading. He is reading the book titled Sex lives of Cannibals. When he finishes it I can give it and the one I’m reading away.

Something fun I watched today was the birds. There was a bird in the water with a fish in its mouth. Dave pointed it out to me. The fish was too big for him but he wasn’t going to let go of it. There was a frigate bird circling overhead and would swoop down on this bird in the water, going after the fish. The bird with the fish was going to keep his prey and submerged under the water so the frigate couldn’t get him. Then the frigate would go away and the other bird would resurface. The frigate would come back and get really close to getting the fish, but the other bird was faster until the frigate came on him so quickly he had just enough time to submerge but when he did he lost the fish and the frigate got it. Then another frigate came out of nowhere and was trying to get the fish out of the other frigates mouth. They dove and swooped and the frigate that had the fish dropped it and the other frigate was right there to pluck it from the water. Then the other frigate swooped down on the one that had the fish and the game went on. Whoever had the fish would drop it and the other one would retrieve it until a third frigate came into the picture and he ended up with it and went away. What a show!! We also had a friendly pelican floating around the boat waiting for the fish to come back. Usually there are thousands of fish, the ones that make the bubbles on the surface, but today they came and went. Oh well. The pelican finally left. It’s always fun to watch stuff like that when you are anchored out in a bay. You always have some kind of show going on.

Earlier this morning Tom and Pam came by and asked if we wanted to go to town with them. At the time we were running the generator and making water. We had decided earlier that we didn’t need to go into town for anything so we would stay on the boat. So they left and went to shore. Yes!! We even skipped out on getting the free shirt. We really don’t need any more t-shirts.

Water has been made and all systems seem to be working fine so far. Tomorrow will be the real test. We will empty two of the jerry cans of diesel into the tank to make sure we have enough fuel. I think we are set for in the morning. We will BBQ a couple of pork chops for dinner and spend a relaxing evening enjoying the lights of shore and the starlit sky.

Saturday, April 18. Quick Trip.
We woke to overcast skies and dead calm. No seas and no wind. We prepared the boat for our journey to Mazatlan and pulled anchor around 8:20am and cruised out of the bay around 8:30am. Another sailboat with Pam and Tom aboard hailed us and said it was calm seas. They were 8 miles out. S/v Denali with Gloria and John onboard took off the same time we did. They pulled away from us and we followed. Our speed still wasn’t doing very well. We just weren’t getting the speed we normally have running at 2000 rpms. Then shortly thereafter, the temperature gauge started creeping above 180. We usually stay around 180 and when it goes beyond that we figure in the water temperature and then start thinking of other things that would cause it to overheat. We cleaned the engine strainer so we know there wasn’t anything clogging it up, but Dave was getting pretty concerned about it. I could tell he just didn’t know what we should do. We wanted to keep going but in my mind if we needed to get something fixed here was our chance to pull into San Blas marina and try to figure out what the problem was. Dave and I discussed the what ifs as we were heading north. What if we kept going and continued to overheat then what? We didn’t want anyone to toe us, and we just didn’t want to put ourselves in that situation. So we decided to go into San Blas marina and see what we could figure out. We hailed s/v Denali to let them know what our plans were so they wouldn’t worry about us. We got help from Norm in guiding us into the estuary. Once in the marina we tied up and Dave took the paperwork up to check in while I started to take everything out from under the galley sink so he could have access to the impeller. He was hoping that was our problem because that would be an easy fix. He came back and I had the doors off the cabinet and the shelf out and access panel ready for him to do his thing. Well it wasn’t the impeller. Now what? We had friends on the other side of the dock from us we had been talking to and he came over to help Dave figure out what the problem was. He has the same engine. We ran the boat and checked the temperature of the water in the radiator, and there was a difference in what the gauge was saying outside to what the monitor down below was reading. We think it might be a bad sensor that we don’t have a spare of. But Dave didn’t just stop there. He checked all kinds of things, ran the engine, tested things and ended up changing the transmission fluid because the gear shift was clunking and it hadn’t done that before. Changing the transmission fluid helped the gear problem. He checked the oil in the engine and even checked the exhaust to see if enough water was squirting out. If the heat exchanger was badly clogged, there wouldn’t have been a large amount of water coming out of the exhaust. Don’t get me wrong, we think it has something to do with the change in temperature, but that isn’t all that is going on. We can wait and clean that when we get to Mazatlan. The last thing on the list to do is have someone dive the boat and check the bottom. Dave did dive under the boat and it was filthy and there were some barnacles on the hull too. The guy that we hired to clean it in La Cruz didn’t do a good job. It was a kid just starting out and needed some work. This time we ended up getting a guy to dive the boat, here in San Blas, and clean the hull. He did an excellent job. While he was doing that I did laundry and took a shower. So now the bottom of the boat is clean, clothes are clean and so am I. The test for the boat will come tomorrow when we head out. All we can do now is just go slow if it starts to heat up and keep an eye on it. We went to the plaza tonight and met and visited with Janet and Norm. Some of the other cruisers were there too. It was good to see Norm and Jan again. They always go to the plaza every night to meet up with cruisers and to also hand out clothes to the needy people they know with children. We were getting hungry and the burrito place we ate at last time we were in San Blas had changed ownership and some people were getting sick. So we decided not to eat there. Janet told us about a sandwich shop and she was going to go there so Dave, Janet and I walked to it. It was nice to visit with Jan without Norm since he does dominate the conversation a lot. As we were standing waiting for our sandwich order and fries to be made, we watched a little boy who was on a bicycle and the chain and sprocket were not engaging so he was peddling and not getting anywhere. So he stopped and got off the bike, walked it across the street, picked up a rock, threw it at the sprocket, hit it right in the center, got on his bike and the chain engaged and he was off. He was only about 7 or 8 but his aim was good and obviously he has had to do this many times. It was such an amazing thing to watch!! After our order was done we took our food back to the plaza and ate it. Then we visited with everyone and called it a night after a while and came back to the boat. We relaxed for a little bit and then went to bed. Tomorrow we are heading for Mazatlan at 7:00am. S/v Totem will be with us but they are going to Isla Isabella and spend a day or two and then go to Los Muertos and then on to La Paz. They are also going to be in the Sea of Cortez this summer so I’m sure we will see them from time to time.
LOG: 6044.1
TRIP: 6.21
ARRIVAL: 8:00am

Sunday, April 19. Mazatlan here we come.
We got up this morning at 6:00am and prepared for departure. We left the dock a little after 7:00am and slowly headed out of the marina and into the estuary. The tide was high which makes it easier to get over the shoals. S/v Totem with Jaime, Bhaun, his wife, and their 3 children, Niles, Marin, and Shawday were coming out behind us.

We have clear skies and calm seas. No wind expected until later this afternoon and evening. The weather report calls for 10-15 knots of wind later this afternoon from the NNW. That will be great for sailing if it is on our beam.

Even before we were out of the estuary, the temperature gauge was moving up past 140 degrees. The engine hasn’t even warmed up yet. We just kept an eye on it and hoped for the best. Once we cleared the estuary we increased our speed to 2200 rpm. The temperature gauge went to just past 180 degrees but then stayed there. All things seem to be working well. Our knot meter wasn’t reading what it should be so Dave tried to calibrate it but with no luck. So he just put it on SOG (speed over ground) and left it there. Our log and trip numbers will be off since they are calibrated from the boat knots. That can be fixed easy enough. Dave wanted to check the water temperature in the radiator with my candy thermometer to see what it was reading and compare it to the temperature gauge in the cockpit but when he took the cap off the radiator the water bubbled out so he had to put the cap back on. At that time the gauge outside went down to just a smidgen past 180 degrees and has stayed there ever since. This is a very good thing!! So far so good. Maybe while we had the engine revved up yesterday at the dock, we blew out some buildup in the hose of the heat exchanger. Whatever happened we are better off because of it. Our speed has also increased due to the guy cleaning the bottom of our boat. We are back to making 6.5 plus knots except when we hit current which is happening right now. We are only doing 5.8 to 6.0 knots. That will soon change. In the meantime we are very busy watching eyelids and taking self portraits.



No whales, no jumping fish, just a panga here and there and a couple of birds on a stick and Dave on the lookout for pots. That’s all the excitement for now!! WAIT!!! I see a bird. There is life out here!! The closer we get to Isla Isabella the more birds we will see as it is a bird sanctuary. We are 8 miles off shore and riding in 1-2 foot rollers. Wind is directly on our nose at 9.5 knots. While Dave was facing aft he saw a whale broach!! Of course I was looking forward watching where we were going and missed it. Another photo opportunity missed. I watched with the camera in hand to see if it would do it again but it didn’t happen. We are coming up on Isla Isabella. Dave had wanted to pass the island by 2:00pm. It looks like that is going to happen. Usually there are a lot of fishing vessels around here and we don’t want to be in the vicinity of them at night. We are now 10 miles off shore with a sea breeze of 9.3 knots on our nose. Now I bet some of you are wondering why we don’t just tack back and forth so we can sail. Well I wondered that at first too. Now I don’t any more. Here are some of the reasons why you don’t want to do that here in Mexico. One, you set a course and stay to that as you will arrive at your destination during daylight hours. When you tack it takes longer. The other thing is the Mexican people fish where they want to and there are no restrictions. You think that in 100-200 feet of water there wouldn’t be any pots or nets, but we have seen them so you always have to be on the lookout. The closer you get to shore the more likelihood of running into pots become more evident. So now you know. We are in 123 feet of water and we just passed a milk jug indicating a pot. Go figure. It looked like it had been there for quite a while. The wind has picked up and it is now blowing 15 knots on the nose. Waves are increasing along with wind waves. More white caps forming.

A panga crossed our bow from port to starboard and while I kept an eye on him he started dropping pots and nets. We were just outside his fishing parameters luckily. I told Dave about seeing the panga and he was right there on the deck watching him to see where he was going to drop pots. As it turned out he was dropping a net into the water. He would drop a float and then go a distance and put out his net and put another float out to mark the end of it. They don’t put lights on them or anything reflective so in the night you can’t see them. He was fishing the shoal where the depth is 91 feet.

We are parallel to Isla Isabella now and I am seeing more birds flying above the water searching for food. We made it passed the island a little after 2:00pm.



We just saw a big turtle swimming just under the surface of the water. That is so awesome!!!! A boat just hailed us. We answered up and it was a sail boat named s/v Apollo II. They were near shore and wanted to know if we have seen any long liners out where we are. We told him no. They don’t come out this far. They were seeing them on a regular basis and it made them nervous so he said he was going to come out where we are. We told him about the net and the couple of pots we passed. Looks like we will have company tonight. They are heading for Mazatlan also.

The wind can’t make up its mind as to whether it wants to blow or not. The seas have become confused and we are getting a lot of spray on the bow since we are heading into them and the wind. I do hope it calms down after the sun goes down. Otherwise we are in for a rough ride. The temperature gauge is still reading just above 180 degrees, it hasn’t changed so that is a very good thing. We are running at 2300 rpms but only going 5.0 knots due to the wind and waves slowing us down. We are beginning to crash down the waves and I’m beginning to thing I need a seat belt at the helm. The boat that hailed us, s/v Apollo II, is a catamaran and they are now off our starboard quarter. It looks like the wind is going to be with us for a while. It is after 6:00pm and the wind has increased to 16 knots, still on the nose. It’s a very bumpy ride. We are not having a good time. Apollo II is parallel to us now. They are still in shallow water and inside where we saw the panga drop the net.

The wind is now 20 knots on the nose and the seas are quite angry. Now we are watching the bow come up out of the water, get air bourn then slowly watch it start coming down and then it is like watching the Red Sea part and the wave explodes on both sides of the bow and splashes aft. The waves aren’t coming directly over the bow thank goodness otherwise we wouldn’t be able to see out of the windshield. This is better otherwise the windshield would get all salted up and we wouldn’t be able to see anything as it is too dangerous to be outside even on a tether. We are getting some spray on the windshield just not the full force of the water. Engine temperature is doing great thank goodness. We have enough to watch out for without having that act up. One good thing I have to say about this situation is it is warm, dry, the stars are out and you can look out off and on to see them and then it is back to watching for pots and ships. Apollo II has been in contact with us and us with them to alert them to anything out of the ordinary. In these conditions it is always nice to have another couple set of eyes. Even if you see something you aren’t sure about you notify the other boat so it can be verified. I saw two white lights flashing and thought it was a couple of pangas putting out nets or pots. Sometimes they communicate with the lights. As it turned out one of the lights was a lighthouse light and the other was a light on shore close to it off old town Mazatlan. Luckily we didn’t come across any pots or nets and there was only one large container ship that crossed our bow. The wind died down after midnight but before that it would tease us and drop to 11 knots and then shoot back up to 18. This ride was rougher than when we came down past Point Sur off the coast of California. Not much you can do but hold on. Dave and I both couldn’t be down below for long because our stomach would start to get upset and we would have to get some fresh air. I was able to eat lunch and Dave didn’t want much but had to get something in his stomach so I gave him an apple. It was a different story when it came to dinner time. I was going to heat up some Shrimp Creole, but couldn’t be down stairs long enough to fix that so I just made a peanut butter sandwich and called it good. Dave couldn’t eat anything but I did get him to eat some Ritz crackers to get something in his stomach. So the night was long and we were being slammed by the waves. We couldn’t sleep. I didn’t even want to lie down because I knew I wouldn’t relax. I was better off watching from the helm. Auto has steered beautifully the whole way. It was a little chilly but not bad. When we got cold we’d use a blanket or just move forward to the entry hatch to warm up. Dave tried to sleep but couldn’t. His neck and shoulders were really hurting due to him standing on his head and working to check things on the engine the day before.
He laid down so he could rest his neck. He didn’t sleep but at least he was resting. The wind subsided and the waves slowly went down. Just as soon as you thought all the big waves were gone a huge one would sneak up under the bow and slam us. By 3 or 4 in the morning the wind had died down to about 10-11 knots and then by 6 it was down to 3. The ride was still a little choppy but much better by comparison. In addition to all the wave action we had 2 frigate birds trying to land on the mast. Somehow they manage to find us. We had our steaming light on so the other boats could see us, but that just attracts them. We got the flashlight out and shine it into their eyes to try and ward them off but it only made matters worse when they were close to the mast as they could see to land. So instead we waited until they got some distance between them and the mast and then we shown the light up to distract them. They are very persistent and it took a while for them to get the hit. We finally had to turn off the steaming light and then they finally went away. Whew!!!!

We were nearing the entrance of the marina and it was high tide so getting through the opening would be easy. No dredge working either. The sun was coming up over the mountains.
The sky was red due to smog. It smelled light stale smoke. But at least we made it.

We were helped into our slip and once tied to the dock we were home free. It was a nice feeling. It certainly is true what they say about the people on board giving up before the boat does. The boat did just fine and we wanted it all to stop. Our boat is on the left side of the trimaran.

We changed clothes after we hooked up to water and electricity and went up to the Harbor Master Office to check in. We got that done and with our discount card we went to breakfast at the hotel restaurant. We had a great breakfast and then it was back to the boat to wash her down. When that was done I put some things away and decided it was nap time. It was 11:00am. So I went to bed and didn’t get up until 5:00pm. Dave didn’t take a nap as he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. He only survives on 4 or 5 hours of sleep. I thrive on much more. Dave was hungry so I got the Shrimp Creole out, heated it up, made a salad and we sat down and had dinner. Dave wanted to ask John a question on s/v Masquerade so he went over to their boat on dock C. We are on dock B. I got on the computer to my email and started reading and answering them. I heard someone call my name so I answered and it was our neighbor Evelyn. She said that s/v Masquerade has been trying to call us on the radio. I told her it was off so I would turn it back on and give them a call. I called and Sandy answered and wanted to know if I wanted to come over and join them for some libation. She had fixed Dave a drink. I said sure and went over there after I closed down mail and signed off the computer. I walked over to Masquerade and stepped on the boat and she had a drink in hand all made ready for me. THAT is a TRUE FRIEND!!!! So we visited for a while and they hadn’t had dinner yet so we said goodbye so they could get on with dinner and we came back to the boat. We relaxed for the rest of the night. I have been playing a tile game called Mahjong Titans and love it. You match tiles to get rid of them. It’s a form of solitaire. There are 6 different games and some are easy and a couple are challenging. So that is what I like to do at night and also read. I’m now reading Tom Clancy’s ENDWAR. About 10:30 we called it a night and went to bed. The boat is already damp outside and it is cool. Far different from the weather in La Cruz, Puerto Vallarta.
TRIP: 6186.2nm
LOG: 142.11nm
ARRIVAL: 8:00AM

Tuesday, April 21.
Dave called Total Yacht Works to make an appointment to have someone come and remove the heat exchanger and take it to the shop to have it cleaned. We were in luck as they could get Rafeal to come over this afternoon and start the work. They charge $60 an hour. We need to have it done and the price is reasonable so we will have it done.

Rafeal came to our boat in a dinghy with a co-worker. They came down and took a look at the situation and then took the cabinet over the engine off to have greater access to everything. They started in taking bolts off and disconnecting hoses and the like. I watched as I have never been able to see anything on the engine before. It took the guys about 45 minutes to get what they needed off. They gathered the parts and cleaned up their mess, which they didn’t have much of and left saying they would be back in a couple of days. It was definitely time to clean it and I am very glad we didn’t wait longer to have it done. All we will need to do after it is put back together is flush the engine and water heater once a year. We can do that. It was a good afternoon. We had dinner and then went to watch a movie in the grass area just up from the marina. They were showing the new James Bond movie on a sheet attached to palm trees and they brought the lawn chairs and lounges from the pool area for us to sit on. They served free popcorn, and you could buy soft drinks if you wanted. We brought a bottle of wine to drink during the movie. They show movies in English every Tuesday and Thursdays. This Thursday they will be showing a comedy but don’t know which one yet. It was really fun to be outside watching a movie. It was almost like being in the drive in but not scrunched up in a car. After the movie we came back to the boat and eventually went to bed.

Wednesday, April 22.
Dave had an eye appointment at 11:30am and John had to go to the same place to get blood drawn, so John and Sandy said they would give us a ride. About 10:30am John called us and asked if we were ready to go and we said yes. He needed to stop at a place and drop off some parts on the way. So off we went.

Dave wasn’t sure what was going on with his eye he had cataract surgery in. He had lost some of the vision and it felt strange. So we are getting it checked out to make sure it isn’t anything serious. Well good news. Apparently it is a side effect that happens to some people after having surgery and with age afterwards. What happens is the lens can float and get out of focal range in the eye, but it will get back into place within time. Apparently this will happen from time to time and it is something that just happens. The doctor did prescribe some drops for his eyes as they are dry, but other than that he is fine. It is just irritating and uncomfortable for him sometimes. More during the day than at night. After we finished there and John had his blood drawn, we went to Sam’s Club and Dave and I got a membership and then did a little shopping. It doesn’t have as much stuff as Costco, but it is o.k. It looks like they may be building a Costco not far from the Marinas. That would be nice. After we finished shopping we went to lunch and had great Tortas. That is French bread with pork inside and they give you peppers, onions, and sauce to put on them along with mayonnaise. We came back to the marina and John and Sandy helped take the groceries to our boat and then they left and went to their boat promising to come back tonight at 6:00pm for some heavy snacks and wine.

In the meantime I put the groceries away and then Dave and I started to get things ready to flush the water heater and engine. I hooked up the hose and gave Dave the other end but it was a male end and we needed a female end to make it work. We didn’t have an adapter so he figured we will have to wait until tomorrow to do the flushing after we take a trip to Home Depot. We asked George our neighbor if he had a hose with two female ends and he said no. So we put everything away and I started blogging and Dave went to ask John on s/v Denali if he had an adapter. Sure enough he did have one so Dave came back and I hooked the hose up and we were in business. The first flush to the water heater ended up with water coming out the other side of the engine where it wasn’t supposed to come from. So Dave did some adjustments and then finished the job. So now that is done and we will do that each year to keeps things running cool. After everything was put away, I went and took a shower, came back and started to fix the snacks as it was about 5:45pm now. John and Sandy showed up a little bit later and Sandy brought me some vegetables that wouldn’t keep while they were gone. They are leaving tomorrow morning for Copper Canyon. They are driving part way then taking the train. I will be interested in hearing about their trip. I’d like to do that the next time we come here or before going into the Sea of Cortez again. I understand it is beautiful. We are going to watch our boat for them while they are away. When they get back from their trip their daughter, Angie and son-in-law, Dave is coming for a visit. John and Sandy were going to stay until the first week of June or so, but found out the summer rates of 30 cents a foot are only for those who are going to be here all summer. So it looks like we both will be leaving toward the end of May.

John and Sandy called it a night and we wished them a good trip and we’d see them when they returned. While I put things away and finished my wine, Dave went out on the dock and smoked a cigar and chatted with Harry our neighbor. I decided I wanted to play my tile game so that is what I did. I stopped and took a break and went outside for some fresh air. It was damp out so no sitting outside. I came back to the boat and closed down the hatches so things would stay dry down below and went below and played another game. Then it was bed time.

Thursday, April 23.
As I was having my coffee this morning, Total Yacht Works called us on the VHF and asked if we were able to do the flushing and we said yes. They said they would call us after their lunch to let us know when they would be here to put everything back together. I told him we would be here all day and we would be waiting for their call.

I made the fixins for enchiladas. I cooked the chicken and the sauce and then tonight I will fill the tortillas, put the sauce over them and put them in the microwave to heat up. That way the boat will have a chance to cool down from my cooking. I took our laundry up to the laundry lady by the Harbor Master Office and dropped it off. She is such a sweet lady. I can’t remember her name right now, but I will get it when I pick up the laundry tomorrow morning. She is still charging 80 pesos to wash and dry per load. It isn’t a bad deal and it saves me from washing out clothes every day. I took my towel card with me and on the way back I stopped at where you pick up and turn in the towels, and I got 2. I won’t have to wash them as you turn them in when they get soiled and they wash them and you just trade them for clean. Not a bad deal eh? I haven’t been to the pool or hot tub yet. Soon. I was tempted today, but I decided I wanted to do other things. They give Spanish lessons here in the morning. I think I will check it out and see if I can go. It is also free. Maybe I will learn enough so I can carry on a conversation sometime. It can’t hurt.

I checked out where the Spanish lessons are going to be and they are going to be at the pool not far from the boat. So I will go. The Spanish is just enough for one to learn how to communicate here at the hotel and marina. So I am going in the morning. We got a call from Rafeal at Total Yacht Works and they won’t be out today. They will be here in the morning at 9:00am. Good. Then I can put things back in order after they leave.

I read I read a little bit and then washed dishes. It was warm so I decided to go to the pool and take a dip. I did but it was quite warm. That is o.k. at least it was wet. I guess now I have an idea of how the water temperature will be in the Sea this summer. At least it is refreshing when you get out and the breeze hits you. I came back to the boat and read a little more and then listened to a CD of Eileen Quinn who writes and sings actual stories of being at sea. They are really good. Then it was time to fix dinner. Dave was playing his submarine game. When we were done with dinner and dishes I went outside to read some more of my book and Dave was checking emails and then playing solitaire. We are waiting for 8:00pm when the movie starts. They are showing Hancock starring Will Smith. It will be fun to watch that again. That is the extent of our exciting day and evening.

Friday, April 24.
Dave and I woke up this morning to what we thought was rain but ended up being heavy dew from fog. Apparently fog is not a normal thing this time of year. Everything is just soaked. There was a little puddle of water by Dave’s side of the bed due to the window being open a little bit, but it is a good thing I closed down the hatches. We usually leave the two hatches above our bed open a little to keep some air flow going.

We watched the movie Hancock last night. It was a great movie. It was even better than the first time we saw it. There is a pretty good crowd that shows up at these movies. It is neat.

Total Yacht Works guys are supposed to be out to our boat at 9:00am, however, it is 9:15am and they aren’t here yet. We are in Mexico so they will be here eventually.

I am going to Spanish lessons this morning at 10:30am and then I will pick up my laundry and come back to the boat and put everything back I had to remove for the guys to get to the engine. The rest of the day is up for grabs. Whatever I feel like doing I guess.

While Dave is waiting for the guys to get here he is scrubbing the gunk off the water line on the boat. One thing about being in marinas is there is a lot of gunk in the water and it doesn’t take long for the bottom to get dirty.

Rafael at Total Yacht Works showed up around 9:30am or so without his partner. He started to work right away and I stayed in the cockpit otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get out of the boat. The engine is under the stairs. It was going on 10:00am and I figured I would walk over and pick my laundry up and bring it back to the boat before going to Spanish lessons. So I did. It was 2 loads worth so it cost me 160 pesos. After I dropped my laundry back at the boat I went up to the pool area and waited for the person giving Spanish lessons to show up. There was one other couple that was waiting. They are flying home tomorrow but thought it would be good to at least get some Spanish under their belts. Finally after about 15minutes the gal showed up and we sat at one of the tables. She handed out a piece of paper that had English words and phrases along with the Spanish words. It was a good lesson. I found out I had been saying mucho gracias when I should have been saying muchas gracias. After the lesson was over I went back to the boat and Rafael was still there. He was finishing up the job. Then he ran the engine to check how it would run and watch the temperature gauge. Things looked good. We will have to run the engine ourselves a bit to get things moving through the engine. So that job is done thank goodness. Now we have to pay the bill. Rafael doesn’t deal with that so we will need to go to the office and do that probably tomorrow.

After lunch I went up to the pool and hung out for a little bit. After I had had enough of the heat I went to the boat and changed then sat and read my book and had a beer.

Dinner time came and went and we either read or played on the computer. Not much of an exciting night. Just relaxing.

Saturday, April 25.
No fog this morning which was nice. Looks like the weather is getting back to what is normal here, so I have been told. There is a bunch of stuff to do today. We need to pay our bill at Total Yacht Works and then Dave wants to put oil in the engine and add some coolant. We are going to go pay the bill first because they are only open until 1:00pm. We were going to walk but Dave had been talking to our neighbor George and he said we could borrow his dinghy if we wanted too. So Dave asked me and I said sure. So off we went. It was fun. Dave is going to get our dinghy out and inflate it soon I hope. Then we can take the river trip and maybe do some fishing close to the other marina, Marina Mazatlan. That is where a lot of the locals go instead of going out into the ocean. They have caught some big red snappers and snook. So we went to Cingular Marina and parked the dinghy and walked over to Total Yacht Works and paid the bill. We bought some oil to for the engine and they gave Dave a shirt and me a cap. That was cool. It cost us around $377.00 to get the heat exchanger cleaned. Not bad. We left there and got back to the dinghy and came back to George’s boat and tied his dinghy up, pulled the motor up out of the water and covered the engine. We told him we were back and thanked him. Now on to the next project.

Dave added coolant then he checked the oil to see how much he needed to add and then added some. Once that was done, it was lunch time so I fixed Dave and me a sandwich. Dave was going to fix a board beneath the floor board underneath the last step coming down the companionway, but it was getting pretty warm down below so he decided to wait until morning to do that job. It was already 2:00pm. After lunch Dave didn’t feel like doing anything else so he relaxed and played his sub game on the computer. I told him I was going to the pool. The pool temperature was much cooler today so it was refreshing. I lay in the sun to dry off and then it was getting a bit too hot so I packed it up and came back to the boat. Friday a bunch of workers were erecting a huge tent across the water on the other part of El Cid on the beach. People who have been here for a few years said it is the largest tent they have seen put up over there. There is going to be a large wedding/reception party over there on Saturday night. I guess the niece of the harbor master is getting married to one of the Governor relatives so the Governor will be a guest along with 600 other guests. 100 of the rooms at the resort have been booked just for this event. It was interesting to watch them erect the tent and dress it in curtains and get real elaborate. There are movie lights and things that look like 4 chandeliers hanging down from the top where the guests arrive. It looks like thin mother of pearl. Everyone is talking about the event. Some of the guests of the resort took the taxi boat over to what we call the island just to see it up close. I guess there is a big container of white rose peddles. We figure it is for a carpet or something like that. Wow!!! No extravagance spared there!! When I got back to the boat after being at the pool I got my binoculars out and sat down in the cockpit and spied on what was going on over there. Many busy bees that is for sure. I think the wedding will be at sunset. I’ve been watching people arrive and most of the guests are going to the reception area under the tent. It looks like the wedding will take place just outside the big building they usually use for parties. There were only a few chairs there for the ceremony so I figured the ceremony was just for family and close friends. About 7:00pm the music changed and you could hear them announcing something so I figured the party was starting. Dave and I ate dinner and when everything was cleaned up and put away I took my chair, binoculars, cigar, and a glass of wine out on deck and sat and spied the party. They were having a great time. Some people were wearing funny hats others had those light sticks that flash and then they were tossing the groom in the air and catching him. Boy---do those people know how to have fun!! I watched the people dance and could see the band and there were lights lit all over the place. They had yellow, red and white lights. It was neat. When I finished my cigar and wine, I brought in my chair and binoculars. It was getting a little damp so time to go below. Dave hooked up the cable to watch T.V. He was hoping to catch the Mariners. Unfortunately they show NYY and other teams but not the Mariners. Bummer. We watched some movies. We weren’t going to bed any time soon as the party was still going on and probably would be into the wee hours of the morning. I guess about 1:00am I finally called it quits and went to bed. Of course I couldn’t sleep. Dave fell asleep on the settee watching a movie and when he woke up it was over. He came to bed and the band was still playing but the music had changed. It was disco music. The young people were left dancing and the old folks went to bed. I guess everything finally died down around 2:30-3:00am. Then Dave and I could sleep. No fireworks though. Usually after every party there are fireworks. I guess the bride and groom didn’t want that. That’s cool. That way we weren’t blasted out of our beds right when we doze off. HA!!!

Sunday, April 26.
Not many people up and moving this morning. It has been quiet all day. The cruising people are getting their boats ready to go on the hard so they can go home for the summer and then come back this fall/winter. The cruising season is coming to a close. There are less people in the hotels too. Pretty soon it will be vacation time for the Mexican people, especially for those who live in the mountains. This is their time to come down and enjoy the beaches. The weather is already getting hot and humid and it will continue more so as the months go on. Then there will be rain every afternoon. It really doesn’t sound like fun here. I’m glad we won’t be here to see it. Dave and I didn’t do much today. It’s just a do nothing day.

We had chicken sandwiches for dinner and then sat outside until it got damp. Then we went below and watched a little T.V. Not much on Sunday nights.

A lot of talk and news about the swine flu.

Monday, April 27.
It is a beautiful morning. It is going to be a hot one. Dave added the piece of wood to fix the support problem under the floor board under the step. It is much better now. When Dave got finished with that I vacuumed and washed the floor. It was pretty dirty. I shook rugs and checked the dust level under the settee for the refrigerator and freezer compressors. Actually I was really surprised there was very little. Once that was put back together, I made lunch. I took the vacuum outside and cleaned it out and then put it away. I defrosted the freezer and made ice.

I spent some time looking on the internet and found a Spanish lesson site. So I practiced saying words in Spanish. Then I went outside and sat and read my book. Then I took a little nap. With the temperature heating up during the day, you really don’t feel like doing anything and you get sleepy. Since we have been here in Mazatlan we have been tired. It is a different heat here than in La Cruz and the sun was up earlier in La Cruz. Some days it is hard to get motivated. If you don’t start doing something in the morning you might as well forget it because then you get too hot. That’s o.k. There is plenty of time to do stuff.

Ramon, the canvas guy came to see us today. Dave told him we were interested in getting an awning and also a cover for the side of the hull. We gave Ramon an idea what we wanted and he said he has made the covers before and he would give us an estimate. He would be back tomorrow.

Dave is trying to get a hold of the guy that is to ship the solar panels to us to no avail. It is frustrating. Others have had the same problem with him. Dave has ordered them and they are on their way to Jim Dixon. Dave needs to know he is aware of that and has left him voice and email messages. Well he will keep trying. I sat outside and read my book. There is a nice breeze. Why I think I will fix Dave and I a rum and coke!!

Dinner was fixed and afterward I went up and took a shower. Then we watched the movie Balls of Fury. John and Sandy loaned it to us. They said it was hilarious. So I made some popcorn and we watched it. Actually we didn’t find it THAT funny but it was entertaining. Toward the end of the movie the sound started cutting out and it started to hit and miss some of the scenes. Dave looked at the disc when he took it out and it was scratched and needed cleaning. That was our exciting night.

We are keeping an eye on the news about the swine flu. The schools are out for a couple of weeks in all of Mexico just as a precaution. I have heard that in the stores the clerks are wearing masks but the customers aren’t. The problem with the masks are they are bacterial and not viral so they really won’t do any good. A lot of the people here don’t wash their hands so it makes us leary about shaking hands.

Tuesday, April 28.
I spent the morning looking up recipes on the internet for what to have when it is hot weather. I need some ideas other than pasta as to what we can eat when we are in the Sea. I am not going to be cooking a lot that is for sure. We will BBQ some but the propane canisters are not always available and sometimes are expensive. So I needed to find no cooking recipe ideas. Then I checked email.

I decided I had to do something so I cleaned the heads. They were well overdue. I always hate to do that but feel better once it is done. I washed dishes and drained the ice maker of leftover water then started to catch up the blog. It will be posting time in a couple of days.

Ramon came to the boat and measured for the awning and side panel. He gave Dave an estimate for the two jobs of 7900 pesos which is about $570.00 U.S. We talked about it and looked at our finances. With the solar panels, awning, & side panel we should be alright. It will suck some money away, but we won’t have a need to spend much money in the Sea so we are hoping we can build our funds up again. Food is going to cost us right now because I want to make sure we will have enough food and drinks. Things are far more expensive, except fruits and veggies, in the Sea. I’d rather have too much stuff than too little. Probably Thursday I will go to Sam’s Club and buy some bulk items. We need to go to Henderson Meats and get steak, chops, chicken, and lunch meat. I need to go into old town and get some yarn for the baby afghan I will be making for our son Michael and Dani’s little one. We have a few things to do while we are here. One good thing about spending the money for necessary things for the boat is we won’t have to do it next year. We are hoping we can take some side trips when we come back.

It is movie night on the grass tonight. They are showing a western titled Appaloosa. Dave said it didn’t sound exciting, but I think I will go and watch it. Something to do and it is fun being outside.

Dave has been outside most of the afternoon. He took the anchor chain out of the bow locker and spread it on the dock to hose it off and let it dry. When it is stored in the locker the part of the chain that doesn’t get used when we anchor ends up sitting in water and most of that is salt water. So it needed to be inspected. Dave did find spots of salt build-up so he put some vinegar on those spots to clean it. Too bad we don’t have a container big enough to hold all the chain so we can soak it in fresh water and vinegar. Dave rinsed out the chain locker and is letting it dry. He will put the chain away later on this afternoon. He has come inside to get out of the heat.

I think I will go up to the cockpit and get some fresh air and read my book. I am almost finished with this book.

I decided I needed to get some exercise so I walked around the resort grounds going up and down stairs and then I climbed the steps to the 7th floor which is close to the ocean. Once I was at the top I looked out over the marina and into the channel leading to Marina Mazatlan and vicinity.
I could also look out on the ocean and see Deer Island which is close to us.
It was nice. Then I took the stairs back and walked back to the boat. I sat outside in the shade and read some more of my book.

Dave decided to put the anchor chain away tomorrow morning with my help. It was getting late in the afternoon and we were going to see the movie. So Dave took the chain and snaked it into a smaller area to contain it for the night. Then it would be ready for us to roll it in. We ate dinner and then waited until close to 8:00pm for the movie to start. Around 7:45pm we walked up to the grass area and got our seats.

The movie was pretty good I thought. Dave said it was alright. It was entertaining. Afterwards we came back to the boat. We went to bed around 11 or so.

Wednesday, April 29.
It’s another warm day. I have to figure out what we are going to have for dinner. So I am looking through my recipe books to get an idea. I have some frozen shrimp so I think I will make a dish with that and rice. The freezer is starting to get empty. I’m going to have to go shopping here in a day or two.

Dave and I aren’t too concerned about this swine flu because the virus can’t survive in hot climates. It is like the regular flu back home. There are more cases of flu in the cold damp weather then in warm weather. That’s not to say we aren’t taking precautions. Other than grocery shopping, we aren’t in crowds all the time. We did hear this morning where there have been 40 cancellations to the resort due to flights being cancelled to Mexico and the scare of getting the flu. It will be pretty dead around here. Some of the resort guests are leaving earlier than normal too because of the reports. With all the hype on this flu, it is making it harder for people to fly out of the country, so when they can get a flight out they are going. I’ll have the pool all to myself. HA!! I know this is a serious illness, but so are the bird flu and all the other diseases we have had over the centuries. All you can do is be cautious and keep yourself safe. Don’t worry about us---we will be fine. We will be going to hotter climate in a month and that should help, also we won’t be around a lot of people.

I helped Dave get the anchor chain into the anchor locker. He was up on the bow pushing the up button and laying the chain so it would go back and forth and not be coiled up like it was. I was on the dock guiding the chain so it wouldn’t get into the salt water. We make a great team. That job is now done.

Evelyn, our next door neighbor came by and asked if we would be interested in doing a potluck on the dock tomorrow night. We said sure. There are a few cruising boats leaving and Evelyn wanted to get everyone together before that to wish them well. It will be on our dock so we won’t be going far. I think I will make coleslaw. I have lots of cabbage. We figured 6:00pm would be a good time as that is when it starts to cool down.

Not much going on today. I will finish my book and then what? I don’t know. I think I will chug up the stairs again today for exercise and to get some pictures.

I chugged up the stairs and I was surprised I almost made it to the seventh floor without stopping. The other time I had to stop 2 times. This time I only stopped for a second and then kept going. My legs sure let me know they didn’t appreciate it but I need to build my stamina. I forgot my camera so when I do this again I will bring it with me.

When I returned to the boat Dave was getting ready to pump the bilge. I got the pump and then when he filled the container I dumped it. There must have been at least 4 or 5 times I went up and down our stairs so I really got double duty on the exercise. No matter. Now the water is out of the bilge and we can keep an eye on it. The water that was in there was from when we took the knot meter out and put it back in and taking the sea strainers off. It wasn’t from any leaks we had. So far we have been very lucky in that respect. After we got done with that chore we both went outside and read our books. I have started a new Janet Envanovich book titled Full House. I thought I read that one before but didn’t so I am going to enjoy every page. Dave is reading a Clive Cussler book titled Vixon 03. I will read that one eventually.

It is time to fix dinner so I am going below to cook some rice and veggies and shrimp and make salad.

After dinner we didn’t do much. I went up and took a shower and when I got back Dave was watching T.V. So we watched T.V. the rest of the night. Exciting eh?!

Thursday, April 30.
Well!!! This is the last day of April. Months go by so fast. Well today is grocery shopping day just for the weekend. All non-essential businesses are closing tomorrow through the weekend. It seems silly that they chose Friday through Monday because most people are home on the weekends anyway. Well the schools have been closed and the kids will go back to school Tuesday morning. Dave and I took the bus to the Mega grocery store to pick up a few items to get us by over the weekend. I also had to get some things to make my coleslaw for the dock party tonight. Not many people out and about. You saw a lot of people wearing masks, mostly the workers. Then you saw people who had the mask on but lowered it eventually. What good is it doing that? Anyway most of the masks people have are not going to help the situation. You have to have one that will keep viruses away. We weren’t sure if busses were going to be working tomorrow so we decided to get our shopping done now. We got enough things we could carry back on the bus and came back to the boat and put things away.

Ramon, the canvas guy, was working on the dock with an order for George, our neighbor and we told him we wanted him to make the awning and side panel. So he wanted money as a down payment so Dave had to go to the bank. It is walking distance from the marina. While he did that I made coleslaw for tonight. When Dave returned I made us a sandwich. After lunch I went to the harbor master office and got tokens to do laundry. I decided to do my own this time. They use a lot of fabric softener and it gets over whelming at times. Plus I figured there wouldn’t be hardly anyone working tomorrow so I would get the tokens now. I changed the bed sheets so I could wash the ones that have been on there for a week and off I went to do laundry. Dave came up and talked to Gladis for a few minutes, she is the harbor master secretary. Then he went and took a shower. When I finished with laundry I took it back to the boat and put it away. Now I am blogging. I want to post the blog tomorrow so I will probably take pictures of the marina from the 7th floor of the A building and then put them in the blog.

Tonight is not only our potluck on the dock but movie night too. They are showing the new Get Smart movie. That should be funny. We saw previews the other night. It is fun. I don’t know how many more times they will do the movies if boaters keep leaving. The movies are for the boaters but anyone can come that is in the resort. Well it is fun and we will enjoy until it goes away.

It was pretty warm today. It will be interesting in the Sea of Cortez. I still say I like the hot weather as long as you don’t have to do real strenuous work outside. You know the Mexican people know how to cope in the heat by staying indoors during the hottest part of the day. I haven’t been out in the sun a lot because it is very hot and I burn easily. I like being tan but I’m not willing to risk ruining my skin over it.

I have a half hour before our dock party, and then the movie after that. I will let you know how the movie was and I will blog at the beginning of June. Cheers!!!

The dock party was good. We had a nice visit with everyone. Dave and I went to watch Get Smart. It was a funny movie. We enjoyed it. We said goodbye to our cruising friends, Pam and Tom who are going home on Saturday. They will be back in November. I’m sure we will see them again.