svbeachhouse

Category: Ship’s Log

  • Costa Rica – Part 2…..

    Dear F&F,

    April 4-5, 2009

    April 4
    We were up at dawn again, so underway in the cool of the morning. We stayed
    quite a bit offshore since there were some rocky pinnacles which made it
    interesting along the coastline near the old Marina Flamingo (now closed).
    The wind picked up enough to sail for 2 hours. During that time we had half
    an hour of spotted dolphins swimming right with us. There were many Mamas
    with 2 foot long Babies close beside – so cute! Many males also played
    between our 2 bows. Scott took some video. I just sat on the bow seat
    grinning ear to ear. These moments remind me why I live on a boat.

    The afternoon got pretty toasty again. We slathered the sunscreen & stayed
    in the shade of the bimini. I have taken to wearing my bikini. Least
    possible clothing is best. We drink water & Gatorade continually. If there
    is some breeze in our face it helps a lot.

    It was a 10 hour travel day. Late in the afternoon we anchored at Bahia
    Carillo which we are affectionately referring to as a truck stop. There is
    no particular attraction here at all. It just allows us to sleep instead of
    travel all night. Two other cruising boats pulled in after us. A big
    schooner heading north & a 36 foot monohull (couple from the Bay Area)
    heading south to the Panama Canal, across the Atlantic then on to Europe. We
    swapped stories via radio with the schooner captain. The wife on the
    monohull swam over & treaded water while we chatted with her. One boat on
    each side of us, not too lumpy & as the sun is setting it is cooling off.

    So early to bed & early to rise again. I was tempted briefly to jump
    overboard with the other woman treading water, but it is so green & murky,
    extremely unappealing when you can\’t even see your own feet. A cold shower
    will do.

    Before bedtime the boat was rolling too much to sleep comfortably so we
    moved our position & set the stern anchor to hold us bow to the waves
    better. Much better. I nearly got seasick just looking at the 2 monohulls
    wig-wagging in the swell.

    April 5
    Today is our last big day trip, another 60-70 mile day. There was not
    enough wind from the right direction to really go sailing. We did put just
    the genoa out for a while & I got to clear up some sail trim questions with
    Captain Scott. He is a good teacher. He gets frustrated with me sometimes.
    He thinks I know more than I do. Everything is so automatic & natural for
    him from his years of experience that he forgets that I really don\’t know &
    understand a lot about sailing our boat. We have motored much more than
    sailed for the past 5 years. Can you believe our Beach House will already be
    5 years old on April 15?

    We really like being alone on the water, listening to music. Today\’s
    wildlife highlight was a yellow-footed booby sitting on a piece of
    driftwood. We passed by fairly close & decided he was so delightful we\’d
    circle around & have another look at him. Scott took some pictures & the
    bird was quite cooperative in posing, no doubt proud of his magnificent
    yellow feet.

    Since today\’s passage was long & not much boat traffic, Scott decided to
    tackle installing the new helm hatch. It is under & below the wheel. We had
    to be on auto pilot, which we mostly are on when not maneuvering, because
    the wheel had to be taken off. I kept watch & assisted in my “Vanna White
    way”. After measuring twice, he cut once. The new hole is just a tiny bit
    larger than the old hole. The old chinzy hatch cover had been replaced twice
    before & on the last trip to LA, we brought back a much better quality one
    that should hold up. Removing the old one & cleaning up after that was half
    of it. Then there was a messy ordeal with power saw, electric drill, sticky
    adhesive, etc. I have photos of Scott with tool in hand to show that he is
    not losing his touch with a drill. He is quite pleased with himself. One
    item off of Megan\’s bed…many more to go before she arrives in 6 days.

    We anchored out in Bahia Herradura at Los Suenos. We have both anchors out
    again tonight but still rocking around a bit. Since were out to sea we did
    not get to take in any local flavor of the Palm Sunday holiday. There are a
    lot of locals camping along all the beaches. The whole country is on
    vacation this week. I will be interested to see if the Marriott near the
    marina has only gringos or some wealthy Costa Ricans on holiday at the fancy
    resort. My understanding from a taxi driver the other day is that today was
    the religious Easter & next Sunday is the eggs & bunnies Easter.

    We have travelled 6 of the past 8 days. Scott is already asleep at 7:30 pm.
    I am tired also, but it is too dang hot, still 86 degrees inside. It is 82
    with a lovely breeze outside but it seems to take the boat half the night to
    cool down from the days heat load. I succumbed to jumping overboard this
    afternoon but the water was yucky pea green murk & I couldn’t see my own
    feet. Disappointingly, it was not that refreshing. Some benefit when I got
    out, due to a slight \”chill factor\” (more like thank God factor) as the
    breeze glazed over my wet body.

    So far the coast of Costa Rica has been much drier than we\’d expected. It
    doesn\’t look all that different than Mexico, fewer cacti perhaps. We know it
    is the end of the dry season. But we just thought that meant it would not be
    raining. We didn\’t realize everything would look so dry. We are not going
    down as far as the Panamanian border, or to the inland mountains where it is
    probably more lush.

    Sadly they are overbuilding just like Mexico. I am sure Costa Rica used to
    be a gem. It is actually quite depressing to read the Lonely Planet
    guidebook. Drugs and prostitution are rampant. I keep scanning the pages
    trying to discern where the remaining rain forests are & what we should try
    to see while here. It sounds like uncontrolled building and non-eco
    dominated tourism has ruined the country. I am yet hopeful to have a
    positive experience here on land.

    Next we will be heading to Cocos Island & then the Galapagos where wonderful
    adventures by land & sea are more certain.

    Scott & Cindy

  • Costa Rica – Part 1…..

    Dear F&F,

    April 2-3, 2009

    April 2
    One other sailboat was anchored in Bahia Santa Elena when we arrived. It is
    a well protected bay in the very north of the country. The north is drier
    than the south and this is the end of the dry season. Except for the morning
    sounds of tropical birds, we could just as well been at Catalina Island in
    So Cal.

    We rested from our overnight run, too hot to do anything. The water was very
    green. We heard from the other boaters who went around the point to snorkel,
    that it was not clear outside the bay either. There were a few panga
    fishermen. We did not see the Costa Rican Coast Guard. Hope to get a good
    night’s rest then move on to where we can officially check into the country.

    April 3
    CHECKING IN

    We upped the anchor at sunrise & motored 5 hours to El Coco. En route, we
    passed Santa Rosa National Park. This is where Colonel Oliver North trained
    the “Contras” to fight against the “Sandinistas” in the 1980’s. As sort of
    a macabre statement, a local surf site is named “Ollies’ Rock”. It’s only 5
    miles from Santa Elena/Santa Rosa to the Nicaraguan border.

    El Coco is an open roadsted type anchorage. The guide books say that theft
    is a major concern all over Costa Rica, so we locked all hatches & doors.
    Beach House becomes a sauna when all closed up in the heat & humidity. We
    gathered the usual documents: passports, exit papers from the last country
    (Nicaragua), boat documentation, insurance, etc. We dinghied to shore – wet
    landing – which is where I jump out with my water sandals (hoping it’s not
    deeper than my legs). I hold the dinghy straight while Scott pulls up the
    engine so it won’t drag in the sand. He gets his workout pulling the dinghy
    up onto dry sand. We took our longest cable & padlocked the dinghy to a
    tree.

    El Coco is a rustic beach town. We quickly found the Port Captain’s office,
    1 block inland. Round 1 accomplished there in half an hour. He directed us
    to Immigration. We had to go quickly another 4 blocks to immigration before
    they left for lunch. Since another boat told us that this office made them
    wait 1 1/2 hours for no apparent reason, we were prepared to be super
    friendly & charming. We got lucky that the agent lit up when we asked if she
    & her helper would like something cold to drink. Si, Coca Cola! Scott went
    across the street, returned with “dos colas” & we were checked in, in only
    20 minutes. Fantastico.

    Next was a 30 minute cab ride to Liberia airport (small local airport).
    Driver Louis had worked in Los Angeles was quite fluent in English so we
    asked him a lot of questions about the area. The north, where we are is
    pretty dry & grows cantaloupes. We kept trying to find out what tourists do
    here, but it sounded like going to the beach was the main thing. The Customs
    office was just a little window at the airport. We were done there in about
    15 minutes. Cab ride back to the Port Captain for final round of paperwork.
    Voila, done! (Is there a Spanish equivalent of voila?)

    Hot & sweaty, but we saved $450 going on this triple office tour ourselves
    rather than hiring the very expensive private agent that would have done the
    leg work for us. We are using the agent to get a permit for Cocos Island
    ($200). It is too important for us that check-in there is quick & easy since
    we only get to stay 12 days & have a week of diving scheduled. In Guatemala
    an agent to do the runaround was only $50, so it was worth it. In El
    Salvador & Nicaragua the agents came right to our boat, easy as pie. Each
    country has its own routine.

    The taxi driver recommended a lunch spot, I enjoyed fish with rice & Scott
    had the chicken. Both came with plantains & fruit also; very nice. But now I
    have a bit of intestinal disfortitude… We\’ve been so lucky eating &
    drinking whatever we want.

    Playa (means beach) Coco was looking kind of rolly when we returned to the
    big boat so we motored 4 miles around the bend to this anchorage called
    Playa Panama. No we are not near Panama. Turns out we are lying sideways to
    the swell so it is just as rolly here as the other place. It has been
    raining off & on, which is a bummer when it is so hot because we cannot open
    any windows. We pretty much have a catamaran shaped sauna. Scott turned on
    the generator for a couple of hours so we could cool off a bit & reduce the
    interior humidity. We put the side awning up so hopefully we can keep the
    bedroom hatches open without getting soaked overnight. It depends on which
    way the wind blows. Boaters we met elsewhere are here & have family
    visiting at the hotel on the beach so they have use of the hotel pool & are
    enjoying that.

    We need to get further south & plan to leave at day break tomorrow. It will
    take us 2 days travel to get near Manuel Antonio State Park which is
    supposed to be one of the most accessible parks from the coast. We have a
    reservation at Los Suenos Marina for the week Megan, my niece from NY, is
    visiting. It is always best to be at a dock with non-boating guests. It
    costs a freakin’ fortune, but there is no competition and no safe anchorages
    to leave the boat unattended while we do day tours.

    I can\’t say that I love Costa Rica yet, but I hope to soon. We saw many
    dolphins today on our 5 hour motor ride. I am always excited when they swim
    between our hulls for a while. Makes it all worthwhile.

    Scott & Cindy

  • Nicaragua to Costa Rica…..

    Dear F&F,
    March 31 – April 1, 2009

    Yesterday we mostly munched paperwork with our scanner: receipts, warranties, instruction manuals, statements. We try to scan as much as possible & take important stuff back to our Los Angeles storage unit for filing, tossing the rest. Having WiFi onboard is a rare convenience. Scott had practically \”live chat\” emails with an agent in Costa Rica and the Galapagos. He got a mechanic referral for the bolt problem and confirmed our dates with the marine electrician.

    We indulged in a sunset swim. The pool was a good size for soaking & short laps. The water temperature was the same as the air, about 85 degrees so not what you would call refreshing, but always lovely to move the body in water. Our evening entertainment was the movie \”Juno\”. We got a good laugh discovering that is how the singing duo \”Moldy Peaches\” came to be. Played often on Sirius Coffee House station, they sing poorly a silly, yet catchy tune that is annoying yet hilarious at the same time. Sadly, we sailed out of range of the satellite radio in El Salvador.

    April 1
    The Tres Amigos showed up as requested at 7:00 am: Migracion, Aduana (Customs), Capitania de Puerto. Two of us cruising boats are checking out of the country today, but Scott waved them over to us first. I was eager to get them in & out so I could then have my tea & breakfast in peace. The Immigration Agent & Port Captain were the same two that checked us in 2 days ago, but the Customs agent was a different guy. He was good natured & set his cell phone on the table with Bob Marley tunes playing while they filled out their forms, signed & stamped. Scott manned the copy machine. I scrambled for exact change for each of the fees. Note to self: carry more small bills at all times. The Port Captain got a bonus $15. We never got any Cordobas (Nicaraguan currency), but they happily took dollars.

    Our bill at the marina was more than we expected, a steep charge for electricity. Oh well, being able to use the air conditioning was worth it. We saw nothing of Nicaragua except Marina Puesta del Sol. One of the nicer marinas, very tranquil with beautiful grounds. A helpful dock worker tossed me our lines as Scott pulled away from the dock. Upon arrival, we had backed into our double wide slip which makes for an easy exit. The wide channel out of the lagoon is well marked with buoys and is plenty deep all the way out.

    I earned April Fool status by not putting on a scopalamine patch last night. When will I ever learn?! I feel so perfectly fine when I do wear it that somehow I forget how awful I will feel without it. I\’ve developed a skin sensitivity to the patch, but a few days of an itchy scabby spot behind the ear is well worth prevention of seasickness. Our course on the ocean put us almost directly into the 3-5 foot swells with a southerly breeze. I had taken a Bonine before leaving the dock, but it wasn\’t enough. I decided to give the Sturgeron a try. (Sandy, you were right, it is a miracle!) I felt nearly perfect in about 30 minutes. Due to my initially deteriorated state, Scott took the first watch, which set us up to be opposite our usual routine all day & night. Fine with me, I only have to do one night shift this way.

    The wind increased strength & the direction backed around enough for us to sail from 1:00-6:00 pm. It is such a wonderful feeling to turn off the engines & watch the sails harness nature\’s power. The land breeze overcame the sea breeze after dark so we tucked the sails away & returned to motoring. We look forward to the offshore passage in June, getting into the trade winds, sailing day and night for a couple of weeks. For now, we are still closely watching the port oil pressure, hoping the remnant of the broken bolt will keep its place until we can get it replaced. I cooked Scott a hamburger while I ate assorted leftovers for dinner. Another dose of Sturgeron for insurance before I went down for my 7:00 pm -10:00 pm nap.

    A one-third moon is keeping me company. The unmistakable Southern Cross is visible just under the bimini. A string of fishing panga lights inshore keeps me out further, over 7 miles from land. We are not in a rush, since we are timing our arrival with sunrise, so it does not matter if we take a wide course. I see the occasional path of dolphins swimming along side, stirring up a wake of bio-luminescense. I can hear them exhale, but I cannot see the body of the animals in the dark, even with a flashlight.

    Our morning destination is Bahia Santa Elena, our first stop in Costa Rica. We are hoping to enjoy a day and night of rest in what the guide book describes as a pristine, well protected anchorage. There are no facilities at this National Park and we will not be officially checked into the country. We hope the Navy is not patrolling or simply ignores us. We\’ve heard many boaters stop here without a problem, and we will certainly fly the country flag. Checking in to Costa Rica is not as easy as the the other Central American countries. We will brave that challenge at our next port (El Coco) in a couple of days.

    Signing off at near midnight. Two more hours on my watch, all is well.

    Scott & Cindy

  • El Salvador to Nicaragua…..

    Dear F&F,
    March 29-30, 2009

    Unfortunately we won\’t get to Costa Rica in time to meet up with Ron & Ken (Santa Rosa friend Karen\’s husband & brother-in-law, who have been there many times & are trying to establish a small business). We considered passing by Nicaragua, but decided to stick to our original plan, which is to stop at Marina Puesta del Sol, before moving on to Costa Rica.

    We have been on the \”wait list\” at Los Suenos Marina for two months. When Scott Skyped them (internet telephone) today that we were imminently on our way, they said they could give us a slip, but oy veh – the price! We got sticker shock by the marina rates at the two main places in Costa Rica. We have paid max $100/night for a slip at a dock (Puerto Los Cabos the most so far). Marina Papagayo wants $150.00/night & Los Suenos is $275/night!!! Obviously no normal cruising boats go there. Papagayo admitted they were mostly empty.

    From talking to other boaters & reading our guide book, Puesta del Sol sounds as if it will have similar facilities to where we are leaving in El Salvador. I was kind of sad about skipping an entire country, so now we are going. Anyway, too bad I won\’t catch up with Ron; that would have been fun.

    To leave Marina Bahia del Sol, where the boat has been for a month in El Salvador, we had to time our exit from the estuary to the ocean with the daylight high tide, which today was 4:00 pm. By 4:30 pm, we were safely away from the danger zone (shallow water with breaking waves), having followed the path of the marina\’s very capable panga driver, Rohelio. We are motoring along quite well. No wind to speak of, so no sailing. There were a lot of small fishing boats with nets near the coast, so we went about 10 miles offshore to not risk running into any of their nets.

    Scott went down to nap at 7:30 pm & will be up at 10:30 pm, so I only have 1 more hour on my first night watch. I am eager to take a shower, feeling very sticky. It is never below 80 degrees at night & day highs are 90s & humid. We are doing 3 hour shifts instead of our usual 4. The trip is only about 100 miles total, so we will get there shortly after sunrise Monday.

    On his routine engine checks, Scott discovered a broken off bolt on the floor… Never a good thing. He keeps the engine spaces meticulous, so he spots any oil or water leaks right away. Any part found on the floor that fell off of something, he knows where it goes. Luckily the broken off part is still doing its job so we are not leaking oil, but now watching the oil gauge like a hawk. He is seeking a referral for a mechanic to get the broken one out & replace it. He thinks we do have a spare the right size. It\’s always something!

    The stars are great tonight, the lovely crescent moon set just a while ago. There is a fair amount of bioluminescence. Between the 2 beachings, touring Guatemala with Carmina & the trip to California, time has really flown for us. We are looking forward to a couple days of rest in Puesta del Sol, before exploring Costa Rica.

    8:30 am March 30
    Safe arrival at Marina Puesta del Sol. Very nice, quiet docks, a couple other cruising boats. $100/day, plus electricity. Clean dock water! Customs, Immigration & Port Captain came onboard to check us in right away. Easy process, polite, friendly. We need a nap, but are happy to be here.

    Scott & Cindy

  • Return from LA & Second Beaching of \”Beach House\”…..

    Dear F&F,
    March 23-25, 2009

    We checked in to our Taca flight to San Salvador 4 hours early which was a good thing because it was a full flight. Scott did not get an exit row, but we did get to keep our aisle & aisle seats across from each other as I had reserved. We had to pay $50 extra x 3 bags ($150) which was no big deal compared to international shipping costs. Especially since we had packed two new propellers! They were VERY STRICT with carry-on luggage, only one allowed. The good news is that they took our second bags as checked luggage at the gate with no additional charge. Every airline & airport is a bit different; you never get to know until you\’re there.

    It was an on time take off & landing which was good. Being awake until the 1:45 am take-off & sleeping only 1 hour of the 4 hour 20 minute flight, not so good. It was the easy breeziest customs we ever went through. No red light/ green light like Mexico. You just stroll through with your luggage & a very bored young lady stamped something & waved us through. Terrific!

    We found it much more expensive to rent a car for 3 days than take 3 cab trips back & forth to the marina (for marketing), so we went with the cab. No air conditioning, but only 40 minute ride & it was only 9:00 am, so not sweltering yet.

    Two hotel/marina guys plus our cab driver helped us schlep all the baggage down the dock & ramp. It was medium low tide, lucky it was not the steepest. Scott confirmed with Alex (our Canadian mechanic) that we were a \”go\” for beaching \”Beach House\” just after that nights\’ high tide at 2:00 am.

    Scott went up to the internet area right away to email photos to boat magazine friend Richard Spindler who wants to print an article about our last beaching in Latitude 38. I unpacked the \”pink\” items as best I could. Two suitcases were quite damaged, the largest had to be trashed, not a shock. We are used to the idea that luggage is fairly disposable. Less to stow! Considering that (2) 25 lb propellers were packed, we fared pretty well.

    When Scott returned onboard we cranked up the air conditioning & crawled into bed for a nap. We slept from about 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Hunger awoke us. All our fridge & freezers are offline. I opened boxed milk and ate cold cereal. I heated a can of chicken noodle soup for Scott. I helped him unpack the \”blue\” items the best we could. Much is on top of the guest bed, plus the \”garage\” cabin is overflowing.

    We napped again from 8:00 pm till midnight. Then the fun began…

    Alex & Scott went out to the beaching site to in the dinghy to preset the anchors in the pitch black of night. Carlos & crew came at 1:00 a.m., tied up his panga to \”Beach House\” & towed us to the site. Good thing we didn\’t have to do it in the dark the first time. But having done it once, it was do-able again. Not being able to see well didn\’t help though. Same routine as before to get our boat in the right position with the rudders hanging down off the edge of the muddy bank but keep most of the length of our hulls over the sand bar.

    As the tide receded & we were touching down in a good position so we napped again. Alex camped out on the trampoline. The panga men left to return at sunrise. I suppose Scott slept from about 3:00 am until 5:30 am. Blessedly I slept until 6:30 am when I heard tromping overhead. I knew by the sound of his footsteps that Scott was in need of his step & fetch it tool girl.

    I threw on my shorts & tank top, swilled down the jasmine tea I had the foresight to brew earlier & went out to join the fray. Alex was already down in the mud. By 6:45 am the first prop was on! When Carlos & Company returned I poured Gatorade all around. I also made oatmeal which only I ate at that point. Scott wolfed a bowl down later.

    The starboard side still had its old propeller on, so that was a bit of a struggle to remove, but by 8:30 am Alex had done it. At 9:00 am the 2nd propeller is on – job complete! We celebrated with another round of Gatorade. While waiting for the tide to rise, we catch another nap from 10:00 am – noon. I find I am not quick to wake up after naps. Maybe that is why I don\’t nap much. On the other hand keeping such odd hours for 2 days may have something to do with it…

    I made a 3 can lunch: pinto beans, corn & salsa. Not bad at all. We didn\’t starve. Once we were floating enough to be towed off the sandbar, Carlos side-tied his panga to us again & we upped the port the anchors. We had already pulled up the starboard ones when we were high & dry since we didn\’t need them with the rising tide, only to hold our position with the receding tide.

    By 2:00 pm Scott & Alex were zooming up & down the estuary testing the new propellers. Speed & control fine. Minor RPM difference between port & starboard but nothing to worry about for now. I followed them in the dinghy. Thumbs up all around.

    At 2:30 pm Carlos & crew started washing the boat at the dock. She was covered in ash & grime. Even though it will be dirty again tomorrow we just cannot tolerate leaving it this way. We must fight back the best we can. Scott & Carlos schlepped our (8), 5 gallon jerry jugs to load diesel. The fuel dock here is not easy to take the big boat to, so fueling up is best done by dinghy schlepping. Scott often strains his back from this maneuver. I nagged him to let Carlos do most of the lifting & fed him some preventative Advil. He then installed a charcoal water filter we just brought from LA, so we could load our tanks with water. The last filter looked like we\’d been straining oil – yuck! We buy 5 gallon jugs of drinking water. The dock water quality is so poor it is barely tolerable for showering.

    Dinner was pasta mixed with tuna & mushrooom soup. Amazing how you can still eat without any fresh food in the house! But tomorrow is shopping day, yippee! I\’ve reviewed my pantry inventory & made my list. Carlos claims there is a good grocery store about 40 minutes drive (vs over 1 hr to San Salvador & much less traffic apparently). I hope it is decent. I am looking forward to yogurt, fruits & veggies. I certainly pigged out in California so am not feeling deprived (yet) only back here 36 hours.

    We are looking ahead at the tide windows to cross the entry/exit sand bar to get out of here. Probably within 2-4 days. Scott & Alex have to rebuild the other transmission & we have to figure out where to stow it. Hopefully it will fit under the guest bed.

    We are feeling a bit in overdrive, but very accomplished. Looking forward to all the exciting places ahead. Hopefully we\’ll be able to take some time for R & R (and I do not mean running & racing)!!!

    Scott & Cindy

  • Return from LA & Second Beaching of \”Beach House\”…..

    Dear F&F,
    March 23-25, 2009

    We checked in to our Taca flight to San Salvador 4 hours early which was a good thing because it was a full flight. Scott did not get an exit row, but we did get to keep our aisle & aisle seats across from each other as I had reserved. We had to pay $50 extra x 3 bags ($150) which was no big deal compared to international shipping costs. Especially since we had packed two new propellers! They were VERY STRICT with carry-on luggage, only one allowed. The good news is that they took our second bags as checked luggage at the gate with no additional charge. Every airline & airport is a bit different; you never get to know until you\’re there.

    It was an on time take off & landing which was good. Being awake until the 1:45 am take-off & sleeping only 1 hour of the 4 hour 20 minute flight, not so good. It was the easy breeziest customs we ever went through. No red light/ green light like Mexico. You just stroll through with your luggage & a very bored young lady stamped something & waved us through. Terrific!

    We found it much more expensive to rent a car for 3 days than take 3 cab trips back & forth to the marina (for marketing), so we went with the cab. No air conditioning, but only 40 minute ride & it was only 9:00 am, so not sweltering yet.

    Two hotel/marina guys plus our cab driver helped us schlep all the baggage down the dock & ramp. It was medium low tide, lucky it was not the steepest. Scott confirmed with Alex (our Canadian mechanic) that we were a \”go\” for beaching \”Beach House\” just after that nights\’ high tide at 2:00 am.

    Scott went up to the internet area right away to email photos to boat magazine friend Richard Spindler who wants to print an article about our last beaching in Latitude 38. I unpacked the \”pink\” items as best I could. Two suitcases were quite damaged, the largest had to be trashed, not a shock. We are used to the idea that luggage is fairly disposable. Less to stow! Considering that (2) 25 lb propellers were packed, we fared pretty well.

    When Scott returned onboard we cranked up the air conditioning & crawled into bed for a nap. We slept from about 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Hunger awoke us. All our fridge & freezers are offline. I opened boxed milk and ate cold cereal. I heated a can of chicken noodle soup for Scott. I helped him unpack the \”blue\” items the best we could. Much is on top of the guest bed, plus the \”garage\” cabin is overflowing.

    We napped again from 8:00 pm till midnight. Then the fun began…

    Alex & Scott went out to the beaching site to in the dinghy to preset the anchors in the pitch black of night. Carlos & crew came at 1:00 a.m., tied up his panga to \”Beach House\” & towed us to the site. Good thing we didn\’t have to do it in the dark the first time. But having done it once, it was do-able again. Not being able to see well didn\’t help though. Same routine as before to get our boat in the right position with the rudders hanging down off the edge of the muddy bank but keep most of the length of our hulls over the sand bar.

    As the tide receded & we were touching down in a good position so we napped again. Alex camped out on the trampoline. The panga men left to return at sunrise. I suppose Scott slept from about 3:00 am until 5:30 am. Blessedly I slept until 6:30 am when I heard tromping overhead. I knew by the sound of his footsteps that Scott was in need of his step & fetch it tool girl.

    I threw on my shorts & tank top, swilled down the jasmine tea I had the foresight to brew earlier & went out to join the fray. Alex was already down in the mud. By 6:45 am the first prop was on! When Carlos & Company returned I poured Gatorade all around. I also made oatmeal which only I ate at that point. Scott wolfed a bowl down later.

    The starboard side still had its old propeller on, so that was a bit of a struggle to remove, but by 8:30 am Alex had done it. At 9:00 am the 2nd propeller is on – job complete! We celebrated with another round of Gatorade. While waiting for the tide to rise, we catch another nap from 10:00 am – noon. I find I am not quick to wake up after naps. Maybe that is why I don\’t nap much. On the other hand keeping such odd hours for 2 days may have something to do with it…

    I made a 3 can lunch: pinto beans, corn & salsa. Not bad at all. We didn\’t starve. Once we were floating enough to be towed off the sandbar, Carlos side-tied his panga to us again & we upped the port the anchors. We had already pulled up the starboard ones when we were high & dry since we didn\’t need them with the rising tide, only to hold our position with the receding tide.

    By 2:00 pm Scott & Alex were zooming up & down the estuary testing the new propellers. Speed & control fine. Minor RPM difference between port & starboard but nothing to worry about for now. I followed them in the dinghy. Thumbs up all around.

    At 2:30 pm Carlos & crew started washing the boat at the dock. She was covered in ash & grime. Even though it will be dirty again tomorrow we just cannot tolerate leaving it this way. We must fight back the best we can. Scott & Carlos schlepped our (8), 5 gallon jerry jugs to load diesel. The fuel dock here is not easy to take the big boat to, so fueling up is best done by dinghy schlepping. Scott often strains his back from this maneuver. I nagged him to let Carlos do most of the lifting & fed him some preventative Advil. He then installed a charcoal water filter we just brought from LA, so we could load our tanks with water. The last filter looked like we\’d been straining oil – yuck! We buy 5 gallon jugs of drinking water. The dock water quality is so poor it is barely tolerable for showering.

    Dinner was pasta mixed with tuna & mushrooom soup. Amazing how you can still eat without any fresh food in the house! But tomorrow is shopping day, yippee! I\’ve reviewed my pantry inventory & made my list. Carlos claims there is a good grocery store about 40 minutes drive (vs over 1 hr to San Salvador & much less traffic apparently). I hope it is decent. I am looking forward to yogurt, fruits & veggies. I certainly pigged out in California so am not feeling deprived (yet) only back here 36 hours.

    We are looking ahead at the tide windows to cross the entry/exit sand bar to get out of here. Probably within 2-4 days. Scott & Alex have to rebuild the other transmission & we have to figure out where to stow it. Hopefully it will fit under the guest bed.

    We are feeling a bit in overdrive, but very accomplished. Looking forward to all the exciting places ahead. Hopefully we\’ll be able to take some time for R & R (and I do not mean running & racing)!!!

    Scott & Cindy

  • Carmina\’s Guatemala…..

    Dear F&F,
    March 8-12, 2009

    Carmina & Alejandra bravely took the coastal \”scenic drive\” from Guatemala City to meet us at Bahia del Sol, El Salvador. Seven hours later, they landed onboard Beach House, pretty tired. We took the more direct route back to Guatemala City the next day, only 5 hours. The border crossing was easy enough, a quick glance at our passports and we were in.

    Carmina treated me to a stop at \”Hiper Pais\” (eeper pice), a huge wonderful grocery store that I had hoped to shop at the San Salvador location. Scott & I scoped out the wine selection & I got some yummy peanut brittle, just a brief stop.

    The Vista Real Hotel where Carmina booked us in Guatemala City was first class. Beautiful grounds, lobby, plush bedroom suite and a jacuzzi tub. I felt like the Little Mermaid in the king bed with a giant clam shell dcor. We freshened up for dinner with the Robles family. Art & Suzanne had visited Carmina in this same home over 20 years ago.

    It was great to meet Eddie Sr & Eddie Jr, Cokey and the rest of the extended Robles Clan. It was an ironic twist of fate, that Carmina who was Art and Suzanne\’s live in helper, now has her own helper, \”Yolanda\” (who is Mayan) prepare a fantastic dinner in typical Guatemalan style. The chicken had a delicious sauce with ground pumpkin seeds & mild chilies. There was rice, vegetables tied in neat bundles and the thicker style tortillas found throughout Central America.

    We waddled back to our hotel with full bellies and warm hearts.

    We spent a leisurely morning enjoying the breakfast buffet and delicious Guatemalan coffee. Carmina & Alejandra picked us up about noon for the drive to Lake Atitlan. It was 5 hours including a nice lunch stop. The road was under construction the last 2 hours but arriving at Hotel Atitlan made the trip worthwhile. The property is perched on the edge of Lake Atitlan with 2 volcanoes across made a stunning view.

    Although there were many guests coming & going, the place still had a relaxing feel. The grounds boast beautiful botanic gardens all around, swimming pool, jacuzzi and nicely appointed restaurant/bar. The next morning, we enjoyed hiking in the dense tropical vegetation at a former coffee plantation nearby. They have a living butterfly exhibit. It was not the prime season, only a few yellow butterflies fluttered under the canopy, but we got quite an education from the bilingual displays and informative worker.

    Scott enjoyed watching old movies in the air conditioned room, while we girls took the \”tuk tuk\” into town to shop. We were more lookers than buyers, but we did find a place to enjoy chocolate cupcakes and fine Guatemalan lattes. Alejandra\’s birthday is March 14 so we put a lit match in her cupcake and sang Happy Birthday to her, 3 days early. We got in the \”tuk tuk\” just in time for it to start pouring rain. A fun time had by all.

    On the ride back to Guatemala City, Alejandra & I made efforts to learn a bit of each other\’s language. We are sad that we lived so long in Mexico & Central America and know so little Spanish. It would have helped if we could have stayed in one place long enough to take a conversational immersion class. We are still on the move, and soon will be in French speaking areas, so I am afraid we will just continue to limp along.

    We had a few hours to rest at the house before checking in for our 8:30 pm flight to Los Angeles. Tears all around as we hugged Carmina farewell, wondering when & where we will see each other again. Thankfully with email we can keep in close touch.

    Scott and Cindy

  • Carmina\’s Guatemala…..

    Dear F&F,
    March 8-12, 2009

    Carmina & Alejandra bravely took the coastal \”scenic drive\” from Guatemala City to meet us at Bahia del Sol, El Salvador. Seven hours later, they landed onboard Beach House, pretty tired. We took the more direct route back to Guatemala City the next day, only 5 hours. The border crossing was easy enough, a quick glance at our passports and we were in.

    Carmina treated me to a stop at \”Hiper Pais\” (eeper pice), a huge wonderful grocery store that I had hoped to shop at the San Salvador location. Scott & I scoped out the wine selection & I got some yummy peanut brittle, just a brief stop.

    The Vista Real Hotel where Carmina booked us in Guatemala City was first class. Beautiful grounds, lobby, plush bedroom suite and a jacuzzi tub. I felt like the Little Mermaid in the king bed with a giant clam shell dcor. We freshened up for dinner with the Robles family. Art & Suzanne had visited Carmina in this same home over 20 years ago.

    It was great to meet Eddie Sr & Eddie Jr, Cokey and the rest of the extended Robles Clan. It was an ironic twist of fate, that Carmina who was Art and Suzanne\’s live in helper, now has her own helper, \”Yolanda\” (who is Mayan) prepare a fantastic dinner in typical Guatemalan style. The chicken had a delicious sauce with ground pumpkin seeds & mild chilies. There was rice, vegetables tied in neat bundles and the thicker style tortillas found throughout Central America.

    We waddled back to our hotel with full bellies and warm hearts.

    We spent a leisurely morning enjoying the breakfast buffet and delicious Guatemalan coffee. Carmina & Alejandra picked us up about noon for the drive to Lake Atitlan. It was 5 hours including a nice lunch stop. The road was under construction the last 2 hours but arriving at Hotel Atitlan made the trip worthwhile. The property is perched on the edge of Lake Atitlan with 2 volcanoes across made a stunning view.

    Although there were many guests coming & going, the place still had a relaxing feel. The grounds boast beautiful botanic gardens all around, swimming pool, jacuzzi and nicely appointed restaurant/bar. The next morning, we enjoyed hiking in the dense tropical vegetation at a former coffee plantation nearby. They have a living butterfly exhibit. It was not the prime season, only a few yellow butterflies fluttered under the canopy, but we got quite an education from the bilingual displays and informative worker.

    Scott enjoyed watching old movies in the air conditioned room, while we girls took the \”tuk tuk\” into town to shop. We were more lookers than buyers, but we did find a place to enjoy chocolate cupcakes and fine Guatemalan lattes. Alejandra\’s birthday is March 14 so we put a lit match in her cupcake and sang Happy Birthday to her, 3 days early. We got in the \”tuk tuk\” just in time for it to start pouring rain. A fun time had by all.

    On the ride back to Guatemala City, Alejandra & I made efforts to learn a bit of each other\’s language. We are sad that we lived so long in Mexico & Central America and know so little Spanish. It would have helped if we could have stayed in one place long enough to take a conversational immersion class. We are still on the move, and soon will be in French speaking areas, so I am afraid we will just continue to limp along.

    We had a few hours to rest at the house before checking in for our 8:30 pm flight to Los Angeles. Tears all around as we hugged Carmina farewell, wondering when & where we will see each other again. Thankfully with email we can keep in close touch.

    Scott and Cindy

  • THE DAY WE BEACHED \”BEACH HOUSE\” (intentionally!)…..

    Dear F&F,
    Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
    March 2, 2009

    This style of \”haul out\” is known as \”careening\”. It is very similar to the techniques used during all world traveling vessels in the \”Golden Age of Sail\”.
    It is still widely used around the world today in those far flung corners of the earth where mechanical assistance isn\’t available. It\’s just that we\’ve never done it…..

    3:00 am – Scott restless not really sleeping, consequently I am not sleeping much either.
    4:00 am – Scott gets up & starts preparing the boat per his checklist
    4:20 am – Alarm goes off, get up. Put on bug spray per Scott\’s reminder that mosquitos & no-see-ums are most active in the evening & morning. Shut off power breakers at electrical panel. Scott brings power cord onboard.
    4:40 am – Wake up call to Alex on VHF radio. No wind, so Scott moves fenders from port side of boat (against dock) to starboard for panga towing.
    4:55 am – Alex arrives in his dinghy, parks it out of the way at inshore dinghy dock.

    5:00 am – Alex takes our instant coffee black. Tightens lower oil screw of new transmission.
    5:15 am – Alex & Scott go out in our dinghy to pre-set 2 anchors on port side of beaching site. (Carlos said don\’t do it the night before or that they might be stolen during the night by the locals!)
    5:45 am – Alex & Scott return. Waiting for Carlos & dos amigos to show up in pangas.
    5:50 am – Scott having a cow that Carlos is late.
    5:55 am – Carlos, son Carlitos & Hiero show up in 2 pangas.
    6:00 am – Lash Carlos\’ panga to starboard rear of our boat.
    6:10 am – Alex shoves off our boat from the dock & Carlos turns \”Beach House\” around.
    6:30 am – I am using our wheel to control the rudders & help steer \”Beach House\” along with Carlos. We follow Alex out to the site per the GPS track that we made yesterday in the dinghy.

    7:00 am – Tense time while we are trying to hold \”Beach House\” in line with our pre-set bamboo poles & secure the port anchor lines to \”Beach House\”. The tide is still rising for about 15 minutes so we are being pushed from left to right. Alex uses our dinghy to push us closer to the anchor lines.
    7:15 am – Port bow & stern anchor lines secured. High tide is slack & will start to reverse soon. Set starboard bow & stern anchors & tie lines to \”Beach House\”. Carlos uses panga to adjust our position front to back. We must have our rudders down the slope of mud because they stick down the lowest, about 4 � feet.

    8:00 am – We have been adjusting position & waiting for \”Beach House\” to start to touch down. Owner of the trimaran that careened out here a few days ago comes out in his dinghy. Blaze emphasizes that we do not want the weight of the boat on our rudders as this can cause damage. We know this & agree. We shift \”Beach House\” back a bit to make sure we are hanging well enough off the end of the slope.
    8:15 am- Alex gamely jumps in with a mask to check the progress of how close we are to touching down & see what part of \”Beach House\” will touch first. The next 20 minutes is our last chance to adjust our position. Once we start to bear weight on the bottom we will not be able to shift her as the water continues to recede. I feed the helpers bean & cheese burritos. Typical breakfast in Mexico, my El Salvador crew happily eat it. Gatorade all around.
    8:30 am – We feel \”Beach House\” bouncing more & more hitting the sand. The skegs are touching first & the rudders appear to have enough clearance.
    8:45 am – Scott jumps in with mask also and is satisfied with our position. Alex holds his breath, dives down & digs mud out with his bare hands from below the rudders to insure clearance in case we sink down into the sand/mud a bit.

    9:15 am – \”Beach House\” is effectively beached. The working area of the hulls are not fully exposed, but Alex starts diving below & taking apart what he can. We say Adios to Carlos, Carlitos & Hiero & ask that they call us on the VHF radio in 1 hour to check on our progress. They need to return when we float with the next high tide, about 5:00 pm.
    9:45 am – There is a thin fiberglass \”skirt\” that must be removed. It is screwed & glued to the hull. Alex & Scott working together to remove the screws, chisel off the glued-on skirt.

    10:15 am – Carlos & helpers return to check on us. Scott decides we should have new skirts made. We have spare pieces of the material. Give this to Carlos, he will take it to the shop (1 mile away by panga) & cut in the correct shape per pattern of the old skirts.
    10:30 am – Scott & Alex are trying to remove the propeller. This has to come off before the old transmission can be lifted out.
    10:40 am – A screw on the propeller that normally does not spin is spinning. BAD NEWS: something is wrong with the propeller in addition to the transmission.
    10:50 am – Satellite phone call to Canadian dealer that we have dealt with for propeller service. He says he is no longer a distributor. There is no North American distributor, only Europe. He indicates that he no longer thinks highly of these propellers. Oh joy.

    11:00 am – Scott & Alex muscle the propeller off despite the broken piece. Sheared off 5/16\” pins only visible after the prop is removed. Confirmation of broken propeller; very minor superficial transmission damage.
    11:15 am – Old transmission removed & begin installation of new one. Old one slips as Scott tries to move it. Owie to Scott\’s knee & our fiberglass hull.
    11:30 am – Satellite phone call to Yanmar technical support to see what propellers they are currently recommending to use with these transmissions. They are out to lunch, need to call back in 40 minutes.

    12:20 pm – Carlos & gang return with new cut & painted skirts. Send them back to shop to get a grinder & sander to smooth off surface where old adhesive was.

    1:20 pm – Scott drains oil from starboard side sail drive while he has the opportunity to do a full change. When we are in the water he can only do a partial oil change. Put a sample of the old in plastic bottle to mail in for testing when we are in LA. Dig out 3 liters of new oil from storage space behind port holding tank locker – STINKY! Scott puts 2.8 liters new oil in starboard sail drive.
    Alex suggests we change the O-ring for starboard sail drive oil plug washer. These kind of spare parts are in a hidden storage area in the salon. Pull all salon cushions & Velcroed fabric off settee. Get into hidden storage area & dig into spare parts bins. Find necessary washer. Replace all.

    2:45 pm – Carlos & company return with grinder & sander. Scott & Alex smooth the surface, apply adhesive & stick on the new skirts. The water is rising�

    3:00 pm – One edge of the plastic skirt is not sticking well. Scott requests cordless drill to put in 2 screws to hold that edge. Alex is apprehensive about using the drill while lying in the water which is steadily rising. Scott reminds him he was a dentist. Holes drilled, screws screwed. Done!
    3:30pm – I try to do damage control as two greasy muddy men wander about. Feed them peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. More Gatorade.
    The wind has picked up in the channel, but where we are on the sandbar is protected by a bank of mangroves.

    4:00 pm – Scott calls Yanmar again and gets specifications for our propeller requirements. We wait for the tide to float us.

    5:30 pm – Carlos & company return in pangas. The still rising tide is flowing from our port to starboard. The port anchors are taking all the pull. Untie starboard anchors & tie the lines to a float to retrieve anchors later. Lash panga to our starboard stern again. Alex is driving our dinghy again. Hand starboard anchor lines to Alex who ties them to a second float for later anchor & line retrieval.

    6:00 pm – It is blowing 20+ knots (\”mild Papagayo\”). We had wanted to move to an interior slip with due to our limited maneuverability via panga tow, we opt to return to the more accessible end tie slip. Still an exciting landing as the wind is blowing us beam on to crash into the dock. Two men on the dock help Scott as he leaps off the boat to push off hard & soften \”Beach House\’s\” arrival.

    Scott calls our primary \”LA Angel\”, Mike Lonnes, to alert him of our needs. Tomorrow they will further research what propellers we should buy. We must have a matched set for proper performance, so despite the fact that only one is broken, we must replace both (Scott has no confidence the other propeller won\’t have the same problem!). Good thing the beaching went so well, as it looks like we will be doing it again!

    After showers, we take our hard working crew (plus Carlos\’ wife & youngest son) to dinner at the hotel\’s palapa restaurant. The wind is still blowing hard, making it unusually cold. I return to the boat to fetch sweaters.

    I am discouraged to see the rain of ash as bad, or worse, than Puerto Quetzal. Scott is exhausted but satisfied with how the day went. He looks me in the eyes & says resolutely \”I will not be beaten by boat problems!\” I am endlessly amazed at his persistence & resilience. We will overcome & carry on. Thank you for your many supportive emails and for cheering us on. Sometimes the hardest days make the best stories�

    9:30 pm – Sound a sleep! Next time we will start at 2:00 am at the end of the month (such are the ways of wind and tide!)

    Scott & Cindy

  • THE DAY WE BEACHED \”BEACH HOUSE\” (intentionally!)…..

    Dear F&F,
    Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
    March 2, 2009

    This style of \”haul out\” is known as \”careening\”. It is very similar to the techniques used during all world traveling vessels in the \”Golden Age of Sail\”.
    It is still widely used around the world today in those far flung corners of the earth where mechanical assistance isn\’t available. It\’s just that we\’ve never done it…..

    3:00 am – Scott restless not really sleeping, consequently I am not sleeping much either.
    4:00 am – Scott gets up & starts preparing the boat per his checklist
    4:20 am – Alarm goes off, get up. Put on bug spray per Scott\’s reminder that mosquitos & no-see-ums are most active in the evening & morning. Shut off power breakers at electrical panel. Scott brings power cord onboard.
    4:40 am – Wake up call to Alex on VHF radio. No wind, so Scott moves fenders from port side of boat (against dock) to starboard for panga towing.
    4:55 am – Alex arrives in his dinghy, parks it out of the way at inshore dinghy dock.

    5:00 am – Alex takes our instant coffee black. Tightens lower oil screw of new transmission.
    5:15 am – Alex & Scott go out in our dinghy to pre-set 2 anchors on port side of beaching site. (Carlos said don\’t do it the night before or that they might be stolen during the night by the locals!)
    5:45 am – Alex & Scott return. Waiting for Carlos & dos amigos to show up in pangas.
    5:50 am – Scott having a cow that Carlos is late.
    5:55 am – Carlos, son Carlitos & Hiero show up in 2 pangas.
    6:00 am – Lash Carlos\’ panga to starboard rear of our boat.
    6:10 am – Alex shoves off our boat from the dock & Carlos turns \”Beach House\” around.
    6:30 am – I am using our wheel to control the rudders & help steer \”Beach House\” along with Carlos. We follow Alex out to the site per the GPS track that we made yesterday in the dinghy.

    7:00 am – Tense time while we are trying to hold \”Beach House\” in line with our pre-set bamboo poles & secure the port anchor lines to \”Beach House\”. The tide is still rising for about 15 minutes so we are being pushed from left to right. Alex uses our dinghy to push us closer to the anchor lines.
    7:15 am – Port bow & stern anchor lines secured. High tide is slack & will start to reverse soon. Set starboard bow & stern anchors & tie lines to \”Beach House\”. Carlos uses panga to adjust our position front to back. We must have our rudders down the slope of mud because they stick down the lowest, about 4 � feet.

    8:00 am – We have been adjusting position & waiting for \”Beach House\” to start to touch down. Owner of the trimaran that careened out here a few days ago comes out in his dinghy. Blaze emphasizes that we do not want the weight of the boat on our rudders as this can cause damage. We know this & agree. We shift \”Beach House\” back a bit to make sure we are hanging well enough off the end of the slope.
    8:15 am- Alex gamely jumps in with a mask to check the progress of how close we are to touching down & see what part of \”Beach House\” will touch first. The next 20 minutes is our last chance to adjust our position. Once we start to bear weight on the bottom we will not be able to shift her as the water continues to recede. I feed the helpers bean & cheese burritos. Typical breakfast in Mexico, my El Salvador crew happily eat it. Gatorade all around.
    8:30 am – We feel \”Beach House\” bouncing more & more hitting the sand. The skegs are touching first & the rudders appear to have enough clearance.
    8:45 am – Scott jumps in with mask also and is satisfied with our position. Alex holds his breath, dives down & digs mud out with his bare hands from below the rudders to insure clearance in case we sink down into the sand/mud a bit.

    9:15 am – \”Beach House\” is effectively beached. The working area of the hulls are not fully exposed, but Alex starts diving below & taking apart what he can. We say Adios to Carlos, Carlitos & Hiero & ask that they call us on the VHF radio in 1 hour to check on our progress. They need to return when we float with the next high tide, about 5:00 pm.
    9:45 am – There is a thin fiberglass \”skirt\” that must be removed. It is screwed & glued to the hull. Alex & Scott working together to remove the screws, chisel off the glued-on skirt.

    10:15 am – Carlos & helpers return to check on us. Scott decides we should have new skirts made. We have spare pieces of the material. Give this to Carlos, he will take it to the shop (1 mile away by panga) & cut in the correct shape per pattern of the old skirts.
    10:30 am – Scott & Alex are trying to remove the propeller. This has to come off before the old transmission can be lifted out.
    10:40 am – A screw on the propeller that normally does not spin is spinning. BAD NEWS: something is wrong with the propeller in addition to the transmission.
    10:50 am – Satellite phone call to Canadian dealer that we have dealt with for propeller service. He says he is no longer a distributor. There is no North American distributor, only Europe. He indicates that he no longer thinks highly of these propellers. Oh joy.

    11:00 am – Scott & Alex muscle the propeller off despite the broken piece. Sheared off 5/16\” pins only visible after the prop is removed. Confirmation of broken propeller; very minor superficial transmission damage.
    11:15 am – Old transmission removed & begin installation of new one. Old one slips as Scott tries to move it. Owie to Scott\’s knee & our fiberglass hull.
    11:30 am – Satellite phone call to Yanmar technical support to see what propellers they are currently recommending to use with these transmissions. They are out to lunch, need to call back in 40 minutes.

    12:20 pm – Carlos & gang return with new cut & painted skirts. Send them back to shop to get a grinder & sander to smooth off surface where old adhesive was.

    1:20 pm – Scott drains oil from starboard side sail drive while he has the opportunity to do a full change. When we are in the water he can only do a partial oil change. Put a sample of the old in plastic bottle to mail in for testing when we are in LA. Dig out 3 liters of new oil from storage space behind port holding tank locker – STINKY! Scott puts 2.8 liters new oil in starboard sail drive.
    Alex suggests we change the O-ring for starboard sail drive oil plug washer. These kind of spare parts are in a hidden storage area in the salon. Pull all salon cushions & Velcroed fabric off settee. Get into hidden storage area & dig into spare parts bins. Find necessary washer. Replace all.

    2:45 pm – Carlos & company return with grinder & sander. Scott & Alex smooth the surface, apply adhesive & stick on the new skirts. The water is rising�

    3:00 pm – One edge of the plastic skirt is not sticking well. Scott requests cordless drill to put in 2 screws to hold that edge. Alex is apprehensive about using the drill while lying in the water which is steadily rising. Scott reminds him he was a dentist. Holes drilled, screws screwed. Done!
    3:30pm – I try to do damage control as two greasy muddy men wander about. Feed them peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. More Gatorade.
    The wind has picked up in the channel, but where we are on the sandbar is protected by a bank of mangroves.

    4:00 pm – Scott calls Yanmar again and gets specifications for our propeller requirements. We wait for the tide to float us.

    5:30 pm – Carlos & company return in pangas. The still rising tide is flowing from our port to starboard. The port anchors are taking all the pull. Untie starboard anchors & tie the lines to a float to retrieve anchors later. Lash panga to our starboard stern again. Alex is driving our dinghy again. Hand starboard anchor lines to Alex who ties them to a second float for later anchor & line retrieval.

    6:00 pm – It is blowing 20+ knots (\”mild Papagayo\”). We had wanted to move to an interior slip with due to our limited maneuverability via panga tow, we opt to return to the more accessible end tie slip. Still an exciting landing as the wind is blowing us beam on to crash into the dock. Two men on the dock help Scott as he leaps off the boat to push off hard & soften \”Beach House\’s\” arrival.

    Scott calls our primary \”LA Angel\”, Mike Lonnes, to alert him of our needs. Tomorrow they will further research what propellers we should buy. We must have a matched set for proper performance, so despite the fact that only one is broken, we must replace both (Scott has no confidence the other propeller won\’t have the same problem!). Good thing the beaching went so well, as it looks like we will be doing it again!

    After showers, we take our hard working crew (plus Carlos\’ wife & youngest son) to dinner at the hotel\’s palapa restaurant. The wind is still blowing hard, making it unusually cold. I return to the boat to fetch sweaters.

    I am discouraged to see the rain of ash as bad, or worse, than Puerto Quetzal. Scott is exhausted but satisfied with how the day went. He looks me in the eyes & says resolutely \”I will not be beaten by boat problems!\” I am endlessly amazed at his persistence & resilience. We will overcome & carry on. Thank you for your many supportive emails and for cheering us on. Sometimes the hardest days make the best stories�

    9:30 pm – Sound a sleep! Next time we will start at 2:00 am at the end of the month (such are the ways of wind and tide!)

    Scott & Cindy