Up at 7 am, breakfast, the Net and our bible reading. Listened to the Panama Posse call as well.
I contacted
Maureen Chadwick
Coastal Climate Control, Inc. – Veco NA
Annapolis MD USA
301-352-5738
About our freezer issue. I found out that our freezer is almost certainly overcharged, and I got instructions on how to “fix this”. The advice I have had locally has been to just replace the compressor (about $1200 +/-) it appears I just need to let some freon out.
Our new sails were put up! We started the order process in March, we were promised September, and kept getting told “about 3 weeks”. So, today they went up. Slight issue when the staysail was the wrong size, the guys putting the sails up started with that sail as it is the smallest. They had it all the way to the top, but still had about 10 feet of sail on the deck. Turned out, the company making the sails mixed the bags up, and reversed the staysail and the mainsail. Anyway all the sails are up. But we found that the boom vang is stuck. This is a spring loaded piston used to support the boom. So, they took it back to the shop. If it isn’t one thing it’s something else.
We had planned to take the engine control cover in to Puerto Vallarta to get it replaced. This is an example of just how much harder things are to do while in cruising. We have found 1 company that can do this, the guy is only available between 4 and 6 pm. The location is in Puerto Vallarta so it means rush hour traffic to get there and the last time we left here at 5 pm, it took 2 and half hours to get across PV (~25 miles). When we get there, he will look at what we have and tell us if he can do it. Also, he said he is pretty busy, so we don’t know how long to do this. But, while we planned to go at about 3pm, to head off, that was when I was getting info about the freezer, so this has been deferred until tomorrow.
We took a walk at sunset out to the beach and then into town. Finally called it a day and went back for a game of cards and bed.
Dear Neil and Renee
Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas! I sent our Christmas cards out today —this falls under the heading of “Better Late than Never” (or as Rob likes to say, “Better Never Late” haha). We’re sure you will have a lovely Christmas aboard Make Me Laugh Again, and we’ll be hoping that by then your freezer is working in tip top shape.
This has been a busy year. Erich & Emma have moved to Doha, Qatar, as you probably know. It’s hard to have them so far away but we are hoping to travel to see them toward the end of the summer or sometime in the fall/winter. Mason & Jackie just spent a few days here with us. It’s always so much fun to see them! We get to see Marc in January as he is coming into town right around his birthday.
My mom (97!) is doing really well; living on her own and taking care of herself though my sister is nearby. I’m so impressed with her. She comes to church with us – Our church went online during COVID and has stayed online since then. We go in person, but there are many people who still isolate, and so the the virtual option remains in play. We’re volunteering a lot with the church; we help with its feeding ministry and I’m clerk of our vestry (governing board.)
Rob’s just wrapped teaching at Purdue and is going to stay put here for a while, though he’ll continue to work collaboratively with a research unit he helped to start there. I am teaching at USF – just love it! We are busy and happy. Hope you two continue to be well!
Love Linda & Rob
Thank you for the update. I assume you got our Christmas letter, if you didn’t please let me know and we will give it another go.
It is good to stay (at least a little bit) up to date with our friends.
Merry Christmas!