We got up on schedule, had breakfast then went up to the market, we wandered around and checked out what was there. I followed up with Cano about the oil, and he came down to look and figure out what he would need, then committed to returning on Wednesday. We of course won’t be here, we are attending a bible study at church and then spending the afternoon with some of the couples there, the guys play pool and the ladies hang out in the pool then play games. Mid afternoon, I got an email from Mike about the sails saying he needed scans of our boat documents, passport and TIP (temporary import permit). I tried taking pictures and then converting to PDF, (not good enough). I hiked up to the office to get them scanned (about a mile), they were in “black & white” and not good enough. So, then to the yacht club, they don’t do it. Then to the book store suggested by Mike, they don’t either. Finally I checked back in with Reneé who had gone to Home Depot to get some screws, and she was back on the boat so we headed to La Cruz for dinner and to get the documents scanned. This is a 13 mile trip by car. But we could not get an Uber, none available. So we took a cab. 250 pesos (Uber would have been 189 pesos, again 20 pesos to the dollar). Also of note this is about a 30 minute ride. Once we got there, we got the documents signed then went to dinner at the LA CRUZ INN Very good dinner!
Then we headed back to the boat we asked the cab drivers, 300 pesos to go back. We took the bus, crowded and slow. It was about an hour to get to Walmart where we transferred to a second bus, total time about an hour and half. Somewhere in there I got a text from Mike that he needed an additional document….
We waited until we got back to the boat to look for it. Found that we did not have it on the boat, so we called our friend Bob Miller who found it and scanned it and sent it too us. In the morning I forwarded this to Mike! Sometimes it is amazing just how hard it is to do something (while cruising) that is normally very simple to do in the states. All told probably 5 hours to do what would normally take 15 minutes in the states. (We have had a scanner at home for the last 10 or more years). Finally showers and bed.
Another quiet day in the marina. After listening to the net I contacted Mike about our sails asking him to call, then I contacted Peter Vargas about the Mast boot repair/replacement.
Mike called and 2 of the 3 sails are in San Diego, the third is expected on Wednesday, then there is paperwork to sign and final payment, and the new sails should be flown in over the weekend! Meaning probably have the sails early next week!!!
Peter sent his son down about the mast boot, and he is working on getting parts.
Reneé worked on lubricating zippers on deck stuff, and figured out we missed two of the clear parts of the dodger. So, we are coordinating with Ivett to get those done as well.
We cleaned the oil spill in the engine room and discovered there is too much in the bilge to get out easily. Cano is going to take care of this. We also are scheduling a bottom cleaning.
Well we walked down to the lounge to use the wifi for updates. OF course that is not going to work. For the laptop (MacBook Pro) it was a 12 GB update and that was only the OS. It was on track for 14 days. After an hour it had dropped to 2 days. But never got any better than that. So, I gave up and figured I will just tether to my phone and when I run out of “high speed” tethering, I will slow down. Oh well. It is what it is.
We figured out we missed two of the windows in our dodger/bimini, we will get those replaced latter in December, as they don’t have the material here now.
OOPS! we missed these two, but you can see why we replaced the vinyl
Up early and then out to catch a bus to get to church. We were a little late to church (only missed part of the first song). A very good message, the pastor and associate are both bilingual and sometimes one will forget he is preaching in Spanish and will shift to English, the other will immediately shift what language he is speaking so that it is correct. I have seen them shift in the middle of a sentence for 1 word. It goes both ways, the one giving the sermon will start in English and 99% of the sermon will be given by him in English, except for the occasional word.
After church we walked with Bethany from Church to the Rhythm and Blues Lounge for lunch with some of the others from church then back through some shops and I bought a new hat. (No idea where I left the last one).
Then back to the boat and hang out until 4:30 or so, when Ivett showed up to deliver our dodger windows. WOW! Are they clear we can actually see now!
Afterwards, we went to the pool and happy hour, then back to the boat finish up the blog then showers and bed.
Just us on the busThe crack in the vacuum pumpWe are in BuceriasOur new Strataglass dodger windows
I flew out at 10:37, leaving Reneé to watch the boat and enjoy PV without me. My flight to Tijuana was quick and uneventful. In the TJ airport, I used the CBX system to walk across the border. I had purchased my ticket on line before leaving PV, so it was only $19. The walk across and out the other side put my in the States. I sent updates on where I was to Reneé, so I can tell it was 34 minutes from the time we touched down and I could turn my phone on and when I was in the US looking for a ride to the train station. If I had chosen to walk across the border (leave the airport and cross TJ it would have been hours, in my mind that $19 is well spent!
I was at our friends the Miller’s by 6 pm. We had dinner and talked for a bit, then bed.
Neil’s story:
I picked up the rental truck from Penske, we had checked with U-Haul, too much money, so we checked our options. Interesting note here, the price to rent a U-Haul 10 foot truck from Southern California to Pensacola, $5,600 from Pensacola to Southern California $670. We rented a 12 foot van from Penske for $3,200. The van was almost new, (when I turned it in in Pensacola, it still had less than 10,000 miles on the odometer). Nate and I drove the truck from Potrero (east San Diego) to El Centro (short first day, as I had a doctor appointment in San Diego, then we had to pack the truck and finally drive east) on Friday. From El Centro to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to Junction TX, to Jennings LA, arriving in Niceville in Florida Tuesday night.
We unpacked the truck, met his roommate and had dinner then bed.
Wednesday, Nate and I went to a laundromat and washed all of our clothes between the two of us I think we used 10 washers and probably 7 dryers, while he has access to a washer and dryer at his new place that would have taken a couple of days to do. Afterwards, we did some driving around Niceville (where the people are Nice! They will tell you that). We did some shopping and just looking around. We planned to drive around to some churches on Thursday, but it was Veterans Day and the churches we went to were closed. So, back to his new place and Nate spent the day cleaning and putting stuff away. It looked great by the end of the day. Then dinner and beer at the nearby brewery THE 3rd PLANET. Then bed and getting up early for me.
Friday, I left at about 6:15 am to get to Pensacola to drop off the truck by 8 am. Then Uber to a hotel and a quiet day for me. My flight back to Puerto Vallarta was a 7:30 am flight to Dallas then a 12:45 flight (that was delayed to after 2!) finally back on the boat by 6 pm.
Reneé’s story:
11/4
Washed shoe crate
Repaired deck shoes
The settee above the water heater fiberglass work was finished.
The holding tank got pumped out.
Put the pirate costumes away
Put the curtains up
Made pozole
11/5
Sergio and friend replaced the toilet gaskets but found cracks in both pump mounts. They will return to replace the mounts when the parts arrive – Neil is ordering them. (Both 11/5 and 11/6)
Worked on removing blue tape from bottom of mast.
11/6
John Pounder worked on electronics – found damaged connections behind nav station and got the speed probe working.
Finished removing blue tape as best I could
11/7
Was gone most of the day…church, out to lunch with church group, shopped at La Comer.
11/8
John Pounder replaced the depth gauge which fixed the obnoxious anchor alarm.
Made hummus and refried beans
Washed the floors
11/9
Visited Tracey and Steve on Sailish Dragon and Turi and Jelly on Alexsea (Slip B28…next to Brendon)
Went to the parking lot market behind the boat and bought three pairs of shorts
11/10
Left at 8:15 to get to a Bible Study at Church…it was on Romans 6. Good study and lots of prayer time.
Walked to Mega Soriana (1.5 mi east of church)…compared prices between Mega and La Comer…cheaper at Mega.
Met Monica at the bus stop on the way home. She was with her crying 3 yr old. She shared with me that she and her husband are fighting over custody. I gave her bus fare + and I prayed for her.
Didn’t make it to happy hour for the first time this week. Made banana bread instead.
11/11
Did laundry
Made oatmeal raisin cookies
Missing Neil
11/12
Took the bus to Walmart and fortunately ran into Turi (Alexsea) from whom I bummed a ride home.
Made meatballs
Replaced the blinds on the portholes with pieces cut from a yoga mat with suction cups. They are easy to put on and to remove and if on, let less light in than the blinds. I only plan on using them for privacy. I like them much better than the blinds.
11/13
Finished the blinds
Cleaned the portholes
Dropped off the contact information for Sergio to Rona on Paloma (E Dock). Met Charlie, a local who can do the fridge replacement. Got his ph#.
Waiting for Neil to get home.
Reneé’s viewNeil’s view for much of this weekI think this was in Arizona, note the octane!At happy hour, it’s 2 for 1. While sitting on the beach or at the pool.This is what I am seeingWhat we wish we were doing (still no sails)At the church in BuceriasJust another sunsetReneé made covers for the portholes. I think they look excellent! They work really well too!Reneé got to see some turtles hatch and get to the ocean.Neil’s viewReneé saw a fish swimming in circles, so did the bird. Guess who caught the fish.
Up at about 8 am. No particular reason to get up early, so why? We are expecting someone today to work on the cover over the water heater. I have to pack for my trip, we have to pick up mail to take back to the states at 5 pm, and we are meeting Danny and Robyn (who watched Reneé’s sourdough starter over the summer) for dinner. It is another glorious day here in PV!
Most of the fiberglass work got done today, but he will be back tomorrow to finish it up. I am not posting pictures until it is finished. I announced on the net this morning that I could take mail and that I would pick it up at 5 pm in the office here at Paradise Village. While I was watching the work getting done on the boat, there was a knock and lady was standing on the dock, her name was Turi and her boat is S/V Alexsea she had a letter for me to put in the mail for her. Shortly after she was here getting a tour of the boat, Reneé got back from Home Depot getting a fan. I gave Turi a boat card and she and Reneé talked about getting together while I was gone. After everything was done for the day, I packed for my trip tomorrow, and then we hiked up to the office and then to our dinner date with Danny and Robyn, dinner was at the Fajita xxx and was a fantastic dinner on the river. Afterwards they brought us back in their golf cart. We had showers and bed.
