Cruise of the Confidence 25-Apr-2014 Getting Ready to leave Boat

Preparing the Boat

This will be the last post to the blog until we return to Mexico.

Our Visitor's Visa expires on the 28-Apr-2014. We were only required to leave the country for a day - actually we could have just walked across the boarder and then back again. But it gets pretty hot around here during the summer and the hurricane season is quite active so most cruisers find a safe place to leave their boat and then go away for a while. Some of them refer to this as their vacation - probably not something you would want to hear. So David searched the internet for cheap flights and he found one way tickets to Victoria for $218 each. That isn't even worth using air miles for. We do have to fly to Houston and overnight in Calgary however we have some very good friends in Calgary that we will be able to connect with - one way to turn an inconvenience into a convenience!

So this blog is dedicated to all the preparations involved when you leave your boat in a foreign country for any period of time.

First thing you have to do is decide where to leave it. It has taken us several months to make that decision. We chose the marina at Barra de Navidad for several reasons. It is already on our route without the need to backtrack. The summer rate is extremely reasonable at $11 a day or $330 per month. This rate is supposed to kick in on the 1st of May but David talked to the people at the marina office and they were kind enough to give us the reduced rate for April also. That just saved us about $400.00. It is a very protected marina and has survived previous hurricanes and is one of the few establishments that actually has hurricane insurance. There is 24 hour security and the main security office is just at the end of our dock. 

Arturo has been doing some work for us and is very good and dependable and he has agreed to look after the boat while we are away. We have developed a very good relationship with him and feel very comfortable  leaving the boat in his hands. He is one of the regular guys around here and has a good reputation. One day David had asked him where he could buy some more blue masking tape. Arturo said that you could get it at the marine store but it is very expensive. A better place would be Home Depot in Manzanillo - a half hour bus ride away. The next day we were away from the boat and when we returned there were two rolls of it sitting in our cockpit. He had been in town and just picked it up for us without us asking him too. We knew at that time that we could trust the guy with our boat! And today he dropped off half of a fresh watermelon because it was hot. He will clean the outside of the boat as needed along with the bottom and any other jobs that we ask him to. And he is on the hotline with the marina should anything come up that requires immediate attention. And yesterday he offered to drive us to the airport saving us a $55.00 cab fare.

The marina is only 20 minutes from the Manzanillo International Airport. And we will probably come back a little early so I get to make use of this wonderful pool while we prepare the boat both coming and going. So all in all we feel very good about our decision to keep the boat here. The free appetizer and bar night that the marina puts on every Thursday has also helped us make that decision!

The list is endless so we have decided to do the work in the mornings and then relax by the pool in the afternoon. This way we do not get stressed out and are still able to enjoy our slice of paradise.

Contacts:

* left Arturo and the Marina Office our contact information

* left Visa vouchers for moorage

* left cash for Artura for any unforeseen added expenses 

Clear Decks:

* we have cleared the decks of all easily removable items

* cleaned and stowed the barbeque

* emptied and cleaned and stowed the jerry jugs and water jugs

* cleaned, deflated and stowed the dinghy

* bought and secured two heavy duty tarps with reflective material on one side to reduce the het penetrating the boat

Cleaning the Inside of the Boat:

* all cupboards had to be emptied and wiped down with a 5% bleach solution

* this included the area in the bilge and under the cushions in the vberth

* cushions were vacuumed and raised to an upright position to allow for better air circulation 

* went through the lockers and got rid of old clothes and donated clothes that were too big to the young family that does our laundry

* washed all the bedding and vacuum sealed the good stuff and got rid of the rest

* put roach bait in all of the cupboards

* cleaned the stove  and oven

* cleaned and emptied the fridge and freezer and turned it off

Engine:

* lubricated the throttle and shift parts

* checked the belts 

* changed the engine oil and transmission oil

* changed the filters

* had recently drained! flushed and replaced the coolant so did not do it at this time

* replaced the oil orb sheets

Batteries:

* checked the fluid levels

* batteries are relatively new and were replaced in LaPaz

* batteries are still connected as boat will be plugged in

Life raft:

* new in August 2013

* will leave secured on deck

Medical:

* checked expiry dates on drugs

* all items can be replaced in Mexico and at a much lower cost

Outboard Motor :

* did oil change

* flushed with fresh water

* stored upright inside boat

Rigging:

* inspected rigging and made a list for replacement parts

* cleaned other winches that were not cleaned in Ensenada

Sails:

* removed stay sail, cleaned and stowed in boat

* removed genoa and stowed in boat

* decided to leave main sail on the boom

* put another wrap on the sail cover on the mainsail

Systems: 

* flushed bilge with fresh water and added bilge treatment

* this step was a little frustrating as the bilge pump decided to stop working and David spent the better part of the day repairing it

* but he was successful!

* filled the propane tanks! closed valves and disconnected hoses 

* topped up the refrigerant

* put biocides in the water maker

Tanks:

* filled fuel tanks and added bactericide

* flushed holding tanks and added vinegar

* lubricated the valves

* flushed the water tanks and added bleach 

Insurance:

* checked with insurance company with regards to coverage

* updated content list and gave to insurance company

* took pictures of boat for insurance company

Boat is ready to go and we are ready to head back to Canada. As stated at the beginning of this blog - no more entries until we return to paradise. When will that be? I have no idea! That would involve long term planning which is something that is foreign to us now that we are retired! 

Our new motto: all plans are written In the sand at low tide!

Cruise of the Confidence 24-Mar-2014 Fran's Visit

Fran arrived at noon at the Grand Bay Hotel - by playing dumb she was able to catch a ride on the Air Transat all inclusive shuttle to the hotel. Saved her $50!

For those who do not know - I met Fran through my sister back in my Edmonton days. She worked with Susan at CBC. Fran lives in Toronto now and is still with CBC. After the winter that most of Canada was experiencing it was not too difficult to convince her to fly down for a visit.

We spent some time at the marina at the Grand Bay Hotel. Then we ventured out to places we had already been. Fran loves taking pictures so this blog is a repeat of those places but with many more pictures!

Barra de Navidad and the Grand Hotel

The ketch on the left of this picture is Lady Midnight - Tim and Constance from Victoria.

Some lucky Captain with TWO hot chicks!

Barra de Navidad - the town

Off to La Melaque to the Market

Mexican Indians in their colorful attire. The poorest group in Mexico.

Check out the pregnant Barbie's and their outfits. All handmade. This cracked us up!

Platform shoes and boots!

And the Mexicans fascination with skeletons which has something to do with their Catholic background but we are not sure what. This one was particularly noteworthy!

On Thusday we set sail for La Manzanilla. We had a great sail and Fran proved to be an excellent second mate. 

The only disappointment was all the red tide. 

Red tide is the result of an algae bloom and becomes prolific when the water temperature reaches an ideal level. It is caused by dinoflagellates that are able to reproduce rapidly on account of abundant nutrients in the water. Shellfish are not safe to eat but fish, squid, shrimp and crab are okay if washed thoroughly. But we decided to avoid all of it. There were times when the water looked like tomato soup.

When we got to La Manzanilla it was so bad that the air even smelt like rotten fish. So we sailed over to the other side of the bay at Tanakateta and it was clear. So we dropped the hook and spent the night. The next day Fran and I were able to swim to shore. After a nice walk

 and lunch at the palapa with Pam and Richard on Tisha Baby 

we decided to swim back out to the boat. But the red tide started to move in and we actually swam through part of it. It kind of grossed us out so we swam to the nearest boat which was Tisha Baby and asked to come on board so David could come and rescue us. Needless to say we could not wait to have a shower. No harm to us. 

Next day we motored over to La Manzalilla and took the dinghy to shore. We explored the crocodile reserve and the town.

The town of La Manzanilla

And a relaxing motor back to Barra

And Fran was happy as she got to see dolphins jumping out of the water and a whale!

And a blog would not be complete without a few of those wonderful shots of the sunset in paradise.

It was sad to see Fran off on Monday. We hadn't spent time together for many years and yet it seemed as if we had just seen each other yesterday. That is a sign of a good friendship. Maybe we can talk her into joining us for another leg of our journey!

Cruise of the Confidence 11-Mar-2014 Barra to

Our stay in Barra continues to be wonderful. Tim and Constance showed up on Lady Midnight along with David and Margaret on Heart and Soul  - all people that we have met along the way. Tim had visitors from Victoria so there was a lot of social activity going on around the pool and on their boat.The last couple of days have been a lot windier but we are planning on heading out tomorrow.

I forgot to mention the fact that the President of Mexico visited the resort while we were here. He had a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture to discuss repairs to the shoreline following the hurricane in 2012. There was a lot of preparation for his 2 hour visit - no one could leave the marina with their boat, the navy was guarding the entrance and Mexican secret service were walking around the pool. We saw the 3 helicopters land, including the one decoy but we did not actually see the President. But we figured if this place was good enough for him it was good enough for us.

It is probably a good thing as this croissant a day thing has to stop!

The water tanks have been filled. The bottom of the boat has been cleaned and the zincs replaced. Some of the varnish has been spruced up thanks to David. And I am even fitter than when I arrived.

Below are some more pictures of the resort and marina. Yes we have been living the life of the rich and famous. Too bad we are not rich nor famous but we are happy!

BA doing laps!  Drinks at pool side!

The French Baker

 A view of the marina from the hotel. Our boat is on the left - 6th one in.

 

We had a difficult time leaving the marina and seemed to find any kind of excuse possible to delay our departure. David still had to confirm delivery and payment of a parts supply order to Manzanillo. Then the winds picked up well over twenty knots and the seas were quite choppy. But enough was enough. It felt like we were starting to grow roots from the bottom of our feet and people were starting to look way too familiar. So we finally committed to leave on Thursday.

Wednesday night we invited Dave and Margaret from Heart and Soul (Parksville) over for a rib dinner - I splurged and made Mom's ribs with peach salsa - similar to her chili sauce - and St. Joe's Island maple syrup. They tasted just like Mom's! They will be leaving tomorrow and we will probably meet up with them again in Santiago.

0900: last call with the French baker. I sent David over to dock 8 with a list - almond croissant, raisin Danish, baguette and key lime tarts. No more French baker for a while so I wanted to stock up! Several people were leaving today and as a result there was actually a line up on our dock.

 

1000: Margaret and Dave gave us some assistance leaving the dock. A current had the potential to push us onto our neighbour's boat so we asked them to give us a hand. David always goes through the what if scenarios every time we come into or leave the dock. That is a good thing! But then we actually go to leave and he is so good at handling the boat that none of the what ifs ever materialize. You would think he was parking a Volkswagen bug!
 

Wind was on our nose and the seas were a little choppy. The strong northerlies that we had been experiencing had turned and were now about 5 knots from the SSE. So it was motoring for us.

1300: I made a light lunch with our fresh baguette, Swiss cheese and tomatoes. 

1430: dropped the anchor in a quiet cove called Ensenada Carrizal. It is totally undeveloped but the book says it is a great place for snorkeling. I was looking forward to putting on the gear and getting into the water. The anchorage was nice enough but the water was quite grungy - no swimming for me. Another boat from Barra - the Crackling Rose - also came into the anchorage. Looks like they were not going to go in the water either. So we spent a laid back afternoon reading our books, having a siesta and writing this entry.
 

I think dinner will be left over chicken/mango curry. Then maybe we will play some crib. David has been on a roll - he still has not caught up to me but he is starting to make me nervous! The other night he even skunked me. Now what is that all about? 

We stayed for a couple of nights at which point Heart and Soul caught up to us. Swimming was still not too great so we both opted to leave for Santiago the next day. Interesting looking rock as we entered the bay at Santiago - called Elephant Rock. Can you see the elephant's head in the rock?

 

Large lazy dolphins guided us into the bay!

Santiago just north of Manzanillo/

 

 

We got our marine order without too much hassle but it was expensive. The cost of duty and shipping was a third of the entire cost. ouch! We got the part to repair the wind vane so we will not have to hang a weight from the lower rudder. We also got a three part water filter system that we can attach to the dock water and purify it ourselves so we will not have to buy water anymore. The system has a 1 micron filter, a half micron filter and an ultraviolet filter to kill the remaining bad guys! We also got two rebuild kits for our head so guess what David is doing tomorrow.!

Shared a taxi with Margaret and Dave to reprovision. We dropped the boys off at the marine store and we went to Home Depot and the grocery store.

We met a guy over the radio from Red Deer. David gave him some information about obtaining fuel. Ended up joining him for dinner on shore. It was a nice evening until we headed back to the boat. Let's just say the dinghy launch did not go so smooth this time. I took a bit of a wallup on my knee and shoulder - nothing broken - just some major bruising! My left knee bulged out like a balloon. But no water on the outboard.

Knee was pretty sore the next day but I was fortunate enough to have my own physiotherapist. Margaret looked at it and my shoulder. She said I prbably bruised the bursa in my knee but did not break the knee cap. Recommended ice and rest. So I did not get to join them as they climbed up the hill! But here are a few pictures that they took.

 

A deserted house on the point.

 

Had a fantastic Spaghetti Boulanaise on Heart and Soul one night. And fajitas on our boat another night. All in all we had a great time with David and Margaret. We wish them fair seas on their next big adventure as this is the first time for both of them to be truly offshore. It is a bout a 3-4 week crossing to the Galapagos. With any luck we will be in Panama when them come north and then east through the canal. If so we will be their line handlers but no sense making any commitment as there are too many factors and time between now and then. But if it is meant to be it will happen.

We are now retuning to Barra as our friend Fran is flying in from Toronto on Monday. The fun continues!