Let's see... where were we? Ah yes, I'll start backwards this time and have to write something more complete tomorrow. Today we did what has been sorely lacking for the last two months! We washed the boat. This is because we are in a marina again for the first time in all that time. We have shore power hooked up so I am not fussing over batteries and concerned over water shortages and the like. At anchor we have always been able to supply at least semi-easily but washing the boat is a real luxury!! The mud from the anchorage in Barra de Navidad was pernicious and crept into everything. Sand also got into lots of places and you cannot imagine the fun it is to wash and wash and wash and still see stuff coming out!!It's not exactly a safety issue but it sure is an important aspect of living on a boat. Washing with salt water just goes so far. So many people have water makers these days I get odd looks sometimes when I talk about our putting water aboard in 5 gallons bottles. There is a big power issue with installing a water maker so until or unless we solve our power capacity I can't see having a water maker on board. It would be more comfortable though.So what have we been doing, you ask? The anchorages south of Puerto Vallarta are fantastic!! We left some to be discovered at a later date but there have been some great places. In Santiago Bay near Manzanillo we had the whale visit. A mother and her calf very, very close to the boat were entertainment and a half for hours. What the picture doesn't tel you is the people in the dingy had the mother whale go directly under their dinghy and surface on the other side... the water wasn't all that deep either. The "Jungle Tour" up the river at Tenecatita was a ton of fun too, especially when I spotted the small crocodile sunning himself. The small red crabs were interesting too. At Melaque we were watching as a huge number of pelicans dove on fish inbetween people swimming!! They (the birds) were fearless. At Las Hadas we hung out at the pool some and had a great time going into Manzanillo by bus. The people have been the core of the fun too. We have met and re-met lots of folks who have this cruising down pat. We have found that we need to work on our dingy landings... a lot!! Currently we look like the scene in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean when the dinghy goes stern over bow in a wave coming into the beach. We are working up to getting brave enough to practice more.
One of the things I have noticed here is that two wheeled vehicles have taken over much of the transport function here in Mexico. The buses are a common ground for getting anywhere for us as cruisers but if you are indigenous you would have to consider the efficiency of a scooter. Lots of RV’ers have them too but the local folks have embraced the concept of getting things done via two wheels. Since that is an interest of mine perhaps I am too sensitized to this but, frankly, there are lots of scooters in play here. I include examples of what I have seen here that are just typical and not particularly special. Many of the ones I have seen have scrapes and bumps one would expect from hard use with the condition that replacement parts are hard or expensive to come by but over all there are things here in the 70 to 200 cc motor range that have impressed me as particularly durable machines. The smallish Suzuki I saw the other day was one they should be selling in the States!!
As it happens one of the things that gets some attention on the boat is fuel and where to put it.There are those great jerry cans that are some sort of plastic that are fairly inexpensive that solve the initial question but then if they are left to sit somewhere on a rocking or underway boat will crash around with a large potential to do damage or split and spill their contents all over the place.One of the things that we took out of the boat before we left Portland was a bladder tank that was installed originally to feed the heater that we now have no need for.You would think, perhaps, that we would have converted it to serve as an extra tank for the diesel since that is what it held for the heater?Well, truthfully, it is a matter of too much rerouting of fuel line to have done that and it was also interfering with the reconstruction of the aft head hoses.The extra 38 gallons it held would have been good but to-date we have managed in other ways.
If you see many pictures of cruising boats you will notice right away that there is a board along the rail.If the boat is for sale then there will just be the board (in all likelihood) but if the boat is in use then there will be a series of fuel and/or water cans tied to it.The boat can carry pretty much whatever will fit along the board(s).
We have one such board on the port side on Faith and it carries three 5 gallon diesel cans and one gasoline can.On a stanchion on the starboard side you will find two 5 gallon water jugs, while an extra five-plus gallon gasoline can is attached to an aft stanchion.This little bit of additional storage serves us well.Thus far we have planned our diesel so that we have not had to dip into the diesel cans.This raises one of the less considered issues… how often should we refresh the 15 gallons of diesel stored on deck?You see, diesel grows little bugs eventually and leaving it in the tank for too long a time will lead to issues later, like clogged filters and injectors.
We have used more of the gasoline in these carry along tanks because both the generator and the dinghy run on it and they have very small tanks.As a result we are constantly refilling those jerry cans.Even with a fuel dock close by we have need of a steady refill schedule.
Faith carries 210 gallons of water and we don’t have a water maker.This last is something that has become very big in the last ten years!!I didn’t fully realize just how big an issue this is before this trip.So many boats have a water maker these days that it is almost taken for granted that, of course, we would have one too.Well, we don’t.What we do is get water in 5 gallon bottles delivered tot the boat and laboriously pour them into the tanks.Our last delivery involved 30 bottles and it took about 45 minutes of emptying them one at a time into the proper tank.We had an incident on an earlier fill (in San Diego) where a crew member mistook the aft waste tank cap for the water tank and it was filled from the dock hose with fresh water!!That was ok because it wasn’t the diesel tank but we did have to empty the waste tank before we could use the aft head again!!We all laughed over that one since it could have happened to any of us and, after all, water and waste both start with “w”, “a”.In any case, we are very cognizant of how much water we use and find other ways to wash things in sea water when practical.That proved to be a challenge in the Barra de Navidad lagoon because we felt it was fairly polluted.
Storage in general is a whole ‘nother subject on this boat.I think, in part, that is because it was built initially for the charter trade.As such it was meant to be occupied for a week or two by vacationers and that meant room for food and cooking items is generous while other storage is considerably less.We also have lots of room for hanging and folding clothes compared to some other boats I have been on but that’s where the fun stops.What we don’t have is room for fenders, generators, extra sails, guitars and so much more.So far there have been some creative solutions for this but we still have the normal concern for putting each thing back where it belongs… exactly. Keep in mind that everything has to be set for rolling radically while we are under way.Sailing means living on your ear some of the time and even at anchor you can have the random panga wake that rolls the boat from side to side (as it is while I write this).We have the “Garage” behind the Nav station over the larger of the two water tanks to keep the tools that keep the boat running and a lazarette under the settee where we keep the parts for various projects that have yet to be completed.
The rails also carry a variety of things that are used regularly.The dinghy motor recently had an improved crane installed to pick it up and store it on the aft rail while we are sailing.The all important BBQ is attached there as is the Lifesling.There is a set of hanger brackets for a spare anchor (currently stored in a hanging locker) and our dock cart is there as well.Fenders are typically tied aft and some fishing gear finds a home there too.Hmmm, perhaps I should reconsider some of that!!!Anyway, things like the floating library that we are (everyone aboard likes to read and that creates a storage issue too) and the bug capture and saving equipment along with snorkeling gear and such takes up special places.The dinghy, of course, hangs over the stern of the boat and earns us a larger slip in a marina (think a small extra expense).Did I mention the second dinghy stored on the fore deck over yet another spare anchor?The area under the cabin table is currently Sandy’s “office” in plastic tubs and the someday-to-be-installed new inverter/charger.One space behind a seat in the salon has nothing but line, rode, rope and the like.One of our favorite places here is to dig down in the top accessible refrigerator/freezer boxes.I have often joked about holding someone by their heels and lowering them into the things to find a beer or a round of cheese.These things are deep!!
So, by now you are getting the idea that everything has its place on a boat and keeping it all organized is the key to a happy life.
