Then it was May and now it is June!!

  I guess I am woefully behind again.  May was fun  but things started to go
wrong.  Like the Water maker and the Generator.  The switch to the water maker
needed to be re soldered but the generator still has it's problem with the fuel.
It just seems to be not getting enough fuel.  There is a leak somewhere and it is sucking air.  My rudder post seems to be leaking a bit too much for comfort as
it is triggering the bilge pump at least one a day.  That is too much. I decided to head to Escondito to have her hauled out and check or repack the rudder post.
Also repack the shaft packing.  Don't remember when the last  time it was done
but I am sure it was Danno and it probably was a long time ago.  So
I was a Nervous Nelli about anyone up here pulling my boat out of the water but
the crane operator (Raphaeal) was very good and very professional and
got her out without dropping her.  That was good.  Next.

She's Back!

  After three and one half months in the Sea of Cortez I have finally
returned to
Marina Palmira.
I must confess it
feels like "home".  Most folks (cruisers)
have gone north to escape the heat and I am working toward that end myself but there are the usual suspects still here and it is good to see all of my amigos!  Reyna brought me fresh, ripe mangoes this
this morning. Chava is around
and will help me get Jasdip back in shape after here long hard trip up in the Sea. It is nice to get up
early and go off for a walk before the sun comes up and makes it almost impossible to be out in it.  Shade is my friend!!! I had a wonderful trip.  I really did do a lot of "working on my boat in beautiful places". I really have embraced
the saying "it will never be done".  So I am learning to get some stuff done and
then the fun starts.  This year the water is so clear that it was too much fun to leave.  Last year the water was green early and full of jelly fish so it was a good time to head north. I hope to get some of my pictures and my adventures posted here in the next two weeks or so. But for now......all is well and it was a great time.

Brown footed Boobies playing "king of the bowsprit"!

More turtles this year than I have ever seen!!!

Thanks goodness for the local "7 Eleven"!

April in the Sea

I finally left the dock with a
working
water maker.   I had a great trip north.
My second stop was Calita
Partida.  I found Shadowfax and
Philiosophy there.  It happened
to be my birthday when I found
them.  We decided to try for the
cave on the other side for an
outing. (Karen it was pretty
the weather was much better).
  We made it and they were
beautiful!!  While on the "road" we
opened a bottle of Champagne
that I had been saving for my
Bday!! Then we headed back and
continued the party on
Philiosophy, Shadowfax and
Jasdip!!  I had a wonderfull BD!
I slept late the next morning and
it was a great relaxing day in
Calita Partida. The next morning
Charles on Shadowfax had to go
back to La Paz so we had a couple of
Gin and Tonics to head him in the
correct direction.

Kim and Alice

 I was off the next day and wound up going to San Eviresto.  Had a great dinner with Reel Joy.  Then we were off to Agua Verde.  It was a long trip especially for me cause my engine started to overheat all of a sudden just as the wind died. I headed up on deck and made sure the sails were good ( I was sailing wing on wing
at about 3 knots so I  left all as it was and headed down below) with the auto pilot set.  I proceeded to try to find out what had caused it.  I took out the impeller(not the problem but by the time I  took it  out I needed to replace it).  I then cleaned the
raw water strainer for the main  engine....all was well.  I headed to the fresh water cooling system and the radiator fluid as I opened the engine compartment on that side and I saw a fan belt that was broken and
off the pully!!  Well there we have it.  I tried a couple of belts that I had and I realized that they were too short.  I found one that was used but I could get it on.
I had never done this and I was looking for Danno but he wasn't there. I got the old  one on,dropped the sails (2.3 knots) and turned on the engine.  All was good but it took me forever.  So I motored to Ague Verde and showed up very late but at least I showed up!!
      Had dinner on Real Joy again (those guys are great)!  I think  I spent a couple of days there and then went north.  Stopped at Marquer, my favorite place, but
the bees and the wind were a bit of a bother.  Voyager was in Puerto Balandra so I
headed up there. Balandra is about the best anchorage around. It is beautiful, clear,blue water, lots of places to kayak and snorkel and there is even internet!!!
The pictures that are on facebook are from Puerto Balandra.

Puerto Balandra

  I did a lot of swimming and kayaking and I had a wonderful time but alas..........
my generator stopped functioning.  No water.......at first I thought it was the switch (which it was) so Bill came over and soldered the switch back.  It worked but the Generator did not start.  It was time to replace or rebuild the starter and solenoid.
  Julie and Bill brought me water for a few days and it allowed me to stay where I
was for a few days more. What a beautiful pace. Finally I sucked it up and headed to Puerto Escondito.
  I rented a car and took out the starter.  Took it to a magician.  It was ready in
an hour and a half.  The girls in the meantime had places to go and things to
procure!!  They were hard taskmasters. They kept us very busy and got all our errands done.
  Well that trip and the removal of the starter just did my arms and shoulders in!!
I couldn't move for at least 2 days
So I rested.

Puerto Escondito

Gravel and Natalie

Chocolate Clams that were spitting at the customers!

.  By the third day I actually thought about trying to put the starter in.  The next day I did.  So the generator turned over but it did not start!  I
was pretty sure it was, again, a
fuel problem.  I bled and bled and bled.  I changed the hose clamp and
cut off and replaced the hose to the engine cause it didn't look tight. It still
didn't start.  I tried to turn the
injector nut and couldn't.

You can see the water on the floor!! From the clams!

  I got to the fuel dock to get my fuel and water and I cornered the Yard manager.
I told him my generator isn't working and gave him  a brief history.  It was even very hard for him but he managed to get it loose and I had to crank the engine.  I probably couldn't have done it myself.  He got it running but alas...as usual it only lasted a day.  The next time I tried to start it it wouldn't start. So now I am going to
get Elvin to help me again.  Jasdip is hauled out right now in Puerto Escondito for
bottom paint and rudder and shaft packing replacement.  I had visitors (cruisers
headed north by car) so I left Jasdip and had lunch with them.  Now it is time to get
back to my beloved boat and get some sleep.  Much work tomorrow!!!

My bee screen.  Good to have.  They are fairly persistent!!!

The Few Weeks Before The Departure

  I was working very hard the
few weeks before i left La Paz!
I did however take some time
out for visiting and fun. I said
good bye to Phillip.  He is
one of the guys that works at
Marina Palmira and is a buddy.

Phillip

 I did take time out to

The Dogs know where it is cool around here!  Then I took time out to

attend the Pressure Cooking
seminar.  It was great and
I can hardly wait to try out
what I learned.  My friend
Mary, on Jade Dragon had
just come back to La Paz
with my mail and my new
valve for the pressure cooker.
It died about 2 months ago!
On my way in to the seminar
I found this very smart dog under
a truck keeping cool.
   Of course as luck would have it,
one of the ear pieces broke
off my good glasses.  So I headed
to the Hospital, the "Hospital De
Lentes" that is.  Well they couldn't
replace the earpiece but they did
put the lenses in a different frame.
So it was all good.  However
the right ear piece is loose in
the frame and I am no longer in
La Paz.  Guess it will have to
wait till  I get back.
    It was a real grind to get
the old water maker working.
It turned out that once we got the new alternator in it still didn't work.
There was an air leak and the
generator would not stay
running.  We finally found the
leak and replaced the tubing then
at least it would run.  Now the
water maker wouldn't start.
That turned out to be a switch.
It was the Start Stop switch. I
called Balmar and they told me
which switch it was and sent me
some part #s.  I ordered them
and a friend who was coming down
brought them with him along with
another part (a rubber boot for
the end of the heat exchanger).
  Well they were huge and they
were not the right switch!! I called Balmar back and they told me that
they no longer support the
control panel.  They didn't
even have a part # for me. No
schematics or anything. Luckily
there are a lot of folks around that
are pretty good with all of this
stuff. A friend found the right
switch (turned out it was a momentary on/off ) and soldered it on. I will
take a picture of it as soon
as I get back to the boat. It seems
to work. We then put the
membrane in that I bought in
San Diego in 2010 ($500).  Even though it had
dried out at least a year ago we
thought we would try it.  There
are those who say that membranes
aren't nearly as fragile as the

The new water heater! So glad it fit!!!

manufacturer wants us to think!
Well it worked! So now I actually
can make my own water and it
is a Holy day for me!!!
   I am now out here with new
dinghy davits, a fan actually
mounted in the head, a working
water maker, a windlass that goes
so fast that I can hardly keep up
with the chain as it comes in, solar
panels that give me 20 amps on a
regular basis ( had to fix my fuse
holder cause it was loose and I

The new water pumps!

also  discovered that the panels
need a 30 amp fuse), a new hot
water heater (the other rusted
through), 2 new foot pumps under
the galley sink (one for salt water
and one for fresh water) and a few
other things as well I
just can't remember them right
now.

The new boot for the heat exchanger!

The new and improved windlass!

de

Whales of Magdalena Bay

  Well I finally got to see the
whales.  I had wanted to go
for the past two seasons but
just couldn't get it organized.
It certainly helps to have ones'
own car.  I decided to go and
my neighbor Mary on Jade
Dragon was available to go
with me so I didn't have to go

Birds in the Mangroves where the baby whales are borne.

alone. We
headed north to
San Carlos. It
was about a 3-4 hour drive.
Got in, found the Hotel Brennan
and met out guide for the next
morning.  Enrique Jr. said he
wanted to leave the hotel
by 7 am. Mary and I settled in
and went to find dinner.

   The next morning

Mom with a very young calf

we were really
ready for these
whales! The
rest is in the
pictures!!!

"Spy Hopping"

Mom under the baby

San Carlos

My adventure partner,  Mary

Mom feeding her brood and none too quietly I might add!

It is almost as good as duct tape!

This was a plugged in broken off light bulb in our hotel room!
I love Mexico!

Pretty sure they meant WATCHING not WASHING!

Make your own "bloody mary" at this place!

View

 On our way out of town we found
a great little hotel and restaurant.
We stopped for late breakfast
and a "bloody mary" and found the
best food!!! We also liked the
small casitas where we could stay
the next time for the same amount and
they had a beautiful view and the
sounds of water!!

Beach

Casita

  Good bye Hotel Brennan, San Carlos and the whales! Until next time....