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Log – January 16^th- to February 15^th

 January 16^th

We went to Melaque to buy another gasoline jug as I lost the one Allan purchased yesterday.  We also found the scuba place open that Allan had been to before, but was always closed. We also tried unsuccessfully to send a birthday card to Mom for her birthday, but the Internet connections at the Internet café were down. We finished provisioning for the upcoming trip to Tenachanita and returned back to the boat for a quite evening.  Around 8 pm we had visitors from Bambalero, another boat in the anchorage at Barra de Navidad Lagoon.  They brought sipping tequila and we closed out the evening in style.  John and Janet are traveling with their dog, Poncho.  We said that the next time they were going to come over to bring the dog. 

 17^th

We took off early in the morning for Tenachinita.  Had no wind, so we motored.  Arrived to a lovely day and gentle breeze, set down the anchor and off we went to shore to have a beer at the local palapa.  We ran into Colin, a person we had met in Avalon in California and then again in San Diego.  He said he had been looking for us and wondered where we had gone.  That afternoon Allan rigged the dinghy with its sail and went off sailing.  Later he used kayaks that Tundra Spirit had lent us to play in the surf near the beach.  That evening we went over to Li’l Gem for a game of Mexican train with Biagio, Louise, their son, Matthew and two cousins from Canada.  Fun was had by all.

 18^th

Another day of sun, water and fun. Allan started the day with Biagio and others for a dive on the wreck in the bay.  I swam near the boat and did some boat chores that included taking fresh water and scrubbing down the stainless steel stanchions that have gotten rusty from the salt water.  Everyone’s does and it just is constant maintenance to keep the rust off the stainless in salt-water environments.  Allan and I went snorkeling near the rocks and then sat on the shore and caught up with an Aussie couple off Freiander that we first had met in San Blas.  That evening there was a dinghy raft up for cocktails and appetizers.  After that, Allan and I headed off in the dinghy around the rocks to watch the sunset and for Allan to fish.  We caught a Cero (Spanish Mackerel) that is good for ceviche.

 19^th

Today Allan scrubbed the boat bottom to clear it of barnacles and algae that grows on the bottom and to change the zinc on the propeller shaft.  After that work was completed, we took off in the dinghy to go up the mangrove river to see the birds and wildlife.  We saw beautiful birds, from gray, to black, to white to pink.  We wanted to see Caymans (small crocodiles) but were unsuccessful.  There are also supposed to be large iguanas (4-6 feet).  They were probably there but we could not see them through the mangroves.  Back to the boat for me and then Allan took his fly-fishing gear and went back up the river to catch the small fish we had seen.  I made ceviche (fish cooked in lime juice, with cilantro, tomatoes, peppers and onions) to take to Tundra Spirit for dinner with her parents who are in their 80’s and have spent a week on the boat with them. We had a lovely dinner of pina colada’s, ceviche, cole slaw, beef medallions, steamed vegetables and barbequed bread.  Linda had made a cake for dessert.  First cake I had since leaving home.  A lovely evening was had by all.

 20^th

We pull anchor to head back to Barra because the guys want to see the football playoffs.  We go to shore with Li’l Gem and meet up at Margaritas (a sports bar that caters to cruisers) for lunch, cerveza and catching up with the other cruisers here in lagoon.  Late afternoon we headed back to the boat for some reading and then a dinner of fish tacos. 

 21^st

Allan and Biagio are headed off to put in the channel markers to the lagoon to help people from going aground.  I stayed behind to update the log.  Later today, we will go into town to get some groceries, take in laundry and get an English newspaper so we can catch up on the world.  Tonight we are going over to the Grand Bay for movie night. 

 22^nd

Today, Allan and Biagio went to Manzanillo for our roller furling parts.  Everything came except for the piece that holds the clevis pin to the roller furling.  Luckily, Brian on Tundra Spirit is going home to Alaska and will hopefully bring the missing part with him on the 31^st of January when he returns.   I stayed aboard to make our no seem-em’s screens for the hatches. Have two of the three done. Biagio also met their friends Doug and Lucy from Victoria who will be spending a week with them.  I met everyone in by the pool at the Sands Hotel for a cocktail and to bring Allan back to the boat.

 23rd

 During the night a Panga probably hit the port (green) buoy that that Allan and Biagio put in the channel to mark, so reinforced with larger bottles they went back to repair the damage and replace the buoys.  After we went to town, unfortunately, two new boats that had instructions, but went to the fuel dock first and followed the wrong markers ended up going aground for a short period of time.  Today, we also met with a Spanish teacher and will begin lessons on Monday the 28^th.  We at this point can order some food items off menus, ask for the check, please and thank you, simple greetings, and how much does this cost…. but we have decided that as we go south there will be less and less people who understand English, so we had better learn some Spanish.

 24^th

This morning Linda from Tundra Spirit picked me up for a walk around the golf course and the beach.  We walked rapidly for 1 and ½ hours and it felt good to do some power walking.  When I got back to the boat, Allan had secured 22 cruisers in the Lagoon to head into Casa Chips for a barbeque of ribs and potatoes at sunset tonight.  Allan and I also went into Melaque with Janet and John off Bambolera to interpret to the bank manager that we had discovered that we had been charged for $3,000 pesos ($330) that we did not receive.  While the manager was very nice, he said we would have to recover with our bank, so off to the Internet bar to let BECU (our credit union) that we needed them to rectify the situation.  Then back to the boat to wait for the Panga that Allan arranged to pick up all the cruisers in the lagoon headed to town for dinner.  The dinner was a great success and we got to know some new people we had only heard on the net and VHF in the past.

 25^th

We decided to pull anchor for Tenachanita for the weekend and join in with the festivities of that bay.  Also, the guys wanted to go scuba diving and a friend on a boat called Wet Bar has a compressor to fill tanks.  We arrived at noon.  Did some boat chores, made appetizers for the Friday evening raft up and headed over to Good Dog Beach to meet the other dinghies.  Tonight, 29 boats showed up for the raft up.  Afterwards, Allan and I went fishing, with one bite we lost and then over to Wet Bar for a beer.

 26^th

The men did some scuba diving this morning, after Allan discovered a huge cockroach in our cockpit.  Biagio to the rescue with Borax that you spread out at night and they eat the stuff and die.  Hopefully a painful death. They find you on our boats in anything you take a shore and then bring back and you might to seem them lurking in the boxes or plastic or maybe it is just the eggs that you probably would not notice at all.  If the borax and sugar does not work, we have been told about sticky traps that you can buy in the markets.  Tonight there is a barbeque on shore, which we will not stay to eat, but will enjoy the bon fire before coming back to the boat for dinner. 

 27^th

Today was a relaxing day with activities.  I woke early and went fishing.  The sea was glass and the sun still had 20 minutes before slipping over the mountains.  I fished the shoreline being carefully not to get caught in the breaking swell.  I was rewarded with a 8 lbs Cero (Spanish Mackerel).  This is one of the best fighting and tasting fish.  Apex lures made in Canada are very good.  Unfortunately Apex makes their lures to eat the line and fall off.  Nothing like planned destruction Unfortunately Apex makes their lures to eat the line and fall off.  Nothing like planned distraction so I have to purchase more.  I will be replacing the monofilament with stainless wire.  Cero resemble a barracuda in shape and they are blessed with major teeth.  Cero’s have bright yellow spots and a thin black line down the center of each side.  This is the 5^th one we have caught.  The last one caught, Liz made ceviche out of it.  Fly-fishing a “Coho” fly has also been successful and the fight is fantastic, except for the fish.

 Liz fixed a super breakfast and we chatted with several other boats on plans to see the pro-football playoffs.  We hopped in our dinghy for a 5 miles motor that took us 50 minutes.  Those with planning dinghies made it in 10 minutes.  We watched only one since the second game was preempted due to soccer.  We will be sitting down for dinner featuring Mr. Cero and Master Vino.  Here’s to you.