11/1-6/06 - YARDWORK - There are lots of Gringos en el barco yard (the boatyard) preparing their boats for departure. We are two of them. Early today, Steve went up the mast - removing bird nests from the radar and TV antennas on the way - and installed our new (we hope) bird-proof anemometer and a new windex with a bird spike. Last year a frigate bird perched on the anemometer and snapped off the wind vane. Can't use a shotgun because of all the sensitive equipment at the masthead, and you'd have to camp on the deck all day waiting for the !*#@!! to show up.
Washed all the lines (that's ropes to the unannointed) and loaded stuff on the boat (my 20 paperbacks), unloaded stuff we probably won't need (melted candles from last year), and washed the canvas cover that has shielded el barco from the hot sun in the yard all summer. We are not assured of a slip in the marina, so we are carrying stuff up and down the ladder to and from the boat in the yard. El barco (Steve's floating hardware store) is scheduled for launching Tuesday, Nov. 7. Then, Cap'n Steve hopes the engine will start. Until then, we are staying in a nice hotel room about a mile from marina seca (dry storage) and the boatyard and eating at local restaurants. San Carlos is known for the mountain shaped like goats tits -- Tetas de Cabra.
The Internet doesn't always work where we are told that it will -- so I'm in a bowling alley typing this entry. San Carlos is a nice town and the marina is very helpful with resources for boaters including a booklet called "Mexican bottom contours." You can let that mean what you want. :-) Lots of practice speaking Spanish at stores, restaurants, etc. Plenty of sun, but no sunburn yet.
