We spent a week at anchor followed by a week plus in the marina to get some work done on the boat. Had the entire boat waxed and washed, wood stained, stainless polished and bottom cleaned. Had the UV protection on both sails replaced as the jib’s was in bad shape. As I have been unable to find a new sheave for the code zero block, I had one made by a local machinist. The marina here is very active with free movies in an outdoor amphitheatre every Thursday and a number of lectures and speakers each week. The vet from Australia that we got to know (Vet Tails’ Sailing Chuffed, on YouTube) is a real live saint and she treated Bella for a minor ear infection and rescued a 100 kg green turtle that was close to dying from eating bad algae. Took it less than a week to fully recover with antibiotics. We’ve also hosted a couple of boat parties and eaten out frequently. There’s even a local restaurant that has dancing horses on the weekends. Bella is exhausted every day due to her endless escapes to neighbouring boats after dark. (I can’t wait to get back on anchor!) Oh, and we figured out the cause of all of our water maker problems. When they put the filter into the system they failed to remove the plastic shrinkwrap and label!!!
We took a trip with Theresa and Tom from SV Rio Salado to San Sebastian del Oeste, a couple hours away up in the mountains and the site of the very first silver mine in all of Mexico, dating to the 1540s. Just before we got there, we passed the scene of a very recent horrible accident on a hairpin turn where a pickup truck loaded with people and luggage in the bed had overturned and gone off the road. We don’t know the outcome as it was all cleaned up by the time we left.
We had an interesting side excursion on the 40 minute hike to the mine when a young girl stopped us on her motorcycle and insisted that we come see her pet javelinas, goat and dog. Much like a homeless squatters camp but who knows what was really going on? Tried a shot of raicilla, the local moonshine made from a different agave plant, not the blue agave of tequila. (The guidebooks warn not to drink from street vendors but only restaurants because it just might kill you.)
We went to Puerto Vallarta proper yesterday. Beautiful beach and cathedral. Most exciting part was finding a Costco! Ended the day with a lovely dinner with several friends at a local German restaurant to celebrate my beloved‘s birthday.
Had a bit of a scare today when the place that is repairing our sails put out a call on the radio that they had a fire and requested anyone nearby respond with fire extinguishers! The fire was actually in the empty overgrown lot next to them. Marina staff responded with a firehose and a number of cruisers used fire extinguishers to put it out. Interestingly, the actual fire department, which is one block away, never responded.
