State of the Art

December 22

Semi-promised to write something today after minimal exertion yesterday. Please keep in mind that disappointment is an important component of a balanced life. You are more fortunate than you know.

Motored over early to Club Pesca for fuel, then into Club Nautico dock. Electric panels there are electrician's worst nightmare, but power, when applied, braving an electrical conflagration that would potentially destroy every boat within visual range, was a solid 117v, 60 Hz. Notwithstanding, charger/inverter, suspect from failing to charge in Puerto La Cruz, seemed to operate OK until someone noticed burning insulation smell. Neither inverter nor charger thereafter took notice of switch positions or expletives undeleted.

Both Prosine 2.0 (inverter/charger) and Icom M422 (VHF radio) are in shop for potential repair (another triumph of hope over experience?). Sven (farthest northern Spain?) seems very competent, but is slammed and may not get to aforementioned trinkets for 10 days despite highly proficient whining. Suspects fried mosfets (a kind of hoity-toity transistor) in inverter may require sending to Xanrex repair station, Bogota, as available Chinese replacements are unreliable (i.e. crap). Bugger. May be in Cartagena longer than initially supposed.

Good news is that with nothing to do (yeah, right), feel obligated to find every ice cream parlor in vicinity for production of butt the size of Cleveland. The delights, so far undiscovered, of Cartagena await.

Jack