Boatyard Living!
05 November 2009 | Isleta Marina, Puerto Rico
Deborah/ Sunny and Hot!
Well it's week three of a two-week haulout, and most likely another week to go! But the bottom is clean and sanded, the hulls are sanded and painted, and now just a few projects and bottom paint left to complete. The sweltering heat, minimal breeze, and abundance of flies are making this particular haulout seem to drag on. Of course the fact that we are living on the boat during the haulout makes it extra fun, but we are getting excellent thigh muscle workouts from our numerous trips up and down the ladder, so there are health benefits as well!
Isleta Marina and boatyard where we are has a terrific little bar/restaurant here on site called Mango's, run by a beautiful repatriated Puerto Rican woman named Sonja. As is typical of many locals we have met, she spent 30 years in the states and has now returned to her native Puerto Rico to retire. It has been nice for us to have the restaurant so near, as it cuts down on the dish duty in a bucket. Another wonderful aspect of being in a marina facility rather than out at anchor is access to a Laundromat and hot showers with unlimited amounts of water. The simple pleasures keep us going, as does a lot of cold beer.
Our painting crew of Jose Carlos and the boss Francisco Garcia finished up today, both always with a ready smile and amiably following the directions of the jefe Don. Jose Carlos especially has been studious and hard-working and loves it when I crank up the tunes. He prefers reggaeton, a mix of reggae and Latin beats, but smiles big when I play JayZ and Bob Marley.
The plan is to splash on Monday, Tuesday, or sometime next week. Don and I are keeping our fingers crossed, as on a boat all plans are etched in sand and the only thing concrete is the dock!