The New Engine is Installed & Working!!
30 May 2007 | San Carlos, MX
by Cheryl
the inboard engine is working! but the outboard is not so we are back to paddling!
SAILING
none
WEATHER
The wind died down a bit and switched direction (S - SE), at times, which made for a more interesting kayak paddle back to the boat since we have to paddle across the wind mostly (the kayak paddles easier into the wind than across it) now. Warming up to the high 80's (84-87o), enough to turn a fan on every once in a while and keep the hatches open all night. My new screen looks great and stores easier (since I made it so it folds in half) thanks to Dean, aka Jack & John. The water has warmed up enough to swim though I did get a little sting by a jellyfish already.
BAY WATCH
The anchorage was full of sailboats before a lot of cruisers took their boats out for the summer, we see the harbor seal 'couple' swimming by regularly - very cute & the big yachts are gone now.
PROJECTS
THE ENGINE IS UP AND RUNNING!!!! There were only 2 small adjustments after turning it on the 1st time as well as with the electrical, which is up and running again too! We are relieved (after getting over the shock of it actually working)!
Up until then it went like this:
We continued on finishing up the engine installation: Scott learned that he can dislocate (well not fully) his shoulder and hand to get it up into the bowels of the boat all while undoing and redoing clamps and hoses with his thumb and middle finger (you try it), he also spent many days 'with his arse up to the heavens' (I have pictures), as Ian would say.
Scott spent 3 hours hacking dirt out of an air vent only to have it break off in his hands later but we actually found a replacement, luckily the other one the one that is even harder to reach and the more important one came off OK. Fun with boats, fun with boats. NOT.
While Scott was forcing himself to chip away at the engine project I had been hanging out on the fore deck enjoying the sun while doing some interesting sewing projects -cover's for everything made of wood on deck (I'm really just trying to get away from the noisy, smelly generator) and working on my boater's tan. Then I remembered I had made all that shade awning so I put one of them up AND we hung up the hammock and put out all the cushions (and took the day off) making yet another 'Harem Tent'. I feel like I have become friends with a MX charter fishing boat that goes by 5 times a day too. I think I am enjoying some summer before it gets really hot. Actually this is my first experience of a hammock on a boat. I do realize that way back when, they were what everyone slept in and now I not only know why but love them; they are self-swinging with the boat movements and you can even feel the wind vibrating the rigging as ours is attached to the rigging at one point. When you are laying in it looking towards the back (aft) of the boat, it really looks like the boat is moving and the hammock is staying still (which it is really). Hilo even jumped in with Scott & I one evening but the 'bird activity' made it hard for him to relax. As it got hotter we put up the 2nd awning making for a cooler boat and deck! I (with Scott's help) also did a bunch of little jobs that felt good to get them done; caulking- the grab rail, the forward hatch and the galley sink & counter and starting ordering stuff and making shopping lists for the summer before I finished changing out and hooking up the rest of the electrical wires in the engine room. Since our friend didn't show up to help us look over the electrical connects, we called Bud (the Westsail guy) and talked to other people and now I feel like I really know what is going on back there in the engine room (with all those wires)!
One afternoon our outboard died so I/Cheryl got to row the inflatable dinghy most of the way back to the boat from shore- took at least 45 minutes- it was a good thing it wasn't any windier than it was or it wouldn't have happened at all! We didn't have time to fix it while we were trying to finish up the engine project so we started paddling the kayak again, which was a nice change (and gave us some much needed exercise) back and forth to shore.
We were having 3 nights in a row of being attacked by mosquitoes while trying to sleep so the next day we made it a priority to clean same standing water out of the bilge, spray natural repellant and put all the screens down early - it worked! Sleep at last!
We are still re-balancing the boat- moving stuff around so it has been a little more difficult to find stuff lately and we spend whole days cleaning up and moving stuff around especially when we have people come over for dinner every once in a while.
We had our 1st (other than dental) Mexican health care experience; we got Tetanus shots, talked to the doctor about what medications we need have on the boat and I had my thyroid blood test done - what a difference from the states- we had to go to the pharmacy (next door to the doctor) to get the vaccine and needles then went to the doctor to receive the shots, my blood draw (at a separate clinic next door) took 2 minutes and cost $40 for the same test that cost $200 in the states (and I've had some bad experiences just getting blood drawn in the states; waiting for 45 minutes, no one being there for the appointment at all, etc.- in Crested Butte). Scott also had his crown redone so that's great!
We scheduled our pull-outdate (June 8th) to dry dock Raven for the summer - boo hoo, but you have to reserve space early, as this is the time of the season that the rumors of the yard being full start.
SOCIAL SCENE
The following people left for the summer/to the states:
Cathy of sv Gertrude
Stephanie & Gary of sv LoneStar
Bruce & Steve of sv Far Fetched
Howard of sv Rubicon
Jim of sv Pochteca
Lorena (friend & owner of the Posada del Desierto) came back from Belize
We've taken to piling 10 people (most of them are from the San Carlos work yard) into 2 vehicles to go to a every other week pot-luck party at the Guaymas work yard where there is great food, new neat people and a more time with friends. The party host is Ted a neat guy who has been helping us a little and whom has a huge, old (1920's), neat wooden boat. Ted has a neat tempura wok set up (and 2 other grills/hibachis) that he makes tasty treats in. He is also the boat refrigeration expert down here.
We finally had dinner with Bruce and Steve on their boat Far Fetched - some nice yellow tale they caught in San Pedro and then they came over to Raven another night - all very fun (though it all made us all miss Randy & Tanja more). Had dinner with Lorena to catch up on her trip - great to see her. Ran into Jeff the owner of the 1st ever boat we looked at. Got to barrow Far Fetched's huge dinghy so we brought the Sandette crew (for a total of 6 people) out for an evening on the water. Helped Howard with some rigging.
HILO
Has been enjoying his free range of the bimini, when it didn't have the solar panels on it, it is his personal hammock and he included many games of 'Bimini Pounce' when he's not napping of course!
It's warmed up enough for him to go out at 3:30 - 4:37 AM (!) and then he'll meow at the screened companionway to come back in around 6:30 - impressively to use his litter box!
He has finally discovered the top of the bureau, a place I originally thought he would find right away but didn't. SO now Scott & I have become his personal/human elevator since he can't jump up to it w/o the v-berth all put together. He likes it more when the fan that is also above the bureau