Scott, Catherine & David going for a swim and our view of the beach in the bahia

We spent 2 &1/2 weeks in the work yard only getting 2 of the 3 major projects done since other smaller & more important ones came up and some logistics changed. There was the usual job of stowing everything and cleaning, but we did figure out how to bolt down the life raft with out taking the ceiling/headliner completely out again! Friends, dinners out and our 'annual' full-moon party kept us sane until we splashed!

The refrigerator project went as expected- slow, very dusty, smelly and with a somewhat steep learning/fine-tuning curve.

10/31: Our launch went smoothly but anchoring not as well: the anchorage was crowded and there were some kelp beds that don't provide good holding ground but we managed to get settled in. Still it was great to get back on the water and nicer in the anchorage than the mooring buoys: there are actually other people living on their boats and it is further away from the road noise and 5 a.m. panga fishermen traffic.

Scott's sister Catherine and her fianc� Dave came for a visit and to take our truck away (!): Fun was had by all - we went for 2 short day sails, anchoring overnight a short distance away off Playa San Francisco, we all swam and generally relaxed: us a break from working on the boat and a 1st vacation in a long time for Catherine and David. David had never been out of the USA so it was nice to show him a new place and get him to eat some authentic local food. Catherine didn't have to cook or even make coffee (her profession) and she really enjoyed how beautiful being on the water is even with a little seasickness. David got a crash course in sailing, helping Scott on deck while Catherine got to steer a bit and help Cheryl while at the helm. I got to go hang out up on the bowsprit, "my favorite place" while under sail and got some solid instruction from Scott on the windlass while Catherine acted as our autopilot. The fact that they can go back and tell cousin Dan of s/v Sally B, that they went sailing 'with Scott and Cheryl in Mexico' makes us feel like we are real cruisers now! Catherine also enjoyed all the wildlife around the water and David enjoyed lying on the deck watching the masthead light swing like a pendulum in the starry night sky. Catherine and David's first evening on Raven we also took them for a fun dinghy ride around the bahia and into Martini Cove. It was fun to zoom around and get some close-up views of the wildlife and beaches. We even saw John of s/v Artic Pearl anchored in Martini Cove??"a nice change from the work yard. Catherine & David drove off with our truck when they left, a last tie to our land life! Their drive through Mexico was uneventful as we all hoped and they got to do some exploring in Arizona and New Mexico.

After Catherine and David left we took a couple of days off, nursing our stomachs from some bad food and resting up before continuing all the preparations to leave San Carlos. We managed to buy some needed dinghy wheels from s/v Lonestar who are giving up sailing. We had a fright about a $1,000 boat part missing during shipping, for a while but it was found and is hopefully on it's way.