01/11/2008 11:52:34AM 24 12.911N 110 17.915W Day 216 Up this morning at 0715; 62 Degrees, Clear, Wind Calm.

[The Photo Gallery (Phase IV - La Paz/PJ Prep) has been updated with pictures from our field trip the other day: a barrel cactus in bloom, and Marina Costa Baja from the ridge north of us.]

Albeit most economic surprises on a voyage are in the "cha-ching!" category, propane has turned out to be the best deal going. We do all of our cooking -- stovetop and baking -- for what has averaged out to be around $6US a month. And, so far, obtaining refills has been simple. Here, for instance, we take an empty jug to the marina office one day and it is back, topped-off, the next. Wind Dancer has two propane bottles, the main tank (photo, above) and a "barbecue" tank. When the big one runs out, we switch to the BBQ jug until the next filling. The main tank lasts four to six weeks (even with holiday baking in the picture). The barbecue tank just ran out this morning -- its last fill-up was in Juneau before we left.

Now, we've seen other boats using wood, alcohol or diesel for their primary cooking fuels. Wood is scarce in some parts of the world (like here); alcohol, though favored by traditional sailors, burns too cool to quickly whip up a hot meal for a family after a hard day at sea; and people tell us that diesel stoves heat up the whole cabin before the chicken is done (you probably won't need cabin heat from Point Conception south). Of course, propane's primary disadvantage is found in its explosive nature. Wind Dancer's system incorporates a sealed propane locker that is vented overboard, an electrical solenoid that must be physically switched on before the gas will flow from the tank to the stove, and in the cabin is a LPG "sniffer" alarm that immediately senses free propane and then squeals like a stuck pig. Yes, something can fail; it's the unfortunate nature of technology. But if you keep the systems in good working order and follow basic safety precautions, you're unlikely to go blooey!

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School this morning, a trip to town for the day, and we probably won't be back until late this evening. 2nd Mate and Cabin Girl are going to stay overnight aboard Theophilus anchored out in Bahia de La Paz. 1st Mate and I plan to have dinner with John and Mandy, and then go to Las Tres V�rgenes (The Three Virgins) restaurant/nightclub to listen to John play with a group there. So, an early, truncated post is all we can manage for this date.

The Puddle Jump. The next in our series of meetings with the crew of Gingi is on today's agenda. We're going to upload the new Atlas of Pilot Charts to their laptop, and continue our discussion on the best route to the Marquesas and how to proceed through the French bureaucracy when we arrive.