Sailing the Karina C

This is a monument for one person.
03/09
The next morning we were up early and we motored up to Punta Chivato. It was a 20 mile boat ride and all went well. Once we had the anchor down, we walked over to the point and looked around. We noticed Sunshine coming around the point and so we came back to the anchorage and had a chat with Bob and Dede. They, like us, wanted to go shelling this afternoon. We had a quick lunch and then we headed to shore. Had a good time shelling and then back to our respective boats for the evening.
The next morning, we were up early and started the motor as there was little wind. We motored around Punta Chivato and through Craig Channel between Isla San Marcos and the mainland. The motor started dipping which is the harbinger of usually a clogged fuel filter. Since the engine was a little warm, I also checked the water intake and the water pump as well. All seemed in order. We restarted the motor and a half an hour later there was an odd odour in the motor compartment. That indicated things were getting hot in there. That was enough for me to shut the thing down for the day and we sailed in light air for Santa Rosalia. We came into harbour with the dinghy lashed to the side of Karina.
In the past 2 days I have run 4 gallons of vinegar through the engine block, removed the thermostat, run the engine under load for a half an hour. Seems to be fine, albeit a little on the cool side now.
I seemed to be distracted by the fact that there were 2 unrelated problems at the same time. It is unusual, but not unheard of. As the Sea of Cortez is so high in saline, it is not unusual to get salt buildup in the engine (Karina has a raw water engine).
Santa Rosalia is a happening little town with the mine soon to restart. There are a lot of construction jobs going on around here. Soon the layoffs will begin and the completed mine employs little in the way of staff to operate. Too bad. Santa Rosalia will go back to a sleepy little town.
We are staying at the Fonatur dock as we came in on restricted manoeuvrability. The marina has several full time employees. None of them are responsible for keeping bird shit off the dock so consequently the place stinks. That being said, we will stay here a week anyway as I want to let the vinegar do its job for a little longer. Security is no problem as they have at least 2 watchmen on duty 24/7 to hold up the walls and keep the seats dusted. There is a sparsely attended karaoke bar that blasts music at the marina until late at night. As with most of the other Fonaturs, there is no hot water, toilet paper, and soap. The good news is most of the toilets actually flush. The cold water coming out of the shower heads has a strong flow. We have been told that, if you let the water run for 10 minutes, you can get hot water in the shower. I dunno. I let it run for a while yesterday and got just cold. I gave up and went back to Karina and heated up some water for the on board shower.
03/10
Today I went and checked the weather at the office. I was there promptly at 0900. The staff were there (semi-propmtly) at 0920. If you think I'm complaining I'm not. I'm envious. I wanted a job like that too. After checking the weather I noticed an excellent weather window to cross to San Carlos on Wednesday. We will see. I did talk to Juan (manager of Marina) and he has booked us a slip on B dock.
This morning we went for a walk up to the town cemetery. In general, folks down here don't live to too great an age. I suspect the withering sun doesn't help either. But life is hard down here. Lack of education and risky customs take their toll. Pre-natal care is unheard of. Helmets are not obligatory on bicycles or motorcycles. Riding in the back of pickups is common. Many times I notice a smoking panguero carrying an open 5 gallon gas can on his shoulder. They have a wild habit of standing up in the bow of the panga while planing the panga. I've seen kids as young as 6 riding ATVs and motorcycles on the streets. I'd say its a miracle that most Mexicans make it to 21.
The Mexicans go all out for eternity. The cemetery has some monuments that are bigger than the house the person probably lived in. The cemetery is on a plateau above the town. Some of the graves are just a few feet away from the eroding cliff. When the summer rains come, I suspect there are a few folks who (accidentally) rise from the grave (or should I say the grave leaves them).