Fuel Day
18 August 2011
Wednesday was fuel day. Kokomo, had arrived Tuesday afternoon as planned after a week long "walk about". Denny and I ventured into the beach in his Dinghy with all eight of our combined fuel cans. Connie and I had scouted earlier on Monday but did not land due to high surf. The dinghy ride is about a mile with rocks and breaking surf to negotiate and then a crashing wave beach landing.
But Wednesday morning was relatively easy and we got ashore with only slightly wet butts. Walking over the the beach front restaurant, I conversed with the owner using my best spanish about how to buy diesel fuel. He told me possible but difficult and directed me to see "Roberto" at the corner under the Mango tree. Roberto was there and agreed to buy us 40 gallons of diesel at $4.60 per gallon and to meet us at the beach at 3pm.
We went back to the beach, arranged for the restaurant owner to watch our cans and went back to the boat for the girls. On the beach we met an American who has the big Cat anchored next to us. He showed us around town we bought some produce off a truck bed and visited the tienda which had no bread, no butter, no eggs, cereal or cookies. Since this guy was local he offered to call his son to buy eggs and butter.
In the afternoon we returned in two dinghies with the girls in time for an early dinner and to pick up the fuel.
This time the ride was much more exciting and we literally surfed in quite some distance. I eased off the gas on the outboard, allowing us to slip off the wave as it was breaking on shore and rode the foam in... no problema.
We had spagetti at the restaurant, got our fuel as promised (siphoned out of two tanks out of the back of his pick up) and returned through the surf.
We managed to get back out through the surf, with the eggs and fuel and didnt break a single egg. All in all a pretty satisfying day. Dinner on the beach $25, Precious diesel fuel $4.60 per gallon, 4 trips through the surf without a flip priceless.
Today we move again, closer and closer to the canal.