One of the cruiser associations is organizing an Antigua / Lake Atitlan / Santiago Sacatepequez's Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Kite Festival excursion. Before we depart Guatemala for good this season I really wanted to see this annual kite festival, and to return to Lake Atitlan to visit the Asociation de Mujeres en Colres Botantio, where these well-respected Guatemalan female traditional weavers grow the plants they use to color the yarn. I purchased a beautiful blue silk shawl from them a couple of years ago and have been kicking myself for not purchasing many more in other colors. As soon as we learned about this trip, we signed up. Q3,000 (US $417) per couple covers transportation, 4 nights lodging, tours. Food, beverages and everything else is on our own. If all goes well, our important "depart the Rio" projects will be completed by the time we go, and we can relax and enjoy what is likely our last interior-Guatemala trip.

The outboard repair guys did their magic. With the parts we brought down and their expertise, the Tohatsu outboard now works great again. Q1,300 (US $180.55 ) is the labor cost. Time to sell it! We've decided to not purchase another center console style dinghy, so it will not be useful to us once we replace our dinghy. Jerry puts feelers out with several locals and the morning cruiser's net; it's a perfect lancha w/ console motor. To get the dinghy back to Vida Dulce from the workshop, Jerry tows it with Solita (we have just one gas tank and hose setup).

The dinghy itself is nearly garbage bin material at this point, water streams in through the hull breach faster than the bilge pump can pump it out. Jerry has been asking around for recommended local lancha / lanchita (little lancha) makers, and has spoken to a few over the past several days. One has built lanchitas for other catamaran cruisers, so yesterday we go look at one, and talk with its owner. Peter, a German National on a 47' Leopard catamaran, purchased his 3 years ago and has been largely happy with it. Even at 11'2" it's fairly light and a 15hp outboard zips it along in good sea conditions. He's used it for diving / snorkeling. Yes, it is a little tippy compared to a standard dinghy, he said; he wished it was 6" wider, then it would be about perfect. He also needed to fashion a false floor to keep feet & supplies out of the deep V hull however he no longer deals with inflatable tube issues so it's been a positive change for him. We compare the price quoted to Jerry for a new lanchita with what Peter paid, and it's a reasonable increase. At Q7,000 (US $972, or if paying in US $1,000) it is much less expensive than the new dinghies (all inflatables) available here at US $4,500 plus. The cost of a new outboard is the same regardless (Q19,500 / US $2,786). After much thought, conversations about the pros & cons of our options, we decide to go forward with the lanchita. Jerry talks with the builder and yes he can make one for us that's bit wider. Total weight of the hull will be around 150 lbs, he knows we'll lift it on davits. That seals the deal. Tomorrow we'll put a 50% deposit on a new lanchita so that it'll get built within the next couple of weeks, and purchase the new Yamaha 2-stroke 15 hp outboard. If by chance we end up hating our new setup, it'll at least get us to Panama where there's a wide selection of dinghy brands and models available.

Last, a freezer update: By yesterday's happy hour the freezer produced ice cubes, the first step in making us happy with it.