I arrived here in La Paz last Monday, blazing through Mexican customs easily, even with a big duffle and blue box crammed full of equipment and supplies. Our shipping agents here, ECONAVIERA, supplied a 30 page import permit that listed every nut and bolt that I carried. It was so daunting that that its shear complexity reduced the customs inspector's enthusiasm to perform a serious search. Wonderful! Señora Chavez even included a ride to the Atalanta yard in her fees and I arrived quickly and efficiently at the boat with my load of gear.

So much to do, but the main items were to prepare the boat for re-entering the water again, installing our new desalinator, installing a new roller furler, installing a new AC charger, and stowing a mountain of new equipment and supplies.

Prepping the boat for launch included washing and sanding the old paint and re-painting the hull, replacing zincs, greasing the sea cocks and propeller, and doing a complete check of everything that lived underwater. Took a few days! My carefully laid plan to have the two gallons of bottom paint awaiting me here in La Paz was foiled completely by some kind of shipping SNAFU but I found a gallon of light blue bottom paint that we had stashed for use as a "signal coat". When you see the signal coat's color, it's time to re-apply bottom paint. We now have a blue hull rather than our usual red. Yes, change is good, but I would have been happier if I had found enough to paint the entire hull! Coverings the red with blue just took more paint, so some areas on the flat parts of the bottom remain red. Funny and not so funny.

I've made some progress on the desalinator install, building the shelf that supports the 44 pound pump/AC motor, and boost pump. I've mounted the two sets of filters and have an idea for the new valve and pre-filter, too. I'm taping water from a 3/4" through hull/sea cock system that provides water to the aft head, and that function needs to remain. The 3-way valve will allow us to direct sea water to the head, as usual, or to the pre-filter of the desalinator.

A professional rigger will arrive tomorrow morning to help with the new roller furler and forestay install. I've got to re-reave the two halyards toady, too.

Sergio-the-stainless-steel-guy will arrive at some point to repair our rudder cage. At $1K, it won't be cheap but is necessary

I leave for AK on Feb 14, and we both return to MX on Feb. 28. Our flight back to AK will be from Tahiti! Conni has found a "safe" boat yard in Raiataia, and we think that we'll leave the boat out of the water there. It's not cheap but she can't sink.

Having the boat in the water I'd so much nicer than having her on the hard on stands. She's happier and I'm happier.

This is my first post using our iPad. I can post Blogs but no photos. I'll get them posted when I return to AK.