After three failed attempts, Lost Elvis finally made it to Hawaii, kicking and screaming, during her 32 days and 3,000 n. miles at sea.  She left Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta on January 14, 2014 with a crew of six; three airline pilots (one of them Randy), one world cruiser and two young swabs. At first it seemed too large a crew but after the thruster bearing burned out, the raw water pump failed and with the autopilot going on strike, it was great to have so many men on a downwind hand steering voyage.

She arrived quite beaten up on February 14, 2014 at 4 a.m. Without an engine, our inflatable dinghy with its faithful 15 horse power Mercury outboard engine tied up to the quarter port stern, nudged tired old Lost Elvis up to Windcastle where we now sit on the Aloha Dock at our Hawaii Yacht Club.

We are very proud of our crew who were near their wits' end after such a long and painful ordeal. In addition to the failure of various parts and equipment, the wind was erratic; four days of great wind followed by 5 days of nothing; the so called "swimming days". Only two fish were caught with over $80 worth of lures lost. That coupled with various personality clashes made it all the much more unpleasant voyage.  There wasn't much energy left to rejoice; leis, a few beer, some Big Macs and fries.  That was it.

Now we are waiting on an estimate for a new Aqua Drive thruster bearing, we have a new raw water pump for our Ford Lehman engine thanks to BoMac Marine in Georgia.  Then comes Vacu Flush repair, stainless steel repairs to the pulpit and new life lines, deck caulking (if it can make one more season), new upholstery and curtains, mast stepping, new mainsail, new staysail..... on and on it goes.

But as I always say, there comes a time when you get the main items back online and then "cut her loose" and deal with the other repairs along the way.

Random Notes on a Rainy Day in Waikiki

Sunday at Spouting Waters

swishing black rubber on shiny pavement

plastic coated tourists scurrying hopping puddles

disappointment absent warming rays and electric blue waters

cool damp boredom

children rejoice in the pool under droplets and downpour

moist coco palms vivid but motionless

sloshing squeaky truck rumbles low

drizzle laden slick streets abate bikers’ roaring thunder.  Quiet.

mainlanders hoping and wishing for warmth on golden sand seek shelter

dull grey clouds tease with patches of white still they steal the sun

old yellow cat sleeps lightly wisely knowingly

good idea! doze the dreary day.

Back to the Barn

Lost Elvis wants to stay in Mexico and Central America and that's that.  With heartfelt thanks to Stephen and Pauline Theodore on Rumdoodle, Lost Elvis is limping back to Paradise Village with a failed starter.  Captain Steve-O and his "Little Buddy" Rich Roberts, are sailing (yes I mean sailing, with the wind and those big white canvas things).  Randy, Scott (Ululena), Rich and Steve wrenched on the engine, overhauled the starter and still no diesel power due to the faulty starter.  Big thanks to Scotty too!  Randy was running out of time and we would have to put old Elvis back on the hard again at Marina del Palmar in La Paz (reasonable rates by the way). One morning Steve decides, Hello! why not sail her to PV?  That's what she's designed for.  Randy has to go to work so Steve and Rich are sailing her back home to Paradise Village where she will get the love and care that she is used to.  Eventually we will relocate.  She won't come to us so we'll have to go to her.  Mexico me encanta anyway so it's all for the best.

Notes on Hawaii

Observations in Hawaii:

the State beer is Heineken ("Keep Hawaii Green");

they make poke out of anything (ahi, edamame, fake crab, tofu, tako, blue crab, salmon, clams, shrimp, cucumber, beef, fish cake, sea snails, sea weed etc.);

they listen to laid back Reggae (probably due to the following 3 comments);

it takes at least a mile to make up for one wrong turn;

most street names start with a K or a W and end in an A or an I;

Exit #2 is actually the first exit;

they drive like they have all day to get there (probably because it actually takes that long... see previous three comments);

they love to travel to Alaska and to Vegas and have a strong presence in Phoenix;

it's "slippahs" not flip flops (and you can wear them to work) and "lanai" not patio or deck;

I'm "Auntie" if you don't know my name. It used to be a sign of respect or age but now can be accompanied by a wolf whistle apparently;

McDonalds sells Saimin, Spam and eggs with 2 scoops of rice and Haupia pie;

the locals ride in the back of pickups like the Mexicans do;

Sundays are for all day cook-outs at the beach;

if a car stops to let you cross whether you are in a cross walk or not, you waive and thank them.

Lost Elvis Mexico

The latest plan is to stay in Mexico; cruise down the Pacific Coast of Mexico with guests and run passengers from Cartagena to Panama and back as well as guide them through the San Blas Islands. New "Navtronics" are running well. Thanks to David at Yacht Services in Puerto Vallarta.

Lost Elvis Status

Hola y Aloha,

Lost Elvis is still getting all of her new electronics installed by Yacht Services in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We expect the job to be complete sometime in November, almost a year after our insurance claim. Probably "standard ops" for Mexico. I love those people but it requires years of patience to get to that stage and I'm Canadian. The Americans must go insane when they first experience the Mexican way.

Once the job is complete we plan to move Lost Elvis to Hawaii; as soon as we get a weather window. We are considering adding extra fuel tanks in case the winds are light. We are on the list at the Ala Wai Marina and Kewalo Basin Harbor. There aren't many marinas here and they are all but one, State-owned. We could stay at Ko'Olina, the private marina while waiting for a downtown marina.

We already have The Cruising Guide to the Hawaiian Islands, by Mehaffy and are looking forward to cruising the islands over the next couple of years. We may even take a trip to Palmyra.

Stay tuned!!

Alhoa Mai - Randy and Thea to Wed Finally

"E Ko Makua iloko o ka lani. E hoano ia ko inoa."

This is a special post. For those of you who did not receive the announcement, Randy and I are very pleased to tell you that after for year of love and happiness on the high seas, we have decided to finally get married in Hawaii on September 11, 2011. We will continue to nurture our bliss and excitement on our ocean adventures or wherever we end up and hope to keep you all posted on our future travels.

Some people are shocked by our choice for a wedding date. My replies are as follows:

- If anything, getting married on September 11 will show the radical terrorists that our lives will continue in the face of and despite the tragedy they caused. They will not dictate when I get married.

- On September 11, by our wedding, we will affirm our belief in love, renewal, hope and goodness inspite of the fanatic hatred and terrorism in our world today. We must continue to live and love. They can't make us suffer on this day or any other.

We will also post wedding photos soon!

Aloha and Ike Pono

Blue Feet, Marietas and Sayulita.

Blue footed Boobies actually do have blue feet. These guys, on Islas Tres Marietas, were quite tame. They must be used to the gringos touring the island. It was nesting season so there was much hissing and snapping as we passed by some moms. Setting up a nest in the middle of the trail however was not the best idea.

After the Marietas, we motor sailed to Sayulita where we anchored for two nights. The anchorage in Sayulita in a South swell or even a West swell is quite pleasant. We set a stern anchor just in case. They waypoint for the Sayulita anchorage is 20Degrees, 52.406 North and 105 degrees, 26.849 West. It's just off a little locals beach tucked in a little cove. You can just see the masts from the main surf beach in Sayulita. Take your dinghy into the most Southern part of the main bay where there is little or no surf. (facing the beach from the water - way right).

The surf was low and slow; perfect for me but I had the wrong board. It was a longboard or SUP day. We still had fun now that the water has finally warmed up to about 73 degrees. I suppose I could have rented a longboard but I was still sick and really didn't have the energy.

One day I'd like to take a day trip with Lost Elvis to San Pancho or Lanchas and try my novice surfing skills there.

David Bourgoin of Yacht Services in Opequimar is "handling" our insurance claim. So far, nothing has happened other than he removed our generator and broke our stairs heading forward to the galley. Of the other two qualified electricians, one is in hiding in the US (marital issues) and the other is unreliable and hard to contact. We are almost tempted to deliver Elvis back to the US and get the work done in San Diego or Newport. We made our claim in November. Six months later.... nada.

New Job and Marina Riviera Nayarit

Thea got a new job in La Cruz working as a yacht broker for Vallarta Yachts. On March 16, Randy returns to US Airways in Tempe, Arizona to upgrade his training on the Airbus 321.

Lost Elvis is now in Marina Riviera Nayarit, aka Marina La Cruz. La Cruz Marina is a nice change from Paradise Village for a number of reasons. Although it is about 40 minutes from the airport as opposed to Nuevo Vallarta's 15 minute drive, the marina in La Cruz offers many activitie for cruisers and their families. Marina Katrina has arranged a Kids Club, movie night, swap meets, beach bonfires, potlucks, Cooking with Amanda, Happy Hours, Tuesday and Sunday brunches, Hiuchol art classes and this list goes on. Rumour has it that a yacht club is in the making.

The marina in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is only three years old. The water in the marina is clean and hosts schools of fish and a large turtle. The rates at the marina in La Cruz are the same or better than Paradise village Marina. The summer rates begin on May 1 as opposed to Paradise Village's June 1. There is no marina clean up fee. La Cruz charges for water and Paradise does not. However all in all, we estimate $2000 a year in savings by moving to La Cruz.

Just a 10 minute walk from the marina is la playa La Manzanilla. With its seafood palapa restaurants and mariachis, you can enjoy Mexico with few or no tourists. Even closer is Don Bidou, a restaurant on the beach owned by a French Canadian. He offers 10 peso beer all day long. Huanacaxtle Bar offers high quality food at reasonable prices and happy hour all day. Try their Huanacaxtle Burger for about $4.50. Live music is everywhere at Britannia Bar, La Cascada, Phylo's, Anna Banana's, the Black Forrest and that's just La Cruz. The Twisted Rose, Eva's Brick House and Quixotes in Bucerias have live music, karaoke and salsa.

It isn't well known, but there is actually a little surf break off the break water when the swell is up. Lanchas and Pools are breaks that are a panga ride away and Punta de Mita, Sayulita and San Pancho are surf spots within a half hour ride from La Cruz.

Rafael Alcantara, the manager of the marina works hard to accomodate your needs. He has arranged access to a nearby upscale beach club which has a pool, bar, restaurant and little furnished cabanas with a fridge and TV if you need to get out of the sun.

The town itself has all you need, carnicerias, organic markets on Sunday and an Oxxo about a 20 minute walk away. There are four salons, numerous restaurants, organic coffee shop, a Subway, fresh fish markets at the marina, street tacos, a veterinarian, doctor, dentist, hotels... any thing you need. What we enjoy the most is the fact the we really feel like we are in Mexico here in La Cruz. Whereas Paradise Village was very American. As Randy says ..... you can just see Mexico from Paradise Village......

No photos on this post but if you go to Thea's Facebook there are many.

I get my first listing today. If you know anyone who wants to buy a Yankee 30 for about $29,000, let me know. It's fast, roomy and set up to cross the Pacific with extra sails and equipment.

Back in Paradise Village

Randy got recalled to US Airways sooner than we expected so Elvis is back in Paradise Village Marina. We would have had to return regardless as the generator failed and then we had engine problems. We made it as far as Barra de Navidad but really wanted to go to Z-town during Sailfest (http://www.zihausailfest.com/ ).

While in Barra, our favourite lunch spot was Mexico Lindo. They make fresh tortillas by hand daily and offer a variety of sopes, huaraches, tacos, burritos, sopa de tortilla, enchiladas etc., all for a very low price.

Roan, the boat cat, did not fare well as we had two guests on board and we were constantly ripping the boat apart to try to repair the generator, then the engine and then checking the dripless seal. Roan was licking his tummy to the point where it was bald and oozing. Our neighbours found a baby armadillo that was malnourished and suffering. Since they were taking him to the vet in Melaque, I quickly gathered up Roan and stuffed him into his carrier. $50 later he had prednazone and an antibacterial/antifungal spray. 8 days later he was almost cured.

Randy left Barra on January 11, 2011 to get back to get his medical and vision re-checked before ground school. So there I am with a sick cat and a limping Lost Elvis. I managed to round up two crew members (Dave - Shoot the Moon and Guss a friend from Barra), to help bring Elvis home to Paradise Village.

We left Barra in some strong winds. Marina Isla Navidad had us stuffed in a slip surrounded by mega-yachts. Thanks to a couple of friends and their dinghies, we managed not to get too twisted around in the docks and launched for Bahia de Banderas on January 13 at about 4 pm. We had the snot kicked out of us the entire way. Ten to twelve foot waves on our nose and 15 to 25 knot winds, on our nose. Poor Roan the boat cat was so sick, I had to carry him to his litter box and as I did, we both got air time. After about 18 hours of getting pounded, without sleep, we rounded Cabo Corrientes only to be surrounded by a thick fog. We have no radar due to the lightning strike. Eventually, the fog lifted in time for us to see our destination.

After an uneventful landing, I took my crew to lunch at Ocho Tostadas, thanked them and sent them back to Barra.

Roan slept in a cubby hole for two weeks after that adventure coming out only to eat and use his box. He'd give me the stink eye whenever I tried to be nice to him. Now on week three he is back to his old habits such as "helping" me make the bed, sleeping on my stomach or my head and begging to have my meals (especially if they involve shrimp, chicken or steak). He's a good pirate cat. He'll be even more handsome when his tummy heals completely.

I have the use of Kim and Dave's truck (Maluhia) until they return to Paradise Village in April. It's great because I can take my laundry to La Burbujita instead of using the terrible laundry service in Paradise Village Mall (I'm convinced she uses no soap and she's expensive).

Three Strikes

Just after a lovely lunch at La Vena in Tenacatita as we were changing our tattered Canadian courtesy flag, a 90 foot power yacht dropped it's anchor a little too close given that there were only three boats in the anchorage. It's like surfing or skiing, everyone follows the crowd. The woman on the bow of the yacht was yelling and waiving to her husband at the helm that she couldn't stop the anchor chain. Apparently she was having trouble with the windlass. As is common, panic ensued. Why, I don't know. Who cares if you lose your anchor chain in 20 feet of water, dive down, attach a halyard and winch it up. So now husband and wife are yelling at eachother on the bow (which is also, common) about the anchoring situation. Unfortunately, the boat was still in gear at about 5 knots and heading straight for Lost Elvis mid-ship. A local ponga full of tourists stopped to watch. I started yelling to him that he was still in gear. Randy ordered all of us to prepare to abandon ship so we scrambled under the life lines, stood on the rub rail and prepared dive in and swim as fast as we could. Just as we were about to dive in, the captain of the yacht looked up in shock, ran to his helm, which was quite a distance, slammed the vessel into reverse and stopped about 20 feet away from us. We were shaking. I'm sure the panga would have plucked us out of the water but the woman would have been launched through our running rigging, Elvis would have been demasted and likely sunk. All for a few hundred feet of chain.



To take our minds of things we resumed working on the Canadian flag. As Randy was hoisting it, the radar deflector fell on my head. It shattered my plastic hair clip and gave me whiplash but other than that I was OK. If not for the hair do, I would be in the hospital, or worse.



Randy paid a visit to our new neighbours to have a de-briefing on what just happened and how we could all learn from it. After much blame, it was agreed that the Captain is ultimately responsible for the vessel and crew. The yachties invited us for cocktails and snacks so we could all come to terms and get over the unnecessary adrenline hit we all felt.



That's when they tried to kill us a second time, with Captain Morgan rum. Randy and Paul were rather ill the next morning. After we pulled up the anchor, they both went back to their bunks and I took old Elvis back to Barra. She, as well as the rest of us are very happy to be here.

If any provisions are needed while in Tenacatita, La Manzanilla has fresh fruit and vegetables on Thursdays. There is a little deli and fish market operated by some gringos. Most items are frozen but that works well for us since we don't have to run our freezer for ever to freeze it ourselves. Gasoline for outboards can be found in a little mechanic shop on the way to the highway. Take a taxi to the garage where instead of a hoist, the owner has a pit, and instead of a gasoline pump, he stores gas in plastic soda bottles.

Lost Elvis Sailing, Yes Sailing to Careyes

We left Chamela for Careyes on December 15 and since it's only an hour by motor we decided to sail. There wasn't much wind but our friends on Maluhia egged us on. After an hour we had to start the engine to keep up with Maluhia, a catamaran weighing less than a 1/4 of us. At idle with sails we were holding 6 knots. After about 3 hours, we made it to Careyes, a tiny little anchorage, lined with luxurious hotels and houses. The anchorage is much smaller than Charlie's Charts indicates. It can hold about 5 boats if they are all stern anchored. It's about 25 feet deep and the bottom is sand. The snorkelling is fantastic at the islands near the old Club Med and the water is about 10 degrees warmer than at Las Tres Marietas. We had an expensive lunch at the Careyes Hotel and sat by the pool freezing to death in 15 knot winds. The pool is not heated so not very inviting at this time of year. There is an expensive seafood restaurant in the large pink palapa in the middle cove. The entrees range from 180 pesos to 500 pesos (lobster). Tomorrow we head to Barra. Unfortunately, the tides are not in our favour so we will have to spend a night in the marina which is prohibitively expensive. During the summer in the off-season they were charging $2.40 per foot and no one was there! Hopefully they will give us a break as it appears things are still quite slow post-US recession.

San Pancho Wedding, Mariettas and the Cat Comes Back

On November 13, 2010, Chris Pilutik (my brother) and Jackie Fowler were married in San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico. It was an amazingly beautiful and fun event with a Banda Group, Mariachis, much dancing, local food and perfect weather.

Rather than sail Lost Elvis up to Sayulita and leave her there anchored during the festivities, Randy and I decided to rent a room at Costa Azul in San Pancho. Costa Azul is one of the area's first "adventure resorts" and was two doors down the beach from Villa de Roja, where the wedding was held. We got a taxi from Paradise Village for 300 pesos. San Pancho is small so there is no need to have a car there unless you are going to drive up to San Blas or up to the crocodile tour. If you do rent a car, use "Gecko" out of Bucerias. He's Canadian and offers a decent rate.



San Pancho's bridge is out due to the heavy rains in September but they have built a temporary by-pass for cars and pedestrians. If you need anything, go to the Indio it has everything.

San Pancho Surf Shop is also a great resource. If Fabiano is working there, he can arrange surf trips, fishing charters, hikes to the waterfalls, horse back riding... etc. He's a native San Pancho-ite and a long time family friend. You can surf right in San Pancho at the end of the main street. In the winter, it's a fast break. During the week there is hardly anyone surfing. The locals surf before and after work
After the wedding SV Lost Elvis boarded 13 of the wedding guests at La Cruz and set sail for a day trip to the Mariettas. We saw dolphins and whales. The guests snorkeled, swam and kayaked. Randy attempted an "Amphibious Assault" dinghy beach landing, ended up sideways in the waves and then upside down in the coral. Other than a few scratches Randy was fine. Fortunately, he let all the passengers out to swim ashore. Any dinghy landing that starts with the words "Watch This!", "I learned this in the State Department" or now, "Amphibious Assault", means someone is going to get wet.


Big thanks to MV HannaMarie, a Mikelson Yacht Fisher (aka Calamari), Brad and Adam for helping us entertain our guests. Back in port in La Cruz, we found an excellent boat washer, stainless guy called Jose. He is very reasonable and thorough.

After a few tears and much discussion, I have decided to take Roan, my Devon Rex, to Mexico to live with us on the boat. My ex's schedule would leave Roan alone most of the time and Roan is very bonded to me.

He's sleeping in my dirty clothes hamper beside me if that's any indication.

Mexico is the same as most countries for importing a cat. You need a veterinarian's certificate of good health and confirmation of distemper and rabies shots within 10 days of travel. As well as smuggling in a good supply of his normal food, my vet also suggested bringing in bottled water in case he doesn't like the local stuff. What she doesn't know is that the water in Paradise Village Marina is filtered and treated before it gets to the docks and that our boat also has three filters before it pours out of the tap. I drink it all the time without incident. I'm sure Roanie Baloney will be fine.

Roan and I leave on December 9 on a Westjet direct flight from Vancouver to Puerto Vallarta. This is the only direct flight from Vancouver and is about 5 hours in total. During the busy season, Westjet allows only two pets in the cabin. They have specific requirements about the size and type of cat carrier however, the cat carrier does not count as carry-on. They charge $50 for the cat.

I am worried about him escaping, drowning and freaking out when the engine starts. We'll have to close the boat up while we are out so he does not escape. Thank God we have air conditioning so we can cool things down when we return to the boat. I'm sure it will all be fine but I am so worried. At the same time, I can't send him out for adoption or leave him with my ex; those options would be worse for the cat.

Back Home

The next port after Zihuatenejo was Barra de Navidad. We entered the bay early in the morning in early August. The majestic Grand Bay Hotel still towers over the narrow entrance to the lagoon. As we rounded the corner toward the fuel docks we saw the lagoon; empty. Not a single vessel anchored in "the mud". It was almost mysterious since the last time we were in Barra (December 2008) there was almost no room for us to anchor.

We planned to fuel up, splurge on a night or two at the fancy marina, tromp around Barra for a day or two and then launch our last leg home to Paradise Village, Puerto Vallarta.

Of course, planning any voyage in the middle of Hurricane Season, is laughable.

Entonces left Zihua a day after us under sail only as they had transmission issues. The storms and tropical lows chased them all the way there. They arrived in the Bay of Banderas a few days ahead of us at under six knots. Old Lost Elvis incurred a hefty marina bill from waiting out the storms that consistently ripped through or right by Barra. By the way, there were no visiting boats in the marina either but we still couldn't get a deal. Many Mexican business do not understand that when business is slow, jacking up the prices does not necessarily make up for things. We begged for a deal for our week long stay; but "nada". Next time we will anchor in the mud no matter what.

Barra is hot and muggy in the summer; much like Zihua but not as bad as Golfito, Costa Rica. Even the Columbian complained about Golfito and he lives in Baranquilla, which to me is just as hot. We toured around town with Eric (Northern Romance) and Heidi, his girlfriend, ate at Pipis, Ambers, and various other haunts. There was not a "cruiser" to be seen, nor any white folk either except for the odd ex-pat. It was the last few days of Mexican summer before the kids returned to school and they were everywhere with their bright pink, green and blue inflatable beach toys.

On Saturday, August 21, 2010, despite advice from Weather Routing, we decided we could no longer afford Grand Bay no matter how bad the weather was. We had to get out. We had the usual afternoon squalls and cells but made it from Barra to Nuevo Vallarta in about 19 hours.

We arrived in the dark near the markers for the channel into Paradise Village Marina. It started to pour rain. We motored around the bay, past La Cruz to see if we could find Entonces (Chad and Liza) waiting for dawn to help us see our way in. Lost Elvis can practically negotiate the entrance solo but the benefit of a little light was helpful.

Elizabeth and Richard (Seagnome; SG Boatworks) greeted us at the docks. It felt good to be home.

The Anatomy of a Hamburger

Zihuatenejo has the best hamburgers in the world we have decided. Our favourite stand is directly across from the basketball courts.

The burger consists of bimbo bread buns, grilled, hamburger patty, ham, string cheese melted on the ham, avocado slices, chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeno peppers, mustard, ketchup, mayonaise... outstanding.

Today is kayaking at Las Gatas. Anders leaves for Vegas at noon so we are kayaking early.

Randy and Luis Bandito are working on the fridge and air intake lines as they are still full of trash from Acapulco. The generator line had celophane from a cigarette package and half of a toothbrush!

This afternoon we search for water filters and a Mexican flag likely stopping at Tamale Annies for pozole and, you guessed it, tamales.

Sunset Bar is closed. Some employees and the manager tried to sue the owner so she returned to Victoria/Vancouver. Ric's (Memo's) is closed until November when the cruisers return

The owners of Blythe Spirit left her here for the hurricane season and their deflated dinghy with engine are stranded on the playa principal. Other than that there are two other sailboats here; one in Playa Principal with us and the other at La Ropa.

Zihua is inundated with locals at this time of year... much busier than the winter. The only other gringos here are those that have chosen Zihua as their permanent residence.

Lost Elvis - Huatulco to Acapulco

This blogsite is very slow to load photos so unfortunately, I don't have any on this blog. Thea arrived in Huatulco from Vancouver via Phoenix and Mexico City. Flying on a US Airways guest pass sounds like a great deal but it's not. When I arrived at the gate in Vancouver (after confirming my reservation over the phone) I was advised that because I was flying to Mexico, I was not permitted to check any bags. Well, our sailing friends know that not checking bags is not an option. We are constantly lugging parts and supplies to our boats. In the end, I convinced them to at least check my bags to Phoenix but that was the end. I had to buy a one way ticket from Phoenix to Mexico City.

Huatulco was as beautiful as I remember but greener due to the seasonal rains. We at tacos al pastor as much as we could. On Sunday we went to Barra de La Cruz to surf with our friends Chad and Tony from "Entonces"; our buddy boat. It was fabulous. I was just playing in the breakers trying to stand up on my board but the boys were out on the point on a left break where the local surfers (1/2 of which were women) would push them out of the line up. As in most line ups, the locals stand their ground. If it were a week day it would have been more tranquilo.

It took us 36 hours to get the boat from Huatulco to Acapulco. Entonces stayed behind due to repairs. It was strange for me because we have two guests who are experienced sailors. All of my normal duties were covered. I slept alot. The weather was typical for this time of year; squalls, south swell; 60% good 40% not so good.

Entonces will meet us in Zihau on Wednesday.

We must have caught Chad's bad fridge karma because we smelled something burning in the main hold of the fridge. It turned out the the thermostat was fried. We got Marcelo and Jorge here at the Acapulco Yacht Club to fix it. It took them all of about an hour and they wanted $200!! We bargained them down to $100 including parts which is still a rip off.

We found Nacho Camacho again but too late. He said he would not have recommended Marcelo and Jorge had he known.

Nacho Comacho is the king of the bay of Acapulco. He is a captain and knows everyone. You can usually find him at Bar Mitla, across from the yacht club. By the way, fellow cruisers, there is a new marina called "Performance Marina" here in Acapulco beside the cruise ship docks. It's all med mooring but they also have mooring balls and a fuel dock.

Tonight its off to watch the cliff divers and off to the fuel docks here at the yacht club at 07:30 before we head to Zihua.

We love Mexico! It's sooooo nice to be back.

Arriba!!!!