November & December 2004

 In El Salvador

November 1, 2004    Día de Todo Santos

Bill and I were up early but no restaurants were open for breakfast.  The van was at the hotel to pick us up at 7:30 and after running all over town picking up more passengers we were on our way to Santiago Sacatepequez.  In this town they celebrate All Saints Day by flying BIG Kites from the cemetery.  The cemetery is all cleaned and fresh flowers are on the graves for the event.  When we arrived, small kites were already flying in the light breeze.  Bigger kites (about 10 foot diameter) took to the air as the breeze picked up but the giant ones never got to fly.  We watched them construct three big kites of over 40 feet in diameter on the ground but after they were stood up the wind tore two of them off their frames.   The third held its own for awhile but soon it was dropped to keep it from being destroyed as well.  Late in the day some large (15-20 foot diameter) kites actually made it into the sky.  One got quite high before its string, just heavy twine, broke and it drifted to the ground.  A second that we watched got up and dove back to the ground. 

The cemetery had plenty of food vendors, with even some ice cream carts being pushed about.  Heading back into town from the cemetery the streets were full of vendors on both sides.  Bill and I purchased some pizza and from another vendor some barbecued corn. 

Wednesday November 3, 2004

Yesterday we had a nice drive back home to Lanikai in El Salvador.  The road we take is in good driving shape and winds through the hills near the Pacific Ocean with lush vegetation and small towns.  It took us two hours at the border this time mostly because of the lines with many “locals” traveling home after the holidays.  Lanikai was in good shape with both her and the dinghy being quite clean due to the recent big rainstorms.  The rainy season is almost over but we did get some cooling rain last night.

Sunday November 7, 2004

The big Bahía fishing tournament was the last two days.  Both Friday and Saturday many large, and some smaller, boats left the bocana at sunup to compete in catching marlin, tuna and Dorado.  On both days the fishing was poor and only one (very small) marlin was brought in.  Several small tuna were weighed and one weighing only 40 pounds was the overall winner this year.  There were also lots of dorado caught and some were weighed, but I think that many turned into ceviche on the spot.  Big rain storms came each evening.  We spent the late afternoons and evenings at the hotel to watch the prize fish come in and on both days Bill had to make a quick trip back to Lanikai to close her up for the unexpected rain.  The rain on Saturday started just as the boats were returning but after it ended the air dried up.  By the middle of the Saturday night it was very dry and it has continued to be dry all day today.

Bill spent the last two mornings, and into the afternoons, curled up in the engine room working on the genset cooling system.  Today he finally got it all back together and it seems to be working again.  

Thursday November 11, 2004

The first of this week we have been picking up from the genset project and getting e-mails ready for a trip to the internet café.  Bill had a document to finish for his last year’s work project that he finally finished and I got a few more mending, i.e. sewing, projects finished.

Yesterday we went into Zacate so Bill could do e-mail and other things on the Web and I could pick up groceries.  When Bill checked out plane flights to return to The Dalles in January to pick up granddaughter Emily he found some relatively cheap tickets to fly up for Christmas instead.  We will be leaving here a little over a week before the big day and return the end of the first week in January. 

Today Bill installed a new salt water valve on the intake to the water maker finishing up the known repair-type projects, that is all the broken things that we discovered last January and upon our return in August. 

Saturday November 13, 2004

In the last few days we “tied up most of the loose ends”  Bill and I both spent computer time, me catching up on all the photos that I have taken and Bill just organizing stuff!   Bill also played with our non-working hand held marine VHF.  He discovered that the radio is fine but the battery pack is toast.  It not only doesn’t charge but one of the batteries was leaking. 

We still spend the late afternoons at the pool for a quick swim in the now-cool water and visiting with the few cruisers that remain.

Today we got the mizzen sail back on and all the lines run to control it.  Thankfully we had a light cloud cover during the morning hours that we worked as it got real hot in the sun as soon as they left.

Monday November 15, 2004

Yesterday we got the main back on and its control lines run including a new line for the sheet.  Bill also made a new dinghy bridle as the old line we had used was rotting up badly.  We had to remove the rain catcher to get access to the main boom and since we have had no measurable rain in the last week we left it down.

Thursday November 18, 2004

Yesterday we got started on the new electric windlass project.  It took some effort but we figured out where to place the new windlass and then emptied out the anchor locker of both the rode and the chain.   We have a divided anchor locker with rode for a second anchor on one side and chain for the main anchor on the other but to get into the locker to work we have to empty it and remove the dividing board. 

Today we are off to San Salvador as Bill has a dentist appointment.  He needs to get a crown on the tooth that lost its filling clear back in September and down here the crown will cost him only $200.

Saturday November 20, 2004

We had a nice trip into San Salvador on Thursday stopping by Amanda and Roberto’s office (LimDisa)  before we returned to the coast.  They are planning on being at their rancho this weekend and invited us to come over late this afternoon to visit.

Yesterday Bill and I got the old manual windlass removed and Bill spent many hours cleaning the 5200 caulking off the deck with some help from me.  Late in the afternoon I got energetic again and filled the smaller bolt holes with thickened epoxy.  Today I got the big hole filled with glass and epoxy as well as getting two layers of glass over the entire area both inside and out. Then in the late afternoon we dinghied over to the rancho to rest in hammocks and wait for Amanda and Roberto to arrive.  They arrived with Claudia and her daughter, their prior household help, and we all piled in their panga to go to the Bocana, the mouth of the lagoon, for a swim.  It was dark by the time we arrived but we enjoyed the incoming water with the low-ish tide.  We returned to the Rancho for a light supper before returning to Lanikai with an invitation to return in the morning to enjoy breakfast with them.

Sunday we were up early as usual and I sanded on the fiberglass patch before we dinghied back to the rancho for breakfast.  The rest of the morning was spent visiting until Amanda and Roberto had to leave to return to the city before noon.  Bill and I returned to Lanikai and I covered the patch with sand-able thickened epoxy goo.  The old windlass got transported to Tarazed’s land and by the time we returned the epoxy had hardened.  Sanding occupied much of the rest of the afternoon, but we did make it into the Hotel for a swim early in the evening.

Wednesday November 24, 2004

Monday Bill had another dentist appointment so we were off in the car early to San Salvador.  His appointment took a while so we did not get out of the dentist office until almost noon.  After making a quick stop at Limdisa to let our friends know that his Friday appointment had been changed to next Monday we left the city, heading to Zacate and the internet café.  An ice cream sundae gave Bill energy to get all is mail downloaded and got a few tax questions answered via the web.  On the way out of town we stopped by the Oxgasa store hoping to find 2/0 welding cable to bring power to the new windlass.  They actually had just received a new roll of the stuff.  Eighty feet of it went into the back of our car.  We got back to the hotel just in time for cruiser’s happy hour and after a few sodas, Ed (from Kuay)  went with us as we drove to the pupusería for a dinner of pupusas.

Yesterday, Tuesday, we removed the anchor bow roller and Bill spent much of the morning trying to get it to sit in a position that would line up with the new windlass.  We finally got it “close enough” but by then it was almost noon.  Bill and I dinghied over to the Texaco station to fill up water jugs so that I could rinse all the clothing that I had washed earlier in the morning.  Bill spent the rest of the day sorting his large (and growing) pile of paperwork.  I read until radio schedule time.  By 4 PM I got a good contact with my dad so we chatted for a short time.  Then it was off to the hotel for a swim or shower and a nice visit with Ed, Kuay and Ingmar, Agape.  

Thursday November 25, 2004

I spent the last two days mixing epoxy to form the mounting spots for our new windlass and the slightly-moved bow roller; actually much time was used waiting for the epoxy to set up so that I could sand and add more layers. 

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving with a semi-pot luck at Tarazed’s home.  Colette cooked a roast, bread and mashed potatoes.  I cooked a stuffed chicken and a green bean casserole.  Jan (Quantum Leap) brought some more vegetables and Ed baked two cakes which Colette and I frosted.  We had a wonderful feast but just as we were finishing eating a thunder cell came by and dumped rain on the party.  Since it is the dry season and we have had no rain in several weeks all the boats were open so everyone had to return to their home boats to close up.   Only Bill and I stayed to visit while Colette and I did the dishes. As we were finishing the clean up, Marco showed up with the couple (Dick and Gail from Kimtah) from a new boat that had arrived just in time for our dinner.  They joined us for the dinner and then had returned to the hotel to check in with Immigration.

Monday November 29, 2004

Friday and Saturday were spent making more progress with the new windlass installation.  The deck now has a flat spot and some new holes for mounting the windlass.  The windlass has even been trial fitted and some needed modifications to the anchor locker made.  Yesterday, before heading to the Rancho for another relaxing Sunday afternoon visiting with Amanda and Roberto, I applied some paint to the new fiberglass. 

Today we went off to San Salvador for Bill’s last dentist appointment for his new crown.  We promised Amanda that we would stop by Limdisa after the dentist and we have a few items to pick up at a hardware store.  After we completed all the San Salvador chores we drove on to Zacate for Bill to do some e-mail and web surfing.  Along the way we ate Pupusas at the small town of Olocuitla which has dozens of pupusa stands along the highway.

Wednesday December 1, 2004

Yesterday we got the new windlass installed but still have to run wires to make it work.  Today we reattached the bow roller and manually cranked all the chain back into the anchor locker.  We are now swinging on our chain again like a good anchored boat should.  We also got the line to the second anchor stowed again in the locker and the doors back on. 

Friday December 3, 2004

Yesterday we emptied out many lockers down the port side of the boat and ran the 2/0 electric cable to the bow to power the windlass.  Bill then spent much of the rest of the day wiring in the bow portion of the windlass electrical system.  Today he wired the battery portion of the system and in the process made some changes to the rest of the high current system. 

Today Bill finished up the wiring, even spending much time modifying the rest of the high amp wiring to the main switches.  He actually got the windlass working but by the time he had finished it was past afternoon slack so lifting the anchor had to wait until the morning when I could get into the water to clean the chain.

Monday December 6, 2004

Saturday with the morning high slack I jumped into the water with a brush.  As Bill cranked up the chain – very slowly – I scrubbed it in the water and he cleaned the inside of the links with a screwdriver as it crossed the bow rollers.  Although it seemed like a lot we only had about 20 feet to clean before we reached the cleaner chain that had dragged on the bottom of the lagoon.  Later in the day, after a visit to Tarazed’s land to return borrowed tools, we moved Lanikai to a spot closer to the Hotel.  It did take some effort to extract not only the anchor but the buried chain from the muck.  Murray is getting a nice cement pad built for his "new" travel lift.

Yesterday we attended the wedding celebration of one of the local couples that live on Island Cordoncillo across from the hotel, Elizabeth and Santini.  Many of the long term cruisers were invited and were made to feel quite welcome.  We were served a typical lunch of meat, or fish, rice, tortillas and a small salad.  It was delicious.  Then we all boarded the “Fiesta” party boat for an afternoon trip up the estero toward the Rio Lempa where we enjoyed more beer, shellfish cocktail and wedding cake while we viewed the passing scenery and enjoyed the company of the other friends and relatives of Elizabeth and Santini.

Today I got started with the painting of the bow only to discover that we needed more catalyst for the two part paint that I am using.  So off to Zacate we drove.  Bill spent an hour at the internet café while I did some shopping then after an ice cream we went to the paint store only to discover that they did not carry the two-part paint.  We drove on to San Salvador and finally found the needed catalyst after visiting only two stores.  Back to Lanikai we arrived in time for me to paint the spots that we wanted to be non-skid and to sprinkle the walnut shell pieces on.

Wednesday December 8, 2004

We are now back in Antigua, Guatemala.  We made the drive over, bringing Gail and Dick from Kimtah along for the ride.  We need to renew the car papers before we fly north for the Christmas holidays.  Yesterday I got more layers of paint on the bow completing the job this morning before we left for Guatemala.  We also took time yesterday to dinghy down to Tarazed’s land and check out the progress.

Friday December 10, 2004

We returned to Bahía today after spending yesterday and this morning showing our friends the major sites of the wonderfully friendly town of Antigua.  Bill spent much of his time here on his computer and at the internet café.  On the way home we again stopped at our favorite restaurant high on a cliff just above the sea.  The next few days we have some clean up chores to do to get ready to leave the boat for the Christmas holidays as we have tickets to fly to Oregon.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

The time since our return from Antigua has been spent getting Lanikai ready to leave for a few weeks and tying up loose ends of old projects.  The genset  - since it still is giving us overheat problems - occupied most of yesterday.  Bill installed a new true water cooler and a new electric pump for the antifreeze system.   Everything went well until we fired up the new electric pump and it just would not pump!

Saturday Bill spent almost all day getting my stuff onto one computer.  While I walked the beach with Gail (Kimtah) to collect shells to take north to the grandchildren, Bill got started moving my connections to the TNC and radio to my new computer.  After I returned we got it all working and I even connected and downloaded e-mail with the new machine.  

Saturday night we enjoyed dinner with our friends on Kimtah staying late to enjoy the music emanating from Bahía.  We had been invited to attend the concert but opted out ,especially as the music was plenty loud and clear out on the boat.

Sunday afternoon was spent at Roberto and Amanda’s rancho.   When we left there we stopped by the new boat that had arrived while we were gone, Gypsy Rose.  A very nice couple (Jan and Honda) from The Netherlands was on board.  They are heading north but plan on spending a few months here.

Today Gail, Dick and I took the bus into Zacatecoluca as they wanted to experience the trip and I needed to pick up something for a gift for Latita and family.

Wednesday December 15, 2004

Today was a day of laundry, packing and getting the boat ready to leave for our three weeks in the states. 

Christmas 2004 in Oregon

We are back on the boat as I write this, having discovered that I did no writing while with the grandchildren in Oregon!!  We had a wonderful visit with the family and celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve day since both Gretchen and her novia, Doug worked Christmas day.  It was great fun watching the 4 children open their gifts and Santa arrived after dark to the great excitement off all the young ones. 

Christmas Day was a quiet one as two of the children were off with their mother and Emily spent part of the day with her other grandparents.  Ginger had driven over two days before so we had a nice opportunity to visit with her.  Tuesday after Christmas, Bill and I drove with Ginger back to her home in Bozeman,  Montana taking 15-month old Nicolas with us.  I spent a few quiet days with my mother, even a shopping trip.  She has been having sleep problems so was not in the best of shape but we had some fun times together anyhow.  My dad came over to Ginger’s so that he could enjoy Nicolas in a setting where there were not too many “no-no”s, things down low that he should not touch.  It was too cold in Montana, 4° to 8°F while we were there, to spend much time outside but Nicolas did check out the snow on several occasions as we moved from the house to the car and back again. 

Bill and I took the Greyhound bus with Nicolas back to Oregon and Nicolas did quite well on the long trip…of course being held the whole time helped! 

Our last week in Oregon was mostly spent being busy babysitting the grandchildren and getting all our goodies ready for the trip south. 

We returned to El Salvador January 7 bringing the oldest granddaughter Emily (age 7 ½) with us to spend three weeks visiting in El Salvador.