El Salvador

February & March 2005

Saturday February 5, 2005

I arrived back on Lanikai Wednesday evening after a long flight from Oregon.  It has taken me until today to recover from the time zone changes and the early morning departure from The Dalles.  While I was gone several more boats arrived and one has even left already.  Bill had made some progress on his project list while I was away and we spent these past days since my return, installing the new parts and pieces that I carried south with me.  I still have a large bag of little girl's clothing to distribute to the local families but it has been too windy to take them anywhere as the dinghy rides in the wind tend to be quite wet.

Tonight a bonfire on Jan’s island property is planned as soon as the wind lessens, as it has been doing about sunset, only to pick up again after dark.  Last night we had to crank in 30 feet of anchor chain - and clean it! - as we were swinging too close to a boat that had anchored too close to us.  They have since gone to the States for three weeks leaving us to deal with the wind-against-current swings; but then neither of us expected such a long period of strong winds.

Tuesday, February 8, 2005

The last few days we have gotten going on some smaller projects.  Bill has been working on the board to mount the chain brake which consists of gluing several boards together to get the right height and lots of sanding and filing to get the curved shape and the edges rounded.  I started on sewing new shades for the forward cockpit windows to replace the sun-rotten ones.  I only got the port one made before the wind got too strong to cut material or measure for fit out on the deck.  Today we made a trip into Zacate for groceries and e-mail.  We also got our web page updated.  After our return, at high slack,  we dove under the boat to continue the cleaning process and catch any new barnacles.  Bill started out with the prop again and then attacked the rudder especially its bottom.  I cleaned the water line and down as far as I could reach where there was little hard growth since it had been cleaned about two weeks ago.  Then I dove down and knocked some large barnacle clumps off the keel.   Jan had us over for a very nice dinner on Quantum Leap.  We returned to Lanikai with a few fruit of marañón or cashew.

On Sunday, only Roberto and his sister came to the rancho and we went over for a short visit after lunch on the boat. 

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Yesterday a group of cruisers took their dinghies to the Rio Lempa.  It was about an hour-plus ride thru the mangroves passing little settlements along the route and ending with a narrow path in the mangroves as we approached the river.  We headed down river first for a nice swim in the ocean and a walk on the beach at low tide.  Then it was up river to find a spot for a fresh water swim.  Bill and I dropped our anchor several times so that I could jump over and check out the depth which was always quite shallow.  We lost our anchor with the last stop as the painter untied itself from the short anchor line.  The cruisers then found a river sandbar to pull up the dinghies up onto.  We enjoyed the water for a short time as the bar covered with nice fresh water, but hunger drove us back down river and back thru the mangroves to a palapa restaurant where we had made arrangements for them to be open mid-week to serve us fish dinners and cold beer.  It was all delicious and we whiled away the afternoon at the palapa visiting with the family and with each other.  When we returned to the hotel, just after high tide,  Ed had Kuay tied up next to the fuel dock ready for a cleaning and painting when the tide went down.  We enjoyed fresh orange juice at the hotel and a swim in the pool and then watched the first scrapings of Kuay’s bottom before we returned to Lanikai for the night.

Today Bill got the chain stopper installed and I finished the shades for the second two forward cockpit windows.  Soon after our late lunch we heard a boat calling to come in.  Since we had no luck at reaching Tarazed, Bill and I dinghied into the hotel where Gustavo had a driver take the Bahía out to lead them in.  Bill was going as translator but at the last minute Colette showed up so all three of us went out and lead a very large power vessel (Lady Geraldine) into the anchorage.  A swim in the pool and many hours spent visiting, so we did not return to Lanikai until 8:30 for dinner.

Monday February 14, 2005

We enjoyed a quiet weekend.  Saturday night we ate dinner at MariSol’s Restaurant and Murray, Colette and her son Ward joined us.  They were only going to stop for a beer but soon were ordering food as well.  Sunday morning we visited with Kimtah while Dick was getting the wedding photos ready for Santini and Elizabeth.  Between the two of us he got a nice set of wedding photos for them.  Bill spent the afternoon working on my computer to repair the damage done when he installed the printer software upgrade.  Grrr.  Then it was off to the rancho to see if Amanda or Roberto had arrived earlier in the day.  They were both there along with their son Fernando and a group of his friends.  We visited with Amanda while Roberto napped and we promised to stop by their office Wednesday when we go in to the US Embassy in San Salvador  to get our passports renewed.

Today we made our weekly trip into Zacate and on the way got another flat tire!  Easy to change on this little car but frustrating none the less.  When we got to Zacate we pulled into a tire shop and purchased a new tire.  A man from the shop next door came over to put it onto the old rim and install it on the car.  It seems that we had picked up a nail in the old tire.  They scurried around to try to find a rim for the old tire but could not so it was tossed into the trunk.  Hopefully in San Salvador we can find a rim and then have a real spare not the little emergency one that comes with the car.  We then moved to the next-door store to get the oil changed.  They not only changed the oil but cleaned out the inside of the car including vacuuming the floors, and washed the forward outside - the hose only reached that far!  Then it was off to the internet café where we sat for three hours while Bill downloaded the Turbo Tax updates including Oregon’s forms and other updates.  Chicken for a late lunch and we were on our way home arriving back at the hotel shortly after 4PM, just in time for the other cruiser to start arriving at the bar.  We enjoyed dinner of pupusas at Pupusaría Emily's with some of the other cruisers before heading back to Lanikai for the night. 

Thursday February 17, 2000

Yesterday we were off early to San Salvador to visit the American Embassy and renew our US passports.  The renewal process got started, with the new passports promised to be ready for us next Friday.  We then stopped by Limdisa to say ‘hi’ to Amanda before returning to Bahía.   The cruisers had a potluck in the evening at Murray and Colette’s home which is more complete each time we visit. 

Monday February 21, 2005

This last week, starting even before the cruiser pot luck, a flu-type bug has gone thru the fleet.  Just about everyone here has had their chance at it.  Some got by with only a day of aches and sleep but others, Bill and I among them, got more of the stomach variety.   I still have a knotted up stomach and Bill’s is still just sore.  Hope that this all passes soon but consequently we have done little exciting to report.

Wednesday February 23, 2005

Two boats left the estero today and Bill and I took our dinghy out to the boca to watch their departure.  When we returned to the hotel, Gypsy Rose was being moved into position next to the fuel station to wait for drying at low tide but they did not get placed exactly right, so spent the night bow-down and quite leaned over.  Honda said that they turned the boat around at the 3AM high and got it better placed.  After that she could sleep.  Diane of Windbird brought her dinghy ashore to clean its bottom while the rest of us enjoyed late afternoon Happy Hour around the pool.

Saturday February 26, 2005

Three more boats exited the boca today making a total of 7 having left this past week.  Two boats left on Thursday but two more also arrived that day. 

On Friday Bill and I drove into San Salvador to pick up our new US Passports.  The office was not crowded this time so waiting time was minimal.  After we finished there we went Metro Centro and walked around the shopping center.  Since no good movies were playing we opted for option two and drove up to the high point at Boca del Diablo.  Climbing to the point we had a nice, although hazy, view.  We stopped for lunch at Casa de Piedra on the way down, enjoying the view over the city while we ate.

Today I finally got the new headliner installed in the aft cabin; it was a project left from before we left The Dalles many years ago.  In the afternoon, Murray stopped by with the two new batteries that we had asked him to order for us.   Bill not only got these batteries installed but tied down as well.  We then ran the Kubota battery charger for almost an hour to give them some charge.

Tuesday March 1, 2005

Sunday afternoon while Roberto and a sister of his were at the rancho, we went over to visit with them.  I visited with his sister some but since it was after lunch and ‘hammock time’ I ended up visiting with Latita and the children.  They have a young dove that had fallen out of a tree and were feeding it masa and rice.  The little thing seemed to be thriving, even flying once to my shoulder.  

Yesterday, Monday, I spent the morning running a new copper-foil ground for my ham radio.  The old foil had gotten mostly decayed where salt water from the leaky genset had dripped onto it.  Bill has started making more improvements to his FotoAlbum program.  Dick on Kimtah has been using it almost more than me and had come up with some good ideas for improvements. 

We continue to use the hotel pool in the evenings and have nice visits with the other cruisers around the bar afterwards.  The water in the pool has warmed considerably and it is no longer a shock to enter the water.

Thursday March 3, 2005

We got rain yesterday morning, most unexpectedly.  Both of us were out on the deck mopping and making good use of the fresh water as mud poured from off of everything.   Later in the day Bill installed the new solar panel controller. 

Miss Sophie (with Harald and Varena aboard) was going to leave this morning, so last night we had an impromptu get together at Bahía to say ‘good bye’.  Most of the cruisers that are left here were in attendance.   The Boca was surprisingly rough this morning so the boat did not get out.  They joined us for dinner at Tarazed’s land in the evening.

Saturday March 5, 2005

Yesterday I started modifying our old dinghy cover to fit the new dinghy.  After lunch we went down to Tarazed’s land to check on the progress of the dock construction.   Today was the day that Murray poured the cement cap on the two fingers.  When we arrived Harald, Miss Sophie, was already at work helping.  Murray had gone across the estero to pick up more gravel so Bill jumped in to help as well.  I got many photos of the activities and by 3PM both docks had nice cement tops.

We all enjoyed Pupusas for dinner at Pupusería Emily’s where the best nearby pupusas are found.

Today, with two boats hoping to leave, the Boca was calmer but still too rough to cross comfortably.  We dinghied over to Miss Sophie and wasted away the morning visiting with the German couple.

Tuesday March 8, 2005

The bocana has been quite rough the last few days and the two boats waiting to leave are still here.  We have enjoyed some interesting Happy Hours visiting with the few cruisers that are left, whiling away the evening until it cooled down enough to be pleasant on board.  The hotel pool has also been quite inviting in the late afternoons.

Shirley and Brent, Bruja, went with us into Zacate today.  They and Bill spent some time at the internet café, Bill got the brake shoes replaced on the front wheels of the car, I stocked up on some more groceries, and we all enjoyed a Campero’s chicken lunch before returning to the boats. 

Friday March 11, 2005

Our new solar controller hiccupped Tuesday night and we got no solar electricity on Wednesday until our return from our quick trip to San Salvador.  Bill had to unattach the batteries and reattach them to get the controller to turn on again.  Yesterday he ran bigger –  #6 –  wires to connect the controller to the batteries and ran that leg through a 30 amp fuse.  The cover had been off the controller on Tuesday when I talked with my dad on the radio so our thoughts are the RFI caused the hiccup.  Yesterday we ran the diesel battery charger for about an hour to make up for all the lost solar power and just before shutting the engine down its high temp alarm came on!  The heat exchanger was very hot so we think that something interfered with the raw water flow but of course we did not look before shutting the unit down.  Yet another repair to schedule!

The pool has been very pleasant this last week and the afternoons are quite warm and humid, so we are back to drinking beers while we cool off in the pool in the late afternoons.  Last night afterwards, we went out for Pupusas at our favorite pupusería - Emily’s - with Miss Sophie and Second Nature.    

Today the Bocana has finally calmed down a little and Bruja crossed out to the sea while a new arrival, Warrior, crossed into the Estero.  Miss Sophie chose not to leave.  In the morning, Bill removed the galley ceiling panel and we began the process of running more wires outside.  He is running wires for our new horn, a recently installed CD speaker and for a plug for the new anchor windlass controller.   He got the horn and speaker wires run to the outside.

Monday March 14, 2005

We had another new arrival to the Estero on Saturday when Cat Man Do crossed the bar with the late afternoon tide.  Bill spent much of the morning getting the wires that he ran outside attached to their pieces of equipment on the cockpit overhead.  He then spent several hours at his computer making additions to his FotoAlbum program.  There are several cruisers that are now using his program and they are finding interesting bugs and all have ideas for additions.

Yesterday we spent the entire day at the Rancho with Roberto and his sister.  We enjoyed a nice soup lunch with them, but much of the time was spent just relaxing or sleeping in the wonderful hammocks that are always hanging there.  There was a nice breeze at the rancho but otherwise the day was quite warm and humid.

Today Bill finished up enough of the wiring above the galley so that the ceiling panel could be reinstalled.  We got it done just before our planned trip to Guatemala to renew the car's El Salvador permit at the border.  Next week being Semana Santa, we are hoping to get a hotel room in Antigua at least thru the weekend.