Adios La Paz - II

On the Malecon looking out an Ensenada de La Paz

Well, it looks like this post is finally going to get off the ground.  We've had intermittent wi-fi for awhile, but other things got in the way of sitting down and publishing this.  It's a bit long, but we're getting slowly back on track.
Picking up from where we left off in mid-May....


Repaired Ice Machine (replaced shaft pin with a length of drill bit), repaired Maytag washer (Had to order replacement wiring harness from control panel down to the motor.  The existing one decided to melt and smoke and cause the machine to stop working altogether.), got a new chain installed at the local bicycle shop on NJ's bike.  Norpro (main generator) finally works again after receipt and replacement of blown capacitor.

Washing machine electrical harness to motor....ugly!

Took a few bicycle rides around town down by the Malecon and out along the shore of the Ensenada La Paz.  Joined Tuesday Dart Nite at La Costa restaurant (a bunch of cruisers trying to hit the side of a barn door with a medicum of success).

City map to help us get around

Scene out of some futuristic movie?  "We'll take over
if you don't give us fish scraps!"

This is the guy they're waiting for...we actually saw him
get attacked by one of the Pelicans.  He was none too
pleased!

The Malecon looking south

The trash and recycle cans along the Malecon

Malecon looking south

The Malecon looking north

The new Whale Museum (wasn't open yet)

Blue Whale bone outside museum

Stopping for lunch along the Malecon

Had a surprise fuel issue. It seems, that during fillup of diesel and gasoline jugs in Cabo San Lucas,  the attendant filled the Gas jug with diesel fuel.  Didn't know it until had to fill all three outboards and the portable genset with fuel....bad thing.  Luckily, Jimmy (s/v Sea Otter), being the recognized local guru of everything small motors, cleaned and serviced all of them.  

At the end of May, we flew to Tijuana, walked across the border, were picked up by brother Vern and stayed at his place a couple of days, got dropped off and walked back across the border, caught a cab to Tijuana airport, got our new 180 day visas and flew back to La Paz the last day of May.  


Bought new primary anchor (Lewmar Bruce-style claw 66 lbs.)

It's amazing what you can find if you look hard enough.  Managed to find an replacement ball valve to swap out for a faulty one in the fresh water system.  

Hurricane Blanca, the second of the season, made an idle threat to the Baja Peninsula on June 7th, and due to last year's damaging Hurricane Odile, had everybody making a great deal of preparations for it's imminent attack.  Turns out, the worst we (in La Paz) saw was a couple of wind gusts in the high 30 knot range.  

After the storm

NJ visits dentist several times to get tooth repaired.  

Visited El Cayouga restaurant a number of times because they had really good food, entertainment, and it was a very short walk from the marinas.

Fantastic one-man rock-n-roll show!

Patio dining at El Cayougo

NJ and Richard share a "funny"

Hal's new favorite drink....clamato-n-beer

Pati & Eric (Shearwater crew) cutting a rug

On the 12th of June, we hauled out to refresh the bottom paint.  We found out we could remain onboard during the haulout, but one look at the onboard temperature gauge caused us to get to the Bed & Breakfast, Casabuena, and move in there for the duration of the boat repair work.  

After six years between haulouts, the bottom didn't
look as bad as one might expect...

Moving Shakedown to its designated spot

And this was before it got warmer!

Casabuena court yard and swimming pool.  Our room
is just to the left of the far end of the pool

 The owners, Milton & Su Su were simply superb hosts and a wealth of local knowledge. We were really luck to have met them.  We are, however, still awaiting Milt's call to let us know the newly designed t-shirts are ready.....

Our air conditioned room awaits us!

The communal kitchen and "living room"

A nice place to relax after a swim

While we were at Casabuena, we were wandering around to find a place to eat dinner.  We were really in for a treat when we found a Pizza place called El Mural.  It was clean and the family-owned business, which had just celebrated one year since opening.  They had just the best pizza and salads that we've tasted in a long long time.   Had pizza nite with Shearwater crew a few days later, and then later with John & Linda Botts.  

During the haulout, we attended a Cruisers Party on Magote (Summer Sailstice).  We got the dinghy up on the beach and ran right into Michael Rossi (s/v Lunacy) whom we'd gotten to know up in Richmond, CA.  Turns out he was the one putting on the party.  We caught up a little and promised to run into each other another day out there on the waters.

The main items we ended up tackling during our haulout was removing all the bottom paint down to the wood planks, smoothing hull and painting it with three coats of primer and two coats of bottom paint.  We removed a couple of layers of chewed up keelbord (worm board) and replaced with new ones.  Friend Eric (Shearwater) and Hal spent a couple of weeks removing old pulpit and designing, fabricating a new one.  Mizzen sail slides were all replaced because a couple of them had broken off during the trip from Mag Bay to Cabo San Lucas.  On the 1st of July, the boat was plunked back into the water, leak checked (ok) and we headed back to our slip in the Marina Don Jose.  We had spent 18 days and $8,600 to get this work done, and we think it was well worth the time and expense.  The Abaroa family (who own & manage the marina and two boat yards adjacent to each other) did a great job! 

At rest for the next 18 days

Getting all the old stuff off

Mock up of new bow roller (by Eric)

Re-fastened portions of the bow that was damaged in our
San Carlos wind storm back in April

"Our Carpenter" who was always in good spirits and did a
great job on our repair projects.

Old keelboard chunks being removed

First layer of primer paint

Eric sizing up the pulpit "knees"

Test fitting of some of the pulpit boards on the knees

New keelboard being added

Pulpit taking on shape

Had to lift Shakedown twice to move keel blocks to make
room for new keelboard

Eric and his creation

Keelboard is finally in place

First layer of bottom paint 

Primer is on and we're ready to "splash"

Time to get back into the environment where this boat belongs!

Had to finish the pulpit at the slip.  The newly fabricated bow roller was delivered on the 4th. It didn't fit right so had to go back.  It returned on the 6th, and the pulpit was finally completed on the 7th.

Ernesto (the welder), Eric, and Hal getting the stainless bow
roller knocked down into place between the "knees"

The New Pulpit!

Marlin on the hoof!  We were luck enough to catch up with one of our neighboring boats just after he tied up to his slip.  There in the back was a 450 pound Marlin awaiting skinning, chopping, and distributing of meat.  We were lucky enough to be handed two 5-lb. slabs of the white meat (towards tail end of fish).  Lots of shashimi and marlin steaks.  

A mighty big fish

Greatful recipients

On the 12th, we went to "Cap'n Kaliroy Keith's" (Richard Radcliffe's) place to watch Wimbeldon mens final on his TV.  We met a few new folks, including his wife, Josephina, and the next door neighbors, John & Linda Botts.  Got the bug and joined Keith's Mon/Wed/Fri morning tennis doubles sessions.  Even talked Eric & Pati into joining and we all had a lot of fun in the ensuing Mon, Wed, Fri sessions.  

Watching a double's match

Kaliroy Keith in rare good form!

John & Linda Botts at La Mural Pizzaria

John & Linda brought Nancy and Pati along to Cabo to make a Costo run to load provisions on Shearwater and Shakedown.

We celebrated Pati's B'day with dinner at Bandidos Restaurant right behind the marina/boat yard.  Although the food was less tasty than we had hoped for, we had a good night and Pati got to wear "The Hat"!  

Eric, Pati & Hal

Nancy, Pati & Eric

Shearwater departed on August 3rd.  We took our dinghy out to say goodbye.  We helped them get their anchor untangled from an abandoned mooring line.  We told them we would catch up to them in a couple of weeks if we got our long awaited for mail and some spare parts.  

Shearwater, with Eric & Pati onboard pulling out of La Paz

We continued on for the next couple of week with tennis (and tennis lessons for NJ).  Got hull cleaned by one of the divers serving the area, got some medications from local pharmacias,  and we later made a Walmart run with the help (and his truck) of our friend Pat (s/v Ballena).  Our next door neighbor Chris also provided transportation support to pick up odds and ends prior to our departure. 

On the 9th of August, we departed Marina Don Jose and anchored out in the Ensenada just about the same spot as when we came in.  Had John & Linda for dinner, stopped by Kaliroy Keith's place for a farewell drink, and departed La Paz on the morning of the 13th for points north.  You already know that was the morning this blog segment was supposed to have been posted.  That's life "out there"