Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
I’m trying not to get too excited, but it looks like Jangada may at last be on the move. Despairing of ever getting the parts we needed in Mexico, or at least parts that a) worked and b) didn’t have a 30% markup) Eric went on a 24-hour dash to Los Angeles to get autopilot, radio, voltage regulators and all the other electricals and cabling that we needed.
Despite having a carry-on bag full of bomb-like-looking equipment (and a bottle of tequila) he somehow made it through airport securityin the States and through the green channel of customs in Mexico.
After a long and stressful saga of unhelpful shop staff, warehouse-key-holders being on vacation, parts that should exist proving not to exist, and those that did exist being defective, our luck may at last have turned. Two weeks after we arrived in Mexico, we may actually get out sailing!
But there has at least been a silver lining to the cloud. I’ve been making good progress with my book, and through sea-kayaking, brisk walks and body circuits on the dock (to the bemusement of the locals) I’ve been improving my fitness as well. I could use the extreme heat and the unsettled circumstances as an excuse not to exercise, but excuses will be no good to me when I’m out on the Pacific.