10 August 2012
I had a pleasant day pottering around the marina while enjoying the perfect weather.
A few days ago I downloaded the latest version of MarinePlotter, v1.0.20.0, and today spent some time investigating the software and making some recommendations. (I hope that David doesn't think that I'm a picky grouch.)
I had noticed plastic drums at the entrances to every jetty obviously for the purpose of flushing outboard motors in fresh water. Today I took Ricardo's advice and flushed out the Mercury 3.3 HP outboard. I got the outboard off the boat, carried it to the entrance, filled up the drum with water, clamped on the outboard, then went through the starting sequence.
The outboard motor started with the first pull even though it had not been used since Isla Bella. While giving it a good flush I thought back to that amazing time with Ricardo where he gave me a step by step demonstration of how to take the motor apart, with a running commentary on every aspect of the care and maintenance of the motors. I saw the difficulty that he had removing badly galled bolts and how he coated every bolt that he removed with grease before putting them back in. I figure that if I had let the motor go until Cape Town it would have been a write off due to rust and galling. I feel very fortunate about that experience.
I then connected the hose and filled up the water tank. It is amazing how much fresh water I am using. While doing that I ran the engine to charge up the batteries.
My electrical work of a few days earlier had been only a partial success. The electrical plug that I had set up was working fine and I was taking power from the wall plugs. The thermostat that I had reinstalled in the refrigerator was working well and the beer was being kept at a miraculously cold temperature just a hair below freezing. But unfortunately the inverter, though it was getting enough voltage to avoid an error alarm, was not getting quite enough to actually generate a charging current for the batteries. This was a disappointment because it meant that I would have to run the engine every day for an hour while I was in the marina. … But as Meatloaf sang, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad.
I plan to take the bus to Angra tomorrow to get some cash from the ATM, have a look around, and maybe purchase Brazilian plugs for my computer power packs.
Pachuca
Pachuca in Port Angeles, WA USA
Friday, August 10, 2012
Fresh Bread, New People, Walk to ATM
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| Good Living at "Bracui Canal" |
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| Well staffed security gate to Bracui |
Thursday 9 August
Today was a day for following Ricardo's instructions.
The alarm woke me at 6 AM so that I could get fresh-baked bread. I had been looking for a separate bakery and Ricardo explained that the baking was done in the same grocery shop that I had been visiting, and their output could be found in a large wicker basket in one corner of the shop. They had several bakes during the day but he suggested going around 7 AM. I did this and found the wicker basket full of freshly baked and still warm loaves only about 6” long. I purchased 6 and couldn't resist on eating one on my way back to the boat. It was nice to have fresh bread for breakfast and later for lunch for yummy cheese and salami sandwiches. The store is an easy walk of 10 minutes so I expect to visit them frequently for fresh bread and other things.
While I was in the office having my internet session a man walked in speaking English, inquiring about some papers that he had to sign. He was reluctant to sign papers in Portuguese that he could not read and soon Henrique, the man whose employees had helped me with the staysail, was on the scene to help him. While they were yammering away at the far desk I looked at the woman at the desk in front of me, raised my eyebrows, and exclaimed English!? She laughed and replied in Portuguese that I could not understand. I was just finishing my session so I packed up and waited at the bench outside to speak with the English speaker or with the lady who was with him.
The woman came out first and I asked “Do you speak English?” She replied A Little (in fact it was A Lot) and said that she was Swiss. I told her that it felt so good to speak with someone in English and she gave an understanding smile. I told her that I had overheard her husband (turned out to be her Partner) speaking English. She told me that he had sailed from Europe to Brazil would be heading for South Africa in December. “In a boat?” I asked. Yes, it would be in his boat. I replied that I expected to sail to Cape Town at about that time. She lit up at that statement and became anxious that I speak with her partner. I remarked that it seemed like a strange route to take for getting to Cape Town and she replied that it had all to do with winds and sailing seasons. (Come to think of it, it is nearly impossible to sail south along the west African coast against the prevailing southerly winds.)
Soon the two men emerged from the office and we started to chat. The man was Francois from France, and also spoke very good English. He asked where my boat was and I suggested that we all walk to it. I asked Henrique to come along because I wanted to discuss a job with him. We got to the boat and Francoise (pardon the spelling if it is incorrect) immediately commented on the mast steps, which he said would have been handy for looking for shallows in the Tuomotus. He has done a lot of sailing, including purchasing a boat in Australia, and gave me a brief outline of his cruises. I told him of my passage around the Horn and the reason why I had to beat my way to MdP Argentina to repair the boat. He plans to visit Tristan da Cunha on the way to Cape Town as I do. He plans to set off for Cape Town in January and I told him that I expect to leave Angra in December, spend a couple of weeks exploring the islands, then head south visiting Ubatuba and other delights before victualizing and clearing in Florianopolis. By the time I set sail for Cape Town it will probably be January, so there is every chance that we will be able to sail in close communication. It would be great to anchor and meet at Tristan de Cunha..
He and his partner (Marian?) won't be around for long because they will be returning to Europe for a while. I know that Marian will return to work and I teased that she had not discovered the virtues of retirement which earned me a friendly fist on the shoulder. They plan a trip to Parati but invited me and Henrique for dinner at “Phillipe's”, the cafe where I recently had lunch, next Wednesday evening at around 7 PM. There we will exchange information on our plans and contacts at sea. (He uses Immersat and would be able to provide me with Internet-based weather forecasts.)
There does appear to be a sailing season here, by the way. Francois told me that he had been here in January and the marina was crammed with boats. I consider myself fortunate for arriving during the “off” season when there were plenty of free berths.
After the couple left I spoke with Henrique about a badly needed cleaning and polishing of the hull. I asked him for a price and he came back with 500 Reals which I told him was higher than I had expected. He spoke about possible difficulties with sections of the hull. I asked if his people would use electric tools for the polishing, and he replied that No, not over salt water. I replied that in Mexico they did, but he countered that he couldn't accept the liability if there was a problem with his people working with electric tools over salt water. Fair Enough. I accepted his price and shook hands with him, but it had better be a bloody good job for what is close to 250 US dollars.
In the afternoon I set off on a walk up the length of the canal development through the primary security gate of this gated community, to the main highway, a turn left to cross the Bracui river, and on another half kilometer to the “Supermercado” that had an ATM machine that accepted Visa cards.
I made the walk (about 6 km), taking photographs of the gracious living along the canal on the way, and found that the ATM machine would not accept my card, even though a Visa card logo was displayed on it. I think that it is all to do with my Visa card being from overseas. I will have to make a bus trip to Angra to get more cash. The walk was not a waste because it gave me a chance to get some exercise and soak in some of the ambiance of the place. I was amazed at the number of buses running back and forth along that highway and it made me realize that I am not bound to restricted schedule of the Bracui buses. I can walk the 3 km to the highway and catch the first bus to Angra, as was done when I was taken to the highway on a motorcycle. From Angra I should be able to take any bus to Frade and simply get off at the Bracui river then walk to the marina.
I then returned to the boat, downed two quick beers to cool off (love that refrigerator!) then set off to have a shower. After returning to the boat I washed my change of underclothes in warm soapy water, rinsed them, then hung them up to drip dry overnight and dry in tomorrow's sun. I don't see any need for relying on the commercial laundry when I have the water, electricity (to warm the water), soap, and time to hand wash as I go. And I have yet to see a Brazilian, male or female, blush at seeing my unmentionables hanging on the line.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Electrical Work
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| Folks, Do not try this at home |
In MdP the 15-amp female plug that connects into the boat's electrical system had burned out and there was no chance of getting a replacement. I had 10-amp plugs but they could not accommodate the large ground pin that was required. However, I had come across the brand new core section of a 15-amp female plug. I should be able to connect this core to the shore cable and then plug it into the boat system. The risky side was that this core would not have the heavy outer covering that protects the core and is used to grip the plug.
Normally I avoid making compromises with electric wiring, but I felt compelled to have a try because if I could supply power to the boat's electrical system the big inverter would keep the batteries fully charged no matter the load. I would then not have to waste fuel and engine hours charging the batteries and I would have the convenience of being able to plug the electric jug, toaster, and computer power packs into the boat's 240V sockets.
The first problem was that the heavy wires of the shore cable were much too heavy for the plug. I found a 110V extension cord that I had purchased in the U.S. and sacrificed it to get three pieces of wire that I connected to the plug. I then joined the 3 plug cables to the 3 shore power cables with standard electrical joiners. I taped everything up, plugged into the boat, then went to the jetty and connected to shore power while braced for anything. Nothing obvious happened so I went into the boat and found the inverter working and tested a wall outlet and found it working.
Only the first of 5 LED's on the inverter was on, indicating that it sensed low batteries and it was working to maximum capacity. Over time I felt my jury rig connections and detected no heat indicating high resistance.
Brazil runs on 220V power, which is lower than the 240V used in Australia and I think Argentina too. My appliances can feel the difference. Water takes forever to boil, I have to toast the bread twice and it still doesn't brown, and the workshop light is so weak that I had to put it away and rely on the cabin battery lighting.
Before I started any work I checked the technical data on the Mastervolt 12/60-1 inverter. The mains voltage must be in the range 230V -10% and +15%, so it could deal with 220V. There is no inrush current and the input current is listed at 4 amps, which should present no big problem with the jury rig cable setup. However, running appliances, while not affecting the inverter and boat batteries, puts added load on the shore cabling which supplies power to both the inverter and wall plugs. This, I believe, is the reason why the first 15A plug burned to a frazzle. In the winter weather of MdP I was at times carelessly running the inverter and fan heater and electric jug and toaster at the same time. You live and learn. Here in Angra there will be no fan heater, of course, and I'll make sure that I do not run the toaster and electric kettle concurrently.
After lunch and a lie-down I decided to keep the electrical momentum going and reinstalled the thermostat in the refrigerator compartment. I set it to “medium” then turned on the breaker and the refrigerator came on. The next thing to do is to make sure that the thermostat is doing its work and switching the compressor on and off, but I have no reason to think that there will be a problem.
After that I enjoyed a cup of tea feeling pretty satisfied with the day's work. Time would tell whether the airline booking, jury rig shore power cable, and the thermostat efforts were successful
Airline Booking Problem
Since arriving at Angra I've been living quite well on the supplies that I brought from Argentina and Ilha Bella (and La Paz). I still have frozen meat, cheese, eggs, some vegetables, bread, butter, and other perishables. But that can't last for much longer and I have been wondering how far I would have to travel to get fresh supplies.
This morning I went for a 15 minute stroll while two videos uploaded to the blog and discovered a small grocery store remarkably close to the marina. I had a quick survey and found that it could provide just about everything I would need to keep the galley stocked during my stay at Angra. In the afternoon I returned to the store and purchased oranges, pears, bananas, a mango, onions, a loaf of bread, spaghetti, paper towels, a can of bug spray, 2 cans of beer, and a 1 liter bottle of rum. The store has many other things that I am interested in, such as eggs, sliced meats, and good cheeses.
The spray is for the tiny mosquitoes that buzz around the cabin at night. They do not seem to be aggressive and haven't bitten me, but I find them annoying. The 1-liter bottle of “Montilla” rum I see as part of the Brazil experience. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) The bottle cost 30 Reals, which equates to about $13. It could be rot gut for all I know, and I'll find out soon.
On the way back I said hello to the nice man on the first boat on this jetty and told him that I had discovered a small grocery store. He then gave me directions to a second store that stocks fresher produce. Then he mentioned the bakery. Bakery? I could hardly believe my ears. I will be seeking that bakery very soon. The man's name is Ricardo. He speaks very good English and seems to live on his boat with his wife and two very cute toy dogs.
The rain stopped at mid morning and I brought down the staysail in the afternoon when it was good and dry. I took it to the grassy areas and folded it neatly then bagged it.
I forgot to mention that at this morning's internet session I checked my Visa statement and the amount of $1434.94 AUD was debited for my 3 month stay at the Bracui marina. I make that to be $15.70 Aussie dollars per day (about $16.50 USD), which is just a shade over half of the $30 USD per day that I had been paying in MdP. The advantage is even greater when one considers the much better quality and location of this marina. (“Location” in the scenic sense. MdP gave me access to repair facilities that I needed so badly.)
In the late afternoon I went to the kiosk and had a couple of beers while enjoying Brazil come back from 10 points behind in the 3rd quarter to beating Spain by 6 or 8 points in Olympics basketball. Then it was time to attend to the airlines reservation problem.
---
Two days ago American Airlines (AA) accepted my Visa card details and sent me a message that my booking had been confirmed. This morning I received a “no reply” message from American Airlines stating that the Visa payment had failed and I should contact my bank. It also stated that if the payment problem was not resolved within 72 hours my booking would be canceled.
I took the Toshiba laptop because I would need its longer battery time and set myself up in a chair just outside of the marina office. Fortunately the office lights were on so that I was able to see what I was doing. Brenda had suggested that I telephone my bank rather than rely on their slower secure mail system which made a lot of sense, so I telephoned my bank in Australia via Skype. The ANZ bank was very helpful. They checked my accounts and replied that they had no record of rejecting any Visa payments and that my Visa account was in good order. Their advice was that the problem lay with American Airlines.
The message from AA had referred me to a web site for a phone number which to call to inform them that the problem had been resolved. I was not allowed to telephone the U.S.A. client services numbers so I tried the suggested Brazil number and the Skype call kept failing. So I telephoned AA client services in Australia.
I explained the situation and to the guy's credit he took it on. He asked me for my reservation number and instantly he had my details. I explained the problem, he went away to speak with his supervisor, and when he returned told me that I would be able to pay for the ticket at the airport. I said something along the lines of 'Can you understand why I would feel insecure about booking a room in a Rio hotel and presenting my Visa card at the AA counter on the day of the flight when it has been rejected by their web site?' He went away then came back and told me that my Visa card would be accepted at the airport.
I then quoted from the AA email the statement that if the problem was not resolved within 72 hours the reservation would be canceled. His reply was to go to the airport and make the payment. I explained that I was not in Rio, was in Angra, and would not go to Rio for about 3 weeks, at about the time of the flight, and would the reservation still be there? I finally forced it out of him that if I didn't go to Rio and pay in person within 72 hours the booking would be canceled.
'Fine, I said, I'll have to find another airline. But first, let's step back and look at how your company handled this. Do you think that it is acceptable for AA's web site to accept a customer's Visa details and respond with a confirmed booking without informing him that there is a problem with the Visa payment? And do you think that it is acceptable for two days later to insinuate that there is a problem with the client's Visa account and to contact his bank when in fact the problem is on the AA side?' The guy was not interested in the global systemic view. (He had an accent and was probably working out of India.) He thanked me for contacting AA and we said our Goodbyes.
Fortunately I had a wonderful beef stew cooking and a bottle of rum at my disposal at the boat to take the edge off my annoyance. Nevertheless I did feel aggrieved that in 2012 with all of the sophistication of communication and Web technology this stupidity could happen with the company of the stature of American Airlines. You would think that of all firms they would have by now mastered the art and science of dealing with international travelers. For heaven's sake, a hotel in Buenos Aires could deal with my Visa card, not to mention marinas in Argentina and Brazil, so why couldn't the mighty American Airlines?
Very disappointing.
Overnight I thought about the Visa payment problem and decided to have one last attempt to salvage the booking. The “0300” number for client services in Brazil had failed with Skype so this morning I tried a more standard-looking number to be used only by people in Sao Paulo. That worked and after selecting “2” for English I was soon speaking with a Brazilian client services person who turned out to be very helpful.
I asked her point blank why the Visa payment had failed and she could give me no explanation other than something to do with the Visa card, which I think I had convinced her was not the problem. She suggested that she cancel the reservation and initiate a new one on my behalf. I asked her why my Visa card would work through her if it had not worked through the AA web site but she said that it was worth a try.
She did mention something that might be relevant. According to the record, I had made my flight booking via the Australian AA web site. Strange. I had used Google to find the principal AA web site but something in my machine must have resulted it my being connected to the Aussie web site. There may have been a problem with my booking a return flight fro Rio to the USA from what appeared to be Australia, with my contact telephone number in the U.S.A.
So the agent canceled the reservation, made another on the same flights for the same days as the original booking, then took my credit card details over the telephone. She told me that it would take 3 days for me to receive either a confirmation or another notice of rejection.
I am fairly confident that the booking will stand now that it has been made from Brazil through an AA agent who understands my situation.
[Happy Ending. When I connected at the end of the day to upload this blog entry my E-ticket was waiting in my in-box. It looks I am good to go with AA.]
This morning I went for a 15 minute stroll while two videos uploaded to the blog and discovered a small grocery store remarkably close to the marina. I had a quick survey and found that it could provide just about everything I would need to keep the galley stocked during my stay at Angra. In the afternoon I returned to the store and purchased oranges, pears, bananas, a mango, onions, a loaf of bread, spaghetti, paper towels, a can of bug spray, 2 cans of beer, and a 1 liter bottle of rum. The store has many other things that I am interested in, such as eggs, sliced meats, and good cheeses.
The spray is for the tiny mosquitoes that buzz around the cabin at night. They do not seem to be aggressive and haven't bitten me, but I find them annoying. The 1-liter bottle of “Montilla” rum I see as part of the Brazil experience. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) The bottle cost 30 Reals, which equates to about $13. It could be rot gut for all I know, and I'll find out soon.
On the way back I said hello to the nice man on the first boat on this jetty and told him that I had discovered a small grocery store. He then gave me directions to a second store that stocks fresher produce. Then he mentioned the bakery. Bakery? I could hardly believe my ears. I will be seeking that bakery very soon. The man's name is Ricardo. He speaks very good English and seems to live on his boat with his wife and two very cute toy dogs.
The rain stopped at mid morning and I brought down the staysail in the afternoon when it was good and dry. I took it to the grassy areas and folded it neatly then bagged it.
I forgot to mention that at this morning's internet session I checked my Visa statement and the amount of $1434.94 AUD was debited for my 3 month stay at the Bracui marina. I make that to be $15.70 Aussie dollars per day (about $16.50 USD), which is just a shade over half of the $30 USD per day that I had been paying in MdP. The advantage is even greater when one considers the much better quality and location of this marina. (“Location” in the scenic sense. MdP gave me access to repair facilities that I needed so badly.)
In the late afternoon I went to the kiosk and had a couple of beers while enjoying Brazil come back from 10 points behind in the 3rd quarter to beating Spain by 6 or 8 points in Olympics basketball. Then it was time to attend to the airlines reservation problem.
---
Two days ago American Airlines (AA) accepted my Visa card details and sent me a message that my booking had been confirmed. This morning I received a “no reply” message from American Airlines stating that the Visa payment had failed and I should contact my bank. It also stated that if the payment problem was not resolved within 72 hours my booking would be canceled.
I took the Toshiba laptop because I would need its longer battery time and set myself up in a chair just outside of the marina office. Fortunately the office lights were on so that I was able to see what I was doing. Brenda had suggested that I telephone my bank rather than rely on their slower secure mail system which made a lot of sense, so I telephoned my bank in Australia via Skype. The ANZ bank was very helpful. They checked my accounts and replied that they had no record of rejecting any Visa payments and that my Visa account was in good order. Their advice was that the problem lay with American Airlines.
The message from AA had referred me to a web site for a phone number which to call to inform them that the problem had been resolved. I was not allowed to telephone the U.S.A. client services numbers so I tried the suggested Brazil number and the Skype call kept failing. So I telephoned AA client services in Australia.
I explained the situation and to the guy's credit he took it on. He asked me for my reservation number and instantly he had my details. I explained the problem, he went away to speak with his supervisor, and when he returned told me that I would be able to pay for the ticket at the airport. I said something along the lines of 'Can you understand why I would feel insecure about booking a room in a Rio hotel and presenting my Visa card at the AA counter on the day of the flight when it has been rejected by their web site?' He went away then came back and told me that my Visa card would be accepted at the airport.
I then quoted from the AA email the statement that if the problem was not resolved within 72 hours the reservation would be canceled. His reply was to go to the airport and make the payment. I explained that I was not in Rio, was in Angra, and would not go to Rio for about 3 weeks, at about the time of the flight, and would the reservation still be there? I finally forced it out of him that if I didn't go to Rio and pay in person within 72 hours the booking would be canceled.
'Fine, I said, I'll have to find another airline. But first, let's step back and look at how your company handled this. Do you think that it is acceptable for AA's web site to accept a customer's Visa details and respond with a confirmed booking without informing him that there is a problem with the Visa payment? And do you think that it is acceptable for two days later to insinuate that there is a problem with the client's Visa account and to contact his bank when in fact the problem is on the AA side?' The guy was not interested in the global systemic view. (He had an accent and was probably working out of India.) He thanked me for contacting AA and we said our Goodbyes.
Fortunately I had a wonderful beef stew cooking and a bottle of rum at my disposal at the boat to take the edge off my annoyance. Nevertheless I did feel aggrieved that in 2012 with all of the sophistication of communication and Web technology this stupidity could happen with the company of the stature of American Airlines. You would think that of all firms they would have by now mastered the art and science of dealing with international travelers. For heaven's sake, a hotel in Buenos Aires could deal with my Visa card, not to mention marinas in Argentina and Brazil, so why couldn't the mighty American Airlines?
Very disappointing.
Overnight I thought about the Visa payment problem and decided to have one last attempt to salvage the booking. The “0300” number for client services in Brazil had failed with Skype so this morning I tried a more standard-looking number to be used only by people in Sao Paulo. That worked and after selecting “2” for English I was soon speaking with a Brazilian client services person who turned out to be very helpful.
I asked her point blank why the Visa payment had failed and she could give me no explanation other than something to do with the Visa card, which I think I had convinced her was not the problem. She suggested that she cancel the reservation and initiate a new one on my behalf. I asked her why my Visa card would work through her if it had not worked through the AA web site but she said that it was worth a try.
She did mention something that might be relevant. According to the record, I had made my flight booking via the Australian AA web site. Strange. I had used Google to find the principal AA web site but something in my machine must have resulted it my being connected to the Aussie web site. There may have been a problem with my booking a return flight fro Rio to the USA from what appeared to be Australia, with my contact telephone number in the U.S.A.
So the agent canceled the reservation, made another on the same flights for the same days as the original booking, then took my credit card details over the telephone. She told me that it would take 3 days for me to receive either a confirmation or another notice of rejection.
I am fairly confident that the booking will stand now that it has been made from Brazil through an AA agent who understands my situation.
[Happy Ending. When I connected at the end of the day to upload this blog entry my E-ticket was waiting in my in-box. It looks I am good to go with AA.]
Monday, August 6, 2012
Boat Moved and Visa Problem
After doing the Internet work I bought down the English-to-Portuguese Google translator so that I could establish some serious communication with the office staff. I translated “Are you able to understand this?” and took it over to one of the women and asked her if she could understand it. She nodded Yes so I informed her through the translator of my travel plans. She understood this and I suggested that she write the dates down somewhere. Then I asked “Is there anything that I should do to prepare my boat for my departure?” She verbally asked me if I was leaving the boat here and I said Yes, making an imitation of a flying bird to indicate that I would be traveling to the U.S.A. by air. She wrote that I should make sure that all of my lines were strong and I replied through the translator that my two stern lines were strong ones of 22 mm diameter, but I could say nothing about the marina's line off my bow. By then the man next to her was reading our dialogue and I saw him react to my comment about the marina's line which, by the way, looked thin and weak to me.
I then passed over my email address and telephone number in the U.S.A.
I left the office and visited another cafe along the marina walk way on the way to the boat and met Felipe, who runs the place, speaks good English, and was very happy to have a chat. He assured me that Pachuca will be completely safe in this marina while I am away. On the people front, the marina is well guarded 24 hours per day, and indeed I had recently seen a security man walk past the boat at 2 AM shining a spotlight around. On the weather front, he told me that the water is always calm and the winds are never strong. I found that to be very reassuring. I then had a very nice fish lunch at the cafe and tried their WiFi which was very strong and fast because the router was practically within arm's reach from where I sat.
I was relaxing afterward in the bunk reading a magazine when some noises brought me topside. The young guy from the office and a colleague were fiddling with my bow line. They were in fact shifting my boat one position. The bow line that I was on in fact was attached to an anchor that belonged to another boat, and they were moving my bow to a proper marina mooring with a yellow float instead of an empty plastic bottle. They asked me to provide a line so I produced one of my 22mm mooring lines. I then pitched in to help with the move and soon after they left I adjusted the lines and the electric power cable to my satisfaction.
Communication is so important. Once they knew my plans they didn't waste much time in making the boat more secure, and I was very happy about that.
The afternoon was cloud and drizzly but I nevertheless proceeded with my plan to rinse and dry the staysail, which looked damp and clammy to me, indicating salt. I hosed it liberally while hoisting it then left it up to air and dry. I also rinsed out its bag.
We got regular showers from mid afternoon throughout the night and the morning began cloudy and damp but with evidence of the sun trying to break through. During the night just enough wind had sprung up from the port beam to cause the staysail to fret, so I dropped it onto the deck and would raise it during the day in the hopes of drying it. The sail had certainly gotten a good dose of fresh water.
-------
I have just received a message from American Airlines that mt VISA card payment has been rejected and to contact my bank. I need this like a hole in the head.
I then passed over my email address and telephone number in the U.S.A.
I left the office and visited another cafe along the marina walk way on the way to the boat and met Felipe, who runs the place, speaks good English, and was very happy to have a chat. He assured me that Pachuca will be completely safe in this marina while I am away. On the people front, the marina is well guarded 24 hours per day, and indeed I had recently seen a security man walk past the boat at 2 AM shining a spotlight around. On the weather front, he told me that the water is always calm and the winds are never strong. I found that to be very reassuring. I then had a very nice fish lunch at the cafe and tried their WiFi which was very strong and fast because the router was practically within arm's reach from where I sat.
I was relaxing afterward in the bunk reading a magazine when some noises brought me topside. The young guy from the office and a colleague were fiddling with my bow line. They were in fact shifting my boat one position. The bow line that I was on in fact was attached to an anchor that belonged to another boat, and they were moving my bow to a proper marina mooring with a yellow float instead of an empty plastic bottle. They asked me to provide a line so I produced one of my 22mm mooring lines. I then pitched in to help with the move and soon after they left I adjusted the lines and the electric power cable to my satisfaction.
Communication is so important. Once they knew my plans they didn't waste much time in making the boat more secure, and I was very happy about that.
The afternoon was cloud and drizzly but I nevertheless proceeded with my plan to rinse and dry the staysail, which looked damp and clammy to me, indicating salt. I hosed it liberally while hoisting it then left it up to air and dry. I also rinsed out its bag.
We got regular showers from mid afternoon throughout the night and the morning began cloudy and damp but with evidence of the sun trying to break through. During the night just enough wind had sprung up from the port beam to cause the staysail to fret, so I dropped it onto the deck and would raise it during the day in the hopes of drying it. The sail had certainly gotten a good dose of fresh water.
-------
I have just received a message from American Airlines that mt VISA card payment has been rejected and to contact my bank. I need this like a hole in the head.
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