Defiant08 is now on the hard getting the bottom painted and a few blisters fixed, we should be out of water for about a week. While on the hard Diana and I will be staying at a local hotel, it is an ok hotel we are on the fourth floor and no elevator so some extra exercise. Diana and I are both well, it will be nice when all the work and interruptions are done with. In the mean time the weather has cooled down to low 20c and low teens overnight and it is windy.
Weekly update from a, rapidly cooling, Sinaloa city.
Saturday was a run around day, we started with a walk, Diana is starting a exercise routine, which involves getting up early and getting some kind of exercise. Then off to a boat part swap meet by the marina Mazatlan office. We finished off the morning by going to visit the fresh fruit and veggie truck, the veggies and fruit are very fresh, then it was siesta time until our trip to town to recover Diana’s shorts which were being repaired at a shop it the golden zone.
After retrieving the shorts, which were being repaired after some one at the laundry pulled a thread that held the waist to the rest of the shorts, 40 pesos later and everyone happy happy happy, We decided to stop for a beer and a really good guacamole and chips at The Saloon a Canadian bar watching Shaw cable, town was busy and it was enjoyable to sit , drink, eat and watch the world go by. As we rode home on the bus we were suddenly told to get off the bus, it was turning around, that’s when we saw all the police cars. The police cars were blocking the road that leads to the marina, so we tried to continue by walking, that only lasted a couple more blocks and then the road was blocked, so we waited with the growing crowd of people needing to move on down the road. The gun fire started a little bit later, it was harder to hear as we were still a distance away.Then the army with the pickup truck mounted guns arrived and then we could hear the very loud shots not machine gun but very quick single shot , someone said 50cal. After several bursts of gun fire over an hour it settled down to a waiting game. With the road still blocked we headed for the beach and followed it to the next big resort where we snuck in under a fence, and made our way back to the road and finished our journey. The drinks tasted good after that. Later people told us shots could be heard at the marina.
This is a little different for me because I am always saying how safe we feel here, and in general we do feel safe, and this being our most serious incident to date maybe I will start paying more attention to what is going on, this was an eye opener. Later we heard it was drug dealers, and we did not hear of anyone dying.
That put an end to our day.
Mike and I had budgeted for our steel and canvas work (neither of which is done yet) and then the first kick came – our fridge just up and quit on us. Right after a very big shop too – chicken, steak, pork, etc. and nothing working to put it in. Luckily there is a refridgeration expert here in Mazatlan and he came right away. After the consultation, it cost us $XXXX.xx for a new unit… That one definitely hurt but the new fridge does work great – it should though, shouldn’t it? We did lose all of the meat we bought though. The next kick was the diver who cleans the bottom of our boat said he could see the gel coat… Definitely not happy about that but now we are going into the yard on December 9th for a bottom paint. That one is going to cost about $XXXX.xx We definitely didn’t budget for that – but we have to do it.
This fish won the Sailfish division
The winning striped marlin107.lbs
This 218.lbs monster won the Tuna division
There was a winner in the Dorado division but no pictures, each winner received a new car. The winner in the marlin division is also the owner of a local restaurant that we have eaten at, not bad, lots of fun had by all.
Defiant08 before steel work
Defiant08 with new steel
Defiant08 with solar panels added to the steel work
Defiant08, Bimini complete with Steel, Solar, and canvas
Now with the Bimini 98% finished I can show you some pictures, more to follow. This is half the project, the other part of the job is to make the dodger cover, canvas, and it is being made as you read this, I will supply photos as the job gets done.
The tournament continues today with lots of hoopla and parting. The boats leave every morning at 0600 so it has been a couple of early mornings, We went and watched the weigh in yesterday, day 1, 73.20 pounds was the daily winner for sail fish, the team won a car. This is the only sport were the winner ends up dead, but everyone had a great time. The weather has cooled dipping into the teens overnight, daily high 29 to31.
There is a big fishing tournament starting this weekend. They have sent a week now clearing the field next to the Marina, lots of beer signs. We expect to be woken quite early tomorrow as these fishermen start early. If it is like the tournament we saw in Barra de Navidad, this is going to be fun. Check old postings for pictures of the Barra tournament.
Yesterday was a holiday, Revolution day, it was a very windy day winds up to 40 kph, but no rain. The weather has cooled off finally, I now have to use a blanket at night. Here is a link to our local English newspaper, the Maz Messanger. All is well here, the canvas guy is coming back to(keeping finger crossed) to install a new bimini (pictures to follow). Congratulations to Saskatchewan rough riders on making it to the Grey Cup. If Glenn needs somewhere to recover we have a spare double bed nice warm temps and Diana can feed him, let us know, we would welcome him with open arms.
Time to wake Diana for our weekley walk to Bruja beach. Each week we try and change direction of our walk as to keep the sun tan even. Bruja beach is at the end of a nice 5 mile long beach, quite a violent beach swimming not recommended, at the end of this beach is Bruja beach it is a great surfing beach, you can was the surfers for hours. Diana now wants to take surfing lessons.
A brand new mall just opened very close to us(walking distance). It has a Liverpool (big, upscale department store), Sears, and a host of other smaller stores. The big draw is a big cineplex (or Mexican equivalent), they should show some English movies. We are hoping for some-kind of groceries store, because our local grocer was closed when we returned and groceries are now a fifteen bus ride away Spanish lessons are on break now but should get started again next week, the first semester went well but, I am now more confused than ever and switch to french went having problems with Spanish?
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