10/16/2010 - Changing our minds...again.

Flying fish we found on the bow

We left San Carlos about 3:00 in the afternoon to start our 120 mile passage to Isla Carmen.  It all started nice, good wind from the west, we had both our main sail and our jib out.  After dinner, the wind turned directly on our nose (Sout/southwest) and we spent the remaining 16 hours bashing.  I felt like a bull rider in a rodeo trying to stay on his bull.  Andy had a good point though… as uncomfortable as it was, it was better than our worst day at work.  Our port engine died again about 2:00 in the morning.  It appears that the combination of bucking against the tides and winds combined with not having a fuel pump (gravity fed) isn’t good for the old port side.  We’re thinking maybe it gets some sort of air bubble in it and dies, because when we transfer fuel back to the day tank again, she cranks up no problem.  We bought a few extra fuel pumps in San Carlos so we intend on testing out our theory soon.

Settled in at Ballandra...it's getting green!

We finally arrived about 10:00 this morning and the anchorage we chose is no better than our ride there.  It was rolly and there were tons of bugs.  Normally, I’m the type to suck it up but after the ride the previous night, I just couldn’t do it.  After I made lunch, I asked Andy if we could move.  We ended up moving to a beautiful anchorage, seemingly calm….until about midnight.  The westerly wind kicked up and made for a rocky night.

Our hardest decision has been what to do next?  Do we stop in Escondido and pay the fees, do the internet, etc.?  Or do we keep heading south to LaPaz and try to run into our friends on Endurance.  We were almost on our way towards LaPaz when we both decided to sit back and think about it.  We have one problem….Andy still doesn’t have his Visa.  We tried all of the “alternative” ways to get it but haven’t been so lucky.  We should have driven to the States when were in San Carlos but we didn’t.  So now we’ve decided to put the boat on a mooring in Puerto Escondido and make one last trip north.  We don’t really need anything seeing as I just got back from the states and we just spent a fortune at Costco, but we don’t really know the consequences of not having a visa and after hearing a few stories down here, really don’t want to chance it.  It will also give us another chance to see my parents and our friends Eric and Nicole.  So, here we go again…long drive, but it will be the first one we’ve done as a family in a REALLY long time.  It will also be the last one for a REALLY long time.