Letter9 Oct 21 2000
San Diego

Well here we sit, waiting. We were in a hurry to get to San Diego because 
it's the jumping off place for Mexico. Only a few things to do before we 
were ready go! HA! That'll be the day!

I usually go to the logbook for the ideas for these letters, but when I 
looked today it just says:

9-23 Oceanside to San Diego, 8:30 to 2:00 at the police dock to get anchor 
permit.
Next, are a few entries about running the engine to charge the batteries 
every few days.

Actually we shut off the engine in the A-9 Cruisers anchorage at 4:30PM. I 
remembered that I had a "Baha Fuel Filter Race Certificate" as part of the 
Bluewater Cruising Association (BCA) Fleet of 2000 package. It is a free 
diesel filter to the first Bluewater Cruiser to take the certificate to the 
Downwind Marine store. I had little hope as I dialed their phone number. I 
first asked what their hours were. 8-5 Monday thru Saturday! I then asked 
how to get there from where I was, not really knowing where we were. They 
said that there was no way to get there before closing! And then, that I was 
first to mention the filter race this year. They also said that one guy, 
Steve, comes in early to straighten up, about 7:00 AM on Monday. I could 
meet him then. I would be first! Just as I hung up the phone, Alfons, on 
Vryheid, called and ask what I was planning for the weekend. They had just 
got the last slip in a marina near Chula Vista, about 12 miles away. I was 
not very convincing about having no plans. I couldn't remind him about the 
filter race, he might beat me there. When we got the package in Canada, 
Alfons asked it I was interested in it. I said then that I was going to get 
there first!  They planned to rent a car on Sunday and could easily drive up 
the first! There were 2 other BCA boats in the anchorage with me. It was all 
that I could do to not mention the race!

I rowed around to some of the boats and said "Hi". I asked each of them how 
to get around town and where Downwind was. It turns out that it is a 2-hour 
bus ride, or a 20-minute dinghy ride (up on a plane, at 10 knots) up the 
harbor. Downwind is unlike other marine stores in that they specialize in 
helping cruisers in Mexico and beyond. They give us a place to forward our 
mail, lend us a truck a half a day at a time and give coffee and doughnuts 
once a week. They even have a computer on the internet for a minimal charge, 
although it is often busy. Well I found out how to get there at 7:00 AM 
Monday.

Sunday we rested. Monday I was up at 5:30 an off by 6:00. I was waiting when 
Steve arrived. I got the filter! That was $100 value! The fuel in Mexico is 
not always clean and sometimes has water in it. It is recommended to always 
filter all fuel in Mexico and some other out of the way places.

We had a few things we needed to do in San Diego. We wanted to get some 
solar panels to help out with the battery charging. We did that first. I got 
2 64-watt panels and mounted them on the side rails near the stern. I also 
got 2 42-watt panels and mounted them above the dinghy davits on the stern. 
I hope they do not interfere with the wind vane steering.

We need to go to Costco to restock, get material for a dinghy cover to 
protect it from the sun, and a few more boat parts. Trinda is making "no see 
ums" screens for all the hatches. Mean masquitos small enough to fly right 
through regular screening are reported to flourish in the tropics!

I went to get the propane tank refilled and found that it was expiring. 
After 12 years they have to be re-tested. I decided to buy 2 small aluminum 
tanks to replace it. They will be easier to carry and we can fill one while 
we use the other.

Every time I get into the dinghy to go to town, I wind up talking to one of 
the neighbor boats on the way. It takes along time to get anything done. But 
this is cruising now. Its not going to start in Mexico, but it started when 
we left Seattle!

My laptop computer display died again. It was sick in Ventura, but I 
couldn't find a convenient repair center. Since we were going to be here a 
while I sent it in here. It took two weeks, and came back incorrect! I am 
negotiating another repair now. It may take another 10 days to resolve it.
We need to get our papers for Mexico. A 6-month tourist card is free, but 
you have to return to the US and get another one when it expires. A 1-year 
FM3 is a permanent resident form is available for about $120 each. The FM3 
is renewable with out leaving Mexico. We decided on the free one. The 
Mexican consulate is a short walk from the A-9 anchorage. A fishing license 
is also required of any boat with at least one hook in board! You license 
the boat, and the dinghy and each person on board! Another quick $199.45! 
Most of the cruisers are getting the same things.

I went to the Gordon West HAM radio class and got my HAM license upgraded to 
General class. His test was easy. He guarantees a HAM license in a weekend 
if you sign up for his class. I had already studied so he let me just take 
the test. Now I have to see about getting the reciprocal license for 
operation in Mexico.

I realized that it was time to change the oil in the engine again. My how 
the hours fly when charging the batteries. As I finished and was checking 
the fan belts, I noticed the raw water pump was leaking. As with all things 
in a boat, one hard day of labor and $200 later I now have a spare water 
pump and a rebuild kit to fix it next time.

The boats are really starting to pour into San Diego. This weekend is the 
first official "Baha Ha Ha" party. There is a race, or called that, from 
here to Cabo San Lucas every year around the first of November. This year 
138 boats signed up. Probably that many again, like us, didn't sign up for 
the race, but are leaving for the same places at about the same time. 
Everywhere we got we see cruisers, and they all ask, "Did you sign up for 
the Ha Ha?". Cruisers are easy to recognize. They are generally couples, in 
shorts, walking together, with small backpacks full of boat parts or papers. 
Most have gray hair but are too clean to be bums!

We try to check in with the BCA net each night at 7:00PM on the SSB 6200. 
The radio is just barely readable from Vancouver, BC here, but several of us 
succeed every day or two. There is also a channel 68
VHF net at 8:30 each weekday. Downwind sponsors the boat check-in and a 
"contacts and info" segment.
And a local guy runs a "buy, sell and trade" segment afterwards. I bought a 
used 110volt generator for $50. It had a stopped up spark arrester muffler. 
It now runs OK for the sewing machine or a drill or sander. It's a neat way 
to see who's in town. Its also a good way to advertise wants, and to get 
some more of that last unneeded junk!

We have also been listening to the weather reports on the Pacific Seafarers 
Net, 8:00PM 14,313 HAM and the Chubasco Net 7:30AM 7294 HAM. We can still 
download the weather FAXes from the California stations. We seem to be 
getting the last effects from the last tropical storm of the season now. At 
least we all hope it is the last one!

The last challenge was to switch to boat insurance company that will cover 
us in Mexico, cruising with just 2 people on board. We chose Bluewater 
Insurance. Of course they needed a survey in the water with a recent yard 
bill or a complete out of the water survey. Since we hauled in Sidney before 
we came down the coast, that was good enough. They also needed 2 pictures of 
the boat and all the serial numbers.

Now we're set. If I just had the laptop back we could go on south!

Larry Trinda and Muffy on the Katie Lee, an 81 Passport 45