Our New Year resolution was to keep up with our blog. LOL. We're 4 days into the new year, and I'm finally getting around to it. This year has been one hell of an experience. When we left San Diego, we had no idea how long we could make this work. We were pretty sure we'd be heading back to San Francisco within months, our tails between our legs. Somehow, this has not happened, and on new years eve, we celebrated our 1 year in Mexico. James has been able to find several deliveries and local charters, and Dominga has been able to supplement this with canvas and now sail work.
For the past few months I (Dominga) have had the opportunity to work with a well known remarkable sailmaker named Doug Nordby of Sung Harbor Sails. He's been doing this for the past 30 years or so. He's originally from Humboldt county, but has been here in La Paz for 13 years. I had already had quite a bit of experience with canvas work, but sail repair was still a bit daunting to me. Over the last months he's taught me so much it's hard to describe it all. I can now confidently patch a sail, explain how and what needs to be done, or if it cannot be done, I can now explain why. Yesterday I finished my second sail on my own. I put in two new panels of sail cloth where the sail had ripped then added the sacrificial sunbrella to the leach and foot of the sail. Working with "Capi", of Snug Harbor sails is enlightening and entertaining. He's built his first boat over 50 years ago, and has so many incredible stories he loves to share. He just celebrated his 73 birthday. He pulls his anchor up hand over hand, raises his sails hand over hand. He's though toughest old one eyed sailor I've ever met. He's been trying to retire for the past few years, but hurricane Odile prevented that once again. He plans on leaving La Paz in March to sail south to Panama.
In addition to learning so much, and working hard we've made some incredible new friends. Some we met when we first arrived in Mexico, and we're seeing them again as they return from their time in the states. It's amazing how the cruising community feels more like a community than anything else we've experienced. Everyone really does look out for each other. For the holidays we went to a fun christmas eve party on Go For Broke, a large sailboat owned by our friend Steve, who in summers is a bee keeper in California. Christmas day we had a semi traditional dinner with Capi, and Dave on Moondance. The dogs (Mika and Bean) played with Dave's dog Star, and we made snapper, mashed potatoes, candied yams, cranberry sauce and a for desert, and home made blueberry pie. Capi loves to bake. New Years eve we stayed on the boat. Mika does not handle fireworks well, and here in mexico they like to shoot fire arms off at midnight. The poor pup got no sleep, and we got very little.
We aren't sure what is next. We will leave La Paz in March to sail up the Gulfo De California (AKA Sea of Cortez) and experience some of the islands. Beyond that, we write our plans in the sand at low tide.
We will upload new pictures when we get to town either today or tomorrow...ok...well, we'll try.
