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I'm up at six-thirty again.
I took a spin in the dinghy out to take another picture of unloading yachts but nothing much was happening. The ride was rough going out but better returning with the swells. * * * * * *
We took the dog ashore in the dinghy in the morning, swam a bit, returned, had lunch and a long siesta. I ran the dinghy out again and took more pictures of the unloading, swam again and then had supper at sundown. I went to bed around nine-thirty.
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The night was fairly calm, with no alarms. I'm up at seven-thirty. It looks like another perfect day coming up. The transport is still out at the entrance and mid-morning they loaded a small cruiser. I assume they have a route with various drop-off and pickup points. We went snorkeling at the point and found it murky, so then went out all the way to the reef at the south end of Peninsula de San Juan Nepomuceno. The water was clear there so we had a good snorkel, then returned to the boat and decided to go for a sail to Bahia Pichilingue. We entered the bay and I tucked up close to the south shore, expecting the nightly southerlies to make things rough across the bay in my usual spot. As soon as we anchored, a panga from Cassiopeia the tour ship anchored there for the past months came over to make sure we were not in shallow water. I reassured them we have three metres under the keel. We snorkeled and Marian found a sea urchin. I have seen them, but leave them alone, but she decided she wanted to eat it, so that was a big production. We also had to take the dog ashore, so we went to nearby gravel beach for a short while. Security came by to tell us the land is private. We returned to the boat and eventually, as it grew dark, we had supper in the cockpit. By then, the wind had become so strong it blew my wine glass over.
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The location proved to be reasonably well sheltered. It is 0650 and I have done the dishes.. I'm thinking it is time to head back to La Paz today. We raised anchor and tacked back to Punta Prieta and as we approached, the wind died, so we motor-sailed the rest of the way. We arrived at about 1330 and tied up. The boat ahead had moved back, cramping our space but we managed to tie. Our first water tank ran dry just as I did dishes. We had a celebratory drink and I had a long nap. Marion took the dog for a walk and came back with the ladies from the nearby sewing shop and we discussed changing the windows and altering the dodger design a bit. The I walked her to the gate and called a cab. I went back to the boat and watched Trump videos until bed.
The night was rolley, but not too bad, tucked up near the cliffs.
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Up at 0635. Nice breezy morning here at the dock.
Enough of that. I'm going shopping. Word is that stores are not admitting those over sixty during normal hours. I guess I am fifty-seven today. Who would have ever thought that I would think that fifty-seven is 'young'. Before noon, I went by dinghy to Marina Palmira. The trip was rough going downwind and much rougher coming back, but I did get the supplies I had ordered from the US. Then I had lunch, repaired the foot pump with the kit that arrived today, and had a nap. I never did get to the grocery store. Instead, around four, after the heat of the day--it got to 82°F here on the boat but gets much hotter uptown--I walked to Oxxo and bought some beer, then stopped at Bandidos on the way back. Beer is now widely available here in La Paz again I had supper and later made a vegetarian stew and watched YouTube videos until midnight.
Below is a list of the best videos I found yesterday. I watched all of some, some of others, but all are worth a peek. IMO.
It seems few actually listen to Trump's speeches, and I'm a surprised to discover they are far better than what we are led to believe and he does have a very good and insightful mind. True, he does have some funny ways of speaking at some points, but he can talk without ums and ahs and you-knows and provides a very coherent explanation of what he understands and intends. I worry about a country where powerful and influential corporations control the media, promulgate lies, and try to overpower and displace the duly elected president.
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Up at 0703. It is breezy again here at the dock, cool and overcast as well. I woke up feeling discontented. I'm realising/thinking I'll have to go home sometime. First direct flight to YYC is one month today. I am hearing nothing from readers these days so I am thinking that maybe I have managed now to annoy everyone which is not necessarily a bad thing IMO, but I do enjoy input now and then, and corrections where appropriate.
Compare this in-depth wide-ranging and intelligent discussion by Trump to the childish and robotic performances of our Canadian Prime Minister and his kindergarten cabinet who reply to any question with a irrelevant list of platitudes and self-congratulation.
This continues to be a cool day. At nine-forty-seven, it feels like noon. I have finished cleaning up this page and now will get to work on the boat, plus a few other things I have been putting off. I'm thinking, too about going home to Canada although I hardly feel like it. Before I go, there are things to do here so I'd best get at them.
I re-installed the galley foot pump and confirmed it works. It pumps both salt water from the sea or fresh water from the aft tank. Then I went out and replaced the genoa furling line with the new rope I got yesterday. It is a huge improvement. I also measured the genoa and it measures 17-1/2 feet on the foot. The gap ahead of the mast is 12 so that makes it a 145. That is a big foresail.
This is the warmest day expected this week and this moment is the peak temperature at 40°C and 93°F. Nice.
In the afternoon, I worked on getting the barbecue set up. I have never used it but Marian left some chops here and is coming over for supper. It took me a good hour to free the screws so I could move the base to the stern rail where there is sufficient room for it. The bolts are stainless and the body is aluminum and they were seized. I finally got that done and the barbecue mounted. I hooked it up and it works. Marian arrived, then Sandra came over to measure the mattresses for fitted sheets. We had supper and sat around a while. Marian decided to stay over and slept up in the cockpit.
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Up at 0709. It is breezy again here at the dock, cool and sunny. Here is a chart of experience in Ohio from John Mauldin that is fairly reassuring, to me at least. It is hard to read, but worth some study.
COVID-19 Has Become "Less Prevalent" And "Isn't Making People As Sick", UPMC Doctor Says "Unreported Truths" - This Is The COVID-19 Book That Amazon 'Quarantined' Black Approval For Trump Surges To Over 40% Allen, I still read your diary.
The presumption is wrong. Almost all the prison deaths in
Ohio were OLD. The prison in Pickaway County had almost all
the prison deaths. There was only one or two prisoners who
died at the Marion prison. (A nurse and a guard at Marion
died...not sure if those deaths are counted as prison deaths
or not.) The Pickaway prison was essentially a nursing home
for old prisoners. It got hammered hard by Covid. The
Pickaway prison should be considered a long term care
facility. Thanks. I passed that on to John and his doctor. I did some chores, unclogged the sink drain, and washed down the cockpit. This was the first time I have used the barbecue and confirmed that barbecuing can make a mess. Not only that, fire on a boat is something to watch carefully and dripping fat can be dangerous. A friend of John H's lost his 50-foot Beneteau to a barbecue fire. At noon, Marian and I walked to the market, or at least to the street where is normally held, but no no one was there. The rules around the shutdown are variable it seems.
So, we called Uber and went to Chedraui and shopped for an hour or so, each adding to the cart. I had no idea how this would work. We agreed yesterday to go sailing Monday or Tuesday, so I am guessing this is what this is about. She found things like mayo that I don't use and huge bottles of mineral water which I definitely never use. I'm always concerned about storage space and overstocking. We returned to the boat. I put everything away. She left for the market uptown. I'm assuming she is going home and I will hear from her in a day or two for our sailing trip. I was weary and lay down for a nap. Next I knew it was five-thirty.
I had supper, then glued some of the loose rubber strips in the teak benches down. The teak is twenty-five years old and pretty weathered. The wood has eroded down below the rubber strips and I had assumed it is beyond repair, but decided to see what i can do. The benches are covered with the fitted seat cushions most of the time anyhow. I have found that with a razor knife I can cut the rubber flush, and I sanded the surfaces a bit. I'll need some filler for the cracks in the teak. I'm not looking to make them look new, but just presentable and serviceable and my initial efforts indicate they will look pretty good when i am done.
* * * * * After, I spent the evening watching YouTube video. I'm finding videos now that are far more entertaining than the crap on Netflix. This discussion, below, is well worth watching: two brilliant minds at work. Three actually, Bret Weinstein is moderating. 3,000 in the audience are sitting through this wrestling match.
To me, it seems Sam has Jordan on his back foot here and this is the first time I've seen anyone come anywhere near out-gunning Jordan. I have not watched the entire discussion, so we will see how this goes. I hear that Jordan has recovered and is working on a new book.
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Up at daybreak, had breakfast and went back to bed. Up again at seven and had a shower here on board. Feels good. Yesterday, I bought the Kindle edition of Unreported Truths about COVID-19 and Lockdowns by Alex Berenson (reviews) and this morning I began reading. It is excellent, but I think though that I will work on the boat before it gets hot and read more later.
When I rebuilt the toilet I had to cut out the fuse as it was corroded. Since then I have just had it hotwired but I do have a new fuse on hand so am installing it. The fuse was near the toilet, not at the power source which is not proper, so I have to trace the wires. I also hosed off the deck and then sanded more teak.
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Up at 0430.It is clear the world has gone nuts. Jose wrote a short story about how 2019/2020 must look from some future viewpoint and shared it with me yesterday. Greta who? I'll post it here if he approves, but I gotta say that from my viewpoint out here on Mars (AKA Baja Magic) things are going wild and I can see guillotines in the future if we don't sober up. We've been here before. See
French
Revolution * * * * * * Suddenly the exaggerated danger that justified closing schools, bankrupting small business, and locking everyone up for months, and enforcing antisocial distancing is forgotten and everyone is on the street wearing masks (a convenient disguise) and shouting. Some are looting while police stand and watch and politicians approve. Canada's scofflaw crime minister is out there, too, virtue signaling over the death of a reportedly violent repeat criminal at the hands of police.
We all do stupid things in the heat of a moment. Looking at the picture, it appears the officer is applying excess force. We have to wonder what this cop was thinking. What we don't see is what happened before and the actions of bystanders. I'm assuming the cops are being heckled and feeling under attack, affecting their judgment and making them instinctively double down. Being under attack tends to raise adrenaline and cause even trained professionals to overreact.
Of course, George was not the only person here with a past. "Derek Chauvin, the officer who (allegedly) murdered George Floyd, had 18 complaints against him. He was disciplined twice."
Meantime, people are waking up and the awakening so far is unfocused, but we have seen already how the focus can shift in a heartbeat and the unchecked violence that can result.
My hair has been growing and getting to be a nuisance. For a year or so now I have been giving myself a buzz cut but I did not expect to be here nearly this long and left that cutter at home. Earlier I bought a cheap set of clippers to trim my beard and today I decided to shave my head. I figured it would be hard to do, but it was easy!
U.S. Navy test shows 60% of carrier crew have coronavirus antibodies One sailor from the ship died from the coronavirus and several others were hospitalized. But broadly, sailors, who are generally healthier and younger, fared better than the general population and most showed no symptoms whatsoever. Returning from my last foray to the bays, I noticed that my alternator was not charging the batteries. That is a big concern on anything longer than a short trip. The batteries usually stay up with the solar panels, but sometimes things get left on and the batteries get low. Then we count on the engine to charge them back up. If we return to home base and plug in, the charger brings the batteries to 100%, but when away, we rely primarily on solar and engine for backup. My two main jobs today were to solve that electrical issue and maybe deal with the fresh water. Maybe. Marian calls and is wanting to get out sailing. I said, "Patience". Around noon, I noticed a mysterious hot electrical scent (being able to smell means I must not yet have managed to catch the WuWHOFlu), but I could not locate the source. It seemed to be strongest in the galley. I checked the wind outside since yesterday there was a dumpster fire nearby. Mid-afternoon, I had washed rugs and I'd made
spaghetti (again and had finished my standard five hours (actually
more like seven) of procrastinating. I began measuring and following
undocumented wire runs under my bunk, but with no clear results. I ran the engine and read the battery monitor. The readout suggested the main house battery was not charging and the engine battery was at 18 volts. That is simply not possible without serious smoke, so the monitor lies. I poked around some more and, after eliminating the regulator--in spite of an odd measurement on the field output--zeroed in on the alternator.
The wiring in this boat works (mostly) but some day I'll mark and document it. It was almost six and beer sales are cut off at six, so i headed for Oxxo. I had twenty minutes to get there and when i walked out the gate I saw a taxi. I have no taken a taxi for years because they overcharge unless you bargain, but the taxi was there and I was in a hurry so I asked. 100 pesos to Oxxo and back I was told. I could go ten times that distance for forty pesos with Uber, but, what the heck. I got in and saw the two amigos in the front seat had a case of beer in the back. I doubt they were expecting any business, but, like fishing, they had to sit there. They offered me a beer but I declined. It was light beer if that matters. They drove me to Oxxo and back and I thanked them, paid the agreed price, and said with a smile that the price was ridiculous, all in Spanglish They agreed with a smile and I was on my way back to the boat. I tested the charging system and it seems to be cured.
BLM foolishness is putting the communities in harms way by opening Pandora's Box for looters and killers. The majority in the "Black" community know this and look to the state to protect them.
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This morning, I tidy and fill the water again. I may try to hunt down the leak again. I got to work, pumping up the dinghy (they lose air slowly over time) and raising the outboard to the rail in prep for leaving, then started sorting through the port lazarette, looking for the missing block. That one thing is all I need to reassemble the davits. No luck, but I did compact the contents so more will fit into the limited space. Then I decided to move the spare anchor which is mounted on the rail right next to the dock where people walk pass and is vulnerable to being stolen where it was or knocked off by passing boats when I am tied starboard-to. It is a $700 item. Turns out the stainless U-bolts were seized, so the nuts twisted off. So much for that mount, for now at least. I'll stow it in a locker. I also filled the water and called Sandra to have her come to measure the forward bunk for fitted sheets. The day is already hot, now, at1025.
'The penny just dropped. One, but not the only reason for high
mortality in long term care is that people in long term care
are interfacing constantly with medical workers and other
residents who have done so. Medical workers by the
nature of their work and the visits to hospitals are exposed to
the most virulent strains. Obviously the people with
milder strains are much less likely to seek medical assistance
than those with serious effects.
Sandra came to measure the bunk, and first went to see what Nelson needs. Then someone else buttonholed her to do something else. Finally she came back to Baja Magic and measured the forward bunk for the fitted sheet to be made.
I walked to Sea Mar, hoping to find a block for the davits. No luck. They do have the teak seam material but it costs $70 CAD. I'll check it out online. I was ready to go by one and expected Marian by two, when tidal change was predicted and we had agreed to leave. By then the wind was blowing the boat hard against the dock and I planned how to spring off the dock. At two, no sign of her and around fifteen after I saw an SUV pull in with a youngster and a dog chasing it to where it parked. Shortly after Marian appeared on the dock with a woman and two young boys. I invited them aboard and we visited a bit, then they left. The boys were wearing masks, the adults, not.
Your diary continues to be an interesting read!
Easy for me to appreciate and understand your recent Trump comments, I've been on that same wavelength for quite awhile! Ken The wind and current was powerful against us as we levered off the dock. Marian held the bow line while I pushed off in forward with the wheel hard over. Once the stern was well out, I shifted into reverse, spun the wheel, revved the engine, and motored back, as we approached the other boats along the ally, I spun the wheel again and hit forward to straighten out, then shifted back to reverse, revved again and deftly maneuvered to avoid the nearby boats. It was half skill and half luck, but it was quite a show. Two boat guys working on a boat along our path applauded as they could see that the potential for collision was there and the deft actions taken to stay clear. Once out of the marina, I spun us around and we pulled out the genoa. Soon we were making 6.5 knots down the channel. We started the motor once we got to Punta Prieta as from there the wind was on the nose, but we raised sail at Punta Colorado, then sailed into Bahia Falsa, where we snuffed the sail and anchored. In a bay where once I saw nine boats anchored, now there are only two, plus us. After settling in, we dinghied a shore for a while, then returned. I had a nap, then we had supper. That was Tuesday.
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