Good Bread!

We have been enjoying bread from our favorite bakery/rest. down here in Fronteras - Dan would approve.  Lunch of sliced bread, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, avocado, salt and olive oil/vinegar have kept us going strong as we deal with getting the boat ready for voyage.  We have torn the boat apart from the inside out looking at all of the electrics and pluming, motor and sails.  We have found enough spare parts on the boat to open a store.  Some people just can't let go!  We have found many of the intricacies of the boat and have repaired things that often need repairing when you own a boat.

The hull is in the process of being stripped and painted.  We hired 6 locals to strip all of the old paint off - 2 of the crew belonged to the marina where out boat is located - the other 4 were brothers that a good friend found for us to use at 20 bucks a day, each.  

If you ever get the pleasure of owning a boat - the romanticism will be broken quickly.  When you realize the amount of maintenance that goes into them - you either have to be a full-time cruiser, rich with money to burn, crazy out of your mind or prepared to see your boat devalue overnight.  It has all been a good learning experience.  And with experience --- if you can sand the glaze off of your eyes --- you'll get better and quicker --- con mas tiempo para sol y divertido!

Steve has kept the crew in line and we put on our first layer of base paint today (the crew and Steve did, anyway).  If you ever get the chance to look at the ingredients to base paint for a boat, you'll begin to wonder if there is some serious point-source pollution going on in marinas.  We hope to put on a layer of bottom paint tomorrow.  Oh, if you ever get to paint the bottom of a boat - or at least pay for the job - be prepared to pay around $300 a GALLON for good paint.  Our boat needs three gallons.

We are feeling good down here.  There are definitely sad emotions, but it feels good to carry on.  I can't wait until we have the sails up and are cutting through the blue on our way to the next destination.

Cheers

Love Us.