Boatyards can make life interesting!

Even during our adventures cruising in Mexico we still face times when the bottom line is … maintenance must be done!  Over the last 10 days we were hauled out at the La Cruz Marina Boat Yard.  While we worked inside on redoing plumbing hoses (a VERY crappy job!), our beautiful boat was getting new bottom paint and the hull buffed and waxed.  

The boatyard crew, overseen by Peter Vargas, treated Falcon VII very well!  We were impressed with their efforts and efficiency, as well as their courteous conduct.  In fact, last Saturday Jim and I were invited to join Peter and his crew while they casually chowed down on a huge pot of homemade seafood soup and crispy tostadas. There were fresh chunks of tuna, pieces of crab, lobster and prawns all simmering in a spicy tomato based soup and it was delicious.  Their work week is an exhausting six days a week, 12 hours a day.  Each Saturday Peter treats them all to some sort of homemade lunch as one way of saying thanks for their work. Pretty nice idea!

Since we weren’t permitted to stay in the boatyard we moved to shore and thoroughly enjoyed our home away from home.  Local restaurateur, Philo Hayward, not only runs Philo’s Bar but also owns Philo’s Rest Estate and Vacation Rentals.   His spouse, Maria just finished renovating the property next door to Philo’s Bar for vacation rental.  Her interior decorating skills resulted in two comfortable new rental units - an upstairs one bedroom suite and a downstairs studio apartment, which featured a good sized kitchen/eating area separate from a cheerful bedroom and walk in shower style bathroom. Beyond the bedroom was our own cozy hidden garden.

These fan palms in our garden were about 50 ft tall!

The weekly cost was only slightly more than our two nights at “Simply Baku” in July!  If you are looking for a bargain in La Cruz contact Maria – maria@philosrealestatelacruz.com.  Ph 52 329 295-6011 (office) or 52 322 120-3009 (cell).  It also helps if you like 70’s rock n roll because Philo’s Bar plays live music a few times weekly with various Mexican and gringo bands filling the little stage... and you get to hear the sets for free from the other side of the brick wall!

Falcon was launched Monday and we motored her back to our slip immediately but opted to stay on land for a couple of extra days because of various projects underway.  Skies were overcast for a few days and it poured all day on Tuesday so we fled the water covered cobblestone streets of La Cruz and took a bus ride into Nuevo Vallarta to pick up some hose we needed to finish off the plumbing. The rain didn't let up for well over 24 hours, resulting in some minor flooding, especially on the lateral roads next to the highway.  At times it felt like we were motoring through a river!

But we never saw a car stalled and no one slowed down due to weather conditions! Thank goodness we still have our BC umbrellas because we sure needed them. Thankfully temperatures dropped considerably with the cloud cover.  It was either overcast or raining for the better part of the week, one last hurrah before the drier winter conditions prevailed.

With Falcon out of the water for a few days we also had a bit of time to walk around more of La Cruz, exploring the other side of the highway. These photos show just how lush the surrounding hills are.

View towards the marina from up the hill across from the main highway.

Wednesday's public market where the locals shop.  No arts and crafts here.
You can buy pots and pans, plastic bowls, inexpensive toys, fruits and veggies though.

Our marina neighbourhood is changing.  More and more cruisers are returning from their months away and our small, close group of summer liveaboards have scattered.  One couple drove back to the States to sell their car before visiting family in Brazil then coming back to La Cruz to begin their trip towards Panama.  Two of the guys flew to the Caribbean to pick up a recently purchased catamaran while their wives flew to Panama City to help bring “Sweetie” through the Panama Canal.  Others are going back to anchor off of La Cruz during the busy and expensive tourist season and we are bucking the trend by heading north into the Sea of Cortes again.

As I write this our cabin space is crowded with sail bags piled around me, containers of tools cover the settee, coiled plumbing hoses sit on top of our large tool boxes resembling cobras ready to pounce, our aft cabin cushions are wedged upright near the galley and you can’t even see into our forward head (toilet) because all our cockpit seating cushions are piled in there along with other cushions and bedding.  Having said that, it will only be a matter of days before we are ready to leave La Cruz.  As I've said before, we leave with mixed feelings but are excited about reconnecting with old friends and actually getting the sails up.  More once that happens.

Until then, keep smiling!

Tricia and Jim Bowen
Falcon VII
email: tandjbowen13@gmail.com