Today was even more of a full on day than the day before. We started off with getting the anchor up and entering the lagoon on the 930am bridge. This went smoothy enough but by then it was really blowing and we had to get fuel. i made a flawless pass at the fuel dock but it was a starboard tie with no one on the dock and we where getting blow off. eventually two passes later some one showed up and got the bow line so aimee was able to stop us with the stern line. $330 dollars and 90 gallons later we where off to anchor in the lagoon. this seemed to go smoothly enough and with light winds and 100 feet of chain in 8 feet of muddy lagoon we where pretty happy (or so we thought).
i dropped aimee of to go to ace, found some new “cheeper” ($250 per gal) better (75% cupix oxide) bottom paint and headed over to pick up the engine. the engine was actually done, although not quite ready to go as the dingy dude had not come in again. the manager finsihed it up it looked great so we will see. ironically as i was draining the gas out of the old 5 hp merc i noticed corosion on its head gasget. not sure if it was suposed to be serviced at 50 hours as well. very strange, i did not have the energy to take it in too see about servicing but i think it is also made by tahotso, i know the merc 8hp is actually tahoto, same as ours.
as i arrived back at palapa to get papers to open a new account things started to unwind. as i approached i could see it was not in the correct place. and appeared to be tied behind a big trawler. as i got closer the guy on the trawler and the guy behind me both started yelling at me. i approached the guy on the trawler fist, a local, boat sitting. he was more coherent and wanted $20 for “saving” my boat. i told him the normal price was a cold beer or two he offered a mooring as well and i said fine.
i headed back to palapa to get the boat moved as i got to my stern the other guy opened up about “you cant anchor in this mooring field” bla bla, no can i help you out or anything, nice guy. in spite of this i yelled “i apologize for dragging down on you” several times with no impact. finally i told him i could not listen to him yell at me any more and need to get the boat on a mooring. i got untied from the trawler the anchor up untangled a crab pot all without dragging down on my “buddy” behind me. by the time i picked up the new mooring and got the anchor cleaned up (it was covered with this nasty “grass”) aimee was calling me on the radio wondering where i was.
i drooped a couple of beers and my 20 bucks off at the trawler guy and headed back. apparently i should have gone over too the other guy and sucked up to him as well but i dont respond well to irrational yelling. more on this later.
we finally got our chores complete except the paint which had to come over from the warehouse but was promised to be there first thing in the am. this was good as we needed to hit the 9am bridge and get out of the lagoon and potentially out of dodge as the wind where good for sailing south.
we did decide to head to the final fish fry at lagoonies. this turned out to be quite fun and good as well and we where chatting with brett and some other friends when crazy french dude behind me comes up and starts yelling at me at the bar again. i opened with did you not hear me apologize followed by i apologize again. he wanted none of this something about i did not show him enough respect bla bla. aimee managed to ask if he had ever dragged anchor which he said yes but it did not matter and it was none of HER business. about this time his “friend” showed up to say “he is not really that bad a guy” as he was saying this crazy dude hit me in the side of the head and stormed off. i did not follow but took the opportunity to tell his “friend” what i thought of crazy dude and how many people who had dragged anchor i had helped while sailing around the world.
brett insisted on buying us a couple more rum and cokes before we headed back for an early evening. there is always something and i am looking forward to getting underway manana! and the picture presIdente beer “no preservatives = no hangover” according to the local radio station, another aimee pic pick from orient bay as we have been two busy to take photos.
Cheers Roger
