October 19, 2018

I departed from Paradise Village on Monday and motored the six miles across Banderas Bay through a light rain to the shipyard in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.  Only issue was the autopilot wasn't working.  It appears that the motor isn't running or there is something wrong with the hydraulic switch valve.  I won't be able to troubleshoot it until I am out of the yard.
The haulout went fine and the guy who is working on my boat (Oscar) is the jefe's nephew.  Nice guy, great English and he does good work.  Unfortunately, the paint I had bought at a total cost approaching $1000 (SeaHawk Tropikote) wasn't compatible with the old paint.  While I could return two of the three gallons, I could not return the open can, which was a $300 expenditure.  After half a day of headscratching and checking with a factory rep, I decided to buy and apply a gallon of their $100 per gallon 1277 primer which should allow the use of the Tropikote and also provide some barrier coat benefits.  Of course that will mean a bit of a delay in getting back in the water and some additional labor costs.  But the paint should stay where it belongs.  It's also possible that a couple of approaching storms could cause further delays, which means increased costs for lay days and hotel.
While the boat is out of the water, I've been staying in the nearby La Cruz Inn.   Fifty dollars a night includes breakfast off their restaurant menu.  Nice place.  Friends Mike and Lisa are also staying here while their big catamaran is hauled out, so we've had quite a few meals together.  I spent my first night off the boat with Bob and Maureen on Paradisea and along with Lou helped him get up the mast to replace his vhf antenna.
I have reserved a slip at the marina here, and with better luck, I'll be back in the water by Monday evening.  We'll see....

One of the last things I removed from the boat before 

departing was a couple of geckos.

While I has able to catch and release them unharmed, 

they both jettisoned their tails in a panic.

Ready to cast off

Pulling away from the slip

Bringing up the fenders in the rain

Heading out of the Nuevo Vallarta Harbor

  Timelapse of the crossing to La Cruz

Waiting at the fuel dock next to the shipyard

The haul-out

Pressure-washing

Oscar wet sanding the old paint.

All the underwater metal was sanded to bare metal.

Good to see all the metal was a healthy color;

not the pink that indicates electrolysis.

All the metal was separately primed.

The prop was in good shape and the

cutlass bearing was solid.

Oscar rolls on a coat of 1277 primer so

the new paint will stick.

My friend Mike was also on the hard to replace the seals

for the twin saildrives and get new bottom paint.

Circadian in the background.

 

The La Cruz Inn where I am staying while the boat is in

the yard.

The pool

The patio in front of my room

The view from my patio

The geckos come out on the wall in the evening.

  

The room was simple, but clean and comfortable.

I really enjoyed the luxury of an ensuite shower!

Coffee in the morning at the Inn's sidewalk café

 

Coffee klatch on Paradisea with Maureen, Bob, Lou and Rick

Bob installing a new VHF antenna

I stalked this egret for about 20 minutes.

I was able to get within five feet without

it panicking.

 

An egret in flight near the malecon by the marina.

Sunset from the Rivera Nayarit Marina

in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

The anchorage off La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

Having lunch at the Iguana Garden Sanctuary around

the corner from the Inn.

Me, the chef and his nephew.  Very friendly folks!

Why they call it the Iguana Garden Sanctuary:  the

iguanas come for lunch too!