The Dinghy

Well the most unfortunate thing that happened while we were up in Canada Our Dinghy was being used and abused by the Fellow looking after our boat. Now As all cruisers know The Dinghy is our car, Our means of travel to and from shore,  it could dub as a life boat in a real pinch, One would have difficulty without one in the cruising world,  Nikita Babied this rubber dinghy, it was his skurf machine and Kiya had dinghy driving lessons on it,She loves speed and its a bit unpredictable to go with her. Noah has driven it and feels huge when he is given the tiller to take charge.

 anyway we arrived to find it deflated and severly damaged from the barnicles and ocean life attached on the bottom, this guy used it the whole time and at one point it was reported to the marina office as sinking. we spent hours restoring and trying to cliam it to some state of dignity.

Friends

The next few days we spent with Barb and Micheal Harrison and Daniel, There is something mysteriously bonding between sailors, perhaps a common behaviour out of the everyday norm,   it even gets deeper as time goes on, i thought bout it alot and i think,  when we spent the days in the beginning right after the Ba ha ha the Bay of Muertos, several boats there had an interesting bonding and after a few days there, some of us sailed a very rough passage together to anchor in the nick of time,( before dark,) i recall whatcha gonna do, Gypsywind, and Theaopholis, babeze and a few other quietly being grateful that evening, tucked away in a breathtaking anchorage and feeling safe, boat people bond quickly and deeply in these moments , we have endured together and we understood each other. We have had many of these times with Watcha Gonna Do.   Our Children have become best Friends, and this fluke meeting  in Mazatlan after 8 months was not just by chance, it was a happening!!
We arrived to find Babeze 3 slips down from us docked at the El Cid for the last few months
last year on my birthday Barb and Tanya (Meshach)spent the day with me doing yoga and going for coffee and  doing women things. This year for my birthday, who would have guessed i was doing yoga with Barb who has become this most amazing instructor. and out for dinner with the watcha gonna do crew and gypsywind crew (thank-you Micheal for the sweet Caroline in open market Plaza Machado)!!

FRIENDS



waiting for Watcha Gonnado's arrival



dinner together with best friend Harrison

when our paths shall cross

On our forth day here, working on the boat, what else do you do in paradise? ( inside joke) the VHF is on.
A familiar voice on the radio is asking for conditions to the enterance of the channel at Mazatlan. Could it be; it is "Whatcha Gonna Do" is an hour out and coming in. now the channel is 100 ft from our dock they will have to come past us to go up the channel. Our dear dear friends we cruised with for 6 months last winter. Noahs' very closest friend, Harrison, is coming to Mazatlan; What are the chances, us down for only two and a bit weeks, we heard "they" were in La Paz, with Micheal in the States. We gave them a hoop and a holler welome as they entered. Kim in her usual way Invited them for spagetti when Barb hailed us. Kim says who wants to cook after a 36 hr crossing. It was great seeing Harrison, Danelle, Barb and Micheal. It was beautiful to catch up on the last 8 months, what a nice supprise for every one. With some needed servicing they are preparing to head south to Huatulco (south of Acapulco) and then prepare for the puddle jump, into the South Pacific. Well it,s great having friend the kids have been in the pool together every day, Kim, Barb and the girls are doing the Yoga thing, most mornings. Life has a way of unfolding before us like a big blue sea,with a sunset on the horizon, and wind on our backs, one needs to stop and enjoy the moment.
Gypsywind with dock lines still tied.

That's Bitchin

THATS BITCHIN BOB! and Gypsywind crew

Well it gets better, Bob Bitchin, owner of the cruising magazine " Latitudes & Attitudes" comes over with his camara man and asks for an interview, they are doing a piece on El Cid Mariana's ,they return in the morning and ask a few questions "How we like this Marina", Get us to say "We are the Chernoff family from Nelson BC, Latatitudes & Attitudes will be right back" it was short, but we invite them in for coffee (Oso Negro coffee)  and they come below, both know our boat well, Bob had a formossa 51 very simular, then a Formossa 56 ends up we were in the south Pacific at the same time in 1991.Tonga was both our favorite, his friend, owns the Moorings charter up in the Vanu atu group, well we swap lots of stories they stay for an hr, both are casual and the talk is comfortable.
 It was great, Bob Knew where Nelson was, he and his wife had two young crew members from Nelson in the South Pacific, and one came back for thier Atlantic crossing, when they got knocked down by a water spout.
Bob dropped by the latest issue of Lats & Atts, nice people, I forgot the camara guys name, what a nice guy.
 We went out for lunch to the vegaterian place for vegi burgers and on to Home Depot then Sorianas for grocreies . we came back to Gypsywind rich with food. Thats one thing about Mexico thier produce is like off the garden, The cucumbers smell like Babas greenhouse. It was Sunday,after putting away everything, this time  Kim  and I accually got into the hot Tub, a 20x30 pool, it gets cold at night here, the kids are using duvets as blanket, and the mornings are wet with dew, but the sun rises7am and it's gone by 8am it's hot in the afternoon 28c maybe

Noah keeps talking about Harrison (his friend from Whatcha gonna do) we hear they are in La Paz so he writes an E-mail asking if they plan on coming to Mazatlan soon.We  run into a few people we have meet last year but none of our dear friends.
 Next post  "the suprise"
Gypsywind
standing by on the side for now

work work work

We have done many things, but we did not come back to a boat that has been shut tight in 40c heat for all of summer, which is also the rainy season, hurracane season,etc. The vitamns we left on board were melted together,packaged cearal was ransid, and one of the boxed juices were off, but for the most part we did well compaired to some of the stories we heard of mold etc.
All that work we did before leaving paid of ,no leaks, The desil in the full tank must have expanded, the top of the tank was wet, heance the disel smell.Kim did chuck some food, did not want to take a chance.
Saterday our second day here, Total Yacht Works the local fixit yard (big) threw a all food & drink and music party. It was great, the musicians were so good, a lot of blues, two gals two guys,what a nice time.
And to top it off the owner comes and introduces himself, said he overheard we are form Nelson, he lived 10 years in kaslo, 45min away. I new who ever put this party on was a nise person. Said he would drop by and have a look at our non transmitting VHF radio.
Not all work, we check out the pool the kids have a blast with all thrie new friends.
I better post before I lose it
catch you on the next post

Heading back to Gypsywind

The winter is closing in here in BC. the day we left the snow broke out just after we left Nelson. By the time we got to Kootenay pass it was white out conditions. How do I know you ask? Because Kim also had her nose to the windshield and she couln't see any better.After lunch Kim took over driving, it is still snowing,and I dose off, wake up and Kim is saying we are approching Elko. Elco I've never been in elko. Must have taken a wrong turn we are now going the Crows Nest Pass the wind is blowing so hard, "we could die if we break down. we get to Fernie, a foot of snow on the ground, roofs, cars. It's winterwonder land. We cross over into Alberta, and it's cold , very cold. We Get to Calgary, We are to fly out in the morning,it's -22C the bloody snow is squeeking as you walk.We are 3 hrs late but alive. 5 Hrs sleep and we are good to go.The car will never start in 18 days,but so what we are out of here. The flight  was normal, West Jet, except for the guy who thought the world revolves around him, and talked my ear off. We land, it's hot, and muggy,with a damp concrete smell.The Kids can remember way more Spanish words then us. Gypsy wind sits at her slip as destingished as ever.As we climb down the  companion way we get a smell of desel, we've arrived!

back to Gypsywind for a visit

After almost 7 months we are going back to see if our second home is still floating.
winter back home was a knocking, (we seen snow flakes twice,nothing stayed) that all changed on the trip over to Calgary, an 8 hr drive.We had snow just minutes out of Nelson, by the time we got to the mountaian pass, we could beary see.We stoped and the kids threw snow balls, Nikita brought a snow skate for the occasion.

 It was magical on the passes and night fell and a few wrong turns, It was knuckle gripping the last few hours as we descended into calgary. To think we had in mind to go shoppig and instead dinner at 11:00 apples i think they were free at the front desk of the hotel. boarding flight tommorow early am.
good night
gypsywind crew in anticipation !