Replaced anchor locker chain hook\chain and re-bedded the chain locker drain hose - 2015

End of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
We replaced this chain hook with a new 3\8 SS chain hook 
and a SS shackle. We also replaced the old painted chain 
with some new chain. No more rust!

Stern shower\deck washdown all plumbed - 2015

September 2015 - - s\v Elegant'sea is at a private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
We are thinking of sneaking this "just and easy 😁" project into our summer list.

Selling it off - stuff gotta go - car - bicycles + misc

End of September 2015 - House sitting At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
Because I need a new hip and we will be going to the VA in the USA for the hip surgery, we are lightening the load. We are shedding our land ties here so we can be more portable. For instance, we own a Mexican-registered car. 

With no AC, it makes it tough in the summer.
We have Mexican driver’s licenses and permanent residence status. We have two bicycles and some other small items that we do not need to be portable. Our Ford Ka has sat all last summer at Paradise Village Marina and we got grief for it. It sat for 6 months while we were cruising.
Our Mexican car.
They did not charge us but what do we do the same again this summer, pay for storage?
We do not think so. All this summer we have used the house sitting vehicles and this truck we are using is quite nice. SO the car has again sat.

We have not needed the bicycles either.  So off they went to somebody who can use them for some decent pesos. We sold our two bicycles to Tim and Paula s\v hooligan at Paradise Village Marina and are now looking to sell our Ford Ka. We hope to cruise this winter again and then next summer head to the USA for a hip. 
Debbie's ride...we have added a front basket.
Here is my bicycle - last year, I blew out the front tire 
here jumping a curb so we took the bicycle to the bike shop.
Going to the States would mean leaving the boat here in Mexico. We probably would choose a more affordable marina to leave it in than Paradise Village Marina. Say, up in Mazatlan, for instance. Well, the Ford Ka would not make the trip. The car is nice when we need it but a pain when we do not. Anyway, off it is going to go.

Anchor snubber/chain hook re-visited - 4 of 6 - 2015

End of September 2015 -s\v Elegant'sea is at private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
Before.
 We the pin and roller to the Taler De Torno Gonzalez Machine shop - SS welding and had the weld job done.

Varnishing the nav station mostly complete, with satin - 2015

September 2015 - s\v Elegant'sea is at a private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
We have sanded and scrapped and washed etc to get this ready for varnish.

Stateroom cabinet and door hinges - painted - 2015

September 2015 - s\v Elegant'sea is at a private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
These hinges came off pieces we are varnishing.

“Bye bye” to IMSS insurance for us, we have free US healthcare - 2015

End of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico   
It has been our experience that the IMSS insurance for Mexican workers is not for us. I originally thought that it would be the solution for our health care. We have cruiser friends up in the Sea of Cortés (Gulf of California) that raved about it. They possibly were not looking for the level of care that I was. He also had VA benefits in the US and was right across the border being up in the Sea.

Newfound Metals Deck Washdown installed - stern shower 2 of 2 - 2015

The original stern shower try. 
Nice try but no shower worth taking as the water trickled out 😕

Varnishing the nav station mostly complete - 2015

September 2015 - s\v Elegant'sea is at a private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
Starting out. Old varnish.

Stern bracket welded for dinghy tie up done - 2015

End of September 2015 - s\v Elegant'sea is Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico
 We removed the stern bracket from the boat and took it to the Taler De Torno Gonzalez Machine shop - SS welding and had the weld job done.

About what we wanted.
We brought the support bracket for the Kato Marine Island Davits with us to show them what we wanted. We did not have a "U" bracket for the job so they had to make one.
We had the 1' SS tube welded into the bracket and the "U" added. Nicely done.
Now to make a backing plate and re-install it.

Anchor snubber/chain hook re-visited - 3 of 6 - 2015

End of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico


We purchased the Mantus Chain hook and bridle system. We also got boat show pricing which made it even better!

 We, like other cruisers, anchor for months at a time and use a bridle every time we anchor!

Equalizing Mastervolt AGM batteries - No 2015

End of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
 I wrote to A-Z Marine in San Diego where we purchased or four 6 volt Mastervolt AGM batteries and asked if the needed to be equalized. The response is below.

Anchor snubber/chain hook re-visited - 2 of 6 - 2015

Middle of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
It seems the ABI chain grabber we have is one size fits all. It looks like I will need to work with this ABI some before I get it down. 

Debbie is making salon seat covers from HD tarps - 1 of 4 - 2015

Middle of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico

Debbie is making salon seat covers from Home Depot tarps!

Anchor snubber/chain hook re-visited -1 of-6 - 2015

Middle of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico 

For as much as we anchor (a heck of a lot) I do not know why we never spent the time and money to get\make a great and easy-to-deploy snubber? 

 From what I understand the bridle should sit about a foot under water at all times with a healthy length of chain for a loop. 

Dinghy wheel cover started (by Debbie) - 2015

Middle of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico

Debbie and I engineering the Danard dinghy wheel cover using a paper pattern.

Alan and Elizabeth came over and worked on their boat shade 2015

15' long by 15' wide plus now two side shades. 
Lots of shade!.
Alan and Elizabeth came over and worked on their boat shade awning for a coupe days.
With the a/c on and Mexican Train dominoes for after with good food, it was not so bad 😅

New Marinco 30A 125V Female Connector for 30 amp power cord (shore power) - 2015

Beginning of September 2015 - At private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
Nice outdoor work area (with the boat in the background s\v Elegant'sea).

Zinc plug is leaking on our 38 hp Beta diesel engine - 2015

Middle of September 2015 - Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico
So we sent this off to the Beta Marine support forum to see about the leaking plug.


Note 2018:

 We think we found out what happened and the fix for this leaking zinc problem.
Beta 38 hp engine zinc leaks - found out why, NPT or BSP

We have a Beta Marine 38 hp engine with about 640 hours on it. We changed out the zinc in Zihuatanejo, Mexico and then sailed and motored back up to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and the bolt that holds the zinc in leaked the whole way. Not bad but enough to drool salt water onto the engine and motor mount. Not good. At the time we did not want to take a chance on stripping it out as we were not by any services.

Standard Horizon GPS antenna hooked up - got data! 2015

Beginning of September 2015 - t private slip in Nuevo Vallarta in Banderas Bay, Mexico
 Our Standard Horizon GxX150 now gets GPS data from the Q7000619A antenna.


From Standard Horizon tech support:


"Press and hold Menu for 2 seconds. Go into the General Setup. Scroll down and select NMEA Data In/Out. Make sure 4800 is highlighted"

So this was news to us. We changed this from 3800 to 4800 and we got data. Now we will need to change the settings on the Garmin 740 chart plotter to get AIS data. So happy days with no more alarm!
Of course we are tied up so no speed data etc.
As safety goes this is a good thing because we do not need to depend on the chart plotter to be working to get data to send if we press the "Emergency" button.

Sewing bimini for for re-positioned Kato Marine Island Davits - 2015

No bimini! The birds like the new perches.
 Debbie took off the bimini and she is making modifications for the Kato Marine Island Davits. We re-positioned the Kato Marine Island Davits last year in the summer and this summer made some changes to the bracing so the mods to the bimini and the stern 90% phifertex shade screen are getting done.