Chip & Debbie Willis on s\v Elegant'sea: 2023

Road trip o Playa Pichilingue - 2023

We took a road trip in our car yesterday to Playa Pichilingue. Just up the coast a bit and right past the Baja ferry landing port. We had anchored here on the way into La Paez when crossing the Sea of Cortez, this last spring.

Debbie took out her Sea Eagle 300x inflatable kayak and pumped it up so we could see if it will fit properly in the Magma surf/kayak racks.

This is the x-ray of my broken collarbone. I fell off our boat onto the dock. As it is said I think "land is a sailors' worst danger". This will put a bit of an inconvenience in our cruising season and my paddleboarding, kayaking etc. Please be careful out there. The cruising will still go forward but at different level etc for us.
December 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico
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National Geographic Venture in La Paz - 2023

We took a nice walk along the La Paz malacon and we saw the National Geographic Venture ship docked there. Nice sight!

Paddle board: Starboard Atlas Extra with Starlite in good condition for sale. It is 12' x 36' x 4.6' and can also be surfed. It is very stable and will work with one adult and one child or one adult and larger dogs etc. It works well in boat wakes and wind chop, etc. We are in La Paz at Marina Costa Baja.

Update:

Sold this.

Taylor Made 18" Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Buoy - White

This Taylor 18" ball fender is for our stern to dock separation. We purchased this from Lopez Marine Chandlery in de La Paz. This will help keep our stern, bikini, wind generator etc from getting too close to the piling at the end of our finger pier in a tropical storm/hurricane.

We met our marina friends Nicole and Marc (on s/v Carefree) for lunch at a restaurant they recommended, Toto Fritos. The beauty of this place, other than the good food and wonderful Sea view is that they have two pickleball courts. And because we ate there, play was at no cost.

We worked with Cross Marine Works to perform the annual service on our Beta 38 diesel heat exchanger stack tube.

The other day Debbie and I went to Baja Paperworks and had Diego help us get new drivers licenses for La Paz and changed the state for our car plates...we're re not on the mainland anymore. And the shop is going to help us with our Mexican wills.

The other day we went to the Marina Costa Baja Puerto Restaurant & Pool and had a game of Mexican Train Dominoes (or Cuban as they call it here). We thaught a couple of newbies the game. Was it beginners luck or did we create a monster!? A fun time was had by all!
Joe and Jami on s/v Sherpa
Marc and Nicole on s/v Carefree and of course us!
Marc was the big winner 🏆
December 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico

Our current fender list for our 36' sailboat - 2023

Taylor Made Tuff End Buoy

We are deciding our fender needs for our docking at this and any other marina. We need to protect our boat from the one next to us at their slip. We have had gusts to 50 knots or more in the last tropical storm\hurricane. Fends were one of the main tools lacking.

Removed the Water Miser Battery Caps by Flow Systems USA.

We were told the caps never needed Maintenace. However, they do if the battery acid\water starts to bubble over or out of the holes in the caps.

La Paz to Puerto Ballena on Thanksgiving - 2023

Today is Thanksgiving and we sailed, motor sailed from La Paz to Puerto Ballena and we anchored at Laraza.

I broke out the paddleboard for a trip from the inner harbor here at Marina Costa Baja to the outer harbor and possibly behind but was cut short by a guard.

We had a fun afternoon at the Puerto Beach Club - a new, exclusive benefit here at Marina Costa Baja. It was really nice. They gave us plush towels to use and the pool is an infinity pool looking over the beach and bay. The water is warm and there is a jacuzzi and it is also nice.

La Paz to Puerto Balandra - 2023

We spent a couple days here. We had 20 knots on the nose apparent and some spray in the cockpit, but it was still a comfortable couple hour passage. A bit rollie in the anchorage but we have our flopper stopper out. Water is great, clear and refreshing. Nice to be off the dock. It calmed down and tomorrow was nicer.

Purchased from Hector Marine - Filter material, 1 meter (approx. 3 feet). Good plastic product replacement from foam material provided by Dometic Marine. 4000 pesos. This where we brought our Mermaid Marine Air 5200 btu unit for repair.
It is nice to be able to find these kinds of things here. In the past in PV it was very difficult.

November 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico

New paint and plexiglass for engine control panel - 2023

Today was a fine day for Debbie to clean and paint out the Beta Marine 38 hp control panel in the cockpit.

Yesterday Debbie and I were in Centro La Paz and stopped at Lopez Marine and picked up a stronger 1 1/4 inch joiner.

After sitting pickled all Summer (hurricane season) our Spectra water maker would not create high pressure when we started it up.

Debbie and I removed our Mermaid marine 5200 btu HVAC unit and drove it over to Hector Marine here in La Paz. (A previous HVAC tech in Puerto Vallarta trouble found the problem to be the TXV valve. (We picked up one in the US this summer).

We picked up our unit at Hector's Marine yesterday...Debbie and I re-installed it in the hanging locker. It is now cooling just great again! Life is good. This unit will do just our stateroom and head or just the stateroom if we want to at night etc, saving our electric bill if we choose; not to run the big unit and cool the whole boat.

Alex Tech 10ft-1/4" 10ft-3/8" 10ft-1/2" Split Wire Loom Tubing Wire Conduit – Black - purchased from Amazon.

We purchased this 5 mm Bear full dive suit from Ocean Enterprises in San Diego. It is for snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez.

ESUPPORT 1 Inch 20 Feet Split Loom Wire Flexible Tubing Conduit Hose - purchased from Amazon.

This covers our solar panels wires coming down from the Bimini on the outside. The sun does eat it up and so it needs replacing about every other season. It would be nice to find a better solution that looks as good.
September 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico
Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently house sitting 🏠 in San Diego, SoCal

APPS2Car Sturdy CD Slot Phone Mount - 2023

APPS2Car Sturdy CD Slot Phone Mount with One Hand Operation Design, Hands-Free Car Phone Holder Universally Compatible with All iPhone & Android Cell...purchased from Amazon.

This should work well on our 2008 VW Jetta, our car in Mexico.

September 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico
Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently house sitting 🏠 in San Diego, SoCal

Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix - 2023

Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix 0.7oz, 10 Pouches, Total Net 7oz - purchased from Amazon.

Easier than lugging bottles of dressing back to the boat and stores better also.

September 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently house sitting 🏠 in San Diego, SoCal

Spot light Waterproof Remote Control Relay Switch - 2023

ZHOFONET Waterproof Remote Control Relay Switch, 328ft Long Range Wireless Remote Switch,DC 12V-72V Relay RF Remote Control Switches for Outdoor Light purchased from Amazon.

Our current one died at the end of last season. It has been working for 11 + years so it has done it's job.

GEAR AID Sea Drops Anti-fog and Cleaner for Dive and Snorkel Masks, 1.25 fl oz, 2-pk - purchased from Amazon.

We have been using these drops and they work fine. You can spit in the mask to accomplish the same thing, but this works well and are easy to keep around.

September 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico
Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently house sitting 🏠 in San Diego, SoCal

New winch cover fabric purchased - 2023

Sunbrella Awning/Marine 6020-0000 60" Beige, Fabric by the Yard - purchased from Amazon

Our winch covers are in bad shape. They are at least 15 years old sorry to say. Debbie is going to make new ones this season. We got this color because it is close to what the current ones are, and it matches the cockpit cushions.

September 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently house sitting 🏠 in San Diego, SoCal

OXO BREW Twisting Tea Ball Infuser - 2023

OXO BREW Twisting Tea Ball Infuser - purchased from Amazon.

We have switched from coffee to tea. We still get a cup of coffee at times but only for a treat as we still like the taste. We do however drink decaf coffee and have for a while now for various reasons. We purchased two of these, one for each cup.

SWISSELITE Laundry Bag with Handle and Drawstring, Large Heavy Duty Laundry Bag, 28 x 40 Inches Travel Dirty Clothes Bag for Laundromat and Household

Our laundry bags get a lot of use on the boat. We are lucky that we have a laundry hamper in the head but getting the laundry to the laundromat to wash them is a tussle.

Starlink - Reducing Coupling mount 1-1/2 x 1-1/4 Inch adapter - 2023

Supply Giant 6I4J Flexible Pvc Reducing Coupling with Stainless Steel Clamps, 1-1/2 x 1-1/4 Inch, Black

This we purchased so we would not have to remove or lift up the Starlink antenna to park the unit. This last summer we removed it and stored it away.

Melnor 65086-AMZ EZ-Flow Control Valve with 3 Hose Washers Set, 2-Way

Purchased from Amazon.

The Y valve we now have at the dock box is really hard to turn with the little black flippers. Simple upgrade but will make life easier!

New Sea-Lect Y-Valve for chain locker and anchor chain wash down - 2023

We purchased this Sea-Lect Y-Valve from Downwind Marine and it is going to replace the one we have in our anchor locker for at least the 13 years. It switches between sail water and fresh water for washing down the anchor and chain or whatever needs it. Our current Sea-lect Y-Valve is or was leaking a bit and it is now hard to turn. The leaking/dripping has stopped, I think.

These clips we purchased at Sailing Supply\Downwind and they are well made. We got 12 of the ones that you sew on the strapping on one end or tie a bowline etc. And four of the kind that just take the strapping. They are fine for some things but they can tend to slide off the strapping when not clipped and fall into the drink. 12@712345 4@700978

We took a trip to Industrial Metal Supply Co and did some eye candy shopping. Most people probably would not find that fun but we do. We were looking for a piece of stainless-steel plate to mount our Vespa Marine smartAIS XB 8000 AIS on. It is now a Garmin AIS system.

Fstop Labs Acoustic Panels, 2" X 12" X 12" Acoustic Foam Panels, Studio Wedge Tiles, Sound Panels wedges Soundproof Foam Padding Sound Insulation Absorbing (12 Pack, Black) Purchased from Amazon.

tp-link AC1750 WiFi Range Extender with High Speed Mode and Intelligent Signal Indicator (RE450)

We have good WiFi at the marina. So, while we are away for hurricane season, we shut down Starlink and use the WiFi at the dock to access the boat Cielo and that gives us access to our dehumidifier and the settings etc.

Debbie and I will be snorkeling, and Debbie needed some nice gear for this activity. She got some contact lenses and now has some nice eye and breathing gear. We are going to hold off on the fins and any other gear till we try this out in the Sea of Cortez. We both have wet suits, but Debbie has a spring suit. We want to try things out in the fall and spring before getting other gear.

We purchased two of these 20x20 covers and then we purchased two 20x20 pillows. We could not seem to find what we wanted all in one. Turns out it was a good way of doing the purchase. The pillows came vacuumed in a bag and so did the covers. Amazon purchases.

These MIULEE Outdoor Waterproof ones look good also.

We purchased a new travel battery operated Waterpik Cordless . The old one in the US is to the left. It works great for me as it has enough power and holds a charge for a long time. The old one in this picture we gave away.

Honda 9.9 outboard CR5HSB 98056-55777 spark plugs.

Purchased from Amazon.

We purchased a new motor mount for our Beata 38 hp diesel engine because if one goes out then we are in trouble. The one I am thinking is the most likely to break is the one under the oil filter, starboard front.

Renator RV Water Pressure Regulator for RV Camper. Brass Lead-free Adjustable RV Water Pressure Regulator Porched from Amazon.

We plan on connecting the dock box water to the boat on a semi all time hook up. Meaning because we are planning at being at the marina more in the SoC and we are at a marina with potabile water lets hook it up full time. No filling the tanks when they get low. It will be water on demand. The first part of that is changing the water pressure from the dock to the boat. This will do that. Our water in the boat is about 45 psi or a bit less. The marina water pressure is much higher.

September 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently in Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, Mexico

New galley sink 1 1/4 inch thru hull and valve etc purchased - 2023

This is the original setup. This was done by Islander Yachts about 40 years ago and it is below the water line. We think it is time to replace the setup. We did replace the hose back in 2011. We plan on doing a bottom job in April of 2024 possibly. That would be a good time to replace the 1 1/4 thru hull. We thought we would bring this new setup below, back to La Paz, our new home port when we return this season.

This is our first hurricane season in La Paz Mexico. We have spent the last 11 years on the Mexican Rivera (between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco) . Our current boat watcher and crew removed and our boat cover for hurricane "Hiliary" and then re-installed it. Only it is looking a bit droopy. It is not on correctly so we will need to re-school them as we plan on spending more hurricane seasons in the La Paz area. We think it is just a matter of the way the straps are attached to the lifelines, with a simple re-connecting them on the outside of the top lifeline the cover should be nice and tight and not collect water or flap at all in the wind. That is the way we had it before.

Purchased from Amazon

Mcbazel Surecom SW-102 Digital VHF/UHF 125-525Mhz Antenna Power & SWR Meter

Purchased from Amazon.com

This we purchased so we can more easily trouble shoot our Standard Horizon Matrix GX 2150 and our ICOM M802 SSB radios.

Crocodile Alligator Clips, 15A Test Lead Wire Cable with Insulators Clips, 5 Colors 3.3 ft/1m Test Flexible Cable with Protective Jack Copper Clamps for Electrical Testing.

These come in handy. and we seem to always need more than two. You can connect them for a 6 foot length. Purchased from Amazon.com

July 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently house sitting 🏠 in San Diego, SoCal

Part purchased is for our Mermaid 5200 btu HVAC unit - needs repairing - 2023

Our Mermaid 5200 btu unit in our stateroom has not been working because of this valve.

The best we could do in Puerto Vallarta for our marine HVAC system was an overpriced AC guy this last year. Before that it was really hard to find a decent AC person to work on our HVAC system either it be our Mermaid 1200 btu salon system or this Mermaid 5200 btu stateroom system in PV. Now that we are in La Paz we are hoping to fair better. There is a Marine HVAC store here in La Paz so we are hoping it will work out in October when we try for the repair.

Purchased Blue Sea Systems Dual USB Chargers.

Purchased from Amazon.com

Purchased this USB charger to replace a plug that went to a pump that we ended up not using on the cockpit. We then made the plug into two cigarette lighter connections for various items. It is however gangly and seldom used. This is something we will probably use a lot more.

Color Changing Rope Lights: Outdoor String Lights with Plug & Remote | Twinkle Lights

These will run off shore power because we will be in a marina more often now. They should not bee too bright. Enough to give us some ambience. Purchased from Amazon.com

July 2023 - Chip & Debbie 💑 Currently house sitting 🏠 in San Diego, SoCal