Cathedral

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A walk around the Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción. Or the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Or just the plain old Cathedral. Completed in 1899 it’s looking as good as the day they installed the last blood-stained statue. I sincerely mean that—it really is a beautiful place. The cathedral is just … Read More

Could It Be The…

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Yesterday morning I took my new torque wrench and went back to the boat to wreak havoc. I torqued the head bolts, in sequence, to a smudge under 110, just like the manual said. Just about every bolt took a half turn. I then adjusted the valves and closed the … Read More

Twenty-seven and forty-seven months

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Ouest is one month from being four years old. Which sucks because she was finally getting good at answering the “how old are you” question correctly. Now we have to start all over again. Meanwhile Lowe just had a monumental month. Yes, he no longer pees in diapers, he pees … Read More

Torque

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I went out to the boat yesterday to clean up a bit, get an awning up, and change the oil. When a friend on a neighboring boat mentioned he had a torque wrench I figured I could check the torque on the head bolts as well. Unfortunately his torque wrench … Read More

I’m Back

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So I finally arrived outside of Mazatlan around two o’clock in the morning. This is not a breakwater that you go through in the middle of the night on the wrong tide, so instead I anchored behind a nearby island. I started the engine, dropped the main sail, glided slowly … Read More

Confusion

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All right, well disregard everything I’ve said the past couple of days. I’ve now got milky oil and am right back where I started this whole mess months ago. I’m thinking that white smoke coming out of the blowback tube is a big clue, but I’ve no real idea what … Read More

White Goo

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This engine issue went on all day. I got very little wind—never more than 5 knots—and couldn’t make over a knot or two without motoring. So off and on I would fire up the engine for a couple of hours, always keeping one eye on the gauges. The second I’d … Read More

On My Way South

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I was up early yesterday with a million things to do still before 8 a.m. Top of the list was running up to the grocery store for some Dramamine. I can’t leave on a longish passage without Dramamine pills for the first day, one in the morning and one in … Read More

Success

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Omar showed up at eight o’clock sharp this morning with the steering box (I swear I can not ever remember the name of that thing). He had noticed that when it was all put together he could move the shaft back and forth maybe an eighth of an inch—just enough … Read More

Injection

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We got back to work on the engine this morning and before long it was time for the big moment. Shortly after this video was taken the mechanic realized that one of the fuel injectors was leaking. We removed it for a closer look and discovered that a metal ring … Read More

Boat Bound

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On the road again. Headed back to the boat by bus for what I can only hope is the last time. Thirteen hour bus rides are great and all, but I really could do without them for a while. The bus trips are always broken up—I assume at the State … Read More

Morning Walk

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What I really love about living in Old Town Mazatlan is that every outing can be visually stimulating. Today we walked over to Olas Altas beach for breakfast. About a thirty minute walk with the kids (equal to seven minutes for adults alone).