Mexico seems to have holidays a lot of the time and I am not sure when holidays apply. Today was an example when most stores like Walmart and others were open, the critical stores I needed for my next project were closed, I thought for afternoon rest, so I waited and then found out that it was holiday for these 2 bussineses I needed. So my plans change and I will try to get tomorrow, and we delay leaving by 24 hours so be life. My latest project is "lightening " protection as this is the next challange we run into as we move south and I want the boat well grounded and externally if possible. So do the normal discussion on strategies between different crusiers over a beer or two, and then we go and read a number of books and online, and sure enough it appears to be a "black art" with some recommendations.

So I have a strategy to connect brounds to to shrouds and back stay and see how this works.

It is interesting to see the switch in conversation here as all the crusiers here are heading south, and so they are looking at the same passages asking questions about imagration into the central Amaerican countries. Weather as we all build up to doing the Gulf of T in about 3 to 4 weeks which is approx a 500 mile trip, and has a good reputation for being nasty, but a couple of boats just completed the trip, and we will have some buddy boats.

The conversations have also gone to a longer term discussions as the boats we now with are out longer than just the 6 months of winter, and have longer term goals, like Endurance (our friiends with teh two girls) they are here and they are going down to the cannal and then will go through and back up to Florida. We will be riding with them until El Salvador meeting them at different ports it is good for the kids to meet up with the same people regularly.

We are outside at a street cafe over the marina doing email and catching up, the temperature is in the 80s with a slight breeze. It is very pleasant here and we find it one of the best places to provision far better than PV or Mazatalna as things are close and well stocked.

 Stay tuned