Spare Parts found, Spanish improving and day of Education

Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Tue 16 Mar 2010 22:15
It helps not to have a public holiday, the marina is quieter and everything is open. I was able to get into twon and excercise my technical spanish again, trying to buy battery cables and grounding strips, lots of diragrams and hand waving, but achieved it. I now have the parts for my Lighting Protection system, or my attempt. As we come into summer we will get regular thunderstorms in the afternoon, they will bring relief with rain, and wash the boat, but also lightning which for a sailboat with a mast can be an issue. If we get a direct hit we will be damaged the idea is to reduce the damage and reduce the static charge at the top of the mast. So I have big battery cables and grounding automotive strips which will be used to hang over the side connected to the mast and stays providing a direct connection to ground, which we hope will keep the major current outside the boat, and us in safety.
How as you move the channchallengers change. I am sitting next to a just retired Chevron crusier who has taken an early retirment and with his wife and 2 boys is cruising Mexico. We are both sitting here on this cobble street at 20 degree slop on wooden benches listening to "Eagles " Hotel California", and we catching up on email, over a beer or two in this great european type setting. He is enjoying been with the family doing the boys education, and experiencing new places with them, it took him 8 years to get his wife to allow him to go.
I have Sean doing word games and excercises with me as his afternoon lessson, before he goes back to the pool.
 
Earlier I had a crusier anchored next to us from germany discussing his strategies, he is heading in 10 days to French Polynesia a 21 day (2800mile) run), as this is plan next year from further south, we talked about his provisioning and planning as he is doing it 2 handed with his wife. So it is a long period to be on 4 hour shifts, he as a German was very straight forward, their plan bigger picture is to circumnavigate.
 
So we are all living our own dream, tomorrow we take off for an over night run to Z "What" Endurance left this morning we will meet up in 2 days, it should be a nice 180 mile run.
We give you updates from the passage.