This was another M. Night Shyamalan moment. He had some great movies, however The Happening wasn’t one of them. The premise was great, the production was not. On the other hand, things like this always make me think of it.
I don’t recall what I was doing, but I looked out Sampaguita‘s companionway and there was this flock of birds just soaring over this one particular spot of La Paz. There was some wind but it seemed more like convection heat holding them there. It has been very hot the last couple of days. I don’t know, it just made me feel something.
Thanks to Monica and Latitude 38’s ‘Lectronic Latitude for publishing another Resourceful Sailor installment. This one is about how I keep Sampaguita’s drop boards from coming out if I get knocked down or capsized. Not what you want to think about, but you better.
If you have your own version of how to secure your drop boards, feel free to comment at the bottom of the article.
Follow the link:
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/resourceful-sailor-drop-boards/
The dolphins were at it again in the bay this morning. The moon was full over La Paz this evening. In between, I 303’d the dinghy, cleaned some of Sampaguita’s bottom, had pork chops for lunch, grocery shopping at Chedraui’s, met Paola and talked bottom cleaning cost, had a beer with 81 year-old Richard from S/V Firewater on the Club Cruceros patio, congratulated Zach for his incredible dinghy score, hamberguesas for dinner, and hot lime water for dessert.
Richard, I’ve seen around but had never chatted with him. In actuality, he did most of the talking, but he is good at it, with lots of sailing stories. He apparently built his boat, Firewater, forty years ago. It’s an old salty looking ketch. I first saw it in Los Frailes, and it did catch my eye and stick in my memory so it must be cool. In contrast, I never remember a Beneteau, Jeanneau, Hunter, or a Bayliner. A petite man, with a lot of spring in his step and beer in his belly, with a propensity for reminiscing, but I think he’s the real deal. Good anecdotal information.
Zach, I just met today, but apparently, he’s been around a lot. I avoid the crowds so there’s no surprise I’m slow on the take. Kind of a young guy living in Mexico for seven years. I’m not sure if he’s a citizen or what. Not a native Mexican. He was given a Cal 27 recently but had been borrowing a 14-foot aluminum skiff for a dinghy and using a kayak paddle to propel it, which is super un-ideal. This is how I met him:
I was working on the computer on Los Cruceros patio after grocery shopping, not paying much attention to anyone. Then this young guy starts asking everyone on the patio if they knew the boat, Wanderer. He explains he just found this packet on the bulletin board that says Free Dinghy from Wanderer. In the packet is a picture, a key, a receipt for the motor and its manual, and a note saying it is on the 24-hour dock. This guy really needs a dinghy, but it all seems too good to be true. He sincerely doesn’t want to steal it and is looking for confirmation that he can really have it. After quite a bit of due diligence and agreement from various others than it sure seems real, he goes and claims it. A great score for him. The dinghy is aged, but it seems to be holding air. The motor is an 8-horse 2-cycle Mercury, bought new on 12/29/2023 for 31,000 pesos, a little over $1800US! I saw the receipt. Starts up fine. Fuel in the tank and everything. We are all in disbelief, really. Every morning on the Net there are people trying to sell and buy dinghies. Heck, I paid $600 for a motorless dinghy. In actuality, I don’t need to be envious, it is a hard bottom dinghy and the motor is more than Sampaguita can accommodate. My dinghy is right-sized for Sampaguita which is rare, but absolutely necessary. But I had to think that through. I was sitting right there. If I had looked at the bulletin board before I got on the computer, I would have seen it first. But no worries. He needed it and obviously could never buy it. I would have only been able to sell it. A 2-cycle is a good motor to have as an outboard outside the US, but it’s not a long shaft, so no good for Sampaguita anyway. That’s a once in a lifetime score. Never mind that this kid can’t put it on the deck of a Cal 27, or inside either. He isn’t going cruising anyway.
Now, Paola. Paola is this young woman you see about the anchorage and Marina De La Paz. Apparently, she lives on a boat in the anchorage. You will often see her going back and forth in her dinghy, which is actually a sailing dinghy with no mast, fitted with an outboard. It’s big enough to haul her dive gear and dog. She seems very industrious. Her gig is cleaning boat bottoms and everyone seems to have her doing it. I once saw her taking the dinghy across the channel, reach over, wet her hand and stroke her hair through. Then repeat. Salty by definition.
As I prep for leaving, Sampaguita needs a good bottom cleaning. Growth has really begun over the last two months. It’s important to me to understand all things Sampaguita, so I have done the lion’s share of it, but there are some challenges to getting the light barnacle growth that has begun. I would have to rig a line around the boat and free dive with a scraper. I’ve imagined how I would do this, but also recognize the challenges. It’s tough to do in La Paz because of the current and wind. And as far as swimming, the bay wouldn’t be your first choice. I don’t have shower access, and while I could do this, I know it would be difficult. (I think I will have to haul the boat in French Polynesia and put some fresh bottom paint on.) So, I asked Paola what she would charge. She has a formula based on waterline, so, (small boat bonus) she quoted me 650 pesos. About $40 US. Scheduling is current and wind dependent, but that’s for her to decide. She’s got the gear and can do a good, practiced job of it, so I’ve decided to let her finish the job. I’m particular about who I have work on Sampaguita and I think an industrious young woman making a good go of it in a tough Mexican economy, with a resourceful approach to a dinghy, fits the bill.
Now, I have set a departure date for March 9th, weather and formalities willing. I have scheduled Paola already and have the 650 pesos budgeted out. This is happening regardless. I have made a new page on the blog called Sampaguita’s Donor Page. Here I have listed the initials (for privacy) of the donors and what their funds have been attributed to. If someone wants to participate in Sampaguita’s voyage and also to a young Mexican woman’s entrepreneurial endeavors, the next $40 donation will be credited to this. How’s that sound?
PayPal or Zelle: wheelersf@hotmail.com
A friend, champion, and donor of mine expressed how he enjoyed reading my blog and getting to know me better. So, I have decided to follow that lead in this excerpt and give a little taste from before there was Sailing With Josh. This won’t make what ultimately brought me to this point in life clear. Personally, I’m not ready for that sort of vulnerability. That seems like a book anyway.
Some know my story fairly well, while others likely have no clue. If you’ve kept up on your required reading, you already picked up on my childhood chicken expositions. My teenage years through my mid-thirties were focused on drums and percussion. I pursued those endeavors with the same vigor I approach sailing now. Intensity and focus are my thing. Personally, I think sailing suits me better. Sailing I can do by myself. Drumming depended too much on others.
We all approach life differently, so therefore all have a different journey. Sometimes that journey takes a crazy path. Somehow all this led me to where I am now. Here are some photos I came across recently. It’s about all there is. I hope you get a kick out of them.
I apologize, all photo credits are unknown.
Greetings fellow humans,
There is something called the La Paz Waltz. It’s a cheeky way of describing how different boats swing at anchor here in La Paz, Mexico. The music starts when strong wind and current oppose each other. While dancing is fine, kissing is a bit more risque. My neighbors this past Sunday were at it. They may have been smooching. It was a little difficult to tell from my angle, but they were close enough to be suspect. Not that I’m a puritan, but Sampaguita doesn’t want her delicate parts fondled in the anchorage.
No, I didn’t acquire a drone. I’m too old school for that, plus their invasive nature (and now common use in warfare) creeps me out. This is from atop of Sampaguita’s mast. I went up on a calmish, low current day to inspect before heading into the sunset. Everything looks as it should. I use a Top Climber to ascend and descend, allowing me to go it alone. It gets easier and less daunting the more you do it. Relaxing at the top in fairly calm water affords a moment for video. And Sampaguita’s top is only 31 feet up.
What’s the best nation in the world?
A Donation.
I received my French Polynesia paper nautical charts yesterday. But don’t worry, you can still contribute, they were bought on credit. I’ve attached a couple pictures so you know they’re real. Plus, it’s hard to top the romance and dreaming for an armchair sailor of studying nautical charts of distant lands. Sampaguita does not have an electronic chart plotter. I do have Navionics on my phone, but many (most?) of us have broken a phone or dropped one overboard, so that’s a risky dependency. I have charts on Open CPN, a free crowd sourced program, for a back up too. But computers also die and the salt water environment can easily make all electronics stop working forever. I know this from experience. I have GPS devices, but I also have a sextant and the tools to celestially navigate. Plus, focusing on electronic devices while trying to have a natural sailing experience removed from the burdens of a modern, high tech, and complicated world is too painful for the spirit. So, I bought some French charts, because they will be the most up to date. And whether you’re analog or digital, it all costs.
If that is all over your head, I will also be purchasing some travel health insurance soon, as I understand it is a requirement for entry into French Polynesia for the time I need to be there. I’m certain that can resonate with everyone. It will be of the minimal variety, enough to suit them. I am presently uninsured and I am well aware that a single-handed sailor suffering a medical situation at sea doesn’t stand much of a chance. No insurance will help at that time. Someone asked me once if I was afraid of pirates. I explained that the chance of choking to death was much more real.
Sampaguita is paid up on her registration through June 2025. I had to have those documents Expressed to me which cost nearly as much as the registration. My kayak warranty parts were sent snail mail, not priority as I was told they would be. They landed in Mexico City on January 12 and haven’t been heard from since. They offered to resend them, but I would have to pay for the Express shipping. So that was done yesterday.
Google Fi shut off my data, but my phone still works and my SMS texts began coming through, so that’s good for now. I joined Club Cruceros de La Paz for $10 which was a bargain to be able to use their wifi. So that’s how I’m posting this right now. That’s where I have been doing my marathon researching. I may move to the Tossible Digits service before I depart for Marquesas. Paying for Google Fi without data access isn’t a very good deal. Plus, I’ll be at sea where it won’t work anyway. Tossible Digits will allow me to keep my number and I will receive messages and SMS texts (no pictures or emojis or I won’t receive them) via email and their website. It will cost considerably less. Then I can get a local SIM card (I read that Vini will be the best in FP) which will give me data through any towers and calls can be made via Whatsapp. That is if I understand everything correctly.
There is no shortage of ways to make your contributions count towards the heart of the expedition. If you like to help those who help themselves, I have been writing and submitting stories to publications too. ‘Lectronic Latitude presently continues to publish some of my Resourceful Sailor pieces, which I am thankful for, but payment amounts to about $600 a year, if I’m lucky. (About $5 per hour.) I have asked for an increase multiple times, but to no avail. I have submitted some pieces to other, better paying publications but they can take up to 60 days to even say, “Thank you for your submission, but we are declining to publish.” And they all demand you do not submit to other publications simultaneously. It’s a bit of a power play. So that progress is slow and therefore, not very profitable. In talking to cruising veterans, they have explained how writing is considerably less valued than it was in previous times. I get it, the world is ever changing. It’s tough for us dinosaurs. Such is the way of a struggling artist, or in nautical terms, a sinking artist.
Think of sending a few dollars as similar to tipping your wait staff. You are feeding on the content and subsidizing the publication in return. I realize it’s easy to avoid as an anonymous and distant reader, but I appeal anyway. If you’re keen to support a writer, an explorer, and a sailor who is not doing it in the modern cookie-cutter style, this is an opportunity to be part of something fantastic and out of the ordinary. Thank you so much.
And as always, a huge thank you to those who are already participating.
PayPal or Zelle: wheelersf@hotmail.com
And now a missive:
Carnaval in La Paz
I did a walkabout of Carnaval in La Paz on Sunday night. I had been through on Saturday afternoon on my way to grocery shopping, but it turns out to really be a night time thing. Out at anchor you can hear and see it going on until one or two in the morning every evening.
In La Paz, Carnaval takes place along the Malecón. The Malecón is the waterfront. There is the beach that stretches for a couple miles (excuse me, a few kilometers), and then there is a wide sidewalk/park along that. There’s usually a queue of people waiting to get their picture taken next to the big block LA PAZ letters that are characteristic of Baja towns. I have a few of pictures from other towns in recent blogs and then I got bored with it. Then there is the street and on the other side of this are the restaurants, hotels, and shops where you can get souveniers saying “My mom went to La Paz and all she got me was this stupid t-shirt.“ But in Spanish. Just kidding, I don’t know if that’s a thing, but you now know what I mean. In San Francisco you have Fisherman’s Wharf. In New York you have Times Square. In Seattle you have Pikes Place. In La Paz you have the Malecón.
For Carnaval, they shut down the street and line it with games, concessions, and carnival rides. Very similar to the midway of the Otsego County Fair in central New York that I used to show chickens and sheep at. Except way bigger. Two kilometers bigger. The games are very similar. Shoot the bottles, roll the ball, win big soft toys and tapestries of your favorite pop artist as prizes. The concessions are similar to, but with more Mexican flavor. Pun intended. Meat on a stick. Corn on a stick, Cotton Candy, Papas Fritas. And a bunch of other things I’m not sure what they were. The concessions were mostly run by regular people, while the games and rides were more operated by what we used to call “carnies.” You can tell by the hard living look they have. It’s not an easy job. Pays crappy, you work all night. Showers are few and your bathroom is always a blue house. But you don’t need a resume, a degree, and your boss asks few questions. It’s kind of the Group W bench. They gotta live too.
Tecaté tents every two hundred meters offer canned beer for 35 pesos (presently a touch over two dollars US), but no worries, if you don’t want to overpay for beer, it turns out you can buy a twelve pack at the regular store and just take it in. There is no entrance gate. No admission. You come and go as you like. There are police around, but they seem to just make sure nobodies getting violent, or too outwardly brash, or trying to drive on the street, not to enforce a bunch of rules and behaviors. At least that I noticed.
And there were thousands of people. It is a family affair, but not puritan. There were lots of teenagers and twenty somethings involved in the classic mating rituals of these kind of public events.
The interesting parts to me and that really set it apart from the carnivals of my youth (because I totally steer clear of that stuff as an adult) is the volume and the music. It was loud. Every game truck had their own sound system and Mexicans tend to turn it up loud. I remember this at the baseball game in Bahia Tortuga too. And they seem to focus on the mid and high frequencies. (which are the most damaging) But that might also be because they don’t have the best equipment. There were about eight live music stages along the Malecón. These had your more “professional” acts which ranged between Mexican takes on the American/Brit pop music machine, or Ranchero, or some other genre I can’t name. More polished, costume wearing, popular groups. I didn’t see anything while I was there that was very interesting, but I’m over that schtick anyway.
What did spark my interest were the street bands interspersed between the stages. As soon as the volume tapered off from one group, you moved into the sound space of another. A few had costumes, but most were just wearing unpretentious street clothes. I don’t know the name of this genre, but it is the classic Mexican music you so often hear that is not based on the American/Brit music wave. But I hesitate to call it traditional, because I don’t really know what that is in Mexico either. They are also not all created equal, which is true anywhere. I love that they are made up of mostly instruments considered “uncool” in America, but obviously super cool in Mexico. My favorite group was a quintet. They were killing it. The bigger groups could be impressive too, but they also tended to get a bit sloppy, and were outstretching their talent pool, so they didn’t seem to be captivating people as much.
The quintet consisted of the following instrumentation, which seems typical of the genre. A Sousaphone player (which is the same thing as a tuba, except for standing), a clarinetist, a trombonist, a bass drum/cymbal player and a percussionist with a snare drum, set of timbales, a variety of cowbells and a cymbal. (The bigger bands would have trumpets.) The rhythm section was feeling it and it made all the difference. They were surrounded by people dancing and even the passing crowds were bopping as they went by. Who knows what they were called. They weren’t putting on any “stage show”, no costumes, no worries, no rush. Just making people dance. They would be checking their phones in between songs. (Yes, that plague is worldwide. Go by any shop and see the bored employees on their phones.) No taking themselves too seriously at all, which is so refreshing. But, I repeat, killing it. (Musicians where I’m from take themselves way too seriously and seem to expect others to as well.) They were the highlight of my abbreviated Carnaval experience. Out at anchor, I am a couple kilometers away, but you can hear the Sousaphones honking late into the night. So cool. Those guys (yes, guys) have some serious chops and mighty lungs.
The solar charging system is working like a charm with spares to boot. Thank you so much to those who helped to contribute.
I’ve ordered 16 SHOM (Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine) paper charts of French Polynesia, printed on 02/06/2024 at $42US each on the credit card. They should arrive in a couple days. I mention this so you know how any near future donations will help Sampaguita and the expedition. (And to assure you you’re not buying cheap Mexican beer and prostitutes.)
PayPal or Zelle: wheelersf@hotmail.com
I’ve been working on a new Resourceful Sailor piece about Sampaguita‘s Self-Steering Wind Vane. I filmed this video today to accompany it. I thought I would share it. This one’s more for the sailors in the bunch.
The morning view from Sampaguita‘s veranda.
I’d like to start by thanking the four people who have made donations through this website for a total of $280. Two of them are friends, one a relative, and one a fan. It is very appreciated and your funding contributed to keeping Sampaguita’s navigation lights on. She appreciates it. This voyage is her biggest, and possibly, “last hurrah.” Thank you.
I will be losing the data plan from my phone in a few days. I knew this day would come. Internet connectivity will become more challenging, time consuming, and costly hence forth. Since this website takes both time and internet to maintain, I will be reducing my involvement with it. I have internet at Club Cruceros, but that requires me to come to their clubhouse, so no internet on the boat soon. I’ve got my head down and focused on the journey ahead. While I appreciate the few people’s interest, it is unsustainable for now.
The days of the honor system are long gone. I remember in rural Central New York when people sold their extra garden produce on a table at the end of the road and passers-by would stop and put payment in the coffee can. And people wouldn’t steal the money. It’s not that world anymore. I looked into Patreon at one point, which would gate access to only paying subscribers. It was in part created by someone who was getting millions of YouTube views but only making a few hundred dollars. In contrast, I average about 13,500 views per year. Patreon takes a pretty big cut, it would require an upgraded WordPress plan, plus the resources to provide content for the subscribers. Gauged on interest, I deemed it unsustainable. I recognized a long time ago that I lack the social charisma to be successful in those forums.
This is not going to change who I am, how I think, how I do things, or how I interpret the world. It will likely only strengthen my resolve in those matters. I just won’t be able to allocate the resources to express it via this website. Lucky world! When I played music and did a show with four paying people in the audience, I knew I wasn’t going to play that place with that band again. It was unsustainable(for the third time) for everyone involved.
The Sailing With Josh website isn’t going anywhere for a while. The domain name is paid up through 2025 and the WordPress subscription, through 2027, so it will clutter the internet for at least a couple more years. If I can sell articles to publishers, I will still likely promote them when I can. I’ll likely post the rejects too when resources allow. For now, the Garmin inReach will still be updated through the “Where In the World Is Sampaguita” post. I will still write. I like to do it and it helps me think. Much of it gets deleted as absolute crap.
My departure date for Marquesas is not set in stone. Likely in March sometime. I expect the voyage to take about six weeks. But there are no guarantees. Other than the inReach, I will be disconnected from the outside world. I look forward to it. Once in the trade winds, there will be no turning back and at a 3 knot average, no running from anything. It will be what it will be. The thrill of old school sailing. I recently re-watched a YouTube movie about Robin Knox-Johnston and the original Golden Globe Race. Back when men were men. Now, with all the electronic handholding, anyone can go cruising. It’s no wonder French Polynesia and Mexico are swamped with yachties. And they’re taking it to the bank.
I am submitting my online French Polynesia Entry/Exit form and sussing the required health insurance options. My Irish citizenship long stay angle still seems viable. I have changed my voyage plans slightly due to a conversation with a couple of veteran cruisers. I am intending to go over and around the Tuamotus and looping back to Gambier rather than the challenge and risk of trying to go east of them. This will also give me something to do while awaiting the season to head to Chile. Tahiti is still of no interest to me, but I may be forced to Papeete for provisioning. I’ll have to wait and see. The Society Islands themselves have lost all allure to me, but some folks still seem to be caught up in yesteryear’s mystique. The Austral’s might still offer something. I’m hoping so.
Your contributions are still welcome. La Paz is more expensive than a Mexican town should be and French Polynesia will be even worse. If not for me, then do it for Sampaguita.
PayPal or Zelle: wheelersf@hotmail.com
To those four people who have contributed, you have my personal contact information and you are welcome to drop me a line anytime. It may take a while to respond, but your consideration will not be forgotten.
sailingwithjosh
Sailing With Josh 