The Wrap up, on Sailors Run’s Mexico to Ecuador Passage, April 2015.
Debbie and I sailed the last 15 miles down to the waiting area, where we hung out and waited for our pilot and the high tide. We had requested Pedro as our pilot and were just a little taken back when Arioso a young new pilot came to guide us in. We remembered Arioso from several years ago when we were here and it was a nice reunion. We could only hope he could read the conditions at the bar.
CAPTAIN AND THE NEW PILOT ARIOSO HEAD FOR THE BAR CROSSING
HEADING INTO BAHIA CARAQUEZ OVER THE BAR
Off we went and had a perfect crossing of the bar and were very pleased with our new pilot. It was later that things became a little more clear why Pedro was not our pilot, see Pedro is the security guard at Puerto Amistad and one night, sometime before our arrival Pedro was doing a night patrol on the boats moored there when he and his panga were commandeered by four-masked men with guns in another panga and he was later deposited on a beach and they took off with the panga. It was actually the 75hp. Motor they were after and later Pedro got his panga back less the engine. Now Pedro patrols in a much smaller vessel and we are not sure if he will be doing piloting in the future, possibly not until a suitable motor is found.
We however feel quiet safe here on the moorings and as far as we can tell the moorings seem to be standing up to the high spring tides and run-off from the mountains that flows down the Rio Chone River.
SAILORS RUN SAFELY ON THE MOORING BALL WITH SEVERAL OTHER BOATS AT PUERTO AMISTAD YACHT CLUB,ECUADOR
Tripp and Maje welcomed us to Puerto Amistad where I had a rather laid back birthday party with a few friends and more old friends just keep showing up all the time. Debbie had ordered a cake thru email while we were sailing to the marina and they came through with even my name on it, yummy
Prices are severely on the rise here. Now it is $180 dollars to check in and that gives you only 90-days and if you want an extension of 6-months that is available for another four-hundred dollars, more or less.
Debbie and I were shocked when we went to the new Mall and a “Boogie board”, that short Styrofoam board that you ride the waves with, cost 378-US Dollars. In the states they cost forty-five dollars at Costco and they are better boards. We also heard that the local Ecuadorians put their high heels on lay a way. It would appear that the government is making huge money grabs on any and all imported goods. Now those money grabs are sad, as the poor people must deal with these outrages prices, forcing them to stay down and little chance of moving up. This is Big Government looking out for the People. USA please take note, as you can learn from this report.
A VERY NICE FAMILY WE MET AND HAD THEM OUT TO THE BOAT TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LIVE ON A BOAT
Now getting back to putting Sailors Run right entailed getting the refrigeration fixed. We got the most well known local guys out to the boat and after two days and lots of head scratching the reefer is functioning once again. We are not sure what was the actual problem other than some blockage in the lines and they cleaned them all out and it seems to be working fine. The repairman will be back in two days to check it out and his bill was reasonable. With Refrigerant and new filter total cost to us 125 dollars, now if this repair lasts it was a bargain as the import tax on a new system would most likely be 100% of the total cost.
FOR NOW IT’S WORKING AFTER REPLACING THE FILTER AND CLEANING OUT THE LINES
Making the most of Ecuador, Your amigo’s- Jeff and Debbie
THE CAPTAIN AND HIS MATE ENJOYING MY BIRTHDAY NIGHT OUT AT PUERTO AMISTAD,ECUADOR