Here's wishing all our friends and loved ones Espero que tenga un próspero año nuevo (I hope you have a prosperous New Year).
Not a lot going on. We're still in the Rio Dulce in Guatemala, we think our keel is growing roots down to the muddy river bottom. The hope is to get out on the high tide the first week of February but we have hit yet another snag. Tom started checking all of our systems since we have been sitting at the dock so long. When he got to the windlass (the motor that raises the anchor), it ran but he didn't like the way it sounded and decided it needed to come out for a detailed inspection. Several hours of swearing later, the motor was disassembled and he found that the magnets in the magneto that were supposed to be bonded to the case had dis-bonded. How the motor turned at all is a mystery. Without a working windlass we're not going anywhere, not trying to pull up a 90 pound anchor and many pounds of chain. We have sent the case to a local electrician but don't have a lot of hope it can be fixed. In the meantime we are desperately trying to order a new motor. Unfortunately the company we need to deal with is stuck in the last century (early in it!). No credit card, no paypal, they suggested we just come into their office! I've got my bank sending them a check thru snail mail and then we'll try to get it flown down by the end of the month, not holding out a lot of hope. Meantime next week we are headed to Belize for a week of scuba diving :-) I'll take lots of pictures and do a good blog after we get back.
The only really interesting thing that has happened was last month we celebrated the "burning of the devil" at the marina. To start the new year with a clean slate, all of our worries, regrets and problems are written on slips of paper, tucked into the devil which is then burnt to ashes :-)
Here's the paper mache "devil":
Marco, the dock manager preparing to hang it in a safe place:
The flames are starting:
Fully engulfed:
The new year now has a clean start.
Cheers,
Carolynn & Tom
