October 13 - October 31, 2002: Return to Puerto Vallarta and Hurricane Kenna 
 
Prelude: "Our Summer Vacation" 
Joe and I had an absolutely wonderful 4 month summer "vacation" at home and in many ways it was hard to leave and to return to the boat.  It's not that we didn't want to resume our cruising life... It's just that we previously had not really had a chance to enjoy our house prior to our departure, nor I a chance to know what retirement was really like.  We had just moved into our new custom built ocean-front house a little north of Rosarito Beach, 8 months prior to our departure on our voyage.  And we worked and worked 11-12 hours per day (and 2 months prior to departure up to 16 hours pre day) 6-7 days per week in those in those  months before departure (getting ready to take off on the voyage) so we never seemed to have time to really enjoy our retirement or our new house.  Anyway, we had a lot of lazy days with no alarm clock to wake us up and a very loose or NO schedule on most days.  Our house is only about 20 minutes south of San Diego (and we have a special "pass" that allows us to go straight through the border so we do not have a border wait) so we made 2-3 trips a week to San Diego to see family and friends, shopping, doctor's appointments, catch up on the latest movies. On other days we just enjoyed sitting on our deck overlooking the ocean, reading a book, playing cards or dominos, and enjoying a sherry at sunset.  With a new house, there were no"improvement" projects, repairs, and very little maintenance to do. In other words, our life at home this summer was stress-less and very easy -- VERY different from our life on the boat.  But we knew we had more adventures ahead of us: places to go, people to see, with a big world of sunsets ahead of us on the ocean.  That was our lure to leave the comfortable life behind us and venture back to Puerto Vallarta and Mi Gitana. 
Sunset Photo From our House This Summer 
 
October 12-13th: 
Our day of departure from San Diego back to Puerto Vallarata:  After another tearful departure saying goodbye to family, we were off for a long day of cramped airplane rides, customs, and lugging bags.  We had 4 HUGE (and very heavy) checked bags and 5 carry-ons that we were sweating getting through the international check in procedures -- we were sure we would either have to pay over-weight charges OR get caught in customs with an over-value charge .  Normally we travel pretty light; in fact going home, we only had 1 bag.  But one of our accomplishments for the summer was shopping for more spare boat parts, cruising books for the South Pacific, and other miscellaneous things we somehow had missed buying before we left last December.  We got the bags checked okay without any excess baggage fees or excess weight fees (our total weight was over 250 lbs!), but the the next adventure started at our arrival in PV.  We were sweating going through customs as we had bought lots of replacement and repair items for the boat (which are supposed to be duty free, but we had heard stories that the customs officials often don't honor boat repair items as "duty free") .   There you go through the custom's "checkpoint" and push a button.  If a green light comes on, you go through without an inspection.  If you hit a red light, then they inspect all your bags.  Well I was the button pusher and of course, I got a red light.  So all of our 9 bags went on the counter.   Our bags were checked and we  ended up getting through that without any problems (other than a short delay). 
 
Next adventure was when we got to the boat.  Walking down the dock upon our arrival, from the outside Mi Gitana looked absolutely beautiful... almost brand new.  The caretakers we had for our absence had polished up the white gelcoat (fiberglass part of boat) as well as all the stainless steel so it was shinier than we had ever seen her.  We were very pleased.  BUT when we opened her up and went inside (no one had been inside since our departure and she was locked up tight) we had a horrible surprise. There were thousands and thousands of dead bees everywhere, and I mean everywhere.  On every surface of the interior... in the dishes, on clothes, in closets, in sinks, on counters, sofas, bed, and every inch of the floor.  And even worse, when Joe looked under the floor boards of the boat there were thousands and thousands more all soaked in a brown goo.  We were in shock!  We talked to the boat caretaker immediately and he said that he saw them swarming a few weeks ago around our mast so he got some RAID and sprayed it IN the holes of the mast and some ventilation holes to our boat.  The bees must have entered our boat into the mast and formed a nest and then got under the floorboards and some into the cabin.  So I guess the good news was that we didn't enter the boat to find a swarm of live bees... but oh my what a total mess to return to.  We immediately (after an already stressful day) started vacuuming the dead bees and then started to clean them and the goop under the floor boards.  We had no idea what the brown goop was, but it was thick as honey.  Turned out we found later that a Gallon jug of liquid Tide had cracked and leaked out and got under the floorboard... and then mixed with the bees... Well, anyway, that night, we got enough of it cleaned out so we could at least walk around the cabin w/o stepping on bees and sit down and got our bed cleared.  Oh yes... it was also about a million degrees and humid inside the boat while we were doing all this work.  Finally 4 hours later, we got it cleared enough so we could bring the bags inside... then went to take a much needed shower and over to the bar for 2 Cuba Libras and 2 glasses of water each.  Then without dinner (actually nothing since breakfast on the plane), we crawled into bed by 9PM and slept until 10AM on Sunday!!! 
 
Today, Sunday, we spent from 10AM until 7PM unpacking... and still didn't finish totally. (Unpacking is a challenge as not only do we have to find a place for the contents of all those bags, (and the boat has almost NO empty square inches), but we also have to place everything on our inventory so we can find it later.  Besides the bee-fiasco, the other problem we returned to was finding out today that our refrigerator did not work after being turned off all summer.  Joe thinks it needs to be recharged with gas as in the past it has on occasion leaked when turned off for long periods (even though before we left, we paid for the system to be checked over and to be deemed leak-free!).  I guess the good news is I don't have to cook this week... but even I don't like to eat out EVERY day! 
 
October 21st: 
We've been back 10 days now and really NOTHING fun has happened to write about.  We've mostly been working on putting our boat back together to get ready to resume our cruising heading south down the Mexican Gold coast.  Little by little we are getting things out on deck and re-installed and in place -- all the things we had secured in storage or below decks for the summer (as a precaution for storms and hurricanes in our absence from the boat).  We seem to be moving slow as it is hard to work in this heat and humidity and most of the work to be done involves being outside.  Shortly before we left here in June, we had a canvas canopy type shade made and installed that covers most of our decks on the boat and really does seem to help with reflecting SOME of the direct sun off of us... BUT IT IS STILL VERY HOT!!!  We had waited to return until mid-October as that is generally when the worst of the hot weather is supposed to decrease, but it is still miserable.  We try to get a few chores done a day early in the morning and then hibernate inside with the air-conditioning on for the rest of the day.  One of the things we brought back with us in our bags were 2 more fans (to add to the other 4 we already had on the boat) and Joe did install them right away -- but they just seem to blow the hot air around.  
 
There are still many things that need to be done before we pull out of here in 2 weeks.  We will be gone for 3 1/2 months and most of the time "at anchor" instead of at a marina, so everything has to be working so we are self sufficient.  Besides the non-working refrigerator, everything else seems to be working on board.  Right now Joe is installing an outdoor shower so once we start swimming off the boat and then climb back aboard, we can shower and rinse off the salt water outside.  He also needs to climb up the mast later this week (with me holding the ropes that hold him up) in order to change the light fixture on the mast.  So there is always something to keep us busy.  I hope we (he, mostly) can finish up things quickly so we can have some fun before we leave.   
 
We had originally projected we should be able to get the boat back together in one week so allowed ourselves 11 days (just in case)... and then we HAD PLANNED that our last week here (planned to leave in a few days),  we would be off to Guadalajara for a week excursion.  Well not so.  We are still without refrigeration. Before we left we turned off the refrigerator/freezer and I gave away all the food that was in it as well as gave away all food that I thought might get stale or rancid.  So other than canned and some boxed items, we have nothing on board to eat.  Anyway my major job was to restock the boat when we returned (about 3 days worth of shopping and then putting away)... and I haven't been able to do that.   The repair man has been here 3 times now working on the system: replacing different things (at great expense for the parts and his labor at $40/hour) and so far no working results. But we are stuck with him being the "only game in town" with no other marine refrigeration specialists around. We've been alternating eating out at restaurants at the resort here with eating peanut butter sandwiches on board.  YUCK!!  It's hard to believe that many cruising boats live on board their boats with NO refrigeration... I could never do that ! 
 
So anyway, we are WAY behind on projects.  Joe still has 3 days of work to do at least and I still have at least 2 days worth of buying and hauling groceries onto the boat, so our trip to Guadalajara is slowly fading away.  It's no big deal to Joe, but I was really looking forward to it.  There's a possibility, that we may just take an overnight trip there with a tour group... it leaves on Saturday and returns on Sunday.  A lot more whirlwind than we wanted but its a hassle-free package tour deal.  We'll just have to see how the rest of the week goes with all of the "must do" projects. 
 
October 23rd: 
There is rumor here of some type of hurricane/tropical storm nearby.  Someone mentioned it briefly in passing today, but we haven't heard where it is or where it's supposed to be going.  Kinda late in the season for this area, but just our luck.  We would welcome some rain though to cool things off.  Since there hasn't been a hurricane in Puerto Vallarta in 150 years of recorded history (hence this being considered a "Hurricane Hole" for boaters).  That is because it is a huge bay that is surrounded by mountains and supposedly the mountains deflect the hurricane.   So we're not too worried about getting any kind of direct "hit." but we'll keep monitoring it. 
 
October 24th: 
 
Well, bad news -- so much for no Hurricanes here in Puerto Vallarta... it looks like we are going to get a big one here. As I mentioned above, since our return, we unlashed, re-rigged, re-stashed everything on the deck, got the dinghy inflated and almost ready to go, solar panels up, etc., etc.  Well guess what, there's a hurricane rapidly approaching our destination and now we are doing everything in rapid motion reversing all that PLUS a lot more.  We have worked non-stop all day today putting everything back below (deflating dinghy, disconnecting and putting away solar panels, dodger, barbecue, cushions, fuel cans, water cans, awnings, etc. etc. etc......)  Plus of course adding more lines (doubling all the dock lines and having the anchor ready to drop if necessary).  The marina we are in is new with strong docks and pylons but nothing is strong enough if the winds and swell are too high. 
 
As of now (5PM Thursday), Hurricane Kenna is a Category 5 with winds at 150mph and gusts even higher.  She normally would have diverted to Cabo San Lucas area, but evidently there is a high pressure over Southern Baja that is pushing her off course and today she took a 90 degree turn and is heading our way.  They are predicting that she will hit land north of us (about 50-60 miles )at San Blas (where they are NOT surrounded by protective mountains) so we HOPEFULLY will not get the brunt of it.  However they are predicting that we will get the beginning of the storm tomorrow by noon and winds from 70-100mph are a possibility.  We will stay with the boat unless the winds get above 80, then the plan is for all the cruisers to evacuate their boats and go to the hotel (at the resort our boats are located) and they will provide us shelter.   
 
We feel fairly well tied down and secure right now, but of course anything can become a flying missile or bomb: coconuts from the palm trees, bricks and planks from the construction site right next to the marina, things off of other boats, etc. And then there is the concern for the tide (being at high tide tomorrow when the storm arrives) added to surge and hurricane sized waves coming over the breakwater, that could bring the docks over the pylons and loose from their holdings .   
 
As for Joe and I , well, we are exhausted from all the work (amazing how fast we could UN-do our almost 2 weeks of work putting things together!), but we are heading out now (It's perfectly calm now, with not even a hint of wind or rain) for a much needed drink and a nice dinner out.  So our attitudes are positive and I'm sure we'll fare well.   
 
October 25th: The Hurricane Arrived! 
We (Joe, I, and Mi Gitana) survived Hurricane Kenna without a scratch.  We had winds of up to 64 mph at the marina, but due to lots of preparations, no one was hurt, and very little property damage was done to the boats here. We think with the marina being located BEHIND the 8 story buildings of the hotel resort (which is directly ON the waterfront), it blocked a lot of the wind and waves from us saving us from a lot more damage. Besides the wind, the big fear here was that the storm hit during high tide and the surge was bringing the docks floating up the pylons--- fear was they would rise HIGHER than the pylons and the docks would float away (with of course all the boats attached to them).  But that did not happen.  We still had about 3 feet of pylon left at the highest point.   The hurricane (now touted as the worse hurricane ever to hit the West Coast of Mexic) did hit shore about 50 miles north of us and apparently totally wiped out over 2,000 homes and businesses in the beachside community of San Blas (population 8,000) when it went through there with 140 knots of wind with gusts over 160mph. 
 
For us, the storm hit real hard and real quick. We awoke this morning early (6AM) with the boat rolling and "groaning" and creaking with the strain on the dock lines. At 8:30 AM we were wondering what was going on as we had NO wind but lots of surge and the barometer had dropped from 1009 to 997. In less than 30 minutes, at 9AM, the winds were steady at 45-50 Knots with gusts quite a bit higher, with hard rainfall. 20 minutes later, the marina manager called for evacuation of all boats at our dock .  We evacuated to the shopping center about 2-3 blocks away (quite a thrill walking the down the dock in 50 knot winds and the dock rocking like a bucking bronco and swerving back and forth like a snake!!!).  Joe and I only stayed there for a couple of hours before returning to our boat, as at that time, the winds were down already to 30+knots and by 12:30 (3 1/2 hours later) the whole thing was over... amazingly fast.  Now, 2 hours after the last of the winds, the skies are blue and it looks like a typical Paradise Village day.  Sweltering hot and humid and sunny.  The beach front of the hotel is trashed and all the palapa huts (small individual ones on the beach plus the beachfront restaurant) were destroyed and the waves came up even into the swimming pool (which is about 100 yards in from the beach)as it and all around it are full of mud.   
 
October 26th: The Hurricane Aftermath 
From the news buzzing on all the radios last night and today, it appears that very few of the boats at the various marinas here were damaged during the storm.  One of the marinas did lose an entire dock, but the boats were saved. That shows what cooperation and lots of advance preparation can do.  But the town of Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding beach towns along the bay here did not fare as well.  It appears the waterfront businesses did not heed the advance warnings and much damage occurred as the waves crashed through the businesses. Plate glass windows were shattered and merchandise from the upscale tourist shops were seen floating away along with refrigerators, trucks, phone booths.  Jet skis from the beaches were found 4 blocks inland.  A huge 6' boulder ended up in the lobby of a 5 star beach front Sheraton Hotel.  All the beach front restaurants are no more. And of course most communities are without power and water and uprooted trees are blocking most roads.  
 
Here at Paradise Village Resort (where we are staying), they have had bulldozers working around the clock to clear the beaches, rebuild the breakwater with boulders (that ended up on the beach), and restore the beautiful grounds to their original pristine self.  They are having to drain the swimming pools to shovel out the mud and rid it of the sea water that filled it.  Electricity after 30 hours has been returned to the resort as well as to our marina.  So we are feeling particularly lucky and grateful.  Joe and I also have again begun the process of putting our boat back together and AGAIN re-attaching, re-connecting, and re-installing things back on deck and rigging as they need to be to prepare for a someday soon departure.  
 
But we're taking our time as it looks as if that departure date won't be any time soon as we had hoped.  Why?... well besides still NOT having a working refrigerator freezer (with no progress in that problem since the hurricane preparations and aftermath cleanup), we have another problem.  As I mentioned above, we returned to a boatfull of dead bees, who's origin we hadn't a clue.  Well now we have BEES in our mast and we suspect they have a hive there and possibly may have resided there all summer. Besides being in the mast top, they are always swarming around our decks which makes getting jobs done difficult.  Our Mexican boat caretaker, went up the mast the other day to wax the mast and got stung around 10 times to his face and head.  So we decided the problem was getting out of hand.  We requested help from the marina and they sent the groundskeeper from the hotel over with his "smoke" machine.  He arrived with a device that looked like a WWII flame thrower about 18" across and 4 ft. long.  He put this on his shoulder and aimed the thing at a small opening at the bottom of the mast and WHOOOSSSSSSHhhhhhhhhhh'ed smoke and flames came shooting out of the thing for about 20 minutes.  Man the bees were really mad and dead bees started falling out of the sky.  But overall, it was unsuccessful as thousands of bees were still swarming the top of the mast.  He suggested bringing this flame throwing device into our cabin and trying to aim it under our floorboards so the smoke might better go up the mast.  We said absolutely NOT picturing him lighting all our beautiful wooden floors on fire, not to mention all the electronics and our sail lines that go through and up the top of the mast.  So then the next day a second exterminator showed up, had Guillermo (our boat caretaker) dress up in bee netting, climbed the mast with the hopes of poisoning them by spraying in a gallon of  liquid "soap" down the top of our mast.     Still no luck.  Then we thought for sure the hurricane would scare them away... but  here, the day after the hurricane, they are still here.  So anyway we are probably staying put here for a while ... until we have refrigeration... until we have NO more bees, ... until the channel through the breakwater is dredged to make it deep enough (after the storm washed in more sand to make it too shallow now) and we can leave... until I guess we are friggin' mentally READY!!! But it's not a bad place to be stuck, I guess.    
 
October 29th: Refer and Bee update 
After 2 1/2 weeks of repair attempts, our refrigerator specialist has "given up" so we are now in the process of ordering a new system/compressor from California.  We are stuck here until it arrives and it is installed and we are re-provisioned... we assume that means a couple more weeks.  As far as the bees, well Guillermo (our boat caretaker) went up the mast again, this time with a gallon of poison and sprayed again.  We THINK perhaps the hive has taken enough abuse and headed off to another boat (as we saw a neighboring boat totally black with bees a couple of days ago).  So we are keeping our fingers crossed that they do not return to us.  Other than that, nothing really new to report so I think I'll end this chapter for now and hopefully we'll be on our way sailing south to new destinations by the next chapter.   
 
 
 
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