Kathy rocks !! She did it !! We are free to go.... Ah, but I rush ahead... let's go back a bit... As much as we like Ensenada, and have met some wonderful people... IT'S TIME TO GO!! Oops, was that too loud ?? :-))))) OK, I feel better now... we all do.
The short version of the last 15 days is, we arrived in Ensenada to check in (and out) and carry on our merry way. Unfortunately the auto-pilot had suffered a bit of a melt-down just before we arrived and we knew that would take a little time to repair... but, no worries, the weather (as usual) had stirred up and we'd need to wait a day or two anyway. That was FIFTEEN days ago. Seems that the experts at Raymarine, with whom Kathy conferred regarding dear 'not so old' Otto... may need a bit more time to study up. The first guy was certain we needed a new 'course computer' and so we set about trying to obtain one. Turned out the price difference between a new course computer and the whole shebang was only $200... so, what you have done?? You got it.. we did that too... ordered the whole enchilada. Lucky thing we did.. cuz when it finally arrived (yesterday afternoon) and we set about replacing the old with the new (course computer) nothing changed... THAT was not the problem. Second call to the 'experts'... this guy was certain the problem was not the course computer, but the drive motor... Good thing we just happened to have a spare one... now :-) So we changed that. While it was good that we did, as we discovered a small crack in the inner ring/contact/surface of the drive unit... nothing changed... THAT was not the problem either. So, we girls put our heads together and decided it might just be the (always has been) lousy connector of the power cord to the drive motor... and so we changed that... and VOILA (sorry, that's french not spanish)... zee whole theeng, she is fixed !! Yippee...yahoo... you betcha... ! We'll be out of here tomorrow morning (with a few extra spare parts) after doing our obligatory circles to calibrate the new parts of the almost new auto-pilot.
The weather looks pretty good and we're going to make a run for Turtle Bay (about 3 days away if wind and water cooperate). There are several places we can stop along the way if we (or Miss Sophie) need a break so we'll just head out, turn left, and keep going 'till it's time to come in.. or until we get to Turtle Bay. This is one of the very few places you can pick up fuel on the outside of the Baja.. and it's the last major stop before heading for Magdalena Bay.. one of the destinations we've been dreaming about for a very long time... We hope to spend several days with the whales there and on the long, sandy beaches... before continuing south. From there, we'll continue down the coast rounding the bottom of the Baja at Cabo San Lucas and probably continuing past there to San Jose Del Cabo where we'll pull in for a rest. That's the plan for now anyway.. written in sand as usual.
Until we write again... this is CJ and Kathy and the devine Princess Sophie.. sending you all hugs and hoping your winter is going well... sorry about the weather you're having :-( Take good care. Bye for now... CJ
