The only thing we know for sure is that we are headed for Mexico. Could be
as close as Huatulco, or as far north as Barra Navidad. Only time and the
weather will tell. We have about 350 miles left of central America. The
weather remains hot, too hot and muggy for my liking. Simple things like
putting away the lines and fenders today, after we left the marina,
exhausted me. It is close to 90 outside, and hotter in the boat. We have
been running the AC in the staterooms only, and then only at night. I am an
hour into my watch, it is 17:00 local and there is a nice breeze thru the
pilothouse, but it still sticky. I change clothes several times each day,
and take lots of short showers. I am doing ok, but hot. Even at the resort
the pool was HOT. The temperature in the ocean is 88, so everything in the
tanks, in the boat is that temp. No need to hot water heater. The first
few minuets of a shower, the water is cool. I think is because it is in the
pipes, and not in contact with the hull. I do not want to sound like I am
complaining, as I am having a great time. Bob and Hal are great traveling
companions. Bob always has a joke. And Hal has so much information, about
almost everything, and he is a great cook. t.
I am back on watch, this time 04:00 to 08:00. It has gotten a little
rougher. We are rolling and jostling about quite a bit. Even got Hal up
for a check, but all fine. The AC has worked thru the night, and I slept
very nice. Bob checked the engine room before going off watch, and reported
a little water spraying around the propeller shaft. Que Linda has a dry
seal, and maybe we got a little sand in it when we went aground. While in
port, I opened the cooling pump, for the main engine, and checked it. All
fine, I also cleaned the main sea strainer, some debris, but not a lot. I
am sure this will work it self out, or we will fine a way to fix it. Just a
small amount of water, the main bilge pump will handle it without problem.
The rolling about is making my bad typing, even worse, so I will stop for a
while.
It is know 06:45 and things have gotten smoother, not complete flat, but
better. Underway here on Que Linda we are pretty relaxed. We make 195
miles a day or we get 205, or something else. We just run at one RPM and
the ocean does the rest. We are running at 900 RPM and making about 7.7
knots Georgs would like it if I included more facts, such as fuel used, or
wind speed, or other information. The fact is that we just set the course,
set the RPM and go. Hal does the plan on arrival times for daylight, but
that does not always work out. We just do our best, and relax. I would
like to report that the AC is still working great. I slept fine last night,
and I hope Bob and Hal are sleeping fine know. It starts getting light
about 05:00 and the sun was up at about 05:20. It rained last night, with
lots of lightning. The one thing that has not changed in the week since we
left Panama is the water temperature, still 88 degrees
Wayne Almquist
Aboard Que Linda
Gulf of Tehuantepec