Fix It Don't Nix It And Happy Summer Solstice!

How to make do with what you've got - One of the many great things about Mexico is that if something breaks it usually does not get thrown away and replaced, it gets repaired. Isn't that how the U.S. used to be before we became a disposable nation? Sometimes it is impossible or difficult to replace things in Mexico, so you have to figure out a way to use and fix what you've got.

When we were anchored off the salt farm in San Evaristo we dinghied to shore one day so we could hike into town. On the way down the hill Tom's shoe broke. Throwing it away and replacing it wasn't an option, so he had to repair it on the fly.

The problem: The sole separated from the best adventure sandal ever made (Keen Newport).

The solution: We found a piece of old rope along the dirt road and cut it to the right size with a sharp stone.

The result: Voila! A functional shoe that lasted until it could be duct-taped.

Kudos for thinking like a Mexican

We've seen examples all over Mexico of items that have been recycled into other uses. In San Evaristo the pangas are tied to land anchors. Here is an unusual beach anchor, made from something with some sailing hardware on it.

Tom tries to figure this one out.

What is this thing? It has a couple of clutches and a beautifully made, chrome-plated brass end fitting with a rotating gear and spindle . We look at the other side and see a mainsail track...

Aha! It was a roller furling boom! We'd love to know the story of how this lovely piece of boat gear ended up buried in the sand.

This anchor wouldn't pass Pac Cup inspection, but it's a brilliant re-use of rebar:

Not beautiful but it works (4 curved bars jammed into a pipe).

The anchorage north of San Evaristo was one of our favorite spots and it was a good place to catch up on some boat work, but we had a date with destiny in La Paz which was to arrive there before the extreme heat of summer and get Cinnabar decommissioned for hurricane season.

We Arrive in La Paz on 6/13/13 - We checked into Marina Palmira, got internet access, and discovered that our old pals on Iolanthe were here in La Paz! Turns out they were leaving the next morning to head to San Diego so we quickly arranged to hook up for dinner in town. It was fantastic to hang with our pals once again, if only for an evening:

Dinner at Rancho Viejo in La Paz with Nick and Arthur from Iolanthe.
(The BEST arrichara (marinated and grilled flank steak) on the planet)

But so much for just hanging out and having fun. We've also been up to our ears in all sorts of boat projects and doing what it takes to get Cinnabar in shape to spend her summer in La Paz. More about those projects later, but for now we'll just say...Happy First Day of Summer!

More pics of San Evaristo and our first days in La Paz are HERE.

We discover microbrewed beer in La Paz (Baja Brewing Peliroja). We might never leave.