Cruzin' On Down The Road -- February 2, 2014

The Embargo Precautorio Ends - For Us

[Note: If you have not been following our experience with Mexican officialdom, the following will not make any sense.  Take a look at our four previous posts if you want to understand what we are explaining.]

On January 31 we were given a copy of a letter from the Servicio de Administracion Tributaria (SAT) to the Capitania de Puerto listing the more than 50 vessels released from embargo precautorio -- and we are more than happy to report that Abracadabra was on this list!

We immediately went to the office of the Capitania and filed an Aviso de Salida (Advisement of Departure) and obtained the Capitania's official stamp on it.  According to our aviso we will depart the marina, noon on Monday, February 3. 

(Insert your favorite happy dance music here _________)

More on our plans below.

It Ended Like It Began - Indirectly

For about a week, we had watched what looked to us to be growing pressure on the SAT to resolve the embargo.  The story was carried by the Mexican press in a way that was unfavorable to SAT.  In one story the SAT was reported to have said that the boats in the Marina Riviera Nayarit had already been released!  Officials in the tourism department of the government were quoted as saying extremely derisive things about SAT's embargo.

We were told by officials at Marina Riviera Nayarit that the settlement for all of the embargoed boats with proper documentation (including Abracadabra, we were repeatedly assured) was coming soon.  Very soon.  Maybe next week.

Then we were told that SAT would be coming with the final "settlement" document on the 29th; that Abracadabra was one of the boats listed on that clearance document.  Then we were told they would be coming on the 30th.  Some days we felt hopeful.  Other days we planned a trip to Morelia with the crew of Dodger Too to try to keep ourselves sane.  But we didn't buy our bus tickets because . . . we hoped.

On the morning of the 30th, on the morning net (a radio chat that includes weather reports, information about things going on around town, a chance to ask for assistance from other cruisers, and general "coconut telegraph" news), a charter captain that had been providing information from the marina via the net told those of us affected by the embargo that we would have the opportunity to meet with SAT at 13:00 that day. 

That didn't sound good to us.  If they had already decided to clear all of the properly documented boats - what would we say to them? 

So on the 30th, we showered (wanted to make a good impression!) and put on "town clothes" and went to the restaurant at the marina, clutching our documentation folder and our list of questions.  We ordered limonadas and sat, watching the two men from SAT talk on their cell phones and shift through a huge stack of paper (impressive even to those of us that spent years in civil servicedom).  Finally, we decided they had talked and shifted enough - and that they might be receptive to talking to us. 

Bryce approached and in his best Spanish, introduced himself as an owner of Abracadabra, one of the boats under embargo.  He offered to provide copies of any of our documents or a tour of the boat, if any of that could be helpful.  The official that looked like the most in-charge guy of the two assured him that all of the boats would be released that very day and that they did not need anything further from the crew of Abracadabra. 

We decided to quit while it looked like we might be ahead, and left.

The next morning we were given a copy of the "release letter" and shortly thereafter beetled off to the Capitania!  That night we went out to dinner at a German restaurant (yes, really - a German restaurant in La Cruz) with some Dutch friends (who were much happier with their meal than we were with ours).  We ate too much, drank wine, talked about things other than sailing and listened to two really wonderful musicians Latcho and Andrea.  We felt free!

So - What Now?

We're stocking up on food and necessary paper products, and getting all our clothes and sheets washed in preparation for the first leg of our journey southward.  At the risk of jinxing our plans (calling up lousy weather - or worse, no wind) here's the general idea for our truncated sailing season:

• Monday: Depart the marina and spend a few days touring some anchorages in Bandaras Bay we've never visited (Punta Mita; Tres Marietas) to acclimate ourselves and Abracadabra to life off the dock.  
• When The Weather Looks Good: Around Cabo Corrientes and continue overnight to wherever it seems like a good idea to stop (Chamela?  Tenacatita?).
• The Rest of February:  Southerly ho - Barra de Navidad; Bahia Santiago.
• March 2-9 (some or all?):  Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa for the Zihuatanejo Guitar Festival. 
• The Rest of March: Terra y mar incognito -- new places for us, such as Acapulco, Bahias de Huatulco, Golfo de Tehuantepec (there be monsters) and Chiapas.
• April-ish:  Central America -- probably no further than El Salvador this year.  

All under sail, when possible!  

Stay tuned, and we'll let you know how it goes for us.    

   

Making The Best of It -- January 12 - 21, 2014

Update on "The Situation"

If you don't know what we mean by "The Situation", and want to make sense of the following, see our three immediately prior postings.  Since our January 12 post:

January 16:  Officials from AGACE, an auditing branch of the Servicio de Administration Tibutaria (SAT) met with owners of many of the boats that have been put on embargo precautorio (precautionary embargo) status here in La Cruz.  The following description of the meeting with the skipper of the '62 foot catamaran Profligate (her nom de plum is Dona de Mallorca) comes from a post on 'Lectronic Latitude, the blog by the publishers of the West Coast sailing magazine Latitude 38:

". . . Dona de Mallorca asked them about the boat's status. The pleasant AGACE agent looked into the files and said, 'There are no problems with your boat.'  'Great,' said de Mallorca, 'she's free to go?'  'No,' replied the AGACE agent, 'she's still impounded.' He refused to say why or when she'll be released."

January 17:  When we returned from an out-of-town trip (see below - much more fun to read about than this embargo issue) we met with the lawyer for Marina Riviera Nayarit.  He confirmed that Abracadabra is one of the fully compliant boats.  He said he would be taking additional documentation to Guadalajara to seek release of all of the compliant boats on Friday, January 24.    

January 20:  'Lectronic Latitude reported that one embargoed boat in Ensenada has been told that there is a process for seeking release from embargo which includes sending copies of the vessel's temporary import permit, U.S. Coast Guard document, Mexican liability insurance policy and the owners' passports along with a letter from the marina seeking release of the vessel.  Release pursuant to this process is supposed to take two weeks. [Oddly, except for the letter, all of the documents listed above were in Abracadabra's file at the marina office that AGACE reviewed in November.]

January 21:  We sent the 'Lectronic Latitude report to the marina's lawyer, and he has said the La Cruz Harbor Master will be discussing this report with the Harbor Master for Ensenada.  We also sent this report to the U.S. Consul's office.  That office responded, suggesting that we either hire a lawyer or contact SAT in Zapopan (near Guadalajara) to request a review of our case. Sadly, the individual the Consul's office identified as our SAT contact was the same official that told people on January 16 that compliant boats could not be released.  We have pointed this out to the U.S. Consul's office and suggested that a trip to Zapopan sounded to us like an exercise in futility.  We've sent an e-mail to our Congressional Representative, Doris Matsui asking for assistance in working with the U.S. Consul.  Why?  Because we voted for her. 

Sigh.  Molly had a dream the other night in which we walked along the shore towards Abracadabra.  Or where she should have been, at anchor.  In that odd omniscient way of dreams, she saw that someone had cut the anchor rode and had sailed Abracadabra away. She woke up in the V-berth, convinced that someone had stolen Abracadabra.  We think that even without a PhD in psychology one can interpret this one . . .  

On to more pleasant topics:

Taking A Rest Cure in San Sebastian del Oeste:

To avoid succumbing to enfermidad de embargo precautorio we decided to take a short trip to a reportedly charming mountain village: San Sebastian del Oeste.  

And it is charming.  

San Sebastian del Oeste

The main square looks a bit like a movie set waiting for the director to cue the arrival of Pancho Villa or a dusty pickup carrying El Mariachi.

View From Restaurante Los Arcos del Sol

Commerce

The church - full of images of San Sebstian stuck through with arrows -- was prettier than we expected.

San Sebastian - Stage Right - With Arrows

Alter

Easter Egg Ceiling

Bell Tower

It's chilly this time of year in the mountains (about 40 degrees Fahrenheit at night while we were there) so we were able to practice sleeping under blankets, wearing jeans and jackets and putting on socks to dash from bed to bath (our hotel had thick adobe walls and no heat).  While that may not sound so charming to those who live in chilly climes, it was fun for us - well, for two nights, anyway.

Things to Do in San Sebastian:

Not much.  That's the point.  There wasn't even a television or internet coverage at our hotel!  

We took several long walks.  

One was to a restored mining Hacienda in the hills above the village often frequented by the director John Huston.  

Hacienda Jailisco

It is a lovely walk along a babbling stream which, unfortunately lost some of its charm for Molly when she slipped on a mossy rock and went ass first into the cold water.  There was a minor injury to a finger and a more significant injury to her ego (she had to walk back to the hotel through the village making squish, squish, squish sounds . . . ) but we'd still recommend the walk.  Just maybe in the dry season.   

Efficient Mexican Clothes Dryer

The Injured Digit

 We rambled around the other routes in and out of town:

Cobblestone Street - Complete With Sky TV Antenna

Charm, Charm, Charm . . . But is There Heat?

Wandering Guy

 We watched events related to the novena to San Sebastian.   

The novena is the nine day run-up to the saint's day (January 20) which is also the "homecoming day" for the village. This is the day when those born in the village that are able to do so return home to do what Mexicans do when they're celebrating something: visit family, eat, drink, dance and laugh.  We were told that, beginning on the Friday night after our departure, every hotel room in the whole town was booked (and if you are younger than 10 you get a place on the floor with your cousins!).      

The daily ritual of the novena included:  

• 5:30 a.m.: Very loud fireworks were shot of in front of the church (not sparkly fireworks -- rockets that made whistle-y, boom bomb-like noises).  We were told this was to open the heavens for San Sebastian. 
• Noon: More fireworks. 
• 5 p.m.:  More fireworks.
• 6 p.m.:  San Sebastian was paraded through town to the church, with an accompanying band. 
• 10:30 p.m.:  Even more very loud fireworks. 

How could a saint not feel well and truly welcome?

Primary Grade Roman Soldier
On His Way To Church Via Pickup Truck

Musical Welcome to San Sebastian

We watched the hordes of day-trippers arrive around 11:00 each morning, walk around, have lunch, and leave around 2:00.  We came to know most of the five overnight tourists by name.

And we took naps and read books under blankets.

Getting There Is Half The Adventure:

Because San Sebastian has narrow, cobbled streets and is reached by a winding, narrow road there is no bus service directly to the village.  Several guided tours make day trips there, and intrepid drivers can reach the village by rental car.  We wanted to stay over night and as all our readers know  . . . we're cheap, so we got there by taking:

• The local bus from La Cruz to Puerto Vallarta (17 pesos or about $1.35 usd each);
• A longer distance bus from PV to the farming village of La Estancia (80 pesos or about $6.75 usd each); and
• A cab up the hill from La Estancia to San Sebastian (100 pesos - shared with another tourist = about $3 usd each).   

The address for the bus station in PV (this line has it's own station) and the schedule and fares from PV to Talpa de Allende (La Estancia is a stop on this line) are found here:

http://www.talpamascota.com/english.php. 

The local bus from La Cruz goes near this station, but we're not sure how close.  We had to get off early to get cash -- note: there is only one stand-alone ATM in San Sebastian and none of the local businesses take credit cards.  We took a cab from the  bank to the bus station. 

La Estancia, where you will find a cab to San Sebastian is the bano stop (3 pesos to use the w.c.) about half-way from PV to Talpa de Allende.  The 100-peso cab fare from La Estancia up the hill is apparently non-negotiable (we watched someone make an unsuccessful attempt to get a discount . . . ) but you might find other tourists going to San Sebastian that will share the cab and cost with you.  And really - even if you pay the full fare, it's under $8.35 usd!

The bus to La Estancia is not the super premium long distance bus we're used to riding in Mexico - it's pretty rattle-y and it stops frequently along the way.  But the ride includes great views - both landscape and portrait.

Other Potentially Useful Information:

Hotel:  We stayed at the Real San Sebastian which was picturesque and clean and at 700 pesos ($58 usd +/-) not a budget buster.  

Rooms Upstairs, In The Back

But it was really just four rooms above a restaurant.  No maid service on our second day.  No hot water until we reminded the guy that had met us upon our arrival that the boilers needed to be turned on.  There are several hotels in town, many with websites.  We're told some of the smaller hotels without web presence are clean and comfortable - you might consider just showing up and trying to find a room though it would be a bad place to not have a room as it's a long way to the next town with hotels. . . .

Food:  Most visitors to San Sebastian are day-trippers, and there are a number of good places to have breakfast and lunch.  We particularly enjoyed El Fortin in the square.  Dinner is another matter.  The locally famous Italian restaurant we had looked forward to visiting is only open Thursday through Sunday; and, of course, we were there on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  Poor planning on our part.  Fortunately El Fortin was open on Wednesday night.  Our Tuesday night option (the only place in town that was open!) was expensive and just . . . fine. 

Coffee:  They grow it and roast it, and it's good in the two local coffee shops.  Restaurants may not do their best to showcase the local product.

Money:  There are no banks in San Sebastian and only one ATM.  Local businesses do not take credit cards.  Take cash.

Recommendation:  All-in-all it was a very nice stay - sodden butt and shoes and lack of Italian food notwithstanding.  If you're staying in PV for an extended period of time and are looking for a way to get away from la multitud de touristas a la playa - try a few days in San Sebastian.  Thursday and Friday, maybe.

Day Sailing

Last Sunday we had another lovely day sail on Bahia Banderas.  One of our Spanish instructors from Guanajuato, Rojelio Granda, joined us.  You may recall we tried to go sailing with Rojelio and his wife the weekend before, but we all opted out because it poured rain off and on all day.  Happily the weather was perfect last Sunday - wind up to 12 knots kept us sailing most of the afternoon.  

Rojelio At The Helm

And the famous whales were accommodating and put on a bit of a show for us.  

It's A Whale!

It Was A Whale!

It felt good to stay in sailing shape for the great day when Abracadabra is released! 

More stories of Life At The Dock to come.  And, hopefully, news of Abracadabra's release . . . or a plan for release . . . or something.

It's News In Spokane -- January, 2014

When last you heard from These Intrepid Sailors, Abracadabra was on "The List" and prohibited from leaving the jurisdiction of the Capitania de Puerto of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit, Mexico. . . .   

and so she remains.  

In Prior Episodes:  

In December the Capitania orally informed us that, pursuant to instructions from Hacienda (the Mexican IRS), he would not issue written permission for Abracadabra to leave his jurisdiction. Marina Riviera Nayarit provided us with a copy of a Hacienda document (aka "The List") notifying the Capitania that over 50 vessels in the marina, including Abracadabra, are under embargo precautorio (precautionary embargo).  This document does not explain why any of the vessels were embargoed.  

For more on what we experienced first hand in November and December, and why we came to believe (and still believe) that Abracadabra has been caught up in an issue much larger than our one little boat -- see our prior two posts.  The big picture summary is that we don't really know why Abracadabra is on The List and we don't know who to talk to about changing her status.  So we're waiting for a big picture solution.

Abracadabra is not, and has never been, chained to the dock.  We remain here because to our knowledge we have not violated any laws of Mexico, and we don't want to start by leaving port without the Capitania's permission.  

So What's New:

We have been in e-mail contact with the U.S. Consul's Office and four days ago were told that meetings have taken place between representatives of the U.S. Government and the Mexican government and that we should be hearing from the Mexican government about our particular situation "in the near future".  When asked how to expect that contact (see prior posts - we believe the reason Abracadabra was put on The List originally was that we happened to be away when the government auditors arrived) the representative explained that the U.S. government was advocating on behalf of all of the more than 300 boats that had been embargoed and suggested that if we wanted individualized assistance, we hire a lawyer.

Two days ago the power of the press kicked in.  The publisher of Latitude 38, a popular sailing magazine published in the San Francisco Bay Area, has taken the story to the Associated Press.  The AP story about the embargo has been carried on Fox News, the Spokane  Spokesman-Review (we mean national coverage!), the San Francisco Chronicle, Yahoo-Canada, and Canada's National Post newspaper.  

We'd add links, but unfortunately, like many news stories, the AP report isn't entirely accurate. Our favorite part of the story is the description of the government auditors showing up with marines carrying machine guns.  As clarified in 'Lectronic Latitude, the auditors were very polite and not at all threatening. And marines with guns are a fairly common sight around marinas.  To put these guns in perspective we remember seeing U.S. Coast Guard inflatables with large and imposing mounted guns herding us away from the parade course during a San Francisco Bay Tall Ship event several years ago.  

Perhaps more accurately -- but galling nonetheless -- the AP referred to the owners of the majority of the embargoed boats as being in their "golden years", and the majority of the embargoed boats as "modest" 40-foot boats.  Gee - how adventuresome does Golden Years Sailing sound?  And if 40-feet is modest, what is little 36-foot Abracadabra?  Crushed.

Ego issues aside, we are concerned that the story may not pressure the Mexican government into anything other than intransigence.  But we are trying to remind ourselves that the best attitude to take is one of "wait and see".  

Life Goes On:

So here we are - waiting and seeing.  

Next week we plan a two night visit to a charming colonial mining town in the mountains - San Sebastian del Oeste.  That will require us to miss our Tuesday and Thursday Spanish lessons and some morning yoga, but Molly won't have to miss her resistance bands exercise classes.  [Ooooh . . . maybe we ARE Golden Years Sailors . . .]

We had a nice day sail last weekend and would have  gone sailing yesterday with our Spanish teacher visiting from Guanajuato, Rojelio Ganda, and his wife -- but it was cold and rainy.  So we did what one must to keep one's spirits up.  We ate almost a kilo of ceviche from the local fish market - yum.

Fish Market at La Cruz

We've seen a couple of very good Mexican movies at a local restaurant's Monday night movie showing: Nosotros Los Nobles and Sin Dejar Huellas.  Thankfully, they were shown with English subtitles.  Maybe next season, sin subtitulos?  

On New Year's Eve we had dinner with Bill and Nancy from WindRose.  

New Year's Eve at Frascati

Christmas  began with a big breakfast on Abracadabra, and opening our gifts to each other:

Our Tree and Gifts

Bryce - Christmas Morn

Later we had Christmas dinner with Norm and Candace on their boat, Kyalami.  Candace baked rolls, and made potatoes dauphinoise and a recipe called something like The Best Green Bean Casserole Ever -- which really was. Molly's ham wasn't too bad either.  Norm and Bryce seemed to like the wine . . . 

Chef Candace

Our Christmas gift from brothers-in-law Robert and Tom arrived a few days later, after clearing customs hurdles -- all five seasons of Breaking Bad.  We've watched two shows so far and think it may be difficult to avoid indulging in some binge DVD watching . . . 

So, life goes on, even under house arrest embargo.  But we do hope something happens this week, as serious wannagettravellingitis is beginning to set in.  

Hug A Civil Liberties Lawyer: 

Time for some soapbox stuff (isn't that why one operates a blog?):  We have been members of the American Civil Liberties Union for years and this situation only reminds us why.  Yes, we know we're in a different country with different laws.  We're not suggesting Mexico should change it's legal system.  But we are saying that this experience has made us even greater fans of the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment.   [Note: That's where the government of the United States is prohibited from depriving someone of "liberty, or property" without "due process".]  And fans of the processes generally recognized as being "due" -- including notice of alleged violations and the right to contest or remedy same before being sanctioned.     

So, readers in the U.S. or Canada:  Give a big hug to your local civil liberties lawyer.  Or consider joining the ACLU or CCLU.  And Just in Case You Don't Think This Could Be Your Issue, Remember:  Being in compliance with the law is an effective defense ONLY if you are given an opportunity to prove that you are. 

More About That -- December, 2013

The List -- Is It Karma?

If you don't know what we mean by "The List", see our immediately prior post.  Warning: very little / none of the following will make sense until you have read that post.  

We've learned a little more (though precious little still) about our embargo situation.  We've learned that the marina sweep here in La Cruz was just one of many and that, depending on one's source of information, there are either 300-something or 500-something boats throughout Mexico that are On The List.  The (perhaps) good news is that many of those boats are owned by people who have a greater economic stake in getting cleared from The List than we do; charter captains, mega-yacht owners and such.  

For a relatively accurate press report of the/our situation see the most recent post on 'Lectronic Latitude -- the electronic version of Latitude 38, a widely-read Northern California-based sailing magazine.  [Note:  We think the 'Lectronic Latitude report is slightly hyperbolic when it complains about not being able to "leave the dock".  The boats are not chained to the dock.  In fact, the reporter's embargoed boat was out sailing on Banderas Bay this past weekend.  What being on The List means is that the boat can't be cleared for departure by the Port Captain, which in turn means the boat can't enter any other port in Mexico.  And yes, theoretically one could "make a run for it" in the dead of night and sail out of Mexican waters to the Marquesas and try and enter there as though coming from the U.S. -- but really, let's be serious.]      

The not-so-good news part of what we've learned is that yesterday the managers of several marinas and the head of the marina trade association met with representatives of the federal government to press quick resolution of The List.  The government representatives' position was that by law the government has up to four months to address The List and that the government will take the time needed to do the job right.  Hearing this caused Molly a sinking moment of deja vu. . . .  over her two+ decades as a government lawyer she said very similar words more than once . . .  

Karma.  It's gonna get you.    

So, we're going to write the U.S. Consul in Puerto Vallarta and say that we're one of the many boats that are under precautionary embargo and that we're ready, willing and able to provide any of Abracadabra's documentation to the Mexican government to confirm that we are in the country legally.  And then we'll wait.  There's a farmer's market on Sunday, a wine tasting on Monday night at Yaya's Cafe and a movie in the sailor's lounge on Thursday . . . 

A Final Thought:  Though it's not new information to either of us, this experience has also reminded us that at some point misery does not love company.  The benefits of exercising Our God Given Right as Americans to gripe about a situation has worn thin.  As it turns out no one on the dock really wants to hear about our situation.  They want us to hear about theirs.  

Karma.

But Wait!  There's More!

In our last post we also wrote about boat work done / stuff purchased over the last two months. And, as hard as it may be for you to imagine, we forgot to mention stuff!  

               Galley Fan -- $50.  We wrote about fans in our last post and even about this, Molly's favorite fan.  [A happy cook = a happy crew.]  But what we failed to mention is that this cute little fan is held up by one of the nicest pieces of woodwork on Abracadabra, courtesy of our friend Martin Roysher.  Captain Bryce requested a small wooden base to mount the galley fan on the galley pole and, in true Arts and Crafts fashion, Martin turned that little utilitarian block into art. Thanks, Martin!

Aaaaahh !!

  

               A New Solar Panel -- $400.  We have added a 50 watt panel to our bimini-top solar farm and now have 250 watts of solar.  While there still won't be enough power for Molly to use a blow-drier when we are at anchor, we can watch CD's on our lap top more often!

Our Solar Farm

               Lifelines and Cockpit Railings -- $1400.  All of the old, grungy and about-to-be-safety-hazard lifelines (the cables that run around the deck of the boat and keep people and stuff from falling off) have been replaced by new, shiny, strong stainless lifelines. And Abracadabra's entrance gate, which originally was almost six feet wide - and of zero assistance to anyone trying to get on or off the boat - is now 24 inches wide.  On each side of the entry way there is now a sturdy stainless steel stanchion.  Marian Leonard - you'll be safer now!  (That's a long and scary old story . . . ) 

Welcome Aboard!

Around the cockpit we replaced the lifelines with stainless railing; sturdy, smooth bars to lean on, to catch clumsy crew members and to hold the barbecue grill.  These make our "back porch" much more comfortable.  And they look really spiffy too.    

Porch Rails

  

That's it for this season; not because our ideas are exhausted, but because our budget is.  But every day when we get onto the boat we talk about how we love our new gate or shade or . . .   something.  Thanks for letting us show off!

More on when we're able to go when we're able to go!

Oh Lord, Stuck in La Cruz Again . . . -- December, 2013

Show Us Your Papers

It had to happen sooner or later.  We are, after all, foreigners here.  We've been caught up in officialdom and Abracadabra is now on a list of boats that will not be given permission to leave La Cruz.  Staff at the marina tell us that, because of the upcoming holidays, the likelihood is that if she doesn't get cleared this week, she'll be stuck here into 2014.  Ah, of course - said the former civil servants - The Holidays. 

The Prisoner

How did this happen?  We're not entirely sure, but here's what we know:  

Mexico has a new federal administration.  Our experience as State of California civil servants taught us that a change in administration always means that Stuff Will Happen. Sometimes even important, relevant stuff.  

          Instituto National de Migracion  (INM)

First came a surprise visit from the Mexican federal government's immigration branch (INM) to see if any among the motley crew of mariners in La Cruz were without proper immigration documentation.  [As Homeland Security will tell you, it's best not to give notice of immigration searches.]  Fortunately, Molly was on board when they arrived and produced our passports and tourist cards. Score one successful encounter with officialdom.    

          Servicio de Administracion Tributaria (SAT)

Unlike most tourist card holders (the tourist card is what each tourist coming to Mexico gets when he or she gets off the plane) we have a boat in Mexico.  And as humble as she may be in the world of yachts, she is our home.  When we brought Abracadabra to Mexico we obtained a "temporary import permit" (TIP) which allows us to keep her here for up to ten years without paying import duty.  That's a big break for us - try bringing a boat into California and staying for ten years without paying "use tax" - ha! 

Apparently someone at the Mexican government's tax branch (SAT) recently thought about the many foreign yachts in Mexican marinas (some of which are very fancy) and wondered if all of them had proper TIPs.  And as any tax inspector will tell you, if you're inspecting movable property you don't announce that visit in advance either.

So, as we were busily giving thanks in The Greater Los Angeles Area, SAT came calling.  SAT saw photocopies of Abracadabra's TIP and related documents at the marina office - but they didn't see us. Abracadabra was put on a list of boats that either didn't have proper documentation or whose owner or manager wasn't on board at the time of SAT's visit.  

The List.  

SAT then told the Port Captain that boats on The List are not to be given permission to depart for another port until cleared by SAT.  As to which government entity trumps in this situation, for SAT, think: IRS.

Our first reaction was that this was not a problem - Bryce was still busy installing stuff, and a return visit by SAT had been scheduled.  Last week we spent three days tag-team boat sitting so that whenever SAT arrived on our dock one of us would be aboard.  As it happened when they arrived we were both on board.  We waved the original TIP and other documents at them but they were not interested in any of our documents.  By the time they arrived at Abracadabra the issue had become whether our hull number matched the hull number on our TIP (apparently another boat had this problem).  So we showed them that it did.  Smiles all around.  Assurances that all was well.  Ah, score two successful encounters. 

But no.  

We have now learned that, as congenial as the encounter was -- it wasn't successful. What has happened is the worst of all possible governmental things: The List has been kicked upstairs for clearance.  It's in Guadalajara.  

Today a very polite, intimidatingly militaristic looking young man at the Port Captain's office confirmed that Abracadabra is on The List and won't receive an exit permit from the Port Captain until cleared from The List.  He suggested Aduana (Customs) in Puerto Vallarta could clear her from The List - but he can't tell us what Aduana will want to see from us, or whether Aduana in Puerto Vallarta (though part of SAT) has the authority to clear a boat from The List that is now in Guadalajara.  The staff of the marina (a private business that is most closely associated with the government's tourism office) assure us they are working on our behalf, but suggest that we prepare to enjoy Christmas and New Years in La Cruz.  

The disconcerting thing for a former government lawyer like Molly is that we haven't received anything in writing - nothing that prohibits us from leaving or explains how we might get Abracadabra off The List.  Regulations and process; they're really a good thing.  

What would happen if we just sailed away, as some of our more aggressive sailing compadres have suggested?  Or, as others have suggested - is this the time to ask whether there is "a way to bring resolution to this" and offer someone some money?  Aside from the fact that we're just plain too timid to bet our house - literally - on a positive outcome of either of those approaches -- have we mentioned we're former civil servants that think that governmental process in general is a good thing?  Sigh - we only hope that there is a process and that it will play out soon!      

Bottom Line:  We are free to move about the cabin, but Abracadabra is in La Cruz until "Guadalajara" decides that we've done what we need to do (whatever that is) to clear her from The List. 

And, for perspective:  As Molly's brother said:  Oh gee, stuck in Puerto Vallarta - boohoo." 

Nifty New Stuff

So since we're stuck here, we thought we'd take some time to show off our boat projects and purchases.  They range from pretty things that cost from $12 to $1,200 and safety related things that you can't really see that cost, well, a lot.  

Here they are, listed from least to most expensive because that's how we search all internet sales sights . . . 

               Cushions - $12:  Two cushions rescued from S/V Lanikai's "getting old stuff off the boat" pile + canvas left over from a prior project on Abracadabra + $12 paid to a tapiceria (upholstery shop) in Mazatlan = two comfy tushes:  

One of Two Comfy - and Cheerful - Cushions  

               Fans - Can't Have Too Many -- $100 each:  When we left San Diego equipped with two fans in Abracadabra's little salon, our friend Terry Heil, a veteran of several seasons in Central America, told us we didn't have enough fans.  And after two seasons in the heat - we knew he was right.  This year we have four in the salon -- including Molly's favorite: one pointed right at the cook.  

Aaaaah . . . 

               Galley Faucet - $150:  One new faucet with easy-operating lever and spray that - added bonus - doesn't leak = one happy cook and one happy dish washer.

It's The Little Things

               Shade, Glorious Shade - $1200:  This is our best shade system yet - Shade 2.0 (season one was Shade 1.0 and season two was more like Shade 1.5).  Designed by Captain Bryce, and created by Tapiceria Upholstery Works in Mazatlan with additional side shades by Sea Mar Canvas in La Cruz.  With this shade system the cockpit is a breezy "back porch". There are see-through side curtains that can be taken down to increase airflow and put on to block the sun, as required.  We had the top shade off yesterday for a minor adjustment and can attest that without it Abracadabra is at least 10 degrees warmer below!  Central America would be unthinkable without this addition.

Bedouins Afloat

               AIS - $1700:  There isn't much to look at here - it's electronic equipment and software.  But an important safety feature.  We can now see not only that a ship is near us (which we could see before with the radar) but know it's "call sign", which direction it's headed, and how fast it's going.  And we can hail that ship directly rather than send out a general call on the radio.  It turns that middle-o-the-night call to a big scary bunch of lights from a radio message that says something like "large ship near Latitude X and Longitude X we are a sailing vessel approximately X miles on your port/starboard - please don't run over us" into a direct call to that ship's bridge with an identification number that will record on the ship's navigation system (like an airplane's "black box").  They're more likely to pay attention to our call and tell us how to avoid them -- and if they don't our heirs will have a better chance of knowing who hit us.  

Automatic Identification System

So - that's our cool (ha - pun intended) new stuff which we hope to take South with us as soon as Abracadabra is no longer On The List!