ISLETA'S SERENDIPITY ................................

We arrived a week ago, just as the round ISLETA island yacht races were finishing, and twice we had to pull anchor, so as not to be smack on the finish line ................ Little did we realize that Capt. POLITO HERNANDEZ (who came third) would end up making our stay so memorable, by providing us with a safe mooring and a thousand stories in 'SPANGLISH'.............All of which, allowed us to get on with some boat repairs and a general clean-up. ................ The diver, Yachob, Svetlana's son, from the motor vessel "MAMBO", did a superb job in cleaning an inch-thick growth of barnacles and weeds from the hull ................. And with a clean bottom, we can now do a mini-cruise within the cruise, while waiting for a bigger travel-hoist to get us out of the water in mid November........ Did I mention that young POLITO HERNANDEZ is 72 years old, an avid racer, has three yachts on anchor here, and has the energy of a dozen men (over fifty) ............And he's a handsome devil, too ...............Is Senor SUAVECITO ..........



But let's go below on ARITA, firstly step into the cockpit, and hang on to the wheel for balance ..............Past the compass and the chartplotter .................... Then down two steps, and into the salon (saloon) .............. Past the galley, opposite of which is the middle cabin .........Also known as 'The Garage' into which things, kind of end up .............. Then past the 'Head' on the port side, and the hanging locker on starboard side, and onto the front cabin also called 'The Love Nest', but never the fo'csle ...........In days of old, 'time spent before the mast' was pure living hell ................On ARITA, time spent before the mast is very 'nice' .................



So calm and peaceful is our free mooring behind ISLETA, that the wind-generator has not turned in a week ............... Went up to see if it still turns at all ................. And without wind, it gets HOT...............REALLY HOT, and shade cloths are up .......................... And we are down below ..............At least until sunset, when the 'Queen of Florida' mixes us an awesome "SUNDOWNER" ............. Before we retire to .................Now you know where ..................... Oh, almost forgot to show you the 'HEAD' ...........