Above is a photo of how a sailing regatta looks from last place. In all fairness this was taken from a vessel with a heavy displacement that was not built for racing. In fact she was entered in the regatta only to shake her down before entering the next leg of a cruise down south. That and to give the guys a chance to swap stories while winching and hoisting and otherwise bonding.

As the sun came up this morn we sipped our coffee and watched as "Serenity" loosed the bonds that held her fast to the slip immediately behind us.

Like magic, activity on the docks ceases as she creeps past those of us left behind calling our farewells and standing in a puddle of our own thoughts.

As the wanderers pass by Pacific Jade, Debi, at the helm calls back to us "We'll look for you south" and with a wave of her hand another new friend is carried out of sight. Then, like a spell has been broken we take up the tasks that bring us ever closer to our own departure.

Maybe we'll see them again and maybe not. Such is the nature of the lifestyle, never knowing when or if you'll again encounter those who go before you or those you leave behind.

Good byes are a daily event as are hellos. No sooner was "Serenity" out of sight than the owners of "Spirit of Sidney" came rolling their possessions down the dock and the greetings and welcome homes rang out as they passed by old friends on their way to taking up residence once again at the end of the dock.

Today, we relax. Joe has offered up his services as crew in the local sunday regatta with some fellow cruisers. The guys have broken loose from dock 6 for a day of sailing, sunshine and good old carmeraderie. Oh yeah, they're racing too. I wonder if they remember that. I got the distinct impression that the regatta was just an excuse to do some swaggering aboard.

I have stayed behind to read and write and enjoy the solitude provided by being more than 10 feet away from my beloved for a whole afternoon. A rare occurrence when we're living on board .

It's quiet on the dock today. The fish periodically hurl themselves clean out of the water, as though in some unseen fish olympics, leaving an ever widening circular ripple on the surface. As I sit below I can clearly hear the crackling noise of the sea life beneath us. A sound usually only audible as we lay down for the night. Occasionally I hear the ringing click of a winch hoisting a trusting captain aloft to attend to some maintenance up the mast.

But mostly it's silent and peaceful. A sleepy day at the marina following our huge pot luck and shrimp feed last night.

Joe will return sun browned with his beer drinking arm well exercised and we'll both feel renewed from the break. Tomorrow we'll tackle the next project and move ever closer to our departure day to hopefully meet our friends on Kelp Fiction in Tenacatita.

Above is a photo they sent us and what we're heading to.

Well here we are on our boat in Mexico. It occurs to me as we sand and fill and paint and polish that one of the upsides of chartering is that someone else does all the grunt work.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this lifestyle for any other but those who think that it's nothing but fun fun fun all the time are misinformed.

I suppose that if you own a new boat the work is minimal but our boat is 30 years old and sports a wood cabin top and cockpit. Constant attention is required to keep her ship shape. And we want her to be proud and happy.

It isn't just us, the marina is bustling with sailors readying their boats for the winter leg of their journeys. Boats from the Baha ha ha are arriving here in Mazatlan from their departure point in San Diego daily.

From here some will jump the puddle and make the long trek to the South Pacific, many will head south to Puerto Vallarta, Barra de Navidad, Zihuatinejo and Central America. Buddy boating with like minded sailors to explore tiny fishing villages and exotic anchorages along the way. This is what makes all the work worthwhile and it can't be done on a charter yacht.

In the meantime, between coats of paint, we'll enjoy visiting with friends old and new and basking in the sun and sea.

Now, to decide what to do today. Lets see, we could dinghy through the canals that meander through the golf course or maybe walk barefoot along the beach til we've reached our favourite margarita bar, it looks like a good day to boogey board in the surf, perhaps we'll lunch under a palapa.................