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Boat repairs require a journey of their own

Repairing a boat in La Paz, Mexico, makes me realize how lucky we had it back in the states.

Here’s my routine of late: I wake up, I eat, I fix something, I feel good, then something else breaks and I spend the next three days working out a fix for that.

Looking for parts in La Paz can be an odyssey. I’ll go to one store, which will refer me to another, where I’ll be told to call someone, who will then refer me to the first store. Then on my way back to the boat, feeling frustrated and defeated, I’ll see the exact part I was looking for in the window of a store I just happened to be walking by.

That’s just how it works down here.

I have spent the last month trying to square away new rigging on my boat. The rigging holds the mast in place and is one of the most important components of a sailboat.

The rigging on the boat Tyler and I bought was shot. So, luckily for us, we have the opportunity to learn how to rig a boat from square one. Not exactly what we want to be doing, but it is an important skill to possess.

Because of the extent of the repairs our boat required, I realized that it would be cheaper and faster for me to fly to the U.S., buy parts there and find a ride back to La Paz.

Miraculously, I managed to find a ride with a friend going on a surf trip down the Baja Peninsula.

Our month here in La Paz has been challenging, but not without its good points. We’ll be stuck here until our boat is ready to go. With hurricane season looming off Mexico’s west coast, we are racing against time. As long as we get more things fixed and repaired in a day than break, we are on track, but not all days are that lucky.

If anyone thought we are living the life of leisure, think again. This sailing thing is hard work right now, but it is extremely satisfying and the perks are endless.

Kevin Schank graduated from Durango High School in 2004 and Fort Lewis College in 2010. Follow Schank at www.MoreHandsOnDeck.com



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