Everybody Needs a Fix

Caught on on my email, read the news, made a pot or three of coffee and the phone rang.

"Jim, I accidentally picked up your telescope and GPS, can you come down to the office and get them? I am getting ready to head out to David."

Great, more stuff to lug on my back until I close on the house.

My realtor called and promised that the house sitter from hell would be out of my future abode in nine days and that every thing else would be tended to within eleven. I wouldn't bet on a dropped spoon hitting the floor around here.

On my way out the door I ran into my landlord, who is also a builder and made inquiries about building some cabinas over the water on the shore of my soon to be abode. We talked about whether floating houses had a future in Bocas and I expressed my concerns and reservations.

Stopping by the hardware store I picked up a 28" high carbon steel El Salvadoran machete and a leather sheath for a guy stateside. The machete was priced $5.50, a bit steep, as it was worth about $4, but everything is overpriced on this island. The sheath was priced at $9.95. I paid $12.50 for the pair. Everything is negotiable.

Down to the real estate office. "Hi, Carolina, buenes Josephina, c'mon give up a smile. Yo Walter, como esta Flaco, hola Tino." Walter handed me a box that appeared as though it had been used to get traction under the rear wheels of a dual axle delivery truck. Shit! I opened it up. Ah, good, the tripod, not the spotting scope.

"Hey Carolina, my landlord has three used locksets he'll sell you." She wants me to masterkey the hostel she is managing, but I can only do so much. If the key doesn't fit in the hole, a compatible lock has to be found. The poor dear has spent so much money fixing up the place she is running cash is getting very low.

The Garmin 76CSx box was next. No external abuse was evident. I opened the box and was pleased to find a very solid plastic GPS with a large transflexive display. I always carry a spare set of 2900 mah NiMH AA batteries in my fanny pack, so I popped them into the unit, powered it on and was amazed that it acquired 11 satellites in less than 10 seconds. The software has the same functionality as the 65 but far fewer limitations, 10000 point track log, 1000 waypoints, 50 routes. It claims 18 hours on a set of batteries and 30 hours in battery saver mode.

Off to Casa Verde to play with my toy, hang out with my crew and check out the next wave of tourists coming into town. A Spanish boat captain from Madrid expressed interest in my GPS, I showed him how to use it and he was quite impressed. He captains charters on a 42' catamaran around Bocas, but does not own the boat. I asked his opinion on a couple of 30-35' boats I was evaluating and he mentioned that his boat was for sale. He also mentioned that he needed to fill the water tank but that he was no longer able to top off at the fire department as someone had reported this activity and it was deemed not a service offered by the city.

I looked at his tiny Boston Whaler, with eight inches of water in it, my backpack filled with electronics that I dared not leave at home, gave a look of consternation and he suggested we take a water taxi. Three hundred meters later we secured a forty five second ride to the sailboat. People moor their boats off shore and take dinghys in. The annual fee for doing so is $193 a year, versus about $9/ft per month in a marina.

My first impression was that the hull needed new gelcoat and the deck needed to be refinished. Entering the cabin, the heavy smell of diesel did not impart a great allure. The cabin was a filthy, with the excuse offered that being out of water there was no way to clean. I looked at the controls, the electrical panel gave off bad vibes. Julio removed the ladder from the bracket that allowed one to ascend from the cabin to the deck, exposing the three cylinder 60 hp diesel engine, took out some jumper cables and made the connections to heat the glow coils. He admitted that a whole lot of things needed to be fixed on the boat.

After starting the engine, we pulled anchor and set sail. I was informed that the boat readily sailed at seven knots under power. At full speed I pointed out that we were travelling 3.5 MPH per my GPS, about 3 knots. I called Nikelda and asked the cost of 75 gallons of water. This was not a service Casa Verde offered. But, it has been raining a lot so the water catchment takes must be filled to capacity. The docking process was nothing like that two which I am accustomed. I pulled my 36' twin engine into a slip with two feet to spare on either side first time every time. This was a drop anchor, back throw line to shore, WTF effort.

I had to go down the street to borrow an extra hose to pull the job off but the tank was filled. Julio took the boat back and said he would return to go to dinner if I cared to do so. Sure, why not? Nice enough guy.

Nikelda approached me and told me that a room was locked, all the keys were gone and the air conditioner maintenance men needed access to the room to effect a repair. Could I get them in? I had no tools with me. I surveyed the door. "I need a sixteen ounce claw hammer, a 10 penny galvanized nail, a 5/16" flat bladed screwdriver with a square shaft, some WD-40, three feet of yellow yarn, a coat hanger, a hacksaw and a large sheet of plastic." "Como?" "A hammer, a nail and a screwdriver." I drove the hinge pins out on the reverse swing door, lower one first, of course, removed the door and headed out to dinner with Julio and Stephen, down to Ultimate Refugio. "Let me know if these boneheads can't rehang the door."

As I was finishing off my peanut satay pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables I got a phone call from Carolina. She was at her hostel, outside of town in a neighborhood known as "Saigon", locked out of her room. Could I let her in? "Let me finish my dinner, grab some tools and I'll be over." I rapidly finished my meal, got another call "are you on your way?" Yes, I am on my f...ing way. I grabbed a taxi, stopped by my apartment and secured some implements specifically designed for the manipulation of lock tumblers returned to the taxi and rode out of town.

Carolina was standing in front waiting for me. I looked at the lock. "Which way do you turn this to unlock it? Are you sure? Are you positive?" After 5 minutes of trying to get the cylinder to turn I inspected the hinges. These were very high quality european style, with cap screws on both ends and bearings. I asked if she had a set of pliers or vice grips and was offered an adjustable crescent wrench. No this won't do. I couldn't jimmy the latch with the stubby screwdriver, too big to fit in the gap. Finally I tried turning the cylinder clockwise, 10 seconds later I had the door unlocked.

After receiving many thanks I headed out the gate stopped by a store to buy some nuts, headed down the street, found my way back at the hostel, turned around, stopped at another store, bought a water, headed out, walked down the street, found myself back at the hostel. Dammit.

I called Nikelda. "Did you get the door hung?" "Yes but they didn't lock it." Jesus, how dumb can you be. I walked from Saigon to my apartment, dropped off a bunch of stuff and with my daypack full of electronics headed back to Casa Verde. Nikelda escorted me up the stairs. By the time we got to the room the door was shut and locked. The two Swedish women answered the door, Nikelda apologized for the door having been unlocked, they admitted no difficulty. Nathan the cook came up to see the activity. "Are you going to break into that room?" "Not this minute, but I'm thinking about it." Nikelda, said, "what?". "Nathan do you know who is in that room?" "Why do you think I came up here?" A half soda water, half cranberry juice for my effort I walked back home.