I called a water taxi co-op and caught a ride to town so that I could follow up on my outboard repair.
The outboard wouldn't go into reverse without a horrible grinding noise. I took the boat to Bocas Marine Tours (BMT) on Friday and chased down Chito, the mechanic that services all of their boats.
He had told me that he would call me at 11:00 but failed to do so. I can't go everywhere by water taxi.
Carlos at BMT decided that I needed his help in effecting the repair. I guess I did as Chito would answer when Carlos called but wouldn't take my calls. On the first trip Chito had concluded that the problem lay in the foot and was trying to pry out the plastic plug through which the drive shaft and the transmission shaft enter the foot. He told me to come back at three.
At three I called and again got no answer. Carlos called Chito and Chito answered. He wanted me to come down and see the problem. Ahh, shit. It takes a long time to get parts to Panama.
Another taxi ride to Saigon. The foot was back on the boat. Chito showed me a bushing that had found its way into the foot. As the bushing was part of an electrical assembly in the head, I could only conclude that Frank had somehow managed to get this part into the foot while conducting an unauthorized operation on the foot that I caught him doing. He said he had been cleaning it. Hmmm.
$150 later I was free to go. I needed to get some gas. Carlos insisted that I go to Isla Carenero to gas up. No way. I didn't know if I could make it on the gas I had and even if I could it was so near five that they would likely be closed. I headed off to the gas station with a five gallon tank in hand. It was but a half mile away. Carlos was adamant that I wait for a taxi. Why? I'll be at the station before a taxi shows up. I filled up the tank and walked back.
Carlos asked me to buy him a beer. Seems reasonable. We walked to a cantina and he ordered 10. "Why didn't we just go to a chino and buy them? This is an expensive way to buy beer." Not his money, he didn't care. Back to town in the boat. Carlos finished his beer and threw it overboard. "What the hell is that, asshole?" He proudly showed me the cap. "I didn't throw this in." What a dickhead. I retrieved the bottle. As I dropped him off at BMT he asked for a tip. "That's $10 in beer for an hour's work. That's more than enough."
Back to Casa Verde. A burger. Chatted with Natalie for a couple of hours and invited her to go boating with me on Sunday. She had been out of Bocas Town but once, on the sailing trip the prior weekend. "Sure, can Anna come?" Why not? Then Garrett and Scott wanted to know if they could come. Man that's five people on the boat. Ok, we'll go slowly.
Off to Lillies for some live music. Lots of friends. I ran into a prominent citizen who is always very hammered every time I see her. "Jim, where do you live?" "I'm not answering any more questions. You ask the same question ten times an hour, you can't remember shit." Five minutes later she asked the same four questions she parrots.
"I'm not going to Aqua Lounge." That was pretty random. Nobody had said they were.
"I think my girls are at Iguana." Unlikely, it's closed. "Let's go to Barco Hundido." I hate that place. But I took her anyway. She fell flat on her face while trying to walk down the street. Yup, she definitely needs an escort. Doubt I will be able to pawn her off on somebody. The girls weren't at Barco Hundido. She ordered a double rum and coke. Jesus, woman, you can't even walk.
"Let's try Aqua Lounge." Another place I hate. I took her anyway. Docking is always a problem. One ties off and then has to walk on the edge of 2 X 6 nailed to wobbly posts for 30 feet. I spied her passed out on a chaise lounge and made my exit.
The outboard wouldn't go into reverse without a horrible grinding noise. I took the boat to Bocas Marine Tours (BMT) on Friday and chased down Chito, the mechanic that services all of their boats.
He had told me that he would call me at 11:00 but failed to do so. I can't go everywhere by water taxi.
Carlos at BMT decided that I needed his help in effecting the repair. I guess I did as Chito would answer when Carlos called but wouldn't take my calls. On the first trip Chito had concluded that the problem lay in the foot and was trying to pry out the plastic plug through which the drive shaft and the transmission shaft enter the foot. He told me to come back at three.
At three I called and again got no answer. Carlos called Chito and Chito answered. He wanted me to come down and see the problem. Ahh, shit. It takes a long time to get parts to Panama.
Another taxi ride to Saigon. The foot was back on the boat. Chito showed me a bushing that had found its way into the foot. As the bushing was part of an electrical assembly in the head, I could only conclude that Frank had somehow managed to get this part into the foot while conducting an unauthorized operation on the foot that I caught him doing. He said he had been cleaning it. Hmmm.
$150 later I was free to go. I needed to get some gas. Carlos insisted that I go to Isla Carenero to gas up. No way. I didn't know if I could make it on the gas I had and even if I could it was so near five that they would likely be closed. I headed off to the gas station with a five gallon tank in hand. It was but a half mile away. Carlos was adamant that I wait for a taxi. Why? I'll be at the station before a taxi shows up. I filled up the tank and walked back.
Carlos asked me to buy him a beer. Seems reasonable. We walked to a cantina and he ordered 10. "Why didn't we just go to a chino and buy them? This is an expensive way to buy beer." Not his money, he didn't care. Back to town in the boat. Carlos finished his beer and threw it overboard. "What the hell is that, asshole?" He proudly showed me the cap. "I didn't throw this in." What a dickhead. I retrieved the bottle. As I dropped him off at BMT he asked for a tip. "That's $10 in beer for an hour's work. That's more than enough."
Back to Casa Verde. A burger. Chatted with Natalie for a couple of hours and invited her to go boating with me on Sunday. She had been out of Bocas Town but once, on the sailing trip the prior weekend. "Sure, can Anna come?" Why not? Then Garrett and Scott wanted to know if they could come. Man that's five people on the boat. Ok, we'll go slowly.
Off to Lillies for some live music. Lots of friends. I ran into a prominent citizen who is always very hammered every time I see her. "Jim, where do you live?" "I'm not answering any more questions. You ask the same question ten times an hour, you can't remember shit." Five minutes later she asked the same four questions she parrots.
"I'm not going to Aqua Lounge." That was pretty random. Nobody had said they were.
"I think my girls are at Iguana." Unlikely, it's closed. "Let's go to Barco Hundido." I hate that place. But I took her anyway. She fell flat on her face while trying to walk down the street. Yup, she definitely needs an escort. Doubt I will be able to pawn her off on somebody. The girls weren't at Barco Hundido. She ordered a double rum and coke. Jesus, woman, you can't even walk.
"Let's try Aqua Lounge." Another place I hate. I took her anyway. Docking is always a problem. One ties off and then has to walk on the edge of 2 X 6 nailed to wobbly posts for 30 feet. I spied her passed out on a chaise lounge and made my exit.
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