Lazaro Cardenas

July 4- 9, 2013  Lazaro Cardenas

First job this morning is to check in with the port captain.  Bright and early, our caretakers are here to remind us and see if they can help.  I beg for an hour to finish breakfast and get the paperwork together.  10am, they are back so we set off.  There is space to tie up at the dock with all the pilot boats.  Our guides are there to be sure we are OK.  The guard lets us through the locked gate and into a lovely compound.  there are long low buildings spread out on green grass.  Sidewalks are lined with flowering hedges.  Everything is clean and neat and wonder of wonders, not a sign of crumbling concrete.  The Port Captain building is air conditioned and we are escorted to his private office upstairs where we hand over our paperwork.  He goes through every one of our entry and exit papers, trying to make sense of our travels and makes copies of everything.  While it is obvious he would rather we were not here, he is really very nice and speaks some English. The main question is what is wrong and how long will it take to fix it?  Alan has not had time yet to take the starter apart to see so we really don’t know the answer to this but obviously we will be here at least one day, probably two.

Once our paperwork was done, we were informed that there would be an inspection of the boat.  Almost as soon as we got back to the boat,  the Port Captain pulled along side with another officer for the inspection.  Turns out it was a safety check.  They wanted to know if we had everything from a bell to GPS to charts to life jackets.  We passed with flying colors and were handed an official certificate of safety, along with a copy of the check list.  I had the feeling that they wanted to be sure we would not end up back here again.  Through all this, there was never any mention of any fee for service.  I guess the navy must have chalked it up to training.

Back on the boat, Alan tackles the starter while I write up our adventures with the Mexican navy and sort photos.  Eventually he decided that it is not a simple problem that he can fix himself.  We need an electrician.  Back to report to the Port Captain who makes a phone call and gives us directions to shop called Flame, where they should be able to help us.  On the boat, we are anchored in a river lined with green trees.  As we step through the gate of the Port Captain complex, we are in a bustling port city.  The shop we are looking for is just up the street.  Turns out to be an auto repair shop.  After a certain amount of confusion we manage to explain what we need.  Luckily there is a broken started sitting on the counter and once Alan points to it, things proceed.  Someone can come out to the boat to check it out if we come back in an hour.  We head off up the street and end up having lunch at the Pollo Feliz, much like our Pollo Loco, and very good.  After lunch, it’s back to the shop to pick up our electrician.  One young man who looks like he is not even 21 years old and his helper who can’t be more than 13.  There is great curiosity about the boat and even about the fact that we have permission to pass through the Port Captain complex.  There is official signing in at the gate and then back to the boat where the guys get to work, while surreptitiously checking it all out.  Turns out the starter has burned out.  That was the source of the burning smell that I was worried about.  It was not the engine, luckily, it was the starter motor.  So back to the shop and reschedule for tomorrow.  The rest of the afternoon we walked around town, found the market and stocked up on food, then back to the boat again. 

Next day, back to the shop to collect the electrician, his bag of tools and his helper.  Actually this is a different helper.  Apparently everyone is dying for a chance to come aboard.  Each time they go back to the shop for parts a new helper comes along.  They get to work quickly and in a few hours we have a new starter installed.  Now we need a bigger fuse.  Since the dingy will only carry 3 large guys, I stay on board and Alan goes off with them.  Good thin I still have a few books left to read.  Hours later, they are back, after driving to every electrical shop in town looking for the right fuse.  And, voila, the engine starts.  We are good to go.

That evening it poured!  Buckets of rain and wind  Hurricane Erick is finally passing by.   Aside from a couple of drips around the hatches, Rhapsody is really dry inside.  The problem is that with the hatches closed to keep out the rain, it is really hot.  At least there are no bugs here, or very few.  The next day is still overcast but no rain.  We are waiting one more day to be sure the weather is clear before we take off again.  This is a lazy day on the boat, reading, sewing, sleeping.  In the evening we take the dingy upriver to explore.  It is fascinating to see the river front lined with chicken coops, pig pins, run down tin roofed shacks and hulls of rotting boats and know that just on the other side is a vibrant port city.  Egrets and pelicans swoop over the water and land on the trees.  Blackbirds perch on clumps of water hyacinths drifting along.  Eventually we pull in and tie up at a riverside bar.  This is apparently the “local” for the fishermen that we see going out in their pongas.  We order a couple of beer and are asked if we want food.  Although we decline the food, we are nonetheless presented with 2 bowls of wonderful ceviche.  Apparently it is included, or else they just think we should try it, being Americans and all.  Obviously everyone knows who we are since we are the only sailboat on the river.

Later, we explore downriver.  The waterfront between the Port Captain and the docks has been landscaped and developed into a lovely riverfront park and is filled with  families enjoying the evening.  There are exercise stations, children’s play equipment, bicycles for rent, kiosks, a soccer field and even a theater with free movies.  Apparently the port is making money and the money is being spent on “quality of life” for the city.  I am really starting to like this city.  There are no tree lined plazas or historic cathedrals but people seem happy and eager to help.

Next morning, ready to head out, the engine won’t start!  Back to Flame for the electrician again.  Since we will be here another day, I would love to get the laundry done so I take it along.  The laundromat is right up the street and they assure me it will be done by 4:00.  Since I have another day to kill I head off to Walmart and the shopping plaza while Alan deals with the motor.  Several hours later, loaded with groceries and having resisted a fabulous pair of pants, I head back.  The engine is done but the laundry is not, first they say it won’t be done until tomorrow, then 8pm.  We finally settle on 6pm.  We pick up some cold beer and head back to the boat to put the groceries away.  then since we have time to kill, we head upriver to the bar again.  2 hours later, the laundry is still not done.  This time the manager is there and is very apologetic.  20 minutes more she promises, so we go across the street for ice cream.   Finally it is done and we head back to the boat one last time.  Tomorrow we leave.

All of our cruising guides said that this is not a good port for cruisers, that they are not really welcome here. Probably that is right.  There is no real anchorage or marina.  No dingy dock.  And yet we had a wonderful time.  Maybe it was partly because cruisers don’t come here, so we were a novelty.  Everyone we met, from the Mexican navy to the guys at the bar were warm, friendly and eager to help us.  I almost hate to leave, but the weather looks good so off we go.