Recent content by mvweebles

Great shout out to an incredible company. I've never had an issue or tried returning anything so good to know. How they manage to deliver all sorts of difficult to source stuff so quickly is amazing. Yes, sometimes expensive, but great selection. Peter

The trick at Mexican ATMs is when you get the screen that gives the stupid fees and commissions, select "Decline" and the transaction will simply revert to your banks foreign exchange rate and terms. I only go to bank branded ATMs, Banorte is my favorite because their withdrawal limit is high...

Very similar to Larry M. Schwab does not have ATM fees and decent foreign exchange rates so it's our go-to. We prefer carrying local currency so use ATMs to exchange (HINT: at the ATM, decline the banks offer for exchange rate with commission - this will automatically send the request to your...

The hidden bugaboo in selling a boat is how long it will take to sell. Holding costs (slip, insurance, maintenance, diving, etc) really add up. Some brands have a strong following and sell pretty quickly. Nordic/American Tugs seem to fit into that category. A couple of the Mainship models do...

Ummm.......you may want to watch the video a couple posts up. Sounds like a truly awful product and company. The couple who did the review definitely had the ring of truth to my ears.

Sheer pin was my first thought too since it sounded like it was working fine until very recently. However, OP says it's not spinning on the hub so maybe not. I'd pull the prop and see - should not take long. Side story - After my thruster was installed, when I went to first use it, the...

Although we've traveled a bunch in Mexico, we, like almost all newbie cruisers, over-provisioned. We tried not to but we did anyway. I think it's just a natural progression. We know people eat everywhere and of course have to buy food, but we packed too much. Like many newbie cruisers, we too...

We moved from San Francisco to Florida several years ago and only now getting around to bringing Weebles to Florida. So we're on a "lazy delivery. " Rainy season starts in the winter months so we decided to take a hiatus - originally thought we'd leave her in Costa Rica but our progress was...

We'll be in Playa in a few weeks and plan to head to Cozumel for a couple days. We haven't been there for a couple years but back then it was definitely more subdued. Beach clubs were more family oriented which while we have no kids, suits us fine. More day-clubs. BTW - there's an El Cid...

I don't know that exact area/marina, but here's the deal on the overall area. First, a bit of background. Mexico has an agency "Fonatur" that is loosly in charge of tourist-type projects (See HERE for desription). Fonatur has a checkered track record of developing tourist areas. Cancun didn't...

Looking at the chart/map is a bit deceptive. The marinas are north of Mazatlan, not in the harbor area which is where the cruise ship area and commercial docks are. There are two marinas about a mile apart: El Cid and Marina Mazatlan (see attached screenshot). El Cid is part of a resort...

We liked Ensenada a lot. Paid around $430/mo for a 40 foot slip and food/expenses were a bit more than half what we spent on the US. Access to US is good with a decent bus service to Tijuana and a short walk over the border. On the downside, Ensenada is a bit dusty and industrial feeling. And...

I can think of two reasons why boats with no AP saw more traffic. First, hand steering over long distances is very exhausting and plays havoc with the mind. They saw ships that weren't there - apparitions (anyone remember the Donald Crowhurst story?). Second possible explanation. Most people...

Steve D shows a picture of taking a temp off oil filter which is a good idea. There are a LOT of 40-50 foot boats built with twin +250hp diesels (many GB 42s built after mid 1980s for example), many with your same 3208s. Given price of diesel, if under loading at 7-kts was a problem, there...

Steve D discusses coolant temperature not reaching designed operating temp, usually around 175F-180F (he says 165F-195F which seems wider than I'd expect). He also notes this is much more common in generators which is why I caveated my response with propulsion engines. If you're chronically...