An Overdue Update - December 12

Hola and thanks for your patience as we focus on our efforts to coordinate repairs and day to day living in San Carlos.
INTREPID II is still in the dry storage works yard while we enjoy this seaside view for another week or so. Our condo unit is one of six in a complex a few blocks from Marina San Carlos and conveniently positioned to receive the full impact of the weekend weddings and other celebrations held across the bay at Club Duo, an event centre of a nearby hotel. How to say "sleep deprived" in Spanish?
Our plans to have the rigging repairs and assorted top of the mast tasks are on hold while our rigger waits for his multiple orders to reach Tucson; only then will a friend wander north to bring back the complete order. If only we had known.
The keel repairs seemed to proceed well, with much grinding out and patching and fibreglass repair.

The radar conundrum remains.  Replacing the magnetron with another the electronics man found only marginally made a difference. It seems a new radar is required which would entail pulling the mast and removing the existing cabling which seems to be tied within. That would be a time consuming task and may have to wait.
However, the bottom painting is one more task off the list. Kelly completed it over the past 2 days and the deep red colour is a change from the standard blue we have used in the past.

And as of an hour ago, we tested the engine and gears, which cooperated to our relief.
An out of water survey is still outstanding before we can splash and motor to a spot in the nearby marina. That event is scheduled for the 18th at 7 a.m. due to tides.  At the moment all that is available is an outside slip on A dock for a 51 foot boat. The marina promises to move us to B dock as soon as a spot opens up. Last year we never did get moved over, so we will keep fingers crossed.
In between times, we have met many cruisers from previous years as well as new arrivals.  We have returned to favorite food stores and Saturday and Sunday markets. The local ferreteria (hardware store) often sees the Captain several times in one day.
As much as possible we are having meals "at home" to stretch the budget, but a few times a week we will treat ourselves to a sociable evening and dinner.
So in spite of daunting tasks and unknown time lines we are mostly well and mostly optimistic. Christmas is fast approaching and it is time to get into the holiday spirit.