Rain, rain, and more rain

Nan and I were caught in a downpour on Saturday afternoon while pedaling our folding bikes back to the marina from a stop at Brisas Grill in el centro for a drink and a chat with our friend, Juan, who works there. We waited out the rain under a palm tree before continuing, and it seems we have been waiting it out ever since, going on four full days now. Activity on the island has come to a near standstill, as roads are flooded and businesses are closed.

It has rained over a foot in the last twenty-four hours. Take a close look at our dinghy in the photo above. (Click it for the full-size version, if you like.) Yes, it is completely full of rainwater. Yesterday, it was almost dry after Felix, a Mexican sailor who looks after another sailboat in the marina, bailed it out with a cut-off water bottle for something to do. He volunteered to do it again today and I told him, "Mas tarde," after the rain stops. There's no point in bailing while it's still raining. The water level is high enough now that it's running over the transom, so there's no danger of the dinghy sinking. I wonder if the cut-off water bottle is still floating around in there somewhere. Note also the well-flowing scupper on Whispering Jesse in the background.

We seem to be experiencing the aftermath of Hurricane Barbara, but a look at the satellite images on the NOAA website shows another system developing to the southwest, where Barbara came from, so the rain may continue for several more days. I told a resort guest this morning that it might be time to start building the ark. His vacation mostly ruined by the rain, he didn't think that was very funny.