Re-Entry

written by Christina

What is the best way to migrate all your things, carefully stowed away on a 43 ft boat, back to life on land?  

Some of our bags packed up on Sea Biscuit

First, while still in the marina, we packed and packed as much of our things as we could. We paid for two taxi rides with bags from the marina to the condo we have rented for the month. Then over about 10 days we visited Sea Biscuit in the La Cruz shipyard and packed and carried bag after bag. The bags would gain weight exponentially as we carried them up the moderate hill to the condo.    

Ken and I explored many options for getting our things back to NM - ranging from storing everything in Puerto Vallarta and returning within a year to fetch it, to renting a minivan in Mexico and then changing to a second rental minivan at the border, to flying with it all. After much consideration we decided flying is the way we will move everything back. I was allowed three checked bags, Ken and Kyle will take five or six checked bags each (they are flying on Alaska Airlines).  

Bags migrated to the condo for repacking 

 Staging area where we are stacking all the bags (maybe you can see the red arrow?)

I was lucky enough to line up a job interview and have returned to New Mexico before Ken and Kyle. I flew on American with frequent flyer miles and was allowed three checked bags each weighing 70 lbs or less. We chose to bring the weight up to just under 70 lbs on each bag. This was a test of American Airlines' baggage handling abilities. All three bags made it fine to Dallas, but somewhere between Dallas and Albuquerque the inexpensive duffle bag had a blow out. I bought the bag hoping it could make this one trip and amazingly enough, it did make it, with a little help.  

Two of my bags, one sustained injuries.

Completely encased in TSA inspection tape. 

After the zipper blew out, TSA did an excellent job wrapping up my bag and keeping anything from being lost.  

Notice of TSA inspection 

The tools 

The bag was packed to capacity and weighted down with plenty of tools - no wonder it failed.    

Now we just hope all of Ken and Kyle's bags make the trip when they fly back at the end of May from La Cruz/Puerto Vallarta.

And to end - I have to say, it is great to be back in New Mexico!