Sunday - November 11, 2007
Uneventful day; waiting for mechanic and transmission decisions. JAKE for dinner and cleaned out composting toilet.
Monday – November 12, 2007
0600 – Awoke to the deep rumble of twin diesels; rolled over, but there came a persistent knocking on the hull. Peeked out of the hatch to a dark brown face requesting we move (the marina had placed us in an owners slip and the owner had returned). By 0630 we were moving the boat to a slip behind us under dingy power transiting a causeway against the tide of mega yachts leaving for a days fishing. We slid into the slip shared with a fellow cruiser. 1030 – we get bumped from that slip (again the marina has put us in a slip where the owner was returning). We stood our ground and stayed until 1300. 1100 – Mechanic arrives (our whole reason for staying in the marina) and tells us what we already know … the transmission isn’t working. Everyone agrees (the mechanic and several mechanics from the fleet) that the front clutches are burned out. I have only 300 hours on the rebuild. Julie, JAKE, BEYOND REASON and PEPE to Costco. Move boat with help from JAKE (via dinghies) to anchorage while deciding what to do.
Tuesday – November 13, 2007
No good news on the transmission; it hasn’t been manufactured in 20 years, parts are difficult to come by and MER (the rebuilder in Seattle) is unwilling to take any accountability for transmission failure. Frustrating, depressing day; cruising life has barely started and we face our first major disaster (at least financially). COK CABUK tells of a Yanmar dealer in Mazatlan he’d read about in Latitude 38. COK CABUK and MERIDIAN depart for La Paz.
Wednesday – November 14, 2007
Cruise ship (Carnival Elation) drops their hook almost right on top of us. I try to radio ships captain but vessel doesn’t answer. Harbor Patrol comes out and requests we move; we resist, but ultimately move after being threatened with the Mexican Navy. Up with the hook and another dinghy push to a new site in the anchorage (all told we’ve been forced to move four times). The anchorage here has a sandy bottom and good holding. There is an irregular shallow shelf that extends from the beach but drops off suddenly. We anchor in about 30 feet of water. The water is warm and would be calm if it were not for the jet skiers, panga’s and cruise boat transports that traverse the anchorage, much akin to an ant ill that has been stirred with a stick; it makes the respite lumpy and noisy. Yard (Cabo Yacht Services) very unresponsive to estimate on transmission repair. Dinner with JAKE, PEPE and crew from COK CABUK. Put Skype on computer.
Thursday – November 15, 2007
Time to go. Nothing will happen for us here in Cabo, we’re just too far down the food chain. Provision boat, stow gear and load dingy. Skippers meeting with JAKE; they’ll escort us; plan Mazatlan tomorrow.
Friday – November 16, 2007
0700 – Clear, sunny skies, light wind from the NW. The ’07 Baja has disbanded and most of the boats are gone from the anchorage now. A few remain enjoying Cabo, undergoing repairs, or still deciding where to go from here. We up anchor, hoist the gib and make weigh for Mazatlan, 200 miles a little South of East. Mid-morning wind dies and Jake moves in for tow. Observe scores of Bat Rays jumping; even though they are quite a distance from the boat, the school is huge and the activity is furious with the Rays jumping six, eight, ten feet out of the water. We’ve been told by those who’ve been closer, that the water turns black with the schools shadow. Easterlies arise; we cut the tow and start tacking. Talk with my brother (via satellite phone) regarding transmission … news grim. 1900 – 25 miles made good in the last 12 hours. Winds shift NNW, 10-15 knots; doing 6.5 knots under cutter and main. Settle in for the night.
Saturday – November 17, 2007
0700 - Skies clear; winds from the NW at 10-15knts. Close hauled under main and head sail; 100 miles made good; Julie’s standing watches (port and starboard watches, three on and three off). Winds stay with us all day; JAKE occasionally pops into site usually about three miles off our starboard quarter. Good sailing through the middle of the sea.
Sunday – November 18, 2007
0030 – Wind dies; doing 1.5 – 2 knots. JAKE radios and says he’s “had enough fun.”
He’s about 45 minutes ahead of us and comes about for a tow. Depth perception is, if not lost, certainly distorted at night. We were watching for JAKE and I see a white and red light off the port bow; for some reason I think it’s a fishing boat, trolling, crossing our “T.” I pull out my million-candle power light and shine it on the vessel; I get an immediate response (the same bright light shown back at me)! Then all 48 feet of JAKE’s Hunter Legend bobs into view, immediately, partially disappearing behind the waves. It is surreal; I had an image in my mind of what I was expecting to see (a small open hull fishing boat with a lone fisherman tending his lines – going north to my east) then this graceful, white, imposing swan sweeps down on us, bow first … much closer than I had initially perceived, identified only by his small, port (red) bow running light! Without a word exchanged, JAKE swings around our stern and comes up on the lee side. The boats run side by side for a moment (me under sail and JAKE under power), deck lights on and really nothing to be heard except the wind and the waves. Sharon slips out of the cockpit and tosses me a line; quickly I run it through the hawser and rap it around the Samson post. I drop the headsail and we are under tow, 70 miles from Mazatlan.
0700 – skies clear; calm and seas flat. Still under tow.
1130 - Arrive Mazatlan. Unable to raise marina on Channel 16 so Julie goes to Channel 22 and we get a flurry of answers from local cruisers in the marina (cruisers generally monitor channel 22). Julie explains our situation and they ask us to hold on. A moment later they come back; they’ve cleared a space for JAKE and ITCHEN at the end of the dock. Several cruisers will meet us at the harbor entrance where JAKE can release the tow and they will escort us by dinghy. A flotilla of dinghies meets us at the harbor entrance; some clear the channel ahead while dinghies from LADYHAWK, LEGACY and SLACKER secure us and gently ease us up the channel to the relative safety of the slip. Boats are secured, thanks are made and we slip across the street for some lunch in one of Mazatlans many open-air restaurants.
Monday – November 19, 2007
0800- Cruisers net; every morning the cruisers hold a net. That is, on the VHF (at sea it is the SSB/HAM radio) in a somewhat regimented fashion, one boat will act as moderator/facilitator and cover an outline of topics (kind of like a stand-up office meeting). First are emergencies, followed by arrivals and departures; tides and weather; mail going north; information/assistance needed; rides to airport; and, finally, most importantly treasures of the bilge. The net happens as consistent as the sun rising and usually take about 15 – 20 minutes, except Sunday. Julie heard Total Yacht Works (TYW) mentioned during the net and hailed them (TYW) after the net. Within a half hour Bob Buchanan (the owner/mechanic) came via dinghy to sort us out. Within an hour, he had it diagnosed and by that afternoon the transmission was out.
Tuesday – November 20, 2007
0800 – Register with the marina. In Mexico, every time you leave a marina you must check out with the port captain, which is not the harbormaster – indeed he may be quite a distance from the harbor. When you arrive to a new marina you repeat the process; check in with the harbormaster and port captain (with all your documents). Over to the mechanic (Bob); he has the transmission dismantled and the problem diagnosed; burned out cone bearings resulting from a failed cooling pump; which resulted from a worn impeller; which was a resulte from the front bearing on the transmission being misaligned. MER in Seattle did the work; I’ll ask them for a $2300.00 refund since they rebuilt the transmission less than 300 hours ago. We can rebuild the transmission; repower completely; or sell the boat … we decide to re-power to the tune of $15K.
Wednesday – November 21, 2007
0800 – Crummy day for me … too many carbs the night before. Just one of those days, couldn’t get anything to work! Filled the port water tank with 50 gallons of bottled water. The water here is safe to drink, but I’ll be cautious for now. 1300 - Rode our bikes into town with JAKE; dodged buses and cars (or they dodged us), all in all the Mexican drivers are really courteous. Had lots of looks, the four of us on our mini-folding bikes, all riding single file like so many obedient ducks. My bike is acting up (back brake is sticking and chain is rattling on the cargo strut). Did some provisioning at Wal-Mart (expensive, about double the prices of the States). Back to the boat, dinner and Soprano’s with JAKE.
Thursday – November 22, 2007 (Thanksgiving)
0800 – make out my list for all the things I want to get done on the boat while it’s in the yard. Head acting up again, only two moving parts on the whole thing (the stirrer and the trap door handle) and both continue to malfunction. Still shaking down and finding permanent homes for everything on the boat; the remote/portable handheld VHF’s are complete failures (no range and they eat batteries), but the satellite phone is dependable. Decide to remove the cutter boom; I hate it, it’s in the way (completely sweeps the foredeck and I’m unable to stow anything on deck forward of the mast), and I don’t use it with any consistency. I’ve roamed the dock and spoken with many of the cutter owners and they all generally share my opinion, although the vast majority leave at least the stay attached. It would be great if I could disconnect the stay and stow it against the mast, but the stay is too long. For now I’ll run the cutter sheets inside the standing rigging and leave the cutter sail hanked on and bagged on the foredeck. During this whole process, I discovered the traveler cars for both the cutter-sheet and main-sheet are severely corroded. I was able to clean the cutters car but the main sheet car has so much salt build up beneath s/s plate covering the car it has actually warped the steel; the wheels are bound up as well so I think this one for the scrap pile (which means a whole new main-sheet traveler system). 1630 – Cruisers Thanksgiving dinner, quite an elegant affair with the gents in their cleanest shorts, collared shirt and best sandals and the ladies in dresses. Dinner is catered with an open bar and entertainment (disc jockey, live band and a single guitarist). Dinner is held above the cruisers lounge on a large open patio overlooking the marina. Marina Mazatlan is a marina in transition even though it is only about five years old. The harbor (which once was an estuary) has a very narrow entrance that jogs to the port and then starboard as you enter; immediately you pass El Cid marina and hotel (a fairly upscale outfit) and then the harbor opens up but remains shallow everywhere but the main channel. If you bear hard to port you can circle around the back side of a man made island for access to Isla Mazatlan marina; if you continue straight, you go around the front of the island, gradually easing to port and pass first the Singular marina (a gov’t run outfit, with a full service yard) and ending at marina Mazatlan. All the marinas are mostly full service with fuel, pools, laundry and showers, mini-mercados (little markets), coffee shops and guys who will take propane bottles for filling. The area has quite a bit of condominium construction going on and the facilities are gated with 24 hour guards. In constructing the condos the Mexicans use trees for supports to build the upper floors; denuded and delimbed but trees (about 4”-6” across) to be sure. As you look at the dull gray skelton of the building, it’s quite startling to see the barren forest beneath and supporting the floor that’s being laid. The equipment and cinder blocks are hauled from one floor to the next by rope; no pulleys or cranes, just hand over hand hauling. The days’ activities begin with the net and then there is a migration (for those not working on their boats) up to the coffee shop where coffee and lates in the morning give way to cold beer and soda as the day progresses. The cruisers lounge has wi-fi and a multitude of books and magazines to choose from (take one and leave one).
About 150 cruisers showed up and Thanksgiving dinner included turkey with all the trimmings including a pumpkin/coconut pie. It was a grand and memorable Thanksgiving. We left about 2030 with the party still going strong. Happily exhausted we hit the rack and drifted off to a sound sleep as the solo guitarists soft notes wafted across marina.
Friday – November 23, 2007
Julie decorated the boat for Christmas, which entailed stringing up Christmas lights along the boom and inside the cabin. In to town again with JAKE via a Pulmonia. Pulmonia’s are unique to Mazatlan; they are VW bugs that have been converted to open air taxis. Pulmonia is the Mexican derivation of Pneumonia – which, reportedly, one is likely to contract from riding around in these little rigs. JAKE departed for Isla Isabella (a great bird watching island) half way between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. ENTROPY (a fellow Ba-Ha’er stopped by requesting sail repairs. Julie obliged and I got busy trying to sell my engine and all the parts I have for it. Dinner alone in the cockpit tonight (we’ll miss JAKE). Sunset was a brilliant orange and the water so calm, one couldn’t tell the reflection from reality.
Saturday/Sunday – November 24-25, 2007
Over to the yard to take pictures of the transmission to make my case to MER. In to town for a visit to Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Gigante and Ley (all department stores). Watched some DVD’s.
Monday/Friday – November 26-30, 2007
Ordered the engine and now waiting to be hauled out. Received mail from the States.
$63 via UPS. Bought a water filter so I can fill up with the marina water (filter doesn’t do any purification and I’m sure I don’t need it, but every one else is doing it and I don’t want to be left out)!? Swapped my little $70 folding bike for a full size $650 Montague folding bike; he got the short end of the stick but the big bike wouldn’t fit on his boat and his wife couldn’t ride it … storage and compromise, storage and comprise, storage and comprise. Julie has scouted the markets and found herself a fish-man, chicken-man, vegetable-man and shrimp ladies from which she buys our fare and they teach her Spanish, and she takes morning walks along a three-mile stretch of the malecon (embarcadero). Fellow Baha’ers and Morro Bay Five are expected in (COK CABUK, MERIDIAN, and PEPE. Filled the water tanks again and spoke with family back home.
Saturday – December 1, 2007
Rained last night and all day today. Up to the Lycra lady to have jellyfish suits made. Out this evening with PEPE and MERIDIAN along the malecon to see the release of 500 baby turtles; watch a cliff diver and go into old town for dinner (serenaded by local guitarists) and to see the cathedral and opera house. December 1st is a big celebration in Mexico. All the little kids dress up as Mary and Joseph and sit on real donkeys outside the Cathedral and have their pictures taken in front of a mural of the Virgin Mary. Very cute. Coming home we see fireworks on the beach marking the beginning of the marathon festivities. Mexican’s LOVE their fireworks.
Sunday – December 2, 2007
We have problems with “no-see-ums”; pesky little critters, you can’t see them and they bite your ankles and itch like hell! We need to get some screens over the hatches. Over to PEPE for breakfast Irish coffee. Mazatlan marathon was run today (one of the ten largest in the world) so all the downtown streets were blocked off. Plan going to La Paz Tuesday to help bring COK CABUK across. To LIBERTY (44’ Peterson) for dinner – they’re doing the puddle jump (across the pacific to the Marqueses) in March.
Monday – December 3, 2007
Total Yacht Services come over to disconnect engine and prepare for extraction. We called Karl (the sail-maker – San Luis Obispo) regarding new sails and MER regarding transmission. Bus to Port of Mazatlan (old harbor) for ferry tickets to La Paz tomorrow ($80) – need to be there at 1300 for 1500 departure. Dinner on MERIDIAN.
Tuesday – December 4, 2008
Bus to ferry terminal at 1300. Waited for 2 hours in nearly empty terminal to catch the Sinola Star. The Sinola Star is the ferry that runs between Mazatlan and La Paz. It’s a 150 foot, full service car ferry that takes passengers as well; The ferry has several restaurants, bars and movie lounges (English and Spanish) as well as sleeping rooms with or without shared showers. It’s rusty and dirty and smells of eau de urine and mold. The staff is friendly enough and one receives meal tickets for dinner and breakfast. For dinner the ship served rice and machaca (a kind of pulled bar-b-cued pork and a soft drink on styrofoam plates with plastic utensils … we had the same thing for breakfast. I upgraded to a sleeping room with four single bunks and a sink that leaked above the p-trap.
Wednesday – December 5, 2007
0930 - Arrived La Paz (via the Sinola Star) and COK CABUK was waiting for me. Taxi back to marina where I took a nap and COK CABUK prepared for departure. 1300 – Depart La Paz on COK CABUK. Skies clear, seas calm and not a breath of wind – temperature about 80 degree’s. 2300 – ferry bearing directly astern, not sure if he sees me or not. After several radio hails with no response decide to turn million candle power spot light on. Ferry still on direct course astern. Continued to hail ferry and received several responses from other vessels making crossing but none from ferry. 2345 – After repeated hailing attempts and continued shining of spot light onto ferry bridge ferry finally responds. I asked him if he saw me, and if he wanted me change course? He said he saw me and that he would change course, which he did immediately. Dead calm sea.
Thursday – December 6, 2007
Sea of Cortez - Clear skies, calm seas and no wind. Un-rep fuel at mid point in sea – (COK CABUK a Wauquis 38 only carries 38 gallons of fuel so extra fuel is carried in 6 gallon fuel cans stored in the aft lockers), and filled the engine (Perkins) with oil. COK CABUK was quiet, drifting in a dead calm sea. It’s the only time I can remember being outdoors and it being absolutely quiet … no sound what-so-ever … no slight rustle of a breeze or waves lapping against the hull; no birds chirping or fish jumping. I called Gary up on deck and for five minutes we listened … and listened … to nothing.
Friday – December 7, 2007
0430 – Arrive off harbor entrance to Mazatlan. Chart Plotter says we are one mile inland … clearly ashore and on the hard! Many of the charts for Mexico haven’t been updated since the late 1800’s; unfortunately those are the only one’s available and so they are installed into the chart plotters. Most of the cruisers are aware it and take it with a grain of salt (those that aren’t become aware of it quickly). Still in all, not bad cartography considering the instruments they had in opposition to today’s hyper-accurate GPS’s. Lay off harbor entrance till sunrise. 0600 – enter Mazatlan Harbor (new harbor) and quietly berth COK CABUK; night guard there to help us tie off. Julie had come out to meet us, but we missed each other. 1800 – Dinner with COK CABUK and PEPE aboard ITCHEN.
Saturday – December 8, 2007
1100 – Engine pulled, finally.
Sunday – December 9, 2007
Mazatlan – Went to a bullfight with PEPE. It was Portuguese style; a very elaborate affair. The stadium was full as this is the national pasttime in Mexico. The Picadors fight the bull on horseback in gilded costumes of an age gone by. The horses manes and tails are braided and trimmed in silver and gold bobbles. In between the fights, 20 “matadors in waiting” line up to face the bull on foot. They march in single file dressed in tight cream-colored breeches with simple waistcoats and then fan out to form a perimeter within the arena (very regimented and formal movements). After this presentation of themselves to the spectators, they realign themselves behind a single individual that is chosen to meet the bull. He provokes the bull to charge him (with all his buddies standing right behind him). The object is to place his body between the charging bulls horns while the rest of the crew piles on the bull to tackle him. This worked most of the time, but one unfortunate matador didn’t get his placement right and the bull tossed him up in the air like an empty suitcase. We only stayed for three fights even though six were on the ticket. Naturally, the bull fight lead to a heated discussion regarding its merits in comparison to slaughterhouses and/or hunting; an impasse was quickly (and nearly violently) achieved.
Monday – December 10, 2007
Mazatlan – Finally able to achieve sustained e-mail. Contacted MER about the transmission; Airhead about the head: CDI about a roller-furler and answered personal emails.
Tuesday – December 11. 2007
Julie into town with PEPE and MERIDIAN (girls day out). PEPE (1 child), MERIDIAN (2 children) and I went to the Singlar Marina to let the kids go for a dip in the pool. PEPE over for dinner. Total Yacht Services to measure lifelines – I’m replacing them with steel rails.
Wednesday – December 12, 2007
Cleaned engine compartment. Out to dinner in Old Town, Mazatlan with PEPE, MERIDIAN. Spoke with Molly and Brigid on the phone.
Thursday – December 13, 2007
Re-measured head sail (roller furling) for Karl. Answered e-mail to MER (still denying any accountability for transmission); Airhead; Verizon; Slo-Sails, CDI, family and friends. Need to start thinking about going north.
Friday – December 14, 2007
TENDER SPIRIT (33’ Hans Christian) inquiring about our old engine. The couple sailed down from Alaska and lost their engine off Cabo (the water-vent for the dripless stuffing gland was connected to the engine intake by a shipwright in Port Townsend; the engine was inadequately supplied with cooling water and the water pump seized). I am very disillusioned with Seattle marine workmanship. The boat work I’ve seen, done in the Seattle and Port Townsend area, has all failed and it has been expensive.
Saturday – December 15, 2007
Sold the engine to TENDER SPIRIT for $900.00. Happy hour at El Cid (one of the other marinas in the area), bowling with MERIDIAN and then Christmas Party at Singlar.
Sunday – December 16, 2007
Bike to brunch with group of cruisers from Marina Mazatlan; about a five mile ride north to a restaurant called Brun hildas. The restaurant has a mural on the outside wall of a flying (blond) witch and is right across from the bi-lingual horses which also dance on Saturday evening. Cast off MERIDIAN at 1530 (they are headed south and then the puddle jump). Julie finished sewing PEPE’s aft cushion; she split it so when they access stowage in the aft berth they don’t have to lift the entire cushion.
Tuesday – December 18, 2007
Christmas Party at Marina Mazatlan Cruisers Lounge. The whole event was over by 2030 and everyone turned in early. The weather is starting to cool off.
Wednesday – December 19, 2007
U.S. - Fly to San Diego via LA. Pick up car Brigid had parked for us at the base. We spent the night at Brigids’ (she was on deployment).
Thursday – December 20, 2007
California - Big day and lots to do. Up early and got the car insured and went to storage for boat stuff. Drove to San Luis Obispo (north of LA) for sails. Good reunion with Karl; his loft is in an industrial park (lots of empty square buildings), he has a number of sewing machines (working and not) and one assistant to help him. He was just finishing up our sails as we drove in. Additionally, we bought sewing supplies and a whisker pole; off to Phoenix.
Friday – Tuesday, December 21 – 25, 2007
0400 – Arrive Phoenix (I really need to get to my mothers house at a more reasonable hour … I’m always arriving at odd times and waking her up and scaring the daylights out of her). Do multiple tasks around town including getting Julies Arizona RT license as she is thinking of working in AZ while the boat is being fixed. Christmas at Mikes; lots of presents, and food and played “wii” (?). December 24 was Julie’s birthday.(Humph- I guess that’s all he writes about that ! (Julie))
Wednesday – Friday, December 26-28, 2007
I drive back to San Diego while Julie stays in AZ interviewing at hospitals. To Minnie’s for spare parts; Garhauer for new traveler and outboard lifting davit; lumber yard for teak; upholstery shop for new cushion foam; boaters world for a new VHF with command microphone; and, spent just a little time with Brigid. Earlier in the month, I discovered while futzing around with the cutter boom (something I’m determined to get rid of) that both the travel blocks for the cutter and mainsheet were pretty well seized. I was able to clean up the cutter car and get the wheels rolling freely, but the mainsheets’ quarter-inch stainless bracket that holds the becket to the car was warped (about a quarter of an inch) from salt build up; impossible to clean or repair, hence the new mainsheet traveler.
Saturday – Monday, December 29-31, 2007
Drive back to Phoenix. Julie had some job offers, but we decided not to take them (what were we thinking!?). More provisioning. Went to two movies (Debaters and Charlie Wilson’s War) and celebrated the new-year with fellow moviegoer’s.
Tuesday – Monday, January 1 – 7, 2008
Visit Mikes and have dinner one more time. Finish up provisioning; DVD’s, high powered light, fishing tackle, etc and bought and sold a 12’ porta-boat (made $300) on Craigs list. Stuffed the car for the trip to Mazatlan; couldn’t pack everything, so will need to make a second trip. Depart Phoenix 2130; Nogalas 2400; Guaymas 0600; Los Mochis 1200; Mazatlan 1800; 20.5 hours total. No problem registering the car or crossing at the border. The highway to Mazatlan was in good shape sometimes divided, sometimes not with Pemex gas stations every 20 miles (can’t say much for the bathrooms though); spent about $40 in tolls, but toward the end of the trip wound up taking the free roads instead of the “cuota” by accident, which lengthened our trip by several hours. There is heavy commercial traffic between Nogales and Hermillsio. The semis and buses are new, huge and travel very fast. The shoulder (of the road) is often a deep bar-pit with an abrupt edge on the pavement. We saw three tractor-trailer rigs overturned in single vehicle accidents with no one injured. Each Mexican State has it’s own checkpoints for fruits, vegetables and contraband. Government, police or contract personnel, staff most of the checkpoints while a few are staffed by the military.
