Afloat again - Refit week 3

We're off to the "splash zone". Fran is taking the ride.


Reworked shaft. Notice the machined taper.


Concentrate now! Thou shall not sew fingers...


Bottom paint - again...


Doug and Trish hard at it.


Happy 60th, Fran!!

20:30, Monday, 13 Dec 2010

Gosling is afloat!!! We launched late this morning. The engine started up on the first push after a six month rest and we moved over to the marina side to complete the preps for sailing. There is a weather advisory for later this week so we are now expecting to sail on Friday for Mazatlan where many of our cruising buddies are heading.
Needless to say we have had a very busy week. With the help of Trish and Doug (Ka-Em-Te) I doubt that we would have completed in time. Trish did some stellar work on the boat’s ground and bonding system. She also ran a ground from the inverter to the engine, a detail that was omitted by the original installer regardless of the highlighted notes in the installation instructions. Today she was connecting the new solar panels. Doug spent a few days cleaning and greasing the through-hull fittings while Fran sewed up a storm with her new (used) sewing machine making covers for winches and the jerry cans. Francisco and his son Alejandro filled the mounting holes for the old wind vane and repainted the transom. While all of this was happening, Omar, the mechanic, was replacing the cutlass bearing. He was able to remove the prop with a crude but very effective home-made puller when 2 other commercially made ones failed. With the shaft off the boat and at a machine shop to be cleaned and trued J-G set to the dirtiest job of the refit.
He had done some of the bilge under the engine a few years ago when we replaced the engine mounts but last season we noticed that the drain from the engine bilge to the sump was partially blocked. With a pressure washer borrowed from Francisco (painter) and our small wet/dry shop vac he thoroughly cleaned both bilges and cleared the plugged passage. Somehow the wet/dry vac survived the ordeal with the help of lots of degreaser and the pressure washer.
J-G had been concerned about the lack of enough sacrificial zincs on the hull. After looking at home at all the local and internet suppliers he had given up and hoped to get something adequate locally here. He mentioned it to the owner of the machine shop and within 2 days they were cast, machined and installed for a fraction of the price up north, another testament of Mexican ingenuity.
The last item before launching was to apply the bottom paint. This time we used a Sherwin Williams product, Proline, 55% copper, to which we added a kg of copper dust to the 5 gal pail. J-G applied 2 coats using up 3 gals. The remainder is going to San Blas with us in early Jan for Kirk’s boat (Freedom Kirkland).
The headliner panels were finally installed. What a difference! The pure white reflects the light from the new LED lights we have installed (Source LED). Although the lights still give RF interference on the VHF their brightness is amazing, much better than the old halogen lights and at a fraction of the electrical consumption.
The launching is always a production number. This time the travel lift couldn’t fit between the 2 boats beside us so Horacio, the yard manager, had to move one to make room. When the straps were applied we had lots of cardboard sheets available to protect the new paint job. Once lowered in the water and all of the thru-hull valves checked for leaks the engine was stared and we were free once again.
We have removed all of the gear we won’t need for this season off the boat and into the van for storage. It is almost as full as it was when we drove down with sail bags, covers and various things we will need when we get back next May.
Since we arrived at the dock we have had Trish onboard connecting up the new solar panels. J-G has set up the mainsail and tomorrow when the wind is light we’ll put up the genoa. There are still lots of small jobs to get done, stuff we have been piling up in various locations has to be stowed, fishing equipment set up, flags hoisted, engine oil, oil and fuel filters changed, water tanks filled, fuel topped up for the boat, generator and dingy, last minute provisioning, some minor caulking and teak oil applied to the toe-rail, plan the passage to Mazatlan, and, finally, getting everything secured and stowed for sea. When we start rocking and rolling it is often too late to lash things down.
Two days ago we bid farewell to Relax, heading for the Baja and this morning to Rio Nimpkish on their way to Mazatlan. We also learned a few days ago that Steve on Full Quiver came down with a serious case of the flu during their stopover in Topolobambo. John and Barb (Naida) decided to wait until he recovered and they left yesterday morning for Mazatlan after a 3-day delay.
On Thursday we celebrated Fran’s 60th birthday with friends at a restaurant in San Carlos. Bill and Linda (Tanque de Tiburon) had just arrived the previous day so this was our first contact with them. They had a lot of items for us and other boats we will see in the coming weeks. The most important item for J-G was a new cordless drill/driver. He won’t have to borrow anymore. They also brought down Fran’s new waterproof camera that J-G had purchased online. Looks like Tanque will be sailing south with us. Hope things go better this time; last year we had to tow them into Mazatlan.
We are hoping to catch up with Reno and Nina in Mazatlan when their cruise ship comes in for the day on the 28th. We really want them to see what cruising on a budget is. After the opulence of the cruise ship it should be interesting to see their reaction.
Many thanks to Doug and Trish for their tireless efforts to get us ready and to Bill and Linda for volunteering to be the shipping agents for many of the Canadian boats.
The rink on the town square is up and running. It is covered during the day and doesn't open till 2100. Skate rentals, helmets and ice time all for the equivalent of about $4.50. No hockey sticks or pucks. It will be here for a month. Kids and adults line up for hours to get a chance to try something rare to this country. How they make it work with the daytime heat is a wonder. It opened up the night of the Christmas parade and the night of Fran's birthday.

Pre-launch refit - week 2

The town's outside rink - won't be long now.



Gosling's New Look



Thanks to Dave (Canada Goose)



Pinata killer Fran


Guaymas, Monday, 6 Dec 2010
It has been one of those very frustrating weeks of one step forward and 2 back. We are progressing, but finding some of the chores difficult if not impossible to do while others are taking much longer than anticipated. Forgetting parts at home doesn’t help either. The hinges for the salon table are somewhere in the workshop where the table was refinished over the summer. There are also a couple of wooden mouldings there, part of the head-liner framing. Those we can replace here but the hinges are a British product and there is nothing close available here.
We are waiting for the mechanic to show up to remove the prop and replace the cutlass bearing. The prop was last removed just after we bought the boat and is refusing all attempts of removal so far. The fact that it is on a 1 ¾ inch shaft doesn’t help. Normal prop pullers are designed for smaller assemblies. Hopefully the mechanic will have done work on fishing vessels.
The plan to swap out the solar panels has gone by the wayside and we have had to look for other solutions to install the 2 new ones on the rail. Mounting brackets are difficult to find here but the brackets for the Scotty rod holders will fill the bill nicely for now.
This week we finally took the plunge and removed the wind vane. It was a difficult decision to make but one that has given us peace of mind. It has been the source of constant trouble for the past 3 years so this season we were planning to replace the entire mounting assembly, however, the prospect of having the mounts welded by Sr Hernandez, a very good but notoriously unreliable local welder, had us concerned that it would hold us up. Mike (Tazmo) had shown an interest in the gear since he first saw it so it was sold even before it was removed. The scars left from the mounting brackets then had to be filled and the entire transom repainted. Now we have a very bare and pristine transom.
One of the most essential tools I have is a rechargeable drill that Fran gave me for Christmas some years ago. It has a saws-all and a circular saw attachment so is a very versatile tool. I even had one of the batteries rebuilt last summer but, as (bad) luck would have it, the charger has given up the ghost. I am lost without it. We just managed to get friends, who will be arriving later this week, to get us a new Dewalt drill/driver combo to replace it.
Over the past 2 days we have re-rigged all of the running rigging and have put up the new “stack pack” sail covers. What a difference they will make to the appearance of the boat and the stowing of the sails. Fran also had a cover made for the dinghy by our German friend Elke.
One of the chain plates had been showing a bit of corrosion that appeared to be a crack so it was removed and re-welded. More piece of mind.... Before the end of the week we will have to take apart the furler in order to tighten the forestay. This should simplify furling the foresail when under pressure, something that has bugged us for some time now.
Fran has now recovered from her falls (stitches to come out today) and has been sewing winch covers while the dinghy has been out for a new cover. She has been borrowing a Sailrite machine from a friend but has now decided she would rather work with a sturdy Singer type, one that can do both heavy and light work. She has found one at a local Singer repair shop, and will pick it this week. Soon she’ll be making the fuel and water container covers and curtains. She has started making up winch covers using a borrowed machine.
On Sunday night we were invited to Elke’s 60th birthday party. It was a pot luck affair with Ted (the refer man) cooking up tempura onions and shrimp. The highlight of the evening was the piñata that Fran brought. Fran survived the 3rd Sunday unscathed even from the swinging piñata sticks.
Hope this week goes better.

Pre-launch refit: week one

Guaymas, 28 Nov 2010
It has been a week already since we arrived. Progress is slow but we can look back and see that some of the items on the to-do list have been accomplished but the list is long, there is much left to do and we are procrastinators.....
The trip from Tucson was much better than we had anticipated. Once again we breezed through the border crossing and visa stop and with, 2 green lights we were on our way without any real delay. We arrived in San Carlos by 1700, dropped off the turkey at the condo where Thanksgiving dinner was going to be held and proceeded to Guaymas. We arrived at the Singlar yard in the last of daylight and saw the “re-born Gosling”. She is absolutely beautiful with her new (original) colours. Yesterday we completed the transformation in putting up the name and home port decals. Now she isn’t just “the white boat over there”. Thanks again to Dave Deeks for the recommendations for the “gold-ish” Gosling “S”. It sure makes the name stand out. Several other boats have been painted in the yard after their owners saw the job that Francisco did on Gosling. He has been smiling a lot since we arrived back, particularly after we paid him.
The morning after we got in we went for a walk looking for a breakfast and Fran tripped over a protruding piece of rebar and scraped her knee and elbow and sprained her wrist. X-rays confirmed nothing broken. We are happy to report that after a week she is much better and golf is still on the schedule of events this season. Then, this afternoon while she was prepping woodwork for varnishing she stumbled and fell back into the cockpit. She earned 5 stitches to her ear this time, not to mention a loss of dignity. They say crap comes in 3’s. She is staying in her jammies all day next Sunday...
Quite a few friends are already here getting their boats ready. Sea Turtle (Jordan/Judy), Rio Nimpkish (Tom/Shirley), Manasea (Phil), Relax (Bob/Gisele), Full Quiver (Steve/Pam), Faith (Chris/Sandy), Wind s of Change(Uwe/Elke) and Naida (John/Barb) are all here and are at various stages of preparation. Thanksgiving was a blast with Doug and Trish spearheading the preparations and everyone (11 of us) contributing to the event at the condo. The guests renting the condo were so gracious to agree to play hosts to a bunch of reprobate cruisers but down deep they are cruiser wannabees so all was kosher.
Some of the more critical tasks have been done. The Sirius radio has been installed; OK, not critical but desirable. It took 2-3 days just to unload the car and organise the contents aboard. J-G spent the better part of a day re-installing a radio and weather-fax and re-organizing the wiring behind the radio/GPS panel and getting it set up for easier access. The Inverter has been re-installed but not yet wired in so we are relying on extension cords and the solar panels for power. The aft cabin ceiling panels are a tight fit but will look super when all up. We have decided that the wind vane will not break again this year so we are looking at getting it welded. Hopefully Herdandez will be able to do it this week. There will be lots to do this week and hopefully the urge to procrastinate with be held at bay. Trish and Doug will be here for a day to do some plumbing and electrical work. Fran is getting down to her sewing projects. The knock-off Sailrite machine turned up to be a bust so she has borrowed the real thing and is getting things done.
Hope fully by the next report I can report some significant progress. Maybe this blog can become an incentive....
Photos to come.

Season 3: 2010-2011

19 November 2010, On the Road to Guaymas
The migration is on. We left home on the 15th and stopped briefly in Vancouver to visit the grandkids and then spent the night in Anacortes with Les and Marcia Books. Les was with us for the crossing from Escondido to Mazatlan last April. The road trip was not pleasant for the first 2 days with rain and fog for most of the way through Washington and Oregon. Almost by magic the weather cleared and the temperature rose as we crossed into California. This time we took a different route through Central California, through Merced and Fresno before turning east at Bakersfield to San Bernardino to avoid the LA traffic on # 10. We stopped in Palm Springs for a few restful days to visit our old friends Reno and Nina and to pick up our 2 buck chuck, an indispensible cruising commodity. Tonight we are in Tucson, poised to cross the border tomorrow morning after a visit to Harbour freight (J-G’s new favourite toy store) and picking up the Thanksgiving Turkey for our US friends.
We have never had any problems with the border crossing into Mexico, however with all of the tourist warnings of late we admit to being apprehensive. We have heard of a few American cruisers who have been turned back because of minor documentation issues but, so far, there have been no reported issues with Canadians so we are hoping for a clean entry and an uneventful trip down to Guaymas. The plan is to do the well travelled route entirely in daylight to avoid any problems.
We had a very busy summer. Fran’s chair repair business kept us off the streets and J-G was kept busy with yard, house and boat projects. We took time out for a trip to PQ to visit our son Chris and J-G’s parents and another week to house and dog-sit on Mayne Island for our son Mike and his partner, Dove.
Boat projects included collecting the myriad collection of items on the “to get” list and completing the tasks that needed specialty tools or that could be better done in a workshop environment. This included the making of new ceiling panels for the aft cabin, re-finishing of the salon table, rebuilding the boarding ladder and a smaller dockside step. Some of the major items we have collected are a 9.8 hp Nissan outboard, a Honda 2000 generator and 2 x 100 amp solar panels. We have also swapped the 10.8 ft Avon inflatable for a 9.5 ft model. The van has never been so full, in fact, for the first time we have had to use the roof rack to its full advantage.
When we left last May we had contracted with Francisco to paint the hull, expecting him to complete it after we returned. He must have been short of work this year because he completed it in August. The photos we have seen are spectacular and those who have seen it have all raved about the finish. We had chosen to revert back to her original colour scheme of white with gold trim. She’ll look so good we’ll be reluctant to put her back in the water. With the new tan stack packs she will not be recognizable.
We have our work cut out for us in the next few weeks. There is bottom paint to apply, installing the stack packs, replacing the cutlass bearing, re-installing the inverter that was removed for repair when we left , re-installing the running rigging and sails and a myriad of other preparations before we leave. Fran also has a lot of sewing of covers for the gas cans and a new wind scoop. The most difficult task will be to find space for all the stuff we are bringing with us. Hopefully we will replace many items and sell the old ones at the first swap-meet.
Several of our friends have already arrived. Some have already launched and are enjoying a few weeks of great weather in the northern Sea of Cortez. Others are working on their projects and will be launching over the next month or so.
Hopefully I will be able to post an update in the next few weeks.

On our way home

21 May 2010, Palm Springs
We are with friends Reno and Nina in Palm Springs for a few days. It is a real bonus to break up the trip north.

The last few days on Gosling after the haul-out were a blur of frenzied activity. We worked on the long list of chores was but as we got into the routine many more items seemed to pop out. By day 3 the boat was a mess. We are taking home the headliner for the aft cabin, the dingy and the salon table. The defective inverter charger and the TV/DVD player were also removed to be sent for repairs. All of the lines and sails were removed and stowed below as well as anything removable from the upper deck, water tanks emptied, engine flushed with fresh water, all ports plugged with green scrub pads, the list goes on. All of this was done in temps pushing into the 90’s, the hottest days of the year to date.

We also had tony Morelli take a look at our sail covers and we have contracted with him to replace them with a stack pack to replace the ugly purple covers we now have. We have also arranged with Francisco, the painter, to repaint the hull when we return in November. So much for all the money we saved cruising this year....

On our second day we both came down with flu symptoms. Fran’s lasted less than 24 hrs but J-G’s did not let up and eventually he had to see a doctor. Seems the virus had attacked his prostrate and he spent the last few days in a very uncomfortable state. The doctor’s orders were to stay out of the sun, no alcohol, spicy foods, pop, coffee or seafood. What a way to finish off a season!

We didn’t have a chance to meet up with Doug and Trish before we left but we did get word that Doug was not well. The radiation therapy is taking a lot out of him. He only has 6 treatments left to go so we wish him all the best.

We left as scheduled on Monday the 17th and headed straight to Sierra Vista, AZ to visit with Bill and Linda (Tanque de Tiburon). The 2 days spent with them allowed us to wind down, J-G to improve and Rosy to enjoy real grass for a change. The temps at Sierra Vista’s elevation of 5000 ft were very pleasant. We left there and headed west thru Yuma, where Fran’s parents spent a few winters 15 years ago. No idea what the attraction is for snow birds; miles of desert, heat and more desert. We stayed the night and carried on north to Palm Springs via the east side of the Salton Sea, another attraction that begs explanation. It is lined with very thick masses of weed and shells interspersed with dead tulipa and the stench is overpowering.

From Palm Springs we will be taking a new route north through South Lake Tahoe where we will meet up with Pam and Steve, (Full Quiver) for a few days before heading to Vancouver. Lake Tahoe should be an interesting stop. The temps are in the low 40’s and there has been quite a bit of snow lately. Maybe Rosie will experience the white stuff for the first time.

South Lake Tahoe, Monday, 24 May 2010

It is snowing!!! Yes we are in Lake Tahoe and the white stuff is coming down but not staying. There are patches of snow here and there but nothing substantial. We arrived yesterday and will depart tomorrow morning to continue north.

We took 2 days to get here from Palm Springs. We drove up the Eastern Sierras along rte 395 and spent our first night in Bishop. The following day was a spectacular drive through mountain passes and between mountain ranges covered with snow. Even though this is the continuation of the Sonoran Desert it is still cold at this time of year but quite barren. Rosie saw her first snow on a hike to the obsidian dome just north of Mammouth, CA where we stopped to see the sights. It was a treat to see her rolling in the snow, eating it and just having a grand time.

Pam and Steve drove us around their beautiful corner of the world this afternoon. Too many sights and too little time. Tomorrow we will continue north along 395 through Reno and ending up either at Shasta or in Southern Oregon for the night.

Mazatlan to San carlos

Whale shark in Puerto Escondido


Doug and J-G on their way to fish for barracuda
Marina Real; Sunday, 9 May 2010
We have been in Marina Real, 2 boats over from Doug and Trish on Ke-Em-Te, for the past 2 days. After arriving from Mazatlan we decided to spend some quality time with Doug and Trish before heading to Guaymas tomorrow. We were hoping that Doug would be well enough to take the boat to San Pedro Bay but with his radiation therapy he is very sensitive to sunlight, a hard thing to stay shielded from on a boat at sea. Their boat alongside is covered with an awning which would have to be removed to work the boat so we decided to stay put until this afternoon when we will move out to the bay and stay at anchor for the night before moving south to Guaymas. Last night when the sun was low J-G took Doug out for a few hours of fishing, one of Doug’s favourite pastimes that he hasn’t been able to do for quite some time. With the lack of wind and swell, conditions were perfect to head out in the dingy. Although all they could hook were barracuda it was quite a thrill and a welcome diversion for Doug.
Our trip up from Mazatlan was uneventful. The wind was very light and from the south for the entire trip. At times we were sailing (OK, motor-sailing because we had the main up) on a mill pond, however, we did manage to get about 5 hours under spinnaker when the wind did perk up. A steady 10-12 knot southerly wind would have made for a perfect passage but we can’t complain except that 400 miles under power used up about 240 litres of diesel, driving the boat at 6 kts. Night passages were very dark, for the most part, with the moon rising after 2AM. The stars and phosphorescence were very bright. Contacts were minimal except when passing by the ports of Topolobampo and Guaymas. A large warship passed us just before twilight as we passed the entrance to Guaymas. We weren’t able to identify it but when it called in to the pilot it sounded like a Slavic accent. We’ll look for it when we enter the harbour tomorrow.
Today is Mother’s Day. One of the main reasons for anchoring out in Algadonas Bay this afternoon (off Catch-22 beach where the movie was filmed) is that we will be closer to a beach restaurant that will be having a Mother’s Day buffet. We’ll be meeting Bill and Linda (Tanque De Tiburon) there for dinner. They just arrived yesterday.
It will be old home week next week with some of the people we have met along the way arriving to put their boats away for the summer season. We have heard Steve and Linda (Warren Peace) and Steve and Pam (Full Quiver) in the past few days on their way.
More from Guaymas.

El Cid Marina, Mazatlan

Alongside El Cid marina, Mazatlan, 2 May 2010
It has been a lazy week for J-G and Rosie while Fran has been away. Some messy projects have been done; refinishing some of the woodwork in the main salon and in the aft cabin where Fran and dust would not have been compatible. The dodger was also repainted in a brilliant white and a few more minor jobs were completed including some electronic repairs to the VHF/GPS interface and the connection to the Collision Avoidance Radar Detector (CARD) that has never worked since we bought the boat.
It was a long 10 days with Fran away but J-G and Rosie managed. Cooking for 1 is a pain when everything we have is packaged for 2 so it was the same meal every 2 nights. This marina is part of a resort so pets are not encouraged or tolerated so walks are normally taken early or late in the day. Another way around the rules is to take Rosie for a boat ride across the channel to the beach where we play fetch until she gets tired. She has taken a fancy to plastic pop or water bottles when sticks aren’t available. She likes the crunch sound when she bites down on them.
The weather continues to be excellent. We had clouds on a few days, always a welcome relief to the heat. J-G had strict orders from Fran to attend all of the poolside bingo and blackjack games. He did quite well with 5 bottles of tequila and 5 t-shirts and last night Fran won the 450 peso pot at Texas Hold-em.
Most of the week the weather has been excellent to head north, however yesterday’s gale had brought in the “noserlies”. It also caused the port to be closed for the past 36 hours. The entrance to the marina channel is quite narrow and is prone to large breakers. A powerboat came in after dark last night, not knowing that the port was closed and almost lost it at the channel entrance . Looks like we will be a few more days before we can head out. We will probably shift to the Old harbour anchorage tomorrow so that we don’t have to pay another 2 days here at the marina.
Fran reports that the operation to our daughter-in-law went quite well. She is recovering quickly and we hope that she makes a good overall recovery.
While here we have been able to get some quality time with Lin and Lee (Royal Exchange) who introduced us to this way of life.
The next issue will be from Guaymas after we arrive on or near the 12th.