Another week of steady progress. The weather continues to be pleasant but there has been a definite cooling trend this week. Days are still hot but nights are getting chilly. One welcome side effect has been the reduction of mosquitoes so we aren’t complaining. We have been monitoring the weather in Victoria and it seems that it has been cloudy and 7-10C since we left. We just got word over the weekend that it is in the -20’s in Ottawa. I definitely prefer this climate!
The engine work is completed. The engine was flashed up on Tuesday and it ran like a top. All that remains is the replacement of the engine mounts and re-alignment of the engine and shaft and that will be done once we get back afloat.
We have made a date for the splash. The next tide that will ensure we get safely away is on the 12th at 0700. We have also made reservations at the Singlar Marina for a few days where we will re-rig the lines and sails and give the boat a thorough cleaning.
Our other accomplishments this week have been varied. We have taken several bits taken down to the work bench to be sanded and re-varnished (Cetol). We have painted more of the lower cupboard interiors and have begun to revamp the under-sink cupboard. The main problem there is the spaghetti of plumbing tubing that needs re-routing and some modifications to reflect the changes we have made to our water supply choices. Fran wants to eliminate the salt water supply to the sink and replace it with a foot pump operated fresh water supply as an alternative to the pressure system. The long lead from the inlet to the tap has always produced a stench when pumping up salt water and it will be better used for a salt water deck wash supply. All of the thru hulls have been serviced. We have made good use of local hardware suppliers for our odds and ends. There are several in our immediate vicinity but Technocrates has been our favourite. It is a small storefront but he carries an incredible amount of bits. Hernandez is the cruiser’s favourite for metal work. If there is anything you need someone on the morning net will have a source.
There are 3 people working on boats in the yard who are also refrigeration techs. Ted (tailgate wok chef from last weekend) is one of these. We had him diagnose the problem with our refrigerator unit. It took a while but he finally identified a bad circuit board which he. What a relief! We can now remove a fridge from our next year’s shopping list. Ted carries many parts with him and does quite a bit of work for local cruisers while carrying out repairs to his 1929 Albin sloop. After seeing the amount of work he has left to do on his boat it was easy to understand why he needs a job on the side. We have also asked him to assemble a freezer for us. We will locate it in the original cooler box.
All that is left to do is to touch up the anti-fouling where it has thinned out over the summer and install the windlass.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Presail refit: Week 2
Another week of steady progress. The weather continues to be pleasant but there has been a definite cooling trend this week. Days are still hot but nights are getting chilly. One welcome side effect has been the reduction of mosquitoes so we aren’t complaining. We have been monitoring the weather in Victoria and it seems that it has been cloudy and 7-10C since we left. We just got word over the weekend that it is in the -20’s in Ottawa. I definitely prefer this climate!
The engine work is completed. The engine was flashed up on Tuesday and it ran like a top. All that remains is the replacement of the engine mounts and re-alignment of the engine and shaft and that will be done once we get back afloat.
We have made a date for the splash. The next tide that will ensure we get safely away is on the 12th at 0700. We have also made reservations at the Singlar Marina for a few days where we will re-rig the lines and sails and give the boat a thorough cleaning.
Our other accomplishments this week have been varied. We have taken several bits taken down to the work bench to be sanded and re-varnished (Cetol). We have painted more of the lower cupboard interiors and have begun to revamp the under-sink cupboard. The main problem there is the spaghetti of plumbing tubing that needs re-routing and some modifications to reflect the changes we have made to our water supply choices. Fran wants to eliminate the salt water supply to the sink and replace it with a foot pump operated fresh water supply as an alternative to the pressure system. The long lead from the inlet to the tap has always produced a stench when pumping up salt water and it will be better used for a salt water deck wash supply. All of the thru hulls have been serviced. We have made good use of local hardware suppliers for our odds and ends. There are several in our immediate vicinity but Technocrates has been our favourite. It is a small storefront but he carries an incredible amount of bits. Hernandez is the cruiser’s favourite for metal work. If there is anything you need someone on the morning net will have a source.
There are 3 people working on boats in the yard who are also refrigeration techs. Ted (tailgate wok chef from last weekend) is one of these. We had him diagnose the problem with our refrigerator unit. It took a while but he finally identified a bad circuit board which he. What a relief! We can now remove a fridge from our next year’s shopping list. Ted carries many parts with him and does quite a bit of work for local cruisers while carrying out repairs to his 1929 Albin sloop. After seeing the amount of work he has left to do on his boat it was easy to understand why he needs a job on the side. We have also asked him to assemble a freezer for us. We will locate it in the original cooler box.
All that is left to do is to touch up the anti-fouling where it has thinned out over the summer and install the windlass.
The engine work is completed. The engine was flashed up on Tuesday and it ran like a top. All that remains is the replacement of the engine mounts and re-alignment of the engine and shaft and that will be done once we get back afloat.
We have made a date for the splash. The next tide that will ensure we get safely away is on the 12th at 0700. We have also made reservations at the Singlar Marina for a few days where we will re-rig the lines and sails and give the boat a thorough cleaning.
Our other accomplishments this week have been varied. We have taken several bits taken down to the work bench to be sanded and re-varnished (Cetol). We have painted more of the lower cupboard interiors and have begun to revamp the under-sink cupboard. The main problem there is the spaghetti of plumbing tubing that needs re-routing and some modifications to reflect the changes we have made to our water supply choices. Fran wants to eliminate the salt water supply to the sink and replace it with a foot pump operated fresh water supply as an alternative to the pressure system. The long lead from the inlet to the tap has always produced a stench when pumping up salt water and it will be better used for a salt water deck wash supply. All of the thru hulls have been serviced. We have made good use of local hardware suppliers for our odds and ends. There are several in our immediate vicinity but Technocrates has been our favourite. It is a small storefront but he carries an incredible amount of bits. Hernandez is the cruiser’s favourite for metal work. If there is anything you need someone on the morning net will have a source.
There are 3 people working on boats in the yard who are also refrigeration techs. Ted (tailgate wok chef from last weekend) is one of these. We had him diagnose the problem with our refrigerator unit. It took a while but he finally identified a bad circuit board which he. What a relief! We can now remove a fridge from our next year’s shopping list. Ted carries many parts with him and does quite a bit of work for local cruisers while carrying out repairs to his 1929 Albin sloop. After seeing the amount of work he has left to do on his boat it was easy to understand why he needs a job on the side. We have also asked him to assemble a freezer for us. We will locate it in the original cooler box.
All that is left to do is to touch up the anti-fouling where it has thinned out over the summer and install the windlass.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Gosling’s Pre-sail Refit: Week One
It has been a long week of hot days and buzzing (mosquito) nights but we are progressing well. The mechanic arrived as scheduled and worked the better part of Tuesday removing components for rebuilding. It was a bit disconcerting seeing a good portion of my engine being carted off including: injector pump, injectors, heat exchanger, and salt and fresh water pumps. All were returned in pristine condition by Friday. Omar is reputed to be the best mechanic in the area and he is living up to his reputation. After several hours of toiling after a seized injector he had a custom puller fabricated and had it out within minutes. Tomorrow he should be back to reassemble the engine and trial it.
I have had to charge up the batteries in preparation. The generator we brought with us wasn’t powerful enough at 1300w. I had to borrow a neighbour’s Honda 2000 and it worked a treat. The Canadian Tire Special will be on the sale table at the next cruiser’s swap meet in a few weeks along with a number of things we have removed from the boat or have brought down in excess of our needs.
I have rebuilt the wind vane from all of the new spares that were on the boat when we got her. I should have eliminated that irritating wobble that kept us awake at nights when anchored or tied up in a current. Another task this week has been taking apart most of the thru-hulls and servicing them. They all worked last season but the hot summer temps must have baked the fittings.
Fran has been busy cleaning, storing, knitting and getting cushions re-upholstered. She has also been designing a new mosquito net arrangement with the German girl next door. The bugs are voracious during the night but the net we brought from Ottawa has been put to good use. They are even biting Fran who normally brags about being immune. Well, these are Mexican bugs, Duh!
Last night we had our first “Yard Potluck”. It was quite fun with2 German boats, 3 Canadian, a Dutch girl, an Aussi and an American who showed up with enormous shrimp and a complete gas cooking kit on the back of his pick-up. His tempura shrimp were the hit of the night. Next week he’ll be doing onion rings and zucchini strips as well. We are in the best shrimp fishing waters of the coast and the shrimp are cheap and plentiful. We bought large ones, head on today for $8 a kilo. They were even better than the ones we had fished for ourselves in Desolation Sound last summer. Conversation took a definite downturn when Elke (German) proudly displayed a rat that they had just trapped. It had been pestering them for a few days and after comparing notes with other boats found that it was a common problem in the yard. All out war had been declared earlier that day with new traps and Ron’s (Canadian) peanut butter. Shortly after calling it a night Marion (Dutch) came back with another prize dead rat, soon to be followed by Ted (US). Ron, who declared immunity with his dog aboard reluctantly admitted that one had been running all over his deck during the night and knocking over water bowls while his dog slept peacefully at his feet. Hope we aren’t next!
Rosie is adapting really well. She seems to be closer to us these days, probably fearing that we’ll leave again in that dreaded car thing. She loves her short walks and we have been letting her off-leash for brief intervals where there are no yard dogs around. She does her puppy thing and stays close and is always ready to be leashed again. She is even starting to bark and gets lots of applause.
Well, it's past cruiser's midnight (9PM) so off to bed. Tomorrow will be the start of a long week.
I have had to charge up the batteries in preparation. The generator we brought with us wasn’t powerful enough at 1300w. I had to borrow a neighbour’s Honda 2000 and it worked a treat. The Canadian Tire Special will be on the sale table at the next cruiser’s swap meet in a few weeks along with a number of things we have removed from the boat or have brought down in excess of our needs.
I have rebuilt the wind vane from all of the new spares that were on the boat when we got her. I should have eliminated that irritating wobble that kept us awake at nights when anchored or tied up in a current. Another task this week has been taking apart most of the thru-hulls and servicing them. They all worked last season but the hot summer temps must have baked the fittings.
Fran has been busy cleaning, storing, knitting and getting cushions re-upholstered. She has also been designing a new mosquito net arrangement with the German girl next door. The bugs are voracious during the night but the net we brought from Ottawa has been put to good use. They are even biting Fran who normally brags about being immune. Well, these are Mexican bugs, Duh!
Last night we had our first “Yard Potluck”. It was quite fun with2 German boats, 3 Canadian, a Dutch girl, an Aussi and an American who showed up with enormous shrimp and a complete gas cooking kit on the back of his pick-up. His tempura shrimp were the hit of the night. Next week he’ll be doing onion rings and zucchini strips as well. We are in the best shrimp fishing waters of the coast and the shrimp are cheap and plentiful. We bought large ones, head on today for $8 a kilo. They were even better than the ones we had fished for ourselves in Desolation Sound last summer. Conversation took a definite downturn when Elke (German) proudly displayed a rat that they had just trapped. It had been pestering them for a few days and after comparing notes with other boats found that it was a common problem in the yard. All out war had been declared earlier that day with new traps and Ron’s (Canadian) peanut butter. Shortly after calling it a night Marion (Dutch) came back with another prize dead rat, soon to be followed by Ted (US). Ron, who declared immunity with his dog aboard reluctantly admitted that one had been running all over his deck during the night and knocking over water bowls while his dog slept peacefully at his feet. Hope we aren’t next!
Rosie is adapting really well. She seems to be closer to us these days, probably fearing that we’ll leave again in that dreaded car thing. She loves her short walks and we have been letting her off-leash for brief intervals where there are no yard dogs around. She does her puppy thing and stays close and is always ready to be leashed again. She is even starting to bark and gets lots of applause.
Well, it's past cruiser's midnight (9PM) so off to bed. Tomorrow will be the start of a long week.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Back to Guaymas
We are in day 3 of our pre-launch work period. It is hot, dusty and, at night the mosquitoes can almost carry you away, but this is almost paradise, right?
We had a great trip down, stopping in Palm Springs for a wonderful 2-day visit with long time friends at just the right time for a break in the driving. We arrived in San Carlos on Friday night after a long day on Mexican roads that have lots of traffic and no shoulders. By the time we arrived at Terry and Roger Tallentyre’s condo for the night we were fried. The first cervesa was delicious; the shrimp were an unexpected treat. Welcome to Mexico!
The following morning we drove to the Marina Seca in Guaymas to begin what we expect to be a busy few weeks of preps. On our way, however, we dropped in on 2 other sets of sailing buddies. Tanque de Tiburon with Bill and Linda aboard were just leaving for San Juanico and points south with La Paz as their final destination. We were also thrilled to see Doug and Trish from Ka-Em-Te and will see much more of them over the few weeks we will be here.
Gosling had fared quite well over the past 6 months. She was covered with a thick layer of reddish dust and shreds of the tarp that we had covered the cabin top. Those tarps (package of 2) had been too good a deal to pass up at the Costco in Cabo some months before. Even with numerous frapping lines they had disintegrated. Needless to say the second tarp will be going back home with us and we’ll be looking for something more durable for next season. The pails of water we had left had long since evaporated but the interior was in good condition with no bugs and very few items spoiled by the searing Summer heat.
It took us the better part of the day to empty the van and try to find places to stow what we had brought. Eventually everything got to the cockpit for future consideration. It is nice to have the van to stow items we won’t need until our return and all the duplicate items we brought. An inventory prior to departure would be a good idea....
After three days we have made a small dent in the work schedule. Tomorrow the mechanic will be here to start on the engine work. The main item is the injector pump and injectors. Hopefully that will solve the nagging problem we had earlier this year. I will probably get him to do the engine mounts and alignment as well. Fran is looking for an upholsterer to recover our settee cushions and I will be kept busy rebuilding the self-steering system and installing the new windlass, in addition to a number of woodworking projects. There is also the sanding and re-varnishing of woodwork that wasn’t attended to last spring. The latter can only be done early morning or evening due to the high daytime temps which have been reaching close to 90F.
We have a few neighbors getting their boats ready including 2 from BC, a few Americans, and a couple from Eastliegh (close to where we lived in England in the early 90’s) and a German couple. Some have been here for some time so they know where to go for supplies and expertise of most types.
Rosie (the Sheltie) is still in denial. She is still hoping that tomorrow she’ll be back in her own back yard. She is an excellent traveler, never complaining and always in her cage when on the road but the change of environments must be hard on her. There are very few grassy patches south of Phoenix! Here in the yard she is content to stay in her cage in the shadow of the hull, venturing out occasionally for a drink or to sniff at one of the yard dogs when they get close. For the most part, they stay away and bark up a storm occasionally when we walk her through the yard. She seems comfortable on deck, even though it is 15 ft off the ground.
We are looking forward to US Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday with Trish and Doug at mutual friends we met on our way south last spring. Gil and Lexi own Sunday a large trimaran that they are also getting ready. However, they have found a great deal on a condo for the summer and are enjoying shore life for a few more weeks.
We had a great trip down, stopping in Palm Springs for a wonderful 2-day visit with long time friends at just the right time for a break in the driving. We arrived in San Carlos on Friday night after a long day on Mexican roads that have lots of traffic and no shoulders. By the time we arrived at Terry and Roger Tallentyre’s condo for the night we were fried. The first cervesa was delicious; the shrimp were an unexpected treat. Welcome to Mexico!
The following morning we drove to the Marina Seca in Guaymas to begin what we expect to be a busy few weeks of preps. On our way, however, we dropped in on 2 other sets of sailing buddies. Tanque de Tiburon with Bill and Linda aboard were just leaving for San Juanico and points south with La Paz as their final destination. We were also thrilled to see Doug and Trish from Ka-Em-Te and will see much more of them over the few weeks we will be here.
Gosling had fared quite well over the past 6 months. She was covered with a thick layer of reddish dust and shreds of the tarp that we had covered the cabin top. Those tarps (package of 2) had been too good a deal to pass up at the Costco in Cabo some months before. Even with numerous frapping lines they had disintegrated. Needless to say the second tarp will be going back home with us and we’ll be looking for something more durable for next season. The pails of water we had left had long since evaporated but the interior was in good condition with no bugs and very few items spoiled by the searing Summer heat.
It took us the better part of the day to empty the van and try to find places to stow what we had brought. Eventually everything got to the cockpit for future consideration. It is nice to have the van to stow items we won’t need until our return and all the duplicate items we brought. An inventory prior to departure would be a good idea....
After three days we have made a small dent in the work schedule. Tomorrow the mechanic will be here to start on the engine work. The main item is the injector pump and injectors. Hopefully that will solve the nagging problem we had earlier this year. I will probably get him to do the engine mounts and alignment as well. Fran is looking for an upholsterer to recover our settee cushions and I will be kept busy rebuilding the self-steering system and installing the new windlass, in addition to a number of woodworking projects. There is also the sanding and re-varnishing of woodwork that wasn’t attended to last spring. The latter can only be done early morning or evening due to the high daytime temps which have been reaching close to 90F.
We have a few neighbors getting their boats ready including 2 from BC, a few Americans, and a couple from Eastliegh (close to where we lived in England in the early 90’s) and a German couple. Some have been here for some time so they know where to go for supplies and expertise of most types.
Rosie (the Sheltie) is still in denial. She is still hoping that tomorrow she’ll be back in her own back yard. She is an excellent traveler, never complaining and always in her cage when on the road but the change of environments must be hard on her. There are very few grassy patches south of Phoenix! Here in the yard she is content to stay in her cage in the shadow of the hull, venturing out occasionally for a drink or to sniff at one of the yard dogs when they get close. For the most part, they stay away and bark up a storm occasionally when we walk her through the yard. She seems comfortable on deck, even though it is 15 ft off the ground.
We are looking forward to US Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday with Trish and Doug at mutual friends we met on our way south last spring. Gil and Lexi own Sunday a large trimaran that they are also getting ready. However, they have found a great deal on a condo for the summer and are enjoying shore life for a few more weeks.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
We are off again on our way to re-join Gosling. As I write these words we are heading down I-5 just past Eugene Oregon.
After some frenzied last minute preparations we bid farewell to family and friends for another season. We found a tenant for our home and a friend graciously agreed, once again, to look after Antares for us (thanks Ray). The van is packed to overflowing with a large variety of “stuff” we will need to get Gosling ready for this season’s cruise. No doubt much will remain in the van after we finish our pre-sail projects.
Over the spring and summer we managed obtain the majority of the items on our wish-list. The main items, and the ones contributing most to the weight in the van, are the windlass and chain. We purchased a Lofrans , Tigres and 225 ft of 5/16 high-test chain online from Binnacle, a company in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. They had the cheapest price, free delivery and lowest tax of any other Canadian supplier. By the time we got our act together the Canadian dollar was diving so any US supplier was out of the question. Little did we know at the time that Binnacle’s supplier was in Vancouver and the order was delivered to our doorstep within 2 days?
We are also taking a new family member with us this year. Rosie (soon to be nicknamed Rosalita) is a Sheltie puppy, now 7 months old. She was introduced to boating on Antares during the summer and wasn’t too sure about it all so we are hoping she will adapt quickly to Gosling.
We have heard from many friends in our cruising circle including Linda and on Tanque de Tiburon and Trish and Doug on Ka-Em-Te, and, over the past few weeks we have met a number of people who are in Mexico or heading down there. We have a place to stay on arrival in San Carlos with friends from Victoria and yesterday, on the ferry, Fred and Julie from Sooke, offered us a place to stay in Mazatlan. Sadly we have heard that Ka-Em-Te will be heading back home this season due to medical problems. We hope to share a few weeks with Doug and Trish before their departure.
Our plans for this season are to take a week or 2 to get Gosling ready while on the hard then sail up to San Carlos for a few days before leaving for La Paz for the Holiday season. In early January we intend to sail down to Zihuatnejo for their sea festival then start hopping back up the coast stopping in at all of the cruiser’s havens on the way up. We hope to get back to La Paz for their sea fest the to the Loreto fest in early May. So it will be a fest to fest cruise this year while we get used to Gosling and work out any problems.
After some frenzied last minute preparations we bid farewell to family and friends for another season. We found a tenant for our home and a friend graciously agreed, once again, to look after Antares for us (thanks Ray). The van is packed to overflowing with a large variety of “stuff” we will need to get Gosling ready for this season’s cruise. No doubt much will remain in the van after we finish our pre-sail projects.
Over the spring and summer we managed obtain the majority of the items on our wish-list. The main items, and the ones contributing most to the weight in the van, are the windlass and chain. We purchased a Lofrans , Tigres and 225 ft of 5/16 high-test chain online from Binnacle, a company in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. They had the cheapest price, free delivery and lowest tax of any other Canadian supplier. By the time we got our act together the Canadian dollar was diving so any US supplier was out of the question. Little did we know at the time that Binnacle’s supplier was in Vancouver and the order was delivered to our doorstep within 2 days?
We are also taking a new family member with us this year. Rosie (soon to be nicknamed Rosalita) is a Sheltie puppy, now 7 months old. She was introduced to boating on Antares during the summer and wasn’t too sure about it all so we are hoping she will adapt quickly to Gosling.
We have heard from many friends in our cruising circle including Linda and on Tanque de Tiburon and Trish and Doug on Ka-Em-Te, and, over the past few weeks we have met a number of people who are in Mexico or heading down there. We have a place to stay on arrival in San Carlos with friends from Victoria and yesterday, on the ferry, Fred and Julie from Sooke, offered us a place to stay in Mazatlan. Sadly we have heard that Ka-Em-Te will be heading back home this season due to medical problems. We hope to share a few weeks with Doug and Trish before their departure.
Our plans for this season are to take a week or 2 to get Gosling ready while on the hard then sail up to San Carlos for a few days before leaving for La Paz for the Holiday season. In early January we intend to sail down to Zihuatnejo for their sea festival then start hopping back up the coast stopping in at all of the cruiser’s havens on the way up. We hope to get back to La Paz for their sea fest the to the Loreto fest in early May. So it will be a fest to fest cruise this year while we get used to Gosling and work out any problems.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Home again
We are now home again in Victoria for the Summer. Our intention is to return to Guaymas by mid-November and start the next season's adventures.
The bus ride was long (10hrs) but comfortable in one of Tufesa's gold star buses. We arrived at the border at 8AM and were asked to disembark and have our bags scanned. After a quick passport check we were back aboard, the easiest border crossing into the US we have done in years.
We arrived in Phoenix an hour later and took a taxi to our hotel, the Ramada close to the airport. We crashed for a few hours and then went to a huge mall, the Arizona Mills, where we spent an aimless afternoon buying things we didn't need(Fran might argue that point).
We arrived at the airport shortly after 0500 and flew out by 0615 arriving in Victoria, via Seattle, at 1030.
It was nice to come home but our hearts are still in Mexico where it is definitely warmer.
This is our last entry until we prepare for our next trip, a road trip this time, to Guaymas to rejoin Gosling.
Thanks to all who took the time to read about our adventures. We hope it has been entertaining and that you will follow us again in the future.
Cheers, Jean-Guy and Fran
The bus ride was long (10hrs) but comfortable in one of Tufesa's gold star buses. We arrived at the border at 8AM and were asked to disembark and have our bags scanned. After a quick passport check we were back aboard, the easiest border crossing into the US we have done in years.
We arrived in Phoenix an hour later and took a taxi to our hotel, the Ramada close to the airport. We crashed for a few hours and then went to a huge mall, the Arizona Mills, where we spent an aimless afternoon buying things we didn't need(Fran might argue that point).
We arrived at the airport shortly after 0500 and flew out by 0615 arriving in Victoria, via Seattle, at 1030.
It was nice to come home but our hearts are still in Mexico where it is definitely warmer.
This is our last entry until we prepare for our next trip, a road trip this time, to Guaymas to rejoin Gosling.
Thanks to all who took the time to read about our adventures. We hope it has been entertaining and that you will follow us again in the future.
Cheers, Jean-Guy and Fran
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Gosling's on the hard in Guaymas
Saturday, 3 May, 2008
We have finished putting Gosling to bed for the season. It has been a long day completing the final chores and we are in hotel room tonight in preparation for our long bus ride tomorrow night.
We stayed in the anchorage in San Carlos for a few more days before heading for Guaymas. Our final ocean voyage was in no wind and calm conditions. We accompanied Temeris, a trimaran, with Steve and Sherry aboard (California) to the Singlar Marina where we both began preparations for our respective haulouts at the Marina Seca across the harbour.
This marina is another new government run facility similar to the other Singlar marinas at Puerto Escondido and Santa Rosalia. When we arrived there was only one other vessel there, a diving tender being refitted by its owner. Apparently the marina has been open since December but we were only the 13th and 14th vessels to check in. It appears to be very well run by two managers, one being Carlos, an English-speaking and very pleasant young man. The facilities were all available to us; even the upper pool was open, however, the concrete haul out yard was vacant and the travel lift has yet to haul out its first vessel. The management is aware of the limitations they face. Their government dictated rates are higher than the other local facilities. They face stiff competition from Marina San Carlos and Marina Real where the cruisers are content and well served. The most serious limitation is depth alongside. The end berth is the only one that can handle most keel boats. As it was, we only had a few feet below the keel at low tide. Another limitation is their lack of advertising. We knew that the services at the haulout yard would be very limited so this was the ideal location for making our preparations prior to hauling out. With the dock entirely at our disposal we were able to washdown, remove and stow all our sails, unrig and wash all of our lines, and take advantage of laundry and showers. There was even a coffee shop that was doing a thriving business for the locals. It will be interesting to see how this marina will fare with the massive waterfront marina development project planned for Guyamas harbour. They are well underway to cover the entire downtown harbour front with slips.
Temeris was due to be hauled out the day after we arrived so we accompanied them for the trip to familiarize ourselves with the channel and the facilities at the other end. It was an interesting trip watching the depthsounder hover between 4 and 6 ft. When we arrived at the yard it was close to low tide so we were able to see the hazards for ourselves. We also had a chance to speak to some other folks who were already there about their experiences. We had towed our dinghy over so after scouting out the place we motored back across the bay to progress our preps.
One of the chores on our list was to remove the computer for the Simrad system and bring it home to get it repaired. We had been told by the tech in San Diego that the depthsounder signal was arriving at the computer but was not being processed. As J-G started disassembly he noticed that the depthsounder input leads were reversed. Once reconnected the system operated perfectly for the first time. How convenient to have a dual depthsounder capability just before undertaking the shallowest channel we have ever negotiated!
We delayed our departure until late afternoon Friday to take advantage of the high tide and made the crossing without incident. We arrived with a 20 kt wind on the beam forcing us to crab into the haulout crib. As we approached we felt that heart-rending shudder as we carved a new channel through the mud, however, it was only a momentary pucker and we entered the dredged basin.
We tied up at the crib and waited until Gabriel, the manager, arrived to assess our rig for his travel lift. It was necessary to disconnect our headstay/furler and once done we were ready to go. The haulout was another pucker factor event when Gosling was slowly raised by what appeared to be an under-powered lift but everything went well for the 300-yard trek to our lay-up position where we were safely trussed up with supports (manufactured on-site).
Mike and Kirsten from, Kia Kaha, our neighbour boat made us welcome and, Steve and Sherrie came over with a bottle of champers to help us celebrate the end of our first cruise. We spent a very restless night getting used to a motionless bed and swatting mosquitoes that seemed to multiply all night
Today we completed everything we needed to do by late afternoon. By 1700 the last item was done, wrapping the cockpit dodger and liferaft with a new tarp we had purchased in Cabo. We don’t expect it to last till November but to extend it’s life we crisscrossed it with frapping lines to reduce any motion in high winds.
To get to our hotel was another feat, Fran left the yard in search of a taxi, ran across to some people getting into their car and asked if they could call her a taxi, (all in Spanglish). They said no but they could drive her to where she could find one. With a wave to JG out the car window she was off again, only to return 5 minutes later with a taxi.
So here we are downtown in a new hotel, $50 a night with HOT water, No mosquitoes, TV and A/C; back to the real world…..
Last chapter after we get home.
We have finished putting Gosling to bed for the season. It has been a long day completing the final chores and we are in hotel room tonight in preparation for our long bus ride tomorrow night.
We stayed in the anchorage in San Carlos for a few more days before heading for Guaymas. Our final ocean voyage was in no wind and calm conditions. We accompanied Temeris, a trimaran, with Steve and Sherry aboard (California) to the Singlar Marina where we both began preparations for our respective haulouts at the Marina Seca across the harbour.
This marina is another new government run facility similar to the other Singlar marinas at Puerto Escondido and Santa Rosalia. When we arrived there was only one other vessel there, a diving tender being refitted by its owner. Apparently the marina has been open since December but we were only the 13th and 14th vessels to check in. It appears to be very well run by two managers, one being Carlos, an English-speaking and very pleasant young man. The facilities were all available to us; even the upper pool was open, however, the concrete haul out yard was vacant and the travel lift has yet to haul out its first vessel. The management is aware of the limitations they face. Their government dictated rates are higher than the other local facilities. They face stiff competition from Marina San Carlos and Marina Real where the cruisers are content and well served. The most serious limitation is depth alongside. The end berth is the only one that can handle most keel boats. As it was, we only had a few feet below the keel at low tide. Another limitation is their lack of advertising. We knew that the services at the haulout yard would be very limited so this was the ideal location for making our preparations prior to hauling out. With the dock entirely at our disposal we were able to washdown, remove and stow all our sails, unrig and wash all of our lines, and take advantage of laundry and showers. There was even a coffee shop that was doing a thriving business for the locals. It will be interesting to see how this marina will fare with the massive waterfront marina development project planned for Guyamas harbour. They are well underway to cover the entire downtown harbour front with slips.
Temeris was due to be hauled out the day after we arrived so we accompanied them for the trip to familiarize ourselves with the channel and the facilities at the other end. It was an interesting trip watching the depthsounder hover between 4 and 6 ft. When we arrived at the yard it was close to low tide so we were able to see the hazards for ourselves. We also had a chance to speak to some other folks who were already there about their experiences. We had towed our dinghy over so after scouting out the place we motored back across the bay to progress our preps.
One of the chores on our list was to remove the computer for the Simrad system and bring it home to get it repaired. We had been told by the tech in San Diego that the depthsounder signal was arriving at the computer but was not being processed. As J-G started disassembly he noticed that the depthsounder input leads were reversed. Once reconnected the system operated perfectly for the first time. How convenient to have a dual depthsounder capability just before undertaking the shallowest channel we have ever negotiated!
We delayed our departure until late afternoon Friday to take advantage of the high tide and made the crossing without incident. We arrived with a 20 kt wind on the beam forcing us to crab into the haulout crib. As we approached we felt that heart-rending shudder as we carved a new channel through the mud, however, it was only a momentary pucker and we entered the dredged basin.
We tied up at the crib and waited until Gabriel, the manager, arrived to assess our rig for his travel lift. It was necessary to disconnect our headstay/furler and once done we were ready to go. The haulout was another pucker factor event when Gosling was slowly raised by what appeared to be an under-powered lift but everything went well for the 300-yard trek to our lay-up position where we were safely trussed up with supports (manufactured on-site).
Mike and Kirsten from, Kia Kaha, our neighbour boat made us welcome and, Steve and Sherrie came over with a bottle of champers to help us celebrate the end of our first cruise. We spent a very restless night getting used to a motionless bed and swatting mosquitoes that seemed to multiply all night
Today we completed everything we needed to do by late afternoon. By 1700 the last item was done, wrapping the cockpit dodger and liferaft with a new tarp we had purchased in Cabo. We don’t expect it to last till November but to extend it’s life we crisscrossed it with frapping lines to reduce any motion in high winds.
To get to our hotel was another feat, Fran left the yard in search of a taxi, ran across to some people getting into their car and asked if they could call her a taxi, (all in Spanglish). They said no but they could drive her to where she could find one. With a wave to JG out the car window she was off again, only to return 5 minutes later with a taxi.
So here we are downtown in a new hotel, $50 a night with HOT water, No mosquitoes, TV and A/C; back to the real world…..
Last chapter after we get home.
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