No……not me…...the boat! The days are counting down now. Our jello plans now indicate that we will leave the boat in 3 weeks. Or 4 weeks. A decision can not be made before its time. Even if it seems like it’s getting down to the wire.
If we work the plan backwards, this is what it looks like: It takes one week to physically ‘stuff the turkey’ (that would be the boat). And then there is a Copper River train trip for one week and a visit to nearby Guaymas. San Diego is only 13 hrs. away by bus for a 5 day visit to Jess and Tracy. And then there’s enjoying the wonderful swimming here in the Bay. Lovely… So put that all in the mix and what do you have? We’re not sure. We’ll just go with the jello plans and decide where we’re going to anchor tonight.
Photo: You have to watch that first step when you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night! Biagio is working on the blisters in Guaymas 'marina seca' or dry marina. Interestingly enough, even though this is a city of 130,000 people, this marina is only one block from the start of downtown. Notice the San Fernando Church towers in the main square. So what is ‘stuffing the turkey’ or ‘buttoning up the boat’? I’m not sure. I’ve never been through one. This is what I’m told is the routine for the boat to be ‘put on the hard’ and blocked up on stands. It needs to dry out because of blisters on the bottom. Then in October it will be prepped and bottom painted. So here's the ‘fun list’:
Photo: As you enter the Bay of Guaymas, you are greeted with perhaps 1,000 old fishing boats like these tucked into every conceivable nook. Some never go out and others are still working. Sails have to be taken down into the boat, tarps purchased to cover the boat, pop the blisters, take the dodger off, take all the lines in, cover all the furling gear, plug all the through-hole cocks, drain the salt water on the engine and generator, pickle the water maker, make sure all the stored food is wrapped well and there is nothing that could explode, made sure the solar panels are operating to keep the batteries charged, and finally, flush out the water tanks with chlorine. Sounds like fun, huh? In the desert heat!!! I’m not looking forward to that week. Maybe Biagio won’t notice if I hang out in the hopefully cool marine office. He’ll probably notice.
So my job up until that time is to go through the boat and see what I can bring home that I don’t use very much. After sailing for almost a year, there are things that are used and some things not so much. The list leaving the boat includes our golf clubs, extra bathing suits, cold weather gear, some books, etc. Already I can see more free space on the boat. That’s nice.
So parting Gem is bitter sweet. Hopefully, back in the Sea in November but time will tell. You know…that jello thing again…..
Photo upper left: One fishing boat arrested for drugs. On the right: Our view from the fuel dock before going on the hard. Photo above: Guaymas Marina. The fishing boats and fuel dock are on the right side which is where we were docked before hauling out.
Photo upper left: One fishing boat arrested for drugs. On the right: Our view from the fuel dock before going on the hard. Photo above: Guaymas Marina. The fishing boats and fuel dock are on the right side which is where we were docked before hauling out. This is what the sailing portion of the year looked like:
1 San Diego, Ca – (32 42.6 N, 117 13,8 W) – Starting from here
2 Turtle Bay, Baja, Mex – (27 40.4 N, 114 51.8 W) – 351 n miles - Jan 11, 2009
3 Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mex – (22 53.2 N, 109 53.9 W) – 405 n miles - Jan 15, 2009
4 Los Frailes & Los Muertos, Baja, Mex – (23 22.8 N, 109 25.6 W) - 48 & 43 n miles - Jan 20, 2009
5 LaPaz, Baja, Mex – (24 07.5 N, 110 22.9 W) – 65 n miles - Jan 25, 2009
6 Partida Cove between Isla Partida & Isla Espiritu Santo, Baja, Mex – (24 32.0 N, 110 22.5 W) – 24 n miles - Feb 15, 2009
7 LaPaz, Baja, Mex - 24 n miles - Feb 21, 2009
8 Isla Espiritu Santo, Baja, Mex – (24 27.1 N, 110 22.8 W) – 20 n miles - Mar 9, 2009
9 Partida Cove between Isla Partida & Isla Espiritu Santo, Baja, Mex – (24 32.0 N, 110 22.5 W) – 5 n miles - Mar 11, 2009
10 Ensenada Grande, Isla partida – (24 33.0 N, 110 23.1 W) - 4 n miles - Mar 15, 2009 (to be closer to the Rookery to dive)
11 Partida Cove again - March 16, 2009 (better anchorage because of the strong winds)
12 Isla San Francisco, Baja, Mex – (24 48.9 N, 110 34.5 W) – 21 n miles - March 18, 2009
13 Isla San Jose, Baja, Mex – (24 51.9 N, 110 34.0 W) – 19 n miles - March 19, 2009
14 Partida Cove again – March 20, 2009 (to get package from Michael & Liz)
15 La Paz again - March 22, 2009 (so close so we went for more food, emails, banking, etc.)
16 Evaristo Bay, Mainland, Baja Mex – (24 55.2 N, 110 43.4 W) – 52 n miles – March 26, 2009
17 Isla San Jose, Baja Mex - (25 01.7 N, 110 42.5 W) - 7 n miles – March 28, 2009 (to get out of the winds at Evaristo Bay)
18 El Gato, Baja Mex – (25 18.0 N 110 56.8 W) - 21 n miles – March 29, 2009
19 Bahia Agua Verde, Baja, Mex – (25 30.8 N, 111 04.8 W) - 19 n miles – April 2, 2009
20 Honeymoon Cove, Danzante Island, Baja, Mex – (25 48.2 N, 111 16.0 W) - 34 n miles – April 5, 2009
21 Puerto Escondido, Baja, Mex – (25 49.2 N, 111 19.0 W) - 4 n miles – April 8, 2009
22 Puerto Ballandra, Isla Carmen, Baja, Mex – (26 00.7 N, 111 10.7 W) – 14 n miles - April 16, 2009 (Two weeks to island hop before Loreto Fest in Puerto Escondido)
23 Salinas Bay, Isla Carmen, Baja, Mex - (25 59.2 N 111 07.1 W) – 8 n miles - April 20, 2009
24 Return to Puerto Ballandra - April 22, 2009 – Weld water heat exchanger on engine with help of power boater Sea Quest
25 Puerto Escondido, Baja, Mex – (25 49.2 N, 111 19.0 W) - 4 n miles – April 28, 2009
27 Isla Coronados, Baja, Mex again– May 8, 2009- near to Loreto for dentist
28 Point Mangle, Baja, Mex – (26 16.4 N, 111 23.8 W) - 14 n miles - May 9, 2009 - moving north
29 Santo Domingo Point, Baja, Mex – (26 51.6 N, 111 52.2 W) - May 10, 2009
30 Mulegé, Baja, Mex – (26 54.1 N, 111 56.9 W) - .7 n miles – May 12, 2009
31 Coyote Bay, Bahia Concepción, Baja, Mex – (26 43.0 N, 111 54.5 W) – 21 n miles – May 13, 2009
32 Santo Domingo Point, Baja, Mex – 21 n miles - May 17, 2009
33 St. Inez Bay, Baja, Mex – (27 03.5 N, 111 58.9 W) – 16 n miles – May 18, 2009, Low pressure coming need to move to shelter
34 Isla Marcos, Baja, Mex – (27 15.6 N, 112 07.4 W) – 7 n miles – May 19, 2009
35 Santa Rosalia, Baja, Mex – (25 60.6 N, 111 58 22.0 W) – 11 n miles - May 21, 2009
36 San Carlos, Mainland, Mex - (27 58.0 N, 111 4.0 W) – 75 n miles - May 31, 2009 - Boat on the hard through summer, Copper Canyon train Mexico, then back to Seattle/Victoria for the summer.
