Cruise of theConfidence 2013-11-24 to 26

Turtle Bay to Bahia Magdalena 27*38.5 N 115*54.0 W

1620: anchor up and genoa out. Seas are rippled. Skies are clear. Winds are 5 knots from the NW. I am out on the bowsprit looking for lobster traps. A pod of dolphins show up to escort us out of the bay.

1544: sunset and the captain is down for a nap. We are motor sailing even though the winds have picked up and we could be sailing but we decided to make some water. 

The monitor is back in operation with small adjustment - the repair is not perfect so David had to put an extra weight on the hinge with a zinc on a piece of rope to keep it in place. Seems to be doing the trick.

1900: reflection of Venus is so bright on the water giving me quite good visibility. This is a good thing as the moon does not rise til after midnight. 

Turned off the water maker - made 3 gallons to add to the tanks. Put in a call to Pelagia and everything is good with them. There is a boat quite a ways off my stern - it is amazing that you can usually hear these guys befor you can see them.

1951: shooting star. Maintaining 4.5 knots

2013: I can just make out Orion's belt on the horizon. I was supposed to wake up David to take the next watch but I think I will let him sleep a little longer. Seas are a little rolling but relatively calm and speed is staying constant

2100: captain up to take the watch till midnight.

Monday 25-Nov-2013

 0300: brought in the Genoa. It is blowing greater than 20 knots and is starting to make it difficult to maintain my course. David is up to give me a hand to bring genoa all the way in. Started the motor and altered course putting the wind on our nose.

 0414: I could just make out the light on Isla San Roque. Shortly after that I could pick up the light on Punta Ascencion.

I am trying to peel an apple in the dark and trying to make one continuous peel. Managed to do it in two. This made me think of Gramps - who lived with us for most of my childhood years and started every morning with a Mackintosh apple and an orange. He would sit there and peel them with this tiny knife. I am sure he would have been very excited to know what I was doing at this moment in my life. He loved the outdoors - lost his legs due to blood clots when I was 3 - and always took pleasure knowing that I loved the outdoors too. When I was studying and working in Forestry I would come down and share my stories for the day and play crib. We would play for $20.00 a match. If I had a date the match was 3 games. If I didn't have a date then a match was 7 games. Mom always wondered why I had so much money. Well she was his banker and only brought home 20 dollar bills on pension day. And if I won I would get a twenty. And if I lost he would ask me if I had 10 bucks. So I would run upstairs and get one - I think he just wanted to be sure that I was saving my money. Then he would take the ten and give me a twenty. So even when I lost I won! 

0432: the wind has eased off quite a bit. Fisherman just passed me on my port side

0537: abeam Isla San Roque

 0704: sun is up and the lobster fisherman are out setting their traps

 0711: we were getting ready to alter course into Asuncion. I need to sleep. The light that is indicated on the chart is not working however the towers in the town can be seen for miles

0745: after a slightly tedious night running down from Turtle Bay, we were looking forward to the anchorage at Asuncion. Working in against a 10-15 easterly wind and a west setting current, we were within a mile of the anchorage when the engine began to falter and threaten to quit altogether. We made the decision to turn and run into Bahia Santa Maria 230 miles to the south east. The winds were good for sailing and David could look into the problem when things settled down a bit.

1045: abeam Punta San Hipolito. Making 5-6 knows with a reefed main and genoa. This wind held till mid afternoon.

1400: winds were dying off so David decided to play with the engine. Bled the lines a little which seemed to do the trick along with changing the filters. I managed to keep us on course at less than 2 knots while he was doing all of this. We discussed going on to Cabo or pulling into the anchorage in Bahai de Llanis. I suggested that we stop as it would be a long run to Cabo and we needed to get some sleep. I had strained a muscle in my neck, took an Aleve and went to bed. Wind picked up and David was able to make good time and course on the main.

1741: Sunset. I was up in time to take on lobster trap watch again. We really hated to stop as the winds were good but I think the right decision was made.

2030: challenge to come into the anchorage with all of those traps and dark to boot. We came in with the main up and the motor in idle at about 4.5 knots. As soon as I found 30 feet of water I turned the boat into the wind and David dropped the main then went forward and dropped the anchor. She grabbed really well - thank goodness. Now I could uncross my fingers. Once we got everything squared away I suggested to the captain that a scotch was in order. That was a couple of stressful hours though it all worked out under the guidance and direction of Captain Fantastic.

26-Nov-2013 Tuesday Asuncion

It was not the best anchorage as there was quite a roll from the ocean swells all night. When we finally got up and looked outside we realized that Saint Anthony was looking out for us last night. Just to port of us were about 30 lobster traps - like the first couple were only 50 feet away at the 25 foot depth and we set the anchor at 30!

Captain made coffee and I got everything organized for breakfast. We wanted to get underway early so I turned off the burners once everything was cooked and we would reheat and eat once we were out of the bay.

0730 anchor up and main raised and we sailed out of the bay. Put out the genoa with 20 knots of wind from the north east and we were up to hull speed in no time. As the Captain says - it doesn't 't get any better than this! 

So I heated up my specialty - breakfast skillet - made another pot of coffee and enjoyed the morning.

Breakfast Skillet: always different but the concept is the same. I cut up some potatoes and put them in the frying pan with some water. Once they are cooked I drain off the water and add a little olive oil and cut up bacon (ham,sausage,whatever) then I throw in some onion (green or yellow or white or red). Next come the eggs which get scrambled in amongst the other stuff. Add some cheese - whatever you have and top with salsa, everything in one pan. This is David's favorite breakfast!

1000: had to roll in the genoa to about 2/3 as the winds were picking up some more.Making excellent time. As time goes on I can feel my confidence increasing as we are in small craft warning winds with the winds 25-30 knots but we are on a close hauled course and I am totally in control. The seas are not too bad we are only heeled over about  15 degrees. David is right - it doesn't 't get any better than this.

 

And now here come the dolphins to guide us along. You can see them quite clearly under the surface - they look like torpedoes coming at the boat!

Hint: Something to consider when you are stocking and organizing the boat. Be aware of the predominant winds. We seem to spend most of our time on a starboard tack so any cupboards that have food or dishes in them that you think you will want to access during the day should be removed ahead of time. Otherwise you may open up a cupboard and things could come flying out. Remember the bran flakes? 

When we are on a port tack cooking is much easier as the fridge and the stove are on the starboard side of the boat. It is not, however, the best tack for trying to use the head!

1123: spectacular color of water - azure blue! Hat # 2 just went overboard. Too bad as I liked that hat. On the Double and Far Away left the anchorage about one hour ahead of us. We were able to pass Far Away when she slowed down to put a reef in. We had reefed our main before we left the anchorage so we were set.

1200: winds have eased so we shook out the main. Maintaining 3.5 to 4 knots

 1230: we rolled in the genoa and turned on the motor to make water. I went below to make some fresh salsa. The avocados were a little to ripe so no guac today!

Electrical Update: David discovered that the Battery Select Switch when in the ALL position was not charging all four batteries equally. So now we are not sure if there is a problem with the wiring on the switch to the batteries or if the problem is with the batteries. This is a little beyond his expertise so we will get it looked at in La Paz. In the meantime the two batteries are keeping us going as long as we conserve, top them up with solar when we can and run the motor.

The problem with the motor has been rectified. We are not sure if the guys in the boatyard did not tighten the clamps enough or they just needed to be readjusted after installation and running for a while. David tightened everything, bled the air out of the lines and it is running well. Just in case he did replace the fuel filters at 2727 hours on the motor.

1408: stopped making water (3 gal in 2 hours). Sails up and maintain 4.5 knots on a beam reach.

Going down below to make something creative for dinner.  How about Chicken Marsala on pasta?

1527: up to 6 knots

1739: sunset and I took over till 1900 hours. I had to bring in the genoa a bit and then had a difficult time resetting the Otto so I opted to hand steer for a bit which is always good practice. Captain took us into the next day.

 

The Cruise of the Confidence 2013-08-29

Left Q4 at Bellhaven Marina in Bellingham Washington to begin our adventure. As I begin to write about this adventure so I can share it with my friends and family I find myself struggling with the starting point. Is it the time that we leave the dock or is it the time at which we made the commitment to make this happen? 

I decided to start it with us leaving the dock. I am hoping to write a book when all is said and done with a focus on cooking and eating one's way across the Pacific. I will leave the preparation and provisioning topics for the book.

When I retired from Transfusion Medicine my staff and friends gave me a GoPro camera - another way for us to share the adventure. As you follow this blog you will find directions to check YouTube for any video footage that goes along with the blog. My more experienced techy friends tell me that this is a better way to post the videos. Please bear with me as I learn how to do all of this - I have figured out how to use the camera but am still learning how to edit. At the beginning I will put in some of my blunders so you can get a laugh with me - as I figure this all out.

So enough with the introduction. After leaving our slip for this date we headed over to the fuel dock. We took on 80 gallons of diesel ($305). We also topped up our two 5 gallon Jerry cans. The boat can carry 100 US gallons.

Then we headed out on a course of 190 degrees. Winds were 15-20 SE so we were motoring. The rain had stopped, patches of blue and sea choppy.

1530: abeam of Carter Point where we leave Bellingham Bay. Feeling remarkably calm with no tears. We phoned Susan and Tim to say that we got away.

It has been a typical west coast day with the wind coming from every direction and every kind of weather.

1600: I took a break from the helm to make some chili. I was going to do it in the pressure cooker but I seemed to have misplaced the pressure valve - it wil probably show up somewhere in Tahiti! The recipe will have to wait for the book but I did do an adjustment which proved to be a good thing - I used beer for the liquid instead of water (water must be rationed as we can only carry 100gallons - though we can make about 2 gallons of desalinized water per hour

1650: into Obstruction Pass. Took a closer look at a couple of schooners. 

1840: dropped anchor at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

  - 

Cruise of the Confidence 11/17/22

Saturday 17-Nov-13 1235

Al and Arturo helped us off the docks and we were on our way. We set out on a course that would put us in the gap between Punta Banda and Isla Todas Santos.

The clouds were breaking up, seas were rippled and winds coming from the west at 5-10 knots.

1525: winds had increased and we were on a beam reach maintaining 6 knots. Pretty good start for this leg of the trip.

1723: the winds turned around from the north so we put the preventer on (tied a line to the boom to prevent the boom from accidentally swinging across the boat thus preventing damage to the boat and major brain injury to anyone who's head might be in the way). We always do this when we are in a following sea.

1747: sunset

1807: moon rise at 100%. It is very dark over the mountains so I suspect that it is raining on land but the skies are still clear overhead.

18-nov-13 0620 were are abeam of Roca Soledad and Punta Santo Thomas. Suggestion was to stay outside of this rock due to the large accumulation of kelp, rocks and fishermen looking for barracuda, halibut, ling cod, sea bass, yellowtail tuna and rockfish.

0626: has the glow of the moon now visible at the edge of some very dark clouds. It is quite dramatic.

Most of the day was just swapping watches and not a lot to see. Motoring and very light winds.

1833: the full moon is rising, an hour later every day. It is bright yellow and spectacular.

1915: abeam Punta San Jose light, about 4.5 nm off shore. Almost clear with a full moon. The wind is from the NW at 8 knots. Let out the genoa about half an hour ago and shut off the motor at 1900 hours. Making 3-4 knots with low swells and very little wind wave. Monitor is working well and motor seems smoother with new cutless bearing. Charging system does not seem to be working so Dave will investigate tomorrow.

2009: BA on watch and enjoying the moonlit night. I had lots of sleep last night and a little nap in the afternoon so I may just extend this watch. I guess those years of the night shift are paying off.

22:29 abeam Punta Cabras. I am being stubborn as the wind has dropped off but I refuse to turn on the motor until I have slowed down to less than 2 knots. Not making good time but are we really in a hurry? And if I turn the motor on I know that the Captain will wake up.

19-Nov-13 0001: finally gave in and rolled in the genoa and turned on the motor.

0113: just picked up the light on Cabot Colnett about 8 nm away. It would have been nice to see in the daylight as the point has sheer cliffs and a flat plateau making it quite distinct. You can still make out the outline even in the dark. I have moved in behind a fishing boat and am using his lights to steer by.

Because the charging system is not working we are trying to conserve our use of power so the GPS and nav instruments are turned off. As this fishing boat is going in the same direction as us it makes it a little less stressful for maintaining a course. And it is about time for the Captain to wake up which he is doing on his own.

0300: abeam Cape Colnett at 3.5 nm off shore. We are making 4.5 knots at 1200 rpms.

0600/0700: abeam Cape San Jacinto. We are slowly working our way eastward and have now entered into the Mountain Standard Time so the clocks have been moved ahead.

0855: brief visit from a pod of about 20 dolphins. Isla St. Martin is about 10 miles ahead.

1120: we moved in to take a closer look at the island. There were 5 panga's (fishing dories) on the beach and some type of research station. There appears to be lots of kelp and probably not a good anchorage even though you are protected from any northerly winds. 

The light at the end of the beach on the SE side of the island is not indicated on the GPS.

Crossing over to the Baja Peninsula towards Cabo San Quintin.

1347: put the genoa out. Winds were from the NW and we were averaging 4-4.5 knots. Still cannot figure out why the batteries were not charging. The solar panels are generating some power so we are at safe levels but still being cautious.

Lots of dolphins today. Our original plan was to investigate San Quintin but due to the charging issue we decided to press on the Turtle Bay. The winds were staying fairly consistent so we wanted to take advantage of that.

There are also a lot of pelicans out here. We are only in about 125 feet of water so there must be a lot of fish around. The pelicans crack me up as they dive bomb for the fish. Their necks must be all cartilage because they hit the water at such a force - they would break otherwise.

1357: spotted some lobster traps. I will have to keep careful watch as they tend to be grouped in clusters of 6. They are made up of black floats and a black flag. Now how are you supposed to see them in the dark?

1405: winds are slowly picking up and we are now maintaining 4.5 to 5.5 knots. Otto is keeping us on course. I am happy! David and I both got a solid 6 hours of sleep (no - not at the same time) so we are well rested to head to Turtle Bay - which is still a day and a half away. But we shall see if we are still smiling when we get there. But right now it is shorts and sun screen and my purple hat and Jimmy Buffet. Are you getting the picture?

1734: another milestone has been reached. 30.00.00 N. 115.45.87W . at Rio del Rosario. The equator is getting closer and closer! Winds are steady at 5-6 knots on a beam reach. Captain is heating up the chili with toasted baguette and a dollop of sour cream. I had to put on my leggings and fleece as the air was cooling off.

1848: abeam Punta Baja. Still doing 5-6 knots with the genoa.

1930: BA on

2130: Still maintaining 5-6 though surfing a bit more. Full moon. Rocking and Rollin with the Rolling Stones! Yes - I have my safety harness on. Thanks Tim!

19-Nov -13 have gone about 130 nm - a good run so far. Sun is up. Slowed to 4.5 knots with the genoa furled in a bit. Seas are choppy and the swells are about 5 feet with the occasional 7 footer just to keep me awake.

Can make out the light on the island just west of Cedros. Otto has us on a perfect course to set us up between Cedros and San Bonitos Island. We are set up a little closer to San Bonitos as the current and wind are pushing us toward Cedros. Cedros was named for all of the cedar trees that used to be on the island - but cut down and used for ship building. Though some books say they were Juniper trees - does anyone know for sure?

1120: coming abeam of the eastern most point of the San Benito Islands with mountainous Isla Cedros on our port side. Making 5 knots with the Genoa. Cloudy skies but the solar panels are still putting out a small charge into the house bank. David thought he saw whales earlier but they may have been blow holes along the coastline.

1200: admiral is up. I think I got some sleep but not really sure. Made capaletti soup with small tortellini's, left over chicken, green onion, chicken stock and Parmesan cheese. As I was putting it into the cups we took a wave and it ended on the counter, floor and me. After some profanity, a few tears of frustration and a hug from the captain I was able to save enough of it to satisfy us for lunch. That is life at sea. 

As I write about this I look up and the water is exploding with about 50 dolphins jumping and chasing down their dinner. Spilt soup forgotten.

1300: If I had just woken up and looked outside I would have thought that I was back in Malaspeina Strait and looking at Texada Island sailing on a typical November day. Okay, maybe not quite as cold but cloudy, small craft warning and me in my fleece and all weather gear. On the good side was the fact that we had a constant North Westerly blowing for the last 24 hours- never had that back home. But I see blue skies ahead and maybe when I wake up from my nap I will be back in the Baja!

1700: Locking mechanism for the rudder on the windvane broke. We must have run into something or something ran into us. So. Back to hand steering. When are things going to stop breaking! 

1755 abeam the lighthouse on Isla Navidad

Have made the decision to anchor in Turtle Bay. There is an Internet cafe there and Dave is hoping he can get a hold of Mark and he can help us troubleshoot our charging problem. Dave will also see if he can get the windvane fixed.

 2100: dropped the sail

Pretty barren landscape.

2205: abeam Punta Romepiente

2225: anchored in Turtle Bay. Total miles covered was 243 nm. Total time was 58.5 hours with 35.5 of that under sail. Engine hours 2711.6. If not for the problems the actual distance covered and sailing proved to be a very successful leg.

Cruise of the Confidence 20-Nov-13

Vizcaino Bay: We did not venture into this Bay but there is a legend that came from here which I think warrants it's own entry. The story of The Whale Man and a sculpture of the whale man can be found on the waterfront in Ensenada. This story is taken right from the text on the sculpture. It is worth mentioning for all of those who have a desire to protect our environment and all that lives within it.

El Hombre Bellena (The Whale Man)

Where the desert ends, in the center of the Baja California peninsula at the immense Vizcaino Bay, the conjunction of the winds that arrive to Eugenia Point, is where the green beings and the aquatic beings congregated, messengers of all the nations on the planet.

Their faces were saddened, perplexed by the aggressive attitude of the human beings with their relationship to nature. During long nights and complete days, many moons and suns, they listened to deliberations on the predatory acts of man. They decided unanimously to elect an ambassador, to go and meet with the representatives of humanity and give them a scroll of a written petition; a message of intense love and profound respect, for our planet and all living beings who inhabit it. The goal of this message would be the beginning of a new era where all the natural resources are to be protected in benefit of all living beings and for the planet itself.

By the influence and magic of these powerful wishes, there arose an enormous creature, a being.  Of humanoid stature; half whale and half tree, who immediately took up the desert patch in search of the human representatives to comply with such a beautiful and  transcended mission.

The fins and the branches of this giant ambassador knew not of the hot desert sands; the strong winds, the darkness. Under the weather inclemency's he perished amongst the waves of sand, in the heart of the desert.

Sometime later, a group of young explorers found his remains. Marveled and confused by such a strange finding, they noticed that the grand skeleton held in his fossilized structures of his curious hands, still protected though now petrified, a strange roll of bark. Upon contact of a curious hand of one of the explorers, it opened like a release from an ancient spell. Inside, still intact was a scroll. Unrolled and upon reading its words, there was the invitational poem from the green and marine beings, to unite us all and conserve in all its beauty the planet earth, our home.

The young people, moved by this profound message of love, made a promise: they would take the poem and the message around the planet. In this way complying with the grand mission of the Whale Man.

Authored del cue to: Alfonso Arumbila (Esculator)

     Jesus Garcia

Taller iota: Poeta Laurie Acevedo

Traductora: Bernie Schmukor

Cruise of the Confidence 2013-11-01 to 11-13

Ensenada: 31*50.46 N 116*37.53W

Population almost 300,000 situated 65 nm SE of San Diego

This is a fairly large port and it was in our plans to have the boat hauled out and have some work done.

We notified the Port upon our arrival and the marina yard representative met us at the dock right in front of the travel lift dock. He took our lines and informed us that he would assist us with the paperwork needed to clear in at customs. The crew started precisely at 0800 and made preparations to have us hauled out. I was immediately impressed with their promptness, attention to safety and attention to our boat. Anyone coming aboard immediately put cloth booties over their shoes so as not to dirty or mark our decks.

 

0900: Boat was on the hard though it took them another hour to secure it in place. Power was hooked up and then we waited around to talk to our project manager, Roberto. We were told that the boat would be moved again in the morning as they had located us in the area where they spray paint. Why they didn't just leave us in the water and just locate us in the correct place we will never know. I guess they like lifting and lowering boats for the practice! We checked out the facilities to ensure that we could stay on the boat in the yard. No problem with that. We were also informed that the daily lay days would be $40 per day but we would only be charged for those days when they actually put in a full day. Plus the first four days are included in the haul out fee. 

Some of you are probably thinking that it would not be such a great thing to have me staying on the boat in the yard in Mexico for a week or so. Well, I'll tell you this boat yard is very clean - has to be as they spray paint the boats outside - and the washrooms and showers were nicer and cleaner than the ones in San Diego. The workers are very friendly and respectful. They even have a computer room and free telephone for guests - 10 minutes free to Canada or US. And as Susan and I found out later in the week you just wait until they cut you off and then you just phone again! So we talked for 20 minutes.

I forgot to mention that the boatyard is called Baja Naval and is located right downtown, close to everything.

View from the cockpit of the beautiful and very large Mexican Flag.

 

We can also see the cruise ship terminal. The fog rolled in one day so if you look very closely you can just see the top of the cruise ship as it disappeared! We thought we were in Newfoundland!

 

So once we got things organized in the boatyard we visited with Rogelo (Roger) and he organized our papers. One of the great things about Ensenada is the fact that they have centralized all of the offices for your entrance requirements into one building - Centro Integral de Servicios. It still is a bit of a song and dance but at least you do not have to go back and forth across town, like in some other towns, to get everything done. So first you go to window #1: Migracion (Immigration). At this window he wants to see your passports, your crew list, vessel registration, application for Visitor Visa and Proof of Insurance. The gentleman at this window seemed to be more interested in the soccer game on TV so this first step was painless. So he stamped everything except our Visitor's Visa until we went across the room and paid at the banco. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Then we go back to Migracion and he stamps and completes our Visitor Visa. 

Now we have to get the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for the boat so that we can leave the boat in Mexico if we choose to come home for a visit or if we want to import any parts for the boat. This paperwork is done and paid for at the banco. So back across the room we go. The most important things you need for this is the serial number from the engine (good thing Roger told us this as it is not on the Boat Registration, and the original of the boat registration - no copies accepted. Once this is completed and paid for and stamped then we have to go outside and get photo copies made. They will not make copies for you. 

Then back to the Migracion so he can stamp something else. Now he directs us to window #2 which is the Capitania representative or Port Captain. So far so good and relatively smooth. Then things stopped. We were warned that there will be times when we have to be patient as the Mexican's have their own way of doing things. The painters were in that day and unhooked something resulting in a complete computer shutdown. One guy had been there since 1030 - and it was now 1330. Now the Mexicans do not like to admit that something is not working and do not seem to show any emotion to indicate that things are not working. So you sit there without any explanation. In fact we would only know that something was wrong because that guy told us. But a good clue was after I took my number, the girl asked me to hand in the rest of the numbers. So there we sat and the offices close at 1500 hours until Monday. 

At 1430 she finally called us up to the window and I kind of got the idea that they timed it just so so that we could complete everything by 1500. So now we have cleared things with her and for some reason we were able to pay her with our credit card and did not have to go over to the banco. Now we go to window #3 which is the Aduana (customs) window. We complete another form and a declaration of the goods we are bringing  into the country. Then back to the banco to pay. Then back to customs where we are instructed to press a button located below two lights, one green and one red. Lucky we got the green as this means that they will not come down and inspect your boat. We heard that a lady spent all day there because she did not have her papers in order and then pressed the red button!  So we followed the advice that we were given - if you get green shut up, smile and leave.

But we had one more window to visit. We needed to get our fishing licenses which is window #4. Well we get ready to do that and he informs us that we have to go back to the banco and we have to pay in cash. Well we do not have enough cash on us and there is no ATM there so we said forget it and we would come  back before we leave. It was now 1530 and we had travelled all night and we have not eaten and we are really tired.

Now lets get some cash and get something to eat. Well the two ATM's that we passed were down. And all of the small taco stands only take cash so here we are on our first day in Mexico eating and drinking a latte at Starbuck's. We could only chuckle!

But all in all we had a pretty good time in Ensenada. David was very impressed with the work that they did on the boat. They removed and replaced the cutless bearing which took a while as one of the set screws had stripped. After spending an hour trying to remove it any of you guys would have drilled it out and have it retapped but remember what I said about not wanting to admit when things were not going well? Well that would have been admitting defeat so this guy spent most of a day chipping the set screw out into a pile of metal files until he could remove it! They disassembled,polished and lubed the max prop and put everything back together.

 They also cleaned, scraped and repainted the hull. They made a new shelf for the starter batteries as it was starting to rot. Then David had them do an inspection on the exhaust thru hull and riser.  David suspected that there might be a bit of corrosion because he was seeing some rust on the Inside of the hull around the riser. Sure enough there was about a 1/16th crack by 2" in the pipe!

 We were very lucky that it did not give way when we were out in the ocean. So they welded up a new replacement riser and thru hull and modified it using flexible hoseto reduce the number of welds required.

Then the top sides were cleaned, waxed and polished.

 

David also noticed that the hinge pin that connects the windless and rudder to the servo-pendulum mechanism was cracked so they made us a new one. So they seem to have great machinists who are able to make these parts otherwise you would have to wait until they could be received from the US.

In the meantime I did not sit idly by but got lessons on taking apart, cleaning, greasing and rebuilding the winches. There are eight in total About three hours was spent on each winch - amazing as I never spent that much time cleaning our entire house! And I was having fun doing it. Not too hard when it is 25 degrees outside and the sun is shining.
 

Sandy and Al showed up a couple of days after us so we both had company - someone else to talk to and share stories. And at the end of the week David and Michelle also showed up. More happy hours and meals to share. On Sunday Al and Sandy and David and I rented a taxi - Juan took us to Porto Nuevo - a place that is known for lobster. We had a wonderful lobster lunch for $15 each. The drive was also beautiful all along the coast - and yes it was a 4 lane divided highway.

 Rocky boat = thank goodness all the panga's do not look like this!

So our first impressions of Mexico have been nothing but positive. The people are very friendly. The workmanship is excellent. And they are really happy when you make the attempt to speak to them in their own language. I am hoping to become more fluent as we go along. David's Spanish is quite good and his pronunciation is excellent. We tried playing crib the other night and counted in Spanish. But we spent too much time concentrating on that and not enough on pegging so we kind of messed up and had to forfeit the game. But if anyone is keeping score (like me) BA 8 D 7!!

The grocery stores are very good but I would stay away from Walmart for food - but then I would stay away from Walmart in Canada also. There are also a lot of fresh fruit and vegetable stands around  and the prices are a lot cheaper than the grocery store. You wash everything with Biopur to decontaminate anyway so I bought the tomatoes, limes and avocados from the locals.

There is an excellent fish market a half a block away with fish tacos and every kind of fish imaginable and have stocked up with ocean perch, sea bass and prawns for the next leg of our journey. Prices are a little less than the US but not a lot. We are close to the border and that does affect things. We took a bus to Home Depot and I thought that we had landed back in Canada as the complex also included an Office Depot, Bank of Nova Scotia, Burger King, Mndacdonald's and Walmart  and HsBC. But you can pretty well get anything you want.

We thought it was going to be our last evening in Ensenada so we all went out to experience a real Mexican bar / Hussongs has been around since 1892 and I do not think that it has changed. Thw miriachi bands were great and everyone sings all the traditional songs along with them. Many  cerveza were consumed as they were on two for one. I had 3 which is way more than I normally consume in one sitting. But it was a hoot.

 The BaJa 1000 was also starting the next day so there was lots of things going on. Of course Paul gets the Tshirt though I do not know when he will actually get it. This is the longest offroad race in Mexico and their were drivers from all over the world. We were able to see the start as each car lines up for a final safety inspection and then starts off. It really is a race to be watched on television though.

 

David had to do one more rebuild on the bilge pump after we got back in the water. Then I wanted to get this blog posted and phone my family. So it looks like we will be leaving on Sunday.
 

The next leg is about 700 miles so I will have to provision for about 2 weeks. There are only a few bays to anchor in and no large towns until we get to Cabo San Lucas so do not expect to hear from us till the end of November. Of course we will try!

Thought I would include this picture of one of the spectacular sunsets that we saw from our boat on the hard.

Next major stop will be La Paz!

Cruise of the Confidence 2013-10-31

1130: Thursday on Halloween. We left slip #14 at the Municipal Marina/ Harbor Police Transient Dock.

1145: Tied up at the fuel dock and filled the tanks with 85 US gallons of diesel, filled the 5 gallon jerry cans, topped up the regular gas for the outboard and pumped the holding tank. That was a quick $440.00

1200: We were in no rush to get to Ensenada as we would not be hauled out until the next morning so we had time to kill. So David decided to give me my own personal tour of San Diego Harbor. People would pay big bucks for this.

We got up close and personal with a Navy warship.

The flights coming into San Diego were landing - with the runway right downtown - it looked like they were going to land on the buildings.

Getting close to the Midway by water was pretty awesome. Gave you a different perspective as to the size of the aircraft carrier.

We also passed several tall ships: The Spirit of Indian and Surprise.

The Californian and two others which we do not remember the name of.

 

Then we proceeded to exit the harbor when we came across Connor's racing boat that won previous America's Cups in the 70's. We were racing with it and I can guess you know who won. I went to take a picture and at the same time the warship came into focus. Made for a good picture. At the same time we were also talking to Paul. So that was cool.

1440: Sails are up and we have sailed out of San Diego Harbor. Passing point Loma!

 

What can I say - no clouds, blue sky and we are cruising at 5.5-6 knots. Perfection! The point did result in a little loss of wind for a short time but once we passed the point we were exceeding 6 knots.

We can see Tijuana! Buenos mochas. The Mexican flag has been raised and the US flagged lowered. We also had to raise the Quarantine flag which will be lowered after we clear Immigration in Ensenada.

1759:  Sun is setting and I saw the green flash! It is a phenomena that is seen when the sun sets due to atmospheric conditions. But you only see it in low latitudes.

1900: Motor is off and BA is napping. Sailing with the main only with the wind on our starboard quarter. Speed is 3 knots.

1945: speed has died and motor is on again. 4.1 knots at 1000 rpm. We have chosen to run it slower as we do not want to get into Ensenada till about 0700 hours.

2150: abeam Point Descanso with light easterly winds

2300: shift change . Sails are back up and averaging about 3 knots. It is a very peaceful night and the only sound is the waves from the wake as the seas are relatively calm with next to no swell.

So here is an exercise you can do - I am particularly thinking of Roz and Dave when you are out at Kye Bay. Some starry night go go sit out on the deck with your iPod and the wind on your face and just listen to the music. Right now I am listening to the sound track from Eat,Pray, Love. Then pretend you are me sitting in the cockpit of Confidence off the coast of Mexico. You will hear music like you have never heard it before!

Heart of Gold: by Neil Diamond is on that soundtrack. I hear by dedicate it to Brad who I have known most of his life, who likes ND and who I just heard from after he heard and read my blog. Love ya kid!

0011: shooting star

0037: Motor on. Had to alter course to avoid La Todos Santo just off Ensenada. I am amazed at the number of lights on shore all along this part of the Mexican coast right from San Diego.

0120: making good time with the sails and speed around 3 knots

0211: Thought I would have to roll in the job due to a course change but the winds cooperated and I did not have to

0300: my luck has run out. Wind is on the nose and time to roll in that jib. Motor is on and time for the captain to wake up. Abeam the container terminal at El Pescardera

0728: entering the harbor at Ensenada

0750: Port dock Master is there to great us and catch our lines. Crew arrives at 0800 to get the boat ready for haul out. We are impressed with the boatyard at Baja Naval already. They are friendly, punctual and seem to pay special attention to safety.

     

Cruise of the Confidence 2013-10-21 to 10-31

San Diego: 32*42.53N 117*14.11W

The next morning we called our friends at the Customs and Immigration and they said they would be down shortly to check us in. In the. Meantime we arranged our moorage for the week at the municipal marina/harbor polic transient dock immediately beside the police dock. Moorage was $1 per foot which we were told was about the cheapest rate we would find for tying up at a dock. We were surprised to even get a slip as the Baja Ha Ha. was set to leave on Monday and there were 150 sailboats in the harbor taking part. The Baja HaHa is an organized event put on and sponsored every November by 38 North - a boaters magazine. It really is a big boat cruise for those sailors heading to Cabo San.Lucas. It gives first timers the support of going offshore with others, the marine stores put on seminars, helps them to be  properly prepared. It really is a big party! For cruisers like us  - we prefer to be out of that scene and will plan to be behind them by about a week or so.

So the custom guys showed up but unfortunately they did not have the correct form in order to clear our entrance. But they gave us 48 hours to head into the main office to complete the paperwork. They did take our passports, which we both found a little disturbing - never had to surrender my passport before. But at least we were free to get off of the boat.

After getting secured at the marina we decided to go for a walk and get our bearings. Shelter island is more like a long narrow peninsula with the main channel on one side and the marinas on the other. It is lined with hotels and parks and all kinds of marine services.

 Paul would be in heaven as David was. 

First stop: ordered parts from the Yanmar (make of our engine) dealer. They could not do the work right away but they recommended a mechanic who might be able to - Jim Wilson from JW Marine Service.

Next stop: talked to an electrician whose name we obtained from the Marine PhoneDirectory - yes Paul - yellow pages just for boat stuff that is an inch thick! He said he would come down in a couple of days and make an assessment with regards to our charging system.

Next stop was at at Sea Monsters to see about getting the name put on the boat. He would come down on Wednesday and come up with some designs.

Next door to him was a communication electronics store that had a different WiFi antennae that was way cheaper and apparently a lot easier to install with better support services. Said we would think about it and maybe come back tomorrow.

Next block and across the street was Rigworks so we went in and made arrangements to have new lifelines made up.

Then we checked out Downwind and San Diego Marine Exchange.   Purchased the wheels for the dinghy to make it easier on us and the dinghy for bringing it up onto the beach. We were also able to get more water filters and biocide for our water maker (difficult stuff to find)

We also found a place where we could get our mail sent.

And all of this within. 2 hours. Now you can see why David was happy.

Back to the boat where David worked on his revised shopping list.

Wednesday: the mechanic came down and he said that our issues were minor and he could fix them with minimal cost.David installed the missing second stage filter system and JW helped David install a fuel priming system to make priming a non-issue. David did an oil change, checked the water impeller. The best was the bill because JW only charged us for one hour of labour and also passed on lots of good information. This work was actually done on the following Monday after all the parts came in.

Thursday: Rented a car and went down to Customs to get our clearance. We found it without too much difficulty. Another $19 and we will have to go back to,clear 48 hours before departure or we will not be able to enter Mexico. Then we spent the afternoon picking up groceries and parts. We brought in the old life lines for a template and the riggers started that job. We decided to buy the Rocket wifi antennae andI, the new boat techy was able to get it up and running!! Susan would be impressed. I did have to consult with the help line in Florida but I have to say that this guy (Jason) was fantastic. He not only walked me through it, he explained the system and how it all works so I could understand.

David also went on Craig's list and found a secondary anchor - in case we ever lost ours or had to put a stern anchor or to minimize rolling when we are anchored in a blow. w
We got the propane tanks filled and found out that Mexico does not require the stem to be changed so our tanks will be good till New Zealand.

Friday: The wheels were put on the dinghy and the new life lines installed. David got a new t-shirt from them which only cost $400.

Saturday: laundry day but we had a car so David dropped me off at a regular laundromat. I knew everyone there and had a great time talking to people.  Most of the people there were part of the Baja group. I was running out of quarters so I asked the owner where the nearest bank was - he just threw about 3 dollars on the counter and asked me if that would do it. then he offered me a beverage.

Sunday we took some time off and drove up to the Cabrillo Monument at Point Loma - beautiful view of the harbor though the picture does not reflect that.

Then we drove around to where the decommissioned Midway is docked.

  

 We walked around the park where the statue of the sailor and nurse are kissing after the announcement that WWII was over.

 And of course we had ice cream.

Monday was the day JW came down and the work on the engine was completed. I drove to the Fabric Outlet  (UFO) . Great deal on sunbrella at $25 a meter plus heavy gauge needles and uv resistant thread. Now I can start on all of my projects. Also went to Best Buy and replaced my iPad - an early Christmas present from my wonderful family!!!

Tuesday was a visit from the electrician. David worked with him which was great because it not only reduced the number of paid work hours but he also taught David a lot. They put in the new voltage regulator (3 stage charging solid state), new solenoid charging unit, new Xantrax Prometer which monitors everything to do with the batteries and charging system. He also tested a lot of the wiring that was in place and determined that a lot of it had no function so he instructed David to remove it and thus simplify the system. Mark (Mark's Marine Electric) was a gem - David said he does not know any electrician who would have been able to do what this guy did for us!

I was not idle during all this time - put the bathing suit on and cleaned the decks and all of the stainless on the boat. Did some more provisioning and stowing and cooked us up a belated Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all of the trimmings.

David and Michelle made it in and we also got an invitation to watch the last game of the World Series on the Odyssey with Robert and Jackie. That was a treat.

Next day we returned the car and got ready to depart.

All in all we both have to agree that our stay in San Diego was very successful. We got a lot of work done - some of you might be asking why we did not do this in Bellingham. Well the real reason. - we ran out of time and consequently doing it in Bellingham would mean postponing our departure for another year - something we just did not want to do. And now that we know who and where the experts are - well it was worth the gamble. Probably didn't save much money but what  we got done was done well.