Hurricane Rick which was posing a serious threat to San Carlos made a right turn at the last minute and downgraded from a category 4 hurricane it made landfall as a tropical storm in the mountains north of Mazatalan - in fact its path took it right through the Copper Canyon where we were planning to spend a few days before launching Fantasia. We put our plans on hold and continued with the repairs to Fantasia's mizzen mast. After a week of sanding and painting Stuart finally sprayed the final coat of epoxy paint and stood back to admire his work which by all opinions was an extremely proficient first effort. 15 minutes later we started to see the edge of Rick on the horizon with a high band of cloud and with this a dust storm blew through Marina Seca, San Carlos. When we could open our eyes we discovered our shiny white mast had become a 38 ft yellow Vapona fly trap covered in every imaginable flying insect as well as a rough coating of yard dust.
We were finally launched on Saturday morning and after a couple of days tied to the dock charging our batteries and filling our water tanks we were glad to let go of the lines and drop the hook out here in the bay. Of course there have been a few up the mast jobs to do and Stuart has made a few trips down into the bilges but we are nearly ready to go to sea.
For the next couple of days high winds are forecast which will keep us in the bay and we are hoping that we can get ashore today to get the truculent outboard motor fixed. The wind started to blow last night and we got very little sleep as we maintained periodic watches up on deck. Each time a gust hit us it was like an express train going through a station with a few minutes gap before the next one. It will be a bumpy dingy ride to say the least and if the outboard plays up again it will be a long hard paddle!
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Definition of cruising - boat maintenance in exotic places!
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Saturday 17th October
We arrived back in San Carlos, Mexico early on Wednesday morning after 2 flights and the Tufesa bus from Phoenix to Guaymas, total travelling time just short of 36 hours. Having booked an apartment at Gringo Pete's for $40 a night while Fantasia is still in dry storage our arrival at 6.30 am was a little early to find Pete up and about, however our arrival was greeted by millions of biting things reminding us of one of the drawbacks of this country. We would soon be reminded of a few more, stinking drains, searing heat - how can anyone do anything in this heat except sit and flick off mosquitoes, and of course the scary local bus with 2 speeds - flat out and stop! There are good things too, the beauty of the harbour and the mountains all around us, the friendliness of the people who will tell you the bus will come in 10 minutes rather than disappoint you with a don't know and the general feel good factor of not having to fight off the cold. Marina Seca in San Carlos had taken good care of Fantasia and we found her much the same as we left her with no damage sustained at all after Hurricane Jimena which hit the town with devastating consequences at the beginning of September albiet some shredded tarpaulines. With 4 feet of mud flowing down the mountain and through the yard and some of the boats being inches from floating away, the clean up over the last 5 weeks was pretty impressive with all the mud cleared and a new road to the yard being built to replace the one washed away. There are rumours that San Carlos is soon to become a trout fishing resort with the once dry riverbed in full flow! As I write we are carefully watching Rick, currently a category 4 hurricane heading our way and due to hit Sonora on Thursday. Everyone is hoping it loses its punch and heads off out to sea instead, it could spoil our week if it doesn't as we must launch this week or wait two weeks for the tide.
We have had our mizzen mast lifted to have the rot at the top repaired and are gradually learning the virtue of getting up at dawn to work before the sun gets too hot with another session before darkness falls in the late afternoon. With a new section scarfed in we must get it sanded and painted before the crane can reposition it on deck. It is exhausting work and by mid morning we take a slow walk back to Gringo Pete's to recharge our batteries ready for another session later on in the day. Hopefully we can get it painted early next week ready for a launch on Friday or Saturday, neither of us can wait to move back onto Fantasia and take her back to sea on another adventure.
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