17 March 2020 | Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
27 December 2013 | San Berdoo
17 June 2012 | San Diego, CA -- boatyard
11 April 2012 | Tenacatita-Barra-Manzanillo
14 January 2012 | Tenacatita, Jalisco, MX
26 May 2011 | La Paz, BCS, Mexico
08 April 2011 | Barra 2 La Paz
02 April 2011 | Barra de Navidad
26 February 2011 | Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit MX
17 February 2011 | Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit MX
28 January 2011 | La Paz harbor (El Magote)
10 December 2010 | la paz, baja California sur
07 November 2010 | Cabo San Lucas
23 September 2010 | Monterey, CA
We're baaack!
17 March 2020 | Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
Damon Cruz | surprisingly cool and often rainy
It was a difficult trip from La Paz to San Carlos -- first try wrecked my leg, second trip was solo while Erin was caring for her mom, and the tired old Volvo gave up just as I left Baja -- but Nomad finally arrived. After removing the engine I discovered wet wood in the bilges from an unknown source, probably the shaft log. Oh s#!t, off to the yard (actually the shrimp boat yard next door) w/ the only 150 ton Travelift for miles. That's why we came.
This resulted in 2 years --Jan 2018 to Feb 2020 -- in Marina Guaymas, a dusty, grubby low-rent boatyard beloved of cheap and DIY boaters. While Guaymas is not a sailboat-oriented town, it is close to the AZ border and one can somehow get almost everything needed to revive/repair a boat.
Ever try to slap big sheets of wet fiberglass upward onto the bottom of a boat? Can't be done well, and I learned to lay it by sticking it high on the side first and work down to the keel.
Once we thought we were one -- keel re-glassed, new (used/rebuilt) engine in, etc. -- we tried to launch May 2019 but shaft log was not sealed and alternator not charging batteries to run pumps. Oops.
Feb 2020 found us finally, nervously, ready and we launched. Aside from forgetting to turn the fuel valve back on and being towed to the marina as a result, we are now a boat. Wheee!
Now we're just waiting to hear about a slip in La Paz, or we'll be stuck here for the summer. Erin is re-doing the flooring she did before (new post), I've got plenty of projects as well.
Out with the Old, In with the New
27 December 2013 | San Berdoo
Damon
We are resting in San Bernardino over the Christmas holidays, taking a break from the never-ending story of rebuilding the tri.
Since I last posted (sorry!) we have:
*broke the tri -- after yard owner went nuts, cut power and water trying to force everyone out of the yard, we went to launch and their trailer broke, dropped the tri, took 6 weeks and a lawyer to get it fixed
* launched the tri, spent weeks moving our life from Rose of Erin to tri
* finally renamed the tri "Nomad". Erin saw the name graffiti'ed on rail car and liked it, didn't realize it was also my name backwards.
* sold Rose of Erin to a 30-ish Kiwi who intends to rename and refit her, then cruise her home to NZ.
* prepped Nomad to have a good Mexican craftsman paint it (no, not what you think - just plain white)
* discovered we had nowhere to have it hauled to be painted
* discovered they won't allow 'outsider' workers in any of the yards here
* decided to take a break, then prep the boat to sail to San Carlos for paint and other work.
Anyhow, Rose of Erin is no more. I will be closing this blog soon and starting a fresh one under Nomad, a name I discovered is not so unique when two of us answered a radio call in La Paz.
Deep in the Dust (sawdust, that is)
19 October 2012 | La Paz
hot, wet, muggy
This will have to be a sketchy summary, thought I had place holders in during the summer.
Bought the trimaran project in San Diego, wound up spending 6 weeks in the yard, then made it as far as Ensenada before engine died. Quick trip to LA to buy used one, local mechanic installed quick-and-dirty and we blew down the coast to La Paz.
The trip down was a "mouse sneaking from hole to hole past the cat" thing -- August is mid-hurricane season, so we stopped in Turtle Bay and Mag Bay to rest and check weather before proceeding. Luckily, no hurricanes.
We were also lucky in no wind from south; downwind is what tri's love, and the dagger boards were stuck in "UP". We made 6-9 kts in 10-15 breezes, and when it hit 10 kts in 15-20 I started trying to slow it down, and reduce stress on the rig. Good thing, too -- when we got here I found the mast step had compressed/sagged. Losing a rig can be a baaad day!
Once we got here we put the boat in the yard, returned Erin's sister to San Bernardino and drove the van down. This being the wettest year in the last 25, we had to cross a washed out gully or two. At one point we had to wait while they pushed dirt in to make it more shallow.
We are now back and working 6 days/week sanding, pulling wires and hoses, and cutting holes in the boat. The biggest one was a new hatch over the galley. Erin bought a refrigerator that couldn't fit through the door, so it came through the deck, but the galley needed ventilation anyhow. Try cooking in 100-degree heat with no vent! The heat also means we only work 4 hrs/day, then go to the pool in the marina. Later it will get below 90 and we can do more.
We expect to be working on the new boat for 6 months -- there goes this winter's cruising -- but it should be worth it.
New boat, Same Old Sh*t
17 June 2012 | San Diego, CA -- boatyard
Damon -- cloudy, cool
In April, while Erin was in Mazatlan slaving away to repair a broken chainplate mount, I went to San Diego and bought a Horstman Tri-Star 45 trimaran. Because it was a 'distress sale' without time for a survey, we got stuck in San Diego for weeks getting it fit to take to La Paz so we could spend MORE time and money bringing it up to snuff. During that time we:
- had the bottom barrier-coated and painted
- replaced tired rigging
- repaired (but not well enough) the mast step while the mast was off
- replaced the corroded prop shaft and prop
- replaced the dead engine with a faulty used one our mechanic sold us
- bought thousands in new electronics
We left San Diego July 2, made it as far as Ensenada before we discovered the engine had blown out the dipstick -- and most of the oil -- in the engine room. it later failed to start and backfilled with water, so I found a used Volvo of the same series in LA and a local mechanic swapped it out. Mexican ingenuity getting it out/in at dockside, lots of work to do it in 3 days and for only $500! I gave him the old one, he had it working and sold before we left.
The trip down convinced Erin -- 6 to 9 kts all the way, reefing to keep under 10 and sleeping level without bruises acquired from being tossed around.
NOTE: I kept this because it was so succinctly true.
This is a placeholder. A summary of all the fun we've had since we had the bright idea to buy a tired old trimaran will be posted later, but the short version is: a survey might have deterred us but this will be a nice boat someday, boat really DOES mean "Bring Out Another Thousand", and we miss La Paz.
Southern Loop Summary
11 April 2012 | Tenacatita-Barra-Manzanillo
cloudy, with some rain!
This is a place-holder entry for the entries from January and February that were lost and never posted. They will be reconstructed from memory, or found, later.
Back in the Saddle
14 January 2012 | Tenacatita, Jalisco, MX
Damon - warm but actually cloudy!
Well, we're a boat again -- and sailing to prove it. Of course, we're also a floating project, no matter where you are. Like the man said, "Cruising is just working on your boat in faraway, exotic places."
Erin did not come down on the road trip from San Bernardino to La Paz -- she had to sty and help Michelle's recovery from surgery -- so Damon got to:
* clean up the effects of putting the boat in storage after bug spray
* return from storage to the boat
* reinstall batteries, three of which were ruined, and solar panels
* build shelves, restraints and plumbing for new fuel tanks
* rerun all halyards, mount sails
* restock all closets, pantries and cupboards
Erin's arrival at Cabo made for a fun trip counting goats, cows and donkeys on the road; we then proceeded to get serious and prep the boat for our first sail in months.
Dec 18th saw us out of La Paz on our way to Mazatlan. It should have been an easy downwind glide, but weather forecasters lie. The mild 10-15 mph "norther" was actually over 30 at one point, and the waves as high as 10'. Not dangerous, but not fun -- one can pick up a lot of bruises in those conditions.
Worse, the control lines for the Monitor self-steering had been hastily reinstalled, and the adjusting line bracket had a screw sticking out that ate two steering lines in short order. This led to most of the trip being hand-steered, 36 hours of physical strain that left us sleeping for many hours on arrival.
We have never stayed in Mazatlan long enough to explore the town. This time we were too busy working on the boat; the cruiser social scene is apparently centered in Mazatlan's marinas and a few Gold Zone restaurants, but I'm sure there is more.
In contrast the trip to La Cruz (de Huanacaxtle) was a breeze...or rather wasn't. In an effort to 'practice' light-air sailing we refused to motor just because the breeze was light, and spent 3 days (vs. 2 normally) trying to get above 2 knots of speed. We learned "they" were right about dropping the main and running just mizzen and jib (or drifter) and that preventers and tight sheets help a lot. As does 'giving up' some course angle in exchange for less swell-induced flapping.
La Cruz is one of our favorites, and a growing number of ex-pats are making it home. It's a small village uphill from a shiny new marina, with cobblestone streets. There are at least 3 pubs with amateur musicians' night, several realty agents and a tiny chandlery. It also has the advantage of being just miles, but practically years, from Puerto Vallarta.
Next entry we'll cover Tenacatita, our current location; I'm actually sending this from a small gringo sports/Wi-Fi bar in La Manzanilla across the bay. Everyone chipped in to rent a "panga" as a water taxi to go watch the 49'ers vs. Saints game.