Another month in Guaymas
I’ve really not wanted to write this blog post. I have no enthusiasm to write about the times we sit in one place for a long period of time just “getting shit done” before our next big journey, and that’s what this past 6 weeks has been. So, I’m going to phone this one in a bit and just touch on a few subjects for my own future recollections.
We, of course, returned to Guaymas just in time for Carnival celebrations. Sounds fun and all, and we did partake one night, but we were anchored right off the Malacon where all these celebrations took place. And, they didn’t stop after a weekend, or even a week. For two weeks we lived next door to carnival rides, people screaming, and live bands that would run well pat midnight each night. It wasn’t all that bad. I do enjoy hearing people having a good time. But, it was some noise, for sure.
Once we decided our likely 40-year old furler needed to be replaced before we crossed an ocean, we set about researching and ordering all the parts. They don’t make this easy by any means, and after a week or more of browsing every web page on the subject I placed the oh-so-crazy-expensive order for an all new furler, foils, forestay, and swages with a good 70% confidence I got it all right. Parts had to be ordered from multiple vendors, requiring a spreadsheet to track all the boxes that would be showing up to multiple locations in Phoenix. Eventually they all arrived, and I set out on a 4 day, 3 night, drive up to Phoenix to pickup said parts as well as numerous other USA based chores (booze stores). The rental car was packed to the gills, even after unboxing everything in hopes of avoiding the added import costs when crossing the border, which went swimmingly. On the 4th day, and only an hour away from the completion of my long drive was when I realized the one single part that I had forgotten in this whole mess. A $20 part is all it took to bring our big project to a halt before it even began. Another week went by before we were able to get that part too, but get it we did. A few days more of hard work on the dock bring us to where we are now; with a brand new furler and forestay. I’m happy to have it completed. It was a stressful few weeks of lead up as I know nothing about doing a project like this. It all went smooth in the end… whew.
A few days before we went to the dock to accomplish the furler project we finally, properly, drug anchor for our first time as sailors. It happened in the middle of the night, as is customary, on a somewhat windy (though really not that bad) night. The anchor alarm went off – which it does regularly – but this time we were definitely on the move. By the time we both got up on deck and cranked on the engine, we had drug about a hundred yards, luckily not into anyone or anything. We set about re-anchoring, let out more scope, and snugged it tight before *trying* to go back to sleep. It has scared us. Even now, weeks later, we sleep with a tinge of concern about our anchor holding, even though it has never failed us in the past even in much stronger winds/seas.
With all the time in our pocket waiting for the furler parts, Kerri got down to business tackling the Starlink 12-volt conversion project. Now, I know little to nothing about this whole thing, but in the end it came with a lot of little do-dad-gadgets, cutting, splicing, and running more antennae wire under the cockpit and out to the solar arch, building a new stainless steel mount on the arch, and wiring the new system to the breaker board. In the end it all worked and has been saving us power ever since.
We came to Guaymas specifically do get some canvas work done. We knew it would take a couple weeks, but that was extended a little because Jorge – the canvas guy here – got COVID just as the whole thing began. Nevertheless and eventually, every piece of blue fabric on the boat is now gone. But the main part of the job was the canvas for a newly raised dodger. This, since the canvas needed replacing anyway, to make it a little easier on my aging back when climbing in or out of our boat. In the end the dodger was raised roughly 9 inches, which made the windows that much larger too, giving us a lot more visibility while sailing and at anchor.
And in the final days before leaving Guaymas Kerri cleaned, sanded, painted, and stained the cap rails and scribing work on Meriwether. This has been in need since the winter in Alaska, but she just hadn’t had time (and shore power) to get it done until now.
We did get to move on from Guaymas last week, but not before our water maker demanded some parts. This forced us into delaying our voyage south another 10 days as that part made its way from Australia. Since it would be arriving to San Carlos, we took the time to get away to a secluded anchorage for some of that time before arriving in San Carlos the day our package did. The new part installed, as well as a few other fixes, and it looks like we are good to go. Now we just wait for a weather window to make a 5-day passage south to La Cruz where we do a final resupply to start our Pacific crossing… hopefully right around the first of April. If we are lucky, we will get to see the eclipse out in the ocean.
