Guaymas
Friday March 11 to March 18th
Although we later heard that there had been some Tsunami damage to Puerto Vallarta, we certainly didn’t feel anything in the northern Sea of Cortez. The warning flags did fly for a few hours, however, to close the harbor to incoming and outgoing traffic at Singlar Marina in Santa Rosalia. The west coast of the US and Mexico were still on a “tsunami watch” when we left.
We broke protocol and decided to make our crossing from Santa Rosalia to Guaymas on Friday March 11. I know Nichola, you are never supposed to start a voyage on a Friday!!! However we had a wonderful sail, leaving around 5 p.m. to time our arrival in Guaymas in daylight. The seas had laid down after the northerly from earlier in the week and it was a pleasant way to end our time at sea. Lyle was a good skipper and did most of the night watch, however I did put in my time at the helm, and used the radar. No dories this time, but I saw the harbour entrance light of Guaymas off in the distance on my night shift and thought it was much closer than it was. We could see it for almost 20 miles, so we were still a good 4 hours away from port. I kept thinking it was much closer and scanned the radar for any sign of a boat. I learned that using instruments at night can be deceiving and I have to put in a lot more time to feel comfortable with them.
We talked about the end of our long adventure as our thoughts turned toward the work ahead to get the boat ready for haul out and storage. I feel as though I have come a very long way….not just miles. Lyle joked with me and took some pictures of my Aleydabeth hat with “crew” printed on it and quoted “Jeremiah Johnson” – “you have come far Pilgrim.” (There always seems to be an appropriate movie line when a new situation comes up!) When you learn to fly you earn your wings, and when you are in the army, you earn your stripes. But there doesn’t seem to be a matching term for earning your status as a sailor, so I guess feeling OK about wearing the hat is as good as it gets for me!!!
Guaymas is a working Mexican city on the mainland side of Mexico and is home to a large shrimping fleet. The harbour is shallow and is busy, and the water was oily and murky from industrial use and spillage. We had to locate and follow range markers to find the buoys but made our way in without incident to the fuel dock and then to the Singlar Marina where we tied up for a few days of preparation before going over to the dry yard.
My last tie of Aleydabeth went very poorly. I was holding on to the boat pole, not the life lines while trying to disembark with the breast line and it let go in my hand. After that I didn’t remember how to tie off a cleat let alone tie up the boat. I wish I had been a “stellar crew member” to end our voyage, but that was not to be.
The next days were spent, cleaning barbecues, removing, cleaning and stowing sails and lines, and getting the salt off of Aleydabeth and the dingy and stowing things away. I spent time in the galley trying to store the non- perishable food, and bleach and clean cupboards, store medications and close down the head for dry storage.
We were joined on the docks by Ian and Diane from Salish Sea and Jack and Meghan from Moonraker. Forbes and Cameron sailed in on Sunday and went to the dry storage at Singlar. Jay and Anita went to San Carlos, a small gringo town a few miles away, where they put Karina C to bed. Lee arrived a few days later on Patience from Santa Rosalia and joined us at Marina Seca.
There was a fair in Guaymas so we spent an evening touring and Lyle and Ian went on the “drop” ride. It was good to watch them turn into little boys, swinging their feet and enjoying the fun. We had a wonderful dinner out in a new restaurant with the crew of “Moonraker” and “Salish Sea” and enjoyed the company. I had a girl’s day shopping with Meghan and Diane and we found shade cover for the boat and bought a few last minute souvenirs for everyone back home
On Wednesday March 16th we made our way across the bay to Marina Seca and “dirt camp”. The dry storage was dubbed “dirt camp” by the wives and is very fitting….the accommodations are basic, the yard is unpaved and there is an unsettling aroma from a fish processing plant that has been working with squid this week. I had a yoghurt container (honey pot) to pee in so I didn’t have to climb down a 10 foot ladder to the ground at night and find the ladies restroom.
We were the first boat on the travel lift that day and Len Engst met us on the dock to take the lines and guide us through the shallow channel, past the rocks. Aleydabeth is high and dry at Guaymas Marina Seca until we are ready to take her back into the water.
Again, it was maintenance and repair time aboard. I sanded and painted for a day, and we potlucked with our friends by their motor home. Lyle and I took a day off together and bussed into Guaymas, got on the wrong bus home and ended up in San Carlos! That was a function of my poor Spanish and the driver’s assumption that we were gringos and probably should be in San Carlos, not Guaymas.
Friday March 11 to March 18th
Although we later heard that there had been some Tsunami damage to Puerto Vallarta, we certainly didn’t feel anything in the northern Sea of Cortez. The warning flags did fly for a few hours, however, to close the harbor to incoming and outgoing traffic at Singlar Marina in Santa Rosalia. The west coast of the US and Mexico were still on a “tsunami watch” when we left.
We broke protocol and decided to make our crossing from Santa Rosalia to Guaymas on Friday March 11. I know Nichola, you are never supposed to start a voyage on a Friday!!! However we had a wonderful sail, leaving around 5 p.m. to time our arrival in Guaymas in daylight. The seas had laid down after the northerly from earlier in the week and it was a pleasant way to end our time at sea. Lyle was a good skipper and did most of the night watch, however I did put in my time at the helm, and used the radar. No dories this time, but I saw the harbour entrance light of Guaymas off in the distance on my night shift and thought it was much closer than it was. We could see it for almost 20 miles, so we were still a good 4 hours away from port. I kept thinking it was much closer and scanned the radar for any sign of a boat. I learned that using instruments at night can be deceiving and I have to put in a lot more time to feel comfortable with them.
We talked about the end of our long adventure as our thoughts turned toward the work ahead to get the boat ready for haul out and storage. I feel as though I have come a very long way….not just miles. Lyle joked with me and took some pictures of my Aleydabeth hat with “crew” printed on it and quoted “Jeremiah Johnson” – “you have come far Pilgrim.” (There always seems to be an appropriate movie line when a new situation comes up!) When you learn to fly you earn your wings, and when you are in the army, you earn your stripes. But there doesn’t seem to be a matching term for earning your status as a sailor, so I guess feeling OK about wearing the hat is as good as it gets for me!!!
Guaymas is a working Mexican city on the mainland side of Mexico and is home to a large shrimping fleet. The harbour is shallow and is busy, and the water was oily and murky from industrial use and spillage. We had to locate and follow range markers to find the buoys but made our way in without incident to the fuel dock and then to the Singlar Marina where we tied up for a few days of preparation before going over to the dry yard.
My last tie of Aleydabeth went very poorly. I was holding on to the boat pole, not the life lines while trying to disembark with the breast line and it let go in my hand. After that I didn’t remember how to tie off a cleat let alone tie up the boat. I wish I had been a “stellar crew member” to end our voyage, but that was not to be.
The next days were spent, cleaning barbecues, removing, cleaning and stowing sails and lines, and getting the salt off of Aleydabeth and the dingy and stowing things away. I spent time in the galley trying to store the non- perishable food, and bleach and clean cupboards, store medications and close down the head for dry storage.
We were joined on the docks by Ian and Diane from Salish Sea and Jack and Meghan from Moonraker. Forbes and Cameron sailed in on Sunday and went to the dry storage at Singlar. Jay and Anita went to San Carlos, a small gringo town a few miles away, where they put Karina C to bed. Lee arrived a few days later on Patience from Santa Rosalia and joined us at Marina Seca.
There was a fair in Guaymas so we spent an evening touring and Lyle and Ian went on the “drop” ride. It was good to watch them turn into little boys, swinging their feet and enjoying the fun. We had a wonderful dinner out in a new restaurant with the crew of “Moonraker” and “Salish Sea” and enjoyed the company. I had a girl’s day shopping with Meghan and Diane and we found shade cover for the boat and bought a few last minute souvenirs for everyone back home
On Wednesday March 16th we made our way across the bay to Marina Seca and “dirt camp”. The dry storage was dubbed “dirt camp” by the wives and is very fitting….the accommodations are basic, the yard is unpaved and there is an unsettling aroma from a fish processing plant that has been working with squid this week. I had a yoghurt container (honey pot) to pee in so I didn’t have to climb down a 10 foot ladder to the ground at night and find the ladies restroom.
We were the first boat on the travel lift that day and Len Engst met us on the dock to take the lines and guide us through the shallow channel, past the rocks. Aleydabeth is high and dry at Guaymas Marina Seca until we are ready to take her back into the water.
Again, it was maintenance and repair time aboard. I sanded and painted for a day, and we potlucked with our friends by their motor home. Lyle and I took a day off together and bussed into Guaymas, got on the wrong bus home and ended up in San Carlos! That was a function of my poor Spanish and the driver’s assumption that we were gringos and probably should be in San Carlos, not Guaymas.