Yes! After a great summer back home in Albuquerque with Debbie, once again I find myself up against all that it entails to go to sea.
First let me say that over the summer I put in over 9,000 miles on several motorcycles having recently up grading to a 1300 Yamaha FJR.
This bike not only has over 3 times the horsepower of my last bike at 145hp, but can obtain speeds in excess of 150mph.
Now, let me be the first one to say I have not gone that fast,”Yet” but it is always nice to have lots of power. The idea is that next year Debbie will be on the back out to Sturgis and we plan to tow a trailer for camping.
The flight back into Mazatlan was interesting as I was wearing my mask and social distancing and had my special form that stated I had no Covid-19. Well! They had no interest in the form and they never took my temperature at any of the three airports and the social distancing went out the window when jam packed onto an airplane with no vacant seats. Hmmmmm! Oh well, not to worry as they checked my temperature at Walmart in Mazatlan and I was just fine and actually got a “thumbs up”.
It was Saturday the 24th of October when I arrived at the Marina and happen to meet up with the gentleman that was looking after my boat. I asked how the old Sailors Run was doing and he assured me very well. I dragged my luggage on down to the boat and was soon below decks. Actually things looked pretty good as there appeared to be little mold and things looked pretty much as I had left them.
Everything had been pulled out of the back quarter berth to give access to the 8-wet-cell -golf cart batteries that require water every two months. Now, with all the things that I had brought back for this season like spare parts, a new dive compressor and depth sounder I was excited to get the boat back in operating order. I checked the batteries to be sure they were full and would be fine for the next two months “Oh Shit”, only the first two batteries had water in them and six of them were bone dry. It took 1.5 gallons of water to fill each of the other six batteries. The agonizing thing is this is the first time I have ever allowed anyone to have access to my boat in my absence and it was specifically to water the batteries. Six of those batteries down here would cost about 750-dollars.
My only hope is that they will recover with lots of charging. The second thing that has me worried is my cell phone a cheap smart phone seems to no longer be on the boat. Other than that all seems well.
It’s the first of November and I’m pretty excited as it is departure day from Mazatlan and I’m headed south toward La Cruz. I eat in the early hours and it is still dark outside at last there is sufficient light to get underway. I try to fire the diesel and it’s a no go as the batteries are to low. I discover my electrical cord that would dump 50-amps into my batteries has some bad prongs on the plug. I haven’t used the thing in 10 years and forgot the condition it was in.
I go over to the Yacht Pacific Jade and borrow their cord for 10- minutes to get that diesel fired up and that goes great. “Thanks Pacific Jade”. I at last cast of the lines and back clear of the slip doing a bit of maneuvering to get headed out between the docks and all seems great until the autopilot decides to engage and locks up my steering, Holly Crap! I have to get this thing disengaged while the control jumps out of its stops and there is no way to free it up. I have an electric lineal drive alpha autopilot so I go what the “Hell” just turn it on and steer with the knob. I turn the knob and the wheel spins about 90-degrees and does not come back, then I spin the knob the other way and the wheel spins 180-degrees and doesn’t come back. It is apparent that this autopilot has gone on “walk about”. At last I shut it off and forcibly override the auto pilot all the time thinking the steering cables are sure to snap at any given moment.
The exit out across the bar in Mazatlan can be tricky and the channel has a dog leg just before you go out, but I decide to risk it and soon power clear of the break water. Once out on the ocean I’m able to dig everything out of the locker that I must climb down into freeing and re attaching the engagement cable.
Finally now after 36 hours of motor-sailing to Mantachin Bay, I find myself pretty much exhausted upon arrival in the bay and look very much forward to a long night’s sleep.
Next morning we are off and soon a very stiff breeze starts to fill in from the east. I’m on a close reach and must reef the mizzen the main and roll the genoa about 50% of the way in as the wind is gusting thirty or more knots. This is pretty cool as we are doing about 7kts and on course. I was more than a little shocked when I heard a loud bang and got hit in the “ass” with the chain plate that held the upper and rear lower shroud on the Mizzen mast on the weather side. Fortunate for me the mizzen was reefed and the load was on the forward lower shroud. I dropped the mizzen sail down and used the halyard to replace the upper shroud to help stabilize the mast,”What Next”.
I’m currently in La Cruz living the cruising lifestyle and I should have 4-new chain plates for the mizzen by this Saturday. Luckily they can make them here, yet its sad that this 450-dollars well spent will put a huge dent in the “Rum Supply”.
Well! just know I’m still out here having adventures and blowing money out the sides.
Love you all El Jefe’