Monday, January 22, 2018
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
GONE Sailing
Gone sailing
Or so everyone thinks.....
Were gone from home for sure , no snow, warm sunshine, crevasses, what more can a man ask for.
A 47 ft sailing vessel capable of circumnavigating the world. Lets go sailing.
Wrong, we arrived and Patrick our mechanic had the generator out, from under the bunk and a pile of parts on cardboard on the floor to greet us.The one that was going to be done before christmas.
We can live with that. Just need to put it together and slip it in. 9 days later we have not left, and the gererator has yet to make power. Oh did I miss the juicy parts, well, the machine shop took a week to make us a part, customs in Mexico city have our real brushes, on the good news side we fixed the leeking deisel return line today. Oh sorry Im getting ahead of myself. When we fired up the generator the raw water pump leaked again, but its ok it is In a different spot, the other spot is holding. Its just a seal ,like the one I went to buy for the main engine $44 US, so we will get the Mexican non marine grade one for now. Did I tell you that once the generator is in place you cannot see the pump. By hanging yourself upside down over the engine (make sure its not hot) you can feel it. 4 bolts no, 3 bolts one nut 3 different sizes 2 of which are metric. Oh enough about the generator. Let talk main engine. Went to warm up the engine 90hp turbo diesel, the second time, after 5 min on low revs, big bang followed by knocking, blew an injector.
Now all I know about injectors is when We had them done labout 350 hrs ago, it cost us a lot of money. I was told have them done every 1000 hrs.
Pulled all 4 out with shane, tricky stuff, they are getting redone at a spescialty shop as we speak, very good,but expencive. And then we can do more of my favourite hobby, “turning wrenches”. Well I m probabbly boring you with this engine stuff. Let me tell you that the forward head got rebuilt with spare parts no less them 3 times in three days ,and, on a possative note, is holding its own, so to speak. And for all you sunwarshippers out there, I have been in the hot tub 3 times once with a beer in hand, that’s allowed here. Oh and not to forget we have had dinner out in several reastarunts, just so we can
Have some non boat time.
We hope the mechanic shows tonight and the electrician tomorrow, oh I guess I didn’t tell you about the inverter. Maybe I ll save that for another story.
Gypsywind , laid up in Mazatlan
Or so everyone thinks.....
Were gone from home for sure , no snow, warm sunshine, crevasses, what more can a man ask for.
A 47 ft sailing vessel capable of circumnavigating the world. Lets go sailing.
Wrong, we arrived and Patrick our mechanic had the generator out, from under the bunk and a pile of parts on cardboard on the floor to greet us.The one that was going to be done before christmas.
We can live with that. Just need to put it together and slip it in. 9 days later we have not left, and the gererator has yet to make power. Oh did I miss the juicy parts, well, the machine shop took a week to make us a part, customs in Mexico city have our real brushes, on the good news side we fixed the leeking deisel return line today. Oh sorry Im getting ahead of myself. When we fired up the generator the raw water pump leaked again, but its ok it is In a different spot, the other spot is holding. Its just a seal ,like the one I went to buy for the main engine $44 US, so we will get the Mexican non marine grade one for now. Did I tell you that once the generator is in place you cannot see the pump. By hanging yourself upside down over the engine (make sure its not hot) you can feel it. 4 bolts no, 3 bolts one nut 3 different sizes 2 of which are metric. Oh enough about the generator. Let talk main engine. Went to warm up the engine 90hp turbo diesel, the second time, after 5 min on low revs, big bang followed by knocking, blew an injector.
Now all I know about injectors is when We had them done labout 350 hrs ago, it cost us a lot of money. I was told have them done every 1000 hrs.
Pulled all 4 out with shane, tricky stuff, they are getting redone at a spescialty shop as we speak, very good,but expencive. And then we can do more of my favourite hobby, “turning wrenches”. Well I m probabbly boring you with this engine stuff. Let me tell you that the forward head got rebuilt with spare parts no less them 3 times in three days ,and, on a possative note, is holding its own, so to speak. And for all you sunwarshippers out there, I have been in the hot tub 3 times once with a beer in hand, that’s allowed here. Oh and not to forget we have had dinner out in several reastarunts, just so we can
Have some non boat time.
We hope the mechanic shows tonight and the electrician tomorrow, oh I guess I didn’t tell you about the inverter. Maybe I ll save that for another story.
Gypsywind , laid up in Mazatlan
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Back for more
When sailing gets into your blood it is part of you .you in some way are bound by the law of the sea to return and do it over and over. Sailing that is.
Well we are back for more adventure.Gypsy wind is in Mazatlan waiting for the gen set to be fixed then down to Puerto Vallarta to hook up with old friends Mishack who sailed from HAWAII this fall on a new boat. Probably with a new name that we Don t know. The adventure begins
Gypsywind at marina EL CI'd
MAZATLAN
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
There are these Islands
It doesn't get nicer then this .
as we landed on San Jose Island we felt we arrived . we anchored 100 ft off shore and toured the old salt factory. picked up some free sea salt. still working even if no one maintains the ponds.
A couple of rusting pickups and a pieced out D4 cat. Other then the escort off the island from the bees it was a great way to stretch the legs. next the dingy ride through the mangroves Noah on the tiller of the dingy we navigated through the shoals, with everyone having an opinion on which way to turn .
It was spectacular ride Shane could not help himself and took some side routes, many fish.
We spent some time beach combing in the lagoon
We left refreshed, and later after a 2hr channel crossing we were treated with Kim's favourite anchorage the "Hook" on Isla San Francico. other than the 10 or 12 bother boats it is nice and safe anchorage. In the morning 6 of the boats leave, we beach comb and hike to the other side of the Island. We Fish (with no luck) though Kim landed a small Bonitto up by Los Gottos, I think. we pull into Isla Isolates and take a swim with the Sea lines. With great reservation and only after seeing Noah get in, Shane gets in and swims around. The pups pull our dingy ,play tag and have fun with Shane and Noah.
what a beautiful day. We anchor in My favourite anchorage, Ensanata Grande where our Freindship with Mishak, Whatcha gonna do, and Tina mara was solidified 4 years earlier.
We anchored under the cross in the small bay, close to the cliff and small beach. I was uncomfortable with how close we were to the cliff. Nikita looks up at the cross and says no worrys Pop, we are being looked after.
I just love these Islands
Gypsywind at anchor
as we landed on San Jose Island we felt we arrived . we anchored 100 ft off shore and toured the old salt factory. picked up some free sea salt. still working even if no one maintains the ponds.
A couple of rusting pickups and a pieced out D4 cat. Other then the escort off the island from the bees it was a great way to stretch the legs. next the dingy ride through the mangroves Noah on the tiller of the dingy we navigated through the shoals, with everyone having an opinion on which way to turn .
It was spectacular ride Shane could not help himself and took some side routes, many fish.
We spent some time beach combing in the lagoon
We left refreshed, and later after a 2hr channel crossing we were treated with Kim's favourite anchorage the "Hook" on Isla San Francico. other than the 10 or 12 bother boats it is nice and safe anchorage. In the morning 6 of the boats leave, we beach comb and hike to the other side of the Island. We Fish (with no luck) though Kim landed a small Bonitto up by Los Gottos, I think. we pull into Isla Isolates and take a swim with the Sea lines. With great reservation and only after seeing Noah get in, Shane gets in and swims around. The pups pull our dingy ,play tag and have fun with Shane and Noah.
what a beautiful day. We anchor in My favourite anchorage, Ensanata Grande where our Freindship with Mishak, Whatcha gonna do, and Tina mara was solidified 4 years earlier.
We anchored under the cross in the small bay, close to the cliff and small beach. I was uncomfortable with how close we were to the cliff. Nikita looks up at the cross and says no worrys Pop, we are being looked after.
I just love these Islands
Gypsywind at anchor
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Wind... Wind and more Wind
Well I guess it was not ment to be. the car rental and trip to Loretto
it was a rough night, with winds gusting . we all slept with one eye open.
We had a mooring ball, which is normally safe but two days before the net had a warning
about them not to be trussed. This was obvious because half the ball were missing from our stop over 2 years ago.
We took one that we may have been on before, it was oversized for large boats, bigger ball, bigger chain and larger concrete block we assume???.
as we finished breakfast,the wind picked up blowing 30 Kts, maybe we should stay with the boat
10 oclock it,s gusting to 38kts. Looking back on shore, one of the other boats on a small ball was on the rocks
people running around trying to get some lines on it, it missed the empty side of the dock by about a 60 ft.
Crap the boat next to us is dragging, into the catamaran just behind it. Oh Oh I think our friends Sunshine is having trouble they are pulling up anchor. 11Am boats have there engines running, we turn our on, just to be sure it starts if we need it, we let it run
Blowing a solid 28 Kts with gusts into the 40s. What is going on here, 20 to 28Kts was predicted, that is why we all came in, but we got 2ft seas in an anchorage, everyone is having trouble, we ourselves are wandering back and forth, straining the mooring, is one of our two lines chaffing? Crap this is not fun. Shane is steering the boat trying to keep it into the wind.Nikita runs a line over our
sail cover so it doesn’t flap so much.
Ok enough is enough, its blowing 36Kts gusts over 50, we seen a 54 on the kt meter, are we goint to hold?
A boat is having trouble with its dingy, oh my God ,it flips over with the moter under water, they are towing it upside down.
Some one anounces the other dingy dock on the other side has parted and the ladder on the wall is now missing. another boat in the waiting room anchorage has broken free and is being rescued from the mangroves.
Its a full on gail we have seen 57 kts twice. our friends Wiz lay out a second anchor, they are just in front of us and were walking back and forth like us. We see a dingy floating towards us upside down, Nikita walks to the bow wanting to snag it . Darral jumps into his dingy and motors out 100 ft and snags it, towing back to his boat Wiz. Man that is gutsy. he flips it over on his thrid try and secures it to the back of Wiz.
The seas are rolling 3ft, everyone is bobbing, and every rope, mast and line are making noise.Everyone is tired from the stress.
4pm it starts to ease back 27kts of wind feels like its calm, all are releaved. we ease back into our normal selves. kims starts on supper, by evening its 16kts, the seas have flatened. The VHF is abuz with other boats reporting missing life jackets, paddles,
etc. 3 dingys have been resqued in the eclipse, one pretty mangled, on the dock.
Gypsywind has faired well, nothing lost,nothing damaged.
We have a good boat that handles herself in big seas, we feel lucky.
Next day it is calm 4kts of wind. we treat ourselves to town and that rental car, yes you guessed it 3 grocery shops and another $400 of provisions. we prepare for our next leg of our journey down to lapaz.
Gypsywind and crew is safe and sound, heading south.
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