Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
ANOTHER PROBLEM. LIFTOFF SCRUBBED - AGAIN
It blew like stink all day Thursday. It started to calm down by sunset. We
don't mind being at anchor. Hearing the wind roaring and Vagari swinging
back and forth is a little nerve wracking but we enjoyed the down time after
the rush of getting ready for sea. So we waited until after the Friday
morning radio nets to go into the marina. The weather predictions looked
good for a Sunday crossing.
don't mind being at anchor. Hearing the wind roaring and Vagari swinging
back and forth is a little nerve wracking but we enjoyed the down time after
the rush of getting ready for sea. So we waited until after the Friday
morning radio nets to go into the marina. The weather predictions looked
good for a Sunday crossing.
We planned a Saturday afternoon departure and a Sunday crossing if the
weather continued to looked OK. I had trouble getting the weather Saturday
because of poor propagation but I finally got enough info and it looked like
a go.
On the 1¼ mile trip into the marina the autopilot stuck in the "engaged"
mode i.e. it wouldn't release control of the steering. I muscled it free
but we heard a "clunk" when it released control.
The heart of that system is under our bunk. To get access, all the bedding,
including the mattress must be removed from the aft stateroom. I hate to do
that after Rhea has made the bed, so first thing Saturday after the nets we
took a look at the system. I found one of the two bolts that hold the
autopilot steering arm to the rudderpost had broken. Worse, even with all my
bolt removal tricks, oil, drilling it out, and "easy outs" I couldn't get
the broken part out.
I asked one of the dock workers where I could find a machine shop. He
showed me on our Guaymas map. It was in the neighborhoods. Neighborhood
trips are always an adventure (think of roads almost too rough for our truck
and only occasional street signs painted on the side of buildings. Usually
on corner buildings but not always). We found a machine shop, not the one I
was told about, and the owner spoke some English. One hundred pesos, 15
minutes, and many "por favors & gracias" later we were good as new.
With the system back together we tested the "disengage" function. No joy. So
Rhea muscled the wheel putting great strain the autopilot. It did
"disengage" but now I understood why the bolt broke.
Reading the manuals, trouble shooting and installation guides didn't help.
So I called technical support - closed until Monday.
Se here we are stuck, missing our weather window but enjoying ourselves.
Remember cruisers schedules are written in the sand at low tide.
_________________________________________________________________
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Thursday, March 22, 2007
Houston We Have a Problem
Vagari Started her spring of '07 adventure just after 4
PM on Tuesday November 20. She went 1 ¼ miles north to anchor in a protected bay for the night. We left for the Baja at 4:30 the next morning. We had one hour of pitch black; zero moonlight and a heavy overcast so no stars to steer by. Radar, GPS and common sense make these conditions reasonably safe. Plus we have left this anchorage before in both daylight and at night.
PM on Tuesday November 20. She went 1 ¼ miles north to anchor in a protected bay for the night. We left for the Baja at 4:30 the next morning. We had one hour of pitch black; zero moonlight and a heavy overcast so no stars to steer by. Radar, GPS and common sense make these conditions reasonably safe. Plus we have left this anchorage before in both daylight and at night.
1st five hours underway: Sailing winds come and go-mostly go. Perhaps 15 minutes of sailing so far. Heavy cloud cover, its warm so we don't miss the sun.
A few minutes after wrote that the high water temperature alarm on the engine went off. We were 22 kt mi into a 70 kt mi passage so we shut the engine down and turned the boat around. For the next four hours I checked everything could think of while Rhea sailed the boat. Very light winds but she kept the boat moving. I eventually found the problem: a torn belt that was not turning the fresh water pump. Of course I started checking on the seawater side of the cooling system. We did have a spare
on board but by the time the repair was competed it was too late to continue, we would arrive after dark so we motored back to San Carlos. We could not get into the marina so we anchored where we were the night before.
Just before mid night high winds started and continued into the morning. They have room in the marina but we can't move because of the winds. Its 10:30 AM and still blowing "the white off the rice" so we are enjoying an "off day" at anchorage.
This was sent via ham radio, cool!.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
WHAT WE DO ALL DAY --- SUNDAY MARCH 18TH
To answer this pressing question this was our day Sunday. It was not typical
because the few days between launch (splash) and leaving are generally very
busy. Cruising boats have a lot of systems and everything needs to be
activated and checked before leaving. It's much easier to fix issues in our
homeport than some of the remote places we visit.
because the few days between launch (splash) and leaving are generally very
busy. Cruising boats have a lot of systems and everything needs to be
activated and checked before leaving. It's much easier to fix issues in our
homeport than some of the remote places we visit.
We awoke at 7AM. By 7:15 I had the ham radio going so we could receive the
days weather forecast. I checked into a ham net, giving my ham ID, vessel
ID, names of the people on board, location and observed weather. I tried to
call our friend on the sailboat Linda but they we not "On Frequency". I
also checked the operation of the XM satellite radio, the VHF (local up to
about 25 miles) radio. I received weather information from the best two
armature weather forecasters that cover this area.
Next the 12-volt "boat computer" was re-installed and checked out. During
the fall cruise it seldom worked for sending email. I took it home at swore
at it a lot so now it worked on the first attempt. But the season has just
started and computers have a way of settling the score.
Time to start with some repair items. The base of the mast where it sits on
the keel was blistering up about two inches. So I removed the floorboards,
scraped and wire brushed the problem area. Wiped it down with acetone after
vacuuming the vicinity. Two coats of paint and the mast should be fixed for
years.
Next came three quick jobs. I lubricated the sail tracks where the sails
would be installed tomorrow. The tape on the ham radio connection to the
antenna was coming off. I cut off the old and installed a new very stretchy
silicone and hopefully durable tape. Third a terminal block in the bilge
was rusty. Thirty minutes on my stomach with a wire brush and some new parts
and it shined like new. Note to myself: wire brushes do conduct electricity
so save the fireworks for the 4th of July and shut off the house AND shore
power before doing this again.
During this time there was a knock on the hull and somebody asked if we had
any cookies. It was cruisers we meet two years ago near Puerto Vallarta. We
had them over for dinner and a game of Mexican Train. We baked and ate
chocolate chip cookies hot from the oven during the game. They still
remember those cookies.
They had us over for dinner (fresh jumbo garlic shrimp) and drinks. During
the last two years they sailed south to Ecuador in their 51-foot sailboat
Victora spending lots of time in Central America. Lots of interesting tales
(I broke my one drink only rule) but the most interesting was their
observation that Central America is best visited via car not a boat. They
motored all the way back except for four hours of sailing. On the way down
they got caught in a 60-knot storm ¼ of the way into crossing the Gulf of
Tehuantepec. Winds were predicted to be 20 to 30 kts. They thought, "Good we
will be able to sail". They turned around and went back to a safe harbor.
Theft, excessive paperwork, numerous lighting storms and hot humid weather
were also issues.
Back to what we do all day, after making plans for dinner we went into town
for a late lunch and to fill our portable gas tanks. We need gas for our
generator and outboard motor.
Back on Vagari we baked cookies and cleaned up for dinner.
All this time Rhea was working on other items such as filling the water
tanks and provisioning.
We had a very pleasant dinner with old friends as described above. We were
in bed by 9:30.
As of Monday the 19th our plan is to leave the marina Tuesday afternoon. We
will anchor in the bay for the night and leave for the Baja before sunrise.
.
This was also sent via WIFI not ham radio.
_________________________________________________________________
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THANKS FOR JOINING OUR SPRING OF ’07 CRUISE
This cruise I plan to make more frequent shorter blog posts. I have learned
to post to the blog via email. It looks like I will be able to do this from
our shipboard computer utilizing our ham radio to transmit the email. We
will see in a week or so it this all works.
to post to the blog via email. It looks like I will be able to do this from
our shipboard computer utilizing our ham radio to transmit the email. We
will see in a week or so it this all works.
We arrived in San Carlos just before noon on Thursday March 15th. Our
fasted trip yet, just under 7 hours. We "splashed" Vagari early Saturday
morning. We are getting ready for a Wednesday (3/21) early morning departure
to the Baja, weather permitting.
As of Monday evening we are looking good.
This is being sent via email via a marina WIFI link, not via ham radio.
_________________________________________________________________
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