It was slowly getting hot in Guaymas. And not just a little hot. We were sitting in a sweltering heat like we’ve probably never experienced before. The thermometer reached 40 degrees Celsius practically every day. And then there was the intensity of the sun, too. During the day we mostly hid in the coolness of the air conditioning in a small apartment we had rented for a couple of weeks. We didn’t want to stand on the feet of the painters working on our deck all the time and wanted to let them do their jobs.

Working in the Guaymas heat

The two painters David and Raul suffered from the heat, we could tell. When it got really hot, the pace of her work slowed noticeably. We can’t blame them. The work in the Guaymas oven is brutal. Drinking regularly, taking a break in the shade and not overdoing it was the way to go for them. Sometimes we almost had a guilty conscience towards the two.

Things are going well

But we could see: Something really impressive was on the way! The deck was the final piece in the puzzle for Milagros to become a little masterpiece. Our boat will appear completely transformed. Days and days of fairing and sanding work resulted in perfect surfaces. It’s laborious work but pays off in the end when painting. We ourselves would not have faired and sanded as much as the painting crew. But we didn’t do the work ourselves in the end so all we could do is shut up and watch.

Small projects

Apart from sitting around comfortably in the air conditioning, we also took care of smaller boat projects. For example, our new propeller shaft brake had arrived. The little piece of equipment should prevent us from bending our shaft again in the future. A shaft brake prevents the propeller from spinning freely while sailing. This results in much less stress on the material and less noise.

We also gave our teak a little love. We carefully washed it, lightened it and then oiled it. All with a practical 3-piece teak care set. Worked out great, and the result is really pretty.

Bigger projects

And at some point, the time had come: the first layer of paint was put on the deck! This in the form of a two-component epoxy resin primer, sealing and strengthening the surface. Because it consists of two components, the paint and a hardener, the paint layer is extremely strong. It will protect the old fiberglass of Milagros. After the job was done, we got a first impression of what Milagros would look like with the new paintjob. The white surface literally blinded our eyes. A great moment.

Hot, hot, hot, hot

And what came after the primer? Well, guess. The whole boat was again coated with putty and sanded. For days on end. At up to 47 degrees Celsius (116 °F) air temperature. We were getting tired of the heat. We can only imagine how the painting crew must have felt. Our foster cat Sailor was suffering too, panting when he met us for his food in the evenings. The heat in Guaymas is crazy. Time that we could finally go home. But we couldn’t. Not until our deck was finished. And what’s better than a cold beer to cool down?

Tasty craft beer just around the corner

As always in our blog posts and sailing career, beer is involved. The owner of the boatyard in Guaymas opened a Cervezeria right next to the boatyard with his brother (or so, I don’t remember exactly). Craft beer from Cervezeria Fauna is served there. Of course, we couldn’t miss the opening night. We sat there for hours with Tom and Keith (we met them back in the kingdom of El Mero) and tasted our way through the range of different cervezas. The Boatyard employees were there too, it was a cozy get-together.

Color layers and window delights

The days that followed passed as the ones before did. We passed the mornings working on our computers in the cool apartment we had rented for two weeks. In the evening we headed out into the heat to pay Milagros her daily visit. More layers of paint had been added onto Milagros in the meantime. The cabin was already done! So finally, we could devote ourselves to another monster project. In a moment of weakness, we decided to unmount, completely dismantle, rebedd and reinstall all the windows on Milagros again. Sounds good, but omfg. What a huge freaking job.

A monster of a project

Many a boat owner shies away from this very project. Rightly so. The window project really called for every skill we had learned since purchasing Milagros. I could write an entire blog post about the work on our windows alone. Here is a small excerpt of the work steps:

– Remove the windows

– Take a close look at everything

– Assess what needs to be done

– Find much more work than originally planned

– Seal and smear everything with fiberglass and epoxy

– Clean, drill, Dremel, sand the fiberglass and epoxy

– Clean the frames from a collection of old filler, putty and grout from over 40 years of Milagros

– Have new windows made

– Have everything made and corrected three times until it fits, because Mexico

– Ask yourself «why?»

– Glue the panes into the window frames in a huge mess

– Glue the fitted panes in the window frame, add those to another window frame

– Screw the frames in the frames tight together, add more sealant for yet another mess

– Before reinstalling the windows in the cabin walls, test EVERY ONE of the 100 screws and mark which one their screw hole is, because nothing fits like it did before

– Scream out loud

– Tear your hair (if you still have some)

– In an intermediate step, adapt window frames that do not fit to the windows with some more fairing

– Fit the window frames into the cabin wall with some more sealant in another monstrous mess

– Notice that it is too hot and the sealant dries too quickly

– Come back later

– Keep on sealing like crazy

– Be disturbed by the cat at the dumbest moment

– Just keep going because Sailor is a sweetheart

– Keep messing around all over the place until the job is done

Just like that

That’s pretty much how we remember the procedure. We don’t want to go into any further details here. We’re just glad it’s done. Woe betides a drop of water straying through the windows into our cabin in the future. At some point we were done and we couldn’t have done better. Not because we’re convinced that our job is perfect, but because we simply don’t know if we could have done it any better. Should you be reading this, own a boat and you are considering whether you want to tackle your windows: Think twice. Or maybe even thrice.

Milagros looks like new

And once our windows were in, the painters were soon done too: The deck paintjob was done. And what can we say? Our dear boat looks like new. The new deck paint makes a huuuuuuuge difference. David and Paul really did a great job. Unfortunately, bad news were just around the corner. Problems with our new prop shaft!

Oh crap!

When Salomon from the metal workshop arrived at the boatyard with the object of desire, it quickly became clear: There was a problem. The shaft bearing and the new shaft brake did not fit over the shaft. There was only one thing that could help: the prop shaft had to be taken back to the workshop and made to fit. Shortly afterwards the message came that a whole piece of stainless steel had to be ordered. A worker had simply removed too much material from the shaft in the workshop (2/1000 in instead of 1/1000 in!!!). After we had waited and waited and waited for weeks. Oh dear Mexico, sometimes you’re just a little too much for us. Now we can only take care of the shaft again when we return in winter.

We need to get outta here

Slowly the loooong season began to gnaw at our morale again. Too much heat, too much waiting, too much boatyard, too much boat work. Normally, early in the season, sailors spend a couple of weeks preparing their boats so they can head out as soon as possible when they return. We have spent too much time working on the boat this season. Yes, Milagros is in better shape than ever – but we’ve heard a few times that our working/sailing time ratio is completely out of control. Yes, this season was not easy. But our Swiss perfectionism simply doesn’t allow it any other way sometimes. Next season we will be sailing an absolute gem of a boat. Slowly but surely it was time to stow away Milagros and take a break again.

Mexican party

But before we flew home, there was another celebration in order. And this time, things got really Mexican. We were invited to the birthday party of boatyard employee and crane operator Mario. The event took place shortly before we left in an event hall he had rented for the evening. The two of us, our Australian friends Jen and Cam and about 50 Mexicans joined the party, which started cautiously. Everyone sat at their tables and listened to the warm-up band, a rock cover band made up of Mario’s friends. Armed with freezers and beer supplies, of course. The foreigners were eyed curiously from all sides.

Baila, Baila, Baila

It only really got going when cumbia, classical Mexican music, was put on. Everyone jumped out of their chairs and danced and danced and danced. To everyone’s surprise, the «Gringos» were also taking part in the dancing. The “DJ crew” was made by two dudes on drum sets with all kinds of kettledrums and other drumming equipment, who played along with the music from the speakers. With increasing beer consumption, the fear of contact disappeared and so we took all kinds of funny photos with the guests present. The evening was once again a reminder of what a great people the Mexicans are. Muchas Gracias!

A travel lift ride with consequences

Then it was soon time to move Milagros to their summer location. However, the changeover of locations did not go without damage to Milagros. I’ll spare you the details for now – we already reported on how we were treated by the yard in the last blog post. It shouldn’t get any better. And it won’t get any better in the future either. I can only say this much: We have definitely been to this boatyard for the first and last time. Despite advance warnings from various quarters, we decided to visit – and skilfully stepped in a pile of c***. We only have ourselves to blame. More on that another time.

The end is near

Because the work on our deck (did I notice that it turned out freaking AWESOME?) took a few weeks longer than expected, we had to cut all the preparatory work for the departure, which lasted about two weeks last time, into a few days. It turned out quite stressful. The day before we left, we worked our asses off from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. just to get it done, after more prep work in the days before. The almost 30-hour return journey back home to Switzerland went smoothly. Time to clear your heads and gather anticipation for your return.

Bad news upon arrival

But as soon as we got home, we had to start worrying again. Facebook and WhatsApp are our main sources for all sailing related news from Mexico. And what did we see? As soon as we left, an impressive and violent storm swept over Guaymas and San Carlos in Mexico. The area is known for raging summer thunderstorms called Chubascos. But this time, things were different. In videos and photos, we saw a wall of wind and dust battering the region. Absurd wind speeds were measured everywhere, power went out, entire brick walls collapsed in the boatyard and more of the aging boatyard electric posts bit the dust and fell over.

And what about Milagros?

Fortunately, Milagros escaped unscathed, she weathered the storm well. But unfortunately bad news also reached us from other sailor friends. The kingdom of El Mero, for example, is no more. It was completely destroyed in the storm. Unfortunately, some friends’ boats were also affected when their dock lines failed and they were washed ashore. Elsewhere, some boats in dry dock have tipped off their stands. We hope for their owners that the damage is manageable.

What’s next?

Well, apparently we’re not spared any frightening moments at the other end of the planet either. That’s the way it is when you embark on an adventure like ours. Why we were more concerned in this case than the last times, we will tell in the next blog post. But for now, it’s time to recharge the sailboat batteries in Switzerland so that we can start another attempt towards the south with fresh motivation. Only the gods of the sea know how far we will come. Things happen all the time.

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Der Beitrag Lessons Learned and Memories Made erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Lucky with the temperatures

I’m writing this 100th blog post here in Guaymas aboard Milagros, while outside sandpaper is being scraped across the deck. It’s 8:30 in the morning and it’s already 31 °C (88 °F) outside. Guaymas is notorious for its brutal summer temperatures, but so far, we have been spared. During the day the thermometer climbs to about 35 °C (95 °F), while at night it cools down a bit, which is really nice. Locals say it’s unusually cool for the time of year! Lucky us!

Outsourcing in Mexico

We decided to outsource the work on the deck. This costs us quite some money, but in the meantime, we can take care of all the smaller projects on the list. The work has to be done by July so we can go home for a few months. We have many, many small jobs to do. The goal is to get Milagros in the water as soon as possible when we return to Mexico in the winter. So, in the mornings we work on our computers, and at noon we get to work on the boat.

An Upgrade for our anchor

Another upgrade that has been ready to go since Puerto Peñasco (and thus over a year) but we never got done is our new anchor swivel. An anchor swivel sits between the anchor and the anchor chain and ensures that the chain doesn’t get twisted as the boat spins all over the place at anchor. So we got out heavy equipment, cut the ancient swivel off the anchor, and installed the new, modern Mantus swivel.

New UV-Cover for a sail

Pati is mainly busy with sewing. For example, our huge headsail needs new UV protection. For this, 65 meters (200 ft) of seams had to be opened, and 160 square feet of old, brittle fabric had to be removed and the same amount of new fabric had to be sewn back on. She set to work in her little sewing room, with the kind help of the mosquitoes that are unfortunately also at home here at the boatyard. It was her first time working on a sail, but she quickly got the hang of it and after about three full days of work, the new cover done. The cover is fancy charcoal gray, of course. Our goal is to replace as much of the blue fabric on the boat with charcoal gray as possible.

Tom rushes to the rescue

The hard sewing work takes its toll. The old lady (not Patricia, although they are actually about the same age) needs a little maintenance and repair here and there. So all of a sudden the trusty old Sailrite would only go from zero to full speed – of course you can’t sew like that. But Tom, the owner of the sewing machine, was immediately on the spot. Together with a friend, he took the pedal apart and found the problem: a contact spring had broken off. On this occasion, he also collected a deposit for the sewing machine rental – a 6-pack of beer per day – which he kindly shared with us right away.

Work on the windows

When returning to the boat last winter in San Carlos we noticed that our windows are slowly but surely starting to leak in various spots. In Pati’s last post you could already witness their removal. Better now than never, because with the painters on board we can make sure that the windows are tight once and for all. We took a close look at the disassembled windows and discovered that, as expected, the sealant had reached the end of its life. Said sealant was no longer fit for sealing purposes, but it was still holding the individual parts together nicely at least.

Mexican boat job experience

What followed was a classic Mexican boat job experience. We decided to take all of our windows to a shop that specialized in making custom windows. First, we did a test run with just one window, because you never know. We instructed the gentlemen to remove the panes for us. Should a pane break during the process, they should make a new one right away. No sooner said than done. The problem, however, only became apparent after we picked up the new glass. The new pane fit into one half of the frame, but not the other. The workers had probably taken the dimensions for only one side and then didn’t even try to see if the new pane would actually fit in the second half of the window. We decided to bring them the rest of our windows anyway, because overall, they did a good job.

A back and forth

When we went to pick them up a few days later, we were astonished. Again, various window panes did not fit. In addition, one of them was scratched, and one had a watermark from the manufacturer. I guess no one had noticed? We’re getting good at guesswork in these kinds of situations. We were assured that the problem would be solved immediately, should only take a few minutes. When we were still waiting after almost 45 minutes, with no end in sight, we said our friendly goodbyes. “Muchas gracias, regresamos mañana” (Thank you very much, but we’ll be back tomorrow).

The curiousities of Mexico

We always experience curious things during while here in Mexico, for example, when we brought the borrowed propeller remover back to the workshop. Patricia entered the deserted workshop ahead of me and walked to the office. As she peered around the corner into the office, she took a few steps backwards. Because a sheep (yes, you read that correctly) walked up to her. Laughing, two gentlemen followed it, one of them the senior boss. Then a second sheep came running from the backyard, followed by three puppies and two dogs. We had entered a zoo, not a workshop! Back at the boatyard, it was back to work.

Scratching and cleaning

The cleaning work on the old, heavy bronze frames began. The old glue and filler had to be removed. Over the years, various attempts at sealing had apparently already taken place, so now it was our turn. Equipped with various scraping tools, we set to work. What remained were beautifully clean window frames, ready for installation. We’ll see how smoothly that would go. Windows (or “portholes”, if you fancy boat terms) on boats are notorious time eaters and major pains in the ass, if a boat owner can ever bring him- or herself to tackle them.

Progress on the deck

Meanwhile, the painters worked their way forward step by step on our deck. Their opinion was the same as ours – it was time for a fresh coat of paint! As always with painting, preparation is 90% of the work. They have been busy sanding and filling the deck for four weeks now. The goal is a perfect surface, nothing more, nothing less. That takes time. The poor guys have to toil outside in the heat, the sun beating down from the sky. Since Pati had already started the sewing machine anyway, she sewed them a sunshade for the whole deck. Those will remain mounted while we’re gone, so that the brutal Mexican UV radiation can do no damage Milagros and her new deck while we are away.

Fun is not neglected either

All this sounds as if we were just slaving away. But that could not be further from the truth. As always, when we are at the boatyard, we only do as much as we feel like. Sometimes 8 hours a day, sometimes two, sometimes none at all. This is how we prevent ourselves from burning out and losing the spirit. Yes, we know that sounds like “complaining on a high comfort level” again, but working on a boat is hard, sometimes complicated and the potential for frustration is immense. Therefore, we try to find a good balance.

Excursions, Party, BBQ

The boatyard is quite empty at this time of the year, but there are still a few cool people here working on their boats. There’s always time for a chat, a BBQ, night outs playing pool with a couple of beers too much (guess on which pictures too much beer was involved) or parties at Hair of the Dog in San Carlos, where I always get to play a song or two on drums with the band. We also made new Mexican acquaintances and are invited for example to great afternoons with lots of Carne Asada. So, time flies and we have lots and lots of fun in addition to all the work.

A cute gift

Under our boat, some very, very cute new friends have moved in. We have become the proud owners of a small dog family. The very pregnant mother showed up at one of our barbecues and decided to give birth to her babies right next to Milagros and in our presence. So so so so so cute. The only problem with this is that the Boatyard does not accept street dogs. They are usually caught directly and “taken away”. Understandable, because in Guaymas the situation with street dogs is out of control to say the least. The government of the city does pretty much nothing and so new dogs are born in every corner of the city.

We build the family a house

In our case and thanks to a little negotiating skill, an exception was made. The dogs are allowed to stay, but they have to be gone when we fly home to Switzerland. Who knows, maybe there will be a happy end for a Mexican street dog family? Of course, we have set all levers and contacts in motion, so that the little family finds a nice home. Without further ado, we set up a camp for them under Milagros, cozy and protected from the Mexican sun. Have we already said how cute the babies are? THEY ARE SO CUTE!!! Mama is also a really great dog; we really need to find a solution!

Step by step

While mom is taking care of her little ones under the boat, boatyard life continues. Step by step we move towards the end of our season. Item after item is checked off our list. Milagros is enjoying her spa treatment and sooner or later she’ll have a brand-new shine. When the deck is done, she will be our masterpiece. We have then literally beautified and improved her from top to bottom. As the German saying goes – constant drips wear away any stone. Life means well with us.

Last but not least we also wanted to say thank you. Thanks for following us on our adventures, for the many, many beer contributions, for the feedback, for the comments. We really enjoy creating content for you – if you want you can also say thank you by contributing to our beer kitty by clicking the button below. You can also become a monthly contributor by heading over to Patreon. Thanks a lot!

100 Blog Posts! Let the beers flow!

Der Beitrag ONE! HUNDRED! BLOG POSTS! erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

I’ve been working for a Swiss company for almost 10 years now, which includes assignments abroad every once in a while. This time around, I flew to Bangkok for a little over two weeks, which I´ve spent working long days at our office there. It was great fun to immerse myself in working life again, to see my colleagues again and to be out and about in a noisy, big city. Time flew by and I even had time for some sightseeing. And who would have thought? Of course, I chose a boat trip. My dad has travelled Thailand a few years ago and always highly recommended a Bangkok river cruise experience to me.

Boat traffic in the big city

The Chao Prayha River meanders through the middle of Bangkok and is frequented by all kinds of boating traffic. What the bus, the regional train or the tram are for us in Switzerland, the boat is for the population of Bangkok, among other means of getting from A to B. The river is frequented by various boat lines, which are distinguished from each other by colored flags. I decided to take the slowest of them all, which is marked by an orange flag and stops at most piers on both sides of the river.

The wild ride begins

I stood at the pier on our free Sunday and waited for a fast, long boat with a waving orange flag, which arrived after a short wait. Powered by a large, noisy diesel engine, the boat snarled my way, only docked with the stern and I was escorted onto the boat by a whistle-wielding attendant. The trip cost a whopping 16 baht (50 cents), which you had to pay to another employee who, like in the good old days, walked up and down the boat with a small, rattling cash register to issue the tickets.

Thai engines have to work hard

I quickly realized that Burrito (our diesel engine) lives a really comfortable, almost luxurious life aboard Milagros. The captain of the longboat let his engine roar, especially on the piers the forward and reverse gears were engaged with revs increased to five digits. I almost pitied the screaming engine in its box a bit. Who knows, maybe Thai diesel engines like it hard. The communication between captain and attendant on the back of the boat took place via whistle and rear-view mirror and was very well-rehearsed. Pati and I can only dream of such seasoned communication on Milagros. Maybe, we may also need to order a whistle and rear-view mirrors.

Pati is doing good for the canine world

While I was enjoying myself on rivers abroad, Pati, along with a few other residents of the Kingdom of El Mero, did something good for the dogs that lived with us on the dock. SBPA San Carlos is a non-profit organization dedicated to neutering street and family dogs free of charge. Mexico, like so many other countries around the world, has a huge, unmanageable stray problem, and SBPA is trying to help. After a quick phone call to the organization, an SBPA employee arrived in the wee morning hours at 7am on a Sunday to capture and neuter all the unneutered dogs that roam the docks.

Dingo, Rubber Ball, Cheesecake, Einstein

As if suspecting, the unneutered dogs were nowhere to be found and only two unfortunate remaining animals were captured and had their surgeries. Einstein and Cheesecake (other dogs got names like One Year and Two Year, Rubber Ball, Dingo or Mamacita, the residents of El Mero are extremely creative) had their balls and ovaries removed. As soon as the procedure was completed and the SBPA lady took off, all the unneutered dogs reappeared out of nowhere. Clever, clever. Unfortunately, I missed the action because I was still in Thailand.

Please help the dogs of Guaymas: We know that all of you have a few dollars, francs, euros or baht to spare to help SBPA. Opens your wallet and do something good for the canine world of Guaymas, Mexico! A castration costs around 20 bucks. We’ve already donated 100 dollars, so off you go, too! You can donate easily for example via Paypal here. It is worth it!

A long, long journey back from Thailand

My time in Bangkok passed quickly. My return voyage not so much. It was one of the longest I have ever undertaken, and God knows I have traveled a lot in my lifetime. One hour by taxi to the airport, 7.5 hours from Bangkok to Tokyo, just under 13 hours from Tokyo to Mexico City, 24 hours of layover in Mexico City, 3 hours from Mexico City to Hermosillo, 2 hours bus to Guaymas, a 45 minutes drive from the bus terminal to Milagros. All in all, complete madness, but in the end the trip passed relatively quickly and you can never go wrong with spending time in Mexico City. We can only recommend a visit to the capital of Mexico to you all! If you want to dive into the capital with us – here`s the first part of a two part blog post about our visit a while ago.

Home at last

When the bus finally turned into its destination in Guaymas, Pati was already waiting for me. It was late evening and dark night. We didn’t even have to take a cab since she was allowed to borrow Keith’s car. My return from Bangkok also marked the official start of our journey south. This year we want to make it to Panama and finally catch up with Iñaki and Carmen. We wanted to take another week or so to prepare the boat and complete a small upgrade that has been taking far too long.

An upgrade for our solar panels

Our solar panels were previously only supported by two plastic stands made by the previous owner, which were not screwed to the solar panels. So, it happened again and again that the wind lifted the solar panels out of their stands and they banged down on the railing. We decided to put an end to this problem once and for all by ordering fancy stainless steel stands from local metal worker and welder Jorge Garcia. As is unfortunately often the case in Mexico, he took far too long with the production of said stands. Unfortunately, the whole project degenerated into a last-minute project with which we are satisfied with overall, but which did not turn out as we had imagined. Nevertheless, our old and new solar panels are now safe from the wind. The installation also marked our final touches on Milagros in the beautiful kingdom of El Mero, before attempting the crossing back to the Baja California Peninsula.

Goodbye, dear kingdom!

Of course, we couldn’t leave El Mero without hanging out one last time on the dock with all the lovely people that have made our stay so enjoyable. We haven’t experienced such a great community since Cabrales Boatyard. We will miss you guys! And then, just in time for the beginning of a new week, we started our next great adventure. Upon leaving, we almost broke off our two new solar panels on one of El Mero´s big bollards. They are only still attached to the boat thanks to Lucas’ quick intervention. The moral of the story: We always have enough time to think through the departure maneuvers and do a quick briefing, but for some inexplicable reason we just don’t.

A sporty start to the crossing

The weather window we chose promised light wind sailing or motoring. Ha! Not even close! As soon as we turned the corner out of El Mero, the wind picked up and we were flying in 15 knots of wind with an average of 7 knots. Instead of light wind sailing, Milagros was in racing mode. Even with a double reefed (reduced) mainsail, Milagros didn’t lose a bit of momentum. We had exactly the same experience as at the end of 2020 when crossing from Ensenada to the boatyard of Puerto Peñasco – once the wind picked up Milagros has chosen her speed, you can reef all you want. So, we raced out of the bay of Guaymas and had a lot of fun. We definitely feel our experience growing more and more.

The sea calms down

After almost 5 hours of high-speed sailing and as it got dark, the wind steadily decreased. That was actually what was predicted in the forecasts. After a beautiful sunset it was time to furl the headsail and Burrito had to get to work. We chugged out into a clear and freezing cold night. During my 8pm to midnight shift, I could practically watch the waters calm down. A few hours ago, we were being pushed around by the Sea of Cortez, now she was smooth as a mirror and calm. Pati had decided to sleep in the cockpit because of the movement of the waves, for my resting time, I went to V-berth since the waves had subsided.

Dolphins for breakfast

The next morning, just in time for coffee, visitors. As usual, they arrived completely unannounced. All of a sudden, there they were. Dolphins! A small group of bottlenose dolphins gathered at the bow of Milagros. Little did we know then that this small group was only the vanguard of a large school of probably several hundred animals. Suddenly we noticed that dorsal fins could be seen everywhere behind the boat, plowing through the water.

Just wow.

The dolphins were on exactly the same course as we were. While the few animals in front had already made themselves comfortable, the rest stayed at a distance behind the boat, which didn’t last long though, because suddenly the dolphins took off like crazy until they caught up with us. Hundreds of dolphins stayed all around the boat for a little over an hour and so we became part of their group. What an awesome experience. Seeing wildlife from such a perspective is probably one of the greatest privileges that comes with living on the water. These are the very memories that will last a lifetime.

Land Ho!

After the dolphins had said their goodbye, our anchorage of choice “San Juanico” was already in sight. Anyone who has been reading along for a while knows that we anchored there with Hazel and Paul on the SV Susimi last summer on our way north. What a stunning place to be! In San Juanico we wanted to wait out the strong northerly wind. We were already preparing for anchoring when Pete from SV Swan Song and Bernie from SV Momo radioed in. They had been there for a few days so we asked about the situation.

A small change of plans

Pete had just set out to sail towards Isla Coronados, hoping it would be a little quieter there. Apparently, San Juanico was rather shaky even without a strong north wind and there were already a few other boats anchored in the bay. After our experience on Isla Espiritu Santo, we want(ed) to avoid a repeatition very, very much. All in all, the info and a very nice wind and wave situation made us decide to just follow Pete and sail with him straight to Isla Coronados. Turns out the decision was the right one and it was a really comfortable trip with nice light wind sailing over flat, calm water. Our little “Champagne sail” resulted in some great pictures of Swan Song and Milagros.

Back on the beautiful island

We were amazed when we turned the corner at the southeastern tip of Isla Corondos and only two other boats were anchored on the long, sandy shore. So, we took our time to choose an anchorage spot and found ourselves for the umpteenth time on the paradise island of Coronados that impresses with everything that the Sea of Cortez has to offer. White sandy beaches, hiking trails, beautiful surroundings, a large city nearby which provides cell signal and lots of sea creatures.

Time for an anchor beer

The water was crystal clear and as soon as we anchored, the first puffer fish found themselves near the anchor chain to look for food in the sandy seabed, which had been churned up by our anchor chain. A pod of dolphins swam by, the water was turquoise green, the clouds drifted by and hung themselves on the mountain peaks around us dramatically. What a great start to the new season. It was time for anchor beers and making plans for our stay. Good times ahead!

So, that´s it for this weeks blog post. This time around, we´re not asking for beer donations, but for donations to the SBPA neutering service in Guaymas. Please do something good and help contain the amount of homeless dogs roaming the streets of Guaymas. You choose how you want to donate on SBPA´s homepage by clicking the button below! It´s very easy! We promise! Thanks very much! Wooof!

Click here and help the dogs of Guaymas!

Der Beitrag Dolphins for Breakfast erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

The year 2023 began with a visit from my friend Nicole from Switzerland. She wanted to experience sailing life for two weeks, and we were more than happy to show her the ropes. After a long journey, we picked her up at the bus station and immediately introduced her to Mexican cuisine with our favorite tacos al Pastor, marinated with pineapple and peppers on a skewer.

Mission impossible

Our first sailing trip was a mission to retrieve an anchor and chain that another boat had lost. Armed with a mobile diving compressor, we set off with six of us aboard Milagros. Despite ideal weather conditions, the mission was a failure as our generator was too weak to power the compressor. However, we still enjoyed the beautiful anchorage and had a delicious lunch of chicken tacos.

Milagros flies

As it was time to head back home, we encountered perfect sailing conditions with 15 knots of wind. We sailed back at up to 8 knots on an upwind course and successfully tested our new autopilot setup. It was a successful day of sailing, which we capped off with a beer or two. With David off to Bangkok for work for the next two weeks, Nicole and I were left to continue our sailing adventures.

Hello San Carlos

For those of us who stayed, we planned a trip to San Carlos to pick up some orders from the USA. However, before we set off, we had breakfast with our friend Pete as a thank you for his previous help. This time, Pete chose a small restaurant in Guaymas with a lovely terrace and delicious food. However, when we arrived at the delivery location, we found out that there was no delivery that day. We were disappointed that we had almost driven the 45 minutes to San Carlos for nothing, but fortunately we had another plan in mind. We decided to go hiking.

A nice hike

Jesse, who was anchored in San Carlos with his boat, had suggested a hike into the Canyon de Nacapule, which was covered in lush vegetation. It felt great to stretch our legs and hike over hill and dale. Although it wasn’t a challenging hike, the coolness and fresh air were rejuvenating. We passed several pools filled with water, which were supposedly created by a volcanic eruption. Due to the presence of water, the area was lush and thriving.

The weeping rock

At the supposed end of the path, we found a rope ladder leading up to a rock. Jesse climbed up and disappeared. At first, I hesitated, but my curiosity got the better of me. I followed Jesse and caught up with him after a short while. It turned out that the trail wasn’t over yet, and the last part was much more challenging. My footwear (Crocs of course) wasn’t completely suitable for the terrain, but I pressed on. After 15 minutes, we reached the real end destination: the weeping rock. Water was flowing out of a rock face and filling a pool below, where tadpoles were frolicking. A dead rat floating on the water surface was not frolicking anymore. After the hike, Pete insisted that Nicole had to try the Margaritas at Charly’s Rock, so we stopped there on the way back and enjoyed the beautiful view among other things.

The bow pulpit is here

A few days earlier, our bow pulpit, which had been broken (you can read about how it was broken here), was delivered. Jorge had done an excellent job of cutting off the bent legs and welding on new ones, making it look like new again. However, reassembling it proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. There were 12 screw holes that needed to be aligned and a cable for the navigation light that needed to be protected. Three of us managed to fit it by using a bit of force, securing it with only 3 screws. The final assembly and sealing were done later.

We’re busy

Despite having no plans, we kept busy with work, sleeping in, trips to Guaymas and San Carlos, walking, petting puppies, sailing, drinking beer with other sailors, and boat projects. Sometimes we did them one after the other, and sometimes at the same time.

Nicole sails and climbs

For example, Pete had some work to do on the mast, and Nicole volunteered to help. So Pete and I pulled her up the mast, where she sewed on spreader covers and hauled in a flag line. After getting her first taste of sailing with Milagros, Nicole wanted to try it herself. Dan’s small sailboat was perfect for beginners, but her sailing excursion was only partly successful. Although she sailed off the jetty like a pro, Pete eventually had to tow her in with the dinghy.

Bye, bye

Nicole got a 360-degree view of sailing life, missing only a longer crossing and life at anchor. However, she had the opportunity to cross the Sea of Cortez with Pete and spend a few days in Bahia Conception. Without hesitation, she changed flights and set sail, ending our time together 4 days earlier than planned, which was worth the experience for Nicole.

Nicole’s conclusion

Nicole’s take on sailing so far is that it is a nice way of life. She finds the feeling of adventure and freedom particularly positive, and the ability to take your home with you wherever you go. Although she found the need to save water and electricity sometimes frustrating, she was amazed at how much of it you can actually save without giving up many comforts. She also finds the community of sailors to be extraordinary, with a natural inclination to help each other, openness, and support from all sides.

Help here

It was quite strange to suddenly be alone on the boat after 2 years of practically always being with David. But as Nicole said, the community here is fantastic. So I was alone, but never lonely. I dedicated myself to other boat projects and always had a helping hand when I needed it. For example, Tyr helped me finish assembling the bow pulpit, as I couldn’t hold the screw above deck and screw on the nut below deck at the same time.

Help there

Tyr also helped me lay out the anchor chain on the jetty, so I could check and re-mark it, and put it back in. Everything had to be done by hand as the windlass was out of service. I had taken it apart because it had lost oil. But the new seals weren’t there yet, so it hadn’t been reassembled.

A little trip to the USA

There were also other things I had to take care of, such as my Mexican visa. My visa was set to expire at the end of April, but according to our current plan, we wouldn’t leave Mexico until May. So, I had to get a new visa, which was only possible with a trip to the border. Luckily, Keith, one of the princes of El Mero, was going to drive home to Arizona and was kind enough to take me with him and even organize accommodation for me with his friend Cornelia.

Border crossing

The drive to the border was surprisingly uneventful, but things got exciting when we crossed the border. First, we had to drive through the X-ray scanner, stop and put our mobile phones on the dashboard. Then we had to get out and were taken to a waiting room. I was then taken to the immigration counter and asked what I wanted in the USA and where I wanted to go. When I couldn’t give the address, I was a little worried. Especially in the USA, you never know where you stand. But they had Keith’s address to hand, I assume because they had scanned his passport beforehand. But I was allowed to enter and pay the $6 fee and, on the way, back to the car, I even had a nice chat with the border guard.

One card less

When we got back to the car, I spotted a clearance prompt on my phone from my credit card app for a purchase from a Mexican online shop. My credit card had been hacked. The card was quickly blocked in the app and after a call to the customer center, the new card was on its way. Luckily, I had another credit card and cash with me.

It gets cold

30 Minutes later, I stepped into Cornelia’s cabin in Patagonia. Her traditional Navajo Indian hogan, which she had built 20 years ago, was a welcoming sight after a long day of travel. After a burger at the “Wagon Wheel”, a clichéd American pub out of a picture book, we helped her install a new stove pipe, as the cabin’s heating relied on a wood stove in the middle of the room. The temperatures were supposed to drop below freezing during the night, so the heating was urgently needed.

Great hospitality

But before we snuggled under our warm blankets, we met up with Cornelia’s friend Paula for dinner at Queen of Cups, a quaint and cozy bistro serving local food and wine. It was a pleasant surprise to find such a place in a village of only 900 people. I was grateful for the warm hospitality of Keith, Cornelia, and Paula, who made my stay comfortable.

Unpredictability

The next morning, it was time for me to return to my boat, Milagros. I had mentally prepared myself for potential complications at the border and even booked an exit flight out of Mexico as a precaution. Like the USA, Mexico is sometimes unpredictable. But my entry back into Mexico was smooth and easy, with the border guard only asking me how long I planned to stay and where I was going. She stamped my passport without taking a second glance.

Hello Milagros

After a 6-hour bus ride back, I was picked up at the bus station by two princesses from El Mero and soon I was back on the boat. In the evening, I was invited for dinner and a game of Settlers of Catan at Bernie and Kate’s boat, “Momo”. The week ended on a high note, with a victory in Settlers and the anticipation of David’s return, as we prepare for our journey to Panama.

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Der Beitrag Plus One And Minus One Equals One erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

A little bit of Christmas spirit came to our little kingdom. But only a little. Because Milagros has no Christmas decorations, and we were not keen on the Spotify Christmas playlists either. In Guaymas, we got the full dose of Christmas time: Inflatable snowmen, decorated trees, wildly flashing houses, and Christmas carols all over the place. The 25-30°C during the day with cloudless skies and sunshine didn’t really help either to get in a Christmas mood. But: we had to make Spitzbuben, my favourite Christmas cookies.

Christmas baking

Since we don’t have a mixer, we left the butter soften in the sun for an extra-long time and because we didn’t have any cookie cutters, we decided to make Spitzbuben carrés. We even found a rare specimen of raspberry jam. All too quickly these delicacies disappeared into our mouths. A lot of work for a short pleasure, but it was definitely worth the effort.

A bit of Switzerland

On the morning of the 24th of December, we drove to San Carlos, 45 minutes away, and treated ourselves to a pork shank for breakfast. Since it was also Saturday, we picked up more parts for our projects from Debbie. Now we finally had every necessary component to complete our solar project. There were still a few temporary installations here and there, which now needed to be replaced with the final parts. We ended the evening on Pete’s boat ‘Swansong’ with a lot of popcorn and ‘Mad Heidi‘, a very entertaining and entertaining Swiss independent film.

A beautiful Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve we organised a potluck on the dock. It’s popular with sailors. Everyone brings a dish to share with the others. This way there is a buffet without much effort for everyone, and the bigger the group, the more varied the selection. At the request of a princess from El Mero, we contributed Santa rolls (we baked and gave away little Santas on 6 December, hence the name) and at our own request rotkraut to go with the turkey, which another sailor wanted to bring. In the end, we had a well-balanced and absolutely delicious feast. Only by the Christmas decorations brought along could one tell what the occasion was.

The Battle of the Settlers

With a few sailors in close proximity, we finally had the opportunity to play Settlers of Catan again. Unfortunately, our board game cannot be really be properly played only with two people. That’s why we’re always happy when we bump into other Catan enthusiasts. So, we challenged the two Australians Holly and Saxon to play. Since we had played Catan so many times before, we had got into the habit of choosing the starting point of the game as randomly as possible, thus increasing the level of difficulty. The two Australians called this starting set-up “suicide Catan”, as it eliminates a not-so-insignificant part of the strategy, but they accepted the challenge. The winner (me ) received a set of googly eyes, with which we fooled around with extensively after the game. It just looks so funny when you stick them between your eyelids.

New arrivals

In our little kingdom we also recently welcomed six little new arrivals. One female dog (the only one not spayed) of the pack of about 20 dogs has given birth. A fellow sailor built her a shelter out of an old freezer. Now we hope that the little rascals will find a nice home and not end up on the streets of Guaymas. In general, the future of the El Mero pack is uncertain. Since mid-December, the Mexican Navy is the new owner of this facility. What they intend to do with our little kingdom is written in the stars. Since the Mexican mills can grind very slowly at times, it is very possible that nothing will happen for the time being. We shall see, or we shall not.

I’m sewing

While the days are finally getting longer again, our to-do list is thankfully getting shorter. We were able to borrow a sewing machine from our neighbours and since then I have been busy sewing. The most urgent project was our bimini. We have been waiting for this moment for over a year and finally we were able to complete this project. After all, when we go south to rainier areas, we want to be able to sit in the dry. We were also finally able to finish the sail bag, which was still missing the cover around the mast. And other installations on Milagros got a new anthracite robe.

Rust is removed

Our windlass also got a new coat of paint, in grey of course. Wind, water and weather have left their mark, especially corrosion-wise. That’s why it was first given a corrosion treatment. Then it received protective epoxy primer and grey polyurethane paint. Now it looks like new again. But when we put it back together and tested it, it didn’t work. Had we broken something in the motor (again) when we unscrewed the ground cable? It had happened to us before, nevertheless. We held back our curses for the moment and checked to see if any power was coming in at all. And guess what. When we dismantled the bow pulpit, we also had to remove the navigation lights. We found a loose contact on the bus bar that both the navigation lights and the windlass share in the anchor locker. Disaster averted.

Things are connected

We also finally found a way to control our autopilot from the cockpit. We don’t have a classic autopilot but use a tiller pilot which we connect to our wind steering system. To make a course change, we had to leave the cockpit and go to the stern of the boat. This tiller can now be connected from our chart plotter in the cockpit, because we added it to our our data network. Sounds simple, but a lot of thought went into how we could get the different technologies from different suppliers to communicate with each other.

The gods are with Milagros

Milagros also got a new decoration on the mast. The signpost (Vegvísir) is also called the old Nordic compass. The beautiful symbol was given to us by our Icelandic friend Tyr, who is also based here in Muelle el Mero with his ship Ez Duz It. “If this sign is carried, one will never lose one’s way in storms or bad weather, even when the way is not known”. We have placed the Vegvisír at the front of our mast, from where it will guide us through the vastness of the seas. The gods are with us.

Taking a break

And yes, it has also happened that we didn’t work on Milagros or online at all! Almost every morning after sunrise we walk up the hill and look out to sea. And every day there is something going on at the dock. Sometimes a beer on Milagros in the cockpit, sometimes dinner on another boat, or a trip to the cinema in Guaymas. One night we watched Avatar II in English with Spanish subtitles for 2.50$. The snack package with popcorn, hot dogs, and drinks for 2 people cost five times as much.

There is sailing

And we also went sailing – with other boats. This is always very educational, because we get to see different ways of handling the sails and the engine. You can hear and feel how other boats behave and be there when decisions are made, and manoeuvres are carried out. And it’s always a lot of fun too.

It must be wiped

We sailed into Guaymas harbour on “Aurora”, a 54-foot (16.5 m) yacht. That was interesting, because we wanted to go there ourselves with Milagros and it was nice to explore the surroundings live on another boat. On the way there, however, we suddenly had smoke below deck coming from the engine. We quickly switched off the engine and Dan examined the situation. It didn’t seem to be overheating. We had already prepared the anchor as a precaution. But he quickly found the problem.

The engine was directly under the salon floor, and dust and sand were constantly trickling through a gap onto the engine. This accumulation began to heat up as the engine reached operating temperature and caused said smoke. Everything fine, the engine just needed to be wiped down. Easy fix. On the way, we noticed that the rigging (the steel cables that hold the mast in place) was quite loose. It had to be undone a few weeks earlier. While tinkering along, we sailed leisurely back to El Mero.

Things are beinig repaired

We also went sailing with Pete on his 40-foot (12 m) yacht “Swansong” because he had invited his two landlords for a sailing trip and could still use a few hands. However, upon inspection enroute, Pete discovered a leak at the rudder stuffing box (the seal on the rudder where the rudder stock comes into the boat). We suspected that it just needed to be tightened a bit more. But we didn’t have the right tools to do it.

So, we turned back, got out the really big pipe wrenches (one from Milagros and one from another boat) and dealt with the leak. Of course, one of the nuts was stuck, so we had lunch while a corrosion solvent spray worked its magic. Eventually we managed to tighten the stuffing box enough to minimise the leak. Then we were able to go out again and sail Swansong; it was the first time for us sailing with a furling mainsail. And as you can see, there is always something to take care with a sailboat.

Sailors’ midnight

We didn’t have much planned for New Year’s Eve – pizza and beer were the order of the day, and a prosecco was also ready to go. While we were still working on a few projects, the party started at Pete’s. We joined him later and all princes and princesses gathered around and on his boat. At 9pm sharp – the generally accepted cruisers midnight – we popped the corks and toasted the new year. Let’s see what 2023 brings!

Happy New Year

In this spirit we also wish you a Happy New Year. We would like to thank you very much for following our adventures and for always making us happy with a donation to the beer fund! It’s a lot of fun for us to keep the blog alive. Have fun and see you around!

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Der Beitrag The Kingdom of El Mero erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Yes, the El Mero docks are in a sorry state (you can read about that in our last blog post). There is no water and no electricity. No taco stands around the corner. But we have been well received here in the small «Kingdom of El Mero» and are having a really good time, making many new friends and experiencing all sorts of funny stories. Initially we wanted to move to Marina Fonatur in Guaymas because I fly to Bangkok for work in January, have almost scrapped that plan by now. Too big the rush for the slips, too little space available. We have called the office of the marina again and again and we always got the same answer: «No slips available!»

Bye Claudia, hello space!

But, after having our good friend Claudia over, we have all the more space aboard Milagros. It’s a pity that she had to head home again. The almost two and a half weeks with her flew by. She was the perfect guest to have on the boat, realized all kinds of projects, we had one too many beers, we laughed a lot and just enjoyed our time together. The most important lesson from the few weeks of togetherness? It’s nice to be three people on Milagros, four people would be snuggly, five would make for a tight experience aboard.

The work on Milagros never ends

One would think that after our huge refit of Milagros in Puerto Peñasco we (can) lie around lazily. Nope! There is still a lot to do. Our faulty starter motor had to be removed from our engine, we wanted to upgrade our solar system, improve our emergency equipment and repair our bent bow pulpit (as you might already know, we made acquaintance with a massive fishing boat in Puerto Peñasco). It is in the nature of things that other projects would automatically be added.

Time for repairs

So, we didn’t miss a beat and got to work. First of all, we took the faulty starter motor to a workshop. For once, everything went smoothly. We had the motor off our engine in no time, not least thanks to a brief consultation of a few YouTube videos. On the recommendation of 1-2 other cruisers we decided on a small workshop in town. We called Caesar, our trusted chauffeur, to El Mero and also took a second starter motor with us, which had been lying dormant for some time.

Heavy lifting

Crazy how heavy starter motors are. We couldn’t lift the box with the two starters on our own, we had to use our combined strength to drag the box to the car. Just a few days later and a few hundred pesos lighter, we had two revised starter motors in our hands. We re-installed one of the two, the other one we mothballed should the first one ever give up the ghost. A long time ago, the previous owner of Milagros had the opportunity to use spare parts from another engine that was out of service. We can benefit from that, but the spare parts are getting old and some need a refresher.

Very convenient but complicated

We had to plan ahead and order materials for our projects. US orders here in Guaymas and San Carlos are delivered by Debbie out of Tucson, Arizona. She makes her American address available for deliveries, which she then drives here to Mexico for a fee. The only disadvantage: She only comes down from Tucson on Saturdays, which makes planning relatively difficult. We would experience first-hand the things can go wrong.

Come oooooooonnnn!

For the upgrade of our existing solar system, we had ordered two additional solar panels to Debbie’s place. Since these are relatively unwieldy and bulky, it’s a little problematic for her to fit them in her car and cross the Mexican/American border with them. When we arrived at the pick-up point full of anticipation on one of said Saturdays, only one of the solar panels had arrived. “Solar panels are problematic, customs can always ask me for extra money for them, so I only brought one,” Debbie explained. Great.

We are not the only victims

Our new friend Pete from SV Swansong, who we met through Tyr the Icelandic Viking, drives us from the dock to San Carlos and back for pickups at Debbie’s on Saturdays, each a 45-minute drive. And we invite him to breakfast every time in return. This time Saxon and Holly, an Australian sailing couple, joined the pickup crew. The two were expecting a shipment of paint for their underwater hull. They were amazed when exactly zero cans of their paint had arrived. There they stood and had suddenly run out of a week’s worth of work on their boat.

On to America!

With hanging heads, we made our way home. Suddenly we started spinning a crazy idea – why not just rent a car and road trip to Debbie’s in Tucson? Said and done. A few days later, Saxon picked me up at Muelle El Mero promptly at THREE AM IN THE MORNING. 7 hours of driving to the USA ahead of us we set out into the night. A very short stay in the USA with a visit to Debbie and a few errands, then back to Mexico. That was the plan. Should everything go smoothly, we would arrive back in Guaymas in the evening the same day.

(Almost) like clockwork

And who would have thought? The whole northward journey, including the border crossing, went absolutely smoothly. We met a total of five CHEERFUL and SUPER FRIENDLY border guards at the American border. Coming from Mexico?! No accusations of genocide, terrorist attacks, human trafficking and cartel activities? We’re used to something different when entering the land of the free. When we arrived at Debbie’s house in Tucson, disillusionment followed. At least for me. The rental car had no folding rear seats. My solar panel didn’t fit in the car. AAAARRRHRGHGHGHHRHRHWHAHHAHH!

Sweaty hands at UPS

Saxon, Debbie and I tried all sorts of ways to get the panel in the car. No chance. The solar panel didn’t fit. Luckily it wasn’t our only order so we just packed our new power station and other parts that we had ordered to Debbie. After that we had to hit Walmart, Home Depot and, most importantly, UPS. Because that’s where Saxons and Holly’s paint was. Hopefully. With sweaty hands we entered the UPS station.

Back to Mexico quick!

Good news on the paint front for Saxon and Holly! Their paint had arrived! We quickly packed everything up. Back to Mexico it was! No problemo on the way back either: at the border, we were simply waved through by the American and Mexican border officials, and a few hours later we were back in Guaymas. We were dog tired. What a day. We drove to America for a few hours’ worth of sightseeing in Tucson, Arizona. The things you put up with for a bit of sailing.

Capacity limits

A few days later we were finally able to receive our second solar panel from Debbie. That was the start to our solar upgrade. The plan was as follows: Our batteries are slowly but surely approaching the end of their lifespan. Since we both work regularly on our laptops, we had noticed a capacity limit on our electrical setup. We consumed more power than came in through our two 140W panels. So, it quickly became clear that we needed more solar input – hence the two new, additional 190W solar panels.

A small power station for the office

We also bought an Anker 555 powerhouse as a power plant for the office and as a backup. The powerhouse contains a powerful lithium battery and comes with all kinds of sockets. We want to supply our three power vampires to it: Operate the Starlink satellite dish and our two laptops so that we don’t suck power from the batteries. (For those who are interested: these 3 devices together consume up to 20Ah.) Additionally, thanks to inputs from Katie and Mike on SV Alegria, we found out that we could connect the box directly to solar power. This means that no electricity is wasted from the batteries to charge the power station. The box simply draws part of the solar power being produced by our solar panels, the rest of the power goes entirely to the boat’s battery bank.

This and that and that and that

What needs to be done? We have to lay meters and meter of cable. We have to find out what size cable we need to use. Where the connections are. Where the cables from the solar panels should go through the deck. Where we should mount the panels. Which panel goes to which position? Where do we want to position the new solar controllers? Where and which fuses and switches must be added to the system? What can we still use from the existing system and what not? What needs to be modified or expanded?

Planning is everything!

After we had brainstormed the whole system for a couple of hours Pati drew up a plan, complete with a listing of the various projects. Nothing could go wrong, right? Our planning actually worked out really well, and an entire day of work later we were sitting in front of a fait accompli and our new solar system. It doesn’t look exactly nice and a few parts are just stand-ins until the actual parts arrive, but it all works exactly how we envisioned it. Bring on the Milagros office hours!

We need more stuff

To properly align the solar panels to the desired angle to the sun, they each need a «solar panel stand». On Facebook we found a local Mexican welder who has worked for many other boaters and is well recommended. We’ll combine the production of the solar panel stands with the repair of our bent bow pulpit. It’s been almost a year since the damage and it’s time to repair the poor thing. Off it came and to Jorge Garcia’s workshop it went!

We’re going sailing, too

When we’re not working on the boat or the computers, we just have a jolly good time. We have already been on several trips on other boats. Keith, for example, has two boats here at Muelle El Mero (because one is not enough, right). A big one and a small one. We’ve been out with both of them. Every time we were informed about the trips 10 minutes before departure. Suddenly there is a knock on the hull and the question: Wanna go sailing – right now? We were always on the water for a few hours, always in good company and having boatloads of fun.

Careful with Pete!

What we also learned is that we have to be careful of Pete. After a material run to Debbie, he simply kidnapped us at 11 a.m, took us straight to a bar, where he immediately ordered a round of margaritas for everyone. And then another. And another one. It didn’t help that the World Cup was also TV, too. So, we stayed longer to watch England lose to France. I actually planned to boycott this World Cup (because fuck FIFA!), but now I have watched a game anyway. What the hell. A short visit to Debbie’s turned into a full day of party and we didn’t make it back to the boat until well after the sun had set. There are pictures of us deliriously eating a whole chicken in the Walmart parking in Guaymas. That’s how it works when you live on a boat. You’ll never know what the day will bring. And that’s the beauty of it.

Feeling old yet?

Not as beautiful is the current situation of my back. I herniated a disc sometime last year. I’m actually getting old! Who would have thought! The intervertebral disc has been causing me sometimes more, sometimes less problems for months now. It pinched the sciatic nerve in my left hip, causing an inflammation of the root of said nerve, which sometimes causes really bad stretches of intense pain. After initially making great progress being back on the move after weeks of 9 to 5 in Switzerland, I’m struggling with the pain again at the moment. Sometimes I sleep better, sometimes not at all. At the moment I have to get up every few hours and walk up and down the dock in the middle of the night to release the strain down my left leg.

Mexico strikes again

The timing for this to happen is actually not all that bad, because a few thefts have taken place at the moment. The Muelle El Mero is visited by fishermen, other shadows and visitors at night and various things have disappeared from boats. The night guards at the gate are not very helpful. I have never seen a night guard doing rounds during my late-night stretching sessions. Well, what can you expect when the dock is almost free?

The sailors fight back

So, the princes and princesses of the kingdom of el Mero had to take matters into their own hands once again and we have recently organized night watches. Anyone who wants to take part has to take a one-hour shift. Pati and I are also part of the fun. For me at least that doesn’t make a big difference, because I’m awake all the time anyway.

Sleeping like on clouds

Speaking of sleeping: Another VERY important upgrade has taken place that concerns our sleeping situation. We have invested in a slat system for our Aft cabin from the company Froli and a new mattress from the USA. Our old mattress was ancient and, in my opinion, one of the main reasons why my back problems turned out so blatant in the first place. Every time we noticed that the mattress had become a bit less comfortable, our backs also reported on said findings. After a few nights on the new, comfy latex foam mattress I can report that the investment is worth every penny. I’m glad we’re finally rid of our old sleeping pad. The first few nights were definitely very, very comfortable. Just like our stay at Muelle El Mero.

The days are passing by in a rush and it’s almost Christmas already! There’s always something to tinker with, something to upgrade, beer cans are always hissing somewhere. Everything is going well aboard Milagros, but we’re very much looking forward to finally hitting the road again early next year! The far south is calling!

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Der Beitrag Margaritas, Upgrades and Back Pains erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Before we left Switzerland, things got a bit hectic for a moment. The reason was a back problem that had been bothering David for some time. At times it was so bad that he could hardly walk. An MRI examination then brought light into the darkness: a ruptured intervertebral disc was pressing on the sciatic nerve in his left leg. So, for a while it was unclear whether we could fly back to Mexico in November. However, an appointment with a spinal surgeon (a sailor) and a pain specialist (also a sailor) two weeks before our departure, as well as physiotherapy, led to the decision that nothing stood in the way of the start to our second season.

We are back in Mexico

The 29-hour journey to Mexico was more or less uneventful. The only unusual thing was that after our arrival in Hermosillo we were stopped by some officials who wanted to see our passports. We were then taken to a separate waiting area where we had to hand over our mobile phones. But after a quick check of our passports and a brief discussion between two officers (we didn’t know what exactly was going on), they let us go again.

Something missing

When we went to collect our luggage, only one of the two pieces had arrived. A friendly gentleman referred us to another gentleman where we could file a lost luggage claim. According to the computer system, our luggage was still in Europe and would simply arrive one day later in Mexico.

Almost there

When we arrived at the Marina Seca office in San Carlos a few hours later, the office workers looked at us with big eyes. They thought we would only arrive a week later. Funnily enough, we weren’t surprised at all – we had kind of expected this to happen. But we were promised that Milagros would be ready for us 2 hours later. So, we walked to the port and enjoyed our first beer in Mexico. Just at the moment we arrived back at the boatyard, we saw Milagros passing by on the trailer. And a person who looked very familiar to us followed the boat and pointed to it. It was Ron from Mar de Luz, whom we had met in June on the open sea on our way to Santa Rosalia.

What will she have in store for us?

We got a ladder at the entrance and walked a little nervously to Milagros. I wondered what would be waiting for us? Dead batteries? Rats or other vermin? Holes from corrosion in the diesel tanks? Water damage from the hurricane if there were leaks? We removed all the covers, opened the boat and took a deep breath. It smelled exactly as it should – like Milagros. No mould, no smell of decay, no diesel – nothing. Relieved, we quickly opened a few floorboards. No water, no rat droppings, no dead cockroaches – nothing. We briefly check the battery charge, which was also fine. In some spices we found a few dead weevils, which is not uncommon here in Mexico. All in all: no nasty surprises!

It’s shaking

The jet lag was a bit annoying at first – being wide awake at 3am when the sun doesn’t rise until 6am. On the second morning, I got up briefly around 4am to grab a charging cable for one of the one thousand electronic devices we carry onboard. Suddenly the boat shook for a few seconds. When David woke up, he asked me what I had done in the front of the boat that made it shake like that. But I thought he must have very, very violently turned in his sleep. But it turned out to be a magnitude 6 earthquake, the first earthquake I have ever consciously experienced.

It’s not easy again

We quickly settled back in and everything felt very familiar again very quickly. Now we could start to wake Milagros up and prepare her for the upcoming trip. There were a few things that absolutely had to be done on dry dock, such as replacing the toilet flush thru hull valve on board. As we were about to tackle this project, we briefly encountered a first letdown. We had already ordered the supposedly correct new plastic valve a year ago (which is required according to the toilet manufacturer). But we had done the math without the person who had installed the current bronze valve a size larger than necessary in the past. Accordingly, the hole in our hull was too big for the new valve. What a mess.

Easy?

But since we still had spare parts for the bronze valve on board, we decided without further ado to replace “only” the defective valve and not the whole unit. That may or may not work, but we gave it a try. Armed with large tools, we tackled the old valve and, probably out of fear, it immediately gave way. And we were amazed. A boat project that “just” worked. Once again, we had worried unnecessarily. We had the new valve screwed on in no time. That was it.

Mending the freeboard

Another project was to add a black stripe at Milagros’ waterline. Sometimes yellowish-brown slime sloshed against the hull, which did not look nice on the white paint. We commissioned the painter Alejandro, who had already sprayed the freeboard of Iñaki’s and Carmen’s boat, to paint the waterline with a black stripe about 3 inch wide. He also patched up a few scratches in the paint left by our anchor chain in La Paz. Some workers in the boatyard ridiculed us for getting that fixed. But for us, there was so much work in that paint job – it just had to be done.

Claudia arrives

A few days after our arrival, Claudia arrived in Hermosillo after 5 weeks of travelling through the USA and Mexico. We picked her and our delayed luggage up at the airport by bus and taxi. She wanted to visit us for 3 weeks and we had already done some expectation management with her: there was a possibility that we would spend the whole 3 weeks at the boatyard. But she came by anyway. We were really looking forward to sharing life on Milagros with her.

A little faux pas

When we picked up our luggage at the airport in Hermosillo and opened it to check, everything was covered with a kind of sandy layer of dust. The webcam, the chocolate, all the clothes, just everything. It turned out that our 1 kg Herbamare (our favourite salt mix from Switzerland) refill had exploded. The entire 18 kg of clothes and equipment were now seasoned and garnished. Wow! Back at the boatyard, everything was quickly de-seasoned and taken directly to the Lavanderia, if possible.

We prepare Milagros

In the following days, we took care of other projects like changing the impeller – one of those projects that was supposed to take only 5 minutes but dragged on for days because two screws were corroded and so we had to remove the entire water pump. Claudia made sure that all our frayed lines had a nice finish again and installed an additional hatch in the cockpit. For our new mattress we made a template out of a piece of plastic cover, which we sent to the manufacturer to make sure the new mattress would fit.

An old trauma

We also made a few adjustments to the sail bag for the mainsail: Our very nice neighbours let us use their Sailrite sewing machine. So, we were able to remount both sails a short time later. Also, a long overdue adjustment of the reefing angle on the boom was finally implemented. We also started our problem child Burrito. Worry child my ass – Burrito started right up. Nevertheless, we seem to have suffered a little trauma from our past engine problems. Every time we start the engine, we expect something not to work. I wonder how long this will last.

It’s windy

We had optimistically planned the launch for the Monday about 2 weeks after our arrival. But when we looked at the wind conditions for that day and week, we weren’t so happy. The forecast predicted a lot of wind, and since we had to manoeuvre backwards in the narrow marina, we were looking for calm day. Wind from to our side would be even more unfavourable. So, we did everything we could to get into the water 2 days early.

Putting on an extra layer of antifouling on the hull in such short notice was a bit of a tight squeeze, but David and Claudia managed to splurge on a coat of Biocide successfully in a night time operation. In the meantime, I prepared my world-famous lasagne. And 24 hours later we were already anchored with Milagros off San Carlos. The launch went well: Ron from Mar de Luz helped us with the lines, Burrito started, we had no leaks on our thru hulls and there was no wind. Only the reverse manoeuvre turned out a bit hectic.

We are ready to go

We were happy to be back on the water in such a short time. Life in the boatyard is nothing compared to life on the water. Now we are looking forward to sailing with Claudia. We are curious to see how she will like it. What we can already say is that she finds washing up by hand just as annoying as we do.

Help Claudia deal with it

or

Celebrate the successful launch with us

Der Beitrag Jet Start Into The Second Season erschien zuerst auf Milagros.