Headed back to La Paz
In December 2021, when I returned to Wahine Toa up in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico I had maintenance, repairs, and a bunch of housekeeping that needed to be accomplished. How fortunate for me that Cabrales boatyard has a fantastically helpful community, to include the owner of the yard, Salvador, and all of the lovely cruisers.
On top of this list of helpful people you will find Kim and Chris Taylor. Fellow sailors from Portland. Friends of friends I already knew to find them at the boatyard. Their boat, Kaaluna, was on stands one boat away from me. These guys were a great help and support to me, not to mention great instant friends. Often times I would borrow Chris as a second set of eyes or another pair of hands when needed. Thanks Kim for the loan! ;-)
Here we are working on re-bedding through-hulls. As intentional holes in ones boat, controlled by ball valves on the inside, it’s quite important these remain water tight. As it is impossible to be both on the inside of the boat lining things up to ensure the proper position of what is to be mounted on the through hull AND outside the boat manoeuvring the through hull Chris was a much needed asset to the project.
Then came the bottom paint. To make lighter work of it I hired the boatyard to sandblast the old layers off. After that the hull needed to be cleaned and prepped for the paint.
Here in Mexico it can be hard to find the supplies you need. If and when you do find them they can be quite pricey. One of the benefits of being so close to the border is that a day trip to Phoenix can often produce the results you need. Then there is the option to ship to GasTrack. GasTrack is primarily a gas station just across the line in a town called Lukeville. They will happily receive a shipment for you then happily receive a fee from you. It’s a win/win, for sure.
In an effort to save some money I found the paint I wanted through a distributor on the east coast. I ordered the paint to be shipped to a friends house in Phoenix. “Great”, I thought. “I can avoid the fees at GasTrack, see my friend, grab other stuff I need and enjoy a trip to Phoenix”. Well, best laid plans. The distributor only sent two of the three cans. For the size of Wahine Toa and the minimum two coat suggestion, a third on leading edges, when you’ve stripped a hull down two cans just wasn’t going to cut it. Of course I called and was told one can got damaged in shipping so they needed to send me out another can. Guess where I picked it up…. So no avoiding those fees after all. Oh well.
Next up, paint the hull. I pulled out my coveralls, gloved up, used my face mask and did my best to avoid a majority of skin contact and breathing in fumes. This stuff is pretty toxic.
There were many great aspects of Wahine Toa and I being in Peñasco. One being that I was located 3 hours south of Phoenix, Az and just about anything I couldn’t find in Mexico was only a drive away. If I couldn’t find it in a store in Phoenix I could have it delivered to a high school friend, Brenda, whom I reconnected with due to my proximity! What a fortunate situation!!! Not only could I have a proper catch up with this long, lost amiga but she, being the person she is, was always willing to assist me.
One of the bigger tasks at hand was to fix a leaking hydraulic back stay tensioner. This is attached to a cable running up to the top of my mast and is used to stabilize the mast & sometimes adjust the tension to shape both sails. This job was indeed meant for a professional with the right equipment. I wasn’t able to find someone in Peñasco so my search turned to Phoenix. I was in luck!
After dropping off kit and hydraulic ram it was figured that it would take a week max to get it back. Unfortunately the seal kit purchased through a professional distributor was, in fact, not correct despite taking all measurements and comparing them to their published chart. Luckily this hydraulics guy was BOSS! He not only sent back the incorrect kit for my full refund but also put together the correct kit himself. This cost me a bit more time and money and still not comparable to the value of a new ram! Yay hydraulics guy!!!
Once this tricky bit was re-installed Wahine Toa was ready to splash!
I felt, for my first time painting a hull, she turned out nicely. Here she is going back into the water, finally!
Splash day was a great day! Oh how good it felt to be floating again. Honestly I get a little sketched out working on my boat on the hard. It just doesn’t feel natural!
But being afloat again, that feels heavenly!
And, take a look at her new paint! She’s a happy girl.
And, clearly I am a happy girl!
It sure is an interesting, and slightly scary, process getting both lifted and splashed. Definitely a memory maker. I sure am grateful to the professionals at Astilleros Cabrales
Leaving Puerto Peñasco with two souls on board my crew mate, Terry, and I headed southwest pointing Wahine Toa back towards the Baja Peninsula. It was estimated to take a little under 24 hours to our first anchorage on Isla Angel de la Guarda, and that it did.
Sail Rock, Isla Angel de la Guarda
The crossing was brilliant! We sailed the entire way with no swell to speak of and a following breeze. A glorious sunrise greeted us as we approached Refugio, a lovely little spot at the northern tip of the island. This was Terry’s first overnight crossing and he held his own beautifully.
We only spent one night in Refugio before making our way down the coast of the island to another anchorage that was said to be a great place to visit. I couldn’t confirm or deny this as we stayed there less than 12 hours!
Anchoring later in the day we had our meal and turned in for the night. Our sleep as disrupted by rocking and rolling as the fetch that kicked up came right in, hitting us on the nose and making for an uncomfortable stay. Even before we had coffee the engine was on and we were getting the heck outta there. Coffee definitely came later.
Next stop was the Bay of LA, just across the channel from our anchorage. We found a good spot and dropped the hook just in time for an “elefanté “. These are high winds caused by low pressure systems from the Pacific side. The valleys funnel these winds down into Bahía de Los Angeles, one of the few places here in Baja that experience this. Terry, & I anchored for a few days, explored a little & provisioned before taking off again.
Once anchored in empty little cove called Puerto Don Juan where we were met with coyotes on the beach. That was super cool!
Stopping only a few places before we were due in Santa Rosalia Terry & I faced a familiar (for me) experience. We had made good time and were scheduled to moor by nightfall. However, things did not go as planned. Terry was on the helm when all of a sudden he shouted down that we had no steerage. We were enjoying some fresh breezes & following seas that were gently pushing us towards our destination until we lost steerage and rounded up. This is when things got exciting!
‘Rounding up’ is what a boat under sail will do naturally when one loses control of the helm. Due to the winds pressure on the sails and the pivot point of the boat the boat will swing around until the bow points directly into the wind. The breeze that we barely felt as we were sailing along with it was now felt full force, 20-25 knots! Along with the 4-6’ swell it was quite fun going forward to bring down the sails. Next, we deployed my trusty emergency tiller, kicked on the engine and made our way safely into Santa Rosalia.
Santa Rosalia is a lovely port! It was my second time docking here so I do apologise for the lack of photos. Here Terry replaced the frayed steering cable. So glad the previous owners had an abundance of spare parts already on board! The change over to the new harness was simple enough in theory but due to the location significant boat yoga was needed. Between the two of us we were successful.
While in Santa Rosalia Terry departed Wahine Toa and I scored new crew for the remainder of the journey south. How fortunate! Another boat that Christina was crewing on was departing for a haul out almost directly across the sea from Santa Rosalia in Guaymas. Christina has just begun her time in the sea and was not quite ready to end it. Brandt, the owner of the boat she was on, was also entertaining the idea of single handing his first overnighter. We were all in agreement and Christina joined Wahine Toa.
Another fortunate event was the opportunity to visit with fellow sailor friends, Tony & Irma. These two I met during my first stay in La Paz. Their boat Simplicity was moored next to me & we became fast friends. Again I found myself tied right next to Simplicity.
Wahine Toa in Tony & Irma’s backyard.
Living only 30 minutes south of Santa Rosalia the two came up for us to have dinner. During our meal they extended an offer to anchor off their back yard and visit their home, which we did. That was a first for me, and for them. We sailed down, dropped the hook, and rowed the dingy to shore. So much fun!
Our next stop was Mulegé. To visit this spot required a dingy ride up river, dodging shallows along the way. Here we walked the streets, got ice cream, and took in the random murals we’d stumble upon. Tiny, lovely little town.
Continuing on we would stop in a few familiar places. Puerto Escondido is probably my favorite mooring field. Surrounded by small mountains (cerros in Español) and pretty protected there is a fantastical feel to this port. Close to the marina is Steinbeck Canyon (aka Tabor Canyon). As you might suspect it is indeed nicknamed after the famous author, John Steinbeck, after his visit to the area where, at the invitation of locals, he hiked the rugged trail. (Read more ~ here ~)
Last time I was here I missed the opportunity to visit this picturesque canyon. This time I wasn’t about to let it escape me again.
Between Escondido and La Paz we made more stops in places such as Agua Verde, San Evaristo, and Isla Partida. Here are more photos from the trip south….
