#boatprojects – SV Cariba

La Cruz really is like “velcro”!

In our last post we made mention of heading towards Mazatlan. We had friends there and also wanted to see Carnaval…. but the north winds had other plans for Cariba and crew. (Sorry Christina and Darren!) We sat for a several weeks in Chamela waiting for the northers to abate. It can be very challenging to make plans to meet up as the weather really dictates where and when you go. We are also not in a big hurry to head north as we are waiting for the Sea of Cortez to warm up. We were so cold up there last year and we are not in a hurry to repeat that experience! So we are slowing down and enjoying our time in the south.

What’s up “dock”!? & Life isn’t too “hard”

So we have been home from Mexico since the end of March and the time has flown by. We have a new adventure planned for us and SV Cariba so preparations and projects are underway. So this means time on the dock…not sailing yet!

And our Mexican season begins!

As we get ready to leave the dock and start our season of cruising the Sea of Cortez I thought I would catch everyone up on what we have been doing to keep busy. It has been literally 1 month since we left home and it feels both like yesterday and a lifetime ago at the same time.

Summer at the dock!?!!

Not the summer weather we hoped to come home to!

As you can see in the video above the weather on our return was not the best…and this went on for some weeks! As I started to write the first drafts of this post it is feeling more like summer. As you may recall our goal was “perpetual summer” with our winters in the Sea of Cortez and summers here at home. Can someone cue summer and turn up the heat!

Hauled out and hauling home!

Well we are truly on the home stretch of our first season cruising the Sea of Cortez – aka avoiding the PNW winter rain and cold. I am sitting in our last hotel in the US since leaving Guaymas. Tomorrow we will with cross the border into Canada after driving nearly 3600 kms from Mexico. We will have traveled through 6 states, 2 provinces and two borders by the time we finally make it home to Vancouver in mid May. But before filling you in on the long haul home, let me fill you in on the haul out!

We had arrived at the Fonatur Marina Guaymas and the work of getting Calidris ready for storage “on the hard” began. We needed to prepare her for a long hot summer in the desert heat and the list of chores seemed endless. And to add to the list, we decided to start a galley renovation as well! But first let’s get her out of the water……and wait…isn’t the car still in Puerto Penasco??!!

🌞 Let the sunshine in!!

It feels like the time left here in the Sea of Cortez is melting away.. appropriate choice of word considering it’s starting to get really warm now. I’m sitting at anchor in the beautiful Bahia Aqua Verde to write this blog update. This will be our furthest point south but we have lots of stories to tell you about our journey here and how the sunshine and the need for power directed our path

Floods, splashing, sailing, night watches and more!

I am sitting in Santa Rosalia and reflecting on all that has transpired in the last two weeks and almost don’t know where to start to tell the stories! The 25 hours 126nm passage here from Puerto Don Juan Brian described as some of the most challenging sailing he has experienced in years….. and as newbie to longer and night passages, well my emotions ranged from “OMG” to “WHEEEE”… but more about that after I fill in the gaps leading up to that dramatic passage.

Ball valves with no balls, boosters and road trips!

Yes we are still in the boatyard…. but we have good reasons. It has been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster ride for the last month, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. We will be spending the holidays on the hard. But before I elaborate on why we are still here, let’s fill you in on what we have been up to in the meantime.

Kindred spirits in S#*T Guest blog post from Suddenlysailing

View of the entrance out to the Sea of Cortez. We hope to be out there soon!

We are still in the boatyard in Puerto Penasco and the work to get Calidris ready to hit the water continues. We (note we means Brian) just started this week’s smelly messy task – changing out the toilet pump and sewage hoses. I will spare you any pics… it ain’t pretty. Remember we did the same thing on Cariba not so long ago when we put in a new holding tank….ewwww . That story can be found under the heading “Where do old holding tanks go to die?” – Feb 18, 2020.

Well then it was interesting when last night I got a request from a fellow sailing blogger to swap posts and guest blog on each others’ site. Apparently unbeknownst to her, our “shitty” worlds were aligning even though we are several 1000 miles apart – but as we our both up to our elbows in shit, I thought it was appropriate! Enjoy the read, Ruth is a great writer.

https://suddenlysailing.ca/2021/11/21/stirring-up-some-shit/

Some pics to show what else we have been up to!

Outdoor cleaning – the desert dust is relentless

It’s not all work, we do take some time to play and lunch breaks!

Are we crazy! Two boats!!

As most of you know we have a great boat at home in Vancouver… and any boat is a labour of love …..and a hole in the water in which you pour cash, frequently. So why on earth would somebody want to double that type of trouble? Let’s just say we look at it differently… it is double the fun and adventure! And did I mention no more PNW winters for a while!!!!