Nov 5 2010, to La Paz

Pulled the hook up @ 7:45 in Hook Bay...and sailed and motored back to La Paz.  I set up the Mizzen staysail and polled out the Genoa...the main even went up at the end.  Not much wind...but when I motorsailed I got 6 knots, only 4.5 knots with the motor only.  We arrived @ 4 PM...hate that...the tide was coming in and we had a little trouble mooring.  I have included a shot up at the radar arch and the wind indicator/anemometer.

Nov 4 2010

Got into Hook Bay by 2 PM.  Brant got sea sick (during the rolling I got woozy...but OK).  Unloaded the Tinker and rowed ashore and back.  The wrist stimulator worked for Brant...better than meds.  Hooray!

La Paz 2010, 11/4-5

That evening as we sit at anchor in Cardonel Bay...we heard the bildge pump go on 3 times in a row.  Nothing makes ones heart stop faster than hearing water come in your boat.  I started quickly searching...the obvious place to look...stuffing box.  YUP!!  that was it...water pouring out in a small stream.  The Noe Mar has everything easily accessible...however,  you do need to remove a few (like 10) bronze screws to get the pipe wrench onto the threaded nut that  is part of the stuffing box.  Having done that, Brant handed me some waxed lashing line and I asked for the knife and lanolin.  I unscrewed the big nut...water really poured out, then wrapped the line around the propeller shaft, lots of lanolin, and hand screwed the nut on.  Water stopped coming in..Hooray!!  I snugged (not to tight) the nut, and put everything back,.  All was well.

Yes, I did fix dinner...Tilapia with garlic and tomatoes in olive oil.

Anchor up @ 8 AM and off to "Hook Bay" on the Isla San Francisco.  No wind, but lots (15-20 knots) last night.  Motored to keep the fridge and food cool...Oops..a block of ice next time and maybe another battery to our bank.  As you can see, we did get some wind.

La Paz, Nov 2010 first day

We installed a new block, the old one was white plastic and the sun destroyed it...what a mess on my last trip getting into the marina.  Block on the main halyard and she was ready to be cleaned. Went and stocked up on food.

 Next day we took off @ 9 AM.  No wind...but after winding our way out of the long harbor of La Paz, we got wind from 4-7 knots.  Up went the sails, shut off the mtr and sailed @ 4.9 knots, pointing about 5-10 deg off wind (yes we have a wind anemometer and a apparent direction indicator on the mizzen).   By noon we had to turn on the mtr...1.5 knots sailing is a bit slow for me.  :-) We were headed to Isla Partida and Cardonel Bay for anchorage.

La Paz, Nov 2010

Interesting, as I was flying home after a fun week with Brant Walsh  (Highland's IT guy) on the Noe Mar, a fellow and his wife were commenting about a fun Kayak trip from Loreto to La Paz, BCS.  They had a small sail boat that they sailed in New Mexico.  As they left he said:  Why did you not get a plastic boat rather than a wooden one.

More interesting is the fact a guy at the Marina de La Paz (where the Noe Mar is moored) was interested in sailing with me on a "Gaffer"...but he was concerned about it being made out of "wood".  WOW!!!  Wonder how all of us got here on this continent?

Let me assure everyone...a wood hulled boat is great.  Yes, in the hot climate of La Paz it takes more upkeep...seems even the bronze rivets (she is an all bronze fastened hull...redone in the 1980's) like to push out the fairing compound in their homes. Also she is a bit heavy, but I have still sailed her @ 9 knots and one of our days averaged 6 knots on this trip (motor and sail combined).  Still, she hasn't been hauled for 3  years and her bottom paint is still great (so the diver says).  I might mention, that a wooden hull absorbs water...thus at and below the water line it is the same as ballast...that and her isolated lead keel keep  her upright in the heaviest weather you can imagine.

Here is my crew...Brant Walsh...