Meeting and Visit to Mogote Peninsula

I met Neil at noon to discuss the repowering project. The marina is very flexible in that they will allow me to do as much of the work myself as I want to. I told Neil that I have neither the tools nor the skills to do much of the work, but I was willing to do the hack work myself. (I have a hunch that I might wind up doing much of the engine bed preparation myself because I am willing to put in a lot of time, energy, and patience to ensure that the result is within a half a degree of perfect.)

We discussed the extraction of the SABB engine, which weighs over 850 lb. I undertook to dismantle as much of it as possible. Since the engine will probably be scrapped I'll try to remove the cylinders and pistons. I'll also detach the Hurth gear box.

I have been booked to move the boat into slip 108 on Tuesday 22 June, one week away. Bob Carroll has agreed to help Brenda and myself to move the boat, which we must back into the slip. I do not anticipate much trouble with this if we follow Bob's advice to move the boat at slack water. The slip will be to my left as I approach the dinghy dock and my prop walk when in reverse will pull the stern to the left, which will make the operation much easier.

Once I am in the slip Joel will visit the boat to assess the job and start planning the scaffolding work for extraction of the SABB engine. I'm beginning to think that we can use the boom to lift the engine up and swing it onto the jetty. I would have to spent a couple of hundred dollars on a new topping lift, but that would be much cheaper than paying for the time required to put together a scaffold and besides, that topping lift should have been replaced before I left Fremantle.

I'll then work until the following Monday taking breaking the SABB down as much as possible. At about that time the new Volvo should arrive so we will work fast to get the SABB out of the way.

I spoke with Neil about keeping Pachuca in the marina until September and he sees no problem with that, and I suspect that he is delighted because there are quite a few empty pens around during this low part of the season. I read the marina requirements and one of them is that we must drop the headsail and remove all canvas if we leave the boat for more than 48 hours. The anchor must be removed from the bow roller. All this is no doubt to reduce windage and damage in the event of a hurricane.

I found the rates to be reasonable: $530 USD per month, which reduces to about $18 USD per day. This will bring advantages of access to the internet, showers, and the dinghy dock facilities that have been costing $30 per month.

This marina and its boats were heavily damaged during hurricane Marty in Septembert 2003 (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wyzlZdTiHo and http://www.clubcruceros.org/HurricaneMarty/Marty%28T%29/thumbnails.html). I'm told that most of the boats wound up stacked like toys at one side of the marina. I asked Neil if my boat would be safe and he assured me that the metal breakwater that has been put in place since that disaster will prevent a repetition. I then watched the video of Hurricane John whose eye passed over La Paz in September 2006 and saw for myself the improvements that Marina de La Paz had made. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd0WOj8CTuk&NR=1)

In the late afternoon the wind was calm so Brenda and I visited the Mogote Peninsula on the Zodiac. Along the way we dropped by Bob's boat and I made the introductions. We visited some mangroves then went ashore on a small stretch of sandy beach where Brenda took off like a jack rabbit to do her bird watching thing. I enjoyed seeing the full expanse of La Paz from that perspective.

Brenda's Bird of the Day. The Mogote is vegetated with mangroves and other plants suited to harsh and salty conditions. As I peered among the bushes a large insect whizzed by. Was it an insect? Luckily it returned and hovered, perched and darted and the tiny wings were beating in a blurry figure of eight. A Hummingbird! From the bird book it was probably a Costa's Hummingbird - the only one down here. They are only 3 1/2 inches long.