THE LEAST GLAMOROUS JOB ON A BOAT - FIXING THE HEAD

Re-sealing the pump

Me broken after finding a whole pump assembly

Flash brand new, newly installed pump

A well deserved sunset beer, while painting my nails

I keep getting told that sailboats are good for character building and I think the head  aka toilet, was the first thing on the boat to help build character.

The head has been an issue for me since the start. Originally the boat had a compost head. Emptying it involved carrying the 'jug' of urine or bag of compost out past the galley (kitchen) to throw overboard. Safe to say the compost head was made redundant on my boat almost immediately. 

Now the new standard pump head wasn't working properly and was leaking. As with any component, it seemed a $90 seal kit/service was in order. 

In all fairness Hendo offered to do it, but with my weak stomach and average mechanical aptitude, I figured if I could do this, then I could actually do anything.

WORST JOB EVER!!! The grossest thing I have done to date. Once it was all back together, the toilet was now working, but it was still leaking out of the cover. Turns out there was a crack in the plastic. At this point I was shitty - no pun intended! 

I had to go back to the Chandlery and find a cover which of course they didn't have. To make sure we were talking about the same cover the shop assitant pulled out a complete pump unit. I asked the price very half-assed thinking a whole unit wouldn't even be an option when he told me it was $125.

At this point I was broken! 

I spent 4 hours of my life, covered in poo, to save $35! 15 mins (minus the 30 mins I spent telling everyone about my outrage) and an extra $125 later toilet was fixed, there were no leaks and I had learnt a very valuable lesson.

When it comes to anything on a boat that has to do with human excrement, don't repair it, replace it!

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LEAVING THE BOATYARD

On the trailer all ready to hit water




Hendo and I excited after the final coat



Captain Spec

  



*Notice the CAT tractor!!

The day after we arrived back in La Paz we applied the final coat of paint that was needed and we made plans with the yard to put the boat back in the water. First smoothly run, simple task complete for the trip.

The boat going into the water however proved nervous times for everyone as Hendo had replaced the prop seal aswell as changed some thru hulls so he was hoping that they had sealed properly and I was just nervous about the fact these guys were putting my boat on a trailer hauled by an old cat logging skidder and driving it into the water. 

As they were about to hit water they pulled back up the ramp a little and realised it wasn't straight. They hadn't set it on the trailer right so had to get the stands back out and straighten the boat up properly and re-set it. Not something you particularly want to watch when your already nervous. 

Hendo was already on the boat when it hit water checking the hull for leaks. Some water was expected to leak as the prop seal has to swell from the water, which was happening, but it wasn't more than the bilge pump could keep up with, which was perfect.

Pulling out of the Marina we had our first hairy moment - we were expecting many as new sailors, but not quite so soon.

 We knew that in reverse the boat would walk to starboard but not quite to the point that it did. As it was put into reverse, it instantly became like a magnetic force attracted to the rocks just past the dock.  

We were inches from smashing into them. I thought we were done. Apparently time is meant to feel like it stops at points like that, it definitely didn't feel like it, but maybe it actually did stop because somehow with Hendo yelling directions and me being somewhat responsive on the helm we fluked our way into not hitting them.

After several attempts, we managed to get it off the ramp and into open water, celebrations were in order, we hadn't shipwrecked it.

We were close enough to the rocks though, that we even did a bit of a dive on the hull to see if it had contacted. At this point, she was still pristine! 

We were ready for our next obstacle... Anchoring!

 

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THREE WEEKS ON

Sunset over Marina Don Jose



Dive Operations on Tobasco II



Fleet of Dinghy's for Gunthers Memorial

 

Getting Sexy Bruce Ink from Manuel

 

Nearly 3 weeks post hurricane Odile and life around the sailing community has started to come back together. The constant hugs and questions of how you are coping are getting few and further between.

A lot of the boats have been pulled off the beaches and the ones too far gone signed over to salvagers. 

The bodies of the three fellow sailors lost at sea were found and memorials have been held in their honour.

We have spent a week diving for the personal items of Paul and Simone on Tobasco II. An honour to be able to help out the family of an amazing couple that I know would have done the same if the circumstances had have been reversed.

Once again, the dolphins are visiting, the sunsets have become beautiful and the gentle rock of the boat at night is soothing to sleep to. All signs that La Paz and the sailing community here is slowly healing. 

 

 

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HURRICANE ODILE



The boat two days after the hurricane

 

The morning after, The Marker and Powerboat that nearly hit us

La Paz after Hurricane Odile



Morning after Hurricane Odile, pics from the boat




I really am not 100% sure how to write about this.. I know for myself and the people around me this is still very raw.

 

For the first time in my life, I was scared sh*tless. Like not just superficial fear, like fear of losing my life and in all honesty, we got off really lightly. 

 

In short, we lost our whole anchor and chain, nearly drifted into a powerboat, managed to power around them but then as we were trying to set another anchor we ran aground. We spent the rest of the night sitting on a 45 degree angle. Every time we thought we were all good for a bit, something would happen. We had a couple of sailboats run into us, a powerboat come charging for us, as we watched through the companionway - luckily it hit the ground before us. We also had a red channel marker that mocked us even into the next day while recovering the anchor rope, we did get free racing stripes however.

In comparison to the boats with sailors still on them a week later - bailing out water and still on the beach, or the amazing chick Autumn that got thrown from her boat and spent the night in the mangroves, or the two boats that sunk with lives lost, we really have nothing to complain about.

I don't think anyone in the sailing community knew quite what was coming and I think if we did hurricane Odile would have been tackled differently. 

I haven't seen Cabo, where the eye of the hurricane hit. But I keep hearing the word devastation as a common description of it. It is currently under Marshall Law. Riots have been happening as food and water has been scarce.

 

La Paz has been more peaceful. Without power and water, but shops have food in them. There are still places not accessible but for us as foreigner's we don't see them unless we look.

 

Hurricane Odile is said to have been the strongest storm on par with the 1967 Hurricane Olivia to hit the southern tip of Baja. Death toll according to media says 4, all of which are foreigner's. Seems uncanny that not a single Mexican has died in this Hurricane. 

 

My heart goes out to the family of Gunther, long time resident of La Paz and the sailing community. Gunther and Fritz (the most amazing and charismatic Chihuahua) will be well missed.

 

The biggest shock to me is the sinking of Tobasco II. It shows me how ferocious the hurricane was to see this outcome for these so well equipped and knowledgeable sailors. Paul and Simone have played a massive role in a lot of people lives, whether it be offering advice or helping with the most difficult tasks, they were always happy to lend a hand.

The clean up and searching is still continuing. All we can do is continue to put more back into the community and help out where we can.

 

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TRYING TO EMBRACE WINTER

 

Apparently I can't avoid winter, no matter how much I try so I decided this break while visiting mum in country Vic, that instead of loathing winter, I would embrace it. 

In the theme of winter, I pulled out my snowgear and got excited enough to peel myself away from the heater and drive two hours each way to spend the day hitting the 'slopes' at Mt Baw Baw. Snowboarding is my only exception to winter and it was actually awesome. The vis was bad, the snow was sludgy and it was drizzling all day but it was fun to be 'shredding'. 

Mt Baw Baw surprised me a little. Firstly I didn't realise the resort only had pommers and T-bars. Initially I found this kind of daunting, but after several runs and no incidences I realised this wasn't a problem. Secondly, Baw Baw is packed with tree runs. All are quite short, but there are heaps of little kickers over soft terrain which allowed me to hit them unnoticeably confident.

The really good thing about having a mountain so close to mums is the recovery from the cold at the end of the day. This meant I got to sit back in my spot in front of the heater, with a hot water bottle, mums pea and ham soup and two very warm, cuddly sausage dogs.

My winter advice... find some sun! If you can't, find your local mountain. 

 

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