Monday 3rd May 2021
I went to bed last night only to find I had left the portlight slightly open on the bash up here from San Carlos and the bed was soaking wet. I grabbed a blanket and headed for the sofa, but remembered that was home to the Aircon unit now, the passage bunk was full of stuff, so feeling around I found a dry patch at the edge and far end of my bed, crawled into that and quickly fell asleep.
Up at 6:30 due to the Port Capitania hailing a motor tanker on ch16, every 5 minutes, at first I assumed the ships radio officer/officer on watch was rubbish in not responding, it was only an hour later it became clear that the ship was a long way off and he couldn’t hear the capitania.
After a call to Kathy I hauled the anchor, it came up with a load of mud, and a plastic water bottle lodged inside the mud. Not sure how that could happen, unless maybe the bottle was there before the major movement of the tectonic plates five and a half million years ago that caused the Baja to form. That would be interesting.
This bay is quite big and home to a Pemex Oil terminal, a large grain terminal, other commercial docks, several large fishing fleets and it’s a navy base with a naval repair yard. It’s also very shallow with several channels marked out with buoys. I was a little bit concerned about the route, I tend to stay out of the main channels in commercial ports and edge along the outside, but with it being so shallow I wasnt sure if this would work, I didnt want to go aground. I also didnt want to meet any big ships on the way. A large navy patrol boat was heading in as I was preparing to leave. Also not knowing if there was a place in the marina was a worry, or if the anchorages were still available outside. Plan B was to just return to where I was on Pajares island. I also knew at the back of my head that these things nearly always turn out just fine.
The other night on the passage over from the peninsula, I messed up the settings on the depth gauge, these navman displays allow you to turn on the backlight for all the units by just pressing one. I normally press the Log unit light button, and hold it in for a couple of seconds, and all the navman displays light up, except that doesn’t work all the time anymore, so I had to press and hold the button on the depth sounder display, this didn’t work either and I ended up putting the unit into program mode where you can change the settings. Without being able to see the display, the random pressing of buttons I embarked on, created a most unusual sequence of beeps, but didn’t get the light on. When I did get to see the display with a torch, I had put it into setting the low water alarm mode, and who knows what else I had changed.
Now as I was sailing past the commercial port and the depth was showing as 2.2 metres, I was wondering if I had changed the offset, for or against me. The offset can make the water seem deeper or shallower on the display. I really need 2 metres to float.
Once past the navy pier I could see the marina and it had a lot of spaces, I called them up on the phone and they answered and gave me a choice of 3 berths, they had more. I went to the first one they said, but the boat in the opposite part of the berth had strung lines right across blocking my entrance, so I went to the one further down, which was a little small. The manager came down, and took my lines and suggested I move to one that he had reserved for someone else, and he would move them when they arrived, so out I went again, and back in on the other side. The neighbours complimented me on my docking skills, but really there was no current or wind, and I had a bow thruster at the ready, more for confidence than actual manoeuvering.
Once tied up, I visited the office and paid the grand sum of £55 for a week. (Water & Electricity may add another £5 to that)
The marina is one of a group all designed by the same guy and pretty much identical, except the one in Escondido is run by a private company and looks a lot better. It does seem that when you put the government in charge of a marina, it tends to fall apart, we saw the same in Malaysia. I can see the staff here try hard, but I suspect they don’t have the ability to raise the cash needed to make it work.
Off to town and I’m impressed, this town seems to have everything I could need. It’s quite run down, but has several charming bits, the market was lovely. I picked some provisions up in Ley, still no decent bread. There are definitely some things they do better in Baja California, Pan Bolillo being one of them.
On the 13 July 1854 the town defended itself against a French attack. For this success it was awarded the honour of being known as ‘Heroic Guaymas’. I heard that later in the revolution of 1910-1920 that the town found itself on the wrong side and most wealthy people left for the USA, and the town never recovered. I think there’s got to be more to it than that. I also heard that the Chinese are expanding the port as part of their ‘Belt and Road’ policy and plan to import goods to the USA through here.
The old churches I was hoping to see have long gone, they were out of town some distance and one has had a new church built on the site. Below is the San Fernando Church, I think this is early 19th C, but I will research more.
The Malecon runs along the waterfront in the centre of town, it seems rather unloved, but maybe it’s just that it’s monday morning, perhaps it comes to life at the weekends, we will have to see.
However I think this is definitely a trip hazard
On May the 5th I had a walk around town, there were many street venders out. Cinco de Mayo, as it is known, is a state holiday here, it commemorates the first Battle of Puebla where the Mexican army defeated the French during the U.S. Civil War on May 5, 1862, but only government offices close, everything else is quite normal.
Friday 7th May.
I start the day with a conference call with my customer in the UK, they want quite a few additions to the software I created for them last month. It’s going to take a few days, they realised that what they asked for wasn’t quite what they needed, and rather than leave them with software they can’t use I agree to fix it up. It’s going to take a few days to do, and I may lose my weather window to head south, so Im not very happy about it all. I agree that they must find someone to take over my role asap as I want to retire properly. Still the money is always useful.
After the call I head off by Uber to visit a pearl farm, the first modern one in the Sea of Cortez, using unique techniques to create and grow the pearls.
I can see the farm out in the bay, below you can see the workers cleaning todays batch of oysters, they are brought in on a regular basis and growth on the shells is removed. Come october the older ones will be harvested
After the farm I walk a mile or so along the coast to an old hotel from the 1930’s
It’s a very grand affair and I expect many celebs visited back in the day. They claim to have invented the mariachi band uniform here when the owners wife made the band dress up smartly in clothes she bought for them. This is supposed to have become the outfit worn these days.
I had been told to look at the wooden carvings that are known as the ‘Rape of Cadiz’ the adorn the bar room and are interesting,
I couldn’t raise an uber so walked back to the boat, it took me a couple or hours, but was great exercise and I took a few snaps along the way.
Mothers Day here is a little different
From the Mexican english news “The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) delivered Mother’s Day gifts to communities in Guanajuato, Jalisco and Michoacán on Monday in the name of leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.”
Cartel members arrived in communities in pickup trucks with banners declaring “Mr. Mencho and the CJNG wish all mothers a happy day” with a photo of the gang leader alongside.
With their faces covered, CJNG members handed out household appliances like blenders, microwaves, stoves and irons, according to videos and images on social media.
Some of the women recipients stayed in the area to show their appreciation and pose for the camera, while others headed home to put their new appliances to use.”
Here in Guaymas central, mothers paraded with posters/pictures of their loved ones, husbands, children, family who have disappeared, mostly down to the cartels. Some of the women form search parties and dig up areas out of town looking for mass graves. Very few of the ‘disappeared’ ever re-appear.
Yesterday a young graduate of 23 who had just left university with a Masters in chemistry and pharmacology was killed because he refused to work for a cartel in their drugs lab. Not sure a new microwave will cut it with his mum.
Tuesday 11th May
I have been working on this damm software for 3 days now and have at least one or two more days to go. I extended my stay here, but hope to leave by the weekend, weather permitting and head south. I plan to go to Mazatlan next, which is a few days slog, 400 nm . From there I think I will skip Puerto Vallarta (PV) and instead head back to La Paz. I can do PV with Kathy when she returns.
It’s getting hot now, most days are in the high 20s and will soon be in the 30s. Nights are hot and a little humid. I love it, but wish I was out there on the coast so I could jump overboard to cool down once in a while.
Paul Collister