Three weeks ago, the m/v PAC ANTARES finally arrived in Ensenada with our precious cargo. She was several days late, due to heavy weather in the Gulf of Mexico and off Costa Rica. I was fretting around the house with my bags packed next to the door for those last couple of days. My good friend McKenzie- who I sailed around the South Pacific with for 2 years- actually took a whole week off work and family to help me bring Océalys back to San Francisco (thank you Meewon). It's the wrong direction and the wrong time of year, so I really appreciated his help and experience.
We flew down to San Diego and my broker Ron was kind enough to drive us from the airport to the border. From there we walked across into Mexico and took a bus to Ensenada, an hour away, for $11. It was a really nice bus with a TV showing some movie with Johnny Depp dubbed in Spanish. We had a hotel right next to the marina where we were going to berth Océalys the next day, and we could see the cargo ship across the harbor. The next morning, after breakfast, we were brought alongside the cargo ship,and Océalys was already in the water. We spent an hour or so getting her ready and then we just waved to the crew and motored away. Funny, no one checked any paperwork or even asked us anything before we cast off the ship.
There was no apparent major damage (big relief) except a bunch of what appeared to be rainwater got into the salon and drowned my printer that was on the floor. Heading towards the dock though, I noticed some white smoke coming from the Port engine. We spent the rest of the day making ready and headed out of Ensenada at oh-dark:30 the next morning. McKenzie had laid in GPS waypoints all the way to San Diego, and we figured out how to get the autopilot to follow all the waypoints automatically. If all went well, it was to take about 10 hours. It was a beautiful day, without a breath of wind.
My first log entry aboard Océalys:OCT 25. 0530HRS. Exited Ensenada hrbr. Full Moon. Seas calm. Winds calm. Running stbd engine only. Port engine water pump suspected faulty. Nav lights inop. Stbd alternator charging > 8 amps.
0730HRS. 31º55.59N 116º51.782W. Course 292ºM.
Steaming to wpt MX001. 7knots, 2200rpm stbd engine. Wind 5kts. Seas calm. Raised mains'l.
Aside from having only one motor, we made it to San Diego after a pretty uneventful, sunny and warm day. The seas and wind were calm the whole way. McKenzie caught a little bonito, and U.S. Customs buzzed us in a high-speed boat, asked us a few questions and waved us on. (By the way, be advised that this blog will be choked with images of all manner of beasties fished, hunted and trapped :-)We checked into the U.S. with Customs and got a cruising permit for Océalys, since she's French, that allows her to stay here for a year. We'd also called ahead for a mechanic, and he came aboard the next morning to have a look at the Port engine. We found an obstruction in the salt water intake, which we dislodged, and that seemed to make things better. We got some fresh food and planned on leaving at 0430 the next morning.
The weather off the coast of San Diego was still calm, although colder, and we made our way out of the harbor as planned. When we turned North at the exit of the channel, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge, very dense kelp patch which stopped the boat in its tracks. Once there was a little more light, we saw a path out and with some sail up, drifted slowly out of the Star-Trek like "ship trap". We motored a little further and the Port engine started smoking again. I sent an email to Wayne and John- sailing buddies- to help diagnose, and they got back to me right away. What we were looking at, combined with their feedback and the rough weather that was in front of us made me take a decision to turn around and go back into San Diego. The problem was going to need to be fixed somewhere. Might as well be before we try to go around Point Conception...
