Wednesday, 11 April 2012

We picked the best night for the crossing to San Carlos. Today the wind is howling at 35+knots and a heavy 40+ footer just came into the marina and tried to get into an upwind (opposite) slip of my arm of the Marina. They missed the slip which was almost opposite me and blew down broadside onto the three power boats to the left of my stern. For a while, I was concerned she would hit my stern. The power boat pulpits/anchors (they were all facing out of the slip) got entangled in the lifelines and stanchions of the sailboat and it took seven or eight people, John included, to help push the sailboat off. They finally got a line onto the bow from the other side of the channel and pulled her upwind into a slip. The powerboats did not suffer too much damage but the sailboats stanchions and lifelines were all bent and torn up.

The marina here is in a pretty location and has restaurants and stores dotted around the immediate area. This morning we visited the storage yard where Hilbre will live for the next six months. She will be hauled out of the water on a hydraulic lift trailer which is positioned under the boat on a ramp while she floats. She then moved about a half mile down the main road to the storage area. It should be quite a sight as she drives along the highway with mast and full rigging in place.

The storage area uses Hurricane poles which are buried deeply into the ground and these are used for the boat supports (see picture album). In high winds, the poles stop boats being blown over and causing a domino effect on all the other boats. She will be out of the water on April 18th., after which we will take the Executive bus from Guaymas to Phoenix and fly home from there.