Taking the seanic route
Published 04/23/2025
We continued our journey to Refugio on Isla Angel de La Guarda and anchored and headed to bed. We left at 4:50 pm from the dock, we anchored at 13:50. 21 hours. We woke up about 6 pm, and will check the weather again for our next move.
We did not do very much the rest of the day. Finally off to bed.
Published 04/23/2025
Up at 6:30 or so. Breakfast, bible reading.
Then I filled the water tank, and took the shore power cable off, when I started the water pump for the water maker, a breaker tripped, so I ran the generator at the dock while running the water maker. By noon, we were ready to checkout. We drove the truck up the yard to put it in storage, then walked back to the port captain to finish our paperwork. High tide was at 2:17 pm, and since it was a 17.6 foot tide swing today, we wanted to exit the harbor near high tide so there would be minimal current pushing us around. Well, the port captain had other ideas, the port was closed until 5 pm, so we did our part of the paperwork, but could not leave and had to return at 5 to get our permit.
Back to the boat, a nap and then Michael came over to join us for happy hour. At 4:30 we got the paperwork and by 4:50 we were off the dock and headed out.
The first part of our trip was pretty uneventful, the winds were not horrible, nor were the waves. The sun went down at about 6 and the moon came up about an hour later (almost full). Overnight the winds and waves came up where we had a forecast for a peak wind speed of 18 knots, we actually saw sustained 28 knots at one point. An important fact about wind force related to wind speed, the force is a square function, meaning if the wind speed doubles, then the force goes up by a factor of 4. We are about 8 miles away. Highest wind 28 knots and probably 6 ft waves. Very uncomfortable . Wind is under 20 now, waves no longer breaking on deck.This is the text I sent about noon the next day: “We are about 8 miles away. Highest wind 28 knots and probably 6 ft waves. Very uncomfortable. Wind is under 20 now, waves no longer breaking on deck.”
What I didn’t say, was the grapefruit I had as a midnight snack, didn’t stay down (bad news) but the waves breaking on the boat washed it off.
No pictures today
Published 04/23/2025
Up at 6:30 or so. Breakfast, laundry then church with Michael Gingrich, followed by lunch.
We did not do much else. At dinner we thought about the TV situation and perhaps inviting someone over to watch an easter service on Sunday. The TV in our salon doesn’t work (it got saltwater in it), I have since sealed the crack at the base of the mast. So, we checked and even though it was 7 pm on Sunday, Sam’s Club was still open (until 10 pm) so we got our measurements and ran down and bought a TV, good news it was NOT a Samsung (I have had incredibly bay luck with that brand and their customer service is probably the worst I have ever encountered). Bad news, the mount on the back of the TV did not line up with our mount, so either an adapter (a piece of wood with holes ?) or back for a different TV. Good news, they had one with the correct bolt pattern, Bad news… it was the Samsung. Oh well. We bought it and I had it installed by about 9 pm
Published 04/23/2025
Up at 6:30, not a very good nights sleep. We are thinking this may not be the day to leave. We will check the weather again and see when it is good. The tides are moving later in the day.
Tides:
High 1:52 pm today +16.5’
Low 7:56 pm +.5 ft
High 1:51 am Sunday +15.4’
Low 8:00 am -1.1’
High 2:17 pm +16.5’
Low 8:21 pm +1.2’
High 2::12 am Monday +14.75’
Low 8:21 am -.9’
High 2:43 pm. +16’
It took us 19 hours to get from Refugio to the buoy and another hour or so to get to the dock.
(The following was a table, but it does not go into the blog that way).
Approximate time Wind at Peñasco Wind middle of the sea Wind at Refugio
1200 today 8 7 8
1800 6 12 6
2400 12 15 11
0600 Sunday 7 12 5
1200 9 8 5
1800 7 11 3
2400 8 18 7
0600 Monday 10 13 5
1200 10 11 5
1800 9 12 7
Options:
Departure 1400 today
Departure 1400 Sunday
Departure 1400 Monday
We have decided to stay until Monday and leave about 2 pm.
Published 04/20/2025
Up at about 7. Breakfast, bible reading getting organized, then off the boat. Drop off laundry, then off to the restaurant supply store for some meat and other odds and ends. Sams club and the Bodega Tienda (Walmart) to finish the shopping. Next stop lunch, the first place had an awful smell so we went to the second place and got way too much food. After picking up the laundry we went back to the boat. Reneé put all the food away, I sorted laundry then updated the blog.
When she was done then it was my turn, first the light in the aft head above the mirror got replaced, then the lower stern navigation light, it has been working occasionally, we have two so I wasn’t too worried about it, but now it works all the time.
Finally the big job, replace the propane solenoid. It is actually a pretty easy job, just that where it is makes it a pain. The propane locker is accessed from on deck in the aft port corner. So, it is a matter of removing the tanks, and then taking out the regulator and solenoid. A screwdriver and a couple of wrenches. Then reverse the process and stick the two wires through the plug to get them into the aft Lazerette. This where the fun begins, there are two wires coming from the switch and two wires from the solenoid, but it is behind the propane locker which means climbing into the aft lap and reaching around behind the fiberglass locker to get to the wires and make the connections. But it was all done by about 5 pm.
Ok, so we are not done yet. We washed the boat and flushed a couple of slow drains, the starboard scupper (deck drain), the sink in the aft head (always slow) and the right kitchen sink, we usually wash dishes in the left one which means anything that accumulates in the drain for the right sink pretty much sits there (the way the drains work the left sink drain goes straight down, and the right sink tees into it.
So, by 6.45, it is shower time.
No pictures today.