La Paz Tears for Fears
We finally made it to La Paz. It had taken us more than one attempt to get there and we gained a new appreciation to understanding the winds, waves, and currents that make entry into La Paz so special. We were broken and exhausted after an 8-day crossing which should’ve taken 3 days. We hadn’t slept in over 24 hours and we barely limped in at less than 2 knots and it is a 16-mile entrance. We were back with our buddy boat the Tabula Rasa who welcomed us with a care package including snacks, drinks and smokes. Thank God for cruisers who understand. We were in a port with lots of resources so hopefully we would be able to get the Dragon running a little more reliably before we began the trip up into the Sea of Cortez. There was quite a little pressure to get things done in a timely fashion because hurricane season was approaching, and we had several hundred more miles to go before we could get far enough north to be safe. We set our anchor, got the dinghy down and headed in to do recon and figure out if we could get the services we needed.
Within hours we had contacts and direction. Next step some sleep and food. The next morning Dave began dismantling the top end of the engine. The fuel leak had become quite significant. Fortunately, he had rigged a system to capture the leaking fuel and we were recycling it and it wasn’t going into our bilge. He got the top end dismantled and we were dead in the water until the repairs could be made. We had an appointment for the next day to get the parts he needed to fix the problem, so we were going to be probably 48 hours without an engine. As the day progressed, the wind started to build and continued to build into the night. I was up reading and checking topside every 15 to 20 min. I was uncomfortable being anchored without an engine in the building winds. I had just checked and taken my bearings on the surrounding boats and went back below. Something didn’t feel right. I read a couple pages but couldn’t focus and went back up to check and my worst fears were realized. The boat that was behind us was now directly beside us and we were uncomfortably close. We were dragging. I woke Dave up, he came up and surveyed the scene and said there was nothing he could do without the engine. He thought we had most likely re anchored on the shoal and didn’t think we would drag much further. He went back to bed which made me so angry because that man can sleep through anything. I grabbed the boat hook and began an all-night vigil, prepared to fend us off the other boat if necessary, or put out fenders. That really is all we could do. Dave took over in the morning and explained things to SV Perspective’s Crew who were surprised to see their neighbors so close the next morning when they woke up. It was amazing that we drug parallel to them instead of on top of them. They had plans to leave but if our anchor was over theirs, they would wait until we got back and got the engine running. Cruisers are an amazing bunch.
We headed into town. A fellow Montana friend lent us her car and we were able to get our parts relatively easily. By evening Dave had the engine put back together, running and we were in the process of pulling anchor to re anchor where we weren’t quite so close to other boats. At this point something broke in me and all the stress of the crossing, the uncertainty of our engine woes, the dragging near miss, the worry about the hurricane season, the increasing heat, the lack of sleep all culminated, and I fell apart. I was a blubbering mess for a bit, but I got through it and things started to fall into place. It is amazing what a little food, water and sleep can do to restore a small measure of peace. That and having a functional engine once again. There was still a lot of work to be done but at least we were making steps in the right direction.
La Paz is a good place to be stuck if you are a cruiser. Lots of Gringos who speak English. A great dinghy dock with a reasonable docking fee that includes all the fresh water you need and an extremely active and well-organized cruiser club with a huge book and video library with Wi-Fi connections. There is a binder with all the local services that cater to cruiser needs with addresses and phone numbers. It is very easy to get information and help. It is the only place so far that I haven’t felt like I needed to reinvent the proverbial wheel. I was surprised to learn how many cruisers arrive, stay and then never leave. Lots of people have been there for years and even decades. There is lots of support if you need it.
Our next need was to find someone who could polish our fuel. We got hooked up with a fellow who was willing to reduce his price depending on how much work you want to do. He came and looked at our boat and the access to our tank and felt like he could help us. We still have the original black iron tank that came with the boat.
The final remaining piece of the puzzle…our passports. We had no valid IDs. Our Washington drivers’ licenses were expired, and the new ones didn’t reach us before we left Washington in April, so they were with Jayde in San Diego. We had to agree to have our existing passports cancelled when we presented them in Mazatlán for renewal, so we were travelling in Mexico with no valid identification. The ladies in Mazatlán had never encountered our particular situation so although they felt like we would receive our new passports in a timely fashion in La Paz they didn’t know for sure. The ladies at the Mazatlán DHL did not speak English and were confused by our request as well so that too was weighing on my mind. I checked my email daily and within 10 days we were notified our passports were in transit and the DHL office we randomly chose off a computer screen was within walking distance…well OUR walking distance so less than 5 miles away one way. With temps heating up and desert conditions, we may have to rethink our walk radius. Trees are becoming more scarce so sources for shade are decreasing and hydration is becoming even more of an issue. Within a couple more days, we got emails notifying us that our passports were in La Paz. The next day we got up and began our trek across La Paz in the morning to hopefully avoid the worst of the heat. We arrived and submitted our paperwork and the guy at the desk shook his head “NO”. Talk about deflating, I think I sagged about 2 inches. I shook my head “NO” back to him and again pointed at our paperwork. He scanned it again and went to the back and strolled out with a package for each of us. I was once again able to breathe and started to regain some of that height that I lost a few moments ago. We had our passports and the likeness on them actually looked like us. Whew…another weight off my shoulders. Talk about a roller coaster, I have got to get off this ride.
Our next adventure was to bring the Dragon into a slip so that Carlos and Dave to drain the fuel from our tanks into jerry cans, clean and scrub the fuel tank and then filter the fuel back into the clean tank. Carlos was meticulous. Had our fuel been polished in this manner in the states, we could have avoided a lot of the fuel problems that have been plaguing us on this trip. Our tank was surprisingly in pretty good shape and although it would be nice to replace, it is still very solid and will continue to serve its purpose for a long time yet. My job was to drag a cart to the gas station about a quarter mile away and fill jerry cans with more fuel and begin the process of filling our hundred-gallon tank 10 gallons at a time. It was the first-time out tank was completely full since we left the states, what a good feeling. Check out of the slip was noon. I went in at noon and asked for an extension and they gave me 3 more hours. We busted our butts but got the tank cleaned and filled, water tanks filled, and provisioned. The grocery store was a couple miles away. Kathy and I schlepped our groceries back and we were able to leave the slip right at 1500 just in time for a running tide and a marina full of current. We got shoved everywhere, nearly got pinned on a pier but in the end, we were able to get off the dock without damaging our boat or anyone else’s. We had gathered an audience which in the end drew applause. The current was a challenge and unexpected but nothing like what we dealt with in Bremerton so in the end it was all good.
Wow, at the end of the day, we were fully provisioned, had full fuel and water tanks. What a good place to be. This was the first time since leaving Port Townsend that we had achieved this level of preparation. I had logged more than 15 miles walking, an all-new level of exhaustion but oh what a good feeling. I was beginning to think that La Paz didn’t like us but once there she took good care of us. We were ready for new adventures.
SV Magic Dragon 