Safe in the marina

I just spoke with Bob and he is tied up in Marina Mazatlan.  At least he will be able to celebrate his birthday and a safe return with friends.
This will be my last post for awhile ....

30 miles to go

Where is the wind when you need it?
Bob is now about 30 nm from Mazatlan,  At his present speed of 5, he should arrive about 2 pm my time!  He says that he is tired and dirty.  Last night, because of lack of wind, he was steering manually, so that means no sleep.  He is motoring again, with seas a bit lighter , he can keep a steady pace.  The forecasts do not include much wind for him, so it will be of the same for the rest of the trip
It is Bob's birthday today...I think his best gift will be to sleep today.

140 miles from Mazatlan!!

Other than being tired Bob is doing well.  But, the winds have almost gone to nothing so his wind vane steering doesn't work!!  When he just called, he was tiller steering.  According to the weather forecast the winds should come up in a few hours so he will be able to get off the tiller.  So the disadvantage of wind vane steering is you need a certain amount of wind.  Bob is motoring at this time to keep his speed up.  He has used so little fuel that he can motor the entire way to Mazatlan without running out, but that means he has to steer by hand.  Can you say "Rock and hard place".
If everything stays constant he should be in Mazatlan tomorrow. 

More trouble

All the SPOT messages arrived today.  I think  server issues prevented their arrival.
Bob just called and he has had more trouble.  He was 'flying' along making great time and then the wind vane steering fell apart.  Bob had never checked the apparatus as it looked new and unused.  As far as Bob can deduce, Alex (former owner) tried to make it work and bent different parts in his attempt to make compatible with the hydraulic system.  It took him 4 hr t fix it..in the dark.  He has had no sleep because he is more or less in the shipping lane so had many ships to dodge (I think he said 53 were on his screen.)
Even with that problem he has covered 100 miles....which is excellent for 18 hours (he was hove to for 4 hr).
He is still hoping to be in Mazatlan on Wednesday.   Needless to say I am hoping for the same thing.

Wind vane steering working

Bob just called and all is well.  He had no trouble getting the anchor up and the wind vane steering is working.   The silver lining with the other system breaking down is now he can have the fridge on which means 'cold beer'!!
As for the SPOT messages, the one he sent yesterday afternoon arrived this afternoon??  What is that all about?  Perhaps it is server issues ....
The wind is with him and he is averaging over 5 knots...he has gone 50 miles in 9 hr which is really good going....of course the seas are rough and will be until he gets to Mazatlan as the winds are blowing from the north - northwest.

Underway again

Bob normally sends me a SPOT message twice a day.  Last evening I did not receive a message and freaked for awhile.  But I thought he perhaps did not send one because he was anchored.  This morning he called (bad connection) and said that he had sent a message last night and this morning.  Neither have shown up.  Bob says that the SPOT appears to be working normally so who knows.
He called just before 9 am and was ready to set sail.  He says that he has the wind vane steering set up ...let us hope that it works.  Otherwise he will tiller steering through big seas.  I try not to even think about that.
He will call again tonight just in case no messages are coming through.

Best Video on San Benedicto Island Revillagigedos

Hydraulic Steering gone again

Saturday morning

Bob just called and the bad news is that the hydraulic steering gave up the ghost ...cylinder is leaking so it cannot be fixed easily.  Personally I think it is time for a new one.  Now Bob will find out if his wind vane steering works...no he has never tested it which annoys me to no end.  And when a hose went on the steering on his trip south from Mazatlan, I worried that it would die again on this trip.  Bob, on the other hand, didn't seem concerned.  
But he is anchored in a bay on San Benedicto..says it's rocky so he hopes that his anchor doesn't cause a problem when he is taking it  up...another thing for me to obsess about!!
If the wind vane doesn't work, he will tiller steer (he says for about 18 hr a day) and hove to and sleep for 6 hr or whatever.
On the other hand he sounds in good spirits.  When he called he was having coffee and enjoying the scenery.  This is the first time since he left Tenacatita that he has had coffee....the seas were rough.  Weather forecast say more of the same for the next week!
Bob has company in the bay.  There is a boat from Switzerland that came through the northwest passage and is on its way 'somewhere'!!  Apparently they are diving.
So far Bob has not been boarded by the military.  That is good as at least he had 1 day to rest already.
His plan is to leave tomorrow morning.

5 Hours to San Benidicto Island

March 21, 2014

Once more thanks to the SAT phone, Bob called this morning.  He is sounding tired, but says he is getting some sleep.  When I spoke to him, he said that he should arrive at San Benedicto, in 5 hours going at his present rate of 5 knots.   The winds were good and the swell was down. 

One would think that I would know where Bob was going.. I do but as Socorro Island is the big one and most well known in this archipelago,  I kept referring to Socorro whereas he is going to Isla San Benedicto.  Here is some information about this island

San Benedicto, formerly Santo Tomás, is an uninhabited island, and third largest island of the Revillagigedo Islands, located in the Pacific ocean.
It is 4.8 km by 2.4 km in size, with an area 10 km². It is of volcanic origin. It has two prominent peaks. The tallest peak, Bárcena, rises to a height of 332 metres (1,089 feet)^[2] near the southern part of the island. It forms a typical volcanic crater. It is located between the remains of two older craters, Herrera in the middle of the island and the Montículo Cinerítico^[2] ("Ash Heap") in the southwest. There is no permanent source of freshwater.^[3]

 (Information from Wiki)

And now for a photo ...perhaps this is what Bob will see in about 5 hours.

Boat near San Benedicto

 

Last night I went to the monthly Cocktail Party.   It is always such a pleasant evening, but I left early as I am still feeling tired....some of it due to change in elevation, and some because I don't sleep well.    Most nights I wake up every hour and I wonder if I am waking up when Bob does.

Bob's plan is to stay at Benedicto for 2 nights...we hope that he is not asked to move on because he doesn't have a permit.