San Carlos

San Carlos Marina

We departed Bahia Concepcion at two am, a time we hope would get us into San Carlos, on the mainland side of the sea Cortez, in the late afternoon. Winds were reported to be light so we expected to motor all the way but to our surprise the winds were sufficient to sail with 5-10 knots on the beam to start with which then went forward and then behind us. The ¾ moon provided a wonderful night to sail on the smooth waters. There were no other boats around so watches were relaxed and I took short naps during my night watches scanning the horizon every 20 minutes or so but not once did we see another vessel. At times the wind was so light we were only doing 2-3 knots but we were in no hurry and there is something really quite pleasant in sailing slowly at night, it’s pretty stress free and is easy to sleep. We arrived in San Carlos at around 5pm and set the anchor in the bay outside of the marina. We watched the sun disappear over the horizon and lamented the fact that we would be leaving this wonderful place very soon and heading back to the US and Europe. I have to say that I am looking forward to some respite from the heat and humidity. 

As the early July humidity and heat rose so did our clammyometer (our comfort gauge) but we had a lot of work to do to prepare our dear Sarita to be taken out of the water and put on the hard for three months while to travel to the US and Europe. We have been told that the boat will get really hot while out of the water and that it will get really dusty. Cockroaches mice and other flying insects can enter your home and make a real mess. Add the threat of hurricanes make a very long list to prepare the boat. All our engines, of which we have 4 have to been cleaned, given oil and filter changes and flushed of sea water. The watermaker needs flushing and pickling for long term storage. Sails need to be taken down and the decks cleared of other stuff that might me blow away by hurricane force winds. The inside of the boat need to be cleared of food that might rot, explode or attract vermin. Surfaces need to be wiped with a solution of vinegar to protect against mildew. The water system need to be flushed and sterilized along with a host of other items on a long list that kept us busy, hot and tired for 5 days before Sarita was hauled out.

Just hauled out of the water

San Carlos has a reputation of being one of the safest places to be against hurricanes but it’s certainly not immune to strong winds and tropical storms so we will be watching the weather carefully when we are away and hoping that all will be well. We do plan in coming back for the height of the hurricane season being October.

Sarita on the hard in Marina Seca San Carlos

So it was with sadness in my eye that we left Sarita in the company of many other cruising boats in Marina Seca San Carlos and headed to the hotel for a night of luxury, air conditioning and full sized beds.    

Katya enjoying getting under covers in an air conditioned room