Around and Around We Go



Dockwise - Float on, Float off Method

After spending a restful night on the hook at Bahia Amortajada, we experienced quite the opposite in the bay of Ensenada Grande off Isla Partida.  Like other anchorages in the Espirtus Santo island chain, Ensenada Grande is open to the southwest.  We were visited by a coromuel that blew all night between 18 and 26 knots - Got d’ Fever was bouncing and rolling so violently we had to hang on by the seat of our pants; we felt like laundry in a washing machine!  Thankfully our repaired bridle system attached to the anchor chain worked well and held fast.  Coromuels that blow into the Sea of Cortez occur more frequently in the late spring and summer months, a portent of worse things to come. 

Boats being transported by Dockwise

Summertime is noted by the arrival of the hurricane season which typically begins May 15^th and lasts through October.  Some boat insurance companies require vessels to be north of latitude 27 degrees by the first of June or be located in an approved “hurricane hole.”  Marinas like Costa Baja and Marina Palmira in La Paz; El Cid Marina in Mazatlan; and marinas at Guaymas, among other locations in Mexico, are considered acceptable hurricane holes.  After our wild night at Isla Partida, we made our way into La Paz the following morning as did several other boats that had anchored in the bay.  No more procrastination, our mid-April arrival in La Paz meant it was “decision time.”  Do we leave the boat in La Paz for the summer and return next season to continue south through the Panama Canal?  Do we have the boat loaded on a transport ship and sent home for the summer months?  Or do we motor the boat north ourselves, commonly referred to as the “Baja Bash?” 


Yacht Path - Lift-on, Lift-off Method

Having the boat shipped home certainly saves diesel fuel, added maintenance, and hours on the engines not to mention the long overnight watches.  On the other-hand, transporting a boat is expensive and more complicated than it first appears.  Lengthy contracts need to be signed, pick-up and delivery dates aren’t always on time, damage might occur, and other complications may arise.  Currently, there are four major yacht transport services from which to choose:  Dockwise Transport, Yacht Path International, Peters & May, and SevenStar Yacht Transport.  Dockwise offers the float-on, float-off process, while the other three companies operate a lift-on, lift-off procedure.  Additionally, SevenStar also offers the float-on, float-off option and the roll-on, roll-off option which uses specially built trailers to load fully enclosed cargo ships.  Peters & May also offers the roll-on, roll-off option.  These yacht transport services lease deck space on large cargo ships for their customers and normally include insurance in the quoted price.  

Boats being transported by Yacht Path

Transporting yachts is big business and the industry is currently undergoing some changes due to a recent incident when several boats were impounded because the transport service company failed to pay the shipping company.  We learned that this incident was due to a failed merger of two yacht transport services which resulted in legal action.  The courts froze all assets, including the financial accounts of the transport service company which meant the shipper couldn't be paid!  It is our understanding that Yacht Path has now begun the practice of opening individual escrow accounts to protect their customers from third parties. 

SevenStar - Lift-on, Lift-off Method

Coincidentally, Yacht Path has a scheduled pick-up in La Paz around the first of June, and SevenStar has a planned stop in La Paz at the end of May.  That being said, there are also benefits to “bashing” north on one’s own boat bottom: spending time at favorite stops like Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Monterey; the flexibility of one’s own schedule; and the pride of rounding Cape Flattery heading down the home stretch. 

Fully-enclosed Container Ship - Roll-on, Roll-off Option

And cruising the waters of the Pacific Northwest is always a joy, rain or shine.  But there’s the nagging question regarding our next international cruising destination; where should we go next and will it be with Got d’ Fever or with a newer DeFever purchased in the near future; or should we buy/lease a “long-boat” in France to cruise the canals of Europe?  So continues the quandaries of life's journey.

Marina Palmira - La Paz