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TaoJones · 14-06-2013, 15:38

As many of my friends here know, I've been planning for some time to keep a sailing vessel down in Mexico - nothing over-the-top fancy or expensive, but a well-found vessel for cruising the Mexican Pacific coast and the Gulf of California each winter from mid-November to late-April.

I recently became aware of what could well be the perfect boat for me and my three cocker spaniel crew. I talked to the seller and we reached an agreement in principle - with one rather significant snag.

At the moment, it isn't possible for me to get away to go check the boat out for myself. Absent that, I'm not comfortable moving forward on the deal.

Problem: The boat is located in Barra de Navidad, quite a bit further south than San Carlos, the place I had thought I'd base my cruising from. The only people I know down that way have all taken their vessels up into the Gulf for summer cruising.

I emailed every surveyor within 200 miles of Barra, I think, offering to give the survey to anyone who would be willing to give the vessel even just a cursory eyeball scan to let me know if I should go ahead. I received replies from, let me see . . . uhm . . . yeah, here it is . . . not one person.

Bummer. In the meantime, there's at least one other serious boat-buyer who has expressed an interest. And he has already gotten himself as far south as PV, reportedly.

Then, unexpectedly, I received a PM from zeehag. She was just saying "Hi," then let me know that she is currently in . . . yep, Barra de Navidad! What are the odds?

I explained my situation to her and she has agreed to thoroughly check the vessel out for me. This all came together just as I was abandoning hope that I might actually have found the right boat for my purposes.

In the Small World category, when I passed along the boat-owner's request that she check to see if some work he had arranged to have done by his guy down there had been completed, she told me that she uses the same person to do her hull cleaning. She's trying to arrange to board the vessel with him the next time he's there at the marina.

This is one of the things I really love about CF . . . a seemingly impossible thing just falls together serendipitously, just because two strangers with a common interest are both members of this cruising and sailing forum.

TaoJones

endoftheroad · 14-06-2013, 16:08

zeehag

Capt Phil · 14-06-2013, 16:12

I would certainly trust Zee's opinion on a vessel to be used as you have expressed, Tao. She knows boats and has sailed the area you want use the boat in. It goes back a few years but the Marina Manager at Barre Navidad was very dependable guy who was well connected with marine folks in Manzanito if you run into a bind. Good mechanical references as I recall and good english as well if you need help in that area.
I delivered several boats to the US from the hotel marina there over the years and it is a pretty swank hotel and golf complex! It is a pretty easy run up past PV to Mazatlan and San Carlos north of there. Good luck with your purchase... Phil

SaltyMonkey · 14-06-2013, 16:18

YAY For Zeezee!

sww914 · 14-06-2013, 16:52

I'm glad to hear but I'm not surprised.

SkiprJohn · 14-06-2013, 17:18

Good to have a helpful CF member where you need one. Let us know how it turns out.

kind regards,

zeehag · 14-06-2013, 17:28

sometimes there are topes in roads travelled--i requested of the marina manager the permission required for boarding the patience, and i must await the word of the owner....so we go around another block and thru another hoop--the boat looks really good from outside--i saw it sail in zihjuatenejo, anchor and sail around....is a liferaft on bow, and boat looks like a good choice---i wanna see inside....

i can see the boat from my slip--so i can see if anyone comes or goes around there--so far, is quiet..

Astrid · 14-06-2013, 17:32

Yup, Zee's a pretty classy gal.

**Hudson Force** · 14-06-2013, 17:32

Good news, great to have the contacts on the forum. I hope I'm able to do as well as Zeehag sometime in the future!

Bash · 14-06-2013, 17:35

I dunno, Mr. Jones. I've got a strong hunch that Zee will report back that it's not as nice as a Formosa.

Just a hunch.

sww914 · 14-06-2013, 17:38

Zee, are you coming Norther or hanging in Barra for the summer?

zeehag · 14-06-2013, 17:42

funny thing also--i know the coronado 34 reasonably well--a member here used to have one, so i researched a lot and found out a bit of info ,,and i learned from the man whose molds were used for the hull much , also--is a decent boat and is perfect for this area--good choice for ocean sailing in mexico....

i wanna get my self into her bilges and see what she has to say about herself....

she is shiney.
she has a life raft....
she has radar and masthead anchor light..
other goodies--will post pix tomorrow, i hope--had a tad bit of eventful day when trying for entrance to marina, weds--runaway diesel kinda made me get a tow from a fisherman, and has been wak since then--but is tranquil, now, so ...... we didnt boom the engine, btw--block is solid....

so, 914--to answer your question--i am STUCK here for now--until i get a rebuild--dont know if my mechanic is sticking around--hoping he does--i need a rebuild.and alignment..what time is better than now---if he doesnt stick around, i am off to seek a forklift mechanic.....

sww914 · 14-06-2013, 17:56

Bummer. Perkins? Yes, I remember you have a 4.108 that had starter problems on Cedros. Perkins are easy. I helped a friend who lacked not skills but tools and experience "rebuild" his Perkins on the cabin sole a few weeks ago. I "quote" the rebuild because IMO a rebuild includes a trip to the machine shop but that wasn't necessary because the engine only had 400 hours since a complete rebuild so nothing was worn out, it was all water damage. We replaced damaged pistons and rebuilt the head. Not exactly a rebuild. Nonetheless, simple engines, these marine diesels.