Affordable DIY yards between Portland Or and Mexico

[Vino the Dog]

Would like to hear suggestions for affordable DIY yards between Portland, Oregon and Mexico.

Currently working on a refit of a CT-41, project going well, but running out of time before bad weather sets in, so want to have options to get further south, then finish the refit where it is warmer and less rain.

I need to pull out, pull the masts, do whatever I find needs it on the bottom and repair some rot on my Mizzen. Don't know the condition of the main mast yet. Prepared to motor down the coast if it appears masts are questionable. I know Astoria and Ilwaco are reasonable DIY yards here, but that would pretty much leave me wintering over in Oregon cold and rain. So want to know what my options might be.

[zeehag]

avoid baja unless you go directly to la paz. i dont know names of yards there as i didnt go there....
san carlos /guaymas area has a marina seca--they also used to have a coupleof our boats there for sale...is another few hundred miles up inside and on mainland of west mexico--quite distant for ye.
mazatlan in the shrimper yards, not the marina area has some decent yards--see mario gonzales and tell him i sent ye....pm me for these details...

san blas yard--bring skeeter repeller, by the gallon, and your own parts and paint....

ther eare none in san diego, except mebbe driscoll in mission bay ...mebbe--am not familiar with but friends have gone there...

i would try my best to get to la paz.....

stick a compression post under mizzen and epoxy the base of main and shore it up well, go to the best you can find easiest--which pobably is la paz.
happy sails--please keep in touch. i am still restoring mine as well== we are in barra de navidad, i am in marina here, my mechanic is in lagoon n the mangroves tucked in nice n sweet. isnt hard to find parts here, and there are 2 other formosa/ct 41s here , so we make 3 now--manzanillo is 20 miles south and has parts..

[jeremiason]

You are talking about motoring close to 2000 miles to La Paz, Mexico in a boat that has at least one rotted mast? and you don't know how bad the rot is?

The worst seas will be from Portland to Santa Barbara.

Even if you motor, the pitch and yawl of the boat my break the mast and then you will have real problems.

You are better off staying where you are and getting the boat seaworthy before heading down the coast.

If you can afford it, trucking the boat south would be a much safer option.

[zeehag]

can you fix masts before you leave--leaky teaky yacht club has info on mast repair for our boats, and much info for us as regards repairs....see my signature for their email address...

[CPseudonym]

Ladd's in Stockton, CA may be an option.


Ladd’s Marina 4911 West March Lane
Stockton, California (209)477-9521

[s/v Beth]

I would just get it done fast in Astoria. They worked easy-peasy with my schedule this spring, and I was up, repaired and back in the water in a week.

[Bash]

I understand the impulse to escape rain, and I realize you want to DIY as much as possible, but the further south you come, the less likely you'll be to find resources that can help you repair wooden masts.

If I were in your situation and had to deal with rotting masts, I'd head north to Bellingham. In fact, you might be better off in a British Columbia yard.

[s/v Beth]

I bet Charlie could fix him up, he might even come south for a big enough job... (Charles you listening??)

[nimblemotors]

$50/month DIY yard at Shipwreck Boat and RV storage in Walnut Grove/Isleton, Sac Delta, but you must get from Oregon to SFBay first. Motoring should be OK as long as hull can take the chop and rudder doesn't fall off..
What are you paying now?
Sac Delta can gets 35-45F in Dec-Jan

[CarinaPDX]

I sympathize with the desire to head south, and personally am frustrated with the anti-DIY policies in Portland. That said, I would be reluctant to do much traveling with a dodgy mast. If you feel competent to repair the mast yourself then by all means haul out in Astoria and get it done - you have plenty of time. For planning purposes I would consider a departure by early October to likely be safe. I do not know what woodworking skills are available in Astoria; the best place to look for capable talent is in Port Townsend, WA; there are many wooden boat folks there, as well as the school. You could probably tow a trailer with the mizzen mast on it to get there, or hire someone to come to Astoria, again assuming you didn't want to do it yourself.

I think the concept of taking a boat offshore while in the midst of a major refit and with a rotten mast is fundamentally flawed. Before tackling one of the most dangerous bits of water in the US (or anywhere for that matter) you should have your boat in top condition, not crippled.

One of the hardest lessons for all of us when transitioning into a cruising life is to accept that keeping to a schedule is a dangerous thing to do: leave only when you, the boat, and the weather are ready. No matter how much you may want to leave this year, don't do it unless the boat is ready. And learn to accept that fate and get on with things. (This lesson only cost me $2500 to learn - cheap by comparison to others.)

Greg

[CPseudonym]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

$50/month DIY yard at Shipwreck Boat and RV storage in Walnut Grove/Isleton

Jack, do they have haul out facilities?

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by CPseudonym

Jack, do they have haul out facilities?

There is a road between the water and the facility, so no direct haul out.
The road is just around the corner from the marina.
Go to google maps, enter 38.231978,-121.514289 and you can see the place,
and the marina around the corner. It has the launch ramp and a boat lift,
but the marina is not related to the storage yard business.
The place is dirt cheap, because well, they have cheap dirt.

They have a few pretty big boats in the place, so somehow they got there..

[CPseudonym]

Great info, filing that one away for future use

[s/v Beth]

Yeah that is great info. I bet the Marina will haul over there if the payment is enough.

[Roy M]

Even in well-developed places like Los Angeles and San Diego, you can find places that will let you do some of the work. The yards tend to demand to do the painting, heavy sanding, and other tasks that require tenting to prevent environmental trashing, but they will often be reasonable at allowing you to do much of your own prep, especially if you demonstrate the capacity to work in an orderly and clean way. Even when they are doing the work, they will often allow you to participate, thereby reducing your labor costs.

Materials are the other issue with DIY yards. Suppliers may not be convenient, and you may not be able to work out a status that allows you to purchase at discount. That can get awkward. Especially when you need a couple of long stainless bolts, some special drill bits, or electrical supplies. And then there's the issue of finding local talent to perform stuff you aren't confident of doing yourself. You are on your own here because your decision may haunt you down the road.

I've worked in backwaters and marinas, commercial yards and empty lots. Having access to good water, electricity, security, suppliers, dry work spaces, special equipment (cranes, machine shops, riggers, etc.) and have access to emergency needs, restaurants and liquor stores are somewhat equally important. Do your homework, and don't necessarily reject a real boatyard because it "costs too much". You may find out otherwise, and not to your best benefit.