{"id":43538,"date":"2021-04-06T20:30:08","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T00:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=43538"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:39:24","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:39:24","slug":"sailing-totem-our-hurricane-season-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/story\/how-to\/sailing-totem-hurricane-season-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailing Totem: Our Hurricane Season Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Sailing <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n A prior passage north\u2026counting on mellow conditions again!<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

This story originally appeared on <\/i>Sailing Totem<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Along part of the west coast of North America, hurricane season officially starts on May 15. That\u2019s still just a date on the calendar; it\u2019s unusual to worry about systems in the Sea of Cortez until sometime in August. Even so, we\u2019re sailing north and hauling out next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Since learning at the beginning of the year that our engine had \u2026issues<\/a>, we have intended to get back to the Cabrales yard in Puerto Pe\u00f1asco. It\u2019s probably \u201cjust\u201d a head gasket, but we wonder what other issues are looming after 8,00 hours of running it. It\u2019s been reliable and we\u2019re diligent with maintenance. But that\u2019s a lot of transmission wear. And the seawater pump has recently started weeping. We believe a reliable engine is an important piece of safety gear on board, so it\u2019s time for a Yanmar whisperer (if you know one, get in touch!). This could mean putting our engine into the back of a truck and driving it to San Diego; who knows. Expertise will help us determine if we\u2019ll put money into our 76hp 4JH3-TE (turbo), or if we\u2019ll start researching options to repower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"hurricane <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Pe\u00f1asco is that top star: a whopping 20 knots recorded last remnant swipe. Yawn<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

At a gut level we see this swinging towards a repower (and no, not even for a second contemplating engineless \u2013 in case you saw our April Fool\u2019s Day posts on Facebook<\/a> or Instagram<\/a>). We would rather not repower further south in Mexico for a few reasons. Not because there aren\u2019t good mechanics here. Actually, there are genius mechanics to be found! So, why the move?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

First, we believe the process will be a lot easier with where we can drive new stuff over the border than shipping and importing it elsewhere. It\u2019s only an hour to Arizona from there (Salvador swears you can do it in 45 minutes, we drive\u2026 more slowly!) And San Diego may be a good place to sell it for parts, if that\u2019s the right decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Sailing <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n When friends send you groupies of the fun they are having with the game you taught them, you know you\u2019re doing something right! Scuba Ninjas, we can\u2019t wait to play with you again.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Second, hurricane season isn\u2019t THAT far off. Cabrales Boatyard<\/a> is the only hardstand in the Sea of Cortez that is not impacted by hurricanes. Northerly wind events generated up in Four Corners, yes. These usually blow in the 30s, and we\u2019ve seen 50 knots! That that\u2019s not a hurricane. Over the years, historical tracks show tropical remnants that make it that far, and they have even less wind than the northers. Kansas has had more remnant hurricanes than Puerto Pe\u00f1asco!<\/a> If you want a safe place to leave your boat, this is it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Third, that pandemic that\u2019s on? Our family are all now eligible<\/i> for vaccinations in north of the border. Why wait for our jabs when we could do it soon, as a number of other shipyard denizens have already done?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Grandparents <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Pictured here are my parents: known as Poppy and Plug to their grandchildren.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Fourth, we can visit friends and family so much more easily. Generous friends are again making a car they aren\u2019t using available for us. Having wheels translates directly to quality time stateside to connect with people we love. We SINCERELY HOPE to be headed for remote islands in 2022, so those visits are extra precious. (Look out Castle clan, we are practicing our Chicago rummy!). Pictured here are my parents: known as Poppy and Plug to their grandchildren. Mum is in a residence for memory care, and after many months, Papa can finally visit her in person instead of through a pane of glass or a screen. She doesn\u2019t know our names any more, but she KNOWS US, and it will be really nice to get some time with both of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"prepping <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Yard manager Salvador Cabrales helping us prep for Coppercoat; 2018. April\u2019s Cruising World<\/i> has an in-depth article about our experience, from application to years in-water.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Fifth, the prospect of time on the hard is making us look anew at other projects on Totem. While we refit in 2018 and 2019 with the intention of time in remote corners again (damn you, COVID!) as usual our spending was all on safety and reliability. This time, we\u2019re looking at making a few aesthetic improvements. Totem is pretty scruffy, inside and out; while that\u2019s not a big deal in the scheme of things, we\u2019re all excited about a little spiffing up. I have a half-built workstation. There are two cabins with primer but no paint. There\u2019s a stove on its last legs. Galley countertop wearing through. With help from the crew at Cabrales, we can affordably do a lot of sprucing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"PredictWind <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Docklines are off: follow along on our PredictWind track<\/a>.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Finally, and far from the least driving our enthusiasm to get north\u2014rejoining the excellent company of friends at the boatyard. Several of our bubble boats from 2020 are there, and others are coming. Our socializing has been very cautious during COVID, and we are REALLY READY for that to change!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The upcoming storm season is the perfect time to tick items off of the chore list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Behan Gifford","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"20210406","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"164","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"As hurricane season approaches, the Totem crew has plenty of boat chores to take care of while they are at the storm-safe Cabrales yard in Puerto Pe\u00f1asco.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"1","arc_story_id":"TB3XLSBL6JBA5LUVO47CU5B6SI","arc_website_url":"story\/how-to\/sailing-totem-hurricane-season-plans\/","custom_permalink":"story\/how-to\/sailing-totem-hurricane-season-plans\/","arc_subtype":"right-sidebar","arc_exclude_from_feeds":true,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":0,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[164],"tags":[1002,251,183,712,202,283,182],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43538"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}