The plan was to stay three or four nights, but it turned into a quick two‑night stop with a 6:45 a.m. departure on the second morning.
I wanted to be on the dock before the wind picked up, so at 4:25 a.m. I pulled anchor and was tied up by 8:20 a.m. Calm conditions on my arrival made getting on the dock a non‑event, other than figure out the best combination of dock lines.
After settling in, I met my dock neighbors, Joe and Jenna from SV MiCancion, and learned they were stuck with a failed raw water pump and no spare. They’d spent three days running around town trying to find help. Their only remaining option was to ship the pump to Ensenada (two days each way) and hope a mechanic there had the parts and the ability to fix it. Total downtime would be about ten days. Brutal. I mentioned I might have a spare rebuild kit and promised to check after coffee and tacos.
Caffeinated and fed, I dug through my spares and found a rebuild kit — thank you, Allan. Joe and I got to work, and with the help of the internet and a few hours of labor, we had their engine running again. They were incredibly grateful and insisted on buying me dinner and drinks that night. Very kind of them.
My big task for the day was fueling up. With a Pemex right across the road, three trips later I had 160 liters in the tank, with a bit left to finish the next morning.
I squeezed in a shower before meeting Joe, Jenna, Mike (SV Genesis), and Kevin at the marina’s microbrewery, a fantastic addition. A few hefeweizen beers, plenty of stories, and a burger later, I called it a night at 9:30 p.m. after a long day.
Up early again the next morning, I finished fueling. 252 liters total, not terrible for the run from Mazatlán, but diesel prices have definitely jumped. Ouch!
I pulled out my e‑scooter (still love that thing), dropped off laundry, got a haircut, grabbed a great lunch at Ma Sabor, and explored town a bit. Afterward, I checked in with the marina, hit Ley’s for groceries, and made it back for a short siesta before picking up my laundry.
Huge shoutout to Lavandería La Única — they turned around my mountain of laundry in three hours and found the $60 I’d accidentally left in a pocket, setting it aside with my name on it. They earned a nice tip and my shouting their praises to anyone that would listen.
That evening, I recruited Mike and Kevin to join me at Tonka’s Grill, owned by friends so I always visit. We ordered drinks and food just as one of the owners walked in, perfect timing. I hadn’t visited in a few years, so we had plenty to catch up on. He and his brother Eduardo are overseeing a big construction project near Cabo, switching off weekly. Too bad I didn’t get to see them both, but one is better than none. We were both disappointed Lowell and Rick weren’t around for the reunion but we made up for it without them.
No ribs that night, but the chicken skewers, baked potato, and onion soup made up for it. And of course, the visit wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Splash for ice cream. My beloved coco piña wasn’t available, so plain coco it was, forgivable.
With that, my time was up. A solid weather window opened for the jump to San Francisquito, and after having my ass kicked on that passage before, I wasn’t about to miss a good one.
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