It was early in the morning when we arrived in Ensenada from the Galapagos islands. As we were approaching the dock, the thick fog on the bay made it impossible to see further than a few meters in front of the boat. The sounds of fishing boats honking and seals barking were all we could hear. But it was only once we were tied up on the dock that we noticed a mariachi band playing in the background, and so we knew that we were in Mexico.
Ensenada was never a part of Seahawk’s 7-year itinerary. After cruising Galapagos, the idea was to cross the Pacific and head to French Polynesia, the first stop on our South Pacific leg. But a last-minute issue made us change our plans.
The said issue came from the hydraulic system; during our previous trip in the Galapagos the keel actuator return hose broke, flooding important components of the vessel with seawater.
This breakage required us to remove the hydraulic ram that raises and lowers the 60-ton keel. It is surprisingly difficult to haul a large yacht out of the water on the west coast of the Americas, especially a large sailing yacht; removing the keel hydraulics requires the boat to be lifted higher than normal with access from below. There were also visa considerations with a number of our crew being South African nationals, and US visas were still unavailable due to embassy closures still in effect from the Covid-19 pandemic. This ruled out the USA and hence San Diego.
Gran Peninsula, the shipyard in Ensenada, northern Baja California, turned out to be the only yard in the region that could do the job. The yard used to be a government-owned facility for building big fishing boats. Presently, it is a private company, still working with fishing boats but wanting to make a name for itself in the yachting industry.
Tomás Fernandez, the shipyard manager, was very cooperative and felt that they could devise a way to cradle Seahawk at their facility. On arrival, everything was ready, and the synchro lift was prepared for us the next day, a process that went extremely smoothly.
As captain Steve points out;
“I will not forget the next day when I came down from the boat to find Tomas with his head inside our keel box… I greeted him with the usual “Good morning, How’s everything, OK?” questions… his answer: “No… It’s huge!!” remarking at the size of our keel hydraulic ram, which is hard to visualize until you see it! But his team embraced the challenge and made the necessary repairs (it is always tricky to remove these)”
Seahawk remained in Ensenada for 3 months. What was initially thought to be an annoyance, turned out to be a great discovery.
The months spent in the shipyard were an opportunity to explore a city that wouldn’t ideally be the first choice for many visitors going to Mexico. But Ensenada has a lot to offer; the Guadalupe Valley, a wine region with exquisite wines, the vivid nightlife of the city, and the delicious Mexican food gave everyone a real taste of the country.
Tomás not only made sure that Seahawk’s issues were being addressed, but he also served as an excellent host introducing owners, guests, and crew to the best places, including the family’s local brewery where the delicious “Agua Mala” beer is produced.
The yard period was a success; largely due to a team effort that had the crew contributing local knowledge specific to the boat, and the yard providing excellent project management and competent/effective technical services. Although a fair amount of improvisation and creativity was needed, all repairs were carried out professionally and enthusiastically. Gran Peninsula is a yard facility definitely worth considering for projects in the region.
As for the boat’s itinerary, we missed our weather window to cross the Pacific, which forced us to come up with a new plan. Instead Seahawk set sail for the Sea of Cortez and the Revillagigedo archipelago, delaying the Pacific crossing until the end of the year.
We departed the shipyard at the end of November, soon to realize that the new itinerary was a very lucky accident. Much of the next month was spent exploring the east and west coasts of the southern Baja California peninsula. The stunning coast around La Paz, the whale encounters as we sailed the Sea of Cortez, and the wonderful dive sites where we spotted bull sharks, hammerheads, giant manta rays, and dolphins leave us with enduring memories from our time visiting this very special place. The Gulf of California and the Mexican Pacific are magnificent jewels.
The lesson learned? That there is a plan, until the plan changes. And that changing plans, sometimes, leads to new paths of discovery and revelation.
Watch a video of Seahawk getting hauled in Ensenada, made by Righardt, videographer and dive instructor on board.