The Season actually started in October 2024, with s/v Wild on the hard at Marina Seca San Carlos, in Sonora, Mexico, where it had been stored for hurricane season, and me in Oregon.
There was quite a lot of new gear for Wild this year, most notably a new suit of sails! So I decided to drive to Mexico with the cargo and do a little vacationing along the way. Because Wild with all of its gear was already temporarily imported to Mexico, there was a significant amount of paperwork to do at the border to bring in replacement parts and equipment without paying excessive import taxes.
So I loaded up the Land Yacht and headed south. First stop was Ashland Oregon, where I rendezvoused with friends Dick and Kelly to spend a few days at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
We first started coming to the OSF around 1980, when our high school english teacher organized an annual trip for seniors. It was so much fun and inspiration that we tried to make it an annual expedition ourselves. A temporary escape from a small farm town to a world of fantasy and imagination. But it was a long trip – Ashland is at the far end of the state from our home town. It’s a full day of driving each way. And the tickets are not cheap. After a few years, life got in the way and there was a long hiatus. But now we are making up for lost time.
Because the trip is so long, we only make it down to OSF about once a year. And then tend to binge on plays and watch one or two a day for several days in a row. It’s a shock immersion and usually takes a few days of quiet afterwards to absorb it all.
Stuffed to the brim with culture, I headed over the mountains and out into the desert. And ended up in Tonopah, Nevada. A rich lode of silver and gold was discovered here around 1900 and in the ensuing boom, over 40 miles of underground tunnels were chiseled out of the rock. By 1920, the mines were beginning to play out, and today, mostly ruins remain.
I spent a very enjoyable day wandering around the Tonopah Historic Mining Park, which encompasses several of the old mineheads. It’s a self-guided affair. Piles of old machinery have been arranged into exhibits. Some of the larger mineshafts can be peered in to. Some tunnels can be explored. A hike up to the shoulder of the mountain provided big views of the town and the nearby solar power station. Free blacksmithing lessons were going on in one of the buildings. There was a dark-sky star party scheduled in the evening. You could easily spend several days here. But I had to press on.
Some of the books in the gift shop were very tempting. Rock-hounding and roadside geology guides to Nevada. Maps to hiking trails and ghost towns. But there was no time that year. I should spend more time in Nevada. Some day.
Back on the road, the temperature was getting a little extreme. Between 110 and 114°F most of the time. Fortunately, the Land Yacht is equipped with air-conditioned, command-chair, stereophonic comfort, and a beverage cooler. We boogied on down the Extraterrestrial Highway and didn’t stop for any of the roadside attractions. And ended up in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, to rest for a couple of days at my cousin’s house and hope for the heat to break. Even floating in the pool at night was hot.
One more day took us to Nogales, and then over the border in to Mexico. The Banjercito agents at the border checkpoint were very helpful with the Temporary Import paperwork and filled out and stamped lots of forms while I waited. Then it was back on the highway for a five-hour drive down to Guaymas/San Carlos. It was four-lane highway most of the way, and I stopped only for the periodic police checkpoints. Pickup-trucks headed south from Nogales were piled high with household goods, bicycles, and bales of various goods. I mean Beverly-Hillbillies high. The police poked around a little in my load, but mainly wanted to see any money I was carrying and count it. I think I got it all back. Only one junior officer actually looked at all the paperwork I was carrying. More like it was an amazing novelty than to scrutinize it for legitimacy.
And finally the Land Yacht arrived back at Marina Seca, bearing gifts for s/v Wild.
A couple of weeks of intensive work in the boat yard ensued. The daytime heat was ridiculous. “It’s never this hot in October,” said everyone. Impossible volumes of fluid were drunk. Some days, the bilge literally filled up with sweat while I was working on the drive train. The Land Yacht’s hubcaps were stolen on the second day. (When I was a kid, the gag was that you could buy them back from roadside vendors at the border crossing. Now they’re probably on eBay.)
The list of maintenance and repairs undertaken was a little daunting:
*The bottom was sanded and fresh anti-fouling paint was applied. (By Star Marine Services)
*A few gelcoat repairs were made on the topsides hull.
*Topsides and deck were polished and waxed.
*The old 110VAC refrigeration unit was extracted and replaced by a water-cooled 12VDC unit. Much quieter, doesn’t dump heat into the cabin, and doesn’t require running the engine every day. (The parallel engine-driven refrigeration unit was left in place.)
*The stuffing box was replaced with a PYI dripless shaft seal.
*New cutless bearing was installed, along with the usual zinc anodes.
*After sanding off the surface patina, it was discovered that the propeller was more badly corroded than expected. So a new one was ordered. A big expense I hadn’t counted on!
*A remote-control and chain counter for the windlass was installed at the helm – should make anchoring and de-anchoring a little less stressful. Wild is a little large for one person to be running back and forth from the bow to the helm while wind and waves are pushing the boat into tight spots.
*The solar arch was modified and the four 100-watt solar panels were replaced with two 400-watt panels. Wind generator was removed and taken home for now.
*The old dead ultrasonic speed sensor was drilled out and replaced with a forward-scan sonar sensor.
*A Tides Marine sail-track was installed on the mast.
*The old laminated sails were taken off and replaced with new North 3Di sails that had been made for the boat. These things are a little pricey, but the previous year’s historic Oregon income tax kicker (if you don’t know, don’t ask) happened to coincide with the record tax I paid upon sale of my house, resulting in a once-in-a-lifetime tax return windfall. I blew it all on these high-tech sails. (I kind of blew up the old mainsail, while sailing down here.)
Wow, just typing that made me tired all over again!
While the boat was being painted and waxed, I loaded all the excess gear into the Land Yacht. (For everything that goes on to the boat, something must come off.) Then took a two-week break to drive back to Oregon by the fastest route, settle my northern affairs, and fly back, via Hermosillo.
And finally the boat was launched! Wild came back to life. And was ready for another year of cruising the Sea of Cortez.
