Adrift in the Sea of Cortez!
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:30 am
Last Tuesday we boarded our 32 ft charter boat and headed about 20 mi up the coast. About 15 miles up the coast we lost power in one engine. So we slowed to trolling speed. We pulled close to a cliff and I was the first to notice a fish on. So it was mine to land. Turned out to be about a 15 lb leopard grouper. A few minutes later the second engine conked out! Luckily we had pulled to about 1/2 mile off shore. While the captain and crew first tried to figure out what was wrong and then summon help, I did what any right thinking man would do--grab a beer, then a fishing rod and began jigging. Soon I hooked into a monster that 2x as long as the jig and just as skinny. So I began casting the jig with the fish attached. Alas before I could catch a real monster the little fish came off. Not to worry I soon caught a 10" Sierra, then a really ugly fat little fish that they called a cow fish but later when I went on line I couldn't confirm the name or find a pic of that fish. I had caught one the day before fishing from the beach so it must be fairly common. Finally I caught a nice foot long trigger fish which is kind shaped like a bluegill but has two front teeth like a beaver. Soon I got a bit nervous as we drifted closer and closer to the cliff lined shore. At 50ft depth the captain and crewman dropped the anchor. From that point on no more fish were caught. Total fish caught by the boat: 6, caught by Mike, 5, keepers 2--all by Mike. Admittedly I fished probably 2x as long as the other 5 on the boat combined. But if you don't have a lure in the water you won't catch fish. After a while the only logical thing to do was have another beer!
After a couple of hours another, smaller boat, captained by a friend of Arturo, the crewman, arrived to give us a tow. 20 miles at 5 mph! Whoops the tow rope broke! (Better than the Cleat on the smaller outboard boat towing us!) Retie the rope and continue on. Soon the 38 ft boat hired to pull us in arrived and we hooked up to it and with another 15 miles to go we were underweigh at about 8 mph. Until the tow rope broke again. After reconnecting we eventually made it to port after an interesting adventure. The captain wouldn't accept any money from us though the trip is likely to cost him thousands. We each tipped Arturo $10. And headed home. Question: how do you pull a 32ft boat with no power into a marina and then a dock? Answer: Very carefully.
Turned out someone put water in the diesel tank!
After a couple of hours another, smaller boat, captained by a friend of Arturo, the crewman, arrived to give us a tow. 20 miles at 5 mph! Whoops the tow rope broke! (Better than the Cleat on the smaller outboard boat towing us!) Retie the rope and continue on. Soon the 38 ft boat hired to pull us in arrived and we hooked up to it and with another 15 miles to go we were underweigh at about 8 mph. Until the tow rope broke again. After reconnecting we eventually made it to port after an interesting adventure. The captain wouldn't accept any money from us though the trip is likely to cost him thousands. We each tipped Arturo $10. And headed home. Question: how do you pull a 32ft boat with no power into a marina and then a dock? Answer: Very carefully.
Turned out someone put water in the diesel tank!
