We came to San Carlos for the sole purpose of hauling the boat out, getting the bottom painted, and fixing a couple of small things. We thought it would be easy enough. It seems like everybody cruising in the Sea of Cortez in May is headed for San Carlos to haul out.
When we got here I hiked over to Marina Seca which is the dry marina in the desert where boats are hauled out to. I went in and asked for a quote on a bottom painting. They told me they’d get it for me the next day. Four days later, nothing. So I hiked down the highway again, spoke to the same people, and without apology they said they’d send me a quote via e-mail. Hours later, nothing. When I am treated like a fly by people who are supposed to work for me I tend to take it as a sign of the type of work they intend to do. So instead of hiking over there again I sent an e-mail off to the yard in Mazatlan, a three night sail away.
Marina Seca did eventually send me a quote. It came a few hours after the speedy reply from Mazatlan. The quote was for nearly $3,000, not including the actual haul out! That included about $400 for primer, but was still over a thousand more than Mazatlan with the haul out included.
After seeing this place and what is available around here we also started to wonder what would happen if we find any problems under the boat that need to be dealt with. If these guys charge this much for a bottom painting what would they charge for any sort of real work.
Anyway, we’ve decided to bail on San Carlos and haul out in Mazatlan instead. We were already planning to spend the summer there, so we may as well get all of our work done there too.
We haven’t been feeling this place since day one, and it seems silly to choose it as a place to haul out and get work done. The vibe is all wrong.
On another note: we were standing at a bus stop today when a guy sitting nearby lit up a cigarette. Ouest saw him and said rather enthusiastically, “Look Papa, a pipe.” On the one hand this is humorous because it is in fact a pretty rare occurrence these days for her to see somebody smoking. And the reason the pipe thing is funny is that she only knows what a pipe is from reading Curious George—the original 1941 edition in which George can be seen kicking back in an easy chair puffing away on a pipe. Yes, he was a good little monkey, and always very curious.
7 Comments on “Cancel That”
Hi Pat, Ali and kids! I’m from Panama City Florida and have read through your entire blog the last 6 months. I’m glad you’ve decided to forego San Carlos as I can imagine your negative thoughts about the place would linger a long time! I know mine would. A good haulout can be hard to find, hopefully Mazatlan is it!
Good decision indeed.
Just wanted drop by and give my occasional thanks for brightening so many days with your witty writing style, adventures and your beautiful photographs!
Sounds like a good decision. Last quote I heard (second hand) from a first class Yard here in Central Florida was $1,700 complete (two coats bottom paint and 3 on the waterline for a 35 footer). Appears to me that Mexico is no longer the inexpensive location for Yard work it once was.
Keep up the good work on the Blog posting. ALWAYS enjoy them, . . . grumpy or not.
As an avid armchair sailor I follow your life, among others, and usually spend a bunch of time googling the places talked about, to get a better picture, just in case I cast off one day. Sometimes it takes a little detective work, which I guess is part of the fun, but clickable lat-long coordinates for the lazy would be swell.
Anywho, check out the Marina Seca satellite view. Looks like they’re nuking a boat. I would send you the image, but no attachments possible in the comments.
As a good little monkey, I prefer a good pipe BEFORE a good meal. LOL
Hey now. 🙂