April 28, 2010 - Day 1
by Stan
On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, Jolly Roger and her crew cast off her dock lines and said goodbye to the place she lived for the last 2 years at Isla Iguana, in Puerto Vallarta Marina. We had spent the previous 7 days doing work to get her ready to cross the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii’s big island. We were all very excited to be getting under way and putting up her sails for the first time since we arrived the week before. Howie was there to untie the bow line after an emotional night where we said goodbye and gave him a couple bottles of 1800 tequila (his favorite for anyone who gets to meet him in the future). It would be my first time sailing in the ocean and I was excited to say the least and relieved that the work we had done had finally paid off. We were immediately met with an alarm coming from belowdecks. The oil pressure sensor. Turn off the motor. Geoff take the helm. We’re heading into the wind with no power with a giant yacht to our starboard. When we lose steerage, Geoff calls to the captain and they turn the motor back on and we make it to the fuel dock to find out what the problem is. Really? Not 3 minutes away from the dock. We make it to the fuel dock, cut the engine and fill up while the Captain and Swabby are checking out the engine warning. It appears that the oil pressure sensor has malfunctioned and that we are okay to go. Next we motor away from the fuel dock through a narrow channel to get to the bay (AND THE OCEAN!!). Someone notices smoke coming from the cabin. The Captain and Swabby run down below and we notice the water temperature gauge is pegged. They determine that a water hose burst/came apart/broke and that we need to stop the engine as soon as possible. But we’re not at the opening of the bay yet! The Jolly Roger is a 47’ floating motor home and putting up the sails does not guarantee immediate forward momentum or steerage. After a harrowing few minutes while we get far enough outside the buoys, we manage to raise the mainsail, unfurl the jib, and hoist the mizzen. We’re unsure if some lucky beachgoers a few hundred yards to our port will get the youtube video of us coasting into the beach. We finally get enough speed and make enough headway to tack away from the beach and eventually sail away from the beach and danger. 
With me being the new guy and Geoff not knowing too much about diesel motors, we’re left to sail the boat, while Swabby and the Captain spend the next few hours while we sail off to Punta Mita for our first night at anchor. I manage to rustle up some dinner without getting too queasy during my first time in the galley and as the darkness arrives, we cross our fingers and turn on the motor and rumble our way over to our anchorage. And that’s Day 1.
by Stan
On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, Jolly Roger and her crew cast off her dock lines and said goodbye to the place she lived for the last 2 years at Isla Iguana, in Puerto Vallarta Marina. We had spent the previous 7 days doing work to get her ready to cross the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii’s big island. We were all very excited to be getting under way and putting up her sails for the first time since we arrived the week before. Howie was there to untie the bow line after an emotional night where we said goodbye and gave him a couple bottles of 1800 tequila (his favorite for anyone who gets to meet him in the future). It would be my first time sailing in the ocean and I was excited to say the least and relieved that the work we had done had finally paid off. We were immediately met with an alarm coming from belowdecks. The oil pressure sensor. Turn off the motor. Geoff take the helm. We’re heading into the wind with no power with a giant yacht to our starboard. When we lose steerage, Geoff calls to the captain and they turn the motor back on and we make it to the fuel dock to find out what the problem is. Really? Not 3 minutes away from the dock. We make it to the fuel dock, cut the engine and fill up while the Captain and Swabby are checking out the engine warning. It appears that the oil pressure sensor has malfunctioned and that we are okay to go. Next we motor away from the fuel dock through a narrow channel to get to the bay (AND THE OCEAN!!). Someone notices smoke coming from the cabin. The Captain and Swabby run down below and we notice the water temperature gauge is pegged. They determine that a water hose burst/came apart/broke and that we need to stop the engine as soon as possible. But we’re not at the opening of the bay yet! The Jolly Roger is a 47’ floating motor home and putting up the sails does not guarantee immediate forward momentum or steerage. After a harrowing few minutes while we get far enough outside the buoys, we manage to raise the mainsail, unfurl the jib, and hoist the mizzen. We’re unsure if some lucky beachgoers a few hundred yards to our port will get the youtube video of us coasting into the beach. We finally get enough speed and make enough headway to tack away from the beach and eventually sail away from the beach and danger. With me being the new guy and Geoff not knowing too much about diesel motors, we’re left to sail the boat, while Swabby and the Captain spend the next few hours while we sail off to Punta Mita for our first night at anchor. I manage to rustle up some dinner without getting too queasy during my first time in the galley and as the darkness arrives, we cross our fingers and turn on the motor and rumble our way over to our anchorage. And that’s Day 1. Posted from Sailing Jolly Roger | Comment »
