Pasito Blanco

24th September

We woke around 8.30 -9.00am and had a good breakfast after out last night of anchor for a while. We decide to leave at 10.00am for Pasito Blanco where Stormbird will be moored until we leave to cross the Atlantic in early January 2024.

We weighed anchor (got it up) and left at 10.00am as planned. It was not far only 5 nm and soon we saw a large cement factory which is a couple of miles from the marina (but not seen from it). We informed the marina that we would arrive about 11.00am and we wanted to refuel first. We are members of the Cruising Association (do not worry it is a sailing organisation!) and they have various representatives throughout the world and the local HRL (as they are called) Agustin Martin lives and has his boat in Pasito Blanco.

The marina is surrounded by up market villas with a security gate and it has a golf course adjacent to it. It also has a beach and there were a number of boats anchored outside the marina in what looked like a sheltered anchorage. We entered the marina and the fuel dock was on the right. The marina boys helped take out lines and Agustin was there to greet us. We had a good chat and refuelled and then were pointed to our mooring on the opposite side which meant reversing in and the marina boys took our stern lines and then you are handed what is known as slime lines! This is a line each side which is attached to a larger line attached to the bottom of the marina which you pull on and which is attached to your bow. You effectively pin your boat using the stern lines and front lines to ensure you are far enough off the pontoon so with swell you do not hit it. They are slimey as you can imagine what state they get in lying in the water when not in use.  It too some time for us to balance this and then we had to lower the dinghy from our Davits and so we could get out passarelle out (gangway) which is on hydraulics on the back and which extends and lowers. You therefore walk down the gangway on to the pontoon. Just next to us was La Punta Club – a bar, restaurant and it has its own swimming lido. Judging by the cars turning up -Porshe’s Mercedes, BMW’s etc the clientele were quite wealthy.

Once we sorted ourselves out, we went for a cold beer at La Punta and ended up having a calamari baguette. I thought I had organised this well. We were moored right by the bar/restaurant with a beach, near to the shower block and facilities, the marina has a small supermarket and it is right next to a golf course – what more could you want!!

I spoke with Agustin as we needed to arrange for some works on Stormbird and he said go and see Francisco who runs the Harbour and marina office.  As it was Sunday I will have to wait until the office opened on Monday.

We had a good supper on board and were finishing off our own food and we started to begin to put the boat to bed. This involves more than you think because the boat will be out of use for 3 months and will also be pulled out of the water for antifouling and cleaning etc.

25 September 2023 

After breakfast I went to check at the marina office and pay for my mooring etc until the end of December.  I then spoke with Francisco and I explained a few things which needed to be done and he said he would send his yard manager Cristian to meet me and to go through the list.

Cristian came to see me and spoke good English and I went through the list with him. He seemed an efficient guy and some works the yard in the marina could do and others he would bring in and collate the workmen for the work required.

This was a day spent, washing, cleaning and generally putting the boat to bed and we agreed we would have a last supper at La Punta. There was lots to do and it took us most of the day.

In the afternoon a new Catamaran came and moored next to us and they are doing the ARC this year. The owner was English and we had a good chat. Agustin came for an evening drink and then we went for a last supper at La Punta. We reflected that we had had a great time and we had been lucky it all went so well and look forward to our return.

Stormbird, I felt was in good hands and it will be a wrench to leave am after these last few months. 

This will be my last blog until I return in December 2023 and I hope it has been of some interest and at the least it has been a diary for me. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions for my future blogs then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com

Thanks and Thanks to Stormbird.