Getting ready to tackle some boat chores by starting the day at our favorite breakfast spot in La Cruz, Tortas El Ring
As final prep for visitors, we had two final projects that we saved until Madrone was safely tucked into a marina slip. As much as we enjoy wildlife in general and marine animals in particular, both projects were the direct result of our newfound nemesis – the blue-footed booby.
The dreaded booby
Our passage from the Sea of Cortez back to the mainland was slow and steady. That means that the mast looked like a perfect landing zone for a booby looking for rest. The bird circled once and then once more before arcing in for a graceful landing on the only area at the masthead not occupied by antennas, lights, or wind instruments.
We spread the spinnaker out on the grassy area in the marina and got busy cleaning up after the booby
We’re not adverse to giving a ride to a tired hitchhiker, but the top of the mast is a terrible spot for a bird to rest. So, we banged on the rigging, hammered on the mast, yanked on the halyards, and even broke out the air horn to try to dislodge our new crew. None of it worked. The bird spent about an hour preening before settling down for a few hours sleep. And every 15 minutes or so, our bright blue spinnaker was adorned with grayish-white bird$#&#.
Assembling our new wind instrument before heading up the mast for installation
A few days later, another booby decided that the wind indicator at the top of the mast was a likely-looking perch. Imagine it’s surprise when it landed, only to have the arm of the wind indicator collapse under it’s weight (and of course make the instrument stop working).
Up he goes!
Luckily for us, the marina has a large grassy lawn that’s perfect for handwashing a spinnaker. And a trip up the mast to replace our wind indicator is also a great opportunity to clean and inspect all of our rigging fittings that hold the mast up, as well as rinse six months of sand, dirt and salt from the rigging wires themselves.
There’s a new rule aboard Madrone – no more hitchhikers, no matter the species.
Making pure, double reverse osmosis water from our watermaker for topping off our batteries
