{"id":60480,"date":"2025-07-15T16:08:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T20:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=60480"},"modified":"2025-07-15T16:23:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T20:23:25","slug":"aiming-for-mexico-part-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/people\/aiming-for-mexico-part-6\/","title":{"rendered":"Aiming for Mexico, Part 6: Good Times and Diesel Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ensenada-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Ensenada, Mexico\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ensenada-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ensenada-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ensenada-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ensenada-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ensenada.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Colorful streets, vibrant music, and a giant flag overhead\u2014Ensenada welcomes cruisers with lively charm and a deep sense of place.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Marissa Neely<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Ensenada, Mexico, was officially founded in 1542, but the year really denotes when Spanish explorers arrived in the area. Quechan- or Yuman-speaking people had lived here for thousands of years. The place remained little more than a village until gold was discovered nearby in 1872. Ensenada then developed as a mining port, and was designated capital of Baja California in 1882. British-owned Mexican Land &amp; Colonization Co. planned and developed the modern city in subsequent decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"gkstfcayky\" src=\"https:\/\/cruisingworld.dragonforms.com\/gkstfcayky\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>Ensenada lost its capital status in 1915 after being devastated by the Mexican Revolution, and it remained a backwater until tourism took off in the 1950s. The annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race began leaving from California in 1948\u2014with famous actor Humphrey Bogart taking part that first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Ensenada is one of Mexico\u2019s most atmospheric ports. We found great wine and superb seafood (I\u2019m told, at least, since I have never enjoyed seafood). Like many port towns, Ensenada is tourist-centric, which means there is petty theft and general pestering, but if you don\u2019t go looking for trouble, you won\u2019t find it. We learned that English is spoken virtually everywhere, and we did our best to communicate in Spanish out of respect. Google Translate, downloaded to our phones, was a big help to overcome my decision to study French instead of Spanish in college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The streets were bright and colorful, alive with music and cruise-ship tourists. We exchanged our dollars for pesos and walked the long way through the fish market, along the Malec\u00f3n and beneath the large Mexican flag that painted the sky. I pinched myself to make sure it wasn\u2019t a dream. We were really here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-wound-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Hull gash in a sailboat\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-wound-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-wound-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-wound-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-wound-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-wound.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\"><i>Avocet<\/i>\u2019s cruising dreams carried a scar\u2014this hull gash, earned while docked stateside, demanded attention before heading farther south.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Marissa Neely<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Reality on a boat has a way of reasserting itself, though. Our 1979 Cheoy Lee 41, <em>Avocet<\/em>, had a nasty gash from rubbing against the dock during a big blow back in the States before we\u2019d left. It turned out to need a fairly quick fix that we could do in Ensenada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between coats of Awlgrip, my husband, Chris, checked in on our neighbor and buddy-boater, Peter Metcalfe, who was entertaining a friend aboard his 38-foot Hans Christian, <em>Kessel.<\/em> I was deep cleaning <em>Avocet<\/em>\u2019s interior, preparing her for our longest passage yet, when Olivia knocked on our hull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you know how to get diesel out of fabric?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-fix-in-process-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Painting the hull of a sailboat\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-fix-in-process-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-fix-in-process-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-fix-in-process-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-fix-in-process-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The-fix-in-process.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">A few coats of Awlgrip and some dockside elbow grease\u2014sailboat upkeep never stops, even in paradise.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Marissa Neely<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>\u201cBaking soda and vinegar, grease-cutting detergent, Listerine or ammonia should do the trick,\u201d I replied, and she went on her way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few moments later, she knocked again, asking if I could help her get diesel out of their mattress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYour mattress?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Diesel-probs-aboard-kessel-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Unclogging a vent hose on a sailboat\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Diesel-probs-aboard-kessel-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Diesel-probs-aboard-kessel-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Diesel-probs-aboard-kessel-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Diesel-probs-aboard-kessel-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Diesel-probs-aboard-kessel.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">A clogged vent hose turned <i>Kessel<\/i>\u2019s aft cabin into a diesel-soaked disaster, proving that cruising surprises aren\u2019t always pleasant.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Marissa Neely<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>By the time Olivia and I got over to <em>Kessel<\/em>, Chris, Peter and his friend were all tucked into the aft cabin, which was filled with diesel fumes. A breather hose for the diesel tanks, which allows the tanks to vent, was obstructed. When Peter had been filling the tanks, enough pressure had built up to create a siphon through the vent hose, which was, unfortunately, located above their bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stench was so bad, it wafted all the way down the dock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan I stay on your boat tonight?\u201d Olivia asked. Our cat, Cleo, was thrilled to have a cuddle buddy in the quarter berth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For us and the <em>Kessel<\/em> crew alike, the time spent in Ensenada was short, sweet, expensive and full of surprises\u2014but then Chris and I were off again for our longest passage yet, to Bahia Santa Maria, where we would endure even more misadventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lesson learned:<\/strong> Enjoy the good times, because when it comes to cruising, new challenges are always just around the bend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cruising life peaks in Ensenada with wine, repairs, and a diesel-soaked mishap before the <i>Avocet<\/i> crew sets sail again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":60482,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Marissa Neely","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":"","sponsored_image":false,"sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[165],"tags":[2000,283,197,2050],"class_list":["post-60480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-lifestyle","tag-mexico","tag-people","tag-sailing-avocet"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60480\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}