Rock On!

It gives you pause when a marine pilot hits a rock with his own boat. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the collision was the pilot’s fault.

It was a couple of weeks ago that John Larsen, who is a Southeast Alaska Marine Pilot for cruise ships in Alaska, struck a pinnacle rock near Punta Mita, Mexico, with his Alaska-based Westsail 42 Danika. Whether there are rocks between the Tres Marietas and Punta Mita, and if so where the rocks are, has long been a matter of dispute and confusion. Thanks to Larsen, we at least now know there is a pinnacle rock that comes to within about five feet of the surface at 20° 45.843′ N by 105° 32.889′ W. Larsen puts this at approximately "80 degrees, .786 nm from the NW point north of the Punta Mita Light."

This rock hasn’t been accurately plotted on many charts and in some cruising guides. But Larsen informs us that Navionics says it’s on the most recent version of their electronic charts. The pinnacle has been buoyed in the past, but the buoy had drifted off station. This can happen everywhere, but it seems to happen more often in Mexico than the States.

Larsen’s Westsail hit the rock bow on at close to seven knots, stopping her dead still, and creating the damage to the hull clearly seen in the accompanying photograph. Westsails have among the thickest fiberglass hulls of any brand sailboat, which helped. The hull of a less robustly built boat could have easily been breached. Danika didn’t take on any water immediately, and Larsen was able to make it to the boatyard in La Cruz without incident. Once hauled out, it was discovered that there was some water in the boat.

If you’re cruising Mexico, consider yourself warned.

Larsen’s boat is absolutely beautiful on the outside, and, we’re told, on the inside, too. "I bought a hull and deck in 1974, which is 40 years ago," Larsen told Latitude.

"How long did it take you to finish her?" we asked.

"I’m almost done," he replied.

You gotta love a guy with a sense of humor.