Charlotte B

1.2.2013 15:00pm 70F

Once we decided to go to Mexico, one of my primary “tourist” attractions was the N62 that went on the rocks near Mag Bay April of 2006. We had spoken to James Lieshman who has been aboard about a year later and said most everything was intact. Besides a “Dreamer’s curiosity” – I had a few things I’d prefer not to buy from Nordhavn, like a new door handle for the side door, and a missing scupper door – that with the starboard following sea can sound like a sonic boom while napping the the master cabin.

From the image on Google earth (24° 27.444’N 111° 54.535’W) – you can see she’s laying on her side – so with the sat photo and coordinates we were ready.

We anchored just inside Mag Bay on the north tip at 10am. I heard from James that there is no where to land an inflatable – so we went “commando” / wetsuits, fins – and launched our 40hp inflatable for the assult. We were quite a site – since the Yamaha two-stroke is pretty loud – we were wearing our engine room ear muffs, wetsuits, go-pro head mounted camera – we just needed two AK47s.

There was a light offshore wind – with a good size NW swell, with our handheld GPS – we were running about 20k in the inflatable, and the trip was 10 miles. As we approached it was clear the weather had not been kind to Charlotte B. The only remaining “structure” was the lower 1/3 of the aft section of the hull. There was a good size “debris field”. We anchored the zodiac just outside the break, but it was clear this was going to be dangerous. The swell was breaking direclty on-shore – probably 8 foot faces on the larger waves. Christine swam in (she’s the rescue swimmer in the family) – took a look at the break and swam back.

We shot the photos with a 300mm lens, and I’ve studied the debris field for the scupper door – looks like we’ll need to have my scupper door replaced in Mexico – I’m sure somewhere in the next 7000 miles we’ll have starboard quartering seas.

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5 thoughts on “Charlotte B

  1. Gordon Turner MV due North. 6304

    Hi Mark, I was surprised at how much damage had been done to Charlotte B since the last time anyone had reported. I expected to see a much more intact vessel. On reflection, being pounded on those rocks for so long it makes some sense that there is so little to see. but is it not a little spooky that the two items bearing the boats name(s) sit side by side, the only remaining structure?. Charlotte B on the transom and “Aurora” on what looks like a side of the Portuguese bridge. There’s been plenty of discussion about superstition of the bad fortune that visits vessels who change their name and don’t follow the procedure of eradicating all signs of the former name. And here in this photo in which The two names are the only thing left! Yikes. Well done for getting there! It looks pretty hostile.
    And great luck in your adventures, your blog is great!.
    Gordon

    Reply
  2. Alex Conconi

    Hi Mark, it was good to meet you and Christine in Ensanada. Glad you made it out to see the old N62. Weather certainly has taken its toll!

    Reply
  3. David Stafursky

    This vessel was my parents and this was a very tragic day, please keep in mind that a man died this horriable night. I enjoyed staying on her many times and found her to be a beautiful vessel, it breaks my heart to see it in this condition and also that she was surely picked to death by vultures.

    Reply

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