Mexico - April (and June), 2019 - Scuttling Eileen May

October 2018 in Barra

I'm dedicating this post to info about how we came to scuttle Eileen May, and the decisions we made regarding her decommissioning in Mexico.
The decisions we made were based on environmental concerns, our pocketbook, and what our available choices were as foreigners in Mexico.
Eileen May is a 1974 Sampson Ferro-cement sloop. She weighs approximately 20 tons and is 40ft.

We purchased Eileen May in February 2017 in Barra de Navidad. From November 2017 thru April, 2018 we readied her for a trip north to the Sea of Cortez to haul out for maintenance. During our time in Barra we worked on the engine, rig, and checked all of the systems for the journey north. We noticed a crack with a slight bulge in the port bow that we wanted to explore once we hauled out and decided to epoxy it so water would not enter on our trip north. We also had ongoing diesel leaks from the diesel hoses leading to the tanks. We found that a hack-job of 5 different hose/pipe types had been glued together and failed, resulting in leaking fuel into the v-berth area. We replaced the leaking mess with diesel hose but continued to smell diesel and so maintained our search for the source as we sailed to the Sea.

The work begins

After 6 weeks and almost a 1000 NW we made it Guaymas, Mexico and hauled out in May, 2018.

We returned to Eileen May in November of 2018 and started some serious exploration of the crack in the port bow. The crack turned into a 4ft hole and an additional 10ft along the port side toe rail to expose rusted infrastructure.

During our trip north the previous spring we found journals belonging to the previous owners Lori and Ed. One of the logs spoke of being "t-boned" by a pilling while being towed. It shared the location as the same as the crack, but didn't mention any repair. This journal mention was the first we knew of the damage. It sounded like a very serious hit so we knew we needed to explore this thoroughly.

As we investigated the hull it was clear the the crack was not properly treated since the crack quickly became a gaping hole when the concrete literally tumbled out. And in order to take proper care of the issue the hole would need to be made much larger, the metal sandblasted, epoxied and then re cemented. A project that could take a couple months. The effects of long term water intrusion could not be entirely known without taking a sledge hammer to the entire side of the boat, which we were not interested in doing. We would do the best we could to remove the rust and repair the hole. Since it was well above the water line we felt reasonably confident the repair could last a season or two.

The beginning of excavating the crack

We set about educating ourselves on ferro repair and received quotes from locals. It would be thousands of dollars and at least a month even if we were doing part of the work ourselves.
So we decided to do it all ourselves.
But Eileen May still wasn't livable as the batteries were completely dead and the diesel smell was stronger than ever.
Before we started the repair we thought it wise to do an inventory of any other potential issues so we could have a clear idea of the total costs involved, and to make sure there wasn't anything major that needed addressing that we didn't already know about.
So we took apart the v-berth for probably the fifth time and removed trash bags full of diesel soaked foam, cleaned the area and replaced additional hose as a precaution. We ruled out a fuel tank leak.
The smell was improved but not gone.
We also started sanding the bottom and chipping out failing repairs along the keel. There were at least 10 keel repairs that we grinded down to the wire and tubing. It would take a good amount of epoxy to fix but it was doable.

Toe-rail investigations

However, the sanding of the bottom uncovered a larger issue.  After we sanded off most of the coal tar epoxy on the port hull we found quarter size spots that smelled of diesel fuel and that felt slick and oily. There were only a handful of spots so we figured we could dry out each and cover them with a specialized epoxy before using the coal tar and bottom paint. The next day when we were dismayed to find that the few spots had become a swath running the length of the keel about 2 feet wide.
Having just removed the batteries to be replaced I had access to the bilge aft of the v-berth. I decided to explore this area more thoroughly. Unfortunately, I found that the cement cap that makes up the bilge bottom was cracked, and great chunks of the keel cap were laying about.
I found the path of the diesel leak led right into the crack, which led straight into the slag that was buried in the keel. Enough diesel leaked into the keel to cause the seeping to the outer layer of cement creating the swath we could see from the exterior.

Not a fun day

The only way to repair this would be to hammer out all the cement from both sides of the hull and rebuild the infrastructure and cement, possible rebuilding the entire keel. Plus it would be opening a can of worms; who knows what else we would find. The tubes that run vertically from toe rail to keel edge were already swollen from water intrusion and could easily be seen from inside the hull pushing inward on the concrete, the toe rail cap had failed and at least half the toe rail needed to be taken off and epoxied. The toe rail cap failure also allowed water intrusion into the shroud chain plates.
All this, plus the large hole on the port bow, made the decision a no brainer. Eileen May was not safe to sail, or possibly even float again.
A rebuild would cost well over 20 grand and probably more. This boat cost us less than 20 grand to purchase. It's not worth  putting that much money and time into a 45 year old cement boat. We also have concerns about how far the water intrusion has moved throughout the infrastructure and down the tubes from the toe rail. There is no way to know for sure.

No matter how we try to figure out how to repair the boat we can't find a reasonable solution to fixing the diesel in the keel. Diesel and concrete don't mix, the fuel changes the concrete into a crumbling mess and allows water intrusion with causes the chicken wire and rebar damage, which rusts and swells and breaks the concrete and allows even more water intrusion.
We would never feel safe sailing on her again. It was only a matter of time before she was hit in the right spot to crack her open, or her keel fell off from the diesel breaking down the concrete.
We would not be fixing this amount of damage.

Sanding

As soon as we make the decision to decommission her we immediately feel relief.
I do believe that had the previous owners taken proper care of the t-bone that led to the port bow hole, taken care of the toe rail degradation, and used the proper fuel line instead of ABS pipe and glue that caused diesel to leak into the bilge, scuttling Eileen May could have been avoided and the boat would have many years left.
But it is on us as we bought her and so she is our responsibility now.

After taking a break to recover from these very sad developments we started looking into our options.
How do you decommission a boat in a foreign country?

First off we don't want to go to jail for illegally abandoning her. Second, we don't want to put even more money into her than necessary, and third we've never done anything like this before.
We visit an auto/boat junk yard in Empalme and check to see if they are interested in using her for scrap. We ask around about previous cement boat deaths and hear that a couple boats have been abandoned in the boat yard, a couple have been cut into pieces and hauled off, and one has been taken to sea to become a reef. We follow up on all leads and find that no one wants to cut her up and those with experience warn us away from doing so. No one wants her for scrap.

Swap Meet

We briefly entertained fixing her up enough to sell as a floating condo. But this is risky. We would be putting months of our labor and at least a few grand into her to make her presentable to live aboard and would continue to pay fees either in a marina or the yard until or IF she ever sold. And this still doesn't take into consideration the diesel smell, new batteries needed, sanding, and primer and bottom paint needed to splash and countless other small projects.
It doesn't make sense to do this.
Neither of us could cover up the truth and lie to someone about the diesel issues.

So all that's left is taking her to sea.
Which means absolutely every single item needs to be removed. She needs to be just a cement hull with some wood and metal attached. We love the ocean and don't want to pollute her so we have to do this right. We couldn't live with ourselves otherwise.
The yard owner tracks us down and asks our intentions. He's had many boat owners abandon their boats and is concerned we will return to the states and leave him with the problem. We reassure him that we will take responsibility for her.

So even though we don't have an end game yet we decide to move forward now instead of waiting for next season to deal with the decommissioning.
This task is monumental.
Neither Shay or I even know what this will entail. We just get busy with the obvious. All personal stuff out and stored. Then all the items we want to sell, or keep for use on Holoholo. The electronics, cushions, electrical, hoses, appliances all removed and brought down the ladder, cleaned and spread across our yard space. We look like a sailboat bomb has gone off. All the deck hardware, winches, auto pilot, on and on and on, day after day after brutal day we dismantle Eileen May.

Removing fuel tanks

Empty boat

Next the 50 gallons of fuel and fuel tanks, v-drive, transmission, heat exchangers, exhaust, more electrical, more plumbing, sinks, lights, anchor chain, items stored deep in lockers and bilges. Everyday we are covered in grease and dirt and diesel, bruises and cuts and sore muscles. It is a herculean task.
And we are not finished yet. Still more layers to remove; the prop and shaft, stainless railings, stanchions and life lines, drawers, lockers, anything that is not attached, anything plastic or toxic, it all is removed.
Until finally after many weeks we are ready for the mast and engine to be taken out.
We cut out the cockpit so the engine will fit, prep the rigging, remove the boom, grind out the mast step plate, unscrew the engine mounts to prepare for the crane.
First the mast is removed and set in the yard to be moved against the wall for storage, then the engine is taken up and out and hauled over to Holoholo so we can  wrap it up tight.
Both the mast and engine are in good shape and we hope, fingers crossed, we can sell them for at least a little. Its cost us a few grand to pay for the storage, the crane and scuttling of Eileen May and it would be nice to recoup a little.

The last couple days are spent getting all the trash, and debris out of the hull. We even vacuum and use degreaser on the bilge to make sure no oil or gas residue is left.
We are exhausted. The work leaves our bodies busted up and too tired to feel anything other than relief that the job is over. She is an empty hull, a broken shell of a boat.

It's not until weeks later that I can start processing what happened.
That our boat of two years is nothing but a hull now.
Its sad, yes. And frustrating too, but we are ok.
We've been asked if we are angry about what happened.

We believe in Karma and focusing on our own actions not on others. In the bigger picture Eileen May was the beginning of our cruising adventure, she got us started. She helped us realize that we want to be cruisers, and that we can do anything we put our minds to. It's been a steep learning curve for sure, but we found Barra because of her and many new friends too. So we keep focused on what's important.

No more rigging or railings

Engine removed

We were able to sell a few thousand worth of gear so far, enough to offset the cost of burial and yard fees. Hopefully, next season we can sell the mast and engine and a few more items too. Its kinda nice knowing pieces of Eileen May are out there still cruising. We also gave away what we couldn't sell since Mexico is great at repurposing.
I think the angels were looking out for us when we sailed her north from Barra. During the deconmission we found evidence of failure points. Some of the chainplate bolts popped off and were rusted through, the cockpit frame was rotten, the overall structural condition was worse than we thought. When you get deep into a boat its amazing what you find. We were lucky.

And so Eileen May will be taken to sea for burial. She will be a home for fishes for many years to come until she is nothing more than a rock on the bottom of the ocean.
May she rest in peace.

Saying Goodbye