This is where we are right now. It is but a sixteen peso bus ride to Puerto Vallarta from where we are - La Cruz is in the north end of Banderas Bay, and Puerto Vallarta is near the middle of it.
I feel badly that I haven't written anything for so long. There are a lot of reasons for it, some of them "good" reasons but some of them are bad reasons as well. I like to keep things upbeat in this blog, but sometimes I feel like I am lying if I do that. Lying by omission, at least. But things have been up and down since I last posted, and I will simply tryin a linerar manner, to catch up on what has been happening on board Magda Jean since mid December and my last post.
We left Mazatlan Dec 20 at 3:30 pm and arrived in La Cruz on Dec 22 at 11:30 am. It was a really fantastic sail. We used our assymetrical spinnaker for the first time, and discovered it was not all that hard to use. For those who don't know, spinnakers are the big, brightly colored sails that are seen billowing out in front of sailboats in usually light air. Our sail is purple, yellow, and black. There are different types of spinnakers, and the differences have to do with the shape of the sail and the manner in which it is rigged. Ours is an asymmetrical spinnaker, which is shaped like a regular triangular sail, only bigger, made out of lighter material, and the sides are not completely symmetrical. Some spinnakers require a big pole be attached to the mast and many lines (ropes) attached to it and the boat in order to use it. Ours does not, thank goodness. But it is a bit unwieldly, for sure. Since we are not skilled racers, we only use this sail when the air is really light AND off the stern or the stern quarter.
Now these are usually the sailing conditions that drive me nuts - light air off the stern means you go real slow and the sails slat and the boom bangs around and all and all it is very uncomfortable. But with the spinnaker - the speed is drastically increased, the sail does not slat and the boom is still, and it is quieter than can be imagined. We had that going for 15 hours straight until the wind increased and we had to bring it down. THAT was a bit hairy for a few moments, but we got it. It was an incredible experience.
Getting here was one of the progress goals I had set for us - La Cruz by Christmas. Not for any reason related to La Cruz, just that I wanted to keep us moving along. Everyone has told us how much we are going to love La Cruz - maybe we heard that a little too much, which can set up unrealistic expectations. It is a very nice, very big anchorage, with good shore access. There is a nice shore view. There are also a LOT of boats here, sort of like San Carlos only more spread out. The anchorage is located in Banderas Bay, which is 20 miles wide by 20 miles long. We are on the north end, and as you go south along the shoreline, you eventually come to Puerto Vallarta, about 15 or so miles away by car or bus. It is only 9 miles by sea. There is a huge sailing community here - four big marinas besides this big anchorage. And even though Puerto Vallarta is smaller than Mazatlan, it seems a lot bigger, likely because all these little towns between here and there sort of run together. Like a tiny version of Los Angeles. La Cruz is charming, with cobbled streets winding up hills from the shore. There are plenty of pretty good restaurants, many of them run by members of the robust expat community residing here. And that is just La Cruz. Down the road is Bucerias - which has really nice beaches and is more touristy like a tiny little Cabo in some respects. Then you come to Nuevo Vallarta - seems to be mostly homes for gringos and a marina built on an estuary. We haven't really been there yet - it is home to the Vallarta Yacht Club, which I thought about joining since our membership to the Navy San Diego Yacht Club lapsed. Then after that, you come into Puerto Vallarta proper. We have walked around PV and really enjoyed sitting in a restaurant overlooking the malecon watching the people walk by AND seeing the Chargers get beat by Detroit and having the Raiders fan waiter tell us that as Charger fans, our beer would now cost more.
Okay, so that brings us up to now, anchored in La Cruz. Our nephew left yesterday for home, so we are on our own again. We miss him a lot and hope he decides to come back at some point - it was hard to see him go. He did a fantastic job with the boat and it is a better boat directly due to his hard work. The bad news - our outboard is having problems. There is no water coming out of the water indicator, which is where the water comes out that circulates through the engine to cool it. Mike and Walt checked the raw water strainers - but that isn't it. The water pump and/or its impeller are the suspected culprits. Of course, this does have to happen on a holiday weekend, causing us to be pretty much boatbound unless we want to row a significant distance (3/4 mile) in water that oftimes has waves to deal with and winds that may go against you. But other cruisers have offered to help us, so things will work out. There are some mechanics and a Honda dealership here. This cannot be the first cruiser's dinghy engine to ever have a problem here!
So again - we are in a holding pattern. But it is a nice place to be in one. The weather is gentle - not hot, but very pleasent. Good sleeping weather at night. We plan to spend New Years Eve here alone together with Magda Jean - time we can spend talking about what we want for each other, for ourselves, and for the New Year. I know it is cliched, but it seems like this is a good time for reflecting on the past and the present, reconsideration when called for, rejoicing (did I spell that right?) in the good things we are lucky enough to have in our lives, and recognizing that life is always but a work in process. So to all of you reading this: I wish you the best possible new year!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
More Holding Pattern
It is Sunday. The passports came yesterday. We cleaned the bottom of both the boat and the dinghy, got our laundry done, cleaned the inside of the boat, and filled all the tanks with their required fluids. Today we are going to the grocery store for the last provisioning trip. Then - we wait for a weather window. We had planned to leave Monday afternoon, but the weather looks dicey, according to Mike. So we might have to wait. I really don't want to wait, but no one, especially me, really enjoys sailing in crappy weather. Oh - I also have to buy a new coffee grinder because mine is dying. One of these days it will not work at all. I am hoping to find a hand grinder if it does not take up too much space. I also want a perculator like the kind used for camping - that way we can have brewed coffee when we are anchored because the coffee maker uses up a tremendous amount of power. It is worse than the microwave because the microwave, while it does use a lot of power, uses it only for a couple of minutes. The coffee maker takes longer and then stays on with the heating pad. Oh - one more thing I have to do before we leave - defrost the refrigerator. A very easy chore that involves putting the frozen stuff in a cooler, the other stuff on the counter, turn off the refrigerator, then run a hose through the hatch and melt all the frost that has formed. After that is accomplished, we wipe the inside down with a bleach solution and then turn it back on and put all the stuff back in. It takes about 20 minutes total, so it is not a hard chore.
I am having mixed feelings about leaving Mazatlan - I would really consider living here someday if I decided to stay in one place. It really does have everything I want or need, and the people are very friendly. The lady that does our laundry actually teared up when I told her we were leaving. I felt the same way. Everyone here is really good to us. And if I stayed, I would be living at a resort.
But there are more places to see before I could make that sort of decision. I am really eager to see the Pacific coast of Mexico - and Central America. I want to see what kind of fish we will catch. I am interested in what new birds and animals we will come across - Central America is jungle-ly with monkeys and toucans. I can't imagine how amazing it will be to see these creatures in real life, not in a zoo. (My mother forever ruined zoos for me, but that is another story.) I have heard that the howler monkeys will throw poop at you and steal your stuff if you leave it laying around. A friend who has been there saw a monkey running down the beach carrying hotel keys with a man chasing him. I am sure that guy never saw those keys again. I don't want poop thrown on me, but I am looking forward to hearing them howl. Animal sounds at night never keep me awake, but I like to wake up and just listen.
There are a ton of iguana lizards around here. They are actually very pretty if you spend a little time looking at them - they have markings on their faces that look like the intricatly painted designs the Indians here in Mexico do. Perhaps that is where they got their design inspiration. They are vegetarian, but a bit aggressive when they come up to the pool area here and decide they want what you are eating. They will rear up and put their iguana feet right up on the table. It is really funny. Some people scream and run away and get pool area staff to chase them away. Other people just casually shoo them off. There are some other lizards that look a lot like the iguanas, but aren't, and they do bite if you bother them and give them no way out. Iguanas also change color like chameleons or geckos do - maybe not quite as dramatically, but they do change and you can watch it happen if you get lucky. The juveniles are a really bright green, and the older ones are darker green with orange highlights.
Also, the other day when we were on a dinghy expedition, we saw and osprey swoop down into the water and catch a fish, then fly away with it. It doesn't sound like a big deal except for the fact we were close enought to see the whole operation in detail, including flying away holding the fish in his feet. It was one of those moments when you first think how lucky you are and then think "Damn! Where is my camera?"
Well, that is all for today - I want to get this show on the road and start getting my chores done for today. I am looking forward to spending Christmas in a brand new place. I hope everyone in cold snowy weather is staying warm but enjoying it as well. If my Christmas is white, it will be due to coral sand!
I am having mixed feelings about leaving Mazatlan - I would really consider living here someday if I decided to stay in one place. It really does have everything I want or need, and the people are very friendly. The lady that does our laundry actually teared up when I told her we were leaving. I felt the same way. Everyone here is really good to us. And if I stayed, I would be living at a resort.
But there are more places to see before I could make that sort of decision. I am really eager to see the Pacific coast of Mexico - and Central America. I want to see what kind of fish we will catch. I am interested in what new birds and animals we will come across - Central America is jungle-ly with monkeys and toucans. I can't imagine how amazing it will be to see these creatures in real life, not in a zoo. (My mother forever ruined zoos for me, but that is another story.) I have heard that the howler monkeys will throw poop at you and steal your stuff if you leave it laying around. A friend who has been there saw a monkey running down the beach carrying hotel keys with a man chasing him. I am sure that guy never saw those keys again. I don't want poop thrown on me, but I am looking forward to hearing them howl. Animal sounds at night never keep me awake, but I like to wake up and just listen.
There are a ton of iguana lizards around here. They are actually very pretty if you spend a little time looking at them - they have markings on their faces that look like the intricatly painted designs the Indians here in Mexico do. Perhaps that is where they got their design inspiration. They are vegetarian, but a bit aggressive when they come up to the pool area here and decide they want what you are eating. They will rear up and put their iguana feet right up on the table. It is really funny. Some people scream and run away and get pool area staff to chase them away. Other people just casually shoo them off. There are some other lizards that look a lot like the iguanas, but aren't, and they do bite if you bother them and give them no way out. Iguanas also change color like chameleons or geckos do - maybe not quite as dramatically, but they do change and you can watch it happen if you get lucky. The juveniles are a really bright green, and the older ones are darker green with orange highlights.
Also, the other day when we were on a dinghy expedition, we saw and osprey swoop down into the water and catch a fish, then fly away with it. It doesn't sound like a big deal except for the fact we were close enought to see the whole operation in detail, including flying away holding the fish in his feet. It was one of those moments when you first think how lucky you are and then think "Damn! Where is my camera?"
Well, that is all for today - I want to get this show on the road and start getting my chores done for today. I am looking forward to spending Christmas in a brand new place. I hope everyone in cold snowy weather is staying warm but enjoying it as well. If my Christmas is white, it will be due to coral sand!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Holding Pattern
Now that the solar panels are on and the windlass has been installed and Walt and Ricardo are done with the brightwork, it is time to get going and we are stuck here waiting for our passports. All our friends are heading south, and as usual, we are always the last. I suppose that isn't a big deal, but still - it is hard to watch everyone sail off when you can't join them.
The passports expire in January, so this was the time to do it. There really wasn't a better time, and Mike did not want to go up to LA to do it the fast (and more expensive) way, so we went through the consulate down here. They told us it would be three weeks - the three weeks were up on Tuesday. On Wednesday they told us tomorrow or Friday. It is Thursday and did not come today. So I will go down to the consulate tomorrow. If it isn't there, we have to wait to next week. I am really anxious to get going. I want to make La Cruz by Christmas. If I don't it is not the end of the world, but I like to have something to shoot for.
Mike and Walt went out tonight and I have the boat to myself tonight. That is pretty rare and I am savoring it. I plan to read as soon as I am finished with this post.
Lately I have been in a really reflective mood because it is the beginning of a bew year living this way. I want to make some changes and I also want some things to stay the same. I want to work on my writing, and maybe do some painting as well. I want to work harder cultivating friendships that I already have as well as forming new ones. Having friends is work and I am lazy when it comes to doing what you have to do to have friends. But I want to get better at it. After all, I can't just expect people to fall at my feel wanting to be my friend.
Yesterday Mike and I went for a dinghy ride along the estuarial area near here. I think it was originally a big saltwater marsh, and the developers made it into an estuary with big luxery houses all along the sides of it. It is full of fish that are constantly jumping out and splashing around. There are also some islands (probably formed by the product of dredging) that are covered with lots and lots of different kinds of birds. We saw at least three different types of herons, several kinds of egrets, seagulls, pelicans, sandpipers, grackles, purple finches, kingfishers - the list goes on and we were only there for an hour or so. It was wonderful. The jumping fish are mullet. Mike says they are not particularly good eating.
Tonight there was a little Christmas party at the bar here at the hotel - the marina sponsored it for us residents - it was really nice with free food and beer and margaritas. They gave away some prizes but we didn't win any - things for best decorated boat and things like that. We have lights on the boat, inside and out, but while it looks very nice and Christmas-y, we are not in a competitive decorating league. I am just relieved I don't have to deal with gettting and decorating a tree. I have been over that for about 8 years or so.
We saw a street procession yesterday or the day before for the Blessed Virgin of Guadaloupe - Nuestra Senora de Guadaloupe - the most important saint in Mexico. The people marched in the street with a band while carrying a big statue of the saint. It was really beautiful to watch - all ages, all sexes, all walks of life, walking and holding candles and singing.
Well, there isn't too much more to say tonight. I am reading "Typee" by Melville - it is pretty good. I am looking forward to reading it with no interruptions. Tomorrow I am hoping and praying that our passports come - I can then go to the store and provision up on Saturday and leave on Sunday. The only fly in the ointment (other than if the passports do not arrive) would be if the winds get stronger - they have been blowing hard the last few days. Today we sewed up a rip and patched a hole in the big genoa. The rip was new, but the hole that needed patching had been patched before. The tape I used was really old (it came with the boat) and didn't hold. I got new tape when I was in San Diego last month and this should do the trick. I could tell a difference in how it went on.
So - this is all for tonight, and I hope the next post I write will be from an underway status!
The passports expire in January, so this was the time to do it. There really wasn't a better time, and Mike did not want to go up to LA to do it the fast (and more expensive) way, so we went through the consulate down here. They told us it would be three weeks - the three weeks were up on Tuesday. On Wednesday they told us tomorrow or Friday. It is Thursday and did not come today. So I will go down to the consulate tomorrow. If it isn't there, we have to wait to next week. I am really anxious to get going. I want to make La Cruz by Christmas. If I don't it is not the end of the world, but I like to have something to shoot for.
Mike and Walt went out tonight and I have the boat to myself tonight. That is pretty rare and I am savoring it. I plan to read as soon as I am finished with this post.
Lately I have been in a really reflective mood because it is the beginning of a bew year living this way. I want to make some changes and I also want some things to stay the same. I want to work on my writing, and maybe do some painting as well. I want to work harder cultivating friendships that I already have as well as forming new ones. Having friends is work and I am lazy when it comes to doing what you have to do to have friends. But I want to get better at it. After all, I can't just expect people to fall at my feel wanting to be my friend.
Yesterday Mike and I went for a dinghy ride along the estuarial area near here. I think it was originally a big saltwater marsh, and the developers made it into an estuary with big luxery houses all along the sides of it. It is full of fish that are constantly jumping out and splashing around. There are also some islands (probably formed by the product of dredging) that are covered with lots and lots of different kinds of birds. We saw at least three different types of herons, several kinds of egrets, seagulls, pelicans, sandpipers, grackles, purple finches, kingfishers - the list goes on and we were only there for an hour or so. It was wonderful. The jumping fish are mullet. Mike says they are not particularly good eating.
Tonight there was a little Christmas party at the bar here at the hotel - the marina sponsored it for us residents - it was really nice with free food and beer and margaritas. They gave away some prizes but we didn't win any - things for best decorated boat and things like that. We have lights on the boat, inside and out, but while it looks very nice and Christmas-y, we are not in a competitive decorating league. I am just relieved I don't have to deal with gettting and decorating a tree. I have been over that for about 8 years or so.
We saw a street procession yesterday or the day before for the Blessed Virgin of Guadaloupe - Nuestra Senora de Guadaloupe - the most important saint in Mexico. The people marched in the street with a band while carrying a big statue of the saint. It was really beautiful to watch - all ages, all sexes, all walks of life, walking and holding candles and singing.
Well, there isn't too much more to say tonight. I am reading "Typee" by Melville - it is pretty good. I am looking forward to reading it with no interruptions. Tomorrow I am hoping and praying that our passports come - I can then go to the store and provision up on Saturday and leave on Sunday. The only fly in the ointment (other than if the passports do not arrive) would be if the winds get stronger - they have been blowing hard the last few days. Today we sewed up a rip and patched a hole in the big genoa. The rip was new, but the hole that needed patching had been patched before. The tape I used was really old (it came with the boat) and didn't hold. I got new tape when I was in San Diego last month and this should do the trick. I could tell a difference in how it went on.
So - this is all for tonight, and I hope the next post I write will be from an underway status!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Beisbol . . .
We went to a baseball game last night - the Mazatlan Venados (deer) played the Manzanillo Naranjeros (Orangemen? not really sure). The Naranjeros won 4-1- but we had a great time anyway. It was almost as much fun to watch the crowds and the food vendors as it was to watch the game. And I ate so much crappy stadium food that I had serious indigestion and acid reflux all night long. But it was a really good time.
Today we spent the day at the pool here with some friends we met in the Sea of Cortez this summer. They are at a different marina, and we have the best pool, so they came here. I got a lot of sun and hopefully my tan will start coming back . . . but it was a really nice day, good conversation, and we are going over to their boat for dinner tonight. They had their boat custom made because he is very tall and needs a lot more headroom than most every other boat has.
The brightwork is coming along beautifully. Mike is happy that everything has resolved itself to the point the only thing holding us up are the passports, not any problems with the boat or the boat work that needs to be done. We are (all three of us) eager to get underway. In fact, we are strongly considering changing our plans and heading to Polynesia in May instead of going to Ecuador. There is an organized rally that, if you go with them, has things arranged with the French authorities to waive a $1700.00 bond usually required to be posted when going to French Polynesia via private sailboat. There are other immigration things that get smoothed out too. Since we don't speak French at all, stuff like that can be really helpful. And it might be fun to have a group to stay in touch with via SSB radio. But who knows? We have only recently started talking about it.
Well, there isn't a whole lot of news right now - just wanting to get those passports so we can get underway for points south and El Salvador. After the seminar we went to this weekend, we are more excited than ever to go there, and also do some extra traveling thoughout Central America. Mexican culture is not real foreign to me, because I lived in Southern California for many years and also went to northern baja as much as possible. This is going to be new and I am really looking forward to it.
Have a great day!
Today we spent the day at the pool here with some friends we met in the Sea of Cortez this summer. They are at a different marina, and we have the best pool, so they came here. I got a lot of sun and hopefully my tan will start coming back . . . but it was a really nice day, good conversation, and we are going over to their boat for dinner tonight. They had their boat custom made because he is very tall and needs a lot more headroom than most every other boat has.
The brightwork is coming along beautifully. Mike is happy that everything has resolved itself to the point the only thing holding us up are the passports, not any problems with the boat or the boat work that needs to be done. We are (all three of us) eager to get underway. In fact, we are strongly considering changing our plans and heading to Polynesia in May instead of going to Ecuador. There is an organized rally that, if you go with them, has things arranged with the French authorities to waive a $1700.00 bond usually required to be posted when going to French Polynesia via private sailboat. There are other immigration things that get smoothed out too. Since we don't speak French at all, stuff like that can be really helpful. And it might be fun to have a group to stay in touch with via SSB radio. But who knows? We have only recently started talking about it.
Well, there isn't a whole lot of news right now - just wanting to get those passports so we can get underway for points south and El Salvador. After the seminar we went to this weekend, we are more excited than ever to go there, and also do some extra traveling thoughout Central America. Mexican culture is not real foreign to me, because I lived in Southern California for many years and also went to northern baja as much as possible. This is going to be new and I am really looking forward to it.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
In Port
I haven't written for awhile because we have been here in Mazatlan catching up on things, seeing people we met the last time we were here, and meeting new people. I think I have made a new friend, and I am really happy about that.
It is nice and cool here. While I do sort of miss warm water and swimming and being tan (at least tan for a redhead) it is nice not to be sweating like crazy all day long. It is also nice to have the boat open and not use the AC. When we use the AC, it sits in the companion way, and we have to climb in and out of the hatch in the vee berth to get in and out unless we want to engage and disengage the AC every time we leave or enter the boat. Not the end of the world, but definitely a hassle. And it is a chance to wear some different clothes for a change.
I seem to write less when we are in port like this, in great part because it is more like regular life. We get up, make breakfast, clean the boat and do chores, then visit with friends, go to dinner, and so on. Not real interesting. But to me, living here in Mexico is an adventure almost every day, if I really stop to think about it. For example, yesterday Mike and I went out to get some pieces of aluminum for the new solar panels and then to find the proper stainless steel bolts, nuts, and washers to complete the work. We had to go to a new area of town, which was very interesting because it was not in the normal tourist areas. The guys at the storefront that sells every kind of screw imaginable do not speak English, and explaining that sort of thing goes way beyond my general knowledge of Spanish. Our measurements for the aluminum pieces were in inches, while the shop uses centimeters. And we walked for a long time, winding around through little alley-type streets. We ate at a local taco place and the tacos were awesome - carnitas with all sorts of chilis and vegetables and spicy onions.
My nephew has been here for about a week now and it has been great to have him. He and Mike have already installed the new windlass, and Walt is working with one of the local men sanding and re-varnishing the brightwork (teak on the outside of the boat). It looks fantastic, and Walt is gaining much "cred" from other boaters here on the dock with his excellent work. Mike is working on the solar panels, and I expect that everything will be completed within the next week. Our passports expire next month, so we have applied for renewal and the new ones should be ready around the 10th or so. Hopefully it won't be much longer than that.
We have also been enjoying seeing old friends here. There is a wonderful music scene here in Mazatlan and we are in it up to our ears! We made many friends among the various musicians - what stimulating company! Just being around people like that is very - I don't know - inspiring? motivating? I am really not sure. At any rate, the music is awesome, and there is nothing better than singing and dancing and all that goes with it.
We also went to a seminar about the El Salvador cruisers rally we plan on joining in March - I am more excited than ever about going to Central America. In fact, after we leave here, all the places we go will be totally new. I went to Puerto Vallarta once as a tourist about 20 years ago, but otherwise all the places between here and El Salvador will be new. Having lived so long in southern California, Mexican culture is pretty familiar to me. This will be new. Many of the people we will encounter will not speak any English and may not speak Spanish - only Indian languages. The food is different - we have been told there is no spicy food south of Mexico! So I told Mike and Walt not to worry - we would stock up on hot sauce prior to leaving. They also do beautiful weaving and fabric work there and I am hoping to get some nice things.
So that is all for now - just know that things are wonderful down here, I love Mazatlan, and wish everyone a really great day!
It is nice and cool here. While I do sort of miss warm water and swimming and being tan (at least tan for a redhead) it is nice not to be sweating like crazy all day long. It is also nice to have the boat open and not use the AC. When we use the AC, it sits in the companion way, and we have to climb in and out of the hatch in the vee berth to get in and out unless we want to engage and disengage the AC every time we leave or enter the boat. Not the end of the world, but definitely a hassle. And it is a chance to wear some different clothes for a change.
I seem to write less when we are in port like this, in great part because it is more like regular life. We get up, make breakfast, clean the boat and do chores, then visit with friends, go to dinner, and so on. Not real interesting. But to me, living here in Mexico is an adventure almost every day, if I really stop to think about it. For example, yesterday Mike and I went out to get some pieces of aluminum for the new solar panels and then to find the proper stainless steel bolts, nuts, and washers to complete the work. We had to go to a new area of town, which was very interesting because it was not in the normal tourist areas. The guys at the storefront that sells every kind of screw imaginable do not speak English, and explaining that sort of thing goes way beyond my general knowledge of Spanish. Our measurements for the aluminum pieces were in inches, while the shop uses centimeters. And we walked for a long time, winding around through little alley-type streets. We ate at a local taco place and the tacos were awesome - carnitas with all sorts of chilis and vegetables and spicy onions.
My nephew has been here for about a week now and it has been great to have him. He and Mike have already installed the new windlass, and Walt is working with one of the local men sanding and re-varnishing the brightwork (teak on the outside of the boat). It looks fantastic, and Walt is gaining much "cred" from other boaters here on the dock with his excellent work. Mike is working on the solar panels, and I expect that everything will be completed within the next week. Our passports expire next month, so we have applied for renewal and the new ones should be ready around the 10th or so. Hopefully it won't be much longer than that.
We have also been enjoying seeing old friends here. There is a wonderful music scene here in Mazatlan and we are in it up to our ears! We made many friends among the various musicians - what stimulating company! Just being around people like that is very - I don't know - inspiring? motivating? I am really not sure. At any rate, the music is awesome, and there is nothing better than singing and dancing and all that goes with it.
We also went to a seminar about the El Salvador cruisers rally we plan on joining in March - I am more excited than ever about going to Central America. In fact, after we leave here, all the places we go will be totally new. I went to Puerto Vallarta once as a tourist about 20 years ago, but otherwise all the places between here and El Salvador will be new. Having lived so long in southern California, Mexican culture is pretty familiar to me. This will be new. Many of the people we will encounter will not speak any English and may not speak Spanish - only Indian languages. The food is different - we have been told there is no spicy food south of Mexico! So I told Mike and Walt not to worry - we would stock up on hot sauce prior to leaving. They also do beautiful weaving and fabric work there and I am hoping to get some nice things.
So that is all for now - just know that things are wonderful down here, I love Mazatlan, and wish everyone a really great day!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Weather Wimp
Last night it got down to 55 degrees. I was freezing in bed, even with Mike cuddled up against me. We broke out an extra blanket. It amazes me to think that less than a month ago, I was running my AC 24/7 at the marina in Topolobampo and being concerned about sweat ruining my white shirt. What a difference! The good thing is it is now really comfortable to walk during the day for long stretches. I love to walk but not when it is 90 degrees and 80 percent humidity. Now that I stop to think about it, we were using the AC here right before we went to the states. It should be in the seventies or low eighties today, which as far as I am concerned is really comfortable. I am turning into a weather wimp. Mike is already a true weather wimp - he says he will never go anywhere if he has to wear a jacket.
My nephew is joining us today. I am really looking forward to it. We were getting a really nice rhythm going just as he left, and I think we can get that back in a lot less time than it took to develop it in the first place. Mike and I have grown so much over this summer and fall as far as our sailing and general boat skills go, which means we are more confident, which means we will be better teachers. And a number of mechanical problems have been sorted out, which means no stress over how the engine will act.
Yesterday was our one year anniversary - we left San Diego on Nov 29, 2010. I am sort of surprized that we continued on considering the crappy sail we had getting to Ensenada - the bilge overflowed and flooded the cabin floor, and I was SO SICK! I remember thinking "If sailing was always like this no one would ever do it, so it must get better." Then our next sail (actually our longest period underway to date) was the four day, three night sail to Turtle Bay, which was the polar opposite of the SD-Ensenada trip. So that is how it goes - things are sublime when they are good and horrible when they are bad.
I have always had dreams of what I wanted my life to be, and most of the time I settled for less - or at least something very different. I haven't always made the best choices - has anyone? But the feeling I get when I look around and realize that for once things have worked out the way I want them to is pretty much undescribable. It is probably because I am not used to this feeling, and therefore not sure how to label it. I almost hate to examine my circumstances too much because I am afraid of jinxing things. But as far as today goes - all is right with my little world. I wouldn't be anywhere else. For the first time that I can remember, I am pretty much living in the moment rather than existing in a holding pattern, waiting for something to happen so something else can happen. It is a great feeling.
Back to earth now - it is time to fix breakfast. And the temperature has risen to a whopping 68, but I think it feels warmer than that. I need to make another pot of coffee. And we need to clear Walt's bed - the vee berth - of all the crap we have stacked up there. I have been sort of dreading the task of finding a place for all those things - space and storage are always an issue on a boat. Something will present itself, I am sure. It usually does, one way or another. Have a great day!
My nephew is joining us today. I am really looking forward to it. We were getting a really nice rhythm going just as he left, and I think we can get that back in a lot less time than it took to develop it in the first place. Mike and I have grown so much over this summer and fall as far as our sailing and general boat skills go, which means we are more confident, which means we will be better teachers. And a number of mechanical problems have been sorted out, which means no stress over how the engine will act.
Yesterday was our one year anniversary - we left San Diego on Nov 29, 2010. I am sort of surprized that we continued on considering the crappy sail we had getting to Ensenada - the bilge overflowed and flooded the cabin floor, and I was SO SICK! I remember thinking "If sailing was always like this no one would ever do it, so it must get better." Then our next sail (actually our longest period underway to date) was the four day, three night sail to Turtle Bay, which was the polar opposite of the SD-Ensenada trip. So that is how it goes - things are sublime when they are good and horrible when they are bad.
I have always had dreams of what I wanted my life to be, and most of the time I settled for less - or at least something very different. I haven't always made the best choices - has anyone? But the feeling I get when I look around and realize that for once things have worked out the way I want them to is pretty much undescribable. It is probably because I am not used to this feeling, and therefore not sure how to label it. I almost hate to examine my circumstances too much because I am afraid of jinxing things. But as far as today goes - all is right with my little world. I wouldn't be anywhere else. For the first time that I can remember, I am pretty much living in the moment rather than existing in a holding pattern, waiting for something to happen so something else can happen. It is a great feeling.
Back to earth now - it is time to fix breakfast. And the temperature has risen to a whopping 68, but I think it feels warmer than that. I need to make another pot of coffee. And we need to clear Walt's bed - the vee berth - of all the crap we have stacked up there. I have been sort of dreading the task of finding a place for all those things - space and storage are always an issue on a boat. Something will present itself, I am sure. It usually does, one way or another. Have a great day!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Addressing the Elephant in the Living Room
I don't have any news to report - things are going fine. The weather is cooling - everyone is sort of complaining about it, but I will enjoy it while it lasts. I don't mind this - and by cool, I mean that it is in the 70s at times. But it gets up to 90 in the daytime. And you can still swim in the ocean. So it isn't really cold. But these people complain when it is too hot as well. I am just happy to be comfortable at night.
At this point, we are sort of in a holding pattern here on Magda Jean. As soon as we get paid again at the first of the month, we have someone coming to redo the outside woodwork (the "bright work") and to clean the bottom of the boat. We should get the bottom painted, but have decided to wait for a bit - maybe in El Salvador or we will wait until Panama, where I have heard they have good facilities for yachts and repair. We might at that point get the whole boat repainted. Of course, this is all up to Mike. He fusses about wanting desparately to get underway, then he schedules more projects . . .
But besides that work, we are awaiting our windlass and solar panels, which will be a pretty big installation project. The shipper told us they had cleared customs. Mike plans to do the work himself, with help from me and probably our nephew, who will be rejoining us in a few days. My plan is for us to head south December 10, but I have no idea if we will meet that date. Big shock there! I don't think I have ever made a plan that we have actually been able to stick to. Too many uncontrollable variables.
But on a much more somber note, a couple of days ago there were a number of dead people found in abandoned cars in Guadalajara. Drug cartel violence. It breaks my heart for the people down here - it's something they live with, some places more than others. I get a lot of people asking me how dangerous it is down here, and if we have to take special precautions, stuff like that. I have been asked if I feel safe. I would answer that we have never felt in any danger whatsoever, and take only commonsense precautions we would take anywhere. We have spent a year in Mexico now, spending time in cities and villages and in the middle of nowhere, and have never even come close to running into any problems. Much of our time has been spent in the state of Sinaloa, which is home to some pretty bad people and one of the most violent cartels. Mazatlan is a decent sized city, with some slummy areas, so we don't go certain places at night (not that there is any reason to go there at night anyway), don't engage with questionable people, don't flash money, don't get staggering drunk, and so on. Pretty much how I would conduct myself anywhere.
This is in no way supposed to be an attempt to minimize the problems. It is really horrible. But it is more like living in New York or Chicago during the gangster years than the Beirut-like manner it is shown as on TV and on the internet. It is hard to explain. The cartels don't want to run the country, so it isn't like guerilla fighters trying to convert the populace by force while the government tries to keep things status quo, like some of the Marxist rebel movements in South America. It is not in any way a civil war, or even close. The only possible danger would be getting caught in cross fire, but that is probably less likely to happen to you here than in Newark or Oakland or DC or New Orleans or Houston. The cartels have no desire to mess with tourists as it would make trouble for them, trouble they do not need or want. And tourists will not be kidnapped randomly - that is reserved for victims the cartels KNOW can raise large ransoms. Come here if you have a chance. You will not regret it. I still encourage everyone to vacation in Mexico - you will be in no danger on a vacation here. None whatsoever. You will think you died and went to heaven.
OK, off my soapbox for today. I have been pretty preachy lately - time for some new adventures. Have a great day!
At this point, we are sort of in a holding pattern here on Magda Jean. As soon as we get paid again at the first of the month, we have someone coming to redo the outside woodwork (the "bright work") and to clean the bottom of the boat. We should get the bottom painted, but have decided to wait for a bit - maybe in El Salvador or we will wait until Panama, where I have heard they have good facilities for yachts and repair. We might at that point get the whole boat repainted. Of course, this is all up to Mike. He fusses about wanting desparately to get underway, then he schedules more projects . . .
But besides that work, we are awaiting our windlass and solar panels, which will be a pretty big installation project. The shipper told us they had cleared customs. Mike plans to do the work himself, with help from me and probably our nephew, who will be rejoining us in a few days. My plan is for us to head south December 10, but I have no idea if we will meet that date. Big shock there! I don't think I have ever made a plan that we have actually been able to stick to. Too many uncontrollable variables.
But on a much more somber note, a couple of days ago there were a number of dead people found in abandoned cars in Guadalajara. Drug cartel violence. It breaks my heart for the people down here - it's something they live with, some places more than others. I get a lot of people asking me how dangerous it is down here, and if we have to take special precautions, stuff like that. I have been asked if I feel safe. I would answer that we have never felt in any danger whatsoever, and take only commonsense precautions we would take anywhere. We have spent a year in Mexico now, spending time in cities and villages and in the middle of nowhere, and have never even come close to running into any problems. Much of our time has been spent in the state of Sinaloa, which is home to some pretty bad people and one of the most violent cartels. Mazatlan is a decent sized city, with some slummy areas, so we don't go certain places at night (not that there is any reason to go there at night anyway), don't engage with questionable people, don't flash money, don't get staggering drunk, and so on. Pretty much how I would conduct myself anywhere.
This is in no way supposed to be an attempt to minimize the problems. It is really horrible. But it is more like living in New York or Chicago during the gangster years than the Beirut-like manner it is shown as on TV and on the internet. It is hard to explain. The cartels don't want to run the country, so it isn't like guerilla fighters trying to convert the populace by force while the government tries to keep things status quo, like some of the Marxist rebel movements in South America. It is not in any way a civil war, or even close. The only possible danger would be getting caught in cross fire, but that is probably less likely to happen to you here than in Newark or Oakland or DC or New Orleans or Houston. The cartels have no desire to mess with tourists as it would make trouble for them, trouble they do not need or want. And tourists will not be kidnapped randomly - that is reserved for victims the cartels KNOW can raise large ransoms. Come here if you have a chance. You will not regret it. I still encourage everyone to vacation in Mexico - you will be in no danger on a vacation here. None whatsoever. You will think you died and went to heaven.
OK, off my soapbox for today. I have been pretty preachy lately - time for some new adventures. Have a great day!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy thanksgiving to one and all! I thought we were limited to a chicken in our small oven but last night we found out one of our favorite restaurants is serving a turkey dinner so that is where we will go. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday anyway - even more so than Christmas.
Mike's finger is much better and it looks like the nail might be growing back. I am still amazed he did not lose that finger. I think in a way he is kind of disappointed in a way that he did not lose it - I think he was sort of interested in joining the missing digits club. It is kind of a macho thing among male sailors - they love to show off their wounds and tell their war stories. Now every time he sees someone pull up in a dinghy to the dock, he runs to caution them to watch their hands and shows his wound.
As usual it is awesome here. There is nothing more to say about that.
We watched the republican debate the other night. I wanted to see what Huntsman had to say, because at this point I think I could live with him as POTUS if I had to. And I wanted to see if Romney and Perry would act like two year olds again - always a joy to watch your opponents eat each other. But it turned out to be a very well run debate. Almost all the candidates got a chance to talk, no one was allowed to dominate the discussion, and most of the questions were well thought out and not all softballs. And this time we did not have Bachmann and Cain acting like they not only approved waterboarding,, but could hardly wait to try it on someone. But while I am not overjoyed about Obama's performance, I can't vote for any of these people. The big problem for me is the level of what looks ot me like pure unadulturated meanness. Perry, Bachmann, Cain, Romney, Santorum - none of them would spit on you if you were on fire. They would say you haven't "earned" the right to be rescued from your flaming inferno. And Newt - well, do not get me started. His new found Catholicism not withstanding - something I actually respect - does not make me think this leopard has changed his spots. Any man that would wait until his wife was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery and then serve divorce papers on her is a truly horrible human being. If I have lost any readers, well, sorry. I am allowed to have an opinion and to express it, especially on my own blog. Newt's treatment of his wife was one of the worst, cruelest things I ever heard of short of flat out physical abuse. And when you couple that with his holier-than-thou actions towards Clinton - well - that is just too much. So I will hold my nose and vote for Obama again. Even if he isn't able (due to a shameful lack of cooperation) to get things done like he wanted to, I do think he cares about the middle class and the poor where the republicans simply do not.
And then there is Ron Paul. I think almost every thinking person has at least flirted with libertarianism at some point, usually in college. And Mike was getting pretty excited about him. I like a lot of that stuff, but of course he takes it way too far - no public schools? Crazy, in my opinion. He is much better than his son, anyway.
But enough about that! It is Thanksgiving, which signals the beginnning of the holiday season. I personally think no one should have to work between today and Super Bowl Sunday (we will get to watch the Packers win this year again!) which as far as I am concerned marks the end of the official holiday season.
I wish everyone their best Thanksgiving ever!
Mike's finger is much better and it looks like the nail might be growing back. I am still amazed he did not lose that finger. I think in a way he is kind of disappointed in a way that he did not lose it - I think he was sort of interested in joining the missing digits club. It is kind of a macho thing among male sailors - they love to show off their wounds and tell their war stories. Now every time he sees someone pull up in a dinghy to the dock, he runs to caution them to watch their hands and shows his wound.
As usual it is awesome here. There is nothing more to say about that.
We watched the republican debate the other night. I wanted to see what Huntsman had to say, because at this point I think I could live with him as POTUS if I had to. And I wanted to see if Romney and Perry would act like two year olds again - always a joy to watch your opponents eat each other. But it turned out to be a very well run debate. Almost all the candidates got a chance to talk, no one was allowed to dominate the discussion, and most of the questions were well thought out and not all softballs. And this time we did not have Bachmann and Cain acting like they not only approved waterboarding,, but could hardly wait to try it on someone. But while I am not overjoyed about Obama's performance, I can't vote for any of these people. The big problem for me is the level of what looks ot me like pure unadulturated meanness. Perry, Bachmann, Cain, Romney, Santorum - none of them would spit on you if you were on fire. They would say you haven't "earned" the right to be rescued from your flaming inferno. And Newt - well, do not get me started. His new found Catholicism not withstanding - something I actually respect - does not make me think this leopard has changed his spots. Any man that would wait until his wife was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery and then serve divorce papers on her is a truly horrible human being. If I have lost any readers, well, sorry. I am allowed to have an opinion and to express it, especially on my own blog. Newt's treatment of his wife was one of the worst, cruelest things I ever heard of short of flat out physical abuse. And when you couple that with his holier-than-thou actions towards Clinton - well - that is just too much. So I will hold my nose and vote for Obama again. Even if he isn't able (due to a shameful lack of cooperation) to get things done like he wanted to, I do think he cares about the middle class and the poor where the republicans simply do not.
And then there is Ron Paul. I think almost every thinking person has at least flirted with libertarianism at some point, usually in college. And Mike was getting pretty excited about him. I like a lot of that stuff, but of course he takes it way too far - no public schools? Crazy, in my opinion. He is much better than his son, anyway.
But enough about that! It is Thanksgiving, which signals the beginnning of the holiday season. I personally think no one should have to work between today and Super Bowl Sunday (we will get to watch the Packers win this year again!) which as far as I am concerned marks the end of the official holiday season.
I wish everyone their best Thanksgiving ever!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Drinking and Boating Do Not Mix. Ask Natalie.
We arrived back in Mazatlan two days ago and I am glad to be back. The boat was fine while we were gone - although our neighbor said he tightened our dock lines once because they stretched after we tied them and left. Good for good neighbors - that is one good thing about this life, we do tend to look out for each other. The weather is perfect - not too hot in the daytime and nice and cool in the evenings. We have fans only going now - no need for the AC unit, which fits in the companionway (entrance to the cabin) hatch. It is a window model we got before we left the US. Because of the power draw, we don't use it unless we are tied up at a marina with shore power. Mike says we could run it off the generator, but I am proud to say that after a summer in the Sea of Cortez, we didn't use it except at the marina in Santa Rosalia. And believe me, it was HOT this summer. I can sleep through anything I think at this point. Even when drenched in sweat.
We have to go today to the consul and get our passports renewed, and then do some grocery shopping. We are out of milk and produce completely, and out of beer as well. I am sort of off alcohol these days - it is just not sitting well on my stomach. Oh well - alcohol is just empty calories and after all - I do not want to end up like Natalie Wood!
On that subject, here is what I think - first of all, this captain is just trying to make some money at this late date. And I think because they were all drunk and arguing, she decided to get in the dinghy and leave. And then she fell in and drowned. I think any delay in calling for help was a result of drunk people sitting around trying to think of what to do. I KNOW frpom personal experience that getting drunk in a boat is a bad idea. I fell in one day with our old boat. I had a couple of beers while we were sailing, and once we had docked, I was putting the sail cover on when I stepped wrong and fell. It was around Christmas time, so it was cold out and so was the water. I remember thinking "Oh no, I am going over and it is going to be cold!" (After I hit the water I was surprised that is was not as cold as I feared it would be.) I flailed around while Mike tried to get the swim ladder down - which did not work. Then I wa trying to pull myself onto the dock when another boater came around with boarding ladder. Now here is the lesson part. Even though I was right at the dock with other people, I could have drowned easily. First, there was no way I could possibly get back on the boat - too high to pull myself up, even if I were good at chin ups. Next, even though the dock was lower than the boat, it was still too high to climb up, plus it is covered with barnacles that would cut you up pretty good IF you managed to get over them. There were people around, but until Mike started hollering, no one knew anything had happened. They did not hear me go in and did not hear me call from the water. Now imagine if I had been alone. Bad scene. And right before we left for the states a few weeks ago, we went to a bar at another marina and took our dinghy to get there. Mike (well, me too, but not as bad) had too much to drink and he fell into the water trying to get into the dinghy. Again, right at the dock. There was nobody else around, and I could not pull him either onto the dock or into the dinghy. To be honest, he was not real cooperative because of being drunk. I started to get scared because it seemed like he couldn't or wouldn't hold onto anything to keep from going under. I finally thought he had a decent handhold, and went back to the bar to get help. Thank goodness it was still open with people in there! A couple men went with me and were able to pull him out. Needless to say, we took a cab home. Here is the rule - if you get drunk and fall in the water you are likely to die. That is it, pure and simple. And if the boat is underway, it is likely that even if the other people on the boat see you go in and go back immediately, it is easy to lose sight of the person in the water. And it is worse if the water is rough and cold, like it is between California and Catalina. So curb the drinking on the boat and do not fall off.
We are also waiting for the new windlass and the new solar panels - then Mike has to install them all. He thinks he can do it, but if help is needed, Total Yacht Works is available. He can probably do it. There are some parts we need fabricated, but I found a stainless steel fabrication place here that can do it. Oh it will be so good to have an windlass again! It is not just the physical difficulty for Mike in having to pull up the anchor and 100-200 feet of heavy chain, but it is a safety issue as well. If another boat is dragging it anchor, you need to be able to get out of the way quickly. We know of one boat that got wrecked vbecause of a faulty anchor windlass. It was a beautiful wooden boat that was fifty years old. Her name was Mia II, and the owneres sailed her for years, even going around Cape Horn. They were sailing from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, and had anchored for the night. It got rough and windy, and gthe anchor started dragging. The windlass failed, and the man had to pull it up manually. (Not all electric windlasses have a way to use them manually if the electric part doesn't work. Do not ask me why. Our new one has a manual option.) The woman was no help as she had recently undergone a masectomy and had no strength with which to pull. They could not get the anchor up, and ended up going into the rocks and wrecking the boat. We skipped the Social Event Of the Season in Bahia de Los Angeles because of windlass problems - there were going to be a lot of boats in one anchorage, and there had been wind issues. We did not want to be in the position of having to move fast and not being able to do it. (Actually we did not care that much about the party, especially Mike. I think he was looking for any excuse not to go.) And the solar panels will enable us to not use the generator and engine to keep the batteries charged. At least not as often. At anchor, we usually either run the engine or use the generator for a few hours every few days. Now we can do it even less, which of course saves on gas and diesel.
We have no plans at this time for Thanksgiving. There is a cruiser's dinner at a local restaurant, but we were not here when it was time to make reservations and it is too late. I won't cook a turkey - the oven is too small and there are only two of us. But I bet I can make something special. Of course, no mince pie this year! I am sure they have no concept of it down here, and I am the only one who likes it. I will miss it - mince pie is my favorite holiday season treat. Too bad for me. I could easily eat a whole pie myself (over the course of a few days, anyway).
So that is about it for now. I will try and be better about up dating this blog - my aunt told me she gets worried if too much time goes by with no updates. So here is a vow to do better. Besides, it is a good way to add a bit of discipline to an otherwise undisciplined life, especially when I am ashore. So everyone - have a great day!
We have to go today to the consul and get our passports renewed, and then do some grocery shopping. We are out of milk and produce completely, and out of beer as well. I am sort of off alcohol these days - it is just not sitting well on my stomach. Oh well - alcohol is just empty calories and after all - I do not want to end up like Natalie Wood!
On that subject, here is what I think - first of all, this captain is just trying to make some money at this late date. And I think because they were all drunk and arguing, she decided to get in the dinghy and leave. And then she fell in and drowned. I think any delay in calling for help was a result of drunk people sitting around trying to think of what to do. I KNOW frpom personal experience that getting drunk in a boat is a bad idea. I fell in one day with our old boat. I had a couple of beers while we were sailing, and once we had docked, I was putting the sail cover on when I stepped wrong and fell. It was around Christmas time, so it was cold out and so was the water. I remember thinking "Oh no, I am going over and it is going to be cold!" (After I hit the water I was surprised that is was not as cold as I feared it would be.) I flailed around while Mike tried to get the swim ladder down - which did not work. Then I wa trying to pull myself onto the dock when another boater came around with boarding ladder. Now here is the lesson part. Even though I was right at the dock with other people, I could have drowned easily. First, there was no way I could possibly get back on the boat - too high to pull myself up, even if I were good at chin ups. Next, even though the dock was lower than the boat, it was still too high to climb up, plus it is covered with barnacles that would cut you up pretty good IF you managed to get over them. There were people around, but until Mike started hollering, no one knew anything had happened. They did not hear me go in and did not hear me call from the water. Now imagine if I had been alone. Bad scene. And right before we left for the states a few weeks ago, we went to a bar at another marina and took our dinghy to get there. Mike (well, me too, but not as bad) had too much to drink and he fell into the water trying to get into the dinghy. Again, right at the dock. There was nobody else around, and I could not pull him either onto the dock or into the dinghy. To be honest, he was not real cooperative because of being drunk. I started to get scared because it seemed like he couldn't or wouldn't hold onto anything to keep from going under. I finally thought he had a decent handhold, and went back to the bar to get help. Thank goodness it was still open with people in there! A couple men went with me and were able to pull him out. Needless to say, we took a cab home. Here is the rule - if you get drunk and fall in the water you are likely to die. That is it, pure and simple. And if the boat is underway, it is likely that even if the other people on the boat see you go in and go back immediately, it is easy to lose sight of the person in the water. And it is worse if the water is rough and cold, like it is between California and Catalina. So curb the drinking on the boat and do not fall off.
We are also waiting for the new windlass and the new solar panels - then Mike has to install them all. He thinks he can do it, but if help is needed, Total Yacht Works is available. He can probably do it. There are some parts we need fabricated, but I found a stainless steel fabrication place here that can do it. Oh it will be so good to have an windlass again! It is not just the physical difficulty for Mike in having to pull up the anchor and 100-200 feet of heavy chain, but it is a safety issue as well. If another boat is dragging it anchor, you need to be able to get out of the way quickly. We know of one boat that got wrecked vbecause of a faulty anchor windlass. It was a beautiful wooden boat that was fifty years old. Her name was Mia II, and the owneres sailed her for years, even going around Cape Horn. They were sailing from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, and had anchored for the night. It got rough and windy, and gthe anchor started dragging. The windlass failed, and the man had to pull it up manually. (Not all electric windlasses have a way to use them manually if the electric part doesn't work. Do not ask me why. Our new one has a manual option.) The woman was no help as she had recently undergone a masectomy and had no strength with which to pull. They could not get the anchor up, and ended up going into the rocks and wrecking the boat. We skipped the Social Event Of the Season in Bahia de Los Angeles because of windlass problems - there were going to be a lot of boats in one anchorage, and there had been wind issues. We did not want to be in the position of having to move fast and not being able to do it. (Actually we did not care that much about the party, especially Mike. I think he was looking for any excuse not to go.) And the solar panels will enable us to not use the generator and engine to keep the batteries charged. At least not as often. At anchor, we usually either run the engine or use the generator for a few hours every few days. Now we can do it even less, which of course saves on gas and diesel.
We have no plans at this time for Thanksgiving. There is a cruiser's dinner at a local restaurant, but we were not here when it was time to make reservations and it is too late. I won't cook a turkey - the oven is too small and there are only two of us. But I bet I can make something special. Of course, no mince pie this year! I am sure they have no concept of it down here, and I am the only one who likes it. I will miss it - mince pie is my favorite holiday season treat. Too bad for me. I could easily eat a whole pie myself (over the course of a few days, anyway).
So that is about it for now. I will try and be better about up dating this blog - my aunt told me she gets worried if too much time goes by with no updates. So here is a vow to do better. Besides, it is a good way to add a bit of discipline to an otherwise undisciplined life, especially when I am ashore. So everyone - have a great day!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Back in the USA
It has been awhile since I last wrote here - we got busy preparing for the trip north and seeing old friends in Mazatlan. I have said it before and I will repeat it - I love Mazatlan and would not mind staying there. Although we are having a decent time here, I miss Magda Jean and want to get back there.
We came up here mostly to get boat parts ordered (new windlass, new solar panels, and some miscellaneous other parts) and shipping arranged and to take care of other business. I renewed my driver's license, and got my voter registration sorted out. It is not easy to negotiate government bureaucracies when you have no real valid residence address. I have a mail drop, but a lot of bureaus and agencies want an address of the place you actually live. Ours moves around all the time. But sometimes you have to fudge things a bit. Otherwise you will never get all the stuff you need to have.
When we get back to Mazatlan we have to go to the consul there and get our passports renewed, and then we head off for points south.
I went to my old office yesterday and had lunch - as it turned out, they were having their Thanksgiving potluck and I got a chance to see almost everyone. It was great. I don't miss my job but I do miss all the people and the great cameraderie in that office. I had to leave when I did though - I was burning out and the dynamic in the office was changing - the old guard was going fast and I do not think I would fit in as well with the new guard, so to speak. It was a good decision and I have not regretted it. I do not miss going to work every day.
We got pretty much everything done so for the next few days until we leave we can just sort of take it easy, visit with Steve (who by the way is doing great and I am so proud of him) and maybe buy another new bathing suit - one cannot have too many the way I live. We are planning to take another drive up to the mountains - we did it once but the area we wanted was closed - and we will see all the changes since we were here last. Since it all burned a couple of years back, it is really interesting to see how the landscape is transforming itself. It is different - no more conifers - but it is still bebautiful up there. It is especially pretty because the recent rains have greened things up nicely.
I have to leave here as soon as possible because I get fat up here really fast. It is the HUGE amount of food they serve at restaurants and all the junk. In Mexico, the portions are normal sized, and although they love to fry everything, there are a lot of things that are not fried, and, importantly I think, there is less processed food. Even the fast food seems like there were fewer steps between the farm and the table than there are in the US. And of course it is so hot that I eat less.
Another thing I must say about Mexico is that their medical care is wonderfully accessible and affordable. Mike hurt his finger really bad right before we left - he got it stuck between the floating dock and the concrete pier that make up our marina dock and crushed it. It looked horrible - I had to rush him up to the hotel lobby for a taxi, then we sped off to the hospital. The cabbie drove like an ambulence driver, lacking only a siren and flashers. We were seen right away. The fingers miraculously were not crushed or even badly broken - one had an "imperfect fracture" at the tip and the nail was completely gone. They x-rayed it, cleaned and dressed it, and sent us away with scripts for pain meds and antibiotics. The whole treatment period was shorter than it took Mike to hurt his finger in the first place, and all it cost was a whopping $150 American dollars, and that counts the scripts, too. If they can do it, why can't we? Every cruiser I have talked to has nothing but praise for the Mexican medical services. And since most of the cruisers are on the elderly side, a lot of them have medical issues, and being on boats means falling, banging into things, and a lot of other possiblities for getting hurt. So they know what they are talking about. If something bad happens to me there, I will not be bankrupted.
I am spending a lot of time finding out about Central America and Ecuador. There is not a lot of information out there about sailing to Colombia on the Pacific side - there is stuff about the Caribbean side, where Cartagena is, but that is not where we are going. And you have to pass the Colombian coast on the way from Panama to Ecuador. It may be that the Andes mountains come right down to the coastline on the Pacific side, making it difficult or impossible to anchor a boat safely. Or else the political and drug violence is still really problematic. I had heard things were greatly improved down there, but we may end up sailing past Colombia and heading straight to Ecuador after Panama. We got new boat insurance that covers us from Canada to Peru - $3000 or so for a year. I know many, many cruisers that only carry the minimum of liability to be accepted into a marina, and some cruisers don't have any, preferring to trust their "prudent seamanship". I prefer to have insurance - if my boat gets wrecked, I want to be able to get another one.
If anyone is interested in having a sailboat, I can tell you they are very cheap these days and there are a lot of them out there. We flirt every now and then with the idea of getting a bigger boat, but we won't do it - this boat is all we need, and a bigger boat means bigger sails and more physical work, as well as higher costs for everything - most boat stuff, like marina slips and bottom cleaning and painting, is charged by the foot. Besides, we are making this boat near perfect - the new solar panels will greatly increase the amount of power we can generate without using gas or diesel. Between the new panels and the wind generator (it is usally sunny or windy or both), Mike has figured that we can support all our general usage with those two insturments. That will be especially nice at anchor - we won't have to use the generator as much, except for making water. And we can fill our tanks (all 90 gallons) using only one or two gallons of gas. Not bad. This will all be very helpful when we cross the Pacific in the spring of 2013 for Polynesia. At least that is the plan so far. This season will be the Pacific coast of Mexico for the winter, Central America, then Ecuador for the fall and winter. I hope to go go the Galapagos either from Ecuador, or on the way to Polynesia later. They are close to Ecuador, and Ecuador controls them.
This is it for now - I will likely not write again until next week, when we get back to Mazatlan. Have a great day and a great next week!
We came up here mostly to get boat parts ordered (new windlass, new solar panels, and some miscellaneous other parts) and shipping arranged and to take care of other business. I renewed my driver's license, and got my voter registration sorted out. It is not easy to negotiate government bureaucracies when you have no real valid residence address. I have a mail drop, but a lot of bureaus and agencies want an address of the place you actually live. Ours moves around all the time. But sometimes you have to fudge things a bit. Otherwise you will never get all the stuff you need to have.
When we get back to Mazatlan we have to go to the consul there and get our passports renewed, and then we head off for points south.
I went to my old office yesterday and had lunch - as it turned out, they were having their Thanksgiving potluck and I got a chance to see almost everyone. It was great. I don't miss my job but I do miss all the people and the great cameraderie in that office. I had to leave when I did though - I was burning out and the dynamic in the office was changing - the old guard was going fast and I do not think I would fit in as well with the new guard, so to speak. It was a good decision and I have not regretted it. I do not miss going to work every day.
We got pretty much everything done so for the next few days until we leave we can just sort of take it easy, visit with Steve (who by the way is doing great and I am so proud of him) and maybe buy another new bathing suit - one cannot have too many the way I live. We are planning to take another drive up to the mountains - we did it once but the area we wanted was closed - and we will see all the changes since we were here last. Since it all burned a couple of years back, it is really interesting to see how the landscape is transforming itself. It is different - no more conifers - but it is still bebautiful up there. It is especially pretty because the recent rains have greened things up nicely.
I have to leave here as soon as possible because I get fat up here really fast. It is the HUGE amount of food they serve at restaurants and all the junk. In Mexico, the portions are normal sized, and although they love to fry everything, there are a lot of things that are not fried, and, importantly I think, there is less processed food. Even the fast food seems like there were fewer steps between the farm and the table than there are in the US. And of course it is so hot that I eat less.
Another thing I must say about Mexico is that their medical care is wonderfully accessible and affordable. Mike hurt his finger really bad right before we left - he got it stuck between the floating dock and the concrete pier that make up our marina dock and crushed it. It looked horrible - I had to rush him up to the hotel lobby for a taxi, then we sped off to the hospital. The cabbie drove like an ambulence driver, lacking only a siren and flashers. We were seen right away. The fingers miraculously were not crushed or even badly broken - one had an "imperfect fracture" at the tip and the nail was completely gone. They x-rayed it, cleaned and dressed it, and sent us away with scripts for pain meds and antibiotics. The whole treatment period was shorter than it took Mike to hurt his finger in the first place, and all it cost was a whopping $150 American dollars, and that counts the scripts, too. If they can do it, why can't we? Every cruiser I have talked to has nothing but praise for the Mexican medical services. And since most of the cruisers are on the elderly side, a lot of them have medical issues, and being on boats means falling, banging into things, and a lot of other possiblities for getting hurt. So they know what they are talking about. If something bad happens to me there, I will not be bankrupted.
I am spending a lot of time finding out about Central America and Ecuador. There is not a lot of information out there about sailing to Colombia on the Pacific side - there is stuff about the Caribbean side, where Cartagena is, but that is not where we are going. And you have to pass the Colombian coast on the way from Panama to Ecuador. It may be that the Andes mountains come right down to the coastline on the Pacific side, making it difficult or impossible to anchor a boat safely. Or else the political and drug violence is still really problematic. I had heard things were greatly improved down there, but we may end up sailing past Colombia and heading straight to Ecuador after Panama. We got new boat insurance that covers us from Canada to Peru - $3000 or so for a year. I know many, many cruisers that only carry the minimum of liability to be accepted into a marina, and some cruisers don't have any, preferring to trust their "prudent seamanship". I prefer to have insurance - if my boat gets wrecked, I want to be able to get another one.
If anyone is interested in having a sailboat, I can tell you they are very cheap these days and there are a lot of them out there. We flirt every now and then with the idea of getting a bigger boat, but we won't do it - this boat is all we need, and a bigger boat means bigger sails and more physical work, as well as higher costs for everything - most boat stuff, like marina slips and bottom cleaning and painting, is charged by the foot. Besides, we are making this boat near perfect - the new solar panels will greatly increase the amount of power we can generate without using gas or diesel. Between the new panels and the wind generator (it is usally sunny or windy or both), Mike has figured that we can support all our general usage with those two insturments. That will be especially nice at anchor - we won't have to use the generator as much, except for making water. And we can fill our tanks (all 90 gallons) using only one or two gallons of gas. Not bad. This will all be very helpful when we cross the Pacific in the spring of 2013 for Polynesia. At least that is the plan so far. This season will be the Pacific coast of Mexico for the winter, Central America, then Ecuador for the fall and winter. I hope to go go the Galapagos either from Ecuador, or on the way to Polynesia later. They are close to Ecuador, and Ecuador controls them.
This is it for now - I will likely not write again until next week, when we get back to Mazatlan. Have a great day and a great next week!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Full Circle
I just realized that I have come full circle this year. At the end of November last year, we left San Diego and went down the pacific coast to Cabo San Luca, then crossed the Sea of Cortez for Mazatlan. Then we went back across the sea and spent the summer meandering north in the Sea, and now we are back in Mazatlan, ready to head south this time. So I have made a circle by coming back here to start off the next phase. Mike and I are both happy to be back here - it feels like home to both of us. Especially we really have nothing left in San Diego other than Steve living there. It isn't our home anymore.
When we made this latest crossing, I decided to keep a running log of the trip. I always do this in the sense that every hour I record some navigational data and make little notes about what is happening. but I thought I would do one that is more extensive, although not necessarily on the hour every hour. Of course, I failed miserably, but here is what I did manage to record. I wrote it out in longhand because I am afraid to take the computer out while we are underway - something might happen to it. So here is my first true log of one of our voyages, and I hope I get better at doing this as time goes on.
10-24-11
1430 (2:30 pm)
We got underway at about 9:30 am - we motored out of the harbor. There were a few spots where it was hard to tell which way to go - and there is no room at all for any error as the harbor outside the channel is shallow and rock strewn. And the channel itself is really narrow with a number of dog-leg turns that are marked, but not completely. But with our engine humming along perfectly, out we went.
Sails went up between 11:30 and noon, have been up ever since. With the transmission in reverse, the prop does not spin while we sail. There were a lot of boats to dodge especially while leaving the harbor - big ships like tankers and fishing boats. No danger because we are alert, conditions are about perfect, and our navigation elecgtronics give us great data to work with.
It is a perfect day, between 4 and 6 knots, gentle seas, 60 degrees close reach. Mike and I find ourselves constantly remarking how perfect it all is. Sundancer radioed that they had seen whales - we will keep our eyes open.
10-25-11
0215 (2:15 am)
Perfect day today - I am now on watch. It is calm and quiet - just got going up to 4 knots, steady with only the genoa at 3+ knots. Wind is off the starboard stern quarter (130 degrees). We had a pod of small dolphins playing around the boat about half an hour after dark. The sunset was all pinks and peaches and purples and yellows with those same colors reflecting off the water. And the engince has worked perfectly. What a great first day of the voyage!
0303
Saw a huge shooting star - big ball of white fire with a thick tail that went straight up in the air, and then dropped down again and dimmed out. I think there are a lot of shooting stars tonight as I can see flashes of light through the canvas of the bimini top.
0400
I saw two more shooting stars this past hour.
0500 possible glimmer of light on the eastern horizen - small sliver of moon is rising there also after having no moon at all for the entire night.
0700
It is light out and the wind is almost completely astern - the genny is flapping. I have been fiddling with the course and the sails to try and even things out, but there is always ome collapsing and filling of the genny under conditions like this, when the wind is very light and right off the stern.
0717
The sun is rising - a pink ball coming through purple clouds, then light violet, peach, yellow and then blue sky . . . the water is slate and silver. As the sun clears the purple clouds, it becomes orange, then shading to yellow as it climbs higher in the sky.
I slept yesterday from 8 pm to about 1:30 am this morning, but I did get up at about 9:30 pm and had a snack, and then went back to sleep. I got about 4-5 hours of sleep, pretty good. Mike went down at 2 am - it is now 7:22 and he is still asleep - really good because it is always a struggle for him to get enough sleep when we are underway. Sundancer just called on the radio - they are doing fine but there was a lot of static and it was difficult to understand them. Looks like another beautiful day!
0900
Mike is making breakfast. We put up the mainsail and changed course a bit, the wind is fluctuating between being on the stern quarter and right on the stern - just enought to fill and collapse the sails. But it is still a real nice day.
1025
Wind has shifted to the port quarter and so far we are sailing smoothly with the main and the genny. Speed is up to 3-4 knots after what seemed like hours of 2 knots. This is a really gorgeous day and it makes up for a lack of speed and all the scary days that went on before.
1219
I am re-reading Gone With the Wind while Mike naps. Real slow going - less than 2 knots at times. But it is really nice out and we are going in the right direction.
1345
Engine on to charge batteries - and a good excuse to move along faster as it is good for the engine to be run under load than just idled. Engine is working really well.
2251 (10:51 pm)
I slept from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Then I got up and made french toast and bacon. I am now on watch and have coffee and dolphins nearby.
10-26-11
0120
Slow - the wind is below 5 knots. I can do 2.2 knots with 4 knots of wind when the direction is from a beam reach to a broad reach and back again. The beam reach is better. Beautiful wwarm night with the proverbial "caressing breeze." No moon yet. It is a little hazy but there are still lots of stars. Today 2 or 3 little birds came to the boat - one was black and white, one looked like a cross between a sparrow and a dovbe with smokey colored feathers, and one was a sparrow-y looking bird with a bright patch of yellow at the base of his tail. He brought a bug on board and ate it. We joked aout being a bird way station in the ocean. We thought we did not mind and would even not object to cleaning up after them.
0300
Wind almost gone - we are under 2 knots, not much to be done about it. Mike is sleeping through the noise of the slatting sails! I tightened the main whichc helped some with the boom slamming around.
0410
Four shooting stars between 3 and 3:30 am.
10-27-11
0309
It was a really nice long lazy sailing day and I got lazy too and did not write. I even let the regular log lapse a couple of times. I guess I need more discipline. But I just can't bring myself to write in the early ams when it is getting light - it is too gorgeous to stop looking at it and grab the pen. All I want to do right then is to experience that transitional period beween night and day - first there is a glimmer of light along the horizen, then it gets brighter, then the sky gets light and you think it is over but its not, and THEN the actual sun comes up. And of course all sumrises are different depending on so many factors . . .
In the daytime, it is pretty much all about looking at the water, unless there is a weather issue and you are looking at clouds. But mostly you look at the water and the color and what it is doing and what is in it. But at night it is all about the sky and the stars and the planets and the moon. Shooting starsare not rare - I see them almost every night. And sometimes the milky way is so thick it looks like cloud cover. Sometimes the moon is so bright you can read by it and other times there is no moon at all - only stars. Or clouds. Right now there are stars and clouds but no moon. I can see the lights of Mazatlan - we will be there soon!
This ends the part I had written out as we sailed. When we got to Mazatlan, we discovered the marina slip is so very narrow we are only a fender's width froim the boat next to us! But Mike got us in, no trouble. It is great to be back here - and it does feel like home. There are a lot of the same boats that were here before, and the staff has made us feel really welcome. We have commented over and over how good it is to be back here. We watched the Cardinals win the series yesterday, and tonight Sundancer is coming over for steaks and maybe we will all go out. Sundancer is anchored in the main harbor on the other side of town, and we miss not having them close by. By the way, we took it back ab out wanting to be a bird way station. There was a booby that spent the entire night perched up on a spreader over the vee berth hatch and in the morning we discover it shit all over the hatch and the entire bow of the boat. So from now on hitch hiking birds will be gently but firmly discouraged!
Anyway - that brings us up to date. I can't over stress how happy we are to be here with all the people we met last time we came - it would be really easy to make this our home. We think there is something special about people here in Sinaloa - everywhere in this state they are especially friendly. And everyone is asking about my nephew and are really glad to hear he is returning. So that is all for today - and may it be a good one for all.
When we made this latest crossing, I decided to keep a running log of the trip. I always do this in the sense that every hour I record some navigational data and make little notes about what is happening. but I thought I would do one that is more extensive, although not necessarily on the hour every hour. Of course, I failed miserably, but here is what I did manage to record. I wrote it out in longhand because I am afraid to take the computer out while we are underway - something might happen to it. So here is my first true log of one of our voyages, and I hope I get better at doing this as time goes on.
10-24-11
1430 (2:30 pm)
We got underway at about 9:30 am - we motored out of the harbor. There were a few spots where it was hard to tell which way to go - and there is no room at all for any error as the harbor outside the channel is shallow and rock strewn. And the channel itself is really narrow with a number of dog-leg turns that are marked, but not completely. But with our engine humming along perfectly, out we went.
Sails went up between 11:30 and noon, have been up ever since. With the transmission in reverse, the prop does not spin while we sail. There were a lot of boats to dodge especially while leaving the harbor - big ships like tankers and fishing boats. No danger because we are alert, conditions are about perfect, and our navigation elecgtronics give us great data to work with.
It is a perfect day, between 4 and 6 knots, gentle seas, 60 degrees close reach. Mike and I find ourselves constantly remarking how perfect it all is. Sundancer radioed that they had seen whales - we will keep our eyes open.
10-25-11
0215 (2:15 am)
Perfect day today - I am now on watch. It is calm and quiet - just got going up to 4 knots, steady with only the genoa at 3+ knots. Wind is off the starboard stern quarter (130 degrees). We had a pod of small dolphins playing around the boat about half an hour after dark. The sunset was all pinks and peaches and purples and yellows with those same colors reflecting off the water. And the engince has worked perfectly. What a great first day of the voyage!
0303
Saw a huge shooting star - big ball of white fire with a thick tail that went straight up in the air, and then dropped down again and dimmed out. I think there are a lot of shooting stars tonight as I can see flashes of light through the canvas of the bimini top.
0400
I saw two more shooting stars this past hour.
0500 possible glimmer of light on the eastern horizen - small sliver of moon is rising there also after having no moon at all for the entire night.
0700
It is light out and the wind is almost completely astern - the genny is flapping. I have been fiddling with the course and the sails to try and even things out, but there is always ome collapsing and filling of the genny under conditions like this, when the wind is very light and right off the stern.
0717
The sun is rising - a pink ball coming through purple clouds, then light violet, peach, yellow and then blue sky . . . the water is slate and silver. As the sun clears the purple clouds, it becomes orange, then shading to yellow as it climbs higher in the sky.
I slept yesterday from 8 pm to about 1:30 am this morning, but I did get up at about 9:30 pm and had a snack, and then went back to sleep. I got about 4-5 hours of sleep, pretty good. Mike went down at 2 am - it is now 7:22 and he is still asleep - really good because it is always a struggle for him to get enough sleep when we are underway. Sundancer just called on the radio - they are doing fine but there was a lot of static and it was difficult to understand them. Looks like another beautiful day!
0900
Mike is making breakfast. We put up the mainsail and changed course a bit, the wind is fluctuating between being on the stern quarter and right on the stern - just enought to fill and collapse the sails. But it is still a real nice day.
1025
Wind has shifted to the port quarter and so far we are sailing smoothly with the main and the genny. Speed is up to 3-4 knots after what seemed like hours of 2 knots. This is a really gorgeous day and it makes up for a lack of speed and all the scary days that went on before.
1219
I am re-reading Gone With the Wind while Mike naps. Real slow going - less than 2 knots at times. But it is really nice out and we are going in the right direction.
1345
Engine on to charge batteries - and a good excuse to move along faster as it is good for the engine to be run under load than just idled. Engine is working really well.
2251 (10:51 pm)
I slept from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Then I got up and made french toast and bacon. I am now on watch and have coffee and dolphins nearby.
10-26-11
0120
Slow - the wind is below 5 knots. I can do 2.2 knots with 4 knots of wind when the direction is from a beam reach to a broad reach and back again. The beam reach is better. Beautiful wwarm night with the proverbial "caressing breeze." No moon yet. It is a little hazy but there are still lots of stars. Today 2 or 3 little birds came to the boat - one was black and white, one looked like a cross between a sparrow and a dovbe with smokey colored feathers, and one was a sparrow-y looking bird with a bright patch of yellow at the base of his tail. He brought a bug on board and ate it. We joked aout being a bird way station in the ocean. We thought we did not mind and would even not object to cleaning up after them.
0300
Wind almost gone - we are under 2 knots, not much to be done about it. Mike is sleeping through the noise of the slatting sails! I tightened the main whichc helped some with the boom slamming around.
0410
Four shooting stars between 3 and 3:30 am.
10-27-11
0309
It was a really nice long lazy sailing day and I got lazy too and did not write. I even let the regular log lapse a couple of times. I guess I need more discipline. But I just can't bring myself to write in the early ams when it is getting light - it is too gorgeous to stop looking at it and grab the pen. All I want to do right then is to experience that transitional period beween night and day - first there is a glimmer of light along the horizen, then it gets brighter, then the sky gets light and you think it is over but its not, and THEN the actual sun comes up. And of course all sumrises are different depending on so many factors . . .
In the daytime, it is pretty much all about looking at the water, unless there is a weather issue and you are looking at clouds. But mostly you look at the water and the color and what it is doing and what is in it. But at night it is all about the sky and the stars and the planets and the moon. Shooting starsare not rare - I see them almost every night. And sometimes the milky way is so thick it looks like cloud cover. Sometimes the moon is so bright you can read by it and other times there is no moon at all - only stars. Or clouds. Right now there are stars and clouds but no moon. I can see the lights of Mazatlan - we will be there soon!
This ends the part I had written out as we sailed. When we got to Mazatlan, we discovered the marina slip is so very narrow we are only a fender's width froim the boat next to us! But Mike got us in, no trouble. It is great to be back here - and it does feel like home. There are a lot of the same boats that were here before, and the staff has made us feel really welcome. We have commented over and over how good it is to be back here. We watched the Cardinals win the series yesterday, and tonight Sundancer is coming over for steaks and maybe we will all go out. Sundancer is anchored in the main harbor on the other side of town, and we miss not having them close by. By the way, we took it back ab out wanting to be a bird way station. There was a booby that spent the entire night perched up on a spreader over the vee berth hatch and in the morning we discover it shit all over the hatch and the entire bow of the boat. So from now on hitch hiking birds will be gently but firmly discouraged!
Anyway - that brings us up to date. I can't over stress how happy we are to be here with all the people we met last time we came - it would be really easy to make this our home. We think there is something special about people here in Sinaloa - everywhere in this state they are especially friendly. And everyone is asking about my nephew and are really glad to hear he is returning. So that is all for today - and may it be a good one for all.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Your Papers, Please.
I have seen enought WWII movies to know that those are words no one wants to hear. But when they are spoken to you, even when you know you are perfectly legal in every way, they are still pretty terrifying words.
Last night we were comfortably ensconced here on the boat, listening to St. Louis cream the Texans (Go Cards!) and enjoying every minute of it. There was then a knock on the hull, and Mike popped out the vee berth hatch, thinking it was Sundancer. It was not. Mike stuck his head back down and said in a small voice "It is the Mexican Army and they want to see our papers." (Actually it was the Mexican Navy. But that doesn't really matter. I just want all the facts straight.) Now all our papers are in order. We have passports, visas, our temporary import permit for our boat, our boat registration, and our insurance documents. But I felt my stomach drop dramatically. They want to see our papers! I felt like Ingrid Bergman. Or the Czech couple all from Casablanca. Of course it was anticlimactic - the two guys were very nice, pored over the passports and copied down some info, asked us wherewe were from, and then examined the import permit. They had no interest in our visas or any other papers. It was all very straightforward, but it is still unnerving to be asked that question by men with big guns slung across their chests. It was a good reminder to stay on top of proper paperwork just in case. In fact, one of the reasons we have to return to the US in a couple weeks is to renew our visas. It also made me remember that this will only get more complicated when we go to countries other than Mexico.
We plan to leave tomorrow for Mazatlan and no tequila will be allowed tonight because I am eager to get underway again. The storm we would have likely hit on the way down has dissipated and there is nothing threatening on the horizen for the next few days. It will be a new moon, which means there will be very little light at night. Sometimes the moon is so bright out there you could almost read by it. I did a last minute load of wash in my bucket and it is hanging out to dry. I really do not mind washing clothes that way, but usually in port we are able to send laundry out. We did that here with all the clothes we wore while touring Copper Canyon, so all I had were a couple shirts, a pair of shorts, underwear, and some dish towels. While we are at anchor, laundry consists only of dishtowels and bathing suits, and not even that if we have the anchorage to ourselves and do not need to wear anything. I would not want to have to wash jeans and stuff this way, however.
Right now I am listening to Prairie Home Campanion courtesy of streaming internet from KPBS out of San Diego. I love that show and have not heard it for ages. There is also a show called Writer's Almanac by the same guy, and that is where I heard our official boaat poem, and here it is.
Last night we were comfortably ensconced here on the boat, listening to St. Louis cream the Texans (Go Cards!) and enjoying every minute of it. There was then a knock on the hull, and Mike popped out the vee berth hatch, thinking it was Sundancer. It was not. Mike stuck his head back down and said in a small voice "It is the Mexican Army and they want to see our papers." (Actually it was the Mexican Navy. But that doesn't really matter. I just want all the facts straight.) Now all our papers are in order. We have passports, visas, our temporary import permit for our boat, our boat registration, and our insurance documents. But I felt my stomach drop dramatically. They want to see our papers! I felt like Ingrid Bergman. Or the Czech couple all from Casablanca. Of course it was anticlimactic - the two guys were very nice, pored over the passports and copied down some info, asked us wherewe were from, and then examined the import permit. They had no interest in our visas or any other papers. It was all very straightforward, but it is still unnerving to be asked that question by men with big guns slung across their chests. It was a good reminder to stay on top of proper paperwork just in case. In fact, one of the reasons we have to return to the US in a couple weeks is to renew our visas. It also made me remember that this will only get more complicated when we go to countries other than Mexico.
We plan to leave tomorrow for Mazatlan and no tequila will be allowed tonight because I am eager to get underway again. The storm we would have likely hit on the way down has dissipated and there is nothing threatening on the horizen for the next few days. It will be a new moon, which means there will be very little light at night. Sometimes the moon is so bright out there you could almost read by it. I did a last minute load of wash in my bucket and it is hanging out to dry. I really do not mind washing clothes that way, but usually in port we are able to send laundry out. We did that here with all the clothes we wore while touring Copper Canyon, so all I had were a couple shirts, a pair of shorts, underwear, and some dish towels. While we are at anchor, laundry consists only of dishtowels and bathing suits, and not even that if we have the anchorage to ourselves and do not need to wear anything. I would not want to have to wash jeans and stuff this way, however.
Right now I am listening to Prairie Home Campanion courtesy of streaming internet from KPBS out of San Diego. I love that show and have not heard it for ages. There is also a show called Writer's Almanac by the same guy, and that is where I heard our official boaat poem, and here it is.
New Religion
by
Bill Holm
This morning no sound but the loud
breathing of the sea. Suppose that under
all that salt water lived the god
that humans have spent ten thousand years
trawling the heavens for.
We caught the wrong metaphor. Real space is wet and
underneath,
the church of shark and whale and cod.
The noise of those vast lungs
exhaling: the plain chanting of monkfish choirs.
Heaven's not up but down and hell
is to evaporate in air. Salvation,
to drown and breathe
forever with the sea.
On that note - I will leave you all. I will try and do a post via SSB radio while uinderway, but if not, next time you hear from me I will be in Mazatlan. Have a great day!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
I Hate Barnacles
Or is it barnicles? Either way, I hate those awful little critters. We left the dinghy in the water for about 10 days, and when we pulled it up it was covered with them. It took the power washer and a lot of scrubbing to get them off. I was covered with them by the time I finished and Mike had to power wash me. But the one good thing is it is a chore that invloves water, so you get wet, and therefore get cool. Very important in this sort of climate!
We are leaving today for Mazatlan. We were supposed to leave at 9 am, but I knew that would not happen and I was right - it is now 9:30 and Mike is still in bed. I will get him up at ten, so we can still leave by noon. This is a 48 hour sail, so if you leave by noon, you have six hours on either side to arrive in daylight. As I have said before, it is not fun to enter a port or harbor at night. Even when we were still in San Diego, when we were in and out of that harbor plenty of times (for Mike literally hundreds as his Navy ship was home ported there) it was still confusing to come in at night. Your vision is flattened out in the dark, and the city lights from shore can really throw you off. We have been to Mazatlan before, and know exactly where to go, but the entrance to the marina harbor is very narrow and can be tricky if the seas are at all high. So we are determined to arrive in daylight. When we came here to Topolobampo, we had to force ourselves to sail slowly in order to arrive properly, as we had sailed so fast from San Carlos we would have arrived at something like 2 am. Plus the marina office would have been closed and we would have had to anchor somewhere until morning.
Guess what? Mike just called to me and decided he wants to leave tomorrow instead. Ha Ha Ha - I can't say I am surprised. Too much celebrating last night with Sundancer. I suspected this might happen when he broke out the tequila. They are leaving on Monday for Mazatlan and I would not be at all surprised if Mike decides to wait til Monday as well. I will need to contact the marina there and let them know we will be a couple days later than planned.
Since we had planned to leave today, and now we aren't, I have some time on my hands. I am reading an account of this guy's single handed transnavigation and as always I am astounded by how these people do that. I have fantasies of being able to sail this boat by myself, but I don't think I will ever single hand at this stage of my life. I think I needed to get an earlier start on sailing if that was what I was going to do.
I want to start using our spinnaker, but I have no idea how to deploy it. I need to figure that out. There are many different kinds of these sails, all of them are deployed differently, and I don't know what kind ours is. Some use a big pole (which we have) and some do not. I am hoping ours is the kind that does not use a pole, but since the pole is on board, I am not optimistic. For those who don't know, the spinnaker is the brightly colored huge sail you see on the very front of boats. On cruising (as opposed to racing) sailboats, it is used in light air. Since we have often found ourselves flopping around in really light winds, it would be nice to know how to use it. But I have a feeling that, especially if the pole is needed, that it is a huge hassle to get it up. And I once ran into a guy who had his up, and then the wind came up and his halyard (the rope that pulls a sail up and down) got stuck and it wouldn't come down and he had a horrible time being over canvassed (too much sail up for the conditions) and eventually the thing shredded. I don't want that to happen to us!
Anyway - that is it for today. I feel a sort of letdown, as I really wanted to get underway. Maybe I can talk him into it when he wakes up, but I will not hold my breath.
We are leaving today for Mazatlan. We were supposed to leave at 9 am, but I knew that would not happen and I was right - it is now 9:30 and Mike is still in bed. I will get him up at ten, so we can still leave by noon. This is a 48 hour sail, so if you leave by noon, you have six hours on either side to arrive in daylight. As I have said before, it is not fun to enter a port or harbor at night. Even when we were still in San Diego, when we were in and out of that harbor plenty of times (for Mike literally hundreds as his Navy ship was home ported there) it was still confusing to come in at night. Your vision is flattened out in the dark, and the city lights from shore can really throw you off. We have been to Mazatlan before, and know exactly where to go, but the entrance to the marina harbor is very narrow and can be tricky if the seas are at all high. So we are determined to arrive in daylight. When we came here to Topolobampo, we had to force ourselves to sail slowly in order to arrive properly, as we had sailed so fast from San Carlos we would have arrived at something like 2 am. Plus the marina office would have been closed and we would have had to anchor somewhere until morning.
Guess what? Mike just called to me and decided he wants to leave tomorrow instead. Ha Ha Ha - I can't say I am surprised. Too much celebrating last night with Sundancer. I suspected this might happen when he broke out the tequila. They are leaving on Monday for Mazatlan and I would not be at all surprised if Mike decides to wait til Monday as well. I will need to contact the marina there and let them know we will be a couple days later than planned.
Since we had planned to leave today, and now we aren't, I have some time on my hands. I am reading an account of this guy's single handed transnavigation and as always I am astounded by how these people do that. I have fantasies of being able to sail this boat by myself, but I don't think I will ever single hand at this stage of my life. I think I needed to get an earlier start on sailing if that was what I was going to do.
I want to start using our spinnaker, but I have no idea how to deploy it. I need to figure that out. There are many different kinds of these sails, all of them are deployed differently, and I don't know what kind ours is. Some use a big pole (which we have) and some do not. I am hoping ours is the kind that does not use a pole, but since the pole is on board, I am not optimistic. For those who don't know, the spinnaker is the brightly colored huge sail you see on the very front of boats. On cruising (as opposed to racing) sailboats, it is used in light air. Since we have often found ourselves flopping around in really light winds, it would be nice to know how to use it. But I have a feeling that, especially if the pole is needed, that it is a huge hassle to get it up. And I once ran into a guy who had his up, and then the wind came up and his halyard (the rope that pulls a sail up and down) got stuck and it wouldn't come down and he had a horrible time being over canvassed (too much sail up for the conditions) and eventually the thing shredded. I don't want that to happen to us!
Anyway - that is it for today. I feel a sort of letdown, as I really wanted to get underway. Maybe I can talk him into it when he wakes up, but I will not hold my breath.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Getting Ready For Change
While it is great to be here in Topolobampo, it is time to think about getting ready to move on. We are paid up here through Saturday, and plan to head to Mazatlan then. Although since that is but two days away, we may not get ready in time. But it really doesn't matter - the cruising life is pretty flexible. You have to be, since the weather is really in control, rather than you. I am looking forward to the passage - it is just over 200 miles and we think it will take about 2 days, depending on the wind, the waves, the currents, and a few other things that can crop up. The engine has been perfect since we got it fixed by Omar in San Carlos - and I am hoping against hope that it stays fixed. In the past, I have had experience with cars getting fixed when the fixes only lasted for awhile. But Mike is optimistic and so am I. It is such a comfort to know your engine will start when you want it to and will not start smoking or run away at bad times.
Some of you may wonder why I make such a fuss about the engine when we have a sail boat rather than a powerboat. There are some people who sail all over the world without an engine. I admire them and salute them, but that is not for me. There are times when an engine is necessary. One of them is entering harbors, especially ones with tricky entrances. It is also much easier to get into slips with an engine. The engine charges the batteries quicker and more efficiently than our generator. And when we were getting pushed sideways towards shore by a strong current, we were able to use our engine to correct that. If we hadn't had the engine then, things could have gotten very difficult. Additionally, if there is no wind and you really need (or just really want) to move faster, you can do that. The engine uses its fuel very well - we use about one half a gallon per hour. Since we have a 70 gallon tank and more diesel stored in jerrycans on deck, we could motor for quite a long time if we had to. But we do prefer to sail whenever we can. We are willing to drift along quite slowly under normal circumstances. There are cruisers who adhere to the "Four Knot" rule, which means they use the engine every time they drop below four knots per hour. I am usually well satisfied with three knots anytime, and even one if we are not in a hurry to get somewhere. In fact, we try to limit our scheduling, as you are more likely to get in trouble if you feel like you absolutely must be somewhere by a certain date or time.
Right now Mike is helping Sundancer work on their wind generator, and I am about to go over and say hello to another boat that just came in. We have been crossing paths with this other boat all summer, and got to know them while in San Carlos. They have a big, really fancy boat they had custom made. Quite impressive. They also rescued an aquaintence's boat when the aquaintence was unable to sail where he needed to go due to currents and his engine had failed. They towed him about 15 miles to San Carlos. We passed him, but our engine was not working well at that time and would not be strong enough to tow him anyway, as his boat is bigger than ours. I still don't completely understand why he was having so much trouble sailing, although we did have to sail sort of into the wind, and his boat doesn't do that as well as ours does. Our boat does really well with that - we can sail at a lot closer angles than other boats can. Speaking of sailing techniques, I have been reading this guy's account of his single handed sail around the southern ocean, and he talked about sailing with only his genoa (A big jib or foresail and we have one) when the wind is astern because the mainsail blocks the wind and causes the genoa to fill and then collapse. We have been frustrated by this very problem, but did not realize what was causing it or what to do. It is so simple I am amazed we did not figure it out ourselves. We have often sailed with just the genoa or just the main when the winds were high, but did not think of using the genoa only when the wind is from the back. Even if it doesn't increase the speed, it makes for a more comfortable sail without having the sails slatting all over the place. I am looking forward to trying it out.
We have learned so much this summer that I feel like a different person than I did when we left Mazatlan in June (or was it July?). When we leave Mazatlan in December to head south, we will be sailing in Pacific Ocean waters, and I am curious to see how they willl differ from Sea of Cortez waters. There will be more room to build up waves in the Pacific, but uinlike the sea, you might be able to change course and avoid some problems. There is no place to escape to in the Sea, because it is long and narrow. But I suppose really big waves can build in the Pacific. We did sail the Pacific from San Diego to Mazatlan, but we didn't know what we were doing compared to now.
By the way, Mike's scampi was awesome. I ate a ton of shrimp and we have more that we can cook up later as we bought two kilos, which is about four pounds. I wish the US used the same measurements as the rest of the world - I think I am too old and slow to learn the new ones. But at least I got that one straight. I think a knot is just over a mile, and knot is short for nautical mile. A meter is about a yard. But I still have no understanding of centigrade temperature as it relates to farenheit, other than to know that 100 degrees is boiling, and 0 degrees is freezing. It seems to make more sense.
Anyway, I am starting to babble. I am having a great time and a great day, and I wish everyone the same.
Some of you may wonder why I make such a fuss about the engine when we have a sail boat rather than a powerboat. There are some people who sail all over the world without an engine. I admire them and salute them, but that is not for me. There are times when an engine is necessary. One of them is entering harbors, especially ones with tricky entrances. It is also much easier to get into slips with an engine. The engine charges the batteries quicker and more efficiently than our generator. And when we were getting pushed sideways towards shore by a strong current, we were able to use our engine to correct that. If we hadn't had the engine then, things could have gotten very difficult. Additionally, if there is no wind and you really need (or just really want) to move faster, you can do that. The engine uses its fuel very well - we use about one half a gallon per hour. Since we have a 70 gallon tank and more diesel stored in jerrycans on deck, we could motor for quite a long time if we had to. But we do prefer to sail whenever we can. We are willing to drift along quite slowly under normal circumstances. There are cruisers who adhere to the "Four Knot" rule, which means they use the engine every time they drop below four knots per hour. I am usually well satisfied with three knots anytime, and even one if we are not in a hurry to get somewhere. In fact, we try to limit our scheduling, as you are more likely to get in trouble if you feel like you absolutely must be somewhere by a certain date or time.
Right now Mike is helping Sundancer work on their wind generator, and I am about to go over and say hello to another boat that just came in. We have been crossing paths with this other boat all summer, and got to know them while in San Carlos. They have a big, really fancy boat they had custom made. Quite impressive. They also rescued an aquaintence's boat when the aquaintence was unable to sail where he needed to go due to currents and his engine had failed. They towed him about 15 miles to San Carlos. We passed him, but our engine was not working well at that time and would not be strong enough to tow him anyway, as his boat is bigger than ours. I still don't completely understand why he was having so much trouble sailing, although we did have to sail sort of into the wind, and his boat doesn't do that as well as ours does. Our boat does really well with that - we can sail at a lot closer angles than other boats can. Speaking of sailing techniques, I have been reading this guy's account of his single handed sail around the southern ocean, and he talked about sailing with only his genoa (A big jib or foresail and we have one) when the wind is astern because the mainsail blocks the wind and causes the genoa to fill and then collapse. We have been frustrated by this very problem, but did not realize what was causing it or what to do. It is so simple I am amazed we did not figure it out ourselves. We have often sailed with just the genoa or just the main when the winds were high, but did not think of using the genoa only when the wind is from the back. Even if it doesn't increase the speed, it makes for a more comfortable sail without having the sails slatting all over the place. I am looking forward to trying it out.
We have learned so much this summer that I feel like a different person than I did when we left Mazatlan in June (or was it July?). When we leave Mazatlan in December to head south, we will be sailing in Pacific Ocean waters, and I am curious to see how they willl differ from Sea of Cortez waters. There will be more room to build up waves in the Pacific, but uinlike the sea, you might be able to change course and avoid some problems. There is no place to escape to in the Sea, because it is long and narrow. But I suppose really big waves can build in the Pacific. We did sail the Pacific from San Diego to Mazatlan, but we didn't know what we were doing compared to now.
By the way, Mike's scampi was awesome. I ate a ton of shrimp and we have more that we can cook up later as we bought two kilos, which is about four pounds. I wish the US used the same measurements as the rest of the world - I think I am too old and slow to learn the new ones. But at least I got that one straight. I think a knot is just over a mile, and knot is short for nautical mile. A meter is about a yard. But I still have no understanding of centigrade temperature as it relates to farenheit, other than to know that 100 degrees is boiling, and 0 degrees is freezing. It seems to make more sense.
Anyway, I am starting to babble. I am having a great time and a great day, and I wish everyone the same.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
More Copper Canyon
We got back to Topolobampo the day before yesterday, and I am just getting around to updating the blog. I wish I had been better about writing the posts at the time things happened - I know I am going to miss things.
The day after we were at the mission we got back on the train and went to a place called Posada Barrancas. Before we left, we toured some beautiful country looking out over the canyons. Again, the train ride was wonderful. We stayed at a place called the Mirador Hotel, which was carved out of a canyon wall. We enjoyed exploring the area.
The day after we were at the mission we got back on the train and went to a place called Posada Barrancas. Before we left, we toured some beautiful country looking out over the canyons. Again, the train ride was wonderful. We stayed at a place called the Mirador Hotel, which was carved out of a canyon wall. We enjoyed exploring the area.
We got to tour a Tarahumara village, and I bought some of the baskets they make and sell.
The next day we looked at a big lake, some interesting rock formations, another old Jesuit mission, a Tarahumara cave dwelling, and the town of Creel, which is very small and old, albeit sort of touristy. But it was interesting to see how the people there live. These Indians are famous for being endurance runners. The canyons are riddled with paths, that are only wide enough for people and donkeys. The people run and walk everywhere over these steep paths. It was fascinating. I would not have missed it for anything.
The next day we went across these huge canyons on a zip line. I was absolutely terrified - you go across the canyons on a wire at what seems to be a million miles an hour. There was a series of six lines - after you finished one, you hiked to the next one. There were also two suspension bridges that were almost as scary as the line itself. I was a failure - after I utterly failed to be able to slow myself as the line approached the end, I was told I had to ride with a guide. I was terribly ashamed at not being able to do it myself, but truthfully I was terrified everytime I slammed to a stop, and with the guide, I was able to actually look around at the canyons more than 1000 feet below me instead of staring straight ahead scared to move one muscle. I would definitely do it again. But I can't remember being so scared ever in my life.
We spent the last night in a town called El Fuerte, which has a big old Spanish fort and a lot of colonial architecture, as well as a beautiful river running through it. Again, the hotel was lovely with that mission style I love so much. I could spend years in Mexico and still just have scratched the surface. It is full of history, wonderful people, different cultures and of course wonderful food. In El Fuerte, I had crayfish that were from the river and were almost as big as lobsters.
Speaking of food, Mike is getting ready to make scampi out of the shrimp we bought today right off the shrimp boat. I promised to chop garlic, so I had better get going. I feel pretty lucky these days!
First Day at Copper Canyon
I wrote this post in longhand after we had spent our first day in the area. Here it is:
10-13-11
This is a handwritten post that is being transcribed after the fact. I don't have internet here in Mission Cerocahui, which is our first stop on our Copper Canyon trip.
By the way, the place was not named for its copper. When the Spanish arrived, they thought the green lichen on the rocks looked like the green patina of copper.
Today we got up at 5:15 am and took the train here from Los Mochis, which is about 20 minutes from Topolobampo. That was a 16 peso bus ride. We spent the night in Los Mochis yesterday, and took the train today past unbelievably beautiful terrain. Here is a picture from the train. The place looks like the Grand Canyon but with more greenery and trees.
There are some differences between here and the Grand Canyon. The system of canyons that form Copper Canyon are longer and deeper, but the Grand Canyon is more extensive than any of the individual canyons in this system. I have been to both and it is apples and oranges - they are both spectacular and different. There are steep canyon walls, rivers that meander all over the place, all sorts of plant life that changes as you change altitude (which happens pretty fast), and the odd little ranch settlements scattered all over the area.
The place we are staying is on the site of a 1500s era Jesuit mission, that is now a church and boarding school for indigenous girls from ages 4 to 14. It is run by four nuns. The kids come from the area's poorest families, where they only get one meal per day, while at the school they eat regularly. Most of them become nurses or teachers if they continue their education, and most of them remain in the area. The kids wear traditional Indian dress - long multi-colored skirts with smock-like jackets, and sandals that are leather soles attached to the feet with leather thongs like ballet toe shoes. I felt sort of intrusive touring the place, but the kids seemed to be used to seeing people and also appeared to be happy and healthy. Since the tour was conducted in Spanish, I was never clear on exactly how often they went home to their families - either every weekend or every 14 days.
The hotel here is fabulous - it is on a vineyard. I bought some of their vino tinto - red table wine - and it is delicious. There are fruit trees everywhere, and only two other guests besides the four of us. There are wildflowers blooming. The place is adobe covered with plaster, open beamed ceilings with heavy dark wood beams, and mission style furniture. There is a lot of tile everywhere, and if I ever have a house again, I'd like it to be like this. It is a beautiful oasis in the middle of nowhere.
10-13-11
This is a handwritten post that is being transcribed after the fact. I don't have internet here in Mission Cerocahui, which is our first stop on our Copper Canyon trip.
By the way, the place was not named for its copper. When the Spanish arrived, they thought the green lichen on the rocks looked like the green patina of copper.
Today we got up at 5:15 am and took the train here from Los Mochis, which is about 20 minutes from Topolobampo. That was a 16 peso bus ride. We spent the night in Los Mochis yesterday, and took the train today past unbelievably beautiful terrain. Here is a picture from the train. The place looks like the Grand Canyon but with more greenery and trees.
The place we are staying is on the site of a 1500s era Jesuit mission, that is now a church and boarding school for indigenous girls from ages 4 to 14. It is run by four nuns. The kids come from the area's poorest families, where they only get one meal per day, while at the school they eat regularly. Most of them become nurses or teachers if they continue their education, and most of them remain in the area. The kids wear traditional Indian dress - long multi-colored skirts with smock-like jackets, and sandals that are leather soles attached to the feet with leather thongs like ballet toe shoes. I felt sort of intrusive touring the place, but the kids seemed to be used to seeing people and also appeared to be happy and healthy. Since the tour was conducted in Spanish, I was never clear on exactly how often they went home to their families - either every weekend or every 14 days.
The hotel here is fabulous - it is on a vineyard. I bought some of their vino tinto - red table wine - and it is delicious. There are fruit trees everywhere, and only two other guests besides the four of us. There are wildflowers blooming. The place is adobe covered with plaster, open beamed ceilings with heavy dark wood beams, and mission style furniture. There is a lot of tile everywhere, and if I ever have a house again, I'd like it to be like this. It is a beautiful oasis in the middle of nowhere.
So far it has been a wonderful trip - and there is more tomorrow. It is a wonderful vacation from the vacation that is really my whole life now. What a wonderful day!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Still Loving It Here in Topolobampo
We have been here for a couple of days now, and still really like it. It helps to be with good friends. Today we have a lot of work to do as we need to get the boat ready for our six day absence to the Copper Canyon area. We have heard that it is actually going to be chilly there! I have one pair of jeans that are likely too big now - but I do, after all, own a belt. I almost look forward to feeling cold - I have forgotten how it feels. After we come back, we will spend a few more days here and then head for Mazatlan.
This feels to me like I am starting a new cruising chapter. We left San Diego just under a year ago, and a lot has happened to us in that time. We have endured too much wind and too little wind. We have learned that everything breaks eventually, usually at the worst possible time. We have learned more about what to get worried about and what not to get worried about. I have learned that I will not die when it gets really hot, and that sweating like a pig does not have to be uncomfortable. I have learned to live without pedicures! We are both much better sailors. I can handle the helm under reasonably normal conditions. I am a lot stronger than I thought I was. There are so many things - I can't think of all of them. We even get along (at least a little) better.
Some of my new feelings are a result of the fact we will be going somewhere totally new. I have spent a fair amount of time in Baja California over the years, and even though it wasn't by boat, the area and the culture were very familiar to me. This year we will be going down thePacific Coast of Mexico - where I have never been except for a trip to Puerto Vallarta twenty years ago, then on to Central American and who now after that - Ecuador hopefully. It all seems like a new chapter in an exciting book. I am looking forward to it tremendously. My nephew is joining us again soon and we are looking forward to that as well. I think all three of us will surprize each other with how things have changed in a short time. Not that they weren't pretty good before!
Here are Magda Jean and Sundancer berthed comfortably at the great marina here - only $18 dollars per day.
This feels to me like I am starting a new cruising chapter. We left San Diego just under a year ago, and a lot has happened to us in that time. We have endured too much wind and too little wind. We have learned that everything breaks eventually, usually at the worst possible time. We have learned more about what to get worried about and what not to get worried about. I have learned that I will not die when it gets really hot, and that sweating like a pig does not have to be uncomfortable. I have learned to live without pedicures! We are both much better sailors. I can handle the helm under reasonably normal conditions. I am a lot stronger than I thought I was. There are so many things - I can't think of all of them. We even get along (at least a little) better.
Some of my new feelings are a result of the fact we will be going somewhere totally new. I have spent a fair amount of time in Baja California over the years, and even though it wasn't by boat, the area and the culture were very familiar to me. This year we will be going down thePacific Coast of Mexico - where I have never been except for a trip to Puerto Vallarta twenty years ago, then on to Central American and who now after that - Ecuador hopefully. It all seems like a new chapter in an exciting book. I am looking forward to it tremendously. My nephew is joining us again soon and we are looking forward to that as well. I think all three of us will surprize each other with how things have changed in a short time. Not that they weren't pretty good before!
Here are Magda Jean and Sundancer berthed comfortably at the great marina here - only $18 dollars per day.
Here is the town and the local shrimping fleet
These next two are of the town itself
Here are the unusually configured fishing pangas they have here. We have not figured out how they work or what they are fishing for with these long bamboo extensions.
Shrines are very important here in Mexico and you see them everywhere.
And - here is Magda Jean under sail!
This is a view we never got to see - these were taken when we were sailing close by Sundancer. We took pictures of them and they of us. It is really hard to get a picture of your own b aot actually under sail, and I have been wanting that for a long time.
Well, I need to get started on all my chores, including last night's dishes - we had Sundancer over for some incredible fisherman's stew Mike made - it was absolutely to die for, and our friends told us it was one of the top meals they had in Mexico. High praise for Mike and he deserves it. It was made from the dorado we caught on our way here, along with some shrimp we bought whild strolling along the waterfront. Along with a nice salad, what a meal! I am not sure if I will be bringing the computer with me to the Copper Canyon - but if not, I will write again after the six day trip is over, and I am trying to be better about taking and posting pictures. Have a great day everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)