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.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
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!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Topolobampo
We made it here in record time - so fast, in fact, that both of us (Sundancer and Magda Jean) had to forcibly slow down the boats in order to avoid arriving here at night. The channel is about 13 miles long, the entrance is strewn with reefs, and although marked, it zigzags around. So no way would we enter something like this at night, especially since we suspected (and were correct in our suspicions), that our charts did not reflect reality. There have been a LOT of changes in this harbor, and most of them are not reflected on the charts. Not to mention that lots of the information on charts in Mexico is not exactly right. But you use a combintion of your charts, both electronic and paper, your radar, and your own seaman's eye, to make your way from place to place.
This town so far is absolutely great. We are about a 100 north of Mazatlan, and not that many people come here, meaning gringos. A lot of that is likely due to the difficult channel, but really, once you have done it, it won't be hard the second time. It is a really pretty town, that apparently got its start from a group of Americans utopists, who envisioned towns planned out in a humane manner, with lots of open space, no slums, and decent industries. It is built into a hillside and looks a lot like pictures of some European places on the Med and the Adriatic. The houses are all painted different pastel colors, with green hills all around. There is another big bay attached to where we are, that is likely too shallow for our sailboat, but we can explore it by dinghy. It is supposed to be rather jungly, something we have not yet expereinced as the furthest soiuth we have been so far is Mazatlan, which is the very beginning of the transition from desert to jungle. The people here have been extraordinarly friendly - one man who was here at the marina volunteered to drive all four of us into town - dropped us at a wonderful restaurant, and refused to take a dime. He then drove back to the marina - he didn't have to go anywhere, he just gave us a ride. And since we had been sitting on our boats drinking beer and wine all afternoon to celebrate our arrival and good sailing, I have to say he was pretty brave, as we were pretty drunk and loud. He handed us over to the restaurant, which proceeded to bring out seafood cocktail after seafood cocktail - all kinds of things uncluding something so hot I was sweating with my nose running, to sea snails which were served cold and tasted rich and buttery, and had a firm consistency. If anyone had asked me if I wanted to eat sea snails, I would have been hard pressed to say yes, because I have seen them underwater and they do not look appetising. But I ate them before thinking about it and am so glad I did. It was a refreshing althernative to that really hot stuff. There was also shrimp ceviche and shrimp agua chile, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Later we walked along the malecon - sort of a seaside boardwalk most of these little towns have, and ended up riding back to the marina in a water taxi. A man stopped to try and negotiate a better price for our ride home - I think he was afraid we were too drunk and would be taken advantage of. But the driver held firm, and we were perfectly satisfied with the original price. It was a really great ride, and all in all the topper of a really perfect day in a wonderful place.
Today (after I finish this, in fact) we are going to head into town (by dinghy) and explore the place. I have been wanting to come here for a few years now, and so far all of whatever expectations I may have had have been exceeded. It is about 90 degrees outside now, but last night it cooled into the seventies, and we slept beautifully, even having to use a light blanket. I had planned to use the air conditioning here at the marina, but we haven't needed it at all. I also plan to clean the refrigerator and freezer later today - something spilled and is starting to smell bad (I think a milk carton must have leaked) and the freezer needs to be defrosted. It is not a hard job, just sort of time consuming. I store the frozen things in a cooler, and everything usually stays frozen until I can pout everything back. I have to do this about once a month, unless there is a problem like something leaking. But we are pretty careful.
This really may be one of our favorite places so far. I will take pictures and post them as soon as we can. In two days we leave for six days in the Copper Canyon area, and then another few days before we leave for Mazatlan. But who knows, we may have to extend our visit here!
That is enough for now - Mike is getting eager to get going and explore the place. Sometimes you just get a really good feeling about a place, and we both feel it here. A feeling like this is a place you are supposed to be; way more than just being somewhere and liking it. It is stronger than that - more like you are really SUPPOSED to be there, it is your place to be at that moment. That is what I feel like here. And I love the feeling.
This town so far is absolutely great. We are about a 100 north of Mazatlan, and not that many people come here, meaning gringos. A lot of that is likely due to the difficult channel, but really, once you have done it, it won't be hard the second time. It is a really pretty town, that apparently got its start from a group of Americans utopists, who envisioned towns planned out in a humane manner, with lots of open space, no slums, and decent industries. It is built into a hillside and looks a lot like pictures of some European places on the Med and the Adriatic. The houses are all painted different pastel colors, with green hills all around. There is another big bay attached to where we are, that is likely too shallow for our sailboat, but we can explore it by dinghy. It is supposed to be rather jungly, something we have not yet expereinced as the furthest soiuth we have been so far is Mazatlan, which is the very beginning of the transition from desert to jungle. The people here have been extraordinarly friendly - one man who was here at the marina volunteered to drive all four of us into town - dropped us at a wonderful restaurant, and refused to take a dime. He then drove back to the marina - he didn't have to go anywhere, he just gave us a ride. And since we had been sitting on our boats drinking beer and wine all afternoon to celebrate our arrival and good sailing, I have to say he was pretty brave, as we were pretty drunk and loud. He handed us over to the restaurant, which proceeded to bring out seafood cocktail after seafood cocktail - all kinds of things uncluding something so hot I was sweating with my nose running, to sea snails which were served cold and tasted rich and buttery, and had a firm consistency. If anyone had asked me if I wanted to eat sea snails, I would have been hard pressed to say yes, because I have seen them underwater and they do not look appetising. But I ate them before thinking about it and am so glad I did. It was a refreshing althernative to that really hot stuff. There was also shrimp ceviche and shrimp agua chile, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Later we walked along the malecon - sort of a seaside boardwalk most of these little towns have, and ended up riding back to the marina in a water taxi. A man stopped to try and negotiate a better price for our ride home - I think he was afraid we were too drunk and would be taken advantage of. But the driver held firm, and we were perfectly satisfied with the original price. It was a really great ride, and all in all the topper of a really perfect day in a wonderful place.
Today (after I finish this, in fact) we are going to head into town (by dinghy) and explore the place. I have been wanting to come here for a few years now, and so far all of whatever expectations I may have had have been exceeded. It is about 90 degrees outside now, but last night it cooled into the seventies, and we slept beautifully, even having to use a light blanket. I had planned to use the air conditioning here at the marina, but we haven't needed it at all. I also plan to clean the refrigerator and freezer later today - something spilled and is starting to smell bad (I think a milk carton must have leaked) and the freezer needs to be defrosted. It is not a hard job, just sort of time consuming. I store the frozen things in a cooler, and everything usually stays frozen until I can pout everything back. I have to do this about once a month, unless there is a problem like something leaking. But we are pretty careful.
This really may be one of our favorite places so far. I will take pictures and post them as soon as we can. In two days we leave for six days in the Copper Canyon area, and then another few days before we leave for Mazatlan. But who knows, we may have to extend our visit here!
That is enough for now - Mike is getting eager to get going and explore the place. Sometimes you just get a really good feeling about a place, and we both feel it here. A feeling like this is a place you are supposed to be; way more than just being somewhere and liking it. It is stronger than that - more like you are really SUPPOSED to be there, it is your place to be at that moment. That is what I feel like here. And I love the feeling.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Leaving San Carlos
That is exactly what I am doing now - we left San Carlos about 11:30 this morning and are on our way to Topolobampo. Our friends on Sundancer left with us - but we are way ahead of them now because we have a faster boat. It is not all about the boat, but a lot of it is about the boat.
Today's sail has been wonderful. First, we have been going the right way all day, which is something I really appreciate. Next, the winds have been good - we are making about 4.5 to 5.5 knots average all day, so we have made good time. Another good thing is it was not quite so hot today, and there was less humidity. We have been on a pretty good point of sail most of the day - a strong beam reach (the wind is hitting the boat right in the middle)with an occasional wind shift to a broad reach (where the wind hits the boat towards the stern and on the side). And the seas are not too bad, either - following, for the most part. No contrary currents slowing us down. I am just waiting for the wind to die, or change direction dramatically, all of which will happen as soon as Mike decides to go to sleep.
But it is only 7 pm now, and even I will stay awake for a couple more hours, then I will go to sleep so Mike can wake me up for the late watch while hopefully he sleeps - getting enough sleep for Mike is the biggest challenge of overnight passages. I have no idea how long it will take to get there - but we know we want to come into the harbor in strong daylight - it is a long narrow channel that will require some careful navigation.
While we were still in San Carlos, we had work done on the engine by Omar. He came with glowing references and seems to have lived up to it - the engine seems to be doing fine, some things were fixed, so we will see what happens. We also got the bottom of the boat cleaned, and bought two scuba tanks.
Anyway - that is all for now. Mike is going to send this by radio. SO have a great day, and I will write more hopefully tomorrow, while we are still underway!
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Monday, October 3, 2011
Still more pictures
Here I am with my dorado - the biggest one we caught all season!
Here is the village at Bahia de Los Angeles with some of our fellow cruisers.
This is hard to see, but under the surface of the water is a whale shark. This was taken while we were anchored off Bahia de Los Angeles village.
This is a sunset at Puerto Don Juan with some of our neighbors.
Here is me and my yellowtail, which made fantastic sashimi.
So this will have to do if for today - I am at an internet cafe doing laundry next door, and I need to fold the clean clothes. I don't do this downloading from the boat, because the internet signal is a bit weak, causing really slow downloads. But things here are just fine, even if we are getting anxious to get this engine back together again and back to sea. I will post some more pictures in the next few days. I hope things are going really well for everyone who might be reading this!
More Pictures
These were taken at Puerto Don Juan, a very popular anchorage near Bahia de Los Angeles. Sometimes we were one among over ten boats, but for four blissful days we had the place to ourselves. Except, of course, for the wildlife.
Here are some dolphins that played in the anchorage - scaring off all the good fish, I am afraid. We never caught anything when dolphins had been there first.
Here are some dolphins that played in the anchorage - scaring off all the good fish, I am afraid. We never caught anything when dolphins had been there first.
Here is the little bird that visited us several times, just flying right in the cabin and making himself/herself at home. We still haven't figured out what kind of bird it is, but it is not shy. It seems very comfortable in the cabin, and even landed on Mike one time when he was in bed. This bird actually makes eye contact.
Here is the sierra Mike caught - it made really good ceviche.
The desert meets the sea. So much of the terrain looks just like this. It was only a shame that is was really too hot for much overland exploration.
Clams!
Here is what it looks like when the weather is in the process of changing.
The downloading has slowed, so I will post these and start anew. More to come!
Pictures!
Well, I finally got around to organizing all these pictures so I could post them here and on Facebook. There are a lot more here, and some of these are also on Facebook.
We are here in San Carlos, waiting for the engine to be fixed. The diesel engine guru, Omar, has removed the fuel injector pump (I think) and it is getting an overhaul or the functional equivalent. We are supposed to get it back this afternoon. I sure hope this fixes the problems.
Here are two pictures of our marina in Santa Rosalia. I just loved it. First is the marina office, and then the entrance to the docks.
We are here in San Carlos, waiting for the engine to be fixed. The diesel engine guru, Omar, has removed the fuel injector pump (I think) and it is getting an overhaul or the functional equivalent. We are supposed to get it back this afternoon. I sure hope this fixes the problems.
Here are two pictures of our marina in Santa Rosalia. I just loved it. First is the marina office, and then the entrance to the docks.
Here is a sunset after a pretty stormy day, on the trip between Santa Rosalia and Isla Partida. We had planned to stop at a different anchorage, but we were going too fast and conditions were too rough so we sailed on throughout the night.
When we talk about reefing our sails in strong winds, this is what it looks like. We decrease the amount of sail area by pulling the main down at bit and securing it. To reef the jib, we just don't unfurl it all the way.
This is an area of Isla Partido that was covered in guano. There are pelicans and boobies and gulls everywhere, even ospreys. That makes for a lot of guano.
Here is a sunset - this was taken on our last night in this anchorage the first time we stayed there.
I am going to end this post now, and start a new one. More great pictures are on their way!
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