Leg VII December 11th to March 20th
Mazatlan to Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico
NOTE: Most recent entries are first. To read in order, scroll down to the beginning.
Bahia de Navidad
2/14 to 3/20
Spectacular best describes the Grand Bay Hotel. This magnificent multi-building edifice, all in light yellow with white trim, red tile roofs, cascading swimming pools and palm trees covers the entire hillside surrounding the marina. At our slip, WS’s pilot house windows look directly up at the hotel so it is my view each morning as I work on my computer. Best of all, as marina “guests,” we have full hotel privileges right down to room service - treated the same as room guests paying well over $400US/night.
Rumor has it the entire place is supported by drug money and one gets the feeling that it does not much matter if it is occupied or not, the life of luxury continues, guests or not. The property itself goes on around the lagoon for miles including a 18-hole golf course ($350US/round), hundreds of potential home sites, and even the small native village of Colimilla has been surrounded within its guard gated walls.
Jo and I spend our first day here checking in with Alphonso, the very nice porto captiano - something we have been remiss about doing in other ports out of our own ignorance mostly but will now be much more diligent about going south. From here on, the Mexican Navy is very active in boarding boats looking for drugs so all clearance papers must be in perfect order. We also took a tour of the village of Barra with John and Gaye, crew of Maestra and eventual settled in for an afternoon of drinks on the beach overlooking the broad bay.
Day two finds us with a rental car off to re-provision, fill the propane tank, and explore the surrounding area towns from Melaque to Manzanillo. We enjoy a nice lunch in La Hadras overlooking the anchorage and play tourist with crew ship passengers off-loaded for the day in Manzanillo. Shopping in Walmart and several large, modern markets within one block makes it convenient to get the provisioning done, if not fast, as no one store has everything we need.
Rest of our time here has been mainly one party after another. Afternoons at the pool followed by cocktails on someone’s boat followed by dinner or a trip across the channel to the little village of Barra and its selection of interesting restaurants. We did manage to get to a street fair one afternoon, have a romantic dinner for two at the hotel, and get some boat work done so we are ready to come north on Sunday.
Much as we hate to leave our little floating home, we are anxious to see everyone we can from Las Vegas to Ventura over the next three weeks before resuming our three month voyage south to the canal.
###
Bahia Tenacatita to Bahia de Navidad
2/13 Wednesday
Latitude: 19:11.30 N Longitude: 104:40.585 W
Weather: clear, sunny Wind: 100 at 5 kts.
Barometer: 1012
Engine Hours: 966 Fuel on Board: 643/634
Trip Distance/Total: 15/6196
Last section today of this leg as we head to Bahia Navidad and the Grand Bay Hotel Marina at Barra. Here we will leave our girl for the three weeks to come home to visit friends and family as well as take care of some business. As much as we hate to interrupt our cruise south, it has been since November since we have been off Wandering Star to go back to the states and we miss every one there a lot.
Anchor up by 8:30AM. The bay was flat calm this morning without a hint of breeze as we rounded the center rock and headed for the point Piedra Blanca. While whales had been with us almost everyday in Tenacatita, they all were out to sea this morning. We did spot a lonely old sea turtle making his way slowly south though. Much is being done to restore their numbers down here and it is one of the real eco success stories from our recent observations.
Coming into Bahia Navidad is easy and straight forward, it is the entrance to the lagoon and marina that makes boating life interesting. A narrow channel has been dredged and is maintained to about 12 feet at the bar but if you stray several feet from side to side it’s into the mud for sure. We manage to make it in without incident and squeeze past the hugh luxury yacht belonging to Boeing Aircraft that takes up much of the entrance to get into the docks. Checking with the dockmaster on VHF, we are assigned to E-30 on the inside most row closest to the spectacular Grand Bay Hotel. Our dockmaster Saul is there to greet us, take the lines, and soon we are secure in Wandering Star’s spacious new home for the next 5-weeks.
###
Careyes Bay to Bahia de Navidad
2/9 Saturday
Latitude: 19:17.94 N Longitude: 104:50.130 W
Weather: light clouds becoming sunny Wind: 100 at 5 kts.
Barometer: 1012
Engine Hours: 963 Fuel on Board: 650/643
Trip Distance/Total: 23/6182
The short passage between the two beautiful but very different bays was mostly uneventful . We got away early as planned at 0800 sharp. Jo was still tired so she went back to bed and I lounged in the pilot house letting the auto-pilot do all the work.
Sudden, a sea worn black flag on a pole buoy appeared dead ahead, not 100-feet off our bow. These are often used by the local pangero fisherman to mark the end of a long line fishing rig and sure enough upon close scrutiny floating off stretched a line of barely visible empty plastic bottles used by the fishermen to hold up there nets or lines. You don’t want to run over this mess and get them hopeless entangled in your prop five-miles off shore. The immediate problem is which way do you turn to get around the line which can stretch for a ½-mile so you are able to continue on down the coast.
I chose to turn right which quickly became apparent it was the wrong line as the buoys seemed to go on forever so after a 1800 turn, backtracking to the flag, and going a hundred yards the opposite direction, I was finally able to get around the mess and get back on course again. Whew…a close call - while not critical you don’t want to don your dive gear and clear your prop while out at sea. I wonder how many of these lines we have run over in the dark without ever knowing it?
Approaching Tenacatita, there is an out anchorage in a small bay just behind the point but the whole serious cruising community prefers the inner anchorage and sure enough about 20-30 boats are tucked in behind the second point. As many as 50 or 60 boats can be found here hanging out for weeks at a time during most of the winter season. We take the first open spot about mid-bay and drop the anchor in about 40 feet of clear water.
Lots of our friends are already here…Jamin and Jenny to name a couple of favorites. Within minutes of settling in we hear on the VHF that there’ a diner/party tonight at the one and only beach palapa here so we quickly sign-up with the bay’s mayor/social director (boat with the longest tenure in the bay). By 4PM we are on our way to the beach to join in the fun.
###
At anchor in Careyes Bay
2/8 to 2/9
This is a totally different experience than Chamela in that it features Rivera style homes and condos both perched on the hill tops all cascading down the sides as well as a magnificent beach front hotel. The small bay itself is divided into three lobes that can only hold a couple of boats each and we are lucky to find no one in the prime, center lobe location and drop our hook right in front of the little French restaurant with it’s private beach.
Soon we were on our way ashore for lunch there and a quick look around the interesting condo/hotel the cascaded down the hillside behind and the hotel next door. Dinner on board the first night followed by a day of kayaking, and relaxation on board, then a great dinner ashore at the hotels very fancy beachfront restaurant
Just as an aside, landing on the beach for a gracious dinner ashore in your dinghy is hardly glamorous. This time to try a different approach other than a wet beach landing with a rising tide, we tried anchoring the dink just off the wave line after delivering Jo high and dry ashore. I was able to still walk ashore with good pants rolled up and stay reasonable dry for a nice dinner.
The fun came several hours after dinner when it was time to go home. By now the tide coming in has the dinghy several hundred feet off the beach so undaunted and in the pitch black, I stripped off all my clothes and swam out to retrieve it and then come back in and pick up Jo nice and dry off the beach. Needless to say it was lots of laughs - just not the way to normally end an otherwise five-star evening.
###
Chamela Bay to Careyes Bay
2/7 Thursday
Latitude: 19:26.40 N Longitude: 105:12.30 W
Weather: light clouds becoming sunny Wind: 170 at 5 kts.
Barometer: 1012
Engine Hours: 960 Fuel on Board: 656
Trip Distance/Total: 13/6157
Much as we have enjoyed Chamela Bay, we understand that the next stop, Careyes is even better so we are anxious to be on our way this morning. First light is now at 7AM so it is closer to 8AM by the time we get our anchor up and under way south. It is only twelve miles today, just around the next point but a whole different world as we approach from the sea.
Instead of one long beack with miles of sand, Careyes has three small rocky bays each with small beaches in each and very fancy 4-star resorts cascading down the hillside in two of the three. The third was the home of the now defunct Club Med and even it still looked beautiful - just no people.
The approach out at sea is not easy to pick out as the rock cliffs all blend perfectly with the inner bay islands to make the opening hard to find. Caution and slow speed is necessary till you are certain you have correctly identified all of the cruising guide landmarks as once again, the charts are useless.
We settle on the tiny middle bay as we are delighted to find no other cruising boats anchored there and it is easy to pick up the preferred spot right in the center. New friends on Jacaranda were anchoring in the Club Med Bay overnight and hailed us as we approached the entrance with some helpful advise. They left later in the morning after swinging by WS to wish us well.
Very little shore break in our cove so as soon as WS feels secure, we jump in the dinghy (we towed her down from Chamela) and head to the bright Pink Beach Palapa for a look around and some lunch. Afternoon is spent with a quick dinghy cove explore of the coves and an afternoon of reading on the fly bridge deck. Quiet light dinner on board WS is in order for the evening.
###
At anchor in Chamela Bay
2/2 to 2/7
A nice quiet night in our new home anchored next to our friends. A very wet night (dew) so a good chance to wipe off the salt from our passage yesterday. By 10AM, we are off visiting with Kalinga’s crew followed by a trip ashore to one on the many beach Palapas for a great lunch and a walk along the beach. Dinner for two tonight on board WS.
It took us five days to get our fill of this wonderful bay. Activities included kayaking, long hikes along the beach, dinghy exploration of nearby islands, lunch with fellow cruisers in the local beach palapas, swaping dinners on board with the crew of Kalinga, and just hanging out reading on WS.
Weather has been near perfect with some strong afternoon breezes from the north most days to keep us cool. Other cruising boats came and went with the number at anchor as low as seven on up to a high of twenty or more. Our new friends from La Cruz on the Nordhavn Jenny even showed up the day before we left.
###
La Cruz to Chamela Bay
2/1 Friday
Latitude: 19:35.19 N Longitude: 105:07.70 W
Weather: cloudy becoming sunny Wind: 2100 at 10-18kts. Barometer: 1013
Engine Hours: 945 Fuel on Board: 701
Trip Distance/Total: 100/6146
It is 2AM as we slip out of the La Cruz anchorage and start across Banderas Bay heading south again at last. It is easy to see why so many well intentioned cruisers never get out of this place. It has everything they need…nightlife, large boating community, and an easy, fun lifestyle, so here they stay. I must admit, it is tempting but seeing what is over the next horizon is just as strong a pull for us as staying so here we are at sea again.
It doesn’t take long to be rewarded for making the life on the water choice again. An hour into the voyage, the bay waters become aglow with phosphorescence like I have never seem it before. Every where around Wandering Star the sea has come alive with a light from within that twinkles like stars as we push our way towards the next adventure.
By first light we are around Cabo Corrientes, another difficult point with confused seas and notoriously strong winds. This morning is no different but still a far cry from the maelstrom it will become later in the day. By then, we are tucked into our next anchorage in Chamela Bay. It has been an unusually rough passage, with swells reaching eight feet at times so we are glad to get the anchor down by 4PM, crack out a cold beer, and be able to relax at last. It is amazing how tied you can get trying to keep upright all day in a pitching, rolling boat.
Our good friends, George & Joanne on Kalinga, who we met years ago as they passed through San Diego and when we shared a dock with us on WS I, are already here so we are anxious to spend some time together. They have been cruising down here since ‘03 and we have been keeping in touch following their adventures by email ever since. We’ll stay here a few days to play and share sea stories before heading on to Barra.
###
A pause in the Village of La Cruz
1/24 to 1/30
We’re sure not sorry we decided to hang out here in La Cruz awhile longer. Besides some much needed cosmetic work on WS like polishing the stainless and swabbing the decks in the mornings, we’ve had a great time making new friends with neighbor boats and enjoying the local nightlife. La Cruz is a village really and unlike PV, definitely not a tourist destination. The 6 square blocks of village roads are still dirt or cobble stone and walking is the way everyone goes anywhere.
What’s unique is that yachts anchoring in the bay provide most of the gringo revenue and support some most unique cruisers restaurants to be found anywhere - there’s Philo’s pizza joint owned by an ex-cruiser who sold his boat and stayed, the Black Forest owned by a young German couple serving authentic German food and beer, Anna Bananas - a beach front jump-up BBQ joint, Frascati a great Italian place for pasta, even an English pub and a French restaurant we are saving for tomorrow night, our last night in town. What’s really special is that each place takes its turn each week presenting a music night devoted to everything from flamenco guitar to Rhythm & Blues.
My personal favorite though is a small, simple, taco stand off the main plaza which serves the best tacos and quesadillas I have ever had anywhere! Tables are set right out on the cobble stone street each evening so the occasional cars have to take turns to pass or to detour around the plaza. No music but great food is served on a plate inside a plastic bag so it doesn’t need to be washed. Yet, whatever they cook up and serve on them is truly wonderful!
Some last minute provisioning, water tanks full, and WS is shining clean from stem to stern as we are ready and anxious to head south to our next major stop of Bahia Navidad.
###
La Cruz to Las Tres Marietas and return
1/24 Thursday
Latitude: 20:41.35 N Longitude: 105:34.60 W
Weather: clear, sunny Wind: 2700 at 10-12kts. Barometer: 1013 Engine Hours: 945 Fuel on Board: 711
Trip Distance/Total: 25/6046
A day trip is the plan for today as we head out the Las Tres Marietas (the three mary’s) islands that guard the entrance to Banderas Bay for some snorkeling and exploring by dinghy. These marine sanctuaries are alive both on land with boobies and frigate birds and in the water with an abundance of fish not to mention the many humpbacks that frolic and feed along the way.
The middle islands has the least number of underwater rocks and affords the most protection from the dominant swell. While still rolly and insecure as an overnight stop, we manage to get the Rocna to set on the second try in about 40 feet of sand and rock. As soon as the dinghy hits the water, we’re all aboard and heading ot explore the many inlets, caves and rocky shoals that line the shore. Snorkeling is not wonderful and the water is still cool so we use the dinghy to tuck between the rocks to get A & D ashore for an up close look at the bird life and the caves.
By two the swell and wind continue to rise so it’s up anchor and heading back for our last night ashore with Audrey and Don in La Cruz. Philo’s (a local cruising hangout) is in full tilt with open mike night in which some very talented guests jump in with the regular band and even Don gets a chance to rock on the keyboard as we all dance our feet sore.
Jo and I decide to hang out another week in La Cruz once our quests leave as there is still much here left undone and the weather/seas around the next point (much like Point Conception up North) is less than wonderful.
###
Marina Vallarta to La Cruz
1/23 Wednesday
Latitude: 20:44.68 N Longitude: 105:22.89 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 2310 at 9-11kts. Barometer: 1013
Engine Hours: 938 Fuel on Board: 718
Trip Distance/Total: 11/6021
Finally on the move again, although it is only to do the few miles back to La Cruz anchorage for the night, it always feels good to be at see. We want to give Audrey and Don the experience of a bay cruise and a night at anchor before they head home on Friday.
I must say that PV has been one of my favorite ports of call so far. It has everything needed to make life comfortable and fun…great food, tropical feel, great people, interesting culture, and lots to see and do but the comforts of home are not why we are out here and the pull of new adventures just over the horizon is strong. Strong enough to keep us moving south is search of a still better place if it ever truly exists!
We’re off the tight fitting dock by 11:00 AM, heading out the channel past the two behemoth cruise ships in port for the day, and on our way back across Banderas Bay. The La Cruz anchorage is still full of about 30 boats but our exact spot of two weeks ago is still open (makes one wonder if there is an unseen rock lurking there or something) and drop the Rocna in 25 feet of water.
Tonight’s party and BBQ is to be on board WS starting with a margarita happy-hour on the flybridge as the sun sinks into the beautiful Pacific.
###
Dockside in Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta
1/12 to 1/22
This will be a two week stop as we catch our breath again, have Don & Audrey join us for their 25th anniversary, and re-provision for the next run to Barra. Lots to do here in this busy tourist town. Jo and I were here 30-years ago when it was still a minor native village much like Cabo and things have sure changed thanks to sport fishing, cruise ships, and time-share snow birds. It is also home to about 300+ yachts in the three marinas associated with the bay.
Besides the usual wining and dining with our boating buddies, we were able to take a day trip to Yelapa, snorkel in Bahia de Tomatlan, take a ATV Jungle tour which includes a mountain top tequila factory visit, take a 2-mile, 14 station canopy tour riding zip lines, dine in le Cliff “the most beautiful restaurant in Mexico” and have a special anniversary dinner for Audrey & Don at La Palapa on the Malecon in PV.
###
La Cruz to Marina Vallarta
1/11 Friday
Latitude: 20:39.168 N Longitude: 105:14.942 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 1700 at 14-18kts. Barometer: 1013
Engine Hours: 936 Fuel on Board: 722
Trip Distance/Total: 11/6010
Hit our 6,000th mile this morning since we left Seattle in April as we make the short 11-mile run to the marina in Downtown Puerto Vallarta. With no reservations, we’re not sure we will be able to stay but seems worth the trip just for a look around.
As it turns out and thanks to some helpful fellow boaters on the radio and some confusion over who we are (they were expecting someone just not us), we manage to squeeze into a 16′ wide slip (WS is 15.9′ wide) and talk management into letting us stay at least for the weekend. Later it seems like we are okay for 10-days so we settle into our new home just as our new friends on Chelsea Sky arrive in the slip directly across from ours.
This is a great location, handy to everything including restaurants and stores that line the entire marina front. WS gets a quick wash down to get the salt off and a bit of tidying up inside after a week at sea for the rest of the afternoon.
In the mood for some steak, we start off our stay with dinner at the “Argentina” beef restaurant at the end of our dock with a nice merlot to celebrate surviving the first 10-months/6,000 miles of our southern odyssey.
###
Chacala Bay to La Cruz
1/10 Thursday
Latitude: 20:44.680 N Longitude: 105:22.892 W
Weather: scattered clouds Wind: 3300 at 5kts. Barometer: 1015
Engine Hours: 930 Fuel on Board: 742
Trip Distance/Total: 44/5999
Too much excitement getting the tender back on board after pulling up the stern anchor. This allowed WS to rotate broadside to the swell turning the 200 lbs of dinghy into a out-of-control wrecking ball - got to figure out a different system or next time we will just need to tow the #$#@ dinghy to the next quiet anchorage. Never-the-less we got it aboard, secured, and were on our way the 44-miles to La Cruz - the first stop in Banderas Bay, the largest bay in Mexico.
Whales beginning to be common occurrences again as we round Punta de Mita and make the last 10-miles to the La Cruz anchorage. By 3:30 the anchor is down in 30-feet just offof the breakwater and we are ready to relax opting not to go ashore and deal with the dinghy again today. It’s nice to just read, watch a spectacular sunset from of flybridge, and have a quiet BBQ dinner on board.
###
At Anchor Chacala Bay
1/09 Wednesday
Once the wind stopped last night, in fact shifted to an offshore breeze, WS turned sideways to the arriving swells and began to roll side to side so a stern anchor would have been a good idea. The first thing we did this morning was assemble our new Fortress stern anchor and drop it in with the dinghy 150′ towards the beach off our stern. This calmed her down immediately and made the anchorage pleasant enough to want to stay another day.
Spent most of our day taking a 5-mile hike to the top of the old volcano with its beautiful view of WS back in the bay. This perfectly formed caldera has a marsh filled center that is now home to a herd of wild goats and what trees are left from an old prickle pear plantation covering its slopes. Development is on the way though and we could hear the distant dozers at work on the Oceanside slope making “homesite” for the gringos off in the coconut palms.
At anchor in Chacala Bay
After a lunch stop at our favorite Las Barsis Palapa, we spent a quiet afternoon and evening back on board sunning, reading, and watching the last DVD in the Bourne trilogy.
###
Mantachen Bay to Chacala Bay
1/08 Tuesday
Latitude: 21:09.885 N Longitude: 105:14.446 W
Weather: scattered clouds Wind: 2800 at 6kts.
Barometer: 1017
Engine Hours: 927 Fuel on Board: 752
Trip Distance/Total: 23/5956
Spent the early morning working on a small plumbing problem with the anchor wash down system on the bow - water hose split at the coupling but was able to find a replacement in San Blas. By 10AM, the early fog has burned off and we are ready to up-anchor and move another 23-miles south to the tiny resort Bay of Chacala.
Seas were non-existent in the flat calm as we proceed along the coast about 2-miles offshore. One must stay alert as the water never gets much over 50′ deep and the chart is a good 1½ off in places. By noon we are rounding the point and moving into the anchorage where three sailboats are already in position. After a quick lunch, we launch the dinghy in more of a roll than we would like but it all goes fine and soon we are aboard and on our way ashore.
It’s one of the nicest beaches so far and once the dink is hauled up on the beach, we’re off for a nice long walk along the sand. There are about a dozen beachside palapa restaurants but what is of real interest is a beautiful spiritual retreat at the far end of the beach called Mar de Jade. Apparently it is well known for the Riki masters who teach students who come from the world over. We stop for a tour of the grounds and quick meditation before walking back to the Las Brasis beach palapa for early dinner to be back on WS by sunset.
By 7PM the onshore wind has turned offshore and WS has turned with her stern out to sea. We should have set a stern anchor to keep us bow into the swells that wrap around the point but the wind is soft and the roll seems manageable for the one night - we’ll set a 2nd anchor should we decide to stay another.
###
At Anchor - Mantachen Bay, San Blas
1/06 - 1/07 Sunday & Monday
We’re in San Blas, actually Manachen Bay just south of the town and contrary to popular opinion really liking it - hiked up to the old fort yesterday and off on the “Jungle Cruise” today. There are only two other cruisers here - Jama in the port and Chelsea Sky (neighbors from Mazatlan) here in the Bay. San Francisco fog this morning - can’t even see the shore line of the bay.
The Bay itself is several miles wide but only 12-20 feet deep. The shoreline is wall to wall beachfront palapas (open air, thatched roof, fast-food restaurants) where the local love to come for their weekend of water-play at the beach.
“Jungle” cruise was a blast - lots of crocodiles, turtles and birds of every description. A local guide drives you in a Panga (what else?) at breakneck speed up the narrow, winding, fresh water river through overhanging mangroves and brush about two miles upstream where you spend several hours at a crock farm, swimming in the frigid fresh water (fenced in from the crocs) and having a great lunch in a remote palapa by the waters edge.
San Blas viewed from the old fort
San Blas was once an important sea port for the early sailing ships bringing trade goods to Mexico fom the orient. Today it is a quiet minor city with little industry or commerce but delightful for its’ lack of condos and resorts. We spend several ours walking the streets, markets and open-air shops before finding the expat “social” club and stopping in for some beers with fellow cruisers and other lost souls.
###
Isla Isabela to Mantachen Bay
1/05 Saturday
Latitude: 21:31.049 N Longitude: 105:14.412 W
Weather: overcast morning turning clear Wind: 3400 at 6kts. Barometer: 1015
Engine Hours: 921 Fuel on Board: 752
Trip Distance/Total: 43/5933
A dramatic morning as the hundreds frigate birds resume their continuous spiral overhead. Picked up Rich & Sandy on Chelsea Sky for dingy ride to South Cove and the fishing village we missed yesterday.
Hiked a short way up the old caldera to get up close and personal with nesting Frigates and Blue-footed Boobies. Like the Galapagos, the birds here are completely fearless of us to the point that we had to step over the Boobies to get up the trail.
By 10:00 the dinghy is on board and the anchor is up and we are on our way to San Blas. Known for it’s vicious sand fleas and cranky harbor master, this stop is not high up on many cruiser’s list but we hate to miss a thing and loved Topolobampo which was not recommended either. Instead of going into the port proper though, we decide to anchor in a broad bay just south of town where we can still be a quarter mile offshore to avoid the bugs (and the harbor master).
Today’s journey was the warmest yet. Going with the 6-knot wind at 7.5 knots makes for a very gentle breeze if any so under the clear skies much on the day could be spent out on deck relaxing in the sun. Saw a sunning sea turtle and many bait balls (thousands of swirling bait fish). By 3:00 though, we enter into the on shore haze with 1/2 mile visability that is much like a San Francisco fog bank. The charts are over a mile off here so even finding the bay becomes a bit of a challenge but a call to our friends already at anchor for their coordinates confirms that we are on course regardless.
Mantachen Bay is very shallow, about a ½ mile across, and with only three boats in, we pick our spot in the middle and it’s anchors aweigh in only 12 feet of water. No wind forecast for the next several days so it should be a quiet night.
Wandering Star at anchor in the lee of Los Monas
###
Latitude: 21:50.84N Longitude: 105:52.73 W
Weather: clear Wind: 2700 10 kts. Barometer: 1014 rising1017
Engine Hours: 906 Fuel on Board: 800
Trip Distance/Total: 93/5890
We check out of El Cid Marina in the late afternoon after saying farewell to new and old friends on the dock and slide out of shoal draft slip at the waters edge by 5 PM. It is necessary to squeeze past the resting dredge that has taken a day off from its never ending job of keeping the channel open for us to, once again, get out to sea.
By sunset, we are abeam the old Mazatlan lighthouse atop a high hill (we had hiked to the top with Kei during his visit) guarding the old harbor entrance but still close enough to see the beachfront city lights come on as we head off into the darkness. Tonight we get our excitement early as we need to dodge two cruise ships exiting the harbor and an approaching freighter while the rest of the night is empty and quiet with little traffic. By 2AM, what is left of our moon rises off the mainland on the port bow. A welcome improvement from the total blackness of our previous passages.
Traveling at reduced speed of 6.5 knots gets us to Isla Isabela at first light so that we can feel our way into the leeward shelter of this tiny island. By 7AM we are anchored in 12- feet of sand and rock behind a formidable pair of rocks called “Los Mones” which look very much like a giant turtle from a northern approach. The old volcanic island itself is well known as a bird sanctuary and is home to thousands of blue-footed Boobies and stately Frigate birds that constantly soar overhead.
With the whole day ahead, I go for my first real paddle in the newly assembled, collapsible kayak we have hauled around on board since Alaska. Up till now, it has just been too cold to even be tempted to get that close to the water. Before lunch, we launch the dinghy and go on a quick trip around the south end of the island to see the bay and a fishing camp but it is too close to low tide to get over the rocky beach and explore ashore.
Afternoon is spent sunning, napping and reading. Times ashore in marinas are fun but once you are back in cruising mode you quickly remember that this is truly what this lifestyle is all about, anchoring in a quiet bay, watching the grandness of nature unfold all around you from the deck of your little boat. Ah, life is good!
Quiet evening with BBQ dinner followed by DVD of Blue Planet we got from kids for Christmas. In bed early after overnight passage and long day.
###
Christmas in Mazatlan
12/11 to 1/03/2008
Spent the first week in Mazatlan working on cleaning up Wandering Star and getting her ready for Christmas. There was much to do just in getting all of the salt off the accumula
tes for the days at sea. On top of that, we needed to find our way around town locating the stores and markets for provisioning and Christmas shopping using only the local buses, walking or eventually even on the bikes with the added challenge of findinga tree, decorations, and stocking gifts for all in a strange city with very little English spoken anywhere.
One of the highlights for us was the Salvation Army Christmas party the boating community gave for the kids of the local orphanage. Besides raising over $1000 US for the home, we were treated to Christmas songs by the kids and treats for all.
Heather, Ted, and Kei joined us for the holidays and we really had a great time showing them around our new town as by now we are feeling quite at home here. Some of the highlights included a hike to the old lighthouse, dinners on the beach at new favorite restaurants, Canucks (a infamous Canadian hangout), Senior Frogs, as well as general biking, kayaking, or relaxing by one of the El Cid pools.
Jo and I also attended the local performance of the Nutcracker at the historic old opera house, numerous parties and happy hours with the cruising community. New Years is set with a special party for we boaters complete with fireworks at midnight at a local, on the beach, restaurant called Chili Peppers.
The party is over, the kids have gone home, and it is time to leave Mazatlan. Sure been lots of fun. Jo and I have one final “date night” when just the two of us enjoy a special evening at “Angelos,” a classy Italian restaurant know for fine dining, good California wines, and even a Spanish Frank Sinatra to croon for us as we enjoy the distinctly non-Mexican food.
One final day of preparations and we sail on the late afternoon high tide for the 93- mile run to Isla Isabella.
Happy New Year!
###
