Manzanillo

We left Barra on 1/5. Our next stop was Santiago Bay where we spent one night before heading into Manzanillo Bay. Manzanillo is Mexico's biggest port on the Pacific. The downtown is a busy commercial center. We spent a day exploring some of its markets, seeing the oldest hotel and walking its streets.

Barra de Navidad

We followed Adirondack into the Barra Lagoon as the channel is very narrow and very shallow. They had been into Barra before and successfully did it again! After anchoring, we went to check in with the Port Captain and then walked through the town. Every place has its special spot and we found Barra's "Big Tree" not too far from the Sands Hotel. The Sands has the dinghy dock, so we had happy hour there before returning to the boat.

We noticed lots of camping at various bays during the Christmas Season, and Barra was no exception. Here are a couple pictures of Mexican families enjoying their beaches.

One of the benefits of staying in the Barra Lagoon was the "French Baker" who made deliveries to boats six days a week. We could order the day before or just see what was available. Before leaving, we made a special order and when he delivered it the next day he asked if we were having a party! We subsequently enjoyed the croissants, bread, pies and quiches. The change of cuisine was welcome. The French Baker (in white) used to live in Vancouver, B.C. His helper used to have a Beneteau, like ours, which is a French design (now also made in South Carolina) so we had lots to talk about.

Tenacatita

We arrived in this huge, glorious bay on 12/22. From the number of boats here, it is a popular stop. It has small towns, several resorts, great snorkeling, and, calm water. That's why it is so popular! We found out that there are many boaters who winter on this coast - they keep their boats in Puerto Vallarta or cruise the Sea of Cortez the rest of the year. While here they travel from bay to bay and back again. Several of them have known others for years. Contact is made with each other via VHF radio. Organized morning chats take place at 8:00 a.m. After the chat on Christmas Day, an announcement was made that all the cruisers at anchor were invited to Beach Access (a catamaran from California) for a dessert party. This gave us the opportunity to meet up with others. Boats from the Pacific Northwest were the greatest percentage in this bay. We have seen lots of boats from Seattle, Gig Harbor, Portland and many other ports. As we checked the Puget Sound weather on the internet, we REALLY do understand why. At any rate, we have now met several other boaters who are bound for Panama this season.

This was one of our neighbors. It is from La
Connor, which we found out from the owners when they kayaked by in the nicest kayaks I have ever seen! The boat is registered in the Cayman Islands, but expect it back in the Pacific Northwest later this year. It is named Evviva and is about 120' with a full crew of about seven (can you see the helicopter?).

We dinghied across the bay to La Manzanilla. This town has a nice zocalo with the most interesting pillars on the gazebo. The artist dedicated it to his father. There is also a beach front park here, which I have not seen in other places. They were setting up for a carnival right in the town square. Workers were assembling rides and candy booths. They also have quite a market of small vendors who display their goods on the town square. There are a fair amount of tourists here and the place seems a busier than many of the other spots we have seen. Many little stores made it easy to get what was on our shopping lists here. Even the eggs survived the dinghy ride back to the boat.

We took a jungle dinghy tour one day. The water was so clear, the reflection was perfect. Can anyone spot the bird in the bushes?

At the end of the lagoon tributary we found Tenacatita Village and beach. After a great walk on the beach, we went into town and noticed that Corona has the market on restaurant signs here.

On the beach, there is a protected sea turtle egg area. There are dates the eggs were discovered/laid and dates they were released. We could see them release some on Christmas Day.

The following week, we swam and snorkeled.

Jim and Diane on Adirondak, a trawler from Gig Harbor, hosted a New Year's Eve get together with us, folks from Tamara and Jammin, both out of Portland. That was the Pacific Northwest contingent and we had a lovely time. We were back on our boat in time to see the fireworks set off at nearby Blue Bay Hotel.

On 1/2/09, on our way out of the Bay, a boat's dinghy was loose and drifting toward our boat. Ralph rowed out and delivered it to its owner.

He had to row and not motor because you have to take the motor off the dinghy and raise the dinghy before setting sail. This was made more difficult because the tide did not favor the direction Ralph had to go. But, mission was accomplished.

Chamela/Careyes

Next stop was Ipala on 12/17. We saw whales much of the day and also big sea turtles lumbering through the ocean. The whales make it look easy, the turtles make it look hard! Ipala is a tiny fishing village with rooms to rent. This would be an off the beaten track stop! We went to Chamela (pictured to the right) on 12/18. Here we see a fisherman at work in Chamela. We dinghied ashored to walk around and check out the large beach and smaller town. On the way, we ran into a group of Canadians who come to one of the RV parks here each year. They were talking about the bad weather at home. The town had several stores, a nice zocolo, and more rooms to rent. This anchorage was also very rolly. But, we were treated to shooting stars each night we were there.

On 12/21 we moved further down Mexico's "Gold Coast" and found some of the gold. We noticed large houses in south Chamela Bay and they continued to dot the coast to Paraiso through Careyes. These houses are huge, colorful, and upscale. Some have tennis courts. We wanted to anchor at Careyes to check out the sea turtles that inhabit this area. However, there was no room in the anchorage for a boat our size, so we went in and back out. It was worth it to see the pretty hotel and area. We did see more sea turtles and whales.

Yelapa

This is actually a picture from a bus ride from Puerto Vallarta to Punta Mita. The little boy was looking at Ralph's camera and his mother told Ralph it was ok to take his picture. So, Ralph snapped this shot and showed the boy his photo from the camera. He and his brother were amazed. They and their mother than laughed and laughed. Kids are the same everywhere!

We checked out of Paradise Village on 12/15 and sailed to Yelapa arriving in the afternoon. Yelapa is a gorgeous little bay. We saw a large pod of whales on the way in. Our cruising guide said the anchorage was marginal (rolly) as it gets lots of winds and swells. We were met by Ricardo as we entered the bay. He owns a couple of mooring buoys so we agreed to a special price for two nights and attached ourselves with his assistance. At least as we rolled around all night, we knew we would not be going anywhere. Ricardo also provided panga taxi service to his customers so the next day we went into town and walked beyond it to the waterfall. We saw lots of colorful butterflies, hummingbirds and a dog fishing in the surf. The town has narrow streets. It is colorful and has lots of plants and trees. Yelapa is stop for tour boats operating out of Puerto Vallarta so when the tour boats come in, the beach and town are inundated with tourists. It then gets pretty quiet and very laid back til the next tour. We were entertained by more whales at sunset.

Cabo to Puerto Vallarta

We arrived in Cabo San Lucas on 11/24 and stayed at the main marina where the action was non-stop. There were two cruise ships in Port when we arrived. They left and the next day there were three different cruise ships. One of them was the Amsterdam. That was the cruise ship Ralph and I and his family were on for our Alaska cruise several years back. The ships disembark their passengers close-by so, of course, there are lots of restaurants, shops, and bars which ring the marina. Most seem to blast music. It was quite the change from being quietly lulled by the sound of the sea....But, fun.


Where's Waldo?
Our boat is on the second dock. You can see that there are mostly big motor boats in here. Ours is the sailboat in the middle of the dock - if you can spot the green canopy, you have found it! Fishing expeditions are a big business here. Also, there are alot of rich people here - hence the large yachts. However, there are also lots of pangas and small ventures that take people out to snorkel, view the arches, and test their limits on booze cruises. All the activity makes for interesting maneuvering when coming into Port.



We spent the next morning at the Inspiration Spa. Yes, the boat exterior needed cleaning after being in all the Baja dust! Who needs to pay for exercise and saunas (it was really humid)?
After that, I took a walk on the beach. This picture does not show the opulent hotels, condos and private residences that ring the entire bay and then proceed up the Sea of Cortes side into La Paz. It is unbelievable. All the pools in the hotels were full of folks, but some people played on the beach, as well.



Both nights in Cabo, we walked outside the tourist area in search of "tipico Mexico" cuisine. On our way to the neighborhoods, we passed by many of the popular tourist joints, such as this one. Our mission was to taste and compare taquerias, not margaritas. We found a great palapa style one the first night and had asada, chorizo, and pastor tacos. And, we found an even better one, the second night, with the same choices. This one was a street stand without the palapa!

We did not have the Mamarita!


We did go to Cabo Wabo for a taste of Cabo Wabo tequila (Tim calls it "ta-kill-ya), and some live music and managed to stay up until 11:00 p.m. that night. However, the music does not stop on the Marina until after 2:30 a.m. I know that because I woke up at 2:30 and it was going strong. Oh, to be young again!
We left Cabo on the morning of 11/26 for the two day crossing to Banderas Bay - Puerto Vallarta and our marina at Neuvo Vallarta. We are not wearing layers anymore. Swimsuits are the uniform of the day. It finally feels as if we are in the tropics. The water temperature is about 91 degrees! On our first night out, we again saw lots of stars - the Milky Way, Big Dipper, North Star and all those stars that flash red, green and white (honest!). I wish I could take a picture that would convey the magic of the night. We watched the sun set and then the moon rise each night.

Since we had anticipated swell and waves and winds that would make for a rocky ride, we planned a simple Thanksgiving meal. We had turkey meatloaf and napa cabbage slaw and chardonnay. I obtained the slaw recipe from Katie and Dennis Nelson when I visited them in Phoenix on my way to San Diego in October. It has a great dressing and blue cheese. Perfect for the day! As it turned out, it was a calm day at sea, so we just relaxed and enjoyed the day.

We arrived at the Neuvo Vallarta Marina on 11/28. We have now come 1,000 nautical miles from San Diego and 2,500 from Olympia! And, we notice lots of boats from the Pacific Northwest. One is called Sunseeker/Seattle. This photo is taken from our boat at Neuvo Vallarta and shows the Marina where we are currently moored.







Our neighbor at Neuvo Vallarta suggested we go to Titi's Restaurant for shrimp dinners. It is another neighborhood restaurant frequented mostly by locals. These shrimp plates were about $9.00! And it is not farmed raised shrimp.

We spent a day or two lazing around and we took our dinghy out on the canals for a tour. Signs advise that we not swim because of crocodiles. So, we'll be walking to the beach to get wet!




We sadly bade farewell to Tim on 12/2. It was great to have him on board for the trip down. His good cheer, great menu ideas, sharing of traditions, and seamanship skills will be missed. He also made a great pot of coffee each morning. Thanks, Tim! And, thanks, Suone, for your support in this endeavor.








Our friends the Rolland's were in Puerto Vallarta when we arrived. This is the view of the Puerto Vallarta beach from their condo. It has great grounds, and is in a great location for both beach walking, and for exploring the city.
We went into Puerto Vallarta for dinner on 12/2 and were able to see one of the parades in honor of the Virgen de Guadalupe. They have these parades for the first 12 days of December. A major street is closed down each night, lights go on, food vendors come out and the long procession to the Cathedral starts. We also went in on 12/3 and saw another one that honored children with disabilities. It was very touching and very festive.

Both nights we had great food and great company with Jim, Susie, and Jim's cousin, Mary Beth. On 12/4, we went into Puerto Vallarta and walked the Malecon and saw the Cathedral by day. We had last been here 24 years ago, and the changes are dramatic. Since then, we have been on a few bus trips to Punta de Mita via Bucerias which is north of here. These places remind us of the Puerto Vallarta of 24 years ago, but there is much development which includes many luxurious beach front hotels and condos. We are planning to leave this area tomorrow for our trip down the "Gold Coast". We will be at anchorages for quite some time and so this will be the last post until next year!


So, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to one and all!

On our way Phase 2

After several weeks in San Diego seeing family (thanks to my folks for letting us take over their kitchen, freezer and laundry room and to all the family who made the stay so much fun) and provisioning the boat (we included Scott and Janet's bottle of tequila in the picture to keep us warm until we could get some in Mexico), we welcomed Tim Cottrell aboard, and on 11/11 headed out to Point Loma and turned left. Tim and I learned to sail in the Chesapeake when we worked together in Washington, D.C. in the 80's. He's still just as funny as he was then.

It was exhilarating to be back on the ocean. We sailed to Ensenada, Mexico and spent two nights in the Coral Marina. Once our entry paperwork was completed, we had a drink at Pappas and Beer and prepared to head south. We left on 11/13 for an overnight passage. That evening there was a glorious full-moon - it was beautiful to see its reflection on the ocean throughout the night.


We arrived in Bahia San Quintin on 11/14 at 7:45 a.m. On the way, we saw lots of schools of dolphins and were greeted by two seals in the bay. Once the anchor was secured, we commenced our celebration with cerveza and rum punch! Note our attire. We are not yet in the tropics. There is a beach and a small hotel in San Quintin - and not much else. We took the dinghy to shore and walked around a bit. Upon leaving, we learned in short order how to get the dinghy moving in fairly high surf. In our case, we could only fit two at a time, so Ralph delivered me to the boat and then went back to pick up Tim.


After another two nights out on the ocean with one quick stop in the San Benito Islands, we arrived in Bahia Tortuga. As the sun rose during my watch, we passed Cedros Island and the ocean became alive with porpoises. As far as I could see in all directions, there were hundreds of porpoises breaching. Priceless! We then arrived in the Bay and quickly discovered that Tortuga is Enrique Jr.'s town. He has the fuel delivery concession, the taxi service, the only beach restaurant and the laundry service. It seems that all his family works for him. And they all work hard. We spent two nights in the bay. On the 18th, we were in town eating at a restaurant owned by someone other than Enrique Jr. and as we looked out the window, a funeral procession passed by. A pick-up truck held the casket, and it was followed by 40 or so walking mourners of all ages. The procession was followed by several more pick-up trucks including one with a bed full of flowers. It was very touching to see this ritual and reminded us that life goes on as we are continuing our grand adventure. The next day we left for Bahia Magdalena which is a two day passage.



Again on this passage, we saw plentiful shooting stars and a gorgeous moon rise. We noticed that we can get kinda rummy and very tired when out for two days. We keep watches and can sleep when not on watch, but the boat motion sometimes makes it hard to sleep for long. It just gives us an inkling about those sea crossings that last for days and days and days. But, there is a certain routine we get into and I think you get used to it with repetition. At any rate, we made it to Puerto San Carlos in "Mag Bay" in good order. It was foggy on the approach and fishing pots were plentiful. Ralph saw a whale breach. We saw humongous pelicans which gave rise to Ralph and Tim making up pelican, boobie and cormorant jokes. We also saw our first frigate bird which means we are about in the tropics and we have now shed our hats, scarves, coats, and sweaters. You can see from the picture that Puerto San Carlos is another dusty, fishing town. The Baja is pretty much desert and, I hate to say it, but not all that picturesque. We took the dinghy to the dock and went to Hotel Alcatraz for drinks and dinner. Great shrimp cocktail. Not much else was happening.

There are some services here for "yatistas" including fuel. Sometimes it is a challenge to get that fuel. Here, we had to tie up to a large fishing vessel. It had its own bird patrol watching our every move. While we were still tied up to the fishing boat, it started its engines and we thought for a moment or two that it might leave with us still attached! But, all worked out and we moved closer to the entrance to the Bay on 11/22 as we didn't want to get fogged in before our departure to Cabo on 11/23. At the entrance to the Bay we saw a Marine World Baja style - porpoises, seals, what we thought might be sharks and lots of pelicans and other birds.

We left Mag Bay at 7 a.m. on 11/23. Next stop:

Cabo San Lucas. In spite of being in fishing villages down the Baja, we could not find fish for sale. Each night, we had hoped to have fish for dinner - but - nada. So, we had our first fish on the boat - canned tuna sandwiches for lunch. It is much warmer now and our night watch could be done without any layers. At 8 a.m. on the 24th, we could see the famous Cabo San Lucas Arch.