November 28, 2004
Ipala, Jalisco Coast (20o 14' N 105o 34' W)
The cruiser potluck at Philo's was pretty good. More than enough to eat and some great dishes (sweet potatoes with marshmallows almost as good as Kimmie makes!). But the turkey was a little over cooked. Too bad they didn't have Frank around to tell them when they were done.
Even though we enjoyed shopping in La Cruz (there are a lot of mini-supers in La Cruz) the dinghy landing was too disgusting to want to stay longer. The 'sewage treatment plant' empties into a stream that runs into the harbor where you land your dinghy. I'm not sure what kind of 'treatment' they put the sewage through but it's not very effective in my opinion.
As a result we moved back to Punta de Mita. Friday we took a walk on the beach and looked for a tortilleria in town (where tortillas are made fresh every day). In spite of only having five streets to search we were unable to locate it. For all we know Punta de Mita does not have an actual tortilleria, though were assured by a number of locals that the town was so equipped. I'm sure the problem was the people saying that there was a tortilleria were all men; the women we asked either didn't know or thought that there wasn't one. We could have gone with the more reliable opinion, the women's, and saved ourselves the trouble but we needed the exercise the search provided.
This morning we awoke at 0430 to make the trip from Punta de Mita to Ipala, a short hop of 45 miles. I'm sure you're wondering why we got up so early for what should be about an 8 hour trip. Well between Punta de Mita and Ipala lies the dreaded Cabo Corrientes (Cape Currents) and common wisdom is to round this formidable headland in the early morning or at night. We chose the former and went around in dead calm conditions at 1000. Even though it was calm there was quite a sea running because of the 1 kt foul current running against us. Cape Current strikes again.
The forecast (if you can call it that; we get our weather from an amateur prognosticator who's every other sentence is 'you have to take this with a grain of salt') called for NW wind 10-15 kt. Imagine our surprise when around 1200 an 18 kt SOUTHERLY wind starts to blow. If it wasn't bad enough that we had to beat into wind and sea, the anchorage we were going to is completely open to the south allowing the full force of the wind and chop to churn the little harbor into a washing machine! Shortly after the wind came up one of the boats who was out ahead of us and all ready anchored called to tell us that we might want to reconsider. We did. After arriving in the general vicinity of the anchorage we hove to on the off shore tack to wait. There was no way we could move to the next harbor. It was only 50 miles away and if we sailed directly there we'd arrive in the middle of the night. So we chose to wait offshore from Ipala for an hour to see if the wind might change to it's forecast direction. I made bread and Linda took a nap.
Sure enough, around 1500 the wind died and we went into the anchorage to see what we could see. There was still a stiff chop bouncing around but we could tell it would eventually die down. We set the anchor and jumped in to cool off.
It seems as though we're finally getting acclimated to Mexico. In addition to eating tortillas instead of bread, we also find the water a little chilly if it's temperature isn't above 82 degrees. In addition we find we need a blanket if the temperature in the cabin falls below 78 degrees. Brrr, that's cold!
Oh well, I guess that's enough of our hardship and despair. Tomorrow we're moving to Chamela where there are supposed to be many fun activities from snorkeling to beach combing. I hope the water's not too cold.
John and Linda
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Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Punta de Mita
November 25, 2004
Punta de Mita, Banderas Bay, Mexico (20o 45' N 105o 32' W)
We've spent the last couple days at Punta de Mita getting in the 'swing' of things again. Reading on the boat, walking around town and taking a hike out to the far west point.
The walk around town didn't reveal anything special. Although we did walk past some new condos being built which, according to the billboard, start at $325,000 USD. That's pretty fancy for someplace 10 miles from the nearest gas station!
I've had an ear ache (from getting water in my ear while swimming) and have run out of ear drops. The drops I use are mostly rubbing alcohol, so I've been searching the local shops to find a small bottle which I can use to refill my ear drop bottle. Of course I don't know what the phrase for 'rubbing alcohol' is in Spanish, nor do I know the word for 'rubbing' (thank goodness the Spanish word for 'alcohol' is 'alcohol'!) so I've been describing what I need as 'alcohol por su piel' (alcohol for your skin). This had not been too successful. However last night we went into a different mini-super (really a convenience store) and after describing what I needed the shop keeper reached behind the counter and produced a small bottle labeled 'Alcohol (SIN DESNATURALIZAR)'. That's funny, I thought, SIN in Spanish means 'without'. The label seemed to suggest this is pure alcohol without the denaturing contents that make rubbing alcohol un-drinkable. I unscrewed the cap and took a whiff. Sure enough, moonshine! No wonder they had it behind the counter. I've yet to try it in my ear, but I'm sure the effect will be far more dramatic then that north of the border stuff. And no, I don't have any ideas of drinking it.
You may recall my writing about the 'fish fountain' we'd get in some anchorages (small fish jumping sound like a babbling fountain). It turns out Mexico has its own version. The difference is you have to wait for it. When we first arrived at Pt. de Mita we noticed a huge school of fish which would churn the surface of the water white on occasion, but the school always seemed to be near one boat in the anchorage. After a day or so we also noticed a few fish swimming around under NAKIA. They seemed to like the protection of the boat over them. They provided a small 'fish fountain' from time to time, but nothing very spectacular. The next day there were a few more fish, and the next day even more. Our fish fountain was getting pretty big. About the third day we caught up with the people from the boat which had the large school. They'd been anchored in the same spot for several weeks, no doubt collecting a large school of fish during their stay.
That's about all for this report. We're going to Thanksgiving dinner at a local cruiser's hang out this evening. Should be fun but we miss our friends who will be celebrating on Angel Island.
John and Linda
Punta de Mita, Banderas Bay, Mexico (20o 45' N 105o 32' W)
We've spent the last couple days at Punta de Mita getting in the 'swing' of things again. Reading on the boat, walking around town and taking a hike out to the far west point.
The walk around town didn't reveal anything special. Although we did walk past some new condos being built which, according to the billboard, start at $325,000 USD. That's pretty fancy for someplace 10 miles from the nearest gas station!
I've had an ear ache (from getting water in my ear while swimming) and have run out of ear drops. The drops I use are mostly rubbing alcohol, so I've been searching the local shops to find a small bottle which I can use to refill my ear drop bottle. Of course I don't know what the phrase for 'rubbing alcohol' is in Spanish, nor do I know the word for 'rubbing' (thank goodness the Spanish word for 'alcohol' is 'alcohol'!) so I've been describing what I need as 'alcohol por su piel' (alcohol for your skin). This had not been too successful. However last night we went into a different mini-super (really a convenience store) and after describing what I needed the shop keeper reached behind the counter and produced a small bottle labeled 'Alcohol (SIN DESNATURALIZAR)'. That's funny, I thought, SIN in Spanish means 'without'. The label seemed to suggest this is pure alcohol without the denaturing contents that make rubbing alcohol un-drinkable. I unscrewed the cap and took a whiff. Sure enough, moonshine! No wonder they had it behind the counter. I've yet to try it in my ear, but I'm sure the effect will be far more dramatic then that north of the border stuff. And no, I don't have any ideas of drinking it.
You may recall my writing about the 'fish fountain' we'd get in some anchorages (small fish jumping sound like a babbling fountain). It turns out Mexico has its own version. The difference is you have to wait for it. When we first arrived at Pt. de Mita we noticed a huge school of fish which would churn the surface of the water white on occasion, but the school always seemed to be near one boat in the anchorage. After a day or so we also noticed a few fish swimming around under NAKIA. They seemed to like the protection of the boat over them. They provided a small 'fish fountain' from time to time, but nothing very spectacular. The next day there were a few more fish, and the next day even more. Our fish fountain was getting pretty big. About the third day we caught up with the people from the boat which had the large school. They'd been anchored in the same spot for several weeks, no doubt collecting a large school of fish during their stay.
That's about all for this report. We're going to Thanksgiving dinner at a local cruiser's hang out this evening. Should be fun but we miss our friends who will be celebrating on Angel Island.
John and Linda
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Punta de Mita
November 25, 2004
Punta de Mita, Banderas Bay, Mexico (20o 45' N 105o 32' W)
We've spent the last couple days at Punta de Mita getting in the 'swing' of things again. Reading on the boat, walking around town and taking a hike out to the far west point.
The walk around town didn't reveal anything special. Although we did walk past some new condos being built which, according to the billboard, start at $325,000 USD. That's pretty fancy for someplace 10 miles from the nearest gas station!
I've had an ear ache (from getting water in my ear while swimming) and have run out of ear drops. The drops I use are mostly rubbing alcohol, so I've been searching the local shops to find a small bottle which I can use to refill my ear drop bottle. Of course I don't know what the phrase for 'rubbing alcohol' is in Spanish, nor do I know the word for 'rubbing' (thank goodness the Spanish word for 'alcohol' is 'alcohol'!) so I've been describing what I need as 'alcohol por su piel' (alcohol for your skin). This had not been too successful. However last night we went into a different mini-super (really a convenience store) and after describing what I needed the shop keeper reached behind the counter and produced a small bottle labeled 'Alcohol (SIN DESNATURALIZAR)'. That's funny, I thought, SIN in Spanish means 'without'. The label seemed to suggest this is pure alcohol without the denaturing contents that make rubbing alcohol un-drinkable. I unscrewed the cap and took a whiff. Sure enough, moonshine! No wonder they had it behind the counter. I've yet to try it in my ear, but I'm sure the effect will be far more dramatic then that north of the border stuff. And no, I don't have any ideas of drinking it.
You may recall my writing about the 'fish fountain' we'd get in some anchorages (small fish jumping sound like a babbling fountain). It turns out Mexico has its own version. The difference is you have to wait for it. When we first arrived at Pt. de Mita we noticed a huge school of fish which would churn the surface of the water white on occasion, but the school always seemed to be near one boat in the anchorage. After a day or so we also noticed a few fish swimming around under NAKIA. They seemed to like the protection of the boat over them. They provided a small 'fish fountain' from time to time, but nothing very spectacular. The next day there were a few more fish, and the next day even more. Our fish fountain was getting pretty big. About the third day we caught up with the people from the boat which had the large school. They'd been anchored in the same spot for several weeks, no doubt collecting a large school of fish during their stay.
That's about all for this report. We're going to Thanksgiving dinner at a local cruiser's hang out this evening. Should be fun but we miss our friends who will be celebrating on Angel Island.
John and Linda
Punta de Mita, Banderas Bay, Mexico (20o 45' N 105o 32' W)
We've spent the last couple days at Punta de Mita getting in the 'swing' of things again. Reading on the boat, walking around town and taking a hike out to the far west point.
The walk around town didn't reveal anything special. Although we did walk past some new condos being built which, according to the billboard, start at $325,000 USD. That's pretty fancy for someplace 10 miles from the nearest gas station!
I've had an ear ache (from getting water in my ear while swimming) and have run out of ear drops. The drops I use are mostly rubbing alcohol, so I've been searching the local shops to find a small bottle which I can use to refill my ear drop bottle. Of course I don't know what the phrase for 'rubbing alcohol' is in Spanish, nor do I know the word for 'rubbing' (thank goodness the Spanish word for 'alcohol' is 'alcohol'!) so I've been describing what I need as 'alcohol por su piel' (alcohol for your skin). This had not been too successful. However last night we went into a different mini-super (really a convenience store) and after describing what I needed the shop keeper reached behind the counter and produced a small bottle labeled 'Alcohol (SIN DESNATURALIZAR)'. That's funny, I thought, SIN in Spanish means 'without'. The label seemed to suggest this is pure alcohol without the denaturing contents that make rubbing alcohol un-drinkable. I unscrewed the cap and took a whiff. Sure enough, moonshine! No wonder they had it behind the counter. I've yet to try it in my ear, but I'm sure the effect will be far more dramatic then that north of the border stuff. And no, I don't have any ideas of drinking it.
You may recall my writing about the 'fish fountain' we'd get in some anchorages (small fish jumping sound like a babbling fountain). It turns out Mexico has its own version. The difference is you have to wait for it. When we first arrived at Pt. de Mita we noticed a huge school of fish which would churn the surface of the water white on occasion, but the school always seemed to be near one boat in the anchorage. After a day or so we also noticed a few fish swimming around under NAKIA. They seemed to like the protection of the boat over them. They provided a small 'fish fountain' from time to time, but nothing very spectacular. The next day there were a few more fish, and the next day even more. Our fish fountain was getting pretty big. About the third day we caught up with the people from the boat which had the large school. They'd been anchored in the same spot for several weeks, no doubt collecting a large school of fish during their stay.
That's about all for this report. We're going to Thanksgiving dinner at a local cruiser's hang out this evening. Should be fun but we miss our friends who will be celebrating on Angel Island.
John and Linda
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Cruising. Finally!
November 21, 2004
Punta de Mita, Banderas Bay (20o 45' N 105o 32' W)
We left Paradise Marina yesterday after 10 long days tied to the dock. Our destination was Punta de Mita, 12 nm to the west, but on the way there the wind came up on the nose so we altered course to the north and dropped anchor at La Cruz for the night. Total distance traveled: 9 nm. On shore a brass band blared away, it being revolution day, and we swam in the 80 degree water to clean off sunscreen and sweat.
This morning we hauled anchor and set sail in the warm land breeze to drop anchor in our original destination, Punta de Mita. Even though we're a short day sail away from Puerto Vallarta and the Paradise Village Marina, we feel like we're finally cruising in Mexico. Fun as it was riding the bus into PV, drinking cold beers at the Yacht Club, swimming in the resort pools, and shopping in the mall, it just didn't feel like anything we'd call cruising. After arriving here we put up the sun awning, had lunch, spent the afternoon reading in the cockpit, and went for a dinghy ride. Now that's cruising.
We plan on being here three nights and then moving back to La Cruz on Wednesday for Thanksgiving Dinner at Philo's, the local cruiser hangout. It's potluck and Linda wants 'real' mashed potatoes so the only thing we have to do between now and then is find some Idaho russets (or a reasonable substitute). Yep, that ought to take two days.
John and Linda
Punta de Mita, Banderas Bay (20o 45' N 105o 32' W)
We left Paradise Marina yesterday after 10 long days tied to the dock. Our destination was Punta de Mita, 12 nm to the west, but on the way there the wind came up on the nose so we altered course to the north and dropped anchor at La Cruz for the night. Total distance traveled: 9 nm. On shore a brass band blared away, it being revolution day, and we swam in the 80 degree water to clean off sunscreen and sweat.
This morning we hauled anchor and set sail in the warm land breeze to drop anchor in our original destination, Punta de Mita. Even though we're a short day sail away from Puerto Vallarta and the Paradise Village Marina, we feel like we're finally cruising in Mexico. Fun as it was riding the bus into PV, drinking cold beers at the Yacht Club, swimming in the resort pools, and shopping in the mall, it just didn't feel like anything we'd call cruising. After arriving here we put up the sun awning, had lunch, spent the afternoon reading in the cockpit, and went for a dinghy ride. Now that's cruising.
We plan on being here three nights and then moving back to La Cruz on Wednesday for Thanksgiving Dinner at Philo's, the local cruiser hangout. It's potluck and Linda wants 'real' mashed potatoes so the only thing we have to do between now and then is find some Idaho russets (or a reasonable substitute). Yep, that ought to take two days.
John and Linda
Friday, November 12, 2004
PV and Pictures
We're in Puerto Vallarta for the next week so there won't be many new posts to the blog. However the Yacht Club has wireless internet so I'm able to post a few pictures which have been backing up. Enjoy!
We'll be here 'til mid next week,
John
We'll be here 'til mid next week,
John
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Boobies and Noddies
November 10, 2004
La Cruz, (Puerto Vallarta 20o 44' N 105o 44' W)
We dropped anchor in the La Cruz anchorage of Banderas Bay at 10 PM last night after a three day passage from Cabo San Lucas. The trip was nothing special sailing wise( we motored 52 of the 60 hours it took us to get here) but we did have some interesting events in any case.
The weather was hot and humid, so much so that at noon on the second day we stopped for a mid ocean swim break. I set a fender off the stern on a long floating line and we took a dip in the 83 degree water. I can't say it was particularly cooling, but it was better then the humidity we'd been having until then. I thought I would be creeped out by the fact that I was swimming around a boat floating in 10000 (yes ten thousand) feet of water 150 miles from shore but in truth it wasn't that bad. It was like being at the top of a really tall building, it didn't really bother me until I looked down. The water was extremely clear and you could see the rays of the sun penetrating deep into the abyss.
Of course we dragged our fishing lines all the way from Cabo to PV and only caught one Dorado. Unfortunately we hooked it after sunset and it got off while we were in the process of bringing it aboard.
We did manage one other catch, a Blue Footed Boobie. It's clear to me now why these birds are called boobies because they really aren't very smart. One decided our fishing lure looked like lunch and managed to get the hook caught in its bill. I dragged it up to the boat and tried getting the hook out but the bird wasn't cooperating. In the end it took three of us( one holding the wings, one holding the head and me manipulating the hook) to free the boobie from it's mistake. The bird flew off after the operation with nothing more then a pierced lower lip to show for the ordeal. (I'm sure he'll be the envy of all the young birds).
About 50 miles out on our final day we had another visitor: a Brown Noddy. This is a small bird about the size and shape of a tern with brown feathers and a light grey cap. It was incredibly fearless and landed on the BBQ less then an arms length away. It looked so comfortable with us that I decided to see if it wouldn't mind sitting on my hand, so I put my hand slowly under it's breast and it hopped up on my hand like a trained parrot! It sat there and had it's picture taken, then I placed it back on the BBQ where I gave it a bath with a fine mist from our garden sprayer. It flew off after sighting land; I'm sure to go describe its experience to its buddies and to show off its extra clean plumage.
Getting into La Cruz was a little hairy. The chart for this area is pathetic (imagine having to anchor at Angel Island with a chart drawn on a cocktail napkin showing the entire SF bay). Thankfully a large Mexican fishing boat passed us and anchored in the general area we wanted so we could follow his lead. We were able to find water shallow enough to anchor in after only a little nail biting.
Today we move to Paridise Village Marina, only 6 nm away, for a week in Puerto Vallarta. James and Diane will be leaving NAKIA, and plan on taking a trip inland.
John, Linda, James and Diane
La Cruz, (Puerto Vallarta 20o 44' N 105o 44' W)
We dropped anchor in the La Cruz anchorage of Banderas Bay at 10 PM last night after a three day passage from Cabo San Lucas. The trip was nothing special sailing wise( we motored 52 of the 60 hours it took us to get here) but we did have some interesting events in any case.
The weather was hot and humid, so much so that at noon on the second day we stopped for a mid ocean swim break. I set a fender off the stern on a long floating line and we took a dip in the 83 degree water. I can't say it was particularly cooling, but it was better then the humidity we'd been having until then. I thought I would be creeped out by the fact that I was swimming around a boat floating in 10000 (yes ten thousand) feet of water 150 miles from shore but in truth it wasn't that bad. It was like being at the top of a really tall building, it didn't really bother me until I looked down. The water was extremely clear and you could see the rays of the sun penetrating deep into the abyss.
Of course we dragged our fishing lines all the way from Cabo to PV and only caught one Dorado. Unfortunately we hooked it after sunset and it got off while we were in the process of bringing it aboard.
We did manage one other catch, a Blue Footed Boobie. It's clear to me now why these birds are called boobies because they really aren't very smart. One decided our fishing lure looked like lunch and managed to get the hook caught in its bill. I dragged it up to the boat and tried getting the hook out but the bird wasn't cooperating. In the end it took three of us( one holding the wings, one holding the head and me manipulating the hook) to free the boobie from it's mistake. The bird flew off after the operation with nothing more then a pierced lower lip to show for the ordeal. (I'm sure he'll be the envy of all the young birds).
About 50 miles out on our final day we had another visitor: a Brown Noddy. This is a small bird about the size and shape of a tern with brown feathers and a light grey cap. It was incredibly fearless and landed on the BBQ less then an arms length away. It looked so comfortable with us that I decided to see if it wouldn't mind sitting on my hand, so I put my hand slowly under it's breast and it hopped up on my hand like a trained parrot! It sat there and had it's picture taken, then I placed it back on the BBQ where I gave it a bath with a fine mist from our garden sprayer. It flew off after sighting land; I'm sure to go describe its experience to its buddies and to show off its extra clean plumage.
Getting into La Cruz was a little hairy. The chart for this area is pathetic (imagine having to anchor at Angel Island with a chart drawn on a cocktail napkin showing the entire SF bay). Thankfully a large Mexican fishing boat passed us and anchored in the general area we wanted so we could follow his lead. We were able to find water shallow enough to anchor in after only a little nail biting.
Today we move to Paridise Village Marina, only 6 nm away, for a week in Puerto Vallarta. James and Diane will be leaving NAKIA, and plan on taking a trip inland.
John, Linda, James and Diane
Monday, November 08, 2004
On our way again
November 8, 2004
At Sea, 80 nm SE of Cabo San Lucas
Well as it always happens as soon as we hit port I stop logging anything to the blog. Sorry about that but we're usually just too busy to even think about setting aside the time for writing.
The party at Bahia Santa Maria was just as advertised. Fish and lobster dinner for $12 and music provided by a band who usually plays in Cabo San Lucas. There was one big black mark on the day though. As I was leaving the beach to go back to the boat the current swung the bow of the inflatable into the propeller of a panga and put a 6 inch gash in the fabric. I was able to make it back to shore without sinking, but it meant we had to take the inflatable back to NAKIA on the deck of a panga since it could not be repaired. As I write this the gash has been stitched up and a patch has been applied. However it takes 7 days for the glue to set so we won't know for awhile if it will hold.
We departed Bahia Santa Maria on schedule and had a quick if a little boring trip to Cabo. One highlight was fishing. We had tried and tried to catch fish with no luck, so I decided to increase our chances by adding a few more hooks onto the line. During a sail change I noticed a fish on one of the lines so went back to pull it in. I got the hook about half way to the boat when a second fish took one of the other hooks. Then a few feet closer to the boat another fish took the final hook on that line, three fish on one line! Before we were able to release the two smallest fish a fourth took the lure on the other line, four fish on at once! All Dorado. We released all but the largest one and had it battered with corn flour and fried in butter for dinner.
We arrived in Cabo on Thursday afternoon and pulled into our slip in Marina Cabo San Lucas. Phil and Joann had reserved a room at their time share so we all piled into a cab and were soon siting at the pool bar in a luxury hotel. Quite a change from the trip down! We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening swimming in the pool, basking in the hot tub, watching a movie on the outdoor screen, taking showers and having a huge meal at the Italian buffet.
Friday we set about doing chores; Linda's was laundry and mine was checking into the country. Let's just say Linda got the better of that deal. It took me almost 6 hours, walking around town in the hot sun, to get NAKIA and her crew checked in. It was a little complicated by the fact that I wanted to check out at the same time as checking in which required me to 'take a number' at the immigration office twice ('taking a number' meant at least a 2 hour wait!). Finally around 4pm I finished the process and met up with Linda, Phil and Joann at the Ha-Ha beach party where I found a cold beer and hot food waiting for me. Nice crew huh?!
Saturday was a little more relaxing. I spent the morning repairing the dinghy and Linda finished up the rest of the laundry. We did some shopping and had lunch then headed over to the Ha-Ha award ceremony. We were presented with third place in class. No big deal really, everyone gets third place unless you get first or second place. But we had a few laughs with the Ha-Ha folks one last time before our departure to PV.
We departed Cabo Sunday morning for PV in very humid, hot conditions. It wasn't long before every one was sweating and everything felt sticky. It's been a long motor boat trip so far with very little sailing but I'm hopeful we'll be able to sail a few hours this afternoon. NAKIA has two new crew for the trip from CSL to PV, Diane Stark from Sequoia Yacht Club and James Wilson who crewed with Tony Wiseman down the coast from SF to San Diego.
That's all for now,
John, Linda, Diane and James
At Sea, 80 nm SE of Cabo San Lucas
Well as it always happens as soon as we hit port I stop logging anything to the blog. Sorry about that but we're usually just too busy to even think about setting aside the time for writing.
The party at Bahia Santa Maria was just as advertised. Fish and lobster dinner for $12 and music provided by a band who usually plays in Cabo San Lucas. There was one big black mark on the day though. As I was leaving the beach to go back to the boat the current swung the bow of the inflatable into the propeller of a panga and put a 6 inch gash in the fabric. I was able to make it back to shore without sinking, but it meant we had to take the inflatable back to NAKIA on the deck of a panga since it could not be repaired. As I write this the gash has been stitched up and a patch has been applied. However it takes 7 days for the glue to set so we won't know for awhile if it will hold.
We departed Bahia Santa Maria on schedule and had a quick if a little boring trip to Cabo. One highlight was fishing. We had tried and tried to catch fish with no luck, so I decided to increase our chances by adding a few more hooks onto the line. During a sail change I noticed a fish on one of the lines so went back to pull it in. I got the hook about half way to the boat when a second fish took one of the other hooks. Then a few feet closer to the boat another fish took the final hook on that line, three fish on one line! Before we were able to release the two smallest fish a fourth took the lure on the other line, four fish on at once! All Dorado. We released all but the largest one and had it battered with corn flour and fried in butter for dinner.
We arrived in Cabo on Thursday afternoon and pulled into our slip in Marina Cabo San Lucas. Phil and Joann had reserved a room at their time share so we all piled into a cab and were soon siting at the pool bar in a luxury hotel. Quite a change from the trip down! We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening swimming in the pool, basking in the hot tub, watching a movie on the outdoor screen, taking showers and having a huge meal at the Italian buffet.
Friday we set about doing chores; Linda's was laundry and mine was checking into the country. Let's just say Linda got the better of that deal. It took me almost 6 hours, walking around town in the hot sun, to get NAKIA and her crew checked in. It was a little complicated by the fact that I wanted to check out at the same time as checking in which required me to 'take a number' at the immigration office twice ('taking a number' meant at least a 2 hour wait!). Finally around 4pm I finished the process and met up with Linda, Phil and Joann at the Ha-Ha beach party where I found a cold beer and hot food waiting for me. Nice crew huh?!
Saturday was a little more relaxing. I spent the morning repairing the dinghy and Linda finished up the rest of the laundry. We did some shopping and had lunch then headed over to the Ha-Ha award ceremony. We were presented with third place in class. No big deal really, everyone gets third place unless you get first or second place. But we had a few laughs with the Ha-Ha folks one last time before our departure to PV.
We departed Cabo Sunday morning for PV in very humid, hot conditions. It wasn't long before every one was sweating and everything felt sticky. It's been a long motor boat trip so far with very little sailing but I'm hopeful we'll be able to sail a few hours this afternoon. NAKIA has two new crew for the trip from CSL to PV, Diane Stark from Sequoia Yacht Club and James Wilson who crewed with Tony Wiseman down the coast from SF to San Diego.
That's all for now,
John, Linda, Diane and James
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Bahia Santa Maria
November 2, 2004
Bahia Santa Maria, 24o 46' N 112o 14' W
We had an awesome sail from Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria. We motored for 10 hours or so, though we probably could have motored less, and made it in at 0330 on November 1.
One of the highlights of this leg was catching two Dorado (Mahi-Mahi), one about 3 pounds and the other about 8. We fillet both and have been having fish ever since. The bad part is that I bought all kinds of meat for dinners and we haven't touched it! It's frozen so there's no chance of it going bad, but it's taking up so much space in the freezer we can't make ice for Rum and Cokes.
After our early morning arrival in Bahia Santa Maria we all took to bed for a much needed sleep and then got up to a beautiful warm day. The water temperature is around 71o F in the bay so after the morning net we all jumped in the water for a swim. Phil impressed us all by climbing out of the water on the bob-stay, not just once but four times!
After swimming we put the dinghy together and I went ashore to figure out how to go through the surf to the beach. It wasn't hard, being high tide, and once again our 15 HP Evenrude proved to be a champion. I went back to the boat where I found the rest of the crew busy doing as little as possible. I joined them for a while but there's too much to see here so Linda and I went ashore.
Bahia Santa Maria is not a town of any sort. It's more like a fish camp where the fishermen live in small huts near the beach. There's no civilization within 40 miles. However, when the Baja Ha-Ha comes in the place turns into a full on beach party town. There are a few huts on shore, one with a generator which powers a 6 piece rock band! There is a beer vendor and 4 or 5 women have a taco stand where they sell fish and/or lobster tacos (2 fish tacos, rice and beans for $5 USD).
Today is the big beach party and tomorrow we start leg 3 which finishes the rally in Cabo San Lucas.
John, Linda, Phil and Joann
Bahia Santa Maria, 24o 46' N 112o 14' W
We had an awesome sail from Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria. We motored for 10 hours or so, though we probably could have motored less, and made it in at 0330 on November 1.
One of the highlights of this leg was catching two Dorado (Mahi-Mahi), one about 3 pounds and the other about 8. We fillet both and have been having fish ever since. The bad part is that I bought all kinds of meat for dinners and we haven't touched it! It's frozen so there's no chance of it going bad, but it's taking up so much space in the freezer we can't make ice for Rum and Cokes.
After our early morning arrival in Bahia Santa Maria we all took to bed for a much needed sleep and then got up to a beautiful warm day. The water temperature is around 71o F in the bay so after the morning net we all jumped in the water for a swim. Phil impressed us all by climbing out of the water on the bob-stay, not just once but four times!
After swimming we put the dinghy together and I went ashore to figure out how to go through the surf to the beach. It wasn't hard, being high tide, and once again our 15 HP Evenrude proved to be a champion. I went back to the boat where I found the rest of the crew busy doing as little as possible. I joined them for a while but there's too much to see here so Linda and I went ashore.
Bahia Santa Maria is not a town of any sort. It's more like a fish camp where the fishermen live in small huts near the beach. There's no civilization within 40 miles. However, when the Baja Ha-Ha comes in the place turns into a full on beach party town. There are a few huts on shore, one with a generator which powers a 6 piece rock band! There is a beer vendor and 4 or 5 women have a taco stand where they sell fish and/or lobster tacos (2 fish tacos, rice and beans for $5 USD).
Today is the big beach party and tomorrow we start leg 3 which finishes the rally in Cabo San Lucas.
John, Linda, Phil and Joann
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Much Better!
October 30, 2004
At Sea 26o 59' N 114o 22 W (50 nm SE of Turtle Bay)
We had a great time at the Turtle Bay beach party. The Baja Ha-Ha crew really puts a fun time together complete with DJ, volley ball and tug of war. The potluck food was excellent and there was also a vendor selling tacos which were very tasty. We stayed right until sunset and headed back to NAKIA to get some rest for the start of Leg 2 to Bahia Santa Maria.
This morning we got up around 0700 and checked in to the start and within an hour we were on our way under spinnaker and main. The wind was 10 kt out of the NE and the sky was bright and sunny. As the day wore on the wind shifted to the NW and increased to 20+ kts but it's not much of a problem. The weather is warm, the sea temperature is increasing (over 71o F now) and we're sailing downwind!
We expect to be in Bahia Santa Maria the day after tomorrow, perhaps in the early morning.
We continue to catch a lot of Bonito and Skipjack, but we're still waiting for our first yellow fin tuna which the rest of the fleet seem to have no trouble catching.
More later...
John, Linda, Phil and Joann
At Sea 26o 59' N 114o 22 W (50 nm SE of Turtle Bay)
We had a great time at the Turtle Bay beach party. The Baja Ha-Ha crew really puts a fun time together complete with DJ, volley ball and tug of war. The potluck food was excellent and there was also a vendor selling tacos which were very tasty. We stayed right until sunset and headed back to NAKIA to get some rest for the start of Leg 2 to Bahia Santa Maria.
This morning we got up around 0700 and checked in to the start and within an hour we were on our way under spinnaker and main. The wind was 10 kt out of the NE and the sky was bright and sunny. As the day wore on the wind shifted to the NW and increased to 20+ kts but it's not much of a problem. The weather is warm, the sea temperature is increasing (over 71o F now) and we're sailing downwind!
We expect to be in Bahia Santa Maria the day after tomorrow, perhaps in the early morning.
We continue to catch a lot of Bonito and Skipjack, but we're still waiting for our first yellow fin tuna which the rest of the fleet seem to have no trouble catching.
More later...
John, Linda, Phil and Joann
Mexico at last!
October 28, 2004
Turtle Bay, Mexico (28o 41' N 115o 42' W)
Thanks to everyone who wished for lighter winds! The front which was supposed to come through at 7 am Thursday morning ended up arriving at 10 pm Wednesday night. With it came a light westerly wind which allowed us to head directly to Bahia Tortuga. We got very little rain and not much wind for the rest of the trip into Turtle Bay (a lot of motoring, unfortunately). We arrived at 4 pm, set anchor and popped open a couple of cold Pacifico beers to toast our arrival.
We're here for two nights. Last night we went ashore in a panga so our tour guide (Phil) could show us the sights of the thriving metropolis of Turtle Bay. These included Central Park, a bleak concrete plaza with peeling paint, and the Vera Cruz, an over priced restaurant where all the cruisers hang out. We opted for a short celebration with Pacificos at the beach side shack for $1 each.
Today is the big beach party for all the Ha Ha boats and then tomorrow morning we're off again, destination Bahia Santa Maria.
John, Linda, Phil, and Joann
Turtle Bay, Mexico (28o 41' N 115o 42' W)
Thanks to everyone who wished for lighter winds! The front which was supposed to come through at 7 am Thursday morning ended up arriving at 10 pm Wednesday night. With it came a light westerly wind which allowed us to head directly to Bahia Tortuga. We got very little rain and not much wind for the rest of the trip into Turtle Bay (a lot of motoring, unfortunately). We arrived at 4 pm, set anchor and popped open a couple of cold Pacifico beers to toast our arrival.
We're here for two nights. Last night we went ashore in a panga so our tour guide (Phil) could show us the sights of the thriving metropolis of Turtle Bay. These included Central Park, a bleak concrete plaza with peeling paint, and the Vera Cruz, an over priced restaurant where all the cruisers hang out. We opted for a short celebration with Pacificos at the beach side shack for $1 each.
Today is the big beach party for all the Ha Ha boats and then tomorrow morning we're off again, destination Bahia Santa Maria.
John, Linda, Phil, and Joann
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