Author: jamyne229

Do It…. Do It Now…. BUT Do It Better
I am a member of several Sailing groups on Facebook. Some of these groups have nearly 50,000 members. I have noted before that at any given time, there are only about 10,000 people out on the oceans actually cruising. That means there are many thousand more that are dreaming of cutting those dock lines and joining the cruising fleet or perhaps armchair sailing from the comfort of their lazy boy. A frequent post that I see while scrolling through those sites comes from an individual who laments about how badly they want to join fleet and sail away. Dozens of comments, sometimes hundreds of comments are soon to follow encouraging the person to Just Do It, Do It Now. I will sometimes pause and peruse the original poster’s page and then the pages of those encouraging him or her. I find it disheartening to note that many of those encouraging don’t seem to be cruisers. I find it disheartening because those posting comments are telling the poster what they want to hear, not always what they need to hear. In the course of our travels, I have seen a great many sail away poorly prepared and then end up in a strange place without a source of income or a support system and ultimately, they fail. During one week alone, there were 3 boats that sailed into an anchorage, packed everything up and sold their boat or simply walked away from it. I have seen floating homeless people, who are barely surviving. Their boats become derelict vessels because they are selling off parts and pieces of them just to survive and eat. Most of these people got rid of everything from their previous life before they left so they have nothing to go back to. This group of liveaboards are part of the reason many laws are being enacted that is slowly closing the doors for a cruising lifestyle. For those who think they want to sail away and join the cruising fleet, you need to know that it is not all Mai Tai’s and sunsets. It is a lifestyle that demands a lot from its people, it DOES give back, but it comes with a mental, emotional, and physical price tag and greenbacks as well. The learning curve is high and failure at sea can be catastrophic. Here are some observations that I have made during my learning curve that may help you make a successful transition to the cruising life.

Honestly understand why you are wanting to sail away
If you are failing on land you will likely fail at sea. As I peruse Facebook and look at the variety of reasons for choosing the liveaboard lifestyle, I note that there are as many reasons for sailing away as there are people posting. We all have our reasons for sailing away. In my husband’s case, he was raised in the military and was comfortable with the nomadic lifestyle. In my case, I had suffered a season of much loss and realized that I didn’t want to wait until I retired to do something outside of my comfort zone because if I waited I might not physically be able to manage the demands of sailing. Some people want to give their children a global, hands on education. Some people wait until they retire, some find themselves in a midlife upheaval of some sort and are forced to make a life change and consider sailing away as an option. It doesn’t matter what your reasons are, what matters is that you are mentally, emotionally, financially, and physically capable. If your life situation is one where you find yourself struggling with issues on land or you are wanting to run away from issues on land, then I would urge caution. The cruising lifestyle is not for someone who is struggling. Mother Nature and the ocean can be a very cruel mistresses and will find your weaknesses, hone in on them and exploit them to their fullest. I have for most of my career been in a management or mentor type position. When an employee or young person comes to me who is struggling and wants to move to greener pastures my advice is always this: Problems and issues will follow you wherever you go until you deal with them. Deal with them here and now and then if you still want to move on then you will be able to do so unencumbered. As a potential cruiser, please honestly reflect on your situation and station in life. If you are in a good place and are successful in your current situation, then chances are you will be successful sailing off into the sunset. If during your reflection, you find that you are struggling or running from something then this MAY not be the time to sail away. Take a little more time, face your issues, overcome your situation and THEN step into this lifestyle. It seems like a very glamorous and easy lifestyle. It is not as easy and glamorous as some of the videos and books would lead you to believe. It can be very hard and unforgiving at times. It is NOT cheaper or easier than living on land, it is simply DIFFERENT than living on land.

Understand each crewmembers motivation
Understand fully why each member of your crew is choosing this lifestyle Each member including minors needs to be able to express why they want to sail away. Everyone on the boat needs to be clear on their crewmates motivation for being there. Each person needs to both be able to voice their hopes, dreams, anxieties, and fears AND listen as their crewmates express their thoughts and feelings. If everyone on the boat is not truly vested in sailing away then perhaps placing a timeframe to reassess this issue after 2 years or 5 years so that those not vested don’t feel backed into a corner which can lead to resentment if things don’t go well. On many boats it is one persons dream and the others follow. It may not be the dream of every person on board. In this case it can cause some discontent, resentment, anxiety and or fear. In crisis situations that person who is not vested in the cruising dream may not be able to function well and help through the crisis. If it is not everyone’s dream, then concessions need to be made or at very least open conversation and communication needs to happen so that everyone is getting their feelings addressed and thoughts heard.

Understand crew dynamics
Understand the strengths and weaknesses of your family relationships Every relationship on the boat will be challenged at some point. The cruising lifestyle is punctuated by intense and overwhelming highs and lows. During those low points everyone needs to understand the value of each member of the crew. They need to trust each other and respect each other and know that once the crisis is over everything will be fine but there are going to be times of yelling, of frustration, of loneliness, of exhaustion, and DISCOMFORT. If you don’t like the way your partner responds in unpleasant situations then you may need to learn some crisis management strategies or maybe adding an additional crew member for passage making or maybe your partner needs to take additional sailing courses to increase skill and confidence or maybe your partner will meet you at your destination and not participate in passage making at all. The cruising life will either strengthen the bonds of each relationship or destroy them. The key is open and honest communication.

Have a hobby
Have a hobby to deal with boredom I remember reading in Tania Aebi’s book Maiden Voyage that while she bobbed for days in the doldrums, she plucked the hair on her legs because she was so bored. I couldn’t imagine boredom on a boat before we sailed away. I understand now and sadly I must admit that I have resorted to plucking the hair on my legs to pass time. There are times when weather does not allow you to get off the boat or even complete boat projects, so it is important that each person have at least one hobby of their own and then a hobby that they share with another person on the boat. I like to tat which is small and portable and takes up very little space. I love to read. I like to exercise and have developed an excellent core and body weight program. I was fine during those moments, but my husband did not have any hobby to turn to and that was a surprise because neither of us anticipated boredom would ever be an issue. There will be times of boredom and sometimes it lasts for days. We were pinned down by 40 knot winds and sandstorms in an anchorage for 4 days one time…that is a long time to share a very small space with one person. I say that you should share a hobby. I say that because during times of stress and boredom, it is easy to isolate and a shared hobby encourages crewmembers to reach out to others on the boat. We both enjoy beach combing and snorkeling. We enjoy Mexican train and cribbage which helped to pass the time on the boat but you can only play so many games and watch so many movies. I struggle with watching a lot of TV on the boat because I would not have had to give up so much if all I was going to do was watch a lot of TV. When I watch TV on the boat, it reminds me of all I have given up for this lifestyle so I have to turn to other hobbies to pass the time.

Develop strategies to deal with the lack of privacy
Understand there is no privacy There is no privacy on a boat. Everything that you say or do will be heard or seen by someone else on the boat. Every bodily function is experienced to some extent by your crewmembers. Every phone call is overheard, images on the screen of your computer or phone are seen, secret stashes are found, the margins of the individual that is you will blur and bleed into everyone else on the boat. It will become important to make sure that each person gets some time to devote to themselves that is free from anyone else. The potential lack of privacy should be a consideration when buying your boat. A smaller boat is less expensive and easier to single hand, however, the smaller the boat, the less privacy there is. Again, it is important to understand each crewmember and what their needs are and prepare accordingly. Some families might already have very open relationships and be accustomed to small spaces, but if you are currently living in a large home with everyone having their own bedroom then privacy will become an issue. If you have teen age children privacy is an issue. Privacy WILL at some point become an issue…address it…make sure you have a plan for yourself and crewmembers to have private time.

Know all of the systems of your boat
Know the systems of your boat intimately.  You may be one of the fortunate ones who can afford to have the maintenance done by others…during the daylight….in a boatyard…. The reality of the cruising life is that rarely do things go wrong during the day in the boatyard or marina. Things usually go wrong in the middle of the night, on passage, when the weather has turned to shit. The ability to manage crisis then depends on the ability of the crewmembers being able to manage the boat system that has failed in the dark and in terrible conditions. If you do not know your boat systems well, then an uncomfortable situation can turn dangerous very quickly. Even if you pay to have your work done, take the time to repeatedly go through each system on the boat. Make sure that when you are storing your tools and supplies you store them according to system and in places that are easily accessible. This might be a problem with the first mate who may have other ideas for some of the storage space. It is a good idea that all crewmembers know and understand the boat systems and where to access the tools and supplies to manage each system. The captain may become incapacitated or injured in some way and may not be able to manage each crisis. It is important for all crewmembers to have at least a working knowledge of each system. My husband knows each and every system on the boat and is amazing in crisis situations. I trust him implicitly in a crisis but did not learn every system and I am the weak link on our boat because of that. I have learned a lot and am light years ahead of where I started but I hate mechanical things and since the Captain is so competent, I did not learn every system and I would discourage sharp definitions of roles on the boat. Every person on the boat should be able to at least have basic knowledge of every function on the boat.
Learn Spanish and French if you are going to circumnavigate
If you intend on traveling abroad embrace the culture rather than trying to Americanize it. Yes, there are amazing apps out there now that can translate almost any language. Those are nice but impersonal and takes the spontaneity out of a conversation with a local. Your experience of a new culture with be exponentially better if you can enjoy it with locals in their language rather than using a smart phone or computer to communicate with each other or seeking out pockets of communities that have been Americanized just because it is easier to communicate and you haven’t even tried to learn the local language. It is also basic respect if you at least try. It doesn’t take much effort to learn simple phrases such as greetings, pleases and thank you. Just as there are apps for translating, there are a number of free apps to learn hundreds of languages, what better way to spend your night watches?
Be aware of local customs and respect them
As above, it doesn’t take much effort in this information age to make yourself aware of basic customs so that you can behave in a respectful manner. Some cultures believe that eye contact is confrontational and disrespectful, in America LACK of eye contact is perceived as disrespectful. In some places, women are expected to be well covered and nudity in male or female form is not acceptable. In some of the places we have been we have learned that in restaurants women’s shoulders and everyone’s feet should be fully covered. In some cultures you should not touch anyone above the elbow. We always tried to clean up and dress well when presenting to the Port Captain. It only takes a few minutes to make the effort to show appreciation for being welcomed into their country. Always remember your status….You are a guest, you are entitled to nothing. If you want your American rights and entitled ways then keep your travels within the borders of the United States. Entitled Americans abroad are an embarrassment and far too prevalent .
I am sorry that this is not a warm fuzzy blog but if you want to sail off into the sunset you need to face some of the realities of the sailing lifestyle. It can be truly amazing. You will see some of the most amazing beauty that nature has to offer. You will meet people that will stay with you the rest of your life. You will share experiences that will stir your soul. As with everything, the lifestyle is a give and take. The dividends that the sailing lifestyle gives are off the charts but you will pay for it one way or another. You can mitigate the cost by taking a little time to prepare and honestly face all aspects of the lifestyle.

The Great Turtle Caper
It was Christmas time again which meant that Sierra would be coming to spend time with us. I was excited because there was no looming crisis like last year when she came down and we had no engine and were stranded in Cabo. This year we were where we said we would be and the boat was up and running and in addition, she was bringing her fiancée. We were going to make some memories. I had a Harry Potter themed Christmas meal planned, complete with decorations and I had made a wand that incorporated the magic of the Sea of Cortez with a Harry Potter twist. What else could I add to the visit? I really wanted to participate in one of the Turtle release events. I had looked into several. Many of the resorts offer them for a very steep price. I was looking for a little more genuine experience rather than the “Disney” experience. With a little sleuthing I was able to track down Campamento Tortuguero Boca de Tomates, which seemed to be a rescue / conservation group that focused more on the turtles and less on making money off the Gringos. As it turned out this group truly is a rescue organization. This was the experience I was hoping to find. The problem though was their schedule is completely driven by mother nature. They do releases when eggs hatch and they have no programs when there are no hatchlings….makes sense but also makes planning a little more challenging. They post on Facebook when they have baby turtles to release. They try to post as soon as they can but again Mother Nature keeps to her own schedule and we were getting to the end of the season so days would go by with no babies to release. It was going to be tricky to get this worked into their visit.
Sierra and Cam had arrived and were staying in Puerta Vallarta which was over an hour away from us by bus. They were going to stay in Puerta Vallarta for a few days for the resort experience before spending the end of their visit on the boat. We went to Puerta Vallarta and spent some time with them exploring the area and showing them how to use the bus system. On another day we all went to Sayulito to putter around there. The days were going by and no message from the Turtle Camp. Sierra and Cam came to La Cruz to spend the day exploring a town with more of a village feel. We were sitting down to a late lunch. I had Wifi so I checked Facebook and saw the message that there were babies to be released at 6:15. Yikes…we didn’t have much time. A quick conference and we decided to try to make the release as we didn’t know when or if there would be another one. We quickly foraged through our meal and began the trek towards the bus stop. A local noticed our frenzied pace and asked us what was up? When we told him, he offered to get us a little head start. He was heading to Bucerias which is a small town about half-way to the Turtle Camp. We piled into the bed of his truck and he raced us to Bucerias weaving in and out of traffic and bouncing over the speed bumps. He has clearly lived in the area for awhile and has taken lessons from the bus drivers. He took us through town and dropped us near the last bus stop on the far side of Bucerias. We were half-way there and it was close to 5, it was going to be close. We grabbed a bus and I engaged my Google Maps. I had no idea how to get to this place on the beach (note to self, you should research these things ahead of time not try to figure it out on the fly). All I knew is that there was “a bit” of a walk. The bus driver didn’t know where I needed to get off the bus….oy vei. We bounced along in the bus, my Google maps showed that we were getting closer. I pressed the button, the driver came to a stop and we stumbled off the bus. It is a little before 6 and Google maps says we have about a mile and a half of walking to do. The men were just about done with the shenanigans but Sierra and I were more determined than ever. We began walking down this dirt road at a brisk pace, again the men were not impressed and became less so as buildings faded from view and the area took on a bit of a sketchy feel. It was 6:05 and we were still over a mile away from our destination. Sierra and I are feeling a bit desperate, the men are becoming disillusioned and wanted to turn around but Sierra is the eternal optimist and we continue on our quest. We noticed a car coming up from behind us headed our way. As it passed us we noticed it was a taxi and even though there were passengers already in it, we flag it down any way and he stops (only in Mexico). We told him where we were headed and he knew the place. The two passengers are ladies, tourists from France and are taken in by our story and offered to help us out. The driver makes room for us even though four more adult bodies clearly exceed his load limit. He drives as quickly as he can racing past the ladies stop…he will drop them off on the way back. About this time, I become aware of a pungent odor. OMG that is body odor, a quick sniff, not me. Cam is next to me and begins to turn a little green which should indicate how bad it was since he is an ex-marine who has done tours in the desert. I thought the taxi was a God send but it was getting more than a little gamey in there. The driver screeches to a halt in the parking lot of a Palapa. He directed us to go through the restaurant, turn left on the beach and walk another 150 feet. I am gasping for fresh air and rummaging through my purse for some pesos. There’s no time the ladies shout, we got you covered, enjoy the turtles. It was about 6:20 by this time. We kick off our shoes, run to the beach and turn left….there is nothing but beach as far as the eyes can see. Sierra and I start running and we see a group of people way down the beach. The driver’s 150 feet was closer to 1500 meters but alas there was a light at the end of the tunnel. We reached the turtle camp sweating profusely and breathing heavily and to our surprise the turtles had not been released yet. I was gasping for air as my body is not made for running in sand. The educational part of the program was just coming to an end and we arrived in time to be handed a baby turtle in a cup (kind of like a” cup of dirt” – just for you Sierra a Brian Regan reference). The sun was beginning to set and we were given our instructions on how the release happens. There are spotters on the beach looking for predators and Frigates. When the sky was clear we were given the signal and we released our turtles. Some scramble towards the water, others kind of meander around and get tumbled and tossed in the waves and others just sit there and wait for the water to get to them. Between the four of us, we had one of each. We sat there behind our turtle hatchlings cheering for them until the waves swallowed them up and just like that, they were gone. It was such a beautiful moment to be standing there in the setting sun with people I loved participating in this circle of life. For me it was so worth the mad dash, it made the moment all the more special because of all the craziness that brought us to that moment. And then it was gone and now just a memory.
It is amazing that any turtles survive. The miles and miles of sandy beaches that previously served as a nursery for tens of thousands of baby turtles now serve as playgrounds for the well to do. The female turtles remain driven to come to these beaches even though most of their nests won’t make it more than a day or two. Most of the nests are dug up by humans or their dogs. Resorts collect the eggs and then charge for the Disney experience. There are frequent reports of baby turtles found in the garbage of the resorts because people don’t release them, they die from the trauma of too much handling, or no one pays for the privilege so they die before they can be released. The turtle camp that we went to is a true conservation and rescue group. They function only on donations and volunteers. They are tireless in finding these turtle nests in unprotected areas. They meticulously measure the temperature and depth of the sand as they remove each egg. The eggs are then taken to their sanctuary where they are reburied to the same standards that the mother laid the eggs. In the sanctuary the eggs are protected from people and predators and then when they hatch, the baby turtles are released with minimal predation to give them the greatest chance of survival. I struggle with donations as it seems like for so many organizations most of the money goes into the administration and very little actually goes to the cause. Here in Mexico, I have found 3 causes where the donations actually go towards the cause and do not line the pocket of some administrator sitting in a plush office somewhere. Please check out each of these groups and if you feel so inclined to donate, know that most if not all of your donation will go towards the cause. We have met people from each of these organizations and they are doing amazing things with little money but lots of their time and effort.
Campamento Tortugero Boca de Tomates – for now they only have a Facebook page but they are very good about responding to messages on Messenger. They can tell you how to donate or I know of some locals that live full time in the area and could see that your donation gets to the right place.
Ecobac – https://ecobac.org This organization focuses on research, protection, and conservation of natural resources in Mexico.
Raben – https://rabenmexico.org This organization deals specifically with rescuing whales entangled in fishing nets. The sad story about the whales they rescue is that most of the nets they cut away from the whales come from Alaska and Canada which means these whales have swam for thousands of miles dragging these nets.
Any dollar you care to donate will go directly to the end source and will make a difference.
End with a discussion on conservation efforts and links to the whale rescue and turtle rescue operations in Banderas Bay

 

Take a Ride
One of my favorite experiences in Mexico has been the public transport bus system. Not everyone in Mexico can afford cars and most don’t really need them so almost everyone uses the buses daily. There doesn’t seem to be the stigma surrounding public transit in Mexico that there is in the states. People from all walks of life pile onto buses. You see businessmen, laborers, school kids, families, and of course Gringos. They visit, nap, maybe have a beer, or just stare out the window, myself, I like to people watch. When you ride a bus down here it gives you a snapshot of the local day to day life and is a sociology project on wheels. It is kind of like a microcosm and no one has their guard up, no expectations just another day in the life. Most Gringos are tempted to use taxis because it is easier, they can get to exactly where they want to go, and it can usually be accomplished with very little English. I much prefer the buses where you are not so insulated. I find it interesting that most Gringos that come to Mexico don’t really seem to want to experience Mexico, they seem to want to experience the US in Mexico. They want their Starbucks, Walmart and Burger King and people that speak English. You can tell places that the Gringos frequent because it looks like another strip mall from the US. I am not sure why they want to come here if they want all the garbage from the US. Anyway, back to the bus system, I was overwhelmed at first. There is no set schedule and no numbers on the buses just writing on the windows that may or may not be legible. The wording might be smudged or in a local shorthand like La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is written La next to the figure of a cross and we let more than one bus go by before we figured it out. Some of the drivers speak English but most do not. How do you know which one to get on? How do you know where to get off? At first it made my head spin and my heart race. I used up tons of data on my phone tracking the path of the bus I was on making sure I was on the right bus and getting off on the right stop. Now I know that buses run all the time and if you get off at a busy bus stop just find the man with the clipboard. He is usually multilingual and will take you by the hand and get you on the bus you need. These men with the clipboards work for tips and they are amazing scurrying around, flagging buses down, shuttling people to and fro keeping track of all the people waiting and where they need to go. It took us a while to figure out what the crazy men with the clipboards were all about…they are lifesavers. If you get off in the wrong place, cross the street and catch the next bus back to where you came from and start over, it’s just a few coins and a whole lot of fun. After all, down here you are on this side of the wall and there’s a whole lot less fuss about the small stuff. If you find yourself in Mexico trying to use the bus for the first time, go to a busy bus stop and look for the man with the clipboard and he will get you pointed in the right direction and be sure and give him a few coins for his troubles.
The next hurtle that you need to overcome is the buses themselves. OSHA does NOT have a presence in Mexico and there does not seem to be any safety or quality standards for keeping a bus on the road. Basically, if it starts up and makes it from point A to point B it can be on the road. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to get on the buses around here. Many of the buses rolling into the bus stops seemed sketchy at best, and some I am sure are barely held together by twine, wire and maybe a little prayer. They squeak, squeal, rattle and rumble to a stop, if they even come to a complete stop, sometimes they are just rolling stops. Windows might be broken out of them; bumpers seem to be optional and if present often carry the remnants of whatever was once on a corner taken too sharp. We have been on buses where you can see the road below through holes in the floor and another bus where every warning light on the dash was lit up and blinking. We once saw a bus whose back bumper sported a tree trunk. Somehow the bus encountered a tree and became wedged so firmly between the frame and the bumper that the most obvious course of action was to cut the bus free of the tree and leave the trunk wedged where it was. Despite apparent sketchiness of the appearance of the buses, they have lots of heart and we have always reached our destination and have never been stranded.
As you get on the bus you appreciate that each driver must have the discretion to decorate their space as they see fit. Every bus we have been on has at least one pair of fuzzy dice hanging and a rosary and often several images of the Virgin Mary sometimes right next to the Playboy bunny symbol. Every mirror has fuzzy fluff encircling it that matches the fuzzy dice. Some have lights hooked up to their speaker system so there are lights (usually blue) flashing to the beat of the music playing which at night makes you feel like you are on a party bus. There might be mini pinata decorations or dreamcatchers with feathers hanging. The other thing you will see on may buses is a 5-gallon bucket with a seat top. This is reserved for family, friends, or girlfriends who will ride along to keep the driver company. It is kind of nice to see sons and daughters riding along with their dad hanging out and passing time. Some drivers even live on their bus. We saw a bus in Mazatlán where the driver had converted a luggage area into a sleeping space. The door of it was open, we could see the bed roll, pillow, mirror and some shelves with food and toiletries. Like I said, the drivers may or may not know English. Some will notice that deer in the headlights look on your face and will try to help you get off at the right spot however, just because there is a bus stop on their route, it does not mean that they will stop so you have to pay attention. If no one is standing their and no one on the bus has asked to stop then they keep going. Some drivers will stop for anyone anywhere along their route who gives them the wave to let the driver know they want a ride. Just because you are not at a bus stop does not mean that you can’t flag down a bus and catch a ride. There are no hard and fast rules just like there are no limits to how many people the driver can put on his bus. One bus was so full that the driver made space for me up on his dashboard. The only rule that we know of is that he needs to be able to close his door. If he can’t close his door then people on the bus will squeeze more tightly if they can or that last person must step off and usually by then the bus is on the move so don’t be that last person on a crowded bus.
Most of the time the buses aren’t that crowded, and it is fun to watch the interplay of the people as they get on and off the bus. The social structure of their society becomes very evident. Older women seem to hold the highest position and young men the lowest at least when it comes to riding the bus. The front four seats are often the last to fill. They are reserved for the elderly and the disabled or young moms with several children. As the bus begins to fill up, it is the young men that give up their seats first to older individuals or to ladies. Children typically do not occupy their own seat and are usually held. If the bus is very full (too full to shuffle people around) and an young mom gets on with small children it is common to see people in seats offer to hold her children and or her packages or she may just deposit her children onto the laps of those with seats. No one objects, not even the kids. I frequently have had young men offer up their seat to me or hold my bags, even me, a Gringo is afforded respect. I am always thankful because the Mexican people are aware of the political climate in the US and they are aware that the media grinds away at them daily casting their people and their culture in a negative light and still these young men will offer up their seat to me. It is humbling. The other fascinating riders that frequent the bus system are the poor. Poor people that have talent are allowed to ride the buses if they provide entertainment. They may sing, play a musical instrument, or tell a story. If you like what you hear you share a few coins with them. Some are truly remarkable. A bus ride with entertainment all for less than a dollar
The last hurtle to overcome is the drive itself. I swear to God some of the drivers could give Mario Andretti a run for his money. They weave in and out of traffic, down into ditches to avoid the speed bumps (which are everywhere), around stopped vehicles (as it seems to be ok to stop on a road if you need to) as they race from stop to stop. There are times when they are driving down the laterals that buildings, or other buses and trucks are so close you can touch them. This is not even an exaggeration. It is no wonder there are tree trunks imbedded in bumpers. When standing on a bus you must always hang on and I have noticed and adopted “the stance” that provides maximum stability. Everybody does it, weird things that my PT eye picked up on. Feet shoulder width apart with one foot slightly forward and the other turned outward gives you optimal ability to react to sudden changes is motion. A word of caution here, if you are prone to motion sickness, the bus experience is probably not for you as it will challenge your vestibular system in all 3 planes. Care should be taken to avoid the seats in the very back of the bus. The people that occupy those seats are frequently airborne when going over the speed bumps and there was more than once that I wished I knew a local chiropractor because it felt like I needed an adjustment after riding in the back seats. They are kind of fun though because the laborers will gravitate to the back of the bus at the end of the day drinking a few beers and shooting the breeze on the ride home. The buses usually wind through business as well as residential districts. You really get a feel of how the locals live. If you really want the full experience go on the same route twice, once in the morning and then again around sunset. You will see an entirely different world. They get up and get their work done early in the day, then siesta in the heat of the afternoon and then in the evening, it all about families and socializing. They have their evening meal which is usually prepared and served outside in front of their casa and then everyone begins wandering the neighborhood visiting with each other. People might take out instruments and sing and dance or just jam. It is a beautiful sight to watch the culture come alive as the sun goes down. Such a bright, vibrant, musical, loud culture but you won’t see that from your resort window. So if you ever find yourself in Mexico and you are trying to figure out what to do, take a ride, it will be the best dollar you have ever spent and I guarantee the Mexico that you see from that bus window will be nothing like the Mexico that you have seen driveled out of your US television screen. If you are ever in Mexico don’t be afraid to take a ride, you will be glad you did.

That Sinking Feeling
We were getting ready to leave La Paz and head over to the mainland. I was more than ready. La Paz is not my favorite place. They have a saying there that once you come to La Paz you will keep coming back or even stay and never leave because she tends to attach a bungee cord to anyone who comes there. I can assure you, there is no bungee cord attachment between La Paz and me. It’s vibe and mine just do not mesh. Something bad always seems to happen when La Paz is in our plans or on our horizon. We have had engine failure twice trying to get there. It is the only place we have ever drug and the night we drug happened to be when the engine was completely torn down so there was nothing we could do. Fortunately for the boats around us we drug closer to the shoal and ended up re-anchoring up close and personal to SV Perspective who would eventually end up being a buddy boat for a season. This time however, our arrival was uneventful. We came in under full power. We anchored well. We got lots of boat projects done. We made several new friends. Our stay in La Paz had overall been positive, maybe the spell was finally broken. We had fuel, water, and were provisioned. We had a good weather window with about 12 boats planning to cross at the same time, so we were in good company. We were leaving on a positive note, or so I thought. That was before she said, “Here hold my beer!”. La Paz was not done with us, not by a long shot.
Everything was secured down below, the engine was warmed up and Dave was forward pulling the anchor. The anchor came up and I eased the throttle forward. The rpms increased but she didn’t go into gear. Throttled back and tried again and still she didn’t slip into gear. Dave took the helm and messed with the throttle….Great! Transmission problems! We were drifting, a few more attempts and some clunking and banging below and suddenly all seemed well. She slipped into gear and we were off. Hmmm, that was weird. Everything seemed fine now. We were up to speed and moving through the long channel and of course into a head wind and chop. We made our way along all of the buoys and around the freighter at the end of the channel and still with all the twists and turns we had head wind and chop. I was at the helm, we were losing speed slowly and she seemed a little sluggish but with all the chop it was difficult to tell what was going on. Dave went below to use the head. A few minutes later there was a flurry of activity down below. Dave shouted up that we were sinking and he needed help down below. Great…..we were in the shipping channel, the ferry was coming in, yachts coming and going on either side of me. I locked the wheel and dashed below. Dave was working the manual bilge pump. I checked the through hauls, all were intact and none had failed. Back up to the helm to dodge traffic. Dave left his post at the manual pump and was checking the prop shaft. Water was gushing in from somewhere in the stern of the boat but there was too much water on the boat, it was up to the soles (floorboards for you landlubbers). That meant we had about 4 feet of water in the boat and it was still coming in. One of the hoses on the electric bilge pump failed and started spraying water that it was pumping out back into the boat. Dave shut off that pump and went back to the manual bilge. He had to get the water level down so he could see where the water was coming in. The La Paz channel is very long. We were at least 2 hours away from a lift. Turning around was not an option. If we sunk in the channel, we would be a huge navigational hazard blocking a very narrow channel. I started looking for a sandy beach. At least if we beached her on sand, we wouldn’t be in the channel and damage to the Dragon would be as little as possible. If Dave couldn’t stop the leak, that was our best option. I angled over closer to land and identified places we could potentially beach the boat. Dave kept pumping, I kept identifying sandy beaches. As we neared each beach I would holler down to Dave and ask if I needed to take her in and responded each time with a firm “NO”. After about a half hour or 45 minutes, he had enough water off the boat to see what was wrong. The grounding system to the prop shaft had failed and when it tore lose it peeled the boot of the shaft seal back but didn’t tear it. Thank God. The only way to replace a dripless seal is with a haul out and we had no way to get the boat to a ship yard. I was looking at the charts and was running out of beaches. Soon we would be in San Lorenzo with nothing but reefs of either side. I was getting more and more nervous. The last beach came and went, we were now committed to staying afloat. Dave continued to work feverishly below. He would pump for awhile and then crawl into the lazarette and work on the shaft seal. Finally, he was able to work the boot of the shaft seal back into place and secure the clamps. More pumping and at last there was no more water coming into the boat and all the sea water was finally on the outside of the boat where it belonged. During this time, I had passed the last sandy beach and had moved into San Lorenzo channel. Dave came up blistered and bloodied but crisis averted, we were no longer sinking. Heart rate back to normal, the pit in my stomach easing, I was looking forward to spending a couple restful days in the Los Meurtos anchorage to recover. Everyone had told us what a calm and beautiful anchorage it was. We arrived in the dark as per usual for us with our buddy boats guiding us in. The anchorage was not calm, it was windy and choppy with conditions increasing over night. By morning the wind was whipping at over 20 knots. There was not going to be any rest here. We barely managed to get our dinghy down to go grab some oil from sv Perspective as we were also having oil pressure problems. We grabbed the oil, pulled the dinghy, pulled the anchor and headed out. We had to get away from this place before anything else could go wrong. Within a couple miles we had our sails up, the engine was off, the sea water remained on the outside of the boat and that is how the rest of the trip played out. It was our longest sail since leaving on this adventure. Three full days under sail. It was blissful after such a stressful start. We made it all the way to Punta Mita under sail before we had to turn the engine back on. We motored into Banderas Bay and dropped anchor. It was so nice to see trees and mountains again. I love the Huanacaxtle trees, I feel like I can breathe here. We had a few weeks to get ready for Christmas and hosting Sierra and Cam on the boat. Life was good. Sea water continued to remain on the outside of the boat….for now.
Sierra and Cam arrived, we made many more memories including a turtle release, building sand castles and teaching Cam the joys of Cribbage. The poor guy was such a good sport. Towards the end of their stay we brought the boat into the marina to celebrate the new year at Octopus Gardens and a few days later they were gone and we were on our way to complete a boat delivery with a friend. The Dragon got to rest quietly in a slip for the next month. During this time the salt water incursion of the previous near sinking left some residue behind and the salt and oxygen went silently to work with nothing to impede it. Insert ominous music here, that sinking feeling was about to return.
We arrived back in La Cruz after a successful beat north on the Tabula Rasa. We only had a day and a half to get ship shape before heading back out to anchor. We provisioned and completed a few boat projects and prepared to leave the marina. Fired the engine, cast the lines and put her in gear. The clunking started immediately, something sounded like it had shifted down below but we were in the fairway and the anchorage was just a short distance away. Once again we were in a high volume narrow channel and needed to clear quickly out of the way before we could address the boat issues. We cleared the channel and Dave went below and once again he shouted up we are sinking. The shaft seal again. Find a place to anchor. I just got beyond the buoy and Dave dropped the anchor and I cut the engine. We had minimal rode out and we had no time to set the anchor. Dave began working on the shaft seal. I was working one of the bilge pumps. I placed a call to the yard and let them know we are sinking. The shipyard responded that they had a super yacht in the lift and they needed at least an hour to prepare before they could haul our boat out. We had to keep her afloat for an hour with the anchor barely down and time for the thermals to start building. I hailed the fleet to ask for assistance, we were sinking fast and needed to buy some time. I went to manage the manual bilge pump, our beast of a pump that moves huge volumes of water and after a couple of pulls on the handle, the membrane tore, once again pumping water into the boat instead of out. The one bilge pump capable of handling and moving water out as fast as it was coming in was out of commission. We were down to one pump but between Dave stemming the flow coming in and the working bilge pump pushing water out we were buying the time we needed but we couldn’t fire the engine. The fleet rallied and hip strapped the Dragon to two dinghies and began moving her towards the shipyard. They were scurrying about the yard to get the yacht down and prepare to lift us. They deployed pumps to the dock that we could use to move more water off the boat if we needed to but we were still doing OK. Dave was pretty sure that this time the shaft seal was torn and would have to be replaced. The lift was made ready. We maneuvered her into place using spring lines. The sling was placed but they didn’t understand the shape of our keel so the forward sling began to slide. The operator made some adjustments and soon we were in the air at a most awkward angle but everything seemed to be holding. They stabilized the sling and provided us with a ladder and left us hanging….literally hanging in the sling. Welcome to Mexico. Nothing interferes with a siesta, not even and emergency. We were kind of in shock at first. I wandered up the ladder and then down. We had drawn a bit of a crowd and Dave was talking to different folks about what was going on. Finally the people disbursed and Dave meandered back to the boat and decided to take another look below. It looks a little different when you don’t have gallons of water shooting in at you. He assessed the damage. It didn’t seem like the boot on the shaft seal was torn. This time the other end of it had come loose and folded back on itself. It had looked torn under all that water but with the water off the boat it looked like it wasn’t a complete disaster after all. He grabbed his tools and tackled the seal. Within a few minutes he had it clamped in place again. By the time the workers returned from their siesta we were ready to try her back in the water. They dropped her in the water, a few little adjustments and no more water in the boat. We headed back out to the anchorage a few dollars lighter in the wallet but floating once again. Just once, I want an uneventful passage, just once.

The Soul of a Sailboat
Today I am stepping back a little bit to a time before we took our big left turn and sailed away. It is out of chronological order, but it is a story that has become very special to me and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
The Magic Dragon has a wooden mast and we knew before we placed her at the mercy of the Pacific Ocean, we needed to inspect every inch of her. We had been taking care of the mast as she stood on the boat, but it is challenging to complete serious maintenance when you are dangling in a harness 50 feet above the deck of the boat. We had scheduled a haul out in Port Townsend to do the bottom paint and decided to have the mast pulled so that we could get it laid out on ground level. We would be able to pull all the hardware off and strip the varnish and really see what condition our mast was in. Up to this point the mast to me was essentially just a wooden stick that supported the sails.
We had only been out of the water a day or two when the crane arrived to pull the mast. The crane operator had told us how to prepare the boat, but no one prepared me. I stood by and watched as the crane pulled on the mast and the handlers pounded on it to try and break it loose. The mast was not coming free, the Dragon did not want to release her hold on it. The crane operator became concerned thinking that the entire cabin top was going to come off with the mast. Several times he stopped but at last the Dragon relinquished her hold and the mast finally swung free over her deck. He gently lowered the mast to the saw horses that would support it for the next few weeks. I was surprised at the array of feelings I was experiencing. I was sad, the boat seemed empty and lifeless, almost bereft. I chided myself. I was being silly. We were just doing basic maintenance, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness and then I realized, the mast was no longer with the boat, they were separated. That wooden mast is more than a stick that supports the sails. That wooden mast is her soul and without her soul, it felt like her life was ebbing away. It was strange to think of her having a soul. Granted we do talk to our sailboat like she is alive and part of the family and now I knew what gave her life.
No sooner had the mast been put to rest on the saw horses when people started to wander by and comment. If you have ever spent any time in a boat yard, EVERYONE has an opinion and they will share it with you whether you want to hear it or not. The opinion of nearly everyone is that wooden masts are antiquated and this one in particular would never survive the Pacific. In the not so distant past didn’t all ships have wooden masts, and didn’t those ships travel all over the world? Aluminum is so much better and carbon fiber is better yet. One person even came over to tell us that the only thing our mast was good for was a bon fire…. Seriously. But everyone DID say “there is this guy here in the yard and wooden masts are his specialty”. Who is this person? “Oh, he will be by one of these days, he knows you’re here”. The days went by, the comments and opinions continued to fly around the yard about our mast but no mysterious “Wooden Mast Man” materialized. Dave went to work removing all the hardware, labeling each item and the location it was removed from. The next task was to remove all the old varnish. Finally on the fourth or fifth morning there was a stirring in the yard and people started gathering around our mast. The moment of truth had arrived, the crowd parted, and a very old weather-beaten man slowly made his way to our mast. He looked to be 80 years old or better. He was bent and broken. His eyes were milky. His hands were gnarled and twisted by arthritis. He walked with a limp and his voice barely above a whisper. The crowd became very quiet, intent on hearing the verdict, so certain they were that the mast of the Dragon was good only for kindling and scrap wood. He approached the mast almost in reverence. He walked the length several times with his hands hovering just above the surface. Finally, he turned and asked permission to touch the mast which was granted. He placed his hands on the mast like a faith healer might. He was all over the mast, crawling underneath and around and over the saw horses. For a crippled old man, he was surprisingly agile and nimble and seemed to draw strength from the mast. He paused and drew out his knife and turned to us and asked if he could touch the mast with his knife. There were some areas of dry rot and he wanted to determine how deep they ran. Permission was granted and he proceeded in pressing the point of the knife into the rot. This went on for several minutes. The crowd who had been quiet all this time was starting to get restless. I could hear them shifting around and they were mumbling amongst themselves. Finally, the suspense could not be taken any longer and someone in the crowd piped up and shouted out, “That mast is no good! They just need to burn it don’t they?”. The next moment is burned into my heart and will remain with me for the rest of my life. This crippled old man immediately threw his arms around our mast in a protective gesture and said “OH NO! The tree that made this mast was here long before you and I were. It lived before we were even on this coast. She needs a little care but there is still a lot of life in her. No, do not burn her.” Her soul was safe. The crowd quieted and ghosted away. Within a couple minutes the entire crowd was gone. The man spoke with Dave and told him how to manage the dry rot and then just as quietly he too slipped away.
Dave ground out the dry rot and replaced the areas with Dutchman’s. A new spreader was fashioned. Twelve coats of Epifans was applied. The hardware was put back in place and within a couple weeks the crane returned to lift the soul back into our Magic Dragon. Not another word was uttered about our wooden mast other than how beautiful it was. That mast has sailed us through the Salish Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. I guess she did still have a lot of life left in her.

The Sea of Cortez. When we first embarked on this journey, I knew nothing about the area other than where to find it on a map. I didn’t feel drawn to it, wasn’t really interested in it other than I knew it was one of two options for avoiding hurricanes during our first season of sailing. We knew that we either had to go north into the Sea or south to Central America. As I have said before, we really didn’t have a plan once we left and we had no time frame. Our main focus was getting to Mexico to spend our first season there and we had no real plans beyond that. I had read other cruisers accounts of their experiences in the Sea and they all raved about the stunning beauty and the amazing anchorages. I also knew that many cruisers made it to Mexico and never left. They loved it that much. We have met cruisers who have circumnavigated the globe and return to Mexico claiming it is the best cruising in the entire world. I was beginning to come around. My interest was piquing. As we made our way down the coast of the US and into warmer waters we watched as the flora and fauna changed. Gone were the big leafy trees, the towering pines and the green grass. They were replaced by sand, cactus and shrubs and every plant sported a spine, thorn, needle or some other sort of pokey thing. Plant life down here takes survival seriously and protects its hold on the land fiercely. At first, I could see the stark beauty of the desert. I loved the huge cactus plants and the red and gold light that seemed to bathe the landscape all day every day. Almost every sunrise and sunset looks like the sky is set on fire. The water was warming up and we were wearing shorts and tank tops instead of layers upon layers of clothes to keep warm during watch. The further south we went we saw fewer and fewer clouds and felt no rain. The terrain turned from dirt to sand and rocks and there was less and less green. As we made our way down the Pacific coast of the Baja I was struck by its emptiness and lack of life and so little green, so few birds. It was harsh, empty and lifeless in my eyes. I was a farm girl from Montana…. we grow things, things that are green, things that don’t come equipped with body piercing armor.
When our first attempt to get to La Paz which is considered the gateway to the Sea of Cortez ended so badly and we opted to go to the mainland, I lost my interest in exploring the Sea. When we sailed into Banderas Bay and the hillsides were covered in trees, I felt like I could breathe again, and it further reinforced that I really didn’t want to go North and if we did, I only wanted to go as far north as necessary to be safe. Still everyone we spoke to continued to rave about the Sea of Cortez, the best cruising in the world they said. We went to a presentation by a cruiser who was returning from a 7-year circumnavigation. They were returning to Mexico to stay because in all the world, this was their favorite place. Gradually my reservations were worn down and I began to feel a sense of excitement to explore this most amazing cruising grounds. Spring was waning, and summer was approaching which meant that hurricane season was coming. We decided to push north. We had another difficult experience with our second attempt to breach La Paz. My excitement was gone, it felt like the desert didn’t want us any more than I wanted to be there. La Paz is not my favorite place to be however, it did bring me two new friends, Sarah on Perspective and Sherrie on Pablo. They each have brought much brightness to my sailing adventure. When I think of La Pa, the dust and dirt and sand dominate my thoughts of the place. There is a joke that La Paz tends to attach a bungee cord to everyone who visits, and no one ever wants to leave. I can assure you, there is no bungee cord attaching me to La Paz. We were beginning to feel the heat of the summer….80s during the day and 70’s at night…. little did I know that the day would come when I would describe those temperatures as “blissful”. We took care of some much-needed maintenance in La Paz and began heading north. I had planned on only going as far as Conception Bay, but plans change, and we ended up much further north and tossed in a crossing to the mainland and then another crossing back to the Baja. In Conception Bay, there are several thermal water vents that empty into the water there so the water temperature and the air temperature sometimes were the same, so you couldn’t even get into the water to cool down. The water temp and air temps while we were there ran in the high 90’s and one day the water temp was actually 99 degrees which meant that the coolest our boat was going to get was 99 degrees day or night. The temperatures continued to climb. At the peak summer we had daytime temps over 100 degrees, night time temps high 80s and low 90’s, humidity in the 70% range, and water temps at 90+ degrees. The heat index was in the triple digits for days on end even at night. Since nearly half of our boat sits in that water, it means that the inside of our boat “cools” to water temperature at night. I had never known such heat day after day and week after week. I did not know that a body could sweat so much that pools of water formed at my feet whenever I stood in one place for more than a minute or two. I couldn’t use my computer because so much sweat was running down my arms that I was worried about damaging the keyboard. Soon tank tops and shorts became too much clothing. I learned that I had to drink in excess of 4 liters of water per day if I wanted to be able to urinate more that twice a day. I do not know how a culture lived and thrived here. People work hard here, I was barely making it through the day. I totally get the whole siesta thing. During the heat of the day, it is very hard to function, even small tasks create an even larger demand on a system that is trying desperately to cool itself. One thing for sure, the snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez is amazing and had it not been for that, for being able to get in the water to at least surround the core with something less than 98 degrees, I don’t think I could have survived. In anchorages that are remote with little pressure from fishing, the fish are very curious and will come right up within arm’s reach to check you out. In one anchorage we even had to push them out of the way to swim. Everyone kept telling us, just wait until the middle of October and one day it will feel like someone flipped a switch and suddenly the days become tolerable and it cools down at night and you will reach for a blanket. Sure enough, one day you are dripping with sweat and the next day you actually put clothes on and that night you sleep through the night and wake up and your bedding is dry…. blissful. Although the summer was a challenge, dealing with the heat was overwhelming at times, we did have some pretty epic experiences. We weathered 3 hurricanes downgraded to tropical storms and got beat up a bit in a Chubasco, but the boat is still floating and neither of us has thrown the other overboard yet. We have finished our first year of cruising and are on to our second one. I don’t think I would write a post about each of our anchorages, but I will put some pictures of each one and a little snippet. Some of the places we will visit again but there are some that won’t make our list for next year. I hope you enjoy this photo journey.
Balandra – This is a small anchorage at the mouth of Lorenzo channel that serves as a great staging place for those boats either making the long trek into La Paz or those beginning to head up into the sea.  At low tide it is so shallow in places that you can wade from one side to the other.  It’s claim to fame is the mushroom rock.  In one of the tidal pools I found a neat shell which turned out to be occupied.  I tried to find an equally enticing shell to encourage the occupant into but alas, I failed and he was able to keep his shell.

 

Isla San Francisco – This is a stunning anchorage with beautiful turquoise water and white sand beaches.  There is also some abandoned salt ponds.  We collected several pounds of some of the best salt I have ever tasted.  Yes the water is that blue and the sand that white.

 

San Evaristo – This is where we weathered our first hurricane down graded to a tropical storm Bud.  These photos are of the storm going over us.  We tried to get a weather report but no one in the community (which is very small) had internet.  The old timers were surprised that a hurricane was coming and told us that the water was too cold.  There would be some rain and no wind with the coming storm and that is exactly what we saw.  They anticipated that with no technology.

 

Los Gatos – Los Gatos got it’s name from a family of Pumas that resided there at one time.  The geology of this anchorage is stunning with beautiful hikes and vistas.  We stopped twice and will stop again.  On the second stop, I hiked to the cross and left a memorial to my mother.

 

Agua Verde – The name of this anchorage translates to Green Water.  Only one of my pictures captures how beautiful this water is.  We hiked to an old cemetery.  I also hiked to a cave painting that left me filled with awe.  The power in that place is beautiful.

 

Los Calandaros – This was where Dave caught the bug to spearfish that later grew into using the Hawaiian sling.  He has gotten very accurate with the sling and seems to like the sling better than the spear gun.  We now have an arsenal of 4 on board.

 

Loreto – Loreto has turned out to be our favorite town on the Baja side of the Sea.  It is beautiful with good provisioning.  We like the Giggling Dolphin.  If you want a frozen marguerite that you supply the energy to blend the ice.  Apparently other Montanans have found this place as well.

 

San Juanico – Another beautiful anchorage with amazing snorkeling and wonderful hikes.  There is also a Cruisers Shrine where all boats tend to leave a little momento behind.  Definitely a place to visit again and again.

 

 
Conception Bay – Our first stop here we met a wonderful lady from Laurel Montana of all places.   Bobbi is a private pilot with a very adventurous spirit.   She opened her home to us so that we could cool off and get out of the heat for a bit and enjoy some amazing drinks and food.  I was also able to hike up to a shrine.

 

Our next trip to Conception was to ride out Hurricane Sergio.  We went deep into Conception to Santa Barbara Cove.  The eye went directly over us.  We had winds to 52 knots but it was a very safe and comfortable place to ride out the storm.

 

Santa Rosalia – Santa Rosalia is another place that we visited several times.  I usually collected strays on our walks.  The history here is phenomenal.  You have Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Pacific Northwest, and French history all rolled up into one little valley.  It is an old mining town and the mine definitely took it’s toll.  We hiked to the cemetery which stretches for miles and miles along the hilltops of the valley.  The church here was built by the same person who built the Eiffel Tower.

 

Sweet Pea Cove – This has some of the most amazing snorkeling that we found in the Sea.  I have hundreds of pictures and wish I could post them all.

 

San Carlos – This is on the mainland side of the Sea.  It is beautiful but hot and muggy in the summer.  We experienced a Chubaso there complete with a knock down and torn head sail.  Thank you to Brad and Sarah on Perspective for letting us use their Sailrite to make repairs.  It is a beautiful place but very stormy in the afternoons.  Stunning sunsets though.

 

Bahia San Francisquito – Meh, not crazy about this place.  Crazy rip tides at the entrance.

 

Los Animos – Loved this anchorage.  Only big enough for a few boats.  The fish were crazy friendly here and curious especially the puffer fish.  They would come right up to you and head butt you.  Nice hiking and shelling too.

 

Punta Don Juan – One of the natural hurricane holes in the northern sea but not a lot to do there.  No wind abatement but also no fetch.

 

Smith Island – We got to anchor in the shadow of the volcano.  This is out side of BLA.  The Bay of LA was definitely much farther north than I wanted to go and definitely a let down.  I had heard so much about it and I thought it would be like some of the other anchorages but not so.  Smith Island was beautiful but not worth that distance to get to and Don Juan was no more safe than some other places we found.  I would prefer to not go back but we will see what the Captain has to say about it.
Quemodo – Girls Day hike!

 

Ballandra Bay Isla Carmen – Beautiful anchorage with a lovely view of Loreto.
Honeymoon Cove – Lovely anchorage that we got chased out of by bees.  The bonus is it is close to Escondido which gets it’s water from Steinbeck Canyon.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this little photo journey.  Fairwinds to my friends Kathy from Tabula Rasa, Sarah from Perspective, Liz from Silver Wings, and Sherrie from Pablo.

La Paz Tears for Fears
We finally made it to La Paz. It had taken us more than one attempt to get there and we gained a new appreciation to understanding the winds, waves, and currents that make entry into La Paz so special. We were broken and exhausted after an 8-day crossing which should’ve taken 3 days. We hadn’t slept in over 24 hours and we barely limped in at less than 2 knots and it is a 16-mile entrance. We were back with our buddy boat the Tabula Rasa who welcomed us with a care package including snacks, drinks and smokes. Thank God for cruisers who understand. We were in a port with lots of resources so hopefully we would be able to get the Dragon running a little more reliably before we began the trip up into the Sea of Cortez. There was quite a little pressure to get things done in a timely fashion because hurricane season was approaching, and we had several hundred more miles to go before we could get far enough north to be safe. We set our anchor, got the dinghy down and headed in to do recon and figure out if we could get the services we needed. Within hours we had contacts and direction. Next step some sleep and food. The next morning Dave began dismantling the top end of the engine. The fuel leak had become quite significant. Fortunately, he had rigged a system to capture the leaking fuel and we were recycling it and it wasn’t going into our bilge. He got the top end dismantled and we were dead in the water until the repairs could be made. We had an appointment for the next day to get the parts he needed to fix the problem, so we were going to be probably 48 hours without an engine. As the day progressed, the wind started to build and continued to build into the night. I was up reading and checking topside every 15 to 20 min. I was uncomfortable being anchored without an engine in the building winds. I had just checked and taken my bearings on the surrounding boats and went back below. Something didn’t feel right. I read a couple pages but couldn’t focus and went back up to check and my worst fears were realized. The boat that was behind us was now directly beside us and we were uncomfortably close. We were dragging. I woke Dave up, he came up and surveyed the scene and said there was nothing he could do without the engine. He thought we had most likely re anchored on the shoal and didn’t think we would drag much further. He went back to bed which made me so angry because that man can sleep through anything. I grabbed the boat hook and began an all-night vigil, prepared to fend us off the other boat if necessary, or put out fenders. That really is all we could do. Dave took over in the morning and explained things to SV Perspective’s Crew who were surprised to see their neighbors so close the next morning when they woke up. It was amazing that we drug parallel to them instead of on top of them. They had plans to leave but if our anchor was over theirs, they would wait until we got back and got the engine running. Cruisers are an amazing bunch.

 

We headed into town. A fellow Montana friend lent us her car and we were able to get our parts relatively easily. By evening Dave had the engine put back together, running and we were in the process of pulling anchor to re anchor where we weren’t quite so close to other boats. At this point something broke in me and all the stress of the crossing, the uncertainty of our engine woes, the dragging near miss, the worry about the hurricane season, the increasing heat, the lack of sleep all culminated, and I fell apart. I was a blubbering mess for a bit, but I got through it and things started to fall into place. It is amazing what a little food, water and sleep can do to restore a small measure of peace. That and having a functional engine once again. There was still a lot of work to be done but at least we were making steps in the right direction.
La Paz is a good place to be stuck if you are a cruiser. Lots of Gringos who speak English. A great dinghy dock with a reasonable docking fee that includes all the fresh water you need and an extremely active and well-organized cruiser club with a huge book and video library with Wi-Fi connections. There is a binder with all the local services that cater to cruiser needs with addresses and phone numbers. It is very easy to get information and help. It is the only place so far that I haven’t felt like I needed to reinvent the proverbial wheel. I was surprised to learn how many cruisers arrive, stay and then never leave. Lots of people have been there for years and even decades. There is lots of support if you need it.
Our next need was to find someone who could polish our fuel. We got hooked up with a fellow who was willing to reduce his price depending on how much work you want to do. He came and looked at our boat and the access to our tank and felt like he could help us. We still have the original black iron tank that came with the boat.
The final remaining piece of the puzzle…our passports. We had no valid IDs. Our Washington drivers’ licenses were expired, and the new ones didn’t reach us before we left Washington in April, so they were with Jayde in San Diego. We had to agree to have our existing passports cancelled when we presented them in Mazatlán for renewal, so we were travelling in Mexico with no valid identification. The ladies in Mazatlán had never encountered our particular situation so although they felt like we would receive our new passports in a timely fashion in La Paz they didn’t know for sure. The ladies at the Mazatlán DHL did not speak English and were confused by our request as well so that too was weighing on my mind. I checked my email daily and within 10 days we were notified our passports were in transit and the DHL office we randomly chose off a computer screen was within walking distance…well OUR walking distance so less than 5 miles away one way. With temps heating up and desert conditions, we may have to rethink our walk radius. Trees are becoming more scarce so sources for shade are decreasing and hydration is becoming even more of an issue. Within a couple more days, we got emails notifying us that our passports were in La Paz. The next day we got up and began our trek across La Paz in the morning to hopefully avoid the worst of the heat. We arrived and submitted our paperwork and the guy at the desk shook his head “NO”. Talk about deflating, I think I sagged about 2 inches. I shook my head “NO” back to him and again pointed at our paperwork. He scanned it again and went to the back and strolled out with a package for each of us. I was once again able to breathe and started to regain some of that height that I lost a few moments ago. We had our passports and the likeness on them actually looked like us. Whew…another weight off my shoulders. Talk about a roller coaster, I have got to get off this ride.
Our next adventure was to bring the Dragon into a slip so that Carlos and Dave to drain the fuel from our tanks into jerry cans, clean and scrub the fuel tank and then filter the fuel back into the clean tank. Carlos was meticulous. Had our fuel been polished in this manner in the states, we could have avoided a lot of the fuel problems that have been plaguing us on this trip. Our tank was surprisingly in pretty good shape and although it would be nice to replace, it is still very solid and will continue to serve its purpose for a long time yet. My job was to drag a cart to the gas station about a quarter mile away and fill jerry cans with more fuel and begin the process of filling our hundred-gallon tank 10 gallons at a time. It was the first-time out tank was completely full since we left the states, what a good feeling. Check out of the slip was noon. I went in at noon and asked for an extension and they gave me 3 more hours. We busted our butts but got the tank cleaned and filled, water tanks filled, and provisioned. The grocery store was a couple miles away. Kathy and I schlepped our groceries back and we were able to leave the slip right at 1500 just in time for a running tide and a marina full of current. We got shoved everywhere, nearly got pinned on a pier but in the end, we were able to get off the dock without damaging our boat or anyone else’s. We had gathered an audience which in the end drew applause. The current was a challenge and unexpected but nothing like what we dealt with in Bremerton so in the end it was all good.
Wow, at the end of the day, we were fully provisioned, had full fuel and water tanks. What a good place to be. This was the first time since leaving Port Townsend that we had achieved this level of preparation. I had logged more than 15 miles walking, an all-new level of exhaustion but oh what a good feeling. I was beginning to think that La Paz didn’t like us but once there she took good care of us. We were ready for new adventures.

You can make a difference
One of the sad realizations that I have arrived at in our travels is that our oceans really are in peril. I was aware of it. I had read and listened to news reports talking about the state of our oceans. I knew at a cognitive level that the oceans were in trouble but to see it and feel it daily is something quite different. To me, the level of destruction is staggering. I am not going to debate on this platform why it has happened or point fingers. I would like to issue a challenge though. This blog is about every day activities and actions that anyone can easily implement into their routines that will help promote a healthier planet. When you step back and consider the magnitude that our planet is being assaulted from so many different entities, it is easy to get overwhelmed and think that you can’t make a difference but together we can. Each of us whether we live in a cabin in the mountains of Montana, a condo in a skyscraper in New York City, or on a sailboat in the Puget Sound can make one small change in their daily routine and if enough of us contribute in our own small way we CAN make a difference. I am a member of the One-Piece Plan. This is a group whose mission is to pick up at least one piece of garbage from a waterway each day and dispose of it appropriately. Just think…. if every person in the world picked up one piece of garbage each day and recycled or disposed of it how different our world would look. The biggest most tangible offender that I see daily is garbage. We have got to do a better job managing what we throw away. Beyond waste management there are many other actions we can take to be better stewards of the planet. The following is a list of actions any one of us can add to our daily routine. You don’t have to embrace them all. Simply pick one or two items off the list and work them into your day and when that becomes habit then add another one. Together we can make a difference.

1. Stop hauling your groceries home in plastic bags. Get canvas bags and use them. Keep them in your vehicles and carry one in your purse. I know, I know. I was one of those people who had a dozen canvas bags in my car that rarely saw the inside of a store. I packed them around for years and never used them but when I moved to a state that started charging for every bag I used, I learned to reach for the canvas bags before going into the store. It’s not that hard and for an added bonus, you Moms out there who will only make one trip to the house from the car with groceries, you can seriously load those canvas bags up.
2. Stop using straws for your favorite beverages. Straws are devastating to marine life. They are frequently found in the digestive systems of marine animals. They are a problem for sea turtles who have very poor vision. They have been found lodged in their noses causing infection and death. If you are disabled and need to use a straw, by all means use them but if you don’t have a medical diagnosis that requires use of a straw then go without a straw or carry a reusable straw for your personal use. There are stainless steel and bamboo straws out there for purchase.
3. Purchase a set of camping utensils or chop sticks to carry in your purse and or vehicles. When you order take out, decline the plastic utensils and use your own. Billions of plastic utensils are discarded each year, used once or not at all. It is a waste of resources and an unnecessary contributor of garbage.
4. Purchase a mug that holds the amount of your favorite hot drink so that you can have your barista brew up your coffee or tea in your mug instead of a single use cup. Most coffee shops welcome this as long as your mug is clean, and you are not handing them a high school biology experiment each time you stop.
5. Carry a water bottle and fill it at a sink or refill station rather than purchasing water in plastic bottles. As an American, I realize now just how badly we take fresh water for granted and waste so much. Fresh water is very precious and should not be wasted. If you are not going to drink your water when you go to a restaurant, tell your server not to bring water. If you request water, then drink it and don’t let it sit there because you are accustomed to having water served even though you rarely drink it. I was a waitress at one time and am aware of how much water is served and then dumped down the sink. Ask your employer to install refill stations.
6. Reduce plastic consumption. Try to avoid buying items packaged in plastic, look for the same product packaged in glass. Buy items in bulk. You don’t need to put every item in Zip Lock baggies. Masson jars come in all shapes and sizes and are excellent for packing lunches in or organizing your desk.
7. Participate in ocean, waterway, or community clean-up events.
8. Do not purchase exotic, wild caught fish for home aquariums. If you do own an aquarium research your pet store and make sure that the fish, they sell are not wild caught. When you get tired of your fish, DO NOT release them into the wild. For that matter do not release any of your pets into the wild. If you must own a pet, know they are a part of the family and treat them as such. Understand their longevity and commit to that timeframe.
9. Don’t purchase items that exploit marine life such as tortoise shell hair embellishments and coral jewelry or ivory jewelry.
10. Educate yourself on sustainable fish options. When eating out, order only those seafood options that are sustainable. Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Food Watch has helpful documents that you can download and carry with you when you eat out. It is extremely complicated. In some cases, farmed options are excellent choices and in other cases farmed options are very problematic. They have documents depending on where in the country you might be ordering sea food so check out their site and get informed. Make better choices.
11. Reduce energy consumption. Turn up the thermostat 2-3 degrees in the summer and turn down the thermostat 2-3 degrees in the winter. Have your home assessed and make sure that it is as efficient as possible. Update your hot water heater and other appliances.
12. Wear clothing made of natural fibers and not synthetic fibers. Look at the labels of the clothes you want to buy and look for cotton, linen, silk, bamboo, wool and hemp. The synthetic fibers that wear off clothing are finding their way into the waterways and are causing immense problems in the very foundation of the microbiology of the oceans. They are finding microfibers in both fresh and saltwater. The fibers are so small they are making it through water treatment systems and flushing into rivers, lakes and oceans. Synthetic fibers don’t break down and are being ingested by wildlife. When ingested the fibers tend to weave into the digestive systems of the animals. This reduces their appetite, stunts growth, and can kill them.
13. Use biodegradable detergents for cleaning. You can do amazing things with Vinegar, lemons, and baking soda.
14. Create a backyard habitat that provides shelter, water and food for local and migrating birds and insects. If you own cats, put bells on them if you let them outside.
15. Do not purchase soaps and cosmetic products that have microbeads in them.
16. When celebrating or mourning, do not release balloons. Scatter bird seed or wildflower seeds when celebrating. If you are mourning someone and feel like you need to somehow send your thoughts to them consider writing a letter. Once written then burn it to allow your thoughts and prayers to be carried on the wind currents to those that have passed. Sea turtles have poor vision, but a deflated balloon looks to them like a tasty meal. Birds become tangled in the strings attached to the balloons and die. The death toll from released balloons among wildlife is staggering. Please stop releasing balloons.

Crossing Sea of Cortez
We had our fill of Mazatlán and plotted our course on the charts to La Paz. Dave went through the engine and checked all the fluid levels and fired her up to make sure that all was well. Everything checked out, the engine sounded great, and we had our weather window for the next morning. We had watched the ocean swell build during our stay. When we first arrived, we didn’t notice and weren’t able to hear the waves but as the days went by we began to hear the waves pounding the breakwater. Soon, not only could we hear the pounding of the waves, but we could watch as the waves hit the breakwater and then exploded skyward 10-20 feet in the air. The sea state had changed dramatically during our stay in Mazatlán. We were going to have to fight significant swell to exit the harbor safely with rocks on either side of a very narrow channel. We altered our departure time to coincide with slack tide because our full keel boat catches a lot of water. We had a narrow window to get out of the harbor and then make our way to the marinas on the north end of the city which is the only place to take on fuel and water and we needed both. We left during my shift, so I was at the helm. Dave pulled the anchor and I moved the throttle forward and began to pick up speed. We moved out of the anchorage and into the main channel. I gave her more throttle and noticed that she seemed sluggish and the engine didn’t sound right. Dave went below and began working on the engine to see what was wrong. Do I turn back? No. Keep going forward. There are other boats waiting to enter and leave and it was slack tide, if we turned back then we would have to wait until the next day to leave. I needed to hold my position. I began to head out of the safety of the harbor and into the swell and my speed was dropping rapidly, and the engine sounded even worse. The waves were not coming directly at us, they were at an angle to the entrance. I was not making much headway and the breakwater on the starboard side seemed oh so close. I angled directly into the swell to reduce the resistance on the keel and was able to make headway and clear the breakwater. Finally, I was able to make it to deeper water and not have to worry as much about the swell and getting pushed into the rocks. Dave remained down below. He found a fuel leak and where the fuel could leave the system it also meant that air could get in compromising the compression and markedly reducing power. No surprise there, I had hardly any power, I could barely make 1 knot. We slowly made our way up to the north end of town and the marina district. It had taken too long, and we had missed our opportunity to use slack tide to enter the marina district. The entrance was even more narrow than the one we just left, and the swell is so big that we couldn’t even see the entrance. We knew that in addition to being very narrow, it was also shallow, there was very little room for error to make that entrance and we were going to need a whole lot of engine which we didn’t have. We didn’t have enough engine to enter either the marinas or to get back into the harbor. A check of the services that Mazatlán had to offer, and we realized that we cannot get what we need to fix the engine and our passports are scheduled to arrive in La Paz not Mazatlán. Another agonizing decision…. do we try this crossing with no engine to speak of, very low on water and low on fuel or do we lurk outside of the harbor until there is a break in the swell and try to get back into Mazatlán? At the moment our best bet seemed to be pushing forward to La Paz. Once again, our journey to La Paz seems fraught with problems. We are beginning to think that La Paz doesn’t want us or the Dragon doesn’t want to be there. At any rate, the powers that be seem to be against us but we feel like we have no choice and must push forward.
The afternoon thermal winds built, and we are able to put some distance between us and the mainland. We want to make sure and keep a substantial distance between us and land so that we don’t get pushed into shore by the tide and swell since we don’t have the engine to overcome it if we do get too close to shore. By the time Dave took over we had good winds and were making 6.2 knots. At this rate we will make La Paz in 3 – 4 days, right on schedule. The winds were short lived however and died as the sun set and the sea state became a flat glassy calm, such a contrast to what we were dealing with just hours before. We sat in essentially the same place for the next 24 hours. It became clear that it will be at least a week before we make it to La Paz and no one knew of our situation. We still felt like we needed to get to La Paz if we had any hope of fixing the engine, but I was worried about family. What would they think when the days stretched to a week or more? We decided to turn and move with the current and drift back towards shore until we could pick up some sort of cell service so that we could notify family of the change in our expected arrival. We began to see land and finally we each got a bar of service and send messages to several people so that they know that it will be a week or more before we arrive in La Paz. We turn back around and start heading into deeper water to get away from the currents and look for wind. We find light winds and were able to travel 1-2 miles per hour, we were once again making progress towards our destination.
Our next issue to deal with was water. We had very little fresh water on the boat. When we were in the states last, Dave did some trading with Aaron at Longship Marine in Poulsbo and acquired a manual reverse osmosis desalination pump. It was time to put it to the test. We pumped some water and tasted it. Not bad and after 24 hours neither of us were sick. We each began to complete 2 half hour shifts per day pumping water which gave us about 4 gallons of potable water per day. Things were looking up a bit. We were getting light afternoon and evening winds, we were making progress to our destination, and we now were making more water than we were using. We had made it to a part of the Sea of Cortez where the current always seemed to be flowing in so even when there was no wind, we were still moving North and West.
Since our going was so slow, we had time to enjoy several wild life encounters. We were escorted by a group of dolphins for part of one day. If you recall, dolphins seem to precede wind events for us. I went up on the bowsprit to take pictures of the dolphins and to give them a little pep talk. In a previous life, I spent a lot of time working with animals. There are very few people who read this blog who knew me from that time. Most of you know me as a healthcare professional but I spent most of my childhood as a tomboy. I liked to climb trees and held the record for the greased pole climb. I only wore shoes when I went to school or when someone made me. I was barefoot even in the corrals, slopping through the manure. People kept telling my Mom that I would get worms, Mom would just shrug her shoulders and say, “Well she hasn’t yet.” I rarely combed my hair. I was a vision, I assure you. My brother Joe’s friend Scot tagged me with the nickname “Grubbo” which stuck until I went to high school. It was during this time that I learned how to work with animals and became quite an accomplished showman. I have shown every domestic animal there is from rabbits to horses to pigs to sheep and goats. I was a nationally recognized champion dairy goat showman. People would hire me to show their goats. When I was in the ring sometimes spectators would complain that it wasn’t my showmanship rather they thought my animal was trained. When that happened, the judge would take my animal away from me and make me show the worst behaved animal in the ring. One instance a boy was having a terrible time with his animal, it was rearing and throwing itself on the ground. The judge gave my animal to the boy and I had to take his. Within moments I had the goat calmed down and parading around the ring. When I work with animals I make a barely audible clicking sound with my tongue. I don’t know if it is soothing to them or interesting, but they almost always respond. At any rate, I was up on the bowsprit, clicking away and soon there were several dolphins right below me, so I started chatting with them. I was going on and on about our current situation and lamenting our lack of wind and telling them that I hoped they would hold up their end of the deal and usher in some wind for us. At one point I looked down and one of the dolphins had turned on its side and was looking up very intently at me as if it was listening to my rant. I snapped the picture and thanked it for listening and it then turned away and resumed its play with the others.

We also saw sea turtles everywhere and one especially appreciated our slow pace. He hung out with us making use of the shade our boat provided and then he realized that we also had some growth on our rudder and snacked on some morsels that he found there. It was immensely gratifying to see so many sea turtles hoping this is a result of the protection and recovery efforts directed at saving sea turtles.

Our other wildlife encounter was not so pleasant, actually quite a nuisance. Since we were moving so slow, the booby birds felt entitled to use us as a perch. If they land on the mast they can damage our electronics so we must be diligent to keep them at bay and discourage them from perching on the boat. In addition, they leave a big stinky mess. We spent time during all our day shifts using all sorts of strategies to keep them off the boat. I missed one who landed up on the bowsprit so before I shoed him off I made use of a photo op. I had heard that the booby birds here in the Sea of Cortez really have no fear of humans and this one clearly did not. I ended up physically pushing him off the bowsprit because he was not the least bit concerned by my presence even when I made lots of noise and aggressive movements towards him.

Our days settled into a routine. We were trying a different watch schedule. We each took a 6-hour shift during the day and then switched to 4-hour shifts at night. The longer day shift meant that there was time to do more than just sleep. We cooked some meals rather than just eating finger food. We were able to spend time pumping water without taking away from our sleep time. The other big benefit was every other night we only had one-night shift which meant 2 solid blocks of sleep time at night and since it is a rolling schedule then we aren’t always stuck on the same shift. It seemed to work a little better than a set 4 on 4 off schedule. The days slowly trickled by. I tracked our progress on the paper charts daily instead of at the end of each shift. We were right on the course that we had plotted in Mazatlán. At last we could see land in the distance. We made it across the Sea, we had our destination nearly in our sights. The winds were slowly building. Initially the heavier winds felt good but slowly the direction shifted and within a couple hours they were directly on our nose and the currents were building as well. We went through a complete tidal swing and regardless of whether it was an incoming or outgoing tide, the Sea was pushing out against us. The day started out looking good with forward progress but as the day pressed on and everything built against us, the GPS showed that we were slowly being pushed south. South????? This brought back memories of Cabo and our previous failed attempt to reach La Paz. What is this relationship we have with La Paz? We were not going back to Cabo! We fought, we tacked, we jibed, we even tried to use what little engine we had but still could not make any headway around Isla Cerralvo. We could see the channel we needed to get to but couldn’t get there and still the conditions were building against us. I was at the helm and the boat started “bunny hopping” across the waves and tacked very unexpectedly. I could not recover my position and we had way too much sail out for the conditions and direction. We had to drop the main which means that Dave must take a beating while I try to keep the boat into the wind. We were finally able to get the main down and a little headsail up, so we had some control while we floated on the current south. We would try to anchor at Los Muertos and then figure out how we were going to get to La Paz. Dave took over the helm and I feeling completely deflated and frustrated went below to try to get some sleep. Overnight, the wind completely died and we were once again adrift. Dave had put all the sails back up to try to catch anything. I took over just before daylight. During my shift, the winds started to build once again but they were manageable and once again from the north. For half of my shift we were being pushed nicely to Los Muertos. I was looking forward to some down time. Halfway through my shift the winds started to die and about 15 minutes later, they piped up…..from the south. Winds on the nose again. It would appear that we could go neither north around the island or south around the island. Dave came up to relieve me and he couldn’t believe it either. We initially decided to try to get around the island by staying close to it but there was another channel between the island and the baja that we had originally nixed because the guide books spoke about the strong north winds and currents. At the moment we had wind taking us into that channel. A quick adjustment of the sails and we decided to try it. If we got turned back then tomorrow we would try to go around the island again. For the next 6 hours, Dave finessed the wind and sails and we were able to make it over halfway up the channel. The next 6 hours, my shift, proved less successful but instead of battling big wind and current, we had nothing. We did have entertainment though. Clearly the Sea has a sense of humor and was toying with us. We were treated to rays feeding and playing. They would leap out of the water and “fly” across the surface before belly flopping so we were completely entertained. The sound they make when they hit the water can be heard for miles. It was another one of those National Geographic moments that take your breath away. I finished by shift and went down to sleep and Dave took the opportunity to do some jury rigging to the engine and by the time I took the helm at 2300, I had engine with some power and the winds were starting to build. I was worried though. I was going to have to negotiate the San Lorenzo channel in the dark with only one channel marker lit but we had cell service and the La Paz was just through the channel and around the corner. Only 16 more miles surrounded by anchorages…..and the reefs that protect them. Even if we couldn’t make La Paz, we just needed to stay off the reefs until daylight when we could either call for a tow or make our way into an anchorage. It took a couple hours to come through the channel but I had cleared the reefs that lined the channel and still had good wind and the engine was cooperating. Within 30 min the winds went from good to directly on the nose and from 12 knots to over 20 knots. The tide was outgoing and being driven by the wind with only 1-2 seconds between each wave and we were pounding into it. The engine began to fail…again and I was being driven backwards into the Isla Espiritu. I called for Dave, we tried different heading and strategies but ultimately the powers of Mother Nature turned us back again. We followed our tracks on the Garmin and went back out of the channel. Our friends on Tabula Rasa sent us the wind and tide report. We would make one more attempt in the morning before trying to find a place to anchor the boat. We were so close, only 16 miles away and still couldn’t get there. Dave was at the helm now and he lurked in the channel entrance for the next 4 hours waiting to make one last attempt. The sun came up we moved out of the entrance to let the ferry go through and then we lined ourselves up to take the channel at a diagonal which would put us on course for the first anchorage in the bay. We still had wind and waves but not nearly as much as the night before. The engine sputtered and surged but kept us moving ever so slowly forward. It took hours but we were able to make it through the San Lorenzo channel and then we ghosted along various anchorages along the way to La Paz. We had engine power but very little. Those 16 miles clicked slowly by at 1-2 knots but we were making it. We could actually see the entrance to La Paz. We were both exhausted but we slowly made it and we were able to drop anchor by our friends. Eight days to travel 345 miles. We averaged 1.75 mph. Jayde could have swum the crossing faster than we sailed it but we made it with the cards stacked wildly against us. Poseidon was certainly testing our resolve.

Our lovely friends on Tabula Rasa met us with food, drinks, smokes and a lovely goodie package to welcome us finally. I don’t know what we would do without them. Sailing is so much more fun with friends. We went into town right away to get information and contacts to figure out how to deal with our engine. We got hooked up right away and found a local that could fix our leak. The next day Dave pulled the part which meant he had to tear down the entire top end of the engine. Now we had absolutely no engine. That night the wind piped up again and built and built and we started dragging and we had no engine. I spent the night holding a boat hook as we had dragged very close to a neighboring boat. I was done, overwhelmed, at the end of my rope, and in tears. I needed something to go right. This is the not so glamorous part of my lifestyle. Time will tell how long we were going to be down. Hopefully we would make it to the Sea eventually. Stay tuned.

Mazatlán
Our time in La Cruz was coming to an end. Hurricane season was rapidly approaching, and we had to begin our journey north to get to safer waters. The Sea of Cortez has several hurricane holes and its weather patterns are typically strong enough to deflect most hurricanes or at the very least suck some of the power out of them. From La Cruz, most cruisers head up the coast of the mainland to Mazatlán first and then cross the Sea of Cortez to La Paz which some consider the gateway to the Sea. Our first attempt to get to La Paz ended badly and we ultimately were never able to get there. Hopefully this attempt will end better. We felt like we had a reasonable plan and we did have a need to go to Mazatlán to the consulate there to begin the process of renewing our passports which will expire this year. Mazatlán in not really considered a favorite hangout for cruisers unless you like the marina life. They have built a conglomerate of marinas on the north end of the city that offer a number of services and amenities to cruisers with a checkbook plumper than ours but there are very few places to anchor out and the anchorages offer minimal services to cruisers.

As we were leaving La Cruz, I began to ponder how much I have learned about sailing in a relatively short period of time. When we first left the PNW, I thought I at least had the basics down. After all we had spent 5 years living aboard, sailing and learning the systems of our boat. I realize now that I didn’t know enough to understand how much I didn’t know. It is a little scary now but there definitely is something to the saying that ignorance is bliss. I could keep wind in a sail to keep it from lufting but didn’t know how to trim sail to maintain a course. It drove Dave crazy because I sailed to keep air in the sails. I could follow a track on our Garmin (as long as the sails didn’t luft, I do not like the sound of a lufting sail) but I couldn’t follow a compass heading. I could tack the boat in light winds and flop the sails and tighten the lines…. light winds are the operative condition here. I could reef our genoa or let more out depending on the wind. I could handle the lines when docking understanding how to use the lines to slow or stop the boat or how to use the lines to spring it off when leaving the dock. I knew how to anchor because I was so neurotic about it Dave assigned that job to me. The first couple times Dave anchored, I spent the nights in the cockpit being a human drag alarm making sure the boat didn’t drag or swing badly on its scope. I just couldn’t understand how a little bitty anchor could hold a 12-ton boat in place and then with a simple pull come loose when you wanted to leave. Dave took me to a boat show and in one of the water tanks there he showed me with miniature anchors the physics behind anchoring. I then went to multiple seminars on anchoring and read countless explanations of it. I get it now. And he is a saint because he doesn’t complain if after I set the anchor I shake my head because I am not happy with the set. He calmly pulls the anchor (manual windlass which means he uses a lever to draw the anchor chain up 3 links at a time with typically 75’ of chain out or more…. sigh) and I reset it. The record to date is 4. He pulled the anchor 3x before I was finally happy with the 4th set. Having spent time sailing in the Puget sound, I was well versed in tides and currents and the effect on a boat. I thought that was an impressive start considering my baseline was herding sheep and goats and later working in the healthcare jungle. Neither of which are remotely close to sailing.
Here is what I can do now. I can sail to a compass heading. I am no longer dependent on our Garmin for headings and direction and only use it when we are near land or in shallow water. I can now trim my own sails so that when I am on that course heading I can comfortably steer the boat rather than wrestling with the wheel to maintain the course. If your sails are well balanced then it requires minimal effort on the wheel, a poorly balanced sail combination means you will have to wrestle and man handle the wheel for the entire shift. I can tack or jibe our boat around to change course and I understand the difference and then I am able to get the sails trimmed after the maneuver. I can complete these maneuvers in moderate to challenging conditions. I can move the traveler to change the position of the boom and understand what that means and how it will affect sailing. I know how to capture more wind in a close hauled light wind situation and how to adjust the boom to spill wind if there is more wind than what I am comfortable with. I know that our boat tends to be very forgiving in all things except for big weather. She loves to weather helm and take on all the wind she can find and go like a bat out of hell. If you are not diligent, she will take the helm from you and make you pay dearly to wrestle the helm back into your control while she gleefully races up and down waves heeled over as far as she can go. I remain the primary line handler when docking and have learned that sometimes well- meaning people on the docks don’t know the first thing about handling lines on a boat without bow thrusters. I have more faith in Dave and I bringing our boat in safely than taking help offered. We have had people stop to watch us bring our boat in to challenging dock situations. Sailors are a tough crowd, they are quick to admire competent management of a boat, but they are just as quick to use your misfortune for cheap entertainment. They will gather near the docks to watch and applaud or laugh as people come and go from the docks. So far, we have been applauded especially one time when Dave brought the boat in and essentially parallel parked her between 2 boats. It was impressive. I continue to do the anchoring and I sleep very well. I can plot a course on paper maps and track it. I can look at our conditions and current course heading and predict generally what our heading will be on the tack. I can read some signs in the water like where shelfs are, where there is more wind and depth changes. I still can’t read the sky right. I am getting there, slowly becoming a sailor. We are getting more comfortable with a lack of schedule and being OK with not moving far in light wind and not reaching for the engine every time the wind dies. We don’t quite understand what “a good weather window” means to most cruisers. Every time we have gone out in a good weather window, there has been no wind. It seems like good weather window means good for motoring, but we still have lots to learn about weather forecasting.
Our sail to Mazatlán was largely uneventful however, one night stands out in my mind and will probably remain with me for the rest of my life. We were travelling about 30 miles offshore so there was no ambient light. Puerta Vallarta was far to the south of us and Mazatlán was far to the north of us. The night sky was unlike anything I have ever seen. The stars blanketed the sky from horizon to horizon. There were bright bold stars and pale distant stars, twinkly stars, bright white stars, gold stars, and red stars. The boldest stars were so bright that they were laying down beams across the surface of the water. The Milky Way looked like it was airbrushed in soft purples, blues and gold. The Southern Cross was breathtaking just like the song says, pointing the way south while Ursa Major and Polaris provided a bearing for north. In the water there were 2 different types of phosphorescence. The one that we usually see that gives a gentle glow to the waves as they pearl past the boat was present doing its best to outshine the stars. But then there was also a new kind of phosphorescence that I hadn’t seen before. These were much larger about the size of a ping pong ball and they would blink on and off as we went by. It looked like someone had laid strand after strand of twinkle lights just under the surface of the water. The stars were twinkling and shining and the phosphorescent critters who were not to be outdone were glowing and flashing, there were bits and fragments of light in every direction. The icing on this cake though was the moon. It was a crescent moon and we were travelling on a heading of 270 degrees, due west. The moon laid down a beam across the water and we were sailing right down the middle of that beam. As the moon began to set, the color gradually changed from a pale white to a light yellow to a bold orange to the most brilliant blood red just as it slipped below the horizon. It was absolutely magical, like a painting or special effect in a movie. It was meant to be experienced because my words certainly don’t do justice to those moments.
We arrived in Mazatlán and I radioed in to the Harbor Master to request entrance to the harbor as is required. I studied my Spanish book ahead of time and wrote out the phrases that I would need. I called in to the Harbor Master on the VHF and made my request to enter but realized too late that I had failed to study potential responses that I might hear back from them. I radioed in and they responded. I paused and sputtered because I had no idea what they said to me. I am beginning to think that the fortune teller in New Orleans that I went to years ago was right when he said that I was not capable of learning a foreign language. So, I radioed in the same request in English hoping that someone would take pity on me and give me an English response. I got the same response as previously…. damn. I got out my book and crafted a new statement. This was not a request, I simply stated that we were entering the harbor in 45 minutes. That was met with silence which I hoped was consent. The entrance to the harbor is just wide enough to admit a freighter or a cruise ship with no room to spare. Makes sense why they require you to contact the Harbor Master when coming and going from that harbor. We glided in with no other traffic and anchored in the designated area careful to avoid the derelict boats. The anchorage area is quite small and sits downwind of the sewer treatment plant so every afternoon around 1500 that is all you can smell. It is nauseating but usually only lasts a couple hours. It sits right below El Faro which is the highest lighthouse in the Americas and the second highest (not tallest or largest) in the world. The anchorage is very calm with no wake or swell even with the big container ships and fishing boats going by. We were safely anchored but the smell and the garbage in the water made it not terribly appealing. I wouldn’t be doing any paddle boarding and we certainly wouldn’t be doing any swimming or snorkeling unfortunately.
Mazatlán means land of the deer and we saw numerous graffiti murals that depicted this. Our first excursion ashore let us know just how far off the beaten path we were. We had to walk nearly 2 miles to get out of the industrial zone. There was a lot of construction going on and if we happened to be walking through the area around lunch time we got to see the siesta in full swing. The temperature was 95-100 degrees with 60-70% humidity. These men were tearing up asphalt, hauling it away and then repaving the street with concrete paving stones. The stones were laid in place by hand and the concrete that held them in place was hand mixed as well. There were barrels of water and piles of sand placed on one end of the work zone. The crews seemed to be divided into 2 groups. One group would eat and then they would find places in the shade along the boulevard and sleep for an hour or so and then they would take over the work and the next group would eat and take a nap. It was very interesting to see something that we had heard about and read about play out before our eyes. The shops in this area were few and far between and those that were open for business were badly run down. There would be no provisioning without significant effort on our part. Once we got away from the harbor we were able to make our way to Old Town or the Historic district which was quite charming and beautiful. Every building was painted with bright colors and there were a number of laborers who worked the streets picking up garbage and sweeping the streets and sidewalks.

Once we got out away from the harbor, it was quite clean. It was so hot and humid but there were a few parks with trees and good shade with lots of park benches to rest in. Over the next several days we thoroughly explored Old Town. We got to see a cliff diver

and stumbled across an art gallery which was housed in a completely renovated traditional Mexican Casa.

I understand why there aren’t more public parks because each house (casa) is typically built around a courtyard. These courtyards seem to be the center of the home and they have trees, vines, flowers and shrubs and some even have a water feature. The courtyards do not have roofs, so each house comes with its own private oasis amid the concrete jungle of the city. We hiked to the top of El Faro which provided us with stunning views in every direction.

We walked to the Basilica which was breath taking and then we learned that Toni, our Gramma Angel, had participated in a pilgrimage there. It was humbling to know that we were sharing some of the same sights that she had all those years before.

Mother’s Day was our most epic adventure. We walked along the water rather than cutting through town to the Malecon and had breakfast at Looney Beans, a cute little coffee shop and eatery. Then we decided to walk down streets that we hadn’t wandered yet which gradually took us out of Old Town and into areas we hadn’t been to. Our phones ended up dying so we didn’t have GPS, but we could see a radio tower on a hill near the Historic District when we stood in some intersections. We gradually made our way towards the tower ultimately stumbled across Old Town and plodded our way back to the boat. I think we walked close to 15 miles that day.
We gradually made our way to the Golden Zone or New Mazatlán a couple days before our passport appointment was scheduled. We wanted to do a dry run to the consulate so we could time the trip. They required that you present 15 minutes before your appointed time. You cannot arrive earlier or later than 15 minutes prior to your appointment or you risk losing the appointment and would be reschedule. We couldn’t afford to mess up our appointment to get our passports renewed. The Golden Zone was quite disappointing. It looked like every other seaside tourist trap with Marriott and Quality Inn high rises, Starbucks, Burger King, McDonalds and every other American hotel and food chain. The consulate was little bigger than a carport and I am glad we went there a couple days early because I expected something so much more. Renewing our passport was quite the experience. We wanted to start the process in Mazatlán and then have the passports shipped to us because we couldn’t stay much longer on the mainland because of the threat of hurricanes. We explained this to the people at the consulate and it was a situation they had never encountered before. When you apply for a new passport they must cancel your old one. Typically, they don’t have to cancel the old one until you pick up the new one but, in our case, we were not going to be staying in Mazatlán, so we had to give consent to cancel our passports. What that meant is that our old passports were no longer effective and although we were free to travel within Mexico, we could not leave Mexico until we had our new ones. They asked us numerous times if that was how we wanted to proceed. It was a very uncomfortable situation to be in but ultimately had no choice and left the consulate with cancelled passports.
Our tasks were accomplished. We grabbed some groceries and made plans to leave. We would leave the anchorage and head into the marina district to pick up water and fuel and then begin our crossing of the Sea of Cortez. While I am glad that we stopped to explore Mazatlán, I have no great desire to go back to stay and will probably only use it as stop off now and then and not a destination. We seem to be taking in a lot of the highpoints of Mexico this season and I think we will spend at least one more season here to take in some of the more off the beaten path destinations. Next stop….La Paz