Merry Christmas and a very exciting New Year From Jammin

To all our land friends, cruising friends, and family we hope you had an incredible Merry Christmas and will have a great New Year. Many of you enjoyed a deep white Christmas in Oregon we understand. We are currently back anchored in Tenacatita after spending two nights in Bara de Navidad. Bara was fun to visit for the holiday season, but it is nice to be back here with friends. Our Christmas started around 5:15 am when I got up to make cinnamon rolls for the 6 boats anchored in the bay. I was delivering fresh rolls by 9:00 and was ready to crash till our potluck turkey dinner on Coastal Passage at 4:00. Our potluck included 11 people on 5 boats, each boat bringing an additional dinner side dish to compliment the turkey. It was fantastic!!!! After dinner we had dessert and a movie on Beach Access. Once dark came everyone noticed I had put up 120 ft of LED Christmas Lights, They really looked festive and I was glad I took the time. Our current plan is to stay here till New Years and then start heading south. We still plan to go through the Panama Canal sometime in May.

Thanks to our Christmas cruising friends/family for making it such a fantastic celebration. Synchrony, Coastal Passage, Beach Access, Batu

Dave and Helen

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Beautiful Tenacatita

We are back in Tenacatita after a very eventful sail down from Isla Pasavera. We were able to sail through some fairly choppy conditions beating into the wind for the whole 35 miles. We made three tacks which were very interesting in 4 to 6 ft chop. It was a fun but somewhat wild ride. On the other side of the coin we had the worst 24 hr mechanical day yet. The night before we left we went to raise the dingy and found that our winch had a dead short somewhere in the system. After trouble shooting it till 11;00pm I found that both the up and down solenoids were stuck closed, causing it to push and pull at the same time. The next day I bypassed the solenoids and was able to get the anchor up and off we went. I needed to make water so we motorsailed till the alternator belt blew apart. I put a new one on in the rough seas only to find out later that the reason for the blow up was a bad Alternator. Couldn't do anything about it till I dug out my spare so we continued to sail on. We sailed into the bay and went to start the engine to anchor and the engine sounded like crap. I then discovered that the raw water intake was either clogged or the impeller was bad,and we were a dry exhaust which isn't good. We anchored fast to avoid heating up, and just sat there thinking about all the projects I had for the next couple of days. That night I went to take my evening pills and I found that our two water tanks were filled with saltwater. Some how my watermaker had produced saltwater and contaminated our two biggest tanks. The next day I started in on our projects and needed to recharge the batteries and guess what, my brand new Honda generator wouldn't start. Tearing the case apart I found the fuel tank was half full of water. I have been able to solve all the problems so far with the spare parts I had on board which is a good thing. I just hope I am done for a while. The saltwater in the tanks actually came from when the anchor well filled with water in the rough seas and with a slow drain the water siphoned into the tank through the vent. We have been the rare boat to be repair free for the two years since we left the northwest. I guess it was time.

I think we will spend Christmas here with 5 or 6 other boats that we know and then move south. Hopefully our next leg will be uneventful as usual. Just to make everyone not feel too sorry for us, the weather is great. It is in the mid 80's during the day and mid 60's at night. The water temperature in around 82 degrees

This is a great place to be broken down!!

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Isla Pasavera

We have updated our blog http://www.svjammin.blogspot.com you might want to check it out. We need internet to add pictures, but Kelsey uploaded a bunch from her trip with us. There are some other pictures of our summer as well. The address at on the top of the last posting of the blog.

We are currently anchored off of Isla Pasavera in Chamala Bay. Our anchor is in 11 feet of water at low tide, that means we have 3.5ft under our keel. The bottom is sand and level for our full circle of swing so the depth is not an issue, but it is something we have to get used to before we get to the Carib.
I will try to take a picture of our anchorage along with the three other boats who we traveled here with so you might understand the beauty and isolation of this place. We went snorkeling right from the boat yesterday and had an amazing time. Visibility is about 25 ft and the amount of life was incredible. Large fish everywhere, and small aquarium type fish in large schools. I found an octopus out feeding, and 4 eels. On spotted snake type and three green morays. There are at least four different colors and types of living coral along with countless colorful anemones and sea pen looking creatures. Once we got back on board we both agreed we need to find a underwater camera. Today we are off to explore more underwater locations and see what we can find. Maybe a lobster or a couple of fine fat fish for dinner. Oh ya I forgot the water is also 82 degress to match the air temp!

Our plan is to head to Tenacatita in a couple of days

Life is great

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Novembers adventures

November's Adventures-(November 7- December 8)

Pictures=http://picasaweb.google.com/kelsey.turner/MexicoWithMomAndDadNov08#

We left Mazatlan and headed off south making overnight passages to arrive in Puerto Vallarta in time for our daughter and son-in-law's planned arrival on Nov. 15th. The seas were calm and fairly smooth while the night skies were brightly lit with stars and the water luminescent and reflective. Helen is no longer hesitant about night passages with so many of nature's night lights showing her the way. A few turtles, incredible dolphin shows, and a few bites from medium fish kept us entertained and fed. A pair of spouting whales was sited off Punta de Mita just before we dropped anchor and we celebrated the joint return with a toast.

A day or two later while pulling the anchor up, Dave managed a repeat of the Canadian accident of catching a finger in the anchor chain…it healed with no infection and without stitches. We were prepared and ready this time. But we feel we may need to add more supplies to our first aid kit when it comes to finger injuries.

November 15th Kelsey and Jeromy arrived and we had a relaxing evening with two other boats, The Cat's Meow, Martin and Robin, and Coastal Passage's Michelle and Terry. Sunset, conversation, and comradeship filled the time. Sunday we toured the grocery store and ate street tacos. Monday morning we pulled anchor and went out to Punta de Mita and fished along the way. By Tuesday we had worked our way to Chacala where you swim from the boat to shore and rest under the umbrella of palms and drink cool ones. Wednesday night we met a couple from Endless Summer, on a catamaran, while having cocktails with Destiny's John and Gilly. Our daughter and son enjoyed the cross section of people and conversations that spanned many decades of experiences. That night we ate dinner at Isabella's and learned more about her life and life in Chacala for a widowed woman. Isabella is a lady who opens up her house to travelers and cooks dinners for between 3 or 4 couples. Meals are served on her patio and included shrimp chili rellenos, chicken enchiladas, with rice and beans as sides. You bring your own drinks other than orange juice and she does this all for less than $5.00. It was a fantastic meal and we enjoyed the after dinner conversation. During the days we snorkeled and fished seeing much sea life, a few manta rays, and too few bites.

When we returned to the boat, Panchita with its emergency crew had arrived. Ted, the owner of Panchita, had had a heart attacked in San Blas and three buddies were moving his boat to Paradise Village for the time being. John, from Mystic Moon, along with Tom Collins and Mike Meyers, invited us over and we spent the night swapping stories. While drinking tequila we caught up with John's adventures and became acquainted with two new to us salts of the ocean. We learn so much from those who have traveled before us, and they relive events through storytelling and watching our expression of awe.

Needing to move on, we went to Guayabitos and enjoyed a day walking and seeing the shore life of a Mexican resort destination---very few gringos were there. Daniel's Italian Restaurant opened just for us so we could have a taste of his brewed beer and enjoy the scene. Daniel has lived on many continents and has lived a life of many opportunities-five languages, I believe, and as many wives. We were there with Cirque (Lou and Laura) and Amizade, Andrew. During our stay Andrew's dinghy was "liberated". We went ashore trying to follow up on making a report and learning if there might be a chance of recovery. No chance, and due to the weekend no reporting. Monday we sailed to Tres Marietas, a snorkeling paradise in Bandaras Bay. Kelsey, Jeromy, and Helen went in first and found the visibility to be great, the sea life plentiful, and the stinging jellyfish to be oh so bountiful! Dave had taken the dinghy back to the boat so we almost walked on water to get away from the schools of jellyfish surrounding us. We had a few stings but nothing unbearable. Dave then moved our dive site and before long Jeromy braved the waters and was snorkeling through caves, tidal surges, and on a reef with BIG fish and an under current. Next we went around the other side of the anchorage and experience the big surf and waves. The height was 5-7 feet and our dink sits about 2 feet high-it was a short trip. That night we stayed out there, alone and peaceful with the universe and the anchor chain dragging on the rocks.

Tuesday morning we traveled to the south end of Banderas Bay to Yelapa. There a panga man named Molie and Dave negotiated the rental of a mooring ball down to $20.00 for 1 day. Ashore to the right was a town that weaves it way vertically upwards towards a small waterfall. The path is narrow, allowing two way foot traffic. Some of us were on our own feet, others on donkeys and horses. Along the path are homes, small businesses, cafes, and stands with local treasures. Everyone was friendly and hopeful that you would want to purchase their wares. Near the top we passed a group that had come off a tour boat and were now headed down laden with bags of treasures and dripping wet from their dip in the falls. The falls were spectacular in the mid day sun and the beer stand sold cold beers for the thirsty visitors. We settled down and kicked back a round before heading down to tour the other side of the bay. Wandering and weaving downward we passed by many vacant looking palapas, the owners not yet here for the winter. Many were built years ago when gringos discovered this land lock paradise that has no roads in or out. Everything comes and goes by boat. We needed to cross a river and the bridge was under repair so we followed it until we saw a crossing that the locals use. There the water was only 1 foot or less deep. Once across we were once again weaving and wandering through palapas and homes in various stages of readiness for living. At the end of the walk we were on the palm lined beach and near the small hotels for tourists. It was heavenly and everyone looked so relaxed and content with life. No rush, no yelling, no worries. Another crossing of the river got us back to the dinghy and back to our boat to watch sunset.

Wednesday morning we awoke early to see if we could catch whales at play, no luck but we did get to Paradise Village and tied to a dock next to our newest friends Tom Collins and Mike Meyers. They gave us the lay of the land information and we headed out to explore Old Town. The bus took us to the center square and as we exited the bus we entered the tequila factory tasting room-what luck! Kelsey was celebrating her 27th birthday with a taste of this and then that. Tearing ourselves away was difficult. We walked down to the waterfront, and the main street called a malecon. There the beach is on one side and the road is on the other. We passed the tourist ship shops and found a Cuban cigar shop. Jeromy and Kelsey went there, we headed to the attached Cuban bar for Mojitos--fresh ground mint and lots of cold ice sounded perfect to us. Our next stop was the massive and ornate cathedral and the hill climb to our dinner restaurant. We climbed over 100 stairs for this location (Betty, the Santa Barbara stairs were easier than these) and the pictures explain it all. Ed and Cornelia from A Cappella joined us for the sunset and a superb meal of local recipes. The staff lowered the lights and made a parade to serve the birthday girl her dessert. One of the staff had her cell phone playing the background music. The mood was so right, we all sang and few of us had the notes right but who cares, it was the act, not the quality that counted.

Thursday, Thanksgiving morning arrived and we all agreed to take the day off. We sat on the beach, sun bathed, the ladies had a massage/facial and the guys had Happy Hour 2 for 1. Near sunset we walked to the turtle preserve and helped to release the day old turtles to the ocean. Three out of a hundred will return in 8 to 10 years to this beach and repeat the cycle started that night. Dinner was Brazilian and heavy on the meats-seven different cuts and kinds, complimented with salads and wine. We returned to the boat to let them pack as tomorrow was back to reality. Friday morning came early, 4 o'clock to catch the 7 am flight. We walked them to the cab and hugged goodbye for the time being. Then we went back to the boat and bed. Puerto Vallarta and the areas north and south have so much to offer, it is without a doubt our favorite civilized spot so far.

Having spent enough time tied up to a dock, Friday we headed back to La Cruz in the northern part of the bay planning to lay low for a few days before returning to a social boating life…of course plans can change.
We reconnected with Debbie who lives in La Cruz, Herb and Juliet on Synchrony, Martin and Robin of Cat's Meow, Michelle and Terry on Coastal Passage, Destiny, Cirque, Armizade, Dream Seeker's Karen and Tom, Hooligan, Beach Access, and Two Pieces of Eight. Saturday was street tacos and music at Le Reve. Monday and Tuesday the men went downtown to get parts. Tuesday was the jam session at Britannia and ribs. Wednesday was a party with the Banderas Blast(a sailing race) group, and dancing at Philo's. A trip down town with the ladies gave Helen a larger view of the true "Old Town" so another trip with the spouses and bags for shopping was made. A grocery store, across two rope bridges, carried gringo food. A jar of real maple syrup was $15.00 and a small bottle of lime juice was $6.00. We bought 3 items that fit our budget. Then we had lunch at the world famous Vegetarian Buffet. Every dish was delicious and so flavorful. Another full day of adventure and site seeing was seasoned with a group of 4 men hanging from ropes, wound around a mast 75 feet above the ground, and twirling their way back to the ground (while playing flutes and drums) of the malecon. The street was filled with tourists filming the event. Friday was happy hour on our boat till after 10 PM. Saturday was the chili cook-off fund raiser event and a run across a six lane freeway to catch the connecting bus home-we felt like illegal border crossers as we dash between traffic. A commercial bus stopped and picked us up-the model with executive seats, air conditioning, and a movie in English playing. The ride was 22 km. and cost 90cents fare! We almost missed our stop on purpose just to stay longer. This was not our usual intercity bus.

Boat Life is not dull, and we are yet to be bored with the cruising lifestyle we are living. We are now off to remote areas and no internet cafes for about two to three weeks. Our best we send to all of you. May the end of this year be good to you, and may the next year bring you many moments of awe and wonderment.

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We are in PV

After 4 and 1/2 days of travel time we are in PV. Our total time was 6 days in transient, including 2 days of rest in Mazatlan. While in Mazatlan during the day we rested by the pool, swam in the warm water and around the man made caves at El Cid Resort. In the evenings we walked and ate at outdoor restaurants. One night we were able to attend a free Japanese drum concert, GOCCO Magig Taiko Drummers, which was similar to the group STOMP. It was a great evening of entertainment spent with Lady Hawk and three new cruising friends.

We left Mazatlan with the intention of only going to the southern end of town and resting, just a three hour trip of slow sailing. Well plans change and we decided since we were going forward, we would just keep going. The time was right and we could arrive in San Blas about 10:00 in the morning. We had a fantastic sail with wind 10 to 15 out of the northwest all day and night. When we were abreast of San Blas Helen reminded me of the no see um problem around a full moon, and it was 2/3 to 3/4 so we kept going. We arrived in Punta Mita at 3:00pm sailing almost the whole way, 140 miles. Punta Mita is a resort destination with palapas, condos, golf course, and hotels just north of Puerto Vallarta. We noticed right away the lush green hillsides and the emeral green grass and found ourselves thinking we truly are in the tropics again. Pulling into the anchorage we recognized the yellow jib sail of our friends Lou and Laura on Cirque and the boat of another friend, Andrew on Amizade. Then when we were were on a dinghy ride we found two people waving to us from their balcony--Gilly and John from Destiny were in their condo. It was our faded green motor standing out that helped them recognize it was Jammin'. FYI: The green faded motor will be change to bright yellow this next week to color coordinate with our kayak and gas cans--Helen is redecorating as she is running out of sewing projects! So, if you see a school bus yellow motor it should be us behind the throttle. It feels so right to be with fellow sea mates and living the easy life again. Our biggest concern is what time zone are we in and when should we move the clock time since we really don't need to know the time till this Saturday to pick up our daughter and son-in-law?

Our total trip was 585 miles. The first leg nonstop was 445, the furthest non stop so far for the two of us. It was a great sail and after the third night we were getting into the groove. Our next similar distance will be from Mexico to Costa Rica, sometime in February.

We didn't catch another fish once were outside of Guaymas. I am not sure if it was the distance off shore or what. Coming into Mazatlan we had to avoid 6 or more drift nets just floating on top of the water. They had a plastic milk jug or clear pop bottle every 200 yards. The line they use is 1/4 floating yellow poly line. Almost impossible to see till you are on top of it. Two of the lines we found were over 2 miles long maybe even more as we are not sure at what point we found them. You have to just keep following them till they end. Going over the top of these would really ruin our day, and cause potential damage to our prop and shaft. We are so lucking we didn't encounter these at night. They are almost impossible to see even in the day light. No flags, no markers, nothing to help navigate around them. They seem to be within about 15 miles of shore in about 50 meters or less of depth. Twice panga fishermen came roaring towards us and cut us a path to avoid danger and save their lines. They were catching fish, we may have been fishing just too deep. We tend to stay further off shore as normally there is less to worry about.

We will now be in this area waiting for Kelsey and Jeromy to arrive on Saturday. They will be here for two weeks after which we will move south.

It is in the high 80's during the day and mid 70's at night. Doesn't get much better. I am glad we made a fast trip since the strong northern winds have already started to blow in the Sea of Cortez.

Life is great.

Dave and Helen

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Back home on the water

We are finally back on the water and heading south. We had a great time on land seeing all our family and friends, and a few new ones as well. The time spent in College Station and DC, visiting both Mike and Kels, will give us memories to last a long time. I think we will be in a few memories as well. Meeting their friends reminds us of our younger years as well. We are very proud of the choices in friends and the lives our children have chosen.

We would like to thank all of you who let us park our RV in their driveways and front yards. The visits and story swapping we had over a FEW evening drinks will be thought of often. I wish we could have spent more time with all of you, but between Helen's working and needing her sleep our visiting was cut down. The times we did have were special and will give us evening conversations for the whole year. We will enlighten those we meet about the HAB theory and other intellectual topics started but certainly not finished. Seeing the Beavers actually win a good game and being able to see all our college friends in one tailgate party helped to reconnect with old friends. Thanks for the many Happy Hour times spent together.

While we were home two of our close friends lost parents. It reminded us about how fragile life is and how getting old does have some serious draw backs. Linda, we are sorry we missed your father's funeral. He and your mom were so great and I still remember visits with them. Craig, the time I spent with you, your family, and mom before she passed on was very meaningful to me. Your mom and you have always been a very important part of our lives and we were glad we could share those last days with you both.

Thanks to all for just being there for us when we were back in the Northwest.

Ok, here we are "Back in the water, again" (sung to the tune of "Back in the saddle, again").
We are on the third day of 445 mile passage to Mazatlan. WE should be there some time tomorrow morning. To help pass the time we have been fishing and caught 3 Dorados, one Sierra, and three skip jack tuna (those we released). All accomplished in the first two hours so we then moved on to reading books. Two books down, and about 175 to go! We are eating fresh Mahi Mahi on the BBQ (which can't be beat) on a smooth rolling sea. The weather has been disappointing. We had hoped for a nice northern breeze to push us along to the south, but the wind decided to change to the south and provide no help this whole trip. In the pass three days we have seen three boats. It is a lot different than cruising the populated northwest. We are on our way to PV to meet Kelsey for a two week holiday. It will be a blast. It is so nice to be back on the water in the gently, and sometimes not so gentle, swells and waves.

It took 8 long, hot, dirty days putting the boat back together. We were planning on living in the motor home while we worked on the boat, but two days after we arrived in Guaymas we had to leave because hurricane Norbert was on the way. I wanted to stay and just point the motor home into the wind and ride it out. I said it couldn't be much different than going down hill at 75 into a headwind. That's something we can only do downhill by the way. Helen (who was checking out bus schedules north)and common sense won out and we left the day of the storms arrival. It actually went ashore just south of us so no damage was incurred by the boat but by then we were on our way to Texas to leave the motor home there. Once we came back we were stuck on the boat in a dusty, hot, bug infested yard with a lot of work to get done and no air conditioning at night to help with our aches and pains. The boat was cover with a heavy layer of dust, dirt and other sorts of grime which had to be clean before we could even start putting the boat back together. I don't know if we will ever leave the boat in a place like that for such a long period of time. I have to give a a lot of credit to Helen for putting up with me and those conditions for over a week. I must really be loved!!

Now that we are on the water and moving I am sure those memories will slowly vanish from our thoughts (like child birth pains fade) and new one will start replacing them. Last year we came down pet less and acquired a few temporary ones in our toilet bowl--a baby squid swam in as well as a fish...Well, this year we are pet less again and today our first pet flew in. We are 18 miles off shore and Dave felt something crawling up his back. When it reached his shoulder and came forward he could see it was a 6 inch wing span moth! Excited to record this first pet he went below to get the camera, with the moth following him in the air--Dave though he looked hungry as well as tired. A picture of the moth in our kitchen will be posted later on our blog.
I will try to do a better job of updating the blog. Sometimes our daily lives just seem to roll into each other and I just forget. Hope everyone is well. I love the description our friends on Wandering Star gave our life style, "It's like Spring Break for seniors." You have the sun, surf, stars, meeting new people, sharing fun times, and living totally in the present time--whatever time zone that may be...we aren't sure what time or day it is right now. Thank goodness for the lower right corner on the computer which give us the correct day at least.

Life is great; enjoy it now. It is also short and unpredictable.
Dave and Helen
Jammin

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The norrthern Crossing.

We we made it across to mainland Mexico last night and this morning. It took 12.5hrs to sail 72 miles. The weather forecast was for no wind or weather of any kind. Wrong!!The weather and waves were pretty shitty out in the middle for about 5 hrs. We had waves going over our side and through the cockpit. Got to love an open stern. The wind was about 25 to 30 knts for about 5 hrs and then just 15 to 29 the rest of the trip. We sailed or motor sailed the whole way. The last 6 hours we sailed anywhere from 6.5 to 8.5 knts had a blast. The waves made the motion a bit hard but great sailing. During the strong stuff we only had the main up and motorsailed. Made great time but now we are dog tired. I slept about 3 hrs in the last day. We are currently anchored in Bahia San Pedro. Nice place but not much protection from the weather. That pretty much describes the anchorages on the mainland side

I will try to update our blog in reverse order. Life just goes on with one beautiful anchorage after another. It is amazing how that happens but life is still great. There were a few stand outs and I will write about them in the next couple of days.

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My birthday in San Juanico

We spent the day just exploring the beach and snorkeling. There were fish and small lobster everywhere. Non were big enough to be taken, but it was a great site to snorkel. The weather was hot and the water was warm what a great day to have a birthday. A couple of friends on neighbor boats invited us over for birthday dinner on their boat. We spent the evening on Brandywine from Loreto, having seafood stew, scallop ceviche, fresh sourdough bread, and Guacamole. Helen made a Key Lime pie for my cake. The stew had Lobster, Triggerfish, scallops, Chocolate clams, Conch, other fish with vegetables. All freshly harvested. What a great meal!!! We had Pina Coladas and wine to re hydrate us. The boat Winsome gave me some of her sourdough starter for a treat, which was great since I had just killed mine the week before. What a great birthday!
The next day the weather forecast was for high wind to enter our area and that is exactly what happened. By night time it was blowing 25 to 30 almost all night long. The next morning it was pretty steady over 35 and 40 with at least one gust of 47. The way this bay is shaped we should have gotten some protection from the wind, but for some reason it didn't work that way. There is no fetch so there were no big waves in the bay so the seas were comfortable. We have had winds of 20 to 25 for the last couple of days and here we sit still waiting for the wind to stop. Today is actually calmed down a lot so by tomorrow we might move to the north side of the bay and explore that area.

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Isla Coronados

On my way to Isla Coronados I sailed and fished all the way around the island to scope out all the anchorages. It is a beautiful volcanic island with rocky reefs all the way around. I chose a northern anchorage because of southern winds were expected, but checked out the other anchorage by dingy just in case I get chased out by wind. There was a long white sand beach at the head of the bay with two palapas on the beach that were there to be used. Pangas would bring people out from Loreto to enjoy the white sand beach and crystal clear turquoise water. I was again anchored in 15ft of water. I could see my anchor bury itself in the sand. I tried to go out and bottom fish off the point but no real luck. A lot of bites but nothing stayed on. I ended up visiting some friend in another anchorage for the evening. Helen was coming the next day so back to the boat to straighten up and put all the stuff I had left out away. The next day I went and anchored off Loreto itself. There is no protection from anything there. You just anchor right off the beach and dingy into the beach. The weather was expected to be good all day and it was. I did my re provisioning and Helen arrived about 3:00. We had a great lunch and headed back to the boat and back out to Isla Coronados. We stayed there two more days enjoying the beach and warm water and then out of no where bees started to arrive looking for water. I was a little more prepared this time with the screens so it wasn't as bad a Bollandra, but we decided to leave the next day before the word got out that we were there. Our next anchorage was a small protected point called Punta Mangles. Here again was a small deserted resort that had never been finished. The location was incredible but I guess the remote location and construction problems were just too much. I will post some pictures when I can. We enjoyed exploring sea caves and snorkeling in water that was starting to get warm. I went out fishing that evening and caught a nice Triggerfish. Finally fish for dinner. That night it was rolly for about 4 hrs so the next day after exploring the beach we took off. The wind was expected to pick up from the south for the next couple of days so we headed to Caleta San Juanico, just 7 miles north. When we arrived the wind had picked up so we anchored in the south end of the bay in 22 ft of water right of the beach.

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Honeymoon Cove and Bollandra

Helen took off on May 8th to go and see Mike and Kelsey. I took off from Puerto Escondido the next day Only spent 2 days in Honeymoon Cove It has great protection from the north but not much from the west or south west. Wind was expected to pick up from that direction so I moved on. While I was in Honeymoon I saw a panga diving for scallops and heard later he scored big time so that was my plan once I got to Bollandra. It was only a 12 mile trip up to Bollandra, and it was a great place to wait for Helen's return. The winds were picking up a bit so there were a few more boats that I expected. I was able to anchor in 12 ft of crystal clear water in the north part of the anchorage. It is a bay protected on all sides from wind and just a very small western entrance so it should be a great place to sit. The first night I had a few mosquitoes so I closed all the screens and called it good. The next day I went snorkeling and scored on some scallops I only keep about 10 and it made a great meal once I figured out how to shuck them. No problems the oyster knife worked great. I was starting to get bees around and had about 100 sucking on my wet towel after my freshwater shower. I learned a lesson, don't leave any fresh water outside in the dessert when there are bees around. Once it was dark the bees left and I was enjoying an evening on deck with a glass of wine when here comes the mosquitoes again. Down below I went. I must have killed 20 mosquitoes that night. The boat itself seem to be hatching them. Bad night. The next day myself and people from two other boats went for a hike across the island. It was about 4 miles and it was truly a desolate island. The only living thing we encountered was bees and now Bo Bo's ( A small non bitting nat that loves the corner of you eyes and mouth. Again the moisture thing)It was a great hike, but I think even I might be seeing a pattern here. When I got back to the boat the bees and nats were everywhere. I enclosed the cockpit with our bug screens but spent the rest of the day inside a bee hive looking out. That night The mosquitoes were back. I can take a hint. I am out of here. I decided to try Isla Coranados just 7 miles away and a short distance form Loreto where Helen was coming in in 2 days. Gotta take care of these bugs before Helen gets home. Helen would not be impressed.

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Loreto Fest is history

We are currently anchored in Honeymoon Cove on Isla Danzante. It was just a 3.5 mile trip across from Puerto Escondido, but it was nice to get away. Helen flew out yesterday and with the driving help of Louis on Azzuza it was a stress free day. I did some re provisioning in town after letting off Helen at the airport so I should be good till she gets back. Helen wrote from D.C. that she had arrived to a thunderstorm and was having her first rain since October. Hope she has a great trip.

Loreto Fest was a lot of fun. It was great to see some old faces that we had not seen in about 6 months. I was really surprised how many new boats we meet. They have all spent the winter up here or in La Paz, and most will head to the mainland next fall. there were about 100 boats that came in for the event. The fest had something going every hour of the day for 3 and 1/2 days. Games and seminars were held every day. We sold drink and food tickets for two hours each day so we basically got to meet everyone during that time. The event is sponsored by the Hidden Port Yacht Club, and Michael and Mike and Marcia would be proud to know we are now members of HPYC. Hey for 600 pesos we got two memberships, two tee shirts, a burgee, and free spaghetti diner and pancake breakfast. What a deal. They actually have reciprocating all over the world or at least it has been used all over the world. We also have a Burgee to fly proudly. I will include a picture when I get internet some day. The main event on Saturday night was a togo party. Holding to my usually self I wore a stunning white with purple trim and colorful butterflies togo. Helen's matched, and she looked a whole lot better in hers than I did. It made a fun night. Some friends from Mystic Moon wore bright yellow togos and looked just like Harry Christna (sp) even including a little dance to go with the mood. Every night was some sort of potluck, so it was one big social event. Chances are this was our only fest that we will attend since we should be in Costa Rica this time next year.

We will now spend the next couple of months exploring the northern part of the Sea of Cortez. The weather will start getting really hot, soon but the water should warm up and the fishing should be getting a lot better. When we can't stand the heat we will put the boat on the hard and spend a little shore time exploring. Hope all is well with everyone.
Dave and Helen

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It is getting hot

We are on a bouy here in Puerto Escondido. Last night when we tried to go to bed it was 85 in the cabin at 11pm and 80 outside. At 9 am it was 82 in the cabin and 78 outside. The high has been right around 90 most days so the heat is on. The location is amazing. We are nestled below the Giganta Mts and they are breath taking. The bay is almost land locked with the entrance only being 10 ft deep and about 100ft wide. We are paying $84 a week to tie to a mooring bouy, and that is a pretty good deal. The problem is there are no extra facilities. It is 15 miles to the town of Loreto and a $70 round trip taxi ride. They will take you to town and let you off, and then come back to pick you up when ever you want. They also take you to the store and any other errands you need for the same price. Today we spent 7 hrs seeing Loreto and shopping, and the driver was always there to meet us when we needed him. There is a taxi mafia so there are no options on transportation. A number of years ago a local person took some cruisers to town and was arrested for having started her on taxi company. This was a one shot deal, but she actually saw the inside of a jail before everyone came to her rescue. I understand that it is not as big of an issue now. Tomorrow the Loreto Fest starts. It sounds like a lot of activities, but we really have no idea what it is about. There are a lot of boats we know here so it will be fun catching up with those people. Some we haven't seen in 6 months.

Before we came here we were in Bahia Candeleros. This was a very open bay not protected from most winds. The only resident occupant was an Eco Resort on one end. We had a great time exploring the beach, and when we got back to the boat we snorkeled for Chocolate Clams. The water is now 75 degrees so it is comfortable. Chocolate clams are brown both on the outside and the inside as well. We didn't get too many, but what we got were great. We only spent one night there, being anchored in 10 ft of water makes me a little uncomfortable but we had a great time.

On our trip up from La Paz we anchored in Ensenada Grande on Isla Partida. This was a new place for us. We choose the wrong anchorage out of the 3 available and spent the whole night bobbing in the wind and waves. There were two other anchorages in the same bay that would have been much better.

The next night we spent anchored in Isla San Francisco. This is a small volcanic island, and we were anchored right in the bowl of the volcano. I wished we would have done more exploring of the island, but I cleaned our whole bottom instead. Next time we will explore more.

The next couple of nights we anchored in Evaristo and Agua Verde. We have been to both places before, and it was nice to be back. At that point we were on a fast pace to get to Loreto for the Fest.

Hope all is well for everyone and we are looking forward to cinco de Mayo in Mexico.
Jammin

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Sitting Back in La Paz

We are currently sitting at anchor in La Paz in the La Costa virtual anchorage. We had no idea we were in a virtual anchorage until the Harbor Master of this non sectioned off piece of open water came and told us so. To anchor in his virtual anchorage was going to cost us $5 a day unless we wanted to move literally 50ft then we would be outside their anchorage area. Actually when the tide goes out the boat is officially not in the anchorage, but the anchor is. Being too lazy to move, and we do get great showers and a locked dingy dock we choose to stay put. When I asked the Harbor Master what were the boundaries of the virtual anchorage all he said was just a little over there, behind us of course. Everything is just a suggestion here in Mexico.
It is amazing how the weather changes since coming across. It is still just as hot and the sun beats down hard, but there is no humidity. You would think that is a good thing, but I can't seem to keep enough fluids in me, my nose is plugged up from it and my throat is so dry it hurts. I remember this happening when I used to go play over in eastern Oregon during the summer. Oh ya and my lips got chapped in one day without chapstick. I'm the one who is suppose to like the heat so I better shut up.

We had a good crossing but had to cut it short and went to Muertos instead of straight to La Paz. On our second day at sea everyone forecasted 25 to 30 for the whole day and at 3:00 am it started. When we got to Muertos it was blowing 20 + so we sat for the day. Rick and Don said it was going to settle down and max would be 10 to 15 the next day. Next morning it was a little gusty to start and I kept waiting for it to calm down. Oh ya did I mention we took off to go north. Well we rounded the point and headed into Cerralvo Channel and hit 25knts on the nose with 6 to 8 ft swells left over from the day's blow before, and side bashing from cross swells. Helen left her seat and landed in the cockpit floor before going down below for better traction. It was suppose to mellow out so we continued. We ended up beating our selves up the whole day to make it to La Paz. It finally calmed down when we turned the corner to make the run to La Paz. A couple of the boats, who also took Don's advice and were out there with us, said it was the largest swell they have ever seen in the sea that either could remember. Go figure.

We will be here one or two days more to reprovision and then head north. This will be our last large city till we hit Santa Rosalia in a month or so. Loreto is a good size city but where we anchor is 12 miles south of the town and a $45 taxi to get to town. WE are looking forward to visiting the many isolated anchorages along the way. Chances of internet are very slim so sailmail us when you get a chance.

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Across The Southern Passage

After spending three weeks in La Cruz we are on the 5th day of a fast passage to La Paz and the Loreto for the Loreto Fest. Stops along the way included Punta Mita, Chacala, San Blas, Mazatlan, and we are currently crossing the Lower part of The Sea Of Cortez. It is 247 miles to La Paz so it will take about two days, at least two full nights. We are currently about 40 miles off the coast of Mazatlan and it is 3:00 am. The winds are calm and the seas are flat. We were sailing but the wind died about 2 hrs ago. Our current speed is only 4.7 knts. I am not sure if there is a current, tide, or just a lot of growth on our bottom. I wanted to check it out before leaving, but the water was cold and cloudy. I probably should have done it anyway. The weather is suppose to turn to a strong Northernly by Thursday, which means if we would have waited till then we would have wind right on our nose at about 25knts and wind waves of about 6ft coming the same direction. I don't really want to do that for 247 miles.

We have had a great time on the mainland side of Mexico and look forward to next fall when we will head down that way again. Our plan right now is to spend as much of the summer up in the northern part of the Sea, as long as we can stand the heat. Right now we are scheduled to put the boat on hard ground for the months of August, September, and part of October. July might be too hot also so we will have to see. During the time on land we hope to see both Mike and Kelsey and visit our friends back home. I will do a better job of updating our log now that we are heading for new territory again.

Hope all is well with everyone, and cruising is everything we had hoped it would be. The water just needs to be warmer!

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Barra De Navidad

If Disney would make a Mexican City Barra would be it. It is clean with small narrow streets , and friendly English speaking people. We are anchored in the Barra Lagoon, a large and very shallow body of water that is surrounded by a resort on the south side and Barra on the north. We are anchored in 11 ft of water with 120 ft of chain out. Every boat has the same amount out, and boats drag every time the wind gets above 25knts. The bottom is really bad holding with gooey mud about 2 ft thick. Bruce and CQR's seem to have the most problem. The town does make up for the pain it is to get into the anchorage. There are taco stands and tourist shops on every corner. Unlike PV and Mazatlan the prices are more like what we had hoped for in Mexico. The daily temperature has been in the high 80's every day; our tans are getting great. The French Baker makes his rounds every morning using a panga to deliver his goods. True French pastries and french bread are the way to start the morning.
Today we had to say goodbye to Hiatus and Moody Blues. They are both heading south and we are going north. It was a little hard as we have been cruising with Hiatus since the end of September. We look forward to meeting up again, but it might a year till we see both again. It has been great having been able to cruise such a long time with special friends. The memories will last a life time. Go dingy surfing!!!! Thanks to you all.

Carrizal Bay

After Leaving Santiago Bay. We spent one night in a little cove called Carrizal. Of course it is not really on any charts but it is recommended in the cruising guide. Moody Blues, Hiatus, and us were the only boats. There was a 4 to 5 foot swell running into the bay but it wasn't too rolly at first. Later that night when we went sideways to the swell it was very uncomfortable. We had diner of smoked pork chops and drinks on our boat with Kent, Heather, Gene, and Susea. The surroundings reminded us of the northwest. Because of the swell and lack of sleep we left for Barra the next morning, but not until I started cinnamon rolls which we would have once we arrived at Barra.

Santiago Bay

We left Santiago Bay about a week ago. We had a great time being part of the local cruising community. It was the first time we felt like we really did belong. Santiago is just a few miles away from Manzanillo but a world away from the hustle bustle of the city life. The pollution from the power plant was much less, but in the end it was one of the reasons we left. The community of Mirimar, which is the anchorage part of Santiago Bay, is very upscale, but smaller beach front homes. We were still able to go to Manzanillo for final provisioning on a 5 peso bus. What a deal! We also went to two local semi pro soccer games with about 30 other cruisers. We did this two Sundays in a row. On the second trip we actually commandeered a bus which we actually filled to take us to the game. It was great interacting with the local crowd. The silly string was flying. Drums and noise makers were all around us. It was a blast.

On Feb 28th the cruisers took over a local outdoor bar to celebrate Kent and Linda from another boat joint birthdays. We stayed till dark when the bugs drove us back on the boat to finish the celebration.

Getting together with friends

Last week we were able to meet our friends Gary and Sandy from Victoria, B.C. down here in Manzanillo. They had a place they had rented with his sister and brother inlaw about 30 minutes south of here. It was a real treat to be able to catch up with people we had shared a very cold and wet experience with, and now be able to share the warmth of Mexico too. As a real treat we were able to stay on land at their home for a very enjoyable and non rocky night. Part of the night was spent at a neighbors house and drinking Margaritas and telling stories and philosophies . Ken and Carol and daughter were gracious hosts. Both homes were beach front homes with large open air living spaces. We also went to lunch on the beach in the nearby local town where I experienced the drink called Coco Loco. This is a fresh green coconut filled with rum, gin, vodka, and tequila. One was enough, but of course we followed it up with other delights.
Overall we had a great two days. It was nice to see how Mexican life onshore isn't a lot different than cruising.
Thanks Gary, Sandy, Larry, Lorraine, Ken, and Carol it was a great time

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Las Hadas to Santiago Bay

After spending a week in Las Hadas it is time to move on. We are currently anchored in Santiago Bay a beautiful anchorage protected from most of the spring time weather. Las Hadas was great but I am really glad to be out of there. When we first arrived in Las Hadas it reminded me of being anchored in the Med off of any number of Spanish or French waterfront towns. The white stucco sided resorts covered the hill sides of the local bay, No buildings were of the same design or texture giving an almost unreal dimension to the landscape.
We had a great time meeting new boaters and having a cocktail party on an 85ft cruiser. The party included 14 boaters who we had never meet, we had a great party. That was quite an experience being on such a big boat. There is no way I could handle all that space. Well maybe! It had a great shop and engine room, that I could handle. I am sure that our paths will cross again. Ed and Sharon on North Star were perfect hosts
Las Hadas is a great place to reprovision. Wall Mart and two other large stores are an easy bus ride away. It is amazing how a trip to the grocery store turns into a full day event. Catching a bus, a short trip to town, doing our shopping, riding the bus back to our marina, and stowing our new food away all before cocktail hour. The amazing thing is it really is an all day event. Helen wants me to add that the shopping spree doesn't really start till sometime around noon or one, but it takes all morning to get ready, see who wants to go to town, and then actually taking off. Oh the life of a cruiser.

We have only moved about 5 miles, but we are currently listening to The Beach Boys and thinking of future travels. I will write more about Santiago Bay once we have enjoyed all it has to offer. Cheers the sunset is upon us. We also enjoyed a fantastic Lunar Eclipse party on our boat a couple of night ago.

Life is great and my leg is healing slowly but nicely.

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Don't Step On A Sting Ray

My brush with the Animal Kingdom happened just after helping a friend get their dingy through the first set of waves. They had a tough time getting in through the surf and had gotten rather wet so we offered to help get them out. Gene and I were on my way back to the beach in thigh deep water when I stepped on at least one sting ray. It hit my leg so hard I knew exactly what had happened. I made it to shore and rested on a nearby panga. Looking down at my ankle I could see a good amount of blood flowing out a hole just behind my ankle joint. I looked at the hole expecting to see a stinger sticking out, instead I could see about an inch and a half down into the wound. The ray actually hit me three times. Two hit bone and barely penetrated; the third hit gold.

Within minutes the pain was unbearable. Gene from Moody Blues came over to help me and put a very tight bandage over the hole. At that point I could no longer put weight or even touch the foot area because of the extreme pain. I knew we had to get back to our boat and figure out what to do. I only knew that I needed to soak it very hot water, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon as we were across the bay and the trip over was a 30-45 minute ride. Gene and Susea took our dingy out through the surf. In the mean time I was still on the beach when an older Mexican man came over to see if there was any thing he could do. He even wanted to help carry me out through the surf to the dingy. It was a very nice gesture, but Gene had put his shoulder under mine and was getting me to the dingy on his own. I am not sure what I would have done without his help. Once in the dingy I thought about the 45 minute ride back to our boat. The wind and waves were still coming in fairly strong so we started to pound our way back to our home. Moody Blues stayed with us the whole way back in case help was needed. I tried to rest my leg on the pontoons of the dingy but the pain was too much to let my ankle touch a thing. I held my leg up with my hand and did the best I could. Of course I drove the dingy and kept my focus on the lights coming off our boat just ahead of us.

Moody Blues had sent the dingy from Destiny ahead to get on the VHF net to find out what to do. By the time we arrived at the boat Destiny (Gilly and John)had water boiling and 10 other cruisers standing by to help or just give advise. The net was humming, there were boats as far as 10 mile away in the next anchorage breaking in to give advise and offer help. In less than 5 minutes my ankle had been irrigated, cleaned, and checked for any signs of a broken off stinger or barbs. Everything seem positive so I put my foot in super hot water. Next, Pacific Voyager showed up with Barry and Pat prepared to do whatever needed to be done. I took a couple of pain pills and soon I started to feel some relief. Actually the pain pills barely took the edge off, it was the hot water that helped the most. Within minutes antibiotics were collected from nearby boats and a stinger remover kit was sent over just in case. The last bit of advice came from a cruiser who turned out to be a doctor. He asked if we had any papaya on board. When we said no he asked about Adolph's meat tenderizer. That we had. He said that papaya was the main ingredient and to make a slurry paste and put it on the wound. I tried it and oh boy did that add some new pain. We looked at the bottle and the first ingredient was salt. Ouch. I did it three times for as long as I could stand it, then I put it back into the hot water after each treatment. In about a half hour the pain started to subside. It had been four and a half hours since I had stepped on the ray. By the end of the fifth hour the pain was manageable. I was hoping the venom had run its course. My foot was the size of a football with little toes sticking out of the end. It hurt, but I could finally take it out of the water. I started taking the two sets of antibiotics and tried to go to sleep, it was after midnight. There was no way I could sleep and it made for a very long night.

The next morning a cruiser named Gerry came by to see my wound. Another boat had identified him as the doctor who told me about papaya. We discovered that the Adolph's must have work because most people have pain that lasts up to 12 hours. I couldn't imagine that! Gerry agreed on the antibiotics I was taking and said I needed to keep the wound open and draining for at least 5 days and no going in the water. I followed the doctor's orders (Gerry is an infectious disease doctor who practiced for the past 20 years in the Pacific Islands and coastal areas thanks to the navy) and and he stopped by every day to make sure I was ok.

It has been seven days now and my ankle is still stiff and sore. The wound is trying to close but there is still some weeping. I appear to have no infection and am on my way to recovery. We are not sure why the joint hurts but probably the stinger cut ligaments around the joint. I am sure it will get better and I continually thank all those who were there for me that night. They say the way to avoid a sting is to do the sting ray shuffle while walking on the beach. Ya, like I am going to remember to do that every time I get in the water while pushing my wheels and dinghy through the surf!The truth is it is a very rare thing to happen and go figure it was me. All is on the mend now and we are off to Manzanillo bay for a week or so. Warm winds, warm water, and sunshine---sure don't miss Oregon right now, but we do miss all of you!

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Bahia Tenacatita

Our stay in Tenacatita has been wonderful. Tomorrow we are heading a little south to Santiago bay to look for our Canadian friends Gary and Sandy who have rented a house somewhere close by. This is the first place we have anchored that I actually feel we could stay here a long time. It is a beautiful setting. One end of the beach has a campground that is filled with local campers and their kids every weekend. It is fun to walk through the park and see people enjoying the weekend with their families just like we do in the northwest. The other end of our beach there is a medium size resort that never seems to have too many people. Both camp ground and resort cater to the Mexican community. In between the two is a stretch of absolutely wonderful beach lined with palm trees and jungle behind them. The beach itself is almost a half mile long and we are anchored almost in the middle. We are one of the closest boats to the beach so our view is unobstructed. The air temperature is finally tropical holding steady around 85 each day and in the mid sixties at night. The water temperature is always around 80 making it perfectly refreshing anytime you wish to jump in and cool off. The sunsets are incredible with the sun falling behind our backdoor and the beach leaving a orange hue to silhouette the palms and jungle. There has been as many as 45 boats here during our stay, but it never seems crowded where ever we go. One of the highlights of this area is the jungle cruise. A small and narrow estuary that winds through the mangroves for a couple of miles. At times it is so dense, narrow and low you have to duck to make it through. The trip takes about two hours to maneuver your way to the small lake at the end. Even though we only saw tons of birds there are Boas, crocodiles and all sort of other jungle inhabitants. Coming out of the jungle and into the lake is like a ride at Disney Land. To your left are small palapas on the beach to land your dingy. From there it is a short walk back to a beach where there are a dozen palapas style restaurants. The one we choose had the best Fish Roles we have tasted.

On the other side of the bay is a small village called La Manzanilla. We spent a wonderful day with two other boats wandering the streets of this quaint little town. Except for the prices of food and real estate it really seems untouched by large masses of tourists. One end of the town is a lagoon that at high tide might spill over to the sea, but is also the home to a large number of Crocodiles. They were huge just lying basking in the sun. There was nothing keeping them from wandering through the town or the palapas just yards away. Even though they looked very full and content, I could only imagine them exploring the streets and beach at night looking for stray pets or other victims. On our way back through the town we came across a small upscale art gallery displaying the works of about fifteen local artists. Their work was worthy of any wall and we truly enjoyed our little stop. We had a great lunch at a beach front restaurant called Martins. The Cesear salad and other delights were prepared right at your table. Except for the open air atmosphere and the language barrier, we could have been at any upscale restaurant anywhere. The lunch was so good that when we found our self stuck on the beach because of bad weather we decided to stay for dinner. All was not perfect though, when we were leaving at dusk I had an accident in the shallow, dark, and dirty water that has laid me up for over five days. My next blog entry will explain what happened.
We have great pictures to add once we have internet so come back and check it out.

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Chamela

When we arrived in Chamela I basically crashed till the next day. I was only able to get 3 hrs sleep the prior night and was just beat. Guess what? This is also a very rolly anchorage. I think all west coast anchorages are rolly. We are tucked behind a large finger of land but some how the northwest swell finds it's way around the corner only to make my nights miserable and restless. No wonder so many boats stay in Marinas. The next day we put up the sun shade and set out the flopper stopper. The first helped a lot, but the second just dampened the effects of the constant swell and waves. There is very large swell running out side so I think that is a big factor. Speaking of swell and crashing waves, we have a close encounter with these turbulent waters just to get to shore. There is only one small corner of the bay where there is small enough surf that you can make a beach landing. Coming to shore usually means surfing your dingy ( yeh dingy surfing, my New Years Eve desire)through 2 to 3 ft breakers. The hard part is you have to go back through those waters when you want to get back to the boat. Timing is everything. On our first attempt everyone thought we were going to flip over backwards as we climbed the largest wave in the set and came crashing down the back side. Bad Timing!!! With all our weight forward we were able fly over the top and slide down the back of a big breaking wave. This departure was after us helping 3 other boats make it successfully through the waves The next time we only got soaked waiting in shallow water for some calm to go through the surf. Good thing it is 85' and warm water.
There are about 6 beach front palapas that all have their specialities. We eat at the Corona tent for 50($5.00) peso chicken fajitas for two and 10 ($1.00) peso beers. I still get bad headaches form beer some mine are $1.50 Cokes. Go figure this is beer country. Water cost more than beer! As I sit hear tonight with visions of dingy surfing still in my head. I hear the non stop crashing waves just 150 yds from the boat and the constant rolling back and forth and think it is time to move on. Tomorrow we will head to Bahia Tenacatita. From what we understand it should be more protected and less rolly. This has been a fun beach front town, but I need some rest. Happy February and we are looking forward to seeing our friends from Canada Gary and Sandy who have rented a house down here for the whole month.

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Losing Track Of Time.

After about a five minute discussion and finally turning on the computer I found out it is January 31 the end of the month. That makes it almost 3 weeks since I have updated our blog and written most of our friends. After leaving Chacala we headed to La Cruz. On the way we stop for overnight at Punta Mita. It was a very open anchorage with not much going on for us to even take the dingy down. The town itself is most a resort and a golf course. It was an 8 mile run to La Cruz the next day. La Cruz is a great little town with all the ambience that Mexico can offer. The streets are paved with round stone. They all have a pattern that we have become accustom to. Being made with round rock and not flat cobblestone it is very difficult to walk for any distance with out hurting some part of your foot. The stones are simply laid in sand and dirt. The homes in the town range from million dollar beach front homes to shambles that look similar to deer camp on a bad day. The most troublesome part of all of this old world town is that a brand new large marina is being built right on old beach front land. Docks and shops now stand where once beautiful beaches once settled behind some million dollar homes. No longer are they beach front properties, and their only view is parking lots and store fronts. What a shame because I can only imagine the whole town will slowly change from a small Mexican community to a commercial tourist town. Starting at the waterfront then moving back towards the hills surrounding this nice Mexican town. The highlights of La Cruz for us during our stay was open mic at both Philo's and Britiania, and a 6 hour Mexican Train domino game aboard Rosebud from Portland. Philo's is the local cruisers hangout with $2 beers and $7.50 hamburgers. Not exactly old world Mexico food or pricing. The local talent in La Cruz was well worth the price. After 6 days we got tired of the rolly anchorage so we followed Hiatus over to Nuevo Vallarta. Nothing was available at the docks so we tied between two old dock pilings for $9.00 a night. It wasn't great but at least we weren't rolling, and Helen appreciated the showers. We spent 5 nights tied to the pilings mostly just exploring Puerto Vallarta and re provisioning. We didn't make it to old town but everything else we saw was just big city tourist town. I was glad to leave, but we had one last fantastic adventure that we did no expect. On our last night we snuck onto the beach in front of some very exclusive resorts. Walked about 200yrds down the beach and had a very moving experience. We were able to take part in the release of about 250 one day old indangered sea turtles. The eggs had been collect about 45 to 60 days prior and buried in a protected makeshift nest. They had just hatched that morning and were waiting for us to help coax them towards the sea. They didn't need any coaxing the turned straight for the sea and made their move. Our job was to help those wayward turtles that either were taking a side trip or just needed a little extra push so they could make it to the water with still enough energy to maybe survive the first couple of hours let alone days. They estimate that only one in a hundred survive to come back and either breed or lay eggs. It was totally cool. I have some great pictures and film footage to put on the blog when I get a chance.
The next day we left headed for Chamela after a short rest stop in La Cruz. The trip to Chamela was an all night trip and because of strong currents and sloppy waves it took us 21 hrs to travel the 100 miles. The trip was filled with whale sittings, dolphins playing at our bow, but no fish took my hook. We are finally in tropical weather. 85' and water temperature of 80. WOW

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Chacala chickens, palapas and civilization

We just pulled into a idyllic beach community. Palm trees are swaying, surf is softly kissing the shore, and the sounds of roosters and chickens rises above it all. There are palm roofed palapas within swimming distance and the promise of a $5.00 dinner made in the home of a local tonight; the meal choices are enchiladas or chilli rellanos. We may stay here for more than one day...the photos will be posed later and I hope you can see how peaceful it appears. Over the roosters I can now here music from the shore--if it is a club we may be hearing the music until 3-5 AM as it is Friday night and they party that late on weekends...oh well, even paradise has its downside. It is finally warm and sunny. We had fog till mid afternoon the last few days and cool temperatures. The no-see-um bites are itching now, 3 days later, but ammonia helps a lot with the itch. I don't think we will be going back to San Blas!!! As we were leafing we were treted towhales leaping out of he water only a short distance awy

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Back on the water again

After spending the new Years week back in Mazatlan with family and friends it is nice to be back on the water again. Meaning we are away from docks and crowds and high costs. We had a great time with Mike and Laura who flew home on Jan 2. We were invited to a fantastic Lobster and Shrimp New Years diner aboard Triple Star with Beyond Reason and Hiatus also being there. New Years Eve ended with a midnight surfing trip outside the harbor with the dingy. Probably not the smartest thing but it seemed right at the time. Then we spent the rest of the week with other long time friends Craig , Deborah Huntington, Johnny ,and Sharon Jordan. Great time was had, and it was fun to share our life style with them. Once we left Mazatlan we spent a day anchored just south of town in an area called Stone Island. We were anchored off the beach in front of about a dozen palapas (palm covered eating areas) just like Mexico is suppose to be. We spent the afternoon sitting at a table with our feet playing in the sand watching our boats just bob in the swell. What a way of life this has become. We walked on the beach for a short distance then back to our place at the palapa. After our ten minute walk we had worked up a appetite and had fish and shrimp on the beach watching the sunset thinking about what all of you were doing at home on this Sunday afternoon. The next morning we left for Chacala a small bay just short of Puerto Vallarta. It was a 24 hr trip which we cut short because of fog and went into San Blas, Matanchen Bay, I had been here before so I felt comfortable in the fog. Last night at about 4:30 am I had just come on watch and had one of the most wonderful and chilling experiences I have had. I was staring out into the darkness when I heard this god awful noise come from what I thought was the boat. It sounded like my entire sail had just been ripped from the mast. Right along side the boat I missed two large whales by just feet. They had bellowed and sprayed the side of the boat as I sailed past. I could see the whales underwater by the full outline of the blue Phosphorus. They blew again making that horrible sound all within about 50 ft or less from the boat. It amazed and shook me up just how close I had come to silently running over these huge animals on a dark moonless night. We are sitting at anchor getting ready for another magical sunset in 80 degree weather thinking of all you at home. Tomorrow we are off to head a little further south.

We added some pictures to out blog at http://svjammin.blogspot.com/
Our postion on google earth is at http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=kd7txh

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