If you're going through hell, keep going.*

*Winston Churchill

La Paz, Monday 8 April: We were very keen to hook up with our good friends in Bahia Concepcion; Mike, Stephanie and the kids would be there most of the month of April. It looked like we had a splendid weather window, southwesterly and westerly breezes in the 10-15 knot range which would mean no bashing to windward. We hoped. So we left the comfort of La Paz and set off toward the San Lorenzo Channel and the Sea of Cortez.

The Channel once again had calm waters; lucky for us! We had 10 knots of breeze but unfortunately it was dead behind us, so we had to motor sail to make any momentum northward and to prevent the big mainsail from making its noisy and annoying slatting. We hoped that the wind would shift to the expected westerly so we could sail once again. We were tired of motoring!


Weather still nice, Tom sets the fishing lines. The next day we would catch and release one small yellowtail.

A Fateful Decision: It was late Monday afternoon after a pleasant but uneventful day and we had a decision to make. Would we tuck into the cove at San Evaristo for a good night's sleep or would we continue on through the night and make it to Bahia Concepcion a day early? We decided that the predicted westerlies were too perfect to ignore and we were used to overnight passages, so we carried on northward as the sun set behind the dramatically beautiful and rugged Los Gigantes sierras to our left.

We had decided to take a slightly easterly route to go around and avoid the many islands that dotted the coastline. This would turn out to be the wise choice.

It's All A Matter Of Perspective: A couple of hours after sunset the wind started building and the sailing was good. We had one reef in the mainsail, our general practice at sunset, and although it was windy the boat didn't feel overpowered. Yet. As the night went on the wind increased from 15 knots, to 18 knots, then into the 20s and we started to feel a bit uncomfortable, so we put the second reef in as the wind continued to build. The wind chop also increased and poor Cinnabar bounced along with the occasional wave breaking over her bow. At first 18 knots felt like a lot of breeze, but after a sustained 26 knots 18 knots would feel like a picnic. And the wind kept building during this moonless night.


Cinnabar Command Center - navigating safely around unlit shoals, reefs and islands in the pitch darkness.
(Geek trivia: L to R - BEP DC breaker panel, Petzel Red Headlamp, Standard VHF radio, B & G speed/depth/wind, Raymarine Plotter/Radar, WH Autopilot, Garmin 276C backup GPS, Glacier Bay Freezer/Refer status, PC Laptop)  

By and by we hit 30 knots, and the wind STILL continued to build. By this time the winds felt like they were raging and the waves were huge, sometimes breaking over the dodger and flooding the cockpit. I called Tom up so he could help me furl the jib. We headed downwind but the jib was so loaded up we could only get it in a little bit at a time, meanwhile the sheets were flailing and tangling themselves. At one point a huge wave splashed over the side, smacked Tom broadside, and sent a starburst of phosphorescence in all directions as it splatted off his head. I was horrified but at the same time I had to admit to myself that it looked pretty cool. Until the next moment when a wave came over and slapped me upside the head, pouring about a quart of seawater into my ear. I noticed that my soaked shirt continued to sparkle with phosphorescence for several minutes after my dousing.

We finally got the jib furled but it was a messy job and part of the jib continued to flap wildly in the wind. Would things ever go right? I'm sure Tom was exhausted, but he eventually went forward and tied the corner of the jib so it wouldn't beat itself to death. Then we headed slightly east and ran before the severe wind and waves. Since we had placed the islands to our left we had this option, thank goodness, because it made for a safer and more bearable journey.

Sometimes the winds would decrease down into the 20s and it felt oddly calm, but then they would go back into the 30s and all hell would break loose again. This cycle repeated itself most of the night. Tom and I later agreed that this was one of the most challenging nights of sailing we had ever experienced. Frankly it was hell.

Tom's exhausted after his hellish night.

The winds finally steadied in the teens and low 20s. When I came back on watch around sunrise Tuesday morning it was still windy, but nothing compared to what it had been.


Our pathetically furled, yet stout jib; no holes or tears after all that flogging!

After my morning watch of winds in the high teens and twenties, the wind just shut off, leaving no evidence of the pummeling we had received except for the thick patina of dried salt all over the boat and ourselves.

We spent the rest of the day taking turns napping, snacking and basically recovering.

Heaven Is a Playground: Early Tuesday evening we sailed into Bahia Concepcion, a vast, protected bay with numerous islands and anchorages.



Bahia Concepcion anchorage

We found our friends' hillside villa and dropped the hook in the anchorage just below their place at about 18:30. A short while later Stephanie hollered down to us from her balcony and, via radio, invited us in for a feast of freshly shot yellowtail prepared five ways and the use of their hot showers. We had finally arrived at heaven!

Stairway to heaven

We have spent the past few days hanging out with our friends Mike, Stephanie and their kids Savannah and Kelston, eating all their food, playing with their water toys, and mooching off their Wi-Fi, hot water and hospitality.

Mike on a SUP leading the kayakers on a tour of the bay and mangroves

They have entertained us by driving us into Mulege to pick up supplies and sightsee, showing us cool places in the Bahia...

Waiting for a fresh seafood lunch right on the ocean with Stephanie and Mike.

...and Kelston amused us one night by sitting on a scorpion. Yes, he did get stung poor guy! (But he's OK.)

 

Tomorrow we drive to Loreto to pick up a couple of friends who are flying in from the SF Bay Area. Knowing Mike, he has many adventures planned so we are looking forward to the next couple of weeks of fun...and a CALM anchorage.


Our perfect little anchorage

More pics of the past week HERE.

(Distance: 217 nautical miles; 31.5 hrs duration; average speed 6.8 knots, 57% sailing, 43% motor, Fish tally - one small yellowtail caught and released)

No Sleep For Tom - La Cruz to La Paz

We left La Cruz on Wednesday April 3, and after a very windy and lumpy first afternoon/evening the sea state calmed down enough, around midnight, to make for a fairly comfortable passage. That first evening, while conditions were still rowdy, Tom discovered that the quality of dinner is directly related to the comfort of the chef, hee.

Unfortunately, our lovely breeze came to a screeching halt and we had to use the iron jib to continue. Also, we had to stay well clear of some prison colony islands (Isla Marias), lest we be seized by the authorities. Thursday and Friday we had very little breeze (as in practically NONE), but the seas were amazingly flat and comfortable, and the turbo diesel motor hummed away.

Tostadas and Tecate, prepared by a comfy and therefore happy chef, Day 2.

Friday was a busy day for us. The wee early morning (I'm talking midnight on) was gorgeous and clear; there was no moon and the sky was filled with stars so bright the Milky Way (Vía Láctea) seemed to mirror the phosphorescence of our stern wake. Tom said he had been joined by a pod of dolphins huffing and jumping next to him during his watch. I prefer the sunrise watch and came up about 06:00 as the sky began to lighten from indigo blue to shades of gray. Every day Tom had faithfully set out the fishing lines, and every day his disappointment grew as we had several nips and tugs, three lost lures, but no real bites. 

Sad, biteless fishing lines (1200 miles - no fish caught).

This morning, as I eyeballed the hand lines tucked away in their mesh pockets,  I decided things would be different! Instead of enjoying my morning breakfast tea, I set my mug aside, grabbed the three hand lines, played out the lures and secured the bitter ends to the boat cleats.

A short time later, so short I'd only just sipped my tea, one of the lines went taut! A moment later the second line snapped taught and I could see a silver splash in the water behind us. A double hookup. "Fish on!!" I yelled to Tom who had barely shut his eyes. He was up in a flash and we started reeling in the first fish. "Wahoo!" (The fish AND the cheer.) We were ecstatic as wahoo (ono) is one of our favorite fishes, and we knew it was likely wahoo that had previously stricken and stolen our three lost lures. The sun hadn't even risen yet!

We were warned not to bring a live wahoo onto the boat, they fight with their razor sharp teeth (thank you Chamberlains!), so Tom gleefully gaffed the sucker at the stern and impaled its brain with the fillet knife for a quick death.

Tom looks scarily happy

Alas, while landing the first one, we lost the second wahoo, but we (well I) were more than content with our 30+ pounder. Tally as of Friday, Wahoo - 4 (three lures and one escape), Cinnabar - 1. We'll work on improving that ratio.

At last!! A wahoo (ono) aboard.

Fish fillet yoga...Cuidado! (warning!)...don't waste any meat...don't make a slimey mess.

It took a while to fillet the fish, and by now Tom was too jacked up to sleep even though he tried. Well, to be fair, he did go off-watch below to shut his eyes but we immediately got another bite and it was "Fish on!!!" all over again. Unfortunately, this one was the odious Skipjack (catfood like meat) so Tom released it back into the ocean to swim away. By now sleep seemed hopeless so Tom spent a good part of the day talking about losing that second wahoo and what we should do next time to get BOTH fish on board. Not sure what we'll do if all three lines get fish!

We could see land again off to our left, Los Cabos/East Cape, and we were anticipating our next big hurdle, the dreaded Canal Cerralvo, where the wind, waves, and currents are notoriously challenging.

Not this day, though.

Placid conditions at the East Cape, southern tip of Baja

It was laughably calm, and as we motored through the channel between the cape and Cerralvo Island, we saw whale spouts and splashes, pods of dolphins leaping toward us, and at least a hundred Mobula rays leaping out of the water and flapping their fins.

The "dreaded" San Lorenzo Channel leading into La Paz was more of the same calm, flat seas. It was early evening, and we rounded the cape and motored into the crowded Puerto Balandra anchorage for the evening.

We dropped the hook and I went for a snorkel around the boat while Tom decided to clean the boat bottom (freediving). I was ready for happy hour but clearly he was still in the mood to Not Rest. He stayed in the water until he was so chilled he had to take a hot shower to warm up enough for a cold beer.

The water is not yet warmed up - wetsuit and hood required.

I mentioned that Balandra was crowded (12+ boats). Oddly, just before sunset, all the boats except 4 left the anchorage. What was going on here? An hour or so later the wind started picking up and we knew we were about to experience the famous Coromuel winds, which are strong Southerlies that whip across the Baja Peninsula.... at night. Naturally we were in angst about our anchor, would it hold? Would we drift and get dashed upon the rocks or stuck on the beach? We didn't actually go on anchor watch, but both Tom and I set our watches to wake up every couple of hours to check our position. Still no sleep for Tom, although I slept very well between every hour when I would wake up to check our location.

The anchor held even though the winds howled all night long, and this was not the first time we were glad we replaced our 65' anchor chain with the 150' chain. One boat, a big power launch, did drag and have to pull up its anchor to re-set. The positive side about the Coromuels, there were no insects or mosquitoes that night, yay!!

I finally got up around 7:00 Saturday morning and the winds were still up, blowing a sustained 26 knots for about an hour, the Coromuel's last hurrah before the land started heating up after sunset.

The winds beating our flags to death in the a.m.

The winds finally abated later that morning and after Tom finished cleaning Cinnabar's bottom we headed into Marina Palmira in La Paz. We had the friendliest greeting in the world by Felipe, the guy who pumped our fuel, and an easy check-in with Daisy at the marina office. No wonder this place was so highly recommended to us. We hired Felipe to wash our boat the next day and he did a terrific job.

Felipe on a styrofoam raft.

We spent today re-provisioning, reminiscing about our first bare-boating adventures here over 20 years ago, and walking along the malecon to downtown La Paz. We were impressed by the numerous parks and all the trees that are planted along the streets which is very unlike most cities we have visited so far.

Lots of trees in La Paz, including at the (oddly empty) skateboard park

The old port entrance which we remember from 20 years ago.

Tomorrow, Monday, we leave for Loreto and Bahia Concepcion to hook up with the McGuires, friends from our old diving days who now live in Colorado.

More pictures of our crossing and La Paz can be found HERE.

In my last blog post I forgot to add the link to photos of our last couple of days in La Cruz. They are HERE.

And no, we have not forgotten everyone's great dinghy name suggestions. They are all under consideration and we've even gotten a couple of recent suggestions.

Cinnarolls? Coffee shop in La Paz  with an interesting name

(Passage stats: 374 nm, 55 hrs (51 hrs motor, 4 hrs sail), avg speed 6.8 kts)

Our Favorite Things, Feliz Santa Semana (Happy Easter), and it's Fools Day even in La Cruz

We seem to be finding every excuse in the book NOT to leave La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. The Sea of Cortez beckons us, we're supposed to hook up with friends in Bahia de Concepcion, and we're keen to spend some quality water and snorkel time in Mexico's aquarium (OK, we want to kill fish and eat them), yet we can't seem to unglue ourselves from this delightful port.

Some (but not all) of the things we like about La Cruz:

Anchoring in the Bahia de La Cruz - it's a big, easy anchorage with room for lots of boats. From this anchorage you have a beautiful view of the entire Banderas Bay, the mountains in the distance across the bay, the lovely beach of nearby Bucerias, and the stark contrast of the condominiums and high-rises of Nuevo Vallarta. It provides excitement too, for it seems that whenever the wind kicks up to 20 knots some boat or buoy invariably drags anchor, causing a flurry of activity as cruiser dinghies and local pangas band together to put things right. A couple of weeks ago, little Duct Tape dragged anchor and ended up on the rocks, and her owners were still inside the boat and didn't even notice until it was too late!

Photo by Julia Siudyla, Pulished in 'Lectronic Latitude

Luckily Duct Tape motored out of the boat yard a couple of days ago so it seems her damage was quickly repaired. On Easter Sunday a buoy that marks a wreck at the harbor entrance decided to go walkabout and we could hear the entire drama on the VHF radio.

Marina Riviera Nayarit - After two weeks of anchoring out we motored into the marina and "Yacht Club" to prep for the Banderas Bay Regatta and to live the good life of hot marina showers and (mostly) good wi-fi. I requested a big, single slip that was easy to back into and they gave us a a terrific location, 11-A4.

The fuel dock is just across from us so when we leave it will be easy to refuel. The security guards are always on duty and very friendly and attentive. They don't have working laundry facilities but do have a laundry pickup service. (Actually there is a huge self-serve laundry facility over at the Fish Market but it has never been opened. All those lovely, unused machines...such a shame.)

Ikuai Sailor Pub - Don't be fooled, this is actually fine dining in an open-air, thatched roof environment, to which the prices will attest. However, this second floor restaurant, located at the marina, has a killer view, good drink selection, good food, and incredibly friendly and attentive staff. The bartender Marisol is one of our favorites as she always has a brilliant smile and friendly word for us. The staff doesn't care if you eat there or just hang out and have a drink, no copping attitudes here.


April Fools doing their thing on April 1 at Ikuai

On Saturday nights they have a great duo, Luna Rumba, that plays very enjoyable Latin Fusion.

Fish Market and Sunday Farmer's Market - The Fish Market is across from the "Yacht Club" over by the fuel dock. Tons of fresh fish and shrimp and other things you might need to prepare your fishy delights. Every Sunday a Farmer's Market sets up along the walkway where you can find lots of things you won't find anywhere else such as a variety of organic food, freshly baked breads, local crafts, arts, and other food and cosmetic items.

Philo's Bar - Not only is the place pleasant and welcoming, it caters to cruisers. For a small fee you can use their Cruiser's Lounge with excellent wi-fi, free coffee and tea, free calls to the U.S., and showers. They even provide the soap and towels. Philo is a musician and there always seems to be some sort of music featured on stage. La Cruz has a huge music scene, but the funny thing is it always seems to be some combination of the nine or so musicians that we always see! We've seen them in various iterations at Philo's, Britannia Pub, Oso's Oyster Bar, and the Sunday Farmer's Market. No matter, we always enjoy the music. 

Octopus's Garden - Great place to hang out and use wi-fi, enjoy their collection of Huichol art (for sale), wonderful patio, stage for live music, salsa lessons, and they have the best coffee in La Cruz. We arrived late for lunch one day (yet another time change screw up) and they made lunch for us anyway! That's a big plus in our book.

YaYa's Cafe - Owner Silvia has created one of the most delightful patio atmospheres we've ever encountered. She keeps the place spotlessly clean. We've heard mixed reviews about the food, but honestly, the breakfast we had was one of the best meals we've had in Banderas Bay. To tell you the truth, after Ensenada and Cabo the food here has been a bit of a disappointment, but the chilaquiles and eggs at YaYa's, along with a big glass of icy, frothy Cafe Frio was one of the most satisfying breakfasts I've had in a long time.

Tom enjoying WiFi, breakfast and Pink Flamingos at YaYa's

Chilaquiles rojos con huevos estrillados...yum!!

Also, best book exchange I've found so far, she's got shelves and shelves of free books.

Anclar Marine - This is the boat maintenance company owned by Merle and Allison of the S/V Kenta Anae berthed just across from us. 

Home to Anclar Marina and the McAssey Family

They are a wealth of local information and advice and they will watch and care for your boat if you leave it in La Cruz for the winter. They are from Canada and home-school their intelligent kids Matero and Shandro. Yesterday the boys were on guard against frigate birds landing on anyone's windex. Are these useful kids or what?

April 2, 20:00, update: Merle and Allison have spent over 24 hours straight coordinating a rescue of a boat that was beached at Nuevo Vallarta. We just heard they finally got the boat floated (a traditional Chinese Junk) and she will be towed somewhere so the her damages can be repaired. Many boats and people participated in this rescue.

Kenta Anae hosts an Easter Dock Party Potluck

Santa Semana - We were warned that all Mexicans head to the beach during the Holy Week that precedes and includes Easter. Ain't that the truth! The beaches are packed, the malecon is filled with families strolling and enjoying the view, temporary Michelada and shrimp coctel stands are set up to satisfy the hungry crowds, and the Tecate Girls are on station at all the big Superstores. I was at the Mega yesterday and the place was pure pandemonium with beer stands, scantily-clad babes, throbbing music, and guys shouting out deals on the loudspeaker. The Road Less Traveled Blog has a brilliant write-up on this holiday phenomenon - And God said..."Let the Beer Flow"!!

The People - Because cruisers are so transient we tend to make acquaintances quickly, or not at all, merely nodding to the same people as they pass by on the dock. However, we have learned that every single person has a story. Some people, like Lynn and Pat (from SCYC) on Cricket, have been cruising for 20 years! Some are young families just getting started. Last night we met a young family on Rebel Heart that is cruising with a little girl, a newborn, and another on the way! We're amazed at all the boats that cruise with kids, most of whom seem to be happy and well-adjusted to the cruising life and hanging out with weird grownups. Charlotte from Rebel Heart did a great blog post on Cruising With Kids.

Little Cora (and dad Eric) from Rebel Heart. I hope we run into this family again.

We even had a visit from "old friends" back in the states when the Waterloos and Dukes drove down from their deluxe vacation resort in Punta de Mita:

There is lots more to like about La Cruz. We hope to come back again next season and discover more Favorite Things.

Wed April 3 Update: It's a miracle! We're leaving La Cruz bound for La Paz. We hope to arrive there in three days. See you then!

Banderas Bay Regatta March 21-23 - We missed the mark but emerged intact.

I can't believe we have been in La Cruz for almost three weeks! We blame it on being slightly detained by the Banderas Bay Regatta, however the regatta hasn't been the only entertaining thing in the area. When Windjammer showed up Ashley and Cathie rented a car and very graciously chauffeured us all over the place for some sightseeing and shopping.

We ran errands at chandleries and Costco down in Nuevo Vallarta, discovering that the only way to turn LEFT is to get into the RIGHT hand lane. Don't ask. Occasionally another option is to utilize the "Retorno" which lets you turn around in a big circle while negotiating lots of local traffic. We were unable to find any store without using the "Retorno" at least three times per store, so we became VERY well acquainted with it.


The Retorno will drive anyone to drink.

We did a day trip to the charming beach town of Sayulita where Tom surfed, Cathie and Ashley swam in the waves, and I went on a mission to find a hand-crafted Hernandez ceramic mug for my friend Judy who had one of her set broken. I'm happy to say we all had a successful day. Now I just have to get the mug to Judy in one piece. (And she has to get it to her boat in the Caribbean. Good luck Judy!)

Tom LOVED Sayulita (an artsy/hippie/surfy town ala Capitola, CA)

The infamous mug.

The next day after the La Cruz Sunday Farmer's Market (which is excellent!) we drove up to the historic and lovely silver mining town of San Sebastian. It was an active mining town from the 1600s to the 1930s. It is high up in the sierras and we enjoyed a wonderful hike up to the mines.

Cathie tackles the mine.

Back in La Cruz, after visiting the local British pub and enjoying some Guinness in honor of St. Paddy's day, we turned in early to start getting ready for the Banderas Bay Regatta. More photos of our first couple of weeks can be found HERE.

Regatta prep started with Cinnabar coming into the La Cruz Marina so we could put our dinghy, surfboards, kayak, and other in-the-way junk on the dock. While at anchor a damn gigantic frigate bird landed on our windvane and broke it, so fixing that instrument was high on the list. Ashley and Cathie were signed up as crew and were a great help with the prep.

Repairing windvane broken by friggin' frigate birds.
It took 6 hands to align the windvane before the repair glue set

 

.
Local bird perch solutions include: a 30 peso ($3) rake bungied to the masthead, wrist rocket, and pellet gun.

After getting Cinnabar race-ready we went out for a practice day, noting that all the other boats in our division had at least 12-15 crew on board as opposed to our 4! Luckily we managed to pick up a terrific 5th crew member, Barry from J-World who was in PV working but was available to race. What luck for us!

Day 1- Room for improvement: We had an OK start but allowed the J-160 to barge us at the start. What else are you going to do with a brand new paint job?




Don't touch me!   Strange Bird Photography ©

We flew our only spinnaker, our small reacher (made even smaller after getting repaired [thank you Dominic] from its 2010 shrimping-shredding in the Pacific Cup). Let's just say that this day was a huge learning curve for us. We discussed the day over copious beers and decided the spinnaker sock was more trouble than it was worth (inexplicably jams halfway up). The sock was going to be ditched in favor of yarn banding and letterbox drops.

Day 2 - First to finish: We had a great start but later found out there was a bad accident adjacent to us at the starting line. The J-160 made contact with one of the other boats and the J's local pro/tactician slipped and had both of his legs crushed between the boats. (We hear he'll be OK but there is all sorts of brouhaha going on about this.) We sailed very well this day and were the first to finish but still corrected out into third place.

Multihull Vamonos, Cinnabar, and Olas Lindas just after the first mark rounding.
Strange Bird Photography ©

 One of the most exciting vessels on the racecourse was the new, state-of-the-art multihull Vamonos sailed by pros and owned by multimillionaire Thomas Siebold.

We're #1. Sort of.

Day 3 - Oh no you didn't!!: Another good start and our crew work had really come together.

Cinnabar haulin' ass...to the wrong mark.
(The kite repair is terrific Dom (Marchal Sailmakers)!)
Strange Bird Photography ©

We rounded the windward mark between TWO LOCAL boats but had a heck of a time finding the next rounding mark. Where in the hell was it? And why was it upwind?

Oh bloody hell! There it is!
Strange Bird Photography ©

After we rounded it, one of our competitors informed us we had rounded the wrong windward mark! Oh hell yes, we sure did that bonehead maneuver, but hey, we followed the local knowledge! We decided that rather than unwind and resail the entire course, we would just withdraw, enjoy our beers, and be the first ones at the awards party that night. This turned out to be our best decision of the day, the worst decision having been previously mentioned.

So we went back to the marina, gave Cinnabar a good scrubbing, gave ourselves a good scrubbing, and headed over to the final beach party to get a good table, some ice cold drinks, and be the first ones at the buffet tables. This was clearly our best tactic of the day. We decided that a great time was had by all and nobody, including Cinnabar, got injured or broken.

Partying down with Vagabundo (our dock neighbors and fellow racers) at the awards fiesta.

A few more Regatta pics can be seen HERE.

We've spent the past couple of days getting Cinnabar back into cruising mode and trying to decide what to do next - stay here another week so Tom can get some surfing in, or use the current weather window to head north up to La Paz.

Vagabundo - Cheoy Lee 50 from Oregon, ~20 yr cruising vets, head up to La Paz.

Choices, choices...might just have to open a cold beer to cogitate on this one.

The Great Crossroads of Región Vallarta

We have learned that the Puerto Vallarta area is a popular crossroads, not only for some who just want to visit the area, but for others who are on their way somewhere else...either going north into the Sea of Cortez or back to the U.S., going south to the Panama Canal or South America, or doing the Puddle Jump to the South Pacific.

We have even run into people we know here. We already mentioned we ran into our pals from Windjammer who are on their way south to Argentina hoping to eventually round Cape Horn. Then the first week here I ran into one of my ex-sail-loft customers and his wife who have been cruising Mexico since November on their boat Shindig.

Two weeks ago at a free seminar someone asked a question and I recognized his voice immediately. It was the gruff-voiced Canadian that I knew from the Singlehanded Transpac. Jim from Haulback and his new wife Jen are here waiting for a weather window to make the jump to the South Pacific.

Syl with Jim and Jen from Haulback

Last week I was surprised to see some people I know from the Santa Cruz Yacht Club walk out of the La Cruz Marina general store. They have been cruising Mexico for years and make a pilgrimage up to Bahia Los Angeles in the Sea of Cortez every year aboard their Cal 43 Cricket to meet other members and friends from the Santa Cruz YC. They are here having some boat work done before they head north.

A couple of days ago we were contacted by a guy I know from racing out of the SF Bay Area. Barry is down here working for J-World and the Banderas Bay Regatta and was looking for a ride on one of the racing boats. So yep, you guessed it, against the advice of Torben and Judy ("Don't race your home!"), but largely due to the great fun we had racing on their home Tivoli two years ago, we DID enter the regatta. More on that subject in a few days.


Cinnabarbarians Tom, Ashley, Barry, Sylvia and Cathie, still smiling after the first day of racing.

DINGHY UPDATE: Thanks to all of you for helping out with the dinghy name. Ideas so far (in alphabetical order) are:
Cinnabun
Dinghy Dong
Galena Ballena
Minibar
Mini-Cinni
Minipad
To-the-bar
Oh, how to choose, how to choose! Best done over a few shots of tequila I imagine. Have I forgotten any names?? If I have please remind me again.

Well, must dash to get Cinnabar race-ready* for her second day of racing this afternoon. We'll try to get an update posted on Sunday after the regatta has concluded. No doubt we will be recovering from all the physical and social activity.

*Race-ready = stocking the fridge with LOTS of beer.

Red Boat in a Red Tide - La Cruz

Our internet on the boat hasn't been working very well, so here is a quickie post from Philo's Cruiser Bar in La Cruz. We are using their internet and enjoying a couple of cold beers.

It's hard to believe we have been anchored out in La Cruz for a week! We love the privacy of anchoring out and you can't beat the price (free!) but it can be a little inconvenient not to have immediate shore access. Plus, the last few nights have been quite rolly with waves slapping against the hull, so sleeping with ear plugs is a must.

After anchoring last week our first order of business was to get our dinghy assembled (for the first time ever) and to deploy the outboard. The dinghy took most of one day, and the next day the goal was to hoist the outboard out of its hidey hole and get it set up. Of course we waited for a breezy morning with winds about 18 knots and lots of lumpy wind chop to try this exercise. Plus, there was some sort of stupid part on the outboard that prevented Tom from getting the outboard on properly. So we aborted, whipped out our laptops that had the Yamaha Manual downloaded on them, and figured out it was a useless "carrying bar" that was causing all the trouble. Luckily by the time we figured this out the winds had died and the water was flat.


Tom's maiden voyage on our dinghy. "Cinnabon"??

Now we have our lifeline to shore and today I received my Dinghy 101 instruction, started the darn thing and drove us to the La Cruz dinghy dock. Apparently dinghies get names just like boats do. What should we name our dinghy? Any ideas?

A few days ago a thick Red Tide swept into Banderas Bay, pretty much buggering up our watermaking capabilities. I took a shower at Philo's Bar today, I was that desperate. 

Red boat on a Red Tide

Market day in La Cruz

Windjammer, our Aussie pals Ashley and Cathie whom we met in Ensenada, anchored next to us a couple of days ago. I challenged them to show up in time for breakfast and they arrived at 11:30 a.m! It's fun to see them again. Of course I had a full breakfast ready because I just knew they would rise to the occasion. Oh, and did I mention they had sailed directly from La Paz, 400 miles to the north, to meet the Breakfast Challenge?





Now we are trying to decide if we should sign up for the Banderas Bay Regatta next week, racing Cinnabar in her current loaded down, pigged out, cruiser condition. Stay tuned...



Banderas Bay - Two Years Later

Exactly two years ago Tom and I flew to Puerto Vallarta to join our friends Torben and Judy aboard their beautiful boat Tivoli to participate in the Banderas Bay Regatta. We had the best time ever and joked that someday we would sail our own boat down to Banderas Bay. In fact I am enjoying my morning cup of Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast Tea reading Tivoli's old blog posts from the Banderas Bay Regatta HERE. 

We are finally here!! We are anchored in the peaceful bay of La Cruz just north of Puerto Vallarta.

We spent the last couple of days in Cabo trying to drink the town dry of their most excellent margaritas and microbrews...

The Margaritas are huge!

...doing last-minute boat chores such as splicing 150' of anchor chain onto the 3-strand nylon rode (thanks Spinnaker Shop for teaching me some useful boat skills!) and saying goodbye to our Cabo friends. It was especially sad to say adios to our neighbor Stoli (Miniature Schnauzer), whom we had adopted as our ersatz "Walter", our French Bulldog buddy who owns our friends Dina and Dom back in Alameda. Adios Stoli, terror of G-Dock!!

Stoli glares at a bird on the dock.

After enjoying our last couple of days in Cabo San Lucas, one extra day in fact since the Port Captain closed the port on our intended departure date due to high winds (yay!) and bad seas (boo!), we left Cabo on Sunday March 3, on calm seas and warm, light winds.

It was another pleasant passage, except this time nights were filled with much more ocean traffic; cruise ships (easy to see) and lots of fishing boats, some lit and some unlit, so we didn't get as much nighttime rest as when we sailed down the uncivilized Baja peninsula. It was an especially rough passage for Tom.

Tom taking one for the team

There seemed to be lots of sea life in the water, but unfortunately never on our fishing lines. Drat! Sunsets and sunrises generally brought pods of dolphins to play in our bow wake. In fact, at our last sunset we passed through a huge pod of spinner dolphins leaping out of the water, sometimes as high as 10 feet, in an amazing display of acrobatic prowess. Even the baby dolphins did their best to leap with the adults. How cool!

The warmer water brought more squid suicides on Cinnabar's deck. Final Tally: Cinnabar 5 - Squids 0.

Squids are oddly beautiful creatures

Our approach to Banderas Bay was a bit of a nail biter. The two navigational lights that showed the entrance to the bay, between the mainland and some islands about 5 miles offshore, were not functioning! So we slowed the boat down and waited until sunrise so we could identify our passage. Good thing as I had us headed between two towns on the mainland, which didn't quite line up with what our Raymarine was telling us. As all aviators say, you have to trust your instruments.

We dropped anchor off of La Cruz the morning of March 5, about 45 hours and 330 nm after leaving Cabo San Lucas (31% sailing, 69% motoring). There are about 50 other sailboats at the anchorage; seems to be popular place.

We are here.

And since the water is 74 degrees F., my official "acceptable" water temp, I went for a nice snorkel around the boat that first evening.

We spent the last couple of days putting Cinnabar into true cruising mode with sunshades, mosquito nets, etc. and doing some boat tasks such as trying to get the watermaker to function and assembling the dinghy for the first time (success!). Today we contend with the outboard and hopefully head over to the town of La Cruz to register with the port captain and see the Margaritas, er...town.

We have a few more pictures of our last couple of days in Cabo and our trip across to Banderas Bay HERE.