A Kansas Girl and an Arizona Boy Head to Sea

With all the major projects completed, we are down to our final preparations, such as provisions (last chance for fresh produce), standard maintenance (oil change, battery check), and boat prep (stowing the dinghy & anchor, checking all gear, etc.). We replaced the inner forestay and Art drilled another hole in the boat (what? again?! keep that man away from the drill!!)--this time to re-plumb the heavy duty bilge pump. Its exit plumbing was lengthy and convoluted, and we felt it would be prudent to ensure that if it ever had to be used, it would work most efficiently.

Beyond the physical preparation, there is also the psychological preparation. Though we know what to expect "out there" and as long passages go it's relatively benign, it is still a very small boat on a very big sea. In fact, when Latitude 38 magazine (organizer of the Pacific Puddle Jump network) interviews crews arriving in Tahiti, one of their questions is always "What broke?"--not "did anything break", because it's a matter of what, not a matter of if. Every year there are some boats that have to turn back due to major system failures (rigging, engine); others limp in to the Marquesas with substantial problems. Fortunately most boats arrive having either fixed or jury-rigged solutions to whatever went wrong; we are expecting to be in that category.

Of course, we all ask ourselves what could go wrong, and how we can prevent those things from happening or be prepared when they do. We believe we have gotten Second Wind into the best possible shape, yet we do know we will have answers to the question of "what broke?". So a certain amount of wariness--not concern, but wariness--is present about the impending times of difficult seas and boat problems.

That said, we are thrilled to be doing this! We are excited about the challenge, about getting back to wide open water, about the rhythms and beauties of living on the ocean. Of course we're eager to explore South Pacific islands, but this Kansas girl and Arizona boy are lured by the song of the sea...

3 Random Photos

These photos didn't fit well elsewhere but we thought they may be of interest:

I mentioned boats' To Do Lists in an earlier blog entry; here is one of ours. We've had several evolving ones, of course;
this is the one for the last couple of weeks prior to departure.

My students asked what I was going to do for music onboard;
though we have an iPod and CD's, usually I make my own music
(the more the boat moves, the trickier this gets!)

Same location, making homemade tortillas
instead of music
(I guess Art found the camera!)

Side Trip: Manzanillo and Tenacatita

Since most of our remaining projects could be done at anchor, we decided to take a side trip and explore some appealing bays south of La Cruz. Might as well have a different view from the cockpit for a while, and see some new sights when we're not working!

Proving yet again it's a small world, we met up in La Cruz with Chris Martin, one of our crew on our return trip from Kauai. He happened to be nearby and contacted us when he saw our location on the blog; we ended up taking him along on our side trip! It was fun to relive memories from that voyage and create new ones.

Manzanillo Bay

Manzanillo was also a study in contrasts, this time across a bay.  The town of Manzanillo is the busiest commercial port in Pacific Mexico, with lots of freighters and infrastructure to support them. We were the only gringos in sight as we strolled the waterfront area, enjoyed a tasty and inexpensive lunch, and (as always) visited the festive municipal market for produce.

The most protected anchorage was on the other side of Bahia Manzanillo, at the foot of ritzy resorts and sweeping villas. At least the 200 peso fee we had to pay to leave our dinghy at Las Hadas Marina's dock (La Cruz Marina charged 40 pesos for that service) allowed us to use their huge pool, which we definitely enjoyed; it was hot there!

Tiny me in front of this monument to sailfish
helps put its enormous size in perspective

Manzanillo is built right up into the surrounding hills,
so side streets have steep stairways
leading to dwellings at the higher levels

Las Hadas Resort, Manzanillo Bay
(photo by Chris)

From the hills above Las Hadas,
Second Wind can be seen through a notch in the rooftop

Pool at Las Hadas Resort

Tenacatita Bay

Working our way back up to Banderas Bay, the next stop was Tenacatita--the main place I wanted to visit on this side trip. Why? Crocodiles!

It turns out the only crocs we saw on the "jungle river dinghy trip" were on our feet, but the ride was every bit as fun as I'd hoped. We paddled and waded the dinghy over a sand bar into a tidal stream tightly enclosed by mangroves, then slowly motored a long way into a world of exposed tree roots and thick green leaves. Along the way we passed many species of large birds, plenty of leaping fish and darting butterflies. Floating a river always makes me happy, and this excursion was especially memorable.

The next day we anchored in front of the sweetest town we have visited, La Manzanilla (not to be confused with Manzanillo--a little apple--La Manzanilla refers to the chamomile flower). The whole place is colorful: a kaleidoscope of umbrellas at casual restaurants lining the beach, homes and buildings painted vibrant hues, green palms and bright flowers in abundance. The central plaza was strikingly modern and well-kept, and there appeared to be a healthy balance of tourists and locals--and no exaggeration, it seemed like everyone was smiling! (One favorite 'slice of life' scene: when school let out, moms piled kids on motorbike seats in front and behind them--and if there were more than two kids, an older one in front would steer. Kids here are given a great deal of autonomy, and they handle it well.) We enjoyed fresh fish for lunch on the beach, paletas (frozen fruit popsicles, the best 10 pesos/75 cents I've ever spent), and--drum roll--CROCODILES!

In a lagoon at the end of town, crocodiles in their natural habitat have been fenced in, with a boardwalk built around the edge so visitors can get very close. Usually still as statues, the enormous reptiles could snap instantly at a fish--or each other. Watching those powerful and primitive creatures was fascinating (and the best 15 pesos I've ever spent).

Day Three took us to Aquarium Reef, in yet another part of Bahia Tenacatita. Though it didn't quite live up to its name--large swell and some breaking waves impacted visibility and it wasn't particularly colorful--we did get to see a variety of fish and urchins. And any day snorkeling is a good day!

When I first heard cruisers say they were headed to Tenacatita for a month, I wondered how they could spend so long in one place--but now we know. We needed to head back to Banderas Bay, but would love to have lingered here. In addition to the interesting places and activities, it's the kind of anchorage we most enjoy: very little development, hills and trees nearby, long empty beaches, dolphins & seabirds & fish constantly around the boat.

The workers

The happy floater

What started like this...

...soon became this!

La Manzanilla 

Pangas and restaurants on the beach

La Manzanilla's unique central plaza;
the gazebo is elaborately decorated with sculptures of sea life,
and its roof resembles a shell

Enjoying paletas
(photo by Chris)

Small stores cater to every need:
eggs (inside, unrefridgerated), flip-flops,
brooms (ubiquitous), beach toys

We could get as close as a few feet away from the crocodiles

The sign says CAREFUL:  No Swimming! (editor's note: no kidding!!)
Also don't feed the crocodiles, don't let your pet wander, don't fish
(photo by Chris)

This guy looks fake, but he's definitely real

 

La Cruz

With three areas sporting major marinas--La Cruz, Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta--Banderas Bay is the most common departure location for cruisers sailing to the South Pacific from Mexico. We stopped first at La Cruz, the only place where anchoring is still allowed--preferring both the feel (gentle rocking) and fees ($0) of living "on the hook". All along this coast we have seen lots of sea turtles and plenty of humpbacks; here at anchor we can watch dolphins swim lazily by, and see pelicans and green-footed boobies fish by torpedoing into the water right next to the boat.

"Quaint little town" is a trite phrase, but it really does describe La Cruz. It's a combination of centuries: an old-fashioned central plaza and a gleaming new fish market; cobble-stoned streets with family-run taco stands and wifi cafes with jazz at night; a weekly market with authentic native art and organic produce booths. It's no surprise that a large number of "yachties" have their boats here much of the time. Once again we hopped on buses to get around the bay, these much more "local" than the Mazatlan ones (think people wedged into every possible space, hot wind blowing in the open windows, loud mariachi music playing on the radio; a fun slice of life!). 

View down a stone street

La Cruz Sunday market

Central Plaza

Iguanas hang out in the trees

Dinner at a street cafe

Typical street scene

There are quite a few cruisers in the area who are preparing to go to the Marquesas as part of the Pacific Puddle Jump, just like we are, so that was both informative and enjoyable. A few people have done this passage before, but at the PPJ seminars we realized we had more offshore experience than most of the participants. That didn't arouse overconfidence, but it did help us feel solid about our overall readiness for this voyage. (Another round of thanks to Katelinn for her expertise on our Kauai trip!)

It's also interesting to see the different kinds of preparations going on everywhere around us. As expected prior to a major trip, all boats have extensive To Do lists, we just differ in some specifics and in the order that standard projects are getting completed. Just one example: we met a couple whose fuel tank had started leaking; to fix the leak they had to have their engine taken out, the old fuel tank cut into pieces to remove it, and replaced with a much smaller one. Fortunately we heard this story before we had our fuel tank cleaned; we decided to be proactive and coat the inside of our fuel tank with a special sealant we fortuitously found in La Paz (maintenance items are surprisingly hard to find in Mexico, considering the number of boats there are around here; people are constantly on the internet at the marina's wifi access area desperately trying to find parts and shipping options). That procedure meant we were stuck in Marina La Cruz for a while--but there could hardly be a more enjoyable place to be stuck!

Isla Isabela

Our next stop on the mainland side was Isla Isabela National Park. What a highlight! 

The anchorage is exposed to large swells and full of anchor-snagging rocks, and it's "just birds", so most people pass it by--but it is an astounding place! (A mini-Galapagos, without all the tourists.) It's home to a frigate colony, one of the few that exist in the Pacific basin. With a wingspan of 7', the birds are graceful gliders  with notably jagged silhouettes in the sky. We were incredibly lucky to visit at mating season, when the males inflate their red neck sacks and thump them with their bills to attract females; the result is a loud knocking sound, similar to woodpeckers. The short nesting trees are full--FULL--of the huge birds.

And the boobies! Blue-footed boobies were all over as well. They were at egg-laying stage, but they don't build nests; they just lay their eggs on the ground (sand, underbrush, rocks; apparently they aren't picky). Their beady eyes and  bright blue feet were mesmerizing, and it was charming to see the mated pairs touching beaks together.

Last but not least, there were quite a few iguanas. The many small species of lizards would skitter away, but as the alpha reptiles, the iguanas were fearless. When I was watching some boobies, one of them even came up and licked my toe! 

The island is very small and we were the only ones on the trail; we had the entire wondrous ecosystem to ourselves. Back at the boat, humpbacks were regularly in view: too far away to photograph, but close enough to be a near-constant entertainment. It was a magnificent world, and we felt awed and privileged to have experienced it.

Birds were overhead all the time

A male frigate with neck sack inflated

Frigates nesting in the short trees

Only one fluffy white chick (literally the early bird?)

A mated pair of blue-footed boobies

Can you see those beady eyes?

Note the beak nuzzling (and one boobie has its foot raised--a common behavior--so it looks like they are dancing!)

Caring for the eggs (just on the ground, not in a nest)

Boobies everywhere! (no comments, please)

An iguana checking out our lunch

Mazatlan

In making our way from La Paz to Puerto Vallarta, we debated whether or not to visit Mazatlan, and were glad we did. It was time for a marina stop anyway--some projects required internet access and/or more extensive use of the AC power that docks provide--and Marina Mazatlan served our needs well for a few days. (As one of the sailors there said, "Cruising is just going to the next location to work on your boat.")

I had the easy job: hours online researching requirements and downloading entry forms for the next 5 countries. Art had the poop job, literally (if you're so inclined, you may replace 'poop' with a more emphatic four-letter word). The plumbing in the forward head has never worked well; with more people coming aboard who need to use it and the desire to finally rid the boat of a lingering odor, it was time to re-plumb the entire mess. Mercifully, I didn't take pictures of the carnage, but I will say removing lots of convoluted hoses full of ancient clogged you-know-what was as disgusting as you can possibly imagine. (Hint: Art turned his first set of work clothes into rags and worked in his skivvies the rest of the time.) Now the plumbing is all new and greatly simplified, and the aroma (ahem) is abating; the final step--installing a macerator pump--will wait for the next marina.

We did spend a full day exploring Mazatlan, and we found it to be very enjoyable. We weren't interested in the Zona Dorada (Gold Zone, a long stretch of nice hotels and restaurants along the fantastic Pacific beaches). Instead, we used their excellent bus system and headed downtown. We checked out their huge municipal market, which offered anything one could want (yes! I finally found a tortilla press, so I can make corn tortillas on the boat!). The central plaza was well-kept and had a jungle atmosphere: huge trees, coconut palms, bright flowers, melodious bird songs. Across the street was the cathedral, and it was magnificent. Even just standing respectfully at the entrance, we were moved by the palpable devotion of the people who entered for private worship (noting that most of them were primarily drawn to the shrine of Mary).

Along the seaside stretched a long malecon (wide strolling sidewalk) with several impressive monuments and hourly feats of daring by cliff divers. Through fortunate coincidence, we were in town for the First Friday Art Walk (many cities have these; Mazatlan does feel like a real city). We spent hours admiring the niche galleries, many of which had inner courtyards full of plants with huge leaves and thick vines (their own interior jungle!). The Central Historic District has block after block of beautiful 1840's buildings, housing those galleries as well as esoteric bars and small elegant restaurants.

Our best time in Mazatlan was coming across the Cultural Institute. Kids were entering the building with violin & cello cases (a heartwarming sight for an orchestra teacher!)--but what stopped us in our tracks were a few notes of Brahms. A professional group was rehearsing the Horn Trio; we glued ourselves to the grated window to listen, deeply moved by the sound of our favorite language...

Central Plaza

Historic District

Inside the cathedral

Cathedral

A monument along the malecon

Municipal market

Preparing for Carnaval (a very big deal here!)

Why on earth is this man smiling?! Surely playing with filthy hoses can't be as fun as it looks!
(and sorry, I couldn't get this one to load correctly...)

Crossing the Sea of Cortez

Called "The Crossing" in local lingo, many cruisers travel between the mainland and the Baja peninsula. Either direction and at any time of year, though, it is not a small undertaking. Like everyone else, we watched the weather carefully on grib files and listened to Gaery, the Baja weather guru, on the ham radio net before we took the 3-day plunge.

Our crossing was largely uneventful: no big winds (and at a crucial time, no wind at all), no fish hungry enough to grab our lure, no boats in sight. It would have been completely uneventful if some coupling bolts between the V-drive and the propeller shaft hadn't sheared off! Fortunately Art is a good mechanic and he had some bolts with the correct thread, so after a five hour operation--all while rolling in large waves--we were back underway. The motto "Be Prepared" sure gets tested out here...

A new experience was watching both Venus and the full moon set in the west. At different times (of course), each of them got larger and redder as they approached the horizon. Venus ended up looking like a coal, and the moon looked like the setting sun, but without the glowing radiance (a tired sun, perhaps?). As we approached the mainland shore, we began passing many sea turtles swimming on the surface. As always, treats abound!

Venus over the Sea of Cortez

Setting moon

Sea turtle floating in the Sea of Cortez