Balandra, La Paz, and the surrounding Islands

We made excellent time crossing from Mazatlan to Balandra, which is both good and bad.  Our planning was to arrive around 6:00 a.m. and have lovely daylight in which to anchor.  Not the case as we arrived in Balandra around 11:00 p.m. with high winds.

Not the usual intense sun this year in Balandra.

 There were only five other boats anchored inside, so we crept in and found a nice quiet spot, dropped anchor, backed down to ensure it was buried and went to bed, keeping an anchor watch.

The view of La Paz and Marina Palmira from atop the local hill.  Note the reefs visible near shore.

   Balandra is only an hour away from La Paz, and yet it is one of our very favorite spots for clear water, snorkeling, hiking and generally hanging out.  On this occasion, the weather did not cooperate much.  We had overcast skies and wind which makes snorkeling not the best.  Due to this, we made our escape to Marina Palmira in La Paz.  Here we spent time washing the boat and laundry, provisioning, doing engine maintenance, and catching up with friends that had been staying there.  One side trip was a drive out to Todos Santos with Connie and Ed from Sirena. Ali'i'Kai, and Talitha were in town which made for truly fun times.  Sylvia helped me find the best shopping for groceries, as well as how to prepare them.  She's an accomplished chef who is fascinating to watch and get tips from, as well as her many other talents.

The typical tourist shot.  We had to wait for the opportunity after others took their turns.  But, it would be fun to stay there, it's beautiful inside with a pool and restaurant.

At Tequila's Sunrise we added our boat card to the thousands already stapled on the bar.

 We all had a extravagant lunch at the restaurant Tequila's Sunrise, directly across the street from Hotel California.    Some other friends from Cinnabar,

Kitty on Talitha anchored in Balandra.  We were all out enjoying another stellar sunset.

   Time flew by and we persuaded Cinnabar to join us all out in the neighboring islands, as they had yet to leave the dock this year having been busy in La Paz.
   Our first stop was Balandra of course, on our way out.  We spent a couple of nights there, kayaking and SUPing during the day and socializing at night.  The water was still a bit cold (73-75), so we donned  wetsuits for our snorkeling adventures.  The mangrove tour was a highlight for some of us who paddled out one afternoon, with a narrow channel and shallow water in which to navigate.

Stunning Cinnabar with Tom and Sylvia, coasting past us as we both photograph each other.  It's not often that one can get sailing pictures of your own boat.  We met up with them later in the day as we arrived an hour later...

   Next up was Ensenada Grande, on Isla Partida.  This lovely cove has three small fingers in which to anchor, and we chose the northern-most, joining our other two buddy boats who beat us there.  The water was spectacular, a little warmer and filled with fish and coral.  It's amazing how much coral there is in the Sea of Cortez.

Hikers, L-R: Leif, Lisa, David, Toni, Kitty, Joe.  We hustled into the scene, hoping the camera didn't take the shot too quickly.  Good job Kitty for setting up the timer!  What a fun group.

 We all met onshore one morning for a hike up a rocky canyon which goes to the opposite side of the island.  It was a bit far in the heat, so we turned around after an hour or so.  The fishing had not been successful yet, and fortunately Tom managed to land a couple for dinner that night.  Sylvia did her magic and we had a delicious dinner together out in the most beautiful scenery imaginable.  Ali'i'Kai and Talitha had haul out dates which they needed to meet up in San Carlos, so we joined them on their run towards the north for a few days to San Evaristo where we parted ways.

Finisterra anchored off of Isla San Francisco.  We hiked up the cliffs to get a better view of the bay or hook as it is known.  

We enjoyed the hiking and watching the various boats in the anchorage.  One huge yacht came in, sent their tender to check depths, then anchored closest in of all of us.  It was interesting to see how they maneuvered carefully between the already anchored boats and found a great spot way inside.

Launching their tender to check depths.  Nice to have an electric arm to hoist it instead of a human hoist.

Isla San Francisco, with us anchored out a bit.  The large yacht squeezed inside of the two boats in the foreground .  Not as stunning when there are clouds, but still serene.  

  We left headed for Espiritu Santo in hopes of clearer water and fewer boats.  As we made our passage, Aldebaron motor-sailed past us in the opposite direction headed for San Evaristo.  I chatted with Lynne on the radio and waved at Rob as we passed each other.  This will be remembered by us as it was the last time we saw Rob, he passed away on board just a few days later.  When you are in the Sea of Cortez, it has many attributes, one of those being solitude.  This unfortunately becomes a problem when health issues arise.

Once again Balandra has been covered in clouds.  This is during the lightning storm, with heavy rain as well.  It's June for heavens sake... it's supposed to be sunny and HOT?

   On a lighter note, we dropped anchor in Ensenada de la Raza, in Puerto Ballena.  This lasted all of five minutes as the bees and bugs landed on our boat and us instantly, so off we went to Balandra.  We spent a rolly quiet night and awoke to loud thunder and lightning close by at 5:00 a.m.  Not what I had ordered for the day.  It got progressively worse, and at one point I put some of our electronics into the microwave oven for protection.  Our wind instruments lost power when one bolt seemed to hit almost over us.  So, after all morning sitting nervously while the rain squalls and lightning drifted past us, we finally got a brief break in the action and bolted for La Paz and Marina Palmira.  It was nice to be in a slip in case we were hit.
   While in Palmira, Leif took out the mixing elbow from our engine which had a minute leak and had it resurfaced.  It was supposed to be a one day fix, which took two weeks and we had no engine during this time.  Not a big deal however there were two hurricanes off the coast and headed our way. Of course I was a nervous nellie during that time.  Hurricane Andres fortunately veered away from the Baja peninsula, but it looks like Hurricane Blanca is headed right at us.  She became a category 4, and now is a cat 2, hopefully downgraded to a tropical storm before it hits here in La Paz.  More on that in the next blog.

Oh goody, just what I was missing in our travels, a Cat. 4 hurricane.  Soon to become downgraded to a Cat.1 or 2 we hope.

   We enjoyed our time here, not too many friends from before, but several newer ones with which to enjoy dinners and swims in the pool.  Lynne from Aldebaran was here, and we enjoyed getting to know her better even though it was a very sad time for her.  I spent a lot of time provisioning for our eventual trip around the corner to San Jose del Cabo and up the Baja.
   As I write this, it is Saturday, June 6, 2015 and we are on hurricane watch.  The storm is all people are talking about, since Odille made such a mess of peoples lives and boats when she came ashore last year.  This new storm started a week ago, with the predicted path to be directly over Cabo and La Paz at a category 4 or so.  Now, it is closer and she has been downgraded and then upgraded once again.  No one seems to have a clue as to what will eventually happen here, so all are nervous but preparing.  We've lashed down the dinghy on deck, taken down sun covers, filled water tanks and fuel tanks, doubled up dock lines, got money, and secured everything on deck.  We are thinking that it won't be at hurricane strength when it arrives, so are being optimistic.  Tonight we will have a BBQ pre-hurricane party on board with the AC on as the humidity is 80%.  The clouds have arrived and it looks like it should be cooler, NOT!  To be continued...

Matanchen Bay, San Blas,and Mazatlan

Our battery charger/inverter did eventually tell us it had seen better days, so during our stay in La Cruz we installed a lovely new one.  And, just in the nick of time, as we left for California and taxes the day after the install.  The trip home was bittersweet, we got to see Woody, and many, many friends which was so great.  Taxes, well they are inevitable.  The weather was really hot upon our arrival, but after a day or two it settled down into the 60's and 70's which was heaven.  We really hated to return to the humidity and heat of Puerto Vallarta.

Juan's Banana Bread stand near Matanchen Bay.  Really yummy, lots of  flavors, and steaming hot from the oven.

   After getting the boat ready to depart, we headed north to Matanchen Bay and the small town of San Blas.  This area is known for its no-see-ums around dawn and dusk, so we were careful to have our bug screens out early.  We took the dinghy ashore and found a generous local with a VW bug who took us into town for the day.  It is a working town, many small shops and businesses, but the lack of enthusiasm in the people was evident.  The smiles were not as easily brought forth, and people languished in the few shady places in the town square near the church.  Maybe it was an off day, but we felt that the town was not thriving.  One thing that they are also known for is their banana bread, as the area is encompassed by banana trees and mangroves.  It is a part of the largest mangrove marsh on the mainland of Mexico.  So, we helped out the economy by enjoying their almond banana bread.  Yum!

If you don't have a stand to sell from, become one.  A familiar sight at most beaches in Mexico.

   Next stop was Stone Island anchorage.  Not really an island, but definitely a stone peninsula with cute goats grazing amid the rocks.  We stayed there a couple nights and left for Marina El Cid in Mazatlan, a short hop north.  After we departed, some boats were burglarized, with theives stealing a dinghy and a genset.  I guess we were fortunate, but we did spend a lot of time on the boat watching the festivities onshore.  It was Semana Sante that week and the beach was full of cars, people, boats towing bananas piled with screaming tourists.  This is the week when the Mexican people take to the beaches and become tourists, and the gringos step back and enjoy their fun.

Happily ensconced in the dining car on the El Chepe train to Divisidero.  

   Marina El Cid is a resort, with frequent live mariachi music, great swimming pools, and lots of activities.  We met up with several friends who arrived to join in the fun. Boats included: Tardis, Sirena, Osprey and Adventurer.  During our chats with Tardis, we decided to all go up to the Copper Canyon and try the zip line this time.

Day one at the Barranca Hotel in Divisidero.

   We took the first class bus to Los Mochis, spent one night, then another bus to El Fuerte, spent another night, then hopped on the El Chepe train to Divisidero and the Barranca Hotel.

Day two... what a difference a day makes.

 It was a beautiful trip, the recent rains had helped make the forest green and the river more lively.  We tried to get up to the zip line on the afternoon of our arrival, however the weather had other ideas.

What a dream-like setting here in Divisidero.  Love the jackets, a first in Mexico.

 As Leif was attached to the cable, a loud clap of thunder resonated nearby and the guides' walkie talkie announced that we were on hold until the weather passed.  Actually we were very relieved as the guides didn't seem to be well trained or overly thrilled to take us.  They hurried through the instructions, all in Spanish, and didn't seem to care if I knew what the signals meant or not.  So, relieved we headed back to the hotel and dinner.  The next day, it snowed!  Not just a flake or two, it snowed pretty much all day, what a treat it was.  All of the locals were out with their cameras taking pictures, even the Tarahumara people had a camera in one hand and their baskets in the other.  They make amazingly intricate baskets out of pine needles and sell them for small amounts, 30-200 pesos.

And they make excellent beds as well!

Finally on the third day we got to the zip line with a very experienced group of guides and had the best time!  We did the 7 lines over the canyon and ended with the "worlds longest" of 8100'.  What a great time we had with Jamie and Elaine, who continued their trip on up to Creel before returning to Mazatlan.

Don't look down... at least not at first.  Totally fun and worth the wait.

  We ended up loving Mazatlan, the weather was excellent, cool in the shade and warm in the sun.  Not too humid, few bugs.  Of course the numerous excellent restaurants were helpful as well.  It's a place that I'd love to return to if we do fly down to Mexico after selling the boat.  Love the pulmonias too.  (small open air cars propelled by VW engines)  They are a riot.  It was getting time to make our crossing to Baja, so we began watching the weather and tides, and planning our getaway.  The marina entrance is an exciting one, shallow, with S turns and if the swell is up, breaking waves and strong current.  Of course it can be benign as well, which is what we want.  So, on a high tide, with calm seas, we motored out and began our two day, two night crossing to Balandra bay and La Paz.

On the road again...  Headed out of Mazatlan towards the San Lorenzo channel and La Paz.

   

Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo-Acapulco and back again.

We enjoyed our final days in Zihuatanejo with friends, and touring around the traditional little town.  The mercado is quite large, filled with veggies, meats, and every sort of do-dad imaginable.  It was finally time to get out of town if we wanted to be on time to our next country of El Salvador.  We left early due to a high tide which enabled us to get out of the marina Ixtapa without hitting bottom as it's quite shallow.  As we sailed down towards our next stop of Acapulco, we saw spinner dolphins for the first time.  They are smaller than others and leap high out of the water, spinning 4-6 complete spirals before entering the water again.  So amazing.

The dive site of the famous Acapulco divers.

   This is where our trip took a turn... or actually a U-turn.  While we were sitting together during the afternoon watch, an interesting discussion began.  Our main goal of this trip was to get down through the Panama canal and spend the hurricane season in Bocas del Toro, Panama.  After having spent four months in Mexico in various ports and anchorages, the scenery along the coast seemed quite similar.  Truly, there are many lovely beaches, clear water coves, iguanas, boobies, frigates, and such.  However... we have seen our fill of these things for the time being, and the downside of continuing onward was becoming apparent.  If we continued and passed through the Gulf of Tehuantepec, it pretty much is a point of no-return as the winds are extreme and the waiting periods for safe travel are few.  It also meant that we would be spending the next 2-4 years living on the boat.  We have been living on the boat for almost three years, and are a bit over it.  We both miss our hikes, bikes, friends, house, tub, kitchen, and yard.  This is not to say we don't want to continue to travel, but perhaps using other means will allow us to see more parts of the countries we visit.  So, that was our epiphany.  We decided to head back north after Acapulco and see the Sea of Cortez one more time before heading to California and changing our lives again.

The divers receiving recognition from the crowd.

   Arriving at Acapulco before sun-up, we motored slowly in towards the marina.  After seeing the chaotic marina area, we did a U turn and went to a small anchorage near the entrance called Puerto Marques.  It was a lush area filled with modern hi-end homes and extremely poor palapa restaurants.  The feeling we got was one of huge opulence and dirt poor residents who were trying to rebuild their little shops after a recent rain storm created rivers that undermined them and washed them away.   The sounds of the tropical birds in the mornings were quite a treat, and the water was clear enough in which to swim.  Three days here was enough, then we ventured into the Marina Acapulco so we could check in with the port captain.  The marina was quite well maintained, new docks and lots of large yachts.  This was all nice, except there are no showers, pool, or amenities.  We did eventually find the beautiful granite swimming pool on the top deck, uninhabited by anyone.  Even though we were told it was off limits for boaters, we jumped in for a brief swim.

The divers preparing to leap.

 

Lisa with her new friends.

That night we hiked to the cliff diver area and watched in amazement as the young men climbed the steep cliff, then waited for the waves to surge and calm before diving with grace down into the swirling darkness.  Amazing.  Well worth the trip down.

   We had seen enough of Acapulco, it is a spectacle at night, glimmering with lights from all directions as it sits in a bowl-like area in the hills.  We did hear however that the cartel problems were just over the hills, which was not far enough for us to feel comfortable.   And, apparently most others, as we were the only gringos we saw downtown, and the hotels are at 20% occupancy.  We did not see any unsafe activity, but people were not overly friendly and the feeling was one of sadness and desperation rather than the happy, welcoming feelings elsewhere.

One of many trawlers that crossed our bow.

   It was time to leave, so off we sailed to Zihuatanejo and the Zfest that was just beginning.  Our friends Paul and Carol on Unleashed were shocked to see us back in the anchorage, and we had some explaining to do.  They had hoped to follow us down to El Salvador and the rally that was about to begin there.  After discussing the whys and wherefore's of our decision, we left them to ponder their own fate.  The next morning as we passed by in our dinghy Carol yelled that we had created a monster, Paul was rethinking their travels. The reality of what sailing a boat down here means sort of sinks in after awhile, and unless one is really affluent, it's tough to do inland travel as well as by water.  More on that later, as after discussing their plans, Paul and Carol did a nice long trip inland all the way to Guatemala, and did so fairly inexpensively.

Paul and Carol wondering why we are back??

   Our stops became fairly quick, with one of note being a small anchorage called Ensenada Carrizal, near Manzanillo.  It was reportedly a drug smuggler drop off, with cars showing up and flashing lights at night.  We dropped anchor and were the only boat there for three nights.  The water is clear, the bottom was filled with coral along the sides of the bay, and the views were spectacular with a variety of tropical plants, cactus and rocks carved by the ocean swells.

Snorkeling at Carrizal, this appears to be a spotted Puffer.  They are everywhere down here.

Our travels now took us to Barra de Navidad, a short 3-4 hour motor up the coast.  There to greet us were all sorts of friends that had taken their time coming down the coast.  Barra has a huge hotel with an awesome swimming pool, so it is a fan favorite of many cruisers.  The town of Barra is small and gives the opposite feeling, quaint, locals selling everything imaginable, and great tacos on the street.  We met up with Russ and Jonelle off of Snapdragon with whom we sailed last year in the Banderas Bay Regatta.  They had a friend visiting, Judy, who was a welcome lively addition to the group.

I think this is a King Angelfish, also at Carrizal.

 During this time the weather has been unusually rainy, windy and cool.  The pool was not an option many days as it was just too cold!  One day and night we had a spectacular lightning storm, which was quite unsettling, but fortunately no boats were struck.  Several did run aground though as the water depth is shallow here.

L-R, Vic, Leif, Susan, Wolf, Judy.  Out for a rainy day sail on Banderas Bay looking for and finding whales.

   During this time we had a couple of issues with the inverter/battery charger so we decided to head back to Puerto Vallarta to have it checked out.  It's an overnight trip up there from Barra, and I was looking forward to fewer mosquitoes and biting insects.  I did leave that part out, but it was a major game changer for me as I HATE bites, and in many of the places we stayed the bugs won.

Bucerias hat salesman, with a truck somewhere underneath all that.

   We arrived in Banderas Bay in the early morning hours, motored around for awhile so the sun would be almost up, and then took a slip at Marina Riviera Nayarit or La Cruz as we call it.  It's in the town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, known and named after the Huanacaxtle tree that is found here.  Ahh, back in civilization.  Our inverter was dead, so a new one was purchased and installed, this of course took much leg work and stress.  Then we left for a week to Costa Mesa to do taxes and get renewed visas for Mexico.  To put it mildly, we had a grand time at home, biking, hiking, walking, eating out, seeing friends every night and generally enjoying the cooler weather.

This is our world, and most of Mexico of course.  These buses take people everywhere in the greatest style, with music blaring, and swerving to and fro.  10 pesos por favor?  

 We know we have made the right decision for us, and now on to other choices and ideas for travel.  I will continue to relate our travels as these are my notes of our trip.

The view from Frascatti's Italian Restaurant in La Cruz.  Sundowner time.

   One thing I forgot to mention was racing on Joyride with Jen, Jim, Doug and Josette.  We had a blast racing, and partying with them for the Banderas Bay Race week festivities on their J109.  I am leaving a lot out, but pictures will suffice.

La Cruz, Barra de Navidad, Las Hadas, Ixtapa

I have been remiss in my blogging, so this is a catch-up.  We love La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, but it was definitely time to get moving if we want to be in Panama by April 15.  Leif has moved up our arrival date due to the chance of being struck by lightning being greater in May than April.
   So, a brief synopsis follows.

The new Frascati's Restaurant in La Cruz.

   We enjoyed dinners out with friends, Sundays at the local marketplace, sails out on the bay, awesome shrimp tacos at the new Frascati's restaurant at the marina, walks on the beach, SUP's out around the marina, tacos on the street, Philo's, Ana Banana's, Xocolat's, Hacienda san Angel in PV with Connie and Ed, salads with Caramba, dinner with Osprey, snacks with Unleashed, numerous walk and wine out to the end of the jetty and all over the docks, and... the endless boat chores.

The local tortilleria and canvas shop.

One of our favorite places, Philo's.

The town park, near the marina entrance.

We feel well guarded by our friend at the entrance to the marina!

Typical scene near the fish market, note the still vacant pilings remaining from the tsunami during our first trip.

   We ordered new fender covers, scrubbed the boat many times, varnished the teak rails, cleaned the mast and rigging, and numerous trips to Costco for goldfish and kirkland tuna, and of course, wine.
  Finally, we ran out of reasons to stay, and ran for Barra.  It is an overnight trip, so we left around 11 a.m. and arrived in the late afternoon.  The trip around Cabo Corrientes can be rough, but we had little wind, and a bit of swell from the north.

Finisterra anchored off Las Hadas.

Local children having fun at the restaurant, while their parents eat!

One of the local palapa restaurants in Barra near the water taxi service.

Relaxing at the Sands Hotel.

Good luck finding a spot for your dinghy!

 Barra de Navidad is a small town on one side of a lagoon, or swamp as I like to call it.  On the other side is a beautiful marina and large deluxe hotel and golf course, The Grand Bay.  We decided to stay in the marina as we draw 7' for our keel and probably would hit in the "swamp".  Oh darn!  So, we got to use the lovely pool, and walk the tropical grounds daily.  Of course, the best thing ever is the local French baker who delivers fresh pastries to your boat directly from his panga and shop in town.  Soooo good, love the Danish!   Our friends Tom and Mary Ellen arrived here for a stay with us on our boat and a sail up to Las Hadas.  Together we ate and hiked around town, discovering a new place for cold cervesas overlooking the ocean.  It was a beautiful place, but in short order, we sailed/motored to Las Hadas for a different view.

Yes, it is really tropical down here in Santiago!

   It was a calm day to motor up to Santiago, a beach anchorage near Las Hadas and Manzanillo.  We stayed for a night, riding the dinghy ashore for a walk and lunch on the beach at a palapa.  The next day we upped the anchor and quickly motored around the corner to Las Hadas, and anchored there for a week.  When we arrived there was only one other boat to join us, but as time went on, we had up to eleven in the anchorage.  The marina captain decided we were prime targets and told us to pay 200 pesos to land the dinghy each day.  Turns out we were the only ones to pay, after asking around.  I can see a fee, as it is a nice resort with a pool and beautiful walkways, but 200 a day seemed steep.  The pool was refreshing each day, and we hiked into town for provisioning and to check in with the port captain.  Turns out that was not necessary, just call him on channel 16.

The Las Hadas resort in the Manzanillo area.

   Time flew by and we headed off to Ixtapa, early in the morning of January 19th, leaving Mary Ellen and Tom to head to the airport and home.  The wind was light... as has been the norm here in central Mexico, so we motored and made water the entire way on our overnight journey.  We were almost out of fresh water, so it was a relief to get some into the tanks.  Not much sea life along the way, rather uneventful trip.  I guess that's good after the trip to Cabo.  Lots of turtles though.

Isla Grande in the morning, note the large cloud formations...

   On Jan. 21, we arrived at Isla Grande off of Ixtapa and dropped the anchor while the jet skis zoomed past.  What a beautiful location, palapas, pangas, umbrellas, with boobies and frigates soaring overhead.  We heard a commotion in the water and a school of small fish were leaping out frantically, and then a large tuna leaped out after them.  Then, a frigate scooped up one of the small fry and tried to fly off quickly, being chased by many others right on his tail.  That was fun to watch!  We both jumped in and scrubbed the bottom, cleaning off growth and some barnacles.   There were some weird jelly-like things as well, and apparently some small crabs because as got out of the water, there were 1/2 inch crabs crawling all over us!  Ewwww!  One crawled into my ear, and I just barely got it out before it took it up as its new home.  Disgusting.  But, the hull was smoother, and the prop and through-hulls cleaned out. The water here was murky, even before we added our yuck to it, odd, as last time here it was clearer and much more enticing to swim.  Our boat was surrounded by moss, or sea grass, I kept looking for cocodrillos, as they are around, but fortunately don't like salt water.
I love Isla Grande, but it was time to move on again, so we headed to Marina Ixtapa at 1:30 p.m. when the dredger was on his lunch break and the entrance was open to us.  As we entered our depth gauge read 5', and we draw 7'... not a good situation.  But, we made it, having really a 5' keel under the 2' of hull where the transducer is.  Still, aaaahhhh!  There is always a swell running coming into this marina as well, so we surfed in a bit, probably helping keep us off the bottom.  We'll leave at high tide on Sunday, hopefully allowing us a little breathing room, but not much as the tide was not low entering.
   We checked into the marina office, dropped off our laundry, and had the celebratory margarita at the local restaurant, oh ok, maybe two, and awesome guacamole and chips.  Then back to the boat for a nap.  We awoke to mosquitoes attacking us, so out came the bug screens, AC unit and the tennis racket bug zapper that we bought in La Paz.  We attacked mercilessly and in short order we were cool, calm and bug free. So, tomorrow we'll check out the town again, hopefully get into Zihuatanejo as well and see more of it than we did a couple years ago.  Unfortunately we can't stay for Z fest, or guitar fest, two huge festivals here in town that support the local schools and economy.  We can do our share though by donating some $$ towards the schools before we set sail for Acapulco on Sunday.

Ensenada to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle in Banderas Bay

Approaching Ensenada harbor and Cruiseport Marina.

We left Ensenada on Sunday, November 16th at 10:00 a.m.  The sun was out, 13 knots of true wind which bumped up to 20 off and on.  The boat was making around 6-7 knots of speed with a reefed main and our 120% jib deployed.  There was a rather large swell running with us, so the boat would leap ahead and then slow in the troughs.  In the fall, it is not as much fun sailing for me, as the days are so short.  It gets light around 6:00 a.m., and the sun slowly creeps upward in the sky, and as noon arrives, it appears that the day is almost over.  By 3:00 p.m. it looks like sunset soon and the long shadows and dark seas dominate the land/seascape.
  Our next stop was going to be Turtle Bay, about a two day sail from Ensenada.  The winds were pretty strong throughout this leg, and as we skirted the inside of Cedros Island it piped upwards  of 20-30 knots, with our boat speed reaching up to 11 knots at times!  We were flying, and the sad part of it was that this occurred  in the middle of the night with no moon, so we couldn't see anything.  There were no other boats around, and fortunately no whales.  It was a bit creepy, as going that fast without seeing what was in front of us was unnerving.  We have heard of other boats who have struck whales and sunk... When the sun rose in the morning it was a relief to me.  It remained blustery as we roared past Isla Cedros and into Turtle Bay for a rest stop and refuel, two days and nights from Ensenada.
   We left Turtle Bay the following morning around 11:00 a.m. headed for Bahia Santa Maria, approximately 220 miles away.  The winds were light, and Leif was concerned about our alternator which was making weird hissing noises when we ran the engine.  Fortunately that wasn't often with all of the wind.  This trip so far was more of a sailing adventure, not a motor sail as our last trip turned out to be.

The "Dolphin Experience" team practicing their talents.

   As we sailed, there were thousands of dolphin swimming with us for a few miles, jumping and diving under our bow.  One night on watch at 5:15 p.m.  I heard a loud exhale and looked forward to see a large swirl right next to our bow...  Then a huge slick of swirling whale slime surfaced on our port side.  I looked back, and a large (40'-60') whale surfaced right behind us, way too close for comfort, but thankfully we didn't connect.
   Bahia Santa Maria came and went, we decided not to stop after swinging in and getting internet to update our weather gribs and seeing that it was going to be supposedly calm to medium winds for the next few days.  Well, that was sort of true, the winds were generally 10-20 kts, with choppy seas and swell.  It is finally warming up, sea temps are up to 79 degrees.  Finally saw a sea turtle, and a booby, and the clouds are looking more tropical now.  It has been a challenge to sleep this trip, the boat has been creaking, banging, things making all sorts of weird noises, and quite rough.  So, with the wind and swell, and noises, it's been physically a challenge, we are both pretty tired.  Our mast is making odd clunking noises, the alternator decided to seize up and start smoking, and our auto pilot has begun to make odd grinding sounds.  All of this adds to our mental state of worry and fatigue as we near Cabo Falso.  The engine requires an alternator in order to function, and alas we have decided not to install the spare that we brought along.  It has one fitting that is not the same as the installed one, and we're not sure if it needs an extra part, even though it's the exact same model.  So, no engine.
   We are thinking that if the wind stays up, we'll make it to San Jose del Cabo on Saturday, Nov. 22.  Well, that didn't work out as the winds decided to finally go light as predicted three days ago, so we sat off Cabo all day bobbing around waiting for the wind to fill in.  Not happening.  So, bobbed all night, hand steering, around 35 miles off Cabo.  Finally mid-morning the wind started to fill in and we were off, but not in the right direction as it was coming directly from our destination.  We tacked back and forth, getting closer and closer when the wind once again died, about 11 miles out of the marina.  Nuts.  We didn't want to risk turning on the engine as the alternator seemed to be toast, so it was either sit and wait probably another day out here, or unpack the dinghy and fire up the outboard and push ourselves in.  That's what we did, and it worked perfectly, thankfully, as the wind picked up that night from the wrong direction, and didn't stop for 5 days.  We would have ended up crossing the Sea of Cortez in 20-30 knots of wind without an engine, which was not the safest idea.
   After all was scrutinized, our mast was not loose, just the boom goose-neck attachment needed lubricating.  Leif replaced our alternator with the spare that we brought along after learning that the extra hole was normal and not in need of a plug that the fried one had installed in it.  And, the auto-pilot seemed to work well enough, probably get a spare replacement for it when we get to La Cruz.

Our faithful dinghy and Tohaitsu motor helping us into San Jose del Cabo.

 While in San Jose del Cabo, the wind blew hard daily, sending dust from the surrounding hills all over our salty boat.  Now we had a muddy mess to deal with, but not worth cleaning until the winds die down.  The hurricane Odille that hit Baja really damaged the marina as well as surrounding hotels and structures.  There were pilings without docks attached, sunken boats tied to docks, and the ladies restroom was without any walls, just toilets, sinks and showers.  I had to use the men's which was not popular with the workers who apparently were not told of this arrangement.  The dolphin experience that was located here was restocking their dolphins who were flown out to Puerto Vallarta prior to the hurricane.  This was pretty interesting to see, although they didn't want us taking photos, we managed to get some from afar.  Once into their new enclosure, the dolphins were given directions from the trainers and they put on a quick show for us, probably to ensure that they were thinking clearly and could follow directions?

The women's bathroom, sans walls.  Sad, as it was really nice, with granite and tile floors.

  The weather looked promising for a departure on Friday, so off we went to Puerto Vallarta.  The winds were 15-20 knots, and short choppy seas for the first day or so, finally settling down on Saturday afternoon.  We motor-sailed the entire way, making water for use while we are in the marina in the days ahead.  As usual our speed didn't match our timing of our arrival and we arrived at 3:00 a.m. in the dark morning hours of Sunday, November 30th.  Even though we know this marina well, we didn't want to enter in the dark without an assigned slip, so we motored in circles until past 6:30 a.m. when the sky started to lighten as dawn approached.  Sunrise here is 7:15 due to the time change.  We are now two hours ahead of Los Angeles time.  Our slip was a welcome sight as we needed some down time to regroup and get some rest from the trip.  La Cruz is a small town as compared to Puerto Vallarta, but it has many great restaurants with live music each night, and a thriving gringo community.  It always feels like home when we arrive here.  Most of the locals speak only Spanish, but are very patient with those of us who are learning.  It's fun to test my poor Spanish in the local tiendas.  We left California on November 3, and arrived November 30 to our mainland destination of La Cruz where we will be until mid-January when we think we'll head south towards Panama.