La Cruz, Friends, Events

We have been here in La Cruz for almost a month and it has been a whirlwind of activity for us.  We stayed in the anchorage for a day, then moved into a slip 10A14 for the next three weeks to accomplish some chores.  There are positives and negatives to being in a marina.  It's much easier to move about the town when the boat is in a slip.  It's great to meet people that we've known from before as well as new folks, as there is an endless stream of people walking past the boat daily.  On the other hand, it can be tough to get anything done as it is VERY social.

The Mexican Navy on patrol in Banderas Bay.  Fortunately they didn't stop and check us again.

   We took some friends out sailing on Finisterra, to a small group of islands at the mouth of Banderas Bay called the Tres Mariettas.  On the way we saw many humpback whales, turtles, boobies, rays, and fish of all sorts jumping.  I was thrilled to see more blue footed boobies in the bay this year, last time only the brown ones were here.  Also the increase in the number of sea turtles is obvious; there is a breeding/hatching program over in Nuevo Vallarta.  They are everywhere.

This mom and calf were heading right in front of us, we stopped and turned away.

The girls can join this group at 8 yrs. old, this young lady is having her first event.  Note they ride sidesaddle, and somehow manage to stay clean in this dusty area!  They crown them with sombreros and flowers by their parents.

 Next, our friends Tom and MaryEllen arrived from San Diego for a stay with us in La Cruz.  We were glad that they got a chance to come down and visit as the trip down from San Diego to Ensenada, on which they accompanied us, was not especially a fun one.  So, we hit all the local taco bars, Philo's for music, and just relaxed with them for a few days.  We also traveled to Bucerias to watch a horse show or dancing horses.  It sounded like a lot of fun.  After arriving at the supposed start time, we waited and waited and waited.  Two and a half hours later we decided to leave.  Apparently the band was late, although they did finally show up and the "music" was loud and cacophonous.  Worse than the piped in music which was played for some reason at earsplitting levels. There was a procession of finely dressed girls on horseback, a blessing of the event by a priest, and crowning of the new queen of the rodeo.  I guess the rodeo started much later...

Ok, now how to get the sails off and the mast out of the water???

Safely back at the dock.  

      During this time one event did occur that was unexpected.   We went out sailing one afternoon on a friends' boat, there were 6 of us on board.  Lovely day, and the wind was just picking up.  Suddenly, kaboom!  The mast broke in half and was now dangling in the water with sails dragging all about.  Thankfully, no one was hurt, and there were enough capable people on board to get the mainsail off, the jib stowed alongside the rail, and lift the mast and roller furler out of the water so we could motor into the marina.  It was a tense situation which was solved nicely by those on board.  This was a first for me, but Leif has been in many emergency situations and was a great help to the owner in organizing the logistics.

Dinner at Cruzers restaurant.  Tom, Mary Ellen, Leif, Lisa, Ed, Connie

   That evening a group of usl met at the Cruzer's restaurant for some dinner and a chance to decompress.  Now our friends were all heading back to the states for various reasons, so we decided to move out to the anchorage for some space and quiet time.  It's a little rolly but not bad.  We also get the chance to make water and take the dinghy into shore daily.  Our friends Wolf and Judy are staying at a lovely condo nearby which has a swimming pool.  So, they invited us over for a delicious dinner, Mexican train, and the chance to swim finally!

There are dogs absolutely everywhere down here.

 The anchorage is a bit sketchy for swimming as we're not sure everyone uses their holding tank.  I did finally blow up the kayak and did a tour of the anchorage for some exercise.  As I passed our boat I noticed that it looks a bit cruizy as there is a dinghy and a kayak both bobbing off the stern.  And, yes we have our sun covers all deployed as it's hotter than blue blazes, as my mom would say.  Probably only 85-89, but really humid from noon until 6 p.m.
  As I sit here and type, outside I hear the sound gulls laughing, and dolphins blowing right next to our boat.  Sure enough, there is a small pod circling us, rising and falling with the gentle swell.  Nice to be out here at anchor.

Just another beautiful sunrise at the anchorage, looking towards Puerto Vallarta.  There are clouds today, perhaps not quite as hot.

Scenes from around La Cruz

We have been enjoying La Cruz for over a week now, and have started to venture out to other areas as well.  The boat jobs have been accomplished; varnish, wax, clean, etc.  Bryan Savage's show was excellent, and we see him in the mornings as well out walking.

Local dancers at the Sunday marketplace.

A day in the life at Marina Nayarit.  Dogs swimming, fishermen fixing nets, sailboats arriving.

   One event was the engine belt replacement, which ended up taking 3 long days of searching refactionarias (auto stores) for the right size.  This can be challenging as one needs either a car, or endless bus trips. Fortunately our friends on Sirena ferried us all over creation to find the right belt.

Band practice at 5a.m.

On one early morning( 5a.m.), after a late night, we were awakened by a rather loud Mexican band playing.  Since we couldn't sleep with the music playing, we went for a walk to find it's source.  Alas, in the middle of town, on a corner, there was a small band set up practicing their music.  We still don't know what the occasion was, but they were quite good.  Probably had jobs and the only time for all to get together to practice was 5 a.m.
  Yesterday we took a cab and a bus into Puerto Vallarta, stopping to drop off some blankets that we definitely don't need down here at the local DHL delivery service.  $200. later, our 2 packages will arrive in the states in 3 days.  Most expensive blankets we ever bought!  But, space is more valuable on the boat.  Then, on to PV for some lunch with Wolf and Judy, friends of ours from our first trip down.  I ran into Judy in the bano in Cabo on our way down last time, then caught up with them later in La Cruz.  We had a nice lunch at a very American/Canadian place called the Cheeky Monkey.  I wouldn't exactly recommend it, but it did have $1 beers.  Afterwards we walked the malecon, the beach, stopped for some local students presenting folkloric dances and later an art walk in old town.  It was quite a busy afternoon and evening, and ended with a bus ride back to Bucerias and a collectivo after that.  Collectivo's are mini vans that are a blend of taxi and bus for the local folks.  They are cheaper than a taxi, but more expensive than a bus.

As we were already up, we took a long walk and saw this fellow near the beach.

   I'm still a little unhappy that I haven't gone swimming yet, but soon.  It's my own fault, I need to pump up the kayak and get myself out into the bay for some clean water, and hopefully no sea snakes or sharks.  Yes, they do have sea snakes here.  I saw a lovely yellow and black banded one last trip down.

The view from La Cruz across Banderas Bay to Puerto Vallarta.  Quite clear this year.

   Also... after much thinking and wine, we have come to the conclusion that it might be better to stay in Mexico, go back up into the Sea of Cortez this spring and not head south until next fall.  We didn't get to see as much as we had hoped the last time, so this would give us a better chance to see more.  Also, it would give us a head start towards heading south in the fall, and we could make it to Panama in one season, not having to stay the summer in El Salvador or Costa Rica, yet have time to tour and visit. We shall see...  

Cabo San Lucas to Punta de Mita and on to La Cruz

Jan. 23, 2014
We left Cabo at 10:30 a.m. after refueling at a very busy fuel dock.  Motoring out we passed a large cruise ship which was surrounded by pangas waiting to swallow up the passengers and take them ashore.  The sea temp. was 77 degrees, and light winds.  We had wondered where the flying fish were, and after several hours of motoring, a few flying fish took off ahead of our bow.  They traveled for about 100 yards and then dove back down.  The only remains we found on deck were some small squid that were flung up with a  bow wave.  One had the misfortune of landing on our bimini, leaving an ink stain behind as a memento.

One of our flying friends who joined us along the way to La Cruz.

   We sailed for two days and nights, with the seas starting out calm and flat and ending with a cross swell and 12-14 knots of wind abeam.  For some reason, we both were quite tired on this leg, and couldn't wait to hit Punta de Mita to get the hook down and get some rest.  We did see some Blue Footed Boobies finally, and Humpback whales and of course dolphins.  Arriving at the Tres Mariettas at midnight, we motored on to Punta de Mita and arrived at 2:30 a.m.  This is not my favorite thing to do, arrive in darkness, but we were careful when entering the anchorage and got the anchor to set quickly.  Ah, finally in Banderas Bay, and almost La Cruz, our favorite place to hang our hats for awhile.

The view of a small enclave near Marina Riviera Nayarit, and La Cruz, from the anchorage.

  Morning came and we woke up around 9:00, sat around for awhile then decided that we really wanted to be in La Cruz, so off we went.  We did have wifi, and cell service, so checked emails briefly as well.  The anchorage in La Cruz was really crowded, about 48 boats, but we found a nice spot to ourselves near the entrance to the marina.  There was a huge swell running and some boats were talking about moving as it was supposed to get even bigger.  The waves sent up huge spray along the coast as we traveled from the point.
On the VHF we heard Sirena calling another boat, so Leif hailed them, our friends Connie and Ed.  Alas, we met them for "tacos on the street" one of our favorite places to eat that serves rib eye tacos for about a dollar each.  And now they also serve wine, beer, and margaritas, used to have to bring your own if you wanted something stronger than coke.
   The next morning, Sunday, it was time for the weekly open air market, so no rest, off we went.  It's great to be back here, seeing many old friends and already meeting many new ones.  Today we are having the hull and topside washed and waxed for $200., this would be over twice this much in Calif.  Also someone in to check the refrigerator which is now working great, unfortunately.  He can't fix it if it won't quit.
Tonight we are meeting with friends at the new restaurant called "Oso's" to see Bryan Savage, an excellent sax and flute player.  Tomorrow it's off to Philo's for some pizza and live music as well.  Gotta love this place.  We did notice that many boats have left already, which is a good thing.  We are thinking that we will head south this year after all.  Probably leave mid-February and get as far as we can before hurricane season.  It's so cool to wake up and here the Mexican music from the boat worker's radios.

Ensenada to Bahia de Bartolome (Turtle Bay), and on to Cabo San Lucas

Jan. 16, 2014
Dawn brought a beautiful sunny, windless day.  I walked to the nearby 7-11 to get some bags of ice just prior to leaving.  We left the dock at 10:30 a.m., motored out of the harbor and set sails and cut the engine.  We had good wind for about an hour, then it was on the nose, so on went the engine.  We had a two day and night passage to Turtle bay ahead.  On the way we saw several whales, grey's and humpbacks, lots of dolphins and birds.  Not many ships or yachts this trip.  We entered Turtle bay, dropped anchor and thought we'd have a nap then get fuel.  This was not to be as it was high tide and the fuel dock is in shallow water, so we raised anchor and motored over for fuel.  At this point, we decided it was just as easy to nap while moving, so off we went to Cabo.

It was difficult to see where the ocean ended and the sky began.

   As we motored onward, we noticed a strange thing... our refrigerator and freezer were colder than 32 degrees, hence it was working!  Odd, but good.
   We motored onward with little or no wind, which is  also strange, it's usually howling off Baja.  As we crossed towards Bahia Santa Maria, the seas were glass-like and hundreds of turtles were sun bathing.  It was difficult to miss them with the boat.  The sea temps were quite warm, 70 degrees and rising.  Last time we passed this way it was 45 degrees!

Our yellow-fin tuna, near Turtle bay.

   As we approached Cabo, the air and water were getting quite warm, no more warm clothing and we put out the fishing line.  After an hour, we had two small Yellow-fin Tuna hit the feathers.  We released one and filleted the other for a later date.

Cabo in full swing, tourists enjoying a trip out for the day.

   Sailing overnight for so many days was a little challenging, but not too bad.  The night watches were fairly warm and a lovely moon to see by.  We arrived at Cabo San Lucas at midnight, checked in to our slip and went to sleep.  Ahh, to not be bouncing around while sleeping!  We awoke to pangas of cheering, clapping tourists driving by our boat on their way out to the arch rock for snorkeling.  This time Cabo seemed more welcoming, cheaper and not as noisy as the last time.  We ate several meals along the malecon, rested up and cleaned the salt off of the boat.  Two days here, then off to cross the Sea of Cortez and head to Punta de Mita and La Cruz.  

San Diego to Ensenada

January 12, 2014, Sunday
We had a wonderful time in San Diego visiting with our friends Tom, Mary Ellen, Dave and Jan.  T and ME, we met in La Cruz four years ago and have been enjoying our friendship ever since; and Dave and Jan owned Pendragon a Davidson 44 that Leif raced on, and I joined in later to be a part of the crew as well.  We ate, sailed, drank and generally caught up on things past and present.  Then it was time to leave, and we were fortunate to have Tom and Mary Ellen join us on the leg to Ensenada.

Leif and Tom discussing the ipad navigation system.  Very state of the art!

  We all met at the dock at SDYC at 6 a.m. for an early start, hoping to arrive in time for celebratory cervezas y refrescos.  Well, it was foggy, cold, and no wind.  Lovely start.  Then the wind filled in, but from astern and so we motor-sailed the entire way.  It was a cold, windy cloudy day.  Not what the Dr. ordered. Just east of the Coronado islands we had a surprise inspection from the Mexican Navy.  They appeared out of no where, and hailed us to stop and allow them to come aboard.  There were about 10 of them, many with large weapons, so who's going to complain?  We tied up in very bouncy seas, and they were formal yet friendly, only wanting our documentation, and to know where we would check into Mexico.  Still, not a fun experience.  Once we arrived, we cleaned up and went to Sano's, an excellent restaurant owned by T & ME's friend Juan Hussong, who also joined us for dinner.  After a fantastic meal we were driven back to the boat by Juan and hit the sack.  It was a very special night having such good friends to dine with.

Mary Ellen and Tom, from cold and foggy to beautiful sunny morning.

  We then said good bye to Tom and Mary Ellen, who took the bus back to San Diego while we checked into Mexico.  Upon arriving at the Capitania de Puerto, we met one of the fellows from the Navy boat that inspected us, all smiles, and we were grateful that we did what we said we were going to do.    One more event for us was a wine country tour that we had heard was excellent.  And, it was. I expected strong rich wines similar to Paso Robles, but no, very refined and smooth.  Not rough at all.   We went to L.A. Cetto, Adobe Guadalupe, and J.C. Bravo.  These ranged from large production like Californian wineries to exclusive/expensive to a small winery run by one gentleman who produces one red and one white, but very good.
   Our one glitch was that on the evening prior to leaving our refrigerator decided to not turn on.  Bummer as we had a full freezer of meat and frozen dishes.  So, I gave some away on the dock, and went in search of ice and a cheap ice chest for cold drinks on our trip south.  We have plenty of food that's not in need of cold, but it would have been so nice!

Arriving at Cruiseport marina in Ensenada, wearing long pants and jackets for one of the last times in awhile.

We are off to see the wizard, or whatever appears along the way!

We left Alamitos Bay in dense fog on January 3.  I asked Leif if we were out of the jetties yet, and he said "Oh yes, we're off of Seal Beach".  Thank heavens for radar!  We headed for Newport Beach, not such a long way, but still a beginning of our new journey.  It stayed socked in fog until we were off of the Huntington Beach power plant.  Arriving at the American Legion Yacht Club in Newport we tied up to the guest dock and sorted out the boat.  We had two days of friends dropping in to visit and help send us off.  Thank you to: Craig, Liz, Steve, Muffy, Marlane, Chris, Beverly, Steve, Koren, Greg, Lon, Mark, Maria, Susie, Craig and Shelly.  We are truly grateful for all of our friends.

The American Legion Yacht Club in Newport Beach at high tide.

  On Jan.5th we left Newport for Dana Point, and had a hot, sunny sail which reminded us both of our final destination.  It was amazing to be sunbathing in January!  We arrived in DP at 3:00 p.m. and anchored for the night.  Morning arrived early, 4:00 a.m. our alarm clocks went off and we left by 5:00 a.m. bound for San Diego, and Southwestern Yacht Club.  On our way down we encountered several whale pods, one of humpbacks and one of grays near Point Loma, and another near Laguna Beach farther north.  It was a wonderful sight to see, and very uplifting as we set off.

Leaving Newport Beach for the last time.  Fashion Island in the background.  Such an odd feeling!

 

Sunrise over Camp Pendleton and Oceanside on our way from Dana Point.  I love being at sea in the mornings, and even seeing the stars prior to sunrise.  It makes me feel alive. 

 Southwestern YC is a welcoming yacht club, with a new clubhouse and our friends Tom and MaryEllen there to catch our lines as we arrived.  It seemed like old times as the last time we were here, we were on our way back from Mexico, and there were Tom and MaryEllen to welcome us.

Gray whale off of Point Loma, crossing our bow.  We stopped.  

   We spent three days at SWYC, some spent at T & ME's home and some on the boat.  Great food, great friends, and a fantastic West Marine store.  Our friends Jan and Dave from the yacht Pendragon also live down here and we got together for a fun time catching up and seeing their new Beneteau 473.  It's going to be hard to leave, but the best news is that Tom and MaryEllen are going to join us for the trip to Ensenada!  Tom and Leif are like two peas in a pod, both design boats, love sailing and can talk all day about past boats.  MaryEllen is a fantastic cook, and I'm hoping to learn a bit from her.  She and I get along so well, I even got my hair cut again by her stylist.
  We are moving to San Diego Yacht Club tomorrow, then off to Ensenada on Sunday.  Tomorrow we plan on playing Mexican Train at T& ME's and another lovely evening at their home with their mom who's 95 and doing well.  

Time is almost here... tick, tick, tick

We are cleaning the house after staying for a few weeks over Christmas with the dogs.  Now, back to the boat, finalize the stowage of every last bit and piece that we can cram aboard, and set sail for our next destination of the American Legion Yacht Club in Newport Beach.  Such a long distance sail!  But, one last stop to say hello/goodbye to our friends that have been so supportive of our long distance friendships.
    Then, on Jan. 6 we will be off for San Diego for a brief stay to see our friends, and a stay at Southwestern Y.C., and then... off to Ensenada!!!  Finally!  With luck, some good friends will be joining us for the trip to Ensenada as well.  So, stay tuned, the travels are about to begin!

Finisterra resting at Avalon a few weeks ago.

Trial run at Avalon, Catalina

We are inching ever closer to our departure date.  That is how it appears at times, then at others it's as if we are barreling headfirst down a rapid in a stream.  We decided that due to some excellent weather, we would head to Avalon for a test sail.  The newly installed solar panels, re-wire of the entire battery panel, and newly added reefing system all needed to be checked out prior to departing.  And... we have some freebies from the West End Cruising Club at the Isthmus that need to be used up! 
   So, off we went, motor-sailing across the channel on an 75 degree day in December with 10-14 knots of northerly wind.  Arriving in the early afternoon, we settled into an un-crowded Avalon harbor for a few days.  The winds were supposed to be up a bit, giving us pause as to whether to sail around to Cat harbor on the backside for protection from the Santa Ana winds.  Fortunately it died down out here and it was fabulous.


Leif with his competition!!

Christmas lights and sunset over Avalon.

   Day one found us up early, hoping for a Cape Canyon tour around the inside of Catalina on a Hum-V, passing over dirt hiking trails and seeing areas that the tour busses don't get to see.  As we arrived at booth, we were told that the tour was cancelled due to no reservations, but tomorrow's tour would be available.  Bummer.   So, instead, we played mini-golf, and had a yummy breakfast ashore, as well as a very extensive walk up the hill to the Wrigley Botanical Gardens and back.  We didn't actually go into the gardens, as the mini-golf course gives an excellent account of many of the native plants around Catalina as you play each hole. 
   And, as to our solar replenishment of our batteries, we left the refrigerator running, some small appliances charging, and still returned to full charge on the battery panel.  So, success on that part.
   The next day again found us up early and off to try our luck at the Cape Canyon tour.  We succeeded in our quest, and jumped aboard an eco-fueled Hum V for a 4+ hour tour.  It was a bumpy ride past the many water storage ponds, many, many bison, lovely Cottonwood lined canyons and serene rocky beaches.  One would never know that much of this was on the island.

A captive bald eagle, injured and can't fly for more than a few seconds.

 There are many bald eagles which have been transplanted on the island, which replace the golden eagles that began taking over and eating the small island foxes.  The foxes were close to extinction, so they created a program to help keep them from that fate.  Now there are many foxes, and bald eagles which eat fish and not foxes!  We did get to see one bald eagle and one golden eagle in pens as they were unfit to release into nature due to blindness and inability to fly. 

Shark's Cove on the backside of the island.

   One thing I forgot to mention was that the Carnival cruise ship Inspiration showed up anchored offshore in the morning.  I had never seen one anchored here, it was quite a sight, with the shore-boats constantly ferrying back and forth all day.  It was kind of a relief to see it set sail at 5 p.m. and the crowds diminish.  Great for the local economy, but it's so nice to be here as if on our own private island this time of year. 

Our very capable ride!

   Another interesting event is that the small squid appear to be in season for laying their eggs.  There are millions of them here, and this in turn attracts thousands of seagulls!  It's fascinating to watch the squid come to the surface for some unknown reason, and then the seagulls will dive and pick them off for dinner.  The bay is surrounded by circling gulls night and day!  We heard that one of the Cousteau family is here filming this event with lights at night.

Finisterra, surrounded by seagulls searching for squid!

A bit of a delay...

We had hoped to leave last week for San Diego and points beyond.  However, it was not to be.  We both had our physical check-ups and unfortunately Leif's showed a problem.  So, after a surgery, he's regaining his strength and we hope to be leaving in January.  The boat is sitting pretty, all ready for our departure.  And we had the time to spend with the dogs, and the house, and catch up on blogs!  Tomorrow we leave for Mammoth Mtn. not for skiing, but as a recuperative stay for Leif. 
   It's hell getting older, yet wiser.  I had hoped to be sending lovely pictures of warm places as of now, and that will happen soon.  Weird to be digging out all of our warm clothing and hiking boots instead of warm clothing and foul weather gear.  Life is full of changes, and we try to flow with them instead of fighting it and becoming depressed that we're not at Philo's yet.  Soon.  Philo's is a restaurant in La Cruz that has excellent food and live music Thursday through Saturday. 
   A month ago, in preparation for leaving, Leif decided that our rotomolded kayak wasn't a good addition to our foredeck.  It blocked some much needed room to blow up and launch our dinghy.  We had seen a Hobie 9i kayak over at Isthmus which looked intriguing.  It's an inflatable, 9', foot peddle kayak that seemed seaworthy and great for fishing.  Alas, I placed our practically new plastic kayak on consignment and purchased a Hobie.  Totally fun, it moves quickly, turns like a bus, but you can paddle it and turn more quickly.  And it deflates and can be stowed below in a cockpit locker, albeit in a rather large bundle. 
  

 



Our new Hobie 9i

Moving day is almost here!

We are planning on moving aboard this coming Tuesday, October 1st.  It is hard to believe the date is arriving so quickly.  I was rather bummed that the new West Marine store in Newport is just now opening, as we won't get to shop there due to our new location.  We did venture in last Friday, opening day, and it is a pretty amazing store.  Lot's of new stuff to tempt us, fortunately we don't have space onboard.
   Leif and I have both been packing up the house, mostly into bins in the garage.  It is incredible how much useless stuff one acquires but to throw it away?? Never!  Well, actually yes, we've dumped quite a bit of things, clothes, office supplies, garden stuff.  We are so glad that our house/dog sitter from our last trip will be staying again and keeping Casey and Woody happy and healthy.
   Leif has installed the solar panels on to the stern, above the bimini on their own rail.  He also has added a lee board divider in the aft cabin... shaped, sanded, varnished...   It all takes time.  I have been packing up some food, using the food saver once again.  I'm not going overboard with the food this time, as we arrived back in the states with some of the stuff we left with.  However, Ding Dongs will definitely be onboard.  Thank you to whoever bought Hostess!  And of course lots of wine, esp. Mezza Corona Pinot Grigio, Leif's favorite stand by, and a few reds for me.  We discovered that Argentinian wines are sold in Mexico and are pretty decent. 
   Today Leif is going back down to the boat to hook up the solar panels and organize some of the lockers.  Even though the boat is larger, it has less storage than the Honcho.  A bit hard to believe, but we slept in the aft cabin and used the V berth for all sorts of storage.  We're switching that this time, and so far it seems a tighter fit.
  I have been teaching 7th and 8th grade over the past two weeks.  It was an absolute joy to meet the new students and be a part of their lives for a couple of weeks.  They are really nice young people, on the other hand, it's a relief to know that I can now focus entirely on the boat and house. 
   Last trip I was suffering from the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, and it seemed a long road to feeling better and able to even hang on to the boat rails.  It was a bit disconcerting that if I needed to grab something to hang on to, I couldn't.  Now, several years later and with the help of medicine, I am feeling almost normal? and have been working on the boat, golfing, even surfed once.  So, this will be an easier start for me.  No more on that. 
Pictures to come soon, I've been negligent with the camera, and those I did take were deleted.