Getting the Hang of Cruising

Barra de Navidad, Jalisco/Colima, Mexico
January 29, 2010

I think the fact that we just hung out on our anchor in the Barra Lagoon for 9 days and didn't even bat an eye means that we might be getting the hang of this cruising thing.  I have always had a hard time imagining long stretches at anchor in the same place, but it didn't seem to a problem.

Sunset in Barra de Navidad                        Austin gets a picture of the rest of us              Sunlight through the waves

The provisioning was easy in Barra.  One of the hotels (the Sands) has a bulkhead where they welcome cruisers to tie up their dinghies.  They also have internet and really good cheap food.  From there it is an easy walk to tiendas (little stores), lavendrias (laundries), feraterias (little hardware stores) and the bus.  There is a beach strip with lots of restaurants, though we only tried a couple because we try to stay within our budget by not eating out.  We did spurge a couple of mornings on the "French Baker" who delivers fresh pastries to the boats in the anchorage from his panga every morning before he goes surfing (sometimes with our friends on Delos)!  We also went out with the adults for a night on the town to listen to some jazz and classic rock.

 Dinghy Parking at the Sands 

Grand Hotel Resort

Brad and I went exploring to a town on the other end of the bay called Melaque while the boys played on their friend, Josh's boat for the afternoon.  We took the bus to the near edge of town and walked to the far end on the beach.  We stopped at a beach bar that had the best pina coladas that I have ever had.  They were more like a milkshake with rum (it was even served in an old fashioned milkshake glass).  At the end of the beach, there was a really nice promenade/sea wall that swung around to protecting point.  We never got the story, but the promenade was well built, but seemed sort of abandoned.  At it's beginning (after the trailer park on the edge of town), there was a dilapidated palapa restaurant or bar situated up on top of a big rock.  At one time, there was power and water to it and it had a cool curving stairway up to it.  Now the roof has fallen in and it is inaccessible.  A little farther down the way was a small ampitheatre where people could listen to music or what-not with the bay as the backdrop.  There was even a lookout at the end of the promenade.  We climbed down from it to the beach and checked out the fishermen's shrine which was on an isolated rock with a rusting steel bridge out to it.

 Melaque (end of town to the point)
 

Besides all this activity in Barra, we also had the good fortune to be hosted for a couple of afternoons at the big resort's pool by other cruisers who were staying in the marina.  It was a good thing, because we couldn't swim in the water of the lagoon as it was just too icky.  One the boats in the marina, Oso Blanco, hails from Minnesota and threw a football bash to root on the Vikings in the playoffs.  The overtime was exciting, but we were all bummed by the outcome.  However, it was fun to do something sooooo American!
We are heading to Zihuatanejo currently and will probably stop in Manzanillo and maybe even a couple of spots along the way.

Aquarium, Beach and Jungle

Tenacatita, Jalisco, Mexico
January 19, 2010

We have been in Tenacatita for the last couple of days. On our way into the inner bay, we stopped for a couple of hours at the "Aquarium" for a snorkel. We anchored along side TOTEM and took their dinghy and our kayak to the rocks known for lots of fish and great snorkeling. Everyone was in the water with masks and fins including Siobhan (5) and Mairen (7) who have just started snorkeling along with everyone else. We saw tons of great fish and while Behan and I were getting a bit of exercise swimming back to the anchored boats, she and the boys (Bryce, Austin and Niall) who were in the kayak got a good look at a spotted eagle ray. Before evening set in, we pulled anchors and motored around the corner to the inner bay.

You asked for more pictures . . . . here they are!  We are trying out our new waterproof camera:

 

From the anchorage, we were spotted on our approach to anchor by Mulan. But as seems to always be the case, they were getting ready to leave just as we pulled in. There was time for a beer and catching up with them - we really haven't seen them since my birthday party in La Paz. It is too bad they left, because we spent the entire next afternoon on the beach with the other families who have kids. Six families total including the crews of Sabbatical, Ohana, Oso Blanco and Evergreen played in the waves all after afternoon. The kids all slept well last night.

Kids at the Beach Day

The adult part of the kid beach afternoon

Today we went on the legendary "jungle tour" - unlike San Blas, we did this one in our own dingy. After winding through the mangroves for about an hour, we ended up in a lagoon that is just behind the beach town of Tenacatita (which is actually located in the outer anchorage where we had been snorkeling at the "aquarium"). There was a great tienda with the best oranges I have seen in weeks, great Washington Anjou pears and Granny Smith apples. You'd think that all that imported fruit would have cost me an arm and a leg, but I really stocked up and still spent less than $10 American. My frugal side loves shopping in the little tiendas here even though you never know what you are going to able to get. Cravings for hamburgers and french fries were satisfied at one of the beach bars and then it was a quick trip back out through the mangrove to the boat (we were headed out on the outgoing tide so that we could still make it across the estuary's sand bar under motor). We have pulled our anchor and are now en route around a corner and into Barra de Navidad's lagoon where we plan to spend the next few days.

Before we headed into the estuary, the Gifford family spots wildlife . . . . . . . . . . .  a huge spotted eagle ray!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baker Family up the estuary spotted a baby cocodrillo (crocodile) basking in the sun and Sally-light-foot crabs in mangroves

Brad has really been enjoying this part of our trip because this is the area where he got to spend a few days with the Giffords on Totem last February on a business trip.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

Same Bat-time . . . . . . . .

Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico

January 23, 2010

Science Friday (we are Ira Flatow inspired) may be an addition to our curriculum as its first installment, Bat Day, was a screeching success.  I can’t take any credit for this one, but I can so glad that we had the chance to go along for the ride.  Thank you, Oso Blanco! 

We were invited to head into the marina to the boat Oso Blanco where Ann had ready for us an entire lesson on bats.  There were eight “students” between the ages of 4 years old and 11 and a half.  The kids colored bat pictures, then we learned some bat facts by acting them (a resemblance to charades could be imagined).  At the tail end of a “Stellaluna” video, we watched a bat expert went over a few more bats facts and myths in a very kid friendly way.  Finally, it was time for the field trip to the other side of the marina where bats “hung out” in an abandoned building.  Luckily, we had some dads with us who were more than willing to go on a bat hunt.  We found bats immediately and the kids were thrilled.  They checked out a bunch of the rooms and found more bats.  With their bat radar on high alert, we then checked out the amphitheater next door just for the fun of it.  Sure enough, those kids even spotted a small cluster of bats holed up in the corner.

So it was a great afternoon, the kids had fun and they probably even learned something!

 

Aquarium, Beach and Jungle

Tenacatita, Jalisco, Mexico
January 19, 2010

We have been in Tenacatita for the last couple of days. On our way into the inner bay, we stopped for a couple of hours at the "Aquarium" for a snorkel. We anchored along side TOTEM and took their dinghy and our kayak to the rocks known for lots of fish and great snorkeling. Everyone was in the water with masks and fins including Siobhan (5) and Mairen (7) who have just started snorkeling along with everyone else. We saw tons of great fish and while Behan and I were getting a bit of exercise swimming back to the anchored boats, she and the boys (Bryce, Austin and Niall) who were in the kayak got a good look at a spotted eagle ray. Before evening set in, we pulled anchors and motored around the corner to the inner bay.
From the anchorage, we were spotted on our approach by Mulan, but as seems to be the case, they were getting ready to leave just as we pulled in. There was time for a beer and catching up with them - we really haven't seen them since my birthday party in La Paz. It is too bad they left, because we spent the entire next afternoon on the beach with the other families who have kids. Six families total including the crews of Sabbatical, Ohana, Oso Blanco and Evergreen played in the waves all after afternoon. The kids all slept well last night.
Today we went on the legendary "jungle tour" - unlike San Blas, we did this one in our own dingy. After winding through the mangroves for about an hour, we ended up in a lagoon that is just behind the beach town of Tenacatita (which is actually located in the outer anchorage where we had been snorkeling at the "aquarium"). There was a great tienda with the best oranges I have seen in weeks, great Washington Anjou pears and Granny Smith apples. You'd think that all that imported fruit would have cost me an arm and a leg, but I really stocked up and still spent less than $10 American. My frugal side loves shopping in the little tiendas here even though you never know what you are going to able to get. Cravings for hamburgers and french fries were satisfied and then it was a quick trip back out through the mangrove to the boat (we were headed out on the outgoing tide so that we could still make it across the estuary's sand bar under motor). We have pulled our anchor and are now en route around a corner and into Barra de Navidad's lagoon where we plan to spend the next few days.
Brad has really been enjoying this part of our trip because this is the area where he got to spend a few days with the Giffords on Totem last February on a business trip.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

Shipwreck

Chamela Anchorage, Jalisco, Mexico
January 17, 2010

It wasn't a "ship" wreck more like a panga wreck (pangas are the ubiquitous Mexican fishing/work boat that are everywhere here). As durable and seaworthy as these boats seem, they evidently sink every once in awhile. We were getting ready to pull our anchor in order to check out a supposedly great snorkel spot behind some islands on the other side of the bay and all of the sudden the windlass loaded up and the bow dipped. Totem continued to pull their anchor and headed off towards the islands (it's always a race). We tried running the boat forwards and backwards to try and dislodge the chain from whatever it was caught on and when that didn't work, Brad decided to put on his mask and snorkel and see if he could see what we were suck on. That's when we found out that our anchor chain was wrapped completely around and over a submerged panga. After a couple of tries, we were able to let out more chain and unwind ourselves. The whole time we had a friends' boat standing by in the anchorage in case we needed their assistance. Meanwhile, Totem reached the snorkel spot and found that the swell would have made anchoring their questionable, so they had decided to return. We pulled up the anchor and found a new spot, while Totem re-anchored in their former spot. We all agreed that it was time for siestas (though the boys ended up swimming off Totem for awhile). We were just glad to be swinging freely far from the "shipwreck"!

Pangas on shore in the Chamela Anchorage

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

Squall!!!!

Chamela Anchorage, Jalisco, Mexico

January 15, 2010

Rainbow as the squall approaches the anchorage

Rain is big news for us here in Mexico. We are no longer in Banderas Bay where numerous people told us repeatedly that it doesn’t rain in December (yet we saw 5 days of rain). South of Cabo Corrientes where we are now, still has pretty nice weather but it is much more influenced by the Pacific Ocean.

This morning, Brad had his coffee in the cockpit noting puffy cumulous clouds to the west. They seemed to be coming ashore to the north of us a couple of hours later. However, the land around Chamela (like in Puget Sound) has mountains that seem to also affect the weather patterns.

We spent the morning watching the clouds build against the mountains and then pour down a small valley north of Chamela and right into our anchorage. No exciting pyrotechnics (thank goodness – being on a boat with a mast that sticks up 65 feet in the air) but the leading edge of the squall was characteristically a downpour.

About 20 minutes before the rain hit us, we got a nice rainbow over Chamela and after the hard rain, the boat has a couple of weeks worth of sand and salt washed off of it!

Back to Wandering

Sunset at Punta de Mita

Chamela Anchorage, Jalisco, Mexico
January 13, 2010

After a little over a month in Banderas Bay, we have resumed our wanderings. The last week on the anchor in La Cruz saw us getting our outboard problems resolved with a new used outboard. Much to the boys' delight, this engine is a 15hp and we can now plane with all four of us in the dinghy. We were also able to get the shaft repaired on the old 8hp outboard, so we have that one as a spare. Besides the usual provisioning and smaller projects, we celebrated Austin's 9th birthday with a slumber party that included pizza, cupcakes and a movie.
We spent a couple of rolly nights at Punta de Mita waiting for the weird weather pattern to sort itself out. The uncharacteristic rain is only part of the weird weather that this part of Mexico has been experiencing. Banderas Bay's usual like-clock work afternoon winds have been anything but usual. Some of the weekly evening races and weekenders have been canceled because there is just no wind on the horizon. They call it a "Pineapple Express", but I am not sure if it is related to the weather phenomenon of the same name back home. Anyway, we were lucky and the weather sorted itself out earlier than usual.
Our point of concern between Punta de Mita and Chamela - about 80 miles - was Cabo Corrientes where currents, wind and swell can combine to make a passage interesting. Things looked good for Tuesday, so we decided to head out at 4:00am to ensure that we would reach Chamela and be anchored before dark. I am happy to report that the trip was completely uneventful, although the wind was mostly too light for sailing. The highlights included, dolphins checking us out, turtle sightings, manta rays sunning themselves and jumping, and most exciting news is that Totem broke the mahi-mahi curse and caught us all dinner. Jamie would be upset if I didn't mention at this juncture that said dinner fish was 42 inches long!!! It has been over a month since I have had fresh fish and it tasted sooooo good.
Today is a beach day for us all. It has been awhile since we have been somewhere that we could actually get to the beach in the dinghies!

Whales between the boats and shore

Really cool manger scene in the village

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com