We had heard about the lazy, tropical Tenacatita days... spent languishing in the warm sun, snorkelling, kayaking, swimming from the boat to the beach, walking the long white-sand beach, playing Bocce in the sand between the tide lines, and enjoying cold cervesas and ceviche at the Palapa restaurant... and doing it all in the company of good friends. Yes, we had heard about those days. AND TODAY WE HAD ONE!!! Wow, what a great day!
We did all those things I just described...not quite as gracefully as some. There's nothing like the sight of CJ trying to scramble and flounce herself from the water, up onto the side of the dinghy and then into the dinghy without taking on the blubberous floundering of a beached mammal... to initiate a good laugh all around. And, the swim from ship to shore was more like a long-distance marathon swim, conducted in slow laborious motion.... but we did arrive in time for the stragglers portion of the beach walk...and, needless to say, we did not miss the cervesas.... and we got back in one piece (Kathy on the kayak and CJ in a kind gentleman's dinghy).
And, as the story goes, today (Dec. 28th) was a close repeat of yesterday... with the addition of birthday congratulations for one of the cruisers and a rousing game of Bocce, played by no less than 20 people (10 on each team). I must admit I'm not one of the stars... it takes supreme talent to throw/toss a Bocce ball, downhill on hard sand, praying all the while it will stop before hitting the water. Anyway, I have much to learn on that count. Aim's not too bad... velocity ... an entirely different issue :-)
For now, know we are securely anchored, in the company of cruising friends, enjoying the beauty of Tenacatita. ''Tis true, we couldn't pull ourselves away to stick to the plan of going into the Barra marina on the 28th. Maybe on the 2nd. It's funny, the answer to the cruisers question "so when are you moving on, or back...? Is... "when we run out of food and water". We figure to be in need of fresh sustenance in or around the 2nd... we think :-)
Oh, must go. The BBQ is waiting for it's offering. Hope all is well with each of you and you're having a peaceful and healthy time finishing off 2017. Internet here is intermittent so I don't know when you'll get this. More will follow... sometime.
Adios for now. Or TTFN (Ta Ta For Now). CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Not a Blog.... but?
Sat. Dec. 23, 2017
OK, so this isn't your usual up to date and timely blog posting. It is, instead, as good as I can produce with no internet for several days. I've started this 'report' on Saturday evening, Dec. 23rd because I just can't help myself. I so wish I could plug each and every one of you into my brain... to see what I see and to feel what I feel... when I gaze out upon the tropical anchorage we have acquired.
Kathy has posted a wonderful piece about our journey down from Banderas Bay to Tenacatita. Considering the various challenges we've faced (mostly equipment failures and maintenance) we are delighted to be here.... finally. We are so pleased in fact, that we have declined the opportunity to continue on into Barra de Navidad for the annual cruisers potluck Christmas dinner. Yup, 85 of our cruising friends (old, new, and not made yet).
Ooo. News break, news break: just received a wonderful, loving message from Marg (Kathy's mom) over the SSB. Thanks Marg. Our weather is good and we're catching up our rest AND Kathy has fixed our electrical problem.
Oh, and I have to tell you... we have a little Christmas wreath hanging in the cabin, on the mast. We purchased it from an older Mexican woman in La Cruz. It's kind of nice, and it sparkles reflections when hit by certain light. We will be mounting our Christmas cards all around it on the mast when we open them.
OK, back to my story...now, where was I? Oh yes, as I mentioned we decided not to continue on to Barra de Navidad for the Christmas potluck dinner; for several reasons. Firstly, we were exhausted when we arrived and all too happy to sink our hook into the bottom of Bahia Tenacatita. Secondly, before leaving La Cruz we heard about a southerly weather system due in this area around the 28th. We thought being securely tied into a beautiful marina at the entrance to Barra by then sounded pretty good, so we made reservations. That being said, whether we head there on the 27th or 28th (so we can see some of our friends returning to Tenacatita after Christmas dinner before we leave) remains to be seen.
For now, we are content to enjoy this beautiful anchorage... quite beautiful, with only 5 other boats anchored around us, and the gentle purr of the surf as it rolls up onto the nearby beach. Picture that, if you can, and then add Frigate birds wheeling overhead as they scout for fish filets.
I must go now, but will return to this posting tomorrow. Oh did I mention? The water is at least 85 and we ve been jumping in every couple hours.... fantastic !!
Tuesday, Dec. 26th. Well, what a Christmas Day we had yesterday. We awoke to be one of three boats in the anchorage and had a lovely, peaceful morning. Then, to our delight, about 1030 hrs. in came SV Ponga... friends of ours who had been in Barra but then decided to play hooky and join us back in Tenacatita. By 1330 we had been for a swim off the boat (it's like swimming in your bathtub.... delightfully warm) and visiting on Ponga with two other couples.
Today was a page out of the 'book of dreams'. After a little work on the reefing system, I accepted a ride into the beach (still not feeling too great about braving breaking surf... either as a swimmer or a kayaker) and Kathy rode the waves into the beach. There we enjoyed the company of other cruisers, played some Bocce in the sand, enjoyed cerviche and cold cervesas, and generally relaxed in the tropical atmosphere of Bahia Tenacatita. Tomorrow we hope to do some snorkelling, exploring by dinghy and More swimming. There is nothing quite like being able to jump into the water off your boat, at a moments notice, and land in warm water... ahh.... we are so spoiled.
This is getting kind of,long, somwill,try to send it along. Hope all is well with each of you and you are resting comfortably after a spendiferous Christmas Day.
TTFN. CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
OK, so this isn't your usual up to date and timely blog posting. It is, instead, as good as I can produce with no internet for several days. I've started this 'report' on Saturday evening, Dec. 23rd because I just can't help myself. I so wish I could plug each and every one of you into my brain... to see what I see and to feel what I feel... when I gaze out upon the tropical anchorage we have acquired.
Kathy has posted a wonderful piece about our journey down from Banderas Bay to Tenacatita. Considering the various challenges we've faced (mostly equipment failures and maintenance) we are delighted to be here.... finally. We are so pleased in fact, that we have declined the opportunity to continue on into Barra de Navidad for the annual cruisers potluck Christmas dinner. Yup, 85 of our cruising friends (old, new, and not made yet).
Ooo. News break, news break: just received a wonderful, loving message from Marg (Kathy's mom) over the SSB. Thanks Marg. Our weather is good and we're catching up our rest AND Kathy has fixed our electrical problem.
Oh, and I have to tell you... we have a little Christmas wreath hanging in the cabin, on the mast. We purchased it from an older Mexican woman in La Cruz. It's kind of nice, and it sparkles reflections when hit by certain light. We will be mounting our Christmas cards all around it on the mast when we open them.
OK, back to my story...now, where was I? Oh yes, as I mentioned we decided not to continue on to Barra de Navidad for the Christmas potluck dinner; for several reasons. Firstly, we were exhausted when we arrived and all too happy to sink our hook into the bottom of Bahia Tenacatita. Secondly, before leaving La Cruz we heard about a southerly weather system due in this area around the 28th. We thought being securely tied into a beautiful marina at the entrance to Barra by then sounded pretty good, so we made reservations. That being said, whether we head there on the 27th or 28th (so we can see some of our friends returning to Tenacatita after Christmas dinner before we leave) remains to be seen.
For now, we are content to enjoy this beautiful anchorage... quite beautiful, with only 5 other boats anchored around us, and the gentle purr of the surf as it rolls up onto the nearby beach. Picture that, if you can, and then add Frigate birds wheeling overhead as they scout for fish filets.
I must go now, but will return to this posting tomorrow. Oh did I mention? The water is at least 85 and we ve been jumping in every couple hours.... fantastic !!
Tuesday, Dec. 26th. Well, what a Christmas Day we had yesterday. We awoke to be one of three boats in the anchorage and had a lovely, peaceful morning. Then, to our delight, about 1030 hrs. in came SV Ponga... friends of ours who had been in Barra but then decided to play hooky and join us back in Tenacatita. By 1330 we had been for a swim off the boat (it's like swimming in your bathtub.... delightfully warm) and visiting on Ponga with two other couples.
Today was a page out of the 'book of dreams'. After a little work on the reefing system, I accepted a ride into the beach (still not feeling too great about braving breaking surf... either as a swimmer or a kayaker) and Kathy rode the waves into the beach. There we enjoyed the company of other cruisers, played some Bocce in the sand, enjoyed cerviche and cold cervesas, and generally relaxed in the tropical atmosphere of Bahia Tenacatita. Tomorrow we hope to do some snorkelling, exploring by dinghy and More swimming. There is nothing quite like being able to jump into the water off your boat, at a moments notice, and land in warm water... ahh.... we are so spoiled.
This is getting kind of,long, somwill,try to send it along. Hope all is well with each of you and you are resting comfortably after a spendiferous Christmas Day.
TTFN. CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Hello from Bahia Tenacatita
Hi everyone, (Kathy here)
Just wanted to share this thought with you... many years ago (1999) Carolyn & I joined Blue Water Cruising and thus began our dream about the possibilities of sailing in Mexico. The thoughts of bobbing at anchor off a long white sandy beach, palm trees dotting the shoreline, palapa restaurants ashore offering cold cervezas and diving off the boat into lovely warm salty water prompted us to begin our preparations for what has become a multi-year sailing adventure.
Well, yesterday we arrived at one of the ultimate cruiser's Mexican winter playgrounds and were greeted by several dear cruising friends who came over by dinghy to welcome us with hugs and congratulations. Not every cruiser chooses to take on this section of coastline to make the journey south to Bahia Tenacatita. In 2011, when we sailed Shannon down the Pacific coast of North America, we were challenged by several natural landmarks. Safely rounding the major Capes of Washington, Oregon and California (Flattery, Conception, Blanco & Mendocino) requires careful route planning and close attention to the weather. Rounding Mexico's Cabo Corrientes is no less daunting.
During our last week before leaving the dock in La Cruz, we paid close attention to the wind and sea state forecasts provided by a variety of online marine weather sites. After a final consult with our best local weather resource (Mike from PV Sailing), we untied our docklines at noon on the 20th and spent the afternoon sailing across Banderas Bay. The time of our leaving and our cruising speed had been carefully calculated to see us rounding (the dreaded) Cabo Corrientes at sunset, when the afternoon Banderas Bay winds have typically died down and the seas are generally at their calmest.
Once we got there, we still had a nice 10-15 knot steady breeze and the seas were rolly and confused (as expected), but manageable. As we made our turn to head south, the wind and swells were behind us, so we reefed our main, partially furled our jib and hung on. This was a challenging leg, as our autohelm could not handle these conditions, so we took turns hand steering for the next 10 hours.
Throughout the night, we could see several other sailboats on our radar and AIS display. Presumably, they were as busy as we were, so there was little time for chitchat on the radio, but knowing that they were there was reassuring. Our route was planned for 5 miles off the coast as this was reported to keep us outside the local shrimpers and fishing pangas with their dangerous long lines. We could see their lights against the shoreline in the distance as we went by and kept careful watch on the radar for any that might have ventured out further. On AIS, we could see the cargo ships 20 miles out, on their way from Manzanillo to/from Ensenada, or La Paz, or Guaymas. So, as with our voyage down the U.S. coast, we had found our "middle route". It was a long night, but we were secure in the knowledge that we had done our research and made the best plan for us.
As the dawn began to slowly brighten the eastern sky, we were tired, but happy to know that we were at the halfway point. At 10 am, we adjusted our course to bring us gradually closer in to the coast. Shortly after noon, we were closing in to our waypoint which marked the approach to Bahia Tennacatita. As we rounded the rocks at the entrance to the bay, and made our preparations for anchoring, we heard a familiar voice calling Shannon Spirit on the VHF radio. Jane & Jeff (SV Adagio) are at anchor in nearby Barra de Navidad, enjoying the town and waiting for the annual cruiser's Christmas celebration. Jane had heard from our friends Marty & Murray (SV Ponga) that we were arriving soon and Jane was calling to see where we were.
82 people are signed up for the pot luck dinner and many games are planned. We've decided to pass on the party and are very happy to just settle in here and explore Tenacatita and wait for the group to return.
We are anchored in sand in 20 feet with great protection from the prevailing north winds. The water is so clear that we can see the bottom. 17 boats were here when we dropped anchor and several friends came along by dinghy to welcome us. On the VHF we heard Robert on SV Harmony of Alameda (the "Mayor of Tenacatita") announce the weekly "Dinghy Raftup" was to commence at 5:00 pm. Brett & Marna (SV Liahona) stopped by to offer that we join them in their dinghy (so we wouldn't have to drop ours and mount the outboard). While we were both exhausted, we knew this was an event that we didn't want to miss. We cleaned up the disarray left over from our 26 hour passage, had our traditional "landing rums", prepared our happy hour contribution and got into our bathing suits to have a much needed swim. We were hot and sweaty and the water was wonderfully refreshing. It was warm and clean and so salty that we floated easily. Afterwards, we put on clean clothes, were picked up by Brett & Marna and off we went to the Mayor's Raft Up. Robert and Virginia had arrived first and set an anchor from their dinghy. The other dinghies joined them in a circle by tying a line to theirs. There were about 10 dinghies in all and each contributed plates of delicious food which we passed around the circle. We reconnected with old friends and met new ones. Robert welcomed us all and congratulated everyone on accomplishing their goal of rounding Corrientes to make their way down to this piece of paradise. He asked us all to introduce ourselves and share a story of a Christmas memory. It was interesting to hear a bit of these people's lives. Many different adventures, lots of laughter and a few toasts to those who are no longer with us.
Quite a few boats left this morning for Barra de Navidad, but six of us are still here. We are looking forward to getting the kayak and dinghy into the water and spending several quiet days swimming, snorkeling, reading and walking the beach. It's time for some peaceful days at anchor in that beautiful tropical bay that we dreamed of all those years ago.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, wherever you are planning to spend it, and all the best in the year ahead. May your seas be calm and the wind in your sails be only as much as your desire.
Kathy & CJ
Shannon's Spirit
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Just wanted to share this thought with you... many years ago (1999) Carolyn & I joined Blue Water Cruising and thus began our dream about the possibilities of sailing in Mexico. The thoughts of bobbing at anchor off a long white sandy beach, palm trees dotting the shoreline, palapa restaurants ashore offering cold cervezas and diving off the boat into lovely warm salty water prompted us to begin our preparations for what has become a multi-year sailing adventure.
Well, yesterday we arrived at one of the ultimate cruiser's Mexican winter playgrounds and were greeted by several dear cruising friends who came over by dinghy to welcome us with hugs and congratulations. Not every cruiser chooses to take on this section of coastline to make the journey south to Bahia Tenacatita. In 2011, when we sailed Shannon down the Pacific coast of North America, we were challenged by several natural landmarks. Safely rounding the major Capes of Washington, Oregon and California (Flattery, Conception, Blanco & Mendocino) requires careful route planning and close attention to the weather. Rounding Mexico's Cabo Corrientes is no less daunting.
During our last week before leaving the dock in La Cruz, we paid close attention to the wind and sea state forecasts provided by a variety of online marine weather sites. After a final consult with our best local weather resource (Mike from PV Sailing), we untied our docklines at noon on the 20th and spent the afternoon sailing across Banderas Bay. The time of our leaving and our cruising speed had been carefully calculated to see us rounding (the dreaded) Cabo Corrientes at sunset, when the afternoon Banderas Bay winds have typically died down and the seas are generally at their calmest.
Once we got there, we still had a nice 10-15 knot steady breeze and the seas were rolly and confused (as expected), but manageable. As we made our turn to head south, the wind and swells were behind us, so we reefed our main, partially furled our jib and hung on. This was a challenging leg, as our autohelm could not handle these conditions, so we took turns hand steering for the next 10 hours.
Throughout the night, we could see several other sailboats on our radar and AIS display. Presumably, they were as busy as we were, so there was little time for chitchat on the radio, but knowing that they were there was reassuring. Our route was planned for 5 miles off the coast as this was reported to keep us outside the local shrimpers and fishing pangas with their dangerous long lines. We could see their lights against the shoreline in the distance as we went by and kept careful watch on the radar for any that might have ventured out further. On AIS, we could see the cargo ships 20 miles out, on their way from Manzanillo to/from Ensenada, or La Paz, or Guaymas. So, as with our voyage down the U.S. coast, we had found our "middle route". It was a long night, but we were secure in the knowledge that we had done our research and made the best plan for us.
As the dawn began to slowly brighten the eastern sky, we were tired, but happy to know that we were at the halfway point. At 10 am, we adjusted our course to bring us gradually closer in to the coast. Shortly after noon, we were closing in to our waypoint which marked the approach to Bahia Tennacatita. As we rounded the rocks at the entrance to the bay, and made our preparations for anchoring, we heard a familiar voice calling Shannon Spirit on the VHF radio. Jane & Jeff (SV Adagio) are at anchor in nearby Barra de Navidad, enjoying the town and waiting for the annual cruiser's Christmas celebration. Jane had heard from our friends Marty & Murray (SV Ponga) that we were arriving soon and Jane was calling to see where we were.
82 people are signed up for the pot luck dinner and many games are planned. We've decided to pass on the party and are very happy to just settle in here and explore Tenacatita and wait for the group to return.
We are anchored in sand in 20 feet with great protection from the prevailing north winds. The water is so clear that we can see the bottom. 17 boats were here when we dropped anchor and several friends came along by dinghy to welcome us. On the VHF we heard Robert on SV Harmony of Alameda (the "Mayor of Tenacatita") announce the weekly "Dinghy Raftup" was to commence at 5:00 pm. Brett & Marna (SV Liahona) stopped by to offer that we join them in their dinghy (so we wouldn't have to drop ours and mount the outboard). While we were both exhausted, we knew this was an event that we didn't want to miss. We cleaned up the disarray left over from our 26 hour passage, had our traditional "landing rums", prepared our happy hour contribution and got into our bathing suits to have a much needed swim. We were hot and sweaty and the water was wonderfully refreshing. It was warm and clean and so salty that we floated easily. Afterwards, we put on clean clothes, were picked up by Brett & Marna and off we went to the Mayor's Raft Up. Robert and Virginia had arrived first and set an anchor from their dinghy. The other dinghies joined them in a circle by tying a line to theirs. There were about 10 dinghies in all and each contributed plates of delicious food which we passed around the circle. We reconnected with old friends and met new ones. Robert welcomed us all and congratulated everyone on accomplishing their goal of rounding Corrientes to make their way down to this piece of paradise. He asked us all to introduce ourselves and share a story of a Christmas memory. It was interesting to hear a bit of these people's lives. Many different adventures, lots of laughter and a few toasts to those who are no longer with us.
Quite a few boats left this morning for Barra de Navidad, but six of us are still here. We are looking forward to getting the kayak and dinghy into the water and spending several quiet days swimming, snorkeling, reading and walking the beach. It's time for some peaceful days at anchor in that beautiful tropical bay that we dreamed of all those years ago.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, wherever you are planning to spend it, and all the best in the year ahead. May your seas be calm and the wind in your sails be only as much as your desire.
Kathy & CJ
Shannon's Spirit
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Boats dancing...
I'm sitting quietly, in the cockpit. Dinner is done and dark has fallen. The boats... well, they surge (gently tonight) back and forth on their lines. Some are heavier...move more slowly but with more power. They risk their cleats. Others, less heavy, dance lightly but with energy. They all move. It s a dance they do... and, while we sit secure but dancing... I can t help but compare.
At anchor, we dance as well. It's different though; we dance with each other. It's a constant movement around the anchor and in sinc (sort of) with others anchored near by.
We've just had a marvellous dinner. Kathy came home with a chunk of Ahi tuna fresh off the boat. Needless to say the first course was sashimi... followed by seared Ahi tuna and kale salad. Not bad hey... for a sailboat in Mexico. Combined with a glass of chilled white wine... well... it was awesome. We are two very lucky gals.
We ve had a good day... getting excited about leaving/moving on. The future awaits us.
Tomorrow will be a full day; getting our refrigeration recharged (fingers crossed that's all, it needs), topping up the water tanks, stripping off the tarps, readying the sails and stocking the cupboards... and saying goodbye for now to all our friends here.
Yes, we actually may have a window for leaving... If it comes to be, we will slip mid-day on Thursday and be in Tenacatita mid-day Friday. Keep your fingers crossed for us... thanks. Will let you know when we're sure we're on our way.
OK, have to go now. Kathy's just put some old Christmas songs on... I must go and sing (haha... do not be afraid).
Talk again soon. CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
At anchor, we dance as well. It's different though; we dance with each other. It's a constant movement around the anchor and in sinc (sort of) with others anchored near by.
We've just had a marvellous dinner. Kathy came home with a chunk of Ahi tuna fresh off the boat. Needless to say the first course was sashimi... followed by seared Ahi tuna and kale salad. Not bad hey... for a sailboat in Mexico. Combined with a glass of chilled white wine... well... it was awesome. We are two very lucky gals.
We ve had a good day... getting excited about leaving/moving on. The future awaits us.
Tomorrow will be a full day; getting our refrigeration recharged (fingers crossed that's all, it needs), topping up the water tanks, stripping off the tarps, readying the sails and stocking the cupboards... and saying goodbye for now to all our friends here.
Yes, we actually may have a window for leaving... If it comes to be, we will slip mid-day on Thursday and be in Tenacatita mid-day Friday. Keep your fingers crossed for us... thanks. Will let you know when we're sure we're on our way.
OK, have to go now. Kathy's just put some old Christmas songs on... I must go and sing (haha... do not be afraid).
Talk again soon. CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Monday, December 18, 2017
The puzzling situation was solved...
Thank you everyone for your wonderful suggestions as to what was troubling our PSS dripless shaft seal. I panicked a little bit when I saw it; had visions of having to pull the boat out in PV (can you say ching-ching)? Then I smartened up a little bit, contacted the manufacturer and sent them the photo.
I asked what they thought... before I emptied out the entire aft cabin so as to get at the little darling physically. They had no idea. So, I continued moving the cabin contents. I was afraid that somehow the carbon whatchamacallit was fraying because of a poor installation or something... which, of course, would require hauling the boat and reinstalling, or worse.
Anyway, I finally got to the little devil and reached out with a finger to touch one of the spikes... and, are you ready?? They all dissolved. The spikes were very fragile, crystal like, spikes of salt... formed I guess from the very fine moisture related to running hot and humid for 33 hours. They dissolved; I washed the area,and it all looks good as almost new. Phew!
We had some great responses about the photo and the question. The best one had us giggling enough I thought I'd like to share it with you. Thank you Murray and Marty and, yes, we'll see you in Tenacatita as soon as the next weather window for rounding Corrientes opens up for us. So now, for your reading pleasure, is an accounting of one situation that could explain the strange appearance of our PSS.
"Oh my God! You have the deadly shaft seal worms. Those little devils can sneak through the tiniest cracks and totally invade all your cracks and crannies, all the while spreading a sticky slime over everything they touch. Shaft seal worms have been known to crawl into crew's bunks and once warmed to body temperature, they crawl into the crew person through any orifice and over take their soul.
Once a crew person has become invaded by these wormy creatures they will start acting differently than normal.. An affected crew person may start enjoying being away from marinas, anchoring in quiet bays, swimming in 30 degree water and playing bocce ball on the beach.
I hope the worm gets you and we see you in Tenacatita soon." (Courtesy M&M)
We are now free of all creatures that we know of and enjoying the town of La Cruz. Getting around Cabo Corrientes can be a challenge due to high winds and waves... and so we wait... until the conditions match our skills (or at least won't challenge them too much). After all, we're not still doing this to prove we can, we're here to enjoy the experience. And, there are a lot worse places to wait for the weather to improve (we're in the midst of a series of rain and wind events) than the lovely little town of La Cruz.
In case you're wondering where that is, it's on the northern shores of Banderas Bay, north of Bucerius and Puerto Vallarta. Our journey will take us around the point of Corrientes on the way south, and then down the coast to Chamela, Tenacatita and Barra de Navidad.
That's all for now. Hope you're ready for Christmas and enjoying every day. And, beware of contact with shaft seal worms... unless, of course, you WANT to be driven mad and take up beach walking, bocce in sand, swimming ashore without spilling your margueritas and other sundry challenges.
Adios for now me amigas y amigos. CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Friday, December 15, 2017
PSS Seal mystery question...
The question is... "If you were busily checking your engine fluids (as I was, especially since our last run was 33 hot and humid hours long)... and you happened to glance back towards your one year old PSS dripless shaft seal (as I did)... and you saw it looking like the photo below.... would you immediately panic and haul the boat or would you figure out what it/they were???" All guesses welcome. Answer will follow a few days. :-). CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
La Cruz at last....
We slipped Mazatlan at 0800 hrs on Sunday morning as planned, along with friends Dick and Anne on Full and Bye. Both boats decided (well actually their people did) to forgo trying to stop at Isla Isabel this time as the weather forecasts were too flukey. So, instead, we decided to run down the west side of Isabel, staying off about 8 miles so as to avoid the dastardly fish nets. Yes the Mexican "long lines" are the stuff of nightmares, I kid you not.
We did well. Unfortunately the winds were on the nose so sailing had to wait as we motored sedately all day long and into the night. The night run was peaceful as well... designed it turned out, to lull us into a sense of security for, as the dark skies paled and the rose coloured clouds announced the imminent arrival of the morning sun, it turned out ours was a false sense of security... sigh.
Shortly after 0700, while we were quietly motoring along having safely passed Isla Isabel without hitting any nets, I saw something large and black in the distance. At first I thought it was a whales tail, but then I realized he'd have to be standing on his head to have his tail up for so long.... I called Kathy up and we both agreed it had to be a black flag. This was fairly upsetting... as we were about 30 miles south of Isabel and should have been clear of all nets.
These nets are set by the Mexican fishermen. They set them day and night wherever they please. They're not supposed to as they are terribly destructive to the environment (never mind passing ships who get caught up in them). Anyway, without going on too long about it, suffice to say we think we must have set some kind of record for the number of long lines one boat should have to deal with. We came upon no less that EIGHT.
Even on a perfect day, with calmish seas, they are hard to see. One must stare at the water constantly... in all directions... looking for flags or floats or coke bottles or pale green plastic bottles (some are yellow and some are even clear)... and they're all connected by thin, yellow propylene line... AND they can be hundreds of feet long... or miles and miles long. There are no rules. Once you see one of these 'floats' you must then look for the next one and the one after that and so on. We've given up trying to follow the line to the end... they are way too long. Once, while trying to do that, we actually came to a corner!
Anyway, seems there are two main ways to get through these things. The first (and kindest) is to find the fisherman in his panga. If you can find him, he will help you through. Unfortunately many fishermen don't tend their nets. They just lay them out (day or night) and then take off until the next day when they come back to check them.
We did pretty well. We managed to find three pangas and three times we were escorted through the lines. The others? Well, we were forced to cut our way through. This required sharp eyes, quick work with a boat hook on the bow and some challenging skills at the helm. It was 1430 hrs. in the afternoon before we were through our eighth, and last, net of the day. We arrived at La Cruze just over two hours later.... exasperated with Mexican fishing methods, sun burned, exhausted, dehydrated, and 15 minutes later than our predicted time of 33 hours :-)
And here we are, the next day... rested, showered, meeting up with old friends and enjoying beautiful La Cruz. A small price to pay for the opportunities to be enjoyed... wouldn't you agree?
Hope your lines are shorter than ours, and your fishermen friendly. Take good care and enjoy every day. Adios for now... CJ
Oh yes, the photo looks a little cluttered but it's really not. It's a beautiful marina.. I'll send more photos later.
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Still hangin’ in Mazatlan...
Yup, we re still here... Remember that saying, about "making your sailing plans in sand, below the high water mark"? That's cuz Mother Nature changes her mind way too often and can thwart even the best organized and researched plans. Having waited two extra weeks for a new exhaust hose, we are now pretty much ready to go and were planning on leaving this Saturday. All is ready. The larder is full, the freezer is doing it's job and we just have to top up the water tanks... BUT, MNature has another plan for us. She is reinforcing her reign over the winds of the Sea and showing us how she can manipulate them to her heart's content.
I'm sure you've been reading about the wild fires in California and the poor folks who are being driven from their homes. Well, those same Santa Anna winds are the ones that head south into the Sea of Cortez... and we call them "Northers" because they scream down from the North. As of late yesterday afternoon... they are upon us. They whistled through the rigging all night and, as of now, are casting large seas with only 5 second breaks between them at the shoreline. They're expected to continue for at least two days and the automated weather forecast videos show some of them roaring off the land from the east, joining up with those from the north, and literally turning southbound to join forces.
The good news is the projections show them slowing down a bit and we may be able to get away on Sunday. Vague plan is to head for Isla Isabel just in case there actually might be a window for us to stop this year. We've tried three times to visit this Island nick-named "The Galapagos of the Sea". It has two large rookeries.. one Frigate birds and the other Blue Footed Boobies and it's one of those places you just have to see. We shall try one more time. The weather has to be quite benign and the anchorage spots are limited... so we shall see. Either way, we'll then carry on south to Chacala or Mantanchen Bay, with the next stop being our current destination of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (commonly called La Cruz by those of us who can't spell). We really like La Cruz. It's a small, friendly town with great restaurants, live music, and the best Sunday market anywhere.
So for now we wait, and continue preparing to leave... while we watch the weather patterns develop and dissipate and develop again. Oh well, there are far worse places to be 'stuck' than Mazatlan. We'll continue south when it's the right time to do so.
Hope all is well with everyone of you... Oh yes, just the first reminder: Once we leave the dock, and are at sea or anchored off small Islands and fishing villages, we will not have Internet. That being said we'll be able to stay in touch with short Blog messages over the SSB Radio. For those of you who receive our Blog postings via email... please remember... DO NOT hit "reply" to send us a return message. The SSB Radio can be used to receive and send out short messages. Returning your message along with the Blog posting will clog/back up/ render very difficult/ our SSB Radio System. If you need or wish to contact us by email, please send a separate email message to one of us. We'll get it when we are able.
So for now.... adios. Hope all is well with each of you.... we'll be here, at lovely El Cid Resort in Mazatlan, until we leave. And we're available via normal email until we tell you we've left. Take good care.. will talk again soon.
The photo was taken by our friends Barb and Jim, folks we met at our favourite Bungalows and have known for several years now. As you can see, we're doing fine.
TTFN. CJ
PS: Update... well the plans are made. We're checked out of the marina and hittin' the road (er swells) tomorrow morning 0800. All going well, we'll head all the way to La Cruz. Will be in touch. Adios for now. CJ and K
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
I'm sure you've been reading about the wild fires in California and the poor folks who are being driven from their homes. Well, those same Santa Anna winds are the ones that head south into the Sea of Cortez... and we call them "Northers" because they scream down from the North. As of late yesterday afternoon... they are upon us. They whistled through the rigging all night and, as of now, are casting large seas with only 5 second breaks between them at the shoreline. They're expected to continue for at least two days and the automated weather forecast videos show some of them roaring off the land from the east, joining up with those from the north, and literally turning southbound to join forces.
The good news is the projections show them slowing down a bit and we may be able to get away on Sunday. Vague plan is to head for Isla Isabel just in case there actually might be a window for us to stop this year. We've tried three times to visit this Island nick-named "The Galapagos of the Sea". It has two large rookeries.. one Frigate birds and the other Blue Footed Boobies and it's one of those places you just have to see. We shall try one more time. The weather has to be quite benign and the anchorage spots are limited... so we shall see. Either way, we'll then carry on south to Chacala or Mantanchen Bay, with the next stop being our current destination of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (commonly called La Cruz by those of us who can't spell). We really like La Cruz. It's a small, friendly town with great restaurants, live music, and the best Sunday market anywhere.
So for now we wait, and continue preparing to leave... while we watch the weather patterns develop and dissipate and develop again. Oh well, there are far worse places to be 'stuck' than Mazatlan. We'll continue south when it's the right time to do so.
Hope all is well with everyone of you... Oh yes, just the first reminder: Once we leave the dock, and are at sea or anchored off small Islands and fishing villages, we will not have Internet. That being said we'll be able to stay in touch with short Blog messages over the SSB Radio. For those of you who receive our Blog postings via email... please remember... DO NOT hit "reply" to send us a return message. The SSB Radio can be used to receive and send out short messages. Returning your message along with the Blog posting will clog/back up/ render very difficult/ our SSB Radio System. If you need or wish to contact us by email, please send a separate email message to one of us. We'll get it when we are able.
So for now.... adios. Hope all is well with each of you.... we'll be here, at lovely El Cid Resort in Mazatlan, until we leave. And we're available via normal email until we tell you we've left. Take good care.. will talk again soon.
The photo was taken by our friends Barb and Jim, folks we met at our favourite Bungalows and have known for several years now. As you can see, we're doing fine.
TTFN. CJ
PS: Update... well the plans are made. We're checked out of the marina and hittin' the road (er swells) tomorrow morning 0800. All going well, we'll head all the way to La Cruz. Will be in touch. Adios for now. CJ and K
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
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