Boat Yard to Zihuatanejo

Winter 2002

Christmas Holidays 2001

On December 21 we left the boat yard driving north.  Saturday afternoon we arrived in San Diego and stopped by to visit Bill’s mother.  She was surprised to see us as she had not read her e-mail since Thanksgiving.  We helped her remember how to use her e-mail machine again and since have received replies to our e-mails sent her way.   We spent the next few days visiting with Bill’s brother Rick.  Bill stayed up until the wee hours surfing the web using Rick’s fast connection to the internet.  He was in fat city gathering lots of information from the web for future use.  I cooked a ham dinner in Rick’s kitchen for our Christmas Eve dinner.  The three of us had a nice relaxing evening.

We spent Christmas Day with brother Rick and grandma Betty eating at the dining hall at Fredricka.  The next day we drove north to Orange county to spend some time with our good friends PJ and Loretta.  This trip we had enough time to spend with them so that Bill and PJ could catch up on and explore many computer related subjects.   New Years Eve was spent quietly at their home with the Tolberts visiting as well.  The men caught Bill up on the latest Unisys gossip and they spent several hours just discussing computer problems.  The women visited and did needlework trying to stay awake until the midnight hour.

Tuesday, January 1 we returned to San Diego again staying with Rick.  Bill is doing more web surfing and Wednesday we did our requisite boat-goodie shopping and discovered that the San Diego Boat Show started Thursday.  After running some last errands and helping Rick with some homeowner type projects, Bill and I headed off to the boat show where we had a grand time checking out the new toys that can be purchased for your boat.  We came away empty handed except a few boat cards from interesting folks that we met.  We also ran into our friends from Duck Soup and stood in the isle visiting with them for quite some time before we split up again to explore more booths. 

Friday was spent playing telephone tag with our travel agent with zero success.  We made a last visit to Betty and got things organized for a early start back to Mexico in the morning.

Saturday we got “not such” an early start on the trip home, leaving San Diego just before 10AM, but the trip was uneventful and we arrived in Nogales before bed time.  Sunday, January 6, we finished the trip back to San Carlos.  Sunday was the last day of Christmas and a big holiday here in Mexico so all the officials were especially friendly and we had a nice drive the rest of the way home.  We arrived mid-afternoon and after many trips up the ladder, had everything on board and mostly stowed before dinner.

Tuesday January 8, 2002

Yesterday Arturo got a coat of bottom paint over the entire boat except where the stands are.  Bill woke up today with a head ach that lasted much of the day.  He still managed to reinstalled the shaft and prop.  After a nap he installed the final plumbing.  Using parts brought back from the States with us, he got the drain to the forward sink, watermaker, and anchor locker attached to the new thru hull that had been installed before we left for Christmas.

Today the last two coats of bottom paint were applied, we checked the main fuel tank for crud and inflated the dinghy.  After getting ready for launch, the office informed us that there was not going to be enough water at the launch ramp until April at the earliest.  Bill is going to check the water depth at the launch ramp tomorrow morning around 8 just to see as our tide tables show that we can launch this weekend but after that it is not until late May that tides are high enough.

Thursday January 10, 2002

We are back in the water floating again!  Bill checked the depths yesterday morning and it looked to be enough water for a launch about 8AM.  Today’s tides were even higher so we had no problem floating off the trailer at about 8:15 this morning.  It did not take Bill long to check the below-the-water fittings and get the engine started and before 9 we were anchored out in San Carlos Bay.  We then got all the important systems started before we decided to take the rest of the day off to just enjoy floating again.

Saturday January 12, 2002

Yesterday Bill got the dinghy motor running and we ran into shore then drove into Guaymas for some shopping to restock the boat with fresh veggies and other goodies.

Today Bill got the genset running and used it to charge up the batteries.  He then was ready to head to shore for a fuel/water run but the head decided to plug up.  Several hours were spent getting it operational again and several more cleaning up the mess.  Bill did make a late day run for fuel and water before he dinghied in for a shower while I did some more cleaning with the nice fresh water.

Sunday January 13, 2002

The head repair yesterday proved to be not quite good enough.  We went into shore early for breakfast and to pick up any new e-mail.  Had a wonderfully interesting visit with a Mexican from Guadalajara, currently living in Guaymas, who was also breakfasting at the Internet café and then drove to Marina Seca to say hello to the folks on Sun Bear.  They returned from their holidays in the states Thursday.  An early afternoon return to the boat gave us time to effect proper repairs to the head system before dinner.

Thursday January 17, 2002

Monday we accomplished all those little last minute things that need doing before taking off on the boat for a time away from towns.  Tuesday morning early Bill took off to Tucson to dispose of the car and I spent the day sewing a cover for the dinghy.  Bill returned late last evening, Wednesday, after a long bus ride from Tucson.  We are ready to head south now and only have to wait for the next weather window.  Santa Ana winds are predicted for S. California for the next two days and that usually means strong northerly winds in the sea.  Possibly a great wild ride south but since we have been shore side so long we will wait for calmer conditions to start our voyage.

Saturday January 19, 2002

Thursday was a day of rest for Bill after his long bus ride on Wednesday.  The bus ride took 9 hours and stopped at lots of little towns along the way. 

Friday we loaded up on fresh vegetables, still waiting for the north winds.  The winds arrived in force by early afternoon and blew intermittently all night, calms interspersed with periods of winds up to 30mph.  Today Bill charged up the freezer and it now runs on the engine system as well as on the 12-volt DC compressor that we have been using.  A little more head work but mostly we are just waiting for a break in the strong north winds. 

Tuesday January 22, 2002

W are now anchored in the little nook on Isla San Francisco north of La Paz on the Baja side of the Sea of Cortez.  Sunday morning’s weather report looked to be good for a nice sail, south so we headed out about 9 AM.  By noon we were sailing along with NW winds of 15-20 under almost idyllic conditions.  The wind increased somewhat throughout the day and we had a nice fast sail south.  Night fell and with it we hoped that the winds would decrease but instead they increased a notch or two and soon our speed was hitting 8 knots.  We continued to sail downwind until the wee hours of the morning when, being unable to sleep due to the effect of the large steep waves, we decided to head to Isla San Francisco for some rest.  We turned more westerly to a reach and with the boat speed now into the mid 8s and the wave rolls causing jib flutter, we finally dropped the jib.  We sailed on a reefed main alone still maintaining 6.5 knots until we reached the north end of the San Jose channel where the wind took a dive. (We had made our longest 24 hour run ever: a whopping 166 miles).  Engine power took us the rest of the way to the anchorage where we anchored about 4 PM last Monday night.  It is significantly warmer here than in San Carlos and both of us have shed warmer clothing for shorts and t-shirts.

Thursday January 24, 2002

Yesterday we moved south to Ensenada de los Muertos, a nook in the coastline south of La Paz.  The passage was long enough that even with an early morning start and favorable winds most of the way we arrived after dark.  We therefore dropped the hook quite a ways out in the bay and early this morning we moved further in.  The predicted strong northerly winds started picking up soon after we got the anchor down in the new location and have been gusting above 30 much of the day since.  Our plan is to stay here until the rough seas calm down again and then head straight for Punta de Mita at the north corner of Banderas Bay.  We took the opportunity this morning to accomplish a few minor repairs to the small jib, its bag and our anchor snubber line.

Saturday January 26, 2002

It continued to blow yesterday but not as strong as on Thursday.  Bill spent the entire day servicing our PUR35 watermaker and it still only puts out about 1/3 the volume of water that it should.  Today he again tackled the project redoing some of the fittings to stop any air leaks but it still is only producing about ½ a gallon per hour.  We plan to leave around midnight to cross over to Punta de Mita and will make some water along the way to use for cleaning the membrane after we arrive. 

I had a great Q5 conversation with my dad on the ham radio yesterday.  I guess that the large beam antenna that we helped him install on our last visit is doing it job. 

Tuesday January 29, 2002

We are now about 1 hour out of Jaltembra after an uneventful crossing to the mainland.  We pulled up the anchor at midnight on Saturday night with no wind at all.  Just before dawn we got a slight breeze from the north west and that continued with us the rest of the way across, always too light for sailing but enough wind some of the time to give us a few tenths of a knot push.  We had beautiful moonlit nights and had the company of several small dolphin groups for short stretches and turtles floating on the glassy surface now as we approach the mainland but not much other sea life made a show on this crossing.  Bill spent much of yesterday (while underway) trouble shooting the water maker, after he cleaned the membnrane with freshwater made on Monday but the pump continues to only make about a third of its usual output.  Bill is pretty sure now that the problem is air getting into the system but since he has used permatex on all the fittings he is pretty sure that it is not in the inlet lines.

Later:  We anchored behind a cute tropical island.  Not much protection but the wind is very light.  We had a whale frolic in our path when we were about three miles out.  As we passed he dove and we never saw him again.

Thursday January 31, 2002

We had a peaceful time in Jaltembra anchored near one of the big fishing boats similar to the ones that we have seen all along the coast from Canada south.  Bill tried again to find the problem with the water maker but only succeeded in breaking an important part.  We therefore took off for Banderas Bay  yesterday late morning in hopes of hooking up with the PUR rep, Gary on Ishi.  We are now anchored at Punta de Mita and Bill has talked with Gary, Ishi, on the radio.  He is coming out this way on Monday and hopefully will have more ideas on where our air leak is coming from.  Final repairs will have to wait until March when we return from the states with repair parts.

We had a no-wind kind of motor sail down the coast yesterday until late afternoon as we were approaching Punta de Mita then we had good wind for the last hour as we rounded the point into the anchorage.  The NW wind is still blowing although we had a few hours of calm in the middle of the night.

Sunday February 3, 2002

The north winds have continued to blow.  Yesterday Rex and Jennie, Margaritaville, stopped by.  They had just made the crossing from La Paz in the 40+knot winds.  It was a quick although uncomfortable trip across for them.  They took us into shore in their new-to-them, hard-bottom dinghy showing us the best landing site in this area.  Ashore we enjoyed ceviche with them and another cruising couple.  We got very wet going into the wind going ashore but had a dry ride in diminished winds for the return.  Now that we have reached warm water we are slowing down.  We took our first swim this morning before the wind had built to strong.  It was just a quick wash-up swim but even though the water was 76F it still felt cool to us.

The last two days a hump back whale has come into the anchorage area and given us all quite a show as he checks us all out.

Tuesday February 5, 2000

Yesterday Bill started to build a 12 V adaptor for my new computer.  I finished servicing all the winches.  Bill then spent the rest of the day at his computer while I got busy knitting a sweater for Emily before we get so far south that it is too hot to knit.

Over the last few days,  Bill has used super glue to repair the broken water maker membrane, adding a little more glue into the crack each day and it seems to be holding at least for now.   Gary from Ishi, the PUR watermaker expert, came over this morning.  Bill and Gary went through the watermaker replacing a few more seals but when it was all assembled it still produces about half the product that it should.  When we returned Gary to his boat, Bill and I continued on to shore and ate a fine lunch of ceviche and nachos while enjoying the many Mexican tourists celebrating Dia de la Constitution. 

Thursday February 7, 2002

Yesterday we had a wonderful rowdy sail south to the anchorage in a little bay off the small town of Ipala.  It is just south of Cabo Corrientes.  We had winds of about 20-30 mph on the trip around the point and they only decreased to 20 in the anchorage here but we have no fetch so it is very pleasant here.  After such a wild sail it was early to bed for both of us.

Today after a lazy morning and a short radio contact with my dad (propagation was poor) we went to shore.  Although there are now at least three active restaurants along the shore, we stopped in at the same restaurant that we spent time at on our last visit.  There we got directions to the school teacher’s home and wandered up to deliver the paints and books that we had gathered for the children since our last visit two years ago.  We returned to the restaurant for a great fish meal and a wonderful visit with the owner and his now grown children.

On the way back to Lanikai we stopped to say hi to one of boats that had just anchored here, three sailboats entered the bay for the night.  They had a sad tale to tell of a sailboat that had just gone on the beach 8 miles toward the cape from here.   It seams that the man was hit by the boom and knocked overboard but the wife could not handle the boat.  They were close enough to shore with sails set so the boat landed on the beach and was breaking up before any of the slow sailboats could reach her.  Thankfully the women got out ok on the shore.  Not much that we can do from here to help!!!

Saturday February 9, 2002

We are on our way to Chamala having left Ipala at sun up.  Bill has spent most of the last two days working on his latest computer program while I continue knitting on the sweater fro Emily.

Friday I had a great radio contact with my dad.  Late afternoon we again went into shore for a early fish dinner.  This time we both had the del Diablo fish, very yummy. 

Word on shore was that the woman from the shipwreck had run from the area.  This morning we received the sad news that the sailboat on the beach 8 miles from us was Forte, friends that we had met in Mazatlán.  Sella had made it to the US consulate in Puerto Vallarta and they were taking good care of her, John's body has yet to be recovered.  Other cruisers are driving out today to Las Cochitas, where the boat was wrecked to recover what they could.  This has left Bill and I with wondering in hind sight what we could have done better to help, but we were so close yet so far. 

Here is Bill's analysis of what went wrong.  This is not to be taken as critical to John and Ceyla (afterall John died and Ceyla lost everything), but there are some important observations here (1) Forte was a small boat so had many water and fuel jugs stored on deck, making it difficult or impossible to stay behind the protection of the life lines. (2) John obviously wasn't wearing a harness and it was a very rough day.  (3) They were traveling very close to the coast, without enough sea room to deal with emergencies.  Cabo Corrientes is one of the major capes along the Pacific coast and demands respect.  We always give it at least 5 to 8 miles, others think the water is calmer right offshore.  (4) Never underestimate the crippling power of panic.  John and Ceyla were experienced boaters, but when Ceyla watched John drown, she went bezerk. She lost her ability to control the boat and she reverted to her native Spanish (she is Guatamalean by birth, although long a US citizen).  At that point she was just another "excited Mexican" on the VHF radio.  The boats near her (and Forte was not obviously visible to them) were unable to relate to the emergency.  (5) When Ceyla calmed enough to revert to English, she gave her GPS waypoint as if it was her GPS position.  Since that was also the destination of the other boaters, they kept on going.   (6) One boat did search along the coast but arrived just in time to watch Forte go onto the rocks.  (7) Even after the boats arrived in Ipala, nobody was really sure it was a cruiser boat that had gone ashore and nobody knew the name of the boat.  (8) Nobody seemed sure how to contact the Mexican Navy, and when I tried later on, they didn't answer.  To be fair, they were deeply involved with another rescue operation in the area, were probably on a working channel and couldn't have responded in time to save John nor Forte anyway.  Its just all very sad.

Sunday February 10, 2002

It has now been one month since Lanikai returned to the water and we finally found the 80+ F water that we enjoy swimming in.  The trip south yesterday was a motorsail all the way with occasionally just enough wind to add the extra .5 knot to our speed countering some of the contrary current that seemed to be with us all day.  We anchored in the north end of Bahia Chamela  about an hour before sunset. 

Today we are getting the wind that we could have used yesterday but are spending our time onboard doing various small chores.  There was a dolphin fishing through the anchorage this morning and then mid afternoon a whale came in using Lanikai as the turning point as he circled back out. 

Doreen was net controller on the Sonrisa net this morning.  More very sad news for the cruising fleet.  Chris from Courageous II fell 14 feet to the pavement last night when the railing he was leaning on gave way during the Carnival celebration in Barra de Navidad.  He landing on his head; there were many injuries, including a fractured skull.  He was transported to the Naval Hospital in Manzanillo, where there just happened to be a visiting neuro-surgeon.

Monday February 11, 2002

Today we got the dinghy overboard, went into shore and walked into town for a little grocery shopping with Brian of Rari.  The produce was mostly old but I did pick up a few tomatoes, avocados and a cucumber that looked fresh and a nice bunch of small bananas.

Tuesday February 12, 2002

Rain rain rain… We got hit about midnight with the beginning of unsettled weather with rain/thunder cells passing through.  They left us rocking and rolling; just about the time the waves would settle down a new cell would hit.  The boat is finally getting a badly need wash, but it looks like the unsettled weather is going to be with us for a while. 

 Wednesday February 13, 2002

Chris from Courageous II was pronounced dead last night at the hospital in Guadalajara.  Although he had not come out of a coma, he had seemed to be improving and was receiving excellent care.  His mother and sister were there as well as his wife Lena.  The cruising fleet is in shock with two deaths in less than a week.

Thursday February 14, 2002

The wind lessened with each storm cell that moved over and we had a peaceful night Tuesday but lots of downpours.  The boat has not been this clean in a long time, even the high reaches of the rigging are clean. 

Yesterday we left Chamela after the morning radio nets and moved on south to Tenacatita where we are now pleasantly anchored in the inner bay.  The trip was another motor sail all the way in less than 10 knots of wind.  As we entered the bay we got a call on the radio from Sundancer 2 .  They are motor-homing through Mexico this season and were on the beach in the outer bay.  They had seen us round the corner.  The water and air is even warmer here and I jumped overboard for a quick swim soon after the anchor hit the bottom.  We dinghied around the anchorage saying hi to friends on Windward Luv but most of the 40+ boats anchored here are new to us.   This morning I was up early and watched the sunrise while two dolphins fished for their breakfast around Lanikai.

We took the dinghy tip through the mangrove forest to near the outer bay.  Ray and Pauline, Sundancer 2,  were there and we spent the afternoon at one of the palapa restaurants visiting while we enjoyed fishroll dinners that the restaurants are famous for.  We returned down river at a fast clip with the outbound current  through the mangroves and arrived at the Pirates restaurant near the river mouth where many cruisers were enjoying the Valentines Day special.  We joined them for a drink and cake before we returned the rest of the way to Lanikai.

Saturday February 16, 2002

This is a fun and active anchorage.  Yesterday Bill and stayed on the boat opting out of the veggie run through the mangroves and Lenna on Windward Luv picked up a nice head of lettuce and a few cucumbers from the veggie truck for us.  The dinghy raft up with potluck nibblies we did join in on however.  About 30 dinghies joined the raft up and we sure had our fill of wonderful nibblies that were passed between the dinghies. 

This morning Bill went over to Windward Luv to help them with a dead computer while I painted the decorative stripe at the toe rail a light blue.  I had sanded the area while we were high and dry in the yard and yesterday Bill taped along the hull, readying the stripe for paint this morning.  This afternoon, it was bread making time.  The palapa restaurant on the beach has a wonderful brick oven that they lit a fire in about 2 PM.  It had burned down and heated the bricks enough  that by 3 it was ready for the many loaves of bread the cruisers had rising under the palapa.  I made a round loaf of French bread filled with pesto.  It was gone within 5 minutes of its removal from the oven!  The oven held three rounds of bread before all the loaves were baked.

Monday February 18, 2002

Two new blocks got installed for the smaller jib yesterday.  After accomplishing our boat project for the day we dinghied over to Pipe Dream and helped them to get the weather fax reception program working.  Bill then spent the rest of the afternoon working on the photo album program and I curled up in the cockpit with a good book. 

Today after accomplishing our boat project for the day, replacing fuel filters, we went ashore and enjoyed a nice late lunch of ceviche at  Hessie’s palapa.  Everything seems to be ready to take another step further south in the morning.

Tuesday February 19, 2002

After a wonderful sail south from Tenacatita we anchored in the nice little nook of Ensenada del Carazal about 8 miles north of Manzanillo.  We had nice strong winds up to 25 over the boat and seas to match by the time we turned into the anchorage.  It was good to have a quiet place to spend the night.

Thursday February 21, 2002

Yesterday we received permission via the VHF radio from the Capitania de Puerto to enter Manzanillo Harbor to purchase fuel.  We filled up both tanks with diesel and then bid the Capitan and Manzanillo good bye.  All this without officially checking in or paying port fees!  Love these big commercial ports that don't feel the need to squeeze the little boats.   We again had a wonderful sail south in the strong afternoon breeze and continued sailing in the very light night winds until almost daylight although at times our speed was down to 2.2 knots.  The winds continued to die as we motored the rest of the way to the isolated anchorage of Pechilinguella, anchoring behind a big rock with a reef running toward shore that stopped much of the Pacific swell. Too tired to do much else we napped and hit the hay early as well.  The late afternoon breeze again picked up in the anchorage making things somewhat sloppy for a few hours.

Saturday February 23, 2002

Yesterday in no wind and glassy seas we motored further southeast to Caleta de Campos.  This is a fairly nice anchorage behind a short breakwater with a small town on the bluff and beach restaurant palapas on the beach.   

Today we went into shore and had a nice fish meal at one of the palapas, it was yummy as usual at these shoreside restaurants.   The dinghy outboard decided to give us trouble as we surf landed it.  It died and since the pull rope had just broken we could not restart it just as a breaker came at us.  We rapidly got out the oars to keep the dinghy pointed inshore and managed with lots of luck to make a safe beach landing anyhow.   The town of Caleta de Campos is on the bluff above the beach and we hiked up there to purchase fresh veggies and were also rewarded with a nice view over the bay.

Sunday February 24, 2002

We just left Caleta de Campos for an overnight passage to Zihuatanejo.  It is a little over 70 miles away and there is a slight north flowing current along this section of the coast and no wind. To make sure of a daytime landfall at an unfamiliar bay, we decided to take the overnight route. 

Earlier today we again braved a surf landing in the dinghy and went ashore.  We walked around the bay on the nice sandy beach and returned to the palapas for fresh ceviche.  And fresh it was! as it was made while we waited enjoying the many Sunday visitors to the beach.  The Mexicans were having a great time in the waves and did not seem to care what they are wearing and getting wet (mainly their Sunday Church best). It was great fun to watch the happy people splashing in the surf and I even joined in the fun and had a nice swim as well.

We are looking forward to meeting up with many old cruising friends when we get to Zihuatanejo in the morning.