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Cabo
San Lucas, Mexico to Hawaii
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General
Comments on the Leg
This leg had lots
of fun and lots of very hard work. We did not get to see much
of Mexico but discovered that we like to stay a while in one
place to really relax and learn about that location. We stayed
in Mazatlan for a little over 4 months and got lots done to
the boat and lots of homework completed. The people there
were great and the city itself was always interesting to us.
We wished we had gotten up to the La Pas area of the sea but
not this trip. Oh well it will give us a reason to come back.
21 June 07
Radio Bay, Hilo
Harbor, Hawaii
  Well
we made it but of course it was a Proteau adventure. The Pacific
Ocean is a very big place when you cross it at 6 kts. It took
us 5 days just to get out of the Sea of Cortez due to lack
of wind and in fact we gave up after 4 days and ran 100 miles
north to Cabo to find out where the wind was. Once there the
wind showed up in abundance and after anchoring for just one
night we refueled and watered the boat and plunged out into
it again. The delay although frustrating did provide us the
opportunity to see lots of wildlife again. Turtles, dolphins
and a first for us, flocks of flying fish.
Leaving Cabo in
30 kt winds and 12 ft breaking seas was a bit of a change
from the flat calm the day before and about 300 miles south
of Cabo is where we were able to start to seriously turn out
into the Pacific as by then the wind had changed to N from
NW. Well below us to the SE was Hurricane Barbara which was
causing the wind down the coast line and out to our SW at
14 Lat and 118 Long was Tropical Depression Alvin moving west
slowly. I needed to push the boat west as fast as possible
and try and avoid going south as much as possible which if
it worked meant that we would slide over Alvin within 4 or
5 days. I suspected that Alvin would not amount to much and
in fact it petered out fairly quickly but did not want to
take any chances. Although that second week the wind was strong
out of the North and we moved well doing 140 to 160 Nm per
day. Unfortunately the autopilot gave up the ghost the second
day out and it was 2500 miles of hand steering for us. Plus
with the strong wind came a good swell which abeam meant lots
of water across the deck and cabin day and night. Five days
out we were beat so I hove the boat to for a night and we
all got a good nights sleep. The lack of an autopilot changed
the trip from work to lots and lots of work. There was no
moon and most of the trip was under clouds day and night so
the night watches were long and difficult with just the glow
of the compass and GPS to stare at.
 The
third week was finally in the trade winds with a steady NE
wind and the motion on the boat eased somewhat. At left is
sunset about half way across. The closest land is about 1400
miles away if you don't count the bottom below you. At that
point is was over 14,000 ft deep or roughly 3 miles straight
down. We were surprised at how much the wind velocity changed
each day. I had been hoping for a steady 15 kts but each day
it varied. During this week the nights and mornings had variable
winds and lots of cloud cover. The afternoons were windy with
a bit of sun. By the end of the week the trades had really
picked up and daily were a steady 25 kts sometimes gusting
to 30.  This
brought big swells and as we called them double decker foamy
busses on the top of the swells. These breakers were just
waiting to get you if you wandered off course as they tended
to come out of the north and were off the main wave train.
Let the boat weather helm a bit and wham they would broadside
you when you weren't looking. One hit us when I was on the
helm and wandering and so much water cascaded over the boat
the sun was blotted out of the sky. It was just a wall of
water thundering onto the cabin and off the doors and windows
of the cockpit. Again we hove to this week due to fatigue
but with the swell size neither Laurie or I got a good rest.
However the kids did so that worked ok. Billy commented that
it was like riding a roller coaster with the hills coming
up behind to get you.
 Once
out of the Sea there was nothing to look at for days on end.
If a rare bird showed up it brought everyone on deck. The
only distraction was flying fish which landed on the deck
daily and were constantly around the boat. Their gliding ability
is amazing. Tommy at right above on the helm once again on
another boring afternoon watch.
Just about everything
broke on the trip and the daily maintenance in between helm
watches was tiring. Along with the autopilot (which could
not be repaired) was such things as both Genoa fairlead's
disintegrating, the Genoa itself blew out, the 18 ft Jib blew
out (was sewn back together), boom sheet assembly broke (rebuild
with some spare aluminum), lazy  jacks
lines broke (ignored), hatch latches broke and on and on.
None of it too critical but it was a strain to stay on top
of. Hatches leaked and the daily bailing of the Alma's was
an off watch routine.
The final week
was the most frustrating as the trades died for most of the
each day. We ghosted along at night at 4 kts with rain squall
after rain squall drenching the boat. No more screaming along
at 9 kts with surfing to 13 down the swells (quite the ride
and has to be experienced at least once in your life). At
left above is Laurie trying to rest in our very dirty and
salty bed. Everything got damp and stayed damp until landfall.
At right is me straining to see the Island of Hawaii. We were
about 90 miles away and with 13000 ft mountains you would
think
we could see it but no, too much cloud cover. We were less
than 20 miles from it before the clouds parted enough to see
Hilo itself. The final 200 miles we motor sailed as the crew
was getting mighty anxious.
Finally here with
the anchor down on the 20 of June. It is very green when the
sun shines and hot and humid. At left is the breakwater entrance
buoy into Hilo harbor. The port is very busy but in our little
area it is quiet and has good holding, no worries about dragging.
People are very friendly and helpful which was a blessing
on our first day in port. What a good nights sleep we all
had last night. We're thinking about renting a car for a few
days to see the island but first must clean up the boat as
best we can before we head to Honolulu to buy West Marine
dry. TTYL
25 May 07
Mazatlan Mexico
Well we're off
to Hawaii tomorrow finally. The buddy boat option did not
work out so we're doing it alone which is still ok for us.
Laurie has the boat stuffed with food and water so no worries
there. In the first week were heading SW towards Ilsas Revillagigedo
which is roughly 400 miles fom Mazatlan and 300 miles from
the Mexican mainland; just south of 19 lat. We plan of passing
just North of them as we turn to go West. The prevailing winds
in this area is N and it will be another 300 or 400 miles
before the wind bends around to the NE and pushes us towards
Hawaii, so the first week will probably be the toughest. Once
in the trades it is a run hopefully all the way. Overall we're
excited and apprehensive as we always are before a leg. I
can't thing of anything else to fix or replace on the boat
so we must be ready to go!
Kitty has a good
home but we will miss the little bugger. Wish us luck and
we will talk to you 3 or 4 weeks.
22 May 07
Mazatlan Mexico
 We're
shooting for this Saturday to leave for Hawaii. The weather
out there is benign with light winds all the way across. It
has been that way for weeks. Laurie is down to the panic shopping
now. The boat is stuffed with food and drinks. We will not
starve that is for sure but still she heads out daily to shop
some more. The kitten (Mal or Lucky or Hey Cat!) has melted
even cold Billy's heart as well as everyone else's. It now
eats like a pig and grows in front of your eyes. Another cruiser
here who also has a condo is breaking the idea of a kitten
slowly to her better half and hopefully it will all go well
for the adoption. The little guy is adorable and if there
was anyway we could do it we would take him home. Hawaii is
very tough on this though so he stays in Mexico sadly.
 The
boat is almost ready and we're ready but at the last minute
another cruiser who was suppose to have already left for Hawaii
but was delayed in Cabo, is on route back to Mazatlan and
wants to Buddy Boat across. Always better to travel in packs
they say so hopefully when they arrive here this week it will
work out that we can cross together. Tomorrow Pacific Cloud
is going day sailing to try all the new stuff out and exercise
the sailing rust out of the skipper and crew. All the standard
drills will be gone through such as Man Over Board, Emergency
Tiller, AutoPilot, Radar Alarm and Bearing, etc. Plus each
day the winds are a lovely 10 to 15 knots now so it should
just be a darn good day to go for a sail.
The trip will probably
take 21 days as the winds are quite light but if they puff
a bit we should be able to beat that. Who knows really though
as it is all up to the weather. We will post right before
we leave so TTYL.
16 May 07
Mazatlan Mexico
 Quite
a few events and interesting twists since our last report.
First we're in the water and the boat is back at Marina Mazatlan
again. Everything appears to be fine but of course it will
take some time to clean her up as the dirt is inches thick
on her. Power washing at the yard just took the big chunks
off. All the upgrades and repairs appear to be great. The
change to the prop (at left is the shiny new thing) has definitely
increase her speed which is good news and she is dry throughout
which is tremendous.
 The
week was not uneventful though as last Saturday when Tommy
and Billy were surfing at a small beach in the south part
of the city, Tommy stepped on a sting ray which inflicted
a very nasty wound in the bottom of his foot. It was incredibly
painful and after managing to get him home via a taxi, Laurie
was in the process of trying to find a clinic or hospital
to take him to when our upstairs and downstairs neighbors
came to the rescue as well as the locals. Randy from upstairs
who can speak Spanish was told by a local women where the
Red Cross clinic was and he took all three of them in his
truck (plus the woman who insisted she come to direct him)
to the clinic where they gave Tommy a number of shots to counter
the pain etc. Tommy is a tough kid but the level of pain really
got to him. Many of the locall kids saw how much in pain he
was in and became very concerned. Randy's wife Sonya explained
the situation and got them to slow down a bit as they were
trying to figure out a way to follow them to the clinic. Joseph
and Fran from downstairs brought up ice cream floats after
they got home which made Tommy feel better all around. I of
course was at the yard the whole time and missed it all. After
a couple of days Tommy has recovered enough to get back out
bike riding.
 The
locals have taken our kids to their hearts and have given
our boys so many great experiences which will last a very
long time indeed. This picture taken from our balcony is of
our boys and the locals hanging on the corner, jumping bikes
with no brakes over a makeshift ramp in between the "carros".
They've taken them to the movies, to their dirt biking area,
down to the docks to see what the fishermen are catching,
all around the neighborhood, and with all the family members
they have taken them for long walks on the Malecon which is
the lovely walkway along the beach. They spend a great amount
of time teaching Billy spanish (Tommy just wants to jump bikes)
and just chatting. He keeps telling them he is leaving on
our Barco (which means boat) to Hawaii shortly and they nod
knowingly but he doubts they really understand what he is
talking about as it seems to be beyond their experience.
One of the yard
workers who has made a great attempt to learn more english
off us, plus teach us spanish also surprised us. Just before
we were dropped in the water he presented us with a large
chunk of swordfish. This man is 38 years old and makes the
equivalent of $12 US per day, He also works another job most
nights, has three kids from 8 to 14 years old and his wife
works also to makes ends meet. This type of fish is highly
sought after and is quite expensive for them to purchase.
They're amazingly giving people here once you get to know
them.
 We
also have a new crew member! Meet Malvinas or Mal for short.
We were put in the water on Tuesday afternoon. Once in the
water we took the boat North to Marina Mazatlan which took
around 3 hours. We then tied up and left the boat for the
apartment. Today we went back to the boat and started to clean
her. Tommy was pulling the blankets off Billy's bed when he
shot out of the hatch to tell Laurie something was moving
down there. Billy and I found it under the blankets. It has
a few fleas but other than that it looks ok. The thinking
now is that someone dropped the kitten off in the morning
before we got to the yard as no mother cat with a kitten in
her mouth could have gotten to our boat with the amount of
dogs in the yard. They love to chase the only cat we have
seen down there and if they caught it there is no doubt they
would kill it. Now what do we do! We don't think it is more
than 3 weeks old as its eyes are barely open.
What goes into
this website really is only the major highlights of our stay
here in Mazatlan. We have had so many other great experiences
here and if I tried to explain them all it would take pages
of writing. It seems strange now to be actively planning to
leave but leave we must and that is where our focus will be
for the next while. TTYL
9 May 07
Mazatlan Mexico
  Fiebre,
(rot) fiebre, fiebre, here there and everywhere/The back deck
had some softness and after the first cut it got much worse.
Many of the main frames and stringers in the stern cabin plus
the plywood around it had dry rot. Ouch what a mess once it
was cut out. At left is what was left after the chainsaw attack.
After much discussion with a Shipwright the repair was executed.
At right top and bottom is the the main re-framing completed
and my love of 3M's 4200 Marine Adhesive is complete and forever.
I can't wait to try there new 5200 Adhesive which is suppose
to be so strong you can glue sails back together.
Below  left
is after the plywood has been attached and today I got the
fiber glassing done and much of the bondo work started. What
a tough week or two. The weather now is normally peaking at
35 C each day and the yard is busy with two sandblasting units
going constantly which is equivalent to a jet engine roaring
beside you all day long. I can only guess at how hot it is
in those sandblasting suits.
Below left is what
is left of my Cutlass Bearing after two  days
of beating on it to get it out. Needless to say I've got a
new one; the housing was re-bored and my prop shaft was replaced
with a brand new stainless steel one all done up and very
pretty to match my very pretty new prop.
 At
right is the after hours picture of my lunch counter outside
the yard. This family run operation has provided us with the
best food we have tasted in Mexico. The mangy dogs beg around
the table and under your feet. Trucks passing by over the
dirt rode provide a nice dust to add to the flavour. Flys
abound and there is no running water so washing of dishes
is suspect; yet we have never gotten sick there. The family
is very friendly and pleased that we enjoy the food so much.
The sea food is to die for and Tommy has stated it is the
best food he has ever tasted. The seafood can be shrimp or
a local fish or conch or calamari depending on what is available.
Somedays it is only Carne Asada which is a beef of sorts but
always done in a way that is great. One of the women who works
there does nothing but make fresh tortillas all day long on
top of a old oil drum, now wood fired stove, and its' convex
metal top. They come to us piping hot and delicious. I have
tasted a new dish each day as I have no idea what I'm getting
until it is on the table. Lunch is 30 pesos and includes a
main course which is a meat dish, rice and vegetables and
a side dish of beans of some sort; usually refried but better
than any I have tasted before. plus a coke and endless tortillas;
and each day I give them a tip which embarrasses them every
time.
The boys have finally
gotten to know the local kids and right now are chilling on
the corner with their posse. Kids called Alejandro, Diego,
Steven, Omar and of course Pollo (Chicken) have adopted our
children and they play endless games of soccer, biking, dodge
the car and other endearing activities. The numbers of kids
is enormous and constantly changing up and down depending
on the hour of the day. The laughter and constant happy but
loud sounds emanating from the street are wonderful to hear.
Both boys have been impressed with the local kids soccer skills.
They're amazingly quick and very talented. The kids here are
very polite and well behaved. They showed up at the door today
and formally introduced themselves to Laurie one after another.
Besides all the grammas have free rein to correct any kids
behavior and no fault goes unnoticed. Billy showed them the
laptop he calls his (It is my navigation computer and has
disappeared into his room for way too long) and they were
very impressed that one he had a computer and two, it had
the internet. The impression we get is that this is quite
rare down here which would make sense due to the number of
computer internet cafe's around the area. The day consists
of their family, friends and neighborhood which is all they
seem to need.
Overall this has
been a wonderful experience even including the yard. Much
that has bothered me about the boat has now been repaired
and the future looks bright. By Monday next the bottom paint
will be on and Tuesday is launch day. I excited to get her
back in the water but in some ways it will be sad as the yard
has become a home of sorts which I will miss. TTYL
26 Apr 07
Mazatlan Mexico
Here is a run down
of what the work in the yard has been to date. The last week
or so has been hard but well worth it.  Once
out of the water we found, unsurprisingly, damage to the below
waterline fiberglass areas on all the bows and both stern
alma's. This
damage has caused persistent slow leaks into the hulls and
it drove me crazy. The picture to the left is after the fix,
re-glass and first coat of epoxy sealer.
A large area of
the main hull was delaminating and there were many small areas
that required re-fiberglassing At right is the re-glass and
epoxy sealer coat on the large area.
I also dropped
the rudder and tore out all the rudder post assembly to repack
and re-bed properly so it would finally stop leaking. The
bolts holding the bedded portion had all broken in their holes
and the assembly was epoxied in not bedded with caulking,
so even if the bolts were not broken no amount of tightening
was going to stop the slow leak of water by it. We're replacing
the cutlass bearing and switching props from a folding to
a 17" two bladed fixed with 11 degrees of pitch. Will
this improve our speed? I don't know but I had the prop already
and it was taken to a local prop shop for the increased pitch
and balancing. It came back very pretty. I hope it improves
our speed as we can barely do 4 knots at 2500 rpm right now.
  After
sounding all the hulls we found two small areas on the main
hull that had dry rot so they got chopped out. At left is
the first hole which got bigger by the way. At right is the
two repair patches and Billy outfitted for sanding which he
did non stop for 6 days. What a trooper. The Yard Foreman
was so impressed with his work ethic, as were the rest of
the workers, he made a point of coming over and specifically
telling us what a good worker he was and how he wished he
could give him a job at the yard. The only problem with this
is that the pay is $6.00 per day.
In the port alma
where the hull had been partially rebuilt a number of years
ago, the butt joints between plywood in one area did not have
proper backing blocks so the old ones were cut out and replaced
with a proper system. Prior to install we flatted the area
correctly and bedded the plates with lots of 4200 and screws.
That will take the flex out of her.
  In
the stbd cockpit I found a rotten frame which required quite
a rebuild to ensure a strong structural joint between the
alma and main support beam. At left is the hole after it was
all cut out and at right is the sister frame, support blocks
and deck framing secured waiting for the deck and re-glass
We must of have
impressed the locals down here because some strange things
have been occurring. Normally the yard is responsible for
anything below the waterline. I asked them in the beginning
if I could do all the work but still get them to prime and
paint the hulls. They reluctantly agreed as right now their
not too busy and they have workers standing around. After
watching us work many of the workers have made it a point
to come and talk to us and help out with suggestions or little
tricks of the trade. A couple have taken Billy under the wing
and guided him  through
different jobs often showing him an easy way of getting the
job down. That alone has been a great help to me. The strangest
and the nicest so far was when I went to the Yard Foreman
to talk to him about getting the hulls painted plus order
the paint. We were discussing the local paint and costs. Other
boats were paying $250 to $400 a gallon for paint. We were
prepared for this as everyone up north told us we were going
to get hosed on paint down here but the labour costs would
be much less. Suddenly the Foreman takes his card and writes
on it a company name, the products I required and amounts.
He quietly says I should go and talk to them as if he orders
the paint he would have to add some cost to it so this way
I can keep the price down. The company is just up the road
and quoted me $125 a gallon. It is good tropical antifouling
paint. These small kindnesses from the locals after you get
to know them leave a very positive lasting impression on us.
TTYL
21 April 07
Mazatlan Mexico
 Well
we're on the hard at Malvina's boatyard.and it is quite an
experience all around. We've moved into a truly Mexican apartment
in the old part of town called Centro while the boat is in
the yard. We're about 3 blocks up Icebox hill and away from
the main mercado (market). It took us a couple of days to
figure out the new bus routes but now it is a simple bus ride
in the morning for Billy and I to and from the yard. The yard
is no different than most I have seen except for the local
yard dogs, wild cats (and we mean really wild) plus the odd
chicken tied by a string to the underside of a car. Just outside
it's gates are a few dusty and dirty taco stands one of which
has become our lunch hangout. Each lunch hour Billy and I
make our way there and each meal is a mystery until it arrives
on the table. No one there  speaks
any english at all but we have figured out that each day is
a different seafood dish or Carne Asada which is bbq thin
slices of meat. The meals have been with out a doubt the best
food we have tasted in Mexico! The shrimp if it is camarone
day are peeled in front of you. The fish if it is pescado
day are scaled and cleaned also in front of you just before
they are dipped in batter and deep fried then they arrive
whole to your table with fresh made tortillas and salsa to
die for. We have had three different shrimp dishes and each
has been unbelievable. The meals are huge and cost 25 peso's
or $2.50 plus .60c for a coca which is the litre cokes. It
is very primitive, dusty, noisy roadside stand where you have
to bring your own cutlery or eat with your hands. Of course
we love it plus the people there are friendly to a fault.
We can barely walk back to the boat.
The work we're
doing to the boat is hard hot dirty work and the yard workers
are very impressed at how hard we work especially Billy. They
'er use to Gringos leaving their boats and coming back to
a completed project. It is not  cheap
to have the boat pulled here but when it is all said and done
the cost will be 1/3 less than the cost up north. A yard dog
called Gringo Dog has adopted us and sleeps under our boat
each day mainly because we don't kick him. For all their bluster
about yelling at the local animals the locals don't let them
go hungry. We often see different people bring food out and
quietly feed the animals as if they're worried someone might
think they're soft for doing it. However the animals generally
are in poor shape and are as mangy as you can get.
After a few days
of watching us work many of the yard workers now spend time
with us discussing our boat and others in the yard, telling
us about their life and family and we explain our trip and
where we're going next etc. It is in a mixture of english
and spanish and always fascinating. They have a hard time
understanding the distances involved and once they found out
the education level that I had they were quite surprised that
I would be doing this type of work. The work on the boat is
long overdue and I'm glad were getting to it. A local American
Shipwright is advising us and in spite of this weird flu that
has flared up again we're making progress. I'm running a fever
once more and Laurie has me on drugs which are starting to
kick in and hopefully it will clear it up.
  The
apartment is another experience. There is no hat water tank
and an instant on hot water shower head gives us the hot water
for showers. Water and gas guys announce their presence early
each day with a loud speaker on the roof of their truck playing
a weird song or commercial. If you want a new water jug you
flag them down and they run up the stairs to your house with
a filled one and take the empties away. We use purified water
for cooking and drinking as the water in the taps is not safe
for us gringos to drink. The buildings are very old and stone,
brick or cement. Directly across from us is the local primeria
school and during the week young girls call out to our boys
flirting with them outrageously. Tommy is besides himself
trying to figure out if he should wave and yell back or hide.
Right now he is doing a combination of both. Email addresses
have been exchanged but the language barrier is hard to get
past. The girls did pass to the boys a perfectly written note
in english asking if they had girlfriends or not.
 One
thing we have noticed is that Mexicans are a loud people and
think nothing of playing loud music or carrying on a loud
conversation day or night. Cars with huge speakers pass by
all night long and loud parties this weekend went into the
wee hours. What is interesting is that all of this behavior
is accepted here and no one complains.
The picture at
left is looking up the road from our balcony towards Icebox
Hill. The surrounding area is this tightly packed with homes
or apartment buildings and these narrow streets. TTYL
15 April 07
Mazatlan Mexico
Almost another
month has slipped by and here we are. What has changed? Everything
and nothing. Each day is sunny with just the occasional cloud
passing by. The temperature is definitely getting hotter as
the summer approaches but the evenings are still pleasantly
cool. We have been here so long that the chickadees have tried
to nest in our radar reflector. Continued destruction of their
work has not deterred them. We go to sleep and wake up to
the cooing of doves and the swallows are thick around the
boat all day with their constant nattering and chatter. Cruising
friends come and go now. The mass exodus to the north end
of the Sea of Cortez has started. Hurricane season is only
two months away and many boats are traveling across to La
Pas and the islands for a short while before zig zagging back
and forth across the sea to push up to San Carlos. Most boats
are left there for the summer either on the hard or tied to
a slip. Hundreds of boats are making their way there now.
The long time residents of Mazatlan Marina are in the process
of packing up their stuff and heading back to the US or Canada.
They leave their boats here over the summer and will come
back in the late fall.
What are we doing?
On Tuesday of this week we're going to be hauled out on a
29 foot wide travel lift to spend a week in the yard. Time
to get those pesky problems that have been bugging me sorted
out. I was planning on getting the bottom painted but after
4 months in the tropics only a few spots on the boat have
any growth so depending on what work I do I will probably
only get it touched up. we're going to stay in a hotel during
the haul out and continue with the homework. We have completed
so many maintenance projects during this last month and a
half that my maintenance log has pages of new entry's. The
list is long but here are a few highlights; rigging inspection
and tune, new third reef in the main sail, new forward windows,
new para-tech drogue, installation of a SSB, new main sheet
winch, new sun awning across the entire cabin from the mast
to the end of the boom, new zippered doors for the cockpit
(these last two are to be installed on Monday) and list goes
on and on. Still left to do are the back deck rebuild and
the autopilot hydraulic pump needs to be rebuilt and repositioned.
The final project is the installation of the new fresh water
foot pump in the system before departure to Hawaii. We like
the pressurized water system but it's a no no on long passages
as it uses too much water.
Above all the kids
have broken the back of the school work and Tommy is almost
completed the year. Billy has only two subjects to finish
and the rest is done. During all of the above we have fit
in many surfing days, Semana Santa (holy week), trips to Juarez
Market and endless trips to the local grocery stores but both
Laurie and I have felt a change and suddenly we're wanting
to move on. Now that we're going home this summer we're both
getting that go home feeling. Mom sent us down a package via
courier last week with charts and cruising guides of Hawaii
plus the help from fellow cruisers have firmed up the next
two stages. Sometime in the beginning of May depending on
where the Pacific High is we're heading out to Hawaii which
is almost and due west course from here. The trip should take
no more than 18 to 20 days in the trade winds but preparing
for much longer. Once in Hawaii we're planning on leaving for
Vancouver in July. Again a 18 to 21 day cruise. we're not expecting
to spend much time in Hawaii as we need to get home for the
beginning of Aug but it should be very interesting and hopefully
fun. I will update shortly with pictures of our boat on the
hard. This next week is very necessary but something we have
been dreading. Hopefully it will go fairly well. TTYL
20 Mar 07
Mazatlan, Mexico
My god it has been
a month since our last update. We have slipped into the lifestyle
here and days go by before you realize it. The boys are busy
doing school work. we're busy working on the boat, bringing
more food back to the boat or taking the laundry off the boat
to get done. Laurie loves it here. You put your laundry in
a bag and walk up to the little laundry store just outside
the marina office and drop it off. It costs $40 peso's per
4 kilos. It is not worth it to try and do it ourselves.
 During
this last month my Mom and Brother Glenn came down at the
end of Feb for a week and good friends of ours from Chilliwack,
Scott and Cherie Haugh and their son Derek are currently here
vacationing. I picked up a dock virus as we call it just before
Mom got here and was bed ridden for 1/2 their visit. Now Laurie
has got a fever today from something and looks like she will
be bed ridden for the remainder of the Scott and Cherie's
visit. Some luck; oh well other than a one instance the rest
has been very fun. During my Mom and Brother's visit we all
took a trip to a touristy spot called Stone Island. The kids
and Glenn rented ATV's and although it was an accident Billy
managed to hit the only coconut on the road and veer into
the only tree within 300 yds. He did significant damage to
the machine. My Mom had given them her driver's licence and
as soon as they got back the local police got involved. Suffice
it to say that we got taken to the cleaners. It turns out
that the island is basically owned by a local mafia family
and after looking at the damage they demanded 7000 pesos in
cash. It was a dicey thing all around as Mom and Glenn were
due to fly out the next day. All it would have taken if we
had argued too strenuously is a nod at the local constabulary
and they would have arrested my Mom and thrown her in jail
until we complied. A couple of young lads from the family
came with Laurie and I as we scrambled all over Mazatlan to
draw together that amount of cash to pay them off. It was
an awful way to end Mom's trip but in the end it was only
money. This particular area of town is infamous for its rip
offs and we got tagged. Just bad luck.
 Over
all though the month has been great fun. We're seasoned city
dwellers now and use the local transportation with ease and
have been basically everywhere. We have eaten at the little
venders in the mexican areas such as Juarez Market and had
fabulously fresh fish and shrimp tacos or barbequed chicken.
These markets are for the locals only and few gringos go there.
Produce and items are very cheap and not once have we been
short changed or been hassled. Our spanish is getting good
enough that we don't worry about trying to do the complex
stuff anymore. Just be patient, get them to slow down a bit
and usually we can figure it out. At right the boys and Joesph
off Daydreams are hamming it up in front of someone elses
Sailfish.
 After
school most days Laurie and the boys are off to the beach
to surf. Most times other cruisers with kids come with us
or we go with them and the beach days have been great fun.
I tend to stay on the boat in the afternoon to get more work
done on it but lately it has been getting too hot to work
then. At left is a rare shot of Tommy out of the water, something
he rarey does. We normally have to drag him kicking and screaming
out at the end of the day. Behind the boys is of course the
famous "Ginger's Bilingual Horses" at La Playa Bruja.
Slowly
our plans for the future have been taking shape. Billy and
Tommy want to go back to regular school next year and so the
tentative plan is to take the boat up the Sea of Cortez for
a while in the spring; after which we provision her and then
it is off to Hawaii, then home to BC after that. Besides it
is only 6000 miles. The maintenance on the boat is being geared
towards that end and in early April we're getting the boat
pulled for general maintenance, inspection and painting. We
have been told that "The definition of cruising is doing
boat maintenance in exotic places" and it is so true.
However we have been blessed with great cruising friends here
and with their vast experience they have helped us get it
all sorted out. The list of things getting fixed or upgraded
on the boat is too long to list here but we feel strongly
that she is a very capable cruising boat and once up to date
will have no problems with this sort of trip.
So our adventure
will continue for a little while, and right now we're off
to see the Haugh's at El Cid hotel. Tonight we're taking them
to a great BBQ rib place where the ribs come 2 ft long and
the beer is two for one and very cold. All for 75 peso's a
plate. Hard to beat. I hope I remember that when I rip the
head apart tomorrow morning as it is on my list of things
to do. TTYL
19 Feb 07
Mazatlan, Mexico
 What
a week! This is our first experience with any Carnaval let
alone the third largest in the world. On the Friday before
the Carnaval Laurie and I went clubbing and ended up at a
Mexican music bar where we were introduced to serious latin
music. We had a excellent waiter who explained what was going
on and we had a great time. We got home late to our waiting
 kids
who grounded us for making them so worried. It was a lovely
rare reversal of roles.
On Sunday night
we went to the main parade which started just after dark.
We had tickets to the bleachers in front of Agua Marine hotel.
The Malecon was packed as far as the eye could see in both
directions as the picture at right shows Over 1/2 million
people come to Mazatlan for this Carnaval. It was crazy.
The next sequence
of pictures is some of the better pictures of the floats.
We must say that the mood of the crowd was very good. I don't
think I would have gotten into a crowd this large anywhere
else but it appeared to be no problem here. As soon as the
parade ended though the crowd surged out all the side roads
to their cars, taxi's and busses and from then on it was a
gong show. It took us 3 hours to get home and we witnessed
driving antics right out of a stunt movie back lot. We tried
walking to find a bus but they were all full. Finally we saw
the right bus and hopped on board. Unfortunately it was going
the wrong way and we ended up in the center of town. After
getting off we jumped into the back of a small red pickup
used around here as a taxi and the real wild ride began. Honking
and yelling out the window, driving like a maniac our driver
pushed his truck through the masses across town, just like
everyone else was doing. It was crazy but fun and we survived.
  In
amongst all this Carnaval fun we got a number of surfing trips
in and here is a couple of picture of La Playa Bruja; a beach
just up the way which is a great surfing beach.
The Bull
Fight (Don't go any farther down if
your a member of PETA or get squeemish at the site of blood)
For Billy's 16
birthday I took him to the bull fights here in Mazatlan. A
couple of other cruisers, Jim and his son Brenden from Escapade
came with us. It was held in Plaza De Toros and was a monumental
match between Rejoneador Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza, from Spain
and Rejoneador Eduardo Funtanet, from Mexico; supposedly this
quality of match is quite rare to witness in Mexico. It took
us a bit to figure out what was going on but once we did it
was something unbelievable to watch. It was a display of courage,
beauty, horsemanship, spectacle and brutality like something
out of the Roman Coliseum. The only way I can thing to describe
it is to show you the sequence of events in pictures which
of course don't do it the justice it deserves. We had no help
sorting out what was going on so I might have the process
wrong.
The Mexicans make
no apologies for this specticle and it was an event we totally
enjoyed after the initial shock at the brutality. Was it entertaining?
You bet and I would go to another like this again in a heart
beat. We sat in the cheap seats with the rest of the Mexicans
and had a great time. TTYL
12 Feb 07
Mazatlan, Mexico
 Were
bedding in as they say around here. All of us like the place
and the alternatives are not easily achieved. Mazatlan has
a lot to offer us right now. Although it is a serious tourist
destination it is also a city of a half a million and there
are lots of areas that are not tourist orientated so the real
Mexico comes out. The Marina where were at is reasonable priced,
modern and clean. Our neighbors are mostly very experienced
cruisers and provide excellent guidance. Many of the boats
have been here for years. The kids need to get caught up on
homework and La Playa Bruja, a very good surfing beach is
just a short bus ride down the way. Mazatlan also has everything
we need to continue the work on the boat so all in all it
looks like we will be staying for a while. How long were not
sure but at least until the end of of March barring something
unforseen as friends and family are arranging trips down.
  At
left is a picture of just one of the many colourful Carnaval
statues that are spread out through the city to remind people
of next weeks Carnaval which is the third largest in the world.
We have seats overlooking the parade route for the main parade
on Sunday evening. At right is a picture of Mazatlan taken
from the top of El Faro Lighthouse; quite a hike in the heat
but the view is stunning.
  At
left is the Central Mercado where all manner of things can
be bought in an open air style. The look on Tommy's face when
we got to the butchers area was priceless. We heard there
is even a better market east of the main area and were going
to try and find that this week.
At right is our
favorite mode of transport. We have tried all the taxi system
here which are fun but no matter how you bargain with them
you always get ripped off. The buses cost .50c or .80c and
go virtually everywhere and are always entertaining to ride.
Time to get going so we will TTYL.
4 Feb 07
Mazatlan, Mexico
 My
pleas to that capricious mistress the sea in the last entry
must of done the trick. Of course the weather didn't moderate
quickly because then she might worry that I don't take her
seriously enough. The wind finally died down to nothing by
this morning. The last few hours into harbour were hot and
easy. Were finally tied up to a dock and the reception was
friendly and efficient. All around us are other cruisers and
the amenities look great. Were dead dog tired and it is time
to relax again. This picture is of Marina Mazatlan and Docks
6 & 7. TTYL
3 Feb 07
Middle of the Sea
of Cortez; En route to Mazatlan, Mexico
We left Cabo San
Lucus as fast as we could. It's the 'Let's Make a Deal' city
in Mexico and even the Mexicans don't like the place. One
cruise ship and sometimes two or three arrive everyday to
disgorge the hoards of people ready to party. We got no rest
there and anything was better than staying we thought.
After checking
the weather and with Marina Mazatlan we left for the 3 day
trip across the Sea of Cortez. Weather was suppose to be light
NW winds. Of course by nightfall it was blowing 20 kts from
the N and a big sea built up, pounding into us. Were on a
close reach heading NE and back across the 23 latitude. It
became readily apparent that if this wind kept up the trip
was going to be very rough and slow.
It is now 2 days
of beating into it and on my watch (12am to 4am) the time
drags on. Nothing to do but hang on as the boat corkscrews
up one wave and down the next. The boat has only a double
reefed main sail up and the motor is turning over at low RPM.
It has been too rough to mess with head sails but at least
today and tonight we are heading in the right direction. The
first night the wind forced us off our track and it looked
like we might have to give up on Mazatlan and head further
south.
Nothing to look
at out here now but the fractured seas roaring by. During
the day the sun and wind are hot and the watches at night
are warm. Just after the sun goes down a blood red full moon
raises in the east to slowly turn bright white in the night
sky. It illuminates the waves as they march past. As far as
you can see in any direction is the sea in turmoil oblivious
to your prayers to calm down. The stronger stars shine through
and patterns are starting to be seen. Certain stars rise each
night in the same place and I wish I knew one from another.
Something more to learn.
Were tired. Over
a thousand miles in 18 days. Not much for the blue water boys
but a lot for us. The skipper is tired, the crew tired and
so is the boat. Things breaking now. Around noon the deck
bolt holding the port main sheet block snapped sounding like
a gunshot during a particularly strong wind and wave action.
The secondary fuel pump mounts breaking due to metal fatigue.
The bimini doors finally giving up the ghost. Meanwhile the
wind moans through the rigging and the waves match on. Down
below the waves slam into the underside of the alma's with
an irregular rhythm that jolts your nerves no matter how much
you try to ignore it. The weather makes it tough to sleep
or eat properly.
I'm resisting the
urge to look at the clock another time. Nothing to do but
listen to music on Tommy's IPOD. Re-discovering the Doors,
Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and watch the waves roar by. Wishing
my watch was over but not wanting to wake Laurie and Tommy
up for the 4 to 8am watch. Both tired to the bone now. Laurie
sick for the last two days. How Tommy sleeps in his port alma
is beyond me. It pitches up then plunges down and slams into
the next wave. He must hit the ceiling once in a while. This
is the tough part of cruising. You know that if the wind picks
up anymore, no matter how close you are to Mazatlan the boat
is going to have to turn and run south. Praying that doesn't
happen. Hoping that it all stays together. These winds are
called el Norte and they can be nasty. Where were they on
the way down. We only had one day of them and it was wonderful
because it was pushing us in the right direction. Now it's
beating us up and ignoring our pleas to go away.
I see a light now
but it is only a fishing boat off our starboard about 8 miles.
A bit of chatter on the VHF 16 but still 40 miles from Mazatlan.
Tomorrow; it will be better tomorrow. Every sailors prayer.
Oh I wish it was tomorrow!
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