We arrived in Mazatlan on mainland Mexico after a tortuous sail over from the Baja. Tortuous because, based on forecasts of very light winds, we left at 6:00 pm allowing for a 36 hour passage, and we probably should have left 6 hours later. It was important that we make landfall in daylight as we would be unable to enter the narrow, shallow channel to the marina in the dark. Instead of 7 knots of wind, we had 17. At one point we rolled up the jib, double reefed the main, and we still couldn't slow down enough to avoid arriving in the middle of the night. When we arrived, there were fishing boats everywhere setting out nets and lines. We had heard horror stories about getting fouled up in nets and that long lines could trail a mile and a half behind a boat. So we were pretty frazzled and confused, snapping at each other and trying to figure out what to do. To me it appeared that we were in the middle of a circle of fishing boats. "Let's just get out of here!" was my typically chicken sh*t suggestion. Fortunately sounder minds prevailed and Bruce steered us through to an anchorage behind a small island. It was listed in the guidebook as a day-time
anchorage only but with our wind and sea conditions that night, it was in the lee and a perfect spot for some much needed sleep.

We had been told that we could give Mazatlan a pass as there was nothing special to recommend it. We, however, need to haul and paint the bottom of the boat before heading out to the South Pacific in March and we determined Mazatlan might be the best place to accomplish this. So, instead of hauling at the end of our time in Mexico, we decided to do it now, as Mazatlan is on the way to where we plan to be in the coming months.

I think this is our fifth boat yard experience in the past 13 months! AMARYLLIS in Puerto Rico last November, PUMA in Curacao April, again in the boatyard in San Diego for 6 weeks when we pulled the mast in Sept./Oct., and now in Mazatlan. I'm not kidding when I say Bruce takes me to boat yards instead of resorts! We've been "on the hard" for 9 days and hope to 'splash' day after tomorrow. Three days ago Bruce scavenged a big packing crate and brought it over to the boat and said, "Look, I've got a work bench!" "Oh no," I replied, "now you're never gonna want to leave!" But the last coat of paint is going on this morning (Saturday) which gives Bruce all day Sunday to polish the top sides, and we WILL splash on Monday!

A word about the boat yard. It is run by the government and is fairly new and very clean. The yard appears to be run by three young women, all very competent and friendly. This is the first time I've seen a women running the travel lift. The bathrooms/showers are immaculately clean and look like something you'd find at a fancy resort. There is a large, breezy lounge for boaters to use with a book swap and free wifi. I set up my sewing machine and did a bunch of small projects and also found some good reads.

Our boat, at 22 years, is about the most modern boat in the boat yard. We are surprised at the number of full-keeled boats here. Bruce, whose first two boat were schooners, can't believe that someone would choose such a slow design! When Bruce and I were shopping for a boat we had a few rules:
1. No full keels. It's an ANCIENT design and sooooo SLOW. We don't want to have to wait for 20 knots of wind to leave port (or spend all our money on diesel to get anywhere).

2. No split rigs. Ketch rigs (two masts) are great when you want to reduce the size of your sails to make hoisting sails more manageable. But on the size boat we were looking for - 46 ft. or less - smaller sails are not an issue (Bruce can still hoist a full mainsail) and will only make the boat SLOW.

3. No teak on the outside of the boat. Shiny wood trim makes a boat look great but the reality is that, in the tropics, the sun burns through varnish in about two months. Laying down 3-6 coats of varnish (and sanding between coats) on your hands and knees in the hot sun for 90 ft of cap rail is NOT our idea of a cruising lifestyle. Oh, and no teak decks as they are HOT and need to be replaced after about 10-15 years and with our budget we are only looking at boats older than that. And teak is VERY expensive as most of the world's supply has been used up :(.

So check out our boat. The only thing SLOW about Pacific Hwy is the crew. But, from the looks of the boats in the boat yard, it seems that a lot of people still think a full keel, traditional boat is the way to go.Take a look at our neighbors.

This Choy Lee is a beauty, built in Taiwan back in the 70's or 80's when labor and teak were cheap. This boat says "ROMANCE" - every landlubbers idea of what a sail boat should look like. As you can see, the owners have had canvas covers made to completely cover both wood masts (to protect the varnish) and have also made canvas covers for the cap rail. Because maintaining all that teak is VERY EXPENSIVE! And the full keel makes this sleek looking boat VERY SLOW!

Here's another full-keel boat - very nice looking and also VERY SLOW. The yard workers are replacing the teak deck - a very laborious process that can cost as much as the boat is worth.

But enough about boatyards and boats. What about Mazatlan. Well, it's a CITY with about 500,000 people. The marinas are fairly new and very nice and there is a lot of new construction of condos though much of the retail space is empty. Here's a sign in front of an already out-of-business establishment that sums it up.

A lot of cruisers choose Mazatlan as their base of operation. The weather is just about perfect - warm sunny days and cool nights. There are many American chain stores (Walmart, Home Depot, Auto Zone) to take the mystery out of shopping in a foreign country. There is a great bus system that takes you anywhere for less than a dollar.

The most popular destination is Old Mazatlan and here is an account of my
travels there and my impressions of Mazatlan.The marina is conveniently located on a major bus route so it is easy to hop on a very nice air-conditioned bus that costs about 85 cents. First we drive through the "Golden Zone" which is a strip of high-rise hotels, fast food places like Burger King and Dairy Queen, cheap tourists shops, and Senor Frog Official Stores every 3-5 blocks. What is up with this Senior Frog? It's like the Hard Rock Cafe of Mexico.

Then you drive along the Malecon, which is a walkway along the beach that goes for about 3 miles. This is also a tourist area but the beach is pretty and it's a nice drive. At the end of the beach the bus heads into Old Mazatlan. First you pass the flower district where cut flowers are sold. Then you pass the Shrimp Ladies - about two block of venders with vats of iced shrimp, fresh off the boats, ranging from small to HUGE. Next you are in an area of stores selling all sorts of cheap goods and finally, the end of the bus line, the public market. The public market takes up a square block. One side is butchers and fish sellers. Port, beef, and chicken is cut to order. Everything is FRESH and there are no flies and there is no smell.



On the other side of the market are the fruit and vegetable venders. Everything is very orderly and not at all intimidating to the novice. There are also venders selling liquados, tacos, and sweets.

Continuing on, there is the cathdral (which I did not photograph) and lovely town square surrounded by restaurants and a theater. A group of young people were rehearsing Romeo and Juliet (in Spanish) in the park. I found this hotel in the historical district with a sign saying, "As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts: Herman Melville, In Mazatlan, March 28-April 16, 1844."

Mazatlan appears to have a thriving economy (a lot based on tourism but it is also a port city) and a strong middle class. Everyone seems to have disposable income for shopping and eating out.

And most Mexicans here are FAT! There are lots of fitness centers - an industry born from people becoming increasingly out of shape! We saw almost no "street people" - something you see lots of in American cities. It could be a cultural thing - perhaps extended famiiles absorb the unemployed and so there is not a 'homeless' problem. There is not an obvious military/police presence like you would expect to see in a Mexican city and everyone seems to feel pretty safe.

So that's my report on Mazatlan. We hope to splash on Monday, spend a day at the dock cleaning all the boatyard dust off the boat, and then take off for points south. We're looking forward to locations that are not so heavily populated and spending time 'on the hook'.