The Travels of Aztec

This segment will cover most of our first season as "Real Cruisers" , as we moved from Mazatlan down the Mexican Riviera" as far south as Manzanillo, with stops coming and going in Puerto Vallarta, Camela, Barra de Navidad, and Tenacatita Bay. Check out the photos - a lot of the detail will be there.

Leaving Maztlan ("An overnighter alone")
After sticking in Mazatlan for most of a month, it was time to go see the world. But there's nothing for quite a ways south of Mazatlan.
• A very long night with lots of fishing boats; VERY unnerving
• We Skipped Isla Isabella on the way down and headed for San Blas - to anchor at Mantanchen Bay
• Visited the town of San Blas. This small city, now a eco-tourism center, was the center of Spanish rule of the west coast for over 300 years!!!!

San Blas was the most authentic Mexican town we had seen so far.
We also met Captain Norm Goldie, famous for his attempt to control cruisers in the area. And the bugs are really mean here. Not so much in Mantanchen Bay, but if you anchor in town they can get at you. But Mantanchen is an extremely friendly anchoring Bay. A very long slowly sloping bottom with very few obstructions.

Time to move on - Carolyn was sticking around for any more bug bites !!

We broke up the trip from San Blas to Puerto Vallarta by stopping in the small Bay of Chamela. This is widely recognized as a very charming bay with one of the prettiest little crescent-shaped beaches on the "jungle coast". And it was very nice; and the cruising "ambiance" did seem to be getting better as we went. But the bay tends to be rather rolly and most boats anchor bow and stern. We did as well, and were glad of it. We ran out of there after only one night, however, because we got the scare of another norther approaching, and we ran for Banderas Bay. We surfed on south with little wind, and after rounding the corner into Banderas Bay we skipped the popular Punta de Mita anchorage, being worried about the big surf curving around the corner. As we learned later, it was a good move. It did get pretty rough there that night. We motored on to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

The town is great, but this anchorage is not our favorite, either, as it tends to be rolly every afternoon. Usually, however, it smooths out during the night and into the morning. Due to heavy construction - they are building a new marina - the landing is not real easy, either. We spent only one night in La Cruz, as we were very interested in finding a smooth (flat) anchorage for daughter Tasia's visit for Christmas / New Year.

But if you didn't get reservations in Puerto Vallarta 4 or more months ago you weren't getting in to a marina there.

Again, see the photos:

o Tasia visited for Christmas & New Years
o When we first arrived in the PV are, we anchored at La Cruz and had some good time visiting Philo's Bar, etc. After not too long we were able to get a tie-up in the dilapitaded Nuevo Vallarta Marina; tied to "the pilings". It turned out to be a fairly nice spot, as it ws easy to go to and from everything at the Vallarta Yacht Club and Paradise Village Marina by dinghy, and we were out in the breeze where it was a little cooler.
o Christmas dinner was a cruisers' pot luck at Philo's the day Tasia arrived. We had lovely plastic chairs [literally] in the street.o
o New Years eve was a party at the Vallarta Yacht Club (not a big deal - we should have gone back to Philo's)
o Before Tasia left, we took a tourist boat out to the village of Yelapa on the south side of Banderas Bay... a very nice day trip!
o We got in a little of the traditional tourist shopping in old town.

After Taisa left it was time to head south out of Puerto Vallartaa to the "Real Cruising Grounds" of the Mexican Riviera.

• The first step is to round Cabo Corrientes, often a rough go. But our luck held, and we had a smooth time of it, surfing down 6 footers in to the little anchorage of Ipala. It is rather a cramped place, and after a few boats arrived we decided it was to b only a one-night stay, and headed out for Camela the net day.

• Chamela is much more of a "cruisers' bay", large enough to accomodate quite a few boats. We didn't fully appreciate its merits at the time, though. With not too much walking, you can provision there, eat at the little beachside palapas, and even use a local hotel's internet station. Many cruisers don't care for it because it can get rolly if there is a swell from the south, and because without going too much farther south you'll reach the even more popular Tenacatita and Barra de Navidad.

• Continuing our explorations, we moved on to Tenacatita Bay. This is pretty much cruiser central for the upper Mexican Riviera. With the town and Lagoon of Barra de Navidad just over the hill, the area can accommodate 100 boats or so at one time. In the winter of 2007, we feel lucky to have been there in the era of "The Mayor of Tenacatita". For many years there had been a cruiser very informally elected as the "mayor" of the anchorage. The mayors really were just people who planned to anchor there for most of the season and who were willing to be a chief resource for all the other visiting boats. They also held the weekly Friday night "Mayors night out" dinghy raft-up for the swapping of stories, hors d'ouvres books, CD's, & boat cards, during which a good time was had by all.

While there, Maradon arrived - Phil & Jane aboard. We'd met them in Mazatlan, and in cruiser fashion, we're now "old friends".

In 2007, the mayor was Chris Stockard of Legacy, accompanied by his wife Heather (who has now finished and published that cookbook she was working on.) During the day they exercised their Portuguese Water Dogs, so swimming was needed. On most days the "Swim to Shore" was organized by Rita of Overheated (who since bought a condo at Marina Mazatlan). Participants would gather (by swimming or dinghy) behind some designated boat, and paddle slowly to the beach. Once there, it was time for the beach walk to the Blue Bay and back to the palapa for Mexican train or volleyball of beach bocce, in all cases followed by "social hour" at the palapa.
Then the fun begins (depending upon the state of the bay).

Leaving the beach, if there is a surf running, is not always easy. You have to get a coordinated approach. Everyone does not do it the same way. Most people get one person on each side and wade in until the engine can be started - then push, jump, and engage the engine. Since Carolyn walks with a cane, she doesn't help me push it out. We go out the knee deep and she gets in the bow. Then I push, jump and engage the engine. When the first wave comes, it's sort of splash and leap and then goose the engine. On a mild day, that's it. Off you go "home". If the surf's up, there's a second wave that going to be worse than the first one if you don't leave very quickly. Probably our most dangerous departure was watched by the crew of Lost Soul one day as we hit wave number two and headed straight for the sky. Other than being soaked and having to stop a hundred feet farther out to pump the dinghy pool dry, I do not know how we avoided going right over backwards. We think it's because of our technique of having Carolyn in the bow.

We were not without our share of difficulties for first-year cruisers. While anchored in Tenacatita, Carolyn suffered a genuine panic attack, probably brought on mostly be David's growing anxiety about constant gear breakages and the time needed to reach Panama before hurricane season growing shorter and shorter. I might not mention this bit except for three things:
1. Assistance from other cruisers was awesome! This is not like being in a marina, where you call the paramedics to come over and help. If you're going to get help from outside your boat, it will have to be mostly from other sailing acquaintenances - and they came through in spades. John, an EMT on KISS was a very comforting influence.
2. Professional help was indeed available where it wasn't expected. Some of the cruisers (Hohn & Rita of Overheated, I believe) dinghied over to the Blue Bay Hotel and found the hotel doctor (there pretty much has to be one on staff at these remote coastal hotels - for guest issues). And they brought the doctor out to the boat by dinghy, crashing out through 3-foot surf!!! (I think the doc really enjoyed the excitement.) He sorted it all out and gave Carolyn a tranquilizer - and we went in to see him the next day.
3. The event made us stop and think about what we were doing. It was time for David to "get real" about cruising plans. So we decided to slow down and scratch plans for heading to Central America, or even to Zihuateneho (this trip).

So we kicked back in Tenacatita - about as nice and slow a place to kick back as any cruiser can get anywhere! What's to do here? In addition to the daily grind of the swim to shore described above, there's the "Jungle River Cruise".

Here's a note I wrote about the Mexican Gold Coast in February 2007:\

If you've ever wondered what the days are like during the winter on the 'Mexican Riviera', here's a sample... The boats they come; the boats they go. As I write, there are about 40 cruising boats here in Tenacatita Bay and 25 more in Barra de Navidad, and by the time you read this, we are not likely to be still in this place. Z-Fest is over, so some of them are on the way back North again. According to the folks on the SSB nets, it's pretty cold up in the Sea of Cortez now, so there are still more who are just now arriving from there, like snowbirds. And then there is the annual Tenacatita / Barra contingent, including the "Mayor of Tenacatita", Chris & Heather on Legacy. This is the time to leave for the Panama Canal, so Harmony (former Mayor) has left for points south after being part of the local scene for several seasons. Raptor Dance is resting in the Barra marina. Cuervo & White Star just returned from Manzanillo for a few days on the path North. Light Wave and Maradon jumping back to Barra for a few days. Chessie left the Barra Marina for Santiago Bay, and Main Squeeze will go soon. Warren Peace just dropped down from PV for a week. Topaz is in from Las Hadas. On February 13, the morning VHF net covering Tenacatita, Barra, and Malaque scored 44 check-ins, despite Barra's 'French Baker' "stepping all over" the local radio traffic.

Weather and the tides affecting the Jungle river cruise up through the mangroves (dinghy accessible) and Barra de Navidad lagoon entrances are always on the net info stream, as are the usual arrivals and departures and announcements. The 9:00 am VHF net usually takes about ½ hour, unless the stream of arrivals and departures is long. This is a good time for breakfast, or at least your coffee. If you join in on the 8:00 am SSB Amigo net or listen to Don Anderson's morning weather, by the time it's over you've had 1-1/2 hours of radio time and you're ready to do something more than sit in the cockpit! Today's pre-net radio included a Securite call alerting boats sailing between Tenacatita & Barra that the fishermen have their nets strung out across the mouth of the bay.

A small ray jumps from the water in the harbor; "Rush hour" in Tenacatita is 1:30 pm, when a crowd swims to shore with a dinghy/kayak escort for the beach walk and bocce ball, followed by the afternoon beer call (except for Tuesday when the palapa is closed... although today Les from Gemini did a watermaker seminar).

The Jungle River Trip:

If you could look at the bay from above, you could see that the high headland that blocks the inner cruisers' bay (where the Blue Bay Hotel is) from the outer Bay (where the tourist beach is), is almost an island. The back side is a serious mangrove swamp with a couple little rivers running through. Part of the swamp, on the back side of the beach between the Hotel and the palapa (where some of McHale's Navy was filmed), has been tamed for shrimp farming. There is a "river" passable to pangas and dinghies that is used to ferry hotel guests from the hotel to the restaurants and tourist beach. Anything to make a buck!

At this point I must make an admission that some of the following may not be my writing. Bob Bitchin, of Latitudes and Attitudes Magazine, published an article on his visit to Tenacatita, Barra, and Manzanillo in his boat, the Lost Soul (see photos). Since we were there at the same time in the same place, including his birthday party and around the pool at La Hadas, it is difficult for me to be sure which part I wrote or which pictures are his. Bob, I just say thanks for the bits that are yours....

At high tide it's pretty easy to enter the mouth of the swiftly flowing stream, but at low tide it can be a real workout, and you have to watch the bottom real close to keep from tearing the prop off the dinghy. Without high tide on your side, getting over the bar is kind of like a scene from African Queen. We have carried the dinghy up the beach about a hundred feet, and then tossed it back in, only to fight a six knot current in shallow (6") water for awhile.

This river has some wonderful open stretches where you can crank up your planing dinghy and feel like a boat racer, and some sections so overgrown that you twist and turn under a complete mangrove canopy past the little alligators, crabs, egrets, and termite mounds.

At the other end of the river, however, it's a different scene. There is a small landing with a full-on boat workshop set up - enclosed only be a thatched pole roof - where they repair damaged pangas. The smell of fresh fiberglass seems a bit out of place. You may or may not be asked for 10 or 20 pesos the watch your dinghy while you walk to lunch.

On the left as you walk out is - I'm sure you guessed this - an RV park!! Not real big, and a bit rustic, but a genuine gringo-version RV park. In addition to maybe 15 beach restaurants there is a small tienda, or store, where you can pick up some needed items - think of a sort of rural 7-11.

Other than running into pangas full of tourists that come up river full speed (that'll put the fear of God into you!) it's the same run backwards to the river mouth at the inner bay. After fighting the sand bar (watch out for the sting rays who like to sun themselves in the shallow entrance), it's again time to attack the surf again.

In the evenings the waters may be full of phosphorescence and if you're going visiting for cocktails or dinner, it is entertaining to watch the green splashes of light bounce off anything that moves in the water - oars, propellers, or people. These evenings, sitting and telling stories, watching the sun go down, and generally enjoying the lifestyle is what the cruising life is meant to be.

And then there's the dinghy ride to La Manzanilla, a small town on the other side of the bay. With a dinghy that planes, the trip is not very long - maybe 20 minutes. You might need to keep a close eye on the water and be ready to slow down.. we almost hit a lazy whale. And the surf landing here ... !!! Do this in late season after you've had practice, and be sure to take your dinghy bailing pump and put everything you have in dry bags! We put on a show for the tourists on the porches of the beach homes more than once - coming in and going out.

We also did a little snorkeling at Tenacatita, including spearing a little fish for dinner.

But after a while (since we didn't have a watermaker and can last only about 3 weeks at our - relatively wasteful - conservation rate), it was time to go see Barra de Navidad (so named because some Spanish explorer landed there on the sand bar at Christmas).

Barra de Navidad

I don't know why, but I haven't written much about Barra here .. maybe more in the 2008 visit... at any rate, here you enter the harbor area and, if you aren't going in to the Grand Bay Hotel Marina, continue straight through into "the lagoon".

After following a very narrow trench through the sand bars, there is a shallow anchorage that will old up to about 65 boats (we've seen that many in there). In 2007, the crowd was not that big.

This is less like the wilderness that is Tenacatita. You are almost surrounded by golf course and the towns of Barra and Colimilla. Although the breeze some afternoons picks up to 30, the water stays flat because you're inside a very protected harbor. A quick dinghy ride (or call a water taxi if you expect to be out after dark) gets you to the rough dinghy dock at the Sands Hotel, which is basically downtown. - a short walk to anything.

Here you'll find great restaurants, souvenirs, laundry facilities, bus stations, bars & beaches, and very importantly, the fuel / water docks.

After being here for a couple weeks we discovered in a casual conversation (hadn't bothered to look at the charts at all, being too comfortable) - that there is another popular cruising destination just a short day-sail south - Manzanillo! Two destinations, actually: Santiago Bay and Las Hadas Hotel. So shortly thereafter we left to see more of the world.

Manzanillo: Arrived - Las Hadas

The very tucked-in little anchorage behind the Las Hades Hotel, in addition to the little marina that the hotel owns, can hold quite a number of boats. Access to the hotel (and thereby to town via taxi) is by landing at the dinghy docks right by the great big swimming pool. As with most hotels by the beach, you are basically welcome as long as you behave and buy drinks. Las Hadas has been hosting cruising sailors for so many years that it has become a popular meeting place, and sitting by the pool will keep you meeting cruisers who showed up the day before, and saying good-by to cruisers who were leaving.

Lori Warner Visit

Manzanillo is a good place to wait for visitors. The airport is north of town, and so reasonably accessible to either Manzanillo and Barra de Navidad. The day after her arrival, the word went out to cruisers that there was to be a birthday party for Bob Bitchin, editor of Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine. Y'all come!

Bob said (printed): "The people who showed up were all cruisers. Some had been out for years. One couple was on the end of a 24 year circumnavigation (!) and some others were new to cruising. One couple had just bought their 27 footer in Puerto Vallarta and it was their first real cruise. But it didn't matter. Everyone there felt like family, and it was a great night. "

With Lori aboard, we decided to check out Santiago Bay, just round the headland to the north... another great place to stop, and somewhere in between Tenacatita and Barra in terms of facilities. On one hand, it's just an anchorage - no marina around. But there are quite a few beach restaurants, several semi-permanent tourist beach shops, and even a very nice hotel restaurant just across the stream at the end. Access to tow via taxi is also extremely easy. Even a large American-like Mega grocery store is not too far off. Some cruisers spend most of the season right here.

Lori was only to be there for a week, so after just a couple days is was off to the north again. We sailed back to Barra de Navidad for a couple days. Lori likes this place!

On the Pacific Coast of Mexico, St. Patrick's Day is the signal for folks to start moving. For those heading south, they want to be down to Panama by May so they can sit out hurricane season in places like the San Blas Islands, Bocas del Torro or the Rio Dulce.

Just outside of Barra is the town of Melaque. (Or "rocky melaky" as cruisers may call it because it is not a quiet anchorge) . For those heading north, it's the time to be heading for either the Sea of Cortez or Cabo San Lucas to do the bash back up the coast of Baja California. In either case, there I a mass exodus right after St. Patrick's Day.

But St. Patrick's Day itself is a great holiday in the Melaque area, as St.Patrick is the patron Saint of the area. Because of this there are fireworks, carnivals and all kinds of celebrations going on on the Gold Coast. We took Aztec out of the lagoon and anchored there for the night, which turned out to be a longer event than expected, as the combination of surf and David's enjoyment of the margaritas caused us to stay the night in a hotel.

Then we continued north back to Tenacatita to spend the remainder of Lori's visit here.

This proves to be a very good agenda for visitors on a schedule. It's one of a very few places where you can get in a little sailing and visit 3 or 4 anchorages in a single week!

One of our most unfortunate dinghy experiences happened on the way to shore with Lori and her suitcases. We had a wave-wash landing that filled the dinghy half full of water. She left with a dripping suitcase. At least we were able to get her a taxi right down to the palapa.

End of Season:
Each day, more and more cruisers showed up. It was March, and the season on the Mexican Riviera was winding down. Cruisers were starting to head north, to put their boats in the marinas in PV and Mazatlan, or to move into the Sea of Cortez for the off season, and as they came up from Zihuatanejo, Tenacatita is a favored stopover.
After Lori left we still had to repeat the Jungle River trip. It's such a great ride that we just had to do it again.

A scribble from 3/18/07:
Tenacatita continues to drain boats out. After Legacy and we leave tomorrow there will be 4 sailboats remaining (unless they also go - I don't know their plans). One was Lost Soul , the 54 ft Formosa ketch belonging to Bob Bitchin.

We should be up to Banderas Bay by Wednesday unless the weather doesn't cooperate.

Today, Saturday, we are still in Tenacatita Bay. Lori leaves today. Then we will be picking up stuff all over the boat and re-stowing things in her cabin for a potentially rougher trip than we have had in months to go north to P.V.


Finally, time to call it a season - Heading Back North:

Tenacatita To Puerto Vallarta

We stood out from Tenacatita Bay along with the season's "Mayor", Chris on Legacy, heading for Chamela on Monday, 3/19/07. Going around the point (Cabo Corrientes, always depends upon weather (which is supposed to be just fine), I think was supposed to hold at a light 7-10 knots at Cabo Corrientes thru Tuesday. On Tuesday we expected to go north from Ipala into Banderas Bay if the seas were calm. Our "plan" was to anchor at La Cruz (N of PV), partly because it's free and partly because we never got much chance to look around there, and then maybe, depending on availability & price, spend a couple days in Paradise Village Marina, because we haven't been in any such luxury since we left PV in January (well, except that it was really nice down south, not counting the lack of power or water).


3/21/07 Arrived safe Puerto Vallarta.

The best sail yet! The move to Chamela (the next bay north of Tenacatita) was a great motor-sail / sail on relatively smooth water; first offshore and then onshore breeze to about 11 knots of wind. We stayed one night and left in the morning for Ipala, just outside Banderas Bay. As it came out, we did better than anyone else on our timing - Jacaranda (Chuck & Linda) kept going rather than stop at Chamela, to do an overnighter around Cabo Corrientes. They got beat up by a stiff chop and 20 knots on the nose all night, going 2 knots. Legacy (Chris & Heather) and others who waited to leave Chamela and do an overnight around Cabo got the same thing the next night. We and 2 other boats who left Chamela at 7:00 am had the onshore / offshore assist all day, motor-sailing at 6-plus all the way, and at 3:30 we were off Ipala. But everything was so nice (10 or so knots wind close-hauled and 2-3 ft swell with just a little lumpiness (it didn't stop Carolyn from cooking, although she was uncomfortable), we rounded Cabo Corrientes by 4:00 motor-sailing at 7+ (as high as 8.4 after turning the revs down just above idle), pulled the big jib out farther and swooshed up to La Cruz on a flat Banderas Bay, dropping the hook by 8:00 p.m. Dolphins, leaping rays (Carolyn didn't see them), lotsa birds.. A two-day trip squashed into a 13-hour run!!!! Everyone's jealous of our story!

We are delayed here in PV because Sheira of Moonshadow has gone to the US and will bring a few parts back for me.

In the meantime, it's time for the Banderas Bay Regatta. Richard Spindler was in; watched him dock Profligate from the Vallarta YC deck whilst having margaritas. David crewed on Starfire, a 49 ft Peterson. We had not actually met the captain beforehand, but we sailed alongside him and their buddyboat "Shamwari" from Barra to Manzanillo a few weeks before, so I didn't have to give him any sailing resume. They were anchored close to us in La Cruz and called for crew on the radio. Real class act people, all 4 of them. Also had "Sea Tub" Tony and Jack of "Casa Jamur". Jack is an 86 year old crazy old sailor, who was indeed useful crew, as he has sailed the world with the best of them, and done this regatta a number of years running. He lives high on the hill in LaCruz and knows EVERYBODY. We had cocktails in his house overlooking the entire bay. The whole thing was great fun, down to the wrap-up party at the club the last night with Philo & his band playing. We didn't win. Chris, the skipper, declared "non spinnaker" for the race, as he had no idea who he'd get for crew and expected 16-knot winds for the race - like we've had most afternoons. So we placed on the 3rd of 3 races because we got the wind, but the other 2 days we did poorly.

So now it's time to fix the autopilot that quit right at Cabo Corrientes, the running lights (only 1 bulb burning now), the dinghy wheel strut that broke when we landed here in LaCruz, the dinghy engine that's giving me a red low oil pressure light, and maybe finally check the wind generator cable continuity; and I should change the oil. Reality is not as fun as appearances.

Leaving Puerto Vallarta

We are sailing along with Boomer, an acquaintance from the last trip through. He's finally leaving Puerto Vallarta for points north (asked to leave?). He will go with us to Mazatlan and then pick up the former owner of his boat and go on to La Paz. Boomer actually sails well, but his waterline is not very long; has a good engine to increase the speed, though.

A rather intense fellow to sail with, but hasn't gone badly.

We sailed day 1 from PV to Punta Mita; spend 1 nite at anchor there. Day 2 from there to Mantanchen Bay (San Blas); spent 1 nite there. The afternoon sail between Punta Mita and Mantanchen was the nicest sailing we have ever had on this boat. 3 hours of beam reach. In order to stay (slower) with Boomer, we had up only the big genoa and were going over 6 knots (for 3 hours, as I said, on one tack).

Before the breeze came up we were motoring and I didn't like the white smoke coming out of the engine exhaust, and there wasn't as much water coming out as there should be. I tried the 3 things that were most likely the problem. The sea strainer was clear. The sea water impeller in the engine was ok (after I spent a while trying to find the replacement) - so the only thing left was a plugged intake. I pulled the hose off the inside of the through-hull, and water just dribbled out when I opened the valve (It should have squirted out like it was trying to sink the boat).

I scrubbled a screwdriver around in there and it didn't seem to make any difference, so the only thing left was to jump into the ocean to see if the blockage was there. Sailing friends had been talking about barnacles getting so thick that they had clogged lines. So I jumped in. Boomer offered to go on shark watch, but there didn't seem to be any; just a lot of little jellyfish. What clear water!!! Much cleaner than anything in the anchorages, even the clearer ones!

Now I scrubbled the screwdriver in the hole from the outside, and I didn't find much of anything in the way of barnacles. There was one little sort of spongy plant living at the outer edge, and I knocked him off, but that was all. Since there was nothing else to try, we started the engine again. Problem solved! I guess that little spongy guy just flopped into the hole when it started sucking in water!


Crash at Sea 4/7/200

This was really stupid on both our parts (although Boomer doesn't admit to such things)

About 4 miles off the Mexican coast between Punta Mita and San Blas). Northbound. 10:30 am.

I am embarrassed to describe the situation. Aztec was struck in the rear Starboard quarter (actually not the hull, just the stern/radar arch and outboard engine hanging on the stern rail) by the vessel "Boomer", with whom we were sailing in company. No alcohol, no sleepiness, no racing. No sails were even up. No wind, so were motoring. 2 people on board Aztec; 1 person on board Boomer.

During the windless, quiet morning we were motoring north toward San Blas. Unfortunately, although I felt we were too close, I had not yet done anything about it. Boomer was on autopilot (although he had made some comments about being unsure of it's dependability) and I was hand steering because our autopilot was out of order (again). Both of us are guilty of insufficient watchkeeping for the proximity of our boats, as described below. Boomer went below for a snack (so noone on watch for a few minutes). I was at the wheel, but took a few moments to study my chartplotter and course (at the binnacle). I apparently allowed Aztec to turn to starboard across the bow of Boomer while distracted. Did I take/ have time to check the course? No. I assume Aztec turned. We yelled at Boomer (very close and coming right at us), who forced his wheel over against the autopilot, but I don't think he thought to throttle down). We almost cleared, but not entirely.

Damage was a bent stern arch and rail on Aztec, with one broken rail foot and one foot ripped out of the wood taffrail, and one smashed outboard engine (the same 9.9HP Mercury I have had all along). Boomer's bow pulpit rail was seriously bent. No other damage to bowsprit, furler, etc.

Anchored at Mantanchen for one night (without contacting the local ruler, "Jama"), with no incident.

So on we went to Isla Isabella April 9, 2007

Happy Easter

After San Blas, we sailed on Easter for Isla Isabella, a very small bird sanctuary island about 40 miles off the coast of Mexico between San Blas and Mazatlan. No phone coverage there!! Should be in Mazatlan on Wednesday.

On the way out we were talking to another boat headed for Mazatlan who had been there 2 years ago and told us about "whale sharks" in the area, so we kept a close eye out.... and we saw a group of 3!! They are shaped sort of like sharks, except that the mouths are wide and flat (think vacuum cleaner, because that's just about what they are). They have big vertical dorsal and tail fins and swim lazily along the surface straining up krill and other tiny sea thingies. We circled them slowly and took pictures; I wrote a letter to Latitude 38 about the sighting, and they published the following article in Lectronic Latitude:

"World's Largest - and Maybe Slowest - Fish Species at Isla Isabella
May 25 - Isla Isabella, Mexico
Mexico's Isla Isabella, between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, is best known for being a bird reserve, primarily for frigates and boobies. But while on their way there a short time ago, David and Carolyn Cammack of the San Francisco-based Cape North 43 Aztec were told by some other cruisers to be on the lookout for whale sharks. Sure enough, they spotted three of them, including this one, near the island. They believe it was a juvenile, as it was only about 20 feet long.

© 2007 David & Carolyn Cammack

You don't have to worry about whale sharks biting you, because even though their mouths can be up to five feet wide and have 325 rows of tiny teeth, they are actually filter feeders. They aren't very fast, either, with some species maxing out at a mere 3 miles an hours. Experts say that divers and snorkelers can swim with whale sharks without any danger. One of the things that make whale sharks easy to distinguish from tiger sharks, which you don't want to swim with, are their checkerboard of pale yellow spots and stripes. - latitude / rs Published in Lectronic Latitude

Arrived Isla Isabella:
Isla Isabela is a marine life sanctuary, mostly about birds - there are hundreds of frigate birds sitting in the low scrubby trees. We dinghed ashore, landing at the fish camp on the south side (you'll see my photo of the fish camp in Latitude as well), and walked around to see the old volcano crater and the birds & such. Frigate birds nesting; frigate chicks everywhere!! Not afraid of us at all. Really wierd & different.

The water was as clear as we had seen in Mexico so far; so the snorkeling would have been good except for the westerly swell that increased while we were there. David did snorkel a while with intentions of spearing dinner, but the swell did not allow him to stay in one spot long enough to keep a fish. The anchor was visible on the bottom in 30 feet of water!

We stayed two nights and left at about 4:00 a.m. in hopes in raising Mazatlan before dark. There is no place to stop in between.


Mazatlan 4/11/07

We have arrived Mazatlan, but could not enter the marina harbor because of high ocean swell crashing into the entrance. Stayed in the Old Harbor ("Stinky Harbor") for 2 nights. We expected to move over there in the evening at high tide.

Arrived Marina El Cid on Thursday, April 12, 2006

Here in Mazatlan we met Ralph & Joanna Felton (EnSueno of Stockton Sailing Club). With them we made a trip to the "Shrimp Ladies" downtown, bought a kilo of big shrimp & walked down the block to Dunias Cantina. This place will cook your shrimp (or scallops or fish or whatever you buy from the shrimp ladies) for a setup fee.

We also had the opportunity to attend a performance of the Mazatlan civic Orchestra at the Angela Peralta Theater downtown with Rick.

Life pretty much settled down to being marina liveaboards (in a resort). We learned about the city buses, "pulmonia" taxis, provisioning via Wal-Mart & Sam's Club, Sorainna, Gigante & Mega grocery stores, where to find the Home Depot, Office Depot, dentist, etc. We were there from mid April to the end of July, waiting for repairs to the bent stern arch by Mazatlan Marine Services (Rick Cummings) and generally enjoying life at the pool and around the city. There were cruisers get-togethers at Marina Mazatlan as people packed there boats for the season and went hoe for the summer.

And there was the famous Roy Orbishark Show, put on by the cruiser Anne Marie.
And walks all the way down the beach to meet cruisers for brunch at the Bruja restaurant (where the crowd from Marina Mazatlan went on their "Bike to Brunch" trips).

Many good times were had with Bruce & Pascale of Calou, and Janet of Aquarius, David attended Spanish lessons with Evilyn of the trimaran Myriah, and we ended the season by moving Aztec to Marina Mazatlan (no surge there) and flying home on July 26, 2007