A Taste of Cruising Mexico

Vessel Name: Journey
Vessel Make/Model: Passport 40
Hailing Port: Ventura, Ca
Crew: Jeff and Dori Beller
About: We're home ported out of Ventura, California. Jeff is a software engineer and Dori is a special ed teacher. We're both on sabbatical from our carreers or early retirement. We're not too sure which and don't really care. Cruising fits us real well right now.
Extra: This is our third extended cruise to Mexico. I guess we like it there! We hope you enjoy reading this journal of our cruise.
19 March 2020 | Ventura, CA
12 July 2012 | Ventura, CA
20 June 2012 | San Diego, CA
12 June 2012 | Turtle Bay
11 June 2012 | Turtle Bay
04 June 2012 | Bahia San Juanico
02 June 2012 | Outside of the Baja
31 May 2012 | Cabo San Lucas
27 May 2012 | La Paz
22 May 2012 | La Paz
22 May 2012 | Southern Sea of Cortez
15 May 2012 | Bahia Candeleros
15 May 2012 | Bahia Salinas
15 May 2012 | Isla Carmen
15 May 2012 | Isla Carmen
15 May 2012 | Isla Danzante
02 May 2012 | Sea of Cortez
02 May 2012 | Punta Colorada (Isla San Jose)
02 May 2012 | Sea of Cortez
02 May 2012 | Sea of Cortez
Recent Blog Posts
19 March 2020 | Ventura, CA

Another Taste of Mexico

This is a photo from back in 2008, the first time Journey went cruising to Mexico. The boat was full and overflowing with guests come to wish us Bon Voyage before we set off on our travels. It is a memory we still cherish.

12 July 2012 | Ventura, CA

Home Sweet Home

Journey has been home for just over a week, after sailing into Ventura harbor on the Fourth of July.

20 June 2012 | San Diego, CA

Survivors of the Un-Bash

It seems there is no rest for the weary. (OK, after resting four days, I guess being weary isn't an excuse anymore.) Anyway, we've received a few 'gentle' hints from some impatient readers. They've noticed that our position reports show we've reached San Diego, but our blog hasn't been updated to reflect [...]

12 June 2012 | Turtle Bay

A Night at Anabel's

Last night we debated whether or not to leave Turtle Bay early this morning, but one day's rest just didn't put a dent in the sense of exhaustion we were feeling after this last week. So we put off our departure until tomorrow. Our reward for making that decision was spending this evening at Anabel's. There [...]

11 June 2012 | Turtle Bay

The Half Way Point

Arriving at Turtle Bay is a milestone because it means you've reached the half-way point in your trip up or down the Baja. Several of the boats who left Cabo with us had a little celebration by having a scrumptious potluck lunch hosted by Mary and Jack on S.V. Oriana. We also attended to mundane details [...]

04 June 2012 | Bahia San Juanico

The 'Un-bash'

With one-third of the trip north completed, the good news is that we haven't really been 'bashed' much at all. The closest we've came was the passage around Cabo Falso early Saturday AM which Jeff described in his last post. As he mentioned, once that was behind us, it was all motoring in calm seas [...]

The secret's out

15 December 2010 | Isla Isabella
Dori
Well, I guess it hasn't really been a secret, but we've always thought of Isla Isabel as such a lovely secluded spot. On previous trips we've never shared the island with more than one or two other boats. This time around there were as many as twelve boats altogether between the two anchorages. We anchored to the east, just off of Las Monas, two towering spires of rock known as isleo Mona Mayor and Isleo Mona Menor.

It's not surprising this is such a favorite stop for cruisers. When the conditions are favorable (and we had perfect weather, calm and flat) you couldn't ask for more. The water was very clear at about 77 degrees. Jeff did some scuba diving and I went snorkeling in the reefs below Las Monas. It was like swimming in an aquarium with schools of tropical fish everywhere you looked. Humpbacks whales would cruise by the anchorage at dusk and dawn every day. And, of course, birds...birds...and more birds. The skies above the island are thick with boobies (green and blue-footed), frigate birds, pelicans and more. This time of the year, the boobies are nesting right on the beach. We made the hike to Crater Lake and the trees overhead are also laden with frigates and boobies. Lots of iguanas skittering along underfoot too.

Throw in kayaking, taking a dinghy ride around the island and spending happy hour with friends on a different boat every night, and you can see how special our stay here was. Even though the boats we've been traveling with, Loomba-Loomba and Anna, have a schedule to keep and must arrive in Puerto Vallarta by Sunday, we had no difficulty in convincing them to extend our stay by one more day. As an added bonus, we were happy to see our friends Janice and Henry on Cloudy Bay come steaming into the anchorage on our last afternoon here. They joined us all for drinks and we were able to get caught up on the tales of their travels.

This morning we are motoring across to Ensenada de Matanchen. The one thing that would make this trip even better would be for Jeff to catch a nice tuna or dorado. The fishing hasn't been as good this year as in the past and we've only come up with a couple of bonitas which aren't really good eating.

Here's hoping the fishing gods smile on us during this passage.

Dori
Comments
Journey's Photos - Main
We've posted our favorite photos from this year's cruising in the Sea of Cortez
46 Photos
Created 8 July 2012
Four glorious days of surfing "the longest wave" at Matanchen Bay in warm water, tropical surroundings, and no crowds.
11 Photos
Created 13 April 2012
Dori shot these photos of a morning surf session at Barra de Navidad. She was standing on the breakwater which adjacent to the surf break, giving great access for pictures.
15 Photos
Created 22 February 2012
This is a morning spent touring the estuary and river above Matanchen up to Tovara springs.
28 Photos
Created 27 January 2012
Yelapa is a unique little hidden away village on the south side of Banderas Bay. No roads reach it and the only way to get there is by water.
14 Photos
Created 15 March 2011
14 Photos
Created 20 December 2010
40 Photos
Created 15 November 2010