S/V Bluebottle

22 March 2018 | Barrenjoey head, Pittwater NSW
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17 May 2017 | Hobart, Tasmania
07 April 2016
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16 September 2013 | Kings Pier Marina, Hobart
25 May 2013
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06 December 2012
11 September 2012

Arriving La Cruz, Bahia de Banderas

18 March 2010
Joe
As reported, Adrienne and I left Manzanillo last Sunday. Headed for La Cruz, Bahia de Banderas via a couple of anchorages, a stop for a night's rest. Raising the anchor at Las Hardas at around 8:45 in the morning we headed out from Manzanillo, never looking back, passing pangas with fishermen, outbound for Tenacatita. Adrienne had a hard time pronouncing Tenacatita at first (try it.). It's a lovely bay, as you enter you go around a rock in the centre, called Roca Centro (!) which at low tide looks like a top hat. We found our good friend Perry had already arrived. Sleeping, as single-handers do.

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Right now we are already entered and moving across an unknown bay in the dark at 6:15 am. The dawn is just beginning to show. The charts agree it is safe to enter here in the dark, but one chart says the coastline is actually 1.4 nautical miles East of where it is shown. So we motor in, rolling quite heavily. I see a ship on the radar (also it's lights are visible) off on our port bow; it is on a closing course, probably headed for the same place we are. We have rounded Cabo Corrientes an hour ago. As I approached the Cape, the autopilot failed! What a place for it to quit! I tried to steer to the waypoint, without much success; because of the bimini I couldn't see any stars ahead to steer by, and keeping a straight line to the waypoint on the electronic chart plotter soon had me giving up. I stopped the boat and fixed it.

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Leaving Tenacatita early the next morning we headed past Las Hermanos, and two whales crossed our path. Next stop Chamela, dropping anchor there at 2 in the afternoon. Sea Bear had caught a fish, and we were invited to dinner. Our lovely French friends were there too! Next day Didier and Annie headed out for a direct hop to La Cruz, 157 miles away. We followed, leaving around noon. It has taken 19 hours so far and 23 miles to go.

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I wrote the above as we approached La Cruz. Since then we have anchored and and today checked in with the Capitania de Peurto. Cost 1 peso, for photocopying. Right now lunch with our friends from Isis, that we met in Z - town, Burke was the musician. In 3 or 4 weeks we will head out into the blue pacific. Much to be done until then, the boat is not shiphape yet.


Comments
Vessel Name: BLUEBOTTLE (ex-Aura)
Vessel Make/Model: Lidgard 49' steel ketch
Hailing Port: Hobart
Crew: Adrienne Godsmark and Joe Blake
About:
We have completed our trans-Pacific voyage - from Panama to Hobart via Ecuador, Mexico, French Polynesia, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and Bundaberg, and are now pausing before resuming land life. [...]
Extra:
When the port authorities here were approached to renew our Panamanian boat registration, they said "You can't call your boat Aura - that's taken" so we decided to call her Bluebottle! If you know the Goons, you know of Bluebottle, that little twit! He was always getting into trouble with his thin [...]

BLUEBOTTLE (ex-Aura)

Who: Adrienne Godsmark and Joe Blake
Port: Hobart