tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27222309798327388022024-03-05T12:42:42.093-08:00Peregrinations of Dodger TooJackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-14184880173844907162013-11-08T19:40:00.001-08:002013-11-08T19:40:41.943-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Stop and Smell the Cactus</strong></span></div>
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Ok, ok, I know it has been a very long time since the last post and I would really like to think it was because we were so busy but the Mexican inertia finally took hold. Let's face it, we were just too damn lazy, pure and simple.<br />
We arrived back in Mazatlan after a busy summer doing major renovations to various properties and immediately set about getting the boat back in order. We spent about 2 weeks (thankfully not on the boat since it was on the hard) replacing the prop, fitting a new seacock for the watermaker, new waterline (raised it again), rebuilt the steering pedestal, new fittings for the solar panels and a load of other things. The list just never seems to end. We carried all this new equipment with us and wondered if we would get through customs with the big duffle bag full of boat parts, but no one even batted an eye. We even had time for the timeshare scene.<br />
After the whirlwind mini refit and securing the boat in the El Cid marina, it was a quick trip back home for Christmas to (need I say) frozen, snowy Alberta. We stayed away last year and the kids were not impressed, Christmas is still pretty important, especially now with young grandchildren.<br />
After a couple of weeks in the snow Mazatlan looked pretty darn good. Before we left for Christmas Rueben, the local upholsterer, came by and took our boat cushions for recovering. Jackie wanted leather again and we were shown some pretty nice samples. They were promised for January 10, I must admit that I sure that it would be sometime in March before we saw them again. On return we phoned Rueben and he came through with flying colours, not only did they look great but were done on time and for a price that was at least 75% less than up north. A big thank you to Rueben.<br />
While we were home we Skyped our friends in England, who informed us that they were coming to Mexico. In Mexico I spoke almost daily to Ian (when we had internet) about boaty things and had been on his case to come for a visit. We had only 2 days after our return to get ourselves back together before our friends, Diana and Ian, were due to arrive. It was a mad scramble to try and get organized, but Jackie is a real trooper and pulled it off with time to spare. <br />
It was such a treat to have them aboard, both are hard core sailors, and we are neophytes by comparison. Jackie and I got to play tourist guide and really enjoyed showing them the sights of Mazatlan. Of course this included Diego's and The Brentster, the El Faro Lighthouse and Stone Island, Machado Square and a side trip to Copola but the highlight was the Palapa del Mar and the copious amount of margarita's consumed. Needless to say we took a cab back to the boat as no one was fit to walk. There is some truth in the "T" shirt saying, "One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!"<br />
Our first sail took us to Isla Isabel which is an overnighter. During the night the wind piped up a bit and Leif, true to course, did not have the reefing lines run so it was a bit exciting hanging off the end of the boom in the dark trying to get things in order. Lesson learned!<br />
Isabel is known as the Galapagos of Mexico and Diana and Ian were amazed at the bird life. They were particularly impressed with the blue footed boobies. They have a very similar bird (sans the blue feet) in England, the Gannet. The frigate birds were out in force and there were many downy babies in the nests.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Frigate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr and Mrs Frigate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wanna dance?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diana trekking on Isabel</td></tr>
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The following day was an easy sail over to Matanchen Bay and we dropped the hook and enjoyed a very nice sundowner in the cockpit as we marvelled at the orange sunset. The following day we went around to San Blas marina and were well received. I want to add here that the much maligned jejenes were not out in force and I would dearly like to say that the only bite I received was from Jackie in a passionate mood but alas that is not so! She says "Dream on Sunshine!"<br />
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It was the obligatory trip up the river on the Jungle tour and Diana even had a swim in the freshwater pool next to the crocodiles. There is not a hope in hell that I would do that, fence or no fence. We bought some of the great banana bread from the vendors and after a cerveza from Ismael on the beach it was back to the boat.<br />
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The following day we managed to take in the fort and see the church that inspired Longfellow's the Bells of San Blas. Did you know he never actually went to San Blas? After the fort we splurged for a lobster/shrimp dinner out and had a very good meal at a roadside restaurant that we had spotted previously.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bells of San Blas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diana and Ian</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remains of the church</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside diner</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cook</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Blas fort</td></tr>
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Up early the next morning and on the water to Chacala. This day trip was one of the best we have had for wild life, and I don't mean because of the tequila. There were plenty of BOTS (birds on turtles), dolphins and many whales breaching. We didn't let on to our visitors that it was the best we had seen, we chose to let them think it was an everyday experience.<br />
At Chacala, the archetypical tropical anchorage, you anchor off the beach in some swell and it is advisable to set a stern anchor. So it was out with the chain and the 33# Bruce and into the dink, good thing I am such a he-man (not), otherwise it would have been a struggle.<br />
We were fortunate to get a good dose of Banda music under one of the many palapas but somehow I think that Ian was not impressed. Oh well, the beer was cold, the lunch great, the sun shone and all was well. Diana got to swim again, she loves the water, and swam almost every day until the jellyfish changed her mind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capn Ian</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Blas jungle tour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReWFcVOyRLTuVEeirfmioPisri7dYppKnNKjpUcFo7IE1BpNeET18sXDOnUXvvRBrXc_bVBmch2dGGbGvqevKs3_PSGZO3WxzBrvuY4NL0BijQXZNjFJfa7jmpBI8tDIoSrnJK04gzDE/s1600/DSC_5382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReWFcVOyRLTuVEeirfmioPisri7dYppKnNKjpUcFo7IE1BpNeET18sXDOnUXvvRBrXc_bVBmch2dGGbGvqevKs3_PSGZO3WxzBrvuY4NL0BijQXZNjFJfa7jmpBI8tDIoSrnJK04gzDE/s320/DSC_5382.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chacala</td></tr>
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After Chacala it was off to La Cruz and back to civilization. There was a pretty good swell running and the breakers off Punta de Mita were just short of spectacular, I wouldn't like to get it wrong going around there. We did consider anchoring off Mita but looking at the other boats rolling decided that it was preferable to be comfortable at La Cruz. We really are wimps.<br />
La Cruz is a great place with a first class marina. The town itself at first appears a bit dowdy but appearances are deceptive. There is a very active music scene and the gastronomie is terrific, from Tacos on the Street to the decidedly upmarket Masala. We hauled our poor unsuspecting visitors off to Phylos for an evening of food and music, made an abortive attempt to find the "109" restaurant (left you idiot not right) and another evening enjoyed a great pizza at Falcones. No trip to Puerto Vallarta would be complete without a visit to Pipi's and we duly hauled Diana and Ian off to sample the fare. Needless to say we were all a bit more conservative on the intake of tequila, having learned our lessons the hard way! We lost our companions on 1 Feb. when they had to fly home to the UK, confident they had a good time, even if some of it may be lost in an alcoholic blur!<br />
Hard on the heels of Diana and Ian's departure came Carol, Jackie's sister.<br />
Carol had been on the boat previously up north, but this was a first when she could get rid of the fleece and lounge in the cockpit with a muy frio cerveza! Since Carol has very limited sailing experience we confined our excursions to a trip to Chacala, anchoring for a couple of nights. We did the shore side palapas and now consider ourselves minor authorities on them, which has the cheapest beer, who has the best tacos or the best ceviche. We went ashore to the fisherman's shack and bought a very nice Spanish mackerel for 50 pesos, this fish did us for 2 meals and was delicious.<br />
Back at La Cruz we were treated to Mexican Train lessons by Ted and Pam on <em>Roundabout</em>. We had often seen people playing but never had the courage to actually try it. I can attest that there is indeed a strategy but a good dose of luck goes a long way in winning.<br />
While Jackie and Carol were off playing tourist Leif got his teeth cleaned ($30) and whitened ($150). It seems that if the materials have to be imported the price differential is not that great even if the labour is much less. <br />
The Banderas Bay Regatta is a big deal for the local sailing fleets and many international sailors also turn up. Leif was lucky to secure a position as gorilla on <em>40 Love</em>, my thanks to Joel for his patience and understanding. We were a man down the second day so Dick from <em>Full and By</em> was pressed into service and acquitted himself admirably. Cruising is one thing but racing is quite another. In spite of one rather feeble crew member (Leif) we managed to place second in our class and came in 1-2-2 in the heats.<br />
Mexico is so much more than beaches and bars, there is a whole different world just over the mountain range, so we set off to Guanajuato with Bob and Karyn from <em>Realtime</em>. The bus service is very good with large luxury coaches running to all the major cities. We piled onto the Primera Plus coach and hit the road. <br />
Guanajuato is a medium sized city, famous in the past for it's silver mines but more recently for it's university. Consequently the city is full of students, very lively, with many fine coffee houses and restaurants. The architecture is much more reminiscent of Spain than the usual white washed stucco of Mexico, in fact other than the flags you would be forgiven for thinking you were dropped somewhere on the Spanish mainland.<br />
We stayed in, what we suspect, was an old nunnery which dated from the late 1600's. It had been refurbished and was spotlessly clean. The location was perfect being just steps from the main square which is fronted by the very beautiful Angela Peralta Theatre (every major city has an Angela Peralta Theatre).<br />
We did a city tour, Karyn had found the guide via the internet, and he did a great job of shepherding us around the city. We got to go down one of the mine shafts, there was a mini museum set up showing some of the conditions that the local Indians laboured in under the Spanish. Pretty abysmal conditions and the Indians were expendable.<br />
Most evenings just adjacent to the square groups form for a small tour of the back streets. These are conducted by troubadours dressed in period costumes and there could be as many as a dozen singers and musicians in the group. Once assembled we were led through the streets with song and music, stopping occasionally to be mentored on an important site or callejones. It is such a pity that we could not understand what was being said, true we had the Lonely Planet so were not completely in the dark, but missed so much. The troubadours sang quite a few songs and those following seemed to know all the words and made us feel even more that we were missing something due to our lack of Spanish. Somehow "dos cervezas por favor" and "donde est el bano" just does not cut it!<br />
Bob and Karyn had to go back to get <em>Realtime</em> prepared for their Pacific crossing so Jackie and Leif pressed on to San Miguel de Allende, the site of the Mexican uprising in 1809 against the Spanish.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaFbULozicR58dv5WYGFJfvt_yD-iExK6TNHdhdz-axVQ5VKsG3YZZyhVgjWnTbCSFd8T4fYlgtD4i4wN9y9Ibl5NcyqIGQ1nP_R-oRYzYRy9aaojIJiwVePM8qv_ZgTJzTGccWjr7xw/s1600/DSC_5404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaFbULozicR58dv5WYGFJfvt_yD-iExK6TNHdhdz-axVQ5VKsG3YZZyhVgjWnTbCSFd8T4fYlgtD4i4wN9y9Ibl5NcyqIGQ1nP_R-oRYzYRy9aaojIJiwVePM8qv_ZgTJzTGccWjr7xw/s320/DSC_5404.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anyone got a tooth brush?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1GPX0U65GSqrITb7Tc9JT8BDVZr_yvN34Qz1KyP3zswbUvhQZr_kdqZU5I4-uWzw7PQKBuKUvE8tPI7K7oSBtR08co6G1McKH2Flh1359RRN5ePnUz44bn1OXxeHoi0ZWAMAaUvE-J4/s1600/DSC_5423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1GPX0U65GSqrITb7Tc9JT8BDVZr_yvN34Qz1KyP3zswbUvhQZr_kdqZU5I4-uWzw7PQKBuKUvE8tPI7K7oSBtR08co6G1McKH2Flh1359RRN5ePnUz44bn1OXxeHoi0ZWAMAaUvE-J4/s640/DSC_5423.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Mismaloya bones tournament</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHhA8QLGD2Dh6VZbI0S52a6sqfrZpGqAMg9FUV3fLZyAksOcJTpEnFuu0NDhiTLnK7F5zaBI-9L3FpILaBpLsetlrMalPd9E-ZhlZU6OcNS3T5ZNykg566JkGV1819zwM_zV1TMuZIkY/s1600/DSC_5425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHhA8QLGD2Dh6VZbI0S52a6sqfrZpGqAMg9FUV3fLZyAksOcJTpEnFuu0NDhiTLnK7F5zaBI-9L3FpILaBpLsetlrMalPd9E-ZhlZU6OcNS3T5ZNykg566JkGV1819zwM_zV1TMuZIkY/s320/DSC_5425.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eventual victors!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DW6JVchvTl6_4P5M1VF_Yv3l_la5Ss-qTR-e4CZWRfmu5cLiYLB3RIUajAwnsw24bWZQ261jFO5y3oU2VHkVPbzJzii8lQeuwPgWld3RWUZ7KeXgikuLOGrcRivjgWjHr-CHx6dcPuU/s1600/DSC_5436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DW6JVchvTl6_4P5M1VF_Yv3l_la5Ss-qTR-e4CZWRfmu5cLiYLB3RIUajAwnsw24bWZQ261jFO5y3oU2VHkVPbzJzii8lQeuwPgWld3RWUZ7KeXgikuLOGrcRivjgWjHr-CHx6dcPuU/s320/DSC_5436.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tequila factory</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCu6znj3IwBTjINsb-Eu44ZOKdtjAY1_opkPHCb-vwVorAB0FLirZdDl_gJEd9jP8hEuHSvNA_qMjaporeER-KojBLqOsE24gWc7ElIB0DzRi8ADamACeutdPUnuYof3SVHa3rBaCcgpo/s1600/DSC_5447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCu6znj3IwBTjINsb-Eu44ZOKdtjAY1_opkPHCb-vwVorAB0FLirZdDl_gJEd9jP8hEuHSvNA_qMjaporeER-KojBLqOsE24gWc7ElIB0DzRi8ADamACeutdPUnuYof3SVHa3rBaCcgpo/s640/DSC_5447.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Sebastian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhek1ROQ8_BOBzbdfEwO3xSvns2a9u6vwB1IKdA1pN11UOeNVQ0wPJuxj1y_V72JxaFRZWxna9MaVo9fVUpySBxhkF9Z7AWgaXCy69zrtBscP6DLLs7WTkfUuVSZ6oos9c3lSPsJ4e9RjI/s1600/DSC_5452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhek1ROQ8_BOBzbdfEwO3xSvns2a9u6vwB1IKdA1pN11UOeNVQ0wPJuxj1y_V72JxaFRZWxna9MaVo9fVUpySBxhkF9Z7AWgaXCy69zrtBscP6DLLs7WTkfUuVSZ6oos9c3lSPsJ4e9RjI/s320/DSC_5452.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Sebastian miner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6NmaNBI_gSGSd6uXzP0zlMibemTG6IKOPcWqfqyM0iXPu6UTh3icjwnuloQ0XbEkHFiYwpP7CiR2RelYzmrHN6bGgceQwL-LPxI4icT0HhOAy-a1XqvOLpuRShd-Fp6LBE-BW9Hmfq8/s1600/DSC_5460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6NmaNBI_gSGSd6uXzP0zlMibemTG6IKOPcWqfqyM0iXPu6UTh3icjwnuloQ0XbEkHFiYwpP7CiR2RelYzmrHN6bGgceQwL-LPxI4icT0HhOAy-a1XqvOLpuRShd-Fp6LBE-BW9Hmfq8/s320/DSC_5460.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanajuato hotel room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPDK2x27iaPWbwVmtZs1zp6dq44_CPZxrFM2cLXq6cv81oMPe-qgCh8DRZ67WFrtcSumgpASWeb-AMraEj5LMHgzhOmD6vgcypb01RRYZolzdlcGvdD9GcKaV2f3HAWpsltmnfb59N3E/s1600/DSC_5463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPDK2x27iaPWbwVmtZs1zp6dq44_CPZxrFM2cLXq6cv81oMPe-qgCh8DRZ67WFrtcSumgpASWeb-AMraEj5LMHgzhOmD6vgcypb01RRYZolzdlcGvdD9GcKaV2f3HAWpsltmnfb59N3E/s320/DSC_5463.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel courtyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXJMgoViF3H5Twmg9DCRxA5YMrH6hwvR6tlDpsPl9grA56BoWwcZwxSfqfXr-OJAUZGXS8xFhAZ94rJ3lLZ4uQ5xKyBssREznTOGpgaL1BepnoW2oujtfXv910oOaozrtKsk_SmL9nsw/s1600/DSC_5468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXJMgoViF3H5Twmg9DCRxA5YMrH6hwvR6tlDpsPl9grA56BoWwcZwxSfqfXr-OJAUZGXS8xFhAZ94rJ3lLZ4uQ5xKyBssREznTOGpgaL1BepnoW2oujtfXv910oOaozrtKsk_SmL9nsw/s320/DSC_5468.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanajuato</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK54WDnEEc29lMB2FQt2ABImCZXs0OyqL0krUZVOJQ3GiaSOlgFvQitLlMXrc4W1rZeY490NXFKOQNNeyVbsuuOFOQeZllWuD9NRQ1FzjIy0uN54CsMYkJyPEsqAAs5IqhXnPgwUwgXwA/s1600/DSC_5472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK54WDnEEc29lMB2FQt2ABImCZXs0OyqL0krUZVOJQ3GiaSOlgFvQitLlMXrc4W1rZeY490NXFKOQNNeyVbsuuOFOQeZllWuD9NRQ1FzjIy0uN54CsMYkJyPEsqAAs5IqhXnPgwUwgXwA/s640/DSC_5472.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great for corn lovers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eWsHgwi0aSbXXuvTc2mIwOgN6MsGTV1j608H61qwAdk6Bv2bbULfp6wmjuPxNob_yq2as0v2IHa41DIOMYKW9Fthn1dKqFSiyxL_CtNy7WZOMpqhyWHUe3Hz2f2Ser3-1v0mdsQQF7s/s1600/DSC_5477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eWsHgwi0aSbXXuvTc2mIwOgN6MsGTV1j608H61qwAdk6Bv2bbULfp6wmjuPxNob_yq2as0v2IHa41DIOMYKW9Fthn1dKqFSiyxL_CtNy7WZOMpqhyWHUe3Hz2f2Ser3-1v0mdsQQF7s/s640/DSC_5477.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k24Uk1pfQhyphenhyphentygaXc_cWaxg2jhhd9TYzn7n1rHWX9phh2ap186wNYMP8DOeSxw3qkcAF_0DMR9Wro3ni88SlsTeAhVbjlX2FwFFKErnWLW_dhppaJ_szoc8zjR-RhVOiC4tutvy6M1E/s1600/DSC_5481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k24Uk1pfQhyphenhyphentygaXc_cWaxg2jhhd9TYzn7n1rHWX9phh2ap186wNYMP8DOeSxw3qkcAF_0DMR9Wro3ni88SlsTeAhVbjlX2FwFFKErnWLW_dhppaJ_szoc8zjR-RhVOiC4tutvy6M1E/s320/DSC_5481.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican scouts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx7U0X0TyuYobkLz2j1F18TmflVUfZUMjEPchT6ieHNj3gpCgdwXFFGdIrwGWZmQ2ttWHDJkcC2aZGQLIOnokOqouqaUNiOsEA4IvKU_1vgmHNzIDiZvw0C8hs_vyaRTWPbmtnPDFjNM/s1600/DSC_5512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx7U0X0TyuYobkLz2j1F18TmflVUfZUMjEPchT6ieHNj3gpCgdwXFFGdIrwGWZmQ2ttWHDJkcC2aZGQLIOnokOqouqaUNiOsEA4IvKU_1vgmHNzIDiZvw0C8hs_vyaRTWPbmtnPDFjNM/s320/DSC_5512.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All this for me?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7ARkUa6jUyJm0EL9udlD_pNhczfS2u0grS5CK2LqOoGMyj_irIJNWYEAY6nhxwF15mHlwzhnWq198xfYnYsk4gyhxzPB-y5c-Eh5eCOPHng73MKUK2wJHxX2ka84LaxfW4mc113c8N4/s1600/DSC_5524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7ARkUa6jUyJm0EL9udlD_pNhczfS2u0grS5CK2LqOoGMyj_irIJNWYEAY6nhxwF15mHlwzhnWq198xfYnYsk4gyhxzPB-y5c-Eh5eCOPHng73MKUK2wJHxX2ka84LaxfW4mc113c8N4/s320/DSC_5524.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Miguel de Allende</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackie with troubadour</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She brings out the beast in me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRx__nNdBS8Xfoy37iyuXbnH7X_G8hjpOW2hOaP3pyIDynQt2N0elNCmRPAMQLEylISD9fNVUo1XLcxDHnYltkGTMacuxSkU6m4SYGHB7_D_qu0fjfE-6ENREjD4OaLuRqC5qUwySVL0/s1600/DSC_5601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRx__nNdBS8Xfoy37iyuXbnH7X_G8hjpOW2hOaP3pyIDynQt2N0elNCmRPAMQLEylISD9fNVUo1XLcxDHnYltkGTMacuxSkU6m4SYGHB7_D_qu0fjfE-6ENREjD4OaLuRqC5qUwySVL0/s640/DSC_5601.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tugs at your heartstrings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lYl4MUuVYMPlYC4_4JoBJGuhp3zrdC5vXSE68rRyHVxnpSeMoVqvW0IjH2rRAtYyp_v1DUzsQnfAVdft8vkW9JW3xcPzdB4LxzEt_T5CwEtSK2ZEFu7VVOmWo1c0A7IUg2QiEMY2ApY/s1600/DSC_5644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lYl4MUuVYMPlYC4_4JoBJGuhp3zrdC5vXSE68rRyHVxnpSeMoVqvW0IjH2rRAtYyp_v1DUzsQnfAVdft8vkW9JW3xcPzdB4LxzEt_T5CwEtSK2ZEFu7VVOmWo1c0A7IUg2QiEMY2ApY/s640/DSC_5644.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Miguel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Miguel movers</td></tr>
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Even more churches</div>
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We returned to La Cruz and made our way back to Mazatlan in company with Dick and Ann on Full and By. The trip was uneventful and we had an easy entrance into the marina at El Cid. We spent the remainder of our time doing a few boat jobs and getting ready to put her to bed for the summer (still sounds funny not saying winter). We volunteered to drive a van back from Puerto Vallarta to Seattle for Jeff and Melody on Double Diamond. They didn't tell us that it was a maxi van and it seemed like I was driving a Greyhound! Our trip back was another adventure with only had a couple of check stops at various Mexican army posts.</div>
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The crossing at Nogales was also a non event, all that fretting was for nothing thank goodness. We drove up Hwy 1 as far as Astoria and then hit the super slab. We did make a side trip into Salem where Jackie bought a new SUV so we could have something to drive home in.</div>
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All in all it was a great season, even if we did not sail very much. The inland trip whetted our appetite for more Mexican travels and we are already preparing a list for next year.</div>
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Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-30334628869003122222013-11-08T19:40:00.000-08:002013-11-08T19:40:25.308-08:00Still Trying to thaw out (not chill out)!<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdUdsdxXNGVk1k5kVu-l4dtpRtszc78fHrog-peUMRunsSU5FOaO86OdMcEdyQ__3fbA52TV8Zh7AD2XiZLZgg-2vN9LUNVSDEq6C6rfmtcmKrpjTRV0bK6GbN1CgTlHlclGjxZkprno/s1600/P1020498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping watch, Mexican style</td></tr>
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We shoved off from La Cruz early in the morning wanting to get around Punta Mita before the afternoon breeze kicks up, well it was a big non event, there was absolutely no wind. We motored, and motored and motored, boooring, thank goodness for autopilots. We couldn't even catch a fish to liven up the trip. We did manage to spend one night at anchor at Chacala, talk about dead, no one on the beach, no banda, no action what so ever. There was only one other boat anchored, a big difference from the last time we were there when it was actually crowded and the beach was hopping. <br />
There was no stopping at San Blas this time either, instead electing to make a beeline for Mazatlan. The overnight was pretty uneventful, at least there wasn't a million shrimpers to dodge! We raised Mazatlan pretty early in the morning and were amazed at the swell that was running. Our track took us inside the islands and it was now you see the shore and now you don't, pretty scarey considering the water isn't all that deep, and the waves breaking on the shore making a heck of a noise and filling the air with spray.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7DUrDkUyHybwuiLitjXimzj_51Ebg9S4GVRh04-2Mb7ak9XPpvE68_QKvZxKdl-jXZ7Zw3oJKJ4FPO1VDA0_8fzmSos9-XtTRBVqQfmoSXbypQg7NdkiXtpeg5DWTkrf6UzqEKIZxn4/s1600/P1020454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7DUrDkUyHybwuiLitjXimzj_51Ebg9S4GVRh04-2Mb7ak9XPpvE68_QKvZxKdl-jXZ7Zw3oJKJ4FPO1VDA0_8fzmSos9-XtTRBVqQfmoSXbypQg7NdkiXtpeg5DWTkrf6UzqEKIZxn4/s400/P1020454.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mazatlan from the sea</td></tr>
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We lingered outside the entrance of the harbour watching the waves breaking right across, wondering how can we possibly go in safely. After a bit there appeared to be a lull and we jammed the trottle full bore and went for it. Jackie took a look back behind us and the "Oh, oh" didn't sound good. The next thing the stern was lifted in the air and we were off, Garth from Irish Diplomacy said we easily doubled our speed, he had a ringside seat as he was walking his dog at the entrance when we came in. Luckily for us we went straight and did not get pushed sideways, that would have been a disaster as the mouth is very tight and made even smaller with the sand dredge moored off to the side. The waves quickly subside once you get past the entrance and we breathed a sigh of relief as we tied up at the El Cid fuel dock. Another place that was familiar and gave us that "coming home" feeling. Even Gladis, the lady at the front desk, remembered us from our last stay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6HpUsuYfi6fJTubC9La1_YWPxlX_2nZgAJKOYHPzfb7d-6wdu0ncKCgDZP6jxTiNAdJ1p8ismQIIfCBA7NbFwSJeauyQqp6MuLrKPZJCRwTi7KJn6_wbGaayREnhLYvYRtfWZw0xLXU/s1600/P1020715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6HpUsuYfi6fJTubC9La1_YWPxlX_2nZgAJKOYHPzfb7d-6wdu0ncKCgDZP6jxTiNAdJ1p8ismQIIfCBA7NbFwSJeauyQqp6MuLrKPZJCRwTi7KJn6_wbGaayREnhLYvYRtfWZw0xLXU/s200/P1020715.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erlin and Jenn </td></tr>
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As we wanted to get over to the "Sea" before the season closed the stay in Mazatlan was fairly brief. However, we couldn't miss a great feed of ribs at the Fat Fish, at about $12 for the two of us for a full rack each, there can be no complaints AND they are tastey, of course washed down with a cold Pacifico!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MI3P7h3vBbdZ_l8Jq6ZWHdDSPvSePzQOz6KSYDRiLwLmDtc_LQs0G_4tMIuWrQ7JyCOXZBHTa9OZosfUjRxnYBhfOZJ243eCSmcfghwfXFVBbffRmMqO7DVsOMCaFyezj2aZGINoIko/s1600/P1020473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MI3P7h3vBbdZ_l8Jq6ZWHdDSPvSePzQOz6KSYDRiLwLmDtc_LQs0G_4tMIuWrQ7JyCOXZBHTa9OZosfUjRxnYBhfOZJ243eCSmcfghwfXFVBbffRmMqO7DVsOMCaFyezj2aZGINoIko/s320/P1020473.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now ain't life a beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID0k7XkPAJmOMG6thQOAXXRwATYCKYh6CBcbx-isRxqraVcb4RQUICuBcaNH-RuGu2GqeESsldaYnflQOc2kbwU1W-_t2awFgFVJM7ee8X5eJevl82nFjFA9WLbYVfWw6TBFIYJ-wXJ4/s1600/P1020467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID0k7XkPAJmOMG6thQOAXXRwATYCKYh6CBcbx-isRxqraVcb4RQUICuBcaNH-RuGu2GqeESsldaYnflQOc2kbwU1W-_t2awFgFVJM7ee8X5eJevl82nFjFA9WLbYVfWw6TBFIYJ-wXJ4/s320/P1020467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Shack Burger! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvHCbI7oyYEnWxafSEjItZHH8d6G4Ba_jYOzRV06CTKTd37FdMe3jJwVh6w1X_CweieH0DrCRttPs3zjNtd1YoTZdwDAkcTz8JfXXcvz5wxzWZt0qHuUi22qI3xkW4-FjY8m29P8fp6k/s1600/P1020477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvHCbI7oyYEnWxafSEjItZHH8d6G4Ba_jYOzRV06CTKTd37FdMe3jJwVh6w1X_CweieH0DrCRttPs3zjNtd1YoTZdwDAkcTz8JfXXcvz5wxzWZt0qHuUi22qI3xkW4-FjY8m29P8fp6k/s200/P1020477.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I0lGgFv9MBQbgimspFQ-AIMOoD_DCLsHDtRO9EnGCoeAg7qtOPY5jpAYEXfYazbdSzEpDRBNr-9ta6MfrOMs_BK5xOKK401t1HI1eUF0HL2zcWXrUaiQF39wfLj4-zI71Kd0Yhsnv14/s1600/DSC_4771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I0lGgFv9MBQbgimspFQ-AIMOoD_DCLsHDtRO9EnGCoeAg7qtOPY5jpAYEXfYazbdSzEpDRBNr-9ta6MfrOMs_BK5xOKK401t1HI1eUF0HL2zcWXrUaiQF39wfLj4-zI71Kd0Yhsnv14/s400/DSC_4771.JPG" width="266" /></a>Our crossing over to La Paz was pretty much a non event, we set off with a little wind, on the nose - where else, but it soon died and the Volvo was called into action yet again. We motored the whole way, making the marina at Costa Baja early on the third day. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4-C9zZGw_kDjKbanjTyqVmE80wksAJRFOOee4oZhOgtZ_3_KQEtt428cI4viL44VHD2AWkGb1MBvCd-QIEkv27hKkHvSrjg5OUjEMXGlXKpP9iit6lAT9po7lITDSpqKKP31JUe7I2M/s1600/P1020471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4-C9zZGw_kDjKbanjTyqVmE80wksAJRFOOee4oZhOgtZ_3_KQEtt428cI4viL44VHD2AWkGb1MBvCd-QIEkv27hKkHvSrjg5OUjEMXGlXKpP9iit6lAT9po7lITDSpqKKP31JUe7I2M/s200/P1020471.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costa Baja infinity pool</td></tr>
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Our friends, the MacLean's, were due to arrive and we busied ourselves getting the boat ready for company. It seems incredible the amount of gear on the boat, a lot of it seems superfulous, but you never know just when you will need it, and some of it like the storm drogue you hope you never need!<br />
Jack and Janice arrived on schedule and we had a nice evening at the Tailhunter, named for fishing, catching up on old times. Last year we had convinced them to do the San Francisco to San Diego trip by promising lovely warm temperatures and winds astern. Of course nothing could have been farther from the truth, it was cold, foggy and no, nada, zilch wind, so we felt we owed them a good vacation.<br />
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After a last minute glitch with the fuel filter, anyone ever mentions "don't over tighten plastic" listen to them. This is definitely a case where if a" little is good then more must be better" is just plain wrong.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrzfgeUZy67c_YSPHVjD_bYtMa5whdYB9hlAFfplWbr89a7DozyD7Hs7fbH76WUbvNcUXjLBNhzAsy5c7ruSMSupzH8E1X9ddUczPehrBXdpwVKPNve58th-MyBOys1fAqLS5yF1fL8M/s1600/P1020500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrzfgeUZy67c_YSPHVjD_bYtMa5whdYB9hlAFfplWbr89a7DozyD7Hs7fbH76WUbvNcUXjLBNhzAsy5c7ruSMSupzH8E1X9ddUczPehrBXdpwVKPNve58th-MyBOys1fAqLS5yF1fL8M/s200/P1020500.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About the only greenery around</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artistic talent wasted</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC8xrAfmv6n29iRFuzR_YWrD_2xEPV-AKu5muhp6Yl2otxZvsQ1NGZl-v9W-M7xv3k7Qu9ai88jB6dBtW3e-S_UZy1ITmvzFmEJYEvjk8AXFCfQ4bDltuVMAvwexwX6buKmSB90lAYnI/s1600/P1020558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC8xrAfmv6n29iRFuzR_YWrD_2xEPV-AKu5muhp6Yl2otxZvsQ1NGZl-v9W-M7xv3k7Qu9ai88jB6dBtW3e-S_UZy1ITmvzFmEJYEvjk8AXFCfQ4bDltuVMAvwexwX6buKmSB90lAYnI/s640/P1020558.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Baja skyline</td></tr>
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Our first stop was Isla San Francisco, a beautiful bay with colours we last saw in the Bahamas. There were quite a few boats anchored in the bay but it is large and there was room for everyone. A walk ashore to do some exploring and stretch the legs was well received. The island is covered with low scrub and cactus, the main inhabitants seem to be lizards and pack rats, plus the odd rattler. We picked out way back to the dinghy rather carefully after learning about the snakes!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried fish</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxT91zu2YLQWG4hmMAts1AwTd6KH9o6G1JpJ9mJrsTKfgOI9A2K4-1QrjIUEXvQj9Aj_eWkdoNdGG24dqpmneyrOxNW5UvWyTF0gomXSJtmjRPrEYD6Z3bJnyS60mVr4bAhy8ZtKE3sn0/s1600/P1020667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxT91zu2YLQWG4hmMAts1AwTd6KH9o6G1JpJ9mJrsTKfgOI9A2K4-1QrjIUEXvQj9Aj_eWkdoNdGG24dqpmneyrOxNW5UvWyTF0gomXSJtmjRPrEYD6Z3bJnyS60mVr4bAhy8ZtKE3sn0/s200/P1020667.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pesky tuna</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-ssMYKaILYvjziaDv09hHhoj5YUr_YiAb-3m74IRAWktvLS0PMhLVGRzKvAbugM4WhLMMVd_nUJEY0pA7L6NKCnhm-RSGxsk-5Nk0IMKF0DQEFDBGJhHMp5oJv6qvVsAMHQFnvcF-mM/s1600/P1020507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-ssMYKaILYvjziaDv09hHhoj5YUr_YiAb-3m74IRAWktvLS0PMhLVGRzKvAbugM4WhLMMVd_nUJEY0pA7L6NKCnhm-RSGxsk-5Nk0IMKF0DQEFDBGJhHMp5oJv6qvVsAMHQFnvcF-mM/s320/P1020507.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessicated parrotfish</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3UnPZq2E_RAsfL0WTivPIIKUTAUjrG-sh9HpopM5_ahyVXq3Job7HAIuvftRpl9dtGhytSj_IKbxUavaszHjdGt4zP28ZuzFg0-rXhw9dMwyl_7qETyRaM6qxl54dY00ea_7D6sAVdU/s1600/P1020493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3UnPZq2E_RAsfL0WTivPIIKUTAUjrG-sh9HpopM5_ahyVXq3Job7HAIuvftRpl9dtGhytSj_IKbxUavaszHjdGt4zP28ZuzFg0-rXhw9dMwyl_7qETyRaM6qxl54dY00ea_7D6sAVdU/s640/P1020493.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWxmDVcmZazpGHL7JUv9PDaXHPTVSr0jN9X4CEn-MgCwN4GfM4pcf3nG_DaLgHCSrntKWpPg3uT-1eNUUiQL5pnnEe0hmVz7RgcuM2nHDy-A0hyphenhyphenh4tQ6qavYw2ZlTawYENWvZ72MTdoU/s1600/P1020615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWxmDVcmZazpGHL7JUv9PDaXHPTVSr0jN9X4CEn-MgCwN4GfM4pcf3nG_DaLgHCSrntKWpPg3uT-1eNUUiQL5pnnEe0hmVz7RgcuM2nHDy-A0hyphenhyphenh4tQ6qavYw2ZlTawYENWvZ72MTdoU/s640/P1020615.JPG" width="640" /></a>The following morning the bow was pointed North again and after passing by a couple of interesting anchorages, but with lots of day left, decided to press on, making port at San Marte. This is just a crook in the coast where you can hide from northerly winds, there are a couple of reefs to the east to be respected both coming and going.<br />
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Sitting in the cockpit we noticed an couple of black objects amongst the scrub and cactus, these turned out to be pretty skinny cows, goodness knows what they eat OR drink as the land is very arid. Jackie, Janice and Leif go exploring ashore, crossing over to view the sea to the north. The little bay is surrounded by high hills which are very much eroded and colourfull, especially at sunset. The following day we set sail for Agua Verde only to be met with 20 knot headwinds and fairly bouncy seas. Jackie, the admiral, ordered an about face back to San Marte and safety in the bay. We spent the day reading and had some great margaritas at sundown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR2BMtOlxdnfwX1DatciVrjjOXGVv0FrdSAdwcJng-5WTTCJIQlsJpsJqzcNpMlOaFVn0XWO2xYGcr__CgtSZQCGwnO6GAGwgM2wwhxQx4YlgzODyg0kJiTkuXeu1UiQRY4e4hP5U_hg/s1600/P1020678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR2BMtOlxdnfwX1DatciVrjjOXGVv0FrdSAdwcJng-5WTTCJIQlsJpsJqzcNpMlOaFVn0XWO2xYGcr__CgtSZQCGwnO6GAGwgM2wwhxQx4YlgzODyg0kJiTkuXeu1UiQRY4e4hP5U_hg/s320/P1020678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcoming committee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Pyj43FxOSO5KREtti7aoYr5_jxYOfbWWODROSryopcsTGlXFyNwHM8nNb1HLSPqM84Gu7lz6EX2GtG1PA3lJRgkI6HrgV4MCd5OwdMGKGFxK5E8Wtas186beq8Y0Xnqf2HV8FaiVB-M/s1600/P1020590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Pyj43FxOSO5KREtti7aoYr5_jxYOfbWWODROSryopcsTGlXFyNwHM8nNb1HLSPqM84Gu7lz6EX2GtG1PA3lJRgkI6HrgV4MCd5OwdMGKGFxK5E8Wtas186beq8Y0Xnqf2HV8FaiVB-M/s200/P1020590.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agua Verde</td></tr>
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Agua Verde was next on the list and since it was only a short hop the trip was very relaxing and without the wind of the previous day no stress. I can take that!. This is one of the must see places on the Baja coast and well worth a visit. There are a number of bays offering protection from almost every direction, so we chose a spot and dropped the hook. It never ceases to amaze me how fast the Rocna anchor sets, a bit of a difference from the old Bruce.<br />
We spent the remainder of the day exploring, going into the village, 250 inhabitants, and stocking up on cervezas at the one and only tienda. This was pretty interesting as the beer is kept in an old rusty freezer, not functioning, but kept cold with ice from the ice plant. The owners shooed the chickens from under a big Pacifico umbrella, rustled up some chairs and presto Maria's Cantina. We invited the husband to join us for a cold one in our best Spanglish and a good time was had by all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00N3PwZRNnl-MCxbef26QQR6oeuZgKa0eps5wQytwUV8kMVuhdgIOldJt__vSEKWo14d9JZ85Jv5ajSoTWpus-1-kArtApJ9-NcmfS8X0YnXhLtUt1kvHUXlD5EEWw13ICY78EMXslRY/s1600/P1020652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00N3PwZRNnl-MCxbef26QQR6oeuZgKa0eps5wQytwUV8kMVuhdgIOldJt__vSEKWo14d9JZ85Jv5ajSoTWpus-1-kArtApJ9-NcmfS8X0YnXhLtUt1kvHUXlD5EEWw13ICY78EMXslRY/s320/P1020652.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candaleros</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz9XIqWULbX12umkpAhKSWxdq6cH3f0Rpvq4cIZPcZ_KjMAziG6hwXEjv4iEq0eItYwo7eshHxYibwLu6jIh9ytKFkmJk_J387QIXEylr-uak0oyzjvOKgLM-Xo7q46x3fj-rW55kot4/s1600/P1020514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz9XIqWULbX12umkpAhKSWxdq6cH3f0Rpvq4cIZPcZ_KjMAziG6hwXEjv4iEq0eItYwo7eshHxYibwLu6jIh9ytKFkmJk_J387QIXEylr-uak0oyzjvOKgLM-Xo7q46x3fj-rW55kot4/s200/P1020514.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Bano</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLybzHPv1TjBe4R2Gug6NOZa88xvGFG5BFoXMGKpxMgKX4D8rves4vRYegR8MnKGllXVI2q07vEbvHmgOAgZDh_fKftRGc7bY4cz14US7p2ALjZP3EuUCWOCebcjAHCbUihH2mEWOkID4/s1600/P1020512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLybzHPv1TjBe4R2Gug6NOZa88xvGFG5BFoXMGKpxMgKX4D8rves4vRYegR8MnKGllXVI2q07vEbvHmgOAgZDh_fKftRGc7bY4cz14US7p2ALjZP3EuUCWOCebcjAHCbUihH2mEWOkID4/s200/P1020512.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJX215i0QM5q4TikDJ4A_J_eup2ljZJXX4GOdUfoRsKD52IvYfA2K-pJMjyesIEWAL4e92LbhuSAbDOY1m93h_W1Ff9iYwvZFoiKeBzd_WCnOka0dzLhZPY4M9-w9qar3Yxd_AmOu1y4/s1600/P1020671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJX215i0QM5q4TikDJ4A_J_eup2ljZJXX4GOdUfoRsKD52IvYfA2K-pJMjyesIEWAL4e92LbhuSAbDOY1m93h_W1Ff9iYwvZFoiKeBzd_WCnOka0dzLhZPY4M9-w9qar3Yxd_AmOu1y4/s320/P1020671.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphins</td></tr>
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The next day was also just a short trip to Puerto Escondido, passing by a huge hotel complex, we wondered just who would come way out here for holidays. Turns out that this is a hotel/time share complex who very cruiser friendly - wifi in the anchorage and pretty reasonable food/drinks for such a nice complex. We even got free Spanish lessons, although it turned more into Spanglish in the end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgA7d6vk2zWDsoXI4BT4s87Ew3Jx7-H1euvTZ2vUm1DUXNHCtmETLZGNUGcBjF-pMA23rGEuMLimdIalrdlGikcnOFXYg_3hc0UJxDesmaRpyVv7i2oFq7DFghfK3Rw__WA1lvBBqv3I/s1600/P1020660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgA7d6vk2zWDsoXI4BT4s87Ew3Jx7-H1euvTZ2vUm1DUXNHCtmETLZGNUGcBjF-pMA23rGEuMLimdIalrdlGikcnOFXYg_3hc0UJxDesmaRpyVv7i2oFq7DFghfK3Rw__WA1lvBBqv3I/s320/P1020660.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool at Candaleros</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppDAVlUES-M2I88zP7vIpX71l8_qMj_RtG8yd3ACMdE7urrI-UWzfsUrZKqV3mwhqBW72HwbrWPp8z4sIYdeILFwBXHrx9T4HinZhQVuzVLN8RpA3ttZ3u2nphJN1UmxJ3Z1Jt-RamZE/s1600/P1020541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppDAVlUES-M2I88zP7vIpX71l8_qMj_RtG8yd3ACMdE7urrI-UWzfsUrZKqV3mwhqBW72HwbrWPp8z4sIYdeILFwBXHrx9T4HinZhQVuzVLN8RpA3ttZ3u2nphJN1UmxJ3Z1Jt-RamZE/s200/P1020541.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Escondido, the town that never was</td></tr>
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Puerto Escondido was a big surprise, what happened to the town that was to be built? The lights are on but nobody's home, the town simply didn't happen. There were some pretty grand plans but for one reason or another no one cape to the party. Singlar, part of the Mexican government, put in a modern office, nice bathrooms, a pool and a boat repair yard, complete with travel lift some years ago in hopes that if you built it they will come. The facilities get pretty good use by the cruising community and there is a pretty active yacht club which also raises money for the unfortunate in the community.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53h7XyQyCwWRBR0D_euYZ2pKX5kTtXt_79wgTOE5WHvij1jNOprgf_ZJl43wkbj2qoH7ptx7VVmUpJEvuXyDcyhje8SyHoEVVZhFE6LxjofIguyQJrFuzsmK4cCvOTbvVFWtnrs6Luo4/s1600/P1020545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53h7XyQyCwWRBR0D_euYZ2pKX5kTtXt_79wgTOE5WHvij1jNOprgf_ZJl43wkbj2qoH7ptx7VVmUpJEvuXyDcyhje8SyHoEVVZhFE6LxjofIguyQJrFuzsmK4cCvOTbvVFWtnrs6Luo4/s200/P1020545.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfinished Escondido</td></tr>
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The port is totlly landlocked, offering perfect protection from all but the most severe storms, so we felt quite comfortable leaving our boat for the day and going into Loreto. After conferring with the local cab service and finding that they wanted 450 pesos one way to town and 650 return, we decided to try our tumbs. Now this is something I hadn't done in years, but as it turned out the old thumb still works! Our first ride got us to the highway and after hanging around in the sun for awhile a pickup stopped and offered us a ride into town. Jackie and Janice in the cab with Jack and Leif in the bed. Now that is something you cannot do back home anymore..<br />
What a great little town, there is a delightful malecon lined with palm trees, a nice walking street with trees trained to grow over which are trimmed and a nice square with a number of decent restaurants. There also is an interesting posada on the square, done in the typical Spanish colonial style. As our guests are due to leave from Los Cabos and public transport being a bit hit and miss on the Baja, they opted to rent a car. In the end there wasn't a big cost difference, plus they could make the trip faster and do some sightseeing on the way. We also used this opportunity to get a few groceries for the rest of our trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMavLksPzJatui5dLeUuFncMpakrcCHk9WPBZB7_MmChQhES1mbRzD78dETIL-lopRie12g_kN90TfMIXmxGaTES2AZF88UliVdYuq39PlCUkoNr0vUsLcbjjGHqa4yKbV8pjYLXHRr4/s1600/P1020646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMavLksPzJatui5dLeUuFncMpakrcCHk9WPBZB7_MmChQhES1mbRzD78dETIL-lopRie12g_kN90TfMIXmxGaTES2AZF88UliVdYuq39PlCUkoNr0vUsLcbjjGHqa4yKbV8pjYLXHRr4/s320/P1020646.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intrepid hikers</td></tr>
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The following morning the MacLean's left for the bright lights of Cabo San Lucas and the boat felt quite empty. But things change quickly when you are cruising and just as we were wonding what to do next, in comes Full and By, last seen at Mazatlan and then Double Diamond, our last contact with them was a great dinner of sierra mackeral in Barra de Navidad. We still haven't had any luck fishing but Jeff is a dab hand and they are always catching fish.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aBCMlDBfhaqLEXIudMJgX43NJS1u-md_huECt_k-507b6MyY0vipVQrK2ltZLoTn1xdDr6NtxwSZZb84G5ViWRfgpg-vgfa7GMTbXJGT4cNwWhzRYoGgD07K8_1-wUmJ3nS1inFZqsg/s1600/P1020638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aBCMlDBfhaqLEXIudMJgX43NJS1u-md_huECt_k-507b6MyY0vipVQrK2ltZLoTn1xdDr6NtxwSZZb84G5ViWRfgpg-vgfa7GMTbXJGT4cNwWhzRYoGgD07K8_1-wUmJ3nS1inFZqsg/s320/P1020638.JPG" title="Steinbeck Canyon" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steinbeck Canyon</td></tr>
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Jeff and Melody, along with us, decide that a trip up Steinbeck's canyon would be good exercise. Apparently Steinbeck spent some time in the Baja and wrote about his journeys mentioning the canyon. It turned out to be a bit of a scramble, lots of big rocks and some scree. We were warned about watching where you put your hand when you are climbing, more rattlers! We went as far as our legs could take us and came up against a boulder which we just didn't have the oomph to climb over. After a nice snack and drink we began retracing our steps back to the boat.<br />
Our next stop was Coronados, meeting up with Full and By, and sharing some nice water time in their blow up chairs. This is the first time we had felt like swimming as the water was warm and clear. In fact we could see the anchor in 30,' nicely dug in amongst the sand, missing the weed on the bottom.<br />
Our next stop was Honeymoon Bay, a really nice anchorage with a little nook that would make a perfect Kodak moment. More exploring ashore and a good hike to build up the appetite.<br />
Our farthest north stop was San Jacinco which afforded some nice walks ashore. There are lots of shells washed up on the beach and Jackie had a good time picking, getting a number to add to her collection.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxDLEzEGU49rnGJNENyJcy7rQGcdBskxmR2xYwXTMP_TGBsvFFqLwJlBiC20CjbQWG8OZWSpeblXk0OJV8UDH1zB9TByXIBCFSo5RdQbutS97eJ_JP9djk2C31k0DsPTwybej-dMc53M/s1600/P1020706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxDLEzEGU49rnGJNENyJcy7rQGcdBskxmR2xYwXTMP_TGBsvFFqLwJlBiC20CjbQWG8OZWSpeblXk0OJV8UDH1zB9TByXIBCFSo5RdQbutS97eJ_JP9djk2C31k0DsPTwybej-dMc53M/s200/P1020706.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boobies in the rigging</td></tr>
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After this we retraced our steps and made our way back to Mazatlan. The only exciting time we had was about 60 miles out from mazatlan we ran into a number of small storm cells, the wind would literally go right around, 360 degrees in a short time. Later in the night the lightening started and since we are the tallest thing for miles there is a pretty high probability of being struck. In order to give some sort of grounding we hung a length of chain off the rigging into the water and crossed our fingers. As a precaution the handheld radios, the GPS and other small electrical items were put into the oven. We also donned our lifejackets, took the lifraft out of the locker, tied it to the boat plus had the whale bag out where it was readily accessible. We were that concerned. Thankfully the storm went around us and all our precatuions weren't needed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo80cCWYiHe-GsgdDxkqD4lp7LbkD5n6Kt7FzlwQAx1QklGrMlqxt8ME8LmfOYu0Jk8fVlnIkxGtFC_-Kr4YMuSwQISV_AddxO3NOzia8GqDcdQ0bkDSaIU3uEZijR6V1bXXLU2SGK_to/s1600/P1020722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo80cCWYiHe-GsgdDxkqD4lp7LbkD5n6Kt7FzlwQAx1QklGrMlqxt8ME8LmfOYu0Jk8fVlnIkxGtFC_-Kr4YMuSwQISV_AddxO3NOzia8GqDcdQ0bkDSaIU3uEZijR6V1bXXLU2SGK_to/s320/P1020722.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flaking the sails</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJxCy6Qh52H_c8_ACTf5Gn0xIOYqXWPEew77T3-Q1EfqbB9Jn-MPnbXiRwuICN2CHhxlVLHoCk4WDfRWBe8onuu2L1jYRW9gwArCecUTN6_6w-7NDiwT5-Hs070NcfQEz0H6P5ql7GO4/s1600/P1020719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJxCy6Qh52H_c8_ACTf5Gn0xIOYqXWPEew77T3-Q1EfqbB9Jn-MPnbXiRwuICN2CHhxlVLHoCk4WDfRWBe8onuu2L1jYRW9gwArCecUTN6_6w-7NDiwT5-Hs070NcfQEz0H6P5ql7GO4/s200/P1020719.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organized confusion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiCCXHx91qf2qCia16QGvvSOGZWDLpUIQcxQ3ba8_wOMVcd5lOJYAr6w7r0WJZWYmkEpz89ZBs_L76nNNaZ43z61TvAz3RUZaCwyICW_nezXPanDRnnDbucEBdInvNMaDT-4QyCINMq0/s1600/P1020740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiCCXHx91qf2qCia16QGvvSOGZWDLpUIQcxQ3ba8_wOMVcd5lOJYAr6w7r0WJZWYmkEpz89ZBs_L76nNNaZ43z61TvAz3RUZaCwyICW_nezXPanDRnnDbucEBdInvNMaDT-4QyCINMq0/s320/P1020740.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripping off 25 years of paint</td></tr>
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It was a lot easier going into Mazatlan this time, although just behind us a 3 foot breaking wave gave us a little scare but we beat it into the marina.<br />
Since this was to be the end of the season, seems funny putting a boat away for the summer, there were a lot of jobs to get done. It was a mad scramble for a few days before we came out of the water to have the bottom sripped and the boat snugged down.<br />
We left on 14 May feeling a little sad but looking forward to going home and meeting with family and friends.Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-66288283617387557722012-03-27T16:02:00.001-07:002012-12-30T17:53:21.927-08:00Hard Water<span style="color: yellow;">March 27, 2012</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Surfing, Alberta winter style</span></td></tr>
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We finally broke down and succumbed to the call of the Sirens. Well, it sounds a nice way to put it, actually we had a couple of weeks back home in Alberta. And the water IS real hard there, in fact you can walk on it! Two days after we arrived it then proceeded to snow about 4 inches, just to remind us of what we had been missing I guess. Funny how your mind seems to remember only what it wants, -8 seemed soooo cold and with just a slight breeze seemed to chill you to the bone. This of course brings to mind Robert Service and the Cremation of Sam McGee! <br />
It was a great sojourn, spending quite an amount of time with Kirsten, Peter and the grandchildren and even managed a quick visit with Christian as he came up from Calgary.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Cruz town square all redone</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senor Pulpo</td></tr>
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The two weeks went by pretty quickly and soon it was time to leave to return to the boat. Let me tell you that it was great getting off the plane in Puerto Vallarta, the warmth and humidity hits you in the face and it felt very darn good.<br />
The last few days have been spent in another round of boat projects, a couple of meals out and a trip onto PV to the marine store to pick up a couple of bits for the boat. It always seems that what starts out as a "won't take long, it is not a big deal, or I just have to do this little thing" drags on, sometimes for days. Take for instance the new AIS transponder-the whole chart table had to be turned upside down or so it seemed, then both cockpit lockers had to be emptied and numerous trips in and out crawling into the bowels of the locker, boats must be built by midget contortionists. What should have been a half day stretched into two. But now it is done and not only can we see the other boats if they are transmitting, they can now see us on their screens.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UYRuyKlT86tsiKUEGNthXSDb833-k9JBYyZt-wEwLMeFl-jHSauNiv9_AxrRqN9FfBXDUvh76HA9F9CYnH7Tlu-jALE4QdrCAhW-J95apDiYWKfZuqacqbL36w59xGystn1mok1ygbg/s1600/P1020415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UYRuyKlT86tsiKUEGNthXSDb833-k9JBYyZt-wEwLMeFl-jHSauNiv9_AxrRqN9FfBXDUvh76HA9F9CYnH7Tlu-jALE4QdrCAhW-J95apDiYWKfZuqacqbL36w59xGystn1mok1ygbg/s320/P1020415.JPG" width="320" /></a>When we arrived back it was to furious activity taking place right off the stern, it seems that there is going to be a big show for the travel agents. We watched as five big arches, covered in canvas, were erected, a stage, numerous tent outbuildings, big lighting towers and no Mexican fiesta would be complete without a BIG speaker system, the likes of which entertained for a few nights and all day while they perfected the setup.<br />
The other night at about 3 AM I sat bolt upright in the bunk, absolutely sure that someone was in the cocpit with a flashlight. On timidly peeking out the hatch I was hit face on with a very bright blue light coming from light towers, aha, more testing. They had turned on all the lights and it lit up the whole venue and a good portion of La Cruz I suspect.<br />
Finally the big day, or should I say evening, arrived and the parking lot was crammed with cars and numerous big coaches. We are not sure how many attended but it could be perhaps a couple of thousand. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Mariachi Band</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man-bug!</td></tr>
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Now no one can say that cruisers don't have cojones and it wasn't long before we had wiggled our way onto the grounds to take a peek. There were lots of people, mostly dressed to the nines (dressing up to a cruiser is a clean T shirt without holes, clean shorts and your best flip flops) and could you believe it, an open bar plus waiters coming around continuosly with tidbits. Needless to say we took advantage of what was being offered, especially the margaritas. I am not too sure about some of the canapes, as on asking the waitress about what I was eating the reply came back "chicken tongues" or I think that is what she said. The next day started pretty slowly I might add, don't believe that tequila does not give you a big head, 100% Agave notwithstanding.</div>
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We have finished all the "little" jobs, including getting Jose to polish the boat. We also made our last trip to the tienda for fresh veggies and a couple of 1 liter bottles of cerveza, so nothing is holding us back. </div>
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It is getting harder and harder to throw off the docklines. La Cruz really does feel like "home" and we could easily live here. It has the perfect blend of Mexicana and Gringoana for us, plus PV is just a quick bus ride away. But leave we must....</div>
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Tomorrow, 28 March, we set sail for Chacala, just a few miles up the coast. We stopped here on the way down and enjoyed the nice little beach town. The following day should find us at Matanchen Bay, where if our nerve holds out, we will make a side trip into San Blas. After that it will be an overnight trip to Mazatlan where we will get a couple of days rest while keeping an eye on the weather prior to the 2 day trip across the Gulf to La Paz.</div>
Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-39431714153089941282012-03-18T19:31:00.007-07:002012-03-19T08:13:14.698-07:00Puerto Vallarta and La CruzOur parts arrive via DHL in only 2 days from Seattle, what service. My hats off to Coastal Marine, the Volvo dealer and to DHL for getting them to us so fast. People said that they go through Guadalajara and will be stuck there for weeks, just sort of disappear into a black hole. Not so in our case. We make plans to haul out on Friday 13th, yes I know but I did a little dance to the Gods and maybe all will work out fine.<br />
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We came out of the water and the problem was exactly as suspected, the line had destroyed the oil seals on the output shaft. After a bit of assistance from the shop at the marina we managed to push out the seals and refit new ones. We also replaced the anodes and applied more anti fouling to the leg, perfect time to do this maintenance. <br />
All in all it took about 3 hours for everything and then it was time to pay, and pay we did. The total haul out came to $850 USD, almost 3 times what we paid in Bellingham. But they have a captive audience and we were definitely captive. In any event we were glad to get it repaired and to find out that the damage was not more extensive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arrived safe and sound</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Christian and Kendra arrived on Saturday, 14 Jan. We went via the local bus to collect them, it was a bit of an adventure for the pair, we hope they liked it. We spent two nights at La Cruz with them, showing them the sights and did a day trip to Sayulita. I could see Christian scheming as to how he could chuck it all and become a surf bum. The place has a pretty good surf and there are a number of surfer types hanging around. We had a nice lunch on the beach, Christian rented a board and had a go, even got up a couple of times.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ole!</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"> Doug and Jan came over on Sunday 15th and we all went out for a sail in the bay, spotting some whales. Everyone got a turn to drive under sail since the wind gods favored us with a nice light breeze. After this we moved over to Paradise Village marina to give the kids a change of environment. This was a good move since they have the run of the hotel, able to use the pools, hot tub restaurants etc. The only fly in the ointment is the long hike into PV via the local bus, but we managed to get it down to a science.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekZQPyDIYIPXdhTPzMMzZTgwJCjwnbd5KLYb7YXhDa0kwaKRUCSV0M-GtlLn0qBil0Z2FcSGXNwIr-on-z1TsN-nHP3NO07L5rg11X_lQGByl3dGIPkYZ_wshvjPE8DsgSrnpKC_h6H8/s1600/P1020117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekZQPyDIYIPXdhTPzMMzZTgwJCjwnbd5KLYb7YXhDa0kwaKRUCSV0M-GtlLn0qBil0Z2FcSGXNwIr-on-z1TsN-nHP3NO07L5rg11X_lQGByl3dGIPkYZ_wshvjPE8DsgSrnpKC_h6H8/s320/P1020117.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Doug and Jan enjoying a cool one</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">One night time excursion was to Pipi's for dinner. Oh my, are the margaritas good and BIG. One is almost too many but two-after that the night is a blur. Once dinner is over we head off to La Bodeguita del Medio for some salsa dancing and mojitos, not that anyone needed any more to drink. The following day Christian and Kendra have a rest by the pool, Jackie and Leif are on aspirins!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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We say goodbye to the kids on Saturday, 21 Jan with heavy hearts. A week is just not long enough, and Christian is trying to figure out how to join us long term! Once they are gone it is back to more mundane things like laundry (hard job to lug it up to the laundry lady) and house cleaning, takes almost an hour!</div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Christian and Kendra at Pipi's</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv_wxMzeSp07M1Gb79lRUYcELct0a-VaVp1F9TK1-d6IeCB9vwBKggoauPQd3p3LfypqrzsjZ4P4yWHz2ZJZarKcYYDs53Ofiha2lbBRtr1C0NhrHWbCNWz0fLxp5ZQdTF5S2_mfwVno/s1600/P1020176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv_wxMzeSp07M1Gb79lRUYcELct0a-VaVp1F9TK1-d6IeCB9vwBKggoauPQd3p3LfypqrzsjZ4P4yWHz2ZJZarKcYYDs53Ofiha2lbBRtr1C0NhrHWbCNWz0fLxp5ZQdTF5S2_mfwVno/s320/P1020176.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Surf landing at Bucerias</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">There is to be a big festival at Bucerius, the blessing of the boats on the 24th of Jan. We put together a group, board the bus and head out. It was a most interesting time with large number of boats running up onto the beach, dancing horses and many street stalls selling everything under the sun (no pun intended), and at least 4 banda bands all in a small square playing at once. For the life of us we could not figure out how anyone could tell who was playing with who, the noise was ear splitting.</div><br />
We had talked of going to Guadalajara with Bob and Karyn, so we set off on Jan 25 via another first class bus on the 5 hour trip. The bus is great with his and hers bathrooms, movies (sometimes English), a drink, snack and a sweet of some sort. They are spotless, smooth and most comfortable with wide seats that recline.<br />
We arrive in Guadalajara and take a taxi to the hotel Morales, another unique (good one) experience. The hotel is very old (1800's) but kept in excellent condition, it also has the advantage of being just 2 blocks off the main square. It was also the favorite hotel of the bullfighters, so has quite a history. We walked everywhere, feeling perfectly safe and really enjoyed the big city with the small town feel. In order to get a quick tour we jumped on the double decker, open top tour bus, cost a whopping $5 and we could get on and off all day long and could even take any of the 3 tours they offered. We did 2, the city tour and Tlalapaque, a suburb with many artists selling unique art. The remainder of our time was spent visiting the museums, looking at the murals, going to the HUGE market and eating a torta that was so big it would choke a horse-and delicious it was too. We were a little disappointed in the place of the Mariachies but we did not stick around for the night time entertainment so the fault may be ours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEL-g6Xy5mc31Xmgy-wRBsXFwR_0PdvvYdp4JYbL_w-oIXICvwweSNAtWQFE3MZgyle2WB1j2EPw9lp2Kx0DjeYvXEuKtZDm10eg_ILCxrui72_J0_Lejpy5FiyODoN60NfkQ0kw4GRA/s1600/P1020168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEL-g6Xy5mc31Xmgy-wRBsXFwR_0PdvvYdp4JYbL_w-oIXICvwweSNAtWQFE3MZgyle2WB1j2EPw9lp2Kx0DjeYvXEuKtZDm10eg_ILCxrui72_J0_Lejpy5FiyODoN60NfkQ0kw4GRA/s200/P1020168.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bucerias Market</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1tDaBA9R30P7rDz6dXECjP8Sng4TwOet71v2MT7sHdxlL0wMvNaOFOtJ0IAowBMvZl4xzcieVyjOZ9flz6OQ8_irVSzE_xUMS2pjUYhL-JofwV9dG1W53072RYhK8xgyqLY31I6QHOI/s1600/DSC_4677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1tDaBA9R30P7rDz6dXECjP8Sng4TwOet71v2MT7sHdxlL0wMvNaOFOtJ0IAowBMvZl4xzcieVyjOZ9flz6OQ8_irVSzE_xUMS2pjUYhL-JofwV9dG1W53072RYhK8xgyqLY31I6QHOI/s320/DSC_4677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Guadalajara</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3_8hs-E_5YlvhJUebqT0ygkbCRI-bGv_z2fa4OmcUikqbyqsca-WtovVPsEtecl4GkI_tQ6Fg76xvb0wrJVO7DKd7Qyo_XVcD-mkE6Lf9zT8NDmTfuiuQdefhIxawMBgF8gaU66FqBU/s1600/P1020192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3_8hs-E_5YlvhJUebqT0ygkbCRI-bGv_z2fa4OmcUikqbyqsca-WtovVPsEtecl4GkI_tQ6Fg76xvb0wrJVO7DKd7Qyo_XVcD-mkE6Lf9zT8NDmTfuiuQdefhIxawMBgF8gaU66FqBU/s200/P1020192.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Any shape, size or color for only $3</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9QipbYT-37In5YeK9e_gouqppmjYrL9mAvGOBhAVCLqyFxXM3DSfxyQBwo17GAuwj9O9_rEurMLJN-LGPO8Bm-1OGntS1-NbrMd28Djw5FwuWoAmYLOMvj_eNZWFmQrLWlbFt2yI_kc/s1600/P1020198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9QipbYT-37In5YeK9e_gouqppmjYrL9mAvGOBhAVCLqyFxXM3DSfxyQBwo17GAuwj9O9_rEurMLJN-LGPO8Bm-1OGntS1-NbrMd28Djw5FwuWoAmYLOMvj_eNZWFmQrLWlbFt2yI_kc/s200/P1020198.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ763WAbBPpBlDHTbBujyhX4xdsxbO76FVeOyedXTZDfJb0A5n-jZtCM1d45oCXEjs-YkNBRXRt5-ej00hrAPMld-tvB7y5YI-bKLsm4gju1U0iR3RuPRsLfj-DkcnvfbCKDtHA4TlKE0/s1600/P1020220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ763WAbBPpBlDHTbBujyhX4xdsxbO76FVeOyedXTZDfJb0A5n-jZtCM1d45oCXEjs-YkNBRXRt5-ej00hrAPMld-tvB7y5YI-bKLsm4gju1U0iR3RuPRsLfj-DkcnvfbCKDtHA4TlKE0/s320/P1020220.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94SiyeXJYvdV8PBsHJyd_k4mH7V1Qk6CIgL9j__pOOMX0venyl5yXaw7v5m6DrOm6dwCZBlgnl1Vj9rzwBHOWPehzsDrxYRETk0Kvt9OZb_owSmMAjWh9fZU3LnfXF9HvkrSJ4fKuq3Y/s1600/P1020230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94SiyeXJYvdV8PBsHJyd_k4mH7V1Qk6CIgL9j__pOOMX0venyl5yXaw7v5m6DrOm6dwCZBlgnl1Vj9rzwBHOWPehzsDrxYRETk0Kvt9OZb_owSmMAjWh9fZU3LnfXF9HvkrSJ4fKuq3Y/s200/P1020230.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rBMXlao9duLupHENK5qIp2Z0CjQLoXP-v_rRlVCsF2ikjiZjRvqVWiQh1IvoJj_psG-LgKsSYRNameI4Ew09GzfbrAjDV-3ppT-n5bFvaL7MSfka-ECtYjDjNXZcTqO80jdHdvZ4WLg/s1600/DSC_4667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rBMXlao9duLupHENK5qIp2Z0CjQLoXP-v_rRlVCsF2ikjiZjRvqVWiQh1IvoJj_psG-LgKsSYRNameI4Ew09GzfbrAjDV-3ppT-n5bFvaL7MSfka-ECtYjDjNXZcTqO80jdHdvZ4WLg/s320/DSC_4667.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tortas for only $3, enough for 2 people</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZRUNYJKYZi9zwT8HDAptQa6BpVpqNTwmOUxwF6VqgbFUODfse7sOmkuIu_FoL22VcJc94C45VcsZ37lBWKsoCd3eprfBMX1SDtfq9MrF8Qhp_Bgxl8ikCSo9MdjVLAIIBDDnC_RRptE/s1600/DSC_4663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZRUNYJKYZi9zwT8HDAptQa6BpVpqNTwmOUxwF6VqgbFUODfse7sOmkuIu_FoL22VcJc94C45VcsZ37lBWKsoCd3eprfBMX1SDtfq9MrF8Qhp_Bgxl8ikCSo9MdjVLAIIBDDnC_RRptE/s320/DSC_4663.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fountain in our hotel</span></td></tr>
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Our old buddy Bruce arrived on Jan. 29th, he will be vacationing with us for 2 weeks. We haul him around showing him the sights of PV, with another visit to Pipi's (second time just as bad as the first). Soon however, it is time to say adios to PV and we begin to head down to Manzanillo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46kbyzCms7vXGk90AbNgVz8RvXvfdA24go9vreQV0u8-TW25m_GwMxOqZk3P00X35fqFgsgwUT1QW_LdazriWLIUjB9tGaEzcIKmVR5ltJzpzY-cdDKSbv_6HgTw18bIzg95NdWGix7o/s1600/P1020248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46kbyzCms7vXGk90AbNgVz8RvXvfdA24go9vreQV0u8-TW25m_GwMxOqZk3P00X35fqFgsgwUT1QW_LdazriWLIUjB9tGaEzcIKmVR5ltJzpzY-cdDKSbv_6HgTw18bIzg95NdWGix7o/s200/P1020248.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ipala</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The first day we plan to make it to Ipala, a small bay with just a bit of shelter from the N wind. We managed to sail a bit of the way down and dropped the hook at 1630. Only one other boat anchored there and even at that because the fishermen have pens in the middle of the anchorage there is only a little room. The anchorage is a bit rolly but we manage to get some rest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqjRy8lO-j3tSj4Z2uDrd7ZR2yvKPAzJLBUUVtpPwULPfMDqKnXH0FJIvZdHnF7LZFh_y2mjiDecuu6sk4Wp-j2nnt_-HR_EjhifzFt9IC6g0secMcmX6eA3yrLQpHvlro3yX_9RlMKg/s1600/P1020253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqjRy8lO-j3tSj4Z2uDrd7ZR2yvKPAzJLBUUVtpPwULPfMDqKnXH0FJIvZdHnF7LZFh_y2mjiDecuu6sk4Wp-j2nnt_-HR_EjhifzFt9IC6g0secMcmX6eA3yrLQpHvlro3yX_9RlMKg/s320/P1020253.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The gas run</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YEZYAus_K3KK6b7real49W9xr-eZkkB1ian3N2fOqLRq3peduCIIrahkW2ew4nI7jwLIV4l_E7uQWYSbFbt659RN912v2BJ_b0Jrj58Rz-P3GyRbS6cTkO_3PdYPmrT2nrza9IGHNEs/s1600/P1020256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YEZYAus_K3KK6b7real49W9xr-eZkkB1ian3N2fOqLRq3peduCIIrahkW2ew4nI7jwLIV4l_E7uQWYSbFbt659RN912v2BJ_b0Jrj58Rz-P3GyRbS6cTkO_3PdYPmrT2nrza9IGHNEs/s320/P1020256.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-IT-Z52M7utW2cb-pEcX__fWnU1T6u_MLMVBebORMRBoOaHonrqilqgx5gkn2B5DS25ICDwiWUX5FYZQVB5PZXMekHSL9L-7nClYbG8ghlU-R1iDtIeW7dKDNJJqYHofMYZxiwhp_Ks/s1600/P1020259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-IT-Z52M7utW2cb-pEcX__fWnU1T6u_MLMVBebORMRBoOaHonrqilqgx5gkn2B5DS25ICDwiWUX5FYZQVB5PZXMekHSL9L-7nClYbG8ghlU-R1iDtIeW7dKDNJJqYHofMYZxiwhp_Ks/s200/P1020259.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Chemala</span></td></tr>
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Next is Chemala, a much better anchorage with a small settlement ashore. We arrive at 18:30 after a nice day in which we had flying fish and whales, even got the headsail out for awhile. In the morning we head ashore and do a pretty good surf landing, well at least we didn't turn upside down and besides it is only water! Cervezas ashore and then found someone to drive us to the tienda for gas for the dinghy for sale in big plastic containers in a corner. We buy the driver a beer and some chips for his children, everyone is very jolly. Then we hit the Manualita palapa for a late lunch-early dinner and back to the boat through the surf again. After showers we watch Jack Nicholson in Crossing Guard with popcorn and we all managed to stay awake for the entire show, a first!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next day we head out for Tenacatita only to be blown back with S winds! Not to worry, we drop our hook in about the same place and spend the rest of the day reading and enjoying the warmth.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjBZ0xj0ZGYyhlJOr00paumuYAVM2hKytds-0Kf96cEbJe6SjIaOpNC6B39t0kK9yNaToi5wCno84U1QHrN0lJrGMz_czewG4tdAxVkwBBrwdzqNkNr9uIwto4sqOJGOIwjxaj4fo2z4/s1600/P1020269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjBZ0xj0ZGYyhlJOr00paumuYAVM2hKytds-0Kf96cEbJe6SjIaOpNC6B39t0kK9yNaToi5wCno84U1QHrN0lJrGMz_czewG4tdAxVkwBBrwdzqNkNr9uIwto4sqOJGOIwjxaj4fo2z4/s200/P1020269.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangroves at Tenacatita</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZy_srSk_2jB6l7n05luD7Ije5qeQ8MWYur9g4LWsSZfN7QxT_FsfEbUJCM2Y0tXpB8NnG_zNRDnuK21xdcOFMs0hyphenhyphenEN0x7zlLQ3arPLx2-yjvAMF3VKTt_XTBOjPj2fSNcKG1h2eb4E/s1600/P1020263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZy_srSk_2jB6l7n05luD7Ije5qeQ8MWYur9g4LWsSZfN7QxT_FsfEbUJCM2Y0tXpB8NnG_zNRDnuK21xdcOFMs0hyphenhyphenEN0x7zlLQ3arPLx2-yjvAMF3VKTt_XTBOjPj2fSNcKG1h2eb4E/s200/P1020263.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdDNl4q3VbL_Ok_BH6u6G5t0JygPyQ7wzoATE8jgiYN5y7fjI7JYCiRkqcRyo7G66oqPVAVoFBogkxdMC9CxYJAu9_NZHp8HQQpUZi3RVBgkbK8F6BCFMW1zNQP7pKvASHHbNUASX39Q/s1600/P1020274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdDNl4q3VbL_Ok_BH6u6G5t0JygPyQ7wzoATE8jgiYN5y7fjI7JYCiRkqcRyo7G66oqPVAVoFBogkxdMC9CxYJAu9_NZHp8HQQpUZi3RVBgkbK8F6BCFMW1zNQP7pKvASHHbNUASX39Q/s320/P1020274.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>6th Feb finds us underway to Tenacatita with very light winds, too light to sail. We anchor at about 3 pm amidst a number of other boats, some we have met on the way. This is a big bay and where the anchorage is there is not much ashore. We do another surf landing and hit the one palapa open for a couple of beers and a light lunch. We later go up the river through the mangroves but there really isn't a lot to see other than some egrets. The ride out the river through the surf is exciting and in our frenzy to exit Bruce ends up on his back in the bottom of the dinghy, at least he fell forward, so we planed out quite easily. Jackie thinks it was more good luck than good management, Leif says nonsense, everything went as planned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8D9OQstm4sJpyz77XVIeWpVUt79W4z1FHWS0EWmpV0hJtsJbjh8HyorPS1YKesT-QLTODkbP8bu5H7hZgZ6CZ_WesD0ZP0gzcs6ftIJ91_aQuQukoG1FyrXkfSPNE7Ebi4sP7efXeAw/s1600/P1020275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8D9OQstm4sJpyz77XVIeWpVUt79W4z1FHWS0EWmpV0hJtsJbjh8HyorPS1YKesT-QLTODkbP8bu5H7hZgZ6CZ_WesD0ZP0gzcs6ftIJ91_aQuQukoG1FyrXkfSPNE7Ebi4sP7efXeAw/s200/P1020275.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Entrance to Barra looking out</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDmayGFHa-xhiMbMmqqtkM5FTATSMte3oDCamjDsaO87XsMUC5f9Z-kLqKCempD8l-coe9zA_3W-eFsasZnqR1juyUcCKS0YUXZFTGjts8V39jIOfdKIuYK2r68iEqfZxaWkpUr4MgA0/s1600/P1020276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDmayGFHa-xhiMbMmqqtkM5FTATSMte3oDCamjDsaO87XsMUC5f9Z-kLqKCempD8l-coe9zA_3W-eFsasZnqR1juyUcCKS0YUXZFTGjts8V39jIOfdKIuYK2r68iEqfZxaWkpUr4MgA0/s320/P1020276.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gold platers only!</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Next on the agenda is Barra de Navidad, an interesting place where you anchor in a lagoon, approached through a narrow, unmarked channel, that is of course unless you are well heeled and can afford the $2.60 per foot per day that the marina charges. As this would seriously curtail the number of Pacifico's (beer) we can consume we opt for the lagoon. We only went aground twice before some kind panga driver had us follow him into the lagoon. The water is so murky that you cannot see the shallows, the only saving grace is that the bottom is more like slime than anything else.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87EzQoAiY5PIurN0tkZUmhWkP6kIRIdOq0Ed4FnVyuC_X1qG9WvC0AHLfMgOIH_DOfPxFPijSbQKfPZ0Jf2EuPdKM2KkNAVF9SOv7C1EyNEnTRFSx2Kmu3c20aUV_Gd5uI076mdg-I3w/s1600/P1020280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87EzQoAiY5PIurN0tkZUmhWkP6kIRIdOq0Ed4FnVyuC_X1qG9WvC0AHLfMgOIH_DOfPxFPijSbQKfPZ0Jf2EuPdKM2KkNAVF9SOv7C1EyNEnTRFSx2Kmu3c20aUV_Gd5uI076mdg-I3w/s320/P1020280.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A visit to Barra would not be complete without the French Baker</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">One of our side trips is to the capital of the state of Colima, strangely enough called - Colima. Jackie and Leif had been here before but thought it was a good representation of a smallerMexican city. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">We are to spend 11 days at Barra, with us putting Bruce in a taxi to the airport from here as it is actually closer than Manzanillo and hence cheaper-Bruce isn't Scottish for nothing!</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We liked Barra, there are a number of decent, inexpensive restaurants and some pubs showing Canadian television. It has a big expat community which is good or maybe not so good if you want to meet Mexicans. Here we got to try something called pozole which is a precolumbian dish which was originally made with meat from people sacrificed to the various Gods. Since there are no more sacrifices these days we have to make do with either pork or chicken. But they do say that the pork tastes just like the old recipe!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshzGdiuxZwWA1DNtTWf5LxaYtf4ux6st7tPQyrDCiK6BU_FDGBvxroZ6_DBY0I5iwL1g1EV5egQFv7iEWpoaerV-VEvRCDNHzuxaZ4ZL4QD2iqy67AOaRoY25Xt_JPYUE_R9CZ-IrIWU/s1600/DSC_4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshzGdiuxZwWA1DNtTWf5LxaYtf4ux6st7tPQyrDCiK6BU_FDGBvxroZ6_DBY0I5iwL1g1EV5egQFv7iEWpoaerV-VEvRCDNHzuxaZ4ZL4QD2iqy67AOaRoY25Xt_JPYUE_R9CZ-IrIWU/s320/DSC_4695.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Feb 16 we make our way around to Santiago, which is just a stones throw away from Manzanillo. On the way into the anchorage we get a little whale show. Lucky us.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJxmVjAGiTn8psOQx5iYddF2Vo2e0zjq0wxriq5ula07lvCT3kGmFhOdxWTu_6KpQKiEXYda89am9gBZgpwFv6cntWrSAI3oXpdbluGLaSNpLTu2hcuwOKY0rM_q6JhQKYEdTuPZIxjk/s1600/P1020306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJxmVjAGiTn8psOQx5iYddF2Vo2e0zjq0wxriq5ula07lvCT3kGmFhOdxWTu_6KpQKiEXYda89am9gBZgpwFv6cntWrSAI3oXpdbluGLaSNpLTu2hcuwOKY0rM_q6JhQKYEdTuPZIxjk/s200/P1020306.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_JJd1THPRDrPa-gOLKoWAShar4p_2pWdtmqR5ir8D6DWx1ljC9xvdw9BdfEoYO437ZDs7JQPFEYsBOJLPCVpM5pTEoov7_R-f26cDvGiYbKQRkoBNpPm3TI476l-HtCt40kihSKoJxI/s1600/P1020305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_JJd1THPRDrPa-gOLKoWAShar4p_2pWdtmqR5ir8D6DWx1ljC9xvdw9BdfEoYO437ZDs7JQPFEYsBOJLPCVpM5pTEoov7_R-f26cDvGiYbKQRkoBNpPm3TI476l-HtCt40kihSKoJxI/s320/P1020305.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfQyQj36BansHRtMKZeu_k27PNbF92JLb-Xvu7EeVEcYZHF6USLqBccl9mSSn1UeqhVXmFTkKb2-sRMVyEEaXC1LC2hO81DMtEXoJ_UIc1CGRjpXK5B2bKLXg9TDSBEru-OrwgLcGLok/s1600/P1020309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfQyQj36BansHRtMKZeu_k27PNbF92JLb-Xvu7EeVEcYZHF6USLqBccl9mSSn1UeqhVXmFTkKb2-sRMVyEEaXC1LC2hO81DMtEXoJ_UIc1CGRjpXK5B2bKLXg9TDSBEru-OrwgLcGLok/s320/P1020309.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Santiago market</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqdey-qdD7kqpVrbqFlgIgnqDCvko2PYkObuHe59_MnZYZhUjH_Df5wOWqoJIIch01lVKe8wmkiE8GFgRIbqguFF-YT2RHUybYxfH5ttfltEaHQCGj_SxT_ZghjzTZ5WW17m94ndcdac/s1600/P1020324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqdey-qdD7kqpVrbqFlgIgnqDCvko2PYkObuHe59_MnZYZhUjH_Df5wOWqoJIIch01lVKe8wmkiE8GFgRIbqguFF-YT2RHUybYxfH5ttfltEaHQCGj_SxT_ZghjzTZ5WW17m94ndcdac/s200/P1020324.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o7DuCgbZprDZp-FpSo7rnSU61APDipHQ72_ybJXOFhi2YkLOaRT7LzW9F3I0sa9KiFw85566HUUy0IMj3bXUZm9DaaWUH7vf5qdMxUXBshMEZOeN1hgmmKj6VZIwilNMe82VNMjgLV0/s1600/P1020330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o7DuCgbZprDZp-FpSo7rnSU61APDipHQ72_ybJXOFhi2YkLOaRT7LzW9F3I0sa9KiFw85566HUUy0IMj3bXUZm9DaaWUH7vf5qdMxUXBshMEZOeN1hgmmKj6VZIwilNMe82VNMjgLV0/s320/P1020330.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Abandoned house on hill</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7v2IcEydJt6eIDSoDvf7J-MnHI99CvoeqlXo5rm4LPbLiasIuPU_YDt67L4s-KaYuTYIsSywM2UTwldjzF3hqhdJv27nvzVDXkHW_F_xBXuhBTzZVCfqfWVNCxj-F8iNJTR1q9iuvKg/s1600/P1020335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7v2IcEydJt6eIDSoDvf7J-MnHI99CvoeqlXo5rm4LPbLiasIuPU_YDt67L4s-KaYuTYIsSywM2UTwldjzF3hqhdJv27nvzVDXkHW_F_xBXuhBTzZVCfqfWVNCxj-F8iNJTR1q9iuvKg/s200/P1020335.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Santiago beach</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnQlTDFiDmR2vK0b-x5hYqUoZRB92oD_R_0L14ykCzxgT3hwYW8QPzs6JG9qaN_6iY5AQBrogf0LszE64OiszgARUh0noC3krnaPD1BmM9OvNIVNl2wmY2dIoNssJ_PA9D6yNik0Mf2Q/s1600/P1020337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnQlTDFiDmR2vK0b-x5hYqUoZRB92oD_R_0L14ykCzxgT3hwYW8QPzs6JG9qaN_6iY5AQBrogf0LszE64OiszgARUh0noC3krnaPD1BmM9OvNIVNl2wmY2dIoNssJ_PA9D6yNik0Mf2Q/s320/P1020337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Los Hadas</span><br />
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</tbody></table>This is another big bay where we are tucked in behind a headland, good protection from the prevailing winds but there is a bit of swell that comes in causing us to roll a bit at times. The shore is lined with a number of palapas and every day we have been entertained by banda music, luckily it all seems to shut down at sunset.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We spend about a week at Santiago and learned the ropes, like 10 peso beers at Hollywood and Vine, and 10 peso tacos at Erica's. There is also a good marine store downtown plus the mercado is worth a visit for your comestibles. On Sunday there is the Santiago market, an absolute must see. The locals bring out their wares to sell and the place is teeming with buyers. </div>We move over to Los Hadas bay and anchor in front of the hotel for our "Kodak" moment. The anchorage is pretty crowded and the swell does sweep around the corner. We pay the 200 pesos to tie up the dinghy and enjoy the hotel's amenities. A swim in the pool and a stroll around the grounds are a welcome diversion from the grind of sailing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO6JjZ43brjhiQeWCawqL8_rQNyZGV9PVHe9hMQO3IPslILezgCkmcm6UgA4Yk3VRWXAwyJvi92rOSm1DkgyWp_IVEvicJpJabzBhCJheFfnIn_kgaZp6WcyUfHX1pvVqOf_dFBgSJmw/s1600/DSC_4724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO6JjZ43brjhiQeWCawqL8_rQNyZGV9PVHe9hMQO3IPslILezgCkmcm6UgA4Yk3VRWXAwyJvi92rOSm1DkgyWp_IVEvicJpJabzBhCJheFfnIn_kgaZp6WcyUfHX1pvVqOf_dFBgSJmw/s320/DSC_4724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Our stay there is only a couple of days as we have to make our way back north, wanting to get in a trip back home before we put the boat away for the summer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCLTP7DjXw3nAVqYJbw5l6hGbDaCv2I1Bi9G0r94jQwRHNkuoCB8yUeN4RG7-1w0rl7MMnOaifSWbWjgjtgO1whAt-TELlIeLozFb-fTkc-fWDFHjUd6REbWfx5W1X_fooW-7c21vsUE/s1600/DSC_4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCLTP7DjXw3nAVqYJbw5l6hGbDaCv2I1Bi9G0r94jQwRHNkuoCB8yUeN4RG7-1w0rl7MMnOaifSWbWjgjtgO1whAt-TELlIeLozFb-fTkc-fWDFHjUd6REbWfx5W1X_fooW-7c21vsUE/s320/DSC_4719.JPG" width="213" /></a>Back to Santiago and we spend a couple of days getting ourselves prepared and take in a beach party organized over the vhf net. We are lucky enough to meet Stan, of Solemates Santiago, who does the daily weather for curisers in the area. He does a great job and both Jackie and I are eternally grateful.</div>We also experiement with making margaritas with tequila (of course), triple sec and Damiana. Jackie had tried one at Todos Santos of hotel California fame, and just had to try to duplicate the receipe. Not bad, at least fellow cruisers Ken and Heather didn't complain and a quick cocktail turned into a pretty good evening!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iW3Iyou3c03e8nJxuYgfIrWVI3Nw3ZOZpoqnlrdfSu6LUOdTS_BVQViqoWpZISI-Qsc1FrfWt-azr3isaNrs1NX5EQE_bL5D9g953xI1PwdWYQyt_daE54WuKiSZn6Y_0b-ljwVQX9c/s1600/DSC_4735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iW3Iyou3c03e8nJxuYgfIrWVI3Nw3ZOZpoqnlrdfSu6LUOdTS_BVQViqoWpZISI-Qsc1FrfWt-azr3isaNrs1NX5EQE_bL5D9g953xI1PwdWYQyt_daE54WuKiSZn6Y_0b-ljwVQX9c/s320/DSC_4735.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Punta Carrizal</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">The next day we started the slog back north and went a whole 5 miles to Punta Carrizal and spend only the one night. This is a smallish well protected bay from everywhere but the south and it is so deep that the swell does not have much effect. There were 6 boats anchored in the bay by the time the sun set.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We set the alarm for 6 A.M. and make out way out along with 2 other boats. As we were approaching Tenacatita we hear an old friend on the radio. He is meant to be half way to Hawaii by now, we tempt fate and pull in to get the latest scoop, our two travelling companions continue on. It seems that Glen had second thoughts on doing the long ocean passage at this time of the year. Especially with the news of another Canadian boat lost on the same passage. Borboletta will now travel back as deck cargo on one of the Yacht Path ships.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nJZd83X066NbHWlN1yH5DPOVUWv-s6Xo6VMk5z_2r4A5P8K8y3WtoUehIQceYVuULb5uDwlsez3t2QNnnwRQ0kY4v3E8G61tE4d-ab6xhZyFW8EmspLazZUDE7iM7QLGMtaZAng7MBY/s1600/P1020357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nJZd83X066NbHWlN1yH5DPOVUWv-s6Xo6VMk5z_2r4A5P8K8y3WtoUehIQceYVuULb5uDwlsez3t2QNnnwRQ0kY4v3E8G61tE4d-ab6xhZyFW8EmspLazZUDE7iM7QLGMtaZAng7MBY/s320/P1020357.JPG" width="320" /></a>The next morning we left at first light wanting to get around Cabo Corrientes very early the next morning, before the daily thermals kick in and make the corner rough. We are in luck and round the cape around 2 A.M. in flat calm conditions. The sea gods have smiled on us again. We arrive at La Cruz at 7:30 A.M. and grab the same slip we had previously. It really felt like coming home, everything was so familiar.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We cleaned up the boat and did a couple of boat jobs while waiting to catch our flights home. Jackie is especially excited about seeing our kids and of course the grandchildren</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0Mexico20.748595044614543 -105.38001519973142-23.683536455385454 -147.65536519973142 65.180726544614544 -63.104665199731414tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-55984799582342292602012-03-18T17:05:00.000-07:002012-03-18T17:05:35.494-07:00Mazatlan to Puerto Vallarta<div dir="ltr"><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiR9-PXakDoq_MC3JN9TOcJbMnQWLa8JqdQoa9VxJwkzQ5nQD_10GpYmznQVu1oxEM9Ju2Eyz7RwfA6ASfeAImJfZi7oG-w9duDwV0noCmy8MLfNj5wLHWXjAa9YaSyVEOKQ2uxm0pRDQ/s1600/P1010878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiR9-PXakDoq_MC3JN9TOcJbMnQWLa8JqdQoa9VxJwkzQ5nQD_10GpYmznQVu1oxEM9Ju2Eyz7RwfA6ASfeAImJfZi7oG-w9duDwV0noCmy8MLfNj5wLHWXjAa9YaSyVEOKQ2uxm0pRDQ/s320/P1010878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Our overnight sail from Mazatlan to Isla Isabela was eventful in that we had so many dolphins visiting as we went along and a most incredible sunset and sunrise again. It seems such a shame that we forget to take the time to appreciate a sunrise or sunset when we are on land. The dolphins that visited during my watch at night kept me entertained for over an hour and were long streaks of phosphorescence trying to get to the bow of the boat. As we neared Isabela around 9 am a large number of whales greeted us. Always nice to see them frolicking in the water but I really do not want them to get toooo close. The water temps kept getting warmer as we motored south and increased from 22 to 25, finally some nicer swimming perhaps. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHS4KMjbm0cYLhcRUhT6qOBvXkj2DmnRiGzaNotCu_z5dq9iYSMFOX6EuDEe2m5rFF65QioXmzP6SLr8iGvx_JYZAN2mxBtqNyoehwFMvU-m5BLMkzCuteoWAYhmQ57xBizQpUm54JJk/s1600/P1010887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHS4KMjbm0cYLhcRUhT6qOBvXkj2DmnRiGzaNotCu_z5dq9iYSMFOX6EuDEe2m5rFF65QioXmzP6SLr8iGvx_JYZAN2mxBtqNyoehwFMvU-m5BLMkzCuteoWAYhmQ57xBizQpUm54JJk/s320/P1010887.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male frigate bird</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The anchorage was on the east side of the island, it is not very protected and quite rolly – we even wondered if we should stop. An all rock bottom (as this is a volcanic island) made setting the anchor a bit of fun – one never knows whether it will set properly or get caught up in a formation then not come up when you are ready to leave.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpcIKKJ06UA0CI7Iq7EnP6hAaYILG13k5SVHWyO-4CEXiZwMLqqqUSGBfZh2T8Nw0F2URs93aULR02zvI3Mfl-C3MY_auX76P0JfTWSuJI92JAn-Kxdu_8No0XGKT1kkLwJa5tzn71tw/s1600/P1010889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpcIKKJ06UA0CI7Iq7EnP6hAaYILG13k5SVHWyO-4CEXiZwMLqqqUSGBfZh2T8Nw0F2URs93aULR02zvI3Mfl-C3MY_auX76P0JfTWSuJI92JAn-Kxdu_8No0XGKT1kkLwJa5tzn71tw/s320/P1010889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We managed to get the dinghy blown up and engine put on and then went ashore on the south side of the island - which didn’t have the surf breaking on shore. It is never too much fun riding the surf in a little 10 foot boat. The island is nicknamed the “Galapagos of Mexico” due to the number of nesting birds and iguanas. It is isolated in the Pacific and has no natural predators, so we walked among nesting frigate birds and blue, brown and yellow footed boobies. We saw many iguanas resting in the sunshine. Some time ago black ship rats were introduced to the island and as I walked through the tall grass my imagination got the better of me several times – but never did see any rats</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. We hiked around to see the water filled caldera known as Lago Crater. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then back to the boat for an early dinner and sleep to catch up on last night’s missed hours. </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTuXpWuzpt4JaVIkgADUecTcJhNTjKMX8a8lASEgPmF77qmeqYdH7l6M8bt24cHrVpjXqGRNt9h-3i-20c5LPSVjDk-gfoDXx4WQChMDVGjiS2ZQ76QG_1JOKWlY1Y5f0_DFHLrqgJdoY/s1600/P1010899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTuXpWuzpt4JaVIkgADUecTcJhNTjKMX8a8lASEgPmF77qmeqYdH7l6M8bt24cHrVpjXqGRNt9h-3i-20c5LPSVjDk-gfoDXx4WQChMDVGjiS2ZQ76QG_1JOKWlY1Y5f0_DFHLrqgJdoY/s320/P1010899.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue footed boobie</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">We awoke early to quiet seas and for our trip to Chacala. We had decided to give San Blas a miss after it had been reported that several dinghies had gone missing in the anchorage the night before and there is a big problem with the no seeums (jejenes) because of the large number of mangroves (I still have bites bothering me from El Fuerte over a month ago). So it is off to Chacala and we are motoring as we have no wind. At around 11:00 I spotted a black flag in the water and I quickly took the engine out of gear or so I thought ( in my panic I had inadvertently pushed it into reverse without knowing it) and before we could do anything we were caught up in a fisherman’s long line and then I backed over our fishing line. <span style="color: red;">We were well and truly messed!!!!!</span> Leif got out his diving gear and attempted to free us but with the swell and still moving along with the current it was not safe. He was able to dive under the boat to see the damage but was not able to free us. We cut all the lines and luckily we had enough wind so we changed course to go to San Blas as it was closer. Our buddy boaters stood by in case we needed help and I began preparing screens for all the windows so we would not get eaten by the no seeums when we arrived. It was a slow sail but we arrived just before sunset sailing right into the beautiful Ensenada de Matanchen Bay all lined with palm trees. We are glad to be there and happy that we have not missed it. We had dinner and discussed how we were going to go about fixing things in the morning.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyU-N5zzmwQK9o4A7x8Pn6xC66Psq3zpQtp66EwRZ_pVSKMmpqT_5LjyAYiean0M2uAVeBHu_w3IZTex5RfbVqlFWUjmpj9d-na94rpY9G37HRSTuGJFhdcVxGcGxGRXl19dJSIKuqmrs/s1600/P1010934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyU-N5zzmwQK9o4A7x8Pn6xC66Psq3zpQtp66EwRZ_pVSKMmpqT_5LjyAYiean0M2uAVeBHu_w3IZTex5RfbVqlFWUjmpj9d-na94rpY9G37HRSTuGJFhdcVxGcGxGRXl19dJSIKuqmrs/s320/P1010934.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Matachen Bay</td></tr>
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<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Leif had bought a Hookah before we left Canada (an underwater breathing apparatus) to be used for just this kind of problem. So he geared up again in the morning and with his trusty knife in hand was able to cut all the lines free but then we spotted oil on the surface of the water and we now realize we have damaged the oil seal on the prop shaft. This means we can run the engine but not put it in gear without losing oil and damaging our transmission. So our only means of travel is by sailing and the forecast for the next few days is light winds- normally I would be happy with this prediction. Feeling helpless - nothing we can do -we go ashore and have lunch at one of the palapa restaurants and seafood is on the menu – absolutely delicious shrimp in garlic. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB28E5R_H-wheD8ga4HOo5ZSzGdcc2vLqCEu9NVX0EUcdfimAEFWo6El0YXLpAwm4Ze2_XjVxWx7hS6qbEnWM-1whnbiQ3JV0TFuHF7OkUxPHt81iozF8_LeowtFGSIqpfTBM1CQdyIeI/s1600/P1010942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB28E5R_H-wheD8ga4HOo5ZSzGdcc2vLqCEu9NVX0EUcdfimAEFWo6El0YXLpAwm4Ze2_XjVxWx7hS6qbEnWM-1whnbiQ3JV0TFuHF7OkUxPHt81iozF8_LeowtFGSIqpfTBM1CQdyIeI/s320/P1010942.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacques Cousteau is that you?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40IYSJ10-v_FNypN_z3qIe_mmLMnuYIFS-WJero3Sob6SLIP3ULHBBjSyL5fPMjf-5IcChnrfvljAGIbx2nrIcA9Jonps49vu5FXr0I6riLfArXheXe8KK0bAoWSCkbqKyG7-Bmof8Mw/s1600/P1010946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40IYSJ10-v_FNypN_z3qIe_mmLMnuYIFS-WJero3Sob6SLIP3ULHBBjSyL5fPMjf-5IcChnrfvljAGIbx2nrIcA9Jonps49vu5FXr0I6riLfArXheXe8KK0bAoWSCkbqKyG7-Bmof8Mw/s200/P1010946.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ugly string</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">We walk down a dirt road into town to get a panga to take us on the La Tovara (Jungle Tour) up the Rio Tovara. This trip is definitely a highlight when visiting San Blas. We saw many birds, turtles, iguanas, wild crocodiles and then went to visit the crocodile farm. The river first is saltwater and then turns into a fresh water spring where you can swim in the crystal clear water. On the way back to the boat all of the locals are selling banana bread (large banana plantations here) so we have breakfast for tomorrow.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15XmpR8sgGRv4FFHF_TGsFgPH4p-DAAhGlkeSbFHL9g_wHwWo5v3hOc94n_noOi8YdbXoMJkpgWsKnIwOkgJaBKrooIBjpJ2YFHUxbVvvHdPj1Px_ufOf4Gm9619bcg_J36sgp86bPSY/s1600/DSC_4477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15XmpR8sgGRv4FFHF_TGsFgPH4p-DAAhGlkeSbFHL9g_wHwWo5v3hOc94n_noOi8YdbXoMJkpgWsKnIwOkgJaBKrooIBjpJ2YFHUxbVvvHdPj1Px_ufOf4Gm9619bcg_J36sgp86bPSY/s320/DSC_4477.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make a nice pair of boots</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBrRt-lV9HdNzshDzaOlw11_fSdtEaexmql2H9QNybTsbx_QADFo761wPDXNzUNGBFzsjJpb70ApYr4GRlwqPCxdCrTwkXHkJS0zUYeknw4AdD1WhcArO3ozkwVCZkKJHal3RSAFIRF0/s1600/P1010999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBrRt-lV9HdNzshDzaOlw11_fSdtEaexmql2H9QNybTsbx_QADFo761wPDXNzUNGBFzsjJpb70ApYr4GRlwqPCxdCrTwkXHkJS0zUYeknw4AdD1WhcArO3ozkwVCZkKJHal3RSAFIRF0/s200/P1010999.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqTW6wENPko798fsje7Bx-534rnIlN-dEofdoNp5QX5OAv1qGWuxvc_n9Nyn-BWw7NlaqNdqSork1tGQtjx9ULGEx0JrUpz6XUyNNeRLiMNYhbYZWaoVO_Os5hgPiRsrYpoAGUvrO7sk/s1600/P1010985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqTW6wENPko798fsje7Bx-534rnIlN-dEofdoNp5QX5OAv1qGWuxvc_n9Nyn-BWw7NlaqNdqSork1tGQtjx9ULGEx0JrUpz6XUyNNeRLiMNYhbYZWaoVO_Os5hgPiRsrYpoAGUvrO7sk/s320/P1010985.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4TNZXvxHypXE6TL7bjDRXhDII__zavsOZdcILz_gg8LrlEYYsThe7ltV_9mipkCNqsERjLzHr8xaFUW4ekVN5QZUgxhXPI2voXplOfAo3YeZnkG69R6RuERpSrwrsxp8XfqOcQCH_us/s1600/P1010989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4TNZXvxHypXE6TL7bjDRXhDII__zavsOZdcILz_gg8LrlEYYsThe7ltV_9mipkCNqsERjLzHr8xaFUW4ekVN5QZUgxhXPI2voXplOfAo3YeZnkG69R6RuERpSrwrsxp8XfqOcQCH_us/s200/P1010989.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Well we awake to one of the calmest days we have ever had. Leif has been on the phone with the people in Seattle getting the parts ordered we will need to fix the propeller. So after waiting for the wind to pick up our, friends on Realtime (Bob and Karyn) tie a rope to us and we are under tow to Chacala. We had many whales around us today and later in the day arrive around 6 in the most beautiful warm tropical anchorages ever - clear crystal blue water lapping on a white sandy beach surrounded by lush vegetation and coconut palms – what more could a girl ask for!!! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX78dFC_xaMD_Gap9LYMWNDDSfwk9NvEEEH2rfOs4vScfj91Rh9inrqARLDSaZf2PLFgNoiyNZJJxXDuZeNcqalXzeBWkbGPgKZx_9Som4_cX0WObyRP7z15IR-vQMV4ZQ1NTTHLJxbjY/s1600/P1020015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX78dFC_xaMD_Gap9LYMWNDDSfwk9NvEEEH2rfOs4vScfj91Rh9inrqARLDSaZf2PLFgNoiyNZJJxXDuZeNcqalXzeBWkbGPgKZx_9Som4_cX0WObyRP7z15IR-vQMV4ZQ1NTTHLJxbjY/s320/P1020015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivX71sW8sANSpKiHUc7b8QXzyMGi7tjYUwaKz2i54j76xP_rTB-HSCAhH9ZXNjJzbTutccRpXeun4z8pMr2PXjMG3MXAAIFcmrZTRwCP89_18ezxFQT6m2_diOGVaFG1im200xC2T3unI/s1600/P1020021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivX71sW8sANSpKiHUc7b8QXzyMGi7tjYUwaKz2i54j76xP_rTB-HSCAhH9ZXNjJzbTutccRpXeun4z8pMr2PXjMG3MXAAIFcmrZTRwCP89_18ezxFQT6m2_diOGVaFG1im200xC2T3unI/s320/P1020021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chacala Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">This is why we sailed all this way to Mexico! We quickly put together dinner with the folks on Realtime when Dan from Sophia drops off shrimp ceviche from the restaurant ashore. We sleep well with anticipation of going ashore, strolling on the beach and enjoying a few cold cervezas under the palapas.</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jQlSI2tb-QqHHKRu-4ZpQLL_hL7_kFlCQLBIZXdk9ZcdO775foYOJntgLKLAmQLCtPaxAKb8LxlHiAC4MFHeW87EMwYtF9FW5sVkM0iL9FEjY_UVg0KTmcrFlIZnjb3bv3LseB7Tkn4/s1600/P1020022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jQlSI2tb-QqHHKRu-4ZpQLL_hL7_kFlCQLBIZXdk9ZcdO775foYOJntgLKLAmQLCtPaxAKb8LxlHiAC4MFHeW87EMwYtF9FW5sVkM0iL9FEjY_UVg0KTmcrFlIZnjb3bv3LseB7Tkn4/s320/P1020022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get the message?</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPxYRItxeqKckChSrtigiLrm56LB9bbIGqavDYx_IjQ3qdsCGLjC8_Il5__jDyhPPpPhxUkAxfIAr-ip_eEOPfg8B_2fsPenfo5bYkUwNRKGkL1lSmr0HmHsVnfBZQhm617we6uvzWSs/s1600/P1020036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPxYRItxeqKckChSrtigiLrm56LB9bbIGqavDYx_IjQ3qdsCGLjC8_Il5__jDyhPPpPhxUkAxfIAr-ip_eEOPfg8B_2fsPenfo5bYkUwNRKGkL1lSmr0HmHsVnfBZQhm617we6uvzWSs/s200/P1020036.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJX6hkr6XZm_uF88Ue6uHgle0B4NAlS7PFWUsW-elJ2dyhdjUqzPQatEQVPcl0NK2yeKl0hGad8wGc_PBW7Cbet41d1q6KdaqvLqr6WMUPgqRmYLVaXPB1hHXFSZxyuY6j9cBJu-4ysE/s1600/P1020031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJX6hkr6XZm_uF88Ue6uHgle0B4NAlS7PFWUsW-elJ2dyhdjUqzPQatEQVPcl0NK2yeKl0hGad8wGc_PBW7Cbet41d1q6KdaqvLqr6WMUPgqRmYLVaXPB1hHXFSZxyuY6j9cBJu-4ysE/s320/P1020031.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODYAqyDTbyfFy1tnmkqpJM0Ck0_aWregwV3Gr5kzQQwsau7dY-fWrJlFmxUPirzCgUOkX0_tAk1-Dfl7otCqJgKSgdgJHob0D69fWduuv3LRoNAnwtjY3BT5vHO-LvOAfdscqN3JilDw/s1600/P1020027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODYAqyDTbyfFy1tnmkqpJM0Ck0_aWregwV3Gr5kzQQwsau7dY-fWrJlFmxUPirzCgUOkX0_tAk1-Dfl7otCqJgKSgdgJHob0D69fWduuv3LRoNAnwtjY3BT5vHO-LvOAfdscqN3JilDw/s200/P1020027.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdo5d4T9uq_QtoF7fI8WlMluDftCzbHRJ4R5ypUJn1Hti8OEcudUomQMLHYKZLPNjW7BJhvaACmj1hSdDbyTTLh8xkyYsl3nudZmWnc5nCjGXBU1dzA16UeccJ4zb6VK_0iSxWUytAB0/s1600/P1020064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdo5d4T9uq_QtoF7fI8WlMluDftCzbHRJ4R5ypUJn1Hti8OEcudUomQMLHYKZLPNjW7BJhvaACmj1hSdDbyTTLh8xkyYsl3nudZmWnc5nCjGXBU1dzA16UeccJ4zb6VK_0iSxWUytAB0/s320/P1020064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We plan to spend the next 2 days at Chacala. The first order of business in the morning is to check in - the harbourmaster is one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet – so welcoming, sympathetic to our dilemmaa and he knows that Mexico has a problem with the long line fishing but he says that they lack the manpower to enforce things to change, especially when the fisherman are going out 15 to 20 miles and after all is their country and their livelihood. We swim, walk, hike, eat, drink, enjoy the live banda entertainment and eat and drink some more. Maybe one more margarita will help us forget </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">our problem.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYNWV4mFG2m0b1yhwgEQ11hJY6mArEp2EXqJGbg6uhV9r8KVrmGOHhGda02XvkAYXo3jTs_392ND7hrj0qSMHjAPqnld4HzuAg07XO2ZX0P2xx1kI2cIQBDb1EZZGOtMw5i0BCxSF18A/s1600/P1020054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYNWV4mFG2m0b1yhwgEQ11hJY6mArEp2EXqJGbg6uhV9r8KVrmGOHhGda02XvkAYXo3jTs_392ND7hrj0qSMHjAPqnld4HzuAg07XO2ZX0P2xx1kI2cIQBDb1EZZGOtMw5i0BCxSF18A/s200/P1020054.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy gate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Someone said we should check out the volcano "just over the hill". Seemed like a good idea at the time. We set off along the beach, through a fancy resort and trek up a gravel road, through a fancy gatehouse and then up the hill. We eventually found the culdera, long extinct, and begin our walk soen the other side. There was a discussion as to what way to go, Bob and Karyn took the high road, the rest of us took the low road. It was a hell of a long walk down to the ocean, AND back. We did discover that this area was being developed and there was a large number of lots for sale. Only a handful of lots were sold, hence the reason there was only about half km of paved road. <br />
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<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Next day is the same calm weather so under tow again and we are now headed to Banderas Bay (not Puerto Vallarta but to La Cruz) one of the first places we can anchor and haul out, which is about 43 miles south. We arrive just at sunset and know we are going to be okay thanks to some very awesome friends. We are invited to a bonfire on the beach to celebrate the full moon and meet up with many of the other cruiser friends we have made. Of course have to share our story of the last few days as well – while enjoying a beer and hot dog. We are l</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">ooking forward to meeting up with my brother Doug and Jan who arrived on Saturday and then next Saturday(Jan. 14) when our son Christian arrives. We hope that the parts will arrive shortly so we can fix this baby. We will be here for about 3 weeks if all goes well.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Life is good!</span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-51080544385489376122012-03-17T22:18:00.005-07:002012-03-17T22:43:28.265-07:00La Paz, Topo and onto Mazatlan<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z-Skk4-IUrLSokfI7BHYcWB9yGhzyhy4ZgI6pifhHowJPCvzBUkkOIHPRwUobdkKCt7ScSJD7_W2HAmq_EViFRQawpXKIU5hl29FqYnZRfzJG33Czk92ufpnbtInss2gmt9RqSa_vBg/s1600/DSC_4009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z-Skk4-IUrLSokfI7BHYcWB9yGhzyhy4ZgI6pifhHowJPCvzBUkkOIHPRwUobdkKCt7ScSJD7_W2HAmq_EViFRQawpXKIU5hl29FqYnZRfzJG33Czk92ufpnbtInss2gmt9RqSa_vBg/s200/DSC_4009.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Paz cathedral</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqWogUbn7npVUe8qDRj1quEzyS4F-pUuyvA35IAgkbC6iHVwtJjH_nbG4S5fuIPEzHEZo4lfcBSF2_s-Vo7XPX10hDFv4iFBDj3-U9ttsl0rMMms9lEIgFrmtO8wl6hDYoIVj_HzTQKE/s1600/P1010308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqWogUbn7npVUe8qDRj1quEzyS4F-pUuyvA35IAgkbC6iHVwtJjH_nbG4S5fuIPEzHEZo4lfcBSF2_s-Vo7XPX10hDFv4iFBDj3-U9ttsl0rMMms9lEIgFrmtO8wl6hDYoIVj_HzTQKE/s320/P1010308.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is how they do pork at The Shack</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwp62w6ivzfAIRAoMbMEWHBE9yCYvuS109qbzm44P6gwQItJLDOaN-o0Taxe9aTkClX4gn2jC8_j3ta8twZIT1GfHMCxwsokbVlOEzouKWQa3Tcc8H3N7mglQzLvdL1OQ87dJ2tvngNh0/s1600/P1010239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwp62w6ivzfAIRAoMbMEWHBE9yCYvuS109qbzm44P6gwQItJLDOaN-o0Taxe9aTkClX4gn2jC8_j3ta8twZIT1GfHMCxwsokbVlOEzouKWQa3Tcc8H3N7mglQzLvdL1OQ87dJ2tvngNh0/s320/P1010239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We had a great time at La Paz. The city is small and it seems to have pretty much everything inclding Walmart, Home Depot all the big grocery stores, a handful of marine stores and some really decent and inexpensive restaurants. One of our favorites was Rancho Viejo where good lunches can be had for under $5 and a great breakfast for 45 pesos, but of course no visit would be complete without a visit to The Shack. One dollar margaritas and beers and a hamburger that would choke a horse, but don't go expecting white table cloths, it isn't that kind of place, but do expect good food and great prices.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkR3k7vd6eH4XWTpif-tllx19Uo5M-61eQFiBxX8MoIXjhD-RcQek-Qu75Q9Drsb0SE0EN3vpKyy0OjyoNhkZ8KrwOcx41L0SvduyeYUkm0IKlCT92Y0Qgi6dGrVlP0V3a4eAhtDLbux4/s1600/DSC_4007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkR3k7vd6eH4XWTpif-tllx19Uo5M-61eQFiBxX8MoIXjhD-RcQek-Qu75Q9Drsb0SE0EN3vpKyy0OjyoNhkZ8KrwOcx41L0SvduyeYUkm0IKlCT92Y0Qgi6dGrVlP0V3a4eAhtDLbux4/s320/DSC_4007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is in the courtyard of a really funky hotel</td></tr>
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We had been keeping a close eye on the elecricity consumption and it was pretty obvious that the fridge was taking a lot more juice here in the heat.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">On one of our trips up to the marine store we </div>noticed a store selling solar panels across the street. A quick inspection showed that they had IN STOCK the exact panels that we needed. The old VISA took a big hit and as it turned out the panels, made in Mexico, were actually less than at Downwind Marine in San Diego. It took a couple of days to fit then but presto all of a sudden we were pretty close to being self sufficient. It was very good not to have to worry about running the fridge or any of the other 12 things.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWEey7-XYqyutAkl_YiJspgKpk8KcPT4eZ5ImMXad8nh0dkd8w-ZKdDRKYGDEq1sq_UFQE0qqGhwZ1zFz7lmKJxH6vD37o2Sfsi-6qGAUAw7KfXezUK_OQKeW2Fio762xBf-zowWO3vk/s1600/DSC_4012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWEey7-XYqyutAkl_YiJspgKpk8KcPT4eZ5ImMXad8nh0dkd8w-ZKdDRKYGDEq1sq_UFQE0qqGhwZ1zFz7lmKJxH6vD37o2Sfsi-6qGAUAw7KfXezUK_OQKeW2Fio762xBf-zowWO3vk/s320/DSC_4012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For all my Kiwi friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We spent a few days in Marine de La Paz and enjoyed the ease of marina living, like endless hot showers and a stable boat. It was here that we met Bob and Karyn from Long Beach on their lovely Norseman 447. Bob dropped the rudder from his Hydrovane over the side, the air turned blue and Karyn being a retired minister. I dont know how many Hail Mary's Bob had to say but I bet it was a bunch!<br />
<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KwBhXPGwX65E9MVDuRbrqyCVBXZ6dbZj5ySP_gtpD4XZJ6AaFaEDRmHmDsqSttf_QnsdZQx59_Upf-TD_lVzxAW963VpnUOHQSSXuVeUgTXUiZehlinptNQgpog2vBP-QITKPC580Ng/s1600/DSC_4016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KwBhXPGwX65E9MVDuRbrqyCVBXZ6dbZj5ySP_gtpD4XZJ6AaFaEDRmHmDsqSttf_QnsdZQx59_Upf-TD_lVzxAW963VpnUOHQSSXuVeUgTXUiZehlinptNQgpog2vBP-QITKPC580Ng/s200/DSC_4016.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qtuwKWTIOrjwwtYlJtTQmUtNwbDeKTqhBaMpUZUzS_sjCZW4E3b3tR92Gh30mqK_RchcKy9IsBCw-3lFCvsnoHflk9GgDQcXB7Tih_DOAcxHhyphenhyphenNXnpi3qGEI0R-R4g06WDjCtHPttXI/s1600/P1010241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qtuwKWTIOrjwwtYlJtTQmUtNwbDeKTqhBaMpUZUzS_sjCZW4E3b3tR92Gh30mqK_RchcKy9IsBCw-3lFCvsnoHflk9GgDQcXB7Tih_DOAcxHhyphenhyphenNXnpi3qGEI0R-R4g06WDjCtHPttXI/s320/P1010241.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Molly shows how it is done!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMtet-xVLyULUdO-zicpG6t4muXeAPOcV0whL2RK1oPPTwPyPy_wXHSmXemSgcbGyprjF-p3sakXkuXSz5rVxXmfQx2VeBkQNJipo0HhJbapj9OkXbFXPNoQRGoAggSvgojZiSJhsLrg/s1600/P1010303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMtet-xVLyULUdO-zicpG6t4muXeAPOcV0whL2RK1oPPTwPyPy_wXHSmXemSgcbGyprjF-p3sakXkuXSz5rVxXmfQx2VeBkQNJipo0HhJbapj9OkXbFXPNoQRGoAggSvgojZiSJhsLrg/s200/P1010303.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size: small;"> The fruits and veggis were as fresh as you get. There wasn't much we awere lacking in that department. We can even get Canadian Maple syrup for pankcakes, AND there is lots of pancake flour on the shelves. Is this because of the influx of Canucks to Mexico or do the Mexicans actually eat pancakes?</span></div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh8xY2Tl99c4fZz76ek5AGQyJQav-H1hVZAJCHPAroXAfb6f85IoS1L4fmMqflpNIefNDBzN1ni2zyOgLzLx62nGw2oLJAiMjK1XavKAT5U8TtUBQ89c-ixrSAIlNdSyk73gGawRKsZs/s1600/P1010304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh8xY2Tl99c4fZz76ek5AGQyJQav-H1hVZAJCHPAroXAfb6f85IoS1L4fmMqflpNIefNDBzN1ni2zyOgLzLx62nGw2oLJAiMjK1XavKAT5U8TtUBQ89c-ixrSAIlNdSyk73gGawRKsZs/s200/P1010304.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Examples of the fresh vegies available.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSIMqEAn63BjBW6flrQ-NwP1033Sd162yGYyZsjHurY4Y59JollcX5vbl2pf-kWb9YY39wSzO6LmFy5UmbWK5j58ssM6mqSDtEAorfhnBRwhTaeEhvixEJnJk6MuPCUsKU8IjqBv3Gjs/s1600/P1010245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSIMqEAn63BjBW6flrQ-NwP1033Sd162yGYyZsjHurY4Y59JollcX5vbl2pf-kWb9YY39wSzO6LmFy5UmbWK5j58ssM6mqSDtEAorfhnBRwhTaeEhvixEJnJk6MuPCUsKU8IjqBv3Gjs/s320/P1010245.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is not all work, you know</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqoJPdyF4hWmVrxW-oM_IBTOoY16yI8CJFgOO6J9ZScuKZVNVl0ekhUuC14PIBOHeQCZeGvjXZoNPcXKC_pzDrLV_SRyBtCqfmpPa42pPoGz4YybDV7Ffn_z9fwgtd_Ll0uLqIKkvmTY/s1600/P1010310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqoJPdyF4hWmVrxW-oM_IBTOoY16yI8CJFgOO6J9ZScuKZVNVl0ekhUuC14PIBOHeQCZeGvjXZoNPcXKC_pzDrLV_SRyBtCqfmpPa42pPoGz4YybDV7Ffn_z9fwgtd_Ll0uLqIKkvmTY/s400/P1010310.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shack "Wall"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rancho Viejo<br />
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</tbody></table><div align="justify">We finally have a weather window and are heading out in the morning to the Isla Espiritu Santo (only 20 miles away) - going into Partida Cove an island just to the north east of us and protected in all weather. After that we will be off to a place on the mainland called Topolobampo ( NE 107 miles). The plan right now is once we arrive we will be taking a land based trip to the Coppper Canyon for 4 to 5 days.</div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lonley cactus</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partita east</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTrEDLEFyZt_SSx9ls6fy8sQus2Uf3VT2yR9dELHF_QNEh5PfV_IX5sx97xPCbX5m3U3XTmKXMUeFXXds3RBvZvC0Ae8e_YHghCh1XlNS12iPEZSkACL84owa8bQpxnwLhn9B4Zq6h7s/s1600/P1010321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTrEDLEFyZt_SSx9ls6fy8sQus2Uf3VT2yR9dELHF_QNEh5PfV_IX5sx97xPCbX5m3U3XTmKXMUeFXXds3RBvZvC0Ae8e_YHghCh1XlNS12iPEZSkACL84owa8bQpxnwLhn9B4Zq6h7s/s320/P1010321.JPG" style="cursor: move;" uda="true" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Marina de La Paz with the yacht of the world's richest man!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just inside the La Paz entrance, Hard right!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYxodiLw7r6DtcEXJJl7qR3U6wS4zVBh4me37Kr2gJe-AYnhN0_xuLsFQahU1nSSSTrTOpH6sqYk8Uv_00zpfPCujTwl2SmNnR9fW9WVRRccDA1WA6uPJ9G2Vxf_GziFS-KyD1aMRgBo/s1600/P1010335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYxodiLw7r6DtcEXJJl7qR3U6wS4zVBh4me37Kr2gJe-AYnhN0_xuLsFQahU1nSSSTrTOpH6sqYk8Uv_00zpfPCujTwl2SmNnR9fW9WVRRccDA1WA6uPJ9G2Vxf_GziFS-KyD1aMRgBo/s320/P1010335.JPG" uda="true" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DIBVcmGMj9gd5FWQby9ynt9pOfXl3yVcFcLGQo155ddOW90iwK9rm2jS7Wee5ps_GFoF18bW95Y16gCtZY_NacVpFzE8Tk6Q1rw5GlSiAJ8-jJFzMCP6Jjl3jk3DoiQILRHPybiDPx4/s1600/P1010295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DIBVcmGMj9gd5FWQby9ynt9pOfXl3yVcFcLGQo155ddOW90iwK9rm2jS7Wee5ps_GFoF18bW95Y16gCtZY_NacVpFzE8Tk6Q1rw5GlSiAJ8-jJFzMCP6Jjl3jk3DoiQILRHPybiDPx4/s320/P1010295.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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The trip across from Partida to Topolobampo was without incident, the wind picked up to a whopping 13 knots before dropping back almost nothing. Just before sunset we noticed big thunderheads to the east, over the mainland. They did not seem to amount to anything for us, however we later learned that they could be a precuser to some pretty strong winds that sweep across, at time getting up to 60 knots. Thank goodness we did not have any of that! <br />
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The entrance into Topo is up a 12 mile channel into a huge harbor. Well bouyed and the only bit of exitment was the arrival of the sand dredger, which upset the Admiral.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yTqvFG7IZiwmtdP9UYLZrJSQAhtmrWepxTvAPf7XBBbQtiyOL0wHDerxC7JE5MUQpzPeyXMWKlIHCHRG3Xjagop5kGOncY6llaYszq_1NqvynXFmtM8YQt1rWvPvUegTrYywrDcC2sc/s1600/P1010352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yTqvFG7IZiwmtdP9UYLZrJSQAhtmrWepxTvAPf7XBBbQtiyOL0wHDerxC7JE5MUQpzPeyXMWKlIHCHRG3Xjagop5kGOncY6llaYszq_1NqvynXFmtM8YQt1rWvPvUegTrYywrDcC2sc/s320/P1010352.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here is an idea of where we are - this place certainly is incredble. Topo is the second largest deep water harbor in the world and we are here!! </div><div dir="ltr"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FRoxoUSAXxD8b5QdaQbiETs28Y2BtiuFuG_bGHNoDm4SJtpFE99uzaZh6JLC3mF9Gt9ZZCO4K3HdAovEdkgta21A9Nfp1avgczG8uCx6ZgfoGX_l5i9WIcUEAK7rGvMgEWOX8StqFoo/s1600/P1010358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FRoxoUSAXxD8b5QdaQbiETs28Y2BtiuFuG_bGHNoDm4SJtpFE99uzaZh6JLC3mF9Gt9ZZCO4K3HdAovEdkgta21A9Nfp1avgczG8uCx6ZgfoGX_l5i9WIcUEAK7rGvMgEWOX8StqFoo/s200/P1010358.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topolobampo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span style="color: #eeeeee;">This is a great website showing everything around Topo and a bit on the copper canyon as well.</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> h</span><a href="http://balderramatours.mexicoscoppercanyon.com/coppercanyon.htm" target="_blank" title="http://balderramatours.mexicoscoppercanyon.com/coppercanyon.htm"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">ttp://balderramatours.mexicoscoppercanyon.com/coppercanyon.htm</span></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXbK9HKk_-7LgPRCOB7lQ5kR0s1eawUCtPTTMaGUcmy_UuiHBmlqDV4DDQ-Wof883jsarrk9Hi5NwCzf0Gb-aYV_MzthpD-2Xid6ueyyf1yupN6J0JuXNkvRMwntalsDdU5VqLwvz0Qw/s1600/P1010369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXbK9HKk_-7LgPRCOB7lQ5kR0s1eawUCtPTTMaGUcmy_UuiHBmlqDV4DDQ-Wof883jsarrk9Hi5NwCzf0Gb-aYV_MzthpD-2Xid6ueyyf1yupN6J0JuXNkvRMwntalsDdU5VqLwvz0Qw/s320/P1010369.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Today we are going out to see Pechocho (a dolphin that was abandoned by his pod during a hurricane 19 years ago) and he has been adopted by the locals. We are 1 of 4 sailboats here at the marina, our other friends are arriving today and we will plan our trip with them to the Copper Canyon.</span></div><div><span style="color: #eeeeee;">You can watch Pechocho on youtube.</span></div><div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qspPmjn__o&feature=related" target="_blank" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qspPmjn__o&feature=related"><span style="color: #0068cf;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qspPmjn__o&feature=related</span></a></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTNIoRoD9Y-At6uoHW0F0_-IQjQYfYSNzQB2jMuT6q0XIqOfTaiH8tZ1oo4DfVL_EXV9sqNXxwdLjXT1JovNg3lWtidQVRUMK-ptwDr2DulSXL42O5PJMikp4oGJQ1YfR_X3jqr1Ablo/s1600/P1010381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTNIoRoD9Y-At6uoHW0F0_-IQjQYfYSNzQB2jMuT6q0XIqOfTaiH8tZ1oo4DfVL_EXV9sqNXxwdLjXT1JovNg3lWtidQVRUMK-ptwDr2DulSXL42O5PJMikp4oGJQ1YfR_X3jqr1Ablo/s320/P1010381.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holistic remedies in Los Mochis</td></tr>
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Our friends and boat buddies on Real Time, Bob and Karyn finally arrived from La Paz in some nasty weather and we were just glad that they had made it safe. We gave them a day to recover and pack for our trip. We left early on Tuesday morning by local bus from Topolobampo to Los Mochis (Place of the Turtles) with the winds and seas kicking up again it was a good time to go sightseeing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNh930bPW_5hAYmKjynhtbq5MclysRCnHHAL6C2b3tTFq5SkpZ6WRaUXL9tA2XKbBSkUkd7qV_r-QyqY1d5IYtsH4J43ixgRZUGje-00WOMRQ4Ot55BZ9jN_INLMNreYp7nfHJfD4rDc/s1600/P1010386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNh930bPW_5hAYmKjynhtbq5MclysRCnHHAL6C2b3tTFq5SkpZ6WRaUXL9tA2XKbBSkUkd7qV_r-QyqY1d5IYtsH4J43ixgRZUGje-00WOMRQ4Ot55BZ9jN_INLMNreYp7nfHJfD4rDc/s320/P1010386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob, Karyn and Leif</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So aremed withlots of advice from our fellow boaters who had just returned as we headed out. As we were walking across the highway from the marina with backpacks and the duffel bag between us the bus arrived. The driver stopped and waited for us and several of the young men jumped off the bus to help us with the luggage (always wonder if we look old or they are doing it for a tip:) but most of the time they are just wonderful, always people helping out. It was hard to find a seat that didn't have all the stuffing missing or window that we could see out - no pictures on this trip. The bus ride was 17 pesos (about $1.50) for a 25 km. bus ride. We had visited the city several days before and saw the few sights they had to offer. Los Mochis was developed in 1903 by an American who established a sugar plantation business here. It has a big city feel with the usual plaza with flowers (now poinsettias for Christmas) but has a beautiful large park and a botanical garden with trees that are not native to the area.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1GH0keamMbHwvWKi3NIa8ZRsOWNnR3tyuASfyQ0ANG_pIBXLz7UFoknsdCxs9rVhT_gVDRSgEuxbCR8ofR1VSudC7VHpGQqXwliRH_Tu5tWWtL0GgPp-GlmCxZyrynSi7zzktWHWpdE/s1600/P1010399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1GH0keamMbHwvWKi3NIa8ZRsOWNnR3tyuASfyQ0ANG_pIBXLz7UFoknsdCxs9rVhT_gVDRSgEuxbCR8ofR1VSudC7VHpGQqXwliRH_Tu5tWWtL0GgPp-GlmCxZyrynSi7zzktWHWpdE/s320/P1010399.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We could see people wandering through and enjoying the shade that the beautiful park had to offer. A local artist had carved faces and animals into the trunks of trees that had died. Another thing that I enjoyed was the holistic market that had herbs, bark etc. and cures for everything from cancer to indigestion in huge big bins - very interesting. The city is also known for its delicious seafood so we did enjoy that as well at the famous El Farallon restaurant. </div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifY7G7VRva37Sq9zeoO4QFaPQzCM7re0mPAn_d2hr-Z5KY8ptwOAmOCnSTeL6ZhIhQY1GdXJPthyhiYMrcxsAtVcXD2wFMApzBHzSzRmI8cW4H7hrME1jLwygcIPwktbIN2H7OSAmLYE/s1600/P1010491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifY7G7VRva37Sq9zeoO4QFaPQzCM7re0mPAn_d2hr-Z5KY8ptwOAmOCnSTeL6ZhIhQY1GdXJPthyhiYMrcxsAtVcXD2wFMApzBHzSzRmI8cW4H7hrME1jLwygcIPwktbIN2H7OSAmLYE/s200/P1010491.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="200" /></a><br />
When the bus arrived in Los Mochis we grabbed our luggage and were off on foot for several blocks to the blue bus station that was to take us to El Fuerte. This bus was first class, very comfortable with air conditioning and the movie Transformers playing with Spanish subtitles - not my kind of movie but practiced my Spanish a bit. We arrived 4 minutes before the bus was to leave so grabbed bananas, drinks and peanuts for the journey. Bob had headed off in a different direction to get some drinks and we spent a frantic few minutes before we realized that he was calmly sitting on the bus while we ran around looking for him. The bus driver was standing at the door tapping his wrist watch! This was a 2 hour bus trip costing 70 pesos ($5.25). We could have caught the train to the Copper Canyon from here but by going on by bus to El Fuerte we could sleep an extra 2 hours in the morning besides we wanted to visit El Fuerte, which is a designated Pueblo Magic (Magic Town). These are towns designated by the government as of historical importance and qualify for federal assistance to fix up the area.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKBA98Oxd-C3OE9wVQD8NSPIcb7SG71cTTzs5xIrgn7qleQI9ngCDPmGdXVZAhWqjdMp9nvcSYJD6lo0RZO5gTlHQr1GcnqT3D6yosW4HH6SB1-xPGlIIxBjUVkUPWzGEcZrVb0Lkb90/s1600/P1010418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKBA98Oxd-C3OE9wVQD8NSPIcb7SG71cTTzs5xIrgn7qleQI9ngCDPmGdXVZAhWqjdMp9nvcSYJD6lo0RZO5gTlHQr1GcnqT3D6yosW4HH6SB1-xPGlIIxBjUVkUPWzGEcZrVb0Lkb90/s200/P1010418.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio Vista</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdYBhmak3o_qefWlH9AzRiGkepvGy9iOGcRf5c1kKif4qo6kNfqLjlypS058Uv9bCON6Onpu-Gb2tFHfkFP_aiW46XEy9dnayaeWilD5jx6NiAAG4MnQO5M6eWUs2foYlW7wKWPxIgvo/s1600/P1010492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdYBhmak3o_qefWlH9AzRiGkepvGy9iOGcRf5c1kKif4qo6kNfqLjlypS058Uv9bCON6Onpu-Gb2tFHfkFP_aiW46XEy9dnayaeWilD5jx6NiAAG4MnQO5M6eWUs2foYlW7wKWPxIgvo/s320/P1010492.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the terrace</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div dir="ltr">Arriving in El Fuerte (The Fort) we grabbed a taxi to take us to the Rio Vista Hotel (River View Hotel) on the recommendation of fellow yachties. El Fuerte was founded in 1564 by the Spanish. It is one of the most picturesque and clean little towns I have ever seen in Mexico. At first glance the Rio Vista Hotel looked intriguing with all of its eclectic artefacts, the awesome view of the El Fuerte river- with goats, cows, and chickens living just below the hotel. Our room #11 was painted with kingfishers and had a view of the river.<br />
We dropped our luggage off and headed to town for lunch - we had to test out the margaritas and tacos - delicious both. Back to the hotel to meet up with Chal our guide for the afternoon. We head out by truck with boat in tow as we are going bird watching and then off down the river to see a set of petroglyphs. After doing that Chal rowed us down the river as the sun set, it was magical. BUT when we got back to the hotel I realised my legs were eaten up by noseeums. The bugs here seemed to have a special venom, the itching plagued me for a number of weeks.<br />
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It was very damp and had turned cold (around 60 :( but when you are used to 80 that is COLD:) and this is when we figured out we had no heat in our rooms and we were eating our dinner outside by a fire to keep us warm. Dinner was great with freshly caught fish and langoustines. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi045ITRSpJBS8-KAioePvgMU8HTnaHZY19aBpXgzX_QjD8MJtFe_01KZWIb6yf9KAyxEcHs3g8HiNCvR6YY0sjGlK6RNFAB2y1jm30YGUH4Jntup59qygC-mR-PJTUqX1V1XrBKR9ck0k/s1600/P1010483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi045ITRSpJBS8-KAioePvgMU8HTnaHZY19aBpXgzX_QjD8MJtFe_01KZWIb6yf9KAyxEcHs3g8HiNCvR6YY0sjGlK6RNFAB2y1jm30YGUH4Jntup59qygC-mR-PJTUqX1V1XrBKR9ck0k/s320/P1010483.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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When we asked for more blankets - they arrived with a heater as well - the fan heater allowed us to sleep more soundly and not have to hear the rooster that would certainly be waking everyone at around 4:30 a.m. We walked to a wonderful little restaurant to have coffee (to warm up) and dessert - some people went as far as having brandy or Bailey's in their coffee. We decided we liked this place so much we are staying another night. In the morning the river is covered with fog so we take lots of pictures and the birds now are around the trees also trying to keep warm. After breakfast which is beside the fire it is another walk to town to warm up. We visit all the wonderful Spanish architecture - the large Palacio Municipal (now housing a lot of government offices), plaza, church, museum, fort and the old Posada del Hidalgo hotel (where we should have stayed) I think they had heat!!! This was also the birth place of Zorro and the hotel has a great statue of him in the forecourt. After lunch we buy a couple bottles of wine as we head up to tour the reconstructed Fort. We enjoyed our wine on the deck of the hotel and watch an amazing sunset. We are not eating outside again so head off to town for dinner. The next morning same routine with breakfast outside by the fire, they even brought out another electric heater which we stuck under the table to try and warm things up and then off to the train station for 8 a.m. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1k35G0RFt67Gocy2CKLocvhwLqz1AgaNTonYPFkR5CMfKDmKQnAdRKN3Az5lbFO1rWNacxVO3qdBPQwUhoM77140tRZz600UnEldI3CSpQlVERf0cOuCoyQsqWEvh85jLx_VjwQGKAg/s1600/DSC_4200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1k35G0RFt67Gocy2CKLocvhwLqz1AgaNTonYPFkR5CMfKDmKQnAdRKN3Az5lbFO1rWNacxVO3qdBPQwUhoM77140tRZz600UnEldI3CSpQlVERf0cOuCoyQsqWEvh85jLx_VjwQGKAg/s320/DSC_4200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning view from the terrace</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr">Remember how we were drinking wine on the deck - well our guide Chal had joined us and convinced us we should get off the train at Bahuichiva and he would hook us up with a guide that would meet us and take us to a great hotel. The only thing he asked us was if we liked to hike - we all said YES!! We thought it sounded wonderful and never really asked any more questions - price of tours, hotel etc. you just show up and it will all be taken care of.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkljJi_vswDVzMLe_mAwbWwAJYcG8E7iEfkPbvCxWiUSj_bWS_YbFgaCEJu99rJekyzbqMn3j5KRaLtu6nD1nBGd43MEHRsbVSGL3Ef1eP3lWLVm4fERFt6v1C2fUXIeydf0APYDSdVoc/s1600/DSC_4212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkljJi_vswDVzMLe_mAwbWwAJYcG8E7iEfkPbvCxWiUSj_bWS_YbFgaCEJu99rJekyzbqMn3j5KRaLtu6nD1nBGd43MEHRsbVSGL3Ef1eP3lWLVm4fERFt6v1C2fUXIeydf0APYDSdVoc/s200/DSC_4212.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvn95rS2IFZcl4D_D1kZl4XEFdBCE0_1rKm4UwRqXBafgLGwrShXpofve7CZU6iYtpGgmA6o8WlRsKe0OITmYDdtAVUv06ctJzVbg82GLs4RDYH0Vt6-lJ15MekQAdDRpn_WkTLELjGU/s1600/DSC_4224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvn95rS2IFZcl4D_D1kZl4XEFdBCE0_1rKm4UwRqXBafgLGwrShXpofve7CZU6iYtpGgmA6o8WlRsKe0OITmYDdtAVUv06ctJzVbg82GLs4RDYH0Vt6-lJ15MekQAdDRpn_WkTLELjGU/s200/DSC_4224.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
We were the only tourists catching the train that morning for our 5 hour journey - the train is modern, air conditioned, clean and travelled slowly. We were able to get great photos of the canyons - passing over rivers and going thru the 86 tunnels. The train hugs the sheer cliffs and the river beds are far below - with a few derailed train cars at the bottom of them. It took them 10 years to lay this track. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLanssARFMnohTQ5nhnI96dxEFg9_PSvC560j1N1aSgucfvcmE3MzfUUkfAEFzGyQNwoVsCV9kiG45LNmboXY-uc7SrgQJZHD9zvmLjxUs8bdxTH3gomOKIo0PkIdtkZSdOMTB5wAz2lM/s1600/DSC_4229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLanssARFMnohTQ5nhnI96dxEFg9_PSvC560j1N1aSgucfvcmE3MzfUUkfAEFzGyQNwoVsCV9kiG45LNmboXY-uc7SrgQJZHD9zvmLjxUs8bdxTH3gomOKIo0PkIdtkZSdOMTB5wAz2lM/s320/DSC_4229.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rail car in the gorge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Copper Canyon has over 20 canyons carved out of the Sierra Tarahumara by 6 different rivers and they are 4 times larger than the Grand Canyon. We are headed to the deepest canyon Barranca de Urique at 1879 meters with a sub tropical climate but its peaks are about 2300 m above sea level. - but at the time we did not know this. We are met at the train station by Mario and his Toyota 4 runner - with springs shot and a back door that does not open so the luggage is tossed over the back seat with a crate of eggs and we are off into the hills, but don't know WHERE, we only know the name of the hotel!!! For the next 30 minutes we drive up into the hills on the roughest road I have ever travelled and we are all beginning to wonder what we have gotten ourselves into. We pass the small village Cerocahui - where we see a very large number of indigenous people, the Tarahumara, lined up to receive their government money at the local office. They have travelled from their homes in the hills by foot or in the back of someone's truck if they are lucky enough to be picked up - that is the whole family (they collect 60 pesos (about $5 for each child per month). We pass trucks of soldiers with bullet proof vests on and machine guns over their shoulders - again we begin to wonder with all the talk of the drug problem here and what better place to grow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUax56EEgx7qNXt9GwibXoH-4R1JI_n-nTGs3RKJE0fL2r3ZBLMZiQMNZQsHTvdr5JuZba9DEVHawKBUbB1r_cHRTvNM4MUUu479bMaFYTh4JnTYX-_Kq6Lm_AmIhTfi7nzGh3YZSJT0/s1600/DSC_4245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUax56EEgx7qNXt9GwibXoH-4R1JI_n-nTGs3RKJE0fL2r3ZBLMZiQMNZQsHTvdr5JuZba9DEVHawKBUbB1r_cHRTvNM4MUUu479bMaFYTh4JnTYX-_Kq6Lm_AmIhTfi7nzGh3YZSJT0/s320/DSC_4245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr">We finally arrive at our hotel - well not a hotel but a mountain cabin - Cabana San Isidro Lodge - with a wood burning stove in the room for heat and very heavy hand woven blankets on the beds - now we are worried. Lunch is served shortly - soup and very basic tacos , cold beans with grated cheese. We then head off for a hike to see some of the homes of the Tarahumara natives but no one is home. Back to the cabins to light our fires and at 6 we have margaritas by the campfire and dinner at 6:30. Somehow it doesn't fit - drinking iced margaritas by a fire when you are freezing:)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LkVGRl91UjGPCjzG43z4UyUieskNG_nSzKg9ORlfnijNed_FxPF0xgqhpvYVuTSBAk1r6NEA_ePD3So6HnnUZOrtG3OS2eu7hbOKUZLQOuI8erXWnsHUBbLGbrOkKlb9VYFkbEmGbvc/s1600/DSC_4247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LkVGRl91UjGPCjzG43z4UyUieskNG_nSzKg9ORlfnijNed_FxPF0xgqhpvYVuTSBAk1r6NEA_ePD3So6HnnUZOrtG3OS2eu7hbOKUZLQOuI8erXWnsHUBbLGbrOkKlb9VYFkbEmGbvc/s320/DSC_4247.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our humble abode</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the morning we are up at 7 for breakfast and ready for our big hike. We drive to the top of this incredible canyon and for 3 hours we hike the edge with sheer drops - all I could think was don't slip and our guide was Victoriana- a Tarahumara runner 65 years old that had won the 100 mile race in his day with his tire tread sandals. He could have probably run the 3 hours and not gotten tired. He spoke a little English but for us out of shape hikers who can talk when they walking anyway:) </div><div dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1Oa9_BnQKZrAJV830cKSk0omnsoO4VAdDRbJdMcgDXRKO7ysYFgGKW5gT9FIEJmD7O5B5SkwJGlhgXQ3u8cw1b_37QwVPr9CvKLf6YwQkcGkjqqhG2LEee7F3IdSgVd0iTEIk3G0s8Q/s1600/DSC_4260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1Oa9_BnQKZrAJV830cKSk0omnsoO4VAdDRbJdMcgDXRKO7ysYFgGKW5gT9FIEJmD7O5B5SkwJGlhgXQ3u8cw1b_37QwVPr9CvKLf6YwQkcGkjqqhG2LEee7F3IdSgVd0iTEIk3G0s8Q/s320/DSC_4260.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The intrepid hikers</td></tr>
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After the 3 hours our driver picked us up and we drove toward the bottom of the canyon where we could see the town of Urique. We stopped at the school for the children that live in the hills. It was a one room school house (just having moved into their new building) with 28 children (ages 5 - 12) and 1 teacher. Children are children where ever you go - they were happy to see us and show us around the school. It was the last day of school for the Christmas holidays so they all had received candy from the teacher. It was also lunch time and mothers were heating refried beans in another building where the children ate - but it was hot and smoky. Leif and Bob started playing soccer with the boys - most had no shoes on but they were all smiling and a few came out to show off their skills. After they ate lunch they all had to wash their own dishes outside from a large water container - even the little ones.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy6e0FzvG1rHAN5CEX1_2HA8emiOBeSW8BpVp8QYlrM_pKu3JnjTOoTsvk_p9eqALf0eCIlc0Wei52yhbz39dRESo9Czn3YpTpswBH9GonA3tEy75D8gVY4oOaWsKNRb3T33lXSKb5pU/s1600/DSC_4303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy6e0FzvG1rHAN5CEX1_2HA8emiOBeSW8BpVp8QYlrM_pKu3JnjTOoTsvk_p9eqALf0eCIlc0Wei52yhbz39dRESo9Czn3YpTpswBH9GonA3tEy75D8gVY4oOaWsKNRb3T33lXSKb5pU/s320/DSC_4303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div dir="ltr">We are now heading down again by car. We can see the town way below with a very large street running down the center and just before we arrive a medi vac plane lands, and takes out one of the dogs that has run out onto the street, to take a very sick child to the hospital. After lunch we head back up the canyon on the rough hair pin turn road and back to our digs to light a fire but Leif could not get it going tonight so we have to ask for help. We find 12 American travellers have arrived to spend the night and then will be going to the train as well tomorrow. Cold margaritas by the fire again and then we all enjoy dinner together and after we have a sing song. Next morning we travel back towards the train and stop at the town of Cerochui. We visit the Jesuit church built in 1690 and across the street is the boarding school for all the Tarahumara children over 12 years old. They house 300 children at the school. They also have a beautiful hotel called the Mission Hotel and they had heat in the rooms!!! </div><div dir="ltr">The train ride down was again comfortable but we lost the light very shortly after leaving so Nichols Sparks kept me company on the way down. We go all the way to Los Mochis and then catch a taxi back to Topo arriving home by 10:00 pm. </div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr">We are now stocking up for our sail to Mazatlan which is approx. 200 miles and 2 nights at sea which does not make me happy but once there we will stay for several weeks. We will go again to the Copper Canyon but do it a little different next time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzKxTCWv0HZFlHRrWD3KsBkcnGdDxBODGxBK442PUhoFf6-hAkZXGhAEor9swDQ8VIRctgZCeGxhjR7_Crtcmon2dSO11256mrDyFSZ9qqMcy0sBhCaXE9CljpVVunJNAZnr6j1D51hk/s1600/P1010646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzKxTCWv0HZFlHRrWD3KsBkcnGdDxBODGxBK442PUhoFf6-hAkZXGhAEor9swDQ8VIRctgZCeGxhjR7_Crtcmon2dSO11256mrDyFSZ9qqMcy0sBhCaXE9CljpVVunJNAZnr6j1D51hk/s320/P1010646.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brenda (Borboletta) and Heidi (Tahnoo) at Topo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After returning from the Copper Canyon we were all set to leave for Mazatlan but things always seem to change. First, the weather started kicking up again as we were ready to go Tuesday and then our buddy boaters, Karyn, got sick with a bad head cold. So they asked us if we could wait for 24 hours and then go but the wind had come up again and we were not able to leave until Friday. There was not much to do in Topo as it is just a small village and the winds had brought cool temps with it so it was inside jobs - like sleeping, cooking, reading and watching movies and checking the computer. We had such good internet service but no phone service. Another boat called Prairie Seashell arrived on Weds. and as they came in I said they have to be from home with a boat name like that - would you believe from Calgary. So we visited and shared stories, shopped and had a few meals with them. On Thursday night the other 3 boaters arrived back from the Copper Canyon. So they shared their adventure on the dock as we were heading out. We were telling them to hurry and get out of Topo because the forecast window was only good for 2 days again.</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHn7W7dTosqkZ7tDbDpZQvu1N7MdsLK4pMXuIpZhmP4l_1v5tBO2Ce1hoarBzpcNfP4cDH4DrB966tk_AXw1PvQ-LOwv9m7zANU-3wiCKO4fd9m3fQZYZ8GStqExu0sO0Ab9BKBdpEDHo/s1600/P1010662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHn7W7dTosqkZ7tDbDpZQvu1N7MdsLK4pMXuIpZhmP4l_1v5tBO2Ce1hoarBzpcNfP4cDH4DrB966tk_AXw1PvQ-LOwv9m7zANU-3wiCKO4fd9m3fQZYZ8GStqExu0sO0Ab9BKBdpEDHo/s320/P1010662.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset and another night at sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div dir="ltr">Our weather forecast on Friday was for little or no wind all the way to Mazatlan for our 210 miles journey. We came out of Topo 12 miles channel under engine and continued to motor all day and night and until the wind began to pick up Saturday morning. </div><div dir="ltr">We had alot of large whales but no one putting on a show for us. Several large frigate birds tried to land on the top of the mast. We fished all day but catch nothing again. Finally able to turn the engine off we sailed under 8 knots of wind until about 4 and then all hell broke lose again. Gusts up to 19 knots and with the wind behind us we were moving well around 6 to 7 knots but we had another problem in that if we kept going this fast and if the wind continued all night we would get to Mazatlan at 2 in the morning and no one goes into this harbor at night. SO when we finally get some wind to sail we have to take all the sails down and go around 3 knots and it is like being in a washing machine - steep short seas from behind. </div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">We had the most beautiful sunset ever that night. When it was my watch time at 2 am there were at least 20 shrimp boaters around. Most along the coast but 4 directly in front. Leif says - you will be fine and so my eyes are glued to these boats. It is so very hard to tell the direction they are going as they have such bright lights and distance is so hard to judge at night even when the moon is out. Well all was well for about 30 minutes and then 2 were coming straight at me one from each side. When you can see the crew moving on the deck they ARE CLOSE!!!! So I panic and shout for Leif and together we managed to dodge them.</div><div dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1-WrnDikuqy6OdZV52cSbHU6bFER20IZrkfKVTAiDLF9sHSoQpHwOS9ykG23CNtiZUkoBuizleOJya9Id78OLuxuv2fMi4WNFdjuuaq7-e9JmkbRfOBPskxFSYfnWrIpOUlqeMtH84Q/s1600/DSC_4358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1-WrnDikuqy6OdZV52cSbHU6bFER20IZrkfKVTAiDLF9sHSoQpHwOS9ykG23CNtiZUkoBuizleOJya9Id78OLuxuv2fMi4WNFdjuuaq7-e9JmkbRfOBPskxFSYfnWrIpOUlqeMtH84Q/s400/DSC_4358.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimper in daylight</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">We made landfall at about 10:30 on Sunday morning and was so glad to get in as the wind was really starting now and all we could do was think of our friends from Vancouver out for another day in this wind. Hot showers and Mexican laundry service always make one appreciate the finer things in a sailor's life. We have an all inclusive hotel facility here - 2 pools and the hot tub and all the activities if one wants to participate. We will stay for a couple of weeks before heading out to Pueto Vallarta to meet my brother coming on the 7th of Jan.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpNr0ShFNIdbRdHRgI0FNed-4azkRnP7NzYx55cOu19OwFb_Kwad_5JVcHnic5h79LrDZe-KNuf3-WrdU-U6j0NUVntrKJP_RxDwTGUXkgFPQ0TxSmvagKPE0Infj3sPsCcw2iQP2hkM/s1600/P1010723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpNr0ShFNIdbRdHRgI0FNed-4azkRnP7NzYx55cOu19OwFb_Kwad_5JVcHnic5h79LrDZe-KNuf3-WrdU-U6j0NUVntrKJP_RxDwTGUXkgFPQ0TxSmvagKPE0Infj3sPsCcw2iQP2hkM/s320/P1010723.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Cid marina</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div dir="ltr">I am sure you all are in the Christmas spirit and rushing about to get everything done before Sunday. We are very laid back - have a little decorated Christmas tree that Kirsten gave us before we left on the table. We will be appreciating the Mexicans version of Christmas which I think is just as hectic as back home seeing the shoppers with all of their packages on the bus yesterday. About 20 of us are getting together to do a large pot luck with all the trimmings by the pool - my first tropical Christmas - do I miss the snow and the rushing around? - NO - but we do miss the family:( We hope to see them down here in the new year. London is already packing for the trip to see Bama and the beach:) We talk to them almost everyday on Skype so that helps.</div><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrSeUNf-kMmn2zPwzO3mofAizF1BtTMlVv5X685zx9VMBnNU9S803xZ2AlzfEnSL4ugyN_jt5HCl_ZtRgx3kbg91cdINY9yvucAPuUc0TWezUXjJzKBpEmhZEt8xSkhrNn2B2CzF4SOg/s1600/P1010736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrSeUNf-kMmn2zPwzO3mofAizF1BtTMlVv5X685zx9VMBnNU9S803xZ2AlzfEnSL4ugyN_jt5HCl_ZtRgx3kbg91cdINY9yvucAPuUc0TWezUXjJzKBpEmhZEt8xSkhrNn2B2CzF4SOg/s320/P1010736.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our friends from Vancouver arrived safely with weather almost as bad as we all had on the Oregon coast back in August. They keep saying it will get better but we are all waiting to see that happen. Warm today - 26 and sunny. Movie night tonight at the El Cid courtesy of the marina, with free popcorn even! Somehow snowmen really seem out of place in Mazatlan when the temperatures are near 80!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZk5iTxvG6NPpHu6TgM6N02MNiN9kvF9XYsw4LMB4PXrXADycYj8FwiJAP1T4E7TPAOidc8QKY28DX-4HlTKkA_e8uObdTkobl0yRLQyAYb7KI6shTNuq4QPPZyUX5a06GYxxGUU3rIqw/s1600/P1010745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZk5iTxvG6NPpHu6TgM6N02MNiN9kvF9XYsw4LMB4PXrXADycYj8FwiJAP1T4E7TPAOidc8QKY28DX-4HlTKkA_e8uObdTkobl0yRLQyAYb7KI6shTNuq4QPPZyUX5a06GYxxGUU3rIqw/s200/P1010745.JPG" width="200" /></a>We did not take a ride in the "pneumonia", a form of open air taxi that abounds in Mazatlan. We did however get a ride in a pickup with benches in the back and a covered roof. There are some great restaurants like The Fat Fish-for the best pork ribs, a great hamburger place in the old town, don't miss the Topo for a terrific Mexican meal, and I don't mean tacos-best coconut breaded shrimp ever and of course the ever present street venders who serve up good food real cheap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm01GQiFmthjh2chIizf-1cf81vbszvlHnnRTEiokHCETaxv3eriWN6li2VTSTbKSQ4r8ntmV2avT5t8RP4CPzAxaBjMriDo1Fw5TIV8orNw0M68Ih6wi8AI9LVB1-oBZeVbK-T7z3YU/s1600/P1010740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm01GQiFmthjh2chIizf-1cf81vbszvlHnnRTEiokHCETaxv3eriWN6li2VTSTbKSQ4r8ntmV2avT5t8RP4CPzAxaBjMriDo1Fw5TIV8orNw0M68Ih6wi8AI9LVB1-oBZeVbK-T7z3YU/s200/P1010740.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmusvA8ts2EU_T7rvfVavadKTb2DaOYAdvzDyXjYZpVqof87M_fasLv25aeXwkHYCk-iJXFSF_TZfzqZgHDMpXCeLvrmpGfNXrVFyxaTSRy7DTxzlwTHd3dZpHm7VUyLoHyhxpdcS56I/s1600/P1010746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmusvA8ts2EU_T7rvfVavadKTb2DaOYAdvzDyXjYZpVqof87M_fasLv25aeXwkHYCk-iJXFSF_TZfzqZgHDMpXCeLvrmpGfNXrVFyxaTSRy7DTxzlwTHd3dZpHm7VUyLoHyhxpdcS56I/s320/P1010746.JPG" width="320" /></a>We got a little spanish lesson here, we had the birria de borrego, it tasted delicious. However we later learned that it was sheep, something we usually avoid. Just goes to show you that there should be no preconceived notions, especially with food!</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7R1w_gtoLQMdMm8biCxH2eJcRHvLepdw9hQaBBhxLDm1XW-ugoJSrvkrEbr9hA1BtJFD0TyfnqEQsOTikykOVPuTlBv3gdj6kySG_K0fAI3N9q2KxOwAuUqNBqwQ6UDVDfXHUF_1ri4/s1600/P1010758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7R1w_gtoLQMdMm8biCxH2eJcRHvLepdw9hQaBBhxLDm1XW-ugoJSrvkrEbr9hA1BtJFD0TyfnqEQsOTikykOVPuTlBv3gdj6kySG_K0fAI3N9q2KxOwAuUqNBqwQ6UDVDfXHUF_1ri4/s320/P1010758.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican Santa Claus</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Santa found us in Mazatlan! The marina put on a Christmas dinner for those in the marina. They did an excellent job and the food was first class. We really have to take our hat off to the El Cid they certainly try to make your stay memorable. However it wasn't too long after Christmas that we had to leave if we were going to take in Isla Isablea and get to Puerto Vallarta to meet up with Jacki's brother, Doug and our son Christian was coming as well. We left feeling a bit sad leaving Mazatlan but were looking forward with catching up with family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-552318439447127822012-03-13T19:42:00.004-07:002012-03-13T20:33:44.832-07:00Cabo to La Paz<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZKMErgELbjzI_WMZiIYF7AwbVoEDb_XuMeTNnusGi1T0ki0n5RNp-_ZmN8ImVGL2wHz1hAzVF5_180tqkLYqy4_60_6WrIfKnBO-OuGr__xcPdiq0HKYBchDo7rqkQfHyor5IHxk3lg/s1600/P1010177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZKMErgELbjzI_WMZiIYF7AwbVoEDb_XuMeTNnusGi1T0ki0n5RNp-_ZmN8ImVGL2wHz1hAzVF5_180tqkLYqy4_60_6WrIfKnBO-OuGr__xcPdiq0HKYBchDo7rqkQfHyor5IHxk3lg/s320/P1010177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tropical splendor</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x5tQaX9K9G3Ge5gA-sFQ_4Jo8xvcuOFTY7cDh8WYsXOGm1aszfypSgzpFLbYC2vyz5YNlduKSkHVZ_lSG3CQzcmti4yFHFD5zh0EIwmpR5t8Sv6qnuJBiye6CWmaTRUMmWKiTeiQJio/s1600/P1010176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x5tQaX9K9G3Ge5gA-sFQ_4Jo8xvcuOFTY7cDh8WYsXOGm1aszfypSgzpFLbYC2vyz5YNlduKSkHVZ_lSG3CQzcmti4yFHFD5zh0EIwmpR5t8Sv6qnuJBiye6CWmaTRUMmWKiTeiQJio/s200/P1010176.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqW76SAa_yzEPYs2nehDdyrYtpE-Ry3_3U6KjVeFR1vf2SjesNfYQ6i9V4RH8mbII3JXwjJ0rnYWVnVOB6g5yga9Yxso-ms0hZ8Z6nRAu7lPzVKEna28AjtOfkArezizjH4SqCvC3-vQ/s1600/P1010182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqW76SAa_yzEPYs2nehDdyrYtpE-Ry3_3U6KjVeFR1vf2SjesNfYQ6i9V4RH8mbII3JXwjJ0rnYWVnVOB6g5yga9Yxso-ms0hZ8Z6nRAu7lPzVKEna28AjtOfkArezizjH4SqCvC3-vQ/s320/P1010182.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">View into the port</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMkm7L7cr4pCzHnIu3c2dL1i5w0VU98r7Wy_h-lwS03E11hdUonBSkT27k0XqWAt68cN17Bi7kyHTHDcc4HRDVXL08dmChne0o1fNpsE4RUU0wohgS9fvXCTYk8zJikPPznnx5VgYD_M/s1600/P1010188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMkm7L7cr4pCzHnIu3c2dL1i5w0VU98r7Wy_h-lwS03E11hdUonBSkT27k0XqWAt68cN17Bi7kyHTHDcc4HRDVXL08dmChne0o1fNpsE4RUU0wohgS9fvXCTYk8zJikPPznnx5VgYD_M/s320/P1010188.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> We are enjoying Cabo - very warm here - probably in the 80's (28 or so) and the water temp is also 29. We have been anchored out since coming as in the marina they get very little air moving - so even though the anchorage is a little rocky rolly we sleep well with all the hatches open as it does cool off enough at night. Doing a few jobs and did a quick provisioning this afternoon as we are going to leave tomorrow to make our way up to La Paz. Slow going and just day hopping North until we get there. There is some weather coming down the inside from San Diego so may be slower yet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-8qvj6cpj1VEjhsY4x4p2HfWwW_1rBnfHMEv8mJy0QPDF5I6VA7nmi9Y9nIjGBGZOhH9vEdpiW_bGHMhTF-hk-AshSxNx_zd1khtUGPpGKWiUs8Kflnt9k2UV6deCTwz4GpXq_ZY0pE/s1600/P1010194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-8qvj6cpj1VEjhsY4x4p2HfWwW_1rBnfHMEv8mJy0QPDF5I6VA7nmi9Y9nIjGBGZOhH9vEdpiW_bGHMhTF-hk-AshSxNx_zd1khtUGPpGKWiUs8Kflnt9k2UV6deCTwz4GpXq_ZY0pE/s200/P1010194.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We got our papers within 24 hours but it is always a bit of a production when they were doing 100 boats at a time - we were supposed to be inspected but no one showed. No problems with the documents, just pay lots of money. We will import the boat in La Paz in case we decide to leave it for the next season. It also allows us to bring in equipment for the boat tax free if anything should go wrong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRIBAKuW6TS0NDyZfA_392yFJNY-Jxsd3wo9VtElnZ3TGDCOnDo3QsPrND0GYMn6O1a43s85TEhiSoCHu_6fieV9LID4HaNg-LQ0zo6zEnpZIWn3pn1Q5KG5yI9miTmkKHPrpyULYI1Y/s1600/P1010195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRIBAKuW6TS0NDyZfA_392yFJNY-Jxsd3wo9VtElnZ3TGDCOnDo3QsPrND0GYMn6O1a43s85TEhiSoCHu_6fieV9LID4HaNg-LQ0zo6zEnpZIWn3pn1Q5KG5yI9miTmkKHPrpyULYI1Y/s200/P1010195.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Las Frailes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We are getting to know this place a little too well so it is time to leave. We had planned to go a few days ago but a storm was coming down from the north which would mean the wind on the nose. Don't need any of that!! As that would be the direction we are heading - up to a small anchorage 45 miles away - Los Frailes. It is in the right direction for us to arrive in La Paz in a few days as long as the wind behaves. The next stop after Los Frailes is Ensenada de los Muertos again 45 miles. We will take it slow and are travelling with 2 other boats - a couple from Sarnia, Ont. and another couple from Anacortes, Wash. Both of these anchorages are isolated and we think after busy Cabo they will be restful and peaceful. Lots of the Ha Ha group have already made there way north as we have another big get together on the 19th in La Paz. Then of course the Amercians are all gearing up for their Thanksgiving the weekend after that.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Cabo is a great place to party and have a good time - it is very Americanized and has a young party crowd. We have had a few welcome clouds these past few days but temp still in the 80's. We are still getting use to these warm days and love it when we get a fresh breeze blowing.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJh8SAjNUCKHS7bi47mxUqeBNrNU2K9d4uZzPJiXeBu574BtarpfkQmcqdoNHJJkng100qs9bH-H2Aq78FjQp526ImMP8z4TgiU0TxOSn6ykBRjZBuXXGfbekcQr5Ud0KU03hpkQiM-o/s1600/P1010210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJh8SAjNUCKHS7bi47mxUqeBNrNU2K9d4uZzPJiXeBu574BtarpfkQmcqdoNHJJkng100qs9bH-H2Aq78FjQp526ImMP8z4TgiU0TxOSn6ykBRjZBuXXGfbekcQr5Ud0KU03hpkQiM-o/s200/P1010210.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baja sunset</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">When we left Cabo at about 6 am on the 10th we had a great sail for about 25 miles of the 45 miles to go. As we headed north around the tip of land just north of Los Cabo we could see a wall of very dark water with a lot of white caps. The wind was on the nose for the next 20 miles with a very messy chop and we were not able to go more than about 3 knots - needless to say we had a hard slog - took alot of water over. The only good thing was that it was warm. I radioed the boats ahead to see what the conditions were like in the anchorage and reports came back good. We finally reached Los Frailes just as it got dark, dropped the hook and made a curry, then had a good sleep. A beautiful anchorage with sandy beaches but very deep water, a few houses on the beach and lots of Ha HA boats (35) around. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iPNUdgGMyll25JlnZmZIPaYs55cK-gJgudqvMuHzxntLngc-vyvBZTiw9UwJZ2OsZz0R45I15Yr0Y4Y8-IfwdBttOqZWEYLianJl341ldwjuHN75tpmvqpKlyXs9qWEZlMqQtq5NSjg/s1600/P1010199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iPNUdgGMyll25JlnZmZIPaYs55cK-gJgudqvMuHzxntLngc-vyvBZTiw9UwJZ2OsZz0R45I15Yr0Y4Y8-IfwdBttOqZWEYLianJl341ldwjuHN75tpmvqpKlyXs9qWEZlMqQtq5NSjg/s200/P1010199.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some shack</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6AsE1gLIlR4hpInbha1SyAlJ8CJPdJ0hwA-AckLZ0NmRcs_JFKgl2i-xjeJk24iUIwPLE9lZI38-EaMebm2OE0vQKvnwGPqiUaEpNEwFTcU9YgLF_nxWtmW1eNNrpiXZuit9j61qecw/s1600/P1010201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6AsE1gLIlR4hpInbha1SyAlJ8CJPdJ0hwA-AckLZ0NmRcs_JFKgl2i-xjeJk24iUIwPLE9lZI38-EaMebm2OE0vQKvnwGPqiUaEpNEwFTcU9YgLF_nxWtmW1eNNrpiXZuit9j61qecw/s200/P1010201.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">View of the anchorage</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS40pQXZtNtdl7nHRp7qBS9hTbzQfTfEL6NvYIHNGArM0gPvRlx6TfoEoeLHmtVnUN9kcBtZ_EOzKdry-Q0MxA3v8HxA9yNeWeyQecRbBA2v5WyXklG-s9WfmL34c8sIzDMZTCHS4C3hw/s1600/P1010202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS40pQXZtNtdl7nHRp7qBS9hTbzQfTfEL6NvYIHNGArM0gPvRlx6TfoEoeLHmtVnUN9kcBtZ_EOzKdry-Q0MxA3v8HxA9yNeWeyQecRbBA2v5WyXklG-s9WfmL34c8sIzDMZTCHS4C3hw/s200/P1010202.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fishing boats on shore</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3YfcMZZcRBC0yPsggL5XvYM3notvj9d2Pdh-MQgKaswbHBxG8RhQ7yoeU2xePKoav8Lf3T0i2ovLifT-ly9od2UnP5UCmgnuw-s9foNxVwpqGw12UeT2K9LB4ORZc_WLtdfPCTnqtYo/s1600/P1010204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3YfcMZZcRBC0yPsggL5XvYM3notvj9d2Pdh-MQgKaswbHBxG8RhQ7yoeU2xePKoav8Lf3T0i2ovLifT-ly9od2UnP5UCmgnuw-s9foNxVwpqGw12UeT2K9LB4ORZc_WLtdfPCTnqtYo/s200/P1010204.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cactus</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AooRulXnE2QtbTjV4Brv0PQhvRi3GWoTIE04vyOsv28O0WDl2Dr2xDl8CfGQlqabw2uRVJuZ48gUM726re1V1e9-CsP7cnugQDpP9tXqHkVtta4A0gUXOn1-GJuVq7gJW3JsFUqyiLk/s1600/P1010198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AooRulXnE2QtbTjV4Brv0PQhvRi3GWoTIE04vyOsv28O0WDl2Dr2xDl8CfGQlqabw2uRVJuZ48gUM726re1V1e9-CsP7cnugQDpP9tXqHkVtta4A0gUXOn1-GJuVq7gJW3JsFUqyiLk/s200/P1010198.JPG" width="200" /></a>We were up early and determined we were going to make Los Muertos before dark which was another 45 miles north. Not a bad sail but wind was still coming from the north and on the nose. We made it before dark and dropped the anchor in 5 meters of water. Again paradise - white sandy beaches - you could see the bottom and there were colorful fish all around. We had a barbeque and relaxed after another day at sea. I was determined we were staying here for a least a day. The next day we did a few chores and then went exploring. We had went to the pub (Giggling Dolphin) ashore for a cold beer around mid day and as we were sitting there the seas began turning a funny color and within a few minutes the wind had come up and began blowing directly into the bay. By 4 we where hobby horsing so bad we were afraid our anchor would not hold and of course being on a lee shore was a worry. We had planned to leave at midnight to catch the tides up the Loranzo channel and wanted to hang on as long as possible. We were on constant anchor watch and when the wind changed direction we were then side on to the large swell coming into the anchorage. Very uncomfortable - we finally left at about 11 p.m. and had this incredible moonlight sail on a beam reach all night arriving in this beautiful place called Balandra. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72tFwqs0V8ri7tgY6Ms1m6HpF5d_P2UK2WRW6q6I4SbbKZP7PrvtUyiN_QqbZLj4ZQiALBbM4aFzEoQf4dH0gXI_MQDPzwxqNMfgQWyvb_f8ggRoFFdxrIyLQc2z3PDOSnda1Yd6dlPM/s1600/P1010213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72tFwqs0V8ri7tgY6Ms1m6HpF5d_P2UK2WRW6q6I4SbbKZP7PrvtUyiN_QqbZLj4ZQiALBbM4aFzEoQf4dH0gXI_MQDPzwxqNMfgQWyvb_f8ggRoFFdxrIyLQc2z3PDOSnda1Yd6dlPM/s320/P1010213.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dinghy at the beach</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTYAuwiDz1kXrf_ZjvcoYPi_2KjTQOaS11kWX5ZsStOB1GLc-3PJW9-HNuvN-6PePYoe0NCaUWlaye2T0zm091UzXbUk2up4B-v84ic1k4aCM4wIl6ewfIcObafcL1WAYxVtLjkl67yo/s1600/P1010206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTYAuwiDz1kXrf_ZjvcoYPi_2KjTQOaS11kWX5ZsStOB1GLc-3PJW9-HNuvN-6PePYoe0NCaUWlaye2T0zm091UzXbUk2up4B-v84ic1k4aCM4wIl6ewfIcObafcL1WAYxVtLjkl67yo/s320/P1010206.JPG" width="320" /></a>Balandra is open to the west but as there was no wind we felt quite safe. After breakfast we slept a few hours and then went exploring in the volcanic rock formations. We saw baby rays all over the place and the water was a beautiful green color (picture perfect) and so shallow you could walk knee deep forever. It seemed that there were shells and fish everywhere. It was a Sunday and this bay had alot of locals from Las Paz enjoying the day and picnicing on the beach. Then again we had the wind pick up and it continued to get very dark in the sky. They get 3 days of rain a year here and we lucked out to be here for this event and at about 5 the skies opened and people were scrubbing their decks and enjoying this warm shower. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCZNLzhT2gHdzBggbyiIiZGphR0k_qTs8hugesj5LvUcWZZju2qwsGgony4nSS69zpPADqaqVTRmsCclGtGEbXPm96286i6YKBFGEcregchG_tuApy3yC8iWsUm9OwNh8qCDHuclP4M8/s1600/P1010216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCZNLzhT2gHdzBggbyiIiZGphR0k_qTs8hugesj5LvUcWZZju2qwsGgony4nSS69zpPADqaqVTRmsCclGtGEbXPm96286i6YKBFGEcregchG_tuApy3yC8iWsUm9OwNh8qCDHuclP4M8/s200/P1010216.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXdBXzhQS_8oLbpyeliYXWCDM1Fk_1780YJ1iQH2YbtwcmAdIgHDVJnWCfhxYGOssD2XklFVNt1rTsnyQbNI5pUJSrmYI0LMBJEQ5ndB29x7xIbCjYI4yunwlKQm4GXkdCr4MJVd_auw/s1600/DSC_3942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXdBXzhQS_8oLbpyeliYXWCDM1Fk_1780YJ1iQH2YbtwcmAdIgHDVJnWCfhxYGOssD2XklFVNt1rTsnyQbNI5pUJSrmYI0LMBJEQ5ndB29x7xIbCjYI4yunwlKQm4GXkdCr4MJVd_auw/s400/DSC_3942.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxEeL5KqP3559D2CSB6jJdlJ4b5F-TqC2MMNCYszWNaoP83YAQDG2r1R_hNt8ngAxZ9wXVj887sBKIpPrGj0BtlEYwCTiAGtno0xXuNcPrMcw6pJaSn13U1ztJOSa6ct1AXYGsol9-qk/s1600/P1010205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxEeL5KqP3559D2CSB6jJdlJ4b5F-TqC2MMNCYszWNaoP83YAQDG2r1R_hNt8ngAxZ9wXVj887sBKIpPrGj0BtlEYwCTiAGtno0xXuNcPrMcw6pJaSn13U1ztJOSa6ct1AXYGsol9-qk/s400/P1010205.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5ANbeRRi0oqR1NQYTFMm4YizMa1VR6iOMs__EDATQAJNt3CSoN27d7NYdDLmJiUnWM9CDT3xn3uP2JgTkrzSTgywujD7p_UQfbM96nVi4X-mpHYBFAvBVFcqJthjwtbTxTPB2iSRRNE/s1600/P1010215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5ANbeRRi0oqR1NQYTFMm4YizMa1VR6iOMs__EDATQAJNt3CSoN27d7NYdDLmJiUnWM9CDT3xn3uP2JgTkrzSTgywujD7p_UQfbM96nVi4X-mpHYBFAvBVFcqJthjwtbTxTPB2iSRRNE/s320/P1010215.JPG" width="320" /></a>Well the shower continued to be a full on rain storm with winds over 25 knots and coming again straight into the bay. Again we hobby horsed so violently everyone was on anchor watch again - hoping that things would get better. One boat cut his anchor as he began to drag - 6 more lost their snubbers on their anchor and we - well just say someone was watching over us. Leif went forward with lifejacket and harness on at about 4 am to find our 3 strand rope down to 1 very tiny strand - so within a few minutes we would have been in big trouble. We immediately lifted the anchor and in 25 knots winds (someone said 30) - with probably 8 foot seas managed to get out of the harbor. Even with the engine roaring away we were still only going about 2 knots and the seas were so rough and confused and breaking over us. All that nice fresh water had cleaned all the salt off the boat and now it was all back. We managed to make way towards La Paz and after about 4 hours the wind and seas started to go down to 20 knots which was still too much wind but better than 25. We finally dropped the anchor around 10 am in a very calm anchorage, just outside of the main harbor and oh it was so good to shower off all the salt and have some food and a sleep and have a boat that was not moving. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevSC4yddQCoz1Va1WKUIZg4KEp8tBTi8FEB-1eWZTl67HXY43ld4r7N9yKaI5Wx7Z8Rd5Zlbl9e83OaBgDxoRT3aLuoyM3GawVvuz8MED3Etuyhby_dBucuvpR5EYSs642OKfswnOgZs/s1600/P1010220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevSC4yddQCoz1Va1WKUIZg4KEp8tBTi8FEB-1eWZTl67HXY43ld4r7N9yKaI5Wx7Z8Rd5Zlbl9e83OaBgDxoRT3aLuoyM3GawVvuz8MED3Etuyhby_dBucuvpR5EYSs642OKfswnOgZs/s320/P1010220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The wheels work great</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumUqH6AYikUe5Ib9Kp5VNQKgzgKWUN2Dy_i_YU1UHKIoPgHnlezNao5u_MTALBnJfSXDapt3hRr3876vUha0q4IIKGB2Ew42__wutkIuPPj-9alfNQ3ZB6ER8X3zCGlaRbkql-8hSkvI/s1600/P1010217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumUqH6AYikUe5Ib9Kp5VNQKgzgKWUN2Dy_i_YU1UHKIoPgHnlezNao5u_MTALBnJfSXDapt3hRr3876vUha0q4IIKGB2Ew42__wutkIuPPj-9alfNQ3ZB6ER8X3zCGlaRbkql-8hSkvI/s400/P1010217.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Get a load of those muscles</span></td></tr>
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La Paz is a great place - very peaceful, loads of good food and very friendly people. A lot of the Ha Ha boats are here and everyone was sharing stories of their ordeals of the last few days. None of this weather was forcasted which makes for very difficult planning and picking the right spots to anchor. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1I63j9cxGr5QinXCrkuwbH4aXY2GaZimFGhwo7JGfrbuiruJd8g9-wo7Idl9I457HjNrU_AdTcYuzho1_bmuDclV054nXwyrZ5CHP_Vt21ebB8zkuvnUaQMGhZv-ZnuFB6ONq3JZX0-8/s1600/P1010224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1I63j9cxGr5QinXCrkuwbH4aXY2GaZimFGhwo7JGfrbuiruJd8g9-wo7Idl9I457HjNrU_AdTcYuzho1_bmuDclV054nXwyrZ5CHP_Vt21ebB8zkuvnUaQMGhZv-ZnuFB6ONq3JZX0-8/s320/P1010224.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Only 1 strand remained!</span></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">We will stay here until next week and then make our way to the mainland with Mazatlan our next port of call. We have another beach party tomorrow - temps today in the 80's and Leif is doing a few repairs to the boat while I sit in the coffee shop and type away.</div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-20447753249037453272012-03-11T18:34:00.004-07:002012-03-13T18:22:59.648-07:00The Baja Ha Ha<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_PffnOx1NtyygvlPrLfcEXlqYXV3Lp8MBwK81LTnSP1H3JLvs7xSG2Z_rLSoX-tQiSDKQmWeAkNc0pJ20Cbk53GJJJ-0ZirzIQoQbiU4STDPq4zBpUDPidpNZ15snNGt_RX5a-qf0II/s1600/P1010019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_PffnOx1NtyygvlPrLfcEXlqYXV3Lp8MBwK81LTnSP1H3JLvs7xSG2Z_rLSoX-tQiSDKQmWeAkNc0pJ20Cbk53GJJJ-0ZirzIQoQbiU4STDPq4zBpUDPidpNZ15snNGt_RX5a-qf0II/s320/P1010019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking west out the channel</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well our trek south began yesterday, October 10, with a very tearful good bye to our kids and grandchildren. We arrived in San Diego to a very warm evening. With just 2 weeks to get everything organized for the Baha Ha Ha to Mexico which leaves on the 24th of October. There is a full week of sessions and get togethers organized for the participants, and starting tonight is the use of the Single Side Band radio. Does that mean I cannot say my "Breaker, breaker, any takers"? </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The weather is a balmy 71 today - foggy this morning but that was burned off by 10, in fact this was to be the weather scenario for the next few days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0V4qnFe2JUxfqx_nWIpCup_p1iWhCjTY2o9dfjgH8pSexYueu6vHDA_QQF-vw0KUZhwND54x-mhbXwqnPqgU70rfkAuP87gJUyHaqbSbSqQy3PlLa9w_YkyVKXv02XQTHApnLxX9qnr8/s1600/P1010023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0V4qnFe2JUxfqx_nWIpCup_p1iWhCjTY2o9dfjgH8pSexYueu6vHDA_QQF-vw0KUZhwND54x-mhbXwqnPqgU70rfkAuP87gJUyHaqbSbSqQy3PlLa9w_YkyVKXv02XQTHApnLxX9qnr8/s320/P1010023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Can you ever get ahead of the varnish?</span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We made the latest Latitude 38! A West Coast sail magazine. </div><div style="color: black; display: inline; font-family: "Calibri"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="color: black; display: inline; font-family: "Calibri"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2011-09-02&dayid=#Story4" target="_blank">http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2011-09-02&dayid=#Story4</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRGmrWH38nYRbnwen0ZkHZZEo_8EpnIEw9SW_wuS4m-UK_E6ZRnO6_KkOpPIuWKARGLNY7Qt6Cv25SE7nXdt4IVZqbcAf-UmkSmmlfrasgdH-cB5QqqhUbQYJwDVpdbkAvbLmhCvWaew/s1600/P1010043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRGmrWH38nYRbnwen0ZkHZZEo_8EpnIEw9SW_wuS4m-UK_E6ZRnO6_KkOpPIuWKARGLNY7Qt6Cv25SE7nXdt4IVZqbcAf-UmkSmmlfrasgdH-cB5QqqhUbQYJwDVpdbkAvbLmhCvWaew/s320/P1010043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">Our great rental car</span></td></tr>
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</style></div></div><div class="SandboxScopeClass ExternalClass" dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Good morning, it is Oct. 12, only 12 days to go, no panic yet, but it is building.<br />
Well it is a beautiful day here in San Diego. Yesterday it got to 80, which is about 10 degrees higher than usual this time of year. We will take it, almost thawed out from the trip down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlTo3chn031zTEV-EoGwdd7hTnK0OGgcXq7OhpTf-ZApif7-bF8RZbZzCwTmLrjOiPr-keNpK6fkgqKq3Yib55n1Q1HC7T-fmc0Zbn2OXCA_JUV8AhZVIY8hcVRs81W4SVUwt_uiMxSM/s1600/P1000775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlTo3chn031zTEV-EoGwdd7hTnK0OGgcXq7OhpTf-ZApif7-bF8RZbZzCwTmLrjOiPr-keNpK6fkgqKq3Yib55n1Q1HC7T-fmc0Zbn2OXCA_JUV8AhZVIY8hcVRs81W4SVUwt_uiMxSM/s200/P1000775.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Vintage wine a la Watson</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since arriving on Monday we have been busy getting all the jobs done and attending the classes provided for all the sailors going on the Baha. Hats off to Latitude 38, the merchants in San Diego and all those involved in the Ha Ha, they did a great job. Tuesday was a 2 hour class on the use of the SSB (single side band radio) and then an all day Weds. class using Sailmail - the donuts were good and what I learned was that I have a lot to learn yet. I will trust Leif with this one and bother him when I need to use it or just find a connection on shore.<br />
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Yesterday we got busy on the boat (missed my yoga class) and did some sanding in the cockpit as the varnish needed to be redone so with that task completed - today is a varnish day. Last evening we attended a class on packing a ditch bag (a bag of supplies in case you have to abandon ship that you need before they rescue you), this is besides our life raft. We did have a ditch bag made up many years ago when we crossed the Atlantic but now we have an EPERB packed - a device that will give our position within 5 minutes if a rescue is needed. Classes continue all next week and several pot luck get togethers planned for us. It's all about eating!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xJWCVy-OWERTlQHodyPL8EGdf51wodG40HkTIJPdVavXIKHpnAv2WSfAeXfdn9wTq54lZHju8WrmQhFe0Wlf79ZDqfNWX-j8NZU1v_kWGdsapGaFLm3eL4K01igvB5MQbhZRMmkRWbA/s1600/P1010047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xJWCVy-OWERTlQHodyPL8EGdf51wodG40HkTIJPdVavXIKHpnAv2WSfAeXfdn9wTq54lZHju8WrmQhFe0Wlf79ZDqfNWX-j8NZU1v_kWGdsapGaFLm3eL4K01igvB5MQbhZRMmkRWbA/s320/P1010047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arrgh, fetch me rum wench</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>One more job added to the list - our fridge packed up yesterday morning - guess better here than Mexico now the only good thing about that is we had to buy ice and I have ice for my gin:) So a new one is arriving on Monday for Leif to fit. Today the watermaker is on the job list, you just can't trust Mexican drinking water:) I can hear those all inclusive hotels in Mexico are calling. Can you imagine standing in a huge shower with unending hot water cascading over your pampered body?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXBKUGuRkZC4hguPXggY2WcRI0uvrdLbbhfV8SnpcRVmBjQwLiaVioKejUlrW7QsSUqS3LDNCHBD-6rmaBspaVZw1rcb0rwTrY6zqlVub55wlCosqd_qCzmtYWd2u-zLu2Rlor7t5ng0/s1600/P1010048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXBKUGuRkZC4hguPXggY2WcRI0uvrdLbbhfV8SnpcRVmBjQwLiaVioKejUlrW7QsSUqS3LDNCHBD-6rmaBspaVZw1rcb0rwTrY6zqlVub55wlCosqd_qCzmtYWd2u-zLu2Rlor7t5ng0/s320/P1010048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yo ho ho, and you know the rest</span></td></tr>
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West Marine had their Baja Ha Ha parking lot party, and it was a blast. Many people dressed up for the occasion, and so did we, there were many prizes for the costumes. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyone for a Brazilian?</span></td></tr>
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October 24<br />
This is it, the start of the Baja Ha Ha 2011. Is this when we find out that the world is in fact flat, will we sail off the edge? You would think so from some of the comments from our land based friends. Heck even we are beginning to think it might be flat!<br />
We are up early, like real early, getting the final things stowed, making food in advance, getting the charts out and a million other things, well it seemed like a million, okay maybe only a thousand, well would you believe a hundred?<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Leg 1 San Diego to Turtle Bay 360 miles October 24, 2011</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfKLsTwO0VSGyxwSUft0IzLmhVjrhOi_v-Osb4f510Mn5ZdriBsiIEeYyZPjDUjmCkk70PiQDWNuc4dZ6A_E9zYu4yYPCSj7g8ppGeD4opCq9PM0zLQTPf52SE72HtOi7TD2ApxI3i4/s1600/P1010057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfKLsTwO0VSGyxwSUft0IzLmhVjrhOi_v-Osb4f510Mn5ZdriBsiIEeYyZPjDUjmCkk70PiQDWNuc4dZ6A_E9zYu4yYPCSj7g8ppGeD4opCq9PM0zLQTPf52SE72HtOi7TD2ApxI3i4/s320/P1010057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The start</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We cast off the mooring warps and motored out into the channel to be greeted by about 150 others at the starting line. What a sight! It was terrific and the butterflies quickly abated as we settled down for the first leg. But wait, why are we putting out steam from the exhaust, what is that alarm doing going off, why is the heat gauge shadowing overheating? OMG we have not even crossed the start line and we have a problem. The front of the raw water pump is pulled off and the impeller is inspected, looks fine to me. Open up the seacock and only a trickle, ah, the intake is blocked. Just then I had a flash of genius (humble aren't I) and disconnected the hose from the inlet side of the pump and with an almighty whoosh blew down the hose. It worked! Who said that being full of hot air is useless, at least I found a good use for it.<br />
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We were not the only boat to succumb to the infamous California kelp and it's intake clogging properties. At least one other boat turned back because of problems with the kelp. <br />
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With that little problem behind us we continued to motor to the start line. But wait, this is meant to be a sailboat race, where was the wind? It seemed to have deserted us and we all putt putted across the line. We continued to motor past the Coronado Islands and it was some time before there was enough wind to sail. Ah, what a treat to turn off the motor and finally hoist the sails. The wind was behind us, not much of a sea and even though it was not brilliant sunshine at least it was a bit warm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsjQBIyDRpaGF1-H_isfIexjwD58b-pmLHU0MM_nsRRGTAnAAFoWAOrdy6VZSt2_vTwpL0PQaGQ6xIMNJucE0kpimikZNf6ZlAcy1Wg2l-zd2IoXv3_qaVBLi4V2if0XWeoUZZz0PjHY/s1600/P1010063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsjQBIyDRpaGF1-H_isfIexjwD58b-pmLHU0MM_nsRRGTAnAAFoWAOrdy6VZSt2_vTwpL0PQaGQ6xIMNJucE0kpimikZNf6ZlAcy1Wg2l-zd2IoXv3_qaVBLi4V2if0XWeoUZZz0PjHY/s320/P1010063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Viva Mexico</span></td></tr>
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The rest of the trip down to Turtle Bay was pretty uneventful with light winds, sometimes too light so we motored more than we would have liked. It appeared that we were going to arrive at Turtle Bay in the dark so we tried to slow down, and as luck would have it the wind picked up, why does it do that, or blow from the direction you want to go? We crossed the finish line just north of the bay at 21:30, pitch black with tiny pin pricks of light around us, the other boats, We radioed and asked about the entrance, the consensus was if you had not been there before best to stay out and come in in the daylight. We had a very uncomfortable night with trying to slow down so as not to be swept past the entrance. Some said that the motion was like a washing machine, we agree and it was with a great deal of relief that we greeted the sunrise and made our way into the bay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET_xPI30bo9r6iSJi571Ke__tKWR1Rf96fFLbwdL6n6tb7aqCL0phAN7IHTvKh8H3BblZ7m5jhQmBH9PwieMN3w8tdyBhJrBXkER3eZYgTuNS49KcAFWuroOY2exOcyRmWSr3vUSRJ-s/s1600/P1010077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET_xPI30bo9r6iSJi571Ke__tKWR1Rf96fFLbwdL6n6tb7aqCL0phAN7IHTvKh8H3BblZ7m5jhQmBH9PwieMN3w8tdyBhJrBXkER3eZYgTuNS49KcAFWuroOY2exOcyRmWSr3vUSRJ-s/s200/P1010077.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Found this on deck in the morning</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sunrise found us about 10 miles west of the entrance and there was the most beautiful and welcome sunrise. The mountains were bathed in the warm morning light and it wasn't long before the extra clothing began to come off. The entrance was very wide, with plenty of room to come in and no off laying dangers, there was no real reason to stand off all night I guess people were just being cautious. Oh well, live and learn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMPSy9cWhi9S1p46V83U1otiLDvkdrq_FJzt4_sDYmcClnauMAZvQWp3S6dgmNl8xkVJoRt6Vp9h7riLOuo9fARNmnfF4_TCbElNpQmH5Zb02_njL8DXuuoXYh-uAUY5fgQxrMc_U1T8/s1600/P1010075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMPSy9cWhi9S1p46V83U1otiLDvkdrq_FJzt4_sDYmcClnauMAZvQWp3S6dgmNl8xkVJoRt6Vp9h7riLOuo9fARNmnfF4_TCbElNpQmH5Zb02_njL8DXuuoXYh-uAUY5fgQxrMc_U1T8/s320/P1010075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Turtle Bay consisted of a small fishing village and was our first taste of Mexico on our boat. Instead of blowing up the dinghy we caught the panga/water taxi in, cost was 20 pesos, not horrific and it helped the local economy.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div>The town was really just a dusty collection of half finished houses with a few shops and restaurants thrown in for good measure. Apparently the arrival of the Ha Ha is the highlight of the year and the restaurants went all out for the cruisers business. We had the first ice cold Corona minutes after stepping on the beach, ah that tasted sooo good.<br />
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There was a baseball game between the cruisers and the locals. It was really fun watching the little guys playing as hard as they could. Everyone got a hit and it was a great time. After the game many retired up the hill for more cervezas and a lunch before taking the panga back to the boat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6NtHEYXLoZ3vtX4AmdgXz4X446eFaNI5KULQRlrGkVQMYmZXKkt90QWU2wcEisYtA5ZLboOIO0y-0iKV4Xf6ZbbxG6Aes6-2-3rD0OuPKDXffNmLjk3KFL3gqASKpUg7IeVeMr1X22s/s1600/DSC_3948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6NtHEYXLoZ3vtX4AmdgXz4X446eFaNI5KULQRlrGkVQMYmZXKkt90QWU2wcEisYtA5ZLboOIO0y-0iKV4Xf6ZbbxG6Aes6-2-3rD0OuPKDXffNmLjk3KFL3gqASKpUg7IeVeMr1X22s/s320/DSC_3948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U1bGYMtu0zCkcrxUZgTtcfZ674cYVPgsxvnnO4ucQ5qn73CGMI7WfVHarjpHi7CVcd2OqRj2F5saqxaGYXIR7UarBRkjJ1wT47qItl8_BuqJ9GVWko9Hcq0eVbwKhP94uzK5pIN3W_M/s1600/DSC_3967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U1bGYMtu0zCkcrxUZgTtcfZ674cYVPgsxvnnO4ucQ5qn73CGMI7WfVHarjpHi7CVcd2OqRj2F5saqxaGYXIR7UarBRkjJ1wT47qItl8_BuqJ9GVWko9Hcq0eVbwKhP94uzK5pIN3W_M/s320/DSC_3967.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jackie and the Grand Poobah</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The next day was the pot luck spread at the beach, everyone pitched in with their favorite dish, some which were really delicious. The locals had tacos and other Mexican dishes for sale and of course the every present and much appreciated ice cold beer. There were a couple of dunkings when people got the surf landings wrong, we cheated again and took the panga, faster, easier and safer, all which made Jackie happy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUJz4nGh2TIGFnAIoNsQtVwwcKZjs0vqbFgkxcLxsi9SA_XAbNG3X_C42bNVyAuTwIqFnOoswKrZXTR9Xc5cERS6qPNQ6LVR_whQbB6VuuWX1vtwEs6igEc6bVU7S8hGzINe2L1B6rj8/s1600/P1010098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUJz4nGh2TIGFnAIoNsQtVwwcKZjs0vqbFgkxcLxsi9SA_XAbNG3X_C42bNVyAuTwIqFnOoswKrZXTR9Xc5cERS6qPNQ6LVR_whQbB6VuuWX1vtwEs6igEc6bVU7S8hGzINe2L1B6rj8/s320/P1010098.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heave!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>One of the boats, a large catamaran, got a bit close to the beach and when the tide went out found himself on the bottom. Everyone pitched in to try to push him off but in the end nature came through and he floated off. Luckily without any damage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7hhs3dOT2CWnViG-tJG4BaRKqgYBVElfnnuu0P4UdXQTht6-IdF3vxEQ6G-kh6T3owckThyphenhyphenaYJdWpghmt7OR3zLWB1tNvDcL11KCmIh2x8PySLThYehGiVTUMEp7UnzblIyXrPBU9jA/s1600/P1010083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7hhs3dOT2CWnViG-tJG4BaRKqgYBVElfnnuu0P4UdXQTht6-IdF3vxEQ6G-kh6T3owckThyphenhyphenaYJdWpghmt7OR3zLWB1tNvDcL11KCmIh2x8PySLThYehGiVTUMEp7UnzblIyXrPBU9jA/s320/P1010083.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gordo's mobile filling station</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We fueled up from Gordo`s mobile filling station, sounds impressive does it not. Actually a boat consisting of a tank and a gas powered pump. We had been warned about taking on fuel from such places, so out came the Baja filter and we slowly put in 30 liters of fuel, while all the time Gordo was shouting for us to hurry up as it was costing him money in lost sales. Too bad so sad, but I wasn't prepared to fill the tank up with gunk, as it was when we examined the filter after fueling it was clean.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_ttlueryHaOAB3tzMIapReDN6RYAja793CrP7pXaIo3RATfom374JYvOZYumW0PVoySjuYfgDwQOISibhprK0S-XK4htRk6KYSfPEIOfvlexPOOHMeQJjHx9ass_QogOL-gCtCuia5I/s1600/P1010101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_ttlueryHaOAB3tzMIapReDN6RYAja793CrP7pXaIo3RATfom374JYvOZYumW0PVoySjuYfgDwQOISibhprK0S-XK4htRk6KYSfPEIOfvlexPOOHMeQJjHx9ass_QogOL-gCtCuia5I/s320/P1010101.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We hit the sack early as the start was at 0800 hrs the next day. It was so nice to have a couple of days rest, We found the 3 nights at sea and the lack of sound sleep very tiring, luckily the next leg was shorter and hopefully 1 less night at sea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJPT-zoRIoosd27hMuXFaHs5-7C7G5FUzIgrWzwmbW9n4vrxI2mhbHJaGCdy7bdLh6K1BrWHVhwSLOBKrnbWupU1CqPHkKYkwe6Xyxnes8BdAn4j9nzbSy_FUaC3tSLsTahc8tIJ0ejM/s1600/P1010088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJPT-zoRIoosd27hMuXFaHs5-7C7G5FUzIgrWzwmbW9n4vrxI2mhbHJaGCdy7bdLh6K1BrWHVhwSLOBKrnbWupU1CqPHkKYkwe6Xyxnes8BdAn4j9nzbSy_FUaC3tSLsTahc8tIJ0ejM/s200/P1010088.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Town quay</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWjLgLv-GVhS7LjeUTZB8sdkWGfhcYeA4FcyOs8swcD3t81fdpkzoxXBFbJx7y6uHVZVaMEu5CHlTucj45soIG54Lf-a4sVp6LDjRdZy3CND_tPrNpyLn5Go-8-GnOjfykFZJqY8UV7Y/s1600/P1010103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWjLgLv-GVhS7LjeUTZB8sdkWGfhcYeA4FcyOs8swcD3t81fdpkzoxXBFbJx7y6uHVZVaMEu5CHlTucj45soIG54Lf-a4sVp6LDjRdZy3CND_tPrNpyLn5Go-8-GnOjfykFZJqY8UV7Y/s320/P1010103.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBBZUXSnC9dVarYA2Cc8EQqVcGHXlBNrXGaqe1hlf5VwNJazbSddIkwdP28wzAnKfvGUha9ByQM4ojFzdZ61H5w8Xd7MgarddrTF6aazls1LxzMfbiUDZ2RYusvGT22dQs4ztG4zHRzg/s1600/DSC_3946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBBZUXSnC9dVarYA2Cc8EQqVcGHXlBNrXGaqe1hlf5VwNJazbSddIkwdP28wzAnKfvGUha9ByQM4ojFzdZ61H5w8Xd7MgarddrTF6aazls1LxzMfbiUDZ2RYusvGT22dQs4ztG4zHRzg/s320/DSC_3946.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXrXkLmQ3kdh6RZigB7ZG4QqmO1Xe54N5FcK9aJ51UhwiwBB06eXIEeOU4Jx91M-9dOjqFQoTrOq-d7L2MM2MvOyaL1Lalwtw0P2MwzlesfHS8e2T7ZC9fy7fPT8AheR4FfGnhTs4eN0/s1600/DSC_3947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXrXkLmQ3kdh6RZigB7ZG4QqmO1Xe54N5FcK9aJ51UhwiwBB06eXIEeOU4Jx91M-9dOjqFQoTrOq-d7L2MM2MvOyaL1Lalwtw0P2MwzlesfHS8e2T7ZC9fy7fPT8AheR4FfGnhTs4eN0/s200/DSC_3947.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf5psHePP-jwPWFOf8f3Q27bxxuSHXBf_D4OR173WBOc_3nurcsuO0tTrxjz1wLuNOo5zGVTmOnBKRaOewirhj4-PqJGdk8ywoIu-b-BA2b4MmKX5ldy-98Lml2XkQCNQb62lvpffqKo/s1600/DSC_3949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf5psHePP-jwPWFOf8f3Q27bxxuSHXBf_D4OR173WBOc_3nurcsuO0tTrxjz1wLuNOo5zGVTmOnBKRaOewirhj4-PqJGdk8ywoIu-b-BA2b4MmKX5ldy-98Lml2XkQCNQb62lvpffqKo/s200/DSC_3949.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whale bones</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA5D1q-NL8Vq20_c5ZeKCcFlaGUDYi07VyNP_1W4XCqvmGtHxYg1zFr_cowxurGo68xhr1T0M6bu6iIUWz5mRen7mwNSuoI6lOoTz0DKEX9k75_PV5sM0F8J9ARBqGK24z8PFKkAc5xY/s1600/DSC_3955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA5D1q-NL8Vq20_c5ZeKCcFlaGUDYi07VyNP_1W4XCqvmGtHxYg1zFr_cowxurGo68xhr1T0M6bu6iIUWz5mRen7mwNSuoI6lOoTz0DKEX9k75_PV5sM0F8J9ARBqGK24z8PFKkAc5xY/s400/DSC_3955.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dos cervezas, por favor!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Leg 2 Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria 240 miles October 29</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSutwZWPDD3mGZjBqU9mmpFtxVrRUQ23fSd1iKT6ZbigwAWxiEDS74tDbWeETruvq_icn44Ww-UnmDJ30an8sCj4IwxEX2Hz7z-BABKj4DEcgdmS5jocyIwkJ5X83tLn8cAegPCbxmc8/s1600/P1010119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSutwZWPDD3mGZjBqU9mmpFtxVrRUQ23fSd1iKT6ZbigwAWxiEDS74tDbWeETruvq_icn44Ww-UnmDJ30an8sCj4IwxEX2Hz7z-BABKj4DEcgdmS5jocyIwkJ5X83tLn8cAegPCbxmc8/s320/P1010119.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The spi</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>It was a great sunrise and a good start with just enough wind to raise the sails. We even got the cruising chute up, and down, with a minimum of fuss. It had been 20 years since it had seen the light of day as Jackie was terrified of the thing - ghosts of spinnakers past still haunted her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMybwxhHRKBeVxolfuWm7nEQfOCpdwi_hBLWBlo1VZvR0EZraRuA5gBzpxJWqeMeMsEqOZtnAnMiHABmmhGGYPIjD69Ibwixrjo0wbOO-opx_swBp-rgqoj9NKFmKVdsM1GUYixxZ37Y/s1600/P1010107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMybwxhHRKBeVxolfuWm7nEQfOCpdwi_hBLWBlo1VZvR0EZraRuA5gBzpxJWqeMeMsEqOZtnAnMiHABmmhGGYPIjD69Ibwixrjo0wbOO-opx_swBp-rgqoj9NKFmKVdsM1GUYixxZ37Y/s320/P1010107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Start of leg 2</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZGvhzMwewe8zilnSvAmdZoafVri4tFoEeg4E3YLfg5Daxxqj2zl2gcJYVuSBCdrQ_gwD-qv6jXLaelYtw2Yl6H14i2T-BqC2PU_R2oE407PXbQaFmjim8iiplMRRw5p10S0Dzgp5b5g/s1600/P1010081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZGvhzMwewe8zilnSvAmdZoafVri4tFoEeg4E3YLfg5Daxxqj2zl2gcJYVuSBCdrQ_gwD-qv6jXLaelYtw2Yl6H14i2T-BqC2PU_R2oE407PXbQaFmjim8iiplMRRw5p10S0Dzgp5b5g/s320/P1010081.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The seas thankfully were calm with only the swell running, so it was a bit more restful than the first leg. We even got the fishing line out and the first thing we caught was about a 3 foot shark, who had a lot of small, ugly and sharp, teeth. We were afraid to get too close to it to try to retrieve the hook. The gaff came out and after a couple of good wacks managed to subdue the fish and get the hook out. Back into the water went the hook and our hopes of a fish dinner increased, after all we did catch something didn't we? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsGIYsg_ZxCnjcsirj7GI9glZlkNS7dczGeAUb9cAlwtr7hxsleMmXD2RXjikkEkG9sFkln_sn_ZObiFKKQq0Fh1uC2BVHljTTrQDzQlJXnrA-ngxNvvoKbYDmoOdK-H7Gy6grh_oH-E/s1600/P1010110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsGIYsg_ZxCnjcsirj7GI9glZlkNS7dczGeAUb9cAlwtr7hxsleMmXD2RXjikkEkG9sFkln_sn_ZObiFKKQq0Fh1uC2BVHljTTrQDzQlJXnrA-ngxNvvoKbYDmoOdK-H7Gy6grh_oH-E/s320/P1010110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We were listening to the radio and it seemed that nearly every one was catching something edible, how could we fail? Suddenly the Cuban yoyo was running out again - another fish! Quick slow the boat down, and wind it in. In it comes, closer and closer, it is red and funny looking. What is it, nothing but a Humbolt squid that must be at least 3 feet overall. Great, something else I don't know how to eat. I haul the thing up to the stern when suddenly a stream, a big stream, gushes forth from the thing. I got drenched, how could a thing such as this shoot so much water is a big mystery.<br />
Now we didn't know whether to be depressed because of our catches or should we be encouraged because at least we were catching something. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YUH1B78kPNVNNCgy2bBeUAFzrbVEuqaI44ukpLstHbmBGWX-6dIavJGpRNPTLj25a89dtbccf-eBzfTx0O40kaeppCxWNaaRfUZqaeLrTY4ap0mQ4uQm-HsfsTFtgVmXdG6SG-VNIac/s1600/P1010117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YUH1B78kPNVNNCgy2bBeUAFzrbVEuqaI44ukpLstHbmBGWX-6dIavJGpRNPTLj25a89dtbccf-eBzfTx0O40kaeppCxWNaaRfUZqaeLrTY4ap0mQ4uQm-HsfsTFtgVmXdG6SG-VNIac/s320/P1010117.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Anyway one more try with the hootchie, third time lucky? It wasn't long before the yoyo was going again, same drill, slow the boat, grab the yoyo and wind in like mad. What would it be this time? Gold, I see a flash of gold, could it be the much desired dorado, aka mahi mahi,? We pull the fish up to the side and it is a dorado, there will be fresh fish on the menu tonight!<br />
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We pull into Santa Maria just after daybreak and find a spot amongst the anchored boats to drop the hook. Again there is a big sigh of relief, even though this leg was much easier and of course 1 day shorter. This is a huge bay and almost totally uninhabited, only a few fishermen`s shacks. We have a 2 day layover her, the first day to stretch our legs and the second the not yet famous Santa Maria beach party. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpGRb6X3ASV-UVw7UsH02Uq0PjBNy1Qn1KsrVpFEpqpeqFP_2UZNuO3MQZ1mgnq3j2eNpPUa7sxuZl_xHdnBo0ET83tH3K7ab13PMLdmctnkU6utMCwFQRorLK8BUUQBQMZVlVJd-L30/s1600/DSC_3972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpGRb6X3ASV-UVw7UsH02Uq0PjBNy1Qn1KsrVpFEpqpeqFP_2UZNuO3MQZ1mgnq3j2eNpPUa7sxuZl_xHdnBo0ET83tH3K7ab13PMLdmctnkU6utMCwFQRorLK8BUUQBQMZVlVJd-L30/s320/DSC_3972.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHcr7i-zWfDLVTiOcnlxgFECn1k5_cxnpgOvHT0oQ7ZOftYKMy0qCiAPFu2aFYjDrnAVpqAjMYrqHUWooyPrSPvDR__7shneSeXCfucZUqd03yZDw-GCp7cikSK7pUg6qhrkoOmdGr-c/s1600/DSC_3975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHcr7i-zWfDLVTiOcnlxgFECn1k5_cxnpgOvHT0oQ7ZOftYKMy0qCiAPFu2aFYjDrnAVpqAjMYrqHUWooyPrSPvDR__7shneSeXCfucZUqd03yZDw-GCp7cikSK7pUg6qhrkoOmdGr-c/s320/DSC_3975.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">OK, everyone say cheese</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ooyCG2GzSD1GsMS7NJgMwqeWs6u5_yPFrWa8ooIEo7rIPF3vONpDfqvep1c0uacNG8LzAIPfzxwfko3p4BJvIJdbMypsrVYkaY1c6-WzWtEOcz0wVyVCdjcPLV_6lFq3zH7uL4NXz4Y/s1600/DSC_3976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ooyCG2GzSD1GsMS7NJgMwqeWs6u5_yPFrWa8ooIEo7rIPF3vONpDfqvep1c0uacNG8LzAIPfzxwfko3p4BJvIJdbMypsrVYkaY1c6-WzWtEOcz0wVyVCdjcPLV_6lFq3zH7uL4NXz4Y/s320/DSC_3976.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jenn and Erlin off Ventured</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvEOldeA9g7YEBb0XoPuUJg_7MsrHTOzA3ChfErki7b_gMIzDtgGqSQR3nFpcked2JzMPqbk4Mt9vd4BKpKl3bjxK2NLNkZzkPEQ7EMZ0gWaxIHfJrAiUthe2JAdp3XSCLY9cAIsvvys/s1600/DSC_3986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvEOldeA9g7YEBb0XoPuUJg_7MsrHTOzA3ChfErki7b_gMIzDtgGqSQR3nFpcked2JzMPqbk4Mt9vd4BKpKl3bjxK2NLNkZzkPEQ7EMZ0gWaxIHfJrAiUthe2JAdp3XSCLY9cAIsvvys/s320/DSC_3986.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The band was great</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>It was amazing to see what can be accomplished way out here in the wilderness. The local people hauled in a great band all the way from La Paz, clear across the Baja peninsula, and they played for tips, and only tips. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ75EsjhC3zTpy5Qdb93chCCzs8gvVZrH7PuyJQSPuu6941_07wZtxrU77jTxPgPZdSIq9UPZo3YVHGCzLuPbvSgFqyvNhmeHPseOkIj3IPBoGL8MVMLyaGxdBL8JuS1kSRyGvgLS0mdc/s1600/DSC_3996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ75EsjhC3zTpy5Qdb93chCCzs8gvVZrH7PuyJQSPuu6941_07wZtxrU77jTxPgPZdSIq9UPZo3YVHGCzLuPbvSgFqyvNhmeHPseOkIj3IPBoGL8MVMLyaGxdBL8JuS1kSRyGvgLS0mdc/s320/DSC_3996.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lunch at Santa Maria</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The wives of the fishermen put on terrific spread for the cruisers, and did so under the most primitive conditions. And of course there was the beer, did I mention the beer before? It is ice cold and delicious, goes down great on a hot day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwRFX5DwEl7l10q8dAhM3xo309j2t-eHX3estKQ7UEvzrS0auJBkEuZV1I5NjycuWOsKeFtdX8hF947LZ23t-T1_JSEzBk7B7N3lkxoLE5K66GDhdyVy3OQU0H-ij_s7M4L91QWKMYqo/s1600/DSC_3982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwRFX5DwEl7l10q8dAhM3xo309j2t-eHX3estKQ7UEvzrS0auJBkEuZV1I5NjycuWOsKeFtdX8hF947LZ23t-T1_JSEzBk7B7N3lkxoLE5K66GDhdyVy3OQU0H-ij_s7M4L91QWKMYqo/s320/DSC_3982.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Airy ain't it</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96oiFdoM2J3xIFBvvwQGvTGbt9H9iLXOLfqHGFDVKnp0suyDeDjMUmlQ2hGB1GgYXBPNUP07IIRqXI5xLoReqj7DTE98-3XkrjaFvvkFCJnW0eiYdL5ZuQB1Kq_pmwsxG8mcWa15mvDM/s1600/DSC_3983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96oiFdoM2J3xIFBvvwQGvTGbt9H9iLXOLfqHGFDVKnp0suyDeDjMUmlQ2hGB1GgYXBPNUP07IIRqXI5xLoReqj7DTE98-3XkrjaFvvkFCJnW0eiYdL5ZuQB1Kq_pmwsxG8mcWa15mvDM/s320/DSC_3983.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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There was a tug of war on the beach, men vs the women, and the ladies won! We had a great hike around the area and with the much warmer weather it was most enjoyable. Alas, it was soon time to head back to the boat and get ready for the next and final leg to Cabo.<br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Leg 3 Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo San Lucas 180 miles Nov 2</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFG4F-scOiYIeLiGC7NRzcLcr7AxHrzcvQWOsyzIBfpuDgkoapWOmtEeT2QUINjaskwi0J5OqEzwVBoz_qqq6jhVu5CnmcHtyNdeHj6EZGw1nw8RtfWHmWF62e6Bzah0vwTyDCzUNM9Uw/s1600/P1010147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFG4F-scOiYIeLiGC7NRzcLcr7AxHrzcvQWOsyzIBfpuDgkoapWOmtEeT2QUINjaskwi0J5OqEzwVBoz_qqq6jhVu5CnmcHtyNdeHj6EZGw1nw8RtfWHmWF62e6Bzah0vwTyDCzUNM9Uw/s320/P1010147.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Another start at sunrise, again with just enough wind to fill the sails, we ghost over the starting line and begin the final leg. The day is plagued by fitful winds, first just enough to sail then it falls off and then comes back again. Frustrating in a way, but I am not complaining, it is better than the with us and we keep a sharp watch out, not wishing a collision. The morning dawns with a nice wind coming off the land and we are able to get close to hull speed for awhile before it drops off again. We try our best to keep moving but it is just too light so it is on with the engine. Also it looks like we just might make Cabo in the light, with luck. The sun is just dropping as we come to the famous arches at Cabo but it is fully dark by the time we have the anchor down. But what a great feeling. Unfortunately we are just a bit late for the "I Cheated Death Again" party at Squid Row and besides we are more than a bit tired. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwrmcOviH0VDD5VgyUPgy-KgmxIzWSge_mmR4U02e_RJlMvalOXL8raKz8BrlajBTopdoCrWnDT5Fe7825eguhX_hC7VEDcHbg0xnc7fceLLFDTc2E6ZVr4UxO_6K5WHGmV-Jn_RLQkw/s1600/P1000142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwrmcOviH0VDD5VgyUPgy-KgmxIzWSge_mmR4U02e_RJlMvalOXL8raKz8BrlajBTopdoCrWnDT5Fe7825eguhX_hC7VEDcHbg0xnc7fceLLFDTc2E6ZVr4UxO_6K5WHGmV-Jn_RLQkw/s200/P1000142.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1inSyO_sCclgpEmJVFBmmiHBYHUj_zKfw4djB2Af78VFve89zQ4eYetVVHi1MRC3SUHrGguh95cAPXBo_GcZB49PLEFXsYdCYdg5pq0PBvdIAJZg6ZlbQZjvdzQXOIpHVB4Y9AXDEOAI/s1600/P1000130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1inSyO_sCclgpEmJVFBmmiHBYHUj_zKfw4djB2Af78VFve89zQ4eYetVVHi1MRC3SUHrGguh95cAPXBo_GcZB49PLEFXsYdCYdg5pq0PBvdIAJZg6ZlbQZjvdzQXOIpHVB4Y9AXDEOAI/s320/P1000130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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November 3<br />
Well after 2100 miles since leaving Bellingham we have arrived safely in Cabo. Sitting having an iced coffee in an outdoor cafe thinking of all of you. The high today will be 93 with a slight breeze. We are anchored out in the harbor next to the Cabo Arches.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy6OI_34ElEPvgFKlVuYUdEVDwLRL_oRJ4n74PB31NMdIAoSc9IDtIhFIQfxBUX0AuBUUsV9WOaG4vNdpwaDqqWmrFTz3fxFWZ20cUMF9A0JTA7YL21CucbyneZtHKFN-CRq2eoZ7aFQ/s1600/P1010169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy6OI_34ElEPvgFKlVuYUdEVDwLRL_oRJ4n74PB31NMdIAoSc9IDtIhFIQfxBUX0AuBUUsV9WOaG4vNdpwaDqqWmrFTz3fxFWZ20cUMF9A0JTA7YL21CucbyneZtHKFN-CRq2eoZ7aFQ/s320/P1010169.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGDUktNSJ3sLu2F7YLRD7t4AkKkHn67yM8NXPak1YXXenL-eRdmpR2kL5ruTtl34BDxiM5M_E4EpNBBjxYcML8a19RmND53jmnRWsD48ipIZuVcujRz-OOG4wN3LoL-6oPWNhcDIuCAE/s1600/P1010166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGDUktNSJ3sLu2F7YLRD7t4AkKkHn67yM8NXPak1YXXenL-eRdmpR2kL5ruTtl34BDxiM5M_E4EpNBBjxYcML8a19RmND53jmnRWsD48ipIZuVcujRz-OOG4wN3LoL-6oPWNhcDIuCAE/s320/P1010166.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69wlhCQLgZDHUaU2R1ERIDNu1lV3r5_oazTctYXur0tlIQB-jZBplaYLCdSoj7u3bm3IHQGi9KHJLQflk54K9p0P4hopx9oH4YhwICrykZcLGtAvJaMcxr09LbGZ-BX1atVxk0WmpVm8/s1600/P1010171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69wlhCQLgZDHUaU2R1ERIDNu1lV3r5_oazTctYXur0tlIQB-jZBplaYLCdSoj7u3bm3IHQGi9KHJLQflk54K9p0P4hopx9oH4YhwICrykZcLGtAvJaMcxr09LbGZ-BX1atVxk0WmpVm8/s200/P1010171.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95A5q0QhI_Vpq1MRqGyo4DEGrgOd3-JrgUoLZ2iznFLcHou7QlMTF881qMqvfXhhUOBZjMi3ZvFXwfCu4J5mw1Ns2iXrZr6yrPwTuYmaMJT4tFoZlNXTfyPpaWZBJ_8xhtDt_Gv6rS4Y/s1600/P1010174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95A5q0QhI_Vpq1MRqGyo4DEGrgOd3-JrgUoLZ2iznFLcHou7QlMTF881qMqvfXhhUOBZjMi3ZvFXwfCu4J5mw1Ns2iXrZr6yrPwTuYmaMJT4tFoZlNXTfyPpaWZBJ_8xhtDt_Gv6rS4Y/s320/P1010174.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">From Here to Eternity best kiss</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We are off to another beach party this afternoon. and now we wait for all our paper work to be completed by the Mexican officials before making any plans to head else where.</div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-22601265759903642242012-03-09T18:50:00.008-08:002012-03-11T07:06:32.999-07:00San Francisco to San Diego August 2011<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y00Je2n4dQY2HMuhwQ0xV3L20AplMgf1GV1TDBpA8llI8S3E8vpEk06HQksbEsU0jExIjRYcWgrQRfEQELSs2yFG1j_CJ6UAcIPunVs5r1FNtosFSramQnyoazpn9OqoMPthiT5SwGY/s1600/DSC_3849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y00Je2n4dQY2HMuhwQ0xV3L20AplMgf1GV1TDBpA8llI8S3E8vpEk06HQksbEsU0jExIjRYcWgrQRfEQELSs2yFG1j_CJ6UAcIPunVs5r1FNtosFSramQnyoazpn9OqoMPthiT5SwGY/s320/DSC_3849.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fog, what fog, that's just mist</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We left San Francisco with mixed feelings, sorry to say goodbye to such a beautiful city but really won't miss the smelly and noisy sea lions, as entertaining as they were at times. Our trip out the bay was uneventful with the usual fog at the bridge but luckily we caught the tide right and flew out the opening. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oedSkBOEcPBY_I3wc0d0FqPDrvYw2ztqGugbzz40O5ra9hmJ6Cr5EBSK0xtQSr2E8yLcpfcguIyEiGJUFEmXXQHu6HUleO3wrHPT5EOgkcAMBddTWJSaA3ony1n71ZSipJ22A8FWUr0/s1600/DSC_3871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oedSkBOEcPBY_I3wc0d0FqPDrvYw2ztqGugbzz40O5ra9hmJ6Cr5EBSK0xtQSr2E8yLcpfcguIyEiGJUFEmXXQHu6HUleO3wrHPT5EOgkcAMBddTWJSaA3ony1n71ZSipJ22A8FWUr0/s320/DSC_3871.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Admiral</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WuqXiH1EKWXoOh_MX69Dk4ITziGmPy9MJQjVmHU3715atymfacdTRdj9hEOVHz0bkkVZ2xOCBWQomneCLPs6wg4jUnAwWpHlkrEF0GQElDKTTe-azc6baXOJEjLkw1JNQvUqdDg-dMs/s1600/DSC_3872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WuqXiH1EKWXoOh_MX69Dk4ITziGmPy9MJQjVmHU3715atymfacdTRdj9hEOVHz0bkkVZ2xOCBWQomneCLPs6wg4jUnAwWpHlkrEF0GQElDKTTe-azc6baXOJEjLkw1JNQvUqdDg-dMs/s320/DSC_3872.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who cares about fashion, I just want to get warm</span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We were not going far, only to Half Moon Bay, really a short hop down the coast. As luck would have it there was no wind and we relied on Mr. Volvo the entire way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We popped into the marina at Half Moon and went ashore for a reconnoiter. There wasn't much there and even though it was the height of summer, very few people either. After paying for the slip we managed to find a cozy little pub and settled down for a couple of pints and dinner. As we were all recuperating from the bright lights of SF it was an early night, besides we wanted to make Monterrey the next day, in daylight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe65LphOVOzbbcXBUU4HSx2gAoVCTsrimcyyfGyYKg84n24ogyyVHGKhDRVe9oyqxdc3I4sNCIvmhK9B_Z_JJ34Hz7y8Xi-nJLFtsSkQj0Yh-ckDumhlzRcIqK8t4t98uc-XQ8yUiw7II/s1600/DSC_3889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe65LphOVOzbbcXBUU4HSx2gAoVCTsrimcyyfGyYKg84n24ogyyVHGKhDRVe9oyqxdc3I4sNCIvmhK9B_Z_JJ34Hz7y8Xi-nJLFtsSkQj0Yh-ckDumhlzRcIqK8t4t98uc-XQ8yUiw7II/s320/DSC_3889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next day was more of the iron spinnaker, in fact we motored most of the way to San Diego, and what wind there was came from the north so we easily out ran the sails. The entrance to Monterrey was not difficult but the harbour is a bit congested with mooring buoys and boats. We found our slip and went up and paid for 2 nights, after which it was a tour of Cannery Row. We had the obligatory lunch on the wharf before setting off on a tour of the downtown. I had hoped it would provide some impetus to read Steinbeck's Cannery Row but as yet the book is still mouldering on the shelf. What happened to sitting in the cockpit having a cold pop and reading all those books you promised yourself that you would read? I just don't know where the time goes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEzOFKfAezHMbzp7rnFsz1As1c9e07ajeMXMR4O_8CP5D2rHg46dc2ciGa-CIdn9RQ6J1g8_lJy1QLJx_Ru6DFMwnjG_r0rTh7_-9pd1DoryHQhiljnjzzXcd6QI_QEjyt_hgsZmFcTk/s1600/DSC_3868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEzOFKfAezHMbzp7rnFsz1As1c9e07ajeMXMR4O_8CP5D2rHg46dc2ciGa-CIdn9RQ6J1g8_lJy1QLJx_Ru6DFMwnjG_r0rTh7_-9pd1DoryHQhiljnjzzXcd6QI_QEjyt_hgsZmFcTk/s200/DSC_3868.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">San Simeon</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After our brief stay in Monterrey we again left early to make our landfall at San Simeon, hopefully in daylight. Not quite, close but no cigar, it was black as could be as there was no moon. However with the GPS it was an easy entrance and we dropped the hook in the bay alongside a couple of other boats. We had a quick meal before cruisers midnight (8 p.m.) overcame us and we crashed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFVBU_TqAv9DwK2oCdZaORNRYcIIwqKw-WT2Ttg4-J9-c2yhgJrAGegsdEo7QmlJJwEP5AgWLSDCI9YK6ZzwP6qb-j5VtH7ADkQl7weBT8uc-dE8KHwnBGYpsaboifJOnTmoTsZ3YpOk/s1600/DSC_3862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFVBU_TqAv9DwK2oCdZaORNRYcIIwqKw-WT2Ttg4-J9-c2yhgJrAGegsdEo7QmlJJwEP5AgWLSDCI9YK6ZzwP6qb-j5VtH7ADkQl7weBT8uc-dE8KHwnBGYpsaboifJOnTmoTsZ3YpOk/s320/DSC_3862.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Suntanning - California style</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our next stop was San Luis Obispo, which seemed a rather large and exposed bay to us. We picked up a mooring buoy and radioed the harbormaster asking about the water taxi and paying for the buoy. The water taxi had shut down and the harbormaster said someone would come out to collect the fees. No one ever did and we left at 04:30 the next morning, I guess if we ever go back we will just have to pay then.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We tried our hand at fishing, aside from wetting the line we caught this poor pelican, who unfortunately drown before we could reel him in and release. That was the end of the fishing, we felt so badly that it wasn't until going down the Baja that we put the hook in the water again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-VlvohfxYML0DHBT0KoNr1mQFi2CjY9F1Jq-3lDxDPyGG0q7Zou00K-_vcD_-N3sohIvk1VM8Jdm_WPXURKOXbg4kn0SGEzrD8nhC9lvgN_O65OuuBdY_xS5H2p9TBe90hqDoAiayOc/s1600/DSC_3867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-VlvohfxYML0DHBT0KoNr1mQFi2CjY9F1Jq-3lDxDPyGG0q7Zou00K-_vcD_-N3sohIvk1VM8Jdm_WPXURKOXbg4kn0SGEzrD8nhC9lvgN_O65OuuBdY_xS5H2p9TBe90hqDoAiayOc/s320/DSC_3867.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Poor Mr. Pelican</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLlLh4Ma7WDPVwgX-w20D_0eFfEglnxd1xxZGqsTp2uN-cUuVQhmdO50pGQhhUVBtUYYypjekR2Sw4EgAUxTSYu0z4pdKcEY0WPtKZFxoF8QN8S6wkYthHhrEIiPf2I0lRCks_ITmdKk/s1600/DSC_3864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLlLh4Ma7WDPVwgX-w20D_0eFfEglnxd1xxZGqsTp2uN-cUuVQhmdO50pGQhhUVBtUYYypjekR2Sw4EgAUxTSYu0z4pdKcEY0WPtKZFxoF8QN8S6wkYthHhrEIiPf2I0lRCks_ITmdKk/s320/DSC_3864.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carmel from the sea, we all waved at Clint Eastwood but I guess he didn't see us</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWw0OclaVrso0nYGG7mt_HJ-10Pp6PBzWGpsQA_FOZbF-jvI9_3rgIsn_gjce1cwxHVYDnkqJXS06njUyCt5hI2P8L20MGnTnjIVnDUrcLihYqj-BK6DKUQGfWKl52CmuFmqmNv18Yhp4/s1600/DSC_3866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWw0OclaVrso0nYGG7mt_HJ-10Pp6PBzWGpsQA_FOZbF-jvI9_3rgIsn_gjce1cwxHVYDnkqJXS06njUyCt5hI2P8L20MGnTnjIVnDUrcLihYqj-BK6DKUQGfWKl52CmuFmqmNv18Yhp4/s320/DSC_3866.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Odd clouds</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtUTanQwnpbuoY6LkLKcA2oAbD4KKYByJXTkd7Aa2HIJJe8PBm3-JjcbX74Yhv0Mw5GDeNIRerHztdo-N5YVhLuarI_gc41LTxfdQKu1wdDRSbD8YDeVTMkXjgSbTs4S4XkQlw1xRErA/s1600/DSC_3882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtUTanQwnpbuoY6LkLKcA2oAbD4KKYByJXTkd7Aa2HIJJe8PBm3-JjcbX74Yhv0Mw5GDeNIRerHztdo-N5YVhLuarI_gc41LTxfdQKu1wdDRSbD8YDeVTMkXjgSbTs4S4XkQlw1xRErA/s400/DSC_3882.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oil rig off Santa Barbara</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQU3yHqGRubrd7UMfbl1_lqqsQ9Pq84-EJfMNdoomZJsqEvcV3rL0wvP-bG3fVhglFUo8qxebYCgdSm-jpZq1vAT_BpvxqhHYb7jgbmjH82eRedgndfCLeUF4RG5JfYzLFaHya18z0hs/s1600/P1000783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQU3yHqGRubrd7UMfbl1_lqqsQ9Pq84-EJfMNdoomZJsqEvcV3rL0wvP-bG3fVhglFUo8qxebYCgdSm-jpZq1vAT_BpvxqhHYb7jgbmjH82eRedgndfCLeUF4RG5JfYzLFaHya18z0hs/s320/P1000783.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Is that you Flipper?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now we had what promised to be the roughest passage of the trip, our next stop being Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Channel. Getting around Pt. Conception was meant to be akin to rounding Cape Horn, in fact it is called the Cape Horn of the Pacific coast. It was with no small amount of trepidation that our convivial little group approached the cape, but what little wind we had died and we motored around in pretty much calm seas. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/pointc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pt. Conception lighthouse</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Point Conception is the dividing point between Northern California and Southern California, it would also give us much warmer weather and perhaps put the incessant fog behind us. And while no one broke out the bikinis we did manage to peel off a layer or two. The sun peeped through as we neared Santa Barbara and we had a nice sunset, but this found us short of our destination with nightfall fast approaching.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We did manage to get the head sail out for awhile to pretend we were sailing but soon rolled it up. It was interesting to see the drilling platforms to the west of us and we noticed a distinct petroleum smell as we passed through the area. Later we were to find out that there is a natural seepage through the seabed and what we smelled was this and not the oil wells. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLYh5WfkxE70VDz5btZ7NcG3UtCi29LAMPag_Ks40Mvwryed8VYxXENx_RRB38BSIOgsv9vri7dHjwHGQNPFhUZA6rXAS-wY4jfU71jrYAeaVtoA27q6at0j_lncpI6Wypwr5CVSc81c/s1600/P1000761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLYh5WfkxE70VDz5btZ7NcG3UtCi29LAMPag_Ks40Mvwryed8VYxXENx_RRB38BSIOgsv9vri7dHjwHGQNPFhUZA6rXAS-wY4jfU71jrYAeaVtoA27q6at0j_lncpI6Wypwr5CVSc81c/s320/P1000761.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jack was every inch a sailor!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In spite of our very early start we did not make Santa Barbara until 21:30 and crept into the harbor in pitch blackness, trying to make out the navigation lights. Again the GPS was invaluable, showing clearly where we were and where we had to go. It was not until we were abeam of the red entrance light that Jackie, the driver, actually saw the light, there were that many confusing lights ashore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGfQnudMxivUYxjojtrrVBGpU7t3dxLtrPd4IOxU1f8YaJDUKDN406qEf7sg1QSvvX1rEb4IFZM93XoJH1g-LLOz2UsSrHC8cKm81jjaMR3RWkynbaEzwL12Tgoqe8nEszt1lmDLpSKA/s1600/DSC_3888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGfQnudMxivUYxjojtrrVBGpU7t3dxLtrPd4IOxU1f8YaJDUKDN406qEf7sg1QSvvX1rEb4IFZM93XoJH1g-LLOz2UsSrHC8cKm81jjaMR3RWkynbaEzwL12Tgoqe8nEszt1lmDLpSKA/s320/DSC_3888.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZxECuXitFiyt2M4zHm9wUNeHF4OxKHEHWzXldv2Om3a1r5GuBEt07q1qpl5dVlr5cQlp0tKu8CJ7RPKW2Mo7OLrEtnjG6aoGUwY0cpsks8FQ4AdtouZsAmWENUldJVWKEHtmvLIiRaM/s1600/DSC_3891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZxECuXitFiyt2M4zHm9wUNeHF4OxKHEHWzXldv2Om3a1r5GuBEt07q1qpl5dVlr5cQlp0tKu8CJ7RPKW2Mo7OLrEtnjG6aoGUwY0cpsks8FQ4AdtouZsAmWENUldJVWKEHtmvLIiRaM/s320/DSC_3891.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Santa Barbara</span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We spent 2 very nice days here enjoying the first bit of warmth of our trip. The palm tree lined beach looked like the California that we had expected-not the windy, fog shrouded rough coast we had endured to San Francisco. When we arrived the dockmaster made us put a dye pill in the heads, just to keep us honest, so to speak. So it was put on the slippers and shuffle down to the loo in the night, but I must admit to standing at the end of the boat during the night looking at the stars!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dObQhDrWWPefSIGzED_kHdNIZ8aOQpoBBm1lbb3y6Bu_ECrc5sHi09XiTmRArHX8uPokAq2NyOp1SPohg54izhR1Dy-LLU_PdxLmHkO6WfYGa7ThKhaxUKhUx4bPCbRHsFk_UfQHPWc/s1600/P1000820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dObQhDrWWPefSIGzED_kHdNIZ8aOQpoBBm1lbb3y6Bu_ECrc5sHi09XiTmRArHX8uPokAq2NyOp1SPohg54izhR1Dy-LLU_PdxLmHkO6WfYGa7ThKhaxUKhUx4bPCbRHsFk_UfQHPWc/s320/P1000820.JPG" width="320" /></a>Next on the agenda was Oxnard, which we made earlier in the day, it is so much nicer coming in in the day light! We went ashore for a quick look around and managed to book our return tickets back from San Diego to Edmonton. Jack and Leif were successful in finding a pub up the road and Jackie and Janice returned to the boat. Oxnard has been hard hit by the recession with many business shut down and the whole place had a rather listless air about it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Newport Beach came next, a most agreeable and undoubtedly well heeled community. What a contrast to Oxnard. We only stayed the one night and had dinner aboard so did not explore the area. We did go up the channel to see some of the homes and ogle the boats. Some pretty expensive places, everyone agreed that we could easily live here, but we would have to win the lotto.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpm1R3zZD7dscyqcyJLXdJJqPv8UYEVCQmTJJYRVeVTnN7DVWKISlql6MuBW0rJQxW_EjV3V8yqhsr2Ns9ckmVYE3LfUeT5iYEkT8MkSjHlN5DIvLAfCWBnqUe9VjrfdId39guyeyHEc/s1600/P1000757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpm1R3zZD7dscyqcyJLXdJJqPv8UYEVCQmTJJYRVeVTnN7DVWKISlql6MuBW0rJQxW_EjV3V8yqhsr2Ns9ckmVYE3LfUeT5iYEkT8MkSjHlN5DIvLAfCWBnqUe9VjrfdId39guyeyHEc/s320/P1000757.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The following morning we set off on the final leg of this trip and hoped to make San Diego in daylight, and we might have had it not been for the American Navy that got in our way. We we motoring along quite nicely, everyone reading or lazing in the sun when out of the mist appears a rather large military ship. We had been monitoring the VHF and were aware of the exercises taking place but we appeared to be clear. We were expected to maintain a 5 mile clear zone so we altered course towards the coast. Everything seemed to be going great until the ship did the same, oops, so we turn again. All seemed fine until out of the mist comes three whirling clouds of sea spray. All this amidst the threat of a live fire drill, were they going to use us as target practice? That was Jackie's opinion and she was very nervous with all the military activity. Our little plastic boat wouldn't be much of a match up against the U.S. military. Plus somewhere off in the haze was an aircraft carrier broadcasting that it was making continued starboard turns, oh wonderful, how do we avoid him when we cannot even see?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It turned out that three hovercraft were barreling down on us and us going just 6 knots just how could we get out of the way? The first roared up and stopped directly in front of us about 2 miles away, the second went roaring past him to disappear in the mist and the third stopped some way from us towards the land. We had no idea what to do but as no one was shouting at us we maintained our course. It was a bit interesting to see what appeared to be white puffs coming from one of the craft, was this the live fire? We don't know for sure but the big ship dropped its transom and the three hovercraft roared inside and the ship steamed away, leaving us a bit confused and not a little shaken.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We made San Diego harbor entrance in daylight and went up the channel just as dusk was falling. We had telephoned the Kona Kai marina during the day and were told to grab any slip and sort it out in the morning, And this we did, our poor little vessel could fit sideways with room to spare in the slip, we won't even guess how long the slip was but three of us could fit easily. We were now in the land of the super yachts, most of them had tenders the size of our intrepid little craft.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_FdYNt-__HxLckzzty_1xjgYD_NEaNG6Fm3BlBsn_VVR8Bni_tnDIPwCrU16emlxN9xS3GEgLyaTnbVEmZdmW3Aw2oOYrXblJiCu0ympM9psCztQb_MyddyNCvr8ji35ZcJ5dUU5Xj0/s1600/DSC_3901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_FdYNt-__HxLckzzty_1xjgYD_NEaNG6Fm3BlBsn_VVR8Bni_tnDIPwCrU16emlxN9xS3GEgLyaTnbVEmZdmW3Aw2oOYrXblJiCu0ympM9psCztQb_MyddyNCvr8ji35ZcJ5dUU5Xj0/s320/DSC_3901.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ah, warmth at last</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our stay, though brief, was filled as we took Jack and Janice sight seeing. We visited all the usual tourist sights and even managed a trip to the Midway, a huge decommissioned aircraft carrier moored on the front. It wasn't long before we had to bid adios (trying out my Spanish already!) to our friends and the next day we also left the boat to return to Edmonton for 6 weeks. We still had loads of loose ends to look after before we leave for Mexico and the next stage of our adventure.</div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-11681827963319321242012-03-09T18:50:00.000-08:002012-03-09T18:50:26.737-08:00On The Road Again<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">July 23, 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After nearly 3 years of planning, scheming, and working, not to mention spending beaucoupe dollars, we are ready to cast off the dock lines, cut the chains that bind us, sail over the blue horizon or whatever spins your crank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed at times that we would never get through the long, and always growing list of things to be done, but reality finally set in – if we didn’t pull the plug this year it may never happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we bit the bullet and paid our money to join the Baja Ha Ha, told everyone we were off this year without doubt, and jumped out of the proverbial airplane and trusting the parachute would open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And open it did, our only concern was what sort of landing we would have?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5ImXiJq3co3k6PuE0LQyMec-8q94iboncvmCGU9aKDjPPkGgh4jcDD6dKarfFaoOC9026XE1-P8IJ8Kn1L3XJzatneLCiT4v9fDcfthJQaaN3RSkdC2KRFJ9x-GoYwRlll9F60Ewz-0/s1600/P1000717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5ImXiJq3co3k6PuE0LQyMec-8q94iboncvmCGU9aKDjPPkGgh4jcDD6dKarfFaoOC9026XE1-P8IJ8Kn1L3XJzatneLCiT4v9fDcfthJQaaN3RSkdC2KRFJ9x-GoYwRlll9F60Ewz-0/s200/P1000717.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our empty slip</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y5Vu7NsowuPQUAd8vVf4xsTZwiEV4YazsvzRolTldHlw_scmQ-rtLwGiYihyphenhyphenNTBDGecydWCGpYWE-I9ZmzyOOxG5E1D3v4jJQIH6sqcYXHLnHaeI1y8OBk13BQJx1E5O6a_qaMp_8IA/s1600/P1000715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y5Vu7NsowuPQUAd8vVf4xsTZwiEV4YazsvzRolTldHlw_scmQ-rtLwGiYihyphenhyphenNTBDGecydWCGpYWE-I9ZmzyOOxG5E1D3v4jJQIH6sqcYXHLnHaeI1y8OBk13BQJx1E5O6a_qaMp_8IA/s200/P1000715.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intrepid mariners</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leif, our son Christian and his friend Ryan set off from Bellingham, Washington on 23 July bound for San Francisco, a distance of some 700 odd miles, hopefully making landfall in 5 to 7 days, depending on Boreas (the North wind). We had poured over the weather reports, digested the grib files, talked to everyone who would listen and went for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cast off our lines with mixed emotions, said our goodbyes to Bellingham, headed for the fuel dock and then pointed our nose west. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_vbtWBNvtvwrLLwKPS28fGqzfwMnEXQY69NDde2bZ5kjwFNOBI8FN6jcGdvjDe_i9IVs2JSR3Bf5ICNPQ6frSv869SBNwCmomnC0UrfqE3DYkTOST86-mPAsSNXPeARvGRUw-0rRepI/s1600/DSC_3783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_vbtWBNvtvwrLLwKPS28fGqzfwMnEXQY69NDde2bZ5kjwFNOBI8FN6jcGdvjDe_i9IVs2JSR3Bf5ICNPQ6frSv869SBNwCmomnC0UrfqE3DYkTOST86-mPAsSNXPeARvGRUw-0rRepI/s200/DSC_3783.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Flattery</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For dinner the first night we nominated Christian as the chef and he turned out a pretty darn good chicken and mash concoction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That night was spent under engine since there was little wind and a beautiful daybreak found us at the entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had motored since leaving Bellingham and the seas had been flat calm with only the Pacific swell coming down the strait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We turned left at Cape Flattery and gradually the wind filled in and we had a very pleasant sail down the coast, noticing La Push and it’s off lying rocks, quite interesting from about 5 miles out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the day wore on it became apparent that the boys were going to get a taste of some real sailing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind built until it was a pretty steady 20 knots from directly astern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a bit rolly and we took a couple of friendly ones on deck which prompted us to start shortening sail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys had a pretty rough night and Ryan was a bit worried so the next morning we put into the Columbia and went up to Ilwaco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a small fishing town and it had definitely seen better days but the docks held us firm and there was no movement so everyone had a good night’s sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next morning dawned clear and the weather forecast was promising so after a good breakfast ashore got some more fuel and cast off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was certainly a lot faster going out of the river than coming in and it seemed smoother as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is one entrance that I would not like to attempt in any sort of a blow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind remained in the 15 knot range for most of the day allowing us to sail goose winged, Ryan was a little intimidated with the fine edge you must walk to keep everything ful,l so<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian and Leif traded off the helm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryan was then appointed the chief cook and bottle washer and did a fine job of both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys had the fishing lines out but other than washing the lures not much happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That night was a bit rolly making sleep difficult and with the wind directly astern and lighter, it was tricky to keep the sails full in the dark. We had many fishing vessels off to port, at first we thought them small town because of the glow in the sky caused in no small part by the sea haze.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following day the wind continued to build and by the afternoon we were back goose winged and Leif decided that since everything was going well to take advantage of the lull and get a bit of shut eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On coming back on deck he looked astern and noted the streaks in the seas plus the boat seemed to be accelerating down the waves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick glance at the wind speed showed that gusts were coming at over 25 knots!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys were having a great time and said that they hit over 12 knots at times, scary to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quickly down with the spinnaker pole, rolled up about half the headsail and a reef in the main, even at that we would plane off the larger waves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NOAA radio forecast for Cape Blanco south was 30 to 40 knots and nobody was game for that kind of wind, and especially since a goodly portion would be at night we opted to put into Coos Bay or Charleston to be exact, to wait on better weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was an exciting sail down the Oregon coast, past the big sand dunes, with the strongish wind directly astern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to parallel the coast and wanted to make Coos before dark so we kept the boat moving quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We picked up the sea buoy easy enough but the winds were <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the 25 knot range and the entrance seemed narrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dusk was approaching and already some of the buoys were flashing, the boys were a bit concerned and so was Leif.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just when we were beginning to doubt ourselves, a boat comes roaring out of the entrance, the Coast Guard, making it easier for us to establish our course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to top it off, a Coast Guard helicopter comes out as well, passing directly overhead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First thought is “What have I done now?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were all a bit concerned that we had contravened some law but the cutter and the chopper went out to the entrance mouth and stood by, perhaps someone had asked for assistance, we never did find out. Once inside the entrance darkness quickly fell and the boys had their first taste of a night entrance. With all the lights it was confusing and the channel into the marina is narrow but well lit. With the GPS in the cockpit life was much easier than in the old days.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a couple of days wandering around the small place, you could not call it a town, and public transit being what it is - we were pretty well stuck there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The forecast still remained on the snotty side of things and the boys had job commitments so it was with a heavy heart Leif saw them off by cab to catch a bus into Coos Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting from Coos Bay to anywhere is a very interesting exercise and getting from anywhere there is just as interesting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leif cooled his heels and did boat projects, keeping one ear on the VHF radio listening to the weather hoping for an improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the marina was comfortable and the staff did their level best to make one’s stay pleasant there were some unsavoury characters about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason became apparent when there was a fire ashore, not far away, with lots of black smoke and some flames.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A rather dubious chap came up to me when I was watching and said it must be one of the meth labs as that is where they do their cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, just lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least that explained why half the dock seemed to be talking to themselves and the other half walking rather mechanically up and down the gang plank. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the boys gone the big question was how to get to San Francisco</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, so it was time to call Jackie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great sport, she flew to Portland, rented a car and drove 4 hours to Coos Bay to do a trip she really did not want to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention that getting to and from Coos Bay was fraught with difficulty?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the rental car back to the airport at Coos, picked up some extra groceries and took a cab back to the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a weather window starting the next day and wanted to be ready to sail.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGygVxJaYTp6wDwI3cZAW6IZWC8Yv-3RLjn9HdAvfzDpEaRCDyMCus5s42Y13ih96AUCksyE2feIDnZ3V5svtiHMlF-bXg9J2R1WhGIwM02DtQ0OXwBOyzrxD3m43ZSa6nZYFzLGd5Z3Y/s1600/P1000736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGygVxJaYTp6wDwI3cZAW6IZWC8Yv-3RLjn9HdAvfzDpEaRCDyMCus5s42Y13ih96AUCksyE2feIDnZ3V5svtiHMlF-bXg9J2R1WhGIwM02DtQ0OXwBOyzrxD3m43ZSa6nZYFzLGd5Z3Y/s200/P1000736.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical West coast views</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BSVvoE7YC0L_s7hRoTlMdkfxUeeequgNN73TIbljdT22qNJ40_EaXG91i3B1MVKN3W7TRrktA4-OE5y13_vmrR1D_7e40FYsgoMeruAE06-7_suEhudAEiPxU0AhV_0E9qN62A8fe9s/s1600/P1000739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BSVvoE7YC0L_s7hRoTlMdkfxUeeequgNN73TIbljdT22qNJ40_EaXG91i3B1MVKN3W7TRrktA4-OE5y13_vmrR1D_7e40FYsgoMeruAE06-7_suEhudAEiPxU0AhV_0E9qN62A8fe9s/s200/P1000739.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">August 2<sup>nd</sup> dawned lovely with clear skies and light winds out of the north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After fueling up we went out the entrance and turned south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great day to sail with the N wind at 10-15 knots and we went past the dreaded Cape Blanco and then Cape St. Georges in fine style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This continued for most of the next day but just at sunset the wind suddenly picked up and blew 20-25, giving a very rough ride as the seas seemed much steeper and closer together than the wind would warrant.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All through the night we had to hand steer the boat as neither the wind vane nor the autopilot could cope with the seas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was difficult to get any type of rest down below so we just hunkered down in a corner of the cockpit with our lifejackets on and tethered to the jack lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of the very few times that we had ever felt the need to don <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lifejackets although we had tied ourselves on the jack lines on occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All through the next day the wind stayed in the 25-30 range with the same ugly seas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We subsisted on hot soup and whatever nourishment we could grab quickly and rush back topsides before the mal de mer took hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One small highlight was spotting a whale fairly nearby, and as it dove had a great view of its wide tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were desperate to make the entrance to San Francisco on the correct tide but it soon became apparent that this was not going to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next best idea was to anchor in Drakes Bay, under the lee of Pt. Reys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should be a fairly easy manoeuvre, even with the wind and seas as we would get a lot of shelter behind the headland.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But wouldn’t you know it, we have fog, thick fog, visibility was greatly reduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should have picked up the light on Pt. Reys at least 10 miles out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We kept staring into the darkness, willing it to shine through the fog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times like this you start to second guess your navigation, even with the GPS which has been a Godsend. It wasn`t until we were about 4 miles off the point that there was a slight gloom through the pea soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rejoice, we weren`t lost after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind seemed to be taking one last swipe at us and the seas seemed to grow even wilder, plus we were about to enter the shipping lanes, oh great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to a navigation system called AIS we were able to see two ships coming towards us, the first, the Triton, was within a couple of miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We radioed them and said that we were having difficulty manoeuvring but would pass in front of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was well that we contacted the ship as it had not seen us on the radar because of the sea state, as we got close they did eventually see our lights and we safely passed across their bows, although I must admit they seemed very close to us indeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was amazing to watch them pitch in the seas and to see the water go cascading down their decks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She must have been a fishing trawler as they had on enough lights to illuminate a small city!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H1VOLNLKLKfqlqpKjFbJgDynfLaTI00AA783yr6Z95UzXsG_fs8gkZeqiilE7PWlLjRoSiACq5liFj15ATv57iOM_mKSJvphdhATWsQNuK-msLYr7xspRpf8dpyUblq_JQQuUKpG-Ug/s1600/DSC_3787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H1VOLNLKLKfqlqpKjFbJgDynfLaTI00AA783yr6Z95UzXsG_fs8gkZeqiilE7PWlLjRoSiACq5liFj15ATv57iOM_mKSJvphdhATWsQNuK-msLYr7xspRpf8dpyUblq_JQQuUKpG-Ug/s200/DSC_3787.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is California weather?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once in the lee of the land the wind abated somewhat and the seas rapidly diminished, boy that felt good, now all we had to do was find the entrance to the bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was 1 green light we had to find and then it was easy to enter the bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, there it is, with Leif navigating down below using the GPS and Jackie steering it should be a piece of cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were using the GPS to give us our course,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>first the light is on the left, good, then on the right, not so good, then it is on the left again, good then Jackie yells that there must be 2 lights!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Panic attack, there is only 1 light shown on the charts, how can there be two?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was happening is that there is a lag between the GPS course and what is actually happening – we had been literally going around in circles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This g</span>ives a whole new meaning to the old saying “When in trouble or in doubt, turn in circles, scream and shout!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally we put the laptop up on deck where one could see it from the helm and crept into the bay in very thick fog, but at least the water was calm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jackie wondered just how much damage she would do if we ploughed into something at 2 knots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dropped the hook, did a bit of tidying up, had celebratory rum and crashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been a long 36 hours of hand steering in some of the most uncomfortable seas we had ever encountered.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next morning dawned clear, but overcast, and we were alone in the anchorage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We set off to catch the tide going under the Golden Gate Bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a moment to remember, at least for us, as it signified an important milestone in our trip and we had made it safely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also we had high hopes that the weather would improve, could we put the cold and fog behind us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only time would tell.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKwQrn9EUJzUZw-MbnLYXwpSCsLNSm1dkrKlpUpSCL3qDO0mapo9sJKbQkOSU3qIsBCXcWn8oxZCXcavMFOC4FvtOdH7-twh5cBctbTAykwdBuErRD4dnRt2T4GTwUsIce7bhRnMzRhI/s1600/P1000740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKwQrn9EUJzUZw-MbnLYXwpSCsLNSm1dkrKlpUpSCL3qDO0mapo9sJKbQkOSU3qIsBCXcWn8oxZCXcavMFOC4FvtOdH7-twh5cBctbTAykwdBuErRD4dnRt2T4GTwUsIce7bhRnMzRhI/s320/P1000740.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Golden Gate Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OV5ZJBaAlqIOTGYy_Hf44P006Ij7-GyQSSHW9swAnL_0a7AkMMx0py-Sp6wg0Hs3KYf2fOL2p75klyoKbMOIHLRz_84lIjt7Bx3kzNqZ9GOLYfWwHSzaX1RkTC2pn4-8GnBxi4DWY54/s1600/DSC_3843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OV5ZJBaAlqIOTGYy_Hf44P006Ij7-GyQSSHW9swAnL_0a7AkMMx0py-Sp6wg0Hs3KYf2fOL2p75klyoKbMOIHLRz_84lIjt7Bx3kzNqZ9GOLYfWwHSzaX1RkTC2pn4-8GnBxi4DWY54/s200/DSC_3843.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safe at Pier 39</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we passed under bridge, partially obscured by the incessant fog, we crossed into the bay proper and it was like magic, for not only did it become a bit warmer but the sun shone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Francisco revealed itself in all it’s glory, Alcatraz, Sausalito, the Bay bridge, Telegraph Hill, the Transamerica building, what a sight for sore eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had booked into Pier 39 Marina for 3 days so we could be in the thick of things and just as we were pulling in who should be on the dock but our friends, Jack and Janice, who would join us on the leg to San Diego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had literally just got out of the taxi from the airport, timing could not have been better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbv7-VAD2fGlVfdff4rknjOQmZUkwPqcS5w77zRhjdFDZ-asp307INnHO5vjhgBkOZmLrINKfzHy1kMrKUF3v6TNh9XsZ2ZFSMSiUkV1ED5MIvSNXHDtowZvpeU-FTPOjfqMjk2iOxWY/s1600/DSC_3822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbv7-VAD2fGlVfdff4rknjOQmZUkwPqcS5w77zRhjdFDZ-asp307INnHO5vjhgBkOZmLrINKfzHy1kMrKUF3v6TNh9XsZ2ZFSMSiUkV1ED5MIvSNXHDtowZvpeU-FTPOjfqMjk2iOxWY/s320/DSC_3822.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a great time in San Francisco, visiting some of the sites we had missed in the past and it is always so much more fun when you have a group. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8c4i1-Ak0k9vnAWy9eqZqudCL2SxZ9UvxruPNzqWWG0ERDE_d0aQ_meM42b8cocYuf1VRl_16KxMuhzYEBYuRdOKSlvFCRSo01vvORfSb39PpP00GjQwhJIpsvCXf8oVJWf_4lv7UpI/s1600/DSC_3825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8c4i1-Ak0k9vnAWy9eqZqudCL2SxZ9UvxruPNzqWWG0ERDE_d0aQ_meM42b8cocYuf1VRl_16KxMuhzYEBYuRdOKSlvFCRSo01vvORfSb39PpP00GjQwhJIpsvCXf8oVJWf_4lv7UpI/s320/DSC_3825.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were also able to meet up with a very old friend, Ilene, who we had not seen for at least 10 years, only the odd contact by email.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great, she had not changed one little bit, if only we could be so lucky!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV88XvDPlgMj1wdCugrot_ua2un8zg3DU99_56HQUiVoFKq66WTZVdcIJIRJF5WD9w5WI1HUwUrPA4BN9D-ejQIfGZEfsI_6NDPv8qDCPHDaev4L2UagOxX2NU13I_DSRhohnTCO3YLAA/s1600/DSC_3837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV88XvDPlgMj1wdCugrot_ua2un8zg3DU99_56HQUiVoFKq66WTZVdcIJIRJF5WD9w5WI1HUwUrPA4BN9D-ejQIfGZEfsI_6NDPv8qDCPHDaev4L2UagOxX2NU13I_DSRhohnTCO3YLAA/s200/DSC_3837.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arf Arf</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ODpSCPYcSwLFmwUrliOLe9OVIcFiou7xTSPxX_9mEQYkhdvvDzsjA99-7rQVmkvciAx8gmyrIm556e_8yG_WdwuiU2__1jarRsYEbDbQwgf7hcO_QMKgILKzHKgc19RNBNO5cTqEoO4/s1600/DSC_3816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ODpSCPYcSwLFmwUrliOLe9OVIcFiou7xTSPxX_9mEQYkhdvvDzsjA99-7rQVmkvciAx8gmyrIm556e_8yG_WdwuiU2__1jarRsYEbDbQwgf7hcO_QMKgILKzHKgc19RNBNO5cTqEoO4/s320/DSC_3816.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OMG the Sun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> The time literally flew and it wasn’t long before we were headed to Trader Joe’s to stock up on food, not to mention the Two Buck Chuck, to see us through to San Diego.</span></div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-91740038152268704422011-12-14T18:19:00.001-08:002011-12-20T16:01:48.060-08:00The Intracoastal WaterwayAs we did not want to do any more long open ocean passages we availed ourselves to the Intracoastal Waterway. This is a system of dug canals connecting a whole series of lakes, swamps, inlets and allows shallower draught vessel the ability to traverse it's 3000 mile length without having to face the challenges of the open sea. It is a remarkable feat of engineering and we were very grateful to the US Army Engineers for building the system.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJuNPDhmSk4hpmJ9-1IDyW4xgefzQhBRw8NNG5S_dMY-jKSWW2PEJc3ZBTYq4Dtw-tbzH3NYh_u7XHa5vs-_D7bXx_QCisg0uvDuk9hZ0vFCLDV0YlTI9NGdlCdgjr6lkxm0KJG9tQD4/s1600/scan0580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJuNPDhmSk4hpmJ9-1IDyW4xgefzQhBRw8NNG5S_dMY-jKSWW2PEJc3ZBTYq4Dtw-tbzH3NYh_u7XHa5vs-_D7bXx_QCisg0uvDuk9hZ0vFCLDV0YlTI9NGdlCdgjr6lkxm0KJG9tQD4/s200/scan0580.jpg" width="200" /></a>On our journey north we passed by the Kennedy compound, big bucks here and were awed by some of the homes and the residential developments. We managed a stop at Titusville and were on hand for the launch of Challenger. It was different anchored in a lagoon with alligators swimming around the boat, no getting into the water here! Disneyworld was only a hop skip and jump from here, we spent a day there and one day at Epcot, who had more fun - the children or the parents, the jury is still out. Of course, no Florida vacation would be complete without a trip to Seaworld to see Shamu. <br />
We slogged our way north under engine, thank you Volvo, as there was no way to sail and very little wind anyway. Our journey took us past what appeared antebellum homes, outstanding to say the least. The path through the swamps with the trees with trailing moss brought back images from Stephen Kings books, eerie.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKb-YVY2aA6qYzADDIAGDRHnJKFRtjoCKZcZO9xV8YOpL1EnkudRdq-ImiCmZcGzFaPWLFZ-YVUI9-JCU4O8wtCnAeQsAIVtd1eIlClFdj-iT0n5fKmhWxtF8VXTMBzTGKHYjr0UeQs4/s1600/scan0587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKb-YVY2aA6qYzADDIAGDRHnJKFRtjoCKZcZO9xV8YOpL1EnkudRdq-ImiCmZcGzFaPWLFZ-YVUI9-JCU4O8wtCnAeQsAIVtd1eIlClFdj-iT0n5fKmhWxtF8VXTMBzTGKHYjr0UeQs4/s200/scan0587.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We were amazed at the number of bridges and each and every one opened just for us, not once did we have to call to have one opened, the bridge master saw us coming and presto it opens! The amount of wildlife was astounding, eagles, osprey, and many brown pelicans. Did I maention the dolphins, it seemed that they were always with us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlwTSpvdDycDVtWVv7GzMSKyxqJ3ZLwpOByyfb65EuNZA5KLw85KiGZxuoETr5VLvTf4lcMyhU_MAUvAGemy4uLyTO8xqzWNVgnWs-_JF8LPGUMJBI9Tb41l0EVfgY9njkIGETjE5JqY/s1600/scan0585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlwTSpvdDycDVtWVv7GzMSKyxqJ3ZLwpOByyfb65EuNZA5KLw85KiGZxuoETr5VLvTf4lcMyhU_MAUvAGemy4uLyTO8xqzWNVgnWs-_JF8LPGUMJBI9Tb41l0EVfgY9njkIGETjE5JqY/s200/scan0585.jpg" width="200" /></a> All in all it took us about 6 weeks to get to our final destination of Urbanna, Virginia. On the way we met some incredible people who could not do enough for this ragamuffin family living on a small sailboat.<img alt="Urbanna Virginia" class="auto-style5" height="193" src="http://www.baydreaming.com/images/urbanna%20photo.jpg" width="318" /><br />
We left the boat here in Urbanna for 3 years before shipping her on the I90 all the way to Bellingham, Washington. Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-36347907935488543802011-12-14T18:15:00.000-08:002011-12-15T06:39:56.902-08:00Anyone care for some more Turkey?<strong>June 1984</strong><br />
After Israel it was a quick trip back to Cyprus and we bade goodbye to some good friends, and see you laters to others who we would meet again along the way. We set off for Limosol and spent a couple of days visiting the old city. Then we headed north to Turkey and made our landfall at Antalya, where we climbed up to the top of the hill over looking town and had glorious views of the surrounding countryside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://antalyaturkey.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/antalya_travel_pictures-300x240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://antalyaturkey.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/antalya_travel_pictures-300x240.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fluted minaret with other photos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We retraced our steps along the south coast and turned north past Marmaris and went up to Bodrum. A most amazing place with the old crusader castle and lots to see. A number of other places come to mind, Cnidos, Kos, Simi and finally Kus Adasi where we left the boat for a week's trip to Istanbul.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.escapadafindesemana.net/wp-content/uploads/bodrum-con-castillo-de-san-pedro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://www.escapadafindesemana.net/wp-content/uploads/bodrum-con-castillo-de-san-pedro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bodrum with the castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We took a coach which cost us $5 each, children travelled free. The bus was first class, clean and quite and when we awoke we were going to cross the Bosphorus, the divide between Asia Minor and Europe and each of the children had a saltstone carving left by a kind Turkish traveller.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div>Our stay was in a restored home between St. Sophia and the Blue Mosque, basically right in the heart of the city. We did all the sights and even managed to buy 3 Turkish carpets. Unfortunately they were not magic and we had to take the ferry back to Izmir and then the bus to the boat. <br />
Arriving back there was a note from an old friend, Tom, who was also in the marina. We met up with him and had a nice couple of days visiting, Unfortunately for us time was running out and had to make haste if we were going to make it all the way to Gibralter so we could begin our Atlantic crossing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI2MRnporl2BqoQx5nELh1Jq6sQ73Hr7YFk1gwcMUWidtbQcU2qAlLqDTrqBTwvBW3TMcjovJ-AjIOgdz0HdIsHfimn1xS3xEhG3j4ExJAYS2Ec0lBIt5MF_T9rJm4EcctvYpOMhSbQc/s1600/scan0299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI2MRnporl2BqoQx5nELh1Jq6sQ73Hr7YFk1gwcMUWidtbQcU2qAlLqDTrqBTwvBW3TMcjovJ-AjIOgdz0HdIsHfimn1xS3xEhG3j4ExJAYS2Ec0lBIt5MF_T9rJm4EcctvYpOMhSbQc/s200/scan0299.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Methoni</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>July 1984</strong><br />
It was a fast trip back through Greece and nothing eventfull happened except running out of wind and then fuel. It was not a lot of fun drifting around in the pitch black amongst the islands and rocks, and remember this was pre GPS, so we were not exactly sure of our position.<br />
Around the Peloponese and back to Zakanthos and on to Corfu. This turned out to be a great island to visit with lots to see and do. Plus there were more trees and vegatation than on most of the other islands we had been to in Greece. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMcyak_RfQMKsPiXrer_qLUYrxwc0DgovSNI4baSzLod_gcN35LVpitbPhQGOfS0eDf_xlfYji9UkJ3aAPcWWzBVF_yyua-XbR7Y4I_hYwbaXe-YDoyLTKDHuOhg3BHFe8AlKkrtEIcc/s1600/scan0326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMcyak_RfQMKsPiXrer_qLUYrxwc0DgovSNI4baSzLod_gcN35LVpitbPhQGOfS0eDf_xlfYji9UkJ3aAPcWWzBVF_yyua-XbR7Y4I_hYwbaXe-YDoyLTKDHuOhg3BHFe8AlKkrtEIcc/s200/scan0326.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trogir</td></tr>
</tbody></table>From Corfu you can see Albania, which at the time, was staunchly communist and closed to outsiders, needless to say we gave it a wide berth. We made Dubrovnik our port of entry to Yugoslavia and began our exploration of the Dalmation Islands. We visited a number of ports, Trogir, Split,and many others, most had managed to keep their medieval flavor. At this time communism was still the force to be reckoned with and shopping was confined to the basic necessities, tourism had not made an impact yet either. <br />
After Yugoslavia we headed south down the Adriatic toward Italy, making a stop in Reggio for a couple of days. We did go across to Messina but the harbor was oily and rough so it was back out and we passed through the Lipari Islands, not far from Stromboli and we did see the glow from the volcano.<br />
<strong>August 1984</strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp8685WUhs2KjhXsQ9qb1ujtWLskpY_ONqFgA9TOK_0rUtfMT9HJOe87HQYQO5JnBHnHO4Xw28bzxmrS3tR8eGYH1760MFgfWb8n1LZraEdp9e5W6PyK1ubF8sHOKrcHkF2uSQ-N91zI/s1600/scan0348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp8685WUhs2KjhXsQ9qb1ujtWLskpY_ONqFgA9TOK_0rUtfMT9HJOe87HQYQO5JnBHnHO4Xw28bzxmrS3tR8eGYH1760MFgfWb8n1LZraEdp9e5W6PyK1ubF8sHOKrcHkF2uSQ-N91zI/s320/scan0348.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sardinia near Puerto Chervo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That night we got hit by a north wind that came out of nowhere and went from 10 to 50 knots in no time, flinging Jackie out of the bunk. It was a wild and rough night, why does the wind always have to come on the nose? In the morning with a handkerchief for a jib and 3 reefs in the main we limped into Olbia on the island of Sardinia and made our way into Porto Chervo just in time to see the Swan Cup. Some pretty fancy and expensive yachts filled the harbor, we could not even think of going into the marina as it was just too expensive, so it was life on the hook for the time we were there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.france-for-visitors.com/images/large/M50corse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://images.france-for-visitors.com/images/large/M50corse.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonifacio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We then passed through the straits between Sardinia and Corsica with Bonifacio as our next port. A very narrow entrance made it exciting going in and if a boat had not come out we probably would have missed the entrance. This was the birthplace of Napoleon and again we walked our legs off in an attempt to see as much as we could in the limited time at our disposal.<br />
The south coast of France was an easy sail away and we put into St. Tropez just to sample the snails! We met up here with Paddy and Jean and Jean's sister Polly. It was a great visit and of course a trip to a good French restaurant did not go amiss. Leif tested out his new wind surfer here and was good at going downwind but it was hours before he made his way back, paddling by hand! But soon we had to press on as time was passing and there was still that deadline to get to Gib.<br />
We set off for Mallorca but first there was a minor run-in with the French navy. It seemed that we had entered a "zone interdict" unknowingly and with a little persuasion from a helicopter that nearly blew us over and a close encounter with a navy gunboat, we retraced our steps and went around the area. The sail to Menorca and then Mallorca was uneventful and we spent a few days in each port. Both are definitely worth a visit and we did the usual round of churches and museums, plus the food shopping was great. We stocked up in anticipation to the crossing and El Corte Inglese ended up with a good chunk of our money. There were over 100 grocery bags in the cockpit and never for a moment did I think that Jackie would be able to store all the food away. But she did and there was even room for more!<br />
<br />
<strong>September 1984</strong><br />
It was a bouncy trip around Ibiza and into Almeria, where we hid for a couple of days waiting on weather. This was just fine for us as it is a lively harbor with restaurants and shopping nearby. It was interesting to see the old men up at 6 AM sitting with their coffee and brandy discussing the events of the day.<br />
Our next port of call was Malaga, which was nearly missed as the wind was blowing quite hard and we literally blew by the pleasure craft marina and pulled into the commercial harbor by the skin of our teeth.. On the way in there were a number of yachts on the outside of the harbor tied to a wall. As they were having a bad time with the waves and wind coming straight at them it was decided that we were not having any part of that and put into the fishing port. A fisherman beckoned for us to tie alongside him and were most grateful to be out of the tempest. However our relief was short lived for along comes a guard of some sort and in his best Spanish tells us that the fishing port is a no no for us. In my best English I said that I was not leaving, so we reached some sort of an impasse and he departed. Shortly another fellow arrived in a beige Macintosh, obviously a higher authority. He did speak English and said we had to leave the fishing port, I said not a chance was I going out there in the storm. A call on his radio and it was agreed that we could tie up in the commercial harbor until the weather abated. This was acceptable and we made our way over, with I might add four or five boats following, kind of like a mother duck with ducklings.<br />
The following morning I was up early and there was something knocking on the hull, turned out to be an oil can. I just happened to look up and there mere yards away was a wall of steel. A ship going out had lost steerage and was drifting down on us. I asked Jackie to bring up a knife and the boat keys to start the engine. We managed to get the stern line cut and a passerby threw off the bow and we reversed out just as the ship was coming down on the boats ahead of us. It was a very frightening situation indeed. One boat was severely damaged with crushed bulkheads, but thankfully no injuries. We ended taking two young fellows off that boat to Gib with us later that day.<br />
It was an overnight sail and the wind was moderate but in an attempt to roll up the head sail a rope got tangled at the masthead and I was volunteered to go and fix it. Luckily we had the two lads with us as they quickly got me to the top and it was fixed in no time. Mind you the motion up there was severe and it took all my strength to hang on with one hand and do the repair with the other.<br />
The next morning found us tucked up in Sheppards Marina where we quickly made arrangements to haul out to redo the antifouling. They were very efficient and by the time we had purchased the paint the boat was high and dry, ready for our labours. With two small children living on the hard was, well, simply hard, so we very quickly did our out of water chores and within 2 days were back in the water. We spent all in all about 2 weeks in Gib mostly waiting on weather. We managed to get to know the city very well.<br />
<br />
<strong>October 1984</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsZFe0YmBOXeE68PNR-efsRWYywoWrjcxq61W_jrIHRCu0D5smys1jVY0_dD-n91EzOIfRhXe5X_n9vclvQOnwRCdmt5PWzYfxIfWSC2OphXWWfz51eXbjma5qRPMFSlcus2g2Lc2HMY/s1600/scan0370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsZFe0YmBOXeE68PNR-efsRWYywoWrjcxq61W_jrIHRCu0D5smys1jVY0_dD-n91EzOIfRhXe5X_n9vclvQOnwRCdmt5PWzYfxIfWSC2OphXWWfz51eXbjma5qRPMFSlcus2g2Lc2HMY/s200/scan0370.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>After awhile Gibraltar became somewhat boring so it was across the bay to Algeciras in Spain. This was a far cry from Gib and there seemed to be a number of rather unsavory characters hanging about. It was with a dose of relief that the weather moderated and we were finally able to clear out the Straits of Gibraltar for Madeira.<br />
The six days it took to Funchal were pleasant as the wind was on the beam and the seas relatively calm. The only excitement came on Jackie's night watch when we were surrounded by what seemed hundreds of dolphins blowing all around the boat. It was too dark to see them but the feeling of being with such a large school was awesome. After a little bash around Espiritu Santo we arrived in Funchal about midnight.<br />
We had made arrangements for our good friend Philip to meet us in Madeira and the plan was that we would phone when we left Gib. When we did finally get the weather right and phoned there was no answer, and remember this was pre-text messaging, computers or any of the other devices we take for granted today. Just as we were rounding the breakwater we noticed a couple standing on the end looking out to see, and wouldn't you know it, there were Philip and Joan. They had been there for a week and were due to fly out in the morning, needless to say we stayed up most of the night chatting and catching up. We went to the airport with them the next day and saw them off to the UK.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjj778FIP4Z5lKBj8Re3IZjSuuMTV-8EBDKKrW-WQjAkcD4jXxMbmCPwmbDnuV_f5bILjzgTn3TSmuE6AMFw8ovsf9AsO5n1VyMO6Ia4F1w9nAOSIlKlapaD1kWFiaOdYstByiFpmeeg/s1600/scan0356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjj778FIP4Z5lKBj8Re3IZjSuuMTV-8EBDKKrW-WQjAkcD4jXxMbmCPwmbDnuV_f5bILjzgTn3TSmuE6AMFw8ovsf9AsO5n1VyMO6Ia4F1w9nAOSIlKlapaD1kWFiaOdYstByiFpmeeg/s200/scan0356.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Madeira is a wonderful island with a large caldera you can drive down into and see the village, the landscape is dotted with flowers, many of them orchids, and there are waterfalls cascading right over the coast road. The people are very friendly, we met a lovely family and we invited them to dinner on the boat, I think they wondered how anyone could live in such a small space. The next day they showed up with a large stock of bananas as a gift. We rented a car and drove around the island on their handmade roads. This island has to rank as one of our favourites and anyone contemplating a visit we highly recommend Madeira.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>December 1984</strong><br />
Our next stop was Las Palmas on Grand Canaria, part of a group of islands off the coast of Africa and the jumping off point for many crossing the Atlantic on the trade wind route.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSzJG0yK8CAO8M4rx6atw1XRD9aXrPMfVl1yVeYbVG71Tupchn6-j55-lS7SlQT3xJ7-WQ5wZmpNmLbpMEfvNIicHhQbqzqISXAOjh7VNMsK0L6L_SUGeTYOahO580EoonxoKWUax3DY/s1600/scan0372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSzJG0yK8CAO8M4rx6atw1XRD9aXrPMfVl1yVeYbVG71Tupchn6-j55-lS7SlQT3xJ7-WQ5wZmpNmLbpMEfvNIicHhQbqzqISXAOjh7VNMsK0L6L_SUGeTYOahO580EoonxoKWUax3DY/s200/scan0372.jpg" width="200" /></a>We had made arrangements for a couple who had sailed with us previously to join for the crossing, however they decided that they would not come so that left us on our own. The stay in Las Palmas was a little longer than we wanted as an electrical part had failed and we shipped it back to the UK for repairs. All in all we spent about a month there but the time was not entirely wasted as there were boat jobs to be done and the final round of provisioning. Christmas came and Santa managed to find us, the children were astounded that he could keep track of our whereabouts. On Dec. 27 we cleared out of Las Palmas and jumped off to make our crossing with a final destination of Grenada.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiHTJqZlFHrqi1JkqCYm-si92MI2Tiut8Mpu1td3LM9omEdCKb5M7LTKHsIozbO_AxDDH9MB_DgaJMgj77gS0HX36LKaycrUSG1UBm7wAau-uZQ8EwELMDa62IGXWUFlaEp8hT2_JG-Q/s1600/scan0380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiHTJqZlFHrqi1JkqCYm-si92MI2Tiut8Mpu1td3LM9omEdCKb5M7LTKHsIozbO_AxDDH9MB_DgaJMgj77gS0HX36LKaycrUSG1UBm7wAau-uZQ8EwELMDa62IGXWUFlaEp8hT2_JG-Q/s200/scan0380.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying fish became frying fish!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our crossing was pretty text book in that for the first 4 or 5 days the winds were light and variable but as we got farther south the trade wind clouds became visible and soon the trades began to set in and we were off. The main was let out one side and snugged down with a stout preventer and the jib out the other on a pole and it too was snugged down. We carried this sail plan pretty much all the way to Grenada and the Aries windvane steered the whole way, only requiring the odd shot of oil, it is a remarkable piece of engineering.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hawaiiislandsphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Caribbean-Island-3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://www.hawaiiislandsphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Caribbean-Island-3.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect anchorage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Landfall was made at Prickly Bay on Grenada and we were relieved to have made it with nothing more serious than one rope chafing through. The smell of land was overpowering. The gin bottle came out and a celebration, small as it was, took place on Dodger Too. In the morning we surveyed our surroundings and right in front of us was the classic tropical beach, sand, overhanging palm trees and crystal water, who could ask for a better landfall?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDPUEzJJByJ9KdBpHjSj7JmFQBHr9_IeBy70ekZNEbRSscwa7-hGHv6Jv9pKADBelpS2v2rrGDlZSLklXztNpAcoASnusbL03XlVquC9ArFUQoBIOMbnVRgWjQR6dC4DBlfgCI47oqqQ/s1600/scan0412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDPUEzJJByJ9KdBpHjSj7JmFQBHr9_IeBy70ekZNEbRSscwa7-hGHv6Jv9pKADBelpS2v2rrGDlZSLklXztNpAcoASnusbL03XlVquC9ArFUQoBIOMbnVRgWjQR6dC4DBlfgCI47oqqQ/s200/scan0412.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Georges</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We stayed there for a few days and went around to St. Georges, the main port and capital of the island. The trips in the local buses was something that everyone should do, at least once. These minivans are driven a fairly high speed, careening around corners, jammed packed and with Bob Marley blaring away. Whenever an intersection loomed the driver would sound his horn and I doubt any minibus coming would have heard as they all seemed to have the stereos up as loud as it would go. We were happy to see several of our friends from New Zealand and around the world anchored in the harbor. <br />
<br />
<strong>February 1985</strong><br />
Jackie's parents arrived from Canada to join us, they would fly out of Martinique to go back home.<br />
Trinidad was having their annual carnival and it was meant to be pretty spectacular, maybe not Rio, but the best in the Caribbean. The journey entails an overnight trip across open ocean with the winds and the seas on the beam, coming all the way from Africa. Needless to say it was a bit rough, however the old folks hunkered down and the morning found calmer waters as we entered the Boca del Dragon. The sea was literally choked with jelly fish and there was some concern that the engine water intake may become clogged.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNu2pYfAebpS1OkYUzXobEy-75qk4m3aLybPD3ouWFEezc5zZWjQy7hXvZeWDxjzwvPFnEgHhi3L8HNlPrlqYxDHbazNnpqFgdHb5nMBC7hsGCkLjnF5EwF4LSUEFGp8eg7a6KH_oTSs/s1600/scan0437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNu2pYfAebpS1OkYUzXobEy-75qk4m3aLybPD3ouWFEezc5zZWjQy7hXvZeWDxjzwvPFnEgHhi3L8HNlPrlqYxDHbazNnpqFgdHb5nMBC7hsGCkLjnF5EwF4LSUEFGp8eg7a6KH_oTSs/s200/scan0437.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Carnival was a great success with hundreds and hundreds of participants all parading and having a great time. The rum flowed freely, I might add. Some of the revellers had worked the entire year preparing their costumes. It was here we really started to discover the cuisine of the Caribbean with roti and something I believe they called doubles. I was kept busy running back and forth to the stand all day feeding everyone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hawaiiislandsphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Bequia-Island-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.hawaiiislandsphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Bequia-Island-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bequia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After the carnival was over you have only a few choices and we pointed the bow north and recrossed the strait between Trinidad and Grenada. As we were out in the strait it got quite rough and there was another yacht just to our west. Jackie's Dad came up to take a look and it was like "now you see them and now you don't". He said "Thank goodness we aren't doing that". We all had a good laugh because of course we were doing the same thing.<br />
<br />
<br />
A little backtracking was done as we stopped in Grenada on our way north. The next major stop was Bequia, famous for it's whaling and of course was reportedly the home base of Captain Teach, the pirate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAyQ8JN36iqAN0i8dgOGv2Hws0xlpsHR7rDA0qERqYf32k_PnnCU7flH2sD70DapN_IODdRX_hj_Lf_WsgO9QvFaMVCnUn7ptCw0UZBgEo2Xn0kSQoPW0RVk-ibUpo20POlKcyFIyP4A/s1600/scan0448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAyQ8JN36iqAN0i8dgOGv2Hws0xlpsHR7rDA0qERqYf32k_PnnCU7flH2sD70DapN_IODdRX_hj_Lf_WsgO9QvFaMVCnUn7ptCw0UZBgEo2Xn0kSQoPW0RVk-ibUpo20POlKcyFIyP4A/s320/scan0448.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pitons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rB1GyVxGFKJhStwtV2Xpm7b0ZdVHpbcP6xeqx8xRQejqGYIz8rYhtbFJp-a3RW42hzeP4462ytOLCyfMJ2O4VnsSWWEFcTVJQ-pp-QAwveORi5Ac2YodvDDIHF5rtPVx6KteR-xvv9Q/s320/scan0449.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marigot Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The trip up the chain was excellent with perfect sailing, crystal clear waters and great temperatures. The Pitons of St. Lucia are visible from a long way off and are a good aid to finding out where you are. Marigot Bay, where the English hid from the French is a must see, it was also the site of the film Dr. Doolittle. Next stop was Martinique with it's great French wines and cooking. Jackie's parents left us here to return home. It was quite an experience for them to fly all the way and then be confined on a small sail boat for a month. We had a week to ourselves then Jackie's brother and her cousin joined us. We had another friend arrive from the UK, Philip who we had nearly missed in Madeira. The boat was certainly full, not only with people but life and laughter. We made a trip to Guadalupe and the Ilse des Saintes. Our little group set off to view the waterfalls which came cascading down from the mountaintop. There was a trail over the mountain so Philip and Leif decided that a trek was in order. They almost froze, or at least it seemed that way and they were glad to get back to a lower altitude at the end.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL6r18Lo07OSoXxNxckAadUVXZzHuBne5bDvvRIQ-RTWszl3JCTPVf-2Ddgv5mvhC_p3Brda7ZRp4ND3bwymwmWMtGyphrV-91GAYX_p8PhL6cqJDfFHFR-M8zZlc17jmZfHZO-66A9o/s1600/scan0452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL6r18Lo07OSoXxNxckAadUVXZzHuBne5bDvvRIQ-RTWszl3JCTPVf-2Ddgv5mvhC_p3Brda7ZRp4ND3bwymwmWMtGyphrV-91GAYX_p8PhL6cqJDfFHFR-M8zZlc17jmZfHZO-66A9o/s200/scan0452.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaGgYyHl66YszZyQqQmAEZ0o74SKBu2ntkYq2R0TEeOX7kZt8JtNWeeZ61bkvrcIGwGnvYRscSNhh-TswRQszy3owi2-ppqsEftoqyH7zTkNoey_ajyZB9l65azmfRUUCtJKY7zs7eCc/s1600/scan0477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaGgYyHl66YszZyQqQmAEZ0o74SKBu2ntkYq2R0TEeOX7kZt8JtNWeeZ61bkvrcIGwGnvYRscSNhh-TswRQszy3owi2-ppqsEftoqyH7zTkNoey_ajyZB9l65azmfRUUCtJKY7zs7eCc/s200/scan0477.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fVotWAkC1qP0Tcw6vZFh15pKkMHDyzJmKHV1993a_2f6r34oh3yLgKrs_u1KjdXNNyabnSPwRsyMQGmqwKg5bOyXjTcDSnu_kIRTb5SUV2C5FDISw85EWFPYRIK6rhXU-Ly2i2_poDQ/s1600/scan0444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fVotWAkC1qP0Tcw6vZFh15pKkMHDyzJmKHV1993a_2f6r34oh3yLgKrs_u1KjdXNNyabnSPwRsyMQGmqwKg5bOyXjTcDSnu_kIRTb5SUV2C5FDISw85EWFPYRIK6rhXU-Ly2i2_poDQ/s200/scan0444.jpg" width="200" /></a>Dominica offered Indian River and the mountain chicken, one of the world's largest frogs. Our next port of call was Antigua, site of Nelson's dockyard, still pretty much preserved and the site of the annual Antigua race week. There were numerous big boats there and the round the island race was exciting. Shopping for groceries for 5 adults and 2 children was a challenge, especially when you consider the rather puny size of the fridge and the fact that it was not set up for the tropics so was rather inefficient. One day we managed to buy a whole Dorado from a fisherman, this fish fed us for 3 full meals and was indeed a bargain. It was not long before our guests had to depart and we were alone again,.so much had happened in such a short time that it was nearly overwhelming. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgovULGd6biDSRrAnYuIKpWBDsqnko9koO1aF-iV-KSskFzyj8Va-uGIVeOdeU57WzvuUfiXloflms7zE89m6hN1vMpL2BS6xYUyCAPmRmUC2CFo0KkO-o2IHU54qfR3hNsJ-KyHHOAQ/s1600/scan0541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgovULGd6biDSRrAnYuIKpWBDsqnko9koO1aF-iV-KSskFzyj8Va-uGIVeOdeU57WzvuUfiXloflms7zE89m6hN1vMpL2BS6xYUyCAPmRmUC2CFo0KkO-o2IHU54qfR3hNsJ-KyHHOAQ/s200/scan0541.jpg" width="200" /></a>As the sailing season was progressing there was a need to keep a steady pace and it was off to St. Barts. Yes, we did have a cheeseburger in paradise. In fact we moored up beside a big sailboat and someone said it belonged to Jimmy Buffett, couldn't prove it by me but it makes a nice story doesn't it?</div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgnv1xD9JTxfyB0Pk7IbE0d1lM8Jl2e0oSBxPxIyMvVe6vF6mgJRl8T_yFD07Zb22jTL1xQOUsmFQHzF4INa8m21IWBFtW-0b-6WyndzUmtYRfB9LCTDZHvbyoNRE091BWjdW_Sjqs3s/s1600/scan0556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgnv1xD9JTxfyB0Pk7IbE0d1lM8Jl2e0oSBxPxIyMvVe6vF6mgJRl8T_yFD07Zb22jTL1xQOUsmFQHzF4INa8m21IWBFtW-0b-6WyndzUmtYRfB9LCTDZHvbyoNRE091BWjdW_Sjqs3s/s320/scan0556.jpg" width="320" /></a>We continue our push up through the islands, always with an eye on the calendar as we want to get out before hurricane season comes. It was a quick tour through the Virgin Islands. It is easy to see why this is probably the number one area for chartering, warm temps, cloudless skies, crystal waters and of course that super wind, never too strong and always from the right direction.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcun4zZNcR6Gva0js_7qGq-CGabaak7MFeU9ZksCb0W-FcXH1Dqa20IE4fRfzDKTWm8340bFI7_juAUwz5e0lDARjKSxhbZd0oeGiFA2jRXhPKeIqsPHJvZJSwPu_CToRQ0bfOH2t4UA/s1600/scan0550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcun4zZNcR6Gva0js_7qGq-CGabaak7MFeU9ZksCb0W-FcXH1Dqa20IE4fRfzDKTWm8340bFI7_juAUwz5e0lDARjKSxhbZd0oeGiFA2jRXhPKeIqsPHJvZJSwPu_CToRQ0bfOH2t4UA/s200/scan0550.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We continue our push up through the islands, always with an eye on the calendar as we want to get out before hurricane season comes. It was a quick tour through the Virgin Islands. It is easy to see why this is probably the number one area for chartering, warm temps, cloudless skies, crystal waters and of course that super wind, never too strong and always from the right direction. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3p0px7DijOfWBRSh_5ek_8hTlXt9YK2BiDQi1iFmaNde9L6prnYQgADozmuKYGI142E_JZJWFDnOwIAfQD1NZjWIMrKvcXM05P6H22c_j61Onn3boKQAzRXqC3xHkFP9y3SHd_-97jU/s1600/scan0555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3p0px7DijOfWBRSh_5ek_8hTlXt9YK2BiDQi1iFmaNde9L6prnYQgADozmuKYGI142E_JZJWFDnOwIAfQD1NZjWIMrKvcXM05P6H22c_j61Onn3boKQAzRXqC3xHkFP9y3SHd_-97jU/s320/scan0555.jpg" width="320" /></a>After the Virgins the next stop was Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic. We spent a few days here under the chimney that we believe was part of the electrical generating system. The boat got covered with small round black course dust, fortunately it easily washed off once at sea. Soon it was to sea again, this time to Cap Haitian, right, on Haiti. We pulled into the marina, such as it was, and the port captain indicated that we should hire a boat boy to watch the boat. He said that if we didn't there was no guarantee that it would be intact on our return. Oh, lovely, what a nice introduction to the country. We did manage a trip up to Sans-Souci, one of the palaces of the one time ruler King Henri I (better known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Christophe" title="Henri Christophe"><span style="color: #0645ad;">Henri Christophe</span></a>) of the country. We did not spend much time in Haiti, it was simply too depressing with the immense poverty and frankly we did not feel entirely safe, the only place where we got that feeling. Besides, the fabled Bahamas were an easy sail north.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvbg1M8p-fdjxjrNOARJPhLx37i5EghHp3qAWBB67v4QnqtJ11w4DJ8EtbinUOJE22t-kvFOkJInQseqCAkMhkIg8zjcHmEITpr53IEuf63x7Pul2QXzWCE3qETBkiROdTgOFlJJpT-U/s1600/scan0559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvbg1M8p-fdjxjrNOARJPhLx37i5EghHp3qAWBB67v4QnqtJ11w4DJ8EtbinUOJE22t-kvFOkJInQseqCAkMhkIg8zjcHmEITpr53IEuf63x7Pul2QXzWCE3qETBkiROdTgOFlJJpT-U/s320/scan0559.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-L1MFcpQhnY4RMrSsOIy5llNQ1uPGAvuUH6gtY-Ej8Po4Hl_NhbO48TaKjDF3IURoiDnDLuNfU8CzNTQvKFkiw4xpFh1csj3S5_1KsL3TdfRSVCgyqTITyunpViF1zaGvWGfcNdsIg0/s1600/scan0560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-L1MFcpQhnY4RMrSsOIy5llNQ1uPGAvuUH6gtY-Ej8Po4Hl_NhbO48TaKjDF3IURoiDnDLuNfU8CzNTQvKFkiw4xpFh1csj3S5_1KsL3TdfRSVCgyqTITyunpViF1zaGvWGfcNdsIg0/s320/scan0560.jpg" width="320" /></a>Landfall in the Bahamas was at an uninhabited island, Hogsty Reef, sounds awful does it not? Actually it was wonderful, just two sand dunes marking the entrance and the rest was fringing coral reef. The fishing was outstanding, in fact we grew tired of lobster and grouper and wished for all things, a hamburger. We spent 3 days here enjoying the reef and Pete and Liz's company, it was one of the most memorable stops in our journeys. While we were there we were treated to an airshow courtesy of the US Navy, two jets overflew us and wiggled their winds as we stood on deck and waved. The children were excited at seeing planes so close up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWuM4Np1NrCpKO9sLNPgw7vstiL4ppc8PISwWJYwYzTN6DHB3eylWRXaJoqeFiKDE3XZyLrPg6RCIs2VEBpoMfRHLwXswvmnsWpR8eFc7KhKgDKryroLBe_QPti8qjbA7xyA9fwWWnIE/s1600/scan0564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWuM4Np1NrCpKO9sLNPgw7vstiL4ppc8PISwWJYwYzTN6DHB3eylWRXaJoqeFiKDE3XZyLrPg6RCIs2VEBpoMfRHLwXswvmnsWpR8eFc7KhKgDKryroLBe_QPti8qjbA7xyA9fwWWnIE/s200/scan0564.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9C4lJ96yokSFJCnkrGnwf0FqId1rgETTnVVmsvKqzjnydIu6cV6lFXeWEdZmoXRGEPmHYl2YelHfFlJgqRcv-BZp1FkPexP3g8dBHvHLaYnFwsUub5O2OdCmh29D0O-KTdC-qZnpki8/s1600/scan0554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9C4lJ96yokSFJCnkrGnwf0FqId1rgETTnVVmsvKqzjnydIu6cV6lFXeWEdZmoXRGEPmHYl2YelHfFlJgqRcv-BZp1FkPexP3g8dBHvHLaYnFwsUub5O2OdCmh29D0O-KTdC-qZnpki8/s200/scan0554.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was off to Great Inaugua and formally check in to the Bahamas. As luck would have it we arrived on the weekend and had to hang around until Monday for the formalities. Not entirely a bad thing as there was a small cafe selling ice cold Beck's beer, cokes and ice cream. Everyone had a treat as the heat was definitely building, summer was well and truly upon us. The water was just so, so, so - it cannot be described as words fail me. We swam, snorkeled, walked on deserted beaches, picked shells, windsurferd and ate more grouper and conch than we thought was possible. The pictures cannot capture the colours, it was that good. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and we had to leave paradise and cross the Gulf Stream to Miami, actually Lake Worth, but civilization, if you can call it that, nevertheless.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was an overnight trip and thankfully the stream was calm but it felt real funny aiming for Cuba in order to arrive at the correct destination. We managed to hit the entrance bang on the nose, remember no GPS, just old fashioned plotting!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu9jz-WErlXGo6yht3K47F6fo9ke48bPyM2-4h5A490fLPSHla6i5kTORnrcyUcA05ZHORd1lZJJtvIrJaakxDbedQ7P-oBhl3zj-jUzsqk2lsvh2GORQtnu194iovF2Y-mFp0UO7tGQ/s1600/scan0574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu9jz-WErlXGo6yht3K47F6fo9ke48bPyM2-4h5A490fLPSHla6i5kTORnrcyUcA05ZHORd1lZJJtvIrJaakxDbedQ7P-oBhl3zj-jUzsqk2lsvh2GORQtnu194iovF2Y-mFp0UO7tGQ/s200/scan0574.jpg" width="200" /></a>After all the interesting places we had been arriving in the States was a bit anticlimactic. There was noise, traffic, crowds, exhaust fumes but of course there was McDonald's, Diary Queen and television. We felt the poor children deprived so a television and a Honda generator found their way onto the boat and we all sat staring transfixed at the images on the screen. You would think we had never seen TV before!</div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-57117292022915510872011-09-21T20:16:00.000-07:002011-10-09T06:21:13.287-07:00Onward<em>May/June 1984</em><br />
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It was time to head west but first a little more easting. We decided to visit Israel since it was only a day's sail away, well maybe a bit more, but what the heck, you only pass this way once. We set off and during the night we were hailed on the VHF by the Israeli navy requesting information on us. This we gave and merrily continued on our way. Suddenly in the pitch dark the whole place lit up, a huge searchlight was turned on us, and that certainly got the old heart pumping. An Israeli gun boat had crept up on us in the dark, we were sailing and it was so quiet but we had heard nothing. There was no question of sleeping on watch after that. We made landfall at Haifa and after a rather long ride with some officials who did not speak or answer questions, we did the formalities and were deposited back at the marina. After that we sailed across the bay to Acre which is an Arab town and protected by a crusader castle. Such a differenc from the busy port of Haifa.<br />
We did the usual touristy things - Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Sea of Galilee, Masada, Jaffa plus a lot I cannot remember. We also paid a visit to our friends Dina and Boaz who were so kind and took us to a kibbutz where we harvisted sacks of avacados. There was far more than we could eat and rather than have them spoil, distributed them around the marina when back in Cyprus. Everyone was grateful for the fresh veggies, too bad we hadn't learned to make guacamole back then!Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-8000647017815627122011-09-21T19:36:00.000-07:002011-10-08T19:32:32.667-07:00Turkey, here we come<em>October 1983/June 1984</em><br />
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After the hustle and bustle of Rhodes the quite and calm of Marmaris was almost eerie. Gone were the crowds, the hawkers and the hoards of tourists. It was just too quiet but the peace was welcome and we spent a few days trying to get acclimatized to the Turkish way of life. One thing we noticed right off the bat was that it was a lot cheaper, a lunch of pizza buns and a round of Pepsis came to just over $2, now that is a bargin.<br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Oludeniz03.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="File:Oludeniz03.jpg" height="143" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Oludeniz03.jpg/800px-Oludeniz03.jpg" width="200" /></a>Next we made a visit to Fethiye, at that time we were the only cruising yacht and had the city to ourselves. The beautiful bay of Oludeniz is nearby and it was just closed to boats in an attempt to preserve the pristine waters so we were not able to anchor in the bay.<br />
Then onward to Kastelorizo (Greek) and Kas with its leaning lighthouse, followed by Finike.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRrRaPlZBlMF7IzR3NDRRKQf7EItHMgihwnDpO_JArWTUZ4lOAnvCLqil4V-cOWu6wBpn0u220OVfnpwZ-qmE8CSeyfVttpqjuGijKfceJckWTF28m5pymxfhZ3iKcSoYxH7O7qo_qM4/s1600/scan0239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRrRaPlZBlMF7IzR3NDRRKQf7EItHMgihwnDpO_JArWTUZ4lOAnvCLqil4V-cOWu6wBpn0u220OVfnpwZ-qmE8CSeyfVttpqjuGijKfceJckWTF28m5pymxfhZ3iKcSoYxH7O7qo_qM4/s200/scan0239.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MOSee4fIyHNEvAWVdHIU69EnbC8o_-JQpgOINT01cZEwjkxkckRML79NiOe6OvBhDfupoN3XffAGcZEJsr0aiJEVqhWB9WypznOve2Wfhc0liB6Z0g6I6wTsVfu-YmUhzqPPxiD5l3I/s1600/scan0244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MOSee4fIyHNEvAWVdHIU69EnbC8o_-JQpgOINT01cZEwjkxkckRML79NiOe6OvBhDfupoN3XffAGcZEJsr0aiJEVqhWB9WypznOve2Wfhc0liB6Z0g6I6wTsVfu-YmUhzqPPxiD5l3I/s200/scan0244.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was getting late in the season and we were getting a bit concerned about winter storms, alread the mountains to the north wee showing a mantle of snow. It was time to find somewhere to tuck into for the winter. Cyprus came highly recommended and so we struck off for Larnaca.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZ-8v2_yPY7XLeftd3sFZi36_LNlUyobG5T_0i2YqK0MuEIe9DvMc0-FikTLiBp7li6fd3SVqYRqN-LaOA9H6f1PGizQ99wPXXy4dPNS0RAxbQE-rNFfVESg9G4FlXVHdg7XIeUntycY/s1600/scan0267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZ-8v2_yPY7XLeftd3sFZi36_LNlUyobG5T_0i2YqK0MuEIe9DvMc0-FikTLiBp7li6fd3SVqYRqN-LaOA9H6f1PGizQ99wPXXy4dPNS0RAxbQE-rNFfVESg9G4FlXVHdg7XIeUntycY/s200/scan0267.jpg" width="200" /></a>This proved to be an excellent choice for not only is there a good marina (which luckily had space for us) but there is a long history of English visitors, going back to the Knights of St. John. More recently of course, it has been the UN separating the warring factions of the Greeks vs the Turks.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnu9vuSz-HJr8ru8YNXQOTVM0MqJ3ElCNCLDjb0HJPj4TnPgGkom4cmfUW75PHgT3thTYchbWqU3nZa9vLmL0nQ8pu1s1x3xEGoalCNo7xZI_k-n4qIf8JvJcCA2c7GU0GPd4Asl4Cyy4/s1600/scan0288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnu9vuSz-HJr8ru8YNXQOTVM0MqJ3ElCNCLDjb0HJPj4TnPgGkom4cmfUW75PHgT3thTYchbWqU3nZa9vLmL0nQ8pu1s1x3xEGoalCNo7xZI_k-n4qIf8JvJcCA2c7GU0GPd4Asl4Cyy4/s200/scan0288.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>All in all we spent about 6 months in Cyprus. Jackie was lucky to get a job teaching at the British base, Kirsten got to go to school, something we had promised her, and Christian and Leif did odd jobs on the boat and managed to pick up a couple of paid positions. We had Christmas in the marina and received many cards and presents from our families overseas. It was a great time and an experience the children will remember forever.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The winter passed quickly as we were busy trying to cram as much as we could into our lives. We rented a car and did a day trip around the Greek portion of the island. From the palm trees on the coast to the snow in the Troodos Mountains where they were skiing! We saw Aphrodite's Pool, Makario's tomb, lace making on the streets, remote monastaries and great scenery.<br />
While in Larnaca we met Bill and Mona from New Zealand, Bill designed and built his boat, and they sailed her to Cyprus and eventually they made their way round the world back to New Zealand. It was with them that we crossed over to the Turkish side and hired a car for a tour of the north. Again the towns were a complete change from the Greek side. It was quiet, no rushing about but one got the impression that things were not as prosperous as there appeared to be little commerce.</div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-34924558910968763712011-09-21T18:02:00.000-07:002011-10-08T19:30:35.153-07:00Goodbye Santorini Hello Crete<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAVfLUFsH42Tj2Gs_eoIXLMfyLh6NpEwAi-33Ng0awv2dd4IN3UBFSUN9kBQTVsPU43oYzrLR_eii4yROWOHNpVmLIekGCHKzYvpuHOsCV-zV8j_zG12AXzXBygNOtJQLTU3m5ToBjjg/s1600/scan0176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAVfLUFsH42Tj2Gs_eoIXLMfyLh6NpEwAi-33Ng0awv2dd4IN3UBFSUN9kBQTVsPU43oYzrLR_eii4yROWOHNpVmLIekGCHKzYvpuHOsCV-zV8j_zG12AXzXBygNOtJQLTU3m5ToBjjg/s200/scan0176.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSi6bzUaBvAk-3Fp8FcomKw78D3AJas1NgYmEFHZGnXIZWApNKXzHjvZnYbrRmGukhM_p2c30SZrvLYmvalwpG9zv0r9NkhcNst1ZpPvS5CNBY1Q3lajJVKdq3I59eHTxi02NF_uR6YE/s1600/scan0195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSi6bzUaBvAk-3Fp8FcomKw78D3AJas1NgYmEFHZGnXIZWApNKXzHjvZnYbrRmGukhM_p2c30SZrvLYmvalwpG9zv0r9NkhcNst1ZpPvS5CNBY1Q3lajJVKdq3I59eHTxi02NF_uR6YE/s200/scan0195.jpg" width="200" /></a><em>September/October 1983</em><br />
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It is an overnight sail from Santorini to Crete, it should be pretty straight forward, right? Just head south and you should run into Crete. Well we did find Crete but could not identify what we were seeing, somehow our dead reckoning was off, we should have hit Chania but where were we? Myles and I had removed the compass to replace some wires, perhaps we upset the thing. Remember this is before GPS, we sailed west for a couple of hours but still nothing to show us where we are, turn around sail east, nothing. Just at sunset the wind started to pick up from the west but we did find Souda Bay and turned westward up it. The wind was now blowing about 35 knots and we inched out way into the bay in absolute blackness. This is the main Greek naval port for the south and there are a number of LARGE unlit buoys, one went zooming by in the dark prompting us to get back in the middle of the channel. We finally made it to a military dock and the guard was kind enough to allow us to tie up for the night but with the understanding that we must be on our way in the morning. Needless to say we were more than a little bit grateful.<br />
Crete is rated as the most Greek of all the islands as it was never over run by the conquering hoards. There is a lot to see and we spent quite a bit of time sight seeing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwGZpI-yaflxP5pL1gu9oJ1d7CCG5EtMG2_KSEDD610he6ozXh6xmZ97w2DQgkuSFBgGmVqN_DsNpYaLbDvv_GmC7xyfHOmpHX7SCviytmudI_ktneytpvWxOTnU-9ne952DQKLkwclU/s1600/scan0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwGZpI-yaflxP5pL1gu9oJ1d7CCG5EtMG2_KSEDD610he6ozXh6xmZ97w2DQgkuSFBgGmVqN_DsNpYaLbDvv_GmC7xyfHOmpHX7SCviytmudI_ktneytpvWxOTnU-9ne952DQKLkwclU/s200/scan0201.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>From Crete it was onward to Rhodos. This was a much tamer journey and we stopped at Lindos for a couple of days, the beach was great and the kids made sandcastles. Rhodes itself gets a lot of tourists but still manages to retain it's Greek flavour. We spent about a week backed into the harbour wall and walked our legs off trying to see as much as we could in the short time there.Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-37285342563491170562011-09-15T23:00:00.000-07:002011-10-08T19:29:57.365-07:00The Med<em>September 1983</em><br />
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Once all the teary goodbyes were said, with Jackie, the kids and Myles and Clare we set off eastward towards Majorca in the hot sun. Again there was not a lot of wind and we found out exactly how far 85 liters of diesel goes, not as far as one would wish! As we chugged along in the sun all of a sudden the engine missed a heartbeat, then another and rattled to a complete stop, oh,oh. We spent quite sometime drifting around on an oily sea but eventually a mere whisper of wind allowed us to creep into Majorca's big harbour and drop the hook, in the middle of the night I might add.<br />
After launching the dinghy and getting a jerry can of fuel we made our way over to the harbour wall, taking the only vacant site. I quickly found out why it was not occupied, it was right over the sewer outfall and what a smell. No swimming here that's for sure! As soon as another slot opened it was up anchor and move, let the next guy have this one.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb94jHZlSyaZdU_wNK4sKro__kYzfrd2tPargkm4OY-hAm9Gv9Bp4RfPP_Ry2_lXA6ydRy3NhDp7V2AStwlkfcRUDJY5XPC-9VNZ6P8LIQHhQcKDfDa4uoHQzP8_mRCnkbnZhueOEWhto/s1600/scan0041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb94jHZlSyaZdU_wNK4sKro__kYzfrd2tPargkm4OY-hAm9Gv9Bp4RfPP_Ry2_lXA6ydRy3NhDp7V2AStwlkfcRUDJY5XPC-9VNZ6P8LIQHhQcKDfDa4uoHQzP8_mRCnkbnZhueOEWhto/s200/scan0041.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>We had a good time in Majorca and it was just so convenient having the boat almost right downtown. The shopping was great, cold beer at an American style pub and of course the narrow, ancient streets made it seem all the more exotic.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih180jAqxEO8MZuQ4OH4SBTd6lPwVp92L52VRpP_Wit5cNvaoP04ABoru9hcP1jHtRPoC-tkrB79Jv2tZdsD-ybU0V-wFy6lGdPHRTrrNr4LFQMTNkonat8bNFKxTbAxA1NkzSAa6C7h0/s1600/scan0046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih180jAqxEO8MZuQ4OH4SBTd6lPwVp92L52VRpP_Wit5cNvaoP04ABoru9hcP1jHtRPoC-tkrB79Jv2tZdsD-ybU0V-wFy6lGdPHRTrrNr4LFQMTNkonat8bNFKxTbAxA1NkzSAa6C7h0/s200/scan0046.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
From there it was off to Ibiza. Having been part of the flower child generation and hearing of this place we just had to visit. Well, the '60s were a long time ago and we did not see any hippies, no flower children, no afghans but there were certainly lots of tourists! <br />
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We spent a couple of days wandering about and decided enough of this civilization and found a nice bay not far away. Funny thing is, as soon as we dropped the hook in comes one boat and then soon after another. I think they thought we had some local knowledge, silly fools.<br />
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After the Balearics we set our sights on Sardinia and had a couple of wonderful days at sea, with very light winds and glorious sunshine. It was at the time of a full moon and there is something absolutely magic about sailing down the moon's reflection in the water. <br />
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As we neared Cagliari it became apparent that we would not make landfall in daylight, not to worry, I had the latest charts, there was no wind to speak of and it looked a very easy entrance, just pick up the lights on the seawall. It was pitch black and we were going very slowly as the lights at the end were not visible. Jackie and Myles were on the bow when all of a sudden they were yelling Reverse! Reverse! They had spotted a large crane on the seawall just in front of the boat. We were feet from disaster, so with heart pumping we came about and spent the night going up and down the coast about a mile off. When daylight finally arrived it all became evident that they were extending the seawall and had not replaced the lights. Did we learn a lesson here?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRpPQZUeVmZE8loXmpZ36aCh5N-RhYEVhiAQG718cQOrBDv42NDaadGxLgnuCnjMTo_5MDB3U2nvkcPjNMBbnASKU6dARhuH087btLqTcbIceWWtSm2NJhTzbZ8PSnz-x1UHFNyRJI-w/s1600/scan0062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRpPQZUeVmZE8loXmpZ36aCh5N-RhYEVhiAQG718cQOrBDv42NDaadGxLgnuCnjMTo_5MDB3U2nvkcPjNMBbnASKU6dARhuH087btLqTcbIceWWtSm2NJhTzbZ8PSnz-x1UHFNyRJI-w/s320/scan0062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After a few days recovering from fright, it is simply amazing what a few Campari and sodas can do, the lure of Malta over came our desire to stay put, as nice as Cagliari was. Again a couple of nights ghosting along on smooth seas and an air temperature making long pants and jackets unnecessary. As we slowly made our way down the coast of Gozo the fireworks started and lasted hours, how did they know we were coming? Actually it was some sort of celebration, the Maltese sure do love their fireworks.<br />
Valletta harbour is really an interesting place, with many buildings built right down to the water's edge. We cleared into the country easily enough but it was the first time that the officials were gruff and seemed a bit unfriendly. This was in complete contrast with the rest of the populace and I can only say that we were met with smiles and friendly people the rest of our stay there. There is a lot to see in Malta, the statue from the Knights of St. John, baroque buildings lining Grand Harbour to the quaint villages in the countryside. Our week was not long enough and we only scratched the surface.<br />
It was here that we bought our passerella, what is that you ask? A fancy name for an expensive gang plank, that's what. With two little guys it was just too difficult, not to mention dangerous, getting on and off the boat. Now we had definitely moved up to the big time!<br />
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It wasn't long before I could almost taste the Ouzo, smell the souvlaki on the spit and hear the music from Zorba the Greek. Cast off Spiro, Greece is calling. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72_AQ21dfPBSX34QERNmytUUAyfQyHNrhdX3ZJlRUkSRZj4UXCfyNi3LHEZU5ZskuduuIkURTQs1SQi_yXPSCW7aTXv86Mfk48IE-9REPmHYWS8VwaWAsHd7E5TQxA30cFwUco3b_Y9o/s1600/scan0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72_AQ21dfPBSX34QERNmytUUAyfQyHNrhdX3ZJlRUkSRZj4UXCfyNi3LHEZU5ZskuduuIkURTQs1SQi_yXPSCW7aTXv86Mfk48IE-9REPmHYWS8VwaWAsHd7E5TQxA30cFwUco3b_Y9o/s200/scan0081.jpg" width="118" /></a></div>A couple of days found us approaching Zante, aka Zakanthos, and our first time putting into a Greek port. What a difference to the other places. We backed in, dropped the gang plank and right there was a great little taverna, with the owner beckoning us to come and sit at a table. Of course we had to have the obligatory ouzo coupled with a couple of excellent cold beers. Life is good.<br />
From here we decided to take in the Gulf of Corinth and go through the Corinth Canal. It was started by the Romans and finished by Napoleon, and I think they are still paying for it, for the cost was about $100 at the time, but saved a lot of distance since we wanted to visit Athens.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eyum2WEXmGccWkEStrfV6OzpBbyfw9ARBa6Dpc9h3g6NrTSkDvsgzcytBWtBgK8jJcGhcOV8TMc_tPG7Prpcs5iqsmsFtGGkzOPL5Rk0DJhgT_BMf9Lby5M8u14eu6MeczSOWtM3xBA/s1600/scan0116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eyum2WEXmGccWkEStrfV6OzpBbyfw9ARBa6Dpc9h3g6NrTSkDvsgzcytBWtBgK8jJcGhcOV8TMc_tPG7Prpcs5iqsmsFtGGkzOPL5Rk0DJhgT_BMf9Lby5M8u14eu6MeczSOWtM3xBA/s320/scan0116.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuenL__nw_gjrO3d5j6Zs2XtpdsKSn30k3G-xn41ylGJQVaLZfTvleQehs7WXNLiUxxX5pnBMgiQP-YmMGJP-mmOFRPGWE7LKG8VasV5ZtzfkSdBQ3oP10zQSn3xHJ10m9yBLiqR6xnOY/s1600/scan0129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuenL__nw_gjrO3d5j6Zs2XtpdsKSn30k3G-xn41ylGJQVaLZfTvleQehs7WXNLiUxxX5pnBMgiQP-YmMGJP-mmOFRPGWE7LKG8VasV5ZtzfkSdBQ3oP10zQSn3xHJ10m9yBLiqR6xnOY/s200/scan0129.jpg" width="136" /></a>There are many delightful little bays and towns in the gulf. We stopped at Galaxidi<br />
After the quaint little town the bustle of Athens was almost overwhelming. We found space at Kea marina in the blistering heat and almost no wind, it was hot, but this is Greece, it is supposed to be hot. <br />
There is just so much to see in Athens and we only wanted to spend about a week, the old Michelin guide got a good workout. We hit all the 3 stars and a few of the 2 in a mad dash to try to see it all, of course we didn't but we tried. We dragged those poor little mites around in the heat for days but they stood up well although at the end I think even they were looking forward to some boat time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo51NBX3gUt4AdQzYB4eupg51_JwP1iEMli9aAFGuSyka803WpyolsMoMGjB33HjdFdMEo_RTsBAEhp1tVd5gOQ5njLWfB-6lpWoUqfefnVUuz3b6N4hqe4A3waI4M2bl7UYtmjkKNvtg/s1600/scan0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo51NBX3gUt4AdQzYB4eupg51_JwP1iEMli9aAFGuSyka803WpyolsMoMGjB33HjdFdMEo_RTsBAEhp1tVd5gOQ5njLWfB-6lpWoUqfefnVUuz3b6N4hqe4A3waI4M2bl7UYtmjkKNvtg/s200/scan0152.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>It was out of Athens, around Sounia and into Kea and then to Mikonos with its windmills and of course Peter the pelican. We spent a few days here, with one pretty wild night as the Meltemi was kicking up and gave us winds as high as 35 knots. The Bruce did it's job well but it was still a pretty sleepless night as some boats did drag, fortunately no damage. <br />
On our way to Santorini (Thira) we stopped in Paxos and Ios. Ios seemed to have been taken over by the backpacking/disco crowd as the parties went on well into the night. I don't know where they got their stamina, I certainly never had that much at their age.<br />
Santorini is one of those magical islands that everyone should have on their bucket list. The sun shone and the winds was blowing pretty good as we approached. From a distance it looked like the cliffs had a mantle of snow, but how is this - the temperature was well into the 80s. As it turned out, the houses are all painted white and cling to the cliff tops giving the illusion of snow.<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgG1G5TwULtDitO0tgZBq7TUoh-uABDUGF8pgZsFEoJITcwnJLw4h0S97sG3o35KiVe9wss54OSFO1Xmz-2VUnlt0CHDablVnNL-a9XL4jbGcDHps9zj2s8YnWaed7wgsArldAQ-TDais/s1600/scan0172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgG1G5TwULtDitO0tgZBq7TUoh-uABDUGF8pgZsFEoJITcwnJLw4h0S97sG3o35KiVe9wss54OSFO1Xmz-2VUnlt0CHDablVnNL-a9XL4jbGcDHps9zj2s8YnWaed7wgsArldAQ-TDais/s200/scan0172.jpg" width="130" /></a>The island is the remnants of a volcano, with parts of the rim missing so you can actually sail right inside. The lava is very dark and it was funny to see the floating stones, it seems that there is quite a quantity of pumice thrown up by the volcano and it is still being mined. At the time we were there no marina or mooring facilities existed near the main dock and the weather was too rough for us to go along side for any period of time as we had to fend off continuously. It was here that Myles and Clare left us to return to England, from now on it is just our family.</div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0Greece37.688167663771637 20.90698204687498734.085299663771636 15.735482046874987 41.291035663771638 26.078482046874988tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-18388917594704757432011-09-15T18:28:00.000-07:002011-10-08T19:29:29.128-07:00Gibralter to Alicante<em>July/August 1983</em><br />
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We had a great time in Gib, some great pubs and restaurants. Plus the hot showers at Sheppards were just fantastic. However soon it was time to continue our journey eastward to pick up Jackie and the kids and for the rest of the crew to get off and make their way home. This phase of the journey was mostly very light winds with more motoring than one would wish.<br />
As what was to become our usual modus operandi, we came into Alicante in the dark. Fortunately there was absolutely no wind and we crept our way into the harbour. It was very difficult to pick out the navigation lights amongst all the city lights but we finally managed to find the sea wall and backed in and tied up at about 1 AM, with the temperature above 30 degrees Celsius. It seemed the whole city was out with the number of people milling about. There were many families walking around the quay, this seemed strange as our children were usually in bed before 9 PM. However, the sounds did not disturb us as we were bushed and sleep came very easily. <br />
The next morning Sr. Yates showed up at the stern and informed us that our wives had arrived and were checking each day on our arrival. Paddy's wife, Jean and daughter Jo, showed up later with Jackie plus Kirsten and Christian in tow. We had a couple of very nice days relaxing but it wasn't long before it was time to shove off. The Sheehy family flew off to England and Philip reluctantly left as well, however Philip will join us a number of times in the future.Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-83925141942263477032010-11-11T07:31:00.000-08:002011-10-08T19:28:55.714-07:00Bay of Biscay to Gibraltar<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvKLw9wmrt_8-7WByr6bHOk-htTHQ9AfLgfmGn420Mq5oJ1gp1fa2ja4DJeKxUC4T5OTga4Gr4GScerGE4VaJEYKQ78dKSVGG2JvXhN9n-IcLidD5mjW-MI-yH8HqKos9wLZeulNC_Rs/s1600/scan0037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvKLw9wmrt_8-7WByr6bHOk-htTHQ9AfLgfmGn420Mq5oJ1gp1fa2ja4DJeKxUC4T5OTga4Gr4GScerGE4VaJEYKQ78dKSVGG2JvXhN9n-IcLidD5mjW-MI-yH8HqKos9wLZeulNC_Rs/s320/scan0037.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheppards Marina</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em>June/July 1983</em>We pointed our nose South, put our trust in the Gods (and the Shipping Forecast) and snugged everything down so it wouldn't fly about should we get some weather. As luck would have it the wind was pretty much on our back and we flew across the Bay. One day while up on deck everyone had their noses stuck in some form of reading material I just happened to poke my nose over the spray hood and noticed a flock of small birds fluttering over a spot directly ahead. This merited a closer examination and there, on the nose, was a hump in the sea. I quickly ran back to the wheel, turned off the autopilot and made a quick turn to starboard. We passed within 30-40 feet of the hump which we decided was probably a dead whale. If we had hit that it would have been game over as we were going over 6 knots and would probably have done major damage to the boat. <br />
The Shipping Forecast kept waning of gales off Finisterre and the skies clouded over plus the visibility go slightly worse. We came level with the Cape, and guess what, they got it wrong! The wind gradually decreased throughout the day and we had a nice lazy sail down the coast. By the time we came to Portugal it was much warmer and we got rid of the heavy clothes, had a much needed bath on deck and decided to fly the cruising chute. We got the bright idea of attaching the bosun's chair to the outboard end of the chute and managed some good photos, plus a few dunkings. Everyone took their turn, what a lot of fun!<br />
The trip down the coast was stuff dreams are made of, with light winds off the starboard quarter, warm temperatures and slight seas. The left turn at Cape St. Vincent was the beginning of the eastward journey to the fabled Strait of Gibralta,r although I think the Pillars of Hercules sounds much sexier.<br />
We picked up a westerly and were flying through the Strait accompanied by dolphins and pilot whales. We were also joined by a boat from Vancouver, Canada, a Greek returning home in style. He had a big cage on the fordeck with a parrot, all he lacked was a peg leg and an eye patch! Arrgh!<br />
Gib is visible from a a long way off and it seemed to take forever to get in. After 9 days at sea we were all looking forward to a nice hot shower and a more stable platform plus a cold beer wouldn't go amiss! The sun was just getting ready to dip below the horizon by the time we got tied up at Sheppard's Marina, boy did that feel good. Not one single thing broke, nothing went wrong, no personal conflicts and we made it safely, this we considered a major achievement.Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722230979832738802.post-52007040696290442622010-08-14T08:23:00.000-07:002011-10-08T19:28:21.343-07:00From the Top<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><em>1983</em><br />
<br />
Growing up in flatland Saskatchewan tends to give one a rather skewed perspective on what the sky should look like - it should be full, open and visible for miles, not unlike the sea. Perhaps this is what drew us to the ocean and ultimately to buying a boat. Years ago I saw a quote from Jonathan Cape, it struck a cord and I have carried it around with me ever since. <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: black;"></span></em><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>"Houses are but badly built boats so firmly aground that you cannot think of moving them. They are definitely inferior things, belonging to the vegetable not the animal world, rooted and stationary, incapable of gay transition. I admit, doubtfully, as exceptions, snailshells and caravans. The desire to build a house is the tired wish of a man content thenceforward with a single anchorage. The desire to build a boat is the desire of youth, unwilling yet to accept the idea of a final resting-place. <br />
It is for that reason, perhaps, that when it comes the desire to build a boat is one of those that cannot be resisted. It begins as a little cloud on a serene horizon. It ends by covering the whole sky, so that you cannot think of anything else. You must build to regain your freedom. And always you comfort yourself with the thought that yours will be the perfect boat, the boat that you may search the harbors of the world for and not find".</em></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jt3QZ8zI8soK2XwFVme6UWwz0f50j0bXhEaZHm2XqLskxRixumDY27hiInF5wlrrTLMIjFvCW91BdOu75guT-j1CHjy13tl88-3jbsjkhML3t5KJOzki8UcGN8Km8pPDwGi90r5gyYc/s1600/scan0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jt3QZ8zI8soK2XwFVme6UWwz0f50j0bXhEaZHm2XqLskxRixumDY27hiInF5wlrrTLMIjFvCW91BdOu75guT-j1CHjy13tl88-3jbsjkhML3t5KJOzki8UcGN8Km8pPDwGi90r5gyYc/s200/scan0004.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn5vvY_qL5q7t74usVvUWZhEJFXRWaYpfl-rY6-IISMDqMB5Uky1xXUqKICDsuGzwU-hHrtWJ1vsZjx-ya_Y5ZREE-ofnBrCxnEp7HDv9AHjNnmJo5UBCUcmdyCkYVQWje3gLsIyOa5o/s1600/scan0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn5vvY_qL5q7t74usVvUWZhEJFXRWaYpfl-rY6-IISMDqMB5Uky1xXUqKICDsuGzwU-hHrtWJ1vsZjx-ya_Y5ZREE-ofnBrCxnEp7HDv9AHjNnmJo5UBCUcmdyCkYVQWje3gLsIyOa5o/s200/scan0007.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div></><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dennis, the head chippy</td><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <div></div><div></div></></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5pwJuDxpawoswys5YXx7b7sJ7FXIwiXD1keH6xlTUB7o0OqA5dDHqkyH3t5f5_dGvLkaTQehWpShWbNmZvPZ3QWVik6yinoPCYOVyz6kRA_lxobKFUxYG74ZkIbCyqckSL_ijH5TfP4/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5pwJuDxpawoswys5YXx7b7sJ7FXIwiXD1keH6xlTUB7o0OqA5dDHqkyH3t5f5_dGvLkaTQehWpShWbNmZvPZ3QWVik6yinoPCYOVyz6kRA_lxobKFUxYG74ZkIbCyqckSL_ijH5TfP4/s200/scan0001.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction Super</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The desire to build a boat, or more correctly, cause one to be built using our ideas, started, like the quote above, as a small cloud and ultimately became the all consuming goal during that period of our lives. This drew us to the east coast of England to Hartley Marine, a small builder on the Medway, a ways east of London. The process took the best part of nine months and caused a weekly Saturday pilgrimage to yard to see how things were progressing. The yard did a great job, managing to accommodate almost all of our idiosyncratic ideas into the design and did so with style and quality. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qUUNCaHBSWbaDAykLp7XTJK_nyIo8QzJHI7UEh2Zu2W15bbJxZMqYYin_BmizvpC7BBeEcDUrnBUMl3_7dkPo2eXMTKFbil_-nmbu_hmJU-75tOEtdP2cqZmhMb65_d-sYghJBF0NJs/s1600/scan0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qUUNCaHBSWbaDAykLp7XTJK_nyIo8QzJHI7UEh2Zu2W15bbJxZMqYYin_BmizvpC7BBeEcDUrnBUMl3_7dkPo2eXMTKFbil_-nmbu_hmJU-75tOEtdP2cqZmhMb65_d-sYghJBF0NJs/s320/scan0012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Launch day came at last and with much fan fare, and more than just a touch of trepidation, Jackie did the honors with a bottle of bubbly. It all went according to plan and the boat actually floated in the Medway. I always thought it was such a shame to put nice new shiney boats in salt water, especially one as brown as the one shown here. We made our way to the Gillingham Marina and spent a day or so there setting things up prior to the trip to Lymington.<br />
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<div style="border: currentColor;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>The Shakedown Cruise</strong></span><br />
<br />
The boat was launched on June 22 and on the 24 we sailed her around to Lymington to complete the installation of the electronics and other components that I undertook to install, rather than the boatyard. With a crew of 5 we set off on the shakedown cruise to Gibralter on the 28. The trusting souls were Philip, Paddy, Myles and Clare. We made up a jovial bunch setting off into the great unknown. Initially the weather was light and we made a stop at Dartmouth to top up the fuel tanks and take on more water. After that we pointed our nose south and set off across the English Channel, dodging the shipping somewhat successfully. There was one small incident when I was woken rather abruptly with the roaring of the diesel and a hard turn to starboard in an avoidance turn. On coming up on deck a rather large wall of steel was sliding by at a pretty uncomfortable distance, that certainly got the adrenaline pumping and I think I slept with one eye open the rest of the journey.</div>Jackie and Leifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902593773716417882noreply@blogger.com2