Isla Isabela and Dave's visit

Passage: Mazatlan to Isla Isabela to San Blas (Feb 22 to Mar 3)

Travel Distance: 87.4-nm, 41.5-nm

Travel Time: 22-hr, 12.25-hr

Average Speed: 3.6 and 3.5-knots under sail, 6 and 5.5-knots under motor

Engine hours: 7-hr, 5-hr

We had made it to Mazatlan to meet Chris’ father, Dave, at the dinghy dock on Tuesday afternoon the 22nd of February. It was a little like Christmas as he had brought several items that Chris had requested as parts upgrades as well as some snail mail and a package from Shawn’s mom. This was the first time that we have had a third crew member so the three of us worked together to figure out ways to not only make it work, but so we all had fun.

The weather sounded a bit brisk for an immediate departure, with Don forecasting 25-30 knots and 8-10-ft seas in the Southern Crossing. Although we've found that wind intensity south of Mazatlan tends to be less than that forecast for the Southern Crossing (partially due to the mainland Mexico coast dipping SE creating protection)

we played it safe and stayed in Mazatlan for an extra day.

The first day we toured the Old Harbor area with stops to drop laundry off for someone else to do, at an amazing fresh squeezed OJ stand, a local hardware store, an internet cafe, the local eatery above the central market and then we caught a bus to the local Mega for a provision run. The second day the three of us took a different bus along the Malecon up to the Gold Zone to show Shawn Marina Mazatlan that Chris and Dave had been forced to sail into the previous season; engine-less. We had an amazing lunch (if you ever get a chance to try a "malcajete", arachera simmering in a delicious sauce in a hot basalt bowl, jump on it!) and it turned out to be a day of socializing as we crossed paths with crews from several boats; Gypsy Moon, Saviah, Begone, Pavane II, and Juniata too!

Over the couple of days spent in Mazatlan, Shawn painted 2 coats of varnish on our dinghy oars while Chris and Dave wrestled with the interface between our HF radio and our new Windows 7 operating system. In addition, Chris installed an extension to raise our GPS unit 12” so it was no longer shaded by our solar panels (we kept losing satellite connection on our passage down). Our chores done, the three of us took a nice hike up to the faro (light house) overlooking our anchorage as well as all of Mazatlan. The winds looked light and seas reasonable so we headed with excitement back to the boat and our passage to Isla Isabela.

At 1430 we weighed anchor, hailed the port captain, and sailed with the current out of Old Harbor Mazatlan under 100% jib. Shawn helped set Moni, Chris downloaded some waypoints to determined exactly what course we wanted to sail and downloaded GRIB weather files, and Dave, attempting to have an innocent beer in celebration of being underway, was rudely reminded that Tao is a small boat that heels a lot underway as he opened the refrigerator and the yogurt along with several other items dove at him and exploded on the sole. The GRIB files showed that winds indeed were light and going to lighten. So down came the 100% and up went the 165% for the night.

Shawn made a potato/spinach/lentil dish in the pressure cooker to put over rice whenever anyone was hungry throughout the passage and we decided on four 3-hr shifts through the night. Chris got the two end shifts that contained both sunset and sunrise and Shawn and Dave each stood one middle of the night shift. Winds were light and backing so between Dave and Shawn’s shifts we took the whisker pole down as the sail needed to be sheeted in to make our heading. The waning moon finally rose at 0200 and the winds continued to decrease until at 0500 Chris fired up Yannie and pulled the sail down. Except for the half hour we powered down to listen to the weather, we motored the rest of the way to Isla Isabela and set the hook at 1230 in this “mini-Galapagos”.

Isla Isabela is everything you hear about it and more! Blue and yellow footed Boobies (aka Bobos Azules y Cafes) nesting, breeding, fluffy white babies everywhere, frigates with their massive wing spans and their full bird condominium trees, both mama and baby whales breaching at the edges of the island, sea turtles bobbing along with the flow, iguanas, and crabs too. According to the scientists on the east shore of the island who have been studying this bird population for 30 years, this La Nina year has brought the largest cohort of Bobos ever recorded here, over twice as many as last year!

Bobos

Frigates

In addition, while we were visiting, it was the new moon; so the tides were at extreme highs and lows and at night with no moon the waters around the island teeming with life created brilliant phosphorescence. The anchorage itself was a little intimidating with long period swell rolling in from the south and repeatedly breaking over outlying reefs then coming in to crash on the SE point of the island with water exploding up to the top of the cliffs, and sending reflected waves back out to our boat- but Chris dove on Rocky when we got there and we put out our new-to-us flopper stopper (thanks s/v Nana!) and it combated the constant roll wonderfully.

We lucked out with the stable weather and the next morning after fueling up with an immense pineapple/papaya/pear/coconut salad and ham/egg/cheese croissants, we hopped in our surf mobile and putted around the island. The weather was quite calm and as we motored around the outlying crescent shaped Islote Pelon off the NW end of Isabela, we watched a baby whale breach repeatedly only a few hundred feet from our dinghy! We were subsequently surprised at the massive size of the mama whale that only showed us her back. After noting a possible nice surf break just the other side of the island from our anchorage, we completed our circumnavigation stopping back at Tao to make lunch. Ready to see the island, we dinghied ashore at the fish camp and readied Eeyore for several hours on the beach by putting on his canvas cover, tying him to surrounding rocks as well as setting his anchor.

We chose to start our island exploration by hiking up to the lighthouse, thinking we’d have our picnic lunch atop the island. But when we reached the peak there was nowhere to step without disturbing a Bobo, so we hiked back down and lunched in the shade of an outcrop on the dazzling Iguana Beach instead. Still ready for more, we hiked back to the fish camp, up to the Crater Lake, and down to the east side of the island just across from Islotes Las Monas.

Iguanas

It was from here we went for our first real swim of the season from the beach made of coral, dotted at its upper edge with Bobos and their newborns, and flanked by lava created rock features on both ends. On our hike back to the fish camp and our dinghy, we detoured to the peak above our anchorage and doing our best not to disturb the Bobos that have nested in the cliffs, watched the swells roll in and under Tao and crash into the beach from above.

The next day we dinghied around to the beach inside Islotes Las Monas, walked Eeyore through the reef protecting the beach, and brought it up above the high waterline so we could hike more of the island. This time we walked the entire east edge of the island to its NW extremity; among Bobo colonies, then past an area where pelicans seem to reside, and to the end of the island where turns and gulls nest and crabs cling to the rocks as the ocean roars in and out of lava formations like a Class V raging river.

In Flight

Crabs

Another stunning lunch spot and we continued our loop hike this time heading into the island through the central valley lined with frigate birds up to the Crater Lake and then back down to Las Monas beach where we had lengthy discussions with the scientists living and studying there. After motoring back to Tao we spent the rest of the daylight relaxing watching the busy world around us with birds squawking, fishermen getting ready for their night’s work, and whales at play just off the island.

Whales

The sunrise on our third morning beckoned us to stay, but it was time to pull the hook and head toward San Blas to ensure a relaxed passage and get us there in a timely fashion for Dave to make his connection out of Puerto Vallarta. We pulled Rocky aboard and noted that at some time (likely when we were setting as he dragged over some rocks) his point had been bent ever so slightly. We motored away from the island in the calm conditions and were all fortunate to see plentiful wildlife with huge sea turtles bobbing at the surface and a grey whale that breached no more than 100-meters off our port.

After 5-hours of motoring in completely calm conditions the slightest breeze came up. We turned the engine off and raised first our 100% jib, then our main to sail and spent the next seven hours on a beam to broad reach all the way to the marked entrance to the San Blas estuary. Though we had purposefully timed our entrance for good entry conditions (i.e. high flood, NOT an ebb or low tide) we fully expected to have to motor in. However, as we got closer and sheeted in to follow the recommended waypoints that avoid shallow silted areas we realized the conditions were good for sailing. Rich and his son Jason from Third Day had motored out in their dinghy to meet another cruiser requesting help into the estuary and they stayed out to show us the way as well and even took a couple of pictures of us underway.

The entrance was a bit nerve-wracking as swells jacked up over silted shallows and rolled in on our beam, breaking just ahead and then just behind us. We were pointed as high a possible and were barely able to make it above the red mark. In the end (at Shawn’s request) we turned the engine on in case we needed a boost but we never needed to engage it. We did see depths as low as 5.5-ft from the water surface just at the channel entrance, but the current flooding in carried us past. Once inside the estuary there was still enough breeze and the three of us worked the jib and main sheets and helm up the channel to the anchorage where we dropped the hook in 12-ft just as the sun set over the mangroves and palm trees on shore just a couple hundred feet away.

We had homemade pizza to celebrate our entry into San Blas Estuary and slept well in completely flat calm waters, the polar opposite of the anchorage at Isabela. We were able to explore San Blas the next day, figure out the bus schedule, and buy Dave a bus ticket to get to Puerto Vallarta in time to stand by for a flight a few hours earlier than his original flight. After the day of exploring Dave took us out to a yummy early dinner and we retired to the boat to exchange pictures, pack, and eat specially prepared homemade flan.

Dave's visit was great- very special for Chris. Although it was quite tight here for 3, we were impressed that Dave rolled with the close quarters and wonder if we know anyone else who could enjoy the realities of visiting us as much as he did. Although Shawn had to wear ear plugs with the symphony of snoring and we pushed quite faster down the coast than we likely would have otherwise, we had just enough time everywhere and the weather worked out amazingly. It has been a spectacular couple of weeks since we left San Carlos. Now that we’re back at our own pace, we plan to enjoy San Blas, and you guessed it, get a few more projects done.

San Carlos to Topolobampo to Mazatlan

Passage: San Carlos to Topolobampo to Mazatlan (Feb 14 to Feb 21)

Travel Distance: 180-nm, 244-nm

Travel Time: 51.25-hr, 56.5-hr

Average speed: 3.5-knots, 3.7-knots

Engine hours: 1.5-hr, 7-hr

After what felt like quite a long time of not moving, we pulled Rocky aboard and motored to the fuel dock in Bahia San Carlos where we filled our 5-gallon diesel jerry jug, gave Tao one more freshwater rinse, and then finally headed out of the bay into the Sea of Cortez (aka Gulf of California). We set our sails and relished once again being under sail. Starting out under 100% jib alone sailing downwind at around 6-knots, as the sun dipped behind the Baja and our bodies got used to the motion of the sea, we decided this was the perfect way for us to spend Valentine’s Day 2011.

Throughout the beautiful moonlit night the winds decreased but sunrise brought the breezes back and we hoisted the main and fell off to sail wing-on-wing for a gorgeous day averaging around 5-knots. The second night winds dropped off even further so we dropped our main, but the swell continued just off our stern quarter and created a bit of uncomfortable motion. The next morning, after listening to the weather and determining it was forecast to stay light, we dropped the 100% and hoisted the new-to-us 165% for mellow sailing with lots of sail area up front. We raised our Mexican courtesy flag on the flag halyard with our newest handmade prayer flags underneath and also raised the US flag up its new backstay halyard. Although slowly and steadily making way and very close, we were still too far to set the hook before darkness descended. So, we decided to fire up Yannie at 1630 and motored toward shore to set the anchor in very settled conditions just off the shipwreck in the lee of Punta San Ignacio a mere 8 miles north of Topolobampo just as the sun disappeared into the sea.

The next morning we excitedly got Eeyore all pumped up and transferred Ruby (our 15-hp) off Tao onto the dink in preparation for going ashore to explore the shipwreck. There was quite a bit of swell breaking along the entirety of endless miles of beach, so Chris used his surf skills well to time our entrance between the closing waves, and we managed to land without mishap or even stepping on one of the jelly fish that were everywhere (does anyone know what kind they are?). None of our guide books say anything about this rusting cargo ship Carmen so we just explored her stripped down rusty innards. Chris was super excited about the huge engine room and noted an area fresh with grease that someone had recently liberated a part from. Shawn was most impressed by the magnitude of the whole boat and how much solitude there seemed to be as it sits there on the beach rusting away.

After appropriately timing our way out of the crashing 3-ft waves (very thankfully Ruby started upon demand as Shawn managed to pop an oar in the initial row out) and back to Tao, about 1500, we weighed anchor and sailed with the currents toward the entrance toward Topolobampo. The incoming flood pushed us along and we were able to sail into and along the well marked channel entrance as the full moon rose ahead and the sun set behind in simultaneous magnificence. Four hours after pulling Rocky aboard, under the blazing light of the moon, we sailed onto anchor in outer-Topolobampo in the lee of Isla Santa Maria.

The next day we again put Ruby onto Eeyore (decidedly our new surf mobile setup), packed for a day away from the boat with a VHF radio and a GPS, and made our way the 5-miles from our anchorage into Topolobampo proper. By chance, we chose to head left at the fork in the channel (instead of right into what turned out to be the more industrial side and the large Bahia Ohuira) and got permission to leave Eeyore at the small and quite nice though relatively empty Marina Palmira dock. From the marina, we hiked into the small mellow town and walked the malecon, enjoying ice cream and being the only gringos along the way. There was a seafood restaurant overlooking Bahia Ohuira that looked like the prow of a ship, so of course we decided to grab a bite to eatand while there we met the nice couple from Nordic V and shared our excitement over the seemingly undiscovered beauty of this area. With full belly’s, we made a loop back toward our waiting chariot by hiking up over the hill to the church which had amazing views overlooking our anchorage and the sea. The tide was much lower by this time and we found that it really is wise to stay in the marked channel. Though we had no major mishap, we did do a little "sanding" of Ruby’s propeller before realizing how shallow we actually were and rowing back to the main channel where we again watched the sun set as we quickly motored back to Tao.

After a morning hike around the now abandoned fish camp on Isla Santa Maria (it had been in heavy use when Chris had stopped here as he made his way northward last May), followed by lunch, the tides were right for exiting the harbor. Set for another passage, this time south to Mazatlan, we weighed anchor. Once Rocky was aboard, we set the 100% jib and then the main to sail out of the channel on light winds from the south, the shallows outside both sides of the channel marks crashing around us. With the current spitting us directly out the bay’s exit we only had to tack once to stay high enough in the channel and were sailing on near nothing winds at 6-knots (obviously mostly current).

After the convergence zone mark, winds disappeared completely and the currents started taking us northward. We decided to fire up Yannie and make a few miles in the right direction while we were in the “cone of no wind” awaiting the forecast northerly winds. Six and a half hours later at 2300, the engine was given a rest and the 100% went up in the slightest of breezes. Winds were unsettled for the rest of the night shifting from W to NE several times, but we continued to make way the right direction and as the sun rose, the predicted winds finally filled in from the NW.

In the morning, up went the main for wing-on-wing sailing flying along around 5-knots all day until 1400 when winds mellowed and boat speed dipped below 2-knots. So up went our 165% and several hours later, as the sun set, a nice little breeze filled in to push us along between 5 and 7 knots. Around midnight as the winds abated but the seas did not, we changed our point of sail for a bit of a more comfortable ride. The next day we had a beautiful downwind sail conditions, wing-on-wing the whole way to Mazatlan’s Old Harbor. Though we didn’t quite make it by sun down, we had the opportunity to watch the beautiful Mazatlan skyline twinkle to life. Once in the lee of the lighthouse marking the entrance to Old Harbor, we started Yannie, brought sails down, hailed the port captain to check that the entrance was clear, and motored into the anchorage which was well known to Chris. Rocky was set by 2030 and we breathed a sigh of relief having made it here before Chris’ dad, due the next afternoon.

Happy V-day and We're Sailing!!!

The first two weeks of February we were feverishly finishing projects that we’d started in hopes of setting sail soon. After much discussion of longer term options, we received a thumbs up from Don Anderson (the HF radio weather guru) that May is a fine time to do a crossing to Hawaii and locked that plan in. The shorter term was a little bit more difficult as there is so much to do and see in Mexico’s beautiful sailing waters we kept putting off making a decision about where we were going. Chris’ dad, Dave, was hoping to visit in late February and was still awaiting a decision on where he should fly to. After much more discussion regarding either more time on the Baja seeing places we’d missed or visiting the mainland with which we were less familiar, we both agreed that we wanted to focus our time on the mainland this season. Dave bought a ticket into Mazatlan and out of Puerto Vallarta, so with that set, we continued our projects, staying warm through a very cold and eerie norther that we were well protected from in the Bahia.

1.) Electrical panel(s): one of Chris’ big hanging projects has been to get our electrical system organized. This included making a new hinged lighted electrical switch panel in the cabin above the engine, adding a hinged fuse panel accessed from the quarter berth, and creating a new water tight engine instrument panel with new improved gauges in the cockpit. For all three panels we used ¼” black polycarbonate and a clear piece to cover the external panel. We opted away from more complicated and expensive marine grade breaker switches (which in our experience have shorted due to moisture) and instead chose to install an easy to maintain ATO fuse junction box. In addition to the already existing Faria tachometer and hour meter, we installed a 4-in-1 Faria engine gauge set to monitor: alternator status, fuel levels, water temperature, and oil pressure. So far so good and we have room for another 16 switches should we choose to wire anything else new.

2.) Head salt water foot pump/vented loop: our head sink was originally plumbed to our fresh water tanks with a difficult to use vertical hand pump. Before we left Berkeley we replumbed it with a T to the saltwater head inflow. This worked fine, but the system begged for a footpump and at the same time our head system begged for a vented loop for the saltwater inflow. After a dinner with loving and not-so-gentle reminders from Coconut Express that how our head inflow was plumbed was a safety concern we reprioritized and quickly finished that project.

3.) Top stripe/Galley sole: with a vision of all of our projects coming together we have started to shift Tao’s colors from white and blue to white and red. We have purchased terra cotta sunbrella material for our in-the-works dodger and this year’s bottom job was red covering the original blue boot stripe. That left only the blue top stripe. So, we got the local Santa Rosa Sherwin Williams to mix us a liter of 2 part polyeurathane paint to match. As the container they provided it in was not going to last very long, we decided we had to implement it before leaving San Carlos so Shawn jumped on it. We mixed half of the paint and had plenty left after three coats on the top stripe (affectionately called our racing stripe) so did an imprompteau coat over our previously painted cabin sole at the base of the ladder in the galley and under the navigation station (which we had previously put sand into for traction). It all looks quite fresh and clean!

4.) Complete reorganization for sailing: After having spent two months using electrical tools for projects every day, the boat required a complete reorganization stowing power tools deep and pulling sailing gear (sails, charts, foul weather gear) to the top. We also moved all the stainless we’re carrying for that planned dodger from the stern lazarette to the V-berth to balance out our water line.

After having spent over two months in San Carlos working on Tao, we finally felt close to ready to have people over. Over those two weeks, we had dinners with Brady and Jodi the young enthusiastic new crew of Anum Cara, fun and supportive Cate and Paul of Coconut Express who are living on the Caricol, Jenny and Randy of Mystic who plan to head to the Marquesas this spring, and an honorary almost pizza dinner with Hermy and Jack of Iwa. Several more trips to Guaymas for final provisions and Valentine’s Day, our hoped for sail date, was upon us. The winds were up and forecasts were looking good but we had yet to get the new computer with Window’s 7 to talk to our HF radio (USB to 9-pin serial port adapter issues). Since we kept our older computer aboard that could still connect and figuring that we could keep coming up with excuses not to go, we decided to deal with it underway... And we're off!

End of January and plans...

Although still laden with projects, we planned a mid-January date for Chris to take Pepe back to the States to be stored. We moved out to a safer anchor spot in the bay, got the dinghy frame built so Eeyore could be a rowing machine if the outboards were being difficult, wired enough of the electrical system to start Yannie if it became necessary for Shawn to move, etc… Chris pulled out of the Marina San Carlos parking lot at 0815 on Monday the 17th, only one day later than originally planned and proceeded to drive 15-hrs straight (thanks to Estrella for the books on tape) making it to his mom’s in Santa Monica and her hugs (and an amazing dinner) just after 10-o’clock. (In case you're wondering, Grizzly did not manage to stow away in Chris' luggage...)

The next week was a whirlwind for Chris, busy with Stateside tasks while also making time to visit with all of his LA area based family members. To further several on-going boat projects, he got Lexan that we had purchased (clear weatherboards and 3 electric panels) professionally cut, obtained an estimate from a US welder for a possible solar panel “turret” to increase the efficiency of our currently stationary panels, went to Boatswain’s Locker for a few Yanmar parts, and had a fun trip to Minney’s Yacht Surplus with his dad where he found several things we “had” to have. Chris also visited several groceries to bolster our provisions with some favorite American foods difficult to find or very expensive in Mexico (good peanut butter, nuts, pesto sauce packets, teas, etc). And of course, the purported reason for the Stateside visit, he parked Pepe in Ledy and Angie’s (many thanks!!) extra garage and mailed the planned non-operation paperwork to the CA DMV. So many details to tie up…

While Chris was Stateside, Shawn and Grizzly were continuing to chip away at projects aboard. With all the daily chores and a computer crash, not much got done quickly. However there was a serendipitous meeting of Tao’s younger sister- Sula, hull #17 (Tao is #10 of 19). Shawn headed into the marina and enjoyed sharing Nor’West stories and getting aboard such a similar vessel to our own and is very appreciative of the perishables they donated to Tao at their haul out the next morning. Unfortunately Nic and his wife are planning to truck Sula back to Seattle and may sell her so no foreseeable Sea of Coretz sister-ship-sailing. It was an exceptionally windy week and time flew by as Shawn attended an unplanned toga-dinner on Mystic one night and a carne asada and Caesar dinner with amazing desserts on Elan another. With much appreciated curb-service from our friends on Coconut Express Shawn was happily reunited with Chris and his two 50-lb bags and carry on at the Guaymas airport.

Over the past week, Chris has neared the end of his grand rewiring project and Shawn has reattached new foredeck netting to the lifelines and pvc turnbuckle covers on the shrouds. Still, unpacking new project parts brought from the States, we realized that we had more work than until our hoped for departure date at the end of January. Trying to go with the flow, we have come to terms with the fact that we can’t fit everything in. The window of time has passed to implement our original plan of sailing down mainland Mexico for a couple months surfing and then jump across the Pacific in March. So, we took a sanity break to climb the Tetas de Cabra we see so frequently from our anchorage with Mystic. We made it into an even bigger adventure by taking Eeyore and the 15-hp (the new surf seeking mobile) several miles out of the Bahia and up the coast to approach our hike from a known trail head on the other side of the mountain from our anchorage and then testing the new dinghy frame rowing back in 3 to 5-ft swell.

Still anchored in Bahia San Carlos, we are alternatively continuing our project work and discussing our newest options. All long passage making is dominated by weather windows and determining where you can safely spend each hurricane season. Our other major constraining factor is that we have realized that we like to move slowly and do not want to feel rushed along (which is why we exchanged our original lofty ideas of circumnavigation to just sailing and possibly crossing the Pacific). Consulting our World Cruising Routes by Jimmy Cornell we have tossed around ideas from: sailing to Hawaii this spring, to sailing to the Marquesas and spending the hurricane season in the Society Islands, to crossing to Hawaii in November in order to spend more time here in Mexico. As we weather the most recent dust-laden-Norther (40-knot winds and 10-ft seas forecast in the Sea) here in the safety of the Bahia, we are still trying to organize our long term and thus the consequent short term plans. What is for sure is that we are nearing the end of this round of project-making and will be setting sail soon.