A Visit Home and Hasta Luego!!

We are returning from a whirlwind trip through the San Francisco area, Sacramento and Santa Cruz.
As we drove across the Golden Gate bridge towards our Sausalito dock friends, there was a deja-vu feeling, from the Sept 15th departure under the bridge.  Everything felt the same, except it had taken us three hours to fly home, after 140 days of going south. Even our previous slip was still empty.

It was so nice to spend time with  my mom, Margaret, who turns 87 February 23rd.  We had an early celebration with birthday cake with my sister and brother-in-law.  Other days were filled (ok, jam packed) with meals, walks, shopping trips, haircuts, dentists, doctors, tax and finance appointments.  Lots of catch-up meals and visits with friends. I may have overdosed on Asian inspired cuisine, as it is hard to find in Mexico.  I won't bore you with the details or photos, but there were many bento box lunches, sushi, Burmese, Asian-fusion and Malaysian meals with friends.  Two fun music practices  on my piano were enjoyed, which is being babysat at a delightful couple's home at Stanford. A special thanks to our friends who graciously offered up places for us to stay, including sailboats, craftsmen homes, guest bedrooms and even a motor home.  None were refused!

Will it take several days to ease into the Mexican lifestyle?   We hope so, as there are now more boat projects to finish up while we are still in Paradise Village Marina.  Rob was successful in scheduling the ordering and delivery of many boxes of  needed electronic parts.  We will be taking these down to Mexico, and are packed as efficiently as we can.  Thanks to friends who loaned us their extra large duffles with wheels!  With the addition of the Costco and Trader Joe's goodies, we don't know where all of this will be stored aboard Shindig.

It was a wonderful but fast trip home; we look forward to more relaxing visits this summer when we both return in July and August.   Hasta Luego - "See you soon"

Nancy and Mom

Tourists not Sailors

Shindig in her slip

After several days in the Paradise Village Marina, we dropped all boat projects and agreed on a Tourist date.  I convinced Rob to meet me at the bus station and grab a bus down to Puerto Vallarta, where we could walk along the Malecon and enjoy the afternoon.  The bus stop was easy to find, as well as a bus, which we happened to pick with cushy seats and A/C.  The only remaining seats were elevated at the very back.  It wasn't the Directo bus, as we wound our way about 30 minutes in the wrong direction thru each turnabout in a 5 mile stretch of  condos and hotels.  Finally we turned south.  Each bump was not only back jarring, but I was actually flying in the air. Quite an entertaining ride.  Usually these outings start with adventurous intentions taking the bus, and then we take cabs back.

 The symbol of Puerto Vallarta, a statue of a boy riding a seahorse.

We loved the Malecon but it's been years since we've been here.  Fun contemporary art, people watching and many shops and restaurants.  We also made it to Neptune's Plaza near the older Marina, and enjoyed walking around even more boats.  With the San Francisco 49'ers Championship game on, Rob convinced me to stop by a local watering hole so we could enjoy the final quarter.  The waiter was extra accomodating with his free card for welcome margaritas and chips and salsa, so we tucked into a table at Neptune's Plaza and had fiery chicken wings and a club sandwich.   Even Rob was impressed with my bottomless appetite.

Art on the Malecon

Malecon on Sunday

 Sand Castles Art Work

A work in progress

Example of Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) art

King Neptune near Old Marina

Male Gringos checking out the score during the 49'er championship game.

 Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe - one block from the beach



Beautiful Metal Work

Banderas Bay. (La) Cruz to Paradise

We just moved Shindig to Paradise Village.  Sure was nice to get her out of the La Cruz Marina and on the water again, even if it was a one hour sail.  It's easy to get stuck in a marina, with walking access to the showers, laundry, yacht club, boating resources, yoga and fabulous restaurants including 30 peso street tacos in sleepy little La Cruz.  Being on the dock is also more social as we walk by slips of boats, coming and going, many that we've met over the last few months.  We enjoyed quite a few Shindigs in the last week, including having the S/V Fluenta family over (Max and Liz) with their two children, Victoria and Jonathan.  Everyone agrees these kids are inquisitive, articulate and cute as a button.  We missed them from our days in Chacala.

We'll be onboard a very large catamaran today, Kiapa, to join in the Vallarta Cup series sailing race.  It's the same course as the Banderas Bay regatta in March, which we are considering doing ourselves.  The next few days we look forward to exploring the Nuevo and Puerto Vallarta again ; it's been 9 years since we were here on a family land-based vacation.  We are becoming familar with the full bay so that we can be flexible tour guides when friends visit in late February.  Yes, that's you - Linda and Mike!

Another milestone in our cruising adventure is a return "home".  We'll be flying out soon to Placerville and the Bay Area to visit Nancy's mother,  Margaret, and her sister and brother-in-law, Elaine and JD and friends. Without our home, we've had to ask for couch space, actually extra bedroom space, while staying at seven different houses and boats over just  12 days.  The calendar is packed with doctor, business, personal, music and social appointments across over 200 miles. With only one car between us, it's more coordination than planning the meals for the Baja Ha Ha. While we can't visit everyone we'd like, we'll be back in the summer, for several months, with plenty of time to catch up.   After living on a boat for months, we are motivated to be the perfect house guests.

On the boat front, we believe we have finally cured the refrigeration.   The last leak was repaired and the system has been recharged.  So far it has been keeping beer cold and holding onto its refrigerant (134A).

The radar is still dead and we are mulling over repair/replace options.  Repair is tricky in Mexico and may take a long time without guaranteed results.  Replace is a good option but expensive as we look as sourcing electronics in Mexico or getting them when home next week.

Varnish work has been scheduled for when we are back in the Bay area.  We think that some new cockpit cushions are being made.  The Shindig maintenance and beautification project is ongoing.

Here's some photos of the last few weeks in Banderas Bay. 

Fishing Boats at La Cruz Marina

Farmer's Market - Fresh Mexican Cheese

Farmer's Market

Rob stops for a breakfast taco snack

Jennifer, Diane and Nancy

What is Nancy doing?!

Now this is plain weird!!

Surf's up in Sayulita

Colorful Truck selling all sorts of cleaning supplies

Our platter of fish tacos in Sayulita

Toro Fish

These fish were swimming around Shindig picking off the bait fish all morning.
This footage was taken in Tenacatita a few weeks ago.
They are toro or "bull" fish and often mistaken for tuna.

Whale watching (and dodging) in Banderas Bay

"Definition of Tail Slapping: Whales like to lift their huge tails high above the water and slap them down on the surface making a tremendous splash. This can be heard for great distances by others and is probably associated with marking position. Because of the formidable power of the tail, this behavior should be interpreted as aggressive and the creature should be given plenty of room."

Whale playing on the surface

"Slow Down, he is crossing"

Cuidado!  Ballenas en el agua!  It is humpback whale season here in Banderas Bay.  For sailors, it's whale dodging.  On our approach, we changed course to avoid whales. During our 7 hour trip north around Cape Corrientes and into Banderas Bay, we counted dozens of whale sightings.  Rob says you can walk across Banderas Bay on the backs of all the whales.

Many of the sightings were side body views, with portions of the whale's body breaking the water horizon.  Others would be spotted first by their blowholes, puffy clouds of water and air mixed above the water, signaling their breath of air, before submerging again.  Some whales were solo; others were traveling in pairs.  We gave them as much room as possible, trying to anticipate their travel direction and possible change in course.   On the last sighting, one whale seemed to be reaching for the world record of tail slaps - we counted 28!

By 2 pm we were snuggly tied in the La Cruz Marina, re-connecting with more friends that are making their way south.  We were invited to a dinner party (not on a sailboat!)in a lovely furnished apartment here in La Cruz.   Rob particularly enjoyed going between the cold swimming pool and the hot tub. Nancy admired the washer and dryer.

We enjoying a few days of yoga, provisioning at the farmers market today, a Taste of La Cruz last night, street tacos and commenting on each other's sailboats and projects on the docks. 
With the help of some local workers the Shindig beautification process is well in hand.
The laundry is done, refrigerator defrosted with a sizeable leak found and fixed.  Today Nancy is going off on an adventure into the town of Bucerias while Rob test sails some spinnakers on a friends' giant catamarran.

It has also been determined that our radar is busted.... broken.... no worky.  They stopped making this unit over a decade ago so an upgrade may be in order.  It is going to be expensive as we'll have to replace our plotters too in order to be compatible with a new radar. 

Chamela with rose colored glasses

Good news!! Captain Rob is feeling much better, after several days down with a bad cold.  (And when the Captain is down, the whole boat is down)  On our trip north, we are now poised to round  Cabo Corrientes, which is the point just south of Banderas Bay, our destination.  We're about 95 miles away from Banderas Bay.  Corrientes has a reputation similar to California's Pt. Conception, so weather windows, sailor knowledge and common sense, as well as healthy captains, are mucho importante. 

Rob and I made it to shore today, via our large SUP.  We both sit on our knees, and take turns paddling.  It's a little wet, but fun.  Once ashore, we had a full view and access to the beautiful Chamela anchorage.  The beach must be over 6 miles long, a long crescent shape, very lightly populated with an occasional fishing panga, a few restaurants and vacation lodges.  There are a few super happy dogs and a handful of people spread out over miles of brilliantly golden sand. I had to take off my sunglasses to absorb all the colors.  The deep contrast between sand and blue water reminded me of the  final scene from the movie Shawshank Redemption, when Timothy Robbin's character finally reunites with Morgan Freeman's character on a remote Mexican beach.  That was supposedly Zihuateneja, but I think Chamela wins hands down. 

With 10 sailboats in the anchorage, we've learned that two others are also planning to head North tomorrow. The weather window looks good for our first 50 mile leg. We heard that that anchorage will have room for us, so that the final leg, around Cabo Corrientes, will be a "breeze".  
Some homemade coconut oatmeal cookies are waiting patiently for their debut tomorrow. 

Internet is very spotty here, and uploading photos takes too long.  Will post some when we're back in the mecca of sailing, Banderas Bay. 

Refer Madness

Our refrigeration system is leaking..... slowly.

With a "sniffer" tool that Tana brought down with her from the states I have been able to locate one leak and stop it.  So far so good.  The beer is cold and we are making ice!