The Sea Story

BACK IN MEXICO

2011-12-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I posted to this blog, I'm just going to do a quick over-view of the highlights since my last entry, the trip to Manzanillo..

From Manzanillo, we sailed back up to Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan and our home port, La paz. Overall, the trip north was pretty calm and uneventful. We dropped Doug and Jan in Puerta Vallarta and between P.V. and Mazatlan, we got to rescue a sea turtle. Poor guy was so tied up he could only swim in circles at the surface, prevented from diving by a plastic, water-bottle buoy.

Incapacitated sea turtle, wound-up in the buoyed, polypropylene line Mexican fisherman use for long-line sets. Once I cut the line free, he went straight down to a safer environment.

Sea Story stayed in La paz for the summer. In April, Mary Lee flew back to Wisconsin, and I drove back a couple of weeks later. We did manage a trip up to coastal British Columbia for a couple of weeks with Doug and Jan on Snowhawke in late August. It was another fish-food orgy; salmon, ling cod, dungeness crab and prawns to excess.

The rest of the summer was a lot of biking, visiting old friends and relatives, gardening and a couple of weeks in Sacramento.

In late October, we drove back down to La paz, stopping in Denver and Sacramento along the way. Denver was particularly nice, with great fall color and delightfully warm weather just in advance of their first big snowfall of the season (we got out of town just a day and half before it hit!).

The drive down Baja is a daylight-only, 1000 mile haul that takes three days to do comfortably. Other than a couple of difficult construction detours, the paved, 2-lane road is good, if a bit narrow by U.S. standards. Biggest dangers are not bandits, but 18-wheelers that crowd the centerline, and free-range cattle that like coming up onto the pavement after dark. The terrain is remarkably varied, although mostly desert and rugged mountains. There are also several agricultural regions, some which feature miles and miles of plastic tented fields of vegetable crops.

Now that we're back on Sea Story at Marina Palmira, it's time to get re-acquainted with our neighbors, the other live-aboards who inhabit dock three, our particular block in the neighborhood. Many of us are "commuter cruisers" who leave the boats down here and spend our summers in the U.S. and Canada. Others are year-round residents who tough out the hot summers at the dock or up in the Sea of Cortez. Still others are semi-transients on their way to or from other sailing destinations. It makes for a nice, eclectic mix of folks who have become some of our best friends over the past few years.

Right now, there's some friendly holiday, boat decorating competition. Sea Story has a well-earned reputation in this category, so it's back up to the foredeck to hang another string of lights.

Happy holidays everyone....

QUICK TRIP TO MANZANILLO

2011-03-27T16:32:00.000-06:00

Sea Story Med-Moored at the Las Hadas Marina with part of the resort complex in the background. This is a docking style common to the Mediterranean, but rarely used in the US or Mexico. It requires a good anchor set and a competent crew. Luckily we had both.

Friends Jan and Doug were interested in the coast south of Puerta Vallarta, so we sailed down to Manzanillo, a trip of about 140 miles along mainland Mexico's "gold coast." Originally, we had only planned to sail down to Bahia Tenacatita, which is about 30 miles north of Manzanillo. But our plans to do some snorkling there were frustrated when we found the renowned "aquarium" part of the bay was off-limits because of a property dispute - one of those things that still occasionally happen down here.

So, with our snorkling plans torpedoed, we headed down to Manzanillo, the farthest south we have been in Mexico so far.

Manzanillo is reportedly Mexico's busiest international port and its blessed with wide, beautiful beaches spread out along two exceptional bays, Manzanillo and Santiago. The luxury resort of Las Hadas sits on a spectacular point between the two bays and is a favorite cruiser hang-out in Manzanillo. Its facilities include an elegant hotel, a wide, clean beach, a huge pool and a marina. If you anchor outside the mariana, you can dinghy in and use the resort facilities for a nominal fee. We elected to tie-up in the marina, which costs more but also makes all the facilities more easily accessible, especially when four people are aboard.

Our two day stay in Manzanillo was short, but enjoyable. The overnight trip back up to Puerta Vallarta included some rough hours around Cabo Corrientes, and that reminded us that seldom does something good come without a cost. The final reward was the blissful six hours once we rounded the cape and found the smooth water of Bandaras Bay. Sunny and calm never felt so good....

ALICIA AND ALFREDO REPORT

Good friends and adventurers extraordinaire, Alicia and Alfredo, are off on another trip around the world on their sailboat On Verra. This is Alicia's third circumnavigation. At last word, they were in Gambier, French Polynesia after stopping off at Pitcairn Island and riding out the tsunami at sea. Someday, someone is going to write a book about this pair....

GLOWING WATER AND TSUNAMIS

2011-03-23T17:27:00.000-06:00

The view of Marina Vallarta from Dana and Gale's condo, with Sea Story snugged in toward the end of the dock at center, left. This is where we rode out the Tsunami with little noticable disturbance because of the protected configuration of the marina.

Sea Story is docked in Marina Vallarta again. This time we're sharing her with our power-boat friends, Jan and Doug, while their boat, Snow Hawke, is sitting out the winter in Olympia, Washington. We're also having a great visit with old friends, Dana and Gale, who's hospitality includes the spare room in their condo overlooking the marina. Good conversation, good wine and some superb day sailing on Bandaras Bay, one of my very favorite places for dependable wind, whale sightings and the company of friendly dolphins.
On the way down from Mazatlan, I had a downright eerie experience. Well after sunset, on very dark, moonless night, we rather suddenly encountered a large (40-45 feet across) patch of glowing phosphorescence that Sea Story sailed right through! For the next 10 -15 minutes we passed near or through several more of these glowing patches, and I could actually see fish swimming in them as we crossed them. One of the wierdest conditions I have come across, although I've seen lots of smaller, dinner plate size phosphoresence patches in the boat's wake before - never anything nearly the size of these. Almost expected to see a space ship lurking there under the ocean surface...
The Japanese tsunami was the other big excitement once we got down here to PV. We had about six hours warning before it hit, and the forecast height was less than a meter so it wasn't too frightening. Here in the marina, we experienced several up and down cycles that just felt like a reved up tidal cycle with the floating docks rising and falling within a range of about 32 inches every 15 minutes. Nothing very dramatic, but it did roil up the harbor bottom mud, and we had very brown water for several days afterward.
At the moment, we're looking for a weather window for the transit back up to La paz, via Mazatlan. Before we leave, I'll try to do another post about out trip down to Manzanillo last week,and the latest report from
Alicia and Alfredo who are off on her THIRD circumnavigation!

We have inflatable life-vests on Sea Story, and Gale wanted to know how they work, so here is her trial inflation in the pool at their condo.

Overdue Update

2011-02-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sea Story, with a fresh coat of bottom paint and swinging in the lift at the Baja Naval boatyard in Ensenada Mexico. Great yard with an interesting community just outside the gates. We were here for a week in early January.

Sea Story is back in La paz after a long journey down the coast from San Francisco. The trip was an eventful one. It started in mid October, and featured California stops in Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Oceanside and San Diego. The Captain damaged some ribs on a blustery night passage around Pt. Conception, and Sea Story spent a couple of months at the Chula Vista Marina while my ribs healed and we worked on repairs to the auto pilot and GPS. I also crewed on a power-boat delivery to La paz during that respite, so the boat actually got a longer break than I did...
After a quick trip back to Wisconsin for a lovely, snowy holiday celebration; we left on January 4th for a liesurely trip down Baja. This time I wanted to stop at some of those little anchorages I've always bypassed before; time to smell the roses and chart some waypoints for future trips.
After a week-long layover and haul out in Ensenada, we overnighted down to the San Carlos anchoage at the top of the Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino (big open bay that often throws bad wind and waves at you!).
Then it was down to Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay), the fishing villages of Ascunscion and Abreojos and the old whaling station at Punta Belcher on Magdallena Bay. Luckily, this was also a bonus year for whale and dolpin traffic, so there was plenty of company all the way down the Baja.
After the simplicity and remoteness of our outside Baja anchorages, an overnight on the hook at Cabo San Lucas was a bit of culture shock. Jet skis, parasails, overamplified beach parties and a constant procession of glass-bottom tour boats were a reminder of how much nicer it is to be off-the-grid in Mexico. As if we needed a reminder....
Marina Palmira was only a couple of days around the Cape and up to La paz from Cabo, so here we are now, just a couple of slips away from last year's berth and back with our winter neighbors.

Next week, we will be heading over to Puerta Vallarta and more adventure on the coast of mainland Mexico. I'll try to do a better job of keeping you all posted...

This is the rugged,early morning coast of Baja, looking south as we sail out of Magdalena Bay and head down toward Cabo San Lucas, 120 miles, and full day of sailing away. Lots of whales in this area, so we have to keep a sharp lookout to avoid sneaking up on one.

Meeting New Friends at the Minnesota State Fair

2010-09-15T11:58:00.000-06:00

Old friend, Joe Quinn, and I spent another day at the Minnesota State Fair this year, and we came across this well known Minnesota Senator meeting and greeting fair goers. Since retired judge Joe and I argue politics most of the time we're walking around the fair, this was a welcome reinforcement for my side of the argument.

More Alicia and Alfredo

2010-08-27T15:47:00.000-06:00

Cruising friends Alycia and Alfredo are still bicycling around the U.S., going from Tucson, AZ, to Florida, and now up to Montana. Here they are taking a break from the bikes and hiding up into East Glacier Park before heading west to Washington and then back down to their boat in Guaymas, MX, Typical of their many adventures is an email exerpt describing camping in Glacier:

Friday, August 20, 2010 7:53 AM ..... at the last camp ground, Cosley Lake, there was a grizzly bear that came to visit just after we got in the tent and the neighbor was chased up a tree by a black bear about 6pm. How exciting! The weather was perfect the last 5 days and we arrived to the Chief mountain trailhead which was only 100 yards from the Canadian border.

It was a great trip. We hitched back to our bikes and our hosts in East Glacier and we will probably leave today heading west.We are now on the northern tier bike route, heading to west Glacier, Columbia Falls, Eureka, Troy, MT. then Sandpoint, ID. and then into WA.

Alicia and Alfredo

Summer in San Francisco for Sea Story

2010-08-07T18:40:00.000-06:00

Before we got to California, we caught a nice tuna near Magdalenna Bay, off the Mexican coast of Baja. We estimated his weight between 15 and 20 pounds. Good eating, but the hard part was having to clean him with a sharp knife on this pitching deck. (Photo by Connie LaBounty)

The trip up the California coast was tough this year. Rough weather persisted longer than usual, and it took a long time to get from San Diego to San Francisco. As usual, we had some great folks for crew members, so the boat was well manned. But, a stubborn high pressure area off the north coast, kept sending us those short, steep waves that make progress difficult when you're sailing into them. Net result was a trip that took 15 days instead of the usual 6, and featured layovers in Santa Barbara, Morro Bay and Santa Cruz.
The up side of all this was the chance to spend time in these delightful ports that we usually leave too early or bypass entirely. The down side is that I needed some time off after completing the trip and working on the things that typically need fixing after a month of bashing northward up the Pacific coastline.
So, right now, I'm cooling my heels in wonderful, summertime, Wisconsin, and Sea Story is resting easy in a berth at Richmond's Marina Bay. At the end of September, I'll be back aboard and getting ready for a return trip down the coast to Mexico. This time, it will be mostly downwind and riding the waves instead of bashing into them. After nearly a month on dry land, I'm already starting to look forward to the trip.

Sea Otters are making a comback in the Monterey Bay, and here is one taking a snooze in the Santa Cruz harbor. When they are off the coast, the wrap themselves in kelp to keep from drifting off while they're taking a nap. Here in the harbor, they just pick a quiet fairway.

The Bikers

2010-06-02T12:56:00.000-06:00

My friends Alicia and Alfredo in La paz this past winter. This is the same couple who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada last summer and this year are bicycling around the U.S. They started in Tucson, rode to Florida, up to Virginia and are now in Oklahoma. Their plan is to end up in California by fall and then head back down to their boat, which is currently stored in Guaymas.
Alfredo is a former Italian lingarie designer, and Alicia has sailed completely around the world, TWICE! It's ging to be interesting to see what they do next....

San Diego and Points North

2010-05-25T12:42:00.000-06:00

This year's Sea of Cortez season wound down after Bay Fest for us "commuter cruisers." who come down to escape the cold winter weather and then head north to avoid the summer heat of Baja. Last year, I left Sea Story in La paz and then drove the van back down in November. This year, Sea Story is going north, and the van stayed in La paz. Of course, that meant traveling at five knots instead of fifty, but who's in a hurry?
Actually, one of the reasons I brought the boat back to the U.S. was to allow the Tradewinds Sailing Club to offer another coastal sailing trip from San Diego to San Francisco on Sea Story. The details are included in the latest Tradewinds newsletter, reprinted below:

California Coastal Cruise!

This is a two-part trip up California’s coastline with Tradewinds Instructor Jerry Rouillard on Sea Story, a Pearson 39 outfitted for offshore cruising. It’s the perfect trip for those who want an affordable, offshore cruising ex-perience in a manageable time frame. The first section of the trip is from San Diego to Santa Barbara via Catalina Island. The second section is from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Each section will be booked separately for just that leg of the trip. Crew slots will be limited to three individuals, or two individuals and one couple who can share the same cabin. Prices include provisions. As with any sea voyage the dates are the best we can plan in advance. If you would like to sign up please plan a day or two on either end as “just-in-case” days

Leg One: San Diego to Santa Barbara – June 5th to June 9th.

Crewmembers for this leg will meet on June 5th and set sail that afternoon for Catalina with a possible interim, overnight anchorage at Santa Cruz Island. After an overnight stay at Catalina it will be an easy hop up to Santa Barbara. With no weather delays, crewmembers will be replaced by those on the second leg of the trip. Cost: $595.00

Leg Two: Santa Barbara to San Francisco – June 9th to June 13th.

The crew will board the afternoon of the 9th of June and set sail. The itinerary will include one overnight stopover at Monterey, Morro Bay or the anchorage at San Simeon. Anticipated arrival in Santa Francisco will be June 13th. Cost: $595.00

Please Note:

Due to the nature of this trip, we’d only like you to sign up if you can be flexible by two days either at the beginning or the end of your leg. If weather conditions dictate, we may adjust the departure time by two days in either direction.

At last check with Brandy at Tradewinds, this trip is sold out, but we are planning a return to San Diego in July, so give her a call if you're interested in that trip. It's always been a great offshore experience, particularly for those who are thinking of taking off on their own boat some day.

Another Bash Up Baja

2010-05-25T12:24:00.000-06:00

The trip north along Baja's west coast is ruefully referred to as the "Baja Bash," not because it's a big party, but because bashing headlong into wind and wave out of the northwest is pretty much the story for the entire 800 miles up the coast from Cabo San Lucas. This year was no exception, so it took our hardy crew - Jerry, Dennis, Connie and Mary Lee -a full two weeks to mostly motor-sail Sea Story up to her present berth here in San Diego's West Harbor Island Marina. Of course, it really wasn't all that bad. That two weeks included one full week anchored in Turtle Bay waiting out high winds with a dozen other "bashers" who were working their way north with us. And, cruisers being mostly social animals, we had a big party to break up the week.

This was the party at "La Palapa," the Turtle Bay beachfront restaurant operated by the very hospitable Carlos and Mercedes who are pictured in the top row right in front of the open door to the kitchen. Great party with our own music, singing and lots of new friends waiting out a week of strong winds on the baja outside.

Given it's location, roughly halfway up the Baja peninsula, and it's good all-around protection, Turtle Bay is a good place to hang out during a big blow. It is pretty well off the main road, and offers only limited services (no banks or ATMs), but it does have fuel, food and beer. The local folks are quite friendly to cruisers, and you do grow kind of attached to the place after a few days anchored in the protection of the surrounding desert hills. Still, after a week, it was easy to rouse the crew out of their warm berths before sunrise to raise anchor and head out on Friday, the 14th of May. We arrived in San Diego and a whole different culture three days later.

Our crew on deck at sunset in Turtle Bay. This photo was shot by our neighbor, Dr. Lou Freeman from Fresno. We traded off hosting dinner on our boats, and he shared some amazing photos of blue footed boobies riding his lifelines in the Sea of Cortez.

Our Turtle Bay neighbor, Dr. Lou Freeman who was single-handing up the Baja coast on his 50' Swan. Lou has done two Single-Handed Transpac races from San Francisco to Hawaii, so a solo "Bash" is really no big deal for him.

These blue-footed boobies were Lou's companions for 36 hours in the Sea of Cortez. He was able to approach close enough to touch each one of them during their stay. His only complaint;they made one hell of a mess on his deck!

Racing and Swimming with Sea Lions

2010-04-23T13:10:00.000-06:00

The time here in La paz has been very active since we got back from the month-long expedition up into the Sea of Cortez last February. Last week it was swimming with the Sea Lions out at Los Islotes, a very small and rocky island just off the north end of Isla Partida, about an hour and a half from La paz in a 20' panga powered by a 100 hp honda outboard. These sea lions are old hands at showing off for the scuba divers and snorkelers, and they will actually make contact with you in the water; nibbling on your flippers, or even mouthing your arm or leg just like a playful puppy...!

Butch and Cynthia on the Norseman 447, Albatross, set up the trip and invited us along. Below are some of Butch's photos from the trip:

Before the Sea Lions, it was the annual celebration of Bayfest, Club Cruceros annual season wrap-up of fun, music, games and even a sail boat race. Sea Story finished a respectable second in her class in the race, and I got a bottle of wine for helping with the Man-Overboard training session that provided some 40-odd cruisers some actual hands-on experience in bringing our volunteer swimmers back on a sailboat after they were in the water. This was a lot like the Man-Overboard Symposium I helped with in Sausilito back in 2005. And, it was a real eye-opener this time as well. Most people just don't realize how much is involved with getting someone back on board a sailboat if they are in any way incapacitated.

The rest of Bayfest was good music, an art show, beach volleyball, seminars, card and dominoes tournaments and a lot of great socializing. Some very good photos are available on the Club Cruceros website at http://www.clubcruceros.org/

My bottle of wine award for helping with the man-overboard training. Much better than a certificate of appreciation!

Back from Cruising the Sea of Cortez

2010-03-28T17:30:00.000-06:00

It was a choppy day with moderate winds when Moorings Charter Captain Kevin Porter took this picture of Sea Story headed south toward the San Lorenzo channel about 50 miles north of La paz.

It was a bit cooler in the Sea of Cortez this winter, but the sailing was better than last year even if we did have to wait out a couple of northers along the way.
This time, Sea Story made it all the way north to Bahia Concepcion where we were able to anchor for a couple of days in Burro Cove, a delightful spot that is also home to Geary Ritchie, who does a daily weather forecast on the Sonrisa Single Sideband Net from his palapa right on the beach. By "right on the beach." I really mean within spitting distance of the high water line! Anyway, Geary's card describes him as Beach Bum Extraordinaire, and it turns out he is another ex-skydiver from Sacramento. He's also a fellow graduate from Sac State, so we had way too much in common for just a short visit. For an interesting Baja profile, you can check out Geary and his palapa on http://www.sonrisanet.org/.

With Geary and our fellow cruisers, Bob and Doreen Hauff, off Scottish Mist, to watch the boat for a couple of nights, we had a chance to get into Mulege to visit Dusty and Suzie Huber in their beautiful house in the often storm damaged community. The town was still cleaning up after major flood damage from last fall's hurricane Jimena, but luckily, Dusty and Suzie were high enough to escape any damage.

On the return trip, we negotiated with Miguel for lobsters at the anchorage at Timbibiche. Unlike his father Manuel, who usually wants tequila, Miguel preferred a cold coke and a few pesos for the still-kicking, spiny lobsters. Wonderful dinner on Sea Story that night....

Making Ready to Cast Off

2010-02-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

We've been at the dock here at Marina Palmira for a couple of months now, and it's getting to be time to cast off the lines and head up in to the Sea of Cortez. The new bimini will be finished within the week, the dingy is again seaworthy (no more leaks), it's outboard motor is tuned up; and the allure of remote anchorages, unpopulated beaches, reports of playful whales, and brilliant starlit skies are all too much to resist any longer.

The plan is to sail as far north as Bahia Conception (near Mulege) and then work slowly back down here to La paz over a month-long time frame. It's about 200 miles each way, but we do have a fuel and water stop at the half-way point in Puerto Escondido (just south of Loreto). As a point of interest, Escondido's water comes from a free-flowing creek in Steinbeck Canyon, which is named after the famous author who visited this area in the 1940's and memorialized the trip in his book The Log From the Sea of Cortez. The book has been a great reference for some of the areas we visit.

Sea Story will be back in La paz by mid-March. We will be entertaining visitors for a couple of weeks late in the month, and then there will be the Cruceros Club celebration of Bayfest in mid-April .

After all that is behind us, Sea Story is going to head north up to San Diego for the summer. We're sheduled out of here on the 1st of May, which should put us into California by the middle of the month. Then we'll see what adventures the summer holds.....

Getting Work Done in Mexico

2010-01-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Sergio Gallindo at work on Sea Story's stainless steel top rail in preparation for the new bimini frame it will support. Sergio enjoys a reputation as one of the top stainless steel fabricators in Baja.

One of the benefits of bringing a sailboat down to Mexico is the ability to get excellent work done on the boat at bargain prices. Many of the Mexican craftsman have worked in the U.S. and found their skills were appreciated back in Mexico where the cost and the pace of living were easier to handle. The well developed network of cruising sailors also provides plenty of work for the really talented practitioners.

La paz is particularly fortunate in this regard. With a large boating community and easy access to U.S. marine products, people like Sergio Gallindo can develop a reputation that keeps them busy and lets them support their families even when the rest of the Mexican economy is depressed as it unfortunately is now.

Sergio is a stainless steel fabricator with an artist's eye for design and workmanship. For years he worked in Alameda, California and developed an impressive reputation in the Bay boating community. Now he has his own business and still has customers from the Bay area who stop by La paz to have him work on their boats down here.

Chicago's "Cloud Gate" is one of Sergio's resume' pieces. He did finish work on this massive stainless steel sculpture, which is also known less formally as "The Bean."

This project was a family affair with Sergio's wife, Guadalupe, and his apprentice assisting him. After they finished the job, Sergio brought us a meal of delicious Chile Rellenos that Guadalupe had fixed for us; a touching and very personal gesture that is so typical of the Mexican people.

Reconnecting

2010-01-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of months from completing their 3000 mile, Pacific Crest Trail hike, Alfredo and Alica showed up in La paz with plans for another adventure; a bicycle trip around the United States!

We almost missed connecting. Sea Story was out in the islands over the New Years holiday when they showed up in La paz. Luckily, we did get together before they left to cruise up into the Sea of Cortez on their way back to Guaymas, where they are going to put On Verra back on the hard in preparation for their big bike trip.

I'm looking forward to posting their email updates again, and this time they have promised to send more photos to supplement the narrative.

We will keep everyone posted....

Scheduling Issues

2009-12-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

It looks like we were just a bit too late in putting together a charter in the Sea of Cortez for this winter. Coordinating vacation schedules on short notice was getting way too complicated, so I'm going to cancel the March charter for this year.

We may do it next year though. Some people are interested in the same kind of trip if we can do the planning with more advance notice and flexibility in the time frame. Over the next few months we may be able to put together a package that's more accomodating than this one was, so I'll keep this blog updated on whatever comes out of that effort.

In the meantime, Sea Story is spending most of the holiday in Marina Palmira on the north side of La paz. The weather is wonderful, and I'm planning to spend a few days out in the islands between Christmas and New Years. The rest of the time, it will be dock parties and holiday festivities in the easy comraderie of the many American and Canadian cruisers who enjoy this place as much as I do.

Marina Palmira is Sea Story's home for this winter. It connects to La paz by a divided highway and the Malecon, a wide walk-way that serves as a popular exercise route and meeting place for locals and visitors alike. The boats in the distance are anchored in front of Marina La paz.

A Sailing Vacation in the Sea of Cortez

2009-11-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

Beautiful sunsets and calm anchorages are a big part of the Sea of Cortez experience. Sailing conditions are also very benevolent during the winter season, making this a great introduction to sailing charter vacations.

Uninhabited Islands with pristine beachs are just part of the allure of the Sea of Cortez. Jacques Cousteau called it "The aquarium to the world," and the Sea still lives up to that remarkable description. Seals, dolphins, whales and rays are all part of the scenery. This view of Yellowstone Beach is from a sandy knoll on the north shore of Isla Montserrat with Sea Story at anchor is the distance. Great swimming and snorkeling. Notice how crowded the anchorage is!

Are You Up For A Sailing Vacation?

After four winter seasons of cruising the Pacific Coast of Mexico, I've found the ideal place to offer as a charter vacation to everyone open to a sailing experience in one of the most intriguing areas of North America. This particular part abounds in sea life and remote anchorages that offer great swimming with the sea lions, diving, kayaking and hiking trails on unpopulated desert islands that harbor an astounding variety of terrestial wild life.

That said, it's important to know that the charter experience requires no sailing experience, and can easily be no more strenuous that sunbathing and enjoying a cold beer or margarita once we've dropped the anchor. You can pretty much dial in the level of activity you are comfortable with on this kind of trip. You will have a captain to handle the technical parts of the sailing, and a cook to take charge of meal preparation, but this is not to say you can't get involved in all aspects of this charter experience. Active participation really is a big part of the enjoyment of a sailing vacation.

So, here are the details:

Time: March 7 - 13

Place: Departing & Returning La paz, Baja California Sur.

Cost: $1300 per person. (excluding transportation)

The trip I have planned for this year is a low-cost, one-week excursion on Seascape, a local 41' ketch that has been nicely setup for this area. It can comfortably handle two couples who would each share a berth, or we could accommodate one couple and two individuals who would berth in individual bunks the saloon area of the boat. A good description of Seascape is available at www.seascapecharters.com/description_sail.html. The website also has some very good information about travel to and from La paz and individual preparation for a sailing vacation.

If you're interested in this trip, email me as soon as you can. I can't take any reservations after the end of December, and it has to be "first come, first served" up till then.

The total cost of the charter will be $1300 per person, travel to and from La paz not included. That charge will include the boat, food and all the incidental costs including taxes and permits. It will also include a "sundowner" at the end of the day, but you will have to buy any additional alcohol yourself.

Because of the short timeline, reservation for this trip will require payment before the end of the year. I can provide more detail about the particulars of the payment and refund policy by email.

As of this date, we also have the capacity to plan a larger trip on one of Moorings catamarans if there is a larger group. It would cost about $700 more per person, but we can handle up to four couples and the catamarans are a big step up in luxury. We would have to get on this very quickly to reserve a boat, so get in touch with me right away if you're interested in this option

Oh, by the way, the temp is 80 degrees and the sun is shinning here in La paz....

Heading South

2009-11-14T18:47:00.001-07:00

It's getting to be that time again. The days are shorter, the sun is more elusive, and northern California looks less inviting each day. It's time to get back to La paz and put the sails back on Sea Story.
Tomorrow, I'm turning my trusty old Plymouth mini-van south to San Diego for a couple of days of last-stop shopping before we cross the border and brave a the trip down Baja. Have to admit, it's more appealing to look at covering fifty knots per hour instead of the five knots that Sea Story averages, but I'll miss the long night passages that are such an attitude adjusting part of the sailing trip. No sane person drives at night on Mexican highways, so no night watches for the van trip!
Just got word that Alicia and Alfredo have already splashed On Verra in Guaymas so I'll be looking for them to arrive in La paz before Christmas. Can't wait to get the back-story on their epic hike up the Pacific Crest Trail...
The next post will provide some information in the Sea of Cortez charter trip I'm putting together in March... There are still openings left, so don't miss it if you think you might want to sign on....

Rick Missed

2009-10-21T12:15:00.000-06:00

Another lucky break; hurricane Rick turned east and totally missed the Baja pennisula. Hopefully, this will be the last big one for this season, but the hurricane season doesn't end until mid-November, so we're not out of the woods yet...

Hurricane Rick

2009-10-19T12:10:00.000-06:00

This storm looked pretty bad just a couple of days ago, but now seems to be losing steam. That's a good thing because it's reported to have been the second strongest hurricane in this part of the Pacific since they have started keeping records!
Initially it was forecast to pass right over La paz, but the track has been adjusted southward and it may even miss Cabo San Lucas as it heads east.
We're still not out of the woods, because hurricanes don't always do what they are supposed to do. But, at this point, things are looking up.
The following link is to an update that came off Yahoo today.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/hurricanes/2009-10-19-hurricane-rick_N.htm?csp=34

Health Care in Mexico

2009-09-28T11:54:00.000-06:00

A lot of friends - knowing I spend most of the winter in Mexico - ask about the cost, the quality and the availability of healthcare down there. The short answer is that it's cheap, it's good, and - depending on where you are - it's also readily available. If you're in a large metropolitan area, like La paz, there's no problem finding treatment right away. If you're in a rural, out-of-the-way village, it could be more difficult.

There are also some real healthcare bargains in Mexico if you're not opposed to socialized medicine, which is so prominant a part of the healthcare debate in the U.S. For a good description of one option, click on the following link: http://www.banderasnews.com/0909/hb-mexhealthcare.htm

Mexico also has an excellent private healthcare system and medical insurance that is available at a fraction of that in the U.S. What makes it so cheap? The availability and competition from the "public option" described in the linked story above.

So, if the costs are less, and the care so good (American health insurance companies now send patients to Mexico for medical care), you have to wonder why we having such a big argument about the public option in this country. Do you suppose it's the $1.2 million per day the health insurance industry is spending to oppose it? Naw, probably not. My guess is that they are just spending money to illuminate the issue. And they are probably sending patients to Mexico for the cheaper treatment made possible by the socialized medicine system in order to keep from overcrowding American hospitals....
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/11/13/calcostsifornia_health__send_patients_to_mexico_facilities/for

2600 Miles in 133 Days

2009-09-22T13:44:00.000-06:00

(PCT Overview from Forest Service Brochure)

After more than a month without hearing from them, I was starting to get a bit worried about Alfredo and Alicia's big adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail. Fear not however, they just checked in with the following triumphant announcement. Great achievement for both of them, and I'm looking forward to the hearing the unpublished details when we get together in Mexico...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Crest_Trail

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Dear family and friends,

WE DID IT!!!!!!We arrived to Canada on Sept. 17, almost 5 months of walking 2600miles. If you remember we started April 23. I think actual walking days it took 133days. Anyway we were out of touch for most of the last 1000 miles sorry for no updates. It was a fantastic experience! At the end we arrived to the border, just a clearing in the woods, with the monument 78 and register, we were almost ready to walk back to Mexico, we were feeling great, the weather was perfect, and the mountains were so inviting. We had spent the last night on top the mountain at 7000ft and ran down the mountain the next morning almost 3000ft and then back up. Instead of continuing on to Manning Park, Canada we did walk back 30 miles to Harts Pass which had a dirt road back to civilization. The last day was a time to reflect on our wonderful experience and also see some of the other hikers we hadnt seen in months. It was sad to leave the trail after it had been our home for so long. We thoughly enjoyed sleeping in our little tent every night and we never got tired of our trail food. All through WA. we ate wild mushrooms and blueberries. I think we were a bit rough looking by the end and a shower did sound good.Now we are in Idaho visiting my family and my new little niece. We will be heading down to Mexico in about 3 weeks, back to our other life on the boat.

Thinking of you all,

Alicia and Alfredo

Back to California

2009-09-08T09:10:00.000-06:00

Within a week, I'll be heading back to California after spending the summer here in the midwest. The past few months have been a nice opportunity to reconnect with old friends and relatives and even do a little teaching for the Sail Away Sailing School in Minneapolis. The weather has been wonderful this year, but the trees are starting to show some fall color, so it's time to head west again. I'm already scheduled to teach a couple of classes for Tradewinds when I get back, so it's going to be interesting to now contrast that with the lake sailing I've done back here. Have to admit, I'm looking forward to getting back on San Francisco Bay again!

Haven't heard anything from Alicia or Alfredo for quite awhile now, so I'm starting to get a bit anxious about their progress on the Pacific Coast Trail. Of course, they did mention that they wouldn't have as much Internet access once they got up into Oregon, so it's probably not too surprising we haven't had more email from them...

Will try to do keep more up-to-date on the blog once I get back to northern California next week. After reading the "Summerwind" blog of cousin Holly and her husband Alan, I'm a bit shamed by my inattention to keeping this one more current. If you haven't looked at their blog (on the Links list), I heartily recommend it. They've done a great job, and it reads like a high quality travelogue. Watch out Rick Steves!

Dodging a Bullet

2009-09-03T16:53:00.000-06:00

Sea Story securely tied to the dock at Singlar Marina in La paz. Storm clouds from advancing hurricane Jimena show up in the background, as Susan and Dennis Ross prepare the boat for the possible arrival of the catagory 4 blow.

It looked bad for awhile. Hurrican Jimena was gathering strength and heading for southern Baja. Images of past hurricane damage to the La paz area were reminders of how devastating wind and wave could be from a storm this strong - at 155 mph, it was bordering on catagory 5 wind speeds.

Luckily, the storm turned just enough to the west to spare both Cabo San Lucas and La paz any major damage. The western coast of Baja, in the region of San Juanico, got the brunt of the storm when it came ashore, but by then it had weakened considerably, and I'm hoping this remote little community - one of my favorite stops on the way north - didn't get hit too hard.

So, it's so-far-so-good with respect to hurricanes this year. Of course, it's still early.....

On the positive side, Dennis and Susan Ross, of Ross Marine, are taking good care of Sea Story during this storm season. And, that's a big relief...

Approaching Oregon

2009-09-03T15:14:00.000-06:00

The image shows, in the foreground, a rocky outcrop in the Klamath mountain range in northern California, USA known as Castle Crags. To the right in the distance you can see en:Mount Shasta.
photo made by Bob Walker in en:Siskiyou County, California in 1991

Wednesday, July 29

Dear family and friends,

We are still going!!! We have made it to Etna which is mile 1606!!!! It has been over 3 months and we are still in Califoria. But we are almost to Oregon, only about 100 miles to go to the border. It has been HOT but yesterday for the first time in about 6 weeks we had a hail storm and were freezing cold and wet. We were pelted by hazelnut size hail mixed with rain and within the hour Alfredo almost got clobbered by a falling tree branch and then by a large rock which was falling down the mountain. And we just happen to be on the top of an exposed section of mountain about 7000 feet. No rain fell in the valley.We just went through another nice section from Castle Craigs, Shasta-Trinity Wilderness, Trinity Alps wilderness, and the Russian Wilderness. We have had fantastic views of Mt Shasta which is the looming 14,100ft volcanic peak. Also everything is so green now and wildflowers abound, the forests are full of life and endlessly tall pines. We saw our first bear, it was a black bear, not too big, we looked at him and he looked at us. I told him we were not going to be his breakfast and kept walking. There have been many deer on the trail, sometimes just resting or looking for food, and once we just walked 15 feet behind a threesome for about 10 minutes. So yes we are still hanging in there and we are feeling good. We seem to be always hungry, I think we need to carry more food. Once we get to Oregon we may not have too many internet opportunities but will email when we can.All the best to all. Time to go eat again.

Love,

Alicia and Alfredo

Mt. Whitney

2009-09-03T15:01:00.000-06:00

Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous United States. It rises from the Owens Valley on the eastern border of the Sequoia National Park, where the majesty one would expect from a mountain of its standing is significantly abated by its position in a crowd of steeper, more formidable high peaks. Still, Whitney is a popular ascent, and its superior height becomes much more apparent from its summit. Interestingly, the highest point in the lower 48 states is only 85 miles from the lowest, Badwater Basin (-279 ft.), located in Death Valley. The distance is somewhat longer by scenic highway, but still requires little more than two hours of travel time. A trail leads to the summit of Mount Whitney, and a toilet has been installed to accommodate its crowds. Registration is required to climb the mountain, and daily restrictions have now been placed on the number of climbers allowed. There is a very popular 8.5 mile trail to the summit via the Pacific Crest Trail. http://www.peakware.com/peaks.html?pk=269

Friday, July 12

Dear friends and family,
Well I wanted to write that "we made it" but we didnt. I am referring to climbing Mt Whitney, which is the tallest mountain in the lower 48, at 14,497ft. The weather has just not been cooperating. It is hard to be prepared for everything. Anyway we leave Kennedy Meadows after a 3 day recovery, we had got caught in the terrible rain storm before that. The weather forecast did not look good. Chance of snow all week with highs in the 30s and lows in the teens. Winter advisory was sent out for the Sierras. But of course we set out. The first two days was fair and with donated long johns and a sleeping bag liner, I was quite warm sleeping at 9,600ft. Then we got a major snow fall, within 2 hours there was a whiteout making the trail almost impossible to find. We continued walking to stay warm. What peacefulness. The silence and serenity. We are now walking amongst beautiful mountain scenery that is so spectacular. Sequoia an Kings National Forest and Park. High snow covered peaks and ancient sculptured trees that look like the postcards. Because of the snowfall, we didnt make it to Crabtree Meadows the next day which was where we needed to leave from for the accent up Whitney. We hiked into this incredible meadow seeing a family of deer, marmot, many little chipmunks, and trout in the creek. We left the packs there and headed up the trail to Whitney, we made it as far as Guitar Lake at 11,000ft or so. The weather was moving in and we felt it was prudent to turn back. As soon as we got back to the meadow it began snowing. We would have liked to have waited another day but we didnt have enough food. The trail is all up and down mountains now. For the next 2 nights we camp at 11,000ft, quite cold. It sure felt like winter up there, as I sit here in a nice warm hotel. But the best is still to come. So the next day we had to climb the highest point of the whole PCT trail, Forester Pass, at 13,200ft. It was the most scenic and most difficult day yet. The mountains were all covered in snow and there was no trail to be seen only a few footprints. We have no techinical equipent, no ice axe, and no crampons. We were only hoping the weather would hold and in fact the day was sunny and mostly clear. It was challenging to say the least but it was such a high to reach the top that all the effort was worth it. We didnt stay long on this tiny pass between towering peaks since we still had to get down the other side which had even more snow. Of course there was no trail to be seen but we knew it was down. After hours of trudging through the snow the feet were rather numb so we really didnt stop to eat or drink because I was too cold. After the snow it turned into running rivers of snow melt. We were very happy to find the trail finally. It was a long day and we made it to the Kearasarge Pass Trail which leads us up and over another high pass into the town of Independence. So with almost no food left we start hiking this morning at 5:45am, reach the pass at sunrise, another amazing feat which brings tears to our eyes, and we see the lowlands far far below. Lots more snow on the decent but we catch a hitch into town and are now recovering.
Thats is all for now.
Alicia and Alfredo

Out of Yosemite

2009-07-02T11:24:00.000-06:00

July 1, 2009

Dear friends and family,
We are now in Sonora which is about 60 miles west of the trail. We got off the trail at Sonora Pass yesterday and hitched in to town to visit our friends Barry and Julia. We had the most difficult section the last two weeks to get through and we were physically drained. In fact Alfredo got a fever and a sinus cold for a couple of days and then I also started to feel the flu symptoms when we got to Mammoth. So sorry no update from Mammoth since we were not quite feeling well. Anyway we went over numerous high passes full of snow, crossed raging rivers, dealt with freezing cold conditions, wet feet, almost running our of food, getting lost from one another, losing the trail due to too much snow, then the worst man eating huge mosquitoes in the millions, but it was all worth it. It was a challenge but we made it. Many fellow hikers have gotten off the trail because it became too difficult. We are hanging in there, we are very in tune with our bodies now and feel our fitness level quite high. But we also know we need a couple of days rest. 1018 miles!!! Over a third finished. Just finished going through Yosemite National Park with its fantastic mountains and luckily didnt have any bear encounters! Some days we didnt see anyone, while other days we passed the south bound John Muir Trail hikers, and around Tuolome Meadows we saw hundreds( only one afternoon) . People ask us why we are doing this trail. And I know I often write of the difficult times but most of the time we are most content and at peace to just be out in the wilderness observing our surroundings, sensing, feeling and smelling mother nature, the life of the forest, the life of the high altitude passes, the passage of the water, the power of the rivers. After we are in the high mountains and contemplate the world below us, we go down with the table of the ten commandments of the Mountain.
-I am the MOUNTAIN, your supreme lady, you cant have any other altitude without me.
1) Respect my silence, and feel yourself deep inside
2) Your body must not suffer
3) Care for your feet, they carry you far
4) Dont take the flower, they are beautiful where they are
5) Dont kill any animals, except the mosquitoes
6) Dont make an act impure, just in case, be very discreet
7) Support your heavy pack, inside is your survival
8) Dont desire the food of the other hikers, try to control your hunger
9) Drink my PURE WATER every time I offer it to you
10) When you rest in your little tent, sleep with serenity, because tomorrow the MOUNTAIN is waiting for you again
WALK AMEN

From the Desert to the High Sierra

2009-06-27T15:02:00.000-06:00

In these two posts, Alicia and Alfredo really get into the high country and all it's complications at this time of year. Passing quickly from the hot desert to freezing blizzard conditions, they are now finding themselves in spectacular surroundings and coping with sobering challenges.

June 4th, 2009

hi friends and family,

we are now in Kennedy Meadows. we just went from desert to cold mountains over night and got caught off guard. we did a 30 mile day from Walker Pass then only had 20 togo but had hail in the morning then a rain storm. we were completely wet cold and exhausted. and everything in our pack was wet. not good situation. luckily there was trail angel Tom who gave us a trailer and a heater and some other hikers gave me some dry clothes. we aregoing to wait for the next systemto pass because now weare on our way toclimb Mt Whitney up to 14000 ft. Now the real mountains begin, the high Sierras!!!

June 12, 2009

Oil Wrestling and Bear Cannisters

2009-06-22T15:43:00.000-06:00

Friday, May 29, 2009

Dear friends and family,
We are now in Tehachapi which is about 20 miles west of Mojave, as in the Mojave Desert. Yesterday we arrived at the road in the middle of the day, HOT, and Alfredo stood on one side of the road and I on the other and we decided we could go either way depending on which car picked us up first. Tehachapi bound won. And good thing to. Actually we were hoping for Mojave because it is easier to walk to everything we really didnt want to stand in that heat any longer than necessary.Anyway we had an interesting time since my last email. We ended up staying 3 days in Green Valley. We met Gerardo and his wonderful family and they had us over for lunch. Gerardo is and experienced mountaineer, runs on the trail every day with his wife, and resupplies the water cache twice a day for the hikers. He is also letting us borrow one of his bear canisters, great, we will be legal now and wont have to worry about losing our food in the middle of the night. Later that evening which was Memorial Day weekend sunday more hikers showed up at the Andersons. We had planned to hit the trail again but somehow we got sucked into staying. It was to be the first Oil Wrestling of the year at the Andersons. Terrie is the infamous oil wrestling mamma. Now she needed participants and somehow Alfredo and myself volenteered. It was a once in a life time experience, GREAT FUN!!!!!! Back on the trail was alot of uphill, dry, hot and waterless. I was pretty tired and Afredo started to get some serious blisters. After 40 miles covered in two days we passed the Tejon Ranch and dropped down to the Hwy 138 where Mr. Richard Scaggs opened his house to all the hikers. He opened up his kitchen to me and Alfredo and we made pasta for about 20 hikers. The next morning Richard made pancakes for any late risers. Now we are really in the miserable hot desert and most people left at 4am. We slept in and enjoyed Richards hospitality but payed for it later in the unrelenting heat along the worst stretch of dirt road with NO WATER AND NO SHADE!!!!! Took a break at the only tiny bridge, shade, at 330pm and began walking at 6pm. We walked til dark and cowboy camped on the trail. It was about 18 more miles to the road up the steep Tehchapi mts. with again little shade and water. We arrived under the enormous windgenerator windmills at 1230 to find that someone had set up a shower right on the trail. So we stripped down and washed the worst desert sand we encountered off. How refreshing!!!So as we were sitting at the Albertsons grocery eating large quantities of food and ice cream and couple comes up to us and asks if we would like to stay at their home for the night and take a hot shower. SURE, you bet! So that was Patti and Mike our new trail angels. And again they took such good care of us my mom couldnt have done better. No offence mom.That is all for now.
Much love Alicia and Alfredo

More From "Sailor" and "Pasta Alfredo"

2009-06-20T08:29:00.000-06:00

17 May 2009

dear friends and family,

we are now in Wrightwood after 370 difficult miles in 21 days. it has been hot and mostly a waterless trail. yesterday we did a 33mile day walking from 4am to after midnight. we took a break at the interstat 15 at the mc Doanalds. onward and upward, near the San Andreas fault and toward mt san antonio at 10000ft there was no flat spot to camp so we just put the sleeping bag on the dusty trail and went to sleep. at 530am hikers were walking around me so it was time to get up and start walking up the mountain which was up to 8500ft. we were pretty exhausted so we stopped early and then hitched into town to buy more food. today is alfredos birthday and a lady at the grocery store offered her house to us. again showers laundry and food offered to us. fantastic!!!! next section is to Agua Dulce and on to the Mohave desert. hot and more dry. then onto the Sierras!!!! thats all for now.

love alicia and alfredo

Saturday, May 23

Dear friends and family,

We are now in Green Valley which is actually not far from LA. We just finished the section through the Angeles National Forest with the high mts near Wrightwood slowly working our way down to the low elevation horse country of Agua Dulce. Now this is the area where they have the most trail angels. So in Agua Dulce it was the Saufleys house. This couple has been opening up their house to hikers for 13 years and they are so organized. They have about 50 people every night and have rented tents, cots, and porto potties. Donna does all the hikers laundry and cleans up after us. There is a hiker house with kitchen and hot showers and a great Bbque. Since Alfredo is down to 131 pounds I decided that here was a good place to take the day off an eat, so I made a huge fettucini and steaks and salad and ice cream. Actually with all these hikers we are always eating. Food gets shared and passed around. This was also the place that we had to think about the high Sierras and organize for the section. There are not many places to get food after Kennedy Meadows so you either have to carry 12 days of food or kick many miles off trail and hitchhike into Bishop or Independence. Also we need a bear cannister for the bears. If anyone has one let me know.Only 24 miles away which we did yesterday, it is like we run marathons every day, we arrived to the next trail angel house, the famous Andersons. This feels more like a frat house but they have a great garden and woods in their backyard. Terri makes dinner and breakfast every day for 50 hikers!!!!Last night was taco salad with ALL YOU CAN EAT which for hungry hikers is mounds of food. I am getting a really good appitite.Next section is more desert on to Mojave or Tehachapi.

Alicia and Alfredo

The Horse Rescue

2009-06-19T17:15:00.000-06:00

To properly appreciate this particular episode of Alicia and Alfredo's Pacific Crest Trail adventure, it helps to know that before he set off to sail around the world; Alfredo was the Italian Men's' Senior Equestrian Jumping Champion. Remarkably, that was the same year his son was the Italian Men's Junior Champion.

This email is a follow-up to the previous one, in which, Alicia didn't have time to fill us in on the particulars.. Here then, is "the rest of the story"....

hi again

I forgot to tell the horse story. or maybe I did already and I dont remember.So on the trail we met this lady riding the PCT. She had camped near us one night but left at 400am. We were on a very steep section and there was a large tree on the trail blocking her way. As she was trying to get around the tree she and the horse fell down a ravine. When she tried to get out she fell again. She was lucky not to be injured or squawished under the horse. the horse was terrorized and couldnt be moved. she ran off for help. when we came along we found only the horse and a note that she went for help. Alfredo stayed with the horse while I went after the woman to make sure she was ok. Alfredo spent 45 minutes calming the horse down and rubbing her. Then he tried to get her out but couldnt do it by himself. Soon 2 other girl hikers walked by and he recruited them to help but they didnt have force in them. The ravine was very steep with large crumbling rocks. Two more hikers came by so with their help one guy pulling the horse up and Alfredo getting the horse to move up with a whip in hand and loud commanding voice got the horse up. Then they all had to walk up the steep mountain about an hour. The lady had gone to get a helicopter resuce but since it was mothers day they said not until the following day. When she came back to the trail, she was really amazed to see her horse standing there. She was so happy. it was a happy ending.

alicia and alfredo

Hiking the PCT

2009-06-13T07:33:00.000-06:00

Here's the second installment of Alicia and Alfredo's email updates on hiking the Pacific Coast Trail:

May 12, 2009

Dear friends and family,
we have arrived in Big Bear which is at mile 265 and day 16 on the trail. It has been an interesting section with many trail angels to support us along the way. But I can say the desert is not easy to walk in. There is still no water for most of the trail and dehydration is a big problem. We have met many other hikers along the way and we are all experiencing the same thing so we give each other support. The biggest problem is about half the people have terrible blisters. We are lucky with only minor ones. Our packs become very heavy after 10 hours of walking so we are always trying to lighten the load. I cut the extra straps off my pack while Alfredo wrapped the tent around his walking poles. The scenery has varied from desert scrub and catcus to beautiful tall pines and 9600ft peaks. We have been through the Anza Borrenga Desert Park, the San Juancito National park, San Gorgino park and now the San Bernadino national park. We went from 3500 ft up to 8000ft down to 1000ft up to 9000ft and down again. The cold wasnt the problem but the heat, it reached 107!!!!! I felt like I was roasting in an oven, miserable. We colapsed under the Interstate 10 bridge with cars roaring overhead at high noon. There was no other shade for miles and miles. As for the trail angels, Mike lives a half a mile off the trail and welcomed all hikers to stay at his place, had ribs and chicken on the bque, beer and gatorade in the cooler, etc. Then there was Tarazan at Hwy 74 with food and gatorade. In Idlywild there was Walker who opened his house to us, fed us, shower and laundry and even gave me the car to run to the grocery!!People are amazing! Daddy Dave who made us hamburgers at 9:30 in the morning in the desert heat and filled us with gatorade sport drinks. Magic trail coolers along the way full of candy bars and cold drinks! Then we walked into town yesterday and some lady at the post office offers to take us home and feed us, showers and laundry, etc. Dana and Mike have a beautiful house and they have been wonderful. Dana made us a fantastic pasta dinner and a huge breakfast this morning. I guess we are already losing a few pounds. This all sounds good but there are many long,hot miles between these goodies. Some people have already got off the trail since it is too difficult. But we feel good( at least every morning) and getting stronger everyday. I might also mention that the trail is dusty so that means we are filthy dirty every night and have to get in the sleeping bag with dirty feet and dirty hands. My contacts are a problem.I have to get going so will have to leave it at that but will cont next time about the horse adventure.
Alicia and Alfredo

Alicia and Alfredo

2009-06-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

Friends Alicia and Alfredo on the dock at the Singlar Marina in Puerto Escondido

One of the great joys of cruising is meeting truly interesting people who have some amazing sea stories of their own. Well, at this point, Alicia and Alfredo are right at the top of that list! This is a couple who didn't even speak the same language when they met at the remote Chagos Archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean seven years ago. Alicia is an American from New Orleans, and Alfredo is an Italian from Milano.

Their boat, On Verra, was berthed next to me at the Police Dock in San Diego when I stopped on my way south this year. We soon got acquainted, and I found they were also headed for la Paz and some exploring in the Sea of Cortez. In Alicia's case, this was a case of re-visiting, since she had spent some time cruising in this area more than fifteen years earlier. After a couple of evenings over dinner, wine and recollected adventures, I quickly realized this was a truly remarkable couple. Their adventures span the globe, and include famous storms, shipwreck off the coast of South America and an admirable ability to subsist largely from what they are able to take from the sea.

When I met them again in la Paz, and yet again in Escondido, they were finalizing their plan for leaving their boat in Mexico to spend the summer hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada! The plan required that they get the boat to Guaymas, on the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez, before the end of April, so they could start the trek the first of May before the southern, desert sections of the trail got too hot for hiking.

Well, the long walk north is now into it's second month, and I've been getting regular emails detailing yet another remarkable Alicia and Alfredo adventure. With their permission, I'm going to copy those emails here, so the next several entrys will detail a little different variation of "sea story."

Here are the first two emails, shortly before and right after they began this hugely ambitious undertaking:

Monday, 4/20/09

Ciao,

As most of you know, we have been planning to walk the PCT, a trail from Mexico to Canada, for some time now. The last worry was trying to get Alfredo back into the US without a visa but all went well. We took the bus from Guaymas to Tucson and simply got a visa waiver at the border. From Tucson we caught a flight to SD and bought the ticket half an hour before boarding. Good price on Southwest.As for On Verra, we left her on the hard in Singlar marina seca in Guaymas totally stripped in case of a hurricane.We are staying with some friends while doing the last minute preparations here in SD. We will start on Thurs. We decided against sending us mail drops of food for the moment, we will just go with the flow of things and scavenger for food when necessary.We will try to keep you posted when we can.Would also love to here from you.Thinking of all of you.

Best wishes,
Alicia and Alfredo

Saturday, 5/2/09

hello to all you couchpotatoes,

we have just walked our first 110 miles and are presently in Warner Springs, Ca. We started on thurs. of last week, thanks to Caryn of Windflower,who gave us a ride out to the trailhead. The first day was a killer, 20 miles of desert hiking with no water, I arrived dehydrated. Alfredo was feeling the beginnings of a cold. On that first day about 60 people were walking. But the surprise came when we arrived at Lake Morena to the kick off party with organized booths and check ins. About 700 people showed up, some who have walked it in previous years and others who just love to help and support us hikers, we call those trail angels. We also happen to meet hikers that we met on the AT 5 years ago. So about 175 people are hiking this year. The PCTA and ADZOPCTKO organizers feed us all weekend. Unfortunately Afredo came down with a bad bug which led to a throat infection and then a fever. With all the trail angels looking after us he recovered quickly. On monday we walked 17 miles. The problem with this section is the lack of water, it is hot and dry. We camped at Long canyon, Pioneer Mail, Scissors Crossings which was a 25 mile day by accident( we missed the water so we had to continue), and then 4th Gate. Highlights: Had a near encounter with a rattlesnake, not smart, got blown out of the tent, and had people who drove up from San Diego looking for us to make sure we were ok. Then we walk into Warner Springs Post Office and a stranger gives us $100 to stay at the fancy ranch with hot springs, I guess he thought we really needed a shower. We were filthy dirty after 6 days on trail, the dirt was caked on us and I know we smelled. So after a wonderful shower and soak and clean clothes we are ready to hit the trail agian this afternoon. This next section is up to 9000 ft mountains and snow. I hope we dont freeze since we dont have any warm clothes. Lastly I want to let people know that this section would almost be impossible to do without the help of trail angels who actually carry gallons of water up mountains to the trail so us hikers dont die of dehydration. We thank them.So far we are having a great time and will send email at next opportunity!!!!!

Alicia and Alfredotrail names sailor and pasta alfredo

For more information on the Pacific Crest Trail, check: http://www.fs.fed.us/pct/

Jumping Manta Rays

2009-06-02T08:15:00.000-06:00

One of the highlights of my Sea of Cortez cruising was an experience with a school of manta rays I encountered in San Evaristo, a well-protected bay adjacent to the coastal village of that name. Tucked into a cozy little cove at the north end of the bay, I was getting ready to toast the sunset when the rays caught my attention. It wasn't just that they were jumping several feet into the air and then slapping back down into the water - you see that often in these waters - it was more attention getting because it was going on so frequently and so continuously. In fact, as I watched what appeared to be a large group of these rays, the group seemed to be slowly proceeding around the cove right toward the boat. As they got closer, it was apparent that the main group of 40 or 50 rays were pretty closely grouped into a tight circle right at the surface of the water. Of course, this isn't all that remarkable, because they are surface feeders who feed on krill they find there. What was remarkable, was the behavior of the jumping rays. As they approached, it was easy to see that the jumps were nearly all performed outside of the closely grouped school, and the jumpers were consistently swimming and jumping in a clockwise circle around the main group! It also appeared that the jumps were concluded with a loud, belly flopping, slap when the rays landed back in the water.
Now, considering that manta rays are closely related to the shark family, some of the most primitive fish in the ocean, this sure looked like the kind of organized group behavior we don't usually attribute to this kind of critter. But a little online research also reveals that krill are stunned and tend to bunch up when they sense an impact nearby. Is it possible that these rays were engaging in some kind of co-operative feeding behavior - the outriding jumpers herding the krill into the circle of their feeding buddies ?! Gotta confess, I'm not enough of a biologist to answer that one, but it sure is an interesting question...

For more interesting information about manta rays, check out the website: http://www.freedive.net/mantas/mantas.htm

Catching Up

2009-05-24T22:08:00.000-06:00

Sea Story with her sails off, the sun cover on and well secured to the dock in her summer home at the Singlar Marina in la Paz.

It's been awhile since I posted to the blog, so now is a good time to bring everyone up-to-date.

Sea Story is currently berthed at the Singlar Fidepaz Marina in la Paz. She's going to be there for the summer, because this is relatively secure berth during the hurricane season (August through October) season. Susan and Dennis Ross, with Ross Marine Services, are keeping watch on her, and she has a new sun cover to ward off the excess UV rays that are so hard on boats at this latitude.

La Paz turned out to be a fabulous port and the absolutely best part of Mexico I've experienced so far. I just can't say enough about the friendly people, the wonderful marina facilities and the fascinating sailing experiences this area provides.

I'll be spending the summer in Rocklin, California and the Minneapolis, Minnesota area, and heading back down to la Paz sometime in November or December to get Sea Story back on the water and exploring the Sea of Cortez.

More to come on some of the people I met and the places I visited this past winter season.

Down Baja and Whale Tales

2009-01-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Veteran Mexico crew members Doug Larson and Dennis Flick showed up in San Diego right on schedule, and we set off late in the afternoon of January 14th for what proved to be the easiest trip ever down the coast of Baja California. Unfortunately, because of the scarcity of wind, it turned out to be the trip with the least sailing as well.

Dawn was breaking on the 17th, when we entered Turtle Bay and dropped the hook just off the big pier jutting out from beach front of this dusty little town that lies nearly 130 miles from the nearest paved highway and close to the halfway point down the outside of Baja.

After refueling and a great fish taco dinner - courtesy of some of the other cruisers - we spent a calm night at anchor and headed out the next morning. We spent the next three and a half days mostly motoring and sometimes sailing the remaining 400 miles down Baja to the tip of the peninsula at Cabo San Lucas. It was along this stretch that we made a couple of the more interesting wildlife contacts on all the Sea Story trips to Mexico.

Late in the evening of our first day out of Turtle Bay, it was my watch and we were sailing slowly in the dark a few miles SW of Punta Abreojos. when the breathing sounds of several big sea mammals grew louder from behind and alongside the boat. Initially, this confused me because the blowing exhalations were louder and more frequent than you hear when dolphins are near. Yet they were not as loud, although even more frequent than the breathing sounds of grey or humpback whales.

It wasn't until one of the mystery critters passed casually within eight to ten feet of the starboard quarter and the beam of my flashlight that the realization hit me; we were being overtaken by a pod of pilot whales. Yep, they had come up alongside TO GIVE US THE ONCE OVER...! Even though there was no moonlight, we determined by the blowing and phosphorescence in the water that we had been overtaken by possibly as many as a dozen whales.

Within a few minutes the whole pod had passed by without so much a bump or nudge on the hull, and it wasn't until mid-afternoon of the next day that we sighted the whales again. This time we were motoring faster than we had been sailng in the light winds of the night before, and that let us do the overtaking- although they were not about to let us get nearly as close to them as they chosen to come by us. With the benefit of daylight we could also see that there were several individual pods of what appeared to be four to six individual whales each. They were arrayed roughly on an east-to-west line that was moving slowly to the south as were we. We estimated that there were likely as many as 50 - 60 of them in the whole group, and they seemed to spend most of their time cruising slowly on the surface as though foraging.

The rest of our trip south was less eventful and by early evening of the third day, we were rounding Cabo Falso and heading past Cabo San Lucas to a next-day anchorage at Bahia Muertos, just 8 hours short of la Paz on Baja's eastern coast. The weather had turned much warmer and Muertos gave us all a chance to clean up with a salt water swim and fresh water shower in the boat's cockpit. That evening we dinghied in to beer and dinner at an upscale beach-front cantina - a great respite after four days at sea....

The next day, we motored into Marina de la Paz, a temperature in the 70's and the beginning of another season in Mexico...

Dennis and Doug taking a swim off the stern of Sea Story in Ensenada de los Muertos (Bay of the Dead). After four days at sea, we're cleaning up before the final run into la Paz the next day. The place name doesn't mean there are dead people here, but refers to the anchoring system for the old barge docks located nearby.

Santa Barbara to San Diego

2009-01-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Brandy Kepner from Tradewinds shuttled our new crew to Santa Barbara mid-afternoon on Friday, the 2nd. Faced with the possibility of NE winds at Catalina Island the next day, we decided to forego a stopover at Avalon harbor - which is open to the NE - and sail directly to San Diego the next morning.

Our new crew fell right into the Sea Story routine, and after a good nights sleep, our planned departure at 8:00 AM was proceeding like clockwork - right up to the point where the gear shift linkage failed just as we were backing out of our berth! A quick mobilization to fend off from other boats, and the assistance of the Harbor Patrol got us safely back into the berth to trouble-shoot the problem. Turns out, the linkage had broken at a point that was going to require some time and effort to repair. It was also going to require a replacement part that just wasn't available in Santa Barbara. In addition, while checking the navigation light wiring, we found a short that had to be repaired before we could head out for an overnight sail.

Clearly, the situation called for come creative thinking, and that's where we lucked out. Turns out we just happened to have a crew with extraordinary mechanical skills. Bryan Saulsbury had once been a professional auto mechanic, and Derek Stroening had considerable experience repairing and modifying his own boat, a 24' Newport.

By noon, we had the navigation light rewired, and we had worked out a system of shifting gears by relaying the commands down to Bryan who could effect the shift with the control lever right at the transmission. It was a crude, but effective system, and we carefully maneuvered out of the berth and were on our way to San Diego just a couple of hours behind schedule.

The rest of the trip was much less stressful. We got in some pleasant sailing. We saw some dolphins, and we were briefly followed by a whale off Oceanside. Because of our late departure, we got into San Diego after dark, which is always a bit of an adventure. Good teamwork, GPS, radar, and the range lights on Shelter Island helped get us to the weekend anchorage at LaPlaya Cove where we dropped the hook at 8:00 PM. Somehow the celebration of our arrival managed to take another four hours, and the boat finally went quiet enough for the skipper to drift off at midnight.

The next day we used our command relay shifting system to get tied up at the Harbor Police Public Dock, and got started on one of the most difficult repair jobs I've even had to do on Sea Story. Luckily, the critical part was available (but just!), when Connie and Jennifer walked up to Downwind Marine. By noon the next day, we had the linkage fixed and operating better than it had before. Without this great crew's help, the job would have had to gone to a boatyard, so there was another celebration - this time on the skipper's bill...

After all the fixing and celebrating, the crew all the headed back to northern California with my thanks and appreciation as well as promotions from "scuppers" to "mates." * (see the movie Captain Ron
for clarification!)

Hard work, this "Skipper" job......

Derek Stroening and Jennifer Goodrich at the mast. Is it surprising that their own boat's name is Pyrateer?!

Connie LaBounty taking advantage of the sunshine and getting caught up on her reading.

Bryan "shifterman" Saulsbury taking a turn at the wheel after spotting our whale.

Our welcoming committee at the San Diego Police Dock. We think these guys were from the Navy's mamal warefare training center across the channel. We didn't catch it in the photo, but the seal threw us a salute as they passed by...

San Francisco to Santa Barbara

2009-01-10T13:13:00.001-07:00

Click on photos to enlarge

The Good Ship Alcatraz. The famous island has an interesting profile as we depart a fog shrouded San Franciso Bay at dawn. Ian Joseph shot this with his Nikon SLR digital .

Ian and Will at the mast as we head toward the Golden Gate on December 29th. For the next two days, we alternately sailed and motor-sailed down the central California coast in moderate seas with a following wind. Other than some 25 knot breezes off Point Sur, it was an easy, though chilly, trip. We arrived at Santa Barbara in the fog on New Year's eve. A nice dinner at the Enterprise Fish Company and libations back on the boat helped us bring in the new year in grand style.

Ho-Hum. Just another beautiful sunset off the Big Sur coast.... (Ian Joseph phot0)
At this point, the pelicans pretty much own this bait barge in the Santa Barbara harbor. They're a picturesque, but really smelly bunch! (Ian Joseph photo)

Fog moving in at sunset gives the harbor an interesting mood. Looks more like Halloween than New Years Day. (Ian Joseph photo)

Our Hardy Crew

2008-12-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

Left to right, front row: Connie LaBounty, Will Fredrickson; back row: Derek Stroening, Jennifer Goodrich, Bryan Saulsbury and Ian Joseph.

A rainy Sunday discouraged us from sailing, but still provided an opportunity to orient our California coastal crew aboard Sea Story. Will and Ian will help Connie and I get to Santa Barbara. Derek, Jennifer and Bryan will get us from there to San Diego.

Weather permitting, we will be heading out under the Golden Gate at slack tide, 8:00AM on Monday, the 29th. That should get us into Santa Barbara late on the New Year's Eve, unless we overnight at some port or anchorage along the way. Tradewinds designated driver, Brandy, will bring Jennifer, Derek, and Bryan down on the 2nd and take Will and Ian back with her. With a stop off at Catalina, we should make it to San Diego by the 5th.

So, everything is lining up for an excellent trip down the coast. All we need now is for the weather to get out of this long, cold, wet phase and give us a couple of consecutive days of sunshine for a change!

New Windlass Installation

2008-12-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like an upcoming bluewater cruise to motivate all those repairs and upgrades you have been planning to do, but haven't found time for. This windlass replaces one that quit on the way to Mexico last year. After five months of pulling up 100 ft. of chain and a 44 lb. anchor by myself, this new Lewmar unit is going to be a good friend! Here, I'm putting the final touches on the installation at the KKMI boatyard in Richmond. Note the shorts and T-shirt during mid-November. It's really been a warm fall for northern California.

Gourmet Chef Connie Signs on for Another Trip

2008-11-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Now one of our most experienced crewmembers, Connie LaBounty is on again for the California part of the trip south this year. Besides pulling her share of watches, Connie loves to cook and, and the rest of us love it when she does! Great meals make this trip a treat, and the sound you hear is the skipper breathing a huge sigh of relief now that he doesn't have to eat his own cooking - at least on this stretch....

Preparing to Head South Again

2008-11-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Sea Story sports a new bottom paint job in preparation for another trip to Mexico this winter. She also got a new prop installed during this haul-out at the KKMI Boatyard in Richmond in September.

It just took a couple cool, cloudy days, and Mexico began to look pretty good again! So, now it's official, we're going south, this time a bit later than last year. We should be heading out under the Golden Gate just before, or just after New Year's Day.

The trip down the California coast will be another Tradewinds charter trip divided into two legs; one from San Francisco to Santa Barbara and the other from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The first leg may feature a stop at Morro Bay or San Simeon. The second leg usually lets us stop over at Catalina Island for a quick tour of charming little Avalon. The Tradewinds website (link on this page) should have more information on the price and availability of this trip.

Boat preparation is going well with the new bottom paint job and prop installation, a new anchor windlass, an engine tune-up, and fuel line replacements. There are still a couple more items to attend to, but the old girl is looking pretty good at this point.

Back in Marina Bay

2008-06-23T23:05:00.000-06:00

After six months, Sea Story is at home in the same berth we left in Richmond last November. Cleaned up and minus the dinghy and extra fuel jugs on the foredeck, she's getting some attention to the repair and upkeep needs that any twenty-year old boat requires, especially after racking up some 3000+ miles in those six months.

As a postscript to the trip up from Mexico, in the next couple of weeks I hope to gather up more of the photos we took and put them into a post that will serve as a photo album of the trip. If any of you crew members have any shots I haven't seen, please send them to me as digital files, and I'll try to use them to help flesh out the album.

Sailing Up the Central Coast

2008-05-19T22:00:00.000-06:00

Pat and Carole McIntosh were waiting to head north from Santa Barbara on their Hunter 430, Espiritu when we got to the harbor. When the weather window opened up earlier than we expected, we decided to team up with them and the Swedberg family on Fantasia to buddy-boat up the coast to San Francisco.

On Fantasia, an Islander 40, Jeff and Anne Swedberg, along with daughters Krista (left) and Julie (right), kept us updated on weather and coordinated our radio communication along the way. Although, you really can't tell from the photo, Julie is holding up her pet lizard to get it in the picture!

When NOAA Weather finally relented and gave us an optimistic forecast for our run north, we wasted little time deliberating. With our fellow cruisers on Espiritu, Fantasia and Goolka, we left the harbor just before sunset on the 14th and headed up the Santa Barbara Channel for the notorious Pt. Conception, sometimes called the "Cape Horn of California." And, even though we hit some quite uncomfortable seas just south of the point, once we drew abreast of it, everything calmed down and remained that way for the next three days. Unfortunately in our case, both Scott and Jim got pretty seasick in the rough seas, and Jim couldn't shake it off even after things calmed down. Worried that he might be getting seriously dehydrated after two days of being sick, we elected to put in at Santa Cruz and let him off the boat to recuperate and catch a ride back to Santa Barbara. Luckily, the recuperation didn't take long, and in the picture below (right), he's already looking a lot better on the harbor fuel dock.

After a good lunch and a well deserved nap, Scott and I got under way that same evening so we could ride the flood tide into San Francisco Bay the next morning. With a late sunset and a full moon, we managed to miss all the crab pots that populate this stretch of coast at this time of year, and at 8:00 AM we passed under the Golden Gate, shut off the engine and sailed across the Bay to Marina Bay in Richmond. Along the way, we were hailed on the radio by both Espiritu and Fantasia, who had come in the night before. Nice to have friends already in town when you arrive...

Scott at the helm as we sail across San Francisco Bay. He has now sailed both the southbound and northbound legs of this trip along the central coast. But this time he got to see a bunch of humpback whales up close when a pod of a half dozen or more cruised around us off Point Sur. It was the largest group of whales I've yet seen that close to Sea Story.

How to Feel Really Small...

2008-05-14T16:05:00.000-06:00

The sailing vessel Tamsen, makes a 39' boat look really small. That's Sea Story tied up in the berth just behind this mammoth 200' ketch in Santa Barbara harbor. Actually this is the second time we've been at the dock with Tamsen. She was at the customs dock in San Diego when we pulled in there from Mexico.

We made it into Santa Barbara at mid-day on Monday after a very comfortable sail across Santa Barbara Channel from Anacapa Passage. Both Bryan and Jeff had big grins all the way across; nothing quite like a morning-long sail after a long night of motoring up from Catalina.
We celebrated with an excellent dinner at The Enterprise Fish Company that night. Jeff and Bryan caught the train north the next day; headed back for a predicted hot weather spell in the Bay Area.
My new crew, brothers Scott and Jim Muir, showed up right on schedule this morning. Scott is an old hand on Sea Story. He did this same stretch with me when we brought the boat down last December. Now he's talked his brother Jim into the tougher north-bound leg. It will be interesting to see how much Jim appreciates that by the time we get to San Francisco!
Luckily, our weather report is looking a lot better than it did a couple of days ago. NOAA weather is now saying we should have winds in the 10-15 range instead to the 25-30 mph range they had earlier predicted. Love it when the change goes that way....
We will also have company on this next leg. At least two other boats have been waiting here in port for a good weather window for finishing their respective trips up from Mexico. Espiritu and Fantasia are both Mexico cruisers I've been listening to on the radio and running into in various ports all the way from Matzatlan. Now we've teamed up and agreed to keep in close radio contact for this last leg. It's nice to have company on this, the most challenging part of the trip.
We will be leaving Santa Barbara just before sunset this evening. That gets us around Pt. Conception in the early morning hours when the wind and seas are usually best for our transit. After that, it should be two days of upwind motor-sailing to get us into the SF Bay. With a little luck, we will arrive at the Golden Gate on a flood tide and calm seas. That's the plan anyway...

Catalina

2008-05-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

Avalon Harbor on Santa Catalina Island, is one of the prettiest stops on the California Coast. After an early arrival, a big breakfast and a nap,

Bryan Miller and Jeff Cabot are taking the water taxi in to check-out the local attractions.

We made it to Avalon early this morning after an interesting night of mixing it up with some big boat arrival and departures in the sea lanes south of Catalina. At one time, we had two cruise ships, an off-loading super tanker, and two freighters on the 16 mile scan of our radar. Everybody was well behaved and alert, so no problems, but it kept our new crew members awake without any fear of nodding off throughout their watches!

The weather was comfortable, if a bit overcast, so we didn't get to do a lot of stargazing. Tonight should be the same, and we are casting off before sunset so we can make it up to Santa Barbara by mid-day tomorrow.
So far the weather above Santa Barbara looks a bit gnarly, so there may be a couple of days laying over in that great port before the next crew and I head around Pt. Conception on the final leg up to San Francisco. Sometimes, you just gotta be patient...

Getting Ready for the Final Stretch

2008-05-09T18:42:00.000-06:00

This was our welcoming committee when we crossed into US waters. We didn't get boarded, but they radioed a lot of questions about our last port of call, our departure time and out intended destination. Turns out there's been a lot more drug smuggling by boat now that the feds are stepping up surveillance at the border crossings ashore.

Bryan Miller and Jeff Cabot are my new Tradewinds' crew members arriving here in San Diego tomorrow. We'll get them checked out on all of Sea Story's systems and our offshore procedures, and then we'll set sail for Catalina in the early evening. That should get us into Avalon late on Sunday morning, so Bryan and Jeff can spend some time ashore checking out that great little port. I'll likely stay of the boat and rest up for the overnight leg up to Santa Barbara from there.

Weather looks good up to Catalina, but a bit windier beyond there. Luckily, we've got good sea condition reporting here in the U.S., so we can modify the plan if we need to. Nothing like a couple of snug harbors along the way to increase your confidence level on this kind of trip...

Finally Heading North

2008-05-05T11:47:00.000-06:00

When you need diesel fuel in San Juanico, Antonio Camacho is the man to see. Our new friend, Juan, picked us up on the beach, and then he hauled us and our fuel cans to Antonio's "gas station. Once back to the beach, we were able to dinghy the fuel back to Sea Story for refueling.

When, after six days in San Juanico the wind finally let up at bit, we made a sunrise departure from our comfortable anchorage for an uncomfortable, sometimes rough trip up to Turtle Bay where we arrived at dusk the next day. After a quick refuel, an equally quick re-provisioning trip to town and short overnight rest, we took advantage of the decreasing winds and motored north, hoping to at least make it to the well protected anchorage at San Quintin.

Actually we made it all the way up to Ensenada before the next gale moved in and held us there overnight. Unfortunately, the short stay at Marina Baja Naval was unexpectedly when we became the latest victim of a thief who likes to steal laptops off boats berthed there. After the fact, we learned he had scored at least two other computers in as many weeks; bad news for an otherwise attractive marina with good facilities and equally good service.

The next day, we got an upgraded weather report that had us setting sail at midnight and steaming for San Diego as fast as we could. At 10:00 the next morning, we crossed into US waters and were met by a Coast Guard patrol boat. They politely inquired about our crew's nationality, our last port of call and our destination before they headed out to intercept someone else.

After checking in with customs, we got a berth at the San Diego Police Dock on Shelter Island, one of my favorite berths in southern California. Once safely on the dock, we cleaned up the boat and all three of us booked flights to our disparate locations; Jim heading back to a potential snowstorm in Minnesota, Connie to Davis in time for yet another trip down to Monterey for a golfing holiday, and Florida for my visit to an old friend with some serious health issues.

The next chapter for Sea Story will be the rest of the trip up to San Francisco. We will have a new crew when we leave San Diego on the 10th, and yet another crew when we head out of Santa Barbara on the 13th. More on that next week.....

One More Day in San Juanico

2008-04-22T12:25:00.000-06:00

Last night's weather report wasn't as favorable as we had hoped, so we're still here in rustic and relatively remote San Juanico. Of course, the appeal of the Scorpion Point Restaurant, Bar, Internet Cafe (see our link to their website) is hard to abandon without an encouraging report from Don Anderson, the weather guru in Ventura. We get Don's reports on the single sideband radio, and he's very good at this kind of forecasting. In fact, he's near legendary among cruisers all over this part of the Pacific coast and out as far as the Marquesas. Trouble is, we sometimes miss his forecasts because of poor reception.
In support of the "small world" concept, we had a Catalina 42 come in to share the anchorage with us yesterday. Turns out it's Final Final (that's not a typo), and I sailed on it in San Francisco about five years ago after we struck up an acquaintance with the owner at South Beach Harbor.
Right now, we're the only boats in the anchorage - two SF bay boat a long way from home...
Planning to head out to Abraejos late this evening, because Don's weather says we can probably get there before the winds come up tomorrow afternoon if we stay in close to shore. Sure glad we've got a good radar on board.
More if we have time when we get to Turtle Bay in a couple of days.
Now, if I can just get us back to the boat before we run the dink out of gas......

Beautiful San Juanico

2008-04-21T15:56:00.000-06:00

It's been a few miles since the last post from Mazatlan, but here we are in the little Baja town of San Juanico, between Cabo San Lucas and Turtle Bay, which is halfway up the outer side of Baja. We're here after an all-too-brief day long layover in La Paz, an overnight sail down to a quick fuel stop in Cabo San Lucas (absolutely crazy port to navigate), and an eventful motor sail up here in San Juanico.
We're currently waiting out some strong winds offshore in this nicely protected anchorage, and we're contemplating heading out this evening for a short hop up the coast to Abreojos on Bahia Ballena. Night time looks good because the wind drops off in the evening and didn't pick up until noon today. Abrejos is halfway up to Turtle Bay and gives us a better of chance of getting around Isla Cedros earlier once the offshore winds die down. Anyway, that's the plan, and we will just have to see if the conditions meet our expectations. If not, we stay here in this charming little town a bit longer, and catch a couple more meals at the Scorpion Point Bar and Restaurant, the surfer's hang-out. Turns out, this area is a surfer's dream with miles of beautiful beach and a variety of breaking surf that brings them all the way down from the States...
We did manage to re-supply our fuel tanks with 5-gal. fuel cans transported to the boat with our dinghy. We got the fuel from our friend, Antonio Camacho who has what passes for the local fuel station here in San Juanico. Should have some photos showing Antonio's place when I can get them downloaded from the camera.
We did experience some difficulty with the boat's fuel system off Magdellena Bay on the way up, but some jury rigging and a lot of cussing got us back in operation after a 6-hour shutdown; just another event in the cruising experience!
Jim and Connie are holding up well, even with the four-day stretch between showers before we got here. They also taught me how to play hearts, but I ran into a stretch of beginner's luck, and I'm not sure they're going to play with me anymore...

Mazatlan

2008-04-10T20:44:00.000-06:00

Gentle winds and mellow seas provided and nice run from Puerta Vallarta to Mazatlan in just a bit over 20 hours for the 185 miles up the mainland coast. Not as many humpback whales as there were going south a couple of months ago, but the ones we saw put on a pretty good show. Lots of splashing and tail slapping before they dove down to something more interesting than a transient boatload of sailors.

Turtles were the big attraction this time. We saw easily over 200 of these big guys on the stretch from Isla Isabella to Mazatlan. Most of them were just floating lazily on the surface, many with birds sitting on them. Others were swimming just under the surface and a few had to dive or clumsily paddle away to avoid us. One apparently didn't dive deep enough and we bumped him with our keel. On an average we estimate them at about three feet across, and - like this one - often with a lot of algae growing on their shells...

We arrived in Mazatlan before the fuel dock at Marina El Cid was open, so we had an easy time getting tied up next to the pumps - not always a given at this busy location. Since we are only staying overnight, we decided to splurge and take a berth here instead of proceeding further into the estuary to Marina Mazatlan, Sea Story's home in January. Marina El Cid combines a very nice vacation hotel with the marina, and a berth here includes access to the two large pools, a couple of bars, an upscale restaurant and just a lot of other amenities that make the higher price easy to justify after a couple of long days at sea. And, sometimes you just have to suffer the burdens of luxury as Jim and Connie are doing here at the pool bar, a long stone's throw from our slip on dock A.

Tomorrow, we set sail for La Paz, 225 miles across the Sea of Cortez. Weather is a mixed bag, some wind and wave action from the northwest, but nothing that will slow us up too much. It should take us about two days, although we may drop anchor at Isla Espiritu Santo to do some snorkeling with the seals before we head in to La Paz.

Leaving Puerta Vallarta

2008-04-08T09:01:00.000-06:00

Connie and Jim are on-board, and we're getting ready to set sail for Mazatlan this afternoon. We had a nice send-off party last night with our friends Dana and Gale Crowne and their neighbor Jim Ransome. Everyone survived the party, although there isn't nearly as much tequila in PV anymore!
Jim is also our very own fishing guide, but he assures us very few fish have been harmed during his fishing expeditions. I can verify the truth of that claim after spending a day with him on his boat. Nice gear though...
Actually, there just aren't very many fish in Bandaras Bay this year. Local sport fishing boats are coming back empty, and the fault is generally attributed to colder than usual water in the Bay. Have yet to see a single dolphin or manta ray and even a lot fewer pelicans and boobies in the Bay. Have seen a couple of whales, but not nearly as many as I saw north of here earlier.
Connie's husband, Harve, is also here, but he will be flying back at 500 knots instead of the 5 knots we will likely average as we head north. Of course he won't be seeing any whales or dolphins along the way, so we aren't all that envious....
Weather is getting warmer down here, so cooler temperatures are starting to look better. Just hope we get some favorable wind over the next few days...
More when we get to Mazatlan on Thursday...

Marina Vallarta

2008-03-27T17:25:00.000-06:00

Marina Vallarta Marina Vallarta This is the main channel leading into Marina Vallarta. The marina is packed with a a lot of high-end recreational boats and fishing boats that cater to Mexican and foreign tourists. Condos, restaurants and small shops surround the marina, which can be pretty festive, particularly on those evenings when the fishermen return with a good catch!The marina is located within a mile of the airport and about 30 minutes from downtown on a local bus.At the far end of this channel, near the harbor entrance, there are large piers that can handle three cruise ships at a time. They also accommodate a couple of 200+ ft. yachts that are too big to bring into the marina.Sea Story is berthed on one of the docks to the right in this picture.

2008-03-18T17:52:00.000-06:00

Puerta Vallarta

Sea Story is currently berthed in Marina Vallarta where I'm getting her ready for the 1200 mile trip back up the coast in April. At the moment, she's getting her hull cleaned up and waxed.

The northbound crew, Jim Frisk and Connie LaBounty are coming in the first week in April, and we plan to take up to three weeks to make it back to the U.S.by the 3rd of May. That's plenty of time to make the trip and still visit some of the more interesting anchorages and little towns along the way...

Once we're on the way, I'll post our progress and some photos here for our friends to help keep track of us...