Prescott

We arrived back home in Prescott on June 1, 2010. We have seen some great sunsets at sea and at anchor, but it is hard to beat this one, taken from the back deck of our house in Prescott.

San Carlos Haul Out

You wouldn't know she weighs 44,000 pounds, sitting on a semi trailer, looking like our first 22 foot boat (the only trailerable one) ready for a trip to the yard. We had blisters as expected, but were disappointed to hear that the Rose would have to stay in the yard until almost the end of the year. I had hoped to splash her in October so Jon and I could fly down while the water was still warm and take advantage of the great dive spots around San Carlos. We will fly down next week (September 14) to put the full cover on and check her out, as well as celebrate our 42d year together.

San Carlos

We arrived at San Carlos just as the sun was rising over the famous Tetas de Cabras (goats teats). We anchored in the now too small anchorage, due to the addition of many more moorings. Luckily, we were able to get a slip in the marina while we await our scheduled haulout into dry storage. We met another cruising couple who were also going on the hard for the summer. The wind came up every afternoon and blew 20 to 25 knots directly into our slip. We took Iron Rose out to pump out the head and get ready for our 10 am haul out. The winds were calm. The marina called to reschedule due to problems with their large trailer. Later that day they called and scheduled 3 pm as the time to haul the boat. The wind was up over 20 and blowing into our downwind slip so I questioned whether we would be able to turn, however, with the help of a talented pangero and his helpers, we arrived safely at the haul out dock.

Sailing to San Carlos

The wind stayed around 15 to 20 knots for several hours after we left San Juanico late in the afternoon. It was once again a Southerly, so we were able to make good progress under sail. The wind died during the night, so we motorsailed most of the way doing 3 hour watches, which seem to work well for Linda and I. We arrived at dawn the next day.

San Juanico

We departed Puerto Escandido for San Juanico, a beautiful bay with several anchorage choices, depending on the wind. The wind favored the North anchorage when we arrived. The weather was perfect and the water very clear so I went diving for a couple of hours and checked out the area with our dingy. There were 13 boats in the anchorage, and we all went ashore to roast marshmellows, drink and share stories. Several boats had kids on board, hence the marshmellow roast. When they suggested it, the temperature was in the mid 80s so we wondered, however, after sunset, it cooled off to the low 70s so the fire was welcome. We planned to stay here a few days and then head north to Muleje or Punta Chivato, before crossing to the mainland. Unfortunately, the wind came up and blew into the anchorage all morning the next day, so we left late in the afternoon for San Carlos, where we will put Iron Rose on the hard for the summer, to dry her out before applying a new epoxy bottom and bottom paint.

Hidden Harbor (Puerto Escandido)

We departed Agua Verde for Puerto Escandido, which has the reputation of being the best hurricane hole on the Baja Pennisula. We had never stopped here before. It is just south of Isla Carmen, where we have anchored on previous trips. The facilicties are moorings and a fuel dock and dockage for limited time for some boats. Singular, a division of the Mexican governments Fonatur (the tourism branch) built or took over 10 marinas in Mexico, in a project that they are now trying to sell. Although only moorings are available, the cost approaches a marina, typical for government operations. The 4 story high building next to the dock is a duplicate of the same type of facility that Singular built at it's other 9 marinas. The center of the second photo, taken from the patio by the second story pool, the mountain is not an island. There is a low lying land on either side of it and closer up you can see the Sea of Cortez on the other side. The large mountains to the west and north offer good protection, and there are moorings for over 200 boats. Linda is seated by the hot tub, which is next to a "lap pool" which is about 12 feet wide and 25 yards long. We left after a couple of days for San Juanico.

Bahia Agua Verde

.We anchored in the south anchorage of Bahia Agua Verde. The whole bay is simlar to Lake Powell, surrounded by the Sierras, and with Roca Solitaria near the entrance. It is thought to be the spot memorialized in the novel King of the Moon, a great book about the Mexican pangeros (fishermen) and their lives. I finished it just before we arrived here. Due to the late season, we only stayed one night in this beautiful cove. It is the only spot where dolphins surfed the bow wake of our dingy. I made a short dive after checking the anchor in the clear, green water. We were disappointed that the only fish to bight on the passge to Agua Verde was a bonita, not worth fixing.

Isla San Francisco

We departed La Paz for a short trip to the twin islands of Isla Partida and Espiritu Santu. Apparently I did not take any photos there. After a windy night, we left for Isla Sanfranciso, a perfect island anchorage with clear turquoise waters, and a perfect comma shaped white sand beach. You can see the anchor on the bottom. We were all invited for cocktails aboard a 52 foot ketch with two cockpits. Around 30 cruisers were on board. We joined Bill and Cynthia for dinner and music afterward on their Island Packet 40, Creme Brulle, our last night at anchor together. A Corumwel piped up to about 30 knots and blew thru the anchorage all night, making for uncomfortable sleeping. We left at first light for Agua Verde, and enjoyed a downwind sail for most of the day.

Cynthia and Bill at Beach Club

We spent our afternoons in La Paz at the Beach Club, having lunch, drinks and swimming in the great pool. I don't have a photo of our friends Bill and Cynthia together (except in the ramada by the pool) so I included all 3. We enjoyed spending time with them in Puerto Vallarta, Matanchen Bay, Mazatlan and La Paz. The 4 of us left La Paz and did a mini cruise together as far as Isla San Francisco, where we left to head up into the Sea of Cortez. Sadly, they are taking Creme Brulle back to Bainbridge Island, Washington on Dockwise, where they will put her up for sale. They plan to return to Puerto Vallarta as condo renter/owners, so we hope to see them there.

Costa Baja Marina

We took the boat in to Costa Baja where we met our friends Bill and Cynthia of Creme Brulle. This is the Beach Club. The pool is 50 meteres long and you can see the ocean just the other side of the pools edge. I did 20 laps a day along with Marcie of Charm. This is the nicest marina we have visited in Mexico in terms of design, amenities, and great restaurants surrounding your boat. It is a little too far from La Paz to bike in (as we have done in the past from Marina Palmira) but a really great spot. Jim and Chris joined Linda and Me, Bill and Cynthia and Jim and Marcie for dinner, before they left for Cabo to meet their son, the famous surfer, Rod Machado.

Anchored in Caleta Lobos

Due to the wind direction, we could not stop at Ensenada de los Muertos, so we kept going toward La Paz and anchored in Caleta Lobos, about an hour from Costa Baja Marina. We hosted Jim and Chris for fresh fish tacos from the dorado I caught, and then we all went to bed early, after a 32 hour passage. Lobos was very calm, but there were more bugs than we remembered so we ate dinner below.

Crossing to La Paz

We had a great passage to La Paz, after spending most of April in Mazatlan. The engine was overheating and we had to replace the heat exchanger and the exaust elbow. The delay was fortuitous, as a few days before our scheduled departure our friends Jim and Chris of La Ballona arrived and we departed together. The wind was out of the south the whole passage so we were able to sail. This photo was taken just after Jim put up the Spinnaker. We caught a nice dorado which we had for dinner with Jim and Chris on our arrival. Jim fought a huge marlin for over an hour before releasing it at the boat. The wind piped up about an hour after this photo was taken so the spinnaker had to come down. One of our best long passages yet.

Coming into Santiago Bay and Las Haddas

There was a big earthquake in Chile in March which was supposed to bring a big Tsunami to our part of Mexico, so we all departed Tenacatita for Las Haddas (it is safer to be at sea in deep water in case the Tsunami hits) . We never felt anything although we had a nice sail down to Manzanillo and Las Haddas, where we stayed for a week. I like to sit here when we are underway, in the shade of the mainsail.

New Kayak

This is the 2 man kayak that I bought for my birthday. We both love it and have used it on the mountain lakes around our house and here I am using it in Tenacatita Bay. It worked as a spare dingy and transport to other boats and shore, as well as a free diving platform (although I did not see any fish worth shooting) We both enjoy the exercise and the joint effort.

Sunset at Tenacatita

One of the great joys of cruising is the fantastic sunsets you get to experience. Here is nice one from the anchorage at Tenacatita, where we stopped on the way back north to Banderas Bay.

Las Haddas

This is the resort where the movie "10" was filmed. We were fortunate this year to have our friends Carol and Dick with at all of the anchorages on the trip south. We were sad to leave them at Las Haddas as we headed north to return to Paradise Village before heading up into the Sea of Cortez to San Carlos. The beach in the second photo is the one where Bo Derek was jogging with her hair done in corn row braids and beads. You can still have that done on most beaches in Mexico, but I recommend avoiding it unless you have a perfect face for the look.

Hair Drying at Sea

I love this photo (don't know what Linda thinks about it). When we are underway or anchored it is a challenge for Linda to wash and dry her hair, so she air drys it on the foredeck with the wind blowing it out for her instead of a blow dryer. I like this shot because she did not know she was being photographed and has her natural good look.

Beach at Tenacatita

It is not as lonely as it looks! There were 35 boats in the anchorage, and several folks at the Blue Bay Resort, not visible here, but you can get an idea of the great expanse of beach. We loved walking on it each day. Several skates and manta rays were in the shallows at low tide. They bury themselves in the sand, so you have to be careful to shuffle your feet in the shallow surf so you don't startle them and get a painful sting.

Sundowners with friends

It is a cruiser tradition to celebrate the sunset with cocktails on board. We enjoy entertaining on board Iron Rose. Here are Carol and Dick of Tanoshii, Doro and Gary of Salty Dog. Gary owned Horizon Marine in San Diego and helped us get Star Bird (our previous boat) and Iron Rose ready to cruise. He is now a part time cruiser on a boat we helped him find, the former Mandingo, now Salty Dog. Doro is a Vetrinarian and they do free neuter and spay clinics along the Mexican coast while they cruise.