Sunday, February 27, 2011
Yesterday Bob did his yucky jobs on the boat so now the oil is changed and the water pump works. He spent hours in the hell hole changing pumps. All these jobs are keeping Bob very svelte.
Susan, James, Nicole and Erin arrived at the marina just after 4 pm. They were our neighbours (2 doors away) at Grindstone. How wonderful it was to see their smiling faces. We sat in the boat and chatted and then went out and had a fabulous dinner, made much better because we were in the company of friends.
Erin and Nicole are both very good with Patches, and I know that Patches was so happy to have some kids to play with.
The restaurant in la Cruz that we enjoy greatly is called "La Glorieta de Enrique". They have a platter for 4 people which has shrimp, lobster, octopus, chicken, beef, fish, potatoes, salad, guacamole, rice with fried bananas for dessert.. It fed 4 of us and we were all full. Needless to say we also had drinks. I have nothing but praise for the chef and staff.
Today the sun is shining again. Yesterday remained overcast until early evening, but it did warm up in the afternoon. People were wearing sweaters and long pants as the wind had a definite chill to it.
Mexico is having unusually cool weather this year. Zihua was warm but we felt the chill in the air again soon after we headed north. Corn and grain crops in Mexico have been killed by heavy frosts. That will mean an increase in any corn or grain products.
La Cruz Marina is such an active place. The clubhouse is very well appointed with comfy chairs and sofas. They have yoga 5 days a week, pot lucks most Saturdays, and so many other things going on. Next year I would love to stay here for a month and participate in the life in the marina. Although we have spent much time in PV (years ago), there are still lots of places for us to explore.
Apparently the weather north of us is still not too great so we may stay here another day or whenever the conditions seem favourable. I am paranoid about the weather but when seasoned sailors say that they are postpoing leaving then I take note...which means we dont sail.
What a relaxing day this has been!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
We have dinghy wheels...yes we do.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Last night I woke up and the stress of the last few days hit me. I did not feel fearful, I just cried. That left me feeling much better. When I woke up in the morning, I thought that I was fine. Well wrong. While out walking Patches, a large English sheep dog took a run at us, toppled Patches and then stood on him. I went ballistic at the owner and swore at him (this was not a normal response as I usually just ask the owner to leash the dog) and the owner took a strip off me. By this time, I realized that Patches was fine and the other dog wanted to play. It turns out the sheep dog was a puppy but the owner had no control over the puppy. Apparently the man was Mexican and he told me to go home if I didn’t like it here…that threw me as I had no idea if this guy was Canadian, or from Mongolia. He really raked me over the coals and of course I apologized. We go our separate ways and I start crying again. A sweet Mexican woman who had witnessed the whole charade came over and comforted me, saying that the man was very rude but she laughed and said that she was happy that I had stood up to the guy. After he verbally kicked my butt, I thought that I had humbled myself to him, but apparently not.
It turns out that the guy has a huge multi million dollar motor yacht on the same dock as we are on. The guy also owns a hummer. So whom did I offend? Some drug cartel boss??
Later the guy came over to speak with me, to explain that his dogs are puppies and harmless. I pointed out that I did not know that. I still think that if you cant control your dog you should have it leashed but I was not about to start a new argument with the guy. And oh yes he may have Mexican parents but he flies an American flag as his country of origin.
That incident seemed to have rid me of my angst, so there was my silver lining.
While out walking I met several people from Mazatlan and other places that we had visited. None of them had hit that patch of bad weather that we had, but they had met other people who had….and all of them said that none of the weather sites showed winds of that strength. I feel somewhat vindicated.
Bob went to the mariners equivalent of an upscale Canadian Tire and came back with a new water pump and DINGHY WHEELS. Now for those of you who do not know the significance of dinghy wheels let me tell you.. When going into shore you can put down the dinghy wheels and that means your motor wont be hitting solid ground when that big wave leaves you sort of high and dry. Then you can pull the dinghy out of the way of the next large wave, and easily roll the dinghy on shore rather than dragging it painfully over sand and rocks. Going out with the dinghy works the same way…makes life easier. But now I have to learn a new dinghy regime and I am sure that it will involve getting wet a few times. That doesn’t bother me anymore. I have quick drying shorts just for such occasions.
Friends of ours from Manitoba (they have a cottage at Grindstone) are here in Puerto Vallarta now. Tomorrow afternoon they are coming for a visit. It will be so nice to see a familiar face from Manitoba.
Can you believe that it has clouded over? I can't remember when I last saw an overcast sky. We have been to PV many times and I doubt if I have ever seen it totally overcast. Weird weather all over the world.
Time to go to Happy Hour.
Last night I woke up and the stress of the last few days hit me. I did not feel fearful, I just cried. That left me feeling much better. When I woke up in the morning, I thought that I was fine. Well wrong. While out walking Patches, a large English sheep dog took a run at us, toppled Patches and then stood on him. I went ballistic at the owner and swore at him (this was not a normal response as I usually just ask the owner to leash the dog) and the owner took a strip off me. By this time, I realized that Patches was fine and the other dog wanted to play. It turns out the sheep dog was a puppy but the owner had no control over the puppy. Apparently the man was Mexican and he told me to go home if I didn’t like it here…that threw me as I had no idea if this guy was Canadian, or from Mongolia. He really raked me over the coals and of course I apologized. We go our separate ways and I start crying again. A sweet Mexican woman who had witnessed the whole charade came over and comforted me, saying that the man was very rude but she laughed and said that she was happy that I had stood up to the guy. After he verbally kicked my butt, I thought that I had humbled myself to him, but apparently not.
It turns out that the guy has a huge multi million dollar motor yacht on the same dock as we are on. The guy also owns a hummer. So whom did I offend? Some drug cartel boss??
Later the guy came over to speak with me, to explain that his dogs are puppies and harmless. I pointed out that I did not know that. I still think that if you cant control your dog you should have it leashed but I was not about to start a new argument with the guy. And oh yes he may have Mexican parents but he flies an American flag as his country of origin.
That incident seemed to have rid me of my angst, so there was my silver lining.
While out walking I met several people from Mazatlan and other places that we had visited. None of them had hit that patch of bad weather that we had, but they had met other people who had….and all of them said that none of the weather sites showed winds of that strength. I feel somewhat vindicated.
Bob went to the mariners equivalent of an upscale Canadian Tire and came back with a new water pump and DINGHY WHEELS. Now for those of you who do not know the significance of dinghy wheels let me tell you.. When going into shore you can put down the dinghy wheels and that means your motor wont be hitting solid ground when that big wave leaves you sort of high and dry. Then you can pull the dinghy out of the way of the next large wave, and easily roll the dinghy on shore rather than dragging it painfully over sand and rocks. Going out with the dinghy works the same way…makes life easier. But now I have to learn a new dinghy regime and I am sure that it will involve getting wet a few times. That doesn’t bother me anymore. I have quick drying shorts just for such occasions.
Friends of ours from Manitoba (they have a cottage at Grindstone) are here in Puerto Vallarta now. Tomorrow afternoon they are coming for a visit. It will be so nice to see a familiar face from Manitoba.
Can you believe that it has clouded over? I can't remember when I last saw an overcast sky. We have been to PV many times and I doubt if I have ever seen it totally overcast. Weird weather all over the world.
Time to go to Happy Hour.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
The Anvil Fell
On Monday in Chamela we bought some diesel and a few groceries. Bob carried 10 gallons of diesel (in the heat of the day) for about 20 minutes. I had wanted to take a cab but oh no that would have been too easy.
When we returned to the boat we noticed our neighbours leaving which surprised us. They had told us that they were leaving on Tues as were we. I wanted to call them to ask why they were leaving a day early. Bob vetoed that and I listened to him(he is the captain after all). I am sure that they left because they had knowledge of the nasty weather that we encountered.
Tuesday morning as planned we left Chamela for La Cruz. When we came south it had taken us 22 hr to make this sail so we assumed going north would take a little longer as the weather forecast predicted northerly winds and southerly swell...both working against us.
The winds started picking up shortly after we left Chamela and the swell kept growing. By 3 pm the winds were up to 30 knots/hr and the swell was over 2 m. Waves were crashing over the bow and we were both wet. Bob has a rain suit so he put that on and the dog and I went below. Everything was everywhere below. The boat was tossing and turning. Patches and I lay down on the floor. It was the only thing to do as I had been thrown off the sofa once. As we were making no headway Bob hove to. He had to put another reef in the mainsail ..in the dark with waves crashing. Patches and I watched from below. All we could see were his ankles. When they disappeared I think we both held our breath until we saw his legs again.
The dramamine had worn off so I was concentrating very hard on not being sick. Patches was licking his lips alot so I think he was queasy too. He wanted to be up with Bob but I finally calmed him down and he was quiet as long as I didnt move.
I can not begin to explain what this experience was like for me. It seemed never ending and there was no way out. It had to be borne and that was that. Hour after hour in the dark with the boat moving constantly and sometimes violently wore me down. I felt so sorry for Bob but there was not anything I could do to help him. I have anxiety attacks and I was amazed at my control. I thought that Bob did not need an additional worry and that seemed to get me through. After awhile I just felt numb. The constant noise was something else again. Sheets were slapping, waves crashing, the boat banging down on waves...hour after hour.
Bob stayed on deck the whole time making sure that no boats would run us over. As if..what other fools would be out there? Today in La Cruz I spoke to several other people who had been out in this gale and they too had no knowledge of it. Thursday and Friday were supposed to be the bad days but the system must have moved quickly.
About 9 am on Wednesday morning the winds calmed to about 30 knots and we start motoring. I convinced Bob to go to Ipala rather than La Cruz. Ipala was 4 hr away and La Cruz was at least 12. Bob was totally fatigued. To get to La Cruz you go around a cape which is wild at the best of times so for me it was Ipala. We had heard conflicting reports about it as an anchorage but at least we could anchor and sleep.
It took us 5 hr to get to Ipala and what a lovely haven it is. They farm fish in the bay which makes it a little dicey but no big deal. We took the dog ashore and had a most fabulous meal of lobster and a whole bunch of beer. Ipala is tiny but has about 4 restaurants and 3 little stores. The people are friendly and very helpful. I am glad that we went to Ipala but wish it had been under different circumstances.
Bob and I were asleep by 6 pm and never moved until 7 am the next morning. Bob checked the boat over and found that our navigation lights had been broken by the waves crashing on them. Luckily we didnt need them to continue to La Cruz as we would be travelling during the day.
Friday, February 25
7 am and we were out of Ipala. The swells were still over 2 metres and the wind started increasing but it never went over 25 knots. As we approaced Cabo Corrients the weather actually got better. Our trip around the cape was easy in fact very easy compared our former ordeal. We were in La Cruz Marina all settled by about 5 pm.
When we left Ipala I had a bad case of nerves hit me. My leg started twitching and shaking..strange but true.
On our way across Banderas Bay (think Puerto Vallarta) we saw a shark. Of course all we saw was that sinister looking fin sticking out of the water. I pointed it out to Bob who first thought it was a dolphin. Upon the second appearance of the fin, he knew it was no dolphin. Then it followed our boat for a distance which made us a little nervous.
By 6 pm I was swilling back Bloody Marys and enjoying a fabulous rib eye steak. Then back to the boat for a quiet evening of listening to the radio and enjoying a copa de vino tinto (glass of red wine).
When we returned to the boat we noticed our neighbours leaving which surprised us. They had told us that they were leaving on Tues as were we. I wanted to call them to ask why they were leaving a day early. Bob vetoed that and I listened to him(he is the captain after all). I am sure that they left because they had knowledge of the nasty weather that we encountered.
Tuesday morning as planned we left Chamela for La Cruz. When we came south it had taken us 22 hr to make this sail so we assumed going north would take a little longer as the weather forecast predicted northerly winds and southerly swell...both working against us.
The winds started picking up shortly after we left Chamela and the swell kept growing. By 3 pm the winds were up to 30 knots/hr and the swell was over 2 m. Waves were crashing over the bow and we were both wet. Bob has a rain suit so he put that on and the dog and I went below. Everything was everywhere below. The boat was tossing and turning. Patches and I lay down on the floor. It was the only thing to do as I had been thrown off the sofa once. As we were making no headway Bob hove to. He had to put another reef in the mainsail ..in the dark with waves crashing. Patches and I watched from below. All we could see were his ankles. When they disappeared I think we both held our breath until we saw his legs again.
The dramamine had worn off so I was concentrating very hard on not being sick. Patches was licking his lips alot so I think he was queasy too. He wanted to be up with Bob but I finally calmed him down and he was quiet as long as I didnt move.
I can not begin to explain what this experience was like for me. It seemed never ending and there was no way out. It had to be borne and that was that. Hour after hour in the dark with the boat moving constantly and sometimes violently wore me down. I felt so sorry for Bob but there was not anything I could do to help him. I have anxiety attacks and I was amazed at my control. I thought that Bob did not need an additional worry and that seemed to get me through. After awhile I just felt numb. The constant noise was something else again. Sheets were slapping, waves crashing, the boat banging down on waves...hour after hour.
Bob stayed on deck the whole time making sure that no boats would run us over. As if..what other fools would be out there? Today in La Cruz I spoke to several other people who had been out in this gale and they too had no knowledge of it. Thursday and Friday were supposed to be the bad days but the system must have moved quickly.
About 9 am on Wednesday morning the winds calmed to about 30 knots and we start motoring. I convinced Bob to go to Ipala rather than La Cruz. Ipala was 4 hr away and La Cruz was at least 12. Bob was totally fatigued. To get to La Cruz you go around a cape which is wild at the best of times so for me it was Ipala. We had heard conflicting reports about it as an anchorage but at least we could anchor and sleep.
It took us 5 hr to get to Ipala and what a lovely haven it is. They farm fish in the bay which makes it a little dicey but no big deal. We took the dog ashore and had a most fabulous meal of lobster and a whole bunch of beer. Ipala is tiny but has about 4 restaurants and 3 little stores. The people are friendly and very helpful. I am glad that we went to Ipala but wish it had been under different circumstances.
Bob and I were asleep by 6 pm and never moved until 7 am the next morning. Bob checked the boat over and found that our navigation lights had been broken by the waves crashing on them. Luckily we didnt need them to continue to La Cruz as we would be travelling during the day.
Friday, February 25
7 am and we were out of Ipala. The swells were still over 2 metres and the wind started increasing but it never went over 25 knots. As we approaced Cabo Corrients the weather actually got better. Our trip around the cape was easy in fact very easy compared our former ordeal. We were in La Cruz Marina all settled by about 5 pm.
When we left Ipala I had a bad case of nerves hit me. My leg started twitching and shaking..strange but true.
On our way across Banderas Bay (think Puerto Vallarta) we saw a shark. Of course all we saw was that sinister looking fin sticking out of the water. I pointed it out to Bob who first thought it was a dolphin. Upon the second appearance of the fin, he knew it was no dolphin. Then it followed our boat for a distance which made us a little nervous.
By 6 pm I was swilling back Bloody Marys and enjoying a fabulous rib eye steak. Then back to the boat for a quiet evening of listening to the radio and enjoying a copa de vino tinto (glass of red wine).
Friday, February 25, 2011
Yes we lived to tell another tale
To those who follow my blog.
Tomorrow will supply all the details but we hit some very bad weather on Tues/Wed and ended up in a tiny harbour with no internet services.
We are all fine but still a bit blitzed by the experience.
I am going to drink wine now.
Tomorrow will supply all the details but we hit some very bad weather on Tues/Wed and ended up in a tiny harbour with no internet services.
We are all fine but still a bit blitzed by the experience.
I am going to drink wine now.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Dinghy devil is now dinghy angel
Yesterdayin Tenacatita we headed for shore...on my part with great trepidation. There was surf..need I say more. Much to my surprise we landed gently. Bob read the waves, I jumped out and we looked ever so good..I say that because other cruisers at the restaurant saw us land and commented on how perfect it was. I must confess that we landed I kept waiting for a big wave to hit me or the boat.
We had a fabulous meal at this tiny restaurant. Their chef deserves accolades.
This morning we left for Chamela. Chamela is where our steering went and where we had our fan belt issues. The trip was very pleasant..a bit of wind but Bob used that to our advantage. The swell was larger but not overwhelming to me. And that was me without dramamine.
We whipped into Chamela and we were HOT..until the anchor chain fouled. We had a fair bit of chain out so the boat held but there was Bob in the anchor locker doing whatever. Ever since he had to get into the locker I had made sure that there is a clear path to the locker everytime we sail. And today was the day we needed the clear path.
As of now we have just returned from another tasty meal in Chamela. On our way in the motor hit bottom (shallow) and there I was jumping out of the dinghy dog under one arm and pulling the boat straight so that Bob and the motor would not go ass over tea kettle..and they didnt.
Coming back to the boat, we again made a miracle launch.
Yes my friends I am waiting for the anvil to fall. Is that my Mennonite background that causes me to feel that life should be replete with dinghy disasters?
Off to watch the sunse with glass of wine in hand.
We had a fabulous meal at this tiny restaurant. Their chef deserves accolades.
This morning we left for Chamela. Chamela is where our steering went and where we had our fan belt issues. The trip was very pleasant..a bit of wind but Bob used that to our advantage. The swell was larger but not overwhelming to me. And that was me without dramamine.
We whipped into Chamela and we were HOT..until the anchor chain fouled. We had a fair bit of chain out so the boat held but there was Bob in the anchor locker doing whatever. Ever since he had to get into the locker I had made sure that there is a clear path to the locker everytime we sail. And today was the day we needed the clear path.
As of now we have just returned from another tasty meal in Chamela. On our way in the motor hit bottom (shallow) and there I was jumping out of the dinghy dog under one arm and pulling the boat straight so that Bob and the motor would not go ass over tea kettle..and they didnt.
Coming back to the boat, we again made a miracle launch.
Yes my friends I am waiting for the anvil to fall. Is that my Mennonite background that causes me to feel that life should be replete with dinghy disasters?
Off to watch the sunse with glass of wine in hand.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Link to web album
Here is a link to my web album. I dont have many photos on it yet but more will be forthcoming. Just click
on the photo to get to the album.
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| Mexico Sailing 2011 |
Dinghy Cocktail Party
Here are a few photos for your enjoyment.
Yesterday Friday was a totally slothful day for us.
The day started with going out for breakfast. Of course that meant launching the devil dinghy, and since the surf was of medium ferocity we approached shore with caution. All in all it was not too bad. The usual non existent wave appeared and hit Patches and I. Then I jumped ship as did Patches. He can swim really well when the waves are breaking and we are near shore.
Breakfast was delicious. Then we walked down to the Blue Bay Resort and lingered as we watched the surf breaking. Our trip through the surf went well as Bob had either timed it right or it was dumb luck. Who will ever know?
About 2 pm there was a general announcement of a dinghy cocktail hour at 5 pm and we were all to bring an appetizer. I was scrambling as we are low on supplies right now but I conocted a quite tasty chicken parmesan dish to serve on crackers. Off we went to join the group. We all anchored to an anchored 1 litre water bottle and it worked. Then we tied to each other so there was not a lot of drifting. That was a a new experience which we enjoyed very much...we spent about 1.5 hr chatting with 5 couples all of whom have sailed for years. Everyone was duly impressed when I announced that I was completing week 6.
Back to the boat for dinner and another phenomental moon rise.
Yesterday Friday was a totally slothful day for us.
The day started with going out for breakfast. Of course that meant launching the devil dinghy, and since the surf was of medium ferocity we approached shore with caution. All in all it was not too bad. The usual non existent wave appeared and hit Patches and I. Then I jumped ship as did Patches. He can swim really well when the waves are breaking and we are near shore.
Breakfast was delicious. Then we walked down to the Blue Bay Resort and lingered as we watched the surf breaking. Our trip through the surf went well as Bob had either timed it right or it was dumb luck. Who will ever know?
About 2 pm there was a general announcement of a dinghy cocktail hour at 5 pm and we were all to bring an appetizer. I was scrambling as we are low on supplies right now but I conocted a quite tasty chicken parmesan dish to serve on crackers. Off we went to join the group. We all anchored to an anchored 1 litre water bottle and it worked. Then we tied to each other so there was not a lot of drifting. That was a a new experience which we enjoyed very much...we spent about 1.5 hr chatting with 5 couples all of whom have sailed for years. Everyone was duly impressed when I announced that I was completing week 6.
Back to the boat for dinner and another phenomental moon rise.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tenacactita Bay Revisited
February 17, 2011
What can I say about today? Perfect or a reasonable facsimile.
Yesterday morning we left Santiago Bay at 9 am, without a problem. Although the winds were not great, they were acceptable. Usually we average 5 knots/hr but today we averaged 6. At times we hit over 7 knots...for us that is very good. Since we began our sailing in January we have had few favourable winds. When we do get wind it usually hits us on the nose.
For our sail/motor here we all sat in the cockpit and enjoyed the smooth sailing. Tenacatita Bay had fewer boats than when we were here before. Now we know that we can anchor near shore so we chose near the dog beach. This little beach is where people take their dogs. It is easy to land there as the surf is minute.
The moonrise was melodramatic in its beauty. While the moon was rising, the dolphins put on a show amongst the boats. The tranquility of the evening was marred only by Patches barking at the dolphins. He does not like dolphins anymore than the devil dinghy.
If all our sails were like today I guess it would be boring??
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A whale of a tale
Happy Valentines Day
Today we were up at 6 and off from Isla Ixtapa by 730 am. It takes about ¾ hr to get the dinghy stowed away and other pre-sailing stuff done. Most of this has to be done by Bob but there are few things that I can do to cut down on that time.
This morning we have seen sea turtles, dolphins, and skates. The skates look like such comedians to me. They jump way out of the water and then belly flop into it. There must be a reason.
Later today we saw 4 huge whales. Bob saw one come up about 10 ft from the boat. Apparently his back was covered in scars. Moments later another one came up and actually bumped the boat…scarey. Moments later all we saw behind the boat were 4 huge whale tails….now isn’t that a whale of a tale. Sorry but I had to do that.
Now I am writing the rest of this blog on Feb 16.
About 6 hr out of Isla Ixtapa we had 20 knot winds, big swells and the winds were right on our nose. Our speed slowed to about 2 knots/hr. The boat was banging over the waves. It was uncomfortable to say the least. Bob reefed the sails when the winds were gusting over 20. That went on for about 12 hours. About 3 am the wind direction changed and that made the world of difference. We all sat in the cockpit as it was too rolly and bouncy below ..good nautical terms I am sure.
Later we had favourable winds and Bob steered manually which made the world of difference, and we were doing 7 knots. We were anchoring in Manzanillo after 34 hours of sailing. Patches has a new record now of 36 hours without a pee.
I was able to sit watch for awhile so Bob got about 3 hr sleep in 36 hr. Soon I will be confident enough (if the weather is okay) to take my 2 hr shifts at night.
During the night we saw 3 sailboats and several large ships. The ships are frightening because we do not show up on their radar ..it is up to us to take evasive action. Sometimes it is difficult to know where they are going because they do not have port and starboard lights.
Santiago Bay, which is Manzanillo, is a lovely bay. There are about 25 boats here and room for many more. Can you believe that I found such a deal on wine in a tiny store very close to where we come into shore on the dinghy. A kind man from Ontario showed us the way to it.
The beach has a number of palapa restaurants and we have enjoyed drinks and food there …so nice after our food while sailing. Cooking is still not an option while we are under way. I cook before hand and make sandwiches.
Tomorrow we plan to go to Tenacatita and will stay there a few days. That is only about 7 hr but as I know that no plan is ever a plan, we will leave early so we have lots of time.
I will soon be putting up a web album and will send emails and put a link on on my blog so you can access our photos.
The Zihua trip certainly had its stressful moments for me but I have overcome a few more fears..yes my friends I will soon be sailing solo…how hard are you laughing now???
Time for wine.
Today we were up at 6 and off from Isla Ixtapa by 730 am. It takes about ¾ hr to get the dinghy stowed away and other pre-sailing stuff done. Most of this has to be done by Bob but there are few things that I can do to cut down on that time.
This morning we have seen sea turtles, dolphins, and skates. The skates look like such comedians to me. They jump way out of the water and then belly flop into it. There must be a reason.
Later today we saw 4 huge whales. Bob saw one come up about 10 ft from the boat. Apparently his back was covered in scars. Moments later another one came up and actually bumped the boat…scarey. Moments later all we saw behind the boat were 4 huge whale tails….now isn’t that a whale of a tale. Sorry but I had to do that.
Now I am writing the rest of this blog on Feb 16.
About 6 hr out of Isla Ixtapa we had 20 knot winds, big swells and the winds were right on our nose. Our speed slowed to about 2 knots/hr. The boat was banging over the waves. It was uncomfortable to say the least. Bob reefed the sails when the winds were gusting over 20. That went on for about 12 hours. About 3 am the wind direction changed and that made the world of difference. We all sat in the cockpit as it was too rolly and bouncy below ..good nautical terms I am sure.
Later we had favourable winds and Bob steered manually which made the world of difference, and we were doing 7 knots. We were anchoring in Manzanillo after 34 hours of sailing. Patches has a new record now of 36 hours without a pee.
I was able to sit watch for awhile so Bob got about 3 hr sleep in 36 hr. Soon I will be confident enough (if the weather is okay) to take my 2 hr shifts at night.
During the night we saw 3 sailboats and several large ships. The ships are frightening because we do not show up on their radar ..it is up to us to take evasive action. Sometimes it is difficult to know where they are going because they do not have port and starboard lights.
Santiago Bay, which is Manzanillo, is a lovely bay. There are about 25 boats here and room for many more. Can you believe that I found such a deal on wine in a tiny store very close to where we come into shore on the dinghy. A kind man from Ontario showed us the way to it.
The beach has a number of palapa restaurants and we have enjoyed drinks and food there …so nice after our food while sailing. Cooking is still not an option while we are under way. I cook before hand and make sandwiches.
Tomorrow we plan to go to Tenacatita and will stay there a few days. That is only about 7 hr but as I know that no plan is ever a plan, we will leave early so we have lots of time.
I will soon be putting up a web album and will send emails and put a link on on my blog so you can access our photos.
The Zihua trip certainly had its stressful moments for me but I have overcome a few more fears..yes my friends I will soon be sailing solo…how hard are you laughing now???
Time for wine.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Serendipity
February 12, 2011
Today started early for us as we were planning on leaving Zihuatanejo as soon after daybreak as possible. I was up at 530 am, thinking that it would be light by 615, and we could take the dog to shore. I was wrong as it was still dark at 630. By 645 we were ready to take the dog to shore. At that time I turned on the tap and there was no water…no sound of pumping. This is not a good thing as our drinking water is in the tank. We do have water in containers but that is more of emergency water. Once more Bob crawled into the bowels of the boat, to find out that the pressure switch had died. The closest place to buy one is in La Cruz which we plan to visit in about a week. He managed to bypass the switch so we can get water by turning on the pump rather than the tap.
Now we needed to change plans as the trip to Manzanillo is a long one, and because of the dog we need to complete the trip in the minimum amount of time. We decided to head north but only to Isla Ixtapa (about 2 hr north of Zihua) where you can anchor in a small bay. That will make our trip a little shorter and we should be set to leave tomorrow morning.
Well here we are at Isla Ixtapa and what a serendipitous day this has turned out to be. The anchorage is tiny but lovely. It is filled with people having a ball. As a result we are rocking a lot but that will cease about 6pm when everyone gets off the sea doos and goes back to their hotels.
This is a much better point to leave from as we are now about 2 hr north and to leave here is direct. That means that we should not have to spend an hour or two leaving harbour.
I went swimming off the boat today. Bob went to put down the ladder and it was totally rusted together. Bolt cutters fixed that problem and away I went.
Our boat is filthy so Bob has been out cleaning. He was diving under the boat and couldn’t find the zinc so now he is trying to replace the zinc. I hear his splashing so I know that he is still alive.
We will go shore at about 5 pm and have a drink. Who know what we may find? Yesterday we went for a drink in a different restaurant only to find that they served pizza. End of eating on the boat..we had a fabulous pizza. Yesterdays supper became todays lunch.
We went ashore and had a lovely fish meal. What a view from the restaurants into the bay. The bay now has 4 sailboats in it and 2 motor sailers.
Bob has decided that we need another day here so he can clean. The prop and rudder are covered with growing things and he needs to check the zinc again. Bob used to do alot of free diving and could hold his breath for quite a while. Yesterday he found that those days are over. Now he has another project to work on...improve his free diving again.
There a few parties happening here but that will end soon as the motor sailers go back to Zihua.
Today started early for us as we were planning on leaving Zihuatanejo as soon after daybreak as possible. I was up at 530 am, thinking that it would be light by 615, and we could take the dog to shore. I was wrong as it was still dark at 630. By 645 we were ready to take the dog to shore. At that time I turned on the tap and there was no water…no sound of pumping. This is not a good thing as our drinking water is in the tank. We do have water in containers but that is more of emergency water. Once more Bob crawled into the bowels of the boat, to find out that the pressure switch had died. The closest place to buy one is in La Cruz which we plan to visit in about a week. He managed to bypass the switch so we can get water by turning on the pump rather than the tap.
Now we needed to change plans as the trip to Manzanillo is a long one, and because of the dog we need to complete the trip in the minimum amount of time. We decided to head north but only to Isla Ixtapa (about 2 hr north of Zihua) where you can anchor in a small bay. That will make our trip a little shorter and we should be set to leave tomorrow morning.
Well here we are at Isla Ixtapa and what a serendipitous day this has turned out to be. The anchorage is tiny but lovely. It is filled with people having a ball. As a result we are rocking a lot but that will cease about 6pm when everyone gets off the sea doos and goes back to their hotels.
This is a much better point to leave from as we are now about 2 hr north and to leave here is direct. That means that we should not have to spend an hour or two leaving harbour.
I went swimming off the boat today. Bob went to put down the ladder and it was totally rusted together. Bolt cutters fixed that problem and away I went.
Our boat is filthy so Bob has been out cleaning. He was diving under the boat and couldn’t find the zinc so now he is trying to replace the zinc. I hear his splashing so I know that he is still alive.
We will go shore at about 5 pm and have a drink. Who know what we may find? Yesterday we went for a drink in a different restaurant only to find that they served pizza. End of eating on the boat..we had a fabulous pizza. Yesterdays supper became todays lunch.
We went ashore and had a lovely fish meal. What a view from the restaurants into the bay. The bay now has 4 sailboats in it and 2 motor sailers.
Bob has decided that we need another day here so he can clean. The prop and rudder are covered with growing things and he needs to check the zinc again. Bob used to do alot of free diving and could hold his breath for quite a while. Yesterday he found that those days are over. Now he has another project to work on...improve his free diving again.
There a few parties happening here but that will end soon as the motor sailers go back to Zihua.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Relaxing in Zihuatanejo
February 9, 2001
Zihuatanejo
What a great sleep I had last night! It cooled down and the boat was very steady. I no longer had to worry about how I was going to renew our Mexican medical which probably helped me relax and enjoy that deep sleep.
The bilge pump continues to act up…seemingly working at random and then quitting. Bob is crawling around in little crevices trying to find the source of the problem.
This morning we walked to the central market. Although it is not a new venue it is very clean and not at all smelly. It has everything and more. The produce is fresh and the prices are very reasonable. I will go back and do some stocking up before we leave. Because it is so hot we usually have lunch ashore and then I make a salad for the evening meal. If I cook the boat gets very hot. That’s my story and I am sticking to it!
This morning we had lovely showers ashore for less than a dollar. On the boat I shower in about 4 cups of water, as we are limited in how much water we can carry. To get really wet all over is such a novelty. They had signs up in the shower that asked you to stay no more than 20 minutes and not to do your laundry while showering.
At about 9 am there was much chatter on the local marine radio as whales had been spotted coming into the bay. About 20 minutes later we saw them about 2 boat lengths away from us. There were 2 and it may have been a mother and a baby as one was very large and the other small in comparison. Just before we saw the whales we saw many little fish go ripping by …trying to stay alive I would think.
Now that we have revisited Zihua I can see us returning by car. In terms of towns/cities that we have visited it is our favourite. The city is clean and easy to get around. Taxis are cheap…20 pesos anywhere in the town. The people are very pleasant and helpful. Keeping our boat here would be a great option but for now Bob wants to be in Maz as he wants to explore the Baja. Doing that from here adds a lot of sailing to your trip.
Our walk later in the day took us past a bakery. I made the mistake of looking in and seeing some whole wheat bread...and yes it was delicious.
In the afternoon when we take Patches ashore we usually stop for a drink and I have a margarita. So far the bars in Zihua have been very disappointing but I shall continue my quest for the perfect margarita. So far on this trip the best margarita was in an Italian restaurant near Las hadas Resort in Manzanillo.
While having our evening drink we met a couple from Saskatoon. We sat and chatted with them for awhile. Hearing about winter and driving on slippery roads made me more than happy to be here.
Zihuatanejo
What a great sleep I had last night! It cooled down and the boat was very steady. I no longer had to worry about how I was going to renew our Mexican medical which probably helped me relax and enjoy that deep sleep.
The bilge pump continues to act up…seemingly working at random and then quitting. Bob is crawling around in little crevices trying to find the source of the problem.
This morning we walked to the central market. Although it is not a new venue it is very clean and not at all smelly. It has everything and more. The produce is fresh and the prices are very reasonable. I will go back and do some stocking up before we leave. Because it is so hot we usually have lunch ashore and then I make a salad for the evening meal. If I cook the boat gets very hot. That’s my story and I am sticking to it!
This morning we had lovely showers ashore for less than a dollar. On the boat I shower in about 4 cups of water, as we are limited in how much water we can carry. To get really wet all over is such a novelty. They had signs up in the shower that asked you to stay no more than 20 minutes and not to do your laundry while showering.
At about 9 am there was much chatter on the local marine radio as whales had been spotted coming into the bay. About 20 minutes later we saw them about 2 boat lengths away from us. There were 2 and it may have been a mother and a baby as one was very large and the other small in comparison. Just before we saw the whales we saw many little fish go ripping by …trying to stay alive I would think.
Now that we have revisited Zihua I can see us returning by car. In terms of towns/cities that we have visited it is our favourite. The city is clean and easy to get around. Taxis are cheap…20 pesos anywhere in the town. The people are very pleasant and helpful. Keeping our boat here would be a great option but for now Bob wants to be in Maz as he wants to explore the Baja. Doing that from here adds a lot of sailing to your trip.
Our walk later in the day took us past a bakery. I made the mistake of looking in and seeing some whole wheat bread...and yes it was delicious.
In the afternoon when we take Patches ashore we usually stop for a drink and I have a margarita. So far the bars in Zihua have been very disappointing but I shall continue my quest for the perfect margarita. So far on this trip the best margarita was in an Italian restaurant near Las hadas Resort in Manzanillo.
While having our evening drink we met a couple from Saskatoon. We sat and chatted with them for awhile. Hearing about winter and driving on slippery roads made me more than happy to be here.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Refreshed and renewed in Zihuatanejo
After being in Zihua for 3 days we are feeling very perky. Zihua is a lovely place with lots of stores, restaurants and great walking. Since we were last here (perhaps 10 yr ago) the town has done wonders to improve the ambience. It is much cleaner while still maintaining its charm.
Twice a day we take the dog into shore and then we explore or shop or eat.
They have a great service here for people who dinghy in. Two men share the job. They are on shore to help you come into shore. The surf has not been bad at all but it is so nice to have someone grab the dinghy and help you out of the boat. I am getting much betting at getting in and out of the dingy ..in fact Bob commented today on how agile I had become...a week ago I was still cautious/lumbering and that leads to dinghy disasters.
Today I was able to renew our Mexican medical. What wonderful people they have in the office here..unlike some of my dealings in Patzcuaro. That is a huge load off my mind.
Apparently the tourism in Zihua this year is very bad...the worst it has been ever according to a woman who lives here. That is so sad as this is a lovely place.
Can you believe that now I am fine on the boat but when I go to shore I am dizzy?? I have to really watch how much coffee I drink as that makes me feel even worse. So now I have to drink weak coffee and also be very careful how much alcohol I drink..a glass or 2 of wine and that is it. What sacrifices I make for my husband!!
We are still hoping to visit Caleta but our friend who lives there says that the surf will be very wild on the weekend. Our plan is to wait until Sunday and see if the sea calms any and if not we will sail from here to Manzanillo. That is a 36 hr sail which neither of us likes (because of the dog) but it may be our only choice.
Bob is sitting on deck enjoying the beautiful view and I am going out to join him.
Twice a day we take the dog into shore and then we explore or shop or eat.
They have a great service here for people who dinghy in. Two men share the job. They are on shore to help you come into shore. The surf has not been bad at all but it is so nice to have someone grab the dinghy and help you out of the boat. I am getting much betting at getting in and out of the dingy ..in fact Bob commented today on how agile I had become...a week ago I was still cautious/lumbering and that leads to dinghy disasters.
Today I was able to renew our Mexican medical. What wonderful people they have in the office here..unlike some of my dealings in Patzcuaro. That is a huge load off my mind.
Apparently the tourism in Zihua this year is very bad...the worst it has been ever according to a woman who lives here. That is so sad as this is a lovely place.
Can you believe that now I am fine on the boat but when I go to shore I am dizzy?? I have to really watch how much coffee I drink as that makes me feel even worse. So now I have to drink weak coffee and also be very careful how much alcohol I drink..a glass or 2 of wine and that is it. What sacrifices I make for my husband!!
We are still hoping to visit Caleta but our friend who lives there says that the surf will be very wild on the weekend. Our plan is to wait until Sunday and see if the sea calms any and if not we will sail from here to Manzanillo. That is a 36 hr sail which neither of us likes (because of the dog) but it may be our only choice.
Bob is sitting on deck enjoying the beautiful view and I am going out to join him.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Heave and hove to
February 3 to February 5, 2011
We waved goodbye to Manzanillo about 11 am on Thursday morning. It would be an all nighter and I do hate those. Our departure from Las Hadas Bay was pretty good other than I thought that Bob had told me to slowly go forward with the boat. In fact he had told me to reverse so I ran the boat over the anchor, which made it rather difficult to remove, but we did. Other than I did some steering and didn’t hit another boat so I believe that is progress.
Thursday was uneventful ..a few whales, some dolphins and sevral sea turtles.
There was a bit of a wind in the night so we arrived at Caleta at about 9 am. The surf was huge. There was no way that we could take in our dinghy. Bob went to bed at 9 but at about 10 I awakened him to tell him that we had to leave. Big rollers were breaking just off our boat, and they had been increasing in size in the hour we were there. Bob was not happy and still believes that we would have been fine…except that we couldn’t get to shore unless we hired a local fisherman to take in and out. Bob would have had to stay on the boat because it was too dangerous to leave it in rollers of that size.
So we headed for Zihuatenejo which is about a 12 hr jaunt. That would mean getting there and trying to anchor in the dark. This was all necessary because Patches won’t pee on the boat. At about 4 pm (No pee for 32 hr) Patches started to pant and salivate. Both Bob and I were feeling so guilty. Nothing we did could get him to pee. At about 7 pm we were all in the cockpit, and Patches was lying on a fleece jacket of mine. Suddenly he stopped panting, got up and started scratching at my fleece. I lifted the fleece as I thought he wanted under it, and guess what? Yes he had peed!!!
The pressure was off all of us. About an hour later we decided to heave to. For those of you who do not know this term, it means you leave up a sail, and shut down the motors, letting the boat drift a bit, but basically it goes nowhere fast. We were about 10 nautical miles offshore and saw only 1 ship all night. We took turns sleeping, and were off to an early start, which isn’t really early here as sunrise is at about 7 am. The trip was lovely from that point and we arrived in Zihuatenejo Bay at about 9 am. After anchoring, which was preceeded by Bob motoring in amongst all the boats (and there are a lot here now) as if it were the Indy 500, and getting the boat settled in and the dinghy out, we were off to town. Bob had to go to the port captain, Patches had to go to the bathroom and I had to go for breakfast.
Although Bob is very tired he is out cleaning the boat now. He was going to leave it until tomorrow but I guess he couldn’t stand looking at it.
I too have household duties to perform inside the boat. When we do these overnighters the place just becomes a jumbled mess.
Last night, when we were thinking that we had to come into port in the dark, almost finished me for sailing. Bob was also nervous about this and well he should have been. I was able to shut that out of mind, and how fortunate because it turned out that we didn’t have that particular problem to deal with.
The boat has been working well which is such a relief. On the other hand I know that boat life involves many breakdowns and changes in plan.
I have promised myself that I will not make plans to be somewhere at a given time as sailing is just too iffy.
Another promise is to always have a plan b. Bob was so sure that Caleta would be fine so we left it at that. I remembered Caleta Bay as tumultuous but Bob remembers it totally differently. Sometimes we wonder if we have been to the same place at the same time.
Sailing for hours looking at the water still bores me. I am wracking my brain for a hobby that I can do on board, but so far I haven’t come up with anything. It has to be something that takes almost no space and can be done when the boat is rolling and pitching. Any ideas?? Let me know.
We waved goodbye to Manzanillo about 11 am on Thursday morning. It would be an all nighter and I do hate those. Our departure from Las Hadas Bay was pretty good other than I thought that Bob had told me to slowly go forward with the boat. In fact he had told me to reverse so I ran the boat over the anchor, which made it rather difficult to remove, but we did. Other than I did some steering and didn’t hit another boat so I believe that is progress.
Thursday was uneventful ..a few whales, some dolphins and sevral sea turtles.
There was a bit of a wind in the night so we arrived at Caleta at about 9 am. The surf was huge. There was no way that we could take in our dinghy. Bob went to bed at 9 but at about 10 I awakened him to tell him that we had to leave. Big rollers were breaking just off our boat, and they had been increasing in size in the hour we were there. Bob was not happy and still believes that we would have been fine…except that we couldn’t get to shore unless we hired a local fisherman to take in and out. Bob would have had to stay on the boat because it was too dangerous to leave it in rollers of that size.
So we headed for Zihuatenejo which is about a 12 hr jaunt. That would mean getting there and trying to anchor in the dark. This was all necessary because Patches won’t pee on the boat. At about 4 pm (No pee for 32 hr) Patches started to pant and salivate. Both Bob and I were feeling so guilty. Nothing we did could get him to pee. At about 7 pm we were all in the cockpit, and Patches was lying on a fleece jacket of mine. Suddenly he stopped panting, got up and started scratching at my fleece. I lifted the fleece as I thought he wanted under it, and guess what? Yes he had peed!!!
The pressure was off all of us. About an hour later we decided to heave to. For those of you who do not know this term, it means you leave up a sail, and shut down the motors, letting the boat drift a bit, but basically it goes nowhere fast. We were about 10 nautical miles offshore and saw only 1 ship all night. We took turns sleeping, and were off to an early start, which isn’t really early here as sunrise is at about 7 am. The trip was lovely from that point and we arrived in Zihuatenejo Bay at about 9 am. After anchoring, which was preceeded by Bob motoring in amongst all the boats (and there are a lot here now) as if it were the Indy 500, and getting the boat settled in and the dinghy out, we were off to town. Bob had to go to the port captain, Patches had to go to the bathroom and I had to go for breakfast.
Although Bob is very tired he is out cleaning the boat now. He was going to leave it until tomorrow but I guess he couldn’t stand looking at it.
I too have household duties to perform inside the boat. When we do these overnighters the place just becomes a jumbled mess.
Last night, when we were thinking that we had to come into port in the dark, almost finished me for sailing. Bob was also nervous about this and well he should have been. I was able to shut that out of mind, and how fortunate because it turned out that we didn’t have that particular problem to deal with.
The boat has been working well which is such a relief. On the other hand I know that boat life involves many breakdowns and changes in plan.
I have promised myself that I will not make plans to be somewhere at a given time as sailing is just too iffy.
Another promise is to always have a plan b. Bob was so sure that Caleta would be fine so we left it at that. I remembered Caleta Bay as tumultuous but Bob remembers it totally differently. Sometimes we wonder if we have been to the same place at the same time.
Sailing for hours looking at the water still bores me. I am wracking my brain for a hobby that I can do on board, but so far I haven’t come up with anything. It has to be something that takes almost no space and can be done when the boat is rolling and pitching. Any ideas?? Let me know.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Anchors away at midnight
Yesterday evening we watched the lights come on around the bay. What a beautiful site. This bay reminds of of Monaco...hotels and condos climb up the steep hills around the bay.
Our life had just been going too well it would seem. Last night Bob went up to see if all was well...around midnight. All was not well as a boat near us was drifting toward us and was a boat length from us. The only option was for Bob to lift the anchor by hand to let us drift away from the other boat and then he started the motor and reset the anchor. That was a bit tense. After that I was up a few times to see if we were okay and we were. That boat was gone this morning before sunrise.
Today we went out looking for a hardware store to find what Bob needed to fix the bilge pump. I wanted to wait for the store at the marina to open but Bob assured me that they would not have what he wanted. So we walked for about 2 hr, found what he wanted, and of course when he checked the store here they had what he wanted. Need I say more. The bilge pump is fixed again and we have a spare. As of this moment everything seems to be working.
Tomorrow we head for Caleta and should be there by early afternoon on Friday.
As for Las Hadas Resort..it has seen better days. The marina looks a bit decrepit, but the golf course seems to be in good shape. I would say that Las Hadas is at 10% occupancy and I say that because we see very few people there.
During our walk this morning we saw many places for sale. A good time to buy I would guess if you were so inclined.
Manzanillo is a large industrial city but even here you see a lot of smoke from across the bay. There is a lot of commercial traffic in this bay as well as big ships anchored.
We have seen little commercial boat traffic so far on this trip but that may change tomorrow.
We are now into month 2 of this trip. In some ways it seems as if we just left Maz and in other ways it seems forever. Travelling is always like that for me.
Our life had just been going too well it would seem. Last night Bob went up to see if all was well...around midnight. All was not well as a boat near us was drifting toward us and was a boat length from us. The only option was for Bob to lift the anchor by hand to let us drift away from the other boat and then he started the motor and reset the anchor. That was a bit tense. After that I was up a few times to see if we were okay and we were. That boat was gone this morning before sunrise.
Today we went out looking for a hardware store to find what Bob needed to fix the bilge pump. I wanted to wait for the store at the marina to open but Bob assured me that they would not have what he wanted. So we walked for about 2 hr, found what he wanted, and of course when he checked the store here they had what he wanted. Need I say more. The bilge pump is fixed again and we have a spare. As of this moment everything seems to be working.
Tomorrow we head for Caleta and should be there by early afternoon on Friday.
As for Las Hadas Resort..it has seen better days. The marina looks a bit decrepit, but the golf course seems to be in good shape. I would say that Las Hadas is at 10% occupancy and I say that because we see very few people there.
During our walk this morning we saw many places for sale. A good time to buy I would guess if you were so inclined.
Manzanillo is a large industrial city but even here you see a lot of smoke from across the bay. There is a lot of commercial traffic in this bay as well as big ships anchored.
We have seen little commercial boat traffic so far on this trip but that may change tomorrow.
We are now into month 2 of this trip. In some ways it seems as if we just left Maz and in other ways it seems forever. Travelling is always like that for me.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Bilge Pump Blues
Yesterday which was Monday we revisited the Captain of the Port to get our papers that take us to Ixtapa. There is a protocol here...some people ignore it but we chose to go by the rules...it is a small thing to do really.
Bob bought some parts to make the Canadian Tire sump pump work more efficiently. It seems to get something caught in its craw and it pretends to pump, but really it only makes a noise. Then Bob slaps around and works again.
The rest of the day we spent preparing for our leaving on Tuesday.
Our departure from Barra went well. I did the little steering that was needed when Bob took up the anchor. The anchor and chain were covered in slime and who knows what...pretty yucky stuff. Then we were off down the channel and out to sea. We had watched several boats ground as they had steered out of the channel...we were hoping that we would not make the same mistake and we didnt.
Our trip today took about 5 hr. We only went about 25 miles but the getting in and out of a port takes the time. Every new anchorage is a new experience.
At this moment we are anchored outside the hotel where the movie "10" was filmed. We will visit the hotel tomorrow as we are told that we can buy a day pass that allows us to use their facilities. Yes I will be taking photos.
Now about the bilge pump blues. I mentioned that Bob had bought some new part to make the sump pump (now a bilge pump) work more efficiently or work. Just after we had anchored I came below to hear a funny noise. Hey Bob says I..there is a weird noise down here. Bob comes below and says "PUMP" and indeed it was pumping but part of the new part had broken so it was pumping water around in a circle...luckily it wasnt pumping water in from outside is all I can say.
Other than that our sail (actually motor) today went without a hitch. With a ssil up it was smooth. Patches and I dozed while Bob enjoyed himself immensely.
We will stay here tomorrow night too as by the time Bob goes bilge pumping shopping tomorrow most of the day will be shot. He also wants to do a complete inspection of the steering etc before we take the much longer trip to Caleta de Campos.
Tomorrow I will have the latest scoop on Las Hadas, the hotel where 10 was filmed.
Bob bought some parts to make the Canadian Tire sump pump work more efficiently. It seems to get something caught in its craw and it pretends to pump, but really it only makes a noise. Then Bob slaps around and works again.
The rest of the day we spent preparing for our leaving on Tuesday.
Our departure from Barra went well. I did the little steering that was needed when Bob took up the anchor. The anchor and chain were covered in slime and who knows what...pretty yucky stuff. Then we were off down the channel and out to sea. We had watched several boats ground as they had steered out of the channel...we were hoping that we would not make the same mistake and we didnt.
Our trip today took about 5 hr. We only went about 25 miles but the getting in and out of a port takes the time. Every new anchorage is a new experience.
At this moment we are anchored outside the hotel where the movie "10" was filmed. We will visit the hotel tomorrow as we are told that we can buy a day pass that allows us to use their facilities. Yes I will be taking photos.
Now about the bilge pump blues. I mentioned that Bob had bought some new part to make the sump pump (now a bilge pump) work more efficiently or work. Just after we had anchored I came below to hear a funny noise. Hey Bob says I..there is a weird noise down here. Bob comes below and says "PUMP" and indeed it was pumping but part of the new part had broken so it was pumping water around in a circle...luckily it wasnt pumping water in from outside is all I can say.
Other than that our sail (actually motor) today went without a hitch. With a ssil up it was smooth. Patches and I dozed while Bob enjoyed himself immensely.
We will stay here tomorrow night too as by the time Bob goes bilge pumping shopping tomorrow most of the day will be shot. He also wants to do a complete inspection of the steering etc before we take the much longer trip to Caleta de Campos.
Tomorrow I will have the latest scoop on Las Hadas, the hotel where 10 was filmed.
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