Guided by the Milky Way

San Blas Crocodile Tour is totally worth it

We made our latest night passage in early April heading north to Mazatlan from San Blas where we hauled out for a week for bottom cleaning and painting. This trip was 130 NM, so we estimated 25 hours transit time.

We left late morning with another boat we met in San Blas, departing the calm anchorage at Mantanchen Bay into choppy seas. Winds were from NW with swells from the west, delivering a bouncy ride for the first 16 hours.

Skyview shows a lot of info

My evening shift began as usual at 6:30 as the sun set. Planets and stars popped out of the darkness one by one, and the moon arose at 9:30pm, lighting up the night sky against the black void. With rough sea conditions, my helm activities and movements were limited and queasy, making time roll by like molasses. Finally, at 11:00pm, I’d had enough rock n roll and beckoned Mike for his turn at the helm. I was ready to try and catch some ZZs before my next shift.

Lo and behold, it was 4:30am. There I was, dressed for warmth and at the helm again. But how conditions had changed during Mike’s night hours at the helm. The seas were calmer, the moon had set, and now the Milky Way guided my way. It was truly spectacular to embrace the rainbow of colors splashed across the heavens. I checked the Night Sky Viewing book I’d bought at the Grand Canyon and aimed my phone using the SkyView app to see which constellations regaled me. 

Suddenly, a large dark shadow blunted my overhead view so I kind of freaked out, then realized it was a magnificent frigate bird attempting to land on the main mast. One interesting point about frigate birds is that they can’t land on water. I understand the desire to rest and take in the view from Pura Vida, but not on my watch! Thankfully, friends had gifted us plastic spikes to place on top of our masts to prevent critter landings. Since ours was the only available perch, that bird wasn’t about to give up. I flashed my headlamp, turned on the forward spreader lights and yelled in Spanish and English – like that's going to help. After half a dozen flybys, the bird flew away into the darkness. I was glad to not have very large poop land on me – or the deck.

Sunrise heading to Mazatlan

I peeled off my chilly weather gear and settled into a pleasant transition from darkness to dawn and the pastel sunrise some hours later. We arrived at the old harbor at Mazatlan in the late morning hours, happy and tired.

TEPIC

El centro at Plaza Principal, long walk from bus station

Backing up a tad before our trip north, we spent a highly eventful week in San Blas where we’d arranged our haul out. San Blas is a great destination with a cathedral, market, town square, and plenty of fish and ceviche for sale.

Each day was filled with adventures, some more challenging than others, and there were a lot of logistics to work out before and during that time. Just one tiny example, getting our fuel cans filled – at the Pemex dock less than 1/8 mile away – required half a day’s effort with two of us.

One day during the 25-minute walk from the boatyard to the lavanderia, schlepping our pink laundry bag over my shoulder, I realized I’d had enough “third world moments”. I secretly longed for a paved road (there is one in San Blas), no garbage along the cobblestones, less dust, less sweat and fewer bugs. I know, what a priss, but after months of flexibility, sometimes…

Our guy Lucio, helping at the launch

Haul out price for a 41’ boat was lower in San Blas than Mazatlan, thus our choice, and I received two quotes for painting. There was quite a difference in quotes - we opted for the lower price – then the first guy dropped his price by 10,000 pesos (which is $500.00 and a substantial “discount”). We didn’t like the vibe of that so stuck with Lucio, who not only helped us with our lines on the haul out and launch but was a great guy. Win-win.

Looking good with fresh bottom paint, ready to launch

We couldn’t stay on board during the work, and rather than wonder how things are going – like watching paint dry – we spent the first two nights at a “deluxe hotel” downtown for $30. / night. The room was basic but clean, hot shower and lovely gardens. The last two nights were at a small apartment above the bungalow our good friends are renting – at $15. / night. That was a total score as we spent time with them – wow, they made us dinner served on our patio at sunset, they turned us on to a number of local resources and we rode in their car to a great local restaurant. 

The bus station at San Blas

The other 3 days and 2 nights, we decided to explore Tepic, the capital of Nayarit, a 2 hour bus ride away. Tepic is typical of capital cities with museums and historical sites as well as serving as the hub for various ethnic groups from the surrounding countryside. Many retain their culture, dress and cuisine, so we experienced another wonderful destination. The locals were gracious as always, very helpful to us as the only obvious turistas.

I asked the staff at our quaint Sunflower (Girasoles) Hotel about finding artwork, as I was on a hunt for a piece of Huichol art. He shared that the “feria” (fair) was the place to find the best selection. He didn’t mention, but we knew, a feria also meant loud music, so decided to find a quiet place to gear up before that venture. We lucked out and found a colonial home converted to an open atrium restaurant. It was perfect. 

Had to try the Nanchi - local tart fruit

Flowers at the market in Tepic

Colonial home turned into a cool restaurant

With the help of our gracious water, we chose a glass of dry white wine. He shared the story of the wine, along with the history of the home-turned restaurant. He was very proud of their locked wine cellar behind our table and invited us to see it. It was a very fun moment to be invited into that cozy little cellar. Being a good salesperson, he also said their breakfast was accompanied by soft piano music (not a common thing in Mexico), performed by a local blind musician (of course we obliged).

Our special quick tour 

After our glass of wine, we were ready to jump into a taxi and explore. It was only a couple of miles to the fairgrounds but a 30-minute ride – as the taxi guy warned us, the ‘feria’ is super busy on the weekend. Welcomed by a well-lit giant arch, it was a much larger affair than I’d envisioned. 

Beautiful cheeses at the market in Tepic

These plaques are for the missing young
men of which there are thousands in Mexico.
It's a sad reminder they never found .

Practical I guess, 5 pesos for TP

The first stage at the fairgrounds featured regional song and dance performances. Two tents showcased local food and culture: Nayarit and the other, several surrounding states. The super loud and bright midway sold every fattening food you can and can’t imagine, religious iconography that bordered on gaudy, midway games that looked like nobody had won at for years – it was all there in loud form. We dined at one of the many indigenous tribe’s booths, but I don’t know which one it was, sorry to say. We chose it because it was crowded, not because of the food selection.

No luck on any artwork worth buying or that we could carry.

Jaguar a bit too large for our boat or our floating home!

A bit

Although we did see a life size jaguar made in the style of Huichol art. 

It turned out to be a great evening out nonetheless, just too loud.

GUAYMAS

There are a lot of stories from San Blas to Mazatlan to Guaymas, but here we are on the last phase of our Mexican travels. The boat is resting in the water at Marina Mazatlan, covered and ready for the summer heat.

We bused for 12 hours to Guaymas, where our car awaited and Mike just had dental surgery. Now we await the date in May to get his stitches removed. Then we begin our travels north to Portland and the summer months.

Creepy coated hot dogs of various flavors. Hungry?

The Bus Station at San Blas

A Huichol family carving

Religious pieces and other glitzy stuff!

Our dinner restaurant

Yours truly - good thing there's no
Fashion Police in Mexico

Coatimundi boarding + Eclipse + Mezcal tasting

Happy at the helm - luckily no fashion
police here to see my unmatched outfit

At the marina in Barra de Navidad, we saw coatimundi roaming the grounds in the evening hours.  We made the mistake of thinking our high freeboard and step access from the dock made us ‘safe’ from boarding – that plus we remove our garbage every night. At 5AM our last night, we heard a kerfuffle in the cockpit quickly followed by our weighted bug screen being shuffled. A coatimundi had scrambled into our galley / salon. We flipped on the light and started yelling 'get out' (hmmm, do they understand English or Spanish, or not? ha).

Not really that cute - coatimundi

Lights on, it jumped above the settee, across the boat and down to the sink where he managed to break one of our valuable wine glasses before he leapt to the steps and out. I’m pretty sure the sight of two naked people screaming was adequate to encourage a rapid escape. All things considered; we were fortunate - without further incident! And that was the end of that night’s rest. As a side note, it took us years to bring glass on board – not for this but for general safety reasons. 

Full moon rising

Our next mentionable event was the full lunar eclipse mid-March. After viewing the solar eclipse in Mazatlan in 2024, we were thrilled to experience the lunar eclipse from a quiet and dark anchorage in the bay of Chemela. While we didn’t stay up for the entire sequence, at 12:20AM it was pretty close to full coverage. Directly below the ‘show’, we could see the Southern Cross, a spectacular addition to the moment. With the rocking motion of the boat (even in the best of anchorages, there’s up and down or sideways motion), it’s hard to get photos.

Since January 25^th, we’ve traversed over 550 miles (@5 NM / hour, average), exploring anchorages along the Pacific coast. Kayaking, hiking and beach walking have been our main exercise and entertainment. Palapa restaurants dot the beaches along the coast with their colorful umbrellas beckoning you into the shade. Not to complain, but it’s hard to escape the sun so any shade becomes an oasis – even walking inland along sandy streets, we duck under the shade trees as we seek local veggies or a cool beverage.

Along with chilled drinks and amazing fruit, every tienda showcased a line up of Igloo coolers (that is, in the villages that warranted more than one tortilla shop) featuring the family name of the tortilleria written in Sharpie. Ah, the choices! Some tiendas had ‘older model’ (cheesy) gambling machines outside that promised riches and attracted some of the locals. Las Vegas on a shoestring?

Our third ‘extravaganza’ was Raicilla tasting in a tiny village an hour’s walk from the anchorage known as the Aquarium, not far from the popular Tenacatita anchorage.

Our friends we’ve been traveling with knew about the place, otherwise one would not realize the treasure that awaited behind that humble stone wall and unlocked metal gate.

A retreat behind the stone wall - waiting for our host

We waited for a while then gently pushed the gate open – there was shade beyond that wall that beckoned us out of the midday sun!  A couple came by in a car after a while and let us know that Alejandro, the promoter of Raicilla Jalisco, was at the pharmacy and would be back soon. With them, we waited for an hour and were glad.

Upon his arrival, Alejandro invited us into a small palapa that serves as a museum and tasting room. He regaled us with the history of the local mezcal, how the cooperative was formed and how to taste and purchase this golden nectar.

Alejandro's drink cart

Raicilla is the state of Jalisco’s mezcal, their local version of cooked agave made from the jima (core) of the agave plant that’s distilled for 40-45 days. Like an AVA for wines, each distillery must meet certain standards to achieve the Raicilla certification.

He had samples of many Raicilla distilleries

Alejandro pouring a taste for Miguel

He shared how to identify a ‘good’ mezcal from a cheap one, including looking for their shield. As the chief promoter of Raicilla Jalisco, he was proud of their process and encouraged us to shop smartly.

We are in Banderas Bay right now – actually at Punta de Mita on the north end – waiting for our weather window to head north to San Blas about 6AM – for an estimated 10-hour trip. It’s the end of whale season here – most have headed north. But we had a great whale show yesterday from the shore at La Cruz and today while we motor-sailed north. It’s the mom’s and their babies doing their final training before their very long migration.

Barra de Navidad - paradise with a French baker!

We’ve made the decision to return to Mazatlan for the summer so that means a ton of logistical planning in the next 6 weeks. In 2 days, we’ll haul out in San Blas, Nayarit to get our bottom cleaned and painted (less expensive than Mazatlan). Then we will head the 130 miles to Mazatlan.

Our friends in San Blas helped with local details for haul out and painting so that’s been very helpful. We’ll be on land for about 6 days while Lucio does his magic – removing barnacles and other nasties then preps the bottom for painting. We’ll hang out in San Blas and take the bus inland to explore Tepic for 2 days. We hear there’s plenty to see and do in Tepic and besides, it’d be like watching paint dry to wait while Lucio works…

St Patrick's day celebration in Melaque

The patron saint of Melaque- San Patricio

The band in the St Patrick parade

Tuesday wasn't the official day, so a small parade

 

A Whale Tail

It's a long distance whale tail ... not our encounter

One thing’s for certain, I don’t need to be close enough to the tail of a humpback to count the barnacles! While it’s very cool to experience whale encounters – with their frolicking, training their babies, diving and making a splash – it’s another when they are too close to your boat.

We were motor sailing across Banderas Bay earlier in February, which is a renown birthing and training area for humpbacks in the spring. We oohed and aahed at the whales performing in the distance. Binoculars ready for the next random sighting. Almost impossible for capturing photos as the moments are fast and often at a distance. Eyes peeled for any action, especially in the direction you’re traveling.

Then under our keel swam a rather large humpback, turning and flipping its tail as he dove, almost hitting our solar panel on the stern quarter! It was a lovely tail, easily 6 ft across, speckled with barnacles. We didn’t have time to react, and those few seconds of fear produced a high pucker factor for captain and crew (uh, that would be me). Like I said, I don’t want to know how many barnacles attached themselves to that tail.

I love these colorful crabs

I’d just read about another boat that had a physical encounter with a whale traveling further south than Cabo Corrientes/Puerto Vallarta, where we were headed. Thankfully, he and his boat were okay. He was under sail, and that always raises the question of whether you should run your engine, in the hopes that constant diesel engine noise will keep them at bay. We’ve also read that having a radio playing can serve as a deterrent. But who knows. Each moment is unique and there’s no second guessing.

Mazatlan to Isla Isabela

Blue footed boobies nesting in the sand

In January, we left our slip from summer and fall boat storage at Marina Mazatlan, buddy boating with long time friends who came to Mexico the same year we did – so a lot of years at the dirt boat yard in Guaymas and beyond. We ventured first for a ‘shakedown cruise’ to Isla de la Piedra (Stone Island) – to ensure systems are working and identify any surprises. It’s a great beach area, easily accessible by water taxi from town. There we met up with a couple we’d known from Guaymas days who have now sold their boat in Mexico but have a boat in BC. Their northern boat is lacking a communication system, so we gifted them our SSB – Single Sideband radio. With the onset of Starlink and vast improvements in cell coverage along the Mexico coast, the need for Single Sideband communications rapidly fell off, with fewer participants and volunteer net controllers. SSB has long been the worldwide mechanism for communication via radio with other boaters, to share weather, information and passage updates.

Underway to new ventures

That was one less system, less weight and access to another valuable corner on board! It’s always a focus for us to either use what is on board or move it along to someone else. Space and storage are too important to squander.

Without further incident, we headed to Isla Isabela, an overnight passage to the bird refuge island where you experience up close nests of blue footed boobies, frigates and other species that are not afraid of human interactions. Many of the boobies lay in the sand while you walk by and often stand up to show off the cherished egg they are protecting, as if to say, look what I have! It’s a pretty incredible experience there, walking among the nesting birds.

Isla Isabela to San Blas

After several enjoyable experiences exploring the island, we headed south to San Blas where another Canadian couple we’ve known forever awaited our arrival. Another joy to see longtime friends where we lunched, swapped hugs and stories and wandered about town. We enjoyed Pescado Zarandeado, a specialty fish dish, this time fileted with the skin on and roasted on a wood fire. Delicious and finger-licking good, as you are delivered an entire fish on a platter, served with warm tortillas and hot sauces.

We also found the small shop where the ‘outboard whisperer’, as he is known, is still in business. Score! So, the guys lowered our outboard from on deck on Pura Vida, hauled it to shore in the dinghy and through town in a taxi to get our 2.5 HP unit fixed. What a great find and excellent price. Oh, and San Blas is famous for their no-see-um bugs, crocodiles and banana bread.

Chacala, Punta de Mita and Puerto Vallarta

The following days carried us further south, motor sailing and sometimes, under sail, to make our way to Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay, enjoying colorful anchorages along the way. Banda and other music wafts from the shorefront palapa restaurants, where families are enjoying the beaches.

Happily docked, 7 min from shower and office

Through a third level ‘friend of a friend’ special arrangement, we scored a slip at the very popular Paradise Village Marina. That allowed us a  chance to work on projects, get repairs done, wash the boat, do laundry, and time allowing, enjoy the local amenities at the attached all-inclusive resort. For about $1,00, ‘collectivo’ buses take you from the resort the hour-long trip into Puerto Vallarta for adventure, grocery shopping and to the marine store...

Fab Italian restaurant on the canal at Paradise. Wow!

And the big surprise, even to us, at the marine store we splurged and bought a new dinghy! We rarely buy things that are new, but it’s been years in coming that we’ve been wanting a faster dinghy.

Our new AB dinghy and Merc 2 stroke outboard

After all, it’s our ‘car’ so having new wheels is a huge upgrade for us. Sadly, because of rampant theft problems in certain areas with outboard motors and sometimes dinghies, we have everything securely locked on deck.

We sold Gatsby to a dock worker. Perfect solution
- Israel was a very nice guy

I’ve even added metal bells to the outboard covers so if someone starts messing with our stuff, we’ll presumably hear the bell clanging and jump to action. We also bought some cheesy stickers to ‘deface’ our new Mercury 15 HP outboard, so it’s identifiable if it gets stolen and by chance, you might get it back (odds are very low).

Cabo Corrientes / Cape of Currents

Our slip at Paradise Village was back in the mangrove-lined canals that are loaded with tons of birds. Their sunrise and sunset cacophony provided ongoing entertainment. Daily, hosts of tour boats take the crowds out for whale watching. See above story! We had our share of sightings during our visit.

At the museum, San Blas

Vallarta Yacht Club welcome!

Check it out - we got an email from our Tomahawk Yacht Club in Portland that we now had 'reciprocal privileges' to the Marina Vallarta Yacht Club - literally on the day before we were leaving. So we scheduled our long walk to the showers, and went to the Yacht Club for a drink. Rooftop patio, duo playing nice music and friendly local yacht club members welcomed us! What a fun time.

We hiked up steep tropical hills at Chacala

Isla Isabela from shore. 

After a long week at the dock at Paradise Village, it was time to move on – buy fuel and prepare for crossing around the point of Cabo Corrientes. It’s very important to check the weather for passages around that point, as anyone whose done it will attest. Trust me, it can be a miserable ride if not calculated correctly. We started our departure at one in the morning to traverse Banderas Bay so our crossing would be around sunrise. I was initially at the helm from 1:30 to 4:30, then Mike was on the helm when the winds picked up in the early morning hours (yeah, me). We had a full moon to illuminate our night which was very helpful – you never know when you’ll see a fishing panga with no lights, fishing nets supported by 2-liter Coke bottles, or heaven forbid, a whale sleeping on the surface (we’ve had that happened around Neah Bay WA).

Chemela, Paraíso and Tenacatita

Watching for bats at sunset - Chemela

Daily kayaking, quick dips to cool off and solar showers have filled our recent days (and of course, boat projects, don't you know) as we make our way further south. Tomorrow, we head to the very popular anchorage of Tenacatita and on to Barra de Navidad. In the meantime, we’ve had some pretty spectacular, quiet anchorages dotted with boutique hotels, small restaurants and a few fishing pangas dotting the shores.

Ongoing water maker troubleshooting!

They call it Paradise for a reason -but no guests...

Dinghy launching - I got swamped 2x