Ruminations of a Sailor: April 2025

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.