Topolobampo, 10,000 miles and Grandkids

Location:  Gantt, AL (Dave and B), Topolobampo (Seabiscuit)

We finally left Mazatlan on Christmas day.  For the few days before, we finished doing maintenance work including changing the hull zincs.  They hadn't been changed since we were in the shipyard in Alabama in spring of 2013 and it was time.  We took on 430 gallons of fuel on Christmas eve and then left the marina to spend the night out at the Stone Island anchorage.  The weather predicted for Christmas day was clear and calm so a good day to travel.  Our destination was Topolobampo, a small town about 220 miles north, still on the mainland Mexico side of the Sea of Cortez.  We left the anchorage about 7:00 a.m.  If we averaged 7.5 kts we would arrive in Topolobampo about 12 noon on the 26th.  As noted in the photo below, the seas were very calm.  In the middle of the night, we traveled through an area with a lot of small fishing boats.  We could see them on the radar and could see the flashing lights on some of their fishing gear but most of them have no lights on their boats and we couldn't pick them out of the darkness.  Early in the morning, we surpassed 10,000 miles of travel on the boat.  Dave and my friend Jennie had reset the triplog to 0 shortly after we bought her, so rolling over 10,000 miles was quite an achievement  (Ok, this doesn't sound like much if you are driving a car, most people average over 10,000 miles a year... But think about how long it would take to travel that far at less than 10 miles an hour...)

New hull zinc compared to the ones we replaced.
The forward zincs had much less material
remaining than the aft zincs.

Sunset on Christmas day on the journey
to Topolobampo.  The seas were so calm
they were like a mill pond.

The town of Topolobampo is about 12 miles up a marked channel.  We arrived at the channel entrance about 10:00 a.m. and, rather than going all the way into town, we decided to drop the anchor near a small island, Isla Santa Maria, just north of the channel.  We dropped the hook and settled in for a relaxing afternoon.  The wind was projected to blow over the next few days so we stayed in the anchorage until the 30th, relaxing, doing a few boat chores, taking the dinghy to the beach and walking along the sand dunes and watching the birds.  Except for one afternoon when a sport fishing boat pulled in to avoid the wind and waves, we were the only boat anchored in the area.

On the 30th, we pulled up anchor at about 9:30 a.m. and headed north towards Guaymas/San Carlos.  Another relatively uneventful overnight trip, 186 miles, 24.7 hours.  We  pulled into San Carlos Bay and dropped the anchor.

Sea lions resting on a buoy, Topolobampo channel.

Brown boobies diving for fish outside the
entrance of the channel.

Dolphins playing.

Sunrise near Guaymas / San Carlos Bay.

Our plan was to stay at anchor for a day and then move into one of the marinas in the area where we planned to leave the boat while we made a trip to the U.S.  We had talked to the folks at Marina San Carlos while we are at anchor near Topolobampo.  They told us they didn't have any space, but a boat was supposed to leave on the 31st and then we could have their slip.  We called the marina after we were anchored up and they said the boat was still in the slip, the marina office would be closed for New Year's Day and we should call again on Friday.  We took the dinghy into the marina Thursday morning to check things out.  Most everything was closed, but we had some lunch at a dockside restaurant and then went back out to the boat.

Rock, shaped like an Indian chief head, on the
south side of the entrance to San Carlos Bay.

Friday morning we called the marina again and still no space.  We called the other marina in the area and they also didn't have a space big enough for our boat.  We could see a few empty slips from where we were anchored so we took the dinghy into the marina to ask them about those spaces.  We were told that those spaces were being repaired and wouldn't be available for another two weeks.  Now, like Jesus, Joseph and Mary, we were searching for a space to stay because there was no room at the inn.  We called the marina back in Topolobampo to see if they had space for us.  They said they did, so we made the decision to head back south.

We left early the next morning to do another overnight back to Topolobampo.  As we were preparing to heave up the anchor, we watched a catamaran, Kat2Fold depart the bay.  Mid-morning, we came up on a fleet of shrimping trawlers, traveling in generally the same direction at about the same speed as us.  We turned on the radar to do some radar practice while it was daylight and we could actually see the targets.  The seas were a little rough and we did some rocking and rolling along the way.  We reached the channel entrance just as the sun was rising and were tied up in the marina by 8:30 a.m.  

The marina is fairly new, built in 2012 with about 40 slips with plans to expand to 150 slips.  Most of the boats there are sport fishers or power pleasure boats.  Later the same day, Kat2Fold pulled in.  We went down the dock to meet and greet Brian and he told us he had some trouble on the voyage down from San Carlos and thought his boat was going to fall apart.  His boat is a very unique design.  It is a catamaran designed to fold up so that it can be moved on a trailer.  Brian is from Idaho and earns his sailing money building straw bale houses during the summer so that he can cruise on his boat during the winter.

About 4:30 we wandered into town to check out the activity and look for a good place to have a cold beer.  Sunday is a busy family day in a lot of Mexican towns and Topolobampo is no exception.  We walked along the water front, looked at all the treats the street vendors were offering and bought a yellow sundress for our granddaughter.  Then we stopped at a small restaurant and had beer and shrimp for supper.  The next day we road the bus into Los Mochis to pick up our rental car for the drive to the U.S.  We prepared the boat to leave it unattended - defrosted the frig and freezer, cleaned, closed the sea chests, and showed Eduardo, the daytime security guy at the marina, what to do if the bilge alarm goes off.  He also agreed to wash the topsides and clean the bottom while we were away.

We hit the road early Tuesday morning for the drive to the U.S.  We reached the border at Nogales (Arizona) about 3:00 p.m. and crossed with no issues.  We drove into Tucson, bought some beers and checked into our hotel for the night.  The next day, we went over to my Aunt Margaret and Uncle Fritz's house for supper, pizza and beer.  My cousin Barbara was in town from California and my Uncle Jim and Aunt Donna from South Dakota are spending the winter in the area so we got to see everyone.

B, Uncle Jim, Cousin Barbara, Aunt Margaret, Uncle Fritz, Dave

Dave hitchhiking.  We ran out of gas between
Fort Stockton and Ozona, TX.  Where were
the signs saying 150 miles to the next gas station?

 The next day we drove to Fort Stockton and spent the night.  The following day we traveled to Austin to spend time with Ben, Cat and the grandkids.  We spent 10 days there, going to the park, the children's museum, the zoo, taking walks around the neighborhood and spending a lot of quality time visiting and playing.

Maggie at Saturday gymnastics.

Dave with Bubby and Maggie, going
into Cabela's to look at the animals and fish.

Catherine and Maggie at The Thinkery
(The Austin Children's Museum)

Then the rest of the drive to the farm.  We stopped at Casino Coushatta and met up with friends Sheila and Joe.  Nobody won any money.  Next a stop in Biloxi.  The casinos there were also stingy and we didn't win anything.  Finally, the farm where we are now.  We have been busy with farm chores, hunting, walking the woods, etc.  More on that in the next blog.

Fishing in Mazatlan

Location:  Mazatlan, Mexico

Hola!  

We finally departed Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday, November 19th.  We left the marina mid-morning and headed to the south part of Banderas Bay and the small town of Yelapa.  There are no marinas there and the shore line drops of quickly, so anchoring is not easy.  As we turned into the small bay close to Yelapa, a local fisherman in a panga, Richard, came out to greet us and ask if we wanted a mooring.  We said yes, so he led us close to shore and hooked up our mooring line.  He also offered to give us a ride from the boat to the beach later and offered to guide us to his family's restaurant, Gloria's, for supper.   We couldn't refuse and told him we would call him on the radio when we were ready to go ashore.  We set about getting comfortable and putting on our suits to swim around the boat, when a young couple paddled up in a kayak.  They asked to come aboard, so we got out a few cold ones and took them up to monkey island to chat.  He was a local, who worked in Canada summers and came back to Yelapa to help with the family business during the winters (tourist season).  He filled us in on some of the local history and culture and gave us a few ideas on what to see while we were there.  She was studying midwifery in the Denver area.  It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Later, we radioed Richard and he came out in his panga to pick us up.  We docked at the local fisherman's dock and wound our way through the maze of streets and people's backyards to get to Gloria's.  We were a little leery about how the food was going to be, as we were the only people in the restaurant and it was difficult to find.  I ordered shrimp and Dave ordered steak and it turned out to be an excellent meal.  Our waiter asked us if we were going to stay for the parade the next day.  We told him no as we planned to leave early morning and head to the next anchorage.  He talked us into staying.

The next morning, Richard gave us a ride to the beach and we settled in for breakfast at a beachfront restaurant and to watch the parade celebrating the Mexican Revolution.  All of the town's school children participated with the littlest ones dressed up as Pancho Villa and his wife Maria Luz Corral; the older children marched in costumes, school uniforms or gym clothes and performed traditional dances, twirled batons or built human pyramids.  There was even a queen of the parade.  We were glad we stayed.

Pancho Villa and Maria Luz Corral

Queen of the parade

Children in traditional dress dancing

Pyramids on the beach

We finally left Yelapa about noon and cruised for about an hour to a snorkeling site called Los Arcos (the arches).  We anchored near the large rocks and snorkeled from the boat through the arched caves.  The visibility was ok (not great) and we saw a few colorful fish.  From there we continued across to the northern side of Banderas Bay and anchored near Punta Mita. We saw our first humpback whales of the season but didn't get close enough to take any good pictures.

Seabiscuit on a mooring near Yelapa

A rhinoceros beetle on the beach.

From Punta Mita, we sailed north to Chacala, another small village on the beach.  We anchored in the small cove near town and took the dinghy into town for some cold beer and supper.  The next day we took our boogie boards into the beach and did some snorkeling and surfing and had beer and supper at a different beach restaurant.

We left Chacala early the next morning and headed north and west to Isla Isabela.  Isla Isabela is located about 15 miles offshore and is sometimes called the Galapagos of Mexico.  It is a small island inhabited by thousands of birds - mostly brown boobies, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and red-billed tropical birds.  There is also a fishing camp where local fisherman live, bring in their catch, clean them and prepare them to go to market.  We anchored in a cove on the south side of the island, enjoyed a nice meal on the boat and watched the sunset.

Sunset at Isla Isabela

 

The next morning we took the dinghy to the island and hiked to Crater Lake and then to the north side of the island.  The birds seems unafraid; we were able to get close enough to take pictures of their mating behavior and of them sitting on their nests.

Male frigate birds, inflating their pouches and trying to
impress the females.

Blue-footed boobies nesting on a cliff face.

Fisherman's camp.

We went back out to the boat for lunch and then spent the afternoon snorkeling among the rocks near the island.  The water was super clear and there was an abundance of brightly colored tropical fish along with barracuda and others.  This was some of the best snorkeling we've had since we left the San Blas Islands of Panama.  We went back to the boat satisfied with a good nature day and planned to stay another day in order to do some more snorkeling.  But...  during the night, the wind picked up and changed direction and we found ourselves uncomfortably close to the boat anchored next to us.  With the change in the wind, the swell increased and we decided not to stay the extra day.  We picked up the hook and headed north towards Mazatlan.

The distance from Isla Isabela to the Mazatlan marinas is about 95 miles, or 13+ hours for us.  We knew we were going to arrive after dark and decided that rather than go straight to the marina, we would anchor just south of town near Stone Island.  We dropped the hook there just after sunset.  The next day we spent relaxing at anchor and doing a few boat chores.  The next day we traveled the additional 12 miles to the marina El Cid and tied up at the dock just after noon.  Marina El Cid is a very nice marina with 3 docks for visiting boats and a fourth dock where they keep their fishing fleet and catamarans for day trips.  We have access to all of the amenities at the resort and have been spending plenty of time enjoying the pools and giant jacuzzi.

Dave's friend Bob joined us here on Saturday December 6th for a week of fishing and relaxation.  Sunday we rode the bus to a local street market and did some shopping for produce.  Early Monday morning, we left the marina for a day of fishing.  Bob caught (and we released) a nice striped marlin, 100-150 pounds, and a few bonita.  

Striped marlin close to the boat.

Bob reeling in the fish.

Getting ready to release the marlin.

Dave on the swim platform removing the hook.

We anchored out at Stone Island and spent the afternoon snorkeling around Isla Cardones.  The next morning, we headed back out to the fishing grounds.  We fished most of the day with no luck, but then caught a nice dorado at the end of the day.  We headed back into the marina, tied up and ate yummy fresh fish for dinner.

Dave bringing the dorado on board.

Bob with the dorado.

 

We took the day off on Wednesday and went to the pool and did a few boat chores.  Wednesday night we went downtown and had dinner at a restaurant located in an old cistern.  The meal wasn't very good but the decor was interesting.  Thursday morning we rented a car and drove into the mountains to the deserted mining town of Copala.  There isn't much left there; the church is in disrepair and there is only one restaurant in town.  We ate lunch on the restaurant veranda.  Very tasty food and we know it was cooked fresh for us.  After lunch we were greeted by the owner, Alejandro.  He is also an artist and makes masks out of cowhides, lamb hides, pigskins and fish skins.  He opened up his mask store/museum and showed us his work.  It was very interesting and unique; we purchased a mask for the boat.

Dave and B in front of a mural near the Copala town square

Alejandro (the mask artist) and B

 

Friday we went back out fishing for the day.  We saw a huge pod of spinner dolphins playing, jumping, leaping and spinning.  We caught and released a few bonita but nothing very exciting.  We came back into the marina just before sunset, showered and went up to the bar for the marina Christmas party.  Free beer and margaritas along with munchies.

Spinner Dolphins playing in the bow wake

Saturday we did a few boat chores, went to the pool and then headed downtown to Plaza Machado for happy hour.  On the weekends, they close the streets around Plaza Machado.  The restaurants around the square put out their tables and chairs.  Local artists and vendors set-up their stands and hock their wares.  We had a few cold beers and then walked a few blocks to Topolo for a nice seafood dinner.  Very good quality and excellent service.

Cathedral - Downtown Mazatlan

Sunday morning we did a few more boat chores and then put Bob into a taxi to the airport.  All in all a good visit. Since then Dave and I have been doing more boat chores and maintenance.  We are waiting for the wind to settle down some before we head north again, probably early next week.

Next stop, Topolobampo.
Happy Holidays to everyone!

New England, Las Vegas and Time to head north

Location:  Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico (Paradise Village Marina)

We are finishing up our boat projects, doing maintenance and preparing to head north to spend the winter in the Sea of Cortez – north of here, between the Baja Peninsula and mainland Mexico.  We went and did some final provisioning this morning, Dave is finishing up a few more maintenance items and we hope to hit the high seas tomorrow morning.  Our first stop will be Yelapa, a small village about 12 miles south of Paradise Village – a short hop so that we can get our sealegs, make sure everything is working correctly and do some final exploring before we leave Banderas Bay.

Our last blog ended in San Miguel de Allende.  Dave left from there to go to New Hampshire and visit his father, James O. Herndon, who, unfortunately passed away on October 2.  Prior to his father’s death, Dave, his brother Pete and Pete’s wife Cathy and his sister Julie were able to spend some quality time with their dad.  All of the grandchildren (Ben, Erin, Heather and Amy) and the great grandchildren (Mariah, Maggie and Benjamin) were able to visit and tell their Grampy that they loved him and to share some favorite memories. 

From San Miguel, I continued on and spent a week in Ajijic, on the north shore of Lake Chapala, and then came back to the boat before flying up to New Hampshire to join the Herndon family.

Mural in progress in Ajijic

While we were in New England, Dave and I did some leaf-peeping in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  The fall colors were really beautiful.  We spent our time driving the mountain roads, doing day hikes, enjoying the fresh air and exploring the small towns scattered amongst the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the Rangeley Lakes region of Maine.

Cog Railway train that climbs to the
summit of Mt. Washington, NH
(at the bottom)

Cog Railway train at the top of
Mt. Washington

View of the surrounding valley and mountains

View - hiking in Vermont

Hiking the ridge of Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak
in Vermont

On Saturday October 18, we had an Irish Wake at Pete and Cathy’s house to honor Dave’s father.  From there, we went into Boston for two days.  We stayed at the Mariner’s house in the North End, within walking distance of the harbor, great restaurants and excellent cannolis.   We did some touristy stuff including the “Duck Tour” which uses an amphibious vehicle to tour the city and the Charles River.

Tuesday, we headed for Las Vegas to join the annual “Divas do Las Vegas” trip.  This is a group of girls from Houston who make a trip to Vegas every fall.  We’ve missed the trip for the last two years so it was great to catch-up with everyone.  My mom, Louise, joined us from California.  We did a lot of gambling and walking, ate some good food and went to see Terry Fator at the Mirage.  We didn’t win any money, so we will have to go back next year and try to reclaim what we lost.

Getting ready to board the flight -
Boston to Las Vegas

The last week in October, we arrived back in Puerto Vallarta with my mom in tow.  She came to visit us here on the boat for a week.  We did a mix of fun things like going to the beach, going to happy hour and driving up to San Sebastian in the mountains south of here, along with chore things like food inventory and boat cleaning. 

Traditional dancers at the Paradise Village
Welcome Ceremony

Happy Hour by the pool

View of San Sebastian from the mountains above the town

View from our hotel room in San Sebastian

We also walked every morning, and, on one morning, saw a baby turtle making its way down the beach toward the ocean.  Since then, Dave and I have been walking the beach almost every morning.  We’ve seen baby turtles along with tracks of mother turtles who came ashore during the night to lay their eggs.

Turtle tracks leading to a new nest

Baby turtle making his way from the nest
to the ocean

Baby turtle - notice how small he is
compared to the bird track

And... he made it...

We have managed to complete a lot of boat projects this summer.  Our solar panels are mounted and operational so we now have access to free power when the sun is shining.  This will help cut down use of the generator while we are at anchor and will save us money on fuel and maintenance.  We’ve installed a bimini over monkey  island so that we have a shady place for happy hour and had slipcovers made for the interior cushions.  We also installed new deck mat on the swim platform.

We are both looking forward to being back on the ocean and cruising again.

Until next time…  

B cutting the new deck
mat for the swim platform

Installing the deck mat

New slip covers for the
interior cushions

Dave installing the
solar panels

View of the solar panels from monkey island

New bimini over monkey island