We finally pulled the plug on Marina Vallarta and sailed across Banderas Bay to La Cruz. The length of the trip (12 mi) and our destination in La Cruz (we visited there often last winter) were hardly monumental, but it was more the idea of slipping the lines and going somewhere, anywhere that appealed to us. We did have a memorable evening in Vallarta before we slipped out. We chose Brando’s, an Aptos Club like bar that was having their weekly BBQ for our last night. Conveniently Brando’s was located right at the end of our dock. We were well into the evening when the guest chef lit the wood BBQ with a giant, propane flame thrower. Looked a little like a WWII movie just before the tank disappears. BBQ produced a great burger, however, and the entertainment was just beginning. For the next hour we were treated to dueling mariachi bands. Since we were the only bar with much activity both bands chose the same venue for their nightly concert. First the Mexican polka mariachis from one band, then the mariachi ballads from the other band. Back and forth, entertaining, and all the while we were trying to pick a favorite. The winner emerged when one of the mariachis switched to Credence Clearwater. Hard to beat “Who’ll Stop the Rain” on an accordion.
The following morning we sailed out of Vallarta and across the Bay to a rolling anchorage, but at least we were at sea. We find ourselves managing about an hour and a half of work on the boat each morning before the heat hits us and then we go sailing. We have had some perfect morning sails, mile after mile with no sail changes and the boat flying across the water (at least as much as you call traveling at 8 mph “flying”). And every afternoon like clockwork the winds pick up to 20-25 mph and the water froths with short choppy swells. Then we practice reefing the sails to slow everything down a little.
We spent four nights anchored out taking advantage of the cooler evening breezes and the privacy of boat at anchor before we decided to head into Marina la Cruz for some company with the other boats and sailors. Unlike our previous visit in December there are few people (touristas) in La Cruz in May. Both here and Vallarta we noted that everything is much quieter, there are fewer Americans, and things move at a much slower pace. We dined one night in old Vallarta at a very highly recommended restaurant (Repollo Rojo, The Red Cabbage) and we were the only two customers they had for the evening. Food and service were great. We have also had cocktails at a mirador (view bar sitting on the cliffs) in La Cruz and lunch at Senor BonBons where again we were the only customers. Quiet.
We are still trying to solve our motor problems and that is keeping us in the Bay for longer than we had intended. The solution may ultimately be to return to the US in June and smuggle new parts back to Mexico during the summer. With better planning we might get the right parts this time.
As I type this note we are trying to arrange a car rental that will allow us to spend a few days off the boat exploring more of Mexico. We would like to drive to Guadalajara and Tequila and maybe Tepic to see more of the Mexican mainland and to get away from the coast and into the higher elevations. I am indeed a true Californian at this point because I am so accustomed to our low humidity at home that I find the combination of heat and humidity to be stifling. My east coast relatives would laugh.
The picture attached is a view from El Faro (the Lighthouse) overlooking Marina Vallarta. At the top, center of the picture you can see our little catamaran bobbing peacefully among the mega yachts.
Hasta Manana,
Tom and Andrea
May 13, 2008
May 6, 2008
Yatista Two Step
Buenos dias, amigos. In case we forgot to tell you we have begun our spring/summer sailing trip, and this is the first of our e-mails to let everyone know what we are doing. As usual you can just click reply and tell me you could care less about our “vacation”, and we will drop you from this mailing list.
We flew from San Jose to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on April 29 to pick up sailing where we left off last winter when we went home to work for a few months. Our trip was delayed slightly because I insisted on waiting until after the Apple City Amateur before we could leave town. From my point of view the wait was well worth it because I am now the reigning 2008 Apple City Net Champion. Yes, I won the tournament with a nice 75 in the final round. I am a happy golfer, if not a happy sailor. Andrea has not yet shared my enthusiasm for this accomplishment, but I am sure that if I keep telling her all about the round she will grow to appreciate the grandeur of the award.
If you want a carefree vacation I have a piece of advice… Don’t take a boat with you. We have been in Mexico for a week now, and we are enjoying everything about Mexico except the sailing. Why you might ask? Because the boat has had one problem after another, and we are still cleaning, repairing, ordering parts and paying $$. None of this sounds like swimming, partying, exploring or sailing does it?
We are doing what I call the Yatista Two Step. This is the popular boating dance that goes two steps forward, one step (or more) back. We arrived to find that all of the work scheduled for February (repairs from last year’s adventure) had yet to be started as promised. In addition the very valuable lower drive shaft for our motor which we had painstakingly smuggled into Mexico in a golf bag was the lower drive shaft for someone else’s motor, certainly not ours. Wrong part, no solution available, no motor. Well, only one motor. Because we are a catamaran we do have another motor tucked away in the other hull, and it was this second motor which was going to allow us to sail away even with a less than complete propulsion system. Alas, when we dropped the boat in the water the “good motor” failed to start.
After some emergency repairs to allow us to get to the marina it took us another two days to find the electrical short which had caused this problem. And finally (because I know some of you have already nodded off) we discovered that a part from the “good motor” had disappeared over the winter. We mysteriously lost the choke lever from our unlocked motor well which also caused the motor not to work . Backup motor to the rescue again, but that backup motor looks woefully incomplete without a drive shaft, choke lever and whatever else we will cannibalize from it in the next few weeks.
We also discovered that we made a significant error in judgment leaving the boat in a working yard for the winter. The decks are stained and filthy and they are taking lots of elbow grease and rubbing compound to clean up. Andrea is headed up the mast tomorrow to try to clean the 50 or 60 feet of the boat that we can’t reach easily. Of course the cleaning might not be so bad if it weren’t 90/95 every day. That’s 90 degrees and 95% humidity. Tengo calor.
So what else have we been doing our first week in Mexico? We had a very nice hotel room overlooking the marina for the first 3 nights (pool included), and we have enjoyed some fantastic Mexican bars and restaurants. Our old favorite Victor’s still offers $1.50 beers (free shot of tequila with every beer), we found Brando’s (home of the Jumbo Double Margarita for $2.00) and, lest you think all we do is drink here in Mexico, we discovered El Coleguita which serves fish soup, large seafood dinners (think 30 or more shrimp), dessert, Kahlua and cream AND free tequila for under $10.00. Hard to beat a place that puts a fresh bottle of tequila on the table for the two of us. Next week we are definitely ON THE WAGON.
Jay, Linda, David and Angela… we had breakfast on Sunday with Fox who owns Café Roma where we had lunch with you last December in Viejo Vallarta. He was dining alone and shared his table with us in a crowded restaurant.
We will be out of Marina Vallarta by the end of the week and if all goes well we will be sailing south for the next 30 days. We expect to visit Mexico’s Gold Coast with stops at Chemela, Barra de Navidad, Tenecatita, and perhaps Zihuatenejo along with several smaller towns and bays. Our goal is still the Panama Canal, but now we are discussing how to get there sailing only two months at a time and trying to avoid both the summer heat and the prospect of hurricanes. Minor adversities are behind us. The world is our oyster and we are off.
We flew from San Jose to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on April 29 to pick up sailing where we left off last winter when we went home to work for a few months. Our trip was delayed slightly because I insisted on waiting until after the Apple City Amateur before we could leave town. From my point of view the wait was well worth it because I am now the reigning 2008 Apple City Net Champion. Yes, I won the tournament with a nice 75 in the final round. I am a happy golfer, if not a happy sailor. Andrea has not yet shared my enthusiasm for this accomplishment, but I am sure that if I keep telling her all about the round she will grow to appreciate the grandeur of the award.
If you want a carefree vacation I have a piece of advice… Don’t take a boat with you. We have been in Mexico for a week now, and we are enjoying everything about Mexico except the sailing. Why you might ask? Because the boat has had one problem after another, and we are still cleaning, repairing, ordering parts and paying $$. None of this sounds like swimming, partying, exploring or sailing does it?
We are doing what I call the Yatista Two Step. This is the popular boating dance that goes two steps forward, one step (or more) back. We arrived to find that all of the work scheduled for February (repairs from last year’s adventure) had yet to be started as promised. In addition the very valuable lower drive shaft for our motor which we had painstakingly smuggled into Mexico in a golf bag was the lower drive shaft for someone else’s motor, certainly not ours. Wrong part, no solution available, no motor. Well, only one motor. Because we are a catamaran we do have another motor tucked away in the other hull, and it was this second motor which was going to allow us to sail away even with a less than complete propulsion system. Alas, when we dropped the boat in the water the “good motor” failed to start.
After some emergency repairs to allow us to get to the marina it took us another two days to find the electrical short which had caused this problem. And finally (because I know some of you have already nodded off) we discovered that a part from the “good motor” had disappeared over the winter. We mysteriously lost the choke lever from our unlocked motor well which also caused the motor not to work . Backup motor to the rescue again, but that backup motor looks woefully incomplete without a drive shaft, choke lever and whatever else we will cannibalize from it in the next few weeks.
We also discovered that we made a significant error in judgment leaving the boat in a working yard for the winter. The decks are stained and filthy and they are taking lots of elbow grease and rubbing compound to clean up. Andrea is headed up the mast tomorrow to try to clean the 50 or 60 feet of the boat that we can’t reach easily. Of course the cleaning might not be so bad if it weren’t 90/95 every day. That’s 90 degrees and 95% humidity. Tengo calor.
So what else have we been doing our first week in Mexico? We had a very nice hotel room overlooking the marina for the first 3 nights (pool included), and we have enjoyed some fantastic Mexican bars and restaurants. Our old favorite Victor’s still offers $1.50 beers (free shot of tequila with every beer), we found Brando’s (home of the Jumbo Double Margarita for $2.00) and, lest you think all we do is drink here in Mexico, we discovered El Coleguita which serves fish soup, large seafood dinners (think 30 or more shrimp), dessert, Kahlua and cream AND free tequila for under $10.00. Hard to beat a place that puts a fresh bottle of tequila on the table for the two of us. Next week we are definitely ON THE WAGON.
Jay, Linda, David and Angela… we had breakfast on Sunday with Fox who owns Café Roma where we had lunch with you last December in Viejo Vallarta. He was dining alone and shared his table with us in a crowded restaurant.
We will be out of Marina Vallarta by the end of the week and if all goes well we will be sailing south for the next 30 days. We expect to visit Mexico’s Gold Coast with stops at Chemela, Barra de Navidad, Tenecatita, and perhaps Zihuatenejo along with several smaller towns and bays. Our goal is still the Panama Canal, but now we are discussing how to get there sailing only two months at a time and trying to avoid both the summer heat and the prospect of hurricanes. Minor adversities are behind us. The world is our oyster and we are off.
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