Log 9:  Winter 2001/Spring 2002

Click here to view Log 9 Map

What a contrast between the stark beauty of the Baja deserts we left behind and the lush mainland we toured this Spring!   This journey took us from Mazatlan down to Zihuatanejo, the farthest south we'd been so far.  Follow our trail along the western coast of Mexico to share in some new discoveries.

Note:  Small "thumbnail" photos quickly highlight our experiences.  Click on any thumbnail for a better view.

Also On This Page:

Guadalajara Trip   Z-Town Races    Work!    Friends

Following our award-winning Thanksgiving Goat Fest, we crossed the Sea of Cortez from La Paz to the mainland, saying goodbye to friendly shrimp boats and landing our last Dorado for the season.   Waiting five days for favorable weather conditions did not guarantee a gentle passage:  a Cold Front (that was predicted not to venture south) joined a Pineapple Express (supposedly stable in Central America) to give us "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride".   As the rough seas defeated Diane's hard-won battle against sea-sickness,  Les persevered with lone watches in the pounding rain.   He and Helen on Viajera consoled each other on the radio, essentially single-handing the two boats into the marina.  They almost knelt to kiss the ground when we arrived in Mazatlan!

After last year's 6-month teak deck removal job, Mazatlan felt like old home week.  However, a bankruptcy dispute has closed Marina Mazatlan, leaving the rather pricey "El Cid" and the relatively primitive "Isla Mazatlan" as the only choices.  Still,  we parked the boat at El Cid for a Christmas visit home while Valkyrie took care of Cami the Cat, then we departed with Good Medicine to continue our voyage south.  Dressed in our typical Land's End/Patagonia style clothing, Patty and Diane are frequently mistaken for each other.  There are some strong similarities--can you find Diane's "Evil Twin"?

The Voyage South

We departed Mazatlan in mid-January, stopping briefly at Matanchen Bay and Chacala before continuing south.  Mexico's new $30 check-in policy motivates us to by-pass places we've been before or anchorages that don't sound too tempting, so instead of going into Puerto Vallarta, we made another exciting overnight passage to Chamela, a new anchorage for us.  This is a large, beautiful bay with two fascinating islands, where hiking to the top holds the reward of close-up ejcounters with boobies.  (Sorry, no photos exist of this perfect anchorage!)

Next stop:  Tenacatita.  

These photos may seem too good to be true, but they barely do justice to the beauty of this anchorage.  The main attraction for us was the river.  In order to buy fresh vegetables, we had to ride our dinghy through this tropical forest, sighting crocodiles and birds hiding in the lush foliage.   Friends Helen and Wayne from Viajera, along with their guest, joined us for this day trip up the river, where we bought veggies from a roving truck.  Following lunch at the palapa restaurant, we all returned to the "mother ships" to wash & pack all our precious fruits & vegetables.

Having been somewhat spoiled by the Sea of Cortez, we thought visibility and sealife in the mainland waters were very poor, so were happy to discover that snorkeling at "The Aquarium" at the head of the river was not too shabby.  

At the south side of the Tenacatita anchorage lies La Manzanillo, a charming town with some not-so-charming crocodiles called "Caymans".  These chubby creatures are well-fed by the local sea life, but watching some biologists capture and tag them convinced us to keep our distance nevertheless.  We spent three weeks between January & February in Tenacatita, enjoying the peaceful anchorage, the simple restaurant erectedfor the movie, "McHale's Navy" building, and the perfect combination of warm days and comfortable nights.

Zihuatanejo

Remembered by many as "that charming little village" halfway between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, Z-Town (as it's lovingly called) has worn her age and growth well.  After the isolated quietude of the Sea of Cortez, this 100-boat haven was a bit of a culture change, causing us to catch our breath at the constant stream of visitors and radio activity.  But we easily adapted to the variety of restaurant fare, beachside volleyball, dinghy raft-ups, and hikes at sunrise.

Morning hikes were mostly organized by Debbie from Different Worlds, and frequently attracted as many as 20 people.  Some of the more aggressive hikes (like the 8-mile trek to Ixtapa) prompted a spin-off group to take an abbreviated version, but we had no less fun.  One morning, a mule wanted to follow us on our walk, but Renee from Scarlett O'Hara and Ruth from Icicle  patiently convinced him that crossing the road could be hazardous to their health!

A colorful sunrise rewards the last watch-stander with a memorable sight.  On Gemini, we usually start the watch schedule around 8:30, after dinner and the evening Southbound net.  We do three hours on, and three off, until about 9 a.m., when regular meal service resumes.  A little nap for each of us in the afternoon helps compensate for the lack of sleep during an overnight voyage.

Z-Town Races

Everyone's favorite sailing magazine, Latitude 38, brought their catamaran Profligate to Zihuatanejo and challenged Capricorn Cat to a fund-raising regatta.  With almost everyone to participating, it turned out to be a gala event.  Gemini arrived after this madness, but got a great collection of photos from Fairwinds so we could share this spectacle with you.

Click here for more photos of Zihuatanejo Race Day.

Barra de Navidad:  The Good Life

We bypassed Navidad on the way south, but heard so many rave reviews we just had to stop there on our way back north.  And we were very glad we did.  Anxious moments followed us along the extremely shallow entrance to the lagoon, which in itself only offered 8-to-12-foot depths for setting our anchor.  But the peaceful, lush surroundings rewarded our perserverance, and we ended up staying for a week.  Here is the awesome Grand Bay Hotel, an architectural masterpiece perched above the bay entrance opposite a simple Mexican tourist town.  Since April is Diane's birthday month, we celebrated once in town and twice at the hotel, with cocktails and a dinner to write home about.  This place really must be seen to be believed, but here's a peek at what you can expect to see.

In Barra, the Grand Bay Hotel Marina with the lagoon anchorage in the background.

Les and Diane get a slice of civilization:

The Grand Bay Hotel       Touring the golf course.        Admiring the Lobby.        Celebrating a birthday.

The hotel also has its own web site: www.islaresort.com.mx