Mazatlan Departure

Here's a thought. Why don't I create my last blog for 2009 and the end of the decade. I don't have any exciting adventures to report or photos of shark attacks but a review of some of the things that I have been doing while holding up here in Mazatlan for a couple of months.

Time go fast in this cruising lifestyle. I arrived here in mid- November after a summer of playing in the Sea of Cortez. I needed to pull my boat out of the water to do some scheduled maintenance before starting my journey south to the Panama Canal. Panama Canal?; Did he just write that he is going to the Panama Canal? That is correct. It is time for new and exciting adventures. Next year from now I will be on the Atlantic side off the coast of Mexico heading for Cancun and then onto Key West Florida. From there I am going to play in the Carrib. for a couple of years before returning to the Pacific side. THEN>>>> I must decide if I want to continue to the South Pacific and Australia or start my slow return back to California after revisiting my friends that I left behind in Mexico. So that is your birds eye view of my plans for the next two years all of which is up for change. There are many factors in cruising where you find yourself having to make changes to your plans or simply choosing to change plans because something better has come along. Well that is enough of that for now. Let me see if I can update you on current events.

The cruisers here got together for Thanksgiving and Christmas for pot luck dinners that were very successful. The food was traditional holiday fare and everyone enjoyed themselves.

In addition to that there have been some benefits for poor children down here through the Salvation Army where we cruisers raised over two thousands dollars for the orphanage. Today I helped make 300 hundred sandwiches along with bottled water to give families food and drink that live near the garbage dumps in Mazatlan. Each day they spend 12 to 14 hours digging through the garbage for eatable food that has been thrown away or recyclable material that can be sold to help buy food or shoes for the children. Next time you here someone in our country that is on welfare complain how bad they have it, ask them to come down here to see how some of these people have to live. It is sad enough to see the adults struggling but it is heart breaking to see the children having to suffer and not understand why when they see people that have everything.

I have a friend that I met in La Paz that is joining me tomorrow and if sailing with me for the next two months. Having someone else along is always more fun and I can get more sleep when having to do those 1-2 day crossings. My daughter and her husband are also meeting me in Barra de Navidad for a wek in February. It is great that my son and daughter have taken the time and expense to meet me dow here instaed of waiting fro me to come home to visit. It is more fun here!.


The Salvation Army benefit. I was bar tender. The money paid for drinks went to the kids. Thae last beer was auctioned off. It sold for $700 USD.













The turtle release. Babies are released to go off into the ocean.














Went sailing and anchored off of the main port in a location called Stone Island. These are the cruise ship that visit Mazatlan most days, Harry and Chris were here earlier on one of these ships.












The Opera house where I bought tickets to see the Nut Cracker.















The Nut Cracker Cast.















I was invited along for a drive inland from Mazatlan to visit a small town of La Noria. The village is older than Mazatlan and today many people are artist using leather to make there crafts. As in many towns in Mexico there is always a beautiful church that is the center of the community.









Some examples of the crafts made here.






























Yep, I made yet another new friend!















My days are varied on how I spend my time. I go to Operas. volunteer, and go on tequila tours. Now who is going to tell me that i am not having fun. This was a self guided tour though a very small factory where they bottle no more that 3000 bottles a year. At the end of the tour it is time for tasting. A fee of 25 pesos is charged for the privilege to taste good tequila and you can go back for as many tasting as you like. It is true. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.





















































Well that is it for now. I am going to a beach party tonight for New Years and will dropping the dock lines off next Tuesday as we head for PV.

Happy New Year to all.

Mazatlan December 2009

During my last Blog I wrote that there would be no new blogs until I pulled anchor in January. This proves one more time that I can not be trusted. There have been a number of activities around here that I thought I might share and since my schedule is not crowed that much I would spend this Sunday morning entering a new blog. I should have taken a photo of my boat which is on the hard, which to non-boaters means that it is out of the water being held up, on land, by a number of stands. I need to climb a tall later now to enter my boat which is a lot of fun at two in the morning when I need to climb down to go to the bathroom. I need to be careful not to drink to much!

The marina hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for 120 people. How would you like making dinner for that many friends and relatives? The food was traditional American Thanksgiving dinner and it was very good. Everyone enjoyed themselves. After dinner the band played, we danced, and worked off the calories that we had just eaten.

















The ladies were having a lot of fun while us men sat drinking our wine and beer.



















Finally one of the more courageous men went out to join the women in dance.


















Then there were two ladies that just had to strut their stuff.

















Unlike the Sea of Cortez, there are not a lot of places to explore and anchor nearby in Mazatlan. Their is one popular place called Stone Island that many cruisers go to get out of the marina for a change in pace. There is a great place on shore with a specialty of the house, Shrimp and garlic pizza, which is to die for it is so good. The main harbor is just across from the break water that some of you might recognize that may have arrived here on a cruise ship.

This is were we ate pizza and drank a few beers.


















Cruise ships that arrived around six in the morning.



















Those of you that enjoy and occasional Pacifico beer can now brag that you have seen a photo of the original and still in service brewery.


















Yesterday late afternnon there was a release of baby turtles into the ocean. I had wanted to watch this last year but missed it so I was sure not to make the same mistake this year. The turtles are about 2 inches long and they can move quickly when they smell the waters edge as they scramble towards the beckening waters. It was a very festive environment with fireworks, hot-air balloons, a world famous marathon and a motor cycle parade. The evening temperature was in the high seventies, clear skies and hundreds of people enjoying the evening.

The turtles were given to the many small children along the beach to hold while they waited for instructions to release them onto the sand.
































































And they are off!

















What's next? Who said that I could not be cultured while cruising? I don't always set around drinking beer and huging young beautiful women.

This Friday,with two friends, I am going to the ballet to watch the Nut Cracker. I have always wanted to watch this but always waited to long to buy a ticket finding that all seats had been sold. Where else would one think you could see the Nut Cracker but in Mexico. A cost of a ticket in San Francisco would be $120. The cost here is little less than $20 and the theater is as beautiful as the Opera house in San Francisco. This years presentation is a ballet company from Cuba. Maybe I will get a chance to meet Castro and ask him for some free Cuban cigars and Rum.

Well that is it for now. It is a short blog but one that I hope you enjoy. At least you didn't have to wait until January to see another one from me.

Happy Holidays to all of you and your families and let's hope that next year is a big improvement for many of you over 2009.

Take care and be safe out there.

Back Again on the sea

Well I have returned to Mexico after a two months stay in California visiting family and friends. I celebrated my grandson's birthdays before leaving for the boat. Abe had his first birthday and Ray celebrated his third. Everyone had a wonderful time.

I wasn't sure what kind of condition I would find the boat in after arriving. There was a hurricane that went through the area while I was away. I knew from reports that the boat was still afloat on the mooring ball but wasn't sure if there was any water damage from leaks during the heavy rains. I was pleased to find everything was dry with no signs of leakage. I wanted to put the boat back together but heavy winds prevented me in doing so. So I relaxed for three days visiting with other cruisers until the winds layed down at which time I pulled the sails out from down below and reinstalled them along with everything else that I took off for the hurricane season. A day later I pulled anchor and headed south the La Paz arriving here last Friday after three stops and anchorages along the way. I am remaining here until this Saturday and will start my crossing of the sea over to Mazatlan. This trip will take me three days. The longest leg is 38 hours with nowhere to stop. Given that I am alone, there will be no long naps or a 8 hour sleep during he evening. At night I set the alarm from 20 minutes, get up to look around, inspect the boat and chart my location, look for nearby boats on radar, set the alarm for 20 minutes and start the process over again which lasts throughout the evening. I know, it does sound like a lot of fun but it works.

My son Steve drove down to Puerto Escondido where I had planned to leave my boat when I returned to California for a visit. We sailed around some local area islands for a week, fishing, spear fishing and otherwise just relaxing attempting to survive the heat. The temps were in the 100's and the humidity was around 50%. The water temp was between 87 and 93 degrees. W e both were looking forward to leaving for California to cool off. Both of us had a wonderful time together.

As evidence that we did fish and catch the same here is the proof.





























Still trying to catch one



































Leaving Puerto Escondido, I was able to get some photos of Dolphins that joined me along the way. The water is so clear that you can get a good photo of them even as they swim under the surface. I also have a couple of photos of the green islands after the rains from the area hurricanes.







































































Well that is it for this time. A short blog but it will work to get me started again and something for you to enjoy after a long break from receiving the last one that I published.

Until next time, be safe out there.

Sea of Cortez - Summer 2009

Back on land again. This time I am in a small copper mining town of Santa Rosalia. You may recall that I was here last fall after taking a bus from La Paz to meet friends here. I was invited to crew with them back to La Paz. One of my blogs from last year details the trip and the people I met along the way. You should be able to find it by scrolling down through the blogs that I have posted since the beginning of my voyage.

So let's see if I can catch everyone up on my latest adventures since leaving Loreto.

My first stop was Bahia Marquer on the south end of the island of Carman. In 1995 a program was developed on the island to help increase the population of bighorn sheep in Baja California. I understand, talking to locals, that the program was and is successful. There was not much there except the usual sandy beaches and turquoise waters. I stayed over night and pulled anchor after a restful morning and headed north to another anchorage on the north end of the island. Puerto Ballandra is a popular anchorage because of its' natural beauty and good protection from winds and waves.


These are the waters here and the sandy beach on shore. I stayed here one day and then pushed on to the next island of Coronados. Remember my previous attempt to get photos of Sting Reys jumping out of the water? Well I finally got a couple.


I took this photo after going ashore at Isla Coronados. This was to be the beginning of my hike to the top of a volcano. Here is a sign at the trail head. What you don't see is another sign noting that the trail is well marked. Now tell me, do any of you see a well marked trail in this photo?


Here is a sign that needs no explanation.


I stopped to rest as I looked around for a well marked trail and took this photo of my and other's boats in the bay below.


I never made it to the top but the distance I hiked was the same as I looked for this damn well marked trail. However, the day was not a total loss. I finally was able to get photos of String Reys as they tried to fly.



The next day I pulled anchor and sailed to Caleta San Juanico. The anchorage the first evening was a little bumpy so the next day I moved around the corner to La Ramada. No this is not a hotel. I went on another hike and found a cruisers shrine and as you see below I left my own mark that will show that a Gade was there in 2009.

This is the sunrise the morning I had sailed off to San Juanico.


This is the cruisers shrine


Yes, here is is. Written in stone! Gade was here for people throughout the future to see and wonder: Who was this great man?


Off again the next day to the Bay of Concepcion. I stayed here for 10 days, anchoring in Punta Santo Domingo, Playa Santispac, El Burro Cove and finally Playa Santa Barbara. I enjoyed a good old American 4th of July celebration in El Burro Cove and I dug up my own Chocolate clams in Santo Domingo and yes I hitch hiked to Mulege and back to get some supplies. I haven't done that in 50 years.

I met this young French couple in Santispac and spent some time with them on my boat over a few beers. They are taking an around the world trip staying in their tent as they backpack around the world.


This is a small and friendly restaurant and bar in Santispac.


I forgot to mention that I again went on a hike while in El Burro and found some petroglyphs on the way up the hill.


Finally I found the way they mark their well marked trails. With a sharp eye you can find these intermittently along the trail.


Here is a nice photo of the anchorage at El Burro Cove.

Finally I made it to the top.


Dolce Vita all dressed up for the party.


Pot Luck lunch on the 4th.


Keeping (trying) cool in the water.


Almost forgot. On my hike I found rocks toward the top of the hill that have a large content of iron. Watch and listen.




Finally I am off to my next anchorage at Punta Chivato but not before stopping over night again at Punta Santo Domingo where another cruiser showed my how to find and dig out clams.

Here on Punta Chivato there is an Italian restaurant that is owned and managed by an Italian company. The price for a vodka tonic was the same as if I were back in the states so I didn't stay long. Talking to one of the Mexican waiters I found out that along with their salary for working there, they are given a room to stay along with their food. Not a bad deal.


And yes, finally, another boring sunset.


Off the next day to Santa Rosalia where I am now. I am going to stay here for maybe another week and then head south again to return to Puerto Escondido. I decided to keep my boat there while I return to California since it is safer and cheaper during the hurricane season. So Bill and Jean, if I am going to see you, you will have to throw off those dock lines and go sailing or I will have to wait to see you this fall in La Paz.

No photos and stories of Santa Rosalia since this can be found in an earlier blog from last year. This will be my last blog for awhile. My son Steve is driving down here to visit and go sailing and fishing with me and then I return to California for a couple of months where I will get a chance to visit with most of you, so stock those bars. I am coming to town.