An amazing Chacalan day...

We sailed back to Chacala, tiny beautiful Chacala in order to escape the hordes of happy holiday beach lovers at Bahía de Jaltemba.  It was just too much of a good thing for us.  It was something to experience, truly amazing in it’s own way but we've done that, have the t-shirts and were ready for a smaller, quieter place and Chacala was still just 10 miles away.  



On our first day back to Chacala we decided to use our SUP boards to explore a cove that was a couple of miles south of the anchorage.  It was the furtherest I’d ever gone on a SUP so it was a bit of a challenge to paddle out in the ocean, down the coast to a tiny, magical and secluded cove.  There were a few people camping on the beach and they had a mighty powerful stereo blasting some great tribal dance music.  



It was fun exploring the volcanic cove the was cut into the jungle with a tiny, perfect sand beach at it’s apex all to a driving beat.

By the time we made it back to Malo my calves were tired and I almost couldn’t feel my feet they were so numb but it was way worth it…

Bahía de Jaltemba…

…is a very big bay with three small resort towns lining it’s shoreline.  It’s a festive scene with thousands of folks enjoying a vacation by the sea.

The Mexican people seem to have a very refined way to enjoy a beach.  I must admit that generally I like beaches with fewer people, the fewer the better but that’s me.  That said I must say that I admire how the Mexican folks around these parts celebrate their beaches. At first it seemed like total chaos to me with hundreds or of people  swarm a thin strip of sand and water along the shore line.  Between the throngs in the water, with no life guards in sight ever, panga boats come and go through the surf offering whale-watching, towed banana rides, snorkeling and water taxi services.  On the beach itself vendors walk through the crowd renting; beach chairs and umbrellas or selling; beach totys, delicious barbecued shrimp and fish, ice cream, fruit and fresh fruit juices, donuts, muffins, pies, cakes, temporary tattoos massages and music beautiful music; percussion for dancing, folk guitar & song plus marachi.  Palapa (palm thatched roof) restaurants serve full menus, drinks and cervesas.  Singles, couples and families all seem to enjoy the beaches together often there are generations together.  You can drink beer in the open, dogs run free and are with out exception so far, have been very well mannered.  



We anchored at the far end of the least busy of the beaches, Playa del Beso so that we could stay out of the thick of it and do our usual things like SUPing, swimming and snorkeling.  I can’t say that this was one of my favorite places but I’m very glad that we came and were able to join in the local mass celebration of la playa.  

Isla Isabel to Chacala

We got up early for our passage to Chacala, a distance of just 55nm.  After raising the sails and sailing off the anchor at 6:30am we set our course for Chacala.  It soon became apparent that in the prevailing light wind, we would be arriving around dusk or later.  Bev suggested that we head for a closer harbor.  A quick check of the guidebook showed that Ensenda De Matanchén was 12 miles closer so we altered course for there.  



As the winds got lighter we rolled up the jib and dropped the mainsail to set our code 1.  

We had a very mellow day of downwind, light-air sailing.  We practiced some Spanish and then I read.  Reading books has been one of the delightful side benefits of cruising.  The instantly gratifying, junk food that’s served up on the internet is so alluring to me that it’s destroyed my reading habits.  With no access to the web and plenty of time on-hand, I’ve been rediscovering the joy and satisfaction that a good book gives. 

We arrived at Ensenda De Matanchén around 4:00, in plenty of time to find a spot and make anchor before dark.  We anchored just over a half mile off shore in 24’ of water.  Ensenda De Matanchén has a bad reputation for no-see-ums which are called Jegenes down hear.  During our brief overnight stay we were fortunate not have met those tiny devils.  It was a beautiful bay but not wanting to push our luck in the bug lottery we left as soon as the wind started to come up around 9:00am.  

This days winds proved even lighter than yesterday’s but our code 1 kept us moving along at a gentle speed and we only had to go 22nm this day.  

It’s interesting what a few degrees of latitude can make in the costal climate.  Where as just a couple of hundred of miles north of us along the Baja the land was very much a desert, parched and bone dry.  But now we are entering a costal region that is very much tropical, lush and verdant.   



With coconut palms and rich green hills all around, Chacala seems like a small village that was carved right out of the jungle.  With it’s dirt and cobblestone streets and palm thatched palapas, it’s charming, inviting and laidback easy.  We anchored just off the beach near a handful of other cruisers in 22’ of water.  After anchoring and securing the boat Bev and I loaded towels, some clothes and some pasos into a dry-bag and swam to shore for dinner in one of the seaside, palapa restaurants.  Three bucks worth of pesos bought the most delicious margarita I’ve ever enjoyed and a few more pesos afforded us a delicious seafood and veggie dinner.   Awards we saw back to Malo.  Such a fun and unusual way to enjoy the evening. 

On Christmas Eve we joined the crews of three other boats to enjoy drinks and a special dinner together at a very small and intimate resort and gallery all newly made friends.  It was quite special to spend the evening with all so different but also in many essential ways the same.  Bev and I again loaded the bare essentials into a dry bag and swam to shore in the late afternoon.  After dinner our group made our way our of the jungle to the shore line and walked along the moon light beach back to town were Bev and I re-entered the water to make our way back to the mother ship again impress with how much it’s about the journey and not just the destination no mater how delicious that destination may be…

Isla Isabel

Above photo of Mona Menor just off of Isls Isabel

We happily said good-by to Mazatálan and headed for the World Heritage site of Isla Isabel.  We left early and planned on making a 24 hour, overnight passage to the island in order to arrive there in the morning.  Isabel doesn’t have what’s considered a safe harbor, just a couple of iffy anchorages that are considered good for calm weather with precautions; a anchor trip line and provisions for emergency rode cutaway if necessary.  That’s the price of admission to this amazing place; preparedness and the chance loosing one’s primary anchor & ground tackle in order to save one’s boat if it’s came to that.



We were fortunate with our visit.  Whales and dolphins escorted us to the islands.  The first thing one notices upon nearing the islands are the birds.  Hundreds of them are in the air at any one moment.  Frigate birds seem to own the sky.  These amazing flyers are in constant, effortless, motion gliding over the island and near by rocks.  Boobys and pelicans also abound too.  

We arrived at the perfect hour that was early in the day but late enough that the sun was hight’s allow us to discern the rocky areas on the bottom from the sandy spots that are good to anchor in.  Based on the recommendations of another cruiser we chose the eastern anchorage, just south of Islea Mona Menor, one of two prominent and striking sea stacks on the eastern side of the island.  

Once our anchor was set and setup with anchor weight and trip line we jumped in with our snorkeling gear to cool off and explore what was reported to be excellent snorkeling.  I’m happy to report that were not disappointed.  



The first thing I did underwater was to check out our anchor.  We had dropped the hook in 4 fathoms and it landed in a sandy spot with what I would estimate as half the normal bite that we usually get which from reading the cruising guide, it as good as we could expect to get here.  

With the anchor settled we swam over to the near by Mona Menor where we saw lots of tropical fish, sting rays, leopard rays, needle fish, parrot fish and a couple of turtles.  While I was swimming I could feel tiny little fish nibble on my legs.  I’ve eaten enough fish myself, so it’s only right that they should dine on me a bit and it’s was probably only dead skin that they were nibbling upon.  

After snorkeling we were both looking forward to exploring the island so we launched our SUP boards and paddled ashore.  



Birds, who knows what they’re thinking?  I’m looking at them wondering that very thought and I see them looking back at me too, wondering…  This place has a beautiful energy that feels more than tranquil to me.  I sense a strong healing energy here.  The birds in this place are indicative of that good energy.  There are no predators on the island so that probably contributes to peaceful feeling of the place.  The birds certainly don’t seem to be afraid of humans.  They seem comfortable and at ease as we wander through their numerous midst.  They own and enjoy the sky.  There are consonantly several hundred birds in the air at any give time.  



The whole time we were at the island whales went back and forth just a couple of hundred yards from Malo.  There is something special about whales, I always love being near them.  Usually it’s just sporadic and brief visits that we enjoy so it was a special treat to spend the day in the presence of those incredible creatures.  



Isla Isabel is such a truly amazing place!  Nature living in harmony and not threatened by people and the most amazing thing is that there are no park rangers patrolling and protecting this incredible precious place.  I wonder how that can be in spite of seeing with my own eyes.  

Outbound

I’m am very much looking forward to heading back out to sea tomorrow.

A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for. — John Augustus Shedd

The energy in this place has felt unsettled to me since we arrived, both that of the residents and the cruisers who visit here.  I’ve wondered about that and suspect it’s the place.  Just the way it feels to me.  Mazatlán has been good to us and for that I am deeply grateful.  At the same time I yearn for the peace and tranquility of the ocean.  A sailboat and her crew, by their very nature, are the epitome of tranquillity.  They move by balancing the forces of nature in order to resolve a favorable condition that brings them safely and quietly to new places.   

We've been saying our fond good-byes to all the wonderful people we've met and critters too.  There were doce gatos de muelle dulce (sweet dock cats) living on our dock.

A dios gatos, ve con Dios! 



As Doug Adams wrote; So long (Mazatlán) and thanks for all the fish.  

Marina Fonatur & Marine Services Mazatalán

Nothing in life is “free”, one has to seek out and earn the good things in life and cruising is  no different than anything else in that respect, in fact it may take more “earning” or work that many other enjoyments.  You pay with cash, sweat & hard work and also tears & blood sometimes.  We’ve been fortunate so far with respect to the “tears & blood” payments but we have been paying what seems like more than our share in boat repairs.  Has it been worth it?  You betcha!  And we’ve met several boat loads of wonderful people who’ve help us out along the way.  

Michale of Sunshine Lady was one of those people and he introduced us to Rick Cummings of Marine Services Mazatlán who turned out to be a wizard of boat wiring among many other things.  We came to him broken with one of those intractable, intermittent electrical problems.  This one was in our starting system that would randomly deprive us of the use of our engine.  The last time that happened we had become becalmed off the rocky shore, just east or Cabo.  Not a good thing.

Based on his experience Rick had a pretty good idea what the problem was (a faulty starting wire harness connector) but non-the-less he preceded in a logical and methodic way to solve out mysterious problem.  After poking around a bit he recommended that he cut an access hole from our head into the port side of our engine.  I had contemplated doing that several times before but was too chicken to cut into our beautiful, one piece, molded fiberglass wall.  So I was delighted at Rick's suggestion.  Our engine had great access forward, aft and from the starboard side but was tightly walled off to port.  

Rick also noticed that a wire coming off of our alternator was undersized and melting, thus reducing the alternator's effectiveness and posing a very real fire hazard.  The above photo is of the faulty wire harness connector. 

Once the access hatch was cut in Rick replaced a bunch of wires and a installed bus bar in place of the bad wire harness connector   

                                    

And now we have great access to our starter and alternator:

While this work was going on Bev made some flopper stoppers for our jib fairleads and cleaned and reorganized the boat bow to stern, no small project.  I repaired and beefed up our swim step, upgraded our #2 reef clue outhaul to 1/4" AmSteel which is half the size of and more than twice as strong as the 1/2" polyester line it replaced.  We also replace our continuous traveler line that was prone to hockling.  Inside the boat I fixed a broken ceiling light fixture and replaced our last fluorescent light with an LED.  We also fixed a minor propane leak and Rick, when rerouting, wires found us two cubic feet of usable storage space under our bed. 

                        

It has been a great visit, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how nice, affordable, safe, comfortable and how great the staff is at Marina Fonatur.  

We have also met and shared some very good times with some wonderful cruisers in this marina and adjacent ones.  With repairs complete we're starting our preparations for passage.  Our next destination is Isla Isabel, a small volcanic island off the coast about 100 miles south of Mazatlán.  It's National Park and a World Heritage sight that is often referred to as the "Galapagos" of Mexico.  Ten's of thousand of birds nest there (frigate birds, brown boobies and blue-footed boobies) iguanas too.  Because the birds and iguanas on the island have no natural enemies they are reported to be quite comfortable with human visitors.  Am I getting excited; You betcha! 

Last night

Last night when I returned to the boat

I saw Malo in the faint light of the docks

as the wind rippled through her canvas 

she seemed like a great sea bird

sitting patiently at the shoreline

longing to return to the sea.  

I’m sure I’m projecting some, but not entirely

I know Malo loves to sail, she was meant for that 

and so was I or at least it’s a big part of me.

Soon Malo, soon Dan…

Where we are now…

We’re still in Mazatlán, currently ensconced in a very nice marina (Fonatur) with a pool, dockside power and fresh (but not potable) water.  It’s quite an upgrade from our last anchorage and a great place to work on the boat  There is a pool and showers several restaurants within easy walking distance and a big grocery store just a mile down the road.  

We got our refrigerator repaired by Carlos Mora who is a great guy and did a very good job with our refrigerator.  The fan had died and he was able to locate a replacement fan and installed it within a day.

We just finished repairing our swim step, making that larger and more robust at the same time.  We're now waiting for Tuesday when the mechanic is supposed to show up to start work on Malo’s engine's starting & charging circuits.  In the mean time we’ve been provisioning for the next leg of our journey.  As Malo continues to sail south she is getting better and better which is a both a treat and a delight.

Mazatlán

Mazatlan was a hard place for us and I think that it may be a hard place for it’s residents too.  The noise; traffic, jack hammers, rock crushers, bulldozers, backhoes, tour boats, and fishing boats coming close by our boat.  All the trash on land and its the water.  The occasional oil skim on the harbor water.  Feral dogs and cats all around the marina.  I’m starting to realize that city life can be hard on a lot of folks, probably in any country.  As population densities increase, so too must social, economic and health challenges.  The stress cause by this is written on the faces and the postures of the citizens of Mazatlán.  It is also written in the architecture of the city with most homes surrounded by high masonry walls who’s tops were embedded with shards of jagged, broken glass.  Stout, iron gates led through those walls to double front doors; stout front doors that were themselves fronted with iron, outer, doors.  Barrs on all the windows, even the second story ones.  

Coming down the remote coast of the Baja we had seen lots of folks living on what obviously was below poverty levels of income but they didn’t seem impoverished, just poor.  Otherwise, they seemed healthy, relaxed and happy.  The were living in simple dwellings that sometimes didn’t have doors and often didn’t have windows, just open holes in the walls. 

At home, we are blessed to be able to live in the country, in a tranquil and fertile community surrounded for the most part with good neighbors that look out for one another.  We enjoy enough space between each other to be able to find ease and enjoyment in life.   We grow a little of our own food and buy more from our neighbors that have commercial farms.  This highlights one of the great joys and befits of traveling; seeing strange, new lands and returning with a new appreciation of the place that we live, are accustomed to and perhaps take for granted. 



Ordinarily we would have left Mazatlán shortly after we arrived except for the problem with our engine.  We had located a mechanic with a strong reputation and reported specialty in electrical issues.  It took a week to get an opening in his schedule which is what usually happens with good marine mechanics, they stay busy.  So we stayed and that’s not entirely not a bad thing.

We anchored at Club Nautico, the oldest marina in Mazatlán, the only one located in the ship harbor.  It’s a crumbling beauty with it's best years long behind it.  Most things didn’t work there but still it managed to limp on somehow.  Located right next to the city’s waste-treatment plant, the air was permeated with the definite and strong oder of shit.  The upsides were that it was cheap and close to the old, historic section of Mazatlán.

Here is a zoomed out view of Club Nautico.  It's the white building in the left middle-ground of the above photo. 



Zoomed out further and you can see the Club Nautico's anchorage just above the hill in the foreground with the old part of Mazatlan in the background.  It is that proximity to the old section of Mazatlán that is Club Nautico’s best feature.  So we made the best of a bad situation by exploring the amazing city which was founded in the 1500’s with all it’s old world, Spanish charm.  



We walked it’s busy streets.

and discovered some quite neighborhoods too.



Explored and enjoyed its charming plazas.

After visiting the  great cathedral we made our way over to the malecón (seaside walkway).



We swam in the sea and dinned at grass roofed, beachside palapa restaurants.  

We also did some shopping in the Mercado Municipal, an indoor marked that covered an entire city block in Old Mazatlán where they sold lots of clothing, arts, crafts, meat…



…and fish.

It was pet friendly too.

While we were here we were befriended and greatly assisted by Michael of Sunshine Lady who is a long time cruiser in these waters.  Michael has a gentle and very strong sprit, took us under his wing, showed us the lay of the land and even helped us locate a marine diesel mechanic.  We are much indebted and grateful for his help.  That’s one thing about cruisers, we do tend to help one another out as much as possible.  I imagine it’s because we are all acutely aware of our venerability out on the water and in a foreign land.  The feeling between cruisers can be quite endearing.  Boaters out on the water often wave to one another and it’s seems to be more than a simple wave of hello, it’s more of a recognition and a greeting.  We often also bless one anther when departing with heartfelt wishes of fair winds, safe passage and such.  
























We also met Nancy who has sailed the worlds oceans for well over a decade. She single hands Moondancer X (pictured above), once crewed for a Russian millionaire on a 100’ sailing yacht and is now trying to make her way home, back to the coast of Vancouver Island, BC.  

I can’t say that I’d ever recommend Mazatlán to any other sailor but still and all, I’m glad I got to experience it.  

The plan…

…was to head south until we could round the tip of the Baja Peninsula about 180 nm from Bahia Santa Maria, skip famously expensive Cabo San Lucas and proceed on to the undeveloped anchorage of Los Frailes which is another 40 miles northeast or Cabo, right next to an underwater reef system/park that is famed for it’s diving.  That was the plan, the reality turned out to be different and a bit more exiting.  

The first part of the trip actually went according to plan.

We had a sweet, light, downwind, drift sail to Cabo.  The days were easy, even languid.  We exercised our gennaker to good effect.  


It’s a new sail type to me.  I’ve flown countless spinnakers and on a previous boat had a screecher that I was in love with.  This code 1 gennaker is quite sensitive to set up.  Tack tension, fairlead position and sheet tension all seem to make a huge difference in performance.  When happy with it’s setup the sail will reward us with a 50% and even a 100% increase in performance.  When not so well set it’s no better that our standard jib and main sails.  

We enjoyed a couple of delicious night sails accepted by the moon, meters and miles of liquid thoughts…



On the afternoon of the third day we rounded Cabo in light winds and headed northeast to go the last 40 miles to Los Frailes.  Ten miles from Cabo and just mile off shore the winds completely died and the strong current started carrying us onto the rocky coast.  We tried the engine but no joy.  Not even a click, despite having 12.5v in the battery bank.  Bummer but there was no time to commiserate.  Quick as bunnies, we hauled up the dinghy from below,  inflated and launched it.  Next we hosted the outboard motor from it’s storage bracket on Malo’s transom, fixed it to the dink, added the fuel tank and then lashed the dink along side of the mothership.  At that point we were just a half a mile from the rocks.  Once harnessed up the dink pulled Malo out to sea at 3.5 nmp of boat speed.  We took her 5 miles out before we found some wind.  At that point our plan changed dramatically and we chose not continue on to remote Los Frailes but instead head 166nm across the Sea of Cortez to our next major port of call, Mazatlan.  So we retrieve the outboard motor and the dink back aboard Malo, hoisted sail and headed east.  The wind continued to pick up and soon we were blasting along at an easy 6-7nmp on calm seas.  The next day the wind held and we were rewarded with more fast & easy sailing with puffy clouds to glaze the day.

Bev did well with and was able to enjoy the fine sailing in spite of our apparent set back.  She’s getting better at that; rolling with the setbacks and trusting in the wind, our own resourcefulness and in the opportunity of a new day. 

Somehow the next morning I managed to get the motor started again.  We certainly didn’t need it then with all the great wind we were getting but it’s was nice to know that it could be revived.  


The puffy clouds continued throughout the day and the next day we made it to Mazatlan at 10am and, and, and the motor stared again…thank god for small wonders!

Marinas down here can be as expensive as the ones in California; $40 to $100 a day but we’ve fond a real bargain in Mazatlan.  For just150 pesos ($7.50US) per day, we’re getting showers, internet, a secure dingy dock and a “club house” all while we swing on our own hook.  Welcome to Club Nautico!  And best of all it’s right next to the historic Old Mazatlan that was established but the Spanish in 1531.  I think that Club Nautico may have been established right around that same time because is it’s pretty crumbly but it’s got a lot of character as does the other crews that choose to inhabit this decidedly “quaint” sort of place, my kind of place.