December through February 17

Gosh, it's been 2 months since we last updated our blog which unfortunately is about right for us.

In our last addition we talked about Destiny's transmission dying just as we were entering the marina in La Cruz. Fortunately, the actual repair turned out to be a minor one but it took time and a few $$ to figure out what went wrong. Everything is now better than new so we'll just wait to see what's the next item to have some kind of issue.

We loaded up Destiny and took off from La Cruz on December 13. Our goal was to reach Barra de Navidad by December 24 with intermediate stops along with way at Punta Mita (right off our condo), Chamela and Tenacatita. All went well except for our success in fishing which seems to have escaped us. Other friends are catching nice fish but we might as well be in the Dead Sea. Fortunately fresh fish is easy to buy in Mexico so it's not a big deal. Our friend, Debbie Bledsoe, who lives in La Cruz drove to Barra to spend Christmas with us and then gave us a ride back to Punta Mita in time to meet Scott, Hillary, our cute and constantly active little grand-girls, and their dog, Libbie, for their two week visit. Prior to leaving Barra we spent Christmas day at a cruiser's pot luck that included turkey and ham with all the trimmings and many wonderful side dishes. Definitely not your traditional Christmas around the fire with family but very enjoyable.

The family visit was fantastic and it looks like we will be seeing much more of them as they're planning to spend the next school year in San Francisco (known as San Pancho by the locals) which is a half hour drive north of our condo. The girls will be immersed in Spanish during their stay and will hopefully be fluent when they go back to Colorado Springs. Scott's employer has given him permission to work away from the office as long as he has an internet connection. As you can imagine we're very much looking forward to this.

Hillary took and posted fabulous pictures of the girls during their stay - please check out their blog and the photos, on the attached link - "Our Grandkids"...

On January 18 we took a 4.5 hour, first-class bus ride, complete with movies and a snack from Puerto Vallarta to Barra de Navidad. Cost at the current exchange rate was $12 pp. Destiny was waiting for us at the spectacular Grand Bay Hotel marina. The hotel is 5 star rated with beautiful facilities but only a handful of guests. We're not sure how the place stays open as the staff must outnumber the guests by 10 to 1. After enjoying the hotel facilities, provisioning and getting the boat ready to go, we headed out for Santiago Bay 20 miles to the southeast. We were in the area two years ago for a one day stay with David & Anneke aboard Freedom so we had some idea what to expect. We spent two+ weeks in the three very different anchorages and we enjoyed them all. First was Santiago, the more traditional Mexican anchorage with a broad beach dotted with palapa restaurants, followed further along by magnificent multi-million dollar homes. The second, Las Hadas (where the movie "10" was filmed) has a real Mediterranean feel with hotels and restaurants looking down on a relatively small anchorage.

The last anchorage was the beautiful and remote Carrizal, which has no shore side facilities but fantastic scenery and snorkeling, with live coral, right off the back of the boat. One afternoon, after a bout of snorkling, Gilly was sitting in the cockpit reading when a shark cruised two feet from the boat. It had spots, dorsal fin and the classic shark tale, but as we didn't see it's head it was hard to identify. We guessed it was about 10-12 feet long. Other cruiser's think it may have been a whale shark. Regardless, we were glad to be out of the water when it decided to come calling.

All of these anchorages are just north of the port city of Manzanillo which we also enjoyed visiting several times.

On February 11 we made the trip back to Barra where we're now anchored in what they call 'the lagoon'. We can see the Grand Bay Hotel but staying in the lagoon is much easier on the budget. Last year we came here with the idea of staying 2 days and ended up hanging around for 2 weeks. We love the feel of the place and the little town of Barra which is an easy dinghy ride away. We'll stay here until around February 20 when we start our trek back to La Cruz in time for visitors to the condo. After that we plan to be in La Paz by April 1 for another event sponsored by Latitude 38. Very much looking forward to this plus spending more time in the Sea of Cortez.

No matter what we're doing, our time in Mexico seems to fly by faster than we realize.

Click on the photos to view....

Christmas to Feb 17 in Barra de Navidad

Chuy...

Chuy - our semi adopted beach dog...

Alameda to Punta Mita - October 8 / December 9

After a wonderful 10 day stay with Chuck & Cathy during which we had doctor's appointments, we departed from Alameda for Punta Mita on October 8 in our seriously overloaded Blazer looking a bit like the Beverly Hillbillies. Our first stop was Rancho Mirage to spend a couple of days with Jo & Michael which turned out to not be enough time with our very good friends. After more than three months away we were anxious to get back to the boat and condo and that seemed to overwhelm all else. Our next stop was Nogales, AZ where we needed to stay for an extra day to let hurricane Norbert pass through our exact route to the south. Although we saw flooding and various kinds of wind destruction along the way, the highway was in good shape and we were able to make it Punta Mita with only one overnight stop during the 1,100 miles we traveled in Mexico.

We arrived to find both the boat and the condo in excellent condition after the hot and humid summer. No bad smells, no mold, nothing with either one. We had a dehumidifier going in the condo and two fans on the boat, which had been completely emptied of all our stuff before we left. We spoke with others who were not so fortunate and ended dealing with mold and other nasty things. Although we arrived back to Banderas Bay in mid-October the weather was still summer time hot and humid with spectacular displays of lightning and thunder in the late afternoons and nights. As coastal Californians, this kind of weather is something we're not accustomed to seeing so we were wide eyed much of the time. We're told that Puerto Vallarta received over 45 inches of rain while we were gone resulting in lush jungle growing everywhere around us. When we left in late June, the area was brown and scrubby so you can imagine our excitement upon seeing intense greens laced with flowering vines that greeted us on our return to what has now become our home.

It took us while to get both the boat and the condo into livable shape which we wanted to do prior to David & Anneke Dury's arrival in early November as our first guests of the new season. On November 1 we moved the boat from its summertime home in Paradise Village Marina to the much closer new marina in La Cruz which is a short 18 minute drive from Punta Mita. We would have done this last year but the rental rates at that time in La Cruz were way too expensive for retirees on a fixed income. We had a fun time with the Dury's and managed to actually catch a fish during one of our two sails in Banderas Bay. Ceviche and sashimi were the order of the day.

Three days after the Dury's left we departed on a one week shakedown cruise to test our various systems after the boat had been sitting idle for more than four months. Our destination was Chacala, an anchorage we visited twice last season which is 35 miles north of Punta Mita. We had nifty sail from La Cruz to Punta Mita, and after an overnight stay during which we stared at our condo, we motored the rest of the way to Chacala with all systems seeming to work well. We ran into friends from last year who were anchored in Chacala and made new friends with others. After a f ew days there we went six short miles south to Guayabitos where we caught up with our friends Louis and Laura on the Alameda based Cirque. We then had a fun sail down the beautiful Nayarit coast to our slip in La Cruz. Looks like we have to change our lures as we've have had no real luck fishing.

Our next adventure was having 19 people to our condo for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with two turkeys and all the trimmings. We have so much to be thankful for and this was a perfect way for us and our friends to count our blessings.

On December 3 we took off on something called the Banderas Bay Blast which is a three day event sponsored by Latitude 38. It consists of three casual races with overnight stays in La Cruz and Punta Mita and parties each night. What could be more to our liking? The weather and sailing conditions were perfect, and even though our boat was not close to the fastest boats in the fleet, she did very well. Unfortunately, upon returning to La Cruz the transmission would not engage our engine so we ended up having to be towed to our slip. The transmission is now out of our boat for repair and our departure for points south has been delayed. A real bummer but it could have happened in a much worse place than outside of our slip.

We're looking forward to the arrival of Hillary, Scott and family shortly after Christmas. In the meantime we'll let you know how things go with our transmission.




Those of you who have sailed in Mexico know the charts that were created in the 1800's by the English are notoriously inaccurate. We thought it would be fun to show you just how inaccurate.... Check out the following photos...

Double click on the photo, so you can read the captions....

Our Trip back to the U.S. - End June to End September

The time has flown by since our end June departure from Punta Mita for Colorado Springs in our trusty green Blazer. Since we're now better acquainted the Mexican roads and the sometimes very impatient Mexican drivers (in a big hurry to go who knows where??), our trip north seemed much easier than the drive south last December. Most of the time we could even come up with the correct peso amount at the dozen or so toll booths along the way. We also went through several check points set up by the Mexican military which we presume is part of the country's effort to slow down the flow of illegal drugs. In almost every case when they saw two confused and harmless looking gringos we were waived right through while they carefully searched others. It would save a lot of hassle if our TSA could use the same tactics. After one last $2.70/gal fill up at Pemex we went through the boarder at Agua Verde into Douglas, AZ and headed for Albuquerque, NM where we spent the night. The 2.5 day drive through Mexico went well but it was great to be back on American roads and know that if something bad happens we could find help much more easily than in Mexico.

The next day we arrived in Los Alamos, NM where we spent the night with John's high school friend, Brad Duni and his wife Patti. They have a beautiful home nestled in a forest setting at 7,500 feet with a spectacular view. We also had a chance to visit Taos and Santa Fe both of which are must return places so, Brad & Patti, watch out because we're coming back!!

On July 2 we arrived at Scott & Hillary's home in Colorado Springs and liked it so much that we decided to stay for the whole month of July except for a brief five day visit to Nick & Natalie in Charlotte. We absolutely love being immersed in Scott & Hillary's family life which gives us, among many other things, almost unlimited time with Brynn and Callie and their various activities. Trust us when we say we were on the go from early in the morning until sometime after 8:00 PM when the kids finally settle in for the night. It's a true all-American household with 2 young kids, 2 cats, a dog, a productive vegetable garden and more love than you can imagine. Colorado Springs has a wonderful family environment and we're so happy to see the Dickman family living it to the fullest. Check out Scott and Hill's hike, two weeks ago, to the top of the 14,200' Mt. Yale.


Even though it was way too brief, our stay with Nick & Natalie was super . We had not been to Charlotte since shortly after Nick bought what we think is the cutest house ever with tons of curb appeal. Last time we visited we had to sleep on a blow up mattress on the floor but things have changed and this time we slept on a real bed. While in the area the four of us drove to Asheville, NC to visit our friends Pat & Susie Cunningham who have a lovely summer home in the Smokey Mountains. It was a real treat to catch up with them while we had an opportunity to fish and even do some skeet shooting which was a first for all of us. Unbelievably, Nick the rookie shooter, was the man by hitting his first two clay pigeons.

On August 2 we loaded up the Blazer with way too much stuff purchased for the boat and condo and headed for the Bay Area. We were both blown away by the gorgeous scenery along the way. After being constantly bombarded by the media about how bad things are in America, it's so refreshing to get out on the road witness the magnificent beauty of our great country. Our infrastructure may have some problems but compared to what we see in Mexico, driving down the road here is a breeze. We're sick of America bashing and can't wait to get back on the boat where we have our own set of responsibilities and problems away from the constant haranguing.

Our first stop was Wendover, UT and then through Reno, NV and on into Carson City, NV where we spent the night. Whoa, have those two cities changed!! Neither of us had been there for some time and were amazed by the growth. The next day we arrived at South Lake Tahoe where we spent two nights with sailing friends, Steve & Pam Lannen whom we met in Mexico. They live in a beautiful mountain setting and we got an insider's tour of the area from two long time residents as well as an introduction into “Mexican Train”. We're really looking forward to seeing them again this winter in Mexico.

Our next stop was Lafayette where we spent two nights with Jeff & Adrienne Rogers before heading to the Delta for our 11th consecutive year, this time aboard Mike & Ina's Catalina 42, "Nova". Wow, it was great to once again be on a boat and spending time with many of our good friends from Encinal Yacht Club. Our Baja Ha-Ha crew, Rod & Peggy Kidd, gave Mike & Ina a break by taking us for two nights. After coming back from the Delta George & Maxine were so very generous in allowing us to stay on their power boat "This is It" for three weeks. It was very much like, "Old home week" as their boat is docked very close to where we lived aboard "Destiny" for six years. It's unbelievable how much we did during those three weeks and we really cannot cover all of it here. The list of friends who invited us for dinner or, in some other way made us feel so warm and welcome, was overwhelming. We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful friends which is what we really miss the most by being away in Mexico.

On September 2 we left the Blazer at Jeff & Adrienne's and flew back to Colorado Springs for another stay with the Dickman family. We will fly back to San Francisco on September 27 for some last minute doctor appointments and then take off for Punta Mita. While in the Bay Are we picking up more items for the boat and condo and are not really sure how we will get everything stuffed into the car, but we'll find a way. After three months away from "Destiny" and our condo we're anxious to get back and plan new adventures for the winter.

Sea Turtle visits our beach

Late one evening in June, a couple of weeks before we headed back to the U.S., we were sitting on our deck watching the surf and spotted something crawling out of the ocean. We guessed it was a turtle and ran down to the beach accompanied by our building’s security guard to check it out.

A turtle had crawled up the beach to lay her eggs. Surprisingly, she headed straight for our fence and, with her back to the security lights, started digging her hole. It was amazing to watch her awkwardly dig with her flippers. She worked at it for about 20 minutes then suddenly turned and filled in the hole. We assumed it was because of the bright light.

She wandered off and got stuck in a drainage ditch, our security guard and his friend lifted her out and she made her way back to the water.

It was so sad, the turtles come back to the beach where they originally hatched up to 30 years before to make their nests. With all the development and the security lights dotted along beaches it is disorienting them and likely limiting their nesting locations. It would be great if, during their nesting season, the buildings could turn off the lights.

The Mexicans are very protective of the turtles. The Marines are in charge of collecting the eggs when a nest is found and taking them to a secure location to hatch.

Following are some photos we took.

Double click on the photo to see larger size and captions...

What happened to May?? And - our condo's finished - check out the photos above...

While at Catalina last September we met Barritt & Renee from the San Diego based Peterson 44, Serendipity, who were just ending 8 years of cruising including a lot of time in the Caribbean and a double transit of the Panama Canal. We caught up with them again in San Diego as we were preparing take off for Mexico in late October. They were kind enough to help us out with timely advice on many subjects as well as drive us all over town so that we could provision Destiny. They flew down to Puerto Vallarta in early May and the four of us had more fun that we could really handle. We had a typically great sail on Banderas Bay and three semi-crazy days at the condo in Punta Mita. We really look forward to seeing them again this winter when they bring the new upgraded Serendipity back to Mexico.

After recovering from Barritt and Renee's visit we took off on Destiny and enjoyed a terrific sail from Paradise Village to Punta Mita where we spent the balance of the day and evening staring at our condo from the water. Have to say it looked very inviting. The next morning we left under calm conditions for the 40 odd mile trip north to Chacala, a beautiful anchorage we visited last November on our way south.

Our friends Louis and Laura Kruk of the Alameda based Beneteau 42s7, Cirque, were anchored there having just done the overnight run south from Mazatlan. We had a good time visiting with them for a few days before they left for Puerto Vallarta where Cirque will spend the summer with Destiny. Our stay in Chacala was delightful marred only by our non-working refrigerator, which meant that we had to keep throwing in ice every day to keep our beer and other essentials cold. After 5 days in Chacala we enjoyed a splendid light air sail back to Punta Mita for a night and then on to Puerto Vallarta.

Shortly after this JoAnne & Michael Gilliam (she was Gilly's matron of honor) flew down to celebrate our first and their 20th wedding anniversaries. Hard to imagine that a year has gone by soooo quickly and how much different our lives are than just a year ago. We had a tremendous time with them and they left just before the rainy season made its debut in the Puerto Vallarta area.

We're now concentrating on getting Destiny ready for the summer which includes making sure she can handle a big storm (meaning hurricane) should that happen. We moved her to a much more secure dock and we're not anticipating any big problems, but one never knows what will happen.

At the end of June we'll drive up to Colorado to spend time with Scott & Hillary and grandkids before flying to Charlotte to visit with Nick & Natalie. At the end of July we'll drive from Colorado to Alameda arriving just in time for the EYC cruise to the Delta where fortunately Mike Pernitzke and Ina Tabak have taken pity on the boat-less Foy's and are giving us a ride. Very much looking forward to catching up with our Bay Area friends, as being away from friends and family is the only thing we don't like about Mexico....

Our condo is pretty much furnished and decorated so please check out the photos above to get some idea of what it's like.