4 Our Play |
Alma Inquietta |
Aqua Bella |
Aquadesiac |
Bamboo |
Baramundi |
Bat Wing |
Beverly J |
Blue Dolphin |
Blue Rodeo |
Blue Sky |
Boppy Star |
Boundless |
Braveheart |
Bravo |
Bright Angel |
Camelot |
Capatai |
Capricio |
Cedar Spirit |
Cheyenne |
Cloud Nine |
Contominium |
Crazy Horse |
Crazy Notion |
Cuervo |
Dark Side |
Deanna B |
Destiny |
Diligaf |
Discovery |
Dragon Flight |
Dragon's Toy |
Easily Influenced |
Enchantress |
Equinox |
E-Z Lady |
Forty Love |
Freudian Slip |
Freya |
Full and By |
Full Quiver |
Gadflight Two Gato Go |
Gosling |
Grace |
Gray Max |
Hana Cru |
Happy Nest |
Harmony |
Hemisphere Dancer |
Hooligan |
Hurrah |
Ideal I |
Jake |
Journey |
Kailani |
Kasasa |
Katie Hill |
Lady Ann |
Lady Home |
Liebling |
Life is Good |
Little Christian |
Loomba Loomba |
Lovely Lady |
Loving It |
Lunautica |
Lyra |
Magic Places |
Manasea |
Mariposa |
Matarua |
Mazu |
Meredon |
Meridien |
Mija |
Misty Sea |
Moana ali |
Moondrifter |
Music |
Mystic |
Nakia |
Nancy Rae |
Nautilus |
Neener (cubed) |
Nonnie |
Norwegian Steam |
Odessa |
Off Tempo |
Optical Illusion |
Oriana |
Orion |
Oscari |
Out of Here |
Oya |
Pacific Jade |
Panta Rhei |
Paradocs |
Passage II |
Peregrine Spirit |
Phambili |
Ponderosa |
Prevailing Wind |
Reality Check |
Rocinante |
Rocinante |
Rose of Erin |
Risk Taker |
Safety Cat |
Sarah |
Sarah Jean II |
Saucy Lady |
Sea 42 |
Sea Bear |
Sea Bird |
Sea Dream |
Sea Silk |
Sea Turtle II |
Selah |
Sequoia |
Serendipity |
Shadow |
Shadowfax |
Shaman |
Shanti |
Siempre Sabado |
Slacker |
So Inclined |
Sol Mate |
Solonah |
Songline |
Southern Cross |
Spirit Bird |
Stella Blue |
Stray Cat |
Sun Dancer |
Sunny Side Up |
Sweet Destiny |
Synchrony |
Taking Flight |
Tanque de Tiburon |
Theophilus |
Touch Rain |
Ualena |
Uncle Tio |
V'ger |
Victoria Rose |
Voyager |
Warren Peace |
Water Dog |
Wendaway |
Whatca Gonna Do |
Whirlwind |
Wind Rose |
Windward Bound |
Zeppelin |
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Some Interesting Boat Names
Below is a list of some of the boats we have encountered along the way, shared anchorages or overheard on the radio. I think you will find some of the names quite creative if not entertaining - enjoy!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Tsunami Update - Barra de Navidad and Tenacatita, Mexico
Yesterday morning started out like many. It was 6:30 a.m., dark, quiet and I was still in bed, but awake, mentally making my plans for the day. Then I heard something on the VHF that got my attention. (Note: We leave our radio on at night just in case there is an emergency such as an anchor dragging, etc.) What I heard was a boater calling another boater asking if they had heard about the earthquake in Japan and whether they knew anything about a tsunami alert. I jumped out of bed and turned on the computer to learn, that yes, there had been a large earthquake and that a tsunami warning had been issued.
By now, it was close to 7:00 a.m., the radio was quiet and that surprised me. I made an announcement on the radio to the fleets within hearing distance to alert them of the earthquake and the tsunami warning and asked for others to "come back" with some discussion as to a plan of action. It wasn't long before I heard from Jake on SV Jake. He said boats would probably be leaving the lagoon soon. There was lots of discussion among other boaters on the radio about whether or not to leave the lagoon. Last year, when a Chilean earthquake spawned a tsunami alert, a few boats chose to stay in the lagoon and were fine. Early in the day the Port Captain had instructed boats not to leave, yet. However, mother nature being unpredicable as she is, we chose to take the safer alternative and left the lagoon about 9:30 a.m. As in a parade, all but seven boats orderly exited the lagoon joined by a few boats from the marina.
Tom on MV Misty Sea did a great job as a radio net controller keeping all of the boats updated on when the "event" might be expected to reach our area and filtering information from others as it became available. It was a beautiful day with light wind, so after motoring for a while and running our water maker, we hoisted the sails, made water and waited and waited and waited to see what would happen. Initially, we thought we might go back to the lagoon, but the day was getting long and reports didn't sound promising from the lagoon. It seemed that there was a strong current that continued to surge through the entrance - not a condition inviting for transiting an already challenging entrance. We were a few miles outside the entrance to the Tenacatita anchorage, so we headed that way and around 4:30 p.m. we dropped our anchor. First it looked like high tide and then, nope, it looked like low tide and then high tide again over and over and over. The water was rising and dropping exposing and hiding rocks on shore. When we noticed a 5 to 10 foot change in water level beneath our keel we decided to pull anchor and move a little further out to deeper water. There were about half a dozen boats in the anchorage and after anchoring the second time, we looked up to see another half dozen boats headed for the anchorage. It had been a long and stressful day. Bob and Sherry on SV Ponderosa had come into the anchorage along with us. Once everyone was anchored securely, Bob and Sherry joined us on Odessa for a tsunami party, letting go of all the stress of the day as the four of us sat in the cockpit and discussed the day's events, okay, and we had a few beers and some wine, too.
What we learned this morning from our morning "net" on the radio, is that an 18 inch water line that was previously submerged in the lagoon came loose and is now floating. This water line has basically trapped the boats in the lagoon and keeps any other boats from entering. The fuel dock is on the inside of this water line, so that means no access to the fuel dock as well (for those not already in the lagoon). We also heard that the boats in the La Cruz marina in Banderas Bay further north, were told to leave the marinas and the Port Captain closed Banderas Bay (La Cruz and Puerta Vallarta) and no one is allowed to enter or exit. There were some boats that were prepared for a big regatta (race) and they had removed their anchors for the event. Now these boats are out of the bay and have no way to anchor. I am looking forward to some more first hand information on this particular situation from friends in the area.
Last evening when we anchored, we put out extra length of chain to take into consideration the change in water level from the surge. This morning we heard that Barra is still experiencing minor changes in water level and that this can be expected to last for 24 hours from the event which was said to be 4.1 feet at 2:37 p.m. yesterday afternoon and 4.8 feet at 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening.
The effects we saw and see are not a great wall of water as some imagine. It is an extra surge of water onto the beach or shoreline and then the extra surge coming back. Imagine the big splash when someone does a belly flop in the pool and you start to get the picture.
It is a beautiful day here in Tenacatita, but a little quiet in the anchorage. I suppose most are weighing their options as we are. We were not quite ready to leave Barra as we had planned to top off our fuel tank with diesel and gasoline for the outboard motor and generator. We have enough fuel (after all we are a sailboat) and our water tanks are topped off after running the water maker several hours yesterday. This morning two local fisherman came by our boat and now we have a lovely provision of Cambria (I will have to look this one up myself, but it sure looks good) and we didn't have to catch it or clean it and the price was right.
There is a bit of a gap from my last posting on February 14th through today and I promise to work on that soon but I thought it was important to let everyone know that we are safe and sound and our cruising life goes on somewhat normal (whatever that means).
By now, it was close to 7:00 a.m., the radio was quiet and that surprised me. I made an announcement on the radio to the fleets within hearing distance to alert them of the earthquake and the tsunami warning and asked for others to "come back" with some discussion as to a plan of action. It wasn't long before I heard from Jake on SV Jake. He said boats would probably be leaving the lagoon soon. There was lots of discussion among other boaters on the radio about whether or not to leave the lagoon. Last year, when a Chilean earthquake spawned a tsunami alert, a few boats chose to stay in the lagoon and were fine. Early in the day the Port Captain had instructed boats not to leave, yet. However, mother nature being unpredicable as she is, we chose to take the safer alternative and left the lagoon about 9:30 a.m. As in a parade, all but seven boats orderly exited the lagoon joined by a few boats from the marina.
Tom on MV Misty Sea did a great job as a radio net controller keeping all of the boats updated on when the "event" might be expected to reach our area and filtering information from others as it became available. It was a beautiful day with light wind, so after motoring for a while and running our water maker, we hoisted the sails, made water and waited and waited and waited to see what would happen. Initially, we thought we might go back to the lagoon, but the day was getting long and reports didn't sound promising from the lagoon. It seemed that there was a strong current that continued to surge through the entrance - not a condition inviting for transiting an already challenging entrance. We were a few miles outside the entrance to the Tenacatita anchorage, so we headed that way and around 4:30 p.m. we dropped our anchor. First it looked like high tide and then, nope, it looked like low tide and then high tide again over and over and over. The water was rising and dropping exposing and hiding rocks on shore. When we noticed a 5 to 10 foot change in water level beneath our keel we decided to pull anchor and move a little further out to deeper water. There were about half a dozen boats in the anchorage and after anchoring the second time, we looked up to see another half dozen boats headed for the anchorage. It had been a long and stressful day. Bob and Sherry on SV Ponderosa had come into the anchorage along with us. Once everyone was anchored securely, Bob and Sherry joined us on Odessa for a tsunami party, letting go of all the stress of the day as the four of us sat in the cockpit and discussed the day's events, okay, and we had a few beers and some wine, too.
What we learned this morning from our morning "net" on the radio, is that an 18 inch water line that was previously submerged in the lagoon came loose and is now floating. This water line has basically trapped the boats in the lagoon and keeps any other boats from entering. The fuel dock is on the inside of this water line, so that means no access to the fuel dock as well (for those not already in the lagoon). We also heard that the boats in the La Cruz marina in Banderas Bay further north, were told to leave the marinas and the Port Captain closed Banderas Bay (La Cruz and Puerta Vallarta) and no one is allowed to enter or exit. There were some boats that were prepared for a big regatta (race) and they had removed their anchors for the event. Now these boats are out of the bay and have no way to anchor. I am looking forward to some more first hand information on this particular situation from friends in the area.
Last evening when we anchored, we put out extra length of chain to take into consideration the change in water level from the surge. This morning we heard that Barra is still experiencing minor changes in water level and that this can be expected to last for 24 hours from the event which was said to be 4.1 feet at 2:37 p.m. yesterday afternoon and 4.8 feet at 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening.
The effects we saw and see are not a great wall of water as some imagine. It is an extra surge of water onto the beach or shoreline and then the extra surge coming back. Imagine the big splash when someone does a belly flop in the pool and you start to get the picture.
It is a beautiful day here in Tenacatita, but a little quiet in the anchorage. I suppose most are weighing their options as we are. We were not quite ready to leave Barra as we had planned to top off our fuel tank with diesel and gasoline for the outboard motor and generator. We have enough fuel (after all we are a sailboat) and our water tanks are topped off after running the water maker several hours yesterday. This morning two local fisherman came by our boat and now we have a lovely provision of Cambria (I will have to look this one up myself, but it sure looks good) and we didn't have to catch it or clean it and the price was right.
There is a bit of a gap from my last posting on February 14th through today and I promise to work on that soon but I thought it was important to let everyone know that we are safe and sound and our cruising life goes on somewhat normal (whatever that means).
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Out and About
 |
| A really big Rooster pinata at Rooster Cafe in Barra. |
 |
| And lots of baby roosters.....decorated for Valentine's Day. |
 |
| An early morning exploration of Tenacatita. |
 |
| I AM smiling! |
 |
| The power boat dragged anchor and the sailboat got caught when the tide went out in the lagoon. It was a very low tide that day. Fortunately, no damage to the boats but the egos, well........ |
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The French Baker
Every morning, and I do mean EVERY morning, around 8:10 a.m. or so, the French Baker announces on channel 22 on the VHF radio with his french accent (now pucker your lips and do your best Inspector Clouseau imitation), "Thees iss thee French Baker, I weel be in the marina in about twentee minutes." Then, depending on demand, boaters start responding by asking the French Baker to "save a chocolate croissant for_______ (fill in the blank with a boat name), or "be sure to stop by ________ "(fill in the blank with boat name). We can follow him through his morning routine as he announces which dock is he on and where he will be next.
When the French Baker finishes with the marina he announces, "Thees iss thee French Baker, I weel be in the lagoon in approximately 15 minutes." You should hear all of the orders and requests coming over the radio for chocolate, almond, and plain croissants, baguettes, walnut bread, olive bread and more. Boat by boat, the French Baker makes his way through the lagoon. As he approaches each boat he rings his bell and announces on the radio, "Odessa, thees iss thee French Baker just outside." Depending on our appetite we will pop up into the cockpit and let him know our desires or send him on his way to the next boat. As he completes his route through the lagoon he again announces, "Thees is the French Baker, I am now leaving the lagoon, pleese let me know if I have forgotten anyone." No worries - he "weel" be back tomorrow.
When the French Baker finishes with the marina he announces, "Thees iss thee French Baker, I weel be in the lagoon in approximately 15 minutes." You should hear all of the orders and requests coming over the radio for chocolate, almond, and plain croissants, baguettes, walnut bread, olive bread and more. Boat by boat, the French Baker makes his way through the lagoon. As he approaches each boat he rings his bell and announces on the radio, "Odessa, thees iss thee French Baker just outside." Depending on our appetite we will pop up into the cockpit and let him know our desires or send him on his way to the next boat. As he completes his route through the lagoon he again announces, "Thees is the French Baker, I am now leaving the lagoon, pleese let me know if I have forgotten anyone." No worries - he "weel" be back tomorrow.
 |
| Michael purchasing a baguette from the French Baker. |
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Day Trip to Cihuatlan on the Bus
 |
| Street vendor selling fruit |
 |
| Cathedral off the City Square |
 |
| Mike's 10 peso ($.80 U.S.) beer - Notice how nicely it fits in the palm of his hand |
 |
| Just in case there is any confusion about this petite beer - the toothpicks might be a clue. Although the beer was tiny, the food was plentiful and delicious at Chicken Boy's in Cihuatlan! Michael found the restaurant for us by following his nose. |
Friday, February 11, 2011
A Day or Two in Barra de Navidad
If you were to Google Barra de Navidad you would find more information than you ever care to know about “Barra”. You will find an aerial photo of a beautiful white beach that shows Melaque at the north end and Barra at the other and you will find that the area is populated by many hotels (posadas), bungalows and apartments for rent and extensive opportunities to dine out. It’s a lovely place to spend some time.
It’s a rare day that we don’t leave the boat, traveling through the lagoon, past the fish pens and the community of Colimilla, pass by the elegant Grand Bay hotel, weave our way through the cut between a small island, past the canal opening that leads to private residences, steering around a rusting wreck and fishing boats to land our dinghy at the Sands Hotel. If the dinghy isn’t up to the task or if we will be departing or arriving after dark, we may choose to ride the water taxi which is arranged by hailing “water taxi” on channel 23 on our VHF radio.
One day Michael and I rode in on the dinghy together. It was my day for yoga, to catch up on internet things using the hotel WI-FI to upload photos to the blog, and a chance to take a cooling dip in the pool while Michael completed some projects on the boat. Later, when I returned to Odessa by water taxi, I learned that the inflatable floor of the dinghy had sprung a leak while sitting at the Sands Hotel and that Michael had to travel back to the boat with no floor, more or less. I don’t know how he made it back to the boat, it must have been like riding on a jelly fish. He has since then been working on repairing the leak and after two or three failed attempts (meaning it held long enough for a trip to the Sands only to fail again and another jelly fish ride back to the boat). The “magic glue” arrived this week via special delivery by Bob and Sherry on Ponderosa from Puerto Vallarta
Another day we dinghied over to Colimilla to have lunch and explore the small community we pass every day. In addition to owning the Fortina restaurant, Maria delivers water and beer and arranges propane refills to the boats in the lagoon. After lunch and having scheduled water to be delivered the next day we took a walk along the avenue that winds through the golf course to the resort (we were going the other way). Several buses offered us rides along the way, but we declined. It was a hot and muggy afternoon and on our way back we decided to flag down one of the busses. Imagine our surprise when the doors opened and we boarded the bus to be greeted by all sorts of hooting and hollering. The bus appeared to be full of day workers on their way back to who knows where. We worked our way to the back of the bus to the only empty seats, grinned at each other and wondered how we would tell the driver where we needed to get off. About that time, one of the men asked us in English where we were going. The only thing we knew to say was “Maria’s” and that did the job.
By the way, Sherry Custer on Ponderosa does an excellent job telling some of the ins and outs of cruising in Mexico. Click the link in the side bar and read her recent entry for an entertaining description. I couldn't say it any better so why try?
By the way, Sherry Custer on Ponderosa does an excellent job telling some of the ins and outs of cruising in Mexico. Click the link in the side bar and read her recent entry for an entertaining description. I couldn't say it any better so why try?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)