Log Book
2005 and 2006
2005 and 2006
 |  |  |  |  |  |
2005 and 2006
On October 16, 2005, we sailed out of San Francisco Bay for San Diego to join the Baja Ha-Ha rally.
Our bilges were full of tee-shirts, baseball hats, school supplies and small toys. It had taken Susie and
our friend Cloria 7 hours to vacuum pack everything so that we could stow them without them
getting wet or dirty. The rally left San Diego on October 31.
We were in Cabo San Lucas from November 10 through 18. Cabo is VERY expensive, mostly tourists
spending money as fast as they can.
November 21 we arrived in Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta. Banderas Bay is great sailing. And we
saw a couple varieties of dolphin, manta rays with wingspans up to about 12 feet, whales, and other
sea life and birds. Puerto Vallarta was ok, but too touristy and crowded.
We spent Thanksgiving at the Refugio de Infantiles, called “The Orphanage” by gringos but actually a
home for children whose parents can’t take care of them for one reason or another. The nuns take
real good care of them. The kids are well fed, well clothed, and clean. But they crave adult
attention. So we spent time with the kids and also left enough for Christmas gifts for each of the
40+ kids.
La Cruz, on the north side of Banderas Bay was nice, but largely an ex-pat town. Susie had the best
fish and chips that she’s ever had at an English pub in La Cruz – and she’s been to England and
Ireland! We stayed too long in Banderas Bay getting work done on the boat (engine repair, deck
paint and gooseneck repair) but enjoyed every minute of it.
From Banderas Bay we went to Chacala, Mantanchen Bay, and San Blas. San Blas is the town that still
has the bells Longfellow wrote about in his last poem “The Bells of San Blas”. It is also where the
Spanish built many, maybe most, of the ships they used to explore the Pacific in the 1500’s. We liked
San Blas very much. It is a real Mexican small city and the oldest city that we sailed to. We walked a
few miles to the ruins of the old church and the old fort on a hill overlooking the city.
Then we went on to Mazatlan, stopping by the bird sanctuary on Isla Isabella first. Mazatlan is a large
modern commercial city, with a tourist section (although tourism isn’t the main purpose of the city)
and we stayed a few weeks.
By May 8 we arrived in La Paz, a city of about 200,000. This was the first place where the marina
rates were as low as those in San Francisco Bay. Mexico isn’t the cheap place that it once was – at
least if you’re going to eat and live like a gringo. But La Paz is a nice Mexican small city with easy
access to many islands and coves in the southern Sea of Cortez.
An interesting sidelight – Some years ago we, in the United States, changed the name from “the Gulf
of California” to “the Sea of Cortez” to be more politically correct. But on maps designed and
published in Mexico it is labeled “Golfo de California.” It is only on the maps meant for and distributed
to tourists that the label is “Golfo de California (Sea of Cortez).”
From La Paz we visited and spent a night or two anchored in or off Caleta Partida, Caleta El Candelero,
Isla San Francisco, San Evaristo, El Gato, Agua Verde, Isla Montserat, Puerto Escondido, and Loreto.
By mid June the humidity was so high that we decided to sail back around Cabo San Lucas and up to
San Diego.
On the way back we stopped and enjoyed Bahia Magdalena and a panga ride into San Carlos for fuel
and to see some of that city. There were a few more stops, including a 2 hour visit in Ensenada to
check out of the country, and we arrived in San Diego July 26.
We decided that we liked cruising, but that there were a few things that would make the boat more
comfortable and convenient. So we spent a few thousand dollars and a couple months making
changes and improvements in San Diego, Dana Point and Ventura. Catch The Wind now has a
watermaker, a bimini (to which we will be adding canvas drops for more shade), 4 solar panels and
storage cabinets in place of sleeping space.
Susie grew up in Gardena (Los Angeles area) and had never been to Catalina. So we spent 3 days
playing tourist in Avalon, including a bus tour of Catalina Island and a walking tour in the Avalon
Casino. “Casino” is an Italian word that means a gathering place for entertainment and has nothing to
do with gambling per se. And the Avalon Casino is a movie theater on the lower floor and a dance
hall – designed for 2000 couples – on the top floor. It was built by the Wrigley Family - of Wrigley
Gums and Wrigley Field (Chicago) fame - in 1929. It’s a very interesting place.
During the month of November, Susie spent time in Sacramento helping her brother recuperate from
an accident and Sam stayed on the boat knocking a few items off the “honey do list.” December we
moved the boat all the way to San Francisco Bay and were able to enjoy Christmas with family. Sam
had some routine doctor and dental appointments, and we hope to start back south – to warmer
weather – in January 2007.
The 2005-2006 cruising we did was a great learning experience. We found out we like cruising and
what we wanted on the boat to make some things more convenient so it feels more like home and
less like camping on the water. We plan to cruise for as long as we are able and as long as it is still fun.
On October 16, 2005, we sailed out of San Francisco Bay for San Diego to join the Baja Ha-Ha rally.
Our bilges were full of tee-shirts, baseball hats, school supplies and small toys. It had taken Susie and
our friend Cloria 7 hours to vacuum pack everything so that we could stow them without them
getting wet or dirty. The rally left San Diego on October 31.
We were in Cabo San Lucas from November 10 through 18. Cabo is VERY expensive, mostly tourists
spending money as fast as they can.
November 21 we arrived in Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta. Banderas Bay is great sailing. And we
saw a couple varieties of dolphin, manta rays with wingspans up to about 12 feet, whales, and other
sea life and birds. Puerto Vallarta was ok, but too touristy and crowded.
We spent Thanksgiving at the Refugio de Infantiles, called “The Orphanage” by gringos but actually a
home for children whose parents can’t take care of them for one reason or another. The nuns take
real good care of them. The kids are well fed, well clothed, and clean. But they crave adult
attention. So we spent time with the kids and also left enough for Christmas gifts for each of the
40+ kids.
La Cruz, on the north side of Banderas Bay was nice, but largely an ex-pat town. Susie had the best
fish and chips that she’s ever had at an English pub in La Cruz – and she’s been to England and
Ireland! We stayed too long in Banderas Bay getting work done on the boat (engine repair, deck
paint and gooseneck repair) but enjoyed every minute of it.
From Banderas Bay we went to Chacala, Mantanchen Bay, and San Blas. San Blas is the town that still
has the bells Longfellow wrote about in his last poem “The Bells of San Blas”. It is also where the
Spanish built many, maybe most, of the ships they used to explore the Pacific in the 1500’s. We liked
San Blas very much. It is a real Mexican small city and the oldest city that we sailed to. We walked a
few miles to the ruins of the old church and the old fort on a hill overlooking the city.
Then we went on to Mazatlan, stopping by the bird sanctuary on Isla Isabella first. Mazatlan is a large
modern commercial city, with a tourist section (although tourism isn’t the main purpose of the city)
and we stayed a few weeks.
By May 8 we arrived in La Paz, a city of about 200,000. This was the first place where the marina
rates were as low as those in San Francisco Bay. Mexico isn’t the cheap place that it once was – at
least if you’re going to eat and live like a gringo. But La Paz is a nice Mexican small city with easy
access to many islands and coves in the southern Sea of Cortez.
An interesting sidelight – Some years ago we, in the United States, changed the name from “the Gulf
of California” to “the Sea of Cortez” to be more politically correct. But on maps designed and
published in Mexico it is labeled “Golfo de California.” It is only on the maps meant for and distributed
to tourists that the label is “Golfo de California (Sea of Cortez).”
From La Paz we visited and spent a night or two anchored in or off Caleta Partida, Caleta El Candelero,
Isla San Francisco, San Evaristo, El Gato, Agua Verde, Isla Montserat, Puerto Escondido, and Loreto.
By mid June the humidity was so high that we decided to sail back around Cabo San Lucas and up to
San Diego.
On the way back we stopped and enjoyed Bahia Magdalena and a panga ride into San Carlos for fuel
and to see some of that city. There were a few more stops, including a 2 hour visit in Ensenada to
check out of the country, and we arrived in San Diego July 26.
We decided that we liked cruising, but that there were a few things that would make the boat more
comfortable and convenient. So we spent a few thousand dollars and a couple months making
changes and improvements in San Diego, Dana Point and Ventura. Catch The Wind now has a
watermaker, a bimini (to which we will be adding canvas drops for more shade), 4 solar panels and
storage cabinets in place of sleeping space.
Susie grew up in Gardena (Los Angeles area) and had never been to Catalina. So we spent 3 days
playing tourist in Avalon, including a bus tour of Catalina Island and a walking tour in the Avalon
Casino. “Casino” is an Italian word that means a gathering place for entertainment and has nothing to
do with gambling per se. And the Avalon Casino is a movie theater on the lower floor and a dance
hall – designed for 2000 couples – on the top floor. It was built by the Wrigley Family - of Wrigley
Gums and Wrigley Field (Chicago) fame - in 1929. It’s a very interesting place.
During the month of November, Susie spent time in Sacramento helping her brother recuperate from
an accident and Sam stayed on the boat knocking a few items off the “honey do list.” December we
moved the boat all the way to San Francisco Bay and were able to enjoy Christmas with family. Sam
had some routine doctor and dental appointments, and we hope to start back south – to warmer
weather – in January 2007.
The 2005-2006 cruising we did was a great learning experience. We found out we like cruising and
what we wanted on the boat to make some things more convenient so it feels more like home and
less like camping on the water. We plan to cruise for as long as we are able and as long as it is still fun.