Chamela to Paraiso

2-14-15

 By the time morning arrived we were both pretty rock'n rolled out.  Our neighbors were, as well, based on the mass exodus to a nearby anchorage with better southerly protection.  We had breakfast and contemplated our next move.  We both agreed that we didn't want to stay where we were.  I wanted to head south a bit to Paraiso, an anchorage about 8 NM away.  The seas were high and the surf was up at about 2-3 seconds between waves.   We both decided to go for it, so we packed up and started up the engine.  We put the main sail up more for stability than anything and motor sailed down to Paraiso, praying that there would be room for us in the tiny anchorage.  We completely underestimated the seas.  We had 6-8 foot swells to manage, some that were crashing onto the bow.  I took the helm for the entire journey to face my fears a bit.  I am more and more impressed with Pangaea and how she handles herself heading to wind.  I only squealed once after a big wave crashed onto our bow.  We made it to Paraiso in a couple of hours and there was one little lobe left for us! We anchored and were so happy.  It was appropriately named; Paraiso means "paradise".  The nervy journey made the anchorage that much sweeter!

We decided to explore now that the water was protected from the swell.  We paddled around up wind to ensure an easy trip back to the boat.  We were in awe with the beauty of the place!  We also found out that two of the four boats in the anchorage were also from Colorado.  Small world, indeed.

On our last paddle we were invited aboard the catamaran Living Free and enjoyed meeting Steve, Janny and the malti-poo Gracie.  They were a great couple living the dream.  Their boat was gorgeous!  As we were leaving their boat we were greeted by one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen.  The sky was on fire!  We didn't get back in time to capture it in its full glory, but we got the tail end of it.

In paradise,

First Mate Kate

Punta Ipala to Chamela

2-12-15

Today was an interesting day, and for Mike, a particularly shitty day.  Literally.  

Before I tell the story, here's a little background.  Off and on over the last 6 years since we bought Pangaea we (I) have had some challenges with our head and/or holding tank.  We have replaced the head (toilet), changed the hoses a couple of times, put in new pumps, and even had the holding tank cleaned out. Yes, we had to cut an access panel and some poor guy actually got in and scrubbed the tank clean because no matter what we did, the holding tank wouldn't empty or pump out.  We are not sure what happened, but the previous owner may have separated the liquid from the solid and the solid dried and cemented into the holding tank.  It wouldn't smell until we used it.  Anyway, cleaning it out was the only solution and I am forever grateful to the man who drew the short straw for that job,

 I have a particularly good sense of smell (like a hound) which sometimes is a good thing and sometimes not.  I also am physically sensitive to strong smells/gases.  Mike generally isn't bothered by the smell and may not have as keen a nose. Hence, my comments in the past haven't always been taken seriously. That is, until I have a headache for days or I can't sleep because of the smell.  At that point, Mike has either taken pity on me or has gotten tired of me talking about it, and ultimately has checked it out.  Each time this has happened, there has been something wrong.  

This trip, I noticed some smell and some backup into the toilet but I kept relatively quiet about it, other than reporting objectively what I saw.  I also had a really bad headache,  Mike worked on clearing things and even pumped fresh water into the tank to see if that would help. He emptied the tank on our trip over to Ipala, according to regulations.  When he got up to get the boat ready to sail to Chamela, there was an overflow situation on deck that he quietly cleaned.  

As soon as we got underway, Mike began trouble shooting. First he looked into the tank from the deck and confirmed that it was full.  Then he removed the hose from the pump to the through-hull, which was clear.  Next, he attempted to remove the hose from the holding tank to the pump and it popped out of the holding tank and the contents rushed onto Mike.  For those of you who know Mike, he is a soft-spoken guy.  Well, I have never heard him yell so loud for help.  I heard him loud and clear over the noise of the engine!  I ran and got him a plug as requested and he stopped the flow. That also meant that the problem was in the pump.  He removed the pump took it apart and found that the impeller was busted and blocking the exit of the holding tank contents.  He rigged up a hose to the through-hull and the tank emptied.  Multiple showers later and bleach and vinegar scrubs of the head Mike enjoyed a couple of beers for a job well done!  He is my hero.

Just about then, the wind picked up and we were able to sail the rest of our trip to Chamela.  We had 12-14 knots out of the SE which is odd for this time of year, but we managed to keep a close-hauled point of sail and our heading to Chamela.  On the way we had a group of dolphins come by and swim at the bow.  We also had two whales off our starboard side come up for air. 

Chamela is a charming little Mexican beach town with a long sandy beach that curves all the way around to the mouth of the anchorage.   I look forward to walking it tomorrow and paddling around the anchorage.

No longer FOS,

First Mate Kate

2-13-15

We spent most of today exploring. We went into the beach on our SUPs, as it was a surf landing.  Mine was literally that...I landed in the surf!  Nothing like being soaking wet as one starts our exploration.  We were hungry and were lured into a nearby palapa.  I ordered ceviche and Mike ordered Dorado al diablo.  Mike ended up getting red snapper (fried) and I got a plate of tiny pieces of fish with tomatoes and carrots.  The fish was clearly not fresh and I couldn't eat it.  

After that I wanted to walk the long, sandy beach to get my 10,000 steps completed for the day.  We ended up logging 6.4 miles counting a little hike into the centro.  We were looking for the internet cafe but it was closed.  On the way back to the beach we saw a boxer-like Mexican beach dog nursing two very adorable puppies.  I wanted to take a picture but Mike wouldn't give me the camera.  I think he was afraid I would go back and get one of the puppies as a boat dog.  Hmmm.  Drats!

We made a stir-fry for dinner with a vegetable mix of kale, chard, carrots and broccoli.  It was quite yummy sautéed with a couple of chicken breasts.  After dinner the surf really picked up and we were rocking almost rail to rail for the rest of the night with a thunderstorm that had moved in.  

Feeling churned,

First Mate Kate

Sailing from Puerto Vallarta to Barra de Navidad

Puerto Vallarta- Punta Ipala

We had a really great sail across Banderas Bay heading south.  A few humpbacks showed up to say "goodbye for now". It was a long sail to Ipala, but our trip around the infamous Cabo Corrientes was uneventful.

When we arrived at Ipala, we found a beautiful anchorage for ourselves.  Our only other company was this shrimp boat.

Shortly after anchoring and as we finished listening to our last episode of the Serial podcast, two humpbacks came up for air right behind our boat.

How can you top that?

Grateful and glowing,

First Mate Kate

A Sayulita Getaway

Mike and I took a mini vacation to Sayulita, a funky little surfing village 17 miles from our marina last weekend with the intent to take surfing lessons.  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate.  It poured all day Sunday and Monday until 3 pm.  We did head out to town and moved our surfing lessons to Friday in Punta de Mita.  

Here are some highlights of our trip, especially the photos of our casita at Siete Lunes:

Sailing Banderas Bay with Joe and Vicki

2-4-15

La Cruz - Punta de Mita

If there ever were such a thing as a perfect day for me, today was certainly it.  It started with a glorious sunrise and the happy reunion with our great friends and loyal crew members Joe and Vicki.  The morning was spent getting the boat ready followed by checking in with family and friends at the great internet of Gecko Rojo.  Mike and Joe went to the fish market to pick up dorado filets and shrimp for dinner.  We checked out of the marina and were off!  

The un-docking out of the Marina Riviera Nayarit went flawlessly despite a good 12 knots of wind and our winds were steady in the 12-16 range most of the afternoon. It was some of the best sailing we have had and we all had ear-to-ear grins the entire day.  We accidentally caught one of our favorite eats, a Sierra Mackerel when Mike casually put a line out.  I think that poor fish felt like he boogie boarded atop our wake for much too long as we really didn't notice we had caught him until Joe went to reel the line in to prepare for anchoring.  Joe reeled him in and gave him a shot of tequila to reward him for hanging on.

We anchored right about sunset and as we were settling into our spot, I spotted a humpback calf and minutes later both mama and calf.  I couldn't have been happier in that moment!  When we were here last we almost hit a tiny humpback calf that seemed to be struggling in the water with no mama in sight.  I was heartbroken.  Seeing this beautiful and graceful sight restored my heart.  I had tears of joy as we watched their dorsal fins arc out of the water, one by one.

We all took part in dinner preparation.  We decided that the mackerel had earned its spot in dinner, so the shrimp were tediously cleaned, peeled, deveined and prepped for grilling by Vicki and Joe and Mike cleaned the fish.  I made a large spinach salad with pear, yellow pepper, avocado, tomato, red onion, blue cheese and homemade vinegarette.  The boys grilled the fish/shrimp and we made tacos (with frijolles, of course).  Dessert was fresh papaya picked from the tree and given to us at dinner at Gecko Rojo the night we arrived back in La Cruz.

As we were finishing dinner I heard the blow of a whale.  Mike and I got up and looked, and there was the mama and baby back for an encore.  They were off our stern about 6 feet!  Mike was nervous that they were going to hit the boat.  To be honest, I wasn't worried.  We all watched them, in awe, as they swam in the light of the full moon.  I sang a couple of Mozart arias to them quietly as they passed by.  We enjoyed them for at least an hour before they were gone.

What a magical day!

Happy and grateful,

First Mate Kate

 

Skiing in Aspen/Snowmass

1-15-15

We came back to Colorado to celebrate Mike's dad Al's 80th birthday by skiing 4 days in lovely Aspen and Snowmass, CO.  What a fun time we all had!

We spent 5 nights and 6 days enjoying Aspen/Snowmass.  We stayed in the Woodbridge Condominiums which were right on the bus line and beautfully furnished, 2 bedroom, 2 bath with a loft accomodations. We were welcomed by this beautiful sunset!

Mike and I packed food, wine and coffee for our stay and made a big breakfast every morning to fuel our skiing. We also had Trader Joes snacks for apres skiing.

We skied all 4 days and the 3rd day did 90% bump runs, which was not the plan laid out for me by Mike, my physical therapist.   He suggested every other run be easy/challenging.  I paid the price for my indulging on the fourth day; I was pretty done after 6 runs.  Thankfully, everyone was done between being tired and the snow not being great.  All in all, we enjoyed challenging each other and playing together.  Al impresed me with his skiing and inspired me to be skiing in Aspen on my 80th!  I'm not sure I can top skiing with 2 knee replacements. Go Al!

We felt blessed for having the oppoortunity to bond over skiing on bluebird days.  

Here are some great shots from the week.

Mike and I both had also gotten 4-packs for Winter Park/Mary Jane and were able to get up there and ski 3 times.  We actually had 2 really great days where everything on the mountain had decent snow.  We skied more bumps, of course, and I worked on increasing my speed and precision.  I love the duality of snow and sun!  

We were able to see our close friends and reconnect while we were in Denver, reminding us how blessed we truly are. 

 First Mate Kate

La Cruz, MX

We continue to have a great time in La Cruz.  We said goodbye to Nancy and Rob on Shindig as they headed back to the U.S. We are thankful that they reserved their last night in La Cruz for a while to dine with us!

















One aspect of being on mainland Mexico that I forgot about is being awakened by this little guy. Or one of his compadres.  The problem is, they don't tell time very well.  Sometimes they start calling at 4:30 in the am and as late as 4 pm.  I think they are dipping into the tequila.  Could someone please tell them that once is enough and if they could wait until the sun actually comes up that would be really swell. It got to the point that I started translating their rooster phrases into English.  At first, it was sweet, like "Happy New Year".  Then, "Get your suit on" (as I liked to go paddling first thing in the am) but regressed to "Put some pants on" and "I'm annoying".

Nancy showed me all the important places in La Cruz before she left, so we headed out this am to eat breakfast at Gecko Rojo, the best place to get fast wifi.  They also happen to have really good food, so this became our routine for the rest of the week.

We made a pact to go out every night to meet new people and have a real taste of La Cruz.  So, that is what we did.

Our first night we went back to Gecko Rojo and saw a really fun band called Volksjammin (or something like that).  The lead guitarist was Eddie VanHalen impressive!  People were dancing and even some of the dogs got in the act.

Volksjammin jammin away

Pam and Henry dancing the night away

We would have eaten every night at La Silla Roja every night, but Mike decided pizza sounded good for our last night in La Cruz.

This little restaurant made the best quesadillas!!

La Silla Roja

We walked to Charlie's place for our last dinner out for really good pizza and some football watching with fellow cruisers.  Then, of course, back to Gecko Rojo for more live music!  We ran into this lady walking her daschunds on the way.  We also ran into a little boy walking home with the catch of the day.  Nice catch!

Momma with 4 puppies!  So sweet

Eventually I will have a dog again

Local boy with red snapper he caught!

La Cruz has a really large farmer's market every Sunday that we look forward to attending when we return.  Lots of local fruits, vegetables, wares, meats, fish, etc.  There is also a daily fish market.  We are really fortunate!  We paddled on our SUPs every day.  The anchorage is a great place to go, especially in the morning when the sea turtles and rays swim around you.  

La Cruz Anchorage

Mike Paddling

Pangaea happily on Dock 4

Mike and Kate enjoying a margarita on the beach

We will see you soon, La Cruz!

Hasta Pronto!

First Mate Kate