San Blas to La Cruz - November 15 - 19, 2013

San Blas -- November 15 to 18


We've visited San Blas on two previous occasions as day-trippers from Matanchen Bay (see our November 14, 2011 or March 26, 2012 posts for information on local tourist activities).  During this trip we spent three nights at the little local marina waiting out some weather, which gave us the opportunity to spend some less-touristy moments in this sleepy little town. 

The town of San Blas is a fishing and beach tourism town, with heavy emphasis on the fishing. 



The Fleet

And More Fleet. . .



And The Smaller Businessman

Even the tourists fish: 

Celebrating Revolution Day

We ate out a couple of times while we were there, and recommend breakfast at the municipal market over dinner at the venerable tourist restaurant "McDonald's".  Breakfast can include a liquado or some fresh-squeezed juice and the world's largest piece of banana bread for about $3.  Dinner at McDonald's is okay, but just that.  In general, we confirmed our recollection that San Blas is not a gourmand's paradise. 

Our previous visits had also left us with the impression of a town that is hot, dusty, and not very tidy.  This trip we confirmed that after a rain it is hot, muddy and not very tidy.  And while San Blas deserves its reputation as a place where jejenes (no-seeums) can be found, our experience was less buggy than that reputation would lead one to expect.  Maybe we're just more liberal in our application of deadly bug repellant than others???

Lush Vegetation Can = Jejenes (No-Seeums) at Sunset

While San Blas may never thrive as an international tourist destination, as a weather watching port it was a great place to hang out.  The municipal market carries everything one needs for provisioning (including some yummy little pork chops to grill . . . ).  Though we were reminded that shopping in the Mazatlan mega-market had made us lackadaisical about exercising "provisioning best practices" when we found that a box of juice purchased at the San Blas market had expired several months before. 

During our three nights at the Fonatur marina (Fonatur is one of the entities that operate the government owned marinas and boat yards in Mexico) we had sailboat company only one night - other storm watchers that departed early on the day the rains came.  We hope they enjoyed their trip.  

A Sleepy Day At The Marina

Local Wildlife, Hanging Out On the Dock Lines
of A Neighboring Sport Fishing Boat

Our Telcel Internet connection was fast and on the day of rain we sat in the cabin with the fans whirring and caught up on some boat-bit Internet orders for our upcoming Thanksgiving visit to California.

The weather passed and the storm didn't develop - so . . .


Happy Anniversary To Us! -- November 18, 2013

On the morning of the 24th Anniversary of The Happiest Day of Our Lives (as Molly reminds Bryce from time to time . . .) we woke to beautiful weather and a prediction of good sailing conditions.  We decided that Twenty-Four was The Canvas Anniversary, and that we'd make the most of it by sailing to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.  

The Lucky Groom

La Cruz is too far from San Blas for a day sail during the short-light winter months so we decided to motor to near-by Matanchen Bay, anchor for the afternoon and sail to La Cruz over night, arriving mid-morning.  Not a bad plan - but we didn't stick with it. 

As we left San Blas the weather was so perfect and the winds so nice, light and from our stern, that we decided to just keep sailing and not stop at Matanchen.  Abracadabra sails so well using only our smallest (80%) jib -- why do we lug around that huge 140%-er anyway?  Within an hour the wind rose enough that had we been using the larger sail, we would have been furling it to a smaller size.  Our little jib proved to be perfect for the job at hand.  

We sailed the whole 62 miles to La Cruz.

Our anniversary toast was with Diet Coke and Coke Zero, and our anniversary dinner was a lentil and sausage salad.  We were accompanied by a 92% moon (according to our navigation system) which looked full to us.  Sometimes it was rolley.  Sometimes it wasn't.  We had 25 knot winds, and we had 4 knot winds.  All in all it was a great sail.   


La Cruz --  November 19

We set anchor in the La Cruz anchorage at 03.15 in the light of the almost-full moon.  There was very little breeze, so we were able to sleep the deep and dreamless until about 07.30 (08.30 in La Cruz as we had crossed into another time-zone).  By mid-afternoon we had entered the marina, fueled the boat and were tied up to the dock; shaded, napped, lunched and showered -- and signed on for Year Twenty-Five.


  

  

Holy Crow, What A Way To Start The Season -- November 12 - 15, 2013

Caveat:  This post contains no pictures, so if what you like are the pictures feel free to go on about your day and check our next post!


Predictions and Expectations:  Like good (read: cautious) little sailors, before we decided to depart the comfort of Muelle 4-46 in Marina Mazatlan, we checked four web-weather-wind prediction sources.  That's FOUR -- two paid services and two free services.  The highest wind predicted was 20 knots (Predict Wind).  The general consensus was that we would have to motor more often than we like.  We can't even remember the highest swell prediction because it didn't register as anything to be concerned about.  A "no sweat" trip -- perfect for sailors and a boat that have been tied to a dock for more than five months.  A great way to put our toes in the water, so to speak.

But of course, they're called weather PREDICTIONS.  And after this trip - we're considering hiring a psychic for the rest of this season. 


Mazatlan to San Blas -- 131 nautical miles -- November 12 - 13

Merrily We Motor Along:  We departed around 0900, motoring out of the marina estuary and past Mazatlan's marine traffic in (as anticipated) a northerly breeze that wouldn't support a sail.  The swells were a bit uncomfortable, and we were sad to be motoring -- but we were looking forward to some sailing in the afternoon.  Abracadabra's motor was purring happily.

Sailing:  Mid-afternoon the breeze filled in just in time to prevent Molly from screaming "I can't stand this motor any longer!" and we were able to put up the spinnaker.  For an hour we sailed happily along, watching our lovely blue and white spinnaker pull us toward our destination.  Watching a spinnaker is sort of magical, and somehow connects one to the first human to figure out that if she just put up a piece of cloth the wind could do most of the work.  It's truly wonderful.  We congratulated ourselves on the perfect start to Sailing Season Three.

Alas, about an hour later, the breeze rose to over 15 knots -- the highest wind we like to subject our light spinnaker to.  So, we furled it and continued on with our small jib - watching the winds climb to 20 knots, just in time to make dinner a gymnastic event.  Clouds were forming over the land, and from time-to-time the clouds would glow with lightening.  We put our hand-held GPS/radio in the oven in anticipation that the lightening might move off shore, and sailed on into the night.

Around 2000 the wind and swell dropped to 12-knots-ish.  There was a rain shower around 0100.  And we had lots of company.  We dodged shrimp boats and several smaller fishing boats.  At one point near dawn, on Molly's watch, Abracadabra was completely surrounded by the lights of shrimp boats and fishing pangas.  What could have looked to the fanciful like a "ring of faerie fyre" felt more like the encircling of malevolent aliens . . . all waiting to bump into or be bumped into by Abracadabra.  But the lights proved to be those of friendly aliens and with the dawn they had disappeared to deliver their catches to market in Mazatlan. 

As dawn lightened, the night's north breeze that had been a delightful boost to our trip south became a blast from the east.  We sped through the morning's oatmeal breakfast and around 0900 began to see sustained winds into the high 20's.  By noon the winds had climbed into the mid-30's and the swells to over two meters (for those in the U.S., that's six feet . . .).  A big day on San Francisco Bay. 

Our original destination - San Blas - is a port inside an estuary with a bar entrance.  This entrance can become dangerous in high swells, so we decided to go a couple of miles further and anchor in Ensenada de Matanchen (Matanchen Bay).  

Carnival Ride:  Entering Matanchen Bay required us to go directly into the then-30 knot winds, and we knew we would never make it before the early winter dark without motoring.  The winds remained (too) strong and for about an hour we were seeing winds over 35 knots on our nose.  One gust read 40.  The swells were at a sustained two and a half meters (seven and a half feet) and some were three (nine feet).  A really uncomfortable motoring experience and quite intimidating for those of us that hadn't sailed in several months. 

And then -- because it's always when things seem bad that they get worse -- the bimini (back shade that - most importantly - supports the solar panels) began to come apart and wobble wildly.  So there we were (as all good adventure stories say . . . ) bashing around in 35+ winds, lashing our bimini back together.  

Heading For Cover:   We bashed into Matanchen Bay around 16.30, prepared to have to anchor at 35 knots and spend the night on anchor watch.  Fortunately we found that in the bay the winds were about 20.  We anchored easily as the winds continued to drop . . . and after a shower and a make-shift dinner of cheese and crackers washed down with a rum-and-tonic, we fell asleep on our sea berth.  El Capitan was up and down several times during the night, but each time he peeked out, the water was flat and Abracadabra was swinging gently in about four knots of breeze. 


R&R -- November 14:  Matanchen Bay is a very pretty place and there are lots of things to do there -- see our posts from December 24, 2011 or March 26, 2012 if you would like to see pictures of the Bay and read more about the vacation options there.

But, well, we were tired so we spent the next day doing non-touristy things.  Bryce bolted the bimini back together and assembled a kit of screws and bolts for things on the deck that may come flying apart in the future.  Molly cooked a few items for the next leg of our trip.  We both enjoyed our new sun/rain shade (more on that and other nifty things we did in Mazatlan in another post) and read (read: napped).  We grilled steak and vegetables for dinner and - since the wind hadn't come back up - treated ourselves to a nice split of Chilean red wine.  Other than the jejenes (in Canadian that's "no-see-ums") that Matanchen is famous for, our stay was perfect.


Any Port When They Predict A . . .  -- November 15:  We woke this morning with plans to head south to one of our favorite bays - Chacala.  But as we were taking down shades and stowing things away below, we heard a radio weather forecast by he local Capitania de Puerto predicting 20-knot afternoon winds and 2.1 meter (7 foot) swells due to a tropical depression that is forming to the south and reporting a 30% chance of that depression becoming a cyclone. 

So, being (as we said in the beginning) cautious little sailors, we motored north a few miles and entered the San Blas estuary (now free of swell and quite safe).  Abracadabra is now tied up to a marina dock, and we are rapidly running through our pre-paid allotment of Telcel internet connectivity checking all the weather sites we can find.  But if you know of a good weather psychic, we'd appreciate you sending along his or her number!   


And because it's what we do when we have time -- we think we'll go out for dinner. 

Dia de Muertos, Mazatlan Style -- November 1, 2013

First, the Weather

As we write (mid-afternoon, November 3) eastern Pacific Depression Eighteen-E has been named Tropical Storm Sonia and NOAA projects that she will be coming to visit a coastal area near us some time early tomorrow morning.  The current model anticipates landfall north of Mazatlan at about 4 a.m. tomorrow, winds up to 45 miles per hour and 2-6 inches of rain (localized amounts up to 10 inches). 

At the moment it's raining steadily and the skies and occasional rolls of thunder are a bit ominous.  El Capitan has been out to check on Abracadabra to see if anything had changed since he checked on her last night. 

El Capitan Departing the Marina Gate of the Apartment Complex.
First Mate Photographer is Snuggly Indoors

Bryce reports that Abracadabra is still tied to the dock, her hatches and ports are still closed and El Capitan is soaking wet, but feeling confident that she will weather the storm.  Molly has declared the coming storm a sign that it's a day for a big breakfast, drinking a lot of coffee and reading our electronic New York Times. 

More on Sonia when we know how tough a broad she is. 

Dia de Muertos -- Estilo Mazatlan

Last year we wrote a lot about Dia de Muertos, it's significance and how it is celebrated here in Mexico (see our November 5, 2012 post if you're interested in that) so we won't go through all of that again.  This posting is about the public celebration here in Mazatlan. 

As background, it's important to know that Mazatlan is the home of Cerveza Pacifico Clara - the beer of Mexico's Pacific Coast.  This beer is one of the cultural impacts of the wave of German immigrants to Mazatlan in the mid 19th Century.  [Another is an annoying screeching clarinet sound that can often be heard in Mexican banda music . . . ].  Thus it shouldn't be surprising that the public Dia de Muertos celebration in Mazatlan involves a big parade featuring donkey carts filled with barriles (beer kegs) from which beer is dispensed for free.  What better way to honor the departed?  



Donkey Standing Patiently, Screen Left

Gracias, Camarero!

Una Mas, Por Favor!

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, we went downtown with the plan of sitting at a table at a restaurant on Plazuela Machado -- the starting and ending point for the parade.  It became clear that all the good restaurants around the plazuela had been booked for some time, but we knew we were too old and agoraphobic to join the parade and try for free beer, so we took an available table. 

As we waited for our first round of sad adult beverages (possibly the worse margarita in Mexico) to be delivered, sailors from Calliope and Grasshopper walked by.  They were looking (in vain) for a place to sit so we invited them to join us.  Six of us crowded around our little table and made it a party. 

The Crews of Abracadabra, Caliope and Grasshopper
(Photo by El Capitan)

Our little party was only one of many taking place along the edges of the parade route.  It was a night of excellent people watching.  Many were painted up to honor the presence of death in every day life and, as a result, to celebrate life itself. 

There's Death Within Love . . .

Within Youth . . .

Within Beauty. . .



And Within Those Too Young To Truly Understand.

A Favorite Mask -- Life and Death Together.

With our compadres we celebrated life and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the evening.  As is often the case when talking with other sailors in Mexico, we marveled how a mob scene with free beer still managed to seem a joyful, family friendly event.  Noisy and chaotic, yes -- but not a single staggering drunk or fist fight was observed.  And this is in Sinaloa, which is deemed to be such a dangerous state.  Close your eyes and imagine a free beer parade in a large city in the US or Canada . . . .

We left the scene early, and our table was avidly snatched up by a Mexican family way too large for a table for four.  We decided not to try warning them about the bad food and drink they were going to be subjected to -- the seating and dining choices were even slim

We took a "red truck taxi" (exactly what it sounds like: a communal taxi that is a bright red truck with some benches built into the back) home, happy to be alive - and not just because we'd ridden in the back of a pick-up truck!

It's Mostly The Weather - November 1, 2013

The Weather: 

For sailing, the weather's not so great - or at least potentially not so great.  Yet another disturbance in the Pacific is threatening to become a "Named Storm" (a Tropical Storm or Hurricane that is named by NOAA) and the computer models suggest she (she will be "Sonia" if named) could head toward Mazatlan.  We're not sailing away until that weather threat is resolved! 

For boat work, the weather's not so great either.  For example, today it's 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) with 92 percent humidity.  Our readers in Oklahoma and Ontario can imagine what that feels like.  And while that's not a really bad thing for a day in the shade by the beach catching a breeze, it's pretty brutal for working inside a boat with only very small windows and four 7-inch fans to create a breeze - or even outside in the sun.

The Glamor of Life In The Sun . . .

 
So, we've delayed moving aboard.  To quote Molly's mother Patti:  We're too old and too rich for that shit. 

We will be staying in our little marina-side apartment and enjoying the 6th floor breeze, ceiling fans, nighttime air conditioning and swimming pool for another week.  

Morning From Our Window - Abracadabra Off Screen Left

Abracadabra Jobs:

We're also waiting on some new canvas shades to be completed by Tapiceria Upholstery Work's (sic).  This is our third shade design, based on what we like/don't about our last two attempts and what we have seen that works/doesn't on other boats.  Ruben Najera, the talent behind Tapiceria, is a real craftsman, and has helped us adjust our design.  This just might be "it".  We will share pictures when the shades arrive.

Other than the shades, Abracadabra's pretty much ready to go.  Molly has purchased $200+/- of additional plastic boxes and bins (one can't be too organized in a small, moving space), washed them and stuffed them full of food staples.  Bryce has done his favorite jobs (engine leaks tracked down and eliminated; head (toilet) re-plumbed (ugh)).  We're so ready that if the potential Named Storm gets a name and moves into Mazatlan there will be a lot of things to undo for storm preparation!   

Frivolity:

While not sweating it out on Abracadabra we've managed to engage in some frivolity.  Halloween was celebrated with the crew from S/V Lanikai (Mike an Leilani). 

Los Cuatro Diablos!

After a fabulous dinner at Water's Edge Bistro in Viejo Mazatlan we attended a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show - complete with prop bag (rice, toast, flashlight . . . ).  This cult classic is usually shown at midnight in the U.S. and Canada -- but here in Mexico it was shown at 7:30 in order to get all the retired ex-patriots home shortly after "Mexican midnight" (9 p.m. . . . ). 

Tonight is the Dia de Los Muertos parade in Viejo Mazatlan.  We'll report in on it and the potential named storm soon!