3000 Nautical Miles Under the Keel and Still Having FUN!

Hola all, we have been gunk-holing down and back up the Gold Coast since our last update. All is well here and we are now back in La Cruz for a while and we will fly home for a few weeks to see the kids and grand kids. We hope you are all well... I know we are all "sick" financially, however. Hope the "Stimulus Plan" works or we may need to get a day job.....





From Tenacatita (our last update) we traveled further south to Barra Navidad, Melaque, Las Hadas and Manzanillo. All have their own charm.

Checking in and out of ports is still required but the process has been greatly improved. There is an ongoing debate among cruisers whether or not it is still required. Port Captains wield significant authority and most still want you to check-in and out of their jurisdictions. Some cruisers still check in and out, others don't. We figure its no big deal so we do.

We spent a few weeks in Barra Navidad, in the Grand Bay Marina. The Grand Bay is a large 5-star hotel with pools etc...

Barra Navidad proper is across the channel from the marina and serviced by pangas (20 pesos). Barra is somewhat "touristy" but fun to visit, with great places to get seafood!

We also taxied to the nearby town of Melaque, only 30 minutes from Barra, to catch up with a friend from Blaine (Bob Shenk on Liso) who is single-handling to French Polynesia. Melaque is much more like Mexico with great fruit/vegetable/fish and meat markets.



Bob is in the center at the table. He has single handed Liso from Blaine and has considerable offshore experience.

We are starting to really enjoy langosta (lobster) and camerones (shrimp)!!!

Barra also has a weekly "Flea-market" in the main square. Amazing amount of "stuff" available in these markets!!

Rosie and I took Spanish lessons while in Barra from Bonnie Gibson (second from left.... she is also a great jazz singer). Great class and her method of teaching works!

From Barra we sailed south to Las Hadas. It may be a familiar name to some of you as the movie "10" was filmed here (the movie plays 24/7 in the hotel). Didn't find Bo....darn!

It was Valentine's Day while here and several cruiser friends met for dinner at a great palapa restaurant overlooking the anchorage. We all have become good friends and have shared many anchorages and fun adventures.

A day trip into Manzanillo was great fun. The Valentine dinner group, lead by Linda from Andanzas all were game for the trek. Very clean city with many sights. Manzanillo is one of Mexico's largest seaports. Trees with small apple-like fruits used to grow around the bay, the Spanish called them manzanillos... turns out the fruit was poisonous so all the trees were destroyed.









Departing Las Hadas early morning and passing a waiting fuel tanker. The trip back north was uneventful...but lots of whales and sea turtles were spotted.

We stopped back in Tenacatita for a couple of days (we really like this place!) and also entered the annual Tenacatita Duck Race. Our duck is in the center..." Blues Brother Duck". We didn't win but had good fun.... and a few cervezas!!!

We also ventured back over to La Manzanilla via the dinghy (we are getting good at surf landings and take-offs!). This is a great little village.

Tortilla production is government subsidized here in Mexico (go figure). Every village/town has 1 or more production machines. You can always find warm wheat tortillas, corn is not always available, however.

We had to also stop back by Crock Alley. These guy's are huge and are not enclosed. Local fisherman were feeding them sting ray.... this must be why they don't seem to bother people or pets.

Over the past few weeks the water temperature in the area dropped a couple of degrees. Sting rays became thick in the shallow water (this is where you jump in and out of your dinghy by the way!!). The rays apparently move to warmer shallow water. You must do the "String Ray Shuffle" getting in and out of the water. I snorkeled in a place called the Aquarium near the anchorage and found the bottom was thick with rays. We also saw a few of the "unaware" get stung... very painful and easily infected! It would ruin your day... and several to follow!

The cruise back to La Cruz form Tenacatita was sometimes calm and sometimes rough (25+kts on the nose). We buddy boated back with Bob and Bev on Yamiah. Talk about a small world, Rosie and I met Bob in the Sea of Cortez last year when we chartered out of La Paz. We all stopped at Chamela and Ipala enroute back (Ipala has great langosta, by the way!! ). Many whales and turtles were spotted along the way and often the sea birds ride/rest on the turtles...... smart!!

We will button-up Eager Dreamer for a month and head north to the cold and wet PNW. Hope we get a chance to see some of you while we are in the States. If not... until the next update.... Hasta Luego!!