tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12649609099757124412024-02-21T07:03:32.956-08:00Sailing on HuruluThis blog follows the ongoing adventures of Naomi and Nathan Beckord on the sailing vessel "Hurulu", a well-found and very beautiful Islander 36.Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-76145473520443686482009-04-09T13:01:00.000-07:002009-04-21T11:24:30.963-07:00Winding Down...Tahiti, Moorea, Hawaii... and Home<div style="font-weight: bold;"><em>All good things...</em></div><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5ZBr5EAwFBrbxA_zC3qGHXYiaNGsLqq8pDGu8_jdCS0QlLRYulYGHA6pQ29Uh0zXZ9Ply2ikzvWXQ4LGwU8B-_DJgCyElfSwghO1yhfJ-6iFzTZ9AAbXoCFrR8YylRkcIHouGTny0t4/s1600-h/DSC05937.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325929619313962930" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5ZBr5EAwFBrbxA_zC3qGHXYiaNGsLqq8pDGu8_jdCS0QlLRYulYGHA6pQ29Uh0zXZ9Ply2ikzvWXQ4LGwU8B-_DJgCyElfSwghO1yhfJ-6iFzTZ9AAbXoCFrR8YylRkcIHouGTny0t4/s200/DSC05937.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Well, our sailing sabbatical is finally coming to a end... After spending 6 months sailing <span style="font-style: italic;">"Hurulu</span>" down the California and Mexican coasts, and then after crossing the Pacific as crew on the boat <span style="font-style: italic;">"Apple,</span>" we disembarked in Hiva Oa in the Marquesas...our final port of call reached by sailboat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marquesas</span><br /><br />The Marquesas are very cool-- a fellow sailor described it as "similar to Kauai 70 years ago" which is probably accurate. The islands are virtually unt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8gc6BS4FKLKF9V0QBiKxodg8SOw9_qQTOq7PvEOx-HO8flwnEoAXH8Fn1hRXHI2o48CRddR0U81IhAkl6995fzqsbw7zzZaLkc1hy2XwaZbgm7C6ox0J1bSIi-B22RfqsZiUfbaekwI/s1600-h/DSC05858.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325929613128049074" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8gc6BS4FKLKF9V0QBiKxodg8SOw9_qQTOq7PvEOx-HO8flwnEoAXH8Fn1hRXHI2o48CRddR0U81IhAkl6995fzqsbw7zzZaLkc1hy2XwaZbgm7C6ox0J1bSIi-B22RfqsZiUfbaekwI/s200/DSC05858.JPG" border="0" /></a>ouched and undeveloped, and are little visited except by sailboat or the occasional dedicated tourist looking to get off the beaten path. Part of their appeal is that the Marquesas are the island group farthest from any continent in the world, lying between 550 and 725 miles south of the equator and 852 miles northeast of Tahiti.<br /><br />The other part of the appeal is that they are beautiful yet empty...these islands, which are lush, dramatic and green, have rich histories and were first settled by Polynesians around 100 BC. However, at present only about 8 thousand people in total live on all 14 of the isla<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlm3IorWAmOT5jhW6k-MDIjiAr7pEN_bgR0scoky-3CZA7EwMlSBiWSu7h_ay_P6BIEmLUixg1YITV_kES-k7gBmrHhFRLQjDysL2F-zEpzxxmj6a0rids3qP1wKGYM5keXBULGIOkRC0/s1600-h/DSC05936.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325766779121608418" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 150px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlm3IorWAmOT5jhW6k-MDIjiAr7pEN_bgR0scoky-3CZA7EwMlSBiWSu7h_ay_P6BIEmLUixg1YITV_kES-k7gBmrHhFRLQjDysL2F-zEpzxxmj6a0rids3qP1wKGYM5keXBULGIOkRC0/s200/DSC05936.JPG" border="0" /></a>nds, down from an estimated 100,000 in the 16th century (smallpox was widespread).<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>Anyway, our stay there was brief; after a couple days in the town of Atuona, where we visited the Gauguin museum and had some nice hikes, we hopped a little puddle jumper airplane to Tahiti. (To orient our readers, "French Polynesia" includes several island chains, including the Society Islands such as Tahiti and Moorea, as well as the Marquesas, Tuamotus, and Austral Islands; Tahiti is the capital of them all). </div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tahiti and Moorea</span><br /><br /><div> </div>Our original plan was to hang out in Tahiti and island hop by ferry for four or five<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcC3uleT7UqvUkj00tCcqtMs2SuiU2xrbVZxWV2-kX_T4t7oBQV_TcRRe11bWSKUHyXtg5HSZi6eNti6mF9J6kyblHPmLtejRUepZAIAdvxqqbbFXnU-1TAlu8qEBVZxf_7DlVPX6yPQ/s1600-h/DSC05948.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322785817879573506" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcC3uleT7UqvUkj00tCcqtMs2SuiU2xrbVZxWV2-kX_T4t7oBQV_TcRRe11bWSKUHyXtg5HSZi6eNti6mF9J6kyblHPmLtejRUepZAIAdvxqqbbFXnU-1TAlu8qEBVZxf_7DlVPX6yPQ/s200/DSC05948.JPG" border="0" /></a> weeks until our friends on La Palapa showed up, but we had to curtail these ambitions as soon as we landed; we were in for quite a shock-- Tahiti and all of French Polynesia is <em>unbelievably </em>expensive. Really-- it is shocking what things cost over there.<br /><div> </div><div>Nonetheless, we made the most of it, and took a ferry over to the island of Moorea. This is a beautiful volcanic island, ringed by a protective reef and the accompanying crystal clear turquoise lagoon. </div><div> </div><br /><div>Here, we stayed at a beachfront place called "Camping Chez Nelson". We secured a tiny, bare bones hut, cooked many of our own meals in the communcal kitchen, and spent o<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmC0zjFoDGBBsnFAdcxx5OYipxiQ5lZ_uFpjLJKSEYe74FH_vVfJEc0GcGdHqKh4HyTzHH0KdZzRvkWOhBHgmDjbPF55aywQpZjzm2QQJ_hR2pU-ElAtE3cUlujc0-c2p4cOPwix-9ek/s1600-h/DSC05970.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325929623362918450" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmC0zjFoDGBBsnFAdcxx5OYipxiQ5lZ_uFpjLJKSEYe74FH_vVfJEc0GcGdHqKh4HyTzHH0KdZzRvkWOhBHgmDjbPF55aywQpZjzm2QQJ_hR2pU-ElAtE3cUlujc0-c2p4cOPwix-9ek/s200/DSC05970.JPG" border="0" /></a>ur days snorkeling, reading, and touring the island by scooter. There really isn't a whole lot more to do here...the tourist infrastructure has, by design, been kept pretty low key, and I'm sure the high cost has impeded massive tourism development as well.<br /><br />Speaking of the expense, it definitely impacted the experience a bit...we felt rather trapped since every taxi ride, activity, or meal out cost us an arm and a leg. The only "bargain" on the island-- which was found at nearly every restaurant-- was a burger and fries combo plate for about $9, apart from which the meals started around $25 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho862xTPLKxi8DYZtlvAjbGbhRh-fX3yEsUkhinkNtuDfgVbhhR0-2LYNcST5wjJtvFEWnRNtYf5G9qd0fJh59uk3WcUIr_-7ZHhxrg3jwTneMYtFgJF1PAZOtCFEJTz8DWPDk2VBxjWg/s1600-h/DSC05922.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325929618855252642" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho862xTPLKxi8DYZtlvAjbGbhRh-fX3yEsUkhinkNtuDfgVbhhR0-2LYNcST5wjJtvFEWnRNtYf5G9qd0fJh59uk3WcUIr_-7ZHhxrg3jwTneMYtFgJF1PAZOtCFEJTz8DWPDk2VBxjWg/s200/DSC05922.JPG" border="0" /></a>on up (even for very basic lunches and dinners). After several days of burgers, we started to feel rather unhealthy-- similar to the lead guy in the movie "Super Size Me" (who eats nothing but McDonalds every day and chronicles how his body changes over time).<br /><br />Anyway, the islands really are incredibly beautiful-- "postcard perfect"-- and the islanders are among the most friendly I've encountered; they seem very happy with their lives, and very relaxed and content...we spent some time at the public beach, and the most popular activity is for 4-5 Polynesians to sit under the shade of a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvYTwDnfN-GIHj9WqKg9IXCI2PBGiRMohD6juzQpfKi91gl1HSgHuoowg7Q0kFvlFd7Dew2CPkxxhmVC_kWzfsDTJ3t6ch-PR4YLZmbJ5nndXXTnVUa1VaQhDL0qIvPR6TJId_ybyWH8/s1600-h/DSC05977.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325930098799748786" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvYTwDnfN-GIHj9WqKg9IXCI2PBGiRMohD6juzQpfKi91gl1HSgHuoowg7Q0kFvlFd7Dew2CPkxxhmVC_kWzfsDTJ3t6ch-PR4YLZmbJ5nndXXTnVUa1VaQhDL0qIvPR6TJId_ybyWH8/s200/DSC05977.JPG" border="0" /></a> palm and sing along to a guitar/ukulele combo. Their lively songs-- mostly in Tahitian but with some pidgin English and French songs included too-- makes for great background music while beachcombing.<br /><br />After a week in Moorea, we decided it was time for a change, and took the ferry back to Tahiti. Here, we spent nearly an entire day calling around looking for a place to stay. Here is how it went, time after time:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Naomi:</span> "Hello do you have a room for two people for tonight?"<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pension owner:</span> "@#$%*((%)$(#*" (i.e., some string of incomprehensible French) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpIwiSQbzI18gH4mnkncZqoja-7SuklI0q7YucJZMhwHSXtV5KWurBtwOJTW61HzDUX8XuPV-CxQVIrXdiZDgk_j5xHX-6Aq4TCumU2GIjHrl6l6VxsIJEnXMf2utBExlPW054_Hfnos/s1600-h/DSC05963.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322786357761748034" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpIwiSQbzI18gH4mnkncZqoja-7SuklI0q7YucJZMhwHSXtV5KWurBtwOJTW61HzDUX8XuPV-CxQVIrXdiZDgk_j5xHX-6Aq4TCumU2GIjHrl6l6VxsIJEnXMf2utBExlPW054_Hfnos/s200/DSC05963.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Naomi:</span> "Ok, one moment; Let me pass you to my husband"<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Nathan</span> (speaking in English but with a very thick and dramatic French accent): "Ehh....Bonjour! Do jew have...ehh, un rhoom...fawr two...pee-puhl?"<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pension owner:</span> "Jess, we do! Jour name, si vouz plais?"<br /><br />Inevitably I just about cracked up laughing with each call, but I kid you not-- speaking English with a very bad, very overdone French accent actually worked! The people on the other end could, for the most part, understand me quite well (although somehow I doubt this would work in France).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdX8LaA1_bNH5ogxNh-FhruyvRZ6QjHisuTCMBIy9Q2tiBvFLPEglbM48aqbCMRc5OkPhAAa-zcRJQiVR41kH8amgO6vMHOHki0DV-Dd_ddT_YPBXTEIYz7Ev6BkuQB1ct4raSGA_gfA/s1600-h/DSC05926.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322785816069211442" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdX8LaA1_bNH5ogxNh-FhruyvRZ6QjHisuTCMBIy9Q2tiBvFLPEglbM48aqbCMRc5OkPhAAa-zcRJQiVR41kH8amgO6vMHOHki0DV-Dd_ddT_YPBXTEIYz7Ev6BkuQB1ct4raSGA_gfA/s200/DSC05926.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />In Tahiti we bought Naomi some amazingly beautiful green pearls that match her green eyes at the Tahiti Pearl Market, and we ate dinner at the "roulottes", which is a collection of mobile food vans that all congregate down near the waterfront. Still not cheap-- I think we were averaging about $15 per plate-- but nice, fresh and tasty food, like seafood and steaks. We also spent half a day running around trying to find space on a cargo ship heading out to Bora Bora or Huahine, to no avail.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsLx3V1zvgo-c4CE7DaTY_3_RdGg35iIk1PiRRgcsXNQXtUSRipJbGTxRzAwZOC-YHcwOhml2b0gP-V4uGG22Lvh7yoQ3Hi1ump_YwEAZtkt8mHLtlNctSNkq8ozVeQIBAvtYLn2BlK4/s1600-h/DSC05981.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325930096950161394" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsLx3V1zvgo-c4CE7DaTY_3_RdGg35iIk1PiRRgcsXNQXtUSRipJbGTxRzAwZOC-YHcwOhml2b0gP-V4uGG22Lvh7yoQ3Hi1ump_YwEAZtkt8mHLtlNctSNkq8ozVeQIBAvtYLn2BlK4/s200/DSC05981.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hawaii</span><br /><br />Finally, after 2 weeks, we were "Tahiti-ed out" and caught a midnight flight to Oahu, Hawaii. We arrived at dawn and took a bus to our downtown hotel. Immediately we were hit with reverse culture shock...passing sign after sign advertising "2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausage and french toast for $4.99" was exciting and disorienting. It may be hard to believe, but after the limited selection and absurd prices in French Polynesia, seeing the selection of food products available was a a dreamy beautiful thing.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyF0H2hVgkdhcFIL76IAdK3TUsw1cK0z4SpMFPn5b9MeVwZd-B8S3fO-qL4C9M438lFzOwENG8Gmj6eMZ1-VzFQg8kaMYMtYAayqyENSGbDqnrG6Nq23izt8odqA6WYjujzCNNmmPDOI/s1600-h/DSC05957.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322785818468206706" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyF0H2hVgkdhcFIL76IAdK3TUsw1cK0z4SpMFPn5b9MeVwZd-B8S3fO-qL4C9M438lFzOwENG8Gmj6eMZ1-VzFQg8kaMYMtYAayqyENSGbDqnrG6Nq23izt8odqA6WYjujzCNNmmPDOI/s200/DSC05957.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Indeed-- we spent the first two days just EATING our way through Waikiki...e.g., I started the day with the breakfast special referenced above, then had teriyaki stir fry for lunch, then an acai/fruit bowl for afternoon snack, then sushi for dinner, etc. This is contrary to my nature...in many ways I'm turned off by the rampant consumption and consumerism in the U.S., but when you've been away from it for awhile and living off stale pasta, a U.S. supermarket, 7-11, or food court is an amazing sight.<br /><br />Hawaii was a great middle-step 'decompression zone'...still island-y and tropical, but American enough that we started to get used to hearing English again, etc. Naomi's good friend Elbert had some free time and served as our unofficial (but very gracious) tour guide. We spent a day up on the North Shore at Waimea Bay swimming and exploring, then went to Duke's at sunset for cocktails. We also did some nice hiking to Manoa Falls and took some good swims with Elbert, who is training for a triathlon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">And In Conclusion...</span><br /><br />And that...as they say...is that! Our sailing adventure is coming to a close. After a brief stay with our respective families, Naomi will return to SF to move us back into our apartment, and I will return to Puerto Vallarta to arrange delivery of our boat back to San Francisco. We will pick up our dog, we'll pick up our car, we'll re-start delivery of Netflix and the Wall Street Journal, and we'll basically pick up our lives where we left them six months ago, for the most part.<br /><br />Was it worth it? <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Absolutely.</span><br /><br />Would we do it again? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Absolutely.</span><br /><br />Sure, it's going to be hard to get back to the grind... to go back to being productive members of society in the current economy. But we would do it all over again in a heartbeat.<br /><br />It's not often in life that we actually get to follow a dream and make it reality... so it feels very gratifying to have done so. And, for many years prior to this trip, I spent countless hours sitting in the comfort of the armchair, glass of vino at hand, reading about sailing to these places, it made it all the more special when we actually <span style="font-style: italic;">did </span>sail to them... entered the palm-fringed bay, dropped the hook, and cracked open a cold cerveza... occasionally with a fresh-caught fish ready to grill.<br /><br />Sailing off into the horizon is never quite what you imagine, of course-- different, harder, grittier, saltier-- but almost always ultimately <span style="font-style: italic;">better.</span><br /><br />Thanks for reading our blog and following our adventures!<br /><br />-- <span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan and Naomi</span></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-24872961845910582792009-04-03T12:39:00.000-07:002009-04-19T21:06:22.552-07:00Land Ho! We Sailed Across The World's Largest Ocean!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd5fuhramwZK-t1NpHBvWkeKH1Wy4yT3HWPgZqCVYrYSEi58DqSyxNZR6p9P39_JIacNqOrvQKy-zbyqA0wzYDFK0D0tPb_1F59YM8oJw9bH3xEpXwU-l2kuTZ3ZTsjHAXEmyjBNgLJ4/s1600-h/DSC05815.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320558436375569314" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd5fuhramwZK-t1NpHBvWkeKH1Wy4yT3HWPgZqCVYrYSEi58DqSyxNZR6p9P39_JIacNqOrvQKy-zbyqA0wzYDFK0D0tPb_1F59YM8oJw9bH3xEpXwU-l2kuTZ3ZTsjHAXEmyjBNgLJ4/s200/DSC05815.JPG" border="0" /></a>We made it!<br /><br />We successfully sailed across the Pacific Ocean!<br /><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wow, long trip... approximately 3000 miles, or roughly the equivalent of sailing from SF to NYC and then back to Chicago. All at around 8 miles per hour...<br /><br />Although it took some serious patience-- 22 days at sea on a small boat-- it was overall a safe and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBv3r4Z3dNVUu9ZLmAL2lWnRPo2Jp3qn9MBwf2Jfe2AXj-CdndzbZyTUG1r3WxOprodYMEl9udcY3dky32BwsjjB0rPLQ9XroSoeOvsDUOPGkGpR46oHjRhE1I4fwwYTAPfEA0qp-B0k/s1600-h/DSC05672.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325913663367626098" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBv3r4Z3dNVUu9ZLmAL2lWnRPo2Jp3qn9MBwf2Jfe2AXj-CdndzbZyTUG1r3WxOprodYMEl9udcY3dky32BwsjjB0rPLQ9XroSoeOvsDUOPGkGpR46oHjRhE1I4fwwYTAPfEA0qp-B0k/s200/DSC05672.JPG" border="0" /></a>speedy voyage; We had some adventures and tribulations for sure, but no limbs lost to sharks and no knockdowns from rogue waves; we arrived intact. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is a quick and dirty highlight reel, along with a sampling of photos from the trip: </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrpq5vTujA0KhS6bKxBJUqbA0QS57l6cUQ06B3AKG7A4RQpIJrL-eJx2pbVX3vNSl3YsvN8Fp3tIa7SKQZ1IV-0tKQ67CyUAa0SPt5ZXr4hzQdbx7ihaQFuZb6rFcvpfy7_BzSgEoRhQ/s1600-h/DSC05811.JPG"></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 1:</em></strong> Left Puerto Vallarta as crew on "Apple" at 10:30 am; Immediately saw huge whale breach 3x; Caught large dorado but he snapped the line; Everyone still getting their "sea legs" on (meaning we're all a little clumsy and a little queasy).</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 2:</em></strong> Fast passage-- this is a fast boat! Did 156 nautical miles in <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqY7tpbgnknOFh23dWYsQzwcP7aSicNtVz_S2hg1ReqtOt9RR_rbjleeZya8-waiGJCUdWZeK36F4rRL7GJFQ9E0dBhhf9Lj97899CZJc0UgYYOzvRB5ihVZ0J8dWxeTCA0eoByaxR90/s1600-h/DSC05743.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320555540334530130" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqY7tpbgnknOFh23dWYsQzwcP7aSicNtVz_S2hg1ReqtOt9RR_rbjleeZya8-waiGJCUdWZeK36F4rRL7GJFQ9E0dBhhf9Lj97899CZJc0UgYYOzvRB5ihVZ0J8dWxeTCA0eoByaxR90/s200/DSC05743.JPG" border="0" /></a>24 hour period; Wind in 12-17 knots; Captain got seasick; Everyone sleeping alot, still getting used to sea motion. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 3:</em></strong> Flew spinnaker for first time; played CD from fellow cruisers Hypnautical (they are musicians); NB hand-steered his night time watch; Winds mellowing slightly to 10-16 knots.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 4:</em></strong> Flew spinnaker but chafed through halyard and sock; Nightime, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgreXSxtMv6PouOMZSM0oDEHXauIe3KiZOZrGDpqMGQMxlnm999OQ_Ez3D-7qymhjG4PNL6-Be0CBpCULfn0aaqneZfhiXFSPMJCNxNwWo3i0YnWUOgDj2UjGGYvCt_FqvwMYpN3DsuOU/s1600-h/DSC05768.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325766198225244658" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgreXSxtMv6PouOMZSM0oDEHXauIe3KiZOZrGDpqMGQMxlnm999OQ_Ez3D-7qymhjG4PNL6-Be0CBpCULfn0aaqneZfhiXFSPMJCNxNwWo3i0YnWUOgDj2UjGGYvCt_FqvwMYpN3DsuOU/s200/DSC05768.JPG" border="0" /></a>mostly becalmed, leading to "challenging" sailing (difficult to keep the sails from flogging); Lots of open time to think about a book idea called "Startup: An Owners Manual"; Made 111 miles in 24 hours.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 5:</em></strong> Spinnaker halyard again chafing; Some dischord between captain and Naomi; Received first weatherfax from Hawaii; However, SSB radio does not seem to be working correctly. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmjcBm0q1aoCQxZ4Y2XFL8ncQO0T4FV8ypYQi1RTo9unvxjpOwQmTKWZON8PhtpsdBX03W-BARa95z8kWLfNnLQTF5OrLYUTEsWHHwrEF9T2XrCSx3cBaaLR_QvQtF3EQsL0lOChdg8o/s1600-h/DSC05827.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320559830172449682" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmjcBm0q1aoCQxZ4Y2XFL8ncQO0T4FV8ypYQi1RTo9unvxjpOwQmTKWZON8PhtpsdBX03W-BARa95z8kWLfNnLQTF5OrLYUTEsWHHwrEF9T2XrCSx3cBaaLR_QvQtF3EQsL0lOChdg8o/s200/DSC05827.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong><em>Day 6:</em></strong> Saw many dolphins! After sunset, we did 'squall avoidance practice' which quickly led to squall avoidance reality (squalls are short lived, violent thunderstorms that happen when the air cools after sunset).<br /><br /></div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em></em></strong> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 7:</em></strong> Captain Mike not getting enough sleep so he changes up watch schedule, now 4 hours on, 8 off; 15 knots wind, choppy seas; More squalls after sunset, we use the radar to monitor them, like a video game. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPKlFLDeBkDfsoPqjuauNihJj2kQty4dE-ETv9bgce9v9lLvKQK935UNDNhoc0jI7hcus6Nlp-yGMeXkXcI60Vl95T9prMr5-6mjCgGyryaf3AHCxjwICJu4lJ4l_BFguWIYbKlkaiAI/s1600-h/DSC05783.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320557157880485554" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPKlFLDeBkDfsoPqjuauNihJj2kQty4dE-ETv9bgce9v9lLvKQK935UNDNhoc0jI7hcus6Nlp-yGMeXkXcI60Vl95T9prMr5-6mjCgGyryaf3AHCxjwICJu4lJ4l_BFguWIYbKlkaiAI/s200/DSC05783.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 8:</em></strong> Saw another ship for the first time (a cargo vessel); Boat is running out of power and fresh water rapidly-- moratorium on showers; Naomi's parent's called on satellite phone; Caught huge fish but it snapped the line, which wound up in the wind generator; Crossed the 1000 miles mark, had rum and coke. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 9:</em></strong> Fixed wind generator; Apple the dog poops all over deck; Friendly <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK7UxmWfFG5fHe-f1T9rREksD6Y7El4nnXZ2Nw68B0JHjIiFFyWh3BXvbXpWgngw2KdMvk5K5tFAemLCcjURUK8v9qAQ7W9WqQtdfXsb_qpaoa1vYAoE4ntLXT-jTxppI2z7WgKjjB2s/s1600-h/DSC05775.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320557147355432642" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK7UxmWfFG5fHe-f1T9rREksD6Y7El4nnXZ2Nw68B0JHjIiFFyWh3BXvbXpWgngw2KdMvk5K5tFAemLCcjURUK8v9qAQ7W9WqQtdfXsb_qpaoa1vYAoE4ntLXT-jTxppI2z7WgKjjB2s/s200/DSC05775.JPG" border="0" /></a>'debate' about number of miles made good in previous 24 hours (Nathan estimate: 134 vs. Captain's 247 nm); Further 'discussions' about power and water management.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 10:</em></strong> Nice fast sailing under spinnaker; Closed down the forward head (bathroom); Veronika got out guitar; Nathan ate candy bars all day; Naomi made nice dinner; Rained a little; Everyone got along. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGNf7KPv6X7jLFCZPaUk3n8qokWyTGJOK0AM2PYMgq3rihmW0SK-Epbj-NcZohp_VTxdbhduJ1ruA6MmdoQHSKkSf5oImiTsK1PlPsYzedoOaRf02yygj2jE3QWQxfnijcdmSySt1Aos/s1600-h/DSC05812.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320558432248679682" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGNf7KPv6X7jLFCZPaUk3n8qokWyTGJOK0AM2PYMgq3rihmW0SK-Epbj-NcZohp_VTxdbhduJ1ruA6MmdoQHSKkSf5oImiTsK1PlPsYzedoOaRf02yygj2jE3QWQxfnijcdmSySt1Aos/s200/DSC05812.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 11:</em></strong> Halfway mark! Took showers for first time since day 5; Watch schedule moved around again; Nathan composed catchy little guitar ditty called "Log HO!" </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 12:</em></strong> Flew spinnaker all day; Saw large ship, probably a research vessel? Also saw lights of a ship at night; Everyone getting along well; Nathan made "english pub food" for dinner; Moon has gone, leaving us with "billions and billions of stars". <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wvlWtVPtpo-BZwMNxS4ATgYiigSG0pTWGzLqntSg6ibaJbq7GlcfzQZzS6mTjrCZ50CyNxIIEl7mRhPCedDw4kuVn0tm2nJP8l_wc8SHE3o80mEdb6QDc8qr4R3XkPkerW75rqCSOxM/s1600-h/DSC05733.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320555535175412338" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wvlWtVPtpo-BZwMNxS4ATgYiigSG0pTWGzLqntSg6ibaJbq7GlcfzQZzS6mTjrCZ50CyNxIIEl7mRhPCedDw4kuVn0tm2nJP8l_wc8SHE3o80mEdb6QDc8qr4R3XkPkerW75rqCSOxM/s200/DSC05733.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 13:</em></strong> Flew spinnaker half the day, then trade winds suddenly shifted direction to come from SSE...could it be we were through the ICTZ (doldrums)? Flew along at 8.5 knots for the next 18 hours, very encouraging; Nathan hand steered his night watch, saw 2 shooting stars and caught one flying fish; Everyone getting along well; Saw Southern Cross constellation for first time. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2m84LCxnhJmRoQsOnewRVxM4hifAHIo5rspROsdSCFfsBfQLCNuf9UTcR8chbOsu4hDG44KKlBVS9qMT9YgXjTZs5oaGWNkBVjXwUtxmWygaACYW9GlsImVjyQM6mMtIsZmnOHRxx4U/s1600-h/DSC05721.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320554213713553986" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2m84LCxnhJmRoQsOnewRVxM4hifAHIo5rspROsdSCFfsBfQLCNuf9UTcR8chbOsu4hDG44KKlBVS9qMT9YgXjTZs5oaGWNkBVjXwUtxmWygaACYW9GlsImVjyQM6mMtIsZmnOHRxx4U/s200/DSC05721.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 14:</em></strong> Captain wanting us to hand steer, which is a bit of a 'sticking issue' (very tiring when you have 8 hours on the helm each day); Overall, good wind and smooth seas.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 15:</em></strong> Turns out, NO-- we are not through the doldrums. Wind dies down to almost nothing, seas flat, cloudless sky; With swells running, sails just "whap" back and forth, very maddening; But, major highlight-- we crossed the equator on Naomi's watch in middle of the night, woo ho<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZERTIzl2uEGtl36cnHMssC8gzy0SJH_T8MVaiTz21l7Y_sTw3HqJm236xtE_gaeC6ksJzq6Rc23ZfPNZgXpgAuLx4qz4_5b5_q35sQRwj7AcupGa33hyphenhyphenf4b-z5SX6ufyHbuCdOrcGl6I/s1600-h/DSC05829.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320558443568772498" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZERTIzl2uEGtl36cnHMssC8gzy0SJH_T8MVaiTz21l7Y_sTw3HqJm236xtE_gaeC6ksJzq6Rc23ZfPNZgXpgAuLx4qz4_5b5_q35sQRwj7AcupGa33hyphenhyphenf4b-z5SX6ufyHbuCdOrcGl6I/s200/DSC05829.JPG" border="0" /></a>o! We had champagne and made toasts to Poseidon and Neptune, and we officially became "Shellbacks"; NB made sushi and stirfry for dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 16:</em></strong> Still in doldrums, flat calm water-- very peaceful and would be enjoyable if we weren't still 1000 miles from land; In morning, we spot sailing vessel "Hypnautical" and with spinnaker flying, we cruise by; Nathan dove in after diesel funnel and deck brush that was sinking...swimming out in middle of ocean is oddly unnerving, it's so empty flat and blue.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqhdfOppVhqVhMxUeyjAHQYGYLjFtE9DH5p1lhx14rcu6mhgZdIeqBqxScYldNKMTDttpunnSzQw3pyxa8uOyPqywau4cGVumIgC8DVxf5geaJtRhyphenhyphenC0Q00yCclHF0KAK3GcHQtz0v2g/s1600-h/DSC05852.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320559840889426994" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqhdfOppVhqVhMxUeyjAHQYGYLjFtE9DH5p1lhx14rcu6mhgZdIeqBqxScYldNKMTDttpunnSzQw3pyxa8uOyPqywau4cGVumIgC8DVxf5geaJtRhyphenhyphenC0Q00yCclHF0KAK3GcHQtz0v2g/s200/DSC05852.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 17:</em></strong> Still becalmed; NB and Captain 'debate' about strategy for getting through doldrums; Lack of forward motion, utter stillness and heat is probably frying people's patience; SSB not working so no reliable communications or weather forecasts. But fortunately, on NB's night watch, winds finally pick up...we run spinnaker at night over glassy seas and lots of stars! Very nice sailing...</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwInq_p-RC9Xo0d4fzZja2TEryPw_Zig_0C4gj5oxQyQb3Yu3q0A2RNzZfYWeLBhR68z-V9tVx0cL9Qd1tifi50jQDts-VnLln997MT2ICn5WKI581dbQcaXHoA5pIGAQvPGRLTs9g1cI/s1600-h/DSC05870.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325759831754259058" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 150px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwInq_p-RC9Xo0d4fzZja2TEryPw_Zig_0C4gj5oxQyQb3Yu3q0A2RNzZfYWeLBhR68z-V9tVx0cL9Qd1tifi50jQDts-VnLln997MT2ICn5WKI581dbQcaXHoA5pIGAQvPGRLTs9g1cI/s200/DSC05870.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 18:</em></strong> Somewhat choppy seas, but under 500 miles to go! Sailed close hauled most of the day; Water is turned off-- we're under strict rations; Some 'discrepancies' between rules and to whom they apply, but...what can you do? However, NB's night time watch is near-perfect...8-10 knots of wind, nice warm night, no helm attention needed, so NB finished reading "Mutiny on the Bounty".</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 19:</em></strong> Calm seas, good wind, very nice sailing all day. Everyone getting along. During night watch, wind became erratic; Naomi and Veronika had <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX57Yy6LOcKewTFw03F4eXqmm82DsLBa_2sT3oIj7zuhyphenhyphenLju99JFBGuHVp-gvxc6eyMKodw4YNM4UiY0We3S6CrkHCB-oDwZJAdbuh0jGGhyphenhyphenl8QOGst1Q3z9Kw9X31VXvvdsBS0Km217o/s1600-h/DSC05894.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325760596929651634" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 150px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX57Yy6LOcKewTFw03F4eXqmm82DsLBa_2sT3oIj7zuhyphenhyphenLju99JFBGuHVp-gvxc6eyMKodw4YNM4UiY0We3S6CrkHCB-oDwZJAdbuh0jGGhyphenhyphenl8QOGst1Q3z9Kw9X31VXvvdsBS0Km217o/s200/DSC05894.JPG" border="0" /></a>squalls virtually all night. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 20:</em></strong> Nate had very nice morning watch-- 7 knots boat speed on 10-12 knots wind; Rocked out to Neil Young's "Unkown Legend". Made massive cheese, salami, hummus plate. Hiand steered the night watch, with winds continuing strong all day and night, with moderately choppy seas. Probably our record day: 167 nm! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 21:</em></strong> Good wind continues! Under 100 miles to go, which is somewhat hard to believe. We're flying along--- actually, we are going too fast and will likely arrive in the nighttime (which is a no-no). We reduced sail to triple reefed <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F6rp4K4YjWQY1-2Sk39WfYkvSrUD3otpOvLH4MfWnl9ZgeP9Ijn1XzkYcZ1dWvk4-bmUwhhrcCRJBlfNctv8i-PL5ZG-QSD9zeSEI7rS60HgAAQ4nGNP0QYeocKCf8Ir2A_oZzU7zrw/s1600-h/DSC05860.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320559846322089042" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F6rp4K4YjWQY1-2Sk39WfYkvSrUD3otpOvLH4MfWnl9ZgeP9Ijn1XzkYcZ1dWvk4-bmUwhhrcCRJBlfNctv8i-PL5ZG-QSD9zeSEI7rS60HgAAQ4nGNP0QYeocKCf8Ir2A_oZzU7zrw/s200/DSC05860.JPG" border="0" /></a>main so we don't go in an night. Some 'boat tensions' running high...good thing we're so close! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Day 22:</em></strong> Land Ho! Arrive! We motored into the bay at Hiva Oa right at sunrise. The smell of the land was intoxicating...a blend of bougainvilla, citrus, and soil. Anchored bow and stern in the bay, which is bordered by steep dramatic green cliffs. Nate and Naomi got off boat, walked on land on wobbly legs indeed! Walked around the tiny town of Atuona (pop 1300) then back at sunset...3 other friendly boats had arrived! Big party on the catamaran Carinthia, with crews from Bravado, Hypnautical, Loveso<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66vVT-xwH5UJU-deUEZ_LZOsD4R93j1spM3olzRUBDmwGyV1TaYIt_Dp3FEvHr0mnNsDayvk-3uNqL8iwuO9Cx0fiVV92GZ5h_JEbDQFrXJ7LbxhaPnS7a45VnPuVxJr-4RlWKIr4iYA/s1600-h/DSC05896.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320561210109368306" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66vVT-xwH5UJU-deUEZ_LZOsD4R93j1spM3olzRUBDmwGyV1TaYIt_Dp3FEvHr0mnNsDayvk-3uNqL8iwuO9Cx0fiVV92GZ5h_JEbDQFrXJ7LbxhaPnS7a45VnPuVxJr-4RlWKIr4iYA/s200/DSC05896.JPG" border="0" /></a>ng, etc...Flor de canha rum flowing smoothly...Naomi and I get toasted and cheered by everyone from all the boats....fun night!<br /><br /></div></div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>Plan Vs. Reality</strong></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div>Ok, that's the daily log; but what was it <em>really like? </em>To be certain, it was different than we had expected. On the plus side, the actual passage was easier than we thought it'd be. The sailing was quite nice, with wind most days in the 8 to 15 knot range-- steady trade wind conditions-- and we ticked off the miles.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Further, we fell into a pretty rigorous daily routine-- wake up, brew a coffee, go on watch for 4 hours, have lunch, do an hour or so of boat chores, read during the afternoon, have a communal dinner, nap briefly until nighttime watch, and then sleep. Repeat pattern. This structure made the days fly by, and there weren't many dull moments.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>On the other hand-- there's no way to sugarcoat it-- it was a darn long sail. As much as I love sailing, the reality is we were on a small boat in constant motion for three weeks. We only paused once, when becalmed near the equator, to go for a swim. The rest of the time, life was lived at an angle (as the boat heeled) or occasionally, with the boat flying around in multiple directions (during the 3-4 days when the seas were choppy). </div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div><br />Naturally, it was also tough to be in a small space with other people for that amount of time. I think this is always true whether those people are family, friends, or new acquaintances, as in our case. Tensions fly sometimes, usually when the night before was a squally one and nobody got any sleep. But we all made it through unscathed, and I only threatened 'mutiny' once! (Kidding.)<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>But other highlights made up for the "challenges." For example, in 22 days we only saw 3 other ships. With 6 billion souls on this planet, it was pretty amazing to be truly "out in the middle of nowhere" with nothing and no one for as far as the eye can see...such emptiness and isolation is rare, and in my opinion, pretty cool.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Another highlight was the night time watches, when everyone else would be asleep, and it was just me and the boat under billions and billions of stars. It really does take getting out there away from all light sources to appreciate this. We had a book of constellations, and each night I was able to recognize a few more patterns...Southern Cross, Taurus, Draco, Cepheus, etc. Later on, I learned a few of the constellations used by early Polynesians to navigate between Tahiti, Hawaii, Samoa, etc.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div>And finally, the destination at the end of the journey was a major highlight....French Polynesia! Few places on earth are as beautiful. Would we do it again? Absolutely, although we would definitely take our own boat next time. Stay tuned for more on our travels... </div></div></div>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-90874122807486390172009-03-08T15:20:00.000-07:002009-03-08T15:22:34.867-07:00South Pacific Dreaming<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKXtI9aTVZgIh6OC9iesRNjuZFRrI3q6bmhPzCIh_6sYpMrCFNC4evBlDAvLITOHaGtPI3EmGwrzO4e3C8rM-YrgEDrjhMtryIdl1pm8bDaQ5dO0trAkX5zErCBMRrOvP8NmhbhWR9xU/s1600-h/Bora08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKXtI9aTVZgIh6OC9iesRNjuZFRrI3q6bmhPzCIh_6sYpMrCFNC4evBlDAvLITOHaGtPI3EmGwrzO4e3C8rM-YrgEDrjhMtryIdl1pm8bDaQ5dO0trAkX5zErCBMRrOvP8NmhbhWR9xU/s200/Bora08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310923333433899474" border="0" /></a>You're not going to believe this, but...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">We are sailing to Tahiti!!!<br /><br /></span> </div>At this point, you're probably thinking I've had a little too much Mexican sun or muy mucho tequila. But no, we <span style="font-style: italic;">really are </span>going to sail to the South Pacific and French Polynesia. How did this little "side trip" suddenly come about? Here's a brief recap:<br /><br />After our trip down and up Mexico's 'Gold Coast', we started sailing back to PV and discovered there's a "puddle jumper discount" at the marina in La Cruz. ("puddle jumper" is a nickname for those who sail across the Pacific to Polynesia.) To get the ridiculously cheap rate of $0.40 per foot ($14 per night for this beautiful, brand new marina), you simply had to be a member of the Puddle Jump database on Yahoo. Done.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9u_9BpjJRXgGTPtpfN-Z4OLF215vDhL4xaHLIZaaDU8m6jQtOUr_zib023yNzFsmdXAjo5G3LRnPP_-3qt4IKFntsvmN6KOFErl0gyps0T9FsktQBxFaTy4Oop7s1_heC-oBmoKoshc/s1600-h/DSC02973.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9u_9BpjJRXgGTPtpfN-Z4OLF215vDhL4xaHLIZaaDU8m6jQtOUr_zib023yNzFsmdXAjo5G3LRnPP_-3qt4IKFntsvmN6KOFErl0gyps0T9FsktQBxFaTy4Oop7s1_heC-oBmoKoshc/s200/DSC02973.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310923332458351474" border="0" /></a><br />We pulled into our deeply-discounted slip and were greeted by our neighbors, Bob and Caryl on the boat <span style="font-style: italic;">Sisiutl.</span> Bob's first words were, "so, you joining the fleet on the sail across the pacific?" Not wanting to blow our cover-- and our discount-- we say, "uh, yeah, we're certainly hoping to." Bob says, "well, there's a whole bunch of seminars and a party here this Friday." Turns out that Bob has logged more than 50,000 sea miles and has made the trip several times, and even organizes many of the activities.<br /><br />Over the next week or so, mainly for kicks-- but also to learn a little something that might prepare us for future cruises-- we went to the seminars on topics like "Diesel Mechanics" and "Preventing Chafe in Your Rigging" and "Provisioning for Weeks at Sea" and such. Next, we went to a meetup and slide show put on by Tahiti Tourisme. The excitement in the room was palpable...there were probably 25-3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDt3A4A7x0yCkY9beSFZlAXc_4HfgtrR78J7EK0BpfMbm3-BSkC_7iqXpmnTY3-exhATVSqG7NNxGWk5f8kvApoKA-XVWv4K02szeaOH055SBwR-9CmSN4K32w4nlVusWQRvSp5nP56E/s1600-h/puddle+jumpers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDt3A4A7x0yCkY9beSFZlAXc_4HfgtrR78J7EK0BpfMbm3-BSkC_7iqXpmnTY3-exhATVSqG7NNxGWk5f8kvApoKA-XVWv4K02szeaOH055SBwR-9CmSN4K32w4nlVusWQRvSp5nP56E/s200/puddle+jumpers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310945719839904290" border="0" /></a>0 boats are all getting ready to make the jump, and everyone was eager to meet everyone else and make new friends in preparation for the journey.<br /><br />Here's where things began to get a little crazy...we started to get totally caught up in the whirlwind excitement of it all. Visions of Bora Bora and the Marquesas started filling our waking and sleepin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVK0A9xBCIZD10AIIgn9eNioMn1Sf1nBBzpZSW9Y4EV9837tB9zO9x06JTPho4IveBFDffWVBIWMVLK_fxdurJGKdXjg8sb28IaQEmXfh2MNMVo0PVUG1Ix3PAoU1l-mIQ5eTyi0x46w/s1600-h/Bora-Bora_French-Polynesia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVK0A9xBCIZD10AIIgn9eNioMn1Sf1nBBzpZSW9Y4EV9837tB9zO9x06JTPho4IveBFDffWVBIWMVLK_fxdurJGKdXjg8sb28IaQEmXfh2MNMVo0PVUG1Ix3PAoU1l-mIQ5eTyi0x46w/s200/Bora-Bora_French-Polynesia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310923345650701522" border="0" /></a>g dreams, and all these little snippets of conversations we'd been having roosted in our heads and wouldn't leave, repeating themselves endlessly: "you should do it now, while you're still young!" and, "you've got a good boat, why not go?" and "it's paradise on earth! Just do it!"<br /><br />Several times over the next few days Naomi and I looked at each other and said, "should we go? we should go!" The impulse to sail off into the sunset to the South Pacific was strong, and our resolve was particularly fortified whenever we'd had a couple beers...We could almost smell the bougainvilla coming from the distant shores. We decided to "try and make it happen, and if we can do it, we'd do it". So we sat down with a list of everything that needed to be done.<br /><br />Then reality set in. I woke up several mornings with an absolute knot in my stomach. Our Islander 36 is a fantastic boat, but we had outfitted it for a 6-month coastal cruise-- not a major open water ocean crossing. We would need lots of diesel and water jugs and we'd really nee<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT9uufLW-KNTgRf-6j2Y6S1dR9vhSba3KgKkPUckx7-mbeph2ESvXpbu_0yPdpOTjJBf_Jtpz_aFN2SMYGRgr5Cnq8slo4aK2tPxQ1yjw7hDOk1MFC394mV5gnvq53UFdMV2HBafLfWs/s1600-h/shopping+for+veggies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT9uufLW-KNTgRf-6j2Y6S1dR9vhSba3KgKkPUckx7-mbeph2ESvXpbu_0yPdpOTjJBf_Jtpz_aFN2SMYGRgr5Cnq8slo4aK2tPxQ1yjw7hDOk1MFC394mV5gnvq53UFdMV2HBafLfWs/s200/shopping+for+veggies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310923338083284722" border="0" /></a>d a Single Sideband ("SSB") radio to be able to communicate and get weather forecasts-- not a cheap or easy installation. Other issues began to pop up too, the biggest of which was: what to do with the boat once we got there? Our options were to either keep going 'round the world (or at least to Australia), or make the difficult passage up to Hawaii and then over to California-- a route that often sees violent storms. Dealing with our apartment, dog, and life back in California was also a big issue.<br /><br />Around this time, I was hanging out on my boat when I saw a new boat come in to the marina, attempt to dock, then abort. He swung around to make another pass, and I called out, "need a hand"? and jogged over to help him with his docklines. I met the captain, Mike, and then he met Naomi at the rooftop puddle jumper party. He was further encouraging us to go-- threatening to tow us halfway out to the ocean while we slept. We got on well, and a new idea started to take shape-- what about crewing on his boat?<br /><br />To make a relatively long story short, after much discussion, negotiation, and "getting to know you" dinners, we agreed to go with Mike and his girlfriend Veronika and his dog on his boat "Apple" a beautiful Jenneau 45. Now we are in the ar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB26dsIhZB7JfFtFGge87nOyyk9LXaHSwDa6po-L-Uxl55flNfaCT3xSn0iz1Rv1-DhyfVO7xZl6Tto2d7jhkbGFkmy5bcSvjV19sWvBMn2G2j01VP_tdyURukWQITVwDiaXaOFIoSrAk/s1600-h/DSC05657.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB26dsIhZB7JfFtFGge87nOyyk9LXaHSwDa6po-L-Uxl55flNfaCT3xSn0iz1Rv1-DhyfVO7xZl6Tto2d7jhkbGFkmy5bcSvjV19sWvBMn2G2j01VP_tdyURukWQITVwDiaXaOFIoSrAk/s200/DSC05657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310910260785920690" border="0" /></a>duous process of preparing the boat for the trip, provisioning for weeks at sea, and getting ourselves 'mentally ready' for such a huge open water passage.<br /><br />Speaking of, the psychology of it all is an interesting thing, mainly due to the distances involved-- it's the largest open body of water on the entire planet that a boat can sail through without seeing land. I go through a cycle each day, where I wake up almost a nervous wreck thinking about the journey, then I gradually get more and more excited about it all day, then by the evening I'm really excited to go and can't wait. Then the next day the cycle starts all over again.<br /><br />It will be about 3100 miles to the first landfall-- the remote and mysterious Marqu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o1BpJPrSohCanE4WHulNpg0JaQV_PlqSDcJegK94GRaGRvjixHxHK0HqHpvkplbfZs4A_KnAl3Wo23wdVlnw7_SDRPbvk3KYvKRHnuAfkZ8vWeQ_OsBXguVHs8aDb32ZLhCvJu7DJ_U/s1600-h/DSC05650.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_o1BpJPrSohCanE4WHulNpg0JaQV_PlqSDcJegK94GRaGRvjixHxHK0HqHpvkplbfZs4A_KnAl3Wo23wdVlnw7_SDRPbvk3KYvKRHnuAfkZ8vWeQ_OsBXguVHs8aDb32ZLhCvJu7DJ_U/s200/DSC05650.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310943239114301794" border="0" /></a>esas-- then another 1100 or so through the Tuomotu archipelago to Tahiti. But in actuality is is even longer since we can't really go in a straight line...basically we make a gentle "S-curve" by riding the Northern Hemisphere trade winds west, then we cross the equator and ICTZ (doldrums) by going due south until we catch the southern hemisphere trade winds. In an ideal world it will take 3-4 weeks, but it could take much longer.<br /><br />Despite some pre-game jitters, we are really excited about this trip. On the one hand, it is a great relief to "not be the captain" and to not have ultimate responsibility for every little thing on the boat. It is a brand new boat, with sails, rigging, engine--new everything-- and it has lots of critical safety gear. On the other hand, I worry about what it will be<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGTOoZsuY91GV4WJywxbQygIyoFnX5gAQ5q99eM36B6-YMlGnciMFMAqgxql_C4d6BHxfTPHPbIjn2qQWFM0kf6dtyNCle5KPY_TX2oFaRpg5uP9J7DRUkFFdPGReTQiznrA7EF1OMgk/s1600-h/DSC05645.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGTOoZsuY91GV4WJywxbQygIyoFnX5gAQ5q99eM36B6-YMlGnciMFMAqgxql_C4d6BHxfTPHPbIjn2qQWFM0kf6dtyNCle5KPY_TX2oFaRpg5uP9J7DRUkFFdPGReTQiznrA7EF1OMgk/s200/DSC05645.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310910256528741634" border="0" /></a> like to be out of sight of land for 3+ weeks, and also about sharing a small space with some people we don't know that well.<br /><br />But overall we are thrilled and grateful for this opportunity...it's a bit surreal to think that shortly, we'll be sailing off to french polynesia! I'm just chalking it up to an "adventure" as defined by, "it will have it's rough patches, frustrations, tiring moments, etc but also its glorious ones that are <span style="font-style: italic;">earned...</span>" The adventure easily lends itself to the romantic notions of the South Pacific paradise that has captivated the western world since the time of Captain Cook. And in the end, I'm sure we will look back on it as a major accomplishment 20 years from now.<br /><br />Stay tuned-- we'll be sure to have a complete rundown with lots of pictures before you know it!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-49925454163685041792009-03-06T13:50:00.000-08:002009-04-17T13:57:31.063-07:00Tres Marietas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWRMS4byAQYBXjsKtUJYP7csWzBON8WVkvwU7vbuV2d_ftfyixLrKbK-wk7q5BT5NIBkPf1x9hEDgA6TeSxDtROFcZGtuubMKc_0n9hv8-Yv9SRZezK2ITYJNX4UccvZAxDES-noU0O8/s1600-h/digging+in+sand+marietas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310202607517569234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWRMS4byAQYBXjsKtUJYP7csWzBON8WVkvwU7vbuV2d_ftfyixLrKbK-wk7q5BT5NIBkPf1x9hEDgA6TeSxDtROFcZGtuubMKc_0n9hv8-Yv9SRZezK2ITYJNX4UccvZAxDES-noU0O8/s200/digging+in+sand+marietas.jpg" border="0" /></a>Just a quick posting, as it's been verrrrry busy around here (which I'll elaborate on in my next post-- stay tuned).<br /><br />But last weekend, our buddy Roger had a bunch of his buddies in town, including Chad (who once took a panga all the way down the coast to Panama) as well as Steve, Travis, and Scott (who are the harbor masters at Catalina in SoCal).<br /><br />These guys party hard, and in one of their on-shore excursions, they found and shang-hai'd a very nice Aussie gal named Ali who is a (paid) crew <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRpigiRI7X6kM7lojWP-tq8usM3c9BXmlYFmAIYeP4A7xOWVVLpYr314K6jF1xTA1CnYDv4FimeVCryynh9UN6Mq9Xo_l8hSPJx2q7iqMbc_64XGhGYnN1XSz7xUrzjB4PwhhrDAgDsU/s1600-h/sand+crab+races.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310933444689042162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 156px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 118px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRpigiRI7X6kM7lojWP-tq8usM3c9BXmlYFmAIYeP4A7xOWVVLpYr314K6jF1xTA1CnYDv4FimeVCryynh9UN6Mq9Xo_l8hSPJx2q7iqMbc_64XGhGYnN1XSz7xUrzjB4PwhhrDAgDsU/s200/sand+crab+races.jpg" border="0" /></a>member on a 114-foot sailboat called the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Beagle.</span> It was interesting to hear her tales of life as a professional sailor.<br /><br />Anyway, we sailed up and anchored off Punta Mita for a night, which is a great little town at the northwest corner of Banderas Bay. The boys and Ali kept the festivities running late into the night-- think full-volume midnight Neil Diamond sing-alongs, with occasional air-horn accompaniment-- but <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0LiJEHnLQzTYw4MtXtxhZdBoygcmXfl_1XsqKGyMRPlwAHIroQD8-jefRWIuDgUGdDfDpAlEXTkUwUY2diOc0tfwgBAk8XrY597xonKtehzcNPXOldKGDfZ6eT7QgP7cV90JhcAUL2I/s1600-h/arc+at+tres+marietas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310933451211968770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 109px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0LiJEHnLQzTYw4MtXtxhZdBoygcmXfl_1XsqKGyMRPlwAHIroQD8-jefRWIuDgUGdDfDpAlEXTkUwUY2diOc0tfwgBAk8XrY597xonKtehzcNPXOldKGDfZ6eT7QgP7cV90JhcAUL2I/s200/arc+at+tres+marietas.jpg" border="0" /></a>fortunately I'd had the good sense to tell Naomi "don't anchor too close to Palapa" earlier in the day.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The following day we sailed over to some islands called Tres Marietas which is a marine sanctuary. Very cool place-- and we had the island to ourselves.<br /></div><br />We filled the day with swimming, snorkeling, and hermit crab races (see the circular pit we dug). Unfortunately, our crab, Pedro, did not win, but he put up a valiant effort. That night, we returned to our previous ha<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLA3zg66u1To6W7anQYaUUPaZh4ZhssygJcUET-HzHEd9GrQrJs61fI0vzsmo_OE1mhMsrjrda8DWe13kxCm_YOUINrKrSs0m8dS8tpfit-CUZGyhgYYhgkDSDCMOYZ82dhUoP-j7dW34/s1600-h/steve+on+sand.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310202605803770594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 156px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 118px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLA3zg66u1To6W7anQYaUUPaZh4ZhssygJcUET-HzHEd9GrQrJs61fI0vzsmo_OE1mhMsrjrda8DWe13kxCm_YOUINrKrSs0m8dS8tpfit-CUZGyhgYYhgkDSDCMOYZ82dhUoP-j7dW34/s200/steve+on+sand.jpg" border="0" /></a>bits of docking in the dark, successfully. Overall a very fun weeke<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr81CxTKTGEMDg3tyyE6LTem_rFITHTl1b-3jsgyZ6YBB09GqmKvwJ5uTOjucb5KnhaN7CQsWQVSWLv5C2TMN1CAFUhfeD-1YdS_jooFO521GsTM6O1BYRg37wyz_ZrZbuGJGBvgjzjak/s1600-h/tres+marietas+beach.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310933443031391250" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 108px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr81CxTKTGEMDg3tyyE6LTem_rFITHTl1b-3jsgyZ6YBB09GqmKvwJ5uTOjucb5KnhaN7CQsWQVSWLv5C2TMN1CAFUhfeD-1YdS_jooFO521GsTM6O1BYRg37wyz_ZrZbuGJGBvgjzjak/s200/tres+marietas+beach.jpg" border="0" /></a>nd!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2DXX3zzXQvgT5ZxhSEjPuneDzNZ8_zR3VtngBjeQAdyA7Sxn4x93wL44m5x5R6yDpFpuwJxE2JYoA8lEX58udmcDKfMhk5nLyQLQat5dHgsGc8PyWq0dPDh7Fo9qeXucWFpy7JSy7F0/s1600-h/tan+nathan+marietas.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGnBuLJBodFfjS_sy6JusKOprjrYP1hBj5lxxfFXtXUK3gEdQ1lOKCms3mH-PP3geDjDkrYAcrWQ0wQ4u1A3HEn20Od_kXC_Z71pmIf9G9IBVeUiwR8EKcaq6CmQDKyQ9pcilcGB_Uqo/s1600-h/punta+mita+sunset.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310933438224646210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 139px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 104px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGnBuLJBodFfjS_sy6JusKOprjrYP1hBj5lxxfFXtXUK3gEdQ1lOKCms3mH-PP3geDjDkrYAcrWQ0wQ4u1A3HEn20Od_kXC_Z71pmIf9G9IBVeUiwR8EKcaq6CmQDKyQ9pcilcGB_Uqo/s200/punta+mita+sunset.jpg" border="0" /></a>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-88438303101582087412009-02-25T10:18:00.000-08:002009-03-02T10:44:54.084-08:00Yelapa + (Briefly) Flying the Chute<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mbtIAtRG4YWld3RDxrL9pkiHV8rOnUrjn5h6GoK1MFQefXErzzvY3MxNLhpx2ZnFG0Mq0r0AFx4ElXjW3UahOjw8vSkldgu7s2PZtzILs6WJSbwGa-n0qVhlACsUVEI5wgKYGe79QEk/s1600-h/fonzie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mbtIAtRG4YWld3RDxrL9pkiHV8rOnUrjn5h6GoK1MFQefXErzzvY3MxNLhpx2ZnFG0Mq0r0AFx4ElXjW3UahOjw8vSkldgu7s2PZtzILs6WJSbwGa-n0qVhlACsUVEI5wgKYGe79QEk/s200/fonzie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307155006991897090" border="0" /></a>So, we took a great day sail over to Yelapa and moored there for the night. This is a small cove on the south side of Banderas Bay that was previously only accessible by boat, making it a favorite hangout of gringo hippies from California.<br /><br />The oft-heard saying goes something like this: "<span style="font-style: italic;">A Palapa in Yelapa Beats a Condo in Redondo..." </span><br /><br />Anyway, it was a nice beach and cute town, with a warren of meandering narrow streets clinging to the steep hillside...it reminded me of some places in Italy's Cinque Terre. But, I have to conclude that Yelapa has "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumped_the_shark">jumped the shark</a>"; whereas it was formerly isolated and a hip little oasis, frequent day trips of tourist-filled pangas from PV have ruined it. The moment we got off the beach, we were hustled for a picture with an iguana on our shoulder, "native" handbags and other <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkKLQK23lPP1YSOdyi50tCsIjkISKWPu8_YZXgnB-Gedc-QSaJCl_5uVXcYFFwPRcowJdHCZzWr5wB_ezWcCGh4o2Dp_r-_3978j_N8Cqc7-fz3VYyKjUk5P6Kq-JZkrScTZf8teFshs/s1600-h/hoisting+spinnaker+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkKLQK23lPP1YSOdyi50tCsIjkISKWPu8_YZXgnB-Gedc-QSaJCl_5uVXcYFFwPRcowJdHCZzWr5wB_ezWcCGh4o2Dp_r-_3978j_N8Cqc7-fz3VYyKjUk5P6Kq-JZkrScTZf8teFshs/s200/hoisting+spinnaker+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307154619633551026" border="0" /></a>tschochkes (probably made in China), and restaurant touts.<br /><br />The next day we headed back across the bay, initially hugging the dramatic southern coast. Some theorize that Banderas Bay was formerly a volcano, and the southern side is characterized by steep hills that jut dramatically out of the ocean. Very cool.<br /><br />Our buddy Roger had a couple friends visiting, Sherry and Andrew, so to break things up, I took Andrew on <span style="font-style: italic;">Hurulu</span> and Roger took Naomi and Sherry on <span style="font-style: italic;">Palapa.</span> Andrew has done a lot of sailing and racing, and we decided to attempt a first for Hurulu: flying the spinnaker.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0mrSB9iPhx6eMlPars7B1sO28LExIXHK5pgPh_gZGjkrZgS_218TeMsE1fPWFqqWG-ZOIr5VHfr9N06cOpWN4pATQYK2N0lJDXiMPiPI_tV-97g6eoaNPFakaEJSMP_y9lRJwktKZrU/s1600-h/hoisting+spinnaker+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0mrSB9iPhx6eMlPars7B1sO28LExIXHK5pgPh_gZGjkrZgS_218TeMsE1fPWFqqWG-ZOIr5VHfr9N06cOpWN4pATQYK2N0lJDXiMPiPI_tV-97g6eoaNPFakaEJSMP_y9lRJwktKZrU/s200/hoisting+spinnaker+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307153603205649250" border="0" /></a><br />After sitting out in the middle of the bay for close to 5 hours, with zero wind-- literally, we were sailing along at 1 knot--around 1 pm the breeze kicked up. We tacked upwind to give us "sea room" for the (downwind) spinnaker run, and then got in position. Meanwhile, the breeze continued to gain rapidly....under mainsail alone, we were clocking off 6.5 knots, and the wind was ticking up to 20 knots.<br /><br />Ok, at this point we should have probably just enjoyed our sail, sans-spinnaker, but I really wanted to fly one on Hurulu, and Andrew was as experienced a foredeck crew as we'd ever had aboard. I kept the helm steady with one hand while trying to film our first "chute launch" with the other.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrKbaBU14nk2UiPw9mjoBkJGDMLEuqSeWa8AgyF_R_b6BZuYThyphenhyphenlctePtz9F_oqqV0INhOFYPtsyRtnGdxqbR-MljLG6VGmoY26YEzHEf2wp_LNHxeFvTdksO8W1jX1fGVPgs1qIQqTk/s1600-h/spinnaker+flying+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrKbaBU14nk2UiPw9mjoBkJGDMLEuqSeWa8AgyF_R_b6BZuYThyphenhyphenlctePtz9F_oqqV0INhOFYPtsyRtnGdxqbR-MljLG6VGmoY26YEzHEf2wp_LNHxeFvTdksO8W1jX1fGVPgs1qIQqTk/s200/spinnaker+flying+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307152255259169442" border="0" /></a><br />With great suspense, he hoisted the halyard, and...the sail promptly twisted around itself. Andrew spent the next several minutes extending half his body off the boat's bow pulpit, untwisting. Meanwhile, the wind continued to pick up, above 20 kts.<br /><br />Finally, he got it up! And the boat took off like a race horse. It was a wild ride-- somewhat analogous to strapping an uncontrollable jet pack to the stern-- but our downwind heading was taking us directly into the beach, <span style="font-style: italic;">very fast.</span><br /><br />Finally, we had to drop it, and here's where it got a little nuts. The sail twisted again, and the pole swung out to the port side shroud, bending the pole, while the sail promptly dropp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgvEeH4IZFcXW3mY6xpJoBgaANPZLE2qw6i1z6XTOLmfFe8eeInk1mOa6fKW5OQ3T6hbU9mGqWn9fm31UM8K8Qz3RjSuwZJYaPmbSuL1QqzddR9X4orqw0pgHAqdUbtP5ZE7qFcLCM0A/s1600-h/spinnaker+wrapped+around+the+monitor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgvEeH4IZFcXW3mY6xpJoBgaANPZLE2qw6i1z6XTOLmfFe8eeInk1mOa6fKW5OQ3T6hbU9mGqWn9fm31UM8K8Qz3RjSuwZJYaPmbSuL1QqzddR9X4orqw0pgHAqdUbtP5ZE7qFcLCM0A/s200/spinnaker+wrapped+around+the+monitor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307151597218805490" border="0" /></a>ed in the water and wrapped around the Monitor windvane. While Andrew pulled in the lines, I had to keep the boat from jibing, while also climbing monkey-like onto the Monitor's steel tube framing and unwrapping it.<br /><br />Eventually we got it all together, back on board and stowed, and to make the most of the great wind, we flew the 170 jib-- and flew the boat! We were clocking off 7.5 knots and chased the (normally much faster) Palapa into the harbor.<br /><br />Overall, despite the bent pole and a tear in the chute, it was an exciting experience. We're already reviewing the video (which mostly just shows chaos) and playing monday-morning quarterback, hoping to refine our gameplan for next time. Oh yes, there <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> be a next time!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-83789797822467821662009-02-25T09:14:00.000-08:002009-02-26T14:55:45.299-08:00Sailing Minimalism<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yeDUFy_QrpLUbXGYyJYnNIsaIaakvjNfhotguNBTtVELsiEaa8SrY_N4ecd6k7nyTGYFZnFki92x1RkPev13_vTkwyhyd01l5FXBRrcUjIcpwAyhpLqHqWqXhyphenhyphent5xSTnkBLPYNJ6lms/s1600-h/sailing+minmalism.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yeDUFy_QrpLUbXGYyJYnNIsaIaakvjNfhotguNBTtVELsiEaa8SrY_N4ecd6k7nyTGYFZnFki92x1RkPev13_vTkwyhyd01l5FXBRrcUjIcpwAyhpLqHqWqXhyphenhyphent5xSTnkBLPYNJ6lms/s200/sailing+minmalism.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307142153121140594" border="0" /></a>We are still here in PV working on boat projects, which is actually pretty fun. As mentioned in my last post, it is both challenging and very rewarding to learn-- often by trial and error-- how to work on boats.<br /><br />As the old saying goes: <span style="font-style: italic;">"What's the definition of sailing? Fixing expensive things in </span><span style="font-style: italic;">foreign ports..."<br /><br /></span>Actually, we are very fortunate in that our boat is very simple (I like to call it "minimalist sailing"). When outfitting our boat, we put most of the $$ int<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTEjvpm25nEGtlfDmksXtdKFvrgNqYzkRxy_ky1dMa9hb_rqQKxvEp_miQDgOHXVUTwQQYSgXHL3m1choZ-gTr4fRXKPCxYgRM-tFZjT7OtZN6AfhnwGaWX2SphJC4CImMulCuyAG9wM/s1600-h/DSC05622.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTEjvpm25nEGtlfDmksXtdKFvrgNqYzkRxy_ky1dMa9hb_rqQKxvEp_miQDgOHXVUTwQQYSgXHL3m1choZ-gTr4fRXKPCxYgRM-tFZjT7OtZN6AfhnwGaWX2SphJC4CImMulCuyAG9wM/s200/DSC05622.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307242785405966610" border="0" /></a>o the core essentials...new rigging, new sails, new anchors, etc...things that make a boat 'go' and 'stop'. Thus, most of our current boat projects are cosmetic, maintenance, or preventative work...re-doing the teak varnish, polishing the decks and stainless, changing the oil in the diesel, etc.<br /><br />I contrast our work with the daunting tasks that some of our dock neighbors are doing....rebuilding engines, overhauling entire (and very costly electrical systems), fixing esoteric plumbing systems, etc.<br /><br />Which brings us to another relevant saying: <span style="font-style: italic;">"The likelihood of major systems failure increases exponentially with system complexity." </span>And boy, are some of these boats complex...to wit:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">They</span> have wicked cool navigation / communication / entertainment systems, all integrated together and talking to one another, with lots of flat panel displays throughout the nav station and cockpit. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">We</span> have a handheld GPS and some paper charts.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTgxTFuLeouTN2sAUJSjz6zQBynqSk0SP81yvVjBQIKD4PF4DR6SKDOISbkO0_WSvtrFKXnGfZ87g7j4S_T8NTzQgYn9eJvkYmL84esbtKAU6Kg76ukm1zntzMdCHkKIHmEUH8AVeJbs/s1600-h/great+sailing+with+andrew.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTgxTFuLeouTN2sAUJSjz6zQBynqSk0SP81yvVjBQIKD4PF4DR6SKDOISbkO0_WSvtrFKXnGfZ87g7j4S_T8NTzQgYn9eJvkYmL84esbtKAU6Kg76ukm1zntzMdCHkKIHmEUH8AVeJbs/s200/great+sailing+with+andrew.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307141555159104450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">They</span> have $7,000 water maker systems with multi stage filtration and advanced reverse osmosis membranes. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">We</span> have two built-in water tanks (that we fill with a hose) and two $20 jerry cans. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">They</span> have forced-air air conditioning systems. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">We</span> have two battery operated fans we bought at Target for $5 (and amazingly, have never used, although we have actually <span style="font-style: italic;">loaned</span> them out to one of our fancy-boat friends).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">They</span> have high power, generator driven refrigeration and ice-making systems. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">We</span> have an icebox with a very small cold plate (although we <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span>, in fact, once make a tray of ice during the 31-hour motor-crossing from Baja to Mazatlan). (We also have friends with ice-makers...)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfIrT6_ChkvkSTOKztBFFt1vjfdE2Ffn0EZ9U5ihxIS2Qg9rBgmCbFjYRPPA-4yV9UEuzT-vDQkzrPd0gbcEcmvLQ8phS3DU1xeeOr5-mOlCC0mM6gbxr1H029MOV9lFMnioiNiUv5Yc/s1600-h/DSC05620.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfIrT6_ChkvkSTOKztBFFt1vjfdE2Ffn0EZ9U5ihxIS2Qg9rBgmCbFjYRPPA-4yV9UEuzT-vDQkzrPd0gbcEcmvLQ8phS3DU1xeeOr5-mOlCC0mM6gbxr1H029MOV9lFMnioiNiUv5Yc/s200/DSC05620.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307242781466457666" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, I admit to sometimes succumbing to "gadget envy." But then again, we both enjoy the exact same sunsets, sandy beaches, and snorkeling. And, while <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">they</span> spend half of their time sitting in a marina, waiting for parts to arrive from the U.S....<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">we</span> are out blasting around the bay at 7.2 knots!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-45074302727034053632009-02-13T12:01:00.001-08:002009-02-17T10:14:36.519-08:00Parental Visits, Bull Fights, and Boat Projects<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvCm0eCXUjZe5lLzjief3SzXHtlUMutp77TaidFxhaMNwv10VwpYg8FO9HiYOZrEvFV3QrFn4SOx3LIJVUgxoWcVgzRBy-wSPopHeWTyQg6BqxBJtgE8y4NaTBadXWY7HH6vKP7SMrAg/s1600-h/dad+scouting+for+whales.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvCm0eCXUjZe5lLzjief3SzXHtlUMutp77TaidFxhaMNwv10VwpYg8FO9HiYOZrEvFV3QrFn4SOx3LIJVUgxoWcVgzRBy-wSPopHeWTyQg6BqxBJtgE8y4NaTBadXWY7HH6vKP7SMrAg/s200/dad+scouting+for+whales.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303813775578853794" border="0" /></a>My parents Mary Lou and Dr. Bruce came down for a week's visit, and to escape their fairly hectic lives (he escaping from the stress of being an emergency room doc, and she of being a grandma to a 2 year old and 6 month old).<br /><br />They met us here at the beautiful Marina de La Cruz and we went for a really nice afternoon sail. We weren't out more than 10 minutes when our resident whale-spotter Naomi sighted the distinctive spouting action perhaps half a mile <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimarAfKKQKYpF0CoWnIDB972xi8FB87Gpn4FrzhVjqk9qTQujtfuXiElF26xUG2AXJhCiFT_lmSWsO3vkKGjRxS4jnIuCj3ss7ccJ__Kppy-iOoLvnoO3Vghruwc1CYeQjsBMXNBvLltA/s1600-h/mom+on+boat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimarAfKKQKYpF0CoWnIDB972xi8FB87Gpn4FrzhVjqk9qTQujtfuXiElF26xUG2AXJhCiFT_lmSWsO3vkKGjRxS4jnIuCj3ss7ccJ__Kppy-iOoLvnoO3Vghruwc1CYeQjsBMXNBvLltA/s200/mom+on+boat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303813782182596562" border="0" /></a>ahead. We got closer and saw a few dramatic dives, signified by their huge tails flashing vertical. After that, my Dad and I jumped on a bus and made it downtown just in time for the start of a bull fight...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Note: sensitive readers may want to stop here.) </span><br /><br />Bullfighting is a rather gruesome but fascinating sport...I was particularly keen to see one first-hand, having struggled through about 400 pages on the topic in James Michener's book <span style="font-style: italic;">Mexico. </span> And yes, even though it is quite controversial and rather gory (and almost always ends in the bull's death), I do believe it merits consideration as both <span style="font-style: italic;">art</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">sport.</span> More <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rwO8I3XrHtLFQvlwqFRL1yM0aWFc8GWzDBAje-3x63glKTbZs3HPOhxgovx3fT4ZEsMUPHgwOV8GvD4qbVxIEqz1X4ZQqeW8YGzWoeKdqmfwsvJ7SnhxpK37_f5m8IjtbHEdFlC_xMU/s1600-h/picador+placing+pic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rwO8I3XrHtLFQvlwqFRL1yM0aWFc8GWzDBAje-3x63glKTbZs3HPOhxgovx3fT4ZEsMUPHgwOV8GvD4qbVxIEqz1X4ZQqeW8YGzWoeKdqmfwsvJ7SnhxpK37_f5m8IjtbHEdFlC_xMU/s200/picador+placing+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303822999427448130" border="0" /></a>on that in a moment; first a brief overview.<br /><br />A typical bull fight lasts about two hours, and includes four bulls. Each bull fights a matador (aka Torero), and each matador is assisted by picadores on horseback and banderilleros (flagmen) on foot. It starts off with the band playing a rousing tune and the bull being released into the ring, where it runs around very spiritedly and is studied by the matadors for his behavior and ferocity.<br /><br />Next, the picador-- in our case a very fat man-- enters the arena on horseback. The horse is blindfolded and has protective padding all around his sides and belly. The bull is <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN-IvkAsvvCMBSlWPftyv09aehtfK6xHg9QgktFoZLsyxY3HeTKQ5-0pxfUMnXNd_tCnuAquL1O4Xz8tBTTim5Pqzb-yZD5NDfssw7gofUyCjxa8Z85e0zzeE0yPEVnNGM_SHXvgCo6k/s1600-h/placing+the+pics.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN-IvkAsvvCMBSlWPftyv09aehtfK6xHg9QgktFoZLsyxY3HeTKQ5-0pxfUMnXNd_tCnuAquL1O4Xz8tBTTim5Pqzb-yZD5NDfssw7gofUyCjxa8Z85e0zzeE0yPEVnNGM_SHXvgCo6k/s200/placing+the+pics.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303823393723491762" border="0" /></a>led to charge the horse, at which point the picador uses a lance to stab around the base of the neck. This helps the matadors determine which way the bull charges with his horns (whether he's a "lefty or righty") and if successful with the pics, the bull will hang his head lower, which makes the matador's ultimate job easier.<br /><br />Next, the banderilleros enter the ring and encourage the bull to charge; when he does, they dodge aside and place two brightly colored and feathered pics (with sharp points on the end) into the bulls flank. This further tires the bull allows the matador to continue to study his behavior. It's pretty brave stuff, as the bull charges the bandillero (not his cape), and he must dodge at the very last second to place the pics; but it's not nearly as brave as what comes next, in the final stage.<br /><br />Here, the matador enters alone; it is "mano-a-toro." He uses his red cape to get t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkaQShs-DMmFixFqb0Sp3nMls8PSOMXuQRUjpTnqu0KS8k8Q-4d6uhe0NBFTlsTT0ljtExiuq8byN0WZn2WClVNbX0MEaEs9iq3ikpnaGpOtXXAUHc5gX1_eakyTT3fur_zspvghKqn8/s1600-h/matador+getting+hit+trimmed+half.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkaQShs-DMmFixFqb0Sp3nMls8PSOMXuQRUjpTnqu0KS8k8Q-4d6uhe0NBFTlsTT0ljtExiuq8byN0WZn2WClVNbX0MEaEs9iq3ikpnaGpOtXXAUHc5gX1_eakyTT3fur_zspvghKqn8/s200/matador+getting+hit+trimmed+half.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303823752987951666" border="0" /></a>he bull to charge, and he performs a number of passes, often very close to his body. These passes are judged as a show of his skill and "control" over the bull. Although the bull is charging at the motion of the cape, bulls are smart and eventually learn who is <span style="font-style: italic;">controlling that cape.</span><br /><br />Finally, the matador performs a series of passes designed to get the bull into position for the kill. This is where the audience collectively holds its breath...it's incredibly tense. The goal is, in <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpq-F2GGD64bYroOgD2FRuHE32qCvVaU67WGvoPk76IcF1jliDBYtbi_Do5W12Vuq4umX_OVoLZ8XGeZ6dbSbYOHpS9A7OKCyCLnGAYGm_OsZZNKZ8HJ4YfWqahbutPDu1laTTjm0DgI/s1600-h/matador+getting+hit+trimmed+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpq-F2GGD64bYroOgD2FRuHE32qCvVaU67WGvoPk76IcF1jliDBYtbi_Do5W12Vuq4umX_OVoLZ8XGeZ6dbSbYOHpS9A7OKCyCLnGAYGm_OsZZNKZ8HJ4YfWqahbutPDu1laTTjm0DgI/s200/matador+getting+hit+trimmed+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303824044066164962" border="0" /></a>theory at least, simple: get the bull to charge, and when he passes close by, place the sword cleanly through the shoulder blades and pierce the heart or aorta. In practice, it's not so simple, as it's a 1300-lb mass of enraged and agile muscle rushing at full force, and the matador must get up and <span style="font-style: italic;">over </span>the sharp horns that annualy kill a few of his peers.<br /><br />In the four bulls we saw, the first two were average, but the third was excellent. The matador was very graceful and commanding of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQQnKsJ7QGeKXEV4BJ_mwCAZ-cfjfJOYIOTbg92AZsgA5ukwYpdE4I4CwXfs7bQFOyiVKxsf3ccqQDECaU3aJ5yyoRfDOQMZcG50qH6Lh1TNFsLDVXUsAWFARQuoPgiqobuSkZP4wy3Y/s1600-h/matador+getting+hit+trimmed+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQQnKsJ7QGeKXEV4BJ_mwCAZ-cfjfJOYIOTbg92AZsgA5ukwYpdE4I4CwXfs7bQFOyiVKxsf3ccqQDECaU3aJ5yyoRfDOQMZcG50qH6Lh1TNFsLDVXUsAWFARQuoPgiqobuSkZP4wy3Y/s200/matador+getting+hit+trimmed+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303824067804675602" border="0" /></a>the bull, and he killed with one clean strike. Literally, the bull dropped on the spot. Gory, but amazing in its skillfullness and mastery.<br /><br />However the fourth was abysmal...from what I have gleaned from the Michener book, everything that can go wrong did. The picador (the one on the horse) stabbed the bull too deeply, causing too much blood loss (analogous to cheating). The audience booed loudly. Next, the matador missed with his first sword strike and then had a poor placement with the second, far too far back on the flank. His third was no better, and so ultimately they halted the fight and put the bull down. I saw the matador outside the ring after the fight and you could tell he was shamed.<br /><br />So yes, it's gory and involves death; it's very controversial, and it's probably a dying sport (interest in both Mexico and Spain has been waning in recent decades). But it is <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWiEPC8PT_CQUXC2pwOKqtxgLxsk7rO2yAiBZ0izFQQ_qhNp0WkkoHqOOGjPx0_Q4IKNnP6chCWtutWBQxcPPtq1h2poFLDEzBzCKYHTkG7VBLf-LpiuHqG4V1nyeL12scyj1HjLBBuQ/s1600-h/placing+the+sword+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWiEPC8PT_CQUXC2pwOKqtxgLxsk7rO2yAiBZ0izFQQ_qhNp0WkkoHqOOGjPx0_Q4IKNnP6chCWtutWBQxcPPtq1h2poFLDEzBzCKYHTkG7VBLf-LpiuHqG4V1nyeL12scyj1HjLBBuQ/s200/placing+the+sword+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303826572563425858" border="0" /></a>really amazing to watch...it's like something out of another time (and indeed, it may trace its roots to gladiator games). There are several centuries of culture and history and ritual entwined in the subtleties of the "dance", and you gotta admit-- despite the pink socks, these matadors have serous <span style="font-style: italic;">cajones.</span><br /><br />The bull is highly respected (and feared)...occasionally, bull who fight particularly well are released and allowed to live. And while the main objection of critics is that it's torture for the bull, the fight <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzyj8ppUPc4if-4YWgWhxkmGt6nUtsH2C5C6BOOVEyyQ0KeSRidtxxW7O0zjkhL3rR3z-fM9xXl88iltXWQN3ziihKugWt06heqoybmegpLG66vpYkwOAVsLhvSGV3WSfEXnc6YuiA7M/s1600-h/placing+the+sword+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzyj8ppUPc4if-4YWgWhxkmGt6nUtsH2C5C6BOOVEyyQ0KeSRidtxxW7O0zjkhL3rR3z-fM9xXl88iltXWQN3ziihKugWt06heqoybmegpLG66vpYkwOAVsLhvSGV3WSfEXnc6YuiA7M/s200/placing+the+sword+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303826218880611362" border="0" /></a>doesn't last long-- 20 minutes perhaps-- and it's a noble way for a noble beast to "go out" vs simply being led to the slaughterhouse. Perhaps I'm anthropomorphosizing (sp?) here, but if I were a bull, it's how I'd want to go...<br /><br />Anyway, we spent the next few days with my parents eating our way across town...shrimp tacos in Sayulita, German schnitzel in La Crus, lobster on the beach in Bucerias, and mahi mahi in Old Town PV at Daiquiri Dicks. Muy bien!<br /><br />Now, Naomi and I are plowing through an endless list of 'boat projects', such as: i) revarnishing our wood trim; ii) changing the diesel and tranny oil; iii) fixing a water system leak; iv) installing a new forward hatch (thanks Mom, for sclepping it down here), etc. For me, this stuff is actually fun...it forces us to learn new skills, and be carpenter, plumber, mechanic, and more all at once.<br /><br />And even though it takes me 5x the time it should, it is provides a gratifying sense <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vqqRRaUoDGmUOutb4C6m8gvHxc4EG8hN7-3Ra53wsb8SEYA_CnOmsU6r9cvf92N2wqrOz0x-rvFZyioAcAH4MVfhhu_V77bnbTi_hTUh9nJ-5s9sA8wHLY7zwyWI8n8awPr5UsNWF6A/s1600-h/walk+of+success.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vqqRRaUoDGmUOutb4C6m8gvHxc4EG8hN7-3Ra53wsb8SEYA_CnOmsU6r9cvf92N2wqrOz0x-rvFZyioAcAH4MVfhhu_V77bnbTi_hTUh9nJ-5s9sA8wHLY7zwyWI8n8awPr5UsNWF6A/s200/walk+of+success.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303827006306248482" border="0" /></a>of accomplishment each time I get something done. For example, yesterday I spent about 5 hours wedged in a 3" x 4" starboard lazarette fixing a plumbing leak, water squirting everywhere. But after several tries, I ultimately got it sealed up, and now water flows from our taps like magic...success!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-72164343724549845722009-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:002009-02-26T15:15:19.510-08:00Buddy Boating Benefits<a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mV0q0wAkHH5QW7wvtuMMOuF_Nn8j7Wd0TtHDCLL7h3bgu4CFbHHvMt0UMq_zzkc1Hb7p62ji4oL5t2Q691QfmeLwWwCFNDOSOthyD_u1kcZr-VzsUsHZGvlqGrg7xVj9V-2pxcbHrp8/s1600-h/both+boats+in+paraiso.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mV0q0wAkHH5QW7wvtuMMOuF_Nn8j7Wd0TtHDCLL7h3bgu4CFbHHvMt0UMq_zzkc1Hb7p62ji4oL5t2Q691QfmeLwWwCFNDOSOthyD_u1kcZr-VzsUsHZGvlqGrg7xVj9V-2pxcbHrp8/s320/both+boats+in+paraiso.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302362674719275794" border="0" /></a>As many readers know, we have been "buddy boating" with our friends Roger and Tobe on the Catalina 44, La Palapa, off and on, ever since the Ha Ha rally ended. We first cruised up in the islands north of La Paz, and later, we sailed together down the "Gold Coast" between Puerto Vallarta and Zihuatenejo. <span style="font-style: italic;">(The picture above is of our two boats in Paraiso...Hurulu is not ACTUALLY that much smaller than Palapa, it's just further away-- an optical illusion!)</span><br /><br />Buddy boating was never really our original plan; we sort of just fell into it, but in a word, it's been awesome. Having another boat to cruise around Mexico with has brought another element to the trip, as well as numerous lesser bennies, among them:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Scout: </span> Since La Palapa is 8 feet longer than Hurulu-- and probably 10 or 12 feet longer at the waterline, which is a primary determinant of overall boat speed-- Roger and Tobe are always well ahead of us and get into each anchorage many hours in advance. While I believe Roger gets a particular level of enjoyment in passing us (e.g. when we leave before him), having them out ahead allows us to know what sort of wind and sea conditions we're about to face-- such as when we rounded the notorious Cabo Corrientes. It's also very useful for anchoring, since Roger will relay his lat/long coordinates to us, and we can just pull up alongside and drop the hook. I've said to Naomi recently that I worry we're getting accustomed to this level of concierge service....?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Big Boat Toys:</span> Although La Palapa is only 8 feet longer overall, it's a massively larger boat; it's only 2 years old, and modern boats are much beamier than older ones, particular<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCktRKpiFNwJBqGOGegFdSxmoKr7Bxifh0UzSyw5bVkdoRFhx9EGwm4mrKyXrxff1L_exz6tW4AR92VrpJvoRJ0_zp2WnA8IVMVxbapUi5Z9oPDbeMRU-4Zi7SfiuAxtJxyF5fBvn6EFM/s1600-h/IMGP0200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCktRKpiFNwJBqGOGegFdSxmoKr7Bxifh0UzSyw5bVkdoRFhx9EGwm4mrKyXrxff1L_exz6tW4AR92VrpJvoRJ0_zp2WnA8IVMVxbapUi5Z9oPDbeMRU-4Zi7SfiuAxtJxyF5fBvn6EFM/s320/IMGP0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302366045225973058" border="0" /></a>ly in the stern section, and thus they have vastly larger room for all the toys. And La Palapa has <span style="font-style: italic;">all </span>the toys...watermaker, ice maker, stern mounted showers, a hookah snorkel setup, and all sorts of kitchen and electronic doo-dads for weather, navigation, and entertainment (and did I mention he has video cameras mounted on top of the mast? very cool...)<br /><br />Roger likes to share his toys, and we like to share his toys with him. A typical evening in anchorage sees us coming over for sunset happy hour (with drinks on ICE, a precious commodity), rinsing off on his stern step, grilling up some meat on his huge Australian-made BBQ, then watching a movie on the flat panel in the salon. When Tobe is in town, it gets even better, as she's a wizard with baked goods. Lest you think we're engaged in a totally parasitical relationship, we do try to contribute as best we can..we bring the movies from Naomi's iPods, we bring the "Controy" necessary for margs, and she's pretty handing in whipping<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxbMtdcTxCPrzfdS32kUGRNhbJOCPdNZwDBfxl1L-kUvVdLBmbKLTWavrl5rwuR4E_u8uR703ZHrc_A-8NvTNHq6VHkMZltU-ilDYSfDMV9nRoZ9GTUIXHG_yYv_FF1q0tti3x9IepFA/s1600-h/roger+and+naomi+under+the+trees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxbMtdcTxCPrzfdS32kUGRNhbJOCPdNZwDBfxl1L-kUvVdLBmbKLTWavrl5rwuR4E_u8uR703ZHrc_A-8NvTNHq6VHkMZltU-ilDYSfDMV9nRoZ9GTUIXHG_yYv_FF1q0tti3x9IepFA/s320/roger+and+naomi+under+the+trees.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302367105438006882" border="0" /></a> up an accompanying pasta or rice side (and I usually do the dishes).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Amigo-ship:</span> Probably the best benefit of all is simply having some other folks to hang out with. As mentioned previously we've started our Sea-Rebral book club, and we tend to spend a lot of time just sitting around with coffee mugs discussing: i) the world; ii) personality types (are you task oriented or schedule-oriented?); iii) boat projects (Roger is a great sounding board for my proposed McGyver-type fixes for things); and iv) business ideas (I've got a boat-related gadget brewing that I'll disclose to you after I file a provisional patent).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUblxgoEQntoNXPmpCXKSwGtMvQblPMUQm91X5DxDkRH6osJUA-ssvd_CNYDkSnTtoMQ5JmGXXayb6cd44bdrmFU2kHVeiz23ZimIP0FJUXiYqHuD4VG4jSfGRatpj3TuMVsRyjrpJl6M/s1600-h/roger+nathan+crazy+hair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUblxgoEQntoNXPmpCXKSwGtMvQblPMUQm91X5DxDkRH6osJUA-ssvd_CNYDkSnTtoMQ5JmGXXayb6cd44bdrmFU2kHVeiz23ZimIP0FJUXiYqHuD4VG4jSfGRatpj3TuMVsRyjrpJl6M/s320/roger+nathan+crazy+hair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302367112535371234" border="0" /></a><br />So that's it in a nutshell. As an aside, Roger said that a couple years ago, when they first sailed the Mexican coastline on a much smaller ship, it was them who were sort of taken under the wing of another cruisers couple...so it's karmic payback? Probably, and perhaps in a year or two it will be our turn to "mentor" some other couple making their first trip.<br /><br />Also, I should state that it's very very tempting to continue on with them to the South Pacific (Roger has even promised a mid-ocean meetup to refill our water tanks from his watermaker), but that's currently in the long-shot category (unless this economy keeps imploding). Plus, I think Roger and Tobe need some quality alone-time together, and what better way than to cover 3100 miles of open ocean?Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-86129371484535007032009-02-07T09:23:00.000-08:002009-02-11T08:05:48.077-08:00Dolphins and Dance Party (video)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ53FmSd1jeabaNBi1ZqWBEzldNB4L_5rzryOcemwfX7jlh0W_043sFEV0_A-KEnj5iBnT9DTPRkuYrtO4j7_bQNzERns49n7X6W5dGZstdrCfVU3hPLkt6-j-g96kXs8x8KUtKrwlck8/s1600-h/flip-mino.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301568136028554594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 81px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ53FmSd1jeabaNBi1ZqWBEzldNB4L_5rzryOcemwfX7jlh0W_043sFEV0_A-KEnj5iBnT9DTPRkuYrtO4j7_bQNzERns49n7X6W5dGZstdrCfVU3hPLkt6-j-g96kXs8x8KUtKrwlck8/s200/flip-mino.jpg" border="0" /></a> When we went home to Florida in January we bought a nifty little video camera called the "Flip Mino". Since then I have diligently annoyed Naomi and anyone else within visual range by taking hours of footage.<br /><div></div><br /><div>However, it's pretty difficult to upload stuff, due to Mexican bandwidth issues...dropped connections, session timeouts, etc. It literally takes me hours and dozens of tries to upload anything. </div><div> </div><div>Anyway, we are nothing if not persistent, so here are a couple fun videos for your enjoyment!<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Dolphins off the bow</span></span><br /><br />This was taken on our north-bound passage to Chamela...some of the friendliest dolphins we've found. Anyone know what specific type they are? The spots should give a clue...<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwg7UJfOZkPkPNhEPGx5D4LWDxbVwhkdYmnR2fHXnkhOQXxgVoHRvUsiWKpkhVt7MC3EeL7l7K1ig23Actcyw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">Rod Stewart Dance Party on La Palapa</span><br /><br />This impromptu footage was taken in the lagoon at Barra de Navidad when my friend Susan was visiting.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzPsMHr8d7lvSdfBL3aQURM9halA2_YcQSo0LIHM-oXW_sou52N8-BtrEabuUfog0R7VsAItqpVWPjAQRQ0vQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><div>We'll keep trying to upload more. We are back in Marina de La Cruz (near Puerto Vallarta) and will be here for another week or so while my parents visit and we complete our list of "boat tasks". Asta luego...</div>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-13672053172320505252009-02-02T12:02:00.000-08:002009-02-17T09:02:34.409-08:00Mexico's Gold Coast: Careyes, Paraiso, and Chamela<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGioM1blH5FZ8_sT5SmUVjFT932oupK6n7eK7orJDsxcgtastvGJU1G15tZ-EFUs2ggjjQUu1IbYdBAqTMeijv-6QvcWfRRahACZLxEVxbig6iR3KWgLux8qOUCwTyhMtpzXD74rb_rg/s1600-h/nathan+tenacatita+beach+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGioM1blH5FZ8_sT5SmUVjFT932oupK6n7eK7orJDsxcgtastvGJU1G15tZ-EFUs2ggjjQUu1IbYdBAqTMeijv-6QvcWfRRahACZLxEVxbig6iR3KWgLux8qOUCwTyhMtpzXD74rb_rg/s200/nathan+tenacatita+beach+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298623330018224482" border="0" /></a>After my friend Susan departed and we left Barra, we spent a few days anchored in the very nice Tenacatita Bay, where we took our dinghy up a jungle river. The dinghy river tour was very cool. This is perhaps mostly a "guy thing"-- what little boy, especially one who grew up in the mountains, didn't dream of exploring exotic tropical jungles by boat as a kid?-- but Naomi seemed to enjoy it as well.<br /><br />We skimmed the little dinghy <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x3Mcy62PkUbh-GQKlpctqpwZCYi40r4OpTJ0-9qVuogq99cZpNJ18GA86MvcAGkEQ4S52XhV5CyJ_8kz_YkfbxYtQ1ab6Oqkw5oktaFXw3ZPV5xU_dRsF396gfsCm6brY77cTk8Mxm8/s1600-h/jungle+river.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x3Mcy62PkUbh-GQKlpctqpwZCYi40r4OpTJ0-9qVuogq99cZpNJ18GA86MvcAGkEQ4S52XhV5CyJ_8kz_YkfbxYtQ1ab6Oqkw5oktaFXw3ZPV5xU_dRsF396gfsCm6brY77cTk8Mxm8/s200/jungle+river.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298614117914326434" border="0" /></a>around corners and through long stretches of narrow mangrove tunnels-- very fun. At the end, after several miles, the river dumps out in a lagoon where we had excellent breaded shrimp for lunch, then went back the way we came to avoid getting stuck when the tide went out.<br /><br />Our next little adventure was getting invited to a "potluck dinghy raft up." To our surprise, this is exactly what it sounds like...a bunch of cruisers from different boats each make a hot dish, then pick a spot in the bay and tie all the dinghies together. Very <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXOduprJ7yRcJEY9khqusSTXV_u16Qk-NeW0CTQGghkmea7qJFt5Z6LbVkefmetWtOHvFOfx3Or8Rd2nSgQFZaHpIURKyjBi-MLL-ta7m-ipdwWA0FxsSsPKbbmsf4PW_jZ4ricQSB-M/s1600-h/NB+and+searebral+book+club.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXOduprJ7yRcJEY9khqusSTXV_u16Qk-NeW0CTQGghkmea7qJFt5Z6LbVkefmetWtOHvFOfx3Or8Rd2nSgQFZaHpIURKyjBi-MLL-ta7m-ipdwWA0FxsSsPKbbmsf4PW_jZ4ricQSB-M/s200/NB+and+searebral+book+club.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303811952261809570" border="0" /></a>bizarre, but actually pretty fun, and we were also able to trade a bunch of bad books for equally bad but different books.<br /><br />Speaking of books, Naomi, Roger and I have decided to start our own book club, tentatively titled "Sea-rebral Sailors". The first book we all read was The Godfather, and we discussed at length some odd sub-plots to the mafia tale, such as several detailed chapters dedicated to the surgery to a mafioso's mistress who was "too big <span style="font-style: italic;">down there." </span> Somehow I don't recall that making it into <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcI8UL87FMquXYli7NkpTuHY2cDMW_CyFSWkrR5mUobkMXDuqDwCP7X7Jyk1A5lKbjkJZegvhQJ1KiS5DHJ4AXQZntbC1wLe9tnzfnd1Vq9RQDROukZAOKkHxj1b2sUVv5LLjf82Iy9A/s1600-h/godfather.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 81px; height: 61px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcI8UL87FMquXYli7NkpTuHY2cDMW_CyFSWkrR5mUobkMXDuqDwCP7X7Jyk1A5lKbjkJZegvhQJ1KiS5DHJ4AXQZntbC1wLe9tnzfnd1Vq9RQDROukZAOKkHxj1b2sUVv5LLjf82Iy9A/s200/godfather.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298616931565218146" border="0" /></a>the movies... Next up for discussion is a book we picked up at the dinghy raft up: <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek...A</span><span style="font-style: italic;">ssignment: Eternity! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Careyes</span> After departing Tenacatita, we had good wind and set our Monitor windvane up, which did all the steering work (sad to say, our electronic autopilot, "Otto"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjvv5MZ8zyIdQkf_Ck8uLFTZS_E53V2pCGnwpniTaRcF-WknqVtzveBBMfSRD6hE66C_Y9RIi7GLaER23syfqKP5TCcSR8SeeX6H4L-U0CAM7_lbu7vUqXjNFZvW1g94fB0ae8O3jcBw/s1600-h/hurulu+in+paraiso.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjvv5MZ8zyIdQkf_Ck8uLFTZS_E53V2pCGnwpniTaRcF-WknqVtzveBBMfSRD6hE66C_Y9RIi7GLaER23syfqKP5TCcSR8SeeX6H4L-U0CAM7_lbu7vUqXjNFZvW1g94fB0ae8O3jcBw/s200/hurulu+in+paraiso.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303810759334753538" border="0" /></a>, seems to be having some issues...see the previous post on the never ending search for self-steering systems). Anyway, we were visited by dolphins several times, and they followed us north to a small bay called Careyes, which is a sea turtle breeding area. It's a cute bay, with brightly colored houses clinging to the hillsides, but a tight anchorage with lots of rocks. Also very rolly at night....ugh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paraiso Bay</span><br />The next day saw us heading a short distance north to a verrrrrry small bay called "Paraiso", spanish for "paradise". This is sort of off the well traveled route and out of the way, and I had some anxiety getting into the narrow bay, which was analogous to entering a fjord. But, once we <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOpnDNsdjGmvXCUcU1FIHRCv5NGB37vzypvXDLbpCj3VH-J6mfQnhBwHw4Lll_wEA3RI1Tl2YBv17o5ayQDcMesokYBmfTQw35RUUB4CffVUIPxtSobdQfU_5_JqnyH3YMfKRQATHHz0/s1600-h/nathan+swimming+to+beach+paraiso.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOpnDNsdjGmvXCUcU1FIHRCv5NGB37vzypvXDLbpCj3VH-J6mfQnhBwHw4Lll_wEA3RI1Tl2YBv17o5ayQDcMesokYBmfTQw35RUUB4CffVUIPxtSobdQfU_5_JqnyH3YMfKRQATHHz0/s200/nathan+swimming+to+beach+paraiso.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298624148486988418" border="0" /></a>rounded the corner, we found that it was aptly named-- another little slice of paradise!<br /><br />We had a tiny beach all to ourselves (for most of the day, anyway, until a panga dropped off two women--one of them topless-- and their 3 dogs). But by late afternoon everyone but us had left, and we set up a small camp under the palm trees and made rum drinks, snorkled, and read. After nightfall, Roger was determined to build a beach bonfire, and he did so. It was a perfect night, with <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqVrArALtWDFfWcxCT_v-AV-0wO25hvvSSorXhHlS0vHRQKk0MYMyrP_khz7D1ogSnv7wOLXbtYAziH5uuwSy5AdwxRUIziO3SvW7263x3VZl7OVxnl5UQ_62HjhkGw2ZM7wBkKvjpSA/s1600-h/paraiso+from+the+trees+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqVrArALtWDFfWcxCT_v-AV-0wO25hvvSSorXhHlS0vHRQKk0MYMyrP_khz7D1ogSnv7wOLXbtYAziH5uuwSy5AdwxRUIziO3SvW7263x3VZl7OVxnl5UQ_62HjhkGw2ZM7wBkKvjpSA/s200/paraiso+from+the+trees+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298634962710989538" border="0" /></a>great moonlight and a bunch of dry coconut husks flickering in the fire.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chamela Bay</span><br />The next day we motored a short distance to a bay called Chamela. Along the way, we saw two whales-- the first we have seen in several weeks. Chamela was a nice surprise-- our charts didn't make it look like much, but it's got a nice several-mile-long beach and two islands in the middle, which help block the swells (and thus improved our sleep). It's also almost completely undeveloped, except for a <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpPHP1-scv4jOpRER-CEL7S2ZYb_Xa4g6zDxi-Rltv7mSg5hTa6xuP7IPVAny5Qf5chq36HrFjzt84BJmOkTAWfFveNmYaxEH7LgDe-2T3d1u5hdYfyiYTegBPnTDpba6QbxPEN0NBjI/s1600-h/dolphin+tenacatita.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpPHP1-scv4jOpRER-CEL7S2ZYb_Xa4g6zDxi-Rltv7mSg5hTa6xuP7IPVAny5Qf5chq36HrFjzt84BJmOkTAWfFveNmYaxEH7LgDe-2T3d1u5hdYfyiYTegBPnTDpba6QbxPEN0NBjI/s320/dolphin+tenacatita.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303810487763437634" border="0" /></a>few seafood palapas on the beach. It's always encouraging to find areas that are still untouched--yes, they are definitely still out there!<br /><br />We dinghied to shore and nearly dumped the dinghy. Dinghy-ing through surf is probably one of the more dangerous aspects of sailing, since catching a breaking wave at the wrong moment can flip the dinghy, sending the outboard (and propeller) flying. As it was, I scraped up my shin, but that's all.<br /><br />As our boats sat offshore and as we dined on plates of breaded shrimp (80 pesos, or $5.50), fish tacos (30 pesos, or $2) and a fish filet in butter <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsRTX1cDdjBX_WtgbYm0yQrpCxHyjdaQl3ArRsUypNIZwQvX4ith36tiAI0LbEOYrcrwA3S-tWdJ0oAGuI9kED6DhQ9m9818E0STd8J36SC14VpO2qh3yARKOca-v9GjK6l8kA9GsNOA/s1600-h/nathan+fishing+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsRTX1cDdjBX_WtgbYm0yQrpCxHyjdaQl3ArRsUypNIZwQvX4ith36tiAI0LbEOYrcrwA3S-tWdJ0oAGuI9kED6DhQ9m9818E0STd8J36SC14VpO2qh3yARKOca-v9GjK6l8kA9GsNOA/s200/nathan+fishing+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298639866089507074" border="0" /></a>and garlic (50 pesos, or $3.44) , we seriously pondered riding out the economic storm brewing in the US by just 'hanging off the hook' here for awhile. After all, when we began this trip in October, one dollar bought 10 pesos; it now buys close to 14.5 pesos!<br /><br />In other words, our "cost of living" is now approximately <span style="font-style: italic;">45% cheaper than it was 3 months ago, </span>and with very few other expenses apart from a little diesel (and of course, <span style="font-style: italic;">the wind is free</span>), how could life get any better?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPbFCAC3G0rq9cGKJUTr6WKshLcZtnOb58hXMJUafRYY4NIkusy6A_5d3gOtf9uzsIrkyF9SQW_2c5FfJ1RMOpl2odwgKR3kFhBWZ1ssqxXiAETb3UYdi3l3zGwV763aHcPi19KgepMs/s1600-h/nathan+fishing+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPbFCAC3G0rq9cGKJUTr6WKshLcZtnOb58hXMJUafRYY4NIkusy6A_5d3gOtf9uzsIrkyF9SQW_2c5FfJ1RMOpl2odwgKR3kFhBWZ1ssqxXiAETb3UYdi3l3zGwV763aHcPi19KgepMs/s200/nathan+fishing+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298639192502002482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Actually, as cheap as it is, we are trying diligiently and persistently to lower our costs even further-- by fishing. I have a streak of obsessive compulsive disorder (as my mom used to say, "Nathan, you have a one-track mind") and I'm determined to crack the code of how to catch the elusive mahi mahi. In the meantime, I spend a lot of time around sunset with the very cool Cuban hand line that my father in law Roy brought us. One of these days, I expect to post a pic with us holding a whopper...until then, I'm limited to <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsVvmFGjWnlEcjle3R-srJfws6mfdoM5PC5Z5sPwgDI1WR2ahpZyfdqM6f5k_LUdsWHMLaHUOvYwMckZVOuOM8VX7791Ry9FwTR71LF21I01JTOW53SUjc__-8zDi1FvfiqYs6w0eWDM/s1600-h/nathan+fishing+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsVvmFGjWnlEcjle3R-srJfws6mfdoM5PC5Z5sPwgDI1WR2ahpZyfdqM6f5k_LUdsWHMLaHUOvYwMckZVOuOM8VX7791Ry9FwTR71LF21I01JTOW53SUjc__-8zDi1FvfiqYs6w0eWDM/s200/nathan+fishing+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298637814296143346" border="0" /></a>showing my casting technique.<br /><br />Ok, that's it for now. We will be passage-making for the next couple of days en route to rounding Cabo Corientes, where we got our butts kicked by the rough weather on the way down...stay tuned!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-36336666355197152512009-01-28T12:50:00.000-08:002009-01-29T08:33:19.664-08:00Photo MontageNo posting today...too many margaritas last night and I have nothing new to say. So instead, a little photo montage:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Dolphins off the bow</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhResseEX83BmwGFm8pC78cMcfMmHTuMGtdsPdS3uFAv_kErgQLc4kVVU1xRWYOMkDtpLjNn6rgLM_xuG7tXc4LzOPVC9D6sdtcra-dxwW5KF05BO3xfE41IT6yL-ObFXut5r-IleFZ9fM/s1600-h/Dolphins+off+the+bow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhResseEX83BmwGFm8pC78cMcfMmHTuMGtdsPdS3uFAv_kErgQLc4kVVU1xRWYOMkDtpLjNn6rgLM_xuG7tXc4LzOPVC9D6sdtcra-dxwW5KF05BO3xfE41IT6yL-ObFXut5r-IleFZ9fM/s200/Dolphins+off+the+bow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296752155396163346" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Naomi at the Sands pool</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu19WMOEa0CHR105kn4zxg6f4oxFqc5znfcQcQJVpbItKLJOgXSnwkEr5ehEBusCsNZlL0kr9PGUV1WR8T32cAN5i1s0zqK0rEbrcjLT5fBk00iCd9ImmRCOZ6uZ1pITcFghtef4wofAQ/s1600-h/sands+pool+with+naomi+profile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu19WMOEa0CHR105kn4zxg6f4oxFqc5znfcQcQJVpbItKLJOgXSnwkEr5ehEBusCsNZlL0kr9PGUV1WR8T32cAN5i1s0zqK0rEbrcjLT5fBk00iCd9ImmRCOZ6uZ1pITcFghtef4wofAQ/s200/sands+pool+with+naomi+profile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296752175783668466" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Susan, Naomi and Roger in the water taxi: </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZLTjbdln3zVnEdTOs79MNkWsZU_kFV3LY8cozAF602onZoxmOa-kEXVOb5psnm49xbV1OWPah7e1TXi6tYiGUsaeZJTnPjHosamac_X0RCx72h_2Z98UKxEx3hTLxZN_qGnxRNnUY-w/s1600-h/susan+and+naomi+dinghy+taxi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZLTjbdln3zVnEdTOs79MNkWsZU_kFV3LY8cozAF602onZoxmOa-kEXVOb5psnm49xbV1OWPah7e1TXi6tYiGUsaeZJTnPjHosamac_X0RCx72h_2Z98UKxEx3hTLxZN_qGnxRNnUY-w/s200/susan+and+naomi+dinghy+taxi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296752171372478130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGEVI1uK_eIHQTVTKAuRxRrE5eIkrCfcSaIaJlzzdAoczROFK8MehtpjbaCzg09a-AUuj2v3jayCuw6t8VuuxI4kth7GmqDivp5gE38TrjuI4ZBFgs7vdx7fX43JEWk-wKAAXxFbGAK0/s1600-h/Roger+and+naomi+in+dinghy+taxi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGEVI1uK_eIHQTVTKAuRxRrE5eIkrCfcSaIaJlzzdAoczROFK8MehtpjbaCzg09a-AUuj2v3jayCuw6t8VuuxI4kth7GmqDivp5gE38TrjuI4ZBFgs7vdx7fX43JEWk-wKAAXxFbGAK0/s200/Roger+and+naomi+in+dinghy+taxi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296753545968598690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Roger and Naomi on top of Sea Master restaurant</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq6opB58ERvPxKmay5OiVemOziYMUsN4oVbxDjiqZJkq7bcfbiwvHbjo1jsSBt0bIrETYXsoqzxEFdQCFLwmoKT4iPmu6fZYm1yJufnH1AH11uHXdUT5lQEzyNVldIqs46Xo44tiuNbA/s1600-h/roger+and+naomi+sea+master+restaurant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq6opB58ERvPxKmay5OiVemOziYMUsN4oVbxDjiqZJkq7bcfbiwvHbjo1jsSBt0bIrETYXsoqzxEFdQCFLwmoKT4iPmu6fZYm1yJufnH1AH11uHXdUT5lQEzyNVldIqs46Xo44tiuNbA/s200/roger+and+naomi+sea+master+restaurant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296752166889223634" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pelican taking flight</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbTxxsx4veTEOP_5unC4Cz7amDzSJP9U1gYlXKVguel0S4bbQHTo5HynQ9sFQvZFH-uiuNZVYCqswpgFyPgaOaRxfwXwpKCVDybc9tQTLTekKHMxb7gJbPKP_3HfNaDd9IPFLhQ1JayI/s1600-h/pelican+taking+off.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbTxxsx4veTEOP_5unC4Cz7amDzSJP9U1gYlXKVguel0S4bbQHTo5HynQ9sFQvZFH-uiuNZVYCqswpgFyPgaOaRxfwXwpKCVDybc9tQTLTekKHMxb7gJbPKP_3HfNaDd9IPFLhQ1JayI/s200/pelican+taking+off.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296753546970195618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Barra lagoon at sunrise</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym-K3ABkpkuPdq0aXEMFqxQ72Xe-2HNwXGaDWitDyBKgt0_CxQDuVYepwH2N2hQ-5wEN4dhwBZlaxIvlXwRzxs87IzslY8GfP-fMxmO8yhY4pVk6_w77XnyTLT5_CClFWCilbS8KkovA/s1600-h/barra+sunrise.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym-K3ABkpkuPdq0aXEMFqxQ72Xe-2HNwXGaDWitDyBKgt0_CxQDuVYepwH2N2hQ-5wEN4dhwBZlaxIvlXwRzxs87IzslY8GfP-fMxmO8yhY4pVk6_w77XnyTLT5_CClFWCilbS8KkovA/s200/barra+sunrise.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296752175326717026" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />And, here's a video of Naomi standing watch and hanging out while the Monitor windvane steers the boat (such a lazy, lazy wife I have!):<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwXwQw8yyDXaOQl4vQTceXiVkWJd1SPL565T3lH9x6dxhYuEoud608jQUUEXZpSPM0WfvgufQZ4VuUvcCLC3A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-30546405613203693892009-01-26T11:08:00.000-08:002009-01-28T12:49:35.065-08:00Suddenly Susan (is Sailing)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLyMHThTSka1wbR3PzkvYoo5yvEIB9wA2cdeNcNQ8oZzBzlK7086rKlhGNeleZZ0QiQi899vMKtnhK_bG082tzUYRkmpo3A89Vti5FofZEISLeWBMQJMBM8VydYI8Q8w5chf5p_kbKnw/s1600-h/susan+sailing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLyMHThTSka1wbR3PzkvYoo5yvEIB9wA2cdeNcNQ8oZzBzlK7086rKlhGNeleZZ0QiQi899vMKtnhK_bG082tzUYRkmpo3A89Vti5FofZEISLeWBMQJMBM8VydYI8Q8w5chf5p_kbKnw/s200/susan+sailing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296425142709837458" border="0" /></a>Our story left off with us waiting for my friend Susan to arrive in Manzanillo. Susan and I met when we were both interviewing for a Bosch Foundation fellowship in Germany, circa 2002. She got it, I didn't; but we kept in touch and when she came back from Deutschland we worked together for a couple of years at VentureArchetypes. Good times!<br /><br />We hung out in Manzanillo for a few days. Manzanillo is a large-ish city, but very chill and mostly off the beaten tourist path. It has a certain vibe that's very cool but hard to explain...unpretentious and inviting...it's not trying to "be something more aspirational" like many <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_W9OPSt_bdM3I9eTQPXsBnSg9qBvfB4M94FE7IUuWI9tB-qsM63oelEyYGYeuoCqlmc1-LandRqj9FNkHzJnNAlcGjejyONcy9ZqbjMJoSz9iol5o-JHcMgbXcgCRHb-7ZHvZHY5JDw/s1600-h/fishing+off+back+of+boat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_W9OPSt_bdM3I9eTQPXsBnSg9qBvfB4M94FE7IUuWI9tB-qsM63oelEyYGYeuoCqlmc1-LandRqj9FNkHzJnNAlcGjejyONcy9ZqbjMJoSz9iol5o-JHcMgbXcgCRHb-7ZHvZHY5JDw/s200/fishing+off+back+of+boat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295686895505757826" border="0" /></a>Mexican towns, with the rampant condo / timeshare / indoor mall developments and aggressive sidewalk touts and omnipresent billboards trying to sell a pre-fabricated but very sterile version of an "upscale lifestyle"...(ok, enough ranting, Nathan).<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Anyway, we hung out at the Las Hadas resort, where Roger and I fished from the boat a bit, and Susan bravely went for the "Coco Loco". Obviously, this was a questionable choice....see the before & after pics:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Before:<br /></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFtJVCf-t5sSmBWX-pjVLuFxPmUN3zqYwycEbKiJVl3ZQt_iWa_iM8pSgjdN7XkUA-lclLvZjcFOyoqbqC4hpBk34QbCa4Zq9BfXWtNPsFuUbuh5Grf3SgKfpNR51r5HuJJvwgxzHHLE/s1600-h/Susan+coco+loco1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFtJVCf-t5sSmBWX-pjVLuFxPmUN3zqYwycEbKiJVl3ZQt_iWa_iM8pSgjdN7XkUA-lclLvZjcFOyoqbqC4hpBk34QbCa4Zq9BfXWtNPsFuUbuh5Grf3SgKfpNR51r5HuJJvwgxzHHLE/s200/Susan+coco+loco1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295686885634070306" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">After:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBP6tK6AyZ_xz4FCimF7eSU1htr1ogLyh3DIXB1rdVP-v8CSArN172NmeOG-HWBFTpGEd5DOf1PrOsD-UgBcDrapB67a8NGvjVxLyFUC6IFfiwctsvC_zpKXgUJhKaisnPkrlzp9AiHM/s1600-h/Susan+after+the+coco+loco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBP6tK6AyZ_xz4FCimF7eSU1htr1ogLyh3DIXB1rdVP-v8CSArN172NmeOG-HWBFTpGEd5DOf1PrOsD-UgBcDrapB67a8NGvjVxLyFUC6IFfiwctsvC_zpKXgUJhKaisnPkrlzp9AiHM/s200/Susan+after+the+coco+loco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295686892435233666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br />I also fed my growing Internet addiction and got caught up with some email and bloggi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdW4zarfoEUPp_zGktH-1fzLt2SHkJ5P6XyIpupkSg7FNX3Rvfdf7tPBdIoBOeX6HX2_5hDiLN4qj0sfZMDSiLtiX9kvIApxHc49HDGFd9jaZXdw0S2eF6dKZAj6TYFvZ7c0ah-XpEh4I/s1600-h/nathan+getting+his+wifi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdW4zarfoEUPp_zGktH-1fzLt2SHkJ5P6XyIpupkSg7FNX3Rvfdf7tPBdIoBOeX6HX2_5hDiLN4qj0sfZMDSiLtiX9kvIApxHc49HDGFd9jaZXdw0S2eF6dKZAj6TYFvZ7c0ah-XpEh4I/s200/nathan+getting+his+wifi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295686896916253602" border="0" /></a>ng. Finding a reliable WiFi connection is one of the greatest challenges and a perpetual mission, and I've been tempted to hoist the entire computer up the mast. But here is my next-best effort (standing up top of Roger's boat):<br /><br />Next, we set sail for the 40-miles passage to Tenacatita Bay. We tried a new experiment, with Naomi sailing on Roger's boat and Susan on Hurulu. But 2/3rd the way we took a detour and anchored at Melaque, which was a nice bay absolutely swarming with both Pelicans and Mexicans. I am not making any link or comparison between Pelicans and Mexicans, I'm simply saying the bay was teeming with activity from these two groups. Literally-- the pelicans would spy a school of minnows and swarm there; and, it being Sunday, half of Mexico <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqN6tdsqKc5aulzFfYYom2cqti8vaXNMjb7B60MegcxmTYVdBEl7O2figGDF-QUVgdgPnI_0agMzK_Bv_3TgjyAIgHksP52D1v84M6bw93QjkcRzu1NHxAkspfhTHzvRb_ELCE4aF8PrY/s1600-h/Barra+waterfront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqN6tdsqKc5aulzFfYYom2cqti8vaXNMjb7B60MegcxmTYVdBEl7O2figGDF-QUVgdgPnI_0agMzK_Bv_3TgjyAIgHksP52D1v84M6bw93QjkcRzu1NHxAkspfhTHzvRb_ELCE4aF8PrY/s200/Barra+waterfront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295692619663072834" border="0" /></a>goes to the beach to drink beer and roll around in the surf. Fun times all around.<br /><br />We also used Melaque as the 'staging ground' to enter the channel into the lagoon at Barra de Navidad at high tide-- 8 am. The channel is very narrow and if you slip just a few feet out of it, you'll get stuck in mud, so it pays to enter with as much water under the keel as possible.<br /><br />Thus far, the morning has been spent sitting at a waterfront cafe <div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFQpoffFKzObGA7JyiDgcftOB512cHAV1k3DiJbU3lKSepW8zUuS5zBNEv2d_D9LIvaxmMFruIxtRZby7RYUi6YI4myXfNBMHgVo0VHQsYSWlmpkhEMoyUgqAnFEmKfad9ncMHvY2p-Q/s1600-h/Susan+arriving+by+kayak.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFQpoffFKzObGA7JyiDgcftOB512cHAV1k3DiJbU3lKSepW8zUuS5zBNEv2d_D9LIvaxmMFruIxtRZby7RYUi6YI4myXfNBMHgVo0VHQsYSWlmpkhEMoyUgqAnFEmKfad9ncMHvY2p-Q/s200/Susan+arriving+by+kayak.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295691356966728882" border="0" /></a></div>eating breakfast and drinking coffee. Susan, ever the active one, has already kayaked, walked around town, and gone swimming at the beach (it's about Noon), while the rest of us have barely had our coffee. More updates later...Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-61094035227190245112009-01-22T09:48:00.000-08:002009-01-24T09:30:37.061-08:00Ixtapa to Manzanillo -- Sailing as good as it gets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hMuPT1STh3zSGQpvaEjqc4ee5eOULy_7UXHUbaxnvn0U3SiOEG-38awui2TelXgfU4sdAWLJBMLVbBgM09qOuv970peeNqGqpTiOjVI2v5WuweHagNgIWXchIwNPka5jmzTRgeUrSs4/s1600-h/naomi+paddling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hMuPT1STh3zSGQpvaEjqc4ee5eOULy_7UXHUbaxnvn0U3SiOEG-38awui2TelXgfU4sdAWLJBMLVbBgM09qOuv970peeNqGqpTiOjVI2v5WuweHagNgIWXchIwNPka5jmzTRgeUrSs4/s200/naomi+paddling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294904630096225554" border="0" /></a><br />As ridiculous as it sounds, we decided to take a short break from our extended break. We needed to get some various spare parts and stand on terra firma for a bit, so we flew to Tampa, Florida to spend a few days with Naomi's family. There, we were joined by her brother Dan, his wife Erica and precocious 3-y/o son Austin, and we saw friends Jennifer Garlick and Darren Wilson (congrats on the new baby, Darren!)<br /><br />While in Tampa we literally absorbed all the things we'd been missing while in <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTXlpMu8tIGWzYA1Z0UUZN6zN26HtIXKd9QOsVv7_Ylb3XP1QcFwkscOm8HZpKvm_C2qbj3wtOAyINZ1WAfSEISJjvZHw5E5c8O-68FMNIX1E0cCBbzuMD-esXloctzjx-S9zqbhHoRY/s1600-h/dan+erica+and+austin+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTXlpMu8tIGWzYA1Z0UUZN6zN26HtIXKd9QOsVv7_Ylb3XP1QcFwkscOm8HZpKvm_C2qbj3wtOAyINZ1WAfSEISJjvZHw5E5c8O-68FMNIX1E0cCBbzuMD-esXloctzjx-S9zqbhHoRY/s200/dan+erica+and+austin+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294905913310480930" border="0" /></a>Mexico...sushi, chinese food, good beer(chimay, IPAs, etc.), football (how 'bout that Cardinals v. Eagles game?), and movies (we saw the excellent Slum Dog Millionaire and Gran Torino, both highly recommended). With all the food choices, I felt like the proverbial "mid-80s Russian who comes to America and goes to a supermarket and goes crazy with the selection" and we both came back at least a few pounds heavier.<br /><br />After a long trip back to Marina Ixtapa (involving two flights, 3 cab rides, and a 5 hour bus ride) we got going North for the 200 nautical miles to Manzanillo. We had a bit of an argument about "passage making strategy"...I wanted to sail the whole way through in one shot, whereas Naomi wanted to break up the trip into shorter segments, as we had done on the trip down.<br /><br />The problem I had with the latter strategy is that the marginal anchorages in between were very rolly and subject to huge swells...it's hard to sleep when the boat pitches every which way, and my thought is that it's actually more comfortable to keep going than stop. In other words, the forward motion of the boat makes for more <span style="font-style: italic;">predictable </span>and thus more comfortable motion, whereas at anchor the boat pitches in erratic fashion. Both can be severe, but somehow, for me at least, predictable rolling makes for a better night's sleep.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNg_Fxj-h6Kr7QFBnEJIeqFXARj5aHBv2ulhbbDcW1gof-1lX3hLf_9UYIikkMYz_tJpVdIPwPsTMLodnqIiWhVyZ14gwJ9GMfqiHuBxZ2KBxkMObiaSmqW1cfroUspWJBBIWrdmXQik/s1600-h/Monitor+windvane+steering+pic+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNg_Fxj-h6Kr7QFBnEJIeqFXARj5aHBv2ulhbbDcW1gof-1lX3hLf_9UYIikkMYz_tJpVdIPwPsTMLodnqIiWhVyZ14gwJ9GMfqiHuBxZ2KBxkMObiaSmqW1cfroUspWJBBIWrdmXQik/s200/Monitor+windvane+steering+pic+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294913630746976818" border="0" /></a><br />Anyway, I 'won' the argument (a rare thing) and we decided to go the distance. As luck would have it, this turned out to be a great call, as we had an excellent tail wind for most of the journey, and ran with the Monitor windvane doing much of the steering.<br /><br />We had also taken the time in Ixtapa to switch our headsail (the jib) from the standard, working sized one to the massive "170". 170 means 170 percent; to illustrate, 100% means the most-aft part of the jib extends all the way to the mast, and thus a 170 goes <span style="font-style: italic;">well past </span>the mast; it's a massive sail, also called a "deck sweeper". Frankly I had a little trepidation to use it, since in SF we would never use a a sail that big for risk of being overpowered and out of control. I guess you could say after a decade of sailing reefed down most of the time, I have a distrust of huge sails.<br /><br />But this choice ended up working out well as well, and we literally flew up the coast. It was really excellent light air sailing, and our gal <span style="font-style: italic;">Hurulu </span>showed her colors. And amazingly enough, we got in ahead of schedule-- a first for us! We had anticipated a roughly 50 hour sail, but end<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrtj-8QdPr8UapZJZy8Yw4cmWQUIp2lY5ZE2k7RqDASMqLv20kOqlIXQsmqk0Pl66Atd2aGxsI5PGdT7k7UF63nynSNtbYg8KiFlUy7ozqg3dDKSQ_E6Tc88es88IvSCInP_gdPL_HVM/s1600-h/sara+roger+naomi+hadas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrtj-8QdPr8UapZJZy8Yw4cmWQUIp2lY5ZE2k7RqDASMqLv20kOqlIXQsmqk0Pl66Atd2aGxsI5PGdT7k7UF63nynSNtbYg8KiFlUy7ozqg3dDKSQ_E6Tc88es88IvSCInP_gdPL_HVM/s200/sara+roger+naomi+hadas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294906782674385330" border="0" /></a>ed up arriving instead about 12 hours early. We were guided into the crowded dark anchorage by our ever-present pals on La Palapa. We hung around with Roger and his very nice and funny friend Sarah at the resort, where the drinks are strong and the pool refreshing.<br /><br />We also continued our pattern of catching NO fish, but to compensate, this leg was very "dolphin rich"...around sunset on both days we had 20-30 spotted dolphins come and swim along with us for upwards of half our or so. Also, during my 3 am to 6 am shift, I ha<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItDhyFcDHAUH_83e773iPRE8ViySbqIzwTG77fruVhl_m7XWbIcqvq_DEww0_eKaBFhbY5QLDe3C138_52PJbaB-1GssTYRUOkdLWpMnPaGbaL6dX3SGbggBbfQnXKX7eg3Eu1HuAO2M/s1600-h/Dolphin+jump.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItDhyFcDHAUH_83e773iPRE8ViySbqIzwTG77fruVhl_m7XWbIcqvq_DEww0_eKaBFhbY5QLDe3C138_52PJbaB-1GssTYRUOkdLWpMnPaGbaL6dX3SGbggBbfQnXKX7eg3Eu1HuAO2M/s200/Dolphin+jump.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294541879022089714" border="0" /></a>d a dolphin tag along with me and jump 3 feet out of the water at least a half dozen times. Fun stuff, and it breaks up the night passages nicely.<br /><br />He also lit up the water with phosphoresence. This is something that needs to be seen to be understood. But basically, on moonless nights, when you get away from land and population centers-- basically away from any ambient light source-- it's <span style="font-style: italic;">really really dark.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>I think we forget how black the night can be, since we're so rarely in true<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>darkness. The phosphorescent light, which looks like a stream of stars, trails behind the boat from the propeller, and it also streaks from any moving object, like my accompanying dolphin. I think I mentioned this in a previous pos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIammOVuDT3NtYTDFQWIV6-QQ4fQ3PYLlj4ij5l8n6khe6pM2mGJx-L0P3qoygYJME9HekLXnmu4fAe6TkozbxSjN8DbIQr7alGxldQshAI29ZUnbv31QRj1z_hK6fy5mxuDe7jaZPkVs/s1600-h/manzanillo+marina+from+hilltop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIammOVuDT3NtYTDFQWIV6-QQ4fQ3PYLlj4ij5l8n6khe6pM2mGJx-L0P3qoygYJME9HekLXnmu4fAe6TkozbxSjN8DbIQr7alGxldQshAI29ZUnbv31QRj1z_hK6fy5mxuDe7jaZPkVs/s200/manzanillo+marina+from+hilltop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294522918697179442" border="0" /></a>t, but the dolphins swim right at the boat, and since you can only see the bright phosphorescent trail, it looks freakishly like a torpedo headed for the beam. (Perhaps this is enhanced by the delirium of the 3 am watch, but regardless it's a very cool 'special effect').<br /><br />Getting back to the story, we spent yesterday at the Las Hadas resort hotel, lounging by the poolside. I took a walk over the hills and explored some abandoned/derelict houses with million-dollar views. I've not<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_K6lA0yD5ONq1Tvjx5ftMIrTD7juSS3yNoT7JjgYs7aRMhMbshGxJRqJkUR1OLDPYi-lhjPQvrN8DoN0td7fBil6LYZvliPEEtB36eqv04o6BDy8ylAn8Fv6xFuBVfBBl5wWR6r7a-g/s1600-h/Las+Hadas+resort+poolside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_K6lA0yD5ONq1Tvjx5ftMIrTD7juSS3yNoT7JjgYs7aRMhMbshGxJRqJkUR1OLDPYi-lhjPQvrN8DoN0td7fBil6LYZvliPEEtB36eqv04o6BDy8ylAn8Fv6xFuBVfBBl5wWR6r7a-g/s200/Las+Hadas+resort+poolside.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294522916452400914" border="0" /></a>iced that throughout Mexico, there are a huge number of either half-finished or abandoned mansions and villas, presumably because their owners ran out of money. Kind of fun to explore.<br /><br />Here in Las Hadas we are now doing a few boat projects and awaiting my good friend Susan, who will accompany us for a few days up to Barra de Navidad and possibly Tenacatita. I'll post again after the always-jovial Susan and I tear up the town...Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-70622143823147721862009-01-09T08:05:00.000-08:002009-01-17T13:21:04.417-08:00Z-What: Smell vs SwellWell, Zihuatenejo was sort of a mixed bag...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTQdcVI_8RyIrVaHOnAJt5BHfyGKBcgSXx_mch03TURLjwxqDf1liTbIMtV9SzawYbXVlQl48SuO_Qmv7cHic0iJxrJwZI5yFvp0e8szqXsr94AlqzjytJwxJICYBFSp6NvMr3ITmMIA/s1600-h/DSC05593.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTQdcVI_8RyIrVaHOnAJt5BHfyGKBcgSXx_mch03TURLjwxqDf1liTbIMtV9SzawYbXVlQl48SuO_Qmv7cHic0iJxrJwZI5yFvp0e8szqXsr94AlqzjytJwxJICYBFSp6NvMr3ITmMIA/s200/DSC05593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290988827369689794" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was thrilling to round the corner into the gorgeous bay of Z-Town and drop our hook, knowing it was the 'end of the line'-- as far south as we would sail. We explored the town with its attractive cobblestone streets and gravitated to <span style="font-style: italic;">El Faro</span>, which is a local sailor's bar and hangout, and then retired to our boats and rested.<br /><br />Then the smell hit us. Raw sewage. Totally overwhelming.<br /><br />At one point in the evening, Roger candidly asked me if our holding tank had suddenly burst (kind of like an onboard septic tank-- and no, for the record, it hadn't).<br /><br />Turns out that the town pumps its sewage directly into the bay. We consulted our Lonely Planet guidebook, which says that a recent team of biologists tested Mexican waters, and Zihuatenejo had among the highest level of biological contaminants of the 20 or 30 cities measured.<br /><br />What a pity! It's an absolutely gorgeous bay, well protected with cool cliffs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxiOjlD_DZYpHsRjyjGT_pyHojaBD3-0_4Uadx4M7mtsri_QsjQRc1Y1oZssU67Oy54byneUN2PNA7DcUMOMTYizFRdMw5jLs4bxMgE_ePbA5U4mw4EgQoo1f7xTwWfEwqNgWliLWQUY/s1600-h/DSC05563.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxiOjlD_DZYpHsRjyjGT_pyHojaBD3-0_4Uadx4M7mtsri_QsjQRc1Y1oZssU67Oy54byneUN2PNA7DcUMOMTYizFRdMw5jLs4bxMgE_ePbA5U4mw4EgQoo1f7xTwWfEwqNgWliLWQUY/s200/DSC05563.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290991792876785186" border="0" /></a>ide houses ringing the hillsides. The town itself is friendly, fun, and filled with some great taco stands. Alas, the smell actually <span style="font-style: italic;">woke me up</span> in the middle of the night, and after about 2 nights here, we'd had enough. Landing the dinghy meant getting wet up to the ankles in this stuff, and even the normal little splashes from taking the dinghy in to the beach made us feel filthy (it was probably mostly psychological, but still...)<br /><br />So, we moved across the bay to Playa La Ropa, and spent a day there. This was much cleaner (people were actually swimming) but here we encountered the "swell" portion of this<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWxRjsyteGoullFvy7mgfP6WzUtqd6cZ9nWy7wcaGXITM3lPnM09h7IQdftjlDxt8NrqtHzfjjNBOEGTIqF16Mpxb2VqRidpHKax-4baiEKHekO7a53GX0duJD3YvUF4laGBy0EdgSPA/s1600-h/DSC05564.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWxRjsyteGoullFvy7mgfP6WzUtqd6cZ9nWy7wcaGXITM3lPnM09h7IQdftjlDxt8NrqtHzfjjNBOEGTIqF16Mpxb2VqRidpHKax-4baiEKHekO7a53GX0duJD3YvUF4laGBy0EdgSPA/s200/DSC05564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290990983685344626" border="0" /></a> blog. This beach is exposed to the entrance of the bay, and around sunset, the waves start their dramatic entrance. <span style="font-style: italic;">Hurulu</span> began to pitch and dance on her anchor like one of those $0.25 pony rides outside of K-Mart.<br /><br />Finally, we did what we should've done much earlier-- we moved about 10 miles north to an island just off Ixtapa called Isla Grande. Together with our continuing buddy-boat <span style="font-style: italic;">La Palapa, </span>and their visiting friend Jan, we had the eastern side of the island all to ourselves. Beautiful, clean waters, gentle breezes, and aw<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABK8NjwgmivDBLRqWK_Fpw6Ufk_VVsuESE-QCqIG_DlytN5z8_jf4AouMzoXZidHzaSBe1pxX0IicgpYkRWSOuTmtfosl6d2QR5jjUS4NXbjlW1ZenmNeF7PLvM5lymKM3_n1EPBc3IQ/s1600-h/IMGP0214.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABK8NjwgmivDBLRqWK_Fpw6Ufk_VVsuESE-QCqIG_DlytN5z8_jf4AouMzoXZidHzaSBe1pxX0IicgpYkRWSOuTmtfosl6d2QR5jjUS4NXbjlW1ZenmNeF7PLvM5lymKM3_n1EPBc3IQ/s200/IMGP0214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290517226017421346" border="0" /></a>esome moonrises.<br /><br />We spent the last few days pretty much just living off the boats, snorkeling, fishing in the dinghy (nada caught), cleaning the boat bottoms, etc by day and having margs and bbq by night. We also christened "Roger's Internet Cafe" (since Roger's boat has both a WiFi net and great starbucks coffee, we've started to hang out there a lot).<br /><br />Speaking of BBQ, Roger had this packet of mystery meat in his freezer, which he grilled up one night. I'm a little worried about what it actually is...Mexicans seem to eat just about every part of the animal (look<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uVN9zzGSM7W1w0AFZI9Z_9EZn_S1GDn4IQk4dLX6Vf-P-i930VD4eRrbK-vx4bZbcMqMIg1jDfQgWFnQcnOm21gx3CECdwD9rUU9k1vdGf2G-R6VgvDTbNCuCk-N6HY7lpVmIvJ39J4/s1600-h/IMGP0213.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uVN9zzGSM7W1w0AFZI9Z_9EZn_S1GDn4IQk4dLX6Vf-P-i930VD4eRrbK-vx4bZbcMqMIg1jDfQgWFnQcnOm21gx3CECdwD9rUU9k1vdGf2G-R6VgvDTbNCuCk-N6HY7lpVmIvJ39J4/s200/IMGP0213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290988260151743010" border="0" /></a> up the translations for <span style="font-style: italic;">Lengua </span>or <span style="font-style: italic;">Cabeza) </span>but I have to say, it was the most delicious BBQ I've had in years-- and I eat a lot of BBQ. Absolutely incredible. It was so good, I made them take a picture of the wrapper so I can track it down again. If you come across it in the ethnic foods section of your local supermarket, I strongly suggest you promptly purchase and eat it-- but don't read the ingredient list.<br /><br />Today we left our boat in Marina Ixtapa and took a 4-hour bus ride to Acapulco, where we are staying at this very cool hotel called Los Flamingos de Acapulco. It's where the old Hollywood royalty used to hang out, many many years ago.<br /><br />As a faded SF Chronicle article hanging on the wall puts it, quote, "<span style="font-style: italic;">film le</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghy2y6w9rxqLkOF39ROS12FGMAoIR6E6sKb_EovfPS9Mqcm32WYwkn0lQ0yrhOyuQNlPaTvjBwwV5ngtf8Am8b3iXAppE5eOECmTs62oMQ1IAfZog72ptxGWWkutKEoxm0bpobcIzbpMw/s1600-h/tarzan.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghy2y6w9rxqLkOF39ROS12FGMAoIR6E6sKb_EovfPS9Mqcm32WYwkn0lQ0yrhOyuQNlPaTvjBwwV5ngtf8Am8b3iXAppE5eOECmTs62oMQ1IAfZog72ptxGWWkutKEoxm0bpobcIzbpMw/s200/tarzan.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290989667609711858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">gend</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> John Wayne called it his 'secret hideaway' in Mexico: a small hotel draped along the </span><span style="font-style: italic;">edge of an Acapulco cliff that provides a stunning Pacific panorama. Opened in 1930, Hotel Los Flamingos was</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> serene, secluded, and unpretentious. Wayne liked it so much he rounded up several of his Hollywood cronies and purchased it in 1954." </span><span>As I write this, I'm staring at a gian</span><span>t, lurid, sepia-toned poster advertising Johnny Weissmuller in the movie, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Tarzan and His M</span><span style="font-style: italic;">ate.<br /><br /></span>It suits our style well-- very cool, laid back place, a little tattered around the edges. Shabby chic, I suppose you could call it...a place with character. Amazing sunsets, as it's literally built into the cliffside, overlooking the Pacific. They claim to have invented several well-known cocktails, including the "Coco Loco" (1934) and the "Tortuga" (1963).<br /><br />Did I mention it's pretty cheap? The only issue: during our din<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPLLgQxV7U0yRt01YMEq1HHSXZFQxULjROZsWqzwka2tRiLAa9_74TaFNBxV0MwIpPTbJZubPK5IfYzXI6TTku7oPdJJ4Fgu4uoAti3GXuE67dEnaMH5BhzKMJPqzbZ1gYGTxQuQcZQ4/s1600-h/Nathan+at+Fandango.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPLLgQxV7U0yRt01YMEq1HHSXZFQxULjROZsWqzwka2tRiLAa9_74TaFNBxV0MwIpPTbJZubPK5IfYzXI6TTku7oPdJJ4Fgu4uoAti3GXuE67dEnaMH5BhzKMJPqzbZ1gYGTxQuQcZQ4/s200/Nathan+at+Fandango.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290983901735624082" border="0" /></a>ner of seabass ($10) and steak ($12), we had to periodically rise from the table and make threatening gestures at a posse of-- count 'em-- 8 aggressive raccoons, who were interested in sharing our dinner.<br /><br />Anyway, tomorrow we are heading back to the States for a few days of family time, and to collect various spare parts. After that, we'll continue the march back up the coast on our passage back home, while we figure out the next stage in our life plan. Asta luego!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-42491631401831794642009-01-07T10:38:00.000-08:002009-01-09T08:04:37.320-08:00Barra and Brita<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLA0rOXJAqu19cgRyI91IytgQjr_yJODP3LSa2MnkPS-vwqoKG3WDiBJ1kHabDzHPEBG_kBAePyKqJD5fvwmvEVq2Im7vYL8eOavlNda5D0w98ehpxioVqvja6SkwdPVEm2w1cigdH6No/s1600-h/DSC05501.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLA0rOXJAqu19cgRyI91IytgQjr_yJODP3LSa2MnkPS-vwqoKG3WDiBJ1kHabDzHPEBG_kBAePyKqJD5fvwmvEVq2Im7vYL8eOavlNda5D0w98ehpxioVqvja6SkwdPVEm2w1cigdH6No/s200/DSC05501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288631513911666626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(continuing the thread from the last post, where we sailed in to Tenacatita Bay in the pre-dawn hours...)</span><br /><br />After a few brief hours of sleep following our hair-raising passage, we were awakened by the gentle sound of an inflatable dinghy bumping against our topsides. Roger and Tobe of <span style="font-style: italic;">La Palapa </span>had graciously volunteered to pick up my good friend Brita and her pal Kyle from their laguna-side hotel, and on the trip back, they took the "jungle river" tour, so our guests were well entertained while we slept.<br /><br />It was great to have Brita and Kyle visit us; Brita and I have worked together at VentureArchetypes for three years now, but she recently found a new job, so I was looking forward to a few days on the boat together. We lazed about in the very undeveloped Tenacatita Bay for the day...Naomi jogged, Brita and Kyle swam, I did "boat chores", and then we all got together at a beach palapa f<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU6Eepoinxhjz2CCOV-9mq0apLrJcXlPuue8KlppOghRwh__MpwCiLA6Vk-J1sG1_pJ7SCs1LFcAy8A0Dq8gYo14FqIqZLnjlEKXLDcZV46VzRgj5lPkbXNoAWo0FPI0QDaOLS7b93LU/s1600-h/DSC05473.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU6Eepoinxhjz2CCOV-9mq0apLrJcXlPuue8KlppOghRwh__MpwCiLA6Vk-J1sG1_pJ7SCs1LFcAy8A0Dq8gYo14FqIqZLnjlEKXLDcZV46VzRgj5lPkbXNoAWo0FPI0QDaOLS7b93LU/s200/DSC05473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288627986842435906" border="0" /></a>or shrimps and beers, then reconvened later on La Palapa (the boat) for lamb skewers and margaritas.<br /><br />The next day we had no wind, so we motored over to Barra de Navidad. The anchorage is in a protected lagoon, and the entrance is very narrow and shallow-- each day, one or two sailboats get stuck. We made it safely by following a series of waypoints that a dock neighbor had copied for us in La Cruz.<br /><br />Barra was a real treat, and a highlight of the trip thus far. It has a rich maritime history, as well as very colorful streets and houses (as Tobe put it, "it's like they have a different color pallette here") and nice beaches and great restaurants.<br /><br />The lagoon was neat, too, and makes for an exceptionally calm anchorage. We took our dinghy in and tied up at the Sands bar. For the next two days, we lounged at the beach or at t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPmOvXy5k8uh1ku4rlzgJVYLW7Fv48QKcdZXjlRFe2GXW8DK3B6gJh2KzNpm6KON6ysnvpG5FKal2rsKm91e5Z6_aJEwDCbD8gDZH00yvv5PLhDmkfoNafkewsmBw09FnE4hhHPuXOA0/s1600-h/DSC05447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPmOvXy5k8uh1ku4rlzgJVYLW7Fv48QKcdZXjlRFe2GXW8DK3B6gJh2KzNpm6KON6ysnvpG5FKal2rsKm91e5Z6_aJEwDCbD8gDZH00yvv5PLhDmkfoNafkewsmBw09FnE4hhHPuXOA0/s200/DSC05447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289325242211664834" border="0" /></a>he Sands' pool, and ate voraciously.<br /><br />We celebrated New Years here, but this is a problem-- since we're all sailors, we are used to waking before dawn, and in bed pretty early. We found a great rooftop bar and ate rib eyes, but first Naomi conked out, then Tobe, Roger and I ran out of steam and retired to our boats. Only Brita and Kyle were able to stay out partying past midnight (though I did enjoy sitting by myself on the cabin top of <span style="font-style: italic;">Hurulu</span> and watching the fireworks...)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicdpv3Tozh-wYx4c4PV-TbV12zdKKiY4inTmTANhXO7_dp6UloZpKsoWHb40YQ-sCXRyOjXsJAqzXvc9v0kLJkoLpXsAwj5bDex2R6mBhhePkVZ0MwQfa-hkejy8P_Vv0m7V05ijcbpU/s1600-h/DSC05482.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicdpv3Tozh-wYx4c4PV-TbV12zdKKiY4inTmTANhXO7_dp6UloZpKsoWHb40YQ-sCXRyOjXsJAqzXvc9v0kLJkoLpXsAwj5bDex2R6mBhhePkVZ0MwQfa-hkejy8P_Vv0m7V05ijcbpU/s200/DSC05482.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288628683914118994" border="0" /></a><br />Early the next morning, Naomi and I dinghied into town and picked up pan au chocolate and almond croissants for breakfast on the boats. After another day of relaxing (and recuperating from NYE) around town and around the pool at the Sands Hotel, we carefully threaded our way back out the narrow channel and set sail for Manzanillo.<br /><br />We treated our guests Kyle and Brita to a few hours of actual sailing on the 25 mile <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHg-rcsfs3TUlUI090z-2Sut0WqOKsZylUXTf6BjxrZ7JXlOKVxCAfIZjIn_k6wGcAfrlBZijVd7JrLi-Kng_LTYP4-lCL5OqyxDAq5R6ZZa0H2FyJmFNXI5T_z30n-JUsduDK01xYPs/s1600-h/IMGP0164.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHg-rcsfs3TUlUI090z-2Sut0WqOKsZylUXTf6BjxrZ7JXlOKVxCAfIZjIn_k6wGcAfrlBZijVd7JrLi-Kng_LTYP4-lCL5OqyxDAq5R6ZZa0H2FyJmFNXI5T_z30n-JUsduDK01xYPs/s200/IMGP0164.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288630002218347122" border="0" /></a>passage, but the winds were very light, so eventually we had to fire up the diesel and motor the rest of the way. Manzanillo is off the beaten tourist track, but it's a handsome bay ringed by cliff-set houses and is a major shipping port. We motored around a <span style="font-style: italic;">punta</span> and dropped anchor in "Hadas", just off the marina.<br /><br />The rest of the afternoon was spent poolside at the large 5-start Moorish style resort. One of the perks of sailing is that many resorts, for a small fee (or even for free), will let you tie up your dinghy and use their facilities (pools, showers, WiFi, etc.). I don't know exactly why they let ruffian 'yatistas' like us mooch off them so, but perhaps the visual landscape of some anchored sailboats enhances the vista? Who knows, but it's certainly nice.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeNjN4q9PG5PO1FSg0J0-MXom56TGn_vpW1C08cJWTwlIxq-hS35z2D1WwQk6GE_l1ShYcm5vefZ-kCLb0mAkkgOCdd0g5iHi0jDIkZfYUhJnENRPl6HqkmCqJqvbH_9iunvCa1MRZAA/s1600-h/DSC05446.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeNjN4q9PG5PO1FSg0J0-MXom56TGn_vpW1C08cJWTwlIxq-hS35z2D1WwQk6GE_l1ShYcm5vefZ-kCLb0mAkkgOCdd0g5iHi0jDIkZfYUhJnENRPl6HqkmCqJqvbH_9iunvCa1MRZAA/s200/DSC05446.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288625336347400178" border="0" /></a><br />In the evening we celebrated Kyle's birthday on board <span style="font-style: italic;">La Palapa </span>with champagne and a chocolate cake made by Tobe (she is quite the cook) and retired early.<br /><br />The next day saw Kyle and Brita depart for a 5-hour bus ride back to the airport, and Naomi and I set off on the long journey to Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo. Not too much to report on this leg of the passage-- it was 3 long hot days of mostly motoring that began early--weighing anchor at 4 am-- and ending late at night in rolly anchorages. The only highlights were being escorted out of one bay in darkness with a pod of dolphins, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRaXUqGruyK8Njp0nGJSD4F7y1UUBd-bbporXuipF8fv4SkxqnT0nUfR5Wzi8b91f0lokClRWn2khFwx_XCsHrmsNR9zTMmdrMwhA3FeG90aC6XPYKA3WL38GfSK-nQC7_DVRvxoncOIg/s1600-h/IMGP0188.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRaXUqGruyK8Njp0nGJSD4F7y1UUBd-bbporXuipF8fv4SkxqnT0nUfR5Wzi8b91f0lokClRWn2khFwx_XCsHrmsNR9zTMmdrMwhA3FeG90aC6XPYKA3WL38GfSK-nQC7_DVRvxoncOIg/s200/IMGP0188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288624816299355202" border="0" /></a>whose phosphorescence lit up around the boat, and the autopilot and sunshade ("poor man's Bimini") working flawlessly.<br /><br />After a stop in Isla Grande, where Roger fired up his "hookah"-- basically a floating air compressor that allowed us to dive under the boats and scrub their bottoms-- we made it yesterday afternoon to Zihuatenejo.<br /><br />This is a charming town and I'm sure I'll have more to report once we've explored it. But it also marks a turning point...it's our last stop, our most southerly destination before we point Hurulu's nose north and make our way back home. This realization hit us just moments after dropping the anchor, and it's both gratifying and a little bit melancholy to reach this juncture, but <span style="font-style: italic;">all good things...<br /></span>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-74501681044516356942009-01-07T07:55:00.000-08:002009-04-19T22:22:48.507-07:00Tenacatita, We're Glad to Meet Ya!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV0GVbk0_bOJ70I1coDnw6UqY8mch95xKgRP6pNYjvFnl4YigyCOfO9UAFM5rAJQ6E-Q4nW4y0os3UOE84C0Jm8XEs8U1MbyrrKGz7zARI4UoQgzBFEvo0VLvGbqgcG3oxPt0h-mQCLI/s1600-h/DSC05420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV0GVbk0_bOJ70I1coDnw6UqY8mch95xKgRP6pNYjvFnl4YigyCOfO9UAFM5rAJQ6E-Q4nW4y0os3UOE84C0Jm8XEs8U1MbyrrKGz7zARI4UoQgzBFEvo0VLvGbqgcG3oxPt0h-mQCLI/s200/DSC05420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288604622871100978" border="0" /></a>Sailing can sometimes be a very humbling experience-- Mother Nature occasionally hands our as**es to us on a platter. One such instance occurred a few days ago during our passage from Puerto Vallarta to Tenacatita.<br /><br />We left PV with plans to do an overnighter for the 150-mile trip. Normally, we would've broken it into several stops, but we were late to meet my friend Brita, having hung around PV an extra day to catch up with our friends Matt and Olivia Fix-Chang and their two very inquisitive sons, Ethan (1) and Andrew (3).<br /><br />Simulated conversation:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> "What's that?"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan:</span> It's a jib sheet.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> Why?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB3KbfpUgDqWUEsoYcOOI7L_ng9bMzaDPdyPZ32-IAW9d708CED8IrraAFUC9gc0RQBRbrhdIGoQDGxKQO2KZ7QvYB1hlAS-fc2ic6JBiPvlgfR-Vq8VV1adoFnIfogUDVyjH4EyU598/s1600-h/DSC05458.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB3KbfpUgDqWUEsoYcOOI7L_ng9bMzaDPdyPZ32-IAW9d708CED8IrraAFUC9gc0RQBRbrhdIGoQDGxKQO2KZ7QvYB1hlAS-fc2ic6JBiPvlgfR-Vq8VV1adoFnIfogUDVyjH4EyU598/s200/DSC05458.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288633313413537794" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan:</span> You pull it to change the angle of the jib<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> Why?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan:</span> To change the air flow around the sail<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> Why?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan:</span> Because if air flows faster on one side than the other, it creates lift which moves the boat forward<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> Why?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan:</span> It's a physics thing, a property of Nature<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> Why?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan:</span> Well, depending on your belief system, either it "just is," or that's the way God made it<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> Why?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan:</span> So he could watch the sailboats go by on his days off<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Andrew:</span> Why?<br /><br />Anyway, we used our new-to-us autopilot ("Otto") to cross Banderas Bay, then motored around Cabo Corrientes. Cabo Corrientes is Spanish for "Current Cape" and it's where several ocean currents meet, creating very mixed, turbulent, confused seas-- or, as a fellow sailor on the dock in La Cruz had warned us, "washing machine seas." As we rounded the cape, the wind picked up a bit and we raised the sails. <div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='288' height='238' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwAyrIkYmqAaEf3CHyNpw7kdAZnxIh9HYvK0W8WgL5a9kayMQRXgU2NH6Ehcj8mHt4KiZySa11YSmS1wjP5rw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />As the waves churned around us and tossed Hurulu every which direction, the wind continued to pick up. Before long, it was blasting at what was probably 25-30 knots. We were running downwind, which is usually the most comfortable point of sail for strong winds since the boat's forward speed serves to 'subtract' from the overall apparent wind.<br /><br />But, with ten and twelve foot seas running behind us-- and occasionally from the side-- it became increasingly harder to keep the boat under control. We risked "broaching", a very nasty occurrence where the force on the sails overcomes the power of the rudder, causing the boat to lose control and violently round up into the wind. It took all the hackles-raising attentiveness I could muster, and all my strength, to keep her under control while she surfed down the waves (indeed, my arms were very sore the next day).<br /><br />Then, for the first time on our trip, we got "pooped"-- basically, a wave broke over the stern of the boat and flooded the cockpit. This is a pretty unnerving experience, but fortunately the water drained fairly rapidly out the scuppers, and I gave silent thanks to Bill (see previous post), who had wisely insisted we replace the cockpit drain hoses before we left.<br /><br />Since the sun was setting, and since the boat was increasingly hard to control-- and since it was her birthday-- I took over Naomi's shift and stayed at the helm for close to 6 hours, adrenaline flowing the entire time. I wanted to reef the sails but instead we decided to pull into the next safe harbor, about 20 miles due south, and wait out this weather.<br /><br />This was the roughest weather we'd thus far experienced on our trip. To be frank, apart from getting soaked periodically, it was fairly exhilarating, as the boat continued to hit new speed records, first 8.6, then 9.2, then 9.5, after which the knotmeter stopped working (it still hasn't come back yet). I sailed for more than an hour at sustained 8.5 knots. Given that the hull speed is around 7, we were getting at least a couple of knots from surfing the waves.<br /><br />But, as on the SF Bay, such "big weather" is fun for an hour or so--as long as you can duck out behind an island or something, which we couldn't do. Also, at one point, with massive seas behind us, we were visited by a pod of dolphins, who ran alongside, surfing down the waves. Very cool. Visits from these guys always help to brighten the mood and alleviate anxiety.<br /><br />At long last, we got some relief from the clashing waves, and pulled toward the small harbor called Ipala. Now a new set of tensions arose, because: i) it was a completely dark, moonless night; ii) it was a small cove, already occupied by a few boats; iii) the charts of this area all all 1-2 miles off, so we couldn't rely on our handheld GPS to guide us in; iv) it contained a submerged rock; v) it was reported to have fishing nets near the opening; and, vi) it was also pretty deep, 40-60 feet, which is at the limits of the length of our chain.<br /><br />When we dropped the anchor and came to a halt, we saw we were just 6-7 feet away from a set of floating nets (if we had run over them, they would have wrapped around our propeller and caused all sorts of trouble). Naomi promptly went to sleep, and I had one of my last Racer 5 IPA beers I'd been saving for such "stressful" days as these. Only one word to describe our sentiment at that point: "whew!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Fkjd3w9FGRrbVlAjgWzDm2jCbLIYAYxp51172QD750oyb2n1YoxsZS3Jp5KI-naOCp8rJCN9mGnlUI6wst-qu5iWu3ZwPFtM70MnM9eE2ZvtQPuS8b9CKfWbH5oOj85Qq0pz4h069po/s1600-h/IMGP0176.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Fkjd3w9FGRrbVlAjgWzDm2jCbLIYAYxp51172QD750oyb2n1YoxsZS3Jp5KI-naOCp8rJCN9mGnlUI6wst-qu5iWu3ZwPFtM70MnM9eE2ZvtQPuS8b9CKfWbH5oOj85Qq0pz4h069po/s200/IMGP0176.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288632541584201394" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The next day we woke early to try and make up some distance. The day started calm, and in the first hour of my shift I saw several whales, a whole bunch of dolphins, and a few sea turtles (one of which literally "waved" at us with his flipper as we passed by). Then, much to our dismay, the wind started blowing, but from the South-- the "wrong way", straight in the direction we were trying to go. To make matter worse, the seas were still choppy, this time due to the contrary wind (vs the clashing currents of the day before). However, it was less intense vs. the previous day, and we made slow headway.<br /><br />It became clear we weren't going to make it in time to meet Brita, so in a br<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseajgdQ1SveuwNfb6uHLojbtepkIOoINqPl_hD20UafzK58tvQozwh7Kyz2z-3Tpc3AnDxHP2p_T4gIqf1OaW2QV1uVryWbppQxuknc2YubynhF36aIAVRiy1RiVrPOcN1HnolixihSo/s1600-h/DSC05454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseajgdQ1SveuwNfb6uHLojbtepkIOoINqPl_hD20UafzK58tvQozwh7Kyz2z-3Tpc3AnDxHP2p_T4gIqf1OaW2QV1uVryWbppQxuknc2YubynhF36aIAVRiy1RiVrPOcN1HnolixihSo/s200/DSC05454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288620942469506562" border="0" /></a>ief moment when we got a cell signal, we texted her to get a hotel room. As the day wore on, progress was a grind. After sunset, the seas finally calmed down, and we made the decision to use it as an opportunity to keep plowing ahead (always a tough decision when tired). This turned out to be the right call, and we approached Tenacatita Bay just before sunrise. We actually had to slow it down so as to enter with some light, since it was still moonless. But, as dawn broke, we spotted the familiar Catalina 44 <span style="font-style: italic;">La Palapa</span>, pulled up near them, and promptly passed out, only to be awoken a few hours later with....<br /><br />(continued next blog)Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-7232971718048860302008-12-27T08:27:00.000-08:002008-12-27T20:18:45.613-08:00Running on Auto<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeN1aD7o9hoi5Yh7e_mfnTKHgRXIcTuvUj7WZ8-ppCabYeY_f5E0F6UVwVrVyMP6o29CNJAyJxxR-XUYYS00EVtEJPS7dQ6AA8mkV0ChsQWSe31nAYenNQ5fP_WiQFgIXMH5K5eiwmOE/s1600-h/picture+of+navico+wp5000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeN1aD7o9hoi5Yh7e_mfnTKHgRXIcTuvUj7WZ8-ppCabYeY_f5E0F6UVwVrVyMP6o29CNJAyJxxR-XUYYS00EVtEJPS7dQ6AA8mkV0ChsQWSe31nAYenNQ5fP_WiQFgIXMH5K5eiwmOE/s200/picture+of+navico+wp5000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284513261567749506" border="0" /></a>When we tell our fellow cruisers that we've covered nearly 3000 nautical miles since leaving San Francisco without a working autopilot, they usually picture themselves doing such a thing, which is then followed by a shudder. Comments such as "I wouldn't have made this trip without an autopilot" and "I've hand-steered 1% of the time, while my autopilot handled the other 99%" are common.<br /><br />It's not that we didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to sail with an autopilot. But fate has conspired against us:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Autopilot #1:</span> Came with the boat, and it was a Navico wp4000. But, when we plugged it in it would chirp for a split second then....nada. Nothing at all. I tried to remedy this by giving some extra sails we had to a guy on craigslist, who was an electrical engineer and promised to take a look at it. After a month and a half or so, we'd heard nothing, so I asked him to send it back, which he did. It now sits buried in our starboard lazarette, somewhat mocking us.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Autopilot #2:</span> Using a voltmeter and my extremely primitive electrical skills, I was able to determine that some previous owner had inexplicitly crossed the positive/negative wires at the female plug. Thus, it's likely that we were frying #1 each time we plugged it in. So, I got on eBay and way overpaid in an auction for another wp4000. (Why eBay, you may ask? Because this is outdated technology that is no longer serviced or supported...in fact, the company was acquired and no longer really exists...BUT, our boat is set up for this particular unit).<br /><br />When I received the unit from the eBay sell, I plugged it in and it chirped happily. Success! Or so we thought. We didn't actually rig it up until we were halfway down the California coast, at which time we learned that while the control unit worked (the "chirp"), the gears in the drive unit were shot.<br /><br />After a few nasty email exchanges with the seller, I 'escalated' this to a 'claim' on eBay/PayPal. This is somewhat analogous to a legal trial, where we both presented our sides of the story for 'judgment' by eBay. (His argument, by the way, was that it was sold 'as-is' and it had been almost a month since the purchase was consummated). As we sailed out of San Diego at the start of the Ha Ha, I got an email on my blackberry that I had won the case-- but had to ship the unit back within 10 days. This necessitated starting leg 3 of the Ha Ha race early to get to Cabo in time to ship it...and also cost a small fortune in shipping fees. But we got our money back.<br /><br />Which brings us to....<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Autopilot #3:</span> To make a long story longer, we took a gamble and purchased <span style="font-style: italic;">another </span>autopilot on eBay, a wp5000, and had it shipped to my home in Colorado where I visited for Christmas. I sort of smuggled it into Mexico (technically I thing you're supposed to pay import duties on this stuff)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb99F79wuR9TIdGSJJuwnu7WvXNu4zlya1IT9laceNHPxqMI8EfLbQTQW04qpkGNBUvOOSwHxZUWNl0TUZvAppNqGgNLwO2zb8PLWken7tpOw-SvqLUH1miMhftjtYFDRmbaafYD1qKhU/s1600-h/DSC05413.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb99F79wuR9TIdGSJJuwnu7WvXNu4zlya1IT9laceNHPxqMI8EfLbQTQW04qpkGNBUvOOSwHxZUWNl0TUZvAppNqGgNLwO2zb8PLWken7tpOw-SvqLUH1miMhftjtYFDRmbaafYD1qKhU/s320/DSC05413.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284517655859220738" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday, Roger of La Palapa came over to help install it. It took all of Roger's technical skills (engineering degrees from MIT and Stanford) to rig up a system. While he baked in the hot Mexican sun, my role was to keep the beer on ice and periodically supply a fresh one.<br /><br />At around 3 pm, December 26th, we took it for a test drive. The first time we pushed the "Set" button, the boat did a complete and immediate 180 degree turn, heading right into a fleet of anchored boats. Fortunately, the fix was simple-- we had the unit installed backwards.<br /><br />So, with fingers crossed, hoping that the third try's the charm, we now join the world of "autopilot sailors" and are greatly looking forward to it. Hopefully this will give us more free time to...practice Spanish? Ponder the mysteries of the universe? Come up with solutions for world peace? Who knows. I'll let you know how it goes on our passage to Barra de Navidad...Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-37676862861095176212008-12-25T15:45:00.000-08:002008-12-27T10:44:28.575-08:00What's the Point of This Anyway?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJBCeeA5bMrnbdZqf8kMOpevvxxdIc2sqqkzVdCcXHvJxk-wa9mjiONyPV3MHVnCWywUSqQnGzgsO-WTz2IDvmY3habC1n8z-3EMRz94uGkKz3gBXsKJC6qGV3dOf7qeRyLFIJn2NaAg/s1600-h/DSC05417.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJBCeeA5bMrnbdZqf8kMOpevvxxdIc2sqqkzVdCcXHvJxk-wa9mjiONyPV3MHVnCWywUSqQnGzgsO-WTz2IDvmY3habC1n8z-3EMRz94uGkKz3gBXsKJC6qGV3dOf7qeRyLFIJn2NaAg/s200/DSC05417.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284527289054565410" border="0" /></a>I sometimes wonder-- and am occasionally asked by friends-- why in the world we would leave our work, the comforts of home, and our 'stimulating' San Francisco lifestyle to go live 2000+ miles from home in a foreign country in a tiny 31-year-old boat ? In short, why would we take a "sabbatical"? <span style="font-style: italic;">(click on image for larger view)</span><br /><br />The first reason is rather fuzzy and ambiguous...it is simply to take a break, or as the Germans call it, a<span style="font-style: italic;"> "pause"</span> (pronounced "pow-sah" and carrying slightly deeper and weightier connotations than our English word of the same spelling).<br /><br />I think it is very healthy to occasionally step off the treadmill...to continue with this cliche, life goes so fast, and somehow the treadmill seems to have started accelerating right after college graduation (and continues to accelerate) . Taking a <span style="font-style: italic;">pause</span> in this manner helps to slow things down...as my father in law Roy puts it, "sometimes it's necessary to stop and smell the roses". It's healthy to <span style="font-style: italic;">actively make time</span> to appreciate the sunsets, have longer and more in-depth conversations, get to know friends and family better, etc. Otherwise, what's the point?<br /><br />Taking a sabbatical also allows time for introspection and it's corollary, <span style="font-style: italic;">putting things in perspective.</span> This is almost impossible to do when working a 60-hour-a-week job and filling every other waking hour with socializing, paying bills, planning the weekend, recuperating from the weekend, etc.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA-joD1ZZ942PQscv1GeweHmdNMbH-yS_DpBNdYeeMJvwpeUT69DLxjGEjIxdVmmwHVIHwHLVs6TQpEqdlEL3ufMZ-mUNtTkurseeTUFH9MGKZBb_Ib00eKUWPMos30LK0EbxprcTcW8/s1600-h/DSC05026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA-joD1ZZ942PQscv1GeweHmdNMbH-yS_DpBNdYeeMJvwpeUT69DLxjGEjIxdVmmwHVIHwHLVs6TQpEqdlEL3ufMZ-mUNtTkurseeTUFH9MGKZBb_Ib00eKUWPMos30LK0EbxprcTcW8/s320/DSC05026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284529671809642818" border="0" /></a><br />Deep-tissue reflection of this nature is <span>much</span> easier when disconnected from excessive stimuli and surrounded by nothing but sky, stars, and 150 miles of open blue water; in fact, it is almost forced upon you by the zen-like state of keeping a compass heading for a 35-hour passage.<br /><br />Such reflection is intrinsically healthy, but not always easy. Although we've yet to have any major epiphanies on this trip, the life-analysis that accompanies a <span style="font-style: italic;">pause </span>can occasionally spur dramatic changes in careers, mindset, attitudes, goals, etc. I've taken two other extended breaks, one right before college and one right before b-school, and both instances set me off on a revised (and improved) path through life.<br /><br />Anyway, the other major reason (or more accurately, the set of reasons) for taking a sabbatical is much more American, much more goal-driven. They are:<br /><br />1. To become awesome sailors<br />2. To learn Spanish<br />3. To get healthy<br /><br />I would say we have made incremental-- but not major-- improvements in our sailing ability. Sailing out here is much like sailing in the SF Bay, but with less wind and a lot fewer layers of clothing. I would say we've improved a lot of ancillary skills, such as anchoring, docking, navigation, safety, and my favorite, diesel motor maintenance. We've also gotten pretty good at piloting the dinghy.<br /><br />As for learning Spanish, we are doing an "ok" job. It is very easy to remain almost wholly in the insular cruising community, which is mostly Americans (with a few Canucks and Euros thrown in for good measure); dreams of immersing ourselves with the the Mexican people and their culture have been elusive. However, I have been pretty diligent about playing my "Spanish In a Week" CDs most mornings. Though falsely-advertised, they are very good. Naomi has passable Spanish from prior studies, and we are now able to do pretty well with the Mexican bus drivers.<br /><br />We've done much better with the third explicit goal of getting healthy (although as of this writing we're just coming back from gut-busting holidays in the States, and about to head to our friends on <span style="font-style: italic;">La Palapa</span> for a roast duck Christmas dinner). We've both gotten into reasonably trim shape, we have golden-but-not-burnt suntans, and are benefitting from lots of fresh air, exercise, and pretty simple food. However, we still have a few bad habits we're wrestling with, and like most sailors, tend to <span style="font-style: italic;">drink </span>like sailors. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><br />So that's the "why" in a nutshell. It's worth mentioning that sailing is just one method for taking a <span style="font-style: italic;">pause</span>, and all of the above could just as well be accomplished biking across Spain or climbing mountains or something.<br /><br />But...it sure is nice when the wind kicks up and the seas are flat, when we hoist the mainsail and jib and turn off the diesel, and the only sound is the bow of our 31-year-old <span style="font-style: italic;">Hurulu </span>slicing through the azul water....Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-44650500366928792372008-12-21T15:33:00.000-08:002008-12-23T21:15:54.121-08:00Friends, Family, Dolphins & PoniesHello from Boulder, Colorado where I'm visiting my family and freezing my tail off. It's a shocking 11 degrees here-- quite a change from the near-perfect temperatures (in the low 80s) of Puerto Vallarta, where I awoke yesterday.<br /><br />Since it's obviously too cold to make my fingers write an <span style="font-style: italic;">actual</span> blog post, I'll borrow a trick from the TV networks and put up a few "re-runs". Actually, these are just a few photos that didn't make it up earlier.<br /><br />First up, from two days ago: we had some visitors from SF: Dan, Tommy and Kate. We went out for a day sail and had nice winds for about an hour. A good time was had by all!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMFKYCVHsE2hzQUk_HUKFzRgZEybDPn79xp9MFHiZWbg7N-sRlILfoB-FidV-ohpSDKuVIAhoOZcuU4oHsBPeoXnt-Fa9pLgmDOw2Ct9mlAWHABKzFXCe3ZZc-eCJCbJv9txHHa25Hw/s1600-h/DSC05375.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMFKYCVHsE2hzQUk_HUKFzRgZEybDPn79xp9MFHiZWbg7N-sRlILfoB-FidV-ohpSDKuVIAhoOZcuU4oHsBPeoXnt-Fa9pLgmDOw2Ct9mlAWHABKzFXCe3ZZc-eCJCbJv9txHHa25Hw/s320/DSC05375.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282399427296196386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gIb09tQazF1TnRhewC9FHluRt2xmI7CY_cRoP_C6oToF0nhyphenhyphenrfoVOyjbKFqsBD8AHO2Tu_BfIu8braGSFPgsyw_cxUV1wcH_A_k_i0ZydXAmOkL2FpaYSc_J_E8fqtjRc_lJ45mGyWo/s1600-h/DSC05378.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gIb09tQazF1TnRhewC9FHluRt2xmI7CY_cRoP_C6oToF0nhyphenhyphenrfoVOyjbKFqsBD8AHO2Tu_BfIu8braGSFPgsyw_cxUV1wcH_A_k_i0ZydXAmOkL2FpaYSc_J_E8fqtjRc_lJ45mGyWo/s320/DSC05378.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282396169953334274" border="0" /></a></div>Once the breeze died down, we motored back and were followed at length by this friendly (and LARGE) dolphin, who rode our bow wake for over an hour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEkIN80w0vKSeBR3esSWBYHtBZJE-T3k8IL7QTNr0d7ozVJGsQ_ws9n63_dFQNmgzWJ1qcGmO0lXKkw1IbpwIGXY4EJpXhMIAKyfqbrTrBgPgp71gUIjeB3xMFrgGCuX5sYlikNOCWu0/s1600-h/DSC05393.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEkIN80w0vKSeBR3esSWBYHtBZJE-T3k8IL7QTNr0d7ozVJGsQ_ws9n63_dFQNmgzWJ1qcGmO0lXKkw1IbpwIGXY4EJpXhMIAKyfqbrTrBgPgp71gUIjeB3xMFrgGCuX5sYlikNOCWu0/s320/DSC05393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282398430620380034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWTZFk4ClbfNKRJDPV4yEauD_mhsPV0IQyvjtFLZY5ilTmB3EIqe_j_DvEgZ51q2S-FYVdgfd9Ksz7nIAamYX6oRWDZOiYTc979i2eq7p9c7sWjaglQod9rOMMmP32iETHgO4Fo9Zme4/s1600-h/DSC05385.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWTZFk4ClbfNKRJDPV4yEauD_mhsPV0IQyvjtFLZY5ilTmB3EIqe_j_DvEgZ51q2S-FYVdgfd9Ksz7nIAamYX6oRWDZOiYTc979i2eq7p9c7sWjaglQod9rOMMmP32iETHgO4Fo9Zme4/s320/DSC05385.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282398426821297250" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIrhhprg7M5QmbbKZM8FmNcxsoYSm7IZkBjZkTWsSS_ScC4eG-Xmrh1M5axqGS8N7bgQypZahxf4JSGEyKuBR6FjsmZwbUsMgio76Cfiot6MlOxNFBo4GIsRYZH8d5mQT_vO4IZiJYk4/s1600-h/DSC05370.JPG"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='239' height='200' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dximtPXINNTRYNwVeG6WV5PYiVmFDon2m6iIcSV7BlonKQGit6iRSwakB_7LfPSavcY1crD6h9GmGj1BmrGHw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></a></div>Last week, it was the Zells (my in-laws) who were our guests for a day-sail out of PV:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzz8SxazNgQtdy0GHjDlaRr6rPlwBXKYatX31SgZlu4krJ8DAgebYSclOwIcbp6HVZo7NI1cjg33bb8a_rMGaLlEPQMT_FJcG7tJ-apRvntxRx26doXe-DwxJ55aZ5GYvLAjZg62H1hw/s1600-h/DSC05372.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzz8SxazNgQtdy0GHjDlaRr6rPlwBXKYatX31SgZlu4krJ8DAgebYSclOwIcbp6HVZo7NI1cjg33bb8a_rMGaLlEPQMT_FJcG7tJ-apRvntxRx26doXe-DwxJ55aZ5GYvLAjZg62H1hw/s320/DSC05372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282398963499985410" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-HmjKfgmJ7VNE8WgjaJ248QXjKSW-3fIDo8utfuw9Hj7i0sUXKK3SoTqouxQQ6M6zC8uDiXvJ8cTMufBV1pWkNX15nLa8aBzEuPyBnjyVkO7X4kXpbb2SZ6FITDdmGiVNOameH0Ydp4/s1600-h/zells.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-HmjKfgmJ7VNE8WgjaJ248QXjKSW-3fIDo8utfuw9Hj7i0sUXKK3SoTqouxQQ6M6zC8uDiXvJ8cTMufBV1pWkNX15nLa8aBzEuPyBnjyVkO7X4kXpbb2SZ6FITDdmGiVNOameH0Ydp4/s200/zells.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283220359696221282" border="0" /></a></div>And a few days before that, we were in the beach town of Sayulita for the best fish tacos and some hot beach / pony action:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fjT9HR9CBaQyjDvyDA1_SLShSaqU8X1ryvNyVPJIj99ea9icJKmAdAijioHkg_N7UzJ2Xk-BGwOEaEeLRtPqUp9zEwEfOOPQ6cLMLAJOF3vXqklHvDEM4ZR-J6hfUZULq5bcOR9ObRk/s1600-h/DSC05366.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fjT9HR9CBaQyjDvyDA1_SLShSaqU8X1ryvNyVPJIj99ea9icJKmAdAijioHkg_N7UzJ2Xk-BGwOEaEeLRtPqUp9zEwEfOOPQ6cLMLAJOF3vXqklHvDEM4ZR-J6hfUZULq5bcOR9ObRk/s320/DSC05366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282400364988663474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIrhhprg7M5QmbbKZM8FmNcxsoYSm7IZkBjZkTWsSS_ScC4eG-Xmrh1M5axqGS8N7bgQypZahxf4JSGEyKuBR6FjsmZwbUsMgio76Cfiot6MlOxNFBo4GIsRYZH8d5mQT_vO4IZiJYk4/s1600-h/DSC05370.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIrhhprg7M5QmbbKZM8FmNcxsoYSm7IZkBjZkTWsSS_ScC4eG-Xmrh1M5axqGS8N7bgQypZahxf4JSGEyKuBR6FjsmZwbUsMgio76Cfiot6MlOxNFBo4GIsRYZH8d5mQT_vO4IZiJYk4/s320/DSC05370.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282400375175694834" border="0" /></a></div>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-62998135380316262012008-12-16T08:05:00.000-08:002009-04-19T22:21:57.112-07:00Rockin' it in Bahia de Banderas'Hola from Bahia de Banderas, translated as "Bay of Flags"! In anticipation, Naomi has been flying her freak flag all week now, and is feeling right at home. ;-><br /><br />To affix a geographic location to this post, Banderas Bay is about halfway down the pacific side of the mexican riviera, and is anchored by the city of Puerto Vallarta. I've been to PV twice before, and my impressions were rather mixed, undoubtedly colored by the experiences: the first time was on a motorcycle, right after graduating high school, but my companion and I were so poor we stayed in a true Mexican "roach hotel"; the second time was with some buddies on a spring break trip, but we ran into a little drunken "trouble" and had to pay off the local law enforcement to avoid a true Mexican "roach jail"...undoubtedly many times worse than the hotels.<br /><br />Must be that the third time's a charm, or maybe it's because PV is a sailor's dream, but we are enjoying the area this time 'round. To start off with, we are seeing an incredible abundance of wildlife.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikjUf9WvUU_EMsB7Y4rRuiWs3dhcJt6c78qDFni3QE2gj6azVn9-4oXzn5M-eHKsuI1_Cv8NSCtiNlXZ2veA1AkSXJBjLltDb-lXzR-d5pIrdvuTNGS5ZkL6cw0ub0eeikGoT_6ckSAA/s1600-h/whale+jump.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikjUf9WvUU_EMsB7Y4rRuiWs3dhcJt6c78qDFni3QE2gj6azVn9-4oXzn5M-eHKsuI1_Cv8NSCtiNlXZ2veA1AkSXJBjLltDb-lXzR-d5pIrdvuTNGS5ZkL6cw0ub0eeikGoT_6ckSAA/s200/whale+jump.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280423983550945586" border="0" /></a><br />For example, on the day-long, 40 nMi sail from Chacala, we saw:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">+A massive whale that jumped completely out of the water.</span> This occurred in totally flat water, and about 300 yards from our starboard bow...needless to say, it caused a bit of a heart palpitation, but was just incredible to see that much flesh suddenly rise from the sea. He did not do it again, and thus I caught no photos, so I'm using a stock pic for 'effect'.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">+A baby dolphin learning to play.</span> This little guy was about 3 feet long and would repeatedly plant his nose down and kick up his tail, almost like a child trying to do a handstand in a pool. Adorable.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNPXYuwzIKVaI2XHrgkeTC-QJ3QAkai13KMWg-UMEvv5SE9DQe8Zu5yG0v9MM7R_LxrjZf0F1lJn8T36GkCbiGbFk_cpUsmoZlTEdhxJl4wu916NskdwJl3kgniLKF6tWW8y9wk6z9TU/s1600-h/manta+ray+jump.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNPXYuwzIKVaI2XHrgkeTC-QJ3QAkai13KMWg-UMEvv5SE9DQe8Zu5yG0v9MM7R_LxrjZf0F1lJn8T36GkCbiGbFk_cpUsmoZlTEdhxJl4wu916NskdwJl3kgniLKF6tWW8y9wk6z9TU/s200/manta+ray+jump.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280423844927686642" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">+Flying manta rays:</span> Particularly around dusk, we occsionally see manta rays jump from the water, and they often execute either a flip or a few full flaps of their wings mid-air. What's cool is that they usually do it a couple times in a row, so we can get all hands on deck and see it happen again (something harder to do with the elusive whales, who perform once then dive away...yet I am using a stock photo, as I didn't catch the manta's show on film!)<br /><br />After reaching the Bay, which is roughly 20 x 10 sq. miles, we anchored a few days at the north end, near a small town called La Cruz de Huaxnnn....some long and un-spellable name. This is a cool spot that is just now developing a marine infrastructure. In fact, the recently-completed marina where we docked our dinghy was probably only 15% occupied. While there, we also took the bus to a surf town called Sayulita, which was much fun. We were here 3 years ago for the wedding of our friends Rebecca and Seth, and it has changed very little.<br /><br />After that, Naomi's parents came to visit for a few days and we stayed at Paradise Village Resort and Marina...nice! But, despite being in 'paradise' we had a few rough days...first, we took the Zells out for some fishing, and although we saw many whales, we caught nothing but a bird. This was NOT pleasant. We reeled him in, as we would a fish, then I got in the dinghy and hauled him aboard. I spent the next 45 minutes holding his beak shut (so he couldn't nip me) while fiddling with the pliers to remove the fish hooks, which had lodged in his breast, lip, ankle, and feet. Unbelievably, when I got them all out he flew away, and there wasn't that much blood-- meaning the wounds were not very deep. Hopefully, he can make a full recovery.<br /><br />Afterwards, Naomi's mom started feeling ill, and it became progressively worse-- a case of some pretty bad heat stroke and dehydration. She spent the night in the hospital with an IV, and then they flew home. We feel bad we didn't show them a better time, but we did get in some great meals together! <br /><br />Ok, we are now close to two months into our trip, and time for a little reflection. Some comments/questions/observations:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Escapism is good for the soul, but makes for a rough transition back to reality...</span> I mean, dang Brandy, is the world outside our floating bubble <span style="font-style: italic;">really THAT</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">bad</span>? It is certainly a luxury to disconnect and be mostly offline for a bit. But man, what a shock when we finally do pick up a newspaper or otherwise catch the headlines...multi-billion dollar bailouts of key US industries, 5- and 6-digit layoff announcements, forecasts of prolonged and 'nuclear winter' economic slumps ahead, etc...it's really depressing. Probably more so than it should be, and I think two magnifying factors are at work here: i) things <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> pretty bad, probably worse than average; and, ii) when bombarded with news media every day, we become desensitized, but when you disconnect for awhile, you lose such "media calluses". In other words, when you read one paper a month, it has significantly greater impact.</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Sailing is to the retired set what backpacking is to the post-college crowd.</span> While anchoring in La Cruz, we went to this local cruisers' hangout called Philos. Here, you can take hot showers, do Internet, play pool and have a few drinks while socializing with other cruisers. It struck me how much the whole environment was like many of the backpacker hostels and hangouts we've been to, particularly in asia and south america. Although the average age is more in the 50's or 60's vs. 20's and early 30's, the vibe is the same. These folks are generally pretty great...they relay weather forecasts, invite us over for sunset happy hours, and lend a hand when needed. In addition, sailing attracts some of the most interesting people on the planet-- those who march to the beat of their own drums. It makes for fascinating conversation. </li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">But...sometimes marinas are like floating trailer parks.</span> We stayed a few nights in a marina called Nueva Vallarta, and here it dawned on me (somewhat more depressingly) that the marina scene is occasionally like an expensive RV park. A few years ago, when driving in the Florida Keys and having no place to stay, Naomi and I camped at an trailer park, which was absolutely awful. All these people from the Northeast had come down for the winter, and were crammed in (and literally hanging out of) their tin boxes. It was like a holding area for retirees trying to stay warm while forestalling the reaper. The marina scene occasionally feels like that, but with fiberglass tubes in place of tin boxes. Some 'marina rats' seem to just 'hang out' on their boats all day, 3 feet away from their neighbor, and wait for cocktail hour to begin. It seems strange to us, because as soon as our boat is tied up somewhere, we're off with backpacks to explore the town. But, different strokes...</li></ul>Ok, that's enough for now. We moved locations yesterday and are now docked in Marina Vallarta, which is the oldest marina in PV and a very cool scene....the moment we got Hurulu tied up we felt the vibe, and it was refreshing. It's got "character" in the best sense of the word. We are going to hole up here until post-Christmas, when our beloved friend and colleague Brita will join us for a sail down to Barra de Navidad. Until then, asta luego!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-82672459613060168112008-12-08T07:42:00.000-08:002008-12-23T21:06:27.094-08:00A Tiny Slice of ParadiseGreetings from Chacala! ...a tiny slice of paradise on Mexico's west coast.<br /><br />Our story left off with us departing Mazatlan in the afternoon for an overnight sail to Isla Isabella. We enjoyed Mazatlan-- especially the outdoor restaurants in the Machado plaza in the old part of town-- but weren't too happy with our anchoring situation. We were staying in the port, and paying $3 a day to drop our hook and use the dinghy dock and shower facilities of "Club Nautico".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmi86xZ_JfhyphenhyphenQ2PQR_gPZ18JcVZcAU7vc88ujTRHmtOm0CR8jQ32BbCOgGwlvO3PAIOqDPVG8l3YhShw5LooiPp_GYuobIBngClCf6krFcDydUaTH4MQ7kdMdWTtmdrNqz0qUlZx29yo/s1600-h/DSC05313.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmi86xZ_JfhyphenhyphenQ2PQR_gPZ18JcVZcAU7vc88ujTRHmtOm0CR8jQ32BbCOgGwlvO3PAIOqDPVG8l3YhShw5LooiPp_GYuobIBngClCf6krFcDydUaTH4MQ7kdMdWTtmdrNqz0qUlZx29yo/s200/DSC05313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277453753612515890" border="0" /></a><br />Sounds nice, right? Well, the port is downwind of a sewer treatment plant, and "Club Nautico" has definitely seen better days...it probably hit its zenith around 1962 and has been steadily eroding since then. For example, the showers...the stalls had crisp red and blue sailing burgee tiles inlaid in the wall-- evidence of better times--but we needed to wear flip flops at all times because, as Naomi puts it, "you didn't want to drop anything in there". It was good to put it behind us, lest we bring home a new strain of foot fungus or something.<br /><br />Anyway, after the overnighter we were treated to a great sunrise (see pic) and mad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9kaZUibKBmuLqY8A0Una0uFyDF-Mzfs3Nb0Zvrjj1oxCoxDspn-yzbw471XKQuvAKkOktFjWevgasDo-uxpfFQGcrxTzrh5py-EtCm83R4MVOPybJrNTdelAEoobccc7A2s4juUSrW0/s1600-h/DSC05325.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9kaZUibKBmuLqY8A0Una0uFyDF-Mzfs3Nb0Zvrjj1oxCoxDspn-yzbw471XKQuvAKkOktFjWevgasDo-uxpfFQGcrxTzrh5py-EtCm83R4MVOPybJrNTdelAEoobccc7A2s4juUSrW0/s200/DSC05325.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277453334440622162" border="0" /></a>e our way to Isabella. This small island is a nature preserve and breeding ground of the blue-footed booby. As we got closer to the island, the skies above it appeared to be in motion...probably several thousand birds all circling over the peak, which was visually cool albeit vaguely unsettling and reminiscent of a few scenes from Alfred Hitcock's movie, The Birds. A few tried to land on our windvane and radar tower-- they were quite aggressive, actually-- but blasting the air horn and making threatening jabs with the gaff hook finally did the trick.<br /><br />When we arrived, we were a little concerned to find the wind coming from the southeast instead of the (usual) north, turning the rocky shore into a lee shore. For non-sailors, I should point out that this is a bad thing...if the boat drags anchor or drifts, there is a good chance of ending up on the rocks. However, we were tired and there was another boat there, so we dropped the hook.<br /><br />After two tries at anchoring, we finally stopped the boat and I dove in to check the anchor's set. To my dismay, the Delta was sitting upright on a patch of sand, and the rode (chain) was wrapping itself around some big coral blocks. As I noticed this, I also noticed the other boat, a catamaran, trying to leave but having a hell of a time getting their anchor back up...clearly, they had spent the night there and in the meantime their anchor had gotten itself into all kinds of trouble on the underwater rocks and coral heads.<br /><br />So, we realized we had to keep moving, and pronto. This is one of the unplea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWN21aVPqEvYtfRQ2AkYhhPQRzFKVkHGAVJhDHsaE4H24J8pgdV1AZuBTqRmscWUhCU0P3Hh5TXC_05obVLrw9EnbaWkE_OrX2FUrAIPeeopIZ4K_5CjtShGiJYhxMsYzoT4a3PH1iKjQ/s1600-h/DSC05223.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWN21aVPqEvYtfRQ2AkYhhPQRzFKVkHGAVJhDHsaE4H24J8pgdV1AZuBTqRmscWUhCU0P3Hh5TXC_05obVLrw9EnbaWkE_OrX2FUrAIPeeopIZ4K_5CjtShGiJYhxMsYzoT4a3PH1iKjQ/s200/DSC05223.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283217981658164354" border="0" /></a>sant realities of cruising...after sailing for any extended period, you're exhausted and just want to stop and get some rest, but sometimes you simply have to push on, either because the anchorage is foul (as in our case), or a weather front is moving in, or whatever. No rest for the wicked.<br /><br />Our choices were either San Blas or Chacala as next ports-of-call. Neither was ideal: San Blas was closer, but the narrow estuary generally requires a pilot or panga guide. Chacala was farther-- 54 miles or so-- which doesn't sound that bad, but at an average speed of 5 knots or so it was at least 11 or so hours away. Since we'd arrive at dark at either place, we chose Chacala.<br /><br />Along the way, I caught a tasty Bonito and was able to gaff him and get him up on deck without waking my sleeping beauty, with minimal fuss. THis was a first, since our previous fishing succcesses usually involved a lot of chaos, commotion, and splattering blood. Apparently we're learning a few things.<br /><br />As night fell and we finally approached Chacala, we motored into the tiny bay an<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfRAeDEOffVto_SCWhAfYcpgJ-8nq2QPWP6fSM_ce2Ks0gC80KYMfkcUrpl2nyWzyWwGh20mSTvzTkac_nwt7EP8JnKfMCDW_i7N7_LIi1dkCkwEOhmmxWfxDBQC6NZ0OIlRNm49f7PY/s1600-h/DSC05334.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfRAeDEOffVto_SCWhAfYcpgJ-8nq2QPWP6fSM_ce2Ks0gC80KYMfkcUrpl2nyWzyWwGh20mSTvzTkac_nwt7EP8JnKfMCDW_i7N7_LIi1dkCkwEOhmmxWfxDBQC6NZ0OIlRNm49f7PY/s200/DSC05334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277452913045013282" border="0" /></a>d made a few passes then dropped the Delta. Our technique was a little rough around the edges, since all the other boats were using both bow and stern anchors and pointing out to the sea, whereas we were too tired to accomplish this 'intermediate' level of anchoring in the middle of the night, and dropped just a bow anchor, which had us bow-to-bow with all the other boats. Not bristol seamanlike form, but we did get up every couple hours to check for dragging. I fried up my Bonito on the bbq and hit the sack.<br /><br />In the morning, we were amply rewarded for our perseverance...we awoke to find this idyllic little cove, a nice beach lined with palm trees, and a few restaurants and palapas. Chacala is truly a little sliver of 'topical paradise'and the type of spot that cruisers dream of...it's the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GCWoE7KwwvkQ4VzwVh28Hg1v9DCoRDEwPFylPXT8ybUYgiVoWu6mZ5QgJ1VAX2q5_IpW4MTms3gnCy5uo7aJzmluzdHY2dZ5qB89Gbpmca9iyzsxItcUTuM_9q7-zNodQpeY86j5akE/s1600-h/DSC05339.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GCWoE7KwwvkQ4VzwVh28Hg1v9DCoRDEwPFylPXT8ybUYgiVoWu6mZ5QgJ1VAX2q5_IpW4MTms3gnCy5uo7aJzmluzdHY2dZ5qB89Gbpmca9iyzsxItcUTuM_9q7-zNodQpeY86j5akE/s200/DSC05339.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277452323227764786" border="0" /></a>reason we're all out here, spending ridculous sums of money on diesel and boat stuff and braving wind, waves, whales, and sunburn. Finding such spots every so often satisfies the drive and justifies the unpleasantries.<br /><br />The reason it's such an idyll is that apparently, some gringo hippies moved here in the '70's and worked quite successfully with the locals to prevent major (over) development. However, it is 'being discovered', and there are some fancy houses sprouting up, but for now it's mostly just fishermen and beach front restaurants that sell cold Coronas and awesome platters of shrimp for about $5.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha70V9-YwQ_WMoHrw0WVPlNm058rfV9yae-HA_WqPmSgHciv527a5KNEYU8opGvhZvKkOkTFenhA8FAGav5GrA94TtFgdm7L9sxADBr-JwxrRXQFce6iBEbyeQlleTRpi-fRsnGFxbz4k/s1600-h/DSC05348.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha70V9-YwQ_WMoHrw0WVPlNm058rfV9yae-HA_WqPmSgHciv527a5KNEYU8opGvhZvKkOkTFenhA8FAGav5GrA94TtFgdm7L9sxADBr-JwxrRXQFce6iBEbyeQlleTRpi-fRsnGFxbz4k/s200/DSC05348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283217374914725522" border="0" /></a><br />We've been here 2 days, and will probably stay another, then make our way further south to rendezvous with Naomi's parents in Puerto Vallarta for a little civilization and updates on 'what the heck is happening in the rest of the world'. Until then...asta luego!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-91051047923791254712008-12-03T11:00:00.000-08:002009-04-19T22:21:01.917-07:00La Riviera de Mehico<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXu5MEhOFkhAZ-Pz23ZLVd5VhNL3VpXgAZVe9D6T3UdTEsiPlFISX9SxVrA2KGYvpm7vqlfGt2yWv7Gza7tFtzD38-BiNX5L8EWu4dR2G9pE8jiAhDJll1jJW-a93KVUxAyDvCD4YaUM/s1600-h/DSC05187.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXu5MEhOFkhAZ-Pz23ZLVd5VhNL3VpXgAZVe9D6T3UdTEsiPlFISX9SxVrA2KGYvpm7vqlfGt2yWv7Gza7tFtzD38-BiNX5L8EWu4dR2G9pE8jiAhDJll1jJW-a93KVUxAyDvCD4YaUM/s200/DSC05187.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275652185793505410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Greetings from Mazatlan!<br /><br />We got in yesterday after a 33-hour crossing of the Sea of Cortez. It was pretty uneventful, and we motored almost the entire way, having waited out some big weather at a nice anchorage in Los Frailes Bay, on the Baja side.<br /><br />Actually, 'waiting it out' was a minor but gratifying achievement...in the absence of any cell signal or Internet access, we hoisted the antenna for our "YachtBoy" single sideband radio receiver halfway up the mast, and were successfully able to receive a morning weather forecast from a guy in southern California. Based on this, we made the decision to stay put, and as such, we dodged the 30 knot winds (and accompanying massive waves) that would have made the crossing a nightmare.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOvX4NyxjXletCnpT138ZzU8yU4_idJo6XlodjRGBYwdcIaY7A0g8dQF2Hj90_WuP7YXiHoiNcexrpRASoslQaP6YR9-JW8gWza9AiMxB6a_jyJiLTG8N4t9ptxiXmwUnAWmz9Vs9c6k/s1600-h/DSC05292.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOvX4NyxjXletCnpT138ZzU8yU4_idJo6XlodjRGBYwdcIaY7A0g8dQF2Hj90_WuP7YXiHoiNcexrpRASoslQaP6YR9-JW8gWza9AiMxB6a_jyJiLTG8N4t9ptxiXmwUnAWmz9Vs9c6k/s200/DSC05292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275650439314182514" border="0" /></a><br />While waiting out the wind, we spent some time back at Cabo Pulmo, a marine reserve that I wrote about previously. We hiked inland, then back along a magnificent untouched beach, about 7 miles total. For most of the time, were were the ONLY persons there. It is truly a special place, but I do worry about the rumors of development popping up. But hey-- if you can't beat 'em, then join 'em, right? Anyone want to go in on a beachfront parcel with me? (I tried to talk Naomi into this, but being the practical one in our marriage, she was lukewarm to the idea).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgw8N4StXydLP_EzNps_Qa78_L9sxx-mDAd_JNkdiFnh94bhgDsf3M-cxqUDQwDykjrvzSLVLuvyT2NutApD-ib0K7ag7zCeSWkzd3n2e0SppDdt_PWsTDP6vjhwhY8C6VLHWkArRNMI/s1600-h/DSC05219.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgw8N4StXydLP_EzNps_Qa78_L9sxx-mDAd_JNkdiFnh94bhgDsf3M-cxqUDQwDykjrvzSLVLuvyT2NutApD-ib0K7ag7zCeSWkzd3n2e0SppDdt_PWsTDP6vjhwhY8C6VLHWkArRNMI/s200/DSC05219.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275651465853029666" border="0" /></a><br />Prior to that, we had a fantastic Thanksgiving with our new friends Roger and Tobe on their boat </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >La Palapa. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">These kids did it up right...they butterflied a turkey and cooked it on the grill, and we had garlic mashers, stuffing, pecan and pumpkin pie, etc....the entire works. Keep in mind, this all occurred at a tiny anchorage on a remote island a few hours north of La Paz. Very cool. With Roger and Tobe (and their friend Shawna), we also explored an island called "Los Islotes" which is a rookery for seals, vultures, and other aquatic animals. We dinghied into some caves.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPec8JNQNfY8xAdCigxp-5aFfC-iVMIAJq86wAGzHTAF76DkFvJO-v4sN_RuCXHwQ-Z2oBC1niLlJctDZVBgvSPf4AiruESfXJmlIuHoCt655A4HKenvOymEX0PMi_w89eAbMmuiOdhk/s1600-h/DSC05228.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPec8JNQNfY8xAdCigxp-5aFfC-iVMIAJq86wAGzHTAF76DkFvJO-v4sN_RuCXHwQ-Z2oBC1niLlJctDZVBgvSPf4AiruESfXJmlIuHoCt655A4HKenvOymEX0PMi_w89eAbMmuiOdhk/s200/DSC05228.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275651095086629618" border="0" /></a><br />Now, here in Mazatlan, we anchored in an area just off the "Centro" or old part of town (in other words, away from the tourist area). We had a bit of reverse culture shock with the noise, traffic, hustle and bustle after so much time in quiet island anchorages, but it was starting to get cold in the sea of cortez, so this leg of our trip represents a new chapter as we cruise south, down the "Mexican Riviera".<br /><br />Next up, we are going to head south, en route to PV, stopping at a little village on the coast called Cachala, and possibly another town called San Blas. I am particularly interested to check out San Blas...when I was 18, just after high school, I took a motorcycle trip down the coast of Mexico to Acapulco. I wandered into San Blas and ended up liking it so much, I rented a casa there for a week...it was a highlight of the trip. I've curious to se how it's changed over the years.<br /><br />Until then...asta luego!<br /><br /><br /></span>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-83779678595913706522008-11-23T23:25:00.000-08:002009-04-19T21:10:51.481-07:00San Francisco to Isla San Francisco<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQztuPnuEewIdNTxk_HCzqEpFdsBpKRHJZCNkZgSlY6pzTtfKRqBxkGWAJL-wB29eNyASRtf0bqUvcUYDUyfNNfvLm40pS5B9MFXTwnw2MUn4k9tGLiErapToFvnQSMot4d_V2ZCP2PU/s1600-h/DSC05075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQztuPnuEewIdNTxk_HCzqEpFdsBpKRHJZCNkZgSlY6pzTtfKRqBxkGWAJL-wB29eNyASRtf0bqUvcUYDUyfNNfvLm40pS5B9MFXTwnw2MUn4k9tGLiErapToFvnQSMot4d_V2ZCP2PU/s320/DSC05075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272243703083090626" border="0" /></a><br />There must be an unwritten rule that states that any place named "San Francisco" is, by definition, a <span style="font-style: italic;">really cool place.</span> Check out the pics below, taken at Isla San Francisco, where we spent the past couple of days hiking, snorkeling, and relaxing <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">(clicking on the image brings up a larger version)</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnc7wO3a8eL2LQdzBKv8W8lt_e3P9sSVqkUALbZyksqHU4Rq4X3DJ3YbIT8cjnbH5tAF1dZr0vpp8cBgZOLAQy6VQi98goj09Lk6ILjK0BTOzNOZo7jqbTQyXMxeC2jEaDgrLTIaFBBo/s1600-h/DSC05056.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 102px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnc7wO3a8eL2LQdzBKv8W8lt_e3P9sSVqkUALbZyksqHU4Rq4X3DJ3YbIT8cjnbH5tAF1dZr0vpp8cBgZOLAQy6VQi98goj09Lk6ILjK0BTOzNOZo7jqbTQyXMxeC2jEaDgrLTIaFBBo/s320/DSC05056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272243659230734066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdrrlYozh_xU3p4KDKBXfwsn4_rXzPA6mOLPmfkX5Ccbn7CaEsGJPTfgY_cIj5lnRKYForYq5vrGMdrK_VDkpBGSSYGEm6IkSI22tE6Z0zmd0vA-g-YP8CEi6OZdkst5bEIUwzQUCOYw/s1600-h/DSC05073.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdrrlYozh_xU3p4KDKBXfwsn4_rXzPA6mOLPmfkX5Ccbn7CaEsGJPTfgY_cIj5lnRKYForYq5vrGMdrK_VDkpBGSSYGEm6IkSI22tE6Z0zmd0vA-g-YP8CEi6OZdkst5bEIUwzQUCOYw/s320/DSC05073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272243697238570418" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCflDvUKmcGHSuz6S9RrIjSJU-P69ys8Ra1sRQI7l2y-kVt0fWaInk1iw1gExl3CEnforWVTZk2o_U7DyLlprAyYGPAUX9FgXpndlKZKgeKtrIzezmUE9GefZmKLApayMCpeWwsMM30o/s1600-h/DSC05059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCflDvUKmcGHSuz6S9RrIjSJU-P69ys8Ra1sRQI7l2y-kVt0fWaInk1iw1gExl3CEnforWVTZk2o_U7DyLlprAyYGPAUX9FgXpndlKZKgeKtrIzezmUE9GefZmKLApayMCpeWwsMM30o/s320/DSC05059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282453178301393810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3wnyPf_Z48RkcWENMyt8pv5dSIykzSzfnEVC5SyErZyOc17KGdobndvFO85hlugqUrthR-OeO3kFxfAHI_Rf5qCeoqKg7X8zwUFs5F151oGMMjvxGVnF3xglVzfQt5hyW6mw3DO9LN8/s1600-h/DSC05061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3wnyPf_Z48RkcWENMyt8pv5dSIykzSzfnEVC5SyErZyOc17KGdobndvFO85hlugqUrthR-OeO3kFxfAHI_Rf5qCeoqKg7X8zwUFs5F151oGMMjvxGVnF3xglVzfQt5hyW6mw3DO9LN8/s320/DSC05061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272243688390169026" border="0" /></a><br />So, to catch you up with the story thus far, we left La Paz under clear skies on the 18th of November, and cruised between the islands north of La Paz. Once again the Sea of Cortez continues to overwhelm with beauty and bountiful sea life.<br /><br />Our first stop was Bahia San Gabriel on Espiritu Island, where we anchored for the night. While there, we tried to hike across the island but were stymied by the intense desert heat and millions of hostile little prickers covering the ground that painfully dug into our feet. (Note to Naomi's Mom: we were not wearing our Keens, otherwise we might have had better luck!)<br /><br />The next day we had good wind and zipped up the channel to a beautiful crescent-shaped cove in Isla San Francisco, shown at the top of this blog entry. This is a small island 44 nautical miles from La Paz and surrounded by the dramatic Sierra de la Giganta mountain range that literally springs from the sea and creates dramatic sunrise/sunset photo opps. We hiked across the steep range overlooking the bay, and were circled by ravens, hawks and what appeared to be vultures, all riding the upwelling drafts.<br /><br />Our next port of call was a small fishing village called San Evaristo (population: 20 Indian familes) where we intended to buy some fresh fish for the grill. En route, we caught a nice Bonito and based on this luck, decided to turn around and head south again.<br /><br />(Note to Dad: we had been having no success fishing with a cedar plug on our new hand-line, until I decided to switch lures to the one we used on the coast of Baja...within ten minutes of this switch, we had the Bonito in the cockpit and proceeded to filet ourselves a nice dinner. We now call the plug you brought our "magic lure")!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDHzvXQjNFQuRMB4BhJEd6yF-LT-DWYjO4WGPdc-HsqFpEq9D7zfGxpjLu4dQiWuTkP7sEjQ2y-ngRU7quyA3YrdBCHKlT4Mefb6IVVveJvTHD87k6-9upQVkbIG-co1Pfpo2lQLx7Xs/s1600-h/DSC05046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDHzvXQjNFQuRMB4BhJEd6yF-LT-DWYjO4WGPdc-HsqFpEq9D7zfGxpjLu4dQiWuTkP7sEjQ2y-ngRU7quyA3YrdBCHKlT4Mefb6IVVveJvTHD87k6-9upQVkbIG-co1Pfpo2lQLx7Xs/s320/DSC05046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282451601008411714" border="0" /></a>We used our new gaff-hook to bring the fish aboard, carved off a few tasty portions, and cleaned up the bloody mess, then pointed Hurulu back south and motored through exceedingly calm seas. The sky was overcast-- the first since entering Mexico-- and we welcomed the relief from the intense Baja sun.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YoImN_OdFLZfXbVqgUvXWTGGV4mYMrx-KkOcE1KRjDGqsUM02_gt1-Qc6gF0ZrQFD1G02HfLiT7jYSWhcTuSa9FKy-sNR9bQ0znBcz2Nw3V8M4eRYMHmgulZjU1iCBCzfaB5GfWR_R4/s1600-h/DSC05097.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YoImN_OdFLZfXbVqgUvXWTGGV4mYMrx-KkOcE1KRjDGqsUM02_gt1-Qc6gF0ZrQFD1G02HfLiT7jYSWhcTuSa9FKy-sNR9bQ0znBcz2Nw3V8M4eRYMHmgulZjU1iCBCzfaB5GfWR_R4/s320/DSC05097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282451591583288690" border="0" /></a>Shortly after, Naomi shouted out "WHALE" and we saw a pod of 6 to 8 just off the starboard bow. We slowed the motor and ran parallel to them for a bit, trying to capture them on film (Editors note: whales are hard to photograph as you never know when they will surface).<br /><br />Just as we thought all the fun was done, we saw another pod of whales-- this time, at least 20 to 30-- heading straight for us. We killed the motor and watched as they cruised by on both sides of the boat within spitting distance. Once again, we grew alarmed they would hit us, as we were directly in the path of the entire pod. Check out the video titled "How NOT To Whale Watch" for a few of our more embarrassing moments (Warning to sensitive ears: yes, we seem to have developed a tendency to swear like sailors!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NB's Blair-Witch-Style Whale Video:</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzHcWjwdBGMIrfsEjdeJ-H3q8UT5wQ588vkk1n5okeb4vQv4x5WP_d7ZCVtJGS6B-GeVuBMcrPEvJpKo2Hw-w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div>Finally, when an estimated 40-60 whales had finally passed us by, we fired up the trusty Yanmar diesel and continued south back to Isla Espiritu. We dropped the anchor in a small cove that we had all to ourselves called Ensenada de la Raza, but after I dove on the anchor, I found it was not digging in to the bottom---we had to keep moving, back to the familiar Bahia San Gabriel.<br /><br />Once stationary, anchored in about 18 feet of turqouise water, we opened a few Coronas and grilled up our Bonito at sunset, half with butter and garlic and the other half marinated in Soy Vey. Muy delicioso!<br /><br />Which brings us back to the present, tied dockside once again in La Paz. While it's fun to have real showers then stroll the seaside <span style="font-style: italic;">malecon</span> eating choco-crunch <span style="font-style: italic;">helado</span>, I'd much rather be back at a remote anchorage where we have the silence and stars all to ourselves.<br /><br />In short, the Sea of Cortez is truly a special place...it is hostile, harsh, and mysterious, yet it is teeming with life both day and night...my favorite activity while anchored is to simply sit on the bow under the quarter moon and just listen to the sea.<br /><br />It's so much fun because the sea is very much <span style="font-style: italic;">alive</span>...mammals are constantly surfacing and breathing around the boat, and fish are frequently jumping out of the water for reasons known only to them. Gulls are omnipresent with their dramatic dive-bombs in search of a meal, and even here in the marina there is a goose named Lucy who was apparently cast off from her gaggle in a storm and never left...she makes the rounds of the boat in search of a snack, and sqwaks loudly if you don't comply.<br /><br />And despite the harsh, empty seas and islands, it's a healthy place to spend some time. We're both developing a nice glow (despite constant use of SPF 50+), and with days spent swimming, snorkeling, pulling up anchor by hand (a great upper body workout), a little fresh fish here and there, amazing sunset cocktail hours, and a lot of sleep in a gently rocking boat, we're both in the best shape of our lives.<br /><br />The only downside? We miss our dog Finney (thanks again Ali, Cooper, and the Skaggs for taking care of him) and we miss our family and friends (but they all have an open invite-- come sail away with us!)<br /><br />Ok, enough for now. Tomorrow we leave again for the islands and will join our new friends from the boat La Palapa for an island Thanksgiving. After that, we will make the rather long crossing over to Mazatlan and points further south. Asta luego!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRq8QvY0LUTdv_wx39CDNIz8kSo8M5p2HB5pu2zZ3KwLoeRmIuGsE1MkCwilg4kK_o0QMKL86ch2fEUey-vg080VhikCd8hH5jiIGzfSV1_GzVbKXwTeWVUwdQp3LYn01HhnTIpper9zI/s1600-h/DSC05092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRq8QvY0LUTdv_wx39CDNIz8kSo8M5p2HB5pu2zZ3KwLoeRmIuGsE1MkCwilg4kK_o0QMKL86ch2fEUey-vg080VhikCd8hH5jiIGzfSV1_GzVbKXwTeWVUwdQp3LYn01HhnTIpper9zI/s320/DSC05092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272251331542426802" border="0" /></a>Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-19593769027446528102008-11-18T10:34:00.001-08:002008-11-18T10:36:46.141-08:00Aguacate Muy Gigante<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV1XIz6-8D7PUSI4lew9PYx5Cz83ymO8WGz17CW75xM-_P_Z1CbEla0xlfuZooDDv5hTNT4ZdTLBAccbDTEGqEcFM7weS8cL08kHSkhzcLyZcrL6CHqykuN-BFR_FE2P1BQFbX_Clxro/s1600-h/aguacate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV1XIz6-8D7PUSI4lew9PYx5Cz83ymO8WGz17CW75xM-_P_Z1CbEla0xlfuZooDDv5hTNT4ZdTLBAccbDTEGqEcFM7weS8cL08kHSkhzcLyZcrL6CHqykuN-BFR_FE2P1BQFbX_Clxro/s320/aguacate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270068201184972658" border="0" /></a><br />Just a brief one today, as we're casting off the docklines and heading up to some islands north of La Paz.<br /><br />This was a fun discovery at the local mercado...an avocado nearly as big as my head!<br /><br />Asta luego!Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264960909975712441.post-63503832048057019052008-11-15T09:53:00.000-08:002008-12-22T09:36:43.421-08:00Viva La Paz!A quick update on our trip...<br /><br />After the awards ceremony, parties, etc, we left the hubbub and fracas of Cabo and headed up the Sea or Cortez for a couple days of sailing en route to La Paz. Our first stop was a very chill little bay called "Los Frailes" which took us the better part of an entire day/evening to get to. We again anchored successfully in the d<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf1G-Pzc84ZmR6CMMBwP65HJqINuhrvVPxpYXqwtzHFe_fJ3_wICAnwCPx2gXTEtrG0rD84OrzgotouFa-LQBCewly-rHSYPvoW62twTqGQGIBhWPPbCtQQul872cSM2pdjWWrZ07iHw/s1600-h/DSC05006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf1G-Pzc84ZmR6CMMBwP65HJqINuhrvVPxpYXqwtzHFe_fJ3_wICAnwCPx2gXTEtrG0rD84OrzgotouFa-LQBCewly-rHSYPvoW62twTqGQGIBhWPPbCtQQul872cSM2pdjWWrZ07iHw/s200/DSC05006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268963961506733122" border="0" /></a>ark and passed out.<br /><br />The next day, we fired up the dinghy and outboard and cruised around the corner a few miles to a bay called Pulmos for some snorkeling and R&R. This was a very cool, very chill bay, almost empty save for a few hardy souls who had arrived by 4x4, and was recently designated as a national marine sanctuary. As we laid out the sarong on the sand and had a PB&J picnic, we had one of those moments where we looked at each other and wordlessly shared the sentiment of "yeah, this is what we came here for...this is what it's all about."<br /><br />Note to adventurous readers: if you need serenity and a place to get away from it all, this is the place to do it, and you should do it <span style="font-style: italic;">now.</span> Apparently developers have their eyes on this area, and unless the economy continues its freefall, in a few years this will likely be covered in condos or at a minimum, hotels. At the moment however, it's just empty sand, great reefs for snorkeling, and a few palapas on the beach. Perfectamente.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPGTDpQLlKZpYTS38yZkw9SoMGbDIERYLhoYRJ0xENDYetNpMEfm-_vj3MWeVsX2Vg3aHsq6a8fR4lx4Spow3P6i0KvohvJn97hR_v3yUr7bmzClREPrpNq3-Ur0KT0myyJxnelS78X0/s1600-h/DSC04999.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPGTDpQLlKZpYTS38yZkw9SoMGbDIERYLhoYRJ0xENDYetNpMEfm-_vj3MWeVsX2Vg3aHsq6a8fR4lx4Spow3P6i0KvohvJn97hR_v3yUr7bmzClREPrpNq3-Ur0KT0myyJxnelS78X0/s200/DSC04999.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268963742163838194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our next day had us sailing up to "Ensenada de los Muertos", where we dropped anchor and again passed out early. The following day turned out to be the real action. After rounding the protective headlands of Muertos, we were faced with monstrous 10-12 foot swells and 20+ knots of wind. We needed to sail upwind through this mess.<br /><br />I took the first shift, and was enjoying bashing over the waves so much I stayed at the helm for about 6 hours. I got into a rhythm of turning the boat into a swell, then pivoting at the top, analogous to the way a mogul skier pivots on top of a bump.<br /><br />Eventually Naomi relieved me and I laid down on the floor of the cabin to rest. The winds and seas continued to build and each time we launched over a particularly big wave, it sounded like the boat was exploding, and of course my boat-hypochondria-worry-angst was in high gear with each foreign sound.<br /><br />Day turned to night and the wind and waves continued unabated. The VHF radio chatter at this time was interesting, as other boats making the same passage were having various engine problems, etc. Eeeee-ven-tu-al-ly, we got some wave protection when we entered the lee of Isla Espiritu, but after trying to reach an anchorage, we realized we had to keep sailing on, toward a small bay called Balandras. Finally, we reached it, dropped the hook, and got some rest.<br /><br />After such a wild day--which started at 5:30 am and didn't end until midnight, or roughly 18 hours of "bashing" (and being bashed), it was rewarding to wake up in this beautiful little cove. We snorkeled around El Hongo ('mushroom rock') and made pancakes for breakfast, then set off for Palmira Marina in La Paz, a short 12 miles away.<br /><br />Which brings us up to the present. We spent all day yesterday cleaning the massive salt deposits off of Hurulu-- owning a boat is basically a constant battle against corrosion, rust, mold, etc.-- and then Roger, a friend and fellow Ha-ha-er on the boat La Palapa, came by at sunset for margaritas, grilling steaks, and a few rounds of Yahtzee (Roger won).<br /><br />A few observations:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">+Anchoring in daylight is for wimps:</span> We are feeling very proud of ourselves given that every time we've anchored this boat--save for one time in bahia santa maria-- it has been in the dark. However, this bravado was quickly humbled when we pulled into our slip at the marina and nearly took out two very large concrete posts.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">+Our fellow cruisers seem to like to motor a lot:</span> We get a lot of kudos from fellow boaters when they learn we sailed the entire way here. Apparently, most just motor North from Cabo, into the prevailing winds and seas. This is perplexing to me, given that most sailboats are pretty poor powerboats. We can go a lot faster under sail than we can with the diesel, even if it means zig-zagging in long, broad tacks. Or perhaps they just have more powerful motors?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">+Manta rays are cool:</span> We saw no dolphins or whales this trip, but during a particularly hectic moment, a manta ray flew 6 feet out of the water, flipped twice, and landed back in the drink. Was this for fun, or was he escaping a predator? Who knows, but pretty exciting to see.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">+The Maltese Falcon is following us:</span> Ok, given that it sails at like 24 knots and w<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUs44PpGvFphuXjImg0_nOQs7ifrIoCRCsdl1cw6pH6pPzNkTuQNRXOEST28K2kPWGo-WQFFy25noeb5hDmvyIZTOuHs4KCci4rKL7BCHPEG_JY0AfMUQTmmYuh0S_LIEpSkZjKmgPhc/s1600-h/DSC05011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUs44PpGvFphuXjImg0_nOQs7ifrIoCRCsdl1cw6pH6pPzNkTuQNRXOEST28K2kPWGo-WQFFy25noeb5hDmvyIZTOuHs4KCci4rKL7BCHPEG_JY0AfMUQTmmYuh0S_LIEpSkZjKmgPhc/s200/DSC05011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268962386721442626" border="0" /></a>e average about 5, technically I suppose we're following them. The maltese falcon, in case you are unawares, is the world's largest sailing yacht at 289 feet, owned by VC Tom Perkins. When we left our slip in sausalito on October 15, we motored right past it en route to the GG Bridge. Then, off the coast of Baja, we saw a large white shape which turned out to be the Falcon as it got near. Naomi even radioed them and flirted a bit. Finally, as we pulled into La Paz, it was anchored just outside the channel. Apparently Tom has a submarine on it that he's going to use to follow the migrating whales....cool!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSKAWQUaA2FtvDEsjPVAadmoh7I9A7M7IU6-Be-uQCVmN57Hq4svTtv1PedZGZuf7iAiVsqS8J2rxRDhgjiGEQlNyD7euTQLBRNcMsXUSfbexTZMAD36lhnieL8d5ODLWLjEMAn1JPYk/s1600-h/DSC05013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSKAWQUaA2FtvDEsjPVAadmoh7I9A7M7IU6-Be-uQCVmN57Hq4svTtv1PedZGZuf7iAiVsqS8J2rxRDhgjiGEQlNyD7euTQLBRNcMsXUSfbexTZMAD36lhnieL8d5ODLWLjEMAn1JPYk/s200/DSC05013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268961572917143666" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, that's it for now....time to go polish some chrome and stainless steel.Nathan Beckord, CFAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127252114289814011noreply@blogger.com2