Back to mazatlan, El-Cid

23 April 2010, Alongside, El Cid Resort & Marina, Mazatlan
We departed Puerto Escondido expecting some decent winds but they failed to materialize so the “Iron Spinnaker “ took us all the way across. Les Brooks transferred over from Optical Illusion for the trip. Needless to say, Les’ experienced eye and skill was welcomed and many of his recommendations and observations are now reflected in our “to-do” lists. Les left for home in Anacortes on Sunday. We are hoping to renew our friendship sometime this summer.
It seems fitting to be back at the El Cid where we were in January as we passed through on our way south. Some of the same boats are still here and many of the boats we have seen along the way are in the Mazatlan area getting ready to jump over to the other side for Lorettofest or getting ready to leave their boats here for the summer. Slip fees are quite high compared to what we have been used to but here we have the full services of a first class resort, including pool, hot tub, great restaurants and easy access to town. They also have a good entertainment team that does pool games and shows movies at night twice a week.
Full Quiver was here when we arrived getting a leaking lift pump replaced. They had a runaway engine on arrival because their pump had filled the cylinders with diesel. There was also excess fuel in their sump so they had to change out their oil 5 times to ensure it was clean before leaving for La Paz 3 days ago. Just heard from them by e-mail and they still have a leak into their sump. They have had a lot of bad luck this year. We wish them all the best on their way north to Loretto and then on to Guaymas where we will see them again at the haul-out yard.
Fran flew back to Vancouver on Monday to care for Robyn and the grandkids. The operation went well and Robyn is back home recuperating. I am whittling down a “to-do” list and taking advantage of Fran’s absence to create dust. The main cabin is looking much better now that I have re-finished some of the worst of the woodwork. The vacuum attachment to my orbital sander has been a real plus in keeping down the dust and the foam brushes I am using with the Cetol make for a nice smooth finish. I have managed to keep Rosie at bay by blocking her access to the cabin but I still have to pick out the odd bits of her hair out of the finish. If we get a cloudy day in the next week I will be painting the dodger, another long outstanding task.
Full Quiver had been here for a few weeks and they had quite the run of luck at the various pool games and acquired quite a collection of El Cid t-shirts and bottles of tequila. They must have passed on their lucky streak . So far I have won 1 t-shirt and 2 bottles of tequila. Fran will be pleased....

Heading north and rescuing Little fawn

Beach Golf - what posture!!!

Little Fawn on the beach

Whaleshark at Puerto Escondido

Salt Pan at Isla San Francisco


Bahia San Evaristo, 1400, 6 Apr 2010
We have just arrived at this sheltered anchorage on the Baja mainland side. It has been a short but rough passage with 20-25 kt the islands between its wide bay, beautiful sandy beach and crystal clear water make it northerly winds on the nose (noserlies) all the way.
Our trip from La Pas to Isla San Francisco was quite enjoyable. Although the wind was light most of the day we made good progress under power. By early afternoon we arrived at Los Islotes and conditions were ideal for a swim with the sea lions. The large colony of sea lions didn’t pay us much attention but several curious juveniles swam out to check us out. They even nipped at Fran and Janet but there were no injuries. As for the planned whale shark swim, it didn’t happen because of choppy seas and difficulty getting to their area by dingy. As we left the island the wind picked up from the east and we were able to set the spinnaker for the first time this year and had a very pleasant sail to Isla San Francisco.
When we arrived we found all of the Sailfest boats at the anchorage. We had participated in this event last year and knew many of the participants including the Profilgate, Cirque, Pantera and Moontide. They left the following morning leaving only a few boats in the anchorage. By 1800 the bay had filled up again with other boats heading north.
We left Isla San Francisco this morning in company with Optical Illusion. The island is one of our favourite anchorages in the Sea of Cortez and is part of the recently established federal park zone encompassing most of La Paz and Loretto. This is our 4th time and we never tire of it. Unfortunately they do not allow dogs on these islands so Rosie isn’t very happy to stay aboard while we go ashore in “her” dinghy. The water is cooler here and the beaches have shells. I’ve always wondered why there is such a disparity between the “shell-less” beaches mainland and those of the Sea.
On our way here we stopped at Isla Coyote, something we had always missed in our previous trips. It is a small fishing village of 5-6 houses perched on a rock formation. The 10-20 inhabitants live on fishing and selling trinkets to tourists who visit this unique location. Fran took the opportunity to stock up on Christmas and birthday presents and we bought some very nice fish from this morning’s catch that was being cleaned on the shore. We were surprised to see an abundance of dogfish (sand sharks) and small rays in the catch. We also gave colouring books and crayons to the kids.
When we left Isla San Francisco the winds were light, and according to the weather gurus, they were supposed to stay like that all day, increasing tonight. Looks like they got it wrong this time, again. We’ll be hunkered down here for a few days while this 25-30 kt northerly passes through. Slogging north under these conditions is not pleasant and our next stop, Los Gatos, is about 28 miles north, up the coast.
It is difficult to predict how far north we will get to before we have to turn back to make the crossing back to Mazatlan but we will be dictated by the weather. We are hoping for a northerly breeze and at this time of year the north wind is still predominant.
Honeymoon Cove, Isla Danzante, 12 April 2010
It has been an exciting few days since we left San Evaristo. The sailing wasn’t too remarkable with calm seas and light airs for the most part so we continue to be more of a motor cruiser than a sailboat. Our Perkins 4-236 has been very dependable. We are still in company with Optical Illusion. Bill, Janet and their guest Les have been great company.
After departing San Evaristo our first stop was Los Gatos where we had hoped to see our old fisherman friend Manuel. Instead we were visited by his son who reported that Manuel is suffering from prostate problems. His son seems to have taken on his father’s role of providing shellfish and langoustes for visiting cruisers. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get any because of an early departure the following morning. On our way there we saw a pod of false killer whales, 3 females and a male. Unlike their namesakes these whales have no white markings but the male’s huge dorsal fin was reminiscent of the killer whales of the Pacific Northwest.
We had heard on the morning SSB net a few days ago that a vessel called Little Fawn had run up on the beach close to Agua Verde during the brisk northerlies . As we rounded the headland towards Agua Verde we saw her laying on her side close to the beach, a daunting sight for any sailor.
After anchoring in the southern anchorage we went ashore for some groceries and some of the locally produced goat cheese at a small tienda ashore. Later we had a game of beach golf with our friends. Hitting the ball off the sand into a ring 20 feet away is not all that easy. But good for laughs while drinking cold beers. Yes, we did bring a couple of pitching wedges just for that purpose.
The next morning we went to see if we could assist in the rescue efforts of Little Fawn. It was a dismal sight to see this vessel in only a few feet of water. Previous attempts to tow her off the beach had resulted in dragging her over the rocky foreshore and holing her port side which was then underwater. The plan was to cant her over to her stbd side in the sandy shallows beyond the rocks to assess the damage and do temporary repairs, sufficient to float her and enable her to be towed to Puerto Escondido where she would be hauled out.
Initially attempts to cant her over weren’t successful and resulted in snapped stay fitting and a broken mast. However, with dogged determination, the cooperation of a number of cruisers, some with expertise in this kind of rescue and the help of The Cat’s Meow, a trawler – cruiser conversion with a massive 280HP diesel and a huge prop, the operation succeeded and a patch was applied. Little fawn is an older Chris Craft 38 ft sloop. I must note that the hull was remarkably thin for an ocean going yacht but with the use of wallboard screws, strips of thin plywood and a product called Splash Zone, a 2-part epoxy the hull was made as watertight as possible. The last part of the operation was to drag her back to deep water. The Cat’s Meow was able to tow her across the sand bar and she was refloated late afternoon yesterday. SV Perseverence, a Sampson ferro-cement ketch from Vancouver (BWC boat) assisted with the pumping operations throughout the night and the following morning a diver plugged a few other minor leaks. Once stabilized and almost watertight she was towed back to port, arriving this afternoon. Little Fawn’s owner has some serious work ahead of him if he wants to repair the damage. Personally I don’t think it is worth it on such an old hull.
Puerto Escondido, 13 April 2010.
We did the short crossing from Isla Danzante to Puerto Escondido this morning. We refuelled and took on water for our crossing to Mazatlan. While we were fuelling a whale shark was seen nearby swimming in the shallows.
Little fawn is on the hard and doesn’t look much better than she did on the beach. The patches have been removed and the repair job looks even more daunting.
We are doing our laundry and getting a few more groceries for the trip across. Weather dependant we will be on our way tomorrow morning.
Each morning we listen in to the ham and SSB nets to get weather and keep track of friends. Occasionally we listen in to a large net covering most of North America. We were blown away by hearing Barry on Passat II checking in from Belize. We were able to exchange a few words. Isn’t modern technology wonderful!!

Bahia San Evaristo, 1400, 6 Apr 2010

We have just arrived at this sheltered anchorage on the Baja mainland side. It has been a short but rough passage with 20-25 kt the islands between its wide bay, beautiful sandy beach and crystal clear water make it northerly winds on the nose all the way.
We left Isla San Francisco this morning in company with Optical Illusion. The island is one of our favourite anchorages in the Sea of Cortez and is part of the recently established federal park zone encompassing most of La Paz and Loretto. This is our 4th time and we never tire of it. Unfortunately they do not allow dogs on these islands so Rosie isn't very happy to stay aboard while we go ashore in "her" dinghy. The water is cooler here and the beaches have shells. I've always wondered why there is such a disparity between the beaches mainland and those of the Sea.
On our way here we stopped at Isla Coyote, something we had always missed in our previous trips. It is a small fishing village of 5-6 houses perched on a rock formation. The 10-20 inhabitants live on fishing and selling trinkets to tourists who visit this unique location. Fran took the opportunity to stock up on Christmas and birthday presents and we bought some very nice fish from this morning's catch that was being cleaned on the shore. We were surprised to see an abundance of dogfish (sand sharks) and small rays in the catch. We also gave colouring books and crayons to the kids.
When we left Isla San Francisco the winds were light, and according to the weather gurus, they were supposed to stay like that all day, increasing tonight. Looks like they got it wrong this time, again. We'll be hunkered down here for a few days while this 25-30 kt northerly passes through. Slogging north under these conditions is not pleasant and our next stop, Los Gatos, is about 28 miles north, up the coast.
Our trip from La Pas to Isla San Francisco was quite enjoyable. Although the wind was light most of the day we made good progress under power. By early afternoon we arrived at Los Islotes and conditions were ideal for a swim with the sea lions. The large colony of sea lions didn't pay us much attention but several curious juveniles swam out to check us out. They even nipped at Fran and Janet but there were no injuries. As we left the island the wind picked up from the east and we were able to set the spinnaker for the first time this year and had a very pleasant sail to Isla San Francisco.
When we arrived we found all of the Sailfest boats at the anchorage. We had participated in this event last year and knew many of the participants including the Profilgate, Cirque, Pantera and Moontide. They left the following morning leaving only a few boats in the anchorage. By 1800 the bay had filled up again with other boats heading north.
It is difficult to predict how far north we will get to before we have to turn back to make the crossing back to Mazatlan but we will be dictated by the weather. We are hoping for a northerly breeze and at this time of year the north wind is still predominant.
As soon as we get to Mazatlan I will add photos to this blog. In the meantime I will ask our son Chris to post it via our ham radio link. It cannot accept large files such as photos.