John, Cyn and I rode the bus into the town square of Mazatlan yesterday evening. We heard it was going to be closed off to cars and buses, and open to foot traffic only. We were up for that! We took the green bus in, and walked around before dinner. We all had excellent meals at the Cocina de Familia tucked away on a side street. It was quiet, REALLY good food and lots of it, very nice service with some unusual art to gaze at while we dined.
After we ate, we walked around to a few different plazas, looking for music and fun. There wasn’t too much going on, though we happened upon an evening wedding that was kinda neat to spy on. One of the little flower girls was dressed in a red gown stiff with petticoats, and she was adorable! I wish I’d taken a picture of her. At the plaza, we shopped among craftsmen and women plying their wares, much of it handmade. Cyn got a beautiful jade necklace and earrings that really compliments her, all for 100 pesos, or about 8 bucks! The woman selling the jewelry was so kind. Everyone I have interacted with here in Mexico has been the most helpful, friendly and courteous. This has been the rule instead of the exception. What a pleasure.
We did some more walking and John stopped for a latte; we played with our Spanglish, much to the entertainment of the shop owner. Exploring the city has been VERY interesting and enlightening. When we made our way to the Mercado, it was packed with people finishing up their Christmas shopping, looking for bargains and deals. We saw Santa giving away toys Nacho Libre style, and the kids loved it. We saw a beautiful girl singing, though unfortunately we agreed her voice didn’t match her beauty.
The photo at the top of this post is of the Cathedral de Concepcion. Its very traditional architecture lends the air of long-standing faith. Last week I stepped inside and the altar was classic in its rich design, dedicated to statues, candles, chalices and lovely floral arrangements. It would be neat to attend a service there, if I get the chance.
Today’s agenda is to work on the boat, maybe get some fuel, and be ready to go when we decide the time is right. John, Cyn and I are gonna meet this afternoon, talk about weather and navigation plans, and see what we come up with. We hope to head south toward Puerto Vallarta, with some stops at La Cruz, Matanchen Bay, Sayulita, and/or Punta de Mita. Stay tuned for more stories…

I’m about 30 nm outside of Mazatlan after a FANTASTIC trip! At midnight Tuesday morning, I weighed anchor in Cabo Bay and headed east along the coast toward Las Frailes. Initially, the motor morphed into a lovely sail with wind out of the south, and then the effects of the norther blowing down the Sea of Cortez hit. There is a large and wide arroyo just west of San Jose del Cabo, and it just funnels the norther into the bay. I reefed all sails and kept going. By no means was it as bad as the one I was introduced to when I first arrived in Cabo. About ten hours later, after humpback whales and numerous bites of barracuda on my Rapala, I was anchored in 15′ of sparkling clear water at Bahia Las Frailes. It was love at first sight! The strong wind was all around, except where I was sheltered behind the rock that makes the point. Immediately, a juvenile pelican arrived and began begging with his dark, soulful eyes. There were four other boats in the bay, including Chris who I met in Cabo aboard the 32′ “Swabby.” After stowing a few things, it was time for a swim!
As first my fingers, and then my arms, head and then the rest of my body entered the water, I couldn’t help but groan in sheer delight. The water was about 79 degrees and super clear. I swam to the beach about 50 meters away, but I just didn’t want to get out yet. I swam back to Willow, cleaned the waterline with my hand, and noted I needed to clean the bottom. If I was staying another day, it would be the perfect place to do it, but I’ll get to it in Mazatlan. I checked on the set of my anchor, easily seeing from the surface that the flukes were well dug in and the chain was making its designs in the sand. Sliding my head back until just my face was out of the water, I floated. Took deep, long breaths and floated. Worked on just feeling the water against my skin, causing my hair to wave in its rhythm, taking the weight off my joints and bones. I think I fell asleep. Being in the water is one of my favorite places to be, and if I can’t be in it, then let me be on it!
After swimming, I cleaned the cockpit of fish scales, and decided to make some chicken for a few nights’ dinners. Cranking up the oven always makes the cabin hot, but with the strong breeze around, it cooled down quickly. I ate, had a glass of wine, and got ready for bed. My navigation preparation was all done, and all I needed to do was weigh anchor around midnight and press on. Unfortunately, Makani kept catching those dang hummingbird-sized moths and gifting me with them. He wouldn’t kill them, just bring them in for me to enjoy the mad fluttering of their wings until I got up and rescued them, multiple times… Such a giver.
I was warming up the engine by 0030, and out of the bay on my way by 0100. The norther was still blowing, but the forecast called for it to begin dying soon. Additionally, it sent me favorably on my way, allowing me a beam reach on down the line. Mazatlan was 164 nm to the southeast, and I was looking forward to the trip. All sails were up and pulling me along, with a single reef in the main. I decided to hook up the Monitor self-steering, instead of always relying on the motorized auto pilot. This device works quietly according to the wind angle to your boat, not a compass heading. As such, proper sail trim is vital. I was lucky this trip, and it was great to hear nothing but seawater rush down the sides of the boat. No whirring back and forth of the pilot. It was very nice.
Fishing on this leg has proven futile, but no matter. I’ve been given other fun things to see. The stars have been amazing! The moon basically is rising the same time the sun does, so it’s pretty dark out here. I think there’s a meteor shower going on, Leonids? Anyhow, the shooting stars were many, often and bright. Escorted by some smaller speckled dolphin, Makani has finally spotted them and he races to the bow to watch them play and roll in the bow wave. This is only allowed when seas are on the calm side… Since leaving Frailes I haven’t seen any whales, but I’ve been treated to a number of sea turtles. Later in the afternoon, I learned why. I was swarmed by gazillions of tiny, maybe 1/2 to 3/4-inch long jellyfish. And jellyfish are sea turtles favorite food! I sailed through the jellies for about three hours until finally finding clear water. The sea birds are always amazing. The frigates coast in the slipstream the top of my mast creates, just drafting along until they either find food or are bored. The boobies coast low to the sea surface, gliding along the swells, but never do I see them feed or swim. But they poop! I’ve evidence of that on the bow! Yesterday evening, three of them decided to bestow their presence upon me, and sat on the bow pulpit, preening and squawking to each other. I had to put Makani in his harness when they showed up. After talking to each other awhile, they tucked their bills under their wings and went to sleep. They were there the entire night, and this morning I was able to get some photos. It’s pretty fun to see what’s out here, and how I interact with them, and them with me.
As I approach Mazatlan, I’m on the lookout for drift nets, signalled by some black flags on buoys. Unlike the nets in the Ventura area, these buoys are connected on the surface with beefy polypropylene, sure to tightly wrap a prop, or worse. John and Cyn on the Alcyone had to dodge them 10-15 nm out, so I’m looking out for them. They told me another fin-keeled boat dragged a line on into the harbor! Due to the shape of the underbody of his boat, he never wrapped his prop. Due to the shape of the underbody of Willow, I’m sure to wrap my prop! So I’d rather dodge them… I should be in and anchored by 1500 without a hitch. I’ll anchor until I check the forecast. Rain(!) was on an earlier extended forecast, so I want to see a more current version.
I hope everyone is happy and healthy. Don’t let the holiday season get to you. If it does, go do like my friends do, and paddle! It’s good for the soul… Take care!

I’m back in Cabo San Lucas, waiting for some super women from my paddling club to come on down and visit. Unfortunately, one of the super women, Nadean, was injured and is getting back on her feet (foot) after surgery. Heal up quick!!!! Ona and Sally will be here Friday afternoon for a quick 3 day visit. Fun will be had by all, guaranteed!!!!
The first few days here, I anchored out, and was amazed. What a difference a month makes! There were no more than seven boats at any one time at anchor, and it was lovely! It’s always a good sign when you can look down into the water from ondeck and just see your anchor, well-set, and the snake of chain on up to your bow roller. Sure, the panga and PWC traffic is still around and annoying, but they quickly pass by. The evenings are very pleasant after the party boats go back to port around 1900. Just stay away from the harbor in November, and you should be in great shape!
The trip from Los Puertos Marina was exceptional. The sky was bright blue, and the ocean was turquiose. The breeze was very light, and we ghosted back up the coast the 17 nm to Cabo. All sail was out and lightly but steadily pulling. We moved along at 2-3 knots, but I didn’t care. The ocean was so kind, showing me her bounty along the way. I watched as frigate birds tried to steal fish from pelicans, dive bombing them as soon as the pelican made a catch. I watched an early arrival of a pod of humpback whales, maybe 8 of them, breach, blow and sound to the depths on their way to the Sea of Cortez. A few sea turtles dotted the surface, adding a little bump to the smooth of the water. About half way through, I saw a school of jumping something in the distance. They weren’t dolphin, but they jumped straight out of the water, a good 5′ or so, and then made a big splash on their re-entry. There didn’t seem to be any forward motion, just the up-down. What the heck? I finally got close enough to see the fish flap their wings, and finally figured it was a large school of bat rays. They choreographed their flying beautifully! I even got lucky enough to get a couple of hookups while trolling at such a slow speed, but didn’t bring anything in. As I rounded Ballena Point, I could see the anchorage, and it really looked empty. I finished up the last couple of miles under power as the wind had finally quit, dropped the hook, and revelled in the relative peace compared to three weeks ago. In addition to the Baja Haha finishing, there was also a large fishing tournament taking place here, and it was pandelerium…
I moved into the marina early this morning before all of the fishing traffic. My slip is right behind the fuel dock, and it’s not as bad as it sounds. The 174′ blue-hulled Perini Nava ketch, Tamsen, was fueling up at the dock, and that is an amazing boat. Look her up online. She’s gorgeous. She would come in to Santa Barbara once or twice a year, and the docks always filled with people gazing at her beautiful lines. At 0600, all the charter fishing boats gather around the fuel dock, picking up passengers loaded with ice and cerveza. It’s a constant in-out of vessels until around 0730 or so, when things settle down and the boats are out fishing. With that activity, sleep won’t be happening, so I get up, make some coffee, and get on the computer. I get up and moving before the heat really sets in. I put my obligatory Christmas lights up: 2 thin strands of LED lights wrapped around the grabrail of my dodger. That does it! It’s kinda fun to see all of the Santas and other decorations the locals have put up. Initially, I thought it was all part of trying to attract gringo customers into the restaurants and shops, but then I remembered Mexico is a very Catholic country, and when I think of it, I’ve seen Nativity scenes up and around, also.
The weather is still a bit warm, but I have noted about a 5 degree drop in overall temperature, and boy, does it make a difference. The cabin is much more bearable, and sleeping at night much more comfortable. I have a fan in the area of my bunk and lowered it about 6″ so it blows directly on me instead of over me. That’s helped ALOT. The fans are on constantly, but they don’t draw much power. It’s definitly worth the comfort factor…
My rough plan from here was to head for Las Frailes, about 50 nm northeast from here, Monday morning, and anchor for a day or so. The forecast shows a nice lil’ norther blowing through the area then, so I may anchor in Cabo instead for another couple of days, and then head out. After Las Frailes, I’ll head the 164 nm or so over to Mazatlan for the remainder of December. My friends John and Cyndee from the Alcyone are there, and it’ll be fun to hook up with them. After Mazatlan, I have absolutely no idea where I’ll be, and that’s kinda the fun of it!
I hope you all are healthy, happy and strong, and if not, on your way to getting there! Enjoy the Christmas season, and know I miss you very much! Take care and have fun!

The wind shifts here are not subtle. It goes from one door to the other, bang, 180 degrees. It was breezy this morning, and cool, such a relief from the heat. But after I started my outside work, the wind shut off and the sun took over, making it 90 degrees in the shade. Worse yet, it was 85 degrees in the cabin without any air movement at all. There’s a bit of a leftover from the system you all saw this weekend, and I must admit, the sky is lovely. It should be a stunning sunset… Another giveaway of the wind shifts: the flight pattern of the jets bringing folks to the area. This morning, the jets were coming in to the airport from the over the ocean, right into the wind. This afternoon, the jets are coming in from over the large arroyo that usually chutes the north wind on down to the ocean. The wind has indeed shifted.

Today saw me doing silly little mending work. I spliced all of my three-strand line, making tie-downs that are vital on a boat. I don’t know where I’ll put these until I find a much-needed location. I whipped all of my lines’ ends. I fixed the brace for my ‘air conditioner’ aka wind scoop, using the next-best-thing-to-duct-tape, electrical tape, and then sewed it up. I sewed up a pillow that had been spilling its filling. After the sun began to burn, I went below and began cooking. I triple washed some fresh spinach grown in Ventura, CA and bought in San Jose del Cabo, BCS, Mexico. The majority of the produce found in Baja comes from the States, and I found myself buying mushrooms literally from across the street from where I used to live, the CA Mushroom Farm. Pretty interesting. Eggs are not refrigerated here as a rule, and stay fresh much longer. If they are never cooled down, then they don’t go ‘bad’ for a much longer period. Butter made in the US I haven’t found yet, but I have found Danish butter, and it’s good. The chicken here is amazing. The meat is a yellow color, probably something we’d throw away at home. The flesh is so sweet, flavored with marigolds, a huge portion of the bird’s feed. After rinsing the spinach, I made our family favorite, creamed spinach, and roasted a chicken breast. It’s an idealistic thing to cook in the tropics, but I’m sure I’ll become accustomed to it as I continue to acclimate. Needless to say, I’m stuffed, hot, and looking forward to the evening breeze and cold shower. I have not flipped the switch for hot water since I left Turtle Bay. I’m even entertaining the thought of giving the hot water heater away, but I won’t do that until after winter has come and gone. I’m still learning…

There’s always a fragrance here. In the early morning with the offshore breeze, the smell of desert sage is strong and pungent. It takes me awhile to identify it, then I breathe deeply. In the afternoons and evenings, there’s the smell of burning, and I recall that Mexico burns much of its waste. As the wind shifts, if you close your eyes and don’t pay attention to the temperature difference, you will always know what time of day it is…

Today is my birthday, and I’m 51!!!! I’m absolutely astounded that I’m where I am and doing what I’m doing. I did some fun things for myself, including giving myself a pedicure. This was a 100% organic and natural one, attained as I walked 3 miles in the rough sand. This naturally pumiced all of the rough skin down to smooth, cleaning away a few weeks worth of dirt road that had been ground into my skin. My cuticles are happy and smooth! This was followed by a manicure, given courtesy of rubbing out and waxing my cockpit using a wax rich in oils and emollients. For a boat wax, it sure smelled good. It’s 1715 now, I’m enjoying a gin and tonic, and writing to my friends and family. I remember in years’ past, I would ask Mom if I could give myself a new birthday, just like we used to our patients at Rescue 9. I have always hated this time of year, the shorter days, holidays and commitments, real and imagined. I wanted my birthday to be in June, summertime, with sunshine and longer days. As I walked along the beach today, I realized I finally had my summertime birthday! What a lucky girl I am!

I’m so absolutely thankful for all I have, including my family and friends. Having a boat like Willow to keep me safe, and my health to keep me strong are among the things I am thankful for today. Everyday, I am thankful for those who work for my benefit individually, and for mankind as a whole, including taking care of this place, wherever it is, we call ‘home.’ Even though it’s a day early, I wish you all Happy Thanksgiving, and hope we all remember and appreciate something to be thankful for, today, tomorrow, and always. Always remember I love you all. And I’m thankful for you all sharing in this thing I’m doing, and thankful for your encouragement and support.