It felt really great to be moving into cruiser mode.
Living aboard in rolly anchorages without access to services is very different from the luxury of Barra and having our van nearby. But the payoff is beautiful locations, swimming, and feeling mobile!
We both miss Barra, it is a special place and it’s on our short list of places to return to and live. But we want to explore the sea of cortez for a couple years and learn how to be cruisers. It’s a steep learning curve for sure. So much to learn about everything.
Living aboard in rolly anchorages without access to services is very different from the luxury of Barra and having our van nearby. But the payoff is beautiful locations, swimming, and feeling mobile!
We both miss Barra, it is a special place and it’s on our short list of places to return to and live. But we want to explore the sea of cortez for a couple years and learn how to be cruisers. It’s a steep learning curve for sure. So much to learn about everything.
From Tentacatita we sailed to Chemala. Motor sailed really. Which means no wind, or not enough to push us 3 knots. That’s where we draw the line. We would prefer 5 Knots, will accept 4, but unless we are cooking, or trying to save on fuel, the engine is started in less than 3 knots. Or if we are going backwards. The currents and swell can be strong here. :)
(We had been to Tentacatia a couple times before. Most recently with Vic, our friend who was visiting for a week. She was great to have aboard and she was lucky enough to see whales, turtles and dolphins swimming at the bow of the boat. We went snorkeling, swimming, rowing and just chilling aboard. It was wonderful to take the week off boat work and enjoy this beautiful location.)
After a few days in Chemala we caught a weather window north with southerly winds to go around the dreaded Cabo Corrientes to Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta.
When Shay did the crew delivery to PV the month before, they had 35 knot winds on the nose and it took them half a day just to go around Corrientes, 36 hours total from Barra. Serious stuff.
Since I had no interest in experiencing that we left with Bula and Sea Roveron Thursday morning around 6am. Fourteen hours later we passed Ipala, the last place to bail before heading around the point. The wind died after a lovely day of sailing and the sea became becalmed around sunset. So we
started the engine and motor sailed around Corrientes until we reached Punta Mita at 4am to anchor for the night. What good luck!
Sailing in the moonlight was magical, yet also eerie. The stars are incredible, the ocean noises along with the boat movement creates a rythym that is both soothing, relaxing and very fatiguing. Not being able to see the waves before they wash over the boat or even see the ocean beyond a 100 yards is disoncerting. But as long as you don’t think about that part too much and just enjoy being there it is quite enjoyable. Shay and I took turns keeping a look out, while the other rested, or tried to sleep. Moving about the boat becomes an arobic exercise and an opportunity for additional bruises. Movment becomes minimal, but there is so much sensory input it is easy to become still.
Sailing in the moonlight was magical, yet also eerie. The stars are incredible, the ocean noises along with the boat movement creates a rythym that is both soothing, relaxing and very fatiguing. Not being able to see the waves before they wash over the boat or even see the ocean beyond a 100 yards is disoncerting. But as long as you don’t think about that part too much and just enjoy being there it is quite enjoyable. Shay and I took turns keeping a look out, while the other rested, or tried to sleep. Moving about the boat becomes an arobic exercise and an opportunity for additional bruises. Movment becomes minimal, but there is so much sensory input it is easy to become still.
When we arrived at Punta Mita we were greeted by humpback whales. We could hear their breath and see their fins creating phosphorescent wake in the dark. Finally, after 22 hours we put down anchor and fell into a rolly bed to sleep like zombies until 10am.
When we woke we decided to sail to the PV anchorage since Banderas Bay is known for its great winds. We spent the next 4 hours sailing in 12 knot winds and relaxing a little. As we left Punta Mita and Shay was stowing the anchor I heard her shout, “Whale HO!”
In front of our bow were two humpbacks crossing our path, since I was at the helm I missed how close they came. Shay swears their fluke was not more than 2 feet from our hull. WOW. Close call.
We are now anchored outside La Cruz marina with views of the entire PV coastline. Shay took a bus to Barra to drive the van back and we are getting laundry done, provisioning and tomorrow a mechanic comes to look at our engine. Helga (the engine) did fabulous coming north, but there are a few issues that I want to address and I need to learn more since I have become EM (Eileen May)’s onboard mechanic. I guess I’m channeling my Grandpa Harrington the mechanical engineer! Depending on what the mechanic says will decide when we leave to head toward Mazatlan. There’s constant work to do. Shay is sewing the dinghy chaps new straps and working on the rust spots on the stainless and epoxy on the deck. I worked today on the engine, and an electrical project so the dinghy battery could be recharged by solar.
Puerto Vallarta in the distance
We are both pretty healthy and feeling strong. My muscles hurt a lot from all the physical activity but its okay and naps help with my knee pain. The
passage north was tough on our bodies. Constant rocking causes your body to be bracing every second which is fatiguing. I’m learning how to wedge myself into corners in the cockpit on watch, or when sleeping below. In any given day, we row for miles (out of necessity), walk miles carrying laundry, or groceries, raise sails, haul stuff in and out of EM, haul anchor, squeeze into small spaces, swim (if lucky). Over three days I spent about 6 hours cleaning the hull of 4” of growth. This is a 7’ deep keel, 40’ long hull mind you. It wasn’t a piece of cake. This lfestyle is much more physical than I anticipated. We are holding up but could use a massage too.
And I think we are pretty happy. We enjoy finally sailing, and traveling, and meeting very interesting people, and living simply. I think it agrees with us.
A couple things I learned recently:
Staring at the ocean never gets dull. When on passage and its too rocky to do anything at all such as cook, read, or work, we ended up staring at the ocean for hours and hours on end. It’s hypnotizing and not at all boring. There is so much to pay attention to after all, the wind, the engine, the sails, the waves, steering, the auto pilot. I think I could enjoy a longer passage with the right weather.
And I think we are pretty happy. We enjoy finally sailing, and traveling, and meeting very interesting people, and living simply. I think it agrees with us.
A couple things I learned recently:
Staring at the ocean never gets dull. When on passage and its too rocky to do anything at all such as cook, read, or work, we ended up staring at the ocean for hours and hours on end. It’s hypnotizing and not at all boring. There is so much to pay attention to after all, the wind, the engine, the sails, the waves, steering, the auto pilot. I think I could enjoy a longer passage with the right weather.
I don’t much care for large cities. Its challenging living at anchor when you have to row a mile to shore in all matter of weather to get a banana, laundry or water. There is lots to spend money on here and its distracting. I’m looking forward to getting back to smaller anchorages although its’ hard to find a shower sometimes. No, we don’t have one aboard. Nor do we have the water to enjoy that privilege. I would kill for a bath though.
Day Trip to Sayulita
We probably won’t have much internet from here to Mazatlan unless we stop in San Blas. Its all about the weather so we don’t have a schedule. And just so you know, we are very conservative sailors. We have jack-lines, and harnesses and lifejackets, rules for when we are sailing at night, and friends that watch over us as we travel together.
Life is good.
About 6 weeks and we will be home in Washington.
Day Trip to Sayulita
We probably won’t have much internet from here to Mazatlan unless we stop in San Blas. Its all about the weather so we don’t have a schedule. And just so you know, we are very conservative sailors. We have jack-lines, and harnesses and lifejackets, rules for when we are sailing at night, and friends that watch over us as we travel together.
Life is good.
About 6 weeks and we will be home in Washington.
I’ve put some video’s online, the links are below. Enjoy! Love to you all,
Yona and Shay
SV Eileen May (EM)
VIDEOS First Sail
https://vimeo.com/264637736
Sailing Along
https://vimeo.com/264643068
Turtle Spotting
https://vimeo.com/264644598
Sunset motorsail to PV
https://vimeo.com/264644921
Yona and Shay
SV Eileen May (EM)
VIDEOS First Sail
https://vimeo.com/264637736
Sailing Along
https://vimeo.com/264643068
Turtle Spotting
https://vimeo.com/264644598
Sunset motorsail to PV
https://vimeo.com/264644921
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