Still Life in La Paz.

24.15N 110.3W. Marina Palmira, La Paz, BCS, Mexico.


It has been interesting hearing all of your news from up north -- e.g. freezing temperatures, snow, canceled trips, and rapidly diminishing supplies of firewood... to name a few. By contrast, it is1100 as I write this and the sky is clear, the air is still and the temperature is in the mid-70s.

We are getting ready to shove off tomorrow morning -- Christmas Day! Steve is putting the car in storage and I am doing some last minute business on the internet.

We are heading across the Sea to mainland Mexico. At this point, we are not certain if we will do so in one long passage or break it up. It all comes down to the weather. There are Northers predicted. Some sources say there will be relatively strong Northers commencing in just a few days...while other sources say the winds will be a bit less and a bit more tardy. quien sabe?

So for now, it is fair winds and following seas....and, of course, feliz navidad!

The City of La Paz.

24.15N 110.3W La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

For the past three seasons, we have staged out of La Paz. La Paz is a real Mexican city. It is charming and busy and rich in history. On Sunday, we had some time to go out for a nice breakfast and take a stroll before the crowds hit the main square.

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Dec2008 La Paz

Surf Trip.

Pedrito Trailer Park.

We took a little road trip to Pedrito to catch a bit of surf. It is just an hour and a half from La Paz...with thirty minutes of that time just getting out of the La Paz sprawl. Up early and on the road at sun up and Steve was surfing by nine. We stayed the night and then headed back to the boat after another morning surf.

Here are a few more photographs of our day trip.

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Dec2008 Road to Pedrito

Old Mainsail.

24.15N 110.3W.

We needed a new mainsail when we purchased Gitano in 2002. In spite of that fact, our old mainsail drove us through six full seasons. She drove us through several Tehuantepec-kers of Mexico’s Hurricane Alley though we swore we would only sail through one. She drove us through the worse winds we ever faced -- being the Papagayos -- herself suffering some significant tears in the old fabric.

She is a large old style sail. She can make you proud when she is set right and full. She humbles you when you don’t quite know what you are doing and are getting overpowered and drug across wind waves rather than cutting gracefully through them.

I have learned to sail under her. I have sat under her shade while cruising through the day in the company of dolphins. In my many irrational moments while under sail, I have begged for wind to fill her up so that we could continue to sail without the engine. There were other moments when I have begged for the wind not to fill her up too much requiring us to turn to and reef her in. Always when underway, we were aware of her presence...under her tutelage. Her instruction was on occasion demanding...but more often subtle and forgiving.

So, I am sad today as we replace her with a new-to-us sail. Life in the tropics simply took its final toll on her fabric leaving it too easy to rip and tear. The re-cut sail looks like it will work well…but it will never be the same as our old (and we think original mainsail for the boat).

I will miss her...

Marina Life.

24.15N 110.3W. Marina Palmira, La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

We will be tied up here on the dock at slip #329 for the next two or more weeks for anyone passing through…

Clean Lines and Bottom.

24.15N 110.3W. Marina Atalanta Astilleros, La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

She's a beauty.

Back On The Hard.

24.15N 110.3W. Marina Atalanta Astilleros, La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

We arrived to La Paz late Wednesday, 19 November 2008, after an extra twelve hour layover at the LA Airport this day….following our aborted attempts to fly anywhere out of the Redding Airport throughout the day on Monday. All delays due to mechanical problems….requiring replacement planes to fly in to our airport from some other airport after long delays. In spite of the lengthy delays, it still beat a long multiple day road trip from the Northern California to Southern BCS.

So…here we are. Our first night back on Gitano – in spite of the fact of being on the hard – was very restful and peaceful. zzzzzzzzz

We have just a few projects before launching back in the water. The worst is a bottom job. The job entails sanding the most superficial of the old paint and growth off, scrubbing off a bit more and then painting the bottom with the most toxic, fowl bottom paint we can still find on the market. (The best paint has been outlawed and mariners in this part of the world now find themselves in a constant search for something that works better than the almost better-than-nothing bottom paint that we often find on the bottom of our boats…hosting the masses of barnacles and sea grass that we had been hoping to kill off instead.)

Our work is done in three days and we prepare to launch back to the water.

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Nov2008 La Paz

Hasta La Vista.

41.95N 124.1W. Azalea Avenue, McKinleyville, California, USA.

It is hard to remember when we last lingered so long here. Fall is upon us in full with its shadows stretching beyond imaginable lengths...cool, crisp temperatures graced ever so briefly with a glimmer of sun. We awake in the middle of the night enticed by the light of the full moon to creep outside in wonder. Abundance is everywhere…apples, wild mushrooms, the last harvests from our summer garden. enchanting.

However...we are beckoned to elsewhere and it is time to move on. Our bags – including a new-to-us mainsail and refurbished prop -- are packed. Almost two hundred pounds of it! I cringe at the thought of running the airport and customs gauntlets. groan.

Come Monday...

UPDATE: ...ummmm...better make that Wednesday...

Hello from the lovely Redding Airport. Our plane "broke." After numerous and various "updates" regarding the "simple" problem with the nose strut, the various estimates for the mechanic's arrival, the hoped for soon departure, the hoped for not-so-soon departure...it came down to please leave security to stand in the long and very slow line at the counter and work out other arrangements for getting to wherever it is that you got up at 0330 this morning to get to. Our's was the worst case for all passengers as our LA to La Paz flight is scheduled for only a few days a week...and it came down to flying to LA via a trip back through Arcata, then on to Guadalajara via a red eye flight arriving in the early morning hours to depart around 0500 for a flight to La Paz....or simply fly back to Arcata later this afternoon and try again on Wednesday. So La Paz will have to wait for another day.

C'est la vie

Mmooooo.

Camozzi Family Reunion Weekend.

Casa Camozzi-Ekberg, Tukwila, Washington, USA.

The Camozzi family dropped in on the Ekbergs once again for the annual Camozzi weekend in early August. Hanging out catching up on family news and events. Big breakfasts to start our day. Preseason Seahawk football scrimmage. Mariners baseball games (they even won one!). The Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle. And even more good food. I am sorry that I didn't get any great photographs...so am left with a placeholder of some diehard Seahawk fans who appeared to be almost as eager as the Camozzis for the upcoming season to start.

Something a Little Different.

Along the way...

I am obviously not the most disciplined and technically proficient photographer. While I put some effort towards improvement, I find that I enjoy my flawed efforts almost as much as my successes and look forward to the accidents of low light, moving camera, et al. Here is just one of my most recent accidents.

Dale Family Homestead.

Tannersville and the City, New York, USA.

We flew out to New York for a very short week at the Dale Family Homestead in Tannersville, New York in mid-July. The old house still stands proud and was filled with the sounds and motions of Dales both young and old. Morning runs for rolls and the paper. Short hikes on some of the local trails. A round or two of golf -- long story short, Dales get to play for free. A day at Saratoga for the horse races. Family poker games after dinner. And lots of family stories. Our visit ended way too soon.

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NewYork 2008

Camping Along the Rogue.

A Not-So-Secret-Spot along the Rogue River, Oregon, USA.

In mid July, we returned to one of several of our favourite campsites -- this one along the Rogue River. The river crashes through this incredible volcanic rock in whitewater rapids. Steve's daughter, Kathleen joined us along with Jim and the "mighty Peanut" (her miniature daschund). Beautiful setting, lots of great food...an enjoyable time for all, though, I think, Peanut had the most fun of any of us.

Welcome Home!

41.95N 124.1W. Azalea Avenue, McKinleyville, California, USA.

Whitey was a month old in early June when he spent his first day out in the pasture. We got him at a very young two days and kept him in the "calf nursery" shed for a month. The dairy man told us he was a "lively" one and Whitey lived up to his reputation. He bucked. He dug in his heels. He got away. He tried to get back in the shed. In short, he made Steve work the whole thirty yards of distance from the shed to the pasture. Once he was finally in the pasture, he bucked, ran laps and skidded on his knees a few times as he tested out his relatively new legs. Rambunctious little fella.

News Flash.

41.95N 124.1W. Azalea Avenue, McKinleyville, California, USA.

It is cold and raining here...predicted to last most of the week. Beautiful.

Back On Land.

41.95N 124.1W. Azalea Avenue, McKinleyville, California, USA.

We arrived in Humboldt County to several days of beautiful “warm” sunny weather. A great welcome back! Now the weather has returned to the cold and rain. This Sunday morning we woke to frozen hail on the ground making the dash to the hot tub a bit risky…but we endured!

We are adjusting to being off the boat. Believe it or not, I still find myself feeling the motion of the boat underfoot at the oddest of times. We still awake at night, confused as to where we are…missing the motion of the boat in our unconscious.

Steve has already mowed the lawn four times. We are busy getting the garden and pasture ready. A fire has been going in the fireplace since we arrived. There have been endless hours in the hot tub.

It is nice to be here…

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Apr 2008 Humboldt

End Of Season.

24.1N 110.1W. La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

We are tied up in Marina Palmira in La Paz, BCS....washing the boat down, doing (lots of) laundry, changing the oil, hauling down the sails, packing up the dinghy, etc., etc., etc...

Just another season "shot to hell"...

In spite of the fact that we are looking are forward to meeting up with family and friends, there is a sense of loss that comes with all of this...

We will haul out to the dry yard tomorrow morning...and then fly out the next day.

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Marina Life.

24.1N 110.1W. La Paz, BCS, Mexico.

Our season is coming to a close and we find ourselves once again tied up in a marina. The endless source of fresh water and electricity is addictive...but we both find ourselves deeply disdisoriented late in the nights wondering where we are...it is way too still.

We find ourselves in an interesting location here. One wouldn't normally think of a marina as a "hunter and gatherer" type environment but...Lucy the Goose has set up a nest on the boat next to ours...and from what we hear, she is laying eggs on a relatively regular basis. The dock workers and a few others on the dock, routinely check the nest to see if there is an egg. Alerted to this potential bounty...the race is on....and Steve keeps watch...and finally after a couple of days, Lucy leaves her nest and....Steve scores the egg! OK?... I was not really sure about the goose egg...but I am always open to new foods....and so the next morning, we had one goose egg between the two of us with our beans and tortillas. Excellent!

p.s. The Perkins Blue highlight on Lucy's wing feathers...is thanks to Steve...of course!

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Apr 2008 La Paz

Nature Walk.

23.5N 109.5W. Ensenada de Los Muertos, BCS, Mexico.

We decide to spend some time here at Los Muertos. The anchorage is peaceful, the water is clean (though a bit cool) and there are reefs to dive and trails to walk. Early morning hikes are the best….and since the dinghy landing is easy (read that as no surf), we can bring along the camera to share some of the sites. Enjoy!

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Mar 2008 Ensenada De Los Muertos

Southern Sea of Cortes.

20.8N 105.5W to 22.9N 109.9W. Southern Sea of Cortes, Mexico.

Our journey northward started off rather rocky. We weighed anchor on a day predicting light winds which we had at first but we encountered brisker winds as we approached Bahia Palmilla loading up on some pretty stiff wind waves generated from farther north in the sea. We had never anchored at Palmilla and were unhappy to see that the entire anchorage was occupied with moorings. We set down as best we could in a slot between some moorings with enough distance from the reef. The winds died back, but the wind waves rocked the boat very uncomfortably. Steve set a stern anchor to set us to more comfortably which was nice until the offshore winds picked up later that night. Needless to say, the night was long and we started the next day tired and grumpy…only to find that the stern anchor had gotten caught on a mooring cable some time during the night. Steve had to dive the anchor – down twenty four feet – in order to release it. The whole process added an hour to our start and we left the anchorage with concerns over how this new day would play out wind-wise given our experiences of the day before.

It was nice to be under way. The day started with about ten knots of offshore winds that made for a nice motor sail. The winds soon died and we ended up motoring along on our way. We started to relax – the sun was warm, the air was clear and there were whales all around us. We glassed the shoreline checking out many of Steve’s old surfing haunts. After about two hours, we observed a significant wind line up ahead. Within minutes, our smooth sailing was over. In spite of the fact that we were facing only about ten to fifteen knots….it was right on the nose. The wind waves generated from heavier winds much farther north in the sea were the real problem though…the wind enhanced these to at times four feet high and about four feet apart. The steeper wind waves pushed Gitano’s bow off track by almost 90-degrees, working the autopilot pretty hard. Gitano’s decks were getting washed with sea water pouring off the tow rail from bow to stern. The worst part was our speed -- we slowed from just over five knots to at times less than two knots. This was turning in to a very long day! The whales made light of our discomfort as they continued to swim by our side, out in front or to our stern…they really were something. We finally reached the anchorage at Los Frailes by mid-afternoon. It ended up taking over five hours to motor those last fifteen miles.

Los Barriles is just to the north of Los Frailes and is known for its winds making it a Mecca of sorts for windsurfers. We want to wait for a nice windless day to continue our journey north and end up staying put for the rest of the Easter Week holiday. We set out early on Monday morning at 0300 under the light of a nearly full moon. This passage was very smooth with just a bit of wind picking up mid-morning to push us along our way. We arrive at Ensenada de los Muertos by noon looking forward to our stay at this peaceful anchorage.

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Mar 2008 Sea of Cortes

Spring Break.

20.8N 105.5W to 22.9N 109.9W. Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico.

We find ourselves coming to an end of another season on Gitano. We found ourselves deep into Spring Break for our final two days at Cabo San Lucas – what a zoo!

Passage Notes.

20.8N 105.5W to 22.9N 109.9W. Southern Crossing, Sea of Cortes, Mexico.

Our passage was "about as perfect as it gets" with one exception – the winds were very light and variable and we had to motorsail most of the way. The days were clear and warm and the nights perfectly dark for star gazing. Late the second day and into the night, our decks were soaked as we bashed through choppy seas. We slowed down to try to smooth out the ride…but it was bumpy, wet and wearing. After two full days and nights, we arrived at Cabo San Lucas….very tired but glad to be across before the next big Northerlies.

As in November, we are both impressed and shocked by the place. We will be here for about a week – take the routine tour of the many government offices needed to check in, get provisions for the next few weeks, and make plans to head back to La Paz.

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Mar2008 Underway

Sail On.

20.8N 105.5W. Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico.

The surf this season ended up being “bearable” as those great winter storms in the north were followed quickly with an early start to south swell season. The good surf along with reports from down south of unseasonably cold water led us to decide to stay here for several months. Nevertheless, the time has come for us to make our departure.

We will set sail heading northward to Mazatlan and then across the Sea of Cortes. Near term predictions are for the winds to be light northerlies and the swells to be diminishing though sizable and confused. When I first wrote down this note, we were going to head out on Saturday…but after the latest weather forecast may end up leaving on Tuesday….quien sabe…

Ciao!

World Class Yacht Racing.

20.8N 105.5W. Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico.


Sailboats under full sail – especially those under the command of a master sailor -- are beautiful watch. A day after re-anchoring at the surf point of Punta de Mita, we found that we were at the finishing line to the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Yacht Race. The race is a “premier international racing event since 1953” and included World Cup class yachts and captains. For several days we had the best seat in town...with the official finish boat just a radio call away for whatever bit of news we wished to know about the boats or race. These racing yachts are nothing short of stunning and it was absolutely fascinating to watch these masters speed through and maneuver in at times almost zero wind. Talk about a pair of “armchair sailors”…while we sipped our early morning coffee in the cockpit we would watch and wonder why a certain boat would change course a certain way, etc. For me, the most scene occurred in the blackness of a moonless night, where we watched two yachts within minutes of each other approach the finish line through a maze of pangas and fishing nets….we could only see the navigation lights of the two yachts thread their way through the small lights of the pangas…making incredibly tight turns in almost no wind…it was simply mesmerizing.

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Feb 2008 PV Yacht Racing

Incident Report.

20.8N 105.5W. Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico.


Sometimes a little sailboat gets no respect. I am not talking about the probable lack of respect some larger-newer-sleeker boats may have towards our “classic racer style” (lively) well-sailed (a little beat up looking) little (a bit over 35 feet and six tons “dripping wet”) 1969-era (old) Cal Cruising 36 sailboat. No, I am talking about others...who apparently because of their superior size and stealth feel that they can simply do whatever they want to us like we were just a plaything.

Believe or not, we were bumped by a Humpback Whale! To be clear, Gitano del Mar didn’t bump it…it bumped or slapped her! We were under-sail from Punta de Mita to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. There was just enough wind to let us sail at just over three knots and we decided to sail the whole way to the anchorage no matter how long it took…just sit back and enjoy the sail. The bay was pretty busy that afternoon with over a dozen other boats underway around us…fishing boats, whale watching boats, cruising boats…all under motor but us. Needless to say, we were keeping watch on the traffic and our route as we meandered to our destination. At one point, however, while we were both in the galley munching on a leftover piece of our favourite BBQ chicken…the boat lurched port-side. It lurched more than the usual-for-that-day swell that was pushing our boat…it actually felt like a bump with the boat quickly righting herself. We both looked at each other and said “what was that?” I popped out to the cockpit in time to see a slick (of stilled water) pass by our port-side….from past experience it was a slick the size of that left by a whale. We were both looking at the slick and thinking “no way”…there was no way that we hit a whale….there are too many boats…making too much noise… We kept looking around our boat trying to figure out the source of the “bump” and sure enough in less than a minute we sighted four Humpback whale spouts just to our stern along with a flipper wave. A Humpback whale can reach fifty-two feet and weigh over fifty tons...more than three times the size of Gitano. The only thing we can think is that the group of four included at least one lively yearling…very playful...and our boat looked like a cute little bath toy…"let’s just slap it around and see what it does." It was an exciting moment and one of the closest whale sightings of the season.

werd (as SK would say)….

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Feb 2008 Simple Things

Out and About in Bahia de Banderas.

20.5N 105.3W. Quimixto, Jalisco, Mexico.

In between anchorings at the point at Punta de Mita, we wanted to check out a bit more of Bahia de Banderas, so once the northerly winds backed we crossed over to the south side of the bay from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle to see what there was to see. Because of its remoteness and, in some cases, lack of road access, the south bay is still wrapped in untouched rain forest. It reminded us so much of parts of Central America…we started to think that...maybe...we should head south again. What roadway there is on this side of the bay, ends just the other side of Quimixto so it is accessed only by boat. Very charming…but the surf was too rough for a dinghy landing and the dock is made for hard pangas and large boats only … so we decided to BBQ a filet and mushroom dinner in the cockpit and just sit back and enjoy the surf and scene. No complaints.

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Feb 2008 Bahia de Banderas

Gitano del Mar, s/v

20.8N 105.6W. Marina Riviera Nayarit, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit, Mexico.

We haven't tied to a marina since we left La Paz in very early October. But a few system "issues," the need for fresh water and the need to clean the boat of the incredible amounts of dirt and dust that the winds have packed upon the ol' girl pull at us to pull up anchor and head in for a few days.

It is unnatural for us to be tied in....to us, boats, like Gitano, fare better at anchor riding the winds and tides. That said, however, the experience here has been a good one. The marina is new and under construction. There is a lot of dust and noise and not all the services are in place. It is wonderful to take long, hot (some of the times) showers without worrying about the water supply. The walk in to town is a long and dusty one, but it seems quite a bit easier without having to deal with landing the dinghy on shore to sync up with tides and sometimes strong winds. We have washed down the boat several times -- inside and out ... and we are, for the first time, "power sluts" as we are able to plug in to shore power here at no cost and charge up the house bank batteries and run all the electrical equipment we want to no end.

We will be heading out tomorrow, so I thought I would put up this quick post with another view of Gitano del Mar.

Ciao!

The Other Side of the Life.

20.8N 105.6W. La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit, Mexico.

Our refrigertion system on the boat started having problems that quickly transformed into "not working." So, Steve researched the available resources and including asking other cruisers and locals for information on where to go to get what we need to at least begin diagnosing the problem. We needed refrigerant and a hose to recharge the system. Long story short, we tied in to the marina and headed in to town...walked to several hardware and automotive stores...then took a bus to another town...then another even longer bus ride to the big city ... and after four or five hours we finally found refrigerant but no line. OK, now what do we do? Steve -- never one for simply giving up -- buys a bicycle pump that he cannabalizes the line from, and then with some vinyl line, masking tape, a couple of hose clamps, a piece of fuel line and a connector makes what we need to get the job done! It wasn't perfect but it worked. It worked so well, in fact, that Steve's efforts ended up fixing the problem...at least for now. Excellent.

The Life.

20.8N 105.6W. La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit, Mexico.

It is Super Bowl Sunday and we are still in Bahia de Banderas. Hard to believe as we were getting ready to head south just over a week ago but…the water warmed up and a new swell arrived…so here we are. Steve surfed for four days straight. The Humpback whales have finally arrived with the warmer water – very late this season. We enjoyed a wonderful sighting two days while under sail to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle – where a cow and very little calf swam very slowly only forty feet off our starboard side. The calf appeared to be keeping full contact against the cow and when they surfaced for air…it almost looked as if the cow was very gently lifting the little guy up to show him how it was done. Probably not what was really happening…but that is how it looked us as we watched entranced by this elegant and quite touching duo.

Waves, wind, water, whales....the life.

We are here in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle in order to tie up to the new marina here to get some work done on the boat. She really needs a good fresh water cleaning after all the wind born construction dust she has been subjected to both here and in Cabo San Lucas. We also need to do some troubleshooting on our battery bank and refrigeration systems (though it looks like Steve may have fixed the refrigeration this morning while at anchor here).

Anyway, we are looking forward to watching the Super Bowl at Ana Banana’s and getting to work first thing Monday when we arrive at the marina.

Go NY Giants!

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Jan 2008 Punta de Mita