Clothes and Laundry
Living on a boat comes with some restrictions in storage and living space - to put it mildly. Long gone are the days of browsing through my selection of tops hanging in neat rows on individual hangers. On board Camille my clothes are crammed into a couple of bins set atop the closet. Yes, we do have a few nice closets, with shelves and room to hang things, but that space is taken up by food, tools and [...]
Hospital Visit
This morning we went to the hospital to shoot footage for the travel documentary my dad is working on - "Travel Secrets Mexico". Having never been to a hospital in Mexico we didn't know what to expect but we were pleasantly surprised to say the least. I don't believe I have ever been to such a clean and nice facility in the US! Mike interviewed the medical director and the chief administrator of the hospital. It was his first on-camera interview [...]
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta (PV) has to be our favorite Mexican town so far. Good thing, since we'll be here all summer (to wait out hurricane season). After spending the last few months in the dry desert of Baja, the lush green landscape of this area has been an amazing change of scenery. Downtown Puerto Vallarta, with its boardwalk, cobblestone streets and small town feel is just the right size to get lost in, without feeling overwhelmed. There is [...]
Sayulita
Yesterday we took a trip over to Sayulita - a quintessential surf-town. The waves were virtually non-existent so we just walked around, had some lunch and a coconut. But it hasn't been all fun and games around here. Most days Mike has been working on the boat and I've been busy creating websites - most notably the website for my dad's new TV show Travel Secrets Mexico. Vendors selling Huichol jewelry More photos of Sayulita here
Beware ATM Fees in Mexico
In order to pay our rigger in La Cruz we had to get cash from an ATM machine located at the marina - a US dollar only dispensing cash machine (aka Cashola). We normally only take cash out of ATM machines located within an actual bank building but La Cruz is a small fishing town without a bank. Our bank refunds all fees so I was not worried when I saw there would be a 45 peso fee (about US$3.50). The ATM also [...]
Mahi Mahi
by Mike -- We talked to almost everybody we met about the mahi mahi (aka dolphinfish, dorado). Where are they? Have you caught any? Has anyone caught any? The consensus has been that it was a very late spring (hard to believe for us that the weather has been cooler than usual as we melt away). So the argument went that the mahi mahi will not "show up" until the water and air temps start warming up. [...]
Sea Turtle Rescue
This is the (true) story of how a dorado saved the life of a sea turtle.... Also published in 48° North Magazine's September 2012 issue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e07KutCPJDw After an early morning start from Mazatlan, we headed for Puerto Vallarta. Mike was napping below and I was whiling away the time of my watch with a good book in our sunny cockpit. There wasn't much of a breeze and just a few clouds. Being "on watch" simply [...]
Crossing the Sea
Leaving Baja in our wake We're in Mazatlan after our third crossing of the Sea of Cortez. We're on our way to Puerto Vallarta where we will be spending the summer (aka hurricane season). Since early July we've been making our way south from the Loreto area and now all that is left is one overnight trip. We had a very long swell on our crossing which we're attributing to the two hurricanes brewing down south. After [...]
Caleta Partida
The Caleta Partida anchorage between Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida has to be one of our favorites. The snorkeling is great, there are sea caves to explore, and white sand beaches and private coves to paddle to. We already spent some time here in May and went to the sea caves. This time we were a bit in a hurry, because we are on our way back down to Puerto Vallarta to spend the summer, but we [...]
Isla Coronados
After a week on Isla Carmen we were pleased to find out that the anchorage on Isla Coronada had a much better breeze and the nighttime temperature inside the boat was in the low 80's - making sleep much more comfortable. We had been warned about bees here but the first few days were peaceful... until the bees found our boat! Our swimstep collects puddles of fresh water when we rinse after swimming and the bees were thirsty. [...]
Isla Carmen
Last week I learned that our SUP (stand up paddle board) is great for meeting people and making new friends! I paddled over to sv Nyon for a little chat and half an hour later we had the entire anchorage in the water surrounding the SUP Board Bar. sv Eagle was kind enough to get the party started by bringing cups, pineapple juice and RUM! The water was so warm that we stayed in until after dark and never [...]
Why is my boat on shore?
NOAA Ship Fairweather in Alaska - where Mike and I lived aboard and worked for two years. As many of you may know, Mike and I worked as hydrographers for the past 8 years. Nearly every time we tell someone about our (former) profession we are met with blank stares -- hydro-what? Hydrography: : of or relating to the characteristic features (as flow or depth) of bodies of water : relating to the charting of bodies of water - [...]
Loreto
Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, founded on October 25, 1697 ENSENADA BLANCA - Staying in an anchorage in front of a resort has its perks. Not only do we get to use the pool, pool bar, showers and wifi, but also their shuttle service. Since there isn't a marina or decent anchorage in Loreto, it can be tough to get to and from town to shop for groceries. Taxi rides are expensive, buses rare (and [...]
How to Prepare Fresh Chocolate Clams
ENSENADA BLANCA - This is Cesar. He runs the palapa bar on the beach of Ensenada Blanca. Icons on map are clickable for more information on anchorages, marinas, snorkel spots, etc. Zoom out for others. There is no written menu and only three meal choices: Fish Tacos, Ceviche, or Clams. When you order the clams you better have some time to sit back and enjoy a cerveza because after bringing your drinks Cesar will don his fins [...]
Bahia Aqua Verde
When looking at Bahia Aqua Verde from the water you would guess that there is not much of a town there. And you would be right. The goats seem to outnumber the people and the local dogs make sure the goats aren't harassed by curious gringos. Most front yards are adorned with mattresses on wooden frames. Right near the outdoor kitchens. We were told that it is still relatively cool this time of year, though we really [...]
Todos Santos
We took a short side-trip on our way back from the airport in Cabo last month and visited the "pueblo magico" of Todos Santos on the Pacific. After the heat of the Sea of Cortez, the cool ocean breezes were most welcome. It's a surfer and artist community lush with palm trees and funky beach homes. A sea of palm trees in the desert Cactus blooms Pelicans relaxing on the beach
Mexican food made easy. And no fridge required!
Now that we are in Mexico tortillas have become a staple food, so I figured I better learn how to make them in case we run out. Corn tortillas are a breeze as long as you have Maseca (the recipe is right there on the bag and even I can decipher the Spanish instructions), water, and salt. The most important is a tortilla press! Not wanting to add more gadgets to my galley I tried making [...]
Useful Things
There are so many lists and guides on the internet of things you just have to have on a cruising boat that I didn't want to make yet another list, but I have found some things that I have not seen listed elsewhere which we use almost daily. Spotlight The rechargeable variety and the smaller the better. Not only useful for the obvious reasons like finding your way into a harbor at night but also for finding [...]
Isla Espiritu Santo
Icons on map are clickable for more information on anchorages, marinas, snorkel spots, etc. Zoom out for others. The past four weeks have been spent almost entirely without access to the internet. At first I was worried about missing important emails. Turns out I don't get any important emails. When I was finally able to get back on Facebook - which I usually check daily - I realized I hadn't missed anything there either. How about world [...]
iPad on Board
Sailing the Sea of Cortez NOTE: This article was also published on the Women and Cruising website as well as being one of the 12 most popular articles of 2012. Women and Cruising is an excellent source for the cruising woman - whether out cruising or still in the planning stages. The iPad was one of the best purchases we made before heading south. We bought it at the last minute after realizing that buying new chart cards for our rather outdated [...]