Adios Mazatlan, I'm heading.............

NORTH!!!!


My cousin Robert and I had been communicating since summer of 2011 and he, being an old hand at Mazatlan, had expressed an interest in doing some fishing this season. So, in late March we set a date . He will be flying into Mazatlan, and returning home from La Paz. This gives us the opportunity to fish while we cross the Sea of Cortez and do some exploring along  the way once we reach the Baja side. But that will be the the next post once that trip is over. In the meantime, there was much more to do in Mazatlan while I waited  for his arrival.
Mazatlan is such a great, fun place. It is sooo easy to get stuck here. I have made many friends, cruisers and landsmen alike. 


Robert arrived on April 15th (I'll assumed he had already paid his taxes) and we spent a few days in Mazatlan, saying goodbye and getting the  boat ready to leave. On the 17th we headed for the fuel dock, took on 200 gallons of diesel and headed out. 

Robert in Mazatlan

The ride accross was uneventful except for the constant headseas. It was a bit bumpy going accross and after 25 hours and 190 miles, we arrived in Ensenada de los Muertos on the Baja side, 58 miles south of La Paz.  During the passage we had seen whales breaching, flying fish and Dolphins.

ALL HANDS ON DECK...!!!!!

Cerralvo Channel

Marina Palmira

The Shack

Shack Burgers

Muertos

Malecon de La Paz at sunset

Ensenada de los Muertos

The next morning we rose at O-dark thirty and left for La Paz via the Cerrvalo Channel. The seas were completly flat and we made 8 knots. About 1pm that afternoon we closed with the San Lorenzo Channel, which is a narrow passage between two reefs at the eentrance to La Paz Bay. 
La Paz Bay is very shallow on the south side, which is also the channel that lead towards the city itself and the marinas. We radioed Marina Palmira and were issued a slip.


I had been to Marina last in 1998 and there were some changes. Many new buildings, a restaurant and even a small store with some VERY expensive boating supplies. But mostly it was the empty shops that got my attention.



While Robert and I were having breakfast Friday mornig at the local restaurant, several friends/cruisers from Mazatlan, Ed and Anette, Alan and Christine, showed up and recommended a local burger joint called "The Shack" in town. Not having had a great burger in sometime, we headed into town that evening aboard the shuttle that is provided by the marina. 


The Shack is owned by an Expat named Travis and his Mexican wife who make a truly remarkable burger. It's a challenge to get one's mouth around it.


After stuffing our faces, we walked down to the town square and down to the malecon' for some foto-ops for Robert's wife, Denise, as she is a watercolor painter of some note. 


The next day was Saturday and at noon it was time to say adios' to Roberto at noon for his flight home, with a promise that he will come back for another visit. Nothing better than having family visit and catch up on old times.......


The weather on the Baja side is quite different than the mainland. It gets warmer but the humidity is far less. I have cabin doors that refuse to close on the mainland, that shut themselves when in Baja. I think I prefer the dryness, but thats just for now.


So, now I sit in La Paz, soon to be changing marinas, awaiting what/who is next..And then I'll head further into the Sea of Cortez to see what further adventures await..........


Next up,  Captain Sam takes on the Cartel..!!!!!

North or South.....???

After I returned to Mazatlan Jan 5th. the decision on my next destination had to be made. I really love Mazatlan and all the new friends I have made here. But the winds of change have started to blow, and I need to go someplace else for a while. Cruisers frequently get stuck in one place...their boats becomming nothing more than floating condos. I need to snorkle, fish and live on the hook (anchor) for a time. Away from marina life till it's time to go back to the U.S. this summer......

My choices are: Head back south to the places I visited last year, but go a bit further to Manzanillo. Santiago Bay is supposed to be very nice. Clean, clear water and an great anchorage. Along the way, I can re-visit Chacala, La Cruz, Chemala, Tenacatita, and Bara de Navidad. All familiar places I enjoyed. I can make this run solo, like I did before and return to Mazatlan in June to put Godzilla to bed for the summer. It's about 400 miles each way. I know there will be a lot of other boats crusing this area then . I'll get to re connect with people I have met along the way from Mazatlan and my time down there last year.

Or....Wait  till the end of March and go north in the Sea of Cortez. This is the earliest time to go, as winds and cold weather prevail up there before then. If I choose that direction I'll probibly stay till a bit later in the season to enjoy the incredible diving and fishing. It's quite a bit more isolated in the anchorages, so I think I'll try and convince some unsuspecting crew to go with me for company, LOL

Elvira's Party

Elvira

In the meantime , Elvira, our marina manager had left us and we through her a huge party at Christie's. Elvira had been one of the reasons so many cruisers keep their boats in Mazatlan. She speaks perfect English and does so many things that most managers wont do. It was a great event, and about 85 people attended.




Before I coud even think about leaving, we HAD to have a Super Bowl party......Heres a few pix from that event.....Go Giants!!!

Donna and Kathryn

John and Ed

Captain Sam

Jack trying to dance

Julie Mazatlan and her sister Sue

Kathy, Sam and Mara, who owns Calypso, where we all hang for morning coffee





Next post: Which way did he go?....Which way did he go...?

Owen Alexander Agajanian (Nander #2)

Uncle Mark

Uncle Michael

About a week later the countdown began for my first grandchild , and on Dec.13th he arrived!!!! After a while I regained the use of my legs and emotions. Alex and Kaitlyn had produced my grandson, Owen. I'm sure every grandparent feels his or her grandchild is the most wonderfull, but they'd be wrong. MINE IS!!!...LOL

Merry Christmas, Granpa

New Parents!!!

On Dec. 22nd. I flew to Reno to have Christmas with Alex, Kaitlyn and Mr. Owen. What a great time. Ate like a pig, marveled at the new arrival and froze my ass off. But it was all worth it.

On dec. 27th I flew to L.A. to spend some time with my sister and two other sons, Mark and  Michael

Thanksgiving 2011 in La Cruz

We all arrived in La Cruz the week before Thanksgiving and managed to find empty slips on the same dock. Everyone took the rest of the day off to rest and clean up the boats. 


After that , the party was on and every nite we were somewhere listening to music or enjoying the different cuisine. Two people had cars or vans, so we were abole to go into downtonw Puerto Vallarta a few times to enjoy the malecon and sample the nightlife down there.


While we were there, everybody piled aboard Godzilla to take a trip to La Tres Mariettas, a group of small islands in Bandreas Bay


Thanksgiving was spent at Philo's, where we had a great buffett and live music. We also had a BBQ  pot-luck aboard Godzilla, then a dock pot-luck where everybody made something for tacos...!!!!!!


Two weeks after we arrived Wally and I left for Mazatlan. Some of the others stayed in La Cruz while a few prepared to head south towards Manzanillo and Bara de Navidad.

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What a wonderfull way to spend Thanksgiving!!!!

Back in Mazatlan

Same marina, new slip....Way better

Whats that boat in the background....?





When I arrived back in Mazatlan it was sooooooo hot as to be almost unbearable.....Actually it WAS unbearable. The daytime temps were in the 90's with humidity running 85%. Sure glad I had added A/C to the boat. It ran 24/7  for the first two weeks, then just during the daytme after that. I have made the committ, committ, commitment (Tom, that joke is for you) never to return till Oct. 15th or later. 


After the first two weeks I began to venture forth and re-connect with all the people I had met here the season before. Coffee at Calypso, dinners out and even a baseball game to see the local semi-pro team. It was still blazing hot, but mostly bearable.


My friends Wally and Steve talked to me about making a trip south to La Cruz for thanksgiving  and they finally talked me into it. It's an overnight run (24hours) for me so I volunteered to take crew. Wally took Colleen, Steve took Joanne and I took Kathy and her daughter Kathryn who are Canadians who live here full time. Kathy has no seagoing experience, but her daughter has crewed on a large sail boat, so I had deck boss with me on the trip south, plus a very good cook to man the galley. (note to all, Kathy is married and I'm a friend of her husband. Kathryn is 22)

We sailed with the tide on NOv. 18th to find flat seas and no wind. As wally and Steve we on sailboats, I gave them several hours head start as I planned on catching up with them someime at night. As soon as I cleared Deer Island, out went the riggers and in went the lures. After a few hours and two Dorado and two Bonito I reeled up and had the other two boats in sight. Wally , who was in the lead , radioed that he had run accross a long-line, but had cut himself free before he fouled his prop. He radioed his exact location, so Steve and I knew where to cross.


Next morning we all arrived in La Cruz.........

Driving California to Mazatlan

I left Ojai September 30th in my car for Mazatlan early in the morning. I had promised Rick (Mazatlan Yacht Services) I would stop in San DIego and pick up a "few" boxes of parts for him in San Diego.
This turned out to be 12 boxes and about 400 lb. of Zincs, varnish and other assorted things.
The first day I made it all the way to Nogales, Arizona, just accross from the Mexican border. I stayed in a cheap hotel next to a Mexican auto insurance office, where I got my policy.

The next morning I crossed the border and did the usual stop at Km. 21 where I got my car import permit and tourist visa. For some reason I failed to declare the US $3000.oo worth of parts I had aboard. DUH!!!
Mexico has great toll roads. Almost as good as the California "freeways". There are just a lot of toll booths along the way, but it's a lot better than taking the back roads through every little town. After a another day of driving ( you don;t want to drive at night, as cattle can wander onto the highways) I stopped in Los Moiches for the night.

Bright and early next day I set off again heading south only to be pulled over at another toll booth by the local "revenue agents" or customs officials. They happened to see all the boxes in my car and began to tear everything open for a look. They found the reciept for Rick's supplies and I had no proper import permit for all that stuff. NOTE: I DO have an import permit (for 10 years) for misc. stuff for MY boat, but NOT for as much as I was carrying. After they suggested I return to Nogales, Mx to obtain the proper permit, we agreed that 1300 Peso's would smooth the way south for me if I paid them directly.
SO, I paid the bite and took off. Bad news was I paid them almost all the Peso's I had on hand and I had several more toll booth's to cross before Mazatlan.
I scrounged every peso coin I had in the car till I ran out. Then switched to US dollars (which they are NOT supposed to accept) to finish my trip south. It was a bit stressful, but I made it that afternoon...WHEW!!

I don;t have any pictures of my drive south and I'm waiting for some folks to Email me ones of my adventures since I returned. I'm working on that now........

My "Next big thing"

Update 12-13-2010...Owen Alexander was born and now I have a grandson!!!!!!!

2011, another summer of love

Alex and Kaitlyn's new house in Chile Reno

Me, Ron Hungate and Steve Mussio

Michael working on the road crew

I flew back to SoCal mid-June for a family visit, so much needed work ($) and to escape the heat of summer in Mexico. Father's Day was great!!...It also gave my ribs a chance to heal a bit more, although they still remind me from time to time, what happened.

While back in Southern California, I took time to do a road trip and  visit  Alex and Kaitlyn in Reno, Nv.

Father's Day 2011...Missing from poto is #1 Son Mark

They had just bought a new house and are expecting my first grandchild (a boy) in December. After spending a week with them I drove north to Portland to see some friends I had not seen in a good while. I drove to Portland Ore. and saw Ron and Toni Hungate, Steve and Martha Mussio. I had last laid eyes on all of them in 1980. Steve and I had played in a band back in the late 1960's with my cousin Raleigh and both Ron and Steve had worked for me when I was in the trash business. What a trip to get the hang out with them for a while. Also living in Portland was my x business partner and good friend Tom Morton. Tom had helped me deliver my boat from SoCal to Puerto Vallarta late last year.

Lady Stylish (Ronelle)

Most of the rest of the summer I spent working and staying at Ronelle's and my sister's house. I worked some, layed around a lot and entertained Ronelle's friends with my shaving cream routine (Don' ask!)

October 1st rolled around and Mexico began calling. I decided to drive my car back down to Mazatlan.......But that a whole other story, LOL........Stay tuned.............