Logbook and Photos

Just prior to leaving Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, we took in a two-day inland bus trip to Tepic, the state capital of Nayarit.  Local cruisers in the NV area have become very involved and instrumental in fund raising for the state's first schools for handicapped children.   The trip was to witness the grand opening of a new computer lab, see some sights and museums in and around Tepic, then visit a volcanic lake tucked away in the hills.  This picture is from our hotel window in Tepic towards the cathedral and town square (zocalo) .  Click on MINI-TOUR to see some more sites.

We spent the next month of our trip exploring a relatively small piece of the Mexican coast line, called the Gold Coast because it has long been associated with prosperity, whether for its fishing or more recently for jobs associated with the tourism sector.  This section of the mainland has some of the most interesting cruising to be found in Mexican waters.  In all, our trip from PV to our most southerly point of this season, Tenacatita Bay, was a mere 127 miles.

After departing PV, we stayed a few more days in Banderas Bay making trips to Yelepa, La Cruz, and here, Las Tres Marietas.  This is a group of three small islands, which are now a National Ecological Park.  The variety of seabirds, numerous fishes, manta rayes, dolphins and caves such as seen in this photo makes this a facsinating place to snorkel and to visit.

Prior to cruising the Gold Coast, we had to first pass Cabo Corrientas (Currents) at the south end of Banderas Bay.   As shown in the picture, it is a steep, rocky headland about 150m high.  As with other capes we have rounded, as it projects into the prevailing winds, local winds are accelerated causing turbulent, disturbed seas and creating strong currents.  Cabo Corrientas also marks the beginning of the truly tropical conditions - the further south you go the greener and more luxuriant the vegetation becomes.  We were lucky - the wind and seas weren't that bad for our passage.

With Cabo Corrientas behind us and favorable winds and following seas we decide to continue sailing all the way south to Tenacatita Bay, likely our most southerly point for the season.  On our way back north into weather, we would then explore the anchorages missed along the way.  We are very happy to be in this interesting place we have heard so much about.  Everyone is feeling quite exhausted so we make an early night of it, but not before witnessing this spectacular moon rise over this very protected anchorage. 

One of the most popular highlights of Tenacatita Bay is the fascinating dinghy trip up a stream through mangroves to a large lagoon.   We leave Tioga just before 10:00am in the company of the families from s/v Lonesome Dove and s/v Mintaka.  We all are in sensory overload as we slowly maneuver upstream encountering mangroves totally grown over us with a navigable tunnel cut through, numerous bird species, and termite huts so large they appear to be black bears climbing the trees.

Whenever Chris takes on school for a day, Joel and Gerrit jokingly giggle that their substitute teacher is Mr. Krupp from the Captain Underpants Series.  Here, Mr. Krupp teaches a very interesting class on electricity and the workings of flashlights.  The boys love this kind of hands on learning no matter who the teacher is!

Today we and the family from s/v Lonesome Dove head off to check out a fiesta in the nearby village of Rebalsito for their annual fair and bull fight.  The walk turns out to be a fair distance, so we are all grateful when a local offers all eight of us a ride.

Two days ago, we had received a last minute e-mail from friends in Calgary that they had just left for a week-long stay at the Karmina Palace in Manzanillo, about 50 miles south of Tenacatita.  With not enough time to contact them or to move Tioga south, we decide to do a quick bus trip instead and surprise them.  We enjoy a great reunion with them in this exquisite place, drank one too many margaritas (ouch!) and before we knew it, our visit was over far too soon and we were back on Tioga.  Cheers to a good time, not a long time!

A few days later, a beach birthday party for Joel was a hit with the fellow cruising kids and moms from s/v Mintaka and m/v Anna B.  We had three legged races, spoon races and a scavenger hunt.  Here Gerrit and Tyler sit in the winners circle with all their scavenger pieces.  After an hour or two of running about in the sun, we looked forward to the accompanying pot luck birthday supper in the shade of the palapa. 

PS - note in this photo the age of these cruisers.  We have ran into a surprising number of younger people out cruising - the demographics are changing!