M/V Bonaventure Mexico to Panama

Cruising route:

Puerto Vallarta to Zhijuantinajo then on to Marina Papagayo Costa Rica. November 6-November 20^th.

Date: Tuesday, November 6^th, 2012 (Election day in the US)

Location: Paradise Village Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Destination: Bahia Chamela

Time (depart): 6:00 AM

Time (arrive): 6:30 PM

Engine hours: depart/arrive: 1904-1916

Weather: Clear and 87

MB: 1009 -1007

Wind: 0-7kn ENE

Seas: 1-2 meter swells

Aboard: Rick & Liz; Ken & Betsy

Run Hours: Trip/Tot: 12/12

NM: Trip/Tot: 100/100

Happy Coast

After 5 days in Puerto Vallarta we depart early this morning for the beautiful stretch of coast known as Costalegre, or happy coast.

Homes along the coast

Sunrise is after 7 this morning so it is pitch dark when we slip our lines and ease Bonaventure into the current and slight breeze of predawn.

We have enjoyed our stay in Puerto Vallarta very much. We have new friends, Gary & Paula Bass, introduced to us by Bud & Charyn,

Gary & Paula

This Santo now sits in Arizona guarding the Hacienda

we found some more treasures and a new fantastic store, Banderas Bay Trading company.

Buy it, ship it

We had lunch twice at Daiquiri Dicks, bad name for a terrific restaurant, but we had the best beef tacos and chicken tortilla soup anywhere with friends Kim and Laura at their condo in Paradise Village,

Dinner with our friends Captain Kim and Laura

Our last dinner was overlooking the city from the exquisite Hacienda San Angel nestled in the hills just above the cathedral.

On the beach at Paradise Village

Our resting place in Nuevo Vallarta

As to boat matters, Captain Kim MacDonald took great care of Bonaventure over the summer and 44 maintenance items have been completed so that our duties are down to just 10 or so. So far everything aboard is working great, but for a few exceptions. These include a bad remote mouse, so we are using our backup plugged version; a sump pump that has failed; a leak in the water-maker compartment; and a failed helm panel for the water-maker. Boating is really just keeping a list of things to fix, then checking them off as we do so, capturing the feeling of success, or failure as time and talent dictates. Tonight we fix the generator by changing the impeller in a 110 degree engine room. Success!

The biggest issue of this voyage is finding our parts package from San Diego. It had been assembled from Wheelhouse Technologies in Maine, a few items I ordered online from boating magazines and a handful of necessary additions from Outbound Yacht Service in Dana Point. All these replacement or redundant items were to be sent to Puerto Vallarta a couple months ago, but the private party hired by Outbound fails to deliver. No word, and no tracking number once they were picked up in San Diego. After an exhausting effort trying to find the missing connection, San Diego received a call from Chris (the missing link) who was just released from jail in La Paz. Can this story get any more bizarre? After he reported that he was now out and would immediately find the parts which were no doubt now in Puerto Vallarta just waiting for us to have them delivered……then we lost him again, no calls no emails no parts, so we left with backup plans for sending them south once found..........more to come.

Date: Wednesday, November 7^th, 2012

Location: Bahia Chamela

Destination: Paraiso

Time (depart): 12:00 Noon

Time (arrive): 2:00 PM

Engine hours: depart/arrive: 1916-1918

Weather: Clear and 85

MB: 1005

Wind: 0-12kn WSW

Seas: 1 meter swells

Aboard: Rick & Liz; Ken & Betsy

Run Hours: Trip/Tot: 2/14

NM: Trip/Tot: 5/105

Lazy morning spent in and out of the water, then a short cruise south east to Pariso where, when we see it decide it is a must stop for an overnight. This is a little bay we did not get to last season and find it to be good snorkeling, tender cruising and magnificent in its quiet, private beauty.

The beach at Pariso

Liz, the only one with balance

This beach resort seems to have everything except guests

works as a kayak too

Date: Thursday, November 8^th, 2012

Location: Paraiso

Destination: Barra de Navidad

Time (depart): 7:15

Time (arrive): 12:00 Noon

Engine hours: depart/arrive: 1918-1923

Weather: Clear and 85

MB: 1009

Wind: 0-12kn WSW

Seas: 1 meter swells

Aboard: Rick & Liz; Ken & Betsy

Run Hours: Trip/Tot: 5/19

NM: Trip/Tot: 40/145

Up anchor at 7:00 and off in the heavy dew of Mexico mornings. We find the 2^nd stop we are interested in and stop by for an admiring look at Bahia Careyes. This once booming club Med is still colorful and charming, but we all agree that our choice for a beautiful anchorage was perfecto last night.

Crowded, but beautiful

Careyes

On our way this morning, we need to maneuver over 4 fishing lines strung across our path and tended by Ponga fishermen in orange, green or yellow pantaloons. Unlikely passage as directed by the locals, takes us across the lines between floating coke and detergent bottles without incident.

A beautiful run along a familiar coast, past Tenacatita Bay where we spent many a glorious day & night with friends and family last season. We are greeted by a group of friendly dolphins.

Riding the bow wave, making us smile

Tortuga sighting

Humpback blow

Easing our way into the narrow, shallow taxi aquatic filled entry to Isla Navidad and the Grand Bay Resort and Marina.

Barra de Navidad

Water Taxis

Our friend Poncho greats us with a friendly wave from an almost deserted marina (just a little early in the season). We have called ahead to ask him to assist with the replacement of a failed sump pump. We have the pump aboard, thanks to our friends at Wheelhouse Technologies, but not the shrink wrap necessary to safeguard the wiring from water. But reliable Poncho sources it in Melaque and puts it together in relatively short order.

Poncho, always reliable

entering the marina as we pass by the resort's beach

Hugo at his restaurant

Bonaventure at the dock in Barra

Date: Friday, November 9^th, and Saturday November 10, 2012

Location: Barra

Destination: overnight to Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo

Time (depart): 7:00 AM

Time (arrive): 8:30 AM

Engine hours: depart/arrive: 1923-1949

Weather: Clear and 85, crescent moon

MB: 1008

Wind: 0-12kn WSW

Seas: 1 meter long swells

Aboard: Rick & Liz; Ken & Betsy

Run Hours: Trip/Tot: 25.5/39.5

NM: Trip/Tot: 207/312

This is a beautiful morning with the moon hanging pleasantly over the horizon, bidding us goodbye as we slide out of the Grand Bay Marina for the last time.

These eager fishermen zoom past us on their way to work.

Ken and Liz in the PH, starting day 2.

schools of dolphins find us and guide us along the coast

Add caption

some traffic to keep us on our toes.

Ixtapa Marina has a very narrow opening, but once inside it is calm and our slip is right at the head of the dock. Maybe closer than we have ever been, and it is the beginning of a 10K bike path through the jungle which ends at Playa Linda and the crocodile preserve. I manage to ride for three mornings with Ken or Liz making, my morning workouts very enjoyable.

We find some decent restaurants; locate more goodies for our Mexican collection, some of which we ship to Guadalajara. But the rugs we carry with us since most of our luggage is now empty.

Our new Jaguar coffee table

Pillow cases, a must

Liz & Ken calculating.

We get to meet Bev Frasier and her friend Carolyn for dinner one night and generally have a very nice time in Zihuatanejo & Ixtapa.

Getting around between the two towns by taxi was made easier because we befriended a driver who spoke English and had a many stories of the great history of the area

On the 12^th.of November, Nikolay Alexandrov, a boat captain from San Diego joined us for the trip to Costa Rica. We are losing Ken and Betsy to Thanksgiving and family requirements so we want someone else to share the night watch and help keep us informed on the Central American part of our voyage. We spend the last night getting acquainted and discussing the upcoming trip.

Date: Tuesday, November13^th,to Thursday November 15, 2012

Location: Ixtapa, Mexico

Destination: two overnights to Huatulco, Oaxaca

Time (depart): 4:30 PM

Time (arrive): 1:40 PM

Engine hours: depart/arrive: 1949-1995

Weather: Clear and 85, crescent moon

MB: 1008

Wind: 0-12kn WSW

Seas: 1 meter, long swells

Aboard: Rick & Liz; Nikolay

Run Hours: Trip/Tot: 45/84.5

NM: Trip/Tot: 355/667

We have fueled up at the dock in Ixtapa prior to Nikolay’ s arrival and use the day to say goodbye to Ken and Betsy, run some errands, send yet one more piece of furniture to our friend Camila in Guadalajara for the container shipment to Arizona and prepare Bonaventure for departure. Checking out of the marina with the friendly staff is easy, just a matter of changing our crew list to include Nikolay and provide our destination as Huatulco, Mexico.

Sundown

We slip our lines at 4:30 in the afternoon for a beautiful and uneventful 45 hour run down the coast. As we are using the air-conditioning for sleeping, which requires the generator we are mindful that we burn about an extra gallon per hour, otherwise we seem to be consuming about 6 gallons per hour at 1,400 RPM’s and 8 knots. The nights are peaceful with only a few fishing pongas and a couple freighter sightings. We reach Acapulco my early morning and are happy not making this a stop given that it seems not as friendly for private cruising boats and has some reputation for lawlessness. We just waive and remember our good times here on prior land based trips. Once when the kids were young (7,8 & 10 months), once when I was young (18) and the last time when Liz and I came here for a company meeting in the late 90’s.

More traffic

Two nights, two great meals aboard, sun rises and sun sets that were breathtaking and by 1:40 in the afternoon on Thursday we are secure at the dock in the beautiful little marina Chua.

Our arrival

We hire a wash-down to eliminate the salt, walk to town to explore and evaluate the idea of a flight to Oaxaca for a few days in case the weather is bad. This town was built in the mid 1080’s to house the workers who came here to build and run the new resorts on the beach. It is therefore clean, newish and very orderly with a central square and the best roads we have seen in Mexico. One of the issues we have with the boat systems is that the Grunert Freezer is not cooling, so we find an appliance store and a very helpful technition who speaks no English, but has the correct solution. So now we can freeze again.

Bonaventure at rest

We are lucky enough to find a parade in Huatulco

Huatulco, Mexico to Papagayo, Costa Rica

Following Bonaventure from Huatulco to Papagayo Costa Rica while Nikolay is onboard we asked followers to go to www.sandiegocaptains.com; Contact us; Delivery tracking and find me to follow our Spot Messenger location marks we will provide our position every few hours more often when crossing into the Gulfo De Tehuantepec. Departing today at 7:40 AM CST because immigration was not willing to come aboard until 7:00 and then they went to Hurk on the sport fisher Anxious before coming to Bonaventure.

This process of checking out of Mexico is not for the impatient. Yesterday we waited for almost two hours for the Capitain de la Puerto to check us out, and then off to immigration where the custom is to send paperwork back and forth between the two asking for, then waiting on signatures and stamps. But that is only part of the process; you are further required to invite them on the boat so that both customs officers arrive to stamp your TIP and our friends from Immigration to stamp the papers again in order to finally check out. Oh well, it is their process to improve (new as of Friday) and no amount of frustration at this end of our year in Mexico can dampen our enthusiasm for its culture, colors, traditions and the generosity found in these kind people.

This is where we found the Port Captain and Customs

This is what checking out of Mexico is like

Hurk traveling with us to Costa Rica

The Mexican Navy, stops by to take photos

This next passage is the tough one across or around the Gulfo De Tehuantepec. The cruising guide describes the lay of the land as follows: “The Gulf of Tehuantepec spreads 260 miles from Sacrificios on the SW (includes Huatulco) to Salina Cruz at its North head, down to Puerto Madero on the SE. The 125-mile wide Isthmus of Tehuantepec and a 75-mile wide gap in the Sierra Madres converge N of the head of the Gulf where the wind funnels through. The Gulf of Tehuantepec is infamous for Force 8 gales of N wind called Tehuantepeckers or T-peckers. They occur during cruising season and even coastal freighters caught off shore when a T-peck gale starts have been blown 200 miles farther out by 60-knots sustained winds into seas 25’ and higher. Some break windows, hatches and rigging. Many have capsized and sunk…Yikes!

Our weather is predicted to be dominated by strong winds for the first 10 hours, so we will have “one foot on the beach” around the Gulf of Tehuantepec; then we will turn away from the wind and head along the coast of Central America just outside the international line. We get weather from several sources including Sea Weather.net; Buoy weather.com; pocket grib; and then we hire a weather router to provide us with details. Given that our previous limits were 25 knots on file with WRI they send us the following message: “Strong ridging in place will continue to generate moderate-strong N-NE’ly surges abeam mountain gaps and valleys from coastal Mexico SE’ward through coastal Costa Rica (especially abeam the Gulfs of Tehuantepec, Fonseca and Papagayo). These surges will generate shorter period NE’ly seas that will mix with longer period SW’ly swells. A departure tomorrow morning from Huatulco is not valid due to strong N-NE’ly winds through the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Although most coastal routing will act to limit seas to the lower end of the ranges, wind gusts will still reach near 40KTS.”

Well, this is a lot of data and of course we have Nikolay onboard. Nikolay Alexandrov is a captain we met last year during our trip south to Mexico. He was helping one of our friends Jan & Vicki with their Selene 53 and since Liz and I are traveling alone on this part of our adventure, we wanted help with the night watch and someone who had made this trip before. He is telling us to lash everything down, not to rely on gravity to keep order, remove all the outside cushions, tie down the anchors and pray. So, off we go. Bulgarians, what a sense of humor!

Here’s how reality matched the data; calm for 25 miles, then seas became confused and winds increased to 17kn’s as we approach Ayutla and Bahia Grande. Rounding Punta Chipehua with Salina Cruz in sight brought us 30 knot winds and seas that could not decide which way to go. They were steep and we had to manage our throttle in order to minimize smacking down hard over the crest and into the bottom. This is not necessarily a problem except it caused us to lose our GPS sensor twice which disabled our auto pilot. The fix was a simple reboot, just a little more difficult with sea water blowing on the port side, the boat rocking and rolling and the windshield wipers working as if we were in Alaska. Between this corner and Salina Crus, its bay filled with tankers and traffic separation markers , was more of the same but as we move closer to the North end of the Gulf the fetch is shorter and therefore the waves/rollers much smaller. We are now seeing up to 43 knots of wind and the water is thrashing. It seems to be coming all over the boat but the movement has calmed and we are seeing an end. Once we reach the beach and turn slightly ESE in 60 to 80 feet of water the sun is setting and we prepare for a long night of windy conditions on our port side. This causes some slapping on the hull during the night, a noise which could keep some of us up, just not me.

It started small, and then......

Water, water everywhere!

By morning and a magnificent sun rise, all is back to semi-normal. Winds are in the mid-teens and we are in a gentle following sea, our speed during the night at 1,340 RPM’s was only about 7 so we are not out of Mexico yet, but well on our way. A little damage report includes, some leaks into the ceiling below deck finding a place to escape in the bunk room, hall way and master; and a broken weather sensor so our barometer, temperature and humidity readings are missing from the Maretron.

Sunrise

Our route

Day 4 starts at 7:40 Wednesday morning after 3 nights offshore. Sunrise is about 6:00 and our watch is 7PM to 11:00PM, 5:00AM to 11:00 each day so we get to see the sunrise four times in all four countries. Because of the high pressure in the Gulf of Mexico across Central America we continue to see signs of wind and short choppy seas. These conditions are most prevalent of course in the three Gulfos. Tehuantepec, Fonseco (which by the way touches El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua), and predicted winds of 25 in Papagayo. Interesting note about weather, Nikolay relies on his brother back in San Diego to follow him via his Spot Messenger and to provide text weather reports to his Iridium Sat phone. Last night as we knew we were approaching Fonseco in the morning, we used buoy weather.com to look specifically at the gulf and the shoreline before and after. We also looked at Seaweather.net for the same purpose although it is not as specific as BW. In all cases the prediction was for 5 to 10 knots of North wind and long period swells. The reality was short steep swells and 15 knot sustained winds, causing us to slow to 1200 RPM’s and experience a very bumpy ride. Not like T-Pecker conditions, but pretty washing machine bumpy.