Passage Preparations (Continued) and life in Mexico (Also Continued ...)

The intention is to weigh anchor today from Punta de Mita and head to the Marquesas.  The next series of blog updates will be done over our high frequency radio so no photos for awhile (The HF/Pactor combo gives us at best about 2 kbaud - for those that remember dialup that was at 56 kbaud).

We had intended to leave weeks ago but there just has not been a good weather window until now to get off the Mexican coast and get out to the trade winds.  It does look today so we will leave once the sea breeze picks up and sail on looks like it will be a close reach in 9 to 12 kts of wind to just north of the Socorro Islands (about 325 nm) and then head towards what is our best guess of an entry point for the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) at 5N 130W.

Provisioning is done and then redone as the delays mounted.  Diesel and gasoline topped up. We now sit a few inches deeper in the water.

Predeparture picture

Family Photo

We took the time to sort out some plumbing issues, get Tony at Morelli sails to modify our mainsail and we put in a new starter battery.  Also, we had a chance to be tourists for a change and went to the zoo, did some surfing and such.

Sailing with my Dad just before we had a humpback whale surfaces less than a boat length away.

Baby in a bucket

Johnathan and I heading out to do some surfing

Jump, jump, jump !

The continued adventures in Mexican bureaucracy  

Benjamin and I studying an old Heavy Weather book we found in the Cruisers Lounge.

Oh my says Benjamin, where are we going to put all this food

Immunization time with the nice ladies in Bucerias

Victoria helping us organise the ditch bags

Some snoozing and reading time too.

Back from the Mar y Sol market

Monkey Business 1

Monkey Business 2

More jumping around

Potatoes and Carrots will advance in review order, by the center, quick march !

Debugging our GFCI plug - turns out this is where our new bug friends had been living.

Apples, form up !

Packaged up and ready to stow.

Lunch

Kids sleep over at Punta de Mita

Galley Duty

One of new shiny solar panels with La Cruz in the background.

Merle on the foredeck at sunrise in Punta de Mita

Surf Training for Benjamin

Life in La Cruz and Visitors

We have been fortunate this season to have had many visitors.  My parents visited in February, Liz's parents came in January and then her dad, Wendall, came back again a few weeks ago to help me with completing a bunch of the boat projects.  My sister and her family came down in March and then they came back without the kids but with a collection of their friends for a Mexican holiday.  Liz's sister and brother came with their children at the some time for a mini family reunion.   Busy times but lots of fun.

They love fireworks in Mexico.  My sister's son spouting fire outside one of our favourite restaurants in town.

My sister and her husband Chris after a daysail.

Surfing at Punta de Mita with Sarah and Chris

While my parents were here we had a renaming ceremony for "Trickle" the sailing dingy.  Here the kids (Fluenta and Kenta Anae) are on the first row on the recently renamed vessel.

Granny and Grandpa Shaw visiting.

Can't have a sailing blog without a sunset picture (although it is actually a sunrise picture ...)

Johnathan successfully completing his yellow belt test in Karate (in Spanish of course)

A few extra crew:  A day sail with an extra 11 people - thanks to Shindig and all the others who lent us enough PFD's.

Fluenta at Paradise Village Marina where family was staying at the resort.

Cousins

And more mandatory family photos

Captain Ron (aka Brother-in-law Ron) helping me set up the beautiful sextant my father-in-law has loaned us.

A daysail with two babies and lots of children.

Aerial Silks

Baby Benjamin was not lacking in attention.  Here Nancy from Shindig was holding him for us.

However, Benjamin has seemed reluctant to take on his fair share of the maintenance duties.

And more wonderful meals on Kenta Anae.  Thanks Merle and Allison.

Grammy with Benjamin

And meanwhile, I worked on the boat.  Note the big hammer !

Benjamin needed a bit of surgery so we drove up to Guadalajara.  A picture of our hotel.

The pyramids outside Guadalajara.

Lots of babies on boats ...Rebel Heart, Sea Raven, Adamaster, Betti and Fluenta mums.

Benjamin's amazing doctors.

Taking my little sister sailing.

Cousins !