Getting ready to haul out!

We stopped at a spot that used to have a salt industry. It employed 200 people at one time, but closed in the 80's. There is a hunting lodge on the island, they have introduced big horn sheep to the large mountainous island and now you too can hunt for a week for a mere $70,000. We went walking around the old salt ponds and Barry started across and got stuck in the gooey, salty muck.

We crossed over to the mainland last week and now are in the process of getting ready to be hauled out. It seems as if we have to clean everything, I washed and waxed all the deck and cockpit. I figure that the wax will protect the fibreglass from the blazing sun all summer. Barry and I have washed and put away the staysail and the main, tomorrow the Genoa.  It has been so windy here that we are getting up at first light to wash the sails as there is no wind then. I have also waxed the topsides, my elbows and wrists were getting so sore from all the rubbing I had to insist that Barry help, so he has polished about 3/4 of the boat. All the lines that has been salt encrusted have been soaked in fresh water and dried in the sun and wind. Barry has changed the engine oil and washed and cleaned the chain and the chain locker. We still have the inside of the boat to deal with, food to be disposed off, fridge to be cleaned, teak to be oiled so it doesn't dry out too much and cock roach traps to be prepared and set.

We get hauled out on June 1, then we are taking a bus to Tucson AZ, where we will rent a car and drive to Sacramento CA, to visit with some old friends before flying home.

This is cruising!

We are in Honeymoon Cove just across from Puerto Escondido which is just south of Loreto. We have been slowly working our way north, spending three or four days in each anchorage we stop in. We have been hiking everyday ending up looking at these lovely vistas. 

The three pictures above were taken in Honeymoon Cove, the one immediately below is Agua Verde. The last two were in Los Gato.

It is really quite beautiful around here. The other day we had a weiner roast on shore. It was great to have a fire, it has been a long time since we did that.

Yesterday we were privileged to have a close up view of porpoises feeding in the cove. We watched and timed them and they would be on the surface and then dive for about two minutes before resurfacing and feeding on the surface again.  We watched them from the top of the hill and they were still there when we reached the bottom.  We rowed our dinghy out from the shore and they came up about 30 metres away, they paid no attention to us whatsoever.  It was fascinating to watch.

(Backup) Sea of Cortez

We have made our way up into the Sea of Cortez, we are about 50nm north of La Paz. We are really enjoying revisiting anchorages that we were in 11 years ago. 

This is the gorgeous Isla San Francisco. We spent four days here and hiked all over the south side of the island.

We walked all the way along the top of the ridge enjoying the spectacular views. 

Today we are at San Evaristo. There is spotty internet coverage here so I hope I am able to publish this. The cell and internet coverage is poor along this stretch so you may not here from me very often.

La Cruz

We are in the anchorage at La Cruz which is just north of Puerto Vallarta. There is a nice little town here with restaurants and shops so we can get what we need. Our larders were getting pretty empty so we have done three shopping trips. Today we took the bus around Banderas Bay to Bucerias and wondered around the upscale streets where there are lots of art galleries.
We have become fish taco aficionados, trying them wherever we stop for lunch. Today Barry pronounced that we had found the best place yet. You could have fish, sharp, marlin or octopus tacos, empanadas, or burritos for 25 pesos a piece, that is about $1.50. I had 2 and Barry had 3 and we both found that amount was just right for lunch.

In my worldwide collection of pictures with animal crossing signs, this one rates right up there with the best. We have Ted and Barbara from Vermont with us, the four of us seemed to really hit it off. Too bad they are hauling their boat out in PV so we will not be seeing them anymore. We were walking down the road to the marina today and an iguana ran across in front of us, so there was a need for the sign.

Barra we Navidad

The French Baker was alive and well in Barra. I had my almond croissants and they were as good as I remember them.  There were only twelve other boats in the anchorage so he was only making baguettes once a week so we missed them. 

One day we decided to go Melacque which is a town just around the bay. When we started walking we went down to the water to have a look and decided to walk all the way around. 

Barra is all the way around the other side of the bay. We left the next day and are currently at some islands just south of Chamela. Next stop after a 20 hour sail will be La Cruz, just north of Puerto Vallarta. It is getting cooler as we head north and we have gotten out a blanket for the night. We had to put on jackets yesterday morning as we headed out just a fee per sunrise. I am enjoying these past few days more as we are anchoring each night and are able to get an uninterrupted sleep. Hopefully the hops won't be all overnighters after PV so we can get some decent rest.

Tropical Fruits

We are in Zihuatenajo and are enjoying the tropical fruits that we can get at the market. The bowl contains mangoes, limes, bananas, guavas, avocados and tomatoes, missing are pineapples, papayas and watermelon. The bananas are unlike any you have ever eaten in Canada, they are so sweet, it is unbelievable.

Here is a guy up on a fence harvesting mangoes. They are fresh off the tree when we buy them and ripe, dripping with goodness when we cut them open. Often breakfast underway is half a papaya each, we just scoop the seeds overboard and then dig out the fruit with a spoon. 

Besides fruit there are beautiful flowers in abundance. We arrived on Easter Sumday and there were gorgeous bouquets in all the flower stalls.  

The winds look good for heading further north tomorrow, there may be some following flow, if not at least it will not blowing on our nose. I think our next stop will be Barra dear Navidad where we are hoping "ze French bakuer" is still plying his trade. He has a boat and comes around every morning selling fresh baked goodies. After 10 years my mouth still waters when I think of his baguettes and his almond croissants

Turtles, turtles turtles, yeah yeah yeah, mmmmm I love turtles

We must be on the turtle super highway, they are everywhere. I have had fun trying to capture them on film. They kind of look like helmets when you first see them. We are slowly sailing at the moment so we can sneak up on them. Once they figure out there is danger, they dive. It is the most uncoordinated thing I have ever seen. Their flippers flap about in the air as they try to head down. Eventually they make it and swim away. 

Fisherman Extraordinaire

Barry caught a mahi-mahi the other day. It was just a small one but it was delicious. Today he caught a dorado, it only took about two minutes after he put the hook out. 

There were lots of birds around the boat, floating on the water and then you would see splashing and the birds would alight and go fishing. Barry took one look and decided he would try his luck. We had a very tasty fish stew for lunch. 

We are on a three day passage from Puerto Angel to Zihuatanejo. We sailed for about an hour just after we left when the engine overheated. As usual when something goes wrong with the engine I stay on deck and sail and Barry troubleshoots and try’s to figure out how to fix the engine. After checking all the normal culprits, the impeller, the raw water intake, the oil level, the coolant level, and not finding a problem, then the doomsday scenarios arise. “It has to be the water pump.” Me “Do we have a spare?” Barry “No and you have to take the engine apart to install a new water pump, it’s a huge job.”  I sit, staring, trying to figure out how we are going to order a new water pump, much less install one. Barry,” It can’t be a water pump they supposedly make a lot of noise when there is a problem.” Me, feeling relief that it might not be a water pump, in my ignorance asks, “Could it be a lift pump, we have a spare one of those don’t we?” (Apparently lift pumps lift fuel not water, and since we have an overheating problem fuel is not involved) Baffled, Barry starts the engine again but it is still overheated so we shut it off and raise the main, I have been sailing with the Genoa alone which I managed to unfurl by myself. We are not making much progress, the wind is directly on our nose and the current is against us so when we tack instead of our normal 100-110 degree tack, this one is about 160-170 degrees. We are slowly going back and forth making very little progress towards Zihuatanejo. 

Barry goes below and rechecks all the problem areas, after an hour of fiddling about he decides he should jump in the water to check the water intake valve to see if it is blocked. Before he dives in he decides that can’t be the problem because there is lots of water coming out of the engine when it is running, so it can’t be blocked. He decides to restart the engine again and lo and behold it has cooled off and seems to be running at peak operating temperature. He drives me to distraction for the next half hour demanding to be told the engine temp. every minute it seems. This results in me loosing it and screaming at the top of my lungs at him, it is all I can do to refrain from hitting him.

The problem seems to be resolved, we will not have to wait weeks for a part in some oddball little place and spend an arm and a leg having someone help us install it. The relief I feel at having the engine purring away again is tempered by the need to keep a very watchful eye on the temperature gauge, and not knowing what caused the problem in the first place. My only thought is some random piece of plastic got sucked in the intake valve and blocked the water, when we shut the engine off, the suction was lost and the piece of plastic floated away. That’s my theory and I am sticking too it. 

These two hitched a ride for most of one night. First there was one, then another joined. I put my foot down at three and flapped some clothing around until they departed. I was worried about spatter on my sails. Watching them land is a real lesson in aerodynamics. Barry said at one point one of them was hanging of the pulpit by his beak!

Random thoughts

I got bitten by something yesterday and have a whopping big itchy swelling around bite site. I took an antihistamine just at supper time and promptly fell asleep. It is now 0430 and I am wide awake!!

The other day I awoke at dawn and got up for my shift. I looked out and saw rough grey seas raging past the portal. I was warm and dry and still fuzzy from just waking up from a sound sleep. I actually marveled at the concept of a sailboat. We were in the middle of miles and miles of water, we were healed over, about 10 degrees, all around us the waves were pounding by, relentless, never stopping and we were safe and warm and dry, skimming along the top of the water, propelled by only the wind.  I can use the toilet, wash my hands, make myself something to eat, and then go out on deck and supervise the wind vane as it manages to steer the boat all by itself. 

The concept that man has made something that can harness nature is awesome. It is a thrill to be able to participate in that feeling and I suppose that is one of the reasons we have sailed todo el mundo. Thanks for listening.

Heading North

We are in Puerto Angel about 20 miles north of Huatulco, Mexico. We crossed the Gulf of Tuanapec when the wind was not blowing, sailing 80 nm in a 260 mile voyage. If you look at a map the narrowest point on Central America is here so if there is a nasty weather system in the Gulf of Mexico on the Atlantic side it blows a houlie across the peninsula and you have a Tuanapecker, a gale with nasty seas. The forecast was very benign so we motored straight across the Gulf, which is a no no, and made it with no problems. 

We are going to have a rest today and for the first time since we got here we felt like tourists. We went and had lunch, with a cerveasa and a margarita to accompany lunch we looked out at the boat and just relaxed.

This is Barry’a choice for lunch, sopa Moriscos, seafood soup!

I bought a new bathing suit, the first new one since 2011 as did Barry, after much nagging from me. A dress also caught my eye and for $12 it was a bargain. After a rest we went for an hour snorkel, we finally had a day like you all think we do. 

I am going for a dive tomorrow and then we may hop north to Zihuatanejo the next day. It is over 300 nautical miles north. 

Connecting with family and friends

We have been have no a wonderful time visiting with family and friends.  

Our first stop was with one of our buddy boats, Tagish, Brian and Dorothy have purchased a gorgeous new house in Comox, on Vancouver Island. We stayed overnight in their home and they treated  us to a five star stay⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! We have never been fed so well, everything was delicious and the accommodations were wonderful, we slept like kings. During the day we went for a walk in a local park and took this picture at a spring enraged river.  It was super to be in the land of the big trees and here the water running over the rocks on the river bank. 

We went to Barry's sister place next. We got to stay in the brand new suite they built for their bed and bale. We unexpectedly welcomed home with a sign, balloons , flowers and champagne, it was most appreciated by us, thanks so much Sherran, Bruce and Kim. The apartment is marvellous with the latest colours incorporated in the design.  The attention to detail in the furnishing and the tiling in the bathroom are superb.  When I snuggled down in the bed , I felt like a queen, the linens were new and the bed was perfect, two royal experiences in as many days. Normal life is going to be hard to take. 

We celebrated Georgie's 90 th birthday at the Merridale Cider restaurant.  The food was delicious and it was so great that alll her children and their spouses were there to enjoy her company on her special day. She was in good form and even had second's of the cake after insisting she should not have any because there was too much sugar in it. 

Last night over a wonderful meal prepared by Bruce we celebrated our circumnavigation.  The champagne was drunk and I drew a route of our trip on a globe that Bruce had bought, how thoughtful. We felt so honoured that our accomplishment was recognized and appreciated by Barry's family, thank you so much. 

Home again

Home again, home again, jiggidy jig!  We landed in Toronto and headed straight for Tim Horton's where Barry got an extra large double double and I got a small ice Capp and sipped on in glory. 

Our flights, all four of them went very well, not a hitch, except for a brief heart palpitation when I had not put my passport back in it's accustomed place. 

We spent last night in a Super 8 near Victoria Airport. 

There is enough room in the bathroom to swing a cat. It has more floor space than the entire boat almost. Best of all it had a tub and I had my second bath of this year.  We are off to visit friends today and then family for the rest of the week. 

Hasta Luego, Golfito

We worked hard most of the week and Cat's-Paw IV is ready for her rest in the sun and rain of tropical Costa Rica. I polished her top sides and the cockpit to keep the UV rays at bay. We wiped down the inside with bleach to prevent mildew.  Barry changed the oil, topped up the diesel, put bleach in the water tanks took the outboard and the life raft down below and helped put tracer lines on the mast.  I removed all the reef lines, took the sheets off the sails and washed and dried them. We packed yesterday and then stayed in the hotel that is associated with the marina last night.  There was more room in suite than on the whole boat and there was a king sized bed, what luxury. 

We were ahead of schedule so we took a bus trip to a town on the Panama boarder.  I wanted to buy some sandals , some sport sandal s as the ones I bought just over a year ago in Florida have fallen apart.  It seems that folks down here do not wear sport sandals so my quest was in vain. This is a shot of the border crossing in Passos Canoas.  There was definitely more choice for groceries than in Golfito but I am not sure it would be worth the $24.00 bus ride.  

We leave today on the bus for San Jose where we catch a plane early on Wednesday morning.  Canada here we come!!

WE DID IT!

On Saturday, May 13 we crossed our incoming track when we sailed south in 2008.  We were last in Golfito on March 6, 2008 so it has taken us almost 10 years to circumnavigate. 

The circle just in front of the boat symbol is where we figured we crossed our path, that's it todo el mundo. 

I find it hard to put my emotions into words, we have spent a decade of our lives sailing around. I am full of joy that we have been able to fulfill our dream of circumnavigating. I am proud that we have persevered through gales and windless days to finish what we started. To be able to be self sufficient enough to cope with any problems and complications we have run into over the course of 12 years of boat ownership is a huge accomplishment. Barry has grown in so many ways in his knowledge and ability to do all the boat maintenance that is necessary. I keep the boat looking shiny and bright but he makes it go.

 We have sailed over 50,000 offshore miles without outside assistance for the most part. We are indebted to the amateur weather forecasters, in Canada, New Zealand and South Africa for their invaluable help in figuring out when it was safe to leave port and continue on with our journey. I would like to thank my brother for joining us on our longest and finest ocean passage , from the Galapagos to the Marquesas. He was a joy to have along and in honour of his tireless ability to do his share of the hand steering once our wnd vane broke we have christened our new wind vane, Bob!! To our children and our families thanks for not saying we were crazy . We appreciate the encouragement they have given us and all the things they have done to make our journey possible, the mail collection, paying our bills, updating and fixing the blog. To all our sailing buddies who have shared our journey, we could not have done it without your support , knowledge and friendship over the years.  Without a doubt the times we have spent together will stay in our memories for ever. 

At the moment we are preparing Cat's-Paw IV for an extended stay in the water at the Fish Hook Marina in Golfito, Costa Rica.  We are heading back to Canada to set up a permanent home, most likely an apartment in Red Deer, Alberta. It is kind of bittersweet to leave now but it is time to reconnect with our families, we have aging mothers and growing grandchildren. Personally I was not getting any joy out of sailing to new countries and I was finding it a chore to figure out where we should go and what we should see. When you start feeling like that it is time for a change, time to quit when it's not fun anymore. We are going to try living six months in Canad and six months on the boat for a few years and see how that suits us. 

I strung up all the courtesy flags from every country we visited and flew them from the top of the mast. This was our way of saying

WE DID IT, WE HAVE CIRCUMNAVIGATED THE WORLD IN OUR SAILBOAT!

The Pacific Ocean, we made it through the Panama Canal!!!

FWe made it through the Panama Canal on our own boat!   There were a few dicey moments but we only have one war wound and we could leave today if we wanted. 

We headed out to the designated spot to pick up our advisor with an extra crew of three aboard.  We had one professional line handler, Gabriel and two young volunteer French fellows, Ludwig and Barthe.

When we arrived in the flats there were two other boats waiting and we thought we would be going through with them as a group.  The pilot boat arrived with the advisors and our fellow Omar , got off and then the pilot boat left, no other advisers got off?? It turns out the other boats had their transits cancelled for that day and had to wait another full day.  Thank heavens we were the lucky one to get to proceed with our journey, I would have been most unhappy if that had been us. 

We were told that the Falmouth Bay would be our buddy going through the first three locks and that we would be on our own, not nested up with two other boats like we were the last time,  requiring all four lines to be manned. As we approached the locks we saw the pillars for a new bridge that is being built and the skies were very threatening. 

They opened up and we got wet as we motored into the first lock.  The boat rises in the first three locks so you have to pull the lines taut as the water rushes and gurgles in to the enclosed space. The lines are the only things that are stopping the boat from swirling around with the water and bashing into the sides. 

As we entered the last lock on the western side an eddy caught the boat and shoved it towards the side of the lock.  It looked like a collision was inevitable , but Barry finally got control of the steering back and edged away from the wall.  If he had turned to sharplythe rear end would have smacked the wall and we may have damaged the wind vane. We dodged a bullet there and although the dinghy motor which is mounted on that side scraped the wall , all that happened Isi we got a bunch of mud on the cover. 

Our last view of the Caribbean Sea, we are in the second lock elevated above sea level by quite a bit. 

Our stay at the bouy in the lake and the transit of the lake the next day sent off with it incident.  I explained what the sailing terms were in English were to Ludwig and he very studiously wrote them down in a journal he was keeping. 

In the second set of locks we went into the lock in front of a container ship.  In the first lock we were tied to a tug boat.  That was great , we did not have to be responsible for the lines, we just tied up to the tun and he dealt with the lines while we were going down.  

In the second and third locks we were one again alone.  The line handling was easier this time because you just had to ease the lines out as we went down. 

At the top and the bottom of the lock, it is quite a considerable distance that you have to travel down. This is also our first view of the Pacific. We had made it hurrah. 

We popped the cork on the champagne and toasted the line handlers, the advisor, the Panama Canal and the Pacific Ocean, while making sure that Neptune got his salute with a taste as well. I thought we were free and clear and that we have made it through with just a near miss.  It is never good to count your chickens before they hatch.  We still had to have our advisor picked up.  When the pilot boat came there was a mis calculation on the part of the pilot boat captain and there was a collision between the two boats. He banged the stanchion that is aft of the starboard gate and bent it a bit.  The gate still closes but there is a bend in the stanchion and it looks quite crooked.  It is not structural though and does not need immediate repair.  

We are going to go into Panama City today to visit a museum about the Canal before we head to Golfito in Costa Rica. We will probably catch the afternoon tide to get a good boast on our way out. 

San Blas Islands

We have heard of the San Blas Islands for years.  They are part of Panama but have retained their independence and are governed by the Kuna Indians. They are a group of islands that are little more than sand, palm trees and mangroves. Each small island belongs to a family and often they live on them.  The houses are traditional made of coconut fronds for the roof, there is no infrastructure on many of the islands but we have seen solar panel on the top of the grass huts. I thought the islands would be isolated and idyllic but it was not so at the first couple we visited. 

The islands have been discovered by tourists, I do not know why I thought they would not have been. At the first place we stopped, long skinny fibreglass boats powered by big motors with covers for shade from the sun on them commuted back and forth to the main village where there is an air strip.  They would offload people and luggage, usually big backpacks on to the island.  There were huts for rent on the island and also space for tents.  There were about 20 boats in a very small anchorage, many of which contained upwards of 10 people, all young with various shades of tan.

The next place we stopped to check out a good snorkelling spot was even busier, more boats, people strolling the beach or lying under the palm trees, bars set up under thatched palm roofs.  The coral was beautiful on an old wreck really close to the beach but the anchorage was tricky and there was a big current running past the boat, so we picked up anchor and headed further away from the village and the air strip.  

We found what we were looking for in the Holandes Cays. It is a calm quiet spot with a few boats anchored a ways away . There was great snorkelling with lots of fish just a short  swim from the boat.  A young family of Kuna lived ashore and we would see them out fishing and the kids playing in the sand. The weather has been very hot, so it is great to just be able to jump off and cool down when ever we want to. We have been away from a grocery store for week now and fresh supplies are greatly diminished. I am trying to eat up all our stores so we won't have much to get rid of when we leave for Canada. There is a net in the morning and apparently there is a vegetable guy that comes around in a boat, I willl keep my eyes peeled for him. So far no other boat has come and approached us which I find a little strange, usually out in the middle of nowhere people on boats usually at least acknowledge each other, I guess when I feel the need to talk to another human being besides Barry, I will have to make the effort. 

Transiting the Panama Canal

Yesterday we acted as line handlers on a Beneteau 35 as they went through the Panama Canal. It was an awesome experience it gave us the feel of what it would be like to take our own boat through . Having a intimate look at the process will greatly reduce our stress once it is our turn .  

In the first set of locks we came in behind a tanker and in the second set we were in front of a tanker. 

The trip takes a day and a half, from the east end you proceed through three locks, then you tie up to a big bouy and stay overnight. The next morning you motor through Gatun Lake , we reached the Pacific locks about 1500 hours . There are three locks there and then you are in the Pacific Ocean. 

The locks are huge, a big car tanker came in behind us in the second set of locks.  In order to expedite the process they hooked up three sailboats together.  We all rafted up together, on each boat there are six people, four line handlers, the captain who pilots the boat and the advisor who tells the captain where to go and instructs the line handlers. With three boats tied up together there were 18 people in close proximity to each other. We were on the port side of the floatilla so our boat was responsible for the lines to the left hand part of the canal. That meant that only two line handlers were needed , the other side of the boat was tied up t another, so I did not have a job and just got to observe and soak in the experience. I even managed to keep my bossy nature in check and not issue directions or even instructions to anyone, except Barry a few times!!

We started out late in the afternoon, so it was dark when we went through the first set of locks. 

We tied up to this large bouy overnight after the first series of locks. 

The hand liners on the sides of the dock throw a thin line with a big knot on the end to the boat, two lines from each side of the lock.  The boat line handlers tie the boat lines on to the thin lines and when you get to the position you are required to be in the lock the hand liners on the dock haul in the boat lines.

 The hand liners on the dock walk along the locks with the lines being careful the lines do not catch on the sides of the locks.  The first three locks you go up so the hand liners have to run up the stairs on the sides so they do not get the lines fouled.  For the tankers they have mules , cars which run on tracks which actually haul the tankers along the locks.  It was quite heart stopping to see the huge tanker bearing down on our small floatilla, knowing that it was supposed to stop but not entirely sure that it would. 

It is not a video, I just took a picture of the video footage Barry took. 

It was impressive when we went through the last lock. 

 I had a hard time believing that we were actually back in the Pacific Ocean after 9 years.  Even though it was not on our own boat I felt a real sense of accomplishment at getting there by water. I can imagine the feelings will be multiplied when we go through on May 5/6 on Cat's-Paw IV. 

The Bridge of the Americas and the Pacific Ocean in the background.