On the day of David’s departure, we dropped Milagros’ anchor back into the Guaymas (or Guymanese?) cesspool. From the beautiful, clear, pleasant, turquoise, swimmable water into the murky, stinky mess. From the tranquillity and the gently splashing water on our hull to the circus and the traffic noise. What a delight. But as I have explained in a previous blog post, it was a necessary evil. There was no better option within a reachable radius. However, there were tacos à la carte, access to project materials, and nice people. This time, however, I didn’t want to spend the time at the marina dock out of sheer convenience, but rather at anchor – preferably not in Guaymas.

Goodbye, David

The first mission in Guaymas was to take David to the bus. We chugged along with our fully packed dinghy to the marina. From a distance, we saw César, our trusted taxi driver, and punctual as always, already waiting. His little blue Chevrolet is unmistakable. After saying goodbye to David at the bus terminal, I went straight to the second mission: restocking supplies. Fully loaded, I returned to the marina. A few friendly workers helped me there to load everything into the dinghy.

There was something else

Back on Milagros, I wanted to put my feet up after storing all the purchases. But then I remembered that I had to lift the dinghy out of the water for the night. Although nothing had been stolen from the boat so far, and our 3.3 HP engine is not exactly the most attractive target, there is a significant social disparity here, and poverty means that even a small outboard motor can somehow be turned into money. Therefore, we adhere to two principles: “better safe than sorry” and “don’t be the easiest target”. It would be very annoying if something disappeared and the issue could have been prevented with 2 minutes of effort.

A simple crane design

With two people, stowing the dinghy is much easier, so I had to come up with a system to do it as simply as possible on my own without a possibe back injury. Using a halyard, the whisker pole, and a block and tackle, I built a kind of crane that allowed me to lift the dinghy with relatively little effort and then lift the outboard motor on board at a comfortable height. Voilà.

That’s too close

The next morning, before the first coffee, I received the next mission. After I had put the water on for the coffee and was waiting for it to boil, I looked out of the windows on both sides of the boat, as always, to see what was going on outside. And what I saw, I didn’t like at all. A 70-footer was getting pretty close to us (or we to it). When we had anchored the day before, the wind was coming from a different direction, and the distance was fine. Overnight, the wind had shifted, and now the situation looked different.

Wait and see

But I couldn’t immediately haul up the anchor because the other boat had positioned itself right over it. After every anchoring manoeuvre, we mark the estimated position of the anchor on the chart to check if our anchor is holding and everything else is okay. So, I let out more chain first so that I felt more comfortable. By then, the coffee was ready. I sat down with it in the cockpit and watched the situation. I was ready to start the engine if necessary. But I knew that fortunately, the wind would turn a little later and the situation would look different again. And I knew that I would immediately re-anchor. I asked Lucas if he could help me with its after his morning coffee. Together, we then parked Milagros a bit further away.

Something’s happening

In the following days, I felt like I didn’t have a quiet minute. Civilization had me again! In addition to working online in the morning, managing the boat, and running the household alone (and also doing the dishes – the worst!), I tinkered with various projects. Soon, Milagros was enriched with two new cockpit cushions, two triangular leaning cushions, and a new mattress cover. On Facebook, I stumbled across a small ad for custom-made cutting boards in a local group. Despite our bad luck with custom orders, I held a nice new board in my hands two days later.

The sailing demographic

And of course, there was a bit of socializing. Demographically, Guaymas is rather one-sided: mainly retired, white, male single-handed sailors from America and Canada are to be found here. Nevertheless, there are occasionally women or sailors my age. So, I spent pleasant hours with Annette on her ‘Ananda’ at the dock or met up with Skeet and Amanda, two fellow sailors my age. In the evenings (after sunset, haha), I sank into bed and slept soundly, unless the wind was howling through the bay at 30 knots (about 60 km/h).

On a Mission

When the weather forecast showed a calm window without wind, I prepared for another mission: I wanted to take Milagros out alone for a little excursion. I had chosen the Carricito anchorage, 3 hours away, as my destination. Since David and I always take turns with all manoeuvres, I knew exactly what I had to do. And since there was no wind, I had all the time in the world. The conditions were perfect: a boat and its manoeuvres that I mastered, an area I already knew, a bay we had already been to, with local language skills and acquaintances. Moreover, Gavin on ‘SV Petra’ was also going to come along later. What could go wrong, right?

Someone was generous

It took me about 1 hour to lift the anchor because the anchor chain was so dirty, and I had to spray it off inch by inch to avoid having this dirt in the anchor locker. Moreover, Lucas had been very generous with letting out the chain when anchoring. At a water depth of 4 meters, I would normally let out about 20 meters (5:1 the water depth is said). He was a bit more conservative and let out 50 meters, all of which I had to spray off.

Alone on the Move

It was a great feeling to start the engine, lift the anchor, and head out. Out of the noise, along the canal, past tankers being loaded with cement, past fishermen pulling in their nets, feeling the wind in my face, and hearing the sound of the water being displaced by the bow. The only thing that disturbed the idyll was the dirt that Guaymas had caused on our deck: slimy, black mud from the bottom and bird droppings. A night heron had decided that it liked our bow pulpit and wanted to spend the night there. Then it cheekily did its business on our deck. You won’t be surprised that this strained our hospitality quite a bit.

You can watch a little video of my trip here:

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Successful Mission

The outing flew by, and soon it was time to prepare the anchor. I had chosen an anchorage in the small bay, and the anchoring manoeuvre went smoothly: steer slowly to the desired point, turn into the wind, go forward, and when the boat has no forward motion, lower the anchor. Then slowly let out the required amount of chain, go back to the helm, engage reverse gear, and slowly give throttle until the anchor sits well and no change in position is visible on the deck bearing. Later in the afternoon, Gavin appeared on his boat, and we toasted to our successes.

A Short Break

We spent a few days there in the bay, Gavin on his side and I on mine. Now and then, we met for a coffee or a beer – very peaceful. I explored the area alone, swam a few laps around the boat, and enjoyed the tranquillity in the cockpit. Soon it was time to go back to Guaymas, as David’s return was imminent. Gavin and I lifted the anchor at the same time. Unfortunately, there was no wind, because a little race under sail would have been fun. I won anyway, because even under engine, Milagros is a machine. I anchored Milagros again in the cesspool of Guaymas, this time I had to take two attempts because the anchor did not hold the first time. And to avoid having to re-anchor, I placed us nicely far out. How far out I only realized when I rowed ashore later. Nevertheless, the mission was 100% successful, and I will surely have the chance to sail Milagros alone at some point.

Flea Market

The following day, I participated in a flea market for sailors in San Carlos. Rendt and Marea, two New Zealanders with their son Nico on a Swiss steel boat, kindly took me in their car. The flea market started at 8 a.m. I had a few good things to sell, but they were not in demand that day, and by 10 a.m., the flea market was already over. Afterward, we treated ourselves to a delicious Mexican breakfast and visited a historic coffee house in Guaymas.

A Fun Sailing Day

Unexpectedly, I was also invited to a sailing day. Lucas had installed a new autopilot on Matt’s boat, which now needed to be calibrated. When I boarded the boat at the marina, it was ready to cast off. There was just one small problem: Matt had found diesel in the oil but thought that it was now fixed. So I mentally prepared myself to jump overboard. In the worst case, diesel in the oil can cause the engine to run away, meaning the RPM gets out of control and the engine virtually destroys itself. Normally, this can be stopped by cutting off the air supply; otherwise, the engine explodes. Spoiler: Nothing happened. We spent a fun sailing afternoon on the small ketch. Back at the dock, we were even invited to Annette’s for lasagna. Since David was going to arrive in Guaymas early the next morning at 3 a.m., I left our dinghy at the marina for him, and Gavin drove me home.

David is back

In the middle of the night, the soft clattering of our bathing ladder woke me up. David had forgone the outboard motor and sneaked up with oars because he wanted to surprise me. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out. He was laden with goodies from Switzerland (chocolate and raclette cheese) and fine Asian sauces, and I was happy that he was back.

Preparations are underway

The next day, we started preparing for a crossing to the other side of the Sea of Cortez. Water, propane, and diesel needed to be refilled, as well as our supplies. And we had found a buyer for half of our lead that was still unnecessarily lying around in our bilge. Doug, a sailor we had met in Puerto Peñasco in 2021, needed some ballast for his boat. In exchange for the lead, he invited us to lunch and told us about his adventurous sailing trip from Peñasco to Guaymas. Along the way, he lost, among other things, a propeller blade and the ability to use his mainsail, so he had to be towed to San Carlos, unable to manoeuvre.

One last mission

But before we could leave Guaymas, there was one last mission to complete: sewing sail bags for Lucas. I was kindly allowed to use Corky’s Canvas’s sewing machine at the marina. Over two afternoons, the machine rattled, and voilà, two sail bags were born. Two Pati Bag originals that will be worth a lot someday

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Der Beitrag Pati Home Alone 2.0 erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

After Hürzi and Chrigi had left, we spontaneously decided to stay at Marina La Cruz with Milagros for a couple of days. Fortunately, they had a spot for us, and we were able to move in the next morning. With our dinghy, we scouted the slip assigned to us so that we knew what to expect when entering the marina.

Marina Time

We switch the role of captain on every trip, and this time David was in charge of the docking maneuver. It was only his second time, but with the help of Pete and Jay on SV Mazu, he managed to dock Milagros without any problems. We used the marina time to give our boat a freshwater shower and welcome Juli aboard.

Hi Ron

While we were taking Hürzi and Chrigi to the taxi, we ran into Ron from SV Mar de Luz. We had met him months ago on our trip from Bahia Conception to Isla San Marcos over the radio and met him again in San Carlos when we prepared Milagros for the haul-in. It was nice to catch up on each other’s experiences over a delicious pizza.

A Problem

However, we were facing a significant dilemma. We needed to make a final decision about whether or not to sail to Panama. The distance to cover was still 1,700 nautical miles (approximately 3,200 km), and we had to reach Chiapas, which was around 1,000 nautical miles away, within six weeks to avoid the hurricane season. This was a tight schedule, especially considering that the winds were gradually shifting from north to south, making it less than ideal for motoring against southward winds. Besides, our sailing motivation seemed to have gone missing. Nevertheless, we had Juli onboard as crew for the next 20 days, who we could cover a part of the long stretch with. However, this also meant that we would have to bypass many beautiful destinations. So, the question remained: were we willing to undertake this expedition with a faulty propeller shaft?

Yes or no?

On the other hand, if we decided not to continue towards Panama, it would feel like a setback as we wouldn’t have made it out of Mexico. Additionally, we wouldn’t be able to sail in Panama with my sister Carmen, Iñaki, and their boat Anila as they plan to cross the Pacific next January. If we turned around now, we could only attempt the journey south again in October, which might make us arrive in Panama too late. Alternatively, we could rush the entire distance in 2-3 weeks, but that would mean missing out on all the beautiful places in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. The question remained: If we did turn back, where would we go? Should we stay in La Cruz or head to Mazatlán or back to San Carlos or Guaymas?

A decision had to be made

It was an overwhelming situation, with so many questions on our minds, and we just couldn’t make a decision. Our sailor friends, who were in a similar situation, compared us to an indecisive 15-year-old teenager. We discussed these questions with different people and searched within ourselves. After weeks of going back and forth, we realized that the idea of sailing to Panama didn’t feel right at the moment.

Something was holding us back from committing to the journey. Therefore, we made the difficult decision to turn around. Unfortunately, our decision didn’t bring our motivation back. We would have preferred to end the season right there and then and leave Milagros in La Cruz for the summer. However, since we still had our guest on board, we gathered our strength and began our journey north with Juli. We didn’t have a destination in mind, but we knew that the next airport was in Mazatlán, so we decided to sail there with him.

Chacalakka

We made a stopover in Punta de Mita before sailing to Caleta de Cuevas, located around the corner from Chacala. Our boat was the only one in this small bay. However, due to the waves, we couldn’t land on the beach with the dinghy. I dropped off David and Juli just before the beach and picked them up after their exploration tour. Luckily, David caught a Mahi Mahi on the way, so we treated ourselves to fresh sashimi and poke bowls for dinner. The next day, we continued our journey to Chacala, a small beach paradise where we enjoyed sipping on margaritas. We also indulged in sushi made from the remaining part of the Mahi Mahi, which was simply delicious.

The Bay of Matanchen

Taking advantage of a favorable weather window, we set sail for Matanchen the next day. This large bay in front of San Blas was particularly remarkable for its shallow waters; even several nautical miles away from the shore, the depth barely reached 10 meters. Nonetheless, we made sure to anchor at a safe distance, as we had been warned by several sources about the pesky, almost invisible insects known as Jejenes (no-see-ums). These tiny bugs, only 1mm in size, could penetrate any net and their bites would itch for days. For our anchor beer, we indulged in a delicious Moitié-Moitié fondue that Juli had brought all the way from Switzerland.

An interesting anomaly

Over the next few days, we took the time to explore the charming village of San Blas. We anchored our dinghy near a beachfront restaurant, where one could rent a table for the day and order food and drinks. We were a bit puzzled as to why one had to pay for the table on top of food and drinks. But that seemed to be normal all along that beach.

Additionally, we encountered an interesting problem: the timezone on our phones seemed to be all over the place. At one point, each of our three phones displayed a different time. We soon realized that part of the confusion stemmed from the fact that Mexico had recently abolished daylight-saving time in most areas, but the internet hadn’t caught up yet. When we tried to check the time on Google, we found that even that was incorrect. It left us scratching our heads as to where the third time zone had come from.

Should we?

It is crucial to know the precise time in San Blas, as navigating up the river to enter the marina requires calm waters at high tide, just before it shifts to low tide. We pondered over the idea of spending a few nights in the marina with Milagros, or at least anchoring in the nearby mangroves. However, upon visiting the marina, we discovered that there were no available free spaces either inside or outside the marina.

A jungle tour

One of the highlights of our stay in San Blas was a jungle tour by panga. Rather than boarding at the usual tourist spot, we opted to embark downstream, allowing us to avoid the crowds and share the boat with only a small family. The three-hour guided tour took us through the river mouth and the mangrove swamps, culminating in a visit to the natural pool at La Tovara spring. Along the way, we spotted crocodiles up to 4 meters in length, turtles, and a variety of birds. Our driver had a remarkable ability to spot wildlife from afar, including an owl that camouflaged itself as a branch and was difficult to see.

Landscape changes

It was fascinating to observe how the landscape changed gradually during our jungle tour. At the beginning of our journey, we had to dodge hanging mangrove branches, as this part of the river was not as frequently traveled by tourists, and no one bothered to clear the obstacles. As we passed the tourist entry point, where dozens of fully loaded pangas started, we noticed that the mangroves were trimmed back and more manicured. As we continued on our journey, the saltwater content of the river gradually decreased, and the mangroves started to disappear, giving way to various trees, bushes, and palms.

Local specialties

At La Tovara spring, a crocodile farm and a wildlife rescue center was situated. In some enclosures, small crocodiles were piled on top of each other, giving us a chance to see these impressive creatures up close. There was also a fenced-off area in the river where visitors could swim without worrying about crocodiles. Naturally, Juli and David didn’t pass up this opportunity and took a refreshing swim. Later, we savored the traditional fish dish of the region, Pescado Zarandeado, cooked over a wood fire.

The Fortress

The fortress built in 1760 atop Cerro de Basilio in San Blas was a fascinating historical site we visited while waiting for a suitable weather window to sail further north. This fortress holds great importance as one of the most significant historical sites in the state of Nayarit. During colonial New Spain, it served as a naval base, and it became a battlefield during the War of Independence and the war against the United States.

The Temple

Next to the fortress, there is the “Templo de la Virgen del Rosario.” The Virgin of the Rosary was the patron saint of the Spanish navy and was highly revered in the city of Cadiz in Andalusia, the port from which ships traditionally sailed to New Spain. As San Blas was the most important Pacific port for the Spanish Crown, the veneration of “Señora del Rosario” was adopted. She was affectionately called “La Marinera” (The Sailor) and took care of the missionaries who explored the lands of Alta and Baja California, as well as the trade galleons coming from the Far East. We also visited the nearby cemetery and were impressed by the lovingly designed graves. Some had canopies with seating areas for proper visits to the deceased.

A Bit of Fun

For David and Juli, the highlight of our stay in San Blas was undoubtedly the jet skis. They rented two of these vehicles and explored the bay. It was similar to the dune buggy experience in Puerto Peñasco. If you’re not driving, they can be annoying. However, when you’re the one playing with them, it’s a lot of fun.

On a Collision Course

When the wind was finally in our favour, and we set sail towards Isla Isabel, known as the Galapagos of Mexico. On the way, we noticed an intriguing phenomenon in the water: a brown, foamy line separating dark water from blue water. It appeared that two distinct currents were converging there. Suddenly, David exclaimed that I should stop the boat and turn it around because there was a rock-like object ahead of us. Thankfully, it turned out to be a whale shark, calmly feeding in the current line. While a rock would have been startling, we certainly didn’t want to collide with a whale. The specimen wasn’t fully grown but still measured 7 meters in length, about half the length of our boat. We circled this majestic animal a few times, as it was the first whale shark we had ever seen in the wild.

Isla Isabel

As we sailed towards Isabel, we hoped there would be space for us to anchor this time, unlike our previous attempt where we had to move on due to limited space. Fortunately, luck was on our side, and we secured the best spot in a rare sandy patch. At daybreak the following morning, we took the dinghy to the beach and followed the well-marked trails.

The island was brimming with nesting blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds, their nests scattered across the ground and low trees due to the absence of natural predators. We were able to observe them up close, getting as close as 1-2 meters. Later in the afternoon, we went snorkeling around the large rocks on the east side of the island. It was my first time snorkeling this season, as it was too cold during the beginning of the season on the Baja side and the water was murky on the Mexican mainland.

Bye-bye, Juli

These moments at Isla Isabel considerably raised our sailing motivation. The serene, isolated anchorage with crystal-clear waters and hardly any boats was exactly what we liked and needed. There were no Pacific swells, no crowds on the beach, and no murky waters to deal with. Sadly, we only had 24 hours to revel in this paradise since Juli had a flight to catch. The next day, we sailed back to Mazatlán where we spent his last day exploring the city, attending a cozy cover rock concert, and partying on the beach for Easter Sunday.

Juli’s verdict

The abundance of wildlife, meeting wonderful people, playing settler of catan, and jet skiing all thrilled him. The only drawback was that he wished we had spent more time sailing on longer stretches. Overall, it was a highly successful sailing trip.

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Der Beitrag Navigating Uncertainty: The Panama Dilemma erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

The year 2023 began with a visit from my friend Nicole from Switzerland. She wanted to experience sailing life for two weeks, and we were more than happy to show her the ropes. After a long journey, we picked her up at the bus station and immediately introduced her to Mexican cuisine with our favorite tacos al Pastor, marinated with pineapple and peppers on a skewer.

Mission impossible

Our first sailing trip was a mission to retrieve an anchor and chain that another boat had lost. Armed with a mobile diving compressor, we set off with six of us aboard Milagros. Despite ideal weather conditions, the mission was a failure as our generator was too weak to power the compressor. However, we still enjoyed the beautiful anchorage and had a delicious lunch of chicken tacos.

Milagros flies

As it was time to head back home, we encountered perfect sailing conditions with 15 knots of wind. We sailed back at up to 8 knots on an upwind course and successfully tested our new autopilot setup. It was a successful day of sailing, which we capped off with a beer or two. With David off to Bangkok for work for the next two weeks, Nicole and I were left to continue our sailing adventures.

Hello San Carlos

For those of us who stayed, we planned a trip to San Carlos to pick up some orders from the USA. However, before we set off, we had breakfast with our friend Pete as a thank you for his previous help. This time, Pete chose a small restaurant in Guaymas with a lovely terrace and delicious food. However, when we arrived at the delivery location, we found out that there was no delivery that day. We were disappointed that we had almost driven the 45 minutes to San Carlos for nothing, but fortunately we had another plan in mind. We decided to go hiking.

A nice hike

Jesse, who was anchored in San Carlos with his boat, had suggested a hike into the Canyon de Nacapule, which was covered in lush vegetation. It felt great to stretch our legs and hike over hill and dale. Although it wasn’t a challenging hike, the coolness and fresh air were rejuvenating. We passed several pools filled with water, which were supposedly created by a volcanic eruption. Due to the presence of water, the area was lush and thriving.

The weeping rock

At the supposed end of the path, we found a rope ladder leading up to a rock. Jesse climbed up and disappeared. At first, I hesitated, but my curiosity got the better of me. I followed Jesse and caught up with him after a short while. It turned out that the trail wasn’t over yet, and the last part was much more challenging. My footwear (Crocs of course) wasn’t completely suitable for the terrain, but I pressed on. After 15 minutes, we reached the real end destination: the weeping rock. Water was flowing out of a rock face and filling a pool below, where tadpoles were frolicking. A dead rat floating on the water surface was not frolicking anymore. After the hike, Pete insisted that Nicole had to try the Margaritas at Charly’s Rock, so we stopped there on the way back and enjoyed the beautiful view among other things.

The bow pulpit is here

A few days earlier, our bow pulpit, which had been broken (you can read about how it was broken here), was delivered. Jorge had done an excellent job of cutting off the bent legs and welding on new ones, making it look like new again. However, reassembling it proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. There were 12 screw holes that needed to be aligned and a cable for the navigation light that needed to be protected. Three of us managed to fit it by using a bit of force, securing it with only 3 screws. The final assembly and sealing were done later.

We’re busy

Despite having no plans, we kept busy with work, sleeping in, trips to Guaymas and San Carlos, walking, petting puppies, sailing, drinking beer with other sailors, and boat projects. Sometimes we did them one after the other, and sometimes at the same time.

Nicole sails and climbs

For example, Pete had some work to do on the mast, and Nicole volunteered to help. So Pete and I pulled her up the mast, where she sewed on spreader covers and hauled in a flag line. After getting her first taste of sailing with Milagros, Nicole wanted to try it herself. Dan’s small sailboat was perfect for beginners, but her sailing excursion was only partly successful. Although she sailed off the jetty like a pro, Pete eventually had to tow her in with the dinghy.

Bye, bye

Nicole got a 360-degree view of sailing life, missing only a longer crossing and life at anchor. However, she had the opportunity to cross the Sea of Cortez with Pete and spend a few days in Bahia Conception. Without hesitation, she changed flights and set sail, ending our time together 4 days earlier than planned, which was worth the experience for Nicole.

Nicole’s conclusion

Nicole’s take on sailing so far is that it is a nice way of life. She finds the feeling of adventure and freedom particularly positive, and the ability to take your home with you wherever you go. Although she found the need to save water and electricity sometimes frustrating, she was amazed at how much of it you can actually save without giving up many comforts. She also finds the community of sailors to be extraordinary, with a natural inclination to help each other, openness, and support from all sides.

Help here

It was quite strange to suddenly be alone on the boat after 2 years of practically always being with David. But as Nicole said, the community here is fantastic. So I was alone, but never lonely. I dedicated myself to other boat projects and always had a helping hand when I needed it. For example, Tyr helped me finish assembling the bow pulpit, as I couldn’t hold the screw above deck and screw on the nut below deck at the same time.

Help there

Tyr also helped me lay out the anchor chain on the jetty, so I could check and re-mark it, and put it back in. Everything had to be done by hand as the windlass was out of service. I had taken it apart because it had lost oil. But the new seals weren’t there yet, so it hadn’t been reassembled.

A little trip to the USA

There were also other things I had to take care of, such as my Mexican visa. My visa was set to expire at the end of April, but according to our current plan, we wouldn’t leave Mexico until May. So, I had to get a new visa, which was only possible with a trip to the border. Luckily, Keith, one of the princes of El Mero, was going to drive home to Arizona and was kind enough to take me with him and even organize accommodation for me with his friend Cornelia.

Border crossing

The drive to the border was surprisingly uneventful, but things got exciting when we crossed the border. First, we had to drive through the X-ray scanner, stop and put our mobile phones on the dashboard. Then we had to get out and were taken to a waiting room. I was then taken to the immigration counter and asked what I wanted in the USA and where I wanted to go. When I couldn’t give the address, I was a little worried. Especially in the USA, you never know where you stand. But they had Keith’s address to hand, I assume because they had scanned his passport beforehand. But I was allowed to enter and pay the $6 fee and, on the way, back to the car, I even had a nice chat with the border guard.

One card less

When we got back to the car, I spotted a clearance prompt on my phone from my credit card app for a purchase from a Mexican online shop. My credit card had been hacked. The card was quickly blocked in the app and after a call to the customer center, the new card was on its way. Luckily, I had another credit card and cash with me.

It gets cold

30 Minutes later, I stepped into Cornelia’s cabin in Patagonia. Her traditional Navajo Indian hogan, which she had built 20 years ago, was a welcoming sight after a long day of travel. After a burger at the “Wagon Wheel”, a clichéd American pub out of a picture book, we helped her install a new stove pipe, as the cabin’s heating relied on a wood stove in the middle of the room. The temperatures were supposed to drop below freezing during the night, so the heating was urgently needed.

Great hospitality

But before we snuggled under our warm blankets, we met up with Cornelia’s friend Paula for dinner at Queen of Cups, a quaint and cozy bistro serving local food and wine. It was a pleasant surprise to find such a place in a village of only 900 people. I was grateful for the warm hospitality of Keith, Cornelia, and Paula, who made my stay comfortable.

Unpredictability

The next morning, it was time for me to return to my boat, Milagros. I had mentally prepared myself for potential complications at the border and even booked an exit flight out of Mexico as a precaution. Like the USA, Mexico is sometimes unpredictable. But my entry back into Mexico was smooth and easy, with the border guard only asking me how long I planned to stay and where I was going. She stamped my passport without taking a second glance.

Hello Milagros

After a 6-hour bus ride back, I was picked up at the bus station by two princesses from El Mero and soon I was back on the boat. In the evening, I was invited for dinner and a game of Settlers of Catan at Bernie and Kate’s boat, “Momo”. The week ended on a high note, with a victory in Settlers and the anticipation of David’s return, as we prepare for our journey to Panama.

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Der Beitrag Plus One And Minus One Equals One erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

I don’t really know where to start and where to stop. It’s completely crazy how many memories we’ve been able to make in the last year and a half. Looking back in my mind’s eye, I’m almost a little overwhelmed. The many scraps of memories and images overload my brain a bit. Life on a sailboat also overloaded my brain. Positively as well as in the negatively.

A little pride

One feeling I have is pride. I’m proud of myself and of Pati. What we have achieved in 2021 and 2022 is really awesome. Without any prior knowledge, we undertook a huge refit of a 44-year-old sailboat, went through ups and downs and just kept going. Even at points where others would have stopped. We have shown perseverance, persevered and have been rewarded. Because everything that came after the conversion often made us forget all the hardships. The wind on our face, the water beneath us, the stunning scenery of the Sea of ​​Cortez all around us. The time we put into rebuilding Milagros was worth every second.

Major and minor incidents

Something else that I have to emphasize is that we were also have spent half a year at sea without any major incidents. It seems that during our refit, we drew attention to the right places, and so far we haven’t noticed any major weaknesses that we overlooked or built in ourselves. If we ask around, we actually started off with a reasonably problem-free season. Apart from our engine failure at the worst possible moment, in wind, weather and waves, of course. Since the injection pump was repaired, we haven’t had the slightest problem with our Burrito (which is what we call our engine). Let’s hope it stays that way for a long time. Because you never know if an incident is lurking around the next corner. Life on a sailboat is full of surprises.

Life on a sailboat is a back and forth

I could describe sailing in the Sea of ​​Cortez like this: Engine on, anchor up, sails up, suddenly not enough wind, sails down, engine on. As soon as the engine is turned on, the wind picks up, sails up. When everything is set and trimmed nicely, the wind direction suddenly changes. We have to adjust the course, but the course no longer suits our route. At the same time the windspeed is increasing, we have to reduce the sail area. Just when that’s done, the wind shuts off completely. So, we take the headsail in, turn on the engine and motor along. Suddenly there’s wind again, we are sailing again. It was often back and forth, up and down, forward and backward. Where the heart of an inveterate sailor soars, the whole sailing thing gets on my nerves at some point.

Me and the sailing thing

Maybe it’s the lack of experience on our part to make the right decision at the right moment, maybe it’s just the Sea of ​​Cortez as a sailing area with unsteady winds, the irregular topography and what else. I can’t say that I not enjoy sailing at all, but at times I was just plain annoyed. Life on a sailboat, I guess. But here too: We didn’t experience any major incidents and were very conservative and cautious on our voyages. This will also be the way in the future. And when everything is going well, the conditions are ideal, the sails are trimmed correctly, the wind pilot has the boat under control and Milagros just wants to stubbornly move forward, then it’s just pure pleasure. Then I’m in full flow and don’t want it to stop. But whether I will become a die-hard sailor or not remains to be seen.

Baja Magic

What I am enormously grateful for is that we found Milagros here in Mexico and were able to take our first steps in Baja California. The Sea of ​​Cortez is completely overlooked by the entire world (including the sailing world). And that’s a good thing. This little piece of paradise is a giant playground with countless bays for water sports of all kinds, each new corner, every new anchorage is more beautiful than the last. It’s just magical. The wildlife is incredible, the scenery is breathtaking. We met so many people who had big sailing plans and ended up just getting stuck here. This place has everything a sailor’s heart desires. Still, I’m ready to move on. I’m looking forward to moving south, where there’s a little more change in weather and vegetation.

Special moments

I would like to highlight a few very special moments. They’re the first ones that come to mind when I think back. Places, people, short split seconds, encounters, nature, the wind and the water – the list of moments is endless. Still, I want to pick out a few special memories. And I’m not going to talk about our time at Cabrales Boatyard here. We could fill an entire book with memories from Cabrales.

The big reunion

A very important moment was the big reunion with our friends from the Boatyard in Puerto Peñasco. While we had managed (albeit with a great delay) to sail the entire Sea of ​​Cortez, our fellow sailor friends were slowly returning to the Sea of ​​Cortez from their season on mainland Mexico. We arranged to meet at Bahia Bonanza, an endless sandy beach. Cavu were there, Alegria, Boomerang, Empyrean. A gathering of many great people in a dreamlike place.

Party in paradise

We had a couple of great stays on Isla San Francisco. However, there’s not only the famous, horseshoe-shaped southwest bay, but there’s some more anchorages. For example, on the east side of the island. It was yet another rendezvous with friends on other boats. Cavu, Alegria and Boomerang, plus Perspective and Peep. Since we had to follow the spotty Sea of Cortez internet for Patricia’s online work, Cavu Dave’s birthday party was brought forward and so, after a boat crawl (everyone gathered in turn on each other’s ships), the party continued waaaayy into the night. All of this in one of the most beautiful anchorages we have had the privilege of visiting.

We didn’t want to leave at all

Another highlight was our stay at Refugio or V-Cove. We now had Starlink on board and therefore Internet à discretion and no longer had to hop from Internet hotspot to Internet hotspot. This was and is a huge game changer for us, so we just stayed in the same place for as long as possible. The V-Cove anchorage was our home for almost two weeks at a time while other boats came and went. The only permanent roommates were the pelicans, the seagulls, the fish and the dolphins. In the morning we worked on the computer, in the afternoon we just enjoyed the surroundings and our life.

We have finally made it

How we have met Marga on Dogfish, also a Kelly Peterson 44, is for the history books anyway. But the fact that we actually managed to anchor next to each other in a beautiful, hellishly hot bay was still special. Our two KPs on a crystal smooth water surface, a visit from two humpback whales, a trip with a rental car to visit Mike, Katie and Rosco on Alegria, morning coffee deliveries by dinghy – our time in the Bahia Coyote had everything that makes life on a sailboat beautiful.

The second half of our horror ride

Anyone who has been reading along for a while will remember how our maiden voyage turned into a horror voyage. An engine failure near the coast with winds of up to 30 knots and meter-high waves was not cool at all. Nevertheless, a veritable shitty moment turned into one of the memories that is one of the most important to me. Because when we had the boat and ourselves under control again, it became apparent that we can call an absolute monster of a sailboat our own. We always felt 100 percent safe on Milagros in these adverse conditions and we learned to sail her in those very moments. Simply because we had no other choice. Milagros showed us that she’s made for exactly such situations. That she’s made for the high seas and does not become stubborn and uncomfortable even when her owners are stressed and make mistakes.

Up and down, and up and down

In this way, a moment of maximum stress became a moment of maximum enjoyment. High and low are so incredibly close when you live on a boat. This was never more impressive than on this crossing. No book, blog post, article in the world’s sailing magazine could have prepared us for the emotional roller coaster that is life on a boat. In the blink of an eye, a beautiful sunset can turn into an absolute washing machine as unexpected waves come around the corner. Calm turns to insomnia because the wind suddenly picks up and throws the boat around. I have to say, sometimes the ups and downs and the backs and forths were a bit too much for me.

It can go on like this

But after a few months break and a little distance, I can say – let’s do this again! The anticipation of returning to Mexico and Milagros is growing and growing. We have big plans. First, we have to tweak the boat a little, then we want to head south. To mainland Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama. Or anywhere else. In the end, everything always turns out differently than we expect. But that’s the great thing about life on a sailboat. We can start each day from scratch because we have no idea what’s going to happen. And that’s the way it should be.

We’ll be back on Milagros soon with new stories! Feel free to offer us a beer by clicking on the button! You can also become a monthly contributor by heading over to Patreon if you want! Thanks a lot!

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Der Beitrag Our Unique Life On A Sailboat – Looking Back erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Before we took off from San Evaristo, David had another mission. Sooner or later, every little sound the boat makes under way or at anchor starts sounding familiar. On our way to San Evaristo, a new noise at the boat’s propeller had suddenly showed up in the San José Channel. It sounded a little scrapy and squeaky. At worst, the new cutlass bearing was already worn through, at best all was fine. So, David squeezed into my wetsuit and armed with snorkel and goggles, jumped into the almost 20°C cold water. Fortunately, the visual inspection did not confirm our fears: everything looked fine.

Squeaky mystery

There was a second sound we noticed when we got waves on the bow at a certain angle. It came from somewhere in or up the mast. After some observation, we noticed that our mast “pumped” in the upper third when the bow rose and fell in the waves. You can imagine this as if you put a twig on the table and put pressure on it from the top – the twig bends a little somewhere in the middle. And of course, this pumping shouldn’t happen. The squeeking nose seems to be correlated to these movements of the mast. It became almost unbearable. Because every time we heard a “Squeak!”, we knew that the mast was pumping. But what exactly caused this noise and whether it just happened to always occur together with the pumping, we couldn’t figure out.

We tighten the rigging

So, we gathered information about what was causing the mast to pump. The answer was that the rigging was too loose. This made sense, because we knew that the new steel cables would stretch a little. Hence, we tightened the rigging all over, but only the pumping got better – the squeaking did not disappear. But when the swell (waves that travel long distances) subsided, the squeaking stopped, and disappeared from our minds again.

On the dream beach

With the next favourable weather window, we headed for the dream bay, which was only 2 hours away: Isla San Francisco. The huge bay offers room for countless boats and its sandy bottom makes for an easy anchorage. Turquoise-green water, a white sandy beach and red rock formations were our backdrop for the next few days. The anchorage is a popular destination, especially at weekends, so unfortunately it is not always as idyllic as it could be. This time, too, there were some motorboats with the blue LED underwater lighting and party tents on the beach. But, it’s just beautiful there.

Stretching our legs

We took the opportunity to stretch our legs a bit and walked along the crest of the bay. We had a wonderful view of the Sea of Cortez. To the east, we could look down the rocky cliffs to the rough sea. On the other side, we saw the expansive bay with its perfect beach and sparse desert vegetation. David also fished us a delicious dinner right away.

German acquaintance

Unfortunately, the water was still too cold to swim and snorkel. Also, the visibility was not yet as we had imagined. But that time will come soon enough. A German flag was flying at the stern of one of the anchored boats. Of course, we had to go by and say hello. Jost was on his way to La Paz on his “Serenity” with his niece. And he invited us right away for a sundowner. We absolutely must get a national flag – or at least our cantonal (state) flags – so that we can “reveal” ourselves. At the moment we are travelling rather incognito: no home port on the transom and we only fly the Mexican courtesy flag.

Bahia Falsa

As we wanted to be in La Paz for my birthday, we only stayed two nights at Isla San Francisco and then said “Good bye San Francisco”. Other Cabralians and Iñaki and Carmen had recommended Bahia Falsa, about 8 nautical miles from the centre of La Paz, as an anchorage. There we had mobile phone reception and could easily take a taxi into town. When we turned around the corner into the anchorage after 8 hours of sailing, the Milagros classic move reoccurred. Sentences like “It’s far too crowded and there’s no room for us” or “Under no circumstances should we anchor too close to this boat, the damage would be far too expensive” could be heard.

It’s OK

But we overcame ourselves again and anchored behind all the boats. And again, it turned out that we had more than enough space around us. Our eyes still need some training. In the evening we met up with our friends on “Freyja” in the beach bar and treated ourselves to a cold beer and mediocre tacos.

Working on Milagros

Here in Bahia Falsa, we worked on our rigging again, as we were not quite happy with the mast yet. We tightened the forestay a bit more and pumping seems to be a thing of the past now. We also finally turned our attention to our watermaker and replaced the old membrane. But even after this service we were still not happy with the performance and water quality. But we would talk to the “Watermaker Guys” in La Paz.

Squeak Squeak Squeeaak

As the week progressed, westerly winds were forecast on and off and our anchorage was protected against everything except, of course, that very wind. This resulted in the swell rocking our boat up and down. And yes, as mentioned above, it was just such waves that made the mast squeak. And as is always the case, of course we don’t have waves during the day, when a bit of squeaking isn’t too bad. No, the wind came up in the evening, of course, when we wanted to sleep. And rest assured, falling aslee to with a regular squeaking noise is impossible. The situation was annoying to say the least.

It’s exasperating

At that point we felt like pulling our hair out, which would have been a hard thing to for David. We just couldn’t figure out what exactly was causing that noise. We had optimised the tension in the rigging and the pumping of the mast was gone, but the squeaking was not. There was only one thing left to do: David had to go up the mast. Armed with lubricating oil, he greased every moving part possible up there. And that’s when he finally found the culprit. A #@ç%3 spinnaker block, with no line hanging from it yet dangling squeakily and happy at the mast top. The noise it made was amplified by the hollow mast. David removed the troublemaker – now we can finally sleep peacefully again!

Taxi into town

We were told that one can easily order an Uber from Bahia Falsa. We had to go get some groceries, so we paddled ashore, tied the kayak to a parked panga and opened the Uber app. But there was no available driver to be seen. Well, bad luck, we thought. When a sombrero vendor passed us, we asked him if he knew a taxi driver. He pulled out his mobile phone and called his hermano “Turbo”. Less than 15 minutes later, we were in his taxi heading for La Paz. It wasn’t really worth it, though, because the taxi there and back cost 25$, which is quite a lot for two 20-minute trips here in Mexico.

Swiss taxi drivers?

Three boats we had met in Peñasco were just anchored in La Paz. We arranged to meet them (the owners of the boats, that is) for tacos in town the next day. Given the taxi fares, that would be pretty expensive tacos, but if you don’t spoil yourself who will? And no, combining that with grocery shopping would certainly not have been possible *sigh*. We called Turbo for a ride into town. When we got into his taxi, we just had to ask him out if he had some Swiss blood. Because he was there exactly on time – we are not used people being reliable and on time anymore.

Beach Bar Safety

After a fun ex-Peñasco meet-up, we were lucky enough to find a taxi back immediately, because Turbo was off work at seven. Any fears that someone might have stolen our kayak in the meantime vanished immediately when we arrived at the beach and were immediately stopped by the night guard. For future evening trips into town, it was good to know that someone was there keeping watch.

A snorkelling trip

Jost also turned up in Bahia Falsa and spontaneously invited us on a snorkelling trip. It was a lucky coincidence that this was planned exactly on my birthday (my second here in Mexico). I thought it was an extremely fitting programme. We postponed the planned birthday dinner at El Toro Güero until the next day. And I decided anyway that I should celebrate a birthday week.

Birthday

At 6am (on my birthday!) Jost picked us up with his dinghy. We left Milagros alone at anchor for the day and sailed on Jost’s 42-foot Sun Odyssey. Our destination was a rock about 60 km away at the northern tip of Jacques Cousteau Island, which would offer a great snorkelling experience. There was also the possibility of seeing orcas, so diving instructor David also came along. Shortly before noon we anchored in front of the rock. As we approached, we saw several pangas fishing around the rock, and lowered our expectations. But before we put on our diving gear, we prepared a fish we had caught on the way for lunch.

Once upon a time…

Unfortunately, our concerns came true. The rock formation must have once been a beautiful snorkelling experience. But unfortunately, there was not much left to see. Still, here and there, for example, there were small blue glowing fish or the usual inedible suspects. And also, some fishing lures. I guess we can mentally prepare ourselves for encountering this kind of thing more often. Humanity is merciless. It’s pretty depressing.

We make the best of it

Three sea lions watched us from a distance, but no orcas, dolphins or whales made an appearance. The visibility was also only average. But that wasn’t too bad, because all the tiny animals in the water are the reason why the Sea of Cortez has or had such a great diversity of species. On the way back we looked at a few other possible snorkelling spots, but unfortunately the visibility was even worse there. So, we just enjoyed sailing. At least a humpback whale showed itself very briefly. We toasted the day with a beer and enjoyed sailing into the sunset. The diving was not what we had imagined, but the trip was still worth it.

A beautiful evening

On day 2 of my birthday week, I caught up on sleeping in, followed by coffee and pancakes by the bed. In the evening we met up with Nick and Janine from SV Rua Hatu, our former neighbours and fellow sufferers from Cabrales Boatyard. It was great to see them again! And the grilled octopus and the molcajete (ceviche in a stone barrel) at “Mariscos El Toro Güero” tasted great. Taking yet another taxi to the city was definitely worth it. It was a successful start to my birthday week – it can continue like this.

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Birthday Drinks

Der Beitrag Sleepless Nights at Anchor erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Everything was fine with Milagros again – as far as we knew – so we could finally start to plan our onward journey. Until we knew what exactly the problem with Milagros’ engine was, we didn’t want to make any plans. After all, it could have been possible that our burrito was no longer salvageable. In that case, we would have taken the next plane to Switzerland, looked for a new engine from there and declared the sailing season over. But fortunately, it didn’t turn out that way.

Honeymoon Cove

Opposite Puerto Escondido is Isla Danzante, where “Honeymoon Cove” is located at the northern tip of the island and can be reached in about an hour from Puerto Escondido. We chose it as our first anchorage so in case of a problem, we would quickly be back in Puerto Escondido or at least be able to get help, even with our dinghy. It was also well protected against the currently prevailing north winds. From there we could continue our journey south.

Gold diggers

Before we left, Anne and Colin from SV Paulina were kind enough to give us a lift in their car when they went shopping in Loreto. They run a gold mine in Canada on the Alaskan border. They extract gold grains and dust from gravel using water and gravity and melt them down into bars that contain about 80% pure gold. The business is seasonal, though, because up there in the far north, temperatures reach -45°C from October to March, so the gravel is frozen and not workable. Super interesting!

Refuelling

So, we stocked Milagros up again with water, propane and fresh food, and only diesel was missing. For us beginners, manoeuvring to the relatively tight diesel dock in the Marina felt too demanding – we packed our jerry cans into the dinghy and refuelled the boat this way. For us, refuelling is always interesting as our fuel gauges don’t work properly, so we only know mathematically how full our tanks are. And we only know approximately how big our two tanks are. We assume 30 to 35 gallons (115 to 135 litres) each.

We need certainty

However, my most recent calculations resulted in about 40 gallons (150 litres) each. But how much of it is usable, since a tank can never be completely emptied, is another question. If the opportunity arises, we will empty one of the tanks completely and fill it again, then we will know for sure. What is certain is that we could fill both tanks with 15 gallons each from our jerry cans that we brought from the diesel dock. This means we had an average diesel consumption of 2.5 l/h on our maiden voyage. And we usually calculate with 3 l/h (0.8 gph). That’s a good start.

Farewell to Puerto Escondido

20 days after our arrival, we left Puerto Escondido at 10 am for “Honeymoon Cove”. As we always take turns at mooring and casting off, this time it was my turn, and I did my first casting off manoeuvre from a buoy (if you don’t count the casting off manoeuvres in the sailing course on Lake Thun). The 45-minute trip to the island flew by and once there, I was also in charge of the anchor manoeuvre.

It wasn’t easy

The thricky part about anchoring in Honeymoon Cove is that the water remains very deep for a long time and then suddenly becomes shallower almost at a 45° angle. The anchor only held on the third try, but finally sat as planned in 9 m (30 ft) and we let out 55 m (180 ft) of chain – recommended are 5 – 7 times the water depth.

Already the first emergency

We realised that we had chosen a rather difficult terrain for anchoring when we observed other boats trying to anchor several times. The next morning, we suddenly saw a small boat gliding backwards out of the anchorage next door. Their anchor must have come loose! We radioed them immediately, seeing no one on deck, and started launching our dinghy so we could head over to them and help if needed. But luckily, we saw two people climbing on deck in their underwear shortly after, who quickly got the boat under control and set the anchor again.

Exploration tour

On the first day we explored the bay by inflatable kayak, our eco-friendly second car. On the island itself, there are many small paths leading up the different hills and to different bays. The landscape is very Baja style: barren and stony in reddish and greenish tones with cacti and tiny trees. In some places it looked as if a gardener had created our surroundings, since the many desert plants seemed to have grown in an almost too regular pattern. The waves crashed against the rocks on the north side and the north wind wrapped around the cliffs. On one of the hills, we even had mobile phone reception and a great view over the bay.

Anchor watch

As the wind was getting stronger and stronger and we had not yet gained confidence in our anchor and anchoring skills, we decided that one of us would always stay on the boat. It was somewhat irrational not to trust the anchor itself, as it had probably been on this boat since the beginning and must have served well in the past. But we activated our anchor alarm apps and regularly checked our position on OpenCPN. Better be safe than sorry.

Two birds with one stone

When David went fishing with the kayak, I took the opportunity to polish our stainless-steel railing and other things. In doing so, I killed two birds with one stone: I could observe the position of the boat and finally get rid of the rust spots that had been bugging me for a while. And finally, polishing not only serves visual purposes, but also prolongs the life of the material.

A call for help

There was a lot of traffic in the bay, and one afternoon we saw a superyacht anchoring next to us. Our new neighbours stayed for one night and travelled on the next day. That same afternoon we heard a “pan-pan” call over the radio on channel 16, the standard channel that all ships (should) monitor. A pan-pan radio call is the weakened form of “Mayday” and means that a ship or person is in danger, but the situation is not life-threatening.

Water ingress

The vessel in question reported that it had run aground on a rock 5 nautical miles south-east of Puerto Escondido or 1 nautical mile south of Isla Danzante and had holes in its hull, but that the bilge pumps were able to cope with the water ingress. The crew of the boat asked for assistance and towing if necessary. When asked about the size, the vessel said it was 53 m (175 ft) long. According to the captain, no one was injured, apart from a few egos. Then we remembered that it was our former neighbours who were in distress. The crew of the superyacht “Moonstone”, whose dinghy also had towed us to Puerto Escondido, immediately rushed to help. We also offered our help, but it was not needed.

What now?

As far as we understood, divers examined the hull and found that both stabilisers were damaged and had holes up to 20 cm in diameter. Also they had decided against towing the boat and in favour of professional salvage so that no diesel tanks could be damaged when the boat was pulled off the rock. The rock in question is in a nature reserve, is treacherous and lies about 1.5 m (5 ft) below the water surface at low tide. It would have been interesting to ask the captain how this could have happened. And we wondered if he is now out of a job and can never be employed again as captain of a superyacht after such a navigational error. Does anyone know what happens to a captain after such an incident?

Not exactly comfortable

Slowly we got used to life at anchor. Despite being sheltered from the roughest winds and waves “outside”, Milagros rocked in the light swells that still made it into the anchorage. And she was swinging back and forth in gusts of up to 30 knots (55 km/h) on the windiest day. Not exactly pleasant, especially as everything sounds ten times worse below deck: the gusts sweeping over the boat, the creaking of the anchor snubber and other sounds of the boat here and there.

Below deck

Since this wind from the north was quite cold and uncomfortable, we devoted ourselves to projects below deck. For example, we re-tensioned wooden slats from creaking floor hatches. We also reinstalled a floor support we had taken out when removing the water tanks and ran the watermaker daily and repaired a broken cockpit chair. Every now and then, one of us would row the kayak either to a cove around the corner on the outer edge of the island or ashore and climb the mountain to get some phone reception and see what was going on in the world. And we were amused by a group of about 20 kayakers camping on the beach. The opening of their toilet tent pointed directly at Milagros and none of the travellers feeling particularly observed by any boats in the anchorage when doing their business..

Further south

We could certainly get used to listening to music, reading, watching films. Or sitting in the cockpit watching the blue-footed boobies and pelicans dive for from the sky like projectiles. Or sighting dolphins. But we’re looking forward to warm enough water to swim and snorkel. And to spend a few nights at anchor without a strong north wind. So now we’re heading further south now.

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Der Beitrag Our Eventful First Anchorage erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Our maiden voyage is forever. Once again, we made an experience that we will remember for the rest of our young lives. We started our journey on Milagros with a firework of emotions and very valuable lessons. We couldn’t even have imagined such a maiden voyage in our dreams. Chaos and panic in between, then complete calm, control and concentration and a Milagros that performed like an absolute championesse. We didn’t feel unsafe for a second on our boat, not even when she sailed us instead of us sailing her.

Time to arrive

It is no coincidence that we chose Puerto Escondido as our alternative port. We knew we had everything we needed here. A place that is protected from all wind directions, has other sailors, a well-equipped marina and a small town, Loreto, nearby. In addition, we were independently recommended the same mechanic by various sources. So many positives! But first we had to arrive in Puerto Escondido. After a good night’s sleep, we first put the dinghy (our small inflatable boat) in the water and went ashore to explore the facilities of the marina.

It’s a rich man’s world

Puerto Escondido (Hidden Harbour) is one of the best sheltered bays in all the Sea of Cortez. Completely surrounded by hills and headlands. For mariners, the site has for decades been a haven from rough weather or even hurricanes that get a little too close for comfort. Formerly an anchorage free to use for anyone, in 2003/2004 the Institution for sustainable tourism of Mexico installed mooring balls in the anchorage and started the construction of buildings. As is so often the case in Mexico, the whole idea and operation was abandoned at some point and another consortium took over the anchorage. With a little help of some deep pockets in the background, a whole Marina was built. We think it’s a pity that natural anchor bays otherwise open for anyone can just be taken over. But that’s how it is. Money makes the world go round.

Marina Puerto Escondido

The marina itself is top of the line. From a small, well-stocked supermarket, to all kinds of offers for maintenance and ship-related work, a small restaurant and a fully equipped “Captain’s Lounge”, which one could only dream of at the Cabrales Boatyard, Marina Puerto Escondido offers everything a boater’s heart desires. Of course, all of this comes at a price. While we pay just under $400 for a mooring ball in the bay, it would be a good $1,000 per month in the marina. Eeehm, no thanks. But: all the marina facilities are included in the price when you’re moored on a buoy in the bay. The internet is good, the showers are next level! Life at the mooring ball is a good compromise that doesn’t ruin our cruising kitty completely.

The best shower in years

The showers in the marina are the highlight for us and many other boaters. We can really only let the pictures speak for themselves. We smell like flower gardens because of the L’Occitane shower gel provided by the marina. In addition to the showers, we also benefit from the internet in the lounge every day. For example, while Pati is putting hours into her new part-time job, I made a website for our friends on the catamaran «Charly». This way, we not only throw money at Milagors, but also earn some of it back. And then we take showers. For hours and days.

Burrito is still broken

Finally, we got to enjoy life on and by the water. A whole new feeling. We went on dinghy tours, explored the area on the various hiking trails in the area or even caught our own food. What a great way to recharge the batteries. Nevertheless, we mustn’t forget one thing: our engine was acting up again! So, we contacted Lauro, the local diesel engine whisperer, and asked if he had time for our Burrito (we christened our engine “little donkey”). A few days later he was our (very expensive) guest on Milagros and quickly identified the issue.

In the engine room. again.

Something was wrong with Burrito’s diesel pressure, as already suspected by the other mechanic in Puerto Peñasco. He identified our injection pump as the source of our engine problems, quickly removed it and took it into his care to have it examined. While we were there, we informed him about our defective lift pump. We wanted to have that one replaced, too. So, a few days passed, during which we continued to explore our surroundings. When Simon on SV Kudra, a former resident of Cabrales Boatyard, also showed up in Puerto Escondido, we set out to explore a nearby canyon.

A true Milagros adventure

Since it was time to fill up our fridge and stock up on water supplies anyway (our watermaker wasn’t working yet), we rented a car and headed out into the wilderness. The description for the drive to the start of the canyon hike sounded pretty straight forward. But nothing about it was straight forward. And so, we ended up with our rental car on a loose gravel road, in which we almost got stuck. With a little pushing, painful scratching around the undersides of the car and a few drops of sweat, we made it back. Once again lucky after all, Milagros style.

Our merry little hiking group

By chance, we met an American couple and their dog who were also on their way to the canyon in their 4×4 campervan. Without further ado we were allowed to hop on and so we all set off together. “Follow a river bed before you head off sideways into the canyon.” said the directions. Easier said than done. The river bed itself was fairly easy to identify, the only problem was that there were all sorts of small junctions heading into little valleys to the left and right. Long story short, we were unsuccessful in finding the described canyon, but still had a beautiful little hike in the desert. After all the scratching and banging, Weirdly, our rental car lost a bit of (brake?) fluid after its trip and also made a few other strange noises. Of course, we know We have no idea how that could have happened.

Repairing Burrito

Shortly afterwards we received word from Lauro, the mechanic. His diesel pump specialist had actually found a few defective parts on the injection pump that were responsible for the low pressure. She had to be rebuilt. We had no other choice anyway, and a day or two later Lauro was back in the engine room at Milagros working on Burrito. In addition to the injection pump, which looked like new, he also had a brand new lift pump with him. All our injectors had also been checked and serviced. After the installation we tried to start the engine. Vrooooooom! Burrito woke up from his sleep. In fact, with less vibrations and a much better sound than before. Burrito is back! A big thank you goes to Lauro from Lauro’s Diesel Services. A good, competent man who was warmly recommended to us by a number of people.

Low tolerances

What we can say (with a bit of pride that is) is that the problems with the injection pump have nothing to do with our change of the pump cover. The problems lay deeper. As a hobby mechanic, you should only dare to service the injection pump of a diesel engine in an emergency. The injection pump is the heart of an engine’s diesel system and consists of many small parts that only have smallest tolerances. Tiny particles of dirt or even minimal wear on certain parts can affect fuel pressure. Lauro brought us the “defective” parts to show us how little it takes for an injection pump to cause problems. The discoloration on the parts in the following pictures was enough to seriously affect the diesel pressure on Burrito. Crazy!

Out for a ride

To make sure everything was as it should be, we took Lauro on yet another test ride on Milagros. This was associated with a bit of nervousness on our part, because we have never undocked and docked with Milagros from a mooring ball. We read up on the matter a bit and got started on a nice, quiet morning. And what can we say: it’s not as difficult as we thought. At least when there is no wind. The test run was completely uneventful in a positive way, we just did a few laps in the bay outside of the harbour basin and put Burrito through its paces together with Lauro. Burrito did a good job, but we still had a leak in the transmission that needed patching. No big deal, said Lauro, just a small seal needed replacing.

We’re ready again!

Said and done. And now we’re ready to head out again and have gained a ton of new knowledge about Burrito, especially from Lauro, since we always looked over his shoulder while he was doing his job. He was patient and answered any questions we had. Nothing to be taken for granted, compared to the mechanic back in Long Beach. Now it is up to us to define a departure date and a destination. The goal is still to head for La Paz and maybe even catch up with Iñaki and Carmen before they head to Costa Rica. After almost two years in Mexico, they are headed further south. Good on them, Costa Rica has been calling them for a while now. As for us, we don’t want to head any further than Mexico yet. The Sea of ​​Cortez wants to be properly explored.

We had plenty of beer time during our stay in Puerto Escondido! Feel free to offer us a beer or two by clicking on the button below. Or you could become a monthly supporter on Patreon if you feel like it. Many thanks!

Beer with us in Escondido!

Der Beitrag Stranded in Paradise erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Two days before our departure from Peñasco, our adventure almost came to an end. When we returned from an errand run, I noticed that Milagros was no longer moored in the same place. She must have moved somehow, because the water and electricity panel were right in front of where we boarded our boat, which they weren’t before. But we didn’t think about it any further. Then the boat neighbour told us that in our absence a steel fishing boat had crashed into the dock. All of a sudden, we realized the damage to the dock when our neighbour told us that he had seen the fishing boat graze Milagros. We immediately panicked: Had the metal colossus damaged our new paint job??? But we quickly realised that “only” the bowsprit and the anchor roller were bent, and the navigation light was damaged.

It could have ended badly

When our neighbour told us how the collision had happened, our hair stood on end. The fishing boat’s reverse gear had jammed, and the boat had therefore crashed backwards into the dock. Just a few feet to the right, it would have been our boat, not the dock. And Milagros might not have been there anymore. What a shock! Milagros has once again lived up to her name!

And we still think the name is great, despite a comment we recently overheard from a Sea Shepherd crew member about Milagros when they were in Peñasco with their boat “Sharpie” and moored behind us with their dinghy: “Yet another shitty boat name”. In their campaing called “Milagro”, Sea Sheperd is fighting illegal fishing with gill nets in the northern Sea of Cortez these days. Good thing they are here, but obviously they don’t have taste in boat names.

Costs, work and annoyance

The harbour master had already issued a no leave order for the culprit, so they could not leave the harbour until the damage had been paid for. Marga from Dogfish Boatworks made a damage report on the same day, which we submitted immediately. And the various party boat operators at the docks of Fonature Marine were pretty confident that we will receive compensation. The damage amounts to about 1,500 $ and means work and annoyance, of course. Fortunately, this damage didn’t stop us from leaving Peñasco. Instead, something else did.

It’s not happening

On Monday morning, the 24th of January 2022 at 8.00 am sharp, we wanted to untie the lines. It was high tide and there was a nice weather window to cover the 140 nautical miles to our first anchorage. Doug and Marga came over to wave goodbye and even the harbour master was there to bring us our papers. David started the engine and 5 seconds later it stopped again. We tried a few more times to start the engine, to no avail. That was the beginning of the end. It was not happening; we were not heading out! We then made coffee. What else was there to do? We quickly realised that it might take longer to solve the problem.

Diesel engines are frugal

In theory, diesel engines are not very demanding: they need air, diesel, compression and, of course, enough cranking amps to run. If the engine simply stops, it is often due to a lack of diesel supply. This can be caused by empty tanks, clogged lines, closed supply valves, non-functioning valves, air in the diesel system, insufficient venting of the tanks, a defective diesel pump, dirty filters, and algae, among other things.

Air in the system?

We had full tanks, a clean air filter and enough cranking power – we knew that for sure. Marga brought us the necessary tools for a pressure test of the system to find any air leaks. We spent the rest of the day feeling sorry for ourselves and finding the leak(s) in the system by testing different sections. In the process, we pressurized our diesel fuel lines and smeared soap foam on all the fittings. We found a leak at the diesel lift pump, appearing as soap bubbles rising from two small screws.

Bad ventilation?

As we had suspected already that something was wrong with our fuel tank vents, we also opened the deck fills. We could hear air being sucked into both tanks. There was also a loud popping noise, which indicated a vacuum. So, the vent hoses had to be replaced. Our theory at this point was that we had created a vacuum in the diesel system during the last test run. The leaking diesel lift pump then caused the system to fill with air. This meant that the injectors were not getting enough fuel.

Larger hoses needed

So, our next task was to get larger diesel hoses for the vents. The previous diameter of 3/16” was far too small, and we wanted to upgrade to 5/8” hose. Our friend Lionel from the Caterpillar store recommended a small shop just around the corner where we immediately found what we were looking for. Unfortunately, they only had 12 ft in stock, and we needed 50 ft. But the shop owner was able to order the hose we needed for the next day. And since we had to disassemble the whole boat anyway, we also ordered a hose to improve the vent lines of the water tank, which was also inadequate.

An art project

In the meantime, we devoted ourselves to a long-delayed beautification project on Milagros. Some time ago, we had the French artist Marine Marcus make us a table inlay with animals from the Sea of Cortez. So, we unscrewed the top of our dining table, put it in the next best place sheltered from the wind (the marina shower) and doused the inlay with tabletop epoxy. It was nice to just take care of a nice, cosmetic project for ourselves during this frustrating time.

As if a bomb had hit

Once the new hoses had arrived, we began one of the most tedious jobs we’ve ever had to do on Milagros. Not only did we have to get behind the wall liner by clearing out cabinets, but we also had to take out the recently installed water tank again, as it is directly above one of the diesel tanks and its fittings. Inside Milagros it looked like a bomb had hit the boat. And since the new hoses were much bigger than the old ones, none of the fittings fit anymore, nor did they fit through the holes. At one point I even damaged a 110V power cable trying to make the passage bigger. It was a completely and utterly shitty day.

But in the end, everything was installed as we wanted. Nevertheless, our engine wouldn’t start even after sufficient bleeding. Somehow less diesel arrived at the injectors than we remembered. We had checked our Racor primary filters for clogging, only to find that the connected electric diesel pump was mounted on the wrong side of them. Instead of pulling diesel through the filters, the pump was pushing diesel into the filters. We fixed that immediately. We also replaced 2 valves that we didn’t know exactly how or if they were working.

More to be found

We also found out that our starter battery was dead, which was disguised by the way it was wired into the system. The fact that it was dead didn’t matter as we could also start the engine from our house bank, but a new battery was still needed. The next day we took our old battery to a battery shop where it was tested. Of the 900 units of cold cranking amps, there were 29 left. However, as befits Milagros, the new battery had slightly larger terminals, so we had to drill our cable connectors larger to be able to connect to the battery.

We were at our wit’s end

After all, we contacted Doug, a local diesel mechanic, because we were stuck and needed help. Together with him we found out that the diesel lift pump was stuck in priming mode and therefore not enough diesel was coming into the distribution. So, we set off again to get the parts we needed to bypass this pump. But after that, there was still not enough diesel coming out of the distributor. We also checked the secondary filter there, which looked OK. Therefore, we removed the whole distributor, cleaned it thoroughly and replaced the filter. Afterwards, when we bled the engine, the diesel did indeed squirt out of the bleed screws. But the engine still wouldn’t start.

Algae?

Doug suspected from the small black particles and the yellowish colour of the diesel in our primary filters that we might have algae. These are micro-organisms that multiply in diesel tanks and clog everything up. They need water and air to do this. We had made the mistake of not filling our diesel tanks to the top (=air) before hauling out and in summer the humidity was quite high (=water), which could well explain an infestation. Since the construction of our diesel tanks is far from optimal and we have no inspection hatches, an infestation could be super annoying. However, we were able to rule out a diesel infestation by circulating the diesel from both tanks through the filters, and the contaminants did not multiply. Lucky us!

Poor Betty

That same evening we were less fortunate. At 10pm there was a banging on our boat – it was the night guard. Something had happened to Betty, the boatyard car. Betty was parked on the road in front of the marina and no longer looked like herself. Betty had broken windows, a flat tyre, and a big dent. The security guard told us that a car came speeding along and hit poor Betty. Of course, he had committed a hit-and-run after wrecking the car an entire boatyard relied upon. What in the hell was going on this week?! The police took an accident report, but it was impossible for sure to find the car involved in the accident. Although the vehicle must have been quite damaged, it would not be noticed here as a lot cars are on the roads in such a condition here in Puerto Peñasco.

The last straw

5 days after our failed departure, our engine still wasn’t running. We also missed our next good weather window, which was additionally annoying. Nevertheless, we met up with Marga from SV Dogfish and Marc & Laura from SV Liquid for tacos and drinks. Marga suggested that we could play around with the engine before dinner, which we did. To eliminate sources of error, she suggested running the engine on a jerry can. So, we changed the diesel supply and bled the engine again.

A miracle!

On the first try, the engine wouldn’t start. But on the second try, it started. Cheers broke out on board Milagros. We had really earned our dinner! The next day we reconnected the engine to the diesel system and it started immediately. What exactly had made the difference, we don’t really know.

An instructive week

We had changed all the filters, had rebuilt and cleaned the diesel distribution system, relocated the electric diesel pump, bypassed the diesel lift pump, replaced two valves, enlarged the vent hoses and pressure tested the entire system. So, within a week, we had taken our entire diesel system apart and put it back together.

At this point we would like to thank Marga for her fantastic continous and patient support with her knowledge! Also the cruising community has been super supportive in word and deed and sympathised with us. Although this was probably the worst week since we started the refit here in Peñasco, we were glad that we were able to solve the problem here in the marina and not somewhere along the way or at an anchorage without internet access. We still can’t believe how much bad luck we had in just one week: the accident with the fishing boat, the engine damage, and the accident with Betty. Things can only get better from here.

Wanna cheer us up? Feel free to buy us a beer or two by clicking on the button below. Or you could become a monthly supporter on Patreon if you feel like it. Many thanks!

Cheers!

Der Beitrag It’s Not Happening! We’re Not Heading Out! erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Work on the mast

Work on the boat continues – only with a nicer view. David had the pleasure of enjoying this view from a slightly different perspective. Namely from a height of 50 ft from the top of the mast. Three times. As you may remember, we had a problem with the navigation light. Windex and anemometer also had to be installed, and a few other little things had to be done as well.

View from above

I cranked David, who was secured several times and equipped with all kinds of tools, up the mast. His enthusiasm was limited, but what had to be done, had to be done. Once at the top, the two wind instruments were quickly mounted – given the adverse conditions with limited freedom of movement and the altitude. The navigation light came down with him so we could inspect it. We quickly discovered that we had not installed the 3-colour LED bulb rotated 180° (you can’t do that), but had simply mounted the base offset by 60°. How stupid!

Lucky again?

Our minds started to spin and there was one or the other cuss word to be heard. Of all the things we could have done wrong, the problem was all the way on top of the mast. But then we came up with the idea of using a white bulb instead of the 3-colour one and just turning the coloured housing by 60°. Then we didn’t need to move the base. No sooner said than done, and indeed – it worked! Lucky again!

Christmas parade

Christmas was just around the corner, and although neither of us are Christmas fanatics, and we don’t listen to Mariah Carey and decorate everything festively from 1 December onwards and run around in Santa pajamas, we still went to see the boat Christmas parade. This year it took place for the first time here in Peñasco. About 20 large and small motorboats, monohulls, catamarans and nut shells left the harbour just before sunset, cruised around outside the harbour basin and returned home colourfully decorated in the darkness. Some filled the harbour basin with Christmas sounds and music, others set off fireworks. It was a great sight, especially as the moon was full.

Christmas bakery

And of course, we had to make Swiss Christmas cookies. So, we dedicated a day to Christmas baking and made Spitzbuben sandwiches, cinnamon squares and Mailänderli balls. At first it seemed like we had completely overdone it with the quantity – which was the case – but less than 5 days later they were all gone. But there was still enough for the Christmas potluck in the Cabrales boatyard.

Hoisting the sails

Next it was time to hoist the sails, after all we had to make room in the v-berth because my parents were coming to visit. The first thing we did was hoist our genoa (headsail) on a windless afternoon. It still looked like new, which it is at 3 years old, and had creases because it had been folded below deck for over a year. Everything worked pretty smoothly, apart from the fact that the winch belonging to the jib furler needed urgent servicing. Next time we climb the mast we will check that everything is as it should be.

Those lazy jacks

The next day we hoisted the mainsail, which was a bit tedious because the so-called “lazy jacks” (lines stretched diagonally between the mast and the boom and guiding the sail while hoisting) were in the way. So much for guiding the sails. After removing these lines, it was easier, but when we had the sail almost up, a light wind came up from the side, which made it tedious again. So, we postponed threading the reefing lines. We hoisted the sail again the next day; now everything is ready.

Runs like clockwork

Actually, we only wanted to stay in this marina (Safe Marina) for a few days and then change to another one (Fonatur). But as it is, plans change. So, we will probably stay in Safe Marina until we leave. The big disadvantage: no shore power in our slip. This also means that I can’t vacuum, because the 300-amp fuse that still has to be installed in our inverter is only on its way to us. I was all the more pleased when we tested our little petrol generator and it worked straight away. That gave me the opportunity to test it a bit and vacuum the whole boat. While David pumped up our new kayak, I prepared the inside of the boat for my parents’ visit.

A little joy ride

David also pumped up our dinghy. For one thing, we wanted to know if it was still waterproof, for another, we were invited for an after-work drink at the other end of the harbour basin by a Dutch family on a catamaran. Luckily, the outboard motor started immediately, so nothing stood in the way of our little joyride.

A road trip

After 15 days of sailing with my sister, my parents flew from La Paz to Tijuana, and we took the opportunity to visit our friends Steven, Susanne and Max in Ensenada. The route took us through the rather barren desert in the biosphere reserve “El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar”. Then through the former delta of the Colorado River, a fertile area with a lot of agriculture. The Colorado River is the river that also flows through the Grand Canyon and supplies 40 million Americans with drinking water. Because so much water is taken from the river on its way, hardly anything reaches the delta today.

The guard

The last leg took us and our rental car over the Peninsular Ranges, a mountain range that stretches 1500 km from Southern California to the tip of Baja California. After 600 km and about 7 hours of driving, we finally reached Ensenada. First, we treated ourselves to the best ceviche tostadas in the world at “El Güero”. Then we drove to the marina where we had bought Milagros back in 2019 and – who would have thought it – were not let in at the gate. This experience was now repeated for the fourth time. The email with our registration that Steven had sent to the office had not reached the guard.

Just like old times

After some time of waiting, the situation was clarified and we were let in. So, nothing stood in the way of our reunion with Steven, Susanne and Max after 14 months. We ended the day with a beer and tacos and were invited to spend the night on Steven and Susanne’s boat Tranquila. The next morning Max invited us to SV Galena and surprised us with breakfast, tea and coffee. Just like old times, time flew by and soon it was time to say goodbye again.

Tijuana

We made our way to Tijuana to pick up my parents from the airport. The almost two-hour drive was very impressive, especially in the second half, where the foothills of the big city became apparent in the form of slums and houses as far as the eye could see. The parking situation at the airport was also very interesting. After a few rounds, we parked along the highway with a view of the rusty border fence to the USA. After a short wait, we could finally pick up my parents.

Mexican design

Spontaneously, we decided to spend another night in Ensenada. We didn’t realise how quickly it would get dark. Especially the last stretch through the desert with lots of potholes and no mobile phone reception, we didn’t want to drive in the dark. And we didn’t want to deprive my parents of the beautiful landscape either. We reached the Airbnb flat shortly before sunset. The view of the sea was nice, but the condition of the flat was rather typically Mexican: very nice at first glance, but at second glance, cutbacks were made here and there in the construction and maintenance. This was evident the next morning after it had rained heavily during the night. In some places, the plaster was falling from the ceiling. And the entrance door could not be closed from the inside either.

Changes in the landscape

After sunrise, we stocked up on coffee and snacks and headed for Puerto Peñasco. It was very exciting to watch nature change again, this time in the other direction. The landscape changed practically every half hour: from palm trees, lush green and a lot of colours, to only green with cacti, rocky and bushy, to sandy and barren within a few hours. The thunderstorms of the night must have moved on towards Peñasco, because about 150 km before our destination, where we were to turn onto the last part of our route into the biosphere reserve, the road was severely flooded. At first, we thought we would have to turn back, but the Mexican army was present and showed us where we could safely cross the little lake that had formed.

Water everywhere

As Peñasco slowly came into view, we saw a huge wall of rain moving along on the horizon, and when we got reception again, the pictures from Peñasco came in. Everything was flooded and the electricity was also out. We braced ourselves for the worst, but we made it to the marina without drowning the car and ourselves. Back on board, Milagros awaited us with a surprise: leaks in the deck. Welcome back!

The water was coming along the mast, through the vent in the forward toilet, the hatch in the v-berth, the gas hose and in the cockpit the emergency bilge pump (in descending order of quantity). Well, now we know. And everything can be sealed. So, no problemo. We mopped up as best we could and went out for pizza. After all, it was New Year’s Eve. Since we were all tired from the trip, we slept through the turn of the year.

Into the new year

Our goal was to complete my parents’ Mexico and boating experience. With sun, 25°C, exploring La Paz, sailing on Anila, snorkelling in the Baja and swimming with sea lions, they had already experienced one side. Here in Peñasco, we were able to offer mainly the other side of the spectrum: Rain, below 10°C at night, potholes, sewage smell, desert, ship worries and boat projects. With the latter, we started directly into the new year.

3 projects

We had 3 of them on the list: drill a water drain hole in the mast base, mount and wire two 12V sockets and seal the leaks. As usual, it sounded easy, but it’s a boat, so it wasn’t. And even my father, the experienced DIYer, fell for it. Even drilling the drain hole got out of hand. We had to mourn the loss of a drill bit and creatively find a solution. And when it came to the wiring, we had to take half the boat apart in the classic way.

The tide is low

Around the turn of the year, the tide was also particularly low. So low that our boat touched the bottom. Our draught is 1.93 m and we measured a water depth of 1.70 m at the deepest point. That was scary, but since the bottom is muddy, it wasn’t too bad. I just wondered if the boat would tip over to one side or the other. But there was nothing we could do about it. So, we closed both our eyes and hoped for the best. And you know what? Nothing happened at all.

Peñasco Tourist Programme

We made full use of the last day before my parents’ departure. Very important: No Peñasco visit can end without apple cakes from Candy Cake. So we supplied ourselves with the delicious bakeries on our way to the dunes. On our drive through Peñasco, we had to evade a couple of lakes. The hike through the dunes was super nice, and we were practically alone. Afterwards, we strolled along the Malecon and enjoyed the sunset with a margarita. For dinner we had spaghetti in a homemade tomato sauce with fresh scallops and prawns. Mmmmh.

Goodbye

And already it was time to say goodbye again. It was great to show my parents the boat and where we had lived this past year. That was fun but far too short!

We wish you a happy new year! And remember: if you need a break, you can always come visit us! Cheers!

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Der Beitrag A Special Turn Of The Year erschien zuerst auf Milagros.