Is it the Journey or the Destination?

September 7, 2015

Since June we have travelled over 8,000 miles in the RV and 3,000 in the car. We have been to 25 states, over 10 National Parks, many national monuments and forests. We have spent time with family and friends and have enjoyed it all.
When we left last year on our sailboat, headed for Mexico and beyond, we didn't quite know what beyond meant. At the time, I would have said either the South Pacific or Panama Canal. Now I know it does not include those things, at least not for a while if ever. I love sailing and our boat but I am able to safely say that crossing an ocean is just not for me. I am in awe of my many friends that have adventured towards those destinations and a hint of envy creeps into my soul when reading their blogs.
For me there are just too many forces that I cannot resist that prevent me from going any further than Mexico. Here is a list and it is not in any order.
1. Fear of storms.
2. Fear of things going wrong and not being able to deal with it.
3. Family-the thought of not seeing our families for years is just not an option.
4. Having a teenager that is desperately wanting to have a steady peer group.
5. Wanting to have other travel experiences other than "the boat".

I am proud of our accomplishment of sailing the miles we have sailed from Washington to Mexico and look forward to another year of cruising. I also look forward to being open to the possibilities of traveling to more places in other capacities which remain to be unknown.

                                             Namaste at anchor in Bahia de Los Muertos, Baja

                                           Matt on the side of the road somewhere in Wyoming

Summer Travels

We decided in April 2015 while we were in La Cruz, MX that we would not be spending the summer in the Sea of Cortez as we originally planned.  The temperature was heating up and we were imagining a summer of sweltering heat, exhaustion from the heat and extreme grumpiness-all those do not make for a recipe of fun in our book. So we decided to get an RV. We spent many hours looking on line when we had decent wifi and figured Phoenix would be our best bet as there are so many RV's available. We then decided what type we wanted-a Class A which is a motorhome. We also knew we would need a tow car or dinghy. The list when on and on for what we might want and within our price range there seemed to be options.
After hauling out in San Carlos in early June, we went to Phoenix for 10 days. In that time we bought a 34 ft motorhome and a car. We also celebrated Journey's 14th birthday and got to visit with some of John's friends who he hadn't seen in 20 years. We then drove the motorhome back to MX to unload the boat of food, clothes and other items that we would need. We stayed in MX for about 4 days before driving back to Phoenix to pick up our car and head out to the open road.
We quickly acclimated to the motorhome which is a Damon Intruder therefore we aptly name him "Matt." We loved the freedom and ease to go anywhere and not worry about weather and sea state. It is just plain easy. We learned to RV terminology such as "boon docking" which is when you dry camp. We learned to stay at Walmart parking lots when traveling and quickly developed a rhythm for setting up and storing items quickly to get on the road.

 Matt, our 34 foot Damon Intruder

Canyon Lands NP (middle picture), The Narrows at Zion

We have enjoyed many of the National Parks such as Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyon lands, and Acadia. We have been able to spend time with family and friends in different parts of the States and show our daughter the beauty in our own country. We will return to MX in the fall for another year of cruising but for now we are enjoying our own country and all the wonder it offers.

END OF FRESHMAN YEAR

MAY 22, 2014

Bahia Concepcion is a 25 mile long bay running north to south positioned on the eastern side of Baja on the Sea of Cortez. This bay offers beautiful protected anchorages, snorkeling, a few small restaurants and tiendas (small markets) making this a great cruising stopover. We buddy boated with sv Windsong, a sailboat we met in Puerto Escondido who has a teen on board. We anchored off Posada Concepcion just south west of Santispac. Surrounded by small uninhabited islands and rocky reefs, this area had great wind and wave protection, amenities cruisers seek. We spent a great week here exploring by dinghy the different islands in search of great snorkeling. Although the visibility was slightly murky due to the bottom being stirred up by wind/wave action, we were easily pleased and excited to just explore the reefs. We would land our dinghy on a small beach and gear up. We saw loads of Sargent Majors, trigger fish, puffer fish, and even an octopus. I was able to do some paddle boarding a few days before the afternoon winds would creep in. 

We found ourselves wanting to stay but the time was approaching for us to make our way across the Sea once again. We listened daily to the Ham net, Sonrisa for weather updates given by Geary. For those of you unfamiliar with what that all means I will give a brief tutorial. We have a single side band (SSB) which is a device that allows us long range communication via the ionisphere when the appropriate propagation is set-understand? In order to speak on the Ham nets, one must have a General license from the FCC which required taking 2 tests and lots of studying of information that is still Greek to me. A net is basically a scheduled time for people to checkin in-giving their location and conditions as well as receive forecast information. So, Sonrisa net is a popular net for checkins around the Baja and Geary is a gentleman that lives in El Burro Cove in Bahia Concepcion who generously dedicates his time to develop weather forecasts for cruisers. This is and can be a lifeline to many of us cruising when we have no other way to receive weather so that we can make informed decisions about where to go and when to go. There are other nets, weather gurus, and alternatives for weather as well but Geary does a nice job summarizing it all. Lesson over.

After getting our weather window (window is another word for opportunity in cruiser lingo), we left the comfort of our anchorage to make the 90 nm crossing towards San Carlos on the mainland side. We calculated (here comes the math) D=RT or 90nm=5knots/x, x=18 hours. Of course we calculate a few different scenarios by plugging in 5.5 or 6 knots which in turn shortens the time. We typically average 5.5 knots. 

We left at 0300 under a moonless sky and scattered clouds which means very little light in which to navigate by when leaving an anchorage strewn with reefs and small islands. The route was circuitous and difficult even though I was able to use our previous route that brought us into the anchorage. Nightime, like fog can be very disorientating. Journey was on the bow with a very strong light looking for dangerous obstacles that we might not see on radar, John was assisting with communication and navigation and I was at the helm steering and navigating. John has the most difficult job as he usually has to deal with me as I squeal in high pitches when I get disoriented at the helm. He holds his cool, calms me down by giving me instructions and for that I am grateful that he treats me with respect. It is a team effort and I know that when challenges come quickly that my family can hold it together.

After a slow start (it took us 2 hours to travel 9nm)  we reached the head of Bahia Concepcion, ready to set our course north east and an hour until sunrise would start-things were looking good! Not so much. 

As soon as Namaste stuck her nose out, the wind shifted to the NE at 10 to 12 knots-going to weather is not ideal as our speed dropped to 3 to 4 knots and the seas began to get sloppy-this makes for a long passage even longer and uncomfortable. We slogged along for several hours watching our arrival time on the chart plotter as midnight-something that unnerves us as entering a port at night is not optimal. After several hours the wind finally shifted to the northwest at 14+knots with building seas. The seas quickly became stacked first at 4 feet then a steady 6-8 feet with occasional 10 footers off our beam. Stacked is when the one wave comes right after another versus a longer swell period which allows time in between for the boat to settle. With stacked seas, moving around is not only uncomfortable but can be dangerous due to flying objects and difficulty holding on. We had the boat prepared for sea which is a routine we have that includes placing all objects that are not physically attached to the boat to be placed in a safe area. We had a few small items that found their way to the cabin floor and the only casualty of the trip was John’s favorite coffee mug. Hmmm. Father’s Day is approaching and we will be near Defenders where I bought him this one many years ago.

Pulling into San Carlos as the sun was setting felt great. The anchorage is well protected, we were exhausted, we anchored around many boats we have met over the past few months that are preparing to haul out too. So here we are, the end of our freshman year as cruisers is coming to end, bittersweet. We are excited for the next several months to be off the boat-my next blog will give the details of our plans…so stay tuned.

                                            BROKEN MUG FROM OUR CROSSING

                              POUNDING INTO THE WAVES (this was not when it was so bad)

                                                       SUNRISE IN BAHIA CONCEPCION

Cultural Sensitivity

May 9, 2015

We have been in Mexico for almost 6 months and have had the opportunity to gain insight into the plight of language barriers and cultural sensitivity. Since I took 5 years of French, I was not nominated as the main interpreter of our group. John had High School Spanish (over 30 years ago) therefore he was nominated by default. Upon our stay in La Paz, we decided we would take Spanish lessons so we had a National, Sergio, come to the boat 3x week for 2 hours each session. Our brains were so fatigued after the sessions. John’s Spanish improved and was able to pull his prior knowledge that had been dormant in the recesses of his brain back to the forefront. Journey and I got a good a spring board and could understand more than we could converse. 

As we travelled throughout Mexico we have had to buy groceries, ask for directions, ask for bus/transportation information, and general conversational needs. Whilst John has been able to be our main communicator, we have all tried to use the limited mastery of the language that we have to improve our skills. 

Simple tasks such as ordering a meal at a restaurant can be done in English, but we have felt that we are in a Spanish speaking country therefore we should at least try and use our skills. We have found the people of Mexico to be extremely patient with us. Many will try and use their English and we have to ask them to stop so we can learn Spanish. Once they know we are interested in learning the opportunity then lends itself to a “free” lesson. We have had these in shops, markets, and restaurants.  We have had several opportunities to help some improve their English while they help us with our Spanish-all done with smiles and laughter as we make strange sounds from our mouths that are supposed to formulate words that seem to sing off the lips of our teachers.

I think about the immigrants who come to the United States. Are they greeted with kindness when they are trying to assimilate? I could not say for certain that they would be. My maternal grandfather immigrated from the Ukraine as a young boy with his parents to New York-none of them spoke English. My grandfather learned on the streets of New York and in school but his parents struggled. I have gained greater sensitivity to the plight of those who are not only struggling to learn the language of their new home, but trying to complete the work of navigating around their community, shopping, and adhering to government rules/paperwork that is not in one’s native language. 

We will continue our slow progress towards learning Spanish and I am completely thankful to the people of Mexico that we have met that have encouraged and taught us. It is not only the “gift” of language that I am receiving but the “gift” of sensitivity towards those barriers that may hinder someone’s ability to communicate.

In Search of the Holy Grail

Many cruisers are in search of something albeit a secluded anchorage, a great marina, titillating snorkeling/scuba..you get the picture. For us, it is kids. We still hold those previous for mentioned "pearls" but traveling with a teen on board has shifted our focus towards finding kids. After 6 months of virtually no kids (we have had a few..thank you mv Adagio and sv the Vortex) but it just didn't seem enough. Having an almost 14 year old girl who craves social interactions (other than her parents) has put us on the quest for the Holy Grail. Fortunately, due to the nature of many other boaters whose maturity is equal to that of young teens (thank you sv Kialoa, sv The Red Thread, sv Naoma, sv Luna) she at least has had intermittent opportunities to play games, be goofy and enjoy some great laughs and teasing. It also brought up some conversations that (pardon the sexism) men at 20,30,40, and 50 are still 13 in so many ways.
We found the Grail at Paradise Village in Nuev
o Vallarta and we have loved having our girl thriving as she navigates the social schedule that she so craves. I have even let school slide a bit so that she can go to the pool earlier with her friends and have established a 10pm curfew at night.
We have had to develop and learn as we go as we hadn't dealt with teen parameters too much before we left. For example, communication and checking in to let us know where she is. Since we do not have phones here, she cannot text or call. Option B is carrying a VHF radio and initially she was required to check in every 2 hours. As she proved her ability to be responsible with checking in, we went to every 4 hours and eventually she no longer carried the radio and would just come back at dinner and then at her 10pm curfew. Establishing a curfew was also new for us.
Traveling with a teen on board can have challenges. We find that teens that grow up on a boat may have an easier time adapting than those plucked out of their "typical teen" lifestyle as their lives become misaligned with what they have come to know. Patience and humor is a must-on both sides. We have many discussions about communication and respect when conversing with each other-often in teen land there is only yelling, eye rolling, and doors slamming. It is a privilege to watch this evolution from the former to a more articulate teen who can express her frustrations and desires intelligently.

                                       Mina (sv the Vortex) and Journey at Paradise Village

                                                            Crab races on the beach

                                                    Resort gang at Paradise Village

2/2015 Mazatlan

After a wonderful month in La Paz we sailed across the Sea of Cortez which is about 180nm. We initially went ~10nm outside of La Paz to a beautiful anchorage out of a picture book or stock photo to put on your laptop. We left to travel further south on the Baja side towards Muertos where we spent the night and left before sunrise to sail across towards Mazatlan. We had a beautiful sail and landed 32 hours later. We carefully navigated the very short (a few hundred yards) channel which is also very narrow. For sailors this means lots of surge. Lots of water trying to squeeze through a small space. To add to the excitement, there is a dredger that works the narrow channel as it is an estuary and the silt builds quickly. We radio’d the Port Captain for the status and with a little bit of nail biting we entered the channel, whisked by the dredger, and found an end tie to rest Namaste. We secured all her lines and took in our surroundings of palm trees and resort style ammenities. We were quite excited since my mom was flying in a few days after we arrived so we wanted to explore quickly to get an idea of things to do. 

Mazatlan is a big city which took some adjusting on our part. Buses are readily available and cheap-they even have “tourist” buses that have AC and cost a few pesos more if you chose. The buses go all over the city which is convenient. Our first day out was hot and humid which we were not used to as La Paz was cooler (70’s) and we were experiencing 90% humidity and 80+ degree temperatures. Needless to say, tempers were short as we tried to figure out where to go. We regrouped over lunch.

To make things interesting, Carnival was also starting which means the city becomes a huge party. My mom flew in and we got her checked into the El Cid Marina Resort. She had a great room that looked out towards our boat. Journey moved in for the 2 week visit. 

We settled into a routine, met some great friends at the marina, and had a great visit with mom.

3/13/15 LA CRUZ

We are in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle or affectionately known as La Cruz. Like La Paz, we have heard of this glorious place and have read about it’s legendary cruiser anchorage and easy lifestyle. We arrived after a beautiful ~45 nm sail. Upon entering Banadara’s Bay, a large well gently surfaced in the not to distant as if personally welcoming us. We passed Punta Mita which is an anchorage on the north tip of the Bay for our final 10nm. Shortly after entering the bay, the winds began to pick up in the 20k range, which is fine for us as our boat is heavy. We circled around the anchorage where there was about 25 boats bobbing around. We selected our spot and dropped “the hook.” As usual, once the hook is dropped, we go into “unpacking” mode which means all the things that were stowed can now take their rightful spot in the cabin. 

However, we paused and noted that there was quite a bit of swell as we got knocked from side to side so we waited and watched the other boats hobby horsing wildly about their anchors. We scratched our heads thinking the winds would die down once the sun set but to our dismay, they did not, and instead became even more uncomfortable. We were not in any danger just uncomfortable and unable to drop our dinghy from the davits safely to bring Nanuq to shore. 

We radio’d our friends on sv Astrea who we sailed down the Baja with and were anchored not too far away. They had been in the anchorage for a month so they surely could tell us more information. Speaking with Nate and Natalie, they too were having a challenging evening due to the conditions which they reported were atypical. Phew, since we were beginning to question ourselves and maybe we are just wimpy. Nate’s sister Liz was visiting from PA and was feeling a bit queazy from the rocking and rolling. We managed the night but promptly pulled into Marina Riveria Nayarit for a few days. As it turned out, a large storm was coming in and hung over the bay for several days dropping several inches of rain and winds in the 20-30k range.

Many of the boats in the anchorage also came in for a night or two which helped to validate our decision. 

3/18/15 Small Spaces

Sometimes you just can’t please everyone. Whether on a boat, house, or a camper, there are situations that arise that may come to an impasse. Tension or discourse can be light and easily resolved like dinner options/plans, messiness, or whose turn to do the dishes. Other times, tension can escalate which often can be in a crisis, expectations not realized, or from frustration. Living in small spaces with a teen on board can exacerbate any of these situations to another level. As we morph through this process of cruising, living in a small space, and dealing with the unknown, we find ourselves using these opportunities to use humor (ok, maybe not immediately but soon after) as well as conversing about compromise and flexibility. 

Life is not perfect and learning to accept and rebound from our expectations is an important lesson. Gleaning the gifts in the face of adversity is a challenge but important to hold onto. Journey would tell people that our boat mantra is “The difference between an ordeal or adventure is attitude”. Of course she would say it with Attitude and maybe even an eye roll! It hasn’t always been easy traveling with a young teenager but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We have been able to spend time with her in an invaluable way and watch her gain confidence in a new way. 

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Precious time together