NALU IV

BACK TO MEXICO

2011-02-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

NALU IV and I are headed back to Mexico. I am leaving Long Beach later this week for Puerto Vallarta. The weather looks good during this window of time. The trip will take about 10 days.

Fire in the Sky

2010-09-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Fire in the Sky

2010-09-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

2010-08-31T13:56:00.000-07:00

Back to Long Beach...Left Puerto Vallarta on Aug. 17th. and arrived on Aug. 29th. I will be doing local cruising until further notice.

Back to Paradise Village

2010-06-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's time for me and Nalu IV to head back to Puerto Vallarta. I plan on leaving on Tuesday, 6/22 and arriving at Paradise Village on Saturday, 6/26. with a stop for fuel in Navidad/Barra. The trip is approx. 335 miles by sea. The weather looks good. Their is a storm headed west from Panama at 7 knots and should not be a problem. The winds are predicted w to s/w 10 to 20 knots for the duration according to www.wunderground.com. I will be sailing solo again with my friend Auto Pilot. I hope to take some good pictures for the blog and have moon light.

Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo

2010-06-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

June 2010 in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, pictures say more than I can, here they are...

2010-05-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

2010-05-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

My Friends from Fishers Restaurant in Marina Ixtapa.

Returning to Ixtapa/Zihuataneau

2010-05-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Turning South again in May headed for Marina Ixtapa. To see my friends at "Che Mangiamo" Restaurant and Bar. Miguel and Andrea, Marlon and Rosario, Sofia and Joshua, and many other friends I have met along my way in Mexico.

I plan on leaving Paradise Village, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayruit on May 16 th. and arriving in Ixtapa on May 21 st. The trip is about 330 miles by sea. I want to stop along the way and see Tenacatita again. This is a beautiful bay about 125 miles south of Puerto Vallarta.

Back to Banduras Bay

2010-04-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

La Cruz and Paradise Village Marina, where I visit my friends and Villarta Yacht Club. Which I am a member now #672. It is April and I plan on returning to Ixtapa in May.

Back to Banduras Bay

2010-03-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

I left Extapa on March 8th headed for La Cruz Marina. I stopped in Calita De Campos for the night then on to Barra/Navidad and seen Harry and Sherrie on "Distant Drum" for 4 days then crused to Chamela and met up with Jeff and Nancy on "About Time." The next day I set sail for La Cruz, arriving the next day at 1500. I am now at the marina at slip 7-3.

I will be leaving for Long Beach on April 1st to renew my visa and do taxes, see my family and friends. I then fly back to Puerto Vallarta for the summer.

Cruising With The Jessie's and Friends

2010-02-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Above: Jim, Diana, Francisco, Rocio, Andrea and Miguel.

Jim & Diana Jessie on board Nalu IV Feb. 9th 2010. It's been 7 years since I have seen the Jessies. This is the main reason I went south to Zihuatanejo. The Jessie's are a legend in the sailing world. I have met numerious people who have sailed and raced with them on Nalu IV. They circumnavigated the world two times on Nalu IV and Diana is the author of many sailing books and Jim is a certified yacht serveyor. They now own a 55 foot trawler named, "NALU" and their home port is in San Francisco. Their sailing knowledge has been passed on to hundreds of sailors, maybe thousands, and have also shared their sailing experiences by giving seminars on cruising and racing.

Thank You Jim and Diana.

Zihuatanejo & Ixtapa

2010-02-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Ixtapa to be exact. It's only 8 miles north of Zihuatanejo. It's February 2nd 2010 and we are having scattered showers here. I am told this is not normal for this time of year. El Nino has moved in and is changing the normal weather patterns.

Yesterday was a beautiful warm sunny day with S/W winds 10 to 15 knots. I took my new friends sailing, it was their first time sailing and they loved it. They all work at "Che Mangiamo" Restaurant in Ixtapa Marina. They were: Marlon, Sofia, Josh, Videl, Jessie and Itzel. I took them out in the ocean for a few hours then we anchored at Isla Grande, a island near the marina and to cool off we went swimming. After swimming we had cervesas and lots of good food including "Tiritas". The chef Vidal prepared it right on the boat. My favorite, raw fresh fish cooked in lemon juice with purple onions, garlic, yellow pepper, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. It was fantastic. It was getting close to sunset so we went back to the marina and sat on the boat through the evening. What a beautiful group of people, in fact, most everyone I have met in Mexico have been beautiful people. This is what makes it all worth the trip.

If you happen to visit Ixtapa Marina stop by "Che Mangiamo" Resturant and Bar. They have excellent food and live music.

Bahia Tenacatita

2010-02-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

Tenacatita is about 28 miles south of Chamela. This is a good place to relax and hang out before I take the long trip to Zihuatanejo. Qualchan will not be going that far south, so I will meet up with them on my way back north.

I left on Jan. 24th and made a stop at Manzanillo/Santiago then continued non stop to Zihuatanejo. It took 32 hours and about 187 miles. The wind and seas were favorable and the trip was beautiful.

South To Chamela

2010-01-27T19:59:00.001-08:00

Left Paradise Village on Jan. 16th after a month of the more crouded and busy life style heading for Chamela, about 60 miles south of Banderas Bay. A small fishing village in a well protected bay. The water was crystal clear and at 78 degrees was a fast relief from the hot sun. This was a welcome site after the marina life. After two days we, Qualchan and Nalu IV headed for Tenacatita.

Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

2010-01-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

Paradise Village Hotel and Marina will be Nalu IV and Qualchans home for Christmas and New Years. This is a beautiful Estuary developed into a heaven for boaters and travelers. A Five Star Marina and Hotel with all the emenities you can imagine and then some for a Mexico resort at reasonable prices. Paradise Village Marina is the only certified marina in Mexico. The Vallarta Yacht Club is right in the middle of the marina and gives boaters free access to Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, TV, Showers and Restrooms. The Yacht Club has a Restaurant and Bar providing access to the Internet and much more. The Resort sponsors special events almost every day and night. Their will be a Christmas Dinner at the Yacht Club where the boaters donate gifts for the poor children in the area. Their is a shopping mall next door with Bank, many small shops and a Super Market with many American Brands on the shelf. This is the last complete provisioning stop before traveling south out of the Banduras Bay. Qualchan and Nalu IV plan on heading south around January 5th or 6th. This is a definate stop on our way back to the Sea of Cortez in March.

La Cruz

2010-01-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

La Cruz, (The Cross) is about 30 miles south of Chacala and brings us into Banderas Bay passing the point at La Mita. Qualchan and I stayed for about 4 days touring the town and taking on provisions. We anchored outside the marina in about 20 feet of water in swells breaking on the beach 100 yards away. Their was good surfing here and the water was reasonably clean. We could see small fish swimming below the boats. We both had reservations in Nuevo Vallarta at Paradise Village Marina about 6 miles east on December 15th. This is where we would celebrate Christmas and New Years.

Isla Isabella to Chacala

2010-01-09T12:01:00.001-08:00

Chacala is about 56 miles south east of Isla Isabella. A small village with a population of about 300 people. It has cocconut groves and their are palapas on the beach with restaurants and shops and hotels and a taxi service. We anchored just off the beach near the dingy landing where the pangas were. This was a swell breaking beach where the waves would get 8 to 10 feet with white sand. This is where Omri would leave for San Blas, about 15 miles north.

Chacala

2010-01-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

This village was hit by a hurricane in 2002 and has been rebuilt with the help of Habitat for Humanity. The small village has free WIFI at two of the restaurants and has small shops and laundry. Their is a taxi and bus rervice to Puerto Vallarta and beyond. This is one of the most memorable stops we have been to and want to revisit on our way back north in about March. The people were very friendly and willing to help us when needed. The water was very clear and a good place to swim and snorkel.

Isla Isabella

2010-01-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

This beautiful island is about 60 miles south of Mazatlan. It is home to many birds including the Giant Frigget and Blue Footed Boobies. The island is a dormant volcano and the crater is now a lake in the center of the island. Qualchan and I spent 3 days exploring then we set sail for Chacala, about 30 miles south east.

Mazatlan and Heading South to Isla Isabella

2010-01-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

What a Beautiful Place, depending on where you are at of course. I am at "El Cid Hotel and Marina" on the north side of town.

Qualchan and Nalu IV are planning on leaving on Tuesday, December 1st. for "Isla Isabela" one of our stops on our way to "Puerto Vallarta" in Banderas Bay. I want to be there for Christmas. I will call Jim and Page, Friends I left behind in Long Beach, CA and see if they can meet us their. Jim and Page have a Beautiful CAL-40, "MAGIC II" but could not make the Baja Ha-Ha this year.

California Time vs. Baja Time

2010-01-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's a time warp thing. Everything is beginning to slow down here and has a different meaning. By that, I have more time to shake off the stress. Now that I am on a new journey I have begun to truly relax. I know I can not forget the past or anything I care about. I will have problems to solve but without the fast life stresses that came with the ones I use to know. I am meeting new people who are looking for the same things. I know it is possible and obtainable. This may seem a bit obscure to some but It's happening to me now and I welcome the change. I worked 45 years for this and I hope all of you will see your dreams come true too. I believe we all should have a since of meaning to our lives. If it is only for a moment in time, let it begin.

Words for thought.

km

Los Frailes to Mazatlan

2010-01-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

November 14, 2009

Left Los Frailes at 1000 hours in 10 to 15 knots of wind on a close reach between 7 and 8 knots speed over the water. Their was 3 to 4 foot swells at 12 seconds. I was single handling again for the next 164 miles. The temperature was about 85 degrees and the boat moving very well, cutting through the water with the helm tightened down and taking the lifts and headers like the perfect yacht she is. Their were no other boats in sight, only me, the perfect yacht and the elements of nature. It is a feeling like no other. This is what it's all about.

By sunset the breeze settled between 5 and 10 knots and moved forward to close hauled to keep my course for Mazatlan. I let the boat sail her self and put on a pot of coffee. It was going to be a long night. I seen two freighters pass in front of me that night but were too far off to worry. By sunrise the wind was light, about 5 knots so I fired up the 4-107 so I could make good time about 6 knots. I reached Mazatlon at about 1300 hours the next day, which was Sunday, November 15th; My Mothers Birthday, God Bless Her.

Running on pure adrenalin, looking for a place to anchor so I could get some sleep, I went to the main harbor, just around the Light House. The smell was bad and the wind was 1 to 2 knots. Mazatlan Harbor has a processing plant near the Light House, I don't know what they process but it smelled like Bird Rock at the Isthmas in Catalina Island. So I turned around and headed north looking for a place to anchor at one of the islands but I could not find a good bottom with sand so I went north to El Sid Marina to find a slip but their were no slips available. I had to go back to the Harbor and anchor for the night in the stink. On my way back I smelled diesel fuel, so I opened the engine compartment door to check it out and their it was, a high pressure fuel line to one of the injectors was leaking and spraying fuel on the engine, I shut the motor down and drifted while tightening the nut, but it did not help stop the leak, so I wrapped it up with a rag and tape to stop the spray and continued to the anchorage area. By then it was dark and I was dead tired. I set the anchor and tried again to fix the fuel line with no success. I left the line loose and crashed out. One or two hours went by and a loud noise like grinding woke me up. My first thought was someone was taking off equipment from the boat. I jumped up, went on deck and saw a flashing yellow light near the bow. It turned out to be a buoy, my anchor had slipped and the boat was adrift toward the rocks. When I went to start the engine, it would not start, then I remembered the line was loose. I grabbed the wrench and tightened the nut when I heard the boat bottom on the rocks and stop moving. I fired up the engine and looked around with the flash light and put the boat into gear and slowly pulled away from the rocks. As I did I started to raise the anchor as I pulled forward and the boat pulled into deeper water. By now I am wide awake and made sure the anchor was set. Before going back to bed I thought about how I could find another fuel line and get the boat back together running good again. My adrenalin ran out.

I woke up late that morning and started checking the boat. Their were three, about 6 inch scars on the port side a beam, one was a 3/16" gouge where the buoy had hit hard. The other two could be touched up with paint. The fuel line would have to be made or bought new. I dropped the dingy and went ashore and took a cab into town looking for help. It turned out to be a Holiday and the fuel line would have to wait. I new it was going to take time to get the boat sea worthy again so I tried not to worry about it and took a cab to El Cid and try again to get a slip. It turned out one came available that morning so I reserved it for the next day.

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009
Shit... I just spent over a hour adding to this post and the WIFI was lost. I lost everything I wrote for the last hour plus.

I woke up Tuesday morning and I got the boat ready for El Cid. I started the motor and checked the leak. The rag was soaked and dripping in the pan under the motor. I knew it would fill up so I turned off the bilge pump. I took up anchor and reached El Cid in about 90 minutes, just in time for the high tide. The marina had shallow water and Nalu IV had 8 feet of draft. I pulled into my reserved slip and tied the boat off. Once I settled in I checked into the marina and got my password for WIFI and started arranging for my daughters loan to buy the mobile home and parts and materials to fix the boat. S-W Diesel in Wilmington, CA had the fuel lines after giving my engine number and HP pump number and sending a picture of the broken fuel line. They have a delivery service for Mexico and it should take about 3 to 4 days. I ordered the complete set just in case I break another one. I then E-mailed Philippe at PHD Restoration and asked for some touch-up paint for the hull. This painter is one of the best and did not hesitate to send me everything I will need to fix the hull. Once the important things were done I took a tour of the marina. What a beautiful place. It has two swimming pools and one looks like a natural rock formation with water falls and tunnels and a bar at the pools edge. I began to relax and enjoy the place. I then hired a taxi and went shopping for provisions and a folding two wheel cart to carry the provisions back to the boat, I found the cart at Home Depot.

On Wednesday Qualchan came into the marina, they were yelling Nalu, Nalu as they seen the boat as they passed by. I came out of the cabin and yelled back, Qualchan, Qualchan. I missed these friends of mine and I was very glad to seem them again. We got together and traded stories about while we were separated. We celebrated by going out for dinner and drinks. It turned out Qualchan was able to get WIFI in Los Frailes but not until I left for Mazatlan but their was no cell phone signal so it would not have done me much good to stay.

All is well for now.

Cabo Los Frailes

2010-01-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

Left Puerto Los Cabos for Cabo Los Frailes Nov. 12th. about 30 miles N/E in 5 hours. Light winds and motoring as "Qualchan" was near by. Los Frailes is a small bay with a fishing village and a few Rancho's near the beach. Clear water and abundant sea life all around us.

I left Los Frailes solo and single handed for Mazatlan on Nov. 14th. and at 164 miles it took 28 hours. The wind started at a port close reach at 10 to 15 knots and pushed the boat about 8 knots until sunset. Then the wind moved forward and lightened between 5 and 10 knots. It was a beautiful night with no moon and stars so bright you could see the reflection on the water. Shooting stars were all around and

Cabo San Lucas to Porto Los Cabos

2010-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Only 15 miles N/E of Cabo is a oasis called "Porto Los Cabos." It is beautifully developed from a natural bay and will become a popular spot for travelers in the future, but for now it is secluded and private.

On Thursday, 11/12 we plan on leaving for "Cabo los Frailes," another stop over before leaving for Mazatlan. This will give us a good sailing angle to the main land of Mexico.

Pictures of Cabo to Porto Los Cabos.

Cabo San Lucas

2010-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Arrived in Cabo on November 4th. Everything went very well except we broke a Spinnaker Halyard outside of San Diego and set our spare A-sym on the spare halyard after an hour of retrieving and set-up.

We had 33 knot gusts on the second night, Tuesday, Oct. 27th and a top speed of 14.9 knots. We also had Moon Light all the way and full Moon in Bahia Santa Maria, it was a sight to see and one I will not forget.

Leaving Family and Friends

2010-01-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

Leaving Family and Friends is not a easy thing to do. My dreams and ambitions are nearing their end. What to do, or not. My conscience be a guide. Absence will make me fonder of all good things. Many years of the labor of love. I have been blessed in all I have endured.

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Baja Ha-Ha 2009

2010-01-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Nalu IV and it's crew are intered into the 2009 Rally. We leave San Diego on Oct. 26th for Cabo San Lucas with two stops along the way. Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria.

Crew for Baja Ha-Ha

2010-01-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

NALU IV and a crew of 3 and I are scheduled to do the 2009 "Baja Ha-Ha". Tim Orourke, Dan Marshall, Carol (Cory) Ross and Kent Miller. We leave San Diego on October 26th. Our first stop is "Turtle Bay" then on to "Bajia Santa Maria" ending in "Cabo San Lucas" where the Baja Ha-Ha ends it's journey for 2009 and my crew will return home.

NALU IV History

2010-01-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

NALU IV is a 48' Cutter rig Sloop. Built in 1970 by Chapman and Associates and designed by William Lapworth, Designer of many pacific coast boats and the Cal Boats. NALU IV is a one off, One of a kind. She has won many trophies and has circumnavigated two times by Jim and Diana Jessie, previous owners for 27 years.