October 1997
My name is Meghan Swirski. I have three sisters and one brother. We live on a 40 foot sailboat. My favorite colors are burgundy and blue. I am 5’4″ and I have hazel eyes and brown hair. My favorite movie is The Little Mermaid. I like that movie because of Scuttle, the seagull. He’s really funny!
I’m excited to go cruising because we have been planning this for so long, and now we are finally getting to go! So, that’s a little bit about me.
December 1997
Well, we’ve had many adventures during our experience. The day we saw dolphins was amazing and beautiful. They zipped in and out, and were playing in our bow wave. They were Common Dolphins. I wrote a poem about them:
Dozens of dolphins their gray and white coats diving and jumping in front of our boat.
Gracefully swimming or zipping in and out. Farther away. I can see their spout.
When we got to San Miguel Island, we met a very nice group of people on a boat called, “Liebling.” Their names were Peter, Gary, and Becky. They are really nice! They went to the beach with us at San Miguel Island. The beach at San Miguel was covered with all the shells you could think of. We (Caitie, Bridget, Tracey, and I) attempted to slide down the sand dunes on a plastic bag, but failed miserably. We collected dozens of shells and laid them on the sand. Out of about one hundred shells, we picked around twelve.
Our next stop was Santa Cruz Island. Liebling and our family pulled into a cove called, “Coches Prietas,” which means “Black Pigs.” At that cove, we met another one of our good friends. This man was very nice, entertaining, and “alone.” His name is “Wayne.” He had a 47’ sailboat, named “Moonduster” and he sails is all by himself.
Our next stop was only a day’s sail. We arrived in Oxnard at 5:00pm. We pulled into a dock at a yacht club, called the “Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club.” It was a very nice yacht club. There was a pool, showers, and shore power. We stayed there for two nights. After two nights, we moved to another marina across the estuary. “Anacapa Isle Marina” was its name. That marina had showers, a swimming pool, hot tub, power, water, and a workout room. We got the Cruisers’ Special until the end of November.
In Oxnard, we visited our aunt, uncle, and cousin. Their names are “Nancy, George, and Jennifer.” They live in Los Angeles. So they picked us up and drove us to their house. Later at their house, we had Caitlin’s 12th birthday party. She got many lovely presents and lots of love. She had her birthday dinner, which was very delicious, but for some reason, either the dinner made almost everyone sick.
During that week, we went to Disneyland! Yes, we rented a car and a room in a hotel and had a marvelous time! My favorite ride was Space Mountain. For those of you that haven’t been there, Space Mountain is a roller coaster. It’s in the dark, and it consists of turns and slopes. The only light in the whole ride is the red lights. The other rides I enjoyed a lot were Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain (I went on that ride about five times), and the Storybook Teller. The Matterhorn was closed for repairs when we went…Bummer huh?
After a week or so of resting at Nancy’s house, we headed back to the boat. We spent another week or so in Oxnard at that marina. There, we met a guy, named “Douglas.” He had a 28’ sailboat named “Jessica.” Don’t know why he named it that, but I’m sure he had a good reason.
Catalina Harbor was where we went on our boat next. The cove was very crowded which surprised me a lot. There, we met Mariah, Zac, Kaitlyn, and Sam. We went hiking a little bit. One day, Mariah’s mom took us around on a surfboard. We held onto a water ski handle and laid down on the surfboard. It was fun! The water was warmer than in Alameda. We had to leave Catalina Harbor to head for San Diego.
San Diego was fun! There was a huge pool and a huge hot tub! Also, we met up with Hoptoad (Jeff – 13, Shawn – 10) and Cross (Zac – 12, Kaitlyn – 9, Sam – 8). We had a lot of fun with them. In San Diego, we saw the actual trimaran that was in the movie, “Waterworld.” It was all messed up but we watched the movie to “honor” the boat.
When we crossed the border into Mexico, we had a countdown, and video-taped it too! I got to put up the Mexican flag on the flag halyard. It was an important moment, one my family had been waiting for.
Our first stop in Mexico was Bahia Tortugas, which means “Turtle Bay.” When we came into the bay, there was a storm at sea. The town wasn’t at all like I imagined it. I predicted open markets and many fruit and vegetable stands. These markets and stands would have dry palm tree leaves for roofs. It was only buildings, dirt roads with little and big dogs running around. There were only two doctors in town. Many grocery stores were here in this town. There was the prettiest church in Turtle Bay. The residential area was everywhere. It was a very nice town.
Bahia Santa Maria was so beautiful! The first day we were there, we met Baloo. Monica and Brian were good friends we met in San Diego. We went snorkeling and fishing. My dad caught four barracudas, two groupers, and one rooster fish. We also went boogie boarding and body surfing. Hoptoad was in the bay next to us. Its name was “Bahia Magdelena,” which means “Magdelena Bay.” Our other good friends on Cross passed up and kept going onto Cabo San Lucas.
The sail down to Cabo San Lucas was beautiful. Each sunset (we saw two) was different than the other. After two nights, we finally reached Cabo San Lucas. It was at the time of the sunrise.
On the way in, we saw Tom Cruise’s house and all the millionaires’ homes on the cliffs. Arch Rock, one of the famous things about Cabo, was beautiful! The rocks were very edgy and the water so warm. When we were in the marina, we met up with Hoptoad and Cross. Baloo also came in early that morning. The town was what I expected it to be – big hotels, lots of bars, and open markets.
Customs, immigration, and the Port Captain took a whole day. On other days, Hoptoad and Cross went with Alec, Caitlin, and me to town and we went shopping. Some days, we would go to the beach and boogie board, body surf, and bury each other in the sand.
Cruising has been a wonderful experience for me, but I miss my family and friends. I am having a great time in Cabo, and have had a lovely time in every other place, especially Bahia Santa Maria and San Diego, along with Los Angeles.
February 1998
Hello, and “hi” again! It’s Meghan writing. Since Cabo, we have been so many places! But, the most fun place was the islands north of La Paz.
The first island we visited was Isla Espiritu Sancto. Our first stop was at Caleta Partida. This “little” bay was great for swimming! The water was so clear but it was a little chilly. While we were in this bay, Alec and I walked over the mountain that separated Caleta Partida and another cove. Our friends went one way that took them 45 minutes. But we went a way that took 2-1/2 hours! We saw a lot of cacti and a couple of trees with leaves on them! This hike was an adventure! We saw a long centipede and many lizards…but the thing that amazed me the most was the waterfall. This waterfall didn’t have any water, but it showed us that there were flash floods there. When the hike was over, we spent 20 minutes with our friends (our friends were the reason we hiked) and then had to go home in our dinghy.
After Caleta Partida, our family headed for Los Islotes, an island known for its sea lions. You can swim with them and the fish. We reached this island at 9:05 in the morning and got ready to go snorkeling. I got my wetsuit on and my snorkel gear in the dinghy. Well, the water was really cold at first, but once you were in the water, you forgot all about it!
In the water, the sea lions would swim all around you and play! There were females, males, teenagers, and babies! They were really cute, too! I mean, you could see how they move…They would move their head and abruptly change direction! And their flippers are so quick to change direction! They were doing sommersaults and jumping out of the water. One bad thing happened. A female got a little protective and tried to scare us off by showing her teeth and snapping at us. She never bit though. The sea lions had beady eyes and different coats. There were dark brown, light brown, and spotted coats. They were all unique and had their own “personalities.”
The fish were amazing! Although I’d seen all the kinds of fish at the island at Los Frailes, I still found them really neat. My favorite fish were Angelfish. Those fish never cease to amaze me at all.
There were barnacles and coral growing on the rocks. The coral I saw was orange and white. Caitlin scraped herself on the barnacles, but it did not bleed so she stayed in the water. Starfish clung on the rocks on the bottom of the reefs and on the coral. There was also some kind of plant that was purple, growing on the rocks.
The scenery of the island (Los Islotes) was cool! There were ridges and ledges. The island was covered in bird poop! It looked really funny. Fishermen were in pangas and pangas had tourists in them to go snorkeling. Topless and Mouton Noir, two other sailboats, were there and they had already gone snorkeling. We had a wonderful time and I hope we can do it again.
From Los Islotes, we went to Isla San Francisco. I went to the beach there and went swimming. The water was very clear and blue. It was warmer as I headed into the beach, and the water turned more of a green turquoise color. It was really pretty. There were jellyfish and lots of puffer fish. At the beach the sand was so warm. Although it was mostly shells. It was a softer texture than crushed shells. I could walk on it in bare feet and it wouldn’t hurt. The mountains and ridges were very interesting. They changed colors sometimes (at different heights) and were steep. I imagined the view from on top of the ridge was really pretty. The mountains looked as if you touched them they would fall and crumble at your feet, but when you did touch it, you found you were dreaming.
The nights were fun at beautiful Isla San Francisco. The stars shone very brightly, much more brightly than in Concord, California. They were almost the same constellations as Concord, though. I could see Orion and the Seven Sisters, Venus, but they were so bright and beautiful!
The sail to San Evaristo was bumpy at first. We did catch a fish though. I believe it was a dorado. It was beautifully colored! In San Evaristo, a small village across the bay from Isla San Francisco, the view was also beautiful! The rocks in the northern cove were gray and black. They looked a little like quartz. There was no beach there in the little cove, but the rocks were enough. The water was really murky to go snorkeling, so I didn’t go in. In the southern cove at San Evaristo, the beach was all sand and very soft. The mountains behind the village caught the clouds, that’s how high they were. In the evening shadows, they looked like the Hawaiian mountains, only no vegetation. These mountains were more soft looking than those in Isla San Francisco.
Both Isla San Francisco and San Evaristo were fun (friends and family there) and a learning opportunity. I enjoyed both place very much.
We headed back to La Paz and on the way, we saw Humpback whales! Their flippers were going in the air and they were breaching but they were very far away. They were also flapping their tails and playing around.
Bye
July 1998
I have been in Mazatlan for almost five months. I guess you could say that I live here now. In these five months, we have made new plans, and changed old ones.
For starters, we had to watch our friend come and go. It’s amazing where and how you find your best friends. Some of my best buds I have met here in Mazatlan. Out of all the kids that have come and gone, I have met three of my new best buds. Emily Bowen, on American Flyer, has made me a more outgoing and daring person. Also, she has helped me through some of the roughest times in my life. Maxwell Prophet, on See World, has shown me that you can like someone, and still be friends. And last but not least, Lesley Ward, on the sailing vessel Doran, has made me more open. She also makes me laugh.
Okay, now that my best cruising friends have been introduced, I’ll move on to important events. Just warning you, there’s a lot!
First of all, we have postponed our trip to the South Pacific by a year. But that is kind of obvious, don’t you think? Anyway, this is what happened. We took a short trip to the U.S. to see our friends and family one last time before crossing. When we got back, we found out that it was too late to go. So, we’re here for the summer, and another winter.
Secondly, I just got back from visiting Les and Garrett (Doran) in San Diego. While I was there, we went to the X-Games, swam, hung out, and went shopping. I also saw most of my other friends from cruising. It’s weird, everyone seemed to want to live in San Diego. At the X-Games, the event which had a major effect on me was the snowboarding. I want to snowboard so bad now. Actually, I’ve wanted to try snowboarding for about two years now, but I haven’t gotten a chance yet. All in all, I think my trip to S.D. was really fun!
Over the past months, I have gone to Guadalajara. In Guadalajara, my favorite place was the diner we ate at. No, I’m not serious. My favorite place was the zoo. It was huge!!! My favorite exhibit was the monkeys. I think they are so cute. The way they jump around and swing on the branches. It was an okay trip. I didn’t have a great time because it was a bad time to go. I had very special friends in Mazatlan, including my boyfriend, Ryan, and Emily, and I knew Ryan would be gone when I got back. I didn’t think I would see him again, but I saw him in San Diego.
Stone Island was a very fun trip!! We went with our friends, Chris and Barbara, and Jerry and Kathy. We ate lunch, talked and talked. After lunch, some of us went horse back riding, including me. It was the first time I had been on a horse that I could do anything with. So, I galloped along the shore, just in the water. You know, like you see in the movies? It was really cool. We were all hot after being on a horse for an hour, so we decided to bodysurf for a little while in the break water. That day was a fun experience!
Currently, there is a mercado in downtown Mazatlan, which has made quite an impression on me. I have only been there once, but I learned a lot that day. This mercado sells just about anything. You name it, they got it. They have a meat section, produce, clothing, wallets, watches, baked goods, and anything else you can thing of. The meat section smelled extremely bad, and I almost threw up. But the rest of the mercado smelled okay. It was kind of weird though.
The beaches here in Mazatlan are absolutely breath taking! The water is very warm, and the waves are somewhat large. I only went to the beach with all my friends. When we went, we had a blast!! Most of my guy friends (they are gone now) are surfers, and I just loved to watch them surf. I think the best surfers, out of all of the guys, are Ryan and Trevor. They have been surfing for a long time, and take on any wave that comes their way. I really loved to watch them. Another surfer occasionally let me use his board. I can stand up and surf, but only in the white water. I also get some of my best tanning done at the beach!!
In the summer, Mazatlan is very hot and humid. Right now, during the day it is 95-100 degrees F, and at night it’s worse. It rains almost every night here, but even though it seems bad, it cools us off. Only if we’re outside though. The boat has to be locked up at night, which makes it very hot down below.
I spend my days in Mazatlan doing school work, swimming at really cool pools, and hanging out at the boat. I plan on going to the water park soon, and seeing the motion picture “City of Angels.”
Thanks for looking me up, and stay tuned for more. . .
November 1998
I know it’s been a few months since I’ve written, but I’ve been pretty busy. I just got finished with an awesome R.V. trip!! It was so fun… but I’m glad to be back. Basically, my family and I went around the U.S. in a huge circle. We started in San Rafael, California, and headed up on I-1. It was a pretty drive, but there were many sharp turns. In the end, we ended up on I-101, which was absolutely straight.
I guess I’d better write about my favorite places, huh? Well, the first place I really enjoyed was Seattle, Washington. We spent a night with our friends from Mexico, Monica and Brian Johnson. Monica is pregnant and expecting in December. She wasn’t too big then (September), but I bet she’s pretty big by now. I can’t wait to see the baby down in Mexico this year. We spent our evening with them talking about past times in Mexico and what we’ve been doing the last six months.
The day after Seattle, WA, we drove up to Chilliwack, BC with Monica and Brian. We visited our friends from Mexico up there too. Josh, Leslie, Zac, Kaitlyn, and Sam Waddington live up there, and we spent the weekend with them. We rode bikes everywhere, put make up on each other and we visited. One funny thing that took place in the Waddington’s backyard was “dawn patrol.” Approximately 50 dairy cows would walk by their house every morning. It was a funny sight!! :0)
Now I’m going to skip to Montreal, Quebec. The buildings in Montreal were very old. They had arches and columns and made from stone. The cathedrals were old too, but they had been redone. In one cathedral, we saw one of the most difficult architectural designs I’ve ever seen. The design was a dome with arches all around it and then another dome. One cathedral was dimly lit, while the other was a bright as daylight. In Montreal, there was an underground shopping mall. Two floors were underground and three were above ground. I think it’s the largest mall I’ve ever been. The mall had a few stores I’ve seen in U.S. malls, but most were new to me. They were all very fun to look in, but I bought few things.
The next place I really enjoyed was Washington D.C. It wasn’t busy like New York City, and the city seemed to be peaceful (although our laws and decisions are made in various buildings in D.C.) and quiet. Maybe it was because everyone that worked there were in their offices. I’ll give you an overall of what we saw. There’s just too much to write in detail: Lincoln Memorial, the White House, the Capitol Building, The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Holocaust Museum, the Supreme Court, and many others. An interesting thing about D.C. is the metro. I think we had the hang of it by the time we left D.C. We were there for five days. It was really fun and I think I learned the most there.
I also liked Chandler, AZ. We visited some of our friends there too. They are also our friends from Mexico: Monte, Maureen, Dana, and Lexi Berget. While I was there, I saw “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” hung out with Dana’s friends, ate out, spent time just talking, and cruised around in Dana’s car. We also went to the mall and Dana’s church. We stayed the weekend and sadly left on Tuesday. We had a really good time, though.
So now I’m in Los Angeles, CA, having a great time hanging out at my Aunt’s house and visiting the malls. I am doing school though. The R.V. trip was really fun, but I wouldn’t want to go again for a while. The R.V. got to me.
Well, that’s my web page update. Thanks for looking me up and keep doing it because I’m going to write another one soon. C-ya… :0)
March 1999
My family and I spent two more weeks in Mazatlan after our RV trip before leaving.
While we were there, I met a girl from a boat called “Christina.” Her name is “Cynthia.” She is moving to Costa Rica with her mom and friend. Cynthia and I hung out in town and at the marina. Alec, Cynthia and I went to the beach a couple of times also. The town was our favorite place, though. In town, we just saw movies and walked around. I met another girl from Canada while we were in Mazatlan. Joey Riczu was staying in a house with her dad. She was really easy-going. Joey and I only knew each other for one day, but it felt like a long time.
We finally left Mazatlan on December 14, 1998. We had decided to do an overnight to Matenchen Bay and skip Isla Isabella. In Matenchen Bay, we didn’t go on land because we weren’t checked in. There is a huge beach in this bay, so if you have a surfboard and you’re good, I suggest you go to San Blas (Matechen Bay) to surf.
Our next stop before Puerto Vallarta was Chacala. Chacala was a cute little anchorage. Shadowfox arrived at mid-day, so we had time to relax and have drinks with our friends on “Tortuga.” We stayed two nights in Chacala.
We didn’t want to go directly in Puerto Vallarta (PV), so we spent a night in an anchorage in Banderas Bay. “La Cruz” is the name of the anchorage. There is a nice little town there and it’s a pretty flat anchorage. When we were in La Cruz, we re-united with our friends from last year. Shaun, Diane and Randy on “Cuckoo’s Nest” greeted us warmly and later that night, Alec, Cate and I went over to Shaun’s boat and watched a movie. After the movie we had time to talk, so we caught up on everything that had happened in the past year. It was really fun.
Shaun Welters is 16, and is from Canada. Their plans are to go to Hawaii this year and back up to Victoria, B.C., this fall. Their boat is 50 feet long and really tall. It has lots of room down below too. I mean, his room is twice the size of mine! And he complains that it’s too small.
I didn’t enjoy PV much, so I’ll just give you a quick description of what it’s like. It is very touristy and kind of run-down. It’s an older city than Mazatlan and more complicated. While we were in PV, I met Kelsey Maggiora on a boat called “Ca Du Re.” We were good friends and had lots of fun walking in town even though I hate it. She made it fun, I guess.
Christmas and New Year’s in Puerto Vallarta were hectic, but filled with fun and surprises. We had party after party and lots of dinners out with friends. I stayed up really late for about three weeks because of all the stuff that was going on. I think the earliest I got to bed was midnight. Dancing was a major part of my Christmas vacation. On New Year’s Eve, the streets were packed with people and all the restaurants were so crowded. It was really hectic.
Leaving Puerto Vallarta was no hassle for me since I hadn’t enjoyed the town much. We left January 21, 1999, at around 5:30 am. We rounded Cabo Corrientes and headed toward Ipala, which was our first stop.
Ipala was very tiny and cute. I think the town had 15 families or so. The cove was pretty, the water was clear and warm. While we were there, these two boys came to our boat and asked for pencils and paper for their school. We stayed in Ipala for one night.
Chamela was our next stop. We had to get up early because it was 50-odd miles to Chamela from Ipala. When you enter Chamela, there are these islands that are really pretty and I bet the view from up there would be pretty. You’d be able to see the water depth changes and reefs. The islands are also supposed to have great snorkeling and spear fishing. Maybe I’ll check it out on our way back up. We anchored in the north anchorage, which was flat at the time. We stayed one night.
The next day we had southwest winds that were 20-30 knots. You can just imagine the sea conditions. That day we traveled to Tenacatita. Boy, do I have a lot to tell you about this place.
Tenacatita is an open but protected cove. It is fairly large and can fit twenty boats easily. We got in and dropped anchor. Little did we know that our friends would be there to greet us. Bridget and Tracey’s friends, Kathryn and Kanoa, were waiting for them. We spent four days in Tenacatita. I bet you’re wondering what we did. Yep- four days is a long time to stay in an anchorage. We went to the beach and body surfed, swam from boat to boat a lot, had a little party or two, visited the resort that was there, tried to snorkel, had friends over and all that good stuff.
While in Tenacatita, I met two kids on a boat called, “Marara.” Corey and Rachel Kimble are so nice!! We hung out everywhere together. They are from Ventura, where Max and Trevor Prophet live. Rachel is quiet but really easy to talk to and Corey is just cute. He’s really sweet and funny. I was sad to leave Tenacatita because I enjoyed it so much, but Shaun was waiting for us in Barra de Navidad.
Barra de Navidad (Barra) was fun but I got tired of it. I think we stayed too long there. In Barra, there’s a town and a hotel. The Grand Bay Hotel has one three-level pool with slides and a bar and two other pools on different floors. My favorite place in the hotel was the tenth floor. We (Shaun, Cate, Alec, and me) hung out on the tenth floor almost everyday. We just talked and rested up there. The lounge was really comfortable. Every night I was up late, either in Barra at the Sunset Bar or up on the tenth floor. The town is tiny and friendly. I don’t think you can get lost there. It’s too small and if you do get lost, everyone helps you to find out where you want to go. There’s also really good surfing in Barra. Shaun went surfing almost everyday. I think it’s a priority for him.
After two weeks of Barra, we left to start going up north. Tenacatita was our first stop. This time we stayed five days. Most nights, Cate and Alec and I would go over to Shaun’s boat and watch movies and then talk. I thought it was fun but others would get bored. In Tenacatita, I went on the jungle ride this time. I wanted to save it for the way up so I would have something to do that was different from before.
The jungle ride was great!!!! It’s really exciting because you never know what’s going to be around the next corner. We had a close-encounter with a jet-ski and almost spun out once. On my second trip up the river, I went to the beach at the other end. There were a few palapas and I had a drink.
We talked my dad into staying with Cuckoo’s Nest and going back down to Barra for a few days and then heading up to PV. Caitlin, my dad and I got up at 5:30am and boarded Cuckoo’s Nest at 7:00am. Shaun wasn’t up yet, so I got to watch him wake up. It’s hilarious!! When Diane turned on the engine, Shaun slammed his door shut. When Diane asked who wanted coffee, Shaun’s like, “Make me a pot!” and kind of slides out of bed. Then, as he’s heading for the coffee, he slures, “Excuse me,” to me. He takes his coffee, goes back in his room and turns the music up really loud. A half an hour later, he’s awake and ready.
We had some bad luck that morning. Cuckoo’s Nest blew a seal in its transmission, so they had no engine. We put up the spinaker first, then the jib, main, and mizzen sails. My mom brought our big boat out and we transferred fuel and bodies (Cate, my Dad, and me) to our boat. Shadowfox headed to Barra and Cuckoo’s Nest headed for Puerto Vallarta to work on their engine. The day was Thursday.
We were in Barra de Navidad until Sunday, then we sailed up to Chamela. Déjà Vu was in Chamela waiting for us. We visited the islands in the Bay of Chamela. They were just as I described them to be before. This time, we spent one night in Chamela and two days. We stayed longer because, when we talked to Cuckoo’s Nest, they were sailing at six knots with 45 knot winds, and said not to head up this way.
So on Sunday night, at 9:15, we pulled up anchor and headed to Ipala. My dad and I took the 9:00-12:00 watch. The conditions weren’t the best and were a little uncomfortable. For a while I thought we would turn around and try again the next day, but I was wrong. I really didn’t want to turn around because I was worried about Cuckoo’s Nest and wanted to get up to them.
When I woke up on Monday, I was surprised to see we were still sailing. My mom told me that we had skipped Ipala because a south wind came up and sent swells into Ipala. Ipala wasn’t protected from south winds and swells, so we would have been really uncomfortable there. We were about ten miles south of Cuckoo’s Nest, too. It’s amazing how slow you go without an engine. They had left five days before and they were just getting into Banderas Bay. Shadowfox arrived in La Cruz at about 2:00 in the afternoon. When we were heading across the bay, we had 20 knots of wind on our beam. We had our engine off and were going eight knots over ground. We were screamin’!! It was so fun – I love going fast.
The next day, at 4:30pm, we headed into PV to get our boat hauled out the next day. Cuckoo’s Nest had left a half an hour before us, sailing at 6.3 knots over ground. We were going 7.8 knots and caught up to them just in time to help them anchor in the Entrada. After that, we pulled into our slip and rested.
We plan to leave for the South Pacific on March 23, 1999. I’ll write more when I have time…
CIAO
May 1999
Well, since we got back from Bahia de Navidad, I’ve been hanging out at the clubs, going surfing (yup-you heard me right SURFING) and having a really good time.
On Easter Sunday I woke up to a warm sunny day and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. After breakfast, Shaun(Cuckoo’s Nest) and I went out to Punta de Mita on a bus and went surfing and scurfing for the whole day. That was the last day that I saw him. He is now going up to Canada. I am hoping to see him sometime this summer.
So, basically I’ve been having lots of fun. Now to get to the more important topics of my up-date: The crossing “West.”
As a family we have chosen not to go to the South Pacific. Let me describe briefly our two attempts at going “west.”
Our first attempt was on April 6,1999. I was really hyped about going, you know? I remember saying, “Let’s go! Let’s just do it.” On our first night out, we turned around. I was really disappointed because I thought that we would never turn around. But there is always a reason for things. I am glad that we turned around now because I met some really cool people from Canada, Michigan, Wisconsin, and California. Really quick I want to say “hi” to Scott from Santa Rosa, California, and Pete and Brian from Michigan.
Getting back to the crossing. On the second attempt, we went to Punta de Mita first for one night. We probably should have just left and not gone to Mita. It was hard for me to be at Punta de Mita and have to stay on the boat. The surfing is so nice there and I wish I could have gone surfing. The second attempt was really awful. We had rough weather and confused seas that were up to eight feet. We turned around in the beginning of the third night. We were out about 250 miles, so we spent around five days at sea.
My feelings about not going west are mixed. On our first try across the Paific Ocean, I was sad but relieved. The idea of crossing an ocean really scares me. The second time we tried to cross, I didn’t want to cross, so I was relieved again. The reason I didn’t want to cross was because we had our chance the first time and backed out. After the first attempt, I didn’t care either way. If we went GREAT! If we didn’t that’s fine, also. I am really easy-going about the decision and right now I am just practicing on being an “angel”, for my parent’s sake.
I am looking forward to maybe another season here in Mexico, and a summer up north in the States somewhere. I am also looking forward to going up into the Sea of Cortez again and being able to swim with the sea-lions. I’m basically looking forward to whatever comes along. I am very open right now. I am open to whatever the future will bring.
October 1999
Well, it’s been several months hasn’t it? I’m going to have a lot to write about, so get ready! Sigh, here I go…
We left Puerto Vallarta for Mazatlan(Maz.) in late April. When we arrived in Maz., lots of people welcomed us there. We were wondering about our friends Monica and Brian on Baloo. They had said that they would be arriving in Maz. at about this time. Well, it turned out that while we were tying the dock lines, they were getting out of a cab and heading down to their boat! We ran to meet them and their baby, Peter. He’s six months old and so cute!
Baloo and we provisioned and shopped together for about a week. Staying there a week was good because Megan on a boat called Angela was at Maz. and we became really good friends. Megan and I went to the mall and went to Throny’s Surf Burger. The burger place is the best anywhere. I’d go to Maz. just to have those burgers. In any case, Maz. was really fun.
Sailing to La Paz couldn’t have been any better! Last year on our crossing from La Paz to Maz. we got in a terrible storm, but this time it was such smooth sailing! We had about 20 knots of wind and no seas. The passage also had clear skies and the brightest stars ever! The passage was supposed to take 48 hours, but we did the passage in 36 hours. That meant only one night at sea. We arrived at our cove just as the sun was setting and the wind was really picking up. The next morning we both headed into La Paz.
We pulled into a slip at Marina Palmira. They had room for Baloo also, so we both got very nice slips. Our friends on Fairwind were also in Marina Palmira, so my parents were over there a lot. In La Paz last year, I didn’t have any fun. This year, it was the opposite. I met three kids in La Paz. Natalie on the boat Night Owl, Tyler on the boat Cirrus, and Jason that lived in La Paz. Natalie and Jason were together, so I was usually at Nat’s boat or Jason’s house. My friends and I had fun walking around in La Paz. This time was so much more fun than last year.
The islands north of La Paz were the same as last year, but were really fun. The water was really warm, and the heat wasn’t unbearable yet. At Isla San Francisco, we took a hike one morning up the mountain to get some pictures. The view was gorgeous! I will never forget the water coloring and the how clear the mountains were of smog. It’s definitely something you should see. The water coloring is especially beautiful.
The next stop on our map was Agua Verde, meaning “green water.” The water was so clear and from high up, the water looked green. So I guess that’s why the explorers named the anchorage Agua Verde. I loved snorkeling and swimming at this stop because the water was the perfect temperature and cooled you off when you got too hot on the boat. I must have gone in the water there at least five times a day. At Agua Verde, there was a little fishing village. We went to the village one day to get some groceries. The women were very friendly, and told us where the store was. The kids in the village were very shy, but very curious. They followed us all the way to the store and back. The men were out fishing, so we didn’t meet them. A funny thing about the village was how the animals were all over the place. Mostly it was goats, but sometimes we saw a chicken, dog or hog. What a funny sight! The rumor of the town was that there was this woman that made great tortillas. We spotted her house and ordered about thirty of the tortillas. I ate three before getting back to the boat. The tortillas had sugar in them, so they were sweet, and I hadn’t had sugar in a while, so this was like a mid-day dessert. They were so good!
Mom and Dad had their 21st anniversary at Agua Verde. It was such a fun day! We had a little party and they had a floating bar of champagne They were so good!
Mom and Dad had their 22nd anniversary at Agua Verde. It was such a fun day! We had a little party and they had a floating bar of champagne in the water. And also, a couple days later, the other boats brought by a bottle of champagne. They had heard that an anniversary had taken place a couple days ago, so they wanted to celebrate too! It was really nice of them.
One night in Agua Verde, we had a party on the beach. I think about seven different boats showed. It was a quiet, but cool party. I loved watching Peter play in the water. He’s so cute! We built a bonfire and cooked some fish on sticks. I had never done that so it was something new.
Puerto Escondido was our next stop on the map. This place had the most narrow entrance I had ever seen. It must have been only 25-30 feet across and only 12 feet deep throughout the whole entrance. It was a little scary trying to get through, but once through, we had another problem on our hands. Where do we anchor??! We putted around for a few minutes trying to decide, and found a cozy spot where Baloo could be close. By this time, we were in desperate need of groceries, so my dad and I went into “town” with Moinca, Brian and Peter. The town was actually just an RV park. We lugged all of the groceries back to the boat(mile walk or so), and unpacked. It was hard work in the awful heat, but it was worth every minute of pain. We had soda again!!!
By this time, we had been away from any real civilization for at least two weeks, if not three. I was loving every day of it. There was so much to do out on the boat. I would do boat work, swim most of the time, of course I had to do school and I was also learning a lot about the navigation tools and plotting points. Whenever we were going to put up a sail, I had to be on deck. For me, putting up a sail is a big responsibility. And I love watching the spinnaker fill out every time we put it up.
Honeymoon Cove was the next stop we went. None of us enjoyed Puerto Escondido that much, so we got out of there pretty quick. Honeymoon Cove was the place where Baloo and Shadowfox rafted up together. I thought it was really fun because we could see each other whenever we wanted, and we didn’t have to hop in the dingy to each other’s boats. We stayed at this cove for three nights, I think.
Our next stop on the map was Bahia Balandra. This was the cove where I met Kevin on the boat Well Deserved. Kevin is an only child and lives on a huge power boat. He also has lots of surfboards, a wake board and a knee board. So you can guess what we did… that’s right, I learned how to wake board and knee board. Kevin taught me how to do a 360 on the knee board in only two days. I loved riding that board, that is until I tried wake boarding… In this cove, I had so much fun because Kevin was there. He also picked this one movie to watch called Point Break. I think it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
Loreto was the first real town we visited since we left La Paz. We had to anchor our boat and take our dingy in to a dock. Loreto was a very nice, clean town with lots to see. Everywhere I turned, there was something new. We walked around town for a while and did our e-mail, and then we had lunch. Lunch is a funny story. Normally grilled cheese means a melted cheese sandwich, right? Well, that’s what we thought too. Tracey ordered grilled cheese and twenty minutes later, she received a plate of melted cheese. It was so funny! I couldn’t stop laughing for like, five minutes. I can’t remember what I had for lunch, so I’ll get on with the next stop…
That would be Isla Coronado. The water here was so much cooler than any other place we’d been to. Thinking about it now, I don’t know how I even set foot in that water! Kevin and I had not gotten the chance to use the wake board at Bahia Balandra, so we tested it out here. I got up really early, because we had to ride the board before the wind picked up. So at 8:00am I was taken to his boat to learn how to wake board. Kevin told me that he’d been trying to get up on the wake board for a year and a half, so it was okay if I didn’t get up that day. Ha, I got up on the fourth try! I love to wake board. But the wipe outs can be harsh. Well, it hurts to smack your ribs on water from five feet up going 15mph. But it was well worth it because I had a really good time. I was just sore for the next week.
San Juanico’s water was the same temperature as Isla Coronado’s. I think you can tell I didn’t get into the water. In San Juanico, a few of us hiked up this hill to see another anchorage on the north side. At the base of the hill we hiked, there was a cruiser’s shrine. Every boat that passed through San Juanico left a reminder. The reminders varied to just about anything, but the best was this huge bra. It had a funny saying on it. You should go and check it out.
On my birthday, the anchorage got really rough, so we had to move to the north anchorage. It was a pretty lousy birthday, but anyway. I got my presents and Bridget baked me a cake, but I again had no friends to invite. Kevin had left the day before because the water was too cold for his mom and dad. But he called me on the radio to say happy birthday. In the north anchorage, I met a guy named Anthony on a boat called Dolly. I had seen his boat in Barra de Navidad, but never seen him. He was cool and I went inner tubing with him one afternoon. That anchorage was a very calm one and I slept like a baby.
On our sail to Bahia Concepcion, we decided to fly our other spinnaker. In Bahia Balandra, we had tested it and put it in its sock, but we’d never actually flown it. We’d had it for two years, but always flew our red, black, orange and yellow one. This was very exiting. This spinnaker is HUGE!!!! We flew it for an hour straight. I think that is one of the longest spinnaker runs we’ve ever had. This spinnaker is purple, yellow and white. I like it a lot, but it’s too hard to decide between the two. When we flew the spinnaker, we were going 8 knots, and dolphins were playing in our bow wave. They were really playful, jumping out of the water and slapping their bodies back into the water over and over again.
At Bahia Concepcion, we caught up to Fairwind. One day, Fairwind took Baloo and us claming. I think we got about 400 clams! It was so funny to see all of these legs flailing in the air, trying to dig out a clam. So, for the next four lunches, we had clams. We let most of the clams go because we couldn’t eat anymore. We also got sick of them I think. The water in Bahia Concepcion was way too warm. You couldn’t cool off from the heat of the air, that’s how warm it was. It was awful because the weather was really warming up and we needed to cool off. The only time I was cool in Bahia Concepcion was at night. I slept on deck because it was unbearable down below and it was actually cool. It was comfortable too. But as soon as the sun came up in the morning the deck got too hot and I had to get off of the deck.
In this anchorage, Fairwind also took us on a little hike early in the morning. We went to look at petroglyphs and this one rock called Bell Rock. Bell Rock is a rock that sounds exactly like a church bell when you bang another object on it. It was a fun, but tiring fieldtrip.
We were supposed to go to this little cove after Bahia Concepcion, but the weather was so bad that we spent the whole day trying to get to Santa Rosalia. Once there, we went into the marina and crashed. We were so tired from the crossing. That day, I had decided that I was going to go with Baloo instead of Shadowfox. We were screaming through the water. That boat is a race boat, so we were going around 12 knots or so. The waves were so big and sloppy and the boat just kept rocking from one side to the other. The only good thing about the trip was when we went down wind. We were going with the waves, so it was smooth sailing then.
At Santa Rosalia, I met a girl named Solana Kenler. We walked around town and got ice cream one day. But mostly we stayed near the marina. The town was mostly built out of wood. Years before the town was a mining town. I went to a museum about it. I saw old tools and record books of the mine, but the best thing in the museum was the old switchboard. I must have sat in front of that thing for a half an hour. It was so neat!
I think after about a week at the marina, we went out to Isla San Marcos. Our friends on Tortuga and Party Animal were there, so we saw them. We spent our Fourth of July there too. We had a huge party on Tortuga and after we went to the beach and lit sparklers off in the sand.
On July 5th, at 4:00am, we pulled up anchor and headed for San Carlos. A huge group of us left that morning. There must have been seven boats on our course that day. I thought it was a good sail. We saw dorado chasing each other and we got a nice and cool rinse off. Yep, it rained on us, but it felt really good.
When we got to San Carlos, we had one thing on our minds: “I want out of this heat!” Baloo had the same thought I think. So for the next week and a half, we prepared the boat to leave it for a few months. During this time, my dad went up to Tucson, AZ and bought a van. He did the trip in three days. Two days later, we were out of there. Of course, we visited Dana and Lex in Chandler, AZ. They were happy to see us and we had a good time there.
Next we drove through some states I didn’t really like: Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. No offense to anyone who lives in any of these states. I think my problem is that I was spoiled in California for thirteen years, so now these states don’t live up to my “CA standards.” So I apologize to all of you from any of those states, but you don’t know what you’re missing.
The Grand Tetons were covered in snow and very large. I was actually scared that there was going to be an avalanche. But Yellowstone Park was a real disappointment. It was burned and there were no trees. Even the geyser was disappointing, but oh well.
Get ready! I’m writing about Canada again!!! I won’t go crazy because I already did that a year ago. We went to Banff again and went to Lake Louise. Also, we went to the Grizzly House, went shopping and wandered the town. It was fun though… it is different every time I go.
We drove through Kamloops and saw a really bad movie. Then we moved into the BC. We saw Monica, Brian and Peter in Seattle, WA one night and then drove to Port Angeles. From there we took the ferry to Victoria, BC. Shaun, Randy and Diane live there now, so we went to see them. That was really fun. We did so many things in five days, it was unbelievable. I can remember going miniature golfing a couple of times and driving around in Shaun’s car before it broke down. It was a fun visit, that’s all I can say.
Back in Port Angeles, we hung around just outside the town for five days. My parents are looking into a business there, maybe. We also looked at some houses, but nothing really hit us. It’s a possibility that we might move up there.
We drove down the west coast of the USA to get to California. We saw the Washington Rain Forest on the way. I haven’t seen a green like that since Puerto Vallarta. It was so green and bright!
On the Oregon coast, we stopped in Manzanilla for two wonderful nights on the beach. Not really, we just had a beach front hotel room. The pizza was great and the weather wasn’t too cold. The beach was really fun too.
Back in California, we visited both sets of grandparents to some detail. It was fun to sit with the adults and listen to them talk, occasionally joining in. It’s nice to know that I am grown up enough to do that. It’s also scary! Aahhh! I can’t stand it.
I also saw my friends. Deedee and I are still really tight. We’ve known each other since kindergarten, so it’s kind of hard to break up a relationship like that. Mike and I are still tight also, but Kyle and I have drifted I think. I haven’t… I still care, but I think she doesn’t really care and she has her own life now. We’re still good friends, but we’ve definitely drifted.
We left San Francisco to come to Santa Fe, New Mexico and house sit for our friend. On the way I saw Max and Trevor on the boat See World!!! They are in a house now in Ventura, CA though. Max and I are still close. I’m glad too, because he’s really cool. So now I’m in Santa Fe, NM. That is it, believe it or not! I know this update was really long, and thanks for taking the time to read it all. Hope it was interesting!J This will be Meghan, signing out…
JOURNEYS END…REFLECTIONS
June 2000
So how long has it been? I’m guessing longer than it should have been, but I’m here now, writing to you about my life, so listen up and read along…
There are so many memories I have of my childhood in Alameda, CA. There are four memories I will share with you today. The first is the fireworks show on the 4th of July. I remember how we’d dock the boat so we could see them, then get our food and drink up on deck, crawl under a blanket all huddled together and watch the fireworks. I’d always yell out and scream at the big cracks from the fireworks. I looked forward to those fireworks every year.
The second memory is going for dingy rides in the estuary between Alameda and Oakland. I’d strap on my life vest, claim the front of the dingy, and hang on. My hair would fly out behind me, and I’d have the biggest grin on my face. I remember looking back at my dad yelling, “Faster Daddy, faster!” I could have spent four hours out on the water in our dingy, it was so fun.
The third memory I have is when we went to the Delta one summer. The sail up to the delta was so pretty and calm, and when we got there, I headed straight for the water. I can’t believe how much I was in the water. I can remember the frogs croaking at night, keeping my mom awake. And I remember going from my bed in the mornings, directly to the water. I must have eaten 30 oranges, at least in the time we were up there. And I was so tan!
The fourth memory is sailing in the Bay, especially to Treasure Island Cove, Angel Island and Sausalito. I love sailing in the Slot especially. The wind was always strong there, so we got to heel over to one side very far. I also remember flying the spinnaker in the estuary. I could never get sick of sailing now.
I’ll admit it, I do miss a lot of things from my life in California, such as: soccer and other sports, Heather Farms, my dad coming back to my room at 5:30am and telling me it was time to go up to the bathrooms to take my shower, my birthday parties with Round Table Pizza and Baskin Robbins ice cream. I miss sailing on the bay, sleep overs, dancing to music up on deck, the feeling of stubbing my toes on the dock, trick or treating in the marina, and the Christmas parties every year.
But I don’t miss the drive to school every day, the fact that I was half an hour away from my friends, and especially filling those water tanks!
Thinking back on the last two years cruising in Mexico, I’d have to say it has been the most profound experience in my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’ve grown so much mentally and have been exposed to other cultures and ways of life. I’m so open to everything now, and accepting people for whom they are as people, not by how they dress, with whom they hang out or where they live. I am so fortunate to have an experience like this so early in my life. I remember the first four months of cruising, I was complaining non-stop to my parents about how I didn’t want to be there, and everything was stupid. But it finally clicked in my head that this is what was happening to me and I have to accept it. And since then, I’ve had a blast in Mexico. In a way I wish I was in Mexico right now, but then I would be missing everything up here, and I don’t think I’d want that to happen.
My memories from Mexico are embedded in my mind and heart forever. The memory that first pops into my head is riding down the face of my first wave. What a rush! But I remember things like: the islands north of La Paz, swimming with the sea lions, the storms we were in, meeting friends, the two whales that surfaced ten feet from our boat, and the whale shark we saw near Loreto. The three people that are embedded in my memory the most are: Lesley, Shaun, and Samie. I can never forget them or anyone else. Learning how to knee board and wake board are other memories that will stick with me forever.
I’m definitely going to go cruising when I’m older. I’m going to take a couple of my friends down with me as crew, and then when I’m getting ready to cross to the South Pacific, I’ll have my dad fly down so he can crew also. This is all after I buy my Swan 56 (grins)
My life now in Sequim, WA is so different than what my life was like in California. I’m so much older and more mature than I used to be. I’m loving my life though. I’m glad we moved up here because I am enjoying being with my new friends. They are fun people to hang out with. I’d have to say that I am enjoying life up here more than when I lived in California. I’m in Driver’s Education now, and that is exciting! I’m getting my license in late July.
Living in a house is so different than on a boat. It takes forever to get the house clean, and trying to find someone is tricky. But I’m enjoying everything about living up here except the weather. It’s too much of a temperature change from what I grew up in. Home schooling is the same for the rest of the year (which is three days). But next year I am going to go through a program where I go to a high school for a few classes and then going to a continuation school for the rest of them.
Looking ahead- ah yes… I try not to plan things too far in advance, but I know I’m going to Puerto Vallarta next spring break, and I’m hopefully getting a job at the end of the week. I plan to have a fun and eventful summer too.
Well, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed my journal…adios amigos!