After 14 years of living on our boat and a lifetime of planning, we set sail from San Francisco bound for Mexico on October 11, 1997. Our plan is the spend five months cruising Mexico and in March of 1998 sail across the Pacific to Australia. Our planned route is the Marquesas, Tuamotus’, Tahiti, Cooks’, Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia arriving in Brisbane, Australia in November of 1998.
Our ultimate goal is to visit the Mediterranean and Europe where we will take our rig down and travel through the canals.
What happens between now and then is anyone’s guess. We are keeping all our options open and will probably change our routes, destinations and timing throughout the whole voyage. So stay tuned…..
October 1997
Our original plan called for joining in the BAJA HA HA, a cruising rally that departs October 28 from San Diego. With our sons broken arm which delayed our departure nearly a week we decided that we didn’t want to push the schedule and instead enjoy some time cruising down the California coast and Channel Islands. Frankly with the thought of 160 official entries and countless other yachts was making us somewhat apprehensive. I had visions of putting fenders out every night.
Our Bon Voyage party at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda was a great success. Our family really enjoyed the wonderful turnout. We spent the next day just recovering.
We departed the Bay on Monday, October 13th. The day was perfect, with no fog and calm winds. It was a strange feeling seeing all the cars on the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge bumper to bumper and knowing those days were over. As we left the Bay, Kathleen’s father, sister and Alec were at the north tower of the Golden Gate for a final send off and some photo ops. (Alec, our son, did not depart with us as he broke his left arm and wrist a week prior to departure. He has, however, rejoined us two weeks later here, in Los Angeles, and now has a shorter cast and is doing fine.)
Our trip to Half Moon Bay (Pillar Point Harbor) was uneventful. We motor sailed, watching the Golden Gate Bridge towers disappearing behind us. We anchored in the small bay which was calm and the evening was spent quietly reflecting on the day while enjoying a bottle of champagne (you know us!).
We departed the next morning for a 28 hour run to Morro Bay. Again the winds were light and we motor sailed most of the way. It was eerie to hear of John Denver’s death just as we were passing Monterey Bay where he crashed a couple of hours before. We arrived at 12 noon and docked at the Morro Bay Yacht Club (a wonderful “must stop”). We spent a delightful three days walking the town and even took the bus to Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo. This campus is the place where Kathleen and I met while attending Cal Poly so we showed “the girls” where it all started nearly 22 years ago.
We left Morro Bay around 11am for Port San Luis, which is just outside San Luis Obispo. Another motor sail (ugh!) trip that took only 4 hours. Traveling about 2-3 miles off the coast, we passed the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant, which sits forebodingly alone on the water’s edge. We arrived in the late afternoon to an anchorage which was rolling and knew it wouldn’t be a restful night’s sleep. We left the next morning a bit tired for Cojo, an anchorage just around Point Conception (nasty place). This stretch is known for high winds, big seas and fog. Apprehension was the rule of the day as responsibility for the kids set in. We planned for an 8 hour trip and so it was. It started out calm and foggy and ended with 25-30 knots of wind and 8 foot seas which were short and confused but, hey, at least there wasn’t any fog. I have found that the apprehension is a thousand times worse than reality for once you’re “in it”, you have to concentrate better and act upon the situation verses not knowing what may or may not happen. All in all, this leg of the trip was uneventful and Kathleen, I, and the kids were just fine. The children were as resilient as usual, some building with Lego’s, others reading or sleeping, as we rounded Point Conception. We arrived at the anchorage just as the sun was setting and found it to be peaceful, which provided us with a decent night’s sleep.
The next morning, we finally started “cruising” for, as expected, the weather made a dramatic change past Point Conception and the air and water took on a whole new “look and feel”. We departed for the Channel Islands about 20 miles offshore. Dolphins came to play in our bow wave and the girls went nuts with delight (ok Mom and Dad did too!). We spent two nights at a windy but pretty anchorage named Cuyler’s Harbor on San Miguel Island. We played on the beach (big dunes with the softest sand). Here we also connected with the crew on Liebling, a Catalina 36 from Grand Marina, that we met in Alameda right before leaving and again in Morro Bay. Peter, Gary and Becky aboard were also enroute to Mexico for a season. We enjoyed time with these new friends, a delightful group which put a good perspective of what it’s all about!
Next we set out for Santa Cruz Island (our friends on Liebling joined us for this stretch, as they suggested our next anchorage), our first true sail that was six hours of pure heaven at 20-30 knots with 6-8′ seas on our stern quarter. Fun!!!! at eight knots boat speed and no engine. We sailed in the channel between Santa Rosa Island and Santa Cruz Island and enjoyed the scenery on both sides. Halfway along the back side (south side) of Santa Cruz Island, our friends on Liebling guided us to Coches Prietos cove where we stayed for two days. The anchorage was small and we had to put out our stern anchor as there wasn’t enough room to swing around with the three boats that were there. We went on hikes, swam in the now warmer water, shell-collected and had a boat picnic on our foredeck with the crews from the other boats. The water was now so clear you could see the bottom in 25′ depth. The bottom is so clean (sand) that I don’t even have to clean the anchor – not like in SF bay in which we pulled up mainly toxic sludge.
The kids have been great, although we missed our son greatly. The girls never complained and always remained curious about the scenery and ocean life around us. We have all enjoyed scanning the waves for the sea lions and sea otters, and checking the sea temperature daily, watching the temperature climb slowly upwards as we travel further south. The dolphins’ visits, beach combing, and swimming in the surf have been the girls’ highlights, so far. Kathleen and the girls have been working on their Independent Study schooling along the way and, so far, the children are adapting very well. Just as I predicted, Kathleen is a natural at teaching.
All systems have been working fine on the boat and we feel very confident with her and all the things we have installed over the last couple of years. The wind and solar panels are providing 80% of our electrical needs. We even watch movies and use the breadmaker in the evenings with the inverter. What a country!!! The autopilot which is connected to our Global Positioning System (GPS) has been steering flawlessly 99.99% of the time. The SSB is working well and has allowed us to talk to several friends also enroute to Mexico (for those with SSB capabilities we are tuned to 4A at 2200 hours (8 p.m.) San Francisco time and also at 2300 hours (9 p.m.) to KMI (AT&T High Seas Telephone).
We are now off the boat for a few days, probably a whole week, staying in Calabasas, just north of L.A. with Kathleen’s sister. Disneyland, here we come!!!
Our plans are to stay in California (Marina Del Rey next, then Catalina and San Diego) until November 7th or so, then head for Mexico.
December 1997
There is only one thing certain about cruising – “there is nothing certain”. If you have read the previous entry, you may have noticed that we should have already been in Mexico nearly three weeks and yet we are still firmly tied to our dock here in San Diego.
As “chaos” reigns in the universe so too onboard Shadowfox. After spending a delightful few days enjoying the company of Kathleen’s sister and her family and spending two wonderful days at Disneyland without lines, the family decided that we were having just to much fun and proceeded to get a terrible bout of stomach flu which allowed the family to fully appreciate the advantages of domestic facilities. After several days, life seemed to return to normal and so with tearful good-byes we departed for Shadowfox.
As provisioning for the next leg of our journey proceeded, we realized Kathleen had discovered not all was well “within” and developed a nasty cold and sinus infection that lasted a week. We decided to stay at the Channel Islands Harbor. We turned a negative into a positive and enjoyed days of school work, swimming at the marina pool, playing ping pong (at which Alec, Bridget and Tracey become quite proficient) and making frequent trips to the local Blockbuster Video rental store. After all we weren’t on any official timetable and practicing for “siesta” time seemed like the right thing to do.
At that point, we marked our second week of marina life and were eager to set sail. But wait there is more. Mother Nature had decided to send several weather systems our way and so we sat and waited nearly another week before finally departing at 5:30 am on November 13 for Catalina Harbor on the west side of Santa Catalina Island.
The forecast called for partly cloudy conditions with a clearing trend. What we got was rain and a chilly south wind to 15 knots most of the day. It was scheduled to be 12 hour run of 65 miles and we pushed Shadowfox hard to make that timetable as we wanted to arrive before dark. As the day progressed, the weather started to clear from the west. Early afternoon it had cleared enough that the sun was able to dry out both us and the boat. The wind clocked to the west and increased. By two in the afternoon, it was blowing 30 knots gusting to 42 knots with seas building to 8′. We were enjoying the fast ride on a broad reach with jib and mizzen flying. (As we are a ketch rig we find that is the best combination of sail for balancing the boat without sacrificing speed or control.) As we approached Catalina, the seas became very confused and tossed Shadowfox around. Meals that day were basic, noodles in broth, and fruit. The kids spent most of the day below dozing or reading.
We arrived at Catalina Harbor just as the sun was setting behind billowing clouds on the horizon. We found a mooring and were safely secured for what would be a three day stay. The kids continued their schooling in the morning and the balance was spent going ashore and meeting new cruising friends. Tracey, Bridget, and Meghan even got a chance to try surf-skiing thanks to a family we met from Ventura on Delight, whose Mom pulled them behind their dinghy around Cat Harbor. We met another delightful family of five from Canada, on Cross – parents Josh and Leslie, Zac (12), Sam (8) and Kaitlyn (9). We quickly became friends. They are voyaging to Mexico and beyond aboard their 33′ steel ketch so we should be able to keep in touch for sometime. (In fact, they are docked directly behind us here in San Diego along with other cruising friends from Seattle on Hoptoad whom we met in Alameda, and Wayne aboard Moonduster whom we met at Santa Cruz Island.)
We departed Catalina at 7 p.m. for a 15 hour run to San Diego. The winds were light from the northwest so we motorsailed most of the night. At midnight Shadowfox crossed tracks with The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines “Viking Serenade”. They passed 300 yards ahead moving at 5 knots enroute to Long Beach from Ensenada. After a nice chat on the VHF with the officer on watch we said good-bye and watched them slip away north. Sunrise brought warmth and a view of Pt. Lomas, still nearly 20 miles ahead.
We arrived at the Cabrillo Isle Marina, San Diego, early afternoon and were pleased to find several of our new friends already docked. After checking in we were able to enjoy their company and learn about the facilities available. The marina and yachting community is well established and has gone out of their way to make cruisers feel welcome. Some of the services provided were free shuttles to downtown and free shuttle by West Marine to their store. Downwind Marine allows free use of their truck to cruisers on a simple sign up basis.
Thanksgiving was quickly upon us and the local deli had arranged for a potluck feast at their patio where they provided the turkey and smoked ham to nearly 75 people. The cruisers each brought something to share and everyone had a wonderful time.
After the Thanksgiving feast, the talk quickly turned to the next weather window for departure southbound. As the I write this letter, the latest system has moved out and it looks as though we may have a 5 or 6 day window of decent weather to get south 340 miles to Turtle Bay. By the look of things we may have a mini Baja Ha Ha of our own with all the boats that are talking of departing tomorrow.
As the sun shines brightly on our last full day in the United States, we are all a little sad while at the same time excited. Communications with family and conveniences will now become more and more cumbersome. Fuel, water and electricity will all be like gold and be treasured as such. We will finally be putting our watermaker, solar panels, wind generator to daily use as they were intended.
With Christmas just around the corner, we look forward to spending the holiday in Mexico where we know the traditions are strong and commercialism is less a priority. We are already starting to decorate. Shadowfox is into the Christmas spirit. The kids have been drawing reindeer and taping their pictures on the bulkheads. We hope Santa doesn’t get sea sick when he visits this year!
Happy holidays!!!
December 1997
Holiday Greetings from the Swirski Seven!!!
We enjoyed a warm Cabo Christmas (75-80) with cruising friends we met in San Diego…Cross with 3 kids, Hoptoad (they stopped at Gate 11) with 2 kids, Baloo and others. It’s a great group of people.The families enjoyed Christmas Eve Mass which was very traditional and we all spent a quiet Christmas day exchanging gifts and later enjoying a prime rib, mashed potato and fresh corn dinner. (As a footnote, the meat here in Mexico has been lean, very good quality and readily available. The chicken has been especially flavorful and tender.)
We are currently in Cabo at the “new” marina just left at the entrance to the harbor. They have 25 slips here and are just like Gate 11’s. There is a new Pemex diesel station with a dock which is very convenient – diesel price about $1.20 per gallon. The marina is yet not official so officially we are not here. There is no water (bottled water is delivered for $1 US per 5gl.) or electricity but what the heck it’s only $15 per night, regardless of boat size, instead of $46 ($1.15 per foot) per night at the regular marina. That is why we have stayed here for just over a week when our original plan was to get in, get out. We are now re-stocking supplies (everything is available here at good prices as it’s 8 pesos to the dollar) for the trip up to La Paz, with stops at Los Frailes and Muertos which are reported to have good snorkeling.
Our voyage from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas…Wind, Wind, Seas, Seas and oh yes did I mention Wind? We started the leg from San Diego to Turtle Bay (340 miles) midday Dec 3 and enjoyed a gentle sail past the Coronado Islands. The wind stayed N to NE at 15 knots through the night with 3-4′ seas. The ship’s routine was informal and relaxed. Our watch schedule has worked out to be “3 on 3 off” starting around 9pm with me taking the 9-12, Kathleen 12-3 and me 3-6(the kids haven’t really participated yet as it has been rather chilly and rough, but I do expect them to start after Cabo when the temperature will be higher). Since I can’t seem to really let go and sleep soundly, I opt to take two shifts and rest during the day. The hardest thing so far has been meal planning as every day the conditions change with more beam seas than quartering seas. The motion is not ideal for any “grand cuisine”. We manage with soups for lunch, baked chicken with pasta or rice for dinner or maybe canned stew if it’s too rough. And rough it got.The Santa Ana’s arrived with a vengeance the 2nd day out and blew out of the NE. It started out 20 knots and worked up to a steady 30 knots. With 4-5′ seas coming from the shore and 4′ swell from the west you can imagine the washing machine effect that it produced. About 50 miles north of Turtle Bay a front from the SW hit us with a force I have never experienced. The winds blew 30-45 knots, with gusts to 55 knots, and seas build up to 12-16′. With rain and spray now all around us we were offshore west of Cedros Island and trying to reach the safety of Turtle Bay. The seas turned on the beam and we started taking green water over the boat. Several waves attacked us from the starboard quarter and several times a menacing 1-2′ wall of solid water rolled up the deck up and over the dodger (thank God for the strong framework and canvas). As we neglected to turn the cowl vents during the night before and nobody cared to go forward in those conditions we were now getting water funneled down below which reached fire hydrant force. Kathleen and I were exchanging silent looks of fear between us as the kids were enjoying the roller coaster ride. Oh to be young again and have no fear. During that morning we experience two near-knockdowns which put us on our beam. Although the spreaders didn’t quite touch the water it was tough going. Squalls were now coming at us every hour or so. We finally spotted the entrance to Turtle Bay and couldn’t reach it fast enough. As we approached the mile wide entrance yet another squall hit us and visibility went to near zero. The radar was a great help and we were very happy to have gimbaled the mount which allowed a level picture. We radioed ahead to ask about the anchorage and were told that it was blowing 30-40 knots inside with a 3′ chop. It sounded like heaven…
We arrived at noon and dropped the hook in 20 feet of water amidst 15 sailboats and 50 fishing boats. Meghan was such a trooper, all the kids really, by the time we cleaned up the deck area she had the entire boat down below mopped up and clean. It was a great boost as Kathleen and I were exhausted. We made a call via SSB and KMI home and let family know we were safe. For 5 days we stayed and listened to 30+ knot winds. We went into town and enjoyed meeting the local population. Alec had his cast removed at the local hospital ($10 US and only after I insisted as they actually didn’t want any payment). A quick view of life in Mexico – it took us from 8:30am until 4pm to fill the jerry cans for the all the cruisers in the bay at Guidos ($1.20 US/gal) and 25 minutes to get Alec’s cast off (with two xray films for $20 total, with no forms!). A complete opposite from the States.
The winds started to die down and we made a dash of 50 miles to Bahia Asuncion. Mistake!!! About 3 miles out of the harbor the winds picked up again and blew NE 40’s with gusts of 55 knots, yes 55 knots. Since we couldn’t turn around as the wind was coming right from the anchorage, we proceeded on with a double reefed mizzen and 60 sq. ft. of jib with the autopilot steering the entire way. (I must mention that our pilot, an Autohelm 7000 type 2 Hydraulic, has been absolutely fantastic. We have it connected to the Trimble GPS and the two just love “talking” to each other. Even during the knockdowns the pilot never kicked off.) We arrived at Bahia Asuncion and again anchored in 20 feet of water with winds in the 25-30 knot range. The chop there was worse however and we pitched violently for 2 days. With 9 days of howling winds our wind generator finally burned out. The solar panels continue to put out without so much as a whisper. After Alec commented aptly, “This isn’t anchoring, this is sailing…” we decided as long as the wind was howling and we were pitching at anchor, we might as well have the same conditions and actually make some headway south.
We departed for Bahia Santa Maria and Mag Bay (Bahia Magdelena) with winds in the 20’s which seemed like a mild breeze. A leg of 170 miles. At about 40 miles away the weather finally turned warm and gentle. We took showers and cleaned up the boat, turned on music and generally felt alive for the first time since leaving San Diego. Up to that point we weren’t sure if cruising was what we would enjoy if it meant living like the two weeks before.
We anchored in Bahia Santa Maria off the beach in 20 feet with our Bruce anchor and all chain (which has not dragged anywhere) and had our first good night’s sleep since San Diego, the boat rocking gently and no wind to keep us up on anchor watch. Here we enjoyed attempting to land the dinghy in the surf (always a comedy) snorkeling, fishing (grouper, barracuda), trading with local fisherman for abalone and lobster, meeting new cruisers and just having our first taste of why we went cruising.
After 3 days we decided to head for Cabo San Lucas and arrive before the weekend so we could check in. The trip was an uneventful 35 hours, although a bit rolling for a few hours. Winds were out of the NW 15, seas were 4′. Arrival in Cabo brought sunrise and a warm breeze. We heard previously on the SSB (the radio has been great for communication and weather fax) that there was an unfinished marina with a Pemex fuel dock and sometimes cruisers were able to use it for $15 US per night regardless of boat length. Santa was good to us and we have enjoyed the dock for over a week now. Everything is within walking distance and even the “check in” was painless ($1.90 US port fees). A piece of advice for those coming this way: when you check in do your check out at the same time, it will save you another walk all over town. Even though you are supposed to leave within 24 hours nobody really cares. Just remember you need to have 4 copies of your crew list for “check in” and 6 copies for “check out” .
The next couple of days we’ll spend reprovisioning and preparing for the trip to La Paz. The Chubasco net has predicted the “northers”(caused by Santa Ana’s up north) to blow 20-30 knots for the next couple of days so we may stay here until it clears. No sense bashing when it’s so pleasant here.
Well that’s about it for now. Best holiday wishes to all, Shadowfox7 Crew.
January 1998
It never ceases to amaze me how fast time can go by. It has been 1-1/2 months since we left Cabo but we feel like we just left. And yet at other times when reminiscing about Morro Bay or the Channel Islands, it seems years ago.
After spending two weeks and both Christmas and New Year’s in Cabo we departed for Los Frailes, an anchorage 50 miles north into the Sea of Cortez, in light northerlies. In fact we motored the entire way. The air was warm and the view of the Baja coastline was a pleasant distraction to the drone of the diesel engine. Los Frailes turned out to be one of our favorite stops where the snorkeling was excellent and the hiking invigorating. We spent eight days here, partly due to the northers that kicked up due to a high pressure system over the Great Basin in the USA (typical during the winter months). The days passed with the children doing their schoolwork in the morning, snorkeling in the afternoons. We noticed also that the water temperature was getting cooler and realized that we were now above the Tropic of Cancer. I (Dad) spent my days reading, trying my (no)luck with spear fishing, (some)luck with fishing and doing minor boat maintenance.
After the northers died down we left for another 50 mile trip north to Los Muertos where we met up with our friends and previous neighbors in Alameda. It was a wonderful surprise to see Impossible with Vern, Beryl, and Robyn. They had left the previous Spring and were on their way to Mazatlan. They graciously stayed another day and we spent an evening enjoying a chilled bottle of California champagne (our weakness) and reminiscing.
We were eager to head for La Paz and departed the next day for the last 50 mile hop. The wind picked up in the Ceralvo Channel and we had ourselves a bumpy first 30 miles. As we rounded the top of the peninsula that leads towards La Paz we sailed on a broad reach, which is how ketches shine, and no sooner we were sailing at seven to eight knots, the fishing line ran out signaling our first fish in a month. It was a small tuna, but it was enough for sashimi. While cleaning the fish and packing it away in the icebox the fishing line again started zinging, this time with a good sized mackerel, which ended up as our dinner that night.
It was at this time that we had our first “major incident” that, had it been further offshore or on a long passage, could have become a major issue. Our practice before this incident was to leave the fresh water pressure system on all the time and it was here we experienced a hose failure at the shower connection. Without knowing it, the water pressure system pumped all of our fresh water supply into the bilge. It was a shock to find our entire water supply disappear in a matter of a few minutes. Although we carry 40 gallons in jerry jugs on deck and have a six gallon per hour watermaker, this incident showed us the potential for how fast a breakdown can turn into a serious problem. Our policy now is to turn the pressure system off anytime we are away from the dock and only use it when necessary or use our foot pumps. We are slowly learning the differences between dockside living and cruising albeit the sometimes the hard way. We now also,while away from the dock, always put away our dishes after meals, haul the dinghy aboard every night, plan an escape route out of the harbor, and generally be ready for any change in the weather that may occur during the night.
La Paz is certainly different from Cabo. The city is definitely a working man’s city and there is less emphasis on tourism. The Marina de La Paz marina is a delightful mixture of boats and people, some of whom have been here for months and even years as one can see by the growth on their boat’s hulls. We have enjoyed walking the town, eating at the many taco stands where the fish and shrimp tacos are wonderful and, thanks to the strong US dollar (8.5 pesos to the dollar), only 75 cents. We have even been able to enjoy some movies at the local cinema where we especially enjoyed Titanic with our girls oohing and aahing over Leonardo DiCaprio. Kathleen and I are certainly going have a bumpy ride when our ladies become of age. We boys enjoyed the new James Bond film, also, with its usual action, girls and gadgets.
The marina itself is a bit dated, with wooden docks complete with splinters just waiting to be snagged, but it does have potable water, electricity and limited (5 stations) cable TV hook up. We were delighted to be able to watch some of the winter Olympics from Japan. We were also not surprised that CNN was the same, running report after report of President Clinton and his merry mix-ups.
February 1998
Our crossing from La Paz began on a perfect day with clear skies, light winds and warm temperatures. The forecast called for 10-15 knots NW for our 220 mile crossing to Mazatlan. With three other boats (Hoptoad, Odysseus and Baloo) joining us, it looked like an ideal trip….
2230 hours: “Shadowfox, Shadowfox, this is Baloo, over…” “Roger this is Shadowfox, go ahead Brian…” “Did you guys get that blast of wind? over…” “Negative..what wind is that, over…” “We just got blasted with 40+ knots, over…” “Roger..no we didn’t..standby…negative it’s still 20-23 knots, over…” “Well get ready, looks like it’s going to catch you quick, over…” “Roger..we’ll get ready, thanks, …keep monitoring the radio…” “Odysseus, this is Shadowfox, over…” ” Roger Shadowfox, we were monitoring your conversation with Baloo..it’s starting to blow here too…keep in touch” “Roger, Shadowfox out…”
What started out as a nice evening turned nasty with heavy and steep quartering seas that quickly grew to 10 to 12 feet. We noticed the wind gradually increasing in the early evening even though it was a fairly clear night. As the ride continued to get increasingly uncomfortable, we were hoping that it would ease. The forecast continued to call for lighter winds so couldn’t make much sense of our situation.
Again we were on a passage and getting nasty weather. What did we do to deserve this? We thought we “paid our dues” on the passage down the Baja coast earlier. Not being able to cook a descent meal due to the conditions, we ate what we could find in the lockers. Bread, fruit and crackers were the order of the day. The kids spent most of the trip in their bunks, reading and sleeping. They continued to be troopers in rough weather. Kathleen and I were doing the 3 on 3 off watch routine. With “Roscoe” steering the boat, we were able to conserve our energy. The radar showed clear except for our companions. We all had our hands full so radio chatter was kept to a minimum with only status reports relayed.
At 0100 the wind picked up to 50+ knots. With our double-reefed main and 85% jib, we were starting to get a bit “squirrelly” so it was time to reduce sail even further. As there was no moon, the operation was tricky and we called Alec up on deck as we needed his muscles to haul down the rest of the double-reefed main. Firmly attached with harnasses, Alec and I went forward as Kathleen turned the boat just enough into the wind to spill the mainsail. Using our Dutchman lazyjack system we had little trouble. Kathleen steered us back on course before a sea could wash over us and Alec and I finished tying off the mainsail. It was Alec’s first time in conditions that were truly tough and he performed like a champ. He is proving himself of great value as our third full crew member. We were now in steady 50+ knot winds and uncomfortable with just a small portion of the jib out, still moving along at 6 knots. We could have moved along at 8.5 or better, which would have made the ride more comfortable, but that would put our arrival in Mazatlan around 4am. As the harbor entrance is very tricky even in daylight we waited for dawn.
As we neared the coast about 7am, the wind died down to 15 knots and we moved along toward the shelter of Mazatlan. Negotiating the entrance with a following sea was not for the lighthearted, especially after being awake for the better part of 43 hours. Waiting for us at the dock was Dick Markie, our friend from Alameda, who was also the harbormaster. Taking our lines with a smile and warm handshake, we were once again safe and sound and ready for sleep. All our friends also made it in safely and were ready for some shut eye We all agreed that the crossing could have been more idylic…you think!
Mazatlan Marina is a well established marina, thanks largely to Dick’s presence and hardwork. Also, the removal of an overpass opened up the inner basin, and now Marina Mazatlan has all the facilities that we Americans are used to. With concrete docks, electricity, and water to most docks, Marina Mazatlan has come a long way from the small harbor of just a few years ago.
Everyone is excited as the 100th anniversary of Mazatlan’s Carnaval is only a few days away. An expected 100,000 people are going to fill the streets with party atmosphere…needless to say, we will make it 100,007!!!
Until next time….
April 1998
Mazatlan has been and increadible city. There is so much to see and do here I doubt we could ever see it all. There are museums, beaches, a mercado (open air market), cathedrals and wonderful people.
The Carnaval festivities were tremendous as what seemed like a million people tried to fit into 10 square blocks. The crowds were overwhelming at times and it wasn’t really idylic for our two young ones. We did enjoy the music and food as well as the fireworks display.
We decided not to travel to Copper Canyon as planned due to many stories from past travelers that included, railroad strikes, bandits and poor facilities. Instead we took a 10 hour bus ride to Guadalajara to see its many art gallaries and historic sites. A fascinating city with over 7 million people including the suburbs. We stayed in a “pension” style hotel where we had two rooms adjoining and were only a block away from all the mojor sites. We stayed for a week and were able to seea good portion of the city, including some of the outlying areas where they make many of the crafts we saw sold in the five story mercado in the center of Guadalajara.
It was time to head back to Mazatlan and prepare for the journey west. There is a lot to do to embark on long passage and we knew we would be very busy for the next couple of weeks.
July 1998
This is not an update that I look forward to writing, as I am currently in Fremont, California, sitting in front of a computer working again…What happened? We decided to postpone heading West until March of 1999.
As we prepared to leave for the Marquesas in April, several issues were pending, of which the biggest was completing Kathleen’s resignation from her previous employer (she initially took a leave of absence). Her resignation was required in order to free up the rest of our “cruising kitty.” We decided to travel north, finalize everthing including taxes, and head back before the season in the South Pacific was too far along. Treating the kids to a visit with friends and family was the highlight, as they were sad since all the cruising kids they had met in Mazatlan had left for the summer season.
After a delightful visit in the San Francisco Bay Area, we again said our goodbyes and returned to Mazatlan. Arriving April 27th, we were getting quite anxious about the lateness in the season. Normally one leaves near the end of March or early April so as to spend the most time in the Pacific before the onset of the cyclone season in November. (Some boats already were enroute to the Marquesas when we had left for the States.) We realized we now had 45 fewer days to spend in the South Pacific, so we would have to move much faster through the islands. Compounding the fact, it was still an El Nino year and already there were early tropical disturbances off Panama. We agonizingly decided to “heave to” and wait until next year. It was very difficult decision. So much was already planned and expectations were high.
Our next decision was we didn’t want to spend the entire hot and humid summer in Mexico. With hurricane season ahead, we turned a negative (if one could call it that) into a positive and decided we would set out on a two-month R.V. trip around the U.S. and Canada. Since we had tentatively planned this R.V. trip idea at the end of our voyage, we were just moving that part of the adventure up a bit. However, financially we weren’t comfortable with spending the estimated $12K it would cost to undertake such a trip this early in our sailing adventure. It was agreed that I would return north and re-establish my business, to land a contract that would offset the cost. After a few days of phone marketing, I was able to secure a contract with a past client. Things were falling into place rapidly. I was able to set up living quarters with my best friend Phil and his family, in Benicia. He has “come through” on many occasions and to honor him, we have adopted him into our family as “Uncle Phil.”
The hardest struggle for us all now was that I was to leave the family for 3-4 months. We have never been apart for any time and none of us knew what to say…except that we loved each other more than anything. We decided to ease the burden of the distance and time by me flying down for visits every three weekends. This has worked well and I’m able to bring “goodies” for all, including Shadowfox each time.
The next update will probably not appear until after our RV “cruising”. So stay tuned…who knows what may happen…
November 1998
Well look what has happened….
After a extraordinary 62 days, in a rented 29′ motorhome, and 10,723 miles we are on our back to Mazatlan, Mexico It’s very easy to say that U.S. and Canada are large countries, but when you drive up, across, down and across again you realize just how staggering the distances are. But that isn’t what stands out the most in our minds. It’s all the people we met all across both the U.S. and Canada. We were fascinated with all the people we met as I’m sure they were with us as it isn’t often 7 people climb out of a small RV. From people on the street directing us to a museums to a Chinese immigrant operating a tiny RV park along the Trans Canadian highway, to the people on the streets of Washington D.C. helping us to resolve the subway puzzle.
A more detailed description can be found in our own personal pages but just some of the highlights along the way: a lumber mill tour in northern California, Mt. St. Helen’s, meeting up with past cruising friends in Seattle and Chilliwack just across the border in Canada and again near the end of our trip in Phoenix, walking on the Athabasca Glacier and enjoying the hot springs in Banff, Alberta, mighty Niagara Falls, cosmopolitan Montreal, fall foliage in Vermont and New Hampshire with a visit to Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream factory, the Atlantic Ocean, eating clam chowder and Lobster in Cape Cod, historical Boston, Amish countryside of Pennsylvania, somber battle fields of Gettysburg, spectacular sights, lights and sounds of New York City and celebrating Caitlin’s 13th birthday at Times Square, the memorials and museums of Washington D.C., Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia, driving down the Appalachian mountain range, the Corvette factory in Kentucky and finally arriving safe and sound in Los Angeles to visit family where we can rest for a few days before the long haul to Mazatlan and Shadowfox.
Our goal for this trip was to be a great way for the kids to learn about our country. It’s beginnings in Plymouth and Jamestown to it’s civil conflicts between the north and south as well as showing them the natural (Glaciers, Niagara Falls) and unnatural (NYC traffic, outlet malls) this land has to offer. Kathleen and I are delighted that we met our goals and more. The kids are now at an age that they will have lasting impressions and we’re sure that what they have seen first hand will make them better adults. Kathleen has done a tremendous job in schooling them throughout this whole adventure. Creating various study plans and hands on projects with follow up reviews and tests. The homeshooling is progressing extremely well and all the children are ahead in their studies, especially the younger ones as they assimilate through the older kids.
Like most people beginning a long trip one feels there is plenty of time to see and do everything but that is never the case. If we repeated this trip several more times we would still only see a small fraction of what is out there. What we all will come away with from this land voyaging is what we hope the rest of our voyaging will bring, being together, sharing what the world has to offer, and teaching our children how to lead meaningful lives.
In a few days we will head back to Shadowfox and continue our voyage. We plan to stay in Mazatlan for a week or two sorting out the boat and re-provision. We’ll then head south to Isla Isabella and Puerto Vallarta for Christmas and New Year’s. After that the plan is to enjoy the “gold coast” section of coastline between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. In late March we will head out across the Pacific to the many island groups and arriving in Australia in late October to sit out the Cyclone season.
We will update this site in March prior to departure….
March 1999
Sitting for what seems endless hours on a bus, my mind wanders across many subjects where one minute I picture myself sailing the Trade Winds of the Pacific and the next wondering what the state of our diesel engine is and whether it will last out the voyage.
We arrived in Mazatlan to a warm welcome and I really felt like we were coming home, as well I suppose I should considering that we spent nearly seven months in the same location. Our first major task was getting back aboard. This was no easy task as Shadowfox needed a major “spring” cleaning. The reader would be better served to read Kathleen’s page for a further account of this stage as I could never give it justice to the incredible fortitude Kathleen and the kids mustered.
I’m not sure if males are more prone to “itchy feet” but mine were driving me crazy. I had to move Shadowfox! Even if it was just to prove that we didn’t grow roots to the seafloor. We set our sights for Puerto Vallarta where we knew we would see more tropical type weather and vegetation.
We left with little fanfare and proceeded to sail south to Puerto Vallarta. We planned this leg of the trip so as not to have to spend too many nights at sea. We managed the first night well and anchored in San Blas (Matenchen Bay) early the next morning. From here on, it would be day hops to Puerto Vallarta.
The next day brought our best day sailing of the entire voyage so far. With increasing euphoria, we became absorbed with sailing Shadowfox. Flying the spinnaker was the order of the day and all hands were eager to set and fly our multicolor “balloon”. For several hours we rejoiced in the sailing about which we had dreamed back in Alameda. Working the sheets with the sun bright and the warm breeze gave a feeling of peace. Our speed was finally enticing enough for a pod of dolphins to stay for nearly an hour. We’ve had dolphins on many occasion, but they rarely stay more than a few minutes as we aren’t able to provide a big enough bow wave to play.
The next few days melted into each other and we arrived in Puerto Vallarta to what seemed like a hornet’s nest. Everything that could float seemed to be around us as we entered the channel leading into the marina. We were looking forward to getting to know Puerto Vallarta and meeting up with old friends. The kids were already calling on the radio to find out who was about.
Having been to Puerto Vallarta before, I knew essentially what to expect and wasn’t bothered nearly as much as Kathleen by the chaos of life that surrounded us. She longed for Mazatlan, the city that she knew so well. It’s true that Mazatlan has a more laid back feeling and is certainly easier to navigate.
The kids as usual were continuing with their studies each morning and you could set your clock by when school would be over. They would gather with their friends of which some were new and some they had met over the last year and a half. It has been a much easier time this year in dealing with the kids, primarily due to fact that they have relaxed enough and been away long enough to know that they will always have their friends “up north”. Most of the kids keep in e-mail contact on a regular basis with their closest friends of which I am happy to remind them, are mostly cruising kids they have met along our trip.
Kathleen and I agreed that we must move Shadowfox more often so as to keep focused on “voyaging” and not stagnating in marinas. As the older kids sometimes point out, if we aren’t going to move the boat we could have just stayed in Alameda.
Pouring over all the material we had about the stretch of coastline between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, we knew we would see a different Mexico than that which we were accustomed to seeing. We departed PV for what we thought would be an 18 day trip down towards Manzanillo. Once again plans changed and we found ourselves enjoying this stretch of coast so much that we stayed out an entire month. We were able to reunite with several cruising friends and felt, for the first time, that we were on a “vacation” while sailing.
We were able to enjoy idyllic sailing conditions and were fortunate enough to catch several good size fish throughout the whole month. It was down this stretch of coast that I realized how accurate the GPS (Global Positioning System) is and how inaccurate charts are for this area. On several occasions, our GPS put us either on the beach or even a mile inland when I plotted the chart position. We used our radar extensively along the way, not just for navigation but also to track the many fishing boats that ply along this stretch of coast.
The highlight had to be the bays of Tenecatita and Barra de Navidad. Both were picture perfect anchorages with great views of the Mexican coastline. The water temperature was still on the cool side (considerably cooler from last year). In Tenacatita, the kids were enjoying swimming and taking the dinghy up the “jungle” river. This mangrove-filled waterway was occupied with a variety of birds we hadn’t ever seen. In many places, the mangroves were so thick they even created a canopy over the river.
In Barra de Navidad, the lagoon was calm and pleasant although the water was foul as the lagoon was at the head of a river which produced a heavy amount of silt. We were unable to use our watermaker in these conditions and had to resort to ferrying jerry jugs to shore to replenish our water supply. There is also a brand new 5 star resort within the bay which has a first class marina. We decided to treat ourselves to a few nights at the dock which allowed us the use of the hotel facilities including a three level pool, spa, tennis courts and a nightly volleyball game at which Alec and Meghan became quite regulars.
We started working our way back north, anchorage hopping as we did on the way down. The trip was fairly easy, although for about a 35 mile stretch we did have some steep seas that made for a quite uncomfortable ride. We caught some more fish and enjoyed a barbeque in a wonderful anchorage off a small island in Chamala Bay with our good friends from Deja Vu..
Back in PV it was time to start the planning of our crossing to the Marquesas. We had several major projects lined up. Our first priority was to haul the boat and give her a new clean bottom. Because the labor costs in Mexico are much less than in the States, we decided to take the paint off the bottom down to bare fiberglass and put a barrier coat on under the anti-fouling paint. This same job would have cost approximately $5000.00 in the States and we were able to complete the project for $1500.00.
Our next project was to getting our engine in order. Although the engine was working fine, it was starting to show signs of wear. The exhaust was smoking a bit and the engine was starting to consume oil. All signs pointing to future problems. After opening up the engine, we quickly learned that the valve stems were leaking and also found three out of the four injectors were bad, as well as some leakage around the exhaust manifold. Although all this sounds like a major undertaking, it was quite easy and we had very good mechanics do all the work while we concentrated on other projects. The engine now sounds very smooth and quiet. The compression has increased and there is negligible exhaust smoke.
Our next big project was the ship’s batteries. We were quite disappointed with the gel batteries we installed just before leaving the States. It turns out that they don’t do well in the heat of the Tropics, especially under the grueling charge/discharge cycles that cruising places on them. Of the three batteries, we had a cell failure in two. The problem we now had was that there are no gel batteries available in Mexico (and probably the whole of the rest of the Pacific). We needed to have a reliable source of electrical storage so we replaced the entire bank with large capacity wet batteries. We used six volt Trojans which are very popular among the fishing and cruising community as they recharge and retain their charge more efficiently. We tie two six-volt together to get the 12 volt we need. An added benefit has been that, in the same footprint of our previous batteries, we were able to add an additional 250 amps in capacity, giving us a total of 650 amps in our “house” bank. We have a separate engine starting battery that can be brought on line for an additional 180 amps.
Although the cost was high we felt we had to “do it right”. Our original concept for the gels was that no maintenance was required. With the wet type, I will have to be vigilant in topping off the water level, especially in the heat of the equator. (An added benefit of having a watermaker is that if you run fresh water through the system you actually produce “distilled” water which then can be used in the batteries. This way we don’t have to carry a large supply of bottled distilled water.)
We added a couple of new items to the boat to help keep us in touch with the outside world. We purchased a special modem that will allow us to use our Single Sideband Radio to pass and receive text only e-mails to any address in the world while at sea. Although this is not the most reliable system, as there are many variable in actually connecting to a shore base station (San Francisco) that will then relay the message, it was fairly inexpensive. The service is SailMail and you can get more information by going to their web site “SailMail.com.” We also purchased a handheld gps/satellite e-mail system made by Magellan. This is a foolproof system and will allow us communication at any time, anywhere in any weather. Its drawbacks were the initial cost and that we can only send and receive very short messages (250 characters). We will use this system primarily to notify our family back home of our progress at sea. Although this was a costly piece of equipment with a monthly service fee, we felt that for our and our families’ piece of mind, it was worth the expense.
The remainder of our projects are the more general type that one would expect preparing for an ocean crossing, checking the rigging, preparing the charts, topping off all fluids, etc. Provisioning is the largest time-consumer and our poor Shadowfox is sitting low in the water with all the additional weight. We keep a watchful eye on the weight distribution and move the stores accordingly. The kids are in full swing helping getting Shadowfox ready. The dock alongside was full of sacks of flour and rice, canned foods, sodas and produce. We took everything out of the original packaging to save on space and reduce the amount of garbage we would produce, labeling everything and logging the location where it would be stored. I think even the Marine Corps would be impressed! Kathleen has managed to fit it all in and we have enough stores to travel three months without major reprovisioning. Of course, the fresh items will be gone after the first week or two.
We are only a few days away from departure and our minds are going through the inevitable mixed feelings. Sometimes the feeling is of excitement and other times it’s anxiety. What makes us feel “ok” is that the other 50 or so boats that are also heading west are going through exactly the same feelings. So we feel pretty normal.
This next leg will be our longest and I know we will have a great sense of accomplishment when we arrive in the Marquesas. Having personally sailed this leg before six years ago, I know mostly what to expect. I know we have a good vessel that will carry us there safely and have confidence in ourselves to persevere in what will seem like an eternity over the 23 days we expect the crossing to the Marquesas will take. The first three or four days is always the hardest as one gets into the “rhythm” of the sea, followed by the overwhelming feeling of the immensity of the ocean, culminating with “land ho”.
Adios Mexico!
May 1999
Hola Mexico…What a turn of events!!! We have returned to Mexico after setting sail for the Marquesas. We sailed approximately 250 miles offshore when we realized that we had to make a difficult decision and returned due to Kathleen’s condition.
Within the cruising community the Pacific crossing is commonly referred to as the “Milk Run” but for us it turned out to be Buttermilk!..
We actually made two attempts at crossing. In the first attempt we left Puerto Vallarta after an extremely stressful month of provisioning and getting the boat ready for the crossing. We left exhausted, both mentally and physically. After a rushed departure we headed out on a pleasant day with fair winds. We were approximately 40 miles out as the sun was setting when I started to get an anxiety attack. Holding in my feelings for a couple of hours I tried to resolve what the problem was. The family noticed something was wrong and I finally let them know that I felt something was very wrong although I couldn’t be specific. The feeling became overpowering and before I could even stop myself I grabbed the wheel and turned Shadowfox back towards Puerto Vallarta! Kathleen and the kids were dumbfounded by my actions but not as much as I was. I have never had such a powerful feeling come over me and thought I was losing my mind. With a quiet crew we headed back to Mexico to regroup. We docked and tried to figure out what the problem was. My only answer was that we just got overworked prior to departure and apprehension set in. We rested for a few days and set off again. This time everything felt right and we thought that we were finally on our way and we even had the company of several other westbound boats in the area.
We all knew that some family members would get sea sick the first few days into the crossing and so it was. After a couple of days everyone seemed to be getting their sea legs except Kathleen. Although Kathleen took medication (over the years she has tried everything) prior to leaving Puerto Vallarta she continued to be sea sick and getting worse. After a couple of hundred miles out she became so ill that she couldn’t even hold down liquids. We debated our situation and after a family discussion I made the decision to return to port before the situation became critical (medical) and we might need her to be airlifted. Using our new satellite email system we notified our immediate families of the situation.
The conditions we were encountering were actually fairly benign which made me even more concerned for her condition. The problem was primarily due to the 6′-8′ seas coming at us from three different directions (NW, N, NE) making for a very uncomfortable ride. We felt like we were in a washing machine. We were in contact with other boats several hundred miles ahead of us and they were also experiencing the same conditions. This was an indication that we would continue to have similar conditions for several more days. Then we would enter the trade winds where although the wind would be more favorable the sea conditions would make us prone to rolling as we headed down the waves.
We knew from the start that Kathleen gets sea sick but hoped that she would improve over time. We now believe that she is one of those rare cases that just does not improve. As we have only coastal cruised during this voyage and are never more than 3 nights from any anchorage we could never get a good feel for how she would react. Early on in our sailing we thought about heading offshore to test her resilience but believed that every situation would be different and one situation. Simply stated we hoped that with time she would just get better.
We returned to a warm welcome and everyone was kind and considerate. They all gave us tremendous support and said we made the right decision. As it turned out there was another vessel with exactly the same experience. They too returned after being 250 mile offshore. We set out on this adventure to have a pleasant experience and long term suffering was not what it was all about. Knowing full well that between Mexico and Australia was all open ocean sailing we would be out for many days at a time and felt that we would not be in our overall interest to continue.
Needless to say Kathleen and I were devastated (see kids reaction below) and Kathleen took it very badly blaming herself for the situation. She had a difficult two and a half days on the return sail not only due to still being sick but also feeling that she let the family down. I told her that she should not hold herself responsible and that destiny has set us upon a new direction. We have already accomplished so much that what ever the future holds for us this adventure has been a success. The most important thing to me is Kathleen and the kids and this trip is far down the list in priority. So there is no blame on anyone and we believe there is a reason for everything and we shall move forward!
We will miss all our friends that did head west and have been able to communicate with most of them and tell them of our plight. They have all made it safely although some passages were longer than anticipated.
After several days of recuperating in Puerto Vallarta we started making plans for our future. Short term we have decided to head up into the Sea of Cortez and sample its many splendors. Since we provisioned for the 2 month crossing we essentially were ready to go. We will follow the traditional route from Puerto Vallarta to Mazatlan (where we are currently at this writing) and then head across the “sea” to La Paz. From there we will start working our way north visiting as many islands and anchorage’s as time will permit. With hurricane season approaching we want to enjoy as much as possible in the two and a half months. Although hurricane season officially starts in June their tracks follow a west north west track until August and then start heading in a more northerly direction. So we will stay in the sea until the middle of July and then? At that point we will have to make some serious decisions. Our main problem is our long term goal. We still wish to continue cruising but are unsure as to where and how. We will spend the time in the sea considering our options, and they are many. Some of the possibilities include leaving the boat in Mexico and head north for a visit returning in the fall and seeing more of Mexico next season. Possibly head down to Panama and the Caribbean. Another possibility is to truck the boat from San Carlos (located in the upper sea) to?? San Diego CA, Seattle WASH, Galveston TX or Norfolk VG. All have advantages and disadvantages and our minds change hourly. I was delighted to hear from several other cruisers (husbands) that they are in the same dilemma and also change their minds hourly. The wives are quickly going crazy. Maybe its a cruisers curse or maybe we are all Libra’s. As you may recall our overall goal was to cruise the canals of Europe and sail the Mediterranean. We may eventually ship Shadowfox across the Atlantic and continue our adventure. As you can see there are many choices and most of them include a high expense. Recently we have explored the possibility of returning to work for a period of time to rebuild the cruising kitty. I have explored opportunities here in Mexico to work on a major resort construction project and this would allow us the ability to stay in Mexico and continue to cruise. Kathleen has also explored employment possibilities in the states.
Our concern is that we wish to continue to home school the children. We have seen their knowledge grow tremendously and their skills are nothing short of amazing. They are all very comfortable with the schooling and know much more than they realize. They continue to show self initiative and help each other conquer those pesky problems that come up. Kathleen continues to do a wonderful job and has even helped other families overcome their home schooling fears. Alec has recently become concerned about his college future not having anyone to compare himself to. We assured him that he has nothing to worry about. He recently took a PSAT test and scored very high indicating he is well on his way to a successful future. As an example of the amount work he is accomplishing he submitted his reading list since January and he’s read over 8,700 pages!
There has been one significant benefit returning to Mexico. The family sat down and had a lengthy discussion about our future and to our surprise most of the kids wish to stay in Mexico and continue cruising. They have however insisted we go north for a visit! They also stated that they were firmly against any long passages as they could not see the logic of being at sea for 25 days when it was so wonderful in Mexico. As you may have read in previous updates, last year they were all eager to return to the San Francisco area and their “normal” lives and have nothing to do with cruising. This year they are more comfortable and consider it a part of their lives.
The future has not yet been written for Shadowfox and her crew and tomorrow will most likely bring yet another twist. Maybe a Hollywood producer (Mel Brooks?) should read our story and write a script! One probable title…One For All and All For Nothing!
As for Shadowfox, all the systems and gear continue to work well. The watermaker is a delight and we have already made over 1200 gallons. Our new satellite e-mail has already come in handy as well as the Single Sideband e-mail system (SailMail), although the latter has been more difficult to use as propagation is critical. The autopilot, radar and GPS haven’t missed a beat. We have also started using the laptop charting system (we are evaluating three systems -Nobeltec, Micro Mariner and Captain). We’ve recently acquired CD ROM charts for most of the world and look forward to using this new technology. We used for the crossing and now heading north into the sea. It’s been great seeing the boat track cross the screen and be able to take bearings at any time to any point. Of course we do carry all the necessary paper charts for backup. Another really nice feature is the automatic “log” feature that stores all the vital information at a user set interval (we keep track of position, course, time, average speed over ground and distance made good). We are delighted with the way the boat itself handles and our “toys” continue to provide us with all the comforts. In future updates we will add a new page discussing the onboard systems and provide useful information gathered through our own experience as well as others as to what works and what doesn’t aboard an ongoing cruise, especially one with children.