S/V Stargazer

David & I flew home last week and we’re both in SoCal now. We left the boat in Los Cabos and we’re figuring out the details to bring her home. We flew from Cabo to Tijuana, took a taxi to the border, walked across the border, took the red line to Old Town in San Diego, and then David’s dad picked us up. It was an experience, but actually really easy and we felt completely safe the whole time in Mexico. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year! 2012 started out with a bang and my sister delivered her twins on January 2nd.

We left La Paz on Monday morning at around 6:30 am in order to make our first anchorage of Los Muertos.  As we were leaving the harbor, a large tanker ship was coming in to moor at the refinery/tank depot.  This doesnt seem to be a huge issue in other places, but here in La Paz, they berth is in a way that their bow is basically overhanging the first green channel marker with there stern to the wharf. If I was going into the harbor and it was my first time, it would be slightly confusing.  With the huge 500′+ ship coming in, and dropping their anchor mid-channel for a med type mooring, we had to do circles in the channel for about 20 minutes until he was out of the channel and moored up.  After leaving the harbor, it was about time for the La Paz morning net so we said goodbye, and headed North towards the San Lorenzo Channel.  The breeze was still pretty calm for the trip North, but as soon as we cleared the San Lorenzo channel the Northerly took effect and we had between 15-25 knots on our stern for the 60 mile trip.  We had the staysail up for some time, then the Genoa, then no headsail for some time. It was a fairly pleasant trip south through the Cerralvo Channel which brings us past La Ventana and Isla Cerralvo.  It would have been a very unpleasant trip if we were heading north through the channel, and that is why we only saw one boat on the whole passage and that was a 150′ish mega yacht.  As we turned the corner to the anchorage at Los Muertos, the seas calmed down, but the breeze remained in the high teen’s low twenties.  There were four boats anchored in the bay, and after talking to one of them on the radio, they had been there for four days waiting out the Northerly.  As I mentioned before, these Northerlys bring some short steep chop and some fairly high winds.  This particular Northerly was the worst one of the season, and brought 35 knot breeze and 9-11 foot short period waves down the sea.  We left La Paz on the end of it, so we saw it tapering down and only saw breezes in the 20′s and 4-6′ seas.

After a quick one night stop in Los Muertos, we left at around 7:00 for either Los Frailes or San Jose del Cabo. As we progressed on the trip south, we would then decide on which destination we would go to.  The breeze was up on Tuesday for this passage as well, and with only the main up, we were cruising down wind in the 7-8 knot range ‘surfing’ the occasion set.  We were making good time, so we pasted up Los Frailes and head for our final destination of San Jose del Cabo.   Stargazer cruised into the jetty at sunset, and with the help of at least 4 other cruisers tied up to the long end dock at the Marina at Puerto Los Cabos.  There are more than a half dozen cruising boats tied up on the dock, and before we even had the engine off they came by to say hello.  This morning we checked into the marina office, took a shower, and got a tour of the marina in the golf cart.  The golf cart driver goes by ‘Speedy’, and he will pick you up at the top of the gangway and take you around the marina to the Container Resturant, Showers, or Marina office.  We would have walked the 15 minutes around the marina, but he coordinated the pickup when we arrived last night.

We are berthed on the long dock, which is the future fuel dock, and because this marina is still under development the nightly rates are very reasonable.  The only downside is that this side of the marina is the undeveloped side, and has no services.  It is however close to three cool little restaurants, and two tiendas that are only a stone throw away.  One of the boats on the dock is going to have a boat renaming ceremony tonight, so we are going to join in and celebrate.

Wanted to wish all our family & friends a very Merry Christmas! We had a wonderful Christmas in La Paz. I took a few presents back with me from out families and we opened some very wonderful gifts. Thank you all! Check out our new boat mat from my lil sis BJ!

We woke up bright & early this morning as the port is finally open and weather is predicted to be in the mid 20′s (compared to the 30′s as it’s been for the last 3 days.) We’re on our way south to Cabo where we will leave the boat for about a month while we come home. Our first stop in Ensenada Muertos which is about 60 miles away. We left around 6am and we’re hoping to make it there around sunset tonight, or shortly after. The wind should be behind us, so we are hoping for a wonderful day of sailing…and fishing!

Merry Christmas Eve! & 5th day of Hanukkah too.

So the phrase “like father like daughter” needs to be amended to “like father like husband” as it’s frightening scary how similar Kers & David are. Now I understand all the thoughtful gifts that we gave to my mom as a kid were actually pretty bad Christmas presents. Who wants a wooden brown plaid couch for the living room (ok it was the 80′s)…or 20 pairs of kitchen scissors (she only wanted 1)…or a chest set with salt & pepper shakes & each piece is wrapped separately and disguised as different shapes (got quite annoying.) Well David was pretty creative this year and gave me “what I always wanted.” So far we got a new genoa rolling furler and ronca anchor (which I have to admit I’ve slept much better because of) as our pre-Christmas Christmas presents. But I guess he thought that wasn’t enough. Now I get a fixed water pump & spare pump, adjusted valves, and serviced engine injectors. Along with freshly fiber-glassed & sanded bulwark at the hawse pipes (this is actually really nice as we’re hoping “no mas aqua in la barca” a.k.a my pantry.)

Anyway in all seriousness we are so happy that we are having some pretty major work done on Stargazer here rather than in Newport. The prices are reasonable…very reasonable, whereas in Newport they are just simply ripping you off. These projects are things that David’s wanted to do on the boat for a really long time.

We’re still in the Marina de La Paz. The northerlies have arrived and it’s been 20-30 knots consistently since Thursday night and should hold strong through the end of the day tomorrow. Small craft advisory has been issued and the port is closed so even if we wanted to leave we can’t (they can fine you up to $5,000 USD.) We’re okay being “stuck” here as it’s really quite nice being at a dock and being able to walk around. The boats anchored out here are practically stuck on their boats because it’s too windy to make the short dinghy ride into the marina.

Tonight is a pot luck and sing along. A little different from my past Christmas Eve’s at home but it will work for this one. Miss everyone and Happy Holidays!

The Marina life has been nice, but I really havent been here because of my trip to La Ventana.  I opted to stay a few more nights here so I could get some work done on the boat, and have the boat in the Marina when Katie comes today.  The Marina is full of activity with people getting projects done on their boats, and workers offering their services at a fairly reasonable rate. I could get Stargazers hull waxed and buffed for about 70 USD, which is pretty darn good.

Yesterday I battled with the raw water pump on the engine again.  If you had read one of my previous post about the water pump, the last company that rebuilt it put the bracket on wrong, and when I went to change it the screw broke.  Well I got that fixed and back together, but after I installed it, it was leaking out of the screw holes and mounting plate.. This isnt the first time this pump did this to me, so I knew that it wasnt a slam dunk project(None of them are really). After pulling it out a few times, the pump is installed not leaking and ready to run. The other pump is going to be rebuilt, so i have a spare pump for when this pump starts dripping.  Its really not a huge deal to switch out the pumps, but if its not done correctly it seems to leak pretty easily.

Today, Katie is coming into town and I am really excited to see her.  My plan before she comes is to get all the laundry done and get the boat looking nice.

I’m still in California, but in 2 days I get to go back to Paradise! It’s been really hard having to come home and work 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off while David gets to stay in Mexico, but we’re making it work. Today David’s Kiteboarding in La Ventana, about 40 minutes away from La Paz with a group of friends. This is his 3rd day there and it sounds like he’s really enjoying what might be one of his new hobbies. I really can’t wait to go back and spend the holidays with David in Mexico!

As David and I are & will be away for Thanksgiving & Christmas, while I am in San Fran visiting family my little sis threw ThanksMas and we exchanged stocking stuffers. It was so much fun and I am so happy I got to celebrate the holidays with my family. PS, David I miss u so much