November ‘97
*Additional notes may appear in italics after my mom’s initial journal entries.
A ladybug means you should check the comments at the bottom of the page to see what Mom has chimed in on after reading these!
November 1, Saturday
John finished fixing Samie’s hatch.
Samie and I got some letters off – via High Jinx.
Around 5 pm, a newlywed Mexican couple was on the dock with several photographers taking pictures – we said they could come up on deck and take pictures. Pretty cool. Beautiful bride and dress.
We went to dinner with Jeff, Hilda and Nora at Manuel’s Chicken – wonderful.
Another blustery day.
*We always thought that was so cute and cool that the couple wanted a photo on our boat.
November 2, Sunday
We called off school today.
Spent a couple of hours at the Gibson’s, then got pretty decent pizza at Jack’s Snax.
It was hot, with only a 10k breeze and humid. Lazy day.
*While my friends back home were hoping for snow days and running to check their TVs in the morning for that banner ticker at the bottom of the screen to announce any school cancellations, my “snow days” were usually sunny, warm and just because we could! What a rough life, I tell ya! 😉
November 3, Monday
After school, Samie dog-sat for Mark and Anita, Wind Runner. Romeo is such a cutie.
John picked up John Roach at the airport at 4 pm. Then we went to Piccolo’s for dinner – Bill and ‘the gang’ were also there.
*I often made friends with the pups on other boats, especially when there weren’t any other kids around to hang out with. The first photo here is me with Romeo, the second is Mark and Anita with Romeo, and last is a letter from one of the other boaters who had a cute little wiener dog named Minnie.
November 4, Tuesday
John and Roach talked to Ed Brown, an American here in San Carlos for the last 20 years or so. He gave them all the info on getting the pool cementing business going down here. They also talked to the guy in charge of most of the pools. Looks promising.
We all had a great dinner at Jeff and Hilda’s.
November 5, Wednesday
We dropped Roach off at the airport at noon. Nice, quiet, lazy day.
*Alright, this marks the return of my diary entries! I haven’t edited any of my grammar or spelling, I like leaving it just how it is with my occasional grammatical and spelling errors, of which there weren’t all that many, considering I have always enjoyed the written word and been pretty good at it, especially spelling. There was one section I did decide to omit, only for the sake of having gone into more detail than necessary (who, me?!). My descriptions and extra details crack me up. It’s fun to see how much I have both changed so much and in some ways not changed at all! 🤪
November 6, Wednesday
We did a beer and peso run and left the dock at 11:30, after an hour of calm motoring, we were anchored in the San Carlos Bay – boy does it feel good. Bill and Trish came over in their dink – real cruiser-like!
John and Samie went in to get the van and fishing license.
At 5 pm we went to the Gibson’s casa, by way of dink, for a very enjoyable dinner and company. MAYBE they’ll cross over to La Paz with us on our boat.
It's such a wonderful feeling to be on the hook again – the water is like glass. It was overcast all day until around sunset when it cleared out a little. At 8:30 pm there was a circle of starry, open sky surrounded by low, fluffy clouds. Really pretty. Feels right.
*In case anyone was uncertain, the ramp at the Gibson’s was very slippery concrete!
Also, this is what the little translator looked like.
*We motorerd around from Marina Real and anchored in San Carlos Bay here. You can see the road coming in from Marina Real right there under the ‘L’ in the San Carlos title. Fun fact: that is the first road I ever drove on. Just a short little stint on the way back to Marina Real in my dad’s lap - it was a straight-a-way without a lot of traffic so it was a good spot to try out for the first time in the ol’ clunker van.
Bill and Trish’s house was somewhere in that cluster of homes and we would anchor somewhat near that area if there was space for us.
November 7, Friday
After weather reports this morning, we went into town for ice. Bill and Trisha are not going to make the crossing, bummer! They took Samie for a short ride in their Little Prime Time.
We had the anchor up at noon, there was an 8-10k SW, so we put up the sails. Beautiful! Bill and Trisha followed us out for about 3 or 4 miles – they really do want to go – don’t know what is the real reason they don’t. We had 0-10k all the way across, flat seas. I took the first watch – the perfectly half-moon set on the mountains in an orange glow. After that, the ocean was like silk, I watched a falling star in the reflection on that water, it was that peaceful.
*I got chills while typing that out, the part about the shooting star. The water really was that calm sometimes and it was so magical!
Somewhere in a parallel universe, my mom and I are both adults enjoying these magic moments together. 🥰 It would be amazing with both my parents - I could learn so much from my dad about the boat, the engine, sailing; all the ins and outs of fixing and maintaining everything while Mom and I soak up all the precious moments as they float on by.
November 8, Saturday
Happy B-day Janice
We decided just to go on to Agua Verde and skip Ballandra and Escondido. It was still so calm that I took a picture leaning over the pulpit – hopefully catching the reflection in the clear water below.
At 10 am we were dancing with the dolphins. There must have been 15 or 20 large bottlenose beauties right under the bow at once. I must have taken 10 pictures; it was like they were in a crystal swimming pool. Amazingly breathtaking. I was just as exciting as the first time I ever saw them. Once of the dolphins made a roll and struck the “dolphin striker” with his flipper.
We were anchored in Agua Verde around 1 pm – 25 hours. 94° - hot, but as the sun set, the temp dropped nicely and a 15-20k cormell kicked in for an hour or so. We were a little too close to Arctic Turn, so we moved the heavy ‘ole anchor.
*If there’s one thing we NEVER tired of, it was certainly seeing dolphins. It was just as marvelous the hundredth time as it was the first! Mom was always like a kid on Christmas morning and that will always make me smile to think of. 😊
Another diary entry! Poor little me, so bored on the boat and missing all my friends - not realizing how much these days would shape the rest of my life for the better and that one day, I’d be sitting here in the States as an adult, typing up these memories and more than willing to trade places with her! And those movies I got tired of watching over and over? When I watch them now, the familiarity is wild - I can anticipate particular inflections of tone throughout dialog, specific movements of different characters, etc.
November 9, Sunday
I slept like a baby last night, this all feels so good and peaceful. Samie and I got school done. There is Hurricane Rick down below Acapulco and expected to be inland tomorrow – sure do hope so.
Well, Samie and I got our first try on the hookah today. We went along the reef. I should have taken the underwater camera and got a shot of John holding Samie’s hand and swimming under the surface. I surprised even myself – I’m gonna like this.
*I’m surprised I don’t remember this, especially being my first time. I love that Mom made the note of Dad holding my hand, that’s super cute and would have been a great photo. I remember it usually took me a minute to adjust to breathing with my face under the water - such a strange feeling! The hookah especially was great for Dad when he was cleaning boat bottoms because he didn’t have to come back up repeatedly for air like when he wore a snorkel, and didn’t have to lug on the full scuba getup in order to stay underwater for long periods of time.
My diary notes the giant moths we had in Agua Verde - I think Mom mentions them at some time or another during one of our visits. I remember some very surprised ladies on another boat one night - we could hear them whooping and hollering in surprise, it was quite comical!
November 10, Monday
We left Agua Verde at 7 am under cloudy skies. We had 8-10k from the NW for a couple hours, then nada for 4 hours. For about 20-30 minutes, we had a nice easterly breeze at 15k, had the sails out and full – then it shifted to 20k on the nose for the last 2 hours. I’m glad we got the sails down before it got too strong. We took a few splashes on deck, but not bad. We came in to San Evaristo at 3 pm, the wind dropped off to 10k. As we were coming in to find our spot – we hear another boat yell over, “Wandrin’ Star’, Marina Cortez! – it was Jim and Ginger on Acquisition. We hadn’t seem them since San Diego, 4 years ago!
Janice had told me they were in the sea, but what a surprise! We visited with them for a while – they worked in Cabo for the last year.
Then Tumble Weed came over for a while.
At 6:30, as I’m putting the spaghetti dinner on, it decides to rain pretty good for about 15 minutes – nice wash-down.
*Oh, what a small world after all. 😉
*We took these photos of me doing school work to send to my classmates back home. School usually took 2-3 hours, tops - depending mostly on my own attitude and motivation toward getting it done. As it’s been stated before, I hustled a lot more when there were other kids nearby who I wanted to get out and play with!
November 11, Tuesday
It was 8 years ago that we moved in with John – the start of a great life and wonderful adventure.
The wind blew last night, starting at midnight and kept it up until 9 or 10 am. It was howling at 20k with many gusts to 25 and 30k out of the west. We were only sitting in 13 feet of water at low tide with a reef right behind us. So I was up all night. John was up for a couple of hours.
We moved our anchoring spot out some – I’m sure it’s gonna blow again tonight. Our barometer has dropped about 10 points in the last 2 days, it’s at 29.6. There are 3 fronts going to be passing over us in the next few days – oh what fun.
Bill Gibson called – they got 1.5 inches of rain out of the thunder clouds that blew over us last night.
Shine and Goon called the other night in Agua Verde.
*In November 1989 my mom, my brother Michael, sister Peggy and I moved in with John and our soon-to-be step-sisters, Michelle and Danielle. We connected Mom’s trailer to the beautiful a-frame house John had built years before. The house had a beautiful roundabout filled with brightly colored flowers, beautiful green grass all around and a pond a few hundred feet up the lane complete with a family of geese and some catfish. Mike, Peg and I kept our bedrooms in the trailer. Eventually when Mike and Michelle graduated and moved out, Peg and I moved into the main house and Mom sold the trailer. Not too long after that, we sold the house and just about everything we owned to buy the boat and start our new life on the Wandrin’ Star. The trailer that we would later stay in during the summers is right up the road from that house, and Danielle ended up building her own home on that same street with her husband Ben, years later. Mom, Dad, Michelle and two of the grand kids (Chase and Reece) have all gotten married on that property. There is also a cabin right down the way, owned by our friends John and Maryann, where we stayed once during the summer and where John and Maryann still live when they come to visit from Tucson. The main house is no longer in the family, but the property in general has a long history with us. ❤ Peep a photo of Mom and Dad in the round-about below, circa 1994. Also, Dad working on something-or-other underneath the cockpit seating while in Agua Verde. 🙃Lastly, another diary entry from little me - funny to think back then I’d be crying about missing my friends here in the States, and now I will absolutely cry or at least get choked up if I reminisce too thoroughly about the boat and how much she and cruising life meant to me. Oh, how that damned hindsight is always 20/20!
November 12, Wednesday
Oh what a day! We left San Evaristo under 100% overcast skies, but no wind at 6 am. About an hour out, the wind kicks in at 15-25k out of the SW and held there all the way into the La Paz channel. We had a close encounter with a panga that was pulling in a big long net – we didn’t even see them in the cloudy day until they were 100 feet off our beam! Oh shit!
We finally put our jib out to steady the ride and boy, were we scoot’en – 6 and 7k. We had water coming over the bow – WONDERFUL news – no water-soaked cupboards in Samie’s room! After 3 years of water, water everywhere – we finally got it fixed.
We had a couple rain squalls go over us – it’s cool to watch them on the radar heading right for you.
The day really was nicer than it looked to begin with.
It was 2:30 pm when we entered the La Paz channel, oh hell! It started blow’en 25-30k SW – NOT FUN! It took us 2.5 hours and 3 tries at anchoring – not only was the wind howling, but the tide is coming in at 3+ knots. I don’t ever want to try that again. We anchored once, but the Navy had us leave ‘cause we were in their channel. We dropped the hook again, in what was a big hole – but once everyone started “waltzing”, we came real close to running into 2 boats. Once of which was just watching as we are backing down at full power to avoid the collision – it came within inches before he backed down on his chain. The good ‘ole La Paz Waltz! We dropped it again, way the hell out in front of the pack, but we are probably too far in the big boat channel. Oh well, we’ll move in the calm morning.
Seeing the waltzing that is done by the sail boats is something you have to see to believe. It’s hard to describe – the tide comes in real strong and even though the wind is blowing 25k from one direction, the tide is coming in the other and your ass end is in the wind, not your nose. It’s unreal when the boats start dancing around on their chains, “sailing” off forward, sideways and backwards!
So, it was 5:30 when we were finally anchored in a “safe”spot. Oh, what a day – exciting to say the least!
*Hallelujah, no more leaky cupboards! I bet we were all so relieved to find that out!
Trying to anchor in that wind with those currents in the La Paz channel is a nightmare! The La Paz Waltz has the boats all in disorder and it’s hard to tell where it’s safe to anchor. There’s nothing else quite like the Waltz!
November 13, Thursday
It finally calmed down and we slept good. The barometer is up 8 points today. That was a cold front that went through and we were in the center of circulation is why it was such a snotty day.
We re-anchored in a spot closer in, just behind Tweed as their friends left. It was a beautiful day – no wind until around 1 pm, and then only 10k from the north, so it agreed with the incoming tide.
I went in and did 3 loads of laundry while John jerry-jugged 50 gallons of fuel. We took it easy in the afternoon, then went in at 5:30 for a great burger at the Dock Café.
*When I think about it, The Dock and Crew’s Quarters were like our Cheers!
November 14, Friday
John did the check-in/ check-out routine this a.m. The girls did school. We spent a couple hours ashore visiting Tumbleweed at the marina. I faxed Barb and Richard, also Rosa. Had steak, shrimp, baked papas and salad – wonderful and so cheap! Called Mom.
November 15, Saturday
The day started out with dark clouds, 64° and cool. Around 10 am the clouds moved off and a 15-20k norther started up. 8 pm, it’s still blow’en. As the tide shifted around 4 pm, the “waltz” was in full swing.
John helped Jerry, Tumbleweed fix his bob-stay. Then we just sorta stayed on board and waited for the waltz to mellow out before going in to have film developed. Great pictures of all those dolphins under the bow by Escondido.
November 16, Sunday
Well, it was another snotty day in La Paz – 15-20k all day. Report is it’s calming down in Escondido, so will be calm by morning here – hopefully. We are ready to be in Mazatlan. I think I want a slip in the marina here in La Paz from now on – forget these damn winds and the waltzes!
November 17, Monday
The wind was somewhat calmer today, 8-10k for the most part. We’ve got everything ready to go, so hopefully it stays calm tonight. Calypso and Moon Shadow both said it was sloppier than heck out there. In fact, Moon Shadow ducked in to Ensenada Grande to get out of it – so it probably won’t be smooth ride. Called Goon.
November 18, Tuesday
Well, we’re here another day! Winds picked up to 15-20k early in the morning. This is getting real old. We were waltzing all over as we got afternoon gusts of 25k. Moonshadow, Al and Morine came on in today. John worked shining and polishing in the engine room for about 3 hours today while we bounced around, it was like a very rough sail all day. As of 5:30 pm it had calmed down in Conception Bay, to the north. That’s usually a good sign that the calm is moving down here.
November 19, Wednesday
La Paz – Los Muertos
Long day – we weighed anchor around 6:45 am in 6k of north wind. Upon our exit through the channel, it was toot’en over the mountain at 15-20k which we had until we rounded out into the Ceralvo Channel, then it laid down to 10k – North. However, we were sideways to 5 & 6 foot swells, with several 10-footers to throw things about! Have to have some excitement! Of course, we passed the Mazatlan Ferry as we were just passing his turning point.
Once in Ceralvo Channel, the wind died to 5 or 10k from behind and we were running with the swell so it smoothed out nicely. We only had the jib out today, but it was a nicer run than I expected. We anchored in Los Muertos at 4 pm, 9.5 hours. There are only 3 other boats in here – that’s the least ever. No pizza tonight. Maybe mañana!
November 20, Thursday
Los Muertos
It was one of those off and on days – “Boy, I’m glad we stayed – hell, we should’ve gone.” It blew 15-20k NW in here most of the morning and early afternoon. Then around 2:30 pm died off to 10k and below. We listened to several boats about halfway across with 18-20k and double reefs in their mains with 4-5 foot swells. We are still debating whether to leave in the morning or not. John dove with the hookah on the boat bottom – really dirty. We also need to paint next year.
November 21, Friday
Los Muertos
Another one of those “should have left today” days.
There are probably 15 boats in here now. There was only one other when we came in on Tuesday. They’re mostly “Ha-Ha’ers” coming up from Los Frailes. Didn’t do much today, just listened to the wind howling from 10 am to 3:30 pm – 20k north again. Reports from those crossing are 10-18k north and the seas are down to 2-3.
So we are ready to boogie on over to Mazatlan around midnight.
*The Ha-Ha’ers Mom is referring to would be from the 3rd annual Baja Ha-Ha group to come down from San Diego. That year’s roster had a whopping 154 boats participating, in comparison to the meager 39 we were a part of in the first official HAHA run in 1994. I checked out the 2024 roster and there were 131 entries. Also, with today’s technology, participants can track their vessels online - you can see where everyone is now! I found it easiest to select a boat name on the right and the map will take you to the location. Otherwise, the 131 different lines are a tad overwhelming! Pretty cool, though.
November 22, Saturday
En route to Mazatlan
I over-slept – we didn’t get underway until 1 am. As of 8 am the seas are 2-3’ with an occaisional 4-5-footer to rock ya over. NNW swell, 8-12k North. What a beautiful crossing! We had 10k with very little variation out of the north the entire way across. Beam reach with the jib and mizzen perfectly full. Of course, we motor-sailed and were doing anywhere from 6-9k. The seas smoothed out to 1-2-footers and very pleasant. Only saw one tanker mid-afternoon and one other sailboat, Freedom, Bob, a single-hander came in closer so he could cat-nap while we kept an eye out.
*Gotta look out for the single-handers! I don’t know how they do what they do - it takes some real courage and skill to go out alone on a boat. If you’re interested in following any current single-handers, you should check out @sailing_songbird on Instagram and TikTok! In October of 2023, he left his job in Seattle as a middle school music teacher to circumnavigate the world in his 27’ sailboat, Songbird. He came south down the Western coastline, stopped in some of our old haunts like Ensenada, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. He played for a bit in Baja, stopped in La Paz (my heart, my home!) and headed out to French Polynesia, arriving in Nuku Hiva after 49 days at sea alone. He has since been to Rangiroa, Tahiti, Tonga and more! As I post this, he is hunkered down in New Zealand working on boat repairs while he waits for the next sailing season so he can continue on his journey. You can also check out his YouTube videos here and even help him fund his boat repairs if you feel so inclined! He is a joy to follow and always puts a smile on my face - if you like the Wandrin’ Stars adventures, I know you will enjoy his posts as well!
November 23, Sunday
Mazatlan
Happy Birthday Debra Diane
We made it into Mazatlan Marina at 6:45 am. It only took 30 hours – a record time. Summer Wind, Jim and Kitty, were on the dock to greet us. Samie went to their boat while John and I got busy wash’en down and cleaning up ours. All the while stopping to visit with old friends that came by. It sure is wonderful to be back among friends. Star Song, Steve and Molly, Lena, Kirby and new girlfriend, Susan, and Prelude, Harry from Tubac, among others.
After washing down, we had to move to a no-power, no-water dock. There are several other Islander Freeport 41s in here.
We went in to town for dinner with Star Song and Summer Wind to the El Taco Loco, wonderful! By day it's a car wash and at night a café – only in Mexico! We all slept like babies after the long trip.
*I don’t remember seeing so many other sister ships! Must’ve been too busy with friends!
November 24, Monday
Mazatlan
Jim took John in to cambio money – he’s jerry-jugging fuel and checking in. NO SCHOOL! We just fiddle-farted around.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner tonight on Star Song with Summer Wind and Lena. Molly fixed a royal feast – a traditional Thanksgiving Day turkey and all the trimmings. I even made cinnamon rolls in my new oven.
*Woo-hoo! Another “snow day!”
November 25, Tuesday
Mazatlan
We moved the boat again, this time to a power and water dock where we can stay until we leave – approximately 2 weeks. It’s an easy in – easy out end dock. Star Song is on this dock too, also Miss Teak II, I wish they were here, but they’re still in New Zealand and won’t be back here until December 20th.
Talked to the Gibson’s, they won’t be driving down here – too short on time, they have to go back to Pinetop December 1st.
Danielle and Chelle called. Danielle didn’t get the Motorola job and her car is on the fritz – she says “life sucks.” But everyone is fine.
November 26, Wednesday
Mazatlan
Jim and Kitty drove us down to have “mug shots” made and to the bank so we could open an account. These are requirements for an FM3, which makes us legal for 12 months without having to renew out VISAS. The account we opened was for $10,000 pesos, which we can take out anytime. It wasn’t too big of a deal, and Juan, who works here with the marina will do all the other paperwork for $20 U.S.
Eric and Tammy, Helena Christina got back today. Their boat had filled up with all the rain water from the winter, due to plugged up scuppers and drains – not good.
Jim, Kitty, Steve and Molly all came over for Happy Hour.
November 27, Thursday
Mazatlan
Happy Turkey Day.
Since we had Turkey Day on Monday, we went with a normal day.
Jim and Kitty left the marina and went to the anchorage this afternoon so they could have some welding done mañana. Around 5 pm, we wandered up to the festivities and visited. Samie got to take a swing at the piñata with 10-15 other kids.
November 28, Friday
Mazatlan
Samie and I spent a long day studying for a test.
John got our anchor and chain sent off with Neal to be re-galvanized. He also changed the main engine’s oil. I defrosted the fridge/freezer.
We went in to town with Steve and Molly for dinner at Panchos on the beach – great! Across the street is a shell place with every kind of shell and shell crafts. Christmas trees made of shells, with the surrounding base covered in shell designs. Really cool place.
November 29, Saturday
Mazatlan
John’s been stripping down and waxing the boat. Jim and Kitty came back in – they got all their new stanchions and stainless work done – that went well. But while trying to find the right place to dock in the cruise boat and fishing boat channel, they bumped into a shrimp boat – oh what fun. Just minor damage.
Samie went to the beach with Chelsea and family on Morning Star.
Jim and Kitty came over for dinner.
November 30, Sunday
Mazatlan
Talked to Brent (OAH) on ham this a.m. He said Blue Ridge won the State Championship last night, 27-21. They set a record for the first 3-A team to ever win 4 years in a row!
Kirby checked out the fridge/freezer, all is fine!
Samie studied for her history and geography test mañana.
*It’s seriously so cool what you can find on YouTube! I wouldn’t have known any of the players those years, but Moro was a long-time coach at Blue Ridge, so I recognized him and Bob London. I think I even saw my high school science teacher, Mr. Gouker, in the background.
