Sara and I are married on a beach in Puerto Vallarta
Sara and I were married December 18, 2006 on a beach in beautiful Bucerias, Mexico!
Blog
Wedding preparations in Puerto Vallarta and Bucerias
We moved off the boat and spent a few days at Sean's place in PV before our families arrived on the 13th. It was perfect timing, because we had a home base in the city - a solid 20-minute ride from the boat.
Isla Isabela to Puerto Vallarta, easy overnight sail and parking Wanderlust for the next month
We left Isla Isabela just before sunset and headed south for the Bay of Banderas, home to Puerto Vallarta! It was the last section of a trip we started two months prior. Hard to believe it has just been sixty-some days since we cast off from Loch Lomond.
Mazatlan to Isla Isabela, easy overnight sail to Isabela - a bird estuary island in the Pacific, lots of boobies and frigate birds
[ written by Sara ]
We left Mazatlan in the late afternoon during low tide. The challenge was that there was a sand bar near the entrance of the marina, and at low tide, water barely covers it. We were fortunate in that we had 4 feet of playing room! After gunning it through the sand bar, we turned the boat to head South and sailed around the picturesque city of Mazatlan and its surrounding islands.
Ensenada de los Muertos - across the Sea of Cortez - to Mazatlan, big wind, huge waves, and surfing at more than 10 knots!
We checked the weather one last time before leaving Muertos. Sometimes internet access can be a lifesaver! Everything looked good, although we all knew the conditions would be challenging. The high winds from the US had been blowing for almost a week and we were sure to see some big waves. It was grey and overcast when we left.
Espiritu Santo to Ensenada de los Muertos, waiting out another storm at anchor, preparing to cross the Sea of Cortez
[ written by Sara ]
Our last night in Ensenada de la Pardita was easy, no wind, no drama. We left early and headed south.
La Paz to the Espiritu Santo islands, one week in paradise: snorkeling, swimming, exploring, and hunkering down for our first huge storm - gale force winds!
We didn't get our propane tank back until the sun had long gone down, and the thought of an unnecessary overnight sail wasn't appealing, so we stayed an extra night and snuck out of the marina at first light. We were totally pissed at Walter, and we really weren't interested in paying another $36 for the day we wasted sitting around waiting for him.
Ensenada de los Muertos to La Paz, re-provisioning, getting some boatwork done, and American thanksgiving with other cruisers!
The sail from Muertos to La Paz was beautiful and mostly uneventful. We had been paying close attention to the weather while monitoring Sergio, and we just happened to leave during a nice lull in the winds. We were heading north between mountain ranges on the mainland and a tall island just offshore; the straight is basically a huge wind funnel, and I guess it can get pretty rough.
Las Frailes to Ensenada de los Muertos, recovering our stolen dinghy, snorkeling, and a great beach party!
The trip from Las Frailes to Ensenada de los Muertos ("Dead Man's Cove") is a full day's trip, so we had prepped the boat the night previous and left early in the morning. After a small struggle with the mainsheet halyard - it somehow got wrapped around the radar reflector, and it took almost 20 minutes of tossing the line back/forth to free it - we were off for another fantastic day of sailing.
Cabo San Lucas to Las Frailes anchorage, hanging out, snorkeling, and chilling
We raised anchor at first light and motored out of the bay. We were all ecstatic to be leaving. Never before have we been so happy to get away from somewhere. Cabo sucks.