La Cruz 11\30\2013 swap meet a sucess for us

End of November 2013 - La Cruz anchorage in Banderas Bay Mexico
Hard at work with the sales pitch.

La Cruz anchorage - Paddleboarding, Cleaning bottom etc - 2013

Thanksgiving 2013 in - La Cruz anchorage in Banderas Bay, Mexico
 We will be going to Philo's in La Cruz for our Thanksgiving  dinner (pot luck).

To the left is Alan & Laura on S\V Rhapsody and the Capt Ron Brown on his 36' Islander Freeport S\V Hazel Rose

Problems & solutions, need a hip replacement etc

Late November 2013 -  La Cruz anchorage in Banderas Bay Mexico
Well, well, stuff just happens. We left  Paradise Village Marina and went to the Marina Riviera Nayarit atLa Cruz (La Cruz Marina) for a few days. Then we went out to the La Cruz anchorage where we are now. Everything on the boat is working for I think the first time. It is all working at the same time! But…..then there is the people.

Anchored at La Cruz - Red Tide causing decision making anxiety - 2013

2013 - La Cruz anchorage Banderas Bay Mexico
m\v Pegasus is leaving the La Cruz anchorage today for Punta DeMita in Banderas Bayy because of the Red Tide s\v Gitane is still in the La Cruz anchorage but is heading to Zihuatanejo soon where thy will spend the season.

Winterizing the 12000 BTU Mermaid HVAC unit - 2013

November 2013 - s\v Elegant'sea is currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico (by Puerto Vallarta)
 We took off the 3\4 inch hose from the through hole valve and put our 3\4 inch Spectra Watermaker 200T Deluxe pickling hose on it to give the hose some length.

Clothes wringer gets wringer lift

While in Paradise Village Marina in Puerto Vallarta Mexico in November


Debbie service the clothes wringer. She made her own spray paint both and painted the wringer with rust-oleum because some of the galvanization was wearing off and some rust as forming.

 
 
What can I say? Nice job Debbie!
 

 
 

Serviced our Beta 38 hp for cruising - 2013

November 2013 - s\v Elegant'sea is currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico (by Puerto Vallarta)
Need it or not the Beta Marine 38 hp got serviced so we could go six months without servicing it.

Red tide at La Cruz Marina and anchorage- Latitude 38 Profligate - 2013

Middle of November - 2013 - Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz in Banderas Bay, Mexico
We went to the Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz for a couple days and then planned on going to the La Cruz anchorage for a week. Then start to sail south.

Cap Ron Brown s\v Hazel Rose - Islander Freeport 36' - 2013

Middle of November 2013 - La Cruz Marina in Banderas Bay, Mexico
We watched Cap Ron Brown on s\v Hazel Rose come into the marina. He had just came across from Cabo San Lucas. He said it was a tough passage as he got knocked down twice and had two weather fronts to pass through. There was lots of lightning and I am guessing rain as we got lots of rain from one of the fronts.

Fixed windex and Garmin wind vane - 2013

November 2013 - Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico (by Puerto Vallarta)
 The day before we left Paradise Village Marina in Puerto Vallarta Mexico for LaCruz, Jorge who owns the "SYS Serrvin Yacht Service" chandlery there went back up or mast and put our Garmin wind vane  back there, with bird spikes.

s\v Lungta at Paradise Village Marina and Caleta be Campos - 2013

Beginning of November 2013- Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico
 We were researching Caleta be Campos as a safe anchorage and we came up with the blog for lungtalife. The boat was across from us at Paradise Village Marina so we went over and had a chat. A cement boat. We again saw visited them in Zihuatanejo.

Getting ready to shove off head south from Puerto Vallarta, Banderas Bay, Mexico - 2013

Beginning of November 2013 - Paradise Village Marina in Puerto Vallarta, Banderas Bay Mexico 


We have been working feverishly away getting ready to leave the Paradise Village Marina. We have consolidated our three dock boxes into one and another Baja Ha Ha 2013 boat came into the slip next to us. We had to move our spring lines to let it dock. Not a big deal as we are leaving in four days! We will go to La Cruz marine for two days then out to the La Cruz  anchorage for a week or so before heading south.

New cruising season starting! - Off to Zihuatanejo, Acapulco and Huatulco etc.! - 2013

Beginning of November 2013 - Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico
So I am sitting in the stateroom with the Mermaid Marine Air, A/C (HVAC) on and am typing away. It is Sunday and our day off from boat projects.  I have a groin pull so I am trying to take it easy.

 It is November now and the marina rates are up for the high season. We are also itching to get off the dock and head to anchorage. We are thinking a week in La Cruz anchorage then off to Yelapa to catch a mooring ball for a day or so and then round Cabo Corientess.  Then we will cruise down the Mexican Riviera till we get to Huatulco, Mexico.  We will be making many stops (some familiar from last season, some new ones) and anchoring at them along the way.

Rope swim ladder is a challange

Beginning of November - Paradise Village Marina in Puerto Vallarta Mexico 2013



We have been testing the rope ladder on the side of our 36’  Islander Freeport sail boat. So far it has been pretty useless. It hurts the feet to try to climb it. It is hard to stay balanced. We put some 1 1\2” sanitary rubber hose on some of the adder with wire test hoping to keep it off the side of the boat some.


We have done several tests so far and have been disappointed even from a standing position on the paddleboard.


I was in the water and tried to climb the ladder. The bottom rungs went under the side of the boat below the water line and I cut my toe on a barnacle. Guess we need a bottom cleaning!

All in all it was not good. I did eventually get up but not for the every or even occasional use.
The hoses did not help.

Next time we will try amidships where the hull is flatter and there are stays where we can attach a line for grabbing on the way up. Also while on the paddleboard I can grab my "get wet shoes" from the deck and climb up the swim ladder with them on, not hurting my feet.

Air Breeze wind generator trouble shooting - 2013

  We dropped the pole and hen dis-connected the wires to the boat. Debbie put a line on the wires and then a rag in the pole. Then she taped the top of the pole with white electoral tape.  We cleaned and polished the pole and put it back up.

Cockpit teak grate gets a coat of- Reteak Wondered - 2013

November 2013- s\v Elegant'sea is currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico (by Puerto Vallarta)
We removed the teak grate to clean it and apply the Teak Wonder.

Salon fluorescent lighting, convert lights from fluorescent to LED - 2013

End of October 2013 - s\v Elegant'sea is currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico (by Puerto Vallarta)
We decided to change over all of our salon lights from fluorescent to LED (as previously mentioned in this blog). 

Dinghy chaps are getting close to done and looking good - 2013

End of October 2013 - s\v Elegant'sea is currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico (by Puerto Vallarta)
 This is the chafe material at the transom - it's well protected with the dinghy material (hypalon) yet figured we didn't want it to wear on the chaps.

Two new guide books, Mexican Boating Guide, Sarana Guides - 2013

Beginning of November 2013 - Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico
The first one we got was "Sarana Guides" and we obtained the electronic version. It is good down through Panama.
 The second one we are getting (James and Charlotte on m\v Pegasus are bringing it down) is "Mexican Boating Guide".

Cleaning our jib sheet winches, big job but way worth it! - 2013

Beginning of November 2013 - Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico
You can see a the gray flipper by my left hand.