ACAPULCO!!!!!!

I've been looking forward to visiting Acapulco.  Cruising friends who went through last year gave it rave reviews.  They found the bad news that gringos hear about how the place has fallen apart, that there is rampant lawlessness etc. etc. has been grossly exaggerated.  Instead they found a clean, vibrant, beautiful place.  I, unfortunately will not be able to confirm this, as we are leaving as soon as possible, which means we get fuel and food today and leave tomorrow.  Our Mexican visas are expiring the 20th of this month, and we have about 500 more miles to go, including crossing the dreaded Gulf of Tehuantepec (more on this later).  Doesn't sound like much distance, but when you travel at not much more then a fast walk 500 miles looks like a lot.  Plus we must wait for a weather window to cross the Gulf.  Therefore, alas, no dinner at Las Brisas.  Bye-bye Acapulco.



We have come 460 miles from La Cruz, stopping at Barra de Navidad, Los Hadas, Zihuatanejo and Acapulco.  What a beautiful leg this has been.  Our son Kevin was able to join us, and each stop had us wondering about our decision to buy a condo in Puerto Vallarta.  I could live at any of these wonderful places.




Approaching Zihuatanejo
with Kevin on deck



Zihau has a wonderful public market

Its not uncommon for kids to accompany
thier parents to work, especially when they
are self employed.

The older girl organized a photo shoot

Zihau cliff house

More later....

The Story Continues.....

First, apologies to my reader.  I have been remiss in updates, but the muse has left me.  I haven't had much to say....

Since we left Don Juan we have seen many nice sunsets.....

Visited our daughter's flood damaged home in Mulege.  It survived reletively ok, except the front door was swept away.  We had the door replaced and headed on our way on down the coast, evently getting back to La Cruz in Bandaras Bay....

We arrived in time for the Lady of Guadalupe processions in Puerto Vallarta....

Did some amazing hikes with our son Kris and our friends Randi, Jerry, Randy and Donna.....

Caught up on boat maintanence, including, with Andrew's help, replacing a missing bearing at the top of our roller furler's foil..... 

And met some locals....

We are now on our way down the Mexican coast heading for Panama.

FELICE ANO NUEVO

Happy New Year from SV Grace, now located back in our Mexican home, Marina La Cruz, just a bit north of Puerto Vallarta.  It's been some time and a few hundred miles since I updated our blog.  Everything is good on board, our son Kris has joined us for the holidays and our other son, Kevin, is going to be coming soon.

Kris took this 2013 picture on the Malacon in PV with some new friends he met in La Cruz.  They did an amazing job getting the numbers just right.

Its pouring down rain here today.  Feels like we are back home in Seattle, except the outside temperature is 74 degrees F.

We will be here in the Banderas Bay area for a while before starting our move down to Panama early March.



There is truth here.  Mexican love their music.  They love it more when it is loud.  They love it best when it keeps them awake and ready to party 4:30am.

Wanna remake yourself?

Beach Bob can help.  He has a beautiful home on the beach in Behia Los Angeles, and he will sell it to you.  You can be the new Beach Bob, Beach Jerry, Beach Paul, or Beach Bum.  I don't know the exact price, but you can afford it.  Really. 

The House

The View

The Living Room

The Neighborhood

The Beach

Neighbor

Neighbor

Neighborhood

Neighbor



Neighbor

Beach Bob's house is on leased land.  The lease runs for several years and he has had no problem renewing it.  He pays about a hundred a month.  There is no electricity or water, but most of people like it this way.  Water is delievered from town whenever needed, and this part of Mexico is perfect for solar power. 

There are plans to run a paved road down to Beach Bob's neighborhood, along with electricity.  Prices will go up when this happens, so act quick.

Behia Los Angeles is about an 8 hour drive from San Diego on paved roads.  The village has adequate shopping.  Internet, TV and telephone are available.  The sun shines every day.

Ok, Beach Bob says make an offer.  About $30k would spike his interest.

Back at Santa Rosalia.......

And it feels good.  We left Puerto Don Juan last week, making several stops before getting here. The first time we came to Santa Rosalia the consensus was that is is a dump.  Now we realize it has good things going for it.  Ice Cream. Internet. Showers. Pizza.  You get the idea.  And yes, it may be a bit dumpy, but the people are very nice and the shopping is good.

We are tied up in Fonatur Marina, a Mexican government operation. There are five marinas in the Sea;  Mazatlan, La Paz, Puerto Escondido, Guaymas and Santa Rosalia.  It is nice to have a place to tie up, take a break, and get some beer and fuel.  There are only seventeen boats here today.  Revenue for today is probably about $500, which is typical.  This pays the salaries of seven or eight full time and a couple part time employees plus supports the cost of maintenance.  This is not a good business model.  I hope the Mexicans don't close them.

The facilities are identical in every marina.  The steel beams have numbers welded on them. Assembly by the numbers.  Its a nice way to save money. 

They saved a bunch on the docks, too.  They are also identical from marina to marina, and barely sufficient to do the job, being made from plastic and aluminum, with a few pilings scattered about to keep them from floating away.  People say this type of dock was designed for use in lakes, where the weather is more benign and the boats are not heavy ocean capable cruisers.





This afternoon were a having 25 to 35 knot winds blowing across the piers, putting them under high stress.  Our 36,000 pound boat is tied to this cheesy pier that is just wide enough to walk on, floating on styrofoam blocks, lacking support from a piling, connected to the main body of the dock by a few clamps tightened around an aluminium rail.  I don't feel real secure right now with this wind, and have run a line from the end of our finger pier, under the bowsprit of a boat, and tied it to a piling a couple slips away.  Hopefully this will take some of the side loads off the pier.

We were the last cruising boat to leave the BLA area this year.  We always seem to be behind the pack, and kind of like it.  The anchorages are usually empty, and it feels good to be alone, except for our buddies on Windsong.

Leaving an empty Puerto Don Juan

We felt a bit nostalgic leaving.  We won't be back this way again, and we will miss the place and the people we have met here.

Hola

Start of the 1st Annual Behia de los Angeles Regatta 

We migrated back to the village in BLA.  Ran out of beer and soda.  Judy is continuing to mend slowly, and may be ready to some sailing soon.  We are waiting for our sailing buddies on Windsong to arrive from San Carlos, then we will be out of here.

Entrance of Puerto Don Juan
(from inside Don Juan)