From the Galley… Jar Garden

Of the many gracious gifts bestowed upon us before our departure, one is truly earning its keep. This gift would be in the form of two mason jars with squares of window screen cut to fit the openings and directions to sprouting a variety of beans!

The only legumes available here in Mexico that work with this method (that we have found) are garbanzo (otherwise known as chick peas) or lentils.  Lentils are our favorite as they come out crisp and refreshing, making a great addition to salads.

 

The process for procuring these sprouts is as follows:

·      Place dry beans in jar and soak for 24 hours. Cover with at least twice as much water and remember not to put too many as they will expand.

·      Once soaked, drain and rinse. Then set at a 45 degree angle in a shaded area with the screen secured on in place of the metal, allowing them to breath.

·      Rinse and drain 3 times a day, always leaving at a 45 degree angle.

Within two days the lentils will be ready to eat and within 3 days the garbanzos should be ready to enjoy!

Gracias Gary and Kim!!!

How to Build an Ecosystem or Why Cleaning Your Bottom Monthly is Recommended

I have always loved Oceanography. Cousteau was a hero in my youth. We have found we could site this as an excuse for why we haven’t cleaned the bottom of the boat in some time.

At every anchorage we quickly acquired a school of resident fish. We knew we had something more than a “little growth” when one of those schools of fish left Santiago Bay and swam with us the 44 hours to Maruata. We had become their main food source. The next indicator was waking up one morning in Zihuatenejo Bay to bubbles being released on our hull. Coming on deck revealed a dolphin fishing under us. We had begun to attract predators higher on the food chain.

So out came the goggles, fins, scraper, and brillo. Marc had his work cut out for him needless to say and I just followed with a scrub. In the end hard work paid off and we have gained about 2 knots!! (knots being how our speed is measured)

Amigos y Olas Zihuatanejo lat. 17 38.168N long. 101 33.322W

You are safe to assume that if we do not update the blog and the SPOT is not tracking we are having a good time. Zihuatanejo was a great town and treated us well. We quickly met some local surfers who were willing to give us rides to surf, which ended up being pretty good due to some south swell that showed up.  We got on a strict regiment of waking up before dawn to get our gear together and go meet our ride every morning.

The bulk of our surfing was done at a beach called Playa Linda. It predominantly breaks left over cobblestones. This set-up is thanks to a river that lets out at the end of the beach. Also thanks to this river and it’s marshy surroundings are warnings of crocodiles! (side note: this spot was the first place I ever surfed outside of the U.S. , thanks to my mom taking me here when I was 16!)

Another beach we were able to catch a couple at was "The Ranch". For those that surf, I am sure you have surfed a “Ranch” somewhere. It seems to be a quite popular name. Now this was a proper left hand point-break. There is potential all around this area for more waves as well. Next time we plan to bring a tent and a few days worth of rations, and do a bit of camping around the uncharted breaks.

Thanks to Daniel and “Johnny Be Good” for helping us get wet!

From the Galley… Baking?

          As I mentioned previously, we have been attempting to make bread, sourdough to be exact. Marc was inspired by our friends on the Saltbreaker, a fellow boat from San Francisco, who always had a hot loaf to donate to communal meals. One minor hurdle is our lack of an oven. Our hope was the possibility of convincing our pressure cooker to bake it. There are rumors this is possible. After multiple attempts and only being able to manage something resembling a tasteless Dim Sum dish (dumplings), we began exploring other options.

            Some friends of mine that enjoy making pizza at home introduced me to the concept of baking it on the grill using a pizza stone. With that in mind we acquired a random piece of stone (actually it was a table shim at Rosa and Jaime’s taco stand) cleaned it, wrapped it in foil, and turned on the heat.

            At this we were feeling pretty confident, so we splurged on chocolate chip cookie ingredients as well. The cookies just melted and became more of a cake texture and the sourdough wouldn’t rise. With a devotion to never letting anything go to waste, Marc turned the sourdough into pizza and I poured the batter into a tin, which turned into delicious cake!

            Moral: Never give up, especially when pizza and cake are within your grasp.

An unexpected guest lat. 17 52.505 N long. 102 37.884 W

After leaving Maruata, and a long, mostly tanker free overnight watch under my belt, Colleen and I traded posts. I grabbed a couple hours of sleep and awoke just after sunrise. I had just prepared and poured us some coffee, and was getting ready to join Colleen on deck, when suddenly there was an explosion of sound and water just off our starboard beam. “Oh F@*$” Colleen shouting, “It’s an ORCA!” I sprang outside to find Colleen standing in the middle of the cockpit looking rather startled, which is odd since she’s one tough level headed chick. As I peered over the sidewall only to see tons of clear tropical water flowing smoothly past our hull, I began to wonder if maybe she’d been on watch a bit to long, when suddenly, something caught my eye… “F@*$… It really is an ORCA” and it’s drafting about a foot off our stern!!!”

 

For the next few moments our hearts were racing as we watched a Killer Whale dart at, under, and over our boat (ok, she did not really jump over our boat, but I can dream!) She’d smack her tail against the water sending spray everywhere, before disappearing momentarily, only to come charging full speed at our hull, generating an incredible wake, and then diving below just inches away from us.

 

Witnessing the playful elegance, raw power, and sheer control of a wild and free Orca, in such close proximity to your vessel/home/life, really makes you appreciate your momentary place on this earth.

What an absolutely breathtaking experience!

El Dedo de Dios Maruata lat. 18 16.133N long. 103 20.676

            Attempting to make a long haul from Santiago Bay to Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo, the call was made 44 hours in to change course and make a stop in a small bay called Maruata. The wind was on our nose, the current was strong against us, and the sky was red at dawn, all things that can make a sail real uncomfortable. So we decided it best to “heed the warning”.

            What a blessing in disguise it was! We had not heard much about Maruata as it is seemingly not a popular anchorage. We pulled in mid morning to find we were the only vessel (besides local fishing pangas), and without delay took a swim to shore in the cool refreshing water. The next two days were spent re-provisioning (thanks to the help of a few local fisherman) and doing a little exploring. Hiking around found us in beautiful little coves with soft white sand and breathtaking natural rock formations. One being dubbed “Dedo de Dios”. Translation: The finger of God.

            Although we were somewhat discouraged at altering our course, the finger of God was at work, and led us to the discovery of a sleepy fishing village that deposited a few more memories in the bank and allowed us to recharge our personal batteries before getting back under way.

Melaque lat. 19 13.225N long. 104 42.591W

            The town of Melaque became our home for about 10 days. It is located on the northern shore of Bahia De Navidad. It is a quaint town with quite a few tourists, to our surprise, and a mellow vibe. Well, sometimes mellow. That seems to depend on if there is a reason to celebrate. We happened to be there during the beginning of Lent. Which is celebrated as Mardi Gras or Carnaval in other parts of the globe.

           Early in our stay we made a trip to the neighboring town in the south of the bay, as it is a known cruiser hangout (due to a large protected lagoon) and home of a rumored beach break. We quickly stumbled upon said wave, which ended up being not much to write home about, and a few new acquaintances that became fast friends.

            Don and Kristen are from NorCal wine country and were at the end of their year long hiatus from the rat race. They have been going to Barra for nine years and claim to know more people there than in their home town to the north. Mike, Janine, and Auggie (their doxen) are from the west coast of Canada and have as well been heading to their little piece of paradise they call Barra for years. Their Modus Operandi is first of the crew to get to the beach claims a table and the rest supply the beer for the day.

            With boards in hand we strolled up to the beach and inquired about the wave, seeing as there was a Patagonia longboard  posted up next to Don. After a brief run down of the wave, we were immediately invited to join at the table.  A few waves and a much needed few cold ones later (we are definitely getting into warmer climates) Kristen is giving us a tour of the town. Before the sun has set we are back at their apartment enjoying cold beers and a little Don Julio. One thing leads to another and that marked our first night not staying on the boat as we ended up impaired of the skills to navigate public transit with our surfboards.

            Some days later, with another new friend “tex-pat” Mike in tow, (a fellow surfer from Texas who has been wandering Mexico off and on for the better part of ten years), we headed out in search of waves. The trail ended in Barra with no surf to be found. As a conciliation prize, we were surprised with a parade. This was not the Rose Bowl affair. Imagine a peso budget with the zeal of a mid-west prom. As we searched for a location to get a good view we bumped into Don and Mike from the beach and cheered the paraders’ on together outside of Don’s place. 

While watching the parade file past us it was brought to our attention that its route wound through all the surrounding towns, starting in Barra and ending in Melaque. Tex-pat Mike and ourselves quickly hopped the bus to Melaque and got a second showing of the chaos.

See SPOT. See SPOT sail.

Always when under way, and some times on hikes, we take SPOT with us.  SPOT is not our replacement of Torch. SPOT is our tracking device. It is linked to google maps and when on, it tracks our position every ten minutes. It also allows us to send OK messages manually. The messages are linked to a select few email accounts (i.e. family). If you would like to track our progress at sea, or follow us as we explore the lands, go to this link:  
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0cMsHaXzvNfJYE5z7eTqYs3b4BaWKd09v

Recommended Reading: Enchanted Vagabonds

One of my favorite aspects of traveling on the boat is that it allows for plenty of hours of reading. When under way we have found we really enjoy reading to each other.  This also spurs conversation, as we are able to discuss the subject matter as we go.

The first book we read was Enchanted Vagabonds. It was a gift when we left and was perfect to start our trip, as it is a true story about a couple in the 1930’s who left San Diego in their 16 foot, homemade, canvas canoe/sailboat with their sites set on Central America.  It is a fascinating tale. Well worth your time.

                                                 Gracias Meagan!!

Borrachera con Jaime y Rosa

 For us, these days, you just never know where the need for a taco might take you. 

After a bus ride into Puerto Vallarta for some re-provisioning at Wal-Mart, with a growl in our belly, we are on the lookout for a tasty looking taco joint to hit up before we get back to Punta Mita where the boat is anchored. As the bus is pulling into the town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle  we set our sites on a Senora standing over her grill. We hail the bus driver, who conveniently drops us off in front of a tienda, grab the standard mealtime ballenon, and hustle back towards the aroma of grilling meat. We are quickly seated and chatted up by our soon to be “compadre”, Jaime.

We promptly complete the introductions (and our tacos), scoot ourselves over to Jaime’s table, and are presented with another icy cold ballenon. Gracias. Always eager to improve our Spanish, we dive into conversation, translator dictionary in hand.  All too soon, another cold one has passed, and Rosa is cleaning up and readying to close up shop. Payment for our lunch is refused and it is insisted we come to their house for more beers and musica!

This is the juncture, not that we had much choice. All in all, these are the situations that must be embraced when traveling. Getting to spend time with locals and letting them take you “for a ride” can be a great perspective widener.

So we hop in the back of Jaime’s pickup and barrel around the corner to the casa. Valentine and other assorted “romantico” artists are put on, dancing and singing lessons begin (of course to them we have two left feet and lack rhythm),  and the micheladas flow. (a michelada is pretty much a bloody beer. Beer + clamato + lime + hot sauce) Soon fresh shark tacos are being fried up for us and we decide ,with a full belly, it is time to head out. Launching a dinghy off the beach in the dark  with all our groceries that we are still lugging around, could be quite a feat. Better we stop now. We are escorted to the bus stop. Hugs and kisses abound. Jaime insisted Marc give Rosa a kiss on the cheek goodbye, only to her embarrassment, as she is somewhat shy. She also doesn’t drink and was just giggling all along. We make plans to meet later in the week.

We spent over a week more in Mita and ended up spending a few more days with them and meeting their daughters and grandchildren. On one of the occasions we were taken into Puerto Vallarta and shown around. As a bonus to being in the city, we were treated to KFC. Neither of us can remember the last time we ate there, but to them it was splurging. How could we not be grateful.