Category Archives: Baja California & Mexico

Baja California & Mexico, Eric's Posts, Galapagos, Itinerary, Mindset

Remiss

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GAL Thunderhead
Thunderheads surround and engulf Kandu on way to Galapagos

Since arriving in La Cruz, Bandaras Bay, the push for me has been to get Kandu going and to keep her so. Several unexpected problems of significant proportion required my undivided attention and complete effort: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Delays were compounded by the pressures of the upcoming hurricane season, the French Polynesian visa requirement that we arrive in June, and the disappointment of having to cross so many desirous locations off our list. These demands left little time for visiting Mexico or writing. I went to bed exhausted around 8pm and woke around 5am. The pressure was non-stop. We knew that once we left Mexico, any chance of getting parts would be very difficult, time constraining, and costly. It felt like “now or never.”

Eric on evening watch off Mexican coast aboard Kandu
Eric on evening watch off Mexican coast aboard Kandu

At one point, it looked like the lack of supportive wind would force us to cross Galapagos off our itinerary, a magical place I really didn’t want to miss. Realizing that the wind would not be dangerous, but variable, light, and rain-riddened, we made the decision to suck it up, spend the fuel, and go for it.

Red marks on RADAR heavy rain and Kandu in the midst.
Red marks on RADAR heavy rain and Kandu in the midst.

The sail to the Galapagos was uncomfortable and discouraging. Sailing in confused seas (again), motor sailing often, having to dodge thunderstorms and squalls day and night, all as we passed under the latitude of the sun and its intense tropical heat (sea temp 89oF), against the southeast trades and current, placed in jeopardy the whole idea of sailing around the world. Rain forced us to close all hatches and portlights, cutting off ventilation. Were it not for the portable 12-volt fans throughout the boat, we would have drowned in our own sweat. I often sleep in the cockpit so Bryce and Trent have easy access to me should they have any question. The last 4 days were the worst, as we tacked back and forth against ever-changing winds, through wet thunderheads, rocking in all directions, while discovering that our alternator charging system (the engine powers the alternator that makes electricity to charge the ship’s batteries) had failed for some unknown reason.

Land Ho! After 17 days, Isla Isabela
Land Ho! After 17 days, rain clouds shroud Isla Isabela at sunrise just below the equator.

Arriving in Puerto Villamil at the southern tip of Isla Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos islands, 17 days after leaving Mexico, we focus on meeting the complex entry requirements. Were it not for the help of our agent, JC DeSoto, we’d not have done so well. Entry permitted, and although many more standard issues beckon, I apply intense focus on resolving the alternator problem. It takes 8 days, more than half of our intended stay. In between the other boat maintenance requirement and preparing for the next, and longest crossing, I visit Galapagos with the family, taking several half-day excursions, land and sea.

Time constraints of the Galapagos and of French Polynesia require we leave now. Instead of sailing to Gambier, a less comfortable sail, we’ve opted for sailing directly to the Marquesas, a more favorable direction with regard to wind and sea. I can’t very much afford another uncomfortable crossing if I want to keep morale up for a 25-day crossing. In Gambier, we’d have to leave after a week or two. In the Marquesas, we can stay a month or longer, providing the rest and stability we all crave. Off to the Marquesas we go.

Marina Iguana Yoga
Marina Iguana yoga position

The intensity of effort to prepare Kandu for the Galapagos and beyond, combined with the power issue that developed along the way, prevented me from blogging. Although I have many stories to share, I’m going to have to wait until we settle into the Marquesas before I can publish. Appreciating that such breaks from regular posting are the death of a blog-site, I hope you’ll bear with us and reap the reward once we are able to share once again on a more regular basis. In the meantime, for those on Facebook and/or Twitter, we have been posting regularly to these sites via our satellite texting device, Delorme inReach SE, which provides not only the text, but a link back to our current position.  The same device provides the tracking and map location of Kandu, a link to which is provided on this site’s front page.  So if you’re needing your RigneyKandu fix, look for us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rigneyskandu or me up on Facebook (Eric Rigney) or on Twitter@RigneysKandu until we can get back to delivering more in-depth writing.

Thanks for sticking with us!!!

Eric Rigney

Baja California & Mexico, Eric's Posts, Experiential, Itinerary, Prepping Kandu

Ventura to Mexico Recap

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This is a recap I submitted to the Ventura Yacht Club’s, that they published in their newsletter, “The Forecast,” in its “Members on the Move” section. Leslie thought I should post it for all to read:

The Rigneys aboard their Tanaya 42, Kandu, made a soft start of their planned circumnavigation, taking full advantage of reciprocity to finish last minute items aboard Kandu.  They wonder if YELP should include reviews on the various yacht club showering facilities?  The clubs have been very accommodating, some more regulated than others.  Clubs visited in order of appearance: Del Rey, California, Alamitos Bay, Dana Point, Oceanside (Eric gave OYC his VYC presentation), Southwestern, San Diego, Silver Gate, Chula Vista, Coronado Cays, Navy (They honored reciprocity as well.  The Rigneys just needed a sponsor, which the Navy club provided), back to Silver Gate and Southwestern.  The new showering facilities at Silver Gate take first prize.

Ensenada brought the first international leg, and the boys responded well.  VYC members Bill Kohut and Joe Houska joined them for the border crossing. Eleven-year-old Trent was and remains bent on learning Spanish.  Bryce was mostly interested in skateboarding the streets and port of Ensenada, drinking Mexican Coke and drinking coconuts. Between Ventura and Puerto Vallarta, some problems arose aboard Kandu.  Debris from a dissolved inspection plate gasket blocked their fuel supply. The control unit of their windvane malfunctioned.  Hydraulic fluid leaked from the ram of their autopilot.  And the inside rigging of their extendable spinnaker pole gave way.  But nothing “mission critical” occurred that redundancy couldn’t circumvent.  The first overnight sails with watch schedules went well.  Thirteen-year-old Bryce has difficulty waking for the 10 p.m. to midnight watch, but is otherwise fine.  The confused seas, remnants of Hurricane Pam, didn’t make for comfortable initial crossings.  After two nights, Isla Cedros was their first landfall.  Then a surf stop at Isla Natividad on their way to Turtle Bay. Passage to Bahia Maria meant another two night sailing in confused seas.  Leslie questions going all the way to Easter Island, but will wait to see how the sail to the Galapagos goes this month.  They missed the Grey Whales in Mag Bay by a week (darn wind generator controller and fuel blockage!).  The four day passage to La Cruz, just outside Puerto Vallarta, provided two days of favorable seas and wind, which calmed to a day and half of low rpm motoring (tachometer quit, so they go by ear until Bill Kohut arrives with a new sender unit in a few days).  Bill Kohut is flying to meet them in Puerto Vallarta, bringing many requested parts and supplies.  Kandu is thoroughly shaken down and ready for her long upcoming passages: Galapagos, Easter Island (maybe), and French Polynesia.  Don’t forget to follow them on the website and subscribe to their blog feed at RigneysKandu.com.  It includes a map link that will track in real-time their passages.

Post script:  Easter Island and Pitcairn are off the list for now, due to time constraints surrounding our visa with French Polynesia. Maybe we’ll visit them on our return, after transiting the Panama Canal.  Today, April 30, after many false starts, we plan to leave the Puerto Vallarta area for the Galapagos.  It will take 15 days or more, before we arrive in Isla Isabela.

Baja California & Mexico, Eric's Posts, Experiential

Bahia Maria: New Experiences

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April 7, 2015

Found our anchoring spot.
Found our anchoring spot.

A couple of days ago on Thursday, April 2nd, we sailed to Bahia Maria from Bahia Tortugas. By the way, the Spanish word “Bahia” means “Bay.” We were told that it was a great surf spot. When we got there it was too windy to do much of anything except put the boat away, eat dinner, take outdoor showers, and rest from our 48 hours of sailing. The next morning, Kandu motored over to the other side of the bay to find some good surf. As we were looking at the waves, we saw on the beach some sand dunes. They looked like they could be really fun to slide down. Dad didn’t want us to go right away to the sand dunes because the only reason we were at Bahia Maria was to surf. So we found a nice spot and Bryce and I set off to go surfing. The waves were okay, but after an hour or more, we decided it was time to go sand duning.Trent3

Bryce and I paddled back to the boat to get ready for the dunes. Dad motored Kandu over to where the dunes looked the best and Bryce and I headed off on our banana yellow kayak with boogie boards. Once we got close to the waves we waited for a set to go by and started paddling as hard as we could. We looked behind us and we saw a wave forming, so we paddled even harder and faster. Unfortunately the wave crashed right behind the kayak and hit us. We totally failed at staying dry. I jumped off the kayak so it wouldn’t flip over, and started running with all my might, the kayak following right behind me. Bryce also jumped off, but into deeper water. We made it to shore, just a bit wetter than we had wanted. We had a really great time sand duning.

Bahia Maria, our own private playground of surf and sand.
Bahia Maria, our own private playground of surf and sand.

Trent Rigney

Baja California & Mexico, Experiential, Leslie's Posts, Mindset

Easter Sunday

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April 5, 2015

Leslie as we come into Cedros Island after two nights at sea.
Leslie as we come into Cedros Island after two nights at sea.

I woke up slowly this morning having gone through a night of watches. Sleeping on a moving boat and being responsible for that boat is not relaxing. Even at anchor with a steady wind blowing, I have not been sleeping soundly. My ears, nose and motion sensors are all actively accessing the situation – constantly. The night before, early on, there was a crashing “BOOOOM.” Our telescoping spinnaker pole broke. The extension or telescoping section could not support the tension of the outstretched genoa and crashed back in. Fortunately, it was during Eric’s own watch, so he dealt with it.

9:10 pm. It is still Easter Sunday, but the day has darkened outside. I’m on the first watch from 8:00 p.m. until 10, then I will repeat a watch early in the morning from 4:00-6:00 a.m. The moon is just rising. It is an eerie yellow full moon. The wind is coming from dead downwind. Once again, it is not coming from a great direction for Kandu. We’re trying to conserve fuel, so no motoring right now. We are also trying to see what it’s like to use less energy.

Much of my on-land and sea days are involved in keeping the family fed and watered…and then cleaning-up. This morning, because it was Easter, and due to the calm sea situation, I felt inspired to make pancakes served with applesauce. The boys requested chocolate chip pancakes. We did not have an Easter egg hunt as they had hoped, so chocolate pancakes it was! Instead of an Easter church service, I decided to acknowledge the day with a morning full of Easter music: Handel’s Messiah and later Sylvia McNair singing Exsultate Jubilate. It was glorious music to hear while floating along in the middle of the ocean.

Bryce and Trent on watch.
Bryce and Trent on watch.

We are a little speck moving on a massive waterway with no land in sight. Most of the time I do not allow myself to think about the possibilities of what could go wrong. But I catch myself at different times of the day, everyday, taking account of our rather precarious situation. We are so alone, out in foreign waters, watching the radar, paying close attention to the sea patterns, the wind, the provisions, the amount of water and propane being consumed, the direction (navigation), and keeping tabs on the general mental health of the crew.

After cleaning up breakfast, we all had some quiet time. I listened closely to Handel while playing a bit of Sudoku; the guys worked on the rigging. Dad taught Bryce how to seize the ends of the lines and ropes, offering him a dollar per end seized. I asked how to do it also and helped with six or seven ends. There are always ends of rope that need attention.

I brought out knives to sharpen in anticipation of catching a fish! Bryce put out the trolling lines, in hopes of snagging some unsuspecting tuna, to no avail. Since it was Easter, I wanted to make sure to prepare delicious meals, well balanced and as fresh as possible. For lunch, I prepared a cucumber, tomato, red onion and feta type cheese salad served with crackers and smoked tuna that we had bought at the Ensenada fish market. It was light and tasty.

Looking through my “Boat Galley Cookbook,” I tried to figure out what kind of fun desert I could make. Bryce decided to bake cookies. He was excited to eat a fresh tasting dessert. Eric doesn’t eat added sugar foods anymore, so I often refrain from baking sweets out of respect for his choice. But with two boys around, they do want to enjoy fresh sweets from time to time. Easter seemed the perfect time to make it happen.

Aside from baking cookies, during much of the afternoon, the boys and I played games starting with checkers, then one of our favorite card games: Rummy. We really enjoy ourselves with that game. We were even able to play outside because the wind and swell were not powerful.

I got a chance to read a bit while Eric worked with the boys on trouble shooting the sump pump for the aft shower. Then it was time for dinner preparations: boiled potatoes, grilled Mexican bacon wrapped hotdogs, and romaine salad with shredded carrots, red onions, celery, topped with our favorite dressing: ‘Annie’s Shitake Sesame.’ All these fresh foods today were quite luxurious since our fresh salad supplies will only remain through tomorrow. We are down to one fresh egg, 3 boiled eggs, 2 oranges and some limes. The rest of the passage will be canned fruit and frozen vegetables along with pastas, beans and rice. Tomorrow we’ll eat bean soup from yesterday’s large pot that I made in advance while in Bahia Maria.

Baja sand souvenir
Baja sand souvenir

Yesterday, I got a bit overwhelmed with the idea of cooking and providing for 5 people 3 times per day for many days on end when we travel to the Galapagos and then onward to the Tuamotus. I have got to create some future menus in advance for our long passages so the task doesn’t overcome me.

9:50 p.m. My first watch of the night is almost over. It’s been a long day with no nap. Winds are holding generally from one direction. This is important to note before handing off the watch to Trent. If the winds were to have changed, then I would have had to wake Eric to reset the sails; I still defer to him at the moment. As it is, the wind is blowing at about 10-11 knots, but we’re only going about 3.8 to 4 knots because the sails are not capturing efficiently.

A little prayer before I turn over the watch to Trent: “Thank you Lord for our easy sailing south, our solid boat, fair winds and seas. I am grateful for our safe travels. Thank you on this most important day that we remember Jesus’s sacrifice for us. We are blessed…in Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.”

Ensenada Church while strolling on errands.
Ensenada Church while strolling on errands.

Leslie Dennis Rigney

Post script: today we plan to sail 15 days to the Galapagos from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Uncle Bill is going us.

Baja California & Mexico, Experiential, Trent's Post

Ensenada Days

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March 25, 2015

I was so excited to go to Mexico. It was the first time for me to travel somewhere outside of the United States. There were a lot of things that happened during our stay in Ensenada, but a few experiences were more special: arriving at the dock, eating at a really nice fish restaurant, seeing the movie Insurgent in a Mexican theater with Spanish subtitles, and most especially, drinking and eating a freshly cut coconut.

Kandu in Ensenada
Kandu in Ensenada, Mexico

We left San Diego early in the morning on Friday, March 20th to sail down the coast of Baja California to get to the port of Ensenada, Mexico by mid-afternoon. Uncle Bill (Grandpère) and Joe Houska had joined us a day before. It was fun having them aboard since the Kandu crew of four hadn’t had any other passengers aboard after we left Ventura. Dad had already made arrangements for us to dock inside Puerto Ensenada at Cruise Port Village. When we first arrived at the dock, we went to check-in and met Jonathan, the marina manager. We thought he was the Mexican “Tom Cruise,” because he was so handsome and he had nice hair. Once we were done with Jonathan, we finished putting the sailing gear away and got ready to walk into town to look for a spot to eat dinner.

Joe and Trent walking the dock.
Joe and I walk up to Cruise Port Village Ensenada.

Grandpère knew the city and led us to his favorite seafood restaurant. Once inside “Mariscos Bahia Ensenada,” the host sat us down at a table then went to find an old-fashioned jacket holder to hang our belongings. Everyone hung their jackets, bags and hats on this holder. It was a really neat service the restaurant provided. So now we were looking at the menu. I had no idea what it said so I told my dad what I wanted: fish tacos. It happened to be on the menu. I was the first one to get my food out of everyone: Joe, Bryce, Grandpère, mom and dad. My tacos came with cabbage and salsa. I put both cabbage and salsa all over them and they tasted so good. After I finished my first taco, everybody else got their food. After I finished my second taco, I was really full. Then a little later, everybody else finished too. We walked back to the boat and all went straight to bed.

Our international arrival celebration restaurant
Our international arrival celebration restaurant
Dinner for the Kandu crew.
Dinner for the Kandu crew . . .
... with traditional live entertainment!!!
… with traditional live entertainment!!!

During the next couple of days, my mother, Bryce and I walked past a Mexican movie theater. Several times I studied the panel of movies and saw that Insurgent was playing. Bryce and I knew that Insurgent had just been released in California and we were really happy to discover it was playing in Ensenada. Next to the Insurgent listings we saw “Dub” and “Sub”. “Sub” means the movie will play in English with Spanish subtitles. “Dub” means the movie will play with the actors speaking in Spanish, with either English or no subtitles. It was already 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon. The closest time for us to see the “Sub” version was 4:45 p.m.  So we walked around town for an hour and returned in time for the 4:45 showing. Stepping up to the box office attendant, we asked for 4 tickets because dad was now with us. The woman couldn’t speak English so my mom and dad had to struggle in Spanish. We bought our tickets and walked threw the doors of the theater. The temperature was very cool inside. We all visited the bathroom. It smelled terrible, but I think that was just the smell of the unusual soap. We bought some popcorn and walked over to the where the movie was going to play, but a security guard said we had to wait until they said we could go in. I thought that was really different. We waited for 5 minutes. We found our seats, and then the screen lit up. Some of the commercials were in Spanish and some in English. It was interesting to compare the English dialogue with the Spanish words [subtitles]. I was able to catch a couple, understanding more and more words here and there. I look forward to learning more Spanish as we travel in Mexico and the Galapagos.

Sharing a fresh drinking coconut with Bryce in Ensenada
Sharing a fresh drinking coconut with Bryce in Ensenada

On a day we went to the fish market, we discovered a coconut stand nearby. My dad suggested that we get one to drink. So Bryce and I split a coconut. It cost 50 pesos or about US$3.50. The coconut water was refreshing and lightly sweet. It seemed more real, more natural than the coconut water I had tasted out of a bottle in the states. When we finished drinking it, we handed it back to the man to cut out the meat of the coconut. He had a pokey handle that you stick in the coconut to hold it steady. The man cut the top of the coconut off, but the machete ricocheted off the coconut and hit his hand near the index finger. His finger didn’t get cut off, but it was bleeding a lot. He left immediately to the hospital and his son finished preparing our coconut. The son squeezed a little lime on the meat and wow, was it good. The next day we returned to the coconut stand to see if the man was okay. Antonio had nicked a vein, but the tendons were fine. He showed us that he had fashioned a guard on the pokey handle to make sure that kind of accident wouldn’t happen again. That day, we became friends.

 

Leaving Ensenada for Islas Cedros, our first overnight passage.
Leaving Ensenada for Islas Cedros, our first overnight passage.
On our way south, down Baja coast.
On our way south, down Baja coast.

Hanging out in Ensenada was a great experience. I got to meet some interesting Mexican people. I also ate lots of fresh fish tacos, watched an American movie in a big theatre with subtitles, and enjoyed delicious fresh food including eating and drinking super tasty coconuts. I am looking forward to many more adventures.

Trent Rigney

Baja California & Mexico, Bryce's Posts, Experiential

When Can I Surf?

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January 9, 2015

Me at Ventura's Surfers' Point with my new board, formerly Robert Weiner's.
Me at Ventura’s Surfers’ Point with my new board, formerly Robert Weiner’s.

Surfing is the sport that I like most in the world. It is what I look forward to doing every day. The first time I ever surfed was in Hawaii, but I couldn’t paddle my way into the wave as I was too weak. I was only 8 years old. My parents and little brother Trent tried surfing in Hawaii as well. It was very fun but other than that I wasn’t that excited about the sport. When I really started getting into surfing was when I moved to Ventura. Sure I did some surfing along the way in Venice during a summer camp one year and during Junior Lifeguards the summer before we moved, but surfing didn’t become my passion until Ventura.

Age 6, at Waikiki, catching my first wave, "Shakka, Brah!"
Age 6, at Waikiki, catching my first wave, “Shakka, Brah!”

The first boards we had were the wave storm long foam blue boards from Costco. But after a couple weeks in fair weather Ventura surfing in spring suits, we were sure we were ready for the next step up. Mom took us over to “Play It Again Sports” to find some second hand full wetsuits because Ventura waters are cold. My dad saw a great deal on Sushi boards at Costco and bought them, surprising us with them one day. When Trent and I saw them we were both extremely happy and eager to take them into the water.

When we moved to Ventura everything was about the boat: unpacking, packing, moving again and so on. Yet, Mom would take us surfing often right after school. At the time, we tried to make surfing a daily event since we weren’t in any organized sports and didn’t have a lot of friends. We were fanatics my brother and I. Our passion for the sport surfing had begun! My parents would hear the same questions over and over again. It was either, “Can we go surfing today?” or “Can we go surfing with Charlie?”

Surfing with Charlie
Three pals goofing off at Faria Beach in Ventura

 

One day while we were surfing at the fun beginner spot called Mondo’s just north of Ventura at Faria Beach, my brother Trent saw (who is now our best friend) Charlie, a boy from his 5th grade class at Pierpont. Trent paddled over to see him and after awhile, Trent and Charlie along with some friends walked up the beach to his house and met Charlie’s parents. As we became better friends and our parents became acquainted, we spent a lot of time with Charlie surfing from his house.

Jeff Belzer offers instruction to Bryce
Jeff Belzer offers me instruction

Soon my brother and I became more advanced; we decided we needed new boards. We took a lesson with the local surf instructor, Jeff Belzer, and he suggested we head over to Robert’s, a local surfboard designer with the instructions to purchase longish boards for our skill and epoxy instead of fiberglass in order for them to handle the heavy abuse of living outside on the sailboat. We bought two boards: a 6 foot 4” and a 5 foot 10” board. Having got our new epoxy boards, we begged our dad to let us take them out that day. But however hard we tried, he said it was too late – probably tomorrow. The next day, we surfed on them without applying any wax because we didn’t know any better. I determined that I wasn’t fond of the 5 foot 10” board. When we bought it Robert said that if I didn’t like it, I could switch it with another one. So the following day we went back to the shop and asked to exchange the one board for another 6 foot 4” one like Trent’s. Robert said, “Look, I have one but it’s mine and it’s still in my car. I will make you this trade though.” So he went to his car and pulled out the board. He handed it to me and pointed out that written on the back of the board was “Thank you Lord for this board” and then his signature. We took it home and the next day showed our new boards to Charlie. We both loved our new surfboards!

Robert Weiner helping my dad select surfboards for me and Trent
Robert Weiner helping my dad select surfboards for me and Trent

Six or so months later, Trent decided to get himself a more advanced shorter fiberglass board so that he could duckdive under the bigger waves. He would have to purchase it completely himself this time though. We drove back to Robert’s shop and checked out the latest selection of boards. Charlie came along too and was looking at us like we were crazy for getting new boards, but I just think he was jealous that we got boards just as good as his in such a short time. As we checked the boards out, my brother spotted one he liked with a fancy flame design and determined the height and width would be perfect for him. One reason why he liked it was because it had spots for five fins and we always wanted to try out five fins. Before he found this new board, I wasn’t planning on getting a new board, but then I got a bit envious and decided I wanted a new one too. I scouted around the shop and picked one out that I liked for a reasonable price. It had everything I wanted except a paint design. That day we both returned back home to Kandu with new boards; mine was 5 foot 6” and my brother’s was 5 foot 7”. A week later, my dad and I started to prep the board for painting. I decided to paint a red, white and blue lightning bolt. We sanded it, taped it up, researched and bought the paint, painted it and then had to wait another day to add a lacquer type finish paint. The whole process felt like years of torture not being able to use my new board. When we finally finished it, my board looked beautiful. I called her “The Patriot.” We drove over to our friend Charlie’s house to surf and it was like floating on clouds. I absolutely loved it!

My own design, the "Patriot"
My own design, the “Patriot”

So now almost every time we can fit in a little surf time we do. On my family’s trip to sail around the world, the main thing that I’m looking forward to is surfing perfect, clean and clear barrels!!! Surfing is the sport I love and a sport I hope to always love. I look forward to surfing with people around the world! I hope I’ll find some fellow surfers around the world who love it as much as I do.

Trekking through jungle to "Burro's Beach" northern Banderas Bay, Mexico.
Trekking through jungle to “Burro’s Beach” northern Banderas Bay, Mexico.
Prepping to surf Burro's
Prepping to surf Burro’s

Bryce Rigney

Baja California & Mexico, Experiential, Leslie's Posts

First Mexican Anchorage and Seal Watching

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Islas Cedros to Isla Natividad to Bahia Tortugas, Mexico              3-28-15 Saturday afternoon, a week and a day before Easter

Kandu anchored in the clear waters of Northeastern Cedros Island.
Kandu anchored in the clear waters of Northeastern Cedros Island.

I’m having a delightfully calm afternoon and evening/overnighter at the northeastern tip of Islas Cedros, a larger island in the region. The southern part of the island is busy with industry: grinding fish into fertilizer and bagging it (smells are evidently overpowering), and processing sea salt. It is also know as a smuggler’s destination – a stop-off for boats heading north from mainland Mexico to ports further north.

Northern point of Cedros anchorage.
Northern point of Cedros anchorage.

To avoid problems ranging from theft to being boarded by island police, we anchor on the opposite side of the island, in the more protected of the two northeastern anchorages, just south of a very small fish camp. It is an idyllically calm spot, having just cruised 48-hours straight for the first time, and getting rolled about by muddled seas like a cat in a clothes dryer. The anchorage is a known seal rookery – perhaps why no other boats are here. The noises emanating from hundreds of seals, ranging from large, female elephant seals to smaller sea lions are downright spooky. They sound human: coughing, childlike screams, cat cries, and usual barks. I find so much enjoyment watching and staring at them through binoculars. I witness a mother sea lion swimming up to shore, barking a few commands. Her baby, covered in molting fuzz, hurtles toward her. They play in the water then together hobble up shore. Lifting her back fin, the little tyke nurses while she watches on, guarding against potentially invading males. She is definitely a young beauty, often chased.

Molting seal pups on Cedros
Molting seal pups on Cedros
Three "Drowning" Ladies
Three “Drowning” Ladies
This could get ugly....
This could get ugly….

The large female elephant seals slumber the entire afternoon, sandwiched tight against each other. I watch four in particular. Occasionally one opens her eyes to check us out or opens her mouth to yawn, showing her gaping red maw. As the tide rises, the frequent lapping seaboard douses their faces, pointing toward the water’s edge. For over an hour these huge monoliths continue to lie in the same positions, moving their noses out of the water to breath…very entertaining to watch. Eventually one of them decides she’s had enough of being slowly suffocated. She wiggles free from the other behemoths. The remaining three indicate their displeasure by barking and gaping their mouths threateningly. Eventually another starts to move as well. The two seem close friends. Once they finally waddle their way to shallow waters, they play and kiss and nuzzle each other for another hour before eventually lumbering off into deeper waters and disappear.

Bryce ready for some snorkeling action
Bryce ready for some snorkeling action
Trent's in!
Trent’s in!
So is Dad...
So is Dad…

Immediately after anchoring, chores are completed. Then Bryce dons his wetsuit, demanding to enjoy the water. I am nervous for him, going in the water alone with so many large seals nearby. Eric digs out his spring wetsuit, fins, and snorkel, and despite the chill, slips his way, ever so slowly, into the clear, but still cold water. Trent is right behind. The open sore on my knee forbids me from joining them. The three of them head out to get a closer look at the seals, their own little school. All goes well. The seals keep their distance. Dad exits the water, but Bryce and Trent continue to play in the water for another couple hours. Some toddler seals come over to play with them. Dad even sets-up the rope swing for the boys. Having enough of the swing, Bryce and Trent then capture their follies on their waterproof GoPro video cameras. As evening approaches, I allow myself to enjoy a glass of wine and provide Eric a Guinness that I chilled especially for today with grilled bacon-wrapped Mexican hotdogs and sliced cucumbers. It is a well deserved relaxing and overall lovely day, not to mention the benefits of a full night’s sleep at this wonderfully calm anchorage.

Leslie Dennis Rigney

Baja California & Mexico, Bryce's Posts, Experiential

Our Private Bay: Surfing, Sand dollars, and Sand Dunes

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Dunes and Surf abound at Bahia Maria
Dunes and Surf abound at Bahia Maria

On Thursday, April 2nd, a week and a day after we departed from Ensenada, we arrived at Bahia Maria: a very open and peaceful place in Mexico. The town was quiet and the wind was strong. There was practically nobody there. The only other boat in sight was a 75 or so ft. expedition type boat with three jet skis tied off the back of it. The only reason why we were at this particular bay was because the surfing was supposedly good. But in the long run we found a different purpose in staying: sliding down giant sand dunes. After some time getting settled in, putting up our little canopy, and placing our life jackets back where they belonged, we decided to have dinner. Lately during our travels on the boat we haven’t been eating as much. So instead of three meals a day we’d only eat two. My mom made rice and beans and we all gobbled the meal down.

Looking for the perfect break to anchor
Looking for the perfect break to anchor

The next day we woke up early to motor around the bay to check out the surf spots. We pulled up anchor and took a little put put around, looking for the best wave break. While motoring, I pulled out the binoculars and saw in the background, mountains of sand hills just waiting to be slid down. I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to go and ride them. Right around the spot where I saw the sand dunes, was a nice little surf break. We anchored, and then Trent and I hopped in the water with our surfboards and wet suits. During our surf time, we caught only a few little waves. Although they were small they were still very fun. I thought it was super cool to have our own private surf spot for just the two of us. Returning to the boat, we stowed our surf supplies and readied ourselves for sand sledding over at the big dunes. When he and I were all prepped with the necessities: kayak, life jackets, paddles, swim trunks, and boogie boards, we headed off.

Getting to the beach was the hardest part. In the end, we both got wet. Due to the active surf, I got completely soaked where Trent got only a little wet in comparison. We parked our kayak, and as we were drying our clothes, we observed sand dollars lying on the beach, everywhere, of all sizes. It was very cool to see so many different selections. The finest ones were the bright white variety and the best part was that almost all of them were complete and unbroken. It was the most sand dollars I had ever seen in my life. While walking to the sand hill, we noticed that there were a whole lot of other shell varieties too. Shells littered the beach as far as the eye could see. Climbing up the dune and looking down the 30 ft. hill, I thought of all the different possibilities how I might crash. At some point, I ignored whatever doubt there was and just went for it. Running straight for edge of the hill, I pushed my self down on my stomach and slid all the way down to the bottom without crashing. I felt a rush of adrenalin surge through my body, and it felt really good. I went down a few more times on my stomach and eventually became somewhat bored. To make it more interesting, we walked around the dunes trying to find a steeper and taller hill, but during all our time trying out new slopes the best one was still our starter sand mountain. We headed back to our mountain of sand and rested. We then came up with another way to slide down the hill: on our bottoms. I went first and surprisingly made it all the way down on my first try. It felt as if I were going down at 25mph. We tried all the positions we could think of: backwards, standing up and on our knees, tandem riding, and standing up on our feet. Overall the most fun for me was standing up on my feet. It felt very good being able to make it all the way down: feeling the wind rushing on my face, and having the view of the ocean with our wee little boat in the distance.

Sliding down sandy paradise
Sliding down sandy paradise with my bro!

After 3 or 4 hours of sand dune fun, my dad blew the horn calling us back. We gathered our stuff, including a selection of sand dollars, then placed it all on the kayak. On the way out, we got extremely wet getting pounded wave after wave, but eventually we made it safe and sound back to the boat. We unloaded our belongings one by one. All was accounted for, including some extras, our sand dollars. We showed them off to our parents while recounting the whole story of our adventures. We asked if we could do it all over again tomorrow. Their reply was a kind, “maybe.”

The next day I woke up at six in the morning and asked if we could motor over to the sand dunes again. Thankfully my dad said yes. So we ate breakfast quickly, pulled up the anchor and headed back over to the dunes. When Kandu arrived near the sand dune spot, Trent and I pulled everything together to get ready to go: our kayak, paddles, boogie boards, and backpack full of camera supplies. This time my mom said she was coming, and she actually did. First we stationed Mom in the middle of the boat, and then we jumped on. We paddled to where the waves were crashing less, and timed everything out to make sure we didn’t get too wet. Right as I saw an opening, we started paddling. My mom was freaking out and yelled at us to go faster since the water was way to cold for her. We finally made it safely without getting too wet and cold. I pulled up the kayak away from where the waves reached and we grabbed our stuff to head out. Trent and I led our mom to the sand dune where we had slid down the day before. To our surprise, it looked 5 ft. steeper than yesterday. I went first to show mom how to do it and right behind me was Trent. After a few demonstrations, mom decided to give it a try. We explained to her all the basics of how to go down without breaking anything and then she went. She made it all the way down in one peace on her first time around, and was smiling.

Back from a day of duning and beach combing.
Back from a day of duning and beach combing.

Trent decided he would bring out his GoPro and video camera the action. Our first video wasn’t that good. In the beginning, he panned around, and then he went down first with me following. It wasn’t as cool as the video when I went down first. We took a few more videos and walked around the dunes to see if there were any other hills that had formed over last nights wind. But the best one was still our initial dome of sand. After a while, I was done and walked down to the beach to swim; it was a little chilly. I called Trent over to come and kayak surf with me. Trent and mom packed up and headed back down to the beach. He and I paddled into the waves to catch some fun. Finally a wave came but sadly failed to catch it. As we went out for another go, my dad blew the horn to bring us in. We turned around to head in, but saw a great wave. We paddled for the wave and caught it. The wave knocked me off the kayak into the water, and even though the kayak was about to flip, Trent somehow managed to ride the yellow banana all the way back to shore. Now it was really time to leave. We stuffed the GoPro camera and our favorite sand dollars in the backpack and left. It was a bit rough getting off the beach, but we made it safe and sound back to our cozy little boat. After straightening up the boat, Kandu & crew threw off anchor to head off to a new destination in Mexico: Puerto Vallarta.

Treasure of Bahia Maria
Treasure of Bahia Maria

It was a great time in Bahia Maria. Our two days were filled with many adventures: sliding down 35ft. hills, surfing at our own beach, finding the most sand dollars I’ve ever seen, and hanging out with family. And the best part was that it was all ours, our own private bay.

The End!!!

Bryce Rigney

Baja California & Mexico, Experiential, Leslie's Posts

Adjusting to Life at Sea and Other Related Thoughts

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Ensenada to Islas Cedros, Mexico              3-27-2015 Friday, 4:30 am

Approaching Islas Cedros, the chart plotter shows Kandu's location
Approaching Islas Cedros, the chart plotter shows Kandu’s location. The red marks are the RADAR reflections of the island, closer than charted.

This evening, I offer to take Eric’s previous watch schedule, covering two watches tonight, starting at 7:30 p.m. The three amigos are below deck by 8:00 p.m. In the dark, it is quiet. Trent comes up the companionway (doorway into the cockpit) around 9:00 pm; says he can’t sleep. He cuddles up next to me under the salty blanket. Trent is reading the Harry Potter series, so I offer to read aloud his book to him until his watch. It is nice, unexpected quality time with my 11-year-old son. Just before 10 p.m., Trent takes his watch. I feel badly that he doesn’t get a nap before his watch, but I’m tired. Before I leave, I help him get comfortable under the large folded blanket.

The seas remain rough. When I go below, the aft berth is rocking so violently to and fro that I can’t get comfortable enough to sleep. I think I will have to move to the saloon floor on future passages. Ugh! I finally fall asleep around midnight after Eric takes his watch and changes course to a more comfortable tack.

Four hours of sleep, back up at 3:50…Bryce likes to wake-up the next watch early…little bugger. Stars are bright tonight. I pull out my distance eyeglasses so that I can see better the myriad of constellations that envelope us: recognizing Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Orion and the Milky Way. Next watch, I will bring up my smart phone with its Star app to learn more of the night sky’s patterns.

Bryce catching Zzz's while he can.
Bryce catching Zzz’s while he can.

During my downtime and on watch, I have been reading Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s Two Years Before the Mast (Dana Point, our third stop down from Ventura, was named after him). I enjoy more listening to this book read aloud. Eric had downloaded it from LibraVox (free recorded audiobooks) and shared a couple chapters with his Kandu crew before we landed at Dana Point. On my own, I’m finding the book rather dry, although Mr. Dana has a prolific and eclectic vocabulary. His word choices are entertaining. Impressive is his ability to use such a variety of words to describe similar subjects…halyards, stays, names of sails, etc. But as far as emotional content is concerned, he leaves me parched. I’m reading it to learn more about sailing in a somewhat entertaining way, rather than reading manuals on sailing, and as a bonus, the book describes the California coastline in its early development. The book was published in 1840, just prior to the gold rush. It became an overnight bestseller, whereby he was elevated to rockstar status among gold rushers.

Trent and Bryce on watch to Cedros Island
Trent and Bryce on watch to Cedros Island

On an entirely different subject, wearing our fancy hydrostatic life jackets all the time is annoying. Mine is starting to feel heavy and sometimes it makes me hot. Cooking yesterday afternoon was quite the chore because there were a lot of dirty dishes in the sink and the boat was bucking like a bronco, lurching deeply from side to side. I was crabby and frustrated. I stripped off my vest and found relief to move around and finish preparing dinner: macaroni & cheese, the boys’ favorite; served with the last of my fresh crudité, not the boys’ favorite. In Ensenada, I had stocked up with fresh vegetables, but these were mostly consumed while hosting Uncle Bill and family friend, Joe. I will have to find more fresh vegetables in Bahia Tortugas, i.e.: Turtle Bay.

Leslie as we come into Cedros Island after two nights at sea.
Leslie coming into Islas Cedros after two nights at sea.

Life aboard Kandu while sailing on overnight passages and then anchoring instead of being tied to a dock, is smaller and larger at the same time. Living space is very tight on purpose to keep everything and everyone inside from rolling about when seas are rough. Yet, these imposed limits below deck encourage boat dwellers to ascend above deck offering limitless perspectives.

Leslie Dennis Rigney

Baja California & Mexico, Experiential, Leslie's Posts

Venturing Into the Unknown

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Ensenada to Islas Cedros, Mexico             3-26-2015 Thursday, 8:30 pm

Cedars Island is just above the cross of Lat and Long.
Cedars Island is just above the cross of Lat and Long.

The boys have been rambunctious all evening having been stuck for the first time over 24 hours on the boat. Yesterday, Wednesday, March 25th, 2015, we departed Ensenada Harbor, 11:45 a.m., stocked with plenty of easy foods to snack on: fresh fruit of all kinds, yummy Mexican pastries, highly pasteurized boxed milk and eggs.

Joe Houska vs Sea Bass Beauty Contest in Ensenada
Joe Houska vs Sea Bass Beauty Contest in Ensenada

The seas since departing Ensenada have been so convoluted and muddled (we later learned the unusual mix of southern swell and northern swell was due to the aftereffects of Hurricane Pam which demolished Vanuatu the week prior to our departure) that not one of us escaped the effects of nausea. Thankfully none of us vomited. The fresh easy foods were a very good idea, because I didn’t feel like cooking and none of us were interested in eating much.

For the first time since we’ve owned and sailed the boat, we engaged the spinnaker pole to hold the genoa sail out (the large triangular sail in front of the boat), fully catching the wind. We’ve been sailing almost directly downwind (wind from behind). For comfortable sailing, Kandu prefers to be 10° off the wind. In the dark, on our first overnight, we did not want to engage in a lot of jibing, changing direction from starboard to port, as maneuvering a cruising sailboat like Kandu is not the same as handling a small race boat like a J24. Jibing Kandu is quite the process (you almost want to calendar it in), moving the spinnaker pole from port to starboard and back which requires changing out the fore and aft guys, and swapping out the topping lifts. Thus we kept the same downwind tack all night long, bobbing side to side while the sails crashed loudly: luffing and filling. Sometimes the sound was explosive. Hearing it, my head shuddered!

Wednesday evening was the start of our first night watch tours. Eric assigned himself the more fatiguing double watch 8-10:00 p.m. and 4-6:00 a.m. He woke Bryce for the 10-12 midnight. Bryce woke me from midnight to 2:00 p.m. I woke Trent for the 2-4:00 a.m., the easiest watch. Then Trent woke Eric again for the 4-6:00 a.m. Eric was so exhausted, both physically and emotionally, that he woke Bryce again at 6:00 a.m. to take over while he grabbed some more sleep before getting on the HAM radio net for a 7:45 a.m. weather report.

My first watch was fine. Beforehand, Eric had taught us how to fill-in the “Passage Logbook” page, so I dutifully recorded our position at N 30° 52, W 116°32 with a compass heading of 146° South. Going roughly 5.5 knots, the wind was only blowing 8-8.5 mph. The night sky was clear; the air was wet, causing the blanket covering my legs to be damp: a king size synthetic blanket given to us 20 years ago for our wedding and previously unused. I was very happy to be covered by this perfectly soft blanket where the dirt wipes away easily and salty moisture dries quickly, keeping the user toasty warm. I almost didn’t bring it due to lack of space, but Eric recommended something for night watches and I remembered this one. Sure am glad I toted it along!

Kandu before leaving Puerto Ensenada for Isla Cedros
Kandu before leaving Puerto Ensenada for Islas Cedros

My two-hour watch did not seem terribly long. I was warm, but not too warm: comfortable under our dry hard dodger, but with the wet cool wind blowing up the rear, not too comfortable. My recent knee abrasion was tender. At the Ensenada Cruise Port Village guest dock, we moved Kandu from the end of B dock to the end of C dock. To catch the dock lines, I ran from one end to the other end. There was a stainless steel tube frame on the dock that I tripped over, landing hard on my right knee, the knee of my ACL replacement. My hands and forearms were superficially scraped, but my knee suffered terrible road rash, swelling, and bruising. Since then, it has been bothering me, reducing my ability to move quickly around the boat.

9:00 pm – my writing was interrupted by Trent, who couldn’t sleep. It seems for all of us, adjusting to life at sea and into the unknown will take some time.

Trent joins sunrise watch to read Harry Potter.
Trent joins sunrise watch to read Harry Potter.

Leslie Dennis Rigney