| Lat | Lon | Boat name | Note | Created at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24º 54.084' N | 110º 42.018' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 5/11/22, the last sea day for this crew and the Good Ship Milagro. We left San Evaristo in following winds less than 5kts on mirror smooth, flat seas. A light fog (or moisture haze) combined to create a sensation of "floating in space" for nearly the entire passage. 30 mins out from our destination, crossing the San Lorenzo Channel, an E wind of 15kts developed and stayed with us right into the anchorage. At 1435MDT our anchor is set in Bahia Falsa at 24 15'.452N, 110 19'.135W in 29' over sand. OAT is 85F, the pool 75F and that E wind is blowing 15kts. After several weeks of the last this or last that, this is our last night "at sea". Early tomorrow morning we will proceed into nearby Marina De La Paz where we will begin the final phase of prepping Milagro for new management. As many of you may also have done over the years, we have completely changed directions in our lives before. Each time all those "last times" were followed by many "firsts". While, after 17 years of Milagro being our only home and nearly 10 of those years plying Mexico's waters, it is hard to imagine us not doing this, onward we go. Expectantly and hopefully, looking forward to more great "firsts". Thank you all so much for being part of this journey with us. | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 24º 54.084' N | 110º 42.018' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 5/10/22 and all is well with Milagro and crew. After several days enjoying one of our favorite anchorages and saying our good-byes to boating friends met there as well as local friends ashore, we continued south today. The morning began with heavy, wet dew and low hanging clouds on all of the surrounding mountains - very beautiful. If it weren't so warm and muggy you could imagine yourself in the PNW. That cleared to winds L&V over flat water until just a couple of miles from our destination where the winds pinched between the Baja and Isla San Jose and gradually increased to about 10 kts on our tail. At 1722MDT our anchor was set in the north lobe at San Evaristo, 76nm from where we started our day. We're at 24 54'.812N, 110 42'.158W in 25' over sand. OAT is 83F, the pool 75F and a N wind is running at 9kts.
San Evaristo is a tiny fishing village where we have friends living ashore. We also have a story from here involving goats that you should ask us about one day. Lots of goats. Manana we make our move into the Bay of La Paz with Bahia Falsa our target. It's near the approach to the LP channel and a place we usually spend our last night out in order to prep Milagro for the marina. We will respect that tradition this one last time on this, our second to last leg of the Farewell Tour. | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.05' N | 111º 20.088' W | Milagro | It is now Saturday, 5/7/22 and all is well here. This leg of our Farewell Tour saw us motoring in winds <3kts(zephyrs?) over flat, glassy seas to Point Nopolo a few miles south of Loreto. A stock tank or mill pond could not have been any flatter. So, no sailing for us. At 1140MDt our anchor was set in front of Hotel Loreto Bay at 25 55'.497N, 111 20'.870W in 12' over sand. OAT is 84F, the pool is 76F and there's a 10kt breeze running from the SE. We intend to hang here for a couple of days while we interact with friends and monitor the weather. Exactly when we continue south or where we end up landing next will be driven by weather conditions so we will just have to see how it plays out. Stay tuned. Until then..... | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 26º 22.092' N | 111º 25.086' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 5/6/22 and all is good here. We enjoyed the time with our friends at El Burro, celebrating my birthday at Bertha's on the beach there and Bret's at JC's out at the highway. One was more quiet than the other but both were fun. Played some cards and even made some new cruising acquaintances. Today we began the march south toward La Paz and the end of our journey. On flat, flat water in a SE breeze of 5kts, we motored our way to La Ramada. A beautiful little anchorage on the N side of Punto Basilio and around that corner from the even more beautiful (and extremely popular) anchorage at San Juanico. At 1550MDT our anchor was set at 26 22'.907, 111 25'.878 in 16' over sand. OAT is 83F, the pool 77F and the SE breeze continues at 4kts, and...we are the only boat here. Nice. In the morning we resume our southing to land in the Loreto area. Pending a look at the latest forecast (once we are in range of the Loreto cell tower) we hope to park in front of the resort at Loreto Bay, S of Loreto at Point Nopolo. The last forecast we saw indicated conditions favorable for that roadstead anchorage which has long been one of our favorites. We expect to rendezvous there with more friends that we know are currently in the area. Bueno, hasta manana, amigos. | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 26º 43.08' N | 111º 54.03' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 5/4/22 - "May The Forth Be With You!" And things here are good. We motored 10nm deeper into Concepcion and joined friends Bret/Marne (SV Liahona) and Gary/Angie (SV Nivasi) at Playa El Burro. This is also the Liahona's Farewell Tour as she is sold and on her way to be delivered at San Carlos. Also, today is my birthday and tomorrow is Bret's. We happen to have celebrated our birthdays together for each of the last several years so it seemed only right that we make it happen one last time. For another bit of trivia, we were last here in 2013, our first full year of cruising these waters, and now in our last. THAT was an exiting event with a crowded anchorage, a big T-storm and winds gusting to 50kts. But, that's a story another time. Enough of the drivel, on with the show. We are set at 26 43'.765N, 111 54'.274W in 16' over sand. OAT is 84F, the pool 77F and we have a NE breeze of 4kts. Current thinking is that we will hang out here through tomorrow and continue our Farewell Tour on Friday by moving further south. Veremos Uds entonces. | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 26º 51.09' N | 111º 50.094' W | Milagro | Today is Tuesday, 5/3/2022 and all is well here. As advertised, we spent the weekend in Marina Real where, with a great deal of help from Chip and Amy, we removed most of the personal stuff we had accumulated over the past 16 years. Pretty shocking just how much "stuff" there was. At dawn Monday they headed back to PHX driving our car and theirs while we moved out into Algodones Bay. From there we left this morning at 0300 for Bahia Concepcion to join up with several friends already there and begin Milagro's Farewell Tour back to La Paz. It was the usual mixed bag of conditions but a pretty good passage all in all. Winds along the rumb line were too close hauled most of the way but motorsailing just above idle still netted us 6kts. Near the end, the wind clocked around enough to allow pure sailing under main and Code 0 and here we made 7-7.5kts. Entering Concepcion we were surrounded by a pod of hundreds of dolphins escorting us in. THAT is how you start a farewell tour! Now we are anchored at 26 51'.895N, 111 50'.936W in 23' over sand at Bahia Santo Domingo. OAT is 83F, pool is 77F and wind is 11kts from the E. In the morning we move deeper into Concepcion to join our friends. | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 27º 57.0' N | 111º 5.1' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 4/27/2022 and things here are good. We left Isla Coronados yesterday and crossed over to the mainland, landing in Bahia Algadones at very first light this morning. At least, there seemed to be a twinge of lightening possibly visible on the eastern horizon - so that counts, right? It was a very civilized crossing and absolutely perfect for our trawler friends. That's right, no sailing. Winds <5kts and (mostly) flat seas. So here we are, anchored at 27 57'.013N, 111 05'.96N in 30' over sand and just outside the entrance to Marina Real at San Carlos. OAT is 72F, pool 72F and wind is NE @ 10. We will move into the marina on Thurseday or Friday. Chip and Amy are arriving Friday to load up our personal stuff and drive that and our car back to the US for us. Once that's all done we will cross back over to the Baja and begin our "Farewell Cruise" back towards La Paz. Yes, there have been tears and likely there will be more. | almost 2 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.018' N | 111º 16.086' W | Milagro | Today is Friday, 4/22/22 and everything here is good. After an overnight pause at Bahia Candeleros we awoke to another heavy, wet fog. Fortunately, it burned off pretty quickly today and we were soon on our way north. We are now settled on the S side of Isla Coronados, a comfortable place to be as a bit of a Norther should blow through over the next couple of days. Plus, its our normal jumping off spot for crossing up to San Carlos. Current wx forecast suggests that Tuesday will be OK for that leap so our plan is to hang out here until making that move. At 1153MDT our anchor was set at 26 06'.167N, 111 16'.848W in 20' over sand. OAT is 77F, pool is 70F and there is a NW breeze running 10 kts. | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 25º 19.08' N | 110º 57.054' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 4/20/22 and all is well here. Very well, in fact. And, we have so much to tell you. As advertised, we did spend several weeks on the mooring in La Paz while doing all of the usual things we do there, connecting with friends and eating our way across town. We also did something there we do not usually do. We began talking about long term plans. Some time ago we determined that 2022-23 would likely be our last cruising season but these new conversations included market considerations along with the usual, such as our current ages and the declining health concerns that come with that. To shorten the story, we decided to test the market and offer Milagro for sale. We were rather surprised at the response we got simply from word of mouth and a posting in a Catalina 42 FB group. Many inquiries quickly followed, including 2 formal offers. Both were very good though slightly different but we had to chose one. The other then asked if their offer could stand as a back up should the chosen one fall apart. We were a little surprised at the overall response. And...just like that, the good ship Milagro has been sold. We left LP this morning on our way to San Carlos where we will off load our personal effects. We'll then return Milagro to LP where her new owner will take over. This, then, is Milagro's farewell tour. Tonight we are at Point San Telmo where it was 78F and wind SSW @8 when we landed. Anchor is set in 25' at 19.890'N, 110 57.546'W in 12' over sand. Tomorrow we move on into the greater Loreto area so stay tuned to learn where we land. Hasta entonces... | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 23º 59.016' N | 109º 49.074' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, Mar 30, 2022 and things are good with Milagro and crew. As expected, we spent 3 weeks stateside while Milagro chilled at the La Cruz Marina. We returned on Mar 9 and did a few boat chores while watching the weather for a chance to dash for the Baja. Several weeks passed with no such opening and it was now time for the annual Banderas Bay Regatta. Participating in that event was good friend Patsy on her Gulfstar 50, Talion. Since we were nearby, Patsy insisted I crew and even found a parking spot for Milagro at Paradise Village, the host marina. So, there we went. After 1 practice day we ran races 3 days in a row. Despite a very poor performance on race day 1, by the end of the event we had managed to pull off a 2nd place finish in our class. Pretty cool. By that time the weather offered an opening and we left for the Baja a few hours after finishing the last race. After 54 hrs of motoring over flat, windless seas, we landed at Ensenada de Los Muertos about midnight on Monday, 28 March. After 2 relaxing days here waiting for another blast of N wind to pass thru, we will continue on to La Paz at dawn tomorrow. There we will take the mooring and spend a few weeks. Currently it is 77F, 66% humid, pool is 70F (brrr) and there's a N breeze of 15kts gusting to 20. I do have some photos to post to the website if ever I have suitable bandwidth to do so. Hasta pronto. | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.094' N | 105º 21.084' W | Milagro | Today is Tuesday, 15 February, 2022 and all is well here. And just where is "here" you may well ask. Yes, as you may have suspected, I have missed a few posts. I'll try to catch us up now. We spent a full month in the marina at Grand Isla Resort, Barra de Navidad while reaquainting ourselves with the cute little town of Barra. It had been at least 4 yrs since our last visit. We had been planning to head back norh for almost 2 weeks but the N winds just would not settle enough to do so. Until now. While conditions were way less than ideal it was the best weather window to come along with nothing better for at least another week. So we battened the hatches and untied the dock lines. The N winds were predicted to be untenable again by Wed morning so we chose to push right on through to Banderas Bay without stopping. 126nm @ 5.5kts planned makes it a 23hr flight and that's nearly exactly what we got. Conditions were mostly fine however we had about 6hrs of 15kt headwinds with the resulting sea state making for a lot of pitching and sea spray. That ended as we passed Cabo Corrientes so all in all, the passage wasn't bad. At 0715 our anchor was set outside the marina at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle at 20 44.933'N, 105 21.849'W in 25' over sand. The OAT is 71F with 70% humidity. It's 77F in the pool with a 2kt breeze from the NNE. Plans are still being debated but Judy needs to go to States for a bit and I may go with. If so, we'll park Milagro in one of the marinas. If not, I'll stay right here with Milgro. Either way, Milagro will hang out here until heading back to La Paz in a month, or so. | about 2 years ago | Show |
| 19º 18.006' N | 104º 50.016' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 1/10/22, and all is well here. After a quiet overnight at Chamela we set out for Bahia Tenacatita, about 30nm south and a very popular winter anchorage for many cruisers. Winds L&V over mostly mill pond seas made for a comfortable passage. We spied a small pod of whales also moving south, and one of them treated us to a Sea World style leaping show. We also caught our first fish of the season. Sadly, although a very sporty fighter, the Jack Crevalle we landed is unsuitable for eating so we tossed him back. Not long after anchoring we had another whale experience when a female gave birth to a calf right in the anchorage and no more than 50yds off our bow. Several dolphin have also patrolled through. We are at 19 18.030'N, 104 50.143'W in 32 over sand. It is 100% overcast with high level stratus, the OAT is 80F, 75% humid, its 80F in the pool. The wind has been NW at 10 but has now shifted to SW. We intend to remain here until the 15th when we will move a few more miles south into the marina at Barra de Navidad. | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 19º 35.004' N | 105º 7.092' W | Milagro | Today is Saturday, 1/8/22 and things here are great. We left Puerto Vallarta yesterday evening to make the 108nm passage to Bahia Chamela on our way further south to Tenacatita and eventually Barra de Navidad. The route traverses Cabo Corrientes, the Point Conception of this part of the world. That is, often nasty wind and sea conditions. However,light & variable winds were forecast along with reasonable seas for us. And that is exactly what we found, making for an uneventful passage. At 0935CST we set the anchor in front of the village of Perula in Bahia Chamela in 26' over sand at 19 35.046'N, 105 07.897'W. The OAT is 80F, the pool 77F, the wind and sea are both calm. We are buddy boating with friends on the MV Mystic Eyes who have been joined for this trip by former boaters and close friends so its a bit of a social event everywhere we go. Especially so as the ladies are part of Judy's card playing posse. Tomorrow we continue on the anchorage at Tenacatita. | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 23º 58.026' N | 109º 49.056' W | Milagro | It is Christmas Eve 2021 and all is good here on the Milagro. We have just completed our passage from the Baja to mainland MX and are now secured in Paradise Village Marina, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit. OAT is 86F with 67% humid so is a bit uncomfortably tropical feeling. Smart sailors know the best time to be out in windy conditions is as they begin and before those winds have stirred up the seas too much. The worst time is as they are subsiding at the end of a blow as it takes a couple of days for the seas to settle. No one is going to accuse us of being "smart sailors". So, the first 24 hrs of our passage were a fairly sporty ride. We expected exactly that so were well prepared. Then the wind slowly tapered off to become >5kts and the sea eventually responded in kind. Consequently, the last 24 hrs were perfect power boat conditions. We have not done this crossing since 2017 and have never moored at this marina. It's part of a giant resort hotel complex with many, many amenities so it may be fun to explore. You can find us here for at least the next 2 weeks when we intend to move further south as the wx permits. Good wifi and cell coverage here. Merry Christmas y'all!! | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.354' N | 110º 19.608' W | Milagro | Greetings Farwarians. I know it's been a long time and now it is clear that I failed to keep updates coming during our summer break. You're not surprised, are you? We ARE back on Milagro. After returning to her in San Carlos in mid-Nov we quickly made our way to Marina de La Paz where we have been busy with projects since. New LiFePo4 batteries, chaps for the dingy and much more. Tomorrow we start our passage to La Cruz in Banderas Bay and what will become our winter cruising along the mainland of MX. Regular updates should resume as well. Hasta pronto, y'all. | over 2 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.076' N | 111º 5.058' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 16June21, and all is well here. We can even stop grousing about the heat and humidity - for now. Not that there isn't plenty of both. It's just that we did make the move to San Carlos and are now plugged in to shore power at Marina Real. With the A/C now running full blast we can hide from the nasty ole heat and humidity. Our passage was the usual mixed bag of conditions. The first 12 hours was a brilliant sail on smooth water. However, the wind then went away and the sea turned itself into washing machine type waters: choppy and confused. The wind never did return in any usable fashion though the seas did finally settle about 6 hours later, with the dawn. Milagro is settled at 27 56.751'N, 111 05.546'W. When we landed the OAT was 89F(it's 95F as I write this), the pool 85F and the humidity 71%. Wind SSE@9. We will putz around here for a week, or so, as we do a few chores and make Milagro ready to be left alone for a few months. We have good wifi and cell coverage so maybe (just, maybe) I will get around to adding some photos to the recent posts on the blog site (www.milagro42.com). Thanks for coming along with us during this very much shortened cruising season. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.066' N | 111º 17.016' W | Milagro | Today is Tuesday, 15 June, 2012 and we are currently still at Isla Coronados however, we are fixin to get ready to get underway for San Carlos. We will be on our way within the next hour, or so, and our next report should cover our passage and landing there tomorrow morning. Hasta entonces. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.066' N | 111º 17.016' W | Milagro | Today is Monday, June 14th and I've just discovered that our update sent out on the 12th did not post. I don't know why but there it is. Here is what we said:
"It is Saturday, the 12th of June, 2021 and all is well here. We started early this morning (0525) and did a bit of moving about today; from Candeleros to Loreto where we went to shore for some provisioning, then on to Isla Coronados. At 1515MDT, our anchor was finally set in the NW anchorage of Coronados at 26 06'.658N, 111 17'.173W in 32' over sand. The OAT is 90F, the pool is 82F and there's a breeze from the South running 3 to 5 knts. We will remain here until leaving to cross over to San Carlos. We're closely watching the wind and sea state for the best time to do that and the forecast for several days has looked good for Tuesday 6/15. For many reasons it has been a short season this year but some air conditioning is really sounding good to us just now. More to follow." | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.066' N | 111º 17.016' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, the 12th of June, 2021 and all is well here. We started early this morning (0525) and did a bit of moving about today; from Candeleros to Loreto where we went to shore for some provisioning, then on to Isla Coronados. At 1515MDT, our anchor was finally set in the NW anchorage of Coronados at 26 06'.658N, 111 17'.173W in 32' over sand. The OAT is 90F, the pool is 82F and there's a breeze from the South running 3 to 5 knts. We will remain here until leaving to cross over to San Carlos. We're closely watching the wind and sea state for the best time to do that and the forecast for several days has looked good for Tuesday 6/15. For many reasons it has been a short season this year but some air conditioning is really sounding good to us just now. More to follow. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.038' N | 111º 14.028' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, June 8, 2021 and everything is fine here. We moved almost 15 miles south today to Bahia Candeleros. We are parked in front of the Villa Del Palmar resort so I imagine Judy may have a "resort day" planned for our near future. We are set at 25 43'.395N, 111 14'.298W in 23' over sand. The OAT is 90F and the pool 81F. The water is clear enough that we can see our anchor lying on the bottom. A 6kt breeze from the NE is helping to mitigate the 90 temp but all the cabin fans are running at max speed as well. Still, I think there'll be some splashing around before much longer. Unless something comes along to change our minds, I reckon we will be here the remainder of this week. We are considering several options for the coming weekend and will let you know. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.05' N | 111º 20.076' W | Milagro | Today is Sunday, 6/6/21, and things here are OK. It has become HOT but otherwise OK. I'm a day behind as yesterday we moved from V-Cove to Pt. Nopolo. By Friday afternoon the bee activity in V-Cove had progressed from annoying to almost overwhelming so Saturday morning we bailed out. Conditions for several days have been almost zero wind with glassy, flat water so any moving about is a motorboat ride and that describes our passage yesterday. At 1158MDT our anchor was set once again in front of the Hotel at Loreto Bay at 25 55'.483N, 111 20'.758W in 25' over a bottom of sand & mud. We are a bit further off shore than normal for us here because there were several other boats already here and parked on "our" spots. And, summer has clearly arrived to this neighborhood. The OAT was 89F and we saw 94F before the day was over. The pool was 82F but reached 84F in the afternoon. The steady drone of air conditioning is beginning to sound pretty appealing. Current thinking is to move tomorrow (Monday) down to Bahia Candeleros as the cell and wifi coverage here has become painfully slow for some reason - normally it is quite good. We will let you know. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 26º 3.054' N | 111º 5.004' W | Milagro | Today is Thursday, 6/3/21 and all is well here. After a couple of days enjoying the amazing geology of Pto. La Lancha we moved less than 2 miles east to El Refugio, AKA V-Cove. It's only large enough for one vessel and exhibits more of the impressive scenery seen at L Lancha, including several sea caves. We actually made 2 trips. After finding V-Cove already occupied we returned to La Lancho only to observe the V-Cove boat pass by just a few minutes later. We wasted no time getting the anchor up again and racing back before anyone else slipped in. And...we made it. So, at 1011hrs MDT, our anchor was finally set in V-Cove at 26 03'.509N, 111 05'.059W in 30' over sand/gravel. The OAT is 84F, the pool is 78F and there is 6kts of breeze from the NE. If the bees here are not too much trouble we will stay a couple of days. If they're obnoxious then we will move again tomorrow. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 26º 3.024' N | 111º 6.018' W | Milagro | Here it is June already! How did that happen? Still, all is well here on Milagro. We have been staying put for a while now but today pried the anchor off the bottom and changed the scenery. Mill pond flat seas and winds <5kts meant we didnt sail but whadya do? We've landed on the north side of Isla Carmen at a spot we have never visited before. Our anchor is set in Puerto La Lancha at 26 03'.229N, 111 06'.197W in 22' over sand. The OAT is 87F, the pool 79F and a SE breeze is running 6-9kts. Isla Carmen is notorious for their bee population with some anchorages being overrun by them. So far, they have made themselves known but haven't been too bad. Fingers crossed that doesn't change. What's next? Don't know, but we probably won't stay here long. Stay tuned and we'll let you know. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.066' N | 111º 17.016' W | Milagro | Today is 5/22/21 and all is well here. Today we moved north to join a group of friends at Isla Coronados, just north of Loreto. At 1541 our anchor was set in the NW anchorage of Isla Coronados at 26 06.651'N, 111 17.154'W in 28' over sand. The OAT is 81F, the pool is 78F and there is a NW breeze running 6-8kts and bringing with it some NW swell into the anchorage. We will hang with our friends for the next several days and, at this writing, do not know when or where we will leave here for someplace else. We will keep you posted. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.038' N | 111º 14.022' W | Milagro | Today is Friday, 3/21/21 and everything here is fine. We moved a little bit further north this morning, landing in front of the Villa Del Palmar resort at Los Candeleros. L&V winds and flat seas gave us an uneventful motor passage. We are at 25 43.403'N, 111 14.198'W in 16' over sand. The OAT is 81F, it's 76F in the pool and there are 4kts of breeze from the NW. This stop puts us in the "greater Loreto area" which is where we will cruise until crossing back to San Carlos late in June. For now we have wifi internet from the resort as well as strong LTE cell signal so we'll prolly be glued to our devices for a while as we catch up on the backlog of email, etc. Tomorrow we will move again to join up with more friends who are in a nearby anchorage. Of course, we will keep you posted. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 30.096' N | 111º 3.102' W | Milagro | It's already Thursday, May 20,2021 and we're doing fine here on the Milagro. Our week of buddy boating with friends has been a lot of fun but it has ended-far too soon. Today they began heading back towards La Paz to turn in their chartered boat on Saturday morning while we continued north toward the greater Loreto area. 15-17knot southerly winds early allowed us to sail dead downwind for much of the day. As we left the San Jose channel the wind fanned out, its strength decreasing as it did so, until we eventually had to turn to motoring. Our intended destination was Los Gatos but a low pass there confirmed that the south winds were causing enough swell right into the anchorage that we would have had a very uncomfortable night. Soooo..., keep on trucking we did. At 1818MDT our anchor was set off the middle beach at Bahia Agua Verde in 26' over sand/gravel at 25 30.968'N, 111 03.989'W. The OAT is 87F (not liking THAT very much) and it's 76F in the pool. Mountains here protect from southerly winds so it's basically calm now. Tomorrow we will continue north and will advise where we decide to pitch our tent once we land. Hasta manana, y'all. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 49.032' N | 110º 34.014' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 5/18/21 and things are going well here. After exploring the area around our anchorage via kayak and dingy we upped anchors and made our way to Isla San Francisco. Very light winds from the NE meant no sailing but the flat water made for a perfect motor boat ride. At 1556 our anchor was set at 24 49.294'N, 110 34.121'W in 18' of very clear water over sand. Water visibility here is about 25' so the anchor is clearly visible where she's set. OAT is 85F, the pool is 78F (I even gave it the spash test and it felt good enough to stay for a while. Yay!) and the NE breeze is now up to 8 knts. The talk on the the buddy boat is that they may stay put here tomorrow to enjoy some hiking and snorkeling so next report may be on Thursday. That's also the day they will need to start back towards La Paz and we will say our goodbyes and continue north. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 32.01' N | 110º 21.078' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 5/18/21 and all is well here. I'm a day behind but all is well. Yesterday we moved about 5 miles north up the east side of Isla Espiritu Santo and landed on the east side of the well known and very popular anchorage at Caleta Partida. Daily winds have been light and variable before becoming 12-15kts from the WSW during the night. High daytime temps in the mid80's and the pool temp ranges from 74 to 77. Our friends aboard their rented catamaran are setting the travel itinerary, it's THEIR vacation after all, and at this moment we don't know yet if they've decided to move along today or stay here to explore and play. Currently we are at 24 32.069'N, 110 21.761'W anchored in 17' over sand at El Portico. Whether we move today or tomorrow, i'll update our location when we do. Probably :-) | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 29.028' N | 110º 18.03' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 16May21 and all is well here on the Milagro. Got out of the marina this morning and, as planned, joined up with our friends who on their charter boat. After an uneventful passage that even included a little actual sailing, we are anchored now on the east side of Isla Espiritu Santo at the unamed cove we call Liahona Cove. The Liahona's introduced us to it in 2019 so that's what we call it. At 1400MDT our anchor was set at 24 29.290'N, 110 18.299'W in 20' over sand/gravel. The OAT is 81F and it's 73F in the pool. A brief dip determined that the little string of pearl stinging jellyfish are present so wear your full body suits, kids. Wind is NW to NE at 4 to 7 knts. Tomorrow will find us somewhere a little north of here as they explore the area. Hasta manana. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.03' N | 110º 19.056' W | Milagro | It is already Thursday, May 13, 2021 and much has happened since our last update.. While we are still in La Paz, we left our mooring to move into the marina after losing our dinghy on Mar 26th. See our blog page (www.Milagro42.com) for all the details re that event. Weve been doing projects while also working on a dinghy solution and are happy to report that we do now have a replacement. Yay! We have also added a Garmin inReach to our comm devices so, if havent already had enough of us, you can track us at https://share.garmin.com/milagro42 - there is a link on our website to take you to that page as well. On Sunday, the 16th we join up with friends from the SF Bay area on their chartered catamaran. Well buddy boat with them until they have to head back at which point we will continue north. More soon. | almost 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.342' N | 110º 19.74' E | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 4/21/21 and things are good here. As advertised, we made our way this morning from Cabeza de Mechudo to La Paz. Except for SE swell overnight from about 2 to 4 causing uncomfortable hobby-horsing it was a nice stop. Today’s passage was much like the last several days and now here we are parked on our mooring just outside the entrance to Marina De La Paz. It’s located at 24°09.343’N, 110°19.837’W and conditions now are: OAT 84F, pool 74F and wind is NE at 9kts. We will be in La Paz until about May 15 when we head out again to buddy boat with friends who are renting a catamaran here. We will resume updates at that time. Hasta entonces, y’all. | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 24º 48.078' N | 110º 39.078' W | Milagro | Greetings Farkwarians! It is Tuesday afternoon, 4/20/21 and all is well here. After a quiet and peaceful night at Los Gatos we moved south today to Cabeza de Mechudo, about 6nm S of San Evaristo and apx 5nm across the San Jose Channel from Isla San Francisco. Today was a flat water passage against a 5-7kt noserly. At 1420MDT our anchor was set in 17' over sand at 24 48.768'N, 110 39.784'W. OAT is 79F, the pool is 70F and a SE breeze is running 5-8kts over flat water. Coromuel winds from the W are a probability tonight and we will be well protected here should they develop. Tomorrow we will proceed on into La Paz. | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 18.018' N | 110º 56.076' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 4/19/21 and everything is fine here. We enjoyed having cell and WiFi signal for a few days at Candeleros and got to visit with good friends also anchored there. This morning we weighed anchor and continued our move south. Light airs mostly from right behind us became easterly by midday, but never grew beyond 5kts. A NW swell developed last night and remained with us all day giving us quartering seas that rolled us around a bit. Not bad but life is always better without quartering seas. We had several sizable pods of dolphins visit us at Candeleros and today we spied a pair of Orcas moving north. Even managed a few photos as they paused to feed. Cool, eh? Now we are set in Los Gatos at 25 18.172'N, 110 56.736'W in 17' over sand. OAT here is 82F and it's 72F in the pool. After overnighting here we will continue south tomorrow. Hasta entonces. | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 48.012' N | 111º 18.054' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 4/16/21 and things here are mostly good. We enjoyed our stay at Isla Coronados reconnecting with old friends and making several new ones in the process. There was Bocce Ball on the beach and cocktails in cockpits along with pleasant conditions, although the sea temp is still too cold for voluntary swimming. Yesterday we moved south about 20 miles to anchor at Rattlesnake Beach near the entrance to Puerto Escondido. Our anchor is set in 50' over gravel at 25 48.108'N, 111 18.552'W. On the way the feed pump for our watermaker refused to do its duty so today will include efforts to resurrect it. Cruising=working on your boat in "exotic" locations therefore I guess we are cruising again for sure. We met up here with first year cruisers Gary and Angie on the SV Nivasi. We met them several years ago as landwelling wannabe cruisers so it was really special to see their dreams realized and find them here. Should we need to, we can fill with water here at PE before moving along, postponing the WM problem to solve when we get to La Paz. | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.404' N | 111º 14.346' W | Milagro | Payback? It is Friday, 4/16/21 and, again, things are mostly OK. The fairly good ship Milagro has apparently decided to punish us for leaving her for so long, after all. The watermaker failed to work yesterday so time was spent chasing down the issue and trying to correct it. Two separate problems were discovered, one was able to be corrected, the other was not. At least, out here. Sooooo, we went in to Puerto Escondido and topped off our water tanks then moved south about 7 miles to anchor at Bahia Candeleros - right in front of the Villa Del Palmar resort. We have friends also anchored here so will spend time with them tomorrow before continuing on south on Sunday. At 1657MDT, our anchor was set in 25’ over sand at 25°43.404’N, 111°14.344’W. OAT is 79F, the pool is 72F and wind is NE at 6 kts. There’s a wee, close spaced swell causing some boat motion but only noticeable because Rattlesnake and Coronados were so completely flat. | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 57.84' N | 111º 6.78' W | Milagro | We have escaped! Terminal velocity was finally achieved this morning allowing us to break free from the marina and get ourselves out and about. A couple of minor events colored the actual departure: raw water system had developed a vacuum and would not pump cooling water for the engine. Have never seen that before so several minutes were needed to diagnose and correct it. Then, the fuel dock was unable to deliver gasoline as their pump had just failed. Thankfully their diesel pump was working. We’ll just have min fuel for outboard motors until Loreto or Puerto Escondido. At 1056 MST our anchor was set in 20’ over sand in front of the Soggy Peso Bar in Bahia Algodones at 27°57.841’N, 111°06.777’W. OAT is 79°, wind SE@6kts and it’s 71 chilly degrees in the pool. Here we will continue prepping Milagro for passage, get some rest then it’s off for the Baja. | about 3 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.076' N | 111º 5.058' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 24 June, 2020 and we're all good here. In fact, really good. After enjoying Pt. Nopolo since the 11th we pried our anchor off the bottom yesterday morning and made our crossing to the mainland. The crossing was the usual assortment of conditions and, except for about 5 hours of confused, lumpy seas early on in the trip, it was all pretty comfortable. With the lumpy seas came a usable sailing wind of 10-15kts but that failed as the seas moderated and we were left with light and variable the rest of the passage. We anchored briefly in Bahia Algadones to move the dinghy to the foredeck and get out and set the fenders and dock lines preparatory to stuffing Milagro into an unfamiliar slip. For the last 6 years (?) we've left Milagro at nearby Marina San Carlos for storm season but this year we are trying the competition. At 0935MDT we were secured in slip 25 on dock 13 at Marina Real. That's at 27 56'.751N, 111 05'.546W. The OAT is 91F with 63% humidity (at 0900 local time!). The next several days will see us configuring Milagro to be on her own for several months and packing up all of the stuff that we just have to take with us. As soon as Saturday, but maybe Sunday, we will be driving north to Phoenix to begin our summer break. For now though, we have air conditioning! YAY! I almost always vow to keep posting about our land based travels but I never seem to. Maybe this year I will. What? It could happen. In the meantime, thank you for following us. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.05' N | 111º 20.088' W | Milagro | Today is Saturday, 6/13/20, and all is good here. As advertised, we made a sortie to Loreto this morning for provisions. Because of the lockdown restrictions there, several local people have come up with ways to earn some dinero while reducing everyone's exposure. These enterprising folks offer a couple of different dockside solutions. One puts together "cornucopia" baskets every Friday. For a set price you get an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables including some sourced from local farmers. Local honey, goat cheese and other such local items are usually available as well but add additional cost. This gets good reviews but the downside is that you get whatever the buyer chose to put in the basket that week. We went with one of the other offerings instead; a personal shopper. You meet your shopper on the dock at the appointed date and time and give them your list and some shopping bags. When they are done, they notify you and you then dinghy back in for your goodies. For this you pay actual receipt totals plus 20%. Maybe a bit more expensive than the other way but you get to choose what you want. No risk of getting, say, broccoli when no one in your family will eat it. Our girl will stop at many places other than grocery stores. She even picked up a gluten free pizza for Judy from Pan Que Pan. SWEET! So with provisioning done, we returned to Point Nopolo and parked right next to where we were just this morning. At 1307MDT our hook was set in 12' over sand at 25 55'.468N, 111 20'.845W. The OAT is 92F (Yikes!) and the wind is from the S at 8 to 10kts causing some small wind waves. The BCS Government has announced the relaxation of some restrictions starting Monday, 6/15, to include dining rooms open to 30% of capacity (with distance requirements), beaches open but limited to 30% occupancy (?) and no large groups or gatherings. While this seems good, many of the locals are quite concerned about the risks so, we will see. For now, we reckon to hang here for a few days. We'll let you know when moving day comes around again. Hasta entonces. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.05' N | 111º 20.088' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, the 11th of June, 2020 and all is well here. We moved this morning to one of our favorite places to hang out here in the Loreto area - Point Nopolo. It is no good for winds from the East or, especially, the NE as the fetch is long and big waves build quickly plus, we'd be on a lee shore as well. But, conditions are good for now so here we are. COVID concerns are strong here and Loreto is pretty well locked down. Only one person is allowed to go ashore for necessary provisions with the approval of the Port Captain. Masks must be worn and no aclohol sales of any kind are allowed. They make no secret that they want you to get your stuff and get out. Just 10 miles South, at Pto Escondido, they see it differently. It sits on Federal land so they must not feel obliged to comply with the restrictions of Loreto Municipality. There, masks are recommended but at least 1/2 are not bothering, liquor is available and even limited beer. Just 2 brands though, 1 in bottles the other in cans and neither of them anything you would drink unless desperate. Interesting, eh?
There are several enterprising souls in Loreto who are offering shopping so as to keep cruisers from coming in to town and we have made arrangement with one for provisioning on Saturday. We'll be sure to tell you how that goes. For now, we are at Point Nopolo at 25 55'.480N, 111 20'.853W in 15' over sand. I'm sure the Farkwar map shows a forest of little red balloons here as we've been here so many times before. The OAT is 86F, it is 79F in the pool and a SE breeze is running at 6kts. The sea is mostly flat and the sky is clear. The hotel Loreto Bay here at Nopolo is closed but are still broadcasting their WiFi so we are already taking advantage of that. Also, the LTE cell signal here is good. More on Saturday, hasta entonces. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 50.004' N | 111º 19.068' W | Milagro | Today is Sunday, the 7th of June, 2020 and all is good here. After 3 very peaceful days and nights at Rattlesnake Beach we made a change of venue this morning in anticipation of some southerly winds over the next several days. Only 2 miles away as the seagull would fly however, to keep the boat in the water, we were obliged to sail out around Point Coyote on our way to Bahia Chuenque making it a little over 5nm for us water creatures. At 0942MDT our anchor was set just off the village of Juncalito at 25 50'.063N, 111 19'.693W in 25' over hard sand. The OAT is 83F, it's 78F in the pool and there is an 8kt breeze from the E. The sea is flat and sky clear. It is likely that we will stay here for several days as this spot is good for the forecast wx, there is a bit of 3G cell service (not great but possibly better than nothing) and 2 other boats are here that are friends of ours. We would not be shocked if "social distancing" protocols got a little compromised. Of course we will let you know when there is anything new to report. Hasta pronto, y'all. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 48.018' N | 110º 18.054' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 6/4/20 and all is well here. Yesterday we enjoyed kayaking, beach combing and even worked in some drone flight training in the morning then lazed around in the afternoon reading and napping. The water temp rose to 79F so used the pool to cool down several times. Underway at dawn this morning with zero wind and flat, glassy seas however, only about a mile out of the bay the wind showed up. From the West and right on the beam at 15-20G24kts stirring the seas up in the process. That only lasted a couple of hours though before it changed again, becoming NE at 15kts for a while before dying off to nothing. Interesting. So, it was once again, a mixed bag of conditions. Some we could sail in, others not so much but a nice enough day all in all. At 1236MDT our anchor was set in front of Rattlesnake Beach near Puerto Escondido at 25 48.185N, 110 18'.523Win 53' over gravel. The OAT is 93F (YIKES!) and the pool is 77F - yes, we've already been in, and there is a NE breeze running at 5kts. We are not certain if we are going to hang here for a day or two or move again tomorrow but we'll let you know. In the meantime, I think maybe we need to dig out our sun shades. BTW, we also have cell coverage here so are able to update WX forecasts and sort through our pile of email. Hasta pronto. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 17.094' N | 110º 56.07' W | Milagro | Here it is Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020 and all is well with the Milagro and crew. This morning we left Isla San Francisco after a bit of a "rolly" night and, finding no usable wind, motored our way North up the San Jose Channel to Puerto Los Gatos. The wind gods have been good to us several days in a row but they chose not to favor us today. What breeze there was amounted to 5-7 knots from directly behind us leaving no room for any apparent wind for sailing. However, the seas were mostly flat and we enjoyed a nice motorboat ride to Los Gatos. At 1243MDT our anchor was set at 25 17'.950N, 110 56'.702W in 15' over sand. Wind now is E at 6 knots, the OAT is 83F and it's 74F in the pool. Forecast calls for strong offshore winds for the next few nights with mostly calm daytime breezes. Our current thinking is that we will remain here tomorrow before continuing North on Thursday. We will see how conditions play out and, as always, reserve the right to change our minds. Hasta pronto, y'all. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 49.074' N | 110º 33.096' W | Milagro | Today is Monday, the 1st day of June, 2020 and things here are good. No staged rioting anywhere let alone the senseless looting or destruction of innocent peoples property. And, as a bonus, we enjoyed another great day of sailing as we moved to the East side of Isla San Francisco this morning. With 10 to 12 knots of South breeze we scooted along nicely under main and jib the entire way. At 1137MDT our anchor was set in 20' of water over sand at 24 49'.748N, 110 33'.976W. OAT is 75F, the pool is 72F and the breeze is from the S at 8kts. We aim to move a little further North again tomorrow - probably to Los Gatos but we will let you know. In the meantime, I guess we are really glad to be here because we could be there. Hasta luego, y'all. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 34.086' N | 110º 23.1' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 5/31/20, and everything is good here on the Milagro. We left the Falsa anchorage this morning a little after 0900 and stepped right into a following breeze blowing in the mid-teens. We were able to sail virtually the entire way today making a steady 6kts under jib alone. The wind created following seas that became a wee bit uncomfortable from time to time but those moderated as we progressed and, all in all, we had a great sailing day. At 1330 our anchor was set in this narrow, V-shaped cove at the northern tip of Isla Partida called, either Ensenada El Embudo or El Embulo depending on which chart you're looking at. We're going with Embudo. You could probably squeeze 2 boats in here though it would be cozy. Fortunately, we are the only boat here today. If you have the time and interest, have a Google Earth look at this location, it's pretty cool. We are at 24 34'.881N, 110 23'.977W in 27' of green water over sand. The pool is a chilly 70F while the OAT is 84F. The S breeze that blew us up here continues managing 8 to 12kts inside the cove where we are. We will move again tomorrow and, based upon the wind projections we're thinking the E side of Isla San Francisco will likely be our best bet. But we will have to see what tomorrow looks like when it gets here. Hasta manana, everyone. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.024' N | 110º 19.008' W | Milagro | Greeting Farkwarians, it is Saturday, May 30, 2020 and all is well here on Milagro. Especially so as we have actually cast off the lines and gotten ourselves underway. While today we only went a short distance outside of the La Paz channel, we are "out here" again - finally. Our plan is to continue our slow march north tomorrow, anchor hopping as we go. Tomorrow night should be Bahia Embuje on the NW point of Isla Partida then Monday either the north side of Isla San Francisco or Punta Muchado. Tuesday could be Los Gatos then Wednesday Agua Verde or we might make a longer day of it an leap all the way to Bahia Candeleros. We are aiming for a comfortable and pleasant, unrushed journey. Conditions during this time are forecast to be mostly light and mostly from the SW which may not produce many sailing opportunities but, at the same time, should not be rowdy. At 1248MDT our anchor was set in Bahia Falsa at 24 15'.528N, 110 19'.059W in 24' over sand/gravel. The water temp is 74F, vis is about 10' and it's a bit green. OAT is 81F and the breeze is making 8kts from the SW. More tomorrow. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.03' N | 110º 19.056' W | Milagro | Greetings, Farkwar Friends. It is May 27, 2020 and all is well on the Milagro. We have finally returned to her and have spent the past few days in a slip at Marina De La Paz scraping several months of dirt from her and addressing a few projects. With only a few open issues to settle we reckon to get underway in the next few days. The COVID-19 thing has affected everyone in various ways and for us, our cruising patterns have been thrown out of whack. Our aim now is to resume our normal annual pattern: sail Mexico through the end of June, play stateside with the motorhome until sometime around the end of October then return to Milagro and cruise until June again. It's been our routine for several years now. With that in mind, we should be able to enjoy about a month of normal cruising as we slowly gunkhole our way from La Paz to San Carlos. Most of that time will likely be in the greater Loreto area for all of the great anchorages and other benefits there. Mexico is still very much locked down but there is hope, and some expectation, the restrictions may begin easing in June. We hope so, for us but mostly for the poor folks here who rely on the informal economy for their very existence. Of course, we will resume our normal progress reports as soon as we've actually gotten ourselves underway so stay tuned. Hasta pronto, y'all. | almost 4 years ago | Show |
| 33º 37.158' N | 112º 8.202' W | Milagro | Greetings Farkwar Family. It is 30 Mar, 2020 and all as well as can be expected with the crew of Milagro. But then, life has suddenly become a bit unusual for us all now, hasn’t it? Early in March we made a planned trip to Phoenix to attend a motorhome event along with a host of other things that we had scheduled. The Covid-19 problem became an issue for our part of the world during that time and here we are. Unable to return to Milagro before April 7th because of ongoing medical procedures, we processed many approaches to our predicament - Milagro on her mooring in La Paz, us in Phoenix and our car in San Carlos, Sonora - before finally deciding, just yesterday, to leave everything just as it is - for now. We will “shelter in place” right here then figure out our next step once conditions settle down. We are frustrated and disappointed but have concluded that this is the best course of action given what we know, and don’t know, about what is happening and/or may happen. We hope all of our friends are well and remain so while we look forward to resuming our cruising lifestyle soon. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.318' N | 110º 19.782' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, December 17, 2019, and all is well on the Milagro. We've just returned to our mooring in La Paz after being hauled out for 8 days. The narrative for that event is a bit long for this venue so hop on over to our blog site at www.milagro42.com to read about it and even see a few photos. We do not have any big moves planned for the immediate future as, for now, we are enjoying the social scene of La Paz during the Christmas Holidays. We will let you know when we do. Feliz Navidad everyone! | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.312' N | 110º 19.962' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 4 Dec, 2019 and everything is good here plus we are back on our own mooring. I want to start by apologizing to everyone for the avalanche of emails youve probably just received. Something seems to have happened on the Farkwar end to cause this because, I assure you, it did not come from us. In fact, we received 31 emails ourselves. Lets all hope that its a one time anomaly that we wont see again. To add to the uncertainty, I first sent this message yesterday, the 3rd. It posted to the Farkwar website but not the blog and no notification emails went out. Again, not sure what's going on back at Farkwar Central HQ.
How about some more rest of the story stuff? You likely remember our unpleasant neighbor who refused to move an inch to accommodate our mooring? You also know that we slipped our lines and moved to anchor elsewhere so as to avoid a night of fending off the neighbors boat. Well, get this. Less than an hour after we moved, those rascals weighed their anchor and left. We missed seeing the actual departure so do not know where they went but they were nowhere in sight very shortly after we had settled ourselves in at the new spot. What the heck do you suppose that was about? Vehemently stand your ground and insist the other guy give then, when he does, pick up and move on. Odd. Also, Judy asserts that my previous post on this event was a rant. If it came across that way to you, I apologize for that, as well. Until next time. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.828' N | 110º 19.386' W | Milagro | Message Avalanche It is Tuesday, 3 Dec, 2019 and everything is good here and we are back on our own mooring. I want to start by apologizing to everyone for the avalanche of emails you’ve probably received today. Something must have happened on the Farkwar end to cause this because, I assure you, it did not come from us. In fact, we received 31 emails ourselves. Let’s all hope that it’s a one time anomaly that we won’t see again. Now, some more “rest of the story” stuff. You remember our unpleasant neighbor who refused to move an inch to accommodate our mooring? You know that we slipped the lines and move to anchor ourselves elsewhere to avoid a night of fending off the neighbors boat. Well, get this. Less than an hour after we did so, the rascals weighed their anchor and left. We missed seeing the actual departure so do not know where they went but they were nowhere in sight not long after we settled ourselves in at the new spot. What the heck do you suppose that was about. Vehemently stand your ground and insist the other guy give then, when he does, pick up and move on. Odd. Also, Judy asserts that my previous post on this event was a rant. If it came across that way to you, I apologize for that, as well. Until next time. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.312' N | 110º 19.962' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 1 December, 2019 and all is well here. We last checked in with you on Nov 23 when we moved on to the mooring by Marina De La Paz. But, there is a "rest of the story". A story about jerks on the high seas. We actually tied up to a friends mooring right next to ours instead when we found a boat anchored too near to ours for us to both safely be there. I did approach them, explained that they were in a mooring field and that they were too close to our mooring for us to use it. I politely asked them to move just a short distance away. They told me they didn't care to move so bugger off. (I paraphrase) But, during our "conversation" they told me they would move on December 1st. Knowing we had access to our friends mooring, and, in the spirit of good neighborliness, I allowed as how Dec 1 would be fine, we'd take the other mooring. So, today being Dec 1, we left our friends mooring and moved over to ours. Our friend immediately moved onto hers. The other vessel near to ours had not moved yet and, because they were ashore when we made the move, we reckoned they'd be moving along soon enough. No worries. However, when they did return, observed us on our mooring and that our boats were quite uncomfortably close, they proceeded to let loose. They had apparently decided to stay beyond the 1st and, rather than come to us for a discussion or honor their committment to move as they had assured me they would, they declared us to be jerks and insisted on us moving instead of them. No amount of reasoning seemed to effect their position. So, after several hours of monitoring the closely set boats while reflecting on the merits of playing "who is the bigger jerk" (I can play that game pretty well when needed) verses getting a good nights sleep, reason won out. We slipped our mooring lines and moved a short distance to anchor for the night. If they do not move tomorrow, another mooring right next to ours is supposed to become available so we should make another move then, to ours or to our friends. In all our years of boating, we have never encountered, until these folks, anyone whom you would describe as selfish, arrogant jerks. I suppose we should count ourselves lucky. It takes all kinds in this world and these are not likely the only ones with a boat. At 1633 we were anchored at 24 09.308'N, 110 19.964'W in 20' over sand/mud. OAT is 78F, pool is 79F and there is 12knts of breeze from the north. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.348' N | 110º 19.71' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 23 Nov, 2019 and all is well here. In a surprise turn of events, we heard from our diver late on Thursday that he would be out to attach our mooring tackle on Friday morning. Like, as in, the next day. OK, that SOUNDS great and it IS encouraging but, again, this Mexico and things normally just don't happen so quickly - we will believe it when we see it. On Friday morning we again heard from him that he expected to be completed by midday but, if we aim to take the mooring about 1400 that should give him plenty of time. I should add here somewhere that the La Paz estuary is subject to strong tidal currents and about the only practical time to be in the water is at slack tides. Since the ebbing tides carry quite a bit of silt and other flotsom affecting visibility, the very best time is a slack HIGH tide. Consequently, the divers options for being able to find your mooring and to work on it are limited to small windows of time twice daily. And one of those times frequently in darkness. You can imagine then, how surprised we were that Jose was both willing and able to get right on it. Now, back to the story. At 1418 yesterday afternoon we were secured to the mooring at 24 09.352'N, 110 19.710'W in 18' of water. OAT was 80F, it was 77F in the pool and the North wind ran 10 - 15 kts. We are now where we will stay at least through the end of December. There are work projects planned including a haul out to repaint the bottom. In the meantime, we have many friends here (Judy's already at her first card game), LP is filled with great restaurants and there are muchos actividades to keep us entertained. We will be "quiet" for a while but will pass along anything significant and, of course, let you know when we're on the move again. Hasta Luego, y'all. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.45' N | 110º 19.152' W | Milagro | Today is Thursday, 21 Nov, 2019 and we're all good here on the Milagro. After a quiet night at San Evaristo we were on our way with first light this morning. I DO love a "Dawn Patrol". Conditions for today were forecast to be very light SW breezes over flat water then giving way tomorrow afternoon to North winds 15-20 and building seas. Would we prefer a "Sunday drive" across flat water over a sporting romp in 4' quartering seas? Why, yes, yes we would. Although 4 to 5 kt breezes added some ripples early on, once the breeze died to more like 2 kts the surface became glassy and millpond smooth. So there was some pesky engine noise for us to put up with. That annoyance was balanced by an easy passage in pleasant conditions. Here we are then, at Bahia Falsa, just outside the city of La Paz, at 24 15.449'N, 110 19.148'W in 30' over sand. It's warm like yesterday at 87F but the pool is 80F so there might be some pool time soon. There's a 2 kt zypher blasting at us out of the SW and the sky is mostly clear. Arriving here has also returned us to the land of "normal" communication so the cell phones, email, and internet are once again available to us. We aim to sit here at least through the weekend as the forecast Norther moves through. We are working with our diver to get our mooring tackle set back up and we will move onto that mooring as soon as he gets that gets done. (Pro tip: since this is Mexico, it is pointless to expect work to be completed by any particular time. It WILL (probably) get done but circling a calendar date is a certain path to disappointment). Thanks for sailing with us, we'll let you know what's up as it develops. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 24º 54.672' N | 110º 42.348' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 20 Nov, 2019 and all is well on Milagro. Today was a good day for sailors. We enjoyed a peaceful overnight stay at Los Gatos but were surprised this morning when the low, scudding clouds that hung over the land to our west moved offshore about sunrise this morning. Just enough to bring rain showers to us. That's right, we got hosed down again this morning. To the east and south the skies were clear which allowed the rising sun to turn our little shower into a very lovely rainbow. Los Gatos is known for it's red sandstone formations and those colors were deepened by the rain showers, framed by the deep green of wet vegetation behind the sandy beach all topped by a brilliant rainbow and illuminated perfectly by the low angle of a rising sun. Just, wow! So, off we set towards those mostly clear skies to our south. And this is what we found: flat water with a little light chop, SW breezes from 5 to 10kts and sunny skies. The boat dried quickly and we were obliged to endured flat water, light air sailing. All. Day. Long. How sweet is THAT? At 1519 our anchor was set in the bay at San Evaristo which is at the S end of the San Jose Channel just before it opens up to become the Bay of La Paz. We're at 24 54.666'N, 110 42.348'W in 14' over sand. The OAT is 86F, the pool is 79F and there is a SSW breeze running at 6-7 kts over flat water. Tomorrow we'll make the leap across the Bay of La Paz to Bahia Falsa. Falsa is just outside the entrance to the La Paz channel and is our usual landing spot before proceeding into La Paz itself. More tomorrow. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 18.15' N | 110º 56.79' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 19 Nov 2019 and all is well here with the Milagros. Especially so because the boat is dry and so are we. When we left you last, there was concern over the uncomfortable ocean swell in the Candeleros anchorage so we'll start there. It settled pretty quickly, disappearing completely by about 2100 allowing for a comfortable sleeping environment. The rain also ended by that time as well. The Candeleros anchorage is notorious for overnight West winds blasting down from the mountains even when there is no wind anywhere else around. True to reputation, those winds showed up about 0200 with 15 to 20 knots steady and higher gusts. We recorded one gust at 28kts. Normally, these winds are hot like your oven making them miserable but the recent weather caused these to be cooler. They are a dry, land breeze and so did a nice job of drying out the boat. Just imagine, dripping wet canvas, towels, everything - dry by morning. The noisy winds only lasted about 3 hours and we woke to calm seas, light airs and a dry boat. Still a lot of low hanging clouds around but no real threat of rain. Off we went for points South, enjoying in the process, a nice passage to Puerto Los Gatos. Variable wind conditions led to sailing under main and jib, sailing under main and Code 0 as well as some motorsailing. Seas were mostly flat and, did I mention, we were dry. All in all, a very nice day underway. At 1337 our anchor was set at 25 18.154'N, 110 56.788'W in 14' over sand. OAT is 86F, the pool is 78F and humidity is 60%. The wind is SW at 6-10kts and there is a very slight SE swell running. We will continue South tomorrow with our sights set on San Evaristo, about 30nm on down the road. Hasta manana, y'all. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.368' N | 111º 14.28' W | Milagro | Today is Monday, 18 Nov 2019 and all is well with the soggy Milagro. Tropical Storm Raymond, cum Tropical Depresion Raymond, cum Remnant Low Raymond has been interesting. First of all, Raymond chose a path different from the track forecast for it. As a result, Raymond, for where we are, has been a rain event without wind. Yup, rain. Lots O rain. For the last 48 hrs rain has been with us. Often steady but sometimes a toadstrangling downpour. Everything and everybody is damp. Yes, we now know where all of our leaks are. The southern tip of Baja apparently saw winds to 30 knots and much rain, as well but no wind for us. We are not fond of Puerto Ballandra as it is notorious for its annoying bugs; bees, mosquitos and jejejene's. Judy is a serious biting bug magnate and usually the object of much attention from those bugs when we do go there but, given the WX forecast, Ballandra was the only logical, safe choice in our neighborhood. She got eaten alive. Again. So, today, while conditions have not quite settled as much as they are going to, we weighed anchor and set off to begin our Southing. We motorsailed in light airs over seas ranging from 1' confused chop to mill pond smooth, to closely spaced SE swell to 3' causing considerable rolling. Conditions included low, heavy clouds that obscured most of the surrounding mountains and islands and delivered rain. Sometimes very heavy rain, sometimes light rain but nearly always, rain. At 1705 we set the anchor in Bahia Candeleros in a heavy downpour. We're at 25 43.371'N, 111 14.276'W in 14'over sand. The OAT is 80F, it's 70% humid, and the pool is 78F. Wind is NE at 6kts and there is ocean swell wrapping around Punta Candeleros creating considerable swell right on the beam for the boats anchored here. We're not sure we can even fix dinner rolling ike this. Here we are, living the dream, eh? Sounds like fun, eh? Hopefully, we can get some sleep tonight while not getting devoured by carnivorous bugs, and continue South tomorrow. Hasta Manana, y'all. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.098' N | 111º 9.9' W | Milagro | It is now Saturday, Nov 16, 2019 and all is well here on the reasonably good ship Milagro. After enjoying a pleasant overnight at Isla Coronados (Upper 70's, light breeze and flat water) we were treated to a large pod of dophins swimming and cavorting around us while we had morning coffee in the cockpit. Try THAT at home! :-) Then, it was off to Pto. Ballandra on Isla Carmen which we reckon offers the best protection from Tropical Storm Raymond's somewhat confusing and fickle winds. At 0938 our anchor was set at 26 01.108'N, 111 09.899'W in 25' over sand. The OAT is 80F, it's 60% humid, the pool is 78F and there is currently no wind. Skies are 80-90% covered by a high, thin overcast. 5 other boats here with us are also watching the changing forecast trying to work out when to make their next moves. In the past 48 hours of reports, nearly every one has offered different views of what's coming. In all cases though, the winds here are not likely to be scary strong, maybe as much as 30kts but likely somewhat less. This is a well protected spot to see what actually happens. Several of those here are long time friends so there's already been a bit of a reunion atmosphere. Looks like we should be able to move along by Monday afternoon so our current thinking is to go then to Point Nopolo and hang for a few days though, by then, we may have a different plan. Stay tuned. Hasta pronto. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.168' N | 111º 16.908' W | Milagro | Surprise, we're back! Maybe that should read more like: "We are finally back". But, I think I always say that. It seems to have become a pattern. Our summer visits North of the border last more like 4 months now rather than the 3 months we tell ourselves we're aiming for. There just always seems to be one more thing that must be done or event that must be attended. However, for this year at least, that season is behind us and we are once again boat people. Arriving back at Milagro on Saturday, Nov 9th, we found the usual several surprises but eventually pulled it all together and made our exit from the marina midday on Thursday, Nov 14th. The wind and sea conditions were forecast to be perfect for motorboats and dissapointing for sailors but the next forecast change was decidedly unappealing - Tropical Storm moving up from the South will bring big seas and strong winds contrary to our purposes - so motorboating it is. We passed an uneventful night under clear skies and a full moon over mostly flat seas and arrived into the South anchorage at Isla Coronados at 0752 this morning, Friday, Nov 15. Our anchor is set (yes, we did remember how to anchor) in 18' over sand at 26 06.167'N, 111 16.906'W. The OAT is 80F, the water temp is 78F with visibility about 20'. Wind is flat calm as is the sea. We are only a few miles from several anchorages in the general area of Loreto and will move tomorrow to one of them. And, should the forecast conditions develop as advertised, we will move again several times over the next several days to put ourselves into locations protected from whatever direction the wind and seas are coming from that day. We are excited to be back and are glad you're here for us to share with. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.868' N | 111º 3.36' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, June 30th, 2019 and all is well here. As advertised, we moved into the marina early this morning. An early go allowed us to maneuver without the benefit of the strong afternoon winds that we've seen each day. We definitely didn't need that kind of interference when navigating slow speed close quarters and squeezing ourselves stern first alongside a very wide Hylas. And, it all worked out perfectly. At 0735MST Milagro was berthed at 27 56.869'N, 111 03.357'W. It was 89F at the time, pool 84F and a SE breeze ran at 5kts. It was humid with about 80% cloud cover. After a very warm (89-90F)and humid (+/-80%) night at anchor we were more than happy to have shore power for full time A/C - I'm predicting we will sleep much more comfortably tonight. :-) We've already begun the cleaning, sorting and configuring process that we go through to leave Milagro on her own for several months. As hot as it is here we will start our work day very early and stop well before noon each day. With luck (that means, if there are no surprises and nothing important breaks) we may be on the road as early as Wednesday morning. If things don't go so well, then, it could take much longer. Next for us is motorhome projects, continuing improvements to our RV parking spot and I have a new motorcycle to put some miles on. Thanks for joining us this sailing season, we'll be back in the fall. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.742' N | 111º 3.72' W | Milagro | Today is Saturday, 28 June, 2019 and we're doing fine here on the Milagro. Yesterday afternoon winds reached 26kts but it was a hot, humid wind and, for our part, very unwelcome. We actually ran the generator and A/C for several hours in order to escape it. This morning we weighed anchor, visited the fuel dock at Marina San Carlos and then settled in the San Carlos Harbor with full tanks. Here we will move the dinghy onto the foredeck, drag out the dock lines, fenders and other accoutrement needed to convert from a sailing boat to a marina condo. Once you get so used to anchoring all the time, the monkey motion needed to tie yourself to a dock sure seems like a lot of work. First thing tomorrow morning we will slide into our slip at Marina San Carlos and get serious about packing things, securing systems, etc. For now we are at 27 56.744'N, 111 03.717'W in 23' over sand. The OAT is 92F (going up to 102!?), it's 83F in the pool and the wind is SE at 8 to 10kts. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.808' N | 111º 2.79' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 28 June, 2019 and everything here is good. And, we are in San Carlos! After reviewing the latest wind/sea forecast Thursday morning it seemed that the best odds for a comfortable passage was likely that day. Overnight winds for that evening and for several days following were going to be WNW to NW to N on the order of 20kts with the most westerly winds that night. Since we'd be going due North, Westerlies would be good. Considering that seas build greater with longer wind exposure, the seas would be a bit more lumpy each of the coming days. So, there it was. Not what we wanted exactly but the smart move was to get going or wait until sometime after the coming weekend, something we did not want to do either. As is often the case on a passage, we saw many different sea/wind combinations and motored, motorsailed, and sailed at one or more times during the 125nm. In general, the seas were mostly flat although a NW swell accompanied by some chop developed after sunrise today. In the end, we managed to complete 42% of the passage under sail alone while the remainder was either motorsailing or simply motoring. Now our anchor is set at the San Carlos waterfront (Caleta La Posada) at 27 56.808'N, 111 02.793'W in 28' over sand. The OAT is 91F, it's 83F in the pool and the wind is W 15 gusting to 20. We are in the lee of the town's shore so our water is flat. We are scheduled into Marina San Carlos on Monday, July 1 but we may see if we can sneak in on the day before. Stay tuned folks as there is at least one more post coming before we bail out for the summer. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.44' N | 111º 20.808' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 24 June, 2019 and all is well here. We enjoyed a calm, peaceful night at Isla Coronados before moving South this morning back to Point Nopolo. Before heading up to San Carlos we have a need to pay a visit to our friend Pedro here, plus, as you must surely know by now, we really like this place. At 1106hrs MDT our anchor was once again set in front of the Hotel Loreto Bay at 25 55.442'N, 111 20.807'W in 12' over sand. The OAT is 85F, the pool temp is 81F and there is a SE breeze running 6 to 7 knots. We intend to stay for several days so the sunshades have been put in place to help keep the afternoon temps under control. We will be closely watching the weather forecasts over the next several days but, based on what we see today, we are thinking we will leave here for San Carlos on Thursday. That would give us several days anchored in the San Carlos area before taking our slip at the marina there on July 1. Time we could use as we prepare Milagro to be left alone for several months. But, we will see about the weather as that day draws closer. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.06' N | 111º 17.04' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 23 June, 2019 and all is well here on Milagro. At Bahia Cobre yesterday, the afternoon water warmed to 83F. A steady N breeze of 7-9kts added its contribution. With the OAT in the low 90's the breeze and the pool felt pretty darned good. This morning we made our move toward our next intended anchorage, V-Cove on the N side of Isla Carmen, however nature had other plans for us. Very shortly after we got underway northbound, the N wind increased to 15kts and the seas built to very closely spaced 2' to 3' wind swells. Not good conditions for any anchorage open to the North, like, well, V-Cove. We battled our way slowly into the wind then made our turn to go West over the top of Carmen and, as we advanced westward, the wind and seas gradually settled until we were on a nice beam reach in 8-9kts of N wind over mostly flat water. What a difference just a few miles makes. So, after a very nice sail we planted our anchor on the South side of Isla Coronados at 26 06.061'N, 111 17.041'W in 23' over sand. The OAT is 85F and the pool temp is 81F. Water vis is only about 10' here and green in color so its not nearly as inviting as at Cobre. We are not certain of the timing of our next move although we have decided to leave the 2 anchorages on the N side of Isla Carmen for next season. It's time to get serious about the timing of our move to San Carlos so we'll be reviewing the weather forecasts closely with that in mind. More to follow. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 58.95' N | 111º 4.122' W | Milagro | Today is Saturday, 22 June, 2019 and all is well here. Our afternoon at Pta. Perico was actually 1 degree warmer than the day before at Blanco but there was a nice breeze running that made it much more bearable. The water did warm up to 80F so a little swimming helped cool us off, too. Around midnight a South swell of 2' developed setting up some pitching movement. Not too bad but enough to keep it from being an entirely peaceful night. This morning we weighed anchor and moved counterclockwise around Point Perico and into Bahia Cobre. A total distance of 3nm. Here we are protected from that South swell and surrounded by more amazing geography. Oh, to be a geologist and understand all these different layers, colors and shapes. We are set at 25 58.954'N, 111 04.121'W in 23' over sand. OAT is 86F and the pool is 80F with visibility close to 25'. There's a SW breeze of 6kts. Our plan is to move again tomorrow as we still have 2 more anchorages on Carmen we wish to see and by the end of next week we need to be making our move up to San Carlos. Hasta manana, y'all. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 58.242' N | 111º 4.5' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 21 June 2019 and all is well here. Our stay at Arroyo Blanco was nice but yesterday afternoon was stifling hot. 94F and ZERO wind. Zip. Nada. Much swimming occurred in an effort to cope but we eventually caved, drug out the generator and ran the A/C for several hours. Ahhhhh, so nice. Kayaking the shore and sea caves this morning we saw some pretty impressive scenery. We tried to capture some of that beauty in photos which I intend to post to the blog one day. After breakfast we moved to our next stop, Punta Perico South. Only 7.8nm NE of Arroyo Blanco we are now settled at 25 58.238'N, 111 04.500'W in 25' over sand. OAT here is 88F but the pool is only 78F. As we are right at the end of a point of land there is a bit of breeze running NE at 7kts. Of course, we hope that breeze holds and that the thermometer doesn't try to return to yesterdays numbers. That same SE swell continues to stay with us and, while it was not uncomfortable at Arroyo Blanco, we're hopeful the breeze and currents keep us from sitting abeam of the swell here. Next stop is literally just around the corner. More tomorrow. Hasta entonces. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 52.92' N | 111º 10.95' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 20 June, 2019 and everything is good here on the Milagro. The sea swell that I mentioned yesterday did smooth out and we enjoyed a comfortable night under an intense canopy of stars. It wasn't long however, before they were upstaged when the nearly full moon presented itself around 2200. Muy hermosa. So, today, we moved about 2nm North to a spot that does not appear on any of the charts or guides that we've found. It's at the mouth of a normally dry wash aptly named Arroyo Blanco as the wash cuts through low, white colored bluffs. There are small sea caves cut into these white bluffs and a small, sandy beach at the mouth. Nice as well as pretty. Friends of ours stumbled onto this place a couple of months ago and suggested we might like it. We do. We're here for tonight and will decide in the morning whether to stay put or move on to the next stop. For now we are at 25 52.916'N, 111 10.951'W in 23' over sand. OAT is 86F, the pool is 80F (it warmed to 83F yesterday afternoon at Colorada!) and wind is light and variable. 2kts from NE at this moment. More on our progress tomorrow or Saturday. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 51.318' N | 111º 11.652' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, 19 June, 2019 and all is well on the Milagro. I can report that Judy's pulled muscle is about 90% healed so that is no longer an issue for us. We spent 5 days at Marquer healing and visiting with friends on M/V Mystic Eyes and M/V Ansedonia including a day trip for provision shopping at Loreto where we also connected with our friends on the SV Voyager. The water temp has made it to 80F so I was able (willing) to do a little bottom cleaning. Today we moved around to the East side of Isla Carmen to the anchorage at Punta Colorada, nearly directly across the island from where we were. No useful wind this morning so we had a flat water motorboat ride and are now anchored at 25 51.322'N, 111 11.654'W in 23' over sand/gravel. The OAT here now is 88F and this pool is showing 80F. There is a ESE breeze at 2kts and a SE swell about 1'/5 seconds which is causing continious mild rolling. It is our aim to circumnavigate Isla Carmen via anchorages that we have not visited before, this being one of them. If conditions are agreeable (sea state, bugs, etc.) this could take a week or more. Should conditions turn out to be something less than agreeable we will not tarry nor stop at them all. In that case we'll be around and done much sooner. No cell or internet on this side of Isla Carmen. Our next move will either be tomorrow or Friday but we'll let you know when it happens. Hasta pronto, y'all. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 52.152' N | 111º 13.068' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, June 13, 2019 and all is mostly well here on the Milagro. Since the last post on June 3rd we completed our family visit and stay at the Villa Del Palmar resort on June 8 and have resumed our "normal" life. We moved Milagro out of the mooring field at Puerto Escondido on the 9th in favor of returning to Point Nopolo. Pto. Nopolo for all of the reasons I've 'splained here before. Now there are several days of fairly strong SE winds forecast so we moved today to the protection of Bahia Marquer on the SW side of Isla Carmen. We are now set at 25 52.148'N, 111 13.070'W in 23' over sand. The OAT is currently 87F, the pool is 80F with about 20' visibility and the wind is SE at 10 to 12 kts. The island is upwind so we're sitting on flat water pretty much no matter how hard it may blow. Considering the Wx forecast, we will likely stay here until Monday at least. I'll explain the "mostly well" from line 1. Several days ago Judy tweaked a muscle or combination of them, across her shoulders at the base of her neck. She has been in great pain and barely able to move. We found our TENS unit no longer working so have borrowed one from nearby friends and THAT seems to be helping a lot. Today she is much improved giving us hope that she can put this behind her soon. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.122' N | 111º 14.016' W | Milagro | Today is June 3, 2019 and we are in the middle of a shore excursion. On Saturday, the 2nd, we left Milagro secured to a mooring at Puerto Escondido and joined family for a week long stay at the Villa Del Palmar resort. This is about 25 miles South of Loreto at Bahia Candeleros. We have posted ourselves anchored here many times and many times have also commented on our day visits to the resort. This time, however, we are actually staying at the hotel and, of course, it's quite a different experience. I think the last time we stayed here was in May, 2016 when we met fellow cruisers Gary and Angie Livers on the SV Nivasi. They currently live aboard in Anacortes, WA while plotting their escape. We have already recorded many moments with the kids and grandkids engaged in various activities here but I don't intend to bore you with those photos. They look very much like many you have probably taken yourselves of your family at one place or another so, in effect, you've seen them already. In addition, I'm sure there will be plenty of that sort of thing on the family's various FB accounts. What I AM going to do is attempt to post my first ever video of the first ever drone footage of Milagro at anchor. If I am successful you will see Milagro anchored at Liahona Cove along with our friends, Bret and Marne. To see how I did, check us out at www.milagro.com. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 49.458' N | 111º 18.54' W | Milagro | It is Monday, May 27, 2019 an all is well here. We've moved today into the harbor at Puerto Escondido. This is where we will leave Milagro next week while we join family coming down for a resort stay and we chose today to arrive in order to spend time with friends of ours who are here now. Milagro will be moored here until June 8th or 9th. At 1255 MDT we secured a mooring at 25 49.458'N, 111 18.537'W in 44' of 78F water. The OAT is 81F and there is a 5kt breeze from the NE. I plan to make an update when we leave and when we return but, should I get distracted and fail to do that, you'll now have some idea of what we are up to. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.47' N | 111º 20.82' W | Milagro | Today is Saturday, May 25, 2019 and we're just fine here on the fairly good ship Milagro. As per my speculation on Thursday, we folded our tent today and vacated the anchorage at Rattlesnake Beach. It was our first visit to that spot and it turned out to be quite nice. We were surprised to find fair LTE cell service there, apparently from a tower somewhere south of it, as Puerto Escondido cell service ranges from notoriously horrible to nonexistent. Lucky us. So, where did we end up today? I'm almost embarrassed to tell you that we've returned to Point Nopolo. What is so special about Pt. Nopolo? There are actually several attractive features but at the top of that list is bugs-the biting/stinging kind. There just aren't any. Judy is such a magnet for biting/stinging insects that she can be eaten alive while no one around her gets bitten at all. So, there's that. Additionally, there is a nice sandy beach, a welcoming hotel with pool and restaurant, (several other restaurants are also within easy walking distance), there are 2 mini-markets within walking distance, there is convenient trash disposal, and OK kayaking and snorkeling. Add strong LTE cell signal and decent internet from the hotel and what's not to like? While it is not safe to park here in some weather conditions (see our last post), when the weather IS suitable it is very appealing. The forecast weather indicates great conditions for the next several days so, here we are. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 48.162' N | 111º 18.528' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, May 23, 2019 and all is well on the Milagro. At least, it is now. Today was not a planned moving day but it did turn into one. The wind forecast led us to expect a few hours of NE winds, mostly 10kts with gusts close to 15, before settling down and shifting in the late afternoon. From the NE our anchorage is exposed so we were prepared for several hours of lumpy conditions. However.....in the span of an hour, we went from 8kts to 15 gusting to 20 and the seas from small wind waves to 3' to 4' breaking waves all around us. Time to get out of Dodge, Campers. It was especially sporting weighing anchor while the bow was being buried by incoming waves. I don't believe I need to do that again. At least our "fire drill" was conducted in daylight. Several times in the past week other cruisers have been blown out of their anchorages in the middle of the night by these crazy winds that refuse to adhere to the forecasts. After considering our anchorage options we chose to head south and hide behind the hills at the entrance to Puerto Escondido and that is where we are comfortably lying now. At 1253MDT our anchor was set off Rattlesnake Beach just South of the entrance to Puerto Escondido at 25 48.161'N, 111 18.526'W in 53' over gravel/sand. The OAT is 74F, it is 77F in the pool and the wind is NW at 10 to 12kts. Here in the lee of nearby hills the water is flat. We'll view tomorrows wind forecast through jaundiced eyes before making our next move but our current thinking is we'll likely stay put tomorrow and bust out on Saturday. Stay tuned. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.482' N | 111º 20.85' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, May 21, 2019 and everything is fine here on the Milagro. After several days enjoying Puerto Ballandra and the company of our friends we left there today and took up station once again at Point Nopolo. The same environmental conditions that gave much of the Southwest U.S. very winterlike weather recently gave us rough seas and strong winds. Ballandra is well protected from weather in every direction except West so it was good timing for us to be there. Today those conditions here began to improve as the system moves out of our area with strong Westerly winds forecast to follow. Nopolo is well positioned for those westerlies so here we are. Again. At 1117MDT today our anchor was set in front of the Hotel Loreto Bay at 25 55.479'N, 111 20.847'W in 13' over sand. the OAT is 76F, the pool is 77F and there is 8kts of breeze from the East. Although the strong NE winds have died the sea is still quite stirred up giving us a very lumpy ride over from Isla Carmen and now continues to provide some wind chop on top of a close spaced 1' swell. We are pointed into it but, until this settles completely, we've a bit of a rocking horse ride. We don't yet have "what's next" plans but we'll be here for at least several days and will surely come up with something in that time. Hasta entonces......(until then) | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.182' N | 111º 9.96' W | Milagro | It is Friday, May 17, 2019 and everything is fine here on the Milagro. We weighed anchor this morning leaving Point Nopolo behind in favor of Puerto Ballandra on Isla Carmen, about 12nm East from Nopolo and Loreto. We have friends who love Ballandra and spend much of their time anchored there. While we don't love Ballandra the way they do we wanted to enjoy their company for a few days so we'll have a visit then move along. It was a motorboat ride for us as we needed to run our engine to make water anyway and that process consumed most of the time it took to cover the short distance. Our anchor is set at 26 01.178'N, 111 09.960'W in 35' over mixed sand and gravel. The OAT is 80F and the pool, with about 20' of visibility, is 78F. The wind is from the NE at 11kts gusting to 18 but our spot is well protected from wind in that direction so we're sitting on flat water. We'll be back in a couple of days with the next update. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.47' N | 111º 20.85' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, May 15, 2019 and everything here is good although I reckon it's time for a Farkwar update. We've been in the same spot at Point Nopolo since our last report on May 8th but there just hasn't been much to say. You may recall that we've planted our anchor here in the past and then just stayed and stayed and it seems we're doing it again. Although, yesterday, we broke the anchor free and dashed the 5.5nm North to Loreto as we needed some fresh provisions and to have some laundry done. We did get all of that done then met last evening with boating friends on their way driving from La Paz back to the US. It was a pretty full day and a successful one, as well. After a peaceful night on the Loreto waterfront we returned again to Point Nopolo this morning and are parked once more on nearly the very same spot as before. We have boating friends staying at a relative's home here in Nopolo and we're joining them tonight for dinner after they enjoyed a particularly fruitful day of fishing. Judy may be less exited than I am at the prospect of a fresh fish dinner but she says she's game. Then, she says she needs internet (we have a good source here) tomorrow night after which she says I can consider relocating. With that in mind, we reckon to move on Friday, East across Loreto Bay to Bahia Ballandra on Isla Carmen and hang out there for a while. So, that's our update from Nopolo. More in a couple of days. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.47' N | 111º 20.85' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, May 8, 2019 and everything is just fine here. Today we made a leisurely passage North from Candeleros to Punto Nopolo, just a few miles South of Loreto. There is a beautiful sand beach here backed by a community of condos and the Hotel at Loreto Bay. Several restaurants are within easy walking distance, there's great snorkeling around the point and kayaking up a little estuary where you paddle your way through an attractive golf course. There's no weather protection from anything coming from an Easterly direction so it's definitely NOT an all weather anchorage but it's great otherwise. Light Easterlies and mill pond flat water this morning moved us slowly along under our light air head sail and main in what we would call idyllic conditions. At 1354MDT our anchor was set at 25 55.472'N, 111 20.855'W in 12' over sand. the OAT is 82F and it's 77F in the pool which is kinda greenish with poor visibility. Not really "yucky" but not quite inviting like it usually is either. There's a SE breeze running at 6kts and a small Easterly swell moving the boat around just a little. Our sky is clear. We expect to hang out here for a couple of days though how much more than "a couple" we don't know yet. Good cell coverage here and we're working on getting internet - I suppose THAT could influence when we leave as much as anything else. :-) Hasta pronto, y'all. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.368' N | 111º 14.238' W | Milagro | It is Monday, May 6, 2019 and all is well on the Milagro. It is apparent that I need a refresher course in how to read a calendar but, otherwise, all is well:-) As I'm sure you saw, I incorrectly dated yesterday's post as being the 6th. I'm sure didn't fool any of you, but, to be clear, TODAY is the 6th. Really. So we vacated Agua Verde this morning and made our way to Bahia Candeleros. No favorable winds to work with today so we did what one has to do in that case. At 1213MDT our anchor was set in front of the Villa del Palmar resort at 25 43.373'N, 111 14.237'W in 15' over sand. The OAT is 80F, the pool 75F (getting better!) and there is a NE breeze of 6kts. The sea is flat with small wind chop and our sky is sunny and clear. The only other boat here is another C42 like ours and belongs to friends of ours. They bought Macadamia last fall after we declined to sell them Milagro (mistake?) and spent the winter in San Carlos modifying and equiping her to, more or less, equal our set up. We will get a chance to visit with them and also review with the resort, details of our family stay here in a few weeks. We'll want to ensure they have all of the details correct. After a couple of days we will move along to one of the many other terrific locations here in the greater Loreto area. Hasta pronto, y'all. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 30.942' N | 111º 3.75' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, May 6, 2019 and all is good here. We enjoyed passage today all the way to Bahia Agua Verde- about 15nm beyond our initial target. Conditions today allowed some off then on then off again sailing the hightlight of which was about an hour running dead down wind under main and Code Zero sails set wing on wing on totally flat seas. The wind petered out altogether though leaving us with perfect trawler conditions- glassy, flat seas and zero wind. If you're gonna motorboat, that is surely the way to do it. Because we were making such good speed over ground while motoring we decided to press on to what would have been tomorrow's destination so here we are. At 1607MDT our anchor was set in the South lobe of Bahia Agua Verde at 25 30.943'N, 111 03.748'W in 21' over sand. The OAT is 89F, the pool is 76F and there is a 5-8kt breeze from the NE. The sea state here in the anchorage is flat. We will move again tomorrow with our sights set on Bahia Candeleros, the bay South of Loreto where lives the Villa del Palmar resort is found. Hasta manana. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 49.698' N | 110º 33.972' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, May 4th, 2019 (May The Fourth Be With You!) and all is well here. As advertised, this morning we made the 26nm jump to Isla San Francisco and enjoyed another good sailing day. We didn't expect it to be and the available wind did vary but, in the end, we were able to sail a bit over 60% of the passage. Combine that with sailing 80% of yesterday's passage and we're doing pretty good so far. We aren't likely to be quite so lucky with favorable wind conditions over the next several days but we'll just have to see how it plays out. At 1208 MDT today, the anchor was set on the East side of Isla San Francisco at 24 49.698'N, 110 33.969'W in 15' over sand. The OAT is 82F, the pool is 74F and the water vis is about 20'. There is a 4kt breeze from the SE and the sky is clear. Our friends on the SV Liahona (Bret and Marne) are buddy boating with us and we have a card game and group dinner planned for later today - after a fishing expedition to see if dinner can be pulled from the sea. We will be celebrating 2 birthdays, mine (today) and Bret's (tomorrow). Then, tomorrow it's off for someplace further north, maybe to the anchorage at Los Gatos. Tune in tomorrow and see. In the meantime, hasta manana, y'all. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 29.25' N | 110º 18.312' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 5/3/19 and all is well here on the Milagro. We got up early this morning after a night of mild Coromuel winds. Coromuels are overnight winds spilling into the Gulf of Mexico from the Pacific side of the Baja common to the La Paz area especially in spring. They come from a Westerly or Southwesterly direction and can be quite strong at times. Anyway, we had a bit of that overnight and got underway early for our next stop. The winds were forecast to be from the South around 10kts early but diminishing throughout the day and swinging around to be on our nose by afternoon. If we were to get to sail we needed to go early. Coming out of Bahia Falsa we were able to raise the sails and, by using various sail combinations, were able to sail to within a mile of our destination. Very nice! We are now at an unnamed cove just North of Punto Lobos on the East side of Isla Espiritu Santo. We're calling it Liahona Cove as we learned about this spot from our good friends on the SV Liahona. So, we are anchored at 24 29.249'N, 110 18.306'W in 20' over sand/gravel. OAT is 80F, the pool is 74F and there is a NE breeze running at 5kts. The sea is flat and we are under a high stratus overcast. Manana we continue moving North with our sights set on the East side of Isla San Francisco. Wind forecast is for mostly light and variable but we will just have to see what hand tomorrow deals us. Hasta manana, y'all. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.492' N | 110º 19.062' W | Milagro | Greetings Farkwar family. Long time no speak, eh? Well, we're back and if the tune you hear sounds familiar it is because it is. You know, the one where we go on about how we are FINALLY underway again after so long at one place or another. It has become a common refrain but no less true. Yes, we have finally broken through the force field that is La Paz and have ventured out and about. We have certainly enjoyed wintering there and, in particular, have enjoyed our new mooring set up just outside the entrance to Marina de La Paz. It seems to offer the best of being anchored out combined with with the convenience of social interaction with our many friends in La Paz. So, that's our excuse this time...at least it's a new one. Today we've made it as far as Bahia Falsa, just outside the La Paz channel, and are staged to move tomorrow to the East side of Isla Espiritu Santo and then on North from there. We are set at 24 15.499'N, 110 19.063'W in 25' over sand and are the only boat here. The OAT is 83F, the pool is a chilly 74F and there is an 8kt breeze running from the NW. Water vis is about 15' and the surface is flat. More from Espiritu Santo manana. | almost 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.342' N | 110º 19.728' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 12/18/18, and all is just fine here. We moved today into La Paz and took a mooring just at the entrance to Marina de La Paz. This one belongs to a friend but is immediately next door to where ours is supposed to be. What? Yes, we've bought a mooring here. However, the fellow who placed it and manages it for us has been unable to secure the ground tackle to it because of the recent winds and sea state. Once he gets that done we will shift over a few feet to our new home in La Paz. At 1340MST Milagro was secured to the mooring at 24 09.339'N, 110 19.730'W in 17' of water (and is low tide almost to the minute. The OAT is 79F, it's 69F in the pool and there is a N breeze blowing 11 to 15kts right now. Forecast calls for 20-25 tonight and tomorrow before starting to settle on Thursday then become mostly calm for a few days starting Friday. The dinghy is launched, we have a dinner invite ashore for tonight and Judy has already been scheduled for a card game tomorrow. I guess we are home! For a while, until well into January I reckon. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.468' N | 110º 19.14' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 12/16/18 and all is good here. As advertised, we moved closer to La Paz today. Conditions early were pretty rowdy with N winds to 27kts (27.7!) and following seas 3'-4', occasionally 4'-6'. Slowly through the day the conditions gradually improved to eventually become mostly flat seas and 10kts of NE wind by the second half of the day. Again we went through many sail configurations with the changing conditions but the good news is that we were able to sail almost the entire way. The skies remained overcast today and even spit a little rain at us. We kept being reminded of sailing on SF Bay or maybe the PacWest! We are now anchored just outside of La Paz at Bahia Falsa at 24 15.470N, 110 19.145'W in 30' over sand/gravel. The OAT is 75F, the pool is 74F and the wind is 5-10kts from the N. At this location we have cell coverage which even gets us a little internet. Tomorrow or Tuesday we will move into La Paz and our new mooring (more on that later) where we will hang out until sometime after the New Year. More to follow. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 24º 54.498' N | 110º 42.348' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 12/15/18 and all is good on the Milagro. Today we continued our march towards La Paz and are anchored now at San Evaristo. This is a tiny fishing village just N of the NE corner of the Bay of La Paz with a 2 lobed bay well protected from all directions except E and SE. We have boating friends who recently swallowed the hook, adopted this village and settled here so hope to connect with them tonight. Seas today still had not settled so that 3' to 4' close space NW swell from yesterday was with us all day before finally smoothing some as we approached the anchorage. We are hopeful tomorrow could see a much better sea state. Solid overcast all day so it feels chilly here on the water despite temps in the mid-70s. Or, our blood's just too dang thin already! At 1420MST we were set at 24 54.501'N, 110 42.350'W in 15' over sand. OAT is 74F, pool is 73F and the N wind is running 10-15kts right at the moment. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 25º 31.302' N | 111º 4.398' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 12/14/18 and all is well here on Milagro. After waiting out the worst of the North wind event we got ourselves moving South today. On the heels of the winds the seas were still quite stirred up with a 3'-4' N swell running under a confused surface as well as wind waves generated by winds that ranged from 7 to 27 kts. The conditions drove us to cycle through a wide range of sail and motor configurations including a wing on wing downwind romp at 7.5 kts at one point to motorsailing under main alone. Aside from the extra workout and rolly conditions caused by the following/quartering seas, it was a pleasant day. At 1420 MST we set the anchor in the North lobe at Bahia Agua Verde at 25 31.296'N, 111 04.401'W in 37' over gravel. It's a bit crowded as 8 other boats were already here likely hiding from the N winds like we did at Coronados. The OAT is 78F, the pool is 74F and there is 6-8kts of N breeze. Conditions are forecast to contiue moderating so we will move further South tomorrow with our sights set on San Evaristo. Hasta manana. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.048' N | 111º 17.04' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, 12 December, 2018 and we are back. I should say, we are FINALLY back! As crazy as it seems, we've been absent from the Water World for 6 whole months - a first for us. We dashed off almost a month earlier than normal (the exact reason for which I can no longer remember) then our return was delayed a full month first by Judy's travels then by me causing some damage to our motorhome. This world seems quite strange for the moment as we reprogram ourselves from living in one "tiny home" to another, each very different from the other. We rushed through recommisioning tasks because forecast wind and sea conditions told us to go quickly or face waiting 4 days, or more, for conditions to return to favorable. So we made ready in record time and have now made our passage from San Carlos, Sonora (mainland MX) to the Loreto, BCS area on the Baja. We left the SC marina at 1100 MST, Tuesday and planted the anchor at Isla Coronados this morning at 0425 MST. (Apparently we DO remember how to anchor!) It was an unremarkable passage. We are set now at 26 06.048'N, 111 17.038'W on the south side of Isla Coronados in 22' of clear water over sand. As I write this (1030MST) the pool is 72 and the OAT is 76 under mostly overcast but improving skies. The wind is NNW 10-13kts and expected to reach the mid 20's this afternoon, tomorrow and maybe Friday. We are staying put until this wind event passes. As a "welcome back" the Amigo Net has already learned of our return and immediatley drafted me for Net Controller duties. I guess that certifies that we ARE back but, if so, we're glad of it. Welcome back everyone! | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.868' N | 111º 3.06' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 31 May, 2018 and all is well here. After arriving at Bahia Algodones yesterday we contacted the San Carlos marina to confirm our reservation for June 7 only to learn that the previous tenants had vacated the slip earlier than scheduled. Slip B23 was sitting empty just waiting on us. With that sort of serendipity what else could we do but agree to come in early ourselves. We enjoyed a fun evening ashore at the Soggy Peso visiting with friends on the SV Kismet (Rick, Wendy and boat dog Reah) as well as meeting the crew of SV Pincoya (Gene and Gloria). This morning we bid adios to the folks on both the Sonrisa and the Amigo nets and headed for the barn. At 0810MST Milagro was secured in slip B23 at 27 56.871'N, 111 03.365'W. The OAT is 83F, it's 76F in the pool and there is a NW breeze at 8-10 kts. We will spend the next several days stripping Milagro of her sails and canvas, giving her a good bath, removing perishable foods and carefully storing what we think will survive and then packing up those goodies we won't leave home without. So I'm sorry to say that this is it for this cruising season. I'm not sure about chronicling our motorhome travels and adventures this summer. I may (MAY) try to keep the blog updated or perhaps I'll just keep posting to Farkwar, we'll see. If you're interested, the blog URL is www.milagro42.com. In the meantime, thank you all for putting up with our lame attempt to share some of this cruising world. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 27º 57.882' N | 111º 6.69' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, 30 May, 2018 and the crew of Milagro are grinning large. We left Los Coronados yesterday morning about 1100 with breezes light and variable and <3kts. As we needed to run the engine for a bit to fill our nearly empty water tanks, that was OK. Then, shortly after that exercise was completed, the wind filled in and settled at +/-8kts from the SE and it pretty much stayed that way all the way to San Carlos. We enjoyed flat water broad reaching under a full moon. All. Night. Long. There was a period of about 4 hours when the wind lay down a bit which caused us to slow considerably but we were still making comfortable progress and had planned the passage to allow for this very thing. But then it came back steady at 8 with occasional periods of 10 and once again we were speeding along. Even with this lull, we averaged right at 5kts p/hr overall. I don't suppose we should be surprised, though, we have sailed this passage between San Carlos and the Baja 9 times now and have sailed virtually the entire way for 8 of them. We particularly appreciated this sail, however, as so far this season we have only seen "noserlies" or winds too light to sail given the sea state. Now we are anchored in Bahia Algodones, near San Carlos, Sonora at 27 57.876'N, 111 06.693'W in 16' over sand and right in front of the Soggy Peso palapa bar. The OAT is 79F, the pool is murky green and 72F, and there is a SE wind running at 9kts. We will remain here for a couple of days while we decide if there are any other anchorages in the area we wish to check out between now and June 7 when we put Milagro away for the summer in the San Carlos Marina. We will keep you posted. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.072' N | 111º 17.052' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 29 May, 2018 and it is moving day for the Milagros. We are still anchored at Isla Coronado but will begin our voyage towards San Carlos in a few hours. It is 113nm away and should take us around 20 or 21 hrs to get there, depending on wind conditions. The forecase call for light and variable winds but it includes some possibility of light air sailing over some portions of the passage. Like always, we will see. In any case, we should check in with you again sometime tomorrow from an anchorage on the mainland somewhere in the area of San Carlos/Guaymas. Hasta manana, y'all. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.072' N | 111º 17.052' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 26 May, 2018 and all is well here. A little windblown but well. Plus, now we have a better idea of which weather forecast model was closest to being correct regarding today's wind forecast. It was the ECMWF this time, one of the models forecasting more wind from the NW than we wanted given our choice of anchorages. And we got blown out. We had a great time with friends yesterday, our excuse being the birthday of our good friend Rick (SV Hotel California) and today we started all over again with birthday cake for breakfast (Joanne from MV Mystic Eyes made a world class carrot cake) followed by card games. This kept us distracted sufficiently and long enough for the wind to build from nothing early in the morning to 15 gusting to 25 from the north, right into the open end of our anchorage. With miles of fetch from that direction the wind built waves of 3' to 4' running about 3 seconds apart. Very sporty conditions for recovering dinghies and getting underway. In fact, we abandoned efforts to recover the MV Mystic Eye's dinghy altogether on account of conditions making it just too dangerous for people or equipment. Reluctantly, Sam was obligated to rig a long bridle and tow it. To get around to the other side of Coronados we were forced to run broadside to the swells about half of the way, encountering several 6 footers in the process. Rock and Roll, indeed!! The tilt-0-meter showed 45 degrees a couple of times as we were rolled from starboard to port and back. Still, the passage was completed with nothing worse to show for it other than the cabin sole littered with everything loose or not tied down inside. At 1645 our anchor was reset at 26 06.066'N, 111 17.053'W in 22' over sand. The OAT is 83F, the pool is 77F and the wind here is from the N 15G20. The sea is flat except for some small wind waves as where we are now, the island provides good N wind protection. We'll move along further North to San Juanico either tomorrow or Monday with Wednesday or Thursday our current aim for crossing over to the mainland. Hasta pronto. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 26.07' N | 111º 17.04' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 5/25/2018 and all is well here. We've done a lot since the last update and I just wasn't able to keep this updated. Sorry. We moved on Wednesday from Nopolo to Puerto Escondido where we joined friends and rented a car for some shoreside sightseeing, laundry, provisioning (can we ever have enough food?) and, of course, shoreside dining. Yesterday we journeyed about 40km outside Loreto to the Mission San Xavier. Very cool little village, very rugged, scenic drive and, of course, the mission itself. Built apx 250 years ago, it was the first Catholic mission in the California's to sport glass windows. We got Milagro's bottom cleaned while in PE and in the process learned that the growth was much worse than we'd realized and was really creating a lot of drag. So, on to today. We left PE at first light this morning to make our way North to Isla Los Coronados where we joined other friends, one of which is celebrating a birthday today. At 1035MDT our anchor is set in the NW bay at Coronados at 26 06.673'N, 111 17.043'W in 16' over sand. The OAT is 86F, the humidity 53%, there is now a N breeze running 10kts and the sea is 78F and flat but with wind ripples. The water visibility is about 15' which is a bit of an improvement. The WX forecast models cannot agree and, depending on which models are closer to being correct, we may (may) see NW winds increase this afternoon enough to drive us around to the protection of the South side of the island. We will see what develops. We are starting to focus on the best day(s) to make our crossing to San Carlos and think the coming Wednesday or Thursday may serve. We will continue watching closely in the meantime and will either hang here until time to cross or move North a little bit first. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.732' N | 111º 20.178' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, May 22, 2018 and everything is good here on the SV Milagro. And, no, we did not fall off the face of the earth. It has been so long since our last update that one could come to that conclusion but it's not the case. We just haven't moved from Point Nopolo in all this time - 14 days by my reckoning. Point Nopolo is a nice setting with good beaches, restaurants (yes, more than 1), good cell coverage and decent wifi from the hotel. At least it was decent in the middle of the night when all their guests were asleep. Anyway, we couldn't think of anyplace better so why move, eh? Today, however, we have joined a group of friends at the Loreto waterfront where we are gonna fool around on shore today. We are set at 26 00.734'N 111 20.182'W in 10' over sand. Yes, it was a "minus" low tide, the last one for several days so we'll be in deeper water soon without moving an inch. The OAT is 80F, it's 80F also in the pool and there is 5kts of breeze from the E. Seas are flat with about 10' visibility. Our aim is to move tomorrow to join other friends for yet another shoreside adventure. More on that later. Hasta prono. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.482' N | 111º 20.838' W | Milagro | It is Monday, May 7, 2018 and all is good here on the SV Milagro. We enjoyed 5 days at Puerto Ballandra hanging out with friends. We even used my birthday as an excuse to have a beach party. Our good friends Sherri and Ken, retired master bakers on the SV Cake, even baked a most awesome birthday cake for me. But today was moving day and we have returned once again to the anchorage at Point Nopolo just about 7 miles south of Loreto. Here we have good cell signal and decent wifi from the hotel on the beach. The weather forecast suggests that this unprotected spot should be good for most of the week so we'll see how that plays out. We'll likely stay here until either the weather runs us out or some temptation elsewhere draws us away. For now, we are the only boat in the anchorage here and that's kinda nice. We are at 25 55.480'N 111 20.840'W anchored in 13' over sand. The OAT is 80F, it's 75F in the pool, there is a wee breeze from the E running 3 kts. The water still is not very clear, visibility is maybe 6' or 8' but it's millpond flat and glassy. The sunshades are up already and we are settled in. If the pool will only warm a few degrees we can look forward to a bit of swimming. Hasta luego for now, y'all. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.2' N | 111º 9.912' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, May 2, 2018 and all is well here. The Wx forecast calls for N winds increasing over the next several days and our anchorage at Nopolo is a poor choice in those conditions, therefore, it is moving day. We managed to make 2 legs of it though as first we moved about 6nm N to the town of Loreto to pick up a few groceries. It is a roadstead anchorage at Loreto which offers no more wind/sea protection than where we'd been so we had no inclination to stay longer than needed. In just a little over 2 1/2 hours we had completed our chores, eaten a nice breakfast ashore and were on our way. Leg 2 was not very far either, but on the way there we got to enjoy some of the weather we'd been expecting. NE winds 15 to 20 kts over 2' to 3' close spaced swells topped by 1' whitecapped wind waves, also from the NE. Kind of a lumpy, wet ride as our target lay in a ENE direction from Loreto. With overcast skies and cool temps we were very much reminded of our days sailing on San Francisco Bay. Of course, in the end, the passage was uneventful and we are now set in Puerto Ballandra on Isla Carmen at 26 01.198'N, 111 09.914'W in 50' over sand. The OAT is 74 and there is a NNE breeze running at 12kts. The pool is 71. We found 9 other boats already here including 2 whom are friends of ours. We reckon to hang here for a few days and probably through the week end. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.518' N | 111º 20.922' W | Milagro | Today is Sunday, April 29th, 2018 and all is well here on Milagro. After enjoying the Candeleros anchorage and resort for 3 1/2 days, including 2 decadent days ashore, we have moved about 15nm North to a little anchorage at Point Nopolo. Again, we are in front of a resort which is generously, if not knowingly, sharing it's internet with us. Unlike Candeleros, there is a small community here comprised of a couple of hundred homes and several restaurants. There's a sandy beach for landing the dingy and the resort is friendly to cruisers. We're even welcome at their pool so long as we make restaurant or bar purchases. Pretty reasonable, eh? There is an estuary alongside the resort which winds its way through a golf course making a pretty nice place to kayak, then when the water clarity is better (later in the season) the snorkeling is quite good as well. We will hang here for several days before deciding where/when to head next. Currently we are at 25 55.522'N 111 20.916'W in 14' over sand/mud. OAT is 80F, the pool is 71F and there is a SE breeze running at 5kts. Sea is flat but water is murky green color w poor visibility. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.368' N | 111º 14.28' W | Milagro | Today is Wednesday, 25 April,'18, and things are good here on the Milagro. Last evening a bit of red tide moved into the anchorage at Los Gatos which settled the "should we stay or should we go" question for us. It wasn't a full scale event and it's not like it smells or that we planned to go swimming but it IS unsightly and that was excuse enough for us. Winds in this area are still light and variable and the seas flat as a fritter but I suppose that beats wild and wooly by any measure so we are fine with that. We ended up gliding right past Agua Verde and landed instead at Bahia de Los Candeleros. This is the bay at the south end of the greater Loreto Bay area and also the location of the very swanky Villa del Palmar resort. Assuming conditions remain benign we will hang here for a couple of days, probably going ashore tomorrow to enjoy the pools and other amenities of the resort. VDP is a time share property and we happen to be owners, or is it members? Whatever, that sometimes gains us a little extra respect, other times, not so much. We'll soon see how things are this time. In any case, we have cell coverage again so can do normal email as well as voice calls again. The OAT now is 83F, the pool is 72F and the wind continues to howl out of the North at 2 to 3 knts. We'll have an update for you when next we fold our tent and move along. Hasta luego for now. | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 18.132' N | 110º 56.76' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 24 April, 2018, and all is well here on Milagro. This morning we departed San Evaristo under a wildly colorful sunrise and motored our way North to Pto. Los Gatos. The sea was millpond flat and what breeze there was hovered around 3kts - first from the S then the N then finally the NE. At 1117MDT we set the anchor at Los Gatos at 25 18.128'N 110 56.760'W in 14' over sand. The water remains flat calm and has warmed to 74F. OAT is 79F and we still have that NE breeze screaming through the anchorage at 3 to 4 knots. On the beach here there is an adventure group camped with their colorful tents and kayaks. These groups are not uncommon in this general area, many are traveling via ocean kayak and some, like we suspect of this group, travel from beach to beach by panga (not enough kayaks on the beach for them all to be traveling that way). Both types have support via pangas carrying food, supplies and some of the camping gear. In fact, we saw a group of ocean kayakers pause briefly at San Evaristo yesterday afternoon on their way to some destination south of there. Yes, the sand beaches here, like beaches amost everywhere, harbor plenty of sand fleas and other biting creatures. It might be fun if your idea of fun is to paddle all day then sleep in the sand at night before doing it all over again the next day. I think we'll pass. Not sure if we will hang here for a couple of days or move on again tomorrow but we'll let you know if we relocate. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 24º 54.588' N | 110º 42.36' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 23 April 2018 and all is fine here. The weekend at Caleta Partida was indeed fun. At one point we counted 29 boats in the anchorage and many of them joined us on the beach Saturday night. There was a great potluck spread, lots of visiting and, of course, the bonfire. We enjoyed connecting with old friends as well as making a few new ones. Most cleared out during Sunday and by this morning we left only 7 boats in the anchorage. Today we were sent off on our passage by several sea turtles in Caleta Partida (they are almost constantly visible there), along the way observed 2 or 3 whales moving on an opposite course about a quarter mile off our port side and then, on our approach into San Evaristo, we were welcomed by a pod of dophins. It's nice to see so much sea life. Now we are settled in San Evaristo at 24 54.595'N, 110 42.366'W in 15' over sand. Water vis is just good enough to see the anchor land on the bottom of the pool which is 73F. Warmer than it has been but not quite warm enough for us to swim voluntarily just yet. OAT is 79F and there is a NW wind running 10 kts. We have cruising friends who have adopted this little fishing village and recently have decided to sell their boat and move ashore here. They've arranged for a local family to fix a dinner for the cruisers here tonight - there are 4 boats now. San Evaristo has no formal restaurant - it is a tiny place at the end of 75 miles of bad dirt road from La Paz but Charlotte and Steve (SV Willful Simplicity) have some pull with the locals. It's nice to have friends in high places, eh? Manana we continue moving north up the San Jose channel. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 24º 31.992' N | 110º 22.692' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 19 April 2018 and all is well here. Today we moved north about 15nm into the anchorage called Caleta Partida on Isla Espiritu Santo. Light SW winds accompanied by 2', closely spaced, SW seas made broad reach sailing slow and uncomfortable so the passage became a motorboat ride. We are anchored now at 24 31.995'N 110 22.690'W in 20' over sand. The pool is 70F with about 15' visibility. OAT is 80F and 44% humid. Wind SW @6kts. The moment we finished anchoring we were greeted by a sea turtle who surfaced right alongside us to check us out. We usually see turtles here but it's nice to be welcomed in that way. There is a group cruise out coming here tomorrow from La Paz so we will soon be joined by a small fleet. Group activities planned for the weekend include beach bocce ball, pot luck dinner and a bonfire. We might even see a card game break out. We know most of these folks so it's no accident that we are here for the fun. On Sunday or Monday we aim to continue north to the small fishing village of San Evaristo. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 24º 8.232' N | 110º 20.13' W | Milagro | It is 1430MDT on Wednesday, 18April2018. By now this has become a familiar routine. Go some place, like La Paz, stay a long time, finally get going and immediately wonder why you couldn't have done it sooner. Today, after 4 months and 3 days we finally achieved terminal velocity and escaped the strong gravitational pull of La Paz. Of course, we enjoyed our entire time there and even managed to complete many projects including some pretty big ones. The sailing gods celebrated our escape by providing 12-14 kts of North wind which meant we could sail in the La Paz channel on a beam reach. Within moments of clearing the marina we were making 6.5kts under main and reefed jib on flat water. Sweet. Now, this channel changes courses and our destination was due North once out of the channel so the glory didn't last quite an hour. Still, it was a very nice way to transition from floating condo back into a sailboat. We are now settled for the night at Caleta Lobos at 24 18.023'N 110 20.130'W in 15' over sand. The wind remains from the N at 10-14kts while the OAT is 76F. The pool is still a bit chilly at 71F. There is good protection here from the North so the water is flat andour conditions are very comfortable. We aim to move a little further North tomorrow to one of the anchorages on Isla Espiritu Santo then, on Friday, move into Caleta Partida on that same island. Welcome back everyone. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.312' N | 110º 19.578' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, 12/13/17 and all is well here. The marina informed us yesterday that our slip would become available to us today so we've made the move. At 1315MST we were secured into slip 218 at Marina De La Paz at 24 09.305'N, 110 19.576'W. OAT is 80F and it's 73F in the pool, humidity is 57% and we are under a 100% overcast. We intend to remain here through the Holidays and for some time after the first of the year. Although a specific date for departure has not yet been set I reckon it will fall somewhere between Mar 1 and April 15. Of course, we'll figure that out when we get closer. In the meantime, the projects list has grown quite long so working through that will keep at least one of us off of the streets and out of the bars. Well, off of the streets anyway. As for Judy, you can imagine her playing cards almost every day with dominoes and 'lady's luncheons' thrown in for variety. I know, it's a tough deal but she claims someone has to do it. While here in LP we have really good internet and reliable phone service which makes it easy to stay in touch and connected with everyone. Since we aren't out and about cruising, the Farkwar updates will cease until we're back out there but, you know how reach us. Thanks for cruising along with us. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.42' N | 110º 19.158' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 12/11/17, and all is good here on Milagro. We've spent the last week at Caleta Partida while a bunch of North wind blew thru the area. Many boats in other, nearby, anchorages reported winds as strong as 45kts during those days and we even heard a report of 68kts a little further North at Puerto Escondido but the strongest we saw was 37kts. Most of that time it was more like 15kts gusting to 25 but our location had good protection from the North so the seas remained pretty flat for us. We did quite a bit of reading and Judy watched an insane number of Hallmark Christmas and Holiday themed movies. Over the last 2 days the winds have moderated considerably and today we enjoyed a very nice sail down to Bahia Falsa which is very near to La Paz. At 1150MST our anchor was set in 31' over sand at 24 15.418'N, 110 19.158'W. OAT is 78F and the pool is 75F. There is a N wind running 9-12kts but, once again, we are well protected from that direction so the water is flat and all is really very comfortable. From here we will make Milagro ready for marina life (floating condo vs actual sailboat) and coordinate our arrival into Marina La Paz for sometime this week. I'll let you know when we make that transition. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 24º 33.57' N | 110º 23.838' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 12/3/17, and everthing is good here. We moved today to an anchorage on Isla Espiritu Santo called Ensenada Grande. The water was as flat as a millpond all day but we had enough of a small breeze through most of the day for motorsailing. Not enough for pure sailing unless we wanted the passage to take several days but enough to get a little assistance from the main sail. We are settled for tonight at 24 33.571'N, 110 23.844'W in 23' of clear water over a bottom of white shells. The OAT is 80F and it's 80F in the pool. There is now an 8kt breeze from the NE but the water is flat as we are tucked up close in a cove on the SE part of this very large anchorage. We are connecting here with friends for whom we have brought things from the States and tomorrow we'll move around the corner to the anchorage at Caleta Partida. We will join other friends there and sit out this next Norther.
Happy Birthday, Mr. S! | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 18.132' N | 110º 56.748' W | Milagro | It is still Saturday, 2/12/17, and things remain good here. We completed today's 50nm passage and are now peacefully anchored in Puerto Los Gatos. We've anchored here several times over the years and have yet to see any cats so we don't know what they were thinking when naming this place but we still keep a sharp eye out. You know cats, they'll let us see them when they're darned good and ready. At 1527MST the anchor was set in 12' over sand at 25 18.126'N, 110 56.747'W. The OAT is 82F, it's 60% humid and it's 79F in the pool. There's a strong wind blowing from the NE at 2 to 3 kts. Right, hang on to your hats, eh? The sea is flat and the sky is 100% overcast by a layer of stratocirrus. It's all very peaceful and comfortable. We'll be underway again first thing tomorrow morning bound (probably) for one of the anchorages on Isla Espiritu Santo and it will be another long one - about 10nm longer than today. There a several anchorages on that island with good protection from northerly weather and we will decide when we get there which one we prefer. Hasta manana, y'all. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 33.852' N | 111º 1.17' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 12/2/17, and all is well here on Milagro. Yesterday we moved from Pto. Ballandra to Loreto to get some laundry done and pick up a few provisions. This morning we left Loreto a little before 0700 for points south. A bit of a Norther is expected to move through these waters Tuesday through Thursday and we would rather wait it out at one of the anchorages nearer to La Paz than here in the Loreto area. It is ideal trawler conditions with flat, mostly glassy, seas and less than 5kts of breeze, when there is even THAT much. And, while we would much rather sail, 25-30kts of wind and the sea conditions that come with winds like that here, is just a little more "sporting" than we care for. Our destination today is Puerto Los Gatos where we will RON before continuing on south tomorrow. Currently at 25 33.977'N, 111 01.315'W making 6kts. It's 82F under mostly cloudy skies and the sea is flat but for a small, wide spaced NW swell that has just come up in the last 30 minutes. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.248' N | 111º 9.858' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 11/27/17 and all is well here. You must be wondering if we moved yesterday like I said we would. You were wondering, right? Yeah, I didn't really think you were. But, wonder or not, yes, we did. And, yes, I forgot to update Farkwar after doing so. I'd offer some good excuse if I had one but, other than allowing myself to get distracted I really don't. Cruise-heimers! We had an uneventful 10nm run yesterday here to Puerto Ballandra and settled in 40' of 78F water at 26 01.248'N 111 09.858'W at 1125 MST yesterday. OAT was 84F and there was 4kts of breeze from the North. We joined 3 other boats here though by sundown 4 others had arrived and we were 8. It was peaceful and cool overnight waking to 63F this morning under clear skies and a NE breeze of 7kts. Very nice. 6 of those vessels moved on this morning so now there are us and our friends on SV Voyager here. For now. It's very likely others will arrive before nightfall as those did last night. We will hang here for several days before moving on but at this writing we don't know just where that next spot will be. We'll let you know when it happens. Thanks for tuning in. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.282' N | 111º 17.478' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 1/25/17 and all is just fine here on the Milagro. As advertised, we made the leap across the Sea of Cortez and are this morning anchored at Isla Coronados, just North of the town of Loreto. It was our 8th crossing between San Carlos and Coronados and the very first time we were not able to sail most of the passage. Or, any of the passage, for that matter. If it was a smooth, flat water ride that you wanted then we certainly had that. If it was wind you wanted you would have been dissapointed. Still, it was a pleasant, uneventful passage and those are always the best kind. For the first hour or two we saw S winds of 5-6kts but even those petered out and remained 0-3kts the rest of the way. We did find about 2 hours of dense fog about 25nm out of San Carlos (quite unusual in these waters) and once free of that it was drippy, dewey wet most of the rest of the night. A 1/2 moon set about 2300 leaving us with an awesome canopy of stars to enjoy. We are set at 26 06.278'N, 111 17.478'W in 25' of 80F water, OAT is now 85F (maybe the temp guage IS correct and San Carlos water really WAS 65!)and there still is no wind. Tomorrow we will likely move the 7 or 8 miles to Bahia Ballandra on Isla Carmen. We've learned there are a couple of friends of ours already there and it will be good to reconnect. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.91' N | 111º 2.652' W | Milagro | Thursday, 23 Nov 2017. After an absence of 160 days, we returned to the good ship Milagro on Saturday, Nov 18, finding her lonely but otherwise in pretty good shape. We had hoped to get underway for the Baja on Tuesday, 21 Nov but the weather gods were not on the same schedule. North winds strong enough to make the crossing uncomfortable were also creating wind waves that would add to the discomfort. We are both hardwired to be a little impatient when we are otherwise all set to go but allowed reason to prevail - this time, and hung around while the Norther blew itself out. It is now Thursday, 23 November - Thanksgiving Day, and, though we haven't gone far, we are out of the marina. We have relocated into a nearby anchorage off of the San Carlos shore. The anchor is set (Yay, we remembered how to anchor!) at 27 56.911'N, 111 02.648'W in 25' of water with about 10' of visibility. The instrument says the water temp is 67F but I am suspicious of that number as I expected a bit more. I could take a swim to see but think maybe I'll not risk it (what if it's right!?) and just have a beer and a nap instead. The sky is clear, the OAT is 78F, the wind is South at 3kts, and there is a very small swell from the South that is moving the boat just enough that we can tell we're no longer tied to a dock. Nice. We'll make our move for the Baja about midday tomorrow. Welcome back everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to you all. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.88' N | 111º 3.36' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 11 June, 2017 and all is well here. We completed our totally uneventful passage yesterday and were secured in our slip at Marina San Carlos well before noon. We dove right into the chores associated with securing the boat to be left unattended and completely overlooked making this update. Sorry. Sometime this week we will have settled ourselves into our new (to us)Land Yacht to begin our "off season" traveling and visiting friends and relatives. We expect to return to Milagro sometime near the end of October. In the meantime, we hope all y'all enjoy your summer. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 59.898' N | 111º 17.688' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 9 June 2017 and all is well here on Milagro. I know it's been a while since our last update but that is because we hadn't moved from Nopolo in that whole time. Really? Yes, really. And, while 2 weeks in one place is not quite a record, it certainly is one of our longer stays. The fact is, the location and conditions were so nice that we couldn't come up with any place better. So why fight it, eh? Why not just relax and enjoy it. And so we did. Right up until now, that is. Yesterday we became aware of a Stateside family emergency that leads us to wrap up our cruising season early. We have left Nopolo this morning and are making way directly for San Carlos, Sonora where we will configure Milagro to be left alone for several months. We will miss about 3 weeks of planned cruising but our presence is needed elsewhere so there it is. In the Fall we can always pick up where we left off. At this moment we are at 25 59.659'N 111 17.877'W making 5.5kts under power on flat seas. The pool is 77F, OAT is 86F and there ain't no wind. Nada. We expect to arrive into the marina at San Carlos about 0900 MDT tomorrow morning, Saturday. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.512' N | 111º 20.898' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 27 May 2017 and we are happy to report that all is well on the Milagro. We enjoyed several days at the VDP resort at Candeleros and particularly the time we got to spend there with friends Gary and Angie (SV Nivasi) but they had to return to the real world and today was moving day for Milagro. We needed to top off the water tanks so our passage began by motoring in order to do that but once the tanks were full the sails came out and the engine went off. A nice 10kt SE breeze pushed us along very nicely right into the anchorage at Nopolo. At 1425 MDT we had the anchor set at 25 55.511'N 111 20.904'W in 15' over sand. That 10kt SE breeze is still running which is causing 6" wind waves but the water is otherwise flat. it's 82F in the cockpit with 59% humidity. The pool is 75F. We are just off the beach at Hotel Loreto Bay and the residences of Nopolo so have good cell signal and reasonable internet. I expect we will sit right here for a few days before answering the "where to next" question. Hasta luego, y'all. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.452' N | 111º 14.22' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, May 24th, 2017 and everything is great here though yesterday was a pretty busy day for the crew of Milagro. We met sailing friends from Anacortes, WA at Loreto and spent the day showing Gary and Angie Livers (SV Nivasi)around the neighborhood a little. We anchored in the aquarium clear waters of Isla Coronado for snacks, visiting and some swimming. Next we anchored off of the baja coast North of Loreto where our friends Alejandro and Imelda have the restaurant La Picazon seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It pretty much is in the middle of nowhere but they still manage to set a very fine table and serve awesome food. Plus, they are great people so it is always fun to pop in for visit. Later we dropped Gary and Angie off at Loreto then made our way back south to Nopolo (where our day had begun) and anchored under cover of darkness. The summary for the day was 5 legs, 5 anchorings and 3 launches and recoveries of the dinghy. Morning (Now we're talking about today) saw us underway again. This time we were headed south the 12 miles to Bahia Candeleros and Villa Del Palmar Resort - That's where Gary and Angie are staying. So we are now anchored in front of the resort at 25 43.453'N 111 14.221'W in 30' over sand. It is 86F outside with 48% humidity with a 5kt breeze from the East. The pool is 77F. As we anchored we were greeted by a pod of dolpins swimming through the anchorage. We will stay here for several days while we enjoy visiting with our friends and take advantage of the resort. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.542' N | 111º 20.958' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, May 20, 2017 and all is well here. After enjoying 4 days at Ballandra we moved this morning 11nm across the Straight to Punto Nopolo, just a few miles S of Loreto. No wind this morning and a need to run the engine to make water added up to guarantee it would be a motorboat ride but it worked out just fine. The water tanks are full again and the batteries got a nice charge. At 1216 we set the anchor at 25 55.537'N 111 20.959'W in 15' over sand. We're in front of a nice little resort called Hotel Loreto Bay. They've added security to their WiFi since we were here last so it is not certain yet if we'll be able to tap into it this time or not. There IS good cell phone signal here, however. At the moment it is 81F outside, it's 49% humid, the pool is a little warmer than out on Isla Carmen at 76F. There is a light breeze from the East and a small swell from the NE moving the boat around a little bit. It's not "rolly" or uncomfortable, just wiggling around a little. If weather conditions remain suitable we will likely stay here until Monday or Tuesday when we will connect with friends from Washington (state) who arrive into the nearby Villa del Palmar Resort on Monday. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.032' N | 111º 9.882' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 16 May, 2017 and all is good on the SV Milagro. After a night of less than stellar conditions at Pto. Los Gatos we took advantage of the mornings offshore breeze and sailed North. It turned out to be a mixed bag. Great sailing early on flat seas followed by motorsailing in 0 wind on the same flat water followed by beam reach sailing on the afternoon onshore wind followed by beating into 3' swells and 15kt headwinds. If you're keeping score, that's Zen, Zen, Zen then definitely NOT Zen. Yes, it was a bit of a long day but on balance, it was a great passage day. We ended up 49nm North at Bahia Ballandra on Isla Carmen just 9 miles East of the town of Loreto. Well protected from the predicted Northerlies, which may have actually arrived-we'll see what tomorrow brings. We will hang here for at least a few days. We are in our intended cruising grounds where we will stay until heading across to San Carlos later to put Milagro away for the "hot" months. There are countless great anchorages within a few hours sail so we will likely move around some over the next several weeks while staying within this general area. At 1800 MDT the anchor was set in 19' over sand at 26 01.034'N 111 09.879'W. The OAT is 77F, the humidity 49%, it's 73F in the pool and there is a 8kt wind blowing from the North. The water is flat but there is a small swell that has wrapped around into the bay from the bigger swell running outside. We will let you know when we change the scenery but, for now, hasta luego, y'all. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 18.228' N | 110º 56.76' W | Milagro | It is Monday, May 15th, 2017 and all is well onboard Milagro. We made the 34nm passage today from Isla San Francisco to Puerto Los Gatos. Sadly, the forecast SW winds of 10-15kts were a total no show. Instead, we were treated to winds of mostly less than 5kts which came from every direction at one time or another except South. Since we were headed NW up the San Jose Channel that was no bueno por nada. So we enjoyed a flat water motorsail and and are now anchored in the North lobe of Puerto Los Gatos at 25 18.234'N 111 56.761'W in 15' over sand. It is 83F, 41% humid, and the pool is 74F. There's a breeze from the East running 4 to 6kts. If you can find this place on Google you will see the amazing red sandstone formations at the North end and black rock formations at the South end connected by a white sand beach in the middle. Pretty photogenic. The forecast suggests that we'll see Northerly winds for the next couple of days - not that we put very much stock in the forecast. However, should that turn out to be more or less true, we may sit here and wait for more Southerly winds to return. We'll have to see how comfortable this place stays in whatever winds decide to show up before knowing for certain. In any case, we will post again whenever we do move to our next stop. That will be to Bahia Agua Verde, about 18nm North. Hasta luego, y'all. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 49.812' N | 110º 34.002' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, May 14, 2017 (Mother's Day) and all is well on Milagro. We did make the move today from Caleta Partida to Isla San Francisco. The last 2 nights at Partida brought SW Coromuel winds overnight with gusts to the mid 20's with little to no wind during the daytime. This morning dawned with those winds blowing 20 kts steady with gusts to 26 though they steadily decreased with the climbing sun until down to 10 gusting to 15 when we weighed anchor a little after 0900. Our location in the anchorage was protected from much in the way of waves ever developing so we were plenty comfortable through it all. With those winds from the South and us headed generally North, we enjoyed a nice downwind run today right into the anchorage on the East side of Isla San Francisco. At 1350 MDT we were set at 24 49.806'N 111 34.001'W in 20' over sand. It's 79F, 61% humid and the pool is 76. There is still a South breeze of 3 to 5 kts over flat water. Wx forecast says these S winds will become Northerly on Tuesday or Wednesday so we're going to take what advantage we can and continue our Northing tomorrow. Not sure of our destination though Puerto Los Gatos seems likely, more on that later. Hasta manana, y'all. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 31.92' N | 110º 22.842' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, May 9, 2017 and all is well on Milagro. Plus, we actually did it. The good ship Milagro sailed away from Marina De La Paz today bound for Caleta Partida on the Isla Espiritu Santo just about 25 miles away. After an uneventful, unremarkable passage we set the anchor at 1419 hrs (MDT) at Caleta Partida in 30' over sand and gravel at 24 32.919'N 110 22.839'W. The wind, which has been conspicuously absent to this point, is now from the E at 9 kts. The water is 73F and flat while the OAT is 78. We've got clear skies and 40% humidity. It is a bit cooler than normal for these parts and this time of year but we are not complaining as we know that "real" summer is coming. While this is one of our favorite anchorages, our last time here was very nearly 2 years ago (June, 2015). So, our anchor was no sooner set when the "welcome turtle" surfaced right next to us to welcome us back. After checking us out and offering his greeting he moseyed along on his way. It was a nice welcome back. We will stay here until probably Saturday before moving on further North. Of course, we'll keep you posted as we move around. | almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.3' N | 110º 19.572' W | Milagro | It is Monday, the 27th of March, 2017, and all is well here on Milagro. This morning we made our planned move into Marina De La Paz where we aim to remain through the month of April. Activities associated with 2017 Bay Fest start on Wednesday and Judy has already committed to the tournaments for Baja Rummy and Mexican Train dominoes. In fact, she is already off at a pre-tourney dominoes game fine tuning her skills. At this annual event there are also many seminars, games and food events through Sunday evening so we should not be bored. At 0915 MST we were secured into slip 212 at 24 09.298'N 110 19.570'W. The OAT was 78F going up to 87F. There's 54% humidity, a cloudless sky and a powerful feeling sun. The pool is just 72F though so it clearly is not swimming season just yet. A 5 knot breeze blows from the WSW. Of course, we now have good, reliable internet and strong cell service and all of the trappings of civilization in a large city. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.48' N | 110º 19.122' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, March 23, 2017 and all is well here. As advertised, we moved yesterday from Playa Bonanza to Baha Falsa, just 14 nm distant on the way towards La Paz. This area is expecting a fairly strong wind from the north today and tomorrow and Falsa offers good protection from that direction. We are joined here by friends on SV Cake and SV Cantem Para Mi and a game of Baja Rummy broke out onboard Milagro very shortly after we all were settled. We enjoyed a comfortable night at anchor but the north breeze has begun building as I write this at 1130 MST. Currently we have an OAT of 75F, a pool temp of only 72F and the humidity is 60%. The sky is mostly overcast with fast moving high level clouds and the wind is from the NNW at 15, expected to become 25kts, or more. Where we are, 24 15.483'N 110 19.122'W, there is no fetch for the wind to create waves so we should have a pretty flat ride regardless of what wind might actually develop. Our current plan is to hang out here through the weekend then move into Marina de La Paz first thing Monday morning, March 27th. In the meantime, we do have decent cell signal. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 26.808' N | 110º 18.57' W | Milagro | It is Monday, March 20, 2017 and Milagro has changed locations once again. After getting together on the beach yesterday afternoon at Los Muertos with other cruisers and playing some bocce ball, we weighed anchor this morning at first light and made way for Playa Bonanza on Isla Espiritu Santo. We saw another mixed bag of wind conditions for today's passage leading us to sail, motor, sail, motor sail and then finally motoring to complete the 42 mile passage. However, the seas were calm and, except from some wind waves where there was wind, totally flat. It was a very nice day. Our anchor was set at 1515 MST in 13' over sand in clear water at 24 26.815'N 110 18.573'W. It is 82F and 73F in the pool. Humidity is 50% and there is a 5 knot breeze from the NE over flat water under clear skies. We will move on to Bahia Falsa either tomorrow or Wednesday. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 25.962' N | 109º 1.392' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 19 March, 2017 and we are happy to report that all is very well on board Milagro. We completed our 320nm passage to Bahia de Los Muertos (Bay of the Dead) at a little before 0600 CST/0500 MST this morning and had the anchor set by 5 mins after the hour in 33' over sand under a bright ¾ moon. We join about 10 other boats already anchored here including 5 belonging to folks we know who arrived yesterday afternoon from Mazatlan. As is typical of passages of this length (320nm), the conditions varied but were very good over all. Of course, we could always wish for more of the conditions suitable for sailing but flat glassy water and a smooth ride is a fine substitute so we aren't fussing. We are not sure how long we will hang here but likely we will move along towards La Paz tomorrow (Monday) or Tuesday - a pretty strong north wind is forecast by late Wednesday which would pin us down here if we haven't moved by then. At 1100 MST the sea here is still flat and glassy and the wind <5 kts and variable in direction. It's 85 outside and 76 in the pool, humidity 66%. We've planted ourselves at 22 59.260'N 109 49.579'W. Oh, and there is no wifi or cell coverage here so we remain off the grid except for this ham radio service. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 25.962' N | 109º 1.392' W | Milagro | It is Saturday evening, 18 March 2017 about 1830 MST (yes, we are back on MST. At least for now) and all is well on board the Milagro. We are about 55 miles out from our destination and estimate arriving in the 0500 hour tomorrow morning. It has been mostly a very smooth passage so far with winds mostly light and variable except for a few periods of apx 10 kts on the nose and, this morning, several hours of 10 knots from the port beam. It was nice to be able to turn the motor off for that time. But, of course, that nice, sailable breeze couldn't and didn't last long. It was followed by 0 wind and flat, glassy seas for the entire rest of the day. The water here is a brilliant, deep blue with a translucent quality that makes it seem as though you are seeing a great distance when you look down into it. I know that's a poor description but we see this same thing every time we are in the open ocean (at least, THIS ocean) and it never fails to move us. It's very cool to look at. Also cool to see was the Green Flash at last night's sunset, Judy's first and only my second. Although we haven't seen much in the way of sea life, this afternoon Judy did observe 2 whales breaching while I was below napping. All in all, not a bad passage. As I write this we are at 23 25.351N 109 00.676W motorsailing on glassy water under clear skies. No green flash tonight though we were still treated to a great sunset as it slipped behind the mountains of the Baja Peninsula in the distance. There's a S wind running 2 to 3 kts and it is 80F the cockpit with 65% humidity. The pool is 76F. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 22º 3.708' N | 107º 24.108' W | Milagro | It is Friday evening, March 17, 2017 (St. Patrick's Day) approaching 1800 CST and all is well on board the SV Milagro. We are about 18 miles shy of the halfway point of our passage and motorsailing along in winds that are mostly light and variable and on mostly calm seas. Conditions so far have followed the forecast pretty closely with winds mostly less than 5 knots and coming from E, N and/or NW then with afternoon thermals more like 10 knots. Those, of course, always come directly on our nose. We are currently at 22 03.534'N 107 23.893'W making 4.5 to 5.0 knots against a NW breeze of 10 knots. It is 78F outside with 69% humidity. The pool is 76F. Sea has small wind chop and a long period westerly swell approximately 2'. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 43.506' N | 105º 25.626' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, March 16, 2017 and Milagro is on the move. Finally. After wintering in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (3 months) we've weighed anchor and pointed the bow towards the Baja Peninsula and points north. We got underway at 1230 CST with the intent of moving only about 10 miles to stage for an early morning departure tomorrow from Punta de Mita. The plan was to make Isla Isabela from there tomorrow - some place we've never been but have heard much about, but our plans are always written in sand at low tide. So, with the rising tide, all evidence of what was is gone. Yeppers, that is the lead in to a plan change. We do have a weather opportunity long enough for the original plan but the best weather days are today through Sunday. With that in mind along with our penchant to "just go for it" we have decided to make straight for the Baja. No stopping at pretty islands for us. Nope, not us. Anyway, we'll be at sea for just under 60 hours and expect to make our landfall not long after nightfall on Saturday night. Look for an update as we make our passage. For now we are just about to leave Banderas Bay at 20 43.503N 105 25.103W. Wind on the nose (duh!) at 11 knots, small wind waves on a flat sea under clear skies. OAT is 78, it is 67% humid, and the pool is 71 (yikes!). | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 45.042' N | 105º 22.02' W | Milagro | On February 7 we once again secured Milagro into a slip at Marina Riviera Nayarit (La Cruz) in order for us to make a long expected and necessary trip North of the Border. While we had hoped to complete our business there in 10 to 14 days, it turned out, as it so often does, to require more time. The good news is that we were able to accomplish all we set out to. As a happy bonus, we were able to spend some quality time with our new (to us) motorhome. As if having a boat for a mistress was not challenge enough we had to add something equally demanding of our time and dollars. Not so smart, eh? Well, time will tell if that was a good choice or not but for now, it is good to work on growing our relationship with her. So, after 20 days aboard the landyacht, we are back with Milagro in La Cruz. Arriving late in the day on Monday, we spent Tuesday pulling everything together and then today, moved back out to the La Cruz anchorage. At 1255 CST today we were set very near to spots we've occupied before in 21' over sand/mud at 20 45.041'N 105 22.021'W. The OAT is 83 with humidity 55%. It's 78 in the pool and the wind is running from 2 to 5 kts from the SW over flat seas. We aim to hang here for at least 2 more weeks when we will start watching the weather in anticipation of crossing back over to the Baja by the end of March/end if April. In the meantime, we have good cell phone coverage and decent internet so feel free to stay in touch. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.958' N | 105º 22.08' W | Milagro | It is January 3, 2017 and we're writing to say we've stuck with the plan. I know, we're kinda surprised, too. This was supposed to be moving day and despite the strong pull of marina conveniences, we have moved out into the anchorage. We've enjoyed two weeks of marina based fun, including Christmas and New Years but it's time to rein things in a bit so here we are. We still have good cell coverage which, though it does give us internet access, is not adequate for Judy to do the downloading she is so married to. For that we'll drag her computer ashore several days a week to tap into one of the sources there. We aim to hang here for friends who should be on Jan 18. Once they've headed home we will head south for Tenecatita and Barra de Navidad as soon as weather permits. In the meantime we will continue to enjoy La Cruz and the greater Puerto Vallarta area. At 1150 (CST) we were anchored in 25' over sand at 20 44.958'N 105 22.081'W. It's 82 outside and 80 in the cabin. Wind was <7kts when we dropped anchor but as I write this at 1325 it has built to 10kts all from WSW. Seas have a 1' wind chop also from WSW and the sky is clear. It's 79 in the pool. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.88' N | 105º 22.752' W | Milagro | It is Friday, Dec 23, 2016 and this update is a little tardy in coming (sorry) but here it is. As anticipated, we moved into Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle on the morning of Tuesday, Dec 20. We are settled into Slip B2 on Dock 10 which turns out to be a great location - very near to the marina office building with it's activities, restaurants, market, showers and restrooms. Judy has decorated the boat for Christmas though anyone who knows how overboard she went when decorating our houses for Christmas would be surprised at our modest effort here. There's just not much extra storage on a boat for carrying around decorations. Still, it seems pretty festive to us. La Cruz and nearby Bucerias are great communities with friendly people, many great restaurants and music venues. There's always something happening somewhere. There are also quite a few cruisers here whom we know so it's a nice place to be right now. The daytime highs are dangerously close to 90F (very un-Christmaslike) though the evenings nice enough to be out and about still there's no danger of a white Christmas here. Maybe there is where you are. On January 3rd we will move back out into the anchorage where we will stay until moving further south, maybe around the 3rd week of that month. That's a long way off so we'll just have to see how it plays out. In the meantime, we want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year (Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo).
For now we're at: 20 44.885'N 105 22.752'W. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.862' N | 105º 21.882' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. And, another passage is in the log book. The sea and wind conditions remained largely the same as already reported over the last two days. At 0320hrs MST (on OUR clocks, it is actually an hour later now that we are in the Central Time Zone) we set the anchor at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle under a ¾ moon doing a good job of illuminating the anchorage through a high thin overcast. It took us 63.4 hours to cover 375nm and the entire trip was under very comfortable conditions. Here it is 77F and 63% humid with moderate dew, the sea is flat and 79F. There's an easterly breeze running 3 to 5 knots. We are settled at 20 44.857'N 105 21.882'W in 28' over sand. Our aim is to hang out here in the anchorage today and tomorrow then move in to the marina on Tuesday where we will remain over the holidays. After that the plans take on a more general nature and lack dates and timing. At some point we'll move further south to Bahia Tenecatita as well as to Barra de Navidad though we haven't worked out yet just when that will happen - stay tuned. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 22.062' N | 110º 18.012' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. "Here comes another one just like the other one" is the theme of today's report as conditions over the past 24hrs very closely resemble the previous. We've moved a little further south and east but we're still searching for usable wind and the sea remains quite reasonable. At 0630MST it was 77F, 62% humid, the pool is 80F, and the wind (WIND!?) is from the N at 1.5kts with occasional gusts to 3. There is a small westerly swell a little more closely spaced than yesterday but, with so little wind to ruffle the surface, the surface is often glassy looking. Scattered low, grey cumulus have scudded by overhead from the N all night adding some character to the moonlit night. We are at 21 46.918'N 107 07.026'W making 6kts motorsailing with the mainsail up and hope in our hearts. Our current ETA for La Cruz is about 0200MST early Sunday morning. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 22.062' N | 110º 18.012' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. We enjoyed a calm first night out with plenty of moonlight from a nearly full moon floating through clear skies over flat mostly glassy seas. At 0630 (MST) we were at 23 27.264'N 108 54.614'W with smooth seas, a 1' - 2' widely spaced swell from the north and ESE breeze hovering around 4kts. It is 75F outside with humidity 54%. We don't expect much change in the weather though there is a chance of a bit more wind this evening. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 22.062' N | 110º 18.012' W | Milagro | Like migrating waterfowl (water- "foul" if you prefer), the Milagros are migrating from the Baja for the Pacific coast of mainland Mexico where we will spend the winter. Or, what passes for winter in these latitudes. We broke free from the Marina de La Paz docks at Noon today (MST), not an easy task emotionally as we leave so many good friends behind. We are bound for La Cruz de Huanacaxtle which is on the mainland about an hour drive north of Puerto Vallarta. The Wx forecast has us expecting light and variable winds and mostly flat seas for the 3 days it will take us to get there (+/- 70 hrs). Of course, we'll see. In any case, strong northerly winds are expected by late Saturday or Sunday which would serve to pin us down in La Paz through Christmas unless we go now. And so we go as La Cruz is where Miss Judy decided she wanted to be this year for Christmas. Two other boats from LP have decided to do the same so we'll have traffic close enough for VHF conversations should we wish. I'll post positions updates daily as we make our way so stay tuned.
At 1430MST we are in the San Lorenzo Channel at 24 22.192'N 110 16.569'W making 6 knots by motor. The wind is dead on our nose at 4kts and the water is 76F and flat except for a little bit of chop. Add in clear skies and a temp of 80F and you can imagine that all is pretty OK. At least for the moment. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.288' N | 110º 19.572' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 10 Nov 2016 and, that's right, all is well here on Milagro. We got underway a little before dawn this morning to make the hour and a half run into Marina de La Paz. We chose early to avoid potentially strong afternoon winds and to time our arrival with a slack tide. Landing this rascal is much more predictable without current or wind to influence things. And an uneventful arrival it was. At 0710 we were secured in slip 212 at Marina de La Paz - our home base - and it feels good to be back "home" if only for a few weeks. At that time it was 77F outside with 61% humidity and 0 (zero) wind. Now where's that work list? | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.498' N | 110º 19.074' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, 9 Nov 2016 and all is good here on Milagro. As expected, today we moved the 45 miles from Isla San Francisco to Bahia Falsa just a short distance outside of La Paz. It was an uneventful passage marked only by several dolphins swimming along with us as a welcome back to La Paz. At 1240 we had the anchor set at 24 15.500' N 110 19.071' W in 25' over sand. The pool water is 84F with visibility not quite as good as at Isla SF but still nice at, maybe, 15' to 20'. It's 86F out with the wind blowing from N at nearly 10 kts. We have spoken with the Marina and have our slip assignment so will move there tomorrow. Then, the work starts as we have a project list that needs attention. Miss Judy will likely jump right back in with her card playing group and there are many friends to catch up with and favorite eating places to revisit. We absolutely look at La Paz as our "home" in Mexico and it will be good to be home for a while. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.82' N | 111º 3.708' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016 - Election Day in the US - and, all is well here on the reasonably good ship Milagro. We moved today 55 nm to Isla San Francisco. I know, I know. In our last post we said we'd be aiming for San Evaristo and, so we did. Aim for it. At least until we were getting pretty close and still having a great sail, that is. That is when we decided to give SE a pass and continue the 10 additional miles to Isla S.F. So here we are. We left Agua Verde under lumpy sea conditions and N winds of just 4 kts. An hour later we had rounded Pt. Marcial and turned South which put the seas off our port quarter and the winds, now up to 12-15kts dead behind us. We managed wing-on-wing for a time but the quartering seas and diminishing wind eventually played havoc with the sails, flogging them badly, even with the jib poled out. By about 1030, with the wind behind us at only 7-8 kts, we turned to motoring. Then, about 1430, the winds filled back in and, with the wind still dead behind us but now up to 15-20 kts, we happily shut off the motor and resumed sailing making 5.5-6 kts under jib alone. Nice, eh? The seas had moderated some and were also more directly behind us so the ride was really nice. We were still enjoying these conditions upon approach to San Evaristo so decided to stay with it the 10 additional miles to Isla San Francisco. So, that's where we are with the anchor set at 24 49.206'N 110 34.260'W in 38' of very clear water over sand. OAT is 84F, humidity 45%, pool is 83F and the wind is N at 7-10 knts. Except for small wind chop, the water is flat. Manana we aim to move again and this leg will take us to Bahia Falsa - within shouting distance of La Paz. We plan 1 overnight there before into continuing on to Marina de La Paz on Thursday, Nov 10. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.82' N | 111º 3.708' W | Milagro | It is Monday, Nov 7, 2016 and all remains well onboard the fairly good ship Milagro. As advertised, we moved south today about 35 nm to Bahia Agua Verde. Sadly, it was a motorboat ride as the forecast 15 kt N wind was a no show. 3 to 4 knots from directly behind us was the best we saw and that wouldn't serve very well to move us along downwind. Other nearby boats making similar passage tried flying big light air spinnakers but even they gave up after a time. Oh well, it happens that way more than we'd like to admit. Now we are anchored in the North lobe of Bahia Agua Verde in 40' over sand/gravel at 25 31.269'N 111 04.391'W. OAT is 90F with 45% humidity and it's 83.7 in the pool. Wind is blasting in from the North at 3-4 kts. Our intention is to continue our Southing tomorrow with our objective being the anchorage at San Evaristo. At this rate we could arrive at the marina in La Paz as early as Thursday, Nov 10. We keep running into friends (2 boats here) and more ahead. We could find the temptation to linger somewhere just too compelling to resist. So, we'll see. Hasta manana, y'all. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.11' N | 111º 9.858' W | Milagro | it is Sunday, November 6, 2016 and we are finally back on the water again! This summer has been crazy busy with travel and all sorts of other events. A 4600 mile motorcycle ride for me while Judy took granddaughter Harper to Disney World followed by us traipsing around Europe for 5 weeks with our good friends Rick and Pam. Then there was the acquisition of a new (to us) motorhome to sort out. And, just like that, we've been away from Milagro for just a bit over 4 months. It went by so fast it just doesn't seem possible that it's been that long. We returned to Milagro where she had waited patiently for us in her slip at Marina San Carlos. Boy does it feel good to be home again on board Milagro. That was late on Wednesday. On Saturday (yesterday) we blasted off for the overnight passage from the mainland to Baja arriving this morning after logging our fastest time for that passage yet. 113 nm in 19:30 minutes won't set any records but we did it entirely under sail while enjoying a (mostly) pleasant ride. We are anchored now at Bahia Ballandra on Isla Carmen - about 9 miles offshore from the town of Loreto. We will continue marching southward tomorrow as we have made a commitment to be in La Paz for a visiting relative by Nov 14. That won't leave much rose smelling time along the way but should work out fine if we just move some each day. On our passage we experienced NW winds mostly in the 12-14kt range with a few periods where it got closer to 18-19. A NW swell made things a bit rolly at times though not overly so. About 0300 the wind started decreasing until we were drifting into the anchorage on just 3-5 kts. We are anchored at 26 01.063'N 111 09.860'W in 20' of clear water over a sand bottom. OAT is 88, humidity 49%. It's 82 in the pool. Wind is currently up to 6 kts from the WNW though the sea inside the bay is flat. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.82' N | 111º 3.708' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 17 June 2016 and all is well onboard Milagro. We have completed or 110nm passage from the Baja Peninsula to the mainland arriving at San Carlos, Sonora at 0840 (MST). The passage was a mixed bag but totally fine. We didn't expect any wind useful for sailing but were pleased to find that wasn't entirely the case. The first couple of hours was dead calm and required motoring but after that things improved. The wind varied in strength from 0 to 12 kts starting out from SE and moving around in the night to come from the E. So, it came and went driving us to fly the light air sail, put it away and motor, then put it out again and eventually stow the big light air sail in favor of the regular jib and main. At one time or another, we saw flat, glassy water, 1' to 2' close spaced SE swell as well as no swell with 1' confused chop. A mixed bag sure enough. In the end, we were able to log about 50% of the passage under sail alone with the remainder a mix of motorsailing (sails up and contributing), sailing and motoring alone. We anchored in Bahia San Carlos at 27 56.823'N 111 03.710'W in 20' over sand/gravel. OAT was 87, 65% humidity, 83 sea temp and wind E at 4kts. Water is flat and green with visibility about 15'. We moved into Marina San Carlos at 1250 where Milagro will cool her heels for the remainder of the summer while her crew does some land traveling. We expect to return to her in October and resume our Mexico and Sea of Cortez sailing. Hasta luego, y'all. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 8.838' N | 111º 17.472' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 17 June 2016 and all is well here on Milagro. We got ourselves underway just about 30 minutes ago from Isla Coronado bound for San Carlos, Sonora. The forecast indicates that it will mostly be a motorboat ride but we have the light air sails rigged and ready with our fingers crossed. We've made this crossing 4 times before and have sailed the bulk of it each time so, while we don't expect the same this time, we are hopeful. We expect to arrive in the early morning tomorrow. In the meantime, we are noisely puttering along while trying to whistle up some wind. Hasta luego. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.612' N | 111º 17.148' W | Milagro | System test message. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.612' N | 111º 17.148' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 13 June 2016 and all remains well on board the Milagro. It's been a busy day for the crew of Milagro beginning with a dawn departure from Nopolo to replenish our water at Puerto Escondido, 10 miles away to the south. Then it was run north, back past Nopolo and Loreto to meet two other boats of friends at the restaurant La Picazon (The Feeding Frenzy). We anchored off of the gravel beach in front of La Picazon at 1300 and joined our friends ashore for a pleasant afternoon of visiting while enjoying Alex and Emelda's awesome food. Finally, it was after 1700 when we broke up and went our separate ways. We moved just 2.5 miles east into the anchorage at Isla Coronados, one of our favorites in this area. Long time followers of Milagro have read about Coronados and seen photos on our blog. So here we are, poised for our passage across to the mainland on Thursday. The anchor was set at 1750 in 28' of kinda green 75F water in sand over rock. Yeah, it's not as nice for swimming as several of our other recent anchorages but should be clearing and warming over the next few weeks. We are at 26 06.606'N 111 17.146'W. OAT is 86F with 53% humidity. Wind is NNW@6 and the water is flat, sky is clear. We'll post up some progress report on our way across to San Carlos. Hasta Jueves! | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.488' N | 111º 20.91' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 11 June 2016 and all is well on Milagro. Today we motored the 11 nm from Isla Carmen to Bahia Nopolo as there just wasn't any useable wind. Flat, smooth water with a few jumping Mobula Rays combined for an easy, casual passage. At 1140 MDT the anchor was set in 12' of 75F green water in front of the Loreto Bay Resort at Nopolo, BCS. The water clarity here is poor compared to what we've become used to and colder as well. It will take more motivation to jump in the pool than it has. We are at 25 55.490N 111 20.913W, on the Baja about 10 miles South of the town of Loreto. Wind now is SE @ 6 kts, OAT is 82F with 50% humidity. The sky is clear and blue and the water is flat but for a few breeze ripples. We will go ashore shortly to pick up some provisions and visit with our friend Pedro who runs a grocery and restaurant here. Plus, the resort is kind enough to leave their WiFi unlocked so we will be enjoying decent internet as well as 4 bars of cell phone signal while we are here. The plan is to stay here tonight and tomorrow night and move along on Monday. Hasta Lunas. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.002' N | 111º 9.942' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 6 June 2016 and all is well on Milagro. Summer has arrived in these parts and we moved today hoping to find someplace not quite so hot and with maybe a bit more in the way of ventilating breezes. After waiting 3 hours at the fuel dock at Pto. Escondido for the water reservoir to refill itself. That's right, they were out of water and we had to wait while the pumps delivered water from the artesian well in the nearby mountains into their tankage. We must be in Mexico. Next came a totally awesome sail up to Pto. Ballandra, a nice anchorage on Isla Carmen. The wind was from our starboard side and varied from 1.2 kts to 20, consequently our speed varied also. We saw speeds from 2 kts to 8.2 kts all on flat water. It doesn't get much nicer than that. We arrived at Ballandra to find 3 other vessels already here but they are all friends of ours so it will be a homecoming of sorts. Also, the cooling fan for our refrigerator failed yesterday leaving the fridge struggling to maintain any sort of cool. As chance would have it, one of our friends anchored here happened to have a spare fan exactly like we needed. What are the odds!? In less than an hour repairs had been made and the fridge is now happily working towards making that beer cold again. Cruisers helping cruisers. At 1550 we had set anchor in 25' of clear water at 26 01.001'N 111 09.936'W. It was 92F out, 46% humid and 82 in the pool. Wind SW @ 6 and the water flat. We expect to stay here until Thursday or Friday. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 48.75' N | 111º 18.288' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 3 June 2016 and all is well on the good ship Milagro. With the possible exception that it is hotter than the dickens. We finally abandoned the anchorage at Candeleros after enjoying it for a full week. Clear water, no bugs or stingy water things, decent cell and internet from the resort and then the resort itself. But, enough is enough and besides, we are gonna need water soon so off to Puerto Escondido (again) we go. The 7 mile run was made by motor on flat, glassy seas. After pausing at their dock to fill the water tanks and rinse off the deck, we secured to a mooring in the "waiting room" just outside the main harbor at Puerto Escondido at 1355 MDT. Located now at 25 48.760'N 111 18.280'W in 30' of 82F water with apx 15' visibilty. The wind is SE 3 to 5 kts but the sea is flat. OAT was 88F at 1400 but since about 1700 it's been 91F. There are not enough fans in the world to turn that kind of air into something comfortable. The sky is clear and the sun brutal. Nice, eh? Nothing to do now except grab a cold drink and go float in the pool. Reckon we'll sit here until Monday or Tuesday, June 6 or 7. Hasta luego, y'all. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.122' N | 111º 14.016' W | Milagro | This is not so much a position update as an apology for Farkwar's automated system. For some reason their system has incorrectly mapped our position twice recently. Once placing us somewhere in Asia and just this morning putting us in the middle of the Baja, in spite of the lat/long showing up correctly. I want to assure all y'all that we have NOT been using Milagro for shore excursions. She has been and remains, water bound. I always include our actual lat/long in the text of our position reports so you can use something like Google Maps to plot us yourselves, if you're ever curious enough to do so. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 43.38' N | 111º 14.184' W | Milagro | It is Saturday morning, 28 May 2016 and all is well onboard Milagro. As advertised, we spent 4 nights/days at the Villa Del Palmar resort which is located on the beach at Bahia Candeleros South of Loreto. While there we enjoyed hanging out with our friends Gary and Pat from the SV Gypsea and also met soon to be cruisers, Gary and Angie. After returning to Milagro on Friday we dropped the mooring and sailed right back to Candeleros in order to get Gary and Angie some boat time on Milagro. So, yesterday afternoon (Friday, 27 May) the anchor was set in Bahia Candeleros at 24 43.381'N 111 14.184'W in 12' of crystal clear 78F water. The OAT was 82, humidity 49%, wind E @ 8 kts, clear skies and flat water. It was great having Gary and Angie on board and we hope they went away with a tiny bit more focus to their preparation efforts. This morning at 0730 it was 71F, 43% humid, 75 in the pool, 0 wind and flat, glassy seas. Skies are mostly clear. We are uncertain how long we will stay here but reckon through Monday at least, it's just too nice to get into a hurry. Besides, we have good cell signal and slow and go internet good enough for mail and basic web access. Hasta luego, y'all. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.23' N | 111º 14.16' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 24 May 2016 and all is well with the crew of Milagro. We've taken a bit of a vacation from what many see as our "vacation" lifestyle and checked into the Villa Del Palmar resort, located just a few miles south of Puerto Escondido. We've anchored off the beach here a number of times in the past but this is the first time we've arrived through the front door or stayed overnight. Our friends, Gary and Patty from the SV Gypsea are also here and yesterday was spent running around the area with them. In the process we were able to introduce them to our friend Pedro who operates several restaurants and specialty tiendas in Loreto and Nopolo. The VDP Resort is very nice, the rooms spacious and well appointed with such things as washer/dryer (yes, we brought all of our laundry!) and a full kitchen. We return to Milagro on Friday and will do our best to enjoy the resort in the meantime. I expect Milagro will vacate PE and start moving around the area again by Sunday, May 29th. Hasta luego y'all, it's pool time. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 48.75' N | 111º 18.228' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 19 May, 2016 and all is well on board the reasonably good boat Milagro. This report should actually read Wednesday, 18 May however as I am a day late making it. We moved yesterday morning the 23 nm from Agua Verde to Puerto Escondido enjoying mild and pleasant conditions along the way. The wind varied from some to none so we had a mix of great sailing, motor sailing and plain ole motoring. Pto. Escondido is the only place in these parts where one can get potable water and we needed some as we have (once again) broken our water maker. After topping the water tanks we took a mooring in the little bay known as the "Waiting Room" at 25 48.750'N 111 18.229'W. We're in 31' of water and when we settled it was 84F, 43% humid and the breeze came from the NE at 6 kts. We ran into friends onshore while watering and that turned into dinner onboard Milagro immediately after. All that socializing interfered with my normal routines delaying this position update. We will stay here as this is the very mooring we have reserved for use while we are off the boat next week to stay at the nearby Villa Del Palmar Resort. On Monday we will abandon Milagro to this mooring while Judy and I spend 4 nights at Villa Del Palmar. Our cruising will resume on the 28th of May. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 31.2' N | 111º 4.368' W | Milagro | Sunday, 15 May 2016 and all is well with the Milagro crew. We enjoyed a totally calm, peaceful evening at Los Gatos. There was little or no breeze overnight and that was still the case this morning when we got underway for Agua Verde. The ocean was as flat as could be all day but a light SW breeze developed about an hour into the journey allowing a drifting sail under the light air headsail alone. Like we've had to report before, the useful breeze failed to endure as long as we'd like and faded back to nothing again after about 2 hours. Once again, we were forced to play motorboat. Oh, well, wadya do? At 1145 the anchor was set at 25 31.198'N 111 04.369'W in the north lobe of Bahia Agua Verde. The seas are still flat and the wind light and variable. It's 85F outside/56% humid and 78F in the pool. The water clarity is unusually good for this anchorage at around 30' so we've already had our first swim of the day. A bit bracing upon entry but nice enough after a few minutes. We're not yet certain but think we may hang out here tomorrow though we'll likely move along on Tuesday. Hasta martes! | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 33.828' N | 110º 42.132' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 14 May 2016 and all is well on Milagro. This morning we departed San Evaristo under mostly cloudy skies with widely scattered small rain showers around. They quickly burned off with the climbing sun but we were left with a warm and humid day. There was light wind from directly behind us and flat as a fritter seas before us so slowly we sailed. Under those conditions one doesn't go very fast but the flat water makes it as calm as when tied up in a marina. Plus, we had all day to made 27 nm so who cared how fast we went so long as the ride was comfortable. Of course, you can count on favorable conditions not lasting as long as you'd like and, with that in mind, we were not surprised when the light wind faded to absolutely nothing after only a couple of hours. Rats! So a motorboating we went the rest of the way into the anchorage. At 1135 the anchor was set in 12' over sand at 25 18.198'N 110 56.759'W in Puerto Los Gatos. So what up with that name, there doesn't seem to be an cats around here at all? Maybe there's a story somewhere. It is 87 outside and 78 in the pool. It's 63% humid under a milky, strato-cirrus overcast sky. The sea is flat and the wind is from the NE at 5 knots. A bit warm/humid but otherwise very nice. And, you would not believe the rock formations and colors to be seen here. Very beautiful! We may stay put here tomorrow but it is more likely that we will continue moving north to our next stop, Agua Verde. Hasta luego, y'all. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 33.858' N | 110º 24.21' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, 11 May 2016 and all is well with the crew of Milagro. Only 1 week later than planned we broke free from the very strong gravitational pull of La Paz this morning to begin our slow cruise Northward toward San Carlos, Sonora. West winds generally <3 knots early eventually built to 5 - 7 knots by about 2 hrs into our journey making it possible to begin sailing. The light winds gradually clocked themselves around until they were coming from the N. Still, we enjoyed an awesome, peaceful sail on totally flat water. Landing at Ensenada Grande on Isla La Partida at 1420 MDT, the anchor was set in 18' of crystal clear water over sand at 24 33.861N 110 24.211W. The OAT is 84F, humidity 52%, the wind is 9 knots from the N and the pool is a bit chilly still at 76F. (It usually takes until near the end of June for the waters here to warm to great swimming temps.) We aren't sure if we'll move on in the morning or if we'll stay put tomorrow and make our next move on Friday. There's no wrong answer so we may just sleep on it and decide in the morning. Michael and Judy. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.312' N | 110º 19.578' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 19 April 2016 and all is well on board Milagro. As advertised, we enjoyed a last pleasant evening on the hook at Bahia Falsa making ourselves and Milagro ready to tie up to a dock again. This morning at 0910 we were secured in slip #220 at Marina De La Paz, right in the middle of our old neighborhood. It is always a homecoming event to pull in here and this morning was no exception as we were met by many old friends ready to take our lines and welcome us back home. Is it any wonder how much we love coming here and how hard we find it to leave? Our intention is to remain here about 3 weeks before heading out again. At that time we will start our slow migration through the great cruising grounds between here and Loreto on our way to San Carlos. Our objective is to arrive San Carlos mas o menos June 20 and leave Milagro there for the hottest months of summer. For now we will enjoy the pleasures of La Paz while catching up with our many friends. We are secure at 24 09.308'N 110 19.578'W where it is 87F on it's way to 90 - yes, the A/C is already running. The humidity is 48% and there's a N wind running 7 kts. It's 75F in the pool under clear skies. Our next report will likely be near the middle of May. Hasta luego, y'all. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.42' N | 110º 19.17' W | Milagro | It is Monday, 18 April 2016 and all is well on board Milagro. We enjoyed a great beach party at Los Muertos yesterday afternoon. Crews from 8 boats gathered to BBQ and share potluck and make new friends. A guitar, a mandolin and a fiddle showed up and the pickin' and grinnin' quickly commenced. Of course there was some bocci ball played as well. At 0430 this AM we and 4 others of the fleet gathered there weighed anchor and headed off towards La Paz. Conditions had been forecast to be 10-15kts on the nose with associated wind waves in our face but that forecast turned out to be wrong. Yay. Light W winds and mostly smooth water was what we dealt with instead. More motorsailing but a very nice ride. Now we are anchored at Bahia Falsa just few miles outside of La Paz. Tomorrow morning we will move into Marina De La Paz where we expect to remain for several weeks. You can plot us at 24 15.15.421'N 110 19.166'W. We're in 30' over sand with a NE wind 8-10kts and flat water. OAT is 81, humidity is 63%. It's 75 in the pool. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 23º 59.238' N | 109º 49.74' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 17 April 2016 and all is well on board Milagro. And we've put another crossing behind us as we landed this morning at Bahia de Los Muertos at 0530 PDT. Soon after posting yesterday's update the wind decided to show up and by 1000 we were sailing nicely on a building S wind. In short order we even had to reef the mains'l to keep boat speed and heel angle under control. With that done we sailed under Code Zero headsail and reefed mains'l making 6.5 to 7.5 kts all day long. Very nice! About 1830 the S wind petered out and, as forecast, swung around to come from the NW. Right on our nose. That 12 - 15kt NW wind stayed with us until entering the anchorage at Los Muertos. at 0530 PDT our anchor was set in Los Muertos in 25' over sand at 23 59.239'N 109 49.740'W. OAT 72F, humidity 76%, pool 75, wind N <3kts, sea flat. We'll remain here today and probably move tomorrow to an anchorage closer to La Paz. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 22º 33.75' N | 107º 59.682' W | Milagro | It is Saturday morning, April 16, 2016 and all is well on board Milagro. We are still making passage from the Banderas Bay area of mainland Mexico to the Baja Peninsula near La Paz. All day yesterday remained the same as I reported in the morning, a lake-like motorboat ride with little to no wind and glassy smooth seas. Along the way we were treated to several sea turtle sightings and a pod of dolphins ran with us for a while, too. Not long after darkness settled in, about 2200 CDT, the seas changed their character entirely and the ride went to pot. The smooth, long period swell gave way to a 3' to 4' SW swell at 5 to 7 seconds. There also seems to be some undefined chop mixed in as well with the net result being a lumpy, uncomfortable ride. The wind state did not improve enough to bring out the sailor in us either; shifting around to the S it varied from 4 to 7 knots. At 0800 CDT we are at 22 36.346'N 108 02.763'W motorsailing in sloppy seas with wind S @ 4kts. OH, and we've changed our destination! Instead of Playa Bonanza we've decided to aim for Bahia de Los Muertos. This is the season where many boats are migrating back into the Sea of Cortez and a small fleet of them is gathering this weekend in Los Muertos, many of them are friends of ours. Sounds like a beach party and why would we want to miss that? We expect to arrive there a little before sunrise tomorrow (Sunday) morning so the next update should show us there. Hasta manana, y'all. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 5.862' N | 106º 9.822' W | Milagro | It is Friday morning, April 15, 2016. Income Tax Day but all is well on board Milagro in spite of that. Here's our 0800 (CDT) report. We're in a boat upon a lake. A motorboat. The wind isn't and the sea is glassy smooth. There is a 2' widely spaced swell running from the W, just enough to keep things from being entirely flat. It is about 90% overcast with multi-layered scattered to broken stratus, it's 78F in the cockpit, 69% humid and the pool is 80. The breeze is showing signs that it might wake up and join the party but it's not very convincing yet. The forecast suggest that there may be enough to manage some sailing this afternoon so we'll see. In the meantime it would be a more enjoyable ride if we could shut this danged motor off. From 21 06.765'N 106 11.216'W. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 45.588' N | 105º 31.068' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 14 April 2016 and all is well on board Milagro. We have finally broken loose from La Cruz and begun the passage towards La Paz and the Baja. We finished the last of the medical stuff yesterday afternoon and, with that behind us and a decent weather situation in front of us, off we go. Today we only traveled about 9 miles but that broke the ice, so to speak, and positions us for the leap across the mouth of the Sea of Cortez in the wee hours tomorrow morning. That is a significant passage which we expect to take something close to 60 hours to complete with landfall at one of several likely spots expected around early afternoon on Sunday the 17th. For now we are anchored off of the surfing tourist village of Punta de Mita at 20 45.587'N 105 31.074'W in 38' over sand. It's 84 outside and 75 chilly degrees in the pool. Wind is NNE 10kts and the sea is flat but for a little wind chop. There's also occasionally some ocean swell wrapping around the point which sets us to rolling a bit when it does. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.64' N | 105º 22.002' W | Milagro | All is well onboard. In the time since our last update Milagro has alternately been in the anchorage at La Cruz, into the marina there and back to the anchorage as Judy has traveled to PHX and back for medical reasons. We are back in the La Cruz anchorage again but are obliged to remain here while she deals with more medical stuff. Nothing serious, just time consuming when necessary follow-up visits are a week apart. We don't have the last doctor date scheduled yet but expect it to be about April 15. Once that appointment is behind us we should be able to move towards La Paz - That is, as soon after as weather permits. Until then, we will enjoy the darned nice weather and the many diversions and restaurants of La Cruz and the greater Puerto Vallarta area. You can find us anchored at 20 44.635N 105 22.003W in 37'. At 1000 CDT it is 75F, humidity is 62% and the pool is 80F. Wind is currently E @ 6kts though afternoons usually bring more like 15kts from either the W or the N. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.736' N | 105º 21.948' W | Milagro | It is Friday, Mar 4, 2016 and Milagro has moved back into the anchorage at La Cruz. We accomplished all that we needed to in the marina so the only reasons to stay longer were unlimited electricity, unlimited water, easy access to countless restaurants and markets, decent internet and friendly neighbors. Guess we'd better get ourselves away from THAT kind of madness, eh? We're only about 300' from where we anchored last and about 3/4 nm outside of the marina entrance in 33' of 82F water. Mark us at 20 44.734'N 105 21.949'W. The OAT is 82, humidity 73% and the sea is mostly flat with a wee bit of swell from the SW (it wouldn't be La Cruz without SOME swell), the sky is clear. Judy is planning to fly to the US on the 10th and will likely be gone +/- 2 weeks. In the meantime I will remain with Milagro in the anchorage. We expect to be in La Cruz until nearly the middle of April as Judy has Doctor stuff in Pto. Vallarta on April 2nd and again on the 9th. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.964' N | 105º 22.74' W | Milagro | it is Monday, 29 Feb, 2016. How about a few bars of "Back in the marina again", sung to the tune of "Back in the Saddle". Yep, that's us. On Saturday we ran the desalinating equipment to make water only to find that one of the high pressure hoses (800psi) had sprung a leak. Without the ability to maintain that kind of pressure we are unable to convert sea water into potable fresh water; aaaaaannnd, our tanks were nearly empty. Today we moved into the Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz. Of course, we COULD just stop at the fuel dock long enough to fill our water tanks then return to the anchorage but apparently Judy saw it differently. Imagine that, eh? Our current thinking, and by that I mean MY current thinking, is that we will stay put until after Judy's doctor appointment on Wednesday then return to the anchorage with full water tanks, probably on Thursday. We'll see first when the replacement hose will arrive (it will ship from the US on Tuesday) and also we'll see just what the doctor's plans for Judy end up being. In the meantime we continue to have good internet and phone service. We are moored in slip 10A19 in Marina Riviera Nayarit at 20 44.904'N 105 22.693'W. It is 74F with 75% humidity. Wind is NE less than 5kts. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.742' N | 105º 20.382' W | Milagro | Our last report said we'd leave Tenecatita either Tuesday or Wednesday, we decided to just saddle up and go. Wind and sea forecast indicated light following winds Wed and Thu- too light for downwind sailing for us, and mostly flat seas. Those conditions guaranteed the passage would be a total motorboat drive. And, the seas were expected to build on Fri. That all added up to Tue offering the best hope for getting in a little sailing, so off we went. In fact, we did find conditions suitable for sailing, at least part of the way. We also found the sea state to be lumpier (more lumpy?) than we would have liked. Lumpy seas reduce boat speed and make the crew uncomfortable. Still, we had some good sailing and a brilliant full moon all night long. Sadly we saw no sea life to remark on. We covered 126 miles in 25:13 hrs for an average speed of 5 knots . We are now anchored in 30' at 20 44.828'N 105 21.921'W just off of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Jalisco where we expect to be for several weeks. 82F outside with 65% humidity, 81 in the pool. Wind is S at 6 kts. Sea is flat with a little light chop, sky is clear but there's some haze. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 18.12' N | 104º 50.07' W | Milagro | The Milagros have finally busted a move. After how long has it been? Well, after crossing over to the mainland in December, we hung out at La Cruz for a bit then made out way South to Barra de Navidad where we've spent the last 6 weeks marina cruising at the Grand Isla Resort. Pretty nice place. We even made a week long excursion inland to the historic city of Guanajuato, which was totally awesome. If you don't know of Guanajuato you should Google it right now. No kidding, do it! Today, however, we broke free from the shackles of limitless shore power, pools, swim up bars, etc. and started making our way North. We are currently anchored at Bahia Tenecatita, about 15 miles N of Barra. We'll continue N again tomorrow or perhaps on Wednesday. Our aim is to make it around Cabo Corrientes (the Cape Conception of this part of the world) and into Banderas Bay (Pto. Vallarta area) before the N wind pipes up on Saturday. Judy has a doctor appointment in Vallarta on Mar 2 and we would not want to let ourselve get pinned down by that N wind or, worse, put ourselves bashing into it to make the appointment. Arriving without adventure but a little early makes a lot more sense to us. Today we are anchored in 35' over sand/gravel at 19 18.120'N 104 50.072'W. It is 87 degrees outside with 70% humidity. It's 82 in the pool. Wind is S at 10kts. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.898' N | 105º 22.698' W | Milagro | On Friday, December 11, 2015, Milagro completed her 320nm passage across the Gulf of California to the Mexico mainland. We arrived at the La Cruz marina fuel dock at 0920 MST where we topped off the diesel before moving to slip B18 on dock 10 (20 44'.902N 105 22'.697W). All in all it was a good passage with a mixed bag of conditions over the 53 hours. Not quite as much sailing as we enjoyed last year but otherwise OK. We had planned to anchor here - we DO love this anchorage, but then would move into Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta on the 15th to prepare for flying north for Christmas on the 20th. During all those hours underway we managed to talk ourselves into abandoning that plan and created a new plan, plan "B". Going directly into the La Cruz marina allows us to enjoy La Cruz a few more days and avoided the need to move again before we fly out. You can rationalize almost anything you want with that much time on your hands so I suppose we're lucky that this is the craziest we got. Milagro will remain here in the marina until we return in early January. As soon after we get back that the weather looks good for it we intend to continue moving south at least as far as Barra de Navidad. Judy and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo). Hasta enero, y'all! | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 45.072' N | 105º 33.66' W | Milagro | It is Friday morning, December 11, 2015 and all is well on board. At 0700 MST we find ourselves passing off of Punta de Mita which marks the North point of Banderas Bay and signals the conclusion of our passage. 20 45'.024W 105 33'.569W. Only another hour and a bit and we'll be at our destination, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. We lost useful wind a number of hours ago but the sea also settled down pretty nicely at the same time. Consequently we enjoyed a nice "ride" but had to motor. Right now it is 85 outside, 84 in the pool and it is overcast and spitting rain occasionally. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 22º 46.482' N | 107º 13.188' W | Milagro | It's Wednesday morning, December 10, 2015 and all is well on board Milagro. As of 0700 MST we are at 22 15'.190N 107 41'.640W making 6.5kts motorsailing. Although the sea has settled down a bit since yesterday the conditions are generally much the same. NW wind apx 10kts and NW swell still running close spaced but maybe not quite so big, let's call it 2'-3'. Yesterday afternoon the wind filled in enough to keep the sails full even with the swells rolling us about. We were able to enjoy about 10 hours under sail alone until about 0030 last night when the wind failed us and the sails once again took to flogging badly in the swells and boat speed dropped to almost nothing. Just like that we're back to motorsailing. It is 75 outside with 72% humidity and the pool has warmed up to 82. There have been a parade of midlevel bands of stratus clouds yesterday and today which contributed to a brilliant sunset show last night and a nicely colored sunrise this morning. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 23º 46.002' N | 109º 34.44' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, December 9, 2015 and all is well on board. We got underway this morning under cover of darkness at 0400. Environmental conditions are as yesterday afternoon, close spaced NNW swell 4' and NW wind in the range of 12 to 15kts. It would be nice downwind sailing but the rolling is so bad in these conditions that even that much wind cannot keep the sails filled. So motorsailing with the main only is the best we can do - for now. The forecast calls for the sea state to improve considerably by tonight, something we are very much looking forward to. 0700 MST finds us at 23 46'.353N 109 34'.790W making 6.8kts in rolling seas. It's 74 in the cockpit and 77 in the pool. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 23º 59.178' N | 109º 49.782' W | Milagro | Welcome back aboard Milagro faithful Farkwar followers. It's Tuesday, December 08, 2015 and we have finally busted a move. Unusual late season storms followed by strong North winds have kept us "pinned down" in La Paz a little longer than we had planned but conditions are improving this week and we are on our way. Departing this morning a little before 7 we sailed and motorsailed the 55nm to Bahia de los Muertos (you're right, that does mean the bay of the dead. Probably not the Chamber of Commerce's first choice, eh?) where we are spending the night before continuing on tomorrow to cross the Sea of Cortez to mainland Mexico. Conditions here (at 1700 MST) are winds N 10-18kts with a broken overcast of thin cirrus clouds. In spite of the breeze the water is flat with just some small wind waves. The OAT is 78 and it's 77 in the pool. We're anchored in 25' of water at 23 59'.176N 109 49'.781W and marveling at another glorious Sea of Cortez sunset. The plan is to get underway before dawn and head straight for La Cruz. Given our normal cruising speeds we expect to arrive there sometime in the afternoon of Friday, Dec 12th. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.306' N | 110º 19.578' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, November 3, 2015 and all is well on board Milagro. We enjoyed socializing in Bahia San Gabriel with our friends on SV Voyager and SV Cake. However, after we'd all returned to our own boats the light E wind clocked around to the SW and rose to 10kts. The mouth of the anchorage faces that direction and there are miles and miles of open water for the wind waves to develop and build. An opportunity they did not miss. By 2300 there were close spaced 2' waves whipping through the anchorage and the boats were hobby horsing in them. Rolling side to side would have been much worse but the pitching up and down still made for a pretty restless night. Up at dawn anyway, we pulled up the anchor and made for La Paz. I concluded that we'd had all the glorious days of sailing we were entitled to as today was not going to be one of them. The 10kt breeze was smack on the nose along with those wind waves. But, they (both the wind and the waves) gradually settled by the time we entered the La Paz channel and we arrived into the marina with 3kts of breeze and flat water. The landing was uneventful and here we are, marina rats again. Our next move will be to cross over to the mainland and we are thinking we'll start watching the weather the first of December and go as soon after that as conditions are favorable. For now it's plentiful electricity and high speed internet, phone coverage and restaurant choices. See ya in a few weeks | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.312' N | 110º 19.578' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, November 3, 2015 and all is well on board Milagro. We enjoyed socializing in Bahia San Gabriel with our friends on SV Voyager and SV Cake. However, after we'd all returned to our own boats the light E wind clocked around to the SW and rose to 10kts. The mouth of the anchorage faces that direction and there are miles and miles of open water for the wind waves to develop and build. An opportunity they did not miss. By 2300 there were close spaced 2' waves whipping through the anchorage and the boats were hobby horsing in them. Rolling side to side would have been much worse but the pitching up and down still made for a pretty restless night. Up at dawn anyway, we pulled up the anchor and made for La Paz. I concluded that we'd had all the glorious days of sailing we were entitled to as today was not going to be one of them. The 10kt breeze was smack on the nose along with those wind waves. But, they (both the wind and the waves) gradually settled by the time we entered the La Paz channel and we arrived into the marina with 3kts of breeze and flat water. The landing was uneventful and here we are, marina rats again. Our next move will be to cross over to the mainland and we are thinking we'll start watching the weather the first of December and go as soon after that as conditions are favorable. For now it's plentiful electricity and high speed internet, phone coverage and restaurant choices. See ya in a few weeks. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 31.398' N | 111º 4.422' W | Milagro | We have made it another 22nm down the road and all is well on board. We left Pto. Escondido after hosting the Amigo Net this morning to find very light NW winds and a N swell running that made sailing impractical for almost two hours. By then though, the NW wind had stabilized at 6kts and the sea had settled so off went the motor. Sailing with the Jib first then changing to the Code 0 we were not always moving fast but we were comfortable and with plenty of daylight to reach our destination, speed didn't really matter. Chalk up another very nice day of sailing for the Milagro crew. 1445(MST) found us anchored in the N lobe of Agua Verde at 25 31.398'N 111 04.419'W in 25' of clear water. The OAT is 86, humidity 47% and it's 83 in the pool. Wind is NNW 6-10kts but we are tucked in behind some hills and a reef so the water is flat, flat, flat. Oh, and we're the only boat here. Our own private anchorage, how sweet is that!? Tomorrow's forecast calls for the wind to again be from the N so we plan to try taking some advantage of that and make the big (45nm) leap south to San Evaristo. We are hoping it blows a bit stronger than today but we have to be very, very careful with that kind of wishing lest we get more than we bargained for. Hasta manana, ya'll. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 49.08' N | 111º 18.72' W | Milagro | It's Friday, Oct 30, 2015 and all is well. As advertised, we have moved south into Puerto Escondido. Only about 10nm from where we were at Nopolo, Pto Escondido is a natural harbor completely enclosed by hills and mountains. Not that we're expecting any severe weather, this is THE perfect place to be when severe wx threatens. Last night the wind piped up about 2000 and blew from the NW steady at 15-18kts with many gusts to 25. Our holding was good and the wind direction was mostly offshore for us so no real waves developed. Still, that much wind in the rigging creates a fair amount of noise plus you just naturally stay on your guard even after you are sure you are not going to drag anchor. It did keep the cabin nicely ventilated though and when I finally settled down to sleep, it was good sleeping. Today was another Chamber of Commerce sailing day. A NE breeze running 7-10kts created a beam reach right down to the entrance to Pto Escondido and we sailed every bit of it, finally dousing the jib to navigate the harbor channel. There is a large field of mooring balls here and they have recently replaced all the ground tackle - that was well overdue as most moorings had become unusable over the years. Today we grabbed one of the mooring balls and are now set at 25 49.077'N 111 18.716'W in 45' of 83 degree water. There's a NE breeze running 7kts and the OAT is also 83 with 50% humidity. Of course, inside this harbor, the water is completely flat. There is a new market and a little restaurant here now so we'll be checking those out later this PM. Plan for tomorrow is to continue moving South to Agua Verde. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.458' N | 111º 20.862' W | Milagro | it is Thursday, Oct 29, 2015: Isla Coronados conditions have been pretty close to glorious but, in spite of that, we’ve moved along about 12nm south to Bahia Nopolo, just a short distance south of Loreto. There’s a small resort here with free WiFi (Yay!) and good cell phone coverage (Yay, again!). Plus, Pedro, our friend who used to keep a store and restaurant at Puerto Escondido has a small store here. Besides being a great person, he stocks many items normally only found in the US and Canada at upscale markets. It’s funny how you find a “need” for Black Forest Ham” even though you already have more lunch meat on board than you need. You can substitute almost any other product of your choosing. Like Isla Coronados, conditions here are very nice. A little warm in the afternoon but the water is great and the overnight temps have made for comfortable sleeping. Our plan for tomorrow is to move a little more south to Puerto Escondido. Anchor set at 25 55.458’N 111 55.458’W in 12’ over sand, SE wind 8kts, OAT 88/57% humid and it’s 83 in the pool. Sky is clear to the east with scattered fair weather cumulus to the N,S and W with a bit more perched on the peaks of the very dramatic Sierra de los Gigantes mountains which are just to our SW. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.69' N | 111º 17.028' W | Milagro | Welcome back, everyone! We are finally back out on the water. Got underway from San Carlos just before Noon on Monday to begin the overnight passage to Isla Coronados, near Loreto on the Baja side of things. And a great "welcome back to sailing" passage it was. There wasn't supposed to be adequate wind for sailing but that forecast was wrong. While the wind speed varied, we were able to sail all but 1.5 hrs of the passage. Because of that, our speed varied from 3.5 kts to 7.5 kts causing the trip to take at total of 24.5 hrs but the water was nearly flat and we were comfortable the whole way. Our night was well lit by a full moon so brilliant you could read by it. Altogether awesome! We are now anchored on the NW side of Isla Coronados (yes, we've reported being here many time before) in 14' over sand at 26 06.692'N 111 17.032'W. Wind here is running N from 5 to 10 kts and there are small wind waves on a short N swell. The breeze is holding our bow into the swell and waves. OAT is 89, 63% humid, water is 83. Yes, we tested it right away - 83 feels right nice. Clear, too. Visibility is something over 30'. We'll stay here a couple of days then move along. Not sure of the when or where just yet but we'll figure that out. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.88' N | 111º 3.36' W | Milagro | It's cruising season again in Mexican waters and we are back onboard Milagro at Marina San Carlos, Sonora MX making preparations to do just that. Targeting Monday, Oct 26 to make our move, we plan to head SSW directly for Isla Coronados - just a few miles north of Loreto. After a couple of weeks enjoying the many nice anchorages in that area we will land at La Paz and hang there for a few weeks before crossing to the mainland. Welcome back! | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.652' N | 111º 3.78' W | Milagro | It is Thursday morning, 25 June 2015 and all is well on board AND.....we have made it to San Carlos! The sea state did settle down some after sundown and the wind became erratic after midnight but it was an uneventful passage - just what we ordered. Total time to cover 116nm was 21:35 netting an average speed of just a bit over 5kts. We did have to motorsail some but we were able to sail most of the way. Mikey likes that. Now anchored at Bahia San Carlos in 30' over sand at 27 56'.646N 111 03'.783W where it is 85 with 75% humidity - yep, that's muggy. Sky is overcast with scattered layers of stratus that appear to maybe be leftovers from a thunderstorm yesterday. It's 86 in the pool and Roger is about to jump in and see what that feels like. This passage concludes our sailing for this summer as Milagro will move into the marina here later today where she will remain until sometime in October. Roger and I will spend the next couple of days getting her all tucked in then hop a northbound bus for PHX. Judy and I are going to skip out on the hottest and stormiest season here in the Sea of Cortez by being stateside most of the next couple of months. We're going to do some house-sitting and visiting (bothering) friends and relatives during that time so you may want to think twice before answering that knock on your door or answering your phone. Hasta Octobre, y'all! | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 26º 55.548' N | 111º 10.5' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, 24 June 2015. We got underway for San Carlos a little before 1000 this morning. The winds in the beginning were light but grew to become 10 to 15 from our right rear (no nautical terms today) by early afternoon. We had the big lightweight headsail and a partial mainsail set and pulling us along at nearly 6kts by 1400 and that has held until just this past hour. The wind now has dropped to 8 to 10kts but we're still making around 5.5kts. Pretty nice, eh? Unfortunately the sea state has been a little uncomfortable most of the day. The swells, like the wind, are coming at us from the right rear and running 2' to 4' closely spaced. That makes the ride more rolly than we would like, sometimes quite a bit more. But, what do you do? You can' just turn that sort of stuff off, can you? With the wind's moderation the sea also seems to be settling down some, or maybe that's just wishful thinking. Regardless, conditions do change so we cannot say exactly what the next hours will bring. Of course, we would like a nice, smooth sail overnight but we'll have to wait and see what Mother Nature gives us to work with. A pod of Pilot Whales joined us for a while today but that is all the sea life we have seen. No breaching whales, no playful dolphins nor jumping rays, just that one pod of whales. Bummer! In any case, at this rate we expect to arrive in San Carlos well before 0900 and we'll update you again when we get there. OAT 90, 84 in the pool. Wind SE 10kts, Heading 005, speed over ground 5.5. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.48' N | 111º 17.16' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Today we moved to Isla Coronados, a beautiful volcanic cone of an island with turquoise waters and sandy beaches only about 10nm from our last stop. We needed to make some water and the wind was 5kts or less so it seemed a good time to save the sails and motor, so that's just what we did. On flat, calm, very blue water and accompanied for a time by a large pod of jumping dolphin we motored our way to Coronados. Now anchored on the West side of Isla Coronados in 25' over sand at 26 06'.479N 111 17'.161W. The OAT is 91 but it's 82 in the pool.
The Sea is flat calm while the wind cannot make up it's mind what to do. Right now it is variable from 0 to 7 kts and swinging from NE to S however it is supposed to build this afternoon to be a bit stronger and come from the S but we'll see. If that doesn't happen I expect we'll spend even more time than usual in the pool. We will hang out here tomorrow before making the 22 hour (+/-) jump on Wednesday to San Carlos, Sonora. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 26º 1.248' N | 111º 9.828' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Today, on the Summer Solstice (Sailstice), we had a brilliant sailing day. Wind was light at Nopolo all morning so we did chores and otherwise delayed our departure until a breeze begin developing shortly after noon. We sailed off the anchor (no motor involved) with 4 to 5kts of SE breeze. That breeze quickly grew to 12-13kts steady with periods of 16kts just forward of the beam. WooHoo, Game On! We sailed the entire 12 miles to Puerto Ballandra without touching the sails again. We saw speeds up to 8.4kts and on flat water it was a smooth, comfortable race across the water. Saweeet! At 1525 we had the anchor set in 33' over sand in the NE corner of Puerto Ballandra at 26 01'.251N 111 09'.831W. OAT is 90, water is 82 and the breeze in this very well protected harbor on Isla Carmen is light and variable. Roger's already had a swim and I'm next. Pizza party tonight on a friends boat will allow us to visit with several groups of friends who are already here. Tomorrow we will move on to Isla Coronado. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 55.518' N | 111º 20.91' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 20 June 2015 and all remains well on board Milagro. Following the morning ham radio nets and Roger's morning swim we weighed anchor and set sail for Nopolo - a small resort and condo development S of Loreto. And we DID sail. An 8 to 13kt breeze dead on our tail provided us with a smooth downwind run from anchorage to anchorage. WooHoo! We are going ashore now to connect with our friend Pedro, see his new tienda and pick up a few things. Wind is now SE 10kts, OAT is 87 and the water is 78. The wind is creating some small wind waves but sea is otherwise flat. After our shore excursion we will decide whether or not to remain here overnight or move across the channel to join friends at Pto. Ballandra. 25 55'.515N 111 20'.909W | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 52.122' N | 111º 13.248' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 18 June, 2015 and all is well on board. And, we finally broke loose from the internet force field at Candeleros and moved up the road a bit. Roger was not familiar with fishing with a hand line so we set one up and trolled along the E side of Isla Danzante where we caught & released a small Dorado. Then we maneuvered ourselves around the N end of Danzante backtracking a bit to take a drive through tour of Puerto Escondido. Ran in to friends there who made us take about 4lbs of Yellow Tail Tuna they had recently caught. Glad we stopped by! Proceeding then towards Isla Carmen we found that the breeze was now 12kts from the starboard beam allowing us a brilliant sail all the way in to the anchorage. Sweet! Flat water, smooth ride and speed through the water up to 8.2kts - I have photos! Now anchored at Bahia Marquer on the W side of Isla Carmen. 90 OAT, 80 in the pool, SE breeze 8 to 10 kts and flat water. 3 other boats here including two we know; Diane/Bill (SV Truelove) and Lori/Dave and Big Dog (SV Slipper). Spotty phone service here but no internet. We'll stay here tomorrow but may move on Saturday to Nopolo or Loreto. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.35' N | 111º 14.4' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, June 17, 2015 and all is well on board. So well, in fact, that we are still anchored at Bahia Candeleros where it has been very nice. With us having an internet connection here, Roger got some necessary work done on Sunday. Monday we bought the all you can eat/drink package at Villa Del Palmar and proceeded to see if we could get our moneys worth. We did, and then some :-). The water here is crystal clear and about 80 degrees. I realized there was no better place to clean the bottom so that was yesterday's chore. Now baby's bottom and prop are shiny clean so if we ever do leave we should go like the wind. We kinda need to make water soon so may move tomorrow (Thursday) so we can do that underway as our watermaker runs off of the engine. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.35' N | 111º 14.4' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Yesterday we enjoyed exploring a little of Agua Verde pueblito and discovered a coop of local women have opened a small beachside restaurant. Wow! That's new. We made arrangements for breakfast there this morning and retired to relaxing on the boat; naps, swimming then BBQ steaks for dinner. Friends Mark and Angelique on Epic Ship arrived during the evening and so we got to visit with them some this morning before we both headed out. Them southbound and us to the north. Goofy winds played games with my attempts to sail but we did manage a little bit of pure sailing while the rest of the day was motorsailing. Now we are anchored off the beach at the beautiful Villa Del Palmar resort in Bahia Candeleros at 25 43'.355N 111 14'.402W. Wind is NE 9kts, seas flat with 6"-8" wind waves. OAT is 87 and it's 79 in the pool. 4 other boats here already inlclude friends Dan on Dazzler and Bernard and Becky on Worth Waiting 4. Current thinking is for us to enjoy a resort day tomorrow and hang out poolside. I expect we will move again on Monday but we'll make that decision tomorrow. While here we DO have internet but no phone service unless we are ashore at the resort. Even there though, the phone service is flaky and spotty. Hasta pronto, y'all. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.356' N | 111º 14.4' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, June 13, 2015 and all is well on board. Yesterday we enjoyed exploring a little of the Agua Verde pueblito and discovered a coop of local women have opened a small beachside restaurant. Wow! That's new. We made arrangements for breakfast there this morning and retired to relaxing on the boat; naps, swimming then BBQ steaks for dinner. Friends Mark and Angelique on Epic Ship arrived during the evening so we got to visit with them some this morning before we both headed out. Them southbound and us to the north. Goofy winds played games with my attempts to sail but we did manage a little bit of pure sailing while the rest of the day was motorsailing. Now we are anchored off the beach at the beautiful Villa Del Palmar resort in Bahia Candeleros at 25 43'.355N 111 14'.402W. Wind is NE 9kts, seas flat with 6"-8" wind waves. OAT is 87 and it's 79 in the pool. 4 other boats here already inlclude friends Dan on Dazzler and Bernard and Becky on Worth Waiting 4. Current thinking is for us to enjoy a resort day tomorrow and hang out poolside. I expect we will move again on Monday but we'll make that decision tomorrow. While here we DO have internet but no phone service unless we are ashore at the resort. Even there though, the phone service is flaky and spotty. Hasta pronto, y'all. ----- At 6/13/2015 9:40 PM (utc) our position was 25°43.35'N 111°14.40'W | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 30.888' N | 111º 3.75' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, June 11, 2015 and all is well on board. And, yes, this time I did remember to update the lat/long before posting this msg so the location you see should be correct. Left Isla San Francisco with wind S @ 8kts but that went away almost before we made the turn to go North. Never say more than 3kts the rest of the day so you know what that means - constant engine noise. The water was glassy and smooth and the day was hot. After 10hrs we had the hook set in the S lobe of Bahia Agua Verde. Wind is still only 2 to 3kts, water is flat and green ("agua verde") and 80. OAT is 93 and jumping into the water sure felt good. Found friends Jordan (Sea Witch) and Crit (JASDIP) already anchored in the S lobe and another boat of friends (Mistique) in the N lobe. Plan is to hang here tomorrow and do a little exploring ashore. Probably we will continue our migration North on Saturday. Exact location here is 25 30'.896N 111 03'.755W. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 49.248' N | 110º 34.14' W | Milagro | It is Wednesday, June 10, 2015 and I just realized that our last position report went out with the Lat/Long from Caleta Partida. Everything else is correct I just totally forgot to update our location in the software before creating the message - DOH! We are really at 24 49'.253N 110 34'.140W - really! | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 31.992' N | 110º 22.692' W | Milagro | I need to make a little correction to a detail in the last post. The wind waves in Caleta Partida were 6 INCHES, not 6 feet. Yeah, that would not have been cool. Today we journeyed 25NM to Isla San Francisco. Started out with winds 5kts (and less) from the port quarter so had to motorsail on flat seas until about noon when the wind veered to the N and steadied at 6Kts. Enjoyed the last 2 hours of the trip under main and jib on flat seas. Nice! Just wish the MAnchored now in 23' over sand at Isla San Francisco. Wind N 9kts, seas flat. OAT 87, pool 79. Just wish the wymyn's was here. Roger's already had his first swim and I'm next. Tomorrow moving 50 miles up the road to Agua Verde. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.3' N | 110º 19.572' W | Milagro | It is Thursday, 6/4/15 and preparations to get underway continue. Hurricane Blanca will grace us this weekend so we probably cannot leave before Tuesday (June 9). That then is our aim. Roger Claypool arrives Saturday to crew with me in Judy's absence and with all of the other "get ready" work done we will be anxious to get going. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.3' N | 110º 19.572' W | Milagro | As of 1400MDT (2300UTC), 3/31/15, Milagro has once again assumed the role of marina condo - a floataminium. We are secure in slip #212 at Marina de La Paz where we'll be until about the end of May or first of June. We have really and truly enjoyed our winter on the mainland, finding many places we look forward to seeing again. Still, we cannot help feeling like La Paz is home. And it's good to be home. The "to do" list has grown - as it inexorably does, so while we are here we'll try to get as many line items cleared off as we can. We have many friends who live in La Paz so catching up will be fun and the list of "favorite" restaurants that need visiting will keep us running to the ATM more than we should. I'm also betting that Judy and her card playing posse will be busy nearly every day, too. So that's it from Milagro for awhile. We will resume posting position reports as soon as we start moving around again. Thanks for tuning in. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 15.492' N | 110º 19.086' W | Milagro | It is Saturday, 3/28/15 and all is well onboard Milagro although we decided to make a move. Moving 14nm closer to La Paz, we are now anchored in Bahia Falsa. This is a great place for regrouping and reconfiguring the boat from a cruiser to a marina condo - plus it has great phone service so we'll be taking advantage of that I'm sure. We may move to the marina tomorrow but Monday is more likely. We are playing that by ear as there is no great hurry so long as we are comfortable here. Well, except that Judy heard friends organizing a card game over the VHF today and is chomping at the bit to join them. With only about 5nm to the marina from here it will be an easy move whenever we decide to make it. At 1600MDT(2300UTC) Milagro is at 24 15.493N 110 19.087W. OAT 88, 45%humid, pool 78, wind E 10kts, the water is flat w/small wind waves. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 27.018' N | 110º 18.492' W | Milagro | It is Friday, 3/27/15 and the long passage from the mainland is now in the history book. All very tranquilo except for some lumpy seas for about 6 hrs during Thursday night. 420NM/77.4hrs=5.43 Ave SOG. At 1135 CDT (1735UTC) Milagro set her anchor at Playa Bonanza which is on the E side of Isla Espiritu Santo and about 20nm N of La Paz. Welcome back to the Baja! We will hang out here or at other nearby anchorages for a few days before taking a slip at Marina De La Paz on Tuesday or Wednesday. We are at: 24 27.022N 110 18.489W. Wind SE 5kts, OAT 78 and sunny, it's 76 in the pool. Seas are flat and clear - we can see the anchor sitting on the bottom in 20' of water. Can't do that on the mainland! | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 22º 53.34' N | 108º 15.51' W | Milagro | It is Thursday evening,3/26/15 and we are still underway from Bahia Chamela with 60 of the apx 75 hours behind us. All is well on board. The seas have been flat and glassy all day today with wind from S at only 2-3kts. The kind of weather Trawler drivers dream of. High thin stratus took the punch out of the sun and it is currently 78 out. About an hour ago the wind veered to come from the NE & is now 5.5-6kts and giving us a wee bit of lift. We have settled on our destination and now aim for Playa Bonanza located on the SW side of Isla Espiritu Santo - just N of La Paz. Expect to arrive around mid-day tomorrow. Oh,if you'd like to go swimming its only 79 in the pool but it's very, very blue. At 1815CDT (0015UC) Milagro location is: 23 37.290N 109 01.747W HDG 310M, SOG 5.8kts | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 21º 58.692' N | 107º 27.558' W | Milagro | It is Wed, 3/25/15 and we are now 18 hrs into the trip. All is well. Still the wind does not favor us but the sea has been surrealistically glassy and smooth most of the day. It's also very cobalt blue. We've missed that color by being on the mainland these past months. Not much sea life seen since last report but it's been a comfortable ride. Wind SSW 5 kts, sea mostly smooth with closer spaced westerly swells now, about 3'-4'at 8 secs. OAT 83, pool 81. We've made 132nm since this time yesterday and still anticipate landfall on Friday. Two different destinations under considerations about 7 hrs apart so it's hard to give an ETA. We'll decide after seeing what the weather gods deliver our way tomorrow. At 1815CDT (0015UTC) our location was 21 58.6914N 107 27.5604W | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 19.218' N | 105º 56.412' W | Milagro | It is Tuesday, 3/24/15 and we are making our way back to the Baja. Left Chamela at first light this AM and at this point are 12 hrs into a 75 hr trip (+/-). Have seen hundreds (literally) of sea turtles today along with a sea snake and dolphins. All is going well but the wind has failed us. Forecast called for mostly light but we have only 2kts to work with at this moment. Sea is glassy smooth with long period WSW swell apx 3'. OAT 82, 81 in the pool. Few scattered fair wx cumulus but clear otherwise. Practically no moon tonight so we expect many stars. 0000Z (1800CDT) location: 20 19.2255N 105 56.4145W | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 35.034' N | 105º 7.83' W | Milagro | It is Sunday, 22Mar15 and Milagro has left the marina at Barra De Navidad. Starting early with winds only light and variable there was no sailing to be had. By late morning a NW wind up to 12 knots develped right on our nose but at least we could motorsail now. At 1250 (CST) we have the anchor set in Bahia Chamela very near to where we anchored on 11Feb15. Our current thinking is that we'll hang out here until Tuesday morning then make the 400NM run to the La Paz area. That passage should take us something like 3 days and a bit so for now we relax at Chamela. Location: 19 35.035N 105 07.827W. OAT 82, Water 81 and mostly flat, wind WNW 10-12kts, sunny and clear. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 11.736' N | 104º 40.938' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. We left Zihuatanejo under cover of darkness in the wee hours Tuesday morning intending to make one of the anchorages at Manzanillo. It was to be 1 night there then continue North to Barra but we changed our minds enroute. Winds were <5 kts most of the way so it was a motorsail but conditions and our speed over ground were so good that we chose to continue on to Barra de Navidad. Along the way we saw Sea Turtles, a pod of Orcas, Rays, and many Dolphins. A full moon and phosophorescent water just frosted the cake. Arriving at 0930 CST we are now secure at the resort's marina and the Princess intends to make very good use of their amenities. Special rates are offered if you stay a week so that's what we're going to do. Then we continue going North. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 17º 38.106' N | 101º 33.138' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Milagro got up early this morning and moved to Zihuatanejo Bay where we are now anchored. We will enjoy a couple of days at Guitar Fest while we also connect with some of the many friends who have also gathered here. We are located at 17 38.107'N 101 33.136'W just off of Playa Madera. Wind N 4kts. OAT is 82, pool is 80 and the sea is calm. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 17º 40.794' N | 101º 39.138' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. It took nearly 33 hours of mostly confused seas and winds that flew contrary to the forecasts but we made it to Isla Grande (AKA Isla Ixtapa). While the sea and wind conditions were not what was expected the trip itself was mostly uneventful. A very persistent green footed booby made various places on Milagro his perch at least 5 different times before getting the idea he was not wanted. AND someone thought it would be OK to leave the forward hatch secured in the "ventilate" position. That person was wrong. It was not OK. No foul (or fowl) though as most of the water that made its way inside was contained in the forward head. Will move the 10 miles to Zihuatanejo soon, maybe on Saturday. 17 40.792N 101 39.138W. Wind S 12 kts, calm water (in the anchorage), 81 outside and 81 in the pool (but we don't swim here because of the crocodillos) | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 18º 11.562' N | 103º 39.222' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro! After enjoying Bahia Santiago for more than a week we left this morning headed South. Our initial destination is Isla Grande which is a few miles north of Zihuatanajo (sp?). After a day or two there we will continue on to Z-Town and Guitarfest. Currently motorsailing undeer a full moon in light southerly winds at 18 11.14N 103 38.88W. West swell about 3' at 15 seconds. Temp is 81 but it is 79 in the pool. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 6.636' N | 104º 23.46' W | Milagro | As advertised, we left Barra today and enjoyed a slow but lovely sail on mostly flat water in winds that rarely exceeded 5kts. At 1820 CST we were anchored in Bahia Santiago, part of the Bay of Manzanillo and just a few miles north of downtown Manzanillo. We expect it to be comfortable here so will likely stay put through next weekend. We have good cell phone coverage but no internet - Yet. Location is 19 06.638’N 104 23.459’W. Wind W 5kts, OAT 82, 64% humid and it’s 79 in the pool. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 11.7' N | 104º 40.92' W | Milagro | That we have moved about 15 nm today from the anchorage at Tenecatita into the marina at Barra de Navidad. Barra is roughly 30 miles North of Manzanillo. Milagro is secured in slip C8 at 19 11.698N 104 40.921W. Only late by almost 2 months (we'd originally planned to be here for Christmas!), we expect to be here for 1 week and will have internet and cell service for that time. Around about the 23rd or 24th we expect to continue South. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 18.138' N | 104º 50.124' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. Plus, Judy's cold/chest congestion seems to be a little bit better today-we hope it's not just wishful thinking. Light wind passage today to Bahia Tenecatita saw smooth, glassy seas but poor motive power for sailing. Did manage some (you know Michael is going to try) but mostly it was a motorboat ride. Now anchored with 19 other boats in a pretty anchorage with a nice beach and jungle all around. We are at 19 18.137N 104 50.122W. Sky is clear, wind south 6 knts, water mostly flat and 82F. OAT is also 82F. Unsure at this moment if we are moving along tomorrow or staying put for a few days. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 35.088' N | 105º 7.968' W | Milagro | All is well onboard Milagro. AND, we finally broke out of the La Cruz/PV/Banderas Bay Force Field. After a pleasant overnight passage we are now anchored in the NW corner of Bahia Chamela at 19 35.009N 105 07.966W. Wind is calm and the sea is flat and glassy. Water temp is 82 and OAT is the same. We plan to remain here just tonight before continuing on to Tenecatita tomorrow (Thursday) morning. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 30.774' N | 105º 19.02' W | Milagro | Our friends Roger and Rhonda are visiting from CA so took them on a day trip to the small cove at Boca de Tomatlan SW of Puerto Vallarta and a little E of Ylapa. Anchored in 95' (YIKES!) as that is really the only choice. It is very tropical and beautiful here but would need stern anchor for longer stay and foul weather here would make it impossible. After looking around and having lunch ashore headed back to La Cruz via whale watching in Banderas Bay. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 39.918' N | 105º 15.03' W | Milagro | Yes, after two weeks in the marina at La Cruz we have moved. We are now in downtown Puerto Vallarta at Marina Vallarta for the New Years Eve international fireworks show and all around party. Will move again on Jan 3. 20 39.923N 105 15.027W. OAT 87/65% humid, pool is 82. Wind West <5kts. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.772' N | 105º 21.912' W | Milagro | All is really well on board. We were sad to leave Puerto Vallarta but the feeding frenzy had to stop some time. Enjoyed a lovely sail across Banderas Bay to anchor offshore at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit at 1545 CST. Location is 20 44.769N 105 21.906W. Wind NW 12 to 18kts, water 81 with short wind chop, OAT 80 with apx 65% humidity, 60% overcast. Will be here for a while, maybe several weeks. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 39.894' N | 105º 15.012' W | Milagro | Yes, we have moved. After roughly 2 weeks at the marina in La Cruz we have moved today to downtown Puerto Vallarta for the New Years Eve international fireworks show and general all around party. Secured into slip H-7 at Marina Vallarta at 20 39.922N 105 15.027W. Will move again on Jan 3. Happy New Year everyone! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 23º 24.06' N | 109º 7.182' W | Milagro | All is well on board. At this moment we are underway crossing the Sea of Cortez from Bahia De Los Muertos on the Baja side to La Cruz (just N of Puerto Vallarta) on the mainland. Light winds so far so have had to motorsail but have hopes (always) that sunrise will bring enough breeze to shut off the noise maker and do some sailing. Estimate arrival at La Cruz late morning on Friday, Dec 12. Currently making 5.8 knts on a SE heading at 23 23.615N 109 06.652W (0600hrs MST Wednesday). Wind N <8 kts, Long spaced N swell 1' occasionally 2', OAT 75, 3/4 moon behind high thin cloud layer. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 22º 50.058' N | 108º 24.552' W | Milagro | All is well on board. It is 1800 and we have been sailing under the big headsail alone since 0900 this morning. The seas have flattened out pretty much and we are enjoying a beautiful sail. We will be happy to keep this up as long as the breeeze holds up. Here are the details: Location 22 49.683N 108 24.039W. SOG 5.5kts, Wind NW 7-8kts, sea swells N mostly 1' close spaced. OAT78. Midlevel thin stratus overcast gave us a blazing red sunset that was just awesome. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 22º 4.308' N | 107º 30.708' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Around 0400 this morning we past the halfway point on our passage from Bahia De Los Muertos to La Cruz. The wind has only been a breeze (4 to 8 kts) and has been on again, off again so we've had a mix of nice sailing punctuated by periods of motor sailing. At 0700 we are slowly sailing at 22 04307N 107 30.714W under overcast skies on a sea that has settled down to become pretty much flat. The ham radio nets run at this time so we're occupied with that then we'll do breakfast. If the wind hasn't improved by that time we'll fire up the engine once more to keep up some speed. Still estimating La Cruz tomorrow morning (Friday, 12 Dec)sometime between 0800 and noon. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 21º 29.562' N | 106º 46.518' W | Milagro | All is well on board and, we are closing in on La Cruz. With only about 95nm to go we believe we'll there around 0900 (MST)tomorrow morning. We are motoring as there has been no useful since about noon. As of 1800 (MST) Milagro is at 21 29.167N 106 45.965W steering 130M making 6.5kt in mostly smooth water. OAT is 80 and water temp is 85. The sky today has still been mostly cloudy but overcast was higher and thinner with some clear spots so may be more sunny tomorrow. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.91' N | 105º 22.692' W | Milagro | Well, we made it. In only 59hrs 32mins we traversed 320nm to arrive on the Mexico mainland at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit. We are secured in slip 19 on dock 10A (in case you want to stop and say hi) at 20 44.905N 105 22.693W. OAT is 80 w/70% humid. It rained on us for several hours around dawn and it now feels like a suana. Welcome to tropical Mexico. We now have phone service and should have internet soon. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 44.904' N | 105º 22.692' W | Milagro | Hot Dang, we made it! In only 59hrs 32mins we traversed 320nm to arrive on the Mexico mainland at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit. Yeah, I know, that's pretty slow but, hey, we're a sailboat. We used to do our traveling above the weather at >500 knots but not any more, more like 5 knots and right down in it now. We are secured in slip 19 on dock 10A (in case you want to stop and say hi) at 20 44.905N 105 22.693W. OAT is 80 w/70% humid. It rained on us for several hours around dawn and it now feels like a suana. Welcome to tropical Mexico. We now have phone service and internet. We expect to remain here until Wednesday ----- At 12/12/2014 3:45 PM (utc) our position was 20°44.91'N 105°22.69'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 21º 29.166' N | 106º 45.966' W | Milagro | 12/11/14 Thursday: All is well on board and we are closing in on La Cruz. With only about 95nm to go we believe we'll there around 0900 (MST)tomorrow morning. We are motoring again as there has been no useful wind since about noon. As of 1800 (MST) Milagro is at 21 29.167N 106 45.965W steering 130M making 6.5kt in mostly smooth water. OAT is 80 and water temp is 85. The sky today has still been mostly cloudy but overcast was higher and thinner with some clear spots so might be more sunny tomorrow. ----- At 12/12/2014 1:00 AM (utc) our position was 21°29.56'N 106°46.52'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 22º 4.308' N | 107º 30.714' W | Milagro | 12/11/14 Thursday: All is well on board. Around 0400 this morning we past the halfway point on our passage from Bahia De Los Muertos to La Cruz. The wind has only been a breeze (4 to 8 kts) and has been on again, off again so we've had a mix of nice sailing punctuated by periods of motor sailing. At 0700 we are slowly sailing at 22 04307N 107 30.714W under overcast skies on a sea that has settled down to become pretty much flat. The ham radio nets run at this time so we're occupied with that then we'll do breakfast. If the wind hasn't improved by that time we'll fire up the engine once more to keep up some speed. Still estimating La Cruz tomorrow morning (Friday, 12 Dec)sometime between 0800 and noon. ----- At 12/11/2014 2:53 PM (utc) our position was 22°04.31'N 107°30.71'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 22º 49.686' N | 108º 24.042' W | Milagro | 12/10/14 Wednesday: All is well on board. It is 1800 and we have been sailing under the big headsail alone since 0900 this morning. The seas have flattened out pretty much and we are enjoying a beautiful sail. We will be happy to keep this up as long as the breeze holds up. Here are the details: Location 22 49.683N 108 24.039W. SOG 5.5kts, Wind NW 7-8kts, sea swells N mostly 1' close spaced. OAT78. Midlevel thin stratus overcast gave us a blazing red sunset that was just awesome. ----- At 12/11/2014 12:58 AM (utc) our position was 22°50.06'N 108°24.55'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 23º 23.616' N | 109º 6.654' W | Milagro | 12/10/14 Wednesday: All is well on board. At this moment we are underway crossing the Sea of Cortez from Bahia De Los Muertos on the Baja side to La Cruz (just N of Puerto Vallarta) on the mainland. Light winds so far so have had to motorsail but have hopes (always) that sunrise will bring enough breeze to shut off the noise maker and do some sailing. Estimate arrival at La Cruz late morning on Friday, Dec 12. Currently making 5.8 knts on a SE heading at 23 23.615N 109 06.652W (0600hrs MST Wednesday). Wind N <8 kts, Long spaced N swell 1' occasionally 2', OAT 75, 3/4 moon behind high thin cloud layer. ----- At 12/10/2014 1:33 PM (utc) our position was 23°24.06'N 109°07.18'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 23º 59.316' N | 109º 49.686' W | Milagro | 12/5/14: All is well on board. Had great overnight at Bahia San Gabriel and got early start this AM. Downwind sailing all day in following seas from the port quarter. This sometimes caused a bit more boat motion than we might wish for but mostly the ride was good and we were able to sail virtually the entire passage. Now anchored in Bahia De Los Muertos at 23 59.317N 109 49.685W. Wind NW 12kts, water flat (yay!). Water temp 79, OAT 80. Expect to stay here until maybe Monday. Wind and sea state will determine when we leave so that could change. In the meantime, this is a nice place to hang out. ----- At 12/6/2014 12:03 AM (utc) our position was 23°59.32'N 109°49.68'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 25.722' N | 110º 21.822' W | Milagro | All is well on board. 12/4/14: After leaving the La Paz Marina under winds gusting to 20 kts we enjoyed a mostly nice voyage to Bahia San Gabriel on Isla Espiritu Santo. The wind was very fickle ranging from 5 to 20 kts and mostly on the nose but teasing for a while with a nice beam reach. OAT 78, water 79 and smooth, wind N 5kts. Moving in the morning south to Bahia De Los Muertos. LATITUDE: 24-25.72N LONGITUDE: 110-21.82W ----- At 12/5/2014 12:48 AM (utc) our position was 24°25.72'N 110°21.82'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.3' N | 110º 19.572' W | Milagro | All is pretty great on board Milagro. In another example of making it up as we go along we decided yesterday afternoon to continue to the marina instead of anchoring at Bahia Falsa. All the work to transition Milagro from cruising/anchoring to being tied to a marina had been done so there was no good reason to delay it any longer. Plus, in the marina we would have A/C and that would be appreciated. So, here we are all secure in slip #214 at Marina De La Paz. It feels very much like coming home. Also, we no sooner had the lines tied and we were drug off to a social event for the evening. I guess we ARE home! Our plan is to remain here about 4 weeks before moving over to the mainland just before Thanksgiving. The target at that time will be La Cruz on the north end of Banderas Bay - that's the Puerto Vallarta area if you're not familiar. Hasta Luego, ya'll! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 26º 49.302' N | 110º 34.092' W | Milagro | All is well on board. 11.4 hours today to Isla San Francisco. Was planning to stop at bit earlier at San Evaristo but had a decent downwind sail going on when we passed so continued. This is a picture postcard location with curving white sand beach and clear, turquoise waters. Nice! Expect to stay here tonight and tomorrow night then move to Caleta Partida on Saturday. 88 degrees inside/outside/and pool. Wind NE <3kts. Seas flats and calm. Water vis >50'. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 31.338' N | 111º 4.428' W | Milagro | We gave Loreto a pass today and continued on to Bahia Agua Verde instead. Our friend Pedro was out of town and there wasn't anything we really, absolutely needed there. Judy had planned on a pedicure but reluctantly decided to wait for La Paz. Started day with alternator failure (yes, the new one) but found problem to be the regulator so we rewired for our backup regulator and the alternator came back to life. Wind reached nearly 6kts for only about 30 minutes so that's how much sailing we got to do. All else was motorsailing on glassy smooth, clear water with a light northerly swell coming from behind us. Wind stayed <3 kts. Now anchored in North lobe of Bahia Agua Verde, joining one other sailboat who was already here. OAT and water temp both 89 with visibilty apx 20'. Wind 3 - 4 kts from N. Moving tomorrow morning South to San Evaristo. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.768' N | 111º 17.022' W | Milagro | The overnight passage from San Carlos has been completed. We had to motor for the first few hours until the wind filled in but then enjoyed the rest of the passage under sail. The seas got a little lumpy from about 2100 til about 0300 but otherwise it was "smooth sailing". Now anchored in the NE anchorage of beautiful Isla Coronados at 26 06.776N 111 17.017W. OAT 84, water 87, wind N @ 6 kts, Current thinking is that we will move the 5 or 6 miles to Loreto tomorrow. If so, would spend the day ashore seeing friends, eating and maybe picking up a few food items from Pedro's very well stocked specialty deli there. For today and tomorrow we have cell phone and limited internet. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.622' N | 111º 3.762' W | Milagro | We have actually made it out of the marina! YAY! After a stop at the fuel dock to top off the tanks we are anchored in the Bay of San Carlos. Here we will put away all of the things used to tie up to the dock and replace it with those things used for anchoring and sailing. We'll set up the dinghy and otherwise transition Milagro back to a cruising sailboat. We plan to leave San Carlos tomorrow morning between 0600 and 0800 and make passage to Isla Coronados. It's about 115 NM SSW of hear so we should arrive there Tuesday morning. OAT 90F, pool temp 86F, wind SW @ 8-10kts, seas flat, sky clear. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 56.868' N | 111º 3.36' W | Milagro | All is well on board. After learning more re fees and charges we reckoned it to be a wash whether to leave Milagro in a marina slip or on the hard. Preferring she be in the water while we are gone the decision was made to move into the marina. Plus they had a slip for us right now. Milagro now moored in slip B23 at Marina San Carlos, Sonora where she will stay until we return from Trans-Atlantic cruise. Plan is to haul her upon our return, repaint the bottom and get underway. Probable timing to get going again is mid-October. ----- At 8/16/2014 5:06 PM (utc) our position was 27°56.87'N 111°03.36'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 57.618' N | 111º 3.822' W | Milagro | Well, we made it and all is well on board. We made the overnight passage to San Carlos without event. It took 24.8 hours to do it but there was a full moon and a good lightning show to help pass the night. During the night, nearby thunderstorms stirred up the waters for a bit but it wasn't too bad and it only lasted a couple of hours before the seas settled back down. We thought we might get into the middle of one of the storms but at 5 knots we couldn't catch one. Mostly it was calm seas with 7 - 10 knots of wind on the nose so motorsailed all but 2.5 hours when the wind angle allowed for sailing. Milagro will be here now until sometime in October. Plan is to get Judy headed stateside this Sunday while Michael stays with the boat to get some repairs done and supervise hauling it out on Aug 29. Anchored now but may get into Marina San Carlos for a few days if they have space. After nearly a month without phone service our phones work again! Plus, we should have internet as well. ----- At 8/14/2014 11:23 PM (utc) our position was 27°57.62'N 111°03.82'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 28º 26.022' N | 112º 51.798' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Contrary winds made today's passage a motor boat ride. Noisy and more costly than sailing but uneventful. Now set in SE corner of Bahia San Francisquito only a few feet from where we anchored on July 18. Wind S 7-10Kts, water is flat and 82 degrees. OAT 89. Most likely scenario has us leaving here tomorrow evening about 2000 (MDT) for overnight passage to San Carlos - a run of about 20 to 22 hours. But we will review tomorrow morning's weather forecast before deciding for certain. ----- At 8/12/2014 10:45 PM (utc) our position was 28°26.02'N 112°51.80'W | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 28º 54.612' N | 113º 28.56' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Sailed off the anchor this AM to the SE corner of the Bay of Los Angeles where others are gathering for tomorrows Full Moon Party. The plan is to float out of a little estuary into the bay with the tide change followed by potluck on the beach with bocce ball, etc. Full Moon provides convenient excuse for a Rendezvous and party. Monday must leave the BLA and begin moving towards San Carlos as a Doctor appointment for Judy will now drive out schedule. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 28º 57.102' N | 113º 33.258' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Sailed this morning right from the anchor to the BLA Village under glorious conditions. Will go ashore today and tomorrow for internet, laundry and to pick up a few grocery items. Will probably be here until moving again on Saturday back to La Mona where we were on July 24th thru 26th. On Sunday the 10th there will be a Full Moon party at La Mona which should see virtually all of the boats in the Northern Sea show up. By our count there are only 19 boats North of Santa Rosalia and most of them are here or are planning to come here by then. Get a map of the Sea of Cortez then imagine only 19 active cruisers in the whole area North of Puerto Escondido/Loreto area. Pretty amazing. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 29º 2.19' N | 113º 32.742' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Ensenada Alcatraz was beautiful until this AM when N wind grew to 18 kts directly into the anchorage. Stirred up 3' wind waves with promise of it getting worse so we bugged out for better protection. Sailed off the anchor then had glorious downwind run (wing on wing) south to La Gringa anchorage - same place we had many whale sharks last Tuesday. No fish were harmed during today's passage. Much better now with flat seas, water temp 86, OAT 92, wind N @ 8 knots, sky clear. Cheers! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 29º 9.738' N | 113º 37.152' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Moved a day earlier than planned. Overnight the Refugio anchorage became uncomfortably rolly and yesterday the Jejene's showed up. Their bite blisters and itches for almost a week. Time to leave. 2 fish caught. We released 1 small dorado after landing it the other self released. Whales seen spouting in distance. Now at Ensenada Alcatraz on the Baja 12 miles (+/-) north of BLA Village. Sea flat, wind E 10kts, OAT 91, water 86. No bugs seen yet. Will here stay tonite and Monday night. Plan is to be at BLA village for internet on Aug 5 or 6. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 29º 32.214' N | 113º 32.874' W | Milagro | It is July 31, 2014 and all is well on board. Traveled 34 miles north to Puerto Refugio on the extreme north end of Isla Angel de la Guarda, Sea of Cortez. Very, very remote, isolated location. Wind SSE 10-15, seas flat, water temp 86, OAT 94. Sky overcast. Managed to sail about half of it though conditions changed often. Ranging from seas SE 3'-4' and 0 wind to no swell and SE wind 15G20 with 3'-4' wind waves and back. Mostly overcast conditions with rain and virga observed in almost all quadrants during the day. No rain on us except a few scattered sprinkles. Caught 3 fish but only landed one and that one we threw back as his type don't taste so good. Saw pod of pilot whales, many, many bottlenose dolphins, jumping rays, etc. Plan to remain here several days. Maybe move back south on Monday. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 29º 4.212' N | 113º 31.02' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Moved 4.3 nm north this morning to anchorage at Isla Mitlan, a small island on the west coast of larger Isla Smith (AKA Isla Coronado). Plan to continue north in the morning towards Pto. Refugio which is on the north tip of Isla Angel De La Guarda. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 29º 2.31' N | 113º 32.49' W | Milagro | All is well on board. This morning we moved almost 3 miles to the anchorage called La Gringa - just a few miles north of BLA Village. Several of our friends are here. Current thinking is to stay here today and tomorrow then move north on Wednesday. wind SE <5kts, OAT 93, water temp 86. Sunshades are definitely up! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 29º 0.0' N | 113º 30.84' W | Milagro | All is well on board. After frustrating experience at BLA Village internet store we moved about 4 miles NNE to anchor at Isla La Ventana. A one boat anchorage on the west side of the island. Now considering starting North in the next couple of days for El Refugio on the North end of Isla De La Guardia. Will advise. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 28º 57.168' N | 113º 33.18' W | Milagro | All is well on board. This morning we moved to anchor at the BLA village. Garbage service, some fresh produce and (best of all) a restaurant with air conditioning and WiFi. Or, at least, so we're told. We'll know for ourselves soon enough. If sea and weather conditions permit we will stay here tonight but will probably move tomorrow. Maybe to Isla La Ventana. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 28º 53.592' N | 113º 29.34' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. All is also hot on board Milagro. The air temp is 98 and the water temp is 88. The humidity is low enough at 43% but it is still HOT! This afternoon we moved out of Puerto Don Juan in favor of La Ramona at the south end of the Bahia de Los Angeles. We'd been in DJ long enough, needed to run the engine to make water and, besides, others have reported 3 or more whale sharks at La Ramona every day. Hope to swim with the Ballenas Tiburon manana then we will probably move on to the village of BLA. No phone service in these parts but they do have an internet cafe there. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 28º 56.532' N | 113º 26.982' W | Milagro | All is well on board Milagro. Today we moved about 15 miles up the road to Puerto Don Juan in the Bay of Los Angeles. Light SE winds from 2 to 5 knots but we sailed the entire way anyway - slowly, of course. But the water was flat and it was nice. 95 degrees hot but the pool is 84 and boy does it feel good! Most likely we will be here several days. Hasta | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 28º 50.268' N | 113º 14.952' W | Milagro | All is well. After motor passage (wind <5kts & on the nose)we are anchored in tiny Animas Slot. No one else around for many miles. 5 different Dolphin shows today plus caught 2 dorado today, 1 37" & 1 48". After having caught 1 yesterday, yes, Judy is excited. May stay here for a couple of days before moving, probably go to Puerto Don Juan from here. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 28º 26.052' N | 112º 51.792' W | Milagro | All is well on board. Pre-dawn departure (0345) dodging many fishing boats (squid are running). Wind N from 0 to 15G20 seas from flat to short, steep 2' swells + wind waves to wind S 3 - 4 and seas glassy flat. Every kind of sail and/or motor combination well exercised. Passage was 75 NM, 13.8 hours. Caught small dorado nearing anchorage so fresh fish for dinner tonight. Anchored in SE corner of Bahia San Francisquito. Only comm now is VHF or HF radio. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 20.22' N | 112º 15.792' W | Milagro | All is well and we are in Marina Fonatur at Santa Rosalia, BCS. Should be here until Thursday or Friday of next week (July 10 or 11) and will have internet and cell phone service while we are here. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 43.722' N | 111º 54.288' W | Milagro | All is well on board. After a rolly night at San Nicholas today we proceeded to Conception Bay, site of an annual sailor's rendezvous and big 4th of July party. We wouldn't want to miss a big party, now would we? We are now at El Burro Cove inside Conception Bay. It is our current intention to continue North to Santa Rosalia very early on the morning of July 5th. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 32.04' N | 111º 28.482' W | Milagro | All is well onboard however we decided to move part way up the Baja a day early. This takes 2 hours off of a long day tomorrow. We are now at the South end of Bahia San Nicholas just North of Punto Pulpito. We will move again tomorrow morning to Santo Domingo, just inside the mouth of Bahia Concepcion. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 22.872' N | 111º 25.878' W | Milagro | That all is still well on board. Now anchored at Bahia La Ramada just a few miles North of our former anchorage but with less ocean swell. We will hang out here for a few days, probably moving again on July 2nd or 3rd. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 20.91' N | 111º 24.42' W | Milagro | That all is well on board Milagro. We are anchored in the South lobe of Caleta San Juanico about 25 nm North of Loreto. We are off the grid here so no comm other than HF radio. Probably will move again Sunday morning (tomorrow). Wind SE 10G20. OAT 89, water 85. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 6.318' N | 111º 17.46' W | Milagro | All is well onboard Milagro. As advertised, we moved this afternoon from the Loreto waterfront to Isla Coronados, about 6 miles NNE. While we can never be certain about these things, it is our intent to stay put here for at least 4 days. Pool temp is 86 so there should be some swimming going on. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.72' N | 111º 20.202' W | Milagro | All is well onboard Milagro. We are anchored in front of the town of Loreto. We will provision and do laundry then move on to Isla Coronados on Sunday afternoon (6/21) or Monday morning. In the meantime we have both Wifi and cell service. Woo Hoo! | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 52.188' N | 111º 13.038' W | Milagro | All is well onboard. We moved this morning (Saturday) about 10 miles north to an anchorage on the West side of Isla Carmen across (ESE) from the city of Loreto. Our expectation is that we will stay here until Tuesday, June 17th. Michael and Judy | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 43.44' N | 111º 14.16' W | Milagro | All is well. We are anchored in front of the Villa Del Palmar resort at Bahia Candeleros. We have wifi while we are here but no cell phone signal has been found. Should be here until Friday when we will likely continue north, maybe to Loreto. Michael and Judy | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 42.558' N | 111º 2.874' W | Milagro | Tuesday, June 10, 2014 All is well. Anchored at Yellowstone Beach on the north end of Isla Monserrate. Move again tomorrow to Candeleros. This is where the Villa Del Palmar resort is and Judy plans to take full advantage. Also, we will be able to access internet. There is marginal phone service so don't know if that will work or not. If Judy has her way we will be there 3 nights/2 full days but, we'll see. Michael & Judy | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 30.942' N | 111º 3.756' W | Milagro | Monday, June 9, 2014 1800 MDT All is well. Traveled today (Monday) from San Evaristo to Bahia Agua Verde. Aimed to stay at Los Gatos or Pto. San Telmo but SE swell made both unacceptable so had to keep on truckin'. Moving Tuesday AM to Yellowstone Beach on the north end of Isla Monserrate. Michael & Judy | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 31.986' N | 110º 22.866' W | Milagro | At 6/6/2014 1:20 PM (utc) our position was Anchored at Caleta Partida and all is well. Winds SSW 20G25. Air temp 76, water temp 81. May move to Isla San Francisco later today. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 54.0' N | 110º 42.0' W | Milagro | All is well. Traveled Sunday from Isla SF to San Evaristo. Met there with two other boats of friends & had nice evening. Leaving this morning for points north, probably Los Gatos or Punta San Telmo. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 49.002' N | 110º 33.0' W | Milagro | All is well. At 000 we are anchored on the east side of Isla San Francisco and planning to move to the anchorage at San Evaristo later this morning. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 31.986' N | 110º 22.866' W | Milagro | Anchored at Caleta Partida and all is well. Winds SSW 20G25. Air temp 76, water temp 81. May move to Isla San Francisco later today. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 19.146' N | 110º 19.872' W | Milagro | Thursday, 6/5/15, Anchored at Bahia Balena near La paz. On Friday night/Saturday morning (6/6/15 or 6/7/15) moving Saturday to Caleta Partida. All is well. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 9.3' N | 110º 19.566' W | Milagro | 27 May 2014, Marina De La Paz, slip #214. Working to get underway soon. | almost 10 years ago | Show |
