Three months in San Carlos

Landfall mainland Mexico!

We arrived in San Carlos (in the state of Sonora), Mexico safe and mostly sound after having departed Bahia Concepcion at 0400 and arriving a little over 12 hours later on July 29th.  We met up with s/v Shearwater (Eric & Pati) and dropped anchor nearby in San Carlos Bay.  The marina was but a quarter of a mile away, at best.  We were tired, so we just had a beer and a bite to eat and hit the sack.



The following morning, we dropped the dinghy in the water, lowered and mounted the outboard and hooked up the gas tank.
During the following three months, a lot of repairs (mostly minor) were completed, new friends were made, we had reunions with old friends as well.  We attended a few events, had the opportunity to survive a tropical storm, enjoyed some great food, and good company.  We also started walking again after we tied to the dock, and our feet logged some 118 miles in Sep & Oct!

The entire month of August was spent at anchor in the San Carlos Bay.  We really enjoyed the peace and quiet during the week.  On weekends, we sometimes thought we were back in Cabo San Lucas Bay, getting rocked and rolled by the charter boats, water ski boats, jet skis, and pangas heading out & back from fishing trips.  The bay is normally quite calm and well protected.  We really enjoyed it.

Shearwater and Shakedown (background)

The bay is also very photogenic, but we felt there simply wasn't enough room to include the other 100 or so photos in this blog.  We spent quite a bit of time driving the dinghy into the Marina and parking it at the dinghy dock to gain access to shore service.  Of course the first order of business was to find an ATM, which we did.  It was attached to the new (and only) bank in the town of San Carlos.  It was only a mile and a quarter hike.

And as we hiked, we started to get a feel of what it was going to be like during our stay.  We came to San Carlos to spend the hurricane season away from the normal paths of previous hurricanes.  So we knew we were going to be here for about three months.





We caught up with Mark & Cindy on Delta Swizzler, snugged up in the Marina, and had a reunion dinner at Shots Restaurant & Bar.  We also met the owners, John and Judy Harris.

Reunion feast at Shots

We were able to gather together with friends at Hammer Heads restaurant & bar to watch opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics.  Had a great time oooohh-ing and aahhh-ing

Let The Games Begin!

We had a couple of small incidents during the month.  Early in the second week, the wind kicked up to about 28 knots and we started dragging.  Turned on the engine, pulled the anchor, and discovered it was "fouled" with old mooring line wrapped around it, preventing the anchor from resetting.  After cleaning the line off the anchor, we reset and it held the remainder of the month.  Late in the month we were visited by a Chubasco (strong, short-period thunder storm).  We failed to pull down our shade awning over the foredeck in time and it was ripped apart in two locations and finally got hauled down.  A week later, it was repaired (by Nancy) and we hung it back up.

Our good friend Pat Waddell, skipper of s/v Ballena showed up to haul out and have his boat bottom fixed up.  A few weeks later, he was delivered back from the yard and we gave him a small hand with the relaunch.

Being lowered in by trailer

Ballena back where she belongs.  (Hal in orange shorts)

Sam and Myron stop by to enjoy the show

Pat starts engine and is happy camper

Wally and Samantha

Wally and Pat ready to take boat back out to the bay

Early September brought us Newton.  He was NOT a welcomed visitor, to say the least.  But just before he arrived, we attended a music concert at a beach bar a few miles north of San Carlos.  It featured our new friends Luis Quijada (who was featured singer/guitarist at Shots Restaurant on Tuesday and Thursday evenings) and his girlfriend, Cynthya Valdiosera.  Luis' daughter was the featured (opera) singer, with Luis' band providing the music.

Luis playing at Shots

Luis and his band at Soggy Peso concert

Owner of Soggy Peso introducing the band

Because of the forecasted track of hurricane Newton showed "him" to have turned in a northeast direction, he was now making a target of the Guaymas/San Carlos area.  We were lucky to get a slip in the marina to be able to ride the impending storm out tied to something more solid than an anchor.  As it turns out, almost all boats anchored out ended up coming into the marina, "just to be sure".  A few unattended boats remained on their mooring balls.  

The morning of the 6th, a diver previously hired to clean our boat's bottom of barnacles, etc., showed up at 9:30 a.m. even though the heavy overcast had created a threatening mood.  But he got the job done in about two hours and headed home, 600 pesos better off.  The wind had already increased enough to begin making noises in the rigging and the docks were heavy with activity.  Double checking dock lines, doubling up where necessary, checking neighbor's boats if owners were absent (which many were), checking again.  As the day progressed, we'd heard that what was a Hurricane crossing the middle of the Sea of Cortez, had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm.  Little comfort, but potentially less damage.  The full force of the storm seemed to be over us late in the afternoon, increasing winds hourly.   At 10:25p.m., there were several, what we thought were lightening strikes, but were actually some large transformers or electrical transfer stations blowing up.  Within seconds of these flashes, power shut down and everything was black as far as the eye could see.  We boaters are grateful for our onboard generators, so it was no problem for us.  We also lost water pressure on the docks because the pumps providing water also were denied electricity.   

The wind, which had reached sustained speeds of 40-45 mph, with gusts of 55 mph finally started subsiding and was diminished enough by 4:30 a.m. that allowed us "dock walkers" to get some shut-eye.  Our friends Carolee and Jay Tyson (s/v Shameless) produced a video of the event, posted to You Tube.  It pretty much tells the story, and they did a wonderful job putting it together.  Thanks, you two!  The link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwI3ZIAhzJ4

Jay & Carolee (front) producers of the Newton video

Mid month brought Mexican Independence Day, which was a big deal here.  Lots of flags flying, lots of parties planned.  We were invited by Luis & Cynthya to a "real Mexican Independence Day Party" at Cynthya's brother's house in San Carlos.  We gladly excepted and looked forward to being party of a family affair.  We got there, were introduced to the what appeared to be the extended family (and friends) of about 40 people.  The food and drinks were fantastic, and the Marimba Band appeared and got the night going.  Suffice it to say, when we got dropped off at the boat at 4:00 a.m. or so, we had survived a Mexican fiesta!

The Karyoke machine was for later and into the wee hours

The following Monday, Nancy started water aerobics classes....and rounding out this month, we revisited Soggy Peso (which had reportedly destroyed by Newton earlier) and celebrated Samantha Terry's birthday.  Samantha & Myron, Sam's husband, (s/v Discovery) were our next-door neighbors right after the storm and old acquaintances from Bahia Concepcion days. 

Birthday girl

Lisa (s/v Wind Charmer), Carolee and Samantha

Sam and Myron

Kite surfing near the beach

The entertainment

The beach with the "backside" of Tetakawi "hill"

End of Day

October saw us walking, taking pictures, hanging out with other cruisers and friends.

One of the homes overlooking the bay

Another home overlooking bay

And yet another of the many homes overlooking the bay

If you look hard in the background, Shakedown becomes
part of "the view"

Birthday BBQ at the Bahia Condos

Some guy showing off at the pool

Birthday Girl Shirley and husband Dan

Walking to Marina Real

Arriving at Marina Real after some three miles of hoofing it.

The hotel pool where we spent many an afternoon

Looking back at road we're climbing

Turned around and this is what is before us

Finally, the top is near, but gate was closed

Peeking through the gate at Sea of Cortez

A couple of 4-leggers grazing along the roadside

Farewell dinner for Shearwater & Delta Swizzler crews

Shakedown at her slip in Marina San Carlos

View from inside bus enroute through Guymas

Never could figure out what the significance was

Old defunct bank building

Three Presidents Plaze Guaymas

The Fonatur docks in Guaymas

On the Malecon in Guaymas

The Malecon, Guaymas

Church near end of Malecon

Park across from Church, Guaymas

More replacing rotten wood on "the roof" of boat.

See previous caption

Walked past this construction for two months

They finally filled all these cages with rocks

Nancy's favorite row of bushes/tres to sniff the flowers

These are the flowers "Rain of Gold"

Another view of Shakedown in her slip, with s/v Discovery
(Myron & Samantha) on the right

Taking the "old road" towards the high rise condos

Taking the high road back from the high rise condos

Our friend, captured at Hotel Buenaventure near
Isla Requeson in Bahia Concepcion

A last trip up the hill to take in the view

Marina San Carlos and San Carlos in the background

 We invited Luis and Cynthya over for a dinghy cruise and dinner, which they accepted and so we did.  We didn't bring our camera on the cruise, but Luis took a pile of photos, but we haven't received a copy as of this writing.  We ourselves were negligent in even taking much in the way of photos while they were onboard.  But we had a great time!

Luis and Cynthya aboard Shakedown

The following day, after having taken them up on their kind offer for a field trip, Luis and Cynthya picked us up and we headed to ....

The Welcome sign

Not only was there a hiking/climbing trail into the canyon, but there were five zip-lines cris-crossing the canyon.  We chose not to zip line this day.

Nancy, Luis, and Cynthya starting out
(camera man trailing)

Trees growing out of the cliff

Nancy, Luis, and Cynthya take a moment to clown
for the camera

Cynthya and Nancy resting

  Not to deny anyone of our presence, we were invited, and attended the Shots Restaurant & Bar 1st anniversary bash.  It was all party too!

Proprietor John catching his breath 

View from outside dining area

Nancy seems to be enjoying the festivities

The 'DJ"

Judy and a friend hamming it up

Our waiter gets some pointers from "Mr. Know It All"

The hamming it up business continues

While, outside, the band plays on

The owners (Judy and John) pause for a split second

Nancy receiving rules for the Pinana bashing

We had a WONDERFUL tine!  Thanks John & Judy!

We decided a new custom mattress was needed for our forward bunk space.  The old one just didn't fit any more (too small) after some modifications were made to the base under the mattress.  An upholstery man (Jose) just happened to be walking around to advertise his services and he knocked on our boat.  Since we were planning on going out over the cruiser's net the following morning to ask for recommendations for an upholstery person, he had perfect timing.  He came back the following morning to measure, and four days later delivered the finished product.  We were happy.  

The new "bed" is now 4" wider...a major improvement

Our intention right now is to depart the slip tomorrow morning, hang out at anchor Saturday night and depart San Carlos about 0600 Sunday morning and head for Topolombomo, which is about 30 hours south along the coast of mainland Mexico.  The forecast looks good and perhaps we might finally be able to sail for more than an hour at a time.....Cheers!