Tag: Antares

  • Checked Out & Waiting for a Window

    We continued work on the boat, amidst fun, this week.  I experienced the local health care system when I sought out an ophthalmologist for a vision issue that I wanted evaluated prior to crossing the Pacific.  I had developed a defect in my right eye visual field and was pretty certain I knew what it…

  • One Week Until Departure

    And the results of the Trashboat Regatta…Calder Hyer in 2nd place, a trophy now on our dash! Projects are getting checked off the list daily.  Chris replaced the line organizer turn blocks at the base of the mast.  These important parts direct all the lines from the cockpit to the mast and had become corroded…

  • A Week in the Life

    And…we are still at the La Cruz marina…preparations, preparations, preparations, and a bit of play.  Here is one full week of daily journal entries to give you a feel of our La Cruz dock life. It got a bit long! March 6, 2024 La Cruz has an active cruising kids group led by a passionate…

  • La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Bandaras Bay

    Underway from Chacala, motoring at first, started to play with our asymmetrical spinnaker in light winds, jibed around the point, and had a ripping sail as the winds built to 15-19 knots into the famous and busy Banderas Bay, making a steady 7 knots downwind to our destination of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.  We pulled…

  • Chacala, a Swell Anchorage

    After successfully pulling our anchor at Isla Isabel, we set off for the town of Chacala, 55 nm away on mainland Mexico.  Our start was a bit slow, dodging a fishing line (typically marked by jugs ranging from 1 L to 5 gallon plastic soda bottles), then having issues raising the screecher that kept getting…

  • 310-miles from Baja to Pacific Mexico

    6:45am, underway from Cardoncito (Isla Partida) to Isla Isabel with NW winds steady 15, gusts higher, and steep close together 5-7 foot seas.  We decided to go north around the tip of Isla Partida and then make a straight shot southeast across the Sea of Cortez to Isla Isabel.  In retrospect, this was the wrong…

  • Farewell (for now) Sea of Cortez

    Tomorrow, we leave the Sea of Cortez, heading toward mainland Pacific Mexico on our biggest passage thus far at over 300 miles, a two-night crossing.  We have travelled a total of 1,530 nautical miles as of today. Heading south in the Sea with buddy boat Kaaluna, we had a very productive trip to our anchorage…

  • Turning Our Bow South

    We now turn our bow south for the next leg of this journey, our next major provisioning stop on mainland Mexico in a couple weeks.  We also start more intense preparation for our upcoming passage across the South Pacific.  Our time here in the Sea of Cortez is coming to a close, as I marvel…

  • Some Serious Vacationing

    The Whitacre family of four (Heath, Marina, Elijah, and Gabriele) arrived from our hometown of Petersburg, Alaska and we commenced some serious vacationing!  Prior to their arrival, we did piles of laundry, loads of provisioning for four teens (who never got full), and cleaned the boat inside and out.  I managed to beat Chris (again)…

  • Loreto Area Excursions

    Tied safely to a mooring ball in Puerto Escondido, we rented a vehicle for a road trip to San Javier.  This spectacular, winding 1 hour drive through mountains and canyons led us to San Javier Mission (founded in 1699 with the stone temple built 1744-1748) tucked in a picturesque oasis of palms.  We explored the…