Canoe Boat Plans | Pilgrimage

Canoe Boat Plans

We have wanted to see more of the interior of Mexico and decided to take a road trip with our friends, Tom and Mary Ellen. We picked up a rental car in Puerto Vallarta and drove upcountry to San Sebastian del Oeste, arriving around eleven. Founded in 1605, San Sebastian was the center of mining for many years and in its heyday boasted a population of over 20,000 people, with 30 or so working silver and gold mines in the vicinity. It was the need for salt, which was used to extract silver from the ore that led to the founding of Las Penas, which later became Puerto Vallarta. The good times lasted until the early 1900’s when the city entered a steep decline. By then the mines were giving out and then the Mexican Revolution in 1910 finished the job. For the next 90 years the town slumbered and its population dwindled to only about 600 souls, with farming and cattle ranching as their primary means of sustenance. Today the town  is reawakening, with tourism as its economic engine. Its a beautiful place with an interesting history. Some of the buildings in town are over 200 years old. The church next to the town square dates from 1870 and is a splendid example of the architecture of that period, with its stone buttresses and magnificent bell tower.

Church in San Sebastian del Oest

We wandered around the square, checked out the church and soaked up the warm, dry air, which was a nice change from the humidity of La Cruz. San Sebastian sits in a small valley in the Sierra Madre at an elevation of about 4,500 feet above sea level.  The problem with San Sebastian is that it’s been discovered by tourists and, while there were only a few in town while we were there, there were busloads on the outskirts of town, and they filled the only good restaurant that we could find.

We left San Sebastian in the afternoon, driving up the winding road to the highway which took us south through the farming town of Mascota and on to Talpa de Allende, where we spent the night. Mascota is not a tourist destination, but it is a wonderful example of a working agricultural and ranching town. It was fascinating to see the local campesinos in their pickups and caballeros astride their fairly small horses riding around town. It reminded me of scenes in the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You could almost visualize the soldados opening fire as Butch and Sundance sat at an outdoor café eating their huevos rancheros.

Mascota Rooster

We didn’t stop in Mascota because we wanted to get to Talpa before sunset. About a mile out of Talpa we came to a roadblock manned by Policia Federales carrying M-16’s and sidearms directing us to turn right onto a dirt road. We bumped along for another couple of miles on dirt and cobblestones, taking a circuitous route into downtown Talpa.

There were thousands of Mexicans on foot converging on Calle Independencia, the main street leading into town and to the Catholic Church. Another squad of armed policias blocked the road at the entrance to the town, so I turned left and we found ourselves on a  narrow cobblestone street not much wider than a cow path, with not enough room to turn around so we continued on. The road got narrower, rougher and steeper, until we were driving uphill between two stone walls.  Luckily there was no oncoming traffic.  We drove around for half an hour and finally found a place to park and set out on foot to find a place to stay. There are plenty of hotels along Calle Independencia and it didn’t take long to find one with clean rooms and hot showers just a few blocks from the main attraction in town, the basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa, which houses the Shrine of the Virgin Rosario of Talpa. The Virgin is believed to have healing powers and is the object of the Peregrinos (pilgrims) who come from all over Mexico to seek solace from her.

Church in Talpa

We happened to arrive in town a week before St. Joseph’s day, which is the culmination of the pilgrimage, but already there were thousands of peregrinos in town. It was quite a spectacle as an endless stream of worshipers, some carrying banners, bouquets and other gifts for the Virgin marched past our hotel. Many carried walking sticks which are a symbol of the pilgrimage.  Some came individually and some as families. Still others came in organized groups wearing identical shirts and carrying banners announcing their home towns. Interspersed among them all were numerous mariachi bands. This procession started before dawn and lasted long into the night. To me, the town was bursting at the seams with people, but some locals told us this was nothing compared to the crowds that would be in town on St. Josephs day. Talpa was fascinating but it was difficult to see much of the city because of the crowds everywhere. As far as we could tell, we were the only gringos in town.

Peregrinos marching past our hotel

The next day we got back on the road toward our next destination. It too houses a shrine of sorts, and many people around the world have been known to make sacrifices of all kinds before its best known icon, Jose Cuervo. Our route took us through miles of farm and ranch country and all along the highway we saw people walking toward Talpa. Fifty miles away we could still see people walking along the road toward the shrine. Apparently its a sign of devotion to walk all the way to the shrine from home, no matter where that is. Some of the people walk the last mile or so barefoot and some even do the last few yards on their knees.

We arrived in the city of Tequila in the afternoon and found a hotel next to the central plaza and within walking distance of the Jose Cuervo distillery, where we took a tour and learned all about tequila. For me the situation was curiously reversed. I had expected peace and tranquility in the sleepy little town of Talpa and crowds at the other shrine, the Cuervo factory. But the town of Tequila was as quiet and peaceful as Talpa was crowded and boisterous. We were met by a young guide who showed us around the factory and explained the process of converting the thorny agave plant into tequila. We learned the different types of tequila and how to tell them apart. At the end of the tour she gave us a tasting, which was much like a wine tasting. It was a most interesting tour.

Sculpture Garden at the Cuervo Distillery

After a restful night in the elegant Plaza Jardin hotel, we got on the road back to Puerto Vallarta and made our own pilgrimage… to Costco.  For some reason Costco has many American goods that just can’t be found in other stores in Mexico, such as solid white albacore packed in water. In my opinion Mexican canned tuna is roughly equivalent to cat food. We loaded up on supplies and headed back to La Cruz where we found our boats safe and sound. 

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Canoe Boat Plans | Living in La Paz

Canoe Boat Plans

After our sojourn in the Central Sea, Finisterra spent a couple of weeks at Marina Palmira in La Paz where she underwent a thorough cleaning, had her motor serviced and was reprovisioned. When that was done we had some time to explore more of the city of La Paz and the East Cape region of Baja. But first some news:

About a month ago we decided it would be better to sail Finisterra back to California for the summer instead of leaving her here in Mexico. The reason for this change of plans is that after having lived aboard for six months and cruised over 4,000 miles, we have a pretty long list things we want to do to the boat, and it will be much easier and less expensive to do the work in sunny California instead of broiling Mexico over the summer. Some of the items on the list include replacing the teak in the cockpit and transom step, expanding the bimini and dodger, rebuilding or replacing the watermaker, etc. Of course we could do all this here in Mexico but wed have to spend the summer here.  We took a vote on that and agreed that its too bloody hot here in the summertime. So within a few weeks well head south to Cabo San Lucas, or more precisely Puerto Los Cabos, where well make final preparations for the long passage up the Pacific side of Baja to California.

In the meantime weve been getting to know La Paz. A couple of months ago I bought an air conditioner for the boat which has greatly improved our quality of life aboard. Outside temperatures recently have been in the 100-107 degree range with the sea temperature hovering around eighty degrees, so it can easily be a hundred inside the boat. The AC unit is just a little thing but it keeps the boat fairly comfortable during the day.

A few days ago we rented a car and took a drive around the East Cape from La Paz through Los Barriles and Cabo Pulmo, and on to San Jose del Cabo where we had a nice dinner. From there we headed west through Cabo San Lucas and then turned northward back toward La Paz.

There is a new marina under construction near Los Barriles that I wanted to check out. It took a while to find it but it was worth a look. The jetties and channels are all built, and there are a couple of floating docks with a few fishing boats, but aside from that its still desert. The master plan includes luxury homes and all the amenities that wealthy fishermen and vacationers expect, but by the looks of the place they are still a few years in the future.

Marina Ribera near Los Barriles has a few boats in it. Notice that there are no sailboats here.

The luxury hotels and condos are still a twinkle in the developers eye at Marina Ribera.

Unbeknownst to us, the paved road ended at the marina and for the next 51 miles it was dirt. Our little Nissan rental car handled it well for the most part, we only high centered it twice and returned it to the agency with the oil pan and suspension intact. We got back onto a paved road about five miles outside of San Jose del Cabo and cruised into town around 5:30. After a meal at a restaurant we used to frequent the last time we stayed in San Jose, we got back on the road and headed back to La Paz.

Usually the wild burros weve encountered in Mexico have been pretty skittish, but a few miles outside of San Jose we came across a half dozen of them on the road. There wasnt any skittish in these fellows except for the little guy pictured above.

Lisa wanted to take this one home but it wouldnt fit in the backseat.

After a few days in the marina we headed out to a place called Caleta Partida. Its a cove formed by the islands of Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida. The two islands are separated only by a narrow channel that is deep enough for a dinghy to pass through.

Caleta Partida is the cove to the west of the channel that separates two islands. We anchored a quarter mile west of the channel near the southern shore of the cove.

We arrived at 1400 and spent the afternoon swimming and exploring the channel between the islands. Later in the day a couple of sailboats entered the cove and anchored nearby. We are always careful about how we anchor, and whenever possible Ill swim out to the anchor and visually check that its well set. Knowing that a Coromuel wind was likely to arrive sometime around midnight, I made doubly sure about that. I hate having to get up in the middle of the night in 30 knots of wind to find that were towing our anchor across the bay.

Sure enough the wind showed up a little after midnight, blowing a steady 25-30 knots out of the southwest, with gusts up to about 38 knots. The boat that had anchored nearest us stayed put throughout the night but at dawn it began to drag. It was headed toward us and crossed our bow about fifty feet away moving stern-first toward shoal water which was another hundred yards or so to leeward. I was on the foredeck yelling at the boat and just as they passed by the owner came on deck and got the engine started. If they had dragged any further their anchor might have snagged our chain and taken us with them. By then we had our engine started and were ready to take evasive action. Fortunately they got their boat under control before there was any harm to themselves or us. They tried to re-anchor but couldnt get their plow type anchor to hold in that much wind. They eventually gave up and headed out to sea with the wind still blowing 30 knots...not a fun morning for them. We had seen the boat in Ensenada back in January. The owner told me he and his wife had been working on it for eight years and were finally ready to sail south and fulfill their cruising dreams. Like many boats we see cruising, they had added a whole lot of stuff on deck including four large solar panels on a big stainless steel arch, and lots of other toys on deck. All of this stuff adds weight and windage so though they probably had an anchor of a size that was recommended for that boat, it may not have been adequate for the way the boat was set up. We were fortunate that they didnt hit us and they were fortunate not to have run aground that morning. With all the money they had invested in their boat, they should have spent a bit more and gotten a ROCNA anchor.

Later that day we moved further north on Isla Partida to Ensenada grande where we spent a couple of relaxing days swimming and exploring. Now were back in La Paz and beginning preparations to head back to California.

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Pontoon Boat Plans | La Paz to Bahia de Concepcion

Pontoon Boat Plans

Ensenada Grande with mainland Baja in the background.

On Saturday, April 13^th we went grocery shopping at the local Mega, took a long swim in the pool and had dinner at Steinbecks. The next morning we checked out of Costa Baja and headed north to Isla Partida. In the Sea of Cortez the wind generally blows up the sea or down the sea. Today it was blowing down the sea so we motor-sailed directly into a 15 knot headwind and lumpy, choppy seas as we passed up the west side of Isla Espiritu Santo toward our destination of Ensenada Grande on the west side of Isla Partida, arriving in the late afternoon. There were a few other boats in the anchorage, but it’s a big enough bay that we were able to anchor in a fairly secluded spot close to some bluffs on the south side of the bay. The water was clear enough that I could see the anchor send up a cloud of sand as it hit the bottom 22 feet below the surface. This made the snorkeling great, and we saw lots of tropical fish and healthy looking coral. Later we took the dinghy around the southern end of the bay, past Punta Tijeretas and into the tiny cove of Las Cuevitas where there is a blue footed booby rookery. It’s not the nesting season now, but there were still a lot of boobies around. That night I set my alarm to wake up at 0200 so we could watch a total eclipse of the moon. There is something awesome about seeing a lunar eclipse from the deck of a sailboat where there is no light pollution from any nearby civilization.

Sunset is a perfect time for a paddle in Ensenada Grande.

I have no idea how these unusual rocks were formed but they are fascinating to explore.

While there, we hiked up the hills behind the bay and explored the strange rock formations that line the north side of the bay. When we got restless we sailed north again toward the fishing village of San Evaristo on the mainland of Baja.

With a nice breeze out of the southeast, we had a pleasant sail for about twenty miles then about six miles from the anchorage, the wind died and we began to motor. We had been trolling all day without a bite, but about four miles out, the reel lit up and we caught a 20 pound dorado.  This was our first fish of this kind and as soon as we got the anchor down in Evaristo I had the BBQ out and we had a fine meal of grilled dorado, wild rice and a fine bottle of pinot grigio, supplied by my friends at C1. Thanks guys!  We spent a couple of days in Evaristo then departed for Puerto Los Gatos, about thirty miles up the Baja coast.

We caught him just in time for dinner.

A dorados beautiful colors quickly fade when they die. After giving him a couple of shots of rum this fellow relaxed and died peacefully.

It was a beautiful starboard tack reach, with about 12 knots of wind out of the east under a hazy, somewhat overcast sky. I like the overcast because it provides some relief from the sun, which can be brutal here in the Sea. We approached Los Gatos from the southeast and saw a boat anchored in the far northern part of the bay, which is about half a mile wide. We anchored in the southern part of the bay, about as far from the other boat as we could get and were looking forward to a beautiful, quiet evening.  But within an hour three other boats came into the bay and anchored close enough that we could hear them talking as they enjoyed their sundowners.  A couple of them left early the next morning so we were able to explore this beautiful bay pretty much in peace and solitude. Different voyages have different flavors. The last time we were here, three years ago, we were delighted to have lots of friends from other boats around. This time, we have been inclined to seek the solitude of empty bays and quiet nights. 

Our dinghy is a speck on the beach at Los Gatos.

On Saturday, April 19^th we got the anchor up early and headed for Bahia Agua Verde, about 13 miles north. With three knots of wind out of the southeast, there was no point in trying to sail, so we fired up the diesel and a couple hours later we anchored about a hundred yards off the beach in Agua Verde. Since it was the day before Easter Sunday, the beaches in the fairly large bay were crowded with Mexican vacationers here to celebrate the holiday. The next morning we hiked into the country behind the little settlement. Aside from fishing, the locals raise goats, pigs and a few cattle. There is a school and church, along with a couple of small tiendas and a restaurant or two, so Agua Verde, though it has no cell phone or internet service is fairly cosmopolitan compared to most other places in this part of Baja California.

Later in the day we raised the anchor and continued north 22 miles to Puerto Escondido.  We arrived around 1700 and passed through the narrow channel into the lagoon that makes this place an excellent all weather port of refuge. The lagoon is over a mile long and half a mile wide and until recently had over a hundred moorings. Now there are only a few moorings left, and they don’t look well maintained. Ashore, things have declined from the last time we were here. There is still a boatyard with a Travelift and a floating dock and a few boats hauled out here, but the place is pretty desolate. The restaurant has closed down and so has the little tienda. Puerto Escondido should be a thriving community, but apparently there has been a lot of disagreement within the local business community and with the government which has had a bad effect on the village. We had hoped to stock up on fresh food and use the Internet here, but instead we spent one night in the lagoon tied to an iffy looking mooring and left the next morning for the town of Loreto, about 14 miles up the coast.

Puerto Escondido sunrise. Regardless of the business situation in the village, the scenery remains awe inspiring. 

There is a tiny harbor at Loreto but it is for the exclusive use of the local fishermen, so we anchored outside and took the dinghy into town where we had a nice meal at the Hotel La Mision, checked email and wandered around the town a bit before heading back out to the boat. While ashore we visited a unique museum of sorts, with the skeletons of whales and dolphins on display.  Back aboard Finisterra, we spent a peaceful night anchored outside the harbor, then left early the next morning for Caleta San Juanico.   

 The distance from Loreto to San Juanico is about 27 miles and with scant wind, we motorsailed the entire distance, arriving in the early afternoon. There were four or five boats anchored in the north end of the bay and a couple more at the south end, so we chose a nice spot just off the beach in the middle part of the bay, anchoring in about 15 feet of water. With a light breeze coming out of the southeast and crystal clear water, the swimming was delightful. Later we grilled the last of the dorado I caught a week ago for dinner. The next morning we were underway early for the 50 mile passage to Bahia de Concepcion.

Caleta San Juanico is dotted with rocky islets.

 The wind blew out of the northwest, exactly the direction we wanted to go, so we motored toward Punta Concepcion until we were a few miles out. Then the wind shifted to northeast and piped up to about 20 knots and we had a fast sail around the point and about six miles down the bay. Then we furled the sails and picked our way through the pass between Punta Piedrita and tiny Isla Pitihaya, toward Playa Santispac. There were several boats already at anchor there, so we bore away toward the little cove at Posada de Conception where we anchored in about 20 feet of water in the lee of some tall bluffs which offered good protection from the strong northerlies that sometimes blow down the Sea of Cortez. Finisterra was to remain at anchor here for the next nine days. 

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Boat Plans Butler | Blue Clipper Van de Stadt Legend 34

Boat Plans Butler

To kick off 1001 Boats I’ve chosen Blue Clipper a Van de Stadt designed Legend 34, built in 1970 by Tylers a famous UK yard.

E.G . Van de Stadt has a reputation for designing fast and sea worthy yachts and Blue Clipper was no exception, she was easily driven, close winded and comfortable. It’s only many years after she was sold and with the experience sailing many other boats that I realise how good and forgiving a boat she was.



What made her special is that in 1997/8 she carried Erica and I safely for ten thousand miles, sailing from Portsmouth, England, across the Bay of Biscay to Spain and Portugal, out into the Atlantic to Madeira and the Canary Islands, then south again to The Gambia in West Africa before crossing the Atlantic to arrive in Barbados. Our cruise in the “islands,” took us south to Trinidad and then north visiting most of the Antilles; the Windward and Leeward Islands, before returning back across the Atlantic, stopping at the Azores and finally returning to England.

Blue Clipper was a bit small, certainly compared to a modern 34 yachts, but she coped with light winds, huge ocean swells, what might have been pirates, gales and a frisky whale. She took us out of our comfort zone, stretched us as sailors and individuals, she will always have a place in our hearts.

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Kayak Boat Plans | Bahia de Concepcion to La Paz

Kayak Boat Plans

Bahia de Concepcion is dotted with rocks like this. 

On our way north, we were headed directly into the wind for nearly all of the distance between San Juanico and Concepcion, so I had hoped that wed have a fair wind for the southbound passage back to San Juanico. But it was not to be. We rounded Punta Concepcion and headed southeast toward our destination only to find the wind dead on the nose again. I needed to run the watermaker anyway so we motorsailed and over the next few hours refilled our water tanks. By noon the wind had backed around so we could sail and we arrived at Caleta San Juanico around 1700, anchoring just off the beach in the far southeast part of the bay. Earlier in the day we had picked up something on the prop and it vibrated a little when I put the engine in gear. The anchor had barely hit the bottom before Lisa jumped in the water and pulled a clump of seaweed off the prop.

The next day we were up early and cleared the rocks that lie off the southern end of San Juanico at 0900. Naturally the wind was out of the southeast, exactly the direction we were headed. So we motorsailed most of the way to Puerto Escondido, slowing down a bit as we passed the town of Loreto to grab some Internet time. This would be our last chance to download weather until we get to La Paz several days hence.

We arrived in Puerto Escondido in mid-afternoon and anchored in the lagoon. Loreto Fest was in full swing when we arrived so we went ashore to give it a look. It is hosted by the Hidden Port Yacht Club and some local businesses. Its a cruisers event with a few seminars,  bocce ball tournament and a few other games. There was a silent auction and swap meet, a band and plenty of beer and margaritas. It looked like the event was geared toward the permanent or semi-permanent denizens of the Sea of Cortez. Anyway, it didnt appeal to us and we were out of Puerto Escondido at 0700 the next morning, bound for Puerto Los Gatos.

Its always fun to explore the rocks of Los Gatos

With a 2-3 knot headwind, we motored all the way and were anchored in the north side of the bay around 1300. Los Gatos is a beautiful bay, about a mile long in the northeast-southwest direction and a bit less than half a mile deep. The high bluffs to the north offer good protection from winds from that direction but the bay is wide open to southerly and east winds. There is nothing here except pristine beaches, fantastic rock formations and crystal clear water. There was only one other boat anchored way over in the other side of the bay so we were all set to have a quiet evening aboard. But just about dusk I noticed that the other boat was under way. At first I thought he was heading out of the bay but then he turned toward us. Okay, I thought, he just wants to swing by and say "Hi" before heading out to sea. But no, he came right past us and anchored about halfway between us and the beach, his bow not fifty yards from our stern. Im not sure why.

Earlier in the afternoon a two fishermen came by in a panga and offered us a couple of live lobsters so we had an excellent grilled lobster dinner. The next morning they brought us three more bugs. Were living like kings out here in the boonies! During the day we hiked the shores of the bay.

The rock formations here are incredible. As far as I can tell, no one has ever lived here, and the land seems to be untouched by humans.

And yet, Nature toys with our imaginations. As the sun moved westward the shadows shifted to reveal a man and woman that have been sunbathing here for ages.

Finisterra in peaceful Los Gatos. The Sierra de la Giganta Mountains are in the background.

We departed Los Gatos early in the morning on May 5th, bound for Isla San Francisco. Our course was southeast so naturally the wind, what little there was of it, was coming straight out of the southeast so we puttered along all day and anchored in the beautiful cove called The Hook, on the southwest side of the island at 1600. The water was crystal clear and 80 degrees. Perfect for a swim. It was also about time to scrub Finisterras bottom so we got masks, fins, snorkels and cleaning utensils and gave her a good scrubbing. There were quite a few small barnacles that popped off with a plastic putty knife.

Another view of the majestic Sierra de la Giganta Mountains

Isla San Francisco is a popular place and there were half a dozen boats already anchored there when we arrived. Then around sunset the Safari Voyager came into the bay. Its a small cruise ship with a capacity of 64 eco-tourists. We were thinking it was going to be mighty crowded on the beach tomorrow morning but the ship left at dawn and we thought wed seen the last of them. So we got up early and went hiking, thinking we had the island pretty much to ourselves. But as we set off across the low isthmus that bisects the north and south parts of the island we spotted a line of tourists trekking across our path. The Voyager had simply gone around to the other side of the island, where there was less of a swell for the tourists as they came ashore in a pair of large inflatable boats.

Safari Voyager

Eco-tourists on the march. This is the view we were greeted with when we topped the first rise on the west side of the isthmus.

We spent a couple of days at Isla San Francisco then with a northwest breeze in the forecast we headed south to La Paz where we plan to stay for a couple of weeks. Once outside the bay, I was all set to hoist the mainsail when the wind suddenly turned around and blew out of the south against the prevailing northerly swell which made for a bumpy ride to La Paz. On the way we spotted "Venus", the mega yacht that was built for Steve Jobs anchored just outside the harbor.

Venus is 256 long and the interior styling was done by Philippe Starck, who also did the interior on our last boat, Honcho. Venus is reputed to have cost $100 million Euros.

As we approached the harbor entrance I radioed the harbor master at Marina Palmira that we were a few minutes out. She gave me our slip number and some other info and signed off. So were coming down the narrow channel at the marina entrance with a fifteen knot tailwind and a dinghy in tow when we noticed a man on the jetty waving to us. Lisa is the sociable one among us so she waved back. Then he started waving harder and she said "I think hes trying to tell us something", but we couldnt make it out, so she went up to the bow to try and get a better understanding of what he was yelling and then suddenly noticed a 15" dredge pipe laying all the way across the channel. So she started waving and yelling at me to "Stop! Back er down! Your gonna hit a pipe!". So I slammed the engine into reverse and managed to keep from hitting the pipe, but with fifteen knots up the bum and a dinghy in tow, we were in danger of getting sideways in the channel, which would have been a bad thing since we had rocks on one side and big motor yachts on the other. But I managed to keep the boat lined up in the channel and they moved the dredger enough that we could squeeze by it with three or four feet of clearance on either side.

After we got the boat in the slip, we went up to the office to check in. While we were waiting another boat radioed that they were coming in. I could hear their entire conversation and the nice lady told the skipper what his slip number would be, gave directions on how to get there and signed off without ever mentioning the dredger blocking his way. I told her it would be a good idea to advise the unsuspecting sailor that the channel was blocked. She agreed and made a halfhearted attempted to hail him on the radio, but by then he was most likely in the midst of trying to keep his boat from slamming into the dredge pipe and he didnt answer. You never know when sailing in Mexico is going to become an adventure!

Anyway, were enjoying la Paz and expect to be here for a couple of weeks. We plan to take in the sights, maybe catch a glimpse of the Mexico 1000 off-road race and tour the East Cape. 

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Boat Plans And Patterns | Opera Class

Boat Plans And Patterns

To the south west of Liverpool, the Wirral peninsular forms the northern shore of the estuary to the River Dee. The unique geography created a deep water sea-lake, the Hoyle Lake around which were established fishing communities and safe havens in the protected waters was far back as Roman times.

The Hoylake Sailing Club was established in 1887, in response to the silting up of the river and channel at the turn of the twentieth century the members decided to adopt a shallow draft boat which was suitable for the area. The boat they chose became the Opera Class, a 16 foot gaff rigged clinker boat, based on a design by club member Captain Winchester and built locally by another club member and boat builder Alex Latta.



The first race of the Opera Class took place in 1902 and boat numbers quickly grew to 17. The class celebrated its centenary in 2002 with 14 of the original boats still racing at Holylake Sailing Club, another boat "La Poupee" is on display at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.



In 1909 one of the class "Orchid" made a voyage to Ardrossan, in Ayrshire, Scotland and then acros the Irish sea to Ballycastle in Northern Ireland, a remarkable voyage for a 16 foot open boat.



All the photographs are kindly provided by John Hughes who sails his Opera Class Iolanthe, named after the operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Opera Class boats at Hoylake Sailing Club

1: Fidelio
2: Aida
4: Valkyrie
5: Country Girl
6: La Poupee
7: Princess Ida
8: Geisha
9: Carmen
10: Orchid
11: La Boheme
12: Betty
13: La Tosca
14: Silvana
16: Iolanthe
17: La Gioconda

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Plywood Boat Plans | In the sun!

Plywood Boat Plans

Enough said.

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Pontoon Boat Plans Aluminum | Isla Espiritu Santo

Pontoon Boat Plans Aluminum

The Honcho remained in La Paz three days longer than planned due to strong northerlies that blew 25 to 35 knots down the Sea of Cortez May 2-4. On Tuesday, May 5^th we cleared Punta Prieta and headed toward Puerto Balandra, planning to anchor there for the night, before heading north to Isla Espiritu Santo. There was still a large swell left over from the northerly blow which made Balandra an uncomfortable anchorage.  So we continued north across the San Lorenzo Channel and up the west side of the island. We looked in at Bahia San Gabriel on the southeast corner of the island, but being open to the south and west, it is not a good place to be when the Coromuel winds blow, so we continued north another four miles over a lumpy sea to a small inlet called Ensenada de la Raza, which is well protected from the north swell. 
The Honcho coasted into the cove and prepared to anchor in about 18 feet of water. As we rounded the boat into the wind and came to a stop I pressed the switch on the anchor windlass and nothing happened.  As it would soon be dark, I quickly got out the spare chain and rode and within a few minutes we were safely anchored in the cove and sitting in the cockpit with a glass of wine and watching the sunset while I pondered the windlass malfunction. We were planning to spend the next six weeks anchoring in at least a dozen places and I did not relish the idea of using our backup ground tackle without a windlass instead of the high strength chain in a bunch of remote places.  So, reluctantly, I decided we’d have to return to La Paz to get it repaired.

After a peaceful night on the backup ground tackle, early the next morning we headed back to La Paz, taking a berth in the Marina de La Paz, which is right near downtown, where all the stores and chandleries are located. I tore into the windlass and quickly discovered that the wiring had corroded and used the rest of the day to find some heavy gauge marine wire and rewired the system. We spent the night in the Marina and departed the next day, anchoring for the night in Puerto Balandra.

The next morning we got under sail around 1100, bound for Caleta Partida, which is a beautiful anchorage nestled between the northern tip of Isla Espriritu Santo and the southern tip of Isla Partida. It was a beautiful sail under light winds and a perfectly flat sea.  We came to anchor in three fathoms in the southeast reach of the bay, where there is good protection from the Coromuel wind, which amounted to about 20 knots that night.

We spent the next couple of days exploring the bay and a couple of nearby coves. I took a lot of photos but the camera can’t really capture the stark majesty of the scenery here. The landscape is desert, with a variety of cactus and other flora. The sea is filled with a variety of tropical fish and other sea life, which makes snorkeling a fascinating voyage of discovery every time we don mask and fins.  With temperatures on the boat in the eighties, and warmer ashore, our routine is to go ashore in the early part of the day, take a swim and siesta during the hotter midday, and, as often as not, socialize with the other yatistas who happen to be in the anchorage around sunset.  

On Sunday, May 8^th, the Honcho cleared the mouth of Caleta de Partida, short tacking in a light westerly breeze, on a course toward the small Isla San Francisco, about 21 miles away.  As the day wore on the wind shifted first to the northeast, then south, and eventually died and we motored the last seven miles, anchoring at the Hook at 1445.  Along the way we caught two small skipjacks, which we released, and narrowly avoided hitting a Blue whale that, seemingly oblivious to the Honcho, crossed our bow about 40 feet away.  The Blue whales, of which we’ve seen a few since entering the Sea, are different from the exuberant Humpbacks that we experienced earlier in the year.  Reportedly the largest animal ever to live on this planet, the northern hemisphere Blue can reach a length of about 100 feet and weigh up to 400,000 pounds. It feeds by taking a massive gulp of seawater then using its tongue to force it out through its baleen which acts as a strainer, thus capturing tons of krill and other small sea life.  While capable of high speeds, they usually travel at speeds of four knots or less, so the Honcho, which moves faster than that, must take care not to overrun one of these animals. 

It was a pleasant passage to Isla San Francisco, where we remained a few days enjoying the hiking, swimming and company of friends.  

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Boat Plans Bateau | Ensenada de los Muertos to Puerto Balandra

Boat Plans Bateau

The Honcho arrived at Ensenada de los Muertos in the middle of the night, anchoring well out in the bay. The next morning we moved in closer to the beach and, thrilled with the clear and warm water as well as the lovely view from the cockpit, we quickly donned mask and fins and cruised among the reefs and shoals along the edges of the bay. Later we took the dinghy ashore and explored the pristine beach as far south as the Bahia de los Suenos Hotel. We wandered up to the hotel which is perched on a rise a quarter mile back from the beach. We explored the grounds and bought a beer in the lounge. The place was exquisite, but empty so I asked the bartender if we could take a dip in the pool. He said, "Sure, certainly, go right ahead." So we spent a couple of hours sipping beers and swimming in the pool, vowing that wed come back to this place again.

Dirt road from the beach to the hotel

View from the pool

Overlooking the bar is a vast model railroad with multiple levels and various gauges of track. Very cool.

We spent a couple of days in Ensenada de los Muertos, then headed north toward Puerto Balandra, about 45 miles away. To get there, our course took us north past Punta Arena de la Ventana, where we entered the famous, or notorious, Canal Cerralvo (Cerralvo Channel), leaving Isla Cerralvo to starboard. Sailing on a NNW course we passed Punta Coyote and entered the Canal de San Lorenzo, which passes between Isla Espiritu Santo and the mainland of Baja California. This channel runs in an east-west direction, and opens into the broad Bahia de La Paz. Passing through the channel, the view of the bay was fabulous. We bore off around Punta Tecolote and entered the picturesque bay called Puerto Balandra. We are now in the region where the Coromuel winds blow, so we came to anchor in the lee of the hills in a cove on the southwest side of the bay. Coromuels are winds that blow out of the southwest at night. In this bay they begin around 1900 in the evening, and blow throughout the night and into the morning, averaging 18 to 25 knots. Tucked in fairly close to the land, we experienced plenty of wind, but flat water, so in spite of the wind, nights have been comfortable here.

The water here is crystal clear and reasonably warm, 70 to 72 degrees. Snorkeling around the underwater rock ledges was an awesome experience, with clouds of brightly colored tropical fish all around. Well stay here for a couple of days, then head into the city of La Paz.

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Boat Plans Wood | The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow

Boat Plans Wood

Since Im on the road all the time, I tend to do a lot of reading to pass them time.  This is good, but its also not-so-good as I get to daydreaming about my unfinished Goat Island Skiff.  However, sometimes a book comes along that not only motivates, but helps embellish daydreams and pass the time.

I just finished reading this whimsical adventure book, and I highly recommend it to my fellow small-boat aficionados.  The author takes his 11 Mirror Dinghy from Northern Wales in England, down to the Channel via rivers and canals, then crosses the Channel into France.    Once in France he sails and rows his way across the continents surprisingly extensive canal and river system until he gets to the Danube and takes it to the Black Sea.  Filled with fantastic literary references (hes an English Lit. teacher), sailing, rowing, high adventure, and out-loud laughing points, I enjoyed this book immensely.

This book gets me all the more excited for my Super-Secret Summer Adventure that I am planning in my Goat Island Skiff.  Tally-ho!

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Boat Plans Bruce Roberts | Mazatlan to Ensenada de los Muertos

Boat Plans Bruce Roberts

The Honcho was in the Mazatlan area for about three weeks, and while it is a beautiful city, we were ready to leave. I really enjoyed the old town and the crisp weather there, but the marina had a different atmosphere from La Cruz. It is older and quieter, with less to do that is within walking distance than Marina La Cruz. The murky, slimy water in this marina was by far the worst we’ve experienced and we were certainly ready for someplace new, preferably a place with warm, clear water, beach palapas, and a view.  So at 1800 on Saturday afternoon, April 16^th, we checked out of the marina and, motoring against a three knot current, headed out of the harbor toward a little place called Ensenada de los Muertos, on the southeastern coast of Baja California.

Mazatlan Cruising Yacht

Unfinished waterfront mansion near the marina. It was eerie to wander around this place that was once someones dream home but is now becoming a ruins.

Looking back toward the pretty Mazatlan skyline, it was a bittersweet feeling to know that our time on mainland Mexico is over.  With scant wind, we motored westward into the setting sun, looking forward to an easy 190 mile passage to the Bay of the Dead. Just after sunset, a full moon rose over the eastern horizon, giving us a glorious night of sailing. Our course took us slightly north of west, and at 2230 we crossed 23 degrees, 26.25 minutes north latitude, which is the Tropic of Cancer, taking us out of the tropics and into the sub tropic zone.  

Mazatlans Gold Coast

When the sun rose the following morning we were forty miles offshore and the sea had turned from a murky green to a deep clear blue.  By 0900, a warm southerly breeze came up and we spent the rest of the day on a beautiful beam reach in 10-15 knots of wind.  We started trolling with a Mexican lure on 40 pound test line around 1000 in hopes of finally catching a dorado, but after three hours without a bite, I had forgotten that it was there.  Suddenly the reel lit up and I could tell by the way the line was zinging off the reel, we’d hooked something big.  I grabbed the rod and tried to reel it in, but got nothing. Then I saw why as a 5-6 foot marlin launched out of the water on our starboard beam.  There is no way we could handle a fish like that on the Honcho so I reached for the pliers to cut the line. By this time the fish had reversed course and once again launched out of the water a hundred feet off our transom. I managed to cut the line before he took all of it off the reel. The entire episode happened in the span of about ninety seconds. We were thrilled by the sight of such a fish, but glad to let the big fella go.

By nightfall, we were about forty miles from Bahia de los Muertos, still with a fine southerly breeze. We were greeted by another full moon in a cloudless sky just after the sun sank below the horizon. We had Polaris and the Big Dipper on our starboard beam, but the Southern Cross was no longer visible, being now well below the southern horizon.  It was interesting to see that the sea temperature rose from around 62 to 71 degrees as we sailed out of the Pacific Ocean and into the Sea of Cortez.

Around 2200, the wind dropped to almost nothing and we began motoring the last twenty miles toward Bahia de los Muertos.  At 0300 we slowly crept into the anchorage and dropped the hook.  The white sand beach and low hills surrounding the north and west sides of the bay were beautiful in the moonlight. We’re finally in the Sea of Cortez.

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