Mazatlan 4/12/99

[Todd writes] The trip from San Blas to Mazatlan was comfortable with light wind. A nice pod of dolphins kept us company for a while. We had one little fish hit the new fishing lure we got in San Blas. Hopefully we will get more. Morning found us at the anchorage just inside the breakwater for the commercial basin. It was somewhat crowded and not that pretty. However, the proximity to downtown Mazatlan is nice. We wanted to save the $20 that Marina Mazatlan charges to check a boat in by doing it ourselves. The process started with a stop at immigration, then to API to pay our $5 port fee and finally an hour wait at the Port Captain's office to get our paperwork stamped and signed. This took most of our first day and only saved us $15. Next time, if we were in a hurry we would let the marina do it for us.

After the checkin we had a nice lunch near the Theater downtown and did some shopping at the mercado. My new favorite fruit is the mango. Mazatlan mercado has the larger variety that are wonderfully sweet.

The next morning we motored up to Marina Mazatlan for some dock time. We finished our taxes and were able to send them with a couple that was flying back to the states. Our friends on Windward Luv are driving back to Truckee in a week so they offered to take some things with them. Now their truck is loaded up with our folding bikes, and our cool weather clothes. We don't know how we would have transported these things to Tahoe without them. Later we went for dinner at Fat Fish in the Zona Dorada with them and some of their friends who are travelling by RV.

Once the fuel tanks were full and had said bye to our friends we left the marina for Isla Venado. Dave who Ellen used to know through work in Portland and his wife were anchored their aboard their Cheoy Lee 32 "Emma" We potlucked for dinner. The fare included shrimp and smoked tuna tacos and a salad. The next day we cooked a large stack of pancakes before rigging the sailing dingy. Leane wanted to learn more about sailing so I taught her what I could in an afternoon with a small sailboat. This was useful since the dingy is simpler and when she made changes the response is obvious right away. Leane has a lot more confidence now.

Ellen and I readied Mandolin for the crossing to La Paz and now we are on our way. We were able to sail in the land breezes most of the day, but they slowed down as night set in. Now we are motoring under a starlit sky. The crossing of the Sea of Cortez has always been great for star gazing. Hopefully tomorrow will provide us with some more wind.

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