Kaukoe is underway towards Chamela in light winds and sunny weather. In fact, by 1421Z Tom had to go above to start the engine and lower the mainsail. The distance between the two lagoons is about 40 miles. They already have their blue fin for dinner, having caught it shortly after they departed.
Yesterday they walked into town, had lunch, and bought some Mescal (cactus juice). It can't be called tequila unless it's bottled in Tequila. Before leaving town they bought 1/2kg of shrimp for dinner.
Grant KT6L provided some history on the terms 73 and 88: Before extensive telephone networks and in the early days of radio, many messages were sent by radio operators. To provide some structure and help keep track of things, these messages were assigned numbers. Somehow the message 73 came to be known as goodbye, so long, etc., and message 88 was a more loving goodbye. These numbers stuck with the operators and have been passed on from one generation to the next. Today it is still common to sign off with 73's.
73 or 88...depending upon who you are...
Picture a quiet Lagoon. The water is clear and calm. The temperature is climbing towards the 80's. Tracy is dangling her feet in the water, playing with dolphins as they swim around Kaukoe. No one should be having that much fun. Last night, after playing cards, they went topside and looked at the wind indicator. They were amazed to see several small birds twirling around on it riding it just like a merry-go-round. At times the birds moved in to slow it down and then they would all move out and let the speed build up. One was not into the sport and sat patiently on a nearby support.
They revisited Tenacatita, having just been there between the 4th and 9th of February. Today will be packed with more surfing, possibly some fishing, etc. Tom also surfed yesterday afternoon. Conditions were small but with good form.
Daughter Karin got her first chance to talk to the crew yesterday afternoon. She's making final preparations before leaving for Ashland Oregon, her new home.
My goodbye yesterday is a radio term meaning just that: goodbye or see you next time. I have forgotten the origin of "73's", maybe one of the hams can refresh my memory. When sent in CW, it is very fast and universally recognized.
Kaukoe is heading for Tenacatita, having finally finished with repairs, maintenance, and fun times in Barra de Navidad. Tracy checked all rigging and wiped down everything up and down the mast yesterday. They made special arrangements to have 20 gallons of filtered water brought to a boat which then delivered it to Kaukoe. And, best of all, thanks to Allen Wellington, they saw and bought some Chocolate Clams and later gobbled them up. They both send big thanks to you Allen!
Tom continues to talk to other hams including some on 30M using CW. It was his first time on 30 and he really enjoyed it. He's trying to get me to meet him there, but my CW is more than a bit rusty.
If you are still stumped on the closing signature the other day VI Ses Snart Igen
, it is Danish and means We (will) see you again soon.
El Tiempo no es importante. Schedule? What schedule? Leave whenever you want to. One of the big benefits of the trip: There's NO ONE to be accountable to. Kaukoe will spend one more day in Barra de Navidad. The official and initial reason was that they wanted to check the rigging all the way up the mast. This task will be done by "Volunteer Tracy" who is hoisted up in a Bosun's (canvas) chair to the top of the mast with Tom on the other end of the rope.
They watched the parade with floats and the beauty contest for King and Queen. This was the finale to the celebration and festival. Tom went surfing again. He really likes this area for surf.
Now for the real reason for staying... yesterday they found a little place that makes the best chocolate milk shakes. These probably cost a few more pesos than beer, but I bet thay they'll be back today for just one(?) more before heading north.
Tom's Uncle Joe was one of the people from CalTrans on the scene of San Diego's newest "sink hole" in Murphy Canyon yesterday. The hole is now 700' long by 60' and 70' deep. It runs under the Balboa onramp and extends from I-15 to Balboa Avenue. The cause was a broken water main, not El Niño. The five or so houses in Del Mar that lost patios were partially destroyed yesterday by a higher and stronger tide. Today promises an even higher tide with bigger surf around 8:16AM.
Tom and Tracy made two trips to shore yesterday. First time was to drop off 6.5kg of dirty laundry and register with the port captain; when they arrived Friday it was too late and the office was closed. Later on they returned with the crew from the vessel Wind Dance they had met in Cabo San Lucas for dinner and drinks. The festival was still going on last night, including a parade to Malaque.
They are still planning on departing tomorrow for Tenacatita, so when we talk in the morning they will be underway. We started a list of parts to order and bring when we meet them in Puerto Vallarta. Because they've used the engine much more than expected, all three filters (fuel, air, and oil) need to be changed. In addition, the water maker needs new seals.
I gave them some numbers about California's weather.
Vi Ses Snart Igen!
(the fisrt person to successfully translate the above greeting will be duly noted!)
Kaukoe will depart Barra de Navidad Wednesday for Tenacatita. Sunday they went into town for the Costa Legra carnival and associated festivities...had a nice dinner in town and returned to their vessel. Once again it is a somewhat major event to go ashore. They are close to land in the lagoon, but the row to town and an area where they feel safe leaving the dinghy is much farther - thirty minute row with calm water, up to 45 minutes with any chop and/or wind. Tracy found some new motion sickness medicine and is "testing" it before needing it again. Apparently this medicine is made in Europe and is not yet available in the states.
Gary and Pat listened in for the first time this morning on their radio complete with new antenna. And, I completely forgot to acknowledge them! Sorry 'bout that! Once again, Kaukoe has made a bargain purchase in their ongoing effort to keep expenses down: a case of beer. The per bottle cost = 5pesos. Three pesos for the beer, 2 for the deposit. At 8.4 pesos to the dollar, the beer costs $0.36 and the deposit is $0.24. Financially responsible Tom is drinking the beer as fast as possible to save money quickly! Think about those prices the next time you pay $2 to $3 for your "premium" beer from Mexico!
Anyone following the Whitbread around the world Race will relate to this quote from Peter Blake, a skipper aboard Ocean ConQuest:...it's blowing hard, with black snow squalls coming in from behind. And the yacht is on the verge of being out of control. The spray coming over the windward deck is turning to ice. The decks are covered with ice. The coils of rope in the bottom of the cockpit are full of snow. And it's so bitterly cold.
This is the leg
from New Zealand to Argentina. Doesn't sound like much fun does it?
Just like returning to home... Kaukoe is once again anchored in the Lagoon. Tom went surfing yesterday and ran into some guys from Maine. That's not unusual except they were all former Californians and all but one DROVE from Maine to Mexico.
Back to Manzanillo for a minute. Tracy told us they were just getting ready to play cards after dinner when they heard a call being made by a nearby boat on VHF. They called one boat, then another and another. Each time the voice sounded more desperate. Tom answered to find out they were taking on water and fast. One of their through hull connections had snapped and water was raising in the bilges about 1" per minute. Everybody pitched in, got the hole plugged and helped with the cleanup. You can guess what Tom and Tracy were doing the next morning! For safety, they have wooden plugs located at every "through" connection. The have a total of 6; 3 in the head, two in the cockpit and one for engine coolant.
Upon returning to Barra de Navidad, they are once again taking watches at night because of the problem from before about the attempted theft of the dinghy. Tom had the 4-5AM watch today. A casual day is planned. They will go ashore and enjoy the day and the sun. I updated them on Olympic standings and the actions of a few on the Hockey team.
Patty leaves for Taos in about an hour. Her presence will be missed during this next week by all.
Kaukoe has made the turn. All the black map pins we've been putting on our reference map will now be white for Kaukoe's trip north. I was mistaken in the fact they saw the dancers in paper mache. They did not. The tickets they bought were for gambling and because they kept buying them they were getting free beers and a three-course meal, eventually.
Yesterday was mostly spent on the beach by La Hada hotel. Tracy swam and basked in the sun (sun, what's that?) while Tom did some surfing. Tracy apparently attracted the attention of a precocious Iguana that came too close to her chair and sent her into the pool, swimming out to an island in the center. I didn't get her comments (defense?) as she was at the helm this morning; so consider the source when pondering this story. The balance of the day consisted of the routine buying of goods, getting more pesos from the ATM, and doing laundry to prepare for today's trip.
Their weekly schedule with Denis has been moved to Monday at 0100Z, as he will be out of town on Sunday. For anyone that can listen at that time, they will be on 14.280Mhz +/-. Bill, K6DQ, if you're around, please break in and say Hi. Bill was the centerfold of the local ham radio DX journal this month. He has an impressive career with the Navy and a choice site in Coronado filled with first-rate equipment.
Tom and Tracy headed to shore early Wednesday, so we did not make contact yesterday. They took the bus to Colima to tour the city and surrounding area. Their first stop was an archeological museum. From there they walked about 1.5 hours to an active dig site. Many of the pots and pieces they saw and read about in the museum had come from this particular dig. This areas is also famous for the pot-bellied dogs of Colima. They are part of the hairless breed that the Mexicans specially fattened for consumption by forced feeding like Strasbourg geese. They are depicted sleeping, playing, growling, and in many other moods.
Wisely they now took a taxi to "Majingas" and arrived just at Siesta time. They wandered around a festival area and found some locals who seemed surprised to see 2 fair skinned gringos in their midst. T&T bought 2 tickets, thinking it was for entrance to the festival - Wrong! Then, they thought it was for 2 beers. Wrong! Turned out the tickets were for a drawing to be held later. The festival resumed and there was activity with people dressed in paper macheté costumes.
Radio band conditions got bad after that and we all but lost them in the noise. We will contact again on Friday @ 1500Z (7AM PST). Welcome to Sallie and Allen Wellington (our second dentist on board!). They plan to sail this trip next year at this same time. They have been to many of these area before and have given us valuable information about the area and conditions. Allen already has a limited ham license. I passed information on to Tom from Allen about the delicious clams called "Chocolates". Allen says they are the best and plentiful but very fast when they know a diver is near. Tracy also noted the abundance of Monarch butterflies that have recently migrated to Colima.
These tidbits of information I pass on come not from my vast storehouse of knowledge, but from my trusted and very able assistant Patty (Wife to those we haven't met!). Each morning, she sits nearby listening and talking and researching the area with her maps and books. My thanks to her for the quality input!
Anyone that has seen the movie "10" will recognize the domed architecture of the Las Hadas resort. Our friends Tod and Sara honeymooned there as well. It's just north of Manzanillo Bay on the Santiago Peninsula. Anchorage fee is $34p per day.
Colima translates from the ancient Indians to a place conquered by our ancestors. Manzanillo translate to chammomile (as in the tea). It is a major port and has a commercial sector on the South end that unfortunately spews black smoke. Tomorrow Tom & Tracy plan to go to the city of Colima. They are in the state of Colima, as well.
Present GPS reading is 104d 21' and 19d 06' which may well be their most southerly destination. They loaded up on provisions yesterday and are stocked for the return trip to Puerto Vallarta. The state's population in 1990 was 428,000.
Tracy had a funny story to tell: she and Tom were in a restaurant when a man approached Tom, admiring his surfing T-shirt. He wanted to buy it and offered a lot of money considering it had some holes in it. Tom said he only had a few T-shirts, so they traded. The shirt Tom got was newer and without "holes".
Tom is becoming an expert at filleting fish, now reaping all the meat inside as opposed to the results of his first few tries. Their Spanish seems to be improving and he and Patty rattled on at a speed that I could not understand.
Kaukoe will arrive in Manzanillo in the next hour. They left Ensenada Carrizal this morning for the 5-mile trip. Yesterday's connection with Pat and Gary in Grand Junction went smoothly after they moved to 15M from 20M. After talking with Tracy's parents T&T spent most of the day snorkeling in the bay. Conditions were a little churned up but still quite good. They spotted a manta ray from about 15 feet away and estimate that the critter had a span of 7 feet. They felt very special in the bay yesterday, as they were the only boat! The bay has no town and was estimated to be 300m wide by 700m long with cliffs coming right to the water, about 100m high.
They have already caught a fish this morning, so tonight's dinner is taken care of. Regarding the zinc plate on the propeller shaft - it did not corrode, but one of the two holding screws had backed out and it was loose. Tom had replaced it in Puerta Vallarta and still has a spare. For those not familiar with boats, it is necessary to put a softer metal in the water so that the electrolysis created by the electricity in the boat and the radio frequency energy produced by the transmitter will attack the softer element zinc rather than corrode the propeller and/or shaft which is made of brass. We all have a similar element in our water heater that corrodes rather than the tank itself.
Kaukoe welcomes Darren and Kim (our daughter) to the land crew. They just bought a new Gateway Pentium II and installed JUNO. Their address is capodel@juno.com. Our other daughter, Karin can be reached at wonka70s@aol.com .
Never sail on Friday the 13th. Kaukoe will sail tomorrow thank you very much! Tracy was not onboard but was attending a security meeting nearby. A boat came from shore last night and tried to steal an outboard skiff. It woke the occupants and shots were reportedly fired, although Tom and Tracy heard nothing. She is there now finding out what happened and what the plan is to prevent this type of problem.
Yesterday they stayed close to Kaukoe and Maikai (Eric and Teak's boat) until Eric arrived back from Manzanillo. Then they went to the beach and the new hotel for the afternoon. Seems the hotel wants to include a gambling casino, but when they applied for the license they found out that the State of Jailsco doesn't allow gambling. The hotel's location was just inside the Jalisco border. However, neighboring state Colima does permit gambling. What to do?...make some contributions to the right people, of course!
They did just that and the border that originally ran through the lagoon was conveniently moved - now the hotel resides in the state of Colima!
Brief news from California to those who are interested: Sonoma county and surrounding areas are expecting 2" of rain today with up to 5" more on Sunday. One report said the town of Clearlake was flooded; the lake was reported 11 feet above normal. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in certain areas and hundreds more will be if the expected amount of rain is realized. Out of 58 counties, 32 have already been declared disaster areas
This morning has Tom on board with the radio and Tracy over on Makai, the 41 footer that Teac, the dog, calls home. Tracy left some time ago and rowed to the nearby vessel. As soon as Eric gets back, T&T will row ashore to do laundry and buy food. The fish, caught many days ago, was finally BBQ'd last evening. Tom said they have so many dinner invitations, they never stay on board for dinner.
Yesterday they spent most of the day on the beach, Tom surfed the shore break near the lagoon. He said that the break and location were similar to South Mission, near the jetty. They stay near the new hotel that has just opened,(name, as yet, unknown). It is a huge and beautiful hotel. Tom thinks that when it's completely finished and occupied, it will be very pricey. Apparently, there is some big investment money coming into Barra de Navidad, what with the new marina and huge new hotel. I wonder if there is an airport planned or there now?
Tom's uncle, Joe Egan, is now aboard for daily updates. Welcome Joe! His email address might give a clue as to his profession (geologyjoe@aol.com). With all these Engineers, contractors, active and retired Navy, hams, nurses, doctors, programmers, teachers, etc., there is not a problem out there we can't solve! Patty reminds me we also have two women anthropologists. How could I forget that?
Tracy and Tom are nicely settled into the Lagoon and plan to leave for Manzanillo on Friday. They ran into a UCSD classmate of Tracy's, Eric on a 41' vessel. He has a golden retriever named Teak that was hanging over the bow barking as Eric approached Kaukoe for the first time. A further coincidence is that Eric's amateur call sign is KQ6NP, four letters from Tom's KQ6NU so they obviously studied and passed the test within days of each other. They both admit that Teak is no match in looks to Ptarmigan, so Ptarmigan (T&T's yellow lab) if you're reading this in Colorado, you have nothing to worry about!
Their first night in port, they rowed to Eric's vessel for a pizza and beer dinner. Last night they went into the town (which is very nice with cobblestone streets) and had dinner. The town has a brand new Marina which can hold about 100 boats but is presently only 1/3 full. The lagoon has 13 boats in it, which Tracy counted when I asked, so all others are easily visible from their mooring.
Today and tonight they are babysitting Eric's boat and Teak while Eric travels to Manzanillo. They took a bus ride yesterday to the town of Melaque. Patty found that they have an annual week long celebration on St. Patrick's day ("San Patricio de Melaque). What the connection is to St. Patrick we do not know, other than it is a good excuse for a party. The town of Barra de Navidad was apparently spared from a huge hurricane that devastated the surrounding area in 1973.
As far as Radio contacts, Tom has recently talked to Paraguay, New Zealand, Cuba and Antarctica. All are first time contacts for these countries. Hams try to work all countries which currently totals 327. Countries, in this context, is a loosely used term for new call sign areas. For example, all the different Pacific Islands (including Hawaii) are considered countries by hams. Talking to 100 entitles you to an award prized by all.
Kaukoe has a fish! ...caught this morning as they left Tenacatita. They're presently running Kaukoe's engine for steerage as winds are from one direction with a 5 foot swell from the other direction. It's a short run to Navidad where there should be excellent protection in the bay. Tom checked the anchor yesterday and it was well set and apparently doing better than other vessels around them. He also got the curiosity of some dolphins while in the water so they played around the boat for awhile.
Meanwhile, El Nino continues to batter California. San Diego got over 1" on Sunday and now is 2.84" (officially) for February / 8.9" for the season to date (6.0" is normal). Total annual rainfall is 9.9". The official 1" reading on Sunday was well below what many areas around town reported. Mount Soledad must have had at least 1 3/4" of rain. Many slopes have begun to slide with saturated earth. The ocean front by Pacific Beach's Crystal Pier is a mess of sand and seaweed with bulldozers frantically running back and forth with sand to pileup in front of stairways. The seawall is uncovered at least 8 feet below normal levels. Sets of 13' + waves are keeping the surfers very happy. There is good surfing in La Jolla Cove - if you have the guts to try. But, beware - many boards have been destroyed on the rocks.
"Maybe Sunday, maybe Monday" was the reply from Kaukoe when they were asked about leaving Tenacatita. Obviously, they feel no sense of urgency at this point.
Tracy and Tom headed out for the town of La Manzanilla yesterday and that, in itself, proved to be an adventure. After being questioned by the guards at the unfriendly hotel, they walked and walked and walked, finally coming to a trailer park, only to find out it was 3 or 4 more miles away. They borrowed 2 bikes and rode off. Tom got a flat and the next few hours were spent finding a tire repair place and getting the tube patched. Eventually, they returned to their dinghy (being watched over by Raul) with backpacks filled with eggs and other groceries. Raul's full time job is to walk the beach selling oysters and beer. They then headed up an estuary and had a fine dinner of grilled shrimp and fried fish cooked in aceite de ajo (garlic oil).
Starting their 3rd day in Tenacatita, Tom went fishing at sunrise in the dinghy, but forgot to take any luck along. Yesterday they were in town and didn't receive a very warm welcome at the Hotel where they wanted to change some money. After they had their pesos, they were asked to leave...que amable! It's probably a popular shower and swim place for boaters.
There has been a persistent problem with Tom's radio shifting frequency and he finally discovered that the panel meter that reads the battery voltage is reading high, meaning their voltage is much lower than they originally thought. This explains the problems they've been having and was the conclusion several hams had come to. Hopefully, it can be fixed without much trouble.
Typical weather is warm and clear, however, winds tend to gust up pretty high in the afternoon. For that reason, they don't leave Kaukoe for extended periods and plan to be back by the time the bay turns choppy and gusts appear. I asked about their dinghy and how they secure it from thieves when ashore. The answer; "everyone else has an outboard, who wants to steal a boat with oars?" Makes good sense to me!
Kaukoe made the 27 mile trip to the beautiful Bahía de Tenacatita on Wednesday. Their current position is 19d 15'N 104d 50'W, which puts them 1204st mi, 1047nm, or 1938km from the Admiral Kidd dock in Point Loma. If you can't find this bay on your map, it is about 90 miles from PV and is the end of Hwy 80, coming from Guadalajara.
They'll probably stay in Bahía de Tenacatita for 2 days. There is a large hotel in town and they are anchored with 22 other boats in the bay. Tom got ashore already this morning and had a run and did push-ups and situps on the beach. He has been squeezing himself into Kaukoe's aft area to do calisthenics and was glad to have beach space.
If they leave early, it will be because they could not find the provisions that they need - Bahía de Tenacatita is definitely a small town - a real pueblita. They didn't mention the weather, so let's assume it is clear and sunny.
I told them that the San Diego to Puerta Vallarta race was starting this morning at 11:30PST. It was delayed several days due to the recent storms. They had no news regarding the damaged vessels in Puerta Escondido.
Kaukoe is ready to set sail south in a few minutes. They are either going 10 or 30 miles today; they'll stop at the first bay if there is room to anchor. If not, they'll continue on to the extra 20 miles.
They went into town again yesterday and saw Ernesto and his mother, Dina. They visited the hotel Ernesto's uncle owns, where they saw some people setting up a volleyball net between coconut trees. (The trees are planted on 30' centers, so it made for a nice court size.) They played 2 on 2 for awhile, then went hiking and snorkeling.
Winds are brisk this morning, something they haven't been seeing until the afternoon. We both listened to some rather bad news from Puerto Escondidio, which is near La Paz. As a result of yesterday's storm, they sustained 60mph winds for over 2 hours. Six boats were washed onto the rocks including at least 2 hams that are regularly on the morning net. At least one sustained major hull damage (3 foot hole in the port side). Two others are filled with water and now are being pumped out. These were vessels that were in the harbor and/or boat basin so they were in a "sheltered area". Mother Nature can be very brutal at times.
Back to some good news...Mark Rashid will be meeting Kaukoe in La Paz in April. Also Karin, (my daughter) arrived safely in Ashland Oregon to begin her studies at Ashland College. She has taken her work with her as Editor for NASCAR racing for Upperdeck Corporation. She is on the Internet most of the day doing research and transmitting data back to the Carlsbad headquarters. She has also found a Yoga studio and plans to begin teaching there. After establishing full residency, she will start classes, probably next year. Anyone wanting to send email can use this address: HYPERLINK
"mailto:wonka70s@aol.com"wonka70s@aol.com
.
Kaukoe moved anchorage yesterday and plans to move again today. I think they want a different location for view and access reasons. Monday was another lazy vacation day as they sat on the beach eating ceviche and drinking beer with the locals. Tracy liked the ceviche so much, it's reported that she ate MORE than the others combined.
While on the beach, they met a man (about their age) and his mother. She lives in Chamela and is now building a new house for herself. His uncle owns the only hotel and between the 5 of them they had a wonderful afternoon. Yesterday's catch was not a keeper and was thrown back to grow up.
I received a card from the organization that they sponsor their child through stating that Janet Rios will be having a Birthday in March. She will be 9 years old this year. They took her address and will send her a Birthday card.
We got our first letter from them yesterday and it was dated 15 January - 2 weeks for mail isn't too bad. I cut the contact short as we started to receive our long-awaited storm from the North. Lightning was hitting pretty close and I wanted to disconnect all antennas. For some reason, lightning is really attracted to large pieces of aluminum way up in the air!
As expected, Kaukoe is anchored in the bay in Chamela. Tracy clocked winds yesterday at 25k so she stayed with the boat while Tom went to surf; surf was small and not that good. Recently, they have sighted whales as close as 50' from the boat. They are brown and an unfamiliar species; definitely not gray nor humpbacks. If anyone knows, pass the word along.
T&T went to a small church for mass yesterday. Afterwards, they hiked up to a point overlooking the bay and surrounding area. The town is smaller than Cabo Correntos - & there's NO bank! Yesterday's communication with the states brought good contact with Pat and Gary as they went to Dennis' house to talk directly over the microphone with T&T. They caught a small striped bass this morning on a jig Corey (Tracy's brother) gave them for Christmas.
We welcome yet another member of the land-based Kaukoe crew, Pat Johnson, KB7BAJ from Spokane, WA. Pat is a friend of John Egan (since this a commercial-free newsletter, I'm not allowed to tell you that Pat services and sells the complete line of Carrier heating and air conditioning equipment. John works for Carrier and I can also not mention that it is the best out there and Pat's company's name is Airefco which might translate easily if you study the letters for awhile. So if you live in the Pacific Northwest, buy your Carrier from Airefco...end of commercial).
Tracy and Tom were most interested in the coastal weather up here with seas predicted to be 19'-24' and a barometer falling down to 958 millibar, a very low low. California could get 7" of rain from this storm and San Diego as much as 2" tonight. Bulldozers and dump trucks were going all out this morning along Mission and Pacific Beach, flattening out the sand, pulling it away from the sea wall and piling it in vulnerable areas to avoid wash through and street flooding at high tide.
Seasonal tip: it's time to fertilize all fruit and citrus trees in southern California, so I must go and distribute 150 pounds now.
T&T's present position is 19d 33' 105d 7' which is 1023n miles, 1177 st mi, or 1894km from the SD docksite (Statistics from BD42.ZIP, written and designed by Robert Wagner, N6DUR.).
Bueno, pues...hasta manana...¿Comprenden Todo?
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