The Pacific Coast of Mexico
Our second season crossed north to south (actually quite a bit easterly) on the Pacific coast of Mexico. We started the season in November in La Paz and finished in June in Puerto Madero. We took time to visit a few inland destinations along the way.
The November start was bound by the end of the 2022 hurricane season. We ended our sailing with the beginning of the rainy season in the tropical latitudes.
Adios La Paz and the BCS
The eastern pacific hurricane season officially ended November 30. We got an early jump start to sailing as we did not see much storms threat. We returned to La Paz in late October to ready the boat.
We were busy. We got our Mexico residencies, bought a new used dingy, and some intense PT for Dave’s shoulder surgery, we were ready.
After enjoying La Paz and getting some sailing in the islands with our first-ever guest, Ken, we headed across the Sea of Cortez to Mazatlan.
The 250-mile sail to Mazatlan included some fishing. Our first-ever dorado was delicious!
Mazatlan to Puerto Vallarta
We’d been this route before. Since we weren’t coming back, we made the obligatory stop at Isla Isabela to see the famous Blue-footed Boobies up close.
We continued to La Cruz, Nuevo Vallarta, and Puerto Vallarta, where we spent the holiday season. We met up with friends from the previous year, and made many new friends as we enjoyed the delights of the Riviera Nayarit.
Not all was wonderful. We spent about a month getting our steering system replaced. 23 years of service had taken its toll on that vital equipment.
Puerto Vallarta to Barra
This was also a revisit to grounds we sailed the previous season. We buddy-boated our way to Chamela and Tenacatita and enjoyed great sailing, sites, and experiences with our buddies and other cruisers along the way. As we were hauling anchor for the last leg from Tenacatita to Barra de Navidad, our windlass also said 23 years was enough.
We spent about another month in Barra waiting for and installing a brand new and more powerful windlass. It’s said that sailing is really just about repairing expensive boat parts in beautiful destinations. Apparently, that’s true.
With time on our hands, we ventured inland to explore Colima and surrounding areas. And we enjoyed Cruise-in week in Barra. So many boats and cruisers to get to know at this popular event.
Barra to Zihuatanejo
Our next leg would start with some familiar areas, but would be the first time to sail in new waters. The first couple stops in Carrizal and Manzanillo were repeats, but everything south was brand new to us. Our target was Ixtapa. There was nothing between Manzanillo and our destination except 240 miles and a couple nights of sailing.
Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo did not disappoint. From crocodiles to Guitarfest to great food and more new and old friends, it was a classic Mexican destination to experience.
We also took opportunities to go inland to Morelia, Patzcuaro, and Uruapa. We also took time to head back to the States to visit family and enjoy tax filing season. And of course, since we are on a boat in a beautiful destination, to fix our refrigeration, almost for free this time!
Zihuatanejo to Huatulco
The next big leg was to get to Huatulco so we could wait for a weather window to cross the dreaded Tehuantepec. This was another long leg with a couple overnight stops planned. Instead of overnight rests, we could not find acceptable anchorages, so we sailed overnight two nights in a row.
We made it to Huatulco. Following previous performances, we had an engine coolant leak as we were making our last jump to port. Yet another opportunity to fix the boat in yet another beautiful destination.
Huatulco was a mix between a pleasant surprise and a less than ideal marina stop-over. The town was beautiful, inexpensive, and full of great dining. We were able to travel inland again, including some waterfalls and an excellent extended visit to Oaxaca.
Huatulco to Puerto Madero
Crossing from Huatulco to Chiapas was our biggest open water challenge. We found our weather window to cross the Tehuantepec. We left Huatulco for an overnight sail to our final destination, Puerto Madero, the southernmost marina in Mexico, only 30 miles north of Guatemala. And no mechanical issues to fix when we arrived!
We were able to take advantage of our time in Chiapas to visit several sites, including ancient Mayan ruins, beautiful waterfalls, and the charming town of San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Marina Chiapas is the summer home for YO-D-YO. After preparing the boat for a few months of its Mexican summer vacation, we headed back to the US to visit friends and family.
Sailing YO-D-YO 