The Fox was still having issues with charging its batteries via the alternator and regulator while its engine was running. The problem was intermittent and had dogged us for weeks. GB remained stoic and confident that the problem had a solution. After all, he's not just a college graduate but a grad school graduate, so…
The anchorage of Cazadero on the NW side of Isla San Jose (25 deg. 01.157 N/110 deg. 41.128W, or so) has always been very good to us, and January 2017 was no exception. Upon reentering Cazadero on January 24, conditions were calm and GB was able to replace the failed alternator with our backup alternator…
March 28, 2016: The holiday rush was over at Marina San Carlos. From what the marina staff told us, the marina had been crazy-busy the whole week. But now, it was a post-holiday Monday and we got lucky with an early slip assignment and a haulout date for April 6, nine days hence. The usual…
February 2016 was almost gone. The weather in the Sea of Cortez was turbulent. Mazatlan grew hot and humid. The Port of Mazatlan was closed due to the weather but forecasts indicated that a nice 4-day weather window would soon open up. It would be an excellent chance for us to cross the Sea and…
Winters in Mazatlan are generally fairly comfortable. During our November 2015- February 2016 stern-pulpit refit, the daily Fahrenheit highs were in the high 70s-mid 80s and the nightly lows were in the comfortable 60s. Nevertheless, Mazatlan was its typical humid self with the biting insects that just love my delicate skin. While we waited for…
The upgrade of our cockpit included a new and enhanced stainless steel stern pulpit; a stern arch on which to mount our radar dome and a couple of new solar panels; and a brand-spankin'-new dodger and bimini combo platter made out of Stamoid. This entire refit took four months exactly to complete, from late November…
Warning: many f-bombs in this post. Late November, 2015. We had driven from New Mexico to Mazatlan per our usual strategy. We rolled into Mazatlan on the afternoon of November 26 and found the city was packed with people. It was difficult to get a decent hotel room at the prices we were willing to…
In 2015 we took an 8-month leave from The Fox after we'd stripped the stern of all gear, to prepare for the installation of a new stern arch. Call it "an extended hurricane-season boat-prep." We wanted the stage set for whenever Rick and his boys scheduled time to do the work. Over there on the…
After 13 years of owning The Fox and 12 years living aboard and cruising, it occurred to us that we could improve our tropical sailing experience by having a stainless steel arch installed on the stern, to support a couple of solar panels, a more stable cockpit shade cover, and whatever else we could dream…
February and March, 2015: the days were just PACKED. Our good friends G&J treated us like royalty. They had lived aboard in Mazatlan for over 10 years and had spent many of those years writing and distributing "Cap'n George's Cruiser's Guide to Mazatlan." They knew all the best places and very generously drove us around…