Isla Isabella and La Cruz

On our way to Puerta Vallerta we took a detour to a small uninhabited island called Isla Isabella about half way between Mazatlan and Puerta Vallerta. Accompanied by three other sailboats there were flocks of predatory waterfowl circling this bird sanctuary. Exploring the island, we discovered iguana and myriads of large birds protecting ripening eggs and newly hatched offspring. Upon reaching the bluff of the island, we recognized blue footed boobies. As the only explorers on this small island for the day, we noted parallels to Charles Darwin’s expedition in the Galapagos.



We sailed to and anchored in La Cruz (about 20 miles north of Puerta Vallerta) to avoid the traffic of the big city. In transit, we encountered a challenge: A weld on a pipe taking saltwater through to cool the engine cracked and continues to dump an increasing amount of saltwater into the bottom of the boat. Gorilla tape and a rubber hose with clamps provided a quick fix but we hope to find some welding equipment here in La Cruz.
The first night in La Cruz, we befriended a father (Dave) and daughter (Annette) living here who graciously guided us through the area. La Cruz is a very small community designed to accommodate yachtsman and cruisers alike with lots of promise. A Californian investment group recently built a beautiful and overpriced marina last year with ambitions for new hotel. The town inhabits an older crowd of boatman and fisherman, several of which lost boats in hurricanes and have never left.
Makai is growing quickly and is still looking for her place in the hierarchy of the world. She challenged every dog who thought they had territorial rights and avoided four attacks with her increasing speed and coordination. Bret and I look forward to stepping behind our blue eyed princess the Mexicans call “El Lobo” instead of in-between the aggressive strays.
We traveled in a bus yesterday about 25 miles north up through the rainforests to a surfing town called Sayulita. We met up with friends from our Baja Haha race for a day at the beach. Sayulita is a cool little town with trendy bars and surf shops lining a small beach. There was a small break about 100 yards off the beach where dozens of tourists taking a shot at surfing for the day. There are a couple of fishing boats run by an avid hunter and fisherman from Portland, OR named Paul. We swapped some fishing stories and learned how to catch some local fish. Two for two pongas returned successfully that day each boasting a couple of Rooster fish and Dorado. We spent the majority of the day body surfing and swimming. Makai enjoyed a long run on the beach and the popularity that an exotic Alaskan dog deserves in 100 degree heat.
Bret and I are gathering provisions, working on the boat, and attending a charity for young sailors today before embarking on our 8-10 day voyage down to El Salvador.