January 2, 2005 - Departure from Mazatlan, Mexico

We head off for our morning walk with the boys and find that the ocean is laying down flat with no wind.  Haven't seen these types of conditions since we left San Diego.  It's already almost 8:30 am, but we decide to go ahead and leave a day early to take advantage of the calm seas.  It will be the first leg of our journey that the weather actually cooperates.

Departure paperwork done, ship's contents and four legged crew secured, we toss off the lines just before 10:00 am and head out.  Ahhh...calm seas..finally!!  Ever the optimist, Fred charts a course slightly farther off-shore as there are fish to be caught this trip, or so he thinks.  Might as well let him have his fantasies.

A couple hours into the trip the wind and waves start to pick up ever so slightly, but this does not daunt Fred's decision to fish.  Lines are out and we're waiting for dinner to arrive, kinda like Domino's but with no 30 minute delivery guarantee.   "Rrrrrrrrr" go the lines and we've got a double hook up.  Dorado...yum.  I bring mine in and it's about a 15-18 lb female.  Respectable.

Fred is fighting as we watch a dorado jump and shimmer blue/green in the sun off the back of the boat.  With my catch safely stored (we've lost a few once onboard, but that's an entirely different story), I grab the gaff and ready to help get this bull on board.  After 15 minutes, Fred finally gets him close enough to the boat for a gaff attempt.  It's a 35+lb bull...nice!   He's not quite close enough for gaffing, but I give it a go anyway....shit, I've missed.  Uh oh...sorry, what do you want for cheap labor?  I must of at least run the metal over his scales as he wastes no time and I mean NO time in hauling ass as far as he can from the boat.  He's seen the future and it involves a fryer.  He takes about 1000 feet of line and the process of bringing him back begins again.

Fred gets him back, but he's still way too far down to gaff when he breaks through and we're left empty handed, bummer.  Poor, poor Fred.  He buys a $$$$$$ boat and can't get a decent fish on the damn thing.  I currently hold the boat record for largest fish brought in, which is not much to brag about nor is Fred too happy about.

Lines back out we wait but no other dinner guests arrive.  Oh well, at least we're making over 7kts (flying on this boat), have flat seas and one fish in the cooler.  Dorado for dinner...it doesn't get any fresher or better than this! 

On night watch, the water is so calm and smooth that I hear the dolphins arrive.  Woohoo!!  Flashlight in hand, I head out to the bow, which, of course, is exactly what I'm not suppose to be doing at night, alone and un-tethered, but what the hell.  I justify my actions in that the sea is smooth as glass and I've just got to see the dolphins running the bow at night...very cool.  It's amazing how much nicer watch is when the seas are cooperating.  No pounding waves or blistery winds...just quiet.  It's great.  This has been the best cruising conditions we've had since we started this little journey.

Next morning, Fred returns the lines to the water.  There are alot of birds eyeing the lures.  Several start diving for them...God, these frigate birds are so dumb.  Rrrrrrrr...we get another double hook up, except this time, it's birds.  Shit!!!  We have to stop the boat and slowly bring these guys in to see what the damage is and how to release them without further damage.  One's got a marlin lure through his neck, not a good sign, so while I hold the bird, (are you reading this Jennifer...I held the bird), Fred works the lure out and off he goes.  Not before he gets one good poke with his beak at Fred's head though...ouch!  The other's got a hook though the wing, which we also get freed and released.   Well that's all the fun we need for one day and  decide to stow the poles.  Twenty seven hours after leaving Mazatlan, we arrive in La Cruz just inside Banderas Bay.  Our slip won't be opened at Paradise Village until the next day so we anchor out for the night, catch sunset and feast again on fresh dorado.

Next morning we head to the marina and are greeted by at least a dozen whales all around...wow!  You just never get tired of seeing those spouts.  Be sure to check the Wildlife Gallery for some additional pics of whale flukes and such.  We'll be in Puerto Vallarta until 2/9/05 when we head to Barra Navidad for approximately five weeks before starting the serious cruising to the Panama Canal.