Winter Blues

[kennharriet]

We have been watching these RAN Sailing videos on YouTube to help get through the non boating winter. They are very well done and although they are sailing I think many would enjoy their story. What are some other’s favorites to get through the off season?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLYd5EnTTwUKhouIkHoqzMw

[srbaum]

KennHarriet,
Thanks, it goes well with the the hot coco that I am sipping on, while I look at the geese and ducks out the back window and then, look at my trimaran under cover, awaiting for the soon to come adventures. Oh, the Cape Cruiser gets used year around, so I'm not completely dry-docked for the winter...

[thataway]

Looks like a good series. One production a week is brutal schedule. Technology is far different today, but I turned down a once a month 1 hour video on PBS to document on our voyages. I felt it would put us under too much of a dead line. Instead we gave lecture series after our return. Granted that cruising under sail is slightly easier than 35 years ago (GPS, mainly).

My response is "just do it". We met folks who basically had nothing--a $5,000 boat and little income, working as they went...and billionaires. I think that those on the cheap had a lot more fun than the billionaires. I read a series about 2 years ago, about a couple--he had sailing experience, she little. They bought a very unsuitable, run down boat, and for a total budget of less than $9,000 set of to sail to the South Pacific. No engine--26 foot narrow beam boat, so rowed if they had to.

[kennharriet]

Bob, that’s mostly what we enjoy about the “RAN Sailing” folks. They are very down to earth and seeing the world on a budget. Lots of do it yourself projects. Would like to have seen your series and story🙂

[C-Val]

My dream for winter would be to back my C Dory into a covered heated shop so I could work on it and be ready when spring comes. As it is, it is tarped outside in the rain like most. Sometimes I work under the tarp but it’s not fun and dark-have to use my flashlight
If only.....

[cmetzenberg]

[Micahbigsur@msn.com]

Ken, hmmm, I think gulfcoastjohn and I have expressed our views on how C-dory owners can deal with the winter blues......

[rbfconstruction]

um... move to California.
Oh shoot, that is not a good idea as we have some totally fd up politics. sorry wrong suggestion.

[Micahbigsur@msn.com]

As a native Californian I love California, politics is screwed up everywhere in one way or another. That is why a few months a year in Mexico is good for perspective, the politics here have been screwed up for centuries and the cartels make it worse. But in this culture nobody seems to pick a side and argue for it, in everyday life people love their families, friends, co-workers and are proud of their local communities and try to enjoy life, we are in the middle of Carnival, Mardi Gras week, loud bands, parades, families with kids everywhere enjoying warm evenings vendors along the Malacon.
It is no wonder with such friendly people and low cost of living I meet so many US retirees down here that have cashed out and bought seaside homes here and are loving the life.

(AND WARM WINTERS!!!)

[hardee]

Micah, you keep ringing that bell. If a guy was down there on a 22 Cruiser, no watermaker, no A/C, no superduper radio for weather, and only using a tablet to get to the internet, How would that work? Would that be an unwise choice?

Harvey
SleepyC

[Micahbigsur@msn.com]

Harvey, the radio for weather you can use a good shortwave receiver or just stop by one of the other boats in the anchorage and ask. A lot of the smaller villages only have solar powered watermaker and not a lot of extra. Using our saltwater foot pumps and tank water we have about a weeks range, if you stay within a weeks range of Puerto Escondido or La Paz you will be able to visit many of the islands and anchorages, right now we are enjoying La Paz and have a slip at the monthly rate and are going out to Isla Espritu Santo and Partita for a few days in every calm window about 25 miles north. In town internet is everywhere and with Fishweather, Predictwind and Passage Weather forecasts are good a week out. We use a AT&T international phone plan which covers all of north America for our data. Our slip is under $400 a month, 500 in Puerto Escondido. In Puerto Escondido the big town of Loreto is a few miles north and the area has some of the best, most scenic anchorages in the Sea within 50 miles, trailer storage is easy and secure, the launch fee and tractor to launch you are included in the storage. So in Puerto Escondido you could explore for a week at a time out and back, enjoy Loreto's great restaurants and shopping and also drive into the big mountains range for more scenic views and visit one of the historic missions. Storage is harder in La Paz and why we left the truck in Puerto Escondido. It is a 125 mile run down to La Paz, we will only really need the watermaker on the trip back up next month as we will do it in short hops between anchorages for around 3 weeks. We always use an iPad with Navionics as backup navigation and it works fine, the bible Anchorage guide is Shawn & Heather's sea of Cortez guide, a must have. I encourage you to buy one, it is amazingly done and describes weather, paperwork, culture, and has beautiful photographs.
A Garmin InReach for satellite texting can get you limited weather, friends and family can track you and text, and an SOS will get a Mexican Navy response, we have one as most cruisers do down here

We went from cool 70s a couple weeks ago to 90 yesterday, not much humidity and should drop back to the normal low 80s soon so we don't need AC. November, and mid March through mid May are the best weather months for wind and temperatures. We still have big boatitis from the past and you would be fine as an experienced cruiser on a 22, maybe easier than parts of the PNW cruising.
I hope this helps, Micah

[alainP]

Harvey, I have none of the items you mentioned and I can assure you that you'll be able to manage very nicely without. Clearly Micah is a bit of a "gearhead' Not that there is anything wrong with that..

[South of Heaven]

THIS WINTER HAS BEEN AMAZING IN BEANTOWN!! Practically no snow all season. 40s most days. 50 today. 56 tmmrow! Unheard of in these parts. Sorry to the snow plow blokes.

[Micahbigsur@msn.com]

Harvey, now that I think of where you live exploring Baja would be no more difficult for you than north of the crowd in the Pacific northwest.

Alain, other than the watermaker Dana wanted and I installed for her so we don't have to lug water jugs and a SSB radio from our last boat this boat (as Dana used to be a net controller on the ham net) is probably less gearhead oriented than a lot of C-brats boats that have systems for fishing and navigation that I could probably never figure out, I even left my Honda generator from a previous boat at home as adding another solar panel was easier to maintain.
I am constantly amazed at how many C-brats seem to have advanced mechanical and engineering abilities compared to my limited ones.
Anyway, I started out sailing across the Pacific with a compass, sextant and a clock with nothing else on a boat I built so I still strive for K.I.S.S. which is hard in the modern world, K.T.W.H. ( keep the wife happy)

[alainP]

Micah, it was all said in good humor. To tell you the truth I am contemplating the installation of another SSB myself, the last one was left on the sailboat when sold and I regret that often, The reception on the little short wave radio I now have leaves a lot to be desired, depending of course on Net controller and weather guy locations In the winter months, as you know, everyone seems to be South of Banderas bay and my reception is very weak unless someone is anchored nearby, checks in and breaks my eardrums!
My wife misses the congeniality of the morning nets and so do I. Maybe you remember, years ago (90's?) there used to be a late afternoon net call Happy Hour, on the same frequency that the Amigo I believe, lots of fun and banter on that one.