Conference vicki::boats

1193.0. "wanna-be sailors: crew wanted from Ca->Mex!" by SX4GTO::WANNOOR () Tue Sep 06 1994 14:47

POWERBOATERS!
    
    Here's a chance to SAIL OFFSHORE in winter!!!  The cruise is for 1994,
    NOT 1997 as noted earlier!  Mea Culpa!
    
    Pls e-mail for a complete float-plan.
    
    Rgds,
    
    -Ashikin  DTN 543-3441
    
    
    
    
   				  BEAT THE WINTER BLUES!
   				MEXICO WINTER CRUISE PLAN!
   				  ALAMEDA-MEXICO-ALAMEDA
   				  NOV 5 - DEC 27, 1994
                                ===========================   
   
   
   CRUISE SCHEDULE
   ===============
   
   Alameda to Catalina Islands:
   Depart Dawn Sun Nov 6th to catch ebb current through Golden Gate Bridge
   3 days sailing, about 300nm
   Arrive Nov 9th
   1 days at anchor in Avalon harbour
   
   Catalina Islands to San Diego:
   Depart dawn Nov 10th
   Arrive same day in evening, about 80nm
   1 day and night at Cabrillo Isle Marina, San Diego
   
   San Diego to Cabo San Lucas (N22deg 53min W109deg 54min):
   Depart dawn 12th Nov
   6 days sailing, 700nm
   Arrive Fri 18th
   3 days at dock or anchor
   
   Cabo San Lucas to Mazatlan (Mainland) (N23deg 12min W106deg 26min):
   Depart dawn Nov 21st
   2 days sailing, 192nm
   Arrive dawn Wed Nov 23rd
   5 days cruising the Mexican mainland near Mazatlan
   
   Mazatlan to Puerto Vallarta:
   Depart dawn Nov 28th
   2 days sailing
   Arrive Puerto Vallarta Wed Nov 30th
   Cruise Puerto Vallarta area for 5 days
   
   Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas:
   Depart dawn Dec 5th
   2 days sailing
   Arrive dawn Wed Dec 7th
   2 days layover
   
   Cabo San Lucas to San Diego:
   Depart dawn Dec 9th
   10 days sailing, 736nm (a quite conservative estimate. It took us 20 days 
   to Alameda from Hawaii last time - over 2,200nm!) 
   Arrive Dec 19th
   2 days at San Diego
   
   San Diego to Alameda:
   Depart dawn Dec 21st
   6 days sailing, 500nm (conservative estimate)
   Arrive Dec 27th
   
   
   MORE ABOUT THE DESTINATIONS
   ===========================
   This information comes from various sources, including Charlie's Charts and 
   the Barnett Yacht Insurance Baja Guide, plus advice from cruisers we've 
   met.
   
   Catalina Islands:
   We will be staying one night at Avalon, the famous harbour in the Catalina 
   Islands.
   
   San Diego:
   This is another overnight stopover to drop off and pick up crew. We're 
   going to keep on moving because what we really want is to be in the sun!!
   
   Cabo San Lucas:
   This is a Port of Entry, and again the skipper must land and check in with 
   Customs and Immigration while crew wait on the ship for clearance.
   
   This is can be an expensive stop-over, but it's a spectacular extension of 
   rocky hills and pinnacles that project eastward into the ocean off the tip 
   of the peninsula, an unmistakable cape. 
   
   We are planning a stop in Cabo Isle Marina (the same company as our marina 
   in Alameda) and will also spend some time at anchor off the beach in good 
   conditions, for fun in the Tinkers and other water sports. Hotels and 
   condos line the beach, and for singles it will be a great time for meeting 
   others, socializing, walking the beach and bringing friends back to the Sea 
   Star for evening cocktails.
   
   The inner coast of Baha California faces the Sea of Cortez and the Gulf of 
   California. It does not have the Oceanic weather and seas, winds being 
   mostly moderate and northwesterly in winter. The weather should be fair, 
   hot and pleasant, the dry season starting in December, the climate 
   being similar to southern California.
   
   Mazatlan (Mainland):
   This is a tourist metropolis with lots of high-rise hotels, restaurants, 
   bars and night clubs. There are wonderful beaches, plenty of people around, 
   parties galore and lots of other boats to meet up with. 
   
   Club Nautico de Mazatlan (Yacht Club) will provide a good base for touring 
   and has a dinghy dock. We will find some inland adventures, visit jungles 
   by jeep, etc.
   
   Mainland cruise to Puerto Vallarta:
   Sailing down the mainland coast, in no hurry and downwind, should be 
   spectacular. Setting off from Mazatlan, almost all of this section of the 
   coast is south of the Tropic of Cancer and on the mainland we will see a 
   tropical setting of forests, birds and animals on the shoreline, the 
   climate being more warm and humid.
   
   Isla Isabela:
   On the way, we can stop at Isla Isabela after 85nm (which means an 
   overnight passage with arrival at dawn). This is an uninhabited island 
   except for the Bird Sanctuary Warden, and we may see local shark 
   fishermen's camps lining the beach in the southern cove, where we can make 
   a dinghy landing to see the numerous frigate birds nesting in the trees 
   around Crater Lake and blue- and white-footed boobies on the cliff tops, 
   with terns and gulls in the cliff crevices. 
   
   This island so attracted Jacques Cousteau that it was featured in one of 
   his television programs.
   
   San Blas:
   Another 42nm will put us in San Blas, and if time allows we could put in 
   here for a day. As this is a Port of Entry, the Skipper would have to go 
   through the usual paperwork which might take half a day, but once done the 
   crew could explore the town. 
   
   Norman and Janet Goldie operate the local cruiser's net on VHF 22 and we 
   could call them for local advice; and we hear that signs at San Christoval 
   Creek advertise a 'Jungle Trip' through mangrove-lined creeks and marshes 
   with many birds and mall turtles to a crystal-clear spring-fed swimming 
   hole at Tovara Springs.
   
   Puerto Vallarta:
   Near Bahia de Banderas, the mountains rise nearer to the coast, and we'll 
   know we are approaching Puerto Vallarta, which is a popular resort.
   
   Returning from Puerto Vallarta:
   Las Tres Marietas:
   These uninhabited islands are a bird sanctuary and ecological park and this 
   may be a convenient resting point with a pleasant anchorage in the south 
   bay in sand and rock. A southern approach is recommended. 
   
   Landing ashore is easy in the sand beaches, and the variety of seabirds, 
   the profusion of fishes, manta rays, dolphins, caves and fabulous 
   snorkelling make this a fascinating place to visit.
   
   
   THE OWNERS
   ==========
   Ray Thackeray, the British captain is a 40 year-old, experienced blue-water 
   sailor, with power vessel and sailing time logged in the North Atlantic, 
   Great Britain, New England, Caribbean Sea, Central America, Pacific to 
   Hawaii and back to San Francisco over a period of 19 years of personal 
   pleasure cruising and yacht delivery . He writes sailing articles for 
   popular sailing journals and works in the Marine Industry as Importer and 
   Distributor of various marine products.
   
   In 1993 he captained the Sea Star from Boston to the Caribbean, through the 
   Panama Canal, to Hawaii and to San Francisco, a voyage of 11,000 nautical 
   miles (see "Changes", Latitude 38, January 1984).
   
   He is an accomplished entertainer on board, carrying an electronic keyboard 
   to promote sing-alongs, and has spent time in the vacation industry and 
   knows how to keep a mixed crew of people happy. 
   
   Special skills include celestial navigation, first-aid certification and he 
   is a PADI certified Advanced Open Water diver.
   
   Ashikin Wan-Noor, the First Mate and co-owner. She is an excellent cook and 
   will ensure provision of a wide variety of food, including any dietary 
   restrictions and vegetarian meals. She has sailed on the Sea Star for over 
   5,000nm and is also an experienced sailor.
   
   
   
   THE SHIP
   ========
   The Sea Star is a 1983 cutter-rigged ketch Island Trader 51 (often referred 
   to as a "Bermuda Ketch"). LOA (length overall) is 57 ft. 
   
   She has two (upper and lower) berths in a separate forward cabin, and 
   coming aft, there is a head/shower, double and single bunks in a huge salon 
   which features a coffee table, dining table, a large galley and nav 
   station. 
   
   In the companionway to starboard is a stand-up engine room and fully 
   equipped workshop with Ford Lehman 6-cylinder diesel. The aft (Owner's) 
   cabin has a double berth and another head/shower and bathtub. Four of the 
   crew's berths have lee cloths. There is over 6-ft headroom thoughout the 
   vessel and there is plenty of locker space for crew. A tape, radio and CD 
   entertainment center is accessible in the salon. Above deck, the open area 
   is huge with a large unencumbered aft deck. She has tankage for 200 gallons 
   of fuel with a range of 1200nm, and 150 gallons of water. 
   
   There are two CQR anchors on rollers in the bows and an electric/manual 
   windlass. She is a well maintained and luxuriously appointed 54,000lb 
   displacement, full-keeled vessel.
   
   
   Other equipment includes:
   16-mile radar, GPS, Loran-C, Sextant, Navigation computer, VHF radio and 
   hand-held, Marine SSB/ham radio, EPIRB, two Tinker Lifeboats/Sailing 
   dinghies/Yacht Tenders each with Tohatsu outboards, Watermaker, Safety 
   jacklines, Emergency tiller, Autohelm ST6000 hydraulic autopilot, 1 KW 
   Invertor, TV/VCR, Wind Generator, sailboard and large complement of spares 
   in stand-up engine room/workshop.
   
   

    
    	JOE,
    
    	What depth sounder are you upgrading to.  I currently have the
    	raytheon 850 color and find it fits all my needs.
    
    	George (joy iii)