40 posts
Adventures
The Way Home : Home is the Way
So here we are in our 25th year together at a new crossroads.…
Remember SAILING?
The Banderas Bay Blast was the weekend of my birthday. We decided to join it for our first time off the dock since April 2020!…
Why I Paddle and Sing the Sun Up and Down
This one's all about the glorious images, friends.…
Hiking Cerro del Mono, Monkey Mountain
It was magnificent. Important spoiler: there are no monkeys on Monkey Mountain.…
Umbrella Downwind Regatta, Redux
I spoke too soon with my post about the magnificently absurd charity race here last week, as several more people have shared their documentation. Here's a little more art about it!…
The Umbrella Downwind Regatta
Now THIS is my kind of race: The Umbrella Downwind Regatta. You can use any floating platform under 14' (4.2 meters), a paddle for a steering tiller or to fend off boats to prevent impact but not to paddle, and some kind of jerry-rigged sail, usually an umbrella.…
While I Kiss the Sky
This bay is a crater: round, and ringed by mountains except where it opens onto the sea. It's the most astonishing feeling to live here, like the earth is cupping you in the palm of her hand.…
April Events with Dahlia
Oh, you tender and precious bit of stardust! Happy Spring! Happy Equinox! We have entered the season where the light is greater than the darkness. Ahhhhh. I wish to offer you opportunities for integration, for mending, for peace.…
Best of this Week: Crocodiles and a Wringer
This little fella is named Galileo. He is two years old. Alfredo thinks he was born prematurely; he is blind and has bone deformities.... I close my eyes and remember the feel of Galileo's surprisingly soft tiny abdomen against my palms, swelling and contracting with his sweet little breath.…
On the Radio, Whoa-oh-oh-oh
"Good morning, this is the Banderas Bay Net for Wednesday, (today's date.) Net control today is Dahlia from S/V Rejoice." These sentences are one of the bright spots of my pandemic year.…
Look at you, Astronomer!
When I saw this juicy sky event, I asked James if he'd paddle out with me in the dark before dawn. As is often the case with sky plans, the first day the alarm went off at 4:30 it was overcast and we went back to sleep. The second day, though, was perfect.…
Monster Trucks, the Ferris wheel, and Ribbon Fries, Oh My!
Mama suggested that we might want to check out the Windsor Fair, which has been taking place since 1888. Oh my gosh, we had so much fun! First there were Monster Trucks.…
Delicious Mountain: On Improvisation
Last night James and I went out in San Francisco. We drove across the Bay Bridge, which never fails to awe, and meandered on foot through the waterfront tourist district and Aquatic park to Fort Mason. We were headed off to see…
Everyday Magnificence: Frigatebirds
I found them breathtaking from the start, appearing in their in elegant soaring congregations hundreds of feet above us, welcoming us to the waters of Pacific Mexico as we made our way around Cabo San Lucas.…
Isla Isabel: The Galapagos of Mexico
Isla Isabel (also called Isla Isabela) is a small volcanic island, a little over a mile square, and about 45 miles from the nearest port. Often called the Galapagos of Mexico, and famous for the documentary that Jacques Cousteau made here, this…
Mazatlán: Port Notes
We spent close to two months in Mazatlán, from mid January to mid March 2019. Here are our Port Notes. Things change pretty fast in the world — don't be surprised if the businesses we mention or conditions we describe have…
El Faro Mazatlán: The Lighthouse
What you read is "the highest lighthouse in the Americas!" What you don't read is: tiny building atop a huge lump of rock jutting into sea at the end of town! What everyone tells you is: The climb!…
Carnaval in Mazatlán: The Parade
Sunday night was Mazatlán's famous Carnaval parade. The ending was not too far from our marina, so we walked down the beach at sunset and had dinner shoreside at twilight. Barra al Mar was some of our favorite food and…
Carnaval in Mazatlán: Burning of Bad Humor and Naval Battle Fireworks
After our work in the boatyard was complete, we decided to hang out until Carnaval, the pre-Lenten festival; Mardi Gras is the most famous example in the United States. Mazatlán's Carnaval is world famous, one of the biggest. We were…
Stumbling into Magic: El Cladavista
After we completed our work in the boatyard we decided to linger in Mazatlán; Carnaval was not far off and Mazatlán's Carnaval is quite famous, one of the largest in the world. Carnaval is a public celebration of indulgence that…
Boatyard Life
In order to replace the seals and bearings on Rejoice's rudder, she had to be hauled out of the water. We were about due to repaint the part of the hull that is under water, so as long as we&…
Hanging in There in Mazatlán
You might remember that when we were crossing the Gulfo de California / Sea of Cortez, we had some concerns about our rudder after a dull thud that didn't match the pattern of things clattering about in lockers in the waves…
The Southern Crossing: No Resistance to the Darkness
for Mary Oliver, whose spirit left her body during this trip, and whose words have long guided my heart First Leg: It was a couple of hours from La Paz, the Peace, to Isla Espiritu Santo, the Island of the Holy Spirit.…
Caleb is 50! Our Trip to Tulum
Caleb and Tricia are some of our favorite humans, so when Tricia asked if we'd be able to come to Tulum to celebrate Caleb's 50th birthday with a few friends, we said HECK YES. Okay, actually, when she…
Women Who Swim with Sharks
When we arrived in La Paz at the end of November, all our new sailing friends were doing the local tourist thing, which is going swimming with whale sharks. James asked if I wanted to do this. I said "F*CK…
La Paz: Mercado Bravo
By the time we got to La Paz, our cupboards, fridge and freezer were nearly empty. As usual, I'd researched the local farmer's market, so we biked up to the Tuesday and Saturday "La Paz Organic Farmer&…
Cabo San Lucas to Los Frailes: Two Tries, and Our First Emergency
The first time we left Cabo San Lucas, the day seemed mild, the forecast was good, and we didn't have far to go, so we left in the late morning. As we approached to the point at the edge of…
Ha-Ha Redux, Because Gabriel is an Angel
Our friend, bright shining light of human inspiration, and crewperson Gabe shot a lot of stuff during his time aboard Rejoice, and here are a few of my favorites. James doing some logging. Why yes, we do use sheepskins for cozy in…
Ha-Ha Leg Two: Bahia Tortuga to Bahia Santa Maria
By now our crew was in a sweet groove. We had a routine with shifts, and the second leg was just one overnight rather than two. Gabe had noticed that while the schedule said we each had a three hour shift at…
Ha-Ha Leg One: San Diego to Bahia Tortuga
In San Diego, we joined the 25th Annual Baja Ha-ha. I have in the past not been much of a joiner, and I must admit that it was mostly James who felt that we should participate in this rally. It turned to…
The Baja Ha-Ha is Underway!
If all has gone as planned, we departed for Mexico on Monday, October 29 with the 25th annual Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers' Rally. You can check out the schedule if you wish, or just know that we'll be landing in…
Marina del Rey to San Diego
The Santa Ana winds were up, so we lingered a day longer than planned in Marina del Rey. James used the day to go to the banjercito at the Mexican Consulate to get the TIP (Temporary Import Permit) which would allow us…
Sea Lions, Ahoy!
In Marina del Rey we stayed at the guest docks of Burton Chace Park. This was our first time at a park; we've docked at marinas and a yacht club, we've rafted and we've anchored. This…
Santa Barbara to Marina del Rey
We sailed from Santa Barbara to Ventura and spent a day visiting with our friend Anastasia and her daughter Maeve. They have an extensive garden, two cats, and a dog, and we had a cozy time chatting and eating and picking herbs…
Cojo Anchorage to Santa Barbara
To recap, we sailed from Morro Bay to Avila Beach, where we spent a brief, rolly night and rose at 3a to round Point Conception, landing on the far side at Cojo Anchorage. We spent another rolly night here and woke with…
Rounding Point Conception
Brian Fagan, in his canonical "Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California", says that this area has been "known since the ninteeth century as the 'Cape Horn of the Pacific'"; he then devotes two sobering pages…
First Overnight Passage: Monterey to Morro Bay
When one secures a boat, there are several ways this can happen. Anchoring: You use your anchor! Because humans have been sailing for a very long time, there are resources that tell where safe anchorages are. When anchoring, it is necessary to…
Half Moon Bay to Monterey
Since coastal cruising is new to us, we are doing our best to stay wide open, clear, and limit our expectations. We set out for the Golden Gate on Friday morning with minimal fanfare, just texting a few friends late the night…
WE DID IT: Sailing Out of the Golden Gate
Friday morning September 14 at 8:51 we cast off our dock lines from our berth at Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, which is where 'joice was when we bought her, and which has been our home base for the past year.…
Basic Keelboat
This bit of backstory was written in September 2015. Home today after a week on the Bay learning to sail during the days and at home on my boat in the Berkeley Marina at night. Last night I woke back in my…