Tanner's visit.

Having family and friends come aboard to share is what it is all about.  For them to see what we see, do what we do and live what we live, even if for just a few days or so, is always awesome.  My oldest son Tanner has never been to the boat so when he finally made it down it was destined to be great.  Without going into a long dialog, here's the video that shows the highlights.  Enjoy.

Click the pic to see the video

Until next time,

Bret, Marne and Tanner
SV Liahona

Reviving a striped marlin...the video version.

Most of you have read the post of the marlin catch, release and rescue.  Here is the video version of that event.

Until next time,

Bret and Marne
SV Liahona

Catch, release...and the extra mile with a striped Marlin.

Yesterday we crossed over from the Baja side to San Carlos on mainland Mexico as we prepare to end another amazing season cruising the beautiful waters of Mexico.  It was a gorgeous crossing and as our friend Jake on our sister-ship puts it "very civilized".  It wasn't much for sailing but cruising across 80 miles of clear blue, glassy, 80 degree water... it was worth spending a few pesos on diesel. We lost count of how many turtles we saw, somewhere between 20 and 30.

As usual, whenever we travel, we were trolling lines looking for a delicious dinner. Not much action unitl about 30 miles out of San Carlos things got exciting.  The ocean was so calm that I had decided to hop in and swim with the next sea turtle fast approaching off the port bow.  Just as I got my mask and fins out we got a hit on one of the lines.  Looking back we were treated with an amazing aerial display of a large striped marlin.

 Trying to get comfortable...

The battle went on for an hour or more as Bret struggled to gain ground and Marne balanced her time between the camera and the helm to keep the boat positioned correctly so the fish didn't make it's way under the boat and cut the line on the prop or something else on our undersides.  Honestly, NO WAY we would have caught that fish without her careful manuevering.

After an hour or so both the fish and Bret were exhausted but the fish was finally at the side of the boat where we could carefully remove the hook and let him go.  Bret put on some gloves, grabbed the marlin by the bill and lifted as much of the fish out of the water as possible so that Marne could remove the hook.  It was a struggle to get him high enough out of the water but the hook came out easily and we attempted to send him on his way.  However, when we let him go he turned belly up and swam slowly in a circle, upside down, then stopped, just laying there looking like he had given up entirely.

It was a major struggle getting him high enough so Marne could unhook him.

We realized he was in trouble when we saw he couldn't stay upright.

Bret quickly put on his mask and fins and jumped in to see if he could revive him.  Grabbing a pectoral fin, he turned the fish over and started to swim him forward forcing water through his gills.  A few minutes in and we could see that he was beginning to breathe on his own.  However, when Bret let him go he turned upside down again.  So more swimming.  After about 10 or 15 minutes of keeping the fish upright and moving water through him he was breathing pretty strong and when Bret turned him loose he swam off on his own into the deep blue.

 Getting to the fish and turning him over.

Helping him along.

On it's own, this pic looks ominous but it is just a very, very tired marlin.

 Trying to swim the marlin forward to push water through his gills.

 Just after releasing him as he swam down into the deep.

 Going back up for air before the final shot of him swimming away.

Adios amigo.

It was an amazing experience and we are both glad that we were able to help the fish back to good health so he could be on his way.

Until next time,

SV Liahona
Bret and Marne

A photographic look at January.

Here is a brief photographic look at what has transpired so far in January onboard the S/V Liahona.  In no particular order.

This is the biggest Dorado caught yet on the Liahona.

 Credit to Marne for these two amazing shots...

Almost aboard...

One of several meals from our catch.  Sashimi.

 The two forms of transportation in Yelapa.

 My buddy Rodolfo.  He even remembered us from last year.

 Ok...a third form of transportation in Yelapa.

 Kids helping out.  It would indeed be a rare sight north of the border.

 Karla and Rawly enjoying fresh juice and a torta in Yelapa.

Cruising along with a humpback.  The whale sightings have been plentiful this year, we have probably seen 40 or 50 already this season.  BTW, this was not taken with a telephoto lens and yes, sometimes they are a little close for comfort.

 Pineapple anyone?

 Getting my Amish on.  The hat is a little small and the Band Aid a result of a slap from a limb in the jungle outside of La Manzanilla.

 This is how we do a block party cruiser style.  The mayor's raft up in Tenacatita with the mayor himself, Robert Glesser, leading the show.

 Taking friends along for the short sail to La Manzanilla (in the background) from Tenacatita to get some groceries.

 Barra de Navidad

 The Barra lagoon.

Sunrise in Barra de Navidad.

 The captain tightening transmission coupler bolts and rerouting a cooling hose.

 We found some missionaries in Santiago. Nice young ladies they are.

The following 3 pics are from today, in front of the famous Las Hadas resort in Manzanillo Bay.

 Our view at anchor from the deck looking north...

 ...to the east...

 ...to the south...

 and to the west.  The views do not suck!

And the final shot of our friend Brian on S/V Cat 2 Fold being dwarfed by the monster mega yacht S/V Eos.  

Tomorrow we will go to the Saturday Thiangi (flea market) in the neighboring Santiago and then Sunday we will head south into unknown waters by the Liahona as we make our way to Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo.  Until next time.

SV Liahona

Bret and Marne

Finally getting our feet wet in the Sea of Cortez!

 One of two Dorados that we caught 2 days before getting into La Paz.  The sail was amazing.  All down wind.  It doesn't get any better than that. (This photo is out of order but was a much better header than some fiberglass repair pic.  The rest of the pics are mostly in chronological order.)

Dry dock repairs update:

 Abran, Jorge and another prepping the final layers of glass.

 This was not a small project and although it took a lot of time we wated to get it done right.

 The last layers going on before final sanding, a barrier coat then the red primer coat.

Primer is on and now ready for the bottom paint.  

 Welding the stainless pole and supports for the new wind gen.  I will most likely do an entire post on our first impressions of the D400 wind generator.  (A sneak preview...we love it!) More later on this subject.

 Salvador making some last connections before more green power starts to flow into our battery banks.

Final bottom paint was done around the 26th or so of Oct.  At this point we are ready to hit the water!

 Dia de los Muertos is a big deal here in Mexico and throughout Latin America.  It is much more than our Halloween costumes and trucks loads of candy.  Here they celebrate and honor their relatives who have passed into the next realm.  We went to a seminar put on by the local college in Guaymas that gave us an overview of their beliefs and why they do what they do on these important few days.  Very interesting and so much deeper than our Halloween.

 The cathedral in Guaymas lit up in lavender for the celebration.

 Many of the skeletons had puppy skeletons along side.  Their belief is that you should be buried with a dog and he will protect you and watch after you in the afterlife.  Marne loves the thought and sentiment of this tradition.

 As we wandered the streets of Guaymas we were among thousands of Latins with nay a Gringo in sight all evening .  It was pretty awesome.  Good food, great people, wonderful traditions.

This is our buddy Brian on S/V Cat 2 Fold.  A very unique folding catamaran that he can put on a trailer.  He went out for a short day sail that afternoon to make sure everything was working ok and wound up just never turning back into San Carlos harbor crossing the Sea of Cortez overnight and landing on the Baja side somewhere near Loreto.  We look forward to spending more time with him.

 Marne on the bow enjoying one of MANY of our wonderful downwind sails as we head south toward La Paz.  The water was about 82 degrees and crystal clear.  You gotta love this place!

 We ran into several pods of dolphin who shared the waters with us.  The water clarity made it a magical experience.

 Snorkeling at one of our favorite anchorages in the Sea, Isla Danzante.  The diving was fantastic but we arrived back to the boat to find a massive swarm of bees on board.  They come looking for fresh water and I guess they found what they were looking for.  Marne went to the bow while I tried not to step on or sit on one of thousands of bees that were sharing the boat with us.  They forced us out.  We picked up anchor and headed toward Puerto Escondido.  After about 30 minutes the last of them had left and we managed to somewhat coexist receiving not a single sting.  They really are not aggressive and are just looking for water, fresh water.

 More dolphin.

 The above and below pics are of S/V Harmony.  Some of our dearest friends.  They, along with Jeff and Pamela from S/V China Cloud came over for dinner as we shared our Dorado catch with them, Marne outdoing herself whipping up Coconut Encrusted Dorado and curry cauliflower.  Before dinner we had this amazing display played out over 30 minutes or so.  Gorgeous.

And last but not least for this post is the captain lounging on the foredeck as we sail wing on wing with the genoa and the drifter quietly but swiftly toward Isla San Francisco just north of La Paz.  

We love the Sea of Cortez in the fall.  It is an amazing and magical place.  Soon the northers will start to blow more consistently stirring the waters, cooling them down and sending the cruisers seeking the warmer waters of Pacific Mexico.  We will follow them in time but will hang here as long as the conditions permit.  We are so grateful to be able to experience the joy, peace and beauties of cruising.  Leaving behind the stresses, expenses and worries of the "real world" back on the hard stuff.  There is no other place we would rather be.  

Ciao for now.

SV Liahona

Bret and Marne