Transpacific Voyage - 2005 -
Part One
SCOTT & JEAN’S 2005 SAILING
TRIP FROM LOS ANGELES TO PANAMA
(February to June)
To view Voyages - 2005 - Pt. 2 (July to September)
click here.
To view Voyages - 2005 - Pt. 3 (September to December)
click here.
 The
Quest started 2005 in Ensenada and later joined the Salsa fleet of the
Del Rey Yacht Club
International Yacht Race to Puerto Vallarta. This section is about that
race, the fun parties and the relaxing stops along the way. The first
leg is from Marina Del Rey to Turtle Bay. The second leg ends at Bahia
Santa Maria. The next segment is a fishing tournament ending at Cabo San
Lucas. The last leg ends at Puerto Vallarta. The Salsa fleet is the
cruising fleet and although many of us are dedicated racers many of us
also are dedicated partiers. Check out our crew (right): Jim, Ann, Kim,
Lindsey, Jean and Scott to divide the racers from the cruisers.
 While
the Quest was birthed in Puerto Vallarta during March, 2005 I joined
some friends and took a tour of the interior. We toured some of the
rural areas as well as a beautiful private beach resort where we were
served lunch and relaxed on the beach. We're not used to thinking of
Mexico as cowboy country, but indeed we saw many cowboys in Mexico.
 Barra
de Navidad, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, and Acapulco are often referred to
as the Mexican Gold Coast. This area of the Mexican Pacific coast is
particularly beautiful. The marinas are beautiful, clean and often
expensive. On the right is a local resort on the beach. Because we
were traveling in the area around the Easter holiday many Mexicans
were on vacation. We enjoyed the local restaurants as much as they
did!
 In
southern Mexico is a huge bay called Tuantepec. It is dreaded by
sailors and yachtsmen because of the big winds that blow across the
narrow area of Mexico and create large waves and potentially unsafe
conditions, especially for smaller yachts. Smaller boats will wait a
week or more to be sure they have time to cross the bay in safety.
On the Quest we were also concerned and asked a friend (Perry) to
join us and sought local knowledge before heading off. We birthed
the boat in Marina Chahue where the harbormaster had an excellent
knowledge of local weather conditions. This is a view (left) of
nearby Huatulco Harbor (an appealing resort) where we waited for our
weather window to El Salvador.
 El
Salvador is in the process of recovering from a devastating civil
war. Because of that we were a little hesitant to visit, but we
found the hospitality at Marina Barillas such that our fears were
erased. This started with a safe escort through the reef and into
the marina area to a mooring. We received boat parts as a "boat in
transit" which yachtsmen know can be difficult in some countries
requiring excessive local "taxes." We were able to find a
talented guide to tour the country and we definitely enjoyed the
local cuisine at Barillas. The appealing floral scene (right) is an
example of how the people made little islands of beauty and safety
in the midst of ugliness and strife.
We were in Costa Rica in May of 2005. We were told it was the rainy
season. We enjoyed this as it cooled us down when the rain fell.
Here are Scott and I trekking through the area around Drake's Bay.
We enjoyed our stay there, especially the tour through the rain
forest.
 One
cannot travel to Panama without a tour of the Panama Canal. We were
fortunate to be able to stay at the Balboa Yacht Club which is
located right at the entrance to the canal. We could see the Bridge
of the Americas from our boat. We took a tour of the canal from a
tour boat. When you see all the ship traffic you're happy to be on
someone else's boat. It was raining that day. Interestingly enough,
part of the design of the canal depends on a steady supply of rain
water.
 The
Panamanian Islands were a welcome relief for the admiral here. I
found that the heat, humidity and lack of breeze in Central America
made my stay insufferable. I was happy that we made the trip, but
have NO desire to return. Next time Quest is near Panama we'll head
for Hawaii and Alaska! This is a shot of Taboga, also called "The
Enchanted Island," is known for it's beautiful flowers. We
walked around and took in the sights before heading off for the
Galapagos.
To view Voyages - 2005 - Pt. 2 (July to September)
click here.
To view Voyages - 2005 - Pt. 3 (September to December)
click here.
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