The Adventures of Ka'sala: Blog Update: Where have we been these last two years?

Almost two years have passed since I last wrote in this blog. Why so long? Well, a few reasons. For one, many of the people who used to follow my blog had moved on to Facebook. They told me they were more interested in a “spot check” of how and where we were, as well as a few photos. The blog was a lot of work for me – most entries took several hours to complete, while a Facebook post could be done in minutes. So.....I continued posting, but only periodically, and only on Facebook. No one complained. Secondly, for the last couple of years most of the places we found ourselves, I had written about in previous blog entries. I was not particularly interested in repeating myself. Thirdly, blogs seem to be less popular now than they used to be. My original blog, which I kept for our adventures in 2010/11, had over 200,000 hits. I had lots of positive feedback from readers I knew and didn’t know from all over the world. When I began again in 2015, my readership was drastically reduced and I began to feel that if I was going to write for myself, I would keep a personal journal instead.

Why am I reconstituting the blog now? Since I began my first blog, and before we left Comox for our second cruise in 2015, we purchased a Pactor modem, which connects to our SSB radio and allows us to send and receive emails. This ability is especially useful when we are offshore - without access to the internet and Facebook. Through the modem I am also able to post on the blog – something I was unable to do on our first north Pacific passage in 2011. In a few weeks, we will begin the long trek back to the Pacific Northwest via Hawaii and Alaska; through the blog I will be able to report on our progress, plus keep contact with family and friends while we are at sea.

I guess the next question would be: What have we been doing these last two years? My last entries were about our trip north into the Sea of Cortez in the spring of 2016. We continued north from Aqua Verde to San Juanico, then crossed over to Guaymas in late April. There we left Ka’sala for the summer on the concrete hardstand at the Fonatur marina, right in the heart of that small city.

Sailing in the Sea of Cortez

High on the cliffs near Honeymoon Cove - Gigante mountains in the background

At Aqua Verde with Witte Raaf

On the hardstand at Fonatur, Guaymas

Ready to store for the summer

In the summer of 2016, we returned to the Comox Valley to housesit for friends and bought ourselves a 2007 diesel Sprinter Roadtrek. In July, we loaded it with our bicycles and drove across North America, visiting with family and friends along the way. After rounding Cape Breton, we headed into the USA, using the locales of the American Civil War to guide us. We travelled as far south as Tupolo, Mississippi, birthplace of Elvis, then crossed through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before reuniting with Ka’sala in October.

Roadtrek on our first trip to Bere Point, Malcolm Island, BC

Cycling in New England

Camping in the woods of Widby Island, Washington state

Cycling at Niagra Falls

Checking out the waves in PEI

Exploring American Civil War battlefields

Mount Rushmore

Hiking in spectacular Sedona

In the winter of 2016/17 we stored the van in San Carlos and spent our time cruising Ka'sala in the Sea of Cortez along with our Dutch friends, Jan and Joanneke, aboard Witte Raaf. For the first half of the winter, we were also joined by Bill and Sandra, aboard Greybeard . The three yachts crossed to Santa Rosalia together, then worked their way slowly down the eastern Baja coast and islands to La Paz. In late winter we retraced our route back to Guaymas where we left Ka’sala for another summer in the Fonatur yard.

Sandra, Bill, Doug, me, Joanneke and Jan at Isla San Francisco

Ka'sala, Witte Raaf and Greybeard at Aqua Verde

Anchored off Algadones near San Carlos

Overlooking Santa Rosalia on a very windy day

Shell rock formations on the beach at Bahia San Domingo

Punta Chivato anchorage

San Juanico anchorage

Anchorage in Bahia Conception

Looking down at the anchorage from the top of Isla Coronados

Ka'sala at Coronados

On the beach in Los Gatos

Cowboys on the beach in Los Gatos

Loreto waterfront

Near Puerto Escondito

Isla Partida anchorage

San Evaristo

Anchorage at La Paz

Southern anchorage at Isla San Marcos

Kayaking off the remote northern tip of Isla San Marcos

Back on the dock in Guaymas

We moved back into the van in the spring of 2017 and drove it north through the central mountains, taking every opportunity we could to bicycle along the way. We were totally taken with Arizona, Utah and Colorado for the beautiful landscapes and recreation opportunities. Another summer was spent house sitting and visiting friends in the Comox Valley, then we headed south again in the Roadtrek – this time with mountain bikes strapped on the back. Using the Apps “Campendium” and “Trailforks” we planned our route back to Mexico to coincide with great trail rides and inexpensive camping. It was an amazing experience.

Boondocking at the Dragoon Mountains near Tombstone

Biking on the south rim of the Grand Canyon

Canyon de Chelly - one of the many pueblo ruins we explored in the Four Corners area

Navajo Monument trail

The road to Marble Canyon

Looking over Black Canyon

Mormon's Crossing near the source of the Columbia River

Spud Lake near Durango

Mesa Verde cliff dwelling

On the road between Durango and Silverton

Grand Teton Mountains

Granite Springs

Hiking in Yellow Stone National Park

With Nellie on the top of Table Mountain

Hiking Table Mountain

Tubing near Pincher Creek

Cycling in Waterton National Park

Writing on Stone Provincial Park

With Bella and Benny

With my new mountain bike near Elk Bay, Vancouver Island

New rack for our new mountain bikes

In late fall we were back in Guaymas. We stored the van in San Carlos once again, and launched Ka’sala. This time our plan was to join friends in Barra de Navidad by Christmas.

Goodbye Fonatur, Guaymas

We sailed down the west coast of the mainland in three hops, breaking the passage at Mazatlan and San Blas.

Fishing off the beach in Nuevo Mazatlan

Isla Marina Mazatlan - Ka'sala is docked just under the lighthouse

Ka'sala on the dock at Fonatur San Blas

After the new year we split our time between Barra de Navidad and the beautiful anchorage at Tenacatita. We were not alone. At any given time there were at least 35 boats in the anchorage and the lagoon, not to mention the nearby marina. We spent our days swimming, strolling the beaches, snorkelling, kayaking, biking, playing cards and socializing. Somewhere in there we did some boat jobs, but each day passed like a dream. The only flies in the ointment were the high heat and humidity, as well as the nasty biting/stinging insects.