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| Found Santa! He's in PV taking it easy... |
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| First Mate in training? Me |
Woke to the church bells. My first thought at that hour was "is it a tsunami?" I couldn't count them, they rang too fast. I lay waiting for the wave, nothing. Second thought, a celebratory drunk climbing the bell tower of the proud, gothic, catholic church steeple. So I watched the wave roll in from my bed, just one at a time. No combinations of 3 or 4 piling in like Oregon coast. Just a single every 6 seconds. A small, hushed growl like my Bear. I know waves have wrecked inside this house with 40 footers a few years ago. No threat made today. The house stood strong I'm told. I asked Lauro about that day. He said he came to check on this place and boats were strung through the center of old town streets and up the hill. I forgot to ask him if anyone died. I'll ask him tomorrow. Up at 0500 my time, 0700 PV time. I am to call and get the day's plan at 0900 so I type my extensive inventory of Breathless from the previous day for the hours I wait. Drinking coffee, watching the sun rise - my office has changed. Lovely.
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| Capitan Lauro Rosales Hernandez |
The cobble streets of Puerto Vallarta look untouched from forever. They loudly rattle the public buses with a happy, crazy driver who seems to be behind every wheel. That was fun! I rode the bus twice today to catch up with Lauro and his nieces and nephew and home again. All together, we took Breathless for a Christmas Day cruise out into the bay. What a blast! Right away my purpose is made clear. Pulling lines, watching our distance with arm indications to my Captain. He speaks to me over the outside speakers, "ok, bring in the fenders"!
The kids are so well behaved, sitting patiently while we move her about a tight harbor. Once clear, Lauro used the automatic wench to raise the main sail as I released the roller. This is to steady the ride as there wasn't enough wind to really power the lumbering vessel so we motor-sailed on. Destination, the whales!
We rolled along under a hazy, blue sky. Kids chatted, slept and ate. My task today was to pay attention where my captain was. I have so much I want to learn. Anytime he goes below or motions to me I have my orders. This was a good feeling for me. Lauro knows I want nothing more then to learn what is going on. He shows me engine temp, oil pressure, setting of the heading, auto pilot, pumps gauges, generator on switch to keep 120 volts operating under sail. So much more! Everything has a right and wrong place to be showing. Amazing! Like a new language I hear his words and hope I retain the meaning at the appropriate moment needed. I ask Lauro if the red X on the navigation screen means a pirate's buried treasure. He laughed, says no that's a shallow area we will avoid but if I wanted to jump in and check for treasure I could! 
We spot our whales! Humpbacks here to calve in the warm, prolific waters of Mexico. A cow and her calf are the entertainment of a spectator boat that's brought dozens out from shore. We sail on past them and wrap another angle, providing ourselves an amphitheater setting on the show. Baby comes up many times getting her breath while the occasional roll of mommy's back appears bumpy and dorsal fin. She was big and beautiful. We moved along, they moved too. What a most incredible of my many firsts in life this trip. While the girls and I moved about the boat to get better views, Lauro piloted. Cesar, the youngest on the trip, slept. I think the sea made him feel the need to sleep or the Dramamine convinced him - missing his whales today.
Learning gauges, dials, electronics and watching for whales. Starting our way back to harbor after several hours, this went too fast. Another thing I couldn't help but noticing is how different the sea birds are here. Impressive to say the least. Pelicans, albatross maybe... I'll have to ask Lauro. He will know. Making our way back, captain goes below after instructions. He'll be away 20 minutes he says. If alarm sounds, boats approach, or we see whales I am to take off auto pilot and move to lower RPM's or neutral to take evasive maneuver if needed. Hmmm, what is he up too? Of course, within 10 minutes Lauro has set off the oil monitor alarm manually from below to check and see if I was paying attention. I did as I was told and passed my first drill. Success! I watched for buoys as we moved closer to the harbor, learned some rules of the mariner's road. This was fascinating. As we pulled closer in a mega yacht has the ride of way to come out so we pull a u-turn at the base of some cruise ships that stand like skyscrapers. Back to our prime slip in the harbor means a few turns in this, herself, not so small ship. Lauro is patient and skilled, moving her like a puzzle piece to her too small of a parking place, up close to the rip-wrap and cafe. People on shore stop to watch the action. She always gets waves and praises, making us very proud to be with her. Lauro jumps on dock, we get lines over to him while he calls me down to show me the proper way to secure her. He has the girls bring the 2 huge fenders to drop in beside the dock. Power plug, gear away, freshwater pumps stilled, walk through, secured for the night. The kids wait what probably felt like forever to them without a complaint. We leave the window covers off, deck chairs out and a few other things because we will be back bright and early. Tomorrow we wash her down. We're talking a scuba lesson in there somewhere. Hopefully not where the harbor alligators like to hang out.
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| Christmas Dinner 2012 - Perfecto! |
As we left the marina we see a big iguana sunning on the rocks. Lauro picks a red hibiscus flower and feeds him his favorite. This is little Ernesto's (the 3 year old grandson) favorite thing to do at the harbor. He was sick today and couldn't make it. One in your honor, young Ernie.
Merry Christmas dinner from the local market. First food of the day, Christmas never tasted so good - back here at Mr. Reinhard's place. Only set off the burglar alarm once, that was enough. Ouch!
The lighted pirate ships sail in the night right up near the shore here again. Closer this time. Maybe he's on that one, Jenny. Little FYI...Jimmy Buffet keeps creeping into my music selection.
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