After three failed attempts, Lost Elvis finally made it to Hawaii, kicking and screaming, during her 32 days and 3,000 n. miles at sea.  She left Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta on January 14, 2014 with a crew of six; three airline pilots (one of them Randy), one world cruiser and two young swabs. At first it seemed too large a crew but after the thruster bearing burned out, the raw water pump failed and with the autopilot going on strike, it was great to have so many men on a downwind hand steering voyage.

She arrived quite beaten up on February 14, 2014 at 4 a.m. Without an engine, our inflatable dinghy with its faithful 15 horse power Mercury outboard engine tied up to the quarter port stern, nudged tired old Lost Elvis up to Windcastle where we now sit on the Aloha Dock at our Hawaii Yacht Club.

We are very proud of our crew who were near their wits' end after such a long and painful ordeal. In addition to the failure of various parts and equipment, the wind was erratic; four days of great wind followed by 5 days of nothing; the so called "swimming days". Only two fish were caught with over $80 worth of lures lost. That coupled with various personality clashes made it all the much more unpleasant voyage.  There wasn't much energy left to rejoice; leis, a few beer, some Big Macs and fries.  That was it.

Now we are waiting on an estimate for a new Aqua Drive thruster bearing, we have a new raw water pump for our Ford Lehman engine thanks to BoMac Marine in Georgia.  Then comes Vacu Flush repair, stainless steel repairs to the pulpit and new life lines, deck caulking (if it can make one more season), new upholstery and curtains, mast stepping, new mainsail, new staysail..... on and on it goes.

But as I always say, there comes a time when you get the main items back online and then "cut her loose" and deal with the other repairs along the way.

Random Notes on a Rainy Day in Waikiki

Sunday at Spouting Waters

swishing black rubber on shiny pavement

plastic coated tourists scurrying hopping puddles

disappointment absent warming rays and electric blue waters

cool damp boredom

children rejoice in the pool under droplets and downpour

moist coco palms vivid but motionless

sloshing squeaky truck rumbles low

drizzle laden slick streets abate bikers’ roaring thunder.  Quiet.

mainlanders hoping and wishing for warmth on golden sand seek shelter

dull grey clouds tease with patches of white still they steal the sun

old yellow cat sleeps lightly wisely knowingly

good idea! doze the dreary day.

Back to the Barn

Lost Elvis wants to stay in Mexico and Central America and that's that.  With heartfelt thanks to Stephen and Pauline Theodore on Rumdoodle, Lost Elvis is limping back to Paradise Village with a failed starter.  Captain Steve-O and his "Little Buddy" Rich Roberts, are sailing (yes I mean sailing, with the wind and those big white canvas things).  Randy, Scott (Ululena), Rich and Steve wrenched on the engine, overhauled the starter and still no diesel power due to the faulty starter.  Big thanks to Scotty too!  Randy was running out of time and we would have to put old Elvis back on the hard again at Marina del Palmar in La Paz (reasonable rates by the way). One morning Steve decides, Hello! why not sail her to PV?  That's what she's designed for.  Randy has to go to work so Steve and Rich are sailing her back home to Paradise Village where she will get the love and care that she is used to.  Eventually we will relocate.  She won't come to us so we'll have to go to her.  Mexico me encanta anyway so it's all for the best.

Notes on Hawaii

Observations in Hawaii:

the State beer is Heineken ("Keep Hawaii Green");

they make poke out of anything (ahi, edamame, fake crab, tofu, tako, blue crab, salmon, clams, shrimp, cucumber, beef, fish cake, sea snails, sea weed etc.);

they listen to laid back Reggae (probably due to the following 3 comments);

it takes at least a mile to make up for one wrong turn;

most street names start with a K or a W and end in an A or an I;

Exit #2 is actually the first exit;

they drive like they have all day to get there (probably because it actually takes that long... see previous three comments);

they love to travel to Alaska and to Vegas and have a strong presence in Phoenix;

it's "slippahs" not flip flops (and you can wear them to work) and "lanai" not patio or deck;

I'm "Auntie" if you don't know my name. It used to be a sign of respect or age but now can be accompanied by a wolf whistle apparently;

McDonalds sells Saimin, Spam and eggs with 2 scoops of rice and Haupia pie;

the locals ride in the back of pickups like the Mexicans do;

Sundays are for all day cook-outs at the beach;

if a car stops to let you cross whether you are in a cross walk or not, you waive and thank them.

Lost Elvis Mexico

The latest plan is to stay in Mexico; cruise down the Pacific Coast of Mexico with guests and run passengers from Cartagena to Panama and back as well as guide them through the San Blas Islands. New "Navtronics" are running well. Thanks to David at Yacht Services in Puerto Vallarta.

Lost Elvis Status

Hola y Aloha,

Lost Elvis is still getting all of her new electronics installed by Yacht Services in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We expect the job to be complete sometime in November, almost a year after our insurance claim. Probably "standard ops" for Mexico. I love those people but it requires years of patience to get to that stage and I'm Canadian. The Americans must go insane when they first experience the Mexican way.

Once the job is complete we plan to move Lost Elvis to Hawaii; as soon as we get a weather window. We are considering adding extra fuel tanks in case the winds are light. We are on the list at the Ala Wai Marina and Kewalo Basin Harbor. There aren't many marinas here and they are all but one, State-owned. We could stay at Ko'Olina, the private marina while waiting for a downtown marina.

We already have The Cruising Guide to the Hawaiian Islands, by Mehaffy and are looking forward to cruising the islands over the next couple of years. We may even take a trip to Palmyra.

Stay tuned!!

Alhoa Mai - Randy and Thea to Wed Finally

"E Ko Makua iloko o ka lani. E hoano ia ko inoa."

This is a special post. For those of you who did not receive the announcement, Randy and I are very pleased to tell you that after for year of love and happiness on the high seas, we have decided to finally get married in Hawaii on September 11, 2011. We will continue to nurture our bliss and excitement on our ocean adventures or wherever we end up and hope to keep you all posted on our future travels.

Some people are shocked by our choice for a wedding date. My replies are as follows:

- If anything, getting married on September 11 will show the radical terrorists that our lives will continue in the face of and despite the tragedy they caused. They will not dictate when I get married.

- On September 11, by our wedding, we will affirm our belief in love, renewal, hope and goodness inspite of the fanatic hatred and terrorism in our world today. We must continue to live and love. They can't make us suffer on this day or any other.

We will also post wedding photos soon!

Aloha and Ike Pono

Blue Feet, Marietas and Sayulita.

Blue footed Boobies actually do have blue feet. These guys, on Islas Tres Marietas, were quite tame. They must be used to the gringos touring the island. It was nesting season so there was much hissing and snapping as we passed by some moms. Setting up a nest in the middle of the trail however was not the best idea.

After the Marietas, we motor sailed to Sayulita where we anchored for two nights. The anchorage in Sayulita in a South swell or even a West swell is quite pleasant. We set a stern anchor just in case. They waypoint for the Sayulita anchorage is 20Degrees, 52.406 North and 105 degrees, 26.849 West. It's just off a little locals beach tucked in a little cove. You can just see the masts from the main surf beach in Sayulita. Take your dinghy into the most Southern part of the main bay where there is little or no surf. (facing the beach from the water - way right).

The surf was low and slow; perfect for me but I had the wrong board. It was a longboard or SUP day. We still had fun now that the water has finally warmed up to about 73 degrees. I suppose I could have rented a longboard but I was still sick and really didn't have the energy.

One day I'd like to take a day trip with Lost Elvis to San Pancho or Lanchas and try my novice surfing skills there.

David Bourgoin of Yacht Services in Opequimar is "handling" our insurance claim. So far, nothing has happened other than he removed our generator and broke our stairs heading forward to the galley. Of the other two qualified electricians, one is in hiding in the US (marital issues) and the other is unreliable and hard to contact. We are almost tempted to deliver Elvis back to the US and get the work done in San Diego or Newport. We made our claim in November. Six months later.... nada.

New Job and Marina Riviera Nayarit

Thea got a new job in La Cruz working as a yacht broker for Vallarta Yachts. On March 16, Randy returns to US Airways in Tempe, Arizona to upgrade his training on the Airbus 321.

Lost Elvis is now in Marina Riviera Nayarit, aka Marina La Cruz. La Cruz Marina is a nice change from Paradise Village for a number of reasons. Although it is about 40 minutes from the airport as opposed to Nuevo Vallarta's 15 minute drive, the marina in La Cruz offers many activitie for cruisers and their families. Marina Katrina has arranged a Kids Club, movie night, swap meets, beach bonfires, potlucks, Cooking with Amanda, Happy Hours, Tuesday and Sunday brunches, Hiuchol art classes and this list goes on. Rumour has it that a yacht club is in the making.

The marina in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is only three years old. The water in the marina is clean and hosts schools of fish and a large turtle. The rates at the marina in La Cruz are the same or better than Paradise village Marina. The summer rates begin on May 1 as opposed to Paradise Village's June 1. There is no marina clean up fee. La Cruz charges for water and Paradise does not. However all in all, we estimate $2000 a year in savings by moving to La Cruz.

Just a 10 minute walk from the marina is la playa La Manzanilla. With its seafood palapa restaurants and mariachis, you can enjoy Mexico with few or no tourists. Even closer is Don Bidou, a restaurant on the beach owned by a French Canadian. He offers 10 peso beer all day long. Huanacaxtle Bar offers high quality food at reasonable prices and happy hour all day. Try their Huanacaxtle Burger for about $4.50. Live music is everywhere at Britannia Bar, La Cascada, Phylo's, Anna Banana's, the Black Forrest and that's just La Cruz. The Twisted Rose, Eva's Brick House and Quixotes in Bucerias have live music, karaoke and salsa.

It isn't well known, but there is actually a little surf break off the break water when the swell is up. Lanchas and Pools are breaks that are a panga ride away and Punta de Mita, Sayulita and San Pancho are surf spots within a half hour ride from La Cruz.

Rafael Alcantara, the manager of the marina works hard to accomodate your needs. He has arranged access to a nearby upscale beach club which has a pool, bar, restaurant and little furnished cabanas with a fridge and TV if you need to get out of the sun.

The town itself has all you need, carnicerias, organic markets on Sunday and an Oxxo about a 20 minute walk away. There are four salons, numerous restaurants, organic coffee shop, a Subway, fresh fish markets at the marina, street tacos, a veterinarian, doctor, dentist, hotels... any thing you need. What we enjoy the most is the fact the we really feel like we are in Mexico here in La Cruz. Whereas Paradise Village was very American. As Randy says ..... you can just see Mexico from Paradise Village......

No photos on this post but if you go to Thea's Facebook there are many.

I get my first listing today. If you know anyone who wants to buy a Yankee 30 for about $29,000, let me know. It's fast, roomy and set up to cross the Pacific with extra sails and equipment.

Back in Paradise Village

Randy got recalled to US Airways sooner than we expected so Elvis is back in Paradise Village Marina. We would have had to return regardless as the generator failed and then we had engine problems. We made it as far as Barra de Navidad but really wanted to go to Z-town during Sailfest (http://www.zihausailfest.com/ ).

While in Barra, our favourite lunch spot was Mexico Lindo. They make fresh tortillas by hand daily and offer a variety of sopes, huaraches, tacos, burritos, sopa de tortilla, enchiladas etc., all for a very low price.

Roan, the boat cat, did not fare well as we had two guests on board and we were constantly ripping the boat apart to try to repair the generator, then the engine and then checking the dripless seal. Roan was licking his tummy to the point where it was bald and oozing. Our neighbours found a baby armadillo that was malnourished and suffering. Since they were taking him to the vet in Melaque, I quickly gathered up Roan and stuffed him into his carrier. $50 later he had prednazone and an antibacterial/antifungal spray. 8 days later he was almost cured.

Randy left Barra on January 11, 2011 to get back to get his medical and vision re-checked before ground school. So there I am with a sick cat and a limping Lost Elvis. I managed to round up two crew members (Dave - Shoot the Moon and Guss a friend from Barra), to help bring Elvis home to Paradise Village.

We left Barra in some strong winds. Marina Isla Navidad had us stuffed in a slip surrounded by mega-yachts. Thanks to a couple of friends and their dinghies, we managed not to get too twisted around in the docks and launched for Bahia de Banderas on January 13 at about 4 pm. We had the snot kicked out of us the entire way. Ten to twelve foot waves on our nose and 15 to 25 knot winds, on our nose. Poor Roan the boat cat was so sick, I had to carry him to his litter box and as I did, we both got air time. After about 18 hours of getting pounded, without sleep, we rounded Cabo Corrientes only to be surrounded by a thick fog. We have no radar due to the lightning strike. Eventually, the fog lifted in time for us to see our destination.

After an uneventful landing, I took my crew to lunch at Ocho Tostadas, thanked them and sent them back to Barra.

Roan slept in a cubby hole for two weeks after that adventure coming out only to eat and use his box. He'd give me the stink eye whenever I tried to be nice to him. Now on week three he is back to his old habits such as "helping" me make the bed, sleeping on my stomach or my head and begging to have my meals (especially if they involve shrimp, chicken or steak). He's a good pirate cat. He'll be even more handsome when his tummy heals completely.

I have the use of Kim and Dave's truck (Maluhia) until they return to Paradise Village in April. It's great because I can take my laundry to La Burbujita instead of using the terrible laundry service in Paradise Village Mall (I'm convinced she uses no soap and she's expensive).