Hello!

Welcome to our mid-life crisis! These are the chronicles of Laura and Patrick, their young son Jack, and their goofball Labrador Retriever named Evinrude (Rudy), as they travelled the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast of mainland Mexico in their catamaran. We went cruising in search of a change of pace, a closer knit family, and peace of mind. We found all three and more. The fun all started in October, 2008 and nearly four years later the Mexican adventure came to an end August 3rd, 2012. With our mid-life crisis cured in Mexico, we are excited to start a new adventure - life back in America.

Candeleros Chico

Candeleros Chico
Just another beautiful day at anchor on the Baja. 2010

Dolphins at play in the bow wake 2011

Dolphins at play in the bow wake  2011

Friday, August 3, 2012

Tha-tha-tha That's All, Folks!

Yesterday, we pulled into our old home town north of Seattle 2,448 miles from La Paz, completing the giant circle of our travels and bringing the end to our Mexican adventure.

Which makes this the last post -  nearly four years worth of experiences summed up in 246 posts from beginning to end.  Writing this blog has given me much joy.  I really appreciate all the people who took time out of their lives to read about ours.   We've had over 60,000 views from places including, but not limited to, Serbia, India, Russia, the Philippines, Japan, Ethiopia, France, South Africa, Brazil, Switzerland, and China!  Simply amazing.

For those of  you who helped get this dream afloat, a heartfelt thanks - namely Mark Schrader and Herb McCormick.  Both of you played major roles in starting this thing off right.  And Herb, your advice to buy a catamaran was invaluable!  I don't think we would have been able to sell a mono hull, in this market, for $10,000 less than what we paid for it, in three months.  Wow!  Not to mention, it's the only reason we stayed out for four years - we were very comfortable.

Our adventure couldn't have happened without a lot of help from our friends.  First, an enormous thank you to all the people who helped us troubleshoot breakdowns or improvements  - namely Dave on s/v Juniata, Total Yacht Works of Mazatlan - Rafa and Bob) and Rick of s/v Hotel California.   You Guys (and quite of few others) Rock.  God bless the cruiser mentality of happily lending a hand, without expecting anything in return.  It's getting harder to find it seems, but it is still there.

A huge thank you to our very patient and loving extended family  Our absence has meant all of our sibs have done extra duty.  An extra big kudos goes to my parents.  It would have been so much harder to do this without your help.  Mom and Dad acted as our mail drop, appointed banking representative, and yearly hotel, all while being deprived of access to their grandson.

A  heartfelt thank you to Ben for spending every Tuesday night for several years with Patrick's dad.
 
A very big thanks to Tom for taking excellent care of our rental/renters in our absence.

A big apology to every Mexican whom I made suffer through my horrendous "Spanish". It was too embarrassing.   I'll do better next time, I promise.

And last, an enormous hug to all the amazing cruisers out there that we have met and befriended along the way, some still cruising, and others now dirt dwellers like us.  You made our trip so special.  To name a few - Hotel California, Third Day, Juniata, Eyoni, Hotspur, Summerwings, Mamabird, Sunbaby, Jacaranda, Adios 3, Evergreen, Jake, Overheated, Masquerade, V'ger, Frances Lee,  Full Shell, Dealmaker....there's just too many to name.  We are so happy to have spent time with you.

For those of you now looking for new Sea of Cortez blogs to follow, check out a couple from this year's fresh crop of cruisers headed into the far north for their first hurricane season -  two we've enjoyed meeting are Trisha and Derek on  Interabang and Tom and Jeanne on Eagle.

As we head in to the arms of America to be lost in the anonymous shuffle, I have just one request.  Go have your own adventure, and I'll read about yours!  

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for the memories! Loved reading your blog (and would love to read at least one post on how your're adjusting to "real" life). We just started cruising the Sea in March and have been lucky enough to meet some of the other cruisers you mention, but sadly, just narrowly missed meeting you. Enjoy your new (old) life :-) Best from Verena and Mike on Camille. www.pacificsailors.com

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  2. Well, thanks for your kind words. Sorry we passed like two ships in the night. Have a wonderful time in the Sea this hurricane season - it is a magical place.
    Laura

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  3. Replies
    1. Jesse,
      Let's keep in touch. I know you are focused on taking care of your Mom now, but don't forget to take care of yourself, too.
      Laura

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    2. Yes,and I will. Thank you.

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  4. HI guys, sad to read the "last blog"!! I have enjoyed reading them and thinking about how awesome it would be to do it like you all did!! Hooked up with Eyoni the other night in upper conception bay for a great evening and another DMP!! Nice to see them. Heard you all were probably driving by at some time when we were there. Take care, stay in touch and good luck!! Talk to you soon. Sean DEAL MAKER

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    1. The DMP. How could we miss it? And yes, as we drove by, we counted the boats that were anchored at Santa Domingo. Didn't know two of them were you and Eyoni! If we had known.... We loved meeting you and your family. Would love to keep in touch. You guys have the best blend of land and sea life.
      We will always be up for a DMP (Deal Maker Party).
      God Bless,
      Laura, Patrick, and Jack

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  5. Yeah, I second the request for an update after you've experienced being back in the changed USSA for awhile.

    I can just hear it now ... "damn, wish we hadn't sold the boat"

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    1. Well, it's going to be messy and at times it is not going to be fun, but I still think it is the right thing. Cruising is great, but it's not what I want to do the rest of my life.
      Laura

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  6. We too, would like to see a postscript sometime in the future, for no other reason than to help with our withdrawals. It's been great fun reading your blog and we're pleased that you have managed to get a full hoist on your main sail. Best of luck to a wonderful family. We hope to hear more from you.

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    1. Hi Pete
      Thanks for all your kind words over the years. We have really enjoyed meeting you and with you both the best of everything.

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  7. Wishing you all the best in your next adventure. We enjoyed meeting you and following your adventures!

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    1. Thanks for your kindness. We have really enoyed meeting you. You two have a love of life that is infectious. Happy travels to you.
      Laura

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  8. Hey, I expect to see the blog in book form. Hard to believe its over...on to the next adventure. We still plan on taking SunBaby Too to LaPaz in the fall. Colin will be at MLP so it will be good to see him. If you get the itch hop on a plane. you always have a place. We'll call when we go to the PNW. Love you guys. Send your new email

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