We cruised Pacific Mexico in our 2008 Hunter 44DS sailboat named Groovy between January, 2010 and July, 2013. All of our blog posts from the voyage can be found under the MEXICO menu item at the top of the page, grouped by region.
If you would like to read the story of our voyage in the order in which it happened, here are some links to key points in the tale so you can tackle it in “chapters,” and here is a map as well.
Each page of the blog is connected to the next and previous post by the blue highlighted words at the beginning and end of the text, and/or by the arrows that appear at the bottom of each post.
- January, 2010 – We purchased Groovy and took her to Ensenada, Mexico, for outfitting and to get acquainted with her and Mexico
- August, 2010 – We sailed to San Diego to continue outfitting and preparation for our Mexico cruise
- November, 2010 – We began our voyage south to Cabo and then the mainland as far as Zihuatanejo and back
- April, 2011 – We crossed the Sea of Cortez from Mazatlan to La Paz to begin sailing north in the Sea of Cortez
- July, 2011 – We left Groovy in San Carlos for three months to return Stateside where we RV’d for 3 months
- October, 2011 – We returned to Groovy in San Carlos and sailed south in the Sea of Cortez to La Paz
- December, 2011 – We crossed the Sea of Cortez from La Paz to Puerto Vallarta and continued south to the Guatemala border
- March, 2012 – We left Groovy in Marina Chiapas at the far southern end of Mexico to return to the US to RV for seven months
- November 2012 – We returned to Marina Chiapas and spent 3 months in Huatulco and continued north to Puerto Vallarta
- During this last year, we decided to end our cruise. Here’s why: Living, Loving and Perfecting “The Dream”
- July, 2013 – We did the Baja Bash to end our cruise and return Groovy to San Diego
Here is a map and below that are some of the HIGHLIGHTS of our cruise:
Sailing Passages We’ll NEVER Forget!
- Crossing the Sea of Cortez the first time – 330 miles of Sheer Terror!
- A Dead Body Gives Us A Shock At Sea
- Crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec – Storms on Radar and Weird Sightings At Sea!
- Doing the Baja Bash from PV to Cabo – Flying on the Coat Tails of a Hurricane
- Baja Bash (2) – Chased Up the Baja Coast by Another Hurricane
Sometimes CRUISING means RESORT LIVING – How Cool is THAT?!
- Paradise Village Marina – Living at a 5 Star Resort
- We Leave Gritty Boat Living for the Lap of Luxury in Huatulco
- We Anchor in a Stunning Bay Surrounded by Beautiful Resorts – Wow!
- Las Hadas Resort in Manzanillo Mexico – Fairies, Turrets and Bo Derek!
Heartwarming Encounters with Special People
- Folks Kayak to Our Boat and Invite Us to Stay At their Exclusive Resort!
- A Mexican Tycoon Teaches Oaxacan Farmers to Profit from Exotic Fruits and Flowers
- It’s Not About the Hair – A Hairdresser Shares Stories of Her Mexican Childhood and L.A. Adulthood
- A Broken Alternator Introduces Us to Horatio Alger and A Brilliant Backyard Electro-mechanical Magician
- Our Blog Gets Us Invited to Spend a Week at a Lovely Beachside Villa in Mexico
Great places Mexico Cruisers Shouldn’t Miss!
- Huatulco is Pacific Mexico’s BEST KEPT CRUISING SECRET!
- Zihuatanejo is a Cruiser’s Delight, Second only to Huatulco!
- Guanajuato was our FAVORITE Colonial City in Mexico
- Oaxaca City is Vibrant, Artsy, Gritty and FUN!
- Careyes and Paraiso are GLORIOUS Anchorages on the Gold Coast
I hope you enjoy the story!
To help you plan your cruise and get you inspired, we created the video series, "Cruising Mexico Off the Beaten Path - Volumes 1-3," shown below. This is a fun-to-watch and easy-to-digest introduction to Mexico from a cruiser's perspective, giving you lots of valuable information that isn't covered by the cruising guides. Each video is available individually at Amazon, either as a DVD or as a download. For discount package pricing on the whole series, visit our page Cruising Mexico Video Series.
Volume 1 reviews the geography, weather and seasons in Mexico and shows you what the best anchorages between Ensenada and Manzanillo are like.
Volume 2 gives detailed info that can't be found in any of the guidebooks about the glorious cruising ground between Manzanillo and the Guatemala border.
Volume 3 (right) provides all the info you need to get off the boat for an adventure-filled trip to Oaxaca.
Our Gear Store also has a boatload of ideas for your cruise!