By Lowell McCulley | June 17, 2009 | Category Baja 09
What’s new.. Baja 09 Closes Legs 3 & 4 slideshow (part 1 & 2) & Clyde’s UTube video The Gato Loco history update Baja 09, GatoLoco’s Sixth Season to Venture South in the Sea of Cortez(2) Baja 09 Comes to a Close with lots of Great Memories (8) Leg 8 (June) 06: Leg 8 – […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | June 10, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers with Sonoran Resorts behind the new venue Gato Loco has been home for a week now after completing our 8 week journey on the Sea of Cortez. Lots of stories have been told as the Baja 09 crews gathered in Cholla with her return and the Peacemaker concert the first […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | June 6, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Casey playing Hearts…all day and all night. Captain Bill created a monster! smoke stack sunset in Cabo Lobos Fresh scallops from the fisherman at Cabo Lobos…mmm mmm! 🙂 […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | June 3, 2009 | Category Baja 09
We arrived at Puerto Penasco and met up with Brian and Heather at JJ’s. We then decided to take the 8 hour overnight bus to San Carlos instead of waiting till the next day…I yi yi! This picture sums up our first day in Mexico – exhausted. Thanks so much Brian and Heather for all […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 29, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Coming into Santa Rosalia…will anchor in the marina tonight. Yhay, showers with unlimited hot water. At our delicious rotiserie chicken lunch restaurant where we were served delightful margaritas (again)…we happened to bump into Frankie and Lowell’s friends M & M (Myron and Marilyn). Small world! […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 28, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Bahia Santa Domingo sunset..anchorerd for the night. Running low on supplies…no tequila left! Moon over Mulege. Goodmorning salute from a friendly foca (Spanish for Sea Lion). At least someone’s catching a fish. […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 26, 2009 | Category Baja 09
We left Isla Colorado after a delicious breakfast of Bill’s Famous Flapjacks. They were finger licking, stick to your ribs good. As we departed, we noticed spouts in the distance, and they seemed to be heading in the direction we were travelling. We hoped that our courses would intersect. Fortunately, they did and we were […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 26, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Beautiful catch – a Rooster fish. Dinner and margs at Bertha’s on Playa El Burro. Found PeeWee’s long lost Mex Papa. “Library Voices Please!”..that means library horns for […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 26, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Where in the world are we?…Nogales, Mexico Miguel starting the journey off right! Mike and Liane arrive in San Carlos. First stop isthe Soggy Peso. […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 25, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Our Final Blog… Our last morning on the Gato Loco…we left Bahia Marquer for a short motor over to Puerto Escondido to refuel, let Bill do laundry, and refill our water supply. As you can see, we left Puerto Escondido in our wake as we headed towards our final port of call, Loreto. Our […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
We left Isla Colorado after a delicious breakfast of Bill’s Famous Flapjacks. They were finger licking, stick to your ribs good. As we departed, we noticed spouts in the distance, and they seemed to be heading in the direction we were travelling. We hoped that our courses would intersect. Fortunately, they did and we were […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Heather and I drove to San Carlos on Friday and stayed in the groovy little 7 unit hotel Posada Del Desierto. This is the hotel everyone has stayed in when departing from San Carlos. Carlos, the hotel manager let us keep our car there and he also drove us to the airport in the morning. […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Even before dawn, we could hear the sounds of the pelicans diving for breakfast. Soon the fisherman came in their pangas looking for bait for the day’s catch. After a quick breakfast, Marilyn secured the lines for the dingy and we were off to Honeymoon Cove, our last anchorage before going back to the big […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
We woke to calm seas with no wind at all. Last night was a rough one. We spun around all night long with howling winds. Bill didn’t sleep much and both Sally and Marilyn got seasick. I, on the other hand, slept the best I had all trip. Never heard a single thing […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
We woke to another gorgeous morning in Vee Cove. What lucky, lucky people we are! This morning the water was much more clear than yesterday, so Sally and Bill were off to snorkel from the boat to the cliffs. Bill took some amazing underwater photos, as you can see. Yesterday it got quite windy and […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
We got another early start to Vee Cove, our next anchorage. It was a longer sail today, with about a 5-6 hour trip. We hit some rougher water with more wind. It was a pretty bumpy ride most of the way. A couple us got a little queasy, but I’m not saying who! I fell […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
We set sail to our next anchorage, San Juanico. We raised the main sail, put the Gato Loco on autopilot and settled in to enjoy ourselves. We stopped along the way, thinking we would have lunch and snorkel at Tres Pilars. Unfortunately, the wind picked up and it was too murky to see anything. We […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
**Just to let you know, an unfinished version of Blog #1 was sent out by accident. This is the completed version.** Hola amigos! The start of Leg 5 began with Sally Dalton, Marilyn Haney and Lisa Wendt (me, AKA, Ms. Wendt) staying in this lovely little hotel, Posada del Desierto, in San Carlos on our […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 19, 2009 | Category Baja 09
After getting Heather in front of the Gato Loco computer to interpret messages from TelCel, we think we have problems figured out. Her Spanish classes in Guanajuato are already paying off 🙂 Lisa, in Puerto Penasco, went to the TelCel office yesterday and added more money to the internet account. The next time Gato Loco […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 15, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Frankie, Neely & Lowell are safely home in Cholla, Thursday May 14th Our journey home from Loreto was full of acts of kindness. We have lots of stories to tell and we have to start with our journey across the Sea of Cortez from Santa Rosalia to Guaymas. This leg, of our entire Baja09 adventure, […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 12, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Hola amigos! The start of Leg 5 began with Sally Dalton, Marilyn Haney and Lisa Wendt (me, AKA, Ms. Wendt) staying in this lovely little hotel, Posada del Desierto, in San Carlos on our first evening of our adventure. We had a nice dinner at The Captain’s Club, where we were eaten alive by mosquitos! […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 9, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Wednesday May 6 After a beautiful cool night in the Marquer anchorage we made our way to Loreto for provisions. We had a little emergency late last night when the head plugged and to set everybody’s mind at ease I stayed up late to clear the problem and was serious competetion to David Letterman for […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 7, 2009 | Category Baja 09
I have meet some friends along the way like Virgil, he was about twice my size with big ears just like Big E has and lives on board thats a lot smaller than our boat. His dad said he was a rescue dog from the pound in L.A. area. We meet on Isla Coronado both […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 7, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Welcome to Honeymoon cove (Sunday May 3rd). I’m writing this while playing Mexican Train, a dominois game, in Isla Coronoda. It’s Wednesday night and I’ve fallen behind on our blogs with all the fun we’ve had with Bill’s birthday adventures. Actually Loreto Fest got things behind. Our first anchorage of leg 4 was at Honeymoon […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 5, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Friday May 2nd Time to make our way to the Loreto Fest anchorage at Puerto Escondido. It’s 38 miles south and the wind is back and on our nose from the S at 12. The temp is a little cooler today and no one is ready for a morning swim. SeaEsta has left a little […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 3, 2009 | Category Baja 09
La Lancha Anchorage on Isla Carmen Night 2 of our Seawind Rally was spent in the La Lancha anchorage on the north shore of Isla Carmen. This anchorage is connected with the salt operation with a road and was used to deliver workers and supplies from Loreto with the shortest connection. Good anchorage with enough […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | May 1, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Seawind Rally Days As the world is held hostage by the swine flu the Gato Loco crew is joined by their Seawind friends for some days together in the Loreto area. Everybody is good on our boats. Tuesday April 28th near sunset Gato Loco with Bill, Lowell, Frankie & Kerry joined Ralph & Helen on […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 28, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Tuesday April 28th. Flash back to Sunday.. We joined MoonDrifter crew to go to the farmers market in Loreto. The haul was so large it took two dinging trips to get crews and supplies back on board. In the picture right Gato Locos stores overflow with fresh fruit. No scurrvy on this leg 🙂 We […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 27, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Neely Cruising Baja Well I got the crossing behind me and a full week on board. I do have to say I am getting very comfortable on Gato Loco. My days begin with a early morning feeding than a ride on the dingy (my favorite) to shore. While on shore my parents take me […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 26, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Friday Leaving San Jaunico always requires leaving a token offering on the cruisers tree. Neely found a cool piece of drift wood that became Baja09 Leg 2’s offering. Last years stone was still hanging so we were able to do a little maintenance and hang the new addition. Since Gato Loco will probably be here […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 24, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Pod of 200+ dolphins feeding on our way to Isla San Ildefonso. With us for over an hour. Fishing report 🙂 Yes, we’re finally eating fresh fish. Leaving Mulege the fish are biting. With a little help from the local fishermen sharing their fishing secrets, we are able to land a couple of nice ones! […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 23, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Hola from Mulege Our south anchorage of San Marcos has great protection but is a little buggie. They’re out early this morning so we motored away early on glassy seas towards Punta Chivato. It’s much warmer today and arriving at Chivato we hit the water before heading in to the resort. Neely was SO READY […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 22, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Well another sailing season has begun and I get to be part of the adventure. My parents and I drove Pee Wee (our small van motor home) to San Carlos where Gato Loco was waiting for us. I got excited to see the marina cuz I know that meant we were going on the boat. […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 21, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Santa Rosalia ferry terminal across from the Singlar Marina . Day 1 ended with some serious exercise walking the quiet streets on Sunday night. Unfortunately when we settled in for the evening my photo memory card died so all images were lost from day 1. Lessen learned, I’m backing up on the boat computer. Slow […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 20, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Once again I was fortunate to be invited back on another week aboard Gato Loco for the Baja ’09 trip. Gato Loco is owned by my friends in Cholla Bay and is a 32′ seawind cruising catamaran. This year, myself, Cynthia and Bruce Tegge, and Bill Hensler took leg one which was Puerto Penasco to […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 19, 2009 | Category Baja 09
9 AM Sunday morning, wind out of the NW at 8-10, seas 2′, making 7+ motorsailing, 46kms remain of the 72 to cross to Santa Rosalia. Strategy is to get as far across as we can before the afternoon winds build. Bill’s experience this past week has been serious winds in the afternoon (usually 30+). […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 19, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Victor & Leslie Rangel, Bill, Frankie, Neely & Lowell are onboard for Leg 2 as we pull away from Marina Real at 5 AM Sunday morning bound for Santa Rosalia. Distance 72km. Hoping for a 10 – 12 hour crossing to Baja. . . . . Victor already caught the first fish of Leg 2 […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 18, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Leg 1, Friday/Saturday, April 17,18 Ahoy! Woke early this morning to cool temps and light winds and readied the boat for our crossing. We said farewell to a great anchorage and headed off into the sunrise. Next stop Ensenada Posomoreno. About 30mi across we passed south of lone Isla San Pedro Martir. Just to the […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 18, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Ahoy! Leg 1, day 6, April 16 Winds picked up during the night to about 16knts and cool air set in. After daybreak we noticed large swells to our west so it was decided to take an easy motorsail to Bahia San Francisquito. Once out the winds were averaging 20knts from the North-Northwest and again […]
Read MoreBy Lowell McCulley | April 18, 2009 | Category Baja 09
Ahoy! Leg 1, day 5, April 15 Woke this morning to swirling winds and fog climbing over some of the peaks behind Bay of L. A. After a run to the local Pemex station for fuel we decided to set sail for our next destination Isla Salsipuedes. Fifteen minutes out the west winds returned, blowing […]
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