Mazatlán to Barra part 5, Manzanilla, Custecomate & Barra de Navidad
Click on YouTube full screen to watch video Send article as PDF
Read MoreCategory Archives: Sailing 2026
2 Days in Barra de Navidad
Thursday Afternoon — February 12th Having Barra as our last stop on this three week cruise is the perfect finale to a very special introduction for Paul and me to the sailing destinations along the Mexico coast. The town’s name translates to “Christmas Sandbar,” and sure enough, it still has a sandbar that shapes a […]
Read More
Tenacatita to Barra de Navidad
Farewell Tenacatita Wednesday, February 11thIt was an easy morning—coffee in hand, anchor up, and off we went toward Manzanilla (with an A), the smaller of the two towns This one is just across the Tenacatita Bay. Just six miles away, yet a world of difference. The Manzanilla shoreline opens to the west, making dinghy landings […]
Read More
Mazatlán to Barra part 4, Perula & Tenacatita
Click the YouTube full screen to watch Where is SV Strikhedonia? Send article as PDF
Read More
Perula and on to Tenacatita
Friday, February 6 Our 17-hour night passage was a pleasant, easy cruise with light winds and slow, rolling seas around Cabo Corrientes—quite different from the harrowing stories we’ve heard from other sailors. Changing our plans to depart a day earlier paid off, and my 6 a.m. watch meant I slept through the roughest part of […]
Read More
Mazatlan to Barra part 3 – La Cruz & Yelapa
Click the YouTube full screen to watch Where is SV Strikhedonia? Send article as PDF
Read More
La Cruz and Yelapa
Wednesday February 4th We’re up and out of Chacala around 6ish as planned. The morning air is cool, and whales are still cruising the bay as we wave goodbye to this beautiful anchorage. Light winds again today, so we’re motor-sailing with the jib only. After a heavy dew overnight, Chris mops the deck, turning it […]
Read More
Mazatlán to Barra part 2 – San Blas & Chacala
Click the YouTube full screen Send article as PDF
Read More
Chacala, a seaside gem
Chacala Here’s a Chacala description straight from Shawn and Heather’s cruising guide, and it’s too perfect not to share: “Chacala is the quintessential anchorage most people dream about when setting sail for the warm, tropical anchorages of Pacific Mexico. Its clear blue waters lapping at a white sand beach, surrounded by lush vegetation and coconut […]
Read More
Mazatlan to Barra part 1
Click the full screen button on YouTube Where is SV Strikhedonia? Send article as PDF
Read More
San Blas, Ensenada de Matanchen
Enhance by AI for your reading pleasure SaturdayWe slipped out of the Isabel anchorage early, bound for Matanchen. The winds were light, and the seas rolled lazily at eight feet—slow, steady swells that meant we’d likely be motoring unless conditions changed. Chris set two hand lines, and before long we had our first “fish on”—a […]
Read More
Isla Isabel
Friday, January 30 We arrived around 9 a.m after an overnight sail from Dog Island. We’re heading for the south side of Isla Isabel. The anchorage here is small, with scattered patches of sand that offer good holding. Two boats were already anchored in the prime spots, but after a quick hail we learned one […]
Read More
Adios Mazatlán
Wednesday, January 28th Chris was happy with the new canvas work. With the addition of covers for the outside windows, Strikhedonia is now set up for a much easier summer haul-out. We started the morning with a leisurely breakfast at a café near Marina Mazatlán, a perfect way to ease into the day. By midday, […]
Read More
Mazatlán boat prep
The trip began with a massive storm sweeping through the Midwest, and—of course—Chris’s flight out of Minneapolis was canceled. He scrambled to find another flight and managed to join us in Phoenix just in time for our flight to Mazatlán. The flight from Phoenix was uneventful, and by mid-afternoon, we were aboard Strikhedonia. Let me […]
Read More
Launching the 2026 Sailing Season: Southbound on Strikhedonia
It’s that time again—time to kick off the 2026 sailing season. This year begins with a special opportunity: crewing alongside fellow skipper and good friend Chris French aboard his Seawind 1160, Strikhedonia. Over the next three weeks, we’ll be sailing the stunning Pacific coast of Mexico, from Mazatlán down to Barra de Navidad. Chris […]
Read More