Toilet Talk

Anatomy of the Marine Vacuum Toilet

The All Important Throne

Dismantled Throne

New Gasket and Ball Installed

After a good night’s sleep, we were ready to tackle our list of maintenance items to be completed over the next two weeks.  What’s the most critical piece of equipment that needs to be kept in good running order?  That’s right, The Toilet or Throne; it’s an important piece of equipment that would be hard to do without.  You certainly don’t want to be caught without all the spare parts necessary for the toilet system.  Our vacuum flush toilet was in need of a new rubber gasket and ball; the ball had worn and was not sealing properly.  Good thing Leonard is mechanically inclined and was a plumber through his college days.  Yes, some things don’t change; college days to retirement days, Leonard can't seem to stay away from fixing toilets.  After shutting off the water and dismantling the working parts of the toilet, Leonard replaced the rubber gasket and installed a new ball.  We turned the water back on and tested the flush action; no leaks and the new ball functioned as expected.  I could include all sorts of puns on this one, but I’ll spare my readers the pain.

Dismantled Parts

From College Days to Retirement Days

Sleepless in Mexico



A Beautiful Sunset

The Setting Sun

A Full Moon through the Night

On the morning of January 28^th prior to our departure from Bahia de Manzanillo, I requested one night’s refund on our moorage at Las Hadas Marina due to the unexpected need to vacate our med-moor space a day early.  The office attendant was very understanding and put through the paperwork for the refund.  She also provided the “crew list document” which is presented at the next port of call.  After spending about 40 minutes on shore, I motored back to our boat anchored in the bay and we hoisted up the dinghy, making ready to depart at noon.  It would take at least 20 hours to reach Nuevo Vallarta, motoring through the night.  The weather forecast called for windy conditions and around 10pm we experienced 25 knot winds with choppy seas.  That’s right, rough seas meant no sleep, we couldn't rest more than five minutes at a time.  We did enjoy the beautiful sunset, however, and the company of a full moon.  In the wee hours of the morning while it was still dark, we rounded the notorious Cabo Corrientes, vying for position with the Statendam Cruise Ship, less than a mile off our port.  We arrived at Nuevo Vallarta at 9am after a long, rough motoring and sleepless night.  We radioed the marina for our slip assignment and proceeded up the channel with lines and fenders ready for a starboard tie.  At the last minute, the marina realized that our wide 15 foot beam would not fit into the space they had assigned so they gave us a new slip number, which happened to be a port tie.  I quickly changed all the fenders and lines to the other side of the boat as Leonard maneuvered into the assigned slip – I must admit, even with sleep deprivation our efficient teamwork paid off and we made an impressive docking.  After securing the lines to the dock cleats, I walked to the office to register and pay for moorage.  Then we took the water taxi across the channel to check in with the Port Captain and have papers stamped.  In the meantime, our boat was being washed by some locals that we had hired upon arrival; the boat certainly needed it with all that salty ocean spray that had gone everywhere.  Ok, only two more chores then we can go to bed – we took bags of clothes to the on-site laundry service and deposited our garbage – ah finally, we can go to sleep!



Paradise Village Marina - Nuevo Vallarta



Got D' Fever's Beamy Build

Hotter than Hades!




Stacks and Deck Structure of San Luciano

San Luciano Ship Wreck

Pelicans Perch above the Wreck  

Wreck Below the Waterline

The temperatures have been hot here in Manzanillo reaching into the 90’s during the day with evening temperatures in the high 80’s.  We have come to appreciate the all important “siesta,” a long nap taken at mid-day in order to stay up at night during the cooler temperatures.  We definitely have felt sluggish in the heat and have made use of the swimming pool at the Las Hadas Resort to cool off.  Java too was feeling sluggish so we hosed her off with cold water on the back of our boat's swim step.  Even Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, would find it uncomfortably hot.  The summer months are worse yet and reported to be unbearable even for the locals.  Today we cooled off in the ocean and went snorkeling along a rocky shoreline in Bahia Santiago near the sunken ship wreck of the San Luciano.  The cargo ship San Luciano sank in 1959 during a hurricane and sits in 25 feet of water acting as an artificial reef for fish.  Some of the deck structure and stacks can still be seen protruding above the waterline.  While exploring the area by dinghy, we also found a sea cave and watched as the ocean swell filled the cave, spraying a column of water with a thunderous sound.  The hot temperatures in Manzanillo definitely have added an incentive to head back north to the Sea of Cortez and we find ourselves on schedule as planned.  Our last night at Las Hadas would be spent relaxing and making preparations for our morning departure, or so we thought!  As we were making dinner, our fisherman friend Victor came knocking on our door to tell us we had to leave the moorage space - "the boat that is permanently moored here has arrived unexpectedly and is waiting for you to leave!” he said.  Victor and his crew helped us untie from our med-moor space and we motored to the fuel dock to tie up for the night.  What should have been a normal side-tie at the fuel dock, turned out to be anything but normal.  The ocean surge was so strong that we had to put out every fender we had, plus use every dock line we had  to dampen the severe tugging and pulling.  Got D’ Fever was being pushed so violently into the dock and pulled violently away, that we feared a line would break or a fender would pop.  We decided it would be best to leave the dock and anchor in the bay outside the marina breakwater.  Because of the strong surge and the numerous dock lines to release, we would need some extra hands; I walked back to get Victor for some assistance.  He and his crew came to our aid and released our dock lines, tossing them onboard.  No way we could have done this alone without some damage to the boat.  We gave them a tip for their help, and they wished us safe travels as we motored away.  By this time it was dark but we found a spot to anchor among the other boats in the bay; of course we had to put away all those lines and fenders, whew!  Now where were we? ah yes, making our dinner.


Beautiful Rocky Shoreline



Sea Caves



The Power of the Sea

Destination Manzanillo



Manzanillo Plaza

Boys will be Boys - Manzanillo Plaza

Busy Streets of Manzanillo

Side Streets of Manzanillo

Leonard at the Mercado

Manzanillo Mercado

After traveling 3,400 nautical miles or 3,912.6 statute miles aboard Got D’ Fever, we reached our southern most destination of Manzanillo and celebrated over dinner at a dock-side cafe at the marina.  We rode the bus into town the following day to see the vibrant city of Manzanillo.  Our adventure began with a bus ride from the marina to the town of Las Hadas – the bus bumped along the narrow stone streets, winding along the cliffs above the marina before reaching town.  The road was so crooked and narrow, that the bus had to stop several times to let traffic from the opposite direction squeeze by; we have yet to see any guardrails in Mexico!  From Las Hadas we took another bus into Manzanillo which passed by the city’s busy commercial port – one of the largest ports for container and cargo ships in Mexico.  It was here that Spain established a trade route in 1527 with China and India via the international port city of Manila in the Philippines.  Spanish ships running the Manila trade route were prime targets for pirates looking to prey on the treasure-filled galleons.  Today, the waterfront includes the commercial port and the town plaza filled with park benches, fountains, and a huge sculptured sailfish monument, the plaza’s center attraction.  From the plaza we explored the inner streets of town, stopping at the Mercado, a two-story structure filled with meats, cheeses, seafood, and colorful fresh produce, similar to the market in Mazatlan.  Several cafes located around the perimeter of the second floor overlook the market stalls below.  For lunch, we stopped at the historic Colonial Hotel, built in the 1940’s by a prominent businessman of the day, Don Pancho Moreno.  Moreno owned two sawmills, founded the Yarn Factory El Tigre, and exported bananas, coconuts, fruit, and corn.  In 1935 he built the first brick and concrete buildings at the port for a total expenditure of 50,000 dollars.  In 1940 he envisioned building a quality tourist hotel and requested a bank loan in the huge sum of 750,000 pesos.  Gates, furniture, doors, and beams were carved from cedar and mahogany by skilled cabinetmakers; Talavera hand-painted tiles came from Puebla; and baked brick came from Guadalajara by train.  On May 4, 1942, the hotel opened with a lavish party including music from the Aguila Sisters of Guadalajara, known as “the best duet in America.”  Don Moreno died on December 30, 1957 and is remembered as a visionary and recorded as an “Old Person of Manzanillo.”



The Colonial Hotel

Beautiful Woodwork - Colonial Hotel

A Great Lunch Venue - Colonial Hotel

Med-Moor Docking



Approaching Las Hadas Marina and Resort

Las Hadas Marina and Resort

Boats Med-Moor Tied

Vivacious Captain Victor

We arrived at Las Hadas in Bahia de Manzanillo around 3:30pm on January 24^th.  Marina Las Hadas is the only marina for pleasure boats in the greater area of Manzanillo including the surrounding bays of Carrizal, Cenicero, and Santiago.  This small marina is “med-moor” only, meaning you must first set your bow anchor and then motor backwards between neighboring boats and tie off the stern to the dock (sounds simple, but it’s not).  This method saves space and is quite common in the Mediterranean, hence the term “med-moor.”  When we arrived at Las Hadas, we discovered that the marina had installed buoys so boaters can simply tie the bow onto a buoy line instead of anchoring.  As Leonard motored up close to the buoy, I picked up the looped end of the buoy line with the boat hook; we then attached our dock line through the loop and secured the other end to our bow cleat.  As we began to back towards the dock, however, we ran out of line!  The captain on a neighboring charter fishing boat quickly figured out this was our first med-moor and yelled over to tell us we needed a longer bow line.  Yes we had become the center of attention and the show of the day.  We motored forward and attached a second dock line to the first for a total length of approx. 80 feet, ready to try it again.  Victor, Captain of the fishing boat, offered to help us and jumped aboard our boat as we backed up close to his vessel.  Victor handled the bow line as Leonard proceeded to motor backwards between two other boats; I tossed our two stern lines to the guys waiting on the dock.  Thankfully the crew from the fishing boat had been waiting to receive our stern lines and tie them down to the dock cleats.  Once in position, slack in the lines are taken up to hold the boat in place.  It became clear that a med-moor takes a minimum of three people if not four so we were very grateful for the good natured, friendly help we received from the locals – drinks were passed all around, mucho gracias!  Happy to report we now have med-moor experience to add to our boating resume.


Got D' Fever (second from left)

Got D' Fever Med Moor Tied

Stern Tied to Dock

Swimming Pool, Beach, and Marina - Las Hadas

Bahia Manzanillo and Las Hadas Marina

Happy Days



The Grand Bay Hotel & Resort

Grand Bay Hotel Overlooking the Lagoon

View of the Marina and Anchorage in the Lagoon

We spent the last two days at Marina Puerto de la Navidad enjoying the amenities of the Grand Bay Hotel & Resort including its fine restaurants, swimming pools, and gardens.  We walked around the extensive grounds and cooled off in the swimming pool(s), taking several turns down the water slide.  Leonard flew down the slide on his back, careening around a bend, then dropped into the pool below – thankfully the end-wall of the slide was padded! After a few laps in the pool, it was time for some refreshing drinks.  We swam up to the bar stools in the shallow end of the pool and ordered our drinks; it was great fun sitting on stools built into the pool below the waterline, it probably didn’t matter if anyone spilled their drink!  The restaurants at the hotel are also fun and include formal, casual, and buffet-style venues overlooking the marina and lagoon.  Another option is the early dinner buffet served outdoors near the pool accompanied with romantic music performed by local musicians.  One evening we had the pleasure of attending a special fiesta buffet dinner held in the garden, complete with a mariachi band – tables were set up in the garden with fine linens and the buffet included salads, main dishes, and desserts.  The following day was my Birthday and Leonard had ordered a delicious lemon tart from the local French Baker who delivers baked goods and special orders to boaters just about every day.  As fortune would have it, friends David and Barbara from Bainbridge Island, Washington stopped by to say hello, they had just arrived in the area and saw our boat.  We had met them during the Baja Ha Ha Rally and were happy to see them again.  We welcomed them aboard to partake in the freshly baked lemon tart which was absolutely delicious!  The next day, friends Doug and Lynn from Victoria, BC came over for movie night and helped us finish off the lemon tart, a nice finale to our stay at Marina de la Navidad.



Pleasing Architecture at The Grand Bay Hotel

Heading to the Pool

The Water Slide



Leonard Careening Down the Slide

Beach Adventure



Cliffside Stairway

Stairs Overlooking the Beach and Golf Course

Great View From The Top

Today we rode our bicycles to the small village of Colimilla, located on the lagoon just south of the marina; it was uphill most of the way, ugh.  Our curiosity got the best of us, however, and we decided to bike down the other side of the hill to see what might lie ahead.  We discovered a tree-lined boulevard and signage pointing to the golf course and beach club.  “What the heck, it’s flat, let’s keep going,” Leonard said. We finally got to the end of the road where we left our bicycles and walked out to a large crescent-shaped beach fronting the golf course.  I saw a set of stairs leading upward into the cliffs skirting the steep rock face; perhaps the trail goes to another beach, I thought.  We started hiking the trail and sure enough we came upon a little secluded beach.  Huge waves crashed over the rocks and between the sea stacks, not a safe place to swim but definitely a place to get your feet wet.  The tall waves rolled into shore with exceptional speed.  At the far end of the beach we found a blow-hole through which we could see the ocean and sky.  Seconds later a huge surge of water came rushing through, filling the empty space and disgorging its contents on the sandy beach – anyone foolish enough to walk inside this small cave/blow-hole would surely be crushed!  After our beach-side adventure we bicycled back to the village of Colimilla and stopped for a pitcher of lemonade – we definitely had worked up a thirst!

Trail above the Hidden Beach

Down the Other Side

The Sea Rushing Ashore

Cafe on the Lagoon

Cafe Dinghy Dock on the Lagoon