Around the Harbor

        

     December 2009

              Parade of Lights

The night of December 18^th, was very special; there were boats participating in the light show from the main harbor, ellipse and the waiting room. Ray  “Adios” did a great job promoting the idea everyone join in decorating your boat for a Parade of Lights. HPYC offered hot cider, others brought cookies to share. Pedro, Porto Bello restaurant started the evening with a steak special. The festivities continued on throughout the evening as it was Robin “Drew Ann” birthday. It was announced during the dinner she and Rob would be getting married in Puerto Escondido before going back to the states.   

Rob  & Robin "Drew Ann"

Photos by: Mick "Rumbline" - Tey "Tracker 1" - Connie "Sunlover"    Richard & Poco "Trinity"

Ray "Adios" started the first Puerto Escondido Christmas Parade of Light in 2008; this years Xmas activities extended to decorating a Xmas tree for the season and for the Parade of Lights. Roberta "Peachy" and Ray thought about the decorations...... hum..... what do we decorate the tree with...... How about boat cards. They may be saved and added to next years Xmas tree.  Peachy started collecting boat cards, laminating them so they would be ready for the decorating party at the  Cena Dec. 13. The tree was beautiful and will be better next year. Everyone had a great time.

    Singlar - Birthday Celebration

 The Singlar employees gave a surprise Birthday party for Constanza, head of the Puerto Escondido facilities Sunday Oct. 25th. Ulysses executed the job of chief cook. Constanza was very surprised. Everyone always enjoys a party, but this was exceptional; being able to show Constanza how much we think of her.

  

Pictures curtsey of Ward "Footloose"

      September 2009 

Fish Fry

  Another party, and a very special well attended one. The owner of "Bad Company" and crew "our heroes from Jimena" went fishing, bring us back a 28/30 pound "Yellow Fin Tuna" for a fish fry and sushi potluck on Friday, Sept 25. There were 34 cruisers, land dwellers and Singlar personnel attending; bring delicious dishes to share. Tending the grill was Elvin "Sealover" who barbequed the fish and Craig "Aristocrat" made 3 Craig special  fish dishes to share.  One was a curry, one beer, and one chipotle, all simple, fast and easy. When everyone's tummy was full and beyond; the music started with Craig and Pedro entertaining on their guitars.

Thank You to Ray "Adios"  for coming up with the idea and making this happen. You just had to be there to know it was another great party in Puerto Escondido.

                           Craig's fish dishes were so creative and good it was asked to have a page on this web site for sharing recipes.   Email recipes to PEMSinPE@hotmail.com  

The very sad note is the fishing specialist,  Nikko, from "Bad Company" was killed in an automobile accident 2 days prior to the fish fry.

Mexican Independencia Fiesta – Talk Like a Pirate Day

Mexican Independencia day is as special and celebrated as the American 4^th of July. The cruiser at Puerto Escondido and palapa dwellers from Juncalito had a special invitation on Tuesday Sept 15^th the day before “Día de Independencia” Singlar manager Constanza  and staff asked all to celebrate Mexican Independencia as their guest for a carnie asada barbeque. The grill was fired up Rafael and Raquel cooked with aid from the staff. The food was great, they were very gracious host.

Singlar has been a positive aspect to the area. Everyone was there to help before and after the hurricane and they are becoming more a part of our community every day.

  This is what many of us looked forward to when we first started “our” dream of coming   to Mexico and the   Baja; to intermingle and become friends with the many wonderful people of this county. 

Staying around the harbor? Most afternoons there will be a gathering of cruisers and dirt clods in front of Pedro’s Tienda where a cool breeze always flows between the buildings. There are many a sailing stories swapped and a sharing of ideas and knowledge. Here is where many of the parties have been held. On one particular afternoon we were all treated to “Yellow Fin Tuna” sushi from one of the big fishing boats that had a very successful day. “Aristocrat” and “Adios” are two of the many that keep things happening. In the evening, every so often, some linger on ordering a pizza from Pedro’s “Porta Bello”.   

Mexican Independencia Day - Pictures from "Saltshaker"

The most recent afternoon gathering was of “International Talk Like a Pirate Day”. Ray “Adios” the resident “Puerto  Escondido Pirate” made the arrangements for this fun afternoon event on September 19th, 2009. He kept it quite laid-back for those attending; bring a snack to share, wear you’re pirate clothes and most important “Talk like a Pirate. All pirates love music; and music there was.

After Hurricane Jimena

What do you do  do after a hurricane beside a lot of clean up and put together? A few of the cruisers got together a couple days after Jimena walking to Steinbeck Canyon. They found many water falls to frolic and play in while cooling down.

Steinbeck Canyon after Jimena       From Bodhisattva	Steinbeck Canyon after Jimena       From Bodhisattva

Hurricane Jimena

Hurricane preparations started with the “Hurricane Seminar” but the real onset was the arrival of all the boats from the surrounding areas, islands and even from La Paz. Today’s communications, and the aid of the internet gives everyone a few days to prepare  striping and stowing everything from the decks or if on land the palapa.

By Tuesday many vessels that were not in the main harbor made their way there. Four were put on the hard. There are now 30 boats in Marina Seca. Before Jimena started there were 62 plus boats in the main harbor. A few choose to stay in the waiting room and ellipse.

Category 2 Hurricane Jimena started to show herself to Puerto Escondido and Juncalito 2:00 P.M. Tuesday 9-2-09. One could watch Isla Carmen quickly disappearing into darks clouds and the gentle wind danced the rain across the water. Soon rain was coming down in sheets making visibility difficult. It seemed to be isolated to these two areas as 10 mile north it was sunny and dry. It only lasted about 30 minutes. The second rain came early evening.

Everything stayed pretty calm from then till the wind started about 12:00 A.M. building from there with the rain accompanying soon after. Gust were reported in the at 83 m.p.h. range plus, with sustained winds in the 45/50 plus range.  “Masquerade” figured it out that we were only 50 miles from the eye.

Jimena pasted parallel to us at 1:00 P.M. approximately. Before her eye went by 3 vessels had broke loose; “Saltshaker” with Heim aboard,” Waverley”, and “Wanderlust”. As the storm continued on till early Thursday A.M. with winds and strong gusts “Erikazona”, “La Tortuga”, “Spirit” and “Popeye” broke loose 

Jimena was not a fast short hurricane She continued on strong till after 3:00 P.M gust and rough seas continued in the harbor till Thursday morning. “Neka” did not break loose till 5:00 A.M. passing close to Trinity and Brandywine finally resting on the sand near the mangrove, no damage was found.

One other thing learned during Jimena was the reading of hurricane locations on the National Hurricane Center for charting purposes they report locations in degrees not minutes. Example 24.1 N is degrees. The .1 needs to be multiplied by 60 to get minutes, maybe some knew this; for those of us that did not know we can do better charting.

Thursday late afternoon found many of the cruisers finding relief from the rock and rolling of their vessels gathering by Pedro’s Tienda. There many a Jimena stories were exchanged. Saturday night will be the real party

In Juncalito there was some damage to palapas, many had minor roof damage, fences, and trees. A garage palapa roof did collapse. Solar panels were not damaged at the 2 places with extended solar panels; the panels just were not where they had been. There were many things that blew down and became rain soaked.  All people and pets survived fine. The road into the sand beach has many large rocks and has washed in some places. The road into Juncalito is not too bad a couple of places washed but it is passable and already they are working on it.

Electricity is off in Puerto Escondido, Tripui, Ligui and Loreto and there is no water. Pedro Porta Bello is keeping the Tienda and restaurant open on generators; as is Fernando’s Modelorama running on generator. Singlar’s big generator is not running so gas is being pumped. In Loreto gas was being pumped at 2 stations by generator, gas supplies are very low.

There is no access to the beach at Ligui the arroyo before the beach is running full.

Saturday late afternoon/early evening electricity was restored to Tripui and Puerto Escondido. With electricity there was water!! Juncalito was still without water till Sunday noon when….. Singlar’s water truck delivered potable water to all the residents.

      

Debbie “Ladyfish” longtime resident in Juncalito who has more “I Survived Hurricane…......” T-Shirts than anyone; organized the “I survived “Hurricane Jimena Barbeque Q Party”. Ward “Footloose” and Ray “Adios” helped set up and everyone was more than ready to celebrate.

For many this was their first hurricane. The barbeque was set up for all to grill and everyone brought I potluck dish to share.

The crew from “Bad company came to enjoy, they were the heroes of the day, pulling Spirit and Waverly safely back to their moorings. Also the Singlar crew was there enjoying the relief that Jimena was history. Dave “Air Ops” flew back home on Friday as he had come in to stay on his boat during the hurricane missing the party. A few others that had not returned but knew about the party asked everyone to have a drink for them. And being the good friendly, always there to lend a helping hand community all did so with the party ending around 11:00.

Pedro, Porto Bella held the blessing of his new restaurant at the airport just before Jimena came to visit. Many wanted to go sharing his happy event, but were very busy getting their boats/casa organized not being able to attend. It is a tradition when a restaurant or bar opens the owner is presented with a dollar, “His first Buck ” this tradition was continued for Pedro when everyone here signed their name on a dollar. This was presented to him during the Barbeque Q.  Ray “Adios” is going to have it framed for him. Web site for pictures from Santa  Rosalia from "Maitairoa" http://picasaweb.google.com/svmaitairoa/SantaRosaliaHurricaneJimenaSeptember2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJes5ant4rTiwAE#

Pictures during the hurricane Jimena – Photo credits are given below the imagine.

Coming - from "Brandy wine"	from "Brandy wine"	from "Brandy wine"	from "Brandy wine"	from  "Brandy wine"

from "Kaalelewa"	from "Kaalelewa"	from "Kaalelewa"	from "Kaalelewa"

Fonatur Palms from Topaz	Modelorama - electric lines are across Fernando's car. from Topaz	Waterfalls from Topaz	Juncalito from Topaz	Down Palapa from Topaz

Morning after from "Brandy wine"	Morning after from Bodhisattva	Afternoon after from "Brandy wine"	Dinghy Dock from "Brandy wine"	Spirit, Waverley, Wanderlust  from "Brandy wine"

Neka being pulled free from "Brandy wine"	Waverley being pulled free from "Footloose"	The Heroes "Bad Company" from "Footloose"	"Popeye" from Mariposa

August 2009

Debbie “Ladyfish” organized a pot luck evening “Omelet Cook” Sunday August 30^th as an end of August party with the help of Ward “Footloose” Little did she know when planning this that would really be a “Pre Jimena Hurricane Party”
All came with their omelets in freezer Ziploc bags prepared their favorite way ready to be placed in boiling water and cooked for 13 minutes. The omelets turned out perfect.

Everyone had a great time while sharing pre hurricane preparation ideas and having  lively discussions to where, when and what size Jimena might be; when she would make her presents known in Puerto Escondido.

  8-19-09:

Hurricane Season is here. Beginning the middle of August till the first of November is the time we have to be most alert in this area. Constanza, head of Singlar, arranged a seminar telling all what Singlar would do during a hurricane and what would be available for boaters.

Ray "Adios" addressed what is needed to get ready for a hurricane, during a hurricane and after. There will be printed information available to read and a hurricane plotting chart at the HPYC club house. Please do not remove this material so all may read it, if you do barrow it to make copies return it for others. Thanks, Ray.

 

8-9-09: In Puerto Escondido when others have run away from the summer heat and only a few are

Ward “Footloose”, Debbie “Ladyfish” and Craig and Debbie “Aristocrat” arranged a “Sunday Evening Barbeque”. “Bring your meat of choice and a pot luck dish” Everyone thought this was a great idea until the grate for the grill could not be found. Maybe this is not going to happen……… then Constanza from Singlar told them I have a grate I will b ring.  Great, O.K.  everyone come on in for a little fun,

  All had an enjoyable evening.  

Pictures curtsey of Ward "Footloose"

June 2009 

 

 

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