Our nephew Lawrence arrived on 3/22 from Florida to sail with us and gain experience for his Captain’s License. After a week of boat prep, we set sail from Marina La Cruz, en route to Punta de Mita, where we planned to anchor for one night before the big push up north. Thirty minutes into the sail, we all heard a loud BANG and quickly realized that our backstay adjuster failed by breaking in half! We immediately jumped into action by turning up wind, furling in the jib, and supported the mast with two free halyards. We were in choppy seas with high winds, bashing into oncoming waves. Jeremyah’s quick thinking saved us from a potentially catastrophic event! After rigging up the new backstay attachment, we departed the La Cruz anchorage at 4:00am the next day, heading for our first stop north: Chacala, Nayarit.
The stainless backstay tensioner broke off completely due to rust. This is a very serious situation that could lead to dismasting if not dealt with immediately. Jeremyah and Lawrence worked together to splice some spare dynema line that will be used to replace the stainless tensioner that broke.Getting the fruits and veggies cleaned and ready to pack in the boat. Enjoying shrimp tacos at the La Cruz Inn. We attended a Sea of Cortez weather routing seminar at Marina La Cruz. Dinghy ride with Lawrence! Working together to trim the sails on the way to Chacala. We arrived in Chacala on 3/24 in the afternoon. There were 5 sailboats in the anchorage and plenty of room for us too. Amanda in the pulpit on the way to Chacala. Watching the moon set at 5:00am on the way to Chacala. Setting a stern anchor in Chacala. This anchorage is rolly with very large onshore swells. Setting two anchors is a good way to deal with the conditions. The beauty of Chacala.
chacala looks amazing. Glad you made it safely: that pice breaking in half sounds pretty scary. Talk to you guys soon. Thanks for all the pics and posts. Love you guys❤️
Kite Cruising 
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