2009 Overview – Mexico
2009 Plans – Mexico is our destination for 2009, and we are looking forward to warm waters and sunny skies for a change. The two areas that we really want to spend some time in are the Sea of Cortez and the coast between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo.
Year End Summary
The year went exactly as we had planned. We sailed over 4000nm and explored the west coast of Mexico, spending over 5 months on the boat during 3 different periods. In between, we left Avante in a marina near Puerto Vallarta while we flew home.
| Dates | Places | Miles |
| Jan 10 – Jan 31 | San Diego to Puerto Vallarta | 1334 |
| Feb 4 – Feb 20 | Puerto Vallarta to Manzanillo | 440 |
| Mar 31 – May 15 | Sea of Cortez | 1577 |
| Nov 3 – Nov 13 | Banderas Bay Area | 196 |
| Nov 17 – Dec 9 | Puerto Vallarta to Manzanillo | 488 |
| Total Year | 4035 |
In January, we departed San Diego and enjoyed a great sail down the west coast of the Baja Peninsula to Cabo San Lucas with a good friend and our son, David as crew. We then crossed over to the Mexican mainland and went south to Puerto Vallarta. We liked the Paradise Village Marina there and it became our Mexican base.
From Puerto Vallarta, we continued sailing south along the Mexican coast to Manzanillo and really enjoyed the area called the Gold Coast. After sailing back to Puerto Vallarta, we left Avante in the marina for March while we went home.
In April and May, we sailed north to La Paz then spent some time exploring the Sea of Cortez and working our way up the Baja Peninsula. When the weather began to get hot, we sailed back to Puerto Vallarta where we could leave Avante in the marina for the summer.
In November, we flew back to Mexico and sailed around the Bay of Banderas area for a while then headed south along the coast to Manzanillo for the second time. Both areas are easy to travel to, and we had good friends join us for sections of our trip. By mid-December, Avante was back in Paradise Village Marina, and we were headed home for the holidays.