Where to Be in January

[kpennell]

I'm looking to head down to Mexico with hopes of getting sailing experience. I'll have all the necessary gear for being crew, spanish speaking, optimistic, and excellent skills at finding opportunities.

I wish I could have set something up before, but I wasn't able to. I've been checking all the crew wanteds religiously.

I have talked to a few sailors and they've told me that either Puerto Vallarta or Zihuatanejo are good places to try to get crew positions and/or trade labor for day sails. Does anyone else have tips on locations that would be good to head to in January, somewhere near or on North America that a guy could fight his way into the sailing world?

Locations please!

thank you...

this is a challenge

[zeehag]

i need crew. what is it you seek? what kind of crew position is it you need/ how long do you want to sail on same boat??
i am in san diego. mar 1 i leave for mazatlan and points south. if i can leave before mar 1, i will be a happy camper. fishing license required( conapesca--mexican license)

[kpennell]

I have to be back to the US around March 15th so I'm looking to leave earlier. Are you planning on sailing much before that? Day sails even?

I'm just looking to gain experience, obviously I'd love to sail down to Costa Rica or something wild like that, but I'd be happy just getting some real experience poking around the Mexico coastline.

[zeehag]

ooooh--mazatlan is a possibility but take 2 weeks to get there... i have to finish repairs on my boat--i do have another for local use..when i am done with repairs i need to shake this boat out a lil...if you are in sin diego, we can get a sail going..i was spozed to leave here just after thanksgiving--but FORMER sailing partner couldnt manage to get his stuff together in a timely manner--even ditched the holiday to go somewhere else. is alll goood. i am hoping to have a coupla weeks for sailing this tub before i leave. if you are here,is a good possibility could use crew for those day sails...

[tardog]

We broke down in Puerto Vallarta (actually La Cruz) and spent nearly 2 months there. Met several people like you who got there and were looking for a boat. Everyone hooked on somewhere. One guy from Norway had hitched rides all the way from San Diego to Panama, then back to La Cruz, then to Australia via Tahiti. I'd recommend Marina Riviera Nayarit. It's a really nice marina where there are lots and lots of boats heading south and east. La Paz is also decent, abeit most people are just messing around in the Sea. Zihua doesn't have a marina, which makes walking the docks a bit harder. But it's a very friendly sailing community there that tends to make the trip back and forth between PV and Zihua. Finally, the old harbor at Mazatlan seems to be stocked with down to earth cruisers heading somewhere. You could easily hitch a ride with one of them headed to Central America.

I'll be in La Paz from January 15-Feb 1st. Let me know if you want to hop aboard there. Nothing serious, just floating the islands.