Cruisers Rally to El Salvador

MARINA PAPAGAYO

2012-01-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

Check our sponsors page for an update on what Marina Papagayo, Costa Rica is offering to the 2012 rally entrants.

RALLY SEMINAR IN SAN DIEGO

2012-01-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Our final rally seminar of the season will be in San Diego, January 28 at 2pm. The West Marine Super Store at 1250 Rosecrans is hosting the event. Everyone receives an information packet with maps, tour information, gift CD, etc. We will also provide free copies of the new Bahia cruising guide (limited supply). We'll have some great snacks and refreshments provided and, as always, we will have some fun door prizes. We hope to see 100 folks there

SECOND ANNUAL RUM TASTING A BIG HIT!

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

The rally organizers hosted the second annual rum tasting event at the Marina La Cruz Sky Bar. We watched a great sunset while sampling 14 different rums.

The event began with a sampling of 9 different rums followed by a vertical tasting of Flor de Cana ranging from 4 years to 18 years. A slide show of highlights of El Salvador and touring photos of Ecuador and Peru ran continiously. The local spa offered free massages and the marina restaurant provided snacks for all. The highlight of the event was the sampling of 23-year old Zacapa rum from Guatemala.

Over forty people from 22 boats entered in the rally were in attendance. It was a great opportunity for the people to meet others who are sailing to El Salvador.

The final rally seminar in Mexico is scheduled for Jan 18 at the La Cruz Marina and the last seminar of the season is scheduled for Jan 28 at the West Marine store in San Diego. We are looking forward to meeting each boat as they arrive in Bahia.

FINAL RALLY SEMINAR IN MEXICO WITH A BIG SUPRISE!

2012-01-10T10:07:00.000-08:00

Please join us on Wednesday, January 18, 3pm for our final Cruisers Rally to El Salvador Seminar. It will be located in the VIP room at the La Cruz Marina. Everyone will receive an information packet containing maps; gift CD, 42-page Bahia cruisers guide, and tourist information. Craig Chamberlain from Mariners Insurance will also make a presentation addressing insurance coverage for Central America. As always, afterwards we will hold a drawing for some fun prizes. Refreshments will be served. For those who stay for the whole presentation we have a special, not to be missed surprise. For this event we require an RSVP for a head count. Just send us an email or if you are in La Cruz, just call us on the radio.

WE HAVE SPONSORS EVERYWHERE!

2012-01-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Our newest sponsor is the above Bocas Yacht Club and Marina, managed by Chuck Silvers in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We met Chuck and his wife Ann in 2005 during our first visit to Bahia del Sol. Recently we ran across them in La Cruz and Chuck said he was interested in doing something for the rally entrants. He decided that it would be nice for rally entrants who rent a slip from him to receive something just for being part of the rally. So, if or when you find yourself on that side of Central America there's a gift waiting for you at the marina.

MARINA CHIAPAS IS NOW OPEN.

2011-12-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Marina Chiapas is now open and welcoming rally entrants. All rally members receive a free night. Check the Chiapas page for all the details.

On an unrelated note: If anyone is currently south of La Cruz and has not picked up one of the Bahia cruisers guides please send us an email and we will send you a PDF copy. After you arrive in Bahia we will give you a printed version.

THE "JUST WATER" PROJECT

2011-12-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

An important part of the cruising lifestyle is helping those around us who are in need. For 2012 the rally has chosen a project named "Just Water" which will bring clean water to Isla Cordoncillo, located in the estuary anchorage. To see what we have planned go to our Just Water page.

RALLY SEMINAR IN LA CRUZ DECEMBER 14.

2011-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Our Mazatlan seminar was a huge success with 75 folks attending. Another rally seminar will be held in La Cruz, Mexico on Wednesday, December 14 at 10 am. It will be located in the La Cruz Marina VIP room. Everyone receives an information packet with maps, gift cd, a copy of the new 42-page Bahia cruising guide, etc. As always, we will have a drawing for some fun prizes afterwards. Refreshments will be provided. We expect to have some cruisers who have recently been in El Salvador in attendance. Come and join us for a good time and learn about the "forgotten middle."

MAZATLAN SEMINAR SET FOR DEC 4.

2011-11-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

The rally seminar in Mazatlan will be held December 4 at 10am at Marina Mazatlan. Everyone will receive our new Bahia del Sol cruising guide as well as an information packet. Afterwards, we will have a drawing for some fun prizes. Refreshments will be served.

HERMAN CAIN ISN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH BRAIN FREEZE.

2011-11-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

Somehow in our flurry of emails we got our numbers mixed up with regard to the marina rates at Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz. Our editorial on the "Sponsors" page should have read (and has been changed) ... if you pay one to two months in advance you receive a 55-cents-a-foot rate (plus IVA) and if you pay three to five months in advance you receive a 50-cents-a-foot rate. Stays of less than one month are 58-cents-a-foot. We hope this error hasn't caused any problems.. The proof reader has been sacked (again).

FIRST RALLY SEMINAR FOR 2012 SEASON

2011-11-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

Please join Jean and I at our first free rally seminar of the season in La Paz, Mexico at 10 am November 10. It will be in the Club Cruceros meeting room in Marina La Paz. Everyone will receive an information packet with maps, tourist information, promotional CD, etc plus our new 42-page, full color Bahia cruising guide. As usual, at the end of the seminar we will hold a drawing for some fun prizes. Snacks and refreshments will be served. T-shirts with our new rally logo will also be available

MECURY OUTBOARD AVAILABLE IN EL SALVAOR

2011-10-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

One question we often get asked is about the availability of outboard engines in El Salvador. Our sponsor, Gabriel Alvarado of Marinsa sent us some sample prices of Mercury outboards for you to consider. The prices include tax and a 1-year worldwide warranty plus delivery right to the dock! Marinsa also carries plenty of spare parts. One of the nice things about purchasing an outboard south of the border is that parts are available. That's not always true for engines purchased in the states. If you like you can email Gabriel at galvarado@marinsa.com.sv and ask him more questions. Be sure to put Cruisers Rally in the subject line.

TWO STROKE

3.3 HP Short Shaft $990.00 USD (same as last year)

5.0 HP Short Shaft $1,590.00 USD

9.9 HP Short Shaft $2,399.00 USD

FOUR STROKE

5.0 HP Short Shaft $1,799.00 USD

9.9 HP Short Shaft $2,959.00 USD

A RULES CHANGE FOR THE PRIZE DRAWINGS

2011-09-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

After much discussion with the rally organizing folks we made a rules change to the party prize drawings. At the opening day party you do not have to be present to win but you must claim your prize in person before the April 29th party. All unclaimed prizes will be put back in the hat for drawing at the closing party. If you win something we will inform you by email.

Also, we just finished posting more information about our rally sponsors on the "Our Sponsors" page. Check to see what they are doing for us (and you) at next years' rally.

Update on Puerto Chiapas

2011-08-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Marina Chiapas manager Enrique Laclette

We just returned from a visit with one of the Puerto Chiapas port officials, Alejandra who told us that during the past year, the port has been working hard to make it more attractive for cruisers. A significant change is the diversion of the effluent from the tuna processing plant (previously dumped into the harbor) to a wastewater handling facility. In process now is the removal of years of accumulated sludge from the harbor.

We also visited with Marina Chiapas manager Enrique Laclette who informs us that the newest marina in Mexico will have their grand opening this November.

Soon we will announce the addition of a new element to the cruisers rally called “Rally Host Port.” The idea is to have a series of ports between La Cruz and El Salvador that will offer rally entrants VIP treatment such as exclusive tours, restaurant and hotel discounts, gifts, etc.

DATES FOR 2012 RALLY

2011-07-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

The 2012 rally begins in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador on March 10, 2012 with a kick-off party followed by seven weeks of activities and events. Check out the event calendar to see what activities are planned. See "about the rally" section for details. The closing party and prize drawing is April 29, 2012. Entries are now officially open and the final day to join is March 2, 2012.

Watch the blog for prize and sponsor updates. In fact, if you join as a follower you will be automatically notified about updates. Don't forget our FaceBook page Annual Salvador Rally.

CRUISERS RALLY ENDS FOR 2011

2011-05-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Seven weeks passed quickly from the begining date of the rally. We had an abundance of activities and events that kept everyone involved. Our most successful events were the dinghy raft-ups, wine tasting, beach bon fire, Thursday happy hours..... wait... every event was a big hit!

The final party was attended by dignitaries from the Ministry of Tourism, the Port District, and Immigration services. The representative from tourism was very impressed with everyones' opinion about El Salvador.

The band Black & White entertained for the evening

We had 22 boats in attendance and a total of 100 folks attending the rally. The biggest winners were:

Bambolerio, $500 cash, Sunnyside Up, $300 cash, Rocinante, $250 cash. every boat won some kind of prize. Zepplin won 5 bottles of rum for being the boat that traveled the farthest based to the rally. Other prizes included: free car rentals, free hotel rooms, free day tours, handheld GPS, $25 gift certificates for Marinsa Marine, free week in the marina, sheet bags provided by West Marine, high-end sunglasses, a claw anchor and much more. The hotel provided a grand buffet dinner and unlimited drinks. The band "Black & White" provided the dance music for the evening.

Around 20 boats or so are staying here in Bahia for part or all of the summer so we will still have lots of social activities plus, the discounts, happy hours and pizza nights continue through the summer!

Our final tally of boats arriving in Bahia was 46 who were in the rally plus 10 more who heard about Bahia del Sol. Two boats joined the rally a second time, Waltzing Matildia and Rapscillion.

Everyone had a great time during the rally. If you enjoyed your time in Bahia please take a moment to send an email to Latitude 38 and let them know.

We're going to take a couple of weeks off then start working on the 2012 rally which will include events in La Cruz and Puerto Chiapas.

A BIG CHANGE FOR THE PARTY.

2011-04-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

Oh if everything just always worked the way we want but, nooooo. We gotta make a change to the party date from May 1 to April 30 due to some scheduling problems. If anyone expected to be here before the party date that has not arrived please send us an email right away.

DELTA AIRLINES LENDS THEIR SUPPORT TO THE RALLY

2011-04-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

We are very happy to announce that Delta Airlines has become our newest rally sponsor. Delta, the largest airline in the world provides service to 347 destinations in 64 countries. They have 7 hubs in the United States and the largest is located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Flights arriving or departing San Salvador are aboard one of their Boeing 737-800 aircraft. A flight from the main hub in Atlanta to San Salvador takes a little under 4 hours.

Of importance to those who are leaving their boats here in El Salvador for the summer months are the Delta baggage restrictions. They allow two bags of 50 pounds each, an important thing to remember when returning with all those boat parts and specialty items.

It is certainly worthwhile to check Deltas’ prices and schedules when you are planning your flight to return home or bring family and friends down to El Salvador.

Delta is providing some very nice items to help support the rally which we will announce at the awards ceremony on April 30.

EASTER WEEK WIND DOWN TO THE FINAL PARTY

2011-04-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

We had a jammed packed Easter Week here in Bahia. Plenty of local tourists were here to enjoy the biggest beach holiday of the year. During the week we had eight boats arrive.

Vicky on Rocinante happy to arrive.

High tide at the bar

Dragons Toy

Just a few more days and the big party will be here. We're expecting Precious Metal to return from Costa Rica this Friday then everyone who is going to make it for the party will be here.

WE'RE IN FULL-SWING PARTY MODE.

2011-04-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Pax Nautica

Yes, things are heating up here in Bahia del Sol. Arrivals almost everyday now and lots of activities. We added some new events this year like the bbq-your-own meal and beach bonfire that were a big success.

Katydid

Precious Metal

Red Sky

Sea Turtle IV

Nancy from Windfall

Rick from Moonshine

Lisa from Lisa Kay with the winning wine (and smile)

Ben from Lisa Kay at the bonfire

A warm group

BBQ with Chef Marlon to help

Another happy hour around the pool

Tour guide Jorge addressing folks attending the Paella dinner.

So you can see that lots is going on right now and there is much more to come.

A tour is scheduled for April 15-16 in the eastern part of El Salvador where the main part of the Salvadorian war took place. For $125/person (double occupancy), the tour takes two days and one night and includes transportation, hotel, 2 breakfasts, local guides, entrance fees, and an afternoon swim in the Rio Sapo in an area where the rebels used to make camp. For the swim we'll bring along our own refreshments. Before hand we can purchase a nice box lunch to enjoy on the banks of the river. We'll also be accompanied by an ex-guerrilla woman who will tell you about her recruitment into the FMLN when she was a young teen. On the way back to Bahia we will stop for food shopping in San Salvador.

The Peace Route

Photos from the war

Ex-guerrilla acts as guide

This is a must-do tour if you want to learn about the 12-years of civil conflict that tore El Salvador apart.

Hotel Bar

On April 25 - 26 we have an exclusive event planned in the colonial town of Suchitoto for $125 per person(double occupancy). This is an event limited to 8 couples and consists of a mid-morning tour of the clay artisan town of Ilobasco and a no host lunch.

The relaxing pool and adjacent rooms.

Afterwards we will tour colonial Suchitoto followed by a late-afternoon wine and appetizer greeting around the pool at hotel Los Almendros de San Lorenzo. After room registration we are free to take a quick dip in the pool and maybe a little nap. The evenings gourmet dinner, served in the air conditioned restaurant, will be cooked by one of Pascals' Cordon Bleu trained chefs. With dinner we'll have no host cocktails and wine. Gentlemen may bring their cigars to enjoy outside later.

The little ceramic guy

Comfortable and spacious rooms.

Yes, the same room.

Beautiful artwork throughout the hotel

The two-day, one-night package includes transportation, tours, accommodations, afternoon wine reception, and dinner with no host cocktails and wine. Morning breakfast is also included.

At the rally awards party Pascal is also giving away one night in the hotel with a bottle of wine. He also told us that everyone in the rally would receive a discount on any of the rooms.

You can wait until you arrive to sign up and hope there is still room. If you want to reserve a space before hand just send us an email to Elsalvadorrally@aol.com, subject line: tour reservation.

NEW RALLY SPONSOR - AQUATIC OPTICS

2011-03-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

We have a new rally sponsor, Aquatic Optics, who manufactures a line of high quality sunglasses in Australia. From reading their website we discovered that over the past 14 years they have developed a special manufacturing process for their glasses. They produce a wide variety of types and styles like polarised, bi-focal, prescription, and etc all at a reasonable cost.

One of the distributors for the company gave us a pair of glasses to give away at the May 1 party. Also, the distributor will be in Bahia early April aboard S/V Redsky so you can talk directly to them about their product. Click on the sponsor link to go to their website to learn more.

AND LET THE FUN BEGIN !

2011-03-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

Cloudy Bay

After recovering from Saturday's opening day party Henry and Janis on Cloudy Bay headed south to make their Panama Canal appointment. Henry provided a riveting commentary on the VHF as they transited the entrance.

Leaving the marina aboard the hotel's catamaran

Monday afternoon we all boarded the hotel's 50-foot power cat for an hour-and-a-half sunset tour of the estuary complete with the bar on the aft deck.

Ben gets to take the helm

When does the movie start?

A sunset return to the marina.

OPENING DAY PARTY - WISH YOU WERE HERE!

2011-03-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

The banner says it all.

Dateline: March 12, Bahia del Sol, El Salvador.... The rally kick-off party lived up to cruisers expectations, lots of fun, food, pool, and refreshements. Seventeen boats were in attendance. Two rally boats who stayed here from last years' rally also joined us.

Gringo soup with a few Canadians added for flavor.

The party started out with a cool dip in the ocean-view pool with folks comparing notes on their trip down from Mexico.

Rosie, John & crew Linda from Serena Ray.

Later we all ajourned to the second floor palapa restaurant where everyone received their welcome packages. The large, rally-logo bags were filled with some nice gifts like rally T-shirts, hats, flags, lotions, etc.

Owner Marco with wife Claudia (l) & hotel manager Augustin & Jean from Mita Kuuluu.

We all say "Viva El Salvador!"

Logo gift bags.

The hotel provided a DJ and dance instructor to liven things up. During the whole party we played a game called "you can't say no" (you had to be there). Young Ben aboard Lisa Kay was the winner after three hours of intense competition.

Ben promised to share with his parents.

Ari from La Paloma talking with the port officials.

Also in attendance were the port officials stationed at the hotel and one of the heads of the port district, Delmy Castanada.

So, now events and activities begin for the next seven weeks. Monday March 14 we all have a tour of the estuary aboard the hotels' power catamaran. Tuesday we have a pool/happy hour at Acajulta restaurant located a mile up the estuary. Check the "Dates" page to see all the other events happening.

We hope to see more of you real soon.

WE HAVE PLENTY OF PRIZES FOR THE FINAL PARTY

2011-03-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it here is a partical list of the prizes we have to give away at the final celebration on May 1, 2011:

Top Pirizes: $750, $500, $300, $250, one week in the marina, two nights in the hotel.

Other Prizes: Ten free nights at Hotel Villa Serena plus on-going $10 discount on any of their rooms whenever you go to San Salvador, Five $25 dollar coupons to Marinsa Marine, 22 pound claw anchor, 2 free day tours, 4 free dinners at local restaurants, handheld GPS, and binoculars. We are working on much more. All the prizes are awarded by drawing and you must be present to win.

We just viewed the new T-shirts and gift bags and they are just beautiful. Welcome bags will be handed out and after the opening day party March 12.

DEADLINE FOR SIGN UPS COMING SOON!

2011-03-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

The last day for signing up for the rally is March 11, 2011. So, if your on the way down and haven't entered now is the time to do so. All is not lost if you somehow decide to arrive in Bahia but haven't joined by March 11. You can still join in all the activities but you will not be eligible for winning any prizes.

LATEST ARRIVALS IN BAHIA

2011-03-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

Hobo cutting a nice wake.

In the last week or so we had eleven arrivals into Bahia, Mita Kuuluu, Stolen Kiss, Windfall, Cloudy Bay, Hobo,Royal Albatross, Natalie, Moonshine, Waltzing Matilda, Lanikai, and La Paloma. In the spirit of keeping things exciting Moonshine and Windfall let their wives take the helm over the bar.

The afternoon "net" in progress.

Henry of Cloudy Bay having a hard time enjoying the pool.

After arriving we didn't waste much time hitting the newly renovated pool. Some of the surfer types immediately treked over to the ocean side to check out the waves. The Thursday happy hour is officially open as well as the Sunday pizza night.

Jean of Mita Kuuluu enjoys a frozen paypaya (con ron)!

After a little decompression seven folks decided to explore the estuary and make their way up to La Herradura for a little shopping and a quick meal at the municipal dock.

The dock guy in Herradura had his work cut out for him.

Janis and Henry of Cloudy Bay found good prices at in the open market.

Five bucks for shrimp enough for two at the Herradura wharf.

For all you folks getting ready to make your way down here don't worry we will leave plenty fun things for you to enjoy (unless you take too long). We have some more new prize updates that we will post soon.

LATEST TEHUANTEPEC CROSSING NOTES

2011-02-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a different idea

Eight rally boats departed Huatulco Feb 17 on a 3-day weather window. The above shows the various average routes taken. Those who hugged the coast had some nice land breezes but had to contend with shrimpers and fishing lines. Those who opted for straight across or a modified version of straight across had some favorable currents to help them along. In the end everyone arrived within 3 hours of each other and no one had any weather issues.

This is what a nice weather window looks like.

We all arrived around 7 am and overwhelmed the Navy inspection process. They finished checking in the last boat at 1300. The first boat inspected received a good looking over with the dog and one marinero going through a few drawers. By the time they reached the last boat it it was just paperwork.

The happy fleet enjoying some cold ones on the beach.

We have more to report later about Puerto Chiapas but right now we want to say that the officials could not be nicer and we're sorry to say that the opening of the new marina is bogged down in the permit process.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT LEAVING CHIAPAS: You should time your departure so you can arrive in Bahia before high tide but be aware that they can not bring more than 5 boats in during one tide so if you are traveling with a group we think it would be better for some to either go ahead or stay behind in Chiapas so you don't have to wait outside the bar at Bahia.

PASSAGE NOTES FROM "EYES OF THE WORLD"

2011-01-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

Some of our first rally folks have arrived in Bahia del Sol. Rick and Karen on Eyes of the World along with Lion’s Paw report that they had a great passage from Huatulco to Bahia del Sol, El Salvador.

They write:
We had a great 3-4 day weather window and a full moon to cross the Tehuantepec! We left Huatulco at 5pm and had a favorable current of about 2 knots and were motoring at 8-8.2 knots all the way to Salina Cruz. We passed by Salina Cruz about 6 miles offshore at about 2am, as there was no wind. Then we encountered an adverse current of 1.5 knots. We followed the 100-foot contour line, which put us 3-5 miles offshore all the rest of the way to Puerto Madero. We finally got some current relief about 60 miles from Puerto Madero. We arrived at about 12 noon so our trip took about 11/2 days.

The port officials are great in Puerto Madero and very friendly and helpful. They have written instructions in English for checkout procedures. The Navy, Port Capitan and drug dog upon arrival boarded us. Immigration is at the airport, which is about 10 miles away so you need a taxi to get there. We completed our final Navy departure inspection on Saturday morning.

We left Puerto Madero at 11am Saturday to head for Bahia del Sol, El Salavdor. We had a great passage with flat seas and winds of 10-15 knots in the afternoons. We were able to sail all day the first day with a favorable 1.5-2 knot current. Just after sunset, the winds died so we motored through the night. In the early morning we had land breezes and were able to sail all day again until sunset, still with the favorable current. We again motored through the night. We stayed well offshore for most of the passage-sometimes as much as 20 miles out. We arrived at 7am at the waiting point for the pilot to take us across the bar.

As we approached the bar the swells looked huge and we were a little apprehensive about crossing through them. We could not see any place that looked like an opening and the tide was beginning to turn. Finally our pilot arrived on his jet ski and asked us what the boats top speed was. We told him 7 knots and he said, “OK, follow me”. We were at nearly full throttle as we followed him in while he kept looking over his shoulder to time the waves. He timed it perfectly! We surfed across about 3 waves and never got “pooped”! Then we were through the surf and entering the estuary!! It was the best E-ticket ride we have ever had!!!

We arrived at the dock at Bahia del Sol to check-in. There were several people waiting to help us tie up to the dock and the port officials were there to start our check-in process. We were then taken to the immigration office on the hotel grounds to obtain our visas and boat import permit. Everyone is extremely nice and helpful. Most of the officials and staff at the hotel speak very good English. We had breakfast at the restaurant then anchored in the estuary near the hotel.

Bahia del Sol and the surrounding area are absolutely beautiful!!!!

On our first evening at anchor we were greeted with an air show by the El Salvadoran air force! They flew in formation, did flips and turns and acrobatic stunts right over the estuary for about an hour!! What a treat!

When we checked in, we told the officials that we planned to stay for about 3 weeks—we are already thinking we might have to stay longer!!!

Rick and Karen

s/v Eyes of the World

January 24, 2011

Puerto Chiapas - New Rally Host Port

2011-01-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

Puerto Chiapas-good changes for cruisers

We've been working for a few months with the port folks in Puerto Chiapas for them to become a rally host port. Although we have not worked out all the details we feel that it is pretty much a done deal. We added a new information page which talks about the port and what they are offering all of us. We've had good reports from rally folks who recently stopped there. Check out the new page.

OFFICIAL SSB NET FOR THE RALLY

2011-01-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Starting February 1 the folks who run the Picante Net are letting us use it as our official rally net. The net is run by "Radio" Rob and "Promises" Bob out of Puerto Vallarta. Set your frequency to 6212 USB. Check-in is after1330 UCT which, right now, is 0730 PV time. The net usually improves as the sun rises (near 1400 UCT) so if at first you can't hear or get through just wait a few minutes. This is a very informal and low-key net so if your at all nervous about talking on the radio this is the net for you. There are no official rules other than that you must talk to be heard.

So, if your wondering where all those other folks in the rally are located, what they are up to, or want to pass on some information just give Bob or Rob a call.

LET'S GET SOME FREE MOORINGS!

2010-12-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Mooring field viewed from the yard

Island Marine is located just a mile from the hotel. The owners, Murray and Colette Barrett have given us four half-priced moorings as prizes. If you win one of the prizes and stay on one of their moorings ($5/day) the second month will be half off.

Their moorings are pulled and inspected annually. After the season the moorings are taken out of the water and stored in the haul-out yard. Each mooring is 3000 pounds with half-inch mooring chain.

Included with the mooring is a weekly opening and airing of your boat (if you are not living aboard) and if you want to remove and store your sails, electronics, etc you can do so for free in their metal bodega. For a minimum charge they will perform other reasonable chores like wiping down the inside or checking your batteries. The moorings are guarded nightly by an armed guard with a very large spot light.

Travel lift and storage yard

The yard also operates a 30-ton travel lift and is capable of hauling up to six-foot draft. Haul-outs are tidal dependent so, if you are in a hurry you are out of luck. Haul and launch is $10/foot and labor is $30/day per person and no layday charges for the first week. If necessary, boats can be stored on the hard (same price as moorings) but you have to remember that your boat will be living in a jungle with all the little creatures.

Carlito and Jairo laying on the paint.

Island Marine does not take reservations for the moorings but not to worry, they always have enough or they make more. Haul outs do need a reservation but they only take them after you have arrived in Bahia.

CENTRAL AMERICAN RUM TASTING

2010-12-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

Back in November the rally organizers hosted a rum tasting event featuring eight Central American rums. Shown above from right to left are: Zacapa 23 year (Guatemala), Flor de Cana 18 year (Nicaragua), Flor de Cana 7 year (Nicaragua) Flor de Cana 4 year (Nicaragua), Abuelo 7 year (Panama), and Herrerano (Panama).

Larry and Lena aboard Hobo kindly offered to hold the event aboard their Krogen 42, Hobo. From what we remember folks from all the rally boats located in Marina Riviera Nayarit attended. The winner: Abuelo from Panama. It was determined that the 23 year old Zacapa was in a league of its' own.

HOW FAR DID YOU TRAVEL TO COME TO EL SALVADOR?

2010-12-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

We are again giving away four assorted bottles of Flor de Cana rum to the boat that traveled the farthest based on where they were when they signed up. Flor de Cana is the premier rum producer in neighboring Nicaragua. See the next post about Central American rum.

NEED A COURTSEY FLAG?

2010-12-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

Annie on Sunseeker here in Puerto Vallarta makes some of the best flags. Double sewn and reinforced corners. She has flags for almost any country you may be traveling and they are reasonably priced. You can contact her on VHF 22 or email her at: at4sunseeker@yahoo.com. We thank Annie for giving us some flags as prizes at our rally seminars.

YEP, WE'RE ON FACEBOOK

2010-12-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

We thought that the rally organizers didn't have enough to do so we opened a Face Book page. We're listed as Annual Salvador Rally. If you want to receive updates that may not always be listed on the official blog you might want to "friend" us. Please tell us if you have any suggestions for our new Face Book page.

RALLY SEMINAR IN MAZATLAN

2010-12-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Our second rally seminar will be held at Marina Mazatlan in the upstairs meeting room on December 19 at 10:00am. After the seminar we will have a drawing for a few fun prizes.
The seminar last month in La Paz drew about 50 people and we received four entries from there.

GET YOUR REFER UNIT FIXED FOR FREE!

2010-11-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

Well, almost free. While we were in La Paz we ran across Mike, the owner of Mexicolder based out of Mazatlan and he offered to again sponsor the rally. Just like last year Mike offered to provide free on-line consulting and troubleshooting of your refer system for the rally entrants. He says that he can solve most problems in two or three emails if you are willing to perform a few simple tests. He will also tell you what parts you might need and what to tell your repair guy.

His email address is mexicolder@hotmail.com or if he’s off the dock it’s ke6sam@winlink.org and yes he can use ham email as it’s a complimentary service to cruising sailors, but you will need to contact him on the hotmail address so as he can put you on his white list. So when you are in the middle of nowhere (where else would it fail?) at least you can find out what is wrong with your system....for free!

A predominant problem amongst boaters is refrigeration either not working or using way too much electricity so we took the opportunity to learn something from Mike.

He pointed out that aboard virtually any vessel the major consumer of energy is the refrigeration system and for that reason the system should be the most energy efficient as possible. The key to this is a balanced or tuned system and Mike can tune an already installed Danfoss system (like Alder/Barber, etc) to gain 15 to 20% more performance, which equals: efficiency.

Twelve-volt refrigeration parts are difficult to find in Central America so if you are dissatisfied with the performance of your system or want to have it checked before heading south to be sure it is running as efficiently as possible you should contact Mike. His tune-up consists of removing the potentially leaking quick disconnects, vacuuming, and refilling the system, tuning the electronics to make the compressor run more efficiently and analyzing the power supply. Mike can do this for about $350.

If you are thinking about completely replacing your system you should seriously consider purchasing one of Mike’s Mexicolder systems. Here is what Mike told me about his product:

“Aboard ship we need to make the energy to power our stuff. Now to me it has never made sense having to run the engine or a diesel or gas gen-set to do so. First you have to source and pay for the fuel and then you have to get it to the vessel. Then you have to maintain and pay for all that machinery whilst it puts tremendous amounts of heat and noise into your otherwise peaceful environment.

For this reason my boat TORTUE runs on solar power alone and yes we have all the luxuries of ice cubes and rock solid frozen meats and seafood thanks to the Mexicolder system.

For over 33 years I have been cruising, repairing and upgrading systems I always had folk ask me “Why can’t I have fridge/freezer just like home that doesn’t go wrong?” So I took a blank sheet of paper and years of hands on experience. Then I wrote down all that was good and all that was not good of all the systems available on the market in the mid 1990’s. I kept the good stuff and then tested aboard TORTUE in the severe heat conditions over several summers in the Sea of Cortez Mexico. I then removed all the excess moving parts that were “fluff” but doubled up on the stuff that kept the compressor or “heart of the system” beating nicely. I chose the finest quality materials to build a simple, lightweight, and efficient answer to the sailor’s needs and dreams. Other systems on the market have user installable "Quick Connects" between the evaporator plate and the compressor. The selling point is that you can install your own system but this is short-term thinking because over time the vibration, heat, and constant motion on a boat in the tropics take their toll on user installable "quick connect" fittings. These "Quick Connect" fittings begin to leak, which allows the compressor to suck in moist hot air, which destroys the compressor. Also, when I install a new system I do it starting from the battery bank making sure that all the wiring is properly sized and graded.”

NEW OUTBOARD AVAILABILITY IN EL SALVADOR

2010-11-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

TWO STROKE

3.3 HP Short Shaft $990.00 USD

5.0 HP Short Shaft $1,400.00 USD

9.9 HP Short Shaft $2,300.00 USD

FOUR STROKE

5.0 HP Short Shaft $1,665.99 USD

9.9 HP Short Shaft $2,813.70 USD

PAT & JOHN RAINS AGAIN SPONSOR THE RALLY

2010-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

The latest full color guide from the Rainses.

Almost everyone has heard of Pat & John Rains and most probably have at least one of their books onboard. They are the authors of the popular Mexico Boating Guide as well as 5 other books. John is a well-known delivery captain and Pat has daily, weekly, and monthly columns in nautical publications in The Log Newspaper and Sea Magazine. She also has frequent articles appearing in Cruising World.

Capt. Pat Rains

As professional mariners, the Rainses have skippered all kinds of boats over the coastal waters of the Caribbean, and Pacific coasts of Central America, dozens of times of the past 25 years. During 2010 they made an extensive research trip over these waters in a 57” Nordhavn trawler to research their 7th edition of “Cruising Ports: the Central American Route” updating their existing charges in the book and adding some new ones.

For the second time they are supporting the rally by providing copies of their 6th edition Cruising Ports Central America Guide as prizes.

MARINSA MARINE STORE IN EL SALVADOR RETURNS AS A SPONSOR

2010-11-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, they are friendly folks at Marinsa.

Gabriel Alvarado, the director of Marinsa Marine Store in San Salvador is a returning sponsor. Gabriel wants us to know that he is an independent store that is not associated with Marinsa, Florida. He is available by email and assures us that he checks his emails every day. If someone needs parts ordered he can do that however, he says that there is no such thing as overnight or fast delivery anywhere south of the U.S. border unless you are willing to dish out plenty of money.

Gabriel is providing five $25 gift certificates and a 22lb Lewmar claw anchor as prizes for the awards ceremony May 1. He has also promised some suprise gifts as well. Last year it was a nice boom vang.

Gabriel giving a presentation at last years' rally.

Marinsa receives a container approximately once a month shipped from Florida to eastern Guatemala then it is trucked into San Salvador. He is willing to let you drop-ship items to his shipper to have it included in his shipment. Gabriel says that he can order pretty much anything but it can take from a week to a month to arrive depending on the product. Additionally, the amount of duty varies widely based on the product ordered. Some products such as cloth are protected and carry a large tax. You can contact Gabriel via email at: galvarado@marinsa.com.sv. It is important to put Cruisers Rally in the subject line.

SARANAS' ON-LINE CRUISING GUIDES TO CENTRAL AMERICA

2010-11-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Eric and Sherrell Watson have been cruising since 2005 aboard Sarana, their Pacific Seacraft 31 and are returning sponsors for the rally. Since 2005 they have written two downloadable cruising guides about Central America, Explore Central America Part one which is available for $13 and part two for $18. Together both guides cover from Guatemala to Panama featuring many anchorages you won’t find anywhere else. The guides are written for sailors by sailors and contain many waypoints and chart images. Also, each guide has important weather information relative to the area such as crossing the Tehuantepec or Papagayos. Oh yes, and find the good surf spots too! They’ve also written nine other cruising and information guides which are available for download free on their website. The Watson’s have given us two free guides to be given away at the next rally seminars. One note about the Explore Central America downloadable guides: Please don’t make a bunch of copies to distribute to all your friends. The small price for the guides is more than a bargain to purchase. To order just click on the sponsors link.

RALLY SEMINAR IN LA PAZ. BCS

2010-10-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

We are holding our first rally seminar on November 21, 2010 in La Paz, BCS. The seminar is located in the newly built Club Cruceros meeting room at Marina de La Paz. For those of you in La Paz, the event will be advertized on the daily VHF net.

We will be handing out information packets that contain maps, touring information and a CD about the rally and Central America. At the end of the seminar we will have a drawing for some fun prizes.

If you miss this seminar don't worry. Others will be held in Mazatlan, La Cruz and Puerto Vallarta over the next few months. If you have any questions that you would like to have answered before then just send an email to the rally address.

GRAND PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT

2010-10-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

The president of Hotel Bahia del Sol, Marco Zablah, today announced the grand prize package to be awarded at the party on May 1, 2011. Please! no pushing or shoving... the prizes will be awarded by drawing. Here they are:

Grand prize: $750

Second prize: $500

Third prize: $300

Fourth prize $250

Fifth prize: One week in the marina.

Sixth prize: Two nights in the hotel.

Yep, a pretty nice package but wait! We are working on a lot more prizes so keep checking back. Our expectation is that everyone will win something.

A SLIGHT TYPO!

2010-10-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, hard to beleive but sometimes the rally organizers make a little misteak. The rally entry deadline was reported as April 23, 2011 but it should have read March 11, 2011. How we got that date is still a mystery, maybe too much Guatemalan rum.

We have some real nice prize updates comming real soon so check back.

FREE HOTEL ROOMS IN SAN SALVADOR

2010-10-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hotel Villa Serena has a chain of three hotels located in upscale areas of San Salvador, Flor Blanca, Escalon, and San Benito. Rooms are equipped with cable TV, refrigerator, private bath with hot water, wireless Internet, and air conditioning. There are also spa services available at their San Benito location.

Here's a nice video tour of the hotels.

Hotel president Bellyni Siguenza is active in promoting tourism in El Salvador and is offering ten free nights stay in any of their hotels to be given away at the rally celebration party. Bellyni is also extending a $10 discount on room rates in any of their locations for all rally participants.

Escalon location

Many cruisers travel into the city to spend a few fun nights away from the boat. You can top off a day of shopping and site-seeing with a memorable meal at one of the many restaurants in the city then return to relax in your nice (maybe free) room.

Buy a nice bottle of wine and enjoy a tranquil afternoon in the hotel courtyard

A full breakfast is included with your room (not just toast and coffee).

NEED YOUR SAILS CHECKED OR REPAIRED BEFORE HEADING SOUTH?

2010-10-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

During our first rally Quantum Sails in San Diego offered to be our first sponsor and they did it again this year. Quantum supplied a number of prize items for the cruisers parties.

This year they are offering free sail inspections. If you are passing through San Diego just bring your sails to their loft and they will give them a free expert inspection. You needn’t be entered in the rally (but it would be nice) to take advantage of the free service. Quantum also specializes in fast turn-around sail repairs. Give the lovely Christy a call at 619-226-2422 to make an appointment.

DISCOUNTED SLIP RATES OFFERED IN LA CRUZ, MEXICO..AGAIN!

2010-10-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz is again sponsoring the Cruisers Rally to El Salvador. Starting November 1, 2010 the slip rate for rally participants is 50 cents-per-foot for a month’s stay. Harbormaster Rafael Luarte adds that if the marina reaches a total of 50 boats participating in the rally and Puddle Jump he will discount to 48 cents-per-foot for a month’s stay and 45 cents-per-foot for a three-month contract.

Mr. Luarte is also sponsoring Friday-night potluck & bbq’s, Tuesday movie nights, raffles for free nights in the marina and much more!

We really have to hand it to Rafael; he is going way out to see that all our participants enjoy a good time in La Cruz before heading south.

Marina Riveria Nayarit is the newest marina in Mexico offering hundreds of full-service floating docks and a nearby haul-out facility with a 150-ton travel lift capable of handling a 32-foot beam. The marina also has a yacht club and restaurant and is conveniently located within walking distance of downtown La Cruz.

After joining the rally you can email the marina for a reservation. Say in your email that you are a member of the rally to get your discount. There is a link on the blog to the marina.

DATES SET FOR SECOND CRUISERS RALLY

2010-08-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

The dates for the second annual Cruisers Rally to El Salvador are March 12, 2011 through April 30, 2011 with the grand cruisers party held on May 1 at Hotel Bahia del Sol. Entry deadline is March 11, 2011. The rally starts on March 12 with a big kick-off party so plan your departature carefully.

Hotel owner Marco Zablah has again pledged $1,800 in cash awards. Each arriving boat will receive a welcome package and be offered generous discounts at the hotel.

PURPOSE OF THE RALLY

The west coast of Central America has often been bypassed, as southbound cruisers tend to take a direct route to Costa Rica or Panama. The objective of this rally is to help cruisers get together to discover the less traveled but spectacular destination of El Salvador and have a lot of fun at the same time. In addition to this, our aim is also to create awareness among Salvadorians about the cruising lifestyle.

With the growing number of cruisers wanting to venture south of Mexico the country is becoming more accessible to cruisers. The rally destination of Bahia del Sol offers a low-key, relaxing atmosphere where like-minded cruisers can meet and enjoy “Bahia” with a “cruisers vacation” feel and safely leave their boats while they travel inland Central America. Of course northbound cruisers are also welcome to participate.

Please refer from time to time to this blog for important updates. There are links in the upper right-hand corner of the blog directing you to the rules and other information.
We also have a Yahoo group for those cruisers looking for a buddy boat to travel south or seeking information from other cruisers about the rally or El Salvador. The link is posted under Rally Links.

All the posts prior to this are about the 2010 rally and may not apply to the 2011 rally.

(2010 Rally) CRUISERS RALLY TO EL SALVADOR A BIG SUCCESS!

2010-05-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Rapscullion flies into Bahia.

Henry and JJ aboard Rapscullion were thrilled to enter Bahia del Sol. JJ remarked "can we turn around and do it again?" They arrived just in time to help plan the four days of activities leading up to the big cruisers celebration May 15.

All the cruising kids enjoying the rally.

The week began with a late Tuesday afternoon happy hour hosted by restaurant Acajulta. For three hours thirty-five cruisers consumed $1 beers accompanied by free appetizers.

Susan from Calypso

Elina and Greg of Sapphire

Not ANOTHER happy hour??

Some of the other activities held during the week were: a beach bocce ball tournament, a wine tasting, two buffets supplied by the hotel, another happy hour hosted by hotel Bahia del Sol, a desert pot-luck, and a late-afternoon dinghy raft-up in the estuary.

Some don't remember the wine tasting.

Island Marine supplied all the beer for the raft up.

Anna from Trumpeter

Saturdays’ celebration kicked off with hotel owner, Marco Zablah giving a large group of press journalists and local government dignitaries a tour of the rally fleet aboard his 50-foot power cat. Many of the group then accepted invitations to visit aboard the rally boats moored in the marina.

Journalists and photographers.

Aboard Marcos' power cat.

The fleet decorated for the tour.

Everyone is curious about the cruisers.

The main party was held in the air-conditioned meeting room at the hotel. Rally hostess Claudia Oviedo passed out certificates and a souvenir to each boat. Then all the attending boat names were put in a hat to draw for prizes supplied by the rally sponsors. Every boat ended up winning a prize. Vicky Plett of Inspiration at Sea won four bottles of rum for the boat traveling the farthest.

Gift bags from the Ministry of Tourism.

The Grand Buffet.

Dancing to the sounds of a local jazz duo.

Marco awarded the winners drawn for the three grand prizes. Henry Robinson of Rapscullion won third prize of $300, second prize of $500 and two nights in the marina was given to Tom and Kathy Edwards of Ahwahnee and the top prize of $1000, and a week in the marina was awarded to Glen and Joyce Mickowski of Rhumbline. After the awards ceremony the El Salvador Ministry of Tourism passed out gift bags to each boat.

Mick & Joyce - winners of $1000.

Kathy & Tom - winners of $500.

Henry & JJ - winners of $300.

Seventy-one boats signed up for the rally with 34 boats making their way to Bahia del Sol. Twenty-one boats stayed for the rally festivities. Prizes, gift bags, parties, and discounts were valued at $7000 not including the discounts offered by Marina Riviera Nayarit in Mexico.

(L-R)Agustin Lozano-food manager, Claudia Oveido-rally hostess, Marco Zablah-owner, Carlos Solsona-hotel manager.

Happy cruisers.

The rally fleet.

Yep...got the T-shirt too.

The first-ever cruisers rally to El Salvador is a success and plans are underway for the 2011 rally. Everyone involved with its’ development would like to thank all the entrants and sponsors for their support and encouragement. We are now going to take a much-needed rest, catch our collective breaths, and start planning next years rally.

Do Salvadorians love Americans?

(2010 Rally) MORE ARRIVALS IN BAHIA

2010-05-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

When the pilot says make black smoke Teal Sea obliges.

Teal Sea following the pilot boat

The latest bunch of rally entrants came over the bar this week. Four in one day: Trumpeter, Calypso, Rhumbline, and Teal Sea. Rhumbline wins the prize for the fastest crossing…18 knots! The largest boat entered into the rally is Phantom boasting 88 feet long and 21 feet wide. Be sure to ask us to tell you the story of her arrival.

Everyone earns the tee-shirt.

A few days prior to Phantoms’ arrival we watched as little Ganymede with Ben, Danielle and their three little kids pretty much sailed (literally) over the bar. They only have a six-horse outboard so the sails gave them the extra speed cross. As of May 6 we are expecting three or four more arrivals.

Tica Bill having a real happy hour.

The local net...any emergency traffic?

The kids always have a good time.

"I want to live at the pool!"

Cruisers supplied services.

Of course, the red carpet has been out for everyone with plenty of activities to keep everyone as busy as they like. We have a local cruisers net that occurs in the hotel pool around 4:30; Thursdays are especially happy because it’s happy hour at the pool still with two-for-one drink specials and $1 appetizer; and Sundays are reserved for pizza day with all the rally entrants receiving a special price.

View of Phantom from the other bar.

Just sign for everything.

The hotel is making the final plans for the cruisers party on May 15 and the owner promises we will not be disappointed. If you managed to miss the rally just keep coming back to this blog and we will keep you up-to-date on all the fun.

(2010 Rally) MORE FUN ARRIVALS

2010-04-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sunset in Bahia

Tica and Hopalong are the latest boats to arrive here in Bahia. It was an easy ride for both at the top of the tide and after arriving they helped themselves to a nice breakfast at the hotel.

Sally & David and Bill & Joanne enjoy a breakfast

The night before their arrival most of us took a late afternoon dinghy ride to restaurant Acajulta located a short distance up the estuary. We all enjoyed their pool with the swim-up bar and later enjoyed a nice dinner from their large selection. The restaurant is giving away two $20 dinners at the Cruisers Party on May 15 and in early May they are holding a rally happy hour.

At Acajulta hating every minutes of it!

The swim up bar was a great hit

Great evening ambiance

Four of the menu selections

Estuary view from the outside deck

On Thursday the hotel opened their once-a-week happy hour at the pool. From 3:30 to 6:30 it’s two-for-one on a drink special. This time it was four different flavors of Margaritas. The appetizer specials were $1 each. This week’s selection was chicken wings, ceviche, nachos, beef-vegetable kabobs, or French fries. Three different kinds of hamburgers were also offered for $5. Needless to say, the pool was full and many drinks and a lot of food was consumed.

Full pool at Bahia del Sol

A dollar-a-plate

We are having more activities as more rally members arrive. Sharon, aboard Sunsation now leads a daily aerobics class at the hotel. We’ve made quite a few excursions up to La Herradura for shopping and seafood meals plus a couple of dinghy trips exploring the estuary.

Exploring the estrary (beer involved!)

Arriving in La Herradura

We have more fun activities planned so don’t drag your feet getting here. Please don’t forget to email us when you leave Huatulco so we can be sure the bar pilot is available.

(2010 Rally) MORE ARRIVALS IN BAHIA

2010-04-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Joyeux catching a nice one

Claudia along side Ahwahnee

The smile says it all

Boats are now starting to arrive on a weekly basis. Ahwahnee, Joyeux, Shannon, Turn the Page and Om just popped in on a nice breezy day. Claudia went aboard Ahwahnee for her first ride on a sailboat over the bar. A little nervous at first she said that it was thrilling but easier than she had imagined. Here is a quick video of Dennis aboard Dolce Vita coming in the entrance.

Dolce Vita arriving in Bahia

Some of the folks here have already taken advantage of Jorge Martinez’ tour services by taking a three-day tour of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Others are anxiously waiting for more arrivals so we can have another party.

Por Favor, where is Honduras?

At that place where they carry drinks on their heads

A happy group

Easter week here is as crazy as every place else in Latin America but the local restaurants and the hotel are totally stocked with seafood and beer. The only thing that runs out is the daylight. It’s so busy that we are delaying our next arrival party until next week.

OBTAINING MARINE PARTS IN EL SALVADOR

2010-03-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

We just had a short meeting with Gabriel Alvarado, the director of the marine store in San Salvador, Marinsa. If you look back through the blog you will find a little profile of the store. Gabriel tells us that he is now an independent store and no longer associated with Marinsa, Florida. He is available by email and assures us that he checks his emails every day. If someone needs some parts ordered he can do that however, he says that there is no such thing as overnight delivery anywhere south of the U.S. border. Marinsa receives a container approximately once a month shipped from Florida to eastern Guatemala then it is trucked into San Salvador. He is willing to let you drop-ship items to his shipper to have it included in his shipment. Gabriel says that he can order pretty much anything but it can take from a week to a month to arrive depending on the product. Additionally, the amount of duty varies widely based on the product ordered. Some products such as cloth are protected and carry a large tax. You can contact Gabriel via email at: VENTAS@MARINSA.COM.SV. It is important to put Cruisers Rally in the subject line.

Gabriel offers to come over to Bahia and present a seminar on obtaining parts in El Salvador any time we wish. Remember that Marinsa is providing four $25 gift certificates to give away during the cruisers party.

(2010 Rally) CRUISERS RALLY TO EL SALVALDOR BEGINS!

2010-03-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Claudia greeting Inspiration at Sea

The first Cruisers Rally to El Salvador began officially today. The first five of almost sixty entries arrived in Bahia del Sol and more cruisers are staged to leave Huatulco on the next weather window. The first boats are Chula, Inspiration at Sea, Sirens Call, White Rose 1, and Waltzing Matilda. The major sponsor, Hotel Bahia del Sol has also hired an official rally hostess, Claudia Olviedo. Her job is to make sure that all the cruisers needs are met, helping with check-in and organizing weekly cruisers events. Claudia even accompanied the bar pilot on his jet ski to bring the boats over the bar.

Owner Marco, Claudia, Vicky and Rudy

The hotel hosted an opening day party with drink specials, ice-cold local beer, and an endless supply of snacks. The owner of Hotel Bahia del Sol and his management staff attended the party and each said that they were committed to showing everyone a good time.

Party time lead by Claudia

Sandy of Volo enjoying a little drink

The giant $50 swag bag for each boat.

Having a good time

The day after the party a few of us took our dinghies up the estuary to unspoiled La Herradura. After a few cold ones at the municipal pier and a huge shrimp $4 shrimp plate we ventured into town in search of the wood fired ovens of the local bakery. The workers invited us in to take pictures and, of course, we purchase some nice sweets for breakfast the following morning.

The Herradura municipal pier

Yes, four dollars!

Everyone was very happy to see us and many shouted any English word or phrase they knew. One nice fellow could only say “Huston, Texas” but he said it more than once. We cruised town enjoying the welcoming atmosphere before stopping for a last cold one at the pier.

Fresh today.

There is a good chance the seafood is fresh also.

So we have a new countdown timer on the blog letting you know how much time is left before the big party.

(2010 Rally) HERE IS SOME HELPFUL INFORMATON ON HUATULCO

2010-03-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest scoop since API officially took over Marina Chahue. The new English speaking harbormaster and a lady named Patricia who has been here for at least a year run the marina. Patricia does all the money stuff and has a working knowledge of English. An ex-pat, John aboard Pelican has been here for 1 and 1 /2 years is willing to help. John has a van and is happy to help with jerry cans to the Pemex, propane. Also, an "all-cruisers-friend" named Lorrie Zuzek, the unofficial ambassador for Huatulco, lives nearby and is more than happy to provide tips and suggestions or even show you around the area. She can be reached by cell phone 951-134-8383 or by email at Rusticinteriors@aol.com.

The marina has a number of slips to 50’ and a lot of 35 foot slips. Be sure to call the marina on VHF 16 because a lot of boats are tied across the empty slips making it impossible to dock without someone to take the lines off.

Taxis from the marina to both Santa Cruz and La Cucecita are a standard $20 pesos

You don't need to check in here with the Port Captain as you are already in MX.

To check out: The day before you think you might leave. If leaving on a weekend start Thurs as the Port Captains office charges double time for Sat or Sun. ($100 usd)

1. Get a letter from the Marina that says you have paid your bill. Patricia does this all the time, no problem.

2.Go to Port Captains office in Santa Cruz after 9AM—if you go earlier all the locals are getting permits for the cruise ship stuff.

Take Letter from Marina, a copy of boat documentation or registration, your Crew list from last port ,and a
new crew list for International Zarpe.

Cost for us was 206 pesos and the port captains credit card machine was broken. So he took cash just because his machine was broken otherwise if machine works and you want to pay with cash, have to go to the bank 3 blocks away.

The port captain will give you a form to complete which repeats all the same info you just gave them plus info from your Temporary Import Permit like engine # and kind of engine, # of pistons, etc. They will enter this info on an official looking document and send you over to immigration located around the corner. At immigration you take those papers and a copy of the picture page of your passport--both sides and same for FM3 if you have one, or your tourist card when you came into Mexico.
Immigration ladies speak English. They will stamp the papers and forms, tell you when they will come to the boat, and then send you back to the Port Captain for his signature. If he's not available they will tell you to come back later or tomorrow. We told Immigration we were leaving at 3am so they would come out to the boat by the day before we left. If you tell them you are leaving the next afternoon they might not arrive until 8pm. So--plan accordingly. Customs will also come to your boat to stamp your papers. They also speak English. We informed Patricia when we were back from the Port Captains office and Customs showed up an hour later.

So that’s the scoop on Huatulco. More than likely there will be other cruisers there to answer your questions.

ATTENDING A LANGUAGE SCHOOL

2010-01-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Now that we’ve all left Mexico it is probably a good time to learn Spanish and we think the best way to learn is through an immersion school. We chose the San Pedro Spanish School, which is located on the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. We picked this school for two reasons: it was recommended by others who attended and because there is little opportunity to speak English.

One-on-one in a tropical setting

Antigua Guatemala also offers immersion schools but a lot of English is spoken there, which kind of defeats the meaning of immersion. When we enrolled for two weeks a few years ago we selected the home-stay program along with 4 hours of instruction per day. We recommend that if a couple is going to attend that they have separate instructors so you each have your own learning experience.

Public dock in San Pedro

Lake Atitlan is a large deep lake with three nearby volcanoes and there are spectacular views of the volcanoes and cultivated hillsides. The lake is surrounded by many villages, in which the Maya culture is still prevalent and traditional dress is worn. The Maya people of Atitlán are predominantly Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel and Spanish is their second language so expect the local’s pronunciation of Spanish to be different from the Spanish you will learn at school. Don't worry about finding your around San Pedro. You can ask one of the local children (if they haven't already found you) to act as a guide and we pay them a small tip.

Girls wearing traditional skirts

Old woman in the open market

Bringing firewood from the forest

. To visit the other villages you take an inexpensive covered panga from the public dock. Each town has something different to offer. The open markets and small towns make for a truly unforgettable “National Geographic” experience.

Local buyers

Colorful offerings

Women at the weaving co-op

It is a day-trip from San Salvador to Antigua then another day-trip from Antigua to Panajachel where you can stay overnight before taking a panga across the lake to San Pedro. Panajachel is a touristy town with all the associated trappings and really doesn’t have much to offer. You can make arrangements for travel at any of a number of travel agencies in Antigua. You can check out the school by clicking on the link under "rally links".

IF YOU WANT TO HELP OUT THE LOCALS

2010-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Island school girl

If you haven’t already depleted your supply of donations you might want to consider holding on to them until you reach El Salvador. A Canadian woman in Bahia, Jan who teaches English to the island kids tells us that the students are in need of school supplies especially hardcover notebooks. Jan says she is also teaching them some computer skills on a single, old computer and would die for some newer computers. The ability to speak English and having some basic computer skills gives these kids an opportunity to find jobs. Jan is always looking for volunteers to help teach English and tells us that teaching English is a very good way to learn Spanish. Those who have volunteered in the past report they had a very rewarding experience.

Mother and son

The Salvadorians are appreciative of any kind of donations. One year we donated some clothing through the island school and one mother carrying a two-year-old told us that she didn’t have any clothing at all for her son! Another time after two-week long rains caused massive local flooding a near-by town came to the cruisers asking for donations of clothing because he knew that the cruisers could respond before the official supply lines were established. Small things make a big difference and the smiles on the peoples faces are a great reward.

A SLIGHT BENDING OF THE RULES

2009-12-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

The rally rules say that you have to arrive in El Salvador after March 15, 2010. A number of people asked what happens if they arrive early. The only reason we chose this date is that we will not have the welcome packages finished until then. So, if you arrive before that date … No Problem! It’s just that you will have to wait until March 15 to receive your package. We’re always ready to listen so if anyone has any problems or suggestions please send us an email and we will do our best to accommodate.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE PLANS TO BUDDY BOAT?

2009-12-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Some entrants have asked how to contact the other entries to arrange to buddy-boat or just find out when others plan to arrive in El Salvador. We are reluctant to post email addresses on the blog so we formed a Yahoo group where these can be done in some sort of controlled environment. We think you could just make a posting like "looking for a sail boat to buddy south from PV in February" and wait for a response. We are new to managing a Yahoo Group so be patient with us. You have to join the group but it is easy. the group address is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ELSALVADORRALLY and there is a quick-link on the blog. We hope this works out for everyone. If you have any suggestions please contact us.

(2010 Rally) RALLY PRIZE COMMITTEE WORKING OVERTIME!

2009-12-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

The rally folks in El Salvador are working very hard and just forwarded another nice list of rally prizes. Oh my, is this going to be fun or what?

Dinghy dock at the restaurant

RESTAURANT MAR y SOL, COSTA DEL SOL

How about two free dinners? If you win this prize you can just jump into your dinghy and in a few minutes tie up at the floating dock in front of Restaurant Mar y Sol. It is a great place to enjoy an inexpensive meal, a cold beer, and watch daily life along the estuary.

Open-air with a view

The restaurant is situated over the water on a covered, open-air deck. The simple menu offers grilled or fried fish, various mariscos, and basic Salvadorian dishes. Mar y Sol also sells beer and soda by the case and bagged ice from purified water. You can bring your laundry up and usually have it back the next day. Cloths are machine washed and line-dried and it is pretty inexpensive.

The restaurant hours vary by season. Click on the sponsor link to read a review from Frommer’s.

RESTAURANT ACAJUTLA, COSTA DEL SOL

More fine dining over the water

Acajutla is part of a well-reputed 20-year old El Salvadorian seafood chain and is also located in the anchorage about a mile from Bahia del Sol. Acajutla is also offering two ($20) free dinners as well as hosting a rally get-aquainted happy hour with free boquitas. The up-scale restaurant offers entrees in the $12 to $18 range. Among the best item on the menu is the seasonal mixed grilled lobster and crab with butter and garlic sauce. The sopa de marisco is quite hearty, and most of Acajutla's entrees are huge by El Salvador standards. Like most estuary side restaurants the food is served on a covered, open-air deck over the water. Click on the sponsor link to read a review. You can also view a video by clicking on the restaurant name in the “Links” list.

MARINSIA MARINE STORE, SAN SALVADOR

Marinsa is the biggest marine supply store in the area. It has locations in Central and South America. The El Salvador store is located in Colonia Escalon, in the capitol city of San Salvador. That being said don’t expect to walk in and see shelves full of goodies like West Marine but they do have quite a few items available. Gabriel Alvarado who speaks English and can help with getting parts shipped into El Salvador runs Marinsa. Gabriel is giving us, get this: three $75 store coupons! In the past Gabriel has helped a lot of cruisers find needed parts. From time to time you may see Gabriel and his family boating in the estuary.

BARRACUDA MARINE STORE, COSTA DEL SOL

This is a new offshoot store of Marinsa Marine and is located just a short distance from the anchorage. Although it is small they are willing to order or deliver parts from their main store in San Salvador to their Bahia store saving you a trip to the city. They gave us a $25 coupon for use in their store.

(2010 Rally) ANOTHER PRIZE UPDATE

2009-11-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

Jorge Martinez

The owner of Tourin tours, Jorge Martinez announced that he is providing a rally prize consisting of a day tour for two on one of his six tours. These tours are very popular among the cruisers both for their content and attractive price. Included in the tour are a fully bi-lingual guide and air-conditioned 8-passenger van transportation. Although the prize is for two people it doesn’t preclude you from inviting some paying guests along to enjoy your winnings.

Coffee Plantation

A good example of the type of day tour Jorge provides is the Ruta de las Flores (route of the flowers). If you savor the aroma and taste of a good cup of coffee then the highlands are the places to visit! The 3000’ altitude makes for the perfect conditions for growing gourmet coffee. Ataco and Apaneca the treasured coffee farms are the producers of the best quality coffee beans. Ruta de las Flores includes a tour of the Volcano nurseries from where exotic flowers are exported. Also you will visit Nahuizalco an indigenous town where you can visit the “mimbre” handicraft shops to see the process and the skills of these so creative artisans.

Artisan Shop

Jorge is the top rated tour guide in El Salvador. He worked for many years with the El Salvador Ministry of Tourism before opening his own guide service. He still consults with the government on tourism development. Tourin also provides multiple days, multiple country tours as well. To see all the tours just click on the sponsor link. Jorge reminds you that you can customize any tour or even design your own.

On the Ruta de las Flores

WEATHER AND WATER IN EL SALVADOR

2009-11-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

Morning shadows cast by distant volcanos

El Salvador has a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons. Temperatures vary primarily with elevation and show little seasonal change. The Pacific lowlands are uniformly hot; the central plateau and mountain areas are more moderate.

The winter rainy season extends from May to October. Almost all the annual rainfall occurs during this time, and yearly totals, particularly on Southern-facing Mountain slopes, can be as high as 78 inches. Although hurricanes occasionally form in the Pacific or migrate over from the Atlantic, none have hit El Salvador as a hurricane. Keep in mind, however, that the area is not immune to tropical depressions, which can deposit large amounts of rain causing localized flooding and mudslides.

From November through April, the Central American summer, the northeast trade winds control weather patterns. During these months, air flowing from the Caribbean has had most of the precipitation wrung out of it passing over the mountains in Honduras. By the time this air reaches El Salvador, it is dry, hot, and hazy.

Called Cubascos in Mexico and Tormentas in Salvador

Temperatures vary little with season; elevation is the primary determinant. The Pacific lowlands are the hottest region, with annual averages ranging from 77°F to 85°F. Mountain areas are the coolest, with annual averages from 54°f to 74°F and minimum temperatures sometimes approaching freezing.

A real "gully washer"

The rally finishes at the beginning of the rainy season when almost every night, usually after sunset, it rains for about an hour or so giving you an opportunity to replenish your water tanks so if you do not have a water catching system now is the time to think about it.

Catching water on Mita Kuuluu

Clean water from local taps is available but it is not good to drink because it is slightly brackish so for drinking and cooking you have to catch or make it, or buy purified water. If you make water it is best to do it on the incoming tide because the ebb tide has a lot of sediment, which will quickly clog your primary filters.

(2010 Rally) MORE NEW SPONSORS AND PRIZE UPDATES

2009-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

Interior courtyard

Our latest rally sponsor is located in Suchitoto, one of the top ten tourist destinations in El Salvador. Restaurant/Hotel Los Almendros de San Lorenzo is located near the towns’ central square. The owner, Pascal Lebaily, built this wonderful hotel and restaurant about six years ago. The interior looks more like a museum than a restaurant. Gourmet meals are served in a nicely decorated, air-conditioned dining room, and are moderately priced plus they offer an extensive wine list. From the dining room you have a view of the tropical courtyard and pool area.

View of the pool

Room accommodations are equally elegant with large, tiled showers, air-conditioning and luxury beds. If you attended one of our rally seminars you will notice that Los Almendros is one of the hotels featured in the CD. Pascal has given the rally a prize of one free night for two in his hotel and a complementary bottle of wine.

SARANAS' CRUISING GUIDES

Eric and Sherrell Watson have been cruising since 2005 aboard Sarana, their Pacific Seacraft 31. Since then they have written two downloadable cruising guides about Central America, Explore Central America Part one which is available for $13 and part two for $18. Together both guides cover from Guatemala to Panama featuring many anchorages you won’t find anywhere else. The guides are written for sailors by sailors and contain many waypoints and chart images. Also, each guide has important weather information relative to the area such as crossing the Tehuantepec or Papagayos. Oh yes, and find the good surf spots too! They’ve also written nine other cruising and information guides which are available for download free on their website. The Watson’s have given us two free guides to be given away at the next two rally seminars in Puerto Vallarta. One note about the Explore Central America downloadable guides: Please don’t make a bunch of copies to distribute to all your friends. The small price for the guides is more than a bargain to purchase. To order just click on the sponsors link.

UNIQUELY SALVADORIAN!

2009-11-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Mexico has its’ tacos, Chicago has its’ hotdogs and El Salvador has its’ pupusas. The pupusa is the national food dish of El Salvador. They are thick hand-made tortillas of maize (corn) or arroz (rice) flour stuffed with cheese, beans, or chicharron (shredded meat, not pork rinds). A combination of the three is referred to as revuelta. Pupuserias in Salvador are as common as taco stands in Mexico. Expect to hand over some heavy cash though, because these tasty, steaming hot treats cost anywhere from 25 to 50 cents each! Three usually make a nice meal. Along the bus routes vendors board the buses and sell pupusas often stuffed with fish or shrimp but be careful. Sometimes the fish or shrimp are whole, bones and all! Pupusas are usually served with a condiment made from fermented cabbage, jalapenos and shredded carrots known as curtido. On the way to San Salvador you will pass through the town of Olocuilta which is famous for its’ pupusas. Some of the pupuserias are open 24 hours and each offers their own version.

EL SALVADOR, LAND OF PRECIOUS THINGS

2009-11-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

The coast of Salvador runs east - west

El Salvador is situated between 13 degrees north and 13 degrees 43 minutes north and lies 1,100 miles almost directly south of New Orleans and is in the Central Time Zone. It is home to 5.7 million people. At the time of the Spanish conquest, El Salvador was known as Cuzcatlan, which means “land of precious things” in the Pipil language. The Spaniards mistakenly thought that the meaning referred to gold but the real meaning was about the fertile land and lush jungles.

View from Isla Cordoncillo

The country converted to the American dollar in 2001. Unlike other countries that converted to the dollar El Salvador also uses American coins. Many Salvadorians have relatives working in the United States who send money back to Salvador. In 2004 over 2.5 billion dollars was sent into the country. Some foreigners think that it is still dangerous in Salvador but forget that the civil war has been over for 18 years. Crime should not prevent people from traveling Central America any more than it does from traveling San Diego or San Francisco. Crimes involving tourists are rare but, as most cruisers know, you need to take commonsense precautions wherever you travel.

Tourist police in San Salvador

Travel in El Salvador and through out Central America is inexpensive and easy. El Salvador has many things to offer like national parks, twenty-three volcanoes to explore, colonial towns, lakes, and artesian villages. Of course, the best things about El Salvador are the warm and friendly people.

Salvadoran family

Easy bus transportation to the capital city of San Salvador or other local communities is located just outside the hotel gates. The hotel will call a taxi service if you prefer. A few of the locals have automobile transportation and often take others with them into San Salvador for the price of sharing gasoline. The international airport is located 40 minutes away so it is very easy to have family and friends join you here.

It is safe and inexpensive to leave your boat in Bahia while you travel around Central America. Most tourists travel by long distance busses which are very comfortable. Traveling from San Salvador to Guatemala takes only five or six hours and almost all destinations within El Salvador are just a couple of hours. You can plan your own itinerary and make travel arrangements through a number of travel agents or you can employ the services of a tour guide.

THE RALLY DESTINATION: BAHIA DEL SOL, EL SALVADOR

2009-10-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Bahia del Sol is the local name of the rally destination and is named after Hotel Bahia del Sol that is located inside Estero Jaltepeque. The estuary is accessed from the Pacific by entering through Boca Cordoncillo. The hotel is located less than ½ mile from the entrance. Built in 1997 the large, upscale hotel spans the Costa del Sol peninsula and has restaurants, swimming pools, and bars on the ocean and estuary sides. The hotel also has a totally equipped marina with a capacity of 48 yachts, a casino, and sports fishing concession. The hotel sponsors an annual international sports fishing competition and has now added a cruising rally. Other services offered are Wireless Internet, dinghy dock, garbage collection, bagged ice, and bottled water.

Cruisers enjoying happy hour

Cool off in the pool & enjoy a refreshnment

You can anchor in good holding almost anywhere along the estuary but most boats anchor near the hotel. The tidal estuary is made up of over a dozen islands and has many miles of twisting, turning waterways ready for exploring. Flood and ebb currents average three knots at maximum current. To the south the estuary joins the Rio Lempa, El Salvador’s longest river. To the north a quick four-mile dinghy ride takes you to the quaint and unspoiled El Salvadorian town of La Herradura. The town has an open market, restaurants, and many small tiendas.

Vendors with fresh vegetables

Most Salvadorian women wear these aprons

Salvadorian girl curious about Americans

Along the main part of the estuary you will find numerous boat-up restaurants featuring seafood specialties like delicious deep fried fish. A 10-minute walk or 5-minute dinghy ride from Bahia takes you to the small beach resort village of La Puntia that has a spectacular view of the bocana. You can observe boats transiting the bar while you enjoy a meal or refreshments in one of the two-story restaurants.

It's a short walk to La Puntilla

One of many restaurants

Yes, that's the MSRP for beer!

Seafood specialties abound

(2010 Rally) NEW PRIZE UPDATE

2009-10-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

A prize consisting of four assorted bottles of Flor de Cana rum will be presented at the awards ceremony for the boat that traveled the farthest based on the boats' location when it signed up .

(2010 Rally) PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT

2009-10-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hotel Bahia del Sol is providing a rally grand prize of $1,000 USD and a week stay in the marina. Second prize is $500 USD and two nights at the hotel. Third prize is $300 USD. Prizes will be awarded by drawing at the cruisers party. Participants must be present to win.

The hotel also offers to all cruisers a chance to join their "Cruisers Club". Club members enjoy the following benefits:

1. 50% discount on the floating dock rates (subject to availability) - tie up includes water, electricity, and 24 hour security.

2. 30% discount on bar drinks, cocktails.

3. Our national/local beer for only $1.

4. Use of the swimming pools and shower facilities.

5. Wireless Internet access at the Manglares Restaurant included.

6. Special price for laundry service $1/pound.

7. Special price on Junior Suite at only $60/night - A/C, full bathroom, sitting room with 29" flat screen TV with DirecTV.

8. 50% discount on photocopies plus telephone services.

9. Use of dinghy dock included.

Membership price is only $14 per week and as a rally participant the first week will be free!

Click on the hotel link to view the details.

(2010 Rally) CRUISERS RALLY TO EL SALVADOR BEING HELD SPRING 2010

2009-09-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

PURPOSE OF THE RALLY

The west coast of Central America has often been bypassed, as cruisers tend to take a direct route to southern or northern destinations. The objective of this rally is to help cruisers to get together to discover the less traveled but spectacular destination of El Salvador and have a lot of fun at the same time. In addition to this, our aim is also to create awareness among Salvadorians about the cruising lifestyle.

With the growing number of cruisers returning to Mexico and those in Mexico wanting to venture south the country is becoming more accessible to cruisers. The rally destination of Bahia del Sol offers a low-key, relaxing atmosphere where like-minded cruisers can meet and enjoy “Bahia” with a “cruisers vacation” feel and safely leave their boats while they travel inland Central America.

THE EVENT

The event is open to all cruising boats, motorized and non-motorized. There is no entry fee however each boat must register with the rally organizers to be included in the event. Participants may begin their rally at their leisure either alone or in the company of other boats however; you must arrive at Bahia del Sol between March 15 and May 10, 2010. Upon arrival each boat will be presented with a welcome package. An awards/prize ceremony and a cruisers party will be held on May 15, 2010 hosted by Hotel Bahia del Sol. .