That’s right, we are heading North and up into the Sea of Cortez. Our migration North will begin tomorrow. We will be taking our time, with lots of of stops along the way. You may be wondering why on earth we’ve been lingering in Banderas Bay for so long, and that’s a good question. Banderas Bay is a hangout for cruisers while they wait for the winds to change. The winter is plagued with “northers” in the sea which make it an uncomfortable bash into winds and sea. Luckily for us, this is the time of year that those northerly winds begin to break down. Yahoo!!! 
While we’ve enjoyed our time in the Bay, we are feeling the itch to get out and explore again. So with that said, here are the top 5 things we will miss about Banderas Bay…
1. Cruising Community- each morning begins with a radio net which includes 50-60 boats led by a local net controller. During the net weather is discussed, items are offered for trade, cruisers are given the opportunity to ask others for help and local activities are broadcast which gives you a wealth of knowledge at the end of the 30 minutes. Did you know they even have a kids net? One of the cutest categories we’ve heard was “treasures of the toy box” and ends with a joke of the day. Each day we see familiar faces as we go to and from the anchorage and through town. It has been a joy meeting other cruisers and soaking up their stories.
2. Anchorages- the anchorages here in Banderas Bay have been superb! There has been plenty of room to spread out and excellent holding ground to keep your boat planted. Not to mention the scenery on land has been lush, tropical and easy to look at from our boat.
3. The locals- boy have they melted our hearts! We have interacted with many locals during our time here and have almost always walked away with a pleasant experience. No matter how bad we butcher their language, they do their best to help us out. It has been a pleasure watching the family interactions, their bonds are beyond tight and full of love. Can you believe we have NEVER seen a temper tantrum thrown since we got here in December?
4. Access to Services- the Bay has been a great place for us to get items we need. There are small markets on almost every corner, chandleries within walking distance of the marina, a ship yard, fuel dock, and a Costco nearby for any of our gringo cravings from back home. There is even a dinghy dock at the marina and for 40 pesos a day, you leave your dinghy secured and avoid the beach landings.
5. Wildlife- while the whale season is pretty much over in the bay, we had our fair share of close encounters with beautiful whale families. Sometimes those encounters are within the anchorages! Would you believe we’ve heard whales singing through the hull in the middle of the night?! We’ve seen iguanas, crocodiles, manta rays, spotted eagle rays, dolphins, sea turtles, dorado, puffer fish, needle fish, flying fish and so many bait fish.
We will certainly miss our time here and will enjoy the many memories made this season. We will have our boat tracker on so you can stalk us as we go by using this link.
http://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Perspective
Cheers to all and Happy Easter!!!