Corazon de oro in Mazatlan

Several years ago, a delivery captain named George decided to move onboard his boat, m/v Shamrock, and moor it in the El Cid Marina, in Mazatlan. While looking around for things to do, he stumbled across the city’s orphanage, Orfanatorio de Mazatlan. He was so stirred by the needs of these gentle children, aged two to 18, that he 'adopted' a tourism guide, which he sells to help earn money for the home. (Captain George tells us he and his wife Jackie took over the publication from Michael Latta on S/V Narwhal and Marina Mazatlan.) “Captain George’s ‘Official’ Cruiser’s Guide of Mazatlan” is an excellent little primer for Canadians and North Americans visiting by land or by sea. Captain George says he manages to sell about 100 books each month and proudly delivers all of the proceeds – approximately $250.00 – to the organization, the first of each month.

The guide gives just enough information about the highlights of the town without being overwhelming. It lists various points of interest, such as the historical district, teatro Angela Peralta, Museo Argeologia and the Museo de Arte, providing the reader with a line or two about the site and copious directions on how to get there. Without Captain George’s influence, this reader may have missed La Carona, a bazaar filled with vendors of hand-crafted works of art. Housed in an ancient colonial estate home, many of Sinaloa’s finest craftspeople create their work while you watch. As the book says, “The overall effect is akin to walking through a museum of traditional and contemporary Mexican arts.” What a great find, right before Christmas!

In addition, the booklet gives extensive information about where to buy necessities and what bus to take to get there. There are suggestions for all kinds of restaurants, chandleries, marine services and even the name and number of a great (and very affordable) dentist. Want a rigger, propane, a marine surveyor? No problemo. How about a beauty shop for la senora or a groomer for Fido? George has got you covered. Visitors to Mazatlan can get a guide by contacting Captain George at gkrakie@yahoo.com. His cell phone is 011 521 669 123-8087 and the U.S. number to call is 801 738-2752.

When we departed San Diego with the Baja Ha-Ha on October 26th (click here for that story), our crewmates, Terri Watson and Kimi Harrison, had brought along a backpack filled with school supplies such as notebooks, pens, crayons and pencils. S/V Last Resort had filled a bag with a few goodies, too. We were delighted to be able to make a contribution of these articles to Captain George’s orphans, as well as buying his guidebook for thirty pesos. We would urge fellow cruisers or timeshare owners staying at El Cid Marina and Resort to buy a copy of the guide each time you visit Mazatlan. Meanwhile, we wish only the best things for this gentleman with the ‘corazon de oro.’