Update, Saturday 28 Dec. 2013

It has been an eventful week! I haven't posted for a while, and have some catching up to do!
Wednesday 12 /18/ 2013:
Roy came over again, and we installed the radome bracket. We had a challenge; running the cable in the mast, without conduit. This could be a problem, as the cable would bang around in the mast, but Roy had a novel solution; use zip ties about every 8 inches and create a buffer from the clanging.

Thursday; Dec. 19th 2013: Another trip up the mast, and the radome is mounted!

Time for a celebration! Roy drove us to Loreto to do some shopping, and check out Augies Bar. We shared a delicious plate of Nachos con Carne, had some laughs, and made our way back to the boat. We were sitting on deck watching some divers set a new mooring, and we realized we were moving! Our anchor had fouled itself, and we had broken free. A moment of Oh shit!, then we smoothly set about starting the motor, recovering the anchor, and resetting. O.k........whew! If we were in the cabin, or away from the boat, we would have hit the seawall on the other side of the channel, 150' away.

That night, we had another windstorm. Boats were swinging all over the place, and sometimes, very close to us. We made it through the night, with the anchor alarm beeping way too frequently.

Friday, Dec 20, 2013;  At first light, we could see that we had moved, so, we reset again, and still dragged. We hauled anchor and went to the Ellipse; a nearly enclosed part of the port, and re anchored.

By now were pretty nervous about being anchored so close to so many boats. We kept checking our position through the day.

In the meantime I made the final connections, and powered up the radar. Success!

Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013:

We were very happy for Roy's assistance with the radar! Of course, we still have the watermaker to deal with; and Roy jumped right in, and helped layout the installation.

Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013:

I began installing components of the watermaker, then we came up to the marina for a pizza, and Jack jumped off of the dinghy, before we tied up! He's going to kill himself one of these days. We're trying to train him to stay put, but it seems impossible.

The next few days were all work; Roy glassed in a shelf for the high pressure pump, I kept putting in components; the control panel, some plumbing connections, and electrical wiring. 

Christmas eve, we watched Karin's favorite; It's a wonderful life". We've had a few Clarence's help us along, and, it is a wonderful life!

Christmas day: still working on the installation, got the High Pressure pump bolted down, and Karin rewarded me with a restaurant quality chicken Cordon Bleu!

Dec. 26th 2013: Watermaker comissioning. After a few minor start up issues, we were making fresh water!

Friday Dec. 27, 2013; Day off!

Roy is getting rady to go explore Baja on his motorcycle, so he wanted to take a drive up into the mountains, to Mission San Javier. It was a fantastic drive, on a pretty nice road. We arrived at the mission, and were amazed at the construction from 1699. The mission was beautiful. It also boasted the first glass windows in California.

We stopped in at the Palapa for a beer, then made our way back to boat. 

We have one more thing to take care of before heading out, it's called a stuffing box; basically, ours is leaking.... just a little, but we need to fix it. Roy has been watching out for us, and offering us good advice. If all go's well, we intend to head further south tomorrow.

12/17/2013, Wednesday, Puerto Escondido

Shortly after our arrival yesterday, we came into the marina, for more internet. As we were coming in, we looked for Minx, our friend Roy's boat. We didn't see it, and as we walked up to the resturant, Karin said, " I was really hoping to see Roy here..." at that moment I looked inside, and said, there he is! Right where we left him. We met and had some good laughs, and caught up with each others travels. He asked where we were heading and how long we'd be here? Turns out, all our plans changed. Roy said he could help with installing the Radar!, So, we  decided to stay here a few more days.

  Later in the afternoon, we were surprised to see a National Geographic boat come in. A few minutes after they tied up, they held a fire drill, all we could here after the alarms, was laughter! A bunch of crazy scientists I guess.

So... our run to La Paz is put off. It sounds like the Northerlies will be getting stronger in the next few days anyway,.... and.... we  found Roy! He's a boat builder with 30 years experience, a positive attitude and a very fun guy. We feel lucky to have met so many helpful friends along the way!

Thursday morning, Roy came over and let me use his 4 to 1 to haul myself up the mast, and begin the installation of the radome bracket. We completed that around noon, and Roy gave us a ride to Loreto. We went to Augie's, a fisheman/sailor bar. We had Nachos con carne that were awesome!

I'm a little impatient, waiting for photo's to upload. It's taking a very long time... like 20 minutes, and two pictures still have not loaded! Sorry, no pics on this post, I'll try again tomorrow

12/17 2013 Tueday, Puerto Escondido

We  had a nice overnight trip from Bahia Concepcion; We'll overnight here in Puerto Escondido and keep heading for La Paz tomorrow, So....... internet in a few days, and updates from the last week.

Lots of photo's! Digital makes it so easy. We'll check in soon.

12/12/13

Departure for Bahia Concepcion at 7 am. Karin is making breakfast, and I'll be starting the engine in a few minutes. Hopefully the wind and swells will be in our favor!

Tercos and their amazing humboldt squid dip and roasted chicken

 The amazing Humboldt squid dip from Tercos

 The amazing roasted chicken with mushroom gravy mashed potatoes and raisin coleslaw.

 No more Squid dip.

 School Kids....when they passed us the little girl said her best "Hello"

 This is the current photo of the Biblioteca (library)

This was taken of the same building back in June.  This town is really prospering.  I Love this Place!

Karins' blog about Jack and Santa Rosalia

Karin wrote:

I started reading blogs in order to research about sailing with dogs.  I learned alot and we started training Jack and Gypsy to pee on a green mat a year before we even started looking at boats.  They did awesome once we bought the boat, neither one of them flinched at doing their business on the green mat.  Even at times when seas were rough and they had to go in the cockpit.  Sadly Gypsy did not make it back to the boat.  Her Tumors had grown into her spine and we had to put her down.  She lived to the ripe old age of 14, but I miss her so much, words cannot explain.  That said Jack is the perfect boat dog.  Here he is reading The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck.  This book is amazing and we all recommend it.

12/6/2013, Friday, Santa Rosalia

Once again.... early morning departure from Santa Teresa, 70 miles to Santa Rosalia; hopefully before dark.
As we left the anchorage, we were escorted by a pod of dolphins (always a good feeling!), The sea conditions had improved, but not much wind, it looks like another motor sail. The rest of the day was uneventful (always a good feeling!), and it looked like we wouldn't make it to the marina before sunset.

We were right. It was dark when we came into the marina, with a light NW wind. There was no one at the docks to lend a hand, so we made ready to handle it on our own. I turned into the slip just a little too far from the dock, and the wind just pushed us across the slip, all of a sudden we were diagonal in the slip! My worst docking to date. Luckily, no one saw it! We tied her up and we're here, safe and protected from the approaching 3 day wind storm! A few days of cleaning, provisioning, and of course internet.

I've tried to catch up the blog as much as possible before we leave tomorrow, Karin is going to add some photos from Santa Rosalia. It really is a beautiful little town, great restaurants, taco stands, and nice people.

Wednesday 12/4/2013- Thursday 12/5/2013 Puerto Don Juan to Bahia Santa Teresa

Wednesday morning, we checked our charts, and motored over to Puerto Don Juan.

It's a nearly circular bay, known as a great "hurricane hole" in the summer months. We had it all to ourselves. No swell at all, but the winds were still brisk. I could only imagine what it was like outside of the bay. We settled in and played a game of RISK of which Karin won. Then Karin made a great macaroni ham and cheese curry casserole.

Just before sunset, we saw a coyote on shore, and then, a pod of dolphins came in and circled the bay. They never got close enough for any good pictures.

On Thursday, we left with the outgoing tide, and as we left the entrance, we saw the conditions outside had not improved. Once we turned downwind, things settled out. We sailed for a couple hours, seas 3- 4 ft. wind 15 - 20 kts., but that same combination of wind vs. swell direction made it difficult to sail on course. The wind let up, so we had to motor again.

We were racing daylight, hoping to not approach the bay in darkness. We just made it. After a long day, we  just settled in for dinner, and got ready for an early departure on Friday to Santa Rosalia.

Tuesday,12/3/2013, La Gringa to Bahia Los Angeles

Thankful for a non rolly night, we awoke to strong northerly winds, and hurried to get underway. Funny, as soon as we left the bay, the wind let up. A short motor to Bahia L.A., and we dropped anchor at the very spot we were at in June. Again, we decided it was too close to the rocks, and relocated farther out.
Once we were confident with our anchorage, we got the dinghy ready to go. We need fuel, and the only way to get it, is to take the jerry cans, and hitchhike to the Pemex station , about a mile away. I took care of that, while Karin and Jack got some beach time.

Getting a ride in these small villages is easy, so in a few minutes, a Federale of sorts ( he was wearing a securidad shirt) stopped an offered a ride. When we got to the station, he turned around to head back to town, I thought he was going to wait, and give me a ride back... instead, he just said "Okie Doke", and motioned me out. After filling the jerry cans, I just waited. There were no cars on the road. I struck up a broken spanish conversation with Luis, the attendant. A few minutes had passed, when a very rustic looking 80's pick up pulled in. The driver got out with a 5 liter water bottle, and got a few pesos of gas. I asked for a ride he agreed, so I got in; no door panels, no dashboard, nothing but seats. He takes the water bottle of gas, sets it on the floor next to me, and inserts two hoses into it, then we push start the truck, and he takes me back to the beach! Priceless! I wish I had a photo!

We transferred the fuel back to the boat, then, we went to Guillermo's for internet and a margarita. They have some Christmas decorations up, but under their tree, I saw a crucifix, with Jesus made of forks, and a spoon for his head. People can be so creative when there's little to work with.

Tiende's or small stores, are dotted around town, but as we approached the store, I looked up,.... and on the roof, two dogs, a pit bull, and a rottweiler!

Back on the boat we settled in for the evening, and... here comes the wind!

Elephante's they're called; mountain winds from the Pacific side come roaring down at near gale force. By 11 o'clock, we had hooked up our second anchor, just in case. Both of us on deck, watching the waves of chop crashing by, it makes you humble.
Never a dull moment with us! Anyway, we made it through, and that afternoon we decided to go to Porto Don Juan, a fully protected bay, 5 miles away.

Monday, 12/2/13; Gonzaga bay to Bahia La Gringa

First, a minor correction; we spent another night in Willard, before moving to Gonzaga bay.
Time, and days, are hard to keep track of out here. Without internet or phone, it all runs together; so, one of the greatest challenges is, keeping the daily log of events. This blog is our "ships log", so back to the journey.

One aspect of sailing the Northern Sea of Cortez, is using the extreme tidal flow to your advantage. Our departure is always timed with the tide. When we left Gonzaga, the tide had just started going out, with no wind, just motoring, we were able to get up to 8 kts. Later, the wind picked up, so we unfurled the Genoa, and we were racing along at 10.5 kts!

Along the way, our "Nature channel" was on... pods of dolphins, pilot whales, and a humpback.

The sea life here is so abundant and diverse, that there is no place like it. Fortunately, the government has set aside most areas as nature preserves.

Our timing had worked perfectly, we covered the 72 miles, and made the approach into La Gringa, just as the sun had set.  That night we sat in the cockpit listening to coyotes and a whale that we could not see, but could hear it spout close by.

The anchorage offered good swell protection, but not much from the winds. 

Just an overnight stop, then, in the morning, we'll only have to go about 6 miles into Bahia Los Angeles.

Friday, 11/29/2013, Bahia Willard; Saturday 11/30/13 Gonzaga Bay

Following an uneventful night crossing from Rocky Point, we arrived in Bahia Willard about an hour after sunrise. There was a North easterly swell of about 3 ft. and a light north wind. We set the bow into the wind, and dropped anchor. Unfortunately, the tide was going out, so it turned the boat directly broadside to the swells. We were in for a rolly day.

Imagine pitching back and forth, by 15 to 20 degrees, for 24 hours! That was our day. Always looking for the positive, we realized that almost all of our preparations for securing the cabin had worked out. As evening turned to night, we settled in for a movie. A little while later; I heard voices outside. The wind had picked up, and we were still rocking back and forth. I decided to peek outside, and as I looked to the right, there was a large, bearded man looking straight at me! He and another man were in a Panga, pulled alongside us, I was shocked... he was nearly on deck! He asked for a cigarette; asked if we wanted to buy some fish, and after getting negative responses to both,  he asked for some food. We gave him a loaf of bread, and sent him on his way. Harmless drunk fishermen..

The next morning, we decided to try the other side of the point, Gonzaga bay.  We hauled anchor and motored over. The anchorage looked good, and was protected from the swells.

Once the anchor was set, I tossed a hand line off the boat, and instantly hooked something!

Whenever you rush into something unprepared, expect the worst. I did have some gardening gloves on, but didn't have my pliers to remove the hook. In a split second, he got a good bite on my index finger. The pressure was unbelievable! I managed to get my hand out of the glove, but not without some torn flesh.

I didn't think about the teeth and jaw muscles the Triggerfish have, guess I found out the hard way! 

He did taste good though!

While I was cleaning the fish; a pelican patiently waited until I threw the carcass overboard, and devoured it in one bite! He seemed to have a hard time getting it down, but I'm sure he managed.

After dinner, we cleaned up and had a cocktail, and decided to make it an early night. At least we didn't have the swells to deal with.

 We're going to continue south in the morning, towards Bahia La Gringa, just north of Bahia Los Angeles.

Thanksgiving day; we're on our way!

Finally! We've been waiting for weather, making last minute runs to the store etc. Tom and Pam came down to see us off, as well as our friends Lew and Craig. We did a few sails in Toms boat, and an overnight at Sandy Beach.

 

Tom was very helpful with boat projects; he had to go up the mast! So, he went and worked on our steaming light, which has been working only once in a while...... it's still the same.

One thing we had put off for too long, was an emergency tiller. We found a welding shop; bought a piece of 2" steel pipe, had it cut and bent, all for 15 bucks! If we ordered one like it in San Diego, it would have been hundreds of dollars. I found a can of rustoleum, painted it, and boom! Emergency tiller!

Our time at the marina in Rocky Point was great. The powerboat next to us had a crew of guys working on it, they were really nice. They even made lunch for us... twice! Francisco and Herman helped turn our boat around, and, checked our dock lines for us when we weren't around! Great people!

We had a few beers with them and google earth'd Fransico's home town in Tampico. Good times, but we're ready to go. Tom and Pam sailed out with us, to see us off. 

We're on our way to Punta Willard on the Baja side.!!! We started our watch schedule of 3 hours each; Karin got to see the sunset, and I saw the sunrise.

 

It will take a few days to get back to our routines at sea, but, we are so happy to be under way!