SAGAs' Journey1999-2000(A work in progress...) INTRODUCTION I am a passionate sailor, (thanks to my Uncle George!) and I have dreamed for many years to do some major cruising, but I guess I just had to wait for the right time. I've waited many years, practicing my skills, learned early in life on the Chesapeake Bay and honed out on the challenging San Francisco Bay, sailing all kinds of boats and meeting many skippers. In October of 1998, I took that great leap of faith and decided to crew on a boat sailing in a locally-run race put on by our fabulous sailing magazine - 'Latitude 38' (pick one up at your local marine store, it's a blast!) The "Baja Ha Ha," as it is known is more than just a race. It's a cruisers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. I've been reading about this race for years and hearing from many local sailors just how much fun it is. Most cruisers heading south from here (where else would they go?!), get their send-off as part of the Ha Ha fleet. After interviewing with many skippers over the summer, I made a last-ditch effort to score a crew position and went to the "Mexico-Only Crew Party" that Latitude throws each year. There I met the partial crew of 'Orion' and her captain -Mike Hibbets. ( I also met Jann that night.) As it turns out, they were only planning on taking one more crew mate (preferably a female), but after meeting fellow-sailor - Kim and myself, Jann convinced them to take both of us, bringing the total crew to 5 plus the captain. (3 gals and 3 guys, not bad!) Janns' friend - Rich, a ENT & surgeon had originally planned to sail down on Janns' boat, but engine trouble took 'SAGA' out of the race. So they found Mike and joined his crew aboard Mikes' CT 49. The guys were ready to leave the following week, but us gals couldn't get away until the start of the race and we would have to meet them in San Diego. (As it turned out, we made the right decision as the guys encountered gale-force winds the day after they left The Gate and were sick for the first two days down the coast from the S.F.Bay to Morro Bay. Fortunately, they are all good sailors and the boat is great. So they made it down to Morro Bay in a record 38 hrs.) For countless years I have been slowly nurturing my dream of making a world cruise for and this "test cruise" was a great first experience. Suffice to say, I loved it and want to do it "for real!" The trip offered more than I had ever expected. Best of all, I met Jann, a man who shares my dream of cruising. An experienced skipper in his own right, he is also a wonderful & very special new partner! I was raised with the travel bug in my blood. My parents were travel agents and fortunately took the kids on many trips abroad. From these childhood trips, I discovered my sense of adventure, my wanderlust. To quote another intrepid traveler, Paul Theroux from his travel writings, fresh air fiend, "Most travelers, however dreary and plonkingly pedestrian,see themselves as solitary and heroic adventurers." Surely some would say that to sail down the coast of California all the way to mainland Mexico in a small sailboat qualifies as heroic. Not to me. It is somewhat solitary though. It's not the picture that most people conjure up when they think of travel. But an adventure , definitely! It was just the adventure I was dreaming of as a kid sailing on the tremendous QEII to the Caribbean. Or stuck on a sandbar out on the Chesapeake Bay on a sweltering summer day, sailing with my uncle. Maybe it was watching the beautiful boats in the bay off the Costa del Sol of Spain. Or meeting cruisers and reading about their adventures in the pages of Latitude 38. Whatever it was, I am always greatful to my parents for having the courage and patience to haul around two to four kids all over the place. That gave me the foundation for what was to come. The same can be said for Jann, although his travel was under the auspices of the U.S. Military. He was an army brat, who spent his formative years in Japan, went to high school in France, and was in the Navy himself. I guess you could say that we were made for this. But there are many people out there doing the same thing. We met hundreds of boats over the '98 -'99 season all heading down the coast. The biggest difference between most of them and us, is that we are doing it very cheaply, on a modest boat and with a modest cruising kitty. Sure, we could have waited until we had more money, (whenever that might be?) and retired at the usual old age and collected social security. But, we thought, "Why wait?" We just decided that it was a good time to leave. We would go with what we had and work along the way when necessary.
PREPARING TO GO 'SAGA' is an Alberg 35, Pearson-designed and custom built in 1964 for a gentleman who sailed her around his home on Vashon Island, in Washington State. She was designed to be a day sailor, so in order to go cruising on her we had to make some adjustments. (And not just ourselves!) Basically, we "cruiser-ized" 'SAGA.' Although her LOA is 35', 11 of those feet are basically overhangs in the stern and bow. Originally designed for better PRF ratings so she'd have more waterline when she heeled over as she raced. That left about 24' of usable area below-decks. A Very Small Boat! Not exactly what I had fantasized about, but it's not the package so much as what it can do, right? And, 'SAGA' was built to last. Back in the 60's, they built these fiberglass boats with the same thickness as they built the wooden ones. (Jann is always showing interested people a core sample of the thru-hull he drilled out, and it's about 2.5 inches thick!) There was allot to do and limited time, so we worked on our project list, prioritized and re-prioritized, many times. We redesigned the entire storage areas on board and I sewed lee cloths, a sun shade and curtains on Janns' huge old commercial Singer sewing machine. Quite a feat actually, since I had really never sewed before! (Cruising Rule No.1: Whatever you think you know, faggetaboudit! You will learn things you never knew you could learn!) Oh boy! The diesel had just been rebuilt, with a new exhaust, Jann totally re-wired the mast while it was off, put in new wind instruments and a speedo. He really is multi-talented; a Navy trained electrician, carpenter and contractor who, as far as I can see, isn't afraid of getting into anything. That makes him a good catch as a skipper. Besides that, he's incredibly kind, caring, strong, funny and he has good taste too! We both feel incredibly fortunate to have found each other. He tells me that I'm somewhat of an anomaly. You see, there seems to be a real shortage of smart, lovely, experienced sailing women out there who actually want to go cruising. Jann can't believe his lucky stars! I worked hard to find him though, spending most of that summer interviewing perspective skippers and sailing on lots of boats. Well, even with all of that, as our departure date grows nearer, I find that we are starting to show signs of stress. We are getting into too many arguments and I am not happy with the way Jann is handling his stress. He gets very frustrated as the stress mounts and then gets angry with me. I feel undeserving of this anger and I end up feeling hurt. We've talked about it and are trying to apply the skills we learned recently in the workshops presented by "HigherAlignment" and Larry Byram. I feel so fortunate to have been able to participate in his courses on spiritual partnerships and extra blessed to see Jann jump right in too. These lessons will come in very handy while we try to work out living together in 24' feet of space, 24/7! I know that what we learned about ourselves and each other will support us in the times ahead. In the meantime, as Madonna once said, "Nothing cheers a girl up like shopping." So, off I go. There's still room down there for a few more necessities. As a test, we've unplugged from shore power for at least two weeks before departure. That way, we can test all systems and our demands and usage. 'SAGAs' water tanks hold 24 gals. To this, we've added an additional 12 gals. in two jerricans on deck. That means we'll have to conserve. Besides water conservation, we also have to keep a watchful eye on energy consumption. It's really a good thing that I've always been into conservation. For example: I'm always flipping the switch when others leave a room without turning lights off, I'd rather sleep with the window open then turn on the AC. My good habits have paid off now, making me a better candidate to become a good cruiser. It's a constant game of balance between using and generating power. We were fortunate to meet Sam & Virginia Quinan at Brickyard Cove. They were just beginning to rid themselves of all the gear from their boat 'Malolo' after cruising on her (the same route that we've planned) 20 years ago. Sam took us under his wing and sold us his used gear. We bought his solar panels, a Four-Winds II wind generator with trolling mount, and a water maker. All for about $1200. Not Bad! It's all the gear we wanted, but just couldn't afford, until Sam. We drove up to his home at Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe. He filled our borrowed truck with all this gear plus more that he just threw in because he knew that we would use it. When it's sunny, but there's no wind, we put the solar panels out. When it's really blowing, we raise the wind generator. We won't have enough time to install much of this gear before we leave, so we'll just do the most difficult installations first, like the water maker. Jann removed the old dysfunctional fridge from the stern locker and used that spot for the water maker installation. He ran all the plastic tubing waterlines, often struggling for hours to feed them to the galley , where he installed the tap. Our so-called galley is a very small space tucked into the corner of the starboard quarterberth area. There is basically a small sink obstructed by an overhang from the cockpit, a two-burner alcohol stove and oven (which is not working) and no counter space. It's gonna be very interesting cooking in such limited space. Because of the lack of storage space, I took on the task of creating Sunbrella pockets to hang around the boat. (I picked one up at West Marine to copy!) I made some for the galley to hold spices, plates and utensils, etc. Some for the salon to hold gear like the E-PIRB, the handheld VHF, and binoculars. And one for the head to hold toothbrushes, paste and other assorted necessities. They look great and are very functional. I'm pleased with my sewing thus far. We're in the process of selling the commercial sewing machine and will use the money we get to purchase a new SailRite sewing machine. This machine is portable but heavy-duty. It can sew through very thick sail material with ease. We're also doing regular trips to the dumpster out in the Marina parking lot that the local sailmakers use. As it turns out, I know the owner of the sail shop - Quantum Sails. Norman has allowed us to go through the scraps before the get tossed! Thanks to him, we now have a wide assortment of material for all kinds of projects from repairs to burgee-making. It's remarkable what people throw away, especially around here in the well-off Bay Area. Our dumpster-diving excursions have turned up a full dodger , (it only had some white paint splattered on the plastic windows and the white sunbrella which came off with a little plastic-cleaner. ), an entire head which looked to be new, (we only took the hardware as we didn't need a new head!), and some pretty decent fenders. (You can never have too many!) One of my tasks was to sew the new dodger onto the bottom-fitted portion of the original one that came with 'SAGA.' I simply cut off the strip containing all the snaps that fit it to the deck and sewed that onto the bottom of the new piece. We wanted to attach it to the existing bimini that Jann sewed. We found some large hard plastic clips and some wide webbing which I sewed onto the dodger . I sewed the clips onto the top of the bimini and viola, they snapped together perfectly. Now, at least we would have some protection from spray and waves! One of my first suggestions was to fill in the area between the two forward sleeping berths to create one large V-berth with plenty of stowage below. It's fortunate that Jann is both very intelligent and not afraid to try something new. He was quick to discover a way to build a hinged, folding support piece that fit tightly in the 'V' space over the small seat, thus connecting the two very separate berths. At last, we had a comfortable V-berth which measures seven foot across the head! The next challenge was to create more storage and modify the existing storage so that it was more accessible. Fig. 1 shows how we modified the areas behind the starboard settee, cutting out large rectangles and re-attaching them with hinges so that we could have access to the deep storage behind or below them. We used a stainless tang to slide over the cutout to keep it closed. Jann also built a thin shelf just under the edge of the sliding doors so that items placed into that area would no longer fall down behind the settees, never to be seen again! It's amazing how much you can fit into those small areas. We decided that the existing drawers were just too cumbersome and didn't offer enough storage for the space they took up. Jann decided to remove the faces of the drawers and then re-attach them as fronts with hinges. We also split the area under the settee into three separate bins and installed finger-style latches just inside the finger holes. He made two access cut outs into the top of the settee for easier top access to the supplies below. Then he reinforced the openings with a lip for the cut out to sit on. These modifications proved to be extremely helpful in making our cruise more enjoyable and 'SAGA' more livable! In a letter to my family as 1998 came to a close, I summed up just how life-changing and life-affirming this really was; "So, my dear family, my life takes another turn. It's been 22 years since I left the shackles of Baltimore and headed for the Carefree West Coast to see what life had to offer. I think it's been long enough. I want to see the world and most of all, I want to share that experience with someone special - Jann. This is a very exciting time for me and 1999 is shaping up to be one heck of a year! I feel prepared and ready for an adventures that lay ahead. I look forward to entering the next millennium doing what I love with an incredible new relationship to boot! What else could I possibly want? We firmed up our itinerary (as much as one can, I presume!) We worked hard to prepare the boat and ourselves for our April departure.. I worked extra hard to try to save up a sailing kitty. I sold just about everything I owned, completed with my clients and with their good wishes, I said my good-byes. It's amazing what has to get done between now and then. In the meantime, we're reading everything in sight. We spend each night reading to each other out of "Sensible Cruising, the Thoreau Approach"! (thank you, Mark). Jann gave me a book on Navigation for Hanukkah. I gave him Lexan wine goblets. It's not every day that I get to orchestrate an entire lifestyle change! It's an amazing process. As it looks now, we'll depart S.F. in April, head down the coast real slow. Plans are to sail Baja in May and be in the Sea of Cortez for the Summer. (yes, it'll be hot, but we both prefer that to cold!) We'll set sail for the Mexico mainland in Oct. weather-permitting. Maybe spend the Millennium New Year's Eve in Z-Town. Then onward towards the Canal-transiting sometime in Jan '00. We should head north from there towards the Yucatan, then maybe hop over to Cuba, and then hop to Florida. After that, we may either do the Bahamas or head up the East Coast then through the Canals into the Great Lakes and head down the Mississippi and the Tennessee Tom Bigby all the way back to the Gulf, completing the "Great Circle Cruise." At some point in time, (when we're good and ready,) we'll jump the "pond" across to France. It's our dream to sail throughout France on the Canals and Rivers. Fortunately, we can step the mast to accomplish this feat!
SAGAs' JOURNEY SOUTH Aboard Saga- April 4, 1999 Well, we did it, we finally made the move on board. Wednesday, 3/31 was the day to move out of the beautiful house in the hills of Ross. I have to admit, it was the nicest location I've lived in during my 22 years in the Bay Area. It sure feels great to finally be aboard! Brickyard Cove Marina is really pretty, especially in the early morning hours when everything is still. I enjoy the sounds of birds and the occasional squawk of Canadian geese flying overhead. There aren't very many other live-aboards around, which makes the wait for the shower pretty non-existent. I'm hoping that we'll have time to take SAGA out for a sail or two. For some reason, I'm not too concerned, though. I have much faith in Janns' ability and knowledge of her and, with time, I'll get there. One thing we'll have plenty of - is time. Our plan is to take short day sails down the coast, except for the longer legs which will include some overnights. I'll admit, I'm anxious about those passages. I've never sailed all night long before sailing on 'Orion' and it's a bit daunting.
Date: 6/27/99 Lat: N 37 48'48.0" Long: W 122 28'39.0" San Francisco Bay - Golden Gate Bridge Finally, we're on our way. It seems like it took an extra 2 months to get away. I guess, in the scheme of things, that's not too bad. Some never get away, ever! We did it! We're sailing, actually leaving and not turning around. This is the beginning of an incredible journey. We left Pt. Richmond, California later than we had planned, (needed more time to stow everything we had forgotten earlier!). Headed over to Horseshoe Cove, just under the Golden Gate Bridge for a small send-off party with our fellow '98 Baja Ha-Ha-er's & crew mates - Rich and Carol. They had raced earlier in the day on Rich's Cal 2-29 "Bastante" with Carol's friend- Harry aboard. My SF Bay sailing buddy - Tim also showed up with his friend. Carol supplied the fabulous eats and Harry brought us some great wine. Together with the bottle of champagne brought to us before we left by cousin Stevanne, we celebrated in style! Rich and crew left before sundown to sail back to the East Bay, and we snuggled up for the foggy night along the pier by the Presidio Yacht Club. Up before dawn, we headed out under The Gate with the first light. What a glorious feeling to finally be sailing under the bridge, knowing that, this time, I wouldn't have to turn back. How many times had I fantasized about this very moment? Now at last, it was happening! This was my first time sailing out around the bucket and it was also to be my first experience with the ol' "Mal de Mer." Oh well, it was bound to happen someday. It wasn't rough, just bumpy with swells left over from the blow a few days earlier. (For some unknown reason, Jann had no stabilizing sail up.) With no wind, we had to motor all the way to Half Moon Bay. There was maybe, 5 knots of wind and on the nose, of course! All in all, it was sunny and nice, except for the "Mal de Mer." (Note: We read that The Bay Area has the best cure for seasickness; Wrap both arms around a redwood tree!)
Date: 6/28/99 Lat: N 37 28'00.0" Long: W 122 30'00.0" Half Moon Bay, CA Half Moon Bay came none-too-soon for my tummy. We headed right for the harbor and found a side-tie next to some derelict sailboats, 2-across. There wasn't anyone aboard which was a good thing! I got Jann out for a walk and we headed over to the Harbormaster's office to pay the $14 for the night. Walking around, we checked out our dining options and found an interesting place called Barbara's Fishtrap right by the marina. Man! Were we hungry! After dinner, it was back to the boat for re-stowing and preparation for an early departure. A full moon was rising over the Bay as we turned in for the night. Truly a 'Kodak moment.' Monday, we pulled out of Half Moon Bay around 0700 under calm conditions. Again, the wind (5-7 knots) was out of the south. So we motored down to Santa Cruz. We did attempt to sail for about 15 minutes, and then we just gave up. At least it was an easy trip down thus far. We ran into some fog, which became persistent from Davenport southward. Jann got to hook up his cool foghorn. It's a large loudspeaker that can be placed up on the cabin top under the boom (forward of us, of course!) and it is connected to the VHF, which has a fog horn setting that emits a very believable deep horn sound every 5 minutes or so. We don't have radar, so we figured, hearing is almost as good as seeing. We'd make our presence known while crossing the shipping lanes. Entering Santa Cruz harbor in the fog made for a classic picture. Before too long, it burned off up to the edge of the bay and we took a long walk in the afternoon sun. We checked in with the Harbormaster and paid our $20.40 for a better side-tie. (Only one boat to climb over!) I asked if they knew of an Internet cafe close by so that we could check our mail. They offered us their conference center line. How sweet! In the morning, we gave a call over to West Marine, who had some supplies on hold for us and they sent a car over within minutes. Talk about service! (Well, we did drop $300 while we were there!) Now, we really must have everything. Besides, there's literally no space left anywhere, I'm certain of it. I stowed most of the space below decks and Jann stowed the stern, the lazerettes and the sails on the cabin top! A neighbor back at our 'home berth' in Brickyard Cove likened us to the Clampetts in the TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies". There is some resemblance, I'll admit. We sure do have allot of stuff. It began a moniker that was hard to live down. It's time get serious about drinking up some of the wine or else we'll have to repaint the waterline! 'SAGA' has sailed fine, or should I say, motored fine, so far.
Date: 7/1/99 Lat: N 36 33'22.0" Long: W 121 57 '15.0" Stillwater Cove, CA - Pebble Beach Resort Here we are! It's truly amazing to find myself anchored here off Pebble Beach Golf Course and Cypress Resort. I think we're in-between the second and third hole. There are seals sunning and sleeping on the rocks not 100 feet away and sea otters doing the backstroke across the kelp beds. The sun is warm and welcome after sailing through thick fog from Santa Cruz to Monterey Bay. It's a lovely first anchorage. We'll spend 1 night here. We pulled up the anchor around 2pm on Wednesday to head for Morro Bay. Jann was cautious about rounding Pt. Sur during the day when the winds are strong, so we planned to round it later in the evening and then sail all night to Morro Bay. We had just made good past Pt. Lobos, when we saw lots of smoke coming from the engine! Jann was very concerned and we decided it was better to head back to Stillwater Cove for the night to be closer to Monterey, rather than to try for a longer sail with a troublesome engine. So back we went, with little wind on the nose! It was another two hrs. just to get around Pt. Lobos. Since we were barely making any headway, we decided to risk turning on the "iron jenny" again. This time the smoke was less than before and under careful watch, we slowly motored around the Point, cleared the rocks and set the sails to take us back in. The engine did all right. When we finally had the hook down and holding, Jann thought in retrospect that we might have made it ok if we had kept on going. He had added some oil to the engine and may have spilled a little, which may have caused the smoke. Better safe than sorry. We had some dinner and got some rest. We had a long sail ahead of us. Thursday, we had a lazy morning watching the local kids sailing class in the cove and the golfers on the course. What a lovely setting. We pulled anchor around 11:30 and headed out down the coast. This was my first overnight and I was a bit apprehensive. I'd never sailed 'SAGA' at night before and had barely any experience sailing in such conditions, especially with a tiller. Jann & I planned to take 3 hr. watches. It was a good plan, I thought... By nightfall, it was clear that the winds would continue to blow 25+, but at least the wind was behind us. We had the main reefed and the 80% jib up. We were doing at least 4-5 knots, which is fast for 'SAGA'. Just after sunset, Jann decided it would be safer to take the main down for the rest of the night, since the winds weren't lessening. It was a scary moment for me, while I headed into the wind, we hove to and Jann went forward to take down the mainsail. Although he was clipped into the jack lines, the image of him swinging on the boom in such wind and 9-12 ft. swells was almost too much to watch! I was very much relieved when he was safely back in the cockpit. He didn't seem to have any fear and I was sure glad of that! The conditions persisted which meant that it became too difficult for me to hold the tiller on course, and neither could the auto pilot. Jann was to steer for the rest of the night, until finally, near dawn, we were able to use the autopilot again. The problem was that the large swells would kick the stern around as they went under 'SAGA. Jann had to push the tiller back and then all the way over again the regain the course. It looked hard enough for him, I knew I wasn't strong enough, yet. Poor Jann had to steer all night while I tried to help keep him awake by calling out the big waves that were creeping up behind us (and trying not to fall asleep between sets!) It was quite the trial by fire for me. I think I was too scared to be seasick. Jann was valiant and strong, and I made sure to show my appreciation later when we were safely moored again and rested here in Morro Bay.
Date: 7/3/99 Lat: N 35 21'45.0" Long: W 120 51 '07.0" Morro Bay, CA There isn't much to see from the entrance in Estero Bay, but Morro Bay is a quaint little fishing/resort town. Although there were some empty mooring balls across from the Morro Bay YC, we decided to tie up along side their dock and take our chances. They charged $12 per night. But they told us that we'd have to take a ball until later that evening and then again tomorrow during their children's sailing classes and dinghy races. They only have a small dock and there were already some of the boats that had actually finished the SF to Ventura race that left just before we did. Some others had bailed at Santa Cruz because there wasn't any wind. Others, who went on, stopped here before making the "bash" northward. Some really beautiful big boats among them. We met one crew member that had gotten hurt rounding Pt. Conception. He caught the train back to Santa Cruz today. The wind has really picked up this afternoon. We have some laundry in the dryer at the Yacht Club, but the current is too strong and the wind blowing too hard to row the dinghy back across from the mooring ball! We'll have to wait until we can side-tie again, after the sailing class is done. One of the volunteer club members organizing the Fourth of July party for tonight was kind enough to give us a ride to the market and back! We really enjoyed the hot showers although I was barely able to stand up in there, after 20+ hrs. on spin cycle (as Jann puts it!) on the trip down here. We decided to splurge for a Chinese dinner directly across from the club last night and turn in early, like 1800 or something. We slept until 0900! Man, we were really beat. This morning we returned to the dock and hosed down the whole boat, our foulies and the sails and let them all dry hoisted up, until we had to move off the dock again and back to the mooring ball. The big party is tonight. We may go if we can get back across, to watch the fireworks from their deck. They're shooting them off just down the bay a bit. We could see them fine from right here on the boat, but it might be nice to go rescue our laundry. We'll see. We've already met some nice folks around here. Everyone who recognizes 'SAGA' as an Alberg, comes over to talk to us about her. She's still looking rather pretty, even if we resemble sea gypsies just a wee bit. I called Mom, to say hello and let her know that I was still breathing! She's so worried for me. Fortunately, Mark and Deb have her convinced that we're well prepared and that I'm very organized and ready for this adventure. I sure hope so! I think we leave tomorrow for the sail around Pt. Conception, but only if the forecast it good. It's another long sail, not as long as the last, but a night sail again. I hope it's an easy one. It'll be Jann's birthday when we arrive. He's 51 now.
Date: 7/5/99 Lat: N 34 26'40.0" Long: W 120 26 '15.0" Coho Anchorage, CA Gosh, it's only been one and a half weeks since we left Pt. Richmond and our slip in Brickyard Cove to sail south. Jann & I are both new to cruising, but not to sailing. We both started early and sailed "The Bay" often enough to know that we wanted more. Having prepared for this voyage thoroughly, we've made a serious effort to try to foresee almost anything and prepare for that inevitability. And, thanks to Latitude 38 and its readers input, we've learned from others (mis) adventures! Still, it was a real "wake-up call" so-to-speak, when the deafening roar of a coast guard helicopter 0500 awakened us this morning, shattering the quiet, rolling anchorage at Coho. I immediately thought, "Uh oh, we're in trouble! - BIG TIME!" Quickly, I looked out the V-berth port to see if we had drifted or dragged anchor. We hadn't moved. Jann & I both ran for the cockpit. He was first to see and when he said, "Oh My God!" I looked and my heart sank. There by the cliffs, drenched in the bright spotlight and the wind-driven spray of the coasties copter, was a sailboat listing hopelessly to starboard. I turned around to scan the anchorage and look for our new friends from Morro Bay aboard "Giggles" and to my relief, they were still at anchor. The only other boat with us in the anchorage when we went to bed after an incredibly beautiful day had come in a day after us. They had never made contact and had anchored way across the cove from us. We could only make out the name on the hull: "Grey Eagle". It must be them. We turned on channel 22 to listen to the unfolding drama via the coasties. They were having trouble contacting the vessel, but finally the 2-person crew now visible in the cockpit, were informed that there was too much surf to attempt putting a man on board. So instead they would have to put a man in the water and he would swim over to the boat and take them, 1 by 1 back, to the basket to be plucked out of the kelp and surf. The coastie who called back from the boat, was almost breathless as he told the copter what he was going to do. We were stunned to be watching this drama take place not 500 yd. from us. The surf was pounding against the sailboats' stern, grinding it into the rocky shore. The entire rescue only took 15-20 minutes. Then everyone was safely in the copter and headed for the Santa Barbara Airport. It was a terrifying site to witness. Out here in this virtually uninhabited, wilderness anchorage where only 3 boats spent the night, in basically benign conditions, (winds low, almost no current, just some small waves rolling through.) We still thanked our lucky stars that it wasn't us being rescued. As the helicopter took off, I found myself uttering one of my mothers' favorite words of wisdom; "But for the Grace of God, go I". Jann seconded that, and we went down to try to get some more sleep, (yeah, right!) I was up again, early that morning, to get a picture of the beached boat and try to figure out what happened. All I could see was a Bruce anchor dangling off the bow and a badly damaged rudder. She was almost high and dry now, over on her side on the sand, but she didn't look too badly damaged, all-'n-all. We still don't know how these poor folks happened to end up with such a tragedy, but it sure got us to thinking about safety even more than usual. Jann & I are thankful that we've got extra ground tackle (3, count 'em, 3 BIG anchors, one with all chain rode) and that we know how to use them and check them often when conditions change, (which we had done earlier today!) We also use the instrument alarms for depth and wind extremes. Some might even accuse us of over-anchoring, (if there is such a thing!) We're sure glad the crew of "Grey Eagle" is safe and hope that their boat isn't an entire loss. We'll learn from their lesson to plan and prepare and double-check everything as we make our first voyage. As soon as we reached our next port, I fired off an e-mail to Richard, the editor at Latitude 38 including a picture of the beached boat. I also sent it to the "'SAGA watchers" back home. It really was something to see and I have to say, I didn't expect to witness it so close to home. (Note: When we received our next copy of Latitude 38, we found my photo accompanying an article, which described what had happened to "Grey Eagle". The short version is that they did drag anchor while asleep. They awoke to find themselves almost all the way across the anchorage and in the kelp beds. What they did next would ultimately mean the loss of their boat. For some reason they pulled up the anchor and then tried to start the engine. Kelp must have gotten sucked up into the intake and the engine wouldn't start. At this point there was not no enough time or sea left to re-anchor. The boat was ultimately hauled off the rocky shore a couple of days later. It had already been stripped of all its gear! While it was being towed, it sunk in deep-water offshore. The Lesson: If you're dragging, let out more chain. Put a second anchor down. Never pull up your anchor before you try to start your engine.
Date: 7/12/99 Lat: N 34 041'10.0" Long: W 119 44 '50.0" Fry's Harbor, Channel Islands, CA I stepped onto land for the first time in more than a week, today. Jann & I rowed the dinghy ashore in Fry's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island Santa Cruz Island is the largest of the uninhabited islands of the Channel Island chain. We've seen almost all of them so far, with only Catalina left. We sail this evening for the 15 hr. overnight trip there. Fry's Harbor is idyllic and more protected from the blow. The scene was one of clear emerald-green water between rocky cliffs with caves and steep terrain. The wildlife consists mainly of seagulls and other sea birds, lots of little anchovies and the occasional huge sea lion, swimming gracefully around chasing down a snack. Thanks to our only neighbors, aboard their 50' Beneteau - "Reckless", we now know that there is also wild pig. So, there we were, relaxing in the cockpit, when a woman yells from their bow, "Pigs, Pigs!" and pointed. Jann responded by telling them to turn on their radio to channel 82 so that we could talk. First, he said, " Hello, this is 'SAGA', I realize that we have allot of stuff piled onto our stern, but we're not really that messy. One of our neighbors back home referred to us as the Clampetts, but 'pigs' is a bit much!" Back came the response, " Not you, the pigs are ashore!" So much for attempting humor with the Yachties. Actually, there was a small family of wild black pigs traversing the island and the Yachties aboard "Reckless" got very excited when they had spotted them, as they are reportedly a rare site. These folks were actually very nice. We even got to tour their palatial boat. Major boat envy! It's no wonder that Jann continues to tell me not to request such tours! We went ashore to go for a short walk atop very large "sand" on the beach. We rowed around the cove, looking at the caves and watching a wave blowhole. It's very hot today and little wind. Quite the change from the previous two anchorages. We're taking advantage of the sun and trying to recharge the batteries with our two solar panels. Last night, in Beckers on Santa Rosa Island, was accompanied by winds gusting to 35 knots. Even with two anchors down, we rolled all night. But today, it's beautiful and warm. It was a welcome relief that brought with it cockpit showers! We really needed them too. Jann was really impressed with the fact that I suggested and was the first to attempt a cold saltwater cockpit shower. Being the clever dude that he is, he installed a salt-water intake in the cockpit that we've attached a small hose and shower nozzle to. Fresh water is always at a premium, so we use salt water whenever we can, for washing dishes, clothes, the boat and us. We even use it for cooking. We made water, but still don't really need to yet. All of this gear will be especially useful once we're in the Sea Of Cortez. There's allot of wilderness there. Currently, we're not quite keeping up with our usage. There seems to be problem with the alternator. The panels aren't producing enough to keep up with a full-time fridge and other power requirements, so we've turned it off at night to save the batteries. Among the hundred or so projects we have to do once we're in San Diego, add to that; "replace the alternator." I've noticed that we can't really access the stern since it's piled up to the lifelines with "stuff." I mentioned to Jann that this might not work well, once we're in Mexico. We'll want to get to the outboard and perhaps the BBQ! We'll either have to figure out other places to stow some of the gear or heave it. After lusting after little folding Dahon bicycles (and buying them on-line for cheap!), I've decided that we'd get more use out of a small 2-person sit-upon kayak. They seem to be requisite equipment on every sailboat we've seen thus far down here. With it, we can explore more shoreline, and also have an alternate way ashore, should we need it. The bikes will probably just rust anyway! I vote that we sell them in San Diego, that is after we use them to do all the running around we have to do. Now I just have to convince Jann of the same. Things are coming along. I'm feeling more and more comfortable with the boat and gear. I'm practicing my navigation and doing lots more cooking then I've ever done before. Now I'm finally getting my sea legs and just relaxing. I've noticed that Jann & I aren't getting into those awful spats that we were having daily, before we left. I think it must have been all the stress we were under just trying to get free. We're both easing into the lifestyle change and not missing back home one iota!
Date: 7/13/99 Lat: N 33 25'40.0" Long: W 118 30 '35.0" Catalina Island, Channel Islands, CA After another all nighter, sailing from lovely Fry's to the populated island of Catalina, we were tired and hungry and looking forward to walking again. We left Fry's around 1600 and arrived about 1000. The harbormaster motored out to greet us and found us a mooring ball closer to the dinghy pier since we're rowing for now. He collected the $16 mooring charge and showed how to use their very clever mooring system. It's brainless! You come along side of the ball, and pick up a stick that floats next to and just in front of the ball. Attached to the stick is a line, you put the larger of the two lines on your bow cleat and grab the smaller line, taking it along side the boat to the aft cleat. And, viola! You've got a stern and bow tie! Very convenient in a rolly anchorage. "Cat Harbor" is a huge harbor that borders an isthmus with another harbor, ("Isthmus Harbor") on the other side of it. That side is usually more crowded since it faces the mainland. There's a short, 1/8-mi. walk to the facilities, complete with showers, bathrooms, general store, restaurant and dive shop. Our side seems to harbor all the "boat bums" and derelict boats. The other side, hosts the megacruisers and "stinkpots," (as Uncle George always refereed to them!) On our walk to "town", we met a couple of young guys from Phoenix who have another Beneteau 500, this one, complete with twin mountain bikes mounted on car racks on top of their dodger! What a funny site to see. These guys must be more of the newly vested millionaires being churned out of the Internet Money machine industry. I've met my share already from the Silicon Valley. (Vested, bought the Beneteau and goin' cruisin'!) Nice work, if you can get it. I guess, I'm suffering from just a little bit of boat envy. We'll spend a couple of days here resting up and taking advantage of the free showers! I treated Jann to a belated birthday dinner, even had the waiters sing to him. I managed to find where I had stowed the birthday cake candles! I think that's why Jann asked me to join him. I always know where stuff is! And, I can cook. He says he'd die in a week, if I weren't aboard. I'd certainly be in trouble if he weren't here. He's the navigator, captain, he-man - rowing machine. I'd be nowhere without him around. Besides that, we've been real good at rubbing each others sore muscles. We make quite a pair. Every day, I'm thankful that I've found the best partner I could have imagined to take this voyage of life with! Tomorrow, it's on to San Diego. There, we will attempt to do all the jobs on our TO DO list. I'll get to send my e-mail and update the website, and enjoy our last couple of weeks of America!
Date: 7/16/99 San Diego, CA There are more boats in San Diego than even in the entire Bay Area, I think. And, of course, there are lots of liveaboards as well. We were fortunate to have found a terrific marina through a referral from Downwind Marine. The Sun Harbor Marina is a relatively small place right up against the commercial fishing docks. The bad news is that we get to hear their comings and goings all hours of the day and night as they take passengers out on fishing excursions. The good news is that it is rather inexpensive ($87 a week, thus far) and we have met some really nice folks. In fact, everyone's been incredibly nice. We've been busy cleaning the boat, sorting through our piles of stuff, re-stowing, (better this time!), re-provisioning and installing yet more equipment such as swim ladder, auto-shut-off timer for pressure water system and a new salon light. Our new friends, Rodger and Bette took us shopping to buy among other things, like new fishing gear. Jann bought us each a new collapsible rod and he treated himself to a new reel and lots of new lures and stuff. We'll be catching our major food supply, so we really needed these supplies. (The large box of Orios from Costco, we probably didn't need!) We figured we'd be here for a week, maybe two, tops. We have a long list of items that can be completed easily at the dock, but would be a real schlep otherwise. We also wanted some fun time, like BBQs with new friends at the dock & biking around the area. We rode downtown to the Tallships exhibit, which had virtually followed us down the coast. We've got about 1/3 of the items completed by the end of the first week, then comes the e-mail from our friend and sailor Tim Schaaf-manager of the Marina Cabo San Lucas. Now, we really respect Tims' advise and he made it real clear that we were fools to attempt to sail down to him NOW! The letter scared us and we took it right over to Rodg and Bette for their humble input. They've been cruising around here for years. We read them the letter and they agreed wholeheartedly. Yes, Tim was right. It just isn't worth the risk that we could be hit by a hurricane. Of course, we've been hearing this all along, from just about everyone. We figured that the risk was minimized by the fact that it's a La Nina year and the waters are cooler than usual. But we were also two months behind our original schedule and now it's just too late to go. (Last night and this morning, Jann is reading "Mexico WX", a terrific book on Mexico weather, just to see how bad it really does get!) I think we're convinced now. So now we are trying to deal with the latest shift in plans and cope with the fact that we're going to have to stay here for another three months. Our biggest consideration is not spending our cruising kitty, which translates to having to work! We brought up the topic with Rodg and Bette, since they are currently working on boats and may have some extra work available. Rodger said that he would gladly take Jann on and that I could do some cleaning, sanding and varnishing, should any extra work come his way. Meantime, I'll start pounding the pavement and see what I can put together. So there's some light in the gloomy future of being at the dock again for Three More Months, rather then snorkeling in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez. Our friends down there will be mighty disappointed. Oh Well, better safe...yadda, yadda. Monday, August 16, 1999 We've been here in San Diego for exactly one month. Amazing how time flies when you're having fun! Well, not that much fun! I hooked up with a temp company specializing in health care-related services. They were quick to give me an assignment. It was with UCSD Health care, as a claims processor. Since I had never worked that side of the fence, I said yes. The pay was way low, but something better than nothin', right? Wrong! It sucked! I hated it. I lasted three days and told them it wasn't for me. I'd rather do boat work with Jann, and for more money! Jann is already working on a boat across the dock. It's a big ol' Concorde sport cruiser. He's sanding and varnishing. It's looking rather good, too! I've been putting the word out that I can do canvas work. I've already sewed two jerrican covers and one of those cute little bags that holds plastic shopping bags from the grocery. They sell for $10 or so at the marine stores. Ours matches the curtain fabric! Next sewing project is to sew the sun protection for the dinghy. I get to design that one as well. The Marina held it's 19th annual Chili Cook-Off party this past Saturday. It was a huge success, with over 30 entries. They tried to get us entered for the past month, but I don't "do" chili! I made cornbread instead. Everyone loved it! It was our first time using the alcohol oven. We've been cooking on the propane stove top that we picked up before we left. It sits on top of the alcohol burners. Jann had to do some repairs to the oven before we could use it. It worked and I can finally bake. I made four batches of cornbread and one batch of blueberry muffins with real blueberries. YUM! I took pictures of the party for the Marina. Today, I went up to the office and showed them a slide show on the laptop. They really enjoyed that. I must say, I am very pleased with my computer set-up. When it works, it works really well. Lately, though, I've had major problems with the AC power cord. It's broken and I found out today that it's not covered under the warranty. (Of course!) There seems to be a dirth of Apple vendors around here, so it should be a challenge trying to replace. Better here then in Mexico, though!
August 20,1999 Jann and I took the trolley to Tijuana yesterday. We walked around the main tourist area in about a 4 block radius from Avenida Revolution. It was really congested and there was the same crap for sale on every block. We did tour a nice folk art building and I enjoyed the art. I bought some more tin Christmas ornaments. We will probably return before we fly back to B-more for the reunion to pick up some gifts. After walking around for 4 hrs, we were tired and stopped to drink margaritas and eat some tacos. They weren't very good. We headed home for some rest. Finally made it to Mexico, just wish it was further south! Jann & I are refocusing on boat projects. I'm almost finished the dinghy cover and it looks great! It was really hard to make and to top it off, the machine acted up. Jann fixed it and its working fine again. He's so handy! He's been feeling under the weather today, must have brought something unexpected back from Tijuana. Poor boy. He's spent most of the day in bed, reading and snoozing. Aug. 28,1999 We've spent this past week working on a boat down the dock. It belongs to Gary Petty and it's a Kettenburg 50, hull #4, called "AKAMAI." Lot's of wood. Jann scraped and I sanded. Jann also did some pretty nice wood repairs. We got it all prepared for C-tol. Gary gets to do that! We made enough to at least defray our living costs. It was my first attempt at brite work and I think I did all right. (Except for the burn on my arm from the hot gun!) Next, I get to do 'SAGA'. We really need to touch up the toerail. We've been playing allot of Scrabble. I was on a winning streak for a while, then he, then we were tied. Then, last night he won by 2 points! I haven't played GO since he slaughtered me last time. I'm holding out until we pick up the book on the Game of Go, that we ordered at the bookstore.
September 13, 1999 It's my birthday today and although I had imagined that I'd be celebrating it somewhere near La Paz, we're still in San Diego. Tonight Jann has some kind of surprise dinner with new friends on the dock. He took me to "Street Scene'99" Sat. night. (It's San Diego's' version of "Jazz Fest") We heard some good music, ate some, drank some margaritas and did some fantastic people watching. We bought some really cool Marde Gras hats and wore them around the faire. The reactions we got were great. Mine is red and has all these wire-tendrils that you can bend in any shape you should desire. I had mine in spirals like a medusa head. Jann's looks like a half-moon or shark fin in yellow and purple. Very Renaissance. We had a good time and I was sore, by the time we got home at 1am, from walking the 10-sq. blocks. My sister Deborah sent a great basket full of fruit and crackers and cookies and sparkling cider and marmalade! Nice! She's so sweet. We really enjoyed her visit last week. We took her sailing and she got to be at the helm for a long time. She liked that. She spent two nights onboard and really appreciated it. She's the first! And now she really has a good idea about how we live. As I'm typing this, Jann is weaving, rebraiding a splice into the new anchor snubber. He's pretty good at that too! He took some cushions that Steve gave us and refit them to fit the cockpit. They're made from sunbrella, so they won't burn us in the Mexican hot sun like the Naugahyde that we had. They look great too! He sure is handy. Today, I cleaned the bikes up. They're our primary mode of transport. Now they look almost new. We've still got a long list of projects to do before we sail south. But they're coming' along.
September 24 We had friends down from LA Sunday. We went over to the nearby Blue Crab Restaurant for brunch. They have quite the spread there. We stuffed ourselves and drank allot of champagne! It was pretty good. Especially after dieting these past weeks. We've cut down our food intake by 2/3. We started off eating only dinner, then I realized that we should be eating our big meal in the middle of the day, not before we sleep! So we switched and have a protein shake for breakfast and a shake for dinner. We also went a whole week without B & R! That was hard! The ice-cream must stop! It's only a week now before we take off to visit family in Baltimore and Mid MO. I'm excited about seeing everyone one last time before we sail again. It may be a long time before I get to see everyone together again. Deb has arranged to bring Mom up for the visit, so that she can meet Jann. We get our new foam for the V-berth today. Athena was kind enough to order it for us along with the sunbrella to cover it, and wholesale at that! (Athena runs her own upholstery shop here at Sun Harbor. ) My back has been really bad from sleeping on what we put together. I'm really looking forward to new foam. Hopefully, we can get it all installed before we leave. I'll sew the covers since Jann is busy building the "extension" for the stern. It's starting to take shape. We'll use the extra room for jerricans and propane tanks. Maybe put a kayak on top! He's still not sure when he wants to leave. We might leave later, like in November so that we can eventually meet up with Don & Judy or Pete & Alisa who are also headed south from here. I would really like to buddy-boat with Don & Judy. They're really nice folks. They're having the bottom done in Ensenada mid November, then heading south. I hope we leave just before them and let them catch us. We'll see how much we have left to do once we get back from our trip east. At least the list in on one page now! We're almost done. I'm finally getting a haircut today and tonight we may get to see the private Beach Boys concert at Humphreys' for free! We finally got on the Downwind Marine cruisers net this morning and we're going to look at some stuff a guy is selling on the dock next to the stage. This guy - George, has everything a cruiser could want for sale. While riding our bikes around last night, we made a great find. We located the San Diego Yacht Club. They have great facilities including a Jacuzzi! We may hit that tonight as well. I want to go use their pool soon! Swimming would do my back good. So would an adjustment, gosh it's been months!
September 27. We've been having some fun with our neighbors. Steve and Athena invited Don & Judy and Jann & I to rendezvous with them over at Imperial Beach on Coronado Sat. night. It was too much trouble to sail 'SAGA' over and 'Oriocos' engine is out of commission right now, so we drove over with D&J. Steve had the boat waiting at the dock where we parked and we climbed aboard and motored over by the beach and anchored for dinner. Steve bought this older Garden Ketch, (some 40' I think,) to sail away in with his love. Unfortunately, she jumped ship in San Diego and took up with a manager at the West Marine. Sad Story. But now he has met Athena and it all looks very promising for ol' Stevarino! They threw a great party. BBQ'd fresh Blue Fin tuna, salad, some great bread and rice and we drank Painkillers that Steve made. YUM! After dinner, Steve ferried us all over to the beach in his dinghy for a bonfire. It was a very still night and we watched the full moon rise, the first harvest moon of autumn. It was really lovely. We had a nice time and when we got back to the boat it was past 2am! D&J's 'Orioco' is a lovely Hans Christian 38, a very pretty double-ender. Jann & I really like hangin' out with them. Sunday night we invited them over to Half Moon Marina to meet George and catch the private Beach Boys concert at Humphreys. We met George over the cruisers net and her was to show us some clothes and latex dive suits he's selling. We also finally bought a kayak! George sold us an inflatable kayak at a great price. He even threw in an extra set of paddles. It will fit aboard 'SAGA.' He lives aboard at HMM and let us in to watch the concert. Since it was a private show, we were the only folks there on the dock! We drank some wine and danced and sang along to all those familiar songs. Afterwards, we went over to the San Diego Yacht Club and used the Jacuzzi. There wasn't another soul there. Nice evening! We really enjoy these two unlikely cruisers. Don is an ex-Highway Patrol Commander from Colorado and Arizona. Judy was a social worker. They're both in their late-fifties and pretty interesting folks. Tomorrow, we're headed back down to Tijuana for a dental appointment for a cracked tooth. He'll probably get a crown. I researched on the net and found the perfect setup. Dr. Marten has her practice in TJ, but her husband runs the lab right out of their home in San Diego. Then, Tuesday night we're getting together with D&J again for pizza and hopefully we'll catch George Carlin along side Humphreys' followed by a Jacuzzi again! We got our new foam in from Athena and she even let us cut it up in her shop with her excellent cutting tools. We finally have a solid platform to sleep on and it's already making a difference in my back at least! The sunbrella she ordered for us isn't in yet, but when we get back, we'll get busy sewing covers for the foam. Then it'll look great as well as feel great! Jann's almost finished with the erection of the stern extension. I call it his erector set! He's almost ready to attach it. It's pretty large actually. I think it's gonna look really odd! I still can't believe that the covers I made for those V-berth cushions actually fit them. It was my first attempt to sew with such heavy sunbrella and on top of that, one cushion was huge! Over 7' across the top. Also, the sides angled in on the bottom to better fit the V-berth. It was like wrestling an alligator down here in the salon. But they're done and they fit and it's so much more comfortable! What a relief. I finally got around to buying some King size sheets to fit them. Turns out, I can use a fitted on the bottom and a Queen for the top sheet. Judy Moumey took me to Goodwill to buy one and to TJ Max for a nice cotton sheet set. Good for the Tropics. The extension is on and the wood floor is in. Our buddy Mike Hibbitts came up from Mexico to get on a boat in the Baja Ha Ha again, (which he did) and helped Jann with the floor installation. I was happy to see Mike helping Jann. Nice reciprocity. We enjoyed his visit and Don and Judy were so sweet to put him up for a few nights. Judy's been a great help with last minute driving around for provisioning. I look forward to seeing them again in La Paz. We've also had the chance to hang with Teri and Marc on 'Tauranga'. I did a couple of provisioning runs with Teri and enjoyed talking with her. They're nice, real folks and they have a "killer" boat. It's a 52' one-up design from New Zealand. A really big "pushbutton boat." I told her that when we're down in Mexico, we'd be doing yoga class on their fan deck. We've set the departure date for the 9th. That way, we can still make the Downwind cruiser kick-off party on the beach! Jann wants to wait until he talks with the divorce attorney again. He finally reached him Sat. night at home. He told him that he would go ahead and fax the settlement papers to him in Ensenada. Good, that way, we can still leave when we want.
November 9, 1999 - Leaving the U.S. for Ensenada. We left around 0330 Tuesday and sailed some of the way and motored the rest. Arrived Ensenada around 1630. Made it in just before sunset. There is an anchorage just off the marina docks of Baja Nav·l. They are the best outfit around with full services, travel lift and excellent amenities even for anchor-outs. Baja Naval turned out to be a really good place to stay. The cost was low, only $5.50 per day to tie up the dinghy and use the showers. They helped us prepare the paperwork for check-in and checkout and made copies and such. They were really nice and even allowed us to send and receive faxes for a low cost. We were exhausted and decided to check-in the next morning. We met a nice couple- Mike and Elizabeth, who came in just after us on a 40' Panda named 'Cambria'. Beautiful boat. They're very nice and unassuming people from Alameda, CA. They invited us over for dinner and we enjoyed that. They have a really soft and furry Maine Coon cat named Gordon. I had to pet him despite my allergy. We spent the morning checking in with them, shopping and eating breakfast at their favorite spot, next door to the old Cosmos Restaurant. Since they're closed now, the owner and chef moved next door. Still good eats, though. Mike and Elizabeth also took us to their absolute favorite place for dinner called 'Gastelun 57' on Avenida Gastelun. It was like the best of Calif. cuisine only it's $10 per person instead of $20! The meal was excellent, the company, interesting and we talked about sailing down the coast together. Next stop, San QuintÌn. We leave tomorrow, midday. Or so we thought. We were all ready to go, even had the dinghy stowed, then Jann was trying to free up the fairleads to move them forward and banged on one too many times. Suddenly the screw bolt that holds it in place jumped into the drink. He was fit-to-be-tied. I thought he was gonna cry! We contacted 'Cambria' and told them that we wouldn't be sailing today. We put the dink back in and tried our luck with Baja Nav·l. Low and behold, in the shop, Martin had a screw with the same threads and Jann was able to make that work temporarily. We'll do what we can to get ahold of something more permanent from Downwind. Jann felt pretty strange after that and decided that we should wait until tomorrow to leave, the wind having gotten up this afternoon. The fog was pretty heavy today, on and off. Just now, around 1600 it's clearing up. I'll go ahead and make my fish tacos and we'll play some Scrabble, get to bed early and head out early tomorrow. Maybe we can still catch up with Cambria in San Quintin. That would be fun. I still want to give them the wooden step that we've got packed away. They have allot of freeboard and no ladder. This would make it so much easier to board from the dinghy.
Monday, Nov.15,1999 We'll, we're still here. Jann listened to the Baja Net weather on the Ham yesterday and based on the fact that there is a weird low just off the coast that no one seems able to figure out, he decided to wait until it passes. I was for leaving but I trust his intuition. So Sunday we hung out, went ashore for burritos and cervesas and came back to another game of Scrabble. (I won!) Today we listened to the Net again, the forecast it good, no rain made it down this far. We went ashore and showered, paid for another two days and now Jann is replacing the alternator belt to try and improve the amps. It seems too low, like 30-40 amps. while the engine is on. The wind generator is going, the solar panels are charging and we've turned the fridge way down. Yesterday afternoon, we visited "We Three" a Fisher 30 belonging to the Fishers, (Dwight and Fran from WA. State.) We met on the dock while we were attempting to "break in" to Baja Naval. It was Sunday, and our gate code had expired! Fran was kind enough to let us back into the marina with her code. Their boat is actually smaller then 'SAGA'! They have no refrigeration and now Jann wants to turn ours off. Oy! We've had some extra time to relax in the mornings and hang out, make love, have a leisurely breakfast and such. We both seem to be enjoying it. It's nice to have no time frames or deadlines now. WE'RE CRUISIN'!
December 5, 1999 We're finally in Cabo San Lucas and it's damn good to be back! Now I think I know what it's like to see the world at 5 mph (or kph). We took almost a month to sail from San Diego to Cabo. We stopped in Ensenada for about a week. Then onto Bahia San QuintÌn, where we had to anchor under sail the first time, in a very windy anchorage and then spent another 3 or 4 days fixing the fuel delivery system, cleaning and changing all the filters from nasty sludge from bad San Diego fuel of all things! (Nobody told us that we needed to use the special Baja filter on San Diego fuel). We got the engine going again and sailed on to Bahia Tortugas or Turtle Bay. On the way there, to break up another long haul, we spent a very rolly night anchored off Isla San Jeronimo. Not only was it horribly rolly but it smelled of guano. I wouldn't recommend it. The next day, we sailed down past Isla Cedros on the inside and around the corner to Turtle Bay. That was a ride that I'll remember for a long time, but would prefer to forget! It was quite windy with gusts to 40 kts. and seas about 12 ft. or so. When everything that wasn't tied down, started to fall, I wedged myself into the V-berth and prayed for it to calm. Once, I got into my foulies and went up to the cockpit to see if Jann needed to pee or something. Thankfully, he told me to stay below as it was very wet in the cockpit. We were taking wave after wave over the sides, right into the cockpit. He was in his foulies, but was still pretty wet and cold. I'm always amazed at what he's capable of. He's always strong for both of us. I still can't shake my fear of night passages and especially when it gets rough. I wimp out and have even gotten sick. I survived and Turtle Bay was a nice respite. We both have fond memories of our last visit there, last year with the Ha Ha. It was here that our relationship really took off. So we decided to celebrate with a meal and a room with showers. As we landed, Miguel greeted us. He seemed to remember us! We tried to tell him that we wanted to find a room and showers and he walked us all over town from one hotel to another only to find that they didn't have room or were closed. By the time we found an open restaurant, we were exhausted. We hadn't eaten or slept much in two days so we ate at the new restaurant that Maria opened overlooking the bay, and dragged our weary bodies back to the boat. We found showers the next day, but Jann took his cold because we forgot to specify "agua caliente!" While he took his, I went around to the proprietor and requested "HOT!!" What ensued was almost comical as I watched a man come and try to detach the huge propane tank from the hot water heater next to our room. Then another man backed a pickup truck in and replaced the huge tank, the first guy hooked it up and I asked him, "Cuanto minutos por agua caliente. He said "20". So we had cold cervesas next door while we waited. I finally got a hot shower! We spent another week in Turtle Bay. We hadn't quite fixed the fuel problem and since we had to anchor under sail a second time, (the engine died just past Isla Cedros), Jann took the whole system apart and had some trouble getting it back together. We also pumped all the diesel out of the tank and polished it twice before putting it back in, ditto with the fuel in the jerricans. That seems to have solved the problem. We figured that the combination of getting bad fuel in San Diego and treating the tank with an antimicrobial resulted in lots of sludge in the bottom of the tank. Then, after hours upon hours on the "spin cycle", it just kept clogging the fuel system. We made some new friends while we were in Turtle Bay and generally had a good time eating, walking around the town each day to the mercado, panateria (great bakery, fresh Mexican pastries and bolillos (or small breads) and the tortillarÌa for fresh maize tortillas. Turtle Bay is a very poor village. The cannery was wiped out in a freak hurricane some years ago, and I'm not sure what the people there do the other three seasons. They get most of the sailboats headed south in winter, but that's pretty much it as far as tourism goes. It's located halfway down the Baja peninsula. From Turtle Bay, we sailed with 'We Three' to Bahia AsuncÌon, a daysail away. Since we both go slow, we wanted to do some easy short hops down the coast while we could. Next day, we sailed to Punta Abreojos (which literally means "keep your eyes open!" We missed the reefs fortunately and anchored off the small village. It's here that there is a large button factory where they make buttons out of shells. Then another slightly longer sail to Bahia Santa Maria. We were here last year as well. It's a very pretty anchorage with a small fishing camp back up a river. Other than that, there's not much. We did get some nice spiny lobsters (in cruiser-speak - "bugs") off of a fishing panga that made the rounds of the fleet. A real local treat, they look like black tarantulas with orange stripes outlining their legs and body. They were yummy. We ate them as our appetizer for our main course of Mahi Mahi that Jann caught the day before. We rested and visited with friends and then took off 2 days or so later around the corner into Bahia Magdelena (AKA "Mag Bay".) We anchored just off of Puerto Magdelena where the CapÌtano de Puerto came out to the boat in his panga. We didn't recognize who he was right off, and were ready to give him our trash, (which he was also picking up) when he let us know. (The briefcase on the bow should have been my first clue.) He took our papers & our diesel order and said he would come back tomorrow with both. We went ashore with 'We Three'. Hit the mercados, (really a window in someone's home, and bought a few things. The CapÌtano was kind enough to give us tortillas maize and showed us were we could get some made fresh. We tried to score some more bugs, but they never materialized. We were all anxious to get on down to Cabo and it's a long trip with no more stops, so we did a weather search using the Ham nets, a weather fax and word from folks headed north and picked our window. We left Mag Bay around 1530, Friday under cloudy skies and low winds, an hour or so behind 'We Three' for the long trip to Cabo. We put the anchor down at 0600 on Sunday morning. Because the winds were kickin' up from the NE, offshore, which is unusual, we had a NE wind chop along with the normal NW swell. That made for a bumpy ride and little sleep. I think I got 4 hours over the 2.5-day trip. I plan to get some good rest while we're here in Cabo, like on the beach! I hope we get to go snorkeling again too. We made it and 'SAGA' took good care of us. Some parts weren't exactly fun... but nothing broke that Jann couldn't fix and I guess that getting wet and cold is all a part of the sailing experience, no? By the time we departed Bahia Santa Maria, I had half of my top ten wish list already met: 10. Lay on the foredeck, naked while under sail! 9. See to the bottom of the bay! 8. See flying humpback whales! 7. Behold dolphins playing in our bow wake. 6. Sail back into Cabo San Lucas, one more time! and 5. Make it without any serious casualties. Cabo is for tourists. It is extremely crowded and costly. The beaches and streets are crowded with Mexican kids and Guatemalan Indians selling their wares. Their are hundreds of clubs offering wild drinking parties every night for the college crowd. Previously a sleepy fishing village, now Cabo San Lucas is more of a drinkers paradise rather than a cruisers haven. Most we spoke to wished they had skipped it. But we had to stop and revisit some of our favorite haunts! While we were there, we hooked up with Mike's Ex-girlfriend - Lauri, who lives here with her new Latino boyfriend, Marco. They both work in Cabo selling (What else?) - timeshares. At least they're at a very nice property. We called and made plans to meet them at the beachfront property for a tour. We met Lauri originally back in the Bay Area when she and Mike came back to retrieve all of her stuff. She decided rather quickly to take off with him before they had really gotten to know each other. Suffice to say, they didn't gel. She decided to stay in Cabo and luckily met Marco, who speaks fluent Spanish - A big plus! Lauri seemed pretty happy and Marco seemed nice. We were invited to dinner at their lovely apartment just outside of town. We spent the night - our first away from 'SAGA,' so we were a bit anxious when the winds kicked up. We headed back early the next morning and found 'SAGA' holding well just off the beach and hailed a water-taxi to take us back aboard. Of course, we also re-visited our favorite Gelato shop which is still alive and well, we pleased to report. We ate lobster at the "Crazy Lobster" - the "official Baja Ha Ha Cruisers' hangout." And, although we tried to curb our spending, Cabo is incredibly expensive and we had to leave in order not to spend everything we had! We hooked up with many boats of friends like 'DuckSoup' and 'We Three.' We got to go snorkeling again near Lover's Beach, and while we were exploring behind Los Arcos, we discovered our new friends off of "30 Something" playing in the surf. Christophe and Sophie had made it to Cabo! These fun Frenchmen (and Woman!) are truly tough sailors. Their little boat (some 26', I think), is headed all the way to the So. Pacific. We would meet up with them further down the mainland Mexican coast. We actually had some pretty rough conditions while in the anchorage at Cabo. There were many boats anchored near us which made for some close calls as motor yachts swing differently from sailboats and other dragged anchor around us. (Which brought me to Cruising Rule No.3: Never expect the other boat to do the right thing. If you suspect an idiot at the helm, play it safe and watch!) It got so bad that we headed into the harbor and tied up to the Sport Fishing Fuel Dock on Sunday hoping that they wouldn't throw us back out! They did try once we were through filling up. But we were lucky and got the only slip left in their small marina. So, for a couple of nights we had a nice rest with power and water too!
12/21/99 'SAGA' has finally arrived in La Paz and after going south for so long it wasn't easy going north again. In fact, we had to wait out a pretty strong 'norther', but at least we were in the very pretty anchorage of Los Frailes. Our sail to Los Frailes was pretty good. We had to motor-sail a bit. There is a small community of Gringos who have campers in Los Frailes. We met some of them and bought shave ice for the fridge, (which is still dead!) and Dorado (Mahi Mahi) from the guy who drives the Pescado Truck and picks up the daily catch. We met some more cruisers and snorkeled in some very pretty but cooler waters. Jann was anxious to get on to La Paz and jumped the gun a bit. We set sail on the night of the 17th, before the seas had calmed from the norther that blew for five days or so. There were boats in the anchorage with us who had been turned back twice before. We were out in it for a couple of hours, all the while I'm a wreck, scared to death. Finally a big wave crashed over the rail and hit me in the face. I burst into tears and Jann said, "all right, that's it, we're turning around!" Thank God!! (And by golly, Cruising Rule No.2 was written: If calm discussion doesn't get you what you want, Scream and Cry!) By the next morning the seas had calmed and we had a fine run to Ensenada De Los Muertos, a small anchorage that provides a respite from the northers before heading up the infamous Cerralvo channel. Everyone says that when a norther is blowing, this channel funnels the winds even stronger. We were prepared for the worst and much to our surprise and relief we had a slight tail wind and the only waves were made by our wake. What a sail! We actually got to take sun showers on the foredeck while we were underway. We made anchor in the first anchorage around the corner before La Paz just before sunset. I prepared a lovely dinner and we turned in early. Around 10pm, we had to move (under a bright moon!) because the rollers made it too uncomfortable to sleep. We re-anchored about a half-hour down the channel to La Paz. We didn't want to risk the rest of the tricky channel into La Paz at night. We had a good sleep in the small cove just beyond the ferry landing and just when we were just ready to pull up the anchor, we heard 'Tauranga' on the VHF. They were just coming around the corner! We hailed them and went out to meet them and sailed right into La Paz alongside. We hadn't seen them since San Diego as they had a late departure (a mere two weeks ago! Their 52footer is a bit faster than 'SAGA'!) It was great to see Marc and Terri (from Mill Valley) again and take pictures of them sailing into La Paz. As it turns out, they docked two slips away from our other good friends, David and Jan aboard 'PolarBear'. We came down the coast with them last year with the Baja Ha Ha. Jann & I got 'SAGA' situated in the rolly anchorage and went straight ashore, hitchhiked all the way across the town to the Marina Palmira, where they are all docked and had a great reunion. Later we went into town with 'PolarBear' and 'Cambria' - Mike and Elizabeth, who we met way back in Ensenada. We ate at our favorite (already?!) Chinese restaurant , 'The Dragon' on Ave. 16 de Septiembre near Revolucion, followed by dessert at the incredible cafe downstairs! What a day!
12/23/99 Today, we attempted to get a better spot to anchor, so after getting the skinny off the cruisers net on the VHF this morning, we headed into the "Virtual Marina." Yes, that's correct, the Virtual Marina is an anchorage and small dinghy dock with nearby new, but temporary facilities including showers, pool, Jacuzzi, computer Internet connection, you-name-it! It's actually very cool. Ed, the manager is getting ready to develop the largest marina here. When it's finished in about 2 yr. it will have 300 slips and a hotel. He's Argentinean via New York. And what a mensch! (He's not anything like what we had heard from other cruisers. (Which brings me to Cruising Rule No. 4: Don't take what anyone else says as the Gospel Truth; everyone has his or her own agenda and point of reference. We often found places and people to be quite literally, the opposite of what other cruisers had told us!) We talked with Ed for two hours after we met. He showed us all around, invited us up to his apartment for a drink and even offered to drive us to his acupuncturist as Jann was thinking of having a treatment! Marina Vera Cruz only charges $40/mo and that goes to the officials for anchorage fees. We really like this guy. But this is a tricky place to anchor. The boats move every-which-way due to a weird combination of tides, current and winds. They call it the 'La Paz Shuffle.' It's easy to drag anchor, which can be very scary when it's crowded, which is usually the case. When the northers are blowing, just getting the dinghy to shore can be quite a task. We're glad to be closer in. There was one afternoon, when Jann & I were having a late breakfast at the Café on the Malécon over-looking the Virtual Marina, when I notices 'SAGA' seemed to be sailing away. I drew Jann's attention to her and we both sat in amazement watching her "dance" around her anchor. The funny thing was that none of the other boats anchored nearby were moving! 'SAGA' was dancing alone, sailing back and forth in a fairly wide figure-eight. Fortunately, she wasn't endangering any of her neighbors, so we went about eating our meal, while enjoying the show! We made it to La Paz in time for Christmas. This city is really special. None of the usual tourist crap and people trying to sell you silver or junk every step you take. Just plain ol' hardworking folks and lots of great shopping. La Paz is the government seat of Baja Cal. Sur. Every palm tree is lit with X-mas lights and the streets are decorated beautifully! It should be fun to spend the holidays here. I only wish it were warmer! We checked out all the offerings for X-mas dinner in town and decided on the Hotel Las Palmas right on the Malecon. They had a nice Christmas menu including turkey with all the trimmings! Jann had shrimp and I opted for the turkey. We enjoyed the meal and would recommend this restaurant to all. The service was some of the best we encountered in Mexico. Time to make plans for our very special New Years' celebration.
Tuesday, January 4, 2000! La Paz, Baja Cal. Sur Wow! That was the first time I've actually typed out 2-0-0-0! Kewl! We're in Caleta Partida on Isla Partida, just north of La Paz. 'Tauranga' and 'Solstice' are still here with us. Jann & I are waiting for a break in the norther that's been blowing through for a couple of days now. We've had gusts over 40kts. Backing up; Jann & I had a rather quiet Christmas in La Paz. Jann was getting over some gastrointestinal ailment, maybe some food poisoning. So we spent allot of time onboard 'SAGA.' It's been so nice to get together with 'PolarBear' again and 'Tauranga' too. I knew they would become fast friends when they met each other. We've been talking with David and Jan about the possibility of crewing with them sometime down the road. They just took on another couple for the crossing over to PV and further down perhaps. They're a nice couple. I think that they'll all have fun. Perhaps, come spring, when we're all back up here in the Sea, we can talk again. If it happens, we might take the option of putting 'SAGA' up on the hard in San Carlos and sail down to the Canal on 'PolarBear' (a lovely Tayana 52. That would be really nice. Later, we could have 'SAGA' trucked over to the Gulf and save allot of wear-'n-tear. We'll see... Everything happened just like we all had wanted: 'Tauranga' and 'Soltice' headed out first and found a nice empty anchorage at Isla Espirit Santo while we waited for the Customs official to come a process our Boat Importation Papers. We decided to spend the night in a slip at the Marina La Paz and wash down the boat and all the salt off the cushions and foulies, etc. I did 4 loads of laundry, all the clothes in the bags underneath the V-berth that got wet when the water overflowed from the anchor chain over-flow-area. (We're gonna fix that problem next!) We did a provision run to the big CCC grocery store and another stop at the Arrachera (beef) store on De Leon and Serdan for some of that famous Sonoran mesquite beef. (IT WAS SO-O-O-O GOOD!) We were both pretty exhausted after that, and now I had a touch of whatever bug Jann had. But we headed out the following day for a short trip back to Pichelinque and Bahia Falso for the night. Next morning we departed for Espiritu Santo, a 4-hour motor-sail. We actually got to sail for an hour of that, then the winds settled down to nothing and we motored on in. There were about 6 boats in the anchorage when we arrived. Both 'Taurangas' and 'Solstice's' dinghy greeted us as we were about to anchor and welcomed us in. How nice! Later that day, 'PolarBear' showed up, and by Friday the 30th, so had T & S's friends aboard 'Cantamar' arrived. Wonderfully, the anchorage contained only our friends or friends of our friends! I organized an impromptu potluck on the beach on the 30th and we began gearing up for the big new years party to come! This place was perfect for us. The weather was UNBELIEVABLE! Slight winds, warm sun, and brilliant starry nights! The water was even warm enough for a good swim. Our New Years Celebration was excellent. We had a fabulous pot-luck with my dish of Thai Peanut Chicken with Bean Sprouts, 'PolarBears' Chili and Corn Bread, 'Solstices' Risotto, 'Cantamars' Assorted Veggies and 'Taurangas' Cherry Dump Cake! Washed down with plenty of Rum, Wine and Champagne of course! We sat on the beach gathered around a small fire of local "carbon" that Jann & I bought in La Paz, and later, a bigger bon fire with some scarce wood that the boys collected on the beach near the mangroves. We took a break between 9 and 10pm to take loads back to our boats and get warmer clothes, instruments and more drinks for midnight! When we got back to the beach, I lead the group in a Native American Four Directions ceremony, preceded by a sage smudging. Everyone seemed to enjoy that. We followed with a communal chant and drumming. Marc brought his entire collection of percussion instruments for us to use. It was divine! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect New Years' Celebration. Spending the New Years' with a few good friends, on a remote beach in The Sea of Cortez under a star lit sky, singing and drumming! Just perfect. 'Tauranga' convinced us to join them and head up to Coleta Partida on Isla Partida and for a couple of more days. The anchorage is nice, but there are allot more boats here. 'Cindarella', the HUGE catamaran stinkpot who also had joined us in Puerto Ballena for New Years, was just leaving when we arrived on the 2nd. We arrived ahead of the fleet and so we hopped into the dink to explore the area. We trolled around with a line in the water, but only caught two huge trumpetfish with really long snouts. (We put those back!) Dinner was hosted by 'Tauranga' and it was very good. I'm so glad that we got to meet John and Diane aboard 'Cantamar'. They lived in Sacramento, but kept the boat in Sausalito. So many Bay Area connections. I recently discovered that Marc and Teri know my old friend JK and his family in Mill Valley. I've known him for over 20 years! What a small world! It's been really nice getting to know these folks better. The "gals" have had fun relaxing on the beach, exploring underwater, nude-sunbathing and swimming, baking bread together and sharing secrets and relationship tips! While the "guys" have had fun pondering charging system problems, water-maker snags and solving other boat-related items. We've hiked along the cove, exploring this remote wilderness and we can still hardly believe that we're finally doing this! WE ARE HERE!
February 23,2000 Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico I can't think of a more beautiful and idyllic spot to spend some time at anchor. When we imagined what it would be like to cruise Mexico, this is what we envisioned. It's perfect here. Chacala is a small village of about 300 residents situated along a lovely expanse of fine sand beach, next to a extinct volcano, whose cone is currently marshland and whose slopes support jaca groves & goat herds. Banana and coconut groves abound in the lowlands. We hiked up to the top of the volcano with our friends on 'Windfall', Doug and crewmate - Cindy. Also along for the excursion was Kent from 'Que Tal?' The hike was an arduous steep climb through humid jungle, (what other kind of jungle is there?) but the view from the top was well worth the effort. Postcard Perfect! We've been buddy boating with 'Windfall' since we left La Paz. After more than 8 weeks in the city, we were really looking forward to some wilderness cruising. The crossing to the other side of the Sea of Cortez was my first actual crossing. It took 'SAGA' 3 days and 2 nights to make it across to Isla Isabella which is just off the mainland coast between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Isla Isabella is a bird sanctuary and rookery for the Tropic or Frigate bird, Blue and Yellow-Footed Boobie and Pelican. We arrived rather late in the day and were looking forward to a nice dinner of grilled Sonoran beef. But that was not to be. Instead, as we were attempting to anchor, we discovered that the transmission linkage was not connected and we only had 'forward' and 'off'! Not the best combination for anchoring. Jann was a bit alarmed so we dropped the hook where we were (which was too close to the rocky ledge.) He dove into repairing the problem, which meant hanging over an extremely hot engine in a sauna-like, rib-crushing three hours of frustrating repair. I kept the anchor-watch, making certain that we always had a safe distance between the bottom of the keel and the rocks. By the time we had it working again, we were exhausted and very hungry. Doug helped us re-anchor further away from the shore. Then he and the crew of 'Windfall' saved us with some quick microwaved burritos and a bottle of red wine, which they delivered to 'SAGA.' We ate and crashed. The next day we all hiked up to the highest point on the island, careful not to disturb frigate nests complete with fluffy chicks atop small lime trees and other closely cropped trees. Some larger chicks were only inches from our noses! At the top, thousands of Boobie nests were filled with one, two and sometimes three chicks stuffed beneath one parent or the other. These birds are very interesting, with big round eyes and bright blue or yellow feet that look like little dive fins. Along the beach where we landed our dinghy, was the fishcamp with ramshackle blue-tarped huts and numerous fishing pangas anchored to the shore, which was littered with dried shark fins. I located about 6 good-sized iguanas basking in the hot sun on the rocks above the beach. After our hike up to the top, we rewarded ourselves with a cool dip in the smaller cove where we recovered a discarded fishing net that had become tangled across the mouth of the cove. It's unfortunate, but the local fisherman tend to trash their environment pretty thoroughly. Cindy, off of 'Windfall' had been to the island before and suggested a hike to the volcano crater lake. She was pretty persuasive, so we all agreed to go. To get there we had to transit 'the back-forty' latrines, which was fairly foul. Then we climbed hunched over through very dense scrub with a Frigate nest atop every inch and mama frigates staring wildly only inches from our heads. We finally made it to our somewhat disappointing destination. The crater lake was more like a fetid swamp and we couldn't wait to get back over the hill and breath fresh but always guano-scented air. We've heard from fellow cruisers that the diving here is excellent. The water was still pretty cool and not very clear so we never swam off the southern side of the island where we were all anchored. We did get to observe many whales just offshore, some broaching off in the distance. There seems to be an abundance of wildlife on and around Isla Isabella. It's a protected sanctuary for the time being, but as far as I could see, there was little actual protection going on. The presence of the fisherman seems to be doing irreparable damage. Still, I'm so glad that we came here. From Isla Isabella we sailed to San Blas, a day sail for 'SAGA'. San Blas is famous for the old poem by Longfellow titled "The Bells of San Blas." We anchored out in Mantachen Bay a few miles from the town. Then we ventured into town, leaving our dinghies on the beach and taking a taxi together. In town, we met Norm and Janet Goldie, a pair of ex-pat New Yorkers who have lived in San Blas for over 30 yrs. Norm runs the cruiser and fisherman Nets on VHF & Single-side band. He's a remarkable man with a huge heart, so big that he's now on heart medication, unfortunately. He helps all the cruisers with any and all questions. He and Jan welcome everyone into their home and each sign his book. He says that he has met over 3000 boats that have come through the estuary there in San Blas. The village is inhabited by almost 10,000 residents and the shrimping fleet. We enjoyed some really nice restaurants, each night meeting all the cruisers in the main square and deciding on a new spot that could handle our rather large crowd. The only drawback to this lovely spot was the presence of 'Jejene' or No-See-Um's. These tiny insects come out in droves at dusk and dawn and it's amazing how big their bite is! Most folks end up with huge red welts all over any skin that's exposed. These pests are vicious! (Cruising Rule No. 6: Never underestimate mosquitoes or Jejenes. You can't be too prepared, bring out the Big Guns. We brought full mosquito suits, we burnt mosquito coils (which worked very well!), we even tried local remedies.) One evening we decided to dinghy into town the long way around from Mantechen Bay to the estuary. Cindy had us convinced that it was a relatively short trip. It wasn't. It took the better part of a hour and the thought of making the return trip after dark was daunting. Jann and I arrived first and waited for 'Windfall' and 'Breathless' to follow. On the way in, Doug's outboard died and he was towed in by Steve and Lucie Lee from 'Breathless' with their super fast dinghy. It was decided that Jann would tow Doug back. Fortunately, 'Breathless' followed close behind, because, just down the estuary, our outboard also died! 'Breathless' had to tow the both of them back into the dinghy landing and then take them back to the boats. In the meantime, the rest of us had taken a cab back around to the bay and were waiting on the Jejene smothered beach for our rescue. Needless-to-say, we got pretty bit up. The following day it was decided that we would all re-anchor in the estuary and attempt to fix our respective outboard motors. We had already heard about the Jejene problem being bad in the estuary, but fortunately we had come prepared with no-see-em netting for the hatch and companionway. We soon found out about the local repellent cream and bought some at the Farmacia along with Hydrocortisone cream for the bites, which itch like crazy. Jann reacted more than I did, but we both suffered. Norm put Doug together with the outboard mechanic and translated over the VHF for them. The problem was diagnosed and a quick fix was rendered which would suffice at least until Doug got to PV and could order parts. Jann diagnosed and fixed our old Johnson himself. (The fuel line got disconnected and in the dark, Jann couldn't see it!) I'm happy to say that it works just fine. We gave Norm a gift of 3 fishing rods, (Jan is an excellent painter as well as champion fisher woman, but Norm has crappy rods!) This was followed by Norm and Jan giving me a lovely freshwater black pearl bracelet. And, although it was hard to leave we decided to move on. Not so fast! Norm had told another cruiser that we had a sewing machine and did canvas work. So we ended up staying an extra two days for Jann to repair a sail cover aboard 'Komfy' for Mitch and Rise Hart. I also did some fast repairs on their weather-cloths. Jann also tried to repair a sail aboard 'Gratitude', belonging to John & Francie Harvey. The machine couldn't accommodate the thickness of the clew so he couldn't mend it. He sewed up some other repairs instead. At least we were able to pick up some mad money and trade for some much-desired Jimmy Buffet CD's and a working spinnaker halyard block to replace our bad one. 'Windfall' went on ahead to Chacala. We'd meet them there. Before we left, though we were to live through a harrowing experience that we will not soon forget. While we were sewing on the deck of 'Komfy', (a comfortable, roomy Tayana 37), we looked up and noticed that 'SAGA' was right alongside of another big ol' Tayana 37, canoe-stern named 'Que Tal?' The owner, Kent Lewis was away on a day tour of the local coffee plantation, so Jann flew over in our dinghy and Mitch took me over in his. We boarded 'Que Tal?', and with Jann aboard 'SAGA', we proceeded to separate the two boats. 'Que Tal?' had dragged anchor and slid down onto 'SAGA,' coming along side to scrape off some of our newly varnished rail. Fortunately, the damage was mostly cosmetic and when Kent returned, we agreed to let him take us out to dinner and re-anchor the boats at slack tide. Kent was truly sorry and embarrassed. He had only put down 50 feet of chain, and should have had more since the current running through the estuary gets up to 4 knots! (Rule No. 3!) Still, we enjoyed our dinner with Kent and 'Second Wind' and drank to new friends. It takes some strange circumstances to forge new relationships! (Cruising Rule No. 7: Learn how to Forgive and Forget!) We look forward to returning to San Blas and we were sorry to hear Norm announce that he will be giving up his Cruiser Assistance after this year. He says he wants more fishing time. He suggested that Jann & I open a canvas shop and offered to get us work permits. It's not our time, though. Too much cruising to do! Today, we are taking it easy, doing boat maintenance. Jann is trying to chase down a charging problem and I am writing. Later, I'm going to bake a peach cobbler for a cruiser potluck that 'Windfall' and 'SAGA' are organizing for tonight. I've enlisted the help of a local with a palapa on the beach. He'll host it in exchange for supplying the beer and beverages. Should be fun. We've invited all the remaining boats. We had 16 here yesterday! Must be some sort of record. Some have left today, but at least 5 boats are coming in. I'll bring the music. Next, we're off to La Cruz and the Bandaras Bay, PV and the rest. Note: There is a lovely new Café in Chacala, owned by a local and his wife who is originally from Santa Rosa, CA. They also have a very cute toddler. They serve fantastic coffee drinks including Iced Café Lattes, (YIPPY!!) and a healthy and yummy breakfast. All with an incredible view of the Bay.
March, 2000 Nuevo Vallarta The next Big Problemo or breakdown occurred after two great weeks on the hook in La Cruz. We were happily enjoying lots of cruiser parties ashore at Dos Phillipe's and at The Cruise Quarters just down the road. There was a nice presentation of a local Huichol Indian dance ceremony in the town square, some yummy dinners at Hugo's Sidewalk Grill, and even some bus rides into PV to replace the burnt out batteries onboard. Then just as we were taking the anchor up to head south, we found that we had no gears what-so-ever! It was quite a shock. Jann kept asking me to put it in reverse and, no reverse, no-nothing! We got the anchor back down and with the help of our neighbors, made sure it was secure. Then we went ashore to enlist the help of one of the Dos Phillipe's! He contacted his cousin who towed us into the Marina Nuevo Vallarta. Once there, we went about the process of finding out what had happened. ( Cruising Rule No. 8, should be No.1!: Everything will break, ultimately!) Everyone on the dock came out to help us get in and tie up. As a result, we made some great new friendships. This place is in total disrepair. The company that owns it is in receivership and they're desperate to get rid of it. It hasn't been maintained in forever. The Marina office is located in an abandoned building! As the story goes; On opening day, they filled the pool on the roof and the building cracked! So, they could never let anyone move in from day one. Although we were forced to spend a month at the dock everyone refers to as "Marina Sarajevo", (fingers actually fall off on a regular basis), we did enjoy the facilities at nearby Paradise Resort just a short dinghy ride away, including the wildlife, the lap pool and main pool with twin huge water slides in the shape of alligators and really nice showers! When you cruise on 'SAGA,' showers become truly blessed events. They have a zoo at the resort and it's not uncommon to see ostriches roaming free or parrots asking for "Agua" by the pool! It seemed to take forever to get the work done on the engine while we were in Nuevo Vallarta. We got down to PV a bit and often walked into the small village of Jarrettaderas for dinner and each Tuesday morning for the Street Market. This very typically poor town is situated just southeast from Nuevo Vallarta and only a 20-minute walk. We went in a few times with our friends- David and Kathy on 'TAKEITEZ'. These two are also Bay Area folks. Kathy lived just north of me in Marin and David was a Muni driver for many years. He retired on disability after a back injury and bought his Pierson 42' and headed south. He's one of the very few African-American sailors around. David always took his Cajun music with him and would take over the only restaurant in town- the El Farol, belonging to Sn. Herman and his wife, Feliz, the cook. They had a nice cement patio for dinning and we would move the tables after eating and dance, dance, dance. I will certainly miss that, as my cajun connection is headed South and we are going North. We also met a very nice couple who own a ferreterria there, called 'FerraXpress.' Herman speaks some English and his wife is fluent as she went to college in San Diego. They were very helpful with our hardware needs. We were able to purchase some 5/16" anchor chain to replace our very heavy 3/8" chain. Our neighbors were selling it at a very good price and it hadn't ever been used. It was actually more difficult to sell our old beat up chain. We finally traded it for a little dinero and a can of expensive bottom paint. The new chain is much lighter so the stern in down even more than before! During our extended stay in Nuevo Vallarta, I was also able to do some sewing projects: I completed the shade panels for the stern and sides of the sunshade. I made them out of very nice cream-colored 90% shade material that I traded for at Minervas' (the canvas/sail shop in PV.) They took our green shade material that we brought down with us and gave us the cream, even-steven. The finished panels look really good too. I reinforced the corners with some very strong Mylar sail scraps that we picked up in back in Pt. Richmond while dumpster diving. I was also finally able to sew some clothes. I met Pat on 'Fresco' and she gave me a pattern to alter the neckline on T-shirts to a more appealing sweetheart neckline. Pat is a very creative and fun gal who is also trying to work while cruising. I repaired my favorite Bali pants with an (almost) matching rayon pareu I bought. I'll use the remainder as a skirt. We met some very nice folks on A-Dock where we spent the month. Among them are; Michelle and Dan on 'Hot Toddy', Ivan and Bev on 'Pacific High', Pat and Don on 'Fresco', and of course David and Kathy on 'TAKEITEZ'. We sure had some fun with those guys. We were able to borrow a car from our good buddy Mike while he was back at Paradise Marina with Heather on 'Orion'. We took David and Kathy to Guadalajara for the weekend. We drove the 'libros' roads there and took the toll roads back, (3 to 4 hours from PV), except for a stop in the fabled town of Tequila. While in town, we stopped at the Jose Cuervo estates and had a tequila tasting. Very interesting. The surrounding countryside is spotted with blue agave plants from which they distill the tequila. While in Guadalajara, we stayed at a small hotel across the street from the Mercado Liberdad, a huge market near the Plaza Mariachis. Its quite a spectacle in the evening, when all the Mariachi bands gather in the plaza awaiting a gig or just wandering around playing for the diners surrounding the plaza. Rather like prostitutes hanging around the tourists areas; they wait for a large van to pull up, negotiations are done and the whole band piles in! There were literally hundreds of musicians wandering about in their finery. We paid 20 pesos for a bad rendition of Guantanamera! (Well, it was rather late!) Guadalajara is Mexicos' second largest city and it was huge! We visited the main cathedral and surrounding old buildings and one museum that left little to be desired. I did enjoy the drive there and back. We drove through some very lovely back country. Also, while we were stuck at the dock in Nuevo, we managed to catch some of the festivities during the Bandaras Bay Regatta Week. Although we didn't race 'SAGA' (the engine was still out!), I got to participate in all the dinghy racing insanity. (The object of which is not to win the race, but to douse the opponent or anyone else in the line of fire with as much water as one can heave with a small bucket. Jann and I were happy to find a second use for the manual bilge pump as a huge water cannon! (Cruising rule No.5: "Everything onboard a cruising boat must have at least two uses!") It was a true delight to be partnered with David Mills off 'TAKEITEZ' for the couples-blindfolded race. David was blindfolded and I told him where to paddle while I bailed and flung water about! It was a riot! We only hit one stationary boat, and although we were the last to start, we finished 3rd! We must have looked hysterically funny, going every which way but towards the buoy. Jann & I were invited to sell tickets for the main event at the Paradise Resort. This meant that we got in and enjoyed the free food and drink and the National Ballet Folklorico of Mexico performing incredible dances in beautiful costumes. It was a big hit and we're thankful to Pat and Don on 'Fresco' for inviting us. We got the transmission back together and the engine back in. As it turns out, the flex plate had become detached from the fly wheel. The idiot who originally installed it back in Alameda (Svensen's of all places!) had put the washers on the head side rather then the nut side and they ultimately all fell off. Fortunately, it was an easy fix. It only took us a few days to locate the correct bolts and nuts (Grade 8) at a "Casa de Torneos" or "House of Bolts" in oldtown PV. Since we did all the work, it turned out to be a low cost repair. It took forever, though! Now, we're ready to have some nice cruising time up in the Sea with the hundreds of other cruisers that are all headed up that way.
April 18, 2000 San Blas, Nayarit Our first anchorage after leaving PV was Punta Mita. It was quite rolly and we didn't get much sleep. I guess that's why the surfers all love it here! It is the week of "Semana Santa," the week before Easter and all of the resorts are packed with visitors from Guadalajara and further away. We stopped at the resort towns of Jaltemba and Guayabitos on the way to San Blas. The winds were out of the South for a bit, so the anchorage at Chacala was no good. We enjoyed Guayabitos, though it was crowded on the beach. There was only one other boat there - 'Reprise' from Portland, OR. We arrived back in the Estero at San Blas - 2 months to the day from our previous visit. After checking in at the CapÌtano de Puerto, we headed over to visit with Jan Goldie. Norm is off to PV on business, so we will miss our reunion with him. I was quite taken that Jan remembered us. She even recalled that Norm promised me a Huichol sculpture and gave me a lovely deer done in their beautiful traditional yarn art. They are very sweet and I was truly touched. We are the sole vessel in the Estero this time, although there are between 6 and 8 boats out in Mantachen Bay. Most are off to Mazatlan, as we are - manana. Both Jann & I feel as though we are finally cruising now. And, thank goodness, nothing has broken since we left PV. We seem to have everything running smoothly and all systems are GO! We've got the 'anchor-and-get-the-dinghy-into-the-water' routine down fast! Of course, there's still some problems to solve, like the air in the fresh water system hoses which really annoys me and some grommets to put into the bimini top so that we can use the shade panels when underway. Nothing major. It's been nice returning to San Blas. We spent this morning touring around in the dink way up the Estero, It winds around and weaves in and out of town. We didn't go very far, afraid we might not be able to find our way back. We did see some fabulous bird-life. White herons, snowy egrets, lot's of frigate birds and pelicans, seagulls, even a flock of Ibis! Beautiful! Then we spotted an Osprey. Doesn't get better than this! We heard from Jan that Norm called today and said that he has yet another gift for us. I guess we'll have to pick it up on our return later this Fall. He's not due back until tomorrow evening and we want to leave early in the AM. It's on to Mazatlan for our first visit there. It should be about a 30-hr. trip. A long passage, but I feel ready. A couple days there and off across the Sea again back to La Paz, (to meet up with Lauren, Rusty and Lila.) We have heard that it's very crowded in Mazatlan. It should be even more crowded in La Paz. Oy!
April 14, 2000 La Paz, B.C.S. I have to admit that I wasn't really looking forward to our second crossing of the Sea of Cortez. In fact, I think that I prefer the short hops and the destinations to getting there. What kind of sailor am I? 'SAGA' is in La Paz again. We made the crossing last Friday from Mazatlan and had a good day and a very bad day and night. Our first evening out, the Sea was like a lake. It was almost unreal. The moon was just short of full and left a shining river of silver behind us as we sailed due West, trying to make for Los Muertos on the cape. Then by afternoon on the next day, the wind blew from the NNW again and those infamous waves really stacked up. We had winds of 15-25 kts. and waves between 7-9 ft. right on the beam. It was most uncomfortable and I thought it not fair to be in full foulies in Mexico in the springtime! With her low freeboard, 'SAGA' is a very wet boat. Jann was tossed across the cockpit by one really nasty wave and hit his hip on a winch and broke a bimini fitting. Ouch! Needless-to-say, we're glad to be back here in La Paz and can't wait to see my sister Lauren, her husband Rusty and my new niece--Lila who will be here on Friday. They want to go up to the Islands and snorkel with the seals. That should be fun. Let's see what they say after they see 'SAGA'! It's also Race Week and there should be some nice festivities going on. News from home: My brother Mark, is having fun sailing in Antigua! He's there making a film on the old wooden big boats. Jann & I are planning to head up into the Sea in a couple of weeks and enjoy what everyone says is "the best cruising area in the world!" The water is already much clearer here. Much nicer than the mainland coast. But is it HOT! Dry heat, though. Not as humid as the coast. It's been in the mid 90's since we've been back. Nice breeze in the evenings. Jann is doing some wood repair work on a cap rail of another Alberg 35 just across the dock from us. We haven't seen very many since we left California. This one is almost identical except for the interior: Theirs is standard, whereas ours is custom. I made some boat cards for them. Real nice folks. We had dinner with them last night and drank some of our favorite margaritas at 'Tequilas' Bar & Restaurant' in town. They make the best! We all drank too much and played some lousy pool and fun was had by all. Today it's heatstroke for Jann, working all day in the hot sun on their bow cap rail. At least I got to stay in the cabin working on their boat cards. They turned out nice and they really like them. We have discussed many options and may decide to leave 'SAGA' on the hard up in San Carlos and take a much needed break back to the states for a couple of months perhaps with my sister Deborah in Jefferson City, MO. Deb has to have knee replacement surgery, I could help her out and Jann could work some. I can also work and we can put something back into the cruising kitty. No firm plans yet. It would be good to have a break off 'SAGA'. It's been a year now that we've lived aboard. Amazing! We're doing pretty well, I must say. Jann and I are in a good groove and don't seem to ruffle feathers very often. I wish we'd make more time for exercise. It's just such a lazy way of life. We do get good upper-body exercise when we're sailing, and we do walk allot and ride the bikes when we're able, but we both need more. We've lost some weight, but need to lose a bunch more and I need to improve my stamina. Perhaps while up in the Sea, with all the swimming, it will improve. We cleaned up the boat, washed off all the salt, and got her ready for visitors. Lauren, Rusty and Lila have never seen 'SAGA', so we wanted to make a good impression. Lo and Behold, we were so blessed when Lila, in a rare moment of complete nudity, took a compact little dump in the cockpit. (A good a place to poop as any!) Once you've sailed the seas and "sold cars" over the side (as my brother Mark calls the Mal-de-Mer), a little baby poop is nothing. Mom & Pa laughed heartily and goo-gooed at Lila and cleaned it all up. Lila was full of fun surprises and a delight to behold. (It was great to see Sis too!) I kicked right into Auntie-mode and spent the better part of two days being entertained by her antics. She is one smart kid. I let Lauren lead me through one of her wicked water aerobics classes at the resort they were staying in. I was sore for days afterwards. Damn she's good! Their resort is located at Punta Ventana, just at the end of the Cerralvo channel. This place caters to fisherman primarily as the fishing is excellent in these waters. So, except for the drunken and loud neighbors, it's a lovely place, completely separated from the hustle and bustle of Cabo. When we did finally arrive back in La Paz, we had to decide what to do about our visas, which were ready to expire. We asked around and got many differing opinions from as many people. Cost was the major issue at hand so we decided to rent a cheap car (with AC of course!) and make the 1000-mile trip up to San Diego to get new visas. We actually found that this could be a good opportunity to help out our fellow cruisers and announced on the morning La Paz Cruisers VHF Net that we were going up. We offered to pick up a few items and mail from Downwind Marine and other places in exchange for some pesos for fuel. We took along our friend David from 'TAKEITEZ' and headed north. Against the stern warnings from everyone, we drove straight through the night. Although we encountered many cows an a few horses munching by the side of the road, thankfully we didn't hit any. We were stopped by Federales at designated checkpoints five times. Each time, they were very nice as they probed under the trunk and in the wheel wells looking for guns, I presume. They must have been curious about us. They probably don't get to see many carloads of gringo where there is a white couple with a black man. We used those stops as opportunities to rest and stretch, to get drinks and ask them where the bathrooms were (this always got a chuckle in response, as they pointed into the dark scrub brush along the side of the road). We were continuously delighted with the incredible views along the Sea of Cortez side and enjoyed a dinner stop in the quaint town of Santa Rosalia. We arrived in San Diego mid-morning the following day and went straight to the consulate to get our new visas. Downwind was thrilled to give us mail to bring and a much-coveted T-shirt for our trouble. We said, "no problemo!" Of course, we also bought some items that we needed. After all the shopping was done and old friends visited over at Sun Harbor Marina, (our home for 3 months while waiting out the hurricane season last year), we got a room and caught some much needed sleep. The next morning, with the trunk loaded to capacity we turned around and drove straight back the following day. I think we enjoyed the scenery on the return trip even more than on the way up. We saw the huge National Park that spans almost the entire middle of the Baja California Del Norte. It was a surreal sight; miles and miles of huge white rocks and boulders strewn about and some in large mounds piled high. All interlaced with tall stovepipe cacti each sprouting the new blossoms of spring. Each part of Baja offers different desert-scapes. The northern part - green and hilly, now sprouting those skinny tree-like sprouts of the blooming Century plants, the middle - rocky and other-worldly, then the lower coast - sparse and hilly with fantastic views of the Sea. It seemed a long way to go for a day, but we were thrilled by the scenery and glad that we made to trip to see some of inland Baja. This week, we take off north again towards Loreto where we may join in the Loreto-Days festivities. Or we may be lucky and join up with our friends on 'Tauranga', 'Solstice', 'PolarBear' and even 'Duck Soup', find us some secluded anchorage and have some fun in the sun and warm, clear waters. I can't wait.
5/19/00 Coleta Partida We are finally heading up into the Sea of Cortez, towards rough, wild, desert beauty! Yesterday began with final preparations of 'SAGA', then a long, arduous bicycle ride to the CapÌtania de Puerto office to check out. During our visit, the gentleman behind the counter asked us for our passports, which we neglected to bring along, and I was actually considering tears as a means to avoid the ride back and forth yet again! Fortunately, Jann offered up his drivers license which seemed to fulfill the document requirements. Thank goodness we still have those bikes! We took our last warm showers for a while and I checked e-mail and collected a few notes from family and friends. Lastly, we folded up the bikes and brought them aboard. We were ready to go! David Mills, ('TAKEITEZ') came along side in his dink, just as the anchor came up and hopped on for a ride out the channel in order to: (1)say goodbye and (2)rendezvous with our friends aboard 'Reverie' who were just now coming in. We hope to see he and Kathy in the Sea in the coming weeks. 'PolarBear' wrote to say that they were also skipping La Paz, to head directly into the Sea. So, we hope to run into them as well as ''Tauranga.'' I want us all to meet at an area known as Punta Candeleros or Ensenada Blanca. I was told by the gal aboard 'Ojo' who is going to stay there, that it is a retreat center hosting drumming and dancing. Perfect! Our first leg was only up to Bahia Lobos, just past Pichilinque. The cormuel blew most of the night, but we were happy. I fixed beef burritos and beat Jann at Scrabble again. We had a lazy morning and once under way, decided to duck into Partida again for protection from the Cormuels as Bahia Grande might not offer such. Today, the wind is still out of the NE although it seems to be lessening somewhat as dusk approaches. Jann is napping, after a big lunch on Chef Salad. Not sure what I will make for dinner, if indeed we will be hungry at all. We did very little today. Tomorrow, we sail for Isla San Francisco- new cruising grounds- and perhaps some good snorkeling.
May, 2000 Isla San Francisco This is a lovely spot. There are only two other boats in this perfectly horseshoe-shaped bay and very little else. The water is crystal clear, except for a large dark shadowy area nearer to shore, which we later learned was a rather huge schools of bait fish. They move, ever so slowly, around the bay, continually under attack from the diving pelicans. We had a relaxed afternoon and evening, followed by a day ashore, hiking, exploring and taking pictures and meeting some fellow cruisers. The boat closest to shore was a 34' Prout Catamaran, made in England. We were invited aboard for sundowners. Jann & I really like this cat's design. Very roomy for a smaller cat. The family of four aboard come down each season for a couple of weeks, from Colorado. After paddling the dink ashore, we hiked around the rocky shore a short distance before turning back and heading up the steep, rocky hill for a shot of 'SAGA' in this beautiful bay. We stayed two and a half days before pulling up anchor and sailing with favorable winds, north. From Isla San Francisco, we crossed over toward the Baja Coast to Puerto San Evaristo. The next stop was at Puertos Los Gatos, followed by Bahia Agua Verde, which we had heard so much about. There were many boats in Agua Verde when we pulled in. With its three distinct anchorages, there's plenty of room. But, as usual, it really depends on the wind direction, whether or not you'll have a restful stay. We re-anchored once, finally settling in for a few days stay. There is a little village ashore, which is comprised of a few roughly built houses or shacks scattered about with allot of sand in between. There are a few palms and many scruffy trees. I paddled ashore after we got settled and took a walk along the extended beach. Some of the local fisherman were just returning and I watched as a family met one man as he pulled his panga onto the beach. I couldn't see much of a catch, so I didn't bother asking to buy fish. It appeared that they hadn't had any better luck than we did. I sat a watched the scene from ashore, for a different perspective. While we were there, we met some more cruisers, some of whom we had met previously, some new to us. We met 'SeaShell' who's favorite hobby is, (you guessed it!) - shelling! We ran into 'Tortuga' again, (with Marilyn and her husband aboard -from -Svensens in Alameda.) Some of us did an afternoon tide pooling hike along the rocky shore at the edge of the bay. It was quite lovely. Lot's of volcanic rock carved by the sea. It was the first time seeing so many varieties of sea life in one place, including anemones, starfish, crabs, etc. A perfect follow-up, having just completed Steinbecks' - "The Log Of The Sea Of Cortez." Our next stop included Bahia Los Candeleros, Isla Danzante -Honeymoon Cove, and then to Puerto Escondido/Loreto. We found Danzante the most beautiful island thus far. It is a protected habitat. We pulled in with the wind really blowing. Fortunately, from the North this time! There was a spot recently vacated and now available to us to pull into and it offered protection from the northers. Lucky for us! Honeymoon cove is the most coveted spot here. The water was so clear that you could see every detail on the bottom, some 20ft. below! With the abundance of life around us in the water, we pulled out the snorkel gear and joined the fun. There is a large kelp bed along the eastern edge of the cove, which protects many species of fish. On the bottom, lots of rays hide in the sandy bottom and bigger fish swim all around. The island is a protected sanctuary and permits are necessary if one stays ashore overnight. We saw the military patrol boat come to pick up two soldiers that tend the island by day. There were only 4 other boats, mostly located way across the cove from us, so we had this lovely spot virtually to ourselves. We probably should have stayed longer, but we were anxious to get across to Puerto Escondido and re-supply. We had a very mild morning for our trip over to Escondido. We motored almost the entire way. Once inside this entirely protected anchorage, the fun began! Jann apparently wasn't watching very closely, and allowed the anchor to take all of the 200+ ft of chain to the bottom with it! It appeared that the piece of wood installed to prohibit this very thing from happening, must have rotted through and broke free, allowing the chain, (which was not attached to the bulkhead), to just run out. Fortunately, there was no wind, no other boats very close by, and the stern anchor (which had just been hauled up) was still on the foredeck. Jann threw it right in almost on top of the Bruce now on the bottom. He was fit to be tied! So angry, in fact, that he wouldn't even ask for help. Since there were at least 50 or so other boats in the anchorage, I got on the radio to ask if anyone might have a tank and gear to help retrieve it. Our friends on 'Antaries,' (the Gulfstar 50), offered up the name of a local cruiser. We went ashore to try and find this guy, along the way, met some others who gave us another name and then went back to the boat to try and hail him. We finally connected and he got a friend, (a young German guy from Sausalito!) and the two of them joined forces, borrowed a fiberglass dink, our extra 200 ft. of rope rode and proceeded to drag the bottom, some 45ft. down to try and locate and pull up the anchor and chain. Because the current holding anchor was literally on top of the Bruce, we had to rig a buoy onto the rode, put out our third, smaller Bruce and free up the second anchor so that they could drag between the boat and the second anchor, (whose rode was now straight up in the water) without snagging it. It went pretty well. They seemed to snag it a few times only to lose it again. These two worked for over 4 hrs., but finally they snagged the Bruce and the German guy (who was very strong),hauled it up, followed by the 200 ft. of 3/4in. chain. That is one heavy load to haul up out of the water hand over hand, 35-40 feet up! We invited them on board for some lukewarm tea and thanked them profusely! They settled with Jann for $20 each in payment for time and fuel for the dink. What a relief! But I guess it had to happen sometime. We should have been glad that it happened under such fair conditions and good circumstances. Never again, eh? Since then, we've re-rigged the chain. Now, it is attached to a length of nylon line, (which can quickly be cut if such a situation should occur) and that is attached to the bulkhead just under the V-berth, running through two holes drilled into the wood and tied with a real good bowline. It should hold. We were offered the use of a typical Baja junker car owned by some hippies who live aboard a similarly broken down 50-footer anchored in Escondido. We jumped on the offer and drove into Loreto with our rescuers! They showed us where to shop and buy the best helado. We did a modest re-provision and had to have the car back by midday. There weren't many other cruisers there that we knew, so we only spent a few days there before heading on. First, back to Isla Danzante again, but this time our favorite spot was already occupied, so we had to take seconds, which wasn't all that good given the current wind conditions. We left the next day for Punto Pulpito. We were the only boat around and enjoyed the solitude with foredeck showers and some nude sunning. The next day we tried for Punta Conception at the mouth of Bahia Conception. Unfortunately, the wind was on our nose and really blowing and forced us back. At least the sail back to Pulpito was downwind! That still took most of the day. While we were hugging the shore for less winds and to look for possible anchorages, we saw a huge pod of dolphin. On the surface, it looked like a wind line from afar. There was a very dark line headed our way. We turned to get a better look and we noticed that the sea was beginning to boil. As they got closer, we saw what looked like hundreds of dolphins swimming very quickly towards us. They must have been corralling a huge school of fish and they were jumping and diving and eating as they swam. That quickly, they swam around 'SAGA' and were gone. We turned towards Pulpito to wait for the wind to calm or change. By the next day the wind was lessened, but still from the north. We went anyhow, sailing out away from shore and then tacking back in later as we neared Punta Chivato. In fact, we came in at such a sharp angle that the local couple who always greet cruisers who enter "their bay," didn't even notice us until we were anchoring. Mary and Jim of "MooneyBase" hailed us on the radio and informed us where the best spot was to set the hook. Then they invited us over for sundowners later. We accepted of course. They also invited the other boat of cruisers next to us. We really enjoyed meeting these two ex-pats. Jim is an retired rocket scientist (really!) who flies his own twin-engine "Mooney" that they keep in the local hangar in the back. Mary seemed to really enjoy her visits with cruisers like us. This area is mostly gringos. They have settled this beach and built expansive and expensive homes, which are all solar-powered. There is no grid here to plug into and very limited access. The road to the nearest town of MulegÈ is very rough and long, (approx. an hour). Jim and Mary took us there to provision since they were headed to town anyway for some errands. While we were there, we got haircuts from Mary's hairdresser and got a great tour of this old town.
June 10, 2000 Santa Rosalia, Baja We're back here in Santa Rosalia, this time by boat. There is only a small, crowded harbor here filled to the brink with hundreds of colorful pangas. It appears that the entire fishing fleet must live here. I understand that there isn't much else in the way of work around here. We find a spot to anchor just off of the Marina Santa Rosalia docks. We hail the harbormaster and request a slip and he replies that our name is second on the waiting list. After getting the dink in and a quick change of clothes, we row over to the dock and tie up to head into town. The walk up from the harbor is colorful and distracting. There are many people and shops. As we were anchoring, we were hailed by another boat in the marina who invite us to special event for "gringos" at the Catholic Middle School. The students are hosting a "Speak English with the Gringos Lunch!" A free lunch! We're there! The students are shy, but very well behaved and in their uniforms, seemed very well off compared to most of the kids we'd seen in Baja. We sat down and were served by various kids. We engaged as many as we could, simultaneously practicing our Espanol. They fed us some traditional treats such as tamales, tostadas and nachos! Now well fed, we headed up into town to explore. The next day, after one boat departed and the one ahead of us on the list, motored in, we waited for our opening. The night had been ok on the hook, but the morning was not to be believed! It was like awakening in the midst of the Bike Week in Daytona. Suddenly just before daybreak, all of the hundreds of Pangas took off at once. This must have gone on for an hour! The noise was deafening, not to mention the wakes they threw up. We looked forward to a slip and soon. Finally, one opened up and we motored over and docked incredibly well! (It's always a relief when you can make it look so easy!) No sooner had we gotten the dock lines secured, then we saw 'Antaries' motoring into the harbor. When they were close enough, Jann hollered, "Look hon, the Queen Mary has arrived!" We saw them laughing in the cockpit as Don pushed a button to drop the anchor! We hopped ashore and proceeded to rinse off the month of salt we had gathered. After a hour or so of work it was time to take a brake and we noticed a group had gathered at the tables near the Marina office. We headed up to meet and greet. We met a varied group of cruisers, many of whom also had had some tough times. All were happy to be there, I'm happy to report. And so were we. The whole bunch of us, 15 or so, made plans to head into town for pizza at the local Italian restaurant. (The same one that we had found when we drove through last time we were here.) Pizza! Well, it had been a long time since my last pizza, so this was cause for celebration. It turned out to be a lively group and the night slipped by as we eat and drank and yacked. We spent a few days in Santa Rosalia and would certainly do it again. Lots of history and nice folks.
Isla San Marcos -NW anchorage June 22, 2000 San Carlos, Sonora, Mex. Jann & I are in the final process of preparing the boat for 3 mos. of dry storage here in San Carlos, Sonora, Mex. We made the crossing from Santa Rosalia on the Baja side just over a week ago and from the stories we've been hearing, we had a good crossing. Most of the boats that left after us got into some nasty wind and waves. As it was, we detoured half way across when we heard 'Tauranga' was anchored in a cove 17 mi. north of San Carlos. We altered course and headed into Bahia San Pedro to play for a day or so before all this work! We left 3 days later due to the same winds that were breaking stuff on other boats making the crossing. Finally, as the seas began to lay down, at 0630, we stuck our nose out of the anchorage and said, "On second thought, let's wait some more!" 'Tauranga' pulled out around midday, but they have 52 feet & much more freeboard! So we waited until we saw a shift in the winds and then made a break for it around 1500. It calmed even more as we approached San Carlos, but by that time, it was already getting dark and even with a full moon, we were having trouble seeing our way into the harbor. Add to that, there were no navigation lights lit up on the rocks. So we hailed 'Tauranga' and Marc (Sweetie that he is!), came out in his dinghy and lead us into the harbor with a flashlight! Thanks to Marc and Teri on the lovely 'Tauranga' for feeding us in San Pedro cove, and LOBSTER too! Mighty nice to see you them again. It's REAL HOT HERE! Must be in the hundreds, and it stays hot after sundown. Fortunately, many businesses and restaurants have air-conditioning. The boat is almost ready to haul. It's an amazing feat, watching them haul a full-keel sailboat out of the water without a lift. They use this huge tractor-like thing and a long cable attached to this trailer with padded hydraulic lifts. They bring the boat as far up to the boat launch that the high tide will allow and place the trailer under it. Then they carefully raise the boat, haul it out and pull it down the highway a mile or so to the dry storage yard, with us aboard! They can move a boat up to 60'. Kewl! 'SAGA' goes out tomorrow. Then we leave by bus Friday for Tucson where we switch to another bus and head for Jefferson City, MO. (We got a special "Free Companion Fare.") I understand we get to switch buses 5 times! But hey, we'll get to see the country and leave the driving to them! We get in Sunday morning and my sister goes in for surgery Monday. We're both looking forward to a break from the boat. I'm especially looking forward to a large bed, endless ice, air and a bathtub! (Not necessarily in that order.) I will promise to get the website updated and fixed. We've got some incredible pictures of whales right next to the boat, lot's of dolphins, beautiful sunsets and bloomin' cactus! (oh yeah, I also look forward to unlimited time on-line!) What a pleasant surprise to find an I-Mac at the Internet Cafe across from the Marina! Great food too! Lot's of Gringos here, being so close to Arizona and all. It's been an amazing first year of cruising. Can't wait for the next one. |
