Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas was everything we expected--and once we were rested, we had a great time! On the one hand, it's unmistakably geared towards tourists; there are high end shopping areas, streets lined with local shops (clothing, blankets, jewelry, pottery), and plenty of people approaching visitors trying to sell their wares. Terraces are dug into all the surrounding hillsides in order to plaster them with condos and timeshares; indeed, we saw very little damage from the hurricane, and plenty of new construction going on. On the other hand, it wasn't just geared toward shopping, it was geared toward fun: a wide array of restaurants and water activities, as well as places to simply stroll, created a cheerful atmosphere.

We had some maintenance to attend to, but mostly just enjoyed a couple days of wandering around the town, both the tourist areas and the neighborhoods surrounding them. We were still feasting on sashimi from the dorado, but treated ourselves to a couple of fun meals out. The first was at a very local place off the beaten path, where the owner plied us with extras to try and recommended a marvelous dish that was heated in a bowl made from lava rock. The other was at Cabo Wabo, an iconic tourist spot that is apparently quite the nightclub--long after we've fallen asleep!--but had terrific appetizers and 2 for 1 margaritas in the afternoon.

A lasting memory will be the San Lucas Church, a modest structure nearly lost amongst the encroaching new buildings. Though the doors were wide open, we didn't enter; it was a living sanctuary, with a few individuals praying inside, and we didn't want to disturb them. It was a moving scene...

Before we leave this area, we will anchor outside the main harbor and go explore the actual cape--called Land's End--with its beach and snorkeling areas by dinghy. That will be after I've had internet access, though, so those stories and photos will have to wait until we stop in La Paz, a few weeks from now. 

Condos/timeshares near the Cape

Land's End: the tip of Baja de California peninsula

First meal out in Cabo

Sportfishing boats fill the harbor

Lunch at Cabo Wabo

San Lucas Church

Typical downscale shopping

Typical upscale shopping

Bahia Santa Maria

Bahia Santa Maria anchorage
in morning light

Village in Bahia Santa Maria

Bahia Santa Maria anchorage
in afternoon light 

Sandbar at far end of anchorage

And if we thought Turtle Bay was huge, this bay was ENORMOUS! At over 9 miles long and over 4 miles wide, with just a low sandbar for much of its perimeter, anchoring in Bahia Santa Maria almost felt like anchoring in the open ocean. Most cruising boats stop in Magdalena Bay, about 15 miles south of here, since it is a more active harbor. We were attracted to this bay by its location, and by the opportunity to visit the tiny fishing village and estuary.

The location couldn't have been better in terms of timing our last passage down the Pacific coast of Baja, and the scenery was truly awesome. Sitting in the cockpit, just being in this isolated beauty, was worth the stop. But unfortunately, the wind foiled us again; it was blowing 20 knots during both days at anchor, which we felt was much too strong to try to wrestle the dinghy on and off the boat. We were deeply disappointed; after all, we came to explore, not just pass through! We also didn't know if we were being wimps, or being prudent (though I can say that the panga fishermen didn't go out to check their lobster traps either, so hopefully it's the latter). Since overall we've had good luck with weather, we can't complain about a little bad luck (and as bad weather luck goes, this is nothing!); I'm just hoping that our best laid plans of anchoring/hiking/snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez won't all be derailed like this...

In the meantime, we made the most of the days, interspersing more boat projects (making and installing a couple of shelves for safer storage, painting and rustbusting, etc.)  with admiring the spectacular surroundings. 

Bahia de Tortugas

If we hit Ensenada on a day that was unusually crowded, we hit Turtle Bay on a day that was unusually windy. A wind storm howled in from the east, raising dust and causing the half dozen cruising boats (including us) to check anchor lines and set anchor alarms. Even the local fishing boats didn't go out--a sure sign to stay put. 

So stay put we did. We didn't try to launch the dinghy and go ashore; instead, we spent the day catching up on missed rest, accomplishing a few minor boat projects, and appreciating the village and its desert setting from afar.

Village at Turtle Bay

Turtle Bay windstorm

Passages

Since we'd left the US later than expected and we want to do a lot of exploring in the Sea of Cortez, we decided not to linger in the Pacific Coast anchorages. The first transit (Ensenada to Turtle Bay) was quite pleasant, with clear weather and consistent steady winds. These were our first overnight passages with just two crew on board--3 hours on, 3 hours off, all day and all night--and though we were sleepy, knowing they were short transits (just two nights between each anchorage) made them manageable. We didn't see as much wildlife as we expected--hardly any dolphins or sea birds, no whales or flying fish--but we did enjoy fantastic moonrises & starry skies, and glorious sunrises & sunsets.

Following the weather change in Turtle Bay, the second transit (to the Magdalena Bay area) had very little wind. We didn't like having to use the engine as much as we did--driving isn't nearly as magical as sailing--but the upside was that with no wind and practically flat seas, we felt like we could be safe in the cockpit without lifejackets.  Complete with D rings and tethers (to clip in/attach ourselves to the boat; the best man overboard strategy is to not fall overboard), these lifejackets feel very heavy after a while. It felt emancipating to remove them...

We were glad to set our clocks forward in Bahia Santa Maria, having come far enough east to be in Mountain Time. Our body rhythms feel much more normal when dusk falls at 1745 rather than 1645 (5:45 p.m. rather than 4:45 p.m.). We also realized we can completely lose track of the days of the week! Dates we know--keeping accurate logs ensures that--but unless I'm looking for a specific day for weather purposes, there is no need to know what day it is. Now that's new!

Though we had enough wind on the final transit to Cabo San Lucas, it was the most difficult passage. Even the meager amount of sleep allotted at night was disrupted by changing winds, which meant changing sails. By the time we reached Cabo--one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet--all we were driven to do was take a nap!

My favorite aspect of the passages was having Orion keep me company during my daily two dark watches. We both traveled throughout the night, and I learned to identify many stars by their relationship to that striking constellation.

Art's favorite part was catching fish. He trolls a line tied on to a cleat rather than using a rod & reel, and still catches all the fish we can eat. He pulled in a striped bonito outside of Ensenada, then caught a magnificent dorado on the third transit--4'1" long! We don't know how much it weighed, but it fed us for days!

Another amazing sunset

Scenery en route to Turtle Bay

Big Blue Bowl

Sunrise or sunset?

Cabo San Lazaro lighthouse

Quite the catch!

LEG TWO: MEXICO

PACIFIC COAST OF BAJA

Ensenada

At 0400 on November 12--eager as children on Christmas Eve--we left San Diego for Mexico, docking in Ensenada just before dark. Though we'd already had lots of adventures, we felt the Big Adventure was just starting: heading into unknown territory, just the two of us.

Ensenada is the major check-in point for boats arriving in Mexico, so their procedures are theoretically streamlined. Apparently that just means all the offices for the various forms of required paperwork are in one building, since it ended up taking us almost two hours to officially clear in to the country. [Excerpt--Immigration window: "First you need to fill out Form B at the bank window and bring it back to me." Bank window: "You need to give me Form A from the immigration window before I can give you Form B." I had downloaded the forms from the government website just days before and completed them, but apparently all of those were obsolete!] Fortunately we had all day and had packed a sense of humor, and by midmorning we were wandering the streets of Ensenada.

The town is also a stop for cruise ships, two of which were in port that day. The main downtown area was teeming with people, turistas trying to buy and local people trying to sell. It was a bizarre bazaar; we couldn't help but wonder about the balance between economic boost and exploitation (especially given the number of small children hawking trinkets). Nonetheless, it felt vibrant and festive, and we were impressed  by the overt kindness of many people. We exchanged money, admired the fish market & local crafts, and enjoyed fish tacos from a sidewalk cafe. Our first day in Mexico was complete.

Ensenada Harbor with Second Wind, a sea lion on the dock,
and 2 cruise ships

 

Mateos Blvd 

Ensenada fish market

Statue by the marina

Off to Mexico!

We are finally going to get to raise the Mexican flag on Second Wind! We plan to depart at 0400 tomorrow morning and will be in Mexican waters by sunrise. The goal is to reach Ensenada (the checkin point) before dark. After that we plan to make a fairly quick trip--about 10 days--down the Pacific coast of Baja, then rest in Cabo San Lucas for a couple of days before heading into the Sea of Cortez. The La Paz area will be our stomping ground in December and January, as we host guests and explore anchorages in the nearby marine sanctuary. The next post will be from Mexico!

Hoisting the Mexican flag

Nancie Lee Lovett Linn

March 27, 1933 - October 26, 2014

One of the stories about my mom that has the most meaning for me is one that I can barely remember personally. I was very young, living in Topeka Kansas, when a tornado warning sounded. Daddy wasn't home, our house had no basement shelter, and Mother was faced with a dilemma: how to protect her children.

The southwest corner of a building is the safest place to be in a tornado, but our house had a television in that corner--at a time when televisions were the size (and probably the weight) of small refrigerators. Her solution: she picked up that TV and moved it to the center of the room, depositing her kids safely in the corner. We all came through unscathed--but when it was over she couldn't move the television back. She couldn't even budge it.

Of course this is a story about a mother's love, and how powerful is the capacity to nurture and protect. But more important, it's a story about overcoming obstacles--about not questioning whether or not something can be done, but simply doing what has to be done. All four of us children have stretched ourselves into places we would not have been able to reach if we had not been taught that our inner strength was sufficient to do anything.

So I thank you, Mother, for many things, and perhaps most for ushering us to those places.

San Diego

We had a delicious sail as we watched Catalina recede into the distance, then floated with the aid of a generous current directly toward our destination when the wind died. We arrived in San Diego at 9:00 a.m. on October 17. The first leg was complete!

San Diego lived up to our highest expectations. We appreciated the balmy weather, pleasant anchorages, and access to anything a boater could need. Many cruisers use San Diego as a staging ground/jumpoff  point for Mexico, and it was fun to be part of that shared planning and excitement. The staff at Downwind Marine was particularly helpful, though I can say we patronized a large number of marine suppliers and technicians as part of our final preparations. We left San Diego with a functioning watermaker, autopilot and communications system--daunting projects successfully completed--as well as a new mainsail & stern anchor and a long list of business items accomplished.

This area is a sailing mecca, and we were treated to the sights of everything from young children getting sailing instruction (Suzuki sailing?) to Dennis Connor's fabled Stars and Stripes. Even better was time spent with family and friends. Bill and Sherril Wood, Allen and Ariana Lemle, and Art's Phoenix relatives all came to visit. It meant a great deal that they traveled to San Diego to see us!

We got to see my family as well, but it was under much different circumstances. My mother had been battling cancer since last summer, and she passed away on October 26. I was already scheduled to go to Wichita to see her; Art came to Kansas for the memorial services, and I extended my stay so I could be with my father for a longer time. Mexico could wait.                                  

Nancie on watch en route to San Diego (the windvane system is steering)

Glorietta Bay anchorage, San Diego

                                                                                                                                             

Art at Point Loma lighthouse

View of San Diego from Point Loma lighthouse; sailboats everywhere!

  

Evening  instruction
near the La Playa cove anchorage

Drilling a hole in the hull (yipes!)

Catalina Island

Catalina Island: after hearing about it for years, here we are! The transit took 20 hours (starting with 30 knot winds and turbulent seas, and ending with no wind at all). This place really looks like a desert island to me; not the flat sandy image, but a huge folded rock with very little vegetation. No longer are we alone, or nearly so; but at the same time, it's encouraging to see so many people enjoying kayaking, snorkeling and hiking.

Inching our way back into civilization (not the "real world", but the other world), we enjoyed a mixture of shore time and simply soaking in the scenery from the boat. As much as I like green growing things, I especially enjoyed the terrain of towering multihued rock faces--oranges, white streaks, green and gray hues. There was much aesthetic pleasure in visually soaking in that landscape. 

We walked around the quaint village of Two Harbors and the tourist mecca of Avalon, and feasted on freshly caught fish. Art pulled in 5 fish from 3 locations in 1 day (quite a return on his one-day fishing license!). 

Most interesting experience: watching pelicans dive for fish in Catalina Harbor. As if they were choreographed, two or three at a time would fly up and around the end of the bay, then simultaneously dive like torpedoes into the water. After a large splash, they would be back on the surface and stretch their necks out to swallow their catch. Synchronized fishing: soar, bank, plummet, float, repeat; we watched them for ages.

Most unexpected experience: watching a group of middle school students get off the ferry with luggage and enthusiasm in equally large measures, I felt an immediate pang of connection. Seeing the eagerness in their faces made me miss teaching for the first time since we left. Pleasures abound in our current adventure, but I haven't forgotten the joy of being a tour guide in the realm of music with energetic students. 

At our last anchorage on Catalina Island, we spent the morning exploring a beach unlike any we had seen before. Rather than sand or rounded monochromatic rocks, this one was covered with stones of all shapes and colors. It was a genuine kaleidoscope, endlessly fascinating. And as we rowed to and from shore, we saw more of the iridescent blue specks we had seen weeks before--and the same color sparkling up from shells on the bottom. We decided the color must simply be the blue of the water when light is refracted from the microorganisms and shells that reflect it.

There are marvels everywhere...

Art & Nicole at Two Harbors Village

Pelicans in Catalina Harbor

Avalon

Cabrillo Beach

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Colorful rock faces

Santa Cruz revisited

We were now in an ideal weather pattern and headed back to the Channel Islands to explore Santa Cruz more thoroughly. At Little Scorpion anchorage, we watched erosion in action: waves breaking into sea caves, sounding like thunder and imperceptively yet constantly carving away the rock.

Next stop was Pelican Bay. We were captivated by the scenery; the bay was smaller, so we were close enough to the etched cliffs to easily observe their beauty, but not so close that we were concerned about swinging into them. There was also more vegetation, so the contrasts were even more colorful. Birds sang in the morning; insects chirped at night; and yes--there were pelicans!

We took another strenuous hike into the surrounding hills and canyons. There are unique species in the Channel Islands, and we've gotten to see rare Santa Cruz pines, silver lotus plants, and plenty of island fox scat (though not the elusive fox itself). A particular pleasure in Pelican Bay afternoons was swimming again; who would have thought we'd be swimming off the coast in October? We snorkeled a bit, but mostly jumped off the boat and swam around: soooooo refreshing!

Lest anyone think this is all play and no work, there's always something needing attention on a boat. All work and no play may make us dull, but the reverse isn't ideal after a while either. Balance is essential, and at this anchorage we found a good blend of completing some maintenance and upgrade projects with relaxing on the foredeck. We went to bed not long after dark and got up in time to see the sunrise; we watched the world wake up, looking forward to starting our day. That  is a good life.

It's hard to believe it's October, though; the weather and the non-academic activities delude us. We can sit in the cockpit in the evening and stargaze in shorts; we haven't been able to do that since we lived in Ashland, and it feels marvelous! Fall is my favorite season, and at some point I will probably miss it. For now, though, I don't feel as if I'm missing autumn, I'm just getting warm evenings back. A fair trade...

After our respite at Pelican Bay, we spent two nights each at Fry's Harbor and Cueva Valdez. The highlight at Fry's was a hike to Diablo Peak--more of a scramble than a hike, since there wasn't a trail to speak of and the route was precipitous. (What do two +/- 60-somethings think they're doing, crawling up terrain like this?!) The views from the ridge were stupendous, though, and well worth the effort it took to get there.

At Cueva Valdez, we were fascinated by the sea caves--large ones accessible on foot from the beach. We explored them one day and were drawn back to them the next, intrigued by the formations and the sea life within them. The anchorage was exposed to ocean swells so the nights weren't as calm or restful as we would have liked, but we felt privileged to have just us and the curious sea lions in that beautiful place. In addition to sunrises and sunsets, we got to watch the full moon rise at night and set in the morning--as James Taylor sang, "so this old world must still be spinnin' round."

One of the main attractions of Santa Cruz Island is the Painted Cave, and it was truly spectacular! It's far too deep to anchor at that spot, so Art stayed on the mother ship (he feels about small dark spaces the way I feel about high ledges), while Nicole and I rowed the dinghy deep into the cave. It's aptly named; dark and light rock faces had patches with orange, green and yellow hues. The cave started out as high as a cathedral and narrowed for 600 feet before ending at a completely dark side chamber. Best of all, it was full of sea lions swimming gracefully around the dinghy and popping their heads--often a dozen or more at a time--out of the water to watch us. What a tremendous expedition!

Our last stop on Santa Cruz Island was Fourney's Cove, at the far west end. It's large and only protected by a reef that is covered with sea lions and sea birds. There were so many birds that the large rocks looked like they were covered with bristles, and the sound of barking and yelping sea lions mixed constantly with the sound of the surf.

Beaching the dinghy in that surf looked nearly impossible (it's cooled down, and we weren't hot enough to want to douse ourselves while landing/launching the little boat), so we admired the long beach and large barren hills from afar--thus saving our energy for the overnight journey to Catalina Island.

Our Channel Islands Immersion was nearly over. We were so fortunate to have had time to explore them in depth; all told we anchored in these islands for 18 days. Though the first part was very windy, overall we couldn't have had better weather. Great hikes, fascinating caves, awesome scenery, lots of wildlife, relaxed afternoons: it was idyllic.

Now this chapter is closing, and we are moving on the to the next. Contentment + anticipation = a fine fusion.

View from the bluff by Pelican Bay

Pelican Bay anchorage

Play day!

Sunning on the foredeck

Geezers on a cliff

View from Diablo Peak

Cave at Cueva Valdez

Second Wind from inside the cave

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     





We're all looking forward to getting back to sea. When I'm on land, I love island excursions and exploring; when I'm on the water, I love the sailing and the process of traveling by sea. I look forward to each, yet always enjoy where I am; clearly that's a good thing...

Fourney's Cove anchorage

Moonrise at Cueva Valdez

Painted Cave

Channel Islands Harbor

There are two parts to the Channel Islands adventures because we had to make a run for the city of Channel Islands Harbor. The trusty Perkins engine had started sputtering while in Morro Bay, and the sputtering got worse and worse. When the engine died completely while pulling out of the Coches Prietos anchorage, we knew we had a bigger problem.

Art's a good mechanic and checked all the primary culprits, especially since low fuel could have clogged the system with sediment from the bottom of the tank. But a careful inspection (changing fuel filters, checking the fuel pump, bleeding the lines and injectors) didn't solve the problem. Art was confident he could fix it--but it would be far easier with power tools & flat water and we needed more fuel anyway, so we headed to Channel Islands Harbor. Fortunately we could sail those 20 miles with ease (great winds,with more dolphins & sea lions as company), but for the first time ever--yes, we knew this would be a trip of firsts, but not this kind--we called for a tow.

Vessel Assist got us safely from the breakwater to a dock, and we actually enjoyed watching the towing process unfold. The skipper was extremely professional and the fee was covered by insurance, so except for denting Art's pride, all turned out well.

Frankly, I was proud of the fact that he was able to identify and fix the problem the next morning [For you mechanics out there, a mystery part--most likely an electric pre-primer--was preventing fuel from getting to the engine. Since it was an unnecessary part, Art re-routed the fuel lines to bypass it, and voila! Or better yet, VROOOOM!!]

Harbor sunset

It turned out to be a good stopover, though the moorage was quite spendy; ouch! Welcome to Southern California; that's why we try to anchor & not stay in marinas...The harbor has wide fairways lined with palm trees--quite picturesque--and was in easy walking distance to a West Marine store (mandatory stop) and grocery stores (we'd used up our margarita makings, so that was a mandatory stop too). Plus a real shower is always more than welcome!

Channel Islands Harbor

Anchor Story

And now for the anchor story...

Second Wind came with a fisherman's anchor (the old-fashioned kind, with "curved spades"), which we planned to use as a stern anchor. In general, boats anchor from the bow, but stern anchors are sometimes deployed to keep the boat from swinging onto rocks or into other boats. NW cruisers sometimes use a stern line tied to a tree/rock on shore, but rarely if ever use a stern anchor, so this was our first time to use one.

Art tied a firm bowline on a sturdy line and tossed it over--and within moments, the knot released! The anchor was in the sand in 30' of water, unattached to the boat. 

We'd had a bowline--one of the strongest possible knots--release underwater a few years ago, but thought it had more to do with the type of line than the knot itself. Veteran mariners are probably rolling their eyes at this, but we didn't realize a bowline can loosen in water regardless of the type of line (probably because it isn't under load).

Fortunately the water was crystal clear, so Art donned his wetsuit and went "fishing". When he spotted the anchor, he snagged it with a contraption comprised of a fishing rod, a 1-pound ball on a line, and an 80-pound test line. It took all three of us hauling it up from the dinghy, with the spool of line breaking in the process, but haul it up we did! Even the neighboring cruisers were impressed with Art's ingenuity.

Unfortunately the story doesn't end there. Several days later when we deployed that anchor, it somehow broke free in the middle of the night. We retrieved all of our connecting hardware, so we suspect the old shackle snapped. That time the anchor was in 60' of water, and after swinging on our primary anchor for several hours, looking for it would have been the proverbial needle in a haystack. Sad as it was,

Art's "catch" (I did not serve this one for dinner)

we let the old fisherman's anchor rest in peace at the bottom of the sea.

Anchors aweigh? Anchor's away...