Norwegian Steam: Los Islotes

Monday, January 3, 2011

Los Islotes


Jennifer Prepares for Scuba

The norther having run its course, we left Caleta Partida this morning for a one and a half hour run to Los Islotes (24 degrees 35.8 minutes north, 110 degrees 24.2 minutes west), a pair of rocks just north of Isla Partida which provide habitat for a large number of seals and birds. Los Islotes is a very popular destination for snorklers who come to swim with the seals. The location is unsuitable for overnight anchorage or, indeed, anchorage in anything but mild weather. We anchored in 65' of water, about a hundred yards out from a string of mooring buoys used by the pangas which ferry eco-tourists between La Paz and their seal swimming adventures. These rocks are quite an amazing sight. Their tops are painted white by accumulated bird droppings. The base of the larger rock is the home of hundreds of seals. Between the mild stench of bird guano, the cacophony of seal chatter, and striking scenery, a visit to Los Islotes provides intense stimulation for the senses.

Amy, Jon and Andrew

Andrew and Jennifer started out by donning their scuba equipment, rowing the dinghy in toward the larger islet, mooring it to one of the buoys, then disappearing under water for what what seemed to Jennifer's parents a very long time. They returned to report that scuba was definitely unnecessary for this particular adventure, and soon they returned with Jon and Amy, all equipped for snorkel. Jon described the experience as exciting, Jennifer as awesome.

A Pelican Hunts while Sea Lions Play

Tonight we are anchored in Ensenada el Cardonal (24 degrees 33.1 minutes north, 110 degrees 23.2 minutes west), one of the bays on the east side of Isla Partida. I am blogging, the kids are looking at videos they took while underwater, and Sally is cooking another gourmet meal.

Since leaving La Paz, she has prepared risotto, tuna fish avec noodles, gnocchi and tortilla soup. Tonight it will linguini with a mushroom, wine and garlic sauce. Yum!
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2 comments:

UnknownJanuary 6, 2011 at 9:47 PM
Feliz Ano Nuevo! Hello to all aboard the NS! Shiver my timbers, it sounds like everyone is enjoying the voyage, and I'm glad to hear it. Wish you fair winds and following seas fellow swabbies!

Can you read the blog comments?

-Mark H.
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AnonymousJanuary 16, 2011 at 12:13 AM
I read your comment, Mark. Not sure about those still out on the high seas. Great seeing you tonight! See you across the blogosphere soon.
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Norwegian Steam, the vessel

Norwegian Steam is the name of our 35' sailboat. She was designed by Ted Brewer. About 40 hulls were constructed by Miller Marine on Bainbridge Island, Washington between 1976 and the early 1980s. It is rumored that additional hulls were constructed in eastern Canada. Because many of these boats were completed by owners, there is a very great diversity in the fleet. To learn more about the basic design, you can find information about Ted's Jason design on his web site.

NS was completed by Alan with the help of friends, some of them professionals, over many years. She has been sailing since 2001. She differs from most (perhaps all) other instances of the Jason design in that her mast is 6 feet taller and she is rigged as a racing cutter, with large overlapping staysail. This rig design was inspired by the work of John Illingworth, the great English yacht designer and sailboat racer.

Norwegian Steam, the name

The phrase, Norwegian steam, may originally have been somewhat pejorative. When a vessel was powered by sails or by oars instead of by a steam or diesel engine, it was said to be powered by "Norwegian steam", the implication being that the Norwegians were so poor they could not afford engines for their boats. As time passed, the Norwegians themselves adopted the phrase to indicate a "can-do" attitude or doing whatever it takes to get the job done, even with limited resources or under adverse circumstances.

During the great era of America's Cup racing in J-Class yachts, the term took on a slightly different meaning. Many of the American defender boats had Norwegian crews and thus were said to be powered by Norwegian steam. A website has been dedicated to this bit of history.