Hurricane Hole

Is a Storm on the Way?

Once we decided to leave Norwegian Steam in Mexico for the summer, we had to find a hurricane hole. This was a complex decision. Our insurance says NS must spend the summer north of 24 degrees latitude, which means La Paz or some place farther north. Since we really like La Paz, the choice of port was easy, but then we needed to choose a marina or a dry storage yard. Many people opt for dry storage, but we decided to avoid that because the extreme heat inside of a boat out of the water in the tropics can actually do a lot of damage.  In the end, we decide to keep NS in the water at Marina Costa Baja, which appeared to us to be the very best hurricane hole in western Mexico. It is also more expensive than any other marina in La Paz, but we decided that peace of mind was worth the higher price. In any case, paying a 30% premium for four months still comes to just a fraction of what we pay for insurance.

Strolling in Marina Costa Baja

The docks at Marina Costa Baja are very new and in excellent condition. They were built by Bellingham Marine of Bellingham, Washington, and are similar to those at Squalicum Harbor in that fair city as well as those at Shilshole Bay Marina, in Seattle, so they are what we are used to. Very reassuring.

Costa Baja has an outer harbor and an inner harbor. The small boats go into the inner harbor and that's where NS is. The inner harbor affords the greatest protection from hurricanes.

Great Landscaping at Marina Costa Baja

NS is moored at 24 12.940 N, 110 17.940 W. Check this out with Google Earth or some similar tool and you will see that she is more than a half a nautical mile from open water. The inner harbor is protected by high hills to the North and the East, and the height of the land to the west and south is at least a dozen feet.

NS arrived at Costa Baja on 6/30/2011. We had intended to get her settled a month earlier, but while moored in Marina de la Paz in preparation for the move to Costa Baja, we came across an opportunity we could not ignore. Two local craftsmen, Geovane and Alberto, worked six days a week for a month to completely redo all of the exterior teak and repaint the deck and the exterior of the cabin. This is something that would have taken me a whole summer. I know. That's how I spent a summer a few years ago. NS looks great. In fact, she has never looked better. And the deck is safer because it has a new application of non-skid granules.

Some Neighbors of Marina de la Paz

The painting and refinishing work was done while NS was in the water at Marina de la Paz rather than Costa Baja because the latter does not allow maintenance to be performed on the exterior of boats at their docks, except for cleaning. Sally went home to Seattle in early June, leaving Alan to oversee the work and prepare NS for the hurricane season. Having to stay longer at Marina de la Paz turned out to be a good thing, because that marina is really a lot more fun than Costa Baja. Marina de la Paz is within walking distance of central La Paz, with its many restaurants and stores. Costa Baja is very isolated. There are several good restaurants and a mini-market, but that's all. The mini-market offers junk food, drinks, ice, and a few pricey luxury items. No fruit. No vegetables. You can't even buy limes for your margaritas!

Hurricane preparation includes removing from the deck anything that could blow away or crash around. That includes all sails, although I have left the main sail furled on its boom because removal and subsequent reinstallation would have required a lot of effort. Instead, I bound it up very tightly, using 150 feet of line and a lashing technique known as Swedish Furling. I think it should be safe enough. I also made all new dock lines from a coil of 5/8" nylon 3-strand that NS had been carrying around but never used.

It is getting very hot here. The temperature exceeds 100 degrees Farenheit almost every day, cools down a bit at night, but is still above 80 in the morning. The humidity is starting to edge up and there are now more flies and mosquitos. It is finally unbearable even for a boy who grew up in the midwest and spent two years in West Africa. Time to leave! Alan will be home in Seattle Monday night, July 18. 

The current position of Norwegian Steam, in Google Earth format, is  24 12.940 N, 110 17.940 W.

San Francisco is Not Just a City by the Bay

On leaving Aqua Verde on May 13, we again saw hundreds and hundreds of dolphins. This time there were two groups. The largest was traveling north, and kept leaping out of the water over and over again for miles. Those traveling south got closer to the boat and some swam with us for a couple of minutes, but this time they stayed mostly just under the surface of the water without much leaping. Still incredible, though.

We anchored at Timbabiche (25 16.221'N, 110 56.383'W). We rowed to shore and set out in quest of ice and an up-close view of the "Casa Grande," an impressive ruin noted in our Sea of Cortez cruisers' guidebook. The Casa Grande (large house) was built early in the last century by a pearl fisherman who struck it rich upon harvesting a large, rare, green pearl. The place may have been a marvel for its day and location, but all that remains is a shell which stands out against the surrounding landscape as you cruise into the bay. The pearl industry died sixty years ago and now Timbabiche subsists by fishing and raising cattle.

Timbabiche sits on a wide sand beach, nearly two miles long. Unfortunately the beach is a mess, with flotsom and trash everywhere and deep ruts from truck tires as the locals drive the beach to get to and from the fish camp. We walked what seemed like miles down the beach and then down a sand and dirt "road," through roaming cows (and even a bull) on our way to the village, which turned out to be a scattering of shacks and fences constructed of tree limbs strung together with barbed-wire, and a few small geodesic-type buildings. The latter, one of which appeared to be a school, probably were built from kits and were the most interesting things in the town. We saw virtually no people, except the toothless man we hailed from his "porch" fifty feet from Casa Grande to ask if there was a tienda. We could barely understand his inarticulate reply, but we did find the "store," which made those with the bare essentials in San Evaristo and Agua Verde look like supermarkets by comparison. We got a few bananas and an orange soft drink. No diet coke though and, unfortunately, no ice.

Leaving Timbabiche at First Light

The next day we went to San Evaristo, under sail most of the way, which was a real treat. We anchored at (24 54.596'N, 110 42.372'W), more or less the same place we anchored for three days in April, when we were there with Julian and Janet Galpin. We were only a few hundred yards from the small reverse-osmosis (RO) plant on the beach. In April we did not notice any activity there, but this time the machinery was making a loud racket. As soon as we dropped the hook, we took the dinghy ashore in quest of ice and groceries. A fisherman Sally queried said the place to get ice was at the RO plant. This sounded promising, because in April we had obtained some ice of doubtful cleanliness at the tienda across the dirt road from the RO plant.

The plant operator turned out to be very friendly and helpful and when we asked about purchasing ice, he led us into a small room, new and clean, in the center of which was a pile of randomly shaped pieces of ice. He proceeded to scoop 10 kilograms of ice into our proffered plastic bag, using a new and immaculate shovel. Cost for 10 kilos? Ten pesos. We were elated and clearly had become beneficiaries of the RO plant and the presumably Mexican government program that had placed it in this fishing village. On the other hand, when we got back to the boat, it appeared that the racket from the plant as it produced water would go on all night. It was Saturday night in San Evaristo and a party with live music was taking place on the front porch of a house on the beach. With binoculars we could see the musicians, but the sound was spoiled by the noise from the RO plant. Luckily the plant finally shut down at 10 PM.

Norwegian Steam, Anchored in the Hook, Isla San Francisco

On Sunday, May 15, we came to Isla San Francisco and are currently anchored in the bay known as the "hook", at (24 49.232'N, 110 34.082'W), close to the spot where we spent a single night sheltering from a Norther in January, when Jennifer, Andrew, Amy, and Jon were with us. (Too bad we were not able to experience the beauty of this island with them at the time.) Soon after arriving, Sally swam to shore and Alan rowed the dinghy. We walked the beach and crossed a dry salt pond to reach the other side of the island, where Sally swam some more. Sally swam back to the boat with Alan rowing right beside her, keeping very close, because there was a big power boat, possibly Mexican, with three personal watercraft, which were buzzing around between NS and the shore and the other anchored boats. We believe that personal watercraft are not allowed in the park, but perhaps rich Mexicans can ignore such restrictions.

Sally Surveys the World from the Hook

On our second day at Isla San Francisco we hiked the ridge trail at the south end of the island. From the ridge, you get a fabulous view, both of the hook and of the other side. We got some great photos as well, some of which will eventually be added to this blog. We also walked to the light tower at the south end of the beach. We've seen some great blue herons, a number of frigate birds, a lot of geckos (or possibly small lizards, hard to tell), and a sea turtle swimming along very close to shore. We're anchored close enough to row the dinghy in and there's no surf to speak of so we can land without even getting wet feet.
Today we had intended to leave SF, but the water looked so inviting that we decided to stay another day to go swimming. We jumped off the NS deck hand in hand and Alan swam for about fifteen minutes. Sally stayed in the water for almost two hours, and also swam to shore so that she could walk the rest of the beach.

Tomorrow we leave for an anchorage on Isla Partida, possibly our last stop before heading back to La Paz. Not only are we nearly out of diet coke and beer, we also are very low on other provisions, so we are of necessity becoming creative with meals.

Taking Flight

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No Place too Small for a Speed Bump

A P.S. to the post of just 24 hours ago. Still in the green waters of Aqua Verde and in need of more ice, we rowed the dinghy to the nearest shore and trekked up the hot dusty road that runs through the cactus-spotted hills above town. The village is located barely a half mile or so across the water from the anchorage, but we could see there was too much surf there to land the dinghy. The road through the hills turned out to be about two miles, winding back above a valley and a view of the ocean and mountains to the north. Just as we were getting a bit discouraged by the heat, the town came into view, sparser and less populous from above than we had realized when we had come by way of the beach. The only occupants we noticed this time were the goats and their kids. As we approached, I noticed a rag-rug type object snaking across the only dirt-packed, sand-covered road. A speed bump! In this fishing town, someone had taken a hawser (a boat's large mooring line) and fashioned it into a speed bump. If we thought the same objects in La Cruz were a bit ludicrous because the town only had about a thousand inhabitants, at least there was traffic there. In this pueblo of no more than a dozen or so buildings and fewer vehicles, they must just figure you can never be too careful!

We weren't looking forward to the long hot trek back through the hills, picturing ice melting all the way on Alan's back. We were thrilled to learn from the mini market proprietor that we could walk all the way along the beach, if we were willing to climb over rocks and through tide pools in a few places. The walk turned out to be just the ticket -- shorter, shadier, with a sea breeze and an entirely different perspective.
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From Loreto Fest to Aqua Verde

As we had hoped, the bees that were pestering us at our the anchorage at Puerto Ballandra (26 01.112'N, 111 09.880'w) on Isla Carmen did indeed return to their hive at sunset. However, they were back bright and early the next morning, Sunday, April 24, so we retreated to Honeymoon Cove (25 48.380'N, 111 15.390'W) on Isla Danzante. There was another boat anchored in the next cove to the south, about a mile away, so we paddled the kayak over to check it out. The boat, Moshulu, turned out to be from Gig Harbor, Washington. Jerry, a retired Tacoma fire fighter is the owner, and Gail is his crew. They had just completed a circumnavigation of Isla Carmen, so we asked if they too had been plagued by bees. Jerry said at some anchorages they had seen a few but not enough to be a problem. Then he mentioned that he had been a bee-keeper for 20 years and that his tolerance for bees might be greater than ours. He explained that the bees here are after fresh water. If a scout finds salt-free water on your boat, it returns to the hive and signals to others the location of this treasure. That is what had happened to us. A bee found fresh water around our sink, and soon there was a swarm of them lapping it up. He suggested that one way to get rid of them might be to take a cup of fresh water to shore and leave it for them to drink, and maybe they would leave the boat alone. In any case, that would be the humane thing to do, because these bees are really suffering now, at the end of the dry season in Baja.

Although we felt the absence of Jules and Janet this time at Honeymoon Cove, we enjoyed swimming in the warm aquarium-like waters. We were glad to have the respite of the peaceful anchorage before heading back to Puerto Escondido in anticipation of the Loreto Fest. We returned to the port on Monday, April 25, knowing there would be lots of boats coming in for the festival at the end of the week. We had decided we wanted to anchor close to the port offices where the dinghy dock, showers, the Hidden Port Yacht Club, small grocery store and restaurant were located, rather than avail ourselves of the mooring ball which had been assigned to us, at the other of the bay, almost a mile from these facilities.

Some of our Neighbors in Puerto Escondido

We dropped our anchor in a prime spot none too soon. Shortly after we arrived, boats began streaming into the harbor and continued nonstop for the next few days. At the dinghy dock, there was much contention for space, with moored dinghies jostling and bobbing three and four deep. Twice when we were ready to return to NS, we discovered our painter completely untied. Luckily the sheer number of boats and a wind blowing into the dock had kept our dinghy from escaping.

Loreto Fest was held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 29 - May 1. Although there were many cruisers and boats there for just a few days, the stalwarts of the fest were the American and Canadian "locals" with homes or trailers in the nearby beach communities. They organized the money-making events, such as the food and drink concessions, the auction, and the raffle. Monies raised each year go to local charities and to scholarships for local youth. The evening of the spaghetti feed we spent quite a long time talking with Dick and Marcia, two "old-timers" from Santa Barbara who used to be cruisers and are now retired part of the year in Tripui, a small community a mile down the road from Puerto Escondido. Having been present every year since the inception of Loreto Fest 15 years ago, they were a font of information about everything from medical care, to places to cruise, where to shop, and what sights to see. Great people.
Cruisers seemed to be responsible for the music (two nights of good rock and and roll and blues -- we danced the night away) and the games, such as horseshoes and bocce ball. Even though our experience at the latter is practically non-existent, the Norwegian Steam team managed to make it to the semi-finals of the bocce ball tournament, mainly by virtue of showing up when other boats didn't, thus winning several games by default. We found we liked playing the game of bocce ball (petanque, boules, whatever you like to call it) and might continue in Seattle if we can find like-minded players.

Strong Winds in a Safe Harbor

The first day of the Fest turned out to be the hottest day they've ever had, and the last day turned into the windiest. In fact, on Sunday, May 1, the festivities and and awards ceremonies were cut short as the awnings started blowing down and people rushed to their boats, particularly when it was announced that several boats were dragging their anchors. Each trip of the water taxi was full, as many left their dinghies at the dock. Several who did use dinghies ended up flipping them in the strong winds and waves. With our Honda outboard detached and stored safely with the resident diver on shore, we joined the water taxi passenger contingent. We and many others spent the next two days boat-bound, keeping anchor watch as the winds gusted to 25 knots.

Short Lecture about a Fig Tree

Rock Paintings by an Extinct People on the Way to San Xavier

The San Xavier Mission

When the winds died on Wednesday, May 4, we went on a great tour to the San Javier Mission. Our conveyance was a military IMOG, one of the vehicles you normally see manned by soldiers in fatigues with machine guns strapped across their chests. The vehicle drove us right through a hot dusty bumpy arroyo (dry river bed) with no problem, and no seat belts. We bounced through quite a bit of this desert country, saw some indigenous rock paintings and a wild fig tree that grows right out of a sheer rock wall, with roots that extend thirty feet below it, burrowing through tiny crevices in the rock. In the past, the bark of these trees was used to make both paper and glue. We then went to a farm where we made our own flour tortillas and then on to the mission itself, located in an oasis created when the missionaries built a damn in the small river that flows seasonally down the arroyo. The mission is still a pilgrimage destination. Early in December of each year, thousands of the faithful who have prayed for and been granted favors in the preceding months arrive at the gates to the mission, fall to their knees, then crawl the last quarter mile up to the church doors.

Detailing

We left Puerto Escondido on Friday, May 6, and headed back to our favorite spot at Honeymoon Cove on Isla Danzante. Finding that anchorage already occupied, we settled for the small bay (25 47.693'N, 111 15.422'W) about a mile south where we had met Jerry and Gail on Moshulu. There the waters are equally azure and we could see the bottom even at depths of 20 feet. We kayaked around to the other boats in the area, and met some people from "outside Missoula." (Sally thinks all roads ultimately lead back to Montana.) Carol Evans and Bill Wall are biologists from Seeley Lake who chartered a 22-foot sailboat out of Puerto Escondido for a week to escape the Montana weather, which is apparently still winter-like. They said it had been snowing in western Montana as recently as last week.

Good Restaurant and Excellent WIFI at Candeleros

From Isla Danzante we went to Bahia Candeleros (25 43.390'N, 111 14.200W) and anchored in a bay in front of a big resort hotel, where we were able to pick up their excellent wifi signal. We ate in the hotel restaurant, and managed to procure some ice as well. Ice has become our most desired commodity, since our fridge quit working a few weeks ago.

Sally Visits Yellowstone

From Bahia Candeleros we tried some light-air sailing for the few miles to Yellowstone Beach (25 42.529'N, 111 03.117'W) on the Isla Montserrat. The yellow sandstone cliffs of the big open bay are different from anything we've yet encountered. Our mile-long beach walk at sunset took us through acres of shells and a dried seaweed that ultimately hardens to form a thick carpet on the yellow sandstone cliffs. We were the only boat anchored in the bay. No light except for a lighthouse in the distance.

Last night, Monday, May 9, we anchored once again in the beautiful green waters of Aqua Verde (25 31.330'N, 111 04.444'W). We will be here several days, as we continue our leisurely trip back to La Paz. Today it was warm and sunny again, so we jumped off the deck and snorkeled in the nearby rocks, and it truly was like swimming in an aquarium.
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Dolphins Do Smile and the Agua Really is Verde

The Rocks at San Telmo, however, are Roja

We spent three nights in San Evaristo and then the Norther gave way to light winds, so we headed north. We anchored April 12, 2011 at Punta San Telmo (25 19.600'N, 110 57.250'W) and scrambled over the beautiful red rock beach in the gathering twilight. Sally and Julian (Jules) then jumped in the water to cool off.

The next morning, on the way to Bahia Agua Verde, we found ourselves

Sally and Jules Cool Off

surrounded on all sides by what seemed like hundreds of dolphins. Dozens of them took time out from their busy lives to swim and play around NS. For about ten minutes or longer in the exceptionally clear water we saw as many as ten at a time weaving in, out, and around the bow. We could see them so well that there was no doubt they were smiling at us. Gradually their numbers lessened and they receded out into the sea. As if they knew they were performing a grand finale, the last three departed with a flourish,leaping completely out of the water in unison. Jules was lucky to capture much of the action on video, and he couldn't even see the camera screen in the bright sunlight.

We anchored the afternoon of April 13 in Bahia Agua Verde (25 31.400'N, 111 04.427'W). After a respite of only one day, another Norther was predicted and we were very happy to be in a bay with good protection from north winds. When we arrived, the sky was not its usual bright blue, so consequently the water was a bit dark. The next day, however, when the sky regained its normal hue, the water was various stunning shades of green, from jade to brilliant turquoise. Our third and last day there was the same. The visibility in the water was so amazing that two of the three days we snorkeled near the rocky shore just 100 yards or so from NS. (Good thing Julian and Janet had purchased snorkel gear before we left La Paz.)

 A Tienda in Agua Verde

Janet, Alan, Jules and Sally Relax at the  Restaurant

The village on Bahia Agua Verde has a church, two small tiendas (stores) and a restaurant. The village also has has a number of houses with beautifully kept flower gardens, a real feat in the desert climate. We were able to buy ice, milk, and a few other provisions at the stores, but not beer. We were told that in Agua Verde only the restaurant sells beer. Since we were almost out of that quintessential beverage of Mexican cruising, we went to the ordinary house to which we were directed, identifiable only by the wooden "restaurant" sign on the fence. On the front porch was a table with one chair. We decided to drink some beer right there, and then to buy an extra eight-pack to take back to the boat. The proprietor, who betrayed no emotion of any kind, went in search of three more chairs to accommodate us. We drank the only beer available, Tecate Light, served straight from the cans pulled from a nearby cooler. For a cold drink on a hot day it was not bad.

A Unique Life Style

Old Friends, Janet and Sally, Together in Agua Verde

In Agua Verde we encountered one of the most unusual characters we have met while cruising in Mexico. As we sat sunning ourselves on the deck after a swim, a middle aged man with a kerchief tied around his head and crammed into a tiny blue river-stunt kayak paddled up and began a conversation. Originally from Czechoslovakia, he has a sailboat in a nearby bay. A year or two ago he discovered Agua Verde and thought it was the most wonderful, peaceful, idyllic place in the world. So this year, he and his girlfriend have left their boat and are camping for six months in their small trailer on the beach in Agua Verde. He spends his entire day alternately paddling around furiously in the little blue kayak or staying still and fishing from it at the northeast end of the bay. His girlfriend "likes to walk," so as he is paddling she is hiking all the trails in the area. He told us of a hike that goes to a cave with indigenous rock paintings, hundreds of years old. We did attempt the hike, but decided after a mere quarter mile or so that it was just too hot to continue. We went down to the rock beach and explored the tide pools instead. We did see the girlfriend walking on the ridge up above us -- the heat apparently doesn't stop her!

Jules is Training to be a Torch Bearer in the London Olympics

Jules Takes a Rest from his Arduous Training

The Norther was a "non-event" in Agua Verde, although we heard later from the crew of another boat that it blew very hard in Puerto Escondido, 22 nautical miles to the north. When we headed north again we anchored in Honeymoon Cove (25 48.380'N, 111 15.390'W)on Isla Danzante, a lovely bay that has three small anchorages, two of which have room for only one boat apiece. We chose the southern one. When Sally backed the boat down and towards the land to set the anchor, we were no more than 30 feet from the beach and had only four feet of water under our keel. We just fit. This beautiful cove has iridescent green water that is so completely clear visibility goes all the way to the bottom, at least 25 feet down. Looking down, we could see that NS was resting in an aquarium -- we didn't even need the snorkel gear. We saw tropical fish, including many sergeant majors and king angel fish. At twilight, there were a number of round sting rays gliding over the bottom. When the nearly full moon rose, we could even see the marine life by moonlight. After our stays in these amazing bays, we're having a hard time deciding whether Honeymoon Cove or Agua Verde is our favorite Baja anchorage.

Sally, Janet and Julian went swimming in the cove. (Well, Sally swam and swam. The other two just dove in briefly!) Jules rowed to shore, climbed a rock, and scaled a small ridge, within sight and earshot of NS all the while. He came back to report that Isla Danzante is very narrow where we were, and that there is a cliff just over the ridge on the other side of the island, and a view to the east.

Alan Explores Isla Danzante while Jules Rests

With great regret, we left Honeymoon cove late Sunday afternoon, April 17. In the process of hauling up the anchor, I dropped a boat hook into the water. The wind was rather brisk and as the boat hook drifted rapidly towards shore, Julian and I quickly launched the inflatable dinghy. Jules leaped in and started rowing furiously in hot pursuit of the wayward hook. He retrieved it in water that was still deep enough for NS, we motored in and picked him and the dinghy up, and headed out towards Puerto Escondido, only four miles away. For the penultimate day of his vacation, Jules had an adventure as well as saving the day for NS.

Puerto Escondido is one of the marvels of the cruising world. A completely enclosed natural harbor, with the Sierra de la Giganta towering to the West, this has been used for centuries as a harbor of refuge and a "hurricane hole". Now under the management of two Mexican government entities, Fonatur and Singlar, Puerto Escondido offers cruisers a choice of either a mooring buoy or one's own anchor, with showers and WIFI thrown in, at a fraction of the cost of a slip in a marina. It is not difficult to see why some cruisers who arrive here never leave.

The Sun Sets on Agua Verde

We anchored about a quarter mile from the fuel dock, port offices, store and restaurant (25 49.068'N, 111 18.854'W). Being "on the hook" is not as convenient as a slip on a dock, but we are starting to get used to going back and forth in the dinghy and using the dinghy dock. The VIP Porto Bello restaurant which serves tasty, well-prepared fresh seafood is owned by a fascinating man named Pedro Lopez Lopez. He also owns the small port grocery store, as well as a snack shop and a VIP Porto Bello restaurant at the airport. The whole family keeps these places going, earning enough money to send three children through university at the same time. Before starting his business here, Pedro worked for 25 years as a chef in 15 different countries. Being more than just the boss of the food establishments, Pedro is exceedingly kind, helpful, and friendly. He looks like he could be Garrison Keillor's handsome younger brother.

The next great regret is that we put the Galpins on a plane for home on Tuesday. Sharing the NS space with Jules and Janet for two weeks was a treat for all of us, and we would sail with them again any time they want to come aboard.

Puerto Escondido is the home of the Hidden Port Yacht Club, a cruisers' club with a yearly membership fee of $20, which hosts an annual bash called the Loreto Fest. The Fest runs from April 28 through May 1. Today we left Puerto Escondido and are currently anchored (26 01.112'N, 111 09.880'w) in Puerto Ballandra on Isla Carmen. This seems to be a good anchorage except for the fact that there are a lot of inquisitive bees that are continually investigating the boat. We hope they will go back home when the sun sets. We will return to Puerto Escondido in a few days to attend the Loreto Fest.
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British Invasion

Ricardo Amador, Co-Owner of Posada Luna Sol, Greets Janet and Sally

Jules is Training to be a Torch Bearer in the London Olympics

Our dear friends Janet and Julian Galpin arrived in La Paz from London a week ago. They had booked into the Posada Luna Sol, our favorite little La Paz hotel, for a couple of nights and Sally and I did too. It felt good to sleep on land for a change. We introduced Jules and Janet to the pleasures of walking the malecon (the seaside promenade running 7 kilometers along the town), real Mexican food, and the joys of provisioning a boat. The latter included a circuitous tour searching for perfect bananas. These are generally plentiful in this land of banana plantations, but Sally and Janet had only found green ones available in their three-hour foray for provisions into Chedraui (our favorite La Paz large supermarket).

Ensenada Grande

We got an early start on Thursday and headed for Ensenada Grande (24 33.500'N,110 23.868'W) on Isla Partida. As we motor-sailed along, we saw a whale, many sea turtles, dolhins, seals and leaping sting rays. We anchored with several hours of light left, It happened to be Julian's birthday that day, so we celebrated with a spaghetti dinner (sauce made from scratch by Sally) and a cake baked in our a small convection oven (made by Omnia) that can be used on top of our Origo alcohol stove. Lighted wooden matches served as the candles, which Jules blew out quickly to avoid burning the hand holding them. Lots of good cheer, followed by a quiet night at anchor.

In the morning as we sat in the cockpit having breakfast and watching the water, we saw what appeared to be a shoal. Then we were surprised to notice that the shoal seemed to be moving. When it got close enough, we could see numerous yellow fins just breaking the surface of the water. We were being circled by a school of yellow fin tuna. Oh for a long-handled dip net! In the afternoon we went ashore and attempted a hike that would have taken us to the other side of Isla Partida. The path was not much of a path, however, it was exceedingly hot, and we would have had to climb 400 feet. So we cut the hike short after half an hour and just enjoyed the view and the photographic opportunities. This was our first exposure to the waters of the Sea of Cortez in the springtime. The colors were extraordinary, from blue to turquoise to green. Immediately upon our return to NS Sally jumped into the cold clear water with Julian following soon after. Jules tested out his newly-acquired snorkeling gear, while Sally swam to a neighboring boat that had just come in. The boat was a 37 foot C&C named LIberty, manned by Russ from San Francisco. Russ recognized NS and said we had also been anchored near each other in Chacala, some weeks ago.

Sally and Jules Swim in Ensenada Grande

After a day of sea and sunshine, topped off by a solar shower, we retired expecting another quiet night at anchor. This was not to be, however. Perhaps it was the revenge of the ghosts of all of those Spanish victims of English pirates, but El Coromuel struck about midnight. The same local wind, named after Oliver Cromwell or a pirate named Cromwell, which had pinned the Spanish galleons into the coves of Espiritu Santo and made them easy prey for pirates, was blowing down on us, making the bay a lee shore. Sally was so disturbed by the pitching about of the boat and all the clanking and groaning noises generated by the anchor chain and deck equipment that I went on deck to check it out, and at one o'clock it was rough enough that I decided to spend the rest of the night on anchor watch. The winds sometimes got as high as 25 knots, but small waves were breaking all night, causing NS to pitch uncomfortably.

The next morning we raised anchor early and left for San Evaristo, 29 miles to the north, which the cruisers' guide said was well protected from both north and south winds. With a following wind and a beam wind, we made good time to San Evaristo, and again anchored with several hours of daylight left. Having recently discovered that our refrigeration has failed, Sally, Jules and Janet went ashore and managed to get some ice to hopefully hold us until we get through all the cold foods. When we went to bed the winds were light, but by morning a strong Norther was blowing.

The Beach at San Evaristo

Around noon on Sunday, a panga pulled alongside NS. It was Carlos and his two young daughters, Viviana, age 10 and Lluvia, age 8. Carlos had fish and lobster for sale. We decided to buy a red snapper, but no one felt like cleaning it, so Carlos was kind enough to take the fish to shore, filet it, and bring it back. We paid him the amount we had agreed upon, but then he asked for a beer. Luckily we had a couple of beers on ice, so we gave him one of those, plus a couple of cups of some Tang for the girls. They were all very pleased. Carlos was so intrigued by Julian's video camera that he sang a song about the wind for us to record. Very appropriate, because by then the wind was howling. Carlos said that he did not live in San Evaristo but rather in the next village to the north, called Nopolo which is only accessible by boat. He said it took his boat only 10 minutes to get there, but for NS it would take a year. He thought that was very amusing.

Still Training to be a Torch Bearer

After putting the fish on ice, we went ashore and walked up the road to the south. At the top of a hill, we looked back to an impressive panorama. Again that turquoise water and arid land. Everything in breathtakingly sharp detail in the dry air.

Approaching the Salt Ponds near San Evaristo

For dinner we topped the red snapper, grilled in the howling wind, with an onion-red pepper coulis prepared by Sally. With broccoli and wine to round out the meal, it was excellent. The Norther blew all night and continues today. San Evaristo is indeed a fine anchorage, because there is almost no swell rounding the point. We went ashore again today and this time walked north, past the little local elementary school, horses, donkeys, cows, and then some impressive-looking salt ponds with bright green water behind.

The Norther is weakening a bit now in the late afternoon, and is expected to be over by morning. Our current position in GoogleEarth format is 24 54.572'N, 110 42.318'W .
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Aletta's Saga

We arrived in La Paz this morning, 51 hours out of Mazatlan.  The first day we had 10 or 12 knots of wind and were able to sail for about 8 hours.  Although the wind was blowing from the direction of our destination, weather forecasts indicated that it would shift more to the north, a change that would have been much appreciated. The expected wind-shift never materialized, however. It was fun sailing while it lasted. We were close-hauled under main, yankee and genoa-staysail, with Rangval, our Monitor vane gear, steering flawlessly. At dusk, I reefed the main and lowered the yankee, thinking reduced sail would make for an easier night. This proved to be a mistake. The seas had become very lumpy and with less power in the sails NS could make little progress against the waves. We turned on the engine and we began to move in the direction we wanted, albeit slowly. I hand steered for awhile, then decided to see what Aletta could do.

Let me introduce Aletta, our Simrad TP32 tiller pilot:

Aletta

I know that this picture is cluttered, but the TP32 is black and looks something like an over-sized first generation cell phone.  The silvery stick that looks like an antenna is actually a rod which connects the TP32 to the tiller and drives the tiller back and forth.  Notice at the left side of the picture the TP32 rests on a stainless steel block which is attached to the cockpit coaming.  You can't see it, but a stainless steel pin, a quarter inch in diameter, protrudes from beneath the TP32 and fits into a vertical hole in the stainless block. That is how the TP32 is attached to the boat.

You may recall that I named our Monitor vane gear Rangval after my paternal grandfather. I named the TP32 Aletta after my paternal grandmother.

Why both a vane gear and a tiller pilot? Shouldn't one steering mechanism be enough? Well, a vane gear gets its direction from the wind, and if there is little or no wind, it will not work. A tiller pilot gets its direction from a built-in compass, and ignores the wind.  When you are sailing, especially to windward, it is preferable to get the direction from the wind, because then the heading of the boat relative to the wind stays the same and the sails are always properly trimmed.

NS weighs somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 pounds. Usually boats as heavy as NS have wheel steering. There are advantages to a tiller, however. When steering by hand, you have a much better feel for what is happening. It is also easier to attach a vane gear like Rangval to a tiller than to a wheel.

A Monitor vane gear has no trouble steering boats much heavier than NS but the largest available tiller pilot is rated only for boats up to 16,000 pounds. Because the greatest stress on an autopilot comes under sail, I had decided to use Aletta for motoring only.

That  first evening out of Mazatlan, we still had the mainsail up when we started the engine. The main was helping to damp the rolling motion of the boat and probably added a bit of speed, as well.  We were motor-sailing.  I had Rangval for sailing and Aletta for motoring, but up to that moment I only had myself or another human for motor sailing.  Did I want to risk destroying Aletta by making her motor-sail in rough seas? Or was I going to hand steer NS all night long? I decided to give Aletta her chance.

And she did great. Why had I doubted her? Aletta steered NS for the next forty hours, with main and engine. Was this dumb luck or will Aletta be able to continue to do this in the future?

One thing I have learned from coastal cruising here in Mexico is that most of the cruising sailboats are either motoring or motor-sailing most of the time. I had been thinking that when NS got back to Seattle I might invest in a custom-fitted autopilot, which would be much more costly than a TP32. If Aletta can handle the load, we won't have to wait until we are back in Seattle to get a solution to the problem and we will save money. Forty hours is a good test, but certainly not definitive. Time will tell.

Our current location in GoggleEarth format is 24 09.325'N,110 19.582'W