February 1st, 2012 Bahia San Gabriel
Woke up at 8 and had a breakfast of oatmeal and a tortilla with butter. Remember, I already ate the last of the bread. Today is Ed’s birthday. He wanted to try spear fishing this morning, so, after breakfast, I got on my wetsuit and we headed over to a cliff face on the west side of the bay. We took the dinghy and got in the water. The visibility was good. About 40 feet. We were in 15-20 feet of water and there were lots of boulders strewn around the bottom. Ed had gotten a spear gun for his birthday and I have a spear, also called a Hawaiian sling.
There were a lot of fish swimming around, but nothing good to eat. I figured they were hiding down in the rocks. Ed swam down and came up with a nice rock fish. Lunch was secured!
I know fishermen are good at telling tales, but I swear this is the truth. I dove down and hid behind a boulder. I started to swim around the rock as quiet as I could, with my sling at the ready. I saw a nice sized grouper about eight feet away. He saw me but didn’t swim away, just got closer to the boulder. I was within four feet when I let the sling go. Wham! A direct hit right behind the eye. I saw some fish scales fly off of the grouper and then he was gone. I need to hone my spear. It didn’t penetrate.
But I was happy for Ed and I made caviche for lunch. I can’t wait to go back out there and spear fish some more.
After lunch we took a walk to the other side of the Island to a place called Bonanza. I had heard that Bonanza was miles of pristine white sand beach and usually no people around. We thought it was maybe ¾ of a mile to cross the island. Turned out it was three miles a crossed. BY the time we got there, and yes it was a great, wide beach with nobody around, and back, we were exhausted. The wind had changed again and was blowing in from the south, not hard, maybe ten knots. But after the morning of snorkeling, and then walking six miles, I was not looking forward to my kayak ride into the wind, for another half a mile. But I made it, and Terry invited me over for dinner to celebrate Ed’s birthday.
She had made lasagna and broccoli and fresh bread. It was delicious. She also sent me home with a loaf of bread since she knew I had run out. Nice!
Tomorrow I plan to look around the pearl farm and see if I can find any ruins.
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| ancient oyster shells. on the side of the pearl farm |
February 2 2012 san Gabriel and Isla san Francisco
24 degrees 49’.336 n
110 degrees 34’.347 w
This morning I took off to explore the pearl farm. This was built in the 1700’s because the oysters had been decimated by explorers looking for pearls between the 1400’s-1700’s. From what I have been able to find, the oyster beds were everywhere down here. Easy pickings’ for pearl hunters. There was big money to be had for pearls in Europe. This farm was started by a pearl farmer who understood that oysters were getting harder to find. From what I read, this family was very successful for generations, mining the pearls from this oyster farm. Then a captain in the Mexican Spanish war, who had some grievances against the family, destroyed the farm around 1860. No names and nothing else I looked up told me anything else. Sounds like it might be a good story on its own, but it’s hard to find info on local history down here.
At eleven I headed up to Isle San Francisco, about twenty two miles north. The weather has been great the last couple of days, but I think a weather system is moving down from the north. I figured this way, if the wind does pick up, I will be heading with it and not against it.
On the way here I saw lots of whales spouting in the distance. Then one blue whale swam alongside me for about two hundred yards, he was not more than thirty yards out. Then I saw two giant turtles swim by, and quite a few manta rays jumping out of the water. That’s a great day.
I am anchored in 13 feet over sand and grass. It took three tries to set the anchor because of the grass, and frankly, I’m not too sure how stuck I am. I hope the wind doesn’t blow much tonight. Tomorrow I am scouting to find an open patch of sand and re-dropping the hook.
Feb. 3rd, 2012 Isla San Francisco
I awoke with a headache and I’m all stuffed up. The wind did blow last night, so I was up a lot checking my anchor. It held, but I am definitely moving this morning. I took the kayak over to the north side of the anchorage. There is a large cliff face that I think will cut the wind a bit if it continues to blow. I checked it out and there is not as much grass over there. It looks flat and sandy.
I pulled up the anchor and headed over. It is much nicer here. I can see the flags on the other boats in the anchorage blowing. But I am hardly in any wind at all. My anchor buried nicely, I am feeling much better about the boat staying put. I wish personally I felt the same. But I have a head cold. I’m going to take it easy today, no plans except to sharpen my spear and read.
Feb. 5th, 2012 Isla San Francisco
Yesterday I was still feeling under the weather, so I didn’t do anything except read. This morning I felt much better, so I took the kayak to the shore and walked to the other side of the island. I forgot my camera so I’m sorry there are no pictures. But I saw amazing things!. Just kidding. It was another bay just like others I have found. One thing I can say about Mexico is there are lots of white beaches with no people on them. If this were the states, there would be a hotel and condos everywhere.
I did see a lot of crabs by the water. So I felt bad I did not have a camera, but I wasn’t walking back. I decided to go out and try fishing for bigger fish. I have a fish finder on board, and I wanted to use it. I went to the point of the bay and started trolling. There were lots of fish at 50 feet and deeper. But I was trolling on the surface, so once again I was only fishing, not catching.
The wind was blowing once again today. I had gusts to 30 mph last night. I was glad to be in this nice protected bay. The wind has died down now, and I am listening to the super bowl on satellite radio.
Tomorrow it looks like the wind will be laying down, so I am going to the town of san evaristo. I hope they have internet there. I don’t mind being out here alone, but I would like to hear from friends and family.
Feb. 6th, 2012 San Evaristo
24 degrees 54’.490 N
110 degrees 42’.369 W
Today I left San Francisco, where I didn’t see one cable car, or street reaching to the stars,(it’s a song people) and motored to San everisto. A little fishing village nine miles farther north, in an anchorage protected from north and south winds. I had heard that gps charts can be off in Mexico, but I had not found that to be true until today. To get to san everisto, I had to go around five little islands, I had plotted to go between them, with two islands about a mile off the port side and the other three about a mile on my starboard side.
I could see the two islands on one side and the three on the other, but my chartplotter showed me going right over one of the islands. It was off by about a mile. I am glad I don’t travel these parts at night.
It was blowing about ten knots by the time I got here and slipped into the bay. Lots of dolphins came out to greet me on the way in. I like this place. The only real down side is no internet still. Ugghhh!
I went to the market and bought some much needed supplies. Coke, fig newtens, and a snickers. Yes!
I also bought a snapper from a local fisherman when he came into town on his boat. So at least I have dinner for tonight.
Feb. 7th, 2012 san everisto
woke up at 2:20 am to the sound of my bilge pump going off. That in itself is no big deal. For those of you not boat savvy, the bilge is in the lowest part of the boat and all water runs to it. So if I take a shower, or do dishes, the water runs to the bilge. When it gets a couple of inches full, the pump kicks on and spits it out the side of the boat. The bilge goes off once or twice a day. This time, however, it went off again 15 minutes later, then fifteen minutes after that. Now I knew I had a problem. Boats!
I got up and started searching around. I could see water on the floor in the bathroom, so I figured I had a bolt loose on the toilet and it was dripping salt water into the boat. Then it was running to the drain and feeling up the bilge. I put some towels down by the toilet and figured the towels would soak up the small leak and stop the bilge from pumping and I could go back to sleep and tighten it up the morning. So I tried to go back to sleep. Nope. That was not the answer. The bilge continued to go off and I also noticed a not to pleasant smell along with it.
Up again, its three thirty now and I’m relatively awake. I go back into the bathroom and notice that the water is dripping from near the shower area and not the toilet area. I decided to turn the bilge on manually and see what happens. When I did, the bilge water came out the wall and ran down into the floor of the bathroom. Now I know what the smell was. Bilge water is not exactly fresh and clean.
I got out a bucket and a sponge and cleaned out the bilge of all water so the pump would not go on, then dumped that over the side. Now it’s 4:30, I’m going to bed and figure out what to do about it in the morning.
At eight, I started unscrewing everything I could on the wall by the shower. I removed a two inch piece of wood molding and there was a joint. I knew where the water was coming in now. I also knew this was where the bilge pumped to the outside. Now I got to thinking, that back in December, I was tied up to a dock when this power boat came flying into the same area. He threw up quite a wake and the side of the boat bashed against the dock, and it did snap off a small piece of plastic that was attached to the bilge hose. I didn’t think anything of it, because the bilge still worked fine, but now I know that piece of plastic was what kept the hose in place, and it had finally come loose. Sure enough, after I got the panel removed from the wall, I could see the hose just sitting there. So I got another fitting and put it back in place. I’m glad I had an extra fitting.
Ed and I walked over to the salt mines on the other side of san everisto this afternoon, it was a nice walk, and I did remember my camera.
Feb. 8th, 2012 san everisto
Woke up early to thunder and lighting. Then the rain began to fall. That was west of us. To the east was a full moon and a cloudless sky over the ocean, with hundreds, and I mean maybe even more, dolphins swimming just outside the bay. I love it out here. Then the rain came and I could not see anything else as the clouds rolled up the sky and doused the moon. I went back to bed, and awoke at 8 with light rain falling.
We had plans to eat lunch today at the pilapa in town. By we, I mean the boats at anchor here. There were ten of us total who had made arrangements the day before to eat lunch on shore. This is how it works in most of these small villages. You find out who has the restaurant or who has the space, and the inclination, and they tell you what time to show up the next day. We were told to be at the pilapa at 11:30 for lunch. We didn’t know what we were having, there is usually no menu, just whatever they have to fix.
But at ten we were all told, by monitoring the radio, that because of the rain, most of the fishing fleet had not gone out, so there was no fresh fish in town, so lunch maybe cancelled. We all waited around on our boats, as the rain slowed and the clouds started to part. At 11:15 a panga came roaring in and we were told, again by radio, that lunch would still be at 11:30. I could see the fisherman from the panga taking two big fresh fish from his boat and walking them to the pilapa.
As we all headed to shore in our separate small dinghies, I could smell the fresh made tortillas, and see the smoke from the open fire next to the pilapa. The lunch consisted of fresh made tortillas, fresh Pico de gaillo, an interesting pasta salad with corn, and rice and beans. It was delicious, and I got to meet some other boaters cruising in the area. I was told, by one of the locals, that sometimes you could get a signal for internet at the” cactus telephone booth.” I asked where that was and she pointed to the highest cactus on the hill overlooking the bay. She said there were two boulders painted white, and if you stood on those, you could sometimes get a signal. After lunch I grabbed my laptop and headed up the hill. It was steep but there was a good trail to follow that lead right to the cactus and the two painted boulders. What a view, and once again no camera. I got to get better at bringing that. The bad news is no internet. So I still can’t talk to anyone back home. We are really spoiled. I know even when I was a kid, it would have never occurred to me to call home if I was in the mountains or somewhere rural. That was not an option. But in today’s world, I feel so out of touch. I would be perfectly fine out here if I could just make sure everyone in the family is ok. I trust everyone is, but I need to know that they are. SO tomorrow I am heading back to La Paz, or at least to los lobos, where I can get a signal. It should take about twelve hours to get back, so “sea Moore” and my boat “liahona” will head out at seven in the morning. Colleen, from sea Moore, is hoping to hear about a job she applied for in Mazatlan, so she is anxious for internet as well. Currently the wind is blowing from the north and I see lightning off in the distance. Perhaps we will get another shower tonight. I hope the wind continues from the north, because that will mean wind at our backs tomorrow, which is always a good thing on a sail boat.
Feb.9th, 2012 ensenada del candelero
24 degrees 30’.410 N
110 degrees 23’.370 W
What a day. Sometimes things just don’t work out like you want them to. Today is one of those days.
I left San Everisto at seven this morning. Headed for La Paz, hopefully, or Lobos, if the weather was rough. But the idea was to get within internet range.
By nine am I was in 30 knot winds and waves were at six feet and six seconds. By ten, it was blowing almost 40 knots, and the waves were nine to ten feet at three seconds. That is no fun. I had only a reefed jib up and was doing six to seven knots. I turned towards Isla Espiritu Santo, and took shelter at candelero. Now it’s blowing 6 knots and gusting to ten, and I’m in lake conditions. It’s amazing how protected this little bay is. Hopefully tomorrow the wind will lay down and I can make it to la paz.
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