Sailing the Dream

(In) Activity for the 2013-14 Cruising Season

2014-03-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

We've been back and forth to the boat, first arriving in the middle of November, 2013. After recommissioning in Marina Costa Baja and spending some relaxing time there, we moved the boat back to a slip in Marina de La Paz. We departed La Paz mid-December to spend Christmas in San Diego with our family. We had an extended stay and didn't return to the boat until the middle of February.We did managed to accomplish a few upgrades before leaving for Christmas. These included installing a multidirectional outside antenna for the Satellite phone; installing a flexible 50W solar panel; and, installing a Sunbrella mast boot around the base of the mast to provide UV protection for the elastic boot wrap.

If the Solbain 50W semi-flexible solar panel proves reliable and efficient, two more will be added on the bimini along with a 100W semi-flexible panel from Go Power! (http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|328|2290044|2290050&id=2485752) which, when all installed should provide us with a peak output of 250W under ideal conditions. The advantage of using these panels is the weight reduction (total weight of approximately 7 pounds total for all four panels), ease of installation (zippered in place) and ability to integrate them into the working canvas covers without having to fabricate and expensive and weight intensive arch for installation. The trade off is they're fractionally less efficient than the hard-framed aluminum panels; they're significantly more expensive per watt; and, the longevity of operation may be less than the rigid panels.

In addition to adding solar panels next season, we also need to replace our two house batteries (AGM Lifeline 4D 255AH batteries). Between leaving them to self-discharge over the summers and then running them flat while the boat was left in the water this past summer, their capacities have been diminshed over the five-years they've been in the boat to the point where they need replacement. We're also hoping to replace the remainder of the white dome lights and the reading lights with efficient LED conversions. Our intial foray into white LED replacement resulted in light with unsatisfactory brightness. We're hoping for improvements to the light output so our halogen reading lights can be replaced, along with the incadesent dome lights.

One further project for this season will be to install a 'smart' battery monitor. We have a Victron Energy, model BMV-600 battery monitor that will be replacing the old 'Professional Mariner' battery tester.

Blueberries in the Sea of Cortez

2013-05-09T18:41:00.002-07:00

One of the things that I have always found to be facinating about the Baja California Peninsula, in general, and the Sea of Cortez, in particular, is the abundance and variety of wildlife one can observe and enjoy. Lacking a working camera has made some of our experiences nearly impossible to capture. We were particularly surprised the other afternoon, we saw two specimens of a jellyfish I'd never seen before.

Once back aboard, we googled blue jellyfish in the Sea of Cortez and were surprised to find that what we had observed is a newly identified species of jellyfish, with the common name of blueberries. Specimens of this species were observed the Sea of Cortez in 2012 and a live jelly was sent to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for identification. It was determined that this was a newly identified species of Stomolophus.

While decomposed specimens were discovered in 2010, it wasn't until last year (2012) that live specimens were examined by experts around the world and they were determined to be a newly identified species. Such is one of the many lures of cruising in the pristine waters of the Sea of Cortez. It truely is the aquarium of the world.

Short Post - Anchorage Video

2013-05-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

This will necessarily be a short post. Our digital camera has decided to finally give into age and abuse and stop working. We were able to spend time out at Isla Espiritu Santo and take a couple of low resolution videos. We did enjoy wonderful weather, clear water and isolated anchorages. While we managed to run out of propane (my oversight) and have problems with our outboard motor, we did see more sea turtles in one of the anchorages (Ensenada la Gallina) than we had ever seen before. It was difficult to determine the total number of individuals, as they would break the surface for only a few seconds to gulp a breath before diving, but at one point we saw five heads simultaneously above the surface.

These are poor quality videos, but do give an indication of generally what to expect at some of the anchorages in the Sea of Cortez. The first part of the video shows the open roadstead at Playa Bonanza, on the south east side of the island. It has a beach over a mile long, bounded by two rocky reefs at either end. The second video was taken around sunset on the western side of the island from the middle cove of a three fingered anchorage. We were anchored in 16 feet of water in Ensenada el Gallo (Rooster Cove). To the north there is Ensenada de la Raza (Race or Humankind Cove) and the turtle filled cove to the south, Ensenada de la Gallina (Hen Cove).

Fabrication of New Boat Covers in La Paz

2013-05-01T07:48:00.001-07:00

The canvas boat covers on Citla are the same as when we purchased the boat. They weren't new then and have been professionally restitched

twice since we've had the boat and undergone hand repair on a few occassions, as well. This is the year we decided we needed to do some major replacement. The plan is to replace the dodger, bimini, the shade piece between these two elements, and the mainsail cover. We're also hoping to fabricate two hatch covers, and sunscreens for the sides of the cockpit. The latter contributes to the comfort at anchor in the unrelenting sun.

During our frequent stays in La Paz, we've become familiar with many of the canvas services here and have had the opportunity to observe the professionals work and see their finished products. There are several good canvas fabricators in town and we decided to go with Danny Gonzalez at Pacific Threads, who is both a sailmaker and canvas fabricator. The process began by contacting Danny and making arrangements for him to visit the boat and see what we wanted. He came by one morning, while working on the catamaran Sun Babies and gave us an estimate for the work.

Our previous experience with buying Sunbrella fabric in La Paz found that selection and availability of colors was limited. To insure that we were able to get the color we wanted, we ordered directly from Sailrite, purchasing Sunbrella, Tenara Lifetime thread (Gore-Tex), a roll of Strataglass 40 gauge vinyl window material, and all the stainless steel snaps and nylon zippers the project would require. We transported all of this to the boat on our trip down with the new rudder. One of the things we learned during our initial meeting with Danny was that now Sunbrella is widely available in Mexico in all colors and widths. While we haven't done a price comparison, we suspect material costs would likely be similar had we purchased the fabric here.

I'd like to pass along a couple of pieces of information shared with us by the professionals which we found useful and may be of interest for others considering replacing their canvas. Durability of the Sunbrella is a function of fabric color. Apparently, due to the dying process, the darker colors are more resilient and wear better than the lighter colors. Also, experienced fabricators will never use the old covers to serve as patterns for construction of new canvas, but will insist on taking measurements directly from the boat. If someone suggests they can construct new covers using the old as a pattern, it's probably a good idea to look for another, more experienced professional to do your job.

Danny began the process by taking measurements of the mainsail cover, followed by removing all the canvas from the stainless steel frames and setting the visual symmetry of the framework. We indicated to Danny we weren't in a huge hurry and he could take his time. At the three month mark, we're finally winding the work down. We now have all new cockpit canvas, side shades for the cockpit, hatch covers and a new mainsail cover. We also had hand rails attached to the sides of the dodger, fabricated by Sergio Galindo (he did much of the welding on the stainless steel bean sculpture in Chicago). While we didn't manage to get much sailing time in during the canvas work, we did take several weeks off to celebrate our grandson's first birthday in San Francisco and to pay our yearly homage to the IRS. There were a few glitches along the way, but Danny remained patient and in good humor; always the professional and perfectionist when it comes to his projects.

One further benefit we received came when Danny found out we had been contemplating fabricating a new custom mattress for our forepeak. He took us to Macias Upholstery out at the end of General Manuel Marquez de Leon. Sr. Macias has been in business for the past forty years and manages a busy upholstery warehouse on the outskirts of La Paz. He has a full stock of foam quality and firmness to choose from and routinely does custom boat work. We selected our foam choice for the underment along with the sunbrella cover fabric with the promise of bringing 2" of memory foam on our return from San Diego to finish the project. We ended up with a perfectly fitted, well constructed custom mattress at a fraction of the cost it would have been in the U.S. We're sleeping on it and are very pleased with the finished project.

Headliner Upgrade

2013-01-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

When we first purchased our boat it was functionally sound with regard to all the systems. We had a complete survey, top to bottom, and verified that the sails, rigging, engine, electrical, plumbing and hull were all in good to excellent condition. However with a boat of this vintage, there were cosmetic upgrades which begged to be made.

One of the most obvious asthetic improvements to be made was replacing the original headiner. While not terribly shabby, there were areas of mildew staining around two of the salon ports and parts of the headliner had lost contact with the hull in the quater berth area, behind the nav station and in the liquor cabinet. Because of the way the original headliner had been installed, it was virtually impossible to replace it using the old upholstery system. Further research led us to Randy Spicer at the Yacht Docktor, who specializes in woodwork, as well as headliner replacement. He suggested going with a panelized headliner. The advantages to this approach is the headliner is designed in several removable panels, making access to wiring and coach-roof hardware simple and allowing for piece-meal panel replacement, should it ever be needed.

Installation of a panelized headliner involves installing furring strips to which each of the individual panels will be attached. These furring strips are glued and screwed into the underside of the coach roof.

The individual panels are made from quarter inch marine plywood, cut into panels to match the coach roof pattern for the cabin. These panels are then padded and upholstered. Industrial grade velcro strips are mechanically attached to both the furring strips with the matching hook side attached along the borders of the upholstered panels.

Wiring holes and dorade vents are marked and cut out of the appropriate panels. After the panels are attached to the furring strips, all lights and trim hardware are installed to the panels. In the case of dorade vents, the screened teak trim covers were installed. The same was true for the mast and hatch trim pieces.

The individual headliner covers for each of the book shelf cubbies were fabricated using the same technique.

Headliner that was used behind the nav station and liquor cabinet was replaced with teak plywood and teak strips.
-------------------->

The following are some photos of the finished headliner and some of the details.

Companionway---

Starboard salon---

Cabin hatch---

Mast detail---

The Heart of Marina de La Paz

2013-01-15T07:29:00.000-08:00

One of the special places in the sea of Cortez is the city of La Paz. First visited by Hernan Cortez in 1535, it is now the capital city of Baja California Sur. For cruisers, the hub of activity in La Paz is located in its oldest floating marina, Marina de La Paz, the second oldest floating marina in Mexico. Founded by the Shroyer family in 1983, its day to day management is handled by Mac and Mary's oldest son, Neil.

The marina is a well designed and well maintained facility that caters to the cruising community. It is the most centrally located of all the marinas to the downtown area of La Paz, close to many businesses and services that cater to visiting cruisers. The majority of the floating docks are planked either using Ipe or Trex. Each slip has its own power tower, allowing for either 30 or 50amp service, potable water and a weatherized plug-in for Internet service (there is also WiFi service available). Within the secure compound of the marina are a full service restaurant, a small tienda, a service that offers help with documents (visitor visas; park passes; TIP's; etc.), a yacht brokerage, a dive shop and a general yacht maintenance service. The marina also provides and maintains clean shower rooms with a second story multipurpose room for meetings, classes and special events. In addition to being supportive of the larger community of La Paz, the Shroyer family also sponsers Club Cruceros de La Paz providing a club house, lending library of both books and DVD's, and an outdoor meeting place for cruisers who are visiting La Paz. The club provides information and support to the cruising community, as well as, outreach events held by the club to benefit the needy communities in the larger La Paz urban area.

While the heart and soul of Marina de La Paz are the Shroyer's, the individuals who provide the day to day service and support of the marina and keep it running also deserve special attention. There is a dedicated team of employees, without whom, Marina de La Paz wouldn't be the special place it is today. The following are photo's of some of the dedicated, professional and friendly support staff. I apologize for not including all the staff, including Mac Shroyer, but those who have been included are the people you most often see.

Mary Shroyer, matriarch of the family business, and angel to both the cruising and La Paz communities.

Neil Shroyer is the day to day operations manager and overseer of the marina. In addition to his marina duties, he maintains an active role in local marine and harbor business. If anyone has a problem to solve, Neil is a valuable resource to consult.

Cyntia is one of the bubbly, cheerful office managers, who keeps track of the residents of the marina, assigning slips and parking places.

Adriana, the other happy co-manager of the marina office, shares duties with Cyntia.

Yolanda rounds out the cheerful and helpful office staff at Marina de La Paz. Three more helpful, cheerful woman are hard to find and they're all here at Marina de La Paz.

Javier is the head watchman in charge of security at the marina. He's there day and night.

Marco is also part of the security team at Marina de La Paz. He generally works evenings and weekends, along with Javier.

Maria keeps the showers and rest rooms spotless and is always cheerful.

Joel is a great boat mechanic. In 2008, he managed to change our raw water pump, which is not located in a great spot for maintenance.

Antonio (Tono) is a work boat pilot and all around jack of all trades.

Abel is another jack-of-all trades when it comes to boats and also manages the fuel dock.

Martin primary responsibility is maintaining the desalination operation at the marina.

Omar is one of the more recent employees at Marina de La Paz. As with the rest of the staff, he's cheerful and helpful to anyone who needs or asks for assistance. His current duties include dock maintenance, including woodworking, electrical and painting.

Ernesto is part of the security team, working the graveyard shift.

Lupe, while not an employee of the marina, provides propane pick-up service for the cruisers three mornings a week.

One of the regular dock visitors who looks for maintenance work is Jacob. He enjoys talking and can be a hard worker, if hired. All the people walking the docks looking for work have to be approved by the marina before being allowed to solicit work.

The Holidays with Our Newest Family Member

2013-01-11T08:38:00.001-08:00

We left La Paz in December and drove back to San Diego for the holidays. Having a new grandchild has become an irrestible draw, capable of pulling us from our cruising grounds. From San Diego, we drove north to Santa Rosa to celebrate Christmas with family. We spent the better part of a week enjoying ourselves at Archer's great-grandmothers house in the Valley of the Moon. It was cool, wet and beautiful. Christmas found the family converging on Gigi's house to celebrate Christmas morning and enjoy Christmas dinner. Sean, Chantal and Archer arrived a day earlier and had settled into the office. I'm taking the grandparents preogative to share a few of the photos taken during our stay.

Great-Grandpa Don and Grandma Cheryl.

Great-Grandma Gigi and Great-Grandpa Don.

Two of Santa's helpers. Great-Grandpa Don and Grandpa Peter.

Grandma Kathie and Great-Grandma Gigi with Archer.

Grandma Kathie and Archer.

Sean and Archer reading.

Good morning from Archer.

Archer trying out his tiger scooter on Christmas morning.

Archer and his uncle Andrew.

Chantal, Archer and Sean on Christmas morning.

Archer in his bumble-bee sweat shirt.

A visit to the Charles Schultz Museum the day after Christmas. Chantal, Archer and Sean (and, of course, Charlie Brown).

Following our return to San Diego, we enjoyed a belated Christmas dinner with the rest of our family and their significant others.

Our daughter, Nicole, dressed for the cold.

Nicole's beau, Mike.

Danica our favorite foodie, followed by her Aunt Mari.

Danica's husband and our son-in-law, Paul, ready for post-Christmas dinner.

The gracious hostess and my beautiful wife, Kathie.

Boat Repair in Baja California Sur

2012-11-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

This is the season we decided to rectify our rudder problem we've been living with since a haulout in a San Diego boat yard in 2010. The boat was hauled out prior to our second trip down the Baja coast in the Fall of 2010. In addition to having our bottom paint done, a new cutless bearing installed and a new stainless steel propeller shaft fabricated, it was noted that there was a small fracture in the fiberglass on the port side of the blade. Rusty water was issuing forth from the fissure at a slow but steady pace. Since there was also a small amount of play in the rudder stock, the yard removed the rudder to allow it to dry and, at the same time, address the small movement.

After removing the rudder and allowing it to drain and dry in the yard, a thin bushing was fabricated and the rudder reinstalled. Returning to the yard prior to the launch, the yard manager asked if the, now mis-shapen, rudder looked like that when it was taken out. I replied that it didn't, but rather a symetrical foil shape. The response didn't elict a reply and the launching went on as scheduled.

Fortunately, there is a company in southern California (Finco in Santa Ana) that still has the jigs for several rudder designs (including the Cal 39) and will fabricate a new rudder when ordered. Three weeks after ordering the rudder I picked it up at the fabricators, loaded on the roof racks of the truck, where it stayed until we arrived in La Paz, when it was unloaded at the boat in the Singlar Marina. Fortunately, we enjoy the nearly 800 mile drive down the Baja peninsula; we loaded the truck nearly to the roof with all we needed for repairs and living aboard this season.

The three day drive to La Paz was inspiring, but uneventful and the truck and rudder arrived without incident. While out of the water, I sanded and painted the bottom, which included three coats of epoxy primer/barrier coat on the new rudder before applying the bottom paint. The rudder replacement work I contracted out to a local yacht maintenance group. Besides doing all around yacht cleaning and maintenance, one of the principles (Arturo) was incharge of the boat yard in Palmira for 12-years. He, his younger brother Sergeo and partner Enrique did a professional job of installation.

Concurrent with the rudder work, I occupied myself in the mid-80's temperatures and humidity sanding and painting the bottom. The bottom paint from last season's job in Puerto Escondido was good, but since the rudder needed painting anyway, we decided to do the entire bottom once again. We went with ablative paint from Comex (AF-30) and the finished job looked good. Now time will tell how well the paint holds up.

The launch, itself, went without a hitch. The old 'dolphin' (metal posts with a marker on top) have now all been replaced with floating red and green bouy markers, making navigating the very narrow channel to the marina much easier. The markers are much easier to spot and clearly indicate the edges of the shallow channel. Last year taking the boat in, the average water depth was around 8-feet and we touched the sandy bottom three times as we search for the 'deep' water. This time went without a problem.

The work we did in the yard took about a week. Hiring out the bottom sanding and painting would have shaved maybe a day or two off that schedule (and saved a lot of sweat, too!). One of the things we did do differently this year was take a hotel room to stay, rather than being on the boat. The room cost was around $38 USD a night, had cable TV (Mexico, Ontario, Canada and Seattle), WiFi, AC and a shower with hot water. While not the Ritz, it was clean and comfortable and provided us with a good place to clean up and sleep.

Overland Down the Baja Peninsula

2012-11-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

No matter how many times I've made the trip down this beautiful, wild and largely uninhabited peninsula, I never tire of the trip. Each time there is something different and this year is no exception. The southern portion of the peninsula (Baja California Sur) received a larger than normal amount of precipitation this hurricane season. While most of the bridges across the normally dry arroyos held up well, there were a few failures due to the volume of run off from the Sierra de Gigante. The most striking effect is to the landscape itself. It has transformed from tropical desert to a cross between a tropical desert and a tropical jungle with cactus.

Our picture's will never capture the beauty and majesty of this wild landscape. Times of abundant rains make this an especially spectacular trip. The development at Juncalito, just north of Puerto Escondido

could have passed for one of the tropical villages on a Carribean Island, rather than a small village in the desert along the Sea of Cortez.

Already acknowledging the photo's will not do the scenery justice, I'll end with a few more shots in a feeble attempt to capture the beauty.

Our Neophyte Sailor

2012-10-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

During the past year or so, there have been life's interruptions to our cruising plans. We've been fortunate because all of these interruptions have been enriching; the wedding of our youngest daughter followed shortly thereafter by the birth of our first grandchild to our oldest daughter. All have been causes for celebration. This post, we'll take some time to share photos of the newest neophyte sailor and dote, as grandparents are entitled. Archer arrived early afternoon of March 20, the first day of Spring, on a cool overcast day in San Francisco.

He's been the joy of the entire family, but the grandma's and great-grandma are over the moon for Archer. Here he is with his great-grandmother, Pat.

Of course there's also Grandma Cheryl and Grandma Kathie who never seem to get enough time with their favorite grandson.

The truth of the matter, his parents, aunts and uncles, all of us, think he's pretty damn cute!

Archer is pretty non-plussed by it all. While he has taken his first hike in the woods around Willits, his sailing adventures will be starting before you know it.

Care and Feeding of a Non-appreciating Asset

2012-10-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

This season will be more illustrative than most when it comes to owning a boat. As the old saw goes: "Break Out Another Thousand"! As is widely recognized, boats are not appreciating assets (as opposed to houses, that is until the housing bust in 2009). Still, it is important to maintain a boat for safety's sake, if for no other reason.

This year we will be replacing our deformed, mis-shapened rudder (The

Foss Company, Newport Beach, CA). Ever since the "rudder repair" we had at the Driscoll yard in San Diego, we've been living with a warped, asymetrical, non-foil shaped appendage in lieu of a proper rudder. Due to both safety and performance considerations, we will be hauling a new rudder south with us to make the replacement. We will also be bringing enough Sunbrella , zippers, Stratglass and Common Sense twist-lock fasteners (all from Sailrite) to have all our canvas replaced. We've had our dodger, bimini and mainsail cover resewn twice since having the boat in Mexico. The canvas wasn't new when we purchased the boat, so it's about time to replace it. Buying the materials here, insures that we get the color of our choice (Sunbrella color selection in Baja can be limited) and takes the trouble out of looking for hardware. We're also providing the Tenara heavy duty thread so this set of covers will wear-out before needing to be restitched.

There are a couple of canvas shops in La Paz with experience fabricating boat covers. We're hoping to be able to use the services of either Danny at Pacific Threads or Doug at Snug Harbor Sails. Both do very good work and will be able to do the fitting on the boat. There is also a modest savings in labor charges by having the work done in Mexico.

In addition to doing the two major upgrades (the rudder and new canvas) we'll also be bringing bottom paint, two-part epoxy gelcoat sealer, replacement batteries for the Nicro solar vents, a 3dB VHF replacement antenna, an ICOM hand-held VHF antenna replacement, new sail ties, mast boot-tape, fiberglass cleaner, wax, Hypalon repair kit and BBQ replacement parts. Since the boat has been out of the water for some time and the new rudder will require bottom paint, we'll be doing the entire boat. Having the boat on the hard also provides a time when cleaning and waxing the hull can be done relatively easily.

We're believers in lists. These days, most things we might need can be found in Mexico. Some of them easily, others not so much. Taking those items we know we'll need from home, saves an enormous amount of "searching" time to find those same things in Baja. This is the reason that for the past several months, we've been compiling lists of things we need to take to the boat and things that have to be done. As we accumulate the items on our lists, they get checked off and are stored in the boat 'pile' in the garage. When it is time to depart, hopefully we will have gone over the lists to confirm that we have all we had planned to bring The plan is to order the rudder replacement a couple of weeks prior to our departure in November; pick the crated rudder up in Santa Anna, lash it to the roof rack on our truck so we can drive it to the boat. With the fabrication paperwork in hand, along with our TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for our boat, we don't anticipate any problems with Customs (Aduana) in Mexico. We'll see how it goes this time around and will be updating as we get ready to head south.

In Memory of Jo Bird and Support of Billy

2012-10-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

All who knew Jo Bird will mourn her passing. She carried the light and laughter of life and infected all around her with the joy. She will be missed by all who had the good fortune to make her acquintance, but none more than Billy, her partner in life and love of his life. The cruising community in La Paz has lost a beloved member of their own. We hope all who knew Jo carry on in her memory by bringing the same joy to life that she so freely shared with everyone she met. Our support goes out to Billy. Hang in there kaikunane and be strong. Carry Jo's aloha forward in your life.

He pua laha'ole aloha, Jo.

What To Do When You Must Leave Your Boat Unattended

2012-10-04T08:46:00.001-07:00

This summer, Citla spent out of the water at the Singular yard in La Paz,

Baja California Sur. It provides a less expensive alternative to leaving the boat in the water during hurricane season, while, at the same time, having the boat ready for a new rudder installation when we return. The monthly storage charge is slightly less in the yard than what is charged in the marina's and there's no routine bottom cleaning and zinc replacements needed while the boat is out of the water.

When you're not cruising full time, or you need to take a sabbatical from cruising to attend to emergencies, the question of how best to leave your boat becomes a concern. Since we've switched to cruising on a part time basis in 2010, we've had to face this question twice during the past two seasons in Mexico. There have been cruisers that have successfully left their boats either at anchor or on a mooring for an extended period without problems. Unfortunately, there are also instances where boats have been lost or vandalized following this practice. While there's no guarantee to insure that your boat will be absolutely safe when left unattended for weeks to months, there are practical actions you can take to minimize your risks.

I'm an admitted conservative when it comes to leaving the boat unattended. While we have friends who have left their boats for days

unattended at anchor, I cannot bring myself to do this. Even in a populated anchorage, as can be found in La Paz or La Cruz, my worry meter rises when the boat is out of sight for more than a couple of hours. Even if over the years, I've only experienced dragging anchor a half a dozen times (one due to 40-knot winds, where more scope solved the problem, and the other times due to weed fouling the anchor over a period of days).

We have no problem leaving the boat unattended for weeks to months in most marinas and boat-yards. For extended absences, we take all the loose gear off of the decks and store it below, locked away in either the

salon or lazerettes. This includes the horse-shoe bouy with strobe light; the lunch hook on the stern pushput; the man-overboard pole; the outboard; the life-sling; and the barbeque. When leaving the boat over the summer, we also take down all the canvas and sails, the halyards, the vang, the main sheet, and the boom (to help reduce windage). The anchor locker, lazerette covers and wash-boards are all locked to discourage petty theft. The propane is shut off and all batteries are disconnected (one or more would be left connected should the boat be left in the water to insure operation of the bilge pump).

If the boat is left in the water, a responsible friend should be asked to

check the boat on a regular basis. Depending on your relationship, this could be done without charge. When it comes to maintenance (washing the decks, cleaning the bottom, replacing zincs), however, you should expect to fairly compensate someone to perform these chores. Most all marinas and many anchorages have local workers who perform these services as their business. Ask fellow cruisers and locals for recommendations and then help the local economy by hiring one or more of these marine service providers. You'll find if you spend any time at all in a particular locale, the best service providers will be well known and easily contacted.

House Sitting in Wine Country

2012-09-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the view we are enjoying across the Valley of the Moon, looking Mount Hood and Sugarloaf Ridge. We're very fortunate to be able to enjoy such great back-to-back house sitting locations. After spending two weeks in Aptos, overlooking the shore of Monterey Bay, we're here just east of Santa Rosa, spending a week in the heart of wine country along highway 12.

While vineyards and wineries are the major attractions in the

Napa/Sonoma area, there are other things to see. Forests, rivers and the ocean are all within short drives of wine country. The oak studded grape vineyards are picturesque and often spectacular to see. The upper elevations of the surrounding mountains transition from oaks (coast live oak, interior live oak, Garry oak and blue oak) and black walnut to Pacific madrones, Douglas fir, California laural and toyon. Continuing into the western coastal range more conifirs are seen, including the majestic Pacific Redwood (the tallest tree in the world). Dropping down the western escarpment, oaks begin to dominate once again with coast silk-tassel and Mendicino Cypress establishing their presence, within the fog belt of the coast. All along the central California coast Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), an invasive non-native, can be seen along the land/ocean boundary.

California Highway 1, running along the coastal area of Sonoma County

is a spectacular extension of what is found along the more well known, Big Sur coast. It snakes along its tortuous route, high above the rock strewn Pacific Ocean below. The coast is rugged and the overlooks are breath taking. The beaches here, a few of which are accessable, have sand that is darker and coarser in texture than the sand found on beaches further south. Beaches along this stretch of coastline are typified much of the year by fog and brisk cold winds from the northwest. While the sun does make an appearance occassionally during the summer, the best beach weather for sunny days is during September and October (but don't expect too much heat).

An montage of some of what may be found in Sonoma County may be found in this video. As contrition for this uninspired post, a suggestion for a superb appellation for red wine enthusiasts. It is a collaboration between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe De Rothschild. The wine is a 2007 vintage Opus One from Napa Valley, bottled in Oakville, California. Sante!

House Sitting in Aptos

2012-09-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

For the second summer in a row, we've had the pleasure of house sitting for an old friend of ours who is traveling in Italy with her Vespa club. She has a cozy beach house perched on the cliffs, overlooking Monterey Bay. The reason for house sitting, besides watering her wild beach garden, is acting as surrogate food providers and boring play things to her two cats, Lexi and Sophie.

The house is in a reverse configuration, with the bedrooms and bathroom down stairs and the kitchen, living space and ocean facing deck on the second floor. The views from the living room and deck stretch from Pleasure Point in Capitola to the north, uninterrupted to Pacific Grove to the south. While we've had our share of fog, overcast and even some rain since arriving, the past two days have been spectacularly clear, sunny and warm. Rising before the sun and putting on the coffee while checking for the ubiquitous pods of dolphin patrolling just outside the gentle surf line measures the start of our day.

Once brewed, it's a pleasant repast to take a cup of coffee out to the Adirondack chairs on the deck, along with the binoculars and check out the activity on the water. Judging from the sea bird activity the sardine and anchovy schools must be making a come back in the bay. There have been vast flocks of petrels and sheerwaters, punctuated by seagulls and pelicans that have been seen making a churning maelstrom of the surface water as they dive for bait.

The sea otter population in Monterey Bay while having made a slow come back from near extinction due to the fur trade, still number less than 3,500 (population range from Pigeon Point, San Mateo County in the north to Gaviota State Park, north of Santa Barbara in the south) according to the last study in 2010 and had been experiencing an unexplained two year decline in numbers. It's a treat to see them floating on their backs just off shore.

An interesting sea otter relationship we see frequently is having the scavenging seagull trailing his sea otter buddy just off his rear paws

(Image courtesy of Tanglewing Blog) . We're pretty certain the seagull profits from this relationship by availing itself of any lost food scraps generated by the hard working otter. Unless the gull is providing a more visible and slower moving shark target, it's not clear that this represents any type of symbiotic relationship for the sea otter.

While we've been here, we've had the pleasure of seeing a number of old friends. In addition to Gay Ann, a friend since high-school, whose house we're enjoying, we've also visited with several other people. Dennis, my old college room mate was surfing at 41st Avenue and came over with another high-school friend, Mike, with whom I traveled overland throughout Mexico and Central America in 1972. Dennis lives in the east bay and has his own dental practice, while Mike lives on his boat here in Santa Cruz and works with a local boatwright making Olympic dinghys. We had lunch with another old high school friend (who is also named Mike) who is living here in Santa Cruz with his wife. He graciously gave us a mini-tour of the area and we're scheduled for a custom tour of Santa Cruz proper later in the week. Sunday night we were treated to dinner at Colin and Sharon's house (cruising friends on s/v Mamabird an Island Packet 38)who we first met at the anchorage in Chacala in 2008. Both are incredibly energetic and entertaining people. Colin continues to impress (and please) us with his culinary skills. We hope to touch bases with both of them once more this week before heading up to wine country.

We'll be enjoying another week here at the beach before heading to wine country for another house sitting gig. This will be in the Valley of the Moon, right in the heart of wine country where our responsibilities will be split between the garden and a playful pooch. We hope to have time to do some wine tasting before heading south and make our preparations to return to Citla.

Recent Upgrades and Musings on Compromises

2012-06-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

While by no means having an unlimited budget for cruising, we're fortunate to be able to afford to make small upgrades to the boat to make our life aboard more comfortable. Last year, in addition to replacing our primary jib halyard with new, we struggled over a decision between solar panels or an auxiliary generator. We opted for the generator. We purchased a Honda EU 2000i based on its compactness, efficiency and relatively quiet operation. The final rationale was that it could provide reliable portable power, on the boat or off. The two biggest downsides to this decision have to do with the dependence on gasoline to provide this power. In addition to not being a green source of renewable energy, the inherent dangers of gasoline on a vessel is always a safety concern. While not being able to rationalize the first issue, we already have gasoline on board for the outboard for the tender, having a bit more for the generator doesn't significantly increase the safety considerations.

The second upgrade made this year was to the depth sounder. We had an old Signet digital depth, temperature and speed module which was beginning to suffer from dark areas on the screen, making it difficult at times to read the depth soundings. The old unit is no longer supported by Signet, so we opted to upgrade to the new SL 250 SmartPak base model that serves at its replacement. It provides the same data as the original model but is capable of being expanded (at a cost) to provide more data using the same base unit. For now, the depth, boat speed, log and water temperature data will satisfy our needs at this point.

The main sheet assembly and line is scheduled for replacement this time around. The traveller, itself, really could be upgraded and replaced, but that will probably have to wait until the boat is back in San Diego in a year or two. The line on the boom vang is nearing its replacement cycle. We're considering going with a rigid vang to eliminate our topping lift. This improvement may be postponed another year.

The final upgrade that is scheduled for this year is replacement of the rudder. For those of you who have read about our rudder delamination and rebuilding issues (see previous posts), the prudent solution at this juncture is to replace the defective rudder with new. Fortunately, the Foss Company in Newport Beach, California still manufactures rudders for our Cal 39 and we plan on using them to provide us with our replacement. Originally we were considering removing the old rudder at the time of haul out this summer and install the replacement when we return in the Fall. However, having the rudder swapped in and out at the same time seems to make more sense.

As was overheard one morning on the dock, the Cal 39 was never designed to be an off-shore cruising boat. It was one of the many compromises between a better than average (for its vintage) sailing boat with a modicum of creature comforts to allow for extended sailing. It wasn't designed with the necessary tankage of the true cruising designs to allow for long range motoring and it doesn't have the interior volume that seems to be considered a "must-have" for many of the retired cruising couples of today. It also doesn't have all the systems that many modern cruising boats are fitted with. However, as with most basic designs, it doesn't require a crew, electronic or hydraulic aids to be able to manage it under virtually all sailing conditions we could expect to encounter.

All boats are a compromise. As pointed out by the foppish comments shared by the self-appointed cruising guru on the dock, there are aspects of Citla that sets it apart from true cruising designs. The fuel capacity for one, is on the low side for most modern cruising designs. The Cal 39 carries just shy of 45 gallons of diesel. For most destinations, that is more than adequate given the boats sailing characteristics. However, bashing back up the Pacific coast of Baja California, against wind, waves and prevailing currents, I felt it prudent to expand my capacity. The compromise I chose was to carry an extra 40 gallons on deck to provide a margin of safety. Not the most elegant nor seaman-like solution (wave wash can tear out both the full fuel cans and stanchions) when compared to designed for cruising boats, but an inexpensive, temporary alternative. Aesthetically, it's not a particularly handsome addition, but it is practical and doesn't require compromises to sailing characteristics that a few of the cruising designs seem to fall prey (of which, the worse offenders are better suited as motor-sailors rather than true sail boats).

Another difference, one that always elicits a great deal of discussion (especially in crowded cruising grounds), is the choice of ground tackle. Chain has its place and advantages. Having all anchor chain usually requires less scope and, therefore, less swinging radius than all nylon rode or chain and rode combinations. Chain is also a superior choice when anchoring in sea beds of rock or coral, for its resistance to chafe. The draw back to using chain is its inherent weight. It doesn't take a very heavy anchor with very much chain before even the fittest of us require mechanical assistance to retrieve our ground tackle. That means the use of either a manual, mechanical or a combination windless. Keeping it simple when it comes to windless choice has its advantages. A manual or combination mechanical-manual unit will always allow for retrieval of your anchor. This isn't always the case with a pure mechanical unit. There are instances where these have malfunctioned rendering the boat unable to anchor, either due to not allowing the chain to be let out, or knowing that once it is released it cannot be easily retrieved. With a chain claw, a length of line and one of the deck winches this, too, can be overcome, but that solution wouldn't be something to look forward to each time it was time to anchor. The other inherent disadvantage to all chain for many modest boat designs is the weight it adds to the chain locker. Larger cruising boats with broader bow entries or chain lockers situated further aft of the bow can get away with carrying all chain without its weight contributing to hobby-horsing when under sail in anything but the smoothest of conditions, which significantly impacts sailing efficiency and boat speed (even under power).

At the other end of this issue are dinghy davits. Boats lacking proper buoyancy in the stern sections can be affected by weight carried aft. Fortunately, with the shift towards designing boats that more nearly resemble sailing dinghies, with their broad flat aft sections, this isn't such an issue. Boats with pinched or narrow stern sections, will be affected when hanging the weight of davits and a dinghy off the stern, again contributing to hobby-horsing and poor sailing performance.

When it comes to these two issues, we choose to be very "un-cruiser" like. Our two bow anchor rodes consist of 30 feet of chain each and 300 feet each of either 5/8" 6-plait or 5/8" three strand nylon. Our stern lunch hook has 20' of chain and 250 feet of three strand nylon. When not inflated, our dinghy lives next to the mast in the cabin. When inflated it either rides on the cabin top, forward of the mast or is towed behind the boat, without motor and oars. For either of these choices, whether all chain or dinghy davits, it's a matter of choice, functionality, safety and comfort. There are no hard and fast rules governing what can or should be done, as long as one is aware of the compromises. Unless you're going cruising with an unlimited budget, there is no "right" answer to most design issues; there are always acceptable solutions, each with its own associated set of compromises.

Summer Nearly Upon Us

2012-06-02T16:16:00.001-07:00

After a short sailing (rudder repair and waiting out the 'Northers') season, we returned home for taxes, births, weddings and graduations. It's time for us to return to Mexico and our sailing vessel, Citla.

We return as proud grandparents (our first!) of a beautiful grandson, Archer. He was born on the vernal equinox, adding to our celebration of the first day of Spring!

We also have expanded our family through the wedding of our youngest daughter. The wedding took place on a beautiful day and portends of good things for the future.

The weekend following the wedding, we were treated to a visit by my wife's cousin and her husband, Michelle and Jim. They were in San Diego to attend the graduation of one of their grand-daughters from San Diego State University. We joined the proud parents, grandparents and friends for a delicious celebratory dinner in Old Town.

Summer is fast approaching, with already two named tropical storms in the eastern Pacific. It's getting warmer as the days pass and it is time for us to return to our boat and prepare it for time on the hard. We plan to leave Memorial Day weekend for La Paz. This should be another short trip, the primary purpose of which is to prepare the boat for summer. Time and opportunity permitting, we also hope to spend some time out at the islands before hauling the boat out of the water. This year, rather than leaving it in Puerto Escondido, we're opting to leave it in La Paz. The facilities at Puerto Escondido are excellent and the staff is friendly and helpful, but the protected location is also a distance from stores and chandleries. Loreto is the closest town for supplies and it's about 28 km to the north. This year we felt it would be more convenient to use the Singlar boat yard in La Paz.

Cruising plans remained as solid as always; we departed San Diego on Tuesday. The delay was a result of a sewing project to customize some inexpensive canvas tarps to serve as a boat cover when we leave our boat on the hard this summer. The old plastic tarps provided the pattern for the various cut-outs (e.g., mast, solar vents, cowls). All cut edges were hemmed with bias tape and 2" nylon webbing was used to reinforce all stress points. Grommets and Velcro were applied to provide attachment points to join the two tarps being used as the cover. A day late we began our drive south to La Paz late Tuesday morning.

As has become our habit, we split the drive three segments. The drive can be done in about 18 hours, if all goes well, but it isn't worth it. We generally try to leave in the morning to cross the border at Tijuana after all the commute traffic has subsided. We stop at Immigration and pick up our tourist permits and have our passports stamped and then head out of town, along the border fence, to Playas de Tijuana and south on the toll road to Ensenada. Given the price of gasoline in San Diego, we filled our tank south of Rosarito Beach for ~$2.85 a gallon. Our first overnight was at Jardines Hotel in the coastal farming community of San Quintin. The hotel has modern clean rooms and is surrounded by luscious gardens, both ornamental and vegetable. It is backed by an orange grove. There are water features in the main hotel garden and the birds seem to come from far and wide to enjoy this oasis.

We departed San Quintin in the morning to begin what is one of our favorite segments of the drive down Baja. We filled our tank in the coastal farming and fishing center of El Rosario before driving east and south into the desert. You leave the community of El Rosario, passing over a bridge that spans the Arroyo de El Rosario, before beginning the climb into the Cardon and Cirio forests to the south. This segment was punctuated with a "stretch" stop in Catavina with its' beautiful rock and boulder formations. We continued south towards the turn off on Mexico 1, to Baja de Los Angeles.

Proximity to Bahia de Los Angeles is first announced by the changing flora. One begins to see yucca trees, along with more Elephant trees. The next stop for us was the border town between the states of Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur (BCS) Guerrero Negro or Black Warrior. Besides being the entry to BCS, it is also famous for the eastern North Pacific population of California Gray whales, who both mate and give birth in the nearby lagoon of Ojo de Liebre or as it was subsequently named after the whaler who first discovered its bounty, Scammon's Lagoon. [As a side note, mid-February until early March are the best times to see these spectacular leviathans in the Lagoon] We made a quick stop for both gasoline and pesos before continuing south towards Loreto.

The continuation of our travels brought us through the date oasis village of San Ignacio. A stop here reveals a beautiful spring fed fresh water lagoon, a now nearly defunct date operation and one of the better restored missions of Baja California, founded by the Jesuits in 1728.

Driving south from San Ignacio brings us across the spine of Baja, down the steep, winding Tres Virgines grade and finally out to the western shore of the Sea of Cortez, just north of the historic mining town of Santa Rosalia the road continues down to the shoreline and then into the town. Rather than stop, we continue south, anxious to make it to the town of Loreto before sunset. The road continues south, mostly out of sight of the coast to the town located on the Mulege River, from which it takes its name. We continue on for several more kilometers south of town before stopping to refuel. A short time later brings us to one of the most spectacular bays along the western shores of the Sea of Cortez. While being developed at a rapid pace, the beauty of Bahia Concepcion still shines through. A little over an hour later finds us at Mike and Julie's Iguana Inn in the historical capital of Baja California Sur, Loreto.

After a great dinner at the Giggling Dolphin, a restful night at the Iguana Inn and a late morning breakfast, we were off for the final push into La Paz. The road leaving Loreto follows the coast on past the cruisers spot of Puerto Escondido (one of the best hurricane holes in the Sea) and then continues south and west up into the rugged Sierra de la Giganta. The rugged moutain scenery is a change from the relatively flat road that follows the Sea from Santa Rosalia to just south of Puerto Escondido. It finally breaks out onto the coastal plane along the Pacific Ocean and heads south through the two farming communities of Constitucion and Villa Insurentes. The ride southward is through coastal desert until it turns east once again to meet the Sea of Cortez just north of the capital city of La Paz. We arrive in the late afternoon with the temperature in the high 90's and the blue skies matched by the azure color of the Sea of Cortez.

At last we're at our home away from home, the sailing vessel Citla. In our absence the boat has collected enough desert dust to qualify it as a floating farm. An hour of scrubbing with the boat brush and water and it looks like our boat again. The challenge now is to locate local talent to drop our old rudder and install the new replacement when it arrives. This will all take place in a couple of weeks when we pull the boat out of the water for hurricane season. In the mean time, we hope to have a couple of good days of sailing before hanging it up for the summer.

Back to La Paz and Winter Weather Patterns

2012-01-15T08:23:00.000-08:00

It's been difficult to begin sharing our travels. Perhaps it's because I know we will be on an abbreviated schedule this season due to family milestones that far out weigh the mundane muses of our travels. There are two events this year that will draw us away from cruising the sea. The first is the birth of our first grandchild and the second is the marriage of another of our daughters. Both coincide with the fair weather in Mexico and both are far more important to us than our time on the boat.

So far this winter, southern California has experienced some warm and sunny weather caused by a high pressure dome over the four-corners area of the United States. This adiabatic phenomena results in an off-shore air flow along the southwest coast of California, accompanied by compression of the air mass as it moves down the coastal mountains, creating warm, dry and clear conditions. For those of us in the Sea of Cortez these same conditions result in a not so benign weather pattern.

That same high pressure ridge over the central western United States also causes airflow southward, across the low lying desert, down the Colorado river basin and into the northern reaches of the Sea of Cortez. While the air is usually clear, it has not undergone any abrupt elevation compression and remains cool. It flows southward, unimpeded along the entire fetch of the Sea of Cortez creating steep wind-waves (up to 10 feet) that are generally at a very short interval (5-6 seconds) creating what are described locally as a square wave pattern.

Winds generally will blow anywhere from a consistent 20-25 knots with gusts upwards of 30-40 knots. These conditions can last for days on end, creating a very uncomfortable environment to exist in and a potentially dangerous one to be sailing in. Most tend to hunker down in their boats to read and play games to pass the time. Depending on the proximity to the nearest land, venturing outside exposes one to blowing dust and sand. It loses it's charm after three or four days of constant blowing. This winter seems to have had more than its fair share of these 'Northers'.

We experienced these weather conditions during most of our stay in Puerto Escondido. Conditions were often severe enough to make it impossible to do any fiberglass work on our rudder. When all the repair work was completed, we also had to wait for a weather window in order to relaunch. Due to the high winds and accompanying gusts, the boat crane operators do not perform boat launching maneuvers during these conditions because of the danger of boats swinging in the crane slings.

After launching we spent a couple of days on a mooring ball in the protected harbor at Puerto Escondido before leaving with our buddy boat, Mingaat (Don Anderson and his Islander 36, along with crew, Captain Mary Campbell) for our trip south to La Paz. We spent three uneventful days covering the 120 nm back to La Paz, anchoring at Bahia San Marte the first night and Isla San Francisco the second before making our final push to La Paz.

The Start to the 2011 Cruising Season

2011-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy summer at home and we're finally ready to pack up the truck and head back to the boat. Citla has spent the hurricane season in the Fonatur boat yard in Puerto Escondido, just south of Loreto, Baja California Sur. We've been away from her since May and look forward to the reunion.

The drive south was uneventful until just north of Santa Rosalia in Baja California Sur. I'm only including this story to counter some of the paranoia and fear many people have regarding the police in Mexico. We had made the descent down the Tres Viregenes grade and were make time (e.g., exceeding the posted 80km speed limit) going south. Cresting a grade, about 15km north of town, I spotted a car about a quarter of a mile on the opposite side of the road. Almost immediately upon cresting the hill, the car activated it's overhead red-flashing lights. I turned on my flashers and began coasting down the dip in the road and back up the rise to the police car. A federal officer met the truck on the road and asked for my drivers license. After a brief series of questions, he advised the posted speed limit was 80km and not 125km (80mph). He told us, being a Friday evening, if he issued a ticket we'd have to stay in Santa Rosalia until Monday to take care of it. Instead he issued a warning and politely suggested we slow down. We thanked him and proceeded on our way.

Just north of town, at the Federal Police headquarters, another set of police cars were parked and a second officer stopped us, had a polite conversation and allowed us to be on our way. Needless to say, we heeded the first warning and drove the speed limit and were glad we did.

We arrived in Puerto Escondido to find the trailing edge of the rudder that had been repaired previously at Driscolls (along with unexpected deformations along the leading and bottom edge of the rudder). Since we had to repair the trailing edge, we decided to try to reshape the entire foil. Well, three weeks later, we're nearly there. It's not perfect, but much better than it was. We hope to have the boat back in the water this Tuesday. More later...

The Egret and the Oystercatcher

2011-05-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

On our way from La Paz to Puerto Escondido prior to Loerto Fest, we spent one night anchored just off the beach north of Punta Prieta. With the wind out of the southeast and the swell out of the east, taking the anchorage just south of Punta Prieta, in the cove at San Telmo, didn't seem appealing. We continued around the rocky promontory that is Punta Prieta and pulled within 30 yards of the beach, immediately west of the rocks. We anchored in about 12 feet of water over sand. The three foot swell outside of the point was still being refracted to where we were anchored, but was diminished in size to less than a foot. We joined s/v Intuition, anchored 100 yards further off the beach (draft of 8') and later were joined by s/v Far Country. The night at anchor started out with a little roll, but by midnight both the wind and swell had subsided.

As is our custom, taking the first cups of coffee in the morning in the cockpit, we spent time enjoying the desert scape and the bird life on the beach. There were several snowy egrets spread out along the one mile beach. We've always found these birds to be solitary but never had an opportunity to observe them when more than one was present. Over the course of a half hour, we saw a number of instances where if two

came within 20 yards of each other, whether walking along the sand or landing too close, the dominant bird would challenge the interloper, chasing him both running and in flight until the dominant birds' territory was reclaimed and his solitude restored. We observed this behavior several times, up and down the beach.

Scanning the beach through binoculars, we observed an Egret foraging along the shoreline in the close company of another individual. An American Oystercatcher and the Egret seemed to be enjoying

an early morning stroll up the beach usually with less than a foot separating them. We observed them as they foraged together for over a quarter of a mile, each alternating taking the lead. While this was interesting to us, given the Egrets normal solitary behavior, we were amazed at what we saw next.

As the odd couple made their way further up the beach, they were approaching another beach combing Egret. When within approximately twenty yards of the solitary forager, the Egret from the odd couple took flight and challenged the lone stranger for territory. After successfully chasing the lone bird away, the odd couple Egret flew back and landed on the beach right next to the Oystercatcher and they continued their intimate stroll along the beach.

Anyone who loves nature and animals in their natural habitat, will find themselves mesmerized by the opportunities cruising in the Sea of Cortez offers for such experiences. Encounters, such as these, leave me with the same wonder of the world around me as when I was a young child.

What We Love About the Sea of Cortez

2011-04-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

"...Let us go," we said, "into the Sea of Cortez, realizing that we become forever a part of it; that our rubber boots slogging through a flat of eel-grass, that the rocks we turn over in a tide pool, make us truly and permanently a factor in the ecology of the region. We shall take something away from it, but we shall leave something too." And if we seem a small factor in a huge pattern, nevertheless it is of relative importance. We take a tiny colony of soft corals from a rock in a little water world. And that isn't terribly important to the tide pool. Fifty miles away the Japanese shrimp boats are dredging with overlapping scoops, bringing up tons of shrimps, rapidly destroying the species so that it may never come back, and with the species destroying the ecological balance of the whole region. That isn't very important in the world. And thousands of miles away the great bombs are falling and the stars are not moved thereby. None of it is important or all of it is.

John Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez

Some of the things we love about cruising in the Sea of Cortez include:

* The Mexican people in general and those of Baja in particular.

* The opportunity to experience and learn a new culture.

* The opportunity to learn a new language.

* Seeing the abundance of sea life.

* The clarity of the water.

* Sailing destinations within a days' sail.

* The pristine anchorages.

* The camaraderie among the cruisers.

* The rugged remoteness of the Sea.

* The tranquility to be found.

* The night sky with all the phenomenal stars and planets.

* Experiencing the historical city of La Paz and others on the peninsula.

* The opportunity to share this experience with friends and family.

Kevin Young's Sailing Visit to La Paz

2011-03-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

We took a short break from cruising, making a 10-day visit back up to San Diego. This allowed us to file our taxes and host a bridal shower for our daughter, Chantal. These events provided two reminders, that unlike our cruising existence, the real world continues to progress in an organized, temporal fashion.

We were joined on our return flight south by an old work friend and sailing enthusiast, Kevin Young. In spite of his trepidation regarding travel safety in Mexico, he placed his trust in our hands and accompanied us on our trip back to La Paz. We taxied from our house, dropping our daughter off at the airport for her return to San Francisco and continued on to the Greyhound bus station in downtown San Diego to catch the shuttle to the Tijuana airport. It was gray and wet in San Diego when we departed and continued to drizzle all the way to the General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport in Tijuana.

The airport was busy when we arrived and Kevin and I had to apply for FMM visas (usually issued for 6-months, mine was about to expire) before checking in to the airlines. Our luggage was x-rayed upon entry to the

ticket terminal area; all checked luggage underwent hand inspection before being checked at the ticket counter; and, all carry-on bags were x-rayed once again when passengers were checked through the metal detectors. We're not certain if this redundancy in security either confused or impressed Kevin, but once into the airport concourse, the boarding and flight went flawlessly. We arrived at El Alto International Airport in La Paz in the early afternoon and were picked up by our friend Mike on s/v Trig, who was kind enough to drive our truck to the airport. In contrast to the weather in San Diego, it was sunny and bright in La Paz with the temperature in the mid-80's. After dropping our bags off at the boat, we made a trip out to Playa Balandra to show Kevin one of the beaches here in La Paz.

We spent the first full day after our arrival cleaning and provisioning the boat before exploring a little of the town. The following day we topped off the water tanks and prepared to get underway for a trip to the islands to the north of La Paz. We cast off around 11:30 a.m. and motored out of the channel and into Bahia de La Paz. We hoisted the main and unfurled the genoa and began a long tack to the west, paralleling the shoreline of El Magote. We noted large reddish-brown swaths in the water and determined them to be currents containing blooms of red-tide. We held this westward tack for about 6 nm before tacking toward Isla Espiritu Santo, to our north. About the same time, Kevin broke out the fishing pole and, armed with a silver Rappala, began trolling for fish.

We continued on this tack for another 12-13 nm before falling into the

islands wind shadow. We furled in the genoa and began motor sailing under main, alone. As the distance to the island was closed, we motor sailed past the anchorage and large beach at Bahia San Gabriel. We continued up the coast passing a large group of kayakers camped at El Empachado and on to the three lobes of Puerto Ballena. We passed on the inside of Isla Gallina and the southern most lobe at Ensenada la Gallina with one boat anchored there. The middle lobe, Ensenada el Gallo, had two boats at anchor, so we proceeded between the point of the island separating the middle and northern most lobe and Isla Gallo. The anchorage at Ensenada de la Raza, the most northern of the three lobes, was empty of other boats. Luckless with fishing, Kevin reeled in the fishing line and prepared to anchor.

Kevin dropped anchor at about the middle of this anchorage in about 20-feet over sand. He paid out an appropriate amount of scope before I backed down on the anchor, insuring its' purchase in the bottom. We all sat back in the cockpit to take inventory of this lovely anchorage. Mangroves framed the white sand beach to our east, which was tucked into the folds of the two promontories forming the north and south boundaries of the cove. To the southwest were the two small cactus covered islands, El Gallo and La Gallina, with their own flock of Frigate birds and seagulls wheeling over each. To the west the sun was getting low over the distant cliffs of the western shore of Bahia de La Paz.

With the sun getting low in the sky, Kevin set about shelling and cleaning

the kilo of shrimp we had purchased the previous day. Meanwhile, Kathie prepared the fresh garlic, olive oil and butter in the saute pan for the shrimp. She also cooked some whole-wheat fettuccine and added pesto. All of this was accompanied with a plate of sliced fresh tomatoes. We enjoyed dinner alfresco at sunset and savored both the food and the setting.

Nightfall brought a full sky of stars and planets, seemingly unaffected by the luminosity of city lights some 20 nm to our south. Night time also brought us a curious sea lion who played and fished within yards of the boat before finally leaving the cove. We all turned in to the start of a peaceful night at anchor.

All was well until shortly after 12:30 a.m. when the coromuel winds began to build out of the west. In addition to causing the halyards to clang against the mast, the winds also generated short wind waves which caused the boat to rock. Normally, the motion these bring would be soothing. However, since Citla tends to dance on her anchor, when the waves were bow-on they were comforting, but when the boat danced to the side, the waves caused a side-to-side rolling which makes it very difficult to sleep (unless one is in a hammock). Too tired to care about noisy halyards, I went back to bed to fight through the sideways rolling, hoping the motion didn't foretell of the boats dragging anchor.

We all awoke the next morning to bright sunshine and calm winds. None

of us were particularly rested from the previous nights noise and motion, but we enjoyed the serenity of the morning at anchor nonetheless. Kevin really wanted to do more sailing. Between the noise and motion of the previous night and his desire to confirm his flight back to San Diego on Saturday, he opted to forgo another night at anchor, but instead spend the day sailing and making our way back to the marina in La Paz.

We had breakfast while waiting for the wind to fill. Once the dishes were cleaned and everything was stowed, Kevin hoisted the anchor and mainsail and we made our way out between Isla Gallo and Isla Ballena to the north. The wind was blowing between 12 and 14 knots when we unfurled the genoa and took off to the northeast. It was decided we'd sail up island until reaching Caleta Partida, where we'd jibe and reach back towards La Paz. We enjoyed a glorious morning of sailing north along Espiritu Santo and then jibing and reaching back down the coast. Once as far south as Bahia San Gabriel, we jibed onto the opposite tack and were reaching west, towards El Magote in the distance. Once again, Kevin decided to drag the silver Rappala behind us in the hopes of catching a fish.

We had been on a deep reach sailing along at around 5.5 knots for over an hour when the fishing reel began to sing. I took the helm from Kevin and he took the rod and began to reel. Initially, his efforts were to no avail.

It was not until he tightened the drag considerably did he begin to make progress in closing the distance between the flashing neon color at the lines end and the stern of the still reaching Citla. After a bit more than 15 minutes of fighting the fish, Kevin landed a respectable Dorado weighing around 15-18 pounds. I spent the next 20-30 minutes filleting two large pieces of fish for the refrigerator. Once done, the bony carcass was disposed of into the Sea and the side deck was swabbed clean of the blood.

Invigorated by his first salt water catch (and the largest fish he ever landed), Kevin retook the helm continuing to pilot us towards our marina. The wind began to fade in late afternoon, so in with the genoa and on with the diesel. A bit more than an hour of motor sailing brought us to the channel mouth and 30 minutes later to the entrance of Marina de La Paz. After tucking the boat in, we proceeded to La Costa restaurant, fresh fillets in hand, and had the fish cooked and served with rice and drinks. The cooks prepared the fish using three different recipes: breaded and deep fried; with garlic and butter; and, Veracruz style, with tomatoes, green olives, capers and onions. There was more than enough fish for the three of us and each presentation was delicious. We left sated carrying almost half the fish as left overs.

We spent Friday walking along the Malecon and shopping for recuerdos (remembrances) for Kevin's kids and friends. Kevin also confirmed his flight and had the marina office print out his boarding pass. Later that afternoon, we took a drive out to the outskirts of La Paz, to visit the poorer neighborhoods. Kevin had observed earlier that most of the people of La Paz all seemed to be middle class. A drive through the dirt roads out towards the land-fill demonstrated that not all of the city's population is middle class.

Friday night was Kevin's last night in La Paz. Coincidentally, it also marked the last night in La Paz for our friends on s/v Merlot. They were leaving the following morning to head up into the Sea of Cortez and eventually up to San Carlos to store their boat for the summer months. Larry and Fran from Merlot, Mike from s/v Trig, Kevin, Kathie and I all went for a sunset dinner together on the second floor of Rancho Viejo Mariscos. We shared dinner and drink above a view of the La Paz harbor at sunset.

After our meal, Mike left to go back to his boat and the rest of us walked along the Malecon to our favorite ice-cream store, La Fuente, where we all ordered ice-cream for desert. We sat on the colorful benches in front of La Fuente for some time enjoying the scene and each others company. It was getting late and the crew of the Merlot had to turn in to be ready for their morning departure. We headed back down the Malecon toward the marina, joining families, kids on bicycles and others on roller blades, enjoying the fresh night air along the harbor.

We were up early Saturday morning and were able to send off Trig and Merlot from the marina; Merlot on her cruise north and Trig out to the

islands for the weekend. Kevin collected his belongings and packed for his afternoon departure. After breakfast we took Kevin to the Ibarra pottery studio in the southeast part of town where he purchased several unique pieces of pottery to be given as gifts. We returned to the boat around noon and Kathie prepared avocados, cilantro, tomatoes and warm tortillas to be served with the remainder of the left over dorado. It was fish tacos for lunch just in time before our departure to the airport. Just a bit after 1 p.m. we dropped Kevin at the airport in La Paz and he began his journey home.

Kevin had a very short stay in La Paz and we hope he enjoyed it as much as we did. We did have an opportunity to do some sailing and visit at least one of the offshore anchorages. Best of all, Kevin was able to catch his first salt water fish and, being a dorado (mahi-mahi), it couldn't have been much better. We'll be thinking of you while you're back at work...

Carnaval in La Paz

2011-03-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

If you imagine a stereotypical cross between an old-time country fair and

a family street party with a Latin flair you will come pretty close to Carnaval in La Paz. Cotton candy, balloon vendors, street food and carny rides fill over a mile long section of the bay-front Malecon for five days. The street is closed down to traffic in the evening and open to the people of La Paz to stroll and enjoy.

There are bands, belly dancers, Tahitian dancers, and live entertainment

of all kinds offered at several stages along the Malecon from sundown until the early morning hours. Games of skill and games of chance are offered up by barkers. There's even a large bingo-type game for young and old alike filling the promenade along the east end of the historic La Perla Hotel. All variety of trinkets are for sale, including purses, shirts, lighted head bands, theme-blankets (Winnie the Pooh, etc.) and more. Much of it is likely from Mexico, but I'm pretty certain China also has a presence.

Food and drink can be found all along the fair venue. Ice cream, sodas,

hot dogs, tacos, gorditas de Nata, hot crossed buns, candied fruit and vegetables (including squash and cactus), cold beer and mixed tropical drinks can all be purchased along the route. The restaurants along the way spill tables out onto the street to better attract and serve customers.

There are carnival rides for kids and the young adults (and, admittedly

for some of the less risk adverse older folks). These include everything from miniature Ferris wheels and merry-go-rounds to bumper cars (any direction of travel is okay) and 360-degree, hammer-rides for the older kids. The mechanical oversight and overall condition of these rides, while suspect under the best conditions, would cause insurance underwriters in the U.S. to succumb from shock and disbelief. There are even a few side-show acts showing animals that defy description and the "smallest girl in the world".

The last several days of the festival are highlighted by parades featuring

floats with the Queen of Carnaval and her entourage, as well as, floats featuring the junior kings and queens in elaborate costumes and the Queen from the previous year. There are bands on trucks, dancers on floats, dancers in the street and Corona and Pacifico beer trucks serving as spacers between the various groups. Everyone has eggs that have been emptied and refilled with confetti. These are broken over peoples heads or thrown at targets to cover them with confetti as the egg shell breaks and spills its' colorful contents.

It's not the biggest nor the wildest Carnaval celebration in the world, but it does have something to offer for everyone. Every year it is well attended by the people of La Paz and visitors that are lucky enough to be here during this time of year.

Hanging Out on the Boat in La Paz

2011-02-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

It's still winter in Baja California Sur. While the daytime temperatures can range from the mid-70's to the upper 80's, night time temperatures dip

down into the low-50's and occasionally to the high-40's. Like many of our fellow cruisers, on our previous trip to Mexico we headed south during the early part of the year, rather than staying in the Sea of Cortez. By going south during January and February, you follow the warmer weather and head back towards the Sea towards the end of March, when the night time temperatures and the water begin to warm. Cold 'Northers' also become a thing of memory. Fortunately, besides enjoying warm nights, warm water and secluded anchorages, the other draw to cruising is being able to visit foreign ports and immerse ourselves in both the culture and language.

Between the weather and guests, we've spent more time in town and less time on the water than on our previous trip. The city of La Paz has a plethora of activities to offer citizens and visitors, alike, so exploring the city continues to be rewarding. The Centro Cultural La Paz (the old ornate brick and stone city hall on 16th de

Septiembre at Belisario Domingo) has undergone reconstruction and now serves as a venue for cultural presentations. Currently, there is a comprehensive display covering both the natural history and the human history of Baja California Sur. Murals display photos, narrative and graphic art depicting all that can be found in Baja California Sur from antelope to vaqueros. On the upper floor there are art galleries featuring local contemporary artist. Also included in the building is a tourist information office and a good Spanish language book store.

This week, Kathie and I attended our first free cultural presentation given at Se Habla La Paz (a Spanish language school located in a beautiful

house on Francisco I. Madero, between Republica and Guerrero). These presentations are offered every Tuesday afternoon. They're presented in Spanish and last a bit over an hour. This weeks presentation was a history of Mariachi music. The group that attended was approximately 15 in number and was conducted as an interactive discussion that served to help build vocabulary, as well as a better understanding of the history and cultural significance of this traditional music.

During our time here, we have also attended a few of the Wednesday night jam sessions held across the street from Marina de La Paz at the

Ciao Molino Restaurant. Last night found us at the Teatro de Ciudad (located at Navarro and Heroes de Independencia) for Noche de Trova (or a night with the troubadour). It was a fund raiser for the Mexican Red Cross and featured a half-dozen groups from Baja California Sur with regional music, Cuban music and more traditional romantic Mexican ballads. The latter was performed by a group of fourteen guitarist none younger than 60, with most in their 70's and 80's. The music they presented was a crowd favorite and a show-stopper.

The music scene isn't as easily found in La Paz as in places like La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, it does exist, but is a bit more difficult to ferret out. The Roz in La Paz (http://rozinlapaz.com) website provides a wealth of information regarding music venues, as well as other cultural events that take place in town. This visit to La Paz we've made greater use of this information and have found a whole new facet of the city to enjoy.

With another Norther expected in two days, we'll likely continue or exploration of La Paz and some of Roz's suggested events!

This is dedicated to one of the friendliest and nicest guys on the staff of Marina de La Paz, who passed away this week. Nacho we don't think you realized what an impression you made on the marina guests and staff. Adios Nacho.

Willy Littig's Visit to La Paz

2011-02-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

Just before 8 p.m. on November 10, found us driving down Independencia, towards the Malecon, to the bus station in La Paz. We spotted our old high school chum and noted Salt Lake City stained-glass artist, Willy Littig, preparing to engage the services of a taxi. We picked him up and were off to the marina.

We spent the first several days exploring La Paz and sampling a few of the local restaurants. We finally had the opportunity to go out and cruise the Espiritu Santo and Partida islands about 20 miles northeast, off of the city of La Paz.

The day was sunny, clear and warm with very little in the way breeze.

Motor sailing off Pichilingue we spotted large areas in the water that appeared disturbed. Motoring over to these areas we discovered schools of rays swimming just under the surface. Periodically, the tips of their wings would break the surface, adding to the surface disturbance. After following this school for a time and disturbing their formation, we changed course and headed out towards the San Lorenzo channel and the islands.

On the way out we encountered our marina neighbors, Bruce and Judy, on the sailing vessel JUCE. They were motoring back after spending the weekend at Ensenada de Los Muertos. While they didn't have such a good anchorage at Playa Bonanza Saturday night, they did have a quiet time over Super Bowl Sunday in Muertos. We continued on our way towards the islands while JUCE headed back towards the harbor.

Just northwest of San Lorenzo channel and about two-miles west of the south end of Espiritu Santo island we had a strike on the silver and white Rapala we were trolling. After about 20 minutes of horsing the fishing pole we were able to land a tuna of about 15 pounds. The landing resulted in the typical bloody mayhem that makes fishing from a sailboat less than optimum. Off-setting the task of clean-up was that we now had fresh fish for dinner.

We continued up the western side of Espiritu Santo island, looking into each of the anchorages as we passed, in search for the perfect spot for the evening. While there weren't a great many boats out in the islands, each of the first several coves were occupied with at least a single boat. We searched from Bahia San Gabriel in the south, all the way up to Caleta Partida up at the northern tip of Espiritu Santo before finally settling on Ensenada El Candelero, one cove south of Partida.

We anchored in the northern lobe, just off the cliffs and about even with the eastern end of Roca Monumento, the large rock that defines the western edge of the reef that extends from the beach. Willy dropped the hook in about 20-feet of clear water over a sand bottom and we set the anchor after paying out a scope of about 6:1. About the same time, another sailboat motored into the southern lobe and set anchor on the opposite side of the anchorage.

Once settled, we enjoyed our setting with the cave-pocked cliffs and cactus to our north; sandy beach to our east; Monument rock to our

south; and, across the bay to the west, the spectacular mountain cliffs were highlighted with the pinks, oranges and blues of the setting sun. With the sun setting, we fired off the barbecue and put on a one-hour fresh tuna fillet. The evening was spent over dinner, chilled white wine and good conversation. As is usual when we're anchored, bed time came early. Save for a few fresh gusts, we spent a comfortable night at anchor.

We all were up before the sun crested the island peak to the east. Waiting for the sun to warm the cockpit, we watched several vessels motor north past the entrance to the anchorage. When the sun finally rose high enough to shine into the boat, we had already had our first cup of coffee and were enjoying breakfast. The sandy beach was populated with a flock of turkey vultures warming themselves in the suns rays. Our anchoring neighbor weighed anchor, motored over for a brief chat between boats before heading back to Palmira Marina in La Paz.

A short time later, Willy hauled up our anchor and we continued our journey north, along the eastern shores of Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla

Partida. The morning turned into a bright sunny day with just a wisp of a breeze and flat water. We rounded the northern end of Isla Partida a motored between the gap between the island and Los Islotes (the two guano covered rocks that rise abruptly off the northern end of Partida and serve as a major sea lion rookery). There were several tourist pangas around the island, but the only sea lions we observed we sunning themselves on the low rock bench between the two islets.

The eastern side of Partida is a high jumble of rock faces and rock slides that tumble down to the water. All along the eastern side of both Isla Partida and further south on Isla Espiritu Santo there are few inlets suitable for overnight anchorages. Making our way down towards the final third of Espiritu Santo, the wind began to increase and there was one other sailboat sailing to our southeast. By then we were already to the reef at Punta La Bonanza.

Rather than sail for the last mile, we continued motoring under mainsail

and gave the reef a wide berth before heading west-northwest to the anchorage tucked behind the rocky point at the north end of the sandy beach. As we approached in 30 feet of water, we dropped the mainsail and continued in to shallower water before Willy dropped the anchor in 3 fathoms over a sandy bottom. Having finished with backing down on the anchor to insure a proper set, we gathered in the cockpit for cold beers and chips while watching two goats saunter down the beach. Dinner included fresh tuna once again.

After a spectacular sunset to the west over the beach and low lying portion of the island, we were left with the flashing white light marking the end of Bonanza reef to our east; the flashing green light marking one end of the San Lorenzo channel that could be seen just east of Punta Morro to our south; and, the twinkling lights south on the mainland at Playa Tecolote. As the night progressed, the winds abated until just before day break and we had a peaceful night at anchor.

The breeze picked up at Playa Bonanza during the predawn hours

allowing us to do some sailing after breakfast and hauling the anchor. We headed south, past Punta Morritos, and towards Punta Coyote on the mainland. We were able to sail across the San Lorenzo channel before tacking back towards La Paz. We carried the port tack as far as the green channel marker to the San Lorenzo channel before the wind died. We furled the head sail and motor sailed the rest of the way into La Paz. Snug in our slip by late afternoon we enjoyed the sunset with another dinner of tuna, potato salad and tortillas. The three of us spent the remainder of the evening talking about former high-school classmates and wondering what they were doing now.

The next several days seemed to fly by. We had dinner with Galey and Max, who live in the La Posada neighborhood and spent the next few days around town and then out to Playa Tecolote and Playa Bonanza. For Willy's final night in town, we got together with several other cruisers from s/v Merlot (Larry and Fran), s/v Trig (Mike) and Hans (who had arrived from San Diego that afternoon) and had dinner at the new Rancho Viejo Mariscos. We were all seated on the second floor balcony of the Palapa, overlooking the bay. With margaritas, beer and wine all around, we enjoyed good food and good company for a memorable Valentine day dinner.

The final morning aboard for Willy, we had coffee before taking him to the bus terminal on the Malecon to connect with his shuttle to the airport in San Jose del Cabo. We had a great time seeing Willy again and enjoyed all the stories he had to share. He was an easy guest to have and we enjoyed our time while having him as a member of Citla's crew.