The afternoon we departed Bahia Los Angeles in 20 knot winds
Brigid going for a swim in Puerto Don Juan while we waited out the Northerner
Julie with our Marina host (Fabian) and another cruiser.
San Felipe Marina
Panga fisherman and the shrimp catch for the day. Julie bought 2 kilo's of shrimp for about $6.00
This is our seal buddy that kept us company for 20 miles up to San Felipe
get set ...
get ready ...
ATTACK!!!
Get the idea ... Ace is not letting go!
Sunday – September 7, 2008
San Felipe – Cleaned the boat; repaired the dinghy bottom (fiberglass had worn through and the hull was filling with water) and cleaned and rebedded air nozzles/stems. Julie went up to check the email and sent JAKE down to tell me that “your mother had fainted in church, was taken to the hospital and your dad had given her last rights” … he almost had it right. What Julie had said was that “my mother had fainted in church, was taken to the hospital and that Father had given her last rights.” JAKE, not being Catholic, simply secularized 2000 years of holy orders with the misinterpretation of one simple noun. We called and my mother is fine, although she had just returned from another brief hospital visit, where coincidentally she was cared for by one of Julie’s friends from Alaska. Mini-potluck with MIATIA ROA and JAKE in the cruisers lounge.
San Felipe is small Mexican fishing village renown for its shrimp. In recent years it has grown in popularity with Americans because of its proximity to the States, the beautiful weather and miles of deserted beaches. The village has a population of about 25,000, mostly Americans and mostly gone, for now. The marina – the harbor, which includes the fishing fleet - is two-and-one-half miles south of town and has only one small tienda where limited supplies can be bought. They have the essentials though, beer and ice … everything else is a matter of opinion (in this heat). The marina has only 14 slips and is run by Singlar, the same chain of marinas we’ve staying at all the way up the coast. This one is different in addition to it small capacity, the marina offices are separated (by a public street) from the docks, hence access to the facilities is limited to working hours; they have no pool; no air conditioned cruisers lounge; and, the large screen TV and CD player is for show only (they’re not to be used) … go figure, right!? The docks are the sturdiest of all the Singlar facilities, though. For the most part the staff is accommodating offering to run us into town, allowing us to use the air-conditioned office for wi-fi access and skype calls.
Monday – September 8, 2008
San Felipe – JAKE and us rent a car from one the local Americans. The Thrifty rental car agency in town has three rental cars and they are all rented until December (are you getting a feel for the business atmosphere down here?). “Clyde” rented us his 1995 jeep Cherokee for $75.00 for the day; we paid $20.00 for one day’s insurance, which we got online at 7am; and, we paid $45.00 for gas. Total rental car cost $140.00; day trip to Calexico, good ol’ U. S. of A., priceless. In Calexico, our first stop was “Burger King” where we rubbed the hamburger grease, french fries and chocolate shakes all over our naked bodies. Having debauched ourselves with American fast food we set out to rape the “Super Wal-Mart,” pillage the “99 Cent Store” and plunder “Big Lots.” Loaded down with our booty, we made for the border and arrived back in San Felipe at 2130.
Tuesday – September 9, 2008
San Felipe – Into town with GRUMPY (48’ foot Defever Trawler) and MIATIA ROA for lunch; potluck dinner on the dock with all boats (JAKE, GRUMPY, ITCHEN and MIATIA ROA).
Wednesday – September 10, 2008
San Felipe – Remarked the anchor chain every 25 feet using a 3/8-inch line woven through the chain (the marking paint I applied in Santa Rosalie wore off sometime ago). At the 50-foot marks, in addition to the woven line, I’ve tied several bright colored strands of polypropylene. We’ll see how it works. Dinner aboard GRUMPY’s bridge deck; Julie made chicken curry, and the others brought rice, a cucumber/onion salad, beer, wine, gin and for dessert we had chilled fruit and homemade peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies. Yummmm ….
Thursday – September 11, 2008
San Felipe – windy with big swells from the east. JAKE shoved off at 0700 for BLA. We moved ITCHEN around into JAKES spot; it’s marginally more protected from the swell. Filled with fuel 107 liters = 26.5 gallons + the 20 gallons I’ve added since Santa Rosalia = 46.5 gallons total; engine run time = 152.5 hours (501.5 – 349) so…. 152.5/46.5 = .308 gallons/hour – all-inclusive motoring, motor sailing and battery charging. In the past six weeks we’ve sailed over 316 nautical miles, spent 42 nights at anchor, and used 47 gallons ($130.00) of fuel.
GRUMPY (a solo-sailor) has a dog; really he’s a protection dog … a highly trained protection dog. The dog’s breed is Belgium-Malinois. He is dark brown with a black muzzle, long-legged, shorthaired, weighs about 70 pounds and German Shepard in appearance. GRUMPY has over $7K wrapped up in the dog (Ace) what with purchase price and training. Ace is sharp as a tack, obedient to the “t,” quick as a rattlesnake and very affectionate, when not working. When working, he’s the exact opposite! This evening I got to help train with Ace. I put on an arm guard - a full arm-length carpeted pad that trainers wear while being attacked by a police dogs. On command, Ace attacked me (the arm guard); no matter what I did or how I swung him around he was not to release the bite, nor did he. Another command released his bite but kept him in my face, barking and snapping his jaws like an automated bear trap. This is a highly – highly(!) trained dog and his barking was meant to intimidate me and hold me in position; if I were to run (or even move for that matter) he is trained to resume the attack. While having all 70 pounds of Ace’s lean, muscular body strike at me with the speed of a lightning bolt, mouth frothing, teeth flashing and psychotically clamping his powerful jaws onto the arm guard was a rush in itself, it took every bit of cheek I had (from way down deep in the very center of my testicles), to not panic when the bite released and subsequent barking, jaw-snapping, snarling glare (I mean eye-to-eye glare) ensued. His barking and snapping jaws were as intimidating as anything I can remember and through it all, his eyes never left mine (nor mine his). When we all through, Ace was just another dog begging for attention and rolling on his back to get his belly scratched. Earlier in GRUMPY’s cruising life he was robbed, at night, while he was sleeping. At that time he had two other dogs but they didn’t quite cut it. Due to the substantial loss he underwent he got Ace. At one point, when JAKE was tied up next to GURMPY, Jake had gone out to take a dock shower. It was night and Ace was on the foredeck of GRUMPY, Jake was about to sneak in his quiet little dock shower and from the darkness, only a few feet from Jake, Ace starts barking and snapping and doing everything short of coming over GRUMPY’s rails. Subsequently, Jake’s shower took a little longer than originally planned (as he had soiled himself).
Friday – September 12, 2008
San Felipe – Prepare for trip to San Diego (did you know Diego is James in Spanish … so we were preparing for a trip to St. James, California).
Saturday – Friday, September 13 – 19, 2008
Depart San Felipe for San Diego with GRUMPY, Ace, MIATIA ROA (in GRUMPY’s truck (Ace rode in the pickup’s bed in his cage). Dropped MIATIA ROA at Mexicali (so they could pick up a rental car) and GRUMPY and us (me in the back seat with Ace) made for San Diego. More boat shopping and provisioning in San Diego; swapped out the fortress anchor (to light) for a regular danforth (I now have two danforths and a plow for anchoring), purchased another cooler/freezer, sold the porta-boat and picked up some shackles, a winch handle, propane hose (so I can drain propane from standard tanks into the boats smaller tanks) and some new dock lines to counteract the panga’s wakes. Julie food provisioned for me for the next three months … WOW! We stayed with Brigid and purchased her car and returned to San Felipe with our stash.
Saturday – Tuesday, September 20 – 23, 2008
San Felipe – cleaned bird droppings/slop off the boat, baked in the heat and sweltered in the humidity and prepped for the Seattle trip. Dinner and movies with GRUMPY in his air-conditioned cabin. Julie bought shrimp from the local shrimper’s. I mentioned earlier that San Felipe is the shrimp capital of the world … shrimp season started on September 24th and panga’s from all over the peninsula arrived via truck and trailer. There was a small festival on the docks proximate to the marina. The panga shrimper’s roared in and out all day, very close to the cruisers (docked in the marina slips) leaving huge wakes and really banging the docks as well the boats around. The marina refuses to take any action citing the fisherman’s power, but soon the tremendous wakes will rip out the pilings the docks are attached to and this small but nice marina will exist no more (it’s the Mexican way).
Wednesday – Tuesday, September 24 – 30, 2008
Departed San Felipe for Seattle with an overnight in San Diego. Did some shopping for JAKE and visited with Brigid who is packing for England. Two day drive to Seattle arriving Friday – stayed with friends over the weekend, picked up mail, registered the car and bought a thrift store breadmaker for $8.00. Sunday morning, I went to mass at St. Vincent’s (Julie is not allowed to go as she mocked the church choir), but I didn’t recognize anyone there. Monday, Julie dropped me at the airport and made her way to Ellensburg where she has taken a 13-week work assignment (she also wants to hunt and fish). I flew to San Diego, overnighted with Brigid and made and eight-hour bus trip to San Felipe, via El Centro, Calexico and two bus stations in Mexicali with the breadmaker and JAKE’s supplies. At 2100, I arrived back at the boat in 98-degree heat with 65% humidity.
Wednesday – Thursday, October 1 – 2, 2008
San Felipe – Cleaned the boat again of bird crap (it is sloppy and … and … ubiquitous). Installed the extended range wi-fi antenna and caught up on email. Thursday, I kept GRUMPY company on road trip to Ensenada (across the peninsula) and watched the vice-presidential debates on his TV aboard his air-conditioned boat.
Friday – Sunday, October 3 – 5, 2008
San Felipe – Re-installed the wi-fi antenna (still not working here in San Felipe), repaired the leak in the dinghy (hopefully), installed fins on the outboard (for better fuel consumption and stability), installed a 12 volt plug for the additional refrigerator/freezer installed a new inverter, got dinghy gas, fixed the cockpit table, painted the anchors and anchor chain, fixed the storage sliders (inside the cabin) and fixed the ties on the bimini sun shades. The panga’s (starting at around 0430) still roar in and out at top speed, creating huge wakes and bouncing the docks and the boats around. I called Ma, Molly, Julie and Brigid (to wish her a happy birthday) and caught up on emails. I tried to install the windows update for the computers operating system and it screwed up the computer (it always, always happens and I’m just pissed about it … I don’t know why I keep doing it!) I called Brigid and she told me how to the computer in safe mode so I’m updating this portion of the blog in safe mode, but I won’t be able to get online until it is fixed.
Grumpy made shrimp and invited me over for dinner.
Monday - October 6, 2008
San Felipe – Checked the engine and cleaned the bilge. Cleaned the head – the cat litter was a failure (too heavy, but it empties nice), so I’m back to peat moss. Cleaned the raw water strainer, washed the bird poop of the deck (again!!), cleaned the bottom and prop and did the laundry. Grumpy gave me his old Sirius radio receiver that wasn’t working. It turns out it just had a missing part on the 12-volt plug. I’ll need an antenna and a little portable (12-volt) radio and we should be good to go, but hey, we may just have a radio that’s works all way down to Panama to supplement our iPod. I paid the marina fee in cash … this Singlar Marina (a government owned marina, just like all the other Singlar marinas we’ve stayed at) doesn’t accept plastic.
Tuesday - October 7, 2008
San Felipe – To San Diego (via Grumpy) to pick up Brigid and JAKE’s parts (his engine has been overheating and needs to replace the raw water pump, raw water strainer and impeller – try to get those parts in Mexico). Brigid wound up riding back with one of Barry’s friends who was coming down to visit. We stopped in Calexico to walk across the border to get our visas, no problem … and started to walk back the way we came. A Customs Officer and Border Patrol officer quickly stopped us and directed to go through the border crossing – it’s free to get into Mexico, but costs to get out! Mexicali (Calexico’s Mexican sister city) is a large city and is undergoing road construction on the main drag through town. Of course, the detours are not marked – we made it through with only one wrong turn and the occasional heart stopping barking that Ace would mount if someone were to approach the truck to close. The detour, composed mostly of dusty narrow roads littered with trash and bordered on either side with homes cobbled together with whatever building material was available (discarded wood, flaking mortar, bricks and/or wire) was 10 miles long … for a 500-yard stretch of road that was being improved. We arrived in San Felipe at 2000, unloaded the cars and went out for a bite to eat.
Wednesday - October 8, 2008
0840 – Depart San Felipe. Clear skies, winds 5-10 knots E; small swells from the E. GRUMPY casts off our lines. Brigid and I stand three-hour watches even though she taunted me with 12-hour watches that real (Brigid) mariners (the U.S. Navy) stand aboard real ships (what does she know)!
Thursday – October 9, 2008
0130 – We’re caught in a strong north bound current about 5 miles off and a little south of Punta San Francisquito – our speed slows to 3.5 knots.
0600 – Sunrise, winds and seas calm.
1520 – Anchor in 15 feet of water off Bahia Los Angeles (BLA). Into town for internet and dinner at Guierllmos.
1735 – Up anchor for Puerto Don Juan as hurricane Norbert is expected to blow through (south of here).
1935 – Anchor in 16-feet of water in Puerto Don Juan; engine hours 535. Enter the anchorage in the dark under radar (the chart plotter is not to be trusted as the charts may be well over a hundred years old). Eighteen boats in the anchorage and PACIFIC VOYAGER called on the VHF to check me out. I went for a swim to clean off and showered on deck. Brigid (the real mariner) was afraid to take a dip, but her need for hygiene overcame her fear of the deep and she finally took a dip.
Friday – October 10, 2008
Puerto Don Juan – It Julie and my 4th wedding anniversary. I had been thinking about it all week and forgot to call her … yeah; I think I’ve said enough about that blunder. I ran the engine for 1.5 hours to charge the batteries. JAKE arrived at 0630 from Santa Rosalia (an overnighter) and came over about 0900 to collect their stash; that evening we went over for dinner. I took Brigid fishing (in the dinghy) and she caught her first fish (a sea bass). Brigid is neither a very active nor patient fisherman. She held the pole and when the fish didn’t sacrifice themselves immediately for her plastic lure, she became annoyed … the lure was there, the fish were there and she was there … why weren’t the fish biting her lure!? She did hook into some kind of a fighter though (probably a sierra or yellow tail) that took her lure in a heartbeat (my bad … I used to light a line). To her credit, every time we went fishing she caught a fish. She even caught a mackerel off the boat, just standing on deck and casting.
Saturday – Tuesday, October 11 - 14, 2008
Puerto Don Juan – Stuck here until Norbert passes, but now we’re hearing about Santa Anna’s up north driving high winds into the area. JAKE called on the VHF to tell me Julie had written his HAM email as she was having potentially huge problems with the car (I called and we got it settled). Winds are building, steady at 30 knots with gust up to 40 knots.; lots of wind but no fetch (waves). It’s funny though how quickly a group mindset … sets. 30 knots of wind is certainly sailable. Except for the wind the weather was beautiful. There are the waves of course, but sailing downwind they would’ve just been a push. Anyway, not only did no-one leave the anchorage, no-one left their boats; We’re stayed on the boat, as did everyone else. We read, watched movies, played scrabble, slept and were generally pretty board. It didn’t help that was Brigid’s vacation and I was worried about getting her back safely. She did good (much better than I) as she entertained herself with a couple of electronic gadgets (ZUNE and Sony DS).
Wednesday – October 15, 2008
0915 – Weigh anchor for Santa Rosalia via BLA; winds subsiding – down to 20 knots.
1115 – Drop anchor off BLA and into town for ice and Internet; lunch with JAKE and HIPNAUTICAL and Brigid entertained the crowd with sea stories (she’s such an old salt). All the boats that were in Puerto Don Juan are now outside BLA, doing the same thing we are and preparing to head south.
1430 – Weigh anchor for Santa Rosalia; winds 20 knots NNW, white caps NNW, skies clear. Once outside the bay, after making our turn south, we rolled out the headsail and a nice ride seven-and-a-half to eight knots with gentle four-foot rollers pushing us.
1800 – Winds have all but died now and the sea is starting to settle. We’re standing a rather informal 3-5 hour watch pattern. Brigid taught me how to use her Zune and standing the night watch flew by. Tomorrow I learn how to use the DS.
Thursday – October 16, 2008
0300 – Eight miles off Punta San Carlos; caught in the north current (flood tide) speed down to 3 knots.
0600 – Sunrise and the winds building NNW. MILAGRO is off our starboard quarter (they left San Francisquito (where they weathered the northerners) at 0330.
0800 – Fix Brigid and breakfast (bacon, eggs and toast) and change the propane tank out. I think, this one has lasted us since July 26th (just shy of three months).
0900 – Sailing under headsail alone, average speed seven knots and Brigid is teaching me how to use the Sony DS (I’ll buy it from her before the day is out).
1215 – Dock at Singlar Marina, Santa Rosalia; engine hours 569.5. Secure the boat and walk around town and lunch at the chicken place. Arrange Brigids travel; bus from Santa Rosalia to Tijuana (14 hours), a cab from the Tijuana bus station to the boarder (10 minutes), walk across the boarder to clear customs (up to half-an-hour) and take the trolley to San Diego (60 minutes) and she’s home safe.
1900 – Brigid departs for San Diego. She’s a good sailor and a good companion!
1930 – Called Julie.
Friday – October 17, 2008
Santa Rosalia – Cleaned and washed the boat; polished the rails and hosed-off the cockpit cushions; dinner with JAKE in town.
Saturday – October 18, 2008
Santa Rosalia – Changed the oil, filter and transmission fluid (570 hours); checked the belts, impeller and coolant. Klutzy day though; spilled fresh oil, dirty oil, oil filter oil … if it could be spilled, I spilled it on the engine, in the bilge, on the counter … you get the idea. Sent the propane tank up to be filled ($5). Cleaned out the back berth and found homes for items that had been cluttering it up. Worked on the water tank to no avail; my water pressure has been dropping noticeably more in port tank. Called Brigid and she is home safe! Out to dinner with JAKE, MILAGRO and WINDWARD BOUND.
Sunday – October 19, 2008
Santa Rosalia – Filled with fuel; 29 gallons plus a five gallon spare ($75); 69 hours since last fill = 0.48 gallons/hour. Helped JAKE cast off; they’ll go to San Carlos for bottom work. Changed the water pump (I had a brand new spare); put it in upside down and backwards and spilled lots of water the first time (of course), but I did better the second time. Cleaned the bilge and braided a new anchor bridle. I tried to make bread with our new breadmaker but half the flour didn’t get mixed in the kneading process. That loaf went over the side hit the water with a resounding PLOP. I hoofed it out to the local market and bought some more flour and tried it again. This time I watched the kneading cycle and helped it along. The bread smelled good, but came out very heavy and dense; I wonder if it me or the flour … I’ll knead to experiment. Finished prepping for tomorrows underway.
Monday – October 20, 2008
0920 – Depart Santa Rosalia for Santo Domingo (will harbor hop down the coast to La Paz); skies clear, no wind and seas calm.
Noon – Porpoises abound and the fish are really jumping. WINDWARD BOUND caught a beautiful Dorado and a couple of Bonita’s. I saw Dorado fly through the air chasing a small school of flying fish. The Dorado was good size and moving fast.
1700 – Anchor in 12 feet of water at Santo Domingo (top of Conception Bay); engine hours 578.2
1800 – There are three other boats here (besides ITCHEN) and we’re all gently rolling. It’s cool, no bugs and the sun is just going down in an orange and purple haze … this day is done … forever. Take a quick dip to check out the prop and bottom both are passable; soap myself up and rinse with fresh water. I feel pretty spiffy so I’ll make myself a drink with some of Brigids Caribbean Rum (coconut flavored?) and pineapple juice. It’s good (I don’t why I didn’t fix myself an after work drink when I was younger … I would’ve been a much better human being). I mix ‘em light and you can pooh-pooh it but the liquor lasts longer, the money to buy liquor lasts longer and I last longer. It’s quiet, calm and protected here in Santo Domingo Cove. On this quiet water, with a sunset that is throwing out every hue in the color spectrum to commerate its passing, I’m drinking Brigids Caribbean Rum, writing this and listening to Peer Gents Morning … it could easily have been named Sunset; the strings start out quietly (as sunset begins) and build with a crescendo of wind instruments (the days celebration of it’s last moments) and finally diminishing into a soft willowy whisper as the sun disappears on this day … forever.
Tuesday - October 21, 2008
0700 – Weigh anchor or San Juanico with WINDWARD BOUND. Skies clear; winds NNE 10-15 knots; swells NNE; rollout the headsail for another downwind run doing 7.5 – 8 knots. Dorado are biting and WINDWARD BOUND has caught two after being skunked all summer.
1540 –Anchor in 12 feet of water San Juanico; engine hours 586.8. Clean the bottom and scrub the prop. I guess cleaning the bottom is like mowing the yard, except I like cleaning the boats bottom more than I ever liked doing yard work. TO WINDWARD BOUND for
a Dorado dinner
Wednesday – October 22, 2008
San Juanico lay day. Laze about all day, watch three movies and take a long nap. MILAGRO brought me over a piece of chocolate cake and some homemade cookies. Plan Puerto Escondido tomorrow.
Thursday – October 23, 2008
0800 – Weigh anchor; skies clear, wind 5 knots NNW.
0900 - Wind builds to 10 knots NNW, roll out the headsail
1200 – Pass through Isla Coronado and Baja Peninsula (just above Loreto) and the water gets pretty skinny (2.5 feet).
1400 – Wind has clocked around to the Neand built to 20 knots. Swells NNE at about 6 feet; doing seven knots under jib alone. Pass by the Puerto Escondido window and unwilling to let the wind go I decide to make for Bahia San Marte (good protection from the north, but a care needs to taken when entering.
1530 – Cleared Isla Dizamante and the wind has died, unfortunately the swells are just reaching their peak. Big ten foot rollers tossing the boat for 40 degree rolls (port and starboard) … nothing to be done about it.
1830 – Off San Marte but need to go way south to avoid shoals; just as I make my turn the wind builds out of nowhere and not only do I the stupid swells to deal with, but this inconsiderate wind. Go nearly to shore and then hug the coastline back up into the harbor.
1920 – Anchor Bahia San Marte15 feet water; engine hours 600.8 (67nm made good in 11 hours); tucked in very close to shore and but behind the rocks (nearly flat calm in here).
Friday – October 24, 2008
0715 – Weigh Anchor; skies clear, no wind, low rolling swells from the NE.
1300 – Afternoon winds build to 15 knots; headsail out doing 7 – 8.5 knots.
1930 – Anchor Caleta Partida; engine hours 613. Arrived about 1845; seven other boats in here all anchored in a line one behind the other and right at the 12 foot mark; neatly tucked behind the bluff. I tried to go between them and the bluff, but the water was to shallow and swing room insufficient. Moved to the outside (more exposed to the wind), dropped the hook and it caught but kept slipping at high rpm. Raised the anchor and moved forward in the bay, dropped the anchor again … right on to solid rock (this whole place is an extinct volcano), backed down anyway till it caught in the sand and then backed down to 2600 rpm (twice!) to make sure it was in.
Saturday – October 25, 2008
0715 – Weigh anchor for La Paz; Skies clear and calm, seas calm
1230 – Arrive fuel dock Marina La Paz; engine hours 617. Fill with 19 gallons diesel ($64.23); 47 hours since last fill = 0.4 gallons/hour; reserved four nights in a slip; plan departure for Mazatlan on Wednesday.
