Change of plans: early arrival at San Carlos.

Nancy and Herman on Sea Tern quickly matched our adventure with our motor. In fact, they saw our bid and raised it a couple: their propeller shaft fell out...fortunately, only part way. It caught on the rudder as they were backing up, trying to set the anchor. When a propeller shaft falls ALL the way out, the boat sinks.

Nancy dove on the shaft, hammering it in with a mallet (she's 81, guys, you try that!); Marv took his turn and then they tied it off to prevent it from moving. Sea Tern was truly without a motor at all.

The next day, we were able to sail off the anchor with good early morning winds in the Bay, but when we got out into Salsipuedes Channel, the wind died and the currents took over. So Herman threw us a line and we pulled them out far enough to get away from shore; we were headed for San Carlos. In the first 12 hours we made all of 17 miles, but the fin whales were feeding in the tidal currents and put on quite a show!! Easily entertained!

We also saw our first whale sleeping on the surface. It reminded me of the tractors in the Pixar film "Cars," snoring softly, a spout coming up rhythmically, and then a little snort as it realized we were nearby, woke up and dived.




Later in the night, the winds picked up (contrary to popular weather forecasting!) and we lost sight of Sea Tern as they reefed sails and we had greater boat speed. We arrived in San Carlos, Sonora, mid-day the next day, about a week earlier than originally planned. So we decided to visit the Copper Canyon, a trip we had put off in January because of the cold weather.

Sea Tern spent another night off shore, sailing slowly and in circles before being towed into the San Carlos Bay.

Bahia San Francisquito

Cracking the lobster...a gift from the pangueros...shared with Nancy and Herman on Sea Tern, another Portland boat!

Would you believe we had to go all the way to Mexico to meet Sue Burns' parents!?

Bahia San Francisquito

Anyone who has been on the sea for any length of time has a story about "a near miss." Ours wasn't as exciting as some of the ones we've heard, but it did get our attention. Coming into the Salsipuedes (get out if you can) Channel about three miles from a safe anchorage in Bahia de San Francisquito, our engine cut out. Out of fuel, we switched to the other tank but not before air got into the fuel line, effectively putting our motor out of commission. The tides are higher in the northern Sea of Cortez and the currents are stronger. We had very little wind and the currents were pulling us in toward the rocks on Punta Santa Teresa. Marv tried bleeding the engine without success (Perkins are notorious for being difficult to bleed!). The sun was setting (the wind usually dies down completely after dusk) and we looked at our options.

We could try turning around and using the little wind we had to get further out to sea and, it would be hoped, spend the night away from land. But with no wind and land within five miles both north and west of us, there was a good chance the currents would pull us in, rather than out.

We could try to anchor off the beach just south of Punta Santa Teresa, but we didn't know how deep it was, what the bottom was like, and how close we could safely get to the shore. There is an anchorage there, tucked in and around the point but we didn't have enough wind to negotiate the turns needed.

We elected to ghost into shore, turned into the wind, drifted toward the point, and dropped our anchor in 55 feet of water. The currents pulled us tight on the anchor, setting it securely for the night. Marv slept like a baby...I was up all night.



Next morning three pangueros, Joel, Alexander, and Esteban, all from Ensenada, who had been diving for sea cucumbers to ship to Japan came to our rescue. They hooked us onto their panga and pulled us through two-foot standing waves just off the point, around the corner and into safe anchorage in the bay. Bob and Patty from the Darkside also turned around on their way to San Carlos and returned to Bahia San Francisquito to spend the day working with Marv to bleed the engine several more times.

But it wasn't until a diesel mechanic/salesman who had flown into this remote anchorage the night before came over and waved a rag with starter fluid fumes on it that the engine deigned to start! Magic.

Magic, also, were the coyotes that howled to the moon and each other, the dolphins that danced around our boat, and the sky that filled with soft, warm, clean light each night.

The lessons learned: local residents and fisherman are an invaluable resource, making cruising safer and richer; the community of cruisers looks out for each other, going out of their way is a natural part of cruising. And, oh, yeah, check your fuel tank more carefully.

Los Arcos

On this trip up the Baja, we have tried to stop at new places... One night we spent in Sweet Pea Cove on Isla San Marcos, just before coming into Bahia Conception. We shared the anchorage with four large shrimp fishing boats.




The next morning, we went around to the north edge and re-anchored in between numerous rock pinnacles at Los Arcos. On the scent of another geocache, we sweated our way up an arroyo and found ourselves in terrain that resembled the Badlands of South Dakota. One arroyo after another...



We never found the cache, but we did find beautiful rock formations, sea caves, and this little sea star, staring up at us from under water. So beautiful.

The "sea creature" swimming in the cave (boat in the background) has a hat on...must be Marv.

Isla Requeson

Site of one of the geocaches in Conception Bay, Isla Requeson is a tiny islet just off the beaches in the southern end of Coyote Bay (a smaller bay in the bigger bay). We motored slowly into an anchorage in 7 feet of water (under the keel...about 12 feet deep really) and rowed the dinghy ashore to hike the trails of the island. It is so small, half an hour of effort takes you completely around the island. From one point we were able to look down into kelp beds where those spectacular Cortez angelfish were swimming along...



A rustic cross marks a memorial (grave?) at the south end of the island.

Mulege

Let's go to Mulege. A small, slow-paced town just north of Conception Bay, it was a pleasant respite from the sea. We walked through it, enjoyed the view of the "oasis" of palm trees in the valley, the Mission church, and the jail that is being restored as a town museum.

Bahia Concepcion

There were five geocaches in Conception Bay. We found four of them. One was supposed to be near a cave that has ancient paintings. The clue was "it's under a group of three rocks."

We found caves (no paintings), and, since this is the Baja, made almost exclusively of rocks, we found rocks. But no cache.



We also found lots of development, often small palapa-like bungalows being built as winter homes by North Americans. And we found trash. On one of the bee-lines Marv likes to take toward caches, we were bushwacking through a large area of cactus, mesquite, dry arroyos, and palo verde trees. Suddenly we were confronted with acres of trash, mostly plastic, one indication of the negative impact we humans have had on the earth here.

V-Cove

A cozy little niche in the rugged northern coast of Isla Carmen, V-Cove made a wonderful anchorage. We shared it with the sailing vessel Otter, and with a panga filled with military personnel who bivouaced on the beach for the night. It was a warm, comfortable night...perfect for sleeping well. Next morning we rowed the dinghy around the perimeter of the cove and snorkeled along the western shore. There was quite a bit of movement in the water, so visibility was limited to about 20 feet, but we saw lots of sea stars, sergeant majors, cabrillo, and a couple of beautiful Cortez angelfish.

Tabor Canyon

The entrance to Tabor Canyon is directly across Highway 1 from the turnoff to Puerto Escondido. A much steeper canyon than Ligui, we quickly found ourselves scrambling up, over, under, and through fields of huge boulders. Water was scarce, and we had been on the trail for nearly two hours before we saw our first evidence that there was a respite from the heat...if we just kept going.





Harry Morgan, another GPS (global positioning system) and geocaching geek, joined us for the hike. He kept assuring us there was a "beautiful pool" just a little way ahead.
Just a little way ahead.



He was right. It was stunning, it's green color almost unreal. And cool! What a life we lead!

A Hike up Ligui Canyon

Check it out on Google Earth N 25 41.900 W 111 17.790


Some people are more comfortable scrambling on rocks than others. The trail was a challenge for all of us!

Ligui Canyon Hike

Most of the trail up Ligui Canyon was on land. It rambled over boulders washed down when floods rushed through during the rainy season and it wound along the pebbled edges of the little stream that flows year-round. But in places the sheer canyon walls, sculpted by the same flood waters, dropped precipitously to the creek, leaving us no choice but to swim for it.

Patsy (from Talion) found swimming in her sneakers a little awkward!

Over-the-line Champs

One of the activities at Loreto Fest was a new game called "Over The Line." Created for older folks, all you need to do is hit the ball and, if you are in the field, try to catch it if it comes your way. No running bases, no sliding into third, no long tears across the outfield to snag a fly.

Marv, Carla and Doug (Moondance) were AWESOME! They overwhelmed their opposition, with Doug's fancy catches, Marv's quality pitching, and Carla's impressive strength at bat (she can whack that ball farther than most anyone!!).

50's night at Loreto Fest

Dave and Merry Wallace look just like they did in high school (well, almost). Their beanie cap, argyle socks, and hot pink patterned capris were a hit at the 2009 Loreto Fest "Fifties Night." We met Dave and Merry last year at anchor in Timbabiche and re-connected this year at Puerto Escondido.

Marv tried for the "Greaser" look, cigarettes rolled into his T-shirt sleeve, and hair slicked back into a ducktail, but the gray mustache threw it off a bit (as did Dave's)...how many 1950's adolescents did you know who sported such facial hair!?