Up To Date!

I failed to mention earlier, that when we left Bahia Marquer on Isla Carmen to troll for Dorado, a whale surfaced off our port side. As you know I am a bit apprehensive when it comes to whales coming close to the boat. They might be docile, but they are just too damned big. One flip of their tail and we are history. No matter my feelings towards them, they seem to have some strange attraction to Wind Raven. Bill first spotted the whale a comfortable distance away, but a few minutes later it moved up behind us and began to follow us. I turned off the sonar, as it is said to disorientate them, and then revved up the engine to let him know of our presence. Hell, it didn’t faze him/her a bit. It just kept following us for another ten to fifteen minutes. I tried to get some photos of it, but was unsuccessful due to its barely breaking the surface for air. It was just another beautiful day in Baja!


Bill said wanted to return to Puerto Escondido a day early to get ready for his return to Washington. Actually what he meant was to help me with a few problems I had on the boat. I had mentioned that the main sail was hard to raise. He asked if I was using the topping lift, and I said that I was. Well I was using it, but not correctly it seems. Being a newbee I did not know that I was supposed to lift the boom up above level prior to raising the main sail. He showed me the correct procedure, and boy does it work slick. No stress or strain. He also showed me some tricks of flaking and tying the sheets, instead of coiling them and causing twists. He did a lot of reading on my electrical system and advised me to install at least a #1 battery cable ground wire from the capstan battery to the shunt for the house batteries. I went to the local chandlery and discovered it was going to cost $350.00 for the cable. The next day I went to an electrical store in Loreto to check their prices. The gentleman didn’t speak much English, but after my feeble attempts at Spanish, with many hand motions and mimes, I got it across what I needed. He took me in the back and showed me what he had, but it wasn’t what I wanted. As I was about to leave he asked how much I needed. I told him seventeen meters. He gets this big smile on his face and digs out a receipt book and shows me a sale for seventeen meters of double ought battery cable. It sold for 3000 pesos. That’s about $270.00 American. He said I could have it for 1500 pesos. I was so shocked I asked in a surprised tone, HOW MUCH? He immediately dropped it to 1000 pesos. I said 1000 PESOS? He then said 800 pesos. I said No, No, No, 1000 pesos is bueno! His smile got bigger. It was funny that every time I responded in shock of the low price, he would lower it. Dale told me that I had made a friend for life and would always be treated well in that store. The store owner then said that I could pick it up tomorrow. I told him that I was afoot and needed it today. He said wait 30 minutes and grabbed his keys and headed out the back door. When he returned I discovered that the cable even had bronze connectors soldered on each end. What a deal! I now have the cable installed. This should cure my charging problem. I hope!



Dale gave us a ride to the airport to drop bill off and I rode back to Puerto Escondido with him. We were supposed to hook up with Steve and Lulu at Agua Verde when we were on our fishing trip, but failed to contact them. Upon my return from taking Bill to the airport I sent an e-mail to Steve and Lulu asking them their location, as in their blog they last said they were in Agua Verde and were going to stop at more anchorages on the way to Puerto Escondido. To my surprise the next morning I had an e-mail from Steve stating that they had arrived in Puerto Escondido and were within sight of Wind Raven. I looked out and sure enough, there sat Siempre Sabado just a few moorings away. Steve stopped by later that morning and caught me up to date on their travels. I gave him some Trigger fish fillets that I had way too many of for one person to eat. Hope they enjoyed them.

Today I will try, (hate that word, sounds like assured defeat) to repair an irreparable cabinet door. Wish me luck!

Tuesday or Wednesday Coney said she would give Steve, Lulu and I a ride to Loreto for the day. Of course I bribed her with an offer to pay for the gas and buy her lunch at Mexico Lindos. I want to try something different, but damn, those tostados are toooo gooood!