Ensenada Blanca

First let me say that we are enjoying the anchorage here at Ensenada Blanco very much. The people have been very gracious. Judy and I went on a tour of the area including the (five star?) hotel and the rustic rentals and Bar down the beach. The hotel has several multi level swimming pools where the water cascades from one to the other. These pools have very nice comfortable lounge chairs discretely placed around. The whole area is dissected with curving walkways through garden areas surrounding the pool area. We didn’t look at the rooms as they are beyond our budget. In off season they start at $140 a night and go “ WAY UP” from there. So far they have one hundred of four hundred rooms completed and ready to rent. Where they are going to get the customers I haven’t a clue. They do run an employee shuttle to Loreto every four hours. Maybe they are planning on a customer shuttle in the future. Basically the only people here at this time are us cruisers who are enjoying our temporary VIP status. Once their time shares are all sold, I’m sure we will be ushered out the back door. In the mean time they are using us and our sailboats for aesthetic purposes. I mean how many people would buy a time share in an empty hotel with an empty bay. I guess you could call us “arm candy” so to speak! Cool, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been considered arm candy before!



THE COFFEE & PASTRY CREW




THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO VILLA PALMAR 

PART OF THE TURTLE

THE TURTLE

TURTLE FOOT HOT TUB

TURTLE HEAD

THE BAY

ONE OF MANY SECURITY GUARDS

After touring the hotel we went for a walk down the beach towards a small village at the opposite end of the bay. About half way down we came upon a small rustic kayak rental place that turned out to be much, much more. A Mexican gentleman (Roberto) was seated in front as we walked up. We greeted him and struck up a conversation, inquiring about the Yurts that were discretely placed behind some bushes. We discovered he was from Minnesota, and is the new manager. The place has a Bar, a Kiva type area with barbeque, a small outdoor dining area, a compost commode, showers and five Yurts. The Yurts are very nice and will rent for $50 to $60 a night. I asked Roberto if we could rent a shower the next day and he said he would, but no price was set. We also said he should rent showers to the cruisers regularly, since he had them working and it could be extra income for him.



A KIVA TYPE BBQ DOWN THE BEACH






A YURT RENTAL

A WORKER (ALAN)

The next morning Judy and I gathered up our soap and towels, jumped into the dinghy and headed for Roberto’s. When we arrived there was one of his workers out front and we explained we were there for showers. He called Roberto and got the okay. When I asked him to ask for the price he did and said $3. I said pesos? He said; No American. I said; NO WAY. He then spoke back into the phone, relaying my displeasure. Roberto then dropped it to $2. That is double the normal rate. I refuse to be ripped off. I conveyed my feelings to the employee who agreed whole heartedly. He said; just go ahead and use the shower for no charge, just don’t tell the boss. I declined, thanking him, but explaining that I did not want to get him in trouble and we could use ours on the boat. We were just trying to save water. We had already informed the other cruisers of showers being available so went around and informed them of the outrageous charge.

THE BAR

THE LOVE SHACK

THE RENTAL OFFICE

While we were over trying to negotiate shower prices, Ray was negotiating with them concerning a Cruisers pot-luck being held there that afternoon. He secured permission and at three thirty eleven cruisers showed up with various dishes. Everyone really liked the place with its natural native atmosphere and rustic aesthetics. It was very refreshing to get away from the high security stuffy atmosphere of the ritzy elite hotel, as beautiful as it is. The two employees were great people and became one with the group, enjoying the food along with us. They were absolutely fantastic. Now, if we can just get their boss to cooperate and learn how to build a steady and consistent business, without letting his greed destroys the opportunity.

MAIN HOTEL OUTDOOR BAR



SECURITY GATE AT MAIN ENTRANCE

Today we will go back and take photos of all that we have seen here so far, including the shower the manager wanted $3 a person for. There are many photos, but they will be lacking in order.

Ensenada Blanca- Luxury Resort Wahoo!

Jay and I left Bahia Maquer yesterday morning and almost IMMEDIATELY ran into a big pod of jumping dolphins who swam over and rode in front of the boat and along the bow---moms with babies, tandem leaps and diving (how do they do it?!?) and I still didn’t have enough nerve to jump in and swim with them…..but I swear I will one day do it and take photos with my little underwater camera! We arrived at Hotel Palmar, anchoring in the bay and a guy in a kayak came out and delivered (free!) croissants, pastries and really great coffee right to our boat. They have a pool and free movies 2x a week and on a dinghy ride over to the other side of the Bay there is a little tienda (store) with ice, veggies alcohol, clothing food and hardware in the “village” of Ensenada Blanca. They also have a little church and school and houses and people living in little door-less houses………everyone is very nice and it is free to anchor here. Sure beats Puerto Escondido where they have DOUBLED their prices to just anchor, with no store and no free movies and no pool--- except a tiny 3 ft lap pool…..and we hear they even deliver gas here, so this might be a place to stay for a month or so.

The Hotel Anchorage



Delivering Free Pastries & Coffee

Jay Had A Bite

The Tienda

Two Of The Pools

One For Sale

Had a huge, lengthy lightning storm somewhere east last night and lots of wind. Jay thought he would stay up to make sure we didn’t drag anchor by sleeping in the cockpit. We didn’t drag and today our friend Richard on The trimaran “Trinity” said there is great holding here on anchoring and he has never drug anchor.

Jay’s arm with the tendonitis is still painful despite the cortisone shot Dr. Ferdinand gave him, but my salmonella, eye infection, and tooth extraction area are way better today. We plan on taking the dinghy over to the beach by the resort and walking to see the hotel and stores they have. Jay thinks they better get some golf, or other activities to make people want to come here. They have a “sister” Palmar in Cabo San Lucas, it has more to offer in the way of activities…….

I agree-all you can eat/drink, and activities at the resort are $35 US per person……since we don’t drink, WE won’t be eating there…their rooms are really expensive…they have to get realistic or this resort won’t make it….we ARE enjoying the free coffee and croissants delivered daily by the friendly Mexican delivery guys!

I got my temp bridge “flipper” for my tooth that broke but plan on going to Oregon next summer to get an implant-it takes 3 months to get an implant so I figure I can work part time (Darcie says I can help her with her real estate business) and drive down to Ashland for my appts. Which for an implant takes about 3 months to complete…..so good idea---get my tooth done, make a little extras $ and come back here when it’s cooler…..works for me! I am so vain about my teeth and my “smile”-------I want to keep my teeth as long as possible as I age even if everything else is going to HELL in a bucket

! ha ha….I’m off to sand the cockpit----Judyanne

Thunder & Lightning

We woke up this morning to thunder and lightning heading our way. It was a totally unexpected storm. It had not shown up on the satellite weather images yesterday. We actually experianced "RAIN" for the first time since leaving the USA.When Ray came on to report the weather on the cruisers net, he said that he didn’t know where it came from. To top it off his computer was down, so he couldn’t give an update. We couldn’t get our computer up, due to our location, so we had to just sit it out blind. Judy got up and we sat around watching the lightning and listening to the thunder. It lasted about an hour before it abated, but did give us a resounding boom that I’m sure woke any sound sleepers anchored in Puerto Escondido, which was just over the hill from where we were anchored.


PRE-STORM

Since the Marina raised their prices, we are avoiding it as much as possible. This has been a good thing, as we have been experiencing the life on the sea to its fullest. One can’t enjoy the sea while sitting on their butt in a harbor. I don’t understand these people who never take their boat out into the sea, or visit the many islands, just using their boat as an apartment on the water. Oh well, each to his own and if that makes them happy, so be it!

POST-STORM

Anyway, after the storm passed we headed back to Loreto to see the dentist and to complete our shopping. The dentist said that the area around Judy’s extraction was not infected, just irritated from the flapper. He said to come in if it continued and he would adjust it. We got a huge block of ice and the rest of our food supplies. I picked up the marine wire needed to wire in two more fans, as September is the hottest month here. It is also the most active month for hurricanes. Hopefully, they will take mercy on these two first timers, and bypass our area. Keep your fingers crossed, we are.

LATEST DORADO

After leaving Loreto we put out a couple of rods with rapalas and landed a very nice sized Dorado. The sea is full of these migrating fish and the “catching” is great. We decided to go as far as Bahia Marquer to spend the night and get an early start in the morning to Bahia Candelaros. After anchoring I filleted the Dorado. It was still quivering fillets for dinner. Now that’s what fresh fish is all about. I awoke to more lightning this morning, but couldn’t hear the thunder. That was a good thing, as it meant that the lightning was quite distant. In fact it was right where we like it, out west of the Giganta mountain range. I guess that I had better get the boat ready to leave and then wake sleeping beauty, so we can get there for lunch.


PALMAR RESORT BAHIA CANDELEROS OR ENSENADA BLANCA

Storm Coming?

At 6:am this morning I arose, made coffee, booted up the computer and sat back sipping my coffee, while posting on the blog. As it turned out I should have looked at the weather first. That would have saved a lot of last minute hassle. At 8:am Ray in PE came on Ch-22 and said there was a very large storm coming our way from La Paz. Oops, should have checked, but nothing was predicted. I looked on the weather site and sure enough there was a big one headed right up towards us. Things got pretty exciting for a while, rushing around preparing to exit the leeward unprotected shore at Loreto. We had two options, they were both about the same distance, but one had better protection from the high winds expected. They were Bahia Marquer and Bahia Juncalito. We opted for juncalito. The winds only reached 20knots on the way and the rollers were only about three feet. We motor sailed and made it in two hours to the bay. We anchored in ten feet of water about seventy yards off shore. The storm petered out before it reached us, so it was all for naught. Then again, it was a good practice run.


That evening Judy was still having pain where her tooth was extracted. I took a peek and thought it might be getting infected, so we will be heading back to Loreto to see the dentist tomorrow, weather permitting. We also need to pick up some more supplies, and get ice.

The Dink

While in Port we had the privilege of seeing a sea turtle that surfaced a few feet away. To my surprise, it was very colorful. It was my first close encounter with a sea turtle. It was quite shy and didn’t stay on the surface very long. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, so no photo. Judy says I should live with the camera around my neck and always have it ready. I just can’t seem to get into that Hawaiian shirt tourist, camera dangling scene. I have acquiesced to wearing a very bright and colorful shirt with surfboards on it, and that is a big step for me. I still have my long Harley wallet with chain, which was very practical while still riding, but with my Chopper over 2000 miles away, I guess it will have to go. It just won’t fit in a bathing suit and that’s about all I wear these days. With the temp hovering around 100 degrees and a heat index of 119 degrees, that’s even too much clothing!


15+ Lb Dorado

Trigger Fish Handout

Anchor Chain And extended scraper in 18' of clear water!

We left Puerto Escondido on Saturday the19th after stocking up on supplies in Tri Pui. When I tried to turn on the GPS it wouldn’t come on. We really didn’t need it for this short jaunt, so I decided to check it out later. On our way out we hooked and landed a nice 12-15 Lb Dorado while under sail. I must say, that it was a considerable challenge having to circumnavigate the decks many obstacles while fighting a fish. Not taking the time to reel in the other line before taking up the fight, resulted in a tangle and the loss of another $26 lure( in the states). A hard lesson that could have been avoided. Next time I will do better. I have to, as I am almost out of lures for Dorado and they are extremely expensive down here. Originally we planned on anchoring in Juancolito (sp?), but due to wind direction causing it to become a leeward shore we headed once again to Bahia Maquer. We anchored close in the south east corner of, but decided to move when the wind shifted, again causing a leeward shore, and we discovered the point we anchored under blocked both SSB and VHF reception. This reception is very important, as that is where we get our weather reports and we certainly don’t want to get caught with our pants down, so to speak!

Power Dink

Sailing Dink

On the tech side, I replaced the” Shur Flow” domestic water pump with a” Jabsco” Par-Max 4. The head has good pressure, but the galley just has a trickle of water coming out the faucet. I think the problem must be a blockage in the line somewhere. I guess locating and removing it will be my mission for today. The Problem with the GPS turned out to be the connection to the unit. It was corroded on the power side to a point where the male pushed the female wire socket out when inserted. The plug is molded around the connections, so I had to cut it apart to make a temporary repair. This is the second time this has happened and will be the second replacement wire loom we have had to buy. They only last about a year it seems. I guess I will have to figure a better way of sealing it than the factory did. I dove down and checked if perhaps my errant lure was attached to the prop, but it wasn’t, of course. Oh well, one can always hope. While I was down I checked the hull for barnacles, and to my surprise there were very few. I will knock them off today if I have the time. Judy and I want to try sailing our dinghy today also. It should be interesting, as we have never sailed it before. It is eight feet long, but has a sixteen foot mast. Hmmm! Think we might turn turtle? That means upside down, for you non-sailors?.........Most likely!..........Maybe we should wear life vests?..........I wonder if the oars will fit aboard?

Leaving Bahia Maquer At Sunrise

A Little Further Out, Trolling For Dorado


Judy hasn't been feeling up to par for the past few weeks and in the last few days she got a lot worse. We went into Loreto yesterday the 24th so she could see a Doctor. It turns out she has Salmonella, but should respond to the medication and be feeling better today. I also saw him concerning my ailments, but I will let Judy tell  you about all of that. We also met a very nice Doberman on our way back to the boat. We had more Dorado meat than we could eat, so gave some fillets to the dock boys. I would hate to see it spoil, it is some great tasting meat.
 
Judy With Wind Raven (almost) In Hand

 
Last night was pretty bumpy anchored off Loreto in 20kt winds on a leeward shore, but is much better this morning. We will go back into town this morning to get supplies and ice from the ice house. Their blocks are huge. I have never seen any this large before. They are about 3'x5'x18", and weigh a ton. You should see our poor little dinghy with just halfe a block in it.
 
Speaking of the dinghy, we rigged it up with it's sail, rudder and keel board for the first time the other day.
The wind was light and couldn't make up its mind which way it wanted to come from. That made it interesting for a first time sail. I would tack out and just when I was ready to tack back towards Wind Raven, the wind would shift directions and I would end up further away. Of course I did eventually make it back with the help of the oars, I might add.
 
Today we will head out for Bahia Candeleros where they built a new hotel and are selling some kind of time shares. It is supposed to be a great fishing and snorkeling area. With the selling of time shares they want boats anchored in the bay for the prospective buyers to see. As a result they are being very nice to cruisers. It is my understanding that all cruisers anchored in the bay are brought out coffee and pasteries every morning and are afforded all facilities (pool, wifi, etc.) free of charge. I guess they really want it to look occupied for their sales. Might as well check it out!

Tooth Pulled!

Today Saturday the13th Judy will go to the Dentist to have a tooth pulled and get a temporary “flipper” to fill the void. I guess the flipper will stop the other teeth from moving until she gets an implant. Since they charge the same price for an implant here as in Oregon, Judy has decided to wait until she goes back to Oregon, so she can have it done where her daughter works. She knows the quality of work they do there, but it is a gamble here as it is an unknown.

Don't forget...Click on photos to enlarge.

A NICE HOME IN LORETO


After the Dentist is through, we will get supplies for the next couple of weeks, including some large block ice at the local ice house that helps hold the cold in the refrigerator, putting less strain on the system. This also saves on fuel for the generator, as the refrigeration is 110V. The block ice is not made from potable water, so we must be careful not to contaminate the food with it, lest Montezuma could take his revenge!

                  FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
 THE MISSION HOTEL AND THE MARINA

We found a new (to us) store that has a better stock of supplies and prices on the outskirts of town. It also has better vegetables than the other stores in Loreto. We found a place right next door to Mexico Lindos that has shade screen in six foot wide rolls for 80 pesos a meter. It will help keep the boat a lot cooler in the summer. Of course this means more work constructing the cover and securing it in a way that it can be removed quickly in case of a chubasco.

THE MISSION HOTEL

I will take my camera to town today and take photos of the places we shop etc. Hopefully I will have time to post them before we leave this afternoon for Bahia Marquer. I will check out my repair on the water maker on the way over. If it does not perform correctly, we will abort and head for Puerto Escondido for water, as we are out at this time.

THE MARINA

Saturday afternoon we headed out to Bahia Marquer, but had no luck catching a Dorado for dinner. We did catch a Bonito that Judy looked up in the fish book, which said that they were good to eat. I don’t know where they got their information, but my experience with them has been YUCK! Judy wanted to try it. I told her that they had very strong tasting dark meat. She insisted until I showed her the meat. I will use it for cut bait. We arrived to an unoccupied bay with one exception, a small sailboat at the far end of the bay opposite of our preferred anchorage. We settled in and decided to relax for the remainder of the day and try out the water maker in the morning, as we were exhausted from walking all over Loreto earlier. The sunset was exceptional on this evening. The sky was full of different types/shapes of clouds all around us. To the west it was a combination of reds, yellows and oranges, to the North an array of pastels, to the East were the most beautiful stark and pastel pinks imaginable, and to the south there was a combination of all of the above. I have never seen a three hundred and sixty degree sunset before. In fact if someone said they had, I would have doubted it, as I still do not know how that is possible. With God and Judy as my witness, I swear it is true! I would have taken photos, but they would not do it justice, as a camera can’t catch the full spectrum. I guess we will have to settle for a beautiful memory
.
THE GREAT PEOPLE THAT WORK THE MARINA
 FRANCISCO, STUART AND POLLO (GOT TO BE A "NICKNAME" AS IT MEANS CHICKEN IN SPANISH!"


I arose early Sunday morning and made coffee before testing the water maker. Once satiated, I fired it up and had to run it for about an hour before the PPMs dropped to a safe level for drinking. When they did I switched the valve over and began filling the empty tanks. It ran about a half hour and the engine began to overheat. I shut it down and discovered the belt on the salt water pump had broken and wedged under one of the high pressure pump belts, knocking it off the pulley. I replaced the belts, which took a considerable amount of time, locating etc. I fired it back up and ran it several hours to fill the tanks and two 5 gallon containers. After finally procuring the water we so desperately needed, the pump quit! Shit, here we go again, fix one thing and something else breaks. I checked the pump and it was hot to touch. I decided to wait till Monday morning, giving it time to cool, and then try it again. Well, I got up this morning, flipped the power switch on and the pump ran, but no water came out the faucet. I primed the pump and got water to pump out at the pump, but just a trickle comes out at the faucet. There is plenty of pressure at the pump, but hardly any water comes out where we need it. Also the pump won’t shut off when the pressure builds up. I guess that is what caused it to heat up. I now have two problems with the system, the pressure switch, which is internal and obviously a restriction in the line. Gee I wonder what I will be doing today?

MY FAMILY TACO STAND?

I couldn't get the pump to work properly so we decided to go to Puerto Escondido to see if anyone might have one. I anounced on the cruisers net what I needed, but got no response. While doing laundry I ran into Ray and he said to bring it in and he would look at it. I did and he found some silicone rubber pieces in the diaphrams that were causing it to suck air. He removed them and I reinstalled the pump. It pumped fine, but would not shut off when the pressure built up. We would have to shut it off manually until we can find a new pump. No big problem, life is good. I should know by now that nothing is so simple on a boat. The pump ran about an hour and then stopped pumping again. This morning I will take it apart and see what the problem is. I'm pretty sure I will that there are more pieces of silicone trapped in the diaphrams. There is no telling how many times I will have to go through this procedure. I might have to install a pre-filter to catch the debris from the tank. It's always something, it seems!
 
JUST ANOTHER AVERAGE MORNING

 
When we arrived yesterday Steve and Lulu came by and brought me some sesame rice crackers that she observed me separating from a bag of Costco oriental mix. I really like them, but don't much care for the rest of the mix. Now I have a whole bag, Yum! Yum! Thanks Guys! It was nice seeing them and getting caught up. We had a very nice visit with these special people. Thanks again. That was the highlight of our day yesterday, the rest was work, work, work! We might spend another day here or take off for Loreto in search of a new pump. I'll see what Judy wants to do when she wakes up. 
 
On the cruisers net this morning Steve anounced that they needed a ride to Loreto today. After the net I called him on the VHF and informed him we were sailing there this afternoon and they were welcome to go with. He accepted and they will go along. It should be a nice trip. Hopefully there will be a pump available in Loreto. Steve called and canceled going with us, they wanted to get there earlier to get their shopping done. We decided since they wern't going, we would hold off till tomorrow, so the pump issue could be addresed at this time. We went to the marina to fill the water tanks and while there got Pedro to open the small marine store for us. The owner and his wife are away on vacation, so Pedro is in charge of it while they are away. We found a new pump, a Mexican flag (ours is shot), and a light bulb to read by. The prices weren't that bad either. We were considering hauling out the boat here for 30 days to strip the bottom paint off and put on the hard 78 percent copper bottom paint we bought in the states. I priced it here a couple of months back and was a little under $600. When I was up at the office I decided to make sure they hadn't raised the prices, due to it being under new management. Boy was I in for a shock. The new quote was between $1800 and $1900. That's over triple the original quote. They obviously hired a moron for a new manager! In light of this huge price change we, and several others are going to Guaymas. They charge less than $500 for the same thing.

Judy's Tooth

Judy cracked a tooth last Friday and the Dentist would not be in until Monday, so wehad to change our plans. On our way back from the Farmers Market on Sunday we stopped at a local Book Store where we purchased the latest Cruisers Guide. We met the owners, a very nice couple who recommended their Dentist and gave us his phone number. We went to his office on Monday and will return today (Wednesday) for him to pull Judy’s tooth. Judy is also communicating with her daughter (Annie) in the states, who is a dental hygienist. Her options were a bridge or an implant. It looks like it will be an implant, as the bridge would cause future problems. We will find out how much it will cost today when she has her tooth pulled. The bridge would cost over $3000 in the states, and $1000 here. We have been told that the implant process will take about twelve weeks to complete. That means that we will stay in the Loreto area for the next three months until the dental work is completed. Oh well, we could be stuck in worse places during hurricane season. Puerto Escondido (a good hurricane hole) is close by.

A PANGA HEADING OUT AT SUNRISE

A FRIENDLY VISITOR

AND HIS/HER FRIEND

Yesterday we had a couple of visitors while I was working on fixing a secure place to lash some five gallon cans to the starboard rail. A couple of young Pelicans decided to land on the cabin to inspect my work. They hung around for about an hour or so, and then flew over to the Loreto Marina, which is full of them. They are very docile and friendly birds. The only problem with them is the mess they leave everywhere. Fortunately, these particular birds left no mess for us to clean up. However they did make us conscious of the fact that we had been neglecting our decks of late. It amazes me how fast they get so dirty. One would think that it would be cleaner out in the ocean than on land, but this is not so. There seems to be a lot of dust and dirt everywhere these days!

INSPECTING MY WORK

JOB COMPLETED

ANOTHER DAY'S END AT LORETO

I thought the following article, about Mexico’s poverty level, might be of interest to some of you. It sure demonstrates how lucky we are. It sure as hell could be a lot worse. I wonder if this is what is in store for the US?

Poverty grew in Mexico to nearly half the population, study finds

The government of President Felipe Calderon blames the poverty numbers on the global financial crisis that sent Mexico into recession in 2009 and the worldwide hike in food prices.
•
By Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times
July 29, 2011, 7:34 p.m.
Reporting from Mexico City—
Mexico received more bad economic news Friday with a report that shows poverty is steadily on the rise.
The number of Mexicans living in poverty grew to 52 million in 2010, up by more than 3 million people from two years earlier, the report says. That means 46.2% of the population lives in poverty.
Within that group, 11.7 million people live in extreme poverty, a figure that held steady over the same period.The report was produced by the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy, an autonomous but federally financed agency, and represents the state's most comprehensive study of poverty to date.
The government, which has sought to portray the country's economic standing in an especially optimistic light, blamed the poverty numbers on the global financial crisis that sent Mexico into recession in 2009 and the worldwide hike in food prices.
"This government like no other has sought to give opportunity to the poor," President Felipe Calderon said in response to the report.
Heriberto Felix Guerra, who as minister of social development is in charge of poverty-reduction programs, also defended the government's efforts, saying the administration took steps to contain the damage from the global financial meltdown of 2008-2009, which started in the United States, Mexico's most important economic partner.
"It would be irresponsible to deny the impact of global conditions" on Mexican poverty, he said, "but it would also be irresponsible not to recognize our achievements in recovering from the worst financial crisis in memory."
But social development and human rights groups criticize the Calderon administration for what they say is a failure to make poverty reduction a priority.
"Behind these figures are people with stories of injustice, dispossession, discrimination and insecurity," Alberto Herrera, director of Amnesty International in Mexico, said in a statement. "Millions of people who live in poverty cannot continue to wait" for the government to take action.
The council defines poverty as a monthly earning in urban zones of less than 2,114 pesos, or about $180. Extreme poverty is below 978 pesos, or about $83.
The council measures poverty based not only on income but also on access to food, education, healthcare, housing and basic services.
The report noted that access to healthcare had improved but access to food had declined, with nearly a quarter of the population insufficiently fed. Household income also fell about 12% between 2008 and 2010.

wilkinson@latimes.com
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

•



Playful Dolphins

Yesterday July the 31st, Judy and I arose early, hauled anchor, and sailed out of Bahia Marquer , bound for Loreto. We had heard good things about the Farmers Market where the fruit and vegetables are supposedly of higher quality and of lower price. However, if one considers the fuel consumed, the savings are most likely negated, but the quality would be worth the effort and expense. The vegetables in the mercados (markets) are normally old and of inferior quality. We arrived without incident and anchored off of Loreto. Once we had Wind Raven secured we changed and proceeded to leave for town. Upon leaving the cockpit to board the Dink I noticed a diver about 100’ off of our stern. I did not feel comfortable leaving Wind Raven unattended so far off shore with an unknown person so close. It just didn’t feel right. Judy suggested that I run her in with the Dink and return to the boat. Her suggestion sounded more prudent under the circumstances and that is what I did. Besides, I thought I could use the time to get some maintenance done on the boat while she was shopping. I gave her the hand-held VHF radio and told her to call me on ch-22 when she returned to the dock. About 20 minutes after I dropped her off she called me on 22. I responded but she couldn’t hear me on the “West Marine” VHF. Shit, I knew she hadn’t had enough time to walk to the Farmers Market, much less do her shopping. I had no idea why she would call so soon. I took the dinghy to the dock, but she wasn’t there. I then ran out to another sailboat anchored nearby and asked them call her on their radio to make sure mine was transmitting. Unfortunately, he experienced the same results, confirming that the problem was on her end. She must have called me 50 times in the next couple of hours. I could imagine all sorts of problems that were causing her to call, but there was simply nothing I could do but wait. It was very frustrating to say the least. To make a long story short, Judy was not lost mind you, she knew where she was, so it must be the market that was lost. I just kept waiting and watching for her to come walking down the Malecon while listening to her call Wind Raven over the radio. I finally spotted her on a bench as she continued to call Wind Raven on the hand held. I picked her up and discovered her broken foot was hurting pretty bad from her extended walk. It seems to be taking a long time to heal. Anyway, I ran her to the boat in the dinghy. She had not procured everything we needed in town, so I then went into town to finish the grocery shopping at the market, as Judy had only gone to the Farmers Market for vegetables, due to her foot.

The day had been very hot with extremely high humidity, which made it an uncomfortable day all around for us both. Upon my return to Wind Raven we prepared the boat for departure and then headed back to my (our?) favorite anchorage at Bahia Marquer. Feeling the breeze once under way was a blessing after the sultry atmosphere experienced in Loreto. We had put out fishing lines on our way over, but hadn’t had any luck. Jones-ing for a Dorado filet I decided to give it another go on our return trip. About an hour out I hooked a nice Dorado on a magnum Repala lure. This time I used the gaff and landed it without incident, well almost without incident. As I brought the fish over the gunnels into the cockpit he did a flip and came off the gaff. He must have thought he was free, because he was trying to swim at about 90 miles an hour in the dry cockpit, and making several quite admiral attempts to leap over the side and back into the sea. While these lively acrobatics were transpiring, I was standing on top of the lazarette intently watching that Repala lure with those huge looking treble hooks that he was flinging about in the cockpit. Once he settled down, I stepped off my perch, and approached him with extreme caution, while keeping a wary eye on those treble hooks and then removed the lure. Placing it safely out of his reach!

The rest of the trip was uneventful until after we anchored and I noticed our lack of a dinghy. It no longer seemed to be tied to the stern. Shit…..Shit…..Shit…… I knew it was there 45 minutes ago, because I had seen it tied to the stern rail when I reeled in the fishing lines as we entered the bay. We had only about three hours of light remaining to search for it. This would be like looking for the proverbial “needle in a haystack.” It would truly be a miracle, if we found it. The wind was blowing pretty hard and trying to spot a tiny white dinghy amongst the thousands of white caps, seemed an impossible task. I told Judy that there was no way we would be able to find it amongst all of those whitecaps. Judy said there was no way we could afford to replace it, so we had to find it. She said “we have to have faith” and pray for its return. She then looked at me and very firmly stated “WE WILL FIND IT” we have to. Somewhat reluctantly and being down in spirit I conceded, hauled anchor and headed back out into the vast sea. Her faith amazes me at times; she was so certain that we would find it. I wish I had her faith, it must be very comforting. We then headed out, bearing on a more northerly tack, while attempting to follow the dinghie’s yaw that was due to the winds course. While standing on the bow, with Judy at the helm, I searched 180 degrees off the bow. Looking through our 10 x 50 binoculars I thought I saw a tiny white cap on the horizon that didn’t seem to go away like all the others. We were about a mile out of Bahia Marquer at the time and something was telling me that it was our dinghy. It was way north of where I thought it should be, but if it turned out to not be it, dark would be upon us and would end our chances of finding it forever. You have to realize that our dinghy is very small; having about ten inches of freeboard and is white to boot. It was a “one in a million shot.” With Judy at the helm and me standing on the bow directing her, we preceded towards the tiny white spot, praying it was our dinghy. Judy was correct; we did find it 3.6 miles out. If you know anything about visibility at sea with the curvature of the earth, you will realize this was a miraculous find. Thank you for watching over your ignorant children Lord. After lashing our errant dinghy securely to the stern rail, we returned to the bay, anchored and retired for the night. We both slept like babies and all was well once again!

I forgot to mention previously, that the last time we were on our way out of Puerto Escondido, I noticed a large disturbance on the water about 500 yards off the port bow. Since I had a couple of lines out, and thinking it to be Dorado chasing baitfish, I headed towards the disturbance. As the bow entered the disturbed area we realized it was not fish, but Dolphins. We were literally surrounded by hundreds of these beautiful animals. Judy was standing on the bow laughing and screaming with joy as the dolphins jumped out of the water all around us. They stayed with us for a mile or so, playing and racing with Wind Raven. It was an unexpected exhilarating treat to be so close to these beautiful and intelligent creatures.

After spending a day or so kicking back and enjoying the sea we decided it was time to do some maintenance. We cleared out the quarter birth to access the house batteries and check the water. They turned out to be fine. When we were about finished I took a break and as I entered the cockpit I noticed a pod of Dolphins in the bay. This was a first, as they usually stay outside of the bay and off the point. I hollered at Judy that there were Dolphins present, as she truly enjoys them. Her enthusiasm is reminiscent of a child’s anticipation and joy as they enter the gates of Disneyland for the first time. I hailed Richard on his trimaran that was anchored close by, informing him of their presence, as he had indicated interest in photographing them earlier. Judy and I jumped into our rescued dinghy and headed over to them, with Judy laughing and whooping on the bow. As we entered the school they all came to our boat and were swimming, jumping and cavorting all around and in front of us. Richard was still on his boat, as he was in the middle of a painting project. I thought, well if he can’t come to the Dolphins, we will try to lead them to him. I turned sharply to port to see what the Dolphins would do. They also turned with us and were in a very playful mood, jumping up to at least ten feet in the air at times (double half-gainers). We led them over to his boat, but when we got within about a hundred feet they turned away. We went back out and led them back to his boat, and again they turned away as we got close to his boat. I yelled to Richard that they obviously did not like his boat. About this time he finished his painting, grabbed his camera, jumped in his dinghy and joined us playing with the Dolphins and taking photos. The photos displayed are the ones he took, as We were” having too much fun” and forgot the camera.. The Dolphins stayed around playing with us for almost two hours. It was a Great experience. Next time they visit I will take my camera! (and our snorkeling masks so I can jump in and see them swim under water!) Judy

Today I must check the engine batteries water. To do this I must empty the port lazarette , so I might as well run the water maker while I have access to the valves. I checked the Capstan battery yesterday and it seemed to be okay, but I think I will add the other new battery to it, which will give me 1500 amps. That should do it! Maybe the Dolphins will visit again today. I sure hope so, it is good to see Judy so happily excited!

While checking the starting battery on 8/3/2011, I discovered the alternator and the water maker belts to be loose. I procured the necessary tools and tightened the alternator belt, but then discovered that the water maker belts were adjusted all the way out. It’s always something, it seems. I removed the bracket and extended the slide so as to give it more room for adjustment. Upon doing so I discovered the bracket had been bent to facilitate an improper installitation. I have no idea why they did this but it is correctly shaped and properly installed now. Unfortunately, this was not the only problem. Behind the refrigeration pump someone had installed the wrong pipe fitting, which restricted the movement of the pump, which the belts were around. Since I did not have the correct fitting, I had to move the high pressure water pump back an inch and a half to secure the adjustment space needed. I put up the tools and fired up the water maker. It worked great. That is until a pressure hose rubbed up against the pulley and caused a small hole that was squirting water towards the $350 alternator (not good). I shut it down, made a temporary repair, ran it to fill the tanks and then shut it down and removed the damaged hose. We will try to get a replacement hose and install it soon. I have to go catch a fish for dinner now. It’s such a pain, to have to go fishing every day so as to have fresh fish jumping the frying pan. He! He!

Maybe the Dolphins will return today!