PANDORA ROUNDING THE MIDDLE CANDELEROS
Until next Thursday I will get caught up on some boat maintenance that I have neglected lately. I have been spending too much time fishing and kicking back. It’s time to do some work! Adios amigos!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Memorial
Judy will fly to San Jose, CA. next Thursday to attend the memorial for her best friend’s daughter, who was unexpectedly taken from us a few weeks ago. Her mother has been awarded temporary custody of her daughter, and will be taking her back to CA. until the court has awarded full custody. In the mean time we will wait here in Ensenada Blanca. When Judy catches her flight to San Jose I will sail to La Paz by myself, that is unless I can find someone who wants to go along for the ride. I can single hand the boat, but it is always better to have two people aboard in an emergency. My plan is to sail to Bahia San Marta, or Punta San Telmo the first day. At that time I will decide on my next anchorage.
PANDORA ROUNDING THE MIDDLE CANDELEROS
Until next Thursday I will get caught up on some boat maintenance that I have neglected lately. I have been spending too much time fishing and kicking back. It’s time to do some work! Adios amigos!
PANDORA ROUNDING THE MIDDLE CANDELEROS
Until next Thursday I will get caught up on some boat maintenance that I have neglected lately. I have been spending too much time fishing and kicking back. It’s time to do some work! Adios amigos!
Monday, October 17, 2011
LORETO AGAIN!
We came back to Loreto yesterday and to our surprise, our friends (harley & Stephanie) aboard their boat Pandora, were anchored here. We went into town to see Alan and Irene, but they were not at home, so we left one of our cards on their door. After doing some shopping we returned to Wind Raven. After putting away the supplies we went over to Pandora to visit with Harley & Stephanie, and had an enjoyable time catching up on each others travels since we last met in Puerto Escondido.
PANDORA
We will leave Loreto later today and either head for Bahia Marquer or Ensenada Blanca to wait for news from Judy's friend concerning her daughters memorial, as Judy will be attending.
PANDORA
We will leave Loreto later today and either head for Bahia Marquer or Ensenada Blanca to wait for news from Judy's friend concerning her daughters memorial, as Judy will be attending.
Busy, Busy, Busy!
It has been a while since I posted in the blog, as we have been very busy of late. A couple of weeks ago we took a trip on Wind Raven to Loreto with Steve and Lulu from Siempre Sabado and Basil another cruiser. No fish were caught on trip, but we had a nice sail and good weather. It was Basil’s first time to Loreto, so he went sightseeing. We separated to accomplish our various tasks and then met at Mexico Lindo’s for another great lunch. The trip was uneventful (no breakdowns), which is nice for a change. Not that I don’t have boat problems, they seem to be lurking around every corner, so to speak. I guess I’m just getting used to them popping up all of the time. For example, this morning I narrowed down a battery drain to the 110v starboard side wiring. I will keep that side turned off until I locate the culprit.
STEVE & LULU
BOSIL THE GREEK
Last week Alan was suspended from work due to putting a cruiser that got out of line, back in line, so to speak. Judy and I felt this to be unfair, so we invited him and his family to go for a sail with us on those days. I mean why not turn a bad situation to a good one? We also collected some money from a few cruisers to help them out, as they have two children (twins 14 months old), and can’t afford to miss the pay. Their wages here are shit! I don’t know how they can survive on them.
ON OUR WAY
ALAN
IRENE
We met them at the Marina in Loreto at eight in the morning and made two trips in the dink to get them and their stuff aboard. Fortunately, the weather was nice and the water calm. They didn’t have their sea legs yet and if the water would have been rough it could have caused some problems boarding Wind Raven. All went well and we headed for Bahia Marquer on Isla Carmen about ten miles away. As we started out we set our lines in hope of catching a nice fat Dorado. This was not to be, but Alan did catch a Bonito, which we released. Their meat is not of the best quality. Alan’s wife Irene made pollo enchiladas verde, which were most excellent. We spent the next couple of days fishing, snorkeling, and generally kicking back. I believe a great time was had by all, especially the twins. (Even though one of them, Alan? Dylan?) slipped out of Papa’s grip upon boarding and fell in the drink over his head and didn’t even cry at the mishap!)
DOLPHINS CAVORTING
I, (Judy here) especially enjoyed getting to know Irene better-she is learning English very well and is helping me with my Spanish AND we have quite a few things in common! She went to the university in Mexico and studied Communication like I did in the US and we BOTH have worked in radio and journalism! Irene and I are looking forward to spending another day together soon when the “guys” go out fishing and I visit her at their home in Loreto---she wants to teach me proper Spanish and I am looking forward to spending more time with those lovely twins Alan and Dylan!!!! Also, Alan and Irene cannot afford a computer and Jay promised to help them put some photos of the boys on their Face Book page to send to a grandma in Utah (Alan’s mom) and Irene’s family in Mexico……so that will be fun to do next time we see them………but the boys also made me miss my own grandson Hayden who is older, but still a toddler….can’t wait to see him again and Mikey and Brandon and Katie’s new baby when I am there next year! And Leah and Britney and Haley and Anthony…..and my girls!!!!!!! (heavy sigh!)
When we headed back to Loreto there was no wind, so we decided to take a roundabout route in hope of catching a Dorado. This again was not to be. After a while the wind came up and we were actually able to sail almost all the way to Loreto before it died. We delivered them back to the Marina, said our adieus and departed for Ensenada Blanca.
On our way back we saw a whale way off to port. As we continued along it appeared that the whale was on a collision course with us, but as it turned out he passed in front of us at about fifty yards distance. Just after seeing the whale, we spotted a very large disturbance about a mile off to port. We headed out to investigate the cause and discovered a very large pod of Dolphins cavorting about on the surface. They were shooting out of the water, reaching heights of at least eight to ten feet. I tried to get photos of them in the air, but it is very difficult as one must take the photo as they come out of the water. It happens so fast and you never know where they will come out next. I did get one out of fifty or so, but it isn’t the best. Maybe next time we encounter them I will get lucky.
After saying good-by to our Dolphin friends we got back on course for Ensenada Blanca. As we passed Isla Danzante I hooked and landed a smaller Dorado. The trip back was really great, but I keep thinking how much better it would have been if our Mexican friends could have experienced it with us. I can only imagine how the twins would have reacted to the hundreds of Dolphins playing all around Wind Raven.
STEVE & LULU
BOSIL THE GREEK
Last week Alan was suspended from work due to putting a cruiser that got out of line, back in line, so to speak. Judy and I felt this to be unfair, so we invited him and his family to go for a sail with us on those days. I mean why not turn a bad situation to a good one? We also collected some money from a few cruisers to help them out, as they have two children (twins 14 months old), and can’t afford to miss the pay. Their wages here are shit! I don’t know how they can survive on them.
ON OUR WAY
ALAN
IRENE
We met them at the Marina in Loreto at eight in the morning and made two trips in the dink to get them and their stuff aboard. Fortunately, the weather was nice and the water calm. They didn’t have their sea legs yet and if the water would have been rough it could have caused some problems boarding Wind Raven. All went well and we headed for Bahia Marquer on Isla Carmen about ten miles away. As we started out we set our lines in hope of catching a nice fat Dorado. This was not to be, but Alan did catch a Bonito, which we released. Their meat is not of the best quality. Alan’s wife Irene made pollo enchiladas verde, which were most excellent. We spent the next couple of days fishing, snorkeling, and generally kicking back. I believe a great time was had by all, especially the twins. (Even though one of them, Alan? Dylan?) slipped out of Papa’s grip upon boarding and fell in the drink over his head and didn’t even cry at the mishap!)
DOLPHINS CAVORTING
I, (Judy here) especially enjoyed getting to know Irene better-she is learning English very well and is helping me with my Spanish AND we have quite a few things in common! She went to the university in Mexico and studied Communication like I did in the US and we BOTH have worked in radio and journalism! Irene and I are looking forward to spending another day together soon when the “guys” go out fishing and I visit her at their home in Loreto---she wants to teach me proper Spanish and I am looking forward to spending more time with those lovely twins Alan and Dylan!!!! Also, Alan and Irene cannot afford a computer and Jay promised to help them put some photos of the boys on their Face Book page to send to a grandma in Utah (Alan’s mom) and Irene’s family in Mexico……so that will be fun to do next time we see them………but the boys also made me miss my own grandson Hayden who is older, but still a toddler….can’t wait to see him again and Mikey and Brandon and Katie’s new baby when I am there next year! And Leah and Britney and Haley and Anthony…..and my girls!!!!!!! (heavy sigh!)
When we headed back to Loreto there was no wind, so we decided to take a roundabout route in hope of catching a Dorado. This again was not to be. After a while the wind came up and we were actually able to sail almost all the way to Loreto before it died. We delivered them back to the Marina, said our adieus and departed for Ensenada Blanca.
On our way back we saw a whale way off to port. As we continued along it appeared that the whale was on a collision course with us, but as it turned out he passed in front of us at about fifty yards distance. Just after seeing the whale, we spotted a very large disturbance about a mile off to port. We headed out to investigate the cause and discovered a very large pod of Dolphins cavorting about on the surface. They were shooting out of the water, reaching heights of at least eight to ten feet. I tried to get photos of them in the air, but it is very difficult as one must take the photo as they come out of the water. It happens so fast and you never know where they will come out next. I did get one out of fifty or so, but it isn’t the best. Maybe next time we encounter them I will get lucky.
After saying good-by to our Dolphin friends we got back on course for Ensenada Blanca. As we passed Isla Danzante I hooked and landed a smaller Dorado. The trip back was really great, but I keep thinking how much better it would have been if our Mexican friends could have experienced it with us. I can only imagine how the twins would have reacted to the hundreds of Dolphins playing all around Wind Raven.
SWELLS
While at Ensenada Blanca we shared the cost of a rental car with Steve and Lulu and went to La Paz. We bought supplies and saw the Doctor about getting rid of my warts and having x-rays taken of my elbow and lung. It turns out that my elbow was misdiagnosed in Loreto as tennis elbow. The x-rays showed it to be a lack of calcium in the bone. The nodule in my lung is about the same size as it has been for the past eight years, that’s good I guess. The wart issue is turning out to not only be a pain in the ass, but quite expensive. The Doctors are very inexpensive, but two brothers have a monopoly on the drugs and they are outrageously pricey. We made the trip in one day and it was very exhausting. The road is not the best, with horrendous speed bumps and very poorly marked bad curves on some sections.
While there we made a few repairs on the boat and fished a bit. After a few days we were informed of pending large waves coming from the North. Since we would be on a lee shore the decision was made to move to a more protected anchorage. Most of the other boats headed for the overpriced Puerto Escondido harbor, but we opted for a beautiful protected anchorage with clear turquoise water and great fishing. Did I mention it is also free? The water here is so clean it is amazing. Our water maker is working again and yesterday I was amazed that it made over 55 gallons of fresh water in a little over three hours. I didn’t think that much was possible in this warm of water. It is rated at over 20 gallons an hour, but that is an incredible amount of water to produce. Cruisers have suggested we get a new updated one, I think not! Okay back to our anchorage here at Puerto Ballandra. Our new friend Jack followed us over to this beautiful bay in his boat. I won’t mention its name, due to his displeasure in its connotation. He plans in changing it asap. On the way over two huge pods of Dolphins greeted us and frolicked about the boats most of the way to our intended anchorage. Of course as soon as I informed Judy the Dolphin people (as she calls them) were here, she was out to the bow to greet them. She truly loves these creatures, waving and yelling greetings to them as long as they are around. They seem to enjoy the attention and give us quite a show with their bursting from the sea to heights exceeding ten feet. A lot of the Dolphins had young swimming in unison with them. They were a pleasure to watch.
SHOWING OFF
Once we were anchored and secure, we had Jack over for dinner and made arrangements to go fishing in the morning. The next morning Jack and I took our respective dinghies out, he trolling for Dorado and I jigging for Trigger fish. I went out to the reef and caught two needle fish and one small Trigger fish, which I released. About this time I noticed Jack had stopped trolling and had a fish on. When I saw him land a nice Dorado, I changed rods and started trolling for Dorado. About twenty minutes later I landed a nice one too. We filleted these out and shared them with our fellow cruisers here. We did not fish the following day as we still had some fillets left. We invited Jack to dinner that night and ate up the remaining fillets. The next morning Jack slept in, but I went trolling for Dorado. I hooked one outside the entrance to the bay, but it spit the hook on its second jump out of the water. I got one more hit that I missed before noticing Jack and another cruiser standing on shore talking. I decided to go back in and see what they were up to. As I was trolling past Dave’s boat (Free Spirit) I hooked and landed a Dorado over four feet in length, a nice fish, to say the least. Last night we had Jack and Dave over for Dorado fillets and some interesting conversation as well as some good pumpkin pie that Judy had made that afternoon!
We will head for Loreto for ice as soon as the weather permits. Until then we will be stuck here in this terribly wonderful anchorage. OH darn!
While there we made a few repairs on the boat and fished a bit. After a few days we were informed of pending large waves coming from the North. Since we would be on a lee shore the decision was made to move to a more protected anchorage. Most of the other boats headed for the overpriced Puerto Escondido harbor, but we opted for a beautiful protected anchorage with clear turquoise water and great fishing. Did I mention it is also free? The water here is so clean it is amazing. Our water maker is working again and yesterday I was amazed that it made over 55 gallons of fresh water in a little over three hours. I didn’t think that much was possible in this warm of water. It is rated at over 20 gallons an hour, but that is an incredible amount of water to produce. Cruisers have suggested we get a new updated one, I think not! Okay back to our anchorage here at Puerto Ballandra. Our new friend Jack followed us over to this beautiful bay in his boat. I won’t mention its name, due to his displeasure in its connotation. He plans in changing it asap. On the way over two huge pods of Dolphins greeted us and frolicked about the boats most of the way to our intended anchorage. Of course as soon as I informed Judy the Dolphin people (as she calls them) were here, she was out to the bow to greet them. She truly loves these creatures, waving and yelling greetings to them as long as they are around. They seem to enjoy the attention and give us quite a show with their bursting from the sea to heights exceeding ten feet. A lot of the Dolphins had young swimming in unison with them. They were a pleasure to watch.
SHOWING OFF
Once we were anchored and secure, we had Jack over for dinner and made arrangements to go fishing in the morning. The next morning Jack and I took our respective dinghies out, he trolling for Dorado and I jigging for Trigger fish. I went out to the reef and caught two needle fish and one small Trigger fish, which I released. About this time I noticed Jack had stopped trolling and had a fish on. When I saw him land a nice Dorado, I changed rods and started trolling for Dorado. About twenty minutes later I landed a nice one too. We filleted these out and shared them with our fellow cruisers here. We did not fish the following day as we still had some fillets left. We invited Jack to dinner that night and ate up the remaining fillets. The next morning Jack slept in, but I went trolling for Dorado. I hooked one outside the entrance to the bay, but it spit the hook on its second jump out of the water. I got one more hit that I missed before noticing Jack and another cruiser standing on shore talking. I decided to go back in and see what they were up to. As I was trolling past Dave’s boat (Free Spirit) I hooked and landed a Dorado over four feet in length, a nice fish, to say the least. Last night we had Jack and Dave over for Dorado fillets and some interesting conversation as well as some good pumpkin pie that Judy had made that afternoon!
We will head for Loreto for ice as soon as the weather permits. Until then we will be stuck here in this terribly wonderful anchorage. OH darn!
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