Jim's (Crazy Coyote's) Visit!

At 4:30pm on Wednesday the 1st of February I caught a cab and picked up Jim at the La Paz airport. We went out to Wind Raven to drop off his luggage and headed back in to have dinner. We walked to Rancho Viejo, where we ordered a kilo of arranchera (sp) and enjoyed a great meal  and conversation. After dinner we walked several blocks down the Malicon before deciding it was getting a bit nippy to be wondering around, and headed back to the boat for the evening. I have been surprised this winter at how cold it seems to get down here. I expected it to be a lot warmer than it has been. The temperature can vary over 40 degrees from night to day.

ON HIS WAY

GOOD EATING & FUN TOO!

The next day we grabbed the packs to put provisions in and headed out. First, I took Jim to lunch at a little street front café about eight blocks past Rancho Viejo on the same street. We had Quesadia Marlins, which were excellent as usual. These are a mixture of veggies cheese and Marlin grilled and then placed on a corn tortilla. Jim had expressed a desire to experience “real Mexican food” while here, so I took him where the Mexicans eat out. After lunch we walked, via the barrio, to the new Mega market on the North end of town where we purchased our provisions for our trip out into the sea.

JUST ANOTHER TYPICAL SUNRISE IN THE SEA

On the 3^rd we got a late start as the anchor was a being bit obnoxious in its refusal to let go of what it obviously now considered its home. I put as much pressure as I dared, straight up on it, but it refused to budge. Next we gave it some slack and then pulled and pushed it in different directions until it finally released. After curing the anchor of its stubborn resistance, we headed for the channel allowing access to the other side of the sand bar that separates the malicon from the main channel. The current was trying to push us out of the channel, so I had to crab the boat through it, heading into the strong current. Once on the other side we proceeded to the fuel dock to fill the fuel and water tanks. We also took advantage of the dock restaurant being open and had breakfast. Once these trivialities were completed, we headed to out through the main channel and out to sea, with high expectations of fair winds and yellowtail.

OUR WELCOMING PARTY

NOW THIS IS CALM!

We motored out to Coleta Lobos and anchored for the night in sixteen feet of water out from the fish camp. The next morning (the 4^th), we headed out for Ensenada Grande on Isla Espirito Santo. We decided to turn out the sheets, so to speak, but we soon discovered a problem with the rudder. The boat would respond quite nicely when we turned to port, but we could only get 1/3^rd of rudder angle to starboard. Long story short, the control arm had slipped or been forced around the rudder shaft. Don’t ask how this transpired, as I nor Jim had a clue. All I know for sure is that this most recent tribulation caused the loss of a bunch of line and the temporary loss of another $20 lure, which was miraculously recovered at the end of the line tangled in the prop.  We were going to head back into port, but decided it would be nonproductive to do so.   At this point we decided to continue to Ensenada Grande under power and dropped the sail, with me cussing the loss of the lure and line. After arriving safely at anchor in Ensenada Grande, we retired to rest and contemplate the possibilities of our curing the problem and continuing on with our adventure. The next morning we got busy and repaired the slipped control arm by loosening it up, connecting the emergency tiller and using it to apply the leverage needed to center the control arm. After accomplishing this, we simply tightened it back up. By the time we had finished, it was too late to continue on, so we took another R&R break.

ANCHORED AT ISLA SAN FRANCISCO!

ROCKS IN MY POCKETS....DIRT IN MY SHOES!

On the 5^th we got up early and headed for  San Evaristo on the peninsula to visit the Tienda for a few supplies. By the time we were anchored, our lures should have been very waterlogged, if not drowned, as we had drug them over forty miles without so much as a bump. At least Jim was able to see a real Mexican fishing village, where as we walked back to the dink from the Tienda, Jim spotted a groupe of Mexicans unloading a bunch of fish from their Panga. As we approached, we discovered they were selling them to the retailer, so I asked “cuanto por un piscado?.” The retailer said “ veinte pesos por kilo”. Now that’s not bad. It amounted to aboutseventy five cents a Lb. At  20 pesos per kilo, that is roughly 75 cents a pound. We ate very well that night!


SOME CORAL COYOTE FANCIED!

On the morning of the sixth we sailed to Isla San Francisco, anchored, fished and just enjoyed some good company and kicked back. We stayed through the seventh, met some nice people, went for a walk to the other side, where Judy and had walked to previously and did some more fishing.




A FRIGATE IN ACTION!

STILL SMILING!

The morning of the eighth the wind was coming up outside the anchorage, so we headed out, raising the mainsail, and unfurled the working jib, heading for Bahia San Gabriel. As we progressed the wind rose from fifteen knots to twenty five knots, and the rollers rose from six to ten feet at around three seconds. It was a bit rolly at times, and not the most comfortable sail. The main problem was the closeness of the waves and their insistence of breaking over. Just as the bow was about to hit the wave in front of us, another wave would hit us on the stern quarter pushing the stern around, forcing the boat to try to breach, and I would have to turn hard to starboard to stabilize it, pointing the bow through the next roller. It was a great day and much fun. We made our next anchorage without any problems to speak of and enjoyed a restful night. 




A FRIGATE MOON!

The next morning we pulled the anchor and moved to the middle of the bay, where we disconnected it, let out the rode, removing all the twists in it. These twists are a result of what they call “The La Paz Waltz.” After removing the kinks we headed for La Paz. We had a okay sail at times, but could have used more wind. We took our time coming into La Paz dragging our waterlogged lures as far as the entrance to the channel. After Wind Raven was safely anchored at the Magote, we headed into town to fill our empty stomachs with a huge hamburger at “The Shack.” When I say we were stuffed, I mean REALY STUFFED. However, after a walk down the Malicon we were in fine shape and returned to the boat. Jim had to leave the next afternoon so we crashed early sometime after midnight!

NOW THAT'S A SNAPPER!

JUST ANOTHER SUNRISE IN PARADISE!

On the day of Jims departure we kicked around the boat with Jim helping me to square it away and then headed into La Paz for a fine breakfast at a local street café. After eating we returned to Marina De La Paz and kicked back in the sun. I think Jim was enjoying the nice day in Mexico, as in a matter of hours he would be back in Reno, Nevada where it is considerably cooler!  Oh Well, Can't Win Em All!