24/2011 San Evaristo to Bahia Agua Verde
I was up at four am this morning. No, not by choice, but because I couldn’t sleep. Don’t ask why, or I’ll have to tell you about all my aches and pains. Which I’m sure you have enough of your own and don’t want to hear about mine. Anyway, we were out of San Evaristo by seven. As usual, the sea was dead calm, so it was motor or sit and wait for the wind. We opted to motor. The wind did finally come up just before we entered Bahia Agua Verde. I tried to drown a Rapala lure all the way to no avail. I better start catching something decent soon, or it’s going to get pretty hungry down here. It is a bit tricky approaching the bay due to a reef and some hidden rocks. Once again I was thankful to have the new sonar.
I had to set the anchor three times before I got it right. This is a really crowded anchorage and you really have to do it right, or you could swing into another boat during the night when the wind shifts. After everything was secure Judy and I went for a walk through the village and stopped at a tiny Tienda for some fresh bananas and a cold drink. We walked back to the beached dink and rowed back to the boat to have some vittles.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
La Paz to Puerto Gallina
. So off we go! 4/22/2011
We left La Paz at one pm on the 21st. The channel was calm as it was an ebb tide. As usual the wind blew all morning and died as soon as we entered the bay. We motored to Puerto Ballena on Isla Espirito Santo and anchored in the south bite, which is named Ensenada La Gallina. We dropped the hook in 18 ft, with a sand bottom. Once settled in I dropped a line in and caught a couple of small bass and then a puffer fish. That was enough, I don’t care about catching something that wants to stick me with little poisonous spines. Besides we were tired and ready to crash. The boat performed admirably, no problems what so ever.
I arose at four am on the 22nd and proceeded to change the oil and check the gearboxes before we headed out. The night before we decided to make Isla San Francisco our next stop, as it would be an easy sail at only 24 nautical miles away. After breakfast we pulled anchor and got under way. This time we had a little wind, at least enough to furl out the jib to help the motor and save fuel. After about two hours the wind was up enough to kill the engine and run on the jib alone. Being such a short run, and since we had plenty of time, I didn’t hoist the main. Sailing downwind we made six knots in nine knots of apparent wind. The water was a bit choppy with four foot swells at about six seconds, but since it was a following sea it wasn’t bad at all. The temp in La Paz was supposed to be in the high nineties, but out on the water it felt more like the high seventies or low eighties.
Somewhere on approaching the anchorage at Isla San Francisco there is a dangerous rock that is not visible. We have three guide books and they all place this rock at different points. Basically this means that you can take your pick, or try to avoid all three locations. However, if none of them agree, maybe they are all wrong. There could one, two, or even three rocks lurking beneath the surface just waiting to rip a hole in the bottom of your boat. Maybe they are all the same, but they used different charts. The Mexico charts aren’t known for their accuracy. This certainly doesn’t instill any confidence upon approaching this anchorage. That is unless you have forward looking sonar, like the one we just installed in La Paz. We just approached at a slow speed and kept a keen eye on the sonar screen, no problem! We anchored in twenty two feet of beautiful turquoise water with a white sand bottom. The water is also bordered by a white sand beach that is loaded with puka shells. Somehow I thought they were from Hawaii not Mexico. Judy and I ran the dinghy to shore and walked across a sand spit that separates the beaches. It was low tide so Judy explored the tide pools, marveling at the sea life and the numerous whole sea shells of many varieties. Back home the beach comers have to search hard to find any good shells, but not here!
I did take some photos but will have to wait until we reach Puerto Escondido to post them. Today we will not go far. We are now on a sightseeing tour of the Islands and anchorages around this area. We will only make about fourteen miles total today. Ending up at Punta San Evaristo, via Punta Salinas, on Isla San Jose. It has an abandoned salt mining operation with abandoned vehicles and buildings Judy said she wants to explore
We left La Paz at one pm on the 21st. The channel was calm as it was an ebb tide. As usual the wind blew all morning and died as soon as we entered the bay. We motored to Puerto Ballena on Isla Espirito Santo and anchored in the south bite, which is named Ensenada La Gallina. We dropped the hook in 18 ft, with a sand bottom. Once settled in I dropped a line in and caught a couple of small bass and then a puffer fish. That was enough, I don’t care about catching something that wants to stick me with little poisonous spines. Besides we were tired and ready to crash. The boat performed admirably, no problems what so ever.
I arose at four am on the 22nd and proceeded to change the oil and check the gearboxes before we headed out. The night before we decided to make Isla San Francisco our next stop, as it would be an easy sail at only 24 nautical miles away. After breakfast we pulled anchor and got under way. This time we had a little wind, at least enough to furl out the jib to help the motor and save fuel. After about two hours the wind was up enough to kill the engine and run on the jib alone. Being such a short run, and since we had plenty of time, I didn’t hoist the main. Sailing downwind we made six knots in nine knots of apparent wind. The water was a bit choppy with four foot swells at about six seconds, but since it was a following sea it wasn’t bad at all. The temp in La Paz was supposed to be in the high nineties, but out on the water it felt more like the high seventies or low eighties.
Somewhere on approaching the anchorage at Isla San Francisco there is a dangerous rock that is not visible. We have three guide books and they all place this rock at different points. Basically this means that you can take your pick, or try to avoid all three locations. However, if none of them agree, maybe they are all wrong. There could one, two, or even three rocks lurking beneath the surface just waiting to rip a hole in the bottom of your boat. Maybe they are all the same, but they used different charts. The Mexico charts aren’t known for their accuracy. This certainly doesn’t instill any confidence upon approaching this anchorage. That is unless you have forward looking sonar, like the one we just installed in La Paz. We just approached at a slow speed and kept a keen eye on the sonar screen, no problem! We anchored in twenty two feet of beautiful turquoise water with a white sand bottom. The water is also bordered by a white sand beach that is loaded with puka shells. Somehow I thought they were from Hawaii not Mexico. Judy and I ran the dinghy to shore and walked across a sand spit that separates the beaches. It was low tide so Judy explored the tide pools, marveling at the sea life and the numerous whole sea shells of many varieties. Back home the beach comers have to search hard to find any good shells, but not here!
I did take some photos but will have to wait until we reach Puerto Escondido to post them. Today we will not go far. We are now on a sightseeing tour of the Islands and anchorages around this area. We will only make about fourteen miles total today. Ending up at Punta San Evaristo, via Punta Salinas, on Isla San Jose. It has an abandoned salt mining operation with abandoned vehicles and buildings Judy said she wants to explore
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Today is departure day!
Today is the day leave La Paz. That is if the weather is good. Otherwise we will wait until it is. The wind is up at present but should lie down a bit around noon. If so we will head out through the channel to the open sea. Our plan is to only sail a short distance to a bay called “El Mezteno” on the Isla Espiritu Santo. This little bay is only large enough to hold one or two boats at anchor. If it is occupied we will bypass it and anchor at Ensenada Grande, a much larger bay on Isla Partida. The next stop will be in a very popular anchorage on Isla San Francisco. From there we will take our time visiting several Islas such as Isla Coyote, Isla San Jose, San Evaristo, Nopolo, Timbabiche (Bahia San Carlos),Punta Prieta, Bahia Santa Marta, Ensenada La Ballena, Bahi Agua Verde, and then on to Puerto Escondido, where I will spend six weeks alone on the boat, kicking back, fishing and exploring the areas many islands, while Judy goes to her daughter’s wedding and visits family. She will also pick up a rebuilt auto pilot control box and some items that are not available here, such as cheddar cheese
I have no idea when we will be able to get internet service in the next six weeks. If and when we can, we will make posts. So until we can, I hope you all have as great a time as we are planning on having and as good of weather! Anyone that wishes to come down and visit, sail, fish or just kick back and enjoy the great weather, a great time would be anytime from June 1st through July 14th.
ADIOS!.....until next time………………..
I have no idea when we will be able to get internet service in the next six weeks. If and when we can, we will make posts. So until we can, I hope you all have as great a time as we are planning on having and as good of weather! Anyone that wishes to come down and visit, sail, fish or just kick back and enjoy the great weather, a great time would be anytime from June 1st through July 14th.
ADIOS!.....until next time………………..
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Second time around.
The diagnosis was good on my knee, generally speaking. It is supposed to heal itself in a couple of months if I don’t abuse it. That means not bending it back excessively and wearing a knee pad when kneeling on it. Yeah right, on a sailboat? I will try to comply as much as possible. Once we are in Puerto Escondido it will be much easier to do. At the end of May Judy will be going to Portland to attend her daughter Darcie’s wedding and to visit family. She will be gone about six weeks, so if anyone wishes to come down to sail, fish, or simply kick back in the warm weather I will have plenty of room for company. I plan on doing a lot of recreational activities. Things like fishing , lounging, resting, or simply nothing.
As you can see, we now have our computer back on the internet. Did I say we lost it? I can’t remember if that was on the blog I lost. Anyway, a local business called Telcel that supplies phones and internet service has “Authorized Dealers” besides their main offices. There are many of these little dealerships in La Paz who rip off cruisers. I’m sure that some of them might be run by honest people, but most are not. They know that most cruisers leave La Paz after a couple of weeks. As a result of having this knowledge, they sell them pre-paid internet service for as long a period as possible. Once they have your money they will only buy two weeks service from the main company, no matter how much you purchased and pocket the rest. In a couple of weeks when the cruisers internet service is shut off it is too late to do anything about, because they are already at sea on their way to a new port. They are pretty bold, as they will give you a bogus receipt or cut off the top and bottom that has the Telcel logo on it. Yes we got ripped off, but only for about twenty dollars. They take advantage of Gringos not speaking Spanish, so they can’t speak with the main office employees or supervisors. We informed our friend what happened and he went to the main office for us and purchased the proper service for our computer. He also made copies of our paper work from the dealer and filed a complaint. He said that this conduct is not acceptable and hurts all businesses in La Paz. Victor is an extremely conscientious business man and very honest. A man of integrity, that we are proud to call a friend.
We will be leaving La Paz soon. I haven’t looked out yet this morning, but I’m sure Steve and Lulu are still here, as I was not awakened by any loud Velcro ripping sounds as they passed!
As you can see, we now have our computer back on the internet. Did I say we lost it? I can’t remember if that was on the blog I lost. Anyway, a local business called Telcel that supplies phones and internet service has “Authorized Dealers” besides their main offices. There are many of these little dealerships in La Paz who rip off cruisers. I’m sure that some of them might be run by honest people, but most are not. They know that most cruisers leave La Paz after a couple of weeks. As a result of having this knowledge, they sell them pre-paid internet service for as long a period as possible. Once they have your money they will only buy two weeks service from the main company, no matter how much you purchased and pocket the rest. In a couple of weeks when the cruisers internet service is shut off it is too late to do anything about, because they are already at sea on their way to a new port. They are pretty bold, as they will give you a bogus receipt or cut off the top and bottom that has the Telcel logo on it. Yes we got ripped off, but only for about twenty dollars. They take advantage of Gringos not speaking Spanish, so they can’t speak with the main office employees or supervisors. We informed our friend what happened and he went to the main office for us and purchased the proper service for our computer. He also made copies of our paper work from the dealer and filed a complaint. He said that this conduct is not acceptable and hurts all businesses in La Paz. Victor is an extremely conscientious business man and very honest. A man of integrity, that we are proud to call a friend.
We will be leaving La Paz soon. I haven’t looked out yet this morning, but I’m sure Steve and Lulu are still here, as I was not awakened by any loud Velcro ripping sounds as they passed!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Ultrasound
Yesterday morning my knee was looking like it was pregnant again. All puffed up like a woman’s belly, but still soft. Again I thought that maybe If I gave it some time it would go away. No such luck. I did not know what hours the Doctor would be in his office, because due to the hot afternoons, they still take siestas here. It would do no good to call ,as his receptionist speaks zero English. Even if I used the English Spanish dictionary to make up my question, I could not understand her answer. The day before I went in at four pm, so I thought that would be as good a time as any. Just as I arrived outside his office the doctor came around from the back. He said he had to go down the street but would be back soon. He then unlocked the office for me so I could wait inside where it was cool and then relocked it. How many doctors would allow a patient to wait in their office unattended in America? I know of none. They would make you wait outside in the heat. People here are much more trusting of their fellow man. I like that, it reminds me of America back in the 1950s.When he came back he took me upstairs and once again took out those big syringes with the bigger needles and sucked the fluid out. This time the it did not look like diluted goats blood, but real human blood. I said to the doctor, ah that’s good no? Unfortunately he said no!
Today at one pm I go to get an ultrasound (cost about $45 US). Then I go back to the Doctor’s office to discuss my options. One of which is exploratory surgery. This would be to see what is causing the problem. It could be a bone chip from when I fell three and a half stories and broke my back, among many other things. I will just have to wait and see, and so will you. That is if you are interested. Adios por ahora!
To be continued
Today at one pm I go to get an ultrasound (cost about $45 US). Then I go back to the Doctor’s office to discuss my options. One of which is exploratory surgery. This would be to see what is causing the problem. It could be a bone chip from when I fell three and a half stories and broke my back, among many other things. I will just have to wait and see, and so will you. That is if you are interested. Adios por ahora!
To be continued
Friday, April 15, 2011
Pregnant Knee!
Three days ago I woke up and to my surprise I discovered that my knee looked pregnant. This could not be, as it has been with me always and has never left my sight. Except of course, when I was asleep and had my eyes closed. I hear some people can sleep with their eyes open, but I am not so fortunate. I eyed it suspiciously and carefully palpated the area with my fingers. It was soft, not firm as a pregnant woman’s belly and it did not hurt at all. But what else could it be? I have never had anything such as this before. I thought that if I ignore it, maybe it will just go away. Two days later it was even bigger, but it was still soft. That was good news. At least I would not have to be worried about having a little third knee hanging around to bother me all the time.
I got up the following morning and it was bigger yet, so I decided that I had better go see the Doctor before this thing exploded and made a big mess. I do not speak very good Spanish yet, so it is a challenge trying to communicate with the doctor’s secretary. After hand mimes and strange sounds she said a couple of words I understood, quatro ( 4) and tardes (afternoon). Okay I got it. I came back at four that afternoon to see the doctor.
Fortunately the doctor spoke very good English. I showed him my pregnant looking knee and he got out these big syringes with even bigger needles sticking out of them. That’s when I knew this was not going to be very much fun. It wasn’t either. He stuck those big needles into my pregnant looking knee and drew out what looked like diluted goat’s blood. The good part was that my knee no longer looked pregnant. It almost looked normal. The doctor sent the diluted goat’s blood to the laboratory to see what it is and why it picked on me. In five days I have to go back to find out. The total bill was about sixty five dollars and that included everything, even my next visit, because it is part of the same ailment. Here the insurance companies do not control the doctors, and the people do not sue them either. As a result of these simple facts, the medical services here are affordable. The people in the USA should take note of this fact and get rid of their controllers---the insurance companies!
I got up the following morning and it was bigger yet, so I decided that I had better go see the Doctor before this thing exploded and made a big mess. I do not speak very good Spanish yet, so it is a challenge trying to communicate with the doctor’s secretary. After hand mimes and strange sounds she said a couple of words I understood, quatro ( 4) and tardes (afternoon). Okay I got it. I came back at four that afternoon to see the doctor.
Fortunately the doctor spoke very good English. I showed him my pregnant looking knee and he got out these big syringes with even bigger needles sticking out of them. That’s when I knew this was not going to be very much fun. It wasn’t either. He stuck those big needles into my pregnant looking knee and drew out what looked like diluted goat’s blood. The good part was that my knee no longer looked pregnant. It almost looked normal. The doctor sent the diluted goat’s blood to the laboratory to see what it is and why it picked on me. In five days I have to go back to find out. The total bill was about sixty five dollars and that included everything, even my next visit, because it is part of the same ailment. Here the insurance companies do not control the doctors, and the people do not sue them either. As a result of these simple facts, the medical services here are affordable. The people in the USA should take note of this fact and get rid of their controllers---the insurance companies!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
VHF Transmitting
I picked Victor up at the dinghy dock at 9:00 AM yesterday morning and headed out to the anchorage. Victor seemed very happy that the water was flat with no wind. I have the feeling that going out in a small dinghy in the bay isn’t his idea of having a good time.When I told him about my previous experience trying to secure Siempre Sabado in the rough water and wind, he seemed a bit apprehensive to say the least. Maybe he can’t swim. We arrived at the boat without any mishaps and Victor got busy checking the radio. He checked everything that I had checked, and came up with the same results. It just didn’t make sense. We had plenty of power, yet when we keyed the mike the digital number would go off and then flash and it would not transmit. Victor said he had never seen this happen before and asked if I had the manual. I did, so he read it for a while and checked a few more things but couldn’t find anything wrong. He then hooked up the emergency antenna and low and behold it transmitted on high. So the problem was in the main antenna system somewhere. To make a long story short, the problem turned out to be corrosion on an extension cable connection fitting located in the bilge. It was kind of crazy; someone had added a 14” section to the cable. I have no idea why they did this, but I removed it and cleaned the connections, reinstalled it minus the 14” section and it works great. It never ceases to amaze me how something so simple can cause so much trouble.
I took Victor back to the dock and when I asked how much I owed him he said 200 pesos. Well folks that is only around $18.00 US. I gave him 300 pesos and figure I got a hell of a deal. I do recommend him highly. His business is “Radiocomcomunicaciones” DE LA PAZ. And his phone is Nextel: 62*14*64604
When I returned to the boat I got busy repairing several small things. Steve came by to bring back my extra anchor and rode. He also brought a plate of still warm brownies that Lulu made for us. Thanks Lulu they are delicious, Mmm! Mmm! After Steve left I hauled everything out of the back lazeret and returned the 45lb CQR to its resting place at the bottom. I then placed everything else back on top, until the next time it is needed. What a hassle, but there just isn’t anywhere else to store it. I have four extra anchors aboard and could do away with one, but sure as hell if I do, I or someone else will need it. Just as I got everything finished and was admiring the orderly cockpit, Roger called out from his dinghy to say he was here to work on the refrigeration. Well that meant everything had to come out of the side lazeret to access the unit. Roger checked out the unit and found that I was correct in my assumption that I had overfilled the unit with freon the last time I added some. I’m glad that I didn’t run it that way as it could cause some serious damage. It has had a slow leak for some time now. Roger found a leak the last time he was out and repaired it, but evidently there is another one. He removed the extra freon and got it working, but could not find any other leaks. Roger is very good at what he does and comes highly recommended. He also showed pity on me and only charged me $30 for running out in his skiff and repairing the unit. I will see if I can borrow a sniffer and try to find the leak myself. Not that I am any better, but I can go slow and take all the time in the world. I wouldn't want to pay the bill for a refrigeration man to do that. Roger checked all the fittings, so that part is covered. I asked if a copper line might have abraded and be leaking. He said that would be very rare. So I figure that, considering the boats history, that’s most likely what it will turn out to be!
I took Victor back to the dock and when I asked how much I owed him he said 200 pesos. Well folks that is only around $18.00 US. I gave him 300 pesos and figure I got a hell of a deal. I do recommend him highly. His business is “Radiocomcomunicaciones” DE LA PAZ. And his phone is Nextel: 62*14*64604
When I returned to the boat I got busy repairing several small things. Steve came by to bring back my extra anchor and rode. He also brought a plate of still warm brownies that Lulu made for us. Thanks Lulu they are delicious, Mmm! Mmm! After Steve left I hauled everything out of the back lazeret and returned the 45lb CQR to its resting place at the bottom. I then placed everything else back on top, until the next time it is needed. What a hassle, but there just isn’t anywhere else to store it. I have four extra anchors aboard and could do away with one, but sure as hell if I do, I or someone else will need it. Just as I got everything finished and was admiring the orderly cockpit, Roger called out from his dinghy to say he was here to work on the refrigeration. Well that meant everything had to come out of the side lazeret to access the unit. Roger checked out the unit and found that I was correct in my assumption that I had overfilled the unit with freon the last time I added some. I’m glad that I didn’t run it that way as it could cause some serious damage. It has had a slow leak for some time now. Roger found a leak the last time he was out and repaired it, but evidently there is another one. He removed the extra freon and got it working, but could not find any other leaks. Roger is very good at what he does and comes highly recommended. He also showed pity on me and only charged me $30 for running out in his skiff and repairing the unit. I will see if I can borrow a sniffer and try to find the leak myself. Not that I am any better, but I can go slow and take all the time in the world. I wouldn't want to pay the bill for a refrigeration man to do that. Roger checked all the fittings, so that part is covered. I asked if a copper line might have abraded and be leaking. He said that would be very rare. So I figure that, considering the boats history, that’s most likely what it will turn out to be!
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