La Paz was getting hot to the point that we were hiding out in our boat from noon until 8:00 p.m. when the sun set. The heat would very slowly subside, around 10:00 p.m. it would be in the high 80's. Finally, near 6:00 a.m. it would drop into the 60's for about an hour, then rapidly climb to the 90's and 100's by 10:00 a.m., not to mention the humidity.
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| This was our life for much of the day in La Paz. No quick escape! |
We had decided to bring the boat back to California so that Leif can accomplish the many upgrades he wanted on the boat. It would be tough to do hard work in the heat and humidity. So... I started pushing for sooner rather than later as it was too hot to even go out and enjoy Mexico. If we were anchored at the islands it was nice, as there was swimming to cool off (86 degree water). However we were in a marina and the winds were less, and swimming was not an option as the pool was murky and swimming in the marina wasn't an option either. Finally we decided to get out of town...
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| This is a small fish camp on Isla Partida. A panga full of women and children arrived in the morning, spent the night, then the coromuel winds came up strongly and they had to wait to leave. All seemed to have a good time. |
On May 31 at 10:00 a.m.we left Marina Palmira for Bahia de los Muertos. As has been the norm here in the Sea of Cortez, the wind was on the nose, so we motored around the corner. We were on a mission, not an afternoon daysail. Arriving at Muertos around 7 p.m. we anchored and quickly jumped into the lovely water to cool off. The water temp. here was 86.9 degrees! It's hard to stay cool as the water keeps the air warm. Next day we set off early, around 5:00 a.m. for our journey to San Jose del Cabo. The seas were rough, as the swells are coming from the Pacific ocean and the Sea of Cortez, creating a cross swell.
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| It's a long ride across to the mainland when the coromuels are blowing! |
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| One last colorful sunset before we leave. |
Lovely. We arrived around 5:00p.m., washed the boat, and settled into the upscale marina on an end tie. Soon after, we met some fellow cruisers from the boat Tardis, Jaime, Elaine and their friend Bernd. We had seen the boat in La Cruz, but had never run into them. They were great fun, and we had several meals out enjoying the sights of San Jose. The boats which were accumulated in San Jose were mostly waiting for a weather window to head north to bash to California. Soon enough a window arrived and people started disappearing. We decided to wait until Friday, and left a couple days after many others. Friday morning we left around 9 and headed towards Cabo san Lucas, and Cabo Falso, notorious for lumpy, windy conditions. Luckily, we had judged the weather well and our travels were fairly benign, with light winds on the nose most of the way up the outside of Baja.
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| On an early morning walk around S.J. del Cabo this fisherman was having a bit of luck catching "Lisas"! |
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| At first we didn't see any iguanas in Cabo, then, after looking carefully, they were EVERYWHERE! |
We arrived in Bahia Santa Maria with a bit of weather, so we stayed the night and left the following night for Turtle Bay. Things were humming along nicely, with the two of us doing 3 hour watches, so once we hit Turtle, we fueled up and left right away, headed outside of Cedros Island for Ensenada. The trip was a quick one, taking only 6 days which included one night at anchor. Last time it took 19 days. We only hit some uncomfortable conditions around Viscaino Bay, just north of Cedros. The seas were short and lumpy, causing us to pound unless we bore off away from directly into it. So, we zigzagged across until early morning when it died down a bit. The ships were far out to sea this trip, not a concern at all. And, no fish pens or long lines.
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| The Whale Man, Ensenada. This is on the malecon near Cruiseport (background). |
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| Ah the fruit stand, not to be outdone, also note the hanging Tostitos! |
Arriving in Ensenada, the weather cleared up and the sun broke through the clouds, turning into a beautiful morning with crisp air and bright sunshine. It was a delight to head into Cruiseport marina and see Jonathan who seems to be in charge of everything there. We arrived on a Thursday mid-day, so we waited until the next morning to head into the Port Captain and check out of the country. That went so smoothly, taking only about 1/2 hour as compared to 3 hours the first trip, we decided to go to lunch with the Tardis crew. There were all sorts of boats that we knew in Cruiseport, which made it really fun to walk the docks and reconnect with them and learn of their travels. Ensenada is a lively town, especially when the cruise ships are in port. As it turned out, there were two while we stayed, so the street sellers were out in full force. At first this adds to the atmosphere, but it quickly gets old and we were happy when the ship set sail so the sellers did as well! The streets were more barren, but it was calmer and more like a small town instead of a carnival. It was all too soon that we said "goodbye" to Ensenada and headed north to San Diego and our friends Tom and Mary Ellen. As we passed the USA border, we did a little tribute and took down our Mexican flag, and put up the American Legion YC flag and the yellow quarantine flag. This alerts the customs folks that we are entering the country and are not trying to enter illegally. The customs guys came down and quickly inspected our boat, asking for meats, veggies, and fruits. We had already gotten rid of these "illegal" items ahead of time, so we passed quickly.
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| The not-so-weary travelers arriving at Southwestern Y.C., ahhhhhhh. |
Tom and Mary Ellen greeted us as we arrived, but were asked to leave by the customs guys. Last trip it wasn't a problem having them down on the dock with us. So, we left and headed to Southwestern Yacht Club and our end tie for four nights. I hate to blather on about Southwestern YC, as I'm afraid it might become too popular and we won't be able to get a guest spot. However... it is a wonderful club, with a beautiful dining area with views of the bay, looks like they have a very active jr. program as well. Most important for us are the clean showers ashore! It's so nice to feel at home there.
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| The U.S. Navy going out to exercise a unique vessel. |
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| Our welcoming committee in San Diego. Just don't get in his way! |
Tom and Mary Ellen hosted us at their home for several nights as well, taking walks out to the monument and driving all around town in their truck for groceries and cell phone service. We love San Diego's climate, and the bustling ambiance of the Navy town. It would be a good place to call home if we ever land. We also met with Dave and Jan from Pendragon for an evening of catching up and dinner. Fun to see everyone once again.
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