Teak!

We've finally started our teak work. The varnish was starting to peel up in places so we consulted a wood builder who advised us that it was much better for the wood if we let it go natural. But first we needed to strip all the varnish away, get it back to its natural state and then apply oil. We weren't sure we wanted to tackle such a big project this time, plus we didn't have all the needed tools so it was suggested that we peel up the areas that were already exposed and then oil it so it was protected until next season. But when Susana started peeling up those areas huge sheets of varnish started coming with it. We decided to go for it and borrowed a heat gun to make our lives a bit easier. We scraped and scraped and scraped....for six long days. 

 

Then the marina officials put a halt to it and advised we could not work on our wood in the marina and that if we continued we could be fined $200. Aye! So now we have a haul out date to take Jade to the work yard so we can finish the job. Then she'll be wrapped up for the summer and we'll head back to Oregon for a few months or so.  

Here's Jade getting fitted for her summer cover.

We'll be back next season for some more fun on the sea. We'll continue to post as we have a fun summer project in Oregon...a tiny home!

San Pedro, Part 2

I'm not sure if I mentioned that we purchased a new dingy, Jade Jr. She's a Porta Bote and folds up flat so she can be stored on the side of our deck. Our other dingy was fabulous, but took up a lot of space on deck and rowing it was a bitch. This one is lighter, rows pretty well and scoots along with our 2hp Honda motor.

Anyway, back to our horrible sight. We had spent another uncomfortable night rockin' and rollin' with the swells. Jade Jr. had been tied to the side of Jade, but was crashing against her with every swell. I tried giving her more line to trail back further, but she managed to work her way back to Jade so tying her to the side was a better option. However, after that long and sleepless night I had enough of the banging. I went into the cockpit to check S/V Waveglider's dingy to see how they were controlling it. To my horrible surprise I noticed that Waveglider (thankfully a catamaran) was beached and being slammed by the waves. Owner Barry was trying to release her with his dingy to no avail. We had to do something. So we pulled anchor and headed over to assist.

The plan was to attach a 50 foot line and pull Waveglider off the beach. Two things came to mind: 

1. We've never pulled or rescued another boat before.

2. 50 feet may seem like a good distance until you have to get your boat, which drafts five feet, close enough to shore to receive the line, attach it and go.

Somehow we managed to do it without beaching ourselves, without getting tangled in seaweed and without crashing into Waveglider. It's hard to see, but here we are towing her off the beach and back into the bay. She looks a lot further away than she was, trust me!

We still had to wait a few more days before the winds shifted to the right direction. And boy were we ready to get out of there. The night before we left we decided to celebrate with a camp fire on the beach. It was lovely, but while Susana was gathering wood she was attached by a jumping cholla (mean looking cactus with big ass thorns). Thankfully, Dr. Poncha was there to save the day.

Here's the aftermath.

Our campfire and beautiful sunset.

The next morning we towed Waveglider out of the bay so they could sail back to San Carlos. Once they got close enough we were able to give them another tow into the bahía.

We will never forget this adventure. We learned new skills and what our boat (and ourselves) are capable of.

San Pedro, Part 1

After our return from our trip across the sea, we contemplated a teak project. Our lovely teak has started to look a little sad and we wanted to tackle it before it became a real problem. That all changed after another boater invited us to join them in San Pedro bay about 18 miles north of San Carlos. We jumped at the chance and took off the next day. However, upon our arrival the other boater was conveniently absent, which was fine by us as we had other anchorages we wanted to check out further north. 

We spent a peaceful night in the bay and the next day we were pleased and surprised to see our buddy boat friends, S/V Waveglider, sail into the bay. They had taken us to Las Cacinas, Kino Bay and Dog Bay in March. We rushed over to say hello and discovered they had been on the sea for the last five days without any engine power. They were exhausted and happy to be anchored for a few days so they could rest. We decided to stick around in case they needed assistance getting back to San Carlos.

The following day we walked over to the next bay and had a great time hiking and exploring.

 

 

After a few days we were ready to leave San Pedro bay, but we were all waiting for winds which would help S/V Waveglider sail back to San Carlos, with us close behind for support and assistance. However, the winds did not want to cooperate and we became stranded for a few more days. At times the anchorage was extremely uncomfortable with swells that wrapped around the entire anchorage which made a rockin' and rollin' home on the sea. We felt more like we were sailing than anchored in a bay. One morning we woke to a horrible sight, but more about that in the next post.

Bahía Concepción

We left Santa Rosalía and headed to Punta Chivato about 25 miles away and after one night on the hook we motored to Bahía Concepción about 23 miles away. Bahía Concepción is a large, protected bay consisting of small islands and beaches. 

We've heard the saying that there's a difference between cruising and sailing. When you're cruising, you're usually trying to get to a certain destination and most of that time seems to be motoring than actual sailing. We are beginning to understand. We didn't experience any significant winds for our travel into Bahía Concepción until later that evening after we were already anchored. We stayed in Playa Santispac for a couple nights until the winds calmed as there was plenty of protection in the bay. Then we motored over to Playa Coyote, about two miles away, where we stayed for the next four nights. 

We had some incredible sightings of whale sharks, which were stunning. Whale sharks are actually fish, they are very docile but grow to be quite large. The ones we saw were 20-30 feet long with heads about five feet wide. When they open their large mouths to take in plankton, it's quite a sight. We also paddled our inflatable kayak over to Isla Coyote where there is a small beach and nice snorkeling. Susana got stung by a jelly or some other fun stinging creature and had some nice welts for several days. She was a trooper though and continued snorkeling. We saw some fun sights, like this home made sailer. 

We had an incredible view.

And amazing sunsets as usual.

Captain Susana on Jade Jr.

Our return trip across the sea was rather hot and windless. This is what we do to pass the time (notice our trusty auto pilot hard at work).

Unfortunately, I didn't catch anything but a bit of seaweed.

However, we did see a marlin jumping out of the water about 50 feet from the boat. We also heard, but did not see manta rays around the boat while coming into San Carlos. The distinct flapping against the water gave them away. We only wish we could've seen them.

We've been back for a couple days now and have noticed that our teak is looking rather sad so we may have a project ahead of us. A big one.

First Solo Crossing

We did it! Add another notch in our adventure belt! Our first solo crossing across the middle section of the Sea of Cortez from San Carlos to Santa Rosalia! 80 miles. We had originally planned to cross with another boat and we both made our departure from San Carlos at 10pm on April 2nd. Unfortunately five miles into our trip our buddy boat had engine trouble and had to head back to San Carlos. Knowing they would be alright, we ventured on with stars above and the moon a few nights from being full which provided an incredible amount of light during our night crossing. The crossing went well. As usual not much wind so we were motoring with the aid of our auto pilot. Poncha and I each took turns resting in the cabin while the other was on watch. Needless to say neither of us got much sleep, however we quickly learned even to lay down was a good way to rejuvenate. The experience of being in the middle of the sea with no other boats around was very peaceful. It did help that the seas were calm and overall a great first crossing! If only someone took a pic! 

Prior to leaving we provisioned for a few days which equates to stocking Jade full of the necessities…food, wine, beer and of course ice.

Upon our arrival in Santa Rosalia we were both more than a bit tired, exhilarated but leaning more towards exhausted. However, we did not allow exhaustion to kick in until we were safely in the marina and docked at a slip. As we approached the marina the winds kicked up and the seas were rough. With Poncha at the tiller she turned us into the wind to allow me to bring down the main sail. This was an incredible feat due to the winds, sea swells and current. I was at the mast lowering the main sail and Poncha would yell "HOLD ON! HOLD ON!" With her caring command, I would wrap my arms around the boom until the big wave passed. Well, they didn't go away they just kept coming and Poncha kept yelling "HOLD ON! HOLD ON!" and I kept doing just so and managed to get the main sail down and secure. We then headed into the marina praying the waters would be calmer than what we were experiencing. Jade was teeter tottering so much when we were taking the sail down that our bowsprit which is six feel above water was dipping into the water and then she would bounce up and the stern would dip close to the water. It was *@#%ing incredible! Later we would learn other boaters were witness to our phenomenal rocking and rolling!

As we turned the corner into Santa Rosalia's marina the water was instantly calm and the protection from the wind was welcomed. Poncha easily guided our girl, Jade, into a slip and we were greeted by numerous other cruisers. 

We stayed a few days in Santa Rosalia. A very lovely Mexican town. Everything was easily accessible by walking. The town has two lovely plazas, restaurants, and incredible bakery and an amazing cemetery. In the 1800's and early 1900's the French operated copper mines which are now closed, however the relics of such are still present. The Japanese also had a presence in Santa Rosalia for a stint as can be told by a gazebo with ornate light fixtures.

We enjoyed a local visitor. This beauty stood four feet tall! 

We also enjoyed the view from Jade. An evening hangout for the pelicans.

We enjoyed a walk around the marina which is man made. Last year Hurricane Odeal destroyed one of the marinas and caused damage to other areas as seen in some of the pics.

There were also some sights that caught our attention due to their beauty like this old brick wall.

At the entrance to the marina we discovered a shrine that protects the marina and all who enter and exit.

A few of our sights as we walked through the town. An old mine entrance and a shrine marking the trail to the cemetery. 

  

We enjoyed a long walk which took us up to the cemetery on top of the hill. The cemetery went on for miles. An array of tombstones lined the hill.

 

 

Some very ornate.

 

Some very simple without even a name.

 

We happened to be walking around when we noticed numerous mounds of rocks and these mounds were in close proximity to one another. We soon realized we were looking at unmarked graves. No crosses. No names. Just rocks. Humbling.

The oldest tombstone we located which was marked was for a gentleman born in 1876 and passed away in 1942.

On Easter we gathered with 20 other cursers and enjoyed a potluck. The next day we departed and head off to Punta Chivata 23 miles away which took us 4.5 hours. By now we are getting pretty comfortable with anchoring. It still causes us to be vigilant and aware however some of the crazed feelings over anchoring are subsiding.

We splurged big time and enjoyed two bottles of mind-blowing beer from Dia De Los Muertos Brewery. An amber and an IPA!

Damn delicious and a great way to relax at a new anchorage with a lovely sunset.

The next day we set our sights on Conception Bay which would be our destination for a few days.