Cruise of the Confidence 2013-17-12 to 30-12

La Paz 24`13.295N 110`19/131 W

La Paz is spanish for peace. It is a Mexican city and not so much a tourist city like Cabo. The entire waterfront has a beautiful palm fringed malecon which is used by families and tourists alike to stroll along the shore. A number of sea-themed bronze sculptures highlight the malecon.

I found a wonderful local pottery - Ibarra-s Pottery. It is considered one of the greatest Mexican art potteries so we purchased 4 wine cups to go with my dishes. Thanks Mom.

 La Paz has all the modern conveniences and a population of over 275000. The entrance to the harbor is strewn with shoals and one can often see waves breaking on the other side of the channel. There is a lot a space for anchoring but we decided to tie up at the Marina Palmira. It is very nice with good laundry and shower facilities, a couple of well equiped stores, a nice swimming pool and free shuttle into town. Everyone here is very helpful and if they do not have something they probably know where you can get it. Once a week you can drop off your propane tanks at the store and they will be returned at the end of the day all full up. This is great as the propane outlet is over 5 miles away. You can also purchase water from the store.



There is also a morning cruisers net on the VHF radio. As Mexico does not have a 24 hour weather station like in Canada and the US, some of the boating populace post the weather for everyone. It also includes tides, mail delivery, announcements and local assistance.

David and I both got the flu this week and as a result some of our Christmas plans were altered. But having been shift workers or working out of town a lot we are used to not celebrating Christmas on the day. But we were at least well enough to join in the community Turkey dinner at the marina with some of the friends that we have met along our travels. So all was not lost. Though it is hard to complain too much when it is plus 25C outside and the sun is shining and my family is experiencing -25C and 3 feet of snow!

And they do decorate for Christmas!

 

  So tomorrow we will set sail back to Los Muortes ans meet up with Donna and Dal and we will have Christmas dinner on Monday. Winds are easing off and it is getting warmer so we are expecting a good day of sailing.

So right now I am doing a final couple of loads of laundry and David is cleaning the boat. The propane tanks have been filled along with the water tanks groceries have been topped up. We will get fuel in the morning. 

And then to the next big step to this adventure as we cross the Sea of Cortez and head to the mainland.

Cruise of the Confidence: 2013-17-12 to 20-12

An adventure to the base of Mt. La Ballena in the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range:
This was a side trip that we took during our stay in LaPaz. The last blog introduced you to Dal and Donna - they are the couple that we knew from our marina in Bellingham. 6 years ago they came here and leased a piece of property and had a small -275 square foot - house built in the mountains on one acre of land.

They drove to LaPaz and took us back to their place. It is a good thing as I am not sure that we would have found it on our own. First of all, let me say that the drive in itself was worth it. The panoramic vistas were beautiful and because the area had had more than its usual rainfall this month the hills were still quite green.

When we drove up the sandy driveway it was like driving into an oasis. There are many indiginous trees and cactii and Dal and Donna have planted several fruit trees. We spent 3 glorious days with them, eating, drinking, exploring the area. By the end of the visit we had passed from being casual acquaintances to being friends.

We took several pictures and it was hard to decide which ones to post. So not much chatter in this blog - just a lot of pictures.

One day we took a drive to San Antonio and walked around. It is one of the oldest settlements on the Baja. We checked out the church and the cultural center. What was kind of neat about that - the lady who runs the cultural centre knows Donna as she sometimes posts things on the internet for her. Her English is quite good and while she was talking to me she noticed the medal of St. Anthony around my neck. I needed her to connect the dots for me - as San Antonio is St/ Anthony.

Another day we drove to El Triunfo which was the site of a very old mining town. Unfortunately the ethinkntire water table has been contaminated with arsenic. The town is actually quite lovely though not too many people live there. All water is transported in and no one can grow anything in their gardens. The oddest thing, though quite beautiful, is the cemetery. I think there are more people in the cemetery than living in the town. We did have a wonderful lunch - non-Mexican. Some ex-biker has opened this wonderful restaurant with a wood burning oven. They make their own bread and roast turkey in it and we had the best turkey sandwich I have ever had.

Here are some shots of the town.

 

 

All in all it was a great three days spent off the boat and seeing some of the country side. I am also happy to report that December is winter and too cold for the rattlesnakes so they were in hibernation! Othersie I do not know if you would have caught me strolling down these paths even with David,s hand to hold.

 

Cruise of the Confidence 2013-01-12 to 13-12

2012-01-12 Cabo San Luco

 

It is all about the journey and not the destination. We made it and there are some things that are really quite beautiful about Cabo but a lot of it does not appeal to us. The marina was well laid out and the facilities were clean. Provisioning was fairly easy and of course the laundry was good. But I have gotten spoiled and after spending the day cleaning the boat David suggested that we pay the lady to do the laundry for me. I would not argue.

 

Things in Cabo are expensive but I guess the attraction is for people to go to a place that reminds them of home, where most people speak English and the food is not too foreign. It did not really seem like we were in Mexico at all. We did find an Itlian bakery which was a treat. David found a Hagen Das store and bought me a dish of ice cream. Two small scoops cost him 10 dollars/

               

So after 3 days we decided to head up the inside of the peninsula and make our way to LaPaz.

 

1200: abeam the arches.

 

1215: Genoa out and motor off. There is a westerly blowing about 12 knots which should take us around the point. There are a few scattered clouds, but mostly clear and the water temperature is 27 C.

 

1605: abeam Punta Gorda

 

1645: sighted a rainbow and evidence of a storm approaching. Time to close the port holes and batten down the hatches.

 

1713: Fantastic sighting of a humpback whate. It came about two thirds out of the water flapping his tail. He did this about 10 times. Apparently this is just the beginning of their migration into the Sea of Cortez for mating.

 

The rain clouds seemed to have collapsed and the other side of the rainbow is not evident on the starboard side. Guess we got lucky on this one.Wind is on our nose so we are getting bounced around pretty good..

 

As the sun begins to set the seas start to settle down. |Good time to prepare something for dinner. Baby back ribs and leftover potato salad anyone/ Sorry I cannot find the question mark on this spanish keyboard.

 

Just got a call from Dal and Donna - our friends from Bellingham. They have a small house in the mountains and are about a half hour drive to one of our stops. So they will meet us there for lunch.

 

1729: another absolutely gorgeous sunset. Sorry- had a nice picture but for some reason I could not get it to insert.

 

2035: anchor set in 30 feet of water at Bahia de Los Friales. 4 other boats in the anchorage. And of course it is dark outside - we must stop doing that but at least this time there are no lobster traps. It is very warm in the boat so we dicdied to bring the settee cushions into the cockpit and sleep outside under the stars. How cool is that. It was a very calm anchorage and we slept like babies.

 

Woke up sun and a view of a beautiful beach with a dozen palapa - thatched roof umbrellas- looks like a park. To the south are some spectacular looking homes. We opted to stay for the day and head out tonight as the winds were still going to be on our nose but maybe not so strong. I made a nice breakfast with scrambled eggs and swiss cheese, italian bread toast with homemade blackberry jam and fresh papaya.

 

A big black cloud is passing overhead and it has begun to rain. This is not such a bad thing as it will wash off some of the salt/

 

Sounds like a good day for reading.

 

07-Dec-2013 0015

We left the anchorage and started beating ourselves up the coast. The winds had died a bit but the seas were still rocking and rolling. It was like being on a rocking horse with the occasional bucking to keep you alert. The vibration caused the radiator cap to jiggle off and we lost some coolant. Thank goodness the alarm sounded right away, David topped up the fluid and we were back in business.

 

1215: anchored in Bahia de Los Muertos.

 

The beach at Bahia De Muortes

Not attractive but having fun! Water is beautiful. Crystal clear to the bottom at 30 feet/

Even David got in the water. Now you know that it is warm!

 

We had a lovely lunch with Dal and Donna and then went for a walk along the beach. There is quite a nice resort here but not a sole around.

After returning to the boat we saw some new additions to the bay - people we have met on the way.
Because of the winds and the tides we decided to head out as a convoy for the last leg into La Paz/

1800: the convoy left with us in the lead.Mandalay was directly behind us. \Then Pelagia, Green Panther and Sound Discovery. Fishing boat coming up on our starboard side. How do I know this when it is dark outside you ask? *I found the question mark!

Time for another lesson: Port light is red. Starboard light is green. Bow light is white. Not to be confused with lights on the buoys which indicate safe entrance into a harbor where the red buoy is on the right and the green bouy is on the left. Just to confuse you. But the main thing to know is Right Red Returning when you are entering a harbour.

0230: entering the Canal de San Lorenzo

0326: abeam the green buoy marking the shipping channel. Had the boys a bit concerned as they were following me and felt that I might have fallen asleep as I was hugging the port side of the channel. But I had checked the radar and their were no boats coming out. David and I have lots of experience in shipping channels and it is not always so necessary to be way over - we often just lie inside, out of everyone's way but still in enough water to be safe. But it was good to have them looking out for me.

0431: brought the main over as we altered port towards Punta San Lorenzo

0650 abeam Punta Preara and the entrance into the channel at La Paz

0815: anchor set. Except for the fact that Wendi not sleep and did not sail it was a pretty up eventful leg. Timing to anchorage was perfect. No room at the marina so we decided to stay on the hook and get some sleep.

1300: marina called to say that someone cancelled for the following week so we went into Marina Palmira and tied up at slip 515
 

Cruise of the Confidence 2013-11-27 to 30

27 Nov 2013 Payday for us retired folks. No entry by the captain as he seems to have handed over this responsibility to me. He puts in the odd comment if I remind him to.

0200 Orange moon is up at 44%. There is some clould cover and the seas are unbelievably calm. We are maintaining 4-4.5 knots with the main and the genoa. The temperature is slowing going up such that only sheets are required for sleeping.

My profound thoughts for this night passage has to do with the size of the universe as I look up into the night sky. It is amazing how big this universe is that we are a part of. Or should one consider just how small earth is in relation to it. I look up at Orion and the Big Dipper - I am in the bottom one third of the North American continent and most of you are in the top third, thousands of miles away and we are looking at the same constellations. Now that is a WOW!

0326 Just lost sight of the sailboat that we had left the anchorage with. These were the guys that we had passed when they put in the reef. When the winds decreased we could tell that they had cheated and turned their motor on and then passed us. They were also going on a course of 190 degrees while we chose to go a bit slower and remain at 150. Consequently they had to tack into shore quite a distance in order to make the next anchorage.

Which brings to mind another physics lesson - vectors. Perfect situation for understanding this concept. David is very good at choosing courses to maximize speed and distance. I find that we are often following a course quite different than the people we meet but I also seem to notice that we clock more sailing time which is what cruising is supposed to be about. So 2 boats can leave at the same time and end up at the same place but go totally different routes. I would think that David would be very good in a race situation.

0530: rolled in the genoa

0600: I noticed that the shackle at the bottom of the main was no longer attached and consequently the sail was flapping around quite a bit. The winds were 10-15 and I did not feel comfortable putting in a reef by myself in the dark so I woke up the captain. We found the shackle and could see where it had broken off.

Good thing I noticed before we had damage to the sail too! We then changed course so we could get a better  alignment with our entrance to Bahia Magdalena.

David went back to sleep and I was treated to the most spectacular sunrise. The sky was golden and the clouds were a tangerine orange. Notice I did not say RED!

Winds are from the NE 5-10 on the beam and we are doing 4.5 knots. Seas rippled with minimal swell.

0830 Contact made with Pelagia on 3860/66 They arrived at Santa Maria the night before. By this time we had decided to alter our destination to the same bay as we heard that it was quite nice. During the late morning long cirrus cloud started moving in from the west and the barometer began to fall. The wind began to pick up again but changed to a SWesterly at 5-8 knots. So we needed that motor to help us along.

1200 Punta San Lazaro became visable

1343: abeam the light at Cabo San Lazaro/ Whale sighting with his tail up.

1445 Abeam Punta Hughes. I see lots of sandy beach!

1515: dropped the hook and had a shower. Contacted Pelagia. We all decided to stay for an extra night. Made it an early night as we had some catching up to do in the sleep department.

28-Nov-2013 And am I ever glad we all decided to stay here. The next morning it was sunny and I was able to jump off of the boat and go for a swim! I swam over to Pelagia and then back - about 200 meters. Then I sat in the sun. Marova showed up so once they got settled I swam over to their boat and David followed me in the dinghy. I was in heaven. Then I swam back.

Tried phoning home and was only able to get a hold of Debbie and Stuart. I was so excited I just had to share it with someone. Snow in the Sault so I do not think they were that excited about my bragging!

Happy hour on Marova later with langosta - small lobsters - that were purchased for 2 AAA batteries per lobster. The fisherman need them for their flashlights. It was a beautiful day.

29-Nov-2013

1030 and anchor is up. Decided to do a short run to Bahia Magdalena which is only about 20 nm away. Genoa out and we sailed out of the bay.

Looks like Princess del Mar was just sailing in as we were leaving. That boat is also from Vancouver.

Winds are 5-8 knots NNW. Mainly cloudy with the odd blue patch. Seas rippled with next to no seas.

1200: What to make for lunch. Supplies of fresh food is starting to dwindle. We do not know if we can pick up anything at Punta Belcher. And we do not want to head into San Carlos as it is quite a way into the bay.

I found a half of a loaf of baguet in the freezer so I grilled it. Still have fresh tomatoes and garlic and onion so we had Bruchetta/

1400 Punta Magdelana. Chicken caccitore with olives and canned spinach and artichokes for dinner. Never thought I would actually find a use for the canned spinach that Susan talked me into buying. But I have to say it was actually a nice addition to the jarred tomato sauce that I had on board. Have to keep those iron levels up.

1500: Anchorage at Punta Belcher was a little exposed as the north westerlies had picked up to 20 knots. And it was pretty rough. So we decided to proceed to Porta del Magdalena along with Marova.
It is also known as Man of War Bay.

We were quite suprised at how green the hills were on this side of the point as the west side was very desert like. I guess more rain comes from an easterly direction when it does come. This is a picture of Pelagia at anchor.

Anchor down. Sail cover on. Beer opened.

Nice dinner with wine. Only one game of crib as BA skunked the Captain. BA 12 D 7

Cruise of the Confidence 2013-11-20

Turtle Bay 27*38.54.0 N 115*54.0 W Population around 1200

Half way between San Diego and Cabo and a good all weather anchorage.
Woke up after a much needed sleep only to find that we had dragged anchor during the night -about 200 feet out into the bay but away from any boats. David and I anchor a lot and it is very unusual for us to drag anchor - just goes to show the different forces at work when you are susceptible to the off shore swells. So we started her up and reset. Then we washed and brushed our teeth, had some breakfast and started to feel human again. Now to tackle the day. David's quote for the day is worth noting "Drop kick me Jesus through the goal posts of life" - I guess you could say he was feeling a bit frustrated.

First things first - solar panels are raised and recharging the batteries nicely. Plugged in the phone and talked to Kathy. Insurance money for the dinghy had arrived.

Then David phoned Mark, the electrician, who just happened to be doing a job in Cabo. He walked him through a series of troubleshooting steps in order to isolate our charging problem.
1. Check alternator field to see what the voltage is to ground
2. Check regulator fuse and voltage at the fuse which seemed to be reading way above what was possible
3. Checked the fuse on the solenoid
4. Took another look at the alternator and David noticed that the positive lead had come off because the bolt had vibrated loose.
He could not use a nylon nut to prevent this because the bolt is not long enough. This will be one thing to check when we are checking the oil and water levels.

Alternator is now charging but not all of the batteries. We are really starting to think that the batteries need to be replaced.

Put in a call to Pelagia. They chose to run on the east side of Cedros island and loss some of their wind. They should be arriving sometime tonight.

Summary of all the issues on the voyage so far. Some were preventable. Most were not. Most were fixable by Captain Fantastic. This should serve as a bit of a reality check for anyone thinking of doing such a trip. This should also serve as a reality check for those of you who think that this adventure is all about swimming in warm waters and drinking Margarita's in the cockpit. There have been days when we laughed - tried to find something to laugh about every day. There will be days when you cry - well maybe not the guys - those moments were usually directly related to lack of sleep and then something untoward happening (like spilt soup). There will be days when you curse - the guys and the girls partake in this type of reaction equally. There will be days when you want to pack it in. For the two of us - that was only a fleeting moment and again directly related to lack of sleep and then something untoward happening. As Scarlet o'Hare said in Gone with the Wind - Tomorrow is another day! And we still wouldn't trade this for anything.

To prove my point: we were just entertained for the last hour by a couple of panga's (Mexican dories) setting a small sein type net for sardines. First one of the panga's heads out into the bay doing a drum march on his hull. This attracts all of the sea lions who follow him out like the pied piper so as to keep them away from the nets. Then they lay out the net.

Then the pelicans start swarming in looking for a free lunch. And I mean lots of pelicans.

Another panga tries to scare them away but they are fearless. This exercise goes on for about an hour 2-3 times a day. The fisherman just take it as it is - not getting too excited - throwing out the odd pelican that gets hung up in the net.

Dave and Michelle showed up later that night. The next day we put the dinghy in the water (getting better at that) and went over to see how their leg went. They put in even more sailing hours then we did. Left them to regroup, clean up and get caught up with some sleep and then returned for a lovely steak dinner. We had bought the steaks at Costco and then Michelle made a wonderful Greek salad, BBQ roast potatoes and stir fried vegetables. And of course a few bottles of wine. It was a lovely evening.

The two Dave's did go to shore to see if they could find a welder to fix the hinge on the windless. Pedro took them under his wing (for a fee of course) and found him a welder - after checking out many different places in town and a 2 hour walk. But eventually they found Marcos who stopped what he was doing and welded the parts together. Cost David 100 peso or about $10.

David had rigged a harness so that we could raise the dinghy out of the water for security purposes. Al told us that the last time he was here his dinghy and motor were stolen.

Very friendly town though a bit on the poor side. The story of the US sailors gives you an idea of the kind of people here. Some fishermen found two US sailors after their boat was lost at sea. They brought them to town and they were nursed back to health. Then the town people put together a collection to buy them a bus ticket so they could return to the United States. The sailors were so grateful that they in turn put together a collection and gave it to the town to build a church. It started as a one room church and is now the biggest building in town. Now I do not know if the additions are due to more donations or not but I thought it was a great story.

The plan was to leave later that day but the repair on the windvane took longer then expected. It was very difficult getting the spring to sit properly in order to get everything to line up for the locking pin. One of those half hour jobs than turned into 4 hours.

Next day it rained all day so we stayed in doors and read. It probably only rains in this place once a year and today was the day. But it helped to wash off some of the salt on the boat. I baked some banana bread and made a paella with prawns, chicken and cerazo sausage.

Bad weather blew through and the next day was sunny again. So we decided to go ashore and check things out. All the streets and yards are just sand and due to the amount of rain, there was a lot of mud. We brought in the Jerry cans and water jugs. The dock is not one that you can just tie up to and turn on the taps! Check out my water boy!

That night Al and Sandy showed up with Al's brother Paul and Penny. They did not have as good a run as us because they ran into that rain storm. Went over the next morning for coffee. Loaned him our filter wrench. Then we spent the rest of the day getting ready for our departure.

Anchor up at 1620.








 

Cruise of theConfidence 2013-11-24 to 26

Turtle Bay to Bahia Magdalena 27*38.5 N 115*54.0 W

1620: anchor up and genoa out. Seas are rippled. Skies are clear. Winds are 5 knots from the NW. I am out on the bowsprit looking for lobster traps. A pod of dolphins show up to escort us out of the bay.

1544: sunset and the captain is down for a nap. We are motor sailing even though the winds have picked up and we could be sailing but we decided to make some water. 

The monitor is back in operation with small adjustment - the repair is not perfect so David had to put an extra weight on the hinge with a zinc on a piece of rope to keep it in place. Seems to be doing the trick.

1900: reflection of Venus is so bright on the water giving me quite good visibility. This is a good thing as the moon does not rise til after midnight. 

Turned off the water maker - made 3 gallons to add to the tanks. Put in a call to Pelagia and everything is good with them. There is a boat quite a ways off my stern - it is amazing that you can usually hear these guys befor you can see them.

1951: shooting star. Maintaining 4.5 knots

2013: I can just make out Orion's belt on the horizon. I was supposed to wake up David to take the next watch but I think I will let him sleep a little longer. Seas are a little rolling but relatively calm and speed is staying constant

2100: captain up to take the watch till midnight.

Monday 25-Nov-2013

 0300: brought in the Genoa. It is blowing greater than 20 knots and is starting to make it difficult to maintain my course. David is up to give me a hand to bring genoa all the way in. Started the motor and altered course putting the wind on our nose.

 0414: I could just make out the light on Isla San Roque. Shortly after that I could pick up the light on Punta Ascencion.

I am trying to peel an apple in the dark and trying to make one continuous peel. Managed to do it in two. This made me think of Gramps - who lived with us for most of my childhood years and started every morning with a Mackintosh apple and an orange. He would sit there and peel them with this tiny knife. I am sure he would have been very excited to know what I was doing at this moment in my life. He loved the outdoors - lost his legs due to blood clots when I was 3 - and always took pleasure knowing that I loved the outdoors too. When I was studying and working in Forestry I would come down and share my stories for the day and play crib. We would play for $20.00 a match. If I had a date the match was 3 games. If I didn't have a date then a match was 7 games. Mom always wondered why I had so much money. Well she was his banker and only brought home 20 dollar bills on pension day. And if I won I would get a twenty. And if I lost he would ask me if I had 10 bucks. So I would run upstairs and get one - I think he just wanted to be sure that I was saving my money. Then he would take the ten and give me a twenty. So even when I lost I won! 

0432: the wind has eased off quite a bit. Fisherman just passed me on my port side

0537: abeam Isla San Roque

 0704: sun is up and the lobster fisherman are out setting their traps

 0711: we were getting ready to alter course into Asuncion. I need to sleep. The light that is indicated on the chart is not working however the towers in the town can be seen for miles

0745: after a slightly tedious night running down from Turtle Bay, we were looking forward to the anchorage at Asuncion. Working in against a 10-15 easterly wind and a west setting current, we were within a mile of the anchorage when the engine began to falter and threaten to quit altogether. We made the decision to turn and run into Bahia Santa Maria 230 miles to the south east. The winds were good for sailing and David could look into the problem when things settled down a bit.

1045: abeam Punta San Hipolito. Making 5-6 knows with a reefed main and genoa. This wind held till mid afternoon.

1400: winds were dying off so David decided to play with the engine. Bled the lines a little which seemed to do the trick along with changing the filters. I managed to keep us on course at less than 2 knots while he was doing all of this. We discussed going on to Cabo or pulling into the anchorage in Bahai de Llanis. I suggested that we stop as it would be a long run to Cabo and we needed to get some sleep. I had strained a muscle in my neck, took an Aleve and went to bed. Wind picked up and David was able to make good time and course on the main.

1741: Sunset. I was up in time to take on lobster trap watch again. We really hated to stop as the winds were good but I think the right decision was made.

2030: challenge to come into the anchorage with all of those traps and dark to boot. We came in with the main up and the motor in idle at about 4.5 knots. As soon as I found 30 feet of water I turned the boat into the wind and David dropped the main then went forward and dropped the anchor. She grabbed really well - thank goodness. Now I could uncross my fingers. Once we got everything squared away I suggested to the captain that a scotch was in order. That was a couple of stressful hours though it all worked out under the guidance and direction of Captain Fantastic.

26-Nov-2013 Tuesday Asuncion

It was not the best anchorage as there was quite a roll from the ocean swells all night. When we finally got up and looked outside we realized that Saint Anthony was looking out for us last night. Just to port of us were about 30 lobster traps - like the first couple were only 50 feet away at the 25 foot depth and we set the anchor at 30!

Captain made coffee and I got everything organized for breakfast. We wanted to get underway early so I turned off the burners once everything was cooked and we would reheat and eat once we were out of the bay.

0730 anchor up and main raised and we sailed out of the bay. Put out the genoa with 20 knots of wind from the north east and we were up to hull speed in no time. As the Captain says - it doesn't 't get any better than this! 

So I heated up my specialty - breakfast skillet - made another pot of coffee and enjoyed the morning.

Breakfast Skillet: always different but the concept is the same. I cut up some potatoes and put them in the frying pan with some water. Once they are cooked I drain off the water and add a little olive oil and cut up bacon (ham,sausage,whatever) then I throw in some onion (green or yellow or white or red). Next come the eggs which get scrambled in amongst the other stuff. Add some cheese - whatever you have and top with salsa, everything in one pan. This is David's favorite breakfast!

1000: had to roll in the genoa to about 2/3 as the winds were picking up some more.Making excellent time. As time goes on I can feel my confidence increasing as we are in small craft warning winds with the winds 25-30 knots but we are on a close hauled course and I am totally in control. The seas are not too bad we are only heeled over about  15 degrees. David is right - it doesn't 't get any better than this.

 

And now here come the dolphins to guide us along. You can see them quite clearly under the surface - they look like torpedoes coming at the boat!

Hint: Something to consider when you are stocking and organizing the boat. Be aware of the predominant winds. We seem to spend most of our time on a starboard tack so any cupboards that have food or dishes in them that you think you will want to access during the day should be removed ahead of time. Otherwise you may open up a cupboard and things could come flying out. Remember the bran flakes? 

When we are on a port tack cooking is much easier as the fridge and the stove are on the starboard side of the boat. It is not, however, the best tack for trying to use the head!

1123: spectacular color of water - azure blue! Hat # 2 just went overboard. Too bad as I liked that hat. On the Double and Far Away left the anchorage about one hour ahead of us. We were able to pass Far Away when she slowed down to put a reef in. We had reefed our main before we left the anchorage so we were set.

1200: winds have eased so we shook out the main. Maintaining 3.5 to 4 knots

 1230: we rolled in the genoa and turned on the motor to make water. I went below to make some fresh salsa. The avocados were a little to ripe so no guac today!

Electrical Update: David discovered that the Battery Select Switch when in the ALL position was not charging all four batteries equally. So now we are not sure if there is a problem with the wiring on the switch to the batteries or if the problem is with the batteries. This is a little beyond his expertise so we will get it looked at in La Paz. In the meantime the two batteries are keeping us going as long as we conserve, top them up with solar when we can and run the motor.

The problem with the motor has been rectified. We are not sure if the guys in the boatyard did not tighten the clamps enough or they just needed to be readjusted after installation and running for a while. David tightened everything, bled the air out of the lines and it is running well. Just in case he did replace the fuel filters at 2727 hours on the motor.

1408: stopped making water (3 gal in 2 hours). Sails up and maintain 4.5 knots on a beam reach.

Going down below to make something creative for dinner.  How about Chicken Marsala on pasta?

1527: up to 6 knots

1739: sunset and I took over till 1900 hours. I had to bring in the genoa a bit and then had a difficult time resetting the Otto so I opted to hand steer for a bit which is always good practice. Captain took us into the next day.

 

The Cruise of the Confidence 2013-08-29

Left Q4 at Bellhaven Marina in Bellingham Washington to begin our adventure. As I begin to write about this adventure so I can share it with my friends and family I find myself struggling with the starting point. Is it the time that we leave the dock or is it the time at which we made the commitment to make this happen? 

I decided to start it with us leaving the dock. I am hoping to write a book when all is said and done with a focus on cooking and eating one's way across the Pacific. I will leave the preparation and provisioning topics for the book.

When I retired from Transfusion Medicine my staff and friends gave me a GoPro camera - another way for us to share the adventure. As you follow this blog you will find directions to check YouTube for any video footage that goes along with the blog. My more experienced techy friends tell me that this is a better way to post the videos. Please bear with me as I learn how to do all of this - I have figured out how to use the camera but am still learning how to edit. At the beginning I will put in some of my blunders so you can get a laugh with me - as I figure this all out.

So enough with the introduction. After leaving our slip for this date we headed over to the fuel dock. We took on 80 gallons of diesel ($305). We also topped up our two 5 gallon Jerry cans. The boat can carry 100 US gallons.

Then we headed out on a course of 190 degrees. Winds were 15-20 SE so we were motoring. The rain had stopped, patches of blue and sea choppy.

1530: abeam of Carter Point where we leave Bellingham Bay. Feeling remarkably calm with no tears. We phoned Susan and Tim to say that we got away.

It has been a typical west coast day with the wind coming from every direction and every kind of weather.

1600: I took a break from the helm to make some chili. I was going to do it in the pressure cooker but I seemed to have misplaced the pressure valve - it wil probably show up somewhere in Tahiti! The recipe will have to wait for the book but I did do an adjustment which proved to be a good thing - I used beer for the liquid instead of water (water must be rationed as we can only carry 100gallons - though we can make about 2 gallons of desalinized water per hour

1650: into Obstruction Pass. Took a closer look at a couple of schooners. 

1840: dropped anchor at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

  - 

Cruise of the Confidence 11/17/22

Saturday 17-Nov-13 1235

Al and Arturo helped us off the docks and we were on our way. We set out on a course that would put us in the gap between Punta Banda and Isla Todas Santos.

The clouds were breaking up, seas were rippled and winds coming from the west at 5-10 knots.

1525: winds had increased and we were on a beam reach maintaining 6 knots. Pretty good start for this leg of the trip.

1723: the winds turned around from the north so we put the preventer on (tied a line to the boom to prevent the boom from accidentally swinging across the boat thus preventing damage to the boat and major brain injury to anyone who's head might be in the way). We always do this when we are in a following sea.

1747: sunset

1807: moon rise at 100%. It is very dark over the mountains so I suspect that it is raining on land but the skies are still clear overhead.

18-nov-13 0620 were are abeam of Roca Soledad and Punta Santo Thomas. Suggestion was to stay outside of this rock due to the large accumulation of kelp, rocks and fishermen looking for barracuda, halibut, ling cod, sea bass, yellowtail tuna and rockfish.

0626: has the glow of the moon now visible at the edge of some very dark clouds. It is quite dramatic.

Most of the day was just swapping watches and not a lot to see. Motoring and very light winds.

1833: the full moon is rising, an hour later every day. It is bright yellow and spectacular.

1915: abeam Punta San Jose light, about 4.5 nm off shore. Almost clear with a full moon. The wind is from the NW at 8 knots. Let out the genoa about half an hour ago and shut off the motor at 1900 hours. Making 3-4 knots with low swells and very little wind wave. Monitor is working well and motor seems smoother with new cutless bearing. Charging system does not seem to be working so Dave will investigate tomorrow.

2009: BA on watch and enjoying the moonlit night. I had lots of sleep last night and a little nap in the afternoon so I may just extend this watch. I guess those years of the night shift are paying off.

22:29 abeam Punta Cabras. I am being stubborn as the wind has dropped off but I refuse to turn on the motor until I have slowed down to less than 2 knots. Not making good time but are we really in a hurry? And if I turn the motor on I know that the Captain will wake up.

19-Nov-13 0001: finally gave in and rolled in the genoa and turned on the motor.

0113: just picked up the light on Cabot Colnett about 8 nm away. It would have been nice to see in the daylight as the point has sheer cliffs and a flat plateau making it quite distinct. You can still make out the outline even in the dark. I have moved in behind a fishing boat and am using his lights to steer by.

Because the charging system is not working we are trying to conserve our use of power so the GPS and nav instruments are turned off. As this fishing boat is going in the same direction as us it makes it a little less stressful for maintaining a course. And it is about time for the Captain to wake up which he is doing on his own.

0300: abeam Cape Colnett at 3.5 nm off shore. We are making 4.5 knots at 1200 rpms.

0600/0700: abeam Cape San Jacinto. We are slowly working our way eastward and have now entered into the Mountain Standard Time so the clocks have been moved ahead.

0855: brief visit from a pod of about 20 dolphins. Isla St. Martin is about 10 miles ahead.

1120: we moved in to take a closer look at the island. There were 5 panga's (fishing dories) on the beach and some type of research station. There appears to be lots of kelp and probably not a good anchorage even though you are protected from any northerly winds. 

The light at the end of the beach on the SE side of the island is not indicated on the GPS.

Crossing over to the Baja Peninsula towards Cabo San Quintin.

1347: put the genoa out. Winds were from the NW and we were averaging 4-4.5 knots. Still cannot figure out why the batteries were not charging. The solar panels are generating some power so we are at safe levels but still being cautious.

Lots of dolphins today. Our original plan was to investigate San Quintin but due to the charging issue we decided to press on the Turtle Bay. The winds were staying fairly consistent so we wanted to take advantage of that.

There are also a lot of pelicans out here. We are only in about 125 feet of water so there must be a lot of fish around. The pelicans crack me up as they dive bomb for the fish. Their necks must be all cartilage because they hit the water at such a force - they would break otherwise.

1357: spotted some lobster traps. I will have to keep careful watch as they tend to be grouped in clusters of 6. They are made up of black floats and a black flag. Now how are you supposed to see them in the dark?

1405: winds are slowly picking up and we are now maintaining 4.5 to 5.5 knots. Otto is keeping us on course. I am happy! David and I both got a solid 6 hours of sleep (no - not at the same time) so we are well rested to head to Turtle Bay - which is still a day and a half away. But we shall see if we are still smiling when we get there. But right now it is shorts and sun screen and my purple hat and Jimmy Buffet. Are you getting the picture?

1734: another milestone has been reached. 30.00.00 N. 115.45.87W . at Rio del Rosario. The equator is getting closer and closer! Winds are steady at 5-6 knots on a beam reach. Captain is heating up the chili with toasted baguette and a dollop of sour cream. I had to put on my leggings and fleece as the air was cooling off.

1848: abeam Punta Baja. Still doing 5-6 knots with the genoa.

1930: BA on

2130: Still maintaining 5-6 though surfing a bit more. Full moon. Rocking and Rollin with the Rolling Stones! Yes - I have my safety harness on. Thanks Tim!

19-Nov -13 have gone about 130 nm - a good run so far. Sun is up. Slowed to 4.5 knots with the genoa furled in a bit. Seas are choppy and the swells are about 5 feet with the occasional 7 footer just to keep me awake.

Can make out the light on the island just west of Cedros. Otto has us on a perfect course to set us up between Cedros and San Bonitos Island. We are set up a little closer to San Bonitos as the current and wind are pushing us toward Cedros. Cedros was named for all of the cedar trees that used to be on the island - but cut down and used for ship building. Though some books say they were Juniper trees - does anyone know for sure?

1120: coming abeam of the eastern most point of the San Benito Islands with mountainous Isla Cedros on our port side. Making 5 knots with the Genoa. Cloudy skies but the solar panels are still putting out a small charge into the house bank. David thought he saw whales earlier but they may have been blow holes along the coastline.

1200: admiral is up. I think I got some sleep but not really sure. Made capaletti soup with small tortellini's, left over chicken, green onion, chicken stock and Parmesan cheese. As I was putting it into the cups we took a wave and it ended on the counter, floor and me. After some profanity, a few tears of frustration and a hug from the captain I was able to save enough of it to satisfy us for lunch. That is life at sea. 

As I write about this I look up and the water is exploding with about 50 dolphins jumping and chasing down their dinner. Spilt soup forgotten.

1300: If I had just woken up and looked outside I would have thought that I was back in Malaspeina Strait and looking at Texada Island sailing on a typical November day. Okay, maybe not quite as cold but cloudy, small craft warning and me in my fleece and all weather gear. On the good side was the fact that we had a constant North Westerly blowing for the last 24 hours- never had that back home. But I see blue skies ahead and maybe when I wake up from my nap I will be back in the Baja!

1700: Locking mechanism for the rudder on the windvane broke. We must have run into something or something ran into us. So. Back to hand steering. When are things going to stop breaking! 

1755 abeam the lighthouse on Isla Navidad

Have made the decision to anchor in Turtle Bay. There is an Internet cafe there and Dave is hoping he can get a hold of Mark and he can help us troubleshoot our charging problem. Dave will also see if he can get the windvane fixed.

 2100: dropped the sail

Pretty barren landscape.

2205: abeam Punta Romepiente

2225: anchored in Turtle Bay. Total miles covered was 243 nm. Total time was 58.5 hours with 35.5 of that under sail. Engine hours 2711.6. If not for the problems the actual distance covered and sailing proved to be a very successful leg.

Cruise of the Confidence 20-Nov-13

Vizcaino Bay: We did not venture into this Bay but there is a legend that came from here which I think warrants it's own entry. The story of The Whale Man and a sculpture of the whale man can be found on the waterfront in Ensenada. This story is taken right from the text on the sculpture. It is worth mentioning for all of those who have a desire to protect our environment and all that lives within it.

El Hombre Bellena (The Whale Man)

Where the desert ends, in the center of the Baja California peninsula at the immense Vizcaino Bay, the conjunction of the winds that arrive to Eugenia Point, is where the green beings and the aquatic beings congregated, messengers of all the nations on the planet.

Their faces were saddened, perplexed by the aggressive attitude of the human beings with their relationship to nature. During long nights and complete days, many moons and suns, they listened to deliberations on the predatory acts of man. They decided unanimously to elect an ambassador, to go and meet with the representatives of humanity and give them a scroll of a written petition; a message of intense love and profound respect, for our planet and all living beings who inhabit it. The goal of this message would be the beginning of a new era where all the natural resources are to be protected in benefit of all living beings and for the planet itself.

By the influence and magic of these powerful wishes, there arose an enormous creature, a being.  Of humanoid stature; half whale and half tree, who immediately took up the desert patch in search of the human representatives to comply with such a beautiful and  transcended mission.

The fins and the branches of this giant ambassador knew not of the hot desert sands; the strong winds, the darkness. Under the weather inclemency's he perished amongst the waves of sand, in the heart of the desert.

Sometime later, a group of young explorers found his remains. Marveled and confused by such a strange finding, they noticed that the grand skeleton held in his fossilized structures of his curious hands, still protected though now petrified, a strange roll of bark. Upon contact of a curious hand of one of the explorers, it opened like a release from an ancient spell. Inside, still intact was a scroll. Unrolled and upon reading its words, there was the invitational poem from the green and marine beings, to unite us all and conserve in all its beauty the planet earth, our home.

The young people, moved by this profound message of love, made a promise: they would take the poem and the message around the planet. In this way complying with the grand mission of the Whale Man.

Authored del cue to: Alfonso Arumbila (Esculator)

     Jesus Garcia

Taller iota: Poeta Laurie Acevedo

Traductora: Bernie Schmukor