Today I asked David what day of the week it was. He did not know. We actually had to go onto the computer to determine that it was Wednesday!
We have left the marina in Mazatlan but have not actually left Mazatlan.
We sailed south and anchored in a place on the south end of the city by Stone Island (Isla de la Piedra)
It used to be a popular spot for anchoring but then a rash of thefts turned the boating community off of it. Plus the police, rather than do something about it, just closed it as an anchoring spot. But some of the local merchants got together and kind of started a neighborhood watch and are welcoming the boaters back again. They are coming but slowly. We anchored for two nights here, with no issues, but we were the only boat in the anchorage. So I sit on the deck with my book and iPad, listening to the Meriachi players. There is the odd panga towing a banana boat, ATV to rent on the beach, horses to rent and the odd kayaker. But really the amount of water activity is minimal.
We took the dinghy to shore today to have garlic shrimp and bacon pizza at Benji's. I am telling you that we would not have even approached the place if it hadn't been recommended by someone at the marina. And it was excellent pizza, done in a wood burning oven. See what I mean?
![]()
But for me the best is the swimming. Yesterday I swam into shore while David went in the dinghy. We had coconut shrimp and a few beer at Livy's (excellence) and then I swam back to the boat. This could turn into a daily workout routine! Today I was in the water by 10 o'clock. Then I would get out, give myself a quick fresh water rinse on deck, read a chapter of my book and then back in the water. I also swam half way back from the pizza place.
09-Jan-2013 woke up after a calm night in the anchorage and another beautiful sunrise. Coffee served in the cockpit, bathing suit on and time for my morning swim. Just me and the fishes. There has been a steady school of over a thousand little yellow tailed fish that like to hang around our boat. I think they like the shade of the boat and it offers them some protection from the pelicans. When a flock of pelicans spot a school of their favorite fish they will circle them, either in pairs or singly, plummet into the waves and come up with fish in their gullets. This will continue until they have brought in 10 - 15 for dinner. No wonder they want to hide under our boat. And I am getting warm and my bathing suit is dry - guess that means it is time for another swim! David keeps teasing me and telling me to cheer up. Sorry - this smile is permanently attached to this face!
1320: left the anchorage under sail with winds at a steady 10 - 12 knots from the NW. We are in 50 - 80 feet of water at 140 degrees. David is playing with the solar panels to see if we can generate some more amps. We are making water, refrigeration is on and the instruments are on. Batteries are maintaining a charge greater than 13 - so we are happy.
We are averaging 5 knots. Would be nice to maintain this.
1350: I spotted some activity abeam of us, about midway between the shoreline and the boat. At first I thought it was dolphins and then I saw a small tail come out of the water so I figured that it was a small whale. Then I grabbed the binoculars and called to David and just as I got the binocs focused on the site the entire view was filled with one big mother of a whale. So I ran down below and got the camera. We watched it for a while figuring that it was in deed a mother with her calf. I tried to get a picture but all I managed was a small splash in a sea of blue.
1540: David saw a big splash on the horizon so I went forward to be on whale watch again. I saw another splash about 10 minutes later.
1600: for the first time in my life I saw a whale come completely out of the water. He was coming our way and continue to put a show on for us. As hard as I tried the most I could get was a picture of the splash. But when you look at the size of the splash you can imagine how big the whale was. Then he did a half dozen splashes to wave goodbye and headed north. Spectacular!
![]()
1630: sighted two more whales acting like synchronized divers. Still could not get a picture. I do not know how these people get pictures of whales jumping out of the water. All I seem to get is water or blue sky. And then 5 minutes later we saw three more! I just asked the captain "What do you plan to do to beat this spectacular display of nature?" And as I am sitting in the cockpit typing this I look up and there is one a couple of hundred feet or less away - takes a dive with his tale up and probably goes below to check us out. This is too much. I have lost track of how many whales we have seen. This is their mating season so let's hope they do not mistake us for one of them and stay out of our way.
I told David that I will take the first watch. First of all, there is no way that I am going down below with the possibility of seeing more whales. Plus I want to see the sun set.
1704: we are starting to lose our wind. We are down to 3.5 knots and will turn on the motor when we hit 2.5 knots. Then we will roll in the genoa and tighten up the main. But not just yet as the winds have just picked up again and I am back to 5 knots. Guess that is because I am at the helm!
1721: David to bed and another whale sighted at 0200 on the horizon coming right out of the water. I lost count after 15! We were seeing humpback whales, the most acrobatic and visible whales encountered on this coast. They are migrating to the warm waters at this time of year for breeding. Humpbacks average 40 - 50 feet in length and 80,000 lbs. even the newborn calves weigh around 2000 pounds. No wonder we can see them from so far away.
2300: Genoa in. Motor on. Captain up. Admiral to bed.
0538: Sun up. Isla Isabella in site. GPS is off by quite a bit. It is telling me to steer 143 and I really should be steering 180.
0750. According to GPS the island is behind us and we are just coming up to it.
We pass Los Mona's rocks and head into the anchorage.
No comments:
Post a Comment