WANDERING AROUND THE ISLANDS OF LA PAZ

We have been negligent about filing new updates here because we are not moving much nor are we doing anything really different. Life has settled into a pretty relaxed routine. A new anchorage every week or so, new rocks and reefs to dive on, new cruisers to meet and chat with, and the occasional windy and rocky night that makes us wonder if there is a better way to spend the night.

It is Monday night, April 15, and we just returned from Paradise Found and the big Mexican Train Domino tournament which is followed by the all you can eat hamburger, hot dog, and chili feed. I didn't win but I did get my share of $1 beer and and enough to eat to cover the $3.50 it costs for the food.

We returned to La Paz from El Candalero on March 28. All that we managed to accomplish in La Paz was to buy more groceries, two 50' 1/2" nylon snubber lines for the anchor chain, and to lose my good reading glasses. I know the glasses are here on the boat but I'll be darned if I have found them in the last two weeks. They are probably hiding in the same compartment that contains our Mexican fish book full of great colored pictures of all the strange fish we can't identify. I have two pair of cheaper backup glasses but would really like to find the good ones with the unbreakable titanium frames and the lenses that darken in the sunshine.

These glasses have tried to get lost before. For example; you can read about them getting left behind in Neah Bay by going to:Mirador Log Tacoma to San Diego

The main reason we went back to La Paz was to pick up our new 66 pound Spade anchor. We had gotten very tired of all the anchor dragging so two of us in La Paz ordered a pair of big, heavy anchors. Neal, owner of Active Light, a Cape George 36 from Paulsbo, Washington, drove the 800 miles to Shelter Island in San Diego to pick up his and our Spades.

If you want to read more about the Spade anchor and some more of our anchoring adventures take a look at: The Spade Anchor. We are very pleased with the Spade and recommend it to any serious cruisers or those anchoring in difficult situations.

We sailed back to El Candalero on April 1 after loading the boat with way too much beer and fresh produce.

We sailed all the way from the exit of the La Paz channel to Ensenada El Candalero (about 17 miles). It was a beautiful day for a sail, 85 degrees, filtered sunshine, cool NNE breeze at 12 to 15 knots. Just perfect for sailing straight to our anchorage. First we were close hauled (sailing as much into the wind as possible) then as we got west of Isla Espiritu Santo the wind shifted more to the east so we could reach on up thru the channel between Isla Ballena and Isla Espiritu Santo. (photo to the left)

About half way across Bahia La Paz a nice Sierra Mackerel hit on our medium heavy rod and reel. We had to furl the genoa to slow down enough (we were doing 7.3 knots) to bring the fish in. It was about 24" and 4 pounds. It hit on a flashy white cedar plug. We just got the lure out again and the sails reset when the rod almost disappeared off the stern of the boat. Something bigger hit. We went thru the drill again, furl the sails, retrieve the fish, etc. Before I could that lure back in the water another one hit the big rod and reel. We were using a plain cedar plug behind an orange/white flasher.

They were all nice sized Sierra Mackerals. Not much fight but very tasty.

We reset the sails and decided to put out only the plain cedar plug. We had about 14 pounds of mackerel in the sink and probably didn't need much more. I put a reef in the main 'cause the wind was picking up and Arlene couldn't clean fish with the boat heeled 20 degrees, at least with the hope of having all 10 fingers when it was over.

Then the biggest one of the day hit just after I got the sails all trimmed out again. Since I was using the big Penn reel I just horsed the thing in, kinda' hoping I would loose it so I wouldn't have to wind in 100 yards of line while sailing at 7.2 knots. I did have to wind in the whole thing but ended up with a nice big mackerel.

Whoa is me, such tough work! AND, the darn sun came out and made me sweat as I cleaned the blood out of the cockpit. It was 4 PM before I could settle down to a beer and sandwich for lunch! Tough day on the water.

Arlene wants to point out that she made my lunch while cleaning fish, cooked a chicken, vacumned the carpets, and cleaned the galley. But, I had to steer, watch the fishing poles, watch the other sailboats, and dodge the sunrays. Not to mention - subdue that beer.

Since we were so lucky I put a big purple and gold plastic "chicken feather" lure on with two big treble hooks. I wanted to catch only a big wahoo or dorado, not any more puny mackerel. No luck on that lure.

During this entire fishing frenzy we were also racing two Moorings charter boats that had left Marina Palmira in La Paz just a few minutes ahead of us. They were a Beneteau 415 monohull and Moorings 38' Catamarran . The wind was perfect for Mirador, just enough to give us 18 to 20 degrees heel with a single reef in the main and full genny. We blew away the 415, pointing about 10 degrees higher into the wind and making 1/2 knot more speed.

NAH - NAH - NAH! My house is faster than your house!

We pointed higher into the wind than the Cat but made about 1/4 knot less speed. I had to yell at the cat when he tried to pass astern of us, going from upwind of us to below us. He was only about 50 yards astern of us but both our lures were 100 yards behind us. I yelled and pointed at the poles and they figured it out.

They do put really small mainsails and genoas on those charter boats so I can't get to excited about our racing. But, it was the most fish I have caught during a race!

Now, to highlight the difference between a cruising sailor and sailors who have fun on their boats:

While the competion between Mirador and the Moorings was heating up I received very specific instructions from Arlene. She was going to wash her hair since the diesel had made a lot of nice hot water. She wanted no more than 10 degrees heel while her head was in the galley sink. And you racing helmsman think you've got it tough! Try to race while making sure your wife can wash her hair without splashing water out of the sink. It's not so easy.

We stayed in El Candalero for a week as I spent a lot of time snorkling and fishing. I speared my first fish, a 5 pound SheepHead. It has very tasty and firm flesh.

Saturday night in Candalero was very uncomfortable due to the pitching caused by the 4' waves. I didn't get much sleep. About 8 AM the wind and swell finally diminished and I fell asleep in the owners cabin and slept quite soundly until after noon. I kept thinking I was having strange dreams or my ears were ringing. When I finally crawled up into the cockpit about 1 PM Sunday I saw two 70' powerboats anchored about 60' from us. They had brought a bunch of jet-skis and small ski boats to El Candalero and were using all of them. Then a 45' sport fishing boat appeared and dropped his anchor on top of ours.

They had the entire bay (1/2 mile wide and 1/2 mile deep) to anchor in and all three boats had to get within yards of us!

About 2 PM April 7 we pulled up anchor and had a nice 24 mile sail north to Isla San Francisco which is a small island just south of Isla San Jose which is a really big island about 47 NM north of La Paz. We anchored in "The Hook" which is a semi-enclosed anchorage on the SW tip of Isla San Francisco. It has excellent protection for all winds except SW to NW. The most common winds here are NNE 10 to 15 in the afternoon and SSW 10 to 15 at night so The Hook is a very popular anchorage.

The rocks on the southshore of the anchorage are a veritable fish market!

I found schools of Pacific TenPounders (a soft-rayed fish (Elops affinis) also known as BONYFISH, MULLET, BIG HERRING). They are one to two feet and two to six pounds. They are a little harder to shoot at 'cause the schools are real nervous. But if I just drift quietly on the surface they eventually swim around me. There are also big schools of White SeaBass (Cynoscion noblis)for the taking (or they may be Mexican Goatfish). AND - what I am pretty sure are California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) which is a member of the tuna family. These guys are both in the 2 foot plus and 5# plus range. They are also school fish but seem to ignore me. I haven't shot any yet because we put the red meat on board three weeks ago and it is still semi-frozen and we'd better start getting rid of it.

The bottom, we were in 9' of water, was covered with what appear to be scallops. But, they are buried so only the top 2" of their shell are above the sand bottom. The mouths of the shells are about 4" to 6" wide. I try to pull them out of the sand but they are firmly attached to the bottom. It looks like, based on the way the Spade anchor has dug in,that there is about 8" of sand on top of some hard coral like surface. I never did try to dig the scallops up with a knife or screwdriver.

While I was swimming around the bottom I stopped to check out the anchor. One side was raised higher than the other and I noticed a strange color underneath it. Turned out to be a small octopus that was letting the anchor tip dig up the bottom and was then eating anything that was exposed. I have noticed that all the bottom fish sit next to the chain as it lies on the bottom. They wait for the chain to move and then swim in to eat whatever the chain stirs up.

The days have settled into an easy routine. Up about 7 or 8 AM. We listen to the HAM nets and talk to folks while we eat a late breakfast or early brunch. This takes until about 10:30 AM. We have several friends (Active Light) who are on the way from Mexico to the Marquesas and they come up on the HAM networks about 9:30 AM. We usually chat for about 1/2 hour. The best Baja and Sea of Cortex weather forecasts occur at 8:45 AM and 10:15 AM.

If you don't have a HAM license and plan on cruising - GET A HAM license and a good HAM radio. I usually check our e-mail late in the morning, late in the afternoon, and at about 11 PM. HAM or SSB e-mail is the greatest thing to happen to cruisers since GPS.

Then I read and do boat projects until a little after noon while Arlene does her exercises and weight lifting.

The afternoon is spent swimming, snorkling, hiking, fishing; usually in that order. We try to get back to the boat in time to sit in the cockpit and have a beer while watching the sunset which is about 7:40 PM during mid-April. Arlene cooks a formal dinner every night and we eat about 8 PM. We watch a movie a couple of nights a week and read the other nights. Being the old fart; I am in bed asleep by 11:30 PM but Arlene seems to have more energy and stays up reading till after midnight most of the time.

And so it goes - a truly strenuous life.

We stayed in The Hook for a week and then had an easy motor and sail trip back to Ensenada Grande on Isla Partida (about 24 miles). We only stayed there one night but it looks like a very nice place. Except for being pretty open to the SSW waves caused by the Coromuel.

We had a good trip from Ensenada Grande back to La Paz. We had a great sail the last 12 miles. A close reach in 10 knots true wind with bright sunshine, 80 degree air, and a cool NW breeze. It just doesn't get any better than that!

We'll be in La Paz for a few days and then officially check out for San Carlos, Sonora. Our six-month Mexican visas expire on May 14 and we need to renew them before that. We'll slowly make our way to San Carlos (250 nautical miles NNW of La Paz on the Mexican Mainland) where we'll leave Mirador for a few days as we take a bus to Nogales, Arizona where we can renew our visas for another six months. We are told the express bus from San Carlos to Nogales only takes four hours but we plan on a two day round trip.