Archive | Serenity RSS feed for this section

Monday, October 26, 2014 – She is for sale

We finally got all our stuff out of cupboards and hiding places and off the boat. What a job! Anyway, Serenity is now ready for some lucky person. We have so loved her! We are going to try to market her ourselves since we are no…

Thursday, October 16, 2014 LaConner Washington

By Trawlers on October 16, 2014 in Serenity

Friday, September 5, 2014 – underway from Anacortes to Vancouver BC

It feels good to be back on Serenity again. She has spent the last two months in covered moorage with little company. Earl found someone to wash her while she sat there. It was a job to rival Fito’s in Mexico, for not quite twice as much, which is still not at all bad considering the work involved.

We are having a beautiful trip to Vancouver. We plan on overnighting in Coal Harbor. Depending on what we need to dispose of at customs, we will need to add to our stores, before leaving the dock with our dear friends John and Maria Luisa who are in Vancouver visiting John’s son Peter. We are looking to showing off the Coast of British Columbia to these friends from Mexico.

The US gillnet fleet is out in force. “Pushing the line” here means the international border. They have apparently not had a good season with most of the salmon entering Puget Sound from the north. The BC fleet is not fishing today. We are seeing lots of salmon jumping and I can’t help thinking of the thrill of setting out the net and seeing it light up with splashing fish. Those were some of the most memorable times of our gillnetting in Cook Inlet and I feel quite nostalgic!

Vancouver is a beautiful city

Thursday, September 11, 2014 – Returning from Vancouver BC to Anacortes

After a lovely trip up the coast, we pulled into Coal Harbor Marina about 7 pm on Friday. This is a beautifully located marina, right in a downtown area near some big hotels and the cruise ship marina. My only complaint was the absence of WiFi at the docks. It was available at the office, but that is not the same.

The next morning we went to look at a new boat, a 38 foot Sabre Express. Knowing that our long range cruising is now behind us, we are looking for something that might be better suited to shorter trips around Puget Sound. Earl loved it.

Around noon, our friends John and Maria Luisa togerther with John’s son Peter and his wife Miriam and children Kevin and Kerstin arrived for a luncheon cruise. Kevin and Kerstin are delightful children. They moved up from Mexico two years ago and are thoroughly acclimated and doing beautifully in school. Kevin was the number 1 student in his class.

Kevin, Miriam, Peter and Kerstin

We cruised inland, up Indian Arm and found a place to anchor. Being a Saturday and very much in the Vancouver area, it was relatively crowded, but Peter and family loved being out on the boat and we had a pleasant hamburger lunch. We returned to Coal Harbor in late afternoon and said goodbye to Peter and his family.

The next morning, we made an early start to head north to Princess Louisa Inlet. We were anxious to show John and Maria Luisa some of this beautiful country and have them experience our Trac stabilizers. Maria Luisa who is not an adventurous boater was thrilled with the stabilized ride and they are looking forward to installing stabilizers on the Viking Spirit when they return to Mexico.

Beautiful BC

It doesn’t get much better than this

There are few things as fulfilling as showing off an area you love to someone who has not seen it before. It makes you realize how very special something you have started to take for granted is. We could not have had lovelier day and made good time to our anchorage at McMurray Bay in Prince of Wales Inlet. It is a marginal anchorage with only a small shelf on which to put your anchor. It took us a couple a tries to get a secure hold.

Everyone was enjoying the warm weather

The next morning we were up early to be sure to get to the inlet to Princess Louisa in time for the tide at Malibu rapids. John had never been through tidal rapids before and was very apprehensive. It is quite something to see a boiling stretch of water come to a halt. It was for us an uneventful passage into Princess Louisa. Although it was late summer and there had been little rain, there were still water falls. We motored up to Chatterbox Falls where we found two other Nordhavns and a couple of other boats and spent a wonderful day enjoy the peace of the special place. For the entire cruise we were blessed unseasonably warm weather – over 80 – and we loved it.


Slack water at Malibu Rapids


chatterbox Falls


Making use of Earl’s ‘Pavillion” – lunch on the boat deck

Dawn on Tuesday we were up and waiting for the tide at the Malibu Rapids. Once again, John was anxious, but, once again, it was needless. We cruised pleasantly down to Smuggler Cove, a delightful hidden anchorage where we spent a lazy afternoon and pleasant evening.


Smugglers Cove afternoon


Smuggler Cove sunset

Northwest Light House

From Smuggler it was a short trip back to Coal Harbor and another look at the Sabre Express. I don’t know how happy I would be to trade Serenity’s fuel consumption of less than 1.5 gallons per hour for something that takes 4 or 5 times as much.

With promises to see them in early 2015 in Mexico, we said goodbye to Maria Luisa and John and left early on Thursday September 11^th for the return trip to Anacortes. This time the Canadian commercial fleet was out in front of the Frazer and we watched as they hauled in the salmon as we made our way south. It was a speedy trip as we had the tide with us and we were all tied up in by mid afternoon.

Catching salmon

It has been quite a month since our cruise to Princess Louisa. We spent the next few days watching in horror as hurricane Odile slammed into Baja and devastated our beloved La Paz. The boats anchored out were heavily hit and three cruisers drowned. We are in sorrow for the lovely people that we lived among for five winters.

We also made the big decision to sell our beloved Serenity. We have spent the last month emptying her. I have come to realize that it is always low tide when I have a cartload of stuff to take up to the car. As we unloaded her, I was reminded by how much storage there is on a Nordhavn 43 and horrified at just how much we had accumulated in the time we had used her as a second home. Our garage is now stuffed and we have a job ahead of us to sort through all of it.

We will be trying to sell her ourselves using NordhavnFSBO. We are waiting for a sunny day to take some photos of her interior and I have the task of putting together the list of her equipment etc to list her. It will be a bittersweet day when we turn the keys over to someone else.

Sunday, June 8, 2014 – Westport to Anacortes

By Trawlers on June 10, 2014 in Serenity

Sunday June 8, 2014 – LaConner, Washington

Last Sunday afternoon we had a mini reunion for members of Earl’s high school class. There were probably about 8, which is not bad considering that the class was only 23 members when it graduated over 60 years ago. The weather turned out perfect and Earl hung the dingy over the side so that we could use the boat deck and pavilion. It was a very pleasant time and I enjoyed putting faces to some of the names that I had heard over the years.

The next morning was grey again. We woke at 5, but hung around to 6:30 am, waiting to see trollers and charter boats starting out. It was not the best timing for the tide on the bar and we wanted to make sure that others with more recent experience were on their way.

It is quite a long trip from the harbor and out over the bar at Westport. It seems like 45 minutes but it was probably less. Until we got away from the effect of the rivers on the ocean, it was quite lumpy. Once we did get further, it flattened out a bit, but then we were into crab pots, sometimes on each side. Nevertheless, we stayed near shore to mitigate the swell.

As in other places on our trip north, we passed some fabulous rock formations. One of the most spectacular is called the Giants Graveyard.

Giants Graveyard

We had planned to anchor in Strawberry Cove, right near La Push. When we got in the area, around 4 pm, I pulled up the weather forecast and we decided we should keep going around Cape Flattery and into Puget Sound. There were gale warnings for the west coast of Vancouver Island and the offshore weather was for swells of 12 feet at 9 seconds. Near shore would be less, but still not nice, so once again, we continued on. We rounded Tatoosh Island off the cape at around 9:30 pm and not too long after we were in the Straights of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.

We pulled into Neah Bay and anchored around 11:30 – too late to drink champagne – but we felt that we had done it!

The next morning we decided to head for the San Juans for the night, which would leave us a short run into Anacortes the next day. The seas were essentially flat and we reveled in it! As we passed Race Rocks outside of Victoria on the tip of Vancouver Island, the flood tide really showed itself and we found ourselves traveling at 9 mph. WOW! But that speed was bested when we entered the waters south of San Juan Island, a place called Cattle Pass. We actually hit 10.5. Glad we were going with it.

Beautiful green Northwest

Tidal current at Race Rocks Lighthouse

We anchored around the corner of the pass next to San Juan Island. It was beautiful, flat water and green hills, and we really felt at home.

Coming into an anchorage at San Juan Island

The next day, Wednesday June 4^th, was a leisurely trip Anacortes. We tucked Serenity into her new home under cover at Fidalgo Marina. Much to our relief, the work Earl had done on the antennae was enough so that we had no problem getting her under cover.

Her new home – She misses the sunshine

The trip from La Paz had taken us 8 weeks and we covered 2,344 miles. We had encountered some great weather, some okay weather, and some really nasty weather, but through it all the Serenity behaved perfectly. Earl kept saying that she was just like a duck, taking the swells as the came. We were always confident in the ability of the boat to take whatever weather we encountered.

On our trip, we had taken 2 days for fishing for marlin, 3 days visiting San Jose, 3 days for weather in Turtle Bay, 5 days in Dana Point, 2 days for weather in LA, 5 days in Bodega Bay to visit family, 1 day in Fort Bragg for weather, and 5 days in Westport to visit with old friends. Out of 56 days, 30 had been travel days, averaging 78 miles each. No wonder we are weary! My advice for anyone making this trip would be to set aside 4 months and make the most of it, stopping in San Francisco Bay and other places.

Saturday May 31, 2014 – Port Orford, Oregon to Westport Wa.

By Trawlers on May 31, 2014 in Serenity

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 – Underway from Newport Oregon to Columbia River

Port Orford proved to be a great moorage. Because we had stopped at noon on the 24^th, we felt like we had a holiday. By 6 am on Sunday the 25^twe were off and heading north to Coos Bay. That would have been about an 8 hour day and would leave us with a 14 hour day following to get into Newport where we planned to take a full day of rest.

It was glassy leaving Port Orford and we ran close enough to the shore to see the almost endless display of offshore rocks that seems to characterize this part of the coast. Many of these are named. While some, like Pillar Rock, NW Rock, Haystack Rock are obvious, others, like Fox Rock must have really stories.

The seas were so pleasant that we decided bypass Coos Bay and instead go into the little harbor of Winchester Bay at the outlet of the Umpqua River. Although in bad weather this bar has a nasty reputation, we had no worries given our weather and going the extra distance would split the trip to Newport into two more equal portions.

Winchester Bay is served by the Salmon Marina. We called the telephone number in the cruising guide and got a recorded message telling us that the office hours were 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. It being Sunday, that was not helpful. I finally pushed the button for the “emergency operator” as distinguished from 911, and was connected to a lovely young lady. I explained that we wanted to tie up that night around 6 with a 6 am departure and would not be there during office hours. The operator finally put me through to Heidi who manages the RV park. Heidi was very helpful and radioed Ralph, who radioed Steve, who finally explained we could use the after hours dock by the Coast Guard Station and leave $15 in the box at the head of the dock.

For me, this marina was a real return to the Northwest. It is a large marina, but nowhere near full and mostly populated by fishing boats displaying varing degrees of prosperity. Many were the little classic wooden trawlers. One was an old Tolly, literally covered with vegetation. One might have thought the fern glimpsed through the window was a house plant had it not been for the ferns growing through various portions of the exterior. For $15 dollars we were snug and slept very well.

For Earl, the Umpqua held old memories. One of his jobs with the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration in the early 60’s involved lots of sampling at the mouth of this river.

The next day was Memorial Day and as we neared Newport late in the afternoon we were treated to the sight of two multimasted wooden boats. Once was the Lady Washington who we have seen before. I never did get the name of the other. They were apparently engaged in a mock battle because we could hear cannons. Both boats carried passengers and as they rocked around we wondered it any of them were not sea sick. It was fun.

Newport is huge harbor with multiple marinas. We opted to anchor out. Earl says we are too cheap to pay, but the truth is that it is much less work to anchor than to pull out all the ropes and bumpers to tie up at a dock and then undo them early the next morning.

Our anchorage was just perfect. We are apparently in the season when birds ‘do their thing”. At Winchester, we saw gulls doing it. (She did not seem impressed.) In Newport we had a trio of pigeon guillemots. They are a flashy bird, black with white winds and red feet. The inside of their beaks are also bright red. The three seems to be getting along fine, when suddenly two went off in one direction and started engaging in courtship rituals while the other had a tantrum. He squawked with his red mouth open and thrashed around in the water. Not a happy loser.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 – Underway from Newport Oregon to Columbia River

parade of rocks off Oregon coast

Typical NW lighthouse

For Earl, the Umpqua held old memories. One of his jobs with the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration in the early 60’s involved lots of sampling at the mouth of this river.

Memorial Day seabattle in front of Newport OR

Newport Or Coast Guard station

Condos near our anchorage

Newport Bridge from our anchorage

Today we left early, around 5, as soon as the tide was easing on the bar and are headed north towards the Columbia River. We will cross the bar and anchor in the river or keep going over night to Westport, Earl’s home town.

Going is nice. We passed Cape Lookout where in one scenario we had thought to anchor. It has a spectacular cave at the base.

Point Lookout

Saturday, May 31, 2014 – Westport Washington

Well, as on other occasions this trip, the weather looked better than it was forecasted to be the next day, so we continued on past the Columbia River and on to Westport. Not having to negotiate the Columbia River Bar and the additional mileage in and out of the river was a definite timesaver and the weather was reasonable. It was no doubt the right thing to do, but after we finally tied up in Westport at 7 am after having to kill time waiting for the tide at the bar, we were pooped. No more overnights ever, says Earl. AMEN

Sunset off the Columbia River

I don’t really remember much of anything about Wednesday our first day here. I think we both spent most of it sleeping.

Bright and early on Thursday morning, Earl’s childhood friend Brady came by for coffee and muffins. They had a great time catching up. It was a rainy day and not very conducive to washing the boat which we had put on the agenda. Instead, Earl and I took the bus to Aberdeen, the closest town with a car rental agency. It is wonderful that there is a public transportation system here, even if it only runs Monday through Friday during the day. It cost us each $1. We took a little van that picked us up from the head of the dock and took us and a number of other people who waved it down, to the park and ride on the outskirts of town where we transferred to a larger bus for the 20 miles to Aberdeen.

We picked up the car and scheduled to return it before the agency closed for the weekend and went to look for a haircut for Earl. The closest turned out, from Earl’s brief observation, to be haircut plus some preaching the word of God, so he decided to look for something else. We stopped first for what turned out to be surprisingly good Thai food at a takeout place that had a few tables outside, but under cover. On the proprietor’s recommendation we drove to Rex’s barber shop in the adjoining community of Hoqium and Earl emerged 30 minutes later looking much more respectable. His last haircut had been close to 2 months ago and he was beginning to look like a street person.

We did shopping and drove back to town. Rhododendrons thrive in this coastal climate. Most of the old houses are very modest and many of them are drarfed by rhodies planted along side them, probably when the houses were new. They are very beautiful.

After a little boat cleaning, we treated ourselves to dinner on the town. It turned out the most highly recommended place was not in Westport, but at Bennets in the little community of Grayland down the highway. We had a very good dinner, with crab cakes and chicken left over for lunch the next day.

Friday the sun was out and we went to work getting the boat spic and span. Earl did a wonderful job outside. I did the galley before leaving to return the car. I found the battery was dead –apparently someone left the lights on the night before. But this is small and friendly town and a nice woman passerby offered to get me a jump.

That night Brady and his wife Happy came for dinner and, again, we had a wonderful time catching up. Brady brought Earl a huge bag of live oysters. He knows how to make Earl happy! The big party will be tomorrow. We are hosting an open house for Earl’s school classmates that are still in the area and, probably, a few others. His class only had 20 some kids in it, so I expect it will be a small reunion, but probably we will have enough to make it a crowd for the Serenity. Daisy will be in heaven thinking everyone is there to see her.

This morning as we were having breakfast, Brady showed up with a bunch of freshly dug razor clams for Earl. Razor clams are absolutely Earl’s favorite food. He had thought about going to dig some but instead he just whined to Brady. Between the clams and the oysters, he is in heaven.

Monday we will be heading off again. Of course the weather gods are probably not smiling on us. It looks like today and Sunday will be the best weather of the week. Regardless, I am sure we will go. Like a horse that smells the barn door, we are ready to be home.

Going is nice. We passed Cape Lookout where in one scenario we had thought to anchor. It has a spectacular cave at the base.

Saturday, May 31, 2014 – Westport Washington

I don’t really remember much of anything about Wednesday our first day here. I think we both spent most of it sleeping.


NW shellfish heaven!

“small” oyster appetizer – just a snack!

Sunday, May 24, 2014 – from Fort Bragg, CA to Port Orford, OR

By Trawlers on May 24, 2014 in Serenity

Friday, May 23, 2014 – heading north from Trinidad Harbor

Fort Bragg Marina

Departure from Fort Bragg on Thursday was predawn. The tide had already begun to ebb and full ebb is the worst time to cross bars. The crabber tied next to us pulled out and we followed within 10 minutes around 5 am.

I was not looking forwarded to the day, and, in retrospect, it is one I could happily have skipped altogether. We knew from the weather that it would be better today then any other day for a week so we felt we had to go regardless. The lump started as soon as we left the river. After Wednesday, I was apprehensive. I have to say that it was not as bad as Wednesday, but it was still an uncomfortable ride for most of the day. Initially we were barreling along at over 7 knots, and with the current against the wind the swells were large and close.

At some point between Punta Gorda and Cape Mendocino the current changed, so we traded 2 knots of speed for a more comfortable, if longer, ride. It was cold so we had all the windows closed and I was taking comfort from the wind gauge that never varied from 6. Of course, Earl had to point out to me that it was not working and he thought it was probably blowing 30 to 35. I was happier thinking it was 6.

I am now accustomed to having everything on the floor. I had been diligently putting things back on the berth above the bench in the pilot house. I am no longer bothering. It is easier to step over stuff than dodge it.

Our choice was between going into Eureka and getting a slip or going on 20 miles to Trinidad and anchoring. Bypassing Eureka was a time saver and also allowed for an early departure today. The downside of that decision was it was 12:30 by the time we inched our way into the Trinidad harbor between crab pots. As it turned out, we did not go in far enough and ended up with a very rocky night, made even worse by the periodic banging of an unlatched closet door. I was too tired to care, but it was not a great night. Earl called it quits at 6 and pulled the anchor.

We are headed for Brookings, just above the California Border, and more than halfway up the US coast. It is a beautiful ride. The wind gauge which has been reset says 8, the seas are flat and we are going 6.6. An added bonus, so far we have seen no crab pots once past Trinidad. Who cares if it is foggy! Even better, Brookings is about 60 miles from Trinidad. We should be able to tie up by late afternoon and have a nice dinner on a stable table.

Saturday, May 24, 2014 – Anchored at Port Orford, Oregon

Well I spoke too soon. Not 5 minutes after writing that we had seen no crab pots, we started to see them. However, the weather remained reasonable and the fog lifted.

Brookings turned out to be out of the question. They required that our insurance company fax them a copy of our insurance policy specifically adding Brookings port as a covered party. At 4:45 pm that was not going to happen. We had found a couple of possible anchorages not too far from Brookings and, since the weather was okay, decided to head north.

We opted for Mack Arch. Here the anchorage is tucked behind a combination of reef and standing rocks and it looked good. In we went and found that the seas were definitely reduced, but the swell did continue. Dinner demanded coordination as the boat rolled and when we got to bed, the gentle rocking was sometimes rather more than less. It was, however, far better than the night we had spent in Trinidad!

Mach Arch

By morning we were in a sea of fog. At about 6 we headed north. It was not the best, but far from the worst, of conditions. The only other boats we saw were some good sized crabbers. They must have thought we were nuts (and who is to say that we aren’t?) The winds were 20 to 25 and gusting to 35.

Happiness is a great anchorage, with no swell, at noon! We got into Port Orford and tucked in behind a cliff to the north and watch as our wind gauge dropped from 35+ to 15. There was time for Earl to wash down the boat while I picked up the debris from the last few days before of lovely lunch of Bloody Marys and potstickers. The afternoon included naps, reading, knitting, trimming Daisy’s eyebrows and just enjoying a boat that was not moving.

Happy anchorage at Port Orford

Port Orford is not your usual harbor. There is no marina. Instead the boats are lifted out of the water by cranes and stored on land.

Port Orford non- marina

After the last few days since leaving Bodega Bay our expectations of sea conditions have certainly changes. White water seems normal. However, I am an optimist. The weather for the next few days looks like it will be better. Here’s hoping!

Wednesday May 21, 2014 Fort Bragg from Dana Point

By Trawlers on May 21, 2014 in Serenity

Monday May 12, 2014 – Heading to Point Conception

We spent 5 nights at Dana Point and got a ton accomplished. Jeddy was able to find an appropriate fabric, which if anything goes better with the upholstery than the old, and got the new rugs cut and installed by Thursday am. He is a wonder, fast and very reasonable. Earl and I are each hoping that we will not be the first to spill on them.

The other major accomplishment was the installation by Earl of a beautiful new toilet in our master head. What a Mother’s Day gift! It is a Dometic. It is a simple design and seems to use less water more efficiently than the Raritan that it replaced. We are ecstatic!

On Tuesday night we were able to hook up with my cousin Brad who lives in Pasadena. Brad, Shannon and daughter Cassandra came for a boat tour and dinner. Cassie did not really understand how one could live on a boat until her tour and then she suggested that she continue on with us and send Daisy to keep her parents company. She is a delightful 8 year old and a budding marine biologist. She had a wonderful time with my shell collection and, impressively, quickly identified a partial sea urchin shell. Pretty smart young one as well as cute as a button.

Brad, Shannon and Cassie

We were in a slip right on the main dock in front of the Nordhavn offices and Earl was delighted to have a number of people stop to admire Serenity and ask if she was new. Fito has done a great job keeping her looking that way!

We left Dana Point at 5 am on Friday the 9^th anxious to make some distance. By mid morning it became clear that the weather was deteriorating and we headed into the Los Angles harbor where we waiting out the winds the next day. It was a great anchorage and we were treated to a show. The winds combined with the breakwater were a godsend to the windsurfers who whipped around us performing acrobatics. Meantime, in the distance we could see tankers, cruise ships and container ships moving in and out of their berths non stop. The Long Beach – Los Angles harbor complex is beyond busy!

Anchorage at north end of LA Harbor

Entertainment

Daisy gets an LA trim

Container ship

Incoming ship

Convinced that the weather would be great, we head out again at 5 am on Sunday the 11^th. Happy Mother’s Day! It was blowing 25, a six-foot swell with a 3-foot chop on top. A very uncomfortable ride. We had planned on a 15-hour 90-mile day to Santa Barbara, but were delighted to tie up in the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, miles short of our goal. It is a ‘moderate’ sized marina – at least by California standards- only room for 2,600 boats.

At 5 am on the 12 we were at it again. Monday the 12^th is an important day for at least one member of our family. Our darling Bella turned 10, into the double digits and too rapidly leaving childhood in the rear mirror.

Monday turned into an interesting day – for once not due to lumpy seas. Around 10 am 5 miles of so past Santa Barbara we began to notice a diesel smell. It got stronger and the odor was joined by oil sheen. As we neared a drilling platform (Holly) we started to see substantial amounts of dirty oil in the water. Earl called the Coast Guard who told us that there were natural seeps in the area but gave us the national spill report hotline. Earl called and spoke to someone on the East Coast, and in time we received a call from Brett, from the Coast Guard in Santa Barbara. We sent him some photos and he advised us that he had called the platform and they reported no problems. Apparently there can be natural discharges of oil in the range of 50 to 150 barrels a day. 6,500 gallons is a good deal of oil, but we are still not convinced. Anyway, we went on our way wondering how much dirty oil we would have on our water line.

Oil in Santa Barbara Channel

“Natural Seep”

The seas were lovely so we decided to go around Point Conception and head on north. Point Conception can be knarly, but it was fine today, except…. We were about 200 yards off the rocky point and had just photographed the lighthouse when the boat suddenly stopped responding to the wheel and started to turn in circles. We had lost our steering. Although this was a pretty bad place to lose control of the boat, Earl was calm as cucumber and knew exactly what to do. As he suspected the bolt connecting the hydraulic cylinder to the tiller had fallen off and with a large crescent wrench in hand he descended into the lazarette and had the problem fixed within 10 minutes. My hero!

Pt Conception Light House

Finally about midnight, having left Oxnard at 5 am, we arrived at Port San Luis, approximately 120 miles from our starting point. Determining where to anchor was a little dicey with only the radar and a guidebook. We have great lights, but they are so bright that Earl did not want to turn them for fear of disturbing others. Finally, finding ourselves in 40 feet of water, we set our anchor and collapsed into our beds.

Tuesday May 13^th, from Port San Luis to Monterey.

Having managed 120 miles yesterday, we decided to go for it again today. The weather is just about perfect and it was Monterey or San Simeon, with San Simeon only 40 miles from Port San Luis. The weather for today and tomorrow is forecast to be fine, with winds starting on Thursday pm and continuing at least till Tuesday. We will have to cool our heels for the better part of week, so today and tomorrow we will be going for distance. Hopefully Thursday pm will see us in Bodega Bay, nice and snug and maybe with a rental car.

So far today nothing exciting has happened, which is how we like it. The sea is mostly glassy and we are benefiting from a near shore current that has been keeping our speed closer to 7 knots than to 6. The weather is in the 70’s and Daisy is enchanted to be able to run in and out to her look out on the bow.

This is a beautiful and unsettled coast. We were able to see the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, but since then there has been little sign of civilization other than the coast road and the train right by the edge of the shore. Earl has enjoyed watching the reflections of cars windshields disappear as they go through tunnels. The road must have been very expensive to build.

Big Sur

As an indication of the remoteness of this coast, for the first time since we neared Ensenada Mexico, we have lost cell phone coverage. Technologically we have made strides since we went south in 09. In Mexico we got used to using the modem and a router to provide us with Wi Fi in the boat. Once we crossed into the USA and using data on our AT&T iPhones became financially doable, we turned Earl’s iPhone into a hotspot and have enjoyed Wi Fi for our iPad and iMac. We are connected!

One nice thing about having the Wi Fi is the weather forecasting. We got used to using Buoyweather and Predictwind in Mexico when there was no option. Although we can get weather from Ocens on our Sat phone or from the NOAA, I find I prefer these programs that let me really study the wind patterns. NOAA has a very long forecast, only a small portion of which is of interest to us.

Thursday, May 15, 2014 – underway from Drakes Bay to Bodega Bay

It was 12:30 Tuesday night when we set our anchor in Monterey. A very long day and about 120 miles from the predawn departure from San Luis, but we agreed that we did not feel as tired as the night before and that we could not remember many more lovely days. It was glassy all day and the scenery was incredible.

There were so many lights and boats in Monterey that even with the radar and plotter we found finding the anchorage a challenge. It is far easier to go into a remote anchorage at night than an unfamiliar town.

Wednesday was another perfect day. Only the scenery changed as we cruised past Half Moon Bay and across in front of San Francisco and the golden gate bridge. The seas continued glassy. We would have felt completely blessed if it had not been for the crab pots that littered our way. It certainly forced us work the watch more diligently than we have in the past. Welcome to the start of the Northwest.

We arrived in Drakes Bay at 10 pm and anchored along side a small fleet of commercial boats under a beautiful full moon. The 100 mile day felt much shorter than the two 120 days that had preceded it. With only 20 miles to Bodega Bay the next morning, we went to bed determined to sleep in.

And we did sleep in. Amazing that leaving at 6:45 can seem so late. It was after dawn and all the commercial boats were gone, so at least by those measures it was late.

Leaving Drakes Bay

It was lovely when we left Drakes Bay, but we were soon into Northwest Fog. The radar is on. The weather forecast after Friday is poor. We will stop and visit family.

Pt Reyes Light House

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Gale warnings for today, so we are snug in a slip in Fort Bragg. Actually, snug is exactly the right word. One foot less in either direction and we would not fit.

We had a nice stop in Bodega Bay. Spud Point Marina is a very nice marina with lovely cement docks. But what a change from Mexico! This is primarily a commercial fishing marina. We were something of a rarity and got a lot of interest from the locals, who like us had heard nasty weather forecasts.

Bodega Bay – Not a cruiser hang out

This was our first chance to wash the boat since leaving Oxnard. As we expected, we have an oil ring around our boat from the “natural seeps” in the Santa Barbara Channel. We were only able to get to one side of the boat. She will really need a wash when we get to Anacortes.

Friday we rented a car. This required taking a bus to Sebastopol to pick up the car since Enterprise’s pickup range was only 10 miles. While I was getting the car, Earl was getting some crab. There had been no live crab available Thursday, but Friday morning we saw a crab boat unload. Prices are very high. We paid $20 a piece for some beautiful ones. We cooked them all and ate two for lunch, bringing the others with us to Teri and Stuart to share.

Teri and Stuart, our son and daughter in law, live in Santa Rosa, about 45 minutes from Bodega Bay. Of course, we had managed to arrive the one week when Stuart had warned us he would be out of town. He had a big conference in Monterey and Teri drove down to join him for a weekend of R&R. Teri had left a key under the mat and we made ourselves at home, which included giving their kitty the unending love that he demanded.

On Saturday I drove down to San Jose to see my nephew and his two daughters. The eldest, Sarah, I had last seen on our way south in 2009. She remembered our boat and, even more, Daisy. Alison was in utero at the time, so this was my first chance to meet her. We met at Happy Hallow, a combination zoo and amusement park. The girls are delightful and we had a great time getting to know one another.

Sarah and Alison

Sunday, we did some minor shopping for an eclectic assortment of items. That evening Stu, Teri, daughter Meaghan plus Meaghan’s young man John had dinner with us. Instead of having crab cakes, Earl having eaten all the crab, we went to Willi’s Wine Bar and had a very California experience. We drank lovely wine while sharing little small plates of good things. It was a very nice, if expensive, evening.

Monday, everyone went off to work and we headed back to Bodega Bay and unloaded the clean laundry and groceries. Then I drove back to return the car and killed 3 hours waiting for the bus to return to the marina.

Tuesday the alarm went off at 3:30 and we were off by 4 am on our trek north. Our destination was not yet set. Fort Bragg is the only marina within reach but there are several anchorages that we could use, although most were not ones we would be comfortable going into after dark. The morning was not bad. There was no wind and the swells were in the 6-foot range. Then we rounded Point Arena and the swells grew and got closer together. The USCG announced that the bar conditions at Fort Bragg were hazardous and posted gale warning starting at 3 for outside waters. We decided against anchoring out. Luckily we had no wind, but we certainly had big swell relatively close. Some of them must have been 15 feet with ‘feathers’ on top. I did not enjoy the afternoon.

Because of the warning and being unfamiliar with Fort Bragg, Earl called the Coast Guard to tell them that we were coming in. They helpfully provided an escort, but actually the bar here was something of a non-event. It was much pleasanter than the swell outside. That said, I was pretty whipped by the time we got into our slip. My knees felt like jelly and Earl said his did too. Thank God for the stabilizers. Even with them we had things tossed around. My major worry was that they would choose that moment to go out.

Tomorrow we will try to get around Cape Mendocino. We are forecast to have about a 12-hour weather window. Once north of the Cape we can start to look forward to better weather as we get up to the Oregon Coast.

Sunday May 4, 2014 – Dana Point

By Trawlers on May 5, 2014 in Serenity

Sunday, May 4, 2014 – Enroute from San Diego to Dana Point

Friday night Clark treated us to an awesome dinner at the Punta Moro Resort near the marina. It is a spectacular setting, reminiscent of La Joya and the restaurant was on a par with the view. Everything was beautifully prepared and served. It was a wonderful last dinner in Mexico.

View from the restaurant at Punto Moro

Joan looking for the green flash

Post dinner stroll at Punta Moro

Sometime around 5 am on Saturday we took off for San Diego, blessed with smooth seas and a favorable current that boosted our speed to 7+ knots. Would that all days going north could be the same!

Blowing 40 plus

Seas as they ought to be

As we travelled north, I knew we were getting close to Southern California when I spotted the first mylar balloon. On the way down, the sea was spotted with hundreds of them. A very sad thing to see.

As we approached San Diego the traffic and activity increased. Several sail boats races where underway and we enjoyed watching the boats drop their jibs and lift their colorful spinnakers as they rounded the buoy. In addition to racers, there were many other assorted craft enjoying the beautiful weather. We particular enjoyed a couple of classic multi sailed boats

Boats in front of San Diego

Beautiful Sailor!

Coming into San Diego, we felt like country bumpkins hitting the big city for the first time. After 5 years of boating in Mexico, we were unaccustomed to the hurly burly of a major port. Although there were clearly marked traffic lanes going into the harbor, we seemed to be one of the few boats to honor them. Vessels of all descriptions, from freighters to kayaks and paddleboards, were going every which way! The only things not moving were the piles of sea lions hauled out on the buoys, something we had not seen since we left the USA in 2009.

Sea lions let you know you are back in California

We were pretty stressed by the time we managed to tie up at the police dock to clear customs.

Earl had asked me to check on the hours that customs were open before we left Ensenada. The website I had found indicated that they were opened until 5 everyday but Sunday and listed procedures for contacting them. Happily Earl had written down the information because it turned out that they were not on hand on Saturdays. After an hour or so, a couple of very nice men came down and did the paperwork for us to reenter. Turns out they were originally from New York and one of them gave me a big hug before leaving.

We had made reservations at the Cabrillo Marina. When we finally found our slip, not an easy task in this giant place, it turned out to be too narrow. Earl did manage to slip in, but there was no room for bumpers on either side. Fuming, Earl went to the marina office to demand a slip to fit us. He did well. In compensation for our trouble, we got a 72 foot slip gratis.

We had done such a good job of eating all the food that might be confiscated at customs that our larder was pretty bare. I had hoped to make a quick trip to Trader Joes that is only a mile from our moorage, but happily settled for pizza delivered to the marina from Pizza Nova. It was very good and Joan and Clark are now converts to Thai Chicken Pizza. After dinner we walked up to the little deli near the marina office and picked up eggs to make French toast for breakfast from the sour dough bread that had come along with the pizza. Joan spied a freezer of ice cream bars, so we all had Hagen Daas ice cream bars for dessert. A wonderful welcome home to the USA meal!

We said goodbye to Joan and Clark a little before 8 am and were off within minutes for our run to Dana Point where we will be spending a few day. In 2007 when we bought the boat, we had rugs made by Jeddy in Dana Point. Now after 7 years of use and abuse (what else could you call spilling a whole jar of Yoy Soy Sauce) they are rather sad and we are looking forward to replacements.

In addition, despite Earl’s best efforts with the toilet plunger, the master head after complaining for the last few months has finally said no mas! A new toilet awaits us in Dana Point. Fortunately we only had to share the forward head with guests for a couple of days. During that time, we developed a new meaning to the verb facilitate. For us it meant using the facilities as in asking others if they had any objections to our facilitating.

Two things to which we will need to become reaccustomed: NOAA weather forecasts over the radio and reliable charts on the plotter. Both are blessings that before cruising in Mexico we took for granted. I for one will take a while to internalize the reliability of the plotter after years of having it show us crossing islands in the Sea of Cortez.

I am doing a whole day of laundry as we head north. Our laundry bag which is on Earl’s side of the bed when we have guests, had long since reached capacity and there was a small mountain that threated to soon reach the as high as the bed. We have so many things hanging out to dry on the railing that Earl says someone may think we are trying to signal distress.

Friday, May 2, 2014 – From Cabo to Ensenada

By Trawlers on May 2, 2014 in Serenity

–>

Sunday, April 27 – Turtle Bay

Cross above Cabo San Jose Marina

We spent a couple of pleasant days at San Jose del Cabo. The marina is comfortable– although not anywhere as nice as Costa Baja with very industrial artwork. We enjoyed dinner at Sharon and Dave’s condo where we discussed politics until 11:30. Pretty late for us folks. The next two days we provisioned and cleaned before picking up Joan and Clark at the airport. We had a good dinner at the Tropicana, recommended for Mexican food. Although it was not the fish tacos which I had expected, the food was excellent and the entertainment unexpected. Halfway through dinner a large group in crazy masks and very enhanced bosoms danced their way up the sidewalk and around us looking for donations. They were a hoot.

Art????

We left San Jose del Cabo on Friday the 18^th. The going was not nice and Earl decided when the wind hit 30 that we would be well served to go and anchor for the night in front of Cabo San Lucas. It was both Good Friday and Joan and Clark’s 50^th wedding anniversary.

Joan and Clark – 50 years and going strong

Holy Week is a big holiday for the Mexicans and we felt rather as if we had anchored in the middle of an amusement park. The beach was literally covered with beach umbrellas and people, while a few brave souls were in the rather chilly water swimming or kayaking. One woman was attached to some kind of device that powered water jets under her feet and sent her soaring into the air. There was music blaring and everyone was apparently having a wonderful time. A barge anchored near us selling beer was covered with drinkers. At sunset, a number of boats turned on decorative lights and then there were fireworks. It was very festive. Not exactly what I would have thought for Good Friday in a Catholic country.

Cabo beach

Party Boats

Beer Barge

We celebrated the anniversary with pepper steaks, champagne and a frozen Costco chocolate cake that we are still have not finished a week later.

Saturday morning just as the sky was lightening, we started off for a long run to Santa Maria just north of Mag Bay. As we rounded the Cape we were treated to the sight of a large whale breaching beside us. I guess he was wishing us a good trip north. It was a lovely start to our bash.

The Cape (Cabo San Lucas)

Between Cabo San Lucas and Mag Bay it is a long 152 miles at 6 mph with no place to stop. It was choppy when we started and got worse. No fun! We bucked our way north and worked muscles we had forgotten about trying to keep from falling as we made our way around the boat. Daisy had the worst of it. She could not stand on the bow to relieve herself and even walking in the boat was tough. Earl finally put a towel down on the back deck so that she could get some traction. It took her several days to recover. The weather got worse during the night but by the time we arrived at Santa Maria, 172 miles from Cabo on Sunday the 21st it was actually becoming pleasant.

Bahia Santa Maria

We were exhausted and spent the next day recovering. Apparently we are all 5 years older than when we came south and probably we are better off not doing too many over night runs. We celebrated our safe arrival with a luxury dinner of rack of lamb and the next night suffered through fresh lobsters that Clark bought from a pangero. They were probably not legal since we have since been told everywhere else north that the season is closed.

Lobster Night!

We saw what may be the new generation of Baja fisherman. Still in pangas, these guys wore nice raingear, spoke some English and had a boatload of hammerhead sharks, which must be a profitable catch. From what we could understand, the fins go to Asia and the bulk of the meat is made into surimi.

Panga load of hammerheads

Clark and Daisy fishing

The trip south along the Baja with the winds on your tail is called the Baha Haha and it was a pleasant trip. The trip north is rightly called the Baja Bash. As one of the guide books put it: The prevailing wind and swell that was fun at 15 -20 knots going downwind, can become a bear when beating into an apparent wind in excess of 20-25 knots. The advice is to hug the coast to reduce the winds but that adds about 100 miles to the distance. It is also advised to travel early in the day before the afternoon winds come up. Thus, we have been making more stops than we did going south and instead of the 8 days it took us from Ensenada to Cabo in 2009, we will be lucky to make it in two weeks.

A 3 am departure from Santa Maria on Tuesday, April 22 got us to Juanico 7:20 pm. It was a long overcast day, but seas were reasonable. We saw a few large grey whales. One crossed right in front of the boat so Clark slowed down and gave it the right of way- it was coming from the right. The time was filled with lots of knitting and naps. Joan is a machine, whipping off a cap a day.

An 11 hour run got us from Juanico to Abre Ojos at 7 pm on Wednesday. It was choppy, but we were treated to gulls fighting for position on our front railing and porpoises came for Daisy’s delight. After we anchored, two pangas, each modified by the addition of a cabin, came by. They were the Mexican federal fish and game checking to see if we were poachers.

Gulls on the railing

Mexican Fish and Game

Leaving Abre Ojos at dawn

Thursday April 24^th was a choppy nine hour ride from Abre Ojos to Asuncion which we left early so as to get to Turtle Bay in time to do some shopping on the 25^th. The conditions were wonderful as we neared Turtle Bay but the weather report was for some big winds on the afternoon of the 26^th and lasting through the am on the 28^th. We were tempted to run north, but Turtle Bay is by far the best anchorage in which to wait out the weather. So there we stayed

It would not be boating if there were not some issue. The first day out Clark mentioned that the water pressure was low. It would start out fine but quickly fall off. There were lots of theories and heavy engineering discussions between the capitanos. The first attempt was to check the electrical connections. That was declared a success – at least for 15 minutes. The next attempt, on the theory that something was stuck in the line- was to blow air through the pipes using an electrical air pump. Again a success. Again short-lived. The final (always the one that works) was replacing the pump. Apparently the pump that we had replaced just before leaving La Paz had a connector that was cross-threaded and allowed air to leak into the system. Somebody goofed, but all is well that ends well.

The water maker was also not working well. It kept shutting itself off. We assumed it was connected to the water pressure issue. But it turned out not to be so. So when we finally had water pressure, we did not have enough water to take showers and do laundry. The situation was becoming desperate when Earl checked the filters and discovered that they were plugged with plankton. New filters and new water pump and life is good. We are all less fragrant.

Joan, Clark and I took a panga ride into the pier to do some shopping in Turtle Bay. The panga ride was fine, but the landing was not ideal. We tied up at a dock that was far beyond rickety. The pangero demonstrated walking precisely in the middle so as to keep from tipping into the water. When we got to the stair of the pier, we were faced with a sad looking stairway about 2 feet across the water from the shaky dock. We made it and walked a guano covered pier to shore.

Guano encrusted dock (smelled good too!)

We had toured Turtle Bay on our way south and it was as dusty as we remember. The buildings by the pier are derelict and rusty and the town is worn. The grocery store was more impressive than I remember – probably due to 5 years of shopping in tiny village tiendas on the Baja. The fruit and vegetable selection was not large but we got enough to see us to Ensenada.

Turtle Bay – not really a resort community

We stayed at anchor for two days and watched as the harbor filled up. A number of other boats joined us to wait out the weather and we watched a surprising amount of commercial fishing traffic. There were a couple of old seiners and the scene was pretty remenisant of our Alaska fishing days.

Commercial fishing boats

So here we sit making water and doing laundry and resting.

Tuesday, April 29^th – enroute to Bahia San Carlos

After considerably checking of weather, we left Turtle Bay at 7:15 on Monday morning headed for the north end of Cedros Island. It looked as it we would have a lumpy but not impossible ride that day and better weather the next. We were met by good sized swells with white caps on top. Thank God for stabilizers. The Serenity rides like a duck. Joan and I spent the morning knitting, playing cards and killing flies. We apparently brought a boatload of them with us from Turtle Bay.

As soon as we got in the lee of Cedros Island the water flattened out. The south end of the island has a deep harbor at which ocean going tankers are filled with salt. The salt is produced in Scammon Lagoon, loaded on barges and tugged over to the island. The barges are equipped with conveyer belt system to unload the salt on to the shore where it is added to the huge pile that is already there.

Loaded salt barge

The ride up the east side of the island was scenic. The hillsides are very dramatic. As we got to the northern end, we started passing beaches covered with sea lions. They lie on the shore like cord wood and bark.

Sea lions on the beach

Our anchorage was steep, so we anchored close the beach and the seals. Earl put out 150 feet of chain and we enjoyed quiet rocking and noisy seals. Earl got up in the middle of the night and saw some of them swimming through our underwater lights.

We started off a dawn on Tuesday to head north to San Carlos,

We had very large swells, 9 or 10 feet, but we seem to be getting our sea legs. Daisy even made it to the front deck and managed to do her business. A true Salty Dog. I have rediscovered the technique of bracing oneself in the galley that I had mastered when we commercial fished. It must be like riding a bike – one never forgets. The boat continued to perform beautifully and we passed a pleasant day. As the evening approached the seas flattened and the report for Wednesday is excellent. We will probably do an overnight from San Carlos into Ensenada.

Wednesday, April 30, heading north from San Carlos

Well we had quite a night! The anchorage in the bay is a good way off the beach, but as we anchored we could hear the surf roar. It seemed almost as if it echoed around the little bay. At 1 am the wind came up from land to the NE. By 2, the boat was pitching and we could hear loud banging noises. The wind was warm – 78 degrees – and wild. We clocked 56 mph. Earl and I went upstairs in our nightclothes to see what was going on – my initial thought was that the stabilizer had somehow gotten fouled. But no, our trusty chain hook on the bridle had failed and was inoperable. Earl managed to find our spare bridle in a storage box on top of the house and went out to hook up the replacement and retrieve the bent one. As soon as he had that done, he replaced the hook on our bridle with a different model. Just in time, as the second one also failed. By this time Clark had come up and we gave Earl our moral support from the cabin as we watched him bent over the bow roller, his nightshirt around his ears, attaching the bridle. It was an unforgettable sight – no photos.

Twisted chain hook #2

As it grew light around 5:30, we began the process of pulling up an anchor that was more than well-set in wind that was still gusting 45. With the wind on our starboard we blew out San Carlos and headed north.

Fortunately, once away from the shore, the Santa Ana type wind dissipated and we are enjoying a good ride with long swells. We had some unexpected visitors. Some little yellow birds –identified by Clark as Wilson Warblers-, apparently blown offshore, landed on the boat and flew in and out of the cabin. They were not the least afraid and made themselves at home, helpfully doing away with the last of the flies that we had been carrying with us. One landed on Daisy’s back and rested, then another tried to preen Daisy’s beard. Joan had one on her finger and Earl’s head was apparently also an appealing perch. Delightful!

Wilson Warbler on our camera. Chain hook #1 in background

Earl’s new friend

Friday, May 2, 2014 – Ensenada

We did an overnight to Ensenada, arriving about 8 am. The seas were wonderful! Earl had planned on being able to get our check out documents, but, as Joan reminded me, when in Mexico, expect holidays. May 1 is Labor Day here and nothing was open.

We took on fuel, significantly cheaper here than in San Diego, and Earl rinsed the first layer of salt and grit off Serenity, before finally going to bed for a few hours of sleep. He does not sleep much during overnights. Apparently he has inadequate confidence in the crew.

While Earl slept, Joan, Clark and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items – oranges for 2 mornings worth of juice, some bread, cookies and mangos and, most critical, a toilet plunger. It was a short distance, but the heat was awful and it seemed like a steep uphill. We got back only to find that we had left the plunger behind, so back to the store I went. Death march.

Dinner was in the air-conditioned boat. We are trying to use up any food that might be confiscated, so we had the last of our steaks. Yummy. We finally finished off the last of the Costco cake. My freezer is definitely looking rather empty.

Today is a little cooler. We have gone downtown to complete the process of checking us and the boat out of Mexico. The marina provides an assistant to take care of dealing with all the official personnel, but it was still a 2 hour process. We are currently sitting in our air conditioned cabin while Serenity gets a much needed wash. (Earl is not impressed by the job that is being done). This evening we will go for an on shore dinner courtesy of Clark then we will be off early in the am so as to arrive in San Diego while customs is open


Cabo north to Turtle Bay

Turtle Bay north to Ensenada

April 15, 2014 – Marina at an Jose Del Cabo

By Trawlers on April 15, 2014 in Serenity

Thursday April 10, 2014 – Underway from Costa Baja Marina, La Paz

Today Serenity left La Paz after 5 wonderful years. We originally came for one year and then could not leave. Finally it is time to go north and once again fish for salmon, shrimp and crabs, but we leave with indelible memories of the Sea of Cortez, its sea life, its birds, its people, it clear warm water, white sand beaches, beautiful anchorages, spectacular scenery and unbelievable sunsets, and of La Paz which has been a second home in many ways. It has been more special than we can ever have dreamed and we have been blessed with many new friends whom we hope to see up north.

Daisy saying goodbye to John, Jay and Lisa

Perhaps this is a good time to make note of some of our favorite places in La Paz for any future visitors.

There are lots of good places to eat in town, but for us Azul Marina at Costa Baja and its sister restaurant Nim in town have the best food in town – great variety – from fine dining to pizza -, reasonable prices, and wonderful people. If you go to Azul, be sure to try the scallop carpaccio with basil, and don’t miss the summer rolls at Nim.

The Rancho Viejo Hacienda is our favorite for Mexican food. Earl loves the seafood soup and I don’t think you can beat the tacos aranchera.

Our go to food markets are Mega, Walmart, Sam’s Club and most favorite of all, the local store Aramburo, known among cruisers as the Brown Cow store after the large statute of a cow which decorates its front. Aramburo is downtown on the corner of Madero and Hidalgo and has an amazing selection of stuff for a small market. It reminds me of the small neighborhood groceries of my youth in New York City, crowded but with an amazing assortment of items. They will frequently have fresh basil or ginger when I can’t find it elsewhere. Their meat is excellent- as you might suspect from the line at the counter -and my favorite tequila, Don Julio 70, is about 20% cheaper than at Mega.

Just down Madero from Aramburo is the best bakery in town, Pan d’Lys. I love the rustic and sour dough breads. In front of the bakery there is an organic market on Tuesdays and Saturdays where one can find beautiful fresh produce and homemade sausages among other things.

There are two public markets. Mercado Bravo is a wonderful place to buy fish, but my favorite is Mercado Madero. That is not because of the food – much of which I find scary- but for the extraordinarily elaborate princess dresses that I have bought for countless little girls. The shop I go to is the largest in the market and the senora now gives me a discount, hardly necessary since the dresses are always under $40 and frequently as little as $25.

The Malecon along the sea is a lovely walk and decorated with statutes, many of which are very nice. There is, however, one I love above all others. It is a man in a paper boat looking out to sea. I never look at him without smiling.

Is there a boater that does not love this?

Then there is Ibarra Pottery on Prieto between Republica and Torre Iglesias. Here you can buy pottery made by the Ibarra family (Julio, Juanita and Vicki). It is very unique and the shop even more so. In the back, they have some talavera pottery from Pueblo at the best prices I have found. I dearly love all the Ibarras and will miss their smiling faces more than I can say. They say they will miss my business.

Vicki, Juanita and Julio Ibarra

Lopez Marine Supplies on the 5^th of February has an amazing selection of stuff. It is expensive but probably not more so than any marine store.

Across the street from the Mercado Madero is a store called the Mercado, a Michaels-type shop full of all types of items for crafts.

Dr. Tomas Rodriguez (Clinica Veterinaria Madero) has been a wonderful vet for Daisy. His English is very good and no reservations are needed to see him. He has been cleaning Daisy’s teeth at less than 20% of the cost in the US and we will miss him and his services. His clinic is on Revolution between 5 de Febrero and Navarro.

Dr Toushmann was a real find. An excellent doctor who speaks great English and will even make boat calls. Telephone 612-157-0126.

And finally there is Fito who has taken such wonderful care of our boat for the past 5 years. Serenity will miss her frequent washings and we will miss a friend. Fito’s number is 612-117-5011. (If calling from the States, add 011-52-1 to the number)

Saturday, April 12, 2014 – fishing off the coast of Frailes.

We spent our first night at anchor in Muertos, an anchorage we have visited many times. We did not put down the dingy and go ashore for dinner for some of the best chili rellenos in Baja. Instead we watched the sunset from the boat and enjoyed a tender Costco NY strip steak and salad. There were about 7 other boats, all on the move for the end of the season. Some were going north to San Carlos and others, like us, south to the Cape to start the long trip north.

Friendly little puffer fish at Muertos

The next day I was struck by how different the landscape is from what has surrounded us for the last 5 years of cruising. While there are still hills, they seem far more covered with vegetation and the beautiful rock formations are nowhere in sight.

The water temperature has changed significantly. It was 73 in Costa Baja, 75 in the morning in Muertos and now 77. With warm water comes the fulfillment of Earl’s desires – marlin!

Yesterday about an hour out of Frailes, Daisy told us there was a fish on and all hell broke loose. We had a beautiful marlin. Earl was so excited that it was impossible to following his conflicting and incessant orders. It took the rest of the trip to get our heart rates down.

North approach to Frailes

After a pleasant night anchored at Frailes, we woke to flat seas. To my surprise –not- Earl wanted to fish again, so off we went at 8. It is now 10:30 and we have had three marlin. One we lost because Earl refused to believe Daisy, but the other two we handled quite well. Unfortunately I did not get photos of the jumps. These occur early in the process when I am trying to run the boat, chase the fish, reel up the other line and tie on Earl’s belt. Nevertheless, I have a happy husband!

Beautiful marlin, beautiful blue water

Monday April 14, 2014 – going into San Jose Del Cabo

The rest of the fishing was great. By the end of Saturday, we were both exhausted after 4 marlin plus three lost. Then, after a good night’s sleep, we went out at 9 am and soon got another great fish- probably our largest striped marlin to date. It was also the wildest. Never have I seen a fish dance on its tail like this one did. Once again, I was too busy to get a photo. It never did calm down. When the time came to retrieve Earl’s beloved lure and let the fish go, there was a lot of drama. First the lure came apart and had to be retrieved in two pieces while the fish varied between being too far away or under our swim step. Finally, the lure in our possession, it was not easy to let the fish go. It somehow managed to get its bill stuck between the slots of our swim step. This one fish did us in for the day. We fished without much enthusiasm for a couple more hours and then returned to Frailes for another peaceful night.


Come to Poppa

In it comes!

This is the lure that caught all the marlin

There is a little wind today, but it is from the north and thus on our tail. The traveling is lovely. Earl pointed out that this could well be the last time we’ll have the wind behind us. Prevailing winds going north will be from the north and we will be bucking. Time will tell.

We will spend a few days in San Jose. Our wonderful friends Sharon and Dave from Cipango that was tied across from us in Costa Baja have a condo in San Jose and we plan on a fun day with them tomorrow. Then we will have the next two days to clean the boat, pick up provisions and meet our friends the Scarboro’s at the airport. They will be going on the first leg of our trip with us.

March 6, 2014 – Heading towards La Paz

By Trawlers on March 6, 2014 in Serenity

The last two weeks have been a lovely -and mostly unsuccessful – fish hunt. If somehow I had forgotten, I was reminded that I am married to a man who would rather fish than do almost anything else. So early the 22nd of Fe…

1 2 … 8 Next →

Navigation