A friend took this last winter here in San Carlos, but as we’re busy getting the boat ready for hurricane season, we aren’t taking many pictures.
Just thought I’d let you know where we are, that we’re at anchor now and enjoying the lovely air conditioning, that there’s a slight swell from the south coming in through that opening behind Sea Venture — probably wending its way all the way from the Pacific storms way down below Cabo. Still it’s lovely to be back.
I linked to a file of pictures we took en route from La Ramada to Santa Domingo to Guaymas, but sometimes that’s just too much trouble. For those who don’t like to click on links, here are a few highlights.
We’re exhausted, but we made it. Little wind, calm seas, fun visitors on board, Spanish worship music piped to the cockpit — what more could one want?
We couldn’t go into the marina as the wind decided to come out to play as we approached the harbor. Here’s the view a ce moment.
I added a link to photos from the trip across. I’ll post more soon.
After spending a lovely evening with Bill and Laurie Simpson of Iron Maiden (think BIG steel motor-sailor with ALL the comforts of home), we left Isla Coronado this morning en route to some place further along the journey. The windless morning grew rolly, which is not our favorite way to travel, so we decided to hop into one of our favorite anchorages, La Ramada, a cove just around the headland from San Jaunico. We pulled up just as two catamarans who’d been with us in Coronado upped anchor — Chat de Mer and What You Gonna Do, both from California.
Now we have the anchorage to ourselves. The wind piped up just in time for the cats to sail south (directly into it) and for us to cool off, first by diving to clean the prop and the bottom, and then just to relax in the lovely breeze. The wind waves made snorkeling difficult, but that’s what will keep us young.
I just served a dinner of some of the leftover Dorado (mahi mahi) that Bill had caught and brought to Sea Venture on Wednesday night. As I’m the one who is passionate about fresh fish, it was up to me to clean and filet and cook the darling thing on the barbecue. Bill and Laurie are the sort of friends one wishes to be anchored near; we are sorry we are going in opposite directions.
So, tomorrow we head further north, probably to Santa Domingo in Bahia Concepcion. As soon as the weather window opens, we will cross to Guaymas/San Carlos.
Pictures will follow when we next have internet.
Sailing Puerto Escondido April 2010
A friend just sent this of us sailing my little dinghy in PE this spring. Isn’t my mama the cutest 82 year old you’ve ever seen?
And another one stopped en route this way!
I wish Michael had taken a picture of the screen from last night. Multiply the size of the storm below by three, and you have the size we faced. It had a growing center, high winds, and looked to be about 250 to 300 miles in length. The wind blew northwest, and it was headed right to us. At app. 50 miles out, it dissipated.
Thank You, Lord.
We turned on the computer after the wind woke us. We’d been watching this NASA site since early evening. Here’s what the satellites showed as the wind howled through the rigging.
Map showing storm in Sea and tropical depression to south
Sea Venture is anchored off Isla Coronado. This map looks rather terrifying, but it really shows that the worst would cross north of us. That proved true. We watched the lightning flash across the sky up near Bahia Concepcion, while here, our max winds were around 34 knots.
The red arrows point to Sea Venture’s position, just north of Isla Carmen.
It's moving across from the mainland
Blowing in the 30 knot range
Other boaters further north felt the wind’s force much more than we did. We have memories, many of them, of last year’s chubascos and big winds, slashing rain, lightning. We are grateful.
The bricked street marks the beginning of El Camino Real, which goes north into California. A lovely walk from the Malecon to the shopping district.
And then we returned to Isla Coronado, to a much higher-end neighborhood than the one we’d left. At the south end of the anchorage, a huge sailboat had dropped anchor. It boasts three spreaders on its very tall mast as opposed to our two on the main mast. Just north of them was one of those double-decker cigarette boats, with all sorts of young people (20+) hanging on it and off it and in the water around it. To the very north, Delia was anchored. We met their Mexican skipper last year in Aqua Verde and later in Escondido. All of the boats in the anchorage sport at least a paid captain (probably additional crew) except for Sea Venture, unless you count the food I provide our captain as his pay, or the comfort of a lovely boat that he produces for me as stipend for my contribution.
And smack dab in the middle of the bay? The BIG BOYS, documented out of the Cayman Islands.
If you look closely, you’ll see two men sitting on the lower aft deck. That will help put the size into perspective. Ostar’s stern is 213 yards away from us. That’s over 600 feet. (I know, it doesn’t look like it, but Michael bought me a cute little range finder that keeps me from worrying about distance. He calls it a marriage saver. I no longer say, “But, honey, we’re too close,” only to have him respond with, “Over 400 feet. Don’t worry.” Sure. Now, I’m often the one who drives us to a spot, gauges the distance from land or other boats, checks the depth, and says to Michael –at the ready to drop anchor — “This works!”) Here’s a side view of Ostar. Cash registers go ka-ching! in my mind when I think about the fuel bills. And with a federal tax of 11% added to the bill, and the 20% on top of all of that?
And now for the entertainment: dancing rays.
I wish you could hear the slap, slap of dozens of rays. All evening, all morning, they leapt and slapped. We could see them swimming under water right next to the boat. Michael took videos, so if we figure out how to upload one someday, we’ll show you.
The day came to a lovely close with the sun performing as usual.
Just before I took these pictures, Zepelin returned to the anchorage. We will visit with them after dinner, taking chocolates from Sea Venture (thanks to Gary from Dash for emptying his refrigerator in our direction).
I’ve been busy tweaking submissions for my agent, Terry Burns. And in between tweaks, we’ve traveled from one place to another and back again.
If you’d like to see pictures other than the one of rays leaping and slapping the water, take a gander at www.seaventure.us. I’ve put up a number of new ones and will finish tomorrow.
It was hot. I mean, hot. 100 degrees in the sun. But, we were here. We needed a few more groceries if we were going to hang on the hook for a while, and we could use the walking exercise.
The Mission Hotel (La Mision) is on the Malecon. A group of gringo fisherman had just arrived.
We discovered this cafe on our last stop in Loreto. Incredible sandwiches. I had real turkey on their whole wheat roll with sliced sauteed apple and almonds, spread with Dijon mustard. Excellent. Michael varied his selections, but they all contained cheese.
And this is Paco, whose English is excellent and who is a very gracious host.
More Loreto pictures tomorrow. I’m tired!
svseaventure
Sea Venture's Journey 