Well, what did I expect? It's Baja, after all. We have had some rollicking times on the high seas. The day we launched, we decided to take off as well. That meant a lot of slam-bam rigging, accompanied by bruised knees and cuts and scrapes incurred while stepping the masts and tying down the load in a fair chop. As I started to rig the mainsail, I dropped the jaws of the gunter into the ocean. That was good. Luckily, the water was only about 5 ft deep and we were able to fish it out. A screw had worked its way loose on the drive down, allowing the jaws to drop off. Once we were loaded and ready to go, the sun was about to set. We were embarking onto unknown waters, but with the assurances of some people we had consulted, we set off for Puerto Don Juan about 9 miles away across the bay. We got there in the dark, with a half moon above. We stayed on the boat that night, listening to the coyotes howling on shore. In the morning, we got a real coyote show as they chased one another along the beach and hunted fish in the surf.
Day before yesterday, we camped under the volcano on Isla Coronado. Tim hiked to the top (a real doozy of a hike, he said) and took this photo of a lagoon south of the volcano.
Yesterday, we sailed back to the peninsula from the islands, hoping to get to Bahia de Los Angeles to resupply. The west winds were intense, however. Faced with a steep chop and wind in our teeth, we turned around and found a sweet camp in the lee of a rocky cliff, where we camped the night on a gravel beach. When I woke to the sunrise, I told Tim, "I like this 5 star hotel we're staying in!" That's where we saw the seagull and the cloud.
Bahia de Los Angeles is a town of about 1000 people. It's way off the beaten track. Especially this time of year, which is early for sailors to be here. It's because of the westerly winds that are typical in this season. We have seen practically no other sailors. Only one 16 ft Hobie Cat. Those people are crazier than we are. They started in San Felipe and were headed to La Paz. A friend we made here, John, said he wasn't convinced they were equal to the conditions. I hope WE are!
We are certainly happy about having a larger gas tank this year. The crossings between islands, and from peninsula to islands, are long and conditions not predictable. I'm glad we have the gas in case the winds fail us. Sometimes we have had wind, just not the RIGHT wind. At some point, you just have to take what you're dealt and make it work--sails, motor, oars, whatever works.
We met some fishermen on Isla Angel de la Guarda (which is back of beyond). We were happy to see some other human beings. They were out there diving for sea cucumber, which they sell to the Chinese. They shared ceviche with us (fish, lime, and tomato) and scallops, extracted from the shells right on the beach in front of us. We shared a lot of laughs with them, and learned a lot about they way they live and how they fish. They dive with a breathing tube connected to a compressor. Nothing fancy like SNUBA. More than likely, they are using an old refrigerator compressor and a garden hose. Tim has said several times, thinking of the roaring wind, the 57 degree water, and the diving equipment, "I don't envy them that job." It's kind of ridiculous that we are out here doing what they do, minus the fishing, for fun. They must think we are cracked.
Day before yesterday, we camped under the volcano on Isla Coronado. Tim hiked to the top (a real doozy of a hike, he said) and took this photo of a lagoon south of the volcano.
Yesterday, we sailed back to the peninsula from the islands, hoping to get to Bahia de Los Angeles to resupply. The west winds were intense, however. Faced with a steep chop and wind in our teeth, we turned around and found a sweet camp in the lee of a rocky cliff, where we camped the night on a gravel beach. When I woke to the sunrise, I told Tim, "I like this 5 star hotel we're staying in!" That's where we saw the seagull and the cloud.
Bahia de Los Angeles is a town of about 1000 people. It's way off the beaten track. Especially this time of year, which is early for sailors to be here. It's because of the westerly winds that are typical in this season. We have seen practically no other sailors. Only one 16 ft Hobie Cat. Those people are crazier than we are. They started in San Felipe and were headed to La Paz. A friend we made here, John, said he wasn't convinced they were equal to the conditions. I hope WE are!
We are certainly happy about having a larger gas tank this year. The crossings between islands, and from peninsula to islands, are long and conditions not predictable. I'm glad we have the gas in case the winds fail us. Sometimes we have had wind, just not the RIGHT wind. At some point, you just have to take what you're dealt and make it work--sails, motor, oars, whatever works.
We met some fishermen on Isla Angel de la Guarda (which is back of beyond). We were happy to see some other human beings. They were out there diving for sea cucumber, which they sell to the Chinese. They shared ceviche with us (fish, lime, and tomato) and scallops, extracted from the shells right on the beach in front of us. We shared a lot of laughs with them, and learned a lot about they way they live and how they fish. They dive with a breathing tube connected to a compressor. Nothing fancy like SNUBA. More than likely, they are using an old refrigerator compressor and a garden hose. Tim has said several times, thinking of the roaring wind, the 57 degree water, and the diving equipment, "I don't envy them that job." It's kind of ridiculous that we are out here doing what they do, minus the fishing, for fun. They must think we are cracked.
1 comment:
Nice to see your back in Baja. I love that area around Bahia de los Angeles. About 12 years ago two friends and i paddled over to Isla Angel de la Guarda and took two weeks to paddle around it. It was a slow poking paddle with lots of snorkeling and hiking. Damn the waters cold over there. I had a full 3mm wet suite and dive hood and 30 min was max in the water. In two weeks we saw 3 other people diving on the other side on the island.. Same set up as you saw. There was so much wildlife. Daily dolphins and one HUGE pod of maybe 500+ dolphins. Fin whales, sea lions, fantastic beach combing (hard to fit blue whale bones in a kayak though)
And a sense of remoteness when on the east side of the island that was wonderful.
I had a bull sea lion come out of the darkness and take the mullet i had just spared off the end of my Hawaiian sling.... Nothing like having a 2000 lbs animal swimming right up to you under water and demanding dinner!
We took all our water (14 gal per person) and i made a water still out of a pressure cooker just incase we got stuck there and ran out of water.
Watch those winds.... the Elifantes that spill over the mountains behind the bay of LA can be ferocious and show up without warning......
Stay safe and have fun... your in a special place in this world!!
Im hoping to have my Drascombe Longboat down there next winter if it all works out
Bill in Seattle
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