Plans subject to Change..Cabo to Punta Arena to Isla Isabella
20 December 2011 | Somewhere
Virg
Hi there all. Well after a lovely and relaxing stay in Cabo we finally made tracks for Los Frailles, leaving Monday Dec 12th with following seas and breeze. We hadn't been gone 20 minutes when we hooked a wahoo with a black and silver Rapalla. Todd had been alerted to the possibility of wahoo close in when chatting with one of the local fishermen. We decided that it was a bit small to keep but had to bring it aboard briefly to get the lure released.(You know it wasn't too big if we could lift it over the rail). They are a really pretty fish with multicolored stripes and are a sweet white meat which is great steaked. Todd had routed us over the Gordo bank in hopes of catching something tasty, and the sea was teaming with life. There were 2 whales that were feeding and slapping flippers and tails, and as we approached, they came up with their mouths open. (I only got random splashing and one shot of the back of one with the camera though, I need to work on my technique with wildlife footage!). At the same time we had dolphins on the bow and birds diving all around but no fish for us..and then the bilge pump started going off which prompted a rapid check of all the through hulls to see where the water was coming in! This is a very bad feeling and associated with spikes in blood pressure and heart rate! Todd tracked it down quickly to a failed check valve and failed shower sump pump and closed the through hull off..disaster averted once again! So solar showers from now until PV when we can get all the parts sorted. The day was still lovely and sunny and the wind constant so we bowled merrily on towards Frailles hoping to see the shift in wind direction and swell that was reportedly going to happen by the time we got there. Nope, not to be. Frailles was rolling with wind pushed surf and not an option for anchoring. Just as we sailed by we were hailed on the radio by our Canadian friends on Relax, Bob and Gisele. They were coming down from La Paz and were near Punta Arena which afforded protection from South wind on one side of the point and North wind on the other side. By the time we arrived a few hrs later the wind had clocked around and we had a delightful night anchored there. After a discussion with our friends, and noting that the sea temps were down and the water color a brownish-green vs the deep cobalt blue we were expecting there, we decided to head for the main land or "The Mexican Riviera" leaving for Isla Isabella at first light the following morning. This would be a 240 mile overnight passage arriving before dark the following afternoon. We were up and at'em early and planned for a long motor until wind filled in later that night. It was quite rolly due to all the previous wind and no actual wind to help keep the boat balanced for the first 3 hrs but then evened out and dropped which was a relief. Fish-wise we caught the 2 smallest skipjack tuna ever at 8 inches, and saw a 2 foot needle fish that was puddle jumping away from us. Todd saw a huge Thresher shark launch itself skyward and also a Marlin that came by to check out one of our lures, then tail-walked off. About 330, Relax who was up ahead of us called to say they could see jumping Wahoo off of their port side (our starboard). We jumped up and changed the lures out, putting that silver and black Rapalla back out. A half hour goes by and nothing, we didn't see the Wahoo or anything actually so I went down for a nap. 10 minutes later, the boat goes into neutral and the line with the Rapalla is screaming! Todd however, is less than extatic as he can see the fish on the other end..and its a big Marlin, bugga! The next 40 minutes were spent trying like hell to get the fish in to release it but it would just take off and dive with some occasional spectacular jumps. I tried to get video and still shots but mostly I got Todd holding the bent pole, the line in the water, a topsy-turvy shot of sky/foot/deck/wheel/BBQ as I grabbed the helm to turn the boat, and one splash. Finally when we had yet again retrieved as much line as we could, we cut it loose. Todd said the hooks would rust out quickly so we feel pretty hopeful that the Marlin will be fine. It was exhausting but exhilarating and a cold beer was well deserved! The rest of the night was an uneventful motor, following the steaming light on Relax up ahead. The wind finally filled in at day break Wednesday and we got a nice push all day arriving at Isla Isabella about 430 pm. This place looks like a modern art experiment with all these mismatched rock formations. It is a breeding site for Frigates and Boobies (the brown and blue-footed varieties). Frigates can't land on the water or any non-elevated area so they were all roosting in the tree's while the Boobies had their nests on the ground. The anchorage here is sketchy at best with lots of rocks to snag your anchor and limited room for more than a few boats. We checked out 4 options before sneaking into the horseshoe cove with breaking waves to starboard and anchored in 50 feet of water with a trip line for the anchor as well. We had a really good night there (after several anchor checks in the first few hours). The next am was the final leg to Matachen Bay, only 40 miles or so. More on that later...Cheers!