Well today was a goof off day for me. I went to Home Depot and picked up a couple of latches to keep a couple of the door from banging when underway if they are open. Like the forward head door and the aft cabin door. This way the air flow is good in those areas. I then wet to WAL-MART and did some shopping for fresh veggies and fruit. Of course I picked up some Chihuahua Cheese, bread, cereal, eggs and Yogurt. Just the bear necessities of life, you know. After putting it all away, it was off to the ‘Gold Zone’ for a bit of Tourist Souvenir shopping. After walking a few miles and going into the shops, telling them what I was looking for and showing them a picture on my phone I found it. You know those thimbles that are collectables for places you go? Well it seems that only in the Gringo areas are they found. I guess people from other countries aren’t interested in them. Then off to El Cid Marina to join up with the awesome folks on SV APPA, Marcus, Jen, Max, Ben and Sam. We had a little conversation time beside the pool, and then went to the boat for a bit before going to the restaurant. A friend of theirs had caught a very large Dorado and the restaurant cooked it for them and we had that and the salad bar. It was a great time and I bed them farewell and came back to my home at about 9 pm.

Well it is day 2 of my intense sewing operations. I am doing the protective ‘Chaps’ for my dingy inflatable tubes. The guy in La Paz wanted $350 US for them, I should have paid it. I have gone thru about $100 US of Sunbrella and I have a bunch of remnants that I have picked up along the way. One thing for sure, no one else will have a set of chaps that look like mine. No way, No how! Mine are very unique. Pictures to follow… The weather has been great and I will need to go shopping tomorrow. I need to get a few items for me to get some projects completed in the next month before the heat of the summer of Mexico sets in. Life is good on a boat…

I do like it here at this anchorage. The wind blows some and it makes electricity with the wind generator. The Sun is always shining so the solar panels are doing well also. But the best thing is that the sea state is almost always flat. Except for the occasional panga or tour bat going back and forth from Stone Island, it is without a ripple of a wake. Then there is the Baja Ferry that comes and goes a couple of times a day, and the large fishing boats that go in and out the channel. But the breakwater they have built is a very good one and life is good at anchor here. I have made a couple things happen while I have been here. Deciding that I would not need a clothes washer –dryer unit has opened up the main salon for a full settee gain, like it was originally. Only issue is the lack of materials. So using the cabinet from the washer dryer, I have made an extension for the settee. Actually I had started it in San Blas at anchor in Matanchen bay. That is where I said good bye to my 18 volt cordless circular saw. Yep, it got knocked overboard and went to its death in 15 feet of salt water. With battery, and well, it would be useless to get it out so I left it for some diver to find and wonder about… I painted a bunch of the wood today till I ran out of paint. I need to get some and finish it.

Waking up dark and early, I got to the tasks at hand. Retrieve the flopper stoppers and put the dingy on deck. Of course, that was after my coffee in the cockpit as the sun was coming up. Straightening up a few more things, checking the weather again, I hauled up the anchor and headed out. Once out of the bay, I raised the sails. Then, periodically I had to start the motor so I wouldn’t have to fight for course with the Shrimp Fleet of San Blas. They are all over the place. The day is a warm one, with a almost clear sky. There are a few wisps of clouds at high altitudes and I figure they will either go away or have friends join them. The weather is supposed to be light in the morning and get fresh in the afternoon evening. Predictions are for the mid teens for winds. I hope so. With a hundred and twenty five miles to go, I wasn’t to do at least 4 knots average. I know it is the journey not the destination, but Patience was never one of my virtues.
Sailing along at a a good pace, I made some distance. Then the winds died down after dark so the motor had to be started again. Have I mentioned that I need to replace the raw water impeller? Yep, got to do that in Mazatlan, that way the engine won’t be heating up so much. It has taken a bit to TRIAE that issue. Never ending story this boating stuff. Always repairing and working on the boat in exotic location. Many times, at the most inopportune times.
I had a pod of dolphins come to visit today on the way. They came in echelons of 5 to 10 at a time. There must have been at least 100 total of them in the pod. It seemed they were coming from the starboard forward area and I could see both adults and young ones playing in the bow wave. II was going about 6 knots and they seemed to effortlessly stay in front of the bow and dart to and from, under and to the side of the boat at a moment’s notice. They are so fun to watch. It is like they are playing ‘Chicken’ with the hull and the keel and the propeller.

What a trip it was. I saw humpback whales breaching and slamming on to their backs at least 20 times. I got a few times in video also. They are very plentiful around here. I have even seen the babies learning to do it. To see the adults come up out of the water, and have ½ or more of their bodies out, and then slam down on their backs is awesome. The small noses of the young ones as they come out of the water are an awesome sight too. Anchoring in Ensenada de Matanchen I only put out the bow anchor and flopper stopper. I may regret not putting out the stern anchor as I plan to be here a few days. If I need to, I can do it easily from the dingy, tomorrow…

The weather started t change. The swells started coming into the anchorage and making it a bit rolly, even with my stern anchor and flopper stoppers deployed. Quickly march ordering the setup, I headed for Chacala for the night. Even there it was a bit rolly, but at least it was a bit more protected. Hindsight says I should have just bit the bullet and went to Ensenada de Matanchen at San Blas. Anyway, getting anchored before dark and settling in for the night, I figured what the heck. It was only for 1 night.