07/01/2009, or better luck next time.
When the large bull Dorado cleared the water and started tail walking on the water, I had a vision. We were bringing up the tail end of our three boat flotilla from Isla Coronados to San Juanico and with this large Dorado we would have a Napoleonic triumphant entry into the anchorage with the beast hanging from our rigging. We would feed the entire anchorage to the cheers and toasts of the crowds. Songs would be sung and stories told to young children about this day. Just as the victory wreath was being placed on my head, in my vision, I was thrown back to reality as the fishing line went limp. My prize had spit out the hook and returned to the briny deep taking with it my dreams of cruising immortality. My hero's welcome was instantly replaced by the sounds of my crew pointing out to me all the mistakes I had made in my brief struggle with the Dorado. In a vicious splash of sea water and flash of Dorado color, I had gone from a hero to a goat. Dinner would be home made pizza again, and it might as well have been prison rations of green bologna and stale bread compared to what could have been.
The San Juanico anchorage is a beautiful place, but a rather tight anchorage. We spent the night anchored in 11ft of water and had a comfortable sleep once I was able to get the image of the escaping Dorado out of my head. We will stay here today and do some hiking and SCUBA diving because the point is full of lobsters! In the morning we will pull the hook and 80ft of anchor chain and make way for Bahia Conception for the 4th of July Cruisers Party. Most of the boats we have seen in the last few days in the area have the same plan, so we can just follow the wakes north.
We can't deny that it is hot here, which gives us reason for spending as much time in the water as possible. It is, however, about 10 degrees HOTTER in Bakersfield than it is here in the Sea of Cortez. So given the choice, we can survive here swimming, snorkeling, and diving off the boat bringing back lobsters for dinner.
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07/01/2009, Anchored at Isla Coronados
It took us 22 days, but we finally escaped the clutches of Puerto Escondido yesterday morning and spent the night anchored at Isla Coronados. I don't really remember much about the trip because I spent most of it in the port sail locker, otherwise known as the Captains Quarters, trouble shooting the alternator and regulator. It would appear that our battery problem was a result of our alternator regulator failing. Having a spare alternator and regulator onboard, I spent the afternoon swapping out parts and isolated the regulator as the culprit. There's another problem solved and I'm glad we found it before we installed the new batteries and fried them as well!
Today we are continuing our push north in order to make the 4th of July party at Bahia Conception and will make it about half way there today with a stop at two day stop at San Juanico. We have heard lots of good things about San Juanico so we wanted at least two nights there before making the final 48 mile push to Bahia Conception on the 3rd of July. It would have been nice to have left Escondido a week earlier to make the trip more leisurely, but you can't have everything even while out cruising, that "schedule boss" always tries to keep you under his thumb.
I'm back to making blog update posts over the ham radio, so no photos until we next get internet access, whenever that will be. I did update our morning position on the tracking map.
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06/29/2009, Plans are in the works for a run to the States
It seems like we are either recovering from a driving trip back to the States or have one in the works and today we started the planning for our next run! Details are still in the works, but THIRD DAY will be spending a few days alone in Santa Rosilia shortly after the 4th of July as the crew once again exchanges sea travel for a rental car. The coming hurrican season forces this to be a short trip with just a few days in Bakersfield, but it will be nice to visit with family. The rental car will be loaded down with all the typical small items, but the big item will be a new set of house batteries, which I'm sure will cause the rental to scrape over the 145 topes (speed bumps) between Santa Rosilia and San Diego!
We are leaving Puerto Escondido in the morning and will visit a few islands before we hit Conception Bay for a 4th of July party, complete with fireworks, hotdogs, and cold watermellon.
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