05/16/2013, Abeam of Punta Colnett
Had a good run from Turtle to the South end of Cedros and then up the West side in light winds and fairly flat seas. Set a course for Point San Antonio by Sacramento Reef as Commander's advised getting in close to land for less wind. The prediction is for a pretty significant wind event by Friday so we are hustling to try to get to SD Thursday night. We have had some large swells but not the nagging wind chop or closeness that causes the boat to pound. I have been able to sleep in the forward cabin without getting tossed out of the bunk. We do get an occasional pounding and it sounds like the water tank under the bunk is going to come loose. Will have to check on that when I clean the boat. As usual Bob continues to cook great meals and last night we had steak, roasted potatoes and fire roasted vegetables. Quite good but Bob swears that he is hanging up his apron after this trip, but I know he just loves to cook as it gives him something to do and fret about. We have had a great time reminiscing about the old times and Bob, Fletcher and I have known each other for over 40 years. Today we had another good day making 6-7 knots with some large swells but well spaced so as to not slow us down much. We transferred 150 liters of fuel from our panga jugs to the main tank so we have plenty of fuel to get home and I have one more 50 liter jug to transfer so we will probably end up with over a half tank of fuel left for our summer trip to Catalina. Not much going on today other than sleeping, being on watch and discussing world events. Bob did another outstanding job on dinner with chicken thighs, mashed potatoes and gravy and mixed vegetables. We are trying to eat everything that the Ag guys might want to take so it won't get wasted. Not sure if we will make it though. Penny and I will have enough food left over to last a year. Don't know what we were thinking when we stocked the boat but we probably could have survived 6 months or more. Would you believe that I am bringing home at least 3 boxes of Wheat Thins! We would have killed for Wheat Thins in Mexico 2 years ago so we brought enough and each flight home we came back with 3 or 4 boxes. Some things you just can't live without and can't get in Mexico. We are scheduled to arrive in SD tomorrow, Thursday about 7-8 in the evening at the customs dock. If we keep that sked it will be a 5 day 1 or 2 hour trip compared to 17 days last time. Hopefully we can get through Ensenada before this wind event kicks up. Been a good delivery so far.
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05/14/2013, Somewhere off the entrance to Mag Bay at 0 dark 30
We made it to Turtle Bay at 10:00AM this morning with a smooth sea, little wind and fog. Tied up at Anabelle's mooring after shooing Enrique off from the other fuel seller. Enrique wanted 12.85 pesos per liter and ripped a friend off by charging him 7% for using a credit card and wouldn't back off when offered cash so we chose not to use him. Anabelle's guys came right out and gave us a mooring line so we didn't have to drop anchor. We took on 489 liters of fuel in the main tank and 3 50 liter panga jugs. Looks like we burned 2 gallons per hour at 1700 RPM which seems like a lot but we had some hard going the first day and were fighting the current all the way up. Cost was 12.40 per liter or about $3.77 per gallon. Bob cooked up a breakfast of potato cakes from our left over mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and toast with orange juice. We all took showers and were ready to leave. Commander's said to get out of Turtle ASAP to try to beat the rough weather that should hit Thursday and Friday. So we left at noon and are on our way to the south end of Cedros and going up the west side. So far it is pretty smooth with light south wind and we are doing 7 knots. We will see what is in store for us around the island. Dinner tonight is flank steak baked in the oven and baked potatoes and fire roasted peppers. I am sure Fletcher will open a bottle of his "honest red". All for now, will report back in the morning.
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05/13/2013, Somewhere off the entrance to Mag Bay at 0 dark 30
I forgot to write about an amazing experience we had in San Jose del Cabo. At the marina there is the Dolphin Discovery operation next door that gets people in the water with trained dolphins. We walked over to check it out and found out that they had an area roped off for a pregnant dolphin that was due to give birth any time. There were trainers that were on watch 24/7 and we got to know them and learned a little about dolphins. The gestation time is one year and the babies are born tail first and generally weight about 15 to 25 pounds. One of the trainers predicted that the baby would be born on Mother's Day which was May 10. Sure enough it was born at 3AM on Mother's day and is the cutest little thing swimming around with its mom. The mother never strays from the baby and steers it and makes it dive etc. Penny gave the trainers a bottle of Pina Colada to celebrate with and they thanked her for it. I have some pictures that I will post when we get to San Diego and I rest up and get some Wi-Fi so check back.
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05/13/2013, Somewhere off the entrance to Mag Bay at 0 dark 30
Today was more like the calm of last night. Hardly any wind and no seas. We just cruised along at 7 knots after some tacking in the night. The sea state calmed way down and we were able to head straight to Turtle Bay at 7 knots and the GPS shows our arrival at 11:00 Tuesday which is tomorrow. Just finished a great Spriggs dinner of pork chop, mashed potatoes, grilled onions and peas. Fletcher opened a bottle of red which he proclaims as being OK and tasty. So all is well aboard Tapatai and I even get to sleep in my bunk up forward rather than on the couch in the salon. Best of all we are dry. Once in Turtle we will get fuel and an update on the weather for the last portion of the trip which is 337 miles to San Diego. San Jose to Turtle is 407 so we will be better than half way home. The grib files show some wind kicking up Thursday and we might be able to get almost home before it hits us. So the big question is after fuel and the weather report do we leave and go out through the Keller Canal in the dark or wait until first light and use the day to go up the West side of Cedros. Hopefully Commander's will give us some good info.
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05/12/2013, Somewhere off the entrance to Mag Bay at 0 dark 30
After dropping off Penny at 0530 and Darlene at 1130 Bob and I went to the propane station and filled a tank and then to Soriano's to buy fresh produce, bread and other food items we needed. Back to the airport to pick up Fletcher and then to Mega so Fletch could pick up a few bottles of "honest reds" and then to the boat for final departure prep. A final dinner at the Container and we shoved off at 6pm and had a nice smooth ride to the cape where that all ended. Once at the cape the wind picked up and the seas picked up and, of course, they were coming from where we wanted to go. So a lumpy and wet night and day and finally it calmed down as we approached the entrance to Mag Bay. We had been tacking to keep the boat from pounding into the waves and about 9pm it finally laid down with little or no wind and we are on a rhumb line course to Turtle Bay doing 6.5 knots. A lot nicer and easier on the boat and the body. Bob was fixing a turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and peas dinner but due to sea conditions beyond his control we had turkey and bean burritos. Actually that was quite good and all I really wanted. We will save a nice sit down dinner for another night. The turkey was a packaged thigh and leg not the whole bird. Looks like the GPS says that we should arrive Turtle Bay on Tuesday around 3pm. Hopefully we can get fuel and turn around and get out but may stay the night and leave at first light in order to have daylight going through the channel and up along Cedros Island. All for now.
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05/07/2013, Puerto Los Cabos Marina, San Jose del Cabo
We arrived in Los Frailes about 7 hours later and dropped the anchor. There were only 2 other boats there, one of which was in Muertos with us. It was nice and calm so we jumped into the water and took a nice refreshing swim. Penny and Darlene wanted to go ashore so we put the motor on the dinghy and I took them over. As there was a swell running there was some shore break on the beach and the trick was to find a place with the least amount. That happened to be in front of about 8 people sitting on the beach but I looked back and waited until I saw a lull and headed in. I just about got there but the engine hit bottom and stopped and we went in broadside. Due to my nimbleness I was able to hop to the high side and avert a capsize. When I started the engine it would stall and make a grinding sound when I tried to put it in gear. We brought it up on the beach for inspection and I was sure that I had broken the gear box; however, Penny spotted a rock wedged between the prop and the strut that prevented if from turning. I had to take the oar out of the boat and hit the rock until it came out. I checked the gears and all seemed well so we launched me and I got the engine started and it went in gear and I roared over the incoming wave just in time. I went back to the boat where Bob and I were going to relax with a book and maybe fall asleep. Penny wanted an hour and a half to explore so we were in good shape. About an hour later I saw them walking back and they wanted to come back to the boat so I hopped in the dinghy and roared in. I was going to tell them to swim out past the surf line and they must have thought of that too as they stashed glasses hats and other stuff in Darlene's back pack and started wading out. Darlene was hanging on the side and couldn't get in so I grabbed her and pulled her in. Same for Penny and she fell in too and off we went to the boat. They both headed for a shower and we commenced relaxing. That evening I BBQed 2 nice rib eyes and Penny baked some potatoes and steamed some veggies. We had a delightful dinner under the stars and all was well. The night sky was beautiful with the Milky Way overhead. It is really nice when you get away from city lights and see all the stars. Penny has some favorites and we checked them all out with our Star Walk apps on our iPads. The next morning we were underway at 0730 for a 28 mile run to Puerto Los Cabos, our last port on our cruise before Bob, Fletcher and I point the boat North for San Diego Sunday. Nice downwind and down swell run doing 8 knots for awhile but not enough to sail. We arrived in Los Cabos and went to the fuel dock where we filled the main tank with 65 gallons and 4 50 liter panga jugs for a total of 117 gallons of fuel at about $4.00 per gallon. My calculations showed that we only burned 1.29 gallons per hour since leaving La Paz and going to Puerto Escondido and to Cabo a total of about 340 miles. We got in our slip at R-8 where we have been before and I checked in with the marina and then we washed the boat top to bottom and Penny detailed the interior. Then off to the showers for a hot one and up to the Container Restaurant for a cold lemon aide and some Ceviche and Quesadillas. Our plan is to rent a car so we can take our laundry in and we will take a drive up the East Cape to show the girls some of the places we saw 2 years ago. Thursday is the Art Walk in San Jose which we will do and then have dinner at Band Thai which Penny and I have tried before and found it to be very good. We take the girls to the airport on Sunday and pick up Fletcher at the same time and will hit the grocery store for fresh goods and top off our provisions and try to leave around midnight. So far the weather looks like it will be favorable for us but stay tuned. We are on the final leg home. Kind of sad but I am also looking forward to getting home as we have a lot of projects to get done this summer.
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Keep On Truckin!
