Beautiful and Windy
05 October 2011 | Refugio, Isla Angel de la Guarda
Ellen
Well we came up to Refugio on Monday sailing part way and motor sailing the rest as the winds became lighter. And as everyone who has been here told us it is very very Beautiful. It's rugged and mostly untouched. The water is clear and there are lots of fish. We were lucky enough to spot another Sperm whale on our way up here. As we came past the big rock called Sail Rock (you'll see why when I next get a chance to post some photos), we dropped the sails and motored the rest of the way in. We anchored in the West Bight and we had winds blowing over the mountains from the south west which was interesting as that was the direction we had just come from in light winds. I guess it picked up quite a bit just after we arrived. For 3 days it pretty much blew from that direction at 15 to 25 knots. It would stop for a couple of hours here and there and then pick up again as suddenly as it stopped. Then the wind direction changed and now we are having strong winds from the North West. These winds are COLD! The temperature has dropped to 25 degrees celcius - Brrrr. Actually it's very comfortable but we have had to put on long sleeves in the evenings and mornings. I guess we have acclimatized to the warm weather we have had for the last 5 months and so 25 with the north wind feels chilly. Anyhow the weather man tells us we have at least 4 more days of these winds so we will be staying put until then. It's not that the winds are too strong to sail in, it's that the Sea of Cortez is notorious for it's steep and close together waves which are referred to as 'Buffalo's'. It makes for very uncomfortable motion. We are still managing to get out and do some exploring and snorkeling. The water here is crystal clear and there is a good variety of fish to see. Ian, Steve and Paul have been doing some long 4 hour hikes into the mountains and I've been doing lots of beach combing and finding some new shells for my collection. We have gotten together for a few meals when the winds have been quiet and have enjoyed good food and company. The only thing we haven't had a chance to do is explore the rest of the bay in the dingy. It's been too windy and wavy to ride comfortable in the dingy. So hopefully we will have a chance to do that before we head south again.