Warmer Waters For Cecily

Although very tired, we survived "The Bash" without breaking the boat or ourselves. Boats entering the country are required to check in with customs immediately so we tied up to the police dock and placed the call that would bring customs agents down to scrutinize our boat.
In doing their job, these gentlemen confiscated our uncooked chicken, beef, eggs and vegetables. You can see that the one agent is carrying a "Makita" box that contains a cordless drill. When asked why he had the drill he responded, "Sometimes we need to take the boat's interior apart to find contraband". We were very cooperative and "Cecily" remained intact!

This is Chris lowering the tattered Mexican flag after it flew night and day for over 4000 miles! We are just crossing the border at this point and minutes later we were approached (at a high rate of speed) by customs agents in what amounts to an offshore race boat. Despite the rambo gear that they had on, the three young men were pleasant. We watched in awe as they left us and disappeared South over the horizon in a few minutes.

Turtle Bay marks the halfway point for "The Bash". At this point we were traveling in the company of five other boats:

Journey
Lion's Paw
Freestyle
Ocean Fever
Dharma

Everyone was exhausted, cold and hungry. We all gathered for dinner at Anabel's for some great food with some great folks. Here you can see Anabel and her husband Ruben relaxing at their restaurant that overlooks the bay. These folks are living in a tent with their kids while a new restaurant/ house is being built, a process that will take some time. They appear to be very content and were gracious hosts.

Our trip home began in La Paz on 5/29. We traveled in the company of Jeff and Dori aboard "Journey" down to Cabo San Lucas, a 24 hour run.
At Cabo, we started the 800 mile "Baja Bash" back to San Diego. The Bash is an uphill battle against the prevailing wind and waves. When we left La Paz, the water was 78 and the daytime air temp was 90. After rounding Cabo we saw 60 degree water and air for the entire trip North. Ouch!
This is a picture of Jeff and Chris in San Juanico, and yes they did enjoy the surf.

We were joined by this mega yacht while anchored in Ensenada Grande. We've seen many fine yachts in our years on the water but this is the finest yacht that we have ever seen in person.
Owned by Rupert Murdoch, "Rosehearty" is a 183' aluminum ketch built in Italy by Perini Navi. She is available for charter and for $330,000 per week, you and 9 of your best friends can have the time of your life! Google the name and take a look at this work of art.

This is a parrot fish. They are sometimes a fiery red or black and have a beak that can sever a finger. I wasn't even sure they were safe to eat until my buddy Jeff speared some and reported on how good they were.
These guys have scales that are like armor, making it hard for even a high powered spear to penetrate. Because they are territorial, they will run and then make it back to their favorite spot. This can make them easier to find but, their tough hides and bursts of speed make them a hard target. They are very tasty!