Summer in the Sea of Cortez Part 2
05 August 2023 | Punta Chivato
Our “cockpit” on land

It's a very unique community here at Punta Chivato -- that's what attracted us to take this offer to house sit and see just what it's like to live on land for a couple months. It's always been one of our favorite anchorages in the Sea and we would stop here often in the Fall and Winter.
One of the interesting things is there is no electricity running down here -- all the homes are off grid and run on solar and generators for power. Just like on a boat. So just like on a boat most of the homes don't have air conditioning. This isn't a problem most of the year but August and September are a different story. But, again, just like with boats, most of the residents leave the area for other pursuits in cooler weather.
We knew this could be a challenge but after years on the boat we've learned to adapt to occasional hot muggy weather with nothing but sea breezes and fans for relief from the heat. We'd encountered it in many places across the Pacific as well as passages when we'd have to keep hatches and portholes closed against waves and rain.
That's when you learn to always be by a fan when you're down below but you're best to spend your time in the cockpit for the comfort of breezes as well as the amazing view.
So in our first two weeks we've come to feel like living here is much like being on the boat during an ocean passage! But it's better than a boat in that it's a much larger space and it doesn't rock and roll. Plus we are able to get off this boat for morning swims and beach walks getting good exercise before the heat of the day.
After that morning break the routine is similar to being aboard Cetus out at Sea. We have our daily chores to take care of inside -- cooking and cleaning and monitoring systems but spend the bulk of our time out in the great covered patio out door living space that faces out on The Sea of Cortez.
Out there you get the full force of the sea breeze as well as a fantastic view. Just like on the ocean we never tire of looking out at the Sea -- you never know what might come along! So far it's been a big variety of birds to entertain us but we know that dolphins, whales and even the gentle whale sharks can come into this bay.
Just like out in the ocean the sunrises and sunsets are events we look forward to as well as the nighttime stargazing watching for satellites and shooting stars. It just never gets old.
So for us the inconvenience of the summer heat is far outweighed by the beauty of nature surrounding us and we are enjoying this new adventure despite the the challenges of the weather.
After all, that’s exactly like living on a boat — which we’re pretty used to after nearly 30 years aboard Cetus and several years aboard Cassiopeia.
The adventure continues! 🌞