January 15, 2012

Back to the boat for more maintenance. Here is a picture I took from the top of the mast looking down on my hard working crew, Joe. You just can't get good help anymore!

December 26, 2011

It seems being the Captain of the Ship could land you in jail these days. First the fishing boat accident and now a party boat accident in our home port of Puerto Penasco. The captain took his paying, elderly customers out for a sunset cruise in a gale with a troublesome engine. The engine sputtered and he tried to hold the ship off a reef with a 30# rebar anchor. The result was the ship got holed and a passenger died. And just recently a mega-cruise ship in Italy hits a reef. All three captains survive but end up in the brig.

July 4, 2011

It is very tragic that the fishing boat Eric was lost in the same waters that we had visited recently. This is a very remote area and survivors were in the water 16 hours before being rescued.. We saw Eric in San Felipe the week before it was sunk. Seven souls are still unaccounted for.

June 24-26, 2011

We decided to take our grandson Chance with us for a quick trip to San Felipe and back.
It was going to be a Regatta but the plans fizzled to just two boats, DreamCatcher and Salsa.
We were going to leave early Friday but the winds were still up so we waited until 4 in the afternoon for an all night sail. It started out with 10 knot winds from a good direction but they died out as the evening wore on. Around 4 am they started to build again and we had a wonderful sail into San Felipe. We were flying at 7.2 knots as we approached the breakwater at 6 am. Saturday morning we rested and in the afternoon took a cab into town for dinner. The weather was not too warm as long as there was a breeze. At 2 am on Sunday we shoved off for Rocky Point. Along the way we heard from Salsa as they decided to be purists and sail the whole way. They were becalmed for many hours. Winds were very light and the seas were extremely flat so the passage was uneventful. Made it back by 4 pm and packed up the boat for the trip back to Phoenix. The cabin temperature was 98 F and very muggy, not very pleasant. While we were on the water it was very comfortable.

Wednesday May 11, 2011
We are up hook at 06:30 and on our way to San Felipe. The day is very clam with several seals popping up for a look at us along the way. Clear blue skies and flat seas. The wind builds to 18 as we arrive near the harbor but all is well and we check back in at the marina. We clean up the boat and add fuel for the long leg back to Rocky Point in the morning.

Tuesday May 10, 2011
We finally escape Willard with light winds. We have a calm sail up the coast with some swells but no white caps, past the Enchanted Islands and back to out anchorage in Puetecitos. We dinghy into shore and walk to the small tienda for a quart of fresh milk. The wind shifts during the night and we are abeam to the swells for an uncomfortable sleep.