11/14/13
As a long-time fan of Mexico, some of my clearest memories are of sitting in some small cantina enjoying fresh made chips and salsa (with cold beverages of course) with my companions. Every time that I visit Mexico I look forward to enjoying these things. Up until a recent night in Cabo, I have been frustrated by being served chips from a bag, and salsa from a jar in bars and restaurants. Well, last night I had the best chips and salsa of the trip so far in a little cantina in the middle of nowhere. Sweet.
We got an early start today, with the anchor up and the boat underway by 0505 am. The sea was like glass as we motored under the stars. As the sun came up, we passed between Punta Arena De la Ventana and Isla Cerralvo. The island is steep, with a 1500' elevation, and about 16 miles long. The wind and currents funnel down the channel between the Baja coast and the island, and so are a bit rougher here than elsewhere. We spotted large groups of dolphins, the usual leaping manta rays, a sea snake, a turtle, and large mystery splashes off in the distance. John caught two large Bonitas on the way into La Paz.
We threaded our way into the bay, avoiding the sandy shoals that run down the middle of the main channel. We had Odyssey tied up and secured by about 3:30. People came out of their boats to help us dock, due to my (un)skillful docking skills. John and I made lots of new friends almost immediately, with all the liveaboards coming by to welcome us. After showers, we both had what we agree was our best Mexican meal of the trip.
It seems a bit surreal to finally be in La Paz after all the planning, sleepless nights, and preparation.

Some final statistics of the trip for you all:
Trip length beginning in Channel Islands, CA:
22 days (15 at sea), 1134 nautical miles, about 175 hours of motoring. 6 nights at anchor, 7 at sea, 6 tuna caught, one dorado caught, several marlin hooked but not landed.
More tomorrow.