Bumper Boats
23 February 2017 | Cabo San Lucas
Annette
Since we last wrote we had an easy day and a half sail from Mag Bay to Cabo San Lucas, 160 n.m. Arrived at 1 pm, set anchor and headed into town for a few staples, a fishing lure and license and tacos so that we could take off first thing in the morning, destination Puerto Vallarta. Our hope was to meet our friends the Milskies from s/v Sea Level at a Guitar Festival in Zihuatanajo some 700 miles from where we are right here Cabo and be there in 10 days, oh the pressure!! Again, we would have to sail petal to the metal, ugh. I called them and found out they weren't going to make it after all. What a relief, we were off the hook and even though it would have been a lot of fun the stress to get there wasn't worth it. Mike and I looked at each other and instantly decided let's just head back up into the Sea of Cortez this season without any agenda except to haul out in June.
While futzing around putting things away on the boat after returning from our trip into Cabo we noticed the little sail boat anchored in front of us was a lot closer than when we first arrived back. As we watched the boat drifted closer by the minute with no one aboard.. We sprang into action attaching every fender we owned to the port side of the boat, turned on motors, grabbed the boat fending pole and started pulling anchor. As Mike brought the anchor up, the LB was pulled into the side of Rum Doxy bouncing off the fenders as I feverishly tried to keep the bow from t-boning our hull. Once our anchor was up we were free of the LB and moved way up the beach while staying upwind. That boat was dangerous! After the anxiety of saving our boat from disaster and choosing the "no agenda" lifestyle in the Sea of Cortez we made margarita's and settled into relaxing for the evening and the next 3 and a half months.
BANG, CRASH! We both knew exactly what was happening. The wind had changed to the opposite direction and the #$@# LB was slamming into Rum Doxy but this time there were no fenders, and it was dark. With 15 knots of wind the LB dragged it's anchor down the beach and over our anchor chain. Now the LB was pinned broadside to our bows like a shrimp on a fork. We managed to push it off but, as it made it's way down the side of our boat, for the SECOND time that night, it's anchor line got tangled up in our prop. So here's what Mike did to free us again. He first tied the LB off to our stern so it wouldn't drag any further and take us with it. He then kayaked over and boarded the LB in order to let out slack in it's anchor line and get the LB further away from us. Then he kayaked back, got into his wet suit, jumped into the water and freed the LB's anchor line from our prop. Next he had to pull up by hand the LB's anchor (which drifted over and fouled our anchor chain) and move it and all it's line to the stern of Rum Doxy. Last thing he did before tossing the anchor and line of the LB and releasing it from our hold was to make sure the it's anchor was securely set. My hero!
We then pulled our anchor and moved across the anchorage again, this time putting another, very large boat between us and the LB, and finally got some sleep.