La Paz

In the above chart, you can see where we came in (pink dotted line) and then left after two days.  That knot of pink is where we swung on the anchor kinda close to that reef.  

We left puerto de Los Muertos about three days ago.  We were going to leave at night and use the full moon to help do the 45 mile run but in the end decided to wait for morning.  The bane of most of these anchorages is the rolling.  In Muertos you are still getting some pacific swell and when the boat is laying abeam of those swells, the rolling can get down right dangerous.  Appa finally put her nose into the wind and the swell so we just hobby horsed all night which is much better than rolling so we decided to stay the night.

While at Muertos we hit Gran Suerto which is a very strange development on the beach of Muertos.  It is one of the fanciest hotels/resort I have ever seen.  It is almost entirely empty.  It is a sprawling compound with many different suites and pools.  The main restaurant has a brick catheredal ceiling with very ornate trimmings.  High end furnishings peppered throughout the space also.  There is a train set that runs along the upper level.  Here we were running around with 6 kids (we are still with Sand Dollar), using their infinity pool, pool table, and internet all the while dressed in swimsuits and bare feet.  This would never be tolerated in the states.  

It felt great to wash the salt and grime off in unlimited fresh water.  The dinner was excellent also.  The staff was great and super friendly. When JC and I reconned the place, the first thing they said to me was "Welcome home, señor!"  This place is owned by a NFL guy evidently. Not really sure.  Jen injured her foot a day prior to this so when JC and I were first there, I enquired about Jen getting a ride to the restaurant in one of the many atvs running around the resort.  They picked us up in a Rhino which is a 4 person atv.  The kids loved it.  Especially Sam. She laughed her head off the whole way. Every dip in the sand dune, every little bump, laughing. Uncontrolled laughing. She had us all laughing even the driver.  Infectious. 

In the morning we left in calm conditions for Puerto Balandra that has a mushroom rock in the entrance and is known for its beauty. The Cerralvo Channel is known for funneling wind and adverse current that causes steep waves during a north wind.  We chugged into the channel and were met by a 15 knot north wind but luckily the tide was with us and it was a fast ride. 

The San Lorenzo Channel is area that has a narrow channel that is shared by freighters, tankers, and pleasure boats.  The area is littered with old wrecks as the shoal markers keep getting destroyed in storms.  They were present this trip and all was good.  We were going to Balandra but decided to skip it as it is open to the north and the forecast was for north winds.  We instead headed 4 miles north to Bahia San Gabriel.  See picture below.

More pictures from the trip to Gabriel.

Sam waiting for the trip to end so she can swim.....

Ben doing schoolwork so we can play once in the anchorage.

Ben and Easton diving into the bay.  30 foot visibility.  

This is Sammy's "superhero" outfit for swimming.

Swordfish filleting at Muertos. 

Using bait that Max got from some fishermen in the bay.  Needlefish.

Jen filleting the fish.  This might be a repost.

Bahia San Gabriel's beach.  Lots of rays here.  Shuffle when walking so you don't step on them and then they sting you.

Sam helping to hang her swimsuit up.  She does it all by herself!  So cute!

The water maker decided it wasn't going to work once we got to Bahia San Gabreil.  It was getting power but kept kicking off.  This usually means low water flow which means clogged filters.  I used a flashlight to check the 5 micron and the 10 micro filters and they looked ok and then I checked the strainer for the salt water intake.  It had a mollusk looking thing growing or dying in it!  It smelled awful.  Cleaned that crap out of the strainer and while better the flow was still insufficient to keep the water maker running.  I decided to check the pre filters by actually looking at them and spinning the cover off.  Filthy.  The 10 micron was clogged completely. I wonder why it looked clean when I looked at them with a flashlight.  Anyway changed the filter and then checked the oil in the high pressure pump.  That looked ok and then I noticed some weeping from the dump valve on the high pressure pump.  This valve is the last ditch safety mechanism for the system.  If, for whatever reason, the electric high pressure shut off switch should fail and the pressure builds beyond 1200 psi or so, this dump valve opens and saves us all from shrapnel flying through the deck and puncturing us.  As a side note, I am reading To Rule The Waves, How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World.  Per this book, a British army lieutenant in 1808 developed a devastating new anti-personnel artillery charge.  His name was Henry Shrapnel. 

In reading the watermaker instructions, they tell you to tighten the valve if it is weeping.  I tightened and it seeped much worse.  Not that I noticed of course.  I tightened it and then ran the motor.  No weeping at that time.  I also decided to attached a hose to this valve so when it opened or weeped, it would drop on the oil pressure switch on the motor and the engine mount.  I attached said hose and off we went.  When we left Gabriel it was blowing like hell and we sailed for an hour or so then the wind died.  Started up the motor and engaged the watermaker.  Made 70 gallons of water and got into La Paz.  Opened the floorboards to get out some food and it was full of water.  The dump valve was dumping.  Took that off and walked around town.  Found a guy named Bill that does all the watermaking repair in the area.  He took the thing apart and cleaned it up.  I'm installing it today and we will see what happens.  No charge.  Also got a tour of his motor yacht.  It is an old wooden research looking vessel that was seized by the DEA.  They give you two things when you become a DEA agent, a gun and an axe.  They love their axes.  This boat was trashed and he rebuilt it all.  

Anyway we are in La Paz and enjoying it.  Every morning at 0800 on vhf channel 22 they have a radio net.  It is just like a radio show with people calling in.  Weather, current events, etc.  Very cool and depending on the announcer, it can be hilarious.  This morning as I type this, Gunther is the announcer and he is very German and funny as hell.  They have a portion of the show dedicated to trades and/or help needed.  Some boat wanted to know where a dry cleaner was.  Gunther comes back with "What the hell!  You don't need that crap!"  To show appreciation to you are to click your microphone repeatedly and it sounds like clapping.  Lots of clapping after that.  

We are anchored in the bay.  Rafted actually with Sand Dollar.  Eating well and having fun.  Today we are going to a marina, just us not Appa.  They have a pool and huge playground.  

I met up with Rebel Heart whose blog I have been following.  They have a three year girl named Cora and we have play dates scheduled.  Rebel Heart is leaving for Puerto Vallarta this Saturday and we will met up with them in La Cruz while they get ready to cross the pacific for the southern islands.  Charlotte helped Jennifer with getting a 3G card for her computer so now we will have internet most anywhere.  In theory.  Works here at anchor. 

More later.