They say that La Paz has a bungee that gets tied to your keel and you ALWAYS come back. We are stretching that bungee now. At 0700 yesterday, I pushed the button to bring the Perkins rumbling to life and we slipped the dock lines. We were suppose to leave with Sea Otter, an Island Packet 38, but their son accidentally left his back pack at the charity auction on Sunday and they had to get it once the doors opened at 0800.
We have been hanging out in La Paz for good weather for a crossing to the pacific coast of Mexico. The radio net has a weather guy on it and he keeps saying to wait for better weather. His "better" weather is no wind and small waves. I really don't want to motor for 300 miles. So we left when to wind was suppose to be abating but not yet dying out.
We motored out of the channel and once the water got clear, started making water. Made 60 gallons of water and then motored up Bahia La Paz to the San Lorenzo Channel. Once there the wind started to build from the NW and we sailed the 38 miles downwind. Great sail and the boat was loving it. Jennifer not so much. Seasickness once again had it's grip on her. The wind had been blowing at 25+ knots for about a week so the seas were lumpy as hell. We were in about 15 knots till the end when we made our turn to Muertos. The wind funnels there and we made the run at 10 knot SOG with no waves and winds in the high 20s. It was great. All seasickness vanished and we came in with the sun lighting the sky a fiery red.
Sea Otter showed up about 2 hours later and we went to the seaside shack here and had tacos and margaritas. Very bueno.
This morning we woke to the boat floating on gin clear water. You can see the boat's shadow on the sand 20 feet under us. Pufferfish abound and I am so glad to be back at anchor in a beautiful bay.
The weather has been nice and it sure doesn't feel like Christmas although the kids are not going to let me forget any time soon. 80 degrees out and a light breeze to keep the air moving. Xmas displays were going up in La Paz as we left. On the malecon in the center of town they started to set up their Christmas tree. Huge metal tree. HUGE!!!! They had a stage near it blasting music out. Dance music and then Mexican music. Polka kinda sounding. Amps were turned to 11. It was loud.
On another front, Sam started to use the toilet on the boat for her "poopies". This is pretty huge. She made me look at her deposit and I was shocked at the amount. I thought Max didn't flush before she used it. She was very proud and I couldn't help but laugh and be happy with her. Ahhhh.....it's the little things that make me happy.
So thoughts on being out here.
I don't miss work although the people I worked with I miss. Good crowd.
I am surprised at how much I miss having fast internet. Answers to all my questions instantly. Although as time flies by, I am missing it less and less.
There is no weather reports here that are "official". Many, if not all, are done by amateurs but they seem to know what they are talking about. I take it all with a grain of salt.
Home schooling is a concern still but again, as time goes on I realize that it doesn't matter as much as I think it does. The kids will be ok. We are muddling though it. Max is doing well with his school work I think and that is a relief also.
I don't miss my phone. At all. I carry a vhf radio with me and that is our phone. The sailing community lives on the radio nets out here. Weather net, announcement nets, etc. Almost like a small town switchboard operator. You know who is calling who on the hailing channel which is channel 22 here, then you can listen in when they go to another channel and talk. Half the time I get done with a conversation on another channel, another friend will break in and so on. Most of the shops in town all monitor channel 22 including the restaurants. Just last night I hailed the restaurant 1535 on channel 22 and made reservations. If you go out cruising, make sure you have a good vhf radio. I replaced our antenna and all the wiring. Same old head unit. I can transmit and hear much better than most of our cruising friends. Get your radio tuned up before you go.
We are eating out a lot more than I thought we would. Food is pretty cheap and good. We ate out last night and will again tonight probably as the restaurant has a pool and we like to swim in fresh water after an afternoon of snorkeling.
I might be wrong on this next bit but I was told that our boat didn't have enough fuel capacity and we would be adrift if I didn't carry jerry jugs of fuel on the deck to supplement our main tank. I haven't see the need yet. I filled up in San Diego. I filled again in San Jose del Cabo but only took 20 gallons. We have sailed a vast majority of the time. Great wind. Of course this will jinx the shit out of me and it'll be motoring from here on out. We still carry 15 gallons in reserve but those jugs live in the vented and self draining locker we have. I hate having tanks on deck. One good wave and it is goodbye tanks and stanchions holding them.
More later. I'm taking the kids snorkeling now.
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