THE SEA OF CORTEZ

We are now in the Sea of Cortez. We left La Paz on May 19, 2008. Our first stop was Calita Lobo, only a few hours from La Paz. We wanted to stop there first and do a few things on the boat before going farther. The truth in this whole trip up the Baja peninsula has been a series of 3 to 5 hour trips. We want to really take it easy and enjoy all the sights and sounds of the sea. After Lobo we went to Isla San Francisco. We had heard a weather report saying high winds from the south so we were looking for an anchorage that would protect us from southerly winds. There are two anchorages, or maybe more, on San Francisco. We went to the southeast anchorage. The southwest anchorage is prettier but not for us this time. I took a few pictures from there but not many as it was so windy we didn't even go ashore this trip.

This was the view as we were leaving Isla San Francisco.

This is the view of one of the cliffs at San Francisco. The colors were so awesome I just had to try and capture them. I don't think that the colors are really coming out as bright as they were in real life though!

After we left San Francisco we headed over to San Everisto which is on the main land. It was a very short distance and we had a beautiful "3 hour cruise". We did not end up on a deserted island but in a very nice anchorage where there is a little village. On the way over we saw a large rock with houses on it. I say "rock" because it was to small to call an island. The cruisers guide says that there have been people living on this rock for at least a hundred years!! Below are some pictures. I'm sure it will seem as incredible to you as it was to me.

We then stopped at San Everisto for just one night. It was one of only two places that had any sort of village or town. We walked around a little and saw lots of burros and Brahma cattle but was never able to find the little Tienda that was supposed to be there. I didn't really need any groceries so that was no big deal.  San Everisto does have salt ponds. They evaporate the salt in large quantities and sell it. It is a very simple and large

On Sunday May 25 we took off from San Everisto around 1000 headed for Agua Verde. We did not make it that day. Then winds were against us and rather then motor against them the rest of the day we ducked into a little anchorage called Timbibichi. We were the only boat there and the water was incredible. It was very clear and very green. It was also very shallow in places. We had to anchor further off shore then planned but we were still in the protected little bay. It was another very calm beautiful place.  We did not stay though, next morning we were up and going again, headed for Agua Verde. We arrived in Agua Verde that day, Sunday May 25. This is a place that Rick had been before and been looking forward to getting back to. We ended up spending several days there snorkeling and walking around the little village. We did find the Tienda there and bought some eggs and tortillas and even a couple suckers for three little boys that came up to us when we landed the dinghy. There really was not much to buy anyway, the shelves were mostly empty and the produce truck was not due in for a day or so. Agua Verde is a very popular place. While we were there, there were a total of ten boats. Later we talked to another couple that came through after us and while they were there, there were 21 boats! While in Agua Verde I went snorkeling for the first time. Up until then we were either in a harbor where I didn't trust the water quality or it (the water) was to cold. It was still chilly when you first jumped in but as soon as you start moving around it was great. From there on every anchorage we stopped at we spent a good deal of time in the water. Especially in the afternoon when it got so hot.

From Agua Verde we hit a series of islands. Our first stop was Honeymoon cove on the island of Danzante. When we got there the first thing we did was jump in the water. It was awesome, the clearest greenest water we had seen so far. It was a beautiful anchorage and we had planned on a couple of days there. However.......when we got back to the boat we were under attack from the bees! We had left our sun shower on deck as always to warm the water from the sun. The bees were having a party!! I have never seen so many bees so UP CLOSE and hoped never to again. We did not get stung but they were unnerving. We have good screens and was forced to stay inside the rest of the day. The next morning the bees were still hanging around so we decided to leave to fight another day.

From Isla Danzante we headed up to Isla Carmen. We stopped at Bahia Ballandra. It is a very very well protect cove about a half mile across. The entrance is westerly and only about a quarter mile opening so we were protected from three directions with only a small opening on the fourth. Again, first thing we did was jump in the water. Having learned our lesson from Honeymoon cove we made sure there was NO fresh water anywhere outside the boat. When we got back we had a few scout bees but nothing major. HO-HO-HO!! Later that evening while doing my dishes, inside the boat, the bees came in force. Just the smell of the water was enough to bring on the whole hive!! This time we were smarter and decided we would not let them drive us away. We ended up spending several days there and really enjoyed it. During the height of the day when it was hottest the bees did not come around so we would go swimming and hiking then retreat to the boat for the evening. After sunset the bees left again and we would go outside and enjoy the beautiful cool evening air.  Rick got a couple of pictures of the bees in a vent in the head area. This was after we had taken our showers and the fresh water smell brought them in.

This is just a small sampling of the number of bees that came to visit. This was the last place that we had to deal with them (so far) and we never got stung. Below are a few more pictures from Ballandra.

The first picture is from shore facing west. The second one is me getting ready for a hike across the island and the last one is just one shot of the topography of the island. It is representative of all the Baja peninsular. We also ran into many different birds and lizards. According to a sign in spanish and english on the island there are also wild goat and cats. The cats were dumped here and became feral. There are also jack rabbits.

From Isla Carmen we headed back to the Baja peninsular to a place called San Juanico. It is another beautiful anchorage popular with many cruisers. When we arrived there were a total of 5 boats counting us. By the end of the day there were a dozen! San Juanica is also a place that holds a "cruisers memorial". Someone years ago, 20 plus years ago, started a memorial. It is a small tree where cruisers leave some kind of token of their boat. There are rocks carved on or written on, wood pieces carved or written on, bottles with notes inside, tin cans cut open and written on, hand sewn banners etc. etc. Below are a few pictures of the tree but you really have to see it to get the feel of it.

We found a flat rock and Rick carved our boat name and the date we were there. I have several pictures from San Juanico but all of Baja looks so much a like that I would just be repeating the same thing. On the island the cliffs there are full of fossils and crystals. That was neat to see. I do have one shot of a large rock in the middle of the anchorage that I thought was neat. It's actually a series of pinnacles sticking up and on the far right one and the center one and the far left there are Osprey nests. We did see on Osprey fly to the center on but no chicks or any other Osprey.

We spent 2-3 days in San Juanico. The snorkeling was pretty good but not the best. The anchorage was very quiet and beautiful though and I would like to go back.

From San Juanico we decided to head straight to Santa Rosalia. This was a big decision as it meant an overnight and I was still "gun shy" of overnighters. Mostly I like my sleep and resent having it interrupted!! But, we were running out of time before we had to be in Guaymas to haul out so we decided to go for it. The weather man said that we could expect southerlies for two days so on noon of Wednesday June 4 we took off. That day it was rolly but not to bad. By 2200 it was bad! Not the worse we have been through but it reinforced my dislike of overnighters!! The weatherman was wrong, we got northerlies and sharp steep swells. The swells were not that big, 3-4 ft with and occasional 5-6 footer but there were icky!! Then to add insult to injury, or actually the other way around, we got a line in our prop! This was at 0230. Rick had just gotten to bed as he stayed up longer to navigate around an island. It was a very dark night, no moon. We were going so slow that the auto pilot could not keep us on a straight course so I had woken Rick to ask if it was ok or should I steer. We were discussing it when wham, the motor started whining something fierce. (That's my job) Rick killed the motor and raised it up and we could see a line in the prop. So now we have 20+ knots of wind on the nose and no motor. Well, we are a sail boat after all, so we put up a very reefed in jib and sailed off the wind (not the direction we wanted but sailing none the less) and waited for sunrise. Rick went back to bed and I handled the boat until sunrise. (That felt pretty good too!!!) At sunrise Rick got up and jumped in the water, thankfully it was fairly warm, and found that the line had not wrapped around the prop but just jammed in the front. He was able to give it a good yank and get it out with not problem. It had bent the prop just slightly so he did replace it once we got to the anchorage. We did not head for San Juanico as the northerlies had come back up and the swells were too much. We headed back toward land and found a neat little anchorage on the southwest tip of Isla San Marcos. There was another Cat in there when we got there but it was only the two of us. We spent that night and the next (it being a friday) and finally took off and made it to Santa Rosalia on Saturday June 7.

So, we are now in Santa Rosalia resting at Marina Singular and getting ready for our trip across to Guaymas and the haul out. This is the first marina we have been in since we first got to Mazatlan in December. It is a great marina and the people are so nice. It is fairly new and the facilities are awesome and very clean. They have a swimming pool here and laundry room. We have really been enjoying the nice shower every night.

Santa Rosalia is a very very old town and the people here are trying to preserve their heritage. There is a church here that was designed by Eiffel, as in the Eiffel tower guy. It was built in France for an expose then shipped to Belgium the taken apart and brought here.

                    Here is a rare shot of the elusive geeky tourist!!

                                    Ya gotta love 'em!!!

On Tuesday June 10, Rick had a birthday!! We asked at the office about where we could buy a cake and invited all the cruisers here in the marina up to the rec room for a mini birthday party. There are not to many cruisers here right now but we had a great time sharing stories and information about various places we had all been.

   The rec room is really great. Besides the desk we were all sitting at there is another table that happened to be full of computers at the time. They have wifi here and they have a large screen, 27 inch, TV with both a VCR and a DVD player. There is a small cruisers library but there is a much larger one at the old marina.

So far that's all we have for the Sea of Cortez. We will be here until Saturday then head over to Guaymas. When we get back in late August we will come back to the Baja and continue our journey.