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dinghy (plus life is made easier when we just store it on deck instead of removing
floorboards and stowing it in it's bag), packing everything up, stowing the anchor chain etc..
We had decided to head north around Les Islotes (2 big rocks off the north tip of Isla
Partida where a sea lion colony lives). It was only 2 miles upwind, but with 15 knot apparent
head wind and big seas, it took two hours and 4 or 5 tacks (check the route). At one point a
few of us began contemplating the upwind trip home to CA. Finally we were able to fall off
and head down the east side of the islands. It was a couple of hours until we let Otto
(autopilot) take the helm as the seas were big enough that any over/undercorrection could
have resulted in too many bruises. We carried on south and eventually were able to put up
the spinnaker. The winds continued to build, and as the boys were up front rearranging the
spinnaker I let them know that true wind was hitting 24 knots. They caught my drift and
down came the sock. At this point we were in the Cerralvo channel, where a month or so
before we had been sitting on glassy water while David rolled in diesel cleaning fuel filters.
Certainly a different picture today w/ 6-8 ft swells!
It was only a 60 mile day, it had been mostly a downwind day, but when we pulled into
Bahia de los Muertos we were pooped. We broke all records organizing for beach landing
(putting up anchor sail, dropping dinghy etc) slowed only by Maureen's failure to back up
straight while anchoring in 18 knot winds (second try was a success fortunately).
Our haste to get to the beach was twofold- Duke was ready, and there is a Giggling
Marlin restaurant right on the beach! David, Maureen and Duke headed in first. We had
arrived in the dark, could hear breakers, but we were not able to see anything except the
lights of the restaurant. The wheels were on the dinghy, just in case, but we landed safely
and softly directly onto a beach.
The kids were anxiously awaiting our radio report on the restaurant. Our first report was
encouraging, the lights were on and we could see people at the bar! Sadly when we wandered
in, they were closed for the night. We snagged a couple of beers to go and gave the kids the
bad news over the radio. When we arrived back to the boat they had started the spaghetti
and had margaritas were waiting for us on the table.
Katherine asked "So are we leaving for Mazatlan first thing in the morning?"
David and Maureen had an immediate "NO".
The next morning we ate breakfast at the Marlin -and asked about any nearby markets.
We received a "no" from the waiter, but the well dressed gentleman eating breakfast with
his son contradicted this by saying there was a market a mile or so down the road towards La
Paz.
Katherine, Maureen, David, and Duke head off in the afternoon for the tienda (really all
we were out of were tortillas). We walk, walk, and walk some more. Even if the kindly
gentleman was off by a factor of two, it couldn't be much further! After 5 kilometers or so
some Mexicans stop to offer us a ride and they tell us the store is about another 4
kilometers! We gladly accept the ride, get to the store, and begin grabbing things. A local in
the store offers us a ride back (although this is somewhat confusing as he keeps mentioning
to show us where he works?, we delay with our answer as he continues to describe how nice
Mexicans really are...). Eventually he agrees to take us straight back to our beach and we
pile into his truck. Not really his truck. He convinces a good buddy with a full pickup to eject
one passenger, squish us in and drive 6 miles in the wrong direction (Katherine on Maureen's
lap in the back seat (both of whom are nearly sitting on top of a surly young mexican
passenger who was not lucky enough to have also been ejected for the journey), Duke is on
David's lap in the front seat snuggled up with our new best friend). Maureen and David had
purchased a beer for the road, but our new host encourages us to polish that off so that we
can have one of his. Of course we oblige our host. The trip back to Bahia de los Muertos is
faster than the trip out, handshakes, gracias' and hasta-la-vistas' all around as our truck
departs down the lonely dirt road. Imagine our disgust the next day as we're making our
breakfast burritos under sail, and no one can find the tortillas! When no one remembers
putting them away, we realize in the furor of our purchasing, we forgot the tortillas! -M
(special editors note - we did score all the Snickers in the tienda though)
beach with the Giggling
Marlin in the background.
search of la tienda.
movie and a sound clip from
this hike (7MB) click here.
(requires Qtime).
(6 tacks north)