Finally on the way to Nuevo....

Fonatur/Singlar had a slip for us that was great...the pool was cold, the weather hot and muggy which was an almost tropical storm right between us and Nuevo.  We were there for five days in which both Barbara and Frank managed to get a bug.  They had been adventuring.  The photo shows the channel on our way out to sea and El Cid on the left.  Scary channel, even in the daytime.  They have to dredge constantly.

The island offshore was great for lining up the channel ....Both Robert and Frank were set to head south inside the islands, but I suggested they go outside:  sun in their eyes, the chart not visible, and they were just being anxious to get the hell out of the place where we had to sit and wait for weather.  We looked at several weather sites several times a day....and finally decided to leave.

Barb and Frank had made flight reservations for Sunday....she is wearing a muumuu that Linda brought back from Hawaii for me....and has figured out that the Hawaiian's knew something about cool garb.  I was below with the dogs most of the time -we motored constantly from Mazatland.  Twenty seven hours hours of that noise.  Thank heaven for the radar as we were moving around the shrimp fleet a lot at night.

As ususal there was the nonloving tension of finding the harbor entrance....and then to find that Pedro didn't work there any more.  The next day we sat on the dock where he was doing a bottom job and gave him a huge surprise when he came up. 

We are now on A dock, waiting for a slip at cool B dock to open up.  As Anita used to say....life is good.

A bit of heaven

After a lovely fast, hot motor, we tucked into the harbor at SAn Jose Del Cabo.  We had entered another lovely harbor that was so different from the craziness of Cabo.  But hot.


It seemed as if half the Baja fleet had either been here or arrived after us to escape expensive Cabo.  A norther in the sea of Cortez was keeping us all close in for a few days.

 

The ususal tension of finding the "right" entrance had us pretty crabby, but the sight of the masts and a panga going in by the beach helped us get in.  This was where Robert ate something awful that did him in a few years ago.....

We left after exploring the art center of the town...we want to come back some day and spend a good bit of time...colonial architecture of which this computer is not allowing to be put in the blog.  Frustration.

Half way to Nuevo, in the middle of the night, Robert woke me and said we were turning around and heading to Mazatlan.  Ugh.  The sky was full of lightning all across the horizon.  That was the beginning of a tough day for all of us...long, trip into Mazatlan.

We entered the harbor in the dark, went right to it and tied up at El Cid.

Look at the happy guys.  I had just told them we were moving from El Cid, who wanted us to stay a month, to Fonatur, up the channel, where we had been two years ago.  Tough beans.  Now, to rant.  It seemed that every time we docked or anchored, there were words.  What the hell is so important that yelling is part of the process?  Not one thing.  The boat isn't sinking.  We are not racing.  But yellng and hurt feelings seem to be the norm.  I finally flipped and said that in the more than twenty five years we have owned the boat, it seems I have been doing it all wrong. Screw that.

More on the trail of nirvana



Early morning In Cabo after the mad rush of the fishermen.....

 


A wide open bay at Bahia Santa Maria......we danced at anchor.

 

leaving Cabo San Lucas on a flat, calm day...we motored 17 miles to heaven - San Jose Del Cabo.  Well, it was hot....but a delightful place.  The town is an historian's dream and an artist's colorny to boot. 

On the Bajahaha Trail of bruises, tensions, and beautiful bays

The Rally goes from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas.  We had everything from rain, hot sun and calm to some semi wild water and had to slow down near Cabo due to slipping alternator belt.  We were able to find a slip after we found a few boats in our assigned slip, and fell into a full nights slumber for the first time in days.  Well, not so full as a fishing tournament was underway and there is no limit to how fast anyone can go.....all umpteen of the fishing boats, rocking us into wakefulness.



sunset at sea



 

The Anchorage at Turtle Bay - a small fishing village that turned out to have turned out to be a major rip off from two years ago.  The beach party/potluck had the Grand Poobah yelliing at us to just take small portions.  We took a panga  to and from the boat - getting panga bits on the hull.  It was a wild ride into the estuary at full throttle...thru the surf - quite exciting.



The Best Little Marina Ever



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 Sun Harbor Marina had a computer/exercise/gathering room with wifi, computer and printer for resident andf guest use, as well as the most elegant  bathrooms I have ever seen.  We met a friend of a friend from Hawaii and called Barbara to tell that there was "history" in this rally.  Great restaurants nearby.  Linda came down and I got to stay across the street with her at the Best Western  - good thing as she organized the last of the shopping.  Horrible to leave friends behind!



Congestion and then some.....and sort of grim weather waiting for the start.



Our crew, Barbara, Frand and MacGregor.....



Our escort out of Point Loma Channel - he came awfully close at times - all 160 plus boats in the parade out the channel were doing their best to get out of the way.  We went out into rain, fell in some windless holes, had the autopilor act up but kept going, all nervous and uptight.  The stress of getting ready to go did not wear off easily for a few days and then we had the interpersonal stuff that seems to vitally important.  Egos belong somewhere else.  Ah.  Where is the glamour?



Frank on watch in unsettled first day weather.  We had three strange sailing days to Turtle Bay - dropped the anchor and went ashore, without dogs.  Had to do laundry.  I couldn't stand the noise and went back to the boat for some peace.  The land was rocking and rolling - so might as well stay aboard.  OUr dinner ashore was delicious but a major ripoff and a disappointment that the residents would talke advantage of the Baja fleet.