The Cruising Life?

We had an amazing crossing of the Sea of Cortez. Once we put La Paz behind us we where met by short choppy seas and no wind which meant we got tossed around pretty bad. Without the sails to stabilize the boat she rolled from rail to rail. We started the motor to put some way on and motored for the next five or so hours. When the wind finally filled in we had a pleasant sail with the wind from behind us. The following evening a brown footed booby landed on the end of the boom and perched there trough the night till the wind died and I had to start the motor. He was the perfect companion for night watch. No complaints and did his business over the side. Our arrival at El Cid in Mazatlan was no less than hair raising. The tide rip is fierce and on approaching the dock Joe underestimated the force of the current which resulted in having to fend off other boats and a bump on a piling with the wind vane. A little lost varnish scratched stainless and hurt pride was the some of the damages. The second attempt at landing went well and within the hour we where at the swim up bar with margarita in hand.

Taking a bus in Mexico is an adventure in itself. Debbie had been to Mazatlan before and wanted to show me old Mazatlan with the central market. The bus ride was pleasant and we arrived at the central market with the goal of finding material to make shades. The central market is exactly as I envisioned it should be with hundreds of small markets specializing in certain products such as fish, beef, chicken, vegetables and even sombreros. The entire structure covered an entire city block. All food was prepared fresh right in front of you. We finally found a fabric store after visiting the cathedral and secured the material for our shades.

After our shopping we headed back to El Cid Marina. There is something I want to say about this marina. It is the Charlie’s Chocolate Factory for adults. It sucks you in and doesn’t want to let go. It has laundry, super clean showers, two swimming pools and a Jacuzzi. You had multiple restaurants and the pool bars actually put alcohol in their drinks. It was too easy to just stay there and never leave. We finally had to slap ourselves upside the head and say tomorrow we are leaving. So after settling up with the marina, and getting our laundry we finally headed to Stone Anchorage in Mazatlan.

Stone Anchorage is a sweet little anchorage on the outskirts of the main harbor. We were the only boat in the anchorage and that was pretty cool. The cruising guide mentioned a place called Benji’s Pizza, so we knew we had to make the pilgrimage. We found Benji’s on the beach right where we made our dinghy landing. Now if I had seen this place without the recommendation I would have walked on by. However, that being said, we walked in to this run down palapa that had dirt on the tables. We ordered a shrimp garlic pizza and meandered to the second level that overlooked the bay. I lounged in the hammock, enjoying the cool breeze on my skin and enjoyed a cerveza while waiting for the pizza. It took almost 40 minutes to get the pizza but once you took that first scrumptious bite you understood. It was made with love and cooked to perfection. Now I love pizza and have had many wonderful pizzas, but nothing will ever compare.

Welcome to the Jungle

We stayed a couple of nights in Stone Anchorage watching the goats walk up and down the hills and enjoyed some beautiful sunsets. Now it was time to leave. Our next destination was an overnight and the weather was perfect. There is something very peaceful about looking into the night sky at more stars than you ever thought possible. You hear the sound of the water as it rushes by the hull. It feels like your senses are heightened and you can even tell when a wave has come close to the boat and the crest of it crumbles and disappears back into the ocean. Our destination was the bay of Mantanchen, just three miles south of San Blas. We arrived around 1:30 pm to a bay that was dotted with about four boats. We had heard of the nasty no see ums and of the mosquitos that are known to take no prisoners. They descend on you at dusk and dawn. So being the smart humans we are, we went to the boat and hid down below. Joe built a mosquito screen and we had another make shift screen for the front hatch. We were safe.

During the day, however we ventured into town and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the small town of San Blas. We visited the infamous bells of San Blas and also the fort that was instrumental in the war against Spain. The fort had an amazing view of the town below and the surrounding ocean. It is always interesting to visit a building that is actually older than your own country. We enjoyed the area so much that we stayed for a week. In the anchorage we met and became friends with another couple, Ken and Carrie. We ended up going on the Jungle tour on the Rio Tovara. We saw many different types of birds and several young crocodiles. The tour stops for an hour to give you time to look at the clear spring filled with none other than catfish. The owner of the restaurant assured me that fishing was not allowed in the spring. I was tempted though. We had lunch and than returned to the panga to begin our ride back. Since the tour was over the Panga driver felt no desire in taking it easy on the way back. So we basically raced back to the beginning like a horse that was barn shy. Ahh Mexico! We said goodbye to our new friends and said we would meet up again in Chacala or la Cruz. We chose to stay another night. We let our guard down and the bugs ate me alive. I have no less than 30 bites. Time to move on.

Of Pirates and Stop signs in La Paz

Where do I begin? We are back on Sosiego as she sits tied to a dock in La Paz Mexico. We are staged and ready to set sail for Mazatlan tomorrow. The new flexible solar panels are installed and the propane is topped off. We will fill up with Diesel in the morning. Laundry is done and provisions stored. The only fly in the ointment has been the plan administrator at Sutter’s retirement center. If they move any slower Deb’s going to need a green card to work in Mexico.

We have been very busy getting ready to depart but we have made several trips into the city that have been interesting. Driving in Mexico is a death defying experience that relies heavily on bravado. When approaching a four way stop sign one glance for on coming traffic and makes eye contact with other drivers. The one with the most bravado steps on the gas rather than the brake and takes ownership of the intersection. As you can imagine there are frequent close calls and colorful words. In my opinion ALTO is simply a suggestion and not a requirement.

The community of cruisers in La Paz band together to help new arrivals and ex pats. The mornings are for coffee and listening to the morning,” Net”.  That is, we all sit around listening to the vhf radio while we swap things for coconuts and talk about the days activities. I only bring this up because I nearly wore my coffee when one boat identified itself as,” Puddle Pirate”. Now I must say that is a creative name and everyone keeps telling me to keep an eye out for pirates so I’m reporting my first sighting. Please tell all the puddles you know to watch out in La Paz.

So far AGACE has been a non issue in La Paz but we have all are documentation ready and are here at the boat so we will press on. Anyone interested in more info should check out Lectronic Latitude at the Latitude 38 website.

P.S. We made an excursion to the platinum movie theater for the ultimate movie going experience. Leather covered recliners with full bar and food services. We saw,”YO Frankenstein” huddled under blankets with Beer and popcorn

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Welcome to Cabo San Lucas. We had an amazing sail from San Diego with Will Frederickson, Debbie Graham, and myself Joe Graham on board. Sosiego joined the long list of entries in the 2013 Baja Ha Ha. The Ha Ha is an annual sailboat rally sponsored by the sailing magazine Latitude 38 where cruisers meet in San Diego and band together for the 900 mile sail to Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja peninsula. The trip had highs and lows as do all trips, but the highs sure out numbered the lows.  The voyage is broken into three stages, San Diego to Turtle bay, Turtle bay to Bahia Santa Maria, and Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo San Lucas. So the adventure begins.

Wildlife! Dolphins, Seals, Rays, Whales, Pelicans, Frigate birds, Yellow fin tuna, and Great White sharks! Yes we saw them all. I don’t’ remember the sea being so alive when we made this trip in 2006. The dolphins never seemed to tire of playing in our bow wake. When one pod got bored with us another pod would take over. One of the boats actually landed a 6 ft great white shark to the fleet’s amazement.  Will and I managed to each land yellow fin tuna packing the fridge with lots of tasty fish but alas the purser forgot the wasabi and soy sauce. Debbie made an awesome lemon pepper rub and we ate like kings.

Will met us on the dock in front of the Sheraton in the Cabrillo marina. The provisioning was done, the water tanks where full and all we needed to do was top up the fuel tanks. We motored out on a drizzly overcast morning to the starting line of the 2013 Baja Ha Ha. Approximately 160 sailboats and a couple of (no comprende) motor boats slowly worked are way past the start in a large parade. The local fire boat and city officials were there to see us off.  We worked are way south with a head wind that kept us within sight of Coronado island for most of the day and night. We tacked back and forth with small rain squalls for company.  The first leg can be a bit of a marathon. Sleep is difficult and the boat is alive with constant unpredictable motion and noise. A crowded sea way keeps the watch busy  and the excitement is palpable. The second day everyone is so tired that the sights and sounds will not keep them awake. The monitor wind vane is a god send. The monitor uses the power of the wind and sea to steer the boat no electricity required. The person on watch simply needs to pay attention to the course and make small adjustments to the heading. Even when the seas get rough the vane seems to work harder and better allowing the crew to rest. We did 3hrs on and 6hrs off. Sail changes required two on deck and we tried to wait for change of shift.  The third night out a cross swell set in and the wind increased to 25kts. Wash boards where placed in the companion way and watch was taken from the cabin with observations every 10 – 15 min. The stay sail was set and we never took a wave on board. In the morning both the wind and sea calmed down and the island of Cedros appeared off the bow at day break. Truly magical! The decks where covered in small squid from the night before and I counted 25 that where returned to the sea. All plain sail was set and we were on are way again. It took the rest of the day to make port and we all crashed hard once the hook was set in Turtle bay. We missed the baseball game with the locals getting in after dark, but made up for it with the beach party the next day. Debbie met Debbie from Sailors Run at the food tent and proceeded to organize and run the pot luck or more appropriately the piranha pot luck with over 150 dishes. It was a truly an amazing feast with everything from sashimi tuna to tri tip roast with every imaginable salad. Cold beer was provided by the locals for $2 each and Debbie broke out her I phone dance tunes and the party rocked.

The next morning we hauled up the anchor and followed Sailors Run out to the start line. Due to light conditions Richard declared a rolling start of no more than 5 kts under motor. The day was bright with lots of sun and a gentle 10 kts of wind. We prepped the asymmetrical spinnaker to deploy at the end of the rolling start but the wind seemed to fill in before so we hoisted sail and shut down the motor. Sailors dream of these conditions, a following light breeze that pushes the boat along at hull speed. With the monitor set there was nothing left to do but start fishing, reading, sleeping and eating. Surrounded by the fleet with spinnakers set all around was visually amazing.  I have to admit to a momentary lapse of reason though. With everything taking care of itself I just watched as Profligate slowly reached towards us not even considering the crossing situation that was developing. Pictures where taken, vigorous waving, and lots of smiles till Dona de Mallorca took the helm. Profligate was on starboard tack and had the right of way so I disconnected the Monitor and luffed up to let her pass. We where able to continue on with the spinnaker till after midnight. Towards evening Will and I got lucky and hooked two yellow fin tuna on our hand lines. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately Will’s fish lost his tail to a larger predator. Another boat landed a 6 ft great white shark around the same time. After two days and nights at sea The mountain that marks Bahia Santa Maria presented itself at dawn. We crossed the finish line doused the sails and motored in to anchor 200 yards off shore. Bahia Santa Maria is a large bight with a spit of sand that separates it from Magdalena bay. Good holding in sand and lots of room for 150 boats to not be crowded. Boarding ladder down swimming became a priority in the crystal clear blue water. Just like the post cards you can see the bottom 20 ft below with no problem. Despite previous beach landings I decided I would ferry us too shore in our trusty walker bay dingy outfitted with a mighty 2hp motor. Note to self, please anchor closer to the drop off point! Finding a small arroyo we turned off the motor, turned the bow to the waves, and rowed are dingy ashore with hardly a drop of sea water aboard. Trip two for Will went almost as well except for an unseen rock that a wave lifted us over. We scrambled over open desert terrain to get to the beach party. You know through cactus, lizards, and other carrion. When we got to the bluff there is a couple of fishing shacks (with surf boards) a tent with a rock and roll band and lots of very happy (cheap beer) cruisers in line for cioppino. We ate, drank, and danced into the afternoon. Unfortunately we left too early because on the morning roll call there was a public apology from the German girls at the party. We can only imagine what had transpired after we left. We turned in early with the plan to lift the hook early and get a jump on the fleet. We didn’t want to arrive in Cabo after dark and miss the party at Squid Roe.

The alarm sounded at 0400 and after a quick cup of instant coffee we raised anchor and set our sights on Cabo. This was the shortest leg with only one overnight at sea. We were able to sail till the evening and then our speed dropped to less than 2kts. I admit that a little barn fever set in and the motor was started. Soon we where motor sailing at 5kts. Everything seemed to work well except for the water maker. While sailing along I diagnosed the problem as having an air leak in the input side preventing the unit from reaching the pressure (800psi) it needs to make drinking water from sea water. The problem would wait for Cabo and we still had 40 gallons of good water in the second tank and plenty of cold beer. The VHF radio brought the good news that we had secured a slip assignment in Cabo. With 150 boats it gets really interesting finding a place to park in such a small marina. Well maybe not so small any more. The price actually had gone down from 2006 so we were happy to tie up for a couple of nights. The bad news was that a northern was blowing in the Sea of Cortez and we would be stuck there till the following Wednesday. I think Will was happy to be in Cabo as Judy his wife was arriving the next day. We went to dinner at the famous Squid Roe bar and the entire Ha Ha crew slowly trickled in. We left after Richard arrived and started dancing on the stage. We sat out the beach party the next day but made it to the awards ceremony on Saturday. We were extremely pleased with getting the second place trophy for the Agave division on the second leg (We sailed the entire leg). Thanks to Will Frederickson and Chris King for all there help in getting Sosiego to Cabo San Lucas!

Chris King has just left the boat to catch a plane ride home. I have to say we are both sad to see him go. Some men talk the talk, but Chris walks the walk. The sailing was a mixed bag. We all know at times we have to take the good with the bad. Chris held true even when we had to motor 16 hours to make a deadline in San Diego. There was only 5 to 8 knots of wind but raising sail would have made us late to our destination and I have the feeling he hates motoring as much as I do. Thanks to his help we are here at the starting line. Debbie is now considering a new career in karaoke but that’s another story. Every trip is epic in its own right, this one was filled with wild life. In 2006 we saw one whale and a pod of dolphins. This trip was packed with flora and fauna. The humpback population represented very well with sightings in the bay of Monterey and three that surfaced just off the bow at Point Conception. Dolphins being the playful creatures that they are, danced in and out of the bow wake near Santa Barbara and on the way to Two Harbors Catalina.

We stopped in Santa Barbra to catch a few hours of needed sleep and fill the water tanks then we set sail for the Island of Santa Cruz with our sights on Smugglers cove. Debbie (Gordon Ramsey)Graham, fixed a scrumptious taco soup while Chris and I attempted a beach landing through the surf. We kept the right side up but shipped a little sea water in the process. The water was so clear you could see the bottom 20 foot below. We had an amazing dinner then slept till 0345. Raising the anchor we turned the bow towards Catalina.

All of us were anxious to get to Catalina knowing there would be an entire day of relaxation and no traveling. We arrived just prior to sundown and had a hell of a time getting their mooring ropes to cooperate. After all was said and done Chris suggested we go ashore to the bar and have some tapas and drinks. All in agreement we set out in our bat mobile disguised as a dinghy and headed to the dinghy dock.

Little did Debbie know that just a hair of liquid courage, or was that an entire bottle, one will never know, that she would become Karaoke Queen of Isthmus Harbor. Although a short video was taken of her singing she wouldn’t allow it to be posted. ……Chicken.

The next day, a short hike and a view of the other harbor had us both ready to hang out on the boat. It wasn’t warm, so snorkeling seemed to be a distant dream. That was a shame since the water was so beautifully clear. Perhaps we should have just jumped in with both feet. All in all it was a wonderful, restful respite and we knew the next day would be long and exhausting. Grib files, what we know consider to be more akin to x-files, showed little wind. Unfortunately, this was painfully accurate.

Sixteen hours later arriving in the dark of night, we arrived in San Diego. Oh the fun of determining…..is that green buoy flashing every 3 or 4 seconds. What about the one that is supposed to be 56 feet in the air and flashes every 4 seconds. Doesn’t it seem more like 5..In all the confusion,  Chris yelps and is landing on his ass. Damn those pinniped’s, becoming shark imposters, that are about to take someone out in the cockpit. Thank goodness he wasn’t hurt, and we could all laugh after the encounter.   After that, we had such fun following what looked to be an entire five story city block. Ahh well, it helped us to find our final destination…Cabrillo Marina.

Until the next post this is SV Sosiego signing out. Good Night,

We are comfortably tied to the pier in Monterey Bay. The Sea Lions are quite boisterous, jousting for the best place to haul out often resulting in quite the battle. We plan to take on the not quite fun part of cruising, laundry and shopping. Yesterday the seas where flat and the wind non existent at 0500. We where greeted by a full moon in Half Moon Bay. The sky was full of stars, the big and little dipper, Cassiopeia, and the north star with no fog which never happens and was amazing to behold. I started the log book and the journey was on it’s way. We motored for the first 8 hours before the wind returned and the sailing began. I was excited to hoist our new asymmetrical which I have very little experience with. Youtube only goes so far. Chris King has joined the crew and was able to coach me on the finer aspects of flying a kite. We were able to carry this sail until we were within a couple miles of Monterey. Truly awesome sailing! Our arrival in Monterey was spectacular with Whales breeching over the trench followed by a pair of Orcas surfacing within a hundred yards of the boat. One of the pair had lost half his dorsal fin. Debbie got some Pictures so check it out. Till next post S/V Sosiego and crew.

Once upon a time during the early days of my sailing career I decided it would be real cool to sail under the golden gate bridge. This was in the days prior to any formal study of sailing. My entire knowledge base was acquired from a beginner, how to sail book, from Hobbie. The boat was a Hobbie TJ 14 catamaran. The launch site was the Berkley Marina launch ramp. I had a plan. Dear reader all I can say is I had a guardian angel looking out for me because by all rights I should have won the Darwin award for this stunt. First I didn’t wear a wet suit didn’t even own one. No VHF radio aboard, no flares, just one pfd. Tides, what tides, why should I be concerned about tides? Weather, why should I be concerned about weather? Bay summer wind patterns on the bay. Why should I care? This is California isn’t it? I launched about 10:30 am. San Francisco bay was like a milk pond. The water was flat with only a ghost of a wind. I made good progress toward the gate. The day was beautiful as I passed Angel Island to starboard tacking up the slot. Any bay sailor knows about the notorious afternoon winds of the bay. One minute you have a gentle 8-10 knots of wind the next 20-25 knots. People familiar with Hobbies know there are no reef points in the sail (a way to reduce sail area). As I neared the gate these notorious winds hit with a vengeance. I’m a little stubborn and decided to continue even though I was greatly over powered and in danger of capsizing. The tricky part was the gybe under the gate without broaching but with that accomplished I ran before this heavy wind on a bee line for Berkley. I soon realized the danger I was in as the leeward bow kept trying to stuff under the waves and pitch poling was a real possibility. Just like the AC 45’s in the Americas cup. I worked my way to the very end of the windward stern to try and keep the boat upright as I passed racing monohulls like they were standing still their crew all decked out in their foul weather gear. Boy a wet suit would have been a good idea! I made it back to Berkley with all hands and the boat still right side up. Lessons learned!

Wow the Hobbie quickly taught me the limits of sailing. We were upside down more often than not. I have always maintained that you can learn to sail in an afternoon and then spend a lifetime improving your skill. If you listen carefully to your beloved boat she will tell you what you need to know. At least how to stay upright. Time passed quickly and so the progression of boats. Hobbie tj14, Rhodes 19, and then Elskan a 28′ Carl Alberg design. I took ASA classes through advanced coastal cruising with Tradewinds. IT was on the third day of the advanced coastal trip when I discovered a new reality. We had rounded the Farallons and were hove to off Pt. Reyes for dinner. The rest of the crew were below deck eating while I stood watch and ate in the cockpit. The sunset, the sea, i can’t explain except that I felt whole and one with my surroundings. This is what I was born for. I have always loved the outdoors but this was different. This was no longer a hobby it was a way of life.