Relaxing day with friends

We went for a relaxing stroll on the beach of Bahia Santa Maria (Mexico) with no one in sight and walked to the sand dunes. And those footprints in the photo all belong to us!

Judy atop sand dune looking out towards Sea Turtle

Another sailboat, SV Adios, pulled into the bay - a family we had met in San Diego. We invited them and their 2 young teenagers to join us for a BBQ fish dinner, and after an enjoyable meal and visit, we pulled anchor at 22:00 to head for Cabo San Lucas which is at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula (about 1,160 km SE of San Diego).

We began by motoring so we could turn on the watermaker as our water tanks were getting a little low.

Bahia Santa Maria

Winds picked up pretty good yesterday on our voyage from Turtle Bay (Mexico) so we sailed. Jordan threw out a line and caught a beautiful Dorado (Mahi Mahi) fish. He's doing pretty good at supplying delicious food for our dinners!

Good for several meals

Shortly afterwards at 11:00, we pulled into Bahia Santa Maria (N24°46.855' W112°15.175') and set anchor. We had the bay all to ourselves. There are only a couple of fishing huts at this tiny village. Later in the day, we explored the long sandy beach which is known as Sand Dollar Beach - there were large sand dollars scattered everywhere! We of course collected a few.

Sand Dollar Beach

Total calm

We left Turtle Bay (Mexico) at 11:00 with very little wind - with sails up, we could only reach a speed of 3 knots. We call it snail sailing! Once again, we had the sailor´s delight of a visit by a school of dolphins playing in our bow. Soon afterwards, we decided to motor-sail.

By evening, the seas were unusually glassy calm. No swells, no waves. Are we lost? Are we motoring on a lake? I never imagined an ocean could be this calm.

Barely a ripple...

Warmest evening ever - first time that I did not need a jacket during my night watch. When doing a check during my watch, I saw that the boat waves were producing a phosphorescent effect and shooting drops of water out that, when landing, looked like stars in the water, or a mini fireworks effect, as all the droplets landed. And the phosphorescence from the churning prop of the boat was trailing about 12 metres. I had to wake up Jordan so he could share these amazing sights with me.

Turtle Bay

With very choppy seas, we motored into Turtle Bay Mexico (N27°41.159' W114°53.355') at 11:30. This is a very desolate village of less than 1,000 people but a very welcome all-weather stop after a long tiring voyage.

We spent time with cruisers that we had met in San Diego (SV Maestro), and after a sunny day of trolling for fish one day in the Bay with them, they invited us for delicious lunch AND dinner aboard their luxurious 72-foot sailboat. Great people, conversation, and food!

A little tricky to go into town if the tide is not high - the steep ladder up to the fuel dock (the only dock) is in no way connected to the wobbly dinghy platform. So if the tide is low, you will have to jump up to 3 feet to reach the first rusty rung of the ladder!

Another option is having fuel delivered to your boat

Flying fish

We left Ensenada in stiff winds and sailed at 6 knots with the head sail hoisted. During the 3-night passage, Jordan performed a couple of boat jobs. With Sea Turtle's engine stopped and sails down, he stood on the outside of the transom and held on to the windvane to tighten a bolt but ended up getting wet so he next launched the dinghy so he could use it as a work platform to attach a new eye to the transom.

Back on board (both Jordan and the dinghy), he later riveted the spinnaker pole ends to the new pole which was used to sail wing-on-wing by also using the whisker pole. But we can't fly our spinnaker sail yet as a line needs to be run to the top of the mast.

When down below, we heard a bang and then a vibration, a previously unheard type of sound. Jordan immediately went up and with deck lights on, discovered not only numerous small squid but a large flying fish flopping around (we believe that the flying fish are trying to catch the squid). If the fish don´t plop down on the deck, they soar across the boat from one end to the other, which is quite an amazing sight.

Checking out the wing span before returning this flying fish to the ocean

During the next several days, we were finding small squid in all sorts of places!

Heading off again

Today we returned to Mexican shores and completed the check-in process successfully with the beautiful Puerto Capitan. We were expecting the Capitan to be a man so were naturally but pleasantly surprised.

Jordan bought a Hawaiian Sling (a type of spear gun for fishing), we walked around the Global Market some more trying to find a coil for the old outboard so we can sell it, and checked out Gringo Gulch - a touristy strip where we got a lime presser. This fresh pressed lime juice will be used on Jicama and fish, and of course in tasty margaritas! (Jicama is a sweet root vegetable that looks like a turnip and is good in salads and salsa.)

We then left Cruiseport Village Marina at 16:30 to head for Turtle Bay, around 275 miles SE of Ensenada and half-way down the Mexican Baja Peninsula.

Discovering the town

At Ensenada (Mexico). we checked into Cruiseport Village Marina, located behind a breakwater which provided protection from the surge, and the bilingual Harbor Master Vanessa drove us to Immigration and Customs and handled all of the necessary paperwork and copying of forms at 4 of the 5 check-in stations - in and out in less than 2 hours. As the Puerto Capitan (that's Mexican - not a spelling mistake!) station is not manned on Saturday or Sunday, we will check in with him on Monday.

At 1 of the stations, you press a large button. If you get a green light, you pass. If you get a red light, you get inspected. We got green.

We met Andy, an old salt from Alaska, who kindly offered to drive us around and took us to the very large Global Market that covered many, many street blocks. We took the opportunity to stock up on an abundance of different fruits and veggies. We even tried out prickly pear cactus for dinner!

The weather was a bit rainy so we're hoping for more pleasant conditions tomorrow...

MEXICO!

We sailed until 02:00, then motor-sailed. Jordan caught a 7-8 lb Pacific Bonito (tuna). We´ve been referencing a book called Ken Schultz´s Field Guide to Saltwater Fish for identification to avoid eating anything poisonous and have found it to be very comprehensive.

Welcome to Mexico! We anchored alongside a few other boats (N31°51.44' W116°37.59') at Ensenada upon arrival in the early afternoon, our first Mexican stop.

Mexico has one of the largest flags in the world

Upon anchoring, we headed up to check in with Immigration and, at first, found this to be a bit more complicated than expected. We finally figured out through speaking limited Spanish that we had to first check into a marina as being at anchor is no longer allowed at Ensenada.

The other boats that were anchored were only allowed to do so as the unprotected docks they had been at earlier had fallen apart during the recent storm, with one derelict boat sinking and one boat sustaining damages. As it was getting late in the day, we stayed at our anchorage for the evening.

Finishing up

We drove to Newport California (southern USA) with some friends yesterday which was a treat as we did not stop there on our journey south and of course went to Minney´s Yacht Surplus. Minney's is owned by Ernie Minney and is a great place where yachties can buy, sell, and trade boating equipment with a motto of "We keep boating affordable".

Jordan has been very busy getting everything ship shape - adjusted the windvane, added 1 last hose to the watermaker, and procured a spinnaker pole. We also got the required 2 Mexican fishing licenses (1 each), checked out of the United States of America, and finally, left the dock at 23:45 for an overnighter to Ensenada Mexico!

The air was quite chilly.

Water spout

We were at anchor by the San Diego Yacht Club and it started out as a normal day. Strong winds were blowing, as forecasted. (Even though the weekend had passed, we were allowed to stay at our anchorage due to the weather predictions of a gale.)

We were watching Notes on a Scandal on our DVD player when all of a sudden Sea Turtle heeled 60° first to starboard and then to port, with her toe rails in the water! Everything went flying.

We found out later that a twister passed through and went right over our boat and a couple of others at 80-90 knots causing the unexpected heeling. The gas dock´s 40-year old sign was demolished as well as the odd tree.

Unfortunately, it also flipped our dinghy, submerging the outboard motor which was not able to be fixed. But we were lucky enough to find a great second-hand one a couple of days later at a nearby shop for a reasonable price - and it runs better than the one we had before!

Playing hopscotch

We could only stay at the Police Docks in San Diego (USA) for a maximum of 10 days every 45 days. After our 10 days, we moved to a free anchorage, available on weekends only, and made a reservation 24 hours in advance as required.

Then we moved to an anchorage at Glorietta Bay at Coronado (about an hour away) for another 3 days, available only during weekdays, and also requiring a reservation 24 hours in advance.

After that, back to our original anchorage for our last 3 allowed days. Quite a hopscotch routine! If you wish to remain longer in San Diego, you must move to rolly waters that have a longer stay-period. PS You can´t buy any boat parts in Coronado.

And leaving the United States, well you can't just go to the Customs Dock as you do when checking in. You have to go downtown to check out, quite a distance away, and then must leave the US within 48 hours. Will sure be glad to get to Mexico, away from all the regulations!

We've spent the last several days doing the last boat stuff, where everything is easily available, before our next stop in Mexico. Jordan has attached dinghy wheels for all the upcoming beach landings. And he removed the boat propeller and had it re-pitched as the RPMs were too high for the speed of Sea Turtle. The test run after reattachment indicated a faster speed with lower RPMs so the re-pitching was a successful manoeuvre. Next big job is to try to find a spinnaker pole so we can fly our colourful spinnaker sail in light winds.

We have also spent several days with family and friends who have been in the area and came for a visit. Here's our smallest and cutest visitor so far...

Abbey, Jordan's sister and brother-in-law's dog

As far as tourist things, one day we visited the USS Midway, a recently decommissioned aircraft carrier of 1927. It used 260 gallons of fuel per mile and 10 tons of food per day. Jordan especially really enjoyed going through it and seeing the engine room...a guy thing...

Communications room - big change from nowadays!

Another day, we toured the non-profit San Diego Wild Animal Park. The Park was not originally intended to have public access but it was later opened to the public as more funds were required to keep it in operation. It's dedicated to protecting and preserving wildlife and habitats.

The Park breeds endangered species as most animals will not breed in zoos and require a natural setting, which the Park provides. It also provides a home to animals that have nowhere else to go, such as the African elephants that were to be slaughtered in Swaziland and 2 injured condors that will later be released from the Park.

We spent 5-6 hours walking all around the 1,800 acre Park and were able to get very close to several of the 3,500 rare and exotic animals. Our photos show only a few of them - check our Photo Gallery in the Past San Francisco album at the end of the set - and I identified all that I could remember.

In the evening, we watched a toe-nail clipping of the moon setting until it was sitting on the horizon - just like a happy smile!

Meeting old friends

At 08:00, we in arrived San Diego after an uneventful evening and morning. We checked in with Customs and docked at the Harbor Police Mooring Slips (N32°42.573' W117°14.047') - should be safe here!

Later in the evening, we heard a knock on the boat and Holly and Denis of SV Tango were also here. We had met Holly and Denis through our Ham radio course in Victoria a couple of years ago. The four of us caught up on adventures over Happy Hour and snacks.

Santa Catalina...

We continued to motorsail until 06:30 when we raised our sails. The temperature got a bit brisk. Two hours later - no wind, nada, zilch, zero. Motorsailed again. The temperature came back up again - hot and sunny.

Arrived at noon at Santa Catalina on the 17th - 1 of the southern Channel Islands which is 40 kilometres from the mainland. We dropped anchor in front of the Avalon Casino (N33°20.972' W118°19.368') which, by the way, is not a gambling casino but a huge gathering/meeting place built by the chewing gum millionaire William Wrigley Jr. It was closed so we were not able to tour it.

Catalina is reminiscent of a Mediterranean-type town and has very colourful tiles all over town that are made right in Catalina. Check the Photo Gallery in Past San Francisco for a few photos.

Weighed anchor at 17:00 for an overnighter to San Diego and motorsailed once again, although we always prefer wind and sailing.

Night lightshow

Night-time...still sailing from Morro Bay towards Santa Catalina (USA). Jordan noticed that the phosphorescence made the breaking waves very visible and we saw streaks of it moving through the water like erratic torpedoes and realized it was dolphins (N34°19.20' W120°36.85')! It was the most spectacular phenomenon that left 23-metre illuminated trails, and as about a dozen dolphins then played on our bow wave, the luminescence was so bright you could clearly make out their bodies, tails, and fins - crisscrossing, coming in pairs, jumping out of the water!

We watched in awe for about 1/2 an hour when we rounded Point Conception at 04:00 in very favourable conditions, and being escorted by these magical dolphins. Wish we could have captured it on film and shared the amazing sights with you.

The wind died out after rounding the Point and we began to motorsail. At about noon, we had another dozen dolphins playing in our bow wave again. As it was daylight, we took several pictures, and a video that is in our Photo Gallery in the folder entitled Past San Francisco.

Even without night-time phosphorescence, it was still an awesome sight!

This time, they were escorting us into Fry's Harbor (N34°03.235' W119°45.265'). The Channel Islands consist of the north islands: San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa - and the south islands: Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, Santa Catalina, and San Clemente.

Fry's Harbor is located on the north coast of Santa Cruz Island where we anchored at 13:30 for a short break after travelling all night - the water was so clear that we could see the anchor 11 metres below. We had the area to ourselves, and after lunch, Jordan put the dinghy in the water and we explored some more neat caves.

Coming out of one of the caves in the dinghy

We saw an abundance of orange starfish, purple sea urchins, clams and mussels, seals or sea lions, and schools of fish. And crab buoys everywhere...we hope our friend Max is getting a lot of use with the crab trap we left in Victoria!

We left at 16:45 to continue south to Santa Catalina Island, with thoughts of what a glorious day it had been - had a great sail through the night and early morning, experienced dolphins not once but twice, stopped at a desolate anchorage, made an awesome supper under sail, and laid back and watched the falling stars with warm wind on our faces.

We motorsailed, but at 22:00 raised the main as wind had picked up. Beautiful warm evening with bright stars but no moon again tonight. A couple of hours later, the wind completely died once again...back to motorsailing.

"They" say that after rounding Point Conception there is a change where temperature is warmer and the colder north climate is gone. We have found this to be true!

Leaving Morro Bay

We did a weather check once again before leaving Morro Bay at 13:30 on November 14th and found favourable conditions for bypassing Point Conception, which can be very hazardous due to unusually strong winds and large seas.

We sailed at 6.5 knots in strong NW winds all through the night - after so much motoring it was enjoyable to finally have a great sail.

Two hours out of Morro Bay, we passed by the nuclear plant (N35°13.15' W120°56.15' - GPS co-ordinates from the boat) at Diablo Canyon which was clearly visible on shore with its 2 distinctive round dome buildings.

Enjoying Morro Bay

When crossing the sandbar and coming into Morro Bay on November 11th from San Simeon (California USA), we passed the landmarks of the huge dacite rock and the 3 tall stacks that supply power. The rock, a volcanic rock similar to granite, provided building materials for several breakwaters but is now an Ecological and Natural Preserve.

Sea Turtle IV in the centre in front of Morro Rock

Dredging the channel in front of the 3 stacks

We spent the first night tied up at the Morro Bay Yacht Club dock and then anchored for the rest of our stay at this beautiful town. There are very strong currents in the Bay so one day Jordan towed the motorless dinghy of Rick and Rosie of SV Abraham (they are from San Francisco and heading for Hawaii). They very kindly reciprocated by inviting us for homemade spaghetti!

We had been told by previous sailors to Morro Bay to visit the Yacht Club because of the great hospitality, so on Friday evening, we went in for Happy Hour. And they were right - the hospitality, free appetizers, and liquid refreshments were all great. Their bar is made to look like the hull of a particular boat (but we cannot remember which boat) and is very unusual - never seen a bar like it.

Morro Bay has many eclectic shops and galleries and is a very active boating community, getting 300+ transient boats each year.

Jordan's creative side

I Am Drawn

(written by Jordan)

I'm drawn with every beat. Is it blood or is salt?
With every ebb a yonder callng, I'm drawn, it's not my fault.
I'm drawn.

Who's there? What's there? Is it a swirling current that draws to the beyond?
Or is it the moon, I've noticed the urge in the quiet shone?
I'm drawn.

On shore steadfast I can stand against the wind from the brine.
But why do I bend and sway when the wind then comes from behind?
I'm drawn.

I must, for best or worst, ride the mighty crests from dawn to dawn.
I relent and set sail for the unknown to realize the imagined,
for I am drawn.

Copyright 2009 Jordan, SV Sea Turtle IV

On to Morro Bay

We left at noon on November 9th for an overnighter from Monterey Bay to San Simeon (N35°38.382' W121°11.449'), and arrived at 07:10 the next morning. Under sunny skies, we headed off to see the Hearst Castle. Views from the Castle were fantastic - looking over grassy, rolling hills down to beautiful views of ocean. Apparently, William Randolph Hearst loved to buy things, and the castles and grounds are filled with his many varied purchases from all over the world, including a 3,500 year old statue from Egypt.

View of Hearst Castle on top of the hill taken from Sea Turtle (note the surf)

When we returned to Sea Turtle in the dinghy, we were swamped by the surf and got absolutely soaked from head to foot...good thing we were heading back to the boat instead of going to the Castle!

The next morning we took the dinghy through some caves in the windward shore, then pulled anchor at 11:15 for an approximate 5-hour voyage to our next destination of Morro Bay (N35°21.766' W120°51.173'), arriving at 17:00 on November 11th.

At Monterey Bay

We left Sausalito (California USA) at 16:30 and motored all night and day as wind was on the nose; some fog. Arrived at Santa Cruz the next morning at 08:00 (N36°57.33' W122°00.14'). It was not as warm as San Francisco. We took a bus to Capitola, a quaint little village by the ocean and about 15 minutes away from Santa Cruz.

After spending the day in Capitola, we then left Santa Cruz and once again motored all the way to Monterey Bay (N36°36.34' W121°53.50') as there was next to no wind. On the way, we encountered hundreds of jellyfish! Arrived in the dark and anchored out. There are hundreds of seals and sea lions all around the boats feasting on the influx of sardines.

The next day we walked to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and spent about 3 hours viewing all the sights. The aquarium was awesome! Our favourites were all the sea horse and jellyfish displays. The sea horse exhibitions only just opened in April of this year. We saw marine species that we did not even know existed, such as the sea dragons (check out video in Photo Gallery).

Translucent jellyfish...

...and coloured jellyfish.

Not a feather pen, but a sea pen that emits a bright greenish light when touched...

Beautiful, amazing sea dragon!

We will be spending the next couple of nights at the marina as there are 15 to 20-foot swells with 3 to 4-foot waves predicted which would be a very uncomfortable anchorage.

Too bad we spent so many dollars to buy a dinghy - we could have built ourselves one just like this little beauty...

Another day, we took a bus to Carmel and viewed the sights - found it to be a rather pretty but very expensive town.

Still hanging out

We are back in Sausalito (California USA) after a fruitful excursion to Victoria (British Columbia Canada) - time went by too fast and not able to see everyone and do everything.

We spent the last couple of days with friends from Victoria as they were in San Francisco on a short holiday. We drove out to Sonoma and Napa Valley with them to do a bit of wine tasting. Fun times, hot weather, and great friends.

We are now awaiting a part for the outboard motor which should arrive tomorrow. Spent the day in the hot 26°C sun (80°F) running errands and Jordan made further adjustments to the RVG. Planning on heading out tomorrow after the impeller arrives.