Whale Watching…Bill 2, Kim 0

We have now sailed the Sea of Cortez for 2 winters and I have yet to see a whale!  (No we didn’t take that picture of the whale). People on other boats will say, ” Did you see the whales as you came into anchor?” NO….. and Bill claims to have seen spouts and/or whales everytime I go below.  Believe me, I am looking when I am on watch but no luck.

Well, this seems like it has been a very short season for us.  We spent 2 months in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico before actually getting the boat into the water due to repairs and now we are putting her up earlier than last year.  Our best sail was the crossing from San Carlos to Punta Chavata in 12 hours on a reefed main and jib.  We felt so much more confident this year and Just Dandy is running better and faster than ever!

We just arrived back in La Paz and we feel like we are home.  We spent 2 months here last winter and love the place!  Bill is even able to get his hair cut at the marina, bummer I was hoping he was going for the ponytail like a lot of other cruisers!

My last blog ended with us in Bahia Conception for about a week.

Well, our intended 2 days turned into 21 days.  Some of the days we were going to leave, weather prevented us, but I have to admit it was mostly the people and fun we were having that kept us there.

One day, I joined other ladies for some watercolor painting,

 we paddleboarded in the mornings,

and even joined a bunch of other old farts for music with Fast Eddie and the Slow Learners.  (Fast Eddie used to play for Van Halen).

 The rain lasted only long enough for an intermission, then the band played on.

Finally, it was time to head further south. Our first stop was Calleto San Juanico, which was one of our favorite places and we weren’t disappointed again. This location is really pretty and we were able to hike around to some new spots, not to mention paddle boarding gave us a new perspective.

Full Moon Arising

While in Santispac and in San Juanico we saw a lot of Red Tide.  At first glance, it looks like a boat has emptied their septic tank into the bay.  It does leave slimy stuff on the bottom of the boats, dinghys, and paddle boards.  But at night, it is specatular!  The phosphorescent properties of the Red Tide, create an effect that looks like ‘glow in the dark’ sparkles.  As we left EZ Duz IT, some friends’ boat last night, the trail in the water from the red tide left from our dinghy was amazing.  Bill tried writing his initials in it and I dipped my hand into the water.  Upon pulling it out, my hand was a glow with little lighted dots.  Absolutly beautiful!!

Side Note: Red Tide

• Having lived in San Diego for 30 years, I was aware but ignorant about the Red Tide.  Bill says that he used to hear about ‘Red Tide’ warnings.  The Red tide occurs when colonies of algae—simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds.  But not all algal blooms are harmful. Most blooms, in fact, are beneficial because the tiny plants are food for animals in the ocean. In fact, they are the major source of energy that fuels the ocean food web.  (I don’t know which one this was.)

I even left a momento, using some of my basket making materials, on the cruisers shrine…

We spent a few days in Puerto Escondido, then to Agua Verde.

This is another bay we stayed at last year but this year we met some cruisers who showed us around the village.  They took us to a goat farm, where we purchased fresh goat cheese, yum!, and homemade tortillas and later had the best quesadillas!!!

Bill even found the local jail!

Then onto Timbabiche which is a small fishy village.  One of our least favorite stops as the current creates a lot of rocking at night.  We wanted to stop here to see Casa Grande, a big old house.  The story is told that a boatless fisherman in the 1920s found a 5 carat pearl in the waters here.  He received enough money for it to build a fleet of fishing boats and build Casa Grande.  After his death, it all went to ruin.  It makes me wonder if this pearl is this the inspiration for John Steinbeck’s The Pearl. He wandered around this area quite a bit.

We have encountered a lot more rain and cooler weather this year but nothing like poor Whitney and Jason in Boston!

Another sidenote:

• Some people who know me might describe me as a little bossy and wonder how Bill is surviving 24/7 with me.  Just Dandy, thank you!  As a little girl, my dad used to call me Lucy from the Peanuts cartoons and my siblings would all say that I had been the bossy older sister.  My ‘fab’ friends have a nice term for my bossiness, Captain Kirk.  I like to think I have strong leadership skills and am a decision maker with creative ideas.  My children are thrilled that Bill will put up with my ‘leadership skills’ and I will admit that I do throw out great suggestions and ideas along the way.  But Bill also likes to be in charge and yet no one that I have met that knows him well has described him as bossy.  He must just be more subtle about it.  To get around being bossed, we have started playing cribbage with the winner being boss for the next day.  Now Bill claims to be the Cribbage Master and I am fairly new to the game, so guess who is usually boss?  However, what we are finding out is that each one of us struggles when we are not Boss for a Day.  We are both used to being the decision maker and have to be reminded who is the boss.  Yikes, I have got to work on my game so I can boss him more!

Well, I am off to Boston, brrrr, on March 10 for the birth of Baby Cardozi!!!!  We will be putting Just Dandy up in La Paz and Bill is flying back to San Carlos to get his truck and then saunter northward via Palm Springs, San Diego, and Park City.  Thanks for all the positive comments about this blog and the concern that I haven’t posted enough.  Don’t want to bore you but love sharing!