Fun Times at Turtle Bay

Dancing with Margarita

Maria Presents Her Cake

Village Church

One of Several Pretty Church Windows

Got d' Fever in Turtle Bay

Fun is the universal language expressed in every culture, and Mexicans certainly know how to have fun.  We took the dinghy over to the village of Turtle Bay and tied up at the public dock. Enrique Jr., owner of the dock and panga fuel service, pointed out the restaurant that his sisters operate, so of course we had to stop by Maria's Restaurante for lunch.  We had huevos rancheros, salsa and chips – deliciosa!  We could hear music playing indoors as one of the sisters (Margarita) danced and clapped.  I went in to join her, participating in her dance steps and movements; she seemed pleased that we were having such fun together.  Maria had finished baking a cake and brought it out for all to see; she gave us complimentary slices and wanted to know what we thought – excelente, I told her.  We were sitting outside with another couple who were also from Seattle and who had also stayed at the same marina during the winter as we had; fancy we should meet each other in Mexico of all places.  After lunch, we walked around the village and supported the local economy by buying a few items at two different markets (mercados) and also bought some rolls at the bakery (panaderia).  We saw some muchachos playing in the streets near the schools (escuelas), they waved and smiled at us.  We continued exploring the narrow dirt streets typical of small Mexican villages and discovered the meat shop (carniceria), the barber (peluquero), and the community church (iglesia).  We walked into the church that overlooks the sea and admired the lovely stained glass windows and enjoyed the silence.  Then it was adios to our friends in town, a walk back to la muella (the dock), and a short dinghy ride back home to el barco (the boat).


Joining Others From Seattle

La Panaderia

Village of Turtle Bay

Village Homes - Turtle Bay

Expect the Unexpected

 

 



Headed Across the Bay of San Sebastian

Siesta Time

Cedros Island

Evening at Cedros Island

Moonlit Night

 

Fuel Panga

Fuel Panga

We departed San Carlos at 7:15am in nearly flat seas; pangas were already out competing with the Pelicans for the day’s catch.  Our plotted course took us south, southeast but it looked like we were heading west toward the curvature of the earth - we were crossing the huge expansive bay of San Sebastian Viscaino along Baja’s angled coastline.  It would be another 10 hours before we reached the Island of Cedros.  While underway, Leonard ran a trial test on our Single Side-Band Radio and tested the Satellite Phone making a couple of calls to family back home.  The seas remained calm with gentle swells that increased to no more than 5 feet.  During the passage, Leonard took a nap which would later prove to be beneficial.  As we approached Isla Cedros, we could see mountains rise sharply from the sea; formations left from the island’s volcanic origin.  We passed an adorable little fishing village at the north end of the island, several bungalows and a cute church.  We took anchorage about a quarter mile south of the tiny village in a lovely cove protected from north, northwest winds.  We set the anchor around 5:40pm just as the sky turned red and a full moon appeared on the horizon.  The barking and screeching of Sea Lions echoed off the canyon walls with eerie sounds that punctuated the darkness.  We settled in, ready to enjoy the evening after finishing our dinner.  I started a batch of cookies and as I finished the last batch around 9pm, I heard human voices over the howls of the Sea Lions.  I went out on the cockpit and was surprised to find three men in a panga up next to our boat; they were asking us for some beer.  It seemed rather strange since they already had beer in their hands and the town of Cedros was only three miles to the south, offering ample groceries and supplies.  Perhaps they were just being friendly but we felt it best not to stay the night.  If we had the company of our buddy boat, we most likely would have stayed.  Unfortunately, our sailboat friends who had planned to make the journey with us from Ensenada were suddenly called away to work.  They work as contingent, free-agent insurance claims adjusters managing claims resulting from hurricanes.  With the advent of Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast, they were called away for work.  Finding ourselves alone at Cedros Island without a buddy boat, we decided to take up anchor and continue our journey to Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay) located another 9 hours away – the seas were flat calm and the moon brightly lit, all conducive for an enjoyable night cruise.  Keeping alert throughout the night was the main challenge; Leonard took the first shift having had that nap earlier in the day; I took the second shift.  We arrived in Turtle Bay at the break of dawn, set the anchor, and climbed into bed!  Still a little blurry eyed, I awoke at 9am greeted by beautiful rock formations and the crescent shape of Turtle Bay; six other pleasure boats were anchored in this unique bay.  Leonard had just gotten up and discovered a fuel service panga was patiently waiting for us but keeping a respectable distance from our boat.  Fuel service pangas are the norm in Turtle Bay and much appreciated by pleasure boaters sailing the waters of Mexico.  We motioned the panga to come over and communicated our need for 530 liters (140 gallons) of diesel fuel and asked for the price - 11.80 pesos per liter about $3.40 or $3.50 per gallon.  They were happy to have our business and were very pleasant and businesslike.  We paid them in cash adding a tip and offered them something to drink as is the expected custom.  They asked us for some coke but since we had none on-hand, we gave them some orange juice instead - coke is now an important item on our grocery list!  The fuel at Turtle Bay is reported to be clean but we ran our fuel polishing system just to be on the safe side.  We spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting things back in order from the previous hours of motoring.  Our plan is to spend 3-4 days at Turtle Bay before shoving off on the next leg of our journey.  We look forward to seeing some more of our sailing buddies who arrive in Turtle Bay on Wednesday, October 30^th.


Crescent Shape Turtle Bay

Beautiful Turtle Bay

Down Baja’s West Coast



Sunrise Over Baja

San Quintin

Deploying the Rocker Stoppers

Sunset at San Quintin

Dolphins

Show Off Dolphin

We began our long journey down the west coast of Baja California with an early morning (3:30am) departure from Ensenada by the light of the moon and twinkling stars overhead.  The city lights disappeared behind us and the unseen motion of the waves could be felt rising and falling - a strange and wondrous experience.  After three hours of motoring in the dark, the sun slowly began to show its face over the mountains of Baja.  Several pods of Dolphins came by the boat while Leonard was at the helm; I was napping at the time, but not all was lost since more Dolphins visited us on the next leg of our journey.  We cruised 12 miles off shore in moderate seas, avoiding crab pots and any uncharted rocks and reefs.  We reached Bahia San Quintin around 5:30pm and anchored for the night just before the sun sank into the sea.  Ocean swell was present in the bay so we deployed the “rocker stoppers” for the first time and found that they really do help dampen the motion.  The next morning we left San Quintin around 8:30am; several small boats (pangas) from the village were heading out to fish.  We were greeted with calm seas and gentle swells for the 9-hour trip to Bahia San Carlos and made good use of the passing hours:  installed a solar film on the pilothouse windows to cut down on the heat and glare; studied some more Spanish; and Java tossed her ball down the stairs, watching the humans play fetch.  The Dolphins appeared again to play alongside our boat; one Dolphin sprang straight up in front of our bow; he came down with a big splash that soaked our shirts as we peered over the edge; he was probably telling all his friends, “watch this!”  We arrived in beautiful Bahia San Carlos around 4:30pm; a small village and RV park lie at the foot of imposing mountains with huge cactus along the ridges – it looked like a scene out of the Old West.  Interestingly, this tiny village once served as a coastal stop to off-load and pick up cargo for the mining ventures of the interior.  It’s a lovely spot - we could hear the surf crashing onto the beach and felt the warm breeze coming off the mountains.



Imposing Mountains at San Carlos




Village of San Carlos



RV Campers at San Carlos

Sunset at San Carlos

La Turista

 



Pool Side at Hotel Coral overlooking the Marina

Hotel/Marina Coral

We played tourist on our last day in Ensenada and had fun buying some early holiday gifts in downtown - El Centro.  A cruise ship was in town so shops were ready with salespeople inviting shoppers into their stores; goods were placed along the sidewalks to attract the unsuspecting.  Children were peddling wares like bracelets; candy etc. in hopes of earning their own pesos.  After spending some time in El Centro, we walked along the waterfront stopping at the fish market and checked out the downtown marina.  It seems the Sea Lions have an exclusive club and dock reserved just for them!  Our last stop was at the Office of Port Captain (Officina de Capitania de Puerto) to have yet another form cleared, the Aviso Crew List indicating our date of departure from Ensenada and our declared next port of call – yes, more uniforms, rubber stamps, and stark white walls.  After a wild cab ride, we were back at our marina located on the north end of town.  Later in the day, we walked across the highway and purchased a few more groceries.  We came out with two large bags filled with fresh pan (bread), fruta (fruit), verduras (vegetables), and other items at a cost of only $17; no wonder there are so many expat’s living in Mexico; we could get use to this less expensive life style!  Tomorrow is THE BIG PUSH south (departing 3am in the morning) – 15 hours of cruising with nowhere to hide until we reach the bay of San Quintin, our anchorage for the night; then another 9 hours to Bahia San Carlos for another night’s anchorage; and 10 hours to Isla Cedros for the third night’s anchorage.  From the Island of Cedros, it’s 7-hours to Turtle Bay and then another 13-hour motoring to Punta Abreojos.  The longest stretches are yet to come with 19-hours from Punta Abreojos to Bahia Santa Maria, and 24-hours from Santa Maria to Cabo where we finally have moorage at a marina.  What an incredibly long, remote coastline!  We hope to have cell coverage when we reach Turtle Bay.  Hasta luego (until then)!  Or as Arnold Schwarzenegger would say, "Hasta la vista, Baby" (until the viewing meaning see you later).



Shopping in Ensenada El Centro

El Centro - Ensenada



Fish Market

The Exclusive Club

The Sea Lions' Dock

Nosotros Llegamos en Ensenada

Islands of Los Coronados

Marina Coral - Ensenada

We departed Alta (upper) California and arrived in Ensenada on Sunday, October 21st, an eight hour cruise from San Diego.  We had calm 1-2 foot seas with a light 7 knot wind from astern and passed the lovely islands of Los Coronados just south of the U.S./Mexican border.  Heading toward a blue sky, we continued south 4-5 miles off shore along the Baja (lower) California coastline and arrived in Ensenada around 4:30pm.  We stopped at the fuel dock upon arrival to top off the tanks with 320 gallons of diesel fuel.  The gas prices here are much more reasonable than in the States.  We paid $3.12 per gallon for diesel in Ensenada instead of the going rate of $5 per gallon in San Diego – a big difference when you have a fuel capacity of 700 gallons!  After fueling up, we checked-in at Marina Coral and paid for our moorage slip and provided the requisite proof of insurance, including the Mexican liability insurance which we had purchased on-line earlier.  In the morning we took the marina shuttle into town to clear customs and paid an agent to help us through the process, definitely worth the modest $25 fee for his assistance.  Clearing customs for boaters in Mexico involves obtaining not only a Tourist Card (VISA) for each individual but also clearance papers for the boat, of course all written in Spanish, including the Temporary Import Permit and multiple copies of the Crew List – the process took approximately two hours to complete.  We were then shuttled back to the marina where we relaxed over lunch.  That afternoon, we took a taxi ride back into town to purchase a TelCel Banda Ancha (USB modem), which is a small device the size of a memory stick that plugs into the computer for internet access in Mexico.  An account is created for the modem with a prepaid amount of gigabytes for internet access; additional gigabytes can be purchased on-line as needed.  The Banda Ancha modem operates through the TelCel cell phone towers; these cell towers are located in the larger towns of Mexico.  Bottom line, it was a successful day with two important "must do” items checked off the list.  Java accomplished her tasks the following day.  She went for a walk to meet some other perros (dogs) and had no problem with the universal dog language of sniff and bark and is happy to report that she successfully marked her territory in Mexico as well as in Canada and Alaska on previous trips.

Downtown Ensenada

Java Claiming her Territory

Java's Friends - Neighboring Boat

Preparaciones del Barco

Fuel Polishing Module

Polishing Module Connected to Fuel Lines and Filter

Scuba Tank and Hookah Hose (with second mouth piece)

Home Schooling

Installing the Dinghy Wheels

"Rocker Stoppers"

Wheels flip over and slide down a track mounted to the dinghy transom

We have been making preparations over the last several weeks for our journey into Mexico, including some preemptive maintenance projects on the barco (boat).  Taking on fuel south of the border is a concern for most boaters who dread the prospect of receiving contaminated fuel.  Although Mexico has greatly improved their processing of fuel in recent years, we decided to be on the safe side and install a “fuel polishing module.”  This compact module slowly circulates fuel through existing filters, using a minimal amount of electricity.  Under the definition of “a do it yourself project,” Leonard plumbed hoses into the existing fuel lines, attached the appropriate fittings, and completed the necessary wiring for power – thankfully accomplished without any leaks or air pockets in the lines.  Phew! Another project checked off the list.  We also purchased a scuba diving tank and hookah hose in case Leonard needs to dive the boat and untangle debris from the prop – one of those handy items for independent self-reliance.  An additional challenge visiting Mexico is beaching the dinghy due to the high surf and non-existent public docks in those remote scenic coves.  Our anchor and bungee-cord system for the dinghy works well in small surf, but isn't practical in high surf which tends to push the dinghy into shore, tipping and filling it with water.  It's common practice in Mexico to pull the dinghy up on shore with the use of dinghy wheels.  No doubt, we will be learning how to time the wave such that we can ride the surf into shore while raising the out-drive and lowering the wheels into position, then pull the 400lb dinghy upland – another new experience yet to come!  Got d’ Fever will be anchored in some beautiful bays; but as we have discovered cruising down the West Coast, bays exposed to the sea bring ocean swell and a constant rocking motion that makes it hard to get a good night’s sleep.  Yes, another purchase, this time for some “rocker stoppers.”  A string of large plastic discs are hung mid-ships on each side of the boat extending below the water line to help dampen the rocking motion; it will be interesting to see if they make a significant difference.  Our three-page list of things to buy and do has finally been whittled down to just a few items.  One thing is certain, we definitely want to be done with all the preparations so we can head out to sea once again.  Since we were in port, however, it gave me some time to work on my Spanish.  I have learned enough to at least communicate basic needs and ask some simple questions; of course understanding the answer might be a whole different story.  I have gained a better appreciation for those who speak multiple languages.  It is definitely much easier to speak and write a foreign language than it is to hear and interpret the different sounds of a foreign language.  Best to learn while you are young!  Perhaps we will earn some extra points since we both have Spanish names of Leonard and Lorena.  Speaking of names, we love the name of our local pump-out service in San Diego – “Pepe La Poo.”  We are always amused by the unique names used for pump-out services.  I am sure we will meet other Pepe's in Mexico and look forward to some new adventures and new found friends.