Looks like we are going to have a little wind event here for the next couple of days so I am going to move around to the other side of the island for better protection. It was pretty rolly here on the NW side of the island. I went in to say hello to my kayaker neighbors last night and took them a fresh batch of Kahlua brownies which was a BIG hit. lol. Super nice people, all from Canada down here for 7 days kayaking around the Loreto and LaPaz area. At about 8pm I headed back to the boat and we had a huge swell pushing in here. It was big enough that at just the right time I stepped directly from the dinghy to the back deck without the ladder. For those that have not been onboard, that's normally about a 4' hop that requires 3-4 steps up the ladder. Getting the dinghy up on the davits with that swell was a major chore during which I thought one of the davits might actually break. Wow, not fun.
Today I have sunny skies and a light wind so I think I will move down to Bahia Bonanza on Isla Espiritu Santo which is on the SE side of the island and should be a good protection from the 15-20 knot NW winds that are expected on Thusday and Friday. And last but not least...the lobster report. I was all set and ready to go out and find some treasure last night but with 15 knot winds and a big swell coming into the anchorage, I bailed. Way to rough. Bummer. Now I will never know if my previous scouting report was on track or out in left field. lol.
Bret
SV Liahona
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
March 4, Playa Bonanza, Isla Espiritu Santo
Well land lubbers here goes today's report. I said goodbye to my kayak friends and left Ensenada Grande this morning around 9am. Wind was good blowing from the NW at about 9 knots. Within 10 minutes of pulling anchor I turned the key off to the engine and I was under way with the main and the reacher doing about 5-6 knots. But as luck would have it the wind died to about 4 knots and sometimes less. I decided that I was in no hurry and had plenty of time to make the 21 miles south to the bottom end and southeast part of Isla Espiritu Santo so I just let 'er sail. It was S L O W, sometimes only doing a knot or a little more. There was another boat in front of me sailing as well and within no time Liahona had tracked her down and I was chatting with the older couple from 50' off of their port beam about 4 miles off shore. The old guy captain was originally from Medford. Sing along with me here..."It's a small world after all...". Crazy. Anyway, after a short visit I sailed onward out in front of them and they soon turned more SW going to LaPaz this afternoon.
There is a reef off the end of Isla ES called San Lorenzo reef and there is a channel in between it an mainland Baja that was about 3 miles out of the way so after careful inspection of the charts I decided to cut in between the San Lorenzo reef and the bottom of Isla ES. Luckily I was crawling along at about 2 knots and over sand because it got a little sketchy as I was only in about 15' of water under full sail. Eeek. Little sketch but I figured it was all sand, it was low tide and I was going a crawling pace so if somehow the charts were wrong and I rubbed the bottom I could wait a couple of hours and get outta there. haha. Anyway, it turned out fine and all it cost me was was a few more grey hairs. lol.
Playa Bonanza is a 2 mile long, slight crescent shaped bay with all white sand. Ya, it doesn't suck here either. haha. Oh...and the big news for the day...wait for it...wait for it...the water temp has officially risen above 70 degrees! Nice! I talked with a cruiser on the ham radio this morning that is in Puerto Vallarta and he said the water temp there is 80. That sounds pretty delicious!
Today's fishing report...same! Nada! Zip. Zilch. Zero. WTH? Good thing I have food aboard. haha. Anyway, this email is pretty long so I better say adios.
Bret
SV Liahona
There is a reef off the end of Isla ES called San Lorenzo reef and there is a channel in between it an mainland Baja that was about 3 miles out of the way so after careful inspection of the charts I decided to cut in between the San Lorenzo reef and the bottom of Isla ES. Luckily I was crawling along at about 2 knots and over sand because it got a little sketchy as I was only in about 15' of water under full sail. Eeek. Little sketch but I figured it was all sand, it was low tide and I was going a crawling pace so if somehow the charts were wrong and I rubbed the bottom I could wait a couple of hours and get outta there. haha. Anyway, it turned out fine and all it cost me was was a few more grey hairs. lol.
Playa Bonanza is a 2 mile long, slight crescent shaped bay with all white sand. Ya, it doesn't suck here either. haha. Oh...and the big news for the day...wait for it...wait for it...the water temp has officially risen above 70 degrees! Nice! I talked with a cruiser on the ham radio this morning that is in Puerto Vallarta and he said the water temp there is 80. That sounds pretty delicious!
Today's fishing report...same! Nada! Zip. Zilch. Zero. WTH? Good thing I have food aboard. haha. Anyway, this email is pretty long so I better say adios.
Bret
SV Liahona
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
March 3, Isla San Francisco
Well kids...I am safely anchored here at Isla San Francisco about a 5 hour sail north of La Paz. The last half of the day turned out quite nice with a gentle 8-10 knot breeze. With the reacher and the main out and the motor quiet I was cruising along at about 4-5 knots all the way into the anchorage. I got skunked again on the fishing scene but I'll keep trying. Just on today's 7-8 hour run the water temp went from around 65ish to 69ish...it's feeling better. ha I wish I could send a pic of this anchorage, it is beautiful. When I arrived I dropped the paddle board in the water for a little daily exercise and paddled all the way around this crescent shaped bay that is lined with white sand beaches and famous for its puka shells. Paddling along I could see the fish swimming along the sand below me through the aqua waters. Ok, ya...I'm not hating it here. lol
Once I got the anchor down I had an important task to sort out...the LP gas situation. It was actually easier than I thought. After a little testing it indeed was the solenoid so I pulled it out of the loop all together and plumbed the stove direct to the tank via the high pressure valve. All good, it works perfectly. I do need to get another solenoid because it is like a safety valve, if there is a leak, it shuts off the flow. For now I just have to make sure and shut off the valve at the tank just to be safe...even though I checked all of the joints and there are no leaks.
Ok, don't be hatin' but to celebrate such a nice place I busted out one of the two lobsters I snagged back at Los Gatos. On the barbie, basted in garlic butter with a side of garlic spuds and poblano peppers. It didn't suck! haha. I'm definitely not alone here, there are 11 other boats in the bay with me. The bay is huge though and there is plenty of room. Actually, this place could hold 4-5 times as many boats easily so its not like we are stacked on top of one another. Just others out doin' the same thing...trying to enjoy the beauty here in the Sea of Cortez on a very relaxed basis.
Well, that concludes a pretty darn good day. Hope all is well back on the homefront. Definitely missing Marne and my family!
Later,
Bret
SV Liahona
Once I got the anchor down I had an important task to sort out...the LP gas situation. It was actually easier than I thought. After a little testing it indeed was the solenoid so I pulled it out of the loop all together and plumbed the stove direct to the tank via the high pressure valve. All good, it works perfectly. I do need to get another solenoid because it is like a safety valve, if there is a leak, it shuts off the flow. For now I just have to make sure and shut off the valve at the tank just to be safe...even though I checked all of the joints and there are no leaks.
Ok, don't be hatin' but to celebrate such a nice place I busted out one of the two lobsters I snagged back at Los Gatos. On the barbie, basted in garlic butter with a side of garlic spuds and poblano peppers. It didn't suck! haha. I'm definitely not alone here, there are 11 other boats in the bay with me. The bay is huge though and there is plenty of room. Actually, this place could hold 4-5 times as many boats easily so its not like we are stacked on top of one another. Just others out doin' the same thing...trying to enjoy the beauty here in the Sea of Cortez on a very relaxed basis.
Well, that concludes a pretty darn good day. Hope all is well back on the homefront. Definitely missing Marne and my family!
Later,
Bret
SV Liahona
March 3, Ensenada Grande, Isla Espiritu Santo
Today was a short hop from Isla San Francisco south to Ensenada Grande on Isla Espiritu Santo. A short 21 miles which took me just about 4 hours. When I woke up this morning it was raining again and rained for about the first 3 hours of my sail today. What's up with that? ha. And calling it a sail is definitely a stretch. It was dead calm so I motored until about the last hour then I threw out the Reacher in about 8 knots of wind and motor sailed on into the anchorage. Fishing report...skunked again! I must have not gotten the memo that all the fish life in the Sea of Cortez are on an indefinite fast! Seriously though...how long can you troll lines before you at least come across that really stupid or really hungry fish?
The anchorage is...I know you have heard this before...amazingly beautiful. There are several little inlet coves surrounded by striated, sandstone cliffs with a small patch of white sand at the end. I wish I could send a pic or two. I went for a trail run, more like a rock climb/scramble, up to the top to the hill/mountain and looking down on the anchorage with the turquoise waters over the white sand bottom was crazy beautiful. Then I took the dinghy out for a spin and an exploratory dive to see if I could locate an area that might have a few "bugs" (lobsters) down in the crevasses that I might exploit tonight. lol. I definitely found a few prospective sites and I will check it out after dark. I will let you know in tomorrow's email if I was successful or if the lobsters are on the same plan as the fish.
When I came back to the boat, btw, I'm anchored here all by myself, there was a gaggle of kayakers paddling into the cove. Guess I won't be alone tonight. haha. I hope they are all tired from paddling all day and they don't stay up all night partying. There are about a dozen of them. I think that wraps up the report for today. I am eating lentil soup and have a batch of Kahlua browines in the oven...I thought I would take some over to my new cove-mates the kayakers. I am not sure if I am going to move on tomorrow or stay put a day or so. We are supposed to get a norther blow through over the next couple days. I will see how that goes and how strong it is.
Oh, btw, if there is anyone that doesn't really want to get this email, almost daily, then let me know and I will take you off the list.
Later,
Bret
SV Liahona
Ensenada Grande, Isla Partida
When I came back to the boat, btw, I'm anchored here all by myself, there was a gaggle of kayakers paddling into the cove. Guess I won't be alone tonight. haha. I hope they are all tired from paddling all day and they don't stay up all night partying. There are about a dozen of them. I think that wraps up the report for today. I am eating lentil soup and have a batch of Kahlua browines in the oven...I thought I would take some over to my new cove-mates the kayakers. I am not sure if I am going to move on tomorrow or stay put a day or so. We are supposed to get a norther blow through over the next couple days. I will see how that goes and how strong it is.
Oh, btw, if there is anyone that doesn't really want to get this email, almost daily, then let me know and I will take you off the list.
Later,
Bret
SV Liahona
Monday, March 2, 2015
March 2, Los Gatos
The sandstone cliffs of Los Gatos
I woke up last night to very strange sound in the Sea of Cortez...rain. That just doesn't happen very often but the Liahona sure liked the fresh water bath. It was completely overcast this morning in Los Gatos anchorage and when I arose this morning around 6:30am the sunrise was off the charts! Amazing. I listened to the nets on the ham radio this morning, got the weather and checked in.
Today's passage of about 40 miles to Isla San Francisco looks to be pretty quiet. I pulled anchor around 8:30 and pointed her south in a light breeze coming from the SW. I enjoyed a nice, light wind sail this morning and then around 10am the wind totally died and I decided to burn some fossil fuels.
I am currently about 28 miles north of my destination motoring along at about 6.2 knots on a perfectly flat sea. It's pretty peaceful but I wish I wasn't listening to the motor. lol In the cooler waters that we have now, about 65 degrees, the fishing is pretty dead. I have been dragging lines now for about 5 days and haven't had a single hit. Bummer. Hoping that will pick up as I move south into warmer waters. I did grab a couple lobster yesterday late afternoon and I'm looking forward to that little feast tonight.
Last night while I was cooking on the stove it decided to shut off. Hmm. Wasn't sure what to make of that. After scratching my head for quite some time I finally relegated myself to finishing the cooking on the BBQ attached to the rail on the back deck. Later in the evening I pulled out my Nigel Calder book to see if I could determine the problem and I'm pretty sure the solenoid that opens and shuts the gas off from the tanks has gone bad. When I get to Isla SF this afternoon I think I can bypass the solenoid for now and get some gas to the stove then look for a new solenoid either in LaPaz or Cabo.
That's it for now. Hope all is well in the land of the land lubbers. ha. Ciao for now.
Capn' Bret
SV Liahona
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