One Fish Dinner in Marquer

The Two Hunters back from the Hunt

Kathy Watching the sunset (a requirement down here).

Hunters Dishing out the Fish

Don entertained us all evening with "Fish Tales"!

Bahia Marquer

Breakfast

   The next morning I took off
in my kayak.  I explored the whole
bay and part of the next one.  There
was truly a lot to see!  The water
was so clear that a mask and
snorkel was not needed.  While I was
paddling everyone and everything was
going about their business.
Including this turkey buzzard who
must have found breakfast on
the rocks. Just past these rocks and
on the other side of the channel is
Puerto Escondito.  Known as
"the Hidden Port" because it is nearly
impossible to see unless you know
it is there.  I kept going around this
corner into the next bay and the water
got deeper and the fish got bigger.
Then decided I had better turn around
because my arm hurt already and just
because I turned around doesn't
mean I am really headed home. It
takes just as long to get back to the
"Mother Ship" if not longer, for me
anyway.  On the way back there were two
guys from the other sailboat in the bay
fishing.  They were very good and
kept catching fish. They threw
most of them back because they
already had plenty to eat. They were
just catching them because they
could.  Fishing is quite the pastime
here.  Every morning Dave, from
Free Spirit would get in his dinghy
and disappear  for hours at a time.
He was out "HUNTING"!!! As it
turns out Don from Wild Rose had
not been fishing and did not know
much about it so a budding relationship
formed and then Dave and Don would
go out every morning to "Hunt".
Dave
taught Don all he knew and then
some and Don and Dave are now
thick as thieves.  They had so much
fun and it is always fun to see Don
get excited .  Kathy and Don are so
into life that they get excited about
everything and I love being with  them.
  We took turns hosting dinner and
had a great time!

Catch and Release

The Mother Ship

Oh the Water

Cactus Garden

Drying the wings

Oh the Water!

  Wow!

North From Bahia Agua Verde

Mazu,  Mel &Elaine Went South

Found these guys again in Escondito!

    Time to say good bye to
 Aqua Verde and
some new friends!
 Enticed aboard by
promises of Bombay Saphire
and very cold
beer!  Had a great visit and then
 off to our respective
boats.
    The scenery the next day was very pretty
but it was hot as usual. Removed the
windows from the dodger and only
have the top of it on as well as the
Bimini. No wind to speak of and the
shoulder still hurt.So no sailing that day.
 I had to weave in and
out and by all these beautiful "Islands"
(ROCKS).  Many of the obstacles and
reefs are marked but there is always
a chance of finding one accidentally and
that was not on my dance card for that
day. I was sort of headed to Escondito
for a place to fix the alternator, get water,
get internet and some provisions.  I was
also still looking for friends on Voyager,
Wild Rose and Free Spirit.
  As I approached
Los Candelleros (where some friends
were headed) I decided to pass it by
and check it out on the way
back.  On the approach to Puerto
Escondito I hailed Free Spirit
 and Wild rose
and I found them both at
Bahia Marquer.
I was excited about getting to
 see some friends
and finding a place to
 just hang for a while.
Marquer was about the

Los Candelleros Little did I know...

same distance as
Escondito from where
I was so I changed
course and headed there.
   When I got there I was astounded. It was
as pretty or prettier than Isla San Francisco!
I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.

Jasdip at Bahia Marquer

Anchored, found a bathing suit, got a
gin and tonic, got my noodle and jumped
in the crystal clear water!!
   Dinner and wine with Dave on Free
Spirit. A happy camper was I.....

 








 

Heading North From Isla San Francisco New Territory All by Myself

   Well I headed north.  One is really never alone out here.  There are thousands of critters everywhere.
These dolphins came up to the boat and hung with me for at least an hour.  My voice was  raw from
talking to them. I can't help it I
get so excited! They are just such beautiful
creatures!





    I love studying the markings on them
and trying to decide what it was that
made the scratches in their hide.


    After they left there is always the
occasional seal resting with flippers up.
They hardly even get out of the way anymore!

   Then there are the ever popular
"Flippin Rays".  They jump right out of the
water then slap down and do it again.

Agua Verde from the Bow

Often there are several at once and

Flippin Ray

they seem to be having such a good
time that I can't help but laugh and wish
I could flip with them! They are mighty hard
to get on film though.


I actually stayed in Timbibachie the first night and
again the second night.
It was not too pretty and the water was green
and not so clear. Didn't take any pictures and it was actually a pretty rough two days.  Let's see if I
can remember....I try to block these days out
as best as I can.....I hadn't been getting any charging from the engine. Only the solar panels.
The little generator was acting up so I couldn't even make power with that. I thought I was going to have to bleed that thing but tried changing the fuel filters and running some really clear and clean fuel through it.  It took a while but I finally cleared out the dirty fuel
and it started to run OK.
Now I have one fuel filter for the Mr Perkins
and one for Mr Generator. It was pretty hot so
 I couldn't run the generator for more that about
30 to 45 min at a time and I did have to make some
water so....i tried the old hook up the field wire
to the generator, right on the positive pole of
the alternator.  Well it worked!  For a bit.
I a pretty sure that is when the
alternator failed completely.  Made bad noises.
Couldn't cope with changing it yet so I just
decided that after a few days of rest I might
be able to cope.
   Then I decided to take the big engine
off the dinghy cause Jasdip was running a bit hotter
thank usual and I was towing the dinghy.
Well....it took me almost two
hours.  Everything that could have happened
seemed to happen.  I tried a new and I thought
perhaps better way to lift up the engine.  Turns out
it was a disaster.  Three times I almost had the
engine up only to have to let it down again, crawl
 back  in the dinghy and untangle something.
The last time I tried to pull it up it just stopped
 coming and I
couldn't figure out why it wasn't lifting until I looked
down and the fuel hose (which I accidentally left on)
was caught under the handle of the dinghy plug
and was stretched to it's limit. So down it
went again. The whole thing was a series of
things just like that!  Then this fella came out
to try to sell me lobster.  Hell I was so tired that
unless he brought it in a 3 course meal with a
chilled bottle of wine and then did the dishes I
couldn't even think about it.  He said he had
6 kids and he needed to sell some lobster.  I said
sorry and thought of that line of Groucho Marks's

Agua Verde from the looking off the stern

in the 50's when he was talking to a couple with
 5 kids..." I like a good cigar but I take it
 out once in a while!"  So that stop was a real
grind. It is times like that that I wonder what the
heck I think I am doing and feel that a good head
examination is in order!!




    So that night I slept very well and left to
head north the next Morning.  I Figured I would
perhaps make it as far as Agua Verde and I did.
I wasn't alone as you can see but there was
plenty of room for me.  Pretty sure I  stayed there
two nights.  It was a pretty and relaxing place
unlike Timbabachi so that is what I did....relaxed!

The Bungee cord tied to the dock finally broke! I'm outta there!

Reward

W

Well, I finally fired the folks I hired to fix my instruments!  When I called them
I had everything but GPS.  By the time they
left the only thing I had was depth, and GPS.
No more AIS, wind and radar.  I think there
are other things that went "away" too but
I can't remember them now.  Just glad there
is no fog here and I am not usually traveling
at night (radar)!
   Art and Jaye just happened to be heading out for a few days as well so we took of for Isla Partida and
Calita Partida.  Partida is one of Jay and Art's favorite places.  There is a bay on one side and
a "river" separating Ispiritu Santos and Isla Partida.
The bottom is sand with good holding and there
are turtles that live there.  So we hung for a bit
and decided to have hamburgers on Arione.
Jaye cooked and Art sat waiting not so patiently
for his burger.  Great dinner, great wine, great place and of course great company!
      The next evening I put my beach chair on
the bow, got myself a Bombay and tonic and
watched and waited for the wild life to appear.
It is great to have the time to just sit and
watch and wait.  it is actually hard to do at
first.  Believe it or not it takes practice.....at least
for some of us!.  My reward was watching a
Mama sea turtle and her offspring cruise around the
bay for several hours.  I finally got a picture of
Mom's head.  Difficult critters to capture on
camera.
 
    The next day we headed to Isla San Francisco. ISF happens to be one of my favorite places here.
It was a bit crowded as I guess it gets at this time
of year. Probably due to it's close proximity to
La Paz. Also I keep forgetting but it is
summer and the kids are out of school so they are

everywhere!.  ISF
is still beautiful even if
there are other boats
there.I got my kayak out again
and went exploring along the
rocks and shore all around the bay.
It was amazing. The rocks and shallows are
teeming with life.  There were these amazing
colorful crabs EVERYWHERE scurrying
on the rocks when I cam close. Boy can
they scurry. Name: Sally light foot.  I do
believe I can say they came by their name
honestly.  At one point I was staring at the
rocks right under my kayak at something
green.  I couldn't quite make it out. I tried
to position the kayak so I could get
a better look and as I did so a big green
Moray Eel came out and swam under the
Kayak. That was what I was looking at
but couldn't quite tell what it was
until then. Of course my camera was
in it's zip lock!


     
   

  Art and Jaye came by as they were out
for a row around the Bay.  I swear they
looked like something out of Pride
and Prejudice! I told Jay she must
find a Parasol for the next time!
   Their dinghy is a sailing/rowing dinghy.  I haven't
tried it yet but hope to sometime in the future.
It really looks like a hoot to sail and Art has
a wonderful time when he goes.






    It seems like Jasdip and I just travel
through all of this life. They hardly even
give us a second look and sometimes
we don't even get a first!  This guy was
clearly nonplussed by our proximity.
   " Art ,could you row a bit faster I want to
water ski!"

Oh the Life

Needs a Parasol OR a Bull Horn

Stroke. Stroke. Stroke. Stroke Stroke!

Big Sister Comes to Visit

A Cold One at Cafe Triumpho

   Well they made it to Mexico and I made it

to San Jose Del Cabo on time even! So we jumped in the car and took off heading for La Paz.
It was a pretty nice drive over some mountains with a quick stop in Triumpho!
   A very quaint, cute town and a great half way point for a servesa.  Made it to La Paz in time
for sundowners on the boat and planned the next day.
     Decided to keep the car for a couple of days
and the next day we went touring the town and
had to check out the best margaritas.  La Costa
restaurant good drinks,good food and on the
beach.

Outside the Mercado Bravo

   Another stop was the Mercado Bravo
where one can get great produce,wonderful
seafood, just butchered chicken
with the feet and lunch for almost nothing.
These are places one must see when
in Mexico.  That was enough for one day

Inside Chedraui (provisions)

so back to the Marina we went to hit the pool.
I for one
 was very overheated!  It was
almost too hot.  I actually wasn't sure
I was going to make it.  One can't really
just use the hose by the boat cause
the water is very hot in the pipes and a hot
shower is NOT what one is looking for.
   Since we were planning to take the boat
out into the islands it was necessary to
head to the local super market and provision.
We got lots of great stuff and I was looking
forward to the food.  On the way home from
Chedraui we made one stop to check for

Requisite shopping for the girls Ron, entertaining himself

really cool shirts.  We didn't know
whether they would be open or not but
since they were we headed in.  Pea got a real
cool shirt ( and I mean that literally and
figuratively).  Ron found a great belt but he
had trouble finding his size.
    The next day we headed out into the
Sea.  First stop was Caleta Partida. A bay between Ilsa Ispiritu Santos and Isla Partida.  I have now
been there quite a few times because it
is very close to La Paz and quite pretty.
We had borrowed a kayak from
Art and Jaye for Pea and Ron and Diane
used mine.  Definitly not as sleek as those guys

Happy hour at Isla Partida

have at home but it was the only game in town
and they had fun.
   One of my neighbors, Dave, on Free Spirit
decided to come out with us.  That night we got together for a great happy hour and dinner.
Then it hit and all of a sudden it was "cruisers
midnight" (9:00 pm).
    The next stop was Ensanada Grande.  It was very
quiet and peaceful but not quite as clear
as it had been the last time.  We hung at the
beach then took a dinghy ride to the next cove to view the blue footed boobies.  They were very
sparse this time.  The young had all hatched
and flown the coop and we only saw one.
   The next stop was Isla San Francisco!
That has to be one of my favorite places
even now after I have been to several more
farther north.  Thanks to Dave, we planned
a dinghy trip around the island and to
the near by Island of San Jose where
there is a beautiful lagoon and lots of
mangroves.  This was one of the bays
and there was a kayaking excursion
hanging out there at tie time.  We visited
and of course we had a couple of cold ones
and some wine (can't leave home without
it).  Back to the anchorage for another
splendid dinner and a long nap like a baby.

Diane Posing at the Bow

     I am really sorry I just didn't take
very many pictures.  I am trying to get better
and am succeeding now but at the time
I just didn't think about it.  I think we were
pretty busy.
    Pea,Ron,Diane and Dave all went for a hike
up to the top of the Northern end of San Francisco.
I had put a hole in the bottom of my foot
with one of those blasted "push the dot" canvass
fittings and could hardly walk.  Plus I wanted to
make water and just sit for a moment.  I always
feel so very responsible when others are on the

Diane, Pea and I had Bloody Mary's on the Bow

boat.  (Since returning from up in the Sea by myself
I am feeling even more confident and I think

that each visitor from now on will benefit from

that experience).     

  It was a very wonderful time with Ron and 

Pea and a great time getting to know Diane

better.  

My Beautiful Happy Sis

Leaving the Lagoon at San Jose

Pea with the Escape from the Lagoon in the background

Isla Coyote

Back to the Marina and  great Margarita at La Panga

  On the last day we wound up at a truly
good Mexican Restaurant!  Everybody
got something different and we all tasted.
It was a lovely place and the food was GREAT!
Ron was very happy and we all stuffed
ourselves.  Sad to be back in La Paz but probably
those guys were ready to leave.

A Happy Ron!

  Those sweet guys took me to Chedraui
and got me some more provisions before
they left.  They insisted!  I have never heard
of guests provisioning before they leave!
Only in my family!  That is just how they are.
Diane left me with the ultimate comment
every host loves to hear! "This was the best
vacation I have ever had!!!" Boy was I happy!
Hopefully they will return and each week,
month etc., I am getting better and better at this
so that I can make the experience even
better next time!  If that is possible!

A Happy Diane!