Wedding in Austin

Location:  Chula Vista Marina, Chula Vista, CA

We're just back from Heather and Derek's wedding. They got married on the 4th of July at the Barr Mansion in Austin, TX. Everything went well and we got to spend a lot of quality time with family.  After the wedding, the happy couple went to Hawaii for their honeymoon.  You can see their wedding pictures at Melissa Glynn's blog site, under Blogs - July 6, 2015 melissaglynn.com

Heather, the happy bride, getting ready for photos.

Prior to leaving for Austin, we spent more time working on our boat projects.  One of the other boaters here in the marina recommended a small machine shop to assist with the windlass repairs.  Dave took everything apart and took the windlass housing, along with the gear assembly, to the shop. They looked at everything and agreed to do the repairs at a reasonable cost.  We left the pieces and parts there and ordered some replacement clutch cones.  We still need to drop off the clutch cones so that they can press on the starboard one, then the repairs will be complete and we can re-install the windlass on the boat.

Windlass gear assembly

The machine shop also agreed to build a base and post for a fishing table so we dropped off materials for that.  Dave still needs to attach the table to the base and then we will be set-up to clean and fillet all of the fish that we catch.

We've been kayaking on Mission Bay a couple of times and tried out some different types of kayaks.  We still haven't found the right ones to buy but have some better ideas on what attributes we like and dislike.  We started jogging again using a recommended schedule for beginners based on time instead of distance.  It combines running and walking where you gradually increase your run time while decreasing your walk time.

One Saturday afternoon, we went to the theater and saw Motown the Musical.  Another weekend we went to the boat show at the Sheraton and got some ideas for future projects on our list.  We rummaged through our old clothes, kitchen cupboards and storage areas and filled four large bags with "stuff" which we dropped off at a veteran's thrift store.  It's nice to have some extra space on board. We also discovered that some of the local casinos have buses that run from the Palomar Trolley Station (one station down from us), so we spent a day out there.  We played enough Pai Gow poker to get comped for two free buffets and, although we didn't win any money (we didn't lose our shirts either), we had a good time.

Just prior to departing for Austin, my mom-Louise and her neighbor-Barbara, came for a visit.  Mom had agreed to cat sit while we were in Austin and Barbara's daughter lives in San Diego.  They did a lot of sightseeing while they were here including the zoo, old town, a trolley tour and Balboa Park.  Barbara left on July 1 and Mom stayed until we returned.

Dinner with Barbara's daughter, Maura, at
Italianissimo Trattoria http://italianissimotrat.com
downtown Chula Vists.

Barbara relaxing on the stern.

Louise relaxing on the stern

We left for Austin on Saturday, June 27.  We spent the first few days relaxing and enjoying our time with Ben and Cat and Heather and Derek and the grandkids, Maggie and Benjamin.  The weather was hot so Barton Springs, a local swimming hole, was one of our favorite hangouts during the day.

Derek, Heather and Dave at Barton Springs.

Austin has a lot of new restaurants so we sampled a few in the neighborhood where we stayed.  Some of the notable ones include:  Odd Duck http://oddduckaustin.com; Barley Swine barleyswine.com; and Chi'Lantro http://www.chilantrobbq.com

Chef at Barley Swine.  We sat at the bar and
got to watch them prepare everything.

Pig buns at Barley Swine - stuffed with
porkbelly and peaches.

We rented a house in a neighborhood near Zilker Park, Barton Springs and Town Lake so that all of the Herndon's from out of town could stay together.  Dave's brother Pete, his wife Cathy and their daughter Erin, Dave's sister Julie and cousin Lynne all arrived on Thursday night.  We cooked dinner at the house and caught up on the latest family gossip.  Friday morning we meet Ben, Cat and the grandkids, Maggie and Benjamin, at Barton Springs for a swim.  Back to the house for lunch and then Dave and I went out to the Barr Mansion for the wedding rehearsal.  Later that night, Dave and I went to the rehearsal dinner while Pete, Cathy, Erin, Julie and Lynne went to Chuy's for Tex Mex.  We warned them before they left not to eat too many chips, but, of course, they couldn't resist and ate four baskets full, along with a few margaritas, before their meals arrived.

The "Adult Table"
Rehearsal dinner at La Fonda San Miguel
http://www.fondasanmiguel.com

The "Kids Table"
Rehearsal dinner

Saturday was wedding day.  We went to Barton Springs for a swim in the morning, had sandwiches at the house for lunch and then prepared to go to the wedding.  Dave and I went early for pictures prior to the ceremony.

B and Dave dressed up and ready to go.

Most of the photos were taken outside in the heat so we hung out in the air-conditioned mansion between pictures.

Dave, Ben, Maggie and Benjamin cooling
off inside the mansion.

Benjamin and Maggie playing on top of the air-conditioning vent.

The wedding was fun.  The ceremony was held outside under a huge oak tree.  After they said their "I dos" we moved into "the barn", a large air-conditioned reception area.  They had a cocktail hour featuring Texas beers and alcohol along with New York wine, a sit-down supper, speeches and then dancing.

Sunday we invited everyone over for a backyard cookout at our rental house.  The grandkids played in their pool and the sprinkler while we sat around telling stories.  Derek's parents, his sister and her boyfriend and their friends from Oregon stopped by.  Heather and Derek stopped by for a bite to eat and then went on their first date as a married couple - to see Back to the Future, one of their favorite movies.

Cathy, B and Lynne preparing food for the cookout.

Chicken kebabs ready for the barbecue.

Maggie and Benjamin playing in the sprinkler.

Monday morning Julie left to fly back to Maine and Lynne went to Wimberly to visit some friends.  Cathy, Erin and I went shopping on Congress Avenue while Dave and Pete cooked ribs and made jalapeño poppers for supper.  We all went over to Ben and Cat's for happy hour and so that Erin could give Maggie her birthday present, a new dress-up dress.  

Maggie in her new dress.

Pete and Dave relaxing.

We played with the kids for a while, went back to our place for supper and then went to watch the bats at the Congress Avenue bridge.  We saw a few but they didn't stream out as we expected so it was a little disappointing.  

Waiting for the bats at the Congress Avenue bridge.

Tuesday morning we took Pete, Cathy and Erin to the airport for their flight back to New Hampshire and then Dave and I drove to Houston for doctor appointments, etc.  We returned to Austin Wednesday afternoon and had some downtime.

View of Town Lake.
Cathy, Erin and I walked along the shore a few days
and Dave and I did our runs here.

Saturday morning we went to watch Maggie take her swimming lessons and play in the pool.

Maggies on the kick board during her swimming lesson.

Sunday was Maggie's 4th birthday.  Dave and I went to Wimberly for lunch with friends and to see their property and new house.  We took a drive along the Blanco River and saw all of the devastation from the recent flooding.  Massive trees were snapped in two and only foundations remained where there used to be houses.  Amazing what the power of water can do.  We went to Ben and Cat's for supper, sang happy birthday and watched Maggie play with her new toys before heading back to the rental house.  Monday we flew back to San Diego and the boat.  Mom was there to greet us and to tell us tales of her adventures.  Tuesday we took her to the casino where we won playing Pai Gow and the slot machines.  She got on the plane and headed home on Wednesday morning.

We'll end this blog on a sad note... Doofus, one of our cats, passed away.  We had her for 15 years and she brought us a lot of joy.  I can remember when we first brought her home from the SPCA and she hid behind the dryer and under the couch for the first few days.  I finally dragged her out and made her sit on my lap.  She was a momma's kitty from that day forward. She did a lot of traveling with us, first across the US and into Canada in the RV and for the last few years on the boat.   She was a funny kitty, always good for a laugh and we will miss her.

Doofus in her chair on the stern.

Until next time...

Chula Vista

Location:  Chula Vista Marina, Chula Vista, California

Hard to believe that we have been here for a month already.  We have been busy…  mostly doing boat chores and finding our way around, but also doing some fun stuff.

We spent our first few days at the marina on “M” dock where there are a lot of local live-aboards (people who live on their boats full-time but never rarely leave their slip).  The marina office mentioned that they don’t like to put too many live-aboards next to each other, so after a few days we moved to “L” dock which is much quieter.  There have been two new boats tie up to “L” dock within the last week and things are becoming more active with the start of the summer season.  It is definitely different being here compared with the places we’ve recently visited where most people sailed on a regular basis.  Here, people who live on their boats don’t take them out much and many of the non-live-aboards come and stay on their boats for the weekend but don’t take them out.  This is similar to what we found on the east coast of the U.S.  Many people used their boats as weekend condos but rarely went anywhere in them. 

"The Bill of Rights" is docked at our marina.  They are
departing for a Saturday morning cruise of San Diego Bay.

We don’t have a car so we purchased monthly bus passes and use walking and the buses as our primary transportation.  I had to pay full fare ($72 for 30 days) but since Dave is a senior citizen he got a discounted pass ($18 for 30 days).  Riding the bus or the train is always an experience.  You get to see a lot of sites and people that you wouldn’t be exposed to while driving in a car.

Boat chores, maintenance and cleaning are a never ending process.  Now that we are back in the US, we have access to parts and resources that we didn’t have while south of the border.  Some of the things we’ve been working on include:

·         The fuel valve on the forward starboard tank – you may remember from previous blogs that it leaks and needs to be replaced.  Dave disassembled it and a local valve supplier tried to find us an equivalent valve.  They didn’t have any luck but recommended a machine shop that might be able to repair it.  He said he wasn’t interested and that the cost of the repair would be as much as a new valve.  Pete Watson, our boat designer and builder, was able to source one in New Zealand.  The fuel valve, along with parts for our bilge valves and replacement fuel transfer pumps are now on order.  If you want to learn more about our boat (the Watson 48) or other trawlers built by Watson, have a look at their website.  www.realtrawlers.com

Fuel valve piping removed and the fuel valve (bottom left inset)

·         The starboard anchor windlass pin – if you don’t take the brake-off before deploying or heaving the anchor, things break.  We bent the anchor windlass pin while we were in the Sea of Cortez.  Dave has been trying to remove it from the windlass housing but so far hasn’t had any luck.  We’ve had a welder look at it and hope that if we apply some heat, it will come out.  There are also some cracks in the housing, so the welder can repair that at the same time.  We’ve had two guys look at it but neither wanted to do the work so we have another one that we’re going to try later this week.

The windlass.  The bent pin is circled in red.

·         The engine room fan motor has been squealing for at least 6 months.  We disassembled it and carried it on the bus to a local motor repair shop.  They replaced the bearings and serviced the motor.

The new deck storage box.

Engine Belt Replacement

·         The hydraulic pumps for the stabilizer system have been leaking.  We removed it and the hydraulic hose and took them to a pump repair shop.  We haven’t heard back from them yet, but it should be ready in a week or so.

·         General maintenance and cleaning including: changing the main engine oil, changing the alternator belts, cleaning the engine breather, flushing fuel filters, defrosting the frig/freezer, replacing the zincs in the frig/freezer cooling system, checking the coolant, re-torqueing the battery bolts, cleaning the soot and salt off the decks, applying fabric guard to the boat cushions, replacing the galley faucet, troubleshooting the grey/black water tank level gauges, installing a new deck storage box, etc. etc. etc.

New galley faucet, it swivels and has a sprayer.

Engine breather gasket

Of course, we’ve also been having fun.  You know how the saying goes “All work and no play…”

·         Exploring around town:  We’ve discovered  farmer’s markets, shopping areas and restaurants.  Except for the restaurants, Dave would call this “chores” and not fun.  We have found some good local restaurants including Italian, Vietnamese, hamburgers and sushi.

Shopping for new running shoes.  The
bottom right inset is the winning pair.

Herbs on the boat deck - 3 types of basil, mint, peppermint,
cilantro, oregano and parsley

·         Balboa Park:  Balboa Park, originally City Park, was the site of the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition commemorating the opening of the Panama Canal.  Most of the buildings in the park were built as temporary structures for the expo.  Since then, most have been restored and upgraded to permanent structures.  There are numerous museums, gardens, fountains, nature areas and walking trails.  The weather was beautiful while we were there so we did an outdoor audio walking tour in order to get an overview of the park.  Balboa Park is also home of the San Diego Zoo – we haven’t been there yet; we’re saving it for when we have visitors.  www.balboapark.org

·         Memorial Day Weekend:  The RV park next door had an outdoor concert on Saturday afternoon. We walked over and listened to the music, ate tacos and drank beer.  It was a nice family crowd and many people danced along to the music.  Sunday morning, they hosted a pancake breakfast so we treated ourselves to that.

Memorial Day Concert at the RV park.

·         Anchoring out at Shelter Island:  Getting restless from sitting still at the marina, we cast-off our lines and went north to stay at an anchorage near Shelter Island for a weekend.  There are a lot of marinas, marine stores and boating activity in the area along with three fuels docks.  We will need to take on fuel before leaving here so we checked out all the fuel docks and their prices.  We took the dinghy ashore, did some shopping, tried a few restaurants and walked along the beach.  The anchorage is weekend only and has a 72-hour limit so we heaved anchor on Monday morning and headed back to the marina.  Although we didn’t go very far (about 10 miles each way), it was a nice weekend and we enjoyed our mini-vacation. 

View of the San Diego skyline and Midway Aircraft
carrier as we were heading north to the Shelter Island anchorage.

·         Kayaking on Mission Bay:  Mission Bay is just north of San Diego Bay.  It is relatively quiet and a nice place to kayak.  It is also home to Sea World.  We are thinking about buying sea kayaks so we signed up for a two-hour lesson at Aqua Adventures www.aqua-adventures.com.  We started out with basic strokes and maneuvering, and then learned two methods of capsize recovery.  We enjoyed our lesson and plan to rent kayaks several more times so that we can try various types and sizes before buying anything.

·         Little Italy:  We wandered around the Little Italy neighborhood and got sugared-up at Extraordinary Desserts extraordinarydesserts.com.

Extraordinary Desserts in Little Italy.
Top left: view through the display case;
Bottom left: slice of coconut cream pie (B's dessert);
Bottom right: dulce de leche cheese cake (Dave's dessert)

The cats are doing well.  They have been treated to a new scratching post and catnip plants.  As always, the projects, chores and fun will continue.  Until next time…  

Puddy enjoying the catnip plants.

Doofus in her chair on the stern.

Mexico in the Rear-view Mirror

Location:  Chula Vista Marina, Chula Vista, California

The last blog ended in the Sea of Cortez, near the town of Loreto.  Since then we have made our way around the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, northwest along the outside of the peninsula and across the border into the United States.  We spent over a year in Mexico.  We had the opportunity to see and do a lot of things, to experience Mexican culture, people and food and to enjoy the natural wonders and wildlife that the various regions have to offer.

To make this blog easier to read (and type), we’ll break it up into three parts:  Puerto Escondido (where the last blog ended) to La Paz; La Paz to San Jose del Cabo (with friend Bob aboard); and, San Jose del Cabo to Chula Vista (the Baja Bash).

Puerto Escondido to La Paz

From Puerto Escondido, we cruised to Bahia Salinas, on the east side of Isla Carmen.  There is an abandoned salt mining operation and pond here so we went ashore to explore.  The machinery from the operation is slowly being dismantled and the school and church are abandoned.  They no longer flood the salt ponds, but there is still a large area flooded with water and you can see the salt crystals that have formed along the shoreline.  There are some new buildings – lodging for hunters that come in to hunt big horn sheep that have been introduced to the island.

Bahia Salinas - Top Left:  Abandoned salt mine administration office; 

Bottom Left:  B's feet after sinking into the mud crossing a salt pond; 

Bottom Right: Church; Top Right: Abandoned salt mining equipment

Looking across the salt pond at Bahia Salinas

Next stop Aqua Verde, a small fishing village on the east coast of the Baja Peninsula.  After we anchored up, we dove into the water for a swim and did some snorkeling between the boat and the shoreline.  The next morning we launched the dink and went out to snorkel around Roca Solitaire.  The water was super clear and we could see lots of fish.  We used our new underwater camera for the first time and the pictures turned out good.  We had fish tacos at a small beach restaurant operated by the Aqua Verde Women’s Co-op.  We knew the fish was fresh because one of the ladies bought a yellow tail right off of the fishing panga as it came in from offshore.

Roca Solitaire near Aqua Verde

As we continued to move south, our next stop was Los Gatos – a beautiful anchorage with red rock formations along the coast.  We were the only boat in the anchorage and after we got set-up, two guys in a panga stopped by to see if we wanted any fresh fish, lobster or clams.  We asked them for some of each.  They had the fresh fish aboard so they filleted the fish there and then told us they would be back later that afternoon with the lobsters and the clams as they had to go and gather them.

Coyote prowling the beach at Los Gatos

B enjoying steamed clams - Los Gatos 

Sunset - Los Gatos

Dave enjoying steamed clams - Los Gatos

We went ashore and walked the beach while we waited for them to return.  Later that afternoon a group of kayakers came into the cove just north of where we were anchored and set-up camp.  Tour groups operate trips where people spend a week kayaking, starting in Loreto and going south toward La Paz or vice versa.  They kayak along the shore and out to the islands, whale watch, snorkel and visit the towns along the coast and camp in a different location each night.

Kayaker camp - Los Gatos

Red rock formation - Los Gatos

B hiking in the red rocks - Los Gatos

Red rock formation - Los Gatos

Dave hiking in the red rocks - Los Gatos

Pelican on the bow - Los Gatos. He must have hurt himself landing.  

He tried to make it to the bow rail but didn't have enough energy 

so he stayed there as we heaved the anchor.

Pelican - finally rested enough to make it up on the rail.  

He rode on the bow for about 30 minutes before flying to shore.

Next we moved to San Evaristo, another small fishing village.  There are several smaller villages just north of San Evaristo that have no road access so all their supplies are brought here by car and then loaded into pangas to be transported to the other villages.  There is an active salt mining/salt pond operation just north of the village.  One of the locals recently opened a small beachside restaurant in the south part of the cove so we dinghied ashore for supper.  The menu consisted of fresh fish prepared one of five ways; I had the ceviche and Dave had the fish stew.  Both were delicious so we went back the next night and I had the fried fish and Dave had the grilled fish; again, both were delicious.

From San Evaristo, we cruised to Isla Partida and anchored at Ensenada Grande.  Isla Partida and Espiritu Santo are two islands close to La Paz.  Both islands have a number of protected anchorages on their west sides.  The water is clear and warm so we did some snorkeling.  The next day, Saturday, we cruised into La Paz and got a slip at Marina de La Paz.  We spent a few days doing boat chores (cleaning, filling propane tanks, laundry, maintenance) and projects (dinghy leak repair), provisioning and finding our way around while waiting for Bob to join us.

La Paz to San Jose del Cabo (with Bob)

Bob arrived in La Paz on Tuesday evening, April 7^th and met up with us at the marina café.  The next day we bought fresh fruit and veggies, Bob went for a run along the malecon and we had supper at a local barbeque joint.  Thursday morning we pulled out of the marina early in the morning in order to catch the slack tide and motored up to Caleta Partida, an anchorage between Isla Partida and Espiritu Santo.  We launched the dink and went snorkeling near a reef at the northern point of the cove entrance and then went to the next cove over, El Cardoncito, and Bob did some snorkeling along the shore line.  The water was very clear and we saw plenty of fish and starfish and also some rays.

Dave catches a bonito.

Friday morning we heaved anchor and moved about 6 miles north to anchor near Isla Islotes.  These islands are known for the many sea lions that live here.  Many tour boats from La Paz come out here for day trips and the sea lions are used to having people in the water with them.  We took the dink close to the rocky shore and hopped over the side to do some snorkeling.  Most of the sea lions were still on the rocks but one got into the water and swam close to Dave and me.  Bob went closer to shore and was surprised when a sea lion swam up and rubbed against him.  It was fascinating to be in the water with them so close and to see what graceful swimmers they are.

Sea lions on the rocks at Isla Islotes.

Snorkeling - Los Islotes.

Up close and personal with a sea lion.

School of small fish - Los Islotes.

Sea lion - Los Islotes.

Sea lions on the rocks - Los Islotes

We swam with the sea lions for about an hour, until the tour boats started to arrive, and then moved north another 12 miles and anchored near Isla San Francisco for lunch and a hike up the hills and along the beach.  About 3:30 p.m. we pulled anchor again and moved north to San Evaristo for the night.  We wanted to Bob to experience the fresh fish at the beachside restaurant there.   Saturday morning, we headed south and did some fishing over three sea mounts northeast of Isla Islotes.  We didn’t catch any big fish, but Bob caught and released two bonito.  From there we went to Playa Bonanza, an anchorage on the east side of Espiritu Santo and did some snorkeling.  Bob cooked us a gourmet supper of salmon patties, made with canned salmon that he and his family had caught fresh in Alaska last season, and bacon-wrapped asparagus.

Graceful swimmers.

Bob swimming with a sea lion.

A herd of sea lions.

Sunday we headed south to Ensenada de los Muertos.  This is an area where boats stop on their way north from Cabo San Lucas into the Sea of Cortez, as a staging area to cross the Sea of Cortez to/from Mazatlan, and as a stop going south from the Sea of Cortez to Cabo.  Ensenada de los Muertos, the traditional name for this area, means “cove of the dead”.  As a marketing strategy, they are trying to rename it Los Suenos (The Dreams) but so far it isn’t sticking and most cruisers call it Muertos.  There is a small resort here so we went in for supper.  Monday we cruised from Muertos to Los Frailes, another stop on the way south to Cabo.  We fished along the way but didn’t catch anything worth keeping.  Once we anchored up, Dave and Bob swam and did some bottom cleaning.

Tropical fish.

Tropical fish.

Tuesday we made the last run down the inside of the Baja Peninsula into San Jose del Cabo.  There are some fishing banks along the way, so we put out the fishing lines and cruised over the areas where the fishing is supposed to be good.  This is the first day since we left La Paz where Bob didn’t at least catch a bonito.  We pulled into the marina just after lunch and walked the docks and explored the area.  There are lots of sport fishing boats and large yachts in the marina.  We decided to walk into town for supper and had a nice dinner at a restaurant overlooking the square.  Wednesday morning we launched the dinghy and took it over to the fuel dock to get some gasoline and then explored the little town of La Playita.  Bob caught a taxi to the airport at noon and Dave and I dinghied over to the Marinero Borracho (Drunken Sailor) restaurant for lunch.

B and Doofus resting on the settee.

Bob with a fish.  We made fresh ceviche.

Cabo San Lucas “Cabo” is well known as a resort area on the southern end of the Baja Peninsula.  It is filled with large resort complexes, hotels, restaurants, beaches and night life and has a 24-hour party atmosphere.  San Jose del Cabo, about 20 miles east of Cabo, is a much smaller town.  It still has a few small resorts and hotels, but is a much quieter area.  We chose to spend our time in San Jose del Cabo and skipped the busy, touristy feel of Cabo.  The Thursday after Bob left, we spent the day washing the boat and getting all of the dirt and salt off of it.  Every Thursday night there is an art walk night in town, so we strolled through the art exhibits in the town square and along the streets downtown.  We had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant and then took a cab back to the marina.  Friday morning we provisioned for the trip up the outside of the Baja and Friday afternoon we moved over to the fuel dock and took on 1800 liters (~475 gallons) of diesel.  We spent the night at the fuel dock as it gave us an easy out of the marina in the morning.

San Jose del Cabo to Chula Vista , CA (The Baja Bash)

Saturday morning, April 18^th, we got underway for our trip up the outside of the Baja Peninsula, known by boaters as the Baja Bash.  Coming southeast, from California to Cabo San Lucas, the trip is referred to as the Baja Ha-Ha as the wind and the seas are generally behind you, giving you a push towards your destination.  Coming northwest, from Cabo to California, it is just the opposite.  The winds and wind driven waves are generally coming from the northwest.  The bow of the boat is pointed directly into them and, if the wind is blowing and the seas have built up, it can make for a rough voyage.  The typical wind patterns are light winds in the mornings, winds from 10 – 15 knots in the afternoon and then the winds die down in the evenings and overnight.

The famous rock arch near Cabo San Lucas.

We waited until Saturday to go because the weather was predicted to be good through Thursday for the first and second legs of the voyage.  Leg 1 was from San Jose del Cabo to Santa Maria Bay (194 nautical miles, 26.6 hours, average speed 7.3 knots).  As we left the marina, the winds were light and the seas were calm as predicted.  It was about a 3 hour cruise west before we rounded Cabo Falso, the cape on the south western point of the Baja Peninsula, where the northern part of the journey begins.  As we rounded the cape, the winds and the seas started to pick up.  As the wind blew through-out the afternoon, the seas continued to build.  At supper time, we decided it is too rough to risk opening the refrigerator, so we snacked on fig bars and fruit instead.  The wind blew between 15 and 20 knots all night so we didn’t get the respite from the wind and waves that we expected.  There were two other boats, Wine Down and Rubber Ducky, on the same course line and in the same area as us and we traveled in a loose pack up the coast.  We watched them on the radar and via their AIS (Automatic Identification System – a tracking system used by vessels that can be seen on the chart plotter.  It includes vessel name, speed, position, course and closest point and time of approach).   As we neared our anchorage, Rubber Ducky turned into Magdalena Bay and Wine Down continued north towards San Diego.  We anchored up in Santa Maria Bay, just north of Magdalena Bay, about 9:30 Sunday morning.

We stayed in Santa Maria Bay to rest and do some additional securing for sea Sunday and Monday and got underway for leg 2 of the journey early Tuesday morning.  This leg, from Santa Maria Bay to Turtle Bay, was 231 nautical miles, 34 hours with an average speed 6.8 knots.  Once again, the predicted forecast and normal wind patterns didn’t transpire.  The wind blew at 20+ knots most of the day and we pounded and bashed with the bow directly into the seas.  Finally, Wednesday morning with 63 nm (~ 9 hours) left to go, we got a break.  The winds were only blowing around 10 knots and the seas were not nearly as developed.  We picked up some speed and made it to the anchorage in Turtle Bay in time for happy hour.

We stayed in Turtle Bay for six days waiting for our next weather window.  We took the dinghy in to the beach, walked around town and bought a few provisions.  We found a small restaurant near the waterfront,  run by Maria and her son Victor, and we had lunch there a couple of times and used their internet.  There is one word that can be used to describe the town of Turtle Bay – dusty.  The wind blew most of the time we were there and we saw dust devils nearly every day.  Turtle Bay is a normal stop for cruisers sailing north and south along the outside of the peninsula.  It is the only place between Magdalena Bay and Ensenada where boats can get fuel, so most boats stop to top off their tanks before continuing their journeys. 

Sunrise - Punta Colonet.

We got underway for leg 3 of the journey on Tuesday, April 28^th.  Originally we were going to cruise to San Quintin, ~180 miles, but we decided to go ahead and knock out another 40 miles and continued to Punta Colonet.  Although longer, this gave us the advantage of being within a day cruise to Ensenada and avoided another overnight run.  Leg 3 was 219 nautical miles, 31.7 hours with an average speed 6.9 knots.  The weather started out nice and calm but the winds picked up early afternoon and never quit so it was another bash.  We arrived and anchored up at Punta Colonet about 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29^th.  The wind died down and changed direction during the night, so we got up early Thursday morning for the leg 4 from Punta Colonet to Ensenada, 70 nautical miles, 10.2 hours with an average speed of 6.9 knots.  We were tied up in our slip at the Cruise Port marina in Ensenada by mid-afternoon.

The Mercado Negro (fish market) in Ensenada.

For supper we walked into town and had flat bread pizzas at a local brew pub.  Ensenada is a fairly large city with a huge cruise ship dock.  A different Carnival cruise ship and/or Norwegian cruise ship was at the dock almost every day we were there.  Over the weekend, we did some boat chores and maintenance and explored the town.  Monday morning we rented a car and went up into the Guadalupe Valley which is wine country.  There are over 90 wineries in the area along with several resorts, bed and breakfasts and gourmet restaurants.  Our first stop was Casa de Dona Lupe, a small organic winery with a nice patio set-up for wine tastings.  We tried four different wines each and had a plate of bread and cheese.  For lunch we went to a resort restaurant, Fuego, near the B&B where we were going to stay.  After lunch, we went to another winery, Baron Balche, for wine tasting and a tour of their wine making facility. Check out the Guadalupe Valley wineries here: 

http://www.bajabound.com/destinations/bajawinecountry/

Dave wine tasting at Casa de Dona Lupe.

B standing in the front garden at Terra del Valle B&B

We checked into our B&B, Valle del Terre, mid-afternoon, had a glass of wine with the owner, Ana, and then had a nap.  Ana recommended that we have dinner at a nearby winery / resort, Adobe Guadalupe, and made reservations for us.  Dinner was a gourmet, five course meal and included white and red wines.  With only one other couple in the dining room, it was like having a private chef cook for you.  The starter was salmon tartar; next was cream of cauliflower soup followed by a mixed green salad with walnuts and green apple; the main course was grilled quail and dessert was carrot cake.  Delicious!  The chef came out and introduced herself at the end of the meal.  Check out Adobe Guadalupe here:  http://www.adobeguadalupe.com/index.html?l=eng

Back at the B&B, Ana and her husband Nacho greeted us.  We had a night cap with them and then had a soak in the hot tub.  Check out the B&B here: http://www.terradelvalle.com/

Adobe Guadalupe:  The courtyard, living room and
Dave and B at the dining table.

The next day after breakfast, which included fresh squeezed orange juice using oranges from the B&B’s orchards, we headed back to the boat to prepare for our journey to San Diego.  We did the paperwork required to clear out of the country and cooked up all the meat from the freezer so that we wouldn’t have to turn it into U. S. Customs.  Wednesday morning we got underway early and headed north to San Diego – 75 miles, 10.2 hours with an average speed of 7.4 knots.  The winds were light.  There was some swell but no wind driven waves so the journey was uneventful.  We pulled up to the U. S. Customs dock in San Diego at about 2:30 p.m.  Customs clearance went smoothly.  They asked a few questions, checked our paperwork and passports and sent us on our way.  The Chula Vista Marina, where we plan to spend the summer, is down at the south end of San Diego bay.  We arrived there about 5:15 p.m., got tied up in our slip and went up to the marina restaurant for supper and a beer.  Check out the Chula Vista Marina here:  www.cvmarina.com

San Diego skyline and navy ships.

We’re looking forward to spending the summer here.  We’ve been settling in, finding our way around and doing boat chores.  Until next time…