Voila! (oops, wrong language) La Paz!

There is a rhythm to being in transit on a boat. Here you’ve stood watches thru the night and maybe a few days. (about 10 days ago we all loved being able to stand our night watches…in bare feet…all fans of warm weather). You’ve been trying to nap when you can. Coming into a new port or anchorage is exciting tho, so maybe you’ve stayed on deck on your off watch. So you arrive. Do a proper job of anchoring, or tying up and checking in…and then you NAP. Capital “N” Nap. After that you catch up with a few chores or maintenance items and then go exploring.

Our cruising friends, Dino and Anastasia, said that we could flag down any of the Cabo San Lucas water taxis for a few bucks per person to get ashore. So we joined them and did so the next afternoon. The crew was right – the first few blocks close to the waterfront were filled with big hotels and tourist traps. But when we got just a little off the beaten path, it felt like Mexico again. We went grocery shopping and followed D&A’s memories to a tortilleria – gotta love fresh tortillas straight from the source!

Back aboard, the rhythm began again. After some weeks, it feels rewarding to feel us work together as a crew, knowing what needs to be secured and checked and done next…almost without a word. We sailed off the anchor as dusk approached. We got a fishing line down and almost immediately got a bite! It was a beautiful dorado that put up a fantastic fight. Too fantastic when he gave a last airborn shake and broke the leader to get away. So, we’ve been losing lures and need to stock back up.

The wind was going our way for a good while. Under main and genoa we followed the curve of the coast going north. Soon switched to the jib and for the first time in a long time found ourselves sailing upwind. The waves seemed out of proportion to the wind, so it was a bit of a slog thru the night. All day we beat our way up the coast and dropped anchor right at dusk at Bahia de los Muretos in company with about 15 other boats. Cool spot with beautiful beach and more clear water. There’s a restaurant ashore, but we continued our high standards of normalcy and ate on board.

With about 50 miles to go to La Paz, early the next morning, the 18th, i got the engine going and the anchor up. It wasn’t long before Ty joined me on deck. As we looked over our shoulders back at this beautiful spot we saw a few whale backs rise and flukes follow to majestically disappear. We motored around a point and hoisted main and genoa and began a tack to remember – it looked like we would have to tack our way up Ceralvo Channel, but as we got close to the western shore the wind consistently “lifted”

our course and we were able to parallel close by the shore for almost 30 miles. Flat seas, steady wind, smooth sailing, sun, trimming the autopilot up or down a few degrees…quintessential sailing!

Once thru San Lorenzo Channel we turned south on the last leg to La Paz. With the wind behind us, we hoisted the drifter, called ahead to find moorage. Turns out the Baja Ha-ha group is still in town, and we tho’t we were some ten days behind them. We were lucky that Marina Palmira had space for us. We pulled in…and went to dinner to celebrate. We did it! 46 days later, 30 days or so underway, no one got hurt…now the cruising fun begins. From here? 30 or so miles a day, next larger town north is Loreto, with plenty of islands and bays between here and there.

The next day we did laundry, took showers, did chores…etc… And started catching up with our lives via the internet. I posted more to the blog, caught up with e-mail, and with the crew’s help – oh boy! – got Skype up and running to make phone calls. So…if you want anyone here to call you, e-mail me on sailmail to say you want a call. I’ll e-mail back to you when we will have shoreside internet access next and able to call you. I know, this is old hat to the rest of you, but i am very impressed and glad for it.

Tomorrow? Cody leaves for Seattle. Darn! He contributes generously and without hesitation to wherever he is and whatever he does. At one point, when he came on deck after his off watch to see that we had made a sail change, he said, "What, you made a sail change without me?!" Thanks to Cody, we've caught fish...and lots more laughter and better moments to remember. The dinghy is now known as the "sea cow" and the cockpit table as the "squid" (the way its legs splay out from its post like tentacles). And then there is my confidence in the team he and Tyler are - that they will take care of sail changes, trimming, log entries, etc...thus i can nap without a worry. Thank you so much Cody. We will miss you.

So today? While we still have Cody here with us, Tyler baked my birthday cake (Lazarus chocolate). I am writing as chef Quinn is preparing dinner. And i am wishing you all were here with me, more than only in my heart. My birthday? Imagine that. Q takes off just before thxgvng, Jerry and Cheryl arrive the day after thxgvng, Ty takes off on the 3rd...i'll cry that day but it's okay. It's time for me to try "riding without training wheels", to explore this beautiful cruising grounds, to dive deeper into this adventure, make new friends, and to look forward to your visits. Sending you love and hope, jon