Today we sail to La Paz. The best spot to anchor near El Mogote was taken by a mooring ball. Liana didn’t think it was a mooring but her eyesight is not the best. I said, “Well of course it is, can’t you see it?” She suggested I get the binoculars out. We found a very nice spot behind a bright yellow sloop. As soon as we dropped anchor the mooring ball spread its wings and flew away.
Tomorrow, our niece Rachel and her son (our grand-nephew?) Aiden will be here. Liana reserved a rental car and since we have it for the day it’s a perfect time to provision. Milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables, snacks and more snacks. We also need parts for the watermaker and La Paz is one of the few places that has a watermaker store. By the time we headed back to the dinghy dock it was getting dark and we had literally, a boat load of groceries. I had to walk along the dinghy tube like a balance beam to get to the back. Every square inch was piled high in groceries and my seat even had a stack of eggs. It was a slow ride back home to Silhouette.
At 9:30 am the next day we headed to the airport. The flight was right on schedule. Rachel started texting at 5:30 that morning with a play-by-play and picture of each hurdle. They drove to the airport parking on the California/Mexico border and crossed the special bridge to the Tijuana, Mexico International Airport.
When they got to the gate Rachel took a “we’re almost boarding” picture with her arms raised like a referee calling a touch down.
Next they were on the plane and shutting phones off. Then “we’re here” and after a few long happy hugs at the La Paz airport we were off on adventures.
First, Liana felt like we needed some more fresh veggies and cheese from the Farmers Market. Aiden and I needed freshly grilled spicy sausages on a hoagie roll to get us until lunch. Liana and Rachel found some freshly made carrot cake. So we were all happy. Rachel got a really cool copper bracelet and had her picture taken with the artist.
It was time to return the rental car and across from the rental office we spied a small boat landing at the cruise ship dock. The decision was made to drop off the girls at the marina to dinghy over and meet us. Liana even brought Rachel a big floppy hat for the trip. Aiden and I took the rental car back and met them at the landing.
Back on Silhouette, Rachel claimed the forward cabin and Aiden got the office. After putting bags away we hung out in the cockpit. Just then we saw a harbor tour boat following a pod of dolphins. So Aiden and I raced across the bay in the dinghy. He was up front and not sure yet how to hang on. He kept saying faster. I realized a bit too late to tell him to hang on from both sides. We dipped into a big wake from a speed boat and he nearly bounced on to the dinghy floor. After that, he knelt down on the bow locker and held on to both sides. We caught up with the dolphins and followed them, watching several of them for a half hour.
When we got back, the girls were right where we left them, on deck, lounging on the lounge pads.
We visited into the evening, just chillin and watching the sunset. The next day’s plan was to sail to Bahia Balandra around the corner from Pichilingue, spend the day and sail back to Pichilingue for the night because Balandra would not be safe with the predicted west wind blowing.
The iconic mushroom-shaped rock in this cove toppled over several years ago. The whole community came together to have it fixed. A crane resurrected it and now steel reinforcements with a cement base supports it. Skillfully done so you would never know it had fallen. Snorkeling gear, paddle boards and Liana’s kayak were lowered and the three were off.
I stayed behind and watched them paddle off while I started the generator and made water for hot showers they were sure to want soon. I was enjoying cold drinks and watching through binoculars. Liana thinks that’s being a voyeur but I go back to my navy days. I am just standing a proper watch as a look out. You never can be too safe!
Todays chef on Silhouette (me) made a snack tray and drinks for the crew when they came back from their adventure. Fresh veggies and fruit, hummus, cheeses and summer sausages. Even the activity director (Liana) was hot and tired from the mornings schedule. Then I gave Aiden more dinghy driving lessons and Rachel sat on the bow seat directing where to go next.
We returned to Pichilingue just in time to watch a float plane come in for a landing close-aboard. We had a full day and down in the galley the girls made pizza for dinner. A super yacht anchored close to us played soothing piano music. I think it was to drown out the background noise from the beach bond-fires now popping up.
We woke up to peace and quiet. We felt a wind lightly out of the southeast and thought we could actually sail to Isla Partida. So we hurried, and raised the main sail while Liana got the snubber off. We were seeing 10-12 knots. We passed the islands and unfurled the jib. All of a sudden, the wind picked up and we were sailing along at six knots. I shut down the diesel and soon the moan of the engine was replaced by the whirring sound the propeller makes as we sail. What a lovely sound, just water swishing by the hull.
Aiden loves to tie knots and every free moment he was tying or practicing or asking me to teach him another one. By the end of the day he was teaching me a new knot he discovered while looking at one of our knot books. He showed me how to tie the “friendship knot.” Very cool. Knots are so very much a part of life on a cruising boat, I hardly think about all the special knots I had to learn over the years. Later that day he found a book on rope splicing and wanted to learn how to do that too. So that was another day’s project.
We took turns at the helm. Rachel’s dad, my bro-in-law, taught her to sail when she was young so it all came back to her as she steered. Then Aiden took the wheel. He’s a smart kid and picked it up right away. The sailing day was peaceful and perfect.
In no time at all we were at the mouth of the bay that separates Partida and Espiritu Santo Islands. Aiden and Rachel wanted to go exploring. So once anchored, we dropped the kayak and paddle boards. Liana went with them but the wind and waves did not cooperate and their adventures were short lived. I had to go on a dinghy rescue mission and tow them in a long line back to Silhouette. Rachel and Aiden still wanted one more adventure so we took the dinghy to the gap between the islands while Liana made dinner.
The dinghy propeller was kicking up sand and we were still far from the beach. So we got out and walked it as far as we could and put the anchor out. Our visit would be a brief one because the tide was still going out. The sand was nice on our toes and the beauty of the scenery was more than could be captured in a picture. Looking back from the beach we could see an absolutely stunning super sailing yacht that came in. It was the spitting image of Silhouette only supersized. I told Rachel to take a picture of this gorgeous beach and that gorgeous yacht and tell everyone that’s what she spent the week on. We all had a laugh and moved up the beach. Liana said later it looked like Silhouette’s mommy. 🙂
We found a trail up the rock pile that makes up the barrier between the sea and this protected bay. Once on top, the wind blew and the waves crashed on the other shore like two separate worlds. Both scenic and lovely but one side much more exposed and windswept. The sea casts huge stones up the wall during heavy weather and now those volcanic stones are polished with the tumbling turbulent sea down below the wall.
We found a tarantula and coral pieces as big as giant pumpkins stranded and bleached on the sand. We wandered and beach-combed for a bit Loving our time on this rocky shore, however brief. The walk back was stunning. Our God is quite the Creator and this is one reason traveling by boat is so special, we get to visit these hidden places.
The dinghy was still floating-barely. We put the anchor away and walked along side. Every once in a while we found deep spots and sat on the tubes and let the wind carry us. Soon we made it to water deep enough to motor.
The days are all blending together…It is such a blessing having Rachel and Aiden here. Today, our plan was to dinghy about six miles north to the end of the island. Then one more mile out across open ocean to Isla Isolotes to swim with the sea lions. The girls packed a lunch. Aiden and I got PB & J sandwiches and they had some vegetarian yucky stuff and left over pizza. Everyone had drinks, snorkel gear, rash guards, hats and Keens.
I topped up the dinghy tank with fuel. We had two to three feet of chop and as soon as we rounded the southwestern tip of Partida we started bashing into waves. We were pretty exposed in this inflatable tender and the best approach was speed so the waves didn’t become boarding seas. I told everyone to lean forward and went up to full throttle. Soon we planed out. Cruisers love these inflatables because they can be an open ocean life raft and ours can fly across the water at 25 knots. This one has such a large motor it can even tow Silhouette, if needed. Everything on a cruising boat needs multiple uses.
So there we were flying across the waves having a grand time. Every wave made a solid bounce, and for a short run this is fun. But…it requires concentration and balance and basically everyone but me cuddled a pontoon with every inch of their body. Liana was sitting up front on one side, Aiden on the other and Rachel was behind Aiden and had her head down, leaned forward, butt in the air. From my view she looked like a jockey on a thoroughbred at the Kentucky Derby. We passed one bay after another.
Occasionally, we would get doused by a wave smack in the face. Three bays crossed and we rounded the point when we realized this was too far for a dinghy adventure in these conditions. Liana’s back couldn’t take much more bashing and she was right. Around the point were white caps and wind. So I made the decision to turn back, quickly realizing everyone sighed in relief. We turned around.
We needed a new revised plan. Let’s slip into one of these bays and have a picnic lunch on the beach. All agreed that was what we should do. Going back with the waves instead of against them was much nicer and we could enjoy the view. The first two were big bays and we saw a few boats anchored in each. The last and smallest one was empty. It was ours for the afternoon.
It turned out to be the best day! This bay was completely sheltered by the swell and the ride in was smooth and gentle. A world of difference from the white-knuckle ride we just endured. Now everyone is straddling the pontoons dragging one foot through the deep, dark, majestic, blue water. The blue went to emerald green as we approached the shallows.The tide was going out and we never made it even close to the beach before the water was just too shallow. It was best to put out the anchor and let the dink float while we waded in.
The water was so clear we could see fish, several varieties of starfish, coral and sand dollars as we walked. It was so much fun just wandering around slowly and watching the different schools of reef fish. We saw one fish Rachel was sure was an eel until he came close. It was about a three foot long translucent green alligator gar with a very long sharp nose and a slender body like an eel. It had two big white and black eyes with rows of sharp teeth.
One starfish had a green body trimmed in black. Another was red/orange, similar to the giant ones we saw in the Bahamas. Then we saw skinny colorful ones with very long, blue bodies adorned with yellow racing stripes. Puffer fish swam through the coral hiding under the shady ledges. Their fins moved in a speedy rotation. The porcupine puffer had hundreds of sharp spines that made sure things like the alligator gar gave them a wide berth. We saw square-bodied box fish. They bend their tails sharply to one side, kind of as a parking break to move slowly and filter the nutrients from the tidal flow.
We had to walk carefully to the beach because of all the young coral. Aiden went ahead and climbed part way up a cliff to check out one of the many caves. Rachel and Liana collected pretty shells while Aiden collected dead fish and bird bones. We found abalone and conch shells. Aiden found a dried out, completely intact, seabird skeleton and the skeleton of a puffer fish with hollow eyes, hard spines and sharp teeth. We found rocks crawling with little crustaceans that looked like rolie-polies. They crawled the rocks like cockroaches. Liana and Rachel thought they were creepy.
Lunchtime found a lizard watching us eat. Every once in a while it would do a few pushups. Aiden did a few push ups back. Then it did a few right at Aiden. It was pretty funny. I gave it crackers and a slice of orange. Aiden spotted a cave high up the cliff and wanted to climb it. Ok, let’s do it.
Liana had no plans of climbing so she headed for the dinghy finding interesting fish to watch along the way.
Even though we battled cactus, sharp rocks and thorny branches we made it to the cave, all bloodied and looking like a losing rugby team. The view was incredible. Different colors of water and reddish-orange rock walls, all kinds of desert plants and trees. One plant had hooks on its thick leaves. I brushed my leg by it and a spiny hook caught my leg tearing my shorts. After pulling it out it, I saw it looked like a barbed fish hook, except the other end was soft and stringy containing a seed. This is how they replant themselves, just grab a sailors leg and soon they are on an adventure too.
Back in the bay washing off bloody ankles and hands, we saw holes in the sand an inch or two under water. Each had a little orange crab tucked down inside with orange pinchers, eyeing us. After seeing one snag a piece of turtle grass floating in the water and pulling it into his hole, Rachel and Aiden decided to feed them. Not kidding, they were hand feeding these little hole dwellers. One of them took so much he closed up shop for new business and pulled a little shell over his hole.
We saw small mounds of sand poop. That’s the only way to describe the little curly pile of what looked like a long turd. We all were curious to know who the turd-makers were and hatched a plan to dig one up. So while poop was piling out of the hole, Rachel took a clam shell and scooped the sand pooping critter out. It turned out to be a slug. It must filter the sand and then squirt out the remains. We covered it back up.
Time to head back to Silhouette.The boat closest to us was a 40 foot Hunter. The owner, Bill came by on his dinghy to say hi. Like us, they came up through the Panama Canal. Their boat is named Taste and Sea. As soon as I saw the name, the song, The Lord is Good came into my head. I took out my binoculars and in smaller print by the name it read, Psalm 139. What a great name for a boat “Taste and sea” that the Lord, he is good!
When we went to bed, Aiden was star gazing from the hammock swinging gently on the bow. I awoke early the next morning. Sadly, this is our last day in the islands. Our spring break crew must be back in La Paz to take a covid test before flying out the next day. Rachel came up to join me in the cockpit. Liana came up, kissed me and offered to make us coffee. Two steaming cups appeared through the hatch. Rachel sat listening to an audio book with headphones on and snuggling her coffee cup. We’re in the cockpit enjoying the sunshine and the smooth swaying of the boat and whispering because no one really wants to break the silence of the moment.
Liana and Rachel have been saving food scraps for this very moment. Carrot peels, apple peels, the flowering end of celery, along with coffee grounds. Each morning they pour them out to feed the fish and turtles. We have had a pair of green sea turtles frequently bob up and down around us just out of full view. They are so quiet and just pop their heads up to breath and munch on turtle grass.
It was another kayak, paddle board and snorkel day. The three amigos paddled off with flippers and face masks. They came back excited about all the cool fish they saw. Unfortunately, it’s now time to pull up anchor and head for La Paz. We put all the toys away and stored the dinghy in the davits for the trip back.
Arriving in La Paz, we just had time to drop the anchor and secure things before we piled into the dink to head to Marina de La Paz. The test giving tech drove up on his motorcycle. A plastic white table under a shade tree at Club Cruceros ended up being the testing sight of choice. Mr. motorcycle guy took off his helmet and pulled a white lab coat out of his bag and viola, he’s a medical biker dude.
The test was a simple swab from nose to brain and it threw Aiden into a sneezing fit. After the tests and sneezes we were promptly thrown out of an outdoor restaurant for not having masks on. We had forgotten all this silliness while being mesmerized by freedom in the islands. Liana thinks I was rude to the manager but I don’t care. It’s an outdoor restaurant and they wanted us to wear a mask to go to the front door and use hand sanitizer and then back out to the table we were already seated at.
So Liana, the only smart one of the bunch, had a mask. She walked into a tienda and bought enough for all of us. We went looking for another restaurant on the beach to sit and have some lemonadas. We looked at pictures we took during the week and reminisced about all the fun we had.
Since this was the last night on Silhouette for Rachel and Aiden a special dinner was planned. Big, fat rib-eye steaks on the BBQ for the boys. The girls were having grilled shrimp with asparagus grilled for us all. We cooked up an extra steak and right away Aiden was hungrily eyeing it. So he had two huge steaks. Good for him! Luckily, his Aunt Liana knew growing boys eat, and eat, and eat.
We spent the evening playing Sequence. Liana and Rachel had a bad run of luck the other night and they had a score to settle. We were all tired by the last game. I think Aiden called it a yawn train. Somebody would yawn and it would go around the table. Off with the lights and the spring break crew headed to bed.
We all had a perfect last nights sleep but by morning the bay was cold with windswept white caps. I was glad this change in the weather waited for the very last day. Liana was combining pictures we took and putting them on a travel drive. I also wanted them to go home with something special so I showed them how to make sailor bracelets. They were made from colorful yacht-braid line and came together in two loops that were connected with stainless steel turnbuckles, very nautical.
After breakfast we loaded everything in dry bags and put them in the dinghy. Everyone tucked in and we sped across the windy, rolling waves. We almost had a flood of water catch up to us when I slowed at the marina entrance. Liana looked back and saw it coming so I sped just ahead of the following wave and slowed more slowly next time. Everything stayed dry in the bags and we even stayed pretty unwetted ourselves. That was it, the last boat ride for the spring break crew.
A taxi took Liana and me as far as Walmart and Rachel and Aiden on to the airport. So we shared one last ride together and hugged goodbye and they were gone. Rachel sent me a picture with them at the gate waiting for the flight. They looked very tanned but sad under their black masks. We miss them already 🙁
I had so much fun. I hope for another adventure.
Absolutely!