4-24-14
Punta Pulpito- San Juanico
26 deg 30' 72.9"N 111 deg 26' 90.1"W
26 deg 20' 55,5"N 111 deg 25' 01.9"W
Breezy with winds out of the E
Sunny
Choppy seas 1-2 '
1:00-4:00 pm
Engine hours 135.2-136.6
We spent the morning exploring and getting our heart rate up. We paddled into the beach, secured our iSUPs, hopped over rocks and sea debris and found our trailhead to journey to the top of the large rock mass that is Punta Pulpito. It was basically a vertical climb on scree, my favorite surface to climb up or down (insert sarcastic tone). Nothing like facing my fears first thing in the am.
The task was worth the views from atop! We could see the sea from every direction and down at the rocky cliffs, dolphins were playing in the surf. When we retuned to sea level, they were right off the bow of our boat.
The wind picked up to about 10 knots from the east which put us in an undesirable anchorage at Pulpito, so we decided to sail south to San Juanico. It was a nice, mellow sail.
We anchored at the south end of the anchorage behind my favorite rock formation.
We celebrated our all-sail day with the last Corona in the ice box.
I made pasta for dinner.
Happy to be back in San Juanico,
First Mate Kate
Day 2
4-25-14
I awoke this am with fullness in my left ear. The hydrops returned. I was hoping I had cured it in a salt float when I was home. I did get water in my ear swimming at Playa Coyote, so maybe that is what triggered it. I just want it to go away.
We went paddling around the rock formation this am. The rocks are pretty amazing. They are all chiseled by wind and water and seem to be comprised of thousands of one square inch pieces all compressed together and divided perfectly, like someone designed them on a matrix and the rock took to it literally. You can see the vertical and horizontal dimensions and where the plates of rock shifted slightly off from the neighboring ones.
There was quite a variety of fish along the rocks and reefs.
The wind started to pick up from the west and we were quite a distance from the boat, so we headed back with some extra motivation.
Mike saw the diesel smudge on the side of the boat that screamed "wash me", so he grabbed the supplies, jumped on his SUP and cleaned away the black soot from the port side of the boat.
Inside Pangaea I got all Betty Crocker and made pizza dough for dinner prep and a couple of banana-pecan-chocolate chip breads.
Mike got stung by a bee while he was cleaning. I gave him some Benadryl and a kiss to make it all better. :-)
We had another afternoon of reading and napping. I think I can get used to this! I finished two books, Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi and The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck. I have to say I really enjoyed Maiden Voyage!
We made a delicious pizza with prosciutto, green olives, garlic, sundried tomatoes, jalapeños, artichoke hearts and jack cheese. We ended the evening watching one of my favorite movies, The Princess Bride.
Happy Friday,
First Mate Kate
Day 3
4-26-14
We awoke feeling a need to explore San Juanico a little more fully, so we prepared the dinghy and ate breakfast.
After we were sufficiently smeared with sunscreen we headed out to the dinghy, in hopes that the outboard motor would start. Since it hasn't worked for us reliably yet this trip, that was a tall order.
One of the things I appreciate about Steinbeck's Log from the Sea of Cortez was his account and personification of his outboard motor that never worked, almost willfully. Borrowing from Steinbeck,
the personality traits of his outboard motor, a.k.a. "Sea Cow":
"1) Incredibly lazy, the Sea Cow loved to ride on the back of the boat, trailing its propeller daintily in the water while we rowed.
2) It required the same amount of gasoline whether it ran or not, apparently being able to absorb this fluid through its body walls without recourse to explosion. It had always to be filled at the beginning of every trip.
3) It had apparently come clairvoyant powers and was able to read our minds, particularly when they were inflamed with emotion. Thus, on every occasion when we were driven to the point of destroying it, it started and ran with a great noise and excitement. This served the double purpose of saving its life and of resurrecting in our minds a false confidence in it.
4). It had many cleavage points, and when attacked with a screwdriver, fell apart in simulated death, a trait it had in common with opossums, armadillos, and several members of the sloth family which also fall apart in simulated death when attacked with a screwdriver.
5). It hates *Mike, sensing perhaps that his knowledge of mechanics was capable of diagnosing its shortcomings. (*Steinbeck used Tex)
6). It completely refused to run: a) when the waves were high; b) when the wind blew; c) at night, early am and evening; d) in rain, dew or fog; e) when the distance to be covered was greater than 200 yds. But on warm, sunny days when the weather was calm and the beach close by- in a word-on days when it would have been a pleasure to row-the Sea Cow started at a touch and would not stop.
7). It loved no one, trusted no one. It had no friends.
8). It runs perfectly fine out of water."
That pretty much sums up our outboard motor. Time for a new one and a new plan for the day!
Funny thing, Mike had enough and took out the screwdriver. He took apart the carburetor and put it back together. Between that and threatening to get a new motor, she ran perfectly for a snorkeling trip and to the beach and back. She died on the way back from the beach.
The snorkeling was pretty great, except for getting stung a few times by a hornet. We think Mike was stung by a hornet, not a bee, as it was identical to mine.
Mike gave spearfishing a try today. He was really close to a big parrot fish and a cabrillo, but they had too much time to skirt away from the spear. He was really close to a yummy dinner!
Mike and I decided after the snorkeling trip to move the boat. The wind had shifted and the waves were body surfing perfect but not so fun as an anchorage swell. So, we headed west where all the other boats had congregated. Smart move.
We took a trip to the beach, played some frisbee and then went for a hike. It was good to move.
We got back to the beach just in time, as the surf had come up and pulled the dinghy into the water.
By the time we got back to the boat it was time for a sundowner. Mike made papaya-piña margaritas and we brought the guitar out for a little serenading. I sang "Angel" by Sarah McLaughlin and actually got cheers from the anchorage. That was awesome. We sang a few more as an encore.
We are making Thai tonight for dinner. Our spearfishing attempts were unsuccessful. Close...but no cigars.
Goodnight,
First Mate Kate