Sunday, October 16, 2011 On the way to Candeleros Chico
Today is the end of our first week out, one we have spent remembering the old routines - like closing the port holes before getting underway- and sweating and swimming. It has been very warm and even a bit humid, although maybe the humidity is just what we are producing. During the day it gets into the 90’s outside and can hit 100 in the cabin. Earl and I don’t really agree on the use of air conditioning. I am of the less is more school. If it is in the 90’s outside, it seems that the mid 80’s inside is adequately cool. Earl thinks 72 is the right temperature inside, summer or winter although he can be talked into 76. I hate cold air blowing on me, he loves it. I have to admit that without it at night, at least to start, my pillow is wet as am I, so we have been leaving it on.
There are few people out. It is too bad for them, because the warm air brings warm water. It has been between 85 and 87 degrees and delicious. I think I could just live it it.
It has been a lazy week. The first day we went to our old standby anchorage Caleta Partita between Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partita. There was one boat when we arrived and later another came in. We were visited by a pangero looking for some D batteries which we were able to supply. He offered to bring us some fish the next morning in return but we told him we planned on leaving early. Then we had a wonderful dinner on the back deck - chicken breast sauted with mangos and salsa. That night we turned on the underwater lights which Earl had replaced. To Daisy’s delight, 6 pelicans appeared quickly, following by lots of tiny fish. Later the slightly larger fish came to feed and, a first, a small skate. It was what is called a mobula, about 1 foot in diameter. Its white belly was luminescent in the lights and we watched in wonder as it gracefully swept around behind us.
Tuesday we left Partita and headed for the lovely anchorage at Isla San Franscico called the Hook. We had it to ourselves until late afternoon which made bathing suits optional. It was so lovely, we decided to spend Wednesday there. I spent a good part of the day on the phone with Ocens, our satellite weather program people, trying to get the phone hooked up to our new computer. It took the better part of an hour, but with the help of Pedro in Seattle, we finally got there. (Now my next task will be to get the GPS and AIS hooked up. I think we need new ‘drivers’ and I will wait until tomorrow to call Maptech for help.)
Early evening Wednesday after a lovely day, Earl decided to move to the other side of the island. He was concerned that the weather would give us a rocky night where we were but I think he just likes to move. Disaster! We started to roll around when we got into the new anchorage and I could not get all the stuff on the counter corralled at once. Just my luck, it was a full bottle of Yoy Soy, a sticky marinade with soy sauce, sesame seeds and sugar, that fell and spilled on the rug. What a mess to pick up! I was not pleased with Earl. This particularly piece of rug has been previously marinated by multiple glasses of red wine, and one entire bottle of sweet late harvest white wine. All things considered, it looks pretty good, but I wonder if in hard times it could be turned into s savory stew.
Thursday we headed north to Agua Verde, another favorite anchorage. Earl had the fishing gear out. Daisy had not forgotten how to fish. As always she heard the line running out of the reel before we did. We caught two dorado, one of which we released. They are really a lovely fish to see.
We had Agua Verde to ourselves and stayed two nights, spending our time sweating and swimming. Friday night Earl woke me to see a small bunch of mobula dancing in our lights. He is very frustrated that he has not really been able to photograph them adequately, but he did make a movie. I’ll see if I can post it. (Posting of the movie failed. I'll try again another time)
Saturday we left Agua Verde and headed east out into the sea around Isla Catalina looking for big fish. Nothing showed up. Finally at 3 we headed to Yellowstone Beach on the north side of Isla Monserrate and found paradise. We had been here before with Louise and Howard in the Spring. when we wandered around on the beach admiring the ochre colored rocks and the hundreds of shells shed by lobsters. This time as we anchored we saw thousands of colorful little sergeant majors swimming in the clear water. As Earl was dropping the anchor, I saw that we were drifting over a reef twenty feet below and told him to turn around and so as to drop the anchor over the sand. The anchored boat drifted over the reef and we found ourselves in an aquarium. We could see clearly to the reef 20 feet below us. Near the surface were hundreds of little yellow sergeant majors while large fish drifted below. In we went, like aged Adam and Eve in a marine garden of Eden. It was the best snorkeling that we have had in Mexico. It was a magical day!
Monday, October 17, 2011 - Heading north to the West side of Isla Carmen
We left Eden after marking it on our map so that we can return and headed for a little anchorage we had never visited before. Candeleros Chico is a tiny bay, big enough for one or two boats. Again the water was clear. At 30 feet we could see bottom. Sadly there was not the fish life we had seen at Monseratte. Nonetheless, it was a lovely spot and we actually had a delightful breeze in the evening which helped cool us off. For once, I was up before Earl this morning and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise through a break in the rock wall on our east. Now we are headed north where we will pick up the signal from Loreto and I will be able to post this. Then we will anchor and going swimming again.
Tuesday we left Partita and headed for the lovely anchorage at Isla San Franscico called the Hook. We had it to ourselves until late afternoon which made bathing suits optional. It was so lovely, we decided to spend Wednesday there. I spent a good part of the day on the phone with Ocens, our satellite weather program people, trying to get the phone hooked up to our new computer. It took the better part of an hour, but with the help of Pedro in Seattle, we finally got there. (Now my next task will be to get the GPS and AIS hooked up. I think we need new ‘drivers’ and I will wait until tomorrow to call Maptech for help.)
Early evening Wednesday after a lovely day, Earl decided to move to the other side of the island. He was concerned that the weather would give us a rocky night where we were but I think he just likes to move. Disaster! We started to roll around when we got into the new anchorage and I could not get all the stuff on the counter corralled at once. Just my luck, it was a full bottle of Yoy Soy, a sticky marinade with soy sauce, sesame seeds and sugar, that fell and spilled on the rug. What a mess to pick up! I was not pleased with Earl. This particularly piece of rug has been previously marinated by multiple glasses of red wine, and one entire bottle of sweet late harvest white wine. All things considered, it looks pretty good, but I wonder if in hard times it could be turned into s savory stew.
Thursday we headed north to Agua Verde, another favorite anchorage. Earl had the fishing gear out. Daisy had not forgotten how to fish. As always she heard the line running out of the reel before we did. We caught two dorado, one of which we released. They are really a lovely fish to see.
We had Agua Verde to ourselves and stayed two nights, spending our time sweating and swimming. Friday night Earl woke me to see a small bunch of mobula dancing in our lights. He is very frustrated that he has not really been able to photograph them adequately, but he did make a movie. I’ll see if I can post it.
Saturday we left Agua Verde and headed east out into the sea around Isla Catalina looking for big fish. Nothing showed up. Finally at 3 we headed to Yellowstone Beach on the north side of Isla Monserrate and found paradise. We had been here before with Louise and Howard in the Spring. when we wandered around on the beach admiring the ochre colored rocks and the hundreds of shells shed by lobsters. This time as we anchored we saw thousands of colorful little sergeant majors swimming in the clear water. As Earl was dropping the anchor, I saw that we were drifting over a reef twenty feet below and told him to turn around and so as to drop the anchor over the sand. The anchored boat drifted over the reef and we found ourselves in an aquarium. We could see clearly to the reef 20 feet below us. Near the surface were hundreds of little yellow sergeant majors while large fish drifted below. In we went, like aged Adam and Eve in a marine garden of Eden. It was the best snorkeling that we have had in Mexico. It was a magical day!
Monday, October 17, 2011 - Heading north to the West side of Isla Carmen
We left Eden after marking it on our map so that we can return and headed for a little anchorage we had never visited before. Candeleros Chico is a tiny bay, big enough for one or two boats. Again the water was clear. At 30 feet we could see bottom. Sadly there was not the fish life we had seen at Monseratte. Nonetheless, it was a lovely spot and we actually had a delightful breeze in the evening which helped cool us off. For once, I was up before Earl this morning and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise through a break in the rock wall on our east. Now we are headed north where we will pick up the signal from Loreto and I will be able to post this. Then we will anchor and going swimming again.
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