Bahia San Pedro Anchorage

To continue with our saga of boat projects we pick it up with our third haul out.  It went as planned for once.   Francisco Navarez, also known as Coyote or Pancho arrived as agreed and he and his buddy started right in replacing two thru hulls and adding an extra one in the galley.  Day one, they removed the old stuff and got the holes in the hull just right.  Day two they installed the thru hull mushroom fittings and the sea cocks and connected all the hoses.  Since they finished early I had them replace the raw water pump on the engine with a new one that I'd ordered from the states.  We stayed in the yard an extra day to give the 4200 adhesive time to cure properly. 

Hopefully we are done with pictures of broken parts and nasty work.  So all the pictures here are of the scenic beauty of Bahia San Pedro

While in the yard we had Manuel Reyes come by with his diesel jugs and filters. He removed all the old diesel fuel that had been aboard for years.  We could tell by the color of the fuel that it was coming apart... loosing its " juice."  With both tanks empty, we decided to just stop using the starboard tank as it has a crack and leaks.  That's a project waiting for a future fix.  I made a couple of trips to the fuel station and brought about 40 liters of diesel for the port side tank.  Clean fuel, new water pump, new sea cocks. We were looking good for a January 21 launch.

No problems at the launch, no problems getting to the dock. Things were looking up!

Launch Friday.  Clean up the boat Saturday. Go out on a sea trial Sunday.  We cruised around the inner bay, starting and stopping and checking the engine.  Then we headed out into the Sea and got the sails up, turned the engine off and IT WAS MAGIC.   We tacked back and forth running east towards Miramar.  As the afternoon winds filled in the boat started healing and by about 4 PM we were over canvassed.  Items below came crashing down on the floor and we hung on for dear life as Nepenthe heeled over, driving through the waves and swell.  She held her own and proved she was seaworthy with dry decks in four foot rollers and 20 knots of wind.  We fought down the sails and motored back to the dock where our dock buddies helped us squeeze into her slip.  

Sea Trial: Successful 

Sweet Haven motoring north to Bahia San Pedro

The next trial would be an overnight cruise.  Fifteen nautical miles north is a small bay named Bahia San Pedro.  After we put out the word that we'd be going there on Wednesday for an overnight, we had three other boats decide to join us.  Sweet Haven, Juguete, and Kia Ora.  The winds here in the winter blow constantly from the north, often times creating 4 to 8 foot wave trains.  On Wednesday, the rough seas subsided and we were able to motor and sail and then motor some more north to Bahia San Pedro.  We dropped anchor in 20 feet with a sand bottom and immediately got the dinghy in the water and went ashore.  The bay is only accessed by water and has no development so it's truly a wild natural place.  Wonderful shells and bird bones on the beach, wind swept rocks and spiny cactus.  And quiet... oh so quiet. 

This is what we came here for.  This is why we wanted a boat in Mexico.  We just want to anchor in a sandy bay, do some hiking, paddle around, sit on deck and watch the sun set.  Then sleep in a dense quiet to awaken in a natural place where I can sit with my hot tea and watch the light change on the water as Connie paddles the board around the bay.  We have arrived!

The run south back to San Carlos became a little bouncy as the afternoon winds piped up.  We made it back to the dock in windy conditions and I bumped the bow pulpit on the pylon coming into the slip. Little Sweet Haven ( with Noreen and Myron aboard) made it back just fine but had a topsy turvy time of it out there in the big swell. 

Now it's time to think about crossing the Golfo de California and experience the wonderful little anchorages that run from north to south down the east coast of Baja.   We checked the wind models and found a two day respite from the north wind on Monday and Tuesday.  Tonight we are having our last night at the dock and tomorrow we leave San Carlos and head out into a 20 hour crossing of the Sea, arriving in Punta Pulpita sometime in the morning on Tuesday.  

Sweet Haven has sprung a little leak.  We know how that goes....  So Noreen and Myron have decided to haul her out of the water and put her in storage.  And now they will be joining us on Nepenthe to provide crew and company.  After some hectic packing and provisioning we are almost ready for a 1 PM departure tomorrow.  Connie and I are soooo....  ready to get out there on the water.  It's been a long slog, getting this boat ready but we are in good spirits and looking forward to having a nice relaxing "vacation" on the water.  No mechanics to deal with, no parts being shipped, no boat yoga moves trying to install things in tight places.  Just water and sky.  Wish us well.  And don't jinx it!