La Paz

Well, made it back to La Paz. Guess we didn't update the trip from Cabo to La Paz from last spring. It was great but with all things sailing, took a little longer than expected. Nathene arrived and I had pulled the boat back into the Marina for her first night. She thought, sailing is quite nice as we sat in the sheltered marina.

Next night we anchored out in the bay and had an eventful night with steady swells from the pacific rocking the boat."Make it stop" was heard often from Nathene as she tried to adjust to life on the boat that night. Next day we pulled anchor and sailed towards Los Frailes, an anchorage about 40 nautical from Cabo. Nice little bay, named after the rock overlooking the bay that sort of resembles 3 friars hunched over climbing a hill. Saw lots of whales on the way to Los Frailes with beautiful sun and light winds.

As we pulled anchor the next morning some rays starting jumping out of the water. Others just came to the surface and sat there sunning themselves. Really cool. We rounded the point out of the bay just as the wind started to pick up. 4 hours later, we gave up and turned back, a northerner was starting to blow. Northerners are north winds that blow down the Sea of Cortez and usually occur when the Santa Ana winds are blowing in California. This one lasted for 4 days, stranding us in Los Frailes in behind the Friars and secure out of the wind. We were running low on water and I ended up catching a ride into town with "Phil" an expat from California who may still have been trying to avoid the draft or recovering from the last war. Lets say it was an interesting ride on the back roads, dodging 1/2 starved cows will balancing on the back of a 1970 Yamaha 90.

When the winds lightened up, we pushed forward and got to Los Muritos, or "The Dead Men", refering not to dead men, or ghosts, but to the heavy anchors that laid buried in the bay. They used to hold the boats secure back in the mining days. Dinner at a restruant was welcome but we both found it a little uneasy after being on the boat so long.

Next night found us in a small bay north of La Paz, beautiful beach, nice sheltered anchorage, Balandara bay. Did some snorkling and walking on the beach.

La Paz was a welcome sight and we spent 3 days at the marina in pampered luxury before leaving the boat in dry dock and taking the ferry to Mazatlan, the only gringos on board.