After spending a night in Pichilingue Bay, we sailed the last 10 nautical miles into La Paz. The anchorage in the channel was crowded with boats, and it wasn’t easy to find a suitable spot. Additionally, it was a new moon and low tide, meaning very low water levels. We didn’t want to cross the sandbar to our “regular” anchoring spot as we didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Although the depth was probably enough, we didn’t want to take even the slightest chance to get stuck.

Finally, we found a place to drop the anchor, but soon after we realized that we had anchored right in the middle of the channel. Although we were in good company – other sailboats had anchored in the middle of the channel, too -, we didn’t want to stay there. As it was already evening, we decided to wait and re-anchor the next morning during high tide.

Noisy affair

On the first night, we could hear loud music from shore. It was time for the yearly Carnival in La Paz. We didn’t want to miss out on the festivities and joined the crowd the next day. In the late afternoon, the parade started, which in many ways resembled “Fasnacht” we know from back home in Switzerland but was still quite different. Regional organizations and clubs had decorated trailers with great attention to detail, on which either many costumed people danced, or one or two young women were presented in magnificent dresses and crowns.

The trailers were mostly pulled by pickups with huge speakers installed, blasting Mexican music at ear-splitting volumes. Between the trailers, various dance performances took place. We stood directly opposite a stage where a host commented on all the passing participants. The edge of the parade was lined with amusement stalls and food stands. The atmosphere was especially unique as the sun set over the sailboats which were anchored in the La Paz channel. And this whole vibe made us a little homesick.

Hello civilization

After several weeks of being far from civilization and several months in not-so-nice Guaymas, we enjoyed being in La Paz. The city has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine and culture, and we enjoyed that everything was within walking distance. We also had some preparations to do before sailing south with Flo to unknown waters (to us at least).

Money, money, money

For example, we had our watermaker’s high-pressure pump serviced – luckily by a professional. A stainless-steel spacer between two gaskets that had to come out simply wouldn’t budge. The service technician took the affected unit with him to his workshop but still couldn’t remove it there. The technician then promptly installed the unit of another model on our boat. He also found that the water suction pump was broken. We had suspected this due to its strange noises but had hoped for a miracle or a simple solution. Unfortunately, we had to dig deep into our pockets. The small part cost a whopping $400!!! But without this pump, there would be no homemade water. So, we bit the bullet and paid the price.

Burrito is happy

We also brought Lauro, the diesel mechanic from Puerto Escondido, on board. On one hand, to replace the leaking gasket on the fuel lift pump, and on the other hand, to do a general engine check before the crossing. We went through everything together and also checked the alignment of the engine. His conclusion was: all is good with Burrito! That’s exactly what we wanted to hear. We also used our stay in La Paz to stock up on all kinds of goodies for Milagros (and us) in the many boat accessory stores – oil for the engine, sacrificial anodes, a new and completely overpriced toilet seat, etc.

There’s confusion

On the day of Flo’s arrival, David took a taxi to the airport to pick him up, while I stayed on the boat. Suddenly, I heard Flo’s voice on the VHF, calling Milagros, saying that he was at the dinghy dock. So, I drove to shore to pick him up. On the way, David called me to say that Flo hadn’t shown up yet. It turned out that the two had missed each other at the airport. Oops. We celebrated the reunion with tacos and margaritas, as it should be.

The world is a village

The Swiss sailors Thomas and Anja on SV Robusta were also in town. So, we arranged to meet a few days after our arrival for a few beers – unfortunately without Thomas, who would be absent due to a dental appointment. But we saw Thomas a little earlier than planned, because his dinghy motor broke down on the way to his dentist appointment, and we jumped in as a taxi service. As a thank you, Anja brought us a homemade Swiss bread. Yummyyyyy. We then went ashore for dinner and later, we were joined by Alex, another Swiss sailor who has been sailing solo around the world with his SV No Stress for 6 years. The world is a small place sometimes.

Swiss meeting

As a good weather window for the sail to mainland Mexico approached, we prepared for this crossing at full speed: inspecting the rigging, mounting the inner forestay (which had been sitting in our bilge for almost 2 years), provisioning, cleaning the underwater hull, planning the passage of the 350 nautical miles, and so on. But we didn’t forget to have some fun. We enjoyed not only the vibe of La Paz, but also the sailor life. Alex invited us for a sundowner on his boat No Stress, a 54-foot Amel Super Maramu. This is the same boat that the famous Youtubers from SV Delos have been sailing around the world with for 10 years. It was exciting to see this model with our own eyes. We spent a fun evening speaking Swiss German. 6 Swiss sailors on one boat, that’s rare for us. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken.

Let’s go on the crossing

Then it was time: we started our nearly 3-day crossing to La Cruz, because a nice north wind window with 20-25 knots opened up, which was ideal for the planned downwind course. After a few hours of motoring north and into the wind to get out of La Paz, we were able to hoist the sails and turn east. We sailed on a fairly sporty beam reach with the waves on the side. When it was finally time to turn towards the southeast and thus towards La Cruz, we realized that Milagros didn’t want to go that way.

The mood is decying

The sea was really confused and we just couldn’t stabilize the boat. That meant hand-steering. And as soon as it got dark, Flo got seasick and was out. So, David and I steered by hand, which was really exhausting, but we got into the flow, eventually. When we suddenly got a radio call in the middle of the night with the words, “Milagros, Milagros, what are your intentions? Are you going in front of me or behind me?” we lost our flow. We scanned the horizon and couldn’t see anything, no lights, no boat, no nothing. And we couldn’t see any boat on our AIS screen (Automatic Identification System) either. We asked him what kind of boat he was, and he replied, “I’m a cargo ship.”

Then we found out that the AIS information disappears when we zoom out too far on our screen. Not good. Not good at all. We agreed with the tanker that we would accelerate, and he would pass behind us. After that, we lost our desire for the long crossing. The high waves, strong winds, and uncomfortable course strained our nerves and we became lethargic. For example, when a portion of noodles with tomato sauce spilled, we just left it on the floor. No one wanted to clean it up.

It gets worse

After reconsideration, we changed our destination on a whim and headed for Mazatlán. This shortened the crossing by about a day. Eventually, we got back into the flow somehow. Milagros sailed herself with the wind steering system on a downwind course. We had 6 – 10 ft high waves from behind and surfed them at up to 11 knots (which is about the speed of light). So, sailing became fun again – until about 4 hours before arrival. Suddenly, out of the blue, Milagros changed course in the middle of the night for unknown reasons and gybed, in this case, a Chinese gybe, because we didn’t want to gybe (sail with the stern through the wind). Fortunately, we had mounted a preventer line, which prevented the boom from swinging freely from one side to the other. Immediately, we lost all of our sailing spirit again. What had happened? We still don’t know.

It’s over

But that wasn’t all. When we wanted to start the engine it just wouldn’t start. After the second attempt, I went below deck and tried everything related to diesel supply. I started the electric diesel pump, switched tanks, switched to another filter, and operated the fuel lift pump lever. In combination with David giving a bit of throttle on the third try, the engine finally started. This episode was another blow on the already not very enjoyable crossing. Finally, we had to anchor in the port of Mazatlán at night; our first night anchoring manoeuvre. We radioed the harbour master just before entering at 2 a.m in the middle of the night. He only said, “be careful.” But the harbor was well lit and we quickly dropped anchor. We left everything as is and were just glad to have finally arrived after 41 hours.

Misfortunes seldom come alone

The next morning, we wanted to treat ourselves to an extensive breakfast with pancakes and fruit. Which was when the misfortune happened: David slipped with a knife while cutting a mango and sliced his hand open. It was immediately clear that the wound needed to be stitched. So, Flo and I prepared the dinghy, which was still deflated. David and I then set off to shore. The guard at the dock recommended the Cruz Roja – the Red Cross hospital – and an Uber brought us there within 10 minutes. We were prepared for a long wait and packed pancakes and entertainment material. But David was seen immediately, and his cut was stitched with 5 stitches. It cost 180 pesos – about $9. One hour later we were already back on Milagros.

We need to relax

After these exertions, we longed for a hot shower, so we just booked the cheapest room we could find in Mazatlán. We walked through the old town to the hotel, checked in, showered, left again, and treated ourselves to a fine dinner. In the coming days, we stretched our legs with walks through Mazatlán: up to a viewpoint, through the old town and its alleys, and along impressive cruise ships. In between, we enjoyed the rich culinary offerings, from ice cream to street tacos to local beer. We really liked it there. The only thing that disturbed the idyll were party boats, ferries, and cargo ships that constantly passed by the boat.

If we had known

After five days, it was time to sail on, as Flo had to catch a flight home to Switzerland from Puerto Vallarta, which was 200 nautical miles (approximately 360 km) away, and our next guests, Hürzi and Chrigi from Switzerland, also wanted to board there soon. We planned our journey south so that we could stop at Isla Isabel, a bird breeding ground 20 nautical miles off the coast. Only in mild conditions, the anchorage there was somewhat acceptable. But on the day of departure, Milagros had other plans for us. Yet again. We discovered something that prevented our further journey and potentially delayed it for a longer time…

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Der Beitrag From Madness to Memories erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

After several days of strong, gusty north wind, we were really exhausted. The constant noise, the swaying back and forth at anchor and the night’s unrest left its mark on us. We were tired and just happy when the end of the almost week-long troublemaker was in sight. As quickly as the «Northers» show up and hassle everybody in their way, they disappear again. All of a sudden, calmness returned. And as almost always, we had to devote ourselves to one very important object on the project list. Our mast. What was an impossibility in 30 knots of sustained winds, now we could finally tackle.

A Quick Review

As we found out at Cabrales Boatyard, our mast is a banana. The rear mast support (the so-called backstay) on Milagros had been much too short for years or even decades. This pulled the mast backwards too much. Our mast is made of thin, lightweight aluminum, which has resulted in some backwards warping. We carefully examined the whole situation at the boatyard and came to the conclusion that we can correct the deflection with the new rigging, which we did as best we could. Still, we weren’t satisfied as photos of Milagros taken by SV Swan Song’s Pete and Shinyi still showed the bend. After a bit of brainstorming via Whatsapp with Marga (we love you so much for all your help) we decided that the mast had to be corrected again in its position, which required a lot of work.

Important work on the mast

First, we had to loosen all the mast supports, which was the main reason why the wind had to drop first. With two lines we extended a sling that we wrapped around the mast. This allowed us to use the winches to crank the mast back and reposition the rubber wedges that hold the mast in place through the deck. After that we had to readjust the rigging. What sounds short and painless took a whole day. The fact that, contrary to expectations, the wind picked up again in the middle of the project only helped to a limited extent. But in the end, we were very happy with the result. We have lost all reservations about working on even the most crucial parts of Milagros, which is so, so incredibly important.

One hop further

We weighed anchor early the next morning. It was time to move further south. Our friend Florian was counting the days and hours at home in Switzerland, because it wasn’t long before he came over for a two-week visit. He reported regularly how much he looked forward to his time with us. Us too dude, us too! We were on a tight schedule because we had to be in La Paz at the end of February for his arrival. The sun barely showed an orange shimmer on the horizon before we were on our way again and set out to sea. The almost 6 hours passed in no time, a nice little Bonito for Tacos included, and when suddenly a westerly wind blew across the sea from the mountains of the Baja, which made for an hour of two of great sailing. We were happy and enjoying ourselves.

Finally north wind again! Not.

We continued with our plan to visit anchorages we had never been to on our (probably) final trip in the Sea of Cortez. Our destination San Marcial was such an anchorage. The cove offered protection to the north. Wonder why? Well, guess why. A few days of north wind were coming! Haha! Great! Finally, a Norther again! We couldn’t wait. F****** hell. At least, the forecasts only showed moderate winds compared to the monster that had just passed.

Bahía San Marcial

As we rounded the corner into the bay, our little sailor hearts beat a little faster. Not a single other boat far and wide! That’s how we like it! Anchorages are always at their best when we have them to ourselves. Just us, Milagros and the nature around us. And wow, Marcial was a great stop. The hills around the anchor bay shone in all the colors the Sea of Cortez has to offer. Earthy brown tones fading into reddish copper, plus the rain from the hurricane had caused grass to sprout, which has now dried out in a light yellow over the entire impressing scenery.

Quickly ashore!

Our time in San Marcial was spent going ashore, flying the drone for pictures, fishing and just plainly enjoying. For example, we followed an old river bed that led inland through the flora and fauna of the desert. During these excursions we notice again and again that the desert may appear dead and lifeless, but it is a complex habitat for countless animal and plant species. Birds sounded the alarm in the bushes and announced our appearance, various lizards sat on stones and warmed themselves, brown heaps or small balls on the ground indicated the existence of wild mules and goats.

Another small weather window to move on

Of course, our old, unwanted acquaintance joined the whole pleasure and holiday feeling – the cold northerly wind. This time, however, it didn’t blow so mercilessly and couldn’t spoil the beautiful San Marcial anchorage for us, because it only kept us company for two days. So, we were soon able to prepare Milagros again for the onward journey. Back towards Isla San Francisco we went. But this time we would only pass the island close by and hunker down at the very southern end of Isla San José. A large bank with a small mangrove forest awaited us. Well protected against the NORTH! Because of the NORTH WIND, which would annoy the entire Sea of Cortez again shortly after our arrival at the new spot.

Sheltered by the mangroves

Very early in the morning we set off on a long, 10-hour trip from San Marcial for a stretch which unfortunately we could only cover motoring. The wind was too weak or non-existent. We chugged along, enjoying the view and looking out for dolphins or whales. Not much to report on that front. Burrito purred along in his engine room and we sat on deck, taking in the scenery. Who knows if we’ll get lost in the Sea of Cortez again. Who knows, maybe we will. Nothing is for certain. What is certain is that this place will forever hold a very special place in our hearts.

Bahia Amortajada

When we arrived at our new anchorage “Bahia Amortajada” we first had an anchor beer. We anchored 5 meters deep, but the water was so clear it was almost a little scary to look down the side of the boat. Only the big “5” on the screen in the cockpit confirmed that everything was fine. SV Grace was also anchored in the same bay. Of course, we recognized their backside immediately. The boat’s backside that is. Yet another sister boat of Milagros! “Grace” is actually a Formosa 46, basically the same boat as Milagros, just different. Makes sense? Yeah, we know. So, we met Joseph and Louisa to inspect each other’s boats. Always a very interesting pasttime!

Lush greenery on shore

The fact that the shore was made of greenery as far as the eye could see was a novelty for us. Of course, we had to go and explore. As the tide was low, we were unfortunately unable to take the dinghy into the mangroves. So, our dinghy tour turned into a short walk. Mangroves form an extremely important ecosystem wherever they grow. Mangrove forests and mangrove swamps are mainly found in tropical coastal areas. Comprising a total of almost 70 species of trees and shrubs, they have adapted to brackish salt water in which they stand with their root systems. They are an important habitat for specialized animal and plant species and a nursery for numerous organisms and animals. Unfortunately, like many other habitats, mangrove forests are threatened by rising sea levels, pollution, drainage, fishing and other human encroachment. Brave new world.

Florian, here we come!

At each new anchorage on our way towards La Paz, we informed Florian, who was counting the days in Switzerland, about our progress. After two nights in the mangroves of Amortajada, we hoisted the sails in a stiff leftover northerly breeze and set off towards Isla Espiritu Santo. We have already visited many anchorages on this paradise island, so we had to add another stop in a new anchorage as planned. But first we had to get there, and the road to get there was rocky.

Until it hurts

The way to Isla Espiritu Santo turned out to be a tough one. We were able to sail along nicely, but at the same time the notorious Sea of Cortez swell built up – small, steep waves at an unusually short distance. This made the movements of Milagros quite uncomfortable, after almost 6 hours of rodeo my already damaged back started complaining. My back is much, much better now, but the being pushed around for hours was still a little too much for my herniated disc. We were happy when we finally arrived in the new bay called «Ensenada Grande». It consists of three smaller bays, each of which extends in a different direction. There was still space for us in the middle lobe.

Isla Espiritu Santo – one for your bucket list

Entire books could and should be written about Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida. A stone’s throw by boat from La Paz, its entire east side can only be described as: anchorage after anchorage after anchorage after anchorage. One could spend days and weeks just on this one island. One corner is more beautiful than the other. The proximity to La Paz also means that hundreds of excursion boats visit the island every day and tourists populate the beaches. But that doesn’t detract from the beauty, because in general a lot of consideration is given to the island. The largest bay at the very southwest end of the island has now even been completely closed to visitors and anchored boats.

Edgar – Lord of the Kayaks

We found out that a few hiking trails were marked in Ensenada Grande, which we wanted to explore after a little rest. We inflated and our kayak, paddled into one bay after the other and found an old creek bed in the southernmost corner through which one could climb up to the hilltops of the island. On the beach we also made the acquaintance of Edgar, who was in the process of setting up a small camp. A storage tent, a small off-site toilet and about 10 kayaks were lined up on the beach. Edgar is a cook for a kayak tour operator and has already prepared everything for the guests’ arrival the next day. We arranged to meet him for a cold beer after our walk, because we didn’t have any more on Milagros. An emergency situation!

Hiking up the barren island hills

Our little excursion was not a walk in the park. The way up the river bed was rocky. The further we penetrated into the interior of Isla Espiritu Santo, the steeper the creek bed became, until finally we were just climbing. Over millions of years, large boulders had accumulated left and right from the top of the valley, which we had to climb up. Stone by stone, step by step. Until we got to the top. And the climbing was worth it. The view was crazy impressive.

Isla Espiritu Santo from the other side

The east side of the island is completely different from the west side. Instead of bays for anchoring, there are steep cliffs that plunge vertically down into the sea. Not great for anchoring but great on the eye. It doesn’t get much more dramatic than that. So, we just sat and enjoyed the view before heading back down. After half an hour on the way back, a classic “David” happened to me. I was able to tackle back up the steep terrain again because my sunglasses got lost on the way. Cursing, I climbed up the stones again, because I knew exactly where I had lost them. When I found the sunglasses, I climbed down the path cursing a little less.

Conversations the Mexican way

Arrived at the beach we enjoyed a few cold Pacificos with Edgar and talked about God and the world. We really enjoy such conversations with the Mexicans, we never learn more about the country and its customs. And our Spanish stays in tip-top shape. We’re still far from fluent, but nothing stands in the way of conversations with the locals. And every time we put a smile on the Mexicans’ faces and we regularly get compliments. See, can’t be that bad.

Trouble anchoring – for the first time

The next morning, we continued our journey back to La Paz. After a short trip along the island, we wanted to anchor in the Ensenada La Gallina. Wanted. Our anchor just did not want to hold. For the first time. We tried three times and then we gave up. It felt like we were trying to bury the anchor in concrete. It just scraped along the bottom, I even had to reluctantly jump in the cold water because we wanted to know what the problem was. However, the visibility in the water was so bad that in the end we simply decided to head straight to La Paz.

A sporty ride to La Paz

We had already come to terms with the fact that we had to motor the entire way, when a strong easterly wind came funneling through the Canal de San Lorenzo. With the wind 90 degrees off the side, Milagros activated monster mode and we blasted through at 7 knots to Bahia Pichilingue, our destination. Another new tick on the “bays we’ve never been to”-list. We anchored in a busy bay, as is often the case near the big(ger) cities. Lots of boats both big and small, lots of people on the beach, loud music on the beach and a few restaurants. We went to the latter immediately upon arrival and enjoyed the sunset with a beer and absolutely mediocre food. We had done it again. We were back in La Paz. Time to prepare for our passage to the mainland of Mexico. If only we had known what was lurking on the horizon…

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Der Beitrag Our Farewell Tour erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Filled with anticipation of what adventures may lay ahead, we weighed anchor in La Paz (this time without an incident) and set course towards the southeast coast of the island of Espiritu Santo. The longest beach on the island was waiting for us. “Playa Bonanza” stretches the entire length of the anchorage. And friends were also moving our direction! SV Alegria, SV Cavu and SV Boomerang had just made the crossing to mainland Mexico. While at it, we also took SV Susimi with us from La Paz. Bonanza would be inhabited by a fun bunch of residents and ex-residents of the Cabrales Boatyard. We had been waiting for this to happen for a long time.

A big reunion

Once everybody was safely anchored, we all met on the beach. As far as the eye could see, it stretched snow-white from one end to the other of the bay, contrasted by clear, turquoise water. If that wasn’t a worthy place for a reunion. So, everybody chatted, laughed, drank and enjoyed seeing each other again. There were a lot of stories to tell after all that time. When then we treated ourselves to a nightcap or two at SV Alegria in the evening, where SV Beleza offered their 23-hour-old rum. Bought 23 hours ago? Think again! It was distilled 23 hours ago! On their boat! Pati and I are not at all fans of schnapps, whiskey, rum, tequila and the like, but we couldn’t really say no here. During the tasting we also arranged to meet up with Jo and Barry from SV Boomerang for an early morning walk across the island.

On the move across the island

We headed out for our hike early the next morning. Crossing the island in a zigzag course, our path was lined with all kinds of prickly desert plants, framed by the typical hills of barren volcanic rock in all sorts of browns and reds. The Sea of Cortez scenery is so, so beautiful. The water meets the desert where millions of years of tectonics have formed a lunar landscape, making the scenery of one anchorage more dramatic than the other. We’ve met people who have been sailing the Sea of ​​Cortez for over 10 years and wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. We can’t blame them.

Good times on the beach

Arriving on the other, the west side of the island, we dedicated ourselves to exploring, throwing Frisbees (Jo and Barry from Boomerang are professionals) and just enjoying the moment. A group of vultures was just about to pick up the last edible remains of what used to be a trumpet fish. Which brings us back to the topic. Where else do you share dreamy beaches with a bunch of vultures instead of hundreds of sunburnt all-inclusive tourists? Exactly – there are probably not many places in the world. Although it does have tourists, hotel complexes and cruise ships, the Sea of ​​Cortez is a destination overlooked by the world. And that’s a good thing.

Sailing back to La Paz

Back at the boat we spent the next couple of days hanging out and snorkeling. And then it was back to La Paz. Back to La Paz? Again? For real? Why? Will we become settlers? Will we become members of Club Cruceros and apply to be moderators for the cruisers net (anyone who has been to La Paz with their ship knows what we’re talking about)? Worry not, dear internet! Since La Paz has everything a boaters heart desires, all the other boats of course wanted to make a detour for errands, repairs and the like, so we joined them. We got a bunch of good sailing in and we were even able to sail down the Canal de La Paz due to favourable winds. In the evening we sat at anchor again in front of the city, where we took care of the work on Milagros, online and on new blog posts. But it quickly became clear that we wouldn’t be staying for long.

Ants in the pants

After the ants in the pants (bumblebees in the a** in german) reported for active duty again, we said goodbye to our friends and La Paz and made our way towards Puerto Escondido, where we used to be stuck with a broken diesel injection pump a couple of weeks ago. Since we will be flying to Mexico City for a concert by the great band “Greta van Fleet”, we had reserved a buoy there in the sheltered and calm lagoon, where we can leave Milagros alone without a guilty conscience to visit the big city. Off we went: First stop – Playa Bonanza again. After our borderline experience with the local Corumuel wind, we just wanted a bay sheltered from the wind and waves from the west. Playa Bonanza is one of the few anchorages on the island that ticks these boxes.

All alone at anchor

Our decision was a good one. We spent two quiet nights at anchor completely alone. Where a few days earlier there were almost 10 boats, we now had the entire anchorage to ourselves. Only a few charter catamarans with day trippers dropped by for a few hours. Otherwise – complete peace. We enjoyed every second, went on dinghy trips (a catch for dinner included), went for walks on the beach and can really only let the pictures do the talking.

Moving further north

A few days later we moved on. We motored north along the very spectacular east coast of Isla Espiritu Santo and were even able to observe a humpback whale breaching on the horizon. Unfortunately, he/she was very far away. Seeing the spectacle from afar was impressive nevertheless. We were headed for Isla San Francisco. The wind increased steadily while we approached the island until it leveled off at almost 15 knots. Milagros activated racing mode and we plowed through the waves towards the island at 6 knots. Since the wind was favourable in the following days, after one night in the west bay we changed anchorage around the island to the east bay. We had previously checked the situation during a walk over the island’s ridge.

Exploring a new place

We now could check off yet another anchorage in the Sea of ​​Cortez. The bay on the east side of the island is rockier than the sandy bottoms of the other side. We took it easy with our approach until we realized that there was way more space than we had thought. At the beginning we were the only boat at anchor and so we set out to explore with diving goggles, snorkels and fins. The Sea of ​​Cortez is a snorkeling paradise with its sandy and rocky bottom and its many sea creatures. Considering that only a fraction of what was swimming around a few decades ago is on the move these days, it’s hard to imagine what must have been going on when Jacques Cousteau was doing his rounds here in the late 80s.

Let’s get this party started

Little by little our friends, who came from La Paz, moved into the anchorage, too. Soon the calm in the bay would be over. Cavu Dave’s 40th birthday was coming up and that had to be celebrated big time. A boat crawl with a final demolition party on Cavu was organized without further ado. Every boat taking part in the event had to invent a drink, give it a name, and provide snacks. The tasting of the respective cocktail then took place on one boat after the other. We started on Milagros in the morning. We served pancakes with maple syrup, honey, Nutella, yoghurt, fruit and everything the pancake heart desires and the “Milaprost”, a cocktail made of tequila, beer, pineapple juice and grenadine syrup.

Turn down for what!

The whole gang, consisting of the crews of 6 boats, hopped from boat to boat and of course the party got more and more exuberant. For the grand finale, everyone gathered on Cavu, where the party continued into the wee hours of the morning. Luckily, we knew (almost) the whole bay because TURN DOWN FOR WHAT!!! At midnight, it was time: Happy 166th Birthday Cavu Dave! Here’s to many more gatherings in beautiful anchorages somewhere in the vastness of the oceans! The next morning, of course, it all took a little longer for everyone get going. The fact that we ate solid food as well as liquid food all day saved everyone’s life. The general tenor was: “I expected a worse morning.”

The sea awaits

And so, the days and hours passed. We pushed the party up a day because we had to get Milagros ready again. We only had limited time to explore before we had to get back on the internet. When the headaches wore off two days after the party, we packed our things, got Milagros ready and headed further north with Cavu…

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Der Beitrag Crazy Sailors going wild! erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Famous and notorious

After our short stay at Bahia Falsa just at the entrance to La Paz it was time to move again. Time to get a bit closer to the hustle and bustle. We already knew the La Paz area, or rather the anchor channel, and we had already entered and anchored in the La Paz channel several times. What worried us a little was anchoring in the same channel by ourselves for the first time. The La Paz anchorage is known all over Mexico. Strong currents, and winds result in a weird, atypical dancing of boats at anchor, also known as the “La Paz Waltz”.

Anchors in the channel

We’d heard (or had been told) all sorts of horror stories about what could go wrong, and now it was time for us and Milagros to hit the dance floor. So, we set out from Bahia Falsa, followed the markers down the channel and after choosing a spot, we anchored in the channel. Not a problem. And by accident, we anchored right next to a first familiar face. Joseph on SV Moist came right over on his dinghy to say hello. After, we headed out to La Paz to explore and have a cool drink somewhere. It’s way warmer down here than it was further north. We had fond memories of the city and were happy to be back.

Fondue Fun

We had waited a long, long time to pull this one off again, but now the time had come. Time for another fondue on Milagros. Yes, we Swiss don’t need much for a traditional dinner. We melt a certain kind of mixture of cheeses, dip homemade bread in there and we’re happy. Perfect timing for a bit of Switzerland because the arrival in La Paz was a first milestone in our sailing trip together. We still don’t know where this will lead and how long it will last. We don’t even know what tomorrow will bring. And that’s the beauty of it. In July we’re finally heading back home for a couple of months. We are at home in Mexico and yet we are not. We are completely unbound and can be wherever we feel like being.

Saving daylight

But we weren’t just here for fun. We also had to work. Online to earn some cash and on Milagros to not sink. Pati got hit hard. The changeover to daylight saving time took place a week earlier in Switzerland than here in Mexico. Since the time difference to Switzerland was 9 hours for an entire week, she actually had to set an alarm clock! AN ALARM CLOCK! What? Why? Heeeaall naaaaaaawww!

Boat chores

Apart from working online, we also got some boat projects done. For example, we recaulked some joints of our galley floor, had a watermaker specialist on board who inspected our desalination system (everything’s in working order) or we installed a few lines to protect our beloved dinghy from thieves at night. We kept hearing about theft. And the bad boys and gals usually target the outboard engines of boats.

An important upgrade

But the biggest project of them all was a sewing project. Time for a proper sail bag on our boat. We had already bought the fabric in Puerto Peñasco, but unfortunately the sail bag never sewed itself. We also lack a really good sewing machine that can process several layers of thick fabric. A Sailrite was needed! Sailrite is a major manufacturer of industrial sewing machines for sailcloth and other heavy gauge materials. We knew of 2-3 Sailrite sewing machines in the anchorage, however these were not available. But fate was good to us – our dear friends from SV Catspaw also arrived in La Paz a few days later after their crossing from mainland Mexico. And we could borrow their Sailrite.

Progressing

Project leader of our sewing adventure was Pati because I don’t know jack**** about sewing. Unlike her. She’s a true artist at the sewing machine, as she has already impressively demonstrated in Puerto Peñasco with yet another borrowed Sailrite (SV Susimi’s this time). With the guidance of the official Sailrite instruction videos, we started the endeavour. For hours and days (four of which) Pati was busy and our lazy bag slowly but steadily took shape. Whenever she needed my help, I lent a hand. The greater the progress, the greater the nervousness. Hopefully all the work hasn’t been in vain. Hopefully it turned out well in the end. And luckily it did. Our sail is now well protected from Mexican UV rays, wind, and weather. We were able to make the old dark blue «horse rug», as we called it, disappear and can now brag about our new sail bag.

Meeting sailing friends

We gave our thanks to SV Catspaw, whose gin and tonics are notorious across the entire Sea of ​​Cortez, with a bottle of Mexican gin that I found in our favorite supermarket «Chedraui». In general, the two weeks we spent in La Paz were one big rendezvous with familiar faces. We ate spearfished yellowtail sashimi with Joseph and Felicity on SV Moist, had two (not exactly, it was way more) beers with MV Venture Forth because they showed up a day early the first time, tasted tequila with the same and SV Susimi, had tacos, guacamole, and Uber shopping trips with Jost from SV Serenity.

Wait, there’s more!

Remember when we caught a fishing net in the propeller of SV Sea Note? That was with Ray, and he too, his wife Chicgaila and their dog Baxter were in La Paz. Again: fine dining and drinks. We also hung out with our sewing machine heroes from SV Catspaw. SV Caribbean Dream are on the verge of selling their huge catamaran, but there was still time here for a chat and a bit of help hauling stuff off their boat on our dinghy. Then suddenly Matthew and April appeared on SV Blow Me. More and more friends coming in. This time even on the water instead of in the yard! Yeasssss!

Time to clean underwater

Since the latter had a small diving compressor on board, we took advantage of the opportunity and cleaned the bottom of three sailboats. Milagros included. Because of the strong currents, underwater growth in La Paz is heavier than elsewhere, which was also evident on the belly of Milagros. But no problem, after 30 minutes she was cleaned again. But what was a quick belly rub on Milagros was hard work on another boat. Its two owners, Greg and Stephen, could have offered diving excursions to their very own local coral reef and would have become filthy rich. The many inhabitants on their homegrown ecosystem were not very happy about our cleaning action as Stephen and Greg were. But, life underwater is hard, and so all the little fish and critters had to look for a new home.

The wind is annoying

Unfortunately, unfortunately, La Paz is also home to a local wind. Every night in spring and early summer, a strong wind called “Corumuel” blows from the southwest in La Paz. Coupled with the rather unpleasant La Paz channel current from the “right” direction, Milagros and many other boats were simply pushed directly in the wrong direction over their anchor chains. This led to all sorts of strange occurrences, movements and noises on and in the boat, cost us valuable sleep and stressed us out. And the wind is co-ho-ho-hooold because it’s blowing from the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula! What is a welcome cool down in the Mexican midsummer heat is one thing only in April: COLD!

Cabin fever

Two weeks in La Paz were enough. We wanted to head out again. There were far too many great corners waiting to be discovered and explored out there. A certain cabin fever was setting in. I, in particular, was quickly annoyed by little things and didn’t really know what to do with myself. Sounds reasonable (not), because there is always something to do on a boat. But if there is something to do and you don’t feel like doing it at the same time, things quickly become difficult. But in the end, we didn’t set off on a sailboat to always sit around in the same place. La Paz is fine and dandy and has everything we need, but it’s still not a place I’d necessarily spend more than a few weeks at a time.

See ya!

It was time to finally leave the dance festival. So, we went on provisioning runs and prepared Milagros for departure. Who would follow us was our new buddy called “Corumuel“. We would be introduced way too properly very soon. But luckily, we didn’t know that by then, and so we headed out.

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Der Beitrag We’re Back! erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

After a few nice days with Silvia it was time to say goodbye again. Early in the morning Patricia and Carmen accompanied her to the airport. This was the official start of our trip back to the north of the Sea of ​​Cortez on Anila. But first, there were a few more clarifications and discussions to be had. There were two main reasons for this.

San Carlos instead of Peñasco

First of all, where would our journey lead us exactly? We only have a limited time frame because Carmen and Iñaki will be flying back to Switzerland to work in mid-June. In addition, they now tended to haul Anila out on the boatyard in San Carlos instead of Puerto Peñasco. San Carlos is about halfway from Puerto Peñasco and right next to Guaymas, where the two of them refitted their boat last year. The reason for this is simple.

Mexican welding skills

Anila’s rudder is showing its age and needs to be completely replaced. Since the rudder stock consists of several pieces of stainless steel, it has to be welded. The rudder is such a fundamental part of a boat that there is no room for error or problems. During their refit, Iñaki and Carmen found a welder who delivers top quality. Which is why San Carlos turned out to be their first choice for haul out. So it was decided. We’d be heading to San Carlos instead of Peñasco. And Pati and me would take the bus instead of boat for a large part of the way back to Milagros. We’d do the same bus trip as upon arrival in Mexico in January.

An unbeatable offer

The other point was that the two had stumbled upon a used Spectra watermaker. Bill from the Watermaker Guys, an expert on desalination on boats in the area, had this topnotch device on offer at an unbeatable price. They did not have a choice, so to speak, and took their chance. Since Iñaki wanted to install the watermaker before leaving, we postponed our departure from La Paz for a few more days. No problem, because now there was more time to prepare for the trip and leisurely watch our neighbors, the dolphins of La Paz. Lucky us, since they were swimming back and forth all day, every day, right next to Anila.

Faster, harder, scooter!

There was also time for a little partying of course. During the day Iñaki worked on the watermaker, in the evening beers were had with fellow cruisers. Either on Anila, with Ray on Sea Note, at SV Fickle, SV Bouby (a fellow sailor from Switzerland!) or SV Scooter. We took turns meeting on one of our boats, and good times were had way beyond cruiser’s midnight (which is approximately when the sun sets). It was particularly important that we were able to introduce Hank and Taylor on SV Scooter to the techno group of the same name, which is well known in Europe. Faster, harder, scooter! How much is the fish? The list of hits is long and the music is top notch.

Heeere we go again!

The installation of the watermaker went smoothly. And so it was time prepare for our trip back to the far north of the Sea of Cortez. In contrast to our delivery of Milagros, this time we’d have time to move comfortably from anchorage to anchorage. This combined with training sessions with Yachtmaster Iñaki. The first hop would lead us to the anchor bay “El Mezteño” in the northwest of the island “Espiritu Santo” north of La Paz. Mezteño has become a popular destination for Iñaki and Carmen in the last few months. So it was a matter of planning the passage, preparing the boat, lifting anchor. Off we went, early the next morning.

The most beautiful sail in the Gulf of California

The journey started perfectly. We had just enough wind to hoist the headsail and sail from the anchorage into the canal. Anyone who has read the blog post about our arrival in La Paz with Milagros knows the geography already. In the canal we hoisted the huge, sleek Oxley Levante Parasail from Anila about halfway. What a sail! We have already heard many hymns of praise for the Parasail from Iñaki & Carmen, now we were finally able to see it live in action. The Oxley Parasail even sports the same colours as Anila! It must have been a magnificent sight as we sailed up the canal. Unfortunately we didn’t have our camera drone with us. We would have been way too afraid to fly it anyway. We’ll need quite more training until we can do epic drone shots of a moving boat for you. The sail itself is worth its own blog post, more on that another time.

Mezteño, we are coming!

The trip to the anchor bay “El Mezteño” was pretty chill. At just under 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers) it was a short hop. On the way, Iñaki and Carmen explained the basics of light wind sailing and how to navigate to the anchorage. Since the island of Espiritu Santo is right at the gates of La Paz and has many beautiful anchorages, the frequency of other boats is correspondingly high. We had to keep our eyes open, even if we were only traveling at an average speed of just under 3 knots (5.5 km/h). When the wind got weaker and weaker, we had to take the sail down and turn on the engine. This way, we chugged to the anchorage.

The El Mezteño Anchorage

The anchorage itself is magnificent. Sea of ​​Cortez at its best. Crystal clear, turquoise water surrounded by dramatic rock formations. The entrance to the bay is easy, with enough space for anchoring maneuvers. We weren’t alone, a few excursion boats and charter catamarans had also made themselves comfortable. The residents were already busy snorkeling, paddling, swimming or sunbathing. No problem at all, Anila always finds a place somewhere with her 1.50 m draft.

Crab invasion

Of course, the paddleboard immediately was made ready and lowered into the water. Pati and Carmen went exploring the rocks while Iñaki and I did a little work on the boat. Cleaning the windows and underwater hull was the order of the day. Said and done. Equipped with snorkeling equipment and plastic spatulas, we plunged into the water and got to work. It had been some time since Iñaki cleared the hull of underwater growth. It was relatively soft, easy to remove and was populated by millions of tiny crabs. Deprived of their accommodation, they decided to reside on our wetsuits. What I didn’t notice, however, was that they were also looking for shelter elsewhere.

It lives!

When we finished cleaning, Iñaki and me were packed with krill from top to bottom. We were lucky that there weren’t any whales around. After we’d cleaned Anila’s belly, it was our turn. After a lot of scrubbing ourselves, repeated jumps into the water and a little patience, we were soon uninhabited again. I thought. Pati quickly discovered secret crab hiding grounds. In my beard! Since this of course offered the best holding, protection and moisture, a whole legion of little critters had made themselves comfortable way back in my facial hair.

There was only one way!

After a comb brought out the full extent of the beard invasion, there was only one solution. My beard had to go. So Pati got down to work with a hair trimmer. My beard couldn’t have stayed. Because soon, I would have carried a fishy smell on me. An Eau de Sea of ​​Cortez perfume, so to speak. I don’t know what the sight of a beard teeming with sea life looks like, but I could read it off from Pati’s facial expressions. Goodbye beard, hello babyface. I don’t want you to take a before-and-after picture. Nope.

See you next time, Mezteño!

Then it was time to start planning the trip to the next bay. The “Isla San Francisco”, another favorite place of Iñaki and Carmen and again almost 20 nautical miles further north was our destination. If you consider that in November 2020 we had left the entire Sea of ​​Cortez behind us in just two passages, this could only get better. Slowly but steadily forward, with enough time to linger and enjoy what the Sea of Cortez has to offer. Just the way it should be.

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Der Beitrag Our Journey Back North Begins erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Good morning!

After the incident with the fishing net, we spent the night at anchor in Isla Coronado. SV Alegría and SV Cavu even moved to this anchorage, so we had enough time for the get together. Shortly after waking up, we noticed a dinghy approaching and docking at Sea Note. Through the open window we heard “Hey, heeeeeey, are you awake?” It was Alegría Mike, coming to pick us up for a little dinghy spin. The aim was to make the most of the day, as we were only there for a short time. So, we jumped out of bed and invited him in for a coffee first. From the cockpit we saw Cavu Dave making his way to us as well.

Our second morning at anchor

After so many months in the boatyard, it was almost surreal to wake up in an anchorage with Caribbean flair. Clear water, coloured in various shades of blue and green, with a white beach, behind the barren hills of Baja California. The boat rocked gently in the wind and we enjoyed our coffee at the sight. Snorting and slapping sounds prompted everyone to turn towards the beach: A small group of dolphins seemed to be having breakfast.

The Aquarium

Baja California is known for its diverse underwater life and is also called the “aquarium of the world”. Over 900 different species of fish and more than 85% of the Pacific and 35% of the world’s marine mammals live here. Whales, dolphins, sharks, sea lions, also rays, sea turtles, tuna – the list is long.

Like a zoo

We also saw various sea creatures on our exploration tour around the western headland of Isla Coronado. Stingrays took flight as we chugged over a shoal in our dinghies – Dave went with Mike and I went with Cavu Dave. Two small sharks swam by. On land, pelicans, seagulls and cormorants swarmed. The beautiful ride was only disturbed by the beastly smell of the bird colony when the wind blew from the wrong direction.

Along the beach

The water was crystal clear when we reached the beach. We could see small, white fish that dug into the sand when threatened. And if you got too close to their hiding place, they would swim away and burrow back in three feet away. Sometimes you could only see their eyes sticking out of the sand.

The reunion

In the bay itself, about 10 boats were anchored. Besides Cavu and Alegría, there were two other boats from the Cabrales crew. Of course, we wanted to hear from all of them how they had fared since leaving the boatyard. The first stop we made was at the catamaran Skookum V. Stu was patching a stand-up paddle board with his two little daughters. We joined them with a beer and enjoyed the sun and chatted. We also visited Cynthia and Rick from SV Catspaw who were out for a little trip. They organised a happy hour on the beach that evening too, which we unfortunately had to skip. Because then we would be on our way again towards La Paz. Yes, we know, life is hard!

Time pressure

We would have liked to stay longer to explore the bay and enjoy being with the other cruisers. But we were a bit pressed for time because we wanted to get to La Paz as soon as possible. My mother was just visiting my sister. And we wanted to surprise her.

Spectacular view

The last 140 nautical miles (about 250 km) to La Paz took us past spectacular rock formations, some of which rose steeply and jaggedly up the coast. The rock was interspersed with layers in various shades of brown and white. Pelicans circled in flocks above the water, schools of dolphins passed by and fish shoals swirled the water. You could sit in the cockpit for hours and never get bored.

The shoal lurks

25 hours after leaving Isla Coronado, we dropped anchor right next to Anila. The trip went smoothly, except that we almost ran aground leaving the entrance channel to La Paz. We had missed the turnoff to the anchorage and headed straight for the sandbar that runs through the middle of the Canal de La Paz. As the depth sounder showed less and less water under the keel, Dave immediately went forward and steered Ray back into deeper water. Thanks to his quick reaction, the mishap was averted. We then studied the signage carefully and will not make this mistake again in the future.

The summary

The 500 nautical miles (approx. 900 km) from Puerto Peñasco to La Paz took us almost exactly 8 days – unfortunately constantly under engine. We did 5 night sails with Sea Note, anchored 3 times and stayed once in a marina. A big thank you goes out to Ray, who made this very educational trip possible for us. It was great to listen to his stories and benefit from his experiences.

The pretext

The Anila crew was still ashore when we arrived. But I was in touch with my sister Carmen via WhatsApp and we agreed that on the way back they would complain that we had anchored too close. And so, they would knock on Sea Note and ask for the boat to be moved a little.

The surprise

We saw the yellow Anila dinghy from a distance and hid below deck. Anila and mum knocked, we went on deck. My mother almost fell out of the dinghy backwards in shock. She hadn’t expected to meet us at all! She only knew that we were moving another boat somewhere with someone, before eventually moving onto Anila. But Carmen skilfully avoided all questions about when, where and how.

Happy reunion

We celebrated the reunion in the cockpit of the Sea Note. The next day we started with a pancake breakfast on Anila. After that, I was eager to go ashore. For one thing, I’d heard how cool La Paz is, and for another, I felt the need to stretch my legs after a few days on the boat. So, we grabbed both dinghies of Anila and Sea Note in the late afternoon and took them ashore. We first strolled along the Malecon and then had a snack and beers at the “Casa Cultural El Huevo“. I declined the highly praised Mezcal Jamaica drink there and stuck to beer.

Finest seafood

For dinner, we had an appointment with Ben and Muranda from SV Fickle at the popular seafood restaurant “Mariscos El Toro Güero“. We treated ourselves to the full programme with grilled squid, ceviche cocktail and mashed potatoes with prawns. It wasn’t cheap, but still worth the price.

La Paz is alive

The anchorage off La Paz is really cool. Because dolphins swim by several times a day. The snorting sound they make when they surface makes us jump at the windows and scream “Dolphiiiiiiins” every time. But because of the tidal currents and the shifting winds, this anchorage is also dreaded. The boats dance the famous “La Paz Waltz”; each more or less according to its own rhythm. This can sometimes lead to an anchor coming loose or the boats getting a little (too) close for comfort (especially if they have already anchored too close together).

Another goodbye

The 2 days with Mum flew by. And then it was time to say goodbye again. For Dave and me indefinitely, because an initially planned summer holiday back to Switzerland is on shaky ground due to quarantine regulations. Two weeks of quarantine with a 3-4 week stay are out of proportion. Surprisingly, Mexico was not on Switzerland’s quarantine list for the longest time, but unfortunately that changed at the beginning of May. And, we are in vaccine limbo here. In Mexico, we are much too young to be vaccinated. In the United States, where there are many vaccinations and vaccination appointments available for everyone, there is still the travel ban. And in Switzerland, we would only be released from quarantine with a vaccination. Unpredictability has us firmly in its grip.

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Der Beitrag A Surprise in La Paz erschien zuerst auf Milagros.