Hi Everyone!
I’m heading out of La Paz on the way to Los Frailes.
It’s about 1730 Monday evening and I’m noisily motoring along in no wind and rolly, leftover seas. All is well, and the sun is beginning to lose it’s heat. It was pretty strong today, but it’s nice to be out on the water.
I got into town on the 0900 shuttle and walked to the vet to get some cat food. Got back to the boat by 1000, and began the finishing touches for getting under way. Luis the diver was working on the dock, so I asked him if he would change my zinc for me, and it was no problem. He also got those pesky barnacles off the prop. See what happens when you sit for too long??? I was just about to drop my docklines when I plugged in the autopilot and asked the ram to move in and out for me. No go. Crap. I had been in the ‘garage’ Saturday servicing the batteries, and the wire could have easily been tugged out when I was stowing everything back into the garage. So now I had to un-stow things again to get at that wire. Inconvenient, yes. Impossible? No. I called Mike and Katie of Pangaea fame, as they had just left before me, and we planned to sail out of the bay together. I told them I’d be delayed a few minutes.
Tom from Eagle must’ve heard my call, and he came on down. Good thing too, as every time I went into the garage to retrieve the wire and then thread it through the hole to the cockpit, it would disappear again by the time I hauled myself out of the garage. So Tom was able to grab the wire, and he re-wired it for me while I stowed all of the garage stuff again. Twenty minutes later, I was under way, none worse for wear.
Pangaea Reaching Along…
Pangaea and Willow sailed on out of the bay, took pictures of each other’s boat under way, and then we said our final good byes on the air. They were heading north into the Sea of Cortez for a month or two, and I was heading south to Frailes, and then Cabo. They are wonderful people, as are Tom and Jeanne from Eagle. I will miss my outstanding friends!
Katie and Mike Aboard Pangaea
I should make Frailes by noon tomorrow, drop the hook, clean the bottom, spend the night, and then head for Cabo on Wednesday. If all goes well, I may even be underway for California on Thursday, Friday at the latest. I still haven’t decided on my route, i.e. offshore vs just bashing up the coast. Preliminary weather shows it blowier on the coast, so heading offshore for a tack or two, or six, may be the ticket. We’ll just have to see.
I’m going to try to get this sent out before the evening radio nets. Have a good evening everyone, and I’ll write again tomorrow! Mom, Keep healing up! Everyone else, including Mom, know I love you and will see you soon.
Sunset Over Muertos
The Next Day
The small, short swells from astern keep rolling on by, pushing Willow steadily along like a choo choo train. There’s little if any wind today, and the sun is bright. As I approach Los Frailes, the fishing boats increase in size and number. I don’t know if there’s a bite going on or if this is just normal routine. All in all, it’s lovely out. I should be anchored by noon. My plan is to clean the bottom, clean MY bottom, and get some rest. The evening and night time hours were a bit rolly last night, and didn’t allow for much rest. I’ll catch up tonight, then head out early in the morning for Cabo San Lucas.
In August when I came home, I brought my GPS/plotter for repairs. It got a software update at the factory, but I hadn’t yet re-programmed it to receive AIS signals. That’s done this morning, as is a request to sailmail for some GRIB files (wind prediction) for the area I’ll be sailing in. So, after coffee was on board, I feel I accomplished some of those little niggling tasks that are easily over-looked.
Willow’s moving along just fine, and I look forward to the different geography as I head back up the coast. tomorrow, I’ll start fishing again. It was nice to have a blood-free cockpit for two days, at least. The very fresh protein will be welcomed by all…
I hope you all are having a great Tuesday, and I may write again tonight. I wanted to get my wx requests sent out, and this greeting to you all, too. Take care, keep doing good things, and keep healing, if that applies…
wendyonwillow 