Pacific Crossing
La Paz, Mexico - March 1st - 9th, 2011
We arrived in La Paz after spending 3 nights staying in Marina San Jose Los Cabos which is at the end of the very dry, barren, but spectacular Baja Peninsula which stretches all the way down from Ensenada just under the US border, and 880 nm south.
Beach shack. Bahia de los Muertos (bay of the dead)
OSTAR - owned by the worlds richest man at the time, Carlos Slim. Is this maybe only the tender?
This very new marina could probably be one of the best in the world because of its uniqueness, with beautiful gardens and promenades filled with amazing paintings, photographs, and sculpture. At a handy little $200 a night for a slip, I suppose a bit of art may dull some of the pain.
The Mexicans love their artwork - stunning sculpture La Paz promenade.
At Marnia San Jose Los Cabos. The inspiration for my succulent garden at my country property back in Australia.
Moving North for probably the last time for many years to come, we are now staying at the new Marina Costa Baja which is about 6 nm north of La Paz. This is also a fabulous marina, but about a third less $ than Marina San Jose Los Cabos, and is included in a grand new resort which is currently totally devoid of paying customers, and I'm told, mainly due to the completely unfounded fears of unrest and violence with drug wars in Mexico, and that boaties are the first to go down on their uppers, once debt is reeled in.
We found the Baja Peninsula to be a safe, relaxing and beautiful place, one of the highlights of the whole trip.
This Nordhavn 75 was on the bottom a week before this after a post fitted thru hull failed. Nothing to do with the builders PAE.
On the Baja Peninsula you are in one of the worlds most unique places with absolutely decent, god fearing, family oriented, smiling sweet people. I'm referring to the Mexicans, but not quite the same with some of our American so called mariners, who really are caravaners in my book and why they buy a Nordhavn is beyond my comprehension.
Hats off to Paullie and Don Grover who left 3 days ago on their N46 to cross the Pacific. Farmers like these two from Wyoming are still the backbone and link to the real American past and the culture that built the country. I have a feeling they are gone for good, mores the pity.
Carnival - La Paz
Back to Mexico, it's such a damn shame that press propaganda can inflame and promote such unfounded fear, which hurts the prosperity of these people trying to clamour out of third world status.
We have had our old mates Clark and Suzy Straw pay us a visit for a week from La Jolla near San Diego.
Clark and Suzy crossed the Pacific in their Mason sailboat "Final Straw" in 2002, where we met them in Brisbane in 2007 after their cruising for 5 years.
Clark is a weather man, radio man, and a good all round computer geek. This was on top of marking our dance cards for the best places to go in the Pacific.
We enjoyed their company very much, but Marg took my place in the business world and flew to Milan, Italy to meet our son Chris, and put some heavy metal to the floor with buying shoes and handbags for our 2011 summer season.
We did get out to Ilsa San Francisco for a couple of nights which was very nice.
I tried out my unused Anchor Buddy to keep the dinghy off the beach, but need to get some chain to get the anchor in deeper. I think this will work well in the South Pacific, but then I have my secret weapon in reserve - my "Port a bote" which could be my ever best boating purchase.
Everything about this crossing is equipping the boat with the concept of redundancy, i.e. if something falls over and becomes redundant - you have another one as back up. Most planes have this.
Most electronic issues reported earlier have been fixed, a completely clogged valve fitting from the seachest to the wing raw water intake, replaced (praise the lord we found it then) so I think we are pretty well on schedule to cast our lines at last in 12 days time for stage one of the adventure.
When Marg said goodbye to me, and with tears in her eyes said "Please be careful." I didn't say what I wanted to say in my usual cynical way, but, "Why don't you say this when I drive down the mountain from our home every morning"
Folks, I'm talking about reality odds and statistics here.
Going to sea is like going into a relatively safe time capsule. Those who argue otherwise are ignorant sensationalists, who have absolutely no idea of what the truth is really about, and unlikely to have ever been there, then even worse, the participants that want to amplify the real truth to make them feel a bit taller or something.
My crew arrive next week, and I hope I impress them with all the prep work I have done (Rolando is in the engine room with a tooth brush just now, but will say I did it all).
Until next time.