April ‘98

*Additional notes may appear in italics after my mom’s initial journal entries.
A ladybug means you should check the comments at the bottom of the page to see what Mom has chimed in on after reading these!

April 1, Wednesday
La Paz

John went to check in this a.m., he also jerry-jugged 148 gallons of fuel. It’s a lot cheaper here than Mazatlan. After school Samie went to the Dock with Max from See World. Later she went to the movie and dinner with the family. Goon called, she’s upset that we won’t be where she can fly down. Danielle may not, either, ‘cause she’d have to go in to Loreto and there’s no town.
It was a peaceful day, only had a light and variable breeze – but the breeze sure can be cold. Tom, Christina said he heard it snowed 4” on the mountain. I faxed Rosa.
About 10 – 8 pm in the SW sky was a – something, I have no idea what. It was a long way off and really strange.

*There’s a drawing here in Mom’s journal of a dot that was a bright white light and a funnel shape widening off the back end – to me it looks like it could have been a comet or even a rocket. 🧐
I’m surprised I don’t have a journal entry about going to a movie with Max and his family! I think I vaguely remember it, and am trying to think of what movie we went to see. As Good As It Gets is coming to mind, but I have no idea. It was released in October ‘97, so that might have been it. I know I saw Meet Joe Black in La Paz one year, but that is still to come. I was older and just remember all the girls in the theater going “Oooooohhhh!” and getting all hot and bothered when Brad Pitt took his shirt off. 😆🔥 

April 2, Thursday
La Paz

Where did March go?
I called Gary, yes I do have a job. John got the new fuel pump put on and changed the oil. After school, Samie went in to play soccer with the kids. It was calm and partly cloudy until around noon, then the NE wind kicked up to 15-20k. The last 2 days were calm and really nice, although cold in the a.m.

 *There was a little area up by the marina where we could play. I remember always liking being the goalie.

April 3, Friday

John and EB Mike worked on the auto pilot, it needed 2 new brushes. However, in the process of taking the motor out, it filled with hydraulic fluid and now won’t work for that reason. John and Dan, Jayda, checked out. Samie and I spent a few hours at the Dock.
Tonight we went with See World and Elan Vital to Mario’s taco and stuffed potato place. Great food, but a long walk. It was 10:30 pm when we got back to the boat.
Nice day today – only had 10k NW.

April 4, Saturday

John went in to find a shop to fix the hydraulics on the pump for Casper – success! A gear had slipped down. He works again, thank goodness! He also patched the hole in the bottom of the dink.
I spent the entire day getting Samie’s upcoming test ready – what a job.

 *Thanks for all the work you put into my schooling, Momma! You did a good job!

April 5, Sunday

We all went in to CCC for a small shop this a.m. Ha, welcome back to the Baja. Going up in to the Sea takes some long-term provisioning and the Baja is more expensive. $1400 pesos – probably $900 on the mainland. John made a final beer run and Samie  played at the Dock all day with Gabriele, Mutton Noir, - it’s French for Black Sheep.
See World left this a.m. for Partida. I talked to Lexi on Odysseus today, they had a very rough crossing and ended up in Los Frailes. They even broke one of the pulpits on their catamaran.
Dan and Jan, Jayda, came over for a while. The bar dropped 4 today and around 5 pm it started blowing 20k from the south. So we sat sideways to it and “waltzed” until the tide changed.

 *CCC is pronounced “se se se”, but I always giggle ‘cause our friend, Arnie (Renegade) would always say it “see see see” like it would be in English.
Wow! I wonder what exactly broke the pulpit on Odysseus!

April 6, Monday
La Paz

John went in and got the phone turned back on, it was off the last 2 or 3 days.
We were gonna leave this a.m., but it was real lumpy out there from the SW wind last night and it started blow’en out of the north – no thanks. It blew 15-20k all day. I think that the front came on down this low.
We spent a couple hours at Hanks Bar with Dan, Jayda, and Tom, Christina. Gabriele, Mutton Noir, came out for a while. Just before sunset, Morning Star came in, the kids came over for a while. They had a passage from hell crossing from Mazatlan.

*I have to laugh at what a hard time it was to keep that phone up and working! Can you imagine if we heard then about how simple and easy it all is these days with smart phones and Starlink making everything so much easier out at sea!? It’s so easy to take these things for granted.
Sounds like we picked a good window to cross from Mazatlan! Everyone else sure had a rough go of it.

April 7, Tuesday
La Paz to Ensenada Grande

Last night was calm, so at 7 am we were underway out of La Paz. The big ‘ole barge was being towed out ahead of us and somehow we managed to be an hour behind the ferry. Once we were out of the channel, we started blow’en black smoke again. It was a little swelly from the NW but not bad at all, 5-10k on the nose until half an hour from the anchorage when it picked up to 15-20k. We made it in 5 hours. John caught a sierra mackerel. We dropped in the center of the bay. The wind swirled around off the high mountain at 15-20k for the rest of the day.
John checked the oil and once again, it’s “glowing” – we have diesel fuel in the oil.
We talked to Bob, Miss Teak II, on Happy Hour net, they were pulling into Isla Isabella.
John and Dan, Jayda, came over for a fish dinner.

*Ahh! The pocket kitty was a Nano Pet! I loved it and taking care of it. It helped keep me busy on slow, lazy days in Baja.
My sass about Dad not being of much help when I was bored makes me laugh. I was apparently hoping he’d take us to the beach or fishing or over to Jayda’s - anywhere but the boat. He was probably busy tinkering with something or working out the trouble with the engine oil.
I keep getting curious about what books I was reading! There are a few books that I still remember loving, but can’t remember the names of them for the life of me.
Lastly - wow, I was kinda harsh, but clear about my feelings on the other kid boat that was there! I wonder why I didn’t like them, but got along with their mom so well? I guess sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn’t!

April 8, Wednesday
Ensenada Grande

The wind calmed down last night – until around 4 am when it kicked up again. We were starting rolling around a bit from the swell wrapping around the point, so we moved to a more inside anchorage just to the north. Smoother – but the wind is whipping down over the mountain at 20-30k.
Before we moved our anchor, John turned the excess oil and put in new. After only moving a few 100 ft, the oil was again higher, after settling in, it was back where it was to start with. Anyhow, he now is thinking it has to do with the new oil cooler and drainage from the filters. Who knows?!
After school and lunch, we and Jayda all went to the beach. It was hardly even blowing over there. It was good to get off the boat and away from all the howling wind noises.
John tried to fish from the dink but all he caught was water. It’s 8 pm now, the wind is down to 5-10k the swell is wrapping around more and roll’en us about.
Goon called, she’s going to homecoming at Blue Ridge.

* “All he caught was water.” 😆Love it.
The comment about the howling wind makes me think of the song Maria, from Paint Your Wagon - which was what we almost named our boat instead of Wandrin’ Star, which was also from Paint Your Wagon.

 *I marked in the first photo the two anchorages which we would have been going between.
If you look at the second photo, I believe the area where I have the arrow pointing is where we must have been walking along the shore on the rocks that reminded me of Los Gatos. The area circled is a little valley that Dad and I would often go hiking up into. I have several beautiful photos of the view from up there looking into the bay, which I included here - that photo is from March of ‘96.
The rocks must have been pumice stones.🙃I had so much fun with those! Discovering things for the first time, especially as a kiddo, is such a fun thing! To be so amazed and blown away by something that it totally awes you - so much fun!
I loved that movie, She’s Out of Control, with Tony Danza.

April 9, Thursday
It stayed calm all night and most of the morning. Even when the breeze kicked up around 11 am. It wasn’t as bad as yesterday.
Our “private” little white, sandy beach is really full today. Several pangas and 2 charter boats for the Sea Bird brought lots of Mexicans and gringos out for the day. There are some camped tonight and probably until Easter. Odysseus came in and anchored – they, Jayda and us all went to the beach for a few hours. It was actually nice and warm today. I did laundry in the sink this a.m. – welcome to the Baja, no services.
Shine and Goon called, both are fine and happy. Shine says it snows a couple inches every week, but melts right off.

Jayda

*I love reading my journal entries like these. All the little details of the day that, to an adult, may seem mundane, but to a kiddo are so much more. It takes me right back to those days - I can feel the water on my skin and the sand between my toes! 🤗 

April 10, Friday

John saw a pilot whale in the anchorage this a.m. right between us and Jayda. John and Dan went fishing in the dink, came back with a hog fish and a trigger – Dan and Jan kept them.
We moved over to the south anchorage, where we were the first night. The north bay was filling up with pangas, power boats and jet skis. There are 11 boats in here tonight. Morning Star came in this afternoon. Christina also came in. For a while the jet skis, pangas and one big power boat all decided to go some “drive-bys” – all while John was down on the hookah cleaning the bottom. It really rolled him around under there – stupid idiots! Yesterday an ultra-light sea plane came in to the beach, today he was flying around, kinda buzzin’ the masts. It was flat calm today, beautiful and warm. No north wind by day means a southerly at night. Also, without the day-time wind we have the pesty Baja gnats. Ourselves, Jayda, Morning Star, Christina and Lexi from Odysseus all went to the beach for a BBQ tonight. Mark and Wendy, Morning Star brought in their BBQ from the boat. We even roasted marshmellows. Very nice, full moon tonight, even somewhat warm.
Oh, John and Samie found “floating” rocks, pumice maybe. Pretty cool.

*To this day I am still annoyed by jet skis! lol They always thought it was so funny to buzz the boats, sometimes splash the boats, all sorts of nonsense. I’ve probably mentioned it before, but some of the cruisers would instantly start eating peanuts and tossing the shells into the water. If a jet ski came too close, they could suck one of the shells up into their engine and be rendered out of commission! “Whoops!”

 *Too funny, I even got excited for little me when Morning Star decided to come to where we were. It was always such a treat to have other kid boats around, and of course, the more the merrier!
Too big of a wake coming through while someone is working on the bottom could be dangerous as the hull of the boat could potentially knock you around and cause you to hit your head. Good thing Dad was ok!
My journal entries are making me wish I was that age again, living these days for the first time in such a simple, beautiful world. Funny how we are always so ready to grow up, but once we’re grown up, we find ourselves thinking how nice it would to be a kid again! Go figure.
I’m curious what the green glowy thing was that I was talking about!? 🤔

April 11, Saturday
San Evaristo

We had a light southerly through last night, weather reports say the front is still due to come through tonight. So ourselves, Jayda, Christina and Odysseus all headed to San Evaristo for a better anchorage in a westerly. We had a nice downwind motor-sail, 10-12k SW.
Once we anchored in the main harbor SW an easterly breeze came in, only 5-10k but enough to build a small chop. So we bounced for a couple hours. The wind never blows straight out of the east – go figure. There was only 1 power boat when we came in – tonight there are 10 boats here and 2 in the north anchorage.
The full moon coming up over Isla San Jose was so pretty. Oh – we saw 1 dolphin and one whale underway.
It is finally warming up, I’m spending time sunning on the deck – feels great!!
It only blew 15-20k out of the west for 2 or 3 hours.

* “It was pretty boring, but it was better than sitting by yourself on your own boat.” — Sometimes it’s just nice to have company, even if you’re not doing much of anything besides existing together. 😊

April 12, Sunday
San Evaristo

Happy Easter

It was calm and peaceful in the morning, around 9 am it kicked up NW 10-20k all day as we got the backside of the front. John and Tom, Christina, went out on the hookah and brought back some scallops. I stayed on the boat all day, John, Samie and Jayda dinked around the point for a hike. Then they went to the beach for a volleyball game with the locals.
I guess Jim and Kitty, Summer Wind, left PV to drive home to Texas.
Foxen is underway to Cabo, we wish they were hanging around down here rather than heading back to California.

*A League of Their Own is such a good movie! “There’s no crying in baseball!”
I’m pretty positive that was the last time we saw Odysseus - until one of those crazy chance meetings happened almost exactly 20 years later, on July 2nd, 2018. I was working in a restaurant called Slate at Trilogy Golf Resort in Gilbert, Az. It was already a great day with lovely coworkers, and I had just gotten a new table and we weren’t too far into their dining experience when the woman randomly asked me if I’d ever lived on a boat in Mexico. 😯Why, yes! Yes, I did, but how did she know that?! It was Lexi herself, and somehow she recognized me after all these years! Once she said who she was, I did recognize her. Even more wild is that she actually lives close to my sister, up in Lakeside, too! It was so wild, especially since they didn’t frequent the restaurant, but happened to have received a gift card, happened to go on a day I was working, and then happened to be sat in my section! Otherwise, who knows if we would have even seen each other. Wild.

April 13, Monday
Los Gatos

We left San Evaristo at 7:30 am with 5k NW calm seas. We only had a short sighting of 3 fin back whales today – no dolphins – we have always seen dolphins through the San Jose Channel – strange. The last two hours (5 total) we had 15-18k N – a noserly – and it got pretty lumpy. After an hour or so anchored, the wind calmed down. It’s a little rolly but not bad. Christina is anchored way too close, oh well.
We went to shore for a bit, then to Jayda for a visit.

*Noserly = on the nose, headed straight into the wind. 

April 14, Tuesday
Agua Verde

Happy B-day Chelle #24

58° at 6 am - 86° at 11 am.

We weighed anchor at 6 am and had a flat, calm ride up to Agua Verde from Los Gatos. We saw a few rays jumping but again no dolphins – strange. John hooked a sail fish, he danced a couple times, but got loose. We were anchored by 9:30 am – nice, short hop.
See World and Mutton Noir are both here. Within a half hour, Samie was in her wet suit and in the water with Gabriele. They swam around the boats for the longest time. H2o is 72°.
John and Tom, Christina, went out on the hookah and brought back lots of scallops.
Samie went with Gabriele and family out to the “finger rock” to snorkel.
John rigged the spinnaker pole and line for the kids to swing off the bow, they all had sore hands from the rope – next they jumped from the pulpit of See World. The boys, Max and Trevor pulled each other around on a boogie board behind their dink. Later, they were tossing frisbees between moving dinks. It was quite a day for the kids.
Samie ate at Mutton Noir. Dan and Jan came over and we did kabobs with the scallops – wonderful.
We called Chelle, but she was out.

Baja is so funny - some days there were just so many things to do - go fishing, go to the beach or for a hike, go swimming, or shenanigans in the dinghies… then other days the weather is acting and up and the wind is snotty and you’re pretty much just stuck inside all day, sheltering so you don’t get blown away.

*What a jam-packed day! These were the kind of days I hoped every day would be like, with all the kids there and so many fun things to do - and when everyone’s parents said “yes” and let us hang out at the same time! I love Gabrielle’s way of convincing me to get in the water: “I’m going to try again.” lol I’m glad I got over the cold and enjoyed myself.
I love the evening bartering with my parents about staying a little longer each time, until finally I just get to stay for dinner (I sure do love me some spaghetti!) . I’m a little surprised it didn’t turn into a sleepover at that point, but they were probably planning to leave early in the morning.  

April 15, Wednesday
Agua Verde

Last night there were 10 sails and 2 powers in this cove – this a.m. there are only 4 sails. See World left to go south, bummer, we won’t see them again, they are going back to Ventura.
Back to school, we’ve been moving so much lately and sluffing. We are getting pressed for time again, so for now we’ll double up on math and spelling and do whatever grammar and reading. History, geography and science we’ll just hit the high points later.
John shined the boat, helped Dan with his outboard and Tom with his electric windless.
He took Samie off the side of the boat and gave her a lesson on the hookah. They went down 20 feet, said she did really good. After a few times down, her ear wouldn’t clear, so they got out. She liked it and John is happy she wants to learn.
It was really cloudy most of the day and cool until around 3 pm. It only blew 5-10k N in here, but looked like 15k worth of chop on the outside.

*The hookah is great because it’s so much easier than having to lug on the diving tanks and everything. Much easier to learn and was a fun way for me to see more under the water and not just surface level snorkeling and whatnot. I always liked wearing the weight belt because it makes it so much easier to maneuver around underwater without being buoyed back up. I’m glad Dad and I had these things we did together and I know now how much he loved it when I liked learning something new to do with him.

April 16, Thursday
Agua Verde

I did laundry again, easier to do a little every few days. The north wind blew all day, 15-20k on the outside – 5-10k in here, but it sure made it cold, even though the sun was shining.
John went fishing with the dink right here in the bay – catch of the day was a pelican! He wrapped a towel over his head and beak, which I held onto while he got the three-pronged hook our of his wing. Took about 15 minutes, but he flew off ok. Feisty thing! No one did anything all day – lazy.  
We had dinner at Jayda. Tom re-anchored Christina up in front of us, it took 3 tries to get it right. We’ve been there and done that before. His electric windlass is broken, so Brian, his crew, had to hand-pull all the chain in.
It's really cold tonight.

April 17, Friday

John and Dan walked around the shoreline and into town, mostly for something to do. John also put a coat of varnish on the wheel and table in the cockpit.
Samie has been busy all day, except for school time, writing a story. She wants to publish a book! It’s pretty good.
It blew 5-10k NW in here all day – everywhere else it was 20-25k. I’m glad I made John stay here, it’s a good, calm place to sit out a norther.
John caught 1 small bass. Tom, Christina, came by for a while, it’s kinda nice to have someone else around from the mountain.
Chelle called, all is well. Schyler said hi, he sounds so grown up – then the phone went dead.

*The plot of my story makes me laugh. My cousin Ariann and I used to make up these elaborate stories to entertain ourselves. I don’t remember this one, but I definitely remember when ‘NSYNC got real big and we would swoon regularly. My boyfriend in those stories was always Justin and hers was J.C. We had the most fun making up these elaborate stories! I love that Mom, Jan and Dan humored me so kindly in my excitement. 

April 18, Saurday
Agua Verde

It was much calmer today, even “outside” and a lot warmer. John went clamming in the south anchorage, but it was stirred up from the surge. More or less a lazy day. It’s so calm here tonight that everyone is swinging around in the calm. There are still only the 3 of us in here and 1 cat and 1 power came in today.

*Agua Verde was one of our favorite spots. So beautiful, every time.
I am surprised to find that I have no recollection of this book, which likely means that I don’t have a copy of it anywhere. I must have gotten rid of my written notes and never gotten around to printing it off the computer. But I do love my dedication to this book in the moment - I need to get this focused on the book series that is and has been developing in my brain for around 15 years now! It seems I am destined to write and publish something, as it has apparently always been something I have wanted to do! Maybe it’s high time I renewed my youthful sense of certainty and determination and finally do the thing!

April 19, Sunday
Escondido

It was calm all last night, so at 6:15 we were underway. No wind and only a small left-over swell. We were all on the bow watching hundreds of jelly fish float by. They were strung together like chains – pretty cool. Had about 8 big dolphins under the bow – but only for a couple of minutes. A few mantas jumped.
We took the inside passage of Danzante this time, not too bad in calm conditions, never got less than 70 feet. We anchored over in the NE corner, close to Back Streets and Princess Erika. Just as we got the anchor set, Daryl came up in his dink, great surprise – we thought he was gone.
When Brian, Tom’s crew on Christina, was letting out the chain by hand (the windlass is broken), he got caught in the chain plate. Scary, but luckily he only had skin scraped off his fingers.
Samie paddled around with Paula, Back Streets, in their kayaks.
Then we borrowed Daryl’s truck to drive to the tienda - $1,560 pesos! Cigs and 100 cervesas, plus the fresh stuff and 10 bags of ice!
All the necessities!
Ourselves, Jayda, Christina and Roy (WPTF) from Nighthawk – who we finally met – all went in to eat dinner. It is as calm as a marina in here tonight, the stars are reflecting in the water like a mirror and it’s pretty warm – I love it!

* From what I’m finding online, the 1,560 pesos would have been around 184 US dollars at the time.
Escondido is well-protected harbor from all sides and has the potential for some incredibly calm nights, which make for some of my favorite and most distinct memories of those starlight reflections on the water. Especially in Baja, away from all the city lights and a disruptions, the stars fill the sky in numbers you can’t even imagine. With water as calm and flat as a mirror, it felt like we were suspended in outer space, with stars above and below us. Also with the phosphorescence in the water, any dingy that went by with their engine stirring up the krill looked to me like a comet sweeping across the “sky”. I have added a photo of one of my favorite paintings, Hiraeth, which is based on one such night in Escondido. The title encompasses the feeling in my heart when I recall my childhood years on the boat. The part of me that daydreams about getting myself out on a boat again always wonders if it could ever be quite the way I remember it, or if those specifics are forever destined to be found specifically in my memories.

April 20, Monday
Escondido

Beautiful day – calm, flat and warm. 94° at 9 am, then down to 80° for the remainder. John, Tom, Christina, and Roy, Nighthawk, all went diving, said it was beautiful. Samie and Gabrielle, Motton Noir, borrowed Back Streets’ kayaks for most of the afternoon and toodled around the glassy bay. It really is beautiful inside here and so peaceful. I could hear the birds on the surrounding mountains.
Samie and I watched On Golden Pond while John fell asleep in the cockpit watching the stars.

 *I love how often we would just read together - two little bookworms, we were! What a beautiful spot we found to anchor our kayaks and enjoy ourselves. 🥰

April 21, Tuesday
Escondido

The morning started off with a broken toilet – John gets the “shitty” jobs! He rebuilt the pump.
Daryl, Princess Erika, took John and Dan into Loreto to check in and out, since the Port Captain has been out here the last 2 days.
Samie and Gabrielle borrowed Backstreets’ kayaks again. It was 92° all day.
We went over to Roy’s to see Nighthawk – beautiful boat – it used to belong to Sylvester Stallone. Samie spent the night at Mutton Noir. Roy came over for dinner and Daryl came by.

*I tried to find some online photos of Nighthawk, since it was Stallone’s, but no luck. I wish we had photos - she was SUCH a beautiful boat. I used to daydream about buying her when I was older. She was the only other boat I ever wanted aside from our Wandrin’ Star. 

April 22, Wednesday
Escondito

Day 4 here and it’s been beautiful, calm and warm. Today it did breeze up, 10k out of the south.
John dove the bottom and “mowed the lawn.” We have to paint the bottom next season, after 4 years we are growing things fast.
Tom, Christina, hitch-hiked into Loreto along with Cabelle and Brian – he needed to take Brian off the crew list – he’s out of here.
Gabrial, Mutton Noir, was over here all afternoon, cute girl. Tom and Roy stopped by for a while – Tom came over for a spaghetti dinner.
It’s nice to have warm nights – hatches open, no cockpit curtains up, twinkling stars.

*That trip into Loreto is not a quick trip - especially when relying on hitchhiking! Luckily it was usually pretty easy to catch a ride.
Those warm, calm nights were the best! The hatch in my bedroom was ginormous, so it was like having a massive sunroof right over my bed. I knew I was a lucky duck, but I didn’t know HOW lucky. If I ever buy the Star back, I might even keep that forward bunk, just for the view! 😍

April 23, Thursday
Isla Carmen, Bahia Salinas

John made an early run in for ice to replace yesterday’s beer. We left Escondido at 8:30 am. It was a parade in flat seas – us, Nighthawk, Christina, and Jayda. Between Danzante and Carmen, there was a minke whale swimming around.
Sam Bassett, who was headed the other direction – he even jumped in the water, but the whale swam off, only to come back later. We had a light 8k NE breeze and put the jib out. Beautiful, glassy water with lots of mantas floating along and a few jumping.
Salinas is a huge bay protected from the N & NW. Once we anchored in 18’ of clear water, the 5k breeze of course, switched from the north to the south. It’s not too bad, though. John, Tom and Roy all got the scuba tanks and dove the wreck here in the bay – Samie went to shore with Jayda. It was not too bad or rolly through the night.

April 24, Friday
Isla Carmen, Salinas Bay

We went into shore with Roy, Nighthawk, to the ghost town. There are just a few Mexicans living here, at what used to be a booming little town where they mined salt. School, church (where the gold-leaf Madonna is still standing, along with a 1929 Bible. The electric company, store, doctor, among others. It was a pretty neat place to walk around.
Christina, Tom, borrowed a tank and my wet suit for Cabelle to show her how to dive, though they stayed in shallow water.
It only breezed 5-8k south today, but tonight we have a lumpy SE swell rolling in, so we’re bouncing fore and aft. By morning, we were facing the beach again with 10k north.

April 25, Saturday
Juanico

We had patchy fog and 10-15 k north wind when we left Salinas at 6 am. Going around the north end of Carmen Island was a little lumpy and it looked like we might be in for a hell of a day. Getting past the NW point was sloppy with a swell and cross current, but it smoothed out nicely for a couple hours. We only had 10k NE all day, but a 3-4 foot north swell coming at us.
We came into San Juanico and anchored at 1 pm – of course the wind promptly switched to 10-15k EAST! That makes the 3rd bay we’ve anchored in this season on the Baja that the breeze came in from the open bay – go figure.
It was a confused day all up and down the Baja. On Happy Hour net, Cloud Nine left Concepcion headed south – they had south wind. We were going north – north wind. Also a couple other boats moving around different directions – on their nose.

April 26, Sunday
Juanico

Sometime last night, it blew 10-15k (judging by the whistling in the rigging). I never got up, only looked out to make sure it was coming out of the west. That we weren’t on a lee shore and no chop to build.
John changed the oil again, while Sam and I did school. Later, we went in to the beach, those 2 found apache tears while I walked the beach. Visited Jayda and Christina. We still have frozen ice since leaving Escondido 5 days ago – Tom has a huge freezer, so we loaded it up. It blew 10-15k north all day, but is calm tonight.
Oh – Chelle called yesterday while we were underway, all is well. Mom called today, all is well.

*I still have some Apache Tears from San Juanico. There is one large one in particular that I see every day before I leave the house.

April 27, Monday
San Juanico

It kicked up early today and blew 15-25k north until around 4:30 pm. After the last week of warm, calm weather, it feels cool again. It was one of those lazy boat days listening to it howl.
Tom and Tracy from KauKoe came over to use our HAM radio to talk to his dad – their radio is broken – nice couple. Christina, Tom and Cabelle also came by – they were all here from 4:30 pm to 9 pm. By then, the hunger pains were gone – wow – didn’t have to cook dinner. Of course, it was chicken – it almost never fails when I get out chicken, something else always comes up and it doesn’t get cooked that night. Danielle called.

April 28, Tuesday
San Juanico

The little grebes (ducks) are so cute in here, as always. They swim in big clusters and then all dive in sequence, coming up again a few feet away.
It calmed down last night, the usual 5k west off the land. The weather looks pretty good for crossing today. So if it’s still calm at noon, we’ll head on over to San Carlos.
Tom (TP) is already reporting a tropical depression at 7N, 118W – not good for all those boats crossing to the South Pacific.
It blew 15-18k north from 9 am until noon, when it laid down nicely. We, along with Jayda (who never even once got off their boat here – strange) left at 1:30 pm. The first couple of hours was a little bumpy with 10-14k on the nose. After that – no wind and smooth seas.

April 29, Wednesday
San Carlos

At 2 am, John shut down the engine and changed the oil. We had a peaceful crossing. Just at sunlight it got foggy and the wind was 10k out of the east. Strange to have any wind in a fog, but it was a nice beam reach for the last 4 hours on in to San Carlos. We had dolphins under the bow for 30 minutes. The fog burned off within about an hour off the bay, we came on in to Marina Real at 8:30 am. Good crossing and thank God for the little engine could! We were pretty worried, what with the diesel leaking into the oil and diluting it – causing the oil pressure to drop.
Dario, Mariposa, is now the new Marina Manager.
Christina, Tom and Cabelle left last night at 7 pm and arrived at noon.
John did a quickie washdown. When he went to get the van at Bill and Trisha’s – (they left at 6 this morning – bummer) the battery is dead, dead. He came back and got the gen-set battery- works great.
Ourselves, Christina, and Jayda all went in to Tequila’s for dinner and a great time.
Slept like babies tonight.

April 30, Thursday
San Carlos

John took Tom in to Guaymas to get his 20-year permit – but of course, there was a problem, so they’ll have to go back.
John took Jayda in to Guaymas at 5:30 am to catch a bus to Mazatlan to get their car.
Christina, Tom and Cabelle had us over for dinner: shrimp wrapped in bacon, breaded and fried. Wow, was it ever good. (Shrimp, bacon and pancakes – a joke with Cabelle!) They are fun to be around – we hope she comes back to crew with Tom next season rather than going back to France.
It is nice and warm - 90° today, and nice, cool nights.