Isla Coronados

From San Juanico, we made our way south to another favorite anchorage. Isla Coronados is protected, along with about 50 other islands in the Sea of Cortez, as part of a Biosphere Reserve. Jacques Cousteau once characterized this area as the "aquarium of the world." You need a Park Pass to visit the islands, and there are regulations similar to protected areas in the US. Our friends Ron and Maryann on Whirlwind left a few hours after us, and had a much more exciting sail in higher winds. Later in the afternoon, the wind came up and we moved to the south side of the island for better protection. We were treated to a spectacular show of dolphins leaping and somersaulting about the anchorage, presumably in search of food.

The next morning we moved back to the main anchorage to enjoy its turquoise waters and sugary sands. We did yoga, hiked along the desert shoreline, and had a nice potluck with the other boaters in the cove.

San Juanico

Two days of nice downwind sailing brought us to one of our favorite anchorages in Baja - San Juanico. I first came here 30+ years ago by sea kayak. It hasn't changed much, but development seems imminent, to judge from the survey markers and "private property" signs. For now, at least, it remains a welcome respite from civilization.

We left a couple of mementos at the "Cruisers' Shrine" for departed sailing friends.

And we went on a nice hike over to "Rancho Santa Ana" on the other side of the bay with Ron and Maryann from s/v Whirlwind.

Santa Rosalia

We spent 5 days in Santa Rosalia while I graded papers and finished other chores related to my teaching assignment. We like this town - it has a distinct personality that has not been "tarted up" for tourists. There are tons of interesting shops, great taco stands, and lots of places to walk. We were lucky that the winds were not too strong this time - it can really get dusty when it blows here.

Passing of a friend

This morning we learned that a sailing friend from last season had passed away yesterday afternoon. We first met Gary and his wife Lorri in Oceanside, when we were checking out marinas by car. We were impressed by their friendliness, their beautiful boat, s/v Endless Summer II, and their dog Buster. We didn't meet up again until Chacala, where we spent a couple of nights anchored, and then sailed onward together to Punta Mita. Gary was a retired firefighter and had been a para-rescue jumper in the military - the very picture of strength, bravery, and ability. He also was one of the friendliest cruisers in the pack, and a gifted storyteller and writer. We were always happy to come into an anchorage and see Endless Summer II.
Toward the end of a very successful first season in Mexico, Gary learned that he had leukemia, and headed home to California for treatment. He, Lorri, and the doctors fought it with everything they had, but the disease prevailed, and the world lost another wonderful human being. Fair winds, Gary, we'll always remember you fondly.

Feast of Santa Barbara

We happened to arrive in Santa Rosalia the day before the Feast of Santa Barbara, who is the patron saint of the local church. So this evening we went in to town to watch the procession and share in the feast. While we were waiting for the procession to begin, we had some great homemade tamales, tacos, and a thick yummy drink called champurrado.

The procession was led by a local marching band, but unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures of them. After the band, there was a group of dancers. They had great costumes, but I'm not sure of the meaning or significance.

The youngest dancer tripped over a traffic cone during the routine, but mom rushed out from the crowd and set him back in line before anyone knew what happened.

They were followed by a Yaqui Deer Dancer. Again, not sure what this has to do with Santa Barbara, but it was the highlight of the procession.

Next were some young girls dressed as Santa Barbara. We looked up the story of this saint - a rather gruesome story!


The entire procession made a turn through downtown, and ended up back at the church about 45 minutes later. The band played for awhile outside the church door, the dancers danced, and finally everyone went inside for mass.



This is the church which is supposedly designed by Gustave Eiffel, before he did the Tower. It's made of prefabricated metal, and dates from the late 1800s, when the whole town was run by a French mining company.

We shared tonight's festivities with crew from Third Day, Hotspur and Escape.

Northern Crossing

We got back to San Carlos on Tuesday after a week in California visiting Mark's mom. The temperature has really gotten colder, and we can't wait to head south. However, its the end of the term, and Mark needs an Internet connection for grading papers and exams, so options for moving are limited for the next week. We almost just stayed in San Carlos, but when we heard the weather report, it was too good to pass up a chance to sail the Northern Crossing to Santa Rosalia. Plus our friends Dennis and Lisette on Windward were planning to go.
So we got up at 3 this morning, dropped the mooring lines, and motored out of the bay. It was a very dark morning, with the last crescent of moon just coming up, so we used radar and a spotlight to find our way out without hitting any rocks or moored boats.
There was a little wind coming down the Sea from the NW, and after a couple of hours of motorsailing, we shut off the engine. After the sun came up, the wind continued building until we had to tuck in a reef, and still we were making over 7 knots. It was a great ride while it lasted. We were joined by pelicans, boobies, and dolphins along the way.
Unfortunately, by the time we came abeam of Isla Tortuga, the wind had veered to the north and lost strength. We motored the last 25 miles to Santa Rosalia, where we are tied up at the Singlar Marina. We went out for dinner and found some great street tacos.

Still in San Carlos

My mom has entered hospice care, so we left the boat on a mooring and returned stateside for a final visit. Thanks to friends in San Carlos who are watching the boat for us in our absence. Ric on Solera took this shot of Southern Cross sailing back from San Pedro to San Carlos in a freshening northerly. Note that the genoa is partially furled, and the deck is crowded with kayaks and dinghy (kayaks are deflated and stowed on longer passages). We only have a few shots of us under sail so we are very grateful to Ric for this one.