Folding up the Fleece in LaPaz

We arrived safely in LaPaz on Thursday after kayaking in Ensenada Grande and motor sailing into the harbor.  We arrived for the full moon!  LaPaz will be our home port until the end of March.  We will alternate between "city" time and "island" time.   LaPaz is a bustling Mexican town of about 190,000 -- fishing, eco-tourism,  and light industry seem to be the mainstays of the economy.  On our first dinghy ride in for dinner we saw many dolphins throughout the anchorage -- a very welcoming touch.

We have finally reached warm weather -- today it is 84 in the boat; cooler outside with the nice breeze in the anchorage.  It can be a bit rolly here; due to the natural features it can run 2-3 kts of current and when it opposes the wind; well it is anyone's guess where boats point and respond.  It is called the LaPaz waltz!

The rest of this blog recounts several stories of our crossing and includes some pictures.

The highlight of our trip from Isla San Francisco to Ensenada Grande was the pod of pilot whales around us in all directions -- maybe 30 or 40 we estimate -- just slowly swimming south with us!  It was so incredible.  We put the engine into neutral to drift with them but they stay several hundred yards off at all times.  We did see one full tail--I just love those moments.

We also stopped at Los Isolotes for Ron to swim with the sea otters.  Fun for everyone.  Then a quiet night in Ensenada Grande and then into LaPaz.  This entire area is a mecca for kayaking, snorkeling, whale watching and deep sea fishing.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the last 10 days:

Here is the shopkeeper of the small, jammed, chock a block stuffed hardware store near by the central market in Guaymas.  We lost our courtesy flag on the maiden voyage #1 and went to him to help us track another down.  We figured he would not have a flag -- but could help us track one down.  His wife was in the shop and she says:  I have a flag at home you can have, come tomorrow.  And so we did and they gave us the flag as a gift!  Complete with a lesson (in Spanish) of all the meanings of the central seal.

 The captain takes a cat nap as we finish our passage.  Note the fleece!


















I am totally jazzed and ready for the trip.  I have on about 5 layers and gloves and 2 hats.  We were in a hurry to head south!


















The first fish the captain caught....er, caught with Manuel's help and a few pesos!

This is the REAL first fish -- determined to be a skip jack and not worthy of fish tacos.  So it was a catch and release moment.

Flying the spinnaker!  So easy and sweet!

 Fresh water -- from sea water!  Alan is now allowed to call himself a Spectra Watermaker Rover and I get to take showers after every dinghy trip!












A final shot -- Alan and Caroline headed out for a morning paddle in our kayaks.  The sky is blue, no winds, clear (but cool) water, and a lazy time looking at the desert meeting the sea.  The adventure continues...