[back on firm ground]
Friday, 10 December, 2004
Hi there
Just a quick email to say we are out safe and sound
and back at Kino, Mexico now. We spent all day
yesterday cleaning the boat and getting ready to drive
north. It is good to be back on firm ground again
after two weeks of sailing - some of which was a
little more excitment than we wanted. we also got to
have a shower for the first time in three weeks which
was great. Its also getting cold here now - winter is
certainly on the way. So its nice not being wet all
day.
Tomorrow we head north back to the states where we
will spend a few days with Keith before he flys to NZ
and we take the boat and truck north to Colorado. We
now have the big road trip to plan. Excellent.
Will be sending another group email soon - apologies
for the double ups of info.
Hope everyone is well.
Love nic and andrew
[in Bay of LA]
Thursday, 2 December, 2004
Hi everyone again
Here we are again in Bay of Los Angeles after a quick
jaunt north. We were hoping to circumnavigate Isla
Angel de la Gaurdia but this was not to be. We
motored and sailed in light winds to the southwestern
shore where we found a fantastic anchorage and stayed
a night. Next day was pretty windy from the north so
we only ventured out for an hour in the afternoon to
see just how bad it was. Next day was still strong
wind from the north (too strong to be beating into it
for the whole day) so we crossed a straight to another
island (closer to the mainland). It got pretty windy
along the way and we broke the boats earlier speed
record clocking 8 knots per hour. This was sailing
with the storm jib, and the mainsail reefed down
twice. Surfed a few waves, and took jib down, and
surfed in horrendous winds and large swells to a
marginal anchorage where we have spent the last two
night sitting out the strong winds.
The winds have been so strong that the swells were 8
feet consistantly and all the white caps on the water
were being blown off so the whole surface of the water
was awash with white spray. Scary. We went out
yesterday afternoon and got no more than 20 metres
into the full force of the wind and did a very abrupt
about turn and ran back to our wee bay for shelter for
another night. Andrew and I instead climbed a volcano
nearby and were nearly blown off the top - fine
weather and good views though. Poor old tent took a
battering in the wind as did the boat. Numerous
attempts at anchoring failed, and anchors started to
pull in the gusts so we eventually placed our two
anchors (a bruce and a danforth) out by diving and
placing them ourselves. Also tied a rope to shore to
keep us off rocks and a stern line to keep us off
rocks on the other side. Keith spent all night up
worrying about it but all turned out ok in the end.
We have come back to Bay of LA to get more fuel and
are heading back across the sea of cortez island
hopping back to Kino in the next 6-8 days.
We are a bit sad we couldn't get any further north but
winds were just too strong at the wrong times and
there wern't enough bail out options along the coast
for us to do small hops up the island.
Hope everyone is well.
Bye for now
Love Nicola and Andrew
not yet marooned...
Saturday, 27 November, 2004
Hi friends
Just a wee email to let you know we are still alive
and kicking.
We are currently in a wee bay called Bahia de Los
Angeles on the Bahia California Peninsula in Mexico.
We have been sailing for the last 6-7 days to get here
island hopping over from the mainland town of Bahia
Kino. We have seen hardly any people along the way
except 8 crazy mexicans doing free diving for fish and
lobster. Have seen heaps of wildlife though which is
great. stingrays, seals, whales, pelicans, dolphins
and a microscopic scorpian. We didnīt see the 2 foot
lizzards or snakes we were warned about which was a
bugger. The area is totally barren with just a few
shrubs and cacti on some of the islands. We have had
some amazing campsites in sheltered coves and have
been doing it in style - propane stove, gas lantern,
chairs, table and lots of food.
Weather has been kind and we have only been nervous a
couple of times.... the latest being when we were
crossing a large stretch of open water, with strong
winds, strong tidal currents, big waves, and the
second reef on the mainsail started to rip. So we had
just gone back to the first reef (so overpowered) when
the rudder started to fall off (a bolt at the bottom
snapped). So keith is hanging over the back of the
boat holding the bits together, while andrew gets the
outboard going to steer the boat into the wind. A big
wave swamps the motor which nearly cuts out
threatening to send us side on to the waves. Nic in
the meantime is doing lengths of the boat getting the
sails in, finding the spare bolts, nuts and tools and
trying not to get washed overboard.
All a bit of a drama, but we got it sorted enough to
limp into a sheltered alcove where we spent the next
day doing an extensive check on the boat and making
repairs on the rudder, turnbuckles and sails. We have
since tested the repaired second reef which all works
well.
Today in Bahia de Los Angeles we have stocked up on
the essentials - water, gas, food and beer and are
heading out tomorrow to circumnavigate Isla de la
Gaurdia - weather and seas permitting. Then island
hop back to Kino. The tides are really huge here and
the currents very strong (sometimes making the sea a
chaotic mess of steep high waves as we learnt on day
3) so our sailing days are planned carefully around
the tidetables.
Will be out of contact for the next 12-15 days.
Love Nic and Andrew
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