In the Sea of Cortez, finally!

It's about a week since our last entry -- I guess that means we've been pretty busy. We spent a few days in La Paz, shopping, eating out at one of our favorite restaurants, and visiting with friends. Last Friday we left the marina and sailed to Puerto Balandra, just north of La Paz. Several boats were already anchored when we pulled in, but by dusk all but ours and one other had departed. During the night another Coromuel wind blew at around 20 kts all night long, making for a restless night of sleep. Maybe those other boaters had advance notice of those typically unpredictable winds! In the morning we sailed almost all the way up to Ensenada Grande on Isla Partida. Four boats were anchored ahead of us, but by nightfall another four arrived. Yet another night of Coromuel winds with everyone waking up to see their boats heading 180 degrees from where they anchored.

Seeking to move further north to be out of the direct line of these nightly winds, we sailed up to the northern anchorage on Isla San Francisco on Sunday. Several boats were already anchored and many cruisers were sharing information about all the wildlife: one baby osprey (and its parents) nested in the rocks just above the anchorage, snorkeling and diving spots with angel fish and others. On Monday, we took a walk on the beach for a short while. Monday was very hot; we had all our shade covers up cooling down the boat from the 90 degree heat.

Tuesday the weather was much cooler. Nonetheless we had a remarkable treat: a sea turtle swam around Damiana for about an hour. Here's one of the shots. Our short video is spectacular; we'll try to upload the video on our web page during the summer update.

Then on Tuesday night we hosted a "pizza party," pretty much the same way that Bruce and Alene hosted one on Migration back in 2006! Cruisers from Spirit Quest, Jacaranda and Ponderosa came over to Damiana with an assortment of toppings. We provided the yeast dough (same recipe, Bruce andAlene!), the sauce and a few toppings. Then all the women made a pizza, all different. A side dish of sauteed zucchini and onions plus "no bake" cheesecake cupcakes rounded off the meal. You can tell when cruisers are having a good time -- the party wasn't over until 10 p.m., an hour past "cruiser bedtime," typically 9 p.m.

Wednesday has us slowly sailing again, heading north on the west side of Isla San Jose. Our big treat today was watching two whales passing us in the opposite direction, making way so quickly that we didn't have time to grab the camera. What a beautiful sight!

~~~ Marlene and Roy ~~_/) ~~

While at the islands we have no internet service. This message was written on Wednesday, April 25.