Sweet, sweet San Juanico

Amanda: There's a moment, after paddling wildly, moving your board through the water, when all the energy of a wave that has traveled thousands of miles bunches up behind you, and lifts. You either go over the peak and let that energy carry you forward, or you back off. It passes underneath.

I have become a master of backing off. Despite the fact that I have wanted to learn to surf for ages, the energy and might of a wave scares me. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. It's a surrender to the power of nature and can be daunting.

Here, though, it feels different. I have been waiting for these kind of waves for years. They're regular and perfect, triangles that push to the right for ages. Two days ago, I finally went over that peak. I caught a wave and rode it, just a little. I was astonished at my accomplishment I think, and so almost immediately fell. I stood up, a grin a mile wide. And went back for more.

Chris: We anchored here inside of Punta Pequena a few days ago around 8:30 in the morning. I'd actually done some good sleeping on our overnight passage, so seeing these perfect waves rolling along the points it didn't take me long to have the dinghy in the water and a wetsuit on. I surfed for a few hours, by myself at first and then with the folks camped along the ridge. I could barely believe how great these waves were, just going on forever. When I made it back to the boat for some lunch I let Amanda know that we couldn't leave here until she learned to surf. No if ands or buts.

So we've been at it for three or four days, surfing at least 3 hours a day. Our shoulders are getting quite a workout. Its awesome seeing Amanda figure out what to do, where to position herself, getting over the little fears and quirks from trying for so long in conditions no where near as perfect as this. I don't want to leave, I could stay here and surf for weeks and months. Our plan though is to stay through Sunday, after some bigger swell pushes in tomorrow. I'm so glad we stopped here. The folks said that hardly any yachts ever stop for more than a night. The first day when we had gone back in to surf more, two guys were cruising around the bay in a lug rigged dinghy. They sailed by the break and asked if I was on the Liberte. Turns out one of the guys, Christian, had sailed onboard her in San Francisco around 2004, two owners ago. Weird and wild.

There's the whole thing about surfing being an inherently selfish activity. You're out there for yourself, because you enjoy it so much. I think that since you spend this time being so selfish, that out of the water most surfers go a step further in being good. Everyone we've met here has been as hospitable and helpful as they could be. This is one place I'd really like to come back to.

Making Tracks...

We've made it about halfway down the coast of Baja California, in Bahia Tortugas. The sailing has been ok, not quite as much wind as we'd have liked, but luckily the ol' motor chugs us along when we need it, it is just a little teeth-rattling, that's all.
We'll be leaving in a few hours to head to our next destination, about 100 miles south of here. Keeping our fingers crossed for a nice, breezy trip!

Pasta Dental, and other lessons

Yesterday was full of the kind of tasks that one tends to find themselves engaged in, as a sailor in a new port...we officially "checked in" to Mexico, went on provisioning runs, and of course, partook in a variety of local food and beverages.

We are docked at the Baja Naval marina, at which the dockmaster Roger has been super helpful. He basically got most of our paperwork in order for us before we went over to immigration and gave us a quick tutorial as to the check-in two step we would have to perform to get all the proper

documents. The office itself is set up with windows for all of the different agencies that need a stamp or whatnot, immigration, customs and the Port Captain. Plus a bank window at which you pay your fees. So here's the dance...immigration, bank, immigration, Port Captain reception, Post Captain fee taker, customs, bank, copy kiosk, bank, customs. It was a little like the DMV...stand in line for interminable amounts of time to talk to supremely annoyed people who glare at you for not having all the documentation in exact preferred order (bank lady, I'm looking at you), then get your ticket to freedom and waltz out the door. Here's the funny thing, though...this is supposed to be an easy place to check in. At most places, and here until a few years ago, the offices aren't in the same building. So all of this is accomplished by a mad dash around town and could take a whole day. We were out in two hours, so I'm thanking my lucky stars. And dreading the next time when it's not that convenient.

So on to our provisioning run! Ahh, the grocery store. I love grocery stores. I could spend hours

in them and often do, puttering around to look at all of the exciting offerings. I have been known to dance through the grocery store when a particularly sweet musak station is on much to Chris's dismay. So at our first Mexican supermercado, we had a ball looking at all of the new exciting food items we could try...we skippped the shelf stable milk with vegetable oil added, but got some without. Tiny mexican limes, coconut flavored cookies in a giant box, and delicious queso oaxaca (and no, it does not escape me that as a longtime California resident, I could have gotten these things at any time at a latin grocery. Still.) But the item of greatest mystery and wonder was a package of thin steaks labelled vampira res. Res means beef. Vampira? I'm envisioning sparkly, stone faced incredibly beautiful bloodsucking butchers. Chris thinks it's from a cow that killed by the chupacabra. We'll take your suggestions...

So then I had my first Spanish pantomime experience. On the prowl for toothpaste, I was utterly lost among deodorants and foot powder. Someone asked if they could help me, and I stared at her blankly at a loss, then bared my teeth and used my air toothbrush to indicate my needed product. "Para cepillar mis dientes?" (To brush my teeth) She looked at me sympathetically, and then called to a coworker who ostensibly spoke

English. "Toothpaste?" I asked. "What do you need?" he responded. "I need toothpaste." He looked unsure. "Para cepillar mis dientes?" I repeated my hand motions. "Brush?" he said, and led me to an aisle a little farther down. There, on the shelves, was Colgate and Crest in ten different flavors. I looked at the boxes, and in little print at the bottom, there was my vocabulary word of the day. Pasta dental.

So we're getting ready to head off into the wild blue for our longest sail yet - we're thinking 2-3 days. Stay tuned!

We caught these little guys trying to catch a ride with us - attached to our anchor chain. Baby sea urchins.

Day One in Mexico

This is the captain speaking. The first mate is only half way through a cup of coffee and doesn't have any pants on.
We're anchored off Coronado del Sur, officially in Mexico, barely. It seems we have again displeased the wind god. Winds have been out of the south since we left yesterday and are forecasted to stay there till tomorrow morning. Even though it can be a royal pain sometimes, I'm starting to really enjoy the connection to the weather out here. Not that the rest of the world lives in a box where it doesn't matter, but if the sun doesn't shine enough I don't take a hot shower.
Another wild fact... this is the first time in about 6 years that I've been out of the country. I think I'll have a cookie.

Stay Classy, San Diego

We're off to Mexico - tomorrow! Pretty exciting, right?

Somehow it seems like we're just beginning, or beginning again. We sailed today for only about an hour or so (from Mission Bay back to Shelter Island), but it felt good and rejuvenating. So we'll be off tomorrow, another short sail to the Coronado Islands that are about 15 miles away from here. There should be some good diving there, and we are hoping to catch a fish, finally! We've trailed a line behind the boat almost the entire time we have been sailing, and not yet caught a thing. Boo. But the water is warming up, so yellowtail and tuna could be in our future. Wish us luck!

San Diego has been lovely, lots of food, fun, friends and family. Thanks to the LaClairs for coming to visit us and being so generous and to Fred Davis for shuttling us around all the time to run all sorts of errands.

Leisure time in San Diego..

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