Archive for May, 2009

Weather by Toro

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Last season, Capn Cumulus decided that he needed to learn more about weather, so he special-ordered a book called Weather Predicting Simplified and had it delivered to us down here in Mexico. He tried to read it several times, always with the same result: he’d come to about an hour later, drool running down his chin, and none the wiser in the meteorology department.

Then, when we put the boat up in San Carlos, Toro insisted that we bring the book back to California, so he could read it under less soporific conditions. Somehow, those conditions never materialized, and the book served as a dust collection device.

So, I was taken aback when, soon after we arrived for our second season in Mexico, he asked me where the book was. I explained that since he hadn’t managed to read it in either country, I just left it at home. “This time,” he insisted, “I would have stayed awake.” It became a kind of running joke with us; I’d see some clouds and say, “Gee, I wonder what those clouds mean. If only we had a book about weather…”. (more…)

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To Bash Or Not To Bash

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been debating what to do with the boat this summer. Should we bash back to San Francisco, or leave her down in Mexico again? We’ve gone back and forth, leaning one way and another. Some days I’d be in favor of one option, while Toro was inclined to the other. But, I think we’ve finally settled on…(wait for it)…Mexico otra vez!

Money was a big factor in the decision. We worried that if we took her back to San Francisco it would mark the end of our cruising not to mention the slip fees, insurance, and property taxes might lead us to sell her. So while we’re still nervous about the heat and sun in San Carlos, we figure that if we leave her down here, we’ll be able to afford to keep her (inshallah!). And of course, we’ll be motivated to do more cruising!

So we’ll be heading out to the islands for one last leisurely trip, then come back to La Paz. We’ve got Koiya booked on a flight out of Cabo on June 3, and then Toro and I will head back in to the Sea.

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Old Friends and New Friends

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

When discussing a departure date for our next trip to the islands with our buddies on Theophilus, at first we were a bit hesitant. We’re having the UV cover on our jib replaced, and we didn’t want to make a trip without it. But then Ron casually mentioned that he’d also been talking to Isis and Monsoon about all making the trip together.

“Theophilus is our buddy boat!” ranted Capn Envy. “Did they even think about how this would make us feel?” “Relax,” I said, trying to calm him. “I’m sure Ron is just using them so he’ll have enough bodies for a volleyball game. It doesn’t mean anything.”

But of course, we couldn’t just sit by while these upstarts tried to weasel their ways into Theophilus’ hearts. Jib or no jib, we had to join that floatilla, and do all that we could to drive a Sugata-sized wedge between Theophilus and any crew foolish enough to try to steal them away from us! (more…)

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What a Bonanza!

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

On Thursday, April 23, we set out from La Paz for another trip out to the islands. I could tell Capn Cranky Pants was not pleased as we got underway. “Are you unhappy about going out?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “I’d be glad if Theophilus were coming with us. As it is, I’m just gonna have to read and snorkel.” “That is pretty rough,” I agreed. I thought about putting him in charge of cooking for the week, you know, to give him something to do; but the thought of meals consisting only of ham, cheese and eggs gave me pause.

Our first stop was a new to us: Playa Bonanza, on the East side of the islands. Its emerald waters and 2-mile long white sand beach make it a beautiful anchorage. Koiya and I swam ashore to get a closer look at some goats, and ended up meeting Mrs. Gull, who squawked and flew at us because we unwittingly got too close to her nest. Later, we were happy to be visited by dolphins feeding on the fish in the bay. (more…)

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