We left Magdalena and Man o War at 2 pm. One of those bitter sweet moments. We connected with a lot of the locals on a more personal level. Jose Ramirez and his family that run restaurant Mira Mar are friendly and welcoming to us sailors. They opened their home and hearts to us making us feel as though we were family. We talked and laughed and shared happiness.
We were able to raise the sails and sail out right off our anchor. This makes for a magical beautiful moment. Cutting through the water without the sound of the diesel is one of the most perfect moments. Calm and peaceful. At the entrance to the Pacific two Gray Whales begin to breach. There is a tour boat in the area so we stay clear of them and wait patiently as they and the whales pass right in front of us. The tour guide giving a friendly wave. Those in the tour boat had delighted smiles on their faces. After they all had passed we sailed out into the Pacific and through a line in the water. Sam no longer set the fishing pole in the holder and turned away when the line went crazy. As he reels the line in brilliant flashes of color dart around the hook. Leaping out of the water we were graced with the dance of the Mahi Mahi. Movements in brilliant green blue and yellow streak through the sky and back into the ocean. We reel it in quickly and grateful it wasn’t another Bonito. After cleaning and prepping the Mahi for the freezer we find we have room for one more fish. Sam throws in the line again and instantly has another bite. This time only color of silver and Yellow. But that is nothing to worry about as it is a Yellow Tail. Another tasty fish for the freezer. We only fish when we have room to store it and our freezer is now full. This leaves the rest of the trip to sailing and sea life watching.
The sun began to set and we sailed on through the night. Sam took first watch and witnessed a Sail Fish or Marlin jump out of the water several times. I took watch around midnight and the night sky delivered a handful of meteors. As the sun rose in the morning a small pod of dolphin come to great us. We take shifts, rest, relax, and snack. On my afternoon watch a small 6-7 foot shark surfaced close to the boat and then swam away. Our Buddy Boats are up ahead of us. It’s been nice seeing that mast light up in the distance. We radio each other through the night for conversation. During the day we joke and share experiences as they are taking place. No matter the words I write, pictures I take, or videos we produce it is impossible to show the entire experience.
We travel on through the day with our laid back routine. We will sail on through the second night and arrive in Cabo San Lucas at sun up. As we move through the night we wonder what it will be like in the Sea. Knowing that we will be at the Cape where the Sea and Pacific begin to mix. Can we even count it as being in the Sea yet? We are not expecting to. We are still only focus on getting around the Cape before a storm.
Our sail had gone so well that through the night we realized we were going to get to Cabo in the dark. We set the sails to spill more wind and slowed down. The last several hours before sun up was spent slowly creeping toward the Cape. As the sun began to rise and Cabo San Lucas was coming into view the scent of city life lofted through the air. A mix of chlorine, laundry, and exhaust assaulted our noses. Motoring into the Bay the noise and business of the boats and other water craft was overwhelming. This reaction we were having was slightly surprising. We anchor and try and take a nap.
By 11:00 am Hiraya was rocking and rolling so much a nap was impossible. Cooking was near impossible. Looking out over the bay all manner of water craft was moving in all sorts of directions causing a whirlpool of waves and currents. The air was filled with loud American Music from every resort and from the motors of jet skis, motor boats, and water taxis. We made a plan to do provisioning in the morning and then getting out of there. Our buddy boats felt the same way and one of them got a slip at San Jose Del Cabo just up the peninsula a bit. Us and Fred though where out of luck. Just when we thought we couldn’t take it any more something changed. Around 5 pm the jet skis go back to the resorts, the fishing boats return to slips, the water taxis slow down, the music starts to calm and we begin to relax. We might make it if we have a good night sleep. At 7 the music picks up again 930 there are fireworks and then the party begins on the beaches. But the water is fairly still and we sleep.
The next morning we brave the hoards of boats and people and head into town. We use goggle maps to get us to a grocery store and with a little luck found a decently stocked room. Canned goods, boxed juices, and drinks. We even found a stash of fresh potatoes, onions, celery, and carrots. This will be so great. It has been a while since we had anything fresh except for fish. We are nearly out of our supplies but know that La Paz will be the city to fully restock. So we are patient. That evening we meet a friend from home on the beach for dinner. We haven’t seen them in maybe 10 years but we meet up in Cabo. Chad, Julie, and their Kids make for fun company. We wished the visit could have been longer.
The next day we brave the dinghy ride into the marina again and get another load of groceries. This time checking out a few more stores. If one store doesn’t have something the other one might. This time we found powdered drink mixes. Kind of like Kool-Aid. Anything to help the air temperature distilled water coming out of the tap. We invite our Buddy Boats over for dinner and we grill up the Mahi Mahi. Fred will stay behind while Dean and Barb head to their slip in the morning. We laugh, drink, and eat.
We meet new friends the next morning as we sat in our cockpit. They were kayaking in the soon to be busy bay. Little did we know they had just anchored and were headed into the Port Capitan to check in. We would have given them a ride had we been paying more attention. In our morning clouded eyes we missed the signs but they later forgave us and we have been friends ever since.
Attempting to beach the dinghy when we wanted to explore proved difficult. There were breaking waves everywhere we went. But dinghying over to Honey Moon cove we snorkeled in warmish water for the first time. The water was clear and a small rock had several fish. We returned to our boat. Later spending time with our new friends. Knowing we would be headed to Bahia Los Frailes at the same time was exciting and we quickly shared itineraries. Another evening of eating, drinking, and laughing.
We will be leaving Cabo San Lucas soon.