splendid isolation: Back in Loreto

BACK IN LORETO

4/6 Mom to bus station by 11:30. Shuttle van ride 6 hours back to La Paz for her Sunday flight. Claire and I went out for cocktails and internet. Weather check. Looks like a blow Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Another rant on the Puerto Escondido/Loreto radio-Net. Claire and I having little weather knowledge and being quite inexperienced to this lifestyle saw big pressure systems off of southern california and arizona area. We are sandwiched between here, in the Sea, and one can easily suggest the high winds coming our way. Further investigation showed that the winds for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday would be over 25 knots. But we could not make out if it was from the SW or NW. Which can make a big difference in sailing and anchoring. Most wind being between 9PM and 9AM for those days/nights. That morning on the net again (I listen for reference and hoping that another boat gives input) there was no mention of high winds or these pressure systems. I made note of their weather report again nothing above 12 knots. Jokes about the calmness.

4/7 We think it’s finally daylights savings time here? Went to Farmer’s market for provisions. Stole ice from the Mision Hotel! You’d be proud Mom, Claire fooled them real good into thinking she was a tourist going out on a tourboat and needed ice for her cocktails. Anchor up at 10:15. Crazy thick fantasy fog all over the islands and intertwining the palm trees. Still dissipating at 11:00. Heading 22 miles back North to San Juanico for the blow. Which is in OUR forecast, no one elses… Very hot out with a ENE breeze. 12:30 hoisted the mainsail ironically in the same location that it came down in days before during that squall. Great sailing. A rare thick fog lays between Isla Coronado and Isla Carmen. Drifting fog lifting over the coastal mountains. San Bruno creek area filled with mirages and sizzling mirrored reflections. (one suggestion of why early sailors coming for missions and settlements had such errors in their charts for the area.) We had such a great sail that we considered going farther north to Puerco while it was still nice out. We decided not to with our forecast, unknown protection of that bay, and it was damn hot out. Anchor down pretty much in the same spot as before at 15:45. Wind died after sunset and easterly swell came into the bay making it uncomfortable. Rocking side to side. Hard gusts from dead West started before midnight. Ending the ‘earthquakes’ in our home. I let out more scope. Consistently heavy wind all night with spurts of strength.