La Paz to Puerto Vallarta - December 4, 2004

December 4, 2004 (Saturday)

I write this as we are underway on Saturday (December 4, 2004), having left the Baja at Ensenada de los Muertos some 210 miles behind us. Because the winds died down once we left the Sea of Cortez, we are currently motoring with our main sail up at 7.5 knots per hour. We are en route to Puerto Vallarta with a stop at Isla Isabella, a bird sanctuary, which is wonderful to visit and anchor overnight, when the seas are flat and winds light. At 10:00 a.m., it is a pleasant 77 degrees with the sea temperature at 81 degrees.
On Thursday, we had quite a ride from La Paz, south to Ensenada de los Muertos (85 miles), our jumping off point to cross the Sea of Cortez to Puerto Vallarta. After motoring north away from La Paz directly into 13-15 knot north winds, we rounded the corner to head south and put up our sails. The winds died down to 7 to 10 knots and a few hours later, a very slow powerboat passed us by. This was embarrassing; catamarans are supposed to go fast! So we got out our spinnaker, which we recently had repaired in Sausalito. While unsuccessfully trying to get the spinnaker up, the winds started to blow so we literally stuffed the spinnaker down a hatch, a comedy to watch, even for us, with the winds whipping it around and us doggedly trying to control it.
The winds went to 13 knots and eventually were blowing in the 25-26 knot range just a beam off our starboard side. Dream Caper loves this wind angle. We flew! We averaged 8 knots and hit 11.5 knots while surfing a wave. We would sail faster if we were lighter but we have lots of gadgets and supplies aboard. Although we want to sail fast, we really like our creature comforts. That portable ice maker which we just brought aboard this summer, is oh so decadent. We believe in roughing it in comfort and style.
Anyway, we blew into Ensenada de los Muertos just 20 minutes behind that slow power boat which had gotten some 15 miles ahead of us. After a dinner of popcorn, it was early to bed while anchored in this safe harbor protected from the north winds.
At 3:00 a.m., the next morning (Friday) we left Ensenada de los Muertos by the light of a half moon, immediately putting up our mainsail and jib even before leaving the anchorage. The wind blew off our port stern (over our left shoulder), at 20 knots. We sailed along at 7 to 8 knots. At mid-day, I suddenly developed an irritating rash on my arms and legs. I told Steve I am somehow allergic to Mexico. We were 2 days from civilization; I feared my reaction would develop into difficulty in breathing. I took antihistamines and went to sleep. I thankfully woke up, but had to take the 11:00 pm to 2:00 am watch and give Steve a break. We have yet to trace what caused this rash. During the day, the seas and winds had continued to build. At the halfway point, around midnight, some 125 miles from the Baja and Isla Isabella, we had 26-30 knot winds and 9-12 foot seas. We took down our mainsail and sailed with our jib only, making way a bit slower at 6 knots but having a much less bumpy ride during the night. Steve took the 2 am to 5 am watch during which the winds died to 13-15 knots and he put up the gennaker (bigger than our jib) which increased our speed to 7 knots. I winked my way through the 5 am to 7 am watch, the watch I like most because I get to see the star filled sky give way to the bright pinks, oranges and yellows of the rising sun. It is truly a beautiful sight especially after a long night at sea.
At 9:00 this morning, we were welcomed to this warmer climate by 6-10 porpoises who entertained and escorted us for almost an hour. They seem to like swimming very close to our forward hulls and in between them, leaping into the air around the front of the boat, and putting on quite a display. Every photo I take of them is just a splash; they are too fast. Assuming the anchorage at Isla Isabella is calm, we will stay 2 nights before making the 80-mile passage to Puerto Vallarta in Banderas Bay on Monday.
After feeling pretty good about this passage and just settling into a nice relaxing lunch, we find the refrigerator/freezer is not working. Steve was just getting comfortable with all boat systems running well. Now I am making ice nonstop in our little ice cube maker in hopes of saving the Dorado (mahi mahi) we caught yesterday and other perishable items which we really don’t want to have to eat today. Good thing we spoiled ourselves with that little ice cube maker!

Portia

P.S. (December 7, 2004)

We reached Isla Isabella in good order, with the exception of Portia’s worsening condition and having found in the morning light that we had lost both of the fishing lures we had out. We drag two lines made with 200 pound test line and smaller leads to the lures. One set up had broken where the lead attached to the main line (and may have simply failed), the other line itself had broken, and I’m sure we lost a monster fish. Together were able to repair the refrigerator, which turned out to have a simple wiring fault in an impossibly difficult place to reach – boats! We had a nice walk on the island among the boobies, frigates and iguanas, and a great snorkel at the spires on the east side of the island. We saw so many fish, including so many I wanted to eat, that I stayed in the water after Portia got out to do some spear fishing. We had Cabrilla (sea bass) for dinner, and plenty of leftovers for lunch. At 2:00 a.m. the next morning (it seems we always have to start in the middle of the night to arrive at our destinations during the day) we left for Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta. La Paz was a nice relatively laid back town. Paradise Village and Puerto Vallarta are high powered tourist resort areas, and we’re having several guests join us while we’re here, so we’re expecting an interesting change in lifestyle. Portia saw a doctor immediately upon our arrival and is feeling much better. The doctor guessed it was a reaction to sunblock.

Steve