Lovin La Paz

I'm not sure why it's been so difficult to write for the blog lately.  It's not like we've crawled into a hole and been doing nothing.  And there has certainly been no lack of requests for something new to appear on this page.  Plus, the need to post something has been on our list for some time now. I don't know, but since today is something of a sick day, here goes.

Yes, I'm getting over a cold, and Claudia is in the full blown sneezing and sniffling stage.  It has slowed us down some, yet the computer still stares at us and beckons.  Today is another like so many here this season.  The morning started out cool in low 50's, but it is sunny and very promising.  We listen to the AM cruisers net on the VHF radio to find out what is lost and what has been found, who is looking for what service or repair in La Paz, who has come to and who is leaving the fair city, what activities are on for the day, who has what items to sell or trade, and what the weather is expected to be like.  It's sort of like a soap opera.  There's rarely anything actually new or exciting, yet everyone listens just in case.  There is a certain sort of fellowship too.  The net is best enjoyed in the cockpit with a coffee.

Then, as C was feeling poorly, I dinghied in to have coffee on Iver's boat and catch up on the local gossip. On returning, I saw our new neighbor in his dinghy still tied to his boat, so I went over to say hi.  We talked for a while and decided that even though our boats were anchored a bit close to each other, there was probably no cause for concern.  He turns out to be an interesting fellow who has been sailing in the Sea since the mid 90's and we suggest that a meeting later in the day over a couple beers is in order.

On returning to IRIE, it's time for me to do some sanding on the outside teak handrails.  We're sanding down all the exterior varnish in prep for new.  By the time an hour is up, the wind is picking up and I'm getting cold, so I head for the shelter of the cockpit.  Then Bruce from s/v Juce arrives by dinghy and we talk about possible solutions to a chain locker problem I'm trying to resolve.  We talk about going to town together for some lunch, but the whitecaps outside tell me that I'd have to be willing to get wet to make the dinghy ride in and back, so I'll probably not go this time.  In fact, I'll probably not even go visit my neighbor later for the same reason.  So, I go below and read for a while, nap a bit, and then finally, turn on the computer, pray for an internet hookup, and begin writing this.

It seems so lame, having an attitude about the weather.  The sun is shining, it's 70 degrees and we're on the water, IRIE is proving to be all that we hoped she would, so who could complain?  Why don't we just change the subject.

See Maxine!!  It's taken her a while, but now and then we get to see her scoping out life outside the box.  It's good to see her enjoying herself again, and I sense that she's excited about our upcoming journey. You may recall that the reason she was given to us in the first place was because of her need for travel.

As we've been at anchor for about four weeks now, I suppose it's time to write something abut that.  The word that most comes to mind is private.  Not the running around naked on deck kind of private, - it's too cold for that anyway.  No, it's the privacy you get when you simply leave the hustle and bustle of the boatyard / dockside environment.  Folks on the dock whether just wandering around or doing business or on their way up to empty garbage and take a shower are no longer able to interrupt.  Even the simple distraction of the motion or the noise of daily life at the dock is mostly gone.  Maybe a better one word description would be peaceful.  It's been four weeks now since we've heard the boat boys cleaning the big fishing boats with their loud Mexican music / karoke going on.  And it's also a lot harder for friends to stop by for a drink or to say hi too.  Therein lies the other side of the coin.

To sum it up, from my point of view at least, we really enjoy being at anchor.  But in La Paz, where there's so much to do in town, and we have so many friends around,  I believe we'll buy a dock in the future.  That way, when we're anchored somewhere else in a quiet little bay with no one around, we can really enjoy the solitude.  Something we expect to be doing a lot of in the near future.

Junk sailing by in the anchorage at La Paz

Like everything else, the dinghy has it's ups and downs too.  For the first two weeks out here we were in the far side of the anchorage.  That is an area somewhat protected from wind and waves, but maybe a half mile from town and the docks.  While there, we had the 15hp outboard mounted and on those occasions when the sea was flat, we could make that dinghy fly.  At least it seemed like it.  Only once did I open it up all the way, and that was scary fast. Otherwise it was really fun zipping around here and there.  We wanted a hot rod dinghy, and I'd say we got one.  

Another nice surprise has been our TV antenna up in the rigging.  We bring in six Mexican stations clearly.  No, we don't watch much Mexican television, though it's pretty weird to see the Simpsons talking Spanish.  We have been able to watch the NFL every Sunday though.  A bit of home here on board in Mexico.  We're talking about having a Super Bowl party just before heading North in the Sea.

Speaking of heading North, that is still the plan for February.  We have several hundred miles to go against the prevailing winds hoping to reach San Carlos on the mainland around the first of March.  We'll try to post to the blog here once more before we leave, but there will be very little or no internet once we do.  Claudia will keep you posted with the SPOT when we're travelling as she did on the trip down here.  And there are two cities on the way where we should be able to hook up, but this is still the Baja.    E