Cabo San Lucas to La Paz

Settling down to Cruising

The Baja Ha-Ha is over and now we set our own schedule through Mexico. First we have to go through the check in process. Bring your patience.

11/13, Cabo San Lucas

One thing that Boeing prepared us for on this trip is strange and sometimes illogical bureaucracy. Working in the boat yard those many months prepared us for tasks taking much longer than one would expect. Cruising so far has prepared us for not wanting to be in a hurry or on a tight schedule. These three factors allow us to be able to deal with checking in and checking out of Cabo San Lucas.

Many cruising books give hints and some directions on how to check in and/or out of ports in Mexico. They provide a copy of the crew list form that you need to fill out in quadruplicate. Other details are sketchy because the process is continually changing. Mexico, unlike other countries, requires boaters to check in and check out of each major port (one having a port captain), as opposed to just checking into the country at the first port of entry and then checking out at the last port.

Since Cabo is our first port having a port captain, we need to check in and out. We will have to do the same at La Paz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, etc.

While we were in San Diego we went to the Mexican consulate to get tourist permits for each of us. This was a simple process, a very short line and no fee. We thought that this completed the permit process.

Last Friday we did the check in. This meant going to the Port Captain, waiting in line and then showing our boat documentation, passports, tourist visas and crew lists. He looks over the information, gives us a form to take to the bank to pay for the boat permit and sends us to the Immigration office. This is a walk of about 8 blocks. Here we wait in line, present our tourist visas, passports, crew lists. They complete the tourist visas and write an amount on each visa and sends us to the bank which is across the street. At the bank you take a number, wait your turn and then pay for your visas ($18 each) and boat permit ($219pesos, based on boat tonnage) and receive receipts. Receipts in hand you go back to the immigration office and they stamp your visas and passport. Next you go back to the Port Captain. You wait in line and you show them your receipt for the boat permit and he gives you back your crew lists. Then you walk back to the immigration office and wait in line and then they will sign your crew lists, keeping a copy. You walk back to the Port Captain and wait in line and they will sign your crew lists and keep a copy. We have completed the check in process or so we thought. It is now the end of the day.

Saturday and Sunday, these offices are closed so we go swimming and snorkeling. Relax. On Saturday evening we attend the 'awards' ceremony for the Baja Ha-Ha. The youngest participants in the Ha-Ha were two six year old girls, the oldest participant was an 87-year old crew member. His advice was to keep sailing.

On Monday we go about getting our 10-year import permit. This allows us to have the boat in Mexico for longer than 3 months without having to leave the country. The import permit also allows us to have boat parts sent to us without having to pay tariffs or duty on them since they will be installed on our boat and not imported for sale to others. We first go to the API office but this is not the right office. They send us to the customs office. Unfortunately the customs office is not on our map. We ask around and finally find the office, 12 blocks later. We are given a form to fill out, with some instructions in English. We also need two copies of the boat document, our passports and tourist visa and the completed form. It is lunch time now so we get something to eat and complete the form. Two blocks up from the customs office is a paper store that has a copy machine for making copies. Copies in hand we go back to the customs office. A few of the entries are incorrect and cross outs are not allowed so we need to get another form, complete it and go back to the paper store for copies. We go back to the customs office and the official tells us to come back at 3pm so that we can take him to the boat to verify the information on the form. With two hours to kill we wander around town and check out the super meracado or supermarket. At 3pm we go back to the customs office. Carlos, the customs official, walks with us down to the harbor and we take a panga or water taxi out to the boat. We show Carlos the registration number, the hull number (which is in the anchor locker) and he helps us locate the engine number (we had never needed it before). Carlos speaks limited English, we speak limited Spanish. He stamps our permit and we chat for a little while and then Rich takes him back to the harbor in our dingy. We now have our import permit and paid no fee. So far so good

Today, Tuesday, we go through the process to check out of Cabo. If you are going to be in port only a day or two, you can check in and out at the same time. Since we were not sure how long we would be here we did not do this. Rich first went to Immigration and waited in line to have our crew lists signed and stamped. Then he walked to the Port Captain. After standing in line, he learned that he had to pay a port fee - this is something we should have done on Friday when we checked in but it was not clear in any of the writeup and they did not mention it when we were at the Port Captain last Friday. To pay the port fee we had to walk about 15 blocks to the API office. The port fee is $55pesos. We have to wait until 2pm before going back to the Port Captain because the woman who types up the boat form will not be back in the office until 2pm. So we get some lunch and check on Jesse and Sarah who are doing their schoolwork on the boat. We walk back to the Port Captain at 2pm and wait in line. The woman still has not returned but since we would like to check out, they agree to take cash and sign off on our crew lists. We are now officially checked out of Cabo.

We have spent most of three days going through Mexican bureaucracy and paperwork. We were able to take it in stride and not get impatient or frustrated (thank you Boeing). We smile and go with the flow. We will have to repeat the check in/out process several more times before we leave Mexico. Que sera sera!

Tomorrow we plan to visit the super mercado and go to the fishing supply store to get more lures and leaders. After a trip to the fuel dock to fill up the tanks and a stop at the dock to wash off the boat we will be ready to head north towards La Paz.

11/15, Los Frailles

23'22.763N 109'25.418W

This morning we woke up to seeing a huge cruise ship anchored beyond us. The touristas are in town. Time to leave.

We are now anchored off Los Frailles, The Brothers. It is a large hill that has some rock formations that look like 3 monks climbing up the hill. It is around the corner from Cabo, about 40 miles, starting up the Sea of Cortez towards La Paz.

Since it is an anchorage we thought we would be alone. Well there are 22 other sailboats here from the Ha-Ha. Including Still Crazy, a single-hander in an Olson 30, with his inflatable doll.

We saw lots of dolphins today jumping and playing before the boat.

11/16, Ensenada de los Muertos

23 59.280 N, 109 49.680 W

I forgot to mention that last night, Sarah was invited over to Aristos to watch a movie with some of the other girls she has made friends with. There is Merlot from Aristos, Jessica and Bonnie from Serena, Katherine from Dulcinea. They watched Miss Congeniality.

Another boat that we are becoming friends with is Saperlipopette. They have 3 kids, Alice, 11, Lucie, 13 and Damien 15. Sarah and Jesse enjoy hanging out with them also. They are from San Francisco and their boat is a Santa Cruz 52. We met their parents, Gilles and Marie, along the trip south. They are originally from France but have lived in the US for about 11 years, Alice was born here. We are hoping that in La Paz the kids will keep themselves entertained and us parents will go out on the town.

We woke up this morning and most of the fleet was gone including Saperlipopette. So instead of staying at Los Frailles we decided to pull anchor and join the group at Ensenada de los Muertos, Cove of the Dead.

Today was a long motor. Winds were under 4 knots and from the northwest as were the swells. The landscape is very green. The hurricane that hit Cabo dropped a lot of water in this area and we are enjoying the results. We saw a whale traveling southbound. Later we saw a marlin jumping out of the water. This encouraged Jesse to put out his line. Not too far from Punta Pescadero we heard the familiar zing, fish on! Jesse landed a beautiful 20 lb. bull dorado (mahi-mahi). The fish is beautifully colored with iridescent blues and yellows. We can see him under the surface as Jesse reels him in. This will be our dinner tonight. Yummmy! Later we saw a sailfish with a 1 foot high sail skimming the water, 10 feet from the boat.

Rich told us a story about a boat carrying prisoners to a penal colony on an island in the Sea of Cortez. There was a storm coming up so the boat anchored in this cove to ride out the storm. The prisoners were in the hold of the boat chained together and to rings inside the boat. As the storm continued the boat capsized and all of the prisoners drowned, unable to undo their chains. At night when boats are at anchor they sometimes hear the chains of the prisoners, clanging under the water. That is why this is the Cove of the Dead.

Great story, yes? Well Rich just made it up but it had Sarah believing it until I started to giggle. What about you?

We pulled into the anchorage and set the hook. The water is a blue green color. Gilles, Marie, Damien and Alice came by in their bright yellow dingy. Tomorrow we are going to join them for a hike, some snorkeling and a potluck. An adventure!

11/18, still at Ensenada de los Muertos

Ensenada de los Muertos, Cove of the Dead

On Saturday morning we got up and prepared for our day on the beach. Jesse and Sarah did some schoolwork and helped Rich make some food for the potluck. Elaine made some calls on our Iridium phone to check reservations at the marinas in La Paz and Puerto Vallarta. Tu habla ingles? They would reply that yes they spoke English but very slowly. Great, I speak Spanish even slower. I felt better about the conversation when they asked me things like the length of the boat and whether it was a powerboat or a sailboat. This gave me a warm fuzzy that they knew I was asking for moorage. I will follow through with another phone call or email from La Paz.

As we were getting ready a kayaker came by to chat. George, was a single-handed sailor who moved to Mexico and lived in an RV not too far from here. He used to park his RV right at a park right on the cove. Recently, the owner of the Giggling Marlin in Cabo San Lucas had 'purchased', read 99year lease, most of the property around the cove including the RV park. His intent is to develop the property into another Cabo, adding a Lee Trevino style golf course, homes, etc. There are already a few homes here, some under construction, and they booted out the RV folks. Progress?

When the food was ready we packed our snorkel gear, food, drinks, etc and waited for the bright yellow dingy of Saperlipopette to come by. We motored around looking for a nice place for our potluck and to snorkel. We finally selected a spot, negotiated the surf, dragged the dingies on shore and spread out the beach stuff. The kids headed for the water immediately and the adults got out the beer and food. Pete and Sue from Kiapa, another Santa Cruz 52, kayaked over to join us. Sue and Dave with their kids Merlot and Cameron from Aristos, came over also. Later Duey and his wife, Nan from Great Escape rounded out the party. We took some sticks on the beach left over from the hurricane and made a burgee. We called ourselves the Los Muertos Yacht Club! The kids got hungry and came back to chow down. After a rest all of us when snorkeling in the reef just off the beach.

Think of the aquarium you see in the waiting room of the doctor's or dentist's. There are tropical fish swimming in the heated water with some rocks and pieces of coral. Now imagine yourself snorkeling in that same aquarium, much larger of course. That is what it was like! There are fish all around, damsel fish, angel fish, parrot fish, on and on. We paddled around for what seemed like hours, discovering new fish and coral. It was great. I wish I could describe the experience more eloquently. The colors of the fish are bright and vivid, blues, purples, orange, yellow, etc.

Captain Ron on Still Crazy, Olson 30, pulls into the anchorage. He is lying in a hammock on his foredeck with a remote control for his autopilot, maneuvering through the other boats, looking for a place to drop his hook. What a character.

After snorkeling and a walk along the beach everyone went back to their boat to clean up. All of the kids came over to Windarra to watch movies. Some of the adults gathered at Saperlipopette for wine, chips and conversation. We come here from different backgrounds but share the life of cruising.

Later we deliver the kids back to their boats and turn on the alarm clock for 2 am. There has been lots of talk about the Leonids meteor shower is supposed to be very visible, early in the morning. The alarm goes off, way too early, but I grab a blanket and a pillow and lie in the cockpit looking up at the stars. I am treated with long, glowing shooting stars racing across the sky. Rich comes up to join me. We can hear the whispers of others on their boats enjoying the same light show. Jesse comes up later, watches a while and falls asleep in the cockpit.

It has been a truly wonderful day and evening. I am so glad I had a chance to experience it. This is the real world.

This morning some of the boats have headed north to La Paz. We will meet some of them there, but not until tomorrow. Today, we will do some chores and go snorkeling again. Captain Ron snorkels by, getting his exercise. What a life.

11/20, La Paz

24 09.380 N, 110 19.580 W

Greetings from La Paz!

Sunday night the kids from Aristos, Merlot and Cameron, came over to Windarra to watch movies. Dave and Sue from Aristos, Rich and I went over to have drinks with Duey and Nancy on The Great Escape. We decided to buddy boat toward La Paz on Monday since The Great Escape was having some electrical difficulties.

Yesterday, Monday morning, we left Ensenada de los Muertos. By the time we had gotten up, 7:15am, most of the fleet had already left. We motored past the fishing boats looking for tuna. The winds were out of the north so we brought out the sails, turned off the engine and had a nice sail. Jesse had his fishing pole out. He caught 5 fish - a small tuna, 2 skipjacks and 2 sierra mackerals. He returned them back to the sea to get bigger.

We went through the canal on the south side of Isla Espiritu Santos and then watch the sky turn pinks and yellows with the sunset. We were negotiating the channel into La Paz at dusk. From out VHF contact with the marina we got our slip number. As we pulled in, finding the slip was a bit of a challenge. Luckily we saw Gilles and Marie and they helped find it for us. Now we are tied up to a dock. The first time since Long Beach, CA.

After tying up we joined Saperlipopette for dinner at the dockside cafe, but only one Margarita. I may have forgotten to mention it but we had heard that on Nov. 20 in La Paz that we could take the test for the Technician's class HAM radio license. This was one of the reasons we wanted to be in La Paz. We borrowed the Gordon West book that has the test questions. Rich and I have been studying them the last few days. So we did not want to drink too much since the test is at 9 am Tuesday morning.

After dinner we went back to the boat and crashed.

This morning, Tuesday, Rich got up at 4am to cram for the test. At 7am I got up with Sarah to go get showers. Rich, Sarah and I went to breakfast at the cafe. I did some last minute cramming. The test was at the trimaran, T'n'Honey. Mel and Selma, the hosts for the test, have been here for 11 years. Gilles, Marie, Rich and I sat at the galley table and took our tests. When we were done we waited outside to get our scores. I was 35 of 35, Rich was 34 of 35. 26 of 35 is passing. Gilles and Marie also passed. We even have certificates!! Now we have to wait for two weeks for our call signs from the FCC database. This was a no Morse code test. Not sure if we want to study for the code test. Watch out though, we will be Hamming it up in a little while.

While we were at the test, Sarah, Lucie and Alice joined a cruising couple, Bob and Katherine, to got see the parade in town. Today is a holiday in La Paz, celebrating some revolution, not sure which. Sarah returned at 2:30pm talking about lobster tacos, mango ice cream, the shops in town, coconut with lime juice and the parade. Jesse stayed on the boat, did his schoolwork and did video games.

Everyone is settling in to life in Mexico!! Even the cat! After his morning stroll on the deck, a snack of kibbles, a trip to the cat box, he is ready for his siesta on the floor of the salon under the fan. He lies on his side with one paw over his eyes. Ah, a tough life.

Not sure how long we will be here in La Paz. Hope to sign up to get our PADI Scuba certifications.

Is it time for Margaritas now Rich?

Adios