We left from San Carlos at 5:00 PM December 5th, and set course due south to San Juanico. We kept radio company most of the night with Vagari, who was going down to Matzatlan, and with Amiga, who was headed for Evaristo.

After a dark but uneventful night crossing we arrived at San Juanico about 9:00 AM December 6th and anchored in between Moon Rocks and Prudential Rock in the same spot we occupied a year ago.

The anchorage was a bit rolly so we deployed the flopper stopper; even so, the first night was not entirely comfortable. Things settled down a bit after that and we relaxed for a couple of days.

Judy tried out her new wetsuit and snorkel, swimming about on Moon Rocks, that's her on the right, halfway back from Moon Rocks.

Chen doesn't need a wetsuit.

December 9th we cleared San Juanico and proceeded south to Puerto Escondido.

We could see the clouds of a 'pineapple express' blowing over the Sierra la Giganta behind Puerto Escondido; the weather was going to change.

The picture to the left looks almost due south toward Puerto Escondido, the enormous, 7,000 foot mountains in the background, the low hills and the 'windows' on the anchorage.

PUERTO ESCONDIDO
HIDDEN, REMOTE, DESERTED

Diane and Ward, from the Sailing Vessel Footloose, with one of their two pugs at Cesar's Tacos, Loreto.

Some 13 miles up the coast, north from Puerto Escondido, Loreto is the oldest town on the Baja. The Jesuit Mission at Loreto dates from 1697.

We sat on the dock for another 2 weeks, observing the wind, the winter solstice, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, our nineteenth wedding anniversary, and New Year's.

The weather forecast for December 22nd. called for NNW winds blowing 22 to 30 knots. It blew so hard that by 11:00 AM our dinghy was shipping water and we had to pull it out onto the dock. The canvas cover was starting to tear and one of the oars had fetched away. Our oar showed up behind the motor yacht Altamar across the dock from us, three hours later. Captain Bones fished it out and returned it, thanks, Captain.

The poor weather continued for days, we stayed in Escondido for almost a month. We'd walk out to Tripui and Judy would entertain herself by playing dominos and cards with the locals. We are learning to be patient…

The little hotel and restaurant
at Tripui are lovely.

There used to be a small groceria - a tienda - at Tripui, originally operated by the now dead Willy, the store was run by a young couple until last May, when they were evicted. The closest store now is down Highway 1 about 10 kilometers at Luiui <lee-wee>. They just got electricity at Luiui, in December.

The morning of January 6th. was windy, from the west, which set a swell running into the anchorage, so we pulled up the hook and beat our way outside. We spent the next 3 hours in a washing machine but made good time to the south. Things calmed down once we crossed the San Lorenzo Channel just north of La Paz.

WILDLIFE OBSERVATIONS

December 5, 2007
 A ray jumped behind us as we left Bahia Algodones.

December 7, 2007
 The ospreys are still nesting on Moon Rocks at San Juanico.

December 9, 2007
 A whale blowing as we came down toward Escondido.

December 10, 2007
 The flounder incident at Escondido.

January 3, 2008
 A whale breaching all around a sport fisher off the south
  end of Danzante.
 Passed through a nice pod of dolphin having lunch.

January 4, 2008
 Passed through a very large group of dolphin having
  lunch off La Habana, dozens and dozens spread out
  over a couple of miles at the north end
  of the San Jose channel.

January 5, 2008
 We thought we saw a shark leaving Evaristo but it was a grebe;
  there were hundreds of grebes between Evaristo
  and San Francisco.
 Saw an eel jump. Well, it was either an eel or a very long, 
  thin fish or a snake.

 
• La Paz to Caleta Partida
• Caleta Partida to Evaristo
• Evaristo to Agua Verde
• Agua Verde to Escondido
• Escondido to San Juanico
• San Juanico to San Carlos

• We were all ready to depart La Paz
after 4 months, heading north.

 • The next morning we were making good speed to Evaristo, the wind was favorable so we hoisted all our sails for once. Later, off Sand Point south of Evaristo we noticed that the dinghy tow line had parted and that the safety line was pulling the dingy sideways so that it swamped. It took a while to get it close enough to board, bail out and reattach a tow line.

 •  Judy showed fine command form, taking charge, leaping into the water-filled dinghy, issuing clear, calm orders and generally putting things aright. Love that girl.

 • The next day, from Evaristo, we made lovely Agua Verde where we anchored in the east bight and stayed for the summer solstice and our third happy anniversary aboard Pegasus. Evenstar and Aristocat were in too, and brought us a Trigger Fish fresh from the sea.

• Otto had been acting up on the run from Evaristo so we jiggled his wires and connectors into working order.

 • On to spectacular Escondido, Otto still not steering well,
but the weather was fine and we didn't mind hand steering for a while.

• We stayed at Escondido for 4 days; there had been no fuel there for 2 weeks but a delivery on the 24th allowed us to fill our tank and cans, so on to San Juanico. After a couple of days preparing for the crossing and checking the weather we departed San Juanico at 7:30 on the evening of the 27th, bound for San Carlos.

• We had our worst ever crossing, contrary to forecasts the seas came up in the night, although the sky was clear we could see lightning over to the east, and an easterly wind chopped the swells all about. Our brand new Furuno radar assured us that there was no awful weather within 24 miles, so the lightning we saw all night must have been on the mainland. Otto quit for good and we hand steered, an hour on , an hour off, all night.

By the time we raised Guaymas next morning we were steering to the swell, in 20 minute shifts, tacking every half hour. Pegasus handled the seas with aplomb, it was just a matter of finding the least uncomfortable point, hanging on, and steering, steering, steering.

 • We arrived at Marina Real in San Carlos at 1:30 in the afternoon after covering one hundred and three nautical miles in 18 hours.