Leaving the Country
|
|
|
|
|
|
April 13, 1997 (Sunday) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Day number whatever. I can’t even tell you what the date or day of the week is without checking some electronic device. Maybe this is good. We have just cleared customs in San Diego and have the necessary papers to enter Mexico. We have been at sea about two hours and guilt has set in. I have been neglecting the journal. So much has happened in the past three weeks but I've tried to recall as much as possible. I’m trying to decipher our notes from our log and put them into something intelligible for the journal. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We departed for Ensenada at about 10:30 this morning. We topped off all of our water tanks, filled up the fuel tank and all fuel containers on deck. We (skipper) baked a turkey breast this morning so we will eat well today. I suspect the aroma was a bit unfair for the customs officers when they boarded this morning. We did one more grocery-shopping trip and crammed an unbelievable amount of staples and meat into already full cupboards. We spoiled ourselves with a bucket of KFC’s finest. As we indulged KFC for lunch we discarded the bones into the sea. Usually we have a mass of sea gulls converge on us whenever we throw morsels overboard. Since we are now in Mexico’s waters maybe the seagulls expect salsa with their treats. No sooner do I speak and we have a school of dolphins at our stern as well as several seals. Maybe it was the KFC that captured their attention. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As we sail by Tijuana we reflect on how much this city has changed over the years. From our vantagepoint, the city is rather large and has a lot of high rise buildings. The hilltops, however, are still barren. I wonder how much change will take place while we are away. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
While in San Diego1 we met several other cruisers, some of which were going the wrong way. Heading north. Of those heading south, we learned that one other boat was leaving at the same time so we decided to buddy up. We will buddy-boat with them all the way to Cabo San Lucas. They are sailing on a Coronado 45, ‘Island Girl’. They will keep us on our toes if we expect to keep up with them. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Once underway, I settled down with a novel and Phill closes his eyes and begins his first siesta. Later as I look up to scan the horizon, I notice our buddy. They have put up a beautiful spinnaker. Well, being the racers that we use to be, we can’t let them pass us. I whispered in Phill’s ear ‘Island Girl has just put up a spinnaker’. Sure got his attention. He hailed them on the radio, complimented them on their beautiful sail and complained about interrupting his first official siesta. Yes, we immediately put up our spinnaker and let it do its job. Eventually the wind shifted such that the ‘chute’ couldn't do much so we doused it and put the jib back up. It was fun while it lasted. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Island Girl (Passing Isla Todos Santos) A Coronado 45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We were fortunate enough to be able to sail the majority of the way down. Wouldn't you know it, Phill had the sails trimmed perfectly and we were screaming at about 6 to 6.5 knots and we change shifts. It is my turn to be on watch. No sooner had Phill wrapped up in his blankie and started his three hours of sleep had the weather changed. The wind stopped and the swells started to slam us around. Needless to say the beautiful sail trim was gone. We brought in the jib, centered the main and turned on the engine. We motored several hours before we could again bring out the sails. We sailed the rest of the way into Ensenada2. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We pulled into Ensenada2 at about midnight, put away the lines, covered the main and went into a comatose sleep until sunrise. As usual, we spent the majority of the next day catching up on lost sleep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We woke, took showers and enjoyed a nice breakfast in the cockpit. Our next task was to visit the Port Captain and Immigration Office. We filled out our forms over breakfast. These are actually very simple forms but require use of Spanish terms. Neither of us knows much Spanish so we searched through our many Spanish dictionaries. We think we found the appropriate terms to use and made the required number of copies. Our buddies are also ready to go ashore, so we hop into our respective dinghies and head into town. We pulled up at the dock at ‘Juanito's’ and proceeded to lock up our dinghies. We were asked to not lock them up ‘no one will bother them’. We looked at each other apprehensively and honored the request. I guess we have lived in L.A. too long. The man standing on the dock commented that ‘they were poor but they were not dishonest’. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As we walked to the Port Captain’s office we couldn't help but notice the changes that have occurred since our last visit to Ensenada2. They are always working to improve the city’s appearance. The beautifully designed walkways are all hand crafted. We, fortunately, had prepared our forms properly and were granted entrance to Mexico. Our buddies, however, had not signed their passports or their visas. The immigration officer took the opportunity to chide them a little. He advised them their documents were not legal. At first this caused a lot of concern but once everyone realized that he was just having a little fun at their expense, everyone relaxed. From the Immigration Office we went to the Port Captain’s office. For those visiting Mexico via boat, be sure to take an extra copy of your boat documentation. The Port Captain’s office will want to keep a copy for their files. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From there we began our site seeing. On ‘Island Girl’ the youngest crewmember is Ariel Stanton. Although she is only six, she already loves to shop. She has entrusted her brother, Erick, to hold her allowance until she finds some bargain. We found our favorite restaurant and imbibed their wonderful margaritas and munchies. Ariel found her first bargain, a dainty ring. Debbie, her mother, helped her with the price negotiations. She gets a good deal and adorns her new ring with a big smile. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We visited many of the shops and recall that we had not purchased all of the recommended pharmaceutical supplies that we had read about. We now check out all Farmacias in town and compare prices on some of the medicines that we had already purchased stateside just to see if there are any significant price differences. There were some that were cheaper and some that were not. The one major difference is that purchases do not require a doctor’s prescription in most instances. Medicines can be purchased without the written prescription. We were fortunate enough to find one lonely large bottle of Silvadene. This had been recommended for rapid healing. We figured we would need this when we start our underwater scuba explorations so we bought it. When we reported our find to the ‘Island Girl’ crew they were green with envy. They had been looking for Silvadene and had not been successful. After Debbie whined for a while we began to look for Silvadene for her. This became our mission and turned out to be a lot of fun. Who would have believed that we spent the afternoon in Ensenada2 looking for drugs? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We worked our way back to the dock, with a visit to the fish market. What an aroma!! Yes, our dinghies are still there. We worried for nothing. We took a quick harbor cruise before we headed back to Mouse Pad. You never know, you may see a boat you know or may get a few new ideas. Tomorrow we plan to begin the next stretch of our venture. We will head out to Puerto San Bartolome, more affectionately known as Turtle Bay. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE: Comments and suggestions should
be sent to JReese@JRDelta.com
|
|
|
|
|
|