Spines And Skates

Woke up to beautiful skies and calm winds over Isla Ventana and we decided to take advantage of the snorkeling around Islas Pata and Bota about ½ mile from Ventana. While we were snorkeling I was able to talk to some Mexican shell fishermen and found out it would be clear for the rest of the day and the next, a prediction we would come to regard with some doubt. But regardless with the intelligence we had at the moment we decided to take advantage of calm seas and head farther south where the waters are warmer and, as it turns out, the phosphorescence surrounds your body like a ghost when you swim at night. But that is getting ahead of ourselves.

Moonrise over LA Bay

We waved goodbye to Ventana with a northwest breeze encouraging the baby swells behind us and struck out for Santa Rosalia about 80 miles down the coast. We cruised until about 12 am, mike and I being old hands at this point with the dark of night piloting a sailboat thing, and dropped anchor in the west bay of San Fransicito while a pod of about 20 porpoise frolicked in our bow wave. Amazingly cool.

Mike on the beach, San Fransicito

We woke up to a magnificent white sand beach and the wind shrieking through our rigging which combined to turn our adventurous feet and spirits to shore. Mike and I took little boat into the inner harbor where a gentleman named Alberto perpetrated some highway robbery on us by selling us gas at $5.00 a gallon. Thankfully it was only 5 gallons. It was at this point we also learned there were an airstrip and a restaurant/bar about a mile down the road and we resolved to explore the beach where we were anchored and then head into town for a drink as all of our back stock had been depleted.

The Gypsy Queen, lying at anchor, San Fransicito

Well things went off without a hitch and we explored the desert around the beach for several hours, took Little Boat into the harbor, about a 10 min ride through some respectable chop, and walked to the restaurant/bar and refreshed ourselves. As it was getting dark we returned to Little Boat and began the chain of events that would mark our time at San Fransicito as nothing less than an adventure.

Exploring the mainland, San Fransicito

Now to be descriptive Little Boat is an 8 foot Zodiac style inflatable with a 1980 Evenrude 9.9 horse outboard. Now let me ask you, “How long does it take a 1980 Evenrude 9.9 horse outboard to clear flooded sparkplugs?” Don’t know?

One of the numerous caves

Neither do I. What I can tell you is that you can pull on the pull cord for about 30 minutes and nothing encouraging will happen. So at this point Mike and I had a choice, continue pulling the cord and pray for exceptional night vision as we navigate through low tide back to the boat or walk back the, can’t be more than 2 miles right . . ., to the boat and pray for exceptional night vision & etc. I would like to think the increasing wind turning the inner harbor entrance to a maelstrom of 3-4 foot chop didn’t effect our decision at all. But either way we made the fatefull decision to walk and so after securing flashlights from the friendly Alberto, no charge, we set off.

Setting the anchor, somewhere off Baja Mexico Sur

Whenever you hear, “don’t worry there is a trail all the way to the beach," alarm bells should be ringing, and ringing. About 20 minutes into what would turn into a 2 hour hike while navigating a particularly cactus rich spot at the nub end of dusk mike took a wrong step and after impaling his foot on a vicious cactus fell spread-eagle into the worst cactus patch I have ever seen. Having no alternative but to roll his way out he impaled a large portion, over 60 percent, of his body on this cactus mattress. Of course this slowed us down as we had to stop and remove some of the more offensive spines from his feet, back and arms. We continued on eventually, with the flashlights on, and walked up on the beach side campfire that our friends had thoughtfully made and flopped on the ground not even considering how screwed we were for the ensuing night. Gradually it came to us, the boat is out there, a ways, and we are in here with no boat, the food is out there, the sleeping bags and extra gear is out there, everything is out there . . . Ever tried to find wood on a beach in Baja Mexico? It’s a full time job.

The variety of cactus that brought Mike low.

I haven’t spent a night out so unprepared since I started going out of doors. We were given about a pound and a half of meatloaf and gravy, yeah I know random, when we got the flashlights, which I had walked back and so we wolfed that down, buried some coals under about 12 inches of sand, watched a good sized snake, 3-4 feet, slither by, killed a scorpion and laid down as close to the fire as we dared and got what sleep we could. Needless to say I got a lot more than Mike as I wasn’t lying on my own private pin cushion. Mike got a bunch of wood throughout the night though . . .

Spine removal, note the proper tools, excellent hygiene and abundant help.

I would say we woke up the next day but more appropriatly the sun dawned on mike and I shivering on lukewarm sand and thoroughly smoked. We walked back to Little Boat, lost the path several times even during the day and she started on the third pull. ??! Of course. Answer: it takes all night for an Evenrude 9.9 horse outboard to clear flooded sparkplugs. Check.
And then insult to injury as Lennis was back at the beach with Little Boat a plate sized stingray got him right through the strap of his sandal and laid him out for the day. Mike and I spent the day on the boat, doing nothing.

Lennis's foot and the stingray aftermath.

Tomorrow we will set off for the south, really.