Northward in the Sea

We've been continuing our exploration of the Sea of Cortez, working our way north to one spectacular anchorage after another.  One advantage of being a bit later in the season for this northward migration is that it seems as though most boats have already passed through, leaving the anchorages deserted or nearly so.  The mountain range on the Baja, the Sierra Giganta, continues to amaze, providing us with constantly changing views of this remote, harshly beautiful desert landscape.  Recent stops have included Timbabiche, San Evaristo, Agua Verde, San Marte, and now Puerto Escondido.

Part of the San Evaristo herd, ready for action!

Curious kids at the old "Casa Grande" at Timbabiche

Town square, Agua Verde style

All kids love to see themselves in the digital cameras

Agua Verde market.

The refrigerated food aisle...old coolers on their sides, filled w/ ice and various cold food

Not sure of the exact translation, but we figured a "vampire steak" couldn't be TOO bad!!!  (we were right!!!)

On the hike above the Isla San Francisco anchorage

Start of Steinbeck Canyon hike

The hiking has been fun, both on the islands as well as the main peninsula.  Yesterday we joined fellow cruisers Steve and Ian for a hike up "Steinbeck Canyon", a narrow boulder filled canyon described by John Steinbeck in his writings on the area.  Although the canyon was nearly dry, and we saw no waterfalls, there was a bit of water remaining in some of the deeper pools and small, oasis like areas with palm trees and other green vegetation. 

We continue to work on repair projects, confirming the reality that "cruising is getting to fix your boat in distant places".  Yesterday the raw water pump in the refrigeration system packed it in.  Happily we had a spare pump, and the repair went smoothly on this rather critical system!!!  The anchor washdown pump also quit recently.  Not as serious as refrigeration, but it's nice to be able to clean the mud and muck off the anchor and chain as it comes aboard.  We also use it when cleaning fish on the aft deck.  Happily it turns out to be just a bad pressure switch, but by jury rigging it to keep it on we can use the pump (carefully, so as not to blow up any hose connections down below!)  It really is amazing how the wear and tear of constant use takes its toll on systems and gear, compared to using a boat intermittently on weekends and vacations.  But its really just part of the challenge, and so far all has been manageable.

Catch of the day...needlefish!

Scallop feast

Fishing report:  The fishing continues to be spotty at best.  Folks still complaining about the cold water (now about 76 deg), but it is warming up, and hopefully the fish locker will soon be better stocked.  A few boats report getting nice dorados lately, so fingers crossed that our luck will improve.  We're had our best luck trolling with the dinghy at anchorages, and collected a nice bag of scallops a few days ago while snorkeling.  Tasty business!!!

We've been here in Puerto Escondido for the past few days, catching up with friends, using the internet, kayaking, hiking, and snorkeling.  This part of the Sea has so many beautiful islands to explore, we indeed have our work cut out for us as we continue to journey north toware the Bahia de Los Angeles, where we plan to spend the heat of the summer during the hurricane season.