“Anchor” – a device designed to bring up mud samples from the bottom at inopportune or unexpected times (most commonly at 3 am.)
“Fluke” – the portion of an anchor that digs securely into the bottom, holding the boat in place; also, any occasion when this occurs on the first try.
Hello Everyone,
We’ve left our mark on the Sea of Cortez. Last week Randy lived up to the meaning of his given name, George, the farmer. Since he no longer has a plot of land to cultivate, he’s taken to plowing the sea floor. It happened as we tried to re-anchor closer to the shelter of the windward cliffs following an onslaught of 30 knot winds. The sandy bottom of Bahia Concepcion is full of a type of slippery kelp. We must have dropped the anchor into a patch of it because as we reversed to “set the hook”, the anchor never dug in. Balena towed the plow-style anchor across the sea floor much like a farm tractor furrowing a field. Later in the day, the same thing happened to our friends aboard “Serenity.” Bob has been a fisherman for over 30 years and this is the first time he’s dragged anchor. Randy said it was not all bad, “We’ll plow today and plant tomorrow!”
He really is a farmer at heart. He calls moving the solar panels to face the sun, “farming the sun’s photons for our batteries.” He also cultivates friendships wherever we go. We travel in a wake of goodwill because of the people Randy has befriended.
(Yesterday I met 3 Europeans in their 20’s, a young man from the U.K. and two young ladies from Germany. They climbed off the bus that travels the length of Baja, expecting to find a room to rent in El Burro Cove. Unfortunately there are no rooms available for miles along this stretch of Hwy 1. Geary, the weatherman and elder gringo statesman of El Burro Cove, arranged for them to sleep on the porch of a palapa (grass hut) which is not being used. We loaned them a sleeping bag and a couple of tarps. Another neighbor took them for a thrilling ride in the bay where hundreds of dolphins surrounded their power boat. They are adventurous and will fit right in for the few days they are here. The girls remind us of our well-traveled daughters and the young man has certainly traveled and kissed the Blarney Stone. He is a match for Mike, one of the local ex-pats. Their stories kept us entertained over dinner last night – Randy.)
See what I mean?
Bahia Concepcion is our favorite place so far. It is chock full of wonderful people and interesting places to explore. One of the most colorful characters we’ve met is Geary. Every morning he plays a recording of Amazing Grace on the bagpipes before giving a weather report for the entire Sea of Cortez. He arises at 4:30 am to concoct this forecast from a myriad of internet sources, adding his trademark bit of humor from the wire services (usually a dumb crook story.) If you’re ever curious about our daily weather, check out his web site at sonrisanet.org. His generosity doesn’t stop with the gratis weather reports, he often offers visiting cruisers a lift into Mulege to provision and do laundry. Mulege is a little town nestled among the palm trees along the banks of one of the few rivers in Baja. It is a true desert oasis about 17 miles north of El Burro Cove. We went with him the day he brought his cat to be neutered (”taking her to the prom” was Geary’s term.) As are many modern improvements, the veterinary office was built through the fund raising efforts of the local gringos. The small, spotlessly clean operating room was tucked in the corner of a garden in a trailer park. A hand-lettered sign posted on a palm tree denoted the open air “Pre-Op” area. Another sign beneath a gorgeous arch of magenta, pink and white bougainvillea blossoms marked the “Recovery” area. Though Geary’s cat Smoke didn’t enjoy her prom experience, we loved being a part of daily Baja life.
The picture of the petroglyphs was taken on a hike above El Burro Cove with our friend Ken. I was fascinated by the many turtle-like figures etched into the boulders filling the canyon. We’ve seen several big turtles in the bay and hope they are making a comeback after relentless fishing by the Japanese in years past. Tomorrow we leave Bahia Concepcion and head south to explore Isla Carmen. The salt pond in the middle of the island is supposed to be interesting and nearby Puerto Escondido hosts the Loreto Fest, a popular cruiser gathering. Wonder who we’ll meet and what adventures await us there?
With love,
The Vagabundos
