San Jose Del Cabo/(hospital visit) to La Paz 5/21-6/5/16

Per John, "My mother always says I'm a bum, but if so, I've got the best bum view in the whole world." He lives out here, but dreams of heading to Honduras because he feels Baja's gotten too crowded.
Per John, “My mother always says I’m a bum, but if so, I’ve got the best bum view in the whole world.” He lives out here, but dreams of heading to Honduras because he feels Baja’s gotten too crowded.
Bahia Los Frailes.
Bahia Los Frailes.
Bahia Los Frailes (before we had to head back to San Jose Del Cabo)
Bahia Los Frailes (before we had to head back to San Jose Del Cabo)
I did a mosaic in these rocks!
I did a mosaic in these rocks!
Rooster fishing!
Rooster fishing!
Portuguese Man of War - Small "Blue bottles" - washed onto the beach with the incoming tide.
Portuguese Man of War – Small “Blue bottles” – washed onto the beach with the incoming tide.
The calm before the storm (MS was working on his 'moderate dehydration' all day whilst fishing and not drinking).
The calm before the storm (MS was working on his ‘moderate dehydration’ all day whilst fishing and not drinking).
We left La Cruz finally liberated
engine humming, a nice breeze in the offing
I had a bad feeling in my stomach, thinking,
maybe you shouldn’t eat somewhere you haven’t the night before a passage
it stayed with me and I worried about seasickness
(if only I could be that lucky)
by noon the next day I was sick, 100.7 fever
Off limits prison islands off our starboard, still a navigation issue
you have to give them 20 miles berth,
and of course the wind and current were pushing us that way
Diana got Allora sailing on a nice tack, clipping along our rhumb line
she juggled keeping the boat sailing
with calling doctors on the sat phone to confirm I didn’t have appendicitis
she ended one call, reefed, took my temp and palpated my abdomen, 
and headed back up to check the AIS and radar
we decided to head for San Jose del Cabo just to be safe, 24 hours away in a straight line
she was in for a long, long, night
I later told the doctor the stomach cramps were 10 on the pain scale,
which I guess doesn’t leave room for losing a limb or having a tree fall on your head
“if a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live ’til I die” I sang to myself between spasms
I don’t see any point in saving up my pain numbers
the darkest part of the night is the darkest part of the night
dawn has nothing to do with it
Diana’s been awake and on watch with only three or four hours of sleep in forty eight hours
like good boy scouts we monitor VHF 16
in the US, the Coast Guard keeps it all official
in Mexico, whistles and other bizarre calls are common
in the middle of the southern crossing, as I suffered for my epicurean sins
and Diana sacrificed her sanity to sleep deprivation
some pendejo started meowing on 16, like a cat
no answer. no apparent reason
other than to emphasize our proximity to the tenth circle of hell
Could hardly get him to respond.
Could hardly get him to respond.
The haloed helper!
The haloed helper!
Marcus was in great hands.
Marcus was in great hands.
Phenomenal care - but our bill at this private hospital was stupendous!
Phenomenal care – but our bill at this private hospital was stupendous!
They must be used to smaller patients!
They must be used to smaller patients!
Finally underway, heading back to Los Frailes and beyond.
Finally underway, heading back to Los Frailes and beyond.
I don’t know what kind of bird that is huddling down in the sand looking like a marabou stork, smaller running down the beach like she doesn’t know the game I’m coming this way the aquamarine border of another world trembles with the shifting air sparkles and confuses with the light long fish with razor teeth lay in wait along the surf line (MS - Isla Cerralvo)
I don’t know what kind of bird that is
huddling down in the sand
looking like a marabou stork, smaller
running down the beach like she doesn’t know the game
I’m coming this way
the aquamarine border of another world
trembles with the shifting air
sparkles and confuses with the light
long fish with razor teeth lay in wait along the surf line (MS – Isla Cerralvo)
El Capitan, back at the helm
El Capitan, back at the helm
Allora, bathed in light
Allora, bathed in light
Caught Isla Cerralvo anchorage under the right conditions. This channel can get ferocious during unsettled seas.
Caught Isla Cerralvo anchorage under the right conditions. This channel can get ferocious during unsettled seas.
A burial site of the legendary 'Vagabundos del Mar' - native Sea gypsies that roamed the area in dug out canoes powered by triangular sails and paddles. Fishing and foraging, they lived in small family groups and avoided outside contact except to trade for hooks or water. When they died, their bodies were brought to Isla Cerralvo.
A burial site of the legendary ‘Vagabundos del Mar’ – native Sea gypsies that roamed the area in dug out canoes powered by triangular sails and paddles. Fishing and foraging, they lived in small family groups and avoided outside contact except to trade for hooks or water. When they died, their bodies were brought to Isla Cerralvo.

IMG_5036

We try to sit in the cockpit each night at this hour.
We try to sit in the cockpit each night at this hour.
Turtle carcass. Eighty-four dead turtles in two weeks, Banderas Bay one drifted by the boat, we almost hit it paddling weakly, nothing to do under sail and miles from shore Diana thought he seemed to want to follow another buried in the sand at Bahia de Los Angeles they died of natural causes eating the wrong kind of jellyfish
Turtle carcass.
Eighty-four dead turtles in two weeks, Banderas Bay
one drifted by the boat, we almost hit it
paddling weakly, nothing to do
under sail and miles from shore
Diana thought he seemed to want to follow
another buried in the sand at Bahia de Los Angeles
they died of natural causes
eating the wrong kind of jellyfish -MS
With summer approaching, we are excited about the heavenly AGUA!
With summer approaching, we are excited about the heavenly AGUA!
A wing and wing kind of day - enroute to La Paz
A wing and wing kind of day – enroute to La Paz
Discovered some seizing wire on our anchor shackles that needed some attention. 3x and a ziptie should do it!
Discovered some seizing wire on our anchor shackles that needed some attention. 3x and a ziptie should do it!
Always a LONG list of 'to do's.
Always a LONG list of ‘to do’s.
Not the easiest place to work.
Not the easiest place to work.
Somniloquy
Last Diana night talked in her sleep about “sauce on categories”
which she “found” to be most effective when popping them
we have a few categories to pop
the first one might be uncooperative, lying Mexican mechanics
A brand new boat with a brand new engine
that won’t run without a part that isn’t broken.
an air leak in the fuel supply that can’t be fixed

-MS

 

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