A day from the Crusining Brochure!!, just pefect

Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Sat 6 Feb 2010 04:21
Still at Isla San Francisco(24:49.289N 110:34.276W), we woke today after a
very calm night and good dinner of Albacore (we are eating fish every second
night, using up stores from the trip down and I am diving for some, but I am
experimenting with different fish recipes and ways of cooking which I am
enjoying as I use to love cooking before my life became too hectic, Tracy is
enjoying a relief on cooking as well), the night's rest was needed after the
previous 2 nights of pitching. Sean and I came up on deck to find a clear
sky, calm, mirror water, and then he announced that he could see the bottom.
He was not wrong the water was a crystal clear, even though we were in 20
feet, you could make out marks on the sand below, and see the "Cortez Garden
Eels" that poke up through the sand and waver in the sea movement there were
many around the boat but they come out about 1 foot. The sand is white the
odd fish swimming past, I could see the anchor chain and then anchor and how
well it was set in the sand.
There were 5 boats in the harbor, and the team decided we would go
snorkeling which we could do directly from the boat, after cleaning up the
galley we put on gear and got in, even Tracy who took Sean and they were
surprised at the amount of fish life, Sean came back to the boat and went
straight for the fish chart and identified the fish he had seen. Then came
the beach outing collecting shells you cannot believe how many shells are on
this beach. I decided to stay on the boat and make charge batteries and make
water (which I can do at the same time with my Aquagen set up that runs a
small 9 hp Kubota engine that drives both a high amperage alternator and
high pressure pump for the water maker so we can make 24 gallons of fresh
water from salt water in hour, with baths we use up about 50 gallons in 2
days so I make water every 2 days). I also went collecting clams which I got
4 big ones ideal for entrée tonight, and also identified some more fish as I
am planning spearing some tomorrow for a baked fish barbeque.
The temperature was in the mid to high 70s F (mid 20s c) with the sun out we
were all in the water, and only a gentle 3 knot wind to keep things moving.
Dropped into speak to my neighbors who were a young set of Kiwis with an 8
month child, on a 36 foot ketch which they had bought in US after working in
Canada and had toured the northern Sea of Cortez and now were heading south
to Cabo to set sail for New Zealand directly. They were struggling with
adjusting to an 8 month child many items we learnt with the boys they were
running into especially the loss of freedom, but it was nice too chat they
left in the afternoon to Partida Island (which we had come from).
I was able to dive the boat cleaning the bottom, and aft all needed after
over a month out of Newport during the afternoon . As well continue on with
my current read on Captain Cooks travels, which just amaze me on what he
could do with so little compared with what we have on this boat. When the
boys and Tracy woke up from their afternoon sleep, we gathered up the
painting gear for painting session on the far end of the beach(see picture),
(Tracy is also trying to get back into painting, and I have re taken up a
past passion of sketching which I need to do a lot practice), so all four of
us sat on the beach overlooking the bay as the sun set. This is a big part
of our education plan, Science in the morning, painting and then Spanish
were the big units today. Tomorrow Maths, construction and Spanish all done
in fun sessions.
We had the clams for entrée for dinner and then spent time looking at the
stars and identifying them. It was the end of an ideal day sitting in calm,
crystal clear water in a comfortable temperature and ability to dive and
gather dinner, and then just "pinch" yourself to say this view in front of
you is real. The red hills the half moon bay, white sand and the different
shades of white, green, blue of the water, with now about 10 boats now
anchored in this large bay.(see Picture)
We can only look forward to what tomorrow brings, (we have now been out of
La Paz for a week, and Newport for 1 month does not feel like).



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