It's time. Our bags are packed (sort of) and we're ready to go (mostly) and so.... we're going to: go that is. Tomorrow morning, at 0630 hrs., the good ship Shannon will slip her lines and head quietly away from the dock (we hope). The tide will be slack and the morning winds usually aren't - windy that is. It should be a nice, smooth leaving. It's funny how little time it takes to become a tiny, wee bit apprehensive... but experience tells us that once we're away and heading out to sea... everything equalizes.
Tomorrow we will point our collective noses south and head towards a small, rocky island called Isla Isabel. There are two Isla Isabels; one in the Galapagos and one in the Sea of Cortez. There may be more, but these are the two we are aware of. Ironically, the Isla Isabel in the Sea is called the Galapagos of the Sea of Cortez. It's famous for its colony of blue-footed Boobies and other such critters. There is a fish camp and a research base on the island and not much more... other than birds and iguanas and snakes and things... The anchorage is a little tricky but they say the sights to be seen whilst hiking the trails make it quite worth while. We won't be able to stop there unless the weather is fairly calm. Given the changing winds and seas, the best we can do is head towards the island and decide when we are much closer whether or not the conditions will allow us to stop. If they do, great. We'll spend the afternoon hiking the trails and taking photographs. If they don't; oh well, we'll try again another time and, instead, head to Ensenada de Matanchen... a shallowish bay just outside San Blas. Oh yes, I mustn't forget to mention the fish nets. Horrible tales abound about the traumas of catching one's keel, or rudder, or even worse... the prop... in one of the miles long floating long-line fishing nets.... It is a problem... and enough of a fear to keep one somewhat on edge. We shall gauge our speed so as to be at least 5 miles off Isla Isabel at daylight. It takes good light to espy the tiny coke bottles and other such floats the local fishermen use to buoy their nets. It will be a constant worry as we sail, but there's no way to avoid the territory. We'll let you know how it goes.
We'll likely be out of internet range for a while so I thought I'd drop a note to tell you our 'loose' itinerary.
We'll leave Mazatlan and head towards Isabel. We should arrive off Isla Isabel on Friday morning and if we decide to go in, that will be for Friday afternoon and overnight. We will probably leave on Saturday morning and continue on our way to either Matanchen bay or another beautiful anchorage called Chacala. Now notice I'm using words like 'should' and 'probably'? That's because we are cruising and, as cruisers, we're allowed to change our minds and stay longer, or leave sooner, or turn right (starboard) or left (port) whenever we want.... so no worries eh...
Chacala... paradise... cruisers delight... This little bay is the reason we are here.... truly. Several years ago when Kathy and I were visiting Rincon de Guayabitos we joined friends for a little road trip. We drove for a little while, then exited the van and found our way along a short dirt road, through a row of palapas, and onto a beach that took our breath away. Clean, white sand, sparkling blue water, and three cruising sailboats not much bigger than Shannon at anchor. That was the day we decided and committed to sailing down the coast... and, here we are.
Our ultimate goal for this little jaunt is to spend several days in Chacala, visiting the village and enjoying the bay. We plan to then continue south to La Cruz for at least two weeks of relaxing. La Cruz is supposed to be a very cruiser friendly and very dog friendly place... a great combination for us. We may or may not venture further to PV. Time will tell.
So, dear friends, that's it for now. We'll write when we can. Remember you can always check our location by clicking on "Where is Shannon Now?" on the front page of the Blog. And don't forget to then scroll down and read a couple of sentences about our location. We do that by SSB every chance we can.
We here, on board the good ship, hope all is well with all of you. Talk to you soon... or at least from another venue. Adios amigas y amigos. CJ
