San Diego - Cabo    

This one is going to be a little short on writing, but I'll share our pictures over the last couple of weeks and say a little about them.  Right now, we have a fabulous internet connection from the boat, but the anchorage is extremely rolly, so it feels like we are actually on a passage - in fact the sailing has been so great on the way down, this might be the most uncomfortable part of the trip.

The good news is we are heading to La Paz tomorrow morning.  

   Matey helping me stow our wine in the bilge - Kevin, notice the bottle of Sailor Jerry's!!!!

  So, because we were doing so much moving around in San Diego (3 days at La Playa anchorage, 3 days at San Diego YC, 1 day at the police dock and 3 days at Southwestern) and we had our rebedding of our steering system project going on, we had to travel around looking like the Clampetts.  Here is a picture of what our cockpit looked like the entire time.  All of the contents of our largest lazerette had to be emptied out.  Greg even found Beverly Hillbilly music for us to play as we came into a new marina.

  Matey had to have a final vet check to get her Health Certificate before entering Mexico.  There was alot of talk about how this isn't really necessary (in fact they didn't even want to see her paperwork when we got checked in).  But she is so important to us, it wasn't worth saving the 80 bucks to risk them possible taking her away from us. As you can see, our little grrl was a little nervous about seeing the doc.

  John arrived Friday night and stayed in Matey's room.  Here's Matey trying one last effort to defend her bed...

  Finally Monday morning arrives and we are ready to go - though there's no bottom paint to see now that our waterline had raised a bit from all the extra stuff.

  BANG!  We're off....We were one of the first to raise our spinnaker and flew it most of the way.  This leg by far was the best wind.  This was some great sailing!!!!

   So as we are zoom zoom zooming along, our topping lift for the spinnaker pole broke, so Greg had to go part of the way up the mast to retie it.  No big deal.

   Matey warming up to Scott (and we're wondering when it will get warm). 

  After 2 nights, we pulled into Turtle Bay on the evening of the 3rd night.  But at a respectable 7:30 pm, who could complain.

  A first meeting with the locals.  There are a LOT of dogs here.  It seems almost every home has one and very few cats.  I also think there are about zero leashes and collars here.  But with the large amount of dogs, there have really been very few situations that caused concern.  Most of the dogs just stayed in their yard or wherever they were napping and didn't give her a second glance.  A number of them came up to sniff, then mosied along.  There was one in Turtle Bay who just wouldn't stop following us, then he started to bark in Matey's face.  Since he had a couple of gnarly scars on his head we were a little concerned.  Finally I just very aggressively shuffled my feet toward him and said 'NO' and pointed back to his home.  He followed at a little distance for a short while then disappeared.

Oh, about the scarf, we decided to take it off - I think Matey may be scarfless except for special occasions.  It just seems a little too "precious" in this country.

  Typical Turtle Bay street.

  This is our little pooch after her first Mexican day.  She's slowly adjusting to the heat here.  Yesterday as I was taking a sun shower to wash off the salt water, she came to stand under the running water so that she could get wet.  Later when we were walking around Cabo, she did the same thing at an outdoor shower.  We've started bringing a squirt bottle along with her drinking water to spray her down with.

   Lots of boats at anchor in Turtle Bay...

  So, Matey has this little habit - when she gets excited, she barks with the loudest screeching bark I've ever heard.  Those of you on N dock have a hint of it - it's the same bark she would give when released to sprint up the ramp and play in the yard.  Except when fish and dolphins are concerned, it's repeated over and over.  Here Matey is doing her screeching thing at some dolphins in Turtle Bay and John has taken to keeping earplugs in his pocket.

A funny story - John and Scott took Matey around Turtle Bay in the dinghy.  But this time there were dolphins in the bay.  As soon as Matey sees them, she dove off the bow after them.  This definitely took the fun out of it for her as she quickly turned back to look at the dinghy to be picked up again.

   We made it!!!  Here we are at Turtle Bay with Pacifica anchored in the background.

  Frolicking on the beach

  Games on board...

  Start of Leg 2.  This is when our fishing started.  We caught 3 bonito (cioppino), a yellowtail (civiche), and a dorado (fish tacos).

  Greg with the Dorado

  Beautiful Bahia Santa Maria (note the full moon).

  Matey hasn't ridden on a Panga yet - we've been tackling the beach landings in the dinghy so far.  And these have been pretty big waves on the beaches both at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria.  You know they are big when beginning surfers are surfing the break you are trying to cross in your dinghy. But we have to learn at some point - and at least we got our first flip over with a couple of years ago in San Simeon.

  The little fishing village - it looks like they are drying fish.  The fisherman come out here to fish for about 6 months (the season) then go back home.

  John discovered a patch of quicksand, so Scott takes this opportunity to tower over him.

  Matey loved playing in these tide pools caused by the tide going out.  There were little schools of fish trapped in them that she would run and try to pounce on.  This has been her favorite day so far!!!

  Matey mid pounce.

  Bahia Santa Maria

Leg 3 - we caught a Matey.

  Fisherman Greg

  Lunch in Cabo

  A better lunch place on a side street.  They had 3 tables inside, Matey was welcomed and we were the only people there.

  There was one other boat in the HaHa from the Berkeley Yacht Club.  And amazingly, both of our boats won first place in our divisions.  We also had the honor to be one of the few boats to have sailed all three legs in their entirety - We are very proud!!!!!

   Click on the movie camera to see a little snippet of Matey at Sea. Here she is watching the fishing line behind the boat - she can do this for hours...

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