Log Book
- Departure time: 11:00am on March 7, 2013
- Arrival time: 2:00pm on March 7, 2013
- Total travel time: 3 hours
- Nautical miles traveled: 11.6 nm
- Engine hours start – end – logged: 991.4 – 994.5 – 3.1
- Weather: The forecast predicted 9-12 knots of wind from the N/NW with a SW swell of 3-6 feet at 14 seconds.
Jeff and I were both ambivalent about moving anchorages. We really liked Puerto Los Gatos and we finally had the place all to ourselves. I was alerted to the fact that the only other boat in the anchorage had left when Jeff gleefully stripped down to his boxers.
“Did the other boat leave?”
“Yup!” He replied, as his pants flew into the salon. I didn’t even really need to ask.
Shortly after our neighbors passed out of sight up the sea, a pod of dolphins entered the bay and swarmed a spot just south of Serenity, likely dining upon a local delicacy (yellowtail?).
We had listened to the Amigonet on the Ham (something that we’re now making a habit of) to get the weather forecast for the South Sea of Cortez. Although the forecasters predicted wind and swell, the water was flat, calm, only minor perturbations from the outgoing current. The sky was overcast, the sun attempting to burn a path for itself through the dense clouds. The weather filled us both with a tinge of nostalgia for our grey and verdant home, the Pacific Northwest.
One of us finally overcame our ambivalence (I think it was Jeff this time around, score one for Jeff) and we decided to move anchorages. A blow is predicted to arrive on Saturday and last through Monday and we’d like to be somewhere with a) sufficient protection from the wind and waves and b) plenty of hiking (since both of us can’t be compelled to hop into the water during a 25 knot breeze…we need to be chased in by the heat of the day…unless there are really cute sea lions to swim with). We want to either be in San Marte or Bahia Agua Verde…with Bahia Agua Verde being the likely winner.
We set out at noon under motor (because there was still not a speck of wind) with the aim of getting to San Marte. Since it was a relatively short travel day, we also opted for a side trip to Puerto Ballena where we could tour a sea cave (Jeff loves sea caves…and sand dunes).
The landscape here is continually awe inspiring and completely in tune with my aesthetic – I love multi-colored stripes (Jeff will corroborate this) and Baja is a whole landscape of multi-colored stripes. The geology here is dominated by diversity. No two cliffs are the same. Each hillside is composed of many distinct layers.
We were also lucky enough to see whales again, many of them. One whale surfaced about 10 meters from Serenity (unfortunately I was disposed down below, but Jeff saw it). Even though you can really only glimpse their gargantuan backs (a tail if you’re lucky), their presence is enough to make you drop everything and try to imagine the hugeness of this wonderful creature, the vastness of its world.
Puerto Ballena (literally means Whale Port) may be one of my favorite anchorages yet. In fact, I liked it so much that I talked Jeff into staying put for the night.
SV Indigo had a close encounter (at least from our angle). 
SV Indigo and the whale!