ChezNous

ChezNous
In the Sea of Cortez 2006

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Pictures not shown on last post

Sorry I was not able to edit the earlier post to add these pictures but here are some from the time Al and I brought the boat from La Paz to Puerto Escondido from April19-23-2017.
Isla Ballena
Cool Erosion
Chez Nous on left
 
Ensenada Grande middle lobe Chez Nous in 13 ft of water anchor  dug in now!
Leaving Partida for Evaristo
Clear Water
Near the North Wall
Little girl in fishing village at Evaristo
Evaristo in morning light
Los Gotos
Always busy. Washing sails !
Dinner
Beautiful little horse getting a beach walk
Chez Nous in left with Roca Solitaria in background
Roca Solitaria 115 ft high
American Osyster Catcher in front of the gulls
Magnificant Frigate nests on top north side
Beautiful Puerto Escondido
The windows in Escondido
                       A complete circle natural bay with protection on the west side by the Sierra de la Giganta range.
Sierra de la Giganta
 

Thursday, April 27, 2017

La Paz to Puerto Escondido

April 19–23–2017  Weds. April 19th we left Marina Palmira headed for Isla Partida.  Tony and Lynn from the McGregger 65 Mamala helped with our dock lines and bid us farewell.   Motorsailing with no wind to start with but expected to build to 10–15 out of the NNW.  The wind started about 1130 in the channel inside of Isla Ballena. 
Isla Ballena
 
 We checked out Calleta Partida but thought there would be better wind protection at Ensenada Grande southern lobe.  Anchored at 1330 as wind continued to build. With gusts to 29 Kts from the NE.  Saw 32 Kts but that was when we were resetting the hook as we had moved back slowly toward another boat over time.  We were sailing on the hook even though we had a side snubber so Al put up a reefed Mizzen and re anchored closer to shore and by 1830 it was calm.  Then switched to the SE 8–10Kts till 0200. 0930 Thursday April 20th moved to the middle lobe of Ensenada Grande as the predicted wind was not favorable to head north.  We anchored in 13 ft of water with 75 ft of chain.  Decided to go kayak exploring before the wind came up.
Cool EROSION
 
ENSENADA GRANDE
Ensenada Grande Middle Lobe Chez Nous to left in 13 ft of water.
CHEZ NOUS on the left
    Of course by the time we got back and got the kayaks on deck the wind was picking up.   We had to reset by mid afternoon and this time put out 150 ft of chain.  Now really dug in.
CLEAR WATER
0645 Friday April 21 we were underway to San Evaristo which is a small fishing village on the Baja in the Canal de San Jose about 27nm NW of Isla Partida.    
SUN RISE
Leaving Isla Partida for San Evaristo
1040 We anchored at Evaristo which is about 27 no NW of Partida and chose the  north corner in 25ft of water and 150 ft of chain.  We our not going to move if the wind picks up.
Love the Color
NORTH CORNER
Close to wall
We did take a short kayak trip to shore but I chickened out thinking the swells would make it too difficult to get back later in the afternoon.
Little Fisherman at Evaristo
EVARISTO IN MORNING LIGHT
0645 April 22 on our way to Agua Verde with hardly any wind.  Just beautiful scenes of the Baja mountains and islands.  Indescribably beautiful, isolated, mostly inaccessible and unpopulated.  Rays jumping the entire trip, plus two humpback whales off in the distance and several hundred dolphins.
Early morning leaving Evaristo with Partida in the far distance to the left.
LOS GATOS
WASHING SAILS
1345 anchored in Agua Verde near two boats that we have met before.  Aldabra with Nancy on board from ZIHUATANEJO and Aeolion with Jane and Jerry from Mantanchen Bay, PV and ABYC. Both know the boat Myla.
Dinner
Beautiful little horse getting some beach time
Chez Nous to left in Agua Verde middle beach with Roca Solitaria in background.
 
 
Hundreds of dead Grebes on the way north ?     The next morning we took a dinghy ride out around Solitary Rock and found a couple of Magnificant Frigate nests and great snorkling spots along the reef on the way out.
Rocka Solitaria. 115 feet high
American  Ostercatcher on east side of rock
 
Magnificent Frigates nests on west side of rock!
1010 April 23 lifted anchor and motor sailed north passed close to the awesome Candeleros Chico which is just before Bahia Candeleros where I'm told there is great WiFi at the resort there.
Candeleros Chico
We arrived here in Puerto Escondido and picked up a mooring around 1400 right in front of Wind Rose with Steve Roberts and friend.  24 nm from Agua Verde.  This is a natural round Bay with two low areas called windows then the open zig zag entrance on the right of the panorama.  First window you can see Isla Coronado, second window is Isla Carman and you can just see Isla Danzante off the opening.  The other sides are the Gigantes that also protect.
Windows and entrance from inside Puerto Escondido.
Sierra de la Giganta range
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, April 9, 2017

4/1-8/17 LAPaz and near Islands with Janet and Henry

April first got reacquainted with La Paz and had lunch at Marina de La Paz.  First impression was that the town is a little tired looking compared to 11 years ago.  The big Los Arcos Hotel has been closed for 6 years over a labor dispute and the windows are all painted red and black plus it has a lot of graffiti.  Marina Cortez a new floating dock Marina just east of Marina de La Paz has a couple expensive nice restaurants in front.
Open Grill 
Always cool Cars in La Paz
 
Home made Ice Cream Store still the same !
APRIL 2, 2017 We took a bus trip across the Peninsula to Todas Santos on the Pacific side toward Cabo.  It was a small artist colony with lots of character but now it seems to be made for Tourists with way over priced everything.  
Cactus garden
 
Lunch with Janet and Henry
More cool cars
Hotel California
  Got a surprise message from our daughter, and it wasn''t an April Fools Joke.  Drew and Lynnette are now Mr. and Mrs. Martin.   4-04-17.    Monday was a day off but Tues we sailed to the for Espírito Santo and anchor in Caleta Partida.           
Caleta Partida
Sunrise
Beautiful water
Fish camp
Man Power in Too Low Tide
Siblings
Next day a giant 5 mile trip out to Ensenada Grande.  Choose to anchor in the southern lobe anticipating more protection from the north winds.  Not sure it made any difference but there was a hiking trail there that I thought everyone but myself might enjoy as my Achilles are still chronically inflamed I opted to read on the beach.
LOVE THE WHEELS
CHEZ NOUS FROM THE BEACH
SUNSET AT ENSENADA GRANDE
Spent a lovely evening on Mamala, which is a McGregger 65 meeting new friends and listening to Toni play a mechanically amplified guitar.  I think sold by National Guitar Co.  A wooden guitar with a polished aluminum cone speaker on its face.  Really a beautiful sound.  Plus he played an incredible sounding Mandolin. Pretty windy but very smooth water in the cove.  In the morning we took a dinghy exploration of the little cove west of us (Las Cuevitas) that was supposed to have a blue footed booby colony.  No blue feet but interesting geology.
Weather Worn Sand Stone 
Cool Geo
Heron
4-06-17 at 10:00 we got underway for Isla San Francisco about 19 miles NNW of Isla Partida.  in plenty of time to hike but no one was up for another hot afternoon hike so Janet and I kayaked and looked for shells.
Isla San Francisco
San Francisco looking SW over the Bay of La Paz
Panoramic sunset looking SW
  4-07-17 When we lifted anchor in the morning we could see all the chain snaking around in the white sand but the anchor itself was completely buried.  The water was as smooth as glass more than halfway back to the Marina.  
Heading back to La Paz
Selfie reflection in water from Bow of Chez Nous
  Got back in time to cool off in the pool and get cleaned up for a very nice fair well dinner at Marino Azul restaurante at Marina Costa Baja.