Music South Pacific 2012: January 2011

Tres Marias
Upon nearing the mainland coast during our crossing from Baja, an island group consisting of 3 islands and a prominent rock lay in our path. The Tres Marias are both a nature reserve and a penal colony, in other words a prison. With a “No Approach” zone extending out about 20 nautical miles from the center of the island chain we had to make a slight course deviation during the evening of our second day to avoid coming too close. As we did so, we could see them faintly through the haze that had developed the further south we got. I couldn’t help but wonder what crime, or crimes, one must commit to be exiled to this desolate island group. And, I couldn’t help but wonder what life must be like there. Will we one day read the autobiography of another “Papillion”?

Contrasts
Also during our crossing from Baja to the mainland, coming on watch at 3AM while still more than 15 miles from Jaltemba Bay I was struck at the fragrance of rich dark soil and foliage wafting across our decks on the weak early morning breeze. At dawn, upon seeing the jungle clad mountains and valleys materialize out of the haze I was amazed at just how lush this coast of Mexico really is – especially in contrast to the dry and barren Baja Peninsula. We had clearly entered “new” cruising grounds. While our friends, Jim and Diana Jessie, had pointed out before we left San Francisco Bay that “tropical Mexico” doesn’t really start until Puerto Vallarta, to see the contrast between the two cruising grounds for myself was truly amazing.

When is a Frigate Bird not a Frigate Bird?
We were not more than a couple of miles from anchoring at Jaltemba and I was down below at the chart plotter when Gail called down, “You’ve got to come up and see this! It must be mating season because three male Frigate Birds are after a female who has landed on the top of our mast, trying to keep away from them.” While this WAS a National Geographic moment, the female was resting on our windex (wind vane) and could easily break it. So I pardoned myself to Gail and rushed forward slapping the halyards against the mast in an effort to startle her into leaving. Off she flew, but circled around and landed again, not 30 seconds later. Again I went through my routine, and again she flew off but returned moments later, pursuers still in tow. The fourth time she flew off, the windex dropped into the bay.

All of this I’m sure amuses my good friend and mentor, Jim Jessie, as he has no doubt experienced something similar, even if not exactly the same. In all of his and Diana’s years of cruising the Pacific, Mexico, and circumnavigating the globe there isn’t much we could possibly see or experience that they haven’t. So, when is a Frigate Bird not a Frigate Bird? When it breaks your windex it’s just a fricking bird!

Christmas
As mentioned in our last post, my good friend and dive buddy Jeff joined us on Christmas day. Now Jeff doesn’t get much excited about this particular holiday, but warmed to the occasion when I sent him an email:

“ Dear Santa,
I know I haven’t been the best of kids this year, ignoring my

dive buddy, Jeff, and passing up dive after dive to work on

the boat. Then, leaving him behind while we sailed south to

Mexico, but if you could just give me one of the items on my

wish list I promise I’ll try to be better next year. – I promise!”

Our wish list included Valrhona chocolate, dark chocolate covered raspberry sticks, Pepperidge Farms Raspberry Milano cookies, and Champagne. All I can tell you is that Santa must come in all shapes and sizes because here’s a picture I caught while Santa was busy depositing goodies around our Christmas tree. – Thank you Santa Jeff!

Diving
While here, Jeff and I went both snorkeling and diving. The best of which was a dive we did at Isla Larga of the Tres (3) Marietas, not to be confused with the 3 Marias. After much indecision about where to dive, we secured the dinghy to Music and rolled over the side. Descending our anchor chain to a depth of about 45 ft, we came upon a series of rocks and towers covered with all kinds of sea life including various sea stars and urchins. Highlights of the dive included a couple of nudibranchs, one very small and predominantly white, the other multi-colored with greens and orange, and two eels, one a green Morey and the other a small yellow spotted eel. Before getting wet though, Gail, Jeff, and I were treated to the sight of a particularly randy male breaching more than 5 times in a row!

Just how far east and south are we?
Anchoring in Jaltemba Bay with a longitude 105° 16.33’ W. if Music were in Wyoming, we would be somewhere between Douglas and Cheyenne (assuming they were on the same latitude they would be less than 22 miles apart), very close to where my sister Karen lives. As far as south is concerned, here in La Cruz, latitude 20° 44.89’ N. we are just a bit south of Oahu. Consequently, Music has now broadened her horizons further east and south then she has ever been, and there is more new territory to explore here in Mexico before turning Music southwest, west, northwest retracing our steps along the coast, or possibly heading back to the Sea of Cortez for another season.

To all of our friends and family we wish you a happy and prosperous new year. May the worst of the new year be better than the best of the old!