We arrived in La Paz!

What a nice week we have had! We left La Paz for Isla Coral, an easy one day motor sail. One the way, the boys fished and fished and fished... with success. Flag Cabrillo and Jack Crevalle seared in butter with rice, covered in Bernaise sauce. There was enough fish to make fresh ceviche the next day! At Isla Coral, we enjoyed a day of rest and some great snorkeling. The water was 82 degrees F!

Steph's 30 lb Jack Crevalle - the one we ate!

Isla Coral from the boat.

Joe's Crevalle - this one was let go!





We left Isla Coral with 400 nm (a solid 80 hour run) to go! With three people on watch, the shift schedule was not too grueling: 4 on, 8 off. The passage turned out to be very comfortable and enjoyable. Finn and I worked on passage; he finished a test and I gouged oboe cane. The first day was an easy motor sail; the wind picked up on the second day, causing us to heal to starboard quite a bit. The third day was one of those magical sailing days where we made 4-5+ knots/hour under sail but felt like we were floating at a dock. We played Peek and challenged each other in many rounds of Backgammon. Our fourth morning found us fishing again (dorado and bonita) and winding our way through the channels into La Paz Bay.

The small dorado Stephan pulled in one night. Very colorful and great eating!

About an hour from La Paz, Joe spotted sailing vessel Sophia through the binoculars, last seen in La Cruz, now anchored in Ballandra, a very popular anchorage outside of the busy port of La Paz. Chris convinced us to put down the hook and enjoy the sparkling water and wonderful view.

After mistakingly cracking a raw egg on his head (he thought it was the last of the hard-boiled eggs popular with the boys for passage food), Finn was happy to jump in the clear, aquamarine water at Ballandra!

This is mushroom rock, probably the most photographed rock formation in the Sea of Cortez.

A new neighbor called Wildflower "beautiful". She is from afar; it is easy to miss the classic rust stains of most steel boats. Another boater told us, "The best thing you can do for Wildflower is to give her beautiful backdrops." We think so too.

On shore at Ballandra, we found this fuzzy creature....the dandelion ant?!?

Dinghies are our cars: to sandy beaches, to our neighbors, to fishing holes, to snorkeling spots.










Currently, we are in La Paz, stocking up the boat one more time before heading up into the Sea of Cortez. Towns from now on will be smaller and farther apart. For the next few weeks, we will bounce between the beautiful islands of the Sea and the equally glorious anchorages on the east side of the Baja. We are looking forward to snorkeling every day, fishing almost every day, meeting our fellow cruising friends and enjoying the isolation and natural beauty of the Sea of Cortez.