mardi 30 mars 2021

210327-30 TIBURON ISLAND n KINO: "Let's sail to the other side"


TIBURON ISLA is already a miss... I'am sure the west coast can offer pretty spots; unfortunatly wind ll blow strongly from the north for the coming hours and we have to point to the south anchorages...

KINO BAY is also to quickly visited: despite an anarchic display, people here are very friendly, n water temperature - tks to shallow sand bottom- is already ok to enjoy.  Above all a discovery of local indian SERI culture (once living in TIBURON island) could justify a specific stay... but in fact Kino bay with good 4G on board was more for us an internet stop between 2 northerns: what's app with family,  blog update...news from our democratic France (thanks mr Pujadas !) and... former democratic Hong Kong,  slowly but mercyless killed by Chinese Communist Party despite all international agrement ...Yes, we are cruising...but still part of this world, our world ! 

What a calm morning in SAN ESTEBAN anchorage!..

...but these tired males made a party all night long,  even activating the radar !



1st reef is on, 30mn later 2reef is needed...
 
...10 miles and 1 hour later ALCYONE is in TIBURON...

...anchorage of La Cruces is now deserted...

...but these wheels traks discourage any walk inside...

...let's move the cat through monument pass...


...to find a better northern protection ...


...in PERROS BAY; this time we ll share spot with these fishers

TIBURON is over...we don't know the island...this was wind choice...


...Next morning: same tack n fast run to KINO BAY...








We know PELICANO island does'nt offer best protection
...
...but no choice with more than 40k gusts...

The 33kg ROCNA + 45m chain in 6m will be ok and we have 4G !

..next day on shore visit does'nt bring much more...

... I came back quick on board after a light food refill 

Mexicans live with the covid, but Tourist are not here...

..leaving these small buisness in a precarious conditions...







210326 SAN ESTEBAN ISLAND: "in search of endemic iguanas"


SAN ESTEBAN in the middle of the sea of Cortes should provide a decent anchorage on the east side and we leave EN MEDIO COVE before day break, a nice downwind sail and we arrive early enough to land - not an easy landing in the middle of stones with a dozen of barking sea lions- and follow a few hours the large arroyo. No choice, Pierre is away and we cannot leave the boat for too long... We should be so happy to do a longer super day trek  in this interesting island, home of endemic iguanas, even if back to the cat, we have to remove many spines from our jogging shoes, some more than 10mm deeply inside the eva soles.

Leaving to SAN ESTEBAN before daybreak..

idea of SAN ESTEBAN West coast...








...Strong currents protect also the Southwest corner


..but Arroyo anchorage on east side is ok,  with a rough dinghy landing among barking sea lions... 


...Hottest hour of the day..we should find the endemic iguanas...

...south side of the arroyo seems the best place... 


...we surprise this one...

...he run towards his hole 50cm away from Helena feet...

No escape possibility for this one...can you see ? Helena did.

...Expert to move among this spines'hell...

...after a quick look to us...


...this contorsionist continue his lunch as nothing happen.


...Thanks to the remotness of the island, we could see a dozen of these creatures...

...this smaller one...

...obviously does'nt belong to the same specie...

...This is also time of Cardon cactus flowers...










...How this tree arrive here n ll survive ?

...In this spine's world, the easiest n sometimes unic way is to follow up the arroyo's bed ...

...among massive cardon cactus ...







...and some other nature wonders...

16h00 shadows, time to return down to lonely ALCYONE...

Too late to find iguanas apart these dry bodies...

...without vermin, desert keep things for long...

...The local colony mostly big males ll get his revanche... barking all the night !

210323-25: BAHIA DE LAS ANIMAS "BAJA majestic part"

 Pierre left and we are again alone together with Helena...we leave next day with a good wind for anchorage hopping in Bahia de las Animas; This bay share with Bahia de Los Angeles the same majesty with Sierra agua de soda as a red background: We drop anchor twice a day: El Alacran, Punta Islote, East bay and En Medio cove are choiced. Unnexpected departure of Pierre is a choc and we feel it;  it ll alterate our program but not destroy it n we are not certain to replace him, so closed to our Pacific crossing from Puerto Vallarta...after all we did it already twice in this direction...

First reef to start from Bahia de Los Angeles...we ll anchor a few miles more south...


Good: Helena keep her fishing motivation...


First night in safe anchorage of EL ALACRAN
Then from a wonderfull (but cold) sunrise glide... 

... to the "legacy" of fishers in PUNTA ISLOTE.. 

Unlike island, the site is reachable through a dirt road...

Nobody is living on this camp anymore...




...except the virgen memory, never too far in Mexico...

...But on the opposite site of the lagoon, this fishcamp is still alive...

Fortunatly it's always possible for any place to show only the "doctor Jeckyll" side... 

Following daystop in one of the EAST BAY...



Inside, Helena is busy with the med inventory...


Not much on the gravel beach...Whale bones...


... drift wood...


...and these numerous strange creatures 


Later, approching "en medio cove, last anchorage...


Many pelicans squads in transit fly above EN MEDIO cove...

...they show us clearly why through this particular spot...


...Un fact, these B52 like fantastic gliders roll up the local thermic. 

like nearby sister cove ANIMAS SLOT,  place is scenic with beaches...

...tomorrow we cross the Cortez sea eastward for ESTEBAN island....