Today I logged quite a bit of snorkeling footage. It is amazing how many fish I never even saw while swimming. Fortunately, I now have the ability to stop the tape and try to id each one. Some are proving difficult, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out (thank god for the internet!). Overall, the footage came out pretty good. I’m still having problems with the reflection of the lens in the underwater camera case, but I think we’ll be able to salvage enough to make a comprehensive documentary of the sea-life we saw. The trailer should be ready by the first weekend in January, so make sure you check back and let us know how it looks.
Q
Archive for December, 2007
Three reels down
Saturday, December 29th, 2007Reel by reel
Thursday, December 27th, 2007I have logged two reels thus far, with five to go…
I am beginning to see what Steinbeck was talking about when he said that “trying to remember the gulf is like recreating a dream”. In the process of selecting which video clips will be in the bin when we start editing the timeline, I find myself looking at the whole trip in a dream-like perspective. I think the final cut will have a dreamy quality. At least, that is the framework within which I am preparing to edit. The soundtrack has a big influence on the feel of any piece, and I am beginning to wonder how I can acquire some dreamy Mexican music to go with the artists we listened to on board.
I think we will have the trailer ready by New Years Day, so keep checking, and let us know how it grabs you!
Q
Happy Holidays
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007We have returned safely to Nevada City, and we are enjoying time with family and friends before returning to the daily grind. We have reviewed our video footage, and hope to log and capture the reels by the end of the week. I will keep you up to date here, so watch for developments in the coming days.
Our website conversion did not go as smoothly as planned. Hopefully the new site will be up and running tomorrow.
Ho ho ho,
Q
Hasta luego, Mexico
Saturday, December 22nd, 2007We leave today 
But that means we return to loved ones for the holidays, and all the footage I shot can be watched on a real screen. I have added some of the pictures, and hopefully we will have some of the first videos ready by New Years. The trip was wonderful – a success in everyones eyes. We are already looking forward to our next sailing adventure in the British Virgin Islands this June, and some daysailing on the bay. It is looking like Hubris may not be the boat for us, but considering her as we did, we have really begun to think about what we want in a boat (most notably the ability to get to work on her right away).
Please keep watching for La Paz content, and let me know what you think; I am counting on your feedback to help shape the look of our presentation.
See you soon, and may you have fair winds,
Q
To buy, or not to buy?
Friday, December 21st, 2007We have gone over Hubris, an Alden designed 35 foot Bristol sloop, with her current owner Ben, and the decision is now ours as to whether to buy her or not.
His refit made her more than sea-worthy, although she could use a few coats of paint. Aside from being painted green and being in La Paz on the hard, I am having a difficult time finding reasons not to seriously consider investing in her. She’s a sailing boat, not a dock-side cabin. We would have a hard time hosting more than a couple crew, and she lacks certain amenities we have grown acustomed to in our charter history, like an ice-box, a vanity sink in the head, a galley table big enough to hold more than three dinner plates and a roller furling foresail. However, she comes ready to head offshore with safety gear and storm sails, which we would have to invest in with any other boat, really. The logistics of getting her back to San Francisco Bay is really the biggest hurdle to overcome. Oh yeah, and how to finance this little dream is suddenly a real issue, which we have not truly discussed before.
All trouble aside, it was a good experience to look at a boat and start to do some real thinking about where we are, and how we are going to get to a place where we can start cruising on our own boat. Regardless of which boat we buy, we have begun the process of deciding what, where, when and how we will eventually cut the lines and set out into the wide world that awaits us.
Return from the sea
Thursday, December 20th, 2007
Well, the whole blogging from the boat thing did not work on the Blackberry (no service, no desire to try to connect from the wilderness), but we have returned to La Paz after a week of sailing (and motoring). We set out in the beginnings of what turned out to be a near gale storm (no rain, fortunately), and anchored the first night under a beautiful sunset on Isla Espiritu Santo. The wind continued to build, and the next day we hopped a few bays to the north, in 6-foot building seas, to Isla Partida, where we spent the afternoon lounging on the beach and swimming.
From there, we crossed the Bahia de La Paz to Isla San Francisco. This crossing, as Kevin Cannon remarked, deserved a merit badge for all, as the winds were a steady 20 knots with gusts to 30, and seas averaging 6 to 10 feet! Our course took us almost directly upwind for these first few days, and in the name of comfort we motored more than sailed.
After the rough crossing (we only lost one coffee cup that day), we anchored at Isla San Francisco – a beautful island with a sweeping white sand beach – and spent another afternnoon lounging on the beach and hiking around this small island.
Our next day the winds died down and we still had to motor for lack of it! We stopped at Isla Coyote, a tiny hamlet, home to three fishing families, and sent a contingent ashore to trade for lobster, clams and oysters. After acquiring five spiny lobsters from Manuel, we did some snorkeling along Coyote reef and set out for Isla San Jose, where Brian caught an albacore tuna on our way into the bay.
We briefly went ashore before the bugs drove us back out to the boat, and Kevin caught a sierra (VERY tasty),
and we returned to Isla San Francisco to BBQ our seafood feast.
Our return crossing was uneventful, and we never did get to see any dolphins, but we stopped by Los Islotes to snorkel with a friendly colony of sea lions, which turned out to be an exhilarating, surreal adrenaline rush! A small pup and his mom came out to play, swimming loops around us and blowing bubbles in our faces. The little guy would grab one of my fins and tug on it to let me know he was in the mood, and he leapt and splashed like a puppy. We had been warned not to get them too wound up to avoid getting chewed on, but that turned out to be a non-issue, as at times I was petrified and just floated with my arms against my chest. There were schools of manta rays all around us, and they leapt out of the water too… It was the best snorkeling I have ever done, with colorful reef fishes and the experience of being in the water with these big marine mammals. One of the bulls who had been lounging on the rocks jumped into the water, and we decided it was time to go.
Our last two days were spent sailing lazy winds south to Caleta Partida, a narrow straight between two islands, and Caleta Lobos. We swam and snorkeled and lounged some more, then tried to eat all the food on the boat (unsuccessful – Moorings really loaded us up with provisions).
John Steinbeck said that “trying to remember the gulf is like trying to recreate a dream… …we do not know why, but we know we must return.”
I could not agree more. I wish we had more time to spend here, but we leave the day after tomorrow. Fortunately, we have the exciting prospect of looking at a boat for sale in the boat yard near the hotel tomorrow. We meet at 10:30 am to look her over. Maybe Janis and I will be back here sooner than we think! I will let you know how she looks tomorrow afternoon.
Fair sailing,
Q
Greetings from La Paz!!
Thursday, December 13th, 2007We have completed our first day in La Paz; a full day of walking the waterfront Malecon, with its many bronze sculptures, hunting down a super-mercado to peruse the tequila selection, and wandering around until we found an open-air market to purchase limes and tortillas.
One couple of our crew has been diverted with a family medical issue – our best wishes go to Rachel´s mother, who underwent open heart surgery on the night of the 11th. We miss them, and hope her mother´s health recovers.
Our hotel has awe-inspiring views of the Bahia de La Paz, but this morning we awoke to no hot water (not cold water coming from the hot water tap – no water at all from the hot water tap!!), and no ability to call the charter company from our room. These problems have been remedied, and with this evenings sunset, we find ourselves on the eve of our sailing adventure well-worn and ready to soak in the hot-tub.
Our next installment will be an attempt to blog from Janis´Blackberry from the boat, so if there is no word from us, watch for our return on the 20th.
Fair winds to you all,
Q
Sailing the Sea of Cortez
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007Tonight, we fly!
Acutally, we don’t fly out until tomorrow. But we drive to San Fran tonight to stay with a friend before flying to La Paz tomorrow. By Friday, we will be setting sail for the islands of Espiritu Santo, Partida, San Francisco, and San Jose, our Northern-most anchorage for the trip. The forecast is predicting really good winds on Saturday – I hope the crew is up for some sailing, hehe. Gusts to 35 knots, supposedly. If I can find an internet cafe I will post updates as we prepare and when we return.
The big news should be how this 1970 Bristol 35 looks! We are going to look at her in a boat yard near the power plant out by the beginning of the channel in La Paz. Tentatively set for Friday the 21st, we may be putting together the funds to buy her if she floats! Actually, she’s on the hard now, but if we like her, we’ll be returning later for a sea trial…..
Arriba!
Q
New WordPress powered blog!
Monday, December 10th, 2007WordPress is now powering our blog here at Wingandwing.net. We hope that you will take the time to register, and contribute your insights and feedback as often as possible. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to facilitate your experience here.
Qen