Cruising ~ The Cat’s Meow Style ~  June 2007

…and a good time was had by all

 

 

 

 

The Cat’s Meow is smilin’, being back “out on the water” again!! She loves to ply the Sea, to play in the waves, to sit at anchor. You can just see it on her bow….

 

We are enjoying this too, immensely.  This is our chosen lifestyle, and both of us continue to love living on a cruising boat – through the hard times and for the great times. The two cruising kitties like it too. Toes recently had his first haircut of the summer season, they both have had fresh fish treats from the Sea, and they like the cool night breezes.

 

                                                         

                                                Squeak while underway                                                                                                     Toes (pre haircut!) relaxing … well, what else does he do??

 

June started out purrrrty slowly, with Martin still fighting the last of the engine and engine room re-fits. This has been another one of those opportunities to change, fix, and re-rout lots of things besides the repair of the engine. The watermaker panel was moved, new hoses were put on virtually everything, new alternator hook-ups, new accumulator tank for the water system, lots of new things in the charging system….. it goes on and on. Kept Martin firmly attached to the engine room.

 

Robin’s cousin (actually more like a sister to Robin), Sharla, visited us on TCM for 10 days, and we think she had a blast! It was wonderful for Robin to finally have Sharla see and experience some of the Sea of Cortez and our boating life. Since Sharla was schooled in geology, it was particularly interesting for her to be amongst the islands and the Baja coast, all of which is essentially volcanic. She was able to give both of us some info. and explanations of things we have been looking at for years! The Cat’s Meow left La Paz, at long last, on June 16th, and headed for one of the very local anchorages for the night. The following day was Sharla’s birthday – a big one, but we won’t tell which one here J - and we motored to Isla San Jose in nice calm wonderful water and conditions. Dolphins played on the bow, Sharla sat up on the flying bridge, and all was beautiful. That evening we celebrated with a “birthday brownie” and good eats. The next morning, Martin drove Sharla & Robin up the estuary to the lagoon, where we got on our knees and dug up a bucket full of butter clams - - yum!!

 

                                               

        Cousin Sharla and a ? treefish ??                                           digging clams in the lagoon of Isla San Jose                                                           Sharla’s birthday brownie

 

Unfortunately, the next day’s travel to the Agua Verde anchorage, which should have been about a six-hour trip, was quite rough and took almost eight hours. The winds were behind TCM on the quarter, and TCM doesn’t like that. We were acting like a sailboat, tacking most of the way! Sharla did fine, and even thought it was probably “normal” stuff. When we cleared the reef and came into the anchorage in front of the village, there was a sigh of relief and awe. What a beautiful place. We stayed at Agua Verde for three nights and had a great time. Robin and Sharla kayaked, swam, walked the beaches, gathered some treasures, and Sharla had her first up-close look at the volcanic land masses. Martin did some hunting and gathering, underwater style, and we ate those clams, fresh scallops, and yes….lobster! One day we all walked into the village, which has only sand streets, and found the tiny tienda (store). Quite picturesque, including the goats and pigs wandering all over the village. 

 

 

                

 

 

                

     Village (pueblo) of Agua Verde                                                                      Martin & Robin walking to the Agua Verde tienda (store)                        First day’s catch - - yumm!

 

Our next stop was the Juncalito anchorage, which is just outside of Puerto Escondido. Since the big boys at the governmental Singlar agency are charging quite hefty fees for mooring or anchoring in the harbor (Escondido), the cruisers are now staying at the Juncalito anchorage as long as the winds cooperate. When The Cat’s Meow came around the point into the anchorage, there were 15 – 17 boats there, quite a sight!! AND, some of our bestest, longest-time boater friends were there, too, and it turned into a real homecoming!! Summerwind Bill & Stephanie came out to greet us in their dinghy as well as Carolyn & Dave of Que Tal, and it was soooo great to be welcomed that way!! Summerwind has been cooling her keel in Mazatlan for three years, and the boat was on the way to San Carlos on the mainland side of Mexico, so it was especially great to see that boat and crew. Connie and Elvin, stalwart Juncalito and Escondido residents, opened their palapa home for a great party for everyone in the area, and it was a wonderful time to see so many friends.

 

                                                                            

                                                   TCM arriving in the Juncalito anchorage                                                                      These “girls” have not been together for 4 years:

                                                                                                                                                  Robin, Susan (2CanPlay), Connie, Steph (Summerwind), Carolyn (Que Tal?)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

                                             

                           A reunion type of gathering at Elvin & Connie’s palapa                                          Martin & Robin enjoying the festivities

 

One day was spent in Loreto, which has been able so far to maintain its small village atmosphere and quaintness, although development of all kinds is threatening those qualities of the area. We love Loreto. It was fun to take Sharla to the Saturday farmer’s market and to show her some of “our town”. 

 

Saturday swapmeet/market, where we buy fresh vegetables

 

Then, because all good things do change and end, we had to put Sharla on a plane back to Ohio on the 24th…..and Robin surely misses her, but is so happy they had that great time together on the Sea of Cortez.

 

After Sharla left us, we had been enjoying the Balandra anchorage on Isla Carmen for a few days with a few other boats. Our good friend Dario blew through Loreto and back to SoCal one day, so we took TCM the 9.5 miles across the channel and anchored so we could meet Dario for lunch and a quick catch-up. He looks good, and plans to bring his boat, Ballena, back to Mexico this fall or winter. Good!!

 

  Dario and Martin during Dario’s quick trip through Loreto  

 

 

That just about does it for the month of June, 2007! A good time was had by all, we do believe, and we plan to continue doing what makes us feel good out here on the water. We hope you had a happy 4th of July…… come back and see us again,  Cruising  ~  The Cat’s Meow Style. 

 

Content

 

on a cot

on a deck

a beachtowel for a blanket

the moon shining on my face

content

while sea breezes

wash across my body

and turn my home

in lazy circles

on the water

in the bay

                                                                         robin aitken hardy