The Adventures of Vakasa and Crew: April 2013

We had an overnighter from Mazatlan (mainland Mexico) to Los Muertos (Baja). So we left the palm tree lined, golden beaches and lush green jungle-like coast line of the mainland, cruised through the dark of night and found the sun rising on the stark, brown, beige and rust coloured hills of Baja, with it’s aquamarine waters and brilliant white beaches. We felt like aliens had abducted us and set us down in a completely different world!

Our first stop at Ensenada de Los Muertos (Bay of the Dead) was at the beginning of Semanos Santos, or Holy Week, which is the Mexican Easter celebration. This place is about halfway between Los Cabos and La Paz. Basically out in the middle of nowhere. We expected a couple other boats but nothing else…..instead, we found the beach packed with Mexican families camping out and celebrating the holiday. We were serenaded to sleep each night by a different beach band. Very cool, but we won’t be too upset if we never hear a tuba again!

Unfortunately, Kathy’s shoulder began to give her more and more trouble. A side effect of surf dinghy landings on the mainland and probably some poor treatment choices along the way (do all physios make lousy patients, or is it just Kathy?). So we headed to Marina Costa Baja in La Paz in order to get some medical advise (what she actually got was a cortisone and pain med injection in the butt…administered in the book exchange room of the La Paz marina with several other boaters looking on! No privacy in the boating world.). Ultrasound revealed severe swelling (possible small tear) of the rotator cuff with some impingement and the advise was rest and more rest. So we are hanging out at the marina for a few weeks to try and do it right this time. The marina/resort is the most beautiful one we’ve been at so far so it certainly isn't a hardship!

Friends, Alan and Nadine, arrived a few days ago and spent 3 nights on Vakasa before heading to a near by hotel. We visited Isla Espiratu Santos and had one of the best dolphin and whale shows yet on the way there. You would think that this would make Nadine and Alan a couple of lucky visitors, but the good was balanced by the bad when we had nasty Coromuel winds (a local spring/summer wind phenonemom) howl through the anchorage all night long. Gusts up to 30 kts, making for some extreme rockin' and rollin' and the absolute worse night we’ve ever had at anchor. However, they survived. In fact Alan slept soundly through it all and Nadine thought it was completely normal. The perks of being newbie boaters….they don’t know when to be scared out of their wits!

We are off to San Jose de Cabo next week as Kathy has been behaving herself and the shoulder seems to be improving slowly. Hopefully our continued sailing journey will also be the road to recovery. Keep checking out the blog because our next entry promises to be a doozy!