Friends took this picture of us at anchor here in Bahia San Carlos. Can you see why we’re still here? Of course, this afternoon it’s supposed to blow with a norther coming down the sea, but we’ll just stay tucked in, doing an anchor watch at night with our GPS set to wake us if we go walkabout.
We’ve been having fun with all sorts of new friends, most of whom have recently bought boats here and are getting them set up for cruising south in the next few weeks. Ken on Lovely Rita, a Westsail 32, has proved delightful company as well as extremely generous with his automobile. Ken has sailed for years in the Caribbean, but is like a kid in a candy store with his beautiful little boat as he fixes it and dresses it for cruising. We stopped by to return his car key the other evening and found him listening to classical music, his small diesel heater toasting the cabin, a smile on his face of the purest enjoyment. We’ll get pics when we can.
Darcy and Isabelle, Canadians from Victoria, bought Ideal I, a gorgeous Hans Christina, a modern-rigged Hans Christian. They sent pics of the Christmas brunch on their boat. They sailed out yesterday for points of call on the Baja.
Isabelle is the lovely lady with the huge smile in the red vest. Alan and Marisa (in Santa hats) have businesses here in San Carlos, he as a surveyor, she in boat sales. They also have a house and a large fishing boat. Cheryl and Peter, the other couple on board, hail from Australia and are old hands at cruising, having spent years on their former boat plying the waters of the Indian Ocean. Now they own Stolen Kiss, a lovely Hylas, for which we will eventually find photos. We’ve developed a rather symbiotic relationship with them as well: Michael has the tools and an occasional winch, they have a car loaned to them by Marisa. Good folk all. Cheryl will also get a note if my next Beaufort book sells as she allowed me to interview her about abused children, with whom she worked in Australia. Founts of knowledge found in fun places…
