Cruising is steeped in freedom. Thanks to coronavirus, that makes it more appealing than ever, while at the same time it is more circumscribed than ever. Sailing north and deeper into the Sea of Cortez is to enter a disconnected world, one that feels untouched by pandemic concerns. Limitations on behavior from the mainland stops drifted away. No more everyday decisions to make based personal safety. No more monitoring shifting regulations. No local case count to track. Instead, life unfolded again with a pace and features that represent some of the best of cruising.
Casual gunkholing
We migrated slowly north, enjoying the freedom to roam. At the outset I was trading emails with cruisers who continue to face restrictions on movement or options, while far from home. A sharp contrast, and reminder to be grateful.
Free to move about the region, we progressed between open bays, remote coastlines, and uninhabited islands. We got the lines out and were rewarded: it’s dorado (mahi mahi, dolphinfish) season in the Sea, and this sustainable fishery fosters some tasty dinners.
The company of friends
Cruising can be solitary if you choose, but for many – ourselves included – it’s very social. Keeping company with a handful of boats who shared our practices in managing risk returned that social vibe to the everyday rhythm. Arriving to a new anchorage with a catch, one boat served up sushi bowls – dinner for 10 with the shared bounty.
Our diverse group includes American, Canadian, Hungarian, South African, and Croatian cruisers; it is the mix of views and experiences and skills to share. Pablo’s talented illustrator has led regular afternoon classes on drawing with the teens from a couple of boats, bringing discipline and technique to elevate the artwork they love to practice.
Free to use the beach again, a potluck centered around a driftwood bonfire gathers our little fleet. On a shared grill, dorado steaks join skewers of marinated vegetables; delicious sweet bread dumplings are roasted like damper on a stick for dessert. As the moon rises, a pack of coyotes – those footprints we followed earlier! – yipped and howled in chorus.
Experiencing wildlife
There’s an intensity to recent wildlife encounters: are there truly greater numbers of many species, or we just seeing them with fresh eyes? Hardly a day passes without a turtle, if not many of them; I’ve joked that mornings on the bow are like watching Turtle TV. I don’t think we saw more than a few the entire summer in 2009. We saw more coyotes one week than I think we’ve seen in the entirety of our time (cumulatively, about three and a half years) in Mexico.
Bahia de los Angeles held a particular lure: this is one of a shortlist of places around the world where whale sharks seasonally loiter. Summertime brings them to feed from the rich waters at estuaries on opposite ends of a 10-mile-long bay. When we spent the summer here in 2009, we always seemed to be at the wrong end of the bay and never caught more than a distant glimpse – despite their slow pace and significant size (up to 40′). This misfortune followed us literally around the world through a succession of other locales where “everybody” sees the magnificent fish.
We hoped to finally break that unlucky streak. Foraying to explore by dinghy, our eyes were drawn to splashing and saw…not whale sharks, but the distinctive coloration of orcas. ORCAS! We had similar misses seeing resident pods before sailing away from the Pacific Northwest in 2008; this was the last thing we expected, and an overwhelming delight to the crew. Drifting close to shore, the small pod swam to, and around, and even under us – before departing with a tail slap that showered the crew.
Wildlife cravings utterly sated, whale sharks or not, we began thinking about our next move. Perhaps no longer feeling pressure that contributed to the change in fortune: investigating ripples in the water while out on the SUP, I found myself next to a whale shark. Hanging near the surface, the giant head bobbed enough to bend the water without breaking it as the fish’s maw yawned to suck and filter plankton. It held station to feed, head up and tail down, the only other movement a rippling along large gills. Slipping into the water to hang alongside and watch it was an experience I can best describe as reverential, and enjoyed in peace for a few moments before joined by our crews in company.
Connecting with people
Bees chased us to a new anchorage; arriving, we remarked on the two fishing pangas anchored below a small cliff. Rumors of poaching and misbehavior from Bay of LA made us wonder about the pangueros activity. Watching one roll out a bedroll above the high tideline, and noticing the improved marker (a plank replacing last year’s driftwood cross) on a rough grave site on shore, it was easy to lead with compassion. Lo, the pan brought over with a cinnamon loaf – hot from the oven! – was miraculously transformed into a pan full of scallops and a lobster tail.
Mortified by prior suspicion, we learned where they were from (the mainland, Sonora), how long they were out (about a week), and shared news of the weather forecast (they had no access, and a norther was coming; we all relocated to another island for better shelter). Once again, those with the least to give humble me with their generosity.
Time to just Be
Our internet break ends today, arriving in Puerto Peñasco. We keep up with coaching clients and writing assignments and faraway loved ones through the Iridium GO, but removing the option to “just check the news” has been refreshing! We’ll draw on that energy in the weeks ahead, as plans are brewing. Projects on Totem: which do we tackle? Shopping run to Arizona: how do we manage it? Gonzo road trip to the Pacific Northwest? Maybe, yes, that too. With busy days looming, I appreciate anew these joys of cruising.
TOTEM TALKS
The drone shots here are superior for conveying a sense of landscape…to communicate the literally nature of the places we visit. Join us for the next livestream on Oct 17th: Drones and photography underway. Special guest, FAA drone pilot and sailor Vivian Vuong sharing her expertise. Register here, feel free to send questions ahead! A link to replay the session will be sent to registrants.
