Since they are still working on the sheet rock for our Bear Lake cabin, we had nothing to do, so we went to Mexico, this last weekend.
The trip to Arizona and then on to Mexico was wonderful. The temperatures were balmy 70 degrees.
As always, we found the sailing community very friendly and meeting people was just a matter of keeping an eye out.
It was tough in paradise... sailing...goofing off...hanging out.... eating shrimp, tacos and other great food.
My excuse for this trip was to meet a fellow who had recently bought a Stiletto catamaran. Since he didn't know how to put it together and had absolutely no sailing experience, I met him in Mexico at San Carlos.
Hey...don't jump to any hasty conclusions about this being totally self serving....
I look at it as a mission of mercy.... ya...purely humanitarian... Right...????
The previous owner of the boat had taken the entire boat apart for painting and powder coating the mast and other metal parts....so it took us two days to put every thing back on the boat, re-rig the lines inside the mast and then put the boat together for sailing.
It is a beautiful craft and lots of fun to sail.
Since the new owner is very new to sailing, we spent the next couple of days practicing boat handling...docking...etc.
He was a bit fearful, but a bit of fear or a healthy respect for the boat, wind, waves and weather can be a very good thing, that serves well....
The wind was perfect and the seas very pleasant and very relaxing.....
We anchored out in a cove, near San Carlos, where we cooked shrimp on the BBQ, while watching the setting sun and emerging night sky.
The evening was extraordinary.... right up until the time I went below to sleep, enjoying the gentle rocking of the boat, in the light breeze.
Later it got a bit bumpier, as a squall came through, with it's lightning, loud wind and rain.
The squall passed quickly, leaving us to a pleasant and refreshing sleep.
We were awakened to a great sunrise, with bright sun and a few lingering clouds. ...well, except those two guys who decided to sleep on deck, rather than below. They were drenched to the bone and wondering why they hadn't come in out of the rain... which they errantly thought would pass lots quicker than it did....
Anyway, after breakfast we again went sailing, allowing the new sailor opportunity to experiment with his new boat, in a gentle wind.
Later we returned to the marina and enjoyed fresh tacos, provided by a street vendor.
The trip back was pleasant and we were glad we left a bit earlier than we had planned. That way we actually made it to work on time and we all are still employed... (That's gotta be good, right..?)
Our trip back to Utah required us to drive for 24 straight hours, going from Mexico's Sea of Cortez, back to Utah, where it was 5 degrees below zero.
Right now I'm still working on figuring out how to make that sail over to the Baja in early March.
If that doesn't come together, I'll put something together in October or when ever I can break away....
One of the fellows I traveled with is seriously talking about renting a villa in San Carlos in November.... I may accompany him for a week or ten days.....
Our latest trip down to Mexico was certainly a pleasant remedy from Utah's cold winter temperatures... However, don't be too envious. It has not been without some pretty painful side effects.
Right now I'm sitting in my office suffering from a very severe case of "Post good time blues"...
However, armed with some past experience in this matter, I think the only viable remedy and medicine is to plan another goof off adventure in a warm place....or wait for the spring time temperatures to arrive here....
Me...????
I'm trying to work out another sailing trip at the end of next month...maybe making the same 1000 mile driving trip to San Carlos, then sailing across the Sea of Cortez's 100 miles width from the mainland to the Baja... goofing off for ten days, checking out stuff along that coast then sailing back and making the 1000 mile drive back to Utah.
I'll work on posting some pics when the boat's owner sends me back my disposable camera, left on the boat in Mexico... or maybe I should go get it myself.........
Tom
