Yesterday’s passage from Puerto Don Juan was an uneventful motor in very calm conditions at a steady 6-plus knots. An early arrival in Bahía San Francisquito at 4pm gave me the opportunity to rebuild the outboard’s carburetor and fuel pump. The engine is running better but not like it should be. I suspect an air leak between the carb and the intake manifold. So, more work to do.
By the time I had put the outboard back together, I was pretty tired. I made a simple dinner of potatoes, beans, broccoli and eggs. Strange combination, but perfect for my mood and a satisfying meal.
It is very peaceful in this anchorage, just one other boat with me. We’ve kept to ourselves. A pack of coyotes sang for us just before bedtime. There are no bobitos here! A few bees have come scouting for water, but not the swarms that have descended upon the boat in the past, so very easy to coexist as friends.
Today we head to Punta Chivato (Goat Point), about 99nm away on the rhumb line. I’m going to head offshore to try and catch some nighttime westerlies suggested by PredictWind weather routing. Choosing this route will add about 10nm to our passage, but half the time spent motoring. In my (and others) experience, the weather models for the Sea of Cortez are hardly never correct, but I figure the downside of adding a couple hours to the passage is worth the possible benefit of significantly less motoring.
I’ll report on how things turn out after I arrive in Punta Chivato tomorrow morning.
