They say third time’s charm, and I have to agree.

This Spring, Jeff and I returned to the Sea of Cortez.  Originally, we weren’t planning to go, but the Sea beckoned us and we listened. I’m so glad we did.

To read about our first year in  the Sea, click here 

Unlike last year, (click here) we had no buddy boats joining us, at least initially.  We had a plan to meet up with a couple different sets of friends, but the stars weren’t in alignment, and none of them made it to the Sea at all. In some ways, that worked out OK, because having been there twice, we knew which places were priority and which locations to skip, given our shorter window of time.

We were anchored near our friends on Salish Dragon at Isla Coronado, and once again made the hot, rocky slog up the volcano. This time we had Steve’s drone to break the monotony.

Agua Verde is a favorite of ours, made even better this year by meeting Roxy and Carl on the catamaran Sky Pond. They enjoy hiking as much as we do, so we became boat buddies and explored familiar as well as some new trails with them.

We explored a new hike outside of Puerto Escondido called Mesquite Canyon. We had to rent a car to get there, and threw a hubcap on the long, rough, rocky road. That was after Roxy’s shoe blew out and we had to drive back to the Marina, dinghy to the boat and repeat in reverse.

The hike was a “fresh-water hike”, and even though it was the dry season, we hiked in chest-deep water in the narrow slot canyon. Very different for us in the Sea. And refreshing! I had to hold Chance up over my head while crossing. (I didn’t take my camera on this portion, so the pic isn’t mine.)

Once we got to our turn-around destination, the red tide had sadly crept in, making swimming very unappealing. The upside, however, was the brillliant bioluminescence we were treated to or several nights. Seeing underwater organisms light up at night isn’t uncommon in the oceans, but during this time, the shapes of the sea creatures was highly defined. You could make out needlefish, sea snakes, and some people even witnessed glowing rays! Never have we seen anything like it!

The hiking on San Juanico is excellent, which is why we returned his year. Apache tears (special roundish stones of obsidian) are abundant, and trails criss-cross the mountains and roads for miles.

And then there was the party!

For the past 12 years (maybe more), the fine folks who have a house overlooking our favorite anchorage in San Juanico throw a 2-day party for the expats in Loretto and all the cruisers in the area. We planned to be in the area anyway, so we extended our stay.

The party started on a Tuesday, so Monday morning I drove the dink around the anchorage and invited all the boats to join us on El Gato for a potluck Monday evening. There were about seven boats, so I was prepared for a crowd. But all day, the boats kept coming into the anchorage. Off I’d go, to make sure nobody was left out, and by the time the party started, we had over 30 people on El Gato! It was the perfect ice-breaker to meet all our new neighbors. Tony brought a mandolin, and I accompanied him on the spoons. Great fun.

The party was a blast. A cattle-truck picked us up on the beach and hauled us to the house, where we were treated to guitar music by Herzon, a very talented guitarist. An infinity pool, cocktails and a roasted goat were on offer.

The next day was a scavenger hunt on the beach followed by a potluck and pig roast. Once again, Herzon treated us to his talent.

We were truly sad to say goodbye to friends both old and new,  but that is all a part of this cruising life.

Now it’s time to leave the Sea of Cortez and head south to Puerto Vallarta to put El Gato to bed for hurricane season. Jeff and I agree that we made the right decision to return to the Sea for the third time. Since we will soon begin our southbound sailing adventures to Central America, it may be a while before we return.  This year was truly special, and for that we are grateful.