Anduril Sailing Blog: Seasonal Finish Lap

The thoughts and emotions experienced during travel typically follow a predictable arc. At trip start, anticipation and adventure loom ahead. Mid trip there is an appreciation phase. And as the end of trip nears there is a sense of loss to come: “it can’t be over already!” This cycle occurs on timing calibrated to match any trip duration. On a trip lasting a long weekend the cycle is rather fast; on a nine month sailing adventure the cycle is slower, but here we are just the same, facing the end of our 2016-17 sailing travels from Vancouver to and around Mexico.

As to the middle trip phase, the Sea of Cortez provides ample and inspiring fodder for the senses. At times what we see strikes directly to the heart. There is a wild and rugged dry beauty to this place. Daily angles of sunlight expose the rocky mountain formations in a fabulous range of colours. In recent days the sea has been a placid, often glassy body that will suddenly reveal a teaming richness of life below.

Mabula Rays leap high into the air while still comically flapping their wings, then splash with a loud bellyslap back into the water. Flying fish spooked by the approaching boat will bolt out of the water in groups from one to a 100, flying away skimming just above the ocean waves. Skinny and absurdly long needlefish do the same but differently, wagging their tails at a furious rate to keep their long bodies angled aloft as they zoom 100m away, marking their path with a high speed surface tail-trail. As we pass near, turtles will raise their heads to have a quick look, then paddle lazily on their way.

Whales appear frequently, most times visible as a far away spout or by the sight of their vee-shaped tail flukes rising and dipping; other times they are suddenly nearby in groups of 2 or 3, their spouting breaths heard close and loud, alerting us to their awesome bulky presence. They curve up to the surface and spout, then dip downwards in a slow rolling motion that reveals the full length of their mighty barnacle covered spines. Then they finish their show by lifting their giant tails and slide downward, sounding.

Dolphins cavorting in a passing group will suddenly turn and charge to make a pass at your bow, then disappear, ignoring our heartfelt wishes for them to please stay and play. When snorkelling there are schools of fish darting colourfully around the rocks and paddling sea birds that follow them, diving to swim in chase, fast as bullets. Such birds will flock in large tight groups and appear in the distance fooling you at first into thinking they are a great floating mass of seaweed. The eye is made aware of the trick when the black mass suddenly disappears as the whole flock dives at once. About 30 seconds later they pop back to the surface, a group of three or four hundred birds all packed together, wing by beak.

Over the course of months of being on the water there are too many moments of such natural beauty for them to all be mentioned. Some moments are exciting, such as a huge whale breaching full out of water, but mostly there are moments of subtle beauty such as a turkey buzzard flying overhead on a shore breeze, catching a lift with its wide spread wings and its trailing and tip feathers moving in an exquisite show of aerial control. What a contrast there is against a buzzard’s beautiful flying skills when on the ground we watch them poke and tear at rotting beach-side carrion with their ugly red leathery heads.

And now the last days of this cruising season are here. The scope of time remaining is reduced to an Easter weekend cruise whereupon our return to Puerto Escondido we will labour for about three days to prepare the boat for summer layup and for the potential of hurricane weather. Sails will be stowed and various boat parts wrapped and taped. All manner of systems will be flushed with fresh water and holes above and below the waterline will be plugged or screened to keep out bugs. The boat will be lifted out of water and for the next six months will stand on the hard.

With boat chores done we will catch a plane home to other waiting land-based chores. And this blog will fall silent for half a year. No more pictures for us or you.

Greg & Alice