"On the Road Again", Willie Nelson is turned on loud on all speakers. The tourist boats always announce their coming and going so it is our turn. We play the same song over and over again as we make our way out of the harbor and past the tourist/hotel beach. We get lots of stares from all the tourists and sun bathers on the beach. Soon, 3 "On the Road Again"s later, we break away from the coast and head for San Jose. Almost immediately we encounter many of the tourist whale watching boats that left before us from the harbor. As Willie Nelson sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" we stopped as all the boats including Bella Donna are surrounded by whales surfacing, jumping and slapping their tails on the calm sea. Tourists were getting their monies worth and we were seeing it for free, what a deal.
We are amazed by the number of large very plush, 5 star, hotels with golf courses along the Cabo to San Jose coast. In San Jose a new large marina has just been completed. Past San Jose the hotels and highway end leading to miles and miles of deserted beautiful beaches. We have come about 30 miles and have 120 miles to go. The sea is flat and there is not enough wind to sail. Eventually we slow to 6 knots and power off the port engine as we want to enter the narrow straits before La Paz just as the sun rises tomorrow morning. The night watch is much cooler than the day; I ware sweat pants and a short sleeved t-shirt; I took my long sleeved sweat shirt to the fly, but I never needed to put it on.
At first light in the morning we are trying to figure out how to navigate through the narrow straits. A cruise ship passed us earlier and made it just fine so the width of the channel must be adequate. We suspect the electronic chart that shows us our position on a map is not correct and it could be very dangerous to use it alone to position the Bella Donna through the narrow straits. John elects to use our paper charts, radar and coastal position and navigation techniques with some common sense based on experience to get us through; you see why this should not be done during the night. One more thing complicates the task; there is a swift current and strong winds constantly altering the course of Bella Donna to one wrong side or the other of the best path through the narrow straits.
Entering the straits we find 2 reference points that are both on the electronic chart and providing a radar echo. John places both the chart and radar on one screen image overlaying each other. Wow the GPS chart positioning is 1/2 mile off. John activates an option on the electronic chart setup menu to move the reference point images over each other in the proper position, radar and chart the same. Now the electronic chart should show the correct position of Bella Donna and that is a good thing; navigation is easy again. Now our only problem is the current is confusing our autopilot so John has to hand steer through the straits.
We have no reservations so we cruise from one end of La Paz to the other pausing occasionally at each marina to look at and evaluate the facilities. Reaching the far end of town we decide to stop at the cheapest, $10 per day, marina to see if they have space for Bella Donna. They don't but they move a boat to make room for us on the travel lift dock. The price is $50 per day, still a good price. They have no internet or toilet paper or towels in their bathroom, but there is a shower. We are close to town and a vibrant cruiser community.
We take a very long walk through town avoiding anything that looks like for tourists with tourist prices. We use the internet briefly at a bar that gives you a WIFI key free if you buy a beer, cervesa. We have a super Mexican lunch t a restaurant for a good low price; it was a place pointed to by other cruisers.
La Paz is a very clean town and although it has night clubs it is clearly not the party until you drop town that Cabo is. The Catholic religion is strong here; the police arrest you for drunkenness or even having a open drink in your hand on the streets.
God Bless Bella Donna
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