It’s no secret that one of my favorite things about this way of life is the truly wonderful people we’ve met along the way. Everyone comes from such varied backgrounds yet we all share one thing in common…our love of the sea!
In a very short time I’ve met some amazing new friends. You see, you become friends quickly out here because you depend upon each other for information and assistance. When you part, you never know when or if you’ll see each other again. It’s just part of life when everyone is on their own adventure. After all, some stay only for the winter months. Others work four to six months a year to fund their cruising kitty so they head back to the states to work. Some come for a few years and then move back to land in the states. Others, like Dan and I, are on a mission to reach exotic ports of call around the world so our time in any particular area is limited. While I wouldn’t say we are on a strict timeline or itinerary, we do have an overall plan, which requires us to move more often than some. And, there are preparations to be made before we head to the South Pacific next spring.
We do, however, stop and make time to get together with other cruisers regularly. We meet for cocktails, food and tourist activities when we’re near a port. And when we are in anchorages we do beach parties, bonfires and lots of potluck dinners as few of us really have the space to prepare a sit down dinner for more than four to six people and let’s be honest, who wants to go to all that trouble anyway? It’s so much easier to have everyone bring a dish!
When you go to someone else’s boat for a potluck you bring your dish, your drink of choice and your own plates and utensils. That way no one is stuck with a bunch of dirty dishes. Out here we are all about easy! And, we are all working to conserve our onboard resources like water and power. It takes water to do dishes and even if you make your own, it takes power to make it whether you are using a generator, solar or wind power. And, even if you wash them in salt water (a common practice), you still need fresh water to rinse them.
With all the bunching up that we cruisers do, we all share information like the media shares fake news. The difference is that we are all dedicated to sharing “accurate” information with our fellow cruisers. After all, unlike the media, we cruisers have integrity!
We talk about everything from where to find the best groceries, beer and fresh vegetables to who caught the biggest fish, where and on what lure. In México restaurants are here one day and gone the next so local knowledge is invaluable to cruisers. After all, who wants to walk all the way across town only to find out the steak restaurant or taco stand that you loved last year is gone?
We also share a lot of information about anchorages. Are the bees or Jejenes (no seeums) bad right now? Where is the best spot to anchor? Are there shoals or pinnacles to look out for when approaching from a particular direction, are there good hiking trails or is there good snorkeling or diving etc…?
And, we share recipes and tips on everything from food storage to maintenance to where to get the best free Wifi in town. Suffice it to say, cruisers are their own information super highway and if everyone wasn’t willing to participate in the sharing, it would be a much different experience.
Yes, I’ve found that cruisers are their own little nation. We live together, cruise together and take care of each other like a strong community. And, just like in any family there are those you enjoy more than others but when push comes to shove we would all help each other out in a time of crises…no questions asked.
I’m so happy to be a part of this amazing group of people and look forward to many years of friendship with the friends I’ve made here in the Sea of Cortez. Of course I’ll miss them when we make the jump to the South Pacific, but then there’s always Facebook! LOL
Here’s some pics of the great people I’m now fortunate to count as my friends. (Click on individual pics for larger images.)
Until next time,
Jilly
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(Thanks to Jody & Randy Fraser of SV Free Luff for sharing the featured image of the Survivors of Tropical Storm Lidia. You can see more from them at www.freeluffnation.com)
and Caleta San Juanico is no exception. This idyllic little anchorage is just 26 nautical miles north of Loreto and offers some of the most beautiful remote beaches, awesome cliffs, hiking trails, superb clear water diving, snorkeling and so much more. With room for many boats, it’s a big hit with cruisers and once you’ve visited this magical place you’ll understand why.
through the Sea of Cortez. It does appear that the shrine has been there for at least 20-30 years which is evidenced by some of the dates on the decorations we saw. Unfortunately due to the location of the tree, some ornaments do not last long. We were just there at the end of June and when we arrived again in mid October many of the items we saw laid out upon the ground around the tree were gone. We can only assume they were taken out to sea with the arrival of Tropical Storm Lidia in early September.
It was important to me that our artwork included items from as many places as possible and that it was a true representation of Dazzler and her crew. Once I decided where everything was going, Dan jumped in and assembled it and I can tell you this, we probably have the most durable ornament on the tree. He didn’t use glue; he used epoxy. He used special plastic clips and wire to hold on the rope and he even used Spectra line to attach the hanging shells. Yes, ours is one solid decoration.
Dazzler's Watch 