Playa Candelero

Stunning…

Pulling in to Playa Candelero, there were a few boats (two Island Packets; Julie and Kevin from Tacoma and a boat flying Mexico flag) already anchored, however it is a large bay with a reef in the middle. First we anchored slightly outside, but soon I decided to move the boat as it seemed rolley. i moved it to inside the island and the reef. The reef was a concern, however with the use of Navionics I could keep an eye on Sarantium’s distance to the reef at all times. I also decided to dive down (only 3.5 meters) to make sure the anchor was securely set and dragging was out of the question…..it seemed fine and anchor had dug into the soft sand and was mostly buried. I also swam over to the little island to get a solid idea of how far Sarantium actually was situated from the reef.

Navionics is a comfort…

On the above pic, the yellow underneath Sarantium is the tracking (and constantly measuring) proximity) of movement of the boat throughout the night.

Updates on my equipment

Many have sent me advice and opinions about my battery set up, etc. So I thought I would clarify and summarize what it is that I now have.

I have 3 AGM Victron supercycle 160 A batteries (480 Amps altogether, sorry about the mansplaning). I charge these with 720 Watt solar. I also have a high output alternator, rated at 160 Amps with a ARCO Zues regulator. I am currently waiting for a multi control display. I also now have a Victron inverter/battery charger.

Other than running my fridge for 12 hours per day, Starlink for an hour a day, electronics while underway and a macerater once in a while, don’t have a large load, so I feel I have what I need. And thanks to a few people such as Kevin from “CatHarpin Blue” I’ve learned lots and have (he) fixed and tweaked some poorly installed electronics and battery set ups. I’m forever grateful for the learning that will help in the future and make my boat better!

Time for another coffee and a swim with dolphins and hopefully whale sharks, mantas and maybe even hammerheads…..

Good morning Beautiful Life❣️

Waking up early, sun just rising, seeing another Island Packet 40 sailing, quietly and slowly with minimal wind, off the anchor…

Life in the slow lane brings joy….

While sailing by, we lift our coffee cups and “goodmorning, where are you from?” Turns out they are from “4 hours notrth of Toronto”… North Bay. ”North Bay, I played soccer there….and lived not too far from there”, small world in the sailing community.

fair winds….

Sails are up….

Sarantium got her Christmas sail in today!

The sail ended up being short but beautiful. We motored out of a fairly quiet channel. We saw the odd Panga taking divers and snorklers out to find some whale sharks. It was a bit of a last minute decision but wind was promising and my electronical work is completed…. thanks to Kevin on “Catharine Blue”. I have some minor small adjustments for later to complete. I needed to get out of La Paz, and what better day to go sailing then on Christmas Day. Unfortunately, wind died fairly quickly and I steered Sarantium to the nearest bay, Playa Pichilingue. After dropping anchor, I scraped of the barnacles on the transducer in hope it will read the boat speed tomorrow…

Merry Christmas Everyone!

🎄God Jul🎄Feliz Navidad🎄

December 24th❣️

I’ve never been sitting in the tropics on Christmas Eve before but here I am, drinking coffee with candle light and my special ornaments from home, photos of my kids❤️ listening to Christmas jazz music🎶🌴🎼🌴🎵🌴

A quiet morning…..let’s see what the day brings….