Ballandra, Isla Carmen

After a rowdy 12-hour trip south from Concepcion in rather unpleasant following seas but with enough wind to push us at and above hull speed, we anchored in Ballandra on Thursday evening. On Friday, we visited Loreto for lunch and reprovisioning, returning to Ballandra with ice cream in the freezer. Mama and Michael are happy campers. M. took this picture of Sea Venture sitting happily off the shore in Loreto.

Today we are bouncing around in the wrap-around swell from the north wind that's wending its way down the Sea of Cortez. Payback, I suppose, for all those lovely, mild days we've enjoyed here. On Saturday we were the only boat in the anchorage, so Mama and I lolled around on our little sailing dinghy and had a jolly time. The little boat moves in almost no wind, which is fortuitous as there were mere whispers.

One other boat, Verdia, joined us on Sunday and brought along a friend, whose picture I will post at the end. Now there are 10 boats, all ducking out of the way of wind and waves.

Here are pictures of us sailing my little dinghy around during the last two very benign days, exploring the shallows and the rocks at the entrance to the bay. So much fun!

And now,

for a photo of the critter who tagged along behind Geoff on Verdia from the bay entrance all the way to the point Geoff dropped his hook near us. Michael and I watched it sling its tail around Verdia's chain, then slither past before meandering up among the rocks. We did not go climbing.