The next morning we loaded the boats and set out for the first leg of the trip.

We set out for Isla La Ventana. The plan was to have lunch there, possibly camp if the winds came up, but ideally make it to a camping beach on Isla Coronado. The day was calm, so this plan worked fine. Our distance totaled 9.5 NM (see map and route provided by John Clinton).

The next day we portaged the isthmus and paddled to the volcano. Some climbed it, others sat on the beach. During the hiking the wind came up. Mark Brodeur and John Desbrow (both very strong, experienced paddlers) decided to wait and see if the wind dropped. The rest returned in 12 kt winds without incident. The winds continued to rise and the second group had to return in 20 kts with gusts to 25 kts. They had to sweat but no other problems. The morning of the 30th was calm, so at 6:45 we launched and set a course for Pt Don Juan. We planned to make at least Pescador, but felt the less direct route would give us more options if the wind started to rise. We breaked at Don Juan and again at Pescador. We discussed camping there, but decided Alacran was a better bet for a hoped-for day trip to Bahia de Animas, so we pushed on. That day was 15.3 nm and a little long, so we decided to make the 31st a layover day. Snorkling, hiking, fishing, and clamming! Unstructured, but we made a point of at least keeping track of who was where. Wind was moderate, we hoped conditions would allow for a New Years Day paddle to Animas.

New Years Day: Disaster! Lulled by the free-form layover day, we had allowed discipline to break down. The boats had not been pulled up the beach far enough. One had disappeared with the extra-high night tide, and several others had come close. It had blown all night and was still blowing fairly strong. The missing boat was nowhere to be seen. There was really no excuse. We all had tide tables and other days had as a group discussed how high to pull up the boats, but that day there was no teamwork. We discussed search options. The best bet seemed to be send two of the strongest out in the double kayak for search, but the double had a leak and was laid-up to dry prior to a field repair. Anyway, we decided the area to be covered was too large for a paddle search to be effective if there were other options. There was a micro-resort (La Unica) at Pescador with a Panga. The boatless paddler, accompanied by our most fluent Spanish speaker hiker over. Once there, Boatless Paddler reported by radio. The panga had tried to take some guests out to a sea lion rookery but turned back due to rough conditions. There would be no search, but Boatless was offered a ride to the village where he could wait for calmer conditions to hire a search boat. He accepted.

Lesson: At camp, mark the highest expected waterline prominently with a stick. Let everyone know boats go above the mark. We also could have tied the boats down, they have been known to blow away, even when loaded.

Meanwhile, Back at Alacran: Not much going on except a lot of kicking ourselves. Too windy for the trip to Animas. Susan Merrit went for a hike and came back with a load of skulls. Dolphin, sea lion, pelican (with beak) and, the most popular, probable feline. We hoped the next morning would be calm enough to paddle back to the village.

January 2nd the wind was strong as ever. Steve Brown went out around the point just to see, and he reported the group would not be able to make significant progress. The wind just kept picking up. We were wondering about our friend who went back to the village. We could not reach BofLA village on the VHF, but reached La Unica, actually a guest who brought his own radio, who agreed at act as a rely. This gallant gentleman had excellent comm skills and gave us a great deal of help. Boatless Paddler, stuck at the village, told us he could hire a 40 foot fishing charter boat to come pick us up. We accepted the offer, and the boat was scheduled to come at 4:00. We packed up and waited. No boat. Well, things are like that down there. More radio relay. It was chilly sitting in the wind after the sun went down. The boat said he would leave at 4 AM the next day and pick us up. That time he made it.

Wouldn't you know, January 3rd was reasonably calm in the morning. Boatless was able to hire a panga for a search. The local watermen had an idea where such things tend to turn up. We were not the first to make such a mistake. While he searched, the rest of us saw the sites - Natural History museum, and a sea turtle sanctuary - and gassed up. No Pemex, but this guy had a pump fed from barrels.

We returned to find - Success! - the prodigal boat had returned. We hit the road at 1:00 PM. We covered the tricky part of the road before dark. Everyone was feeling good, so we kept on straight for the border. Driving in Mexico, especially at night, requires alertness and concentration. We frequently rotated drivers, both within and between vehicles.

Even though the trip did not go entirely as planned, we all had a good time and came home safe. That's what makes an adventure.

Click on picture to see larger image
First Launch	Isla La Ventana	Map and Route (544 KB)	Cooking Clams at Ensenada Alacran Vickie Brown (standing), Jay Amshey, Susan Merrit (left) and Margo Roark
Wind Check - A Popular Activity	Cat? skull	Wind Shelter Built from Kayaks, Paddles, & Tarp	Gas Station Village of Bahia de Los Angeles

    Anneli Kyner