To San Carlos to San Diego and Back

September 22 – October 26, 2018

Suddenly it was the end of September and it was time to get home for Courtney and Spencer’s wedding in San Diego! (Separate post to come…) So we made our way across The Sea from BLA to San Carlos via Partida, Isla Tiburón – Bahía de las Cruces and Los Perros – and Pozo Moreno, Las Cocinas, Julio Villa, and Ensenada Algodones on the mainland.

This was our first time in San Carlos, and we were struck by how dramatic the landscapes are – lots of topography and lush desert. We did our usual walkabouts and wandering around town and, of course, hangin’ out with other cruisers. We even had a currycane party on JollyDogs in an effort to ward off what was then Hurricane Sergio. It was, as usual, quite the feast, with the highlights being the curry, compliments of Isabel on JollyDogs, and a homemade carrot cake made in the galley of Ken and Sheri on aptly named S/V Cake. Amazing noms and amazing people.

While we left FL at San Carlos, tropical storms Rosa and Sergio passed by. We were reluctant to go, but our good friends on Liahona and JollyDogs checked in on her frequently while we were gone, and all was well. It was sporty for sure, but luckily, there was no damage. We love how this cruiser community looks after one another; it gave us peace of mind knowing FL was in the hands of people who really care. Thanks, Bret and Marne and Isabel and Mark!!

When we landed back in San Carlos after the wedding, however, we discovered two of our solar panels were detached from the array; one was destroyed and laying in the cockpit, and the other – the brand new one that we’d just replaced in August – was gone. We’ll never really know what happened, only that there was no storm event that could have ripped the panels off the bimini since FL was last checked on, and even with the proper tool, the panels are quite difficult to detach. We hate to think that it was stolen, but we did hear that two outboard dinghy motors were ripped-off during the same time frame. Such a bummer. The marina, in their attempt to make things right, “credited our account” (we don’t really have an official account) a couple hundred dollars for the next time we visit them, which was a very nice gesture.

Regardless, we were happy to be back on FL, and it was time to shuffle off to the next glorious location: Puerto Escondido, back on the Baja side.