March 2, 2016, had calm to light air. While most of the boats departing Isla San Francisco headed south toward La Paz, we motored northbound a mere 16 miles up-channel. We saw very few boats in the anchorages we passed at San Evaristo (just 2), Amortajada (also 2) and Nopolo (0). As we entered our favorite anchorage at Isla San Jose's Cazadero, we spotted only one other sailboat there too. We anchored along the 25-foot contour in our usual spot: tucked into the easternmost part of the beach off of the last shelter in the panguero camp onshore. We hopped into the water to do a few laps around The Fox. The afternoon breeze increased to 13-15 knots but the anchorage stayed flat and sheltered from the NNW > N > E breezes.
Critter count: Scout bees seemed to appear immediately after we'd anchored but did not swarm us. A raft of over 30 grebes dove and bobbed around The Fox before eventually paddling off. Overnight, krill and bait fish kept busy around The Fox's hull. They looked like thousands of underwater fireflies. At sunrise and again in afternoon twilight, several oystercatchers worked the shoreline. Lots of smooth-tailed mobulus swam in the channel practicing their leaping-and-belly-flopping maneuvers.
The next day, GB hiked the nearby arroyo just east of the anchorage and encountered one beautiful cardinal. The arroyo's resident herd of goats showed off a couple of new kids. Meanwhile, I beachcombed to great success, then returned to The Fox for another refreshing swim.
The afternoon breeze and an unusual wave pattern came out of the south. Which in south-exposed Cazadero typically signifies that it is time to move on…
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