The luck of the Irish

We started our St. Patrick's Day in good form - leaving Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay) in the early morning as soon as the gribs showed a calm weather window (they lied).

Just outside the bay we finally caught a fish - it being the first day we set off WITHOUT any bananas onboard (as fruit, muffins, or otherwise), having no more 'fresh' meat onboard, and having NOT stopped in town for shrimp after all: so presumably we are in good favor with the fishing spirits again. It was a BIG bonita and gave Steve a good fight as he brought it to the boat ... I was standing by with the Sailor Jerry's rum (not wanting to surrender the last of the Bacardi) to put him under (the fish, not Steve - he has been behaving splendidly!); alas the fish snobs declared Bonita "too fishy" (huh?) Besides, he was much too big - too much food for just four people; so we removed the hook and sent him back to sea.

Despite my purchase of three new lures (a new, small cedar plug that looks like a stogie;a bigger red and white cedar plug that does a wild jig in the sea - and would surely catch a few humans, based on the reactions of the crew to its motion; and the flashy purple and silver beauty we are calling 'Linda Las Vegas') in addition to an orange and pink squid from Hawaii, gifted to me by Eric (with a decidedly stupid look on its face)(LOL! once again: the lure, not Eric!), I put out my 'Lucky Lure' - a tattered old orangey thing with big eyeballs that has long lost most of his feathers. With this lure I caught a 22 lb albacore and two dorado on the 1993 Transpac, so it is old, but well-proven: last month I caught a nice dorado off the coast of Brazil with this same lure. So despite protestations that it was dodgy, I desperately sent it out this morning, and BAM! We had a hit within the hour.

With Mr Bonita returned to sea to live another day, the lures are back out ... and the crew is decked out in green sail ties (well except for Chewey: you'll have to wait for the pix to see what HE was wearing) discussing what to have for St. Paddy's Day Dinner tonight (with the quiet hope it's albacore or wahoo) ... possibly leftovers from last night's supper Chrissy made (which was awesome) or the canned corned beef and hash (please God, no! :-P) or some other delicacy our team of gourmands whips up from our amazing selection of Hecho en Mexico provisions.

It's blowing an average of 20 (not the 5-10 forecast) but offshore, so the seas aren't too choppy (for now). We're heading for the outside of Cedros Island and then north to San Diego, with the hopes of arriving Friday afternoon or evening! (And hopefully head to Fiddler's that night ;-D)

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Mom and Dad, I hope you are enjoying your corned beef and cabbage ... and Coco, I bet you are glad I'm not home to make some for you! XOXO

March 17 2010 @ 0821PST
27 47 192N
115 04 757W

PHOTO: Chrissy, Steve & Me, decked out for St Paddy's day; courtesy Chrissie with a T

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