The winds toyed with us, what started as a day motoring turned into motorsailing then the winds reach just high enough for us to shut off the engine. Slipping through the water a 3.5 knots we didn’t have a care in the world. For five minutes. The winds promptly dropped and along with it our speed – 3 knots, 2.5 knots, 1.5 knots, 1 knot. Ugh. Back on came the engine and we puttered our way to Yellowstone beach. With a nice calm night forecast we set down near a past anchoring location however the sand here gets moved around with the summer storms and that spot was now close to rock. To ensure we stayed over a sandy bottom we had to adjust our position a few hundred meters. I took note that this anchorage is a thin layer of sand over rock, no bueno in a strong wind.
Snorkeling was on our agenda, so in went the mask and flippers and off we went to the reef on the northwest corner of the island. It was a nice snorkel with some larger fish and cool rocks to swim around and glide over just a few inches below our bodies. There was a pretty strong current pushing us, so before we were too tired we started the push back. Wow was it noticable swimming against the current and a bit tiring but it was the cold(er) water that really kicked our butts. Not as bad as in Agua Verde but enough to make us thankful for towels when we climbed up the sharp volcanic rock for our walk back to the dinghy.
It was to be a special night with a bonfire on shore, so the rush was on to get dinner made, pack everything up and to get a fire started before sunset. It wasn’t fancy but the chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and reheated vegetables. However it tasted great while sitting next to a warm fire. A beautiful, peaceful evening listening the fire crackle and watching the flames flicker on the yellow bluffs surrounding us. As the firewood dwindled we poured water on the coals and covered sand over hiding any trace of our night. Magical is the best adjective to describe the evening.
The next morning we paddled back into shore. The benefit of the nearly full moon was larger tidal swings which allowed us to walk the entire length of the beach (probably a few miles). It was fun squeezing through holes in rocks and weaving through rock caves. Interesting how the composition of the beach and cliffs changes, from yellow limestone, to volcanic, to hard rock. Julia went about shell collecting and struggling to decide which to keep and which to bring home. Damn those airline weight limits. The sky was beautiful and as tempting as it was to stay another night, north we headed to Salinas on Isla Carmen.
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