Internet Newsletter
From
The 90 Day Yacht Club Guide to Ensenada
Volume 4 , Number 1
A true traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arrival®
FLAG FACTS
THE LARGEST BANDERA IN BAJA FLIES PROUDLY IN ENSENADA
The pole is 340.5 feet high, the flag measures 164x94 feet and weighs 551 pounds, is made out of 100% nylon and was dedicated June 21, 1997.
_________________________________________
FROM THE "BAD BOY" OF CRUISING GUIDES!
...AS LABELED BY ONE OF OUR READERS
DOCKWISE
YACHT TRANSPORTATION IS DELIVERING MANY OF THE YACHTS NOW RESIDING IN
ENSENADA MARINAS TO SATISFY THE CURRENT LAW FROM ALL PURCHASE POINTS
WORLDWIDE OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA
Since the introductory
voyage with a small load of yachts from Florida to the Mediterranean in
1989, Dockwise Yacht Transport has grown to such an extent that this year
it will add a fourth yacht carrier to its fleet. The capacity offered in
1989 was limited to one vessel transporting 7 to 10 yachts. With the
addition of the Dock Express 12 in the fall of 2002, the yacht transport
capacity increased to four dedicated vessels. The effective cargo capacity
will as such be increased 7-fold compared to 1989.
Dockwise Yacht Transport is
a service of Dockwise Shipping B.V., headquartered in The Netherlands and
specialized in heavy transport shipping. Several heavy transport vessels
in the Dockwise fleet have been modified to serve as yacht carriers for
the transportation of luxury yachts. The features of these
semi-submersible yacht carriers include spray-covers to safely accommodate
yachts, large and small, during transport. Between these spray-covers,
yachts can be loaded in impressive numbers in the carrier's dock, up to
146 meters (479 ft) long.
Over 70% of our planet is water, and most of that seawater. This is
indeed a wonderful fact for owners of oceangoing yachts. However, another
fact is that the majority of yachts do not have the range to reach many of
the world’s inviting cruising areas and international playgrounds. That
limitation has evaporated thanks to Dockwise Yacht Transport. In the early
90s the concept of safely transporting yachts on board of semi-submersible
heavy transport vessels was born. Today, Dockwise Yacht Transport is not
only the leader but also the only company that offers routes in line with
the migration habits of both power and sailing yachts of all sizes. The
expected future growth of the yachting community further enhances their aim
to improve the quality of their service that is based on safety, regularity
and reliability.
Hassle free
float-on/float-off yacht carrying services to destinations worldwide on
board of our semi-submersible yacht carriers. These yacht carriers can
load and discharge using the float-on/float-off method. After deck
preparation, installation of keelblock cradles and supports to the deck of
the yacht carrier, the vessel submerges into a 'floating marina' to a
draft required for loading the yachts. When all yachts are moored in their
reserved position the yacht carrier starts her dock operation. Once the
deck is dry, the yachts are secured to the deck and are ready for a safe
crossing. During transport, the yachts are safely stowed between the yacht
carriers' spray-covers, protecting them from the elements.
Between 2004 and 2007, America’s Cup teams pitted against each other in different countries, in various regattas (called Acts). The final Act will take place at Valencia, with the regattas of the Louis Vuitton Cup, followed by the America's Cup Match. As transport provider of the Marseille Louis Vuitton Act 1 and Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 2 & 3 Dockwise Yacht Transport has offered the America’s Cup participants a reliable and safe transport of their precious yachts and auxiliary fleet to the various locations of the pre-regattas. Not only participants but also visitors and spectators to the pre-regattas and the America’s Cup in 2007 can entrust their valuable yachts to Dockwise Yacht Transport and enjoy the comfort of shipping their yacht to the event in tip-top condition and without any hassle or wear and tear. Dockwise Yacht Transport is taking care of all the necessities, like cribbing, seafastening, formalities, etc. and transport the yacht with a personal touch.
Below is a list of destinations available
through Dockwise Yacht Transport
Mediterranean:
- Athens
- Marmaris
- Olbia
- Savona
- Toulon
Destinations in North
West Europe:
Destinations on the East
Coast US:
Destinations on the West
Coast Pacific:
- Ensenada
- Golfito
- La Paz
Destinations in the
Caribbean:
Destinations in the
South Pacific:
- Auckland
- Brisbane
- Papeete
Visit
the
Dockwise Yacht Transport website by clicking the below link;
http://www.yacht-transport.com/index.php?sid=1
Click on these photos and the following thumbnail photos on this page
and use your web browser back button to return to this page
_________________________________________
WILLY
THE BABY SEAL DECIDES TO COME FOR A
VISIT
As humans we posses many fantasies, some involving humans, others include entities from the animal world. Imagine a knock came on your beach house portal and you opened the door to find a cute and cuddly Pacific Ocean baby seal wanting to come in and stay awhile, for 3 months in this instance. Meet Willy the seal, at the door expecting to sleep with you in your bed, have you mash up his fish meals for him, and to generally accept him as a part of the family. No this child won’t grow up to go to college; the only future this sea denizen has is increasing to 600 pounds, chasing fish for dinner and other seals for fun, and lounging in the harbor on navigation buoys watching passing sea craft with an air of “why are you disturbing me?”.
This all happened at the house of Baha Mama just down the beach from her Baha Mama's Restaurant (see our September 2005 Newsletter for details about and photos of this fine eating establishment) on the sand spit strand you pass as you venture out to Punta Banda and the Bufadora. When Willy first appeared it was Profepa, the Mexican EPA who oversees the treatment and management of the ocean environment that was contacted first. Willy had been branded and tagged, so somewhere there had to be a record of the little seals existence. This was during the period of illegal human genocide on the baby seal population in the selfish interest of protecting the catch of the local fisheries during the last decade. Well, Profepa, Sea World and all the other organizations contacted didn’t seem interested in Willy’s plight or the responsibility of managing the return of Willy to the sea. This responsibility was left to Baja Mama and her family.
An idyllic and typical day during the three months of Willies stay was spent being taught how to fish in the patio fountain, see the accompanying photo of proud Willy and the first fish he caught in the fountain. This was a good sign, as Willy needed to shake the habit of expecting his fish to be mushed up and fed to him by hand from a bowl…big baby! Another daily habit of Willy’s was the afternoon nap in the sun on his blanket, head planted on pillow. Yes, this was definitely a case of seal natural habitat behavior gone awry. Oh, and yes, he had chased Baja Mama’s understanding husband, Fred, out of their bed as the Willster had established the habit of crawling into bed with his newfound Mama at night.
Something
needed to be done about this situation, as the prospect of a 600-pound
grown seal crawling into Baja Mama’s bed in the near future was not a
good one. The little guy was changing color and growing rapidly. It took
three times for the family to finally persuade Willy to leave the fold and
return to the oceanic world he had come from. The first two times the seal
had seemingly left and disappeared into the sea but both times came back
“home” and again knocked on the door for entry and dinner. The second
attempt Willy was seen playing with another seal in the surf on the beach
behind Baja Mama’s house, even this was not enough to persuade the seal
to remain offshore. But the third time this time was the charm, and the
seal was never seen again to the heavyhearted relief of the Baja Mama crew
and now seasoned seal caretakers. As you cruise the Ensenada Harbor and
bark at the seals sleeping on the navigation buoys in an effort to get
them to raise a head in distain and acknowledge your passing, you may see
a now fully-grown Willy the seal daydreaming about sleeping in a proper
bed, his blanket and pillow, and having his fish mushed up in a bowl.
WHAT
IS THE GENDER OF A COMPUTER IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE?
A
Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike
English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa."
"Pencil," however, is masculine:"el lapiz." A student
asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups,
male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether
"computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group
was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group
decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine
gender ("la computer"), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic; 2. The
native language they use to communicate with other computers is
incomprehensible to everyone else; 3. Even the smallest mistakes are
stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval; and 4. As soon as
you make a
commitment to one, you find
yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
The women's group,
however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ("el
computer"), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on; 2. They
have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves; 3. They are
supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the
problem; and 4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had
waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
The women won.
HAULING THE 72 FOOT MIKELSON YACHT CALIENTE AT BAJA NAVAL ON A CLOUDY AUGUST MORNING
_________________________________________
WHAT
IS A CACTUS?
Few
desert plants attract as much attention as the cactus. These highly
adaptable plants are rather recent additions to the plant world. There are
no fossil Cactus.
Cactus
Plants (Family Cactaceae)
Cacti are succulent
plants that live in dry areas (xeric environments). They can survive long
periods of drought (a lack of water). The name cactus derived
from the Greek word kaktos, which means prickly plant. Cacti come
in unusual shapes, sizes, textures and flower colors. Most have abandoned
leaves and unusual body shapes to prevent loss of water. Some are ribbed
or segmented and they may be covered with decorative spines, bristles or
hairs.
Anatomy
and Adaptations:
Cacti have many adaptations that allow them to live in dry areas; these
adaptations let the plant collect water efficiently, store it for long
periods of time, and conserve it (minimizing water loss from evaporation).
Cacti have a thick, hard-walled, succulent stem - when it rains, water is
stored in the stem. The stems are photosynthetic,
green, and fleshy. The inside of the stem is either spongy or hollow
(depending on the cactus). A thick, waxy coating keeps the water inside
the cactus from evaporating. Many cacti have very long, fibrous roots,
which absorb moisture from the soil. Some, like ball cacti, have shorter,
more compact roots that absorb dew water that falls off the cactus.
Instead of leaves, most cacti have spines or scales (which are modified
leaves). These spines and scales do not lose water through evaporation
(unlike regular leaves, which lose a lot of water). The spines protect the
cactus from predators (animals that would like to eat the cactus to obtain
food and/or water). Areoles are circular clusters of spines on a cactus.
Flowers bud at an areole and new stems branch from an areole.
Reproduction:
Cacti are flowering plants. The flowers produce seed-bearing fruit. Roving
and foraging bats pollinate many cactus species. The delicate flowers
usually bloom for a short period of time in the spring. Many cacti can
also be grown from broken-off parts of the plant (but the new plant will
be genetically identical to the original plant).
Habitat
and Range:
Cacti are native to the Americas (North and South America). They are
generally found in dry areas, but can be found in many habitats
(temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical), ranging from deserts to tropical
rainforests to high in the Andes Mountains.
Care Tips - Desert
cacti: from spring to autumn place them in the sunniest position. You can
place them outdoors but protected from rain. From mid autumn through
winter place the cacti in bright and cool areas. Water thoroughly from
late spring to early autumn and from mid autumn keep dry. Give cacti
fertilizer every fourteen days when new growth appears. Epiphytic cacti on
the other hand, need more water, high humidity and they do not want sun.
Do not mix or grow desert cacti with jungle ones, as the two groups need
entirely different conditions.
Varieties - There are two groups of cacti - the desert ones
(usually covered in spines), and the jungle or rainforest cacti often
without spines and most are epiphytes. There are some 200 genera and
several thousand species. They are generally small but others, such as the
old man cactus, can grow to 9 feet tall. Cacti are flowering plants and
their shapes can be spherical, pillar, cushion or candelabra.
Trivia - Desert cacti
have spines as these maximize the surface area of the plant. Often their
only source of moisture is wet mists passing through the desert in winter
and they collect water from the mists, which condense on their spines.
Two Prominent Cactus
Types
Saguaro
Cactus
Carnegiea
gigantea
(Cereus giganteus)
Range:
The saguaro is the largest cactus in the USA, commonly reaching a
height of 12 meters and an age of up to 200 years. It is one of the most
characteristic plants of the Sonoran Desert, but actually has a quite
limited geographical range, centered on southern Arizona and extending
into western Sonora and eastern Baja California (Mexico). Within its range
it can be extremely abundant, forming thick forests among desert trees and
shrubs.
Habitat:
Desert slopes and
flats, especially rocky bajadas. The saguaro is particularly common
in the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert, around Tucson and
Phoenix. One of the principal reasons for this is that the saguaro
requires a reasonable amount of water - the annual precipitation averages
-- cm in this region - and is fairly tolerant of frosts. Further south it
is replaced by other large columnar cacti, such as the cardon, which are
intolerant of frost. Further north it is limited by severe frosts. And in
the regions of lower elevation to the west it is limited by drought.
Flowers:
Creamy-white, 3-inch-wide flowers with yellow centers bloom May and June.
Clustered near the ends of branches, the blossoms open during cooler
desert nights and close again by next midday.
Description:
The magnificent Saguaro Cactus, the state flower of Arizona, is composed
of a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem, 18 to 24 inches in diameter,
often with several large branches (arms) curving upward in the most
distinctive conformation of all Southwestern cacti.
The skin is smooth and waxy, the trunk and stems have stout, 2-inch
spines clustered on their ribs. When water is absorbed , the outer pulp of
the Saguaro can expand like an accordion, increasing the diameter of the
stem and, in this way, can increase its weight by up to a ton.
The Saguaro often
begins life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which can
provide a shaded, moister habitat for the germination of life. The Saguaro
grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15
to 50 feet. The largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be
200 years old. An average old Saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30
feet tall.
The Saguaro has a surprisingly shallow root system , considering
its great height and weight. It is supported by a tap root that is only a
pad about 3 feet long, as well as numerous stout roots no deeper than a
foot, emanating radially from its base. More smaller roots run radially to
a distance equal to the height of the Saguaro. These roots wrap about
rocks providing adequate anchorage from winds across the rocky bajadas.
The slow growth and
great capacity of the Saguaro to store water allow it to flower every
year, regardless of rainfall. The night-blooming flowers, about 3 inches
wide, have many creamy-white petals around a tube about 4 inches long.
Like most cactus, the buds appear on the southeastern exposure of stem
tips, and flowers may completely encircle stems in a good year.
A
dense group of yellow stamens forms a circle at the top of the tube; the
Saguaro has more stamens per flower than any other desert cactus. A sweet
nectar accumulates in the bottom of this tube. The Saguaro can only be
fertilized by cross-pollination -- pollen from a different cactus. The
sweet nectar, together with the color of the flower, attracts birds, bats
and insects, which in acquiring the nectar, pollinate the Saguaro flower.
Unlike the Queen of the Night cactus, not all of the flowers on a
single Saguaro bloom at the same time. Instead, over a period of a month
or more, only a few of the up to 200 flowers open each night, secreting
nectar into their tubes, and awaiting pollination. These flowers close
about noon the following day, never to open again. If fertilization has
occurred, fruit will begin to form immediately.
The 3-inch, oval, green fruit ripens just before the fall rainy
season, splitting open to reveal the bright-red, pulpy flesh which all
desert creatures seem to relish. This fruit was an especially important
food source to Native Americans of the region who used the flesh, seeds
and juice. Seeds from the Saguaro fruit are prolific -- as many as 4,000
to a single fruit -- probably the largest number per flower of any desert
cactus.
Saguaros provide habitat for several animals.
While the Whitewing Dove
(whose northern range coincides with range of the Saguaro) is one of its
primary pollinators, it is the Gila Woodpecker and the Gilded Flicker who
make their home in the Saguaro Cactus by chiseling out small holes in the
trunk. The most conspicuous of these is the Gila
woodpecker, which creates many of the nest holes seen in
mature saguaro stems. Each year the woodpecker creates a new nest hole,
and the previous one is then occupied by insects, lizards or occasionally
by the ferruginous pygmy owl. The gilded
flicker also produces nest holes in saguaros.
Occasionally, the major branches of saguaros can have large twig-nests of
hawks such as the red-tailed hawk or the Harris
hawk.
For many years it has been assumed that bats are the major
pollinators of saguaros, because the flowers have all the features
characteristic of bat pollination - nocturnal opening of the buds
(although they remain open through to midday), heavy scent, copious
nectar, etc. However, studies in which individual flowers were caged to
exclude different types of pollinators in either night or daytime suggest
that bees may be the more important pollinators - at least in some study
sites. Even so, two species of bat that migrate annually from Mexico into
Arizona (the lesser long-nosed bat and Mexican long-tongued bat) depend
heavily on the flowers of saguaros, cardons and organ pipe cactus to
supply the protein (from pollen) and sugars (from nectar) that they
require during their northwards migration.
"Monstrose"
growth: Saguaros can occasionally develop in a grossly distorted
way, termed mostrose
growth. This form of growth is familiar to many people who collect cacti,
because commercial nurseries purposefully create this growth pattern for
decorative effect, by damaging the apical mersitem of the plants. One
spectacular natural example is shown in the image below. In this case the
damage might have been caused by frost but seems more likely to have been
caused by an insect or other factor that disrupted the meristem, because
the nearby plant is of similar age and has not been damaged. For whatever
reason, the interesting point is that the disruption is permanent and has
been perpetuated in all the subsequent growth. Another example of this
monstrose growth can be seen in cardon.
|
Approximate
developmental history of a saguaro |
||
|
Age |
Height |
Developmental stage |
|
10 years |
4 cm |
|
|
14 years |
15 cm |
|
|
35-40 years |
180 cm |
|
40-50 years |
2.5 metres |
starts flowering |
|
50 years |
4 metres |
|
|
65 years |
6 metres |
develops first arm |
|
85 years onwards |
7-8 metres |
mature, branched adult |
Prickly
Pear Cactus
Genus Opuntia
Prickly
pear cactus represent about a dozen species of the Opuntia genus (Family
Cactaceae) in the Mexican and North American deserts. All have flat, fleshy pads that
look like large leaves. The pads are actually modified branches or stems
that serve several functions -- water storage, photosynthesis and flower
production. Chollas are also members of the Opuntia genus but have
cylindrical, jointed stems rather than flat pads.
Like
other cactus, most prickly pears and chollas have large spines -- actually
modified leaves -- growing from tubercles -- small, wart-like projections
-- on their stems. But members of the Opuntia genus are unique because of
their clusters of fine, tiny, barbed spines called glochids. Found just
above the cluster of regular spines, glochids are yellow or red in color
and detach easily from the pads. Glochids are often difficult to see and
more difficult to remove, once lodged in the skin.
The
fruits of most prickly pears are edible and sold in stores under the name
"tuna." Prickly pear branches (the pads) are also cooked and
eaten as a vegetable. They, too, are sold in stores under the name "Nopalito."
Because of the glochids, great care is required when harvesting or
preparing prickly pear cactus. Both fruits and pads of the prickly pear
cactus are rich in slowly absorbed soluble fibers that may help keep blood
sugar stable. Prickly Pear Nectar is made with the juice and pulp of the
fruits and is available from our online store.
Range
& Habitat: Prickly
pear cactus are found in all of the deserts of the American Southwest,
with different species having adapted to different locale and elevation
ranges. Most require course, well-drained soil in dry, rocky flats or
slopes. But some prefer mountain pinyon/juniper forests, while others
require steep, rocky slopes in mountain foothills.
Description:
Most prickly pear cactus have yellow, red or purple flowers, even
among the same species. They vary in height from less than a foot (Plains,
Hedgehog, Tuberous) to 6 or 7 feet (Texas, Santa Rita, Pancake). Pads can
vary in width, length, shape and color. The Beavertail, Santa Rita and
Blind Pear are regarded as spineless, but all have glochids. In
addition to the North American native prickly pear cactus listed below,
there are many varieties, non-native imports and hybrids, so
identification can often be difficult. Information on the 15 species below
is based on wild, non-cultivated samples.
An extract of prickly pear cactus could herald
help for hangovers, quelling some of the wretched symptoms that strike the
morning after a night out. Taking a capsule of the extract before a night
of drinking and partying significantly reduced some of the symptoms of a
hangover in young adults, compared with a placebo, showed a study by US
scientists. The extract produced statistically significant improvements in
the nausea, lack of appetite and dry mouth afflicting the volunteers the
morning after they had spent four hours swigging spirits. The overall
assessment of hangover severity, based on nine symptoms, was reduced by
nearly a fifth, but this result was not statistically significant.
Cactus
Quesadilla Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
3 oz. Sliced Cactus
2 oz. Sliced Onions
1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 or 2 Japanese Chili's (minced)
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 or 2 dashes of Salt
1 package of Flour Tortillas
COOKING
INSTRUCTIONS:
2. After cactus is cooked set aside.
3. Heat Tortillas on separate grill or pan.
4. Then add cheese to tortilla. Cook until the cheese melts and the
tortilla is crisp. Then add garlic, chilis and cilantro. Salt to taste.
5. Then add cactus mixture to the tortillas. Fold in half and serve!
EL
CORRALITO, THE MARGARITA HOUSE ESTABLISHED 1966. FINE CADILLAC MARGARITAS
AND
True Traveler Publishing
Phone:
(619) 857-0368
We’re on the Web!
________________________________
McDONALD’S IN ENSENADA? YES!
________________________________
Click the link below to view and purchase our selection of True Traveler Products
