East Cape - A winter wonderland
Capt. Mark Rayor
January 26, 2017
Buena Vista - Saltwater Fishing Report
East Cape - A winter wonderland
Came in the house yesterday after a day working on our boats and found Jennifer had the fireplace stoked up. Exhausted, I plopped down on the couch, pulled my feet out of my flip flops and laid them on the coffee table to warm. Gazing out the window onto the Sea of Cortez I could see the parade of sea life and pelagic birds that never seems to end. First to catch my eye were frigate birds hovering over what appeared to be jack cravelle busting bait. A few moments later more to the North were schooling mobula rays jumping like popcorn. Sitting back very content and appreciative of where I live I caught a huge splash in the distance of what was most likely a humpback whale breeching.
I have said it a million times and will again the Sea of Cortez is magnificent and one of the most prolific bodies of water on our planet. Yes, the parade never ends. Whales, porpoise, rays, schools of bait and feeding gamefish are common sights from the shore everyday. Every morning walking the beach I also see a variety of pelagic and exotic birds. It is not uncommon to watch frigate birds and osprey hunting and feeding together. Pelicans, herons, seagulls, cormorants and the list goes on. This action is everyday not just once in a while.
Last week the buzz was of tailing marlin, dorado and sierra mackerel. This week the north wind has taken over and there have not been any departures for a couple of days. Forecast is for the wind to continue so I'm going to continue to work on boats and watch the parade.
So.. in 2016 our boats fished hard and in the course of it all they suffered quite a bit of cosmetic damage. We always immediately take care of any mechanical issues but the show must go on and sometimes the cosmetics have to wait for winter. Looking at some of the work to do was overwhelming. Pondering a course of action I called my good buddy Captain Ron in Florida.
Captain Ron Bastron and his wife Marilyn were some of our first new friends when we moved to Baja in 1991. Ron was a SCUBA instructor and certified Jen and myself to dive. He was also a master with a paint sprayer and fiberglass repair. One day his boat rolled over in a storm and was destroyed. Marilyn became pregnant and they decided it was time to move back to the US. Through the years we have remained close. Captain Ron knows when I call in the winter time it is most likely for advice and instruction to do a repair. He usually laughs at my frustration, teaches me new tricks and sends me in the right direction.
This year was different. We had serious work and really needed help. It didn't take much coaxing to get the Bastron's to come for a visit. I sent photos of the work that needed attention and Ron compiled a list of materials needed.
Holy smokes! This was one of 2 benches loaded with the materials.
Ron arrived and a crew of 5 of us started sanding, tapping and following the master's instruction. The transition in our boats from looking a little tired to new again happened before my eyes.
Before
After
Before
After
We busted our hump for 12 days straight. In the end Jen Wren received a complete cockpit restoration, Jen Wren III a complete hull restoration plus all the other little bumps and scrapes that were bugging me were repaired.
One thing I can say for sure is Captain Ron still has it. I can't thank him enough for taking the time to come make our fleet look beautiful again.
In 3 weeks we will be going on the road to exhibit Jen Wren at the Pacific Coast Sportfishing show at the Orange County Fair Grounds. The following week it will be in Long Beach at the Fred Hall show. It is common knowledge that our boats are all Accurate. For the PCS show we have gotten the scoop. Stay tuned, next week I will let the cat out of the bag.
A winter wonderland for sure!
Mark Rayor
teamjenwren.com
markrayor.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing
US cell 310 308 5841
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