A Perfect Desert Island Day

We are sailing north from La Paz into the Sea of Cortez, and today we found the conditions we had been seeking - a perfect desert island day.
We began today much too early at an anchorage on Isla Partida - around 1 a.m., when the wind began to howl from the west, and the waves built up in our anchorage. The Captain was up checking the anchor at 3 a.m., and again at first light. Winds up to 20 knots were causing steep, closely spaced waves so that the boat was hobby-horsing (rocking forward and back, like a rocking horse). At dawn, we negotiated with the neighboring boat, who had ended up sitting just above our anchor. Eventually, they departed, and we were able to leave the anchorage as well.

The morning winds abated, and the clouds cleared away, and we were able to sail the fifteen miles or so north to Isla San Francisco. Conditions turned balmy. We anchored, then took the dingy (new outboard!) ashore for a hike on this most hikable of islands. Blue, blue sky, turquoise water, steep cliffs, mellow saltflats. Now we feel as if we are back in paradise. Cactus blossoms, interesting birds .... this might be a perfect desert island day!