SD Day 5 - Fishing Licenses

I started the day by finishing off the task of cleaning and drying the bilge. I had worked into dark the day before by pouring detergent into the bilge, cleaning the surfaces with a sponge, then flushing fresh water through it using a water hose to put fresh water in and the electric bilge pump to get the water out. After that it was a matter of sponging dry the bilge from the companionway to the forecastle.

John McKay came by at 10.30 AM to take us into the City to obtain permits for our visit to Mexico. At the Mexican consulate we were told that if we were visiting by boat we should get our permits in Ensenada, which according to our cruising guide has an efficient one-stop office where we will be able to get all of our documentation with minimum fuss.

However, John advised not to wait until Ensenada before we get our fishing licenses lest we be vulnerable while sailing through Mexican waters on the way to Ensenada. First we were taken on a drive through a charming park with Spanish-style buildings, with the San Diego Zoo near by if I heard correctly. We had lunch there at a Japanese cuisine cafe seated at an outdoor table enjoying the splendid weather.

After lunch we visited CONAPESCA, the Mexican fisheries office at 2550 Fifth Avenue, and dealt with an extremely pleasant and helpful man. Arnold and I walked out with one year's fishing license each at a cost of $48.20 per license. Arnold asked questions regarding spear fishing and learned that spear fishing is OK as long as air tanks are not used and the spear guns are powered by elastic bands and not gas cartridges.

We then visited a sort of Baja California tourist office (in Clairmont, I think) where I picked up a book describing fish found from Alaska to the Galapagos.

John dropped us off at the Police dock in mid afternoon and we thanked him for once again helping us out. We had had a pleasant outing, gotten to see much more of the city, and were very happy to have those fishing licenses.

In the evening Arnold and I watched Oliver Stone's "Alexander the Great", a film that we need to see only once.