We left Sa
n Diego November 4th, preferable to stay for the election outcome but the forecast and the winds were good to go south, therefore we headed out. Right out of the sheltered waters from the big San Diego bay we got into totally confused seas with about 12+ kn of NW wind. In the afternoon the wind once again got lighter and lighter, and our speed was down to 3 kn. By 9:30 PM we started the engine since we were determined to get to Ensenada for the night. At 11 PM we finally dropped anchor in the harbor basin next to a pile of dilapidated fishing boats with barking seals.
Next morning after breakfast we moved into the marina to be greeted by another cruiser with the whole scoop about the checking and cle
aring in, and the great news about the election outcome. It took us all day to do the necessary paperwork since we also had to find an agent for boat liability insurance, which is mandatory for Mexico. We have heard about it before but couldn’t believe it. So well!
Another overnight sail brought us to Bahia San Quintin, a big bay. We had good wind until about 5 AM. As we were coming in two boats were heading out. After a days rest we did an over night to Turtle Bay. We had strong winds, up to 30kn and where sailing with just the reefed head sail going 6.5 to 8 kn. As one knows about every seventh wave is bigger, and just one of these, and even bigger washed over the boat so that we had about 1 ft. of water in the cockpit. We forgot to close the starboard side aft cabin porthole, and one big gulp of water came in to soak the port bunk. Quickly we folded up the blanket and sheets to safe the mattress from the wetness. As the wind got lighter and lighter we unfurled the head sail completely. The motion was getting more comfortable, and we got hungry so we decided to prepare breakfast. Since the wind vane was doing all the steering Peter came down to have breakfast too. We sat down at the table with fresh lattes from our espresso machine and soft boiled eggs. Suddenly the wind picked up with violent gusts. The boat started to round up since there is now way to much sail area for the wind vane to handle, and everything flew across the table on the floor. Peter was able to hold his cup and egg but I wanted to pick up the salt shaker, and at that moment lost the cup and eggs to the floor, where the mug went to pieces. Peter immediately went on deck to shorten sail and get back on course. Just 15 min. later the wind again died down, and we had an uneventful finish to Turtle Bay.
Instead of blowing up our dinghy we used a local panga taxi to bring us to shore to scout out the village, and have the laundry done (wet bedding etc). There were a few small stores, and we found fresh lettuce and avocados.
The morning we left, we managed to drive over a trap buoy. They are every where and one has to be on watch all the time since some of the buoys are very small. Sometimes they’re hard to see if the sun shines right in your eyes. Peter stopped the engine right away but we still got caught. Now what! Peter opened the flour boards, and turned the driveshaft manually back and forth. Unbelievably we got free, and were again on our way south.
After the morning shake up we had a wonderful sail with the spinnaker for about 2 hrs. The wind picked up, the spinnaker comes down, and just with the head sail we go about 6.5 – 7 kn. with the wind from behind. The motion is rolly - polly but we make good progress. As always we drag a fishing line, and this time we landed a beautiful yellow tail tuna on the boat which gives us several meals. With sunset the wind died, and we power the last bit to the anchorage with me standing on the bow keeping a worried lookout for trap floats. We made it, and by 8:30 PM drop the anchor in Bahia Acuncion. The following day during the next leg to Punta Abreojos we had to start out under power, then had a wonderful broad to beam reach sail. While reading in the cockpit we heard a big splash. Looking out we saw a group of humpback whales breeching and waving. It was so exciting to see them. Again under power we enter this anchorage just after sunset.
To the next destination, Punta Pequena San Juanico we started out under engine but then had a nice beam to broad reach sail with 10 – 15 kn W-SW wind. Again we not quite made the anchorage by daylight, and dropped the anchor in the beginning of this big bay.
Next day we moved closer in as well. There were two more sailboats, and one big mega power yacht at anchor in this very beautiful bay. After inflating the dinghy we went ashore. Surprise the main road is a real boulevard with fancy street lights, a median with palm trees, and real side walks. But the rest of the streets are the usual dirt and dust. We hiked out to the point (Punta Pequena), passed some fancy vacation homes behind fences or beautiful crafted walls. Going through a ca
mp ground with quite a few campers, or surfer dudes we enjoyed a lunch in the nice cantina overlooking the bay.
Another uneventful same kind of an overnight trip brought us to Bahia Magdalena by daylight, 160 miles NW of Cabo San Lucas. Mag Bay, so called by the yatistas, is a huge enclosed body of water almost as large as SF Bay. We decided to head up to Puerto San Carlos and followed the narrow channel for about 8.5 miles. By that time it was 2PM, and we were to tired to inflate the dinghy.
After a good nights rest we felt ready for town. The port captain wanted to see our papers, which we had with us, and made us pay a small fee, who knows for exactly what. After that we were free to go. We walked the dusty road to the Mercado to get a few groceries and fresh veggies..
By the time we headed back to the boat, a westerly wind was blowing, making the anchorage rather rough. So we pulled up the anchor, and moved to this lovely spot, and anchored in 4ft. of water next to the narrow strip of land separating Mag Bay and Bahia Santa Maria.
It did not take us long, and we went to shore to hike the sand dunes and the salt water wetland. We found beautiful desert flowers in bloom.
We left Bahia Magdalena at 6:30 AM on Friday morning under power with flat seas. Later in the afternoon we were able to hoist the spinnaker, and did about 4.5 kn. Beautiful sailing but short lived, then already after 3 ½ hrs the wind died down again, and after packing the sail away we were under power once more. The night was dark, and we saw some other boat lights around us, traveling the same way. Always very eerie are the appearing monstrous cruise ships lighted from top to bottom, like a city.
Approaching Cabo Falso we were kind of greeted with a whole fleet of speeding motor yachts to get to the fishing spots. The flat sea turned to be very rough just by all
the wakes from the racing boats. At 11 AM Saturday we round the famous rocks to witness now first hand the changed image of Cabo San Lucas. That big empty beach we saw in 1980 as we where there with our first sailboat is now built up with hotels, and condos. This coming January it is 29 years since we were anchored here. What an enormous change. This quite little town with just a few hotels became a tourist heaven for sport fishing and cruise ships. There are certainly not a whole lot of cruising sailboats here.
We drove into the marina to get fuel, and then headed out again to anchor of the beach. It is a bit rolly here from all the jet skis, water taxis and other boat traffic but not unpleasant, and actually fun to watch after weeks of solitude.
n Diego November 4th, preferable to stay for the election outcome but the forecast and the winds were good to go south, therefore we headed out. Right out of the sheltered waters from the big San Diego bay we got into totally confused seas with about 12+ kn of NW wind. In the afternoon the wind once again got lighter and lighter, and our speed was down to 3 kn. By 9:30 PM we started the engine since we were determined to get to Ensenada for the night. At 11 PM we finally dropped anchor in the harbor basin next to a pile of dilapidated fishing boats with barking seals.Next morning after breakfast we moved into the marina to be greeted by another cruiser with the whole scoop about the checking and cle
aring in, and the great news about the election outcome. It took us all day to do the necessary paperwork since we also had to find an agent for boat liability insurance, which is mandatory for Mexico. We have heard about it before but couldn’t believe it. So well!Another overnight sail brought us to Bahia San Quintin, a big bay. We had good wind until about 5 AM. As we were coming in two boats were heading out. After a days rest we did an over night to Turtle Bay. We had strong winds, up to 30kn and where sailing with just the reefed head sail going 6.5 to 8 kn. As one knows about every seventh wave is bigger, and just one of these, and even bigger washed over the boat so that we had about 1 ft. of water in the cockpit. We forgot to close the starboard side aft cabin porthole, and one big gulp of water came in to soak the port bunk. Quickly we folded up the blanket and sheets to safe the mattress from the wetness. As the wind got lighter and lighter we unfurled the head sail completely. The motion was getting more comfortable, and we got hungry so we decided to prepare breakfast. Since the wind vane was doing all the steering Peter came down to have breakfast too. We sat down at the table with fresh lattes from our espresso machine and soft boiled eggs. Suddenly the wind picked up with violent gusts. The boat started to round up since there is now way to much sail area for the wind vane to handle, and everything flew across the table on the floor. Peter was able to hold his cup and egg but I wanted to pick up the salt shaker, and at that moment lost the cup and eggs to the floor, where the mug went to pieces. Peter immediately went on deck to shorten sail and get back on course. Just 15 min. later the wind again died down, and we had an uneventful finish to Turtle Bay.
Instead of blowing up our dinghy we used a local panga taxi to bring us to shore to scout out the village, and have the laundry done (wet bedding etc). There were a few small stores, and we found fresh lettuce and avocados.
The morning we left, we managed to drive over a trap buoy. They are every where and one has to be on watch all the time since some of the buoys are very small. Sometimes they’re hard to see if the sun shines right in your eyes. Peter stopped the engine right away but we still got caught. Now what! Peter opened the flour boards, and turned the driveshaft manually back and forth. Unbelievably we got free, and were again on our way south.
After the morning shake up we had a wonderful sail with the spinnaker for about 2 hrs. The wind picked up, the spinnaker comes down, and just with the head sail we go about 6.5 – 7 kn. with the wind from behind. The motion is rolly - polly but we make good progress. As always we drag a fishing line, and this time we landed a beautiful yellow tail tuna on the boat which gives us several meals. With sunset the wind died, and we power the last bit to the anchorage with me standing on the bow keeping a worried lookout for trap floats. We made it, and by 8:30 PM drop the anchor in Bahia Acuncion. The following day during the next leg to Punta Abreojos we had to start out under power, then had a wonderful broad to beam reach sail. While reading in the cockpit we heard a big splash. Looking out we saw a group of humpback whales breeching and waving. It was so exciting to see them. Again under power we enter this anchorage just after sunset.
To the next destination, Punta Pequena San Juanico we started out under engine but then had a nice beam to broad reach sail with 10 – 15 kn W-SW wind. Again we not quite made the anchorage by daylight, and dropped the anchor in the beginning of this big bay.
Next day we moved closer in as well. There were two more sailboats, and one big mega power yacht at anchor in this very beautiful bay. After inflating the dinghy we went ashore. Surprise the main road is a real boulevard with fancy street lights, a median with palm trees, and real side walks. But the rest of the streets are the usual dirt and dust. We hiked out to the point (Punta Pequena), passed some fancy vacation homes behind fences or beautiful crafted walls. Going through a ca
mp ground with quite a few campers, or surfer dudes we enjoyed a lunch in the nice cantina overlooking the bay.Another uneventful same kind of an overnight trip brought us to Bahia Magdalena by daylight, 160 miles NW of Cabo San Lucas. Mag Bay, so called by the yatistas, is a huge enclosed body of water almost as large as SF Bay. We decided to head up to Puerto San Carlos and followed the narrow channel for about 8.5 miles. By that time it was 2PM, and we were to tired to inflate the dinghy.
After a good nights rest we felt ready for town. The port captain wanted to see our papers, which we had with us, and made us pay a small fee, who knows for exactly what. After that we were free to go. We walked the dusty road to the Mercado to get a few groceries and fresh veggies..
By the time we headed back to the boat, a westerly wind was blowing, making the anchorage rather rough. So we pulled up the anchor, and moved to this lovely spot, and anchored in 4ft. of water next to the narrow strip of land separating Mag Bay and Bahia Santa Maria.
It did not take us long, and we went to shore to hike the sand dunes and the salt water wetland. We found beautiful desert flowers in bloom.
We left Bahia Magdalena at 6:30 AM on Friday morning under power with flat seas. Later in the afternoon we were able to hoist the spinnaker, and did about 4.5 kn. Beautiful sailing but short lived, then already after 3 ½ hrs the wind died down again, and after packing the sail away we were under power once more. The night was dark, and we saw some other boat lights around us, traveling the same way. Always very eerie are the appearing monstrous cruise ships lighted from top to bottom, like a city.
Approaching Cabo Falso we were kind of greeted with a whole fleet of speeding motor yachts to get to the fishing spots. The flat sea turned to be very rough just by all
the wakes from the racing boats. At 11 AM Saturday we round the famous rocks to witness now first hand the changed image of Cabo San Lucas. That big empty beach we saw in 1980 as we where there with our first sailboat is now built up with hotels, and condos. This coming January it is 29 years since we were anchored here. What an enormous change. This quite little town with just a few hotels became a tourist heaven for sport fishing and cruise ships. There are certainly not a whole lot of cruising sailboats here.We drove into the marina to get fuel, and then headed out again to anchor of the beach. It is a bit rolly here from all the jet skis, water taxis and other boat traffic but not unpleasant, and actually fun to watch after weeks of solitude.
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