Northwest Storm Winds
Last night at about 11:00 pm, the wind picked up from the South and blew directly into Caleta Partida at about 15-18 knots producing a wave swell that made for a rocky night. As we had boats down-wind of us we needed an anchor watch overnight. Today Wednesday, the wind continued while we took in the anchor ready to head north to Isla San Francisco.
After clearing the cove and putting sea room between us and the island we set sail and with a southerly wind and a broad reach we picked up speed quickly to almost six knots. After a couple of hours the wind shifted directly behind us so we took in the Genoa let the mainsail up and continued to motor-sail north. The coastline here resembles the Grand Canyon with its layers of different rock. After four hours, we entered the bay in which there were already four sailboats at anchor and chose the best spot we could laying down the anchor in 25 feet of water on a 7:1 scope. Three of the sailboats were crowded at the base of the rocky headland on the northwest end of the bay and there was one boat between us and the southern hook of the bay upon which a solitary light tower stands.
This is considered one of the choice spots to anchor in the Sea of Cortez as the island provides three different anchorages, each good for different wind directions. From the rocky headland, a sand spit curves to the southern end and another rocky hill with a low hook of land jutting a small way into the bay. During the day more sailboats arrived and took up a selection of positions with at least five boats now south of us. Eventually, there were 14 sailboats at anchor along with two large charter motor yachts.
The calm afternoon was broken at about 8:30pm when the first blast of the ‘Northerner’ wind arrived in a series of very strong 30 plus knot gusts. Overnight the winds blew steadily in the low to mid-twenty knots with sustained gusts in the high twenties and low thirties. Our anchor watch showed that a number of the boats to the south of us were slowly dragging anchors; we along with them. All of us were getting the full blast of the northwestern wind. While ours was a very slow drift, by 5:00 am we were now the most southerly boat in the bay as the others had already taken up their anchors and moved north up the bay and re-anchored. We had drifted almost 250 yards since anchoring in the afternoon.
Thursday 03/08/2012
At 5:00 am Thursday morning with detailed instructions to Anita who, while good at handing the boat for anchoring, had not yet done this at night in 25 knot winds, we were ready. At least we had a full moon. We now also had to contend with a large power yacht that had taken up position close to the beach in the area we had originally anchored. This charter yacht was not at anchor but was moving slowly up and down the beach under power.
The deck light, steaming light and running lights were turned on to signal our intent to move. We nudged up slowly taking up rode and anchor chain until a very large ball of eel grass appeared in which was encased our anchor. We did our best to clear it including dragging the hook through the water to try and flush more off as we moved up to re-anchor. Our kudos to the large motor yacht, it had clearly understood our intention and had moved up the beach to give us space to re-anchor. Down went the hook and we finally played out 125 feet of chain and another 120 feet of rode in 25 feet of water; almost a 10:1 scope as we were not comfortable with the holding. Anita did a professional job handling the boat during this entire maneuver while I handled the business end of anchoring.
By 10:30am we had drifted back down the bay and had to move yet again. As it was now daylight, we were able to clear the anchor of all of the eel grass and moved north up the bay and closer in to the beach. The area closer to the beach had larger patches of clear sand and choosing the far end of one of these in about 17 feet of water we lowered the anchor and dug it carefully into this patch and then laid out the 120 feet of chain and another 80 feet of rode with almost a 12:1 scope. The anchor must have dug in nicely into the sand patch as we had no more problems even with the additional high wind gusts that continued hitting us all day and all Thursday night.
Before dark on Wednesday, I had made a mental note of where the other boats had anchored and as I surveyed the scene on Thursday morning, almost 60% of the boats had moved positions during the night; a veritable game of musical chairs. Clearly we were not the only ones with anchoring problems.
The highest sustained wind gust we recorded was 41.5 Knots or about 48 MPH with many others over 35 knots (40 MPH). The guide book says the bay offers good protection from wind and waves, maybe waves but not wind. I am of the opinion that the guide books refers to a time when there were less cruising sailboats and these few could get the available wind protection at the northwestern headland of the bay. This is where most of the boats tried to crowd however room is very limited. A large portion of the bay is covered with eel grass with a few open sand patches and it is only closer to the shore where we finally anchored, that there are larger sand patches and better holding.
Friday 03/09/2012
After another night and morning of strong winds the weather is finally calming down and apart from a few occasional gusts of 20 or more knots, the wind is blowing at a steady 12-15 knots allowing some people the opportunity to go ashore. The weather is supposed to calm down overnight.

It is sunny again and, we said goodbye to our new friends in La Paz and headed out to Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida. The one island was split into two by an ancient volcano and the cove formed from this event between the two islands is called Caleta Partida. A spit of sand almost ties both islands together except for a small stream that flows through the sand spit which is not navigable except by kayaks’ or inflatable boats, only then for a few hours at high tide. On this spit is a Mexican fishing camp.
On our way north we passed Caleta Lobos where we stayed a few weeks ago and Puerto Balandra which is a popular weekend beach place for La Paz Locals and is also an excellent anchorage. After Balandra we crossed the entrance of the San Lorenzo Channel with its strong currents. In the distance were Isla Cerralvo and the Cerralvo channel, all of this we had slogged through in the middle of the night to reach La Paz in early November.
Here for about five miles we had wind on the beam, from the east which provided just enough for sailing. Once we cleared the channel, the sea and wind calmed down so we continued motoring. This, the western side of Espiritu Santo consists of a series of deep bays all open to the west, each with a small sand beach. They are all great anchorages in settled and fair conditions as the bays are protected from north and east winds. However, in the summer these bays suffer from a west wind called a ‘Coromuel’ which can gust to 40 or 50 MPH from the afternoon and through the night. This is all caused by the cool Pacific Ocean air hitting the hot dry desert air of the Baja. This sets up very strong hot air uplift with the cold Pacific air rushing in from the west.
Suddenly, up ahead, we saw some bright flashes of white and silver which turned out to be Rays jumping out of the water and spinning in the air. At the distance we were from them, they had to be reaching at least six or eight feet in the air. It was quite a sight for the five three or four minute that it lasted.
With calm and warm conditions for motoring, we took a number of photographs along the way before entering the protected cove of Partida. It had taken about four hours and as we were the first to arrive we got to pick the choicest spot to anchor, which we did in about 20 feet of turquoise colored water. A little time later two other sailboats joined us in the anchorage. It was a calm sunny afternoon and we saw schools of juvenile yellow fin tuna, about 18 inches long leaving the water as groups while being chased by a large predator. The cliff above our anchorage was full of caves but they did not seem to be used by the seabirds for roosting however we did watch the Pelicans diving for a meal just feet from our boat.
It was a still night with a full moon which illuminated the entire cove and made for a very pretty night. With just a slight cool breeze; it made for a wonderful night’s sleep.
Today, Tuesday was calm until about 2:00 pm when the wind started blowing at 15-20 knots across the gap between the two islands. This lasted until about 5:00 pm when it just as suddenly stopped. Tonight there are 10 sailboats in the bay at anchor. Tomorrow we head for Isla San Francisco to sit out yet another ‘Northerner’ that is predicted to begin late Wednesday and last for three or four days. We hear there are already small craft advisories out for this storm.

Today it is Sunny with no wind.
We are just waiting out a Northerner before leaving our slip at the Costabaja Marina in La Paz for the final time. On Monday we will be heading out to Espiritu Santu and points north in the Sea of Cortez. Our next Blog entry will probably be from Puerto Escondido just south of Loreto in a few of weeks after we get Internet access again.
We have enjoyed our time in La Paz but we are also ready to move on and explore more of the islands and anchorages in this great sailing area.

Puerto San Carlos
Today, we went whale watching in Magdalena Bay which is on the Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula. We had rented a car the day before and made a three hour drive across to Puerto San Carlos and stayed overnight at a small but clean Mexican Hotel. After a hearty Mexican Breakfast, we met up with our guide, Chrispen Mendoza and set off in search of Gray Whales at 7:30 am. During the morning we saw a number of Whales in the bay however they were proving elusive especially having a close encounter. We did see a number of them broaching but only one came comparatively close and dived under our boat.
Finally, Nicholas came to our rescue. A mother with a calf called Nicholas by the local guides decided to come and play with the boats. Gray whales can grow up to 50 feet in length and it is during January and March they inhabit the many lagoons along the southern part of the Pacific Baja for both calving and breeding
Nicholas was certainly curious about us and came alongside a number of times to be petted by both of us. The skin felt like touching a well inflated inner-tube and was soft to the touch. We quite forgot to take as many photographs as we should have. So, some of the coarse ones in the picture album were frames taken from the video we shot during the close encounter.
His mother kept a close eye on all of us by doing a thing called Spy Hopping, which is using their tail to come out of the water and look around to see what is going on. She did this a number of times, it was quite an experience.
By May the whales have left the Baja lagoons and are migrating along the west coast of the US to their summer grounds in Bering Sea.

We went to see the Carnival parade which takes place during the four days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. It starts from opposite end of the Malecon each night and we picked the night that would offer the best opportunity for taking photographs. The vendors set up stalls along both sides of the Malecon and sell everything including food, clothing, religious items, beer, and even kitchen stuff. The event lasts for four nights with fireworks and other festivities occurring each night.
Everyone was in a good mood, the music was loud; the food smells tempting and many of the stalls rich in color texture and products. Families large and small lined the route with vendors working the crowd before the parade arrived. The parade lasted almost an hour and a half and consisted of at least 30 or more floats and dance groups. Everyone young and old participated in the parade and Hawaiian themes were popular. For a small town like La Paz, it was a great display and clearly many of the floats and costumes had taken time and effort to put together. Our own marina, the Costa Baja, had a float and we recognized the ladies who work in the office.
The Brazilian float had the least amount of costume attire, not surprising but fun for what is a fairly conservative town. The weather was clear and the afternoon wind had calmed down with the light holding up well for photography. There was a good police presence lining the route and they were all in good humor and enjoying the event.
Today, being Shrove Tuesday, it will be the last night of the parade and we plan on going into town for the finale but without the cameras so we can enjoy the fun.
On Thursday, we will be driving over to Puerto San Carlos on the Pacific side of the Baja to do some whale watching. It is supposed to be really good and an opportunity to get up close and personal with the Whales and their calves. It will give us a nice change and an opportunity to see the interior of the Baja Peninsula.

2012-02-18 16:04:39
Visit to Marina de La Paz

John Meyer / Sunny
imgp4096_scale.jpg
After changing the primary fuel filter and bleeding the engine we still had problems. In the meantime, we had the fuel guy Carlos over on Tuesday to look at our tank and agreed to move the boat to the Marina La Paz on Thursday Morning for a couple of nights so he could clean the fuel tank and filter (polish) the fuel that was in the tank. Wednesday afternoon, Luis arrived and worked with me for a couple of hours to see if we could fix the fuel problem. We checked the entire fuel line system and it turned out to be a partial air lock in the fuel line between the fuel pump and the engine; something that was not cleared even after doing a standard fuel line purge. After we got rid of it, the engine ran and sounded fine.

We motored down to Marina de La Paz from Marina Costa Baja on Thursday morning and both Carlos and Luis came over to work on the boat. Carlos brought his large fuel pump and filter unit which we attached to the fuel tank on Hilbre circulating the fuel at least 8 times as well as cleaning the tank. The fuel was somewhat cloudy so I did pick up some bad fuel either in Turtle Bay or Cabo. So now we have nice clean fuel as well as a clean fuel tank. We also took the opportunity to fix the fuel gauge sender unit which is inside the fuel tank so now we have a working fuel gauge once again. This was not really a problem as I know how much fuel we use in an hour and can figure the remaining fuel in the tank from tracking the engine hours. Still it is nice to have it working and not just sitting on empty which it has done since we were in LA.

Luis also came over and installed a fuel pump by-pass switch which allows us to turn on the fuel pump without turning on the ignition switch and purge the fuel lines without running the engine or using tools to bleed the fuel system. This is especially useful when changing filters as it allows us to fill the filters with fuel using the pump before starting the engine. It is nice to know that there are really good technicians here in La Paz that do good work. Both Carlos and Luis spoke good English and Carlos especially was full of great stories and information.

We arrived back in the Marina Costa Baja this morning and took some pictures on the way back, some of which I will post on the Blog. While we were in the Marina La Paz we connected with a couple (Ralph and Angie) we had met in Ensenada. We had dinner with them on Thursday night at a BBQ place and they took us shopping in their car on Friday so we were able to get lots of groceries and stock up the boat while we had transportation. We also took a walk along the Malecon Thursday evening and many of the vendors were already setting up their stalls ready for Carnival. On Friday night, we could hear the bands along the Malecon from the Marina but not loud enough to be a nuisance. However, the boats anchored out in the bay must get the full brunt of the sound which keeps going until at least 1 or 2 am.

Still, we are happy to be back in our usual marina as the slip we had at the La Paz Marina was affected strongly by the tidal current and wind, so we rocked about quite a bit. It was quite a challenge to get onto the pier against the strong current. On the way into our marina we passed one of the National Geographic Explorer small cruise boats fueling up at the marina dock.

The weather is still delightful, sunny and warm in the high 70’s or low 80’s. Wind has been light to moderate and we are preparing to head out from La Paz for more exploration of the Sea of Cortez.

We left Caleta Lobos about 9:30 a.m. and headed out intending to go to Caleta Partida on Isla Espiritu Santu however just after exiting Lobos we had issues with the engine and quickly raised sail to clear the rocky outcrop of Roca Lobos so we could investigate the problem. Engine checks were made and everything was OK so John put on his mask and dived on the boat in the 70 degree water to check the propeller in case we had picked up some rope/line but everything was clear. As the engine was continuing with issues at anything above 1,200 RPM and because we were still close to La Paz we decided to sail back to the Marina to at least have calm water and a dock to work on our problem. Engine fuel filters are the most likely cause; 90% of diesel engine problems are related to bad or dirty fuel.

We had superb sailing back to the Marina in winds of 18-20 knots slightly aft of the beam. The seas were about 2-3 feet but running behind us as we sailed under full main with a shortened Genoa. It gave us a chance to relax, enjoy some fine sailing at over 6 knots. We arrived back in the marina safely and tomorrow will be a day of engine work as all of the diesel fuel filters are checked or replaced.

During the night the wind picked up with gusts to 18 knots along with some local swell which kept us pitching about at anchor but not enough to be a nuisance. At 5:00 a.m. we started getting rain squalls along with thunderstorms which lasted for a couple of hours and was quite spectacular over the bay of La Paz. All morning it rained heavily so we decided to stay at Caleta Lobos until Thursday to see if the weather improves, although the forecast was not too good. However, during the afternoon, the weather cleared and we moved Hilbre to the eastern anchorage which was calmer, quieter and not smelly. We were treated to a fine view of a Sun Dog just as the sun was setting and managed to get some nice pictures of the cove and boats with the Sun Dog in the background.

Of course, it has been glorious, sunny and warm since we arrived back in La Paz, but when we decide to go sailing, the weather goes downhill or so it seems. Such is the cruising experience; you take the good and the bad and make do with it. We seem to be getting more than our fair share of the bad however, we are out sailing again and that is a good thing.

We left for Caleta Lobos which is a short distance to the north of La Paz and even shorter from the Marina we were in. The seven mile trip took a little over an hour and a half and dropping anchor in the northern section of the cove close to an elongated island that forms part of the protection for the cove called Isla Lobos. The entrance is protected by a rock outcrop with a single white light on it called Roca Lobos and you pass to the north or south of this rock to enter the cove. Just south of the cove are some aquaculture pens which are becoming more common in many areas of Mexico. Often poorly lit and marked they require care when sailing close to the coast, especially when entering places like Caleta Lobos.

There were already three boats at anchor in the eastern section of the cove and over the next few hours another three sailboats arrived and dropped anchor. The evening was calm but there was no nice sunset, as cloud cover had set in. We were serenaded by the many birds that live on Isla Lobos where every rock is white from their droppings and as we anchored we noticed a slight smell from this. The birds were especially noisy and along with the Sea Lions bellowing on Roca Lobos, the noise did not quit until it was finally dark.

We arrived back in La Paz on Monday. The weather has been wonderful, low 80’s and light wind. We are preparing the boat for some local sailing to take advantage of the nice conditions.

We have enjoyed time with the family and friends over Christmas and New Year and it was good to see everyone and share in the Holidays.

We will be returning to La Paz on Monday, January 30th. The current plan is to get the boat ready and stocked for continued cruising, however we want to be in La Paz for Carnival which occurs from February 16 to 21. We hear it is a great time to be in La Paz. See WEB Link on the sidebar “Favorites” for more information.

This means we will probably do some short overnight trips or day sails during the week of February 5th., and be back in La Paz for Carnival. Our plan is to head off after Carnival to Espiritu Santo (Partida), Caleta San Evaristo, Puerto Los Gatos, Isla San Francisco, Balandra and back to La Paz. That should take about 7-9 days. We will then stock up for the trip to the Mexican mainland, not sure yet if we will go to Mazatlan or directly to Puerto Vallarta.

Our plan is to push on south very quickly to Tenacatitta and Barra and hang then out there for a while. Not sure if we will go to Manzanillo but that is about as far south as we will get this season. We will then head slowly up to Mazatlan from the south as the weather warms up. We still plan on bringing Hilbre back to the US leaving La Paz/Cabo around May 1-5 which gives us a good amount of time to get back to either Long Beach or Ensenada. We are tempted to leave the boat at Marina Corral in Ensenada for June and July while we decide what to do next, such is retirement, everything is flexible.

We are returning home for a few weeks over Christmas and will return to La Paz at the end of January to continue our voyaging. We had a very pleasant month exploring La Paz and have become familiar with the location of everything. We moved Hilbre to an upwind slip which makes the cockpit easier as we get good protection from our large Dodger and Bimini. I know we will be anxious to return to the boat in January so we can move on and explore new areas of Mexico.

We have been using the marina shuttle to get to and from town which is quite unlike any other Mexican town, it is neat and clean and people have a pride in their surroundings. There is the Club Cruceros at the Marina Baja who organize events for cruisers and fund donations to local charities, they also run the daily 8:00 am channel 22 cruiser net. We joined 250 other cruisers for a Cruceros sponsored Thanksgiving dinner at the Marina Palmira, a couple of miles from where we are staying. The food was plentiful with as much turkey as you could eat.

We have taken a number of photographs in the Marina and Beach Club area. The Marina is very well maintained, if we call for anything on the VHF, we get an immediate response and usually within 10-15 minutes someone shows up to help us with whatever we had needed. There is a central sewer system and every other dock has an outlet. So instead of moving the boat or having a floating pump-out station come to us, they bring a hose, hook us up at the dock and pump. It is all very convenient. Also, we have Cable TV and Internet at the dock all of which is included, they provide the cable modem and cables for us to use. Unfortunately, the internet is currently being repaired so we are reduced to using a slow WiFi link.

Grocery shopping is fairly easy as the Marina has a free shuttle service every two hours to and from town and twice a day they go to the BIG grocery store which is on the edge of town. There is also a well stocked grocery store a few blocks from the bus station which is convenient for smaller things. On one of the trips into town we went to the Bank and both of us had a haircut. Mine cost $3.50 and Anita’s $10.00 it was an interesting affair as I had a chance to delve into speaking Spanish and the folks in the salon were full of help and humor.

Many of the streets we have walked along have beautiful overhangs of Bougainvillea and shady old trees. We did find the traditional meat and fish market which reminded me of the old Birkenhead Market before it burnt down in 1969. I felt quite at home wandering the food stalls; it reminded me of my childhood and shopping with my parents.

I bought a pocket Spanish/English/Spanish dictionary which is easier to carry that some of the language books we have on board. I can decline Spanish verbs pretty well so our Spanish is coming along OK.

La Paz was famous as a center for Pearls however today there are none left, what there was passed into history by 1941 due to a mysterious disease. Today they are trying to revive the business but it is still early to see how they succeed. It is hard to believe that in the 1880’s, La Paz was the major center of business in the worldwide pearl trade. The Spanish arrived briefly in 1534 and then again in 1535 and 1596 then things went quiet for a hundred years or so. In the meantime La Paz became a favorite hangout for English and Dutch Pirates who raided Spanish ships using local weather knowledge. The Spaniards finally established the first mission in 1720 to try and counter the Pirates and this mission lasted a number of years. It was the local ranchers who finally established the permanent town in 1811.

Last Sunday was Mexican Revolution Day and during our shuttle drive along the Malecon we passed many people in national costumes, lots of horses and events taking place to mark this important Mexican holiday. This week the bi-annual Fubar arrived at our Marina. This consisted of about 50 power boats that had started out in San Diego and end here in La Paz. This made for more of a crowd and the Marina has had some special events including a film and opera night held at their open air amphitheater.

The film night was interesting as it documented a voyage by three Balsa rafts from Ecuador to Australia in the early 1970’s. Some of the people who had taken part in this expedition were present to answer questions. The film was called Las Balsas and all three rafts made it to Australia.

It is Saturday, November 26 and another Northerner is blowing which should finish by Monday. We are currently evaluating our next steps, cross to mainland Mexico, Mazatlan or stay put in Las Paz and spend more time exploring the islands in the Sea of Cortez.

We have now been in La Paz for five days. The first three I laid low to recover from an infection. The Marina is really very nice and we are tucked away beyond the main part of the marina in an area filled with shops and restaurants. There is a health club, spa and golf course all attached to the marina. We began to explore the area on Wednesday and the services, cleanliness and operation of the marina are quite exceptional. Because of this we have decided to stay here for at least a month.

Today, we went into town which is quite unlike any other Mexican town, it is neat and clean and people have pride in their surroundings. There is the Club Cruceros who organize events for cruisers, fund money and donations to local charities and also run the daily 8:00 am channel 22 cruiser net.

We walked along the Malecon for over a half mile and no one approached us with something to sell, the only thing we saw were smiles from the people we passed.

We arrived at the entrance to the Canal de San Lorenzo about 11:30 pm. This is a particularly nasty, narrow and shallow stretch of water that should be taken with a favorable tide. It forms a slot between the mainland and the Isla Espiritu Santo. The water depth either side of the canal is over 300 feet and as the central part of the canal is just over 50 feet, the flow of water builds considerable waves either side of the entrance. All of the water to and from the La Paz Bay has to get through this narrow gap.

To add to our misery we were going to have to fight our way through this channel against the tide. There are only two lights and because of our oblique angle of approach I made a direct line for one light. This was to avoid a shoal close to our port.  By 12:30 am we were in the middle of the channel fighting the strong current.  Running the engine at 2000 RPM we sometimes were only making two knots or less. We continued fighting the current and the waves for another hour and a half before we were finally clear of the effects of the canal.

We had heard over the radio that all of the sheltered anchorages on the way to La Paz were full of boats as it was the weekend. Because of the change to the buoys making the La Paz Channel we chose to stand-off and began our runs back and forth until daylight. We added diesel to our main tank and by 3:30 am we began our stand-off runs which were to continue until 6:30 am when we finally turned towards the entrance to La Paz.

By then I was not feeling too well and as we passed the Oil Terminal we turned left and entered the channel leading to the Marina Costabaja. We finally tied up at their fuel dock as the office was not open until 9:00 am.

We had done about 120 miles since leaving Los Frailes at 2:30 am on Saturday morning so we had been travelling for over 30 hours much of it in poor conditions and we were both very tired, it had been quite an ordeal. I had come down with something and had a fever. I went below and told Anita they would have to pry me off the dock if they wanted me to move Hilbre! I had a fever of 103.

The Marina told us we could stay on the dock as long as we wanted so I slept for a number of hours. In the meantime, Anita checked us into the marina and received an assigned slip in the inner harbor. Sometime later, when I was rested we moved Hilbre to the slip in the inner harbor, tied up, connected ourselves to power and I went below to sleep until Monday morning.

We had decided to continue on to La Paz. We were up by 2:00 am and another boat had just pulled in with their deck lights on and had anchored a few hundred yards further along the reef area. They turned their lights off; we turned ours on so we could raise the anchor. A Panga approached us at high speed and it turned out to be the park police who told us we were anchored too close to the reef. After telling them that we had been here five nights and were in fact leaving, they departed.

It had calmed down overnight and we headed out into only a slight swell quickly putting two miles between us and the Pulmo reef which extends out a mile and a half from shore. We then turned north motoring gently until the sun came up. We then got a nice land breeze of 12 knots so both sails were set and we enjoyed the nicest bit of sailing since leaving San Pedro. We cruised along under sail on a nice broad reach for about three hours doing 5-6 knots before the wind quit and we had to go back to the engine. We passed some large new homes being built along the shoreline and tourism is beginning to expand in this area.

We arrived in Los Muertos at 12:30 pm. anchoring carefully in about 35 feet of water. There were a number of other boats coming and going and at least 20 at anchor. Los Muertos or Bay of the dead is protected from the north wind, but like Los Frailes is exposed to southern wind storms. It gets its name from a ship with fever aboard that was refused entry to La Paz. Most of those on board died.  Because of increasing tourism to the area the name has been changed to Bahia de los Suenos or Bay of dreams! It will still be a while before the old name disappears.

There are two hotels and restaurants at los Muertos and we were considering going shore for a meal. When we arrived the sea was very calm however by 3:30 pm the waves had suddenly increased in size and frequency, so we held off seeing how things developed. Boats were sharing weather forecasts which were contrary, so no one really knew what was going on.  We were again on a lee shore in deteriorating conditions. By 4:30 some boats were leaving, probably to move around the headland to a small shore anchorage that is protected by weather from the south.

Just before 5:00 pm we decided the rocking, which put the bow under water and then the stern swim step which then lifted water through the open transom into the cockpit was enough. As we were preparing for departure, I looked up to see a French Boat that was also leaving was very close to an Island packet, almost in danger of colliding. The boat was doing some strange maneuvers and then I saw the issue; every Captains nightmare.

A body was hanging outside the boat at the bow and holding onto the pulpit for dear life. The Captain wisely put the boat broadside on to the waves and had gone forward to help the other crew member working the anchor get the individual aboard. They did so and the person just lay there. As the anchor was stowed and the boat began to make headway, the Captain and other crew member came forward and had to drag the person who had almost fallen overboard and was obviously injured to the safety of the cockpit.

We raised our anchor and headed out behind the French boat intending to see if we had enough daylight to make it to the other sheltered anchorage.

With increasing poor weather conditions we did not make it to the sheltered anchorage we had wanted to get to which is on the north side of Los Muertos.

As nightfall had set in and the area was unmarked. We continued though the narrowest part of the Cerralvo channel with the flood tide which gave us a nice push into the Canal de Cerralvo. This is a wide channel between the mainland and the 16 mile long island of Cerralvo. Boats leaving after us hit the ebb tide and had to push their way north in the Canal. We knew it was going to be a long night!

At first we had the wind directly aft and the conditions had calmed considerably. As we moved north through the channel the wind shifted to the North East and increased to 18 knots. We tried sailing however we could not point tight enough to really make use of this and had to go back to the engine. As we began to clear the shelter of Cerralvo the wind veered to North West, on the nose with increased wave heights with a short frequency. We continued to slog it out with two other boats also heading in the same direction. It was going to be tough. We arrived at the entrance to the Canal de San Lorenzo about 11:30 pm.

By the time we awoke, another group of boats were gone this morning but a fresh group had arrived from San Jose Del Cabo the previous evening. Most of them had tried to get to Los Frailes from Cabo San Lucas on Monday or Tuesday but were forced back and put into San Jose to ride out the storm. The early morning was calm and we took the dinghy ashore to take some photographs and do some snorkeling. We took some pictures of the beach and bay showing just our footprints and no one else’s.

The snorkeling was good, with lots of different fish and various types of coral in about 20 feet of water. This was Anita’s first real foray into some serious snorkeling, and she did well. I dived down to chase the larger fish and see if I could locate any Octopus which hide under the rocks but without success. The visibility was about 30 feet near the beach and we enjoyed seeing the many different and colorful tropical fish. As you moved further away from the beach area visibility, the number of corals and the variety of fish increased. However, the wind had now swung around to the South and Los Frailes is exposed to southern wind. The surf was building on the shore so it was time to cut short our beach trip before it got too bad to launch the dingy.

During the afternoon the wind and waves increased and we had swung around on the anchor and now had our back to the rock wall of Los Frailes but about 400 yards from it. Back on the boat, we took off the outboard and lashed the dinghy to the deck, ready for an early start tomorrow or a quick getaway should this be required.  To where, we do not know as we have no fixed itinerary. Will it be Mazatlan or Bay of the Dead (Los Muertos). We will probably decide in the morning but it is time to move on, we have been here for four days.

We inflated the dingy and attached the motor so we could go to the beach. There were already some boats on the beach when we arrived and we had plenty of help moving the dingy up the beach. A number of people were snorkeling in the rock headland next to the beach and were impressed about the quality of the snorkeling.  There were a multitude of fish, turtles and other things to see. We plan on doing this tomorrow as the weather is continuing to improve. It was quite a sight, Hilbre riding at anchor in the bay and us sitting on a beach with azure blue water breaking on the shore.

 We met a number of new cruisers, an Englishman from Middleborough who had lived in South Africa for many years and another cruiser who had lived in New Zealand. We also met the lone sailor who had arrived on Wednesday. He had sailed to Cabo from Puerto Vallarta and was heading up the coast to La Paz. He has been sailing around the area on his own for more than a year. One of the other cruisers with a water maker let him take a shower on their boat. Such is the cruising community, a small band of wanderers who help each other without any expectation of a return.

For dinner, we ate that last of Georges Dorado; a fine meal as we watched new boats arrive from Cabo and drop their anchors in the now calm waters of the bay.  It’s a wonderful full moon tonight and we can sit out and watch those arrive from Cabo who got stuck there due to the blustery weather.

Well, the ‘Northerner’ did not blow itself out. Even though we awoke to a calm day, the wind quickly returned with a sinking Barometer. We hunkered down all day and no boats departed save one that prudently came back after a short foray outside the shelter of the bay. One new boat did arrive in the afternoon, healed over and driven by the wind as it tacked into the shelter of the bay. It was a young solo sailor who had struggled by himself all the way from San Jose Del Cabo in a 27′ Ericson. In the afternoon, a few boats used their dinghy to get to the beach, the first we had seen ashore.

Los Frailes consists of a big rock headland connected to a fine sand beach that curves away to the South. At night we can hear the waves breaking on the headland. The headland has some great dive sites as we see Pangas go by with diver flags often anchoring near the cliff at the very edge of the bay. It is part of the larger national marine park reef system which includes the protected Pulmo coral reef, the only one of its kind on the West Coast of Mexico

We awoke at 5:30 am to the sound of wind gusts out of the north. These increased in intensity during the day and produced steady 18-20 Knot winds with gusts as high as 28 knots. It was not a day to be exploring but one to relax and keep an eye on the anchor and its chain. We had 125 feet of chain and another 80 feet of rode out and were secure, even during the high wind gusts. Finally, about 3:30 pm the Barometer bottomed out at 1011.7 and began to rise slowly. As I write this at 8:00 pm it continues its steady rise and the wind, while still gusting, is less frequent and less intense.

It was a good day to take stock of our anchor planning. We had added 125 feet of 3/8 short link G4 HT chain to the primary 40lb CQR anchor and backed this up with another 220′ of 5/8″ rode. I had also re-spliced a thimble into the rode and used a shackle to attach this to the chain. Hilbre also carries a spare 80′ of 3/8 HT chain as well as two shorter 3/8 chains of 30 and 25 feet.  In addition we carry 220 feet of 5/8 rode, 100′ of spare 5/8 rode and another 150 of half inch rode.  Some of this is used for the spare Danforth anchor as well as the smaller lunch hook anchor.

When it comes to anchoring, nothing is too much. During the day, we watched three other boats having to re-anchor because they were dragging. One boat did so at least five times during the day and we could see that she clearly moved downwind with each passing hour. This reminded me of the walks I have taken along various docks noting the size of boat verses the size of the anchor. It has always amazed me that people skimp on anchors, often using the smallest they can get away with; not a good policy and not one that will save them in a blow.

We hope that the ‘Northerner’ will blow itself out during the night and that tomorrow we will be able to launch the dingy, go ashore, stretch our legs and do some exploring.

We hauled up the anchor at 7:10 am on Monday and were underway to Los Frailes which is about 45 miles up the coast by 7:20 am. There were three or four other boats also headed out ahead of us. We stayed about three miles off-shore following the coast with the wind directly behind us. The 10 miles of shoreline between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo is lined with buildings, mainly hotel and Condo developments.  As we passed the lighthouse near Cabezza Ballena we waved to Ken and Nancy who had come to see is in Cabo on Sunday morning although they probably could not make out our boat.  The sea and sailing were smooth with a slight swell and 5-6 knots of wind. The cruising guides said this part of the coast was protected from the north winds that can, at times, howl down the Sea of Cortez uninterrupted for hundreds of miles. Once we cleared this section of the coast, we would see how things would change.

We began to feel the effects of the wind and swells between Punta Gorda and La Fortuna. The wind increased to 12-15 knots and the seas picked up with short, sharp 6 foot swells. This combined with a 180 degree wind shift meant we were now plowing directly into headwinds with the boat pitching heavily throwing seas off her bow and occasionally slapping down hard into a trough. There is a shallow area between Punta Gorda and La Fortuna which is popular with the locals for Gringo fishing trips.  As we passed many of these small boats, we wondered how the people who had hired the boat for a day’s fishing were doing in these very choppy conditions.

There also appeared to be an issue with GPS in this area. I noticed that according to the plotter, we were approaching the shore; but I could see clearly, we were at least three miles out. Eventually the GPS told me I was driving the boat along the coastal road! For the next 10 miles or so, the GPS played tricks, sometimes I was on land and sometimes at sea. It would give me position shifts of up to 10 miles in a matter of a second or so. The GPS coordinates were just as crazy. When I plotted them on the chart they concurred with the ships plotter; we were sailing down the highway. This could have been quite disconcerting at night as there are few visual signals by which to take bearings in this area.

We slogged on all afternoon beating into the weather, finally seeing our destination in the distance. One sailboat, a Swan 44 which was going faster than us passed close by and it was interesting to see the boat pitching heavily just like us with spray billowing out from her bow and water flowing back to the cockpit.

Los Frailes is quite a prominent landmark and appears as a big hump of rock. After an afternoon of being on a hobby horse, we finally pulled into the then calm waters behind the Los Frailes headland at about 4:30 pm and anchored in a clear sand bottom at 4:45 pm. It had taken nine and a half hours to do the 48 miles; not bad considering the rough conditions.

There were at least 15 other boats at anchor and only a few more arrived after us. It was nice to be in calm conditions, ready for a good night’s sleep. We did discover later that many boats that left somewhat later than us, had turned back because of the sea conditions.

Sunday morning we said goodby to George and Carl who left to fly back to Las Vegas.

We prepared to leave the Marina for the beach anchorage. Later in the morning, we met up with Ken and Nancy with whom we spent an enjoyable hour or so swapping stories as Nancy had sailed the east coast extensively and had lived on a boat for a number of years.

We gave our keys to the Marina, fired up the engine and motored out to join some of the fleet anchored off the Cabo beach. We put the anchor down in 35 feet of water, had a swim, a curry chicken dinner and watched the sunset. The anchorage is open and between the wash from the Pangas and the personal watercraft, it made for a somewhat rocky location.

We had expected the Marina area to be warm at night however as soon as the sun set, a nice cooling breeze set in so even though we used the AC at night to dry the boat out, it was quite pleasant sleeping conditions even without AC.

On Saturday we finally received our clearance documentation and then headed to the store to provision for the next leg of our cruise. Most of the Cantinas have free Wi-Fi so we were able to access the internet and upload information and pictures to the blog as well as review our email.

Saturday evening we all went to the Baja Ha-Ha awards ceremony and Hilbre had scored third place in her division along with a number of other boats. To get a first place, you really need to sail all the way and in fact a number of boats had managed to accomplish this feat, even if it meant spending little time in the stops along the way.  Everyone received an award of some sort and a small certificate confirming their participation in the event. We now have the famous Baja Ha-Ha fish in our cabin on board.

The large megayacht in the picture is Larry Ellisons (Oracle) new motoryacht.

We are at Cabo after completing the Baja Ha-Ha. Close to our slip was a small store and I had indulged myself in an Ice Cream. We had also picked up ice so we could now have some celebratory drinks. After logging in with the Marina, we now had gate keys. George and Carl disappeared to explore the waterfront bars and Cantinas while we tidied up the boat.

Friday morning we gave the boat a good wash down to get the salt off and tidied up some loose ends. George and Carl then went off to do more exploring and apparently had fish Tacos and a bucket of beer (usually six bottles) at a number of Cantinas. Apparently, we may have not fed them enough during the voyage. I had thought we were doing them a favor, helping them to lose weight, but in one day they seem to have made up for the loss. In the afternoon, there was the Baja Ha-Ha beach party however Anita and I were not ready as we had been waiting on our clearance documentation for the boat and crew into Mexico. That evening we dined on burgers at one of the Cantinas that line the harbor.

The harbor in Cabo is small and one side is lined with cantinas selling beer and food to the tourists who come by their thousands, some staying in condos, timeshares or hotels while others arrive by one of the many cruise lines that serve the port. When we had arrived on Thursday, the only cruise ship in port was one of the Disney cruise lines which left on Friday afternoon.  For the first time, we had an opportunity to see what Cabo is like without any liners anchored off-shore. It is much quieter and less crowded.

We motor-sailed almost all the way to Cabo and it was a fine sight bringing the boat into the final port of the Baja Ha-Ha. We managed to get a slip in the Marina in Cabo however there was much confusion over which slip to use and I had to back the boat in three times to two slips  before we were finally settled in and tied up for the night.

Cabo was warm and fortunately we have air-conditioning on the boat which is a real luxury on a small sailing boat. Tomorrow will be a day of cleaning and checking in with the authorities. We had covered the 196 miles from Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo in just over 30 hours.

It is now Wednesday, November 2nd and we are at sea and heading for Cabo San Lucas. The weather has warmed up considerably and the sea temperature reads 84 degrees. We are motor sailing as the wind is too light to use the sails.

We all left Bahia Santa Maria at 7:00 am, anxious to complete the final and third leg of the Baja Ha-Ha. During the morning we caught and released two nice Dorado as we have enough fish to last us for some time. We had lost one lure so we resorted to making them out of Beer and Soda cans. The Coors Light was snatched off the line and later in the day we had a fine catch on a 7-Up can. The first was at least 5-6 feet long and gave me a heck of a fight. Just as we were about to land it, the line snapped and the lead shot, which is use to weight the line, shot back and hit me hard in the neck. I was left with a nice Hickey, just as well Anita is on the boat.

It is November 1st and we are anchored snugly in Bahia Santa Maria, a broad bay. We are about a half mile from the shore and most of the Baja Ha-Ha fleet is between us and the beach.  During the morning the head gave me new problems, this time the plunger had stopped working. George and Carl went ashore by Panga at 11:00 am to join the beach party while Anita and I stayed behind, Anita to tidy up and me to fix the head.

I was very grateful that I had brought a full box of surgical gloves with me. Disassembling a head is a messy, smelly thing and something that most boats owner eventually do, if only to service them. I had done this twice before and already knew where the problem lay. It was with a small nut behind the plunger valve that had worked its way loose and dropped off. Sure enough, as soon as I had pulled the plunger apart, the nut dropped out onto the floor. This time I added a large washer and lock washer behind the plunger so this will not happen again. By 1:00 pm, we were heading to the beach in a Panga to join in the fun.

Bahia Santa Maria is a large a sandy beach with some good surf. There is no town, the nearest is at Magdalena Bay and both bays are separated only by a spit of land.  open bay flanked at either end by a range of hills. The Bay itself consists of There is a small fisherman’s camp but no town or village. A band drives in from Cabo to play for the party and the locals put on a very fine dinner of fish, shrimp, chicken and other tasty items in a fine hearty sauce. Everyone spoke highly if the food as it was very tasty given we were in quite primitive surroundings.

To get to the beach party, the Panga had hugged the edge of the small river that flows into the bay while dodging the breakers. The fishing camp is a couple of hundred yards up the creek and the party was on a bluff overlooking the bay with a fine view.

We stayed until mid-afternoon, returning to the boat to take a swim and a siesta. Tomorrow we begin the final 192 mile leg which will take us to Cabo San Lucas.

Mid morning on Monday, we finally sighted land and by early afternoon we had turned to port and were entering a fine broad bay with the wind gusting up to 16 knots. As we approached the boats already at anchor the wind dropped to about 12 knots but there were still small whitecaps everywhere. We put the hook down at 2:10 pm and had a congratulatory drink. We had covered 253 nautical miles in a little over two days and six hours.

We have been trolling a hand line and one from the rod and reel andsuddenly had two fish on the hook. One came free as we were pulling him in. The other, we managed to land but later cut it free. We had another bite in the mid afternoon, this time George landed a nice five foot Dorado of about 30 pounds. This time we had our plan in place and the fish was soon dead and being towed behind the boat to bleed. No blood, no mess and a nice catch. We immediately cleaned the fish and commenced to saw at least 12 nice steaks off the fish. We dined on fresh fish that evening courtesy of George’s culinary expertise.

The wind continued to be fickle and we finally turned the engine on again late Sunday night, by this time we were well over 70 miles offshore.