We past the half way point between Cabo San Lucas and San Diego around midday yesterday. The sailing yesterday was really nice. It was sunny and we had a steady NNE winds which at close hauled on starboard had us laying Guadalupe Island in a day and a half. The seas were also very calm which was nice. All three of us took showers which after a couple of days in the same long underwear were overdue. We started the motor just long enough to heat some water for our showers, charge the batteries, and cool the refrigerator.

I really want to visit one last offshore island during this cruise. Guadalupe sounds really nice. It is pretty remote about 140 miles from the closest mainland. According to Charlie's Charts it only has a few fisherman, scientists, and Mexican navy personnel and is rarely visited. Supposedly there is no cash economy there but it is possible to find a brisk trade in fresh lobster for magazines, batteries, canned goods, etc. It is also home to elephant seals and great white sharks. The spearfishing world record for largest the largest yellow tail ever taken was near Guadalupe too.

Alternatively we could visit the Islas San Benitos. These three little clustered islands are not quite as remote, just 50 miles from the mainland. Supposedly it is possible to find the same trade for lobsters there and possibly abalone too.

The latter may end an easier sail for us as we were headed (wind rotated against us) in the afternoon and chose to tack in order to stay on the favored tack for our necessary stop at Ensenada to "clear out" with the Mexican authorities. We are now laying the Islas San Benitos by sometime tomorrow morning. It may also workout that the upcoming winds may be better from Islas San Benitos to Ensenada versus Guadalupe to Ensenada. Hopefully we can get more information on this in the morning.

The picture is of the Baja coastline just south of Bahia Santa Maria.