Debra and Andy
06/29/2012, Ensenada

"Bashing" is a lot like child birth (even though neither one of us has personally experienced the latter). When it is happening, you never want to experience it again, but, as soon as it is over, and with an end result which is so rewarding, you forget all the discomfort and do it again. Based upon multiple weather forecasts from different sources of a short "weather window," we chose to leave the protection of Turtle Bay on Wednesday afternoon for the last leg of our journey to Ensenada. Although it was not a perfect window (winds of single digits and waves less than 4 feet), our decision was definitely influenced by the additional forecasts of much stronger winds and higher waves that were predicted to start on Friday afternoon and last through the weekend which would have kept us at anchor at least until Monday. By leaving Turtle Bay on Wednesday afternoon, it meant that we would reach Ensenada sometime on Friday afternoon and therefore ahead of the next, forecasted blow. How easy it was to put out of our minds the discomfort that we felt bashing that last 24 hours into Turtle Bay during a good weather window and were soon experiencing some of those feelings once again once we got out of the protection of Bahia de Tortugas. The worst feeling, much like the contractions in child birth, is the bow slams (the name we have given to these events where the bow comes slamming down on the back side of a large wave, usually crashing into the wave just behind it with a loud bang and shudder which shakes everything in the boat including you). To give you an idea of the severity of the slam, it only occurs in the first 5-10 feet of the boat, but it was strong enough to take the outboard engine for our dinghy off of its mounting bracket and almost falling overboard. You don't know exactly which wave will make this happen or how frequently it will occur, although there is generally a pattern to this phenomenon. Especially during the darkness of night, you don't know which wave will cause the bow slam or not, even though you can feel the bow being lifted by a large wave. However, you cannot see what is just behind it, which is what actually causes the slam (If the waves are well-spaced, the boat simply hobby horses due to the wave action). Besides, nighttime is even more uncomfortable than daytime due to the cold temperatures in this part of the Pacific Ocean. When we are in the cockpit and on night watch, we have to bundle up with wind-proof jackets and pants, as well as hats and gloves, to stave off the low sensory temperatures due a significant wind chill factor (See cover photo without hat). Again, like child birth, you have to go through these most unpleasant events to reach that end goal, which in the case of the Baja Bash is getting home to the U.S. The distance to be traveled is around 800 miles, and your average speed is about 6 knots, so you can do the math to calculate how long we had to deal with this phenomenon. The bottom line is that it would appear that, no matter what the weather forecast is, you can count on an unpleasant journey north just about any time of year.

We are now securely docked at Marina Coral in Ensenada after successfully completing the first two, and most difficult legs of the "Bash." We are both quite tired after two nights of bow slamming, but this morning finally brought relief in the form of waves that were sufficiently spaced to allow us to gently rise and fall without pounding into the next wind wave. We even had the opportunity to sail downwind across the last 8 miles of the bay where Ensenada is located. Unfortunately, we missed the opportunity to get our Zarpe (Mexican exit papers) before Monday since the office closed at 2PM, just as we were entering the breakwater to the marina, and it is not open on the weekends. We will have to wait until Monday to take care of this formality and not leave to San Diego until Tuesday unless we can luck out and get our papers early enough Monday morning to still make it to San Diego before dark. In the meantime, we will do our best to enjoy our stay in Ensenada.

The Baja Bash

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Debra and Andy
06/26/2012, Turtle Bay

The fresh tuna was, indeed, a wonderful meal, culminating with seared Ahi tuna over salad greens. It was then time to settle in for another long night of sailing. Things went quite well with continuing, favorable winds and seas well into the following morning. However, by afternoon, things began to change for the worse. The first sign of problems to come was the presence of closely spaced, wind waves on our nose, even without the presence of winds to create them where we were. By mid-afternoon, the winds built into the mid-teens, and the waves became uncomfortable. However, this was not the worst of it. By nightfall, we found ourselves with the additional burden of a very strong (3 knot) current on our nose, dropping our forward speed by over 2 knots, ending any possibility that we could make our next anchorage, Turtle Bay, the following morning, as we had originally hoped. Even though we were already 18 miles offshore, Andy decided to tack out in hopes of getting out of the current (heading closer in was not an option due to dangerous reefs at Abreojos Point, which was the probable cause of the winds and waves). Although this did help with our progress (we managed to get far enough out to reduce the current to only 2 knots), we knew that we were in for a long night and the possibility that we might not make our destination the following day during daylight hours. We also experienced a new, mechanical problem of serious proportions. Some of you may remember about the cracked water pump strain cover which caused all of the water to leak out of our second water tank as we were heading south to start the HaHa in San Diego. Well, Andy discovered during one of his night shifts that the water pump was continuously running when he saw the power light for the pump flashing on the electrical panel at the navigation station. The gauge for the second water tank was already reading on empty, even though we had filled it with the water maker earlier that day. This was therefore an indication of what appeared to be another, serious water leak. Debra joined in for the hunt into the cause of the situation, but its source could not be found. It was not a cracked water pump strain cover, and what was really strange was that there was no evidence that the water (65 or so gallons) had gone into the bilge before being pumped overboard. We therefore went into semi-emergency mode, only turning on the water pump for brief periods as water was needed until we could detect the ultimate cause, which would have to wait until we were calmly at anchor. Lo and behold, once being in the quiet of a calm anchorage, the source of the problem was discovered-Apparently, due to the pounding that we were taking in the strong winds and waves of the previous night, the faucet handle in our forward head had somehow opened itself. We are not sure how it happened, but once it was shut off, the problem was solved, and we are again back to full use of our fresh water system. Now back to our continuing saga.

Fortunately, the winds and waves did calm down in the early morning hours, and we even had a favorable wind shift which gave us a boost around dawn for an hour or so. As we entered into the afternoon hours, the winds and waves again began to build on our nose. We knew that reaching our destination before dark was still a reality and truly essential. Turtle Bay is notorious for the presence of kelp, much of which is free-floating and therefore a motoring hazard since you cannot see it at night before it fouls your propeller. Some of you may remember an earlier blog when we caught kelp in our propeller off of Santa Barbara in the darkness of night on our return trip from San Francisco to MdR. We continued to have the current on our nose, and with a forecast of winds building into the 20+ knot range, we knew that we would likely be in for a long afternoon pounding into high winds and large wind waves. By late morning, Andy again called for a long tack to the west before the wind and waves got too strong so that, if and when they built up, we could attack them at a better angle and not impede our progress too much. This was a good call, as the winds and waves came on like a barn burner in the early afternoon. They were so strong that water would spray over the bow and come splashing onto the dodger windows at mid-ships as we hit some of the more steep waves. After tacking back in the direction of our final destination, the winds were howling, and the seas were foaming. Nevertheless, with a more favorable travel direction, we were able to reach Turtle Bay by 4:30PM, as we managed to avoid the numerous, large clumps of floating kelp along the way. After setting anchor and due to the lack of sleep during the prior two nights on the move, Andy was so tired that he fell asleep for several hours while Debra forced herself to remain awake until early evening in the hopes of having a long and continuous night's sleep. She has proved successful in her effort, and Andy joined her after writing this blog and taking a long-needed shower before bedtime.

The Baja Bash

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Debra and Andy
06/26/2012, At Sea off Baja

Our departure Friday at midnight appeared to be a bit iffy due to the fact that the winds started to blow in the Cabo marina at midday, and, according to the "Bash" bible, winds in the marina meant strong winds at Cabo Falso, the point that we would first round to head north and back to the U.S. As the day progressed, the winds did not substantially taper off, but we decided to go to sleep at 9:00PM and set the alarm for 11:30PM to see wind conditions at that time. Upon going up on deck after being awakened, the winds had substantially died down but were not totally absent. Nevertheless, we decided that we would go for it, turned the gate keys into security, cast off the dock lines, and headed to open water. Once we turned the corner out of the protected harbor, the winds began to build on our nose, and we were being squeezed between the shore and two fishing boats out for the night's catch with nets trailing. Despite the fact that the winds built into the 20 knot range, it was quite manageable, so we decided that we would round Cabo Falso and head for home.

After our first night at sea since crossing from Mazatlan back to the Baja, the sun rose behind clouds which seemed to cover the entire sky. What we have noticed almost immediately is how much cooler it is on this side of the Baja, something not unexpected but can be unpleasant when on night watch. Days, on the other hand, are quite pleasant. The bible had advised that trolling was in order as we headed north in what are described a rich, fishing ground, so we set out the fishing line at dawn. After a couple of hours, we had our first strike. Once again, we had a Dorado on the line, and this one did not get away. After landing it, Andy took on the task of fileting it on deck. We then cleaned the deck from the mess created by landing a fish, only to have a second strike-another Dorado! It was Debra's job to land this one. It was a little smaller than the first one, so we decided to spare it for a future fisherman when it grows up. Using a pair of pliers, Andy was able to grab the hook and reverse it, releasing the fish unharmed. Just after this happened, it was time for a third strike-this one on our hand line which has a very large hook. Andy brought it in by hand to reveal a third Dorado, about the same size as the first. Not being too greedy and already having enough Dorado for at least 2 meals, we were going to let it go as well, but when Andy brought it close to the boat, he noticed that the hook had gone through one of the fish's eyes, which would doom it if it were let go, so it was time for a second round of fileting and cleanup. At this point, we decided that it was a time to bring in the rod and reel lure but left the hand line in the water in hopes of snagging a much larger fish-hopefully a tuna. Debra was just coming on deck when she noticed something in the water just in front of Murar's Dream, and she went to the helm to avoid it. We passed nearby, and Andy saw that it was a large clump of seaweed. As it passed behind the boat, the lure from the hand line went taut, and Andy could see that we had our fourth fish on the line, all in less than an hour. Andy drew in the hand line to discover a nice sized Yellow Fin Tuna on the hook, so our wish came true. It meant sushi for dinner! After it was fileted, we decided that we had landed and cleaned enough frish for the day so the hand line was also secured. Debra put the tuna filets into the refrigerator for cooling and made an Asian marinade for one of the filets to be seared in a pan for dinner. She also made a batch of wasabi (thanks to Marsha who had brought us a lifetime supply of wasabi powder for exactly this purpose-Thank you Marsha!). Tonight we will feast on sashimi and nigiri (we have sushi rice which we will make) as an appetizer, followed by seared Ahi tuna accompanied by a nice salad. Who could ask for a better meal anywhere?

The Baja Bash

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Debra and Andy
06/19/2012, Cabo San Lucas

On our second night in Los Frailes, Andy was sleeping on deck to make sure that we did not drag our anchor and end up aground on the beach due to the wave action and swell coming out of the southeast and having anchored with a lee shore (the boat anchored upwind of the shoreline). At about 4AM, he felt the winds beginning to build out of the southeast which is contrary to what one would normally expect with a nighttime-an offshore breeze. Discretion being the better part of valor, we made the call to pull anchor and depart just in case this was the foreshadowing of stronger winds to come before sunrise which would make our departure much more difficult. After retrieving the stern anchor, mounting the outboard engine on the transom, and lifting and securing the dinghy to the foredeck, we raised the anchor and, with the aid of our electronic chartplotter and GPS, headed south out of the anchorage in the pitch blackness of night in this remote area of the Baja Peninsula. We motored until dawn and tried to set sail on a few occasions throughout the morning when it looked like the wind was going to build from the right direction but to no avail. It became a day of 100% motoring and motor sailing our way to Cabo. We knew that we would be arriving in Cabo on the last day of the G20 conference, so we expected some navy presence and a possible boarding as we approached Cabo. Our first encounter was with a small craft with about 8 navy personnel onboard and were told that we were too close to shore so that we had to alter course to head further out to open water. As we were doing so, we noticed three, large motor yachts which were crossing through the same area that we were ordered to vacate, so we expected them to also be diverted, but that was not to be the case. In fact, they were being accompanied by several navy patrol boats, one of which decided to approach us at high speed (see attached photo). We had some trouble communicating with them over the radio, but they simply paralleled our course, staying in between the three motor yachts and us until the yachts turned to and stopped at the area of Lover's Beach and the famous landmark of Los Cabos-the arch carved through one of the pinnacle rocks at the end of the point. It then became clear that these three yachts were transporting dignitaries from the G20, and we later learned from one of the dock personnel that this convoy included El Presidente, this being the second time that we were diverted due to his travels. However, we were allowed to fall in behind the convoy so that we could enter the harbor which was full of tourist boats being kept inside the harbor by local law enforcement until El Presidente and his entourage and guests finally departed the area. This made our entry through the narrow harbor entrance a little difficult as we had to dodge these numerous boats, but we successfully maneuvered through, stopped at the fuel dock to re-fuel in preparation of our upcoming "Bash," and finally docked at the space which we had previously reserved at the marina. After getting checked in, it was time for lunch at one of the restaurants bordering the marina and then back to the boat to take care of assorted matters which required telephone service and internet access-something we had been without since leaving La Paz. We then were able to get in a bit of exercise as we walked to the local Telcel office to re-activate our wifi service which we will need for access to current weather information during the upcoming "Bash." We ended the evening with dinner at Nick San, an outstanding sushi restaurant, returning to the boat to bring everyone up-to-date with the latest blogs. Tomorrow, we begin the process of preparing Murar's Dream for the "Bash."

The Baja Bash

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Debra and Andy
06/19/2012, Los Frailes

We left Los Muertos promptly at 8AM under motor due to a lack of wind which was mainly on the nose. The seas were calm and the air temperature was moderated by the water temperature which seemed to still be hovering in the high 70s. We chose a line which took us about 4 miles offshore in hopes that the winds would fill and rotate slightly to make sailing possible, and, sure enough, the winds clocked around to the east and began giving us a wind from the port quarter but not yet enough to push us along. We decided to throw out the fishing line to see if anything was biting, and after a few hours, we had our first "hit." When it jumped, it was clear that it was our first Dorado, but it was not to be our first "landed" one, as he got away when he bit through the leader line right where the hook attached-something that we discovered when we reeled in the lure to check for damage. It was not a very large Dorado, about 3 feet, but it sure would have made for great dinners aboard. We replaced the lure but had no more strikes for the rest of the day. We will leave Dorado country once we reach Cabo since they do not like cold water, and that is what we will have for the entire "Bash" north through the California Current. However, this will be tuna territory, and it was on the HaHa that we caught our first Yellow Fin Tuna about ½ way down. We were then escorted for awhile by a large pod of dolphins, many of whom decided to surf our nose as we broke through the water at about 7 knots under power. It was about this time that we started noticing well-spaced swells from the southeast which eventually built where, every so often, one would be about 4-5 feet in height. However, due to the lack of wind and long time intervals between the swells, they just gave us a gentle rise and fall, causing our boat speed to vary up and down by about one knot as we continued in the 7 knot range. Eventually the winds did fill in to the 8-10 knot range which allowed us to sail for about 3 hours and took us to within only a few miles of our destination, Los Frailes. The winds then decided to drop into the 3-4 knot range so it was time to crank up the engine for the final push into the anchorage. It was quite warm, so, after setting the anchor, it was time for a dip into the water which was quite a relief. Los Frailes has southern and southeastern exposure, and the swells made their way into the anchorage, along with some wind chop with a change in wind direction to the southeast, so it ended up being a night of rock and roll (not the music type) similar to what we experienced in anchorages like Yelapa. Although the winds cooperated by remaining relatively calm throughout the evening and early morning hours, this meant a not-so-pleasant night of sleeping as we should have set a stern anchor to keep the boat pointed into the swells, but that had to wait for the morning, daylight and launching the dinghy to set it properly.

We awoke Monday morning to a most unusual sight for the Sea of Cortez-overcast skies. They lasted until late morning, and then we basked in clear skies for the remainder of the day and night. Our first project for the day was to set the stern anchor since we plan to spend a second night in this anchorage before heading to Cabo due to the G20 conference which is today and tomorrow. After Andy was able to retrieve stern anchor and rode (anchor line of both chain and rope) from the port lazarette, we mounted the engine on the dinghy, placed the anchor aboard, and Andy dropped it into the water so that, when it was drawn tight, it kept Murar's Dream more closely oriented directly into the continuing swells. Debra's job was to secure the line to the aft cleat which she handled according to plan. Andy then returned to the boat and drew the line tight so that we have remained relatively pointed into the swell well into the afternoon. After completing this task, it was time to take the dinghy the few miles around the northern point of the harbor to the coral reef national park for some snorkeling. The wind cooperated in the morning so that the dinghy only had to deal with the continuing swell and minor wind chop there and back. We each took turns in the water with the other one remaining in the dinghy since you are not allowed to anchor anywhere in the park. The visibility was marginal, but we did get to see the largest variety of fishes yet on a snorkeling dive. It is the kind of place which is worth doing but not to write home about with virtually no live corals to speak of. Upon returning to Murar's Dream, it was time for some lunch and well-needed siestas to make up for the lack of sleep Sunday night. The winds did increase as the afternoon built making the temperature in the cockpit quite pleasant though it was quite warm below deck. Dinner aboard was again conducted in the cockpit after sunset-something that the heat and intensity of the sun has dictated throughout our journey to, in and from La Paz. Once we get back into the California current and predicted headwinds out of the northwest, meals below deck will likely become the method of choice. We will leave for Cabo in the morning, and it looks like the earliest window to start the bash will probably not be before Saturday. Although we have been without internet access since leaving La Paz, the last, long-term forecast for the "Bash" was for high winds and waves at least into Friday. We are prepared to wait it out for the right weather window as neither one of us wants to pound our way back to the U.S., and we are under no time deadlines which would mandate an early return. Hopefully, the coming of summer on June 21st will bring the predicted and welcomed ease in the winds and waves in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the Baja Peninsula, allowing us a reasonable trip north to MdR.

The Baja Bash

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Debra and Andy
06/19/2012, Los Muertos

Our journey back to the U.S. began in earnest today when we set off on our multiple day portion to Cabo San Lucas before starting the bash. We left La Paz and Marina Costa Baja just before 7AM in moderate, trailing wind conditions which let us sail for the first three hours all the way through the San Lorenzo Channel and into the Cerralvo Channel, generally known for its high winds due to the venturi effect as the winds funnel between Isla Cerravlo and the Baja mainland, but not today. The winds died down to about 5 knots, so it was time to crank up the diesel and motor for the next four hours until we reached the southernmost opening in the channel when the winds decided to resume sufficiently to let us again set sail. However, just before setting sail, we were treated to a nearby (within 100 ft) visit by a pair of grey whales off our port side. Our sails then took us to within a mile or two of our final destination for the day, Bahia de Los Muertos, a place that we had visited and enjoyed last November on our first trip from Cabo to La Paz. We cranked up the engine for one last push putting us at anchor alone in the bay at midday. We spent the afternoon relaxing until a large (80+ foot) powerboat joined us in the anchorage and proceeded to anchor so close to us that we had to ask them if they thought that it was too close. The reply from the man at the helm at the time of anchoring replied: "No. We have enough electronics, and we won't be here too long anyway." Well, they may have had enough electronics for their purposes, but we became concerned that, with a slight windshift, we could be tangled up in their anchor line if not coming in direct contact, so we lifted anchor and relocated about 200 feet away-a much safer distance. Sure enough, before long, the winds shifted, and, but for the fact that we had moved, we would have swung directly into them or their anchor line, either option being unacceptable. This was the first instance of truly poor seamanship we have experienced since entering Mexico, and this boat was from Newport Beach, and it was obvious from a lack of any accent that these were Californians, not the natives that we have experienced in this very friendly and inviting country for cruisers. Eventually, the boat did leave the anchorage but only just after sunset, and we were glad to have them gone from our anchorage for the night. Just before dark, we were joined by another, smaller powerboat, and they anchored well away from us in the manner that one would expect from fellow cruisers. We dined and sat on deck until well into the evening to let the cabin cool down for the night as the temperature inside was about 80 degrees and not so conducive to a comfortable night's sleep. Tomorrow we will take the kayak ashore to enjoy the resort we had found on our last visit to this anchorage. There is a restaurant, infinity pool and internet which the facility allowed us to enjoy last November, so hopefully the same hospitality will continue.

Once again, we arose Saturday morning to clear skies and calm seas. We did have a bit of a blow out of the west in the middle of the night, but the anchor did its job. We casually spent the morning aboard Murar's Dream and finally launched the kayak in the early afternoon for our paddle over to the resort. We beached the kayak and began walking up the steps to the restaurant and were greeted with new signage: "Casa Suenos Guests Only," along with a resort employee who promptly re-directed us around the main resort to get to the restaurant. Upon arriving, we sat at a nice, shaded table in the breeze blowing off the sea and had a pleasant lunch. We were able to get enough internet access to take care of a few important matters before the internet connection decided to stop working. Afterwards, we took the opportunity to play some 8 Ball on the restaurant's pool table and also tried out the table shuffleboard set. We then returned to Murar's Dream via kayak, stopping to meet the people from a large fishing boat which had anchored near us as we were heading to the resort. Although their hailing port was San Diego, they told us that the boat was out of Cabo and that they left to go fishing and avoid the crowds building for the upcoming G20 meeting which starts in a few days. This is not the first time that we have received this type of report. They did give us some recommendations of restaurants to try in Cabo. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the cockpit before going down into the salon for a game of all 5s where Debra managed to clean Andy's clock. We waited for the sun to set before dining in the cockpit as the sun was still quite intense and bathing the cockpit in sunshine until it finally set. It was then another quiet evening before turning in for the night. We will continue our journey south towards Cabo tomorrow with an interim stop in Los Frailes, the site of the only coral reef national park in Mexico. We were there in November, but the seas were a little too rough to take the dinghy around the point and snorkel the reef since you have to anchor outside the park and then dinghy in or hire a ponga. It should take us about 5 hours to reach there, and if the weather holds like it did today, we will be able to snorkel this time.

The Baja Bash

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