Yesterday's departure from Ensenada was pretty uneventful, under overcast skies, calm seas & minimal wind. We wanted to make sure we got underway ahead of the minor storm system that was due to hit SoCal Fri night, though, plus it was time to get this cruise going for real! So far we've motor sailed until about two hours ago when we finally got enough wind to maintain our speed under sail at between 5.5-6.5 knots, but at least the engine has been taking us southward and we are now about twenty miles off shore entering Bahia Viscaino well below San Quintin. Our next way point is Isla Cedros before Bahia Tortuga. Last night we dined on BBQ steaks with baked potatoes, a veggies side, bread and wine while the full moon peeked through from behind partial cloud cover. Temps were in the fifties, so it made for comfortable night-watches, dry decks again and warmer temps. The two nights in Ensenada were good for catching up on lost sleep from all the long days and late nights of preparations getting ready to go and projects, but we are really on our way! Sometimes I have to pinch myself!!

We are still out in front of the weather system that is coming down behind us, but it is looming. The weather grib files indicate continuing good conditions for us through to Bahia Tortuga, although we may get a little wet, we'll see. It is clear out ahead maybe we'll get there first! Our watches are working well, Marisa takes 2100-2400, Mark 2400-0300 and I'm on 0300-0600 when Marisa relieves me. Mark and I have shared most of the cooking, most not all, and Marisa is jumping in there with the clean-up. We have had dolphin with us off and on for hours, several whale sightings, flukes and jumping to boot! We are healing at 15 degrees, I'm on watch sitting in the cockpit writing this with the nearly full moon rising over the Baja Peninsula and the sun setting into the Pacific. Mark is making a curry dish with fish and vegetables for dinner and Marisa is down for a nap. We got a little bit done on our projects today but not at the same hurried pace of the past weeks, maybe we are mentally entering manana land! We are settling into life aboard. Did I tell you what a great chef Mark is? This will be sent remotely from our Iridium phone so no photos, but soon.