It seems sometimes like it`s calculated. Anchorages along the coast can only be entered in the daylight if you can put in a full day at 8 knots of speed. A 32ft sailboat doesn`t go 8 knots consistently so you are always battling entering anchorages in the dark, something that is strongly advised against and for good reason. It`s generally scary and confusing. Much better to leave an anchorage you are somewhat familiar with in the dark so there I was creeping out of Shelter Is, San Diego in dense fog at 5am just before sunrise. Single handing. Fog horns droned and the sounds and glow from the city filled the air. I really wanted to get into Ensenada before dark. The gods were looking out for me, a vision I will never forget as a cruise ship and myself almost became one. Wow was that close. One should learn by his close calls. The most underrated tool in fog I believe is your vhf radio. Hello is anyone out there? but it was 5 in the morning. After collecting myself I made the passage to Ensenada and yes arrived in the dark, creeping in through fishing boats and lots of traffic. Were any of them dragging nets? Creeping inside the breakwater with the lights and sounds of the city making it all tense, I found a nice spot to drop the hook. I was in Mexico. Poking my head out in the morning revealed a different world than BC or US west coast. An old Mexican laid out nets near Demelza with a flock of sea gulls keeping him company. You could tell he was a regular at this; trying to get something to eat: I would not eat anything taken from that water. Shortly after, a visit from the gendarme informed me I was not allowed to anchor there. They were decent about it. That explains why there were no boats there. Soon after contacting the marina I was able to get in the last remaining slip. Four days later I was checked into mexico after jumping through a lot of hoops all with a language barrier present. Seemed bad at the time but really not that bad. On average the officials were pretty patient with this Gringo. Baja 1000 motor bike race was on so lots of crazed American and Mexican young bikers around generally with a number of young women hanging on them. Cervezas flowed. Hung out with Jason and Christine off s/v Lotus from Denver. They were heading north returning from the Carribbean.