Turtle Bay
27 November 2015 | Turtle Bay
Annette
Turtle Bay
It is November 26, Thanksgiving and 9 days since we left Ensenada. Let me say, that we have literally drifted into another world, with body ,mind and soul. Life has sloooowed way down, our focus shifting from "doing", maximizing every minute of the day, to "being" in the present. I know that sounds like a cliché, but it's true. Mike and I are our own little island floating down the west side of Baja, hugging the coastline as we go. Rounding each distant point the landscape and geography present in spectacular, ever changing views, like sailing through death Valley! Each panorama is a dramatic contrast in texture and color. Looking from the boat over sparkling blue water onto the shore of black and white sand dunes, to the red volcanic cinder cones that are the foot hills, up to the white granite boulder peaks that outline the cobalt blue sky, the sight is so vast and so remote one cannot help but resign unto it's power of being in the moment.
With that said, we have covered 550 miles since leaving Channel Islands harbor, Oxnard, California. So far most of our days have been smooth sailing with our spinnaker and light air drifter.... and a lot of motoring, all really easy. One exceptional day with 20 knot winds on the beam was a sleigh ride to Isla Cedros 60 miles from our starting point, Yhee haa! One thing I've really enjoyed so far is we've been able to stop and anchor up every evening. In addition to getting a good nights rest, we don't miss any of the scenery. That won't always be the case as we make our way down the coast and move further off shore, we'll have to sail through the night on a few of those legs.
While docked in San Diego for last minute preparations, repairs and provisions we briefly met a few fellow south bound travelers. Along the way we've spotted several of those boats in route either with our AIS, sailing on the horizon or at anchor. Yesterday, Thanksgiving as we sailed into Turtle Bay ( a popular resting port for cruisers both north and south bound) it appeared that many of us had converged once again. Before we even had our anchor down we were hailed on the radio and invited to a Pot Luck Thanksgiving on the beach. What a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving, a bunch of us modern pilgrims coming a shore giving thanks for being in a new land, the sharing of community with others, good food and cerveza!