WE ANCHORED IN BAHIA SANTA MARIA AT 6:30PM AFTER ABOUT 33 HOURS AT SEA. WE FOLLOWED ANOTHER HAHA BOAT, ESCAPADE, INTO THE ANCHORAGE. AS WE ENTERED THE BAY THE SUN SET ANDE WE WERE A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THE NUMEROUS LIGHTS IN THE BAY. WE CLLED ESCAPADE AND THEY GAVE US DIRECTIONS TO THE ANCHORAGE. THE LIGHTS WERE ON A SPORTFISHING MOTHERSHIP, WHICH LOOKED TO ME LIKE A LIT UP AIRCRAFT CARRIER! APPARENTLY, SPROTFISHING BOATS TAKE CLIENTS OUT DURING THE DAY, THEN THEY RETURN TO THE LARGE MOTHERSHIP WHICH HAS ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME.
11-3-2009 AFTER A DAY OF REST THE LOCAL PEOPLE PUT ON A BEACH PARTY FOR US--COMPLETE WITH A LIVE BAND AND HOMEMADE SHRIMP TACOS--ALL FOR A REASONABLE PRICE. THE HIGHLIGHT FOR US WAS SITTING IN THE SHADE, HAVING A PACIFICO, AND TALKING IN SPANGLISH TO A LOCAL COUPLE. IT WQAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME--EVEN THOUGH WE GO SOAKED GOING OUT THROUGH THE SURF ON THE DINGHY.
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NOTICE: THERE IS A LACK OF PHOTOS FOR THIS LEG AS MY DIGITAL CAMARA GOT SOAKED IN SEA WATER DUE TO THE ROUGH SEAS!! IT IS TOAST!!
WE LEFT TURTLE BAY AT 9AM. THE BAJA HAHA FLEET STARTED AT 11AM--BUT WE WANTED TO GET GOING, AND WE ARE NOT REALLY RACING. AFTER MOTORING FOR AWHILE, THE WIND CAME UP AD WE HAD A GORGEOUS DAY OF SAILING WITH A SHORTENED MAIN (ON THE SPINNAKER HALYARD) AND THE STAYSAIL. WE HAD TRIED TO HANK ON THE GENOA BACK IN TURTLE BAY, BUT THE WIND WAS TOO STRONG. WE CAUGHT A 25LB YELLOW FIN TUNA SOUTH OF TURTLE B AY ON A BLUE/SILVER LURE. iT WAS CALM ENOUGH THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BAR-B-QUE THE TUNA FOR DINNER AND HAD TUNA SALAD FOR LUNCH THE NEXT DAY. WE HAD ENOUGH TUNA LEFT OVER THAT WE GAV3E A BUNCH TO OUR FRIENDS ON OLD MOON ( A HYLAS 49' THAT WAS IN THE SLIP NEXT TO US IN VENTURA).
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BY THE WAY - SPEAKING OF SLEEPING, YOU MAY WONDER WHAT WE DO AT NIGHT WHILE AT SEA. WE ARE STILL WORKING OUT A WATCH SCHEDULE THAT IS GOOD FOR US, BUT FOR NOW WE START A 2 HOUIR ON - 2 HOUR OFF SCHEDULE AT 8 P.M. TO 8 A.M. CRUISER'S NOTE: WE BOUGHT A TIMER AT DOWNWIND MARINE IN SAN DIEGO CALLED A 'WATCH COMMANDER'. AFTER TWELVE (YOU CAN SET YOUR OWN TIME) MINUTES A RED LIGHT BLINKS FOR A LITTLE WHILE - THEN A BUZZER GOES OFF - THEN IF YOU DO NOT HIT THE RESET BUTTON A SIREN GOES OFF THAT WOULD WAKE THE DEAD! WE USE A TIMEX MARATHON TIMER DURING THE DAY - A GENTLE BEEPING. BUT, AS ONE OF OUR CREW HAS SLEPT THROUGH THAT BEEPER (NOT NAMING NAMES) WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE WATCH COMMANDER.
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10/26/2009 OUR ADVENTURE BEGINS!!!!
WE ARE PART OF A PARADE OF 190 SAILBOATS PASSING A BOAT OF PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS OFF SHELTER ISLAND. SHERRY AND I ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE FINALLY STARTING OUR "ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME"!!! WE HELD BACK AS WE REALLY ARE NOT RACING ANYONE, BUT WE SOON HAD OUR ASYMMETRICAL SPINNAKER UP AND WERE PASSING OTHER BOATS.
AFTER THAT NIGHT AT SEA WE ANCHORED IN BAHIA SAN QUINTIN FOR A NIGHT. THE GRAND POOBAH (BAJA HAHA ORGANIZER) RECOMMENDED WE DO SO AS THERE IS A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH BRINGING HIGH WINDS AND HIGH SEAS. AFTER WE LEFT SAN QUINTIN WE GOT HIT WITH 35+KNOTS OF WIND(GALE FORCE) AND 15 FT SEAS FROM THE NORTHWEST. OUR MAIN HALYARD SHEAVE BROKE AND THE HALYARD PARTED SO WE LOWERED OUR MAIN. THE FURLER FOULDED ON THE GENOA SO WE HAD TO LOWER IT AND LASH IT TO THE DECK - ALL THE WHILE WE BOTH ARE ON THE FORE DECK GETTING SOAKED. WE MOTORED ALL NIGHT TO TURTLE BAY AND WE THANKED GOD WE GOT THERE SAFELY.
THIS WAS A BAJA HAHA FOR THE RECORD BOOKS. WE HAD THE ROUGHEST SEAS AND WINDS THEY HAVE EVER HAD. MULTIPLE BOATS HAD GEAR FAILURE. SOME BOATS GOT TANGLED IN LONG LINES (MEXICAN FISHING GEAR) AND LOBSTER POTS AND HAD TO BE HELPED FREE. AND ONE BOAT, J-WORLD, WAS ATTACKED AND SUNK BY WHALES OFF SAN QUINTIN! THEY HAD TO ABANDON SHIP, GET INTO THEIR LIFE RAFT, AND WERE PICKED UP BY A US COAST GUARD HELICOPTER ! SERENITY, SHERRY AND I WERE BRUISED AND A LITTLE BATTERED, BUT WE MADE IT TO TURTLE BAY. THE WIND STILL BLEW HARD FOR THE THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS WHILE WE WERE ANCHORED IN TURTLE BAY -- BUT WE COULD SLEEP IN OUR AFT BED AND IT WAS PEACEFUL.
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HOPEFULLY, THE FIRST OF MANY GORGEOUS SUNSETS AT SEA. SURE BEATS WORKING!
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PT. LOMA AT OUR STERN.
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