This will be a quick catch up of our journey since leaving Turtle Bay. Photos will be following.

11/02/13
We left turtle bay on a sunny and calm morning at about 0800. We got fuel at first light and were ready to go. The winds were light and they kept changing directions until about 400 pm. Then the winds filled in from the NW at 15+ kts. We set the sails and autopilot and we're cruising along at 6-7knots. Milo made a great dinner, and we watched an amazing sunset, green flash and everything.
We continued under sail in the darkness listening to AC/DC on the stereo. We heard of lots of fish being caught, and several whales being sighted, but we missed out on both. The wind continued to blow strongly, making for a rough sleep. We finally dropped all sails and motored so that the autopilot could steer for us.

11/03/13
Milo and I relieved john and Kyle of their watch at 0200 this morning. A beautiful clear and warm evening on the ocean. We are catching up to some of the other boats and have to stay alert so that we don't cross their paths too closely. The wind has finally dropped a bit, but the seas are still bumpy and confused. We had over 20 small squids on deck when the sun came up. I picked them up and then found some more later, so apparently they jump on the boat in the light also. The wind came up strong for a few hours, dropped, then came up again at 15+ knots. We saw a group of what we think were pilot whales, as well as some high-jumping dolphins.
We tried several sail combinations and actually read the operating instructions for the autopilot. Now it works much better in big waves and high winds. Dinner was teriyaki yellowfin tuna steaks and Brussel sprouts. We are sailing in the dark with just the main up in about 20 kts of wind, so we are in for another bumpy night. We should arrive at Bahia Santa Maria in the morning. I Smelled and then found a squid in my bed blankets. Yuck!

11/04/13
Milo and I had the 0200 watch again. Winds were up again, 15-20 knots. That makes for lots of waves, a tough way to get any sleep. We arrived at Bahia Santa Maria before sunrise, so we putted around with about 15 other boats waiting for sunrise. We were finally anchored by 0800 (our third attempt, don't ask). We were all dog-tired, and everyone but Kyle hit the sack. Kyle went kayaking around the bay and even went ashore. Milo and I both logged 3 hour naps. The bay is beautiful, with the headland shrouded in bright green, thanks to recent rains courtesy of Hurricane Raymond. With no outboard motor, our travels are limited to kayak and stand up paddle boards. The ocean is just under 76 degrees. It is so nice to be in warm water. Today is a recovery day for all the sailors. Tomorrow is the famous Baja-Haha beach party, which we will be ready for.

11/05/13
Everyone got a great and much needed night of rest. Today is a bit windy. We spent the morning cleaning the boat up, trying to restore some order to the chaos. We used the local Pangueros to get to the beach party and back. The party was great, with a live band, food and interesting conversation. As one might imagine, this type of cruise attracts a wide variety of personality types. Some are self-appointed experts on everything, some have just sold everything at home, and are heading out for the first time. Some are like us, lacking in experience and time on the water, but open to new things and learning more everyday. The group is very friendly and easy to approach, so I have been picking some brains and learning lots of useful tips.
We had another relaxing night at anchor, listening to music and telling tales. Tomorrow is an early start, with the radio roll call at 0600, and the start of the last leg of the trip at 0800.

11/06/13
We awoke to a beautiful morning with very little wind. We had our second "rolling start" of the trip. That means that everybody motors at 5 knots until the wind fills in, which happened at 1000 today. Then the official start of the leg is announced and everyone shuts down their motors. We have finally put up our cruising chute (spinnaker) for the first time ever. It is huge and beautiful, in red, yellow and white (ASU colors). As I mentioned earlier, we are learning as we go. We are now spinnaker sailors!
We have had some slow days of fishing after our early success with the Yellowfin tunas. We are trolling for Wahoo and Dorado and hope to catch something tasty soon.
Well, we lost a fish, and our cedar plug, due to my bad knot tying. We actually had to motor sail for a couple hours when the wind dropped to almost nothing. The wind came up and we were able to sail again. Today we have seen jumping manta rays, and a large sea turtle. The weather is awesome, with 75 degree water and 80 degree air. Our crew has really meshed, with Kyle becoming "one of the boys", throwing and receiving jibes with us older vets. Everyone is happy and we tend to do everything by committee. Life is good.

11/07/13
Milo and I are on our last watch before we reach Cabo. It is 0230 in the morning, and we are in shorts and tee shirts. The water is now 77.2 degrees, I can't wait to go swimming. We have been threading our way through the "Haha" fleet all night. Most of the boats seem to sail faster than us (better sailors probably) during the day, but we catch them at night when we are motoring. We are all excited to make it to Cabo, and we all consider it quite an accomplishment. We can't wait to take long showers, and to sleep in a bed that is not rocking.
I'm disappointed that I have not seen any whales, as I thought they would be all around. Just before dark last night we had a pelican come swooping in looking for a place to land. I shooed him away, and his one good landing was on the solar panels, which he promptly slid off of.
Well, we managed to hook one small marlin twice, and then a large one later, as we drew close to Cabo. Kyle caught a beautiful 25-30# Dorado! We also saw a whale right near the harbor entrance. After much drama we were finally rafted up with another boat near the fuel dock. Since there is a fishing tournament going, the fuel dock was just crazy as 50 boats all jockeyed for a spot to refuel. We all cleaned up and went out for a nice Mexican meal. After a brief stay at Squid Roe, it was back to the boat for an early night.