A rough passage
20 April 2020 | Bahia Tortuga, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Eric

Arrived yesterday morning in Bahia Playa Maria after an overnight sail
from Bahia Tortuga. We Sailed out of Bahia Tortuga with two reefs in the
main and jib. We had a nice day of close hauled sailing in building
winds to the Canal de Dewey, a tight spot between Isla Natividad and the
mainland. We turned the motor on for some insurance in the tight spot of
the Canal and passed through it just at sunset. Then the motor was
turned off as we expected to sail until the wind dropped in the lee of
Isla Cedros and then motor through the night. Instead, the wind
increased and we decided to reef the main to the third reef. The third
reef clew got caught in the lazy jacks, so we had all-hands-on deck and
used the motor for steerage while we get that sorted. We motor sailed
the rest of the night in 20+ knots and 3 to 5 foot seas. They were
somewhat confused so there was minimal sleep by all hands as they were
tossed about in their bunks. By morning the wind had moderated and the
seas were smaller and more consistent. The wind was on our beam rather
than our nose for the first time in two weeks. It was perfect sailing
weather so we made one 4-hour long beam reach at 6 knots across the
Bahia Vizcaiya to Playa Maria, arriving here around noon. Playa Maria is
an uninhabited beach protected by a bight. As usual, we're staying on
the boat.
The wind is expected to be quite strong for the next two days, so we
plan to sit at anchor until 4/22. 4/23 is predicted to be sailing
weather and after that it's predicted to be calm for a while. With our
current fuel state we can motor through the calms.
We've been isolated from anyone other than our crew for 3 weeks, and
only been getting some summaries of the news via emails from our kids
We're beginning to make plans for our arrival in San Diego in about a
week, and thinking about what happens next.
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