On route to Bahia Santa Maria
04 November 2006 | On board Volare - noon
Greg
We left Turtle Bay this morning at 0800 local time for the 230 mile ride down the Baja coast to Bahia Santa Maria. We have about 12 - 15 kts out of the north west and we're tracking across the bottom at about 7 - 8 kts. At the moment we are quite close to the coast. It is mountainous and stark - no vegetation at all. We wondered this morning why the Spanish wanted the place. The sun is out, the water is aquamarine (maybe this is why the Spanish wanted it)and the crew is on deck sunning themselves. We should arrive at Santa Maria sometime tomorrow.
Turtle Bay is a tiny little village in rural Mexico with a population of about 100 so it's amazing when 700 yachties descend on the place for two days in November each year. The bay, which is usually empty looks like a small city at night with all the anchor lights on. The school closes for the two days so the local kids can join in the festivities. Yesterday we had a pot luck beach party complete with a disco (courtesy of the local population), two beach volley ball courts countless frisbees, water baloons and even a game of touch football which was a new experience for our American friends. The background to the beach could have been a movie set for a Mars landing - absolute desert,not a sign of vegetation anywhere (we were on the other side of the bay to the village).
We are meeting more and more of the people from other boats and quite a few we will see somewhere in the Pacific as we make the crossing next year.(Keith and Susan, if you are reading this - we have met Debbie and Jeff off 'Sailors Run' and can understand how you guys enjoyed their company for so long through the Pacific. Debbie gives my Debbie a run for the money on the dance floor!). ##
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