Monday, June 8, 2020

HEADING SOUTH ON MX BAJA COAST


Monday, October 28th, day 116 Baja Naval  Ensenada, MX

I woke early today, tossing and turning for an hour or so. We have begun studying the weather and planning our departure from Ensenada. These next few legs had me a bit concerned. There was to be several long crossings in a row. It’s been a while since we’ve been underway overnight. With one week left here in Ensenada, our next stop is...

San Quintin, 108nm, 16hrs where we will be at anchor. 

Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay), 212nm 30 hours again at anchor.

John has calculated variables along the way. It looks to be 5-7 stops. He’s in favor of the longer runs, skipping some of the known anchorages. It was interesting to see what we ended up with. There were no marina moorages until we rounded the cape of the Baja Peninsula, landing in San Jose Del Cabo. We had high hopes the weather would holds up...  John changed the oil, John made water, I worked on housekeeping, organizing and provisioning.  Rob and Deanna are arriving in Ensenada today... so we will wait to greet them!

We ended up using plan B, at a slower pace. 

Sunday, November 3rd, Day 122  Ensenada, MX to Bahia Colonet  67nm  9.5 hrs





Came across John on Mystic, a Krogen Express.


Landing a couple of small tuna.














Monday,  November 4th, day 123   Bahia Colonet to San Quintin   44nm  6.5hrs
Tuesday, November 5th, day 124   San Quintin to Bahia Tortuga  188nm  27hrs



Underway with the playful dolphin always brightens your day!




In the pilot house underway overnight to Bahia Tortugas.
Instruments are dimmed to maintain our night vision.

I snuck one in with the flash on, pissing off the skipper.

Finally the full moon we were expecting rose.


The best sunrise ever is at sea, after a long night!


The Captain is asleep in the "watch" berth missing the sunrise.


Almost there. 


X marks the spot where the anchor dropped.





Greetings from other sailors.


Patches, our boat doggie longing for dry land. 


The local church in Turtle Bay.


"The" meeting place.

Our anchorage

It appears we have caught up the part of the Baja Haha group waiting out unfavorable weather.

John hoisting our Pirate flag. 

Lots of beautiful Catamarans making the run with the Baja Haha. 

Patches and I got ashore but John and the dingy did not. 


Trawler Tender "Pairadice" is in the water, however, it to to heavy to land aground.
We tried bungie and anchor options... aborted. 

Plan B for getting ashore. 
Dingy and pangas arrive at the stairs, to load and unload passengers.

Smaller dinks can go ashore. We will be looking for a second lighter dingy while at home.
Keep the large one for fishing and exploring, the smaller one for getting through the shallows. 

On a walkabout, looking for grocery.




I found another church on a walk about!


At anchor Bahia Tortugas (Turtle Bay)


A girl and her dog, happy at sea.


John's Birthday Bash. The storm has cleared, most of the "Baja Haha" (sailors) have left.
The Kuka Kuka restaurant and shops have closed.
I made arrangements with the establishment to open during lunch time the following day,
as to celebrate John's Birthday, Veteran's Day and the remaining travelers in the Pacific waters.
A special menu and brews were offered for the select few.

Meanwhile... there are no fishing licenses for shellfish in Mexico.
However, the local panga fishermen are eager to share.
Can you say, ceviche?

Ready to wait.

While waiting for the tacos... we enjoyed authentic chips and salsa.
The guys put their heads together, checking weather, charts, tides and such. 

Plenty of boats in the waters heading for Cabo and LaPaz.
Several of us decided to let them go ahead of us as to steer clear of chaos.



















Everyday brunch in the pilothouse.
Making headway to the next anchorage south.

Wednesday, November 13th, day 130 Abreojos  60nm  8.5hrs  (at anchor)



And we are on, to the next... fishing, of course!

More tuna....


and they are getting bigger....

Yellow fin tuna for dinner... and the freezer.
to be clear... there were more! Oh, happy day!

Next crossing tomorrow morning, Wednesday 11/13, day 132
Bahia Abreojos to Bahia Magdelina (Mag Bay) 170nm 24hrs  (full moon crossing!)



Full moon, fair winds!



Our Mag Bay morning escort!


Getting Patches to shore in Mag Bay.





The view from the beach dog walk in Mag Bay.

Getting Pairadice's dink ashore here was a bit easier! 


A Whale of a welcome.







Everyone contributes to the shell collection.



Happy to be on dry land. 


We met these charming kids they were play with styrofoam packing material...

...and took some time out to show us their church!

Patches and I said our prayers. 

Here comes the storm...

Our friends, Kevin and Alison at anchor, on their Hordhavn, Red Rover.
They have a weather guy and fax machine. We were "off grid",
when the tropical storm was given the name "Raymond".
 Each day they dingyed over with a map of the storms path. 

It was time for everyone heading south to stay put for a few days. 

Random white caps while at anchor. (Mag Bay)

A cache of fresh lobster was acquired and the storm party became an event!
All the mariners contributed to a pot luck of side dishes. Each tail was $5 US.




The local owners of this home left for church, allowing us to use
their property for our large group.

The meal prep is well underway. 
When the boats come in the hostesses get busy.




Damn the bad luck.

The Mag Bay buffet line.

We sailors gathered to wait out tropical storm Raymond,
before we all head farther south, heading to the Sea of Cortez...


Tuesday, May 12, 2020

ENSENADA, MEXICO


Remember, click on any picture to enlarge and scroll through that way. 



Monday, October 14th, day 102.... Fiddler's Cove on Coronado (San Diego, CA)
Got all the preparations in place for our passage into Mexico, which was scheduled for the following day. "Preparations" consisted of housekeeping, provisioning (again), fueling, pumping out and a compass swing. The compass swing was to ensure the autopilot would be ready and able for the lower latitudes, the next leg of the adventure, taking us around the cape of the Baja Peninsula to the Sea of Cortez. 

Tuesday, October 15th, day 103  San Diego to Ensenada, MX 72nm 10 hours

We displayed our quarantine flag prior to checking into customs in Ensenada.  
We spent the first night with a temporary side tie as instructed. 

We elected for the moorage at Baja Naval
so as to achieve some boat maintenance with the boat yard there. 


The Baja Naval Marina is located right on the Ensenada Malecon. 

Victor is the dock master and the American liaison who walks you through
the paperwork involved with customs and language barriers!
He was are "go to guy" for our 21 day stay in Ensenada.

Victor walked us to Mexican immigration check into Customs at AND helped us with the necessary paperwork.
There was immigration visas, banking and fishing licenses.
He never excepted any gratuity during our stay (even though we offered it many times). 

Happily welcomed in Mexico!

Morning dog walks at Plaza De La Patria, Ensenada, MX


Plaza De La Patria




The one thing about wandering about town, you will never get lost!
Find the giant flag and find your way back to the marina. 

Friday, October 25th, day 113  Baja Naval  Ensenada, MX  Slip C5


Another day. The sun rises at bit later and sets a bit earlier as well. The weekend events and music are prevalent on the Malecon (the boardwalk) and the Plaza De La Patria, the main square on the highway. Ensenada Centre (downtown) which spills over to our moorage. No one is complaining. Been here for 10 days. We are learning our way around, chatting up with other cruisers and enjoying our walkabouts and boat yard services.

Patches and I on the Malecon.

Another Mexican sunset from the dock.

Pairadice's moorage at Baja Naval, Ensenada, MX.
John picked up these solar lights that he keeps in the empty rod holders 

on the stern of the fly bridge. We received many compliments.

The evening light show in walking distance from our moorage.
The full moon was a special treat!

Late afternoon beers and tacos on the Malecon.
Evening walk about with John and Patches. 



I took the day (107) off for a walkabout to the museum and art gallery located near by.
It is the original old Mission of Worship, circa 1800. 

The lovely (original) entrance. 

The fabulous entryway you are greeted with.
The early architecture and artistry is fabulous! 



History



Pairadice, all tucked in!

Watching the travel lift at work.

We enjoyed this restaurant called Savory several times. 



The entrance to Savory is puzzling, but very fun!

Upstairs interior of a Savory opportunity. 

A couple of our Canadian friends, Mary and Ian aboard AEgis,
their 40' Nordhavn were in Ensenada when we arrived. A great opportunity for roof top dining.
We had been "leap frog hopping" with them all along the Pacific Coast.

This is next door to Savory (the restaurant). The picture is from roof top dining.
It's a deli and cheese shop. Mary and I dubbed this "hipster corner".

Patches loves the docks. She's looking like she needs sunglasses


Mexican Marines and local Policia on duty.

Sunday, October 27th, day 115.   Baja Naval,  Ensenada, MX

 The day started lazily. I walked the dog as usual. The town is gearing up for the Sunday events.  The buses, taxis, horse carriages all got lined up on the curb at the  


John made water mid morning. It ran for several hours filling the tanks. Later that afternoon, I took the dog out and caught part of the show on the bandstand. The dancers were all dressed in native costumes and painted like skeletons. They were beating drums and performing some sort of ritual dance burning herbs. Very interesting! But the feastival grounds were packed with people and the grandstand seating was full. The numerous vendors were busy selling there wares. 

This giant is made of paper mache".


Local performers celebrating the Day of the Dead.


I snuck a pic of the Mexican Marines on duty. 




Another dinner, out and about with Ian and Mary.

Patches and I out for a paddle while John changed the oil. 

Waiting for the Uber ride back to the marina with our provisions.
Carry on the plan of the day. 
Just before leaving we met up with friends, 
John on Mystic, a Krogen Express, heading in to Ensenada. 
We caught back up with them later in LaPaz. 

Our last Ensenada sunset!
On to the next...


Depart Sunday, November 3rd, day 122, 2019 Ensenada to Bahia Colonet....
We will be at anchor heading down the Pacific west coast of the Mexican peninsula of Baja, 
for approximately the next 20 days. We will stops at several anchorages along the way.