Sailing Intermezzo: Long Day Yesterday, Marina Today

Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur

Yesterday we sailed for 12 hours and 64nm, dropping anchor after 7pm in Punta Chivato. It was a long, tiring day. The anchorage was not very comfortable last night and some strong winds are suggested tonight, so we headed straight to the marina in Santa Rosalía. We're squeezed into a slip with a monohull, only a couple of feet between boats.

We weighed anchor in Caleta San Juanico yesterday at 7:20am and motored in calm conditions until 11:30am when the wind got up and then enjoyed five hours of sailing all the way to the anchorage on the south side of Punta Chivato.

When we arrived, the wind was blowing from the northeast and the swell was from the southeast, resulting in steep waves and very unpleasant conditions. The two boats anchored there were rolling 20 degrees or more each way. I didn't relish cooking dinner and sleeping in such conditions, so decided to try the anchorage on the north side of the punta. Though exposed to the wind, the point would provide some relief from the swell.

It was cloudy, breezy, chilly and the day was dimming as we motored around the point. I felt dreary and alone as I arrived in the anchorage, the name of which, Ensenada El Muerte (Death Cove), doing nothing to cheer me up. A colorful pastel sunset helped, though, and I was pleased with my decision to anchor here as conditions were much better than on the other side of the point. The boat rocked slightly as I cleaned up, cooked and ate dinner, and took a hot shower. I ended a long day with a generous pour of Scotch and some chocolate.

During the night, the direction of the swell shifted north and so, by early morning, the boat was rocking and rolling uncomfortably. I didn't waste any time drinking my morning coffee and getting the boat ready to go, weighing anchor at 8am and heading for Santa Rosalía. We had a nice brief sail on a beam reach as we passed by Isla San Marcos, but then the wind backed and became fickle, so we motor sailed on a close reach the rest of the way.

We arrived in the marina just after noon and I backed gingerly into the slip with some help from the marina staff tending lines. It's nice to be in an affordable marina again. Supply, demand and inflation has made dockage in Mexico quite expensive, around $100/night for Intermezzo, more than most marinas we've stayed at in the US. The government-owned marina here is only $29/night. I like that price better.

I'm going to stay here at least through tomorrow to do some re-provisioning, try getting a haircut, and do some boat chores. When I leave will depend on the weather suggestions. The next passage to Bahía San Francisquito is a long one, 73nm and I would prefer favorable conditions. Definitely no bashing.

We are at Stop #4 on our trip to Puerto Peñasco, about a quarter of the way there. So far, so good.