Puerto Refugio, Baja California
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| Middle Bight Anchorage, Puerto Refugio |
I began the first leg of my San Francisco Bash yesterday, slipping Intermezzo's ducklings in Puerto Peñasco at 11am and heading south towards Los Cabos. a sailing distance of 570nm away. I need to get to Los Cabos by June 4th to meet my crew for the second and most difficult leg of the trip up the Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula. I'll be moving along with purpose over the next 10 days to meet Robin in La Paz and take a little break before more than a month of sailing uphill against wind and waves.
Intermezzo is anchored in Puerto Refugio, where we were exactly one year ago on the way north. We sailed 110nm yesterday and last night to get here. I'm single-handing, so no sleep on overnight passages requiring today to be a much-needed rest day.
As I have come to expect, the wind was on the nose most of the way here. Fortunately, it was a very light wind with calm seas. No bashing, but the newly serviced engines and sail drives got a good test run.
Three boats past me last night on a reciprocal course, all heading to the Cabrales Boatyard to haul out for the summer and hurricane season. The yard was already getting crowded when I left. I don't know how they are going to fit more boats in.
I enjoyed watching a SpaceX rocket streak across the night sky, but missed the descent of the re-usable engine because I had to dodge a fishing boat that seemed determined to intersect my course.
At 1am the wind shifted west, blowing at 10 knots. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to actually sail. I clambered up on to the cabintop to prepare the main for hoisting, only to discover that the topping lift was fouled in the lazy jacks and the two-part main halyard was twisted. I worked in the dark by myself on the mildly pitching deck getting things sorted out and 40 minutes later, raised the main, followed by unfurling the jib. The wind blew continued to blow for another five minutes and then, just like that, it was gone. I spent the next 20 minutes dousing the sails and cleaning up lines. It was chilly and damp out, so I was wearing foulies over a down jacket while sitting on watch. All my work getting the sails up and down resulted in me being very hot and sweaty. In my sailing past, I would have felt frustrated and angry. Instead, I just chuckled and accepted things being just as they are. I'm a much happier sailor now.
I spent today mostly resting. Tomorrow we push off early for Puerto Don Juan.
