10nm SW Punta Pescadero BCS, Pacific Ocean
We left Puerto San Jose del Cabo in the dark at 4:30am this morning to begin Leg 1 of the Baja Bash to Man O’ War Cove in Bahía Magdalena. We timed our departure to have calmer conditions as we rounded the notorios Cabo Falso at the tip of the Baja California peninsula. Well, to be honest, Arnstein timed our departure and he hit it right on the money.
There was nice northeasterly breeze blowing as we headed southwest to the cape during my watch, so I even got to sail for an hour or so. A final goodbye present from the Sea of Cortez, perhaps. As we approached Cabo Falso, the wind coming from the Sea was overpowered by the wind coming from the Pacific Ocean, veering rapidly clockwise around us to blow from the northwest. The temperature dropped precipitously and I was glad I had put on long pants and a fleece top.
We motored against 13 knot winds with gusts to 18 but the seas were two feet or less and not steep. Bashing Level (BL) 1. Way better than I had feared.
As we rounded the cape, the wind dropped, the wave period increased and we continued under overcast skies in comfortable conditions that have continued. This afternoon it has warmed up a bit, too.
Crew seems happy and comfortable. We are working a “threes and sixes” watch schedule, three hours on watch, six hours off. It is downright luxury after sailing 710nm singlehanded from Puerto Peñasco. Intermezzo is running nicely, clean and organized.
The forecast has me expecting relatively comfortable conditions (BL 1, periods of BL 2) until perhaps until late tomorrow morning. But then the wind will start piping up and we’ll likely see true speeds in high teens, gusts in the 20’s and steep seas, moderate bashing (BL 3) maybe worse. The sooner we can turn into the shelter of Bahía Magdalena, the better. We’re making good speed at over six knots which helps.
