Pacific Ocean, 50nm SW Bahía de Tortugas, Baja California

Tonight was the worst bashing so far on this Baja Bash, Bashing Level (BL) 3. Strong 20 knot-plus headwinds, steep seas, bows rising into the air, slamming into the sea, water crashing into the forward windows, streaming along the decks, foggy, less than a mile viz, cold, damp. You just want it to be over.

And it is. We’re motoring along on smooth seas,, nearly no wind, making over six knots. It is still very foggy and very damp. Intermezzo has pulled through the bashing well, a little water in an engine bilge, a squeak from a presently unknown source in the rigging, dripping wet outside, coated in dew inside. The little Yanmars are ticking over pleasantly, after muscling their way through wind, waves and a foul current.

We’ll make Turtle Bay early this afternoon, a patch of bashing still to go as we draw near. There we’ll take on fuel, dealing with the “turtle mafia” notorious for under-filling and over-charging for diesel. We’ll wait out weather, currently planning to depart just before midnight tomorrow. It’s one more gauntlet of bashing to run at the start and then it should be calmer conditions the rest of the way. We’re past the halfway mark, but the leg from Turtle Bay to Ensenada is the longest one of the Baja Bash, 290nm distance, over 50 hours underway. 

Arnstein has done a great job in weather analysis and passage planning, solid as a rock on the boat. Jimmy has remained cheerful and energetic, despite sleeping(?) in a levitation chamber at the pitching bows of the boat and dealing with mild bouts of seasickness. As tough as it’s been at times, these two guys have made it way better for me. Feeling grateful.

Baja Bash Resumes

Man O' War Cove, Bahía Magdalena, BCS

PredictWind weather routing, Mag Bay to Turtle Bay- anything not blue or green is bashing

The weather forecast is looking favorable for a departure around noon tomorrow from Mag Bay.

We've revised our passage plan to go about 50nm further on this leg to take advantage of calmer conditions towards its end. Instead of stopping in Asunción for refueling, we'll likely stop in Turtle Bay. Unfortunately there we will have to deal with the "turtle mafia" for fuel delivery and pay a higher price for diesel. But potentially avoiding 10 hours of bashing seems worth it.

This evening we had dinner with the crews of the three other boats anchored with us here in Man O' War Cove. The small restaurant in the village ashore opened just for us and served a buffet of fresh fish, shrimp and lobster washed down with Pacifico beers. We had a good time. We're all departing here within less than 24 hours of each other, so the read on the weather forecast seems pretty consistent among boats.

We had a nice time here, bobbing at anchor in calm waters. We did a little hiking with two local dogs, went on a beach run, explored a mangrove, dug clams (and ate them), checked the engines, repaired a chafed lazy-jack line, made bread, read, made phone calls, slept, napped, showered.

Now we have a two days of sailing ahead of us. There will be bashing. How much and for how long is to be discovered.

Waiting Out Weather

Man O’ War Cove, Bahía Magdalena, BCS

Fishing boat heading with us to Mag Bay

The bashing began at 10pm last night and continued at various levels until we turned into Bahía Magdalena, “Mag Bay” around noon. We’re anchored in Man O’ War Cove, off a small fishing village along with five other boats who are waiting out weather with us before continuing on the next leg of the Baja Bash.

The bashing was no better or worse than I expected. It was better doing it than imagining it. But it was a lot of bashing and there is a lot to go. It’s very tiring. Jimmy and Arnstein soldiered through their watches. I’m very grateful for their help in moving Intermezzo along. I’m also grateful for Intermezzo’s two little Yanmar diesels that thrummed along, giving their all to push through head seas the whole way here.

Nothing much stands out for me from the trip here. This anchorage is pleasant enough and it’s nice to be in flat water even when the wind is blowing.

High winds will keep us here until Saturday. Then we’re back to bashing.

Follow Intermezzo on the Baja Bash

Forgot to mention/remind that you can see where Intermezzo is and our track since leaving Puerto Peñasco at:

https://share.garmin.com/sjcox/

Click on View All when you get there. 

En Route to Man O’ War Cove

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.

Baja Bash Begins

San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur

We leave tomorrow morning at 4am. The real Bash will begin as we round Cabo Falso around 8am.

Arnstein has inspected the boat. Jimmy has been briefed. We are ready to go.

Looks like we have boisterous conditions getting around the cape, a bit of reprieve as we hug the coast heading north, then blustery winds as we approach Bahía Santa Maria.

Then we wait. Strong winds and the heavy seas they create looks like they will keep us in port for five days. We’ll anchor in Man O’ War Cove to have better shelter and more to do ashore than in Bahía Santa Maria.

I’ve not been feeling good about this passage, apprehensive. Now I’m feeling like it’s just something to get done. Safely. Make the most out of it.

Here we go.

Nice Farewells from the Sea of Cortez

Cabo de San Jose, Baja California Sur

Perhaps the Sea of Cortez knew that I was saying goodbye and was sorry to be leaving.

On Monday evening, I took the paddle board to shore and went for a long run along the curved beach of Bahía Los Frailes. I am fond of mobula rays and had been seeing them skimming the surface frequently while sailing, but none doing the aerial acrobatics that I enjoy watching. But as I ran along the beach, the mobula were leaping out of the water, twisting, somersaulting, showing their bright white bellies, flapping their wings, and landing with a big, slapping splash, as if they were waving a exuberant farewells and trying to buoy my spirits. They succeeded. Goodbye mobula, thank you.

Yesterday, the Sea gave me the gift of a nice northeasterly breeze so that I was able to sail most of the way to Cabo de San Jose. The interaction of the boat with the wind and the waves, the absence of engine noise, the simple pleasure of keeping the sails trimmed reminded me of why I love sailing. I didn’t do enough sailing on this trip, haven’t done enough for a long time, won’t be doing much on the next two legs. Goodbye Sea of Cortez, thank you.

We pulled into Puerto San Jose de Cabo in the afternoon where Jimmy was waiting at the slip and joined on as crew. He and I hit it off well from the start; good conversations, shared sense of humor and the right level of seriousness around the boat, sailing and our upcoming passage.

Now we prepare the boat and wait for Arnstein to arrive to begin the Baja Bash.  The weather is looking favorable (in a relative sense) for a Saturday night departure. Wind and waves against us, but of manageable magnitude.