Ensenada to San Diego

We decided to rent a car from Hertz to make a road trip to the U.S. of A. to visit the kids and Katie our dog. Little did we know what we were in for at the border. I have sailed past the border a few times now but this was the first time by land. Once we were thoroughly turned around in Tijuana we asked directions and found the on ramp to the border and the Sentri lane. Debbie is fluent in Spanish and did not know what this meant but we were fully educated very soon. There was no exit from this lane even if we wanted to. The line moved relatively fast and soon we where talking to the C.B.P (California Border Patrol). We where promptly chastised for being in the wrong lane and sent directly to the full search line. The Officer who greeted us lacked any sense of humor and promptly threatened us with a $5,000.00 fine for getting in the wrong lane. The Sentri lane is for people who cross the border daily and have been subjected to background checks and have a special I.D. Well, we did are best with the yes sir’s and no sir’s and cooperated with the search. Let’s just say The Mexican border patrol was much nicer even when they searched us. The house was in good shape on our return and was sporting a new billiards table in the front room. Katie was healthy and we received good reports from the neighbors although the gardener seemed to be on strike

The return trip turned into an epic affair which I will try to relate to you now. We made it all the way to the grapevine with only two close calls of cars trying to side swipe us. The second one sent me on to the rumble strip but otherwise we faired well or so I thought. We arrived at rush hour. I know, great planning right. Another motorist honked and pointed to the rear tire. I found the nearest exit and began a dialect with Siri for the nearest gas station. A word to the wise, DON’T listen to her. She is bat shit crazy! She wants to see that tire go flat. Once we pulled in to the station I tried to air up the tire but it was beyond hope as a loud hiss began. So what do you do at 5pm In L.A. with a Mexican rental car with a flat? Hertz of Mexico, although of the same name and sign as U.S., is an entirely different company. OK how about plan C. across the street was Ortega’s tire shop. You know the type where you can find second hand tires with no questions asked. Yes I did the unthinkable. When the tire was removed and it was noted that the tire had a previous patch on the sidewall I pleaded with the guy to just re-patch it. He said it wasn’t safe and proceeded to try and find a replacement. When he came up empty, he went for it .To his credit he succeeded. We found a Best Western and called it night not wishing to attempt a border crossing at night. Clearing into Mexico went well. The border patrol were very courteous and they just wanted a look at are folding bikes that were in the back seat. The trip from the border to Ensenada was no less trying. There was a major bike ride from Rosarito to Ensenada with thousands of riders. The main road was closed and we where diverted to secondary roads that where very congested. When we finally arrived at the marina the finish line kept us from actually being able to enter the Marina.

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We looked forward to returning stateside and found our weather window. We proceeded to clear out of the country. Cruise Port Marina is by far the best marina in Mexico. Not the most modern or the newest, but their staff are the most helpful. A special shout out to Enrique who helped us with the paper work and secured our zarpe. I must also give a heart felt thanks to locals Gary and Spike who lent me a fuel polisher rig that allowed me to empty the port tank and clean out some algae and unplug my fuel line. We set sail at 5am and were greeted by a pod of over 50 porpoises at day light. We made good time and arrived at the police dock in San Diego before night fall. The following morning customs cleared us in at the dock and where very nice and efficient. Back in the U.S.A.!

Turtle Bay to Ensenada

We refueled with the help of Jesus and his panga (open fiberglass fishing boat with go fast motor) after setting the hook in Turtle Bay. The wind had piped up off shore and we weren’t going any where for a few days. Patience, Patience, Patience….. Debbie and I were off to town to explore and soon found a small restaurant named Morocco with good fast wifi. We went there for lunch each day to check the weather web sites, in hopes of finding a good weather window. On our last day in Turtle bay we ran in to a delivery crew that appeared a little rough around the edges. They were delivering a Lagoon catamaran from PV to San Diego. The crew said it had been a rough trip up the coast with wind and sea on the nose the entire way. Then, the Captain walked in and introduced himself as Woody. Debbie and I both know him from reading the Latitudes and Attitudes magazine. He sailed a 29 foot Cal around the world, writing about his adventures along the way. It was great reading. We chatted for a few minutes and then Woody gathered his crew and they were off. We opted for one more good nights sleep and to let the sea settle down.

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In the morning we raised anchor and set the Vertical Dacron Stabilizer (main sail) and motor sailed out of the bay and around the point. There was a fair amount of kelp to be avoided and that was another good reason to transit this area during day light hours. We had planned to anchor at the north east tip of the island of Cedros but we felt that our weather window would evaporate if we wasted the night sleeping, so we endured yet another,” cape effect”, and pressed on. We where rewarded with a wonderful nights sail across Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino to the mainland. We needed to clear the point further west so we spent the day tacking back and forth We decided to head for Punta San Carlos anchorage for the night. We had a rousing sail on a beam reach and arrived before dusk. We settled ourselves in by anchoring in 30 feet of water with just a little swell. We sat down to a fine evening with a home cooked meal and a movie on our miniature DVD player.

In the morning we raised anchor and set sail for Bahia San Quintin. It was only 60 miles north, and according to the guide was a safe anchorage. Well, perhaps the guide was over exaggerating. Debbie warned that she had read about a couple that had lost their motor when trying to leave the anchorage. They didn’t have enough wind to sail out of the impact zone and lost their boat there. Upon arrival we were spooked due to the five leviathans swimming around the mouth of the estuary. You can hear them sing through the hull of the boat and I had the foreboding feeling of a loud sleepless night. Little did I know the whales were the least of our worries. Around midnight I got my first wakeup call as Sosiego came up short on her anchor rode. A large tidal shift put us in the path of a raging river with over a 6 knot tide rip under our keel. The Bruce anchor held and we didn’t drag, but restful sleep was out of the question. In the morning we came on deck to discover the surge breaking not 20 yards off the bow and all the way across the bay. I believe we set a new personal record in raising anchor and getting underway.

We had to cover 114 miles to get to Ensenada. This makes it an overnight passage and of course the wind was not favorable for sailing. We needed to go further west, again, so that required tacking back and forth. The next morning we arrived at the entrance to the bay only to find it shrouded in fog. It persisted making it difficult to see the point. We used our instruments and entered the bay for Ensenada. We arrived at Cruiseport Marina village around 1:30 pm. Deb made several attempts to contact the staff by radio, but no one answered. A watchman pointed us to a slip and we tied Sosiego up for a good rest.

The next day the staff gave us a ride to the port captain and assisted in the checking in procedures. Customs, Immigration, and the port captain are all under the same roof. The one building made checking in very convenient to say the least. With Sosiego secure, we rented a car and headed home for a visit. We made the trip in one day. The only problem occurred at the border crossing. In the maze that is the border we followed the signs to San Diego. Unfortunately we ended up in the line that said Sentri. Debbie speaks Spanish and didn’t know what the word meant. So we continued on only to discover it was for daily commuters. They actually go through full background checks before they are given a special pass. We where searched, chastised, and threatened with a 5,000.00$ fine if we ever did it again. Apparently we aren’t good at smooth transitions.

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After the long and arduous journey, home was a welcome sight We are doing the necessary evil of ordering parts, going to the doctors, doing taxes and as much visiting as possible. We should return to the boat on Thursday the 1st of May. Until next time, may you have fair winds and following seas.

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Cabo revisited again and again and …

After leaving Paradise village in Banderas bay we set sail for Hilo Hawaii. Ahh the best laid plans of mice and men. It was a little disconcerting that you can’t just leave when you want. To leave, you must go through a checkout procedure that entails Immigration, Port Captain, and customs inspections all of which must be scheduled. Well the weather doesn’t follow the schedule and what looks like a good window today falls apart tomorrow. Once we checked out we where cautioned not to stop at any Mexican ports. Well the wind we needed to cross the sea of Cortez evaporated. Mike from PV sails had said on the radio that the window had closed and as well as our opportunity to sail to the trade winds. He was right and after two days of motoring we new we needed to divert to Cabo San Lucas for fuel. Three days and four nights of motoring before we finally punched through the cape effect (too much wind on the nose) to land in Cabo.  We anchored off the beach and jerry jugged fuel to the boat with an eye on the weather. We were now 300 miles closer to Hilo and only a couple of days from the trade winds.

Ok plan “B”

So what do you do when a passing panga upsets your dingy while you are refueling the outboard and rips the gas cap off and overboard on a Sunday in Mexico. Well  I went after it,in hind sight not such a great idea. The water this time of year is crystal clear and I easily located it in 30ft of water. I put on the fins snorkel and mask and made a surface free dive that ultimately ruptured my weak right ear drum. Hey, I recovered the cap. I’ve ruptured that ear drum before due to swimmers ear as a kid so I didn’t think to much about it. Our weather window opened and we set sail again. After two days of boisterous sailing and no sleep I had an ominous feeling and told Debbie I wanted to return to Cabo, and forget sailing to Hawaii. We did an about face only to discover that my ear was badly infected. We carry oral antibiotics but this was an outer ear infection that could permanently destroy my hearing. Ahhh welcome back to Cabo. Upon arrival I went to Amerimed and was treated by an awesome ENT doctor. We also officially checked back into Mexico which turned out to be a two day ordeal. A lady at the port captains office lost her purse and returned to the office and accused everyone that had been there at the same time of theft. Luckily we were still there and were not in possession of the purse. The response from the local police was impressive as three squad cars and six officers some with machine guns took her statement. We also learned of the drama that was playing out on the high seas on the sailboat Rebel Heart. A family with a one year old daughter had to be rescued and they lost their boat. At this point I felt that Hawaii was just not to be. A big high pressure system settled over the Baja coast and created the perfect opportunity to bash back up the coast to home and no way to sail to the trades. So we went with the flow and are now anchored in turtle bay awaiting the next weather window to head for Ensenada.

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Punta de Mita and

The Whale Tale

We provisioned the boat In La Cruz de Huanacaxtle untied the dock lines and set sail for Punta de Mita with hopes of catching a wave. The wind was very light and forced us to do some motoring but the sun was bright and the sky was clear. Punta de Mita is the northern point of Banderas bay and is a popular surfing destination with many hotels and beach side palapas. As we approached the anchorage I was concerned with the size of the ocean swells and that it might be a dangerous anchorage. The closer we got the more boats we saw in the anchorage and the better I felt about anchoring here. Once the hook was set I assessed the landing situation on shore. Let me explain. When your only option is landing your dinghy on the beach, the size of the surf becomes a huge issue. What’s great for surfers is not so good for the dinghy. A beer run was absolutely imperative and I set off to make a beach landing in the large surf. After three failed attempts I considered anchoring the dinghy past the surf line and swimming. I set an anchor and just watched the awesome show of nature with an increasing thirst. I watched another cruiser with a fast dinghy and a surfboard, ride the back of a wave past a makeshift breakwater of rocks, safely make it to shore. I had my opportunity but was still cautious because of our very wimpy dinghy motor. I watched a truly impressive set of waves crash over the entrance and hit full throttle. It was more like I put putted my way in only to be caught on the wrong side of the wave. At that point it was more like surfing and it was towards the anchored pangas. Luckily the rocks broke the power of the wave and I landed with out so much as an extra drop of water in the dinghy. The depositivo was quickly located behind all the pangas and Corona was secured. The trip back was a little more eventful in that I had to power over a couple breakers and got a good bath but stayed upright. Back aboard Sosiego we had a fine dinner and beautiful night.

The next day the surf had gone down quite a bit so we inflated our Bali paddle board and headed for the beach. The beach proved to be more rock than sand and the surf was still breaking. An instructor suggested paddling out past the breakers so Debbie could try her hand at the paddle board. I swam next to her and tried to give her tips. I failed miserably as an instructor and when we headed for shore I neglected to  tell her to bail before hitting the shore. She suffered her first surfing injury with a scraped up foot and nasty bruise on her leg. We went back to the boat for hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment, band aids, and tequila. The next morning I made a go at surfing while Debbie went to the spa. A painful story best told by her some other time. I’m not that steady but I was able to catch a dozen or so waves and ride them all the way in. By the time Debbie was done I couldn’t lift my arms above my head. So cool! That evening we had THE best meal so far in Mexico at one of the beach side restaurants named Tino’s.  She ordered the Camaron de Diablo and I had Sea Bass on green garlic mashed potatoes. So scrumptious!  A truly wonderful evening with a beautiful sun set. The next day we ran into Oso Negro (black bear) who is a surfing instructor who grew up in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. He spoke passionately about his home town and told us the story of the town’s name. Apparently in the town square there is an ancient Huanacaxtle tree.  The branches grew and formed the sign of the cross, thus the name La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

The return trip turned out to be a whale watching trip. The only problem with watching whales is that some times they want to watch you or give you a high five with there tail. We where motoring again due to lack of wind. Without warning a humpback surfaced next to the boat and dove under us. Debbie got to high five his tail as he slipped under the boat. I was down below and all I heard was her exclamation of, “WHALE!” and the sound of the whale song through the hull. I grabbed the camera with the hope of some great footage but alas he dove deep no more to be seen.

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The ATM Pirates of Banderas Bay

Our return to the La Cruz anchorage for the Sunday farmers market was met with a bit of bad news. I know everyone has experienced credit card fraud at one time or another but the banditos of Banderas bay have achieved a new level of treachery. We suspect that when we visited one of those independent local ATM’s my card was compromised. After telling our tale to other cruisers they told us to only use ATM’s that are attached to a physical bank. They where sophisticated enough to use a bank ATM to withdraw max cash each day during our stay at Punta de Mita. When they ran out of money they actually transferred money from savings to checking. We put a stop on the card and Travis C.U. made things right but we where told that unless there is blood shed the local authorities don’t care. We now pay with cash only, lesson learned.

Dancing with the Geckos

After being robbed, our morale was low, our cash was low and so were our food stores on Sosiego. So at the suggestion of friends we headed down the beach to eat at the 3 palapas restaurant. After arriving and looking at the menu we knew we didn’t have quite enough cash, so we had to hang our heads low and leave. We walked further down the beach and didn’t see anything worth while. So off we headed across a littered field next to a run down hotel. Eek! It was almost dark and if you come from the city you know that you don’t want to put yourself in these situations. So we walked with our heads high and at a nice clip. We finally made it full circle and back into town. We got some munchies and still had a little cash left. So it was time to put back some bounce in our step. We stepped out of the blues and into the Gecko Rojo. We had a couple of beers and the band was playing older rock and roll. I had just enough liquid courage on board to ask the band if I could dance on stage and I rocked it with them to Queen’s Crazy little thing Called love. I had a blast and could see a new career in my future. The nxt morning we woke happy with a renewed view of the cruising life. Cruise with caution but still enjoy every moment.

 We are now finishing boat projects and preparation for the sail to Hawaii so we moved from the anchorage to a slip in La Cruz when the red tide made its appearance. The water literally turned red from  nasty red algae and it stunk to high heavens. It smelled so bad  that we went back into the marina to stay. We ended up pulling all the anchor rode out on deck to dry out because it made the boat smell like death.  Back in the marina we met up with Ken and Cari on Bula. We had planned a trip to Costco and rented a car for the day. We ended up having a wonderful time shopping, having lunch, and driving around Puerto Vallarta. Costco turned up the ever allusive cans of chicken breast that we have been looking for since we arrived in Mexico. We were also able to get all the non perishables that we needed for the trip.  All in all a good day.

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Buceria and the Kissing Bridge

Mike from North Sails of La Cruz put on a free seminar on surveying your rig for problems before making the jump across the pacific. We had decided to head for Hawaii for easier access to plane travel and to not rush through Hawaii. My goal has always been an ocean passage and this more than fills the bill. The second slide that Mike posted in his presentation was, I swear, Sosiego with her off center rigging at the chain plates (where the wire that holds up the mast attaches to the boat). Well thanks Mike for giving me another boat project.  The good news was that all I needed to fix the issue was a few stainless washers and that’s where the fun began. First can anyone tell me the translation of stainless steel washers in Espanol? Right, well Mike helped me with that and according to him a little shop in Bucerias, just past the bus stop past the church and past the arroyo before the second stop light before the Mega. Right! Of course he couldn’t remember the name of the shop.  Bucerias is another small artsy fishing community. The first hardware store we stopped at had heard of the, “Nuts and bolts shop” and pointed us in the right direction. The shop was very small but it had pictures of nuts and bolts on the doors. Score one for the away team.  Debbie and I returned later that night for dinner and to find the kissing bridge. The bridge is located among the many small shops that sell arts and crafts, all be it a little too high pressure sell for my likes, but they had some quality items. We ended up at Miguel Angelos for dinner. We split a surf and turf meal that was comprised of huge shrimp, N.Y. steak and spiny lobster. Yeah! The entertainment included a solo guitarist ex cruise ship player and cockatiels. One of the patrons decided to bring the bird over for closer inspection and placed him on my hand. The waiter turned him on his back and he played dead in my hand. Very cool!  We headed back to our home on the water to spend the next few days waiting for signs of a weather window to head out.

From Green Beer to Paradise

We found out that our time to head on to Hawaii was coming up so we made reservations in another marina that is close to the Check out Captain in Nuevo Vallarta. The last night in la Cruz was Saint Patrick’s day, so we hung out with Cari and Ken. We started the evening at the Gecko Rojo listening to Irish tunes and drinking green beer and having jello shots. We were all getting hungry so we chose to walk to a little restaurant that serves tacos. Big surprise, tacos in Mexico. Unfortunately it was closed. Our second choice was pizza so onward we went to Falconi’s pizzeria. Damn fine Pizza. We had a wonderful evening and were sad to say Goodbye to our new friends. However, it was time. The following morning Joe inspected the rig and we left La Cruz to our stern.

Paradise Village is another Marina that you could actually stay here and never wander off the property. It has three swimming pools, a yacht club with a restaurant, a commercial shopping center that includes McDonalds, laundry and even a place to get your hair cut. Why would anyone ever leave? Well, they also have a lot of Mosquitos. Joe and I became appetizers the first night we were there. Now we have to bathe in Off or we wont have a spot on our body that doesn’t have a new bite. Well, this is it folks. We will do our final provisioning and our departure date is set for March 24^th, 2014. Winds should be fair and we will hopefully make it to the big Island of Hilo sometime in mid April. Sosiego is signing off until we have some more adventures to tell you from the big island of Hawaii. May you all have fair winds and following seas.

Chacala

“Queso no es Bueno”

Chacala is a little known beach side resort community on the open roadstead of the mainland shore. It was a short day sail and we got to the anchorage in the late afternoon. It is the sweetest town with cobble stone streets and beautiful beaches lined with Palapas. The houses that decorate the hills are colorful and picturesque. They remind us of a post card from somewhere in the Caribbean. We arrive with only four boats in the anchorage and find a spot next to our friends Ken and Carrie from Bula, a beautiful catamaran.  . Ken is a sound guy for the movies and Carrie is ex Harbor patrol from Catalina with a captain’s license. The next day is Valentines Day and they suggest a candle light dinner at one of the beach side palapas.  We go ashore the next morning, see the port captain and make reservations for dinner. A beautiful beach extends from end to end of the bay with a half dozen restaurants serving the,” best margaritas on the beach”.  This place is all charm.

      That evening we return for the valentine’s dinner with a fixed menu of Mahi Mahi. . As night descends around us we find our beachside table is decorated with a rose and candle. Drinks are served and the wait begins. Although the intentions are grand it quickly becomes obvious that they have overbooked or given the regular staff the night off. The first course is a tomato basil soup that is delicious except for the fact that they brought us only one soup. Oh well, we shared. After a few hours Debbie asks about our main course. The waiter is upset and says he will be right back with our food. Within minutes he arrives and we dig in only to find the food somewhat warm but delicious. The time seemed to pass rapidly, perhaps due to Debbie’s glass of wine that never seemed to empty. I believe it was a way to create amnesia so that the next day we would want to come back for the Charity event.

     We spent the next few days swimming off the boat and enjoying the beach and community. Due to low supplies we decided to move on to La Cruz. We bought some eggs and a half kilo of cheese from a local tienda for the trip south. Little did we know that local cheese carries a different type of bacteria. Arrival in La Cruz was met with very uncomfortable traveler’s illness that laid the crew out for the next few days. Finally we saw a local physician who warned us about the, “Queso no es bueno.”  A miracle at last and a good nights sleep. Stay connected for more on our adventures in La Cruz.

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The Cruising Life?

We had an amazing crossing of the Sea of Cortez. Once we put La Paz behind us we where met by short choppy seas and no wind which meant we got tossed around pretty bad. Without the sails to stabilize the boat she rolled from rail to rail. We started the motor to put some way on and motored for the next five or so hours. When the wind finally filled in we had a pleasant sail with the wind from behind us. The following evening a brown footed booby landed on the end of the boom and perched there trough the night till the wind died and I had to start the motor. He was the perfect companion for night watch. No complaints and did his business over the side. Our arrival at El Cid in Mazatlan was no less than hair raising. The tide rip is fierce and on approaching the dock Joe underestimated the force of the current which resulted in having to fend off other boats and a bump on a piling with the wind vane. A little lost varnish scratched stainless and hurt pride was the some of the damages. The second attempt at landing went well and within the hour we where at the swim up bar with margarita in hand.

Taking a bus in Mexico is an adventure in itself. Debbie had been to Mazatlan before and wanted to show me old Mazatlan with the central market. The bus ride was pleasant and we arrived at the central market with the goal of finding material to make shades. The central market is exactly as I envisioned it should be with hundreds of small markets specializing in certain products such as fish, beef, chicken, vegetables and even sombreros. The entire structure covered an entire city block. All food was prepared fresh right in front of you. We finally found a fabric store after visiting the cathedral and secured the material for our shades.

After our shopping we headed back to El Cid Marina. There is something I want to say about this marina. It is the Charlie’s Chocolate Factory for adults. It sucks you in and doesn’t want to let go. It has laundry, super clean showers, two swimming pools and a Jacuzzi. You had multiple restaurants and the pool bars actually put alcohol in their drinks. It was too easy to just stay there and never leave. We finally had to slap ourselves upside the head and say tomorrow we are leaving. So after settling up with the marina, and getting our laundry we finally headed to Stone Anchorage in Mazatlan.

Stone Anchorage is a sweet little anchorage on the outskirts of the main harbor. We were the only boat in the anchorage and that was pretty cool. The cruising guide mentioned a place called Benji’s Pizza, so we knew we had to make the pilgrimage. We found Benji’s on the beach right where we made our dinghy landing. Now if I had seen this place without the recommendation I would have walked on by. However, that being said, we walked in to this run down palapa that had dirt on the tables. We ordered a shrimp garlic pizza and meandered to the second level that overlooked the bay. I lounged in the hammock, enjoying the cool breeze on my skin and enjoyed a cerveza while waiting for the pizza. It took almost 40 minutes to get the pizza but once you took that first scrumptious bite you understood. It was made with love and cooked to perfection. Now I love pizza and have had many wonderful pizzas, but nothing will ever compare.

Welcome to the Jungle

We stayed a couple of nights in Stone Anchorage watching the goats walk up and down the hills and enjoyed some beautiful sunsets. Now it was time to leave. Our next destination was an overnight and the weather was perfect. There is something very peaceful about looking into the night sky at more stars than you ever thought possible. You hear the sound of the water as it rushes by the hull. It feels like your senses are heightened and you can even tell when a wave has come close to the boat and the crest of it crumbles and disappears back into the ocean. Our destination was the bay of Mantanchen, just three miles south of San Blas. We arrived around 1:30 pm to a bay that was dotted with about four boats. We had heard of the nasty no see ums and of the mosquitos that are known to take no prisoners. They descend on you at dusk and dawn. So being the smart humans we are, we went to the boat and hid down below. Joe built a mosquito screen and we had another make shift screen for the front hatch. We were safe.

During the day, however we ventured into town and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the small town of San Blas. We visited the infamous bells of San Blas and also the fort that was instrumental in the war against Spain. The fort had an amazing view of the town below and the surrounding ocean. It is always interesting to visit a building that is actually older than your own country. We enjoyed the area so much that we stayed for a week. In the anchorage we met and became friends with another couple, Ken and Carrie. We ended up going on the Jungle tour on the Rio Tovara. We saw many different types of birds and several young crocodiles. The tour stops for an hour to give you time to look at the clear spring filled with none other than catfish. The owner of the restaurant assured me that fishing was not allowed in the spring. I was tempted though. We had lunch and than returned to the panga to begin our ride back. Since the tour was over the Panga driver felt no desire in taking it easy on the way back. So we basically raced back to the beginning like a horse that was barn shy. Ahh Mexico! We said goodbye to our new friends and said we would meet up again in Chacala or la Cruz. We chose to stay another night. We let our guard down and the bugs ate me alive. I have no less than 30 bites. Time to move on.

Of Pirates and Stop signs in La Paz

Where do I begin? We are back on Sosiego as she sits tied to a dock in La Paz Mexico. We are staged and ready to set sail for Mazatlan tomorrow. The new flexible solar panels are installed and the propane is topped off. We will fill up with Diesel in the morning. Laundry is done and provisions stored. The only fly in the ointment has been the plan administrator at Sutter’s retirement center. If they move any slower Deb’s going to need a green card to work in Mexico.

We have been very busy getting ready to depart but we have made several trips into the city that have been interesting. Driving in Mexico is a death defying experience that relies heavily on bravado. When approaching a four way stop sign one glance for on coming traffic and makes eye contact with other drivers. The one with the most bravado steps on the gas rather than the brake and takes ownership of the intersection. As you can imagine there are frequent close calls and colorful words. In my opinion ALTO is simply a suggestion and not a requirement.

The community of cruisers in La Paz band together to help new arrivals and ex pats. The mornings are for coffee and listening to the morning,” Net”.  That is, we all sit around listening to the vhf radio while we swap things for coconuts and talk about the days activities. I only bring this up because I nearly wore my coffee when one boat identified itself as,” Puddle Pirate”. Now I must say that is a creative name and everyone keeps telling me to keep an eye out for pirates so I’m reporting my first sighting. Please tell all the puddles you know to watch out in La Paz.

So far AGACE has been a non issue in La Paz but we have all are documentation ready and are here at the boat so we will press on. Anyone interested in more info should check out Lectronic Latitude at the Latitude 38 website.

P.S. We made an excursion to the platinum movie theater for the ultimate movie going experience. Leather covered recliners with full bar and food services. We saw,”YO Frankenstein” huddled under blankets with Beer and popcorn

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Welcome to Cabo San Lucas. We had an amazing sail from San Diego with Will Frederickson, Debbie Graham, and myself Joe Graham on board. Sosiego joined the long list of entries in the 2013 Baja Ha Ha. The Ha Ha is an annual sailboat rally sponsored by the sailing magazine Latitude 38 where cruisers meet in San Diego and band together for the 900 mile sail to Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja peninsula. The trip had highs and lows as do all trips, but the highs sure out numbered the lows.  The voyage is broken into three stages, San Diego to Turtle bay, Turtle bay to Bahia Santa Maria, and Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo San Lucas. So the adventure begins.

Wildlife! Dolphins, Seals, Rays, Whales, Pelicans, Frigate birds, Yellow fin tuna, and Great White sharks! Yes we saw them all. I don’t’ remember the sea being so alive when we made this trip in 2006. The dolphins never seemed to tire of playing in our bow wake. When one pod got bored with us another pod would take over. One of the boats actually landed a 6 ft great white shark to the fleet’s amazement.  Will and I managed to each land yellow fin tuna packing the fridge with lots of tasty fish but alas the purser forgot the wasabi and soy sauce. Debbie made an awesome lemon pepper rub and we ate like kings.

Will met us on the dock in front of the Sheraton in the Cabrillo marina. The provisioning was done, the water tanks where full and all we needed to do was top up the fuel tanks. We motored out on a drizzly overcast morning to the starting line of the 2013 Baja Ha Ha. Approximately 160 sailboats and a couple of (no comprende) motor boats slowly worked are way past the start in a large parade. The local fire boat and city officials were there to see us off.  We worked are way south with a head wind that kept us within sight of Coronado island for most of the day and night. We tacked back and forth with small rain squalls for company.  The first leg can be a bit of a marathon. Sleep is difficult and the boat is alive with constant unpredictable motion and noise. A crowded sea way keeps the watch busy  and the excitement is palpable. The second day everyone is so tired that the sights and sounds will not keep them awake. The monitor wind vane is a god send. The monitor uses the power of the wind and sea to steer the boat no electricity required. The person on watch simply needs to pay attention to the course and make small adjustments to the heading. Even when the seas get rough the vane seems to work harder and better allowing the crew to rest. We did 3hrs on and 6hrs off. Sail changes required two on deck and we tried to wait for change of shift.  The third night out a cross swell set in and the wind increased to 25kts. Wash boards where placed in the companion way and watch was taken from the cabin with observations every 10 – 15 min. The stay sail was set and we never took a wave on board. In the morning both the wind and sea calmed down and the island of Cedros appeared off the bow at day break. Truly magical! The decks where covered in small squid from the night before and I counted 25 that where returned to the sea. All plain sail was set and we were on are way again. It took the rest of the day to make port and we all crashed hard once the hook was set in Turtle bay. We missed the baseball game with the locals getting in after dark, but made up for it with the beach party the next day. Debbie met Debbie from Sailors Run at the food tent and proceeded to organize and run the pot luck or more appropriately the piranha pot luck with over 150 dishes. It was a truly an amazing feast with everything from sashimi tuna to tri tip roast with every imaginable salad. Cold beer was provided by the locals for $2 each and Debbie broke out her I phone dance tunes and the party rocked.

The next morning we hauled up the anchor and followed Sailors Run out to the start line. Due to light conditions Richard declared a rolling start of no more than 5 kts under motor. The day was bright with lots of sun and a gentle 10 kts of wind. We prepped the asymmetrical spinnaker to deploy at the end of the rolling start but the wind seemed to fill in before so we hoisted sail and shut down the motor. Sailors dream of these conditions, a following light breeze that pushes the boat along at hull speed. With the monitor set there was nothing left to do but start fishing, reading, sleeping and eating. Surrounded by the fleet with spinnakers set all around was visually amazing.  I have to admit to a momentary lapse of reason though. With everything taking care of itself I just watched as Profligate slowly reached towards us not even considering the crossing situation that was developing. Pictures where taken, vigorous waving, and lots of smiles till Dona de Mallorca took the helm. Profligate was on starboard tack and had the right of way so I disconnected the Monitor and luffed up to let her pass. We where able to continue on with the spinnaker till after midnight. Towards evening Will and I got lucky and hooked two yellow fin tuna on our hand lines. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately Will’s fish lost his tail to a larger predator. Another boat landed a 6 ft great white shark around the same time. After two days and nights at sea The mountain that marks Bahia Santa Maria presented itself at dawn. We crossed the finish line doused the sails and motored in to anchor 200 yards off shore. Bahia Santa Maria is a large bight with a spit of sand that separates it from Magdalena bay. Good holding in sand and lots of room for 150 boats to not be crowded. Boarding ladder down swimming became a priority in the crystal clear blue water. Just like the post cards you can see the bottom 20 ft below with no problem. Despite previous beach landings I decided I would ferry us too shore in our trusty walker bay dingy outfitted with a mighty 2hp motor. Note to self, please anchor closer to the drop off point! Finding a small arroyo we turned off the motor, turned the bow to the waves, and rowed are dingy ashore with hardly a drop of sea water aboard. Trip two for Will went almost as well except for an unseen rock that a wave lifted us over. We scrambled over open desert terrain to get to the beach party. You know through cactus, lizards, and other carrion. When we got to the bluff there is a couple of fishing shacks (with surf boards) a tent with a rock and roll band and lots of very happy (cheap beer) cruisers in line for cioppino. We ate, drank, and danced into the afternoon. Unfortunately we left too early because on the morning roll call there was a public apology from the German girls at the party. We can only imagine what had transpired after we left. We turned in early with the plan to lift the hook early and get a jump on the fleet. We didn’t want to arrive in Cabo after dark and miss the party at Squid Roe.

The alarm sounded at 0400 and after a quick cup of instant coffee we raised anchor and set our sights on Cabo. This was the shortest leg with only one overnight at sea. We were able to sail till the evening and then our speed dropped to less than 2kts. I admit that a little barn fever set in and the motor was started. Soon we where motor sailing at 5kts. Everything seemed to work well except for the water maker. While sailing along I diagnosed the problem as having an air leak in the input side preventing the unit from reaching the pressure (800psi) it needs to make drinking water from sea water. The problem would wait for Cabo and we still had 40 gallons of good water in the second tank and plenty of cold beer. The VHF radio brought the good news that we had secured a slip assignment in Cabo. With 150 boats it gets really interesting finding a place to park in such a small marina. Well maybe not so small any more. The price actually had gone down from 2006 so we were happy to tie up for a couple of nights. The bad news was that a northern was blowing in the Sea of Cortez and we would be stuck there till the following Wednesday. I think Will was happy to be in Cabo as Judy his wife was arriving the next day. We went to dinner at the famous Squid Roe bar and the entire Ha Ha crew slowly trickled in. We left after Richard arrived and started dancing on the stage. We sat out the beach party the next day but made it to the awards ceremony on Saturday. We were extremely pleased with getting the second place trophy for the Agave division on the second leg (We sailed the entire leg). Thanks to Will Frederickson and Chris King for all there help in getting Sosiego to Cabo San Lucas!

Chris King has just left the boat to catch a plane ride home. I have to say we are both sad to see him go. Some men talk the talk, but Chris walks the walk. The sailing was a mixed bag. We all know at times we have to take the good with the bad. Chris held true even when we had to motor 16 hours to make a deadline in San Diego. There was only 5 to 8 knots of wind but raising sail would have made us late to our destination and I have the feeling he hates motoring as much as I do. Thanks to his help we are here at the starting line. Debbie is now considering a new career in karaoke but that’s another story. Every trip is epic in its own right, this one was filled with wild life. In 2006 we saw one whale and a pod of dolphins. This trip was packed with flora and fauna. The humpback population represented very well with sightings in the bay of Monterey and three that surfaced just off the bow at Point Conception. Dolphins being the playful creatures that they are, danced in and out of the bow wake near Santa Barbara and on the way to Two Harbors Catalina.

We stopped in Santa Barbra to catch a few hours of needed sleep and fill the water tanks then we set sail for the Island of Santa Cruz with our sights on Smugglers cove. Debbie (Gordon Ramsey)Graham, fixed a scrumptious taco soup while Chris and I attempted a beach landing through the surf. We kept the right side up but shipped a little sea water in the process. The water was so clear you could see the bottom 20 foot below. We had an amazing dinner then slept till 0345. Raising the anchor we turned the bow towards Catalina.

All of us were anxious to get to Catalina knowing there would be an entire day of relaxation and no traveling. We arrived just prior to sundown and had a hell of a time getting their mooring ropes to cooperate. After all was said and done Chris suggested we go ashore to the bar and have some tapas and drinks. All in agreement we set out in our bat mobile disguised as a dinghy and headed to the dinghy dock.

Little did Debbie know that just a hair of liquid courage, or was that an entire bottle, one will never know, that she would become Karaoke Queen of Isthmus Harbor. Although a short video was taken of her singing she wouldn’t allow it to be posted. ……Chicken.

The next day, a short hike and a view of the other harbor had us both ready to hang out on the boat. It wasn’t warm, so snorkeling seemed to be a distant dream. That was a shame since the water was so beautifully clear. Perhaps we should have just jumped in with both feet. All in all it was a wonderful, restful respite and we knew the next day would be long and exhausting. Grib files, what we know consider to be more akin to x-files, showed little wind. Unfortunately, this was painfully accurate.

Sixteen hours later arriving in the dark of night, we arrived in San Diego. Oh the fun of determining…..is that green buoy flashing every 3 or 4 seconds. What about the one that is supposed to be 56 feet in the air and flashes every 4 seconds. Doesn’t it seem more like 5..In all the confusion,  Chris yelps and is landing on his ass. Damn those pinniped’s, becoming shark imposters, that are about to take someone out in the cockpit. Thank goodness he wasn’t hurt, and we could all laugh after the encounter.   After that, we had such fun following what looked to be an entire five story city block. Ahh well, it helped us to find our final destination…Cabrillo Marina.

Until the next post this is SV Sosiego signing out. Good Night,

We are comfortably tied to the pier in Monterey Bay. The Sea Lions are quite boisterous, jousting for the best place to haul out often resulting in quite the battle. We plan to take on the not quite fun part of cruising, laundry and shopping. Yesterday the seas where flat and the wind non existent at 0500. We where greeted by a full moon in Half Moon Bay. The sky was full of stars, the big and little dipper, Cassiopeia, and the north star with no fog which never happens and was amazing to behold. I started the log book and the journey was on it’s way. We motored for the first 8 hours before the wind returned and the sailing began. I was excited to hoist our new asymmetrical which I have very little experience with. Youtube only goes so far. Chris King has joined the crew and was able to coach me on the finer aspects of flying a kite. We were able to carry this sail until we were within a couple miles of Monterey. Truly awesome sailing! Our arrival in Monterey was spectacular with Whales breeching over the trench followed by a pair of Orcas surfacing within a hundred yards of the boat. One of the pair had lost half his dorsal fin. Debbie got some Pictures so check it out. Till next post S/V Sosiego and crew.