Anyway, on to the important stuff. The trip started on October 25 when Michi and Crew (Tony and Monica) departed about 2:00pm on a warm fall day out of South Beach harbor, San Francisco. The trip got off to an ominous start when Captain Scott got lost trying to find a gas station (well, sailboats don’t need gas, so give me a break!). Anyway, Tony and Monica still had enough confidence in me to continue. So out the Gate we went and took a left.

The first leg of the trip was wonderful. We spent 4 days sailing down the California coast. We had wonderful weather. The first night out of SF we were wearing foul weather gear, but after that it was shorts & tee-shirt's weather (even at night). The weather was great, but this meant little wind, so we ended motoring a lot of the way.

Our first stop was Santa Catalina Island. We picked up a mooring at Two Harbors. This stop was great! What a wonderful place. With the air temperature around 75-80 degrees we could not have asked for a better stop. After a great dinner on shore, we spent the next day exploring the island. Part of my exploration included SCUBA diving at Bird Rock. What a dive! Visibility was about 80 feet and the water tempter was around 72. Paradise. During the dive I found a couple of Horn sharks in a cave, a California Moray and lots of Lobster! (To bad I found out after the dive it was Lobster season L )

After Catalina Island, it was an 18 hour sail to San Diego. San Diego is the main jumping off point for points south. We spent a hectic 3 days doing final boat prep, getting our paperwork in order and provisioning. On November 2^nd we were ready! So off the Mexico we go!

Mexico! The land of friendly people, sunshine and fish taco’s. Warm water, warmer days and pleasant star-filled nights. Our first stop was Ensenada. OK, Not really paradise, but our first stop to check into Mexico. One thing you need to know, sailing in Mexico is very paper-work intensive. Checking into port (and each port afterwards) entails making out a Crew list (in Spanish), making 6 copies and traveling around town getting various officials to stamp them. Each official take your 6 copies, place carbon paper between them and place into the trusty typewriter and afterwards stamps them. Anyway, we only spent about 6 hours in Ensenada. Long enough to get the stamping done and purchase some tequila.

So off again we go. This time we are off to Turtle Bay (Bahia San Bartolome). This bay is about 360 miles south of Ensenada along the Pacific coast of Baja California. This is where the fun starts. The weather is perfect. It’s warm with a steady breeze that allows us to sail most of the way. This leg of the trip took us about 4 days. But it was not with out incidence. First, about 15 miles north of Cedros Island I see this large ship and it turns towards us. I think Mexican Navy? Pirates? No, worse, it’s the US Coast Guard (we are about 300 miles south of the US-Mexico boarder). They pull up next to us wanting to perform a safety inspection! (you know, check the dates on the fire extinguishers ). Anyway, they really wanted to check for drugs. (Don’t they know drug runners go North!). Anyway, they use these swipes to take samples from all over the boat which they analyze for drug residue. Anyway, we were clean! (they did not swipe for Tequila!). Political comment: Of all the countries I have visited only the US needlessly hassles me! Plus, there are no protections for US flagged vessels. It’s not like your home or car. They can stop any US vessel at anytime, anywhere and search it. (gee, I don’t remember that exclusion from the constitution!) Anyway, with a clean bill of health, its off we go.

Before making Turtle Bay (Bahia San Bartolome), we made a brief stop off Cedros Island. We anchored just in a small cove where a seal colony is located. Do these guys make noise! Anyway a group of young males would come by the boat to check us out. They would kinda approach the boat then take off. At one point I started a stampede when I shinned my flashlight on the colony hanging on the beach. Remember, don’t do that!

Turtle Bay was a great place to stop. Here we could get some fresh veggies, rest-up and snorkel. We spent a few nights here before making the next leg of the trip to Bahia Santa Maria, about 180 miles and 3 days down the coast. We left with a bang, or rather a blow. For 24 hours we saw steady 25 knot winds and some heavy seas. What Fun! Anyway we made Bahia Santa Maria and only broke one thing (the boom, which Tony fixed in route). Bahia Santa Maria is a huge bay with 10 miles of white-sand beach. This was a great stop. We planned to stay only 3 nights but had an impromptu tequila party. The next day, the captain woke-up long enough to see that a storm was banging away (not just his head) so we stayed another night.

Next Stop Cabo San Lucus!. 170 miles south and 3 days sailing. It was great trip down the coast. We arrive safely in Cabo on November 15. All in all, over 20 days, we sailed over 1200 nautical miles. (~1400 miles). As or Cabo, this is a story for another time and not fit for print. Ask me about Squid Row.

CABO TO LA PAZ

2 miles north of Los Frailes is the underwater park of Cabo Pulmo. This is the only live coral reef in Baja. Anyway, the diving was wonderful, with lots of fish and miles of coral.

Los Frailes was so great I stayed there a week. From their, it was a two day sail to La Paz. La Paz is a large city with all of the comforts of the States (read supermarkets and clean water!). Anyway, time spent here is getting repairs made to the boat, doing provision and hanging out with all of the other Cruisers that at one point or another make their way through La Paz.

LA PAZ TO MAZATLAN

MAZATLAN TO PUERTO VALLARTA

ISLA ISABELA

Isla Isabela is a small island 20 miles off shore about halfway between Mazatlan and PV. It is a Mexican National Park and Bird Sanctuary. This was a remarkable stop. As we approached the island in the morning we were greeted by a pair of Humpback whales that were wandering in the vicinity of the island. The island is volcanic in origin which makes for a dramatic landscape. Along with this, there are always thousands of birds flying around the island giving you the feeling you have landed in Jurassic Park. We anchored in a small cove lined with high, vertical cliffs.

Going ashore, the island is very tropical in nature. Very lush trees, and very green. And of course, being a bird sanctuary there are thousands of birds nesting. In the trees are nesting Frigate birds. While we were there, most nests had young birds covered with white downy feathers. Nesting along the cliffs are yellow and blue-footed boobies. The feeling of hiking through the trees, and many times within feet of nesting birds was that of being in a National Geographic Episode. (Note: We were very careful in walking around the island, following marked paths, and making sure we did not disturb the birds.)

CHACALA

The sail from Isla Isabela to Chacala was wonderful. We did a night sail so that we could arrive during daylight. There was not a lot of wind so we had to motor. During the trip, MICHI was visited by a pod of dolphins. My guess about 20 or so. They would swim by the boat, crossing the bow and ride the bow waves. They looked like they were trailing fairy dust, with he glow of the phosphorescent plankton being made in their wake.

One of the stops down the coast was Chacala. This cove/town of about 300 who’s economy is based mostly on fishing. We pulled into the anchorage in the morning and managed to wake everybody up. To commemorate the event Quintin & Debbie from LOONITUDE wrote this limerick:

We were in the swells of the cove of Chacala
When I stuck my head out - heard a man holla:
"It’s about time you awoke,
faced the day you slow-poke!"
As I blinked, the boat continued to wallow.

The voice was familiar, but the boat was unclear;
it gleamed too un-green with no flag Budweiser
The helmsman was steady and fine,
stayed awake and never did whine -
It was Scott; the Pearson MICHI he did steer.

Dennis’s shouting popped heads out of hatches.
The peacefulness was destroyed in big batches.
So we all rowed ashore
for guacamole and more.
The lobster - were they four dry little catches!

LOONITUDE
Grass Valley, CA
Quintin & Debbie Hoard
February, 1998

MAZATLAN TO LA PAZ - THE CROSSING PART II

I should have stayed in Mazatlan another day. I had already waited 3 days waiting for the weather to settle. This time it is more important to wait for the wind and waves to calm because I will be heading northwest from Mazatlan back to La Paz. A trip that will take me directly into the weather.

The window looked good. The forecast was for northwest winds from 15-18. Not an ideal forecast but I hoped would only represent peak afternoon conditions. I also saw this leg as a preamble to my trip back up the coast where I will also be going to weather. It is also the single longest leg I will be sailing (an estimated 40-60 hours.). I'm sailing single-handed, though keeping in regular contact by HF radio with other boats.

I left Mazatlan Thursday morning into a ten knot breeze and headed north. The water was calm. As the day progressed the wind and waves increased. By afternoon I was motor sailing into 4-6 foot seas and a 18 knot breeze. The waves were steep and shortly spaced causing MICHI to slow to 2-3 knots. The boat pitched violently fore and aft as I slammed into the seas. (Remember to take seasickness medicine before you leave port.) . Every now and then I would find a 'hole' to fall into and MICHI would slam down with a large jar that shook the entire boat and a sound that made me feel the bow was breaking off. (It was the 200 lb. of chain free-falling back into place in the chain locker - later I found while trying to anchor it got tangled up). This part of the trip went on for what seemed like forever. The wind did not let up until early the next morning. The first 24 hours of the trip I covered about 60 miles when I hoped to cover 120.

Because of the delays and the fact I was very tired. I decided to divert to Los Muertos. An anchorage that is very calm and well protected south of La Paz on the Baja. After 48 hours of sailing I'm happy to be there. (Only another 60 miles up the coast to La Paz.) As I entered the anchorage at Los Muertos I was greeted by an large manta ray jumping. I good sign!