For the last month and half we’ve nestled in beautiful bays and in the lee of rugged points along the pacific coast of Baja California and Baja California Sur. And while these destinations were worth the price of admission the journeys themselves merit mention.
Exhale…. Turtle Bay
There are no real harbors, literally no docks to tie up to, in the 800 nm between Ensenada at the northern end of the Baja peninsula and Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip. For that matter there are only two protected bays that provide refuge from heavy conditions and from all directions of wind and swell. Turtle Bay (or San Bartolome as the locals call it) is one of these refuges.
Islas San Benitos
Off on the horizon, a soft white light ignited and extinguished, slowly revolving, whispering the presence of small islands ahead. The stars began their disappearing act with the lightening blues and pinks of the sky, and a cluster of sunburnt rounded hills took shape ahead. After over four days at sea we reached our destination.
Made it to Mexico!
Fact of the day: Ensenada flies the biggest flag in the world.
San Diego does not suck… continued
We did a lot of work on the boat while we were here…. too much really. Fortunately however we have made a commitment to practice being where we are, and San Diego has some pretty sweet distractions.
San Diego does not suck
In fact San Diego is a most excellent place to be stuck. We spent an unexpected two lovely months in this city and while the circumstances that put us here were less than ideal we really enjoyed ourselves.
Plans Schmans
If there is one thing we’ve learned so far on this journey its how not to be in a hurry. I find that I can feel rushed all I want, but it doesn’t get us anywhere any faster… just makes the process less fun.
Our Urban Anchorage
We made our way into the pretty and busy San Diego Bay and had to figure out where to set up camp. There are a few anchorages in the bay that you can stay at for a maximum of 72 hours at time. But there is one that you can stay at for an extended period of time- A9, the cruisers’ anchorage.
Ventura to San Diego
Ventura is a charming beach town, with a mellow vibe and access to some of southern California’s most beautiful wilderness.
Bound to go South
Our next major landmark was Point Conception, a notoriously challenging spot to sail around. Point Conception is a headland where the coastline cuts drastically eastward and is the natural division between Central and Southern California. This area is known for quickly changing conditions- strong winds, steep waves and fast currents that can come up without warning.