Travelling Down Low
Trip Start
Dec 01, 2010
1
4
20
Trip End
Ongoing
Bahía Tortugas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Last night was very difficult. We left Ensenada, January 28th at Turtle Bay and landed safely 48 hours later, but not without a little drama. 
The first night out was beautiful. We had an almost full moon and the 2 to 3 foot waves ... very calm, a good night to have my first overnight sailing adventure. The next night was a bit more of a challenge. Bigger wind with gusts to 30 knots, and much bigger swell; steep six to nine foot seas. I came out for my watch and nearly had heart failure. Dois was surfing down the large swells with breaking crests. I cannot surf down large swells. So I watched for a bit, the large waves would sneak up behind us, and Dois would start spinning the wheel trying to negotiate a safe landing in the trough and wait for the next one. No, I was not ready for that. I went back below to snuggle up with Ginger and Daisy. When I came back out a few hours later the conditions had improved immensely. We were entering the channel between Cedros Island and the mainland, which blocked the worst of the winds. I sent Dois down to get some rest and assumed my responsibilities as Admiral.
Daisy ("You want me to pee where?")
While in the yard in Ensenada sailing we had met another couple who told us of their many trips up and down the lower Peninsula. They had tons of local knowledge and more experience. They left for Turtle Bay when we did, as well as at least 6 other boats that had been waiting out all the Pacific storms with us. 
On entering the channel, our friends were just a half a mile or so in front of us and I thought "what luck, I can follow their stern light right through all this seemingly challenging cuts and passes". As the night wore on, we stayed in radio contact with them and it helped to ease my mind about being at the helm alone, while the only experienced crew member snoozed below. About two thirds through the pass, I noticed their light started to veer off to port (to the left). That course looked completely wrong to me, but they were the experienced ones, having done this leg many times and I was sure I must be wrong. But the more I looked at the charts and their lights, the more I fretted. I couldn't take it any longer and called Dois up on deck and I asked him to call our friends check that everything was alright. It was not. They had plotted a course right across land to Turtle Bay. Another 30 minutes on that course would have put them on the beach. So much for putting my mind at ease. Lesson learned; don't follow blindly.
We stayed in Turtle Bay for two nights to relax and catch up on our sleep. Turtle Bay is a one horse town. No restaurants or shops, which was a welcome relief after spending so much time in tourist mecca Ensenada.There was a small store supplying the basics, but lucky for us we didn't need anything seriously, because we had forgotten to get cash before leaving Ensenada. Next day we headed for a small village called Bahia Asuncion about 50 miles south. 
Turtle Town
Bahia Asuncion. Our view just after dropping anchor.
This is a one horse and a donkey town. We stayed there for two nights because there was a bank, of sorts. We waiting in line for three hours before we were turned away because they only serve customers of Banamex. We were welcome to pay our phone bill or post a letter there or even use the services of Western Union. So that's what we did.
We wired money to us. We would be able to pick it up in the morning.
The above photo is The Bank. And The Post Office. And The Phone Co. And Western Union. And I'll bet if we stayed a little longer we'd discover that it was the DMV as well.
We arrived bright and early to present our wire numbers and ID. But the bank clerk / Postmaster / Phone Co. / Western Union agent informed us that he cannot help us today, maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. The bank is fresh out of pesos. Then he turns and asks the crowd if any one has any deposits or wants to pay their phone bill with cash? No? Everyone wants dinero and we are all turned away.
We redirected the wire to the next fishing village bank / phone / post office / western union and sailed there and picked it up. But we paid a heavy price. The fishing village of Punta Abreojos is famous for two things; whales and waves. We did not sleep that night for all of the rocking and rolling, but we did see a lot of whales. Be careful what you wish for.
These are shells with holes punched out and are the path up to the bank. We think someone was punching holes out for substitute money.
Military Base at Asuncion .. Paved with shells.
We left Punta Abreojos with a pocket full of pesos, and believed that we would catch up on our sleep at sea. What were we thinking? We had 15 to 25 knot winds until the wee hours of the morning, but what really got us were the beam seas. They came at us right on our side and knocked us around pretty good. Ever put a tennis shoe in the washing machine? I now know what that feels like. We arrived at Magdelena Bay the next morning and were greeted by a huge pod of whales blowing everywhere. Exciting and just a bit scary. Every time one would dive, we would prey he was not going to come up underneath our boat. We anchored in a lovely little spot called Man O War Cove. This little village took a direct hit by Hurricane Jimena last September and the town's buildings took it pretty hard, with the church losing it's roof and doors. But these are a resilient people. We kayaked to the beach about 4pm on a Saturday and they offered us an incredible lobster feast. This from a half a horse town.
We are planning on leaving for Cabo in the morning. There's another storm on the horizon, but we think we can scoot the 155 nautical miles before it gets here. See You on the Other Side. 
Ginger at the Helm (It was her watch, and she did fine.)
Ashika waiting out weather aat Turtle Bay
Must share this picture of Daisy. She spends an enormous amount of time watching out fishing poles hoping to land another one. She is a very focused fisherdog.
We are in Cabo, it's Feb. 11th and I'll try to get an update on our adventures in the next day or so. Keep sailing!
