Date: November 24, 2024
As August transitioned into November, the warm days spent in t-shirts and shorts began to give way to the evening’s creeping chill. Winter was slowly making its way down Baja, urging us to set sail southward to avoid it.
The morning after a relaxed Thanksgiving dinner, we watched as boats around us raised their anchors, unfurled their sails, and drifted out of the anchorage with the mid-morning breeze. Six colorful sails disappeared towards the horizon, signaling it was time for us to move as well. With renewed energy, we hoisted our anchor, set our sails, and pointed our bow south once more.
The breeze was light, warm, and the seas were calm—ideal conditions for flying the spinnaker. Although setting up the spinnaker is a process, from hauling it out of the boat’s depths to running the lines (and re-running them after the inevitable mistakes), it was worth it. Soon, the large sail was full, and we were drifting along, slowly catching up with the other boats ahead of us.
As the afternoon faded into evening, we prepared for another two-night passage. The night was mostly uneventful, except for a close call with a small fishing boat that refused to give way. The routine of sleeping, sailing, and eating continued as the nights turned into days.
By the second day’s dinner time, we arrived in Santa Maria, opting for an early stop instead of pushing to Bahia Magdalena after dark. We enjoyed a meal of freshly caught yellowfin tuna as the sun set over the mountains.
Taking a Rest in Bahia Magdalena
The next morning, a pod of dolphins escorted us out of the bay as we headed towards Bahia Magdalena. We took our time, drifting with the wind and current, enjoying the journey as friends on other boats passed by. Finally, we motored into the bay and anchored near a small fishing village, the smallest we had encountered so far. A friendly fisherman greeted us, taking our trash and some coffee mugs as a trade.
That evening, we dined at a local restaurant with other sailors from the anchorage, laughing about our recent adventures and making plans to explore the nearby mangroves.
A rumor of surf led Mark and I to load up our boards and hike to a neighboring beach. The “little hike” turned out to be over a kilometer, which was a challenge with a heavy paddleboard. Though the surf wasn’t worth the trek, the warm water and beautiful beach made the effort worthwhile, giving us the perfect opportunity to fly our drone and explore the sand dunes.
We spent the next days exploring the mangroves with our new friends and even toured a beautiful wooden schooner, Wolfhound. Sprocket, managed to get himself invited aboard and caused quite a bit of chaos by chasing the puppy around, drinking all his water and then peeing in their formal salon.
As the winter winds continued creeping down the Baja, we set our sights on Cabo San Lucas before heading further south to the mainland. We waited for a weather window while our friends departed, anticipating a one-and-a-half to two-day sail with favorable winds, except for a potentially rough patch near Cabo.
A Quick Trip to Cabo San Lucas
Under gray skies, we set sail, enjoying a quick day sail that transitioned into a calm night. However, as we approached Cabo, the winds picked up to a sporty 25 knots with short, stacked seas. We regretted leaving our whisker pole out overnight, as the rough seas made it difficult to retrieve, forcing us to soldier on with just the mainsail. Eventually, we turned on the engine to make some distance, and as we reached the lee of the mountains, the wind and waves subsided.
Arriving in Cabo in the early hours of a quiet Monday morning, we anchored and caught some much-needed sleep. Despite warnings of a wild anchorage, we woke up to find ourselves on the edge of the earth, we had anchored so far away! We were surprised to find a calm anchorage, white sand and crystal blue water. Not the Cabo we expected.
That was short lived. As we headed into the harbour, we dodged jet skis, pangas and sport fishing boats. The chaos extended into the city where music and people were everywhere. This was a quick pit stop for us to get fuel and provisions before moving on. As fun as living the city life was, we were happy to head out.
After three whirlwind days, we set sail for Los Frailes, just 40 miles away and just in time to miss the incoming swell.
Total Nautical Miles Sailed: 375
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