April 20, 2022-Venturing Into the Sea of Cortez

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Sailing Into Caleta Partida

 

They say that having a “schedule” is the worst thing for making sailboat trips.  Our effort to get to La Paz by early April and meet Jimmy and Robin, on their chartered boat La Marvela, proved the truth of that old saying.

That dash to get to La Paz came to a screaming halt on April 3 when we entered the Cerralvo passage at midnight and faced a black night with big waves and a cold north wind of 24 knots. There was no moon or stars, the wind was freezing cold and right on the nose, we were taking spray everywhere and we were dead tired.

 “Nope, we’re not going.” I said to Judy.  We turned Wings back toward Los Muertos, a protected bay just over 6 miles south.

Even that little trip of six miles was stressful.  It took over an hour to get there and neither the wind nor the waves gave any sign of abating. We donned life jackets and planned how we would get the sails down and secured and get the boat anchored in those conditions.

In the end it was easy; the wind did drop and the seas calmed down and by 02:00 we were safely anchored among a small group of other boats whose welcoming anchor lights guided us in. We were happy to be stopped. We had a shot of rum and crashed into our bunks and stayed in Los Muertos for two nights.

Judy and I had worked at a frantic pace after the finish of the Banderas Bay Regatta to get Wings converted from race boat to cruising boat so we could take off.  Meeting Jimmy and Robin on La Marvela in La Paz was to be the beginning of a three-month cruise in the Sea of Cortez.  Rene and Denny helped us get ready and in four days we completed what would normally take a week or more. Then we set off on the pursuit.

It was a joy to sheet in Wings’ sails, just the two of us, and head out into the Pacific Ocean, the blue Pacific. The crossing from Banderas Bay to Baja it is 340 miles, the way the crow flies. Of course we can’t often sail the way the crow flies, direct, and the wind was against us, so we began to tack, and it was shifty, so we found ourselves changing course often and sailing on which ever board was favored. But it was nice sailing and even the occasional tacks didn’t bother us. One of us on watch and lazing in the cockpit, gazing at the ocean, and the other, likely as not, napping below. When the wind changed whomever was on watch woke the other.

“It’s time to tack.”

And we threw off the sheets and turned the boat.

But shifty winds were not the only challenge Nature presented. The wind was not consistent in strength either. Sometimes it was blowing 10 knots, which was beautiful, other times 14 and we wondered if a sail change was going to be needed. Then, unsurprisingly, the wind would drop all together and we had to take down the sails and turn on the motor.

Later the wind would come back and we had to turn off the motor and put the sails back up. This cycle repeated itself and it became tiring. Pulling sails up and then down is a lot of work.

After three days we weren’t exhausted but we were tired. Then came our encounter with the Cerralvo Channel. We took a rest.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Wings Moored in Ellipse at Puerto Escondido

After we resumed the charge we moved fast. We had three long days on the water, sometimes motoring, sometimes sailing, (and the sailing was often a heavy weather beat with lots of tacks) up the Baja coast past tall mountains and stunning scenery which we’d love to have stopped and enjoyed, but the time for which we just could not afford. We caught up with La Marvela  in Puerto Escondido. They were impressed that we overcame their three-day head start. We reached Puerto Escondido 4 hours after they did.

Sitting with Jimmy and Robin at the bar at Puerto Escondido looking down onto Wings moored peacefully in the Ellipse in I felt we’d achieved our objective and that we could finally relax. Margaritas for everybody.

Jimmy and Robin image Jimmy and Robin

Two days later we said our goodbyes and La Marvela reversed course and began its trek back south.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Judy Handles the Halyard as Fred Works Aloft

Since then, with no schedule and no particular objective, we’ve been really cruising; going where we want, meeting new friends, finding nice anchorages, and taking long naps.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Wings Anchored in Ballandra, Isla Carmen

The sailing has been terrific, not too much motoring, the boat maintenance projects have not been too arduous, and even the bees at Isla Carmen are not too aggravating this year.

 In a few days we’ll go into Loreto for provisions and begin planning the next leg.

Click here for many more images.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Sea of Cortez