Baja California Norte

Wednesday November 16, 2005 LOCATION: Bahia Blanca, Baja California Norte
GOOGLE EARTH COORDINATES: 29 06.240N,114 41.239W
We have been slowly and diligently making our way down the Baja Coastline. It has been relatively quiet and peaceful. Each day has brought a new anchorage for us to see and taken us a little further south. Each anchorage with it's own unique coastline and feel. There has been a fishing village nestled in nearly everyone. Here is a list of the locations we have stayed in thus far. Puerto Santo Tomas, Bahia de Collett, San Quintin, Punta Baja, San Carlos and tonight we will be in Bahia Blanca. I think it has been about 5 or so days since we have actually touch land and I have to say we are all doing well. Day three we got a little stir crazy but a ride in the dinghy to go explore always helps. Bahia de Collet has dramatic 300 foot cliff walls that line the bay. A big notch cut in the middle brings some heavy winds down through it in the evening. In San Quintin we were anchored beside our friends on Bold Spirit and enjoyed a nice night out to dinner and games on their boat. It was great fun and felt like such a treat. While we were exploring that bay in the dinghy as well we saw a grey colored whale (rather small) heading in to feed we imagine. Yesterday we anchored in Bahia San Carlos next to Punta San Carlos. You see the pattern here. Everywhere there is a "punta", point just below it is a "bahia" or bay for us to anchor in. We took our dinghy ride and found some potential waves for Bruce to ride. Yeah!!! It had been a while since we had gotten him wet and he needed it.
What we noted the most about this location was that we were finally starting to feel some warmth. Up to this point we had been experiencing fairly cool and moist weather, like a foggy Washington day. This was significantly dryer and comfortable. We went to bed early in anticipation of an early departure the next morning and by 10:30 some strong offshore winds kicked up over the bluffs and out onto the water. It turned us and the two other neighboring boats around on our anchors and whipped away at 25 - 35 knots all night and on until 10:30 this morning. You are never in any danger but you sure don't get any sleep. We set a radar alarm that would let us know if we had come loose of our anchor and were drifting into anyone or anything and likewise if anyone was heading for us. By 9:00 am we decided to pull up anchor and brave the sea further out, hoping that these would die off as the day warmed up and lessen the further off shore we went. Luckily it panned out and we enjoyed a nice morning sail. Wind is fascinating to me. Each morning at 6:00 am we listen ever so diligently through squawk and squelch for the weather report and try to picture the highs and lows scattered around the globe. Where are they now and how will they affect me? Where am I located and what land mass or water mass will come into play? ...As quickly as this wind had started at 10:30 that morning it died down to less than 10 knots and changed direction. Who knows.
We did put the fishing line back in the water today. The word around the Pacific Ocean I hear is that fish do not fear Ohana Kai. We haven't had a nibble - until today. Everyone had their turn at reeling in a decent sized Black Skipjack. We didn't keep any to eat yet, we were just so happy to break our fish less curse. We will have to check with Bold Spirit yet to see if they had any luck. They were fish less as well. And as Bruce says, he who has the first fish, has the biggest fish if even for a moment.
As we entered the bay to anchor for the night tonight, the wind picked back up again and it got dark quickly. The full moon rose just in front of us ever so majestically. We were escorted by what looked like a hundred spry dolphins feeding with a frenzy. Amazing.
hope you are all well,
talk to you soon
Lisa and the boys