Tag: sailing

  • Chacala, a Swell Anchorage

    After successfully pulling our anchor at Isla Isabel, we set off for the town of Chacala, 55 nm away on mainland Mexico.  Our start was a bit slow, dodging a fishing line (typically marked by jugs ranging from 1 L to 5 gallon plastic soda bottles), then having issues raising the screecher that kept getting…

  • Isla Isabel: A Gem in a Rockpile

    We timed our 310 nm crossing of the Sea of Cortez to arrive at the remote Isla Isabel during daylight and during a calm period, as it is a fair-weather anchorage only.  To call it an anchorage is an over-statement.  Not only is there poor holding, there is minimal actual holding and instead a pile…

  • 310-miles from Baja to Pacific Mexico

    6:45am, underway from Cardoncito (Isla Partida) to Isla Isabel with NW winds steady 15, gusts higher, and steep close together 5-7 foot seas.  We decided to go north around the tip of Isla Partida and then make a straight shot southeast across the Sea of Cortez to Isla Isabel.  In retrospect, this was the wrong…

  • Farewell (for now) Sea of Cortez

    Tomorrow, we leave the Sea of Cortez, heading toward mainland Pacific Mexico on our biggest passage thus far at over 300 miles, a two-night crossing.  We have travelled a total of 1,530 nautical miles as of today. Heading south in the Sea with buddy boat Kaaluna, we had a very productive trip to our anchorage…

  • Turning Our Bow South

    We now turn our bow south for the next leg of this journey, our next major provisioning stop on mainland Mexico in a couple weeks.  We also start more intense preparation for our upcoming passage across the South Pacific.  Our time here in the Sea of Cortez is coming to a close, as I marvel…

  • Some Serious Vacationing

    The Whitacre family of four (Heath, Marina, Elijah, and Gabriele) arrived from our hometown of Petersburg, Alaska and we commenced some serious vacationing!  Prior to their arrival, we did piles of laundry, loads of provisioning for four teens (who never got full), and cleaned the boat inside and out.  I managed to beat Chris (again)…

  • Loreto Area Excursions

    Tied safely to a mooring ball in Puerto Escondido, we rented a vehicle for a road trip to San Javier.  This spectacular, winding 1 hour drive through mountains and canyons led us to San Javier Mission (founded in 1699 with the stone temple built 1744-1748) tucked in a picturesque oasis of palms.  We explored the…

  • Reunion in Bahia Concepcion

    After a long motor north in rolly seas, all of us a bit green except for Gma Hyer and Calder, we had a lovely final 1-hour sail into our anchorage, Bahia Santa Domingo in Bahia Concepcion.  Even my loaf of bread felt too ill to rise properly!  Bahia Concepcion is a large, narrow bay 25…

  • A Child’s Mind

    Woke up quite early to anxiety-provoking wind gusts, earlier than predicted, and decided to haul anchor and get underway to Puerto Escondido, winds having shifted pushing us onto the other shore of Honeymoon Cove on Isla Danzante.  Our anchoring routine is getting old, as we’ve had a broken windlass remote, sketchily holding the hot power…

  • Going North despite Northers

    After the quietest night ever for New Year’s Eve (not even the sound of lapping against the hull) we woke to a brisk expected west wind and pulled anchor.  Setting the main sail and Code Zero (screecher), we sailed NORTH, which is an unexpected gift in the Sea during these winter prevailing winds.  We gladly…