2013 "Work" Trip

Cyn and I just returned from a three week trip to San Carlos. Our two objectives were to repair Solera's Yanmar diesel and to list her with a broker. The engine work was quickly completed. Her diesel has never run better!  Don at San Carlos Yacht Sales currently has our beloved Columbia 40 on the market.

If you have read much of this blog you know that sailing the Sea of Cortez has been a journey filled with discovery for Cyn and I. We have logged close to 3000 miles over the last few years and explored dozens of beautiful anchorages on the Sonoran and Baja coasts. We've made ten trips down from Colorado to sail in this outstanding cruising area. For the near future we'll be enjoying our Tartan 30C at Lake Pueblo and travelling around North America in our newly acquired Mini RV.

Even with the work that needed to be done, we still managed to make a vacation out of our trip. Cyn and I made another ascent of the Tetas de Cabra, this time without Morgan. Cyn was very successful combing the beach for sea glass at Bahia Esmeralda.  JJ's fish tacos and the Italian food at La Trattoria are just about as good as it gets.

San Carlos makes a near perfect base for jumping off into the Sea of Cortez. It offers all the facilities you need and locals are helpful and friendly. On our last day in town Cyn commented on all the friends we have made over the years and how much we'll miss them. Hasta la vista San Carlos!

Bahia Los Angeles back to San Carlos

Cyn and I waited three days for the waning quarter moon and its more moderate tides to leave Puerto Don Juan. In nearly flat calm conditions we made it out of the anchorage with our dinghy lashed to Solera's stern quarter for power. It doesn't seem possible but the little four horse Yamaha outboard pushed the eighteen thousand pound Columbia 40 at three knots. In about two hours we were well into the Canal de las Ballenas (Channel of the Whales) and away from land. We stowed the dinghy on board and began trying to sail South in the almost nonexistent wind.

Our first day was the most challenging. We constantly chased catspaws and puffs of wind in hopes of progress. With the still significant currents pushing us around, we needed to stay well clear of the islands and points of land that were in the vicinity. Frequent tacking and jibing was the order of the day. To make this easier I removed the inner forestay and converted Solera from a cutter to a sloop. After twenty four hours of sailing we had only progressed three miles toward our destination one hundred and seventy two miles away!

Cyn and I resigned ourselves to the fact that the forces of nature were going to determine our progress. We had ample stores on board so food and water were not an issue and Solera's solar panels kept the batteries well charged. We had plenty of gas for the dinghy (thanks to Pochteca!) but wanted to save as much as possible in case of trouble. All we had to do was stay clear of land and all would be OK. As we progressed South through the Canal Salsipuedes the sea opened up and our worries diminished.

This was by far our longest passage yet both in time and distance. One big issue was that Morgan is not really trained to do her business on board. Usually she gets to shore in the morning and in the evening and does just fine with that. It was not easy for her but she finally let go on an old rubber floor mat we carried along just for this purpose.

We had commented several times during the sail North that the sea seemed almost sterile. Gone were the great schools of fish, dolphins, whales, seals, sea lions and sea birds we were used to seeing. Well, as we progressed South the opposite was the case. At every turn we seemed to be surrounded by sea life. Maybe because we were traveling with the rhythm of the sea, I don't know. The most impressive display took place on our third night out. Solera was becalmed about five miles off Punta San Fransisquito on a very dark moonless evening. We were in an area where the tides draw nutrients up from the depths. By shining my flashlight over the side I could see that the sea was like a thick plankton soup. Soon we began to hear whales spouting and the feeding activity began. Based on what we had seen earlier in the day, I would guess there were as many as thirty Finback, Grey, and Humpback whales in the vicinity of Solera all night that night. In the darkness we could not see any of them but the spouting off was almost constant. I could even begin to tell the whales apart by the sound of their breathing. One of the largest species had an exhale that ended with a long low resonance, almost like the lowest note on an accordion or harmonica. The whales were either not concerned or not aware that Solera was there. One spouted within just a few feet of us! The loud rush of air put a chill through Cyn and I.

The next morning the wind picked up and we were off across open sea with about eighty miles to go. The NW wind was coming over the transom so I piled on the sails. The cutter stay was back on so Solera headed downwind with the mainsail to port and genoa and staysail to starboard. What a beautiful sight, three big full sails wing on wing pulling Solera at six knots. As the day progressed, the wind freshened to the point that the only sail left up was the stay'sl.

As we sailed North of San Pedro Island we noticed a commotion of sea birds and dolphin on our starboard side. It was just like a scene out of the Planet Earth series. A bait ball was being attacked by sea and air. The onslaught lasted about thirty minutes ending with the dispersion of the attackers. I assume the bait fish were pretty much annihilated.

We made radio contact with our new friends on SV Pochteca and found that they expected to arrive in Algodones Bay just North of San Carlos that afternoon. I hoped to arrive at a reasonable hour later that evening. No such luck. Our nice late night breeze died about two miles from the anchorage and left us drifting at three in the morning. So, we ended our four day passage the same way it began, with our little four horse Yamaha outboard pushing us along.

San Francisquito to Puerto Don Juan

Sailing north from Bahia San Francisquito put us in the Canal Salsipuedes (leave if you can channel). This fourteen mile wide passage between the Baja coast and Isla San Lorenzo often creates challenges for sailors.  The tide flow from the entire northern half of the Sea of Cortez must pass through this and the other channels created by the Midriff Islands. Paying attention to the tide chart is a must. We timed our thirty five mile passage up the coast to the Animas Slot so that the current would push us the whole way.

The Animas Slot is a breathtaking anchorage tucked into a canyon in the Agua Soda Mountains. It's a tiny cove with barely enough room for two boats. Once again we had the anchorage to ourselves. The full moon tide range was an impressive nine feet. We left the next morning on a flood tide that would help carry us fifteen miles to our next stop at Puerto Don Juan. The push from the current was remarkable as Solera made over six knots over ground in a very light wind.

All was well until we entered the channel into Puerto Don Juan. With sails stowed we had motored about a mile toward the protected bay when Solera's diesel suddenly quit. We dropped anchor and quickly determined that the repair would not be a simple one. The work would have to be done back in San Carlos one hundred seventy miles away. Thank goodness we are on a sailboat! Cyn and I changed our mindset a bit and started getting psyched up for a long passage under sail back to home port.

We stayed at the anchorage a few days waiting for the tides to moderate. It was fun hanging out with the crews from the two other boats anchored there, Pochteca and Siempre Sabado. Eventually they all moved on and we had Puerto Don Juan to ourselves.  

San Carlos to Bahia San Francisquito

This was a two leg trip with a stop 26 miles up the Sonoran coast at Las Cocinas. Then a long crossing just south of the Midriff Islands to Bahia San Francisquito on the Baja peninsula. The run up the coast was an easy one with light wind and several hours under spinnaker. We shared the anchorage with a trawler the first night then had the small bay to ourselves on the second night.

Our eighty nautical mile overnight crossing to Baja was a bit of a rough one. The forecast was for eighteen knots of wind in the afternoon then a calm evening. We got twelve in the afternoon and a peak wind of twenty three at two in the morning. Also, we were sailing over an underwater shelf that kicked up the wave height a bit. I'd say there were a few steep six footers out there that night. Fortunately we had the waves on the beam so the ride was kind of wild but we were still able to make good progress. We sailed under a double reefed main and stay'sl.  Solera was very well balanced and the autopilot handled the boat just fine.

There is a small isolated island called San Pedro Martir that was in our path about half way across. I wanted to sail south of the island in deeper and hopefully smoother water but the wind and waves just would not permit it. Solera skirted just north of the island in waves much bigger than normal for the wind we had. Approaching Baja the next morning had us in the remnants of an Elefante. This is another Baja localized wind phenomenon that's unique to this area. It's kind of like a Chinook along the front range of the Rockies. This down slope wind can get quite strong along the coast. It's name comes from the cloud formation that's associated with it. The lenticular clouds roll off the ridge tops in a formation that looks like an elephants trunk. The wind clocked around to our bow and the seas soon followed suit. We motored the last five miles.

We arrived at San Francisquito mid morning to a calm, quiet anchorage. I dropped the hook in fifteen feet of crystal clear water off a beautiful white sand beach. We stayed three days and enjoyed every minute!

One afternoon I took the dinghy across the bay to a small cobblestone beach. This was the site where eight years ago Dan Heidenreich and I had landed our sea kayaks marking the end of a four day, seventy five mile crossing of the sea. It was a clear day so I could see our entire route. Quite a feat... what were we thinking?!

San Pedro and Las Cocinas

Here are some pictures from a five day trip up the coast from San Carlos. The idea was to go out for a few days to be sure everything is working properly before heading into the more remote areas north of the Midriff Islands. We left with light wind coming over the stern so out came the spinnaker. We ghosted along at 3 kts for about three hours to our first stop Bahia San Pedro. Approaching the bay, I doused the spinnaker then began motoring the last mile into the bay. We had a little scare when the engine suddenly began straining and vibrating. It turned out to be just a wad of stringy seaweed wrapped around the prop shaft. Thankfully, it was easily removed by hand the next morning. We enjoyed two calm comfortable days at San Pedro.

Our next leg took us 13 miles further to the Las Cocinas anchorage. It was flat calm all day and we motored the whole way without incident. We thought about anchoring in the tiny cove of Julio Villa. Tom and I had been there in 2008 on Solstice, my Cal 2-27 (see some of the earliest posts). It was a tight fit for a 27 footer and as we motored through on Solera, Cyn and I agreed that we needed more room. Las Cocinas was just around the corner and is highly recommended by other cruisers. The guidebook claims "gin clear waters". This time of year there is just a little green to it. I’d call it a "dirty martini". The anchorage’s western orientation provided spectacular sunsets. We had the whole place to ourselves.

 We broke up the 27 mile return trip with another stop at San Pedro. A strong NW swell had us anchoring on the well protected north side of the bay.  After a comfortable night at anchor we left early to avoid the predicted strong afternoon winds. We monitor the Sonrisa net on sideband radio for daily weather reports.  It’s comforting to know when something big is coming our way. Solera rode an eighteen knot wind over the stern all the way back to San Carlos. We made a steady five knots under genoa only. I rarely use this sail configuration but wind direction and swell dictated the using the headsail only. It's off to Bahia Los Angeles in a few days.

San Carlos 2012

Cyn and I have been back in San Carlos for about a month now. We completed several maintenance and improvement projects on the boat over the last few weeks. Solera is in the bay and ready to cruise. We went out for a sea trial on Easter with Oscar and Pilar. It was a nice reward for the labor we put into the boat. The sailing was just about perfect. We beam reached on flat seas back to SC under full sail with the wind in the mid teens. Solera kept her speed around seven knots. Like I said, perfect.

Earlier, we took some time off from "work" to climb the west peak of the Tetas. What an  impressive trail with a lot of scrambling and exposure. It proved to be too difficult for Morgan. Even though she scrambles up rock like a goat, several sections would have required me to carry her over sketchy terrain. Cyn and Morgan waited in a cool alcove while I climbed the last 300 feet. The view from the top of the 1400 foot peak included the summit spire of the twin peak, San Carlos Bay and marina, Marina Real and Algodones Beach, and a distant view across the sea to the Baja coast. I highly recommend this non technical climb.

This has nothing to do with sailing but was very special for Speedway, Indiana natives Cyn and I. Not long after we arrived in San Carlos, we went to the Marina Cantina for a beer and wifi access. I noticed an older fellow who was just sitting down at the table next to ours. He looked like Bobby Unser the famous race driver and three time winner of the Indy 500. I was almost sure when I heard his voice so I walked over and said " Hi... Bobby? ". He said with a big smile "Yes, and what's your name!" We began talking and soon he insisted that Cyn join us at his table. What I thought would be a quick hello ended up being a two hour conversation with one of the friendliest and most interesting people I've met. It surprised me that little was said about racing. He did talk about family, friends and various other adventures on land, sea, and in the air (he is also a pilot).

Currently we're waiting for an approaching weather window to head North up the Sea. Tentative itinerary is to sail sixty miles up the Sonoran coast to the Midriff Islands. We'll cross to Baja along the seventy mile island chain then continue North to Bahia Los Angeles and it's surrounding Islands and anchorages.