I awoke at 7:00 and listened to the Sonrisa Ham net to get Geary’s weather report.
I departed at 8:00 AM with three destinations in mind. The closest was Puerto Las Gatos, the next closest was San Evaristo, and the farthest was Isla San Francisco. The wind had started blowing early in the morning, which can make the seas rough and the going slow. I was not sure how far I would be able to get given the conditions. I was pleasantly surprised to find the seas fairly calm and the conditions good, so I was able to make good time. I was averaging about 6.4 knots.
I was able to use both the staysail and jib much of the time. Depending upon the strength of the wind, the boat was able to make 6.7 to 7.3 knots under a combination of sail and power. The wind direction and speed were very inconsistent. Sometimes the wind was coming from port and sometimes from starboard. It varied in speed from almost non-existent to 20 knots or more. As a result, I was frequently adjusting the sails. I would furl the sails when the wind dropped to nothing or was blowing from straight ahead. I would unfurl them when the wind picked up. I did the same when the wind moved from port to starboard, or vice versa. I rarely went more than 20 minutes without doing something to the sails.
When I arrived at Puerto Las Gatos at 11:00 AM, the conditions were good and there was lots more daylight, so decided to go on to at least San Evaristo. I had already explored Puerto Los Gatos on the way north, so thought it might be more interesting to visit someplace I had not yet seen.
I decided to try to retrieve Geary’s and Stan’s weather reports using Sailmail while underway with the engine running. I had never tried this before. Others have told me that the engine and alternator sometimes create noise that interferes with the SSB radio. In this case, it worked fine and I quickly retrieved both reports. It is really helpful to be able to read both weather reports in their entirety. It is good to know that using Sailmail while underway is possible because I find myself relying on Sailmail more and more to keep in touch. It is a great tool.
I had originally hoped to visit Bahia Amortajada which has a mangrove swamp you can explore in a dinghy. Matt and Rachael did this and said it was very interesting. Bahia Amortajada was on the way. It is just across the channel from San Evaristo. Unfortunately, the anchorage at Bahia Amortajada is an open roadstead and it is completely open to the south. The guide book does not recommend anchoring there in a south wind, which is what I was getting. I decided to pass on visiting Bahia Amortajada.
I arrived at San Evaristo at 3:30 PM. I still had time to make Isla San Francisco before sunset, but decided that San Evaristo might offer somewhat better protection from the wind and waves. When I went in to the anchorage, I found that many other boats were already present and the best anchoring spots were taken.
I decided to go on to Isla San Francisco. There was just enough time to get there, with little time to spare. When I rechecked the guide book, it looked like the anchorage at Isla San Francisco would offer good protections from the prevailing wind and waves. I arrived at Isla San Francisco at 5:00 PM and had the anchor down before sunset at 5:30. There were only two other boats present and the anchorage is spacious, so I was able to find a good spot to anchor. Another advantage of Isla San Francisco is that I am nine miles closer to La Paz, my next target.
The winter storm that is crossing the US has dipped down into the Baja. I just got a little rain from it.
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