Baja Haha 2005

PART B - The Baja-Haha - from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas

The trip

Here is the more-or-less detailed log.

MON 24 OCT
  - Breakfast at SDYC
  - Ron and I got rental cars
  - I got new battery for cell phone
  - West Marine has an Internet "cafe" inside their store...
    a nice touch

TUE 25 OCT (San Diego)
  - Breakfast today at Red Sails
  - Nels still working on oil leaks
 ++ Mapquest directions at SDYC front desk
  - I went to plastics place and replaced piece I broke
  - 1:30P Oil leaks "fixed"
    Now, dinghy has a leak, so take it to the "Dinghy Doctor" for repairs
  - Dinner at SDYC

WED 26 OCT (San Diego)
  - 1000 - More oil cleaning! - washed engine room
  - 1030 - Oil pressure indicating zero.  Fixed that.
  - Out to sea to test new spinnaker - just fine, though we
    got it inside out the first time.
  - 1300 - Back to dock and find that tachometer and charger 
    not working.  Fixed that.

THU 27 OCT
  - Got dinghy.  It floats well, BUT motor does not work
  - Got dinghy motor running (Bad plugs, missing 18-mm metric long
    socket for sparkplugs)
  - Now, alternator on main engine not working, so take it to shop
  - Move from SDYC to other marina, via fuel dock
  - John Reilich meets us at fuel dock
  - Mike checks into hotel

FRI 28 OCT
  - Lynn arrives / Bob arrives / alternator arrives
  - 1200 - adjust values on engine
  - Re-greased portlights
  - New alternator installed - it works. 14V! 

SAT 29 OCT
  - Mike out to dinner with college friends

SUN 30 OCT
  - Slept in
  - Work on boat a bit
  - Baja Halloween party (see pix)
  - Dinner at SDYC with Bob & Ron

MON 31 OCT
  - 1100 - A good running start with spinnaker up...started
    near Pt. Loma end of line.
  - Good wind and weather - we opted to stay inside and go
    between the Coronados islands
  - Then jibed and go towas Cedros Island
 *! The usual DDW course...roly-poly
  - 1800 SOG = 6.3K, wind 26K true
  - A great spinnaker ride...spinnaker down at dinner fime, as wind shifts

TUE 1 NOV
  - 0010 (my watch)  Very light wind, wrong direction, two
    unintentional tacks
  - 0300-0600 - Lynn had a good watch - 3KT, but wrong direction
  - 0700 Zero wind
  - 1200-1500 (my watch) zero wind, zero speed
  - 1500 some wind, some speed, but it died at 4PM
  - Lovely sunset (see pic).  No wind, so we had extended happy hour
  - Great dinner:  Pork chops, scalloped potatos
  - 8PM - a little wind, so we can sail at 4.5K  Hooray.

WED 2 NOV
  - 0800 No wind.  Drifting in fog.
  - 1000 Put up spinnaker in fog
  - 1200-1500 (my watch)  13K true wind.  Sund comes out.  A nice sail
  - Massive tangle of fishing lines, and lost one completely
  - 5PM - fog moves in - jybe the spinnaker - wind is much lower
  - Blinking orange light on generator
  - 630PM - I put on thermal long johns...it is COLD
  - A lovely dinner:  Large steaks, baked potato/sour cream,
    large salad
  - 1100P - LOTS of rocking and rolling on DDW course, so Nels
    decides to go at a wind angle of 160 degrees and that
    gives a much smoother ride

THU 3 NOV
  - 0000-0300 13K true wind.  Autopilot di all the steering...
    no sail trim needed at all.
  - 0600 Wind has lasted all night...good speed and distance
  - Note (Bronco)  Loose instrument display is too easy to bump,
    disconnecting data display
  - 0930 - Start generator.  Output OK, but no green light,
     only a flashing orange one.
  - Good winds all day - good sailing
  - Past Cedro, turned left for final approach - winds gusting to
    30K, but we got the spinnaker down OK
  - Later, winds dies down, so we
      1. Hoisted spinnaker
      2. Prepared dinner
           - Salad of cottage cheese & tomatoes
           - Baked chicken
           - Noodles with Nels' sauce
  - We let the autopilot do the steering while we pretty much sat below
    and had a fine dinner (with the spinnaker up) right up to thefinish line
  - Finished at 8PM, then spinnaker down and a 2-hour to run
    Turtle Bay in the dark
  - Anchored in our usual empty spot right next to fuel dock.
  - Champagne and fresh-squeezed OJ to celebrate
  - Into bed at 11:30P

FRI 4 NOV - Turtle Bay
  - Spent AM bagging candy, pencils, postits for children
  ! (On net) One boat has 3 Universal alternators, all bad!
  - Handed our candy, etc. to kids on street
  - Met Frenchman Miguel at restaurant for lunch
  - Beach party
      - Moved "Bronco" to beach
      - Took panga to beach
      - Met "Cassiopaeia" crew
      - Interview with Cruising World editor
      - Met John Reilich there (!)  He was on "Ryden" which had
        major propulsion problems, trying to put a new automobile
        gas/electric system into an older Valiant 32,

SAT 5 NOV
  - We got a good start.  They gave fleet a "running start", with
    one hour of 5KT motoring in any direction, so we (as usual)
    point south and motor.
  - Wind comes up and by 1030 we are by ourselves inshore, ahead
    of all but three boats
  - On my 1200-1500 watch - sunny, good 11-19K winds.
    Hit 9.9 on the knowmeter
  - We are about 3rd or 4th in the fleet
  - Good strong winds in the afternon.  Made good time, but a little
    rolly, so we just had sandwiches for dinner
  - Ron fixes blinking orange light

SUN 6 NOV
  - 0600 Hardly any wind
  - Spinnaker guy just about worn through - 0900-1100 to fix that
  - Great quesadillas for lunch
  - More DDW, but we use Autohelm wind angle at 160 degrees to
    keep gooing smoothly.

MON 7 NOV - Bahia Santa Maria
  - Wait until Nels repairs hydraulic seal on wheel, then Bob
    redoes loop and whips old line.
  - 1300 - Ready to go BUT dinghy will not start
  - Work on dinghy until 3PM
  - Good news: Cell coverage.  [Bad news: Lots of crew talking
    on cell phones]
  - Lobster for dinner
  - Heated (but fun) discussion of unions, etc.
  - Parties on several other boats that evening, but we made our own

TUE 8 NOV
  - 1200 - Pusser's rum party
  - Beach party - some clouds
  - Visited tall ship "Talofa"
  - Back to boat for spaghetti dinner
  - John Erlich is there on the beach
  - To bed at 7:30P, because we gotta get up around 0430
  ! I moved/changed H2O, which a few others did not like


Revised: December 19, 2005