Return to San Diego

May 28 – June 11, 2024

The trip along the Pacific Coast of Baja northbound from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego is referred to as the Baja Bash. This is because the winds and seas come from the north-northwest which is the direction we are heading. This leads to uncomfortable sea conditions in which the boat pounds into waves and is significantly slowed down. Strategies to deal with this include hiring a delivery captain to bring the boat north for you, shipping the boat north, or sucking it up and bashing. We chose option three.

We had been waiting several weeks for a good weather window (calmer seas and lighter winds) which never seemed to develop. So on May 28th we departed at first light with less bad weather conditions forecasted. We left with fellow sailors on SV Manna and SV Aloha. Our first obstacle was rounding Cabo Falso which is right around the corner from Cabo San Lucas. Although there was wind and waves, they weren’t all that bad and we were past that area in a few hours. The rest of the day was relatively pleasant but soon became uncomfortable again when the winds and seas built as we neared our first stop in Bahia de Magdalena. We arrived almost exactly 36 hours after we left. All in all pretty good time and the first big passage was done. The next day we did a quick reposition to Bahia Santa Maria which was about four hours to the north.

We waited in Bahia Santa Maria for two full days as some high winds passed through. On June first we left with SV Aloha. SV Manna decided to wait for better conditions. The first few hours out of Santa Maria, until we cleared the point around Cabo San Lozano, were probably the worst of the trip. Strong winds and confused seas made the ride very slow and uncomfortable. Fortunately the conditions improved as the day went on and we arrived in heavy fog to Bahia San Juanico the next day at 5AM. We even saw Orca whales, a first for us.

Moving along the next stretch of coast, our strategy was to leave at midnight to arrive in the morning before the heavy winds picked up. We used this strategy to the towns of Abreojos, Asuncion, and Bahia Tortugas. We filled up with fuel and prepared for the last big stretch north. We left Bahia Tortugas at midnight and initially it was a smooth ride. Soon though, we encountered rough seas as we came around Isla Cedros and made our way across Bahia Vizcaino. This was rough, cold, and slow going, however by the next morning we were across the bay and started to encounter calm seas and light winds which fortunately lasted all the way to Ensenada. Our friends on Aloha were with us the whole way and we were so happy when we pulled into Marina Coral in Ensenada, 56 hours after departing Bahia Tortugas. We celebrated with a hot tub, endless hot showers, pizza and beer.

The next day we checked out of Mexico and were ready to head to San Diego the following day. After more beer and pizza, of course. The trip back to San Diego was relatively uneventful and even included a few hours of sailing as we approached the bay. We were welcomed back to Silver Gate Yacht Club by Port Captain Aaron at about 5 pm. We had made it through a challenging passage north in 14 days, covering 835 miles in 159.7 hours.

We left San Diego on December 6, 2022 and returned on June 11, 2024. We left the boat in San Carlos, MX during the hurricane season from July through mid-October 2023. Otherwise we were on the boat full-time during that period. All told we covered 6143 nautical miles, visited 59 anchorages and 10 marinas. We were at anchor for 247 days and spent 170 days in marinas. It was a great trip and we can’t wait for the next adventure.

For the time being, we will spend time in San Diego getting the boat ready for future journeys, while also traveling extensively over the summer and fall, visiting friends and family.