Ensenada to Bahia de Tortugas

December 18 – 21, 2022

Ensenada was a great time. We met many new friends headed south and enjoyed relaxing at Marina Coral. We had some great meals in town with Starr E. By the 18th it was our day to leave Ensenada. My back feeling better, we checked out of Ensenada with the port captain and topped off at the fuel dock. We were off by just after 10 AM on our way south. The first day was very calm with glassy sea conditions and little to no wind which meant we would be motoring for a good while. We caught our first fish of the trip in afternoon, a Pacific Bonito, but didn’t get any pictures.

We were treated to a stunning sunset the first evening followed by the most amazing stars we’ve ever witnessed. By the second day the winds began to pick up and we set up for a downwind sail. This lasted until later that night when the wind angle changed and seas picked up. We doused the headsail and motor sailed the rest of the night.

Sunrise on the final morning revealed steady 10 knot winds and a good sea state. The sails went up and we continued on towards Bahia de Tortugas close reached on a port tack. The seas overnight must have been pretty big because we found 36 dead squid washed up on the decks in the morning.

The rest of the sail was beautiful and we arrived in Bahia de Tortugas at 2:30 PM on December 20th. Just over 51 hours total as we crossed into the mountain time zone. The bay is very big and exceptionally calm with room for literally hundreds of boats. Fortunately there were only a handful when we arrived. The wildlife is exceptional with thousands of birds including pelicans and osprey and dozens of seals swimming around the boat.

After setting the anchor and getting a quick nap, we went into town for a walk about.

That night we slept like rocks!