We didn’t enjoy Muertos as much as Frailes, but the wifi from the restaurant was a nice treat
It was a short, overnight passage from Frailes to Muertos
Logbook – March 16, 2013 (Bahia Los Frailes to Bahia de Los Muertos)
Passage Log Highlights
2141 SB engine on awhile ago
2149 P engine on
2200 Depart
(Edit: The water heater is powered by the starboard engine so maybe we were heading some water for some showers?)
Logbook – March 17, 2013 (Bahia Los Frailes to Bahia de Los Muertos)
Passage Log Highlights
0420 Slowing down to arrive after sunrise
0657 Arrive
(Edit: This was a very unnerving experience the first time. It was very dark and the only way I knew there was land was from the chart plotter.)
The Geography of Bahia de Los MuertosI was so ready for the sunrise as we approach Bahia de Los MuertosWe made it into the bayWalking from the dinghy dock to the restaurant, notice Alex is carrying a small bag of trash. Trash disposal is a big deal for cruisers.Pelicans everywhereThat’s one giant cactus.Alex’s silhouette with Exodus in the backgroundA short walk from the restaurant there were some tide poolsToo coolEnjoying the tide poolsCaptain Tim pondersEnter a captionAnother view of ExodusFixing the walkie talkie (it’s not ACTUALLY waterproof)The surf made the kayak landings a little more interestingAlex decides to try boogie boarding (unfortunately, there’s not THAT much surf)
No waves to boogie board? No problem.The fog rolled in
Email sent to family and friends dated March 18, 2013
Subject: Headed for Puerto Balandra
We lost wifi abruptly last night, but it was fun sharing photos and face timing. We are leaving in about an hour to head up around the corner to Puerto Balandra. It should take us half a day to get there. Love you all. -D.
Bahia Los Frailes is 28 nmi from Cabo, heading North East. Cabo Pulmo National Park is just around a couple points to the North and the boys hooka’d there while I drifted around in the dinghy. We had our first encounter with other cruisers and enjoyed the long, white sand beach. Overall, I think our first anchorage in new territory was a huge success.
The Geography of Bahia Los FrailesExodus at anchor at Bahia Los FrailesCaptain Tim and his straw hatA fantastic running beach. 10/14/13 Update: Still the best running beach so farThere was a campground at Bahia Los FrailesWe used the kayaks to get to and from the beachA nice profile of ExodusThe long stretch of beachThere was another cat in the bay with us. A nice couple who left for the Marquesas (Dave and Booker on s/v Tortuguita)ExploringDoing some dishesSunsetLegos are still a favorite pastimeBrenden’s always good for a smile towards the camera.
Logbook – March 15, 2013 (Bahia Los Frailes)
Daily Notes
Cocktails w/ Dave & Booker @ Tortuguita
(Edit: They were a nice couple on another catamaran and we were the only two boats in the bay. They had already cleared out of Mexico and were waiting for their weather window to jump to The Marquesas. They had already left once, but winds were nonexistent so they turned around and waited. We went over to their boat, and I brought over a nice bottle of red wine. I didn’t really know the protocol or expectations, I just figured I should bring something. The following evening they came over to Exodus and they brought some yummy bread, I seem to recall it was coconut bread.)
Fiery sunsetFamily Minecraft
Email sent to family and friends dated March 15, 2013
Subject: Hi, we are at Bahia Los Frailes
A few of you have messaged that inReach is showing us on the land! I assure you we are safely tucked away in a small anchorage on the other side of the tip of Baja anchored a safe distance from shore. I’m guessing the accuracy of the map they use is not as good as the accuracy of the GPS locations reported. Oh well. If you noticed us veer in towards land en route yesterday, it’s because whales were traveling close to shore. We got close enough to take some amazing pictures of them breaching. It was breathtaking. And made for a difficult school day, since who wants to work on Math when you are close enough to actually HEAR the whales! I can’t wait to upload photos for you all to see.
Cabo was OK, but it was busy and noisy since we happened to show up during spring break season. Lots of drunk and stupid college kids. The boys really liked it because there was a hotel pool we could easily crash and the pool water was warmer than the ocean. We didn’t stay in the Marina in Cabo, instead, we chose to anchor out in the bay. So, we did our laundry and grocery shopping by hauling stuff back and forth in the dinghy to shore. And I’m pretty sure I’m never going to have to learn to drive the dinghy… Alex loves to drive and he will always be my chauffeur. He also takes the responsibility to haul it up every night, and one evening I asked him to show me how too… he loves that!
The boys have used the hooka, in fact, they are out right now with it. We are flexible with school… on days they want to dive in the morning we do school in the afternoon/evening. It is still very strange to me to be in this total vacation environment while simultaneously taking care of day to day living things like laundry, groceries, house cleaning, and school. The boys are having a lot of trouble concentrating, they just want to play (me too!)
We are going to head up to La Paz in the next day or so. Feel free to email us on this address, I try to check it once every day or so, because this is also how we get weather info. I also got a small data plan on my phone, so every once in a while I cheat and turn it on when we don’t have wifi, that’s why I some times respond to emails from my phone. Hopefully we will be able to get wifi from the boat in La Paz. I am dying to upload photos!
We left Cabo before daybreak and had a several hour passage, mostly motoring, to Bahia Los Frailes. The highlight was, well, you can tell, WHALES!
It was an 8 hour motor from Cabo To Bahia Los Frailes
Logbook – March 14, 2013 (Cabo to Frailes)
Passage Log Highlights
0530 Started both engines
0536 Attempted to radio Port Captain on VHF 16
0550 Departed Cabo
0751 Slowed for fish
1400 Arrive at Bahia Frailes
(Edit: We always tried to follow the rules and trying to radio port authorities when we were supposed to and always check in an out when we were supposed to but we quickly learned that rules change and are not even always enforced.)
(Edit: Kind of funny that I documented that we slowed for fish. I wonder if at this point I was annoyed or just bored. Tim and I would later have more than one argument about him yelling at me to slow the boat down when there’s a fish on.)
Adios Cabo!Jumping fish. These were everywhere! We soon learned they were small rays.
Jumping FishAnother look back at Cabo as the sun comes upHere come the dolphins!And the WHALES!This was such an amazing sight! There was a whole pod of whales between us and the shore. They were surfacing and breaching, and they put on quite the show for us!So close to the shoreLots of tail flukesThey were captivatingSlapping the waterBreaching!More splashingAnd more breaching
Cabo was fun, except for the spring break mayhem. Tim and I had been here several times before, but this was new territory for the boys. They enjoyed playing on the beach and crashing a hotel pool. We weren’t quite ready for marina life, so we anchored out, which meant dinghy rides for laundry, shopping, and other onshore errands.
The geography of Cabo San LucasWe had lunch at a restaurant at the marinaWe had dinner at a cantina on the beach, and it was so cold that the waiter brought us blanketsThe boys took a break from playing on the beach to have some dinner with usCabo has a nice big Marina, but we opted out and anchored in the bayBrenden enjoyed the beachActually, both boys enjoyed the beach
Wrestling in CaboI think this was the boys favorite part of Cabo, crashing a hotel poolQuiet evening at sunset (not really, there was all kinds of spring break madness happening on the beach)More sunset beautyTrying the hooka for the first timeThe boys quickly got the hang of itBig smiles for CaboThe boys can take the kayak to the beach, and we can watch them from the boatUpwind paddle back to the boatStudying the chartsWe took a day excursion over to Lovers’ BeachPlaying in the “baby waves”Geography near CaboWe did some light provisioning before leaving Cabo. Decent fresh veggie selection
While the passage from Ensenada to Turtle Bay was calm with a lot of drifting and motoring, this passage gave us strong winds from the North, but since it was from the stern, it was no problem.
Cabo San Lucas is at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. We departed Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay) on March 7 at 1630 and arrived at Cabo on March 10 at 0957
Lockbook – March 7, 2013 (Turtle Bay to Cabo)
Passage Log Highlights
Started Port engine
Started SB engine
Raised Main & anchor
1600 High friction steering
Checked mechanical
Rremoved seaweed from port rudder
Still some friction
1630 Depart Bahia Tortuga
2315 Passed northbound ship, 0.8 nmi to port
(Edit: I could tell something was different with the steering and I didn’t want to leave. Tim convinced me there was nothing we could do at Turtle Bay, better to press on to Cabo.)
As we were leaving Turtle Bay we had a small issue with increased friction in the steering. We checked the mechanical system and Tim got in the water and removed some seaweed from the port rudder. There was still higher than normal friction in the steering but we headed out regardless.Underway againMovie night
Logbook – March 8, 2013 (Turtle Bay to Cabo)
Passage Log Highlights
1426 Raised spinnaker earlier
1541 Passed fish boat with nets out
1742 Dropped spinnaker earlier
(Edit: I’m loving the precision of the time index of our log entries while noting the action was done “earlier”)
Another sunrise at seaTim reels in our second catch of the tripThis one’s giving him a bit of a fightAnd yes, it’s a SHARK!!!Just a wee one, though.
Logbook – March 9, 2013 (Turtle Bay to Cabo)
Passage Log Highlights
0100 (Tim’s handwriting) Reefed Main! Hit 17.4 kts! (Surfing)
We had 25-30 kt winds and 10-15 ft seas on the last leg to Cabo. Luckily it was coming from the North.
Another movie nightGood night sun
Logbook – March 10, 2013 (Turtle Bay to Cabo)
Passage Log Highlights
0957 Arrived in Cabo
Sunrise as we approach CaboAlmost there!A closer look at “divorce beach.” The more famous, “lovers beach” is on the other side.About to round our way into the bayA look at the hotels and resorts as we enter the bayThere was a stark contrast between the isolation of Turtle Bay and the tourism of CaboWoo hoo, we made it to Cabo! We still weren’t ready for a marina, so we anchored out with one other boat.
After the boys got over their initial letdown (they were expecting a resort town for some reason) we ended up having a nice time at Turtle Bay.
Turtle Bay is a large bay about halfway down the Baja Peninsula. We anchored on the north side of the bay near the pier and the village.A lesson in dropping the anchorA view of the village.A view of the dockSafe arrival cocktails
Email to family and friends dated March 4, 2013
Subject: Test
Hi, I’m testing sending an e-mail through our SSB radio. If you get this, send me back a brief text-only e-mail. Love you all.
-Deanne
Email to family and friends dated March 4, 2013
Subject: Looks like it worked
I’m amazed, the e-mail through the SSB radio worked on the first try!
The inReach isn’t working right now, so if you check it when you get up, don’t panic. 🙂
I suspect the batteries died, but Tim’s asleep in our room, so I don’t want to wake him rummaging for batteries.
Love you all. -D.
Lonely Exodus. Much different than when we were here at Turtle Bay on the Baja HahaLots of room to cruise around in the dinghyAlex is just enjoying the rideA nice flat running beachThe desert landscapePlaying in the sand is always fun. Look, Brenden has on his life jacket. Where’s his crash helmet? Gotta keep that kid safe.My running footprintsThe water was still a bit chilly. We need to keep heading south!The only other traffic in the bay were local fishing pangasWe made it to the dockHeading to the village
Brenden, need I say more?Views of the village from the pierViews of the village from the pierBack to schoolA stunning sunset to end the daySunset reflection over the villageA trawler in the bayAll this space on the boat and they sit right next to each otherSome serious repairs going onBrenden wins with the first injury of the trip. He fell getting from the dock to the dinghy.
The highlights of this passage were whales, whales everywhere, and our first catch. I didn’t get good photos of the whales this time (but stay tuned).
Our longest passage so far. We departed Ensenada on March 1 at 1600 and arrived at Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay) on March 4 at 1514. Almost 3 full days at sea.Sunset after a beautiful day at sea
Logbook – March 2, 2013 (Ensenada to Turtle Bay)
Passage Log Highlights
1600 Flying spinnaker
1835 First fish! 13.1 lbs
Edit: This was a Bonita that we thought was a Skipjack until we learned the Skipjacks are really yucky
Dolphins escorting me at sunriseThe boys actually have a lot of fun together
Alex gets credit for this oneReeling in the first catchProud fishermen. 10/14/13 Update: When we caught this we thought it was a Skipjack, and it was tasty. Brenden knows his fish now, and he has proudly told me that this was a Bonito, not a skipjack. No wonder we enjoyed it so much since we now know that Skipjacks most certainly are not tasty.
Logbook – March 3, 2013 (Ensenada to Turtle Bay)
Passage Log Highlights
0600 Beautiful sunrise
0730 Chubasco net 7192 LSB. Couldn’t hear net traffic. Can hear moderator very faint. From ? to Cabo winds out of W-NW. Flat seas.
0800 Baja net 7238 – nothing
0815 Baja weather w/ Don A. – 7233.5 can hear traffic, seems like it started earlier. Can hear weather. Try tomorrow 0800.
0830 coastguard weather 8764 – Loud & clear
Edit: Eventually, when I was actually able to hear all of the SSB nets, I stopped logging this type of crap in our main logbook and kept a separate notebook for it.
Our visit to Ensenada was brief. When we arrived in the harbor it seemed like a ghost town, and we had no idea where to dock the boat so we could clear in. The Harbor Master, Rojelio, at Baja Naval helped us out. We cleared in, had lunch on the boat, then headed out. There is no anchoring allowed there, and we were pretty done with Marina life for awhile.
We departed San Diego at night at 23:00 but the harbor lighting made it easy to navigate. We arrived at Ensenada the next morning at 11:30, just over a 12 hour passage.
Logbook – March 1, 2013 (San Diego to Ensenada)
Passage Log Highlights
0120 Leave US, Enter MX
0606 Listened to Amigo net (SSB)
1130 Arrive Ensenada
1600 Depart Ensenada
Edit: Not sure how I possibly “listened” to the Amigo Net, because it took us a good while to hunt down all of the SSB radio noise sources on the boat to actually be able to listen to any of the cruising nets.
Cheers to a safe arrival! (I asked Brenden to take the picture, and my only instruction was don’t make the flag come out of my head.)The boys were pretty happy to arrive at our first foreign portThe dock at Baja Naval was pretty rustic, but it was a nice place to stop for a couple hours.No anchoring allowed in the Ensenada HarborThe docks at Ensenada
Our stay in San Diego was hectic and way too short. We continued trying to pack everything into every nook and cranny of the boat and ran around running errands. Most importantly we got to spend time with family before heading south.
We departed Marina del Rey at 18:26 February 24 and arrived in San Diego the next afternoon at 14:30. According to the logbook, Alex and Dad did yoga on the deck at 11:16
Logbook – Feb 25, 2013 (MDR to San Diego)
Passage Log Highlights
0609 Moon set, sun about to rise
1430 Arrive, both engines off
Daily Notes
Whale sighting off SB stern
Alex & Dad yoga on deck
Edit: I have absolutely no memory of Alex ever doing yoga. These are the gems that live inside this logbook.
The geography of San Diego HarborPoint Loma LighthouseA view of The Coronado Bridge as we sailed into San Diego HarborCoronado BridgeExodus at the end of the dockA final going away party in San DiegoA quiet morning, our last one in the marinaA quiet morning, our last one in the marinaOne last run along the waterfront
Lobgook – Feb 28, 2013 (San Diego to Ensenada)
Passage Log Highlights
2300 Depart San Diego
Daily Notes
Filled propane tanks while still in MDR on 2/22
Filled fuel tanks + 2 jerry cans diesel + 1 jerry can gas today
T minus 0We went to Colin and Jen’s to say goodbye. No photo of C & J, just the boys with MonkeyLast-minute dinghy shake downChris came by for one last goodbyeLast goodbyes with Grandma and GrandpaNighttime departureCheers to a safe passage
Logbook – Feb 24, 2013 (MDR to San Diego)
Passage Log Highlights
1758 Started engines
1826 Depart
1917 Both engines off, main and genoa, reefed the main earlier
Gresham Family Exodus 