FANTASTIC SAILING & BEAUTIFUL ANCHORAGES

We are currently (11/26/01 18:00 PST) anchored in Bahia San Hipolito on the west coast of Baja California, about 383 NM SSE of San Diego. It was another wonderful day sailing from Bahia Asuncion to here. The sun was warm, the air temp was about 80 degrees, and the wind varied from NW 18 to North 22 knots. We had great sailing with a poled out genoa and then a close reach with a full genoa.

We left Chula Vista Marina on Friday afternoon, Nov 16. We were planning on going non-stop to Punta San Carlos but our sea legs were not yet present so we stopped at Isla Los Coronados to let our stomachs catch up with the boat and sea. The Coronados were also our reminder about Mexican saftey concerns and navigation. As we approached the anchorage in the dark we almost ran into a 250' fuel barge anchored about 1/4 mile off shore with no lights on it. Fortunately we were creeping along with a spot light trying to find the shore.

Saturday we left for Punta San Carlos, about 195 miles SE of Los Coronados. On Sunday morning we landed a 50 pound (or bigger) tuna while trolling with a ceder plug. We released the fish because we just didn't have room in the 'fridge for that much fish. It was a 1/2 hour fight with the boat in reverse much of the time with the mainsail trying to pull us the other way. Initially I was convinced we had snagged kelp because I could not reel in even a little line, using a Penn Senator 6/0 reel with a 3 1/2" crank arm.

We stayed at the anchorage behind Punta San Carlos for several days. It is spectacular! The surf breaks with about a head high wave about 1/4 mile inshore from the anchorage and the board sailors and kite sailors are amazing to watch. We planned to stay longer but Chubasco Net, the HAM net for Baja California, started broadcasting high surf and hazardous sea warnings for the Baja West Coast as far south as San Carlos or even Cedros Island. NOAA was forecasting a NW swell of at least 13'. That would have made San Carlos untenable since it is just an open roadstead protected from the NW swell by a point that projects SW. However, the swell refracts around the point and makes San Carlos pretty rolly. With just a five foot swell outside we were at about the limit of roll comfort while anchored with a large Magma "flopper stopper."

We left San Carlos anchorage about 4:30 PM in order to pass the nortoriously windy north end of Cedros Island in the early AM when the wind is usually lightest. The wind in the anchorage was about 14 knots and once outside the point we found 18 - 22 knots out of the NW with a 6' swell. Our next destination was Turtle Bay, about 135 NM downwind.

Then things fell apart both on the boat and in my brain. I allowed the main halyard to wrap around the spreader and radar reflector. Then shortly after getting a single reefed main up with a full genoa the ST6000 autopilot flashed a "Drive Disengaged" message. The sounds of small rocks being ground to pebbles emanating from the engine room confirmed that the autopilot was not well.

By now the wind was in the mid-20s and the seas were up to 7'+ and it was very dark. The conditions were bad enough that Arlene did not have the physical strength to keep the boat on course in the irregular quartering seas. I took the helm and headed west to get to the 100 fathom line and smoother water.

I tried to connect the Sailomat windvane control lines to the wheel but suffered from near fatal brain lock. I remembered how to rig the Sailomat after about an hour of steering and experimenting . The problem was the two control lines and seven pulleys between the vane and the wheel. I couldn't remember which order and which lines went where.

The usually dependable Sailomat could not keep us within 30 degrees of the 160 degrees apparent course that I wanted to sail. After another hour of swearing and puzzling, in the dark with a lot of wind and confused seas, Arlene noticed that the 1/4" safety line that is attached to the outboard and the pushpit had gotten sucked into one of the Sailomat pulleys. The Sailomat went to work and did a great job for us once the small line was disentangled from the pulley.

We had a steady 20 - 25 knots and 6' - 8' seas from 5 PM until about 10 AM the next day. What a great sail!

When we arrived in Turtle Bay, (actually Bahia Bartolome), we were able to take the Autohelm Type I linear drive apart to see what we had broken. The "sun" gear in a planetary gear system was stripped clean. The Linear Drive is supposed to have a clutch that releases before a gear can strip, but it didn't in our case.

We have ordered a new set of gears which will be drop shipped to a woman we have never met in Portland, Oregon. She will give the parts to a friend who is flying to Cabo San Lucas on November 30. We will pick the parts up in Cabo on Dec 1 or 2. This was all arranged with the help of Al, Liz, and Sandy on Slainte, a Bentley 38, whom we met in San Carlos and spent time with in Turtle Bay. Slainte has two dead alternators, two dead regulators, and two dead batteries. Our problem is much easier to deal with.

Downwind Marine in San Diego took our Autohelm parts order via Single Side Band radio, tracked down the parts, called the woman in Portland, and verifed all the shipping info - thanks Chris.

The Baja wind machine has been working to perfection. It is calm until about noon everyday. By 1 PM the wind is up to around 15 - 20 out of the NW, it peaks around sunset, and dies by 10 or 11 PM. Just like clockwork! We try to leave our anchorages by mid-morning and get the maximum sailing in.

Almost every inch of sailing is dead downwind in 6' or greater seas. A pole for the genoa and gybe preventers for the main are mandatory! Yesterday we had a crash gype in 25 knots true while preparing to gybe. I had released the gybe preventers but did not have the main sheet under control when a breaking wave knocked us downwind and allowed the boom to come all the way across. It broke a fitting on the bottom of the boom where the aft main sheet block attaches. Thank goodness that was the weak link.. No other damage was done, other than some laundry we had drying on the lifeline was flung into the Pacific.

Today, while setting the pole for wing & wing one of the pole car control lines broke letting the 3" thick, 22' foot long pole drop on to my shoulder. Day after day downwind sailing in 15 -25 knots does wear out the parts.

We arrived here in time for a spectacular sunset over Punta San Hipolito. This is another of those open roadstead anchorages. The point protects us from the NW swell but the wind just whistles across the low spit of land at 15 to 20 knots. At least it is flat water.

Tomorrow we are off to Punta Abreojos and then Bahia Santa Maria.