Passage making

Being the chicken that I am, I insisted on having crew with us on the way down here. For the return Larry and I decided to harbor hop and thus making it an easier task, taking a little at a time. Best laid plans.....spring is a tougher time to go north with small windows of time between big wind events or storms. So we have skipped some of those harbors such as Asuncion and Abreojos to get to a place with good shelter before the next storm. For example, we are here in Turtle Bay for about five days. The wind is a steady 18 knots and gusts into the 20's. wind chop has us moving around a bit on anchor. It would be quite uncomfortable to sail north against this. Not only is it uncomfortable but things can break. So we take it easy on us and the boat.

This is really my first serious passage making part of the trip. All movement in the Sea of Cortez, or just about all hops are day hops from one anchorage to the next. The fact that I was afraid this summer of the trek up to Bahia de Los Angeles as it included a 93 mile jump seems silly to me now. I have four overnight passages under my belt and one more to go.

I am not sure why I was surprised to find how physical sailing is, especially uphill. When I am on watch at night I am tethered into the boat and stand to the left of the helm. I hold the tether in one hand and one of the lines in the other. The boat, being a catamaran, balances on the two hulls. So it kinda moves on four corners. I feel like Santa Claus riding his sleigh in a snowstorm! That's kinda cool!

By the way, it was 59 degrees this morning--big change from 80's and 90's  of Puerto Vallarta and the Sea. We are adjusting but have not revved up the heater yet!

P.S. Two boats left the anchorage today. Both went north. Yikes. This weather is to continue through Saturday.