Bahia San Juanico to Ensenada

Pretty water fountains son et lumiere on our arrival in Ensenada

We became nocturnal motorsailers, arriving at an anchorage mid-morning and leaving when the wind decreased, which could be any time from 2000 to 0100. The Moon gave us some light. It was cold. We saw the lights of a few fishing vessels and around dawn there would sometimes be fleets of pangas heading out to sea to catch the early morning fish.

We anchored off the village in Bahia Ballenas on 1^st June. We watched the returning pangas landing through the surf on the beach. My heart sank. We needed to go ashore for supplies, but would we remain dry? I put my beach shorts on and wrapped my rucksack in a large, plastic bag. We surprised ourselves and the watching fishermen by making a perfect beach landing, jumping out of the dinghy before the surf could break over us. Ashore, the villagers were used to tourists as there is a lagoon nearby that is a protected sanctuary for grey whales. All the roads were compressed sand. There were a few small shops and a supermarket. We asked directions to a café/restaurant and ate in somebody’s kitchen extension. Three children were playing and watching TV in the next room. The food was good: tachos for Jeremy, quesadilla for me with rice and salad.

Kathy in Bahia Ballenas before her soaking

We had water and food. All we had to do was return to Sal Darago. We were not so lucky this time. We thought we were clear of the surf and climbed into the dinghy. Jeremy started the outboard and immediately, a wave reared up in front of us. It broke over us like someone throwing buckets of cold water at us. Another wave arrived and we got a second soaking. The outboard kept going, the dinghy was half full of water and I baled as fast as I could. We were cold and wet, but still afloat. Once on board SD, we found that all the food was fine and the rucksacks barely damp under their plastic bags. Jeremy decided to have a quick swim and hot shower on the stern. I opted for a hot wash down. Jeremy said the water was the coldest he’d ever experienced and he was chilled in a few minutes. It took a long time to warm up.

The wind kept blowing and it was 0130 when it finally decreased to 10 knots. We weighed anchor and left Bahia Ballenas, only to find stronger winds outside the bay, which eased by morning. We followed the advice of Jim from Sea Level, and “sailed” to our VMG (velocity made good for our non-sailor readers) and our level of comfort.

Noisy sea lions argue over sun beds

On 2^nd June we anchored off Isla Asuncion. Jeremy heard the voices first. No, he wasn’t going mad; the noise was the distant barking of hundreds of sea lions ranged along the beaches. We arrived at 1.00pm and left at 10.00pm, having been offered a fish from two local men in a panga. Sadly, we had to decline as we had just bought supplies in Bahia Ballenas.

Costly fuel dock in Turtle Bay

 After a difficult 8 hours, rounding Punta San Pablo, the seas calmed and we arrived at Bahia de Tortugas and anchored off the fuel dock. To cut a long story short, we were charged nearly double the forecourt price for 130 litres of diesel. We used the dock again to go ashore and have a look round the windswept, sandy village. Back at SD, we watched with interest as a pick-up truck was loaded from a trawler on to an amphibious vehicle.

101 uses for an amphibian

On Saturday, at 8.30pm we left Bahia de Tortugas and motored in pleasant, calm seas the 258 miles to Ensenada, arriving at 0700 on Tuesday, 6^th June. On the journey, our GPS told us that we had completed 10,000 nautical miles since leaving the River Deben in Suffolk on 30^th July, 2016. I spotted a grey whale blowing about 150 metres away. It surfaced 3 times before diving. We saw three sports fishing boats heading north in the calm seas. Since leaving Chiapas, we had seen fewer than 20 pleasure vessels at sea in nearly 2000 miles.

It is a long way to Ensenada

Misty morning, but fairly calm

We chose to tie up at Baja Naval, a small marina close to the town centre. By lunchtime, we’d completed the paperwork and by the afternoon the laundry was in the lavanderia. Ensenada is the most northerly port in Mexico. Cruise ships call here and several streets are full of stalls and shops selling souvenirs. Away from this, it’s a pleasant town, where I had my hair cut for 50 pesos (£2). Later today, we hope to clear out of Mexico and head for the USA. San Diego is only 65 miles away.

Our cruise ship dead centre, Ensenada