cont. Baja Haha 2016

A pictorial timeline.

The Baja Fleet, led by Grand Poobah's Profligate, assembling in San Diego Bay, between Shelter Island and Coronado.

Escorted by a water canon pumping Coast Guard boat.

Crew of the Mai Tai decked out in our custom vessel T-shirts and Halloween costume hats for the send off parade. 

Helicopter fly by over Profligate.

Making our way to the entrance of San Diego Bay. 

The Baja Fleet passing Point Loma and Cabrillo Lighthouse. 

Coronado Islands 

Wind picked up soon after we passed Islas Coronados.

The charts.

All 3 boys got their fish - tuna (x2), dorado, 'california'.

Amazing sunrises and sunsets, touchdowns.

Bahia Tortuga anchorage.

In town, Bahia Tortuga.

The main paved boulevard in town.

Bahia Tortuga, town of 1,500 population, has 6 baseball teams. Proud of their sparkling baseball stadium in the middle of the dusty town.

Vera Cruz, famous Haha joint, ran out of tequila for margarita's when we arrived the next morning. Uno cerveza por favor then.

Bahia Santa Maria anchorage. Remote panga fishing outpost. Made Bahia Tortuga look like Manhattan.

SY Mai Tai. Great swimming (around and under the boat) at this anchorage.

Evening concert with dinghy raft-up behind the Profligate.

Beach party at Bahia Santa Maria. Victor's family and friends brought lunch, cervezas and the best margaritas, and a really good rock band.

The Morning After...
November 2016 "God help us"

Onward to Cabo.

 Best seat in the house.

Best napping spot in the house.


Cabo San Lucas.

What IS the sound of three hands clapping?

For our anchor shots.

Beach party at Cabo San Lucas bay.

Marina Cabo San Lucas.

Adios Amigos.

cont. Baja Haha 2016
Quick recap.
At Cabo Marina. A few pics from the phone. Lots more later from the little Nikon.
Didn't dare bring the phone out at sea and risk a phone-overboard situation. No connection anyway, and fishes wouldn't have found it very useful...

Baja Haha 2016, fleet of over 150 leaving San Diego Bay on October 31.

Islas Coronados

Bahia Tortuga anchorage.
End of Leg 1.
Total ~340 miles. Sailed most of the way. 15-25 knot winds, from the back (North-Northwest)
Amazing sailing conditions (for a cat!, poor monohulls heaved side to side at 30 - 45 degree angles, while we just left our coffee cups on the counter.)

One of 2 beach restaurants at Bahia Tortuga.

Next stop, Bahia Santa Maria - all photos in Nikon. will download later.

Including, videos of friendly dolphins showing off, off our twin bows. Leaning off the bow while laying flat on the netting was the best viewing and arm-waving spot on the boat. One naughty dolphin did a precise summersault leap that splashed me thoroughly wet, then turned around to wave his flippers, "try beating that one!" Others leaped at safer distances away from our bows and showed off for the camera.


Leg 2 - 240 miles.
50% sailing. Wind slowed down to less than 8 knots after we were half way down the peninsula, motored most of the time from then on.

Approaching Cabo San Lucas.
End of Leg 3 - 180 miles.

Approaching Marina Cabo San Lucas. Too many slip requests, we only got a tie up at the N dock walkway, raft up. One boat, Strange Bird from Ventura, rafted off our starboard side. Captain Argan squeezed into our spot with just a foot or two at the front and back to spare.

Anchor lunch at Cabo Cantina, on us, for an excellent sailing adventure, on one of the best boats with one of the best crews (no drama, cool all the way).  Crew compliment- Captain Argan, Ben (stepson), Bjorn (back-up captain), Pauline (nightwatch duty from 2-sunrise and general purpose fokkeslask).
Anchor shots and lots of cerveza and margaritas all along the way.

Breakfast of champions at El Pollo restaurant, away from the tourist traps at the marina. US$10 for both of us. This at the marina would have been US$30-40.

SY Mai Tai, Lagoon 400, our trusty steed.  Calm and forgiving all the way.  She absorbed the relentless downwind conditions, surfed swells and waves, kept a steady ride.  Both engines performed as expected. No mechanical or health issues, unlike some of what we heard on the radio from various other boats during our daily morning check-ins.
It's a great way for sailors of various levels of experience to learn from each other and live the dream together, at this one point in time, thanks to the Grand Poobah.

Grand Poobah Richard's 62 foot cat and her swag. 23 years of Baja Haha-ing, and counting...