Baja Ha Ha - Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria - 2012

 Leaving Turtle Bay

November 2012 - Baja Ha Ha -Bahia Santa Maria, Mexico

We left Turtle Bay for Bahia Santa Maria on the second leg of our BaJa Ha Ha adventure.

Crew-Pam at the helm.

The wind was not there so we just raised the main and motored on out with the rest of the fleet. We motored most of the way. We did drop the main sail after some hours before dark as it was starting to get beat up from lack of wind. Now we just motored. The sea state was not too bad or at least not near as bad as the first leg. The first day out we saw pods and pods of dolphins and seals and sometimes swimming together. They would jump out of the water entirely a half dozen at a time. Quite a site. We also saw a sea turtle.

Time for me to crank out some tunes, I did after all have a captive audience!

As predicted that night a squall hit and it was on Debbie’s watch (9 to midnight). The winds picked up from 0 knots to 20 knot’s, a small squall but for Debbie on her third night watch at sea ever it was quite un-nerving. The waves seemed faster and winds definitely were. The boat seemed to fly along as the stars disappeared. There were only a few drops of rain but it was a frightening thing for Debbie. Pam was just off watch and stayed out into the cockpit to see it. That was all the excitement the night had to offer. (Pam and Debbie enjoyed a celebratory ice cream!!)

The next day was sunny and warm and nice. No wind again and we motored.

I had created a route to Bahia Santa Marria(BSM) on the Garmin GPS/Chart plotter and I set us up on it before going to bed. We were to arrive at first light at 6:20am. The autopilot was bumped (later) and then at watch Rodger decided to set a course by placing way points on the chart and setting the autopilot to each one as he went. By doing so he cut off a few hours’ time. Of course this meant he went off course and did not follow the route. When I came up for watch at 3am we were approaching (BSM), much to my surprise.
I had planned to approach TB at about 6:20 am, day light was at 6:30am.
Debbie would have about 6 hours rest from her watch at 9pm to 12pm.

We have never been to BSM and approaching at night was not good for an inexperienced crew at anchoring at night, I thought.
There was a good wind blowing out of BSM off the anchorage, making anchoring all the more difficult.
 The crew, Roger and Pam had only anchored at Turtle Bay with us so a night anchoring seemed a little much. Also, Debbie and I had never anchored this boat at night.
Add to all this that Debbie would have only had two hours rest from watch.
 So, I decided to keep approaching with Pam and Roger awake and in the cockpit with me. There was a lot of the fleet going into the anchorage like a parade. Figured it would be a good learning experience? I could see the catamaran in front of us turn but then disappeared into the lights of a settlement. Only by seeing the catamaran on the chart plotter with AIS could I see which way and where it was going. We were following it. I asked Pam to please wake Debbie...Pam wasn’t able to wake Debbie. I decided then that even if she was woken it would be 20 min before she was acclimated and ready to drop the hook. That was not enough time and I turned the boat around and went back out to sea. I needed Debbie and day light for this anchorage and I had neither! I told the crew to go to bed and I would awaken them when it was light and we were ready to approach BSM. So for the next couple hours we did a big circle out at sea waiting for light and Debbie to get rested. 

There were still some of the fleet coming in at first light.

  At first light we awoke Debbie and we went to the BSM anchorage. The wind was blowing us off but not too bad it had slackened. The spot we anchored in was 40 feet deep. We dropped the CQR anchor and let out about 45 feet of chain and with Roger at the helm and I and Pam and Debbie at the bow, we backed down at idle speed. I was showing Debbie the bow process as she has the helm down good. Soon we will trade places and Debbie will get the experience with the hook at the bow anchoring. Pam was there to learn also. Roger had never handled the helm anchoring. I and Roger had headsets on so it was easy to communicate. The 45 lb CQR anchor set right off as usual and we let out about 180 ft of 3/8 chain. We then set the bridal and let out another 10 ft or so.

 Roger apparently thought he was doing a good thing but my plans were different for many reasons. Without Debbie or the sun up, I did not want to anchor, and not at night in an unknown bay with an inexperienced anchoring crew .