Baja Haha XXX

november 2024
  • Steve Broyles
San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, BCS on the Tao Neutrino Læs mere
  • Steve Broyles

Liste over lande

  • Mexico Mexico
  • Forenede Stater Forenede Stater
Kategorier
Strand, Dykning, Grupperejse, Blafning, Fest, Fotografi, Sejlads, Seværdigheder
  • 5,6krejste miles
Transportmidler
  • Sejlads3.692kilometer
  • Flyvning1.401kilometer
  • Gåture-kilometer
  • Vandring-kilometer
  • Cykel-kilometer
  • Motorcykel-kilometer
  • Tuk Tuk-kilometer
  • Bil-kilometer
  • Tog-kilometer
  • Bus-kilometer
  • Campingvogn-kilometer
  • Campingvogn-kilometer
  • 4x4-kilometer
  • Svømning-kilometer
  • Padling/Roning-kilometer
  • Motorbåd-kilometer
  • Husbåd-kilometer
  • Færge-kilometer
  • Krydstogtskib-kilometer
  • Hest-kilometer
  • Skiløb-kilometer
  • At blaffe-kilometer
  • Cable car-kilometer
  • Helikopter-kilometer
  • Barfodet-kilometer
  • 18fodaftryk
  • 14dage
  • 78fotos
  • 0kan lide
  • Rain Is Auspicious Right?

    3. november 2024, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    We slept soundly to the pitter patter of gentle rain, bobbing comfortably in the calm anchorage protected by Shelter Island.

    I forget how much I love San Diego until I come back yet nearly every time I come back I am happily reminded.Læs mere

  • About to start the voyage
    Tao Neutrino asymmetric spinnaker in full gloryNavy Sub in drydockI got to steer across the startDonn on deck (fiddling with something)

    And They're Off!

    4. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    I'd love to have been a fly on the mast of every vessel doing last-hour prep for the official start. No sailboat is ever "completely ready" for departure.

    We were pretty solid. Taped up a few things that were flappy or pokey, loaded up the dingy, stowed more than a few food items in a way that will surely be revised, and away we went!

    Our arrival at the starting line was slightly delayed while about 30% of the fleet would have been penalized for a false-start.

    But seeing as how this isn't a race and only a precious few give any shits whatsoever about who "wins"... It was an excellent start by everyone.

    We are ripping along at near our maximum speed ("hull speed" of about 6.5 kts) under ~9 kts of wind, spinnaker filled in all its glory under blue skies with gentle seas.... This is the sort of sailing for which one lusts while land-bound. My heart and smile are full, too.

    I'm greatly impressed at how well I can work via satellite. It takes some willpower to sit below-deck on a glorious day but being able to both enjoy the sea and also be productive at work sets a stage for me to enjoy future extremely-remote work opportunities that suit my wanderlust very nicely.

    Day 1 is about half done and so far: 5 stars; strongly recommended.

    I didn't take pics, but remind me to share my thoughts on showering while underway. Exciting, for sure.
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  • Porpoise Escort

    4. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    No matter how many times in my life I see a cavorting hoard of cetaceans mob the bow of a sailboat, I am absolutely certain that it will tickle a deep part of my mammalian soul that makes my grin widen, my heartbeat skip, and my inner child do a little happy dance.Læs mere

  • Day 1 Sunset

    4. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    We left San Diego with excellent conditions and sailed under full asymmetrical spinnaker nearly due south until well after a spectacular sunset.

    After dark we opted for white sails - easier to manage single-handed in the wee hour watches.Læs mere

  • It's hard to snap a pic of bioluminescence when standing on solid ground, much moreso while rollingHappy Sunset

    Night Watch

    5. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    I pulled the easy shifts tonight, midnight-0200 and 0600-0800 (which is my normal wake-up time anyway).

    So the only challenge will be falling asleep at 2100ish so I get some rest before midnight. Should be easy after my 2000-2200 and 0200-0400 watches last night as I just didn't rest very well in between.

    I did, however, really enjoy watching our bioluminescent wake and seeing the milky way soaring overhead like the spectacular nocturnal show that it is.
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  • Easy end to the best watch (6-8AM)Donn doing sail stuffZack donating a lure to NeptuneTech Troubleshooting at SeaLots of this, todayGrapes. Yumm.Zack handlining a monster (it snapped the steel leader!)

    Day 3? Time is getting blurry

    6. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    The day began a little cloudy and no little bit roly-poly as the long period swell was whackin' us from the aft starboard quarter and we were moving along under light motor... An uncomfortable combo in a small sailboat.

    Adding some sail helped speed us up and smooth us out, making everyone happier.

    The day slipped by gently with mostly calm seas, light winds, minor repairs, snacks, a few loat fish, and wrestling with the garmin chartplotter. As one crewmember said: this interface is significantly less user friendly than one would hope.

    Fortunately, due to the wonders of satellite communication, we can make good quality phone calls to customer service, download updates, browse forums, etc The problem remains unsolved (but is less pooched than it was!)

    The internet service also means I can work while enjoying this grand adventure. That's a bit of a mixed blessing in that it takes my mind away from the simple joy of being at sea, but it also lets me take a two week adventure with only a week of vacation time. I'm in favor.

    And of course, I can update this blog. So there's that.
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  • So Close

    6. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    Almost got it!

    Next one...

    We didn't plan ahead very well w/re to gear.
    I absolve myself.... I don't know squat about line fishing

  • Shot My First Yellowfin (ahi) Tuna!

    6. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    Seeing as how we don't have a gaff, I violated the important safety rule of "never load a speargun dry" and the even more important "never ever shoot a speargun dry" .

    In the end, shooting a fish is an excellent way to both pull it out of the water and also deliver a fast and clean coup de grace.

    And I'll confess that it was fun, too.

    I didn't get any pics of the complete mess we made filleting the fresh fish on deck. It was many OSHA violations, I'm sure. We got more fresh Ahi than three of us have been able to eat in two meals.

    Donn added the 1st batch of tuna to our curried veggies dinner and Zack made absolutely fabtastic wasabi poké for lunch.

    I never thought I'd take a YFT with a 90cm. Maybe next time I'll jump in and take the shot.... But perhaps not in a 3-4 kt current, at night, several dozen miles offshore (I think we were 50-80 miles off at the time). There are limits to my "it seemed like a good idea at the time" decision-making.
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  • Getting past rough weather feels *great*
    Donn, catching some zzzBeufort 6.

    Bumps In The Night

    7. november 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 64 °F

    From a deep sleep I heard "I think we need to go to the estate sale for this wind"

    Which made exactly no sense.

    Because what was said was: "I think we need to go to the stay sail for this wind" and when that filtered through my sleep deprived noggin I realized that I was about to start a 'fun' watch.

    Over the next two hours the wind built to over 30knots (gusts) but a sustained 22. That doesn't feel so windy on a kiteboard on flat water but 75 miles out (we hadn't seen land in 20 hours) with long rollers clashing with big wind waves, at night, the best comparison I can make is that it feels a little bit like driving a car in avery large empty parking lot.... With your eyes closed on the accelerator pedal stuck at about 50% (and no brakes).

    Safe? Almost certainly.
    I mean.... We made it. So 100% success rate!

    The night was long and bumpy. Some boats had scares. The coast guard was called but other private boats in the fleet took care of them.

    The sun rose on a rough but scenic morning, backlit islands, golden haze, and a fresh breeze carried us onward.
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  • Calm Sunset Vibe
    Donn on the muelle (dock)Nice local beisbol diamondChillRuggedNo lack of tacosMore tacosMakin' tacosHaha beach partyRemainsZack's DolphinCaracolesVIP watertaxi, Alex was da man!VIP HaircutFeelin' SpiffyBaja Sunsets

    Bahia Tortugas

    7.–9. nov. 2024, Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    After a rugged night we were excited to arrive at Bahia Tortugas, the 1st port of call on the Baja Haha and the last place to buy fuel until we reach Cabo San Lucas.

    This sleepy fishing town really puts on a party for the Haha every year (I'm told) and the friendly locals were happy to relieve us of our dollars in exchange for diesel (about $8/gal), tacos (about $3/ea) and beer (dealer's choice: I paid $5 and $3 at the same bar within an hour, for the same beer).

    One could feel taken advantage of, buy I think that spreading some currency from the wealthy to those struggling is a fair way for things to go. Purified water, for instance, was very reasonably priced at $1 for five gallons. And the mini-tienda sold canned foods at perfectly normal prices. It's just luxury/optional/indulgences that seem to get the gringo mark-up.

    Prices aside- folks were friendly. Even the dogs wandering the streets were happy to get a scritch or two. The Haha org puts on a giant baseball game each year that is optimized for kids hitting balls- much/most of the town turns out and everyone seemed happy. We donated quite a few bats/balls/gloves as well as a few thousand dollars to help pay for children's lunches.

    The whole fleet also worked together to get everyone's boats ship-shape for the next leg of our journey, and we had a fun beach party - food, libations, music, tug of war, and general "feels good to walk on dry land" sorta stuff.

    A highlight for me was tasting some local abalone (delicious) and chatting w/ the fisherman who caught it. He was well educated about the importance of conservation and told me about their regenerative abalone hatchery! Great news, indeed.

    Zack, from our boat, buried a dolphin head that he found a few years ago so we hunted it down and had a little biology lesson. Nifty.

    The landscape is rugged: dry rugged hills that descend directly into an abundant sea.

    The people are correspondingly rugged and also quick to help each other and visitors as it's the only way to survive. Perhaps a good lesson for all of us to remember: nobody is truly an island.

    I took advantage of being in town to get my head fur trimmed up. $6 for a decent cut and a hilarious conversation. I wish that Kequi had a shop nearer to home. I'll plan to visit him again, for sure.
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