The Middle Third

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
LATITUDE: 27-41.16N
LONGITUDE: 114-53.24W

We are in Turtle Bay, Bahia San Bartolome or Bahia Tortuga, having made 4 passages over 5 days from Bahia Santa Maria. This area is known as the windiest part of the outside passage and it did not disappoint.

The first passage from Bahia Santa Maria to Puerto Abreojos was the most difficult going overnight for 28 hours into steep seas. Not as bad as rounding Cabo Falso but still no fun and very tiring. The weather forecasts missed the steep seas and high winds but we were not alone, there was 5 other cruisers making the same passage and 5 or more faster yachts being delivered north in the same area.

Along the shore in this area the usual weather pattern is for strong winds to start in the afternoon and continue until near midnight then go calm and stay down until they start to build around mid-day. In hopes of traveling during the best part of the day we started getting up at 3 AM and traveling until early afternoon. Yes folks, even Linda was up at 3.

In Abreojos the wind blew 30+ kts all afternoon through the evening but calmed before we left at 3:30 AM for Asuncion. Abreojos reports the highest winds on the coast but Asuncion gave it a run for the money when we were there with winds over 30 kts in the afternoon and evening but dying out around midnight. When we again got up at 3 AM the seas were calm and remained calmed until we got to Turtle Bay.

Now in Turtle Bay we feel the worst is behind us, the northern third should be the best part of the trip and we're only 4 days from Ensenada. The weather forecast shows low winds ahead of us this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday so we're going to leave here Wednesday or Thursday and go 45 NM up the coast so we'll be ready to make the final run to Ensenada.

Once we get to Ensenada I'll compile and post all the numbers on distances and times for the trip along with fuel consumption. All is well on Discovery, the boat is running great with only some minor glitches but nothing to slow us down.