Author: mtashby

Current Position: 20 34.772’N 110 23.470’W; Course: 179; SOG: 4.5; TWS: 17 kt; TWD: 317; TWA: 143; Distance to waypoint (about 20 nm from Isla San Benedicto): 62;
Comments: I had to remain alert last night as I passed through shipping lanes. At one point I had to thread between two 700’ cargo ships that were off my starboard beam. The closest of the two, Federal Infinity, communicated well via VHF and passes a half nm to my stern after adjusting his speed by half a knot. About 2:00 an alarm went off. The wind speed had dropped to 8 and backed to the NNW. The wind vane was struggling to keep the boat on course. I switched to the TillerPilot. I left the reef in the main but relaxed the main sheet and set the preventer. The boat had slowed to 3 kt. I confirmed I had cleared the bow of the tanker STI Brooklyn, which was 10 nm off my port. I turned off the Iridium GO and fridge to conserve power until dawn. It was a good call to leave yet reef in. By 3:00, wind was back up to 17 and the boat was going 6.5 kt in a dead run. In the morning I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise and 13 kt winds from the NNW. Sea state was relatively calm. I cleaned one fish and six squid off the deck. I reached the halfway point about 8:30 (110 nm in 20h, so averaged 5.5 kt). As it did yesterday, the wind and waved kicked it up a notch early afternoon. The forecast is for continued 15-20 kt winds through tomorrow, putting me at San Benedicto before dawn. I put a second reef in the main, shortened the Yankee, and made a new waypoint upwind and on the leeward side of the island. I should make the waypoint about 3:00, with another 4h to the anchorage.
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Current Position: 22 19.945’N 110 04.210’W; Course: 195; SOG: 6.8; BSPD: 7.9; TWS: 19 kt; TWD: 316; TWA: 130; Distance to waypoint (Isla San Benedicto): 185;
Comments: Because no wind was expected until the afternoon, I took the dinghy into Cabo for breakfast. On my way back, about 10:00, it was clear the wind was picking up. I finished readying the boat and weighed anchor at 12:30. Once I cleared the boats in the harbor, I raised the main with one reef and unfurled the Yankee about 90% in 20 kt winds to the beam. The seas were confused until I was out of the shadow of the cape, then they settled down and sailing conditions were nearly perfect. The waves were perhaps 6’, but the intervals were long enough that the ride was not too uncomfortable. As dusk approached, it became cloudy/foggy. I turned the radar to check for precipitation, but found none. In the first six hours, I travelled 36 nm to the waypoint (averaging about 6 kt). I decided to rest inside the cabin. I set alarms for winds over 30 kt and changes in wind direction more than 20 degrees. I plan to set an alarm every hour to check the instruments and the AIS. If there is a vessel closer than one hour, I do not plan to rest until it has passed.

Current Position: 22 53.385’N 109 53.877’W (Cabo San Lucas); Course: At anchor; SOG: N/A; BSPD: N/A; TWS: Variable; TWD: N/A; TWA: N/A; Distance to waypoint: N/A;
Comments: I took the dinghy into Cabo today to do some shopping and offload trash. I have been studying the wind around Cabo and it looks like the best time to leave for San Benedicto is in the evening, especially if I want to sail out of here. I am tentatively planning to depart tomorrow at 4. If I wait until Wednesday, weather forecasts suggests the waves will result in excessive rolling.
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Current Position: 22 53.385’N 109 53.877’W (Cabo San Lucas); Course: At anchor; SOG: N/A; BSPD: N/A; TWS: 6.1 kt; TWD: 95; TWA: N/A; Distance to waypoint: N/A;
Comments: I intended to prepare the boat today for the passage to San Benedicto, planning to leave in the morning. I wanted to make some water, but was concerned with the lingering effects of the red tide from yesterday. Since I cannot do what I planned (make water, change the prop pitch, clean the hull, etc.), I weighed anchor at 8:30 and made my way to Cabo San Lucas, about 45 nm away with 6 kt winds from the NNE. I motor sailed until about 11, when the wind picked up to 12-13 kt. I was averaging about 3 kt running. It was partly cloudy so the solar efficiency was not great, but enough that I could make water. I was in the middle of a gib, resetting the preventer, when I got a strike on the fishing pole. It took most of the line out before I could get to the pole. When I set the drag, whatever was on there flipped itself off. As predicted, as I approached Peurto Los Cabos, about 19 miles from Cabo San Lucas, the wind disappeared. I stowed the sails and motored in the rest of the way. About 4 nm from Cabo, I saw a pod of whales. They looked like they might criss my path, so I slowed down, but they were swimming parallel to the boat. I arrived in Cabo San Lucas about 17:00, after dodging several dozen jet skis.
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Current Position: 23 22.843’N 109 25.203’W (Los Frailes ); Course: At anchor; SOG: N/A; BSPD: N/A; TWS: light and variable; TWD: N/A; TWA: N/A; Distance to waypoint: N/A;
Comments: I was awaken at daybreak by two large sea lions who came to visit. After doing my chores (changing the ATF, and washing the deck, etc.), I went on a 3h hike, climbing the hill that overlooks the anchorage. It was a brutal hike that involved bushwhacking through manzanita. I was looking forward to taking a dip in the water when so returned, but to my surprise, red tide had rolled in while I was away. This put a damper on my plans to make water and dive tomorrow (to clean the hull and change the pitch of the prop.
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Current Position: 23 22.843’N 109 25.203’W (Los Frailes ); Course: At anchor; SOG: N/A; BSPD: N/A; TWS: 6.2 kn; TWD: 306 degree; TWA: N/A; Distance to waypoint: N/A;
Comments: My first full day at anchor at Los Frailes was spent doing chores. I woke up to put some eye splices into some general-purpose lines (sheets for the asymm, rear control line for the whisker pole, etc.). I went in to change the fuel filter and clean the bowl of the Racor fuel/water separator. Some water and gunk got sucked up from the main tank when I pulled the second filter a few days ago. I put fluids on the new Yamaha F6 outboard. Finally, I made three gallons of water and prepared a some meals for my upcoming passage. I notice there is some water leaking from the watermaker pump. It needs to be serviced, but I won’t do that until I reach the South Pacific.
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