Baja Bash :: Days One to Three

We are currently anchored in Magdalena Bay. About one quarter of the way to Ensenada (about 800 miles in total). We are here to get some diesel (being delivered right now*) and to wait for another weather window.

We departed Cabo at 5am to catch the morning calm to round Cabo Falso. As the sun came up we watched a 20 foot swell (a gift from hurricane Cosme) pound the cape.

Once we rounded the corner we had huge following seas and a nice tailwind (thanks Cosme!) for most of the morning. Leaving after the hurricane was perfect timing as the normal weather pattern brings headwinds, and seas and current on the bow. The rest of the day and throughout the night we had virtually no wind until we got close to Mag Bay yesterday afternoon.

What we did have was lots and lots of fog. Boy are we grateful to have a radar! We love it almost as much as we love our autopilot!

While we were happily motoring along I saw what looked like a shark fin moving through the water. As it came closer we started seeing white spots and realized it was a whale shark!! All year we had been hoping to see a whale shark in the Sea of Cortez and we finally got our wish out in the Pacific.

There have been a lot of questions of why we would wait until hurricane season to make our way up the coast. While we don’t feel relaxed about being out here during hurricane season we waited until now because summertime brings much more settled weather (aside from hurricanes of course). Early in the season most hurricanes head west and after we reach Turtle Bay (another 200 miles) we’re pretty much in the clear anyway.  This time of year we have a much better chance of getting light winds and calm seas.

If you’re planning on bashing up the Baja peninsula be sure to check out the book The Baja Bash.

  • To get fuel delivered in Mag Bay simply anchor in front of the little town in Man-of-War Cove and wait for a panga to approach. They will take your empty fuel cans and bring them back full. And then they will ask for a little bakshish – like T-shirts or flashlights.