Day 2-Bahia de Los Muertos

Today I made the passage from Lobos to Muertos (23N59,109W50) as planned.

I was up before dawn at 6 AM and at 7 AM began preparations for departure (e.g. anchor light off, both anchor alarms off, visual check of the engine). At 7.45 AM I started the engine and 15 minutes later was motoring out of Lobos. I took advantage of the apparent wind from dead ahead to raise the mainsail for the first time in 6 months or more. It was hard work but went better than I had expected given that I had not taken time to lubricate the track and slides. I passed between the San Lorenzo Channel markers at 9.30 AM and soon I was on a SE course down the Cerralvo Channel with the wind on off the port quarter and a partial jib to assist the mainsail, and making a surprising speed of 6-7 knots. At the San Lorenzo Channel I passed near a Baja ferry on the way to La Paz. I was glad to hear the "Dangerous Object" AIS alarm as the ship approached.

The wind began to sag in the middle of the day and at 1.30 PM I was forced to drop the mainsail and run downwind with the full genoa. Instantly I picked up a half knot and the boat began to sail itself quietly without the boom flogging. I set up the Monitor wind steering and by 3 PM the wind had picked up and Pachuca was happily doing 6 kt under Monitor steering. When I got close to Muertos the wind became unstable so I rolled in the headsail and motored for the last hour of the journey. I dropped anchor at 6.30 PM in 5.5 meters of water. The wind was coming from the north at 11 knots. The engine had 85.9 hours, which meant that I had motored 4.4 hours out of the 10.5 hour journey.

Brenda and Stephen reached me by mobile telephone and we spoke after I had dropped anchor. Stephen had a quick look on the Web and confirmed that there is no tropical storm activity seen south of here for the next 48 hours.

I plan to get an early start in the morning an make for Bahia Los Frailes,46 miles to the south.

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