Playa Santispac to Calenta San Juanico, Dec. 9
The high winds in the Sea of Cortez finally abated and this was the day to head south. We were shooting for Punta Pulpito 45 nautical miles to the south. Another boat in the harbor, Flight a 42’ Hunter Passage had said they were leaving this day for the same destination. When we awoke early the next morning, they were gone. Chris figured they had sailed to Bahia Santo Domingo, at the north end of the bay, the night before to get a jump on the trip.
We left about a half an hour before sunrise. While Chris was preparing the boat, I got my coffee. We motored northeast for 7 miles until we got out of the bay, headed around Punta Conception and turned south into the Sea of Cortez. Off in the distance, we could see Flight headed east tacking downwind to seaward. We, being a smaller, lighter boat, stayed inshore and ran wing and wing before the wind with a quartering sea. Initially the winds were steady and modest, and the seas three feet or less. Within an hour the winds increased to about 18 knots and the swell was 4-5 ft. and sailing was great. We flew down the face of the large, steep swells. We like to say we spent the day surfing with a 4000 pound surfboard. We averaged better than 5 ½ knots (our theoretical hull speed is 5.8 knots). We often times reached speeds of 7+ knots. Click here for videos of the passage.
We left about a half an hour before sunrise. While Chris was preparing the boat, I got my coffee. We motored northeast for 7 miles until we got out of the bay, headed around Punta Conception and turned south into the Sea of Cortez. Off in the distance, we could see Flight headed east tacking downwind to seaward. We, being a smaller, lighter boat, stayed inshore and ran wing and wing before the wind with a quartering sea. Initially the winds were steady and modest, and the seas three feet or less. Within an hour the winds increased to about 18 knots and the swell was 4-5 ft. and sailing was great. We flew down the face of the large, steep swells. We like to say we spent the day surfing with a 4000 pound surfboard. We averaged better than 5 ½ knots (our theoretical hull speed is 5.8 knots). We often times reached speeds of 7+ knots. Click here for videos of the passage.
Surfing the waves with a 4,000 pound surfboard
It was an exciting but strenuous day of sailing. When we arrived at Punta Pulpito, we quickly made the assessment that in those size seas and winds, the anchorage could be very uncomfortable. Fortunately we had made such good time, we could continue the 8 nautical miles down the coast to Calenta San Juanico. We had lost sight of Flight, but as we got closer to San Juanico, we saw them tacking into the harbor. We followed shortly after, dropping anchor as the sun was setting, in the farthest, calmest spot with good protection from the northerlies. To celebrate the exciting passage, we grabbed a couple of drinks and toasted to a great sail.