Turtle Bay to Isla Cedros to San Quitin to Ensenada, getting hammered crossing Vizcaino Bay, again relying on panga-delivered fuel, taking a breather in Ensenada

This last section of the Baja bash was what we'd been least looking forward to: the 500km passage from Turtle Bay to Ensenada. Our good luck ran out on the weather front and warm sunny shirtless sailing was over for sure.

We split the trip into three sections: a short sail to Isla Cedros, the long trip across Vizcaino Bay to San Quitin, and another short hop to Ensenada.

We left Turtle Bay in the marine layer and had a pleasant and unremarkable trip around Punta Eugenia, past Isla Natividad (which looks a lot like a Jurassic Park island), and to the lee of Isla de Cedros.

See ya, Bahia Tortuga

Isla Natividad - looks like a Jurassic Park island

Easy trip = lots of chapters

Duaner drops the hook

No sooner had we anchored than some evil looking sea lions swam over to check us out! They were very interested in the anchor and chain and were also a little intimidating. We weren't sure: friend or foe?

Chewing on the anchor chain

Evil looking beastie!

When they started playing and rolling around we realized they were just big sea puppies. Probably not going to eat us. Duane and I were very excited about swimming with them, Sara was NOT.

Aww, not evil: cute

They're kissing!

The water here is SO COLD. It's sucky to go from 80F water to 60F water in just a month, especially when so much of our life on the boat is spent surfing or swimming or just wading in the water! Duane suited up, I didn't, he's smarter than me.

Sara's on the lookout

Duane checks it out

I went in after Duane came out - we decided we should only risk one crew member being eaten at a time - and had a face/off moment. This sea lion got right in my face and stayed there, both above water and when I put my head under he did the same. It was fun! Did I mention they have sharp looking teeth?

Playful guys

Will has a face-off

We grilled a steak, popped a bottle of wine, and soaked in the scenery from the anchorage. We couldn't muster the energy to get the dinghy off the bow (and the outboard off the stern) to go to shore, which I regret now, it looks like an amazing island.

Sunset over the island

Yummy steak dinner

Love waking up in places like this

Looks a little cloudy to the north

We left just after sunrise on a multi-day trip across Vizcaino Bay. It's an interesting spot on the Baja peninsula and can get some unsettled weather. True to form, the wind and waves built and by mid-afternoon we were in foulies taking water over the bow all the way back into the cockpit. It was a little worse overnight but abated at dawn the next day.

Duane wasn't moving this AM

The weather got worse, waaaay worse

The next morning

Still smiling!

We saw a boat on radar that changed course to intercept. We hailed them without response and adjusted course twice to see if they would also adjust. They also adjusted.

We were pretty nervous about pirates, narcos, and the worst combo: narco pirates, so a fast-moving boat on an intercept course wasn't great news. We next hailed the US Coast Guard, who have fantastic antennas (and probably boats offshore) and let them know we were being intercepted. They noted our lat/long and basically said "call us back if you have a problem".

Hey, check that out

They're really close!

Turns out it was Mexican Navy. They're probably also worried about pirates, narcos, and narco pirates. Luckily for both of us no one any of those things. They came VERY close, didn't respond to hails on VHF, didn't even come outside to wave at us or anything, then zoomed off.

Duane takes a shift

Peninsula enroute

We stopped in San Quitin and got fuel from some fishermen. They took our fuel jugs, most of our pesos, and came back two hours later. They wouldn't accept payment, but eventually took a bottle of wine. The Mexican people are so wonderfully kind, it's awful they live with so much narco violence. We were lucky to avoid it, but did hear of bodies washing ashore without heads or hands earlier in the month in Zihua, for example.

The night watch

The very-early-morning watch

We pushed on to Ensenada and arrived in darkness. We anchored and crashed out, exhausted.

Our anchorage .. in daylight

That flag is HUGE

The next day we moved into a marina and met up with friends on Lucky Dog, who were delivering the boat north for a client. Their prop had fallen off and they were doing the bash the old fashioned way: under sail. They'd been zig-zagging 100mi out to sea then back to shore. I don't think they were very happy with how the trip had been going.

Posing with the Lucky Dog boys

Sailing up to San Diego - with no prop!

Back on land meant one thing: tacos. We hunted them down.

It's time for dinner!

Good tacos are to die for

Sara and Duane getting directions

Locals-only bar (plus us, of course)

The next two days we spent exploring Ensenada, plus paying our official exit tax, and of course buying some very illegal fireworks and having a Wanderlust-style leaving-Mexico celebration.

Schoolkids on parade