On To Magdalena Bay
We couldn't get out of Tortuga Bay fast enough
Tuesday, April 9th through Thursday, April 11th 2013 – Magdalena Bay
This is it. Papa’s paradise on earth.
I spent so many years as a youth hearing about Magdalena Bay that I expected to see angels guarding the entrance and golden harps on the beaches.
We had talked to other boat crews in Turtle Bay that sat at anchor for up to four days, waiting for the winds to die down. They didn’t want to fight their way into the head winds.
For us it was no problem. While they lay at anchor, we sailed down the coast on a broad reach with the wind behind us. We did six or seven knots most of the time.
We left Turtle Bay in the morning in much better spirits. We hoisted in the anchor and made for sea. As soon as we cleared the bay, we made sail. The wind was light, but we sailed on at about five knots.
As the day wore on, the wind began to pick up and soon we were doing our customary six knots. The watch schedule changed with the loss of a crew member.
Bill came up with an idea that worked. Instead of two three hour shifts each, he proposed that we stand four hour watches. He and Ben would have two four hour watches and Dawn and I could split the other two. That way, Dawn could attend to her galley duties and I could get enough rest during the night to be able to function during the day.
It worked well. I’m a morning person anyway, so I was on deck by six am. Somewhere around eight or so, Dawn woke up and made coffee. Then she produced a breakfast and all was well with the world.
After breakfast, Bill was on deck and by ten am, he had the watch and I was free. I usually grabbed a little nap, then worked on whatever project the boat needed.
Yes, we’re still working on stuff as we sail down the coast. We couldn’t get everything done in Ensenada, but we left anyway. Either I’ll do the work on the way south or we’ll do it in La Paz.
Now comes the lesson learned. After two difficult nights with sail changes I decided to bite the bullet and reduce sail before night fall. That way, if the wind picked up at night, which it has been doing, we don’t have to reduce sail in the dark.
We took her down to mizzen and stays’l. It seemed to work well. Initially, we were doing about five knots, but the wind picked up during the night and we increased our speed. We also were jibing every hour or so, turning across the wind with the wind behind us. We couldn’t hold our course because the wind was directly behind us. The Victory does not like running straight down wind.
It’s easy to do an accidental jibe (cross the wind) and that’s hard on equipment, not to mention any heads that might be in the way.
With just the stays’l and mizzen, we could jibe without having to tend any sheets. The stays’l has a boom of its own and is much easier to handle than the jib.
Anyway, it worked well. We cruised on through the night under reduced sail and still made good time.
This is it. Papa’s paradise on earth.
I spent so many years as a youth hearing about Magdalena Bay that I expected to see angels guarding the entrance and golden harps on the beaches.
We had talked to other boat crews in Turtle Bay that sat at anchor for up to four days, waiting for the winds to die down. They didn’t want to fight their way into the head winds.
For us it was no problem. While they lay at anchor, we sailed down the coast on a broad reach with the wind behind us. We did six or seven knots most of the time.
We left Turtle Bay in the morning in much better spirits. We hoisted in the anchor and made for sea. As soon as we cleared the bay, we made sail. The wind was light, but we sailed on at about five knots.
As the day wore on, the wind began to pick up and soon we were doing our customary six knots. The watch schedule changed with the loss of a crew member.
Bill came up with an idea that worked. Instead of two three hour shifts each, he proposed that we stand four hour watches. He and Ben would have two four hour watches and Dawn and I could split the other two. That way, Dawn could attend to her galley duties and I could get enough rest during the night to be able to function during the day.
It worked well. I’m a morning person anyway, so I was on deck by six am. Somewhere around eight or so, Dawn woke up and made coffee. Then she produced a breakfast and all was well with the world.
After breakfast, Bill was on deck and by ten am, he had the watch and I was free. I usually grabbed a little nap, then worked on whatever project the boat needed.
Yes, we’re still working on stuff as we sail down the coast. We couldn’t get everything done in Ensenada, but we left anyway. Either I’ll do the work on the way south or we’ll do it in La Paz.
Now comes the lesson learned. After two difficult nights with sail changes I decided to bite the bullet and reduce sail before night fall. That way, if the wind picked up at night, which it has been doing, we don’t have to reduce sail in the dark.
We took her down to mizzen and stays’l. It seemed to work well. Initially, we were doing about five knots, but the wind picked up during the night and we increased our speed. We also were jibing every hour or so, turning across the wind with the wind behind us. We couldn’t hold our course because the wind was directly behind us. The Victory does not like running straight down wind.
It’s easy to do an accidental jibe (cross the wind) and that’s hard on equipment, not to mention any heads that might be in the way.
With just the stays’l and mizzen, we could jibe without having to tend any sheets. The stays’l has a boom of its own and is much easier to handle than the jib.
Anyway, it worked well. We cruised on through the night under reduced sail and still made good time.
Ben swims in Mag Bay
In the morning, when I took my watch, we had a nice wind. I wanted to raise more sail, but I didn’t want to disturb the watch below. I let them sleep ‘til watch change, then we raised the rest of our sails.
We’re starting to get pretty good at this by now. Dawn takes the helm and keeps the boat headed into the wind. Ben climbs the steps I installed on the main mast to hook up the main halyard and Bill cranks it up. I supervise, and step in where an extra hand is needed.
I decided that we should raise the jib and strike the stays’l. Unfortunately, we did it in that order. Raising the jib with the stays’l still flying is only a slight problem, until you have a bunch of people on the foredeck.
The jib went up smoothly, then Bill let down the stays’l. Ben was still on the bow sprit so I grabbed at the stays’l sheets (the ropes that control it) to keep it under control. Not so much.
We turned through the wind and the stays’l swung over to my side of the deck, knocking me on the head. I lost my balance and grabbed onto the boom to catch myself. Then the stays’l swung back across the deck, with me attached to the boom. At this point, Bill managed to slack off the halyard and lower the sail. The sail, the boom and I all came to rest on the starboard foredeck.
I don’t know if anyone else saw my little episode. No one said anything about it, but man, did I have a head ache.
We had a second day of smooth sailing without incident. Dawn, Bill and Ben claim to have seen a pod of whales come right up to the boat while I was napping. In case you don’t remember, whales only show up when I’m napping. Yeah, I believe that.
Anyway, they say that three small whales came right up to the boat on a perpendicular course and dove under us when they were about ten feet away. Bill was on the wheel and he says that he didn’t have time to react. He didn’t know what to do. He did the right thing. Just hold our course. The whales know what they’re doing.
We had another good night. To me a good night is one in which I don’t get called on deck.
Our crew is jelling. Ben is learning his job, Bill is getting comfortable enough to make suggestions and Dawn is getting over her fear of sailing. I like this crew. I wish I could keep them in a bottle to uncork the next time we have to make long passages.
Then Magdalena Bay.
It looked pretty much as advertised. After two and a half days sailing out of sight of land, we spotted Magdalena Island where it was supposed to be. I have to say, I’m a little proud of my navigation. We can go off shore for several days, then when we come back to land, we are where we’re planned to be.
The entrance to the bay is about five miles wide, but there are rocks and reefs sticking out from each point, so care is called for.
We stopped to lower the sails before entering the bay.
To give you an idea of scale, this isn’t Turtle Bay. Magdalena Bay is approximately the size of San Francisco Bay. When we anchored off Belcher Point, we couldn’t see the other side of the bay.
It was getting late in the afternoon and there was a stiff breeze blowing so we found a good spot and droppedthe anchor. Dawn whipped up another wonderful meal and we slipped off to bed.
We were now in a race against time. We have to get Bill to Los Cabos in time to make his 4/19 flight. I would have loved to stay and explore Mag Bay for a few days, but I didn’t want Bill to miss his flight. We will sail on in the morning.
We’re starting to get pretty good at this by now. Dawn takes the helm and keeps the boat headed into the wind. Ben climbs the steps I installed on the main mast to hook up the main halyard and Bill cranks it up. I supervise, and step in where an extra hand is needed.
I decided that we should raise the jib and strike the stays’l. Unfortunately, we did it in that order. Raising the jib with the stays’l still flying is only a slight problem, until you have a bunch of people on the foredeck.
The jib went up smoothly, then Bill let down the stays’l. Ben was still on the bow sprit so I grabbed at the stays’l sheets (the ropes that control it) to keep it under control. Not so much.
We turned through the wind and the stays’l swung over to my side of the deck, knocking me on the head. I lost my balance and grabbed onto the boom to catch myself. Then the stays’l swung back across the deck, with me attached to the boom. At this point, Bill managed to slack off the halyard and lower the sail. The sail, the boom and I all came to rest on the starboard foredeck.
I don’t know if anyone else saw my little episode. No one said anything about it, but man, did I have a head ache.
We had a second day of smooth sailing without incident. Dawn, Bill and Ben claim to have seen a pod of whales come right up to the boat while I was napping. In case you don’t remember, whales only show up when I’m napping. Yeah, I believe that.
Anyway, they say that three small whales came right up to the boat on a perpendicular course and dove under us when they were about ten feet away. Bill was on the wheel and he says that he didn’t have time to react. He didn’t know what to do. He did the right thing. Just hold our course. The whales know what they’re doing.
We had another good night. To me a good night is one in which I don’t get called on deck.
Our crew is jelling. Ben is learning his job, Bill is getting comfortable enough to make suggestions and Dawn is getting over her fear of sailing. I like this crew. I wish I could keep them in a bottle to uncork the next time we have to make long passages.
Then Magdalena Bay.
It looked pretty much as advertised. After two and a half days sailing out of sight of land, we spotted Magdalena Island where it was supposed to be. I have to say, I’m a little proud of my navigation. We can go off shore for several days, then when we come back to land, we are where we’re planned to be.
The entrance to the bay is about five miles wide, but there are rocks and reefs sticking out from each point, so care is called for.
We stopped to lower the sails before entering the bay.
To give you an idea of scale, this isn’t Turtle Bay. Magdalena Bay is approximately the size of San Francisco Bay. When we anchored off Belcher Point, we couldn’t see the other side of the bay.
It was getting late in the afternoon and there was a stiff breeze blowing so we found a good spot and droppedthe anchor. Dawn whipped up another wonderful meal and we slipped off to bed.
We were now in a race against time. We have to get Bill to Los Cabos in time to make his 4/19 flight. I would have loved to stay and explore Mag Bay for a few days, but I didn’t want Bill to miss his flight. We will sail on in the morning.