Winds at Our Back to San Marte :) Rally update #3
Wednesday, May 8th
Bahia Salinas
Yep, It snowed in Baja. The crazy cats visited the salt mine yet again. Dave and Ellen had never seen anything like this inland salt lake covered with salt.
The old salt mine, now a hunting camp, is holding it’s own under the heavy saline conditions. Almost all the old steel equipment has been moved to near the beach for salvage before it becomes a rusty pile of powder.
Love these old building and the photo ops they provide.
Above – Carol, Ellen, Dave Frankie & Lowell (me). Bill is back on Gato Loco doing chores and swimming.
Comfortable evening last night with light winds from the west off Isla Carmen. There’s 8 boats with us in this wide open anchorage. The weather predictions for yesterday were wrong and again this morning they are predicting winds from the SE and we have wind building from the north in the anchorage. Our anchorage plans will be changed again today. Our plan was Yellowstone beach on Isla Monserrate open to the north. That’s not going to work so now we’re heading 32 miles south to Bahia San Marte which is cool as we’ve never been to this anchorage.
Leaving the anchorage we have the spinnaker up and flying at 8kts south. The fleet is ahead of us and we hope to catch them.
Following seas, spinnaker and bloody marys making for a perfect sail south. The pineapple express cloud cover fills in as the day progresses cooling the temps.
Below – Westward view into Bahia San Marte where we’re going to have our Rally winnie roast.
Roosting site chosen on the pebble stone beach. Search for firewood is a bit challenging since the beach has been picked over.
Overcast skies make for a perfect time for everybody to wear their long-sleeved Rally shirts. Left, Bill shows off the rally shirt while he and Lance get started with the hot dog roast providing dogs for the fleet.
Group photo of the Fleet (left to right). Lance & Pam (Bon Temp), Ralph & Helen (MoonDrifter), Joe & Judy (Mariah), middle & front row Ellen, Dave, Carol, Bill, Frankie, Lowell (Gato Loco, yes we have 6 onboard), back row Char & Rob (Ottahere), Kurt (freeloader), Eric & Pam (Pied a Mer), Ragina & John (DreamCatcher)
DreamCatcher’s dinghy made for a nice table
Thursday May 9th – Another cool night. The pineapple express cloud cover is slowly burning off.
Today’s the day the fleet parts way. Ralph & Helen bid everybody farewell by hosting a French toast breakfast. Along with contributions from the fleet we have a very nice send off.
Kurt is out of here on “Ottahere” heading to La Paz then flying back to San Diego. Lance & Pam are heading to La Paz for repairs before heading for the Panama Canal then on the Caribbean. Eric & Pam will spend the summer in the Sea of Cortez following the cooler weather. Ralph & Helen will relax in the Loreto area for the next 6 weeks before hauling MoonDrifter in Guaymas for the summer. Joe & Judy will be heading to San Carlos in a couple of weeks. John and Ragina will relax with MoonDrifter for a couple of weeks before putting DreamCatcher back in a slip at Marian Real, San Carlos. And Gato Loco, Well the adventure continues as the weekend approaches and a new crew joins Bill & Carol.
Until the next Update
OMG it all looks and sounds wonderful. Good to see you all….Bill and Carol see you this time next week…thanks for the blog.
Hi All Seawind Rallyers
Congratulations on another great Seawind Rally. As usual it all looks so much fun and enjoyed in such a great spirit of friendship.
Some really terrific photos to take away as memories & to inspire the rest of us to get there next year.
Good sailing to all
Richard & Kerry