The Baja Bash



Bahia Santa Maria

As we departed Cabo San Lucas, we encountered 30 knot winds with 6 to 8 foot ocean swells making for a rough ride around the cape; these wind conditions at Cabo are often referred to as “the cape effect.”  Once north of the cape, the winds somewhat subsided, ranging from 10 to 20 knots but the seas were still steep.  As the afternoon turned into evening, the winds got progressively worse.  By 9pm the wind gauge rose and fell rapidly over the course of the evening indicating winds ranging from 10 knots to 40 knots.  Wave heights reached 8-9 feet at four second intervals creating steep valleys.  We found ourselves facing winds that were higher than predicted in the weather models.  Got d’ Fever was rocking like a hobby-horse; we pulled back the throttles, decreasing our boat speed which made for a more comfortable ride up and down the steep pitches.  We were indeed experiencing the “Baja Bash,” heading into wind and waves that push down from the north; once again Got d’ Fever made us proud and handled the seas well.  Java, too, took it all in stride and assumed her usual position backing into a corner and supporting herself with her front paws like an old salty sea dog.  She did discover that bathroom breaks were rather challenging, however.  Large waves sent spray over the bow and onto the Portuguese-bridge so we took her pee mat to the back of the boat where she could take care of business.  Java squatted over her mat as the boat pitched up and down, sending her airborne at times.  After several attempts she finally accomplished her business, what a trouper!  We continued our hobby-horse ride through the night, arriving at Bahia Santa Maria the following day around 1pm. 


Safe at Anchor in Bahia Santa Maria

Spare Anchor

Time to set the hook and get some sleep but not so fast!  We discovered that the stack of neatly flaked (laid) anchor chain had fallen over on itself, burying the leading end which meant we could not payout our anchor and chain - the powered windlass was unable to pull up the chain from the anchor locker.  After some quick thinking, Leonard brought out the spare anchor, attached a line to the anchor’s piece of chain and the other end to the bow cleat.  He lowered the anchor overboard to temporarily hold the boat in place while we sorted out the pile of chain in the anchor locker. 

Entering the Anchor Locker

Crawling inside the locker, he began untangling the mess while I ran the windlass to let out the chain a little at a time.  We coordinated our efforts by hand-held radio communication and after working for about an hour, we finally had our main anchor deployed and set.  Surveying the rest of the boat was the next order of business. 

Bow Cleat and Windlass

As we checked on things, we discovered that straps on one of the kayaks had come loose, the dinghy had inched forward on its shocks, and a jar of roasted peppers had dumped over in the refrigerator.  Even my little “dust buster” went airborne from its holder and landed on the bed.  After 27 hours of motoring and things put back in place, it was finally time to sleep.

Controls for Windlass at Helm Station