Get ready for some big winds this monday and tuesday.
I just got back from a 6 day trip up the coast, we encountered whales on 4 out of 6 days. At the beuatiful anchorage of Julio Villa, @ 25 miles north of here. We saw fin whales and sperm whales at the same time while kayaking the point in great proximity to one another. This is a first for myself to see sperm whales so close to the coast @ 2 miles from the coast with fin whales no less than a mile from the sperm whales. Fin whales were also spotted twice in San Carlos very near Isla Venado, Dear Island in front of the old club med. large pods of common dolphins were aslo spotted just north of Punta San Pedro, infront of Ensenada Chica.So all you guys out there keep your eyes posted on the horizon for whales and dolphins and by Wedsday the winds may calm down enought for some great whale watching. If you can't wait for the middle of the week then get out early so can motor up the coast in the morning and then sail back down wind and have a good chance of seeing whales. That is if you want to have a nice down wind sail in 30 knots of course!!!!
If the Fin Whales stick aournd San Carlos for more than just a few days we may offer some whale watching trips for people who do not have their own boat.
Great report Vince!..really valuable info there thnx. I have a report from Pranava (John) that he had one tough crossing (solo) a week or so ago....Just a butt kicker ....did I hear that you faired better but got inot the nasty stuff as well? Tell us a sea story!
Ya we left the south point of San Marcos the morning of the 17th and had a tough up wind sail to Santa Rosalia. By the time we got into the break water there it was blowing 30 knots, got in around 2:00 pm. The locals at the marina there thought we were a bunch of nut cases sailing up wind from San Marcos and when we tied off to the docks droped off our clients and then turned around and went right back out it was confirmed, you had to be a little nutty to go back out in that. At least it was closer to beam reach than a close reach to get back. I had a double reefed main and staysail up and plenty of power with that small sail configuration. We had 30 knot winds and 8 to 12 foot seas on the way back to San Carlos, and an incredible moon rise to guide us home. There were a few moments that night when I wished I had another reef point in the main. I was training my first mate and this was his first sailing trip to the Baja so he got a chance to see the Sea of Cortez at its finest!!!!
On the way over about 10 miles off the coast of Punta Chivato we spotted sperm whales spouting only 50 feet from the boat with a setting moon to light them, needless to say it was pretty spectacular for our clients from seattle to see something like that. You never get tired of hearing the spout of a whale!!!!
the nasty stuff as well? Tell us a sea story!
