Adios Mexico....until......


The second part of the Bash was fairly normal except for  periodic high winds outside.  When the guys turned the corner at Cabo, Jeff called Robert up from below to see the strange sky.  There were  low, black, rounded, sort of swirling clouds with thunder and lightning, in a circle overhead, and an opening in front of them.  They got away as fast as they could, but then called me on the Sat phone and Robert's voice was shaking.  So Eileen and I shook for a couple hours after that.  I had been giving them weather reports via the Sat phone, and no where in any of the internet sites or forecasts had a cyclone been mentioned.



Magdalena Bay, which has been developing slowing over time.  We haven't seen the town grow, as we usually went into Bahia Santa Maria.  Our friend John had escaped from Mexico on his boat, (crazy new  inept tax organization in Mex.) and the sheriff had come out from the village here to ask if he could spare a flashlight.  As it was blowing like stink outside, the guys spent a couple days waiting for good weather here, and the sheriff did the same thing.  Must not have any power at night.  Later, when they went into Turtle Bay, they had to go on instruments as there was a wild dust storm.  No way to see if they were anchoring on top of anyone, but when it all cleared, they could see other boats had pulled in to escape the high winds outside.  Again I told them to stay put for a couple days - and they had flat weather and winds the rest of the trip up to San Diego.   They rescued, or effected a rescue of a 27footer six miles south of the border, at night, as the other boat had lost power and was drifting into shore.  Robert was able to find the boat and call both the Mexican Navy, who wanted to take the disable boat to Ensenada, and the Coast Guard, who sent the rescue boat who towed them in.  The guys were so tired, they spent a night in San Diego.  Then, in leaving the next day, all hell broke loose.  The engine kept cutting out, and they met huge seas of 12 -15' and decided to pull into Long Beach.
I rented a car, picked up the guys and we took the crew home to the Santa Cruz Mountains...beautiful and intriguing place with a sense of secret hollows.   Below is Marlin, butting up a Skipjack he caught.



Looking for the green flash which was covered by clouds.

Very tired guys at the end of the trip.  When we went back to Long Beach, Robert classily backed I'O into a fairway and gently took it down the channel and to Marina Del Rey by himself. I went back to Marina Del Rey by the PCH as I am chicken on the 405, the 10, etc.  So we are on our old dock, clearing out the boat and getting ready for some land adventures.  I'O will go on the hard, up for sale, and we carry the memories of wonderful sunrises, sunsets and people forever.  The blog might continue once we get out of town and into the mountains later this summer.  Stay tuned.