We left San Lucas Bay with a very light wind from the southwest. It blew us along past the first point which is called Ballena Point and we were shortly in the San Jose Del Cabo Bay. This bay is, again, one of the great historical importance, because from it the entire mission system of California was produced. The friars from Carnevaca went to San Blas. There they took boats from the Mexican mainland and landed at San Jose Del Cabo, which is the first valley of any importance, north of Cape San Lucas. There is a river entering into the sea at this point, but nothing that one might actually call a satisfactory harbor.
As we coasted along from the sea, it was interesting to look at the old houses and spires of the church through field glasses. Most of the town was concealed by trees, but there was enough visible to make a very beautiful scene. One is reminded, again, of the sagacity of the Jesuit Priests who seem to pick places where their church and congregation might prosper.
We sailed along gaily with a favorable wind for about two hours, when suddenly and without warning, the wind shifted 180 degrees and brew directly at us, from the course that we had intended to make. We were going along a northeasterly course and we had a north east wind. It was not long before it kicked up a nasty chop. We set our sails in a close hauled attitude put on the motor, and beat up against the chop that we had from there all the way up to La Paz.
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Log comments:
This is cool, growing up sailing on SF Bay, one learns to understand the interaction of the flow of the air around objects. My grandfather lived on Adams Point, a few blocks from Lake Merritt. My mother (I’m the son of a daughter of a sailor) learned to sail an El Toro there. So did I, and many others (some of them famous – Tilly, eat your heart out, LOL!). Kaiser Aluminum built and office tower to the west of the lake, in the shape of a sail – well, sort of.
The west wind had to bend around this obstruction and find its way East along Grand avenue, collide with Adams point, then bend south. This flow alternated with the flow down 20th Street. The boathouse was situated on a point, and we learned at the age of eight, how to get to the mark just south of this point by playing the wind shifts. Some of them really large wind shifts.
So when I read the log entry, I knew just what ‘skipper’ was talking about.
My MapSource program includes Baja California, so I went down there on a virtual cruise.
The circles are the ‘Major Lights’, lighthouses to the common land lubber. The second one from the lower left is Ballena Point, the next one up the coast from there, San Jose Del Cabo. The third one, well, that’s the subject of the next post about beach bathing cattle.
And here is what the wind was doing, some of it coming down the valley of importance:
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Musings on the present tense:
A call you don't want to get-
The good news (sort of):
It's only $59.04
That is to repair an 18" rip between the sail and the luff tape about 3/4 up the port side.
Here is my tale of woe-
We were doublehanding a J24 about a month ago. The details of which day it was and who the other person on board was are lost in the fog of my memory. My brain seems to only retain those crystal clear images associated with certain experiences.
The sight of a fleet or YRA boats on the party circuit taking the lee of Angel Island wide to stay in the gentle breeze downwind.
Us crossing the fleet and threading the needle as we sailed close hauled towards the straights in wonderfully clear air.
I even have pictures! - I just can’t find them, but the memories!
Oh Yeah!
But who I was with that fateful December day? Oops, sorry, that little detail is written over by the singular sound of sail cloth being separated from its stitching. And the particular sensation of gathered cloth in ones hands, the tearing sound linked to the pull of the forearms.
Hmm, what's that sound?
It stopped when I stopped pulling. It starts when I start pulling . . .
Oops
$59.04 (plus tax)
Skipper Of Record (SOR) comes home to roost.
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