Monday, 12/2/13; Gonzaga bay to Bahia La Gringa

First, a minor correction; we spent another night in Willard, before moving to Gonzaga bay.
Time, and days, are hard to keep track of out here. Without internet or phone, it all runs together; so, one of the greatest challenges is, keeping the daily log of events. This blog is our "ships log", so back to the journey.

One aspect of sailing the Northern Sea of Cortez, is using the extreme tidal flow to your advantage. Our departure is always timed with the tide. When we left Gonzaga, the tide had just started going out, with no wind, just motoring, we were able to get up to 8 kts. Later, the wind picked up, so we unfurled the Genoa, and we were racing along at 10.5 kts!

Along the way, our "Nature channel" was on... pods of dolphins, pilot whales, and a humpback.

The sea life here is so abundant and diverse, that there is no place like it. Fortunately, the government has set aside most areas as nature preserves.

Our timing had worked perfectly, we covered the 72 miles, and made the approach into La Gringa, just as the sun had set.  That night we sat in the cockpit listening to coyotes and a whale that we could not see, but could hear it spout close by.

The anchorage offered good swell protection, but not much from the winds. 

Just an overnight stop, then, in the morning, we'll only have to go about 6 miles into Bahia Los Angeles.