Cabo to Los Frailes

We are now in Mazatlan, and for those of you who aren't getting our e-mail updates (the blog and emails will be integrated very soon) here is an update since Cabo San Lucas. It turns out that paradise wasn't "right around the corner". We motored out of CSL on Wednesday, the 16th at about 7:00am. We got about 20 miles out around the cape and encountered 25-30 knot headwinds with 4-5 foot steep swells 4-5 seconds apart (speed bumps). We were with Sandpiper and bashed into that for about three hours and decided it would take 10 hours to cover the remaining 25 miles or 4 hours to surf back to CSL, so we turned back.



We spent Thursday licking our wounds by the beachfront pool at a 4 or 5 star resort, and had another go at it on Friday. We had agreed to leave at 5:00am, but I couldn't sleep, so we up'ed anchor and split at 3:30am. I got ahold of Sandpiper and they were quick to follow. Tom wasn't sleeping either. Well, this time, we got about 30 miles into it and the wind picked right back up again. So, we ended up bashing again, this time for about 8 hours to cover another 15 miles. We finally made it into Los Frailes, set the anchor, and settled in. What we had experienced were called "Northers"- a wind phenomenon common in the Sea of Cortez (AKA Gulf of California) which funnels winds from a high pressure cell over the central US down the narrow sea. It is especially strong along the coast between Cabo and La Paz, because this land juts out East into the path of the Norther. Our advice to folks in our wake is to wait it out in CSL, or go overnight (not a guarantee for moderation of winds). Folks who went straight to Mazatlan from Cabo to avoid the bash ended up in high winds and uncomfortable seas. It's hard to be patient in Cabo- things are expensive, the anchorage is rolly, and the music and salesmen are obnoxious. Take the opportunity to walk north of the main tourist area and you will be rewarded with great restaraunts (El Pollo de Oro, Taqueria Pais, etc...).