Author: abbylnicholson

Here we are on the Pacific Ocean 28^oN, 55^oW anchored on the east side of Isla Cedros, a big volcanic rock of an island (21 miles long) in Mexico. We are traveling as the Nordhavn Taco Runners with Alison and Kevin on Red Rover N55, Lisa and Alec on Audrey Mae N57, Jeff and Shannon on Igloo N47, Mike and Elaine on Partida N46, Hugo, Michele and friend Hugh on Gitana N55 and Linda, Vince and friend Sam (Slowboats.com) on Last Arrow, N60.  It is sunny, temperature is in the mid 70s, about 4 knots of wind in 46 feet of water. It is amazing to me that we are on the Pacific Ocean and the boat is not moving. Just a gentle sway.  We are not in a protected bay or cove, instead anchored inshore about a quarter mile from the island, on the Pacific Ocean. This Pacific Ocean is far different than the Pacific Ocean on the Washington and Oregon coasts where we cruised in 6-8 foot waves at 10 seconds or 9-11 foot waves at 8 seconds. I do like this Pacific Ocean in Mexico!

Shortly after we arrived at our anchorage, with limited sleep having traveled all night from San Quintin, the water toys came out! Dinghies, SUPs, kayaks exploring the shore of Isla Cedros. Eventually, everyone seemed to gather (unplanned) at Red Rover’s swim deck.  Pent-up energy released! People and puppies all having fun, swimming, jumping off the flybridge. The sun was shining and the margaritas were flowing!

After a good night sleep, the following afternoon we congregated on Epoch for a fish fry and birthday party.  The fish were caught on the way to Isla Cedros.

Three Pacific Bonitos, one on Red Rover and two on Epoch. And I think all the boats caught Skipjack Tunas which we understand are not great eating fish so they were released.  One of the Bonitos were made into Poke Bowl (Hawaiian appetizer of raw fish) served with tortilla chips.  The other two Bonitos were either grilled or baked in three different marinades.

We had 16 celebrators on Epoch (a new record!)  Many side dishes were brought over by dinghy; bean dip, ceviche (fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices), rice, green broccoli salad, black bean quinoa salad, caribou with honey mustard dip, Bannock (still warm from the oven). 

Scott poured his famous Benton City Coolers! 

Brownies and Klondike bars for dessert and a candle each for the birthday couple on Igloo!  

We finished the evening with dessert Tequila, a combination of Sex Appeal Cream de Coco al Agava and Milan chocolate tequila, served very cold! Yumm!

Bahia San Quintin was our first overnight as the Taco Runners, a 15 hour run (110 n.m.) from Ensenada. We left Ensenada in the afternoon, traveling overnight so we could arrive at the anchorage in daylight.  The bay is a 5-mile-wide crescent shaped anchorage south of a 10-mile-long sand bar.  The bay is open to the ocean. This is important to know because to get to the beach on the dinghy, we had to “land” the dinghy through the ocean surf.  Charlie’s Charts (a cruising manual), page 18 states, “Landing a dinghy through the surf can be hazardous, few cruising sailors have found it necessary to do so in the US and Canadian waters so it is a technique that will probably be learned in situ.” 

Scott was well prepared and had installed Beachmaster wheels on our smaller dinghy. The wheels can be folded down to allow for easy maneuvering of the dinghy once on the beach. The technique of beaching a dinghy through the surf requires waiting for a slack period in the incoming swells and then quickly accelerating forward past the breaking surf zone. This also requires quickly pulling up the outboard motor before/while beaching the dinghy and expediently getting all crew out of the dinghy before the next incoming wave crests. Yikes! Right?

We were ready for our first beaching. On our way to the beach we met Alison and Kevin in their dinghy with their two puppies, Zoe and Max coming back from the beach.  How’d the landing go?  Their story of beaching their dinghy with the pups was both informative (for me) and entertaining, sort of.  They were wet, Zoe was wet and looked a little perturbed, and poor Max was wrapped in a towel shivering! They had overturned during their beach landing and overturned getting back out to the bay but were in good spirits, as they always are!  To say the least, I was apprehensive and a little scared! I quickly tied everything down in the dinghy and without a word or preparation, Scott floored the motor and we beached! Yay! We pulled the dinghy up the beach and had a nice walk finding sand dollars and enjoying the sunshine. Then it was time to get back out through the surf.  We were successful, but the last incoming wave that hit us was so enormous that the dinghy went airborne bow up about 6 feet!  Gasping, I found that I was still in the dinghy and when I looked behind me, Scott was there too with a huge grin.  All good.

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