Crossing

Posted By: Danny Bond
Date: 3/21/08 5:47p.m.

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In Response To: Conditions (thouse)

My family and I have crossed 6 times in the last 5 or 6 years and each crossing was very different mainly due to the weather. We sail a Laguna 26, fixed keel sloop. On one crossing we had completely flat water with not a breath of wind and ended up burning all but 1/2 gallon of our fuel. On another we had a beam reach with 20knots of wind the whole way across and averaged almost 6 knots, but we were completely wiped out from the violent motion, and ended up sleeping 12 hours at our anchorage in conception bay. Heading back to the mainland during a June crossing we encountered high winds and big seas. The biggest waves were as high as the spreader on our mast. We struggled to keep waves from crashing over the deck for 8 hours during the night, trying to steer around the biggest, baddest, breaking waves and only made 5 miles of progress according to the GPS. I didn't have a wind speed indicator at the time, but it was blowing so hard that the rigging was screaming. We had to yell at each other while sitting together in the cockpit. There was no rain, but the crests of the waves were getting blown off into our faces so it was difficult to see. That was the scariest crossing we have made. But it was amazing, exciting and exhillerating at the same time. In fact after 4 hours of it, I gained more confidence in the boats ability to handle the waves and my ability to steer through the melee. Most crossings have been much tamer. Based on our very limited experience, I'd say the average conditions have been 3-6ft seas and 12-20 knot wind. We usually leave from San Carlos at around 4pm, sail through the night, and start approaching baja in the morning. Don't arrive too early or you won't have enough light to safely approach your anchorage. Very important...set up an easy and reliable system for deeply reefing your main, and reducing your head sail, or removing it all together.