Baja Haha Ericson...

[Lew Decker]

Just a quick heads up - We received an email at 6:52 this evening (Sunday) from Greg and Melissa aboard their E39B "Pacifica". They are approaching Bahia Santa Maria on the Baja coast and should arrive around midnight. They've had a glorious sail so far with the distinction of being one of the few boats in the Baja Haha that has not used an engine - yet . They dined this evening on fresh caught mahi mahi while sailing along with the spinnaker flying in "balmy" conditions and with a huge moon smiling overhead.

Now, please excuse me while I go slash my wrists.

 

[Steve Swann]

"Go south 'til the butter melts"

What a nice write-up, Lew. That really made a lot of us want to join you for the wrist-slashing ceremony. Keep this thread alive with Ericsons in the Sea of Cortez if you can! We would all like to hear more, and more, and more......

PS Credit goes to Greg Delyzynski's for the quote above

 

[boatboy]

Ha-Ha wrapped up

I am writing this response while rolling a bit at anchor in Cabo. We just got back from the awards ceremony, bringing home the first place prize for our class of 14 boats. For a 30 year old boat, our 39-B Pacifica did us proud. We were one of the small group of sailors who sailed the whole way down without using the engine.

The sailing was mostly fantastic, with just a few patches that were somewhat lighter than we would have liked. All in all, I think it was a slightly windier than average year. The water here in Cabo is currently 82 degrees!

In a day or two we will take off towards La Paz, then later work our way down the coast to Z-town.

If any of you are interested in bringing your boat down to Mexico, I would highly recommend using the Ha-Ha as your launch to get you down there quickly, meet a bunch of fellow cruisers and have a whole lot of fun.

 

[Tazman]

Baha Haha 2007

We are on for next year. Any other Ericson owners interested in joining us. We were planning to go this year and have the boat ready. Hopefully we can set our landlubber life aside for a month or so. We plan to leave our boat in Mexico for 6 months to a year, using it as a vacation platform. Anyone else planning for 2007?

 

[windjunkee]

Taz,

We're headed south in '07 but we're going in February with the Del Rey YC's Puerto Vallarta race. We're going to race down, keep the boat down there for another month, and then truck her back. I can't believe how much there in to do to prepare for one of these long races.

Boatboy, congrats on the good sail down. Don't pass up Chacala on the mainland coast about 40 miles north of PV. That was my favorite place on the entire coast.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E-32 Hull #134
Redondo Beach, CA

 

[boatboy]

Thanks Jim,

Chacala is definitely on our list of places to check out. We are currently anchored in Muertos, between Cabo and La Paz. The last couple days we were at Los Frailes. Both of these spots have been a huge improvement over Cabo.

The leg from Cabo to Los Frailes was a rude awakening after the last 1000+ miles of beautiful downwind sailing. We had 25 knots on the nose with an ugly Sea of Cortez chop. Today, on the other hand, was nearly perfect with 10-15 knots of wind of upwind sailing.

For those interested, my wife Melissa has a website going that is giving details and showing photos of the cruise. It is www.queserasailing.com . Click the Cruise News link.

 

[Loren Beach]

Yum...

Thank You Greg!
Great pics and commentary.

BTW, is that a SailoMat vane on the transom?

Cheers,

Loren in rainy and cold Portland, OR

 

[boatboy]

Yes, that's our Sailomat - Sal. Sal has done a fantatstic job handling most of the steering chores. We have him set up to use either the standard air vane or a small tillerpilot for input signals, depending on conditions.

 

[Loren Beach]

If we ever need a vane, that's the brand we would likely choose, too.
Bruce N. even has one on his Olson 34 that he has single-handed to Hawaii.
While the operating principle is similar to other pendulum vanes like the "jungle gym" Monitor, I much prefer the mounting system of the SailOMat, plus it has a way to tilt the paddle up further, also.
Cheers,
Loren

 

[footrope]

Latest on Matey's Cruise on Pacifica

My wife and I just got our amateur radio Technician licenses. I have been poking around on the Internet for marine radio nets and found the Pacific Seafarer's Net. Greg and Melissa on Pacifica appear to be checking in daily at 0300Z (8 pm Pacific time) on 14300.0 KHz . Here are some links to their plotted position reports and other related information. We don't know Greg & Melissa but we've enjoyed their cruising log.

Pacific Seafarer's net Roll Call
http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/pacseanet.php

Plotter list page. Scroll down thru all the boats or find Pacifica and link from there or use the next link down to go directly to the plot
http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/reporter_list.php

Plot:
http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=KI6EWS

Pacific Seafarer's Net websites:

http://www.pacsea.org/

http://members.cox.net/pacseanet/

Best regards,