A heartfelt fare thee well.

It was a San Diego weekend well spent. We happily returned to Mexico with the coveted 90 days USA entry stamp in our passports (“tight but doable” according to Evan, our sailor friend we met in Chiapas a year ago and who we are now planning to visit once we have arrived in Oahu) and some Le Creuset cooking pots in our luggage. Visiting friends won’t go hungry on board O2. We haven’t gone hungry either as we kept saying goodbye to marvelous Mexico by ordering food. Tacos, aguachiles, toritos, ceviche and guacamole galore. But the tapas Pancho prepared for us as a farewell dinner at Margarita’s house in Topolobampo topped it all. 

It has truly been one long and fond farewell to Mexico in general and Baja California Sur in particular. The last anchorages and deserted desert walks, the last jumping devil rays and waving humpback tails, the ultimate Baja sunsets, the whole enchilada accompanied us along the way as we were sailing down south. 

We have now arrived at our jumping off point- San José del Cabo – and we are getting ready for some serious “latitude sailing”. Fun fact : According to a post in Cruiser’s Forum the old time sailing directions used by US West Coast captains to reach Hilo, Hawaii and other islands in that area, was : “sail 7 days west and turn left” . These navigation directions were used by the captains of lumber schooners sailing from Eureka Ca to all over the Pacific. Since we will start our latitude sailing from Los Cabos, there is no need to turn left. We’ll simply toe the Tropic of Cancer line , and we will be fine. 

The Tropic of Cancer lies at 23 degrees and 26 minutes north of the equator and passes through both Los Cabos and Hawaii. It is the most northerly latitude to circle the earth at which the sun can be right overhead. In other words, we will be sailing in The Tropics again, which is our natural habitat.

After approximately 11.000 nm from La Rochelle to San José del Cabo another passage is beckoning. The North East Pacific lies wide open in front of us and we are so ready to cast off and raise the sails. The only thing we have to keep in mind is not to forget to lower them again. Which will be within 22 days, give or take a little. El viento nos mandará.