Windy trip to Turtle Bay, and a Birthday!
We checked the weather forecast (gribs) and anticipated 15-20 knots
of wind from the NE for our sail to Turtle Bay. This would have put us on a
pretty windy beam reach, but it wouldn't be too much so we hoisted the anchor at about 7 AM and left the San Benitos,
sailing with the solent (smaller headsail) and a reefed main in 16 knots of wind. By 10am we were motoring as the wind was blocked by Cedros Island. Once we got passed the island, the wind
seemed to be funneled between Cedros and the mainland. It was well over 20 knots and we double reefed the main as the wind picked up to
25 to 30 knots, the waves and swells were choppy, giving us an uncomfortable ride. The good news is that it was sunny and the boat was going a brisk 7-9 knots. It was a bit of a relief to get into the shelter of Turtle Bay, where we anchored at dusk.
Several days before this, Dina tried to make chocolate muffins. It's unclear why she went into the galley, but she did. The muffins turned out more like soft hockey pucks. Now, we are anchored in Turtle Bay and it's Malcolm's birthday. It's the first birthday we've celebrated since leaving Vancouver. One would think Dina would NOT attempt to cook again (especially so soon). However, in the morning she “made” cornbread muffins, from a package. They weren’t too bad with butter and jam. At lunchtime, she put a brownie cake into the oven and made a spinach and bacon salad for lunch.
While we were eating, a fellow cruiser rowed over to invite us to join them and another boat on shore for a beer. We finished the salad, packed up the brownie cake, candles, and a lighter, and took Tubby to the dinghy dock at the end of the pier. We survived the rickety steps up and the rickety pier, to meet Kim and Arnie from Naniamo on Puna, and Jodi and Darrin from Oregon on Gratitouille, at Rogelio’s Beach Bar. Rogelio felt bad that the patio umbrellas had been torn in the wind during a party two nights before, but the sun was shining, the Pacifico was cold, and two Canadian flags and a Bluewater Cruising Association burgee adorned the patio . It was too windy to light the candles on Malcolm’s birthday brownie cake, but everyone seemed to enjoy it and the hard, crusty outer edge made the pieces easy to hold!
Several days before this, Dina tried to make chocolate muffins. It's unclear why she went into the galley, but she did. The muffins turned out more like soft hockey pucks. Now, we are anchored in Turtle Bay and it's Malcolm's birthday. It's the first birthday we've celebrated since leaving Vancouver. One would think Dina would NOT attempt to cook again (especially so soon). However, in the morning she “made” cornbread muffins, from a package. They weren’t too bad with butter and jam. At lunchtime, she put a brownie cake into the oven and made a spinach and bacon salad for lunch.
While we were eating, a fellow cruiser rowed over to invite us to join them and another boat on shore for a beer. We finished the salad, packed up the brownie cake, candles, and a lighter, and took Tubby to the dinghy dock at the end of the pier. We survived the rickety steps up and the rickety pier, to meet Kim and Arnie from Naniamo on Puna, and Jodi and Darrin from Oregon on Gratitouille, at Rogelio’s Beach Bar. Rogelio felt bad that the patio umbrellas had been torn in the wind during a party two nights before, but the sun was shining, the Pacifico was cold, and two Canadian flags and a Bluewater Cruising Association burgee adorned the patio . It was too windy to light the candles on Malcolm’s birthday brownie cake, but everyone seemed to enjoy it and the hard, crusty outer edge made the pieces easy to hold!