The Baja Ha-Ha Sails South, One Leg at a Time
The fall Baja Ha-Ha migration of cruisers sailing from San Diego to Cabo has been a pretty magical ride for 31 years. Year 32 continues the tradition, with some repeat participants saying it’s the best one yet! How could it possibly be better than all those rallies we’ve raved about in the past? You’re never comparing apples to apples, but the conditions have been very cooperative, with light airs in the morning and stronger breezes in the afternoon. All breeze coming over the transom. And the air has been warm from San Diego south. We’ll have to take their word for it, but that all sounds pretty normal.
Paul Lyles and David Smith from the Catalina 470 Comet, sailing out of San Diego, found themselves without breeze in the warm Mexico air. There was nothing else to do but jump in and cool off in the 82-degree water.
Rob and Suzanne Schwager looked over the transom of their Santa Barbara-based Oyster 595 Genevieve to discover they had a visitor on their tender. Rob wrote, “This is NOT AI — this big boy hopped in our tender yesterday in Turtle Bay while at anchor … competition for the panga drivers — this guy drives for fish, not pesos!”
Mark and Robin LaFevers of the Carpinteria-based Jeanneau SO 45 Silver Linings are on their fifth Baja Ha-Ha, and they say it keeps getting better. Mark credits Jack Rieder for some professional drone shots, and, importantly, credits Sarah Kowallik for Olympic net-snatching the drone in high winds and lumpy seas. Without a good catch, none of the drone shots might have ever been seen.
Grand Poobah Chuck Skewes is continuing the tradition of the Baja Ha-Ha aboard this year’s mothership, the Tanton 73 Velos. That means managing roll call duties and fleet activities, and perhaps still keeping up with sail repairs.
Speaking of repairs, Peter Nelson aboard John Irwin’s Jeanneau 51 Victoria wrote of a mystery steering problem as they started the second leg from Turtle Bay. Apparently, after leaving the harbor the boat began spinning circles to port. Tightening a loose steering cable helped, but they ended up using the emergency tiller so they could continue under power. Around 2:30 the next morning, the steering failed completely, sending them back into the hatches with their heads down and butts sticking out. They discovered the cables had come off the steering quadrant, restrung them, adjusted the tension, and restored steering. They’re hoping to find experienced eyes to check their work in Mag Bay and inspect the Raymarine autopilot ram, which had also become disconnected. They’ve now completed leg two and are in Mag Bay, where hopefully they can confirm a lasting repair.
Could the fishing be better than on past Ha-Ha’s? Again, it’s hard to compare one fillet with another, but all reports indicate there’s been plenty of good fishing, and most everyone has been dining well on this trip south. Amy and Peter Kardel of the San Luis Obispo-based Beneteau First 40 Ruby landed a wahoo (pictured above) that was too big for just their crew. They managed to share some and freeze some for later.
Regardless of the weather, the fishing, the sail changes or any other condition of the Ha-Ha, the one constant that remains is that people enjoy the people on the Ha-Ha, and the local hosts in both Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. The common thread that has run through all 32 Ha-Ha’s is that it’s always the people that make the adventure the best. How could it be better? We have to assume everyone is too busy enjoying themselves to spend time figuring out how it could ever be more fun than it is right now.
The fleet is currently taking a break in Bahia Santa Maria and will depart on Thursday for the finish in Cabo San Lucas.