By Carl & Melody Gulledge

Carl & Melody Gulledge, owners of Selene 59-06 "Ellipsis" (click on photos to enlarge them)

Coincident with the ordering of our Selene (circa 2005) I became intrigued with the notion of boating to Mexico, the Caribbean, and possibly the South Pacific. Melody was not interested in offshore cruising and we had yet even to voyage our boat north of Port Hardy. Consequently, we were far from ready for such endeavors. The year our Selene delivered (2007) several SoCal yacht clubs crafted an organized effort to lead a group of interested boaters voyaging from San Diego to La Paz, Baja California. This Odyssey was initially called FUBAR and later renamed CUBAR ("Cruise Underway to Baja Rally"). I watched from afar each year as various friends and acquaintances made this trek including several Selene owners. Over time, as our yachting skills grew, my interest in these distant endeavors wained. Primarily because with each passing year as we pressed north we discovered just how rich the PNW and inside passage are - offering a lifetime of endless exploration, adventure, wildlife, and ice! Each degree of northerly Latitude revealed an even more rich layer than the last. Our perception was punctuated by a boater who called one year from the Caribbean to say, "Stay in the NW - it’s the best boating in the world!". We continued pressing north and every year tops the last without regret and at one point gave up the the southerly dream agreeing instead to opportunistically charter the right boat in each of those exotic waters. Still, I remain intrigued with the Sea of Cortez, probably because I so enjoyed fishing and camping the Baja coasts with my father in the 1960’s & 70’s. (A great read - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17976521-the-sea-of-cortez) This year we were invited to help crew a friends’ Krogen 58 on the CUBAR. A chance for us to qualify the entire experience without committing our vessel. I was equally excited by the opportunity to qualify the Krogen’s performance and comfort over an extended period in various sea states. So we jumped at the invitation - a perfect way to qualify our own interest for such endeavors in the future. Mark Tilden later asked me to compose a summary of our experience and initially I thought it might be of little interest. I later recalled that there are so many newer owners and those even that may have never heard about CUBAR. My summary follows…

What is CUBAR?

See http://cubar.sdyc.org/2021/09/12/what-is-cubar/

Who goes and why?

Typically CUBAR is used as the first leg of an extended boating adventure. There was only one vessel in the 2022 fleet I met that intended to return north in the spring and they were rethinking that plan once we arrived La Paz. CUBAR Boaters are generally looking to hang in the Mexican waters for several years, travel south for the Panama Canal or start a tour out to the Galapagos and on to the Marquesas Islands making way across the Pacific.

There were about half dozen boats from Puget Sound/BC this year but no Selenes in the fleet. The initial list of 50 entrants whittled to 24 by the time we left San Diego. See the 2022 fleet here. Most of this attrition was attributed to challenges obtaining moorage in Mexico though a few boats were also disqualified for lack of seaworthy readiness. One boat owner commented, "The inspection given my boat by Bob Senter was itself worth the price of admission!"

Finally, CUBAR provides boaters with guided support through the bureaucratic processes associated with voyaging a foreign vessel into and through Mexican waters. Dave Abrams delivered as chairman of the 10 person organizing committee.

As a bonus, CUBAR organizes various yacht-club style activities along the way including dinners, dances, contests, and other social exchanges between the fleet and also the Baja Ha Ha sailors. This also included several charitable events benefiting local fire fighters, veterinary clinics, and more. Carrie Petrait and Dee Wood did a fantastic job making the stop at each location immersive, meaningful, and memorable.

The fleet in formation for a drone video on the morning of departure from San Diego.

Dennis Williams, owner of MV Stella Maris - our host Captain.

Timeline

CUBAR and the Baja Ha-Ha cruisers rally both depart on the closing of the hurricane season. We departed San Diego on Sunday October 30 following a drone photo of the 24 member group in formation inside San Diego bay. The entire journey took ~15 days which may seem long but felt somewhat rushed to me. I would have enjoyed staying in each location longer than was planned. The weather window was excellent so I understood the pressure to keep moving but had we been on our own, the schedule would have been more relaxed.

Welcome to Endenada--our first stop

Hanu aboard MV "Salish Shores" delighted everyone with and without his costume.

We arrived Ensenada the same day for customs, health inspections, and National park entries, getting all that requisite paperwork rubber-stamped. The Marina Coral was just north of the city and was new to me incorporating a resort which offered welcome amenities including pool, gym, restaurant. Shuttle service was provided to provision at Costco, Home Depot, and more but there was also a full supermarket across the street from the marina.

This Halloween sunset set the stage for the first day of Día de los Muertos.

Fueling efforts were hampered by the single pump in operation and the tank which went dry before all the boats were serviced. Everyone that took fuel cut their request. Diesel was surprisingly less expensive than in San Diego. Having tanks large enough to voyage the entire distance without taking fuel was a clear benefit given the hassles associated with refueling. That evening started the celebration of Día de los Muertos and after a group dinner we departed around 9PM cutting our stay in Ensenada a day due to weather concerns.

Exiting Ensenada ~9PM for Bahia De Tortugas (Turtle Bay)

The fleet was divided into speed groups - 7 knots, 8 knots, 9 knots, etc. This didn’t necessarily mean that boats stuck together as much as I would have expected. At times each favored different routes to chase more fish, maintain internet, or time arrivals in the light of day. A few times this created tension between captains that were supposed to account and resulted in lengthening of transit times ranging from 6 to 12 hours. Few skippers it seemed wanted to voyage a straight line and the calm weather enabled individual boats to pretty much do their own thing. Dave Abrams repeatedly reminded the group, "I will never tell you when to leave or where to go, only rather, when I am leaving and where I will be going".

A night watch from the pilothouse of Stella Maris

The run to Turtle Bay was our our first overnight leg aboard MV Stella Maris. I was surprised to discover how few boats had night time running experience prior to this Odyssey. Experienced NW boaters, comfortable with: weather forecasting, currents, and avoiding debris appeared to be well suited to this journey. If anyone had a gap in nighttime experience it was filled during the voyage to south to San Diego.

Our vessel used a forward facing head lamp but no debris was spotted to my knowledge beyond the lobster pots and kelp beds sandwiched between Mission Bay and San Diego Harbor. The lamps did help us spot regularly visiting dolphins and the occasional turtle. Radar though was filled with Baja-ha-ha targets transiting further offshore and the occasional Mexican fishing fleet. There was rarely any sense of being "alone" on this Odyssey.

The Navigation and Propulsion systems aboard Stella are nearly identical to those aboard our own vessel which made operation day or night intuitive for both Melody and me. It was a delight to see our host (owners) relax and sleep knowing that their boat was in good hands. By contrast, we heard a few owner-skippers that seemed to be on the VHF throughout the night.

The alternative to the Panga "water-taxi" in Turtle Bay is to beach your dinghy and pay someone to tend it.

A panga stopping to wedge us into an already loaded boat

Turtle Bay was our first welcome respite and for me it had been oversold by past participants. The village appeared to be dominated by Enrique who apparently owned nearly everything and everyone. We followed suit having lunch at Enrique Jr’s - the food was mediocre and the liquor was unspeakable. The next morning VHF captains meeting came with a complaint from Enrique that not enough visitors were patronizing his establishments!

We enjoyed our walk through town visiting the church, the market, and more and with the Baja-ha-ha arriving by 5PM the entire area was hopping with energy. We had been told that simply hailing "Panga, Panga" on the VHF would rouse a water-taxi but this proved fruitless on this busy bay. The best course of action was to hail the fleet and ask anyone within yelling distance of a Panga to send it to your vessel. Pangas delivered patrons to Enrique’s rickety ladder - not a process we felt sure footed with especially if you’ve had a margarita or two.

Beautiful Magdalena Bay in the morning light

MV Gallivant at Anchor. The crew reported that the hike over the ravine on the left to the Pacific was rewarding.

Bahía de Magdalena was the second scheduled anchorage. It is enormous spanning many miles inside. There had been some concern over kelp and lobster pots choking the entrance but we found a mid course route at 10PM to be clear with only a mild current. This was a beautiful bay with delightful people. We would have loved to spend a week exploring, fishing, and relaxing. But the weather was still holding so after another day we were off again for Cabo.

The Magic of Magdalena Bay!

Cabo San Lucas

This was an optional stop though necessary for the boats that needed fuel. I dreaded the idea of Cabo but knew it was necessary to "get the full Baja experience". The float plan called for everyone to arrive at the Arch off "Lands End" at sunrise. I found the best photo light a bit later in the morning.

"Lands End" (Finis Terrae) - This arch off Cabo San Lucas "separates" the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific Ocean.

Rather last minute, a side-tie moorage was arranged for 12 additional vessels and so we elected to trade a night’s anchorage at Los Frailes to spend a night in the city. It was enjoyable to walk and shop the promenade, have lunch waterside, and socialize dockside at appie-hour. This harbor though was tough to slumber - banging loud with music, boats, and sea lions. Certainly not a Port that I need to visit again soon.

Tourist boats cram the space inside the harbor.

Colorful Cabo San Lucas

Next time I vote to anchor outside with MV Ghost.

Bania de los Muertos

Bahía de los Muertos - aptly renamed "Bay of Dreams" - was the most highly anticipated stop. It was a beautiful basin with mild protection from the North winds that easily accommodated the fleet. The resort on the west end had been converted into a "G5" property. We were shocked to learn that this meant it was open to Gulf-Stream 5 affluents who could clear Mexican customs on property when they stepped off their planes. - Hello Jennifer Aniston!

Sunrise across MV Tango on the Bay of Dreams.

Dayton from MV @Ease explores the area with a motorized seascooter.

With sea temps in the 80’s we were up at sunrise to swim. One afternoon we played a social round of boat-poker (visiting all 5 Nordhavns) and later enjoyed a night of dining and dancing at the "G5" resort restaurant.

During the last evening a vessel lost a "secured’ tender. After taking off for La Paz the next morning it was found floating free a few miles offshore by a local fisherman who diligently saw to its return.

During a social invite aboard MY Undaunted we discovered a crew member we recognized! Do you?

Having rounded the south end of Baja, the Cerralvo Channel was the fleets’ first real head seas experience and it proved a testing ground for a few boats. The most serious issue was broken swim step strut that supported an aft tender. There were a few challenges throughout the Odyssey though each and all were addressed without serious delay. Examples include: overheated packed gland shaft seal, haywire autopilot, blown refrigerator, windlass failure, and the swim step failure noted above.

Welcome to LaPaz--our final destination for the rally.

Speaking of stars, Starlink was a big deal on this Odyssey. Those that had it flaunted it and those that didn’t regretted not installing it. Other than a few issues related to RADAR blasting the system everyone with an antenna reported solid reception.

Condos are still for sale out on Paradise Island in livable La Paz.

La Paz

I have always found La Paz to be comfortable and relaxing place. To my knowledge the entire fleet found moorage in La Paz at one of the many marinas located in the greater bay. We visited them all searching for new charter opportunities. I found Marina Cortez to be the most balanced offering for location (central to the city), amenities, security, and modern facilities. Several in the fleet were planning to spoke out of this Bahia for the next month.

All up I felt the CUBAR 2022 Odyssey delivered successfully on the objectives I imagine the San Diego Yacht Club aspired to. Beyond safe arrival there was a strong sense of fellowship and community that will serve those intending to hang in the Sea of Cortez for the foreseeable future. Will we make the journey with our vessel soon? As much as I enjoy Baja and fishing the Sea of Cortez, the answer is likely not. I never like to say never, and we’d both love to crew this route again, but our love for the beauty and temperate climate of Alaska and British Columbia will continue to push us North for the foreseeable future and flying to warmer climates in the winter.

A festively typical Sunday evening along the Malecon in La Paz.

For those interested in heading south my recommendation, now confirmed by first hand experience, is to proactively address your vessels ability to shed heat at every conceivable location. Obviously, ample engine room ventilation is a must but less obviously perhaps are the freezers, refrigerators, marine electronics, AV cabinets, inverters/chargers, routers, computers, etc. These all need ample breathing clearance and air flow. If you have a mild black tank odor in your vessel expect it to multiply logarithmically in the hot climate. If you get work done proactively prior to departure, it is imperative to thoroughly shake down the result. Finally, if you don’t have experience running all night then get some.

Fishing!

We fished Yellowfin Tuna until the freezer and fridge were full. If you fish, everyone aboard has to be licensed.

And… for my fathers sake, the fishing report! Game Fish of most varieties were plentiful for those that bothered to troll a rod or two. We saw Bonito, Yellowfin Tuna, Dorado (aka Mahi), Wahoo, and at least one Marlin hookup. Most all without traveling far off the beaten route(s). Each boat had their favorite lures and the tackle shops in San Diego were happy to load up anyone willing to pay. Make sure you have a gaff long enough to reach below the water and plenty of ice to keep the fish cool until you process them. Just remember that they hang lines on poles. You fish with a rod. ;-)

Dennis & Jan Williams, Owners of MV Stella Maris Vashon Island, WA

Our host-captains (Dennis & Jan Williams) are managing a blog that began with their departure from Puget Sound. We were so grateful for the opportunity to join them and we really enjoyed our time together sharing experiences aboard their beautiful Krogen-58 and socializing with the entire CUBAR fleet.

Deliberately Living with Gratitude,
Carl & Melody Gulledge
MV Ellipsis (Selene 5906)
Meet the Gulledges

This image of Sarah Sarah I feel captures best the spirit of CUBAR and the entire Baja experience.