Ask any 10 sailors a question, and you're likely to get 10 different answers. Bashing strategies are no exception. For example, here's David Addleman's approach: "I've done many Baja Bashes. Some much calmer, some much more brutal. Whatever the conditions, I just hunker down and go as fast as possible. "I don't listen to the nets or the socalled weather forecasts. They just don't apply at the capes where it matters the most. I do download GRIBs and surface charts twice a day to watch for serious weather. I pretty much rhumbline it from cape to cape all the way up, moving inside about 30 miles south of each
For coastal cruising, trailerable folding tris like Paul Martson's 'Sally Lightfoot' have some distinct advantages.
singlehands — but hey, it's gotten him home safely. Most sailors prefer not to bash solo, and some carry more crew than normal. "We took two extra crew aboard, for a total of four of us aboard," recalls Harold Miller of the Alameda-based C&C 39 Sea Bear. "This was the best decision I made the entire trip, as we could then do three-hour watches, with nine hours off between. When the going got rough, being well rested made a world of difference. Having accurate weather info can also help minimize the pain of going north. In addition to downloading GRIB files, "We used the SSB radio to monitor Sonrisanet and Don's Baja Weather, two very good weather resources in Baja that cover the Pacific and Sea of Cortez sides of Baja," writes Bob Johnson of the Berkeleybased Tayana 37 Charisma. "We subscribed to WeatherRouting.com and they guided us along," writes Bruce Crockard of the Long Beach-based Beneteau 473 Tribute. "It's expensive ($60/call), but in our book well worth it!" There are other excellent weather sources also, such as Commanders' Weather (which updates the Baja Ha-Ha Rally Committee) and Buoyweather.com. When you're bashing up the coast and conditions get extremely uncomfortable, it's often wise to pull in somewhere to minimize damage to the boat and crew. Elfers' Baja Bash comes in handy. "We didn’t follow all of his advice," writes John Cogan of the Ventura-based Hylas 49 Old Moon, "but his book is right on in terms of strategy and great places to duck into when the weather doesn’t cooperate." COURTESY JOHN CAHILL
enced such a return, but one can always dream." Believe it or not, sometimes you can get a southerly for a period of hours or even days. As Jean Gregory of the ironically named Islander 36 Southwind recalls, "After all we had been through we experienced the wonder of wonders: Reaching to Cedros Island the wind shifted and we actually set the spinnaker and headed north, up-island and aimed at the rhumbline for the north end of the Sacramento Reef." Jean's general advice for bashing is, "Have patience, patience and more patience." She says when a favorable weather window is approaching, "I always leave, or try to leave, at least 6 to 10 hours before the window. Doing this may give you a few hours of the nasties, but you are leaving refreshed and the calm afterward allows you to rest and enjoy the hum of your engine while tweaking the main to get as much speed as possible (maybe 3 knots)." Additionally, she advises: "1) Make sure your crew has an open time schedule. 2) Expect the unexpected, And 3) bring enough beer to last at least two weeks in an anchorage.
COURTESY PAUL MARTSON
STRATEGIES FOR GETTING HER HOME
John Cahill has done 10 Baja Bashes. How does he pass the time? Catching up on the sailing news in 'Latitude' of course.
cape. I don't anchor waiting for weather. I always go out and try. I've only retreated back behind a cape a couple of times, but sometimes I slow down so as to round capes in the middle of the night rather than in the afternoon. "I strip the decks clear of everything, tape shut the hatches and ports, sky the unneeded halyards, and stow stuff on the cabin sole instead of in the ends of the boat." (Addleman is now sailing his Santa Cruz 50 X in Palau. Not many would adopt Addleman's technique — especially since he often
February, 2012 •
Latitude 38
• Page 85