Baja Ha Ha

The Start of the Baja Ha Ha

The Baja Ha Ha is the annual 750 mile cruising rally from San Diego down to Cabo San Lucas that is now in its 12th year. The two week rally consists of two stops along the coast, at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria, before reaching Cabo San Lucas. I had heard about it from many sources; my sailing instructors, racing buddies and through the sailing communities' "Bible," Latitude 38.  I jumped at the chance to tell my company that I had a better opportunity, as crew on the Sumatra, a 53' Trintella Captained by Dr. Jerry Morgan. He had vast sailing experience, having completed the Baja Ha Ha in 2002 along with many races on the bay and the Pacific Cup to Hawaii. I managed to make it to San Diego just in time for the Halloween Party on the 30th. I met the captain at the Crew Party hosted by Latitude 38 back in September. He recently retired after 35 years of practice and now planned to cruise the world after the Baja Ha Ha. At this time I also met up with my additional crew mates for the first time; Dawn, Curt, Harold and Libby.

Our crew was finally gathered as one and we were all anticipating getting away from it all. Dawn who left her job two days previously, drove down to San Diego from San Francisco in the hopes of getting on a boat; and lucky for her and us, she made it onto the Sumatra. She was a welcome asset as she was not only a seasoned racing sailor but a sailing instructor. Curt has his own sailboat in Sausalito and was a former Coast Guard Search and Rescue expert. My slightly neurotic mother, always fretting about the potential dangers of sailing, was thrilled to learn this comforting fact about our addition to the crew. He was also quite handy with fixing things and anyone with a boat knows there is never a shortage of things needing fixing. Harold, 2nd mate to the Captain, was ready and willing to do his bidding. He kept himself busy as he quietly chronicled in minute detail his observations of the crew, to be used as material for a future book perhaps. Libby, the Captain's cousin from NYC, had also just left her job. She was on New York time and attitude and although it would take her time, she would eventually shed the heaviness of city living and exude the lightness of the cruising lifestyle. She took on the role as the galley wench, serving us gourmet meals that resulted in us being the best fed crew in the fleet. Then there was myself who had also left a job recently. I had sailed the Caribbean and Venezuelan islands as a hired hand, but doing the Baja Ha Ha was an experience I had always hoped to do one day. I was thirlled to have this sudden window of opportunity available and I was eager to be a part of this special community connected worldwide through their love of the open seas.

The Halloween party began with our Grand Poobah, Richard, reviewing the logistics of the Baja Ha Ha. His deep, booming voice commanded attention of the 130 boats and 535 sailors participating. Richard has this larger than life presence, possibly from his large stature or maybe due to him being the force behind not only the Baja Ha Ha but also for the Latitude 38. When I met him, I was a bit in awe of him, but have since found him to be the most caring, teddy bear of a man. Without Richard at the helm, I can not even imagine there being a Baja Ha Ha. Logistics were at last completed, and suddenly in a parking lot by a hotel on the San Diego Bay, the Baja Ha Ha participants were decked out in Halloween costumes. There were all types of costumes including a number of pirates not surprisingly. Grilled Mexican food and drinks were in abundance. A DJ skillfully spun the theme song of the costume category on deck; pirates, TV & movies, kids...most voluptuous. Prizes were awarded for whomever received the most enthusiastic hooting and clapping from the audience. I found myself up in the front of the crowd in an I Dream of Genie costume dancing to the theme of its TV show. Not quite knowing what type of dance one does as a Genie, I danced as if I were granting wishes to the crowd; Fun, Sun and Powerful Wind. I must have done something right as I won a prize; a West Marine wet bag that came in quite handy throughout the voyage. It was a fantastic start to the Baja Ha Ha. 

Turtle Bay

Early in the morning of October 31st, we started the first leg. It consisted of 360 miles from San Diego to Turtle Bay. After only a few hours we lost sight of most of the 130 boats in the fleet. Another thing we did not have much contact with was wind. Reluctantly, we motored most of the way after only about 8 hours of sailing. There were only two boats that patiently sailed the entire leg! This would be a two night sail and the night watches were split amongst the six of us so that we did two hour shifts at a time. I was responsible for the 6 p.m. to 8  p.m. watch but found myself keeping the others company in the hopes of viewing the glorious sky full of shooting stars. We constantly checked the radar for any boats in the vicinity. We possibly had a near collision when a boat appeared not to realize that their lights were off and did not respond to our calls to them on the VHF. About 2 miles out from us, they finally responded, and at that point we were forced to change course. We were thrilled to find, in the early morning, porpoises that arrived in the wake of our bow as if to welcome us to our destination at Turtle Bay.

Upon our arrival we were on the lookout for lobster traps with buoys made of plastic coke bottles, as their lines could easily get entangled in the propeller. As we sailed into the bay, the colorful cemetery high above on the cliffs and the long pier, where the locals eagerly awaited our arrival, came into view. Young boys also greeted us in their dinghies, seeking to collect our garbage in exchange for US dollars. The Baja Ha Ha had made this stop for its 12 years of voyages and we were welcomed with open arms. Our fleet arrived in waves filling up the harbor with their majestic boats. The small village consists of a few dirt roads, a couple of markets, a few restaurants and recently, Internet Cafes. The Baja Ha Ha was the event of the year for the village. Upon arriving, we loaded up on diesel gasoline at the pier where a number of the local boys assisted our crew. We looked for Ernesto who the Captain recalled from his previous Baja Ha Ha voyage, but he was no where to be found. Then, I located the new jefe, Enrique, who turned out to be Ernesto’s brother. It appears that Ernesto enjoys his beer a bit too much and so Enrique, thankfully for all, was now pumping the gas.

The first of many parties during our journey took place at the Vera Cruz restaurant, high up on a hill overlooking the harbour. The owners of the restaurant decorated it in balloons, welcoming this windfall of business that had landed their way. The various crews gathered at their tables, sharing tales of the first leg. Shots of tequila were the favorite choice amongst the group and there was no shortage of it. There were folks jamming with instruments they brought along with them. In the back of the restaurant was a large room with a bar and disco ball hanging. Apparently, this is the main destination for locals to get dressed up in their finest outfits for a night on the town. There was an air of excitement to the evening. Many in the crowd had prepared for months, possibly years to do the Baja Ha Ha and now they had officially arrived. It was quite a thrill to be a part of this unique group who can claim they have sailed the Baja Ha Ha.

The following day, the Sumatra crew gathered after a scrumptious breakfast cooked by Libby that consisted of scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes and feta cheese along with coffee and tea. We slathered on the sunscreen and all piled into the dinghy to go to shore. Awaiting us were children everywhere competing to assist us in bringing our dinghy ashore. As they completed the task, they would stare at you with their big brown eyes in the hopes that we would dole out US dollars to them; and we happily did. The night before, we gathered in the saloon with every type of candy imaginable spread out on the table. We tied them into red tinted, saran wrap baggies. When Libby passed out the candies to the children on the beach the next day, it was quite a scene. They gathered around her as if she were Peter Pan; gleefully jumping and pulling at her to get their share of the loot.

Miguel, one of the locals, recognized Jerry from the 2002 Baja Ha Ha. Bursting with happiness, he shouted out,"Geronimo," as he recognized Jerry from the t-shirts he had given him during the previous rally. He appointed himself our personal guide and chose to take us on a tour of Turtle Bay. The dirt streets were dusty and the houses were modest, but he proudly brought us around as if it were his kingdom. We were escorted from one end of the village to another and we were introduced as his good friends. Our tour started at the new mercado, supermarket, that was squeaky clean and full of food and merchandise that one would not have expected in such a small village. Then, we were escorted to a new bakery where Pinatas hung everywhere, and we feasted on delicious pastries. Then off we went to the opposite end of town where we ate at a Mexican restaurant that blared Spanish soap operas, as our not so relaxing background music. At last, we visited the local cemetery that consisted of the best real estate in the village; high up on the hill overlooking our sailboats in the harbor. The Mexicans treat their dead with respect and it was apparent from the colorful wreaths and flowers gathered upon their graves from the recent el dia del muerte celebration.

We started the next day with a potluck party on the beach that was strewn with huge tents, a volleyball court and DJ's spinning tunes. Each of the 130 boats brought a dish for the potluck and included anything from Swedish meatballs to ahi tuna straight from the ocean served sashimi style. The two DJ’s spinning tunes included one that played more traditional Mexican music, while further down the beach another DJ played more upbeat techno and dance music. Beers were readily available although at different prices. At the traditional music, the beers were $2 while down the beach they were only a $1. Leave it to the logic of us being in Mexico! We had a blast feverishly dancing to the beat on the pristine beach with the desert and cliffs looming in the background. Many of the cruisers brought along their children and lucky for them, Owen, who crewed on Scarlett, was available. Armed with a degree in recreation, he kept their kids occupied while their parents partied on. Many others kept busy with other activities such as playing volleyball or taking hikes in the hills. I eagerly raced up the hills with a few from my crew only to find that my fear of heights kicked in when I foolishly looked down and found myself on a ledge, seemingly only 3 inches wide. I had to sit down and crawl to where the cliff widened again. Although I was disappointed not to get killer aerial photographs, I was thrilled to dance again with my feet firm on the ground. We stayed at the beach until it was sundown. The six of us reluctantly piled into the dinghy and made our way back to Sumatra to get ready for the next leg to Bajia Santa Maria.

 

Bahia Santa Maria

On November 5th we began the 2nd leg of the Baja Ha Ha at 8 a.m. It consisted of 240 miles that brought us from Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria. It was delightfully uneventful other than some major rollers that kept us awake during the evenings. We arrived early in the morning after two nights of sailing and found ourselves in a beautiful but desolate harbor, populated mostly with our fleet. There were Mangroves a few miles from where we anchored. The sun was no longer playing hide and seek with us, but rather was out in full force, allowing us to put aside our fleeces for good. We spent the day catching up on our sleep and relaxing. A number of folks in the fleet had caught ahi tuna and they generously doled it out to others, such as Sumatra, who were not as fortunate. The Dr. nimbly sliced and diced it before our hungry eyes and we pounced on it as if in a feeding frenzy. Harold and I later took a refreshing swim to shore where pelican greeted us. Later in the day when the sun was not as intense, we took a hike into the hills that overlooked the surrounding bay. The arid desert landscape created a majestic contrast to the vast blue ocean. Strewn along its landscapes were rocks, cacti and wildflowers dotting it with vivid color. It was a mellow but enjoyable day as we prepared ourselves for the upcoming more rowdy events to come.

That night, Bill and Linda of the catamaran Lagoon 47' Moontide, hosted a "singles, over 35 party"; practically 95% of the entire fleet. The Sumatra crew piled into the dinghy once again and found themselves in a scene of controlled chaos. Contributing to the fun was an open bar, freshly caught ahi tuna, music blaring from a conveniently installed XM satellite stereo system, gyrating bodies moving to the music and clothing flying everywhere. Others sat around the boat, observing the scene while others clicked away at their digital cameras as they captured the fun. The crew from Profligate, Latitude 38’s catamaran, was there in force. Herb McCormick, editor of Cruising World, enjoyed himself so much at the party that he suddenly decided to take a late night swim. The party started to wind down as folks made their way back to their boats to get ready for an early start of another day of fun in the sun.

Mid-morning on November 8th, Profligate hosted a Pusser's rum tasting party. It was a party like not other that I have experienced. Once the crews arrived at the mothership, Profligate, in their dinghies, they were ushered around the boat. Baseball caps and rum drinks, such as my favorite, Pain Killers, were awarded to all. All the dinghies tied up, creating a huge raft-up where everyone hung out and downed their rum drinks in the sun. The Profligate crew threw out random prizes to the crowd such as beach balls, frisbees and bottles of rum that were awarded for no logical reason other than to give away booty and to have fun with the crowd. The most amusing award was for our only dentist in the fleet, who just happened to be a striking, buxom blonde. To test out her credentials, Richard had one of his crew lay down on the deck and had her "check his teeth." It was quite a scene to imagine but I do have proof. I was actually given permission to board Profligate to take pictures. I found it cool to say the magic words when questioned how I got on board, “Richard said I could.” And even cooler to get some great pictures of yet another fantastic Baja Ha Ha party.

That evening we had yet another beach party where for $12 the locals cooked their famous lobster and fish feast. As the locals are on Mexican time, we expected to be in line for a long time. We arrived at the  to be in line for a long time. We arrived at the beach and already there was a tremendous line for the lobster feast. We took turns standing in line for about six hours while we drank beer, chatted and danced. We did not truly mind the wait as we knew that the meal awaiting us would be worth it. Some folks roamed the beach for the huge, perfectly shaped Sand Dollars that were strewn everywhere while others hung out and danced to the local rock and roll band. They had traveled over sixty miles to perform for us! A few folks from the fleet joined the band singing, playing guitar and even the bongos. When we left the party it was dark and the surf had become more volatile. All of the Sumatra crew piled into the dinghy. Although the Captain steered nimbly around the sandbars, we were still unceremoniously dumped on by the waves. We arrived at Sumatra soaked and had to bail out the dinghy as it was half filled with the ocean. It was perhaps an anticlimactic way to end the day after such an entertaining beach party, but that is how it is with cruising; you always have to be ready to deal with the unexpected. That night we prepared the boat for its next journey onto her final leg of our journey, to Cabo San Lucas!

 

 

Cabo San Lucas

November 9th was the beginning of the 3rd and final leg of the journey. It was an early start, with roll call at 5:30 a.m. Roll call is like sitting in on a radio show, tuned into channel 16 on the VHF, with the Grand Poobah, DJ Richard, providing the latest weather reports, accounting for all the boats and jazzing everyone up for the upcoming events. The Captain chose to get a late start. After all, it’s the Baja Ha Ha and no one is really expected to be on time. We were able to sail most of the way which made for the most exciting leg of all. The winds were in our favor at about 15 knots out of the Northwest; ideal for spinnaker flying. Our green, red and white asymmetrical spinnaker was hoisted gracefully and quickly from its spinnaker sock mainly due to the experienced hands of Curt, Dawn and the captains direction. As it was asymmetrical, it enabled us not to have to use a spinnaker pole. It was a majestic site and it contributed a knot or two of delightful speed until suddenly, a too quick turn into the wind perhaps, caused it to tear and it was quickly pulled back into its handy sock. We arrived on the coast of Cabo San Lucas in the early morning of November 11th, we found it to be quite a contrast from the small fishing villages. The desolate cliffs suddenly transformed into urban sprawl of condos, hotels and other developments. We had arrived at last when we sailed around the corner into the bay, and we passed the famous stone arch which most associate with Cabo San Lucas.

The Captain had to visit customs to take care of all the necessary paperwork in order for us to be legal in Mexico. A new policy had recently been initiated that allows boats to register in just one port rather than at every port throughout the country. Many were pleased with this welcome change, as it saved time and money for all. While Jerry was taking care of the paperwork the rest of our crew piled into a taxi to a Laundromat. After two weeks on the boat, we were eager to take advantage of these Laundromats that wash and dry for $5 a bag. That evening the Sumatra crew had a celebratory dinner that included Champaign for all. We were celebrating not only our completion of the Baja Ha Ha, but also for our delight that although we had met as strangers, we were now bonded like family.

We relaxed the following day with the knowledge that the craziest party of all was to take place at Skid Roe that night. This infamous Cabo club has an open air dance floor with a balcony above where folks can watch the gyrating dancers below. Our group stood out from the crowd in their neon orange and aqua blue Baja Ha Ha t-shirts. Everyone seemed to be getting into the swing of things as the pulsating energy of the disco and techno beat blared out over the loud speakers. A DJ, standing high above throughout the evening. One after another of the crowd got up and danced on the tables, doing their special dance. Jello shots were passed out, contributing to the alcohol consumption at a rapid pace. A fun time was had by all as we continued our festivities in this never ending Baja Ha HA party.

The next day’s beach party was at the Mangroves restaurant in the harbor where we were anchored. A number of people swam to shore, quickly drying off in the tropical sun. Some folks played volleyball while others went swimming; many with drinks in hand. Many Mexican Indians walked by us countless times in the heat hoping that we would purchase their silver jewelry or colorful crafts, while others wanted to provide tattoos.

That night we all gathered for the Awards Ceremony that Richard hosted in the Marina. He dressed for the occasion wearing tuxedo tails with his trademark white shirt and Bermuda shorts. Beer, salsa, guacamole and chips were welcomed by the crowd as they took seats in a parking lot reserved for the occasion. Awards were for the winners of the various divisions within the Baja Ha Ha. Awarded were 1st place, 2nd place and everyone remaining in the division received a 3rd place, ensuring that no one was left without an award. This race was all about everyone having a good time after all. To entertain the crowd, Richard awarded other random awards including one to myself for being AWOL. I neglected to mention that after Squid Roe I had such a blast dancing that I continued dancing at The Zoo, an all night techno club with others from the crowd. We danced away the night only to find ourselves stranded with no water taxis available. Unable to get to our boats, we ended up getting a room and sleeping until past noon the next day. Fearing that I was missing, my crew announced their concern on the net. I then of course showed up at the beach party the next day to their relief and to Richard’s obvious amusement.

The Baja Ha was now officially over. Many contacts were made and the special bonds of the sailing community were cemented even further. Some boats would continue to La Paz and onto Puerta Vallarta while others would continue cruising Mexcio for the season and possibly years. Others would continue South, through the Panama Canal and onto the Mediterranean as Sumatra planned. I was sad to see the Baja Ha Ha come to an end but the inspiration gained from the many people I came into contact will always be with me, and no doubt, will motivate me towards my next sailing adventures...hopefully sooner than later.