Sea of Cortez Passage I - Mike's formula for catching fish

 

We sailed back down to Ensenada de los Muertos, where we hoped to stay a few days before crossing the Sea of Cortez to Mazatlán.  After reviewing the all-important weather forecast on Predict Wind, however, we set sail on our passage the following day.  The 180 nautical mile journey would take us a day and a half.  Northerlies are the prevailing winds this time of year, and the key to passage planning was to make sure the sea state wouldn’t be too rough or the winds too strong.    We welcomed the light winds which, while not best for rocking the sailing, meant that we would have a fairly comfortable passage alternating between sailing and motor sailing.

               You get a lot of time during night watch to think, process experiences, or just gaze at the sea and stars. 

From my notes:

               First overnight in a while.  Shooting stars in the Northern sky.  You could miss them if you just glanced up occasionally.  You have to let your gaze rest, relax, be patient, and the show immerges from the heavens.  If you slow down and really watch the beauty will settle in your heart as the sea rocks you and the wind moves you onward.  Of all the times and places to be present, nightime on passage is near the top of the list.

               After two weeks spent in the islands with water so clear you didn’t need to dive on your anchor, you could just look down at it from your paddleboard, we are looking forward to some city culture in Mazatlán.  It’ll be our first stop on mainland Mexico and I have a feeling the Sea of Cortez is going to seem a distant, laid-back, chill and sheltered place comparatively.

               Sometimes you don’t know when the best days of your life are happening.  Do you ever really know when you’re having your best times?  I think sometimes you do.  One of the things I’m really trying to do now is strike a balance.  A balance between traveling and sailing.  Between moving on and staying put.  Moving around every few days can be exhausting and unsettling.  But there always seems to be something that pushes us to move on – weather, expense, etc.  Also, I need to find a balance between routine and novelty.  How do you establish good routines (like exercise) while traveling?

Mike’s Formula for Catching a Fish

1.      Put squid lure on the line.

2.      Secure fishing rod to stern rail.

3.      Set the drag clicker on so you can hear when you get a fish.  I said WHEN, not IF.  Positivity, people!

4.      Let out the lure to just past your wake bubbles.

5.      Most important:  Go do something important.  Take a shit.  Start a maintenance project that involves getting out a lot of tools and that is difficult to leave mid-state.   This will insure you get a bite!

Holy shit!  I just saw a bunch of swordfish or other billfish doing some sort of tabernacle on the surface.  Never seen that before, those fish are huge.

Crossed the tropic of Cancer today, for the third time on this voyage.  We crossed it running down the Baja Pacific Coast, and then recrossed coming up the other side of Baja to La Paz.  We'll have crossed it at least two more times before summer comes.