While sitting aboard the deck of our trawler, at anchor in Baja’s beautiful Turtle Bay I suddenly spot a tiny sailboat, a short distance away. To me it looked too tiny to have gotten here under its own power; I just had to get a closer look. I first peered through my binoculars but, soon jumped aboard my dingy for a closer look. I find Wynn onboard, looking allot like mal de mar warmed over.
You look like you had a rough night and passage, I said. She replies, I thought I was going to die!! I’ve never been so scared in my entire life.
Down below in the tiny boats cabin was Tom, he was working hard to fix an electrical problem that prevented his running lights from working.
It took a little persuasion but, soon convinced Tom to join us; Wynn was already aboard my dinghy when I first suggested breakfast aboard the Western Flyer. Earlier Patti brewed fresh Costa Rican coffee to go along with her homemade blueberry pancakes.
S/V Bluebird turned out to be the littlest boat on our cruising rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Tom, a 73 year old sailor and owner of the BlueBird, a 19′ pocket cruiser and his 24-year-old crew mate Wynn departed San Diego probably a week ago. We cut our lines from a slip in Fiddlers Cove, Coronado, San Diego. Our trawler joined a sailboat rally to Cabo, the XXII running of the 2015 rally , we are entry number 68 and only two of three powerboats entered for the 2015 rally. 
Wynn was as inexperienced as one can get. Most boat Captains would never consider taking such a novice crew aboard but, Tom said he just wanted some company. Tom posted that he was looking for crew, a few responded but, backed right out the moment they grasped just how small BlueBird actually was. Wynn on the other hand was just looking for a little adventure and she got it. The seas on the way down to Cabo can look impressively huge if you are on a small boat, and even larger if this is your first time away from sight of land.
Wynn responded to Toms crew wanted ad offering up promises of freshly prepared Vietnamese food aboard. If she made any I’m almost sure that it didn’t stay in her long.
Fast forward to another beautiful cruise for us, sail for the other boats. Turtle Bay became our second wonderful destination and anchorage at Magdalena Bay. Once again I’m scanning the horizon a day after our arrival and again spot BlueBird.
This time Tom tells me that that his alternator crapped out and that on the sail to Mag Bay he had no lights or propulsion power. A quick word out to the Baja fleet on our VHF radio and soon a response from S/V Pipe Dream. They provide Tom with a Honda 2000 generator. I transport the generator over to Tom but, the next problem are the correct cable DC connection. The S/V Beach Access, a Lagoon 40 catamaran responds; I race right over, pick up the cables and drop them off to Tom. Tom is now charging his boat batteries and Patti is teaching Wynn how to stand up paddleboard.
Tom eventually did make it to Cabo. I think I remembered him telling me that Wynn jumped ship; meaning she left his boat for another. We met up in the new marina at San Jose de Cabo. He needed a little assistance placing Bluebird about a trailer that he used to tow her back up north. This may have been Tom’s last baja haha as he easily succeeded in becoming the oldest and smallest record holder for the baja haha XXII running.
If you sail, and want or need a huge challenge in your life then the sailboat rally from San Diego to Cabo should be on your bucket list.
Life afloat just doesn’t get any better or at times any more scarier.
Trawlercat
Trawlercat Blog Dispatches 