Sail Further

Some strategies for avoiding the 20-feet seas possible around the Point: When fog settles for days in Santa Barbara Channel the winds are likely to be at a minimum, a nighttime passage (after midnight) is usually best to avoid the diurnal wind cycle, early summer and September and October are usually the best times of the year when fogs are common.

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This map from "Charlie's Charts" shows the inshore route to avoid big seas off the notorious Cabo Falso. Sitting tight in Marina Cabo San Lucas waiting for a lull in the weather to start the Bash up the Baja peninsula. I read in Latitude 38 that the Marina had dropped its astronomical rates, turns out to be true (Noonsite claims 40ft boat $152/night - 2011, I paid $62/night for my 37' sailboat). This Marina has the most active watersports business I've seen in Mexico. I had to dodge all manner of sailboat charters, fishing charters, jetskis etc. while entering and trying to find my assigned berth. There seems to be two contradictory strategies to avoid bashing into the big seas created by the "cape effect" and the prevailing North-west winds. Charlie's Charts suggests staying well inshore (following the 10-15 fathom depth contour) while Capt. Jim Elfers' guide acknowledges that the lowest seas are about one-mile offshore but cautions against th...