I've been sort of dreading this moment.  For years and years I have heard others talk about "the bash". The Baja Bash is the nickname for the northbound, uphill, upwind, upwave trip from Mexico back to the US.  The direction of travel is against the prevailing wind, wave, and current for the entire trek. With even normal winds of 15 kts or so, and 6 kts of boat speed there is 20+ kts of headwind driving the spray from the many swells you are pounding into as you go north. Everyone has described it in varying levels of dread, discomfort, and a desire to not have to do this part. It might be easier if it was at the beginning and you knew you got to enjoy the beautiful cruising grounds when you finished. As it is, I get to go back to CA where it is colder with colder water. And maybe some repair bills...

But there is no going around it really. I can't affort the $24,000 to ship the boat back up and that would really be chickening out. I've got a great boat for this run with the enclosed pilot house, and the motor sailer configuration rather than a standard sailboat. So maybe just those advantages will be enough to offset my ignorance.

So, after a couple days of last minute shore leave here in Cabo I'm back underway and heading north. I accomplished the couple of things I wanted to do in Cabo over the last 3 days which were great.  I went to see Dune Pt 2 (subtitled), picked up a few odds and ends at the grocery store, and visited the Dairy Queen.  So with all those major accomplishments, I've put Cabo behind me...

See what I did there?...

It's turning out to be a beautiful morning. The sun just rose behind me as I turned the corner heading out of Cabo San Lucas. I already saw a small pod of whales spouting as I left the harbor. I've got 20 kts of wind just outside the harbor and manageable swells. Lots of fishing vessels out here but as I recall from coming down that will drop off pretty quickly as I get farther north. 

This leg from Cabo San Lucas to Bahia Magdalena (Mag Bay) is around 170 miles and I expect to run through tonight and arrive sometime around midday tomorrow. Then I will probably be in Mag Bay for several days to wait out some heavy winds and weather forecast for the weekend. I've got mixed feelings about it at this point. I'm glad to be getting a chance to see Mag Bay since it is really the first/last stop on any journey up/down the peninsula and I missed it on the way down. On the other hand, now that I'm pointed north and committed to heading back I am anxious to get it done and get back to Catalina. 

I guess I need to go turn on the windshield wipers, I've got 23 kts on the nose and a bit of spray covering the boat. It is gonna be one giant salt crystal by the time I get to Ensenada.