On February 8, 2025, Adam and I departed southward from Ensenada on our Fast Passage 39 sailboat, Atlantean. Our main objective was to arrive in La Paz sooner rather than later to give us ample time to explore the Sea of Cortez before needing to leave by June or July to avoid the hurricane season.
Departing Ensenada and Heading South Down the Baja Peninsula
Similar to our departure from Los Angeles, Adam was in his element and thoroughly enjoying himself once more. The weather was pleasant, the breeze gentle, and we were both eager to continue our journey. Although Ensenada was delightful, it seemed like the sailing portion of our trip had finally commenced.
Roughly an hour after leaving the marina, the wind started to increase, and I began to feel green. I spent most of the evening lying down in the aft cabin with an eye mask, nestled between a bucket and a pillow, listening to various items that could have been better secured sliding back and forth with each rock and roll of the boat.
Before that, during my time in the cockpit, I captured this photo of Adam balancing on one foot on the stanchion as he connected the jib sheet to the spinnaker pole. Later, I asked him if he does this when I'm not present, and he replied no, which was the answer I wanted to hear but I'd be lying if I said I was entirely convinced.,
Punta Colonet
After leaving Ensenada, we initially intended to sail through the night. However, since I was heavily seasick and the autopilot started acting weird, we decided to stop at Punta Colonet for the night. We arrived in the dark, with the only light around being that of the moon.
Typically, when anchoring, Adam stays in the cockpit of Atlantean while I stand on the bow. He maneuvers the boat as I lower the anchor, and since there's nearly 40 feet between us, along with the engine noise, we have to speak loudly to communicate. On this night, Adam came up with the smart idea of using our AirPods for communication; since we were connected to Starlink, we could call each other and talk that way.
The airpod idea was awesome and worked out great. We anchored the boat, and I immediately left Adam to attach the snubber himself as I headed back to my sick-cave. As I descended the companionway, I knew I was going to be ill and fortunately, my bucket was in arms reach. It wasn't until I finished using it that I noticed our phone call was still active... I pulled my phone from my pocket and ended the call, hoping Adam hadn't heard what just took place. Of course, when I inquired about it later, he confirmed that he had indeed heard everything. Yikes.
San Quintin
We left Punta Colonet early the next morning, sailed all day, and arrived in San Quintin in the evening. We ended up spending the entirety of the following day there which was a nice reset. I still wasn't feeling super great and the next passage was going to be an overnighter to reach Bahia Tortugas.
For dinner, we aimed to prepare enough food to have leftovers for the following day to avoid having to cook while underway. I decided to make a wagyu soup with carrots, potatoes, and onions. This is the evening that we realized that the large container we bought during our provisioning in Ensenada, which we thought was chicken broth, was actually a huge container of batter for coating chicken before frying.
Isla de Cedros (Cedros Island)
We received several warnings against stopping at Cedros Island so we didn't plan on going there. However, our trip down the Baja Peninsula led us to do just that. Initially, when we departed from San Quintin, our plan was to sail beyond the island to Turtle Bay but after passing the island, the strong winds and exhaustion from two days of sailing prompted us to turn back and anchor at the island.
We anchored outside the break wall, didn't go ashore, and departed early the following morning but since we had arrived around midday we had the evening to relax. I hadn't showered since leaving Ensenada, so trying out the shower in the head was essential.
The space is quite cramped, and being enclosed by a clear shower curtain, I realized I prefer the cockpit shower. Nonetheless, it's definitely convenient to have the option to shower indoors if needed.
The next morning, while we were prepping the boat to lift anchor, a man on a dinghy approached Atlantean. Adam was in the cockpit and I was inside making breakfast but went upstairs when I heard them talking. He introduced himself and said he lived on the island. He seemed super nice but continued to make statements that sounded like he was pressuring us to stay as well as to get off the boat and go ashore. After the man left, Adam expressed feeling uncomfortable about the interaction, noting several inconsistencies during the conversation. We talked about how we had been warned against visiting the island as we raised anchor and set course for Bahia Tortugas.
Bahia Tortugas (Turtle Bay)
The trip from Isla de Cedros to Bahia Tortugas flew by. We departed from Cedros Island in the morning and reached Turtle Bay just before sunset. The real breakthrough was that this was the first day my seasickness entirely disappeared! I was finally able to assist Adam with the sails and get some sailing lessons. I made lunch down below and didn't feel the slightest bit sick. Obviously, everything is just so much more pleasant when you're not feeling nauseous!
Entering the bay was incredibly beautiful. We anchored just in time to watch the sunset, and Adam took this opportunity to use the drone for the first time. He launched it from the boat, flew it around for a while, and when he finished, his heart raced as he caught it mid-air. I was also anxious about its landing, given that we've seen many people lose their drones to the ocean.
That night, we stayed up late repairing the wind vane in the dark and cleaning out what we refer to as the "garage," which is the space on the starboard side when you enter the companionway. The cockpit hose leaked into it, so we had to remove everything and let it dry overnight. We intended to leave early the next morning and had set an alarm for six, but when it went off, Adam said, "Absolutely not," and we went back to bed. I was quite pleased with this decision since Turtle Bay was my favorite stop along the peninsula, excluding Magdalena Bay.
The following morning was Valentine's Day, and we celebrated by baking banana bread that turned out delicious. For dinner, we grilled and we discovered that what we believed to have been zucchinis were, in fact, very large cucumbers that had gone bad since they weren't refrigerated.
The next morning, we got up, had some coffee, and looked at the weather together as we discussed our next leg. For planning our departures, we use various resources, but primarily PredictWind, which is the same platform that allows us to display our tracking route for family and friends who are interested.
Bahia Asuncion
As we sailed from Bahia Tortugas to Bahia Asuncion, we caught our first fish while on the move! It was thrilling, and it was also my first time witnessing a fish being killed in that manner. I wasn't particularly fond of it, but I understand it's something I'll need to become accustomed to. It ended up being a Bonita, which we had to bring the sails down to reel in. We heard from others as well as read online that this type of fish doesn't yield the yummiest of meals but after cooking it up that night, we have to disagree.
We arrived at Bahia Asuncion during the night, and Adam suggested that we should keep an eye out for fishing pods. I went into the cabin to retrieve the flashlight and as I made my way back to the bow of the boat, I noticed a fishing line five feet ahead. I called out to Adam to reverse, meanwhile, using the light, I scanned the area and saw fishing lines all around us. We were fortunate not to have tangled any in the propeller. On this night, it took us three attempts to set the anchor and we noticed just one other boat in the vicinity.
The following day, we got diesel delivered to Atlantean and in doing so, heard an interesting story about the other boat that was anchored there. The owners, a couple from the United States, had sailed down from California. Upon reaching Asuncion, they realized the journey was straining their relationship, leading the woman to tell her partner, "It's me or the boat." No longer wanting their boat, and needing a car to return home, they made a trade with the diesel man. He provided them with his vehicle and they gave him ownership of their vessel.
This story made me appreciate how well Adam and I work together and how much fun we have doing it. I am so grateful to be having a contrasting experience, as my affection for Adam deepens with each day we spend learning, laughing, and discovering the world together.
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Great read! What an adventure, we are following closely! Abby, well written!
Thank you for sharing your amazing adventure.. It is so interesting how the little things can become big things and then you tackle a big issue with creativity and determination, all the while doing your research and planning on the go. Keep smiling and posting too. 😎
Abby and Adam, Hello from Holiday Harbor. Cindy and I enjoy reading about your travels. Such a great adventure
Sounds like things are going well so far, minus a few food mishaps! I hope things continue to go well. I love hearing about your adventures and seeing your posts!
Such a great trip. So glad the seasickness goes away. Such an adventure and you share it so well. Love you both very much!