Cruising Mayavideo
Sailing Pacific Mexico: Sporty Fishing and SPICY Upwind Sailing
9 October 2023 · 15 min · 5K views · Bahia de los Muertos
What this video covers
The sailboat Maya travels 45 nautical miles north from Los Freles to Bahia de los Muertos in the Sea of Cortez, facing winter El Norte winds that frequently exceed 25 knots.0:52 These winds create steep, short-period seas, often reaching 5 to 6 feet with 5-to-6-second intervals.10:28 To maintain progress against the wind, the crew motor-sails with a single-reefed main and a heavily reefed jib, achieving speeds of over 7 knots while tacking between the Baja peninsula and Cerralvo Island.9:35 During the passage, the crew catches and processes Dorado, using alcohol in the gills to dispatch the fish before bleeding them and vacuum-sealing the fillets for storage in a portable deep freezer.3:32 After waiting for a weather window at Bahia de los Muertos, the vessel completes the final leg to anchor in Balandra Bay.13:26 Careful timing of travel windows is essential to navigate the funneling winds and rough sea states characteristic of the Sea of Cortez during winter.
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