S4, Ep49 Our First Overnight Sail — From Best Day to Worst Night on the Water
December 30, 2025 · 31 min · 440 views · Ejido Papalote, Mexico
Dolphins leap in golden-hour wake near distant mountains
What this video covers
A 94-mile overnight passage from Ensenada to Bahía San Quintín along the Baja coast turns from an ideal downwind day into a punishing night of rough seas, seasickness, and hazard navigation. Tim and crew depart Ensenada after a three-day delay for port-captain paperwork, already behind a weather window they had hoped to lead.▶ 0:26 The day leg runs beautifully — spinnaker up in a north wind, dolphins at the bow twice, boat speed touching 9.3 knots — but conditions deteriorate after sunset.▶ 18:59 Beam swells grow large enough that crew members lying on opposite cockpit seats see each other at water level.▶ 22:42 One crew member is incapacitated by seasickness from the moment the horizon disappears.▶ 21:01 Approaching San Quintín at 3:10 a.m. in pitch dark, rain, and strong wind, Tim navigates around Ben's Rock (always-submerged, charted from 1964) and then encounters unexpected breaking waves over a submarine cliff rising from 1,800 feet to 39 feet — forcing a hard right turn and a two-hour detour.▶ 25:12 PredictWind charts show six-foot swells; the crew judges them significantly larger.▶ 22:34 They anchor at 5 a.m. in 20–30 feet over sand in a calm, sunny bay.▶ 30:04 The passage confirms that falling behind a weather window on the Baja coast compresses decision-making and leaves no margin for night-entry hazards.
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