14. Arriving/Staying in San Carlos

May 14th - Summer, 2007: We left Santa Rosalia about 7:30 pm to make the 72 mile crossing at night. The first mile or so was calm, and that was the end of that! The winds picked up out of the south east, countering the waves out of the northwest. It was a washing machine! Fortunately, Wirewalker knows how to handle herself with grace and moved along at about 7 kts. through the night.

As we approached San Carlos (10 miles offshore), it became clear that the approach would be challenging. The waters were all worked up. We slowed down to 2 - 3 kts., a very uncomfortable speed in those sea conditions and waited until 8:00 am when the marina opened. As we closed on the jetty in Bahia Algodones, the seas calmed dramatically. It became a very smooth arrival from there on.

Wirewalker picked up a sideways slip in Marina Real (see the pictures to understand what a "sideways slip" is). We spent 5 days preparing Wirewalker for the long, hot summer in front of her, left the keys and our dreams in the good hands of Abel, our boat caretaker and flew home for weddings (daughter), births (granddaughter), baptisms (grandson), and travel (son to France, Diane and Bill to all sorts of places).