hey Good People. We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge in Sept 2019 and turned left towards Mexico. I thought we’d be going on to the Panama Canal, and perhaps Europe, but COVID and eldercare changed all that. Instead, Ravenswing has enjoyed many great adventures in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), mostly on the Baja eastern coastline, plus a trip to Puerto Vallarta. The Sea has been an incredible collection of experiences. Just the other night as my kids helped me sail south from Loreto down to Cabo San Lucas, they did a night shift with dolphins dancing around the boat streaked by bioluminescence. The wildlife has been amazing, the anchorages mostly peaceful and beautiful, the new friendships excellent, and the people of Baja, Mexico have been delightful to us. I think we’ve gotten our fill, even though the boat had to sit alone for many months at a time at various stages of the six years.

So, it’s Sunday night before the planned Tuesday departure. Dave and Gabe fly in tomorrow. I’ve provisioned the boat and done countless small jobs to get her fully ready for an arduous 1,500 mile ‘going to weather’ trip. She feels ready to go. We’ve got two EPIRBs, a life raft, a borrowed emergency rudder, two satellite communicators, a good medical kit, and a clear mind. We’re not on a schedule, and we’re not interested in just ‘bashing’ up the coastline. My plan is to first head west, the way the Clipper Ships used to travel up the Pacific coast. Take the wind and waves at a comfortable angle, not head on, and accept the extra miles. The trick is to pick the right time to tack on to port and head due north. The wind decides that.

Once we depart Cabo, our tracking devices will be updating the boat’s progress. Here’s a reminder how to find us on the ravenswing website. I’ll try to post little messages on the right side of the map each day. Hope it’s entertaining for you!