Top Speed: 14 knots
This is logged on our trip computer also, and was a shock to hear. I figure we probably clocked 14 knots running with the trisail in the gale in Channel Islands. We usually sail along between 3-6 knots, so I think I'd notice if we suddenly doubled our speed in normal sailing circumstances.

Fish Caught: 1.5
We caught a lovely 7 or 8 pound fish (from the tuna family) south of Ensenada and happily ate sashimi and seared tuna for a couple of days. A few days ago on our most recent passage we caught a baby tuna, so we put it back for someone else to catch when it was older. According to the charts and guide books we are now in prime fishing territory, so our fishing optimism is high.

Nights on passage with the moon visible: 2 (the most recent two)
This is unbelievable to me; we've gone over 1,000 miles, done multiple overnight passages and of all that time either the sky was totally clouded or the moon was not out for all but 2 nights. Having the moon out keeping you company at night makes night watches on passage so much more pleasant.

Cloud watching:
We have a lot of access to weather information and forecasting. We get text forecast and pressure charts via email, we get buoy reports daily, and listen via SSB radio to Don Anderson's Baja weather forecast every morning at 8:15am. However if we get wind from the SE at 20kts, who cares if the forecast was NW 10 kts. As this happens fairly often (the actual weather condition differing from the forecast) we are trying to cultivate the ability to judge weather conditions and changing conditions by using the age-old method of forecasting by observation. To be fair to the professionals, forecasting is a difficult procedure and they do a good job of generalities. I have 3 weather books onboard, each with sections about clouds and their meaning. Whenever there is a lot of cloud activity I dash down below and grab the nearest book, flip through the chapter on clouds and try to identify what they are foretelling. One of the books is a seemingly helpful book of photographs displaying common sky horizons and what will happen. However the only time I've been able to confidently identify our conditions with a page in the book the inference was that ÒA vigorous cyclonic situation exists upwind and so gales may blow up with the next 8-15 hours.Ó This reduced me to such a nervous wreck that Jacob banned me from using this picture book again. And no gale appeared.

On naming objects:
We have a few items on the boat that are so useful to us that we've named them.
Dinghy: Pescadito (little fish) or Pesky when he's being ornery.
Windvane: Brutus. Storm windvane: Brutini. These guys steer better than either of us, day in day out, in conditions that we would not want to hand steer.
Engine: Alpha Beta. This is a nod towards the model of engine: Beta Marine Diesel. This guy tirelessly chugs alongÑI love him.

Cocktail hour:
A week or so ago I instituted cocktail hour on a trial basis. The evenings and impending sunset can cause feelings of trepidation, particularly on passage. What will the night bring? The 12 hours of darkness can be intimidating, especially at the start of a night. Everything is more difficult at night, we are tired, it's colder, we can't see what's coming, or if there's a weather change on the horizon sail changes are more difficult etc. So now every night around 4 or 5 pm (by 6 the sun has set) we have a drink, and sit and talk. It helps immensely. Since there's nothing to be done about whatever will occur that night, having cocktail hour smoothes the transition into the inevitable.

Cooking:
One of the more common questions I get from our friends and family back home is what and how we eat so I figured I'd give an example of a couple of days worth of meals. Cooking is different, but in some ways it's better aboard, there is more time to prep and more time to plan. No more rushing home from work at 6:45 and throwing something together to stave off the hunger pangs. To be fair, when it's rough weather out or I'm tired, I don't hesitate to turn to Cup-A-Noodle Soup or canned chili (the vegetarian stuff from Trader Joes is amazing).

Tuesday (in transit on passage from Turtle Bay)
Breakfast: Oatmeal with honey and dried apricots and coffee
Lunch: Platter of fresh baked olive bread, salami, cheese, olives, pickles. Fruit plate with fresh banana, apple, oranges and blood oranges. Leftover coleslaw from yesterday lunch.
Dinner: Cup of Noodles (see?!)
Midnight Snack: Costco trail mix, coffee

Wednesday (arrived at Bahia Santa Maria, anchored by 11:30am)
Breakfast: Oranges. Fresh baked bread/toast with jam and Nutella for Jacob. 2 fried eggs and toast for Julia. Coffee.
Lunch: Lobster tacos.
Dinner: Mac'n'cheese bake with asparagus and crumbled crusty crutons on top.

Thursday (anchored at Bahia Santa Maria)
Breakfast: Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, coffee.
That's up to date!
The amazing thing with all of this is that with all of this eating we are both still losing weight. So that's itÑa pretty good spread all around!

Frankly, something has changed over the last couple of days for me. I'm not sure what caused it, it could be that the wind is warmer and the water is clearer, it could be that we are squarely in the southern part of the push down the Baja coast, it could be that we're gaining confidence in our ability and our choice-making or it could be something that our cruising friends Shawn and Chris said to us about their own approach which was "we don't know when we will be back here again, so we want to enjoy it now while we can." But whatever the cause, the result has been that I am happy, enjoying where we are, grateful to get to see the beauty of this isolated place, and excited to be on this adventure.

(written by Julia who has yet to configure her own email blog updates :)
Lat 24 Degrees 46' N, Long 112 Degrees 14' W