Viva Mexico!

We made it to Ensenada, Mexico on November 1st. There was almost no wind (generally less than 4 knots), so we motored the entire way. We left before sunrise to help ensure we could cover the ~70 nautical miles before sunset. As we continue south, our days keep getting shorter. We’re both adjusting to the shorter daylight hours. My brain is still telling me that warm sunny days mean 16 hours of daylight. Not so true at 31 degrees north. Shortly after departing San Diego Bay, and before even the first hint of sunlight, we ran straight through a large kelp patch. Thankfully our kelp/line cutter on the propeller shaft did its job. The device is essentially a ring of sharp teeth near the propeller, designed to cut through anything that gets wrapped around the propeller. Luckily we were able to continue onward without jumping into the water to clear the prop.

We were greeted by cruising friends at the marina here in Ensenada, Mexico. We tied up, checked-in, made sure everything was ship shape, and then were whisked off to margaritas. Bar Andaluz claims to be the birthplace of margaritas, back in the 1940s. They sure were good, and the courtyard location at the historic hotel was peaceful and charming. Just the place for two salty sailors fresh off a full day at sea!

We spent the next few days exploring Ensenada, eating tacos, oh and spending half a day going through the process of officially checking-in to Mexico and getting approval to import our vessel temporarily. Once we were done with that business, we left S/V Surface Interval behind for a few days of exploring in the Valle de Guadalupe. The Valle de Guadalupe is the nearby wine region that is responsible for approximately 80% of Mexican wines. We enjoyed multiple wine tastings and tours, and practiced restraint by only buying 7 bottles of wine to bring home to the boat. The wines were excellent, with reds being more common than whites. We learned that the Nebbiolo grape varietal only grows in two places in the world: Italy and here. We have visited numerous wine regions and vineyards in the Pacific Northwest, but this was the first time we saw olive trees and palm trees alongside the vines. Naturally, we picked up some local olive oil, olives, and honey from a roadside stand. Up in the Valle we literally stayed in a bubble at Campera Burbuja. From inside the bubble, we watched the stars as we drifted off to sleep, and we were awoken by the soft light of the sunrise over the mountains and grape vines from our northern-facing bubble. Our bubble also had a lovely outdoor hot tub where we could gaze at the stars and relax after a day of tastings.

Needless to say, we’re enjoying Mexico. Upon our return to Ensenada, we did some provisioning for fresh vegetables, fruit, and tortillas. We also used the convenience of our rental car to drive to the gas station to top up our diesel. We used about 17 gallons to get down here from San Diego. We’re a long way from the next fuel dock, so anytime we can top up using our jerry cans we’re going to do it. We also took care of laundry, washing the boat, and a few small boat projects while at the marina here. All of this has been mixed in with breaks for the freshest fish tacos, Mexican microbrews, a few more margaritas, and local cultural events for Dia de los Muertos. Ensenada is a busy place with one or two cruise ships stopping in most days of the week. They head out around 5pm though, so the town isn’t too overrun with tourists. It’s been a great first stop in Mexico. Nights are chilly here, so we better get moving south. The wind looks really good Monday and Tuesday, so we’ve decided it’s time to go.

Next stops: Islas San Benitos (weather-dependent) and Bahia Tortugas.