Legacy Sailing
 Photo Gallery 7  
2003 Baja Ha-ha
San Diego, CA to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
For the Ha-ha, a cruisers race/rally down the coast we were joined by Anna Walker, from Anchorage, and Wade Rogers, from Juneau.  Both had sailed with us before on passages and brought experience and skill to the boat.  Although Anna and Wade were strangers to each other before the trip we all quickly became a solid crew.
 
The photos here were all taken by Anna Walker or Wade Rogers.
 
The Ha-ha kick off party was held in San Diego on October 27th, the first day that heavy ash and smoke descended on San Diego from the terrible fires in the surrounding area.  The acrid smell, and weird yellowish light gave a very strange atmosphere to the celebrations.  The next day the winds were too light for a start off San Diego so the fleet motored en-mass for an hour until there was sufficient wind to sail.  All of this was done once again in heavy smoke and haze. 
 
The winds were very light for the whole of the long first leg to Bahia Tortuga and we only managed to sail about 49% of the time.  We arrived and anchored and made trips ashore to the community.  We also enlisted the services of Ernesto to provide us with diesel fuel to replace what we had burned getting that far.  On the second day in Bahia Tortuga a beach party was arranged which most attended.  There were many interesting and exciting dinghy landings through the surf on the beach. 
 
The second leg from Bahia Tortuga to Bahia Santa Maria (just north of the entrance to Bahia Magdalena) started in reasonable breeze and we sailed fast through building winds arriving at the finish line at about 9:30pm the following day.  We made our way into the anchorage and got anchored about 2 hours before the wind really picked up.  The boats that had not finished early had to contend with 30+ knots of wind and confused seas as they made their way into the anchorage over the next 24 hours.  The strong winds confined most of the sailors (including us) to their boats since only the largest and most powerful dinghies could work in the wind and seas.  The second morning in Bahia Santa Maria was calmer and we moved in close to the beach and reanchored.  In the afternoon a beach party and lobster (langostinos) put on by the small fishing settlement was arranged.  Rather than chance the surf we rode in one of the pangas acting as water taxis and enjoyed a great meal ashore.
 
The last leg to Cabo San Lucas started at dawn and we sailed quickly south towards the cape.  We roared along through the night and managed to get within 15 miles of the finish off Cabo Falso when the wind died in mid morning.  With no sign of a replacement breeze we elected to motor the last hour to the finish to assure and early arrival at Cabo.  We got into Cabo and rafted outside two other boats in the designated Ha-ha area of the docks.  After the remote and rural stops down the coast the hustle and bustle of Cabo was a real shock.  However we enjoyed the meals ashore and access to services for a couple of days before heading on to La Paz.  You can read the on-line log covering the Ha-ha by clicking here and entering a start date of 10/26/2003.

Photos Archived:  The high resolution photos originally linked to the thumbnails on this page have been archived to save space on our webserver.  If you wish to view the full size version of any of these images please email us with a request.
On the Sunday morning before the start we awoke to smoke and ash from the nearby fires. [Walker Photo] The unearthly light and roiling clouds, as well as falling ash gave the harbor a dantesque feel. [Walker Photo]
The sun shining through the smoke was a yellow orange ball. [Rogers Photo] Leaving the harbor through the smoke we passed the boat used in the apocalyptic Waterworld movie. [Walker Photo]
The race organizer, also known as the Grand Poobah held forth at the pre-race festivities. [Rogers Photo] Since the party was just before halloween, costumes were the order of the day.  Many pirates were in evidence.  Arggh!  [Walker Photo]
One of the boats from San Fransisco came in drag, and looked mightly comfortable with the clothes. [Rogers Photo] The 'dice girls' were on a roll. [Rogers Photo]
This crew, including their dogs, were fully in the spirit. [Walker Photo] There was no wind at the start, so on signal everyone began motoring South at 6 knots until the wind filled in.  Smoke and haze filled the sky. [Walker Photo]
As we moved south the smoke slowly thinned, though it was still evident at the first evening. [Rogers Photo] The Hunter HC50 Fast Reorg and another boat pass North Coronado Island in the smoke the first day. [Stockard photo]
A dragonfly hitched a ride with us some 30 miles out at sea. [Walker Photo] Wade holds up our first fish, a skipjack.  Great fun but not great eating. [Stockard photo]
By sunset of the second day the smoke had cleared, unfortunately the wind had also disappeared. [Walker Photo] Anna and Wade took Kira and Minnow for walkies through Bahia Tortuga. [Rogers Photo]
Suffering from a powerful thirst in the extremely dry conditions they stopped for a cerveza at the Vera Cruz.  [Rogers Photo] Wade climbed high in the dry hills around Bahia Tortuga.  Boats can be seen anchored off the party beach. [Rogers Photo]
Locals set up tents and provided music and cold beer for the Ha-ha partiers at Bahia Tortuga. [Rogers Photo] For many, the beach landings at Bahia Tortuga were their first, leading to wet riders and dumped gear. [Rogers Photo]
Legacy's crew posed on the beach. Wade in the back; Anna, Heather, and Chris in the middle; Kira and Minnow in front. [Rogers Photo] Wade helps launch the dinghy for Kira, Minnow, Heather, and Chris.  For the moment the surf is flat. [Rogers Photo]
Almost all of the 113 boats in this years Ha-ha started on time from Bahia Tortuga.  Cassiopia, a Swan 65, leads the charge.  [Walker Photo] Spinnakers were the order of the day for the start of leg 2.  [Walker Photo]
Beach Music, a Tayana 52, showed her form at the start.  [Walker Photo] Bronco, a perrenial competitor and eventual class winner, flys her trademark chute. [Walker Photo]
Anna steers during leg 2. [Rogers Photo] Sunrise on leg 2 revealed continued good winds and fair skies.  [Walker Photo]
Sunrise also revealed another hitchhiker, a small squid which had landed on deck during the night. [Rogers Photo] We anchored near midnight in Bahia Santa Maria.  Wade caught the sun rising over the hills revealing a very windy day.  [Rogers Photo]
Despite the strong wind, panga fishermen toured the harbor offering lobster tails for $2 each. [Rogers Photo] The wind may have kept us confined to the boat, but the views were still great!  [Rogers Photo]
On the second day the wind calmed and panga rides to shore were possible.  From atop the bluff much of the fleet lies at anchor. [Rogers Photo] The local fishermen and their families served lobster and fish for $10.  They brought a band 12 hours from La Paz to play. [Rogers Photo]
Wade poses with a very welcome cold cerveza on the bluff at Bahia Santa Maria.  [Rogers Photo] Anna, stuck with dogs yet again, walks on the beach.  [Rogers Photo]
An egret posed on one of the pangas in the lagoon.  [Rogers Photo] Wade steers during leg three as we head for the cape.  [Rogers Photo]
Approaching the famous beaches and rocks of Cabo from the ocean. Rafted alongside other Ha-ha boats in the Cabo marina.  The bustle of the malecon is only steps away. [Rogers Photo]
The first night in port Wade tries the Tequila at the Giggling Marlin.  [Rogers Photo] The view across the bay from Lover's Beach in the late afternoon. [Walker Photo]
Despite acrophobia, Wade had to try parasailing behind one of the boats in Cabo. [Walker Photo] Los Arcos, the famous rocks at the tip of Cabo San Lucas.  [Walker Photo]
Wade and Anna share a panga ride to Los Arcos. [Rogers Photo] The crews last dinner together in Cabo.  [Rogers Photo]
 
Updated 11/14/2006