Bahia Santa Maria...now we're talkin' !!!

Arrived at Santa Maria the night before last at 1 a.m. in a pea soup fog...the bay is very large, perhaps 3 mi x 11 mi, and only about 3 other boats here, so anchoring by radar was no problem. Had a mixed bag of sailing conditions to get here from Turtle Bay, around 230 miles to the north. Seas were quite lumpy, so at times was like being in a washing machine, especially when the wind was not quite strong enough to keep the sails full in the 6-8 foot swell that was running. Sails slatted hard at times, and we broke a couple of fittings, including the outhaul at the end of the boom. All was either repairable underway or we could jury rig, and we're good to go again. That seems to be a familiar theme...they say the definition of cruising is getting to fix your boat in exotic places, and I guess we're beginning!!!

This bay is beautiful. White sandy beach around most of the bay, with rocky coves on the north. We're anchored at the north end, for a bit of protection from the prevailing wind. Yesterday we spent catching up on sleep, reading, and general sloth and relaxation...sweet!!! We had planned on leaving last night at midnight for Cabo, but decided that this place was so nice we'd spend today here as well.

Dropped the dinghy in the water this morning to go exploring. Thought a little hike ashore sounded good. One of the guidebooks describes the beach as "a surf landing requiring care and skill." Always up for a challenge when the gauntlet is thrown, we decided this was right up our alley. Well...let's just say we have a bit of work to do to get our dinghy surf skills fully developed!!! On the way in, we took a small wave over the transom, getting us fully soaked. No worries, though, the water was warm, and we landed without further incident. The one bummer was that Emily's camera now has water sloshing about in it...don't think that will "buff out"!!!

We went for a bit of a hike, had a good swim, and lay about on the hot rocks for a while, before coming back out to Bravo. The take-off from the beach got our attention, but was pretty painless. The solar shower felt good, then lunch and it's now nap time!!! A tough day!!!

We'll leave at 5 a.m. for Cabo. Should be around 30 hours or so, and we want to be sure to arrive with daylight.