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Author: Carolyn S

La Paz: The reality of the rubber band effect

La Paz: The reality of the rubber band effect

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Local cruisers often talk about the “La Paz rubber band effect”, which means that after you leave La Paz, you will always come back. It’s true that there are a lot of things to love. It has a more relaxed and understated vibe than Los Cabos. There aren’t many giant resorts, which means that there aren’t vendors trying to sell you blankets, hats, sunglasses, and snacks everywhere you go. The food is great. The cruising community is well-established and a…

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Holidays in the Sea of Cortez

Holidays in the Sea of Cortez

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Last night, Philippe and I rang in the new year with a group of good cruiser friends from sailing vessels Taliesin Rose, Cinderella, and Tioga (check out their blogs, too!). We toasted to the end of another wonderful year and the beginning of what we are sure will be an adventurous 2018. Philippe and I had the most incredible week in the Sea of Cortez, and while it’s great to have Wi-Fi, friends, and warm showers close by, we’re sad we won’t…

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‘Twas the night before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas

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‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Untangled The spoons and mugs shifted, the pots and pans jangled. The stockings were hung by the barometer with care, But the anchorage was rolly, we fought mal de mer. Yuki was nestled all snug in his bed, While visions of peeing on shore danced in his head; And mamma in her undies, and I in the nude, Had just set our anchor at 24°N latitude. When out on the sea there…

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Los Cabos: Wrapping up the Ha-Ha

Los Cabos: Wrapping up the Ha-Ha

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Philippe aptly described Cabo San Lucas as the “Vegas of Mexico”. With its big resorts, bright lights, loud clubs, and expensive, touristy restaurants, Cabo San Lucas was not our scene. It was, however, really nice to celebrate our successful trip with fellow Ha-Ha boats. We only spent a couple of days anchored in Cabo San Lucas, but we filled them with dinghy rides to shore, long walks with Yuki, tacos, margaritas, and Ha-Ha parties. Yuki was a huge hit in…

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Someday, you will miss this.

Someday, you will miss this.

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I wake up to the vibration of my phone and the sound of “marble dust”, the only audible ring tone that I can hear over the roar of the engine and the ocean that doesn’t drive me mad. I take a deep breath and slowly ease my eyelids open. Despite the fact that it’s only 9:45pm, I’ve already been sleeping for a few hours, knowing that I’d have to be alert for the 10pm – 2am watch shift. I find…

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Ensenada: tacos, art, and michelada

Ensenada: tacos, art, and michelada

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Although it was an unintentional stop, we made the best of our four days in Ensenada (October 31 – November 3). Sure, we had to spend a lot of time talking to the boatyard about our missing propeller, calling our insurance agent, and getting our paperwork in order, but we also spent some time exploring the town, eating tacos, and practicing our Spanish at the local hardware store. Crew morale was high, all things considered. We especially enjoyed the parts…

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Rolling with the Punches

Rolling with the Punches

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We cast off the dock lines for the Baja Ha-Ha around 10:15 am on October 30. Philippe quickly transitioned from project mode to race mode. There are 154 boats registered for this year’s Ha-Ha, and we wound up at the beginning of the pack for the first several hours. The wind was at about 8-10 knots, which allowed us to sail around 6. Definitely not fast, but we were happy with the calm seas and steady wind. We celebrated as…

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Forty-Six Hours at Sea

Forty-Six Hours at Sea

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For months, I had been romanticizing cast off. Philippe would pull out of the slip one last time as some of our marina neighbors (who have grown to be some of our closest friends) waved from the sterns of their boats. Keith and I would stand at the bow to check for fairway traffic and soak in the gravity of our departure. I would likely be sobbing, but my slick new sunglasses with mirrored lenses would obscure my tears. It…

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Untangled Ties The Knot…And Gets Slightly Delayed

Untangled Ties The Knot…And Gets Slightly Delayed

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“Hi. I’m Carolyn. This is my husband, Philippe.” I still glance at Philippe and giggle when I say it. It’s hard to believe that for ten days I have been his wife. On September 16, surrounded by our family and closest friends, we vowed to love, laugh, explore, and adventure together. For a few short days, we set aside the chaos and stress of boat projects to reconnect with people we hadn’t seen in ages and savor autumn in Upstate…

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Jumping off the deep end

Jumping off the deep end

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“If you wait until you are ready, you’ll never go.” We’ve been hearing this sentiment over and over for the last several months, as seasoned sailors and fellow adventurers try to reassure us that our decision isn’t actually crazy, and that our occasional reservations are, in fact, totally normal. On September 30, Philippe and I plan to depart the Bay Area and sail to Mexico. We’ll be leaving behind a city that changed both of our lives. A city where…

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