[Photo of north lobe, Ensenada Grande, via.]
Weather forecasts can change suddenly and often, especially these days as our planet's climate changes in sometimes squirrely ways. I had gotten into the habit years earlier of using The Fox's satellite email to download text-only spot forecasts from NOAA's National Weather Service to supplement the daily forecasts we heard on the SSB. Over time during 2016 as it turned into 2017, I realized I was getting spot forecasts much more frequently than I ever had before. Was the weather in the Sea of Cortez that much different than in the past? Had the SSB forecasts somehow become less reliable? My layperson's guess is that the forecasts had indeed become less reliable, because the climate was changing so dramatically.
As we enjoyed the north anchorage at Ensenada Grande, December 20, 2016's SSB forecasts were in conflict. The Amigo net called for continued strong winds in the 20s but the Sonrisa net and a succession of spot forecasts indicated an improved outlook and decent sailing weather coming our way by December 22.
The evening of the 20th into overnight was calm so at 0820 on the 21st The Fox raised anchor and skedaddled south with the rest of the Ensenada Grande fleet. Seas were slightly rolly but flattening as we traveled. More sailboats joined us, having departed other nearby anchorages. We all motorsailed south. Breeze remained under 10 knots with an occasional light drizzle from overcast skies and haze on the water. The mist and haze cleared toward afternoon with high temps in the mid-80s.
It was an uneventful 17 miles into Caleta Lobos, one of the anchorages just a few miles north of La Paz. Many tourist pangas zipped around Roca Lobos and the islet at the entrance to Caleta Lobos but inside the cove there were only a fishing panga and a snorkeler/diver harvesting shellfish to keep us company. We anchored without incident and the cozy cove kept the channel's swell to a minimum. Two sailboats anchored near us later in the day and we all enjoyed a calm and pleasant night with only a slight roll as the tide turned. It was a pleasant way to enjoy one last night in relative isolation before landing in the bustle of the big city.
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