Thu Dec 02 2021 01:05:00 GMT-0800 (Pacific Standard Time)
We left puerto Escondido yesterday afternoon heading across the Sea of Cortez to Topolobampo. I love the name. It rolls off the tongue bringing joy to your mouth. Kirsten took the first watch of the night while I sat in the cockpit. I was on hand for if she needed me, but the watch was hers. Altering course, checking the horizon, watching the instruments. We watched Venus set in the sky after aligning with Jupiter and Saturn.
The seastate is a little livelier than when I went down, few more knots of wind and a little more rolly. But Pulsar is still running smoothly. Topolobampo is the jumping point for us to Copper Canyon. A stunning canyon created from 6 rivers in the Sierra Madres. Fingers crossed for a train ride and a stunning change of scenery.
I’m back. The uneventful night turned eventful when I ran into a fishing net! Don’t worry, we were lucky and didn’t wrap it around our propeller or rudder or keel. The fishermen were definitely unhappy with us. It took them about 20-30 minutes to gather up all their netting. Thankfully they got it all. Wind gusted up to 24 knots as we got moving again. But by the time we entered the channel for Topolobampo dawn was breaking and the winds were calming down. This is definitely one of the best marked channels we have seen in Mexico. But any channel in the dark feels treacherous and this one you definitely want to be in the middle of. We passed standing breaking waves, shoals, land, and mangroves.
Now for some rest and hopefully a train adventure soon
~Karri
S/V Pulsar 