Left in a flat calm from San Diego Y.C. soon after 9pm on Wed21Feb. While still in protected water, I raised the mainsail - difficult to raise completely - looking up the mast by torchlight, I realized that the halyard was outside the lazyjacks (thought I'd been careful, as usual, to get that right!) - so down with the main, removed the shackle from the head of the sail - raise the mainsail again (had the boat going around in slow circles all this time!). Still not going up easily - why?
Out with the torch again - halyard now caught around a step high up near the mast top - lower the sail AGAIN & grab hold of the halyard - wave it about until it comes loose from the step & quickly take up on the halyard, raising the main - still a problem as it goes up! I decide to leave the main with two reefs in - since no wind anyway, the point of having the main up was to reduce rolling in the expected swell and just in cast some wind came up later in my passage. Made a mental note to check
raising the main once I'd arrived. Finally, all was OK - lucky no boat traffic around at that time in the darkness - so I finally got going out through the main channel seawards.
A very uneventful motoring passage, with almost no other boats seen and so I was able to get some catnaps (about 20-30 mins at a time). Early in the morning, I was able to make good use of my AIS input into my Nobeltec display - seeing two big, brightly-lit tankers well ahead, the AIS system told me that they were stationary (at anchor, in fact) so I was able to steer a course midway between them, safe in the knowledge that they weren't moving. The night air temperature was really low, as usual after
a clear sunny day, so I was happy to be warm & snug in my new Musto fleecy trousers and tops...!
Mike helped me in to my slip - not too much manoevring needed in a slight breeze - I'd arrived in Mexico!
The marina staff helped with getting my paperwork prepared ready for clearance in to the country and I jumped on my bike to go & clear in - got there about midday and was finished about an hour later ... not bad!
I then celebrated my arrival with a British couple I met while clearing in- fresh fish tacos at the local fish market were very tasty!