By Jeff Hare, Tradewinds Instructor and owner of Emerald Sea
Reaching Ensenada is a big milestone when bashing home – a lot of sailors rush past this wonderful location all in a rush to get home. We are the opposite – we like to stay a few days and mentally prepare for the faster pace of the USA. Our Buddy Boat stopped at the public marina and quickly checked in and out. Becky and I enjoy spending a few days at Marina Coral enjoying the hotel amenities. We have been cold since leaving Cabo San Lucas, so a few hours soaking in the hot tub was welcome, although it feels somewhat artificial when compared to the pristine waters of the Sea of Cortez. We explored the city, ate the last of our Mexican fresh foods (you can not take any fresh fruits, veggies, or proteins back to the USA) mixed with visits to finer restaurants. Marina Coral is not inexpensive, but the staff here is first-rate. Included in your marina rate is a chauffeured drive to Customs to “check out” of Mexico. Once you do, you are required to vacate the country within 48 hours.
When we entered the country several months ago it was with the Baja HaHa fleet with nearly 300 people. We did not notice that our passports were not stamped. We had all of the other necessary documentation that supported our entry, just not the stamp. After paying a small fine and the entry fee again, we officially checked in and out the same day (none of the other marinas we visited, where you must show passports, noticed the stamp was missing). Everything fixed with the help of Fabiola (marina manager at Marina Coral) and her staff as they aided in the negotiation with Mexican Customs, we grudgingly departed Ensenada and Mexico for the (approximately) 65 mile motor to the Customs Dock in San Diego. This trip was somber and uneventful – a milestone marking the end of our 5 months in Mexico.
We arrived in San Diego with all the realities mayhem and business of the port of San Diego. The week before we arrived a military aircraft had lost engine power and crashed right into the channel leading to the customs dock – I thought they would have removed it, but apparently they were using it as a training opportunity and let the Navy Seals perform mock recovery missions on the wreck – they seemed in no hurry to remove it and the entire channel was blocked with the barge and crane that would eventually lift the remains of the jet. After chatting with the guard and checking to make sure it was high-tide, we motored past the channel about 1/4 mile and cut directly into the sea wall, turning left again and following it closely back into the channel behind the barge – if you check a local chart you can get a pretty accurate view of this back-channel and the depth it provides. We arrived at our reserved slip and stayed there another three days. During that time US Customs performed their inspection and we checked back in to the good old US of A!!!
Keeping track of our two other buddy boats at this time; Folie a Deux had passed through San Diego and stopped in Santa Barbara for a few days as that owner had a wedding to attend. Dolce Vita was still anchored in Punta Baja being watched by some local fisherman while her owner and crew traveled home to consult with some local mechanics regarding her ability to motor the remaining distance.
