Hello to you all,
It has been an interesting few days tracking Marissa from Ensenada. Due to weather forecast models showing increased storm conditions, both Sally and I had sent cell txt. messages to Shannon during the evening and early this morning, suggesting that their intended destination on tiny San Benito island might not be the safest harbor or anchorage in high winds. My weather models here show wind speeds in the 20 to 25 knot range and wave heights up to 14 ft. near San Benito Islands by late Monday evening. Shannon has texted us both today and told us she did not see those warning messages, and they did in fact stop earlier today at San Benito. After being anchored there for a just few hours, Shannon again texted Sally and this time Sally was able to get the weather forecast message thru to Shannon. So about an hour ago, Marissa upped anchor, and departed the small cove there. They are now heading South East again with plans to stop in Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay) for a while. I am attaching a photo I found online of the small settlement on San Benito. This is a view from the nearby cove, where Marissa anchored earlier today.
Marissa made very good time on the passage from Ensenada to San Benito. It now appears that the boat they left Ensenada with (Sloop Matanuska), which stopped for a while at or near San Quintin Bay, is moving South once again. We are not yet positive that the unidentified boat we see online and believe to be Matanuska really is that boat, but we should know for certain when it gets further South and near the AIS antenna located near Turtle Bay. Terrestrial AIS radio stations, when in range, will normally show the boat name, and we’ll be able to confirm if it is indeed Matanuska at that time. The entrance to Turtle Bay is about 65 miles from San Benito, so with a boat speed of 6 knots, Marissa should be in safe protected waters there in about 10 hours. I’ve sailed in and anchored there, and it is a wide enclosed bay with good anchor holding. They may still feel some of the stronger wind gusts there, as it is relatively flat ground on the ocean side, but they should be well protected from any waves or storm surge while there. Those of you with the Google Earth program on your computers, can zoom in and take a look at the small town and the protected bay. The pier there now seems to have been enlarged about 500% from when I was there decades ago in Bolero. Hauling jugs of gasoline down and across that rotting old pier was a risky adventure back then. 
I will be watching Marissa’s progress and try to send out a brief note when they are safely settled withing Turtle Bay.
Stay safe.
Bob
