From Boardroom to Baja Beaches – The Baja Ha-ha Adventure!

PART 1 Setting Sail With the Baja Ha Ha

5 years ago, Debra Rosen, retired President/CEO North San Diego Business Chamber, and her husband Mike, planned for their 2023 retirement adventure. It included the purchase of a Catamaran which they found in 2019 down under in Australia, downsizing their home, and setting sail with the Baja Ha Ha to Cabo San Lucas in the end of October 2023. The Baja Ha Ha is a two-week cruisers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas with boating enthusiasts coming from all over the country and some as far as Canada.

On October 30, Debra, Mike, their son Jay, lab Cooper and two crew set sail with the epic 2023 Baja Ha-Ha. Debra, Mike, Jay and Cooper have continued the journey exploring the Sea of Cortez during the winter months after the Ha Ha.

At the end of June, immediately after retiring, Debra embarked on a wild adventure with a new boss, her husband, who was captain of the Cat. This transition was quite a challenge! According to Debra, “I’ve been appointed as the first mate, but it seems like my new boss missed the memo on my true calling.”

As a part time social director of the Catamaran Hypnautic” for 4 years, she exceled in the noble art of bottle-opening, particularly when it comes to wine and champagne. But alas, instead of basking in her uncanny ability to pop corks and pour bubbly flawlessly, she found myself running around doing manual labor. She told her new boss, “I’m the master of ceremonies, not a deck-swabbing extraordinaire.”

Preparing their trusty Catamaran Hypnautic for the adventure was a whirlwind of tasks. Inventory checks, safety net installation, deep cleaning every nook and cranny of the boat (hello, mysterious hidden spaces!), fixing and upgrading heads, (yes, they all have Bidets), changing filters and parts in the water maker, servicing the generator, checking sails, bottom paint and making lists of provisions were just a few of the prep items. Don’t worry, Debra prioritized the essentials like wine, champagne, and coffee!

As they got closer to setting sail, it was time to let the captain know that every good ship needs a crew member who can make celebrations pop, quite literally! So, here she was, ready to chart the course to laughter and cheer, all while secretly hoping that someday her talents would be recognized. Until then, she was juggling corkscrews and brooms, proving that sometimes the captain’s orders can be as topsy-turvy as a stormy sea!

Prepping for the epic 2023 Baja Ha Ha adventure like a true sailor: Debra was assigned the task of manually blowing, inflating and testing life jackets! “Who needs a gym membership when you can become a professional lung athlete?” Time to flex those lung muscles and embrace the art of blowing up jackets gracefully, testing, and checking the off-shore life jackets before setting sail into the open seas.

On October 30, Hypnautic and Crew set sail from San Diego and were officially 30 hours into the sailing journey along with 130 other adventurous boats filled with hundreds of sailors. The winds were dancing between 4 and 15 knots, the seas were calm, and the sun showered everyone with its warm embrace.

The Baja Ha Ha’s first destination was Bahia Tortugas, also known as Turtle Bay! During the night passage, the winds decided to take a little nap, so captain and crew fired up the engines, letting them hum a lullaby. Although sailors hate motoring, the best part about that was waking up to hot water for everyone! Ah, the luxury of a refreshing shower at sea!

Hypnautic and the other Ha Ha boats finally arrived at this hidden paradise around midnight after two days and two nights at sea, covering 360 nautical miles from San Diego. The sea welcomed everyone with open arms, and now everyone basked in the glory of Turtle Bay’s warm embrace.

“We all woke up to a breathtaking sight like nothing we had ever seen before. As we sat outside sipping our fresh brewed coffee, we were greeted by playful dolphins dancing around our catamaran, while sea lions gracefully joined in the fun. We had never seen so much marine life in one place, much less this close to the boat. The scene was so captivating that even Cooper, our furry friend, and crew, couldn’t resist the excitement. He skipped breakfast, opting to stay outside and soak up the mesmerizing beauty of nature.”

This remote fishing village might be small, but its heart swelled with excitement when the Ha-Ha fleet sailed into its tranquil shores. With a population of 2,367 island dwellers, this community knows how to throw a party!

On day two, everyone witnessed the clash of titans at the world-famous Ha-Ha “bazeball” game, where local kids showed off their formidable skills playing with the Baja Ha Ha cruisers. The fun continued as fellow Ha-Ha cruisers headed to the beach for a BBQ. The camaraderie was infectious, and laughter filled the air as everyone swapped tales of their seafaring adventures and fabulous fishing.

Dining in Turtle Bay was an experience. The two open-air restaurants, if you can even call them that, offer a funky charm that perfectly matches this laid-back haven. “We indulged in mouthwatering fish tacos, accompanied by refreshing margaritas and ice-cold beer. As we savored our delicious feast, we watched the locals frolic on the beach and lent a helping hand to the Ha-Ha cruisers as they made their way ashore with their trusty dinghies.” Turtle Bay can be described as a slice of paradise where adventure, community, and natural beauty blend seamlessly.

The first leg of the Ha Ha trip was a dream! With serene seas, gentle breezes, and warm air, it felt like sailing through paradise. Then came the second leg… and reality hit everyone like a rogue wave!

“Unleashing its fury, we were greeted by 23 to 27 knots of wind and angry seas as we headed to our second destination of Bahia Santa Maria.” The honeymoon vibes vanished faster than you can say ‘beachside cocktails.’ Even the seasoned sailors among us couldn’t hide their surprise (although they’d never admit it!). The winds were so strong we hit a record-breaking 11.2 knots in our trusty catamaran!

“Our second night of passage to Bahia Santa Maria took an unexpected twist. 25 miles out from our destination. Mother Nature decided to put on a spectacular light show and rattle the heck out of us. Lightning bolts crackled and danced upon the water, giving us all a dazzling display of nature’s power.“

“Realizing that being struck by lightning was not on our bucket list, many of the Ha Ha fleet along with us, swiftly turned our boats around and joined the others in a hasty retreat. It was a reverse race against the storm, with all of us desperately dodging each bolt like a game of nautical frogger. To alleviate the disappointment of sailing back and adding extra hours to our trip, we rallied together, turned on the oven and made homemade chocolate chip cookies! Yep, in times of crisis, cookies can work wonders in healing the pain of sailing in reverse direction.”

The sweet aroma filled the air, calming seafaring souls and ensuring that everyone’s spirits remained buoyant. Word spread like wildfire across the vhf radios—this was the first lightning storm the Baja Ha Ha had encountered in a quarter-century. “We may have missed the memo, but hey, it made for quite the spectacle! We turned a potentially treacherous situation into an impromptu light show, proving that even Mother Nature enjoys a little mischief now and then.”

Monday morning, serenity embraced everyone as they arrived and anchored in Bahia Santa Maria. The seas were calm, the weather warm, and weary bodies rejoiced at the prospect of a day spent leisurely floating in the water. After Sunday night’s wild joy ride, “it was a much-needed respite and a chance to recharge our sun-kissed batteries.”

The day held a promised Baja Ha Ha Beach Party—a festive gathering of sailors ready to celebrate surviving the stormy encounter. But the real icing on the cake was the clearance into Mexico that night. With one hundred boats needing inspection, the clearance of all boats was done in two hours under the dark sky and bright stars while everyone took their crews passports in their dinghies to the Grand Poohbahs Catamaran. Immigration Services was on board to clear everyone into Mexico and it was really a site to see.

Setting sail with the 2023 Baja Ha-Ha has been quite the adventure! A lot of fun, thrill seeking moments, and NEW experiences.

The next morning the Ha Ha sailors were supposed to leave Bahia Santa Maria at 7am for Cabo San Lucas, the third leg of the Ha Ha. But alas, the wind had other plans! It unleashed its fury at 2am, waking everyone up with a deafening roar and winds strong enough to make even the hardiest of sailors question their sanity. Boats were spinning like dreidels. That’s a new form of boat yoga right there!

The Grand Poobah of the Baja Ha Ha, in all his wisdom, decided to delay the start by a few hours, probably hoping the wind and rain would take a breather and reconsider its life choices.
Undeterred by Mother Nature’s gusty mood, Hypnautic’s fearless crew analyzed their distance, speed, wind conditions and how to arrive to Cabo in sun lit conditions within 30 hours.

“We finally fired up the engines at 11am, ready to conquer the high seas. Despite the heavy winds, 4-6 foot seas, and rain, our sail turned out to be strangely enjoyable.”

“This crazy trip to Cabo has prepared us for an upcoming, slow and enjoyable winter months following, in the Sea of Cortez”.

As the rain bid farewell yesterday, everyone was treated to a stunning sunset that painted the sky with vibrant colors. And the sunrise was simply breathtaking. Warm weather, gentle winds, and peaceful seas—finally, a chance to catch our breaths and soak up the tranquility.

The trip south held much excitement for the crew as they had several “Fish On” moments. They reeled in magnificent Mahi, ensuring that our culinary adventures continue with fresh seafood on a continuous basis.

After surviving an epic 28-hour journey from Bahia Santa Maria, Hypnautic sailed into Cabo San Lucas. “We made it!” The heat there is no joke, hot, hot weather, had to turn the A/C on but hey, we were willing to sacrifice a few buckets of sweat for this paradise! And the crew took a moment to appreciate the trusty catamaran with hot blooded Sicilian margaritas. “Hypnautic sailed through the waves like a true champ, no issues whatsoever!”

Captain Mike and the crew deserve a medal for navigating safely through this memorable and crazy adventure. Now, it was time to unleash their inner party animals because the adrenaline junkies had arrived! It was three days of non-stop fiestas, unforgettable memories, and maybe a few questionable dance moves. But hey, what happens in Cabo, stays in Cabo, right?

Part Two – Coming Next

The Crazy Adventure continues from Cabo to La Paz and La Cruz via Espiritu Santos, Mazatlan and Chacala.