by Fred Bret-Mounet, owner of Folie à Deux Lagoon 40'
December 10, 2024—13.6 knots! That’s the fastest we’ve ever sailed Folie à Deux, our Lagoon 40. But it came with a lesson: never sail to a timeline. We had to get someone to the La Paz airport, and the price was 40-knot gusts, 8-foot swells, and heavy reefing. I kept smiling to reassure the crew, but deep down, I was worried—no, terrified.
Five years earlier, I thought I’d rather die than sail at 5 knots. My experience on the water was all about horsepower. That’s why I was shocked when my wife gifted us sailing classes for Christmas in 2019. She’d noticed all the time I was spending on YouTube watching Parlay Revival, Onboard Lifestyle, and Life on the Hulls—not sailing channels at the time, but all about DIY boat building, one of my favorite things.
The Learning Curve
After months in COVID isolation, the reopening of outdoor activities—yes, even sailing—was a huge relief. We took ASA 101 in June 2020 and… wow, I was so wrong about sailing. ASA 103 and 104 followed that August and September. By 2021, I’d added 114, and in 2022, tackled 105, 106, and 118. In 2024, I topped it off with ASA 107, 108, and my OUPV/6-Pack.
For the next few years, we chartered bareboat catamarans in La Paz, the BVI, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Corsica. Hooked is an understatement. Two years ago, we bought Folie, our first boat—and then the idea of joining the Baja Ha-Ha started to grow.
The Prep
It took a year to get Folie à Deux ready: solar arch, watermaker, freezer, washer/dryer. On October 14, we sailed out of the Golden Gate—just Amina and me. I’ll admit: I was scared. A 3,600-mile round trip wouldn’t have been possible without serious support.
1. I’d taken Modern Sailing’s Offshore Passagemaking course, ASA 108, which prepared us for our solo stretch to San Diego.
2. The Baja Ha-Ha Rally gave us a guided framework for the trip down the coast.
3. We had crew onboard—sometimes five people, though it was just the two of us for half the journey.
4. I lined up an experienced crew for the notorious “bash” back north, including one who had done it before.
By the numbers:
- 3,463 NM covered.
- 86 days at anchor.
- 25 days docked.
- Longest passage: 2.5 days.
- Average speed: 5.5 knots. (6.5 going south, 4.5 on the bash)
The Bash
"The Bash" is when you fight your way North—against prevailing winds and currents. It’s wild: waves on the nose, 100% motoring, and waiting for the “least bad” weather window. Ours took 5 weeks, with 10 days of weather delays. Fortunately, we had buddy boats that made it all safer and more fun.
Stops Along the Bash:
- Bahía Los Frailes – Stunning, with a beach BBQ and incredible wildlife: mobula rays, Pelicans, baby turtle release, dolphins and whales!
- Puerto Los Cabos – Nice marina, but no drinking water and far from town.
- Punta Abreojos – Enterprising local helped us with fuel and served lobster at his uncle’s restaurant.
- Bahía Asunción and Bahía Tortugas – Weather kept us mostly boat-bound.
- Cruiseport Marina Ensenada – Smooth Mexican border exit.
- San Diego Harbor Police Docks – Uneventful U.S. re-entry; next time we’ll use the Zoom-based option.
- Catalina, Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara, Cojo Anchorage, Berkeley – Homeward bound.
Southbound: Golden Gate to San Diego
This was the leg I worried most about. By the time we left, most Ha-Ha boats had already departed. We were to pick up our first crew member in Santa Barbara—and I’d never sailed south of Half Moon Bay.
Turns out, I didn’t need to worry. We spotted a Ha-Ha boat on AIS: Connie and Steve Hill on Soirée. They took us under their wing and buddy-boated with us to Santa Barbara. The kindness of this community blew me away. Throughout the trip, people helped us, shared rides, lent us gear, and offered guidance. Some friendships, I’m sure, will last a lifetime.
Cueva Valdez on Santa Cruz island. All to ourselves!
Now that is something I had heard of but never experienced in person and certainly did not have it on charter: a very strongly knit community. This couple did not have to burden themselves with us. Throughout the whole trip sailors would reach out, drop by for sundowners, buddy boat with us, lend us their car and show us the ropes of the cruising lifestyle. We’ve built some relationships that I know will last a lifetime!
Magical Stops
- Half Moon Bay – 6 a.m. foggy departure: intimidating!
- Monterey – Kicked off our “walking lifestyle” (hiking, provisioning, sightseeing). Stillwater Cove – A quiet stop near Pebble Beach.
- San Simeon Bay – Views of Hearst Castle.
- Avila Beach and Cojo Bay – Rounding Point Conception.
- Santa Barbara – Charming and full of life (and a West Marine!).
- Cueva Valdez, Smuggler’s Cove, King Harbor Marina, Avalon Bay – Catalina magic… and prop-fouling karma!
Still Water Cove at sunset. This trip added hundreds of sunset and sunrise pictures to my collection!
The Baja Ha-Ha
We arrived in San Diego a few days early—just enough time to decompress. The Ha-Ha was a whirlwind of social energy. With 100 boats and 5 people on board, the watch rotations were light. We motor-sailed most of the way due to light winds.
Cabo? Total chaos. No slips, rolly anchorage, and way too many party boats. Sadly, weather canceled the infamous “Can’t Believe We Cheated Death Again” party and kissing contest—Amina and I had trained for that one. ;)
We covered a lot of miles in 2.5 months. Returning to a few anchorages several times… and never getting tired of it!
Cruising the Sea of Cortez
From Cabo, we headed to our dream destination: the stretch between La Paz and Loreto. In 2.5 months, we revisited anchorages without getting tired of them.
Favorite Stops
- La Paz – Very functional with easy access to a dinghy dock in marina de La Paz. We only stayed there for provisioning, pickup and drop offs. Do know that Malecón La Paz is party central and loud music is non stop? Also google for the “La Paz waltz”. That cost me 2 bridles and a painter tangled in a rudder. The good news is that now I have a bridle that can hold 10 elephants and I know how to splice rope! We also spent a few days in the marina for bottom cleaning. Marinas in the Sea of Cortez are expensive… a night in the Berkeley Marina goes for $1/ft. Marina de La Paz was not the most expensive but still ran for $2.25/ft!
- Caleta Partida – Shallow, well-protected.
- Caleta el Candelero – Turquoise water, magical dry waterfall hike.
- Ensenada Gallo & Cardonal – Beautiful walks and turtles.
- Isla San Francisco – Busy but worth it. A very popular bay about half a mile wide. One time we had at least 12 boats there! On the south end there is a hike along a ridge. Spectacular views but not for the faint of heart as at some points you have the width of a shoe ledge you have to navigate.
- Agua Verde – I think this was my favorite anchorage of them all! A tiny anchorage big enough for 5 or 6 boats. An excellent 2hr hike to the famous painted caves. A tiny village in the middle of nowhere with a couple bars and a small tienda.
- Punta Salinas – Abandoned salt mine for urban explorers.
- Honeymoon Cove – An adorable tiny anchorage that I’d never had the guts to spend a night in without a buddy boat. Time to talk about Aqua Voyager. Anabelle and Vincent noticed us within a few days of our arrival in La Paz and joined us for an impromptu sundowner. Like me, they are French immigrants but unlike me, they sold their home and started cruising full time in the sea of cortez. They now run a crewed charter business and I must say that I have been blown away by their hospitality, knowledge and cooking! Do check them out! So they had to go to Loreto to pick up a group of customers for a week-long downwinder back to La Paz between Xmas and New Year. They offered to buddy boat north and let me tell you that that week was a highlight of our stay!
- Isla Coronados – Hike up the volcano = epic (and exhausting). Shared Christmas dinner with foie gras and champagne!
- Loreto – Honestly, disappointing. Exposed anchorage and little to do.
- Puerto Escondido – Excellent marina with a luxurious free Captain’s Lounge.
- Timbabiche – Hidden gem thanks to NoForeignLand.
- Balandra – Beautiful but crowded. Worth a daytime visit. Not good for an overnight stay but a must see being that it has the famous Mushroom Rock, "El Hongo."
Final Reflections
Sailing the La Paz area was easy, with consistent afternoon northerlies and stunning wildlife. We swam with whale sharks, watched a mother whale and calf up close, and explored breathtaking scenery. No wonder it’s all protected.
With air temps in the 60s–80s and water temps in the low 70s, we needed wetsuits. But was it worth it? Absolutely.
With Starlink and a supportive employer, we didn’t have to sacrifice much. We’re already dreaming of the next adventure—maybe even a circumnavigation.
Carpe diem. Seize the day. Make your own adventure while you can.
Shoutouts
There are a lot of people that made this trip possible and such a great success!
First and foremost, my wife Amina. Thank you for enabling my dreams!
Our Amazing crew: Cory, Shelley, Davy, Mark, Annika, Andrea and Matt. You guys are legends.
The Haha. Without that rally we would have never had the guts to make this voyage.
Our buddy boats: Connie and Steve on Soirée, Anabelle and Vincent on Bay Dreamer, Karen and Manny on Dolce Vita, and finally Becky and Jeff on Emerald Sea. You salty sailors took us under your wings and helped us grow our confidence and discover a new lifestyle.
Finally, Modern Sailing and Tradewinds for getting me the knowledge needed.
