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A seven-hour U-turn at the border, a raw water pump that turned engine oil to gray sludge, and a squall that flipped the wind from 15 knots to 35 in minutes—this catch-up with Lizzie and Billy is the kind of salty storytelling that turns lessons into confidence. We reconnect in La Paz to trace their route from Drake’s Bay down the California coast, through the Channel Islands’ magic mix of breeze and flat water, and along Baja’s remote anchorages where AA batteries can buy you fresh lobster.

We dig into the decisions that matter: how to time capes like Point Conception, when to tuck in as nor’westers pulse down the Mexican coast, and why reading multiple forecast models beats trusting a single number. They share the gear that changed their margin of safety—AIS, Starlink, an EPIRB now and a life raft next—and the small systems checks that prevent big headaches. When seawater invaded the oil, they diagnosed the raw water pump, rebuilt it with spares on board, and ran repeated oil flushes with a heavy-duty extractor to get back underway. It’s a masterclass in pragmatic seamanship.

Provisioning and community come alive in this stretch of the Sea of Cortez. We talk customs snafus, Ensenada check-ins that smooth the way, and the reality of importing boat parts into Baja. The cruiser network—from WhatsApp groups to radio checks—keeps people safe when the wind pipes up, the dinghy is small, and the anchorage gets bumpy. Looking ahead, they’re targeting a late-March window for the Pacific, aiming for a calmer ITCZ and safer trades en route to Nuku Hiva, then letting weather and wisdom shape an island-hopping path through French Polynesia and beyond.

If you love real-world sailing—weather routing, squall tactics, anchoring strategy, and the art of going slowly on purpose—you’ll feel right at home here. Tap play, subscribe for more bluewater stories, and share this with a friend who’s dreaming of that first crossing. Got a must-stop island between the Marquesas and Fiji? Tell us where you’d go next.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

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GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
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