26th march

at 12h ALCYONE is anchored in SANTO DOMINGO, on the east side of famous BAHIA CONCEPCION. With a light northern, this shallow anchorage is note really protected but not far from the MULEGE oasis, wich is it giving the excellent internet connection we need:  If we receive daily through the SSB a sailmail with the GFS weather forecast, we need much more informations since the rocket evolution of this bloody Coronavirus.

We are alone: Most Americans and Canadians are gone already, many lift already their boats in GUAYMAS, SAN CARLOS or PUERTO ESCONDIDO and are on their way home...

Punta Santo Domingo anchorage: Making decision !

This 26th march internet connection of SANTO DOMINGO is ending our BAJA cruise:

We learn that the covid-19 is dramaticly spreading;  Europe with Italy n Spain now is the hottest place of the virus war.

- From more than a week, France, after a long period in level 2 shift last week in Level 3.

- USA, after a long deny of situation's gravity offer the promess of a real and violent chaos.

- No way to get a cheap flight home through USA: Cow boy country closed boarder for aliens.

- Mexico is in level 2, but, the fast evolution in the USA can probably moves the country faster.

- We know Hurricane season start in 2 months in BAJA n give plenty of time to leave  but...where ?

- South pacific island as New Zealand (where Jim our son is working) and New Caledonia (where my brother Franck is living) operate complete lock of the territory, freezing activities and rejecting any incoming flight and any landing of no endemic cruiser.

This situation give us 2 choices:

1)  Staying on board in extrem north of the sea of Cortez; some "north american snow birds cruisers" play it yearly in summer because the area is out of the hurricane belt; but it's not so glamour: from june to september, humidity and heat are very high: Sleeping with a temperature exceeding 33 degres, even with fans is a real challenge. we can also expect that the  mexican authorities  ll probably forbid any boat's movement... We are cruising to express our freedom, not to stay in one place n we really prefer avoid that !

2) Leaving MEXICO as soon as we can, but is it still possible?

We continue our internet investigation and the 2 following videos gave us motivation and solution:

- An official intervention of french foreign minister LE DRIAN, asking to expatriate to stay or to return as quick as possible.

- An unbelievable video of the mexican president LOPEZ OBRADOR: A few days before on public speach, he seems not fearing the covid-19, minimizing the effects...showing to all mexican people inside his jacket 2 "amulets": for him, the best protection against the virus !

How can we stay here after that, knowing the warm habits of the mexican people n what happenned in Hong Kong and Europe ?

We call the french Embassy hot line to know if this is a fake news...We get immediatly  a young volunter - BRAVO N THANKS- who confirm this is real fact and advise us to come back home as soon as we can.

France is organizing the return of his citizens and the young n smart operator confirmed that the last AIR FRANCE flight from MEXICO to PARIS so far is on the 5th april...

This is enough information for us:

We have to get this flight: AIR FRANCE hot line is exploded but internet booking and visa terminal are perfectly working:  Thanks to Salvador (from the shipyard in PUERTO PENASCO  who ll lift our cat later) who could extend our internet package, we can book on board the flight with a transfer from MEXICALI (4 hours driving from the shipyard)...

Now we have to cross fingers... and move to be home in one week ! Our race has 6 steps:

1) 26 march ->2nd april: HEADING TO PUERTO PENASCO...playing with Baja weather

2) 2->4 april: LIFT N PREPARATION OF CAT IN PUERTO PENASCO..the race continue

3) 4->5th april: LAND DRIVE AND OVERNIGHT IN MEXICALI...last possible day !

4) 5->6 april: FLIGHTS MEXICALI->MEXICO->PARIS...Mexico above Paris in safety ?

5) 6->7 april: PARIS CDG, OVERNIGHT N LAST FLIGHT TO NICE...welcome to France

6) 7th april: FROM NICE AIRPORT TO OUR HOME IN CANNES...almost as usual

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1) 26 march ->2nd april: HEADING TO PUERTO PENASCO...playing with Baja weather

On 26 march we have almost 300 mile to go facing a dominant North wind, but we have a bit of time, a fast boat, and Salvador from PUERTO PENASCO shipyard can lift ALCYONE  anytime...no reason to tack in a consistent northwind;

- We ll stop in anchorages if North wind blow more than 15k using the stops to clean.

- We ll use the engine in calms (mostly night time)

- We ll sail in all other conditions.

On 27th n 28th march, North wind is too strong: We wait, cleaning interior of cat as far as we can before the coming dry dock;  We can leave the anchorage of PUNTA SANTO DOMINGO on 28th evening and start

motoring ...2 nights including 6 hours later, on 30th morning, we arrive in  BAHIA OF LOS ANGELES. No more cruisers, no more pangas, our light wind sailing approach to the village in the morning is strange; no internet too here... we want to continue northward but an other northern is forecasted and we have to stop :  LA GRINGA anchorage is the good place to wait again, to rest, to clean...

A south wind is expected and should push ALCYONE to her final goal PUERTO PENASCO.

Night motoring is a solution to avoid the daily North wind...

...Early morning approach of BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES...

Is the tiny village offer any 3G ?

No... nobody in the village, nobody on the sea: sunday morning, or covid-19?

a strong Northern is forecasted...we have drop anchor in LA GRINGA for 2 days, and expect southwind later

Between resting n cleaning...sorry, no more time for you !

ALCYONE started with the engine middle of the night: Magic time with phosphorecent wakes and coyote cries...

We are alone in the area, the northern vanished, the southwind still not here...we already  miss the desert !

1st april: Southwind !

We use the good conditions to prepare the dry dock...

ALCYONE sail too fast ...wind increase: 1 reef on the evening, no way to arrive night time in PUERTO PENASCO !

Drifting without sail:  ARIZONA BEACH, opposite to PUERTO PENASCO

A quick look inside PUERTO PENASCO harbour shows no dock available. ..

2) 2->4 april: LIFT N PREPARATION OF CAT IN PUERTO PENASCO...the race continue

PUERTO PENASCO is a fishing harbour, with the good and bad things connected...No welcome dock and Helena has to jump on a 30 cm thick guano covered dock to tie ALCYONE. Fortunatly , we are lifted by the shipyard ASTILLEROS CABRALES  a couple of hours later.

We need usually between one week to 10 days to prepare ALCYONE for long months of dry storage before leaving...this is the condition to find everything in good state on our way back. This year is special, we have only 2 days, but we could worked a lot on board to prepare on the way....The most important is the rinse of the sails, the boat...protect de pannels the dinghy before final cut of 3 batteries banks.

This dock is the only possible...but no choice, south wind is still blowing...

...30 cm of guano, but we can make formalities n call the shipyard !

One hour later, ALCYONE  is lifted in the narrow dock...

Hot ! shipyard has a powerfull Travelift but a fishing fleet experience...

Care n muscles of mexican staff could compensate the rustic conditions...

...but ALCYONE is rustic too, and operation is succesfull !

Salvador senior and junior; the CABRALES dynasty: building one of the best place to leave a boat in MEXICO !

Thanks to them, our beloved ALCYONE  is moving to a place to wait more than 6 month our return to MEXICO

We have less than 2 days to finish the cat preparation...

Fortunatly wind is friendly n we can rinse n dry the sails...

ALCYONE did'nt enjoy dock freshwater during 1 year...

Clean hydranet Jib ll be better stored folded inside !

We did it ! after 2 days of intense work, ALCYONE is ready to stay safely more than 6 months in the shipyard .

3) 4->5th april: LAND DRIVE AND OVERNIGHT IN MEXICALI...last possible day !

We cannot take the risk to miss our tomorrow 5th morning flight from MEXICALI. We decide to overnight in this big city on the US border:  1 million inhabitants, capital of Baja California North and, in summer one of the hottest place in the world .

Salvador senior - thanks again- book an Hotel there by phone in the morning...we don't know this is the last possible

night in an hotel in MEXICALI.

Marcos from the shipyard is ready to bring us there on 4th afternoon; Just before leaving, our nice mexican driver help us to remove the 2 heavy daggerboard (110 kg each) from the cat . Then he filled his tiny Chevrolet Spark with our luggage and we leave in early afternoon all 3 PUERTO PENASCO.

Not less than 4 hours and 3 police roadblocks later, we arrive in the "SLEEP INN" MEXICALI to learn that the hotel is closing... tomorrow. No airport shuttle anymore...no problem, UBER is efficient n cheap in MEXICALI as in many big cities of the country.

It seems

MEXICO is now reacting with a lot of energy against the covid-19, and it's good news for mexican people...

Our fear is that we cannot do the electronic flight check in and w

e imagine our funny position if our flight is cancelled and there is no more hotel ! Of course no way to join AIR FRANCE...

For the second time we call the french embassy, we get again a nice young volunter's voice, confirming at least he Mexico-Paris flight...everything should be allright.

For the second time, these young persons in the french embassy replace the saturated AIR FRANCE hot line ,

THANKS AGAIN !

Marcos and his tiny and his courageous Chevrolet Spark, ready to leave the shipyard with us and our 70kg luggage

First roadblock when leaving: without any covid-19 case so far the desert isolated city decide to control it's 3 access !

Halfway on the road to MEXICALI...an incredible desert !

2th roadblock, before leaving the desert: mexican army...

...All our 4 pieces of luggage dive in the scanner...

...No problem: this drug oriented, anyway this check point is always here !

3rd and last roadblock arriving in MEXICALI:  federal police...

This time is not so easy...I have to erase pictures n we leave...

4) 5th->6 april: FLIGHTS MEXICALI->MEXICO->PARIS...Mexico above Paris in safety ?

We ll assist to a huge contrast between MEXICALI airport on 5th morning and MEXICO airport same day in the afternoon:  all staff is wearing masks, the airport shuttles are 100% desinfected at each travel,  heat pistol to detect passenger temperature etc etc...

France is already in level 3 from a few weeks, w

e are not prepared to get a true shock arriving in PARIS ROISSY CDG !

On the way to MEXICALI aiport: No protection for this young UBER driver...

Same at check in counter; we are so happy the flight to MEXICO is maintained !

...we feel a bit "alien",  wearing alone  the protection masks...

Boarding 11h00, one hour before the level 3 in MEXICO...no special care !

MEXICO airport 15h00, MEXICO is now at war: all staff with Mask...

Heat gun to check temperature of each incoming traveler in the airport hub...

whole  team waiting for the airport terminal shuttle...

...cleaning the interior at each trip

Airport Mac Do, reduced staff, long service ... high protection too...

...but the Full AIR FRANCE plane offer a perfect ground for covid-19 action...

leaving MEXICO,  one of the more polluted city in the world with  tonight an incredible clear sky !

5) 6->7 april: PARIS CDG, OVERNIGHT N LAST FLIGHT TO NICE...welcome to France !

We are so happy to arrive in France, even if AIR FRANCE delayed one day our Paris-Nice flight;

no problem, we are not priority passengers, but at least, we expect infos in AIR FRANCE transfer desk in Roissy...but what a unpleasant surprise: There is an AIR FRANCE transfer counter on our arrival from MEXICO on 6th a bit before 14h00 in the international zone , there are also a half dozen hostess, but why ? they reject all passengers as if they have the pest, sending them to terminal 2F...

Why not?  we move there but when arriving in 2F, another strange surprise : Next to Alitalia open  office, Air France office is closed; We call the hot line  and get somebody from AF for the first time: a very polite lady who ask us after 10mn...  to call the "after sale service"...This is enough !

A walking AIR FRANCE hostess tell us to return to international terminal where we should have the last chance to find an AIR FRANCE staff in whole airport this sunday. We follow her advise and finally get the logical information we expect: We have to arrange ourselves everything before our Paris-Nice flight of tomorrow...

Let's go to IBIS hotel...perfect minimum service:  Distance imposed at the counter, no physical exchange with on the spot  internet booking n payment,  helpfull staff,  clean rooms even without breakfast...but with the present situation ...who ll complain?

I suggest ACCOR GROUPE give lessons to AIR FRANCE international transfer desk...

Next day, the last flight of the 7th is full again, we see more masks (staff n passenger) , but in Nice as in Paris yesterday, zero  health control on arrival....We expected a quarantaine...

Around 14h30: This is where Air France send us...a closed office...

frustrating because next door office ALITALIA is open...Are we in France ?

Smart n welcoming  minimum service of HOTEL IBIS CDG...

Next day: Distance on  Paris-Nice check in...

Mask behind the desk...

but as usual,  compact queue when boarding the plane...

another full plane...and again zero health control on arrival, this time in NICE

6) 7th april: FROM NICE AIRPORT TO OUR HOME IN CANNES...almost as usual

The drastic french measures against the covid-19 forbid our friend Daniel to pick us up with our car at Nice airport...This is a good thing for Jean Philippe,  An "Uber" guy who bring us to Daniel's home in Auribeau; we get our car to drive back home with a long stop on the way to Carrefour Antibes where we fill the empty space of the car with all food we can ...

This last step of our return is easy with nothing special, but after one year on board

We confirm:

- France has the best food offer in the world !

- How easy it is to shop with a caddy and a car !

- How nice it is to be home with the bird's songs !

At 16h00,  12 days after our decsion in a remote Baja anchorage , our boat is in safety on a dry  dock in Mexico and we are back home, we ll cruise  again after september...

Happy UBER drive us from airport to Auribeau sur Siagne...

home of our confined friend Daniel who took care about our car...

...then on the way home: Top up  car with one of the best food offer in the world

...to arrive this 7th april 16h in our Moure rouge home...we did it;  now is time to relax !

We can thanks

1) the french governement for the actions to bring the frenchies back home and for the top telephone information we got twice from the embassy in Mexico.

2) Both Salvadors n Marcos from Astilleros Cabrales for their help to lift/store safely  the boat and to reach Mexicali

3) Air France, because the flights were not cancelled, despite a chronic lack of telephone information in Mexico, despite arrival in Roissy cdg: a deficient transfer team, a closed office...Its seems so simple to continue the job safely with an organize a safe queue as do IBIS hotel !

4) Our french friend Daniel to have prepared our car after more than one year of absence.

Blog is in now in "stand by mode"until september... Let's kill this virus first !

Covid ll delay our launching for february 2021 with a wild Polynesian cruise !