Madrugada

Dawn in my favorite moment during these long passages, and madrugada, which means dawn, is one of my favorite Spanish words. The watches at night, especially when it is cloudy and dark, can be a little grim, a little frightening. We've had two night passages when the wind has been strong, and called for sail changes, so that neither of us got much sleep.
When dawn breaks, we can see the land masses and the sea often settles down. Everything seems a bit more manageable. Optimism returns.
We are now about a third of the way down the Pacific Coast of Baja, anticipating our anchorage at Bajia Tortugas, which is protected from the swell and should allow us a few nights of easy sleep.