Anchorages in review - Bahia Santispac (April 18 - 22)

Santispac beach and restaurant

The SV Content crew arrived some hours later, as they are diligent about maintaining low revs and conserving fuel. Bill and Paula picked a spot to anchor, which we decided was even better than ours, as it offered more SE wind protection. Time to stretch legs, so we met up on the beach.  Playa Santispac is home to a restaurant formerly called Ana's (now Lupe's) as well as a campground for RVs and tents, all located just below the trans-peninsula highway which leads to Mulege.

SV Content at anchor in Bahia Santispac

There are small bays throughout the larger Bahia Concepcion, with homes and palapas scattered about.  On our first visit in 2010, we experienced the exuberance of Semana Santa , with a crowded beach, lots of activity near and on the water.  This visit was a quieter one, although the anchorage filled up in the days to come.   We slept well after the day's travels, in spite of the sound of air brakes as trucks came down the hill towards the bay.

Thursday morning we slept in and caught Geary's weather  on VHF 22 about 08:10.  Geary lives just 'down the road' at El Burro Cove.  He tapes his Sonrisa net forecast for the local broadcast and adds a details specific to Bahia Concepcion.  The temperature was rising with 87 degrees forecast and winds ESE 14 - 18.  It appeared a good day to catch a ride into Mulege as we'd been at sea for over two weeks and wanted a few fresh veggies and to top up our liquid nourishment.  Friendly folks camping in an RV, whom we'd met the night before, gamely drove the four of us the 20 miles into Mulege and drove us back as well a few hours later.  It definitely beats the uncertainty of hitch-hiking.

Towards Mulege

Great food 

We were able to provision, find that the only dive store had closed down, buy some souveneir t-shirts and enjoy a tasty lunch.  Mulege is a friendly community and we enjoyed our brief visit.   Our timing was good returning to the anchorage, as late afternoon brought NNW winds gusting up to 19 knots. That evening Kelly rowed us in against somewhat lighter winds for happy hour at the restaurant, meeting some new folks and reconnecting with Pepe, the bartender and Russ, the restaurant owner. By cruisers' midnight, after a rewarding and practical day, we found we were facing south in rolly swells; nothing we couldn't sleep through.

La Posada beach and homes

The next days were filled with boat chores, such as discovering why aren't the batteries charging? There is lots of sunshine and the solar panels are keeping busy!  We walked on the beach, took dinghy rides to La Posada which has an excellent bakery; had a splashy ride to El Burro Cove for a visit with weather guru Geary to thank him in person for all his weather forecasts, and enjoyed dinner at the restaurant.

It was HOT - the temperature reached 90 F and fans were on in the cabin.  We felt incredibly lethargic and the winds were actually welcome when they blew up in the late afternoons.  Friendly little finches sang cheerfully as they tried to nest under our mainsail cover, almost from the minute we had dropped anchor!  Soon the sail cover was bristling with every clothespin we could find to keep the openings tight.  Our fear was that if they wasted all their time trying to nest on the boat, they would lose everything once we left.

Tres amigos at La Posada Bakery

Friday evening, we were enjoying a tasty meal with Paula and Bill and our RV friends, when the crew of Keetya I walked in.  Rob and Kim had put their boat on the hard in La Paz and were driving homeward.  Some serendipity, a chance to catch up and introduce them all around. They have spent several vsits here and are right at home with the staff.  Somehow we were talked into staying longer. One more day, so we could take in the weekly Saturday bbq and dance.  Once again a good tine was had by all.  The night breezes cooperated as we rowed back to INTREPID II with music following us over the water.  There was no chance of staying awake just a bit longer to watch the meteor shower; it had reached 96 F by early afternoon and all that heat and good food and dancing made for very sleepy cruisers.

Cool clear water

Anchorages in review - to Bahia Concepcion (April 18)

Just before dawn

The forecast for Wednesday (on Tuesday) was for either ESE 15 - 20 knots (Geary's wx) or SE 10, with seas SE 1 - 2 feet and W 10 - 15 at night (Stan's wx).  We awoke at 05:30 to a 1013 bar, light SW winds 8 - 10 and a light south west swell.  Our options included Bahia Santispac in Bahia Concepcion - 55 nm, Santa Domingo - 47 nm and Punta Chivato - 56 nm.  So a planned journey of 9 or 10 hours, possibly shorter, if the SE winds cooperated with INTREPID II.   SV Dune had left much earlier; they had planned to be underway by 4:30 am.  The pre-dawn hours are special times. We had a crescent moon overhead as we raised the anchor and the main quietly, waved adios to San Juanico and headed out at 06:25.  Sunrise followed at 06:58; beautiful and peaceful as we motored northbound, passing La Ramada anchorage in 2 foot swells.  

Sunrise

Not much success with accessing weather updates on the Sonrisa net.  We were able to check in with Ellen  of SV Galatea who was net control that day.   Interestingly, she and Jim were underway, nearing San Carlos on the mainland and we could pull them in; but as we were heading closer to Bahia Concepcion and Geary's home base of El Burro Cove north west of us across a low mountain range, we had interference. About the same time, the Captain made the discovery that our batteries were not charging!  The latest challenge!

SV Content radioed us on VHF to advise they had left San Juanico as well and were about 30 minutes behind us;  they had no success hearing the weather update either.  We motored passed Punta Pulpito which was less forboding in the early light and passed the sand dunes on the north side of Punta Santa Teresa.  Mid morning brought longer swells and calmer seas, as we continued on a 327 degree heading at 6.7 knots; later an adjustment to 312 degrees around Punta Santa Teresa.  At 11:25 SV Dune called to advise they were near Bahia Concepcion, but were going to continue on to Santa Rosalia - keeners! 

Punta Pulpito off port side

Sand dunes north side of  Punta Santa Teresa

Fishing ....

The day was pleasant and sunny, the winds had not yet filled in.  It is always a mystery as to when "afternoon winds" will show up.  The current and swells were not in our favour, but you can't have everything.  Fishermen waved from their panga; a dozing seal lay on its back, flippers in the air.

Dozing seal ....

Punta Concepcion 

Now that we were closer to our destination we didn't want strong SE winds, as we prepared to turn west and then south into Bahia Concepcion and have them be on the nose.  What greeted us was a large fishing vessel at the head of the bay.

Trawler and gulls

However, with a SE 10 wind we were able to boost our speed to 7 knots with a 179 degree heading, so no complaints.  It is about an hour long trip down into the smaller anchorages of Bahia Concepcion; the depths are very shallow and this time there were tiny black flags bobbing here and there very close to the channel.  

Courtesy of Avalon Travel and Moon.com

Turning right at Punta Piedrita, we found an empty anchorage, except for one small sailboat at a mooring; the restaurant owner's vessel.  As we motored and watched for seaweed and sandy spots, the wind started to rise from the north - local conditions?  At 14:55 we were anchored in 25 feet at 26 45.819 N, 111 53.112 W after a long 9 hours, but not strenuous ones.  Later, checking our distance and fuel consumption, we we disappointed to discover we used 8.5 gallons motoring 8.5 hours. We turned our thoughts to tidying up and watching for the arrival of SV Content and then make a visit to the beach.  (Of course - it was Wednesday and "Ana's" was closed.)

INTREPID II anchored in Bahia Santispac