Anchorages in review - Bahia Santa Inez towards Santa Rosalia (April 24)

Nearing Santa Rosalia with Tres Virgenes (volcanos) in distance

[Our April 26th update from Santa Rosalia gave a brief description of our 'lumpy, bumpy' voyage over the 27 nm from Bahia Santa Inez.  Here are a few more details.]

Dropping anchor in Bahia Santa Inez basically cut our travel time in half to Santa Rosalia.  We did not have to awaken at 'oh-dark-thirty'; rather we were underway by the more reasonable 07:12 hours.  As we rounded the south point of Punta Chivato ,we were quickly  into 2 - 2.5 foot NE swells and strong current against us. No speed records set today.  Our radio reception was spotty, but we received a weather update from SV Content:  N 11 - 15 winds for the morning, with NNE 10 - 13 winds for the afternoon.  Paula and Bill had decided to cross to the mainland later that day and we wished each other safe travels.

Credit:  free whale image (Google images)

INTREPID II does a valiant job of moving through the water. She averaged 4.6  - 5.5 - 6.2 knots, motor-sailing that day as she bounced up and down and plowed through the contrary waves and current.  At one point, as Carol was below verifying our speed and course, Kelly called out "WHALE!", slowing down immediately as a large humpback, followed by dolphins, crossed our bow no more than two boat-lengths ahead.  We watched as it moved further east, then turned southward and paralleled our starboard side 100 feet away.  As it moved into a brilliant beam of sunlight we had that unforgettable picture of its massive tail flukes outlined against the sky.  [This photo was the closest we could find to recapture that moment.]

Then, while savouring that marine experience, we had to get INTREPID II back on course, continuing on our way towards the eastern side of Isla San Marcos.  Winds were NNW 10, on the nose, as we held to a 328 heading and took pictures of the changing topography of this island, which is home to a gypsum mine and a small village.

Rock formations on crest of Isla San Marcos

Pelican heading southward

There are anchorages available around San Marcos, all somewhat impacted by the noise and dusty air of the mine.  Off the northern tip, strong tidal currents are prevalent and we stayed well off the rocks and reefs as we continued our approach to Santa Rosalia.  By 11:40 we were dropping the main, putting out fenders and attempting to contact the Fonatur Marina for a slip.  No answer on VHF radio, so we kept our fingers crossed and entered the breakwater with a sharp left turn towards the docks.  From our initial visit, we knew we wanted a slip with the wider dock.  Fortunately although there were several boats tied up, we slipped into A14, starboard tie.   Engine went off at 12:09; travel time of just over 5 hours.  This time our fuel calculations showed a better result:  0.7gallons/hour; not bad for all the headwinds and adverse currents encountered that day.

Looking towards breakwater and harbour entrance (east)

Gathering up our 'important papers' we headed to the marina office.  Once we were assured there really was hot water in the showers and laundry, we paid for our moorage and set off to see the town.

PS:  For the LGD infrastructure folks, project signs are important in Baja California Sur as well.  This one is located near the central plaza and is a project for the lighting of the locomotive monument.

[This brings things back 'up to date' in a round-about way....we were able to do blog updates from Santa Rosalia on].

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

Puerto Ballandra to Aqua Verde - Monday Feb. 13

On our Monday morning departure from Puerto Ballandra towards Aqua Verde, we had a beautiful sunny morning, a slight ripple and swell to the sea and a smiggin of haze over the Baja peninsula. We motored slowly over to SV Daydreamer to say farewell, then headed down the west side of Isla Carmen.  Soon afterwards, we spotted some fins between INTREPID II  and the island but nothing we could capture in photos.  As the splashes became more exuberant, we determined there were more than a few dolphins in the area.  Out came the cameras; soon we had a pod of Bottlenose dolphins swimming over to check us out.

Such an event is a major treat. With the calm seas, we were comfortable leaving the auto pilot on and moving forward on the deck; Kelly to starboard and Carol to the bow.  We try to remember that experiencing these encounters is more important than taking photos.  It is extremely difficult to duplicate in a photo the awe and connection you feel when a dolphin turns on its side and regards you with its very knowledgeable look.

These photos offer a glimpse of our special treat.

Catch-up: Guaymas to San Juanico February 7 - 9

This is a more detailed description of our passage from Guaymas westward to Caleta San Juanico a few weeks ago:

As we commented in our earlier 'summary', our departure from Guaymas was challenged by unexpected fog and the temporary closure of the port.  Once we were well underway and through the last of the fog banks, INTREPID II responded well to being back at sea at long last.  Our concern about growth on the propeller and waterline seemed needless, as she made good time.  The engine stayed on to charge the batteries as we were using radar and the auto-pilot through the fog banks and on into the night.  Our main was up and the jib was rolled out whenever we picked up enough wind to throttle back the engine yet make around 6 knots.

Captain catching 20 winks

We made an attempt to take turns resting during the late afternoon and evening, anticipating our usual lack of a good night's sleep on a first overnight passage.  Dinner was a hearty bowl of soup with crackers followed by a hot cup of tea in the cockpit.  The sun set and the full moon rose soon after, amidst clouds, but still illuminating the sea and providing a silvery backdrop to the horizon.  About 23:00 hours Kelly spotted lightening in the distance - 12 to 15 nm to the north.  We continued to see flashes from time to time both to the north towards Santa Rosalia and south towards Loreto.  The radar allows us to pick up storm cells and gives us a sense of how quickly the clouds are passing by.

Nearing San Juanico at sunrise

By 02:00 Wednesday morning, we felt the spatter of tiny raindrops and at 04:40 a heavy downpour had us glad we'd kept up the bimini even though we were still in our foul weather gear, with hats and gloves to ward off the night chill.  By 07:00 we were 2 miles from our way-point outside the entrance to Caleta San Juanico and could make out the shape of Punta Pulpita to the north and the opening to the bay. Sunrise soon followed and our eyes adjusted to locate the familiar shape of the Spires, as a motor vessel headed south out of the anchorage.  We were surprised to find as we dropped the main and slowly motored in that we had the place all to ourselves and could pick our anchoring spot .  A real novelty.

07:50 - anchor down, SPOT message sent out saying 'here we are - all is well'. We checked in with the Sonrisa ham net to say we'd arrived safely.  A quick check to make certain we'd stowed and tidied all on deck and in the cabin, then we settled down to a few hours of well earned sleep.  Later that afternoon, we were joined by SV Mystique, who considerately anchored a distance away, but gave us a friendly call on the VHF to compare notes.

The Spires by day, with light choppy seas

The Spires by full moonlight

That evening we spent time on deck after dark star-gazing at a clear, dark canopy, with brilliant, sharp points of light throughout the night sky.  That's what we'd hoped for during our crossing, but were appreciating it all the more. The golden moon, still full, rose behind the "Spires" at our stern, and dramatically outlined these jagged rocks.  Of course, pictures could not do it justice.  We retired for the night with a renewed sense of why journeying by sailboat to such anchorages was so special.

The next morning was clear, but the northern winds began to blow early and we chose to enjoy our view from the boat.  The forecast NNW  11 - 14 knot winds were actually in the 18 - 23 knot range before they settled down to 11 - 15 knots for the next few hours.  Still it was a sun-shiny day.  Kelly had deployed both flopper-stoppers to stabilize our rolling in the south-east swells finding their way into the anchorage.  The Mystique crew, Terry and Patricia, did take their dinghy out for a spin and stopped by for a chat before heading back.  Shortly after, a familiar red-hulled sailboat glided in and anchored to the south of us, SV Char-Anne.  Our turn to call them on the radio and wish them a good evening.

San Juanico - clear blue water and rocky islets

The weather forecast predicted a change to south-east winds; we made a decision to move on the following day.  Friday morning, we raised anchor and motored slowly past SV Char-Anne to say adios and wish them a quiet stay.  Their turn to have the place to themselves, as Mystique had left earlier.

Next stop is towards Isla Carmen to the east of Loreto;  perhaps Puerto Ballandra anchorage, a new destination for INTREPID II.

Carnaval in La Paz!

The INTREPID II crew was just as surprised as our family and friends to find ourselves at the dock in Marina Palmira last Thursday (Feb. 16th) and just in time for Carnaval.  Our plans were find a quiet time in a peaceful anchorage further north!

Punta Salinas with light tower to left, looking north

However, winds and waves were at odds in many of our stops along the way, which kept us moving south.  Our intentions to stay out in the San Evaristo, Islas San Jose and Espirito Santos anchorages for at least another week faded after a very rolly and unsecure night at Punta Salinas, Isla San Jose.  A beautiful spot, with some northwest wind protection, a beautiful sandy beach and the ruins of the salt mining operation.   Waves and wind turned to the south and west and we were somewhat vulnerable.  Not exactly a formal anchor watch all night, but the next best thing. As we headed out the next morning we heard that most everyone found their choice of anchorage was not ideal.  Some of this is 'local conditions' and some is the timing of fronts as they move through.

Abandoned buildings of salt mining operations

After sailing for 5 hours and checking out Ensenada Grande and Caleta Partida on Isla Partida, we observed the south-west waves we were experiencing (2 - 4 feet) continue on in to the mostly western exposure anchorages.  The Captain announced he'd rather be sailing in these conditions than anchored in them.  Agreed!  That added another 4 hours of pounding towards La Paz, but meant we could be at a dock by 5 pm.  A radio call to Marina Palmira brought the unexpected news that there was no room at the inn!  However, we are very grateful that Adriana and her colleague found us a spot for a few nights and we will be shuttling around the marina as space becomes available.

The winds continued blustery. We headed INTREPID II into the La Paz channel, which makes a right turn at Costa Baja marina and contemplated dropping the main in fairly tight conditions.  What a team. A quick pair of sail ties around the main for the moment, then out with the fenders and dock lines; complete with a salty splash bath for Carol as she was at the bow.  Helping hands met us at the dock and we were once again in La Paz, one of our favourite Mexican cities.

Kelly on the Malecon with La Paz anchorages behind

The usual paperwork at the office was a pleasant task as this was our third stay here. We felt welcomed and well treated.  The schematic of the docks on the wall indeed showed a very full picture with far more cruisers staying put than heading out.  With a treat of hot showers, a quick dinner and sleep we were content in spite of the start of the Carnaval celebrations to the south.  Friday morning we caught the shuttle in to Club Cruceros at Marina de La Paz and enjoyed meeting with several cruising friends.

New 'pasarelle' and dinghy dock downtown 

We asked for referals for Spanish tutors, then took our time walking back along the Malecon towards 'home', about a 3 mile meander.  Looking at the Carnaval kiosks set up along the way, dropping into familiar shops and enjoying the views.  The anchorages are also full and Vista Coral has now become an actual, rather than virtual marina.  The City has recently constructed a new pedestrian walkway to a dinghy dock located to the north of Marina de La Paz.  It is a much needed addition to allow cruisers anchored out another option for 'parking the family car' to go shopping.

Coconut drink to share

Nearing 'home' we stopped for a coconut drink.  First you sip the milk through straws and then the vendor chops out the coconut meat which you can munch on.  Not as refreshing as we'd anticipated, but worth a try.  Once back at INTREPID  II, we gave her a good rinse, but the real bath will come later.  All in all a good start to our stay in the "City of Peace".