Up Baja to Bahia Concepcion!

After a quick stop in Puerto Escondido to resupply, we headed to Honeymoon Cove on Isla Danzante. Two years ago, Jeff and I stood on this island, after being brought there by a local panga during a visit to Loreto, and said “our boat needs to be here”. Well, here we are…

We met up with Betsy and Derek and their super chill goldendoodle Wilbur, again on Taj. The Mobula Rays were all around our boats; between them and the pelicans, it was a feeding frenzy on the bait balls and small krill in the cove. We sat on our boats and were entertained as if watching a Blue Planet show. The next day we headed north to anchor off the town of Loreto. The town does not have a marina and the anchorage is wide open; but we had incredibly calm winds that made for a peaceful night. That evening, we went to town as we heard about an art and music festival. We caught an all girl band from Ensendada that was brilliant. Well, for awhile. They started with awesome blues but diverged after their break into some more hardcore, headswinging riffs. Time for dinner and a margarita. While at dinner, we chatted with the young waiter who spoke fluent english. He should, he is from Chicago. He came down here to meet his d

ad for the first time and although it hasn’t turned out to be an Oprah episode, he was so mature, and was determined to get the best out of it. He was a gem of a young man.

We went to Puerto Escondido (again!) to prep for our friends visit and meet them on Monday. We also had our first real “rescue” on the dock. As we were washing down Salpare, I saw an elderly sailor struggling to bring his boat in to the dock.I suggested to Jeff that he go lend a hand. Within a minute, Jeff yelled to me “get our swim  ladder; there is someone in the water!”. I wrestled our ladder off and ran down the dock with it to find an older woman clinging to the dock by her fingertips. While they were approaching the dock, she leaned over and the lifeline stanchion gave way on their rather tired boat. She went in and was oh so lucky she didn’t hit the dock while falling. Jeff found here hanging on the dock 2’ above her, her husband overwhelmed with what to do, their outboard engine still running and the boat still not tied up. Jeff quickly had a plan, turned off the motor and yelled to me. We put the ladder on the dock and Jeff and her husband held it in place while I helped her climb out. She was a bigger person and had recently had back surgery so pulling her out would never have been an option. As, we were the only ones on the dock at the time. Jeff’s quick thinking under pressure; literally saved this from being a tragedy. As we reflected on the whole scene later that night, we looked at how many other outcomes this could have had; all bad. Jeff said “our first rescue; it won’t be our last”. We might just put smiley faces on our boom for lives saved…

Our friends arrived Monday afternoon. John and Sheri are members of Weber County Search and Rescue in Ogden, UT. I met both of them while leading a Mt. Rainier climb during a conference years ago. Jeff is also on the national Mountain Rescue Association Grant Committee with John so lots of mutual ties. Although the high winds prevented us from leaving on Tuesday, we hiked Steinbeck Canyon. If you’ve read the Sea of Cortez, by Steinbeck, then you know this canyon. Beautiful rock formations with cold, clear pools and a picnic lunch made for a stellar day. That night we went to Pedro’s in Loreto Bay for a late dinner. Pedro, the owner, is a larger than life character who makes his restaurant more than great food and margheritas. He welcomes everyone personally with hugs and warm holas! Two young musicians played Spanish guitar while we dined. During the dinner, Pedro grabbed one of the guitars and sang a rousing rendition of GLORIA from the 70’s to, who else but Gloria, at the next table. I sang along and Gloria and I become quick friends. She spoke no English and my little Spanish didn’t stop us from bridging the language gap. We’re now Facebook friends; yes, the world is a small and wonderful place.

The next morning we had a super fun sail to Punta Colorado on the eastern side of Isla Carmen. We guessed not more than 5 boats a year come to this anchorage as its off the beaten path. This was evident by the incredible shells that covered the beach; nothing picked over! A dark, calm night left us feeling like the only boat in the sea.

Back to our favorite, Honeymoon Cove for the next 2 nights and another sporting sail. The “Mobs” were still there in force. After seeing them heading for our cove from a hike to the hills above, we jumped in the dinghy and grabbed snorkeling gear. I practically leapt out of the dinghy as we got near and swam right into them. As with our time swimming with the whale sharks earlier in the trip; this was AWESOME! There were hundreds swimming from the surface to about 30’ deep. They just swam right around me as I marveled at their elegance. One little flutter of their wings and those suckers move! Back in the dinghy, Jeff and Sheri got a kick out of my squeals of delight sounding through my snorkel! I left the water tired but totally jacked up from the swim!

The winds continued to howl but we were safely tucked in the cove. At night, we had astronomy lessons from John and during the day we explored, snorkeled and swam. This cove will always have a special place in our hearts and memories.

As we said our goodbyes to John and Sheri after a fun week, we helped Betsy and Derek with a fuel issue while back in Puerto Escondido. We all headed north the next day for San Juanico. Betsy and Derek had driven their camper down a few years ago and stayed on this coast; so they were terrific and gracious guides for this area. San Juanico is a cove filled with jagged islets, small islands and a beach with a few campers.  Everyday at 5pm, those on land and sea gather at Whit and Jan’s - the local duke and duchess of SJ. I found these folks to be so laid back, friendly, open and generous. I’m sure each of them has an interesting story that brought them to this place; it would make for an great book. Most stay for a few weeks to a few months and come back each year. The bay has terrific snorkeling, crystal clear water and gentle hikes. It would be just another beautiful anchorage but the hospitality makes this place ever so special.

Happy Holidays and much love to all our friends and family!

Cruising North Along the Coast

Above Agua Verde

Isla San Francisco is one of those picture perfect anchorages; a large crescent shaped, turquoise  bay edged with a white sand beach. Straight out of a postcard. Plenty of room for a number of boats and pretty good protection from the ever present north winds. The hike on this island rose to a ridgetop above that gave views of the bay and the other side of the island as it narrowed at our anchorage. The plant life here confirms that its hard to improve on mother nature’s landscaping. Cactus tucked perfectly in to rocks, windblown twisted trees, flowering (but thorny!) small shrubs and towering Saguaro’s cover the hills. I had thought the primary color would be brown due to the desert feel of the area. But the rocky hills are covered with a lush, green blanket and backed by the Grand Canyon-like Sierra de la Gigantea mountain range. At Isla San Francisco, the mountains guide our port side for hundreds of miles. Truly like having an ocean in the Grand Canyon.

The winds picked up and died each day as we droned, snorkeled, swam and visited with a couple other boats in the bay. We stayed 4 nights to let the winds die down before we would continue north along the Baja coastline.

On our 3rd day, Jeff woke early in the dark and said “we have a cruise ship in the bay”. Huh??? It was Andromeda, the 360’ private yacht we saw out of La Paz. She and her two 70’ security/scout/servant boats had arrived. Word among the cruisers is that this is Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht now. I guess Facebook is making money. Andromeda is a stunning vessel that rises 6 stories, has a crew of 30 and the requisite helicopter sitting aft of the bridge. It was a bit crazy and amusing to watch them prep for the owner’s arrival. The scout boats made a small compound on the beach with umbrellas, poofy lounge chairs etc… Meanwhile, Andromeda vomited out more boats and toys than a water park. Two boats - 40’ and 30’ - were craned off the bow while 2 to 3 other smaller 25’ runabout types emerged from somewhere down below. A “garage door” opened on the side and the crew unfolded a 50’x50’ dock and 3 story waterslide. I guess you need that to tie all your small boats and the 4 jet skis and foiling wake boards and god knows what other toys they have stowed away. The helicopter flew away and came back a bit later with 2 on board - Mark and his wife? Then flew away again and came back with a few more. We watched with binoculars and cameras on the first flight. By the second, we became bored with the whole show. Oh, and the beach blanket bingo area set up by the support boats earlier; never used. After picking the water toys out of the water after the guests just left them there, they packed everything up during the night and all, including the big girl, were gone by daylight. Absolutely crazy, beyond any idea of excessive and as Jeff noted “we have the same view of the sunset as they do”. 

As we headed north towards our next anchorage, Agua Verde, the San Jose Channel entertained us with a dolphin show and Mobula Rays jumping! Lots of them! These little guys (maybe 3’ across) lob themselves (should they be called Lobulas?) 5-10 feet out of the water and bellyflop down. No knows why they do this but it looks like fun. There were so many we would just point and say “mob” when seeing one. Five hours later, we pulled in to Agua Verde and quickly joined our friends on Taj for happy hour. As usual this “hour” led to 3 more of meeting two other couples (and their smart, mature 10 yr. old daughter Ellie) stories, laughter and fun. They all weighed anchor early in the morning and we were left with only 1 other boat in the bay. I’m still wondering where is everyone? Still in La Paz I’m guessing.

We took the Hobie and SUP down the bay to Brisa del Mar, the very, very small restaurant. Small as in 1 table, in the sand, under the palapa. But, oh the food was good! And, Leonor and her “staff” were incredibly gracious and lovely to meet. We walked to the Tienda (store) which was more like a garage with old coolers and found most everything we needed for a quick resupply. The produce truck had just arrived the day before so plenty of fruit and veggies. I paid for an hour of wifi and sat on an old plastic chair, in the dirt yard among chickens while suffering through the slowest wifi. Sounds tough? It wasn’t. I also had a stunning view of the hills and steep mountains - the Gianteas - that made all cares and worries of slow internet fade. I turned off the iPad and listened to the family laugh and chat at their outside picnic table and watched the world go by. Simple, quiet and oh so nice.

Table with a view at Brisa Del Mar

The next day we hiked to the ridge for stunning views and to see the goats! A small goat dairy lets their critters free range the area. While sitting in the cockpit, you can hear the tinkling of their bells as they make their way across the steep hills. The main billy goat shoed his girls away from us as we hiked closer; pretty possessive and camera shy. Agua Verde is aptly named as this was the greenest water I have ever seen; not turquoise like the other bays but deep green. A swim around the point, with Jeff as my ever-present Hobie escort, was surreal with the color of the water. The winds had kicked up so it was a bit murky but a bit like swimming in emeralds. Another windy night on the hook with the moon lighting up the small bay like a spotlight.

After 3 nights in Agua Verde, we left for a quick stopover in Puerto Escondido. This is the only marina north of La Paz and its just 14 miles south of Loreto; where our friends John and Sheri arrive next week. Puerto Escondido is a hurricane hole - called this because the bay surrounding the marina is nearly completely enclosed by hills. Super protected! About a hundred moorings and room to anchor make this a popular stop for many. There were transiting boats here like us but many stay here as they have a small but active cruiser community. The marina was formerly a government investment (they developed a number of marinas in the Baja area over the last decade) but is now privately owned. Very modern, excellent staff but I worry how will they make it. There were plenty of open docks. The side streets are paved with street lights around the waterfront just waiting for development but nothing happening. We see a lot of this in Mexico; big dreams that seem to wither for different reasons. Fingers are crossed this one makes it and remains a great marina for cruisers. 

We hung out with new friends from Agua Verde, Sharon and Rich. Great dinner at the small but elegant restaurant at the marina and killer margaritas led to a late night for all of us. Well, 10 pm is really late for us. A quick trip to Loreto with a rented car and we are off again tomorrow for Honeymoon Cove on Danzante island. The plan is to stay the weekend there and head back over to Puerto Escondido on Sunday night. We pick up our friends on Monday afternoon and will stay a day or two in port. Another big wind is coming - they predict bigger than the string of northerlies we’ve been having - on Monday and Tuesday. Plenty to do around PE with a great small town, Loreto, beaches, hikes (Steinbeck Canyon) and history.

Two weeks on the hook so some catching up!

The Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by Las Cruceras (local cruising club at La Paz) was a hit for the 170 cruisers in the area. Jeff and I volunteered for a shift of serving out the main courses and general cleanup. Always good to give back a bit and a great way to meet new people. 

Speaking of meeting people… remember back at Cabo Pulmo the woman, Lisa, who dove with us and was made to walk the plank and dropped off at the next port after the owners wife got wind she was onboard? We thought we’d never see her again. Well, she popped up at the dinner and quickly flagged us over to sit at her table. Sure, what’s the harm in that.  I can honestly say I’ve never had such a weird conversation as that day… Most of which I cannot put in this blog - my DAD reads this! She is one crazy lady. When she started asking about our guest cabin; we made for the door. (Although her conversation led me to believe she wanted to sleep in OUR cabin with us in it too). Enough said there. We walked fast out of there and decided to walk back to our marina (2 miles). Periodically, with a bit of a  look of stalked prey on our faces, we peered behind us to make sure she wasn’t following. She did at first but we dropped her within a few blocks. She must be used to that…

The walk back on the Malecon that evening was just sublime. Lots of locals out using the beautiful esplanade around the bay. Runners, bladers, cyclists and walkers, both young and old, just out enjoying the beautiful sunset. La Paz is a really cool town. Back at the marina, we met up with Betsy and Derek for a late night snack (hey, we didn’t have any leftovers!) and margheritas. We were both taking off the next day in different directions; although we hope to see them in Loreto.

On Friday, we headed out to Isla Espiritu Santo; the 9 mile long island national park. What a fantastic place! The crossing was a bit windy and rolly but nothing we are not used to at this point. We chose a southern anchorage and were the first ones there. With 150 more boats in the area from the Baja Haha, I just expected there to be crowds. Many were not leaving La Paz for another few days due to the winds which was their loss as the island has many protected anchorages.

Bahia San Gabriel is a large bay that is open to the southwest. A gorgeous white sand beach wraps the inner bay.We snorkeled, swam, dinghied to land and hiked. Once again, the guide books led us astray on a hike. Book: A 2 mile trail leads to the largest beach on the island Playa Bonanza. Reality: A 4 mile hike each way with no trail but a few random rock cairns left by other lost souls takes you to the other side. However, when a north wind is blowing, the dune is breached and creates a large lagoon that blocks your access to the beach. Its a Wizard of Oz story… We never had to look any farther than our own bay and beach for perfection. 

Bahia San Gabriel

Two nights later, we headed north on the island to Ensenada Del Candolero where the winds howled for 2 days. Just a little chop in the bay where we and 2 other boats were anchored. It became a bit of a joke when I would say “but Predict Wind says they’ll dissipate this afternoon”. It never did let up. But, another fantastic snorkeling venue at Roca Monumento; the large rock that splits the bay. On land there was a fairly fancy camp set up for Swim Trek. This is a company that provides open water swimming vacations. Yes, there are people who will pay to do this! Their clients camp at the main camp in the bay and they get shuttled to different areas to swim each day. I hadn’t swam any distance since July but I thought I’d see how it would go. I swam over to them in the biggest chop/waves I’ve swam in and chatted a bit. They inspired me to do more distance swimming each day rather than just around the boat. We also visited with the kayak tour that was on the other side of the bay. They were looking longingly at Salpare bobbing in the bay as they prepped for their windy paddle.

Working our way up the island, our next stop was El Cardonsita. This is the small anchorage that sits between two of the more popular ones. When I say popular, I mean there might be 4-6 boats in it. I have no idea where everyone is… still waiting in La Paz???? This new site was a dream. Small enough to feel intimate yet long enough to have a primo snorkeling reef, long sandy shallow area and hidden sandy beach. Perfect for drone flying (see video), snorkeling right from Salpare and more swimming. The gulls and their yammering kept us laughing, too.

Needing to charge the batteries a bit, we left to check out the Sea Lion colony at the top of the island. Isla Islotes is jagged with raw beauty. The critters were out playing as we lazily circled the island. As the northerlies were supposed to start up again in a day or so, we decided to head to Isla San Francisco and start our journey towards Loreto.