Nov 27, 2009

A Sailing Vacation in the Sea of Cortez

Beautiful sunsets and calm anchorages are a big part of the Sea of Cortez experience. Sailing conditions are also very benevolent during the winter season, making this a great introduction to sailing charter vacations.

Uninhabited Islands with pristine beachs are just part of the allure of the Sea of Cortez. Jacques Cousteau called it "The aquarium to the world," and the Sea still lives up to that remarkable description. Seals, dolphins, whales and rays are all part of the scenery. This view of Yellowstone Beach is from a sandy knoll on the north shore of Isla Montserrat with Sea Story at anchor is the distance. Great swimming and snorkeling. Notice how crowded the anchorage is!

Are You Up For A Sailing Vacation?

After four winter seasons of cruising the Pacific Coast of Mexico, I've found the ideal place to offer as a charter vacation to everyone open to a sailing experience in one of the most intriguing areas of North America. This particular part abounds in sea life and remote anchorages that offer great swimming with the sea lions, diving, kayaking and hiking trails on unpopulated desert islands that harbor an astounding variety of terrestial wild life.

That said, it's important to know that the charter experience requires no sailing experience, and can easily be no more strenuous that sunbathing and enjoying a cold beer or margarita once we've dropped the anchor. You can pretty much dial in the level of activity you are comfortable with on this kind of trip. You will have a captain to handle the technical parts of the sailing, and a cook to take charge of meal preparation, but this is not to say you can't get involved in all aspects of this charter experience. Active participation really is a big part of the enjoyment of a sailing vacation.

So, here are the details:

Time: March 7 - 13

Place: Departing & Returning La paz, Baja California Sur.

Cost: $1300 per person. (excluding transportation)

The trip I have planned for this year is a low-cost, one-week excursion on Seascape, a local 41' ketch that has been nicely setup for this area. It can comfortably handle two couples who would each share a berth, or we could accommodate one couple and two individuals who would berth in individual bunks the saloon area of the boat. A good description of Seascape is available at www.seascapecharters.com/description_sail.html. The website also has some very good information about travel to and from La paz and individual preparation for a sailing vacation.

If you're interested in this trip, email me as soon as you can. I can't take any reservations after the end of December, and it has to be "first come, first served" up till then.

The total cost of the charter will be $1300 per person, travel to and from La paz not included. That charge will include the boat, food and all the incidental costs including taxes and permits. It will also include a "sundowner" at the end of the day, but you will have to buy any additional alcohol yourself.

Because of the short timeline, reservation for this trip will require payment before the end of the year. I can provide more detail about the particulars of the payment and refund policy by email.

As of this date, we also have the capacity to plan a larger trip on one of Moorings catamarans if there is a larger group. It would cost about $700 more per person, but we can handle up to four couples and the catamarans are a big step up in luxury. We would have to get on this very quickly to reserve a boat, so get in touch with me right away if you're interested in this option

Oh, by the way, the temp is 80 degrees and the sun is shinning here in La paz....




1 comment:

hollycarr said...

Hi Jerry,

I used to jump at Skydivers of Texas at Lake Lavon, the summer of 1984, when I was the wee age of 20. I believe I logged around 30 jumps. I became good friends with Jimmy who was my first jumpmaster(I am having a senior moment and forget his last name. I attended his funeral after his plane crash accident) and his sister Sue, Sam Haley and others. I have never forgotten those experiences, although I gave up skydiving after studying abroad for a year after that summer of '84.

I came back and studied finance, became a financial planner, eventually got married and have 2 girls, and live in Plano. During my dating years, I dated an aerobatic competitive pilot, which brought back some memories of the drop zone. I still dream about those skydiving adventures!!!

This morning I was watching The Skydivers which was a documentary about the making of Gypsy Moths, and I heard your name. I am pretty sure I picked you out of the group of divers in the film. Were you in Gypsy Moths? Wow, how cool.

Any way, I Googled you and found this blog. You don't look any different other than a few gray hairs.

I know you will not remember me out of the thousands of jumpers who came and went, but just wanted to say hi and let you know I saw you in the film.

Also, I'm going to keep this website, because we have talked about going on a sailing trip with some other couples.

Many great adventures to you!

Holly (Brown) Carroccio