Back from Cruising the Sea of Cortez

It was a choppy day with moderate winds when Moorings Charter Captain Kevin Porter took this picture of  Sea Story headed south toward the San Lorenzo channel about 50 miles north of La paz.

It was a bit cooler in the Sea of Cortez this winter, but the sailing was better than last year even if we did have to wait out a couple of northers along the way.
This time, Sea Story made it all the way north to Bahia Concepcion where we were able to anchor for a couple of days in Burro Cove, a delightful spot that is also home to Geary Ritchie, who does a daily weather forecast on the Sonrisa Single Sideband Net from his palapa right on the beach.  By "right on the beach." I really mean within spitting distance of the high water line!  Anyway, Geary's card describes him as Beach Bum Extraordinaire, and it turns out he is another ex-skydiver from Sacramento.  He's also a fellow graduate from Sac State, so we had way too much in common for just a short visit. For an interesting Baja profile, you can check out Geary and his palapa on http://www.sonrisanet.org/.

With Geary and our fellow cruisers, Bob and Doreen Hauff, off Scottish Mist, to watch the boat for a couple of nights, we had a chance to get into Mulege to visit Dusty and Suzie Huber in their beautiful house in the often storm damaged community.  The town was still cleaning up after major flood damage from last fall's hurricane Jimena, but luckily, Dusty and Suzie were high enough to escape any damage.

On the return trip, we negotiated with Miguel for lobsters at the anchorage at Timbibiche.  Unlike his father Manuel, who usually wants tequila, Miguel preferred a cold coke and a few pesos for the still-kicking, spiny lobsters.  Wonderful dinner on Sea Story that night....

Making Ready to Cast Off

We've been at the dock here at Marina Palmira for a couple of months now, and it's getting to be time to cast off the lines and head up in to the Sea of Cortez. The new bimini will be finished within the week, the dingy is again seaworthy (no more leaks), it's outboard motor is tuned up; and the allure of remote anchorages, unpopulated beaches, reports of playful whales, and brilliant starlit skies are all too much to resist any longer.

The plan is to sail as far north as Bahia Conception (near Mulege) and then work slowly back down here to La paz over a month-long time frame. It's about 200 miles each way, but we do have a fuel and water stop at the half-way point in Puerto Escondido (just south of Loreto). As a point of interest, Escondido's water comes from a free-flowing creek in Steinbeck Canyon, which is named after the famous author who visited this area in the 1940's and memorialized the trip in his book The Log From the Sea of Cortez.  The book has been a great reference for some of the areas we visit.

Sea Story will be back in La paz by mid-March.  We will be entertaining visitors for a couple of weeks late in the month, and then there will be the Cruceros Club celebration of Bayfest in mid-April .

After all that is behind us, Sea Story is going to head north up to San Diego for the summer. We're sheduled out of here on the 1st of May, which should put us into California by the middle of the month. Then we'll see what adventures the summer holds.....

Getting Work Done in Mexico

Sergio Gallindo at work on Sea Story's stainless steel top rail in preparation for the new bimini frame it will support. Sergio enjoys a reputation as one of the top stainless steel fabricators in Baja.

One of the benefits of bringing a sailboat down to Mexico is the ability to get excellent work done on the boat at bargain prices. Many of the Mexican craftsman have worked in the U.S. and found their skills were appreciated back in Mexico where the cost and the pace of living were easier to handle. The well developed network of cruising sailors also provides plenty of work for the really talented practitioners.

La paz is particularly fortunate in this regard. With a large boating community and easy access to U.S. marine products, people like Sergio Gallindo can develop a reputation that keeps them busy and lets them support their families even when the rest of the Mexican economy is depressed as it unfortunately is now.

Sergio is a stainless steel fabricator with an artist's eye for design and workmanship. For years he worked in Alameda, California and developed an impressive reputation in the Bay boating community. Now he has his own business and still has customers from the Bay area who stop by La paz to have him work on their boats down here.

Chicago's "Cloud Gate" is one of Sergio's resume' pieces. He did finish work on this massive stainless steel sculpture, which is also known less formally as "The Bean."

This project was a family affair with Sergio's wife, Guadalupe, and his apprentice assisting him. After they finished the job, Sergio brought us a meal of delicious Chile Rellenos that Guadalupe had fixed for us; a touching and very personal gesture that is so typical of the Mexican people.

Reconnecting

Just a couple of months from completing their 3000 mile, Pacific Crest Trail hike, Alfredo and Alica showed up in La paz with plans for another adventure; a bicycle trip around the United States!

We almost missed connecting. Sea Story was out in the islands over the New Years holiday when they showed up in La paz. Luckily, we did get together before they left to cruise up into the Sea of Cortez on their way back to Guaymas, where they are going to put On Verra back on the hard in preparation for their big bike trip.

I'm looking forward to posting their email updates again, and this time they have promised to send more photos to supplement the narrative.

We will keep everyone posted....

Scheduling Issues

It looks like we were just a bit too late in putting together a charter in the Sea of Cortez for this winter. Coordinating vacation schedules on short notice was getting way too complicated, so I'm going to cancel the March charter for this year.

We may do it next year though. Some people are interested in the same kind of trip if we can do the planning with more advance notice and flexibility in the time frame. Over the next few months we may be able to put together a package that's more accomodating than this one was, so I'll keep this blog updated on whatever comes out of that effort.


In the meantime, Sea Story is spending most of the holiday in Marina Palmira on the north side of La paz. The weather is wonderful, and I'm planning to spend a few days out in the islands between Christmas and New Years. The rest of the time, it will be dock parties and holiday festivities in the easy comraderie of the many American and Canadian cruisers who enjoy this place as much as I do.

Marina Palmira is Sea Story's home for this winter. It connects to La paz by a divided highway and the Malecon, a wide walk-way that serves as a popular exercise route and meeting place for locals and visitors alike. The boats in the distance are anchored in front of Marina La paz.

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....

Heading South

It's getting to be that time again. The days are shorter, the sun is more elusive, and northern California looks less inviting each day. It's time to get back to La paz and put the sails back on Sea Story.
Tomorrow, I'm turning my trusty old Plymouth mini-van south to San Diego for a couple of days of last-stop shopping before we cross the border and brave a the trip down Baja. Have to admit, it's more appealing to look at covering fifty knots per hour instead of the five knots that Sea Story averages, but I'll miss the long night passages that are such an attitude adjusting part of the sailing trip. No sane person drives at night on Mexican highways, so no night watches for the van trip!
Just got word that Alicia and Alfredo have already splashed On Verra in Guaymas so I'll be looking for them to arrive in La paz before Christmas. Can't wait to get the back-story on their epic hike up the Pacific Crest Trail...
The next post will provide some information in the Sea of Cortez charter trip I'm putting together in March... There are still openings left, so don't miss it if you think you might want to sign on....