Tag Archives: Baja California

Candalero Chico

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CBParker_D3_20080805_SeaCortez-029PHOTO GALLERIES
2008 Mexico 3 – La Paz to Loreto

We did go for our beach walk – in one direction the beach was sand for miles, but we went the other direction and the beach was nothing but banks and banks of small stones, 2-3 inches in diameter. Kind of hard work walking – we had the VHF radio with us and after an hour plus walking decided to bag the return and called Rod for a dinghy ride home. The next morning Mike and I explored Laguna Amortajada – Mike in the dinghy and I in my kayak. It was very inviting, wide wide shallow waterways defined by parallel banks lined with mangroves. Herons and pelicans roost in the branches, and small fish are protected in the tangle of mangrove roots, making it an ideal nursery for future generations of sea life. Small rays the size of a man’s hand scooted across the soft bottom.
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Ensenada Grande

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CBParker_D3_20080401_LaPaz-193PHOTO GALLERIES
2008 Mexico 3 – La Paz to Loreto

We arrived exactly on time, no hitches, every airline on schedule. Rod met us at La Paz airport and by mid afternoon we were back aboard Raven, unpacking, catching up on news, and doing not much of anything else. For dinner we went to our favorite restaurant in La Paz, El Patron, sitting out on the patio overlooking the bay. It was definitely hot in La Paz when we arrived, but in the evening a south wind springs up (the coromuel) and cools everything down nicely, so it was a beautiful evening. Mike and I elected to walk home along the malecon (oceanside promenade), a few miles in the cool of the evening, nice exercise. There were literally hundreds of people out enjoying the evening – surprising to us since it was a Wednesday, not the weekend, but maybe it’s just a way for the locals to enjoy the cool breezes after the hot dry dusty days.
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Cruising Lifestyle

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Slideshow Mexico 2008

Sorry for the lack of communication – we’re completely without cellphone service and for some reason the satellite phone tells us we are only allowed outgoing emergency calls, even though we should have some 400+ minutes pre-purchased minutes left on our plan. So we’re down to sailmail exclusively. However we’re headed home this Friday, back to the real world and a view of the bank protection project which has probably alienated all our neighbors by now!
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Ensenada de los Muertos

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Slideshow Mexico 2008

This morning early I kayaked to the promontory for photo ops – creating quite a stir with the sea lions. A group of eight or so all lined up in the water, heads raised up out of the water, staring at me in my kayak – then they would dive under and disappear, but shortly thereafter I would see bubble trails erupting on both sides of my little boat – apparently they were making an underwater reconnaissance.
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Flying Rays

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Slideshow Mexico 2008

Wednesday morning in our Los Frailes anchorage, I woke to the repeated slapping sound of small manta rays, also called mobula or pygmy devil rays, that were leaping out of the water along the beach and the cliffs. They kept up the acrobatics all day and night, and I went in pursuit of them with my camera. At one point I saw at least a dozen of them all in the air at the same time as they went bouncing along the shoreline like so much popcorn popping in the skillet. We have no idea what they were accomplishing – they eat plankton so it is not a feeding ritual. Trying to photograph leaping rays, guessing where they will next erupt out of the water, is quite a challenge, but in the end I did nail two close-ups and several long distance shots. There was also a pod of dolphins quietly cruising in the shallow water – they too were in the bay all day and night, just hanging out. Around the corner of the rocky point was a sea lion colony and flocks of pelicans and cormorants perched on the rocky promontories.
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The Cape

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Slideshow Mexico 2008

Saturday morning we pulled into Cabo San Lucas right at dawn after a high speed run down the last bit of Baja’s Pacific coast. We had been dawdling along in very light winds, only 1-2 knots most of the afternoon, but late in the day came to an abrupt demarcation in the water where the flat glassy sea turned to a rough dark blue with white caps. Sure enough, as soon as we crossed the line, the wind speed jumped into the high 20s and Raven clocked along all night under sail (three reefs in the main and just a hint of a jib) making 9′s and 10′s, and occasionally 11 knots.

We only stopped in Cabo to refuel, and must have arrived as a fishing tournament was getting underway – an entire fleet of fishing boats all went racing out of the harbor simultaneously as we were pulling in. The entire harbor there is a madhouse of activity, even so early in the morning. We had no intention of staying, not only because of the hectic atmosphere but because the overnight fees are the highest in the world – I have been told (but find it hard to believe) $995/night for a boat slip!

So we continued on our way along the cape, past Palmilla, and pulled into a new marina/resort complex still under construction in San Jose del Cabo, a few miles to the east. A much more inviting environment, even though incomplete. More affordable as well! Once safe in our berth with paperwork out of the way, we spent the rest of the morning napping, doing laundry and housekeeping, and other assorted odd jobs. Mike and I explored on foot nearby, and we had a really lovely dinner at a charming restaurant in town named La Panga per recommendation of our Lonely Planet guidebook. We highly recommend it as well, if you get down this way. A romantic outdoor courtyard – a bit chilly but the staff produced ponchos for each of us (we turned down the sombreros). The town of San Jose del Cabo was extremely inviting, with beautiful old buildings, charming inns, inviting shops, and a huge central square and fountain. Lots of tequila-tasting boutiques! We didn’t really get to explore it all that thoroughly, but there was lots to see and enjoy.

Sunday we rented a car and drove some 2 1/2 hours north to La Paz – a beautiful drive through some spectacular mountainous scenery. Our mission was to locate a suitable berth for Raven to spend hurricane season (June 1 – November 1) – our insurance policy stipulates that we are not to be ‘south of La Paz’ in that time frame. Mike and I had been to La Paz last October for a dive trip, so we knew our way around reasonably well, and after visiting each of the three available marinas, settled on the one we thought offered the best protection – and fortunately it appears they will have space for us!

Mission accomplished, we drove back to the cape but via a different route, cutting across the peninsula to the town of Todos Santos on the Pacific side. There we enjoyed a frappucino that would put Starbucks to shame, and then followed the coastal highway home. Right offshore for miles we could see the spouts of dozens of humpback whales – there must have been hundreds of them all together! We have left the gray whales behind in the lagoons of Baja, but now we are coming into the territory where the humpbacks comes to calve and mate. We have seen them repeatedly in the water – yesterday one was playing around laying on its side with both a fluke and half a tail waving in the air.

Monday morning we pulled out of the harbor bright and early to make an overnight voyage to a small island named Isla Isabel, en route to Puerto Vallarta. Along the way we had several humpback sightings, also dolphin encounters, a turtle, and near Cabo we saw small manta rays or similar species leaping high up out of the water.


Exploring Mag Bay

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Slideshow Mexico 2008

We had an intense visit in Bahia de Magdalena – three days of sightseeing with much more left unexplored. Just not enough time to see everything if we want to enjoy the tropics further south. As reported, our first day in Mag Bay included a dinghy ride to the south end of the bay and a walk along the coast through the cactus forest, and the morning of day two we relocated to the more northern end of the bay along a stretch of sand dunes. There were six other yachts already there, anchored all in a line just off the beach. A long curving stretch of sand, several miles long, separates Mag Bay from the Pacific Ocean on the north end. On the bay side a beautiful sand beach, an estuary lined with mangroves, and tidal flats with tiny ripples of surf about 3 inches high. Then a spine of sand dunes about half a mile wide, and on the Pacific side another long sandy beach with breakers rolling in from the sea. Spring wildflowers starting to bloom, very idyllic. In the afternoon we put in several hours of climbing through the sand dunes and walking along the breakers on the Pacific side. Thanks to our encounter with the local fisherman we enjoyed boiled lobster salad for lunch, and lobster again for dinner, baked this time – yum!

Late in the day an official from town came alongside in his panga to check our permisos and boat documentation. All was in order, so after a brief pleasant visit he departed but offered to come back the following morning to give us (and several of the other yachties on the other boats) a panga taxi ride to town. Really we suspect the official paperwork just gave him an excuse to visit the yachts and drum up some paying passengers for secondary income! Regardless it saves us a long wet dinghy ride, so Thursday morning Mike and I joined the other cruisers for a morning in the big city, Puerto San Carlos, the largest town on the bay with a population of some 4,500. This Puerto San Carlos is not to be confused with the Puerto San Carlos near Guaymas – we’ve noticed that a lot of place names in Mexico enjoy repeated use.

Rod stayed behind to repair the water pump which we had jinxed by commenting on its reliability! It failed within hours of the remark, but we had a spare on board so no big problem. Mike commented this morning on the reliability of Raven’s Yanmar and Rod and I just about threw him overboard! Two of the other yachts anchored here need engine repairs and are waiting to have parts shipped down from the states to La Paz, to be retrieved there. There is an informal cruisers’ net where assorted individuals driving this way bring down boat parts from the states for yachts awaiting them.

We enjoyed a high-speed boat ride to the beach near town, waded ashore, and then the group split up to pursue separate errands in Puerto San Carlos. Mike and I mostly spent our time walking the streets and sightseeing, but we did pick up a few supplies in the supermarket, and enjoyed a quick lunch at a nice little seafood cafe – shrimp tacos for me. Then back to the panga for another high-speed ride back to the yacht anchorage and Raven – entertained by the sight of another panga that passed by us carrying a full-grown palm tree, roots and all, longer than the boat – apparently on its way to a landscaping project in one of the smaller villages.

More beach-walking in the afternoon – several miles worth. We are really getting our exercise! Then early to bed with a planned dawn departure for the overnight sail to Cabo San Lucas.

Now it is Friday noon; we have been sailing since six or so, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We set a troll line for fishing and caught a fat yellowtail mackerel (kingfish). I reeled in the fish, then let the line back out again to clear the kinks and then stow it. As I was winding it back onto the reel, another yellowtail hit the lure, so we wound up landing two. They have been fileted, zip-locked, and frozen – and we have about six meals apiece for the three of us saved up – plus lunch today was fried fresh fish with wasabi sauce – absolutely delicious (unfortunately Lean Cuisine for dinner tonight!).

We also caught up with another gray whale and got close enough for some pretty good photo ops – again I am totally blown away by what I can accomplish with my new Nikon D3 camera.

We will arrive in Cabo San Lucas early tomorrow morning, refuel and take on water, then head to a new marina being built in nearby Cabo San Jose. We’ll spend a night or two there – we’re thinking of renting a car and driving to La Paz to check out the availability of marina space there for parking Raven during hurricane season next summer. And then we’ll set sail (or motor) towards mainland Mexico by way of Isla Isabela, an island bird sanctuary some 42 nautical miles offshore of Puerto Vallarta.


Magdalena Bay

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Slideshow Mexico 2008

We pulled into Bahia de Magdalena early yesterday morning, right on schedule. A very busy night on watch our last night at sea – cruise ships coming and going, lots of traffic on the radar. A cruise ship passing by a couple of miles away at night looks like the Disneyland Light Parade – quite a festive sight!

Mag Bay is enormous – we cruised down to the far end and anchored off a pleasant beach with a view of a cactus forest and mountains rising up behind. The land here, as expected, is arid and very much a desert. The plants are similar but not the same as ours in Tucson. The cardon is similar to our saguaro, and there is a type of ocotillo but twisted and gnarly instead of upright branches.

The weather is warm enough for shirt sleeves and bare feet – although we’re still not tempted to swim. We did some housekeeping, laundry, and then launched the dinghy for a sight-seeing trip. We are too early for the whales, unfortunately. There are a few early arrivals in the lagoon, but the mass influx comes in a few more weeks apparently. However the bird life is quite interesting – this is a place where migratory waterfowl come to spend the winter. There are huge flocks of ducks and black brant, as well as the usual pelicans and seagulls. Also osprey – we found a couple of enormous nests in the cardon cactus and I have been “hunting” them with my camera – with some spectacular results (more details later).

We have a new dinghy after our old one pretty much disintegrated after all its tropical travels. The new dinghy is Italian-made, longer and skinner than the other, with a hard bottom and very fast. It gets up on the plane very easily and is a more comfortable ride – although possibly tippier as well. We shall see how it performs when we go diving and have to pull ourselves back in from the water!

After our dinghy exploration Rod went running down a dirt road alongside the shore, and Mike and I took a longer but more leisurely walk, me with camera in hand, reluctant to return to the boat until the last of the pretty afternoon light faded away.

Then a grilled steak and salad for dinner – a welcome change after three nights of microwaved Lean Cuisine! Early to bed (8 p.m.) and a long night’s sleep with no alarm clocks signaling the next watch. Very refreshing and relaxing.

This morning I took my kayak out for a paddle (love the new carbon fiber paddle, Michelle! Like a feather). I enjoy kayaking on a quiet morning, paddling or coasting, taking in the quiet and the scenery. This morning the water was so glassy calm that it reflected the sun like a gigantic mirror – completely blinding. I take my camera along and sometimes get some great shots, in spite of the rocking motion of the boat. Today I was practicing high speed shooting of flying birds and got really lucky when an osprey headed right for me and splashed down into the sea, grabbed a fish in his talons, and took off again! Fortunately I had been practicing my technique, and I nailed some fabulous photos, tack-sharp with every feather crisp, every drop of water sparkling, a glow in his eye, and an unhappy rockfish in his (actually probably her) clutches. Can’t wait to post the photos for you to see! I have some terrific flying pelican shots as well.

This morning we have pulled up our anchor and are moving to another area of the bay with sand dunes for a beach. Tonight will be our last night here, and we will head out to sea again tomorrow heading for Cabo San Lucas or, more likely, Cabo San Jose which is nearby but more peaceful. From there we will strike off to mainland Mexico. Our lunch and dinner were just delivered by Mexican panga (Mexican fishing dinghy). Three fishermen pulled up alongside us as we were motoring and held up a lobster for our consideration – we bought six for the price of a 12-pack of coca cola, a few beers, and a couple of dollars!

I had to interrupt this email as I heard the cry of ‘thar she blows’ and rushed up with my camera to try for photos of two more gray whales cruising the lagoon near our route.


More Miles (Nautical)

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Slideshow Mexico 2008

Two hundred miles closer to our destination – we should be pulling into Magdalena Bay early tomorrow morning. Weather is warming up (still not tropical!) and I deleted several layers of night watch apparel – skipped the hat, scarf, gloves, 2nd coat, and 2nd pair of pants. Kept one jacket, wooly socks, and the blanket! Water temperature has risen from 14 to 17 degrees celsius (57 to 62 fahrenheit) – still not ready to go for a swim.

Nice clear night with light from a quarter moon and brilliant stars – no chirping birds but this morning we found a few squid on the deck. Rod tells me he saw the birds first night out on his watch, six small ones at the top of the mast flying in circles around the masthead navigation lights. Mainsail up but still motoring – we added the reacher this morning and tried sail only, but too slow so Rod just powered up the Yanmar again.

Zero cellphone service here, not surprising. We are well offshore, and it’s a pretty unpopulated stretch of coastline anyhow.