Arrived yest., 11/21, at Isla San Francisco, 24deg. 49'N/110deg. 34'W. 54 hrs. at sea, 40 hrs. under sail in XLNT conditions – NW-NE breezes at 10-15 kt., all day, all nite. Only 4 other boats anchored here. Weather's Charlie-Charlie, place is quiet, day temps = 78F, water's a refreshing 75F. All is well. Plan =…
Once we passed the upper-Baja drift net and entered the port of Santa Rosalía we had a grand time seeing cruising friends again, and meeting new ones. Most cruisers in Santa Rosalía in July were making their way north; only The Fox and a very few others were going south, ever mindful of the summertime…
Folks who cruise their boats up in the northern Sea of Cortez during the whole summer – and there are quite a few of them – are far tougher than we are. Things were really beginning to heat up in the northern Sea during July. The hours from 1100 to about 1400, when the sun…
On July 5, 2009, the wind rose with the sun and at 20 knots out of the SW it made our anchorage at Isla Mitlán too choppy for snorkeling. However, it was perfect wind for sailing, so sail we did. Destination: about 35 miles NNE to the northernmost tip of Isla Angel de la Guarda…
It's high time I told the details of our trip around the upper Sea of Cortez in June & July, 2009. We'd wanted to explore the northern part of the Sea of Cortez because (1) we hadn't done that yet and (2) we were keen on sailing south from Mazatlan in November 2009 to Central…
Currently in Puerto Refugio, N tip of Isla Angel de la Guarda, the northernmost apex of our travels thru the Sea of Cortez. Refugio is beautiful & well worth the trip but harsh: afternoon temps in our shaded cabin = high 90s. Still early-season here; most boats arrive next month. For now The Fox is…
Left San Carlos 19 days ago. Crossed N Sea of Cortez @ Midriff Islands. Now in Ensenada Quemada 10 mi. SE of Bahia de los Angeles. Barren but beautiful bay sheltered from SE swell, ringed by red volcanic reefs. Days: clear, sunny & hot, cooling breezes in pm. Deep underwater canyons make H2O temp a…
We left the sportfishing skiff we’d towed to Timbabichi in the care of the two pangas that guided them in to the shallow part of the anchorage. We assumed all was now well, and planned to follow up with the two fellows in the morning. The next day, about 0730, we saw the neighboring ketch…
VHF 16 came alive: “Anybody copy?” It sounded to us like the typical gringo boater, unfamiliar with radio protocols, was trying to check if his radio were functioning by calling for whichever other boater might happen to be in range, to tell him how well his signal was being received, and from how far away.…
Underway 13: Punta Pulpito to Bahia Concepcion/Baja mainland – 3/7 Motored through brief patchy fog and light & variable winds for 33 mi., E 5-10kt. Dropping to S less than 5kt., increasing in p.m. N 15-20kt. with 4’ N chop as we rounded Punta Concepcion. Anchored in 23.7’ off Playa Santispac in Bahia Concepcion at…