Puerto Escondido is one of the largest and most sheltered bays in the Sea of Cortez….right up until it isn't. Talk to any cruiser who has spent more than one season in the Sea of Cortez, and you will hear tales of what can happen in Puerto Escondido when the weather gets up. Much of…
It was an uneventful motor-sail from Agua Verde to Puerto Escondido on March 6, 2016. A couple of lazy whales moseyed in the channel with a few leaping mobulus nearby. Entering Puerto Escondido, we noticed some changes since our previous stop there. The narrow part of the entrance seemed to have been recently dredged, as…
After a pleasantly cool night, on March 4, 2016, we raised anchor at Cazadero with light winds still coming from the WSW. As the day progressed the wind stayed light but returned to the more typical NW direction. We had yet another hot day with flat seas, but haze was increasing, signifying a potential change…
March 2, 2016, had calm to light air. While most of the boats departing Isla San Francisco headed south toward La Paz, we motored northbound a mere 16 miles up-channel. We saw very few boats in the anchorages we passed at San Evaristo (just 2), Amortajada (also 2) and Nopolo (0). As we entered our…
February 2016 was almost gone. The weather in the Sea of Cortez was turbulent. Mazatlan grew hot and humid. The Port of Mazatlan was closed due to the weather but forecasts indicated that a nice 4-day weather window would soon open up. It would be an excellent chance for us to cross the Sea and…
February 23, 2015: calm water. Heavy haze. Land and sea breezes at the usual times under 10 knots raised no more than a light chop. GB empties our jerry cans into The Fox's main tank – looks like another motoring trip. Raised anchor at 0740. We passed by several humpback whales grazing slowly, but shrimpers…
I would say that as long as the weather and sea conditions are calm-to-very-light, the anchorage at Punta de Mita is less rolly than Tenacatita. It would seem, then, that if winds are northerly a forecast of less than 5 knots would be a good opportunity to visit Punta de Mita, Jaltemba, and other open…
Rounding Cabo Corrientes can be challenging no matter which direction your boat is traveling. The (very) general rule is to round this cape in the early morning hours when the winds and seas are often at their lightest. We used this approach and intended to round Cabo Corrientes at or before sunrise. However, just a…
Once again, our clever plan to slow down our travel and actually spend time in one place, got thwarted by the weather forecast. We had one that called for good weather during the next 36 hours to either travel northbound, or stay in place at Tenacatita. The Tenacatita anchorage is large enough with good holding…
On February 19, 2015, we maneuvered out of that nice slip at Marina Puerto de Navidad and rounded the corner into the very first part of the entrance to the Barra Lagoon, where the fuel dock was located. It is a deceptive turn with a long, shallow sand bar located exactly where no one wants…