[Photo on left by Darlene Topilko]
Kia Ora and The Fox temporarily parted company at Isla Coronados as we both raised anchor at 0700 on December 2, 2016. The winds were a mere 12 knots from the SW in the Coronados southern anchorage. However, only 1/4 mile offshore from the anchorage, we had the winds clock to due west and increase to an uncomfortable 26 knots. Could this be the mysterious "Puerto Escondido Effect" we'd heard of but never before experienced in this area?
Kia Ora chose to sail somewhat easterly to take better advantage of the wind, presumably aiming for one of the anchorages on the west side of Isla Carmen. We barreled instead for Puerto Escondido.
As we approached within five miles north of Puerto Escondido's entrance, the wind suddenly dropped from 26-knot westerlies to 5-knot northerlies. If this was the "Puerto Escondido Effect" it was indeed mysterious. The surrounding topography gave no hint as to why the wind would behave the way it had.
It was a simple exercise to enter Puerto Escondido's inner harbor and snag mooring buoy #106 without incident in flat-calm air. The mooring field was decidedly empty with just 7 other sailboats there. It also looked to us that the new marina management had removed roughly 40% of the oldest mooring buoys of past years, with the remaining buoys – mostly refurbished – distributed in the north and west of the bay. This updated arrangement put the mooring field well away from the marina's fuel dock and the entrance to the new marina that was tucked inshore behind the older marina buildings facing the bay. Changes seem to be coming to Puerto Escondido.
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