Cabo San Lucas to Bahia San Juanico

Cabo San Lucas is a huge holiday resort. It has everything – sports fishing, horse riding on the beach, jet skis, banana boats, parasailing, snorkelling, diving trips, evening cruises, beach bars and restaurants. It’s all about tourism here. For us it was a welcome place of refuge. We anchored off the vast beach and took the dinghy into the marina, where it was safe and secure for 3USD a day. The British marina manager, Darren, was friendly, welcoming and very helpful to transient cruisers, especially to us, a couple of retired British people sailing a 42 year old Westerly. Thanks for all your help, Darren.

Hundreds of fish near SD

The marina was great for stocking up on diesel and water and the town had a large choice of eateries and grocery stores, including a carnaceria (butcher’s). We took advantage of it all while waiting for the weather to be favourable for rounding Cabo Falso and the 150 mile passage beyond to the next anchorage at Bahia Magdalena.

Having checked out with the Port Captain on Friday 26^th May, we weighed anchor at 0240 on Saturday 27^th May, announcing on VHF 16 that we were departing for Ensenada. The forecast wind of 10 knots reached 27 knots at Cabo Falso. We kept as close inshore as we dared, watched out for fishing vessels and relaxed afterwards in the wind shadow of the long bay north of the Cape.

Fishermen and pelicans, Belcher's Bay

We crossed the Tropic of Cancer, officially leaving the Tropics, at 1543 hours and the weather turned cold, windy and generally unpleasant. The sea was rough as we motorsailed, close hauled, with one reef in the mainsail and a small genoa. Shorts and vest tops were replaced with long trousers, shirts, jackets and woolly hats. UK duvets and sleeping bags replaced sheets and thin blankets.

At the end of this long passage lies Punta Tosca, described in one cruising guide as “blade-like”. It took us a long time to round the point in rough sea conditions with water coming over the roof. Unfortunately, conditions were worse as we tried to approach the entrance to Bahia Magdalene, tacking into and away from a rocky, inhospitable, lee shore. More water came over SD, slamming into the spray hood and flooding underneath into the cockpit. Jeremy put a second reef in the mainsail at my request.

Fishing shacks at Belcher's Bay

Nine hours after rounding Punta Tosca, we entered the large, calm and most welcome Bahia Magdalena, anchoring off a number of fishing shacks and the remains of an old phosphorous loading dock in Belcher’s Bay.

On Monday 29^th, we motored the 20 miles in grey, misty and calm conditions to Bahia Santa Maria, another very large bay with a fishing village not far from the anchorage. We had a miniscule mobile phone signal, but it was enough to access the Internet and check the weather. As the forecast was reasonable, we decided to leave at 0600 on 30^th May and head for Bahia San Juanico, 100 miles north.

Rocky exit from Bahia Magdalene

This time the passage was one of the best we’ve had in Mexico. The coast turned more northerly and we were able to sail with one reef in the mainsail and an almost full genoa. It was sunny but the wind was cold. I wore my thermal socks and wellies at night and brought out my salapettes, that had not seen the light of day for four months.

Tiny beach near village in Bahia Santa Maria

We anchored at 0155 today, the last day of May, and woke up to see a beautiful, unspoilt, curved bay lined with sand. The fishing village of San Juanico is nearby; pangas are pulled up on the beach and a handful of surfers are looking for a break. There is no mobile phone signal in the bay. It’s very peaceful, except for the sound of Jeremy doing jobs.

San Juanico

We leave at 1900 for Bahia Ballena and the anchorage off the vilage of Abreojos, a passage of 66 miles.