Bahia de Los Angeles to Puerto Panasco

Isla Division, Puerto Refugio

We left Bahia de Los Angeles on Saturday 24^th March. The elephantine cloud had dissipated, the weather was meant to be OK for a day or two before strong winds blew once more, so we decided to motor 7 miles further north and risk a night on anchor behind a rocky islet off Isla Mitlan in the ominously named Bahia las Rocas (Bay of Rocks). We had an exit plan to make for Puerto Don Juan, if conditions deteriorated. All was well and we spent a quiet night there.

Pink caveman

The next day we left at 0700 and travelled 34 miles to Puerto Refugio on the northern tip of Isla Angel de la Guarda. It was a beautiful place with a choice of anchorages for all wind directions. As the name suggests it was truly a Port of Refuge.

Hobbit caves on Isla Division

We stayed for three nights and let the strong NW winds pass us by. It was a great place to explore with several islands, beaches and hikes. No-one came by, not even a local panga, even though there was a fishing camp on the shore near our anchorage. Our companions were pelicans, gulls and sealions.

Sal Darago in Puerto Refugio

The tide is a factor to consider in the central and northern part of the Sea of Cortez. We became particularly aware of the 15-25ft high water during the spring tides over Easter. Did you see the blue moon on 31^st March?

Kathy with SD in the distance

By 28^th March the weather was suitable for our 48 mile passage north to Willards Bay/Bahia San Luis Gonzaga. We expected to sail but the winds fell light and the sea became glassy, so we motored. We had to anchor a long way from the shore, but we were well-sheltered from the prevailing wind.

Cacti country

It was our 43^rd Wedding Anniversary on 29^th March. We celebrated by taking a long dinghy ride to a fish camp within 3km of Highway 5. We could see the Pemex filling station sign and knew the tienda was close by. What we didn’t know was a dip hid an inner lagoon and a dirt road went round it towards the highway. We cut across sandy scrubland only to be met by a barbed wire fence just before the highway. Jeremy held the strands down while I clambered over. The tienda was a decent small supermarket with WiFi available for a small charge. As we’d had no phone signal for two weeks, it was good to pick up our messages and emails.

Alphonsinas Wedding Anniversary lunch

Another dinghy ride a little later took us to Alphonsinas hotel resort and restaurant. The lunch menu was rather limited, but I enjoyed my fish tacos. It was quite amusing to haul the dinghy up the beach and park it in the car park.

We had time to visit Papa Fernandez on the NW side of Willards Bay. The restaurant there had photographs of John Wayne, who used to fly in and go fishing once upon a time. Perhaps we made the wrong choice for lunch.

Camping on the beach at San Felipe

We left soon after 0200 on 30^th March. We had 80 miles to travel to San Felipe, the most northerly anchorage on the Baja Peninsula side. We saw a school of whales on the way. The strongest wind recorded was 7 knots, so it was a long motor and very hot – 89F. It was time to take off the thick duvet.

Blue moon

We tied up in Marina Fonatur and had to pay a daily rate rather than per night. There were no other cruising boats.

Seafood volcano at La Vaquita

We learned that 50,000 additional people had arrived in San Felipe for Semana Santa (Holy Week). It was more crowded than Blackpool on a hot bank holiday weekend. Unlike Blackpool, almost every inch of beach was covered with a sea of coloured tents where people were camping. Loud music played, families partied, souvenir stalls touted their wares and a happy, carefree atmosphere prevailed.

Prawn fisherman on the Malecon, Puerto Penasco

We found a restaurant called La Vaquita and had margueritas and a shared sea food meal to properly celebrate our Wedding Anniversary and Easter. Happy Easter everyone.

Today, Tuesday 3^rd April, we are in Puerto Penasco, the most northerly harbour on the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez. We arrived yesterday after a 70 mile overnight passage. We motored at first, then sailed for 5 hours with one reef in the mainsail and a small genoa. There was an uncomfortable swell running, with some breaking waves splashing into the cockpit.

We found out today that Puerto Penasco had been closed because of the weather and no tourist boats or fishing boats were allowed to leave. We were lucky that a berth was available at Marina Fonatur. Once again there were no other cruising boats in the marina, although there are some hauled up in a boatyard.

The harbour at Puerto Penasco

Tomorrow, we start our journey south. The nearest anchorage at Cabo Tepoca is about 73 miles away, so we intend to leave at 0400. The winds are supposed to be light, but they are turning southerly now that we are going south.