Bahia Los Perros to Guaymas

Ashore by dinghy at Kino, nice and calm

We left Bahia los Perros in calm, sunny weather and motored 20 miles to Bahia Kino on the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez. Because the bay is shallow, we had to anchor about half to three quarters of a mile away from the town dock. We launched the dinghy, landed on the beach and went ashore in search of groceries and lunch.

Isla Alcatraz, Kino

We returned a couple of hours later to find a brisk wind blowing onshore and plenty of short, sharp waves between us and Sal Darago. Jeremy removed his shorts; I rolled up mine. We did get wet, but it could have been so much worse.

We weighed anchor and headed for Punta Hueso de la Ballena (Whalebone Point). A panga came alongside with three men onboard. One spoke English. Jeremy thought they were checking us out, but they only asked for water. We gave them a five litre bottle of water and they motored away. They did not return. We continued to the anchorage where there were many flies and we had to retreat to the saloon behind our insect nets.

Kite surfing at Bahia Algodones

We had a good mobile phone signal and I was able to phone my sister, Pat. She had a problem with her heart and was about to undergo tests. She had been in hospital but was now at home recovering. I have since heard that she has returned to part-time shifts at work and is feeling better.

Shoreline at Bahia Algodones

Meanwhile, we waited for the strong southerly winds to arrive. It was now Thurday, 12^th April. We received an email from our friend, Dale informing us that Ruth Tyler had died. We reflected on the recent sad news we’d had from family and friends. Auntie Joyce died in March, a neighbour died in Tobermory, Scotland, and now an old friend from Essex. We were reminded of our mortality and how fragile we are as human beings. May they all rest in peace.

Strange coloured water - certainly not natural

 In the afternoon, a motorboat called Wetbar arrived and anchored nearby. Jeremy spoke to Greg on the VHF radio. They were heading for the same place as us, Bahia Algadones (Cotton) 82 miles further south. Once the strong southerlies died away they would be followed by strong northerlies and we would leave. It took a while, so we slept for a few hours, before weighing anchor at 2315.

Still - the sea birds seemed to like it?

The overnight sail was a combination of motoring and downwind sailing. As the wind strength increased, we sailed with only the genoa poled out. The seas soon built up behind us and it became quite rough. We were happy to see the islands off Bahia Algadones ahead of us and turned into the large bay, with a long, curving beach backed with hotels and holiday resorts. We anchored behind Isla San Luis in 17-24 knots of westerly wind and stayed there for two nights. Shortly afterwards, Wetbar arrived and anchored nearby. In the early hours of the morning, I heard an almighty bang and was sure something had hit us or the anchor chain had snapped. Jeremy and I checked everything with torches and could find nothing wrong and nothing missing. It was hard to sleep after that scare.

Local fisherman at Isla Pajaros

Wetbar went into Marina Real on the other side of the bay and we stayed where we were. The wind abated during the second night and we were able to leave the next morning in calm weather.

He was moving, but I don't think he has the halyard tension right

We motored past the best Mirador (Viewpoint) in the world (according to the local Tourist Information) and skirted Bahia San Carlos on our way to Bahia Guaymas, 21 miles away. We noted the power station ahead with hundreds of pylons disappearing over the hills; we passed the petro-chemical works and the big fishing port and we wondered why the sea water had turned turquoise when the depth stayed the same. Beyond all the industry and the commercial port lay rugged mountains and a desert landscape peppered with cacti. After some discussion, we decided to anchor in the outer harbour off Isla Pajaros. The only drawback to this well-protected spot was the strong smell of rotting fish which pervaded the air.

The view from Marina Fonatur at Guaymas

On Monday 16^th April, we had some difficulty weighing anchor as it was stuck on some unknown underwater obstruction. Once free of it, we motored across Guaymas Harbour and anchored off Marina Seca Guaymas, the boatyard where Sal Darago will be hauled out on 30^th April. We went ashore by dinghy, met friendly Ariana in the marina office, had lunch at nearby Kotoyl restaurant, bought basic groceries at Oxxo and chatted to Mike in the boatyard. He warned us not to anchor in Guaymas Harbour as there had been some thefts recently, mainly of outboard engines and dinghies. We took his advice and returned to Isla Pajaros for a second night. Fortunately, the smell of rotting fish had gone and we avoided underwater obstructions when we anchored.

The Malecon, Guaymas

The next day we motored back into the harbour and tied up in Marina Fonatur. One yacht, La Brisa, was there. At the marina office, the manager was surprised that we had not made a reservation. He booked us in for three nights. Half the slips were lost in a hurricane two years ago, but the buildings are intact and there are hot showers. We have done our laundry, checked out Home Depot, found several supermarkets, cafes and restaurants, been on local buses, booked on the long distance bus to Tucson, USA and I have had my hair cut. Tomorrow, we leave for a week or so to explore San Carlos but in the words taken from The Terminator, “We’ll be back!”

Kathy outside the Town Hall

Spot the loony? AND guess where he is.