Topolobampo to La Paz

May 08-12, 2012

We returned to Topolobampo in high spirits after our wonderful overland adventure in the Copper Canyon region. We got a great welcome from Gabby and Raphael at Marina Palmira who certainly helped to make our stay in the marina there a very pleasant one. We had one more meal at the marina restaurant, Los Pelicanos, and opted for one of the house specialities, Filete Los Pelicanos which was  a breaded ensemble of fish, shrimp and octopus, wrapped in foil and baked to perfection. Hats off to chief Ricardo for another delicious meal. He came out to talk to us before the meal and wanted to know how our trip went as he is from Chihuahua and is a member of the Valderama family who own a number of hotels in the region. He was delighted to hear that we had stayed one night at La Poseda del Hidalgo in El Fuerte. That night, it was someone’s birthday at the dock. A fullout mariachi band had been ordered for the occasion and they marched down the dock and posted themselves opposite our boat where they serenaded the birthday celebrant for a good hour. Another free concert from the deck of Sea Reach and a better appreciation for the regional music of Mexico.

Gabby and Raphael at Marina Palmira - Topolobampo

We set off next morning under glorious sunshine but little wind. The 10 mile passage down the channel from Topo to the open sea was made under engine with the main sail up. We passed several shrimp boats enroute. A passing seabird, booby of some description (not blue-footed) decided to hitch a ride and stayed on one of the spreaders until we were out at sea and putting out the genoa. We decided to set a course for Playa Bonanza on Isla Espiritu Santo and go there as our first option if the wind was favourable. It was for the first four hours and though we were sailing along at just 3-4 knots due to light winds, we were bang on our course. Something happens when you approach the middle of the Sea of Cortez. Competing weather systems provide a confused situation. The seas become choppy and the wind becomes variable. We had decided that rather than fight the wind we would keep our destination flexible and when the winds started to come in from the SE we changed course to Isla San Francisco.  As the night progressed and the winds kept shifting we were headed further north towards Isla San Jose. An about change mid morning of May 09 had us back on course for Isla San Francisco where we dropped the hook at 1500 h. A fine waltz across the Sea but all under sail at least. We had a very pleasant sail the following day to the east bite of Caleta Partida. We were the only boat anchored on that side.

Booby hitches a ride while motoring down the 10 mile channel out of Topolobampo

As our dinghy was deflated and strapped down, we decided to swim ashore for some exercise and a walk across to the west bite. John still has his finger splinted so he had the additional challenge of swimming while holding his left hand out of the water to keep the dressing dry. I put flippers on for the trip but Mark Spitz considered the 300 yards are so to not require such navigational aids. He set off before me, looking like the illusive blue-footed booby with his left hand sticking out of the water in a blue nitrile glove.  Although he was well ahead of me by the time I set off after him, he was quite handicapped by his lopsided dog paddle and for a change I was the one leading the charge to the beach. He did make it and we had a nice walk on the shoreline but he was thoroughly fatigued and humbled by the elements by the time he had doggy paddled and back-stroked his way back to the boat. The following morning just as we were getting ready to leave we were visited by one of the fishermen from the fish camp. It was Ernolfo whom we had bartered with on our last trip to Partida. He had a broken broom handle and a large hook for which he was looking for a screw to fashion a gaff with. He was also hoping we had extra water in our tanks and had brought some containers with him. John did a great job of screwing on the hook and strapping it with some of our bounteous supply of spare rope of all sizes while I filled one of his containers with water. The usual pantomime of charades and Spanglish was required to communicate but we are getting better at it. Enolfo told us that he had been fishing in this area for over 40 years and that he likes to fish (something I was glad to hear because it can’t be an easy life). He also told us that he saw us walking on the beach the previous evening and was impressed to hear that we had swam ashore.

We headed off under very light winds and were amused at how tolerant we have become with ghosting along under light winds. We were just headed down 13 nm to Playa Bonanza so were in no hurry but finally turned the engine on when we went below 1k. As we rounded the reef off the north end of Bonanza the wind came up from the NE and we just couldn’t resist the chance at what would be one of our last chances to sail before leaving for the hurricane season. Off went the engine, out spun the genoa and we had a wonderful reach all the way to Caleta Lobos which we firmly believe should have a name change to Caleta Bobos as the pesky flies were out in full force once we arrived. Other than that it is a wonderful anchorage and if you go in deep enough and close to the south side you get a fair amount of protection from night time coromuels. This would be our last night at anchor before returning to La Paz. We went below to savour the experience and reflect on cruising the spectacular Sea of Cortez.

When we considered the last four weeks of cruising and the many wonderful people we had met while exploring this beautiful sea and country, we felt very blessed indeed.

The next morning was a short 10nm to La Paz mostly under engine. We were lucky to get a spot at Marina de La Paz so that we could be close to town and our favorite mechanic, Joel, as we prepared Sea Reach for a long layup during the hot summer months. 

Copper Canyon Expedition April 30^th 2012 – May 06^th 2012

Day 1 – Topolobampo to Los Mochis to El Fuerte

Dining area El Meson General - El Fuerte

On Monday April 30^th, we left Sea Reach at her mooring in Marina Palmira and set off for a week-long overland expedition that will be remembered for its breathtaking views, friendly and competent service and the colorful and resilient Raramuri people of Sierra Tarahumara. As we were about to leave the marina we discovered that Raphael, the manager, was on his way to Los Mochis. We squeezed ourselves into his rinky dinky tonka truck, built in China for two small Asians, wondered out loud if it was legal to have three of us in the truck, and took his ‘mas ou menos’ quiver of the hand as good enough. Fortunately the highway between Topo and Los Mochis is very good and Raphael dropped us off safely at the bus stop. We got the blue Azules Noroeste bus to El Fuerte. It was air conditioned, comfortable and cost us 70 pesos each for the 80km ride. The route took us through the rich agricultural land of Sinaloa. We spent our first night in Hotel Guerrero, conveniently located right across from the bus drop off. It was basic but clean with an ensuite for 300-400 pesos per night depending on size of the room. We opted for the smaller room. We arrived during Fiesta Del Ninos and the town square was packed with families and young children enjoying the holiday atmosphere. We had lunch at El Meson del General and opted for lobina (river bass), one of the town’s specialties. Situated on the beautiful El Fuerte River, this old colonial town has several hotels and restaurants all within walking distance of each other. We had a walk on the ‘malecon’ by the river and later went to Hotel La Choza for dinner.

Hotel Guerrero - El Fuerte

Day 2 – El Fuerte to Creel on El Chepe

We took a taxi to the train station located about 8km from town – cost 80 pesos. We had no reservations but understood that Classe Economica required no reservations and could be boarded along the route provided there was room. (fingers crossed)

A few people were waiting at the station but we felt quite hopeful until a busload of tourists arrived. Fortunately they all trooped onto the First Class carriage. El Chepe arrived on time. The train service was very well organized and people in Classe Economica were placed in carriages dependent on their destinations.  We were in the end carriage that proved perfect for taking photos on the open rear platform (except when the armed guard came back and herded people back into the main compartment). The tickets were 552 pesos each - well worth the price for this historic train-ride. The first part of the route took us through dense scrub, cacti and sprawling, leafless, windswept trees. It was an unforgiving landscape. As the countryside opened up there were some signs of small cattle ranches. Then El Chepe slowly started to climb up into the mountains and the landscape took on a Tolkienesque appearance with sculpted towers and turrets rising out of the rocks. At higher altitudes the trees became more erect, and vigorous, and were predominantly of beautiful feathery pines. About 40 minutes before the scheduled stop at Divisadero. El Chepe stopped, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We waited and waited, saw a few engineers walk up and down the tracks with calculating eyes on the wheels of the train. Eventually we started to move again but stopped again at the next small station. Everybody from the last two carriages was herded forward to find vacant seats where possible in other carriages. A few lucky people, including John and I got free upgrades to the first class carriage and found the only difference to be carpet instead of lino on the floor and a dining carriage in place of the snack bar (and of course the price which is twice as much). Their air-conditioning worked better also. Ours was too cold!

Waiting for El Chepe to arrive

View from back of train

The first of the valleys enroute to Creele to 

One of many tunnels enroute to Creel

At Divisadero the train stopped for 15 minutes and passengers were able to disembark and walk over to the viewing point and take in the indescribable panorama of Copper Canyon. The station also provided our first encounter with the Raramurri and their fine basket-work and handcrafts. There were way more baskets for sale than tourists, unfortunately.  The women sat patiently beside their word making no attempt to solicit customers. The children however were sent out amongst the crowd with baskets of small items to attract and entice sales.

Raramuri with baskets on display - Divisadero

View of Copper Canyon from Divisadero

We arrived in Creel at about 5 p.m. and headed straight for Casa Margharita’s without a reservation. The Best Western was going to be our fall back (if that carriage load of tourists left any rooms available!) Our inside knowledge on where to go was gleaned from two sources – The Lonely Planet and fellow cruisers on Jacaranda’s blogspot. Both proved extremely useful although some updating on the Lonely Planet Guide is required. We were well received at Casa Margarita’s with a ‘no reservacion? – no problema.’ The available room/s was 400 pesos per night (< than $40) and breakfast and the evening meal were included. This is a family run business that now consists of three operations in the region, with Casa Marguerita being the most economical. Our room was clean, brightly coloured  and had an ensuite. The menu was fixed, the food wholesome and the cosy atmosphere gave us an opportunity to meet some delightful fellow travelers who shared tours with us over the following days. Creel is a central location for touring the Copper Canyon area and is well set up for tourists. The ongoing drug trafficking through the Chihuahua region and its attendant violence has had a very severe impact on the tourist trade and consequently this whole region including Creel is suffering.

Day 3 – Tour of Raramurri Lands and Cusarare Waterfall

We shared this tour with three Argentinian women, Irma, Eunica and Lydia. They were a great trio that traveled quite a bit together and we dubbed them - Las Tres Amigas. Irma had been educated in the U.S. and was bilingual which greatly enhanced the tour for us, as Luis, our driver and guide had less English than we had Spanish. The Raramuri, also known as the Tarahumara, number about 50,000 and are spread over a vast area of this mountainous region of Chihuahua.  They farm and have livestock and live in primitive log cabins and/or caves depending on the time of year. They are renowned for their ability to run long distances at high altitudes. Much of the region has had no rain in two years and the land has become scorched and dry with obvious stress on the livestock we saw. Their income source is a mixture of subsistence farming, handcrafts and eco-tourism. There is a toll for entering the areas with special sights such as the falls and some of the canyon viewpoints.  The trip was very interesting but a bit disquieting. We felt the shadow of a marginal existence made harsher by the drought and decrease in tourist trade.

Entrance to one of the caves at Raramuri village

Inside the cave

Log cabins at village

Slim pickings as pasture suffers from a 2 year drought

Valley of the elephant - named after this unusual rock formation

Day 4 – Trip to the Bottom of the Canyon to Batopilas

Creel is situated at 8000ft above sea level. Batopilas is at 1500ft above sea level. The journey to the base of the Canyon at Batopilas is about 140 km from Creel but takes five hours over winding switch back roads, the last 40 km of which are unpaved, unprotected with only one lane width. For this trip we were joined by Olivier from France and Ana from Germany. Olivier had worked for two years in Mexico and was trilingual. He very kindly translated for us as required. Martin our driver spoke only a little English so once again we lucked out with our traveling companions. It is possible to arrange tours with English speaking guides by making arrangements with the tour agency – Los Tres Amigos – located in Creel. Casa Margharita had its own tours available that were quite economical but the guides did not speak a lot of English. Our Spanglish is improving. The drive down to the base of the canyon was breathtaking both for the exquisite views and treacherous road conditions. We vacillated between holding our breath as we round around the hairpin turns on the edge of the precipice and having our breath taken from us as we took in the magnificent panorama. Martin was a careful and skillful driver and to the extent that one can feel safe on that trip – he was a good guy to go with.

On the road to Batopilas

Switchback roads leading to canyon base

Pine needles used from this species of pine in basket weaving

Batopilas was the centre of an extensive and rich silver-mine industry during the mid 1700’s to the late 1800’s. We stayed at La Hacienda Batopilas, built originally by one of the mine owners. It retains its old character and original structure. With rounded tours, beautiful stained glass windows and colourful tile work, it has a commanding presence overlooking the Batopilas River. It is part of the Margarita’s hotel chain. We paid 1000 pesos each for the trip including the overnight accommodations at this upscale hacienda. This we were assured was a special rate. Omar was the main organizer of tours and accommodations. He was a great hustler and quite happy to offer discounts to fill out his numbers. Staying at Casa Margarita  put us in the category of seeking low cost options so he was constantly reassuring us that we were getting discounts. (Los Tres Amigos had quoted us 4000 pesos total for the same trip minus accommodations. If we had been able to find others to share with we could have reduced the price accordingly but we would have to find them ourselves.) There are cheaper options such as getting the bus (although how a full size bus negotiates that terrain is beyond me) and staying at a small guesthouse, but we decided that this was the best option for us, and our experience with Casa Margarita and its staff was very positive. The Hacienda was 3km from town. Martin drove us into town for lunch/dinner and to visit the museum. He also offered to bring everyone to the ‘Lost Cathedral’ an old mission church. We opted to wander around town and walk back along the river path.

Ensuite - Batopilas Hacienda

Hacienda Batopilas

Stained glass bedroom window - Hacienda batopilas

Church - Batopilas

300 year old tree growing out of the ruins of the old mining building

Day 5 – Return to Creel

We had to leave at 5a.m. to try and get past the construction zone before the work started. The last 40 km is slowly being widened and paved. The construction is extremely hazardous. We were very impressed with the machine operators that we saw on the job. It was 6:30 a.m. when we arrived at the construction zone and they had already started. A large rockslide following excavation had blocked the road. They used the fallen debris to form part of the new road base and were grading the area as we watched and waited. Martin drove very slowly over the newly formed surface as we huddled and prayed that the soft surface would support the weight of the truck. We arrived back in Creel at about 10 a.m. and went straight back to bed. Later in the day we visited the museum in Creel and took a walk through the town. As we moved away from the centre of town we started to get a sense of the fractures created by the drug trafficking. A chance turn down one street brought us to a square with a large monument at the centre. It was commemorating the massacre of 14 people that had occurred in 2008. 14 small crosses bordered the square with names of the fallen painted on the crosses. We asked a young couple passing what had happened. They were visibly emotional about the event and explained that it was due to the drug problems they had in the area. The massacre appears to have been random and intended to terrorize. Later we checked out the internet and discovered that another slaying had occurred in 2010 when 15 SUV’s rolled into town in full view of the police surveillance cameras, blocked the exit routes, snorted cocaine before rounded up and shooting rival gang members. Quite a sobering discovery for us, especially after witnessing dozens of teenagers in a churchyard enjoying a spontaneous line dancing session earlier that afternoon. There is a dual existence in the small town and one wonders how the stranglehold of the mafia can be broken.

Waiting for the road to re-open

Bulldozer clearing the road we would travel over

Teenagers enjoying line dancing in the church yard - Creel

Monument commemorating the 14 young people massacred in 2008

Day 6 – Tour of Divisadero  and return to El Fuerte

We got wooed into one last tour the day of our departure by the persuasive logic that we could see four magnificent viewpoints and reduce our train fare by getting the train at Divisadero instead of Creel. So the 200 pesos tour would really only cost us 100 pesos each. As we had not pre-purchased our train tickets we were an easy sell. Martin was once again our driver and our traveling companions were a Mexican couple so our Spanglish was put to the test. It was definitely worth it. We got to do a little more walking and take in expansive views of the canyons. We had lunch at one of the many street vendor stalls while waiting for the train on the platform. The food is prepared over wood fired oil drums. Now if we were going to get a bout of  ‘La Turista’ this is where it would likely happen. I stuck to a vegetarian Gordita option. John was a bit more adventurous. Our train ride back to El Fuerte was pleasant and without incident. Taxis were waiting at the train station and we paid 50 pesos each for a large van that we shared with another couple. We had planned on going to Hotel Rio Vista which has a quirky reputation and a splendid view over the river. Our taxi driver wasn’t impressed. He asked us if we had a reservation and when we told him – no, he insisted on bringing us to check out La Posado del Hidalgo which he said was the best hotel in El Fuerte and was not too expensive. If we didn’t like it he would bring us to Hotel Rio Vista. He came in with us and waited while we checked out the rooms and haggled over the price. The rooms were 900 pesos the receptionist told us. No – that was too much. Okay she would give us a special introductory price of 600 pesos. (That by the way was what we expected to pay at Rio Vista) Okay, now were prepared to look at the room. Truly it is a beautiful hotel. A rambling and stately 200 year-old mansion with a lovely indoor garden atrium. The room was large and well appointed with a beautiful ensuite. Okay – we were hooked. We were given a room in the section of the hotel called La Vieja Casa, reputably the birthplace of El Zorro!?  Hmm  - apparently Senor Del Vega, Zorro’s father came from El Fuerte and as the story goes Zorro spent the first few years of his life in El Fuerte. It’s a good story anyway. Moral of this story - listen to the taxi driver. The food was very good but quite expensive. The service was excellent. The following morning we went for a walk to check out the Rio Vista. Definitely this has the best view location in town. It did look a bit run down and not as clean as the other places we had stayed in but we would be willing to check it out another time.

But if you want to take your ‘honey’ to someplace special – then go to La Posada  del Hidalgo. It is one of a chain of high-class hotels owned and run by the Valderama family. So as you can probably surmise, our trip was a mixture of ‘classe economica’ with the odd splurge. All in all, a wonderful trip that we would highly recommend.

More views of Copper Canyon

Overlooking The Divide

Young Raramuri women displaying her baskets and crafts

Martin - our careful and competent driver

Additional notes:

• ·      Bus service is excellent. Take it whenever you can.
• ·      Even the less expensive guesthouses we stayed in were clean and well run with breakfast included in the price.
• ·      It’s cold at night in Creel due to the high altitude. Bring a fleece and a pair of long pants.
• ·      Give yourself some time to adjust to the high altitude before too much exertion. Headaches, a dry cough and fatigue are warning signs that you are overdoing it.
• ·      There are mosquitoes in Topolobampo and El Fuerte, small, vicious little brutes. Bring insect repellent.
• ·      Keep a supply of small notes on hand. The Ruramurri often did not have change. Don’t buy all your baskets at the first opportunity or you will disappoint a lot of people.
•  

SPECTACULAR SEA OF CORTEZ PART II

April 25, 2012

Escondido to Bahia Salinas – 21 nm

We left Escondido at 1100h, a little concerned with our steering. It had become quite stiff following a somewhat lengthy manoeuver in reverse while trying to locate and pick up a suitable mooring buoy on our arrival at Escondido.  We hoped that overtime it would work itself free again. The autopilot was working well and not having any difficulty with the situation but it was a concern for hand steering.

We arrived in Bahia Salinas on Isla Carmen late in the afternoon with just two other boats anchored in the very large bay. We went ashore on the dinghy for a walk on the beautiful beach and made our way to where a new resort has been developed on the beach in front of the old abandoned town-site. A former salt raking settlement, it was no longer in use but has a permanent caretaker and staff for the resort. We went in search of the caretaker to ask permission to visit the old town-site and salinas but were greeted with much apologies and a sorry – no, lo siento. The resort is privately owned and they were expecting 50 clients to arrive later that evening. Any other day would have been okay. No problem, we actually already had a good walk around the grounds before getting a chance to ask permission.

Bahia Salinas was going to be our jumping off point for crossing the Sea of Cortez to Topolobompo, a distance of 110 nm miles to the entrance to a wide bar with a dredged channel and then another 10 nm to the actual port. We prepared the boat for the crossing and brought the dinghy on board.  We would cross the next day, weather permitting.

April 26/27

Bahia Salinas to Topolabampo – 120nm

We listened for the weather on the Sonrisa net at 0800h and asked for a relay to hear Garry’s predictions more clearly plus some specifics for the area we were going to cross at. He forecast 13-15k from the NNW veering to the W later that night. Winds likely to be higher as we approached the other side 18-23k. The winds would be on the beam for the first half of the crossing and on the quarter for the second half. Seas 3-5 ft. Sounded pretty good to us. We of course had never crossed the Sea of Cortez before. We set off at 1000h with the wind about 10k but it didn’t take long until the 13k predicted winds from the NNW kicked in. We were soon breezing along at 5-6k on a beam reach. The seas were flat. There was some cloud cover and cooling winds. Life doesn’t get any better than this! As we moved further out into the sea we could see the full stretch of the islands we had visited on our way up. What a marvelous sight. Time to be truly grateful. As the afternoon progressed the winds picked up to 17k and we put one reef in our large main sail and trimmed the genoa. We were making good time. We plotted our progress and were making 9-11nm to the good every two hours. As the evening light faded we were treated to a colourful sunset with tones of grenadine and orange layering to produce a luscious skyline.

Sunset on the Sea of Cortez

The winds continued to blow between 15-18k at times gusting to 20k. This made the windvane quite unreliable and we had to adjust it quite a bit or hand steer. In the end we reverted to using the autopilot. Our battery bank was in good shape so it presented no problem. The seas became very lumpy throughout the night. We put a second reef in to slow the boat a bit, and settle the motion. She was now making 6-7k and we didn’t want to get to the other side before daybreak. John took the 2100-2400h watch and I took the 2400h to 0300h watch. John then took the 0300-0600h watch. Neither of us got much sleep. John reported the winds going up to 23k during his early morning watch – just as Garry had predicted.  All was well but the second half of the trip had been less than comfortable due to short choppy seas. This is what one can expect from the SOC – and now we know! We arrived at the outer channel marker at 0900h. We could see breaking waves at either side of the channel. There were two cargo ships on moorings waiting for a pilot boat to bring them in. As we progressed down the channel we were surprised to find depths of 18 to 20 feet in the outer margins of parts of the channel. We usually try to keep out of big ship traffic lanes so were staying close to the edges. Clearly those big cargo vessels would need to steer a careful course even within the channel.

We had heard that anchoring was good in Bahia San Carlos between the ferry dock and behind the shrimp boats. We were also hoping to leave the boat at Marina Palmira, a recently built marina at Topolabampo. By now we were looking forward to a few hours sleep. I tried hailing the marina on channel 16 and then on channel 22, the channel used by cruisers. No response. (we later discovered that they monitor channel 68. Hmm just like Canada and the U.S.) I tried to do this a few more times as we came in the channel. We could see on a hand drawn chart of Jack Williams where the yacht club was and the narrow channel leading to it. The Jack Williams cruising guide is an older guide so the information is not always up to date but there isn’t a hidey hole up and down the Baja that this guy hasn’t checked out at some time! We followed some more markers that seemed to be heading that way and did find a motor yacht club but no one was around and it looked pretty full. We decided to retrace our steps and go into the main port. Now this is the part where retracing one’s steps is crucial – especially with sandbanks lurking all over the place and water a murky green so no visual clues unless there is actual surf breaking. We convinced ourselves with the help of our inaccurate electronic chart (no high level paper chart for the port on board) that we had cleared the sand bank area and didn’t need to go through the last channel goal post. We knew it was not deep but at least 10 feet so when the depth sounder started to decrease to 5 feet I wasn’t too worried. We were almost at the main shipping channel again.  Then suddenly 1.6 ft then 1.4 and that’s when we discovered exactly how far offset our depth sounder is – we ground out at 1.6-1.4 ft.  We couldn’t believe it. We felt cheated by the chart – but mostly by our own foolishness. We looked at our watches – 1150. High tide was at 1210 in La Paz.

We hoped it was still rising in Topolobampo. We tried the old push back push forward with the engine routine. Not a budge. The wind was behind us pushing us deeper into the sand/mud. We put out the genoa and the boat heeled and twisted. We tried the engine again. The magic 1.6ft appeared and we started to move back towards the goal posts but then got stuck again bump-bump dead stop. This time the wind is in our nose so John can hoist the main sail. Lots of wind now, more heeling, more pivoting and suddenly we are moving again 1.6ft – 2ft. John starts to sail the snot out of the boat toward the goal posts. We’re through! We stay headed out towards the big ship channel buoy until we are in its lane then turned back towards the port using the middle of the main channel all the way with a good 40 ft under the keel. Phew!

New name for Topolobampo is Topolobumpo.

One of the docks at Topolobampo

Large tanker slipping silently by Sea Reach at anchor 

It was 1400h when we finally had the hook down just out of the way of the ferry dock and behind the shrimp boats. We could see the Port Captain’s office in full view but decided to sleep for an hour before going over (It’s easier to check in in person in case no one speaks Ingles because we can always do our mime and dance routine if our vocabulary falls short). We were in plain view of a navel ship at one dock and huge tankers that glided by us lead by the pilot boats, enroute to another dock.  We hoped as Jack Williams had promised that we would not be in anyone’s way anchored where we were. After a catnap we lowered the dinghy and made our way to where we had spotted the Port Captains office.  It was 1530h on a Friday. Of course it was closed. The notice said that it was open Monday to Friday 9a.m -2:30 p.m. We had a pretty good idea where the marina might be based on our earlier scouting so we headed off on foot and with a bit of help from passersby found the marina and the manager Raphael. He was quite charming and very happy to accommodate us. Of course we would have to make our way back up the dreaded channel again. We decided to stay at anchor for the night and told him we would see him the following morning. He showed us the slips and we had pre-arranged which one we would come in to.

We had a wonderful night’s sleep. We did not hear the ferry that was scheduled to leave at midnight though we had heard it come into the dock at 2100h just before we packed it in for the night. We also moved our quarters from our usual quarter berth to the V-berth. For some reason we had taken an early shine to the snuggle double quarter berth that functions more like a cabin but has a smaller berth. Well, so long quarter berth, we’re now going to sleep in the V-berth and use the quarter berth more as a dressing/storage area unless we have guests. Then – depending on what size they are – we may have to arm wrestle them for the V-berth.

The next morning after a leisurely start we headed out of the inner harbor located at Bahia San Carlos and gingerly approached the narrow channel leading to Marina Palmira. It’s all good if you stay between the goal posts with a least depth for us of 7 feet below the keel. (make that 5.4 ft below the keel) Marina Palmira has space for about 40 yachts. We are the only sailboat there. Most of the yachts are Mexican owned with a few U.S. flags. There is a very good restaurant close by and we had an excellent meal prepared by chef Ricardo who came out to greet us and discuss what we might like to eat. Our server had good English (turned out he spent 4 years at high school on Vancouver Island, courtesy of his Mexican born aunt) and translated for Ricardo as necessary. John’s Spanish is coming along very well. I can understand quite a bit but am reluctant to dive in with the conversation. He showed us some gigantic shrimp and wondered if we wanted them prepared in garlic, or perhaps tequila. When we told him we did not want our food prepared with alcohol he agreed whole heartedly and told us he didn’t drink either and then told us he was a boxer preparing for an upcoming fight. He would prepare them with his own special sauce especially for us on the bar-b-que. Whatever he prepared them with they were delicious – rico. There was only one other couple there so we had terrific service. Tonight the place is packed. There is a wedding party and a live band blaring out the traditional regional music with great gusto. We’re eating on Sea Reach but we may as well have bought tickets for the show.

Topolobampo

Enjoying dinner at Los Pelicanos restaurant, Topolobampo

The plan is to leave Sea Reach there while we take a land trip to visit the Copper Canyon area over the next week.

ODYSSEY IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ

PART I – La Paz to Escondido

April 14, 2012

La Paz to Caleta Lobos

We left Marina La Paz on Saturday April 14 at 1340 hrs for a four-week trip on the spectacular Sea of Cortez. We said a fond farewell to staff at Marina De La Paz as we will be leaving Sea Reach at Costa Baja Marina for the summer months.  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and can’t speak highly enough of the marina, its staff and its unique charm, located in the heart of the La Paz waterfront and within walking distance of all one’s needs.  However, Costa Baja is also a very well run marina and a good deal more protected for the hurricane season, which is why we will be leaving Sea Reach there.

We spent our first night at anchor at Caleta Lobos after a wonderful sail against 18 knots of wind from the NW. As we only had 10 nm to travel we decided to enjoy the wind and do two long tacks to make the entry to Caleta Lobos under sail. During our first tack, John, unfortunately injured one of his fingers while attending to the sheets and will not be playing the flute for a few weeks. A loaded winch requires one’s full attention and he paid dearly, tearing a tendon on his ring finger, while attempting a one handed approach to unloading the winch. The resulting fracas had us heading too close to Roca Lobos on our approach so we decided to do one more short tack to make a clean entry under sail mid channel.  At 1630hrs, we were anchored deep into the SE corner of the anchorage to get some shelter offered from the nighttime Coromuels.

There were no Coromuels as it turned out (these are generally from the WSW and create swell in many of the SW facing anchorages) but the wind did pipe up from the NE and whistled through the rigging. This had me up in the middle of the night securing the halyards and searching for the source of various noises, one of which turned out to be a can rolling round in a cupboard in the galley!  

Sea Reach enroute to Isla Partida

April 15, 2012

Caleta Lobos to Isla Partida

We started our morning by listening to the Sunrisa Net at 0730hrs. This is a Ham net that operates in the Sea of Cortez and provides weather relays and general communications for cruisers. We were saddened to hear of the death of Don Anderson, the legendary weather guru who had broadcast weather reports for both outside and inside passages on the Baja for years. He had recently stopped broadcasting and was believed to be moving his SSB station but some concerned friends who had not seen him for a week went looking for him and found him in his boat. The exact circumstances of his death are unknown at this time.  The services provided by amateur weather forecasters, most of them on a volunteer basis, is invaluable for cruisers.  Don will be missed. May he rest in peace.

Bob Geary provides the weather synopsis for the Sunrisa Net and we are thankful to have this option available to us as we have yet to get our pactor modem up and running. Moderate winds of 15-20 kn from the NW were forecast for the next several days over our projected course – right on the nose. We put in one reef before leaving the anchorage as we anticipated accelerated winds as we crossed the San Lorenzo Channel to reach the islands. We were glad that we had, winds throughout the afternoon ranged from 18 – 23kn and the seas were quite choppy and steep. Sea Reach is quite happy ploughing into the wind, but 7kn in a direction away from where you are headed turns out to be about 3 kn made good by the time you have finished tacking. Nevertheless, that is exactly how we proceeded. It was interesting for us to watch the progress of another sailboat that left a little ahead of us who opted to crash head long into the wind without sails and under power.  The distance between Caleta Lobos and Isla Partida is 15 nm. We figured we traveled between 25 and 30 nm to reach our anchorage on Isla Partida. They went straight but it was slow going for them. They reached their anchorage about 30 minutes ahead of us. I wonder if their day was as thrilling as ours. Admittedly, it was a bit of a slog but our diesel tanks are still full and as we won’t be back in La Paz for a month this is a consideration.

Curious gull checks out Sea Reach for any possible handouts 

Shortly after we had anchored, we were visited by a local fisherman who wanted to barter with us for some fresh fish filets.  This is the first time anyone has approached us to barter. He was not interested in cash. We gave him a Baja Haha 2011 T-Shirt (I was not gone on scantily clad figure that it was emblazoned with). Not sure what the fisherman thought of it, but he did accept it. I also gave him a packet of chewing gum that he seemed happier with it. I’ll have to sort out my supplies and organize items for future bartering, as I suspect that as we move further north it will become more common. We are snugged down for the night in El Cardoncito just north of Caleta Partida, a gem of an anchorage that we have to ourselves except for a few curious sea gulls who landed on our dinghy wondering about freebies.

Sea Reach at anchor at Isla San Francisco

April 16, 2012

El Cardoncito to Isla San Francisco – 23 nm

After a very restful night’s sleep, we set off for Isla San Francisco at 1030hrs. The wind was WNW at the forecast 15kn and we set off under full sail and close hauled to once again make our way north. For the first few hours the sea state was excellent but became choppy as the wind increased to 18kn in the afternoon. We put a reef in the main and settled into a good game of scrabble in the cockpit. We arrived at the anchorage at 1700 hrs. The magnificent crescent shaped anchorage at San Francisco is bordered on the east and west sides by red cliffs. A white sand beach rings the bay and forms a flat spit between the two cliff faces. We anchored with just 5 feet under the keel to get tucked in behind the natural breakwater on the southeast entrance. A hiking trail runs up the ridge on the SE shore. We hiked up to the ridge that provides a panoramic view of the island and surrounding seascape. There were whales spouting out in the sea, traveling along the same route we had traveled earlier. We hadn’t seen any whales during our passage but had been visited by scores of Pacific white-sided dolphins, their lithe bodies scudding through the water and under our bow as they hurried to greet us as we passed close by them.

On the ridge at Isla san Francisco

We had another tranquil night at anchor. In the morning we took one more walk on the beach and climbed once again to the top of the ridge, this time with the camera in hand. As we prepared to leave, Richard and Cynthia from SV Tranquility stopped by. They had spotted us coming into the anchorage the previous evening and recognized the boat name as having been a fellow participant on the 2011 Baja Haha. They came over to let us know that they had taken a nice photo of us during the Baja Haha and would send it to us if we provided them with an e-mail address. What a pleasant surprise!

Salt ponds at San Evaristo

Raking the salt at San Evaristo

Raked salt mound

Finished bags of salt

April 17, 2012

Isla San Francisco to San Evaristo

This was a nice gentle motor-sail across the 7nm stretch between Isla San Francisco and San Evaristo. We were anchored again by 1300hrs, nestled amidst six other boats at the anchorage. We had quesadillas for lunch and then enjoyed a siesta during the hottest part of the day. At 1600hrs we got in the dinghy and went ashore. This small fishing village has about 20 full time families, a primary school, and a small tienda. We visited the small tienda and bought some diet coke, tinned fruit and fresh tomatoes. A group of kayakers were enjoying the shade offered at the tienda to have a cool drink. We walked on to the salina, about half a mile from the village and watched as the workers raked the salt into heaps to dry. They wore white rubber boots to protect their feet in the salt saturated ponds. The work is hard and tedious and performed under the full sun of the open evaporation ponds. From our exchange with one of the workers in our limited Spanish we understood that it takes 30-40 days for the drying process to create crystals ready for raking.

On our way back to the beach we met three more cruisers and discovered that one of them, Gerry, had a Spencer 42’, a sister ship to Sea Reach. As only 26 hulls were ever made of the Spencer 42’ we were quite excited to meet a fellow owner. Later that evening, Gerry stopped by to check out Sea Reach.  His boat, Moshulla, is hull # 4. Sea Reach is hull # 26, the last of the Spencer 42’ to be made. The hull was laid in 1983 and the boat was finished over a 10 year period before being commissioned in 1993. We planned on taking or dinghy over the following morning to check Moshulla out but we slept in and she was away by the time we had finished our pancakes and coffee. We look forward to meeting up with her at another anchorage. A kayaker came over to Sea Reach to see if we had a weather forecast. Because of our late start we had missed the Sunrisa Net weather forecast and were unable to be of assistance. We knew the weather was due to change but were not expecting a strong front as part of the change, not enough information for a vulnerable kayaker to plan his route by.

Fishing camp at Mangle Solo

Giant Cardon cacti at Mangle Solo 

Arroyo at Mangle Solo

April 18, 2012

San Evaristo to Mangle Solo -7nm

We had a leisurely sail across the San Jose Channel to Mangle Solo on Isla San Jose. Because of the steep shoreline we anchored as close to the shore as was prudent. With about 7’ under the keel we were within 80metres of the shore with a good view of the small fishing camp. No boats were tied up so either everyone was out fishing or it was unused at this time of year. At 1200hrs the sun was high and the seas were flat, a perfect time for a refreshing swim.  We noticed that barnacles had already started to grow on the stern at waterline, despite having been scraped a few weeks earlier. Enrique, kept the hull clean while we were away, diving once every two months to scrape the hull. He changed out one of the zincs for us just before we left La Paz. There had been a lot of electrolysis over the 4 months. It will be interesting to see if the situation improves at Costa Baja. In Squamish, we change the zincs once a year with zinc to spare.

A 1600hrs with a nice wind and the sun a little lower in the sky we took the dinghy ashore and explored the beach and shoreline. We passed the fishing camps set on the beach, a tenuous hold on a windswept shoreline. One of them had a satellite dish and solar power. Bags of salt were stacked by the makeshift tents, ready to preserve the catch, until there was enough to ferry to market. We marveled at the grittiness of the endeavor. Further inshore was forest of Cardon cacti. This gigantic cacti can grow as much as 70’ tall and 4’ wide. These cacti were not that tall but definitely in the 30’+range and most impressive when viewed en masse. Dozens of frigate birds circled in from the sea as turkey vultures scoured the shoreline for pickings. We came across the well-rotted carcass of a donkey (at least that was our best guess given the telltale signs of manure we had spotted earlier). We wondered what ill fate had befallen the poor beast. On our walk back we were treated to a large school of dolphins about 1/2 mile offshore traveling very fast. They appeared to be fishing and were followed by a flock of seabirds who circled overhead and darted close to the surface in pursuit of some remnants and scrapes from the hunt. It was awe inspiring sight watching these well adapted creatures work the seas methodically with grace, speed and vigour.

The wind filled in from the SW in the early evening and is it climbed to 14 knts we started to regret not having an up to date forecast as the anchorage was unprotected from the SW and the roll started to increase. However at about 2000hrs it started to settle and we ended up with a very pleasant night on the hook.

Approach to Los Gatos

Swirling rock formations in Los Puertos

April 19, 2012

Mangle Solo to Puerto Los Gatos – 21nm

Up early enough to listen to the Sunrisa net and the promise of light following winds from the SW with a three-day forecast of two days of low to no winds from the north followed by more light winds from the SW. We headed off at 0900h with a pleasant 10kn following wind that moved us along at a leisurely 3-4 knots for the first few hours of the morning. By 1200h the wind dropped to 6-8kns and our speed was down to 2.5 knots. The motion was so comfortable we could have been at the dock. The Sea of Cortez spread majestically before us, a cobalt blue wash framed by the jagged Sierra Giganta.  Instead of breaking the spell with the drum of the diesel engine, we opted to mooch along and enjoy the perfect afternoon. We were sailing wing on wing with the autohelm being driven by our full battery bank kept topped up by the ample supply of sunlight on our solar panels. We have been very pleased by the efficiency of our solar panels. With a capacity of 340watts, they are keeping the batteries well supplied. We put the watermaker on during the day for several hours and this is keeping our water tanks topped up.

We arrived at Puerto Los Gatos in the late afternoon where there were several boats already anchored. This anchorage has spectacular red rock bluffs in its northern lobe. These smooth billowing rocks look like they oozed out of the earth’s core as red mud and then caked and dried in folding layers. We went for hike on these rocks and by the shoreline in the early evening and enjoyed the abundance of intertidal life as crabs and hermit crabs scurried over the rocks in search of their evening meal.

We saw Moshulla arrive shortly after us and decided to go over and check out our sister boat. Gerry has done a wonderful job with the 1963 Spencer 42’ and she is in pristine condition. Her hull was gleaming and the many upgrades belied her age. She looked every bit as impressive as the many modern yachts at anchor.

Sister Spencer 42' Moshulu

Gerry aboard Mushulu

Getting ready for snorkelling

April 20, 2012

Puerto Los Gatos to Bahia San Marte – 14 nm

We woke to a glorious morning that promised to be hot and calm. We went for a morning snorkel and were treated to a wide variety of fish and plant life on the nearby reef. Sea urchins, starfish, parrot fish, angel fish, needle fish to name the few we are familiar were all present in large numbers. We weighed anchor at 1200h and with no wind we sparked up old ‘perky’ and headed north to Bahia San Marte.

Two pieces of navigational aids are proving invaluable to us on this trip. The first is a set of corrected charts for the Sea of Cortez developed by Gerry Cunningham and the second is the very excellent cruising guide developed by Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer. Our electronic charts are insufficient to find one’s way around the myriad of anchorages, islands and reefs on the Sea of Cortez. These two resources provide accurate data and the cruising guide includes a wealth of additional information that greatly enriches the experience.

There was one other motor yacht at the anchorage when we arrived. The sea and the wind were so calm that the Sea Reach hung limply off the anchor chain and with the sun still high and hot we went below decks to the shade of the cabin for the rest of the afternoon.

Garden at Aqua Verde

Restaurant at Aqua Verde

Roosting turkey vultures at Aqua Verde

April 21, 2012

Bahia San Marte to Bahia Aqua Verde – 7 nm

With just a short trip planned for today we had a leisurely morning. We celebrated the First Day of Ridvan at 1100 hrs with readings, prayers and music before weighing anchor.  We carefully treaded our way between the headland and an off laying reef to avoid backtracking around the chain of reefs that lie off the north easterly part of the anchorage.  Once around the headland a pleasant breeze from the NE allowed us to make our way north on a beam reach at about 3 knots.

This brought us all the way into the anchorage at Aqua Verde and we set our anchor without putting on the engine, a first for us on Sea Reach. We were nicely set, parallel to Tranquility whose crew we had met in San Evaristo. Aqua Verde is a fishing village with over 200 residents and has two tiendas, a restaurant and a school that provides both elementary and secondary education. We were looking forward to checking out both the tiendas and the restaurant. Saturday is not a good day for shopping at these little tiendas, so we did not get much in the way of provisions but did by a few drinks and tomatoes in the first tienda and some cookies and freshly made tortillas in the second. The village has a water supply fed from a mountain water source and quite a bit of care has been taken by the town residents to grow trees, flowers and vegetables, creating a little oasis in the desert.

The restaurant consisted of one table with six chairs under the awning to a two roomed home. They were happy to see us arrive and wondered if there were two more or just us. We confirmed that it was just two of us. There was no menu. Fish was what was being served. When I asked for a Coca Light, the cook/waitress hesitated but confirmed that yes I could have one. John went for a regular coke to keep the stress level down. Shortly afterwards, a young boy was seen heading off to the nearest tienda to procure the cokes. I wondered if we were going to regret our venture into the local cuisine. I need not have worried. In less than 10 minutes two steaming platefuls (plastic plates) of succulent battered and deep fried fresh fish arrived, served with seasoned rice and fresh tomato and cucumber salsa.  A basket of warm tortillas was also provided. I gave the server a surprised look and added the word “rapido!” She smiled. As John and I tucked into our meal three members from the household sat around looking at us. We hoped we were not eating their dinners.

Shortly afterwards four more cruisers arrived and joined us at the table. They had made reservations before going on their walk  - hence the fast service. They had been expecting these four guests. Now we wondered if we had eaten their meals!

All was well. There was enough for everyone and we had a good laugh before heading off down the village to walk off our very adequate supper.

The following morning as we were preparing to leave, we had two visitors. One was a women on a kayak who was traveling around the anchorage picking up bags of garbage for 20 pesos a small bag and 30 pesos for a large bag. We had a small bag full and ready to go and gladly handed it over to her with the 20 pesos. As she moved between the boats she sang a little song to amuse herself and alert people that she was coming. Quite enterprising. She had her children waiting on the beach to collect the bags as she went in with each full load. She was followed by a man in a panga who was selling jewelry and hand embroidered pillow squares or ‘serviettes’ as the call them. I bought a nice necklace but passed on the embroidered squares. I had already bought one of higher quality and reckoned I would get lots more opportunity to buy others along the way.

John still protecting his finger

April 22, 2012

Bahia Aqua Verde to Bahia Candeleros – 17 nm

Once again, light breezes from the NE made it possible to continue up the coast on a beam reach at about 3 knts. It was another glorious day. Dolphins joined us for part of our journey as well as three other sail boats making their way north. We took photos of two closest to us with the intention of e-mailing them if we meet up and get their details at one of the anchorages. The wind completely dropped in themed afternoon and we took down our sails and motored the last 7 miles to Bahia Candeleros. We were very hot by the time we set anchor and wasted no time in changing into swimming gear and going for a refreshing swim. At about 1800hrs a Coromuel came piping over the hills into the anchorage. Thankfully there was no swell due to the protection of the hills but it rapidly grew to 25 knts. As our boat swung round on its anchor it came loose and we started to drag. Fortunately we noticed it almost immediately and quickly jumped to action stations to avoid running into the boat closest go us. When we brought the anchor up it was full of weeds. We moved over to a sandier location and reset the anchor in 16 feet of water with an 8 to 1 scope. This time we held solidly throughout the night. Just as well because the wind continued to howl until the early morning light and then disappeared like a thief in the night.

Town Centre Loreto

Painted tree in Loreto

April 23, April 24, 2012

Layover at Puerto Escondido

We made our way just 7nm up the coast to one of the few marinas on the northern route. Puerto Escondido has just space for 10 boats at the dock but has 50 mooring balls dotted around a very protected inner harbor. With wifi, laundry, a restaurant and mini –mart, it was time to clean up and restock. We also took the opportunity to refuel but had used just about 50 litres since starting the cruising season, a nice pay back for the slow passages under sail. There is a small yacht club here for cruisers to hang out and meet each other. They host a morning net at 0800hrs on VHF. We were fortunate enough to hook up with a ride to Loreto via the morning net on April 24.

Richard, from SV Trinity, not only gave us a ride into Loreto, 16 k away but also gave us a great introduction to the town and brought us to all the best spots for groceries, produce and anything else we needed. It’s a lovely town. As summer is approaching fast, they were starting their slow season so there was none of the expected tourist hustle and bustle. I did manage to find some of the beautifully hand painted pottery that they are known for which was my main mission. We stopped at a local bakery that Richard highly recommended. The shelves were empty. We were greatly disappointed and could smell freshly baked produce coming from the kitchen. The lovely young couple who run the place told us that there isn’t enough business to keep it going during the summer months and they were planning on moving to Puerto Vallarta. Sensing our disappointment she sent her husband back into the kitchen and he brought out 3 small freshly baked loaves, one for each of us – as gifts. She absolutely would not accept money for them. I went searching in my bag for two of Alisons prayer cards in Spannish and hoped that a gift of some of the uplifting words of Baha’u’llah would bring her the same joy she bestowed upon us. The loaves were warm and smelling of herbs. We had them stuffed with lettuce, cheese and tomatoes for lunch. Delicious!