See full version: Sailing Intermezzo
I forgot how much I love the scenery in this part of the Sea of Cortez. The steep mountains along the coast are striated with colors shades of tans, browns, gold, reds, purples, maroons. The taller mountains further inland are in the background, hazy purple-blue, often with clouds brushing their tops. It feels really good to be back here. here
The highlight of our trip was during the passage from Punta San Tolemo to Puerto Escondido yesterday. We spotted a giant pod of spinner dolphins hunting as a pack, roiling the water white with their jumps and splashes, some dolphins herding fish into a dense school while others ripped through the school, chomping away. We turned of the motor and drifted, the dolphins moving around us like whitewater on a river. I took a video and posted it to YouTube (click here to watch it).
Intermezzo is in a slip at Marina Puerto Escondido, near the town of Loreto, about a third of the way up the inside of the Baja peninsula. Construction of the marina had just started when I was last here in 2017. Now it's finished and it's one of the nicest marinas I have ever been in. Everything is well designed with quality materials, well executed and well maintained. I was so glad to say hello again to my friend Javier, the harbormaster. He is a really great guy, very friendly, very professional. The entire staff is customer-focused and clearly oriented to creating a premium image. more
The next morning, we weighed anchor at a gentlman-ly 10:30 am and set sail for Los Gatos, another 36 nm north. The wind piped up enough in the afternoon for us to shut down the engines and let the jib pull us along at a nice 4-5 knots. The wind caused a southeasterly swell to build which was unfortunate, as the Los Gatos anchorage is exposed to the south and east. Rather than risk an uncomfortable rolly night there, we pushed on a few more miles to Punta San Tolemo where we anchored on the north side of the point. It was more comfortable than Los Gatos would have been, but the swell bent around the point and rocked us a bit when the boat swung beam to the seas. More swimming, more cocktails, another dinner.
I had removed the sails for transporting Intermezzo on the ship and didn't want to wrestle the heavy mainsail onto the boom, only to have to remove it again for hauling out in Puerto Escondido for hurricane season. Johan and I hoisted the jib in La Paz so we might get a little help from the wind. here
The weather was great, light blue skies, some puffy white clouds, dark blue seas with gentle swells. It was hot during the day, but with a breeze blowing most of the time, it was comfortable in the shade of the hardtop. [links]
Thanks to a multi-year dredging project, Baja California’s Marina Puerto Escondido is now capable of welcoming more power megayachts and sailing superyachts.
While the marina originally opened in the 1980s, new owners acquired it in 2017 and held a grand reopening in 2018. They expanded the footprint to attract additional cruisers from not just the United States, but around the world. Therefore, Marina Puerto Escondido has dockage for yachts up to 200 feet (about 61 meters). More than 100 slips cater to yachts to this LOA. The recently completed dredging project has increased the entrance channel’s depth to 18 feet (5.5 meters) at low tide. The clearance width, meanwhile, is 100 feet (30.5 meters), with the total channel width being about 250 feet (76.2 meters).
Marina Puerto Escondido sits 140 miles north of La Paz, on the Sea of Cortez. The region attracts both cruisers and sportfishing enthusiasts. Notably, the late Jacques Cousteau once termed the Sea of Cortez the Aquarium of the World due to its biodiversity. Besides these benefits, the marina is in proximity to a number of anchorages, some being quiet. Additionally, Marina Puerto Escondido is easy for owners and guests to reach. It’s a 20-minute drive from a private FBO. here
Keeping your yacht in top condition at the marina is easier with dry storage and on-site repair services. Ask us how to rent dry storage when you’re away from the marina to prevent marine deterioration, and see us for any hull maintenance or repair needs.
Enrique earned his degree in Business Administration from the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Guadalajara in 2005. In his free time, he enjoys all kinds of watersports, especially sailing. Enrique has a taste for adventure that makes Loreto a unique and beautiful place for him to call home.
Your premium slip awaits your visit.
Let the adventure begin. here
After one slightly-roily night at Isla San Francisco, we motored to San Evaristo. We were excited to visit this harbour as it is a little fishing village with a tienda, restaurant and supposedly, WiFi. We were sadly disappointed with this town was pretty much shut down when we visited. The only place that seemed to be open was Agua Tony’s water purification plant. There was a note at his entrance saying you could radio him on VHF channel 16, so we did. A lady was on and in broken Spanish, we tried to find out what the WiFi password was and when the tienda and restaurant would open. Her response was “No hay WiFi” (There is no WiFi) and “No se’” (I don’t know) So, the tienda was closed for our whole visit- as was the restaurant called Lupe’s. We were also told by the locals that sometimes if you stand in the middle of the soccer field there (while also being careful not to step in the numerous cow patties) you may be able to get cell reception. We were not able to, nor were we able to get cell reception with our booster. The winds also kicked up quite a bit at night in there, so be sure to set your anchor well. So, Evaristo was a bit of a bust for us…oh well! more
Headed to Punta San Telmo here
Treking around the small village of Agua Verde [links]
Carson & Jason kayaking back from the nearby beach with Ruby
Gran Via Tropical y Tambuco, Col.
Location: Caribbean & Central America, Mexico Pacific Coast, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Categories: Marinas & Moorings
Location: Caribbean & Central America, Mexico Pacific Coast, Ensenada, Baja California Sur Categories: Marinas & Moorings, Boatyards / Shipyards / Haul Out