Sea of Cortez

[abruzzi]

Ok, so my boat isn't even registered or sea worthy yet, but I gotta dream. I've got some nice local lakes to practice on, but I've been thinking that a nice long vacation would be a month in the Sea of Cortez/Gulf of Mexico. Where I live (southern New Mexico) I'm about 500-600 miles from San Carlos, MX, or Puerto Penasco, MX, or a number of other ports on the mainland side.

Has anyone sailed around that area? How much time is needed to not feel rushed? Is a well maintained Mac 25 sufficient, or would I be better off in a heavier keelboat? (I had been looking at a 4100lb Kittiwake 23). Any favorite spots?

Geof

[Sumner]

Not sure if we will make it there or not, but it is on our list. Personally I'd want a minimum of 2 weeks and if we went I would hope we would go for a month or more. San Carlos looks to be the best place to put in, but most people then head to the other side and you would not want to make the crossing in bad weather if possible.

Chinook went and had a great trip report, but it isn't up at the moment.

Try this...

http://aspensites.com/sancarlos302.html

... Also a couple guys went down with I think a S, but I can't find that story. Google Sea of Cortez and I'm sure you will find some other trip reports from non-Mac sailors. Here are some links that I have to get you started.....

http://www.rollinghomes.com/MexLog30.htm

http://www.exploringcortez.com/ec_buy.html

http://turtleislands.net/tmc/default.html

http://www.gerrycruise.com/Index.shtml#nogo

http://www.cartographic.com/Products/Overview.asp

http://blog.richdurnanphoto.com/2009/06 ... story.html

http://sailing-sumatra.livejournal.com/

http://www.baja-haha.com/Guide/index.html#anchor270960

http://www.mexicanautoinsurance.com/

http://www.sancarlosmexico.com/insure.html

http://www.tucsonsailingclub.com/

http://sonrisanet.org/index.html

We bought the book SEA OF CORTEZ - A Cruiser's Guidebook and I'd recommend a copy of it.

Be sure and post the trip if you do it,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

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[gyroplanes]

I read an ad, here on the forum, for a German couple's vacation rental villa in LaPaz. One of the features of the charming villas was a MAC 26X rental. It looks like most of the profits from their very reasonable rates go to support local charities.

I was itching to go stay to LaPaz and sail the area, but the family gave me the thumbs down. Cartel worries I guess? LaPaz is not to far from Cabo. I don't think the tip of the Baja Pennisula is a hotbed of drug activity, but maybe the wife and kids know something I don't?

[abruzzi]

Yeah, I saw a boat rental out of La Paz--originally it was a donation thing--donate what you want to their favorite charity, but the set a minimum donation of something like $800 a week. Which is probably a good deal if you're not in driving distance, but with my location it makes a lot more sense to just tow my own boat.

San Carlos seems to be the best mainland location, but that crossing over the peninsula looks daunting. Having only gone on inland lakes, being beyond visible shore will take some confidence. I'd wonder what kinds of weather and winds to expect? I'd probably feel safer being part of a small convoy of half dozen boats that could all help each other out.

Honestly I wouldn't worry too much about the cartels. Stay far enough from the border areas where they mostly operate, and Mexico is relatively safe. Just don't put in at Tijuana or park your truck in Juarez. And from what I can tell, stay as far from Nuevo Laredo as possible--that place is a bit crazy. But I've heard little about the peninsula, and that may be because it is pretty sparsely populated, and cut off from the mainland.

Geof

[Sumner]

....San Carlos seems to be the best mainland location, but that crossing over the peninsula looks daunting. Having only gone on inland lakes, being beyond visible shore will take some confidence. I'd wonder what kinds of weather and winds to expect? I'd probably feel safer being part of a small convoy of half dozen boats that could all help each other out. Geof

They can have big wind down there at times and they also have a hurricane season. I think the convoy thing would be hard to pull off as there aren't tons of people sailing down there and trying to coordinate schedules would be hard. Also if things go bad sometimes people are separated from each other. I think we are about ready, but not quite ready to go down there and I would only want to go if we felt comfortable out on our own.

Here is an option. Look where Bahia Kino is north of San Carlos. I've never seen where people put in there, but I see there might be a couple boat ramps there...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%ADa_Kino

...and maybe an RV Park with one....

http://www.ontheroadin.com/pacificcoast ... marina.htm

...that might be an option as to where you might be able to leave the tow vehicle. Also now you are north in the Sea of Cortez where there are some Islands for protection and the crossing is not so far. A number of people who posted trip reports went up to this area and liked it. If we went we would like to go up into that area. If and when we ever do go I think I'll look further into putting in up there,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[Hamin' X]

Well, you might want to search our forum. Several members are familiar with the Sea of Cortez. One is there, one lived there and one made a trip down there. Give Mike a ping on PM, or search the forum for cortez and author Chinook.

Here's one to get you started.

~Rich

[Chinook]

The Sea of Cortez is a great place to go cruising. After evaluating a number of options for getting out on the water, we opted for launching at San Carlos on the mainland side. Reasons were many. Very good 4 lane divided highway from Nogales AZ to San Carlos was a biggie. If you drive down the Baja side, you probably need to drive at least as far as Loreto, where you can find the first decent launch ramp, and options for parking tow rig and trailer. That's a longer drive on poorer roads and through an area (Tijuana to Ensenada) which has seen a lot of drug related violence recently. San Carlos offers an excellent marina, and very good launch and parking options. The crossing is long (about 72nm to Santa Rosalia), however, trailer sailors make the crossing on a regular basis. I suggest you log onto the Tuscon Sailing Club website. Trailer sailors in their group regularly make the crossing, and their website usually has picture albums from their recent trips. They were most helpful to us in preparing for our trip. The recommended way to approach the crossing is to depart at sunset. The middle part of the Sea is at its calmest in the middle of the night, and if you cruise at 5 to 6 knots, you'll arrive at Santa Rosalia shortly after sunrise. This is perfect, since you then avoid the typical midday gusty wind conditions which often develop near shore on the Baja side. We made our crossing with a full moon rising astern, and we enjoyed smooth seas and beautiful night time cruising conditions. The only potential hazards are hitting a whale or possibly a panga (small open fishing boat). The pangas go 10 miles or so offshore on the Baja side, fishing at night for Humboldt squid, and they don't always show lights. Cruising at slower speeds is beneficial in avoiding these hazards. You can get good weather forecasts from the San Carlos marina folks, for planning your actual departure. I strongly recommend buying a portable single side band receiver for receiving up to date weather reports. They're not that expensive (we got an excellent Panasonic model for around $150). That radio will pick up a daily weather report, broadcast out of Oxnard CA, with cruising weather for the Sea of Cortez. Sorry about the website being down. It will be posted again, but is low in the priorities at the moment. Feel free to PM me for details or answers to questions. Good luck with your plans. I hope you'll be able to make the trip.

[mastreb]

Living in San Diego we're pretty close to what's going on in Tijuana, and things there have calmed down considerably in the past 18 months or so. I'd consider it safe enough at this point.

I'm considering doing a winter cruise in the Sea of Cortez as well. I'd hoped that San Felipe would work as a put-in location given that it's only three hours from home, but I don't think there's any way I could leave my tow rig there. I might be able to get my brother to drive it out to his home in Yuma.

I've not sailed in the Sea of Cortez, but I have been in it multiple times on cruises. There are a lot of shallow bays that would only be accessible to a shallow draft sailboat like the Mac. Some are so shallow that you'll need to watch that you don't get trapped at low tide if you go into them.

[Free2sail]

I'm in Northern CA, and have read accounts over the years about the Sea of Cortez, definitely on the list to do!

I realize that it would be difficult to try and schedule a trip as a group, but what fun if we could pull it off. Safety in numbers, and just alot more fun. I watched a video, perhaps included in the promotional stuff, of the F-27's, and a group of them cruised the Cortez and had a fantastic time. Would love to do it with a bunch of fellow Mac owners.

There is always the option of doing the Baha Trip with Latitude 38 in October, though this is from San Diego to Cabo, its a group thing, and would probabaly be great fun.

Anyways, I'm down for a Sea of Cortez trip, this winter or next.

Cheers,

[Chinook]

I have no experience with the San Felipe area, since we focused our attention on the central and southern portions of the Sea of Cortez. The waters north of the Midriff Islands are shallower, with strong currents and extremely high tidal ranges. In the winter months, both air and water temperatures are colder, and strong wind conditions will be encountered more frequently. Generally speaking, any time high pressure develops in the high plateau region of the Four Corners of the US, you can expect very strong northerly winds blowing down the Sea of Cortez. These winds will be strongest in the northern region of the Sea, and when they oppose the direction of currents, nasty sea conditions can be expected. South of the Midriff Islands, in the area between Santa Rosalia and La Paz, water temperatures will be warmer, tidal range will be just a few feet, and currents are negligable. It can still get windy when high pressure dominates around 4 Corners, but it's not as severe as further north. I think spending the extra driving time to either drive down to Loreto or San Carlos would be well worth it. If you start out at San Felipe, you're more likely to lose time waiting for the weather to settle. From San Carlos you can make a crossing if the forecast is good, or alternatively, you can spend your cruising time heading north on the mainland side. The region between San Carlos and the Midriffs, on the mainland side, is studded with enticing anchorages. If you make the crossing to Santa Rosalia or start out at Loreto, you have all sorts of options. With two weeks of cruising time you can visit Loreto, Mulege, Bahia Conception, and a number of wonderful islands. About the only benefit I can think of in spending time at the north end is isolation. Not many cruisers visit there during the winter cruising season, probably for the reasons listed above.

[mastreb]

I have no experience with the San Felipe area, since we focused our attention on the central and southern portions of the Sea of Cortez. The waters north of the Midriff Islands are shallower, with strong currents and extremely high tidal ranges. In the winter months, both air and water temperatures are colder, and strong wind conditions will be encountered more frequently. Generally speaking, any time high pressure develops in the high plateau region of the Four Corners of the US, you can expect very strong northerly winds blowing down the Sea of Cortez. These winds will be strongest in the northern region of the Sea, and when they oppose the direction of currents, nasty sea conditions can be expected. South of the Midriff Islands, in the area between Santa Rosalia and La Paz, water temperatures will be warmer, tidal range will be just a few feet, and currents are negligable. It can still get windy when high pressure dominates around 4 Corners, but it's not as severe as further north. I think spending the extra driving time to either drive down to Loreto or San Carlos would be well worth it. If you start out at San Felipe, you're more likely to lose time waiting for the weather to settle. From San Carlos you can make a crossing if the forecast is good, or alternatively, you can spend your cruising time heading north on the mainland side. The region between San Carlos and the Midriffs, on the mainland side, is studded with enticing anchorages. If you make the crossing to Santa Rosalia or start out at Loreto, you have all sorts of options. With two weeks of cruising time you can visit Loreto, Mulege, Bahia Conception, and a number of wonderful islands. About the only benefit I can think of in spending time at the north end is isolation. Not many cruisers visit there during the winter cruising season, probably for the reasons listed above.

Thanks for the advice! This is what makes this site great!

[pokerrick1]

I'd hoped that San Felipe would work as a put-in location given that it's only three hours from home, but I don't think there's any way I could leave my tow rig there.

The launch ramp is wide and long but there are no docks at the ramp, making retreiving a little more difficult (don't let the Mexican fishermen help you - - just drive onto the trailer).

There is a lot of area in which to leave your tow vehicle - - - the problem is will it be there when you return? One thing you could do is go to the Marina office and register your tow vehicle and then give the manager $20USD and ask him to have his people watch it - - - still no guarantee it will be there when you return. The marina is owned and run by the Mexican Government.

Watch the tides there as Chinook suggested - - - 2nd or 3rd largest in the world! In North San Filipe the Sea goes out 1,600 yards (a mile) at low tide - - - it's really something to see. San Felipe is a wonderful little Mexican fishing village to visit - - - I just wouldn't want to live there (been there done that).

San Felipe is the shortest crossing point to sail to the mainland - - - I THINK, if I remember correctly, it's less than 90 miles to Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point). However, it certainly is more than 3 hours from you! Towing a Mac or not, it is probably 2 1/2 hours to Mexicali via Interstate 8 and then it is another 2 hours on a two lane road (Rte 5) to the Harbor in San Filipe. Crossing the border at Mexicali is a cinch and they won't even look inside your boat. There is a Military checkpoint about 20 miles north of San Filipe at the road that goes across to Ensenada, and they WILL check your boar some there, but not much going South. Remember - - - no guns or ammunition - - - the easiest way to wind up in a Mexican jail (a no no).

PM me if you have more specific questions about San Felipe - - - I had my 2006 M in a slip there in 2008.

Rick

[raycarlson]

i regularly sail out of san carlos,i prefer having the marina to stay at every 2nd or 3rd day as they have water elec at the slip and showers,laundry,bathrooms,bar,restuarant,and internet all included in the 20 dollar slip fee.best weather is april-may-early june then late sept,oct,nov. mid summer is excedingly hooooot and humid and winter gets the weekly northers that can blow 40mph for 3 days striaght sometimes.san carlos has great fishing and diving but not much sightseeing sailing wise, Kino is right in the mix of the midrif islands with weeks worth of exploring and sightseeing all the islands and anchorages but has no marina and only a dirt ramp for launching but does have a gated dry storage yard for your trailer and truck.it all really depends on what experience you are looking for and what you like to do when on the water.don't forget you have to have your ten year import permit(refered to as TIP) and a mexican issued liability policy on your boat,and if you carry any fishing tackle on the boat evey passenger has to have a mex fishing license. the mex navy has been really checking on this lately. every thing is safe and freindly in these areas with no crimes against any americans,san carlos has several thousand permanent US citizens who permanantly reside there and a lot of the businesses there are owned by americans, where as Kino bay is a more authenic mexican town with a much smaller american population i would guess less than 100 perm americans reside there.regardles of where you go you will have a memorable adventure, just make sure you boat and gear are in tip top shape.

[Sumner]

.... Kino is right in the mix of the midrif islands with weeks worth of exploring and sightseeing all the islands and anchorages but has no marina and only a dirt ramp for launching but does have a gated dry storage yard for your trailer and truck...

Great info Ray, thanks. Have you left a vehicle at Kino? If so would you leave one there for say a month or more?

The dirt ramp doesn't bother us...



http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... r-Mia.html

...and no marina is also no problem as we wouldn't be there.

How is the highway to there. Looking at it on Google Earth it doesn't look bad. I like the location for the type of trips we like to do,

Sum and Ruth

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[pokerrick1]

I hear the Mexican Navy just got a bunch of "new" boats (new to them) from the USA and they are patrolling and checking "everything". Remember, no small calliber handguns to kill sharks you catch before bringing them aboard - - - you will wind up in a Mexican jail

Rick