Sea Of Cortez Date: 15 December 1999
Joyous Holiday Greetings from Lat 22 - 55.2, Lon 107 - 42.0, the middle of the Sea of Cortez (Golfo de California on some charts). It's 0900 on 15 December, 1999, and I'm about 135 NM east of Cabo San Lucas, with about 160 NM to go to San Blas, on the mainland. For once, the sailing has been primo, with winds from the north, 15-18 kts, and the sea relatively light, 3-4' swell, fairly close.

I left Ensenada de los Muertos yesterday morning at 0830, and 24 hours later had covered 133 NM !!! (This is good mileage for S/V "Secret O' Life") I left La Paz Saturday at 1000 hrs on the front of a rapidly building Norther, in company with 3 other boats heading for los Muertos and then across the Sea. Muertos is the first protected bahia south of the La Paz headlands, and a common jumping off point for crossing.

We all had a sleigh ride downwind for 45 miles in 20-25 kts with 5-8' seas on the stern. Once into Muertos with the anchor down in calm water, we knew we would be there for a day or two waiting for the Norther to blow out. There were a total of 12 sailboats at anchor - all paying close attention to the daily forecasts, which finally called for a fairly calm 24-36 hour window beginning Tuesday morning. Most of the boats left the anchorage early yesterday, with destinations of Mazatlan, San Blas or Puerto Vallarta.

The wind built quickly and after sailing off the anchor at Muertos, we had 12-15 kts within 2 hours. With these short, steep seas, it stays a little rolly, but we were fortunate in having almost 8 hours of great flat water sailing yesterday before they built to a less comfortable size. The wind stayed up through the night and is forecasted to build slightly today, however the closer we get to the mainland, the less influence the Norther will have.

The weather report for Mazatlan today was light and variable winds, high temp 82, clear sky !! We all feel very lucky to have this great weather for crossing, since while at anchor in Muertos we talked via radio with several boats less fortunate and caught out in the middle of their crossing - the reports from them were not good. If the weather calms down by the time we reach Isla Isabella (about 40 NM offshore of San Blas and a protected bird sanctuary) we all plan to stop and spend a day there.

More on La Paz:
The capital of Baja California, the name means "The Peace", and it truly is a peaceful city in an arid desert, bordered by a large, shallow harbor that prevents any ships larger than about 150-180' (12' draught) from entering. There is a large commercial district with shops providing anything one would want; several large department stores; 4 Supermercados (SuperMarkets??) endless small Tiendas (Corner grocery) and a multitude of sidewalk food vendors, each with a specialty to entice the customers away from the competition. Examples: Fish tacos, served up with all the condiments you could want, 7 pesos ($0.75), or these huge clams, 11 pesos - she takes out the meat from a big 4" clam, dices it up, mixes with some fresh salsa, adds cheeze and a little cream, then puts it all back in the clamshell, wraps with foil and steams it on the grill - outrageous !!! It's amazing, the little backstreet corners where you'll find these vendors with a bar-b-que, a prep table and a couple of those white plastic chairs and tables for the customer.

Of course, caution is required, for while I've been free of it myself, several friends have felt the ravages of the dreaded "Tourista" or "Montezuma's Revenge" and one has to think that some of these vendors may be the source. La Paz municipal water is lab certified potable, so I had no qualms about filling my tanks. The ice, however, may or may not be made from "Agua Purificado" so one must make that determination before consuming. By far the best grocery deal here is avocados - about $0.10 each and perfect !! Tomatoes also are very cheap, so we eat a lot of salsa and guacamole.

Aside from the commercial center there is a long "Malecon" (waterfront street/walkway) with shops and restaurants - and anchorage just off for the cruisers. As you ply the back streets you encounter beautiful gated homes mixed in with the occasional auto repair or wholesale warehouse - zoning hasn't occurred here yet. The main streets are paved, some still with the original round stones, but most are just sand - there's a lot of sand around here!!

A couple weeks back another couple and I took the bus to Todos Santos, about 75 miles south and on the Pacific coast - 30 pesos for the bus, one way. Todos Santos is one of the oldest towns in Baja, with beautiful examples of the early architecture and building practices, but unfortunately the gringo has found the spot and the town is full of gift shops and restaurants with prices much higher than La Paz - rivalling Cabo !! It is a beautiful location though, on a hill, heavily planted with palmtrees and overlooking the Pacific about 2 miles west.

What else ?? The weather - warm most days, low 80's, and 60's at night with a clear sky and light afternoon breeze. It's not all perfect, however, for when the Northers blow (for as long as 3-4 days at a time) it makes the anchorage uncomfortable and the malecon unenjoyable, while in the city the wind is hardly noticed. And, just before I left we had a cold front come through with day temps mid 70's, nights low 50's - Brrrrrrrr !!

There is, however, NO RAIN !!! I will undoubtedly encounter some of that on the mainland south of PV. The climate along the "Gold Coast" is much more tropical, lush, green, and somewhat rainy. I plan to try and make Bahia Tenacatita for Christmas, Barra de Navidad for New Years and then Las Hadas (location where "10" was filmed), near Manzanillo by Jan 10 or so. By the middle of Feb I'll start working my way north again to be back in La Paz by April.

Remember, the invitation is open (space available) if any of you want to spend a week on the boat - Alaska flys into La Paz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo - and I'll be visiting all those spots between now and then.

Well, I just poked my head outside - nothing but water and blue sky for 360 degrees. The wind is holding at 15-18 kts, the sea's building slightly, so it's becoming a chore to move around in the boat - Yeah, you should experience the thrill of making coffee and breakfast - and then eating it, in this stuff !! My GPS sez I'm 108 NM from Isla Isabella, 148 from San Blas, I'm dead on the bearing of 113 degrees mag, doing 6 kts over the ground (as opposed to through the water which is affected by currents, etc). The wind vane has been doing the steering since I left Muertos, so I just have to keep a look out and eat, read and rest. (To be continued)

For now, anyway. Hasta luego, mi familia y amigos.
Terry,
In the Sea of Cortez, aboard S/V "Secret O' Life"