PUERTO ESCONDIDO TO SAN JOSE DEL CABO

May 11 – 17, 2024

We spent ten days in Puerto Escondido. Brad went home to Los Angeles for a week while I stayed to watch the boat. On Sunday morning, we rented a car. I took Brad to the airport and then continued on into Loreto. I went to the bank (ATM not working, of course) and then to the grocery store called El Pescador. El Pescador is not as large as the Ley store in Loreto, but carries all sorts of American products difficult to find in Mexico. I only needed enough food to last me a week, but ended up spending 3,000 pesos on delicacies such as orange cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, Jiffy cornbread mix, and diced tomatoes (I bought every can.) I didn’t buy any perishables on that trip and intended to go to Ley after lunch for meats and vegetables.

Loreto Museum

After shopping, I headed to the plaza to grab a frappucino and wait for my friends from Brainwaves who were meeting me for lunch after picking up Deb from the airport. It was Sunday and many restaurants were closed, but we finally found a place on the malecon that served good Mexican food. Celine and Patrick from Lucero had driven Jim to the airport to collect Deb and the five of us ate a very convivial lunch. We were having such a good time that by 15:00, I realized I needed to complete my shopping and return the car by 16:00. I scooted away, made a quick stop at El Pescador (Ley would have been slower), and hurried back to Puerto Escondido. By the time I unloaded all the groceries and turned in the key, it was 15:57.

Despite more than forty years of experience on boats, I had very little experience in driving dinghies. I was quite apprehensive. I have always had trouble controlling the speed and direction at the same time. Fortunately, no one was watching as I started the motor and pulled away from the dinghy dock. It almost looked like I knew what I was doing. I motored out to White Wind and even dared to give it a little gas in the open water between the marina and the moorings. I docked successfully at White Wind and unloaded my booty without incident. I was very proud of myself.

Anchored Dinghy

Blair's Kitties

Monday morning, Blair from Progress One Jim and Deb from Brainwaves, and I went for a hike into Juncalito to feed the cats that Blair had discovered abandoned there. We dinghied (Blair drove) to the southwest corner of Puerto Escondido and anchored the dinghies, there. Then we followed a path rumored to be used by the theives that steal things off of boats over the hill and down to the beach in Juncalito.

Three friendly young cats had been abandoned in the area where people camp on the beach. Someone had left a tin of food and some water along with a sign entreating people to feed them. Blair, being a sucker for animals, had been hiking over there every few days to feed the kitties. We played with the cats for a few minutes and then returned to our boats.

Blair’s crew, Dr. Mike, arrived late Monday afternoon. He rented a car at the airport and, after he arrived in Puerto Escondido, wanted to go back to Loreto for dinner. Blair called me on the radio and invited me. Since Blair was already on shore, I had to make the trip in our dinghy. I did fine getting to shore and we went into Loreto, stopped at the bank (ATM now working), and got dinner at La Isla, the restaurant we had tried to visit on Sunday and found closed.

There was a new moon and it was pitch dark when we returned to Puerto Escondido. None of us had thought to bring lights and I hadn’t brought a radio. The dinghy started right up and I followed Blair and Dr. Mike out of the marina and started across the open water. The feed from the gas tank on White Wind’s dinghy isn’t as long as it should be, so the tank needs to be tilted onto its side and tends to topple over. When that happens, the dinghy suddenly stops. About a third of the way back to the boat in the pitch dark, the motor suddenly quit. I began drifting towards shore, a creepy proposition when you can’t see enough to tell where you are or how deep the water is. I restarted it as fast as possible and headed away from shore. Just when I was pretty sure I was clear, the motor hit something. It jumped up and made a horrible noise and I was sure I was in trouble, but the shear pin had not broken and the prop continued to turn. Shaken, I completed my journey back to White Wind, arriving just as Blair and Dr. Mike were about to come looking for me.

Sunset in Puerto Escondido

Most of my time in Puerto Escondido was spent reading, writing, playing the guitar, and studying French. Something had gone wrong with the solar controller on the boat and the batteries weren’t charging as they should. This limited my ability to run the Starlink, but I still had a relaxing time.

Wednesday evening, Brainwaves had arranged dinner and a jam session at the Tripui Hotel. Patrick, Celine, Jim, Deb, two guitars, and I squeezed into Patrick and Celine’s little car for the trip over. Fortunately, it wasn’t far. We met up with Joe and Jamie from Sherpa who were staying at the hotel. They had acquired a fresh yellowtail and the hotel cooked it for us for dinner. After a leisurely dinner, we repaired to Joe and Jamie’s front porch, where Joe, Patrick and I played music until nearly 23:00. Some of the other guests joined us. It was a fabulous evening. Freed from the obligation to play classic rock for bar patrons, we indulged ourselves with original tunes and deep cuts from John Prine. This time, I had brought my headlamp and a radio so, of course, the dinghy behaved perfectly on my trip back to the boat.

May 18 – 20, 2024

Gulls in Juncalito

On Saturday morning, Dr. Mike and I set off to feed Blair’s cats in Juncalito. Blair had to remain on Progress One to wait for the bottom cleaners. We retraced the route I had taken earlier in the week but found the cats gone. We sincerely hoped that someone had adopted them or at least taken them to a rescue. They were very friendly cats and one of them had unusual silvery spotted markings. With no cats to feed, we continued along the beach into Juncalito until constructions on the beach made it difficult to continue and we took that as a sign to turn around.

Shortly after we returned, Brad and his friend, Buddy, arrived and I took the dinghy to shore to collect them. We unpacked all the boat parts that Brad had brought with him. It felt like Christmas. We spent the afternoon fixing things. We replaced the faulty switch for the propane, Brad installed a USB outlet in his cabin, and tried, unsuccessfully, to figure out what was wrong with the solar system. We were getting low on food, but I made patty melts with the last of the hamburger and rye bread.

Sunday, Brad and Buddy planned to replace a septic hose and install USB outlets in my cabin. Since this involved completely disassembling my cabin and making a smelly mess, I decided it was a good time to go ashore and do laundry. When I returned I spent a couple of hours visiting on Progress One until I saw activity in White Wind’s cockpit and deemed it safe to return. We had a leftover buffet for lunch and emptied the refrigerator. When it came time for dinner, the best I could do was bake cornbread and stretch our last can of chili (it is nearly impossible to buy chili in Mexico) by adding a can of black beans. Still, we were satisfied that we had completed all the programmed boat projects and were ready to go.

San Javier Mission

The last thing we had to do before leaving Puerto Escondido was shop for groceries. We picked up the rental car at 9:00 on Monday morning. Brad decided to stay on the boat, so Buddy, Blair, Dr. Mike, and I piled into the rental car and set off. Since we had the car for 24 hours, we decided to drive up the mountain to the Mision de San Francisco Javier Vigge Biaundo. The original adobe mission was built in 1699, but was washed away by a hurricane in 1704. The current mission, built of volcanic stone quarried from Isla Coronados, was constructed between 1744 and 1758 and is considered the architectual jewel of Baja. It featured vaulted stone ceilings and three gold leafed entablatures surrounding oil paintings badly in need of cleaning. The building was generally very well preserved. It was contructed by Jesuits and later administered by Franciscans and finally Dominicans. The museum was very informative, but all the text was in Spanish, so I spent quite a while translating.

Altar Entablature

Somehow, Buddy and I became separated from Blair and Dr. Mike. We sipped cold drinks in the restaurant until they reappeared. The little village of San Javier was very tidy and sturdy looking. The mission had been sited alongside a freshwater stream, which allowed them to grow olive trees and some vegetables. After driving for miles through a desolate, mountainous landscape, it was surprising to find a village that almost looked Italian.

Everybody was hungry, but Blair wanted to try to find Tacos El Rey, so we drove back down the mountain to Loreto. Blair had tried to eat at Tacos El Rey several times, but always found it closed. We later learned that they close at 14:00. We arrived at 13:00, so were in luck. Buddy and I ordered two tacos and Blair and Dr. Mike three. The waitress said, “Very big. Start with two.” None of us managed a third. Both the fish and carne asada tacos were delicious and the condiments bar well stocked. At 70 pesos per taco, they weren’t cheap, but they were generous and extremely tasty. The fish had just enough breading to be crunchy, but not enough to be doughy or greasy.

After lunch, we wandered around on foot until we located the ice cream store and somehow managed to eat ice cream. Then we shopped at both El Pescador and Ley before driving back to Puerto Escondido. 

Brad had spent the day working on the boat and had managed to reset the solar controller so that the batteries were charging properly.  We had meant to return to Loreto for dinner, but nobody felt like it. Buddy and Brad ate at the restaurant in the marina. I was still so full from lunch that I stayed on the boat and just had a hard-boiled egg and a slice of cheese.

May 21, 2024

Agua Verde

Finally, it was time to leave Puerto Escondido. We went to shore for one last hot shower and Brad filled
his jerry jugs with diesel. Then we headed out of the port and off towards Agua Verde. There wasn’t enough wind to sail. We threaded our way through the islets south of Puerto Escondido on my watch and then Brad took over and I took a nap.

By mid-afternoon, we were anchored in the northern lobe of the bay at Agua Verde. It was very warm. I took a swim around the boat and Buddy and Brad went snorkeling around the big rock near our spot. Progress One arrived a little later, but couldn’t find room near us and anchored off the beach. We spent a relaxing afternoon and then I made Indian chicken and veggies over rice for dinner and Buddy made a salad.

A swell started to roll into the anchorage about the time I went to bed. It was a somewhat uncomfortable night and I didn’t get much sleep.

May 22, 2024

The Rock in Agua Verde

We decided to spend a second night in Agua Verde. The Progress One boys and Buddy went to shore
for breakfast and took a walk around the town. Brad and I stayed behind. I did take a swim in the afternoon and did a few laps around the boat, although my sprained foot kept cramping. I couldn't even begin to put a fin on it, so I couldn't really go snorkeling. We watched the goats graze on the steep hillside next to the anchorage. They waited until the area was shaded before venturing to graze there.

Progress One was anchored off the beach, so we weren't as connected with them as we usually were. They went to dinner at a restaurant on the beach with some people from another boat and reported that they had good fish tacos. Brad barbecued pork chops and I made macaroni and cheese and salad for dinner.

May 23, 2024

Rocks at Puerto El Gato

We didn't have a tremendously long way to go, so White Wind stopped at Puerto El Gato so that Buddy
could see the rock formations there. He swam ashore and enjoyed climbing around on the rocks. He was very impressed by the textures created by erosion. Brad and I swam around the boat and then we all ate leftover chicken curry for lunch. In the afternoon, we continued on to San Evaristo to meet up with Progress One.

Moonlit Night in San Evaristo

We arrived a little late to go to dinner at Lupe and Maggi May's restaurant, so I made ground turkey tacos on the boat. The anchorage was emptier than usual, so we were able to anchor close to shore. We passed a pleasant night, there, and enjoyed the moonlight.

May 24, 2024

The Light at San Evaristo

Since we only had about nine miles to go to Isla San Francisco, we rowed ashore for breakfast. We got there before the restaurant was open, so we climbed the hill to check out the light and see what was going on behind the gaudy blue and white fence that someone had built behind the restaurant. The gate sported turrets flying flags, but the house inside wasn't particularly impressive. The fence was an eyesore. There were quite a few new homes that had cropped up since my last visit two years before. They were definitely better built than the older structures.

Dr. Mike at the Crazy Compound

We enjoyed a round of huevos rancheros at the restaurant. The dining area had been expanded into a new level below the old porch, so the whole operation seemed more spacious. They opened a few minutes early for us. We have always found them extremely accommodating.

After breakfast, we walked across town to where the store used to be, but found it deserted. We could see a sign for another store up on the hill, so we schlepped up there. It was very warm. A couple of friendly dogs escorted us and Blair bonded with a cute little, black dachshund mix. The charts of San Evaristo show a lagoon behind the town, but this was the first time I had ever seen water in it. We had to walk around it to get up the hill.

Blair's Buddy

New Grocery Store in San Evaristo

The new store was much larger than the old one, but still limited in selection. We were low on veggies, but they had no produce. We bought some salsa and a couple of packages of cookies before returning to the boat. Then we actually sailed to Isla San Francisco.

It was Friday and the anchorage at San Francisco was packed with power boats and charter catamarans. We found a spot and dropped the hook. Soon, Progress One arrived and anchored just outside of us. We cooled off with a swim, I didn't know what to make for dinner, but Dr. Mike solved the problem by bringing us some poke that he had made from a bonito that they caught on the way over. The night started out calm, but we were pitching by the early morning. I strong southerly was blowing down in the La Paz area and we experienced the swell from that even though we never felt the wind.

May 25, 2024

Sunrise at Isla San Francisco

Since we weren't all that comfortable, we hauled up the anchor and headed for El Cardonal on Isla
Partida. We had arranged to meet Wings there for a potluck dinner. We arrived by mid-afternoon. El Cardonal was a lovely anchorage, but we didn't get a chance to enjoy the scenery because we were swarmed by bees before we got the hook down. As soon as the anchor was set, I fled below and Buddy followed me shortly thereafter. The bees were landing on both of us but they left Brad alone. This was fortunate, as he was able to put the snubber on without being bothered.

Progress One had an even worse time with the bees. Blair had a zero tolerance policy and went straight to swatters and chemical warfare. They were stung four times. There were no casualties on either side in our boat. I didn't dare poke my head out until we saw Wings entering the anchorage at sundown.

I made chicken in green mole over rice with whatever vegetables I could find. I had to resort to canned peas. Fred and his new crew, Jennie, brought brocoli, cauliflower, and some tasty lentils. Dr. Mike and Blair brought grilled chicken salad. We had a delightful party aboard White Wind and kept Blair up well past his bedtime. He was kicking Dr. Mike to get him to stop chatting by the time they left. It was sad to break up the party, but we had to turn in early, as well, because we had a long trip to Muertos the following day and planned to get up early.

Buddy and I were both tortured by jejenes, that night, and awoke frequently to scratch. It was too hot to want to cower under the covers. I was bitten all over my hands, legs, and face. Buddy ended up sleeping in the cockpit so he could stand to sleep under a sheet. Brad was as immune to the jejenes as he had been to the bees.

May 26, 2024

Sunrise Over Espiritu Santo

We all got up at 5:00 and planned to leave at 6:00. When the first bee arrived at 5:25, we pulled up the anchor and departed. Progress One was staying behind, having elected to wait for a weather window in La Paz rather than San Jose del Cabo. We had kept Blair up so late the night before that he slept in until 7:30 (unheard of) and didn't even see us leave.

We had a long trip to Muertos, so decided to keep watches for the first time since Buddy had joined us. I took the first watch from 5:30 to 8:30. I piloted us along the island, past Caleta Partida, and inside of Isla Ballena. We peeked into La Raza, Gallina and Gallo, and then continued on to the tip of the island and into the San Lorenzo Channel. I turned the watch over to Brad just as we passed through the shallow spot in the San Lorenzo channel. Then I went below to eat breakfast and read until sleep overcame me.

I slept until about 13:00 and then got up when Buddy saw a sea lion sunning his flippers and wanted to know what it was doing. I made some lunch and then sat up in the cockpit with Buddy until it was time for my watch at 14:30. Brad had a good nap until we neared Muertos about 15:30.

Muertos from the Restaurant

Muertos was nearly empty with only one other, seemingly abandoned, boat in the anchorage. We were able to tuck into the corner near the restaurant. We dropped the hook in 22 feet of water but had drifted into 14 feet before we stopped.

We relaxed for a while and then decided to row into shore to eat an early dinner at the restaurant. The restaurant had been closed earlier in the season, but was up and running, again. Buddy rowed the dinghy through the swimmers near the launch ramp and we landed on the sandy beach and carried the dinghy up to the edge of the rocks.

The restaurant served generous portions of tasty food, but the drinks were weak and Buddy's pina colada had no rum in it, whatsoever. According to the waitress, the barmaid was new. I had a chile relleno stuffed with arrachera, Buddy had fish tacos, and Brad had ceviche and more guacamole than the three of us could finish. By the time we rowed back to the boat, we were all beat. None of us stayed awake past 20:00.

May 27, 2024

The Dunes at Frailes

We got an early start out of Muertos and headed for Frailes. I took the first watch. The navigation was
straightforward as we followed the Baja coastline. Buddy took his share of the watches. Seas were calm and I was able to write underway. We arrived at Frailes about 15:30. There was already a catamaran anchored in the best spot, but we put the hook down in virtually the same position I had been in on Progress One two years before.

We took a swim. The water was a little colder than it had been, but still pleasant. There was a strong current. I cooked tuna steaks with a strawberry lime balsamic sauce and au gratin potatoes and salad for dinner. Once again, we retired early. We all felt eager to reach San Jose del Cabo and have this leg of our journey behind us. Brad and I had seen all these anchorages too many times. We were ready for civilization and a slip.

May 28, 2024

Once again, I took the first watch out of Frailes. The seas were calm. That stretch is one spot where we can usually sail, but we barely had five knots of wind and that was on the nose. We made good time and had tied up in our slip before 13:00.

White Wind Puerto Los Cabos

Usually, we have been assigned a slip on the side of the marina near the fuel dock that once served as
transient slips. Since covid, most of those slips have been permanently occupied by sport fishers, leaving little room for sailboats passing through. Often, we have been unable to secure a slip and were only able to do a touch and go to buy fuel and drop off garbage. This time, we were assigned a slip along the sea wall on the far side of the marina near the main entrance. It was considerably closer to the center of San Jose del Cabo, but a mile’s walk to the restaurants we frequent in the La Playa area on the other side.

Brad, Rene, and Buddy at El Marinero Borracho

It was very warm. We lounged about during the afternoon and then walked over to La Playa for dinner at El Marinero Borracho (The Drunken Sailor.) El Marinero Borracho offers Asian style shrimp tacos and even falafel tacos. We ate the best and nearly cheapest meal we had tasted in a restaurant since we left La Cruz. It was a perfect farewell dinner for Buddy.

After dinner, we stopped for a few bottles of Topo Chico (the local bubbly water) and then walked back to the boat. It was hot and even the local dogs were feeling lazy. They barely raised their heads as we passed. We admired the sunset from La Playa. We didn’t have the lovely view that we would have had from there. All we could see was a forest of sport fishers.

Lazy Local Dogs