Caleta Ramada

Judy comes ashore with Carl & Joanne, from Far Niente, at Caleta Ramada
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

July 19, 1997-Staying at the Ramada

We’ve been sailing back and forth across the Sea of Cortez, and now we are back on the Baja side, and have moved a little north of Loretto, to a very small cove called Caleta Ramada.

We had a great sail here from Coronado Island where we spent the night on the west side of that island after moving there just before dark from the south side where we first anchored. We both had been nervous at dinner about the sky and the SE breeze which came up and even though it was late and touch and go to move through the channel at that time (just about dark) we did and boy were we glad. All night there were gusty southeasterly winds and lightning off in the distance. Our new location was protected from the prevailing wind whereas the first location would have been nasty, very nasty. Good call.

Anyhow, our sail from there to here was in the left over wind from the night's storm and we used the spinnaker the whole way, mostly uneventful except for one 24 knot gust on the beam right as we came out from behind the island which knocked us fairly down and caused about 10 seconds of panic as we bore off, eased sheets and got back under control. The wind gods just smacked us once in passing to notify us who is boss. All the stuff fell off the chart table and a few other places which reminded us to stow things better.

Anchored in the Sea of Cortez

When we got here we took naps and then went into the beach with the dingy to burn paper garbage and to clean the dingy bottom. Sea weed and barnacles grow on the dingy so fast we need to turn it over and clean it about every two weeks. This is a hot and messy job, so we stop and go for a swim about every 5 minutes while we are working on the dingy.

Caleta Ramada is near a popular bay called San Juanico, but we have heard from several boats that San Juanico can get a lot of wave action, which makes it rolly and hard to sleep, or do anything actually, so we skipped San Juanico and came to Ramada. It is a calm anchorage and absolutely stunning to look at with clear water, white sand beaches and a beautiful view of the Sea further north. In the distance is a high rock called Punta Pulpito, about eight miles, and one island, Isla San Ildefonso. The sky is flawlessly clear and blue, and the sun, of course, is brilliant. There is one other boat here, Far Niente, with our friends Joanne and Carl, and little other sign of human life anywhere. No houses, no pangas, no jet airplanes overhead, no lights at night except the millions of stars. We'll probably stay for a couple of days, but maybe we should stay here for a couple of years.

Well, that’s all for now, just another boring report from paradise.

Fred & Judy, SV WINGS, Mexico

San Carlos

Dawn arrival at San Carlos after an overnight crossing of the Sea of Cortez
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

July 15, 1997-San Carlos, Mexico

We crossed the sea of Cortez and we are now in HOT San Carlos. It was 99.8 in the cabin all day yesterday, but the stores here are all air-conditioned, so we went shopping. Staying cool enough to sleep at night is a challenge but we are managing. Fans fans fans. Keeping beer ice cold is critical to getting through the day, and we have solved that one with an ice chest.

Marina San Carlos

San Carlos is a nice place, lots of expensive houses, a nice marina, and stunning scenery with rugged, rugged, mountains right in the marina area. Good roads here, but that doesn't matter to us much. Here in San Carlos there are a lot of cruising yachts which have been parked here while people go home for a while and avoid the heat. One storage lot has about 400 sailboats parked in it. It is across the freeway from the marina so the traffic gets stopped when the boats are moved to and from. Interesting.

We took a bus to nearby Guaymas, it is a Mexican city with few, if any, gringo tourists in evidence, particularly this time of year. It is a fishing port with a big marine industry and lots of big fishing boats. Several statues and monuments to fishermen lost in storms etc etc on the waterfront.

There are good shopping centers in Guaymas, and cash machines, so we can spend spend spend.

We'll move on north is a few days,

Fred & Judy, SV WINGS, San Carlos, Mexico

Puerto Escondito-Baja-Mexico

The Puerto Escondito area has a treasure of great anchorages
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

July 11, 1997-Puerto Escondito

We finally got email and letter mail both on July 11; big day!. We are really in the boonies here in the middle Sea of Cortez so contact with the outside world is difficult, but it is beautiful and relaxing here. We swim a lot, fishing, clamming (you dive for them) look for scallops, etc. Living is cheap when you don't have anything to buy (not many stores) no marinas to pay moorage, etc. Temps are little hot, inside boat is 80 at night, 95 and up in the day. Outside temps have been over 100. Sailing is good however with nice afternoon breezes. Fans and spray bottles help you keep cool down below.

We have been staying around in the islands near Puerto Escondito and Loreto for a month waiting for a mail package which came yesterday. Near Puerto Escondito Puerto Escondito is a very nice natural harbor where a big development started about 10-12 years ago and never finished; just roads and the foundation for a marina and a few empty buildings in the middle of a lot of cactus. A gringo trailer park (perm spots only) nearby has a store which we walk to for basic food supplies. There is well water from a tap in Puerto Escondito which is so sweet and cool we drink more water than anything else. Just behind the marina are the Sierra de La Giganta mountains. Straight up 5000 feet from the desert about one mile back from the beach, rugged and so beautiful.

But, nice as it is here, now that we have our mail we'll start moving on north again in a day or two.

Cactus on the Baja shore

Well, we'll write again soon,

Fred & Judy, SV WINGS, Mexico<